Via Don Surber, an AP fact-checking of Obama’s speech which you should read in full, because it’s actually pretty good.
At the same time, VDH makes a few observations that I’ve been hammering on, and that more people ought to start hammering on, as well:
3) Can we ask politicians to give back monies received from now failed like entities like Countrywide? It is said that those who cashed out with Bernie Madoff, may, if the closing out was done recently, have to return their cash. Why then would not a Chris Dodd or Barney Frank not have to do the same thing—since at the time they were given the contributions, their benefactors were obviously insolvent, and had hid that fact from their share-holders? (I don’t know whether the now broke Tony Rezko would qualify under such a proposed statute, but he seemed to have little real capital when he blessed the Obamas, through a subsidized low price, with that strip of land adjoining their yard. His debtors, at any rate, would not have liked him to be so free with their money.)
4). Politicians have become like the CEOs they caricature. The only difference is that their poorly-run corporations cannot go broke. How odd to see a spendthrift Bank of America or Citibank mogul chewed up by a profligate Senator who is responsible not for $100 billion in subprime toxic assets, but for $13 trillion in run up deficits. Strange it is to see Nancy Pelosi rail about private jets for corporations that indirectetly get US subsidies when she flies on one through direct government subsidies. The truth is that now it is far better to be Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader, or House whip making a paltry $200,000 or so than to be the head of Goldman-Sachs or GM. The jets are better, the traffic-interrupting motorcades are quicker, the perks, free food, gas, car, or limo are as good or superior, and the deference and status outdo those in the corporate world. A cabinet officer or Congressional leader gets all the slush of the CEOs without the risk or liability of going broke. There is no broke—ever. You come into office, spend, take the perks, and go out leaving a greater debt to your successor who likewise prints more money. And if you are a Ted Stevens, Charlie Rangel, Chris Dodd or John Murtha, instead of obscene stock options, your freebies aren’t even taxed—or known.
These whores, who have sold us out for a song, stood and cheered and cheered as The One denounced the greed-riddled entities that have brought us to this pass.
Meanwhile, John Sanders of the Bright Blue Scrotum can expect a call from Shauna Daly’s office.
(a serr8d joint)
I’m not willing to let go of Chimpcartoongate, so if any of you knows someone with drawing chops, who can work up a black man and a white man in front of a primate exhibit at a zoo, with the white one pointing at the black one, yelling, “Stop mocking him!” at the ape, I’d appreciate the help.
A Fox interview with a primate expert on Travis the chimp’s attack on Charla Nash turned up the observation that chimps know how to disable one another in a fight and that they see us in the same light, that is to say much as we see them, very much like our kind. Hence the immediate assault on her hands and face, said the expert. He casually mentioned as an aside, that had Charla been a male, Travis would have torn into her scrotum, possibly removing the testicles altogether. (He was not implying, by the way, that she was lucky to be female. He was just filling out the picture of chimps in the wild.)
I knew that, I thought. Jesse told us as much nearly a year ago.
Man…
When are all the wingnutz gonna get the picture…
In the age of Obama, some people are just more equal than others…
C’mon, didn’t anyone read “Animal Farm”..?
“A number of conservative and liberal lawyers and operatives confirmed that it is unusual for someone with Miss Daly’s background to be working in the White House counsel’s office, though some Clinton-era lawyers said that administration had non-lawyers working in the office.”
Yeah, that’s because the Clintons elevated the politics of personal destruction to a high art form…
“…even some Democrats said there is reason to be cautious about the presence of a political-opposition researcher inside a White House legal office that is supposed to be free of partisan influence.”
ROVE!
Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen provide a convenient and conventional MSM translation of Obama’s speech today (I notice that with a slip of the finger today becomes toady …) titled, What Obama really meant. Such bravery, these journos show! In their intro they state:
I’d re-write that to say “…written with subtlety and delicacy to pretend to keep the speech above petty politics and blame-casting.” Particularly when their very first “translation” and a few thereafter demonstrate precisely that proposition.
Way off topic, but something PWers might appreciate:
Whatever James Wolcott is selling, people ain’t buying.
Conde Nast Publishing is taking a hammering. Vanity Fair is down something like ~32%
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02252009/business/getting_nasty_at_cond__233__156766.htm
I’m not surprised, but I’m giving up schadenfreude for Lent.
What is it with lefties that the moment they see a monkey they think “black man”?
The most useful categories get firmly fixed for frequent reference Rob?
Jindal really hurt himself. Is this a controversial thing to say? Not at the water cooler here it’s not.
Not really. I think he’s capable of much better, but 2012 is still a ways away.
I think this was a time to rise to the occasion though, and he didn’t. But more, independents who were just introduced to him thought he was a dweeb. “That guy is talking to me as if I am an idiot” was what one said and it rings true. Aside from that I thought starting out talking about lunch counters was condescending and clueless. After that it was just very tired rhetoric from Bobby I thought.
