* Matt Stoller has been posting his correspondence with an anonymous Congresscritter about the proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial industry. One of those e-mails has some pretty harsh things to say about Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean…
Here’s the industry’s play: progressives will approach Nancy with ideas for reform, and she’ll agree to push for their proposals, and she’ll really mean it. Then industry lobbyists will go to Dennis Moore, Melissa Bean and a few other Democrats, and tell them how dire the consequences of the proposals would be, and that the members who understand how the economy works need to step up to stop Nancy and the crazy liberals from doing something rash.
Then those Democrats will go to Steny and tell him how terrible Nancy’s crazy ideas would be, and how we can’t rush into something like that without much, much more thought. Maybe Barney will try to talk to Dennis or Melissa, but it will become apparent quickly that they have no idea what they’re talking about; they’re just repeating by rote what the lobbyists told them to say.
Melissa may actually be dumber than Sarah Palin. Barney will realize he might as well talk to the lobbyists directly and save a step. The lobbyists will agree to something inconsequential, but certainly nothing that would really affect the industry’s conduct. Then the leadership will do the math and conclude that because the vast majority of Republicans will vote against any bill, we can’t get enough votes without the Dennis and Melissa crowd. The only way, our leadership will conclude, to get anything at all passed is to include nothing more than the inconsequential proposals that the lobbyists agreed to. Then we’ll all go along because it would be wildly irresponsible not to act when we’re staring over the brink of a complete collapse of world financial markets.
I’d diagram it for you if I had a chalkboard. I’ve seen the play again and again, and it always goes for long yardage.
The only defense for the play is for a significant group of Democrats to say they won’t vote for any proposal that isn’t unpalatable to industry, and mean it. It’s a pretty high stakes game of chicken, but otherwise we come out of this with nothing but a $700 billion giveaway to a crooked industry. [Emphasis added]
* Bean’s Republican opponent sent out an e-mail over the weekend about the Democrat’s ties to AIG, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac…
As you know, the Fed bailed out AIG to help them avoid bankruptcy.
A close inspection of AIG contributions shows the following contributions to Melissa Bean:
2008: $4,750 (through June 30)
Add to that the contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac:
Lifetime: $41,249
In the list of top recipients since 1989, that puts Bean at 27th already, despite the fact that many of the names ahead of her have been in office for much longer or hold leadership positions.
If investors are wondering which companies are next to go under, maybe they should just go down the line of Melissa Bean’s contributors…
* And this is an important point…
[Bean] also is a subcommittee chairman on the House Small Business Committee.
“They had huge armies of lobbyists that were tripping over each other, so they developed friends on both sides of the aisle over the years,” said Peter Fitzgerald, a Virginia banker and former Republican senator from Illinois. “Republicans got very tight with them over the years and they got very powerful.”
* And so is this…
The fact that the Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC) on Wednesday included six Democratic candidates among its nine latest U.S. House endorsements speaks to the risks of too tightly typecasting the partisan preferences of the nation’s major interest groups. While it is easy to pigeonhole labor unions as steadfast allies of the Democratic Party and business groups as closely wedded to the Republican Party, these organizations like to have good working relationships with sympathetic members of both major political parties — especially those that the groups think are going to be incumbents when the next Congress rolls around. […]
In fact, before Wednesday, BIPAC had endorsed only three Democrats running for seats in Congress this year
* As is this…
Melissa Bean has been in Congress just under four years, but the suburban Chicago Democrat has no shortage of cash for her re-election bid, thanks to special-interest groups lobbying on Capitol Hill.
Bean amassed $1.41 million for this election cycle from political action committees — more than half of the $2.6 million she had collected as of June 30, according to federal campaign finance reports compiled by the nonpartisan research group The Center for Responsive Politics.
She ranked sixth among all House candidates for money raised from PACs, the reports show. The only House members who raised more were some congressional leaders and powerful Reps. John Dingell, D-Mich., a 53-year House veteran and chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the tax-writing House Ways & Means Committee.
