From time to time you find yourself sucked into a situation without really thinking about it. This is what happened to me today as I sat at home waiting for the AT&T repairman to show up. I was flipping channels when I came across a rerun of a 2002 episode of the series 7th Heaven. For those unfamiliar with the program it features (or featured) a Protestant Minister and … [Read more...] about Try To Make Him (And All of Them) Proud
First, We Take Wall Street, Then We Take Detroit!
You know, after spending $700 billion to help the American economy not sink into Depression 2.0 ... $25 billion for the Big Three is like the change you find under the couch: With Congress preoccupied with the massive, $700 billion bailout plan for the financial industry, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have finally secured Part One of their own federal rescue plan. A … [Read more...] about First, We Take Wall Street, Then We Take Detroit!
Bush’s Speech On The Economy
Did he basically play the 911 card with a different design all over again? The Washington Note's Steve Clemons has some thoughts. What are yours? … [Read more...] about Bush’s Speech On The Economy
Rep. Frank: “We Have a Bailout Bill”
Before John "White Knight" McCain could arrive in Washington to save the day, Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank, Chair of the Financial Services Committee, claims today that Democrats have agreed on a bailout bill. No details have been released at this point, but Frank says the $700 billion figure may not be released all at once, there will be executive compensation … [Read more...] about Rep. Frank: “We Have a Bailout Bill”
David Letterman On McCain’s Campaign Suspension And The Political And Cultural Conventional Wisdom
So now GOP Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, pointing to the Wall Street meltdown and the chance that Congress will balk at the Bush administration's crucial bailout solution, has suspended his campaign -- and reportedly won't show up at Friday's debate even if Democratic Sen. Barack Obama does. In terms of the impact on Campaign 2008, the next few days will be … [Read more...] about David Letterman On McCain’s Campaign Suspension And The Political And Cultural Conventional Wisdom
Brandon McInerney’s Father Fires His Attorney
What might have been a routine preliminary hearing in the Oxnard, CA, trial of 14-year-old Brandon McInerney became newsworthy yesterday when Brandon's father moved to fire the public defender representing him and bring in criminal lawyers from LA. You'll recall that McInerney is being prosecuted as an adult for first-degree murder and a hate crime in the Feb. 12 killing of … [Read more...] about Brandon McInerney’s Father Fires His Attorney
A Modest Proposal for Friday’s Debate
It looks like John McCain is playing hardball and will not appear at Friday's debate in Oxford, MS, even if Barack Obama does show up. Could Barack Obama really debate an empty chair? Is there ANY precedent for this sort of thing? Sure, in the early days of the primary all but a few minor GOP candidates showed up to a black issues debate. But a Presidential debate, with 100 … [Read more...] about A Modest Proposal for Friday’s Debate
Sarah Palin Channels Kirk Watson
Remember during the Democratic Primary campaign the uncomfortable TV moment when Chris Matthews asked Texas State Senator Kirk Watson of Austin to name a single legislative accomplishment of Barack Obama's? And he got stuck? Looks like Sarah Palin did the same thing today when asked to name a single Wall Street reform measure beyond the proposed Freddie/Fannie law 2 years … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin Channels Kirk Watson
Was That Before Or After The Pilgrims Flew Into Logan ?
Since we all enjoy watching politicians make fools of themselves.. Just in case some of you attended public school, the Stock Market Crash took place in 1929, FDR didn't become President until 1933. And television wasn't demonstrated publicly until 1939 and wasn't in common use until the 1940's, after FDR died (in fact I am not sure he ever appeared on … [Read more...] about Was That Before Or After The Pilgrims Flew Into Logan ?
McCain Says, LET Go! Barack Says LET’S Go!
from the NYT: Senator Barack Obama said that Friday's presidential debate should go ahead after Senator John McCain issued a call to delay the event to return to Washington and deal with the financial bailout package. Human beings tend to have at least two different ways of describing a heroic stance: one is pre-emptive, smart, far-seeing, prescient, responding in … [Read more...] about McCain Says, LET Go! Barack Says LET’S Go!
