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

[Cheebs]

MSNBC has just reported that a senior Pentagon official is saying that Defense Secretary Gates will lift the ban on media coverage of the return of America's war dead at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The decision will not give the media complete access, in that the families of the dead will be consulted to see if they will allow coverage of their loved one's return.

The announcement is expected to be made later this afternoon at a Defense Department press briefing.

Awesome.

Lots of great news this week so far.

[Fragamemnon]

I wish they would raise taxes and use it for programs like UHC.  I'm just waiting for the day when the small business I work for decides to cut our insurance benefits because our costs for health insurance are approaching what our total payroll was just 5-6 years ago.  Our company hasn't gotten much bigger, either.

Lack of affordable Health Care is killing small business in America. You can't hire or retain real talent outside of truly shitty labor markets without both health care and good pay, and it's impossible to keep up with both due to the spiraling increase in health care premiums. The entire US health care system actually locks in people to larger businesses who can better afford coverage for their employees. It's an awful situation.

[Eric P]

Gingrich is the only one from that group who actually has ideas.

Gingrich is a piece of shit.

just because he tried to get his wife to do a Dirty Gonzales doesn't mean he's a piece of shit

I thought it was a dirty sanchez

referencing this

In a preview of his book "The Terror Presidency" to be published later in September 2007, Jack Goldsmith, the former head of the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, corroborates many of the details of Comey's Senate testimony regarding the March 10, 2004 hospital room visit of Gonzales and Card on former Attorney General Ashcroft. Jeffrey Rosen writes this in the September 9, 2007 issue of The New York Times Magazine of his extended interview with Goldsmith, who was also in the hospital room that night:[47]

    As he recalled it to me, Goldsmith received a call in the evening from his deputy, Philbin, telling him to go to the George Washington University Hospital immediately, since Gonzales and Card were on the way there. Goldsmith raced to the hospital, double-parked outside and walked into a dark room. Ashcroft lay with a bright light shining on him and tubes and wires coming out of his body.
    Suddenly, Gonzales and Card came in the room and announced that they were there in connection with the classified program. “Ashcroft, who looked like he was near death, sort of puffed up his chest,” Goldsmith recalls. “All of a sudden, energy and color came into his face, and he said that he didn’t appreciate them coming to visit him under those circumstances, that he had concerns about the matter they were asking about and that, in any event, he wasn’t the attorney general at the moment; Jim Comey was. He actually gave a two-minute speech, and I was sure at the end of it he was going to die. It was the most amazing scene I’ve ever witnessed.”
    After a bit of silence, Goldsmith told me, Gonzales thanked Ashcroft, and he and Card walked out of the room. “At that moment,” Goldsmith recalled, “Mrs. Ashcroft, who obviously couldn’t believe what she saw happening to her sick husband, looked at Gonzales and Card as they walked out of the room and stuck her tongue out at them. She had no idea what we were discussing, but this sweet-looking woman sticking out her tongue was the ultimate expression of disapproval. It captured the feeling in the room perfectly.”


with this

His first marriage, to his former high school geometry teacher, Jackie Battley, ended in divorce in 1981. Although Gingrich has said he doesn't remember it, Battley has said Gingrich discussed divorce terms with her while she was recuperating in the hospital from cancer surgery.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,258001,00.html

[Human Snorenado]

Yeah Frag, I remembered thinking it odd at the time that Obama was putting Geithner in Treasury and Summers in the WH, since they're basically the same person and while I guess it's nice that they can work together well, it doesn't serve Obama to have an echo chamber on what's easily the most important issue facing his Administration.

While I generally find Olbermann to be obnoxious and overwrought, last night he had a good guest on (not Krugman, who's always good, but someone in the second segment) who made a salient point- for the entirety of these guys (Summers, Geithner) professional lives, Wall St. has gotten essentially whatever it wanted from the federal govt.  Perhaps they're not aware they can do something about this horseshit.  As always, Reagan is to blame.

