I mean...I know you all have zero record to run on and that your sitting president is such an embarrassment to the party that all he got was five minutes on the big board - and I realize that you all are afraid to let your VP talk to the press and now have to figure out how to win not only this election, but future elections in this country, by somehow convincing the rest of us that you all aren't completely out of your minds.
So, I'll give you a break in honor of my man Barack on O'Reilly: The surge worked!
Yep, congrats, after criminally inept governance of the war for five years you guys finally listened to someone that isn't named cheney, rumsfeld, pearle, or wolfowitz and actually put enough troops on the ground to help secure parts of the country. So, ya know, aces on that one.
Just a quick note of housekeeping before I go hang with my kid (believe it or not America, we Liberals and SecProgs love our children too), ummm, I didn't say I was up all night over Palin (is compulsive lying a prerequisite for being Republican?) and her pre-packaged snark. I was up
all night, as I made clear, because I'm not part of the unemployed ranks either, just yet, and my ultra-liberal-out-of-the-mainstream-you-ain't-got-a-chance-in-hell business plan drove my competition out of business last week, so, ya know, you guys are interesting to watch and all but I sorta have some bigger fish to fry just now.
In the spirit of brotherly love, a little Daily Show for ya. Enjoy:
Saturday, September 6, 2008
What a bunch of whiners, eh Mike? It's just a mental recession...
Recession fears reignite as unemployment rate hits 6.1 percent
By KEVIN G. HALLMcClatchy Newspapers
Recession fears are back with a bang and the economy is front and center in the political arena again after a Labor Department report Friday showed that the nation's unemployment rate leapt to 6.1 percent in August, employers shed jobs for the eighth consecutive month and revised numbers for earlier months showed even greater payroll hits.
Employers shed 84,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said, and the unemployment rate moved up by a larger than expected four-tenths of a percentage point. There were job losses across most of the broad spectrum of U.S. employment, especially in the manufacturing, retail and construction sectors.
The strong 3.3 percent economic growth in the second quarter of this year, led by solid U.S. exports, had eased recession concerns. But Friday's jobs numbers pointed to a serious slowdown and erased any confidence about the economy for just about anyone outside the optimistic Bush administration.
"This thing is just lingering. It's almost like a storm that comes ashore and just kind of sits there," said Ken Goldstein, an economist with the Conference Board, a New York-based group that publishes indices of consumer sentiment. "We've seen declines every month, all year long, right through August. But the declines have started to intensify, and that will continue through the end of the year, very likely into the first months of 2009."
Some are certain that recession lurks.
"This is a very weak jobs report that screams recession," wrote John Ryding and Conrad DeQuadros, partners in the New York forecasting firm RDQ Economics.
Peter Kretzmer, a Bank of America economist, added in a note to investors that the "rapid rise in the unemployment rate points to a U.S. recession, as such an increase has never occurred outside of one."
Recession fears have reignited on evidence that job losses are picking up steam. The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday revised the June and July unemployment numbers upward, virtually doubling the original estimate for June job losses from 51,000 to 100,000. Most of the job losses this year - 1.75 million - have come since April.
"Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 2.2 million and the unemployment rate has risen by 1.4 percentage points, with most of the increase occurring over the past four months," the BLS report said.
In August, 9.4 million Americans were unemployed.
The number of long-term unemployed - those jobless for 27 weeks or more - rose by 163,000 to 1.8 million, an increase of 589,000 over the past 12 months. The newly unemployed, jobless for less than five weeks, rose by 400,000 in August.
It all points to a deeper slowdown, just as the presidential election heats up.
"We expect growth to slow in the current quarter to just over 1 percent and then turn negative in the fourth quarter," said Nigel Gault, the chief U.S. economist for forecaster Global Insight in Lexington, Mass.
The jobs report became fodder for the presidential campaigns Friday. Democrat Barack Obama linked Republican rival John McCain to President Bush's economic policies, and McCain promised to fight for a better economy.
Only the Bush administration expressed optimism.
Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, in an interview with McClatchy Newspapers, pointed to the strong second-quarter growth to suggest that the economy is stronger than it appears.
"The fact that we grew 3.3 percent in the second quarter is very different to the scenario that the really bleak forecasters would have you believe," he said.
Pointing to the impact of rising energy costs on auto manufacturers, Gutierrez said that was why "we really do need to get on with the future and start drilling for oil."
The Department of Energy has said that new U.S. oil production is unlikely to have much impact on global oil prices, and most new drilling operations would take years before they resulted in significant oil production.