Even after Slumdog swept the Oscars. No rhyme nor reason.
I understand our most reliably liberal undead hideously ugly ogress member of the WH press corps called Jindal a “slumdog” today.
Well she can’t possibly be racist she is a Democrat.
No way!
*though some Clinton-era lawyers said that administration had non-lawyers working in the office.*
Including Vinnie and Guido, for shutting up opposition and Antione Chigure, for the more difficult problems like Vince Foster.
I think it’s also cause he was so transparently self-servingly NOT trying to hurt himself. This was a speech what should have been angry I think. What said socialism, it is bad and un-American. Democrats, they are bad and un-American. Baracky, he is bad and un-American. He should have aid these dirty socialists losers are fundamentally turning us into a pissant europeanesque backwater and they are lying lying lying and their media is lying lying lying to create false pretenses to get their dirty socialism on. But no Bobby gives us la la la one time when I was little I went to the grocery store with my daddy and there was lots of stuff on the shelves and I love America soooo much. Dweeb.
oh. He should have *said* these dirty socialists losers are fundamentally turning us into a pissant europeanesque backwater…
I know…hard to believe, huh?
And what was the point of bringing up Katrina?
To try to prove he wasn’t racist happy what else, and for that he gets called slumdog millionaire the next day.
It’s a tough act to follow, happy. I’ll bet Nancy can barely move today the way she was thrusting her granny-bosom up to gain momentum for her ass to come off the chair every 3 seconds. I’d wager she’s as sore as Barney Frank after a game of Fannie May Fannie Might.
You know what? It doesn’t always have to be about gay jokes. I’m starting with the man in the mirror.
Well, he IS from Louisiana. Of all the people to bring it up, it’d make the most sense for him to.
I may be being too hard on him but… he did nothing to rally the anti-Socialist resistance I don’t think.
he did nothing to rally the anti-Socialist resistance I don’t think.
But I felt Nancy did. I think her collagen was leaking or something. She’s got those eyes…….I can’t do ’em…….but they’re crazy.
“You know what? It doesn’t always have to be about gay jokes. I’m starting with the man in the mirror.”
We’re all very proud of you, son. Takes a big man to take a pass on the cheap gags. Oops. Isn’t it true cheap gags are part of the fun of Fannie May Fannie Might?
We will all be slum dog millionaires soon I guess when the inflation rate makes a diet coke cost 20 bucks. At least that one lady will get her mortgage and gas paid for though.
Isn’t it true cheap gags are part of the fun of Fannie May Fannie Might?
Barney pronounces that “sheep”
I vote feets gives the next Republican rebuttal. I thought Jindal did fine but he ain’t ever going to call the libs “dirty socialists”.
When Baracky says this is no time for politics as usual he’s actually right and we need to get in his dirty socialist face with some very unusual politics I think.
I loved Hillary’s expression during the thing – it was all “I should so be up there giving this speech and shit wouldn’t it be fun to see Bill in the audience this time and then I could flip him the bird when people weren’t looking and maybe he’d stop messing around with our columbian housekeeper while I’m in China”.
Roughly translated of course.
Ponder this. What will Sec. Clinton be thinking of this appointment, I wonder?
Uh, hasn’t that been the Democrat way for decades?
And didn’t they just spend eight years banging their high-chairs for “stability”?
Granted Rob, but bear in mind that Peretz as a man of the left could never acknowledge what you and I take for granted. The salient feature remains that he is alarmed enough to say “I can’t believe that Obama wants to appoint someone who is quintessentially an insult to the patriotism of some many of his supporters, me included.”.
The alarm on the right is greater still of course. How much pull they would have to scuttle the appointment ought to be in doubt. I think it’ll take people like Peretz and Jeffery Goldberg, Obama supporters in other words, possibly older middle-east hands (Dennis Ross, for instance) and finally Mrs. Clinton to get it done if it’s to be done at all. If not……..what? We muddle through with a Pres. content to display obvious hostility toward Israel? [shudder]
I think what republicans need to get over in a hurry (8 years ago?) is the knee jerk response to a fight of hooking the right thumb through the back belt loop, so as to self righteously deny charges of an unfair right hypocrisy.
Too metaphory? How about; Republicans innate generosity of spirit, the good manners that prevent the right from responding to vicious slander in kind, is an admirable thing. Unfortunately, in this age where the average 14 y.o. can whip out a pocket video recorder and have his footage posted on utube in 10 minutes, the realities of the battle field have to be accepted.
I don’t suggest those of us on the right descend to the lying, cheating, stealing level of the left, just that they (I’m talking about the Republican leadership here)need to start aggressively calling them on it loud and often.
You know, like we do around here.
Dennis Miller says that if you ask real nice, Helen can get you Tolkien’s autograph.
Helen could probably get you Sauron’s autograph.
I don’t know about that , mojo, but I’m pretty sure she’s on speaking terms with satan.
Not really. Satan draws the blinds and turns out the lights if he sees her coming up the walk.