Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Geesh! Clinton Only Pardoned A
Couple Of Creeps On The Way Out...
George W. Bush, on the other hand, has the capability of disembowling the entire country as he leaves—if he, in fact, does leave. Which, of course, is in doubt.0 comments
In Final Days, Bush Bypasses Laws on Privacy and Hiring Discrimination
posted by Gotham 12:05 AM
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Alert! Australia To Censor Internet Use
IMPORTANT READ!0 comments
Now, THIS is scary.
Herald Sun: Australia to implement mandatory Internet censorshipAUSTRALIA will join China in implementing mandatory censoring of the Internet under plans put forward by the [Australian] Federal Government. The government has declared it will not let Internet users opt out of the proposed national internet filter.
This, even after Bush's pal Howard was defeated as Aussie PM recently.
Keep an eye on this being pushed here in the States, as well.
You have religious right whack jobs joining with political power brokers and corrupt politicians using Mom and Apple Pie to slide us all down their disgusting slippery slope. In Australia, these bastards used child porn as their straw man. Who the hell wouldn't be for stopping kiddie porn? So, you get instant non-challenging support. Plus, if you complain and challenge them, they attack you for being FOR kiddie porn. They're slick. And sick. They should each and all rot in hell.The Australian Christian Lobby, however, has welcomed the proposals.
Managing director Jim Wallace said the measures were needed.
"The need to prevent access to illegal hard-core material and child pornography must be placed above the industry's desire for unfettered access," Mr Wallace said.
No it doesn't. That's pure bullshit.
Enforce laws against child porn. The rest you leave alone.
As with everything else with these people, it's about power. Power's really the only thing they know how to truly monetize.
posted by Gotham 11:42 PM
A Stretch, Perhaps...
...But you get the point.0 comments
From Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys:
A hat tip to Jody S.
posted by Gotham 11:07 PM
Lieberman: Can I Come Home, Now?
Now, THIS is the Joe Lieberman we know so well!0 comments
posted by Gotham 9:10 AM
Rock Swing The Vote
Classic.0 comments
Gotham says: Amy London explains it all for you.
posted by Gotham 1:50 AM
Dems Fighting Back Against GOP's
Voter Disenfranchisement Efforts
The Dems seem prepared this time around.0 comments
A combination of sanity and maturity in Florida and a good ol' fashioned, sue-their-asses-off mentality everywhere else, have the Dems poised to drag every Republican who seeks to deny an American the right to vote through every court in the land. Not to mention all the publicity shone on the fool fronting the GOP's effort in any given state.
More reports here.
And here.
And here as well.
Not to mention more of them here.
But you've got to keep your eyes open at all times. Because every year, Republicans come up with crap like this—and we've simply got to be willing to drag them into court in every state and federal district in the Union.
Remember, the Bushies HATE being in court. It's where they have to 'fess up.
posted by Gotham 1:42 AM
Uncle Ted Goes Down...
Expect more of this.0 comments
From state courts to the World Court.
Chapter XVI, it seems, in The Great GOP Caper Story. Such a long list of crooks, perverts and all-around reprobates populating the Republican Party.
Who've been partying like it's 1939.
Shouldn't there be some sort of Watch List, like a Meghan's Law list, in every state that has Republican pols in it, just so we can keep an eye on them?
You just never know when they're going to steal something or grope someone or start a war. It's what they do; it's in the DNA.
I do believe that this is what that Pelosi/Reid "Culture of Corruption" thing was all about.
posted by Gotham 1:14 AM
Just An Excessively Sad Story
Singer's 7-year-old nephew found dead in SUV0 comments
Our prayers go out to the family.
posted by Gotham 12:57 AM
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Yes, Virginia, It Always Starts At The Top
These guys never stop. Ever.0 comments
TPMMuckraker: White House Wants DOJ Action On Ohio Voting Case to dump 200,000 registered voters.
There are just too damned many Democrats!
posted by Gotham 4:03 AM
Palin, The Shrewd Negotiator?
Maybe..., Not Too Much.
