Friday’s Mini-Report

July 18, 2008

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* It’s hard not to laugh at this sentence: “Citigroup has become the latest big bank to quell Wall Street’s worries about a financial sector implosion, posting a $2.5 billion second-quarter loss that was smaller than expected.” Yes, a company lost $2.5 billion, over the course of three months, and managed to beat expectations.

* Sometimes, it’s hard to look gift oil in the mouth: “Two years ago, New Hampshire refused to accept heating oil from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the pro-Castro U.S. critic who once called President Bush ‘the devil.’ But with fuel prices rising, well, free oil is free oil. With the state’s blessing, New Hampshire residents will be receiving some of the fuel this winter.”

* I wasn’t there, but I hope Markos Moulitsas was able to teach DLC Chairman Harold Ford a few things. (The two first faced off on “Meet the Press,” and Markos appeared at the DLC conference earlier this year.)

* Is it possible that John McCain would literally put Barack Obama’s life in danger in Iraq? It seems hard to believe, and I plan to have more on this in the morning.

* Oddly enough, there’s going to be a Unity ’08 conference. No one seems anxious to go. Imagine that.

* Surprisingly enough, the McCain campaign isn’t denouncing Bud Day’s religious bigotry. I thought it was a no-brainer, but the McCain campaign seems to be going out of its way to remove any shred of decency from its operation.

* When Obama said he wouldn’t accept campaign help from lobbyists, he meant it — and isn’t making exceptions.

* NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, who can be a surprisingly bad journalist at times, told viewers yesterday that Obama has “the least foreign policy experience” of any presidential nominee since Carter. If you exclude Reagan, Clinton, and Bush, that’s absolutely true.

* Conservative activists look like they’re struggling badly to defeat gay marriage in California.

* TPMM: “Did the CIA start using torture before the DOJ authorized it in the infamous torture memos? That’s what it sounded like according to former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who was on the Hill yesterday testifying on interrogation techniques before the House Judiciary Committee.”

* What are they thinking, Part I: “The Air Force’s top leadership sought for three years to spend counterterrorism funds on ‘comfort capsules’ to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world, with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules’ carpet and leather chairs, according to internal e-mails and budget documents. Production of the first capsule — consisting of two sealed rooms that can fit into the fuselage of a large military aircraft — has already begun.”

* What are they thinking, Part II: “Shoddy electrical work by private contractors on United States military bases in Iraq is widespread and dangerous, causing more deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to internal Army documents.”

* Right-wing shock jocks now want to attack children with autism? Seriously?

* Not good: “The United States fails on most measures of health care quality, with Americans waiting longer to see doctors and more likely to die of preventable or treatable illnesses than people in other industrialized countries, a report released on Thursday said…. The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation, created a 100-point scorecard using 37 indicators such as health outcomes, quality, access and efficiency. They compare the U.S. average on these to the best performing states, counties or hospitals, and to other countries. The United States scored 65 — two points lower than in 2006.” (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* There’s simply no reason in the world for undercover Maryland State Police officers to conduct surveillance on war protesters and death penalty opponents.

* Non-political news, Part I: Has everyone been enjoying Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog? I have.

* Non-political news, Part II: New Watchmen trailer. Cool.

* Non-political news, Part III: Those of you going to see the Dark Knight should keep an eye out for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman (and noted Batman fan) Pat Leahy (D-Vt.).

* And finally, Netroots Nation knows exactly how to treat Fox News: “Planners of the conference want to force representatives of the cable news network to wear credentials identifying them as opinion media rather than providing them with the regular press passes other news outlets will receive.” It turned out to be a moot point — the Republican network isn’t sending anyone to cover the event.

Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

I heard Andrea Mitchell make the remark about Senator Obama’s lack of foreign policy experience, too. I thought, what is she talking about? I thought I heard George W. Bush didn’t even have a passport when he became president. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, that maybe I missed the part where she said Mr. Obama had the least foreign policy experience for a democratic nominee. Either way, it is very difficult to watch her struggle when she speaks. She definitely isn’t neutral, nor is she articulate. Maybe she’s suffering from guilt for being married to guy who helped pave the way to this economic disaster. Which, of course, began with the great communicator, Reagan.