[ShogunOfFear]

Obama unveils $3.55 trillion budget for fiscal 2010
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-obama-budget-0226,0,2941347.story

HOLY SHIT $3.55 trillion?  This is reaching the point of insanity.

[brawndolicious]

med school graduates have huge student loans (I'd imagine that most don't have their parents pay for it).

[Eric P]

also malpractice insurance figures into it too

[Phoenix Dark]

holy shit 3 trillion? 

[Fragamemnon]

obama's shock and awe. Give him props for being up front and honest about it, at the very least.

[Eric P]

obama's shock and awe. Give him props for being up front and honest about it, at the very least.

that's what he wants you to think so he can hide it all in the black books, secret cia projects

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Cheebs]

Obama unveils $3.55 trillion budget for fiscal 2010
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-obama-budget-0226,0,2941347.story

HOLY SHIT $3.55 trillion?  This is reaching the point of insanity.

We have a fuckton of problems the government needs to fix, and that costs $$$

[ShogunOfFear]

So how many trillions are a trillion too many?  How many 0's have to be added before you say enough?  Please do tell.

[Human Snorenado]

So how many trillions is a trillion too many?  How many 0's have to be added before you say enough?  Please do tell.

Frankly, I don't really care as long as the money is spent on things I like.  It's all monopoly money at this point, and odds are we'll be eating our own children within a decade after the inevitable collapse of civilization anyhow.

Eric P- that's change I can believe in.

[ToxicAdam]

The bigger the number, the bigger the justification for raising taxes next year. No big surprise.

[Eric P]

So how many trillions is a trillion too many?  How many 0's have to be added before you say enough?  Please do tell.

Frankly, I don't really care as long as the money is spent on things I like.  It's all monopoly money at this point, and odds are we'll be eating our own children within a decade after the inevitable collapse of civilization anyhow.

Eric P- that's change I can believe in.

they have a new show airing currently called Free Agents

saw the first episode and liked it.  a bit more grown up than spaced/black books

[Fragamemnon]

The bigger the number, the bigger the justification for raising taxes next year. No big surprise.

That is indeed what this is all about, and what I alluded to in shock and awe. I wouldn't be surprised to hear some chatter about more tax increases this year on rich people above and beyond what's already there, or even a full Bush tax cut repeal by the House (which Obama would certainly welcome, but not propose).

[Ganhyun]

sigh, that is monopoly money levels sadly. A person could spend a million dollars a day since 0 AD to now, and still not break a trillion.

So how many trillions is a trillion too many?  How many 0's have to be added before you say enough?  Please do tell.

Frankly, I don't really care as long as the money is spent on things I like.  It's all monopoly money at this point, and odds are we'll be eating our own children within a decade after the inevitable collapse of civilization anyhow.

So if we are gonna be eating our kids, why abort them? After all, thats less babies/children to eat.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Not trying to start an abortion thing here. Also I do not support cannabalism

[close]

[ShogunOfFear]

So if we are gonna be eating our kids, why abort them? After all, thats less babies/children to eat.

   I see what you did there.

[Human Snorenado]

The bigger the number, the bigger the justification for raising taxes next year. No big surprise.

That is indeed what this is all about, and what I alluded to in shock and awe. I wouldn't be surprised to hear some chatter about more tax increases this year on rich people above and beyond what's already there, or even a full Bush tax cut repeal by the House (which Obama would certainly welcome, but not propose).

I'm waiting for someone to suggest a "CEO/sports star/hollywood" tax that raises the rate on people earning like more than 5 million a year to over 50%.  It's more likely to happen in the House, where genuinely progressive/fruitcake people can get elected, but more likely to get attention if it happens in the Senate.

[siamesedreamer]

I can get behind that. Fuck ARod and the rest of the Yankees.

To pivot off the deficit/budget dollar figure, at this point it really doesn't matter. The total debt doesn't matter either. We've already passed the point of no return. This deficit is just icing on the cake. We're either going to default on it (highly unlikely given the parties who own it) or we are going to inflate it away (the debtors we be pissed but its better than the alternate). Its the only way to get it back to acceptable levels.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

$3.55 trillion budget, assuming there is no huge GDP contraction, is still 20-30% of the overall GDP, which isn't that high.  In fact, we're still far lower than a lot of developing and 1st world nations.

