Archive for December, 2008

What was Bill Clinton thinking?

By John Burke | Related entries in clinton, News

Over the past eight years, at a time when his party was making a comeback, when his personal popularity was increasing, when his wife was a Senator everyone expected to run for President, why, oh, why did Bill Clinton believe he needed tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions to his charitable foundation [...]

December 19th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

ANP (WATCH): Congress Ignored Critical Bailout Oversight Provision—No Way to Follow the Money

By American News Project | Related entries in Bush, Business, Cartoons, Congress, D.C., Dodd, Dumb Things Said By Smart People, Economy, In The News, New York, Senate, United States, Video, Wall Street, WTF?

Hi, this is Danielle Ivory from the American News Project. My colleague, Lagan Sebert, and I just published a new video on the bailout and a lack of serious oversight. Today, Henry Paulson urged Congress to release the second half of the $700 billion of the bailout money. But no one seems know what banks [...]

December 19th, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Things go better without Coke

By John Burke | Related entries in Food, New York, Taxes

On Wednesday, New York’s Governor David Patterson unveiled a proposed $121-billion budget for next year, which includes a barrage or 88 new or higher taxes and fees to help close a $15.4-billion gap. Among the new revenue raisers are an “I-Pod tax” on downloaded music, sales taxes on cable and satellite TV, new taxes on [...]

December 19th, 2008 | Permalink| 8 Comments »

Battle of the families for Clinton Senate seat: Andrew Cuomo and Caroline Kennedy neck and neck in two New York polls

By John Burke | Related entries in Kennedy, New York, News, Senate

As Caroline Kennedy made a pilgrimage to Harlem to lunch with Rev. Al Sharpton, her rivalry with Cuomo scion Andrew, who is currently serving as New York State Attorney General until he can find a higher office, heated up. Kennedy actually answered a couple of reporters’ questions in a sidewalk press availability, after munching with [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Warren, Prayer and “Unity”

By Dennis Sanders | Related entries in Barack, General Politics, Homosexuality

I know that as a gay man I should be joining like everyone else in condemning President-elect Obama in selecting Rick Warren to give a prayer at the inaugeration since he vigorously supported Prop 8 which banned same sex marriage in California, but I’m not. I don’t agree with Warren’s views on this of course, [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 7 Comments »

Why is anyone surprised Obama picked Warren?

By Phil Bronstein | Related entries in News

Just when you thought maybe the molten lava of Prop 8 protest backwash had cooled to street steam and legal challenges, BOOM! Barack Obama, of all people, rolls a great big grenade under the door of the gay community. If you haven’t heard the yelling the last 24 hours after the announcement that controversial, pro-8 [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Quote Of The Day

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Cars, Economy, Money, Quotes

“Be it BMW, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi or Hyundai, the South has become a sanctuary for foreign assembly plants, for which Southern states have been paying subsidies.” – Pat Buchanan on the “Toyota Republicans” Here’s some more perspective… The $14 billion loan to the Big Three that Republican senators filibustered to death is just [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 10 Comments »

No Trillion Stimulus?

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Economy, Money

Looks like the Obama team is dismissing the number, as well as even lower numbers. And I know that this news will make Keynesians like Krugman and Reich extremely nervous. From CNN: Some outside economists have pushed the trillion-dollar figure. One recent report suggested the transition team was working with an $850 billion plan. But [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 6 Comments »

Why Warren Invocation Is Right Signal For Unity

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Barack, Democrats, Good Decisions, Religion, Sexuality

On its face, the Warren pick seems like a slap in the face to the progressive gay movement, and I can understand why this group would be incensed. Here you have the first African-American President inviting one of the most high profile supporters of Prop 8 to speak at the inauguration. And it’s not like [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

Generals Put Together Iraq Withdrawal Timetable

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Barack, Iraq, Military

Looks like it’s a little bit longer than the 16 months Obama talked about during the primaries, but as long as the plan is to get out during his first term I bet he’ll allow the generals more time to execute a plan they think is realistic. From NY Times: The plan was proposed by [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

