The LA Times does its best to twist the truth for Obama’s sake. Talk about a truncated quote!
Fat cats and rats
This testimony certainly underscores those accusations about Wall Street “fat cats” and greed.
Although in this case rats leaving a sinking ship might be a more appropriate image—if you can picture rats carting off chests filled with booty as they flee.
Wall Street is not reassured, and neither are we
I must be a glutton for punishment, because I’ve been glancing at MSNBC again. The tone of the talking heads there (maybe that’s a misnomer; some of them seem more like shouting heads) is frenetic and energized. They look like people who’ve absorbed a big blow and are scrambling to figure out what hit them, floating theories as fast as they can as they watch the Dow plummet minute by minute.
The bailout bill was passed, and it was supposed to help. But the first hint that it wouldn’t came from reports last night that the overseas markets were down, and when the US stock exchange opened today it followed suit. Credit isn’t flowing yet, and if I’ve learned one thing in the last couple of weeks it’s that credit greases the engine that drives our economy. Without credit, the whole thing seizes up much like my car did one awful pre-cellphone night some thirty years while driving on a dark rural road.
Confidence is one psychological factor that’s necessary for the markets to move upwards again. Continue reading →
Palin’s women problem
Sarah Palin is a woman, in case you hadn’t noticed. But she’s got a special problem with women—at, rather, many women appear to have a special problem with her.
I noticed it almost immediately after her nomination, when Palin-bashing became commonplace among my female friends and acquaintances, even those who usually don’t talk about politics. And they weren’t just expressing disagreement with her positions, either. That would hardly explain the intensely personal nature of the remarks I’ve heard, and their quality of hissing contempt (yes, I’m purposely using a cat reference; it’s almost unavoidable).
What’s going on? Continue reading →
Politics as Scrabble
Fifty-nine percent of those polled want to turn in their Congressional tiles and pick some new ones.
Of course, when you do that, sometimes you get an even worse hand. But if the tiles you’re holding are bad enough—all vowels, for example—you’re willing to get rid of them and take your chances.
I suppose that’s part of what makes some people want to vote for Obama. Especially those who see him as that magical blank tile that can be anything you want it to be.
CNN can’t count, but is that really a surprise?
This clip fails to answer the burning question of whether those who work for the MSM are abysmally stupid or whether they are unashamedly in the tank for Obama and think we are abysmally stupid.
Actually, it does. It’s the latter, but who’s counting? Certainly not Soledad O’Brien.
Musings on the bailout—and baseball
I’d much rather write about the Red Sox.
They’re doing great, up two in the best of five series against the Angels. Watching the game last night reminded me of one of the many things that’s so wonderful about sports: they channel some of the passion of politics while remaining “light” rather than heavy. They are clear rather than murky, visible and knowable rather than inscrutable. They are finite; with a beginning, middle, and end. They unite us geographically—for example, most of New England, young or old, Democrat or Republican, roots for the Sox. They tend to feature good-looking young guys instead of botoxed old ones.
When we care deeply about both endeavors, it’s in very different ways. It’s even possible sometimes for Yankee fans to talk to Red Sox fans without coming to blows.
Politics is very different these days. Continue reading →
Biden’s ignorance about foreign policy is ignored
Michael Totten, who knows a thing or two about Lebanon, calls Joe Biden on his egregious error last night (hat tip: Instapundit), describing it as “the strangest and most ill-informed thing I have ever heard about Lebanon in my life.” It was far worse than any ignorance Palin, the supposed novice, has shown on any foreign policy issue to date.
But don’t sit on a hot stove till the MSM makes a big deal out of this one. Joe’s an expert, you see—and besides, he’s Barack Obama’s running mate.
Here’s the NY Times on the subject—-not:
Short of a complete bravura performance that would have been tough for even the most experienced national politician to turn in – or a devastating error by the mistake-prone Mr. Biden, who instead turned in an impressively sharp performance – there might have been little Ms. Palin could have done to help Mr. McCain.
Nope, no errors by Mr. Biden. Maybe the Times doesn’t know much about Lebanon either. Or maybe they’re just lying through their hypocritical teeth.
Do you detect a note of anger in me? If so, you would be correct. I would suggest a phone-and-email blitz on the Times if I thought they had any conscience or any shame, but I gave up that idea long ago.
[NOTE: I said I’d write about the bailout bill today, but I’m going to do it tomorrow instead.]
Palin the athlete
I’ve got an article up today at Pajamas Media. It’s a meditation on Palin’s appearances of the past few weeks, and how they reflect her history as a clutch athlete who gives her best performances when under the pressure of competition and in front of an audience.
[NOTE: I’ll be writing here about the bailout bill later today.]
The Big Fourteen
From Ace: the McCain camp is pointing out fourteen lies Biden told in the debate. Or maybe they were mistakes; I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
It was Palin vs. Palin
From an astute commenter at Hot Air:
We all know this was not the Palin/Biden debate. This was the Palin/Palin debate. Everybody who tuned into this thing, whether liberal, moderate or conservative were tuned in to see which candidate Sarah Palin handed the live hand grenade to, Obama or McCain. As usual nobody gived a rats a** what nonsense spewed from Biden’s cakehole. Nobody will remember a thing he said. All that will be remembered is Palin pulled this off dazzlingly. She left practically zero room for MSM critisism. The incompetence theme is going to be difficult for them to pursue after that performance she just gave. Just a quick dance around the internet I see an attempt to push a theme about her being an “attacker”. Uh huh. So the little girl was picking on poor experienced big Joe Biden. Ooookay, we’ll see how that theme turns out for you. She honestly left them nothing to work with.
Oh, but they’ll do their best.
First impressions of the Vice Presidential debate
No doubt Karl Rove was whispering in Palin’s ear, because she did just fine.
This was the Palin of the convention and not of the ill-fated Gibson and Couric interviews. And she gets extra points for courage, because this was like the final game of the World Series—a must-win for Palin in the sense that she could not falter, and had to project competence while under unbelievable pressure.
A few notes I took while it was happening:
Palin’s folksy way of speaking—“heck,” dropping her g’s, “nucular”—are gonna drive the chattering classes nuts.
“Your plan is a white flag of surrender.” The first real solid hit from Palin. And it sounded like an ad lib, even though it may have been prepared.
Biden’s basic decency shows when he says that McCain didn’t vote for funding the troops, but honestly adds that it was because of the inclusion of the timeline.
She certainly seems no fool.
All this first name business is driving me nuts.
“Say it ain’t so Joe!” from Palin. Nice.
“It is my executive experience…” Yes, she’s the only one who has any.
Oh, so Biden’s a neocon about Pakistan. Who knew?
Great way to make both Biden and Obama look bad for their continual attacks on Bush—to say they were looking back instead of forward.
For her summation she puts on her game face. She is serious and slows down for emphasis, which is an excellent idea.
And now I’m watching a Fox News group of Undecideds, most of whom thought Palin won the debate. All say she was better than expected.
[ADDENDUM: Saw Giuliani speaking on Fox and his smile was broad and relaxed. That says a lot. A bit of hyperbole from him—he said Palin gave one of the best debate performances he’s ever seen. I would say instead it was a good performance, and maybe one of the gutsiest ever.
Karl Rove points out that Biden was incorrect over and over about McCain’s Senate votes. Don’t sit on a hot stove till the MSM takes a look at this, though.
And now for the oleaginous Dick Morris, who said the equivalent of “when Biden was speaking, I kept wishing it was Palin.” I think he’s in love.
Joe Lieberman looks happy, too. “She was brilliant tonight.”]