Friday’s Mini-Report

January 4, 2008

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Economic news is more than just a little discouraging: “With the latest numbers on jobs growth showing the U.S. economy deteriorating more rapidly than expected, the threat of a recession – and the measures needed to revive growth – has taken on a larger political profile. Friday’s jobs report for December, showing a much weaker than expected net gain of 18,000 jobs, added to growing fears that the U.S. economy may be headed for — or already in — a recession. Forecasters were generally looking for growth of about 70,000 jobs. The unemployment rate jumped from 4.7 to 5.0 percent, which was also higher than expected.”

* On a related note: “President Bush, who has continued his cheerleading about the U.S. economy despite a growing host of ominous indicators, is suddenly expressing an openness for new ideas on how to stimulate growth. As long as they involve tax cuts, of course. Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes in the New York Times: ‘President Bush said Thursday that he was considering whether to propose a stimulus package to shore up the economy, the clearest indication yet of a growing concern inside the White House over rising oil prices, the subprime mortgage crisis and the possibility of recession.'”

* This should be a lawsuit worth watching: “Jose Padilla, the man once accused of harboring a desire to set off a dirty bomb before he was convicted on lesser terror-related charges, has long maintained that he was tortured while being detained as an enemy combatant. Today, Padilla began an effort to hold responsible one of the men who provided the Bush administration’s legal justification for the kind of actions allegedly taken against him, filing suit against John Yoo, the former deputy assistant Attorney General.”

* The kids are alright: “The youth turnout rate tripled in Iowa. The youth turnout rate rose to 13% in 2008 compared to 4% in 2004 and 3% in 2000. Out of all of Barack Obama’s support in Iowa, 57% came from young voters.” I’d just add that, for the first time, the youth vote and the over-65 vote in Iowa were the same.

* I’m beginning to think that Joe Trippi might not be the best Iowa prognosticator. Here’s his take on caucus turnout from a few days ago: “Anybody who tells you this thing gets up to 220,000, that’s some number of people who’ve never participated in this thing. It’d be an incredible thing to see if it happened, and more power to the candidate who pulled that off. But I’m also having this reverse deja-vu where I remember spending a good chunk of this period 4 years ago telling every reporter that would talk to me about exactly how 220,000 people were going to turn out and vote, and if they did Howard Dean would be the next president of the United States. This time I feel a little awkward sitting here arguing that 200,000 will never show up, but I honestly don’t think it’s going to happen.” Oops.

* My heart goes out to the friends and family of Andrew Olmsted, who contributed to Obsidian Wings under the name G’Kar, and who was killed yesterday in Iraq. Hilzoy has published a piece Andrew wrote to be published in the event of his death, and it’s just terribly painful to read.

* My friend dnA went to an event in Harlem last night to watch the Iowa caucus results, because, “win or lose, black history was going to be made.” There’s been a lot of talk, here and elsewhere, about the significance of white, rural Iowans supporting Obama, but let’s not overlook what this means to the African-American community. dnA heard one man say last night, “This isn’t just a victory for Harlem. This is a victory for all the Harlems across this nation.”

* No one’s watching the Fox Business Network.

* Aside from all the various candidates, the real winner last night was the polling director at the Des Moines Register.

* For a guy who decries negative advertising, McCain engages in a lot of negative advertising.

* Patrick Fitzgerald has a new gig: “Mukasey announced today that he’s appointing Chicago federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to the Attorney General’s advisory committee of U.S. attorneys. Fitzgerald was on the committee from 2001 until 2005, but his appointment to it preceded his service as special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame CIA leak investigation…. Gonzales… did not re-appoint Fitzgerald to the advisory panel, which counsels the attorney general on law enforcement issues.”

* Mike Huckabee is ninth cousins with President Bush and a 10th cousin once removed from Mitt Romney. Somehow, I doubt this will help the Republican establishment perceive him as “one of them.”

