Chris's Rants

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Casting out his inner republican

David Brooks wrestles with himself and casts out his conservative demon.
He starts off chastising Nancy Pelosi for being mean - wah! Then, he blames the
complete collapse of western civilization on the Democrats, who failed to deliver
the last 30% of their caucus:
House leaders of both parties got wrapped up in their own negotiations, but did it occur to any of them that it might be hard to pass a bill fairly described as a bailout to Wall Street? Was the media darling Barney Frank too busy to notice the 95 Democrats who opposed his bill? Pelosi’s fiery speech at the crucial moment didn’t actually kill this bill, but did she have to act like a Democratic fund-raiser at the most important moment of her career?
Maybe someone could point out to Mr Brooks what bi-partisan means. Of course, he is a smart man, so attributing his statement above to ignorance would be unfair. Rather, he just can't bring himself to admit that it was the Republicans that screwed the pooch yesterday. In order to get this legislation passed, it had to be done in such a manner as to NOT permit one party to damn the other in the lead-up to the election, for having voted for this bill. The agreement was that they would each deliver 50% of their respective caucuses. The Republicans failed - miserably.

Then, after ensuring that he leads with blaming Nancy and Barney, he turns his limited attention to the Republicans:
House Republicans led the way and will get most of the blame. It has been interesting to watch them on their single-minded mission to destroy the Republican Party. Not long ago, they led an anti-immigration crusade that drove away Hispanic support. Then, too, they listened to the loudest and angriest voices in their party, oblivious to the complicated anxieties that lurk in most American minds.

Now they have once again confused talk radio with reality. If this economy slides, they will go down in history as the Smoot-Hawleys of the 21st century. With this vote, they’ve taken responsibility for this economy, and they will be held accountable. The short-term blows will fall on John McCain, the long-term stress on the existence of the G.O.P. as we know it.

I’ve spoken with several House Republicans over the past few days and most admirably believe in free-market principles. What’s sad is that they still think it’s 1984. They still think the biggest threat comes from socialism and Walter Mondale liberalism. They seem not to have noticed how global capital flows have transformed our political economy.
Maybe Mr Brooks should read what he is writing. Most admirably? Sad? These people just tanked the economy and they are to be lauded for "admirably" sticking to their principles - the ones responsible for this mess?

Give.Me.A.Break.

In the end, he calls for "big daddy", not regulation:
What we need in this situation is authority. Not heavy-handed government regulation, but the steady and powerful hand of some public institutions that can guard against the corrupting influences of sloppy money and then prevent destructive contagions when the credit dries up.
Again, does he read what he is writing? No evil nasty regulations, just the steady and powerful hand of some public institution. By what means does he think that such an institution realizes its authority?

Clearly, Mr Brooks is in need of an intervention. His head is about to explode. He just cannot bring himself to admit that the "principles" he has been espousing for all this time have proven themselves to be devoid of merit.

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Worse than Miss Teen USA from SC


Watch CBS Videos Online

Seriously, this woman is WORSE than W in terms of her inability to construct a coherent sentence. She has a bunch of buzz words flying around in her head and she manages to occasionally inject a conjunction or adverb. Sad. This clip is actually WORSE than the performance by the Miss Teen USA contestant from SC.

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Bad News For The Bailout

Bad News For The Bailout (Forbes.com):
In fact, some of the most basic details, including the $700 billion figure Treasury would use to buy up bad debt, are fuzzy.

"It's not based on any particular data point," a Treasury spokeswoman told Forbes.com Tuesday. "We just wanted to choose a really large number."
I'd say so.

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Ready? I think not

John Cole:
Additionally, McCain has suggested that he and Obama could debate next Thursday instead of the VP candidates.

Let me unpack this for the rest of you retrograde morons out there who are still undecided and can not figure out whether you will vote for Obama or McCain. And no, I am not with the Obama campaign on any official level, so I feel perfectly comfortable calling you a total moron if you are an undecided at this point.

1.) McCain is not putting politics aside. He is injecting a massive dose of politics into this debate. Now, when the negotiators stick on points over the next 36 hours, they will have to wonder if it is being done in bad faith in order to suspend the debate.

2.) Sarah Palin is clearly not ready to debate next week, and the McCain campaign is desperate for a way to postpone her appearance.

[...]

My god, this is the easiest choice in an election in my lifetime.
Nothing could be clearer than the fact that Sistah Sarah is a clueless bumpkin wholly unprepared for a debate against the likes of Sen. Biden - one of the sharpest Senators we have, and one thoroughly steeped in foriegn policy. He is a veritable Foriegn Policy WONK. She hasn't a prayer.

Yesterday, the McSame team would not even let Ms Palin answer a simple question on her impression of the meetings she had with world leaders. The press were shooed from the room. Sad.

Serioulsy, this woman is less clued in than Dubya. She is less experienced than Dan Fricking Quayle! A heartbeat from the Presidency? I think not.

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Monday, September 22, 2008

Now this is pretty cool

Sen. Dodd competing proposal to the blank check proposal offered by the SecTreas. It is hosted at a site that provides for public comment. Very nice.

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Saturday, September 20, 2008

Is anyone paying attention?



