"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[Human Snorenado]

TDS was on fire tonight, aside from the lame Affleck interview.

[Barry Egan]

comic

 

[Human Snorenado]

Wow, Republicans are just trying to look like deranged lunatics now I guess:

Trailing by 178 votes in the NY-20 special election, Republican Jim Tedisco sues to have himself declared the winner.

COLUMBIA COUNTY — 20th Congressional District candidate Republican Jim Tedisco submitted a petition to the Dutchess County Supreme Court Thursday asking the judge to declare him the winner of the extremely close special election race, despite the numbers currently being in favor of his opponent, Democrat Scott Murphy.

According to The Associated Press, Murphy leads Tedisco by 178 votes district wide — 79,452 to 79,274. The only ballots that have not been counted are those challenged by each candidate’s lawyers, and while Tedisco’s office has said the challenges are roughly evenly split between the two camps, Columbia County lawyers for Murphy have only challenged 22 ballots, while Tedisco’s have challenged 258.

This, challenging Kirsten Gillibrand's ballot, and Norm Coleman's epic voyage to nowhere are making Republicans look even more like sore losers who are divorced from reality.  I guess only in Republican-land are you a winner when you're trailing by almost 200 votes and you challenged more than the other guy in the counting of the absentee ballots.  I almost can't wait for 2010, to be honest.

edit:  oh holy shit, I completely missed that they stopped adjudicating ballot disputes because the Republican official left to go to the Yankees game.

Somehow I'm sure this is all ACORN's fault...

[Fragamemnon]

On a serious note though, Obama's announcement of the high speed rail plan is great. I just wish they would be more honest with the total costs. $13B over five years doesn't seem nearly enough. Infrastructure like this that would probably have a nice effect on commerce/economic growth. I think there's an argument to be made that its definately something we should be spending a lot of money on.

Rail is one of those things you commit a somewhat-modest (well, in the context of overall federal spending) sum for a decade or longer to get results. Building new infrastructure like that takes a lot of time, but it is IMO worth it. Also, a lot of the rail system costs would be shared with state and local funding.

[siamesedreamer]

Stiglitz isn't convinced:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afYsmJyngAXQ&refer=home

That's not good.


Also, Dodd only raised $4250 from just five Connecticut residents in the first quarter. 

[Human Snorenado]

Well, it beats the $845 that Roland Burris raised.  No, not from Illinois residents- TOTAL.

[Cheebs]

Also, Dodd only raised $4250 from just five Connecticut residents in the first quarter. 

There has to be some CT Democrat to primary him. I think he could easily lose the primary if a good enough candidate would run against him.

But in the end if he is the nominee I'm fine with him going down, there are at least 3 senate sets 100% guaranteed to switch to Democrat so it would work out.

[Dickie Dee]

Dodd is hardly the worst Dem in the Senate, despite his usual uslessness, he's occassionally awesome.

[Crushed]

Oh, RLC. Made by a virulent racist and creationist named "Hapajap" (it's ok to say that, he's half-Japanese!) who fell for an online pyramid scheme and tried to get his readers to do the same thing.

[Eric P]

these aren't parodies?

really?

[Positive Touch]

yeah, i don't understand how these work if they aren't parodies

[Madrun Badrun]

I just watched yesterdays daily show.  Awesome stuff. 

[Cheebs]

Steve Schmit, McCain's campaign manager gave a pretty interesting speech the other day. As a Republican who ran a national campaign he believes Democrats are going to keep winning unless Republicans radically change. That Democrats are growing their support amongst the young, hispanics, and all other growing areas of the population...etc. Here is part of it.

    While I think projections of a political re-alignment are premature based on the results of two elections, I would rather be in the Democrats' shoes than ours.  Their coalition is expanding.  Ours is shrinking.  Their vote share is increasing among voter segments that are growing.  Ours is not.  The rapid growth of the Hispanic-American population, for instance, could soon cost Republicans the entire Southwest if we don't recover our previous share of their vote.  Had Senator McCain not been the Republican nominee in 2008, I'm convinced we would have lost Arizona.  It's very hard to see how we put together 270 electoral votes without the Southwest.

    As a percentage of the total vote, younger voters didn't really increase in the last election.  But the Democrats' margin with those voters certainly did.  In short, we were crushed by the Obama campaign with voters under 30.  President Obama was a uniquely attractive candidate to younger voters, in matters of style as much as substance.  And maybe as those voters grow older and acquire greater responsibilities they will develop a better appreciation for Republican values of limited government, fiscal discipline, low taxes and a strong defense.  That has happened in the past.

    But even if they do, I doubt they will abandon social attributes that distinguish them from older voters; among them, a greater acceptance of people who find happiness in relationships with members of the same sex.  And I believe Republicans should re-examine the extent to which we are being defined by positions on issues that I don't believe are among our core values, and that put us at odds with what I expect will become over time, if not a consensus view, then the view of a substantial majority of voters.

