Wednesday’s Mini-Report

April 30, 2008

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Economic growth has almost come to a complete halt: “The bruised economy limped through the first quarter, growing at just a 0.6 percent pace as housing and credit problems forced people and businesses alike to hunker down.”

* Paul Krugman tackles anemic growth and the “r” word: “So, GDP was up slightly in the first quarter. Does that mean that we’re not in a recession? The correct answer is, who cares?… The point is that the official definition of recession has become delinked from peoples’ actual experience. Right now, we’re in an economy with deteriorating employment and incomes, collapsing home prices, and business retrenchment. Is it also an economy in recession? Who cares?”

* On a related note: “The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point today, the seventh cut in as many months, continuing its efforts to guard the economy against a steep downturn.”

* After an encouraging dip, casualty rates in Iraq are on the rise again: “The killings of five U.S. soldiers in separate attacks in Baghdad pushed the American death toll for April up to 49, making it the deadliest month since September…. The spike in U.S. troop deaths comes as intense combat has been raging in Sadr City and other neighborhoods between Shiite militants and U.S.-Iraqi troops for more than a month.”

* I’ll have more on this tomorrow, but we learned today that terrorism rates are not improving around the world: “Al-Qaida has rebuilt some of its pre-Sept. 11 capabilities from remote hiding places in Pakistan, leading to a major spike in attacks last year in that country and neighboring Afghanistan, the Bush administration said Wednesday…. More than 22,000 people were killed by terrorists around the world in 2007, 8 percent more than in 2006, although the overall number of attacks fell, the report says.”

* The Dems’ new “100 years” ad can’t be too outrageous to the Republican Party — Fox News has agreed to begin airing it.

* No matter who’s elected in November, I hope treating the troops with more dignity is high on the next president’s to-do list: “Army officials said Tuesday they are inspecting every barracks building worldwide to see whether plumbing and other problems revealed at Fort Bragg, N.C., last week are widespread.”

* A lengthy book could probably be written on the ways in which the Bush gang has utterly decimated the EPA: “A White House budget agency is ‘actually dictating’ which chemicals the Environmental Protection Agency can assess for health impacts, a congressional investigator told a Senate committee Tuesday. John Stephenson, the Government Accountability Office’s director of natural resource programs, told the Senate Environment Committee that the White House Office of Management and Budget not only is closely involved in the chemical assessments but ‘actually dictating which assessments that the EPA can undertake.'”

* On a sort-of related note: “The latest contribution to good government from Vice President Dick Cheney: preventing the implementation of rules to protect the endangered right whale.”

* Apparently, a bunch of right-wing blogs got excited about the notion that the new DNC ad took footage from “Fahrenheit 9/11.” It didn’t.

* According to Bill O’Reilly, the United States never “invaded” Iraq. O’Reilly has, of course, said the opposite many times.

* Is Tim Russert keeping Arianna Huffington off the NBC airwaves?

* The Obama campaign weighed in on the controversy of the day: “In a conference call with reporters, Obama aides tentatively accepted the Women’s Voices Women Vote apology for ill-timed robocalls, but simultaneously compared the calls to deliberate voter suppression tactics. ‘The group has apologized and indicated that it was inadvertent,’ said Obama campaign counsel Bob Bauer, adding that the apology is ‘presumably to be taken at face value.’ But Pricey Harrison, a local Obama supporter on the call, said it was ‘a possibly deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters.'”

* A deal in the works on FEC commissioners?

* Pentagon bean-counting gone horribly awry.

* Jonathan Alter has a good item in Newsweek on the gas-tax holiday debate.

* And finally, Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” pondered the Clinton campaign’s proposal for a “Lincoln-Douglas style” debate against Barack Obama, but showed an on-air graphic with Frederick Douglas, instead of Stephen Douglas. Um, Fox News? I know it was a long time ago, but you do know that Frederick Douglas and Stephen Douglas were opposites, don’t you?

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

Douglass, Frederick Douglass, with two Ss.

And I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a mistake on Fox’s part. But I gotta say, the image of Hillary Clinton as Abraham Lincoln is highly mirth-making.

  • Army officials said Tuesday they are inspecting every barracks building worldwide to see whether plumbing and other problems revealed at Fort Bragg, N.C., last week are widespread.

    Didn’t they say that after Walter Reed?

  • Hillary and Obama claim healthcare is high on the list of concerns for Democratic voters — but Sean Hannity has yet to focus on the issue.