[Human Snorenado]

Looks like Obama's budget is going to close a tax loophole that exclusively benefited hedgefund managers.

Obama

hedgefund managers

[Cheebs]

I stupidly watched Lou Dobbs and learned the attorney general is planning on taking away our gun rights and somehow a budget submitted to congress by the white house is full of pork barrel spending (apparently spending money on immagration agencies = pork barrel spending). Why did I do this. 

[Human Snorenado]

I stupidly watched Lou Dobbs and learned the attorney general is planning on taking away our gun rights and somehow a budget submitted to congress by the white house is full of pork barrel spending (apparently spending money on immagration agencies = pork barrel spending). Why did I do this. 

The fact that Lou Dobbs continues to have a show just proves that the free market is truly a failure.  In the marketplace of ideas, Dobbs is surely bankrupt.

[Phoenix Dark]

This woman is craving the bbc
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/26/michele-bachmann-tells-mi_n_170426.html

[Cheebs]

Michele Bachmann is still taken seriously within the party after she proclaimed congress should investigate the patriotism of congress members? lol

[ToxicAdam]

Take a few minutes and watch Huckabee. He's pretty good.

[youtube=560,345]X_BwDz018Ew[/youtube]

[Phoenix Dark]

Huck

can't wait to see him slapping Palin down in a few years

[TakingBackSunday]

I've said it before, but as batshit as some of his theories and ideas are for what he calls "government," the man is eloquent, humerous, and he seems to be a pretty cool guy to be around.

[Dickie Dee]

Wayne DuMond

[Human Snorenado]

Michele Bachmann is still taken seriously within the party after she proclaimed congress should investigate the patriotism of congress members? lol

Pretty neatly sums up what's wrong with movement conservatism and the Republican party, really.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Bachmann looks like white trash.  She just has that look to her.  Like if she wasn't in Congress, you'd find her with permed hair ringing up your goods at a Walmart checkout lane.

[siamesedreamer]

Q4 GDP revised down to -6.2%.

Better brace yourselves...the markets could get nasty today.

[Human Snorenado]

Q4 GDP revised down to -6.2%.

Better brace yourselves...the markets could get nasty today.

And what, you may ask yourself, is the loyal opposition doing while the economy burns?

One of the chief economic advisers to their then Presidential candidate repeatedly referred to those feeling the pain of the recession as a nation of whiners while suggesting it was all in their heads, and now, as it is blindingly obvious that we are in serious, serious trouble, the leading lights of the opposition party are spending their days getting economic advice from a handyman who could not figure out that because he made significantly less than 250 grand a year he would not be having his taxes increased, taking their political advice from a radio loudmouth, holding panels at their annual conference discussing how Al Franken and ACORN are ruining Democracy, and spending their days questioning whether or not our President is actually an American. Meanwhile, as the DOW looks like it will dip below 7000 on more horrible economic news, the grass roots movement of the party is throwing “tea parties” to protest attempts by the opposition party to address this crisis.

When you hear the wingnuts talk triumphantly about their little tea party today, that is the appropriate context (from the comments: “Remind me, was the original tea party a demonstration against 95% of the colonies getting a tax cut?”). I honestly don’t know how anyone with half a brain still identifies as a Republican or conservative. These guys seem intent on doing to the conservative brand what they did to the name liberal brand, only much more effectively. This is a bankrupt movement.

At least I'll get to see one or more major political parties die in my lifetime.  It will be some comfort as I deal with the related collapse of Western civilization.

[Ganhyun]

Q4 GDP revised down to -6.2%.

Better brace yourselves...the markets could get nasty today.

And what, you may ask yourself, is the loyal opposition doing while the economy burns?

