December 2009
35 posts
Mary Matalin claims President Bush ‘inherited’ the... →
Wow.
The Big Zero (Krugman) →
From an economic point of view, I’d suggest that we call the decade past the Big Zero. It was a decade in which nothing good happened, and none of the optimistic things we were supposed to believe turned out to be true.
GOP changes position on health care deficit... →
When Republicans controlled the House, Senate and White House in 2003, they overcame Democratic opposition to add a deficit-financed prescription drug benefit to Medicare. The program will cost a half-trillion dollars over 10 years, or more by some estimates. With no new taxes or spending offsets accompanying the Medicare drug program, the cost has been added to the federal debt.
Mexico City Approves Gay Marriage →
“Obama didn’t canvass the country saying “I will use my agenda-setting powers to...”
– Matthew Yyglesias, Think Progress
Lieberman: Obama Never Pressed Me On Public Option →
Investors Hope the '10s Beat the '00s (WSJ) →
In nearly 200 years of recorded stock-market history, no calendar decade has seen such a dismal performance as the 2000s. Investors would have been better off investing in pretty much anything else, from bonds to gold or even just stuffing money under a mattress. Since the end of 1999, stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange have lost an average of 0.5% a year thanks to the twin bear markets...
SNOWE'S WEAK EXCUSE... →
Prague in 360 →
This is seriously cool. You can zoom in anywhere.
Pelosi, Rahm do not scare Rep. DeFazio →
“He is incredibly popular in a district that is actually somewhat difficult for a Democrat,” said Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.), who says DeFazio does it by standing up for his beliefs.
Pass the Bill →
A persuasive piece from Krugman.
matasar:
Krugman is right.
H&M coming to Portland →
Finally!!!
Cheerless: The real reason Lincoln High no longer... →
WatchTwo more perspectives on the Senate health care bill: Former Governor Howard Dean and U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu at odds.
Two Perspectives on National Health Care
After Joe Lieberman successfully gutted the Senate legislation, progressives differ on the national health care bill:
Kill it: Jason Linkins @ HuffPo
Pass it: Nate Silver @ FiveThirtyEight
What do you think?
“At this point, Lieberman seems primarily motivated by torturing liberals. That...”
– Ezra Klein, Washington Post
An Odd Post-Crash Couple →
More than a year after the election, the Arizona Republican [John McCain] is looking to repair that reputation by joining up with Democratic firebrand Maria Cantwell to propose something that will be anathema to both Wall Street and the Obama administration… the two maverick senators want to reinstate Glass-Steagall Act, the Depression-era law that forced the separation of regular commercial...
“I have a perfect credit score, I make a good living and I’ve never been late...”
– Jeff Jaye, a mortgage broker in Danville, CA, commenting on how Wall Street banks are screwing over home owners
That's Just the Way It Is With Bruce Hornsby... →
He [Hornsby] also recalled playing rock in high school at a time in the late 1960’s and early 70’s when it was popular to name bands after towns, such as Chicago and Boston. “We chose the funniest sounding name we could find — Schenectady (NY).”
Oregon's senators among those uneasy with health... →
A fragile compromise that Senate leaders hope will lead to passage of health care reform legislation ran into potential trouble Friday as Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and eight other Democratic senators expressed concern about financing for a cornerstone of the deal.
Foreclosure Rescue Still Bogged Down →
In testimony before Congress this week, Chase said that 29% of borrowers who entered the program between April and September didn’t make the required payments; 20% hadn’t provided all of the required documents.
Comment: It’s pretty hard to provide “all the required documents” when Chase changes which documents you need every few weeks and loses the documents you...
SEC Widens Probe Into BofA, Merrill Deal →
A federal judge threw out a proposed $33 million settlement in September and rebuked the SEC for not pursuing charges against individual executives of Bank of America Corp.
“The basic facts are incontrovertible. What do they think happens when we put 90...”
– Former Vice President Al Gore commenting on climate change skeptics
“I wish someone would give me one shred of neutral evidence that financial...”
– Paul Volcker, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve from 1979 to 1987 and chairman of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. (Times of London)
matasar:
Trying to unsubscribe from a google group via an email address that isn’t a google account. This seems impossible. Google groups sucks. #fb
Ben Matasar has hit on something that is absolutely correct. Google groups are AWFUL!!!!
Ramin Pourandarjani, Iran Whistleblower, Died From... →
The Iranian government is trying to say this was a “suicide.” Of course.