AP INVESTIGATION: Palin pipeline terms curbed bids0 comments
Oh my... That was supposed to be the one thing she was actually good at.
posted by Gotham 3:32 AM
Is Palin Writing Her Own Material?
Sure sounds like it.0 comments
Via the Huff Post.
posted by Gotham 3:09 AM
NYS GOP RIP
Hey, Staten Island is now a national story!0 comments
WaPo: GOP All but Ready to Mourn Loss of Vito Fassella's Staten Island Seat
Vito, we hardly knew ye...
No. Republican. Left. Standing.
posted by Gotham 3:04 AM
Multitasking In The Modern GOP
0 commentsGOP hotshot Jeff Larson is padding his resumé:
Sarah Palin’s Personal Shopper.
John McCain's Personal Dialer.
Norm Coleman's Personal Landlord (oh, and Norm's Personal Dialer, too!)
Karl Rove's longtime B.F.F."... For a time, there was a blurb on the FLS [Larson's robo-dialing firm] website from none other than über-strategist Karl Rove, a friend and colleague of Larson's. 'I know these guys well. They become partners with the campaigns they work with. From designing the program to drafting scripts; from selecting targets to making the calls in a professional, successful way, they work as hard to win your races as you do.'
Larson has worked himself into the highest echelons of Republican politics from the dregs of the political hierarchy. His first job in politics was as a driver for Bud Westman, a man vying for a North Dakota Senate seat. Within weeks Larson was Westman's deputy campaign manager. Westman lost and Larson moved on. In 1984 he was working the re-election campaign for the state's governor. After another loss, he made an incongruous leap to executive director of the Delaware Republican Party. Incongruous leaps became Larson's thing. Next he was a Republican National Committee field agent under Lee Atwater."
A resumé any mother's son would be proud to post on Monster!
posted by Gotham 1:55 AM
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Look Out Below!
0 commentsJohn McCain's numbers are in a death race with George W. Bush's falling numbers. Can John get down as far as George before Nov. 4?
If not, it's not for lack of trying.
McCain's campaign is sinking as fast as his old ship did (below).
Here are the campaign's latest numbers. From the latest study of "registered" voters done by Princeton Survey Research Associates for Newsweek magazine:
In just the last two weeks, Barack Obama's percentage lead over John McCain on "who'd do a better job" has increased in every category, except "Energy policy and gas prices," where Obama's still double-digit lead fell by two points, and "Terrorism" which stayed the same.
Here are Obama's current leads over McCain for various factors:The economy and jobs (+23%)
The Iraq war (+2%)
Energy policy and gas prices (+15%)
Terrorism and national security (-10%)
Health care (+28%)
Taxes and government spending (+15%)
Issues like abortion, guns, and same-sex marriage (+10%)
The financial problems on Wall Street and in the housing and mortgage crises (+20%)
This does not bode well for the McCain campaign. Less than two weeks short of the election, and his numbers are sinking further faster. Not good.
Speaking of sinking...
Here is the story of the U.S.S. Oriskany, which is the carrier that McCain flew his Vietnam bombing missions from (until he got himself shot down, of course).
It's now on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, off of Pensacola, FL.
posted by Gotham 11:11 PM
Friday, October 24, 2008
Pluto/Mike's Roll Call Cronies
4 comments
Plutocrat Mike Bloomberg just bought you; the City Council just sold you to him. You belong to him, now.
If the original price for Manhattan island was $24, whatever could our favorite plutocrat have paid for the entire city?
Roll call breakdown: How the City Council voted on extending term limits
Here are the Dirty 29. These 29 people are to be shunned and opposed at every turn at every step for the rest of their careers for selling you to Mike Bloomberg. In fact, this vote today should effectively END their careers.
How the City Council voted on extending term limits:
YES VOTE
(*= cowards whose term-limited seat is set to expire in 2009 and voted to kill term limits today. Yes, what a shock, I know. Others' terms would continue on, past 2009.)Maria del Carmen Arroyo (D-Bronx)
*Maria Baez (D-Bronx)
*Leroy G. Comrie, Jr. (D-Queens)
Inez E. Dickens (D-Manhattan) [Gotham's own!]