[Cheebs]

Obama has done today something Bush refused to do, talk with Hugo Chavez.

[Dickie Dee]

[recursivelyenumerable]

*Sleep deprivation. “The primary method of sleep deprivation involves the use of shackling to keep the detainees awake. In this method, the detainee is standing and is handcuffed, and the handcuffs are attached by a length of chain to the ceiling... a detainee undergoing sleep deprivation is generally fed by hand by CIA personnel so that he need not be unshackled. If the detainee is clothed, he wears an adult diaper under his pants. Detainees subject to sleep deprivation who are also subject to nudity... will at times be nude and wearing a diaper. The maximum allowable duration is 180 hours...”

[Phoenix Dark]

*Sleep deprivation. “The primary method of sleep deprivation involves the use of shackling to keep the detainees awake. In this method, the detainee is standing and is handcuffed, and the handcuffs are attached by a length of chain to the ceiling... a detainee undergoing sleep deprivation is generally fed by hand by CIA personnel so that he need not be unshackled. If the detainee is clothed, he wears an adult diaper under his pants. Detainees subject to sleep deprivation who are also subject to nudity... will at times be nude and wearing a diaper. The maximum allowable duration is 180 hours...”

oh no

[Oblivion]

Was there a new episode of Real Time today?

[Kestastrophe]

Michigan Teabaggers owned
 http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/04/peter_luke_tea_party_tax_prote.html

Lawmakers this week are expected to begin work on a hike in fuel taxes, last raised in 1997, and vehicle registration fees, sending them to Gov. Jennifer Granholm by summer.

Without those increases, Michigan's road-repair budget will soon be broke. And yet, billions are needed to keep one of the nation's most decrepit road systems in reasonably good shape.

But the Michigan Republican Party has cemented an anti-tax stance that appeals to its most conservative, tea-bag-waving elements. That makes it tough for radical outfits like the Michigan Chamber of Commerce to persuade GOP lawmakers to join Granholm and Democrats in raising transportation taxes.

[Phoenix Dark]

Wow, our roads are already shitty.

but fuck, maybe we should just cut taxes/services and see how people like that

[Phoenix Dark]

[youtube=560,345]OAiXkw-7PxQ[/youtube]
tea party ownage around 1:20 

that being said, Janeane Garofalo can gtfo with her "they're all racists" nonsense. Hope her character dies in 24

[Kestastrophe]

Here is the video that they talked about:

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

I love how some people chime in at the start of the guy's speech, "what happened to that surplus?" 

[Cheebs]

Wow, our roads are already shitty.

but fuck, maybe we should just cut taxes/services and see how people like that

Nooo, I want my roads fixed. Roads are shitty here.

[Dickie Dee]

[youtube=560,345]OAiXkw-7PxQ[youtube]
tea party ownage around 1:20 

that being said, Janeane Garofalo can gtfo with her "they're all racists" nonsense. Hope her character dies in 24

"Cavuto Emptor" it was only onscreen for half a second, but I lol'd

[Phoenix Dark]

Wow, our roads are already shitty.

but fuck, maybe we should just cut taxes/services and see how people like that

Nooo, I want my roads fixed. Roads are shitty here.

Nah cut taxes, get rid of gov services. Lets see how people like that

[siamesedreamer]

Michigan Teabaggers owned
 http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/04/peter_luke_tea_party_tax_prote.html

Lawmakers this week are expected to begin work on a hike in fuel taxes, last raised in 1997, and vehicle registration fees, sending them to Gov. Jennifer Granholm by summer.

Without those increases, Michigan's road-repair budget will soon be broke. And yet, billions are needed to keep one of the nation's most decrepit road systems in reasonably good shape.

But the Michigan Republican Party has cemented an anti-tax stance that appeals to its most conservative, tea-bag-waving elements. That makes it tough for radical outfits like the Michigan Chamber of Commerce to persuade GOP lawmakers to join Granholm and Democrats in raising transportation taxes.

Higher taxes and fees are the perfect way to revive a state already on life support. Although I shouldn't be talking as Georgia has something like a $200B DOT shortfall over the next 30 years.  

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

The general quality of roads in the US is atrocious at best.  ASCE gave it a D.

Funny, for an economy so committed to private industry, the way they neglected one of the biggest components to ensure private industry (transportation of goods) is mind boggling.

[Cheebs]

Wow, our roads are already shitty.

but fuck, maybe we should just cut taxes/services and see how people like that

Nooo, I want my roads fixed. Roads are shitty here.

