Noonan, Parker (whoever SHE is), Buckley, and Adelman.
Our subject will be Adelman.
Granted, McCain's views are closer to mine than Obama's. But I've learned over this Bush era to value competence along with ideology. Otherwise, our ideology gets discredited, as it has so disastrously over the past eight years.McCain's temperament -- leading him to bizarre behavior during the week the economic crisis broke -- and his judgment -- leading him to Wasilla -- depressed me into thinking that "our guy" would be a(nother) lousy conservative president. Been there, done that.
Quoted by Stacy McCain, who observes:
Keep in mind that this is coming from a supporter of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), Bill Kristol's "National Greatness" outfit that pushed for the invasion of Iraq.
Then McCain quotes Matt Lewis:
In 2000, the thing to value was character and integrity, because it was perceived that Clinton lacked that. In 2008, the thing to value is competence, because it is perceived that Bush lacked that
What we are seeing, folks, is the Urge to Survive; how to keep the money rolling in given what may be an Obama victory.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
THIS Is What McCain Should Be Saying
Exactly what I suggested a few weeks ago.
Video here.
McCain should have showed Fan/Fred and Obama in ....ahhhh.....'compromising positions,' which is exactly the truth.
Oh, well.
Video here.
McCain should have showed Fan/Fred and Obama in ....ahhhh.....'compromising positions,' which is exactly the truth.
Oh, well.
Ex-Jesuit Makes Not-So-Good News
Here's the story.
[NY State] Gov. Paterson's chief of staff now says he owed nearly $300,000 in back taxes, $100,000 more than was previously known — and his lawyer blamed the problem on "non-filer syndrome."
Charles O'Byrne's attorney, Richard Kestenbaum, mentioned the virtually unheard-of ailment at a briefing for reporters intended to quell the firestorm surrounding O'Byrne's failure to file income-tax returns from 2001 to 2005.
O'Byrne, 49, a former Jesuit priest with close ties to the Kennedy family, has already blamed his neglect to file — first reported by The Post — on clinical depression
Well, it's a defense, I suppose.
Think YOU could run that past the IRS?
HT: Moonbattery
[NY State] Gov. Paterson's chief of staff now says he owed nearly $300,000 in back taxes, $100,000 more than was previously known — and his lawyer blamed the problem on "non-filer syndrome."
Charles O'Byrne's attorney, Richard Kestenbaum, mentioned the virtually unheard-of ailment at a briefing for reporters intended to quell the firestorm surrounding O'Byrne's failure to file income-tax returns from 2001 to 2005.
O'Byrne, 49, a former Jesuit priest with close ties to the Kennedy family, has already blamed his neglect to file — first reported by The Post — on clinical depression
Well, it's a defense, I suppose.
Think YOU could run that past the IRS?
HT: Moonbattery
McCain/Obama: What's the Difference?
Maybe too much coffee this AM. Overstimulated?
1) Shoebox noted (and we picked up) a story from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, whose economists simply could not find evidence of a "bank meltdown" through October '08. Commercial lending was fine, consumer lending was fine, deposits were growing, and commercial paper was dandy. The only hitch was the TED spread, which had increased sharply--but the economists laid that off to a 'flight to quality' following the Chicken-Little Doom and Gloom stories put out by Paulson and the Administration.
I admit that I bought the story at the time. I relied on information from a few local financial-industry-connected pals. They had been told (sold?) the same bill of goods.
2) The Bush Administration, led by Hank Paulson (not GWB) importunes Congress to appropriate $700Bn to "rescue" the Banks, despite the findings above. This now includes a "rescue" of GM, FoMoCo, and Cerberus/Chrysler, as well as a "forced" Federal stock-purchase in a number of Banks. We need not remind you that Paulson is ex-CEO of Goldman, Sachs--
3) Paulson, now morphing into Napoleon, will soon use some of the $700Bn to recapitalize insurance companies--Met, Pru, NYL, and Hartford have been mentioned.