*Erik Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn)
*Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn)
*Lewis A. Fidler (D-Brooklyn)
*Helen D. Foster (D-Bronx)
*Alan J. Gerson (D-Manhattan)
Sara M. Gonzalez (D-Brooklyn)
*Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan)
*Melinda R. Katz (D-Queens)
*G. Oliver Koppell (D-Bronx)
**Miguel Martinez (D-Manhattan)
Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn)
*Michael C. Nelson (D-Brooklyn)
*Christine C. Quinn (D-Manhattan)
*Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. (D-Brooklyn)
*Diana Reyna (D-Brooklyn)
*Joel Rivera (D-Bronx)
*James Sanders, Jr. (D-Queens)
*Larry B. Seabrook (D-Bronx)
*Helen Sears (D-Queens)
*Kendall Stewart (D-Brooklyn)
James Vacca (D-Bronx)
*Peter F. Vallone, Jr. (D-Queens)
*Albert Vann (D-Brooklyn)
Thomas White, Jr. (D-Queens)
*David Yassky (D-Brooklyn)
Question:
Just what did Pluto give to these people (other than crass self-interest) to get them to vote for this insane measure to overturn the will of the New York voter? Or does Bloomberg have something serious on these people? NYers voted TWICE for term limits, and also turned down Runnin' Rudy when he wanted to stay on after the WTC attacks.
NYers are very happy with term limits. They're not very happy with their Mayor or City Council right now.
NO VOTE
Here are NY's Most Courageous:
(those whose term-limited jobs are up in 2009, but voted NO! to keep term limits anyway.)*James S. Oddo (R-S.I.)
*Michael E. McMahon (D-S.I.)
[OK; McMahon was gonna bail, anyway, since he's taking Vito Fossella's Staten Island seat in Congress. But it's still a gutsy vote.]
*Bill de Blasio (D-Brooklyn)
*Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn)
*Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens)
*Eric N. Gioia (D-Queens)
*Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens)
*James F. Gennaro (D-Queens)
*David I. Weprin (D-Queens)
*Tony Avella (D-Queens)
*Gale A. Brewer (D-Manhattan)
Others who opposed Bloomberg and voted NO on this, but held safe seats past 2009.Anthony Como (R-Queens)
Mathieu Eugene (D-Brooklyn)
Daniel R. Garodnick (D-Manhattan)
Vincent J. Gentile (D-Brooklyn)
Vincent Ignizio (R-S.I.)
Letitia James (D-Brooklyn)
Jessica S. Lappin (D-Manhattan)
John C. Liu (D-Queens)
Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan)
Rosie Mendez (D-Manhattan)
Annabel Palma (D-Bronx)
To you all on this NO list, we offer our thanks and immediately support your run for other office. YOU are a NYer.
We just noticed, as well, that no member of Pluto's Republican Party voted with him. They all opposed him on this (OK, there are only 3, but still...), even Mr. Oddo of Staten Island, who should, by rights, be out of a job in 2009.
NYers truly would have liked to have made this decision again on the ballot. If term limits lost, so be it: that'd be the will of the people. But, Pluto knew he'd lose, so in perfect Karl Rove/John McCain/George W. Bush/Dick Cheney-esque fashion, he decided to short-circuit the process by killing it. That's pure GOP. It's cheaper to buy a Council that's scared of unemployment than to spend heavily on a referendum measure in a special City Charter Revision election. Only to lose.
And every member of this City Council must know what national climate we live in, and how this vote would be construed by the people of New York.
Lemmings going over a cliff.
Money and cowardice both ran rampant in City Hall Thursday.
Hey! If ya got it, flaunt it.
posted by Gotham 2:41 AM
Gracie Mansion: 'Most expensive apartment ever' in NYC goes on sale
0 commentsGracie Mansion:
Bloomberg's down payment!
Not their dopey over-heated Ross shack on Park Avenue... but the priceless mayor's mansion on the East Side is now up for sale.