Only one Illinois delegation member — Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin — raised more: $1.5 million,
* More congressional stuff…
* Cable company wants TV attack ad revised: “Upon seeing the correction, the DCCC IE tweaked the ad to reflect the corrected $51,000 figure that ‘Concrete Millionaire Marty’ failed to pay in taxes ‘while supporting tax cuts for millionaires like him,’ and it’s running throughout the district,” Rudominer said.
* Roskam foe accuses him of ducking public debates
* Peoria taxpayers cost for Bush/Schock visit: over $15,000
- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:16 am:
Everyone has their bias and I understand the far left doesn’t like Cong. Bean. That’s not really news. After all, she had a primary opponent who went after her from the left.
However, attacking Bean is a dangerous thing to do, because there are a lot of people (myself included) who vote Democratic because we believe that the current Democratic Party has a better grasp of diplomacy, and because we believe that a true “safety net” is necessary, and because a lot of the right wing talk about social issues bothers us a lot.
At the same time, we don’t necessarily trust a lot of Dems on economic issues (believing too many Democrats believe in too much regulation).
As a result, when people start pushing against people like Cong. Bean, people like me start to think “I like this party on a lot of issues, but I like it because there is a moderate core of people like Bean to keep things in balance.”
Push her too hard, and people like me just might start voting for the other team. If I lived in her district and she flipped to the GOP, I would absolutely vote for her over a Dem to the left of her.
- Downstater - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:36 am:
Where’s the evidence that Sarah Palin is dumb. She seems pretty intelligent to me and has a lot more going for her than this political hack Matt Stoller does.
- Bill - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:40 am:
Downstater,
It could be her poor academic record. Well, then again, it is better than John McCain’s.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:47 am:
The correspondence is too partisan, goofy and biased to be read seriously. We are obviously reading messages written by someone who thinks he knows more than he does. They are smarmy and arrogant.
Naturally this kind of personality would demean anyone who disagrees with them. Naturally this kind of person would feel vastly superior to a governor who disagrees with him.
The correspondence is insulting, self-congratulatory and self-reverential. I wouldn’t put this stuff online and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to respect a word of it.
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:49 am:
Everyone’s in the tank on these bailouts because they’re scared to death — probably unnecessarily so. It’s self-serving for someone to blame this on Bean and other Democrats on the right of their caucus.
If it works like RTC, we’ll probably be all right. The S&L collapse was bigger than this.
Like any other bender, we’ll have to sober up, clean up the mess and start again.
China isn’t going to let their biggest customer run out of money — that would cause them graver problems. They’ll start investing all the dollars their holding in the U.S. to restore liquidity, just like the Japanese did in the 80s.
- Bill Baar - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:51 am:
I’d diagram it for you if I had a chalkboard.
Please do.
What does Bill Baley and JP Chase say?
- Bill Baar - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:51 am:
I’d diagram it for you if I had a chalkboard.
Please do.
What does Bill Daley and JP Chase say?
- Carl Nyberg - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:56 am:
Democrats believe in too much regulation!? Would that be like the onerous regulation that forced financial institutions to write fraudulent loans?
Democrats like Bean have a better grasp of diplomacy!? How’s the Iraq War thing working out? How much has it cost? Is the United States better off than before invading?
It seems like many of the people who fancy themselves moderates construct rationalizations for believing things that will let them hang out with the people they want to hang out with.
Many of these moderates simply aren’t engaging in critical thinking.
- Bill - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 9:57 am:
===Naturally this kind of person would feel vastly superior to a governor who disagrees with him.===
That sounds like you VanMan.
=== The S&L collapse was bigger than this.===
Check the numbers, word. This is sooo much larger it can’t even be calculated as of yet. To give a guy like Paulson or Bush, for that matter,
unrestricted access and authority over this large a sum with no responsibility to anyone, not the courts, not the Congress,not the president, not the voters, is the kind of stupidity that caused the problem in the first place.
Accountability annd controls must be part of the plan.
- Shore - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 10:06 am:
Greenberg (GOP opponent for Bean) was highly touted by the NRCC last year, I am wondering if there’s anyone whose been following his campaign or involved with that race and has information as to if he’s doing well or if not, why.