One of the chief economic advisers to their then Presidential candidate repeatedly referred to those feeling the pain of the recession as a nation of whiners while suggesting it was all in their heads, and now, as it is blindingly obvious that we are in serious, serious trouble, the leading lights of the opposition party are spending their days getting economic advice from a handyman who could not figure out that because he made significantly less than 250 grand a year he would not be having his taxes increased, taking their political advice from a radio loudmouth, holding panels at their annual conference discussing how Al Franken and ACORN are ruining Democracy, and spending their days questioning whether or not our President is actually an American. Meanwhile, as the DOW looks like it will dip below 7000 on more horrible economic news, the grass roots movement of the party is throwing “tea parties” to protest attempts by the opposition party to address this crisis.

When you hear the wingnuts talk triumphantly about their little tea party today, that is the appropriate context (from the comments: “Remind me, was the original tea party a demonstration against 95% of the colonies getting a tax cut?”). I honestly don’t know how anyone with half a brain still identifies as a Republican or conservative. These guys seem intent on doing to the conservative brand what they did to the name liberal brand, only much more effectively. This is a bankrupt movement.

At least I'll get to see one or more major political parties die in my lifetime.  It will be some comfort as I deal with the related collapse of Western civilization.

Be sure to stock up on aborted fetuses if you can. Or fuck alot of hoes and have alot of kids to eat.

[Human Snorenado]

Sadly, I'm a portly vegetarian.  I expect to be among the first to be eaten by my countrymen.

[Cheebs]

These guys seem intent on doing to the conservative brand what they did to the name liberal brand, only much more effectively. This is a bankrupt movement.

[/quote]
The point about what happened to the word liberal is interesting because I've noticed lately a shift back from using the more PC term progressive to using liberal again by democrats. Obama throws it out a lot  when talking about ideas/ideology when before it was never uttered by democrats and I heard Biden on one of the morning shows refer to himself as liberal the other day.

[Eric P]

Sadly, I'm a portly vegetarian.  I expect to be among the first to be eaten by my countrymen.

grain fed video editor?

 

[siamesedreamer]

Q4 GDP revised down to -6.2%.

Better brace yourselves...the markets could get nasty today.

And what, you may ask yourself, is the loyal opposition doing while the economy burns?

One of the chief economic advisers to their then Presidential candidate repeatedly referred to those feeling the pain of the recession as a nation of whiners while suggesting it was all in their heads, and now, as it is blindingly obvious that we are in serious, serious trouble, the leading lights of the opposition party are spending their days getting economic advice from a handyman who could not figure out that because he made significantly less than 250 grand a year he would not be having his taxes increased, taking their political advice from a radio loudmouth, holding panels at their annual conference discussing how Al Franken and ACORN are ruining Democracy, and spending their days questioning whether or not our President is actually an American. Meanwhile, as the DOW looks like it will dip below 7000 on more horrible economic news, the grass roots movement of the party is throwing “tea parties” to protest attempts by the opposition party to address this crisis.

When you hear the wingnuts talk triumphantly about their little tea party today, that is the appropriate context (from the comments: “Remind me, was the original tea party a demonstration against 95% of the colonies getting a tax cut?”). I honestly don’t know how anyone with half a brain still identifies as a Republican or conservative. These guys seem intent on doing to the conservative brand what they did to the name liberal brand, only much more effectively. This is a bankrupt movement.

At least I'll get to see one or more major political parties die in my lifetime.  It will be some comfort as I deal with the related collapse of Western civilization.

All you need to know about today's GOP is that Joe the Plumber was a special speaker at CPAC and some other speaker said Obama isn't a citizen. Hopefully the DEMs don't do too much damage while the REPs have their heads up their asses. But, they are showing absolutely no intention of fixing themselves.

Who won the vote yesterday?

[Human Snorenado]

The straw poll?  I think they went with David Duke.

Kidding.  I would feel better about the GOP's sojourn into rank idiocy if, you know, the govt. didn't kind of need two political parties to work semi-properly.  I have a feeling that in 20 years the Blue Dog Democrats will be the 2nd party.