Gracie Mansion is worth a lot more than $60 million to the people of New York. But Plutocrat Mike Bloomberg is willing to pay any price to hang onto it, even (especially!) when he's no longer wanted! And he now has a small politiboro to hand him anything he wants, since they now owe every remaining day they spend in politics and government to Michael Bloomberg.
City Council is now a patronage job.
Just what must those Council members have received from Bloomberg to sell out the city they love. This isn't a vote that gets made on the basis of "merits." Because it has none.
Just naked greed and fear.
The Daily News also ran a snap poll that answers the question, "Do you believe the City Council had the right to extend term limits?" with a resounding 14% YES to 86% NO vote.
We can only hope and work our asses off to see that Pluto gets that same tally in the 2009 mayoralty electioins he so wanted to be a part of, despite the billions he'll throw at this city to stage his own bail out.
posted by Gotham 12:56 AM
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
World Series Thoughts...
Since Gotham's beloved Metropolitans ran afoul of the baseball gods yet again, one can only think of evil befalling the hated Phillies of Philadelphia.1 comments
So, Gotham will be jumping on the bandwagon and pulling for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Gotham doesn't do marketing name-change ploys) in this Series, starting tonight.
Actually, another connection that may have been made, but we haven't seen so far (since we haven't actually paid a lick of attention since Shea stadium's passing day), is that this Tampa team actually reminds us more of the 1969 Mets than anything else or any other team. There are many similarities, including Scott Kazmir as their Tom Seaver: a young group playing at a high level, insane pitching, power, speed, grit and an unconquerable confidence that they can!
When a team is as bad for as long as the original Mets were and these Tampas have been, you end up stockpiling an amazing array of young, studly talent throughout your farm system. Eventually, with expectations so low, the top of that crop matures together and all at once, seemingly catching everyone else unaware.
The Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves also experienced that worst-to-first experience in the early '90s after their teams were so bad for so long. The Twins have been competitive ever since, and those young Braves went on to have one of the longest runs of domination in baseball history, before their generation of great young talent grew up and, now years later, have grown old and passed the torch.
These Rays (OK, I said it) will be tough for years now, while this crop of players grow, mature, then age, unless they get silly and start trading them all away.
Let's Go, Mets! er, Rays!
posted by Gotham 8:21 AM
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Looking At The Smaller Numbers
As of today, October 21, 2008, Polling Report.com is showing intriguing numbers for the 2008 Congressional races.0 comments
Bear with me—disclosure: we spent many years here working closely with top pollster Louis Harris on The Harris Poll—as we look at some of these numbers.For those unfamiliar with polls, the term "registered voters" is more vague than "likely voters," since a tighter screen is normally used in order to get respondents to declare themselves. Registered can mean simply having performed a clerical task sometime back. Likely is either a view of a person's history of voting in past elections or of their declaration of intent to vote in the upcoming election. So, likely voter (LV) screens receive closer scrutiny.
Recent tracking polls for the generic race for Congress have some interesting quandries.
In the 3-day rolling average polls released by Research 2000 for Daily Kos, what immediately jumps out is the Unsure/Not Sure (NS) number. You see the immediate impact of the fiscal debacle. And just whom America blames.
While we're using the Research 2000 numbers for this, know that they're pretty much in line with everyone else's results.
For the early part of September, the Dems's numbers were roughly 45% to 50% and the GOPers were floating in the 39 to 41 range, with a sizable low-teens NS number. Things were static. It was decidedly a Democratic year, but no one was pulling away, and many folks were agonizing over their choice. It could tighten up, or the Dem lead could hold or grow.
Likely Voters:
DATE / Democrat/Republican/Not Sure
9/13/08 47 41 12
9/12/08 46 40 14
9/11/08 47 41 12
9/10/08 47 40 13
Then, Wall St. tanked. For a couple of days, the Dems gained as they took the media forefront and most people attribute financial types with Republicans. The Dems rose a couple of points to 49% to 50% of the total, while GOPers stayed in the low 40s. The NS numbers dropped to 8 or 9, with folks moving to the Dems.