- Angry Chicagoan - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 10:31 am:
There are moderate Democrats and there are moderate Democrats. By that, I mean principled moderate Democrats and corporate tool “moderates”. Melissa Bean is one of the latter. She has consistently voted with Republicans on almost every economic issue — rejecting the successful Clinton agenda of the 1990s, rejecting the Republican Party’s past of progressive taxation, and favoring the sharply regressive approach of today’s Republicans. She is part and parcel of the deregulation casino mentality that has led to today’s crisis, and her Republican opponent is absolutely right to call her out on this.
Unfortunately, Greenberg is basically another DOA IL-GOP candidate, with anemic fundraising and no realistic chance of getting on air as I understand. It’s simply yet another measure of the decline of the Illinois Republican Party that Bean is not being seriously challenged in this cycle.
Lastly, anyone who doubts me ought to look at the nature of Melissa Bean’s fundraising. Freshman lightweights in hyper-marginal seats don’t usually rake in the sort of PAC money normally associated with a party leader or committee chair. Clearly, the special interests like her — a lot. That ought to give all of us cause for concern.
- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 10:32 am:
Carl,
Before going after me, try reading what I wrote.
With regard to regulation: I stand on that. Overall, too many Dems want to impose too much regulation. The GOP recently has gone the opposite way, but that doesn’t make the left correct.
Example A: Chicago’s own Alderman Ed Burke, who wants never saw a minor issue he didn’t want to toss a major law at. I will take “let the market work things out” over Ed Burke’s nanny state any day.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 10:38 am:
Why in God’s name would Roskam want debates?
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 10:52 am:
===Naturally this kind of person would feel vastly superior to a governor who disagrees with him.===
That sounds like you VanMan.
I do not feel vastly superior to anyone. My criticisms of this governor are not based on my feelings. We can all objectively prove Mr. Blagojevich’s inability to govern.
I have always been able to differentiate between Mr. Blagojevich’s personal and political images. While I often make fun of his public mistakes, I do not believe that his public image is all there is of him. I do not believe his political spinmeisters, nor do I believe his opponent’s portrayal of this governor.
I respect anyone willing to endure public office. I know public officials. But I do not respect those who have no interest in serving the public and use the offices they hold to attain higher political positions. We do not need these people.
- Fan of the Game - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 10:56 am:
===wordslinger–Like any other bender, we’ll have to sober up, clean up the mess and start again.===
Reminds me of Kipling’s excellent poem “Gods of the Copybook Headings.” The pertinent part reads thusly:
“In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.”
Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew,
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four—
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.”
http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/gods_of_copybook_headings.html
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 11:00 am:
Bill, I was off saying that S&L collapse was bigger. But they’re close. The RTC took control of about 800 failed thrifts around the country. They were able to sell about $450 billion in assets, and the taxpayers had to eat about $125 billion, in 1991 figures.
I really can’t think of any way the S&L collapse or the RTC solution impacted my life or the overall well-being of the country. My underlying point is that this isn’t the end of the world, as the gasbags on cable tv are saying (they have to fill that time somehow).
The problem in both cases was overvalued real estate and imprudent loans.
Everyone wanted everyone to own a house — Dems and GOP, liberals, conservatives and everyone in-between — because consumers drive the economy. So nobody blinked when they started making these wacky loans and bundling them as securities because they thought real estate would go up forever. Or at least until it was somebody’s else’s problem.
We all had a swell time at the party. Some more than others, but such is life. Now, it’s time to clean up. No one wants to do it, but it has to be done, it will be done, and soon we’ll sober up and be going along our merry way planning the next party.
Fortune’s are going to be made on the big selloff. The great thing about real estate is that it’s based on land, and God isn’t making any more of it, so eventually it will go up again.
- Bill Baar - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 11:04 am:
Everyone wanted everyone to own a house — Dems and GOP, liberals, conservatives and everyone in-between…
That’s a key no one is talking about much. It touches GOP ownership society ideas too. Apperciating Real estate, 401k, IRA: that was all supposed to take care of you.