Nah cut taxes, get rid of gov services. Lets see how people like that

In a weird way I am going to kind of miss Granholm even though she was far from a great governor. Something about her spunky personality I guess. She reaches the end of her second and final term next year.  And the democratic nominee is going to be this fat balding dude with a mustache. 

[Phoenix Dark]

so we gonna get more DeVos pyramid scheme lovin?

[Rman]

The general quality of roads in the US is atrocious at best.  ASCE gave it a D.

Funny, for an economy so committed to private industry, the way they neglected one of the biggest components to ensure private industry (transportation of goods) is mind boggling.

Wasnt' their a bigger US infrastructure rating for the US as a whole that got a D also?  Pathetic if true, but a challenge for the US.

[Phoenix Dark]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200904180004?f=h_latest

It's like watching Colbert, I fucking swear

[Cheebs]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200904180004?f=h_latest

It's like watching Colbert, I fucking swear

wtf? The stock market has been rallying for 6 weeks, as she mentioned. How could a protest in the LAST week explain the 5 weeks prior to that? 

Wow.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

The general quality of roads in the US is atrocious at best.  ASCE gave it a D.

Funny, for an economy so committed to private industry, the way they neglected one of the biggest components to ensure private industry (transportation of goods) is mind boggling.

Wasnt' their a bigger US infrastructure rating for the US as a whole that got a D also?  Pathetic if true, but a challenge for the US.

The infrastructure of the US in general is crap.  Most of the ideas of infrastructure haven't evolved since the 1950s.  The nicest roads are for the most part, only the ones that were built to accommodate the suburban sprawl that happened since then.

As a CE, there are a lot of things that need to be fixed.  I'm a big fan of light speed rail for the urban areas (with a few rail lines connecting across the country) but it will be a long time until the infrastructure of the US is built around these lines.  In the meantime, the transportation grid needs to be repaired until a few decades from now when technologies will evolve to the point where roads are used less and less.

[siamesedreamer]

I think there's just too many competing political interests for things to be fixed. Atlanta is a great example of this:

1) The city owns land north of the northern suburbs that is supposed to be used for a second airport (like Hobby in Houston). Instead of perhaps starting to develop plans for a second airport, the city spends $1.2 billion on a 5th runway at Hartsfield. Was the fifth runway needed? Yeah probably, but there's also a desperate need for a second airport. Politics play a huge role in this.

2) MARTA in Atlanta is a complete disaster. For one, its supposed to be for Fulton and Dekalb County only. So, you have Fulton/Dekalb County residents being taxed to pay for it and all the other counties are able to free ride. Other counties don't want their taxes hiked. You're left with MARTA in Fulton/Dekalb and ad hoc bus solutions in other counties (that happen to dump their riders off at MARTA stations). Makes no sense why there can't be a much more robust rail system. Unfortunately, race plays a huge role in this. The lilly white northern suburbs just don't want the inner city folks to have easy access into their backyards.

[siamesedreamer]

Its painful watching people trying to defend Obama's budget.

[Cheebs]

Its painful watching people trying to defend Obama's budget.

Well it is very much worth defending.  It has a lot of good policies in it. I love the money set aside for health care reform. You seem to forget a lot of people LIKE the government to spend money and do things.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

The budget is less than ideal but these are less than ideal times.  Deficit spending sucks but avoiding further panics and near collapses takes priority.  Yes, someday we will have to pay those massive debts back at the expense of the taxpayer but we're all in this together.  Those who made a lot of benefit from the way things were done in 1980-2008 shouldn't bitch in 2009 when the good times are coming to a close (ie, low taxes, lack of accountability, etc.)

[siamesedreamer]

You seem to forget a lot of people LIKE the government to spend money and do things.

That's great and all, but there's no money to spend.

[Veidt]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Cheebs]

You seem to forget a lot of people LIKE the government to spend money and do things.

That's great and all, but there's no money to spend.

Not everyone is a deficit hawk.

[Human Snorenado]

You seem to forget a lot of people LIKE the government to spend money and do things.

That's great and all, but there's no money to spend.

Like that's ever stopped the govt. before.  At least now we're talking about getting tangible benefits from the money spent instead of shit like "dead brown people", not leaving children behind, the stupid medicare drug boondoggle that's basically corporate welfare, and tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the rich.  Who, by the way, are not, never have been and never will trickle it down in case you haven't fucking noticed.

[Phoenix Dark]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/18/limbaugh-mccain-torture/

Disgusting. I hope to god McCain responds

[Mandark]

You seem to forget a lot of people LIKE the government to spend money and do things.

That's great and all, but there's no money to spend.

How is it you've adopted Paul Krugman yet you can't seem to get your mind around countercyclical fiscal policy?

It's a pretty impressive feat of cognitive dissonance.