But an interesting shift has occurred. Folks have moved again. But away from the GOP. The odd thing in this crisis has been the absence of a "Pox on all your houses" response on the part of voters. Dem numbers have not moved at all, really, they are still sitting in the 48 to 50 range. They're not being affected by this shift; it's the GOP that's bearing the brunt. All the action has come in the NS numbers. Over these two months, we've seen NS numbers swing from the low teens, down to single digits, up to between 16 and 20, and settling now into the mid-teen range, leaving the GOP wallowing in the mid-30s. You can almost see Americans weighing everything carefully; these events have certainly gotten their attention.
DATE / Democrat/Republican/Not Sure
10/19/08 48 35 17
10/18/08 50 35 15
10/17/08 50 36 14
This shift has all come out of the GOP numbers. The GOP has spent every day since Sept. 26 below 40%. During this crisis, it's GOP support that has wavered, while Dem support has held steady. It can be assumed that most Republican voters are weighing exactly the role their favorite has played in this national mess. Should they hold their Republican Representative accountable and let the Dems clean up the mess, or give the Republican a ride this time?
Going forward, the interesting thing becomes, "Just what will that upwards to 20% of the electorate do in their districts on Nov. 4?"
They could go in any of three directions. They could "come home" to the GOP, hold their noses and vote. In that case, the GOP would seize or retain many House seats, cutting deeply into Dem projected gains.
Or, so fed up they could spit, many may hold their noses more tightly and vote for the Dem this time.
Or, they could simply choose not to vote for Congress this time, denying breath to the GOP campaign there.
Either of the bottom two leads to major Dem pickup numbers. The first scenario makes it a battle.
Much of this, of course, rests with how angry voters still are on the 4th, how much John McCain is tied to the pain caused by George W. Bush, and how dismal a campaign McCain and Sarah Palin continue to run, and how clear a case Barack Obama can make for his plan and his fitness to handle a crisis. This is an election where the top of the ticket will bear enormous pressure and influence on the lower parts of the ballot. There seems no great passion for splitting tickets this year.
Which brings us to the other thing that's interesting today.
Most polls show that the Dems have held a 5 to 10 point lead in generic Dem/GOP races for months. They have also shown consistently that folks would like to see Congress in the hands of the Dems, again generically.
Then we get to the fun part.
It's good to see that after all this time has passed, that something we tracked closely in the '70s-'90s at Harris still holds sway.
People like their Congressman; it's everyone else's that has to go!
Gallup looked at it in July:
Does this respondent's Congressperson deserve re-election? Then, how about the rest of Congress?
This historically has produced a giant Yes for theirs, and a resounding NO for everyone else's.
Let's see what it shows this year:
In Feb.: Theirs: Yes, 62-27; Others: 38-52.
In July: Theirs: Yes, 58-30; Others: 34-54.
Like clockwork.
However, you can see an anger beginning to build against Congress, as their guy dropped seven points in five months, while "those other" House members dropped six. They still are solidly behind their Representative, but they're having doubts. That's what makes the daily numbers above so fascinating for political wonks.
So, keep an eye on Wall St. and the economy, and fasten your seat belts, 'cause we're in for a bumpy ride.
posted by Gotham 2:00 PM
Monday, October 20, 2008
South Dakota Update
Here's an update to the South Dakota post we ran Saturday.0 comments
h/t to Paula for this video. We then found a couple of others.
Here, Madame Unruh and her wackos in VoteYes4Life make it all clear for you...
posted by Gotham 6:55 PM
Only In New York...
From The New York Times:0 comments
Jim Cramer Retreats Along With the Dow
Years ago, when Gotham was fairly new to investing—and experiencing its nasty downside during George W. Bush's 1st recession—we saw Jim Cramer one afternoon, standing with us on the platform at 14th Street on the 7th Avenue subway (the 1, 2 or 3 lines for those of you new to Gotham)—bored, absent-mindedly kicking the pillars, killing time, waiting for the next train, lost in his own thoughts, just like everyone else.
At first, we thought casually, "Why is he taking the subway, instead of a car service or limo?"
We watched this nondescript subway figure for a while longer, then realized, "We're taking financial advice from him?"
posted by Gotham 3:54 PM
President Palin?