  • I have enjoyed Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog too much. I fear despair when it ends.

  • * When Obama said he wouldn’t accept campaign help from lobbyists, he meant it — and isn’t making exceptions.

    Wow, he cut Cleland off at the knees, as they say. Stop throwing things.

  • * What are they thinking, Part I: “The Air Force’s top leadership sought for three years to spend counterterrorism funds on ‘comfort capsules’ to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world,

    Callng Dr. Strangelove.

    * What are they thinking, Part II: “Shoddy electrical work by private contractors on United States military bases in Iraq is widespread and dangerous, causing more deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to internal Army documents.”

    And this made news two years ago!

  • Is it possible that John McCain would literally put Barack Obama’s life in danger in Iraq? It seems hard to believe, and I plan to have more on this in the morning.

    Let’s not make a big deal about this. The conduct is dubious and sloppy, but the likelihood of harm resulting from it so remote, it will come across as whining to even raise the issue.

  • That watchmen trailer was friggin’ awesome! It looks like they spent a billion dollars making that movie. Thanks for that. Made my day.

  • Free oil from Venezuela?!?

    Whoa. Can someone PLEASE explain this one to me? This can’t possibly be a cost-effective p.r. campaign by Chavez.

  • Just Dropping By, #5: You absolutely can *not* be serious. Even if you could back up your claim that the chances are low (and you can’t), it still adds risk to publicly broadcast the plan. Pointing that out is not whining, it is the truth.

    And furthermore, if the shoe were on the other foot and a democrat did this to a republican, you wouldn’t hear the end of it for months, maybe years.

  • Re; Obama’s trip:

    BTW, remember when Malkin, et al. lost their minds because the NYT published photos of Don Rumsfeld’s mailbox? I can only imagine the ranting if the situation had been reversed.

  • The point is not how much McClain’s slip-up “endangers Obama’s life” — there is no way to tell that — The point is that McCain, who is a military man, who “knows how to win wars”, who was captured and tortured, isn’t supposed to make this kind of mistake. He can’t keep a secret that we expect first year Congressional Representatives to keep. It says that his heroism is in the past, and that he has lost his bearings, is easily confused, and has lost his ability to control what comes out of his mouth. To which, we can only say, “Poor dear, bless his heart, it’s really kind of sad, isn’t it.”

  • McCain telegraphing BO’s maybe schedule is the worst thing he’s done this week, and that’s saying something. He knows better. What a shitwit. really cute.

  • In the last two years, I think a lot of people in NH have shifted to agree that Bush is the Devil in deed.

  • Apparently Andrea Mitchell, who went to Iraq a day or so before Obama, has already been briefed by Gen Petraus(bad spelling), and was on Race for the White House, saying what the General will be telling Obama, for some reason,this does not sit right with me, what would happen if George Bush was going and a reporter sat down with the General before Bush arrived to find out what would be said.And then announced it to everyone. Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory too seem to make a lot of biased remarks against Obama.

  • What are they thinking, Part II: “Shoddy electrical work by private contractors on United States military bases in Iraq is widespread and dangerous, causing more deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to internal Army documents.”

    “The reports of shoddy electrical work

    (in military housing in Iraq) have raised new questions about the Bush administration’s heavy reliance on contractors in Iraq, particularly because they come after other high-profile disputes involving KBR. They include accusations of overbilling, providing unsafe water to soldiers and failing to protect female employees who were sexually assaulted.

    “Several electricians who worked for KBR have said previously in interviews that they repeatedly warned KBR managers and Pentagon and military officials about unsafe electrical work. They said that supervisors had ignored their concerns or, in some cases, lacked the training to understand the problems.” — New York Times

    Another promise I’d like from Obama — that after 2009 we’re going to see KBR and Halliburton executives in orange jumpsuits.

  • We won’t have Phil Gramm to whine about anymore.

    The architect of the Bush recession has stepped down as national co-chair of John McCain’s presidential campaign.