I think those ideas will still prevail over time because that independence is deeply disired by most Americans.
Semi Public corporations that lobby the Hill are not going to be the ways to get there though.
- Bill Baar - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 11:06 am:
PS…I’m still clueless on the attack on Bean in the orignial post.
I talk to GOP and Dems who know here, in her disrict, and the universal comment is they like her. She listens, is responsive, they like her..
…when you get down to it, that’s what politics is.
- Just Observing - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 11:16 am:
Angry Chicagoan says: “Clearly, the special interests like her — a lot. That ought to give all of us cause for concern.”
Do you mean the special interests that are not your interests? Would you say the same thing if Planned Parenthood or the Sierra Club love Jan Schakowsky? Probably not.
- Diane - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 12:09 pm:
I still don’t get the “dumber than Sarah Palin” in bold font business.
- Fan of the Game - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 12:18 pm:
Diane,
I don’t get it, either.
- Amy - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 12:21 pm:
message to the anonymous Dem who wrote the email….you
are clearly stupid because you value your correspondence
with a blogger over your relationship with a colleague from
your own party. wasn’t Melissa Bean a big part of Rahm’s plan
to take back the House? unless you value your own blathering
over power to do some good, stop hurting your party.
- Snidely Whiplash - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 12:51 pm:
We don’t need massive regulation, but the minimal necessary amount of RESPONSIBLE regulaton. I’m also concerned about the amount of PAC money that Bean has amassed in only 3 years on the job. She’s gotta be saying SOMETHING they want to hear.
- Downstater - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 12:54 pm:
==VM “I do not respect those who have no interest in serving the public and use the offices they hold to attain higher political positions. We do not need these people.” Amen brother! The state of Illinois politics is the laughingstock of the nation due in large part to self-important politicians who care more about self promotion instead of their constituents who employ them.
- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 1:07 pm:
Diane and Fan —
The point is that to be dumber than Sarah Palin, a person would be pretty dumb.
- Bill Baar - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 1:19 pm:
The point is that to be dumber than Sarah Palin, a person would be pretty dumb.
I’d wait for the results of the Biden / Palin debates before making Palin synonymous with dumb.
- Fan of the Game - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 1:32 pm:
===- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 1:07 pm:
The point is that to be dumber than Sarah Palin, a person would be pretty dumb.===
And the data that proves Ms. Palin is “dumb” is where?
- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 1:53 pm:
Fan,
Are you really going to “debate” that issue?
Here’s some advice: Concede the point and move on to another topic. If was a Republican, I would say “Sure she’s dumb, but at least if she is elected, we will finally get rid of all those contraceptives that have been doing so much damage to this nation.”
Talk about YOUR issues, like the fact that in this nation married people actually have the “right” [thanks to activist judges appointed by liberal Democrats] to choose certain methods that will prevent them from reproducing! You should talk about how much this country NEEDS Palin to restore traditional values!
If you debate whether or not she is dumb, then you lose on the merits [since she is, in fact, dumb as a rock] and the focus becomes “How dumb is she?”
- Fan of the Game - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:02 pm:
Skeeter,
Why the vitriol against Ms. Palin. I disagree with Sen. Obama on almost everything, but I still give him the respect he and his office deserve.
And concede the point? Wow! That’s a pretty good argument you put out there.
I don’t know Rep. Bean, but I am sure she has at least a modicum of ability since it takes some to get elected (even our ersatz governor has some ability). The same holds true for Gov. Palin.
- Downstater - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:03 pm:
Fan,
If you have proof that Palin is dumb as you say then bring it forward. Otherwise, Button your lip. To attack someone as you have without absolute proof only proves that you’re a political hack and no one takes you sincerely.
Move on!
- Fan of the Game - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:10 pm:
Downstater,
It is not I making those statements.
- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:20 pm:
Seriously Fan and Downstate —
Do you really want to “debate” whether or not she is dumb?
Here is another tip: Every time you argue the point, the focus is on “Is Sarah Palin stupid?”
If that is what you would like for a focus of a campaign, then by all means, argue the point endlessly.
