Archive for December, 2009
You Don’t Say
Dems agree to drop gov’t-run insurance option – AP (12/08/09) Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from health care legislation. No further details were immediately available. Back on August 23rd, I came across an InTrade contract on whether or not the public option would become law before [...]
Weird Inappropriate Emotional Attachments
Oh, hey Glenn Greenwald: What’s most striking about these valiant defenses of Obama is how utterly devoid they are of any substantive points and how, instead, suffuse with weird, even inappropriate, emotional attachments they are. These objections are grounded almost exclusively in (a) a deep-seated conviction that President Obama is a good and just man [...]
Are We So Near Or Still So Far?
There seems to be a lot of optimism all round concerning the prospects of moderate and liberal Democrats reaching a deal on the public option. Or more accurately, in lieu of the public option. Liberals are apparently prepared to hand public-option-over-my-dead-body moderates a major victory by allowing the weak and watery public option to be [...]
Protecting John Yoo
Administration wants suit against Yoo dismissed – SF Chronicle (12/7/09): The Obama administration has asked an appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit accusing former Bush administration attorney John Yoo of authorizing the torture of a terrorism suspect, saying federal law does not allow damage claims against lawyers who advise the president on national security issues. [...]
Come Again?
As delegates converge on Copenhagen for the climax of two years’ hard work aimed at controlling emissions, AP offers this ill-considered headline: UN says climate finale may have happy ending Dear AP, in context, does that constitute success or failure? Bookmark on DeliciousDigg this postShare on Facebookshare via RedditShare with StumblersTweet about itBookmark in BrowserTell [...]
United We What?
Quick: what’s the Democratic Party version of “United we stand, divided we fall”? That’s a trick question, of course. There is no Democratic Party version, because nobody knows what the third word would be. Nobody in the Democratic Party has any idea whatsoever what being united might feel like or could lead to. Unity is [...]
Republicans And The Non-Inevitability Of Taxes
You know that old saw about death and taxes being the two great inevitables? Republican Representative Louie Gohmert doesn’t seem to agree. (1) Here he is, holding forth on the iniquities of the estate tax: Now, after someone dies and someone comes in and steals from them, we consider that in most society (sic) reprehensible. [...]
The Selling Of Sarah
STOP PRESS: Out of work beauty queen now reduced to posing for pictures at $16 a pop. If you happen to bump into Sarah Palin, do be sure to ask her: “How’s tricks, governor?” The scheme involves prices ranging from $15.99 for 5x7s to $34.99 for 11x14s. At those prices, there will be hefty profits [...]
Excellent Judgement
Obama wanted Judd Gregg to be his Secretary of Commerce. That would have been so awesome: “We, the minority party, must use the tools we have under Senate rules to insist on a full, complete and fully informed debate on the health care legislation – as well as all legislation – coming before the Senate,” [...]
Is It Prettier or Heftier?
Economy + War = More Trouble For Dems In 2010?: “You have a Democratic president and Democratic majorities in Congress, and they delivered double-digit unemployment and an unpopular escalation?” this Dem said. “People might wonder what we need Democrats for.” I have been making this case here for five years. Bookmark on DeliciousDigg this postShare [...]