4) Malkin reports that ETHANOL producers (!!!!????) are also screaming for Bailout Dollars--and we have no good reason to expect the Administration to deny them, given its near-corrupt obeisance to Archer-Daniels-Midland (although the Democrat Party is just as corrupt--see, e.g., James Doyle, Esq., Governor of Wisconsin.)
5) The AIG $85Bn has turned into $120+Bn, with $90+Bn already burned; there's discussion of more "lending" into that sewer-drain going on as we burn bandwidth.
McCain has yet to distance himself from ANY of this crap (except the Ethanol Mob's corrupt practices.)
SO WHAT?
Well, here's the "what:"
So long as the GWB Boyzzzz are in the process of socializing the Banks and insurers, all of which McCain has implicitly or explicitly endorsed....
....and are working their way towards doing same with the Big Three and the ethanol mob...
...why not go full-bore with Obama?
We can have a McCain Sec/Treas who is calling the shots at the country's banks, insurers, and other places yet-to-be-named, or we can have an Obama Sec/Treas (Jamie Dimon, anyone?) who will do the same.
What's the difference?
Here's the humorist's take. But maybe it's not humor.
1) Shoebox noted (and we picked up) a story from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, whose economists simply could not find evidence of a "bank meltdown" through October '08. Commercial lending was fine, consumer lending was fine, deposits were growing, and commercial paper was dandy. The only hitch was the TED spread, which had increased sharply--but the economists laid that off to a 'flight to quality' following the Chicken-Little Doom and Gloom stories put out by Paulson and the Administration.
I admit that I bought the story at the time. I relied on information from a few local financial-industry-connected pals. They had been told (sold?) the same bill of goods.
2) The Bush Administration, led by Hank Paulson (not GWB) importunes Congress to appropriate $700Bn to "rescue" the Banks, despite the findings above. This now includes a "rescue" of GM, FoMoCo, and Cerberus/Chrysler, as well as a "forced" Federal stock-purchase in a number of Banks. We need not remind you that Paulson is ex-CEO of Goldman, Sachs--
3) Paulson, now morphing into Napoleon, will soon use some of the $700Bn to recapitalize insurance companies--Met, Pru, NYL, and Hartford have been mentioned.
4) Malkin reports that ETHANOL producers (!!!!????) are also screaming for Bailout Dollars--and we have no good reason to expect the Administration to deny them, given its near-corrupt obeisance to Archer-Daniels-Midland (although the Democrat Party is just as corrupt--see, e.g., James Doyle, Esq., Governor of Wisconsin.)
5) The AIG $85Bn has turned into $120+Bn, with $90+Bn already burned; there's discussion of more "lending" into that sewer-drain going on as we burn bandwidth.
McCain has yet to distance himself from ANY of this crap (except the Ethanol Mob's corrupt practices.)
SO WHAT?
Well, here's the "what:"
So long as the GWB Boyzzzz are in the process of socializing the Banks and insurers, all of which McCain has implicitly or explicitly endorsed....
....and are working their way towards doing same with the Big Three and the ethanol mob...
...why not go full-bore with Obama?
We can have a McCain Sec/Treas who is calling the shots at the country's banks, insurers, and other places yet-to-be-named, or we can have an Obama Sec/Treas (Jamie Dimon, anyone?) who will do the same.
What's the difference?
Here's the humorist's take. But maybe it's not humor.
Gas-Tax WILL Go Up; Ethanol Subsidies Next?
From US DOT:
Travel on all roads and streets changed by -5.6% (-15.0 billion vehicle miles) for August 2008 as compared with August 2007. Travel for the month is estimated to be 253.7 billion vehicle miles
Frankie (da Enforcer) Busalacchi is having kittens right now.
The pressure to increase the Wisconsin gas tax will be enormous. Further, the corn-grower/ethanol people will be screaming for MORE MORE MORE MORE money.
Yes, an Obama regime will increase ethanol subsidies, but you can expect handout-demands to materialize in Wisconsin as well.
Further documentation at Headless showing corn prices in lockstep with petroleum--which only adds to the "need" of ethanol producers who may otherwise go banko. (Boo Hoo.)
HT: Calculated Risk
Illegal Records Searches on "Joe the Plumber"
Can't say this is surprising.
