Let's hope she's not a stoolie

Halloween Costume of the Day

Tom Mann

Nancy the Good Nazi Girl

Breaking News: Pelosi Tries to Lead Democrats off a Cliff

Mrs. Pelosi will, according to Bill Kristol, "release the text of the Democratic health care proposal tomorrow, with the hope of bringing it to the floor as early as next Friday. Pelosi will claim that the Congressional Budget Office has scored the Democratic bill as deficit neutral over the next ten years." “ - Here's the key fact: The bill will be (allegedly) deficit neutral because of hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare cuts. If it passes, these will be the largest cuts in Medicare ever. Is the Democratic Party as a whole willing to go into the 2010 election as the party that slashed Medicare? Are individual Democratic members? Pelosi will whisper to her members not to worry, they can rescind the cuts next year. But then of course the legislation will be a deficit buster. And even if the Democratic Congress does rescind the cuts, that will just allow Republicans to run ads criticizing Democrats for cutting Medicare and busting the budget. And, one might add (as Republicans will), raising taxes and hiking premiums. One more thing: Speaker Pelosi is once again--as on cap and trade--asking her members to walk the plank, absent any evidence there are the votes in the Senate to pass comparable legislation. In fact, the reason Pelosi is pulling the trigger now is that Reid failed in his effort to get the Senate up to the starting gate first (that was the point of last week's attempted "doc fix"). So, the question is: Will her caucus follow Nancy off a cliff? ”

Hello Dolly

Making do in hard times

Don't let family get in the way of progress

It's so obvious ...

Being Observant

Special Adviser Kerry

President Obama Greets Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke John Kerry

From the White House photo stream... (Via Weekly Standard)

“ Sen. John Kerry has ascended to the unofficial role of President Barack Obama's global adviser on key issues that could reshape the nation's image around the world. Kerry and Obama also share a political pedigree. Both were mentored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who died in August. (AP) ” What could go wrong?

r.u.blind

Donkey Toss

More Signs of Good News for 2010

More Signs of Trouble for 2010 - if you're a Democrat

William Galston, writing for The New Republic,  “ The current state of American politics presents a paradox. On the one hand, survey after survey testifies to the rock-bottom standing of the Republican Party. Fewer Americans identify with the party than in the past, and fewer trust it to deal with the country’s problems. On the other hand, there are hard-to-ignore signs of a conservative resurgence. A 15,000 person Gallup survey out today shows that 40 percent of Americans now identify themselves as conservative (up from 37 percent at the time of Obama’s election), while only 20 percent regard themselves as liberal (down from 22 percent). Far more independents (35 percent) consider themselves conservative than was the case a year ago (only 29 percent). These findings would be less compelling if they were not linked to conservative shifts on specific issues--but they are, and the Galluporganization enumerates a considerable list. Among them: increasing opposition to government regulation of business and gun ownership; an uneasy feeling about the influence of labor unions; increasing support for immigration restrictions and government promotion of traditional values; and diminished support for strong action on climate change. The percentage of Americans who believe that government is trying to do too much stands at its highest level (57 percent) in many years. Trust in government is near all-time lows, and Americans believe that 50 cents of every federal tax dollar is wasted--the highest level ever. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that unified Democratic government has sparked a conservative counter-mobilization. Because we cannot rerun history as a controlled experiment, we will never know whether this could have been avoided had the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats adopted a different strategy. In any case, it’s too late to reverse it.  [cont>>] ” Galston a senior adviser to President of the United States Bill Clinton on domestic policy, and has also been employed by the presidential campaigns of Al Gore and Walter Mondale. This feeling is palpable folks.

PBS Doc

Close to Home

“ As the U.S. unemployment rate hits a 25-year high and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits a six-year low, award-winning FRONTLINE producer Ofra Bikel chronicles the recession's impact on one unlikely American neighborhood -- New York's Upper East Side.(more ») ” C/R

"people who ought to be shot"

Ralph 'n Bawney without comment

I have to comment.  Nader intentionally or unintentionally used the wrong premise.  Yes his House Banking Committee rejected every warning about housing derivatives, but Barney was instrumental in forcing banks to make the bad loads which led to them.  As Saturday Night Life famously put it, Barney Frank should be shot. Errata.  In an earlier scribble I said that SNL commented that Barney Frank should to be shot.  That should have been among "people"  like Herbert and Marion Sandler who "ought to be shot!."  Subject to interpretation, but I regret the error.  PS- In the original skit (via Pat Dollard) Sandler addresses Frank, saying, “And thank you Congressman Frank as well as many Republicans (who?) for helping block Congressional oversight of our corrupt activities.” To which Frank replies enthusiastically, “Not at all!”