On the Web:
The Labor Department report: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
More from McClatchy:
To ask a question about this story or any economic question, go to McClatchy's economy Q&A: http://tinyurl.com/46eam4
Hey Mike, tell me the one again about the superiority of the free market and privatization....
U.S. Rescue Seen at Hand for 2 Mortgage Giants
WASHINGTON — Senior officials from the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve on Friday called in top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance giants, and told them that the government was preparing to place the two companies under federal control, officials and company executives briefed on the discussions said.
-SNIP-
It is not possible to calculate the cost of any government bailout, but the huge potential liabilities of the companies could cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and make any rescue among the largest in the nation’s history.
The drastic effort follows the bailout this year of Bear Stearns, the investment bank, as government officials continue to grapple with how to stem the credit crisis and housing crisis that have hobbled the economy. With Bear Stearns, the government provided guarantees, and the bulk of its assets were transferred to JPMorgan Chase, leaving shareholders with a nominal amount.
-SNIP-
But privately, senior officials have been critical of top executives at the companies, particularly Freddie Mac. They have raised concerns about major risks to taxpayers of a bailout of companies whose executives have received huge compensation packages. Mr. Syron, for instance, collected more than $38 million in compensation since he joined the company in 2003.
Although Mr. Syron promised regulators earlier this year that he would raise $5.5 billion from investors, he has failed to make good on that promise — even as Fannie Mae raised more than $7 billion. Mr. Syron was slated to step down from the chief executive position last year, but that was delayed when his appointed successor, Eugene McQuade, chose to leave the company.
Hey Mike, in case you can't make out what she is saying, she is screaming "Press! Press!"
A brief glimpse at press freedom in America.
In all, some 800 people were arrested and charged with a range of zingers including second-degree conspiracy to commit riot in furtherance of terrorism. So, Mike, do we arrest them and take them to jail or should they just be stripped of all their rights and sent to Gitmo?
Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light - what so proudly we hailed...
After they beat up one of her producers, the cops also arrested Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! a leftwing news program on the Pacifica Radio Network...
Amy's response:
Hey Mike, I know this is your country(first) and that all us Liberals and Secular Progressives and Media Elites aren't really full citizens in the eyes of you and your party, but, after 8 years don't you miss these and wish they were all still intact?
In all, some 800 people were arrested and charged with a range of zingers including second-degree conspiracy to commit riot in furtherance of terrorism. So, Mike, do we arrest them and take them to jail or should they just be stripped of all their rights and sent to Gitmo?
Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light - what so proudly we hailed...
After they beat up one of her producers, the cops also arrested Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! a leftwing news program on the Pacifica Radio Network...
Amy's response:
Hey Mike, I know this is your country(first) and that all us Liberals and Secular Progressives and Media Elites aren't really full citizens in the eyes of you and your party, but, after 8 years don't you miss these and wish they were all still intact?
Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Davis:This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates"
Friday, September 5, 2008
This week's Republican Doublespeak of the Week award goes to Karl Rove...now i'm off for some community organizing
Hey Mike, have a look at this...
That is my candidate going toe-to-toe with Bill-O, admittedly one of the most partisan and vicious GOPper "journalists" there is in the mainstream media. A few points Obama, a few points Bill-O, you will make of it what you will, to be sure...
Say, now that you guys are all unified and confident and ready to prevent my kind from seizing control of your country(first), when do you think we might be getting a little press time with your 'Cuda?
From http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/
2008/09/no_interviews_till_shes_ready.php
Oh...No Interviews Till She's Ready
05 Sep 2008 01:55 pm
A senior McCain campaign official advises that, despite the gaggle of requests and pressure from the media, Gov. Sarah Palin won't submit to a formal interview anytime soon. She may take some questions from local news entities in Alaska, but until she's ready -- and until she's comfortable -- which might not be for a long while -- the media will have to wait. The campaign believes it can effectively deal with the media's complaints, and their on-the-record response to all this will be: "Sarah Palin needs to spend time with the voters."
So we're all sexist in the media for pointing out a few chinks in the Palinator's armor, AND, we are all supposed to believe that she'd be ready on day one to step into the presidency and give Vlad Putin that cold hard hockey-mom stare, but she's too delicate a flower to answer a few questions from a guy like me?
The confidence in your ticket is overwhelming.
Errr, sorry, really. I forgot. We don't need her to stare down Putin cus THE INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH already took care of it...
"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul..."
Ala KOS - "Bush may have looked into Putin's eyes and thought he saw a good soul, but Putin looked back and clearly saw a feckless idiot."
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