"State and local officials are investigating if state and law-enforcement computer systems were illegally accessed when they were tapped for personal information about "Joe the Plumber."
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher became part of the national political lexicon Oct. 15 when Republican presidential candidate John McCain mentioned him frequently during his final debate with Democrat Barack Obama.
...[Within days of the famous incident] Information on Wurzelbacher was accessed by accounts assigned to the office of Ohio Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers, the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Toledo Police Department.
(Memo to Capper: are ALL Child Support people political plants?)
Slimebuckets and lowlifes.
"Trust your Government"??
Kiss my ass.
"State and local officials are investigating if state and law-enforcement computer systems were illegally accessed when they were tapped for personal information about "Joe the Plumber."
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher became part of the national political lexicon Oct. 15 when Republican presidential candidate John McCain mentioned him frequently during his final debate with Democrat Barack Obama.
...[Within days of the famous incident] Information on Wurzelbacher was accessed by accounts assigned to the office of Ohio Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers, the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Toledo Police Department.
(Memo to Capper: are ALL Child Support people political plants?)
Slimebuckets and lowlifes.
"Trust your Government"??
Kiss my ass.
Friday, October 24, 2008
"Voter Suppression": Projection, Part 35,675
All you PUMA/HRC Dems have probably seen this letter--but others haven't.
I write on behalf of Hillary Clinton for President (”the Committee”) in regard to the January 19, 2008 Nevada Democratic Caucus. The Committee is aware of a letter addressed to you today from the Obama for America campaign requesting an inquiry into the conduct of the caucuses. The Committee shares the Obama campaign’s concern that full participation in the democratic process may have been compromised by the substantial number of irregularities occurring at the caucuses, and we fully support a complete inquiry by the Nevada State Democratic Party (the ”Party”) into all caucus improprieties.
My, my. Problems?
Here are a few excerpts from the complaint.
The Committee received substantially similar reports of improprieties of such a number as to leave no conclusion but that the Obama campaign and its allies and supporters engaged in a planned effort to subvert the Party’s caucus procedures to its advantage.
For example:
þ Preference cards were premarked for Obama.
þ Clinton supporters were denied preference cards on the basis that none were left, while Obama supporters at the same caucus sites were given preference cards.
þ Caucus chairs obviously supporting Obama:
o Deliberately miscounted votes to favor Senator Obama.
o Deliberately counted unregistered persons as Obama votes.
o Deliberately counted young children as Obama votes.
Numerous reports received by the Committee demonstrate a concerted effort on the part of the Obama campaign and its supporters to prevent eligible voters supporting a candidate other than Senator Obama from caucusing...
The Committee received a substantial number of disturbing reports from voters that they had been subject to harassment, intimidation or efforts to prevent them from voting.
Uh-huh. That's "suppression," textbook 101. Democrat stuff.
If only the Republicans could learn these techniques.
HT: Ace
I write on behalf of Hillary Clinton for President (”the Committee”) in regard to the January 19, 2008 Nevada Democratic Caucus. The Committee is aware of a letter addressed to you today from the Obama for America campaign requesting an inquiry into the conduct of the caucuses. The Committee shares the Obama campaign’s concern that full participation in the democratic process may have been compromised by the substantial number of irregularities occurring at the caucuses, and we fully support a complete inquiry by the Nevada State Democratic Party (the ”Party”) into all caucus improprieties.
My, my. Problems?
Here are a few excerpts from the complaint.
The Committee received substantially similar reports of improprieties of such a number as to leave no conclusion but that the Obama campaign and its allies and supporters engaged in a planned effort to subvert the Party’s caucus procedures to its advantage.
For example:
þ Preference cards were premarked for Obama.
þ Clinton supporters were denied preference cards on the basis that none were left, while Obama supporters at the same caucus sites were given preference cards.
þ Caucus chairs obviously supporting Obama:
o Deliberately miscounted votes to favor Senator Obama.
o Deliberately counted unregistered persons as Obama votes.
o Deliberately counted young children as Obama votes.