However, it is not a strategy that I would recommend.
By the way, if she isn’t stupid, then why isn’t she taking any questions? Why is she avoiding interviews? Why hasn’t she been on Meet the Press?
- doubtful - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:27 pm:
By the way, if she isn’t stupid, then why isn’t she taking any questions? -Skeeter
She took questions from Charlie Gibson. My favorite was when he asked her what she thought of the Bush Doctrine.
“In what respect, Charlie?”
Blink, blink.
- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:31 pm:
Another aside — Fan and Downstate:
Until you two got into this thing, the debate was “Has Cong. Bean sold out to special interests?”
After you two joined, the debate became “Is Sarah Palin dumb?”
I have to say that I like what the two of you have done for this thread. You’ve moved it to an issue that I like.
- Downstater - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:39 pm:
Skeeter, No proof? Then this conversation is over. It’s easy to put out falsehoods and lies about someone, but if there are no facts to support these allegations your words are seen as vindictive and have no merit. I am really glad this topic did come up as it exposes hacks like yourself who don’t have a clue.
- Skeeter - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:44 pm:
Downstater:
How about this for proof.
Palin does not know what the Bush Doctrine is.
She attended five schools in six years before
finally obtaining an undergrad degree.
She will not release her transcripts to determine how she did in school.
She has refused to take questions at events.
She has refused to be interviewed.
What more proof do you need?
- Bill - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:50 pm:
And not only that, she married the First Dude!
- Captain America - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:55 pm:
I don’t know that Sara Palin is dumb/stupid - she seems sharp with an engaging personality. But Palin is definitely incredibly ignorant about public policy issues in both the foreign and domestic spheres. She’s obviously not prepared or qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presdidency, particularly when the President would be a 72-76 year old man with a history of skin cancer.
- doubtful - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 2:56 pm:
Downstater,
It could be argued that it is ‘dumb’ to ignore the mountains of video and audio evidence that is contrary to the positions currently espoused on earmarks, specifically, the infamous bridge.
It could be argued that proximity is a ‘dumb’ and invalid justification for foreign policy experience.
It could be argued that firing people to settle personal vendetta’s is dumb.
It could be argued that ignoring the science behind the dwindling wolf population and trying to actually pay people to kill them into extinction is ‘dumb.’
Of course, it could also be argued that it’s not ‘dumb,’ but opportunistic and vile. I guess it remains to be seen which she actually is, although after the Gibson interview, I’m inclined to put my chip on ‘dumb.’
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 3:00 pm:
Some poster’s inability to interpret fairly a candidate’s statements or personal bias preventing an open mind regarding a candidate’s statements is leading them into name-calling, irrational thought, unprovable and insulting behavior and school-yard level outbursts.
Anyone who can freely state that a candidate is “dumb”, a “liar” or any other ridiculous insult isn’t thinking clearly.
Just stop it!
- Amy - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 3:08 pm:
be careful going down the release the records road. because then the standard would have to apply to the Presidential
candidate who refuses to release lots of records.
- Bill - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 3:09 pm:
Vanman,
Lighten up, man. We’re just having a little fun with Sarah. You do the same to Rod and we don’t complain.
- Bill - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 3:10 pm:
Amy,
You must be talking about Hillary. She’s out of the race,now.
- doubtful - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 3:15 pm:
VanillaMan,
What an unnecessarily convoluted way to whine ‘Stop picking on Sarah!’
Dumb is subjective, I’ll agree, which is why I said ‘It could be argued,’ but lying…well, that’s not subjective. It can be proven that someone is lying. (Like when Sarah says she’s against earmarks.)
And, thanks but no thanks for you vapid insistence that we ‘Just stop it!’ You may need to believe that this is boiling down to school-yard behavior, but frankly, I’ve had enough of Mr. C student in the Oval Office to idly sit back and accept an admitted D student for second chair (and it’s not like McCain was an exceptional scholar either).
She’s not running for your best friend. If she or her supporters can’t handle being called ‘dumb’ (with supporting evidence) on occasion, perhaps politics isn’t the best hobby or career.