* And finally, David Letterman, whose writers got the deal they were looking for and are therefore no longer on strike, offered this gem: “The Writers Guild strike does continue. . . . Here’s what the writers want. Tell me if you don’t think this is fair. They want a share of internet revenues and four more years of President Bush.” I wouldn’t blame them — he has been the gift that keeps on giving for satirists. Bad for the country, good for comedy.

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

in the open thread vein, let me rerun part of a post i made fairly late last night at the bottom of the Iowa Caucus 101 thread, because I wouldn’t want it to get lost:

And to all, thanks for reading my long, long posts [on the caucuses], your kind words even when disagreeing on substance, and all of the thoughtful exchanges on my guest thread. This is one great community.

and thanks again to Steve for the soap box.

  • It’s been a fun day in Left Blogistan. Thanks to CB, Z, and the rest of the group.

    On to New Hampshire.

  • The kids are alright

    Please, please, please, find something synonymous to say instead of this. It’s getting to be borderline patronizing to hear it every time some news comes out that says kids today are actually (*gasp*) normal.

  • Who needs the networks when you have folks like Zeitgeist and Steve???

    It’s too bad we can’t vote you into higher office.

  • Padilla sues Yoo – Yahoo!!! I’m currently reading Takeover by Charlie Savage. Until you read this book, you only think you despise Yoo (and Chaney and Bush and Addington and Gonzales and etc ad nauseum).

  • NASA announces a meteor is headed at Earth. Little Georgie announces that tax cuts will save us from the disaster.

    Talk about one-note Charlie. His dad was right to call this crap “voodoo economics.” Even David Stockman admitted they were just bullshitting about “supply side tax cuts.” And the scumballs are still selling the snake oil to the morons.

  • A Special Report On Tweety:

    Remember when Tweety was talking about how much he liked Thompson’s musky odor, and how he thought he would appeal to women? Well it turns out the entrance-polls showed that out of those who voted for Thomposon, men outnumbered women by about two-to-one. So out of the Republicans, Thompsons was the one who did least well with the ladies. Women have to find him a little creepy.

    Something here reminds me of our discussion in comments here today. What do Tweety and Giuliani have in common?

  • I am not sure what they mean by ‘youth vote’ but I find it pretty amazing because the out of state college kids really had to work hard to come back to Iowa since they were still on break.

    Of course, maybe it was the other way around and the kids from Iowa who went to out of state schools were still home on break.

    Does anyone know who those kids are?

  • Rian Mueller said:

    The kids are alright

    Please, please, please, find something synonymous to say instead of this. It’s getting to be borderline patronizing to hear it every time some news comes out that says kids today are actually (*gasp*) normal.

    Point taken. But I think the phrase has passed into the “camp” camp now. It’s kinda tongue in cheeky. Not a serious phrase.

  • President Bush, who has continued his cheerleading about the U.S. economy despite a growing host of ominous indicators…

    Remember back when the economy started tanking and Bush pointed to the silver lining of rising home ownership? “Man, it’s like people who don’t even have money are buying houses! Ain’t it great?” Now we know.

    The kids are alright

    “Please, please, please, find something synonymous to say instead of this.”

    Your alternatives are “If the kids are united / They can never be divided” (which is somewhat of a tautology) or “We’re the kids in America, WO-OH!”

  • Chopin @ 7: I’m almost finished Savage’s book – and I have to say that even though I knew it was bad, the depth and breadth of what has been done by this administration defies description. In fact, I would say that what Bush – through Cheney and Addington and Yoo and others – have created is as close to a form of dictatorship than many would believe possible.

    The precedents set and the amount of power aggregated in the executive branch is truly dangerous – what must be scaring the bejesus out of the Bushies is the knowledge that all of what they have established is just waiting for the next, and likely, Democratic, president. In truth, it should frighten everyone, regardless of party.

    Those of you who thought the danger of Roberts and Alito was in overturning Roe v. Wade will be shocked to learn that it had little to do with that and everything to do with their views on presidential power and the Unitary Executive Theory.

