What Greenwald says.
Let me just add that the big problem with most of the nominally liberal-leaning elements of our commentariat is that what they need, most of all, is to be the Smartest People in the Room. They don't care about policy and how it impacts people.
Like Digby, I'm just stunned that it took literally 9 days from the election for them all to revert back to their giggly Washington as High School ways from the 90s. These are very silly people and no one should listen to a thing they say.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Boehner
The extraordinarily divisive Republican leadership battle has ended, with Boehner becoming Minority Leader. 168-27.
Boom
This is not good news.
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Home builders retreated on a massive scale in October, dashing hopes for a quick turnaround in the nation's housing market.
Starts of new homes plunged 14.6% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.486 million, the lowest level since July 2000, the Commerce Department estimated Friday.
Building permits fell as well, down 6.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.535 million, the lowest in nine years. It was the largest percentage decline in permits in seven years.
Housing starts are now down 27.4% from October 2005 levels, and building permits are down 28% on a year-on-year basis. So far in 2006, starts are down 11.1% compared with the first 10 months of 2005. Read the full government report.
October's decline was much larger than expected by Wall Street economists, who had been forecasting a 4.5% drop in starts to 1.69 million as well as a marginal decline in building permits to 1.62 million. See Economic Calendar.
WHEEEEEEEEEEE
New low in AP/Ipsos. 31. His Republican approval is below 70, and conservative approval below 50. Lizard brains don't like losers....oops, those are numbers on Iraq, not overall. Steve Simels regrets the error. Overall approval is 36.
(ht desi)
(ht desi)
Forever
He said this. In Vietnam.
The president said there was much to be learned from the divisive Vietnam War _ the longest conflict in U.S. history _ as his administration contemplates new strategies for the increasingly difficult war in Iraq, now in its fourth year. But his critics see parallels with Vietnam _ a determined insurgency and a death toll that has drained public support _ that spell danger for dragging out U.S. involvement in Iraq.
"It's just going to take a long period of time for the ideology that is hopeful _ and that is an ideology of freedom _ to overcome an ideology of hate," Bush said after having lunch at his lakeside hotel with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, one of America's strongest allies in Iraq, Vietnam and other conflicts.
"We'll succeed," Bush added, "unless we quit."
The Spite Girls Are Back
Yeah, even I thought they'd wait like two weeks. Oh well.
- After a thorough discussion of how hapless the Democratic nerds have already proven to be, Mary Ann Akers whispers that reporters all over town are "loving" this story. It's so much fun! All the kidz squealed like schoolgirls at prospect of the merciless going-over they are preparing to give these totalbigfatlosers. ("We're so not being mean or anything cuz they like totally deserve it cuz they just don't get it, ok?")
The spite girls are back in town. It isn't so much a matter of substance. You can argue that talking about the majority leader race is worthwhile and that it says something about Pelosi's leadership style. The Carville sideswipe at Dean is interesting. That's not the problem. It's that the patented 90's style smug, juvenile, derisive Kewl Kidz tone is once again ooozing through everything they say. (I could have sworn I heard the "Friends" theme song in the backround.)
It's as if all these unpleasant events of the last six years never happened and we are back in the days of endless cable bitch-fests filled with sniggering about unauthorized blow jobs and earth tones and "grown-ups" who eat PB&J's and travel with their favorite pillies.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The Failed Pelosi Speakership
This has all been very silly. Pelosi backed her friend out of loyalty, he lost, everybody moves on. I can never keep up with whether the Democrats are intolerant of dissenting views or in disarray over disagreement.
WHEEEEEEEEE
Still bouncing. Still making Mark Halperin cry.
60% happy Dems won.
Bush's own job approval ratings have hit a new low in the aftermath of the elections. Just 32% of Americans approve of Bush's job performance compared with 58% who disapprove.
60% happy Dems won.
A Modest Proposal
Can we put a shark, Gary Condit, and OJ into a tank for a fight to the death?
Now that'd be news.
Now that'd be news.
A Patriot Steps Forward
Chris Dodd:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kate Szostak
November 16, 2006 202-224-5372
DODD: EFFECTIVE TERRORISTS PROSECUTION
ACT WILL BRING TERRORISTS TO JUSTICE;
HONOR AMERICA’S GOOD NAME
Washington- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), an outspoken opponent of the
Military Commission Act of 2006, today introduced legislation which
would amend existing law in order to have an effective process for
bringing terrorists to justice. This is currently not the case under the
Military Commission Act, which will be the subject of endless legal
challenges. As important, the bill would also seek to ensure that U.S.
servicemen and women are afforded the maximum protection of a strong
international legal framework guaranteed by respect for such provisions
as the Geneva Conventions and other international standards, and to
restore America’s moral authority as the leader in the world in
advancing the rule of law.
“I take a backseat to no one when it comes to protecting this country
from terrorists,” Sen. Dodd said. “But there is a right way to do this
and a wrong way to do this. It’s clear the people who perpetrated these
horrendous crimes against our country and our people have no moral
compass and deserve to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But
in taking away their legal rights, the rights first codified in our
country’s Constitution, we’re taking away our own moral compass, as well.”
The Effective Terrorists Prosecution Act:
* Restores Habeas Corpus protections to detainees
* Narrows the definition of unlawful enemy combatant to individuals who
directly participate in hostilities against the United States who are
not lawful combatants
* Bars information gained through coercion from being introduced as
evidence in trials
* Empowers military judges to exclude hearsay evidence the deem to be
unreliable
* Authorizes the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces to review
decisions by the Military commissions
* Limits the authority of the President to interpret the meaning and
application of the Geneva Conventions and makes that authority subject
to congressional and judicial oversight
* Provides for expedited judicial review of the Military Commissions Act
of 2006 to determine the constitutionally of its provisions
“We in Congress have our own obligation, to work in a bipartisan way to
repair the damage that has been done, to protect our international
reputation, to preserve our domestic traditions, and to provide a
successful mechanism to improve and enhance the tools required by the
global war on terror,” Dodd said.
Borat Redux
I think Somerby's general take on Borat is in rough agreement with mine. Mostly it was just a very (to me, your mileage may vary) funny movie. There's enough there to make people want to overthink it, or elevate it into a highly complex social satire, to have it be greater than the sum of its parts. There's the obvious parallelism, or similarly Somerby's basic "Borat is us" take, with a bigoted misogynistic man from a backwards culture coming to wonderfully enlightened America only to find bigotry and intolerance in a backwards. But, reaching too hard to find a grand political message or intellectual foundation for the comedy is mostly a mistake. It was funny. People laughed.
Wuuuh?
Under which law can DVD producers grant an exclusive rental license?
...I thought this stuff was just covered under first sale doctrine. If I go out and by a DVD I can rent it out to you or resell it or whatever.
...I thought this stuff was just covered under first sale doctrine. If I go out and by a DVD I can rent it out to you or resell it or whatever.
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