    Mr. Gramm issued a statement late Friday evening:

    It is clear to me that Democrats want to attack me rather than debate Senator McCain on important economic issues facing the country. That kind of distraction hurts not only Senator McCain’s ability to present concrete programs to deal with the country’s problems, it hurts the country. To end this distraction and get on with the real debate, I hereby step down as Co-Chair of the McCain Campaign and join the growing number of rank-and-file McCain supporters.

    Ah, the Friday evening news dump – a favorite among Republicans. Slipping the bad news through just in time for the dead-zone Saturday news cycle. Old news by Sunday. History by Monday.

    I just can’t get enough of that straight talk, Sen. McCain. More, please.

  • You are just the best IMHO for putting a link to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog on the site. I laughed, I cried, I can’t wait for tomorrow. I’m so fucking predictable., but I don’t care. Mr. Whedon’s got a thing going and I’ll happily trot along. Makes me smile to know that other like-minded folks love it too. I’ll have to check out this Watchman thing.

  • Don’t watch network or cable news. Don’t read newspapers, and don’t listen to the radio, including NPR. They are all part of the propaganda/noise machine. The net is the only hope at the moment, but who knows how long it will last.

  • I think people considered me off the wall when I thought removing security from an Obama event in Dallas would be intentional. I also pointed out the almost wishful thinking apparent in all the predictions of assassination, and pointed to Kevin Drum’s interview with the guy who blew the whistle on the Bush National Guard record, where he claimed the Bushies refused to give him medical treatment for a curable, but fatal disease, unless he shut up.

    Let’s remember that when an anti-gun Federal Prosecutor got murdered, these guys would not give resources to investigate the murderer. These guys have no limits.

    Would McCain send a similar shot across the bow? Of course. If he didn’t, if this had been a slip by a Dem, or Geraldo, would we ever hear the end of it? Nope.

  • Is it possible that John McCain would literally put Barack Obama’s life in danger in Iraq?

    Maybe he just has an irrational hatred of Brian Williams, Katie Couric and the other one, and is taking advantage of them all being in the same place?

  • Shilling for Dems in the Red Zone — day 2

    Rene (the woman in charge of the Dem booth at the Fair) couldn’t make it till 6PM (we open at 5), so I had to open myself. 6 to the right, 31 to the left, 24 to the right. Two right turns to our one and they still pack less punch… hopefully, prophetic. The opening of a new office in Lynchburg (50 miles and over the mountain from us) had priority, so the young man from the Obama campaign didn’t come at all and it was just us, two middle-aged hens. Oh well; we can manage.

    A surprisingly large number of kids — 12-13yrs old, female, and not accompanied by parental units — stopped by in search of Obama stickers.

    One asked if she could have some of the brochures as well. “How old are you?” asks Rene. “I’m, um, 12” says the girl. “Are you interested in politics?” “Not really, but my grandma is; she talks about politics all the time. And I like my grandma, so, if I read this stuff, I can talk to her” “Did you get any stuff from the other booth? About McCain?” “No, she doesn’t talk about McCain; only Obama”. I’d be curious to hear just what grandma says about Obama, but the girl is off.

    Not long after, a pair — about the same age — shows up. One white, one black. The white one says “Can I have Obama sticker? I like him. He’ll bring my uncle back home” (I don’t even dare ask which war theatre her uncle is in but wish for his speedy and safe return). The black one says “I don’t want Obama sticker I hate him”. I suspect a bit of pre-teen rebellion — because she’s black, most people probably assume she has to like him and she’s gonna prove them wrong — but I ask all the same: “Why don’t you like him?” “I don’t know” she says. And then, in a burst: “I wanted Hillary to be the President. A girl, like me”.

    Ah. Now all is clear; feminine solidarity at its best… “OK” I say “I can understand that. But now, she is no longer running. Now, your choice is only between Obama and McCain. So, whom do you like better?”