Numerous reports received by the Committee demonstrate a concerted effort on the part of the Obama campaign and its supporters to prevent eligible voters supporting a candidate other than Senator Obama from caucusing...
The Committee received a substantial number of disturbing reports from voters that they had been subject to harassment, intimidation or efforts to prevent them from voting.
Uh-huh. That's "suppression," textbook 101. Democrat stuff.
If only the Republicans could learn these techniques.
HT: Ace
Bank Dividends: History
Noted by Ritholtz:
"Read the fine print -- The $250 billion bank recapitalization effectively ends divdiends. If they took the cash -- and they all needed it -- there are no divvies paid until the money is paid back. No common dividends, no preferred either (though they will accumulate)."
So M&I is going to take the bailout money?
And stop paying DIVIDENDS???
"Read the fine print -- The $250 billion bank recapitalization effectively ends divdiends. If they took the cash -- and they all needed it -- there are no divvies paid until the money is paid back. No common dividends, no preferred either (though they will accumulate)."
So M&I is going to take the bailout money?
And stop paying DIVIDENDS???
I'm a Member of the "Resistance"!!
Evidently, Obama has already determined that there is a "resistance" movement.
One of the "issues" [Harry] Smith [CBS] asked about near the end of the interview was: "Whoever gets elected president, somehow, has to put their arm around the whole country and say, 'we're in this together.' Can do you that?" That gave Obama the opportunity to call for unity and attack conservatives at the same time: "I can. And I think that's the tone that we've set from the beginning of this campaign. I mean, look. Is Sean Hannity suddenly going to get on the air waves and say 'You know, I was wrong about this Obama guy, he's my man.' No, that's not going to happen. I mean's there's going to be a certain wing of the Republican Party that is, you know, dug in and resistant to the notion that we need to change direction."
Umnnnnhhhhh....I make it a point to avoid listening to Hannity for a variety of reasons...and I'm not a registered Republican (I'm a conservative...)
Having said that, I will be a Member of the Resistance should Obama be elected.
And we know what Obama's crowd thinks about "the Resistance:"
It's in this video. Hint: 25 million will be dead.
Let's not forget Obama pal Mike Klonsky, either.
HT: TrenchLady
One of the "issues" [Harry] Smith [CBS] asked about near the end of the interview was: "Whoever gets elected president, somehow, has to put their arm around the whole country and say, 'we're in this together.' Can do you that?" That gave Obama the opportunity to call for unity and attack conservatives at the same time: "I can. And I think that's the tone that we've set from the beginning of this campaign. I mean, look. Is Sean Hannity suddenly going to get on the air waves and say 'You know, I was wrong about this Obama guy, he's my man.' No, that's not going to happen. I mean's there's going to be a certain wing of the Republican Party that is, you know, dug in and resistant to the notion that we need to change direction."
Umnnnnhhhhh....I make it a point to avoid listening to Hannity for a variety of reasons...and I'm not a registered Republican (I'm a conservative...)
Having said that, I will be a Member of the Resistance should Obama be elected.
And we know what Obama's crowd thinks about "the Resistance:"
It's in this video. Hint: 25 million will be dead.
Let's not forget Obama pal Mike Klonsky, either.
HT: TrenchLady
Dames Attacking Palin: Psychography
Krauthammer is a shrink and makes a point which resonates on why the FemiNazis (and their crumpet/oenophile/camembert "conservative" By-Otch comrades) absolutely despise Sarah Palin.
"In Palin’s case, I think what it adds up to is her decision, at her age, with four other children, to have a Down Syndrome child. This, too, as Joseph Epstein wrote, in feminist circles: if abortion is not about this, what is it about? And they look at her as sort of a back room-a backwater hick-who for religious reasons went ahead and had a child that they would never have. Underneath it, I think, deep underneath it, I think it’s a self-loathing on the part of these feminists, knowing that she did a virtuous thing and a generous act that they would never have undertaken. And her having undertaken it is an affront to them: a silent rebuke.”
Not quite complete, Charles. (I'm no shrink, but I understand people, too.)
In addition, she's perfectly content and happy with her choice; remains married to a man's man, and equanamably handles her daughter's pregnancy.