  • * The Dems’ new “100 years” ad can’t be too outrageous to the Republican Party — Fox News has agreed to begin airing it. — CB

    Aaaah… The fair and balanced Faux Noise taking their cue from Emperor Vespasian and his “pecunia non olet” (money doesn’t stink). How evenhanded of them 🙂

  • If we waited for the Dems to make a factual error, and started reporting every little fact the GOP got wrong, we’d lose any claim to being an independent organization.

    We’d have the same content as MediaMatters.

  • “Economic growth has almost come to a complete halt: “The bruised economy limped through the first quarter, growing at just a 0.6 percent pace as housing and credit problems forced people and businesses alike to hunker down.””

    That actually requires you to believe the Commerce Department, which has a bad habit of recalculating their numbers later (usually to the negative) rather than do a solid job of calculating them now.

    “According to Bill O’Reilly, the United States never “invaded” Iraq. O’Reilly has, of course, said the opposite many times.”

    I’m sure Saddam, whereever he is, disagrees.

  • Latest national NBC/WSJ Poll:

    Obama 46%
    Clinton 43%

    National Match-up against McCain:

    Obama 46%
    McCain 43%

    Clinton 45%
    McCain 44%

    Last week Hillary and Obama were even– now Obama is up by 3! After the week he’s had with the PA primary and Wright??? He’s still beating McCain by more than Hillary??

    It’ll be interesting to see how this shapes the campaign narrative. I was worried that Obama was going to take a big hit (not get a bump!) after the PA primary, bittergate and the Wright fiasco. Also, if Hillary had gained some ground she would have argued that any advantage in the polls as “proof” of momentum going her way. Ha! Not so much.

    Let’s just hope it’s not an outlier. We’ll have a better sense of how this all really shakes out over the next few days. But I’m feeling a little more hopeful that Obama’s star is still high on the horizon.

  • Raise your hand if you are sick of this Wright issue?

    HOW COULD ONE PERSON CHANGE A WHOLE ELECTION? GIVE ME A BREAK!!

    The media is making such a big deal out of this than it really is and I’m really tired of hearing about it. Just now on the main page of Yahoo “Voters say Wright has hurt Obama — but question how much” with a pensive Obama as a picture.

    Why has this narrative so determined what is going on? The media is so complicit in writing absurd narratives – I’m about ready to SCREAM!

    If who you know creates who you are, then what are Republicans – Mark Foley, Larry Craig, Vitter, etc. – a list too long to list – then who can we connect ourselves with?

  • libra (4): Aaaah… The fair and balanced Faux Noise taking their cue from Emperor Vespasian and his “pecunia non olet” (money doesn’t stink).

    And woudn’t it be appropriate if Faux Noise were paid in urine, which is what Vespasian collected?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine_tax

  • What?! Cheney wants to prevent the protection of the Endangered Right Whale?! I thought he WAS an Endangered Right Whale!!

  • If you are sick and tired of hearing the same old (lies or ignorance) on skyrocketing crude oil prices, Google Washington Senator Maria Cantwell on oil prices to see what she’s doing to get to the bottom of this latest Enronization of energy markets scandal. For starters, try:

    http://www.topix.com/us-senate/maria-cantwell

    I saw her on CSpan2 during my afternoon treadmill session yesterday, and it just blew me away. She dispelled all the usual crap we hear ad nauseum, like supply and demand, and went right to the jugular: market speculation and manipulation, a la Enron, she said. Remarkable, exhilarating performance.

    How come we never see this suggestion on the news? She asked the same question, incredulously: After Enron? We’re still clueless?

    Wow!

  • Those barracks are pre-1950 as I was in some of them in the 70’s and they were very old and nasty then. One of mine at Ft Meade MD, had NO insulation so in the summer we had to find some place else,( usually off base) to sleep as the heat would easily hit the 100’s indoors. We had no walls but open studs and framing so we used to use them as shelves as we were short of space. Housing for soldiers either male or female was NOT a priority in the 70’s and it looks like it hasn’t changed at all. The only time I lived in nice housing was when we were temporarily stationed at Stewart AFB in NY and had Air Force housing and furniture. It is now a real air port. I never lived in decent housing that was less than from August 1970 until I left the Army in August 1978. It is a shame that it hasn’t changed in 30 years.

  • BuzzMon – good article, yes they are crooks. But let’s not kid ourselves – chimpy is just a tool for other interests. The bush crime family has been involved with some of the most disturbing events in the past centrury.