[Cheebs]

Results on Saturday. I would be shocked if Romney loses it. Since of the major 2012 candidates he is one of the only ones who showed up.

[Phoenix Dark]

Jindal admits Katrina story was fake
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/jindal_admits_katrina_story_was_false.php?ref=fp1

Gotta say, when I saw that on DailyKos I dismissed it as conspiracy bullshit, giving Jindal the benefit of the doubt. Marshall puts it best:

Having observed this game for a long time, I still wonder why people go there. That Bobby Jindal story about being there in the office of the sherif when he was busting through the red tape, even telling the goofball government authorities that they could come arrest Bobby too ... well, turns out Jindal didn't mean it in the sense of its actually being true. He meant it more in the very loose sense in which you say something happened when it didn't happen because you heard much later that something kind of like that had happened when you weren't there.

[Human Snorenado]

Well that about wraps it up for Jindal.

sd, what's your take on Utah Gov. Jim Huntsman?  Seems like he's auditioning for the role of "reasonable guy that might not be completely stupid" and attempt to lead the GOP out of the wilderness back to something resembling relevancy.  It's just a shame that you guys are probably gonna have to spend more time being insane before you realize that your ideas suck and THAT'S what people are rejecting.

[Phoenix Dark]

Guess we won't be seeing Jindal on any stations but Fox News for the next few months, to avoid questions on this farce.

Huntsman supports the gays too much, he won't last in the primaries. Huck is more effective at using centrist, non-crazy rhetoric while still carrying water for the agents of intolerance.

[Eric P]

Jindal admits Katrina story was fake
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/jindal_admits_katrina_story_was_false.php?ref=fp1

Gotta say, when I saw that on DailyKos I dismissed it as conspiracy bullshit, giving Jindal the benefit of the doubt. Marshall puts it best:

Having observed this game for a long time, I still wonder why people go there. That Bobby Jindal story about being there in the office of the sherif when he was busting through the red tape, even telling the goofball government authorities that they could come arrest Bobby too ... well, turns out Jindal didn't mean it in the sense of its actually being true. He meant it more in the very loose sense in which you say something happened when it didn't happen because you heard much later that something kind of like that had happened when you weren't there.

....really?

i mean...REALLY?

i guess we should have known something was up when later on he claimed to have totally invented "those sticky note things"

[Flannel Boy]

Jindal admits Katrina story was fake
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/jindal_admits_katrina_story_was_false.php?ref=fp1

Gotta say, when I saw that on DailyKos I dismissed it as conspiracy bullshit, giving Jindal the benefit of the doubt. Marshall puts it best:

Having observed this game for a long time, I still wonder why people go there. That Bobby Jindal story about being there in the office of the sherif when he was busting through the red tape, even telling the goofball government authorities that they could come arrest Bobby too ... well, turns out Jindal didn't mean it in the sense of its actually being true. He meant it more in the very loose sense in which you say something happened when it didn't happen because you heard much later that something kind of like that had happened when you weren't there.

....really?

i mean...REALLY?

i guess we should have known something was up when later on he claimed to have totally invented "those sticky note things"

Wait, so his grandfather didn't actually build the taj mahal by hand?

I feel duped.

[Eric P]

bobbj jindal totally invented the clapper but it was stolen by democrats!

[siamesedreamer]

Never heard of the Huntsman guy.

[recursivelyenumerable]

That Bobby Jindal story about being there in the office of the sherif when he was busting through the red tape, even telling the goofball government authorities that they could come arrest Bobby too ... well, turns out Jindal didn't mean it in the sense of its actually being true. He meant it more in the very loose sense in which you say something happened when it didn't happen because you heard much later that something kind of like that had happened when you weren't there.

This was actually a dog-whistle to the base, meant to summon up memories of Reagan.  Jindal '12 confirmed.

[Brehvolution]

A republican lied? Shit is crazy!

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Republicans will forget Jindal's fuck up if the well for 2012 candidates is dry enough.