Report: White House Considering Bankruptcy Option For G.M. & Chrysler

By Doug Mataconis | Related entries in Business, Cars, Economy

Of all the news that could come out of the White House regarding aid to the Big Three automakers, this is perhaps the most encouraging: WASHINGTON — The White House said on Thursday that an “orderly” bankruptcy was one option being considered to try to rescue General Motors and Chrysler, which are seeking billions of [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 5 Comments »

Obama Selects Rick Warren for Invocation

By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in Barack, Homosexuality, Obama Appointments, Religion

This isn’t going to make gay rights activists happy. Barack Obama has selected evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. Once again, Obama seems more interested in reaching out rather than reaching inwards towards his base. While Warren is not of the fire-and-brimstone mold, he did play a prominent role in [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 10 Comments »

Biden’s role in Obama’s “cabinet of rivals”

By Nick Ragone | Related entries in News

I have an op-ed in US News & World about Joe Biden’s role in Obama’s “cabinet of rivals.” I proferred that there are three basic models for veeps:  the pitbull, the loyalist, and the confidant. Spiro Agnew was the classic pitbull.  His primary role in the administration was to tar the Democrats and the media [...]

December 18th, 2008 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

Dame Caroline Escapes Scruffy Scribblers’ Scrum in Syracuse

By John Burke | Related entries in Kennedy, New York, News, Senate

Caroline Kennedy Meets With Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll My lady of Camelot, I know I speak for all respectable persons residing in the outer provinces when I say how deeply shocked we are by the offensive manner in which your ladyship was received by that pack of louts who badgered you with impertinent questions during [...]

December 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

When Good Intentions Go Wrong

By Mark Thompson | Related entries in Congress, Consumer Safety, Corporate Business, Economy, Legislation, Lobbying, News

Hello Donklephants! I’m Mark, and I regularly blog at (and run) the site Publius Endures. Ostensibly I self-identify as a libertarian, although I’m not terribly dogmatic and tend not to write much on the more common libertarian themes, focusing instead on taking a sober look at the relationships between interest groups (which I define broadly) [...]

December 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 4 Comments »

Caroline Kennedy Dodges The Question

By Doug Mataconis | Related entries in General Politics

The New York media is starting to ask the elusive Senate-wannabe questions: SYRACUSE — In a carefully controlled strategy reminiscent of the vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, aides to Caroline Kennedy interrupted her on Wednesday and whisked her away when she was asked what her qualifications are to be a United States senator. In her first [...]

December 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

“Blagojemess” gets even messier

By John Burke | Related entries in Blagojevich, Illinois, News, Senate

“Hell no, I won’t go” was Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s answer to calls by Barack Obama, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, Senator Dick Durbin, the Illinois State Legislature, various Madigans, and almost everyone else who lives in Illinois that he resign. Instead, Blago hired a hot-shot criminal lawyer who told the legislators convening in Springfield to [...]

December 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Goldman Sachs’ Tax Rate Drops To 1%?

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Bad Decisions, Business, Money, Taxes

Looks like the folks at Goldman Sachs will get those hefty bonuses after all. Still think paying taxes isn’t patriotic? From Bloomberg: Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) — Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which got $10 billion and debt guarantees from the U.S. government in October, expects to pay $14 million in taxes worldwide for 2008 compared with [...]

December 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Some Businesses Well-Positioned for Recession

By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in Business

We have a saying here in Texas: it’s an ill wind that don’t blow nobody no good. In the current recession, good is blowing towards businesses that are positioned to absorb the shifting spending habits of consumers. Businesses like General Mills and ConAgra Foods which both posted higher than expected profits. ConAgra, which makes Banquet [...]

December 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Santa Closed

By donar | Related entries in Cartoons, Economy, News, Political Graffiti
December 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 1 Comment »