In other words, Charles, she's at peace with her circumstances; she understands that there is God, Who is Good, Who has numbered the hairs on her head, and Who loves her.
It's the practical atheists--the ones who disregard Commandment Number Two (no false gods)--who spit and screech into the night.
HT: Roeser
"In Palin’s case, I think what it adds up to is her decision, at her age, with four other children, to have a Down Syndrome child. This, too, as Joseph Epstein wrote, in feminist circles: if abortion is not about this, what is it about? And they look at her as sort of a back room-a backwater hick-who for religious reasons went ahead and had a child that they would never have. Underneath it, I think, deep underneath it, I think it’s a self-loathing on the part of these feminists, knowing that she did a virtuous thing and a generous act that they would never have undertaken. And her having undertaken it is an affront to them: a silent rebuke.”
Not quite complete, Charles. (I'm no shrink, but I understand people, too.)
In addition, she's perfectly content and happy with her choice; remains married to a man's man, and equanamably handles her daughter's pregnancy.
In other words, Charles, she's at peace with her circumstances; she understands that there is God, Who is Good, Who has numbered the hairs on her head, and Who loves her.
It's the practical atheists--the ones who disregard Commandment Number Two (no false gods)--who spit and screech into the night.
HT: Roeser
Who's Attacking Sarah Palin?
Interesting theory here.
What needs to happen for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential aspirations to remain viable?
Primarily, at least 2 things:
(1) McCain needs to lose, and
(2) Sarah Palin has to be seen as a political liability and therefore unelectable.
OK. "Healthcare" Romney, the Lefto-Wacky ex-Gov Massachusetts. Hmmmmm.
Given that, I wonder if it's only a coincidence that many (but certainly not all) of the elitist "conservatives" who have abandoned McCain in favor of "The One" - and who have thoroughly trashed Sarah Palin in the process in an order to paint her as responsible for a McCain loss (should that occur) - just so happen to be Romney supporters?
Specific mention is given to the By-Otch Queen Kathleen Parker and Bill Weld, another massive Mass. failure.
Dunno, and don't care, what Noonan thought of Romney, by the way.
What needs to happen for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential aspirations to remain viable?
Primarily, at least 2 things:
(1) McCain needs to lose, and
(2) Sarah Palin has to be seen as a political liability and therefore unelectable.
OK. "Healthcare" Romney, the Lefto-Wacky ex-Gov Massachusetts. Hmmmmm.
Given that, I wonder if it's only a coincidence that many (but certainly not all) of the elitist "conservatives" who have abandoned McCain in favor of "The One" - and who have thoroughly trashed Sarah Palin in the process in an order to paint her as responsible for a McCain loss (should that occur) - just so happen to be Romney supporters?
Specific mention is given to the By-Otch Queen Kathleen Parker and Bill Weld, another massive Mass. failure.
Dunno, and don't care, what Noonan thought of Romney, by the way.
On "Liturgy Committees"
Delivered with delightful prose, an indictment of "liturgy committees" in your typical Catholic parish.
Except for the renovation of a traditional-style church building (that rare opportunity to do permanent damage with serious money, that everybody else will be stuck with for years), the typical Catholic parish will provide no greater opportunity for the dabbling of dilettantes, than it will for people who haven't cracked open a mildly serious book on the topic of Catholic worship since the day they were born. Saying this may seem unkind or judgmental, except to the extent that it is true. I cannot for the life of me understand what goes through most pastors' minds when they convene such a group. But in my experience as a chorister, musician, lay reader, and acolyte, there is nothing more irritating than the arbitrary decrees of a group of people who don't know what the hell they're talking about, beyond the bag of gimmicks they picked up at a liturgy workshop the previous weekend. Some of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard on behalf of a parish priest, emanated from groups charged with "planning the liturgy."
The author then raises an excellent question.
