Lucy's Football

How many stories will our credulous press write about how big financial institutions are on their knees begging to be allowed to give back all the free money they were given. You know, when they can... maybe... some day! It's absurd.

Six months after accepting a financial lifeline from Washington, a newly profitable Goldman Sachs is pushing to return the billions of taxpayer dollars that it received in an effort to extricate itself from heightened government control.

Goldman, which rode out the final, tumultuous months of 2008 with the help of a federal rescue, reported strong quarterly profits on Monday and said that it would seek to raise money in the capital markets to repay the government.

If successful, Goldman would become the first major bank to return funds received under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Such a step would probably enable Goldman — long one of the most lucrative places to work on Wall Street — to free itself from government-imposed restrictions on compensation.

This narrative of poor widdle financial institutions desperately trying to get out from under the horrible onerous government restrictions is repeated daily. So stupid.

The Mall Is Flat

GGP is being sued.

NEW YORK, April 13 (Reuters) - A group of General Growth Properties Inc GGP.N bondholders have asked their trustee to sue the mall owner for payment on their past-due bonds, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website on Monday.

Progress, Hopefully

Though not clear the legislature will run with it.

Gov. David A. Paterson will announce on Thursday plans to introduce legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, according to people with knowledge of the governor’s plans.

Morning Thread

by Molly Ivors

Having trouble linking you directly to to the fifth story here: no one could have predicted that a federal government that actually, you know, does stuff would mean people would mind their taxes less.

Huh.

Overnight

Rock on.

Even More Thread

I think my point was proven.

Monday Night Thread

You talk too much.

Why Not Him?

The Al Franken decade is almost here.

Over five months after the election, a three-judge panel has declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the Minnesota U.S. Senate race.

The judges issued their final ruling late Monday, stating "Franken received the highest number of lawfully cast ballots in the Nov. 4, 2008 general election."

You Can't Parody This Crap

There's really nothing you can do with it.

Memories

Remember when a major cable news network promoted anti-war rallies?

Nah, me neither.

Wanker of the Day

Glenn Reynolds

Cliffjumping

The rate of change of the Oregon unemployment rate is extraordinary... extraordinarily bad.

SUPERTRAINS

Wonder what we'll hear.

This week, Obama will unveil his vision for high-speed rail in the United States after unexpectedly adding $8 billion to the economic stimulus package for high-speed train travel -- the biggest commitment of its kind ever made by the federal government.

Hopefully next he'll announce his plans for SUPERTROLLEY...

Dominos

A problem facing many businesses is that they took short-term loans expecting to be able to refinance...

Mr. Butler said, and predicted that before the recession is over, the number of hotels in bankruptcy or foreclosure could rise above the 2,000 or so hit in the industry’s last major downturn in the 1990s.

The names on the front of the troubled hotels are the management companies, and they are well-known — Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental. But the actual owners of the hotels are investment groups, wealthy individuals or companies that specialize in lodging and are generally little-known outside the industry. Many owners took out loans to finance new construction or renovations when hotel occupancy rates were up and credit was readily available — just the opposite of the situation now, as those short-term loans are coming due.

Proliferation Of Rights

In the context of constitutional law I really have no idea what the hell Clarence Thomas is talking about. Does he even know what the constitution is for?

Don't Tell The Villagers

Our most excellent pundits are generally very quick to buy into the idea that everybody hates Yurp, that "real Americans" detest San Francisco. I'm not sure how much reality is going to change for them to catch up, but so glad they imagine themselves to be stand-ins for the "reglar folks."

Easter Eggs And Pirates

I admit to not being especially inspired by current events.


...as for the double posting, not sure why it's happening. Sometimes when it happens it's my fault but I don't think I did it the last couple of times.

...oh, and puppies. Don't forget puppies.

What'll Turn It Around?

This article about recession/food pantry in food pantry notes that construction workers got hit first and then real estate agents. It's hard to imagine those jobs coming back any time soon, at least locally.

Good News

Cuba policy is dumb all around, so any easing is good.

The Obama administration on Monday will lift travel and gift restrictions for Cuban Americans, allowing them to travel more freely to the island and send additional financial help to family members.

And Speaking Of Bringing On The Crazy

I get, if don't agree with, reasons why reporters might not feel compelled to inform you that one major political party is, in fact, stark raving mad. But the degree to which the press treats Glenn Beck with kid gloves is pretty infuriating, especially given how "crazy" liberals like Michael Moore and dirty fucking hippie bloggers have been treated. It's almost as if there's a bit of an asymmetry here. Nah, couldn't be...