[Brehvolution]

Here is the video that they talked about:

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

I love how some people chime in at the start of the guy's speech, "what happened to that surplus?" 

That guy is my new hero. I think he catches everyone off guard there at the end. The silence was deafening.

[Cheebs]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/18/limbaugh-mccain-torture/

Disgusting. I hope to god McCain responds

Rush doesn't seem to recall that McCain point blank said torture DOESN'T work because it got him to break and admit to things he never did. Thus proving it a useless tool. McCain broke, but he broke and said things that weren't true to end the pain. Destroying the entire torture argument and lead McCain to be a anti-torture advocate.

What a idiot.

[siamesedreamer]

There's a distinct difference between short-term countercyclical fiscal policy and running an average $1 trillion deficit over the next 10 years. Not that anyone here is willing to recognize that though.

[Mandark]

If you're not objecting to the fiscal stimulus, then you might want to stop giving people the wrong impression by calling it "porkulus" (lololol) and kvetching about this year's budget.

Yeah, it shows deficits in the medium-long term, but neither the underlying economic assumptions or the policies are anywhere near set in stone.  Plus the Obama budget decreases the long-term deficit compared to current (ie Bush) policy, and you didn't bitch anything like this about those unfunded tax cuts.

[Barry Egan]

Insert Quote
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/18/limbaugh-mccain-torture/

Disgusting. I hope to god McCain responds

update: Media Matters notes that at another point during his program yesterday, Limbaugh began slapping himself to mock anyone who believed slapping detainees in U.S. custody qualified as mistreatment. "I just slapped myself. I'm torturing myself right now. That's torture according to these people," Limbaugh said.

 

[siamesedreamer]

I don't completely object to stimulus. But, most economists agree that the $787B version is a disaster and won't have any lasting immediate impact (not to mention its cost is a negative drag ten years out). I would be just as against this budget if it were a REP proposing it. How anyone can say its "worth defending" when it doubles Bush's double is beyond my comprehension. And you're right about the underlying assumptions - there's no way China/et al will fund it.

The Bush tax cuts were horribly misguided. They should have had some kind of sunset clause that triggered when the deficit got too high. I've always been consistant on that point.

[Mandark]

How anyone can say its "worth defending" when it doubles Bush's double is beyond my comprehension.

Assuming the second "double" is meant to be "deficit", that's horribly dishonest.

The Obama budget projects less debt than extending the Bush policies.  This is fairly simple.  Also...

But, most economists agree that the $787B version is a disaster and won't have any lasting immediate impact

That's pretty much a flat-out lie.

[Phoenix Dark]

edit: smh 

[Mandark]

I think you got the wrong thread there, champ.

[Cheebs]

I don't completely object to stimulus. But, most economists agree that the $787B version is a disaster and won't have any lasting immediate impact (not to mention its cost is a negative drag ten years out).

Yeah but many of them (I'd wager most) don't say that because he is spending too much like yourself. They think he isn't being bold enough and didn't spend enough.

[siamesedreamer]

They think most of it is spent too late and too much of it is tax cuts/refunds.

[The Fake Shemp]

They think most of it is spent too late and too much of it is tax cuts/refunds.

You can thank the GOP for that, dummy.

[siamesedreamer]

Er...that was Obama's offer at the outset. Y'all were pissed IIRC.

[Mandark]

What's your point here?  That deficits suck and Obama doesn't have enough of them?  That Obama's policies increase the long-term deficit compared to Bush's policies?  That any day now bond rates are totally going to skyrocket and bury us under interest payments on the debt?

You're all over the place.  Coherent explanation of your points, plz.

[siamesedreamer]

http://economicedge.blogspot.com/2009/04/economic-cliff-diving-by-charts.html

Its not that some are bad, its that everything across the board almost apocalyptic.   

The fall corporate tax receipts are literally off the chart.

[Mandark]

Also this.  You've made a habit of posting terrible economic news (I guess "unemployment is an artifact of the minimum wage hike" is no longer operative), but you don't see that it argues for a more forceful intervention, rather than a more timid one.

[siamesedreamer]

President Obama’s top economic advisers have determined that they can shore up the nation’s banking system without having to ask Congress for more money any time soon, according to administration officials.

In a significant shift, White House and Treasury Department officials now say they can stretch what is left of the $700 billion financial bailout fund further than they had expected a few months ago, simply by converting the government’s existing loans to the nation’s 19 biggest banks into common stock.

Converting those loans to common shares would turn the federal aid into available capital for a bank — and give the government a large ownership stake in return.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/business/20bailout.html

On April 9th, the administration leaked that all 19 banks passed the stress tests. Now they're saying they may convert the government loans into common stock. Just more bullshit. Why can't anyone be honest about what's going on? Obviously these stress tests have revealed significant problems. But, somehow they all passed. Right.