"Liturgy planning" is another dumb idea. The Church has already "planned" the liturgy. They print it in books with nicely bound covers that are really hard to miss when you walk into a sacristy. Our job, at most, is to prepare the liturgy, most of which becomes routine a few weeks after a priest is ordained. When you have to reinvent it, when you have to constantly explain what is going on with it, it is no longer a ritual. You see, a ritual is SUPPOSED to be done the same way over and over again, with minimum variation, and no explanation. That's why they call it a RITUAL, you dummy!
..but that's sort of the same complaint that people have about Legislators. After all, why do we send those critters off to nicely-appointed domed buildings, if they don't DO SOMETHING??
In conclusion,
Most parishes can do without them, save for the gathering of people with genuine responsibilities associated with worship; the music director, the sacristan, the persons in charge of altar servers, readers, ushers -- yes, even the nice ladies who have arranged the flowers in the sanctuary since time immemorial.
Think of all the trees which could be saved! The gasoline! The rectory heat/light bills!!
MWBH.
Except for the renovation of a traditional-style church building (that rare opportunity to do permanent damage with serious money, that everybody else will be stuck with for years), the typical Catholic parish will provide no greater opportunity for the dabbling of dilettantes, than it will for people who haven't cracked open a mildly serious book on the topic of Catholic worship since the day they were born. Saying this may seem unkind or judgmental, except to the extent that it is true. I cannot for the life of me understand what goes through most pastors' minds when they convene such a group. But in my experience as a chorister, musician, lay reader, and acolyte, there is nothing more irritating than the arbitrary decrees of a group of people who don't know what the hell they're talking about, beyond the bag of gimmicks they picked up at a liturgy workshop the previous weekend. Some of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard on behalf of a parish priest, emanated from groups charged with "planning the liturgy."
The author then raises an excellent question.
"Liturgy planning" is another dumb idea. The Church has already "planned" the liturgy. They print it in books with nicely bound covers that are really hard to miss when you walk into a sacristy. Our job, at most, is to prepare the liturgy, most of which becomes routine a few weeks after a priest is ordained. When you have to reinvent it, when you have to constantly explain what is going on with it, it is no longer a ritual. You see, a ritual is SUPPOSED to be done the same way over and over again, with minimum variation, and no explanation. That's why they call it a RITUAL, you dummy!
..but that's sort of the same complaint that people have about Legislators. After all, why do we send those critters off to nicely-appointed domed buildings, if they don't DO SOMETHING??
In conclusion,
Most parishes can do without them, save for the gathering of people with genuine responsibilities associated with worship; the music director, the sacristan, the persons in charge of altar servers, readers, ushers -- yes, even the nice ladies who have arranged the flowers in the sanctuary since time immemorial.
Think of all the trees which could be saved! The gasoline! The rectory heat/light bills!!
MWBH.
Another One Bites the Dust
National City is no more.
PNC Financial Services Group will buy National City Corp. of Cleveland in a $5.6 billion deal that will bring PNC Bank to Milwaukee.
PNC is the old Pittsburgh National, which is a potentate in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Ky.
National City is based in Cleveland and was "in trouble" about one day after their acquisition of St. Francis Bank/Milwaukee--not due to the St Francis buy, but because NatCit was heavily into subprimes. Nuclear Waste.
Those St Francis folks are going to have so damn many year-end payroll slips they'll need a new vault to keep them...
PNC Financial Services Group will buy National City Corp. of Cleveland in a $5.6 billion deal that will bring PNC Bank to Milwaukee.
PNC is the old Pittsburgh National, which is a potentate in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Ky.
National City is based in Cleveland and was "in trouble" about one day after their acquisition of St. Francis Bank/Milwaukee--not due to the St Francis buy, but because NatCit was heavily into subprimes. Nuclear Waste.
Those St Francis folks are going to have so damn many year-end payroll slips they'll need a new vault to keep them...
More on "Easy Al" Greenspan
From a newsletter:
According to Greenspan's tortured explanations, the unregulated finance companies (that he repeatedly refused to regulate), combined with the unbridled issuance of adjustable-rate mortgages (that he publicly extolled), combined with the astronomical growth of complex derivatives (that he enthusiastically encouraged), combined with the lack of governmental oversight and control (that he actively thwarted), had NOTHING to do with the resulting financial disaster.