    Video: Meet the Bush Family: http://www.brasscheck.com/videos/cia/cia3.html

    Creepiness Factors Surrounding the Bush Clan
    or
    Tricky Dick Was Bush-League Compared to Chimpy

    I am sure it will offend some, just one interpretation of history. Let’s just look at the “creepiness factors” here.

    The Bush family fortune did not come from oil — it came from financing the Nazis in WW I. There was an investigation (official record) and I believe some assets were frozen and even seized.

    In fact, some say the Prescotts and other powerful elites were actually behind Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. Think about this – it is a fact that the propaganda techniques had their roots in America. Was Hitler an evil genius or a stupid puppet — anyone else see some scary possibilities here.

    George Bush I namesake and maternal grandfather, George Herbert ‘Bert’ Walker, was a native of St. Louis, who founded the banking and investment firm of G. H. Walker and Company in 1900. Herbert “Bert” Walker controlled Smith and Wesson. The brownshirts in the streets of 1920s Germany were armed with Smith and Wesson revolvers, which they got for free from Fritz Thyssen (of Thyssen/Krupp), who got them wholesale from Walker.

    George’s grandfather, Prescott is responsible for bringing Richard Nixon into politics, set him up, and provided direction and support.

    George I was involved with the CIA many years before being its director under Gerald Ford. He was involved with the Bay of Pigs. Some believe he has connections, direct or indirect, with JFK assassination. If you do not accept the Warren Commission, and most Americans don’t, then the murder of an elected president was nothing less than a coup d’etat. It is a verified fact, that the rest of the world accepts though it was never given the press it deserved, that chimpy did not win in 2000 – another coup d’tat?

    If you think the JFK case is convoluted and full of lies – check of the RFK murder! Most certainly this paved the way for tricky dick to get into the Whitehouse (remember, this is Prescott’s main man). Isn’t this, in many ways, a coup too? While we’re at it – Martin Luther King’s murder was the result of a conspiracy – at least that is what a judge and jury decided when they heard the evidence. How come the rest of America never heard the evidence?

    Nixon could not have possibly resigned over the Watergate burglary — this is minor league stuff, especially by today’s standards. What possibly could have been on that 18-minute gap that cannot be recovered with today’s technology? You know that you cannot actually erase your hard-drive this clean. A secretary certainly did not erase these tapes in this matter by herself. No — this is not a direct Bush thing, unless there was direct, indirect involvement with JFK murder. Any other speculation as to what was on that tape?

    The “Reagan Revolution” was enabled by treason – George Bush Sr. negotiated with the Iranian hostage takers to hold U.S. citizens captive until AFTER the election. This, coupled with the “mighty Wurlitzer” mainstream media undermined President Carter and threw the election to Ronald Reagan. This “October Surprise” was actually a coup detat against a sitting president. Reagan did not start his presidency as a wildly popular “uniter”, he was propelled into office via an act of treasonous.

    The Reagan assassination attempt was done by the son of a close bush family friend — while Ronald ran as an aggressive, “reform” type in 1980, he became a passive “hands-off” delegate after the assassination attempt. Coincidence — Nancy Reagan could not stand the Bushes.

    If you can accept that there was Bush involvement with the CIA and perhaps even the Reagan assassination attempt, then please look at this link:

    http://www.mackwhite.com/lennon.html

    Neil Bush was a major player in the Savings and Loan scandal — cost us billions. He told congress that he received million dollar loans that were “forgiven” and that this “happens all the time.” Does anyone else think this makes chimpy’s Social Security con more reprehensible?

    Bush Sr. was a leading player in the Iran-Contra scandal. Drugs were used as a weapon against targeted communities INSIDE of America and the illegal funds that these sales generated were used to maintain illicit, “off-the-book” programs that have never been made public. The destruction of America’s inner city funded additional illegal, treasonous activities.

    Bush Sr. pardoned all of the Iran/Contra co-conspirators. Many of these same folks have played active roles in enabling treasonous acts of George W Bush.

    Bush Sr. was having breakfast with Bakr bin Laden, brother of Osama, the morning of 9/11, at a Carlyle Group shareholders meeting.

    The Bush administration was specifically warned about planes being used as weapons and that “Bin Ladin Determined to Attack US” yet they claimed “who could have known?”