- Captain America - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 3:17 pm:
I greatly admired Fan-of-the-Game’s Kipling quote - very erudite and appropo!
Personally, I’m not inclined to give the Bush adminstration a blank check on the bailout - they’ve already shown they can’t be trusted. Lots of safeguards need to be built into the process, including stringent Congressional oversight.
When we finally do recover from this debacle of Republican deregulation and laissez faire market fundamentalism -if ever - all sectors of the banking industry/financial markets need to collectively repay the taxpayer via taxes/user fee arrangments.It can be a long-term repayment plan with interest, but the expectation of repayment may reduce some of the incentives for presnt and future abuses
- Bill - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 3:28 pm:
I think that as the owners of AIG we should all get free health insurance.
- Bill Baar - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 4:38 pm:
Alaska pays out oil revenue to it’s citzens.
Compare that to Cook County.
If she’s dumb, she may still look appealingly dumb to folks in Cook County.
Maybe Stroger should tax CBOT and the rest of the LaSalle St crowd… and payout to the folks in Cook County… just like Alaska does.
Why the left overlooks that bit of Socialism in the arctic is beyond me.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 4:42 pm:
No - go ahead and pick on Palin.
Just try coming up with real facts to justify your claims of stupidity. I’ve been listening to eight years of anti-Clinton crap, eight years of listening to anti-Bush crap, and after not even a month, I’m sick of the anti-Palin crap.
You people don’t even know what you are talking about.
- doubtful - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 4:46 pm:
You people don’t even know what you are talking about. -VanillaMan
Instead of rebutting any of the points I made at 2:56 PM you first choose to whine about Palin being called dumb and now just assert that no one is backing up the assertion with anything.
I stand corrected, politics is the perfect hobby for you.
- Amy - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 5:34 pm:
nope. college transcripts. person still in the race.
- Anon - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 6:33 pm:
Maybe she get’s so much money is because she is a swing vote who is not 100% with them.
- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 6:47 pm:
Drudge is full of happy news today.
=People in China are talking about independence from the US (many often wondered why Communists were interested Capitalism);
=Russia’s headed to Venezuela (but as Robert Redford, said in so many of his movies “It was in alot of the papers. We won. They lost.”)
=Europeans are laughing (because we’ve managed to get ourselves into the same place they are);
=Our first response to the economic crisis is the lesser of two evils (gotta love those choices…and odds); and
=People in other Countries are beginning to rebel against globalization (GREAT timing!).
Thank goodness we at least have wonderful entertainment right now in the form of the upcoming election and can still enjoy all of this rich, beautiful, and diverse culture to which we–the formerly mean and Ugly Americans–have exposed ourselves by helping everyone in need because we just have so much.
Go Global!!!
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 8:45 pm:
So many Dems just don’t get it. Every day you talk about Palin is a day you don’t talk about the differences between Barack and McCain on taxes and the economy. Slam dunk, Obama.
Does Wall Street actually have to crash at your feet? As a red-meat political issue, the current economic situation is a godsend — you still want to talk about Sarah?
Let’s strip it down to the only thing that matters — 270 electoral votes. Maybe you can get 27 self-righteous Dems in a room, and if they take off their shoes, they can figure out how to count to 270. Otherwise, except for Bubba, their math is not so good in presidential elections since ROOSEVELT!
According to the Dem geniuses, Reagan was stupid. W was stupid. Don’t you hate getting beat by people you think are stupid? But they sure could count.
Get smart, Dems. It’s a zero-sum game.
- Frank Sobotka - Monday, Sep 22, 08 @ 10:55 pm:
“To give a guy like Blagojevich
unrestricted access and authority over this large a sum with no responsibility to anyone, not the courts, not the Congress,not the president, not the voters, is the kind of stupidity that caused the problem in the first place.
Accountability annd controls must be part of the capital plan. ”
There, Bill, fixed that for you.
- BandCamp - Tuesday, Sep 23, 08 @ 5:55 am:
Take a day off and see the CF is still a Palin debate blog. LOL!