Assessing the Stunt
There are three ways you can succeed with a political stunt: 1) The people don't realize it's a stunt and you look selfless on the face of it. 2) The attention given to the event at issue actually helps a substantive problem get solved. People see it as a stunt but one that "raises awareness" of an important issue and gets things done. 3) The opponent overplays his hand … [Read more...] about Assessing the Stunt
Debates, and the Law of Unintended Consequences
I'm really saddened by my reaction to McCain's maneuver statement that he's suspending his campaign in favor of rushing off to lead the country into the sunrise. I've discovered a truly deep well of cynicism about all things political lately. And he wants the first debate postponed until the "crisis is over"? LOL! The elections could very well be over before we're through … [Read more...] about Debates, and the Law of Unintended Consequences
(Updated) McCain: I Be Presidential, So Grab A Bucket & Help Me Bail, Barack My Man
As noted here, last week was the game changer in the 2008 presidential campaign and that finally seems to have sunk in this afternoon as John McCain announced that he was suspending campaigning to help fix the economy, urged Barack Obama to do the same and, oh, wants to hold off on that first debate. The McCain-Sarah Palin campaign is imploding. After campaign spokesmouths … [Read more...] about (Updated) McCain: I Be Presidential, So Grab A Bucket & Help Me Bail, Barack My Man
McCain’s Attendance Record
Here's why I can't view McCain's plan to suspend his campaign and return to Washington until the economic crisis is fixed with anything but cynicism: He hasn't voted in the Senate since April 10, more than five months ago. To be fair, Obama has missed a lot of votes as well. But McCain has missed 64% of votes in the 110th Congress to Obama's 46%. And while the current … [Read more...] about McCain’s Attendance Record
All I Need to Know About the Economy, I Learned from Ikea.
Okay, not really Ikea, but the land where Ikea was born: Sweden. Bruce Strokes has an interesting article on how Sweden faced a similar crisis to what the US is facing now back in the early 90s. You need to read the whole thing, but here is a peek: In the early 1990s, Sweden experienced the worst financial crisis suffered by any industrial country since the Depression. … [Read more...] about All I Need to Know About the Economy, I Learned from Ikea.
Quote Of The Day: On McCain Suspending Campaign And Calling For Debate Postponement
The political Quote of the Day comes from The Politico's Ben Smith on GOP Presidential campaign John McCain's dramatic announcement that due to the economic crisis he is suspending his campaign, heading back to Washington and wants rival Democratic. Sen. Barack Obama to do the same and to postpone Friday's debate: McCain suspends his campaign, and asks to postpone Friday's … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: On McCain Suspending Campaign And Calling For Debate Postponement
A Better Solution Than Bailouts
Paulson and Bernanke would have us believe that there's no alternative to giving banks $700 billion in public funds. That unless we do so, individuals and businesses will be starved of needed cash. But in fact there is a much better solution to our current financial crisis. One that gets money directly to the people who need it, people who will use it for the right purposes, … [Read more...] about A Better Solution Than Bailouts
Outrage Fatigue and Publicly Funded Elections
One of the few remedies I have found for "outrage fatigue" is to offset bad news by giving my time and money to candidates and movements I believe are part of the solution. One of my beliefs is that otherwise pragmatic candidates are influenced by money from special interests and one of the solutions is publicly financed campaigns that allow candidates to run without … [Read more...] about Outrage Fatigue and Publicly Funded Elections
America’s Final Downfall? We Had Better Hope Not!’ – Die Zeit
Is the current financial crisis the latest bit of evidence that the final collapse of American power is at hand? If these weren't the fears of Joschka Fischer, a former German foreign minister that knows the debt that Europeans owe the United States, one could perhaps more easily dismiss these sentiments as 'schadenfreude' [taking pleasure in the pain of others]. For … [Read more...] about America’s Final Downfall? We Had Better Hope Not!’ – Die Zeit
McCain To Suspend Campaign To Focus on Bailout, Urges Obama To Join Him
In a story just breaking over the wires Senator John McCain has announced he is suspending his campaign in order to return to Washington to focus on the bailout legislation. He has also called for Friday's debate to be postponed. So far the Obama campaign has not responded although unofficial word is they may reject the call, at least with regard to the debate. A statement … [Read more...] about McCain To Suspend Campaign To Focus on Bailout, Urges Obama To Join Him