Romney seems like he will get it...for now.  However, he is a Mormon and represents more of the neocon wing or at least the economic conservative wing.  These ranks have been decimated and the majority around are the religious fanatics and nutball outliers.  They will have more say than before and if they don't like Mormons, Romney is going to have a hard struggle.

Jindal might work because he is a fanatic and he is non-white.  If the GOP aldermen feel he is their best shot, the right wing lackeys like Rush and Hannity will smooth over Jindal's trainwreck of a rebuttal, much like how they bitched about McCain and how he wasn't a conservative but once he was the chosen candidate, they immediately got down on their knees and got his balls in their mouths.  The same will happen here.

Although if the economy collapses or has a depression, the GOP is best off not putting anyone out and just not waste their money or time.

[Phoenix Dark]

Although if the economy collapses or has a depression, the GOP is best off not putting anyone out and just not waste their money or time.

?

The conservatives who didn't trust Romney in 08 won't trust him in '12. No one will remember Jindal's fuck up. IMO he just ensured he won't be the clear cut chosen one

[siamesedreamer]

That Jindal thing blows my fucking mind.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

Republicans will forget Jindal's fuck up if the well for 2012 candidates is dry enough.

Romney seems like he will get it...for now.  However, he is a Mormon and represents more of the neocon wing or at least the economic conservative wing.  These ranks have been decimated and the majority around are the religious fanatics and nutball outliers.  They will have more say than before and if they don't like Mormons, Romney is going to have a hard struggle.

my very conservative Grandma would have voted for Rommney if not for the fact "He's not a real Christian."  And that was the dealbreaker.  I think she was more afraid of him then Barack Obama.

she's also a big Limbaugh fan.

If Rommney weren't a republican, his religion would be non-issue.  But seeing as how conservative Christians are about the only people you can depend on to vote for the elephants these days, he could have Ronald Reagan's re-animated corpse as a running mate and it still wouldn't improve his chances.

[Crushed]

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/m4m/1052407044.html

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Republicans will forget Jindal's fuck up if the well for 2012 candidates is dry enough.

Romney seems like he will get it...for now.  However, he is a Mormon and represents more of the neocon wing or at least the economic conservative wing.  These ranks have been decimated and the majority around are the religious fanatics and nutball outliers.  They will have more say than before and if they don't like Mormons, Romney is going to have a hard struggle.

my very conservative Grandma would have voted for Rommney if not for the fact "He's not a real Christian."  And that was the dealbreaker.  I think she was more afraid of him then Barack Obama.

she's also a big Limbaugh fan.

If Rommney weren't a republican, his religion would be non-issue.  But seeing as how conservative Christians are about the only people you can depend on to vote for the elephants these days, he could have Ronald Reagan's re-animated corpse as a running mate and it still wouldn't improve his chances.

Romney's religion will cost him.  He already had to tap dance around his religion in 2008 and that is when there were more conservatives in the GOP ranks than just the religious right.  Now that the religious right has even more power than before, it is going to be an even bigger challenge.  Plus a lot of Republicans seemed to go wild at the "real America" bit and Romney was Governor of Taxachusetts.  He will get killed outside of his own area except maybe Michigan and Utah.

[Phoenix Dark]

Not only his religion, but his liberal record as governor also is going to scare folks away. He's too wooden to appeal in the primaries. I could see him coming in 3rd or 4th in most of the southern primaries and only really dominating his home state of MI, and the mormons in Nevada/Utah

[Phoenix Dark]

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin leads the pack with 29%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 26%, Mitt Romney at 21% and Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 9%.

http://politicalwire.com/

[Cheebs]

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin leads the pack with 29%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 26%, Mitt Romney at 21% and Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at 9%.

http://politicalwire.com/

And the funny thing is she won despite the fact she didn't show up and Huckabee and Romney did! Usually whoever shows up wins. 


I love you Republicans, please send out Palin. Obama winning over 30 states wasn't enough. We are aiming to crack 40 next time.

[Dickie Dee]

Oh man, I still refuse to believe that God loves me enough to let Palin be the nominee.