From The New York Times:0 comments
Many Holes in Disclosure of Nominees’ Health
Not good.
posted by Gotham 3:18 PM
Sarah Yells "Fin-sies! Just Foolin'!"
0 comments
Sarah Palin fends off the lightning bolts.
In The New York Times:
Palin Calls Reported Attacks ‘Atrocious and Unacceptable’“We have heard through some mainstream media is that folks have hollered out some pretty atrocious and unacceptable things,” including threats of harm, she said, adding “we have not heard that.” Ms. Palin added: “If I ever were to hear that standing up there at the podium with the mic, I would call them out on that, and I would tell these people, no, that’s unacceptable, let’s rise above that please.”
Duck, Sarah!
posted by Gotham 3:04 PM
Hunting The Mild Bore
Yes, still the "Top of the Charts" for the ????th Week for all things fiscal/political, Paul Krugman nails it yet again.0 comments
Thankfully, Krugman brings back an important word for our times: plutocrat.
If you are reading this, you can safely assume that you are not a plutocrat.
I'll save you the time, here are a few dictionary definitions of "plutocrat."
[Greek ploutokratiā : ploutos, wealth + -kratiā, -cracy.]American Heritage Dictionary:
1. Government by the wealthy.
2. A wealthy class that controls a government.
3. A government or state in which the wealthy rule.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition:
Government by the rich. The term is usually one of reproach.
The Republican National Committee:
"I see rich people."
The GOP has one constituency and one constituency only—the Big-Money White Guy—a plutocrat. That Guy, the plutocrat, "Mr. Moneybags" from the 1930s, is and has always been the Republican Party.
***So, Black Guys, Brown Guys, Foreign Guys and all Women (excepting a very few women born to, married to or sleeping with, the Big-Money White Guy)—regardless of status, income, wealth, education or achievement—have wisely come to grasp and fully understand that they really have no seat at the table under the GOP Big Tent. That their best hope under GOP rule is for whatever may slide off the plates of the assembled Big-Money White Guys—which can be sizable and impressive, indeed (just ask the Beltway/mainstream media types).
These various groups have realized that their fortunes are tied ultimately to the success of the Democratic Party, as they'll never actually be accepted by the plutocrats—but merely used.
The only one missing from that line-up, you've noticed, is the No-Money White Guy.
And, alas, many No-Money White Guys still don't get it, poor dears.
This is where things get awfully confusing for everyone. So, we need a definition here:
No-Money White Guy (if not a group mentioned in paragraph [***] above): You. And me. The rest of us.
See? Easy. Clear.Is anyone shouting more loudly, and throwing more vile epithets at the Democrats at Sarah Palin's rallies this year than the white guy in the crowd without a pot to piss in, who has been screwed over by every GOP move since Richard Nixon (or perhaps, U.S. Grant)? The GOP keeps selling the No-Money White Guy on champagne and women, but he keeps finding that he's still drinking his beer all alone. It can't be HIS fault, he thinks, so it's gotta be someone else's. Someone has to pay for all this! But before he can point his ire upwards, the plutocrat (or, better, his operative, like Palin) smilingly taps him on the shoulder and coo's in his ear, "Look at all 'those' people. Looks like 'they' took your share, doesn't it? You were lucky just to get out of high school, sure, but 'he' took your spot in college because of Affirmative Action, didn't 'he'?" Hmmmm, yeah... hey, wait a minute...! (Cue the KKK Express.)
Krugman courageously attempts to take the blinders from the eyes of the No-Money White Guy using only plain numbers and Barack Obama's tax plan:Mr. Obama proposes raising rates on only the top two income tax brackets — and the second-highest bracket for a head of household starts at an income, after deductions, of $182,400 a year.
Ummm, hey, that's not what our Pro-America Hero John McCain and the Republicans are saying! McCain tells us it's "$42,000"! Yeah, that $42,000, a whole lot of us can see ourselves in that, right? Sure. But that's the wrong number. McCain had to twist some actual Senate votes into a pretzel to pull that one out of his own plumber butt.