    The Bush administration was specifically warned about the need to rebuild NOLA levees and was specifically warned about Hurricane Katrina, yet they claimed “who could have known?”

    Iraq, a war that Bush I refused to continue fighting in after Desert Storm, was allowed to progress into what is now being more widely accepted as “the gates of hell” and a civil war. This after the American public was told “we would be greeted as liberators” and “mission accomplished. The oil industry, however, is making record profits that are astonishingly high and the military-industrial complex is making BILLIONS in profits – much of the federal money they receive (hundreds of billions) cannot be accounted for. Outrageous billings for services and supplies are the order of the day – but billions are just “disappearing” into the war machine’s deep pockets.

    George W. Bush becomes the first President of the United States to proclaim that torture is official U.S. Policy. Of course, torture was part of the government’s attempt to destabilize sovereign governments under Iran/Contra. Those programs were illicit and kept “off the book” and out of the press. George W. proclaims this is now official U.S. Policy.

    George W. Bush declares the constitution is just a “God Damn piece of paper” and declares that he is above the law. He signs bills with statements that he will not follow the laws he is signing. He also signs into law a budget bill that was not passed by both senate and house.

    As President Bush embarks on a new effort to shore up public support for the war in Iraq, an uncle of the commander in chief is collecting $2.7 million in cash and stock from the recent sale of a company that profited from the war.

    Is it possible that the Bush family has connections to some of the most disturbing events in the past 100 years?

    I humbly present this for discussion only, not as fact – “Gemstone” files style, seeking to promote dialog. Much of this would never be verifiable if true – run these topics through your favorite “search engine,” see what you find, decide for your self, and share your ideas.

  • Here is another poll that should give Hillary’s supporters a temper tantrum…

    National NBC/WSJ Poll:

    Obama 46%
    Clinton 43%

    National Match-up against McCain:

    Obama 46%
    McCain 43%

    Clinton 45%
    McCain 44%

    Last week Hillary and Obama were dead even– now Obama is up by 3! This poll was taken from Friday-Monday, DURING the Wright media blitz, BEFORE Obama’s speech rejecting Wright, AFTER bittergate had started and AFTER she beat him by a measly 9.2% in PA.

    What else can Hillary try to do to kneecap this guy? The kitchen sink strategy ain’t working! Even when the corporate news has been 24-7 obsessed with bittergate, Wright and why-can’t-he-close-the-deal talk he STILL comes out on top.

  • On April 30th, 2008 at 10:23 pm, little bear said:

    BRILLIANT post!! Thank you for all of that.

    Let’s not forget that Neil Bush’s company was responsible for security at the World Trade Center and there were some shady events just prior to 9/11.

    Knowing what is known about the Bush’s…does anyone put anything past these criminals?

  • MsJoanne – thanks for mentioning the Neil Bush connection to 9/11 security at World Trade Center. I have been compiling this for a while, often with the help of thoughtful people like you that add more – I will add this to my listing too.

    I haven’t bothered to find links for each item – I think it is more powerful to ask people to look into these themselves – you will find these “creepiness factors” can be documented from a variety of sources (and without a great deal of work).

    Please, anyone, post any additional info/links you may have about this criminal cabal.

  • OOOPS MsJoanne – believe that was MARVIN bush, not Neil:

    Marvin P. Bush, the president’s younger brother, was a principal in a company called Securacom that provided security for the World Trade Center, United Airlines, and Dulles International Airport.

    Marvin P. Bush, the president’s younger brother, was a principal in a company called Securacom that provided security for the World Trade Center, United Airlines, and Dulles International Airport. The World Trade Center was destroyed just days after a heightened security alert was lifted. Daria Coard, 37, a guard at Tower One, said the security detail had been working 12-hour shifts for the prior two weeks because of numerous phone threats. But on Thursday [September 6], bomb-sniffing dogs were abruptly removed. On the weekend of 9/8, 9/9 there was a ‘power down’ condition in WTC tower 2, the south tower. This power down condition meant there was no electrical supply for approx 36 hrs from floor 50 up… “Of course without power there were no security cameras, no security locks on doors and many, many ‘engineers’ coming in and out of the tower.” Surveillance tapes and maintenance logs are missing.

    President Bush’s cousin should have been in the World Trade Centre when it was attacked. Jim Pierce, managing director of AON Corporations, had arranged a business conference on the 105th floor of the South Tower where its New York offices were based. But his group was too large so they decided to move across the street to the Millennium Hotel.

    http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/911security.html

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