No, these influences did not cause the problem. And neither - we are led to infer - did the former Fed Chairman's career-long penchant for nurturing asset bubbles, cause the problem. The real culprits, Greenspan argued, were all those bond investors who were demanding high-yield securities...
Uh-huh. But there's an anwer for that, too:
...the inquiring mind would want to inquire, "Why were bond investors seeking high yields?" Hmmm...could part of the reason have been that Greenspan was continuously suppressing short-term interest rates, even when economic conditions did not seem to require them. "Greenspan is maintaining emergency interest rates without an emergency," James Grant explained at the time.
Grant is, arguably, THE authority on rates.
Now, of course, it wasn't just "Easy Al." But $Umpty-Zillions in infused cash over the years has to go somewhere, folks.
We might mention Congress and two lousy Presidents, not to mention the biggest problem: the "gimme" population which demanded bigger houses, granite countertops, and two Caddies in the drive...
According to Greenspan's tortured explanations, the unregulated finance companies (that he repeatedly refused to regulate), combined with the unbridled issuance of adjustable-rate mortgages (that he publicly extolled), combined with the astronomical growth of complex derivatives (that he enthusiastically encouraged), combined with the lack of governmental oversight and control (that he actively thwarted), had NOTHING to do with the resulting financial disaster.
No, these influences did not cause the problem. And neither - we are led to infer - did the former Fed Chairman's career-long penchant for nurturing asset bubbles, cause the problem. The real culprits, Greenspan argued, were all those bond investors who were demanding high-yield securities...
Uh-huh. But there's an anwer for that, too:
...the inquiring mind would want to inquire, "Why were bond investors seeking high yields?" Hmmm...could part of the reason have been that Greenspan was continuously suppressing short-term interest rates, even when economic conditions did not seem to require them. "Greenspan is maintaining emergency interest rates without an emergency," James Grant explained at the time.
Grant is, arguably, THE authority on rates.
Now, of course, it wasn't just "Easy Al." But $Umpty-Zillions in infused cash over the years has to go somewhere, folks.
We might mention Congress and two lousy Presidents, not to mention the biggest problem: the "gimme" population which demanded bigger houses, granite countertops, and two Caddies in the drive...
OPEC: Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword
Boo hoo.
OPEC said at an emergency meeting Friday that it will slash oil production by 1.5 million barrels to stem the "dramatic collapse" of oil prices, but crude prices plunged 7 percent anyway as financial markets spiraled downward across the globe
And they'll cut further, they say.
OPEC officials, however, signaled they were prepared to slice deeper quickly if crude continues its freefall
Who's crying loudest?
Iran and Venezuela pushed for a cut of 2 million barrels a day
Regardless,
Oil futures slid $4.46 to $63.38 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange
Best guess? Around $60.00/bbl for the intermediate term.
Pretty soon, you'll hear noises about Bank problems--for those Banks which wrote $Zillion loans to Venezuela and Iran.
OPEC said at an emergency meeting Friday that it will slash oil production by 1.5 million barrels to stem the "dramatic collapse" of oil prices, but crude prices plunged 7 percent anyway as financial markets spiraled downward across the globe
And they'll cut further, they say.
OPEC officials, however, signaled they were prepared to slice deeper quickly if crude continues its freefall
Who's crying loudest?
Iran and Venezuela pushed for a cut of 2 million barrels a day
Regardless,
Oil futures slid $4.46 to $63.38 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange
Best guess? Around $60.00/bbl for the intermediate term.
Pretty soon, you'll hear noises about Bank problems--for those Banks which wrote $Zillion loans to Venezuela and Iran.
Vote Suppression: the Democrat Version
I have long contended that generally speaking, "projection" is the modus operandi of most political name-callers.
Here's another proof.
Fairfax general registrar Rokey Suleman [a Democrat] said Thursday that he has had to reject some of the ballots because of a Virginia law passed in 2002. That law — then called Senate Bill 113, sponsored by then state Sen. Bill Bolling — requires that when an overseas citizen wants to request an absentee ballot and cast a vote with the same paperwork, it requires not only a witness signature but also the current address of the witness.