    Really a firghtening book, but reading it should be an essential part of everyone’s education on what is happening to this country.

  • Mike Huckabee is ninth cousins with President Bush and a 10th cousin once removed from Mitt Romney.

    If I didn’t know Obama and Cheney were distant relatives I’d say this explains a lot about cHuckabee.

    is suddenly expressing an openness for new ideas on how to stimulate growth.

    First we get several hundred acres of land and throw a 20 ft high, razor wire topped fence around it. Then we place web cams through out the area that transmitt 24/7 to a subscription only website. At key locations we’ll leave caches of supplies: Water proof matches, an axe, a tarp and first aid kit. Maybe water purification tablets and beef jerky. Then we round up Bush and all of his cronies and herd them in there. Then we give them one map which show the location of the caches.

    Come on, every American in the country could retire on the money that came from the subscriptions.

  • “The youth turnout rate tripled in Iowa. The youth turnout rate rose to 13% in 2008 compared to 4% in 2004 and 3% in 2000. Out of all of Barack Obama’s support in Iowa, 57% came from young voters.” I’d just add that, for the first time, the youth vote and the over-65 vote in Iowa were the same. — CB

    In some ways, young people are “naturals” for the political process. They’re likely to know something about how it works (civics courses in school) and, for all their “cool” posturing, they’re more likely to still have some idealism left to them. Plus, after 18 yrs of being in submission to authoritarian (parental) pronouncements, they’re chomping at the bit to assert themselves. I seem to remember that, when the voting age went down to 18, there was some upsurge in turnout.
    All that’s necessary is to convince them that their voice is being listened to and that they can make a difference, and Obama managed to do that. The kids have always been “alright”; you just need to know how to talk to them.

    There’s been a lot of talk, here and elsewhere, about the significance of white, rural Iowans supporting Obama, but let’s not overlook what this means to the African-American community. —
    CB

    Long term, there’s all the “victories for all the Harlems across the nation”. Short term, it’s good news for Obama, who’s likely to pick up more black votes, now that blacks have seen he *can* win in a white world. Some blacks were aligning themselves with Hillary, because they thought Barak had no more chance than a snowball in hell, and Clintons have a good record on race issues. But, after Iowa, they may re-think. If he survives NH in decent shape, I’ll expect him to do as well or better in SC as he did in Iowa.

  • * Mike Huckabee is ninth cousins with President Bush and a 10th cousin once removed from Mitt Romney. Somehow, I doubt this will help the Republican establishment perceive him as “one of them.” — CB

    I expect both Bush and Romney to use Obama’s “line” on learning of his relationship to Cheney: “every family has its black sheep”.

    PS Sorry for “Swanning”; I meant to include this in my original post and forgot.

  • Libra wrote:

    PS Sorry for “Swanning”; I meant to include this in my original post and forgot.

    Libra, what would you do if you had more thoughts about something after you wrote your first comment? Libra is just odd, so for all who don’t usually write comments, don’t leave us all missing out if you write one comment and then later think up something else really good to add.

  • Of course, maybe it was the other way around and the kids from Iowa who went to out of state schools were still home on break. Does anyone know who those kids are?

    Well, it’s anecdotal but a friend of mine who’s in grad school in Iowa went back early from California just to vote in the caucuses (for Obama). She could have spent another week or so at home, so that was a fairly major effort.

    Swan writes: don’t leave us all missing out if you write one comment and then later think up something else really good to add.

    Swan, while I won’t deny that your posts usually evince a reasonable amount of thoughtfulness, your incessant multiple posting, frequent blog whoring, and self-promoting comments such as this are pretty narcissistic. Since you already have your own blog and any of us who wish to can easily go there with a click, you could be a bit less self-promotional and need not post and then dissect your own posts to examine their every nuance. And as a bit of a preemptive strike, it would also be refreshing to see that someone could take issue with you without being indignantly attacked.

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