Here's the draft legislation for the bailout. One thing that has caught a few eyes is the following section, entitled "Review":
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.
The Secretary can do whatever the f*** he wants and there is no review or recourse should he go off the reservation.

Here's the previous provision that essentially says that he can do some pretty incredible things, bypassing normal laws and regulations:
(b) Necessary Actions.--The Secretary is authorized to take such actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in this Act, including, without limitation:

(1) appointing such employees as may be required to carry out the authorities in this Act and defining their duties;

(2) entering into contracts, including contracts for services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, without regard to any other provision of law regarding public contracts;

(3) designating financial institutions as financial agents of the Government, and they shall perform all such reasonable duties related to this Act as financial agents of the Government as may be required of them;

(4) establishing vehicles that are authorized, subject to supervision by the Secretary, to purchase mortgage-related assets and issue obligations; and

(5) issuing such regulations and other guidance as may be necessary or appropriate to define terms or carry out the authorities of this Act.

Sec. 3. Considerations.

In exercising the authorities granted in this Act, the Secretary shall take into consideration means for--

(1) providing stability or preventing disruption to the financial markets or banking system; and

(2) protecting the taxpayer.
He can hire who he wants and pay them what he wants, and direct the resources at his discretion. He is given SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS and there is no oversight WHATSOEVER.

Where have we seen that kind of authority before? Of course, that was a paultry sum when compared to SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS.

In case you were wondering, that is a 7 with 11 - count 'em, eleven - zeros after it. $700,000,000,000.

A) Holy crap!!!!
B) You have GOT to be kidding me... no pesky rules and regulations, no review, no legal recourse for the potential to misappropriate SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS, no oversight?!
C) I guess we can be thankful that Bush did not submit 11,000 pages of legislation that no one could possibly read and slip in a provision that invoked emergency powers to suspend the upcoming election until things settle down.

Still, am I the only one who thinks this is nuts?

Seven.Hundred.Billion.Dollars.

Update: Glen Greenwald also thinks this idea is nuts in its current form:
Put another way, this authorizes Hank Paulson to transfer $700 billion of taxpayer money to private industry in his sole discretion, and nobody has the right or ability to review or challenge any decision he makes.


Update II: Krugman says "No Deal", too.

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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Quote of the Day

Best line of the campaign so far:
“Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!”

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Drip, drip, drip



What simply amazes me is how this Tucker Bounds guy can keep a straight face while he lies about whether or not McCain, Palin and the campaign in general are spewing lies on the stump and in their ads.

Whatever, the fact that this continues to be a story, repeated daily across the 24x7 non-stop news coverage will help ensure that the meme that McCain == Liar will likely stick.

The more that McCain and Pailin are exposed as being "less than truthful" and associated with the Bush's "third term" the more that more and more people will be either staying home or voting for Obama.

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Sunday, September 14, 2008

What's this?

It seems that the NYT editorial board is waking up from its 8 year immitation of Rip Van Winkle and doesn't like what it sees:
This nation has suffered through eight years of an ill-prepared and unblinkingly obstinate president. One who didn’t pause to think before he started a disastrous war of choice in Iraq. One who blithely looked the other way as the Taliban and Al Qaeda regrouped in Afghanistan. One who obstinately cut taxes and undercut all efforts at regulation, unleashing today’s profound economic crisis.

In a dangerous world, Americans need a president who knows that real strength requires serious thought and preparation.
In fact, taking the whole of news coverage and opinion, it seems - at least to this reader - as if the McCain campaign may indeed have finally jumped the shark.

One can only hope it's not too late.

In any event - more, please!

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Anyone can become Preznit

MoDo nails it:
I’ve been in Alaska only a week, but I’m already feeling ever so much smarter about Russia.

[...]

An Arctic blast of action has swept into the 2008 race, making thinking passé. We don’t really need to hurt our brains studying the world; we just need the world to know we’re capable of bringing a world of hurt to the world if the world continues to be hell-bent on misbehaving.

Two weeks after being thrown onto a national ticket, and moments after being speed-briefed by McCain foreign-policy advisers, our new Napoleon in bunny boots (not the Pamela Anderson kind, but the knock-offs of the U.S. Army Extreme Cold Weather Vapor Barrier Boots) is ready to face down the Russkies and start a land war over Georgia, and, holy cow, what business is it of ours if Israel attacks Iran?

[...]

The really scary part of the Palin interview was how much she seemed like W. in 2000, and not just the way she pronounced nu-cue-lar. She had the same flimsy but tenacious adeptness at saying nothing, the same generalities and platitudes, the same restrained resentment at being pressed to be specific, as though specific is the province of silly eggheads, not people who clear brush at the ranch or shoot moose on the tundra.[...]

Like W., Sarah has the power of positive unthinking. But now we may want to think about where ignorance and pride and no self-doubt has gotten us. Being quick on the trigger might be good in moose hunting, but in dealing with Putin, a little knowledge might come in handy.
It seems as if the Republicans are taking to the extreme the concept that anyone can become president. Thankfully, not all the pundits are taken by the Arctic Fox.

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Friday, September 12, 2008

Who say's she's not qualified to be VP?

Palin Links Iraq to Sept. 11 In Talk to Troops in Alaska

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Sept. 11 -- Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."


By making this false claim, she is demonstrating to the faithful that she is as qualified as Darth Cheney.

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