    She gives me “a look” — the kind of look I still vividly remember my son giving me 20yrs ago. The kind of look which says “all adults are stark, raving, crazy. Nuts. Why do I have to put up with them?” I begin to wonder just where I might have lost my cotton-pickin’ mind, when she says, in that kind of voice some teachers use to explain the same thing for the fifth time — patient but pained at the same time: “but McCain isn’t going to *be* President, so it doesn’t matter”

    From your lips, little girl… All the same, I always thought that civics wasn’t taught until highschool?

    A young couple stops, with a small child — maybe 2-3yr old — in tow.The parents start talking to Rene (Obama bumper sticker, Warner one, or both?), the child spots an Obama sticker, and says: “bama”. I’ve always thought that Obama’s “rainbow O” was *inspired* and am glad to have my views confirmed; and talk about name recognition… “would you like one?” I ask. Nod. So I put it on his shirt and he beams like Christmas came in July.

    But, not everything is sunshine and roses. A man — 40-45, crew-cut, beer-belly spilling over his pants all the way “down to there” — plants himself in front of the table and, rather belligerently, asks “Change, change… What *kind* of change is what I want to know”.

    “Well, for one thing, he’ll get us out of Iraq” says Rene. “Good, good”, he says. “Because if we get out of Iraq, they’re gonna follow us here. I’m too old to fight them over there (“your age isn’t the problem, buddy, your belly size is” I think, but don’t say), so I want a chance to fight them over here. I’m a hunter — deer, turkey — wouldn’t mind shootin’ me a terrist or two”. Rene is speechless for a moment, so I chime in: “How would they get here from over there?” The man seems stumped, but it only for a moment. “Hell if I know” he says. “But if 20 million of them illlegal Mexicans can get here, so can the trerrists”. “Wasn’t Mexicans who planted the bomb in Oklahoma City” I say.”Those were home grown terrorists, all-American”. The man gives me a disgusted look and walks away. We let him go, without asking if he’s registered to vote. We hope he isn’t or, if he is, that he’ll be too stupid to find his way to the correct polling station. Rene and I turn to one another and say the same word at the same time: Scary. Later on, we see him sitting with the guys from the Repub booth; probably telling them how he shot himself a couple of terrist broads…

    One more day to go.

  • Based on the article, this is a different “Unity ’08.” It’s a convention of minority journalists, not a fuzzy-headed anti-partisan organization. (2008unity.org vs. the now-defunct unity08.com.)

    I have to admit, though, it does give me a vicious thrill to know that unity08.com is defunct…

  • How very, very strange… And, perhaps, a tad chilling? Apparently, Think Progress had had a posting on McCain saying he didn’t know whether or not Obama was a socialist (the first of CB’s postings today mentions it too, in a broader frame). But all that’s left of it now is the title and a line of text:

    The Center for American Progress’ lawyers asked us to take down this post.

    There are also 183 comments, at least some of which (I didn’t read them all; usually, the only comments I read are at CB) had been posted before the excision. But reading those doesn’t explain what might have led to the involvement of the lawyers…

  • Maybe Clinton didn’t have any foreign policy experience, but W. was nearby when Reagan
    and Poppy were committing treason with the arms for hostages deal. And that’s something.

  • It seems as though the Republicans are anticipating the accusations of McCain being a flip-flopper. But you know know what’s worse than a flip-flopper? Someone who holds two positions at the same time!

    http://www.BothWaysBarack.com/

    Apparently this is going to be aired nationally, but I can’t see it having too much of an impact. It’s cheap-looking, over-written and has all the emotional and intellectual impact of a Cindy McCain recipe.

  • Steve, by what definition do you refer to Andrea Mitchell as a “journalist”? Is it simply that she is employed by the “news” division of a corporate conglomerate?

  • From Mr. Savage’s web site:

    Trained as a scientist, he holds Master’s degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in Epidemiology and Nutritional Science. He spent decades searching and saving tropical rainforests.

    In other words, he should know better.

  • Ah, libra, I so admire your delicious storytelling skills. Can’t wait for the next episode.

  • 23.
    On July 18th, 2008 at 11:36 pm, libra said:

    Shilling for Dems in the Red Zone — day 2

    Great stuf, Libra. Thanks!

    • Comments are closed.