Wankery

Greg directs his ire at Orrin Hatch, but the real problem is Fred Hiatt, whose vision of the modern newspaper editorial page, and the modern editorial page editor, involves letting the "right" people say anything they want even if it contradicts the paper's own reporting.

I think we're long past the time when most print newspapers could've been saved by simply providing a better product, but I also think there was a window to save, if not the print versions, the institutions which published them. Obviously the WaPo can survive as long as Kaplan Test Prep makes enough to keep them afloat, but I do wish more journalists bemoaning the losses in their industry would recognize that at least to some degree ceasing to be relevant and authoritative publications is a part of the problem. Why should people read them when they have to spend a lot of time figuring out when they're being bullshitted?

The Bestest And The Smartest

The onslaught of Rahm Is Teh Awesomest stories is truly bizarre. Apparently he's always right about everything, though success seems to measured by "doing stuff" rather than achieving actual policy goals. The compromised stimulus? Better than nothing, but...unemployment is still way over what the administration forecast.

Almost Like Jesus

One thing we had to deal with in the 90s, but less in the 00s, was the perpetual presence of Pastor Ralph Reed on our teevees. He was Jesus's stand in as far as the media was concerned, telling us what was moral (Republicans) and sinful (Democrats).

Despite all that Ambramoff unpleasantness, I'm sure they'll go back to treating him like Jesus again if he runs for Congress.

Lousy Waterfront

Only in Philly would the waterfront be considered to be a lousy location, and it is.

Wynn's plan calls for a low-budget casino more fitting to its lousy waterfront location in South Philadelphia, not far from a Wal-Mart.

Gone are the original plans for a hotel that could at least attract gamblers from out of town to help bolster the city's tourist trade. Instead, the latest Foxwoods incarnation will just be acres of slot machines and scores of table games aimed at the locals living paycheck to paycheck or on fixed incomes.

First Cup of Coffee Thread

For The Record

If allegations are true, Paterson sucks and should resign many months ago.

And sucks much worse than governors who cheat on their wives.

Mickey Kaus For Senate

Because goat blowers deserve sympathetic representation in Congress, too.

Bye Harold

And thanks for all the laughs. Let's do it again soon.

The Bunning Effect

I get very excited when journalists actually look at the consequences of politicians' actions. It's the little things.

Happy Hour Thread

Light blogging because I've been fighting with Windows again.

#getamac

Afternoon Thread

enjoy

Seattle Trolley Map

1933 edition.

Concern Trolling

I'd be more amused by Republican concern trolling if I were less convinced that it probably works, in that Dems actually take it seriously.

Little Wuss From Kenya

I don't pay as much attention as I once did to the rumblings of talk radio, but they're still out there.



Let's see how many posts I can begin with 'I don't" today

Primary

I don't know anything about Bill Halter, but this seems to be a primary which is right on the merits (Lincoln is a bad Dem) and on the political calculus (Lincoln would probably lose her election).

Suburban Town Centers

I don't have any experiences with the places in this article so won't comment on them specifically, but in general terms to support a variety of walkable urban retail outlets you need significant residential density. You can attempt to create that density by building up a lot of itin and near the retail development, but if it is, to some degree, an isolated island, that is a retail-office-housing-complex which is internally walkable but without quality pedestrian links to nearby dense residential areas, it's going to be very difficult to make it work.

People tend to think density is bad, and there are costs to it, but done right residential density can support economically a variety of local retail amenities. Still, it's difficult to graft such developments on top of car-centric places.

Powerless

I've long been fascinated by the weird conceit - feigned or not - that journalists and media figures, even opinion opinion journalists, have no power to influence people, that the topics chosen are beyond their control, that they are mere conduits for Truth and What People Are Talking About. It's all bullshit of course, and I don't think they even believe it, but I guess it's just a way of giving themselves free passes in the accountability free era. Not. Our. Fault.

Wanker of the Day

Fred Hiatt.

Not Enough

NYT:

The administration’s $75 billion antiforeclosure program, which subsidizes lenders to rework bad loans, has been a big disappointment. One reason is that its usual method of modifying loans — lowering the monthly payment by reducing the interest rate — does not work well for jobless and underwater borrowers. Unemployed homeowners often cannot make even reduced payments and underwater borrowers need principal reductions to succeed over the long run, not lower rates.

And yet, the administration has resisted calls to revamp its program, citing cost and complexity. Another obstacle is that banks are generally loath to modify loans by reducing principal, which would require them to take big upfront losses that they would prefer to postpone.

I've finally concluded that the administration thinks the foreclosure process is an essentially necessary one, the way the free market fairies will fix the problem they caused.

Tea Baggers

It kind of fascinates me that people who have never followed politics, never taken a class in public policy, hell sometimes never even voted, all of a sudden think they know how to run a diverse country of 300 million. Not only do they have all the answers, but anyone who disagrees with them are vermin who need to be eliminated. Since they really have nothing substantial to add to the conversation, I'd like to ignore these people, but the media just won't let me.