The McCain campaign said there’s not even a space for the witness to list an address. Suleman agreed; he said the federal document was changed in recent years and the space for the witness address was removed. But the Virginia law hasn’t changed.
The rejected ballots were from servicemen deployed overseas (surprise!!!)
This, my friends, is "Vote Suppression" writ large.
At the same time, Virginia Democrats are bending every single corner to "assist" college students to vote...
HT: SouthernAppeal
Here's another proof.
Fairfax general registrar Rokey Suleman [a Democrat] said Thursday that he has had to reject some of the ballots because of a Virginia law passed in 2002. That law — then called Senate Bill 113, sponsored by then state Sen. Bill Bolling — requires that when an overseas citizen wants to request an absentee ballot and cast a vote with the same paperwork, it requires not only a witness signature but also the current address of the witness.
The McCain campaign said there’s not even a space for the witness to list an address. Suleman agreed; he said the federal document was changed in recent years and the space for the witness address was removed. But the Virginia law hasn’t changed.
The rejected ballots were from servicemen deployed overseas (surprise!!!)
This, my friends, is "Vote Suppression" writ large.
At the same time, Virginia Democrats are bending every single corner to "assist" college students to vote...
HT: SouthernAppeal
Second Capper's Emotion--Partially
Hey--the stopped clock thing strikes again!
Cindy is a Milwaukee county employee that works in the Economic Support Division. She is a Quality Assurance Tech, which is a fancy way of saying she is one of the people that investigate and recoup overpayments or incorrect payments
...Cindy is damn good at her job. In 2006, in just nine months, she caught $1.6 million dollars in overpayments. In 2007, that number jumped to an amazing $2,126,623.95 that she recovered.So far this year, as of October 15th, she has reclaimed more than $1.4 million. In less than three years, she has saved taxpayers over $5 million dollars
Capper's complaint?
What is disturbing is that even though Cindy is the best in the nation in her line of work, and has won a state award for her production, Milwaukee County refuses to even acknowledge her accomplishments with so much as a commendation
...or maybe at least a nice pretty letter, hey.
Memo to Scott Walker: GET ON THIS RIGHT NOW!!
But Capper hasn't actually become sane or anything. Here's his last graf:
For my conservative friends that are most probably having a knee jerk reaction, and want to point out that these large numbers of overpayments are an example of why benefits should be stopped, I would like to kindly, but firmly, point out that the Bush administration has allowed companies like Halliburton and Blackwater, to name just a couple, get away with a helluva lot more in overpayments. And there was never any attempts to get recoupement on those billions of dollars
Sure 'nuff. Capper's still running against Bush. Maybe Scott Walker should send out new calendars to County employees, too.
Cindy is a Milwaukee county employee that works in the Economic Support Division. She is a Quality Assurance Tech, which is a fancy way of saying she is one of the people that investigate and recoup overpayments or incorrect payments
...Cindy is damn good at her job. In 2006, in just nine months, she caught $1.6 million dollars in overpayments. In 2007, that number jumped to an amazing $2,126,623.95 that she recovered.So far this year, as of October 15th, she has reclaimed more than $1.4 million. In less than three years, she has saved taxpayers over $5 million dollars
Capper's complaint?
What is disturbing is that even though Cindy is the best in the nation in her line of work, and has won a state award for her production, Milwaukee County refuses to even acknowledge her accomplishments with so much as a commendation
...or maybe at least a nice pretty letter, hey.
Memo to Scott Walker: GET ON THIS RIGHT NOW!!
But Capper hasn't actually become sane or anything. Here's his last graf:
For my conservative friends that are most probably having a knee jerk reaction, and want to point out that these large numbers of overpayments are an example of why benefits should be stopped, I would like to kindly, but firmly, point out that the Bush administration has allowed companies like Halliburton and Blackwater, to name just a couple, get away with a helluva lot more in overpayments. And there was never any attempts to get recoupement on those billions of dollars
Sure 'nuff. Capper's still running against Bush. Maybe Scott Walker should send out new calendars to County employees, too.
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