Oh. Ummm..., can we look at what Krugman said again?... starts at an income, after deductions, of $182,400 a year.
That's not $42,000. Could Hero John McCain be lying? Yes. "Could" and "Is." Remember, McCain's working for the plutocrats, not for you.
After deductions? Yes.
Hmmm, that would mean: AGI. Adjusted Gross Income. Yes, it does. AGI (a/k/a, taxable income). OK, go grab your tax return copy for this year. We'll wait. (...)
OK, good. Look at the line where all your income sources are totaled. Now, look at all of your deductions. Every single penny you squeezed hard to reduce your taxable income and lower the amount of taxes you owed. Much lower, right? Kinda lower? You got it pushed down there pretty well, didn't you?
THAT IS THE NUMBER that has to be over $182,400 before you pay any more in taxes under Obama's plan. If that number is below $182,400, your taxes will go down. What was your number? $30,000, $60,000, $90,000...$100,000? AFTER DEDUCTIONS? Hey, you're doing pretty well, hunh? But your taxes are going down!
Yeah, but aren't you "rich" at $100,000 AGI? At that point, aren't you a plutocrat, too?
Nope.
If you think that small, you'll never get to be a plutocrat.
This is a plutocrat.
You and I don't even come close to being "rich," not in GOP terms. And, in the modern GOP, plutocrats only need apply. Plutocrat is also a mindset, a state of being, for them. Sorry. Ever notice professional athletes who are in, or talk about going into politics? From Jim Bunning (Phillies, Tigers, Senate, R-KY) to Al Lighter (Mets, Yankees, Bloomberg political acolyte) they all sail far over $182,400 AGI. Other than Bill Bradley (Princeton Tigers, Knicks), they're mostly Republicans, looking to hang onto every dime.
"Rich" merely begins if your number sits comfortably over $182,400. Even then, you'll have to work your way up the Rich Ladder through "well off," "comfortable," "a little" rich, "kinda" rich or "sorta, but not really" rich, just to reach the point where you can catch your breath at "rich." Even at that point, you're still only skimming off the margins of the Big-Money White Guys.Now, the only deluded soul who doesn't seem to get all this is, yes, the No-Money White Guy. He thinks somehow, that HE is going to find someway, somehow to climb over that $182, 400-after-deductions plateau and fly up that ladder. So, he doesn't want anyone raising taxes on that level, so he won't have to pay them when the day comes that he's on that level.
In your dreams, bub, if you're McCain's mythical Joe the Plumber. Or in any other profession for that matter. No viable shot unless you're Krugman's Richie the Hedge-Fund Manager. Now, Richie may well take a bit of a tax hit, yes. But do you really care? Richie's doing really well, even on the bottom rungs of that Rich Ladder with an AGI of over $182,400, and he can afford to pay some back.
Are you really willing to pick up Richie's tax tab today and let him skate on his fair share of taxes, just so that you can dream of maybe, somehow, someway, someday being on Richie's level, too?
Or should Richie pay his fair share today (and you paying yours, if that somehow/someway/someday thing ever works out)? That way, your kids can have a school today that's not crumbling around their ears, the roads you drive on today won't tear your overpriced car to pieces, your local police force today can attract better candidates who aren't just thugs and bullies and you can have a host of other things you need today to simply get your family through next Tuesday.
Remember, whether you're Joe or Richie or anyone else, the plutocrat will still run things, and will always be laughing at you, the No-Money White Guy. Because you still keep working hard and keep struggling, yet still keep voting Republican. You're THAT easy to dupe. And, they're betting, you always will be.
Also, keep an ear out for the phrase, "Class Warfare," and keep in mind that the only ones who use that phrase are the ones who have the most to fear from it: the ones who have something to lose. You don't have anything to lose, nor do I, so we're OK. But, the Big-Money White Guys have plenty to lose. There are 300 million of us and only 3 million of them, which they're well aware of. So, they'll pay top dollar to keep you and me and the rest of those 300 million Americans pointed in the wrong direction.
Unless you wise up, of course. And me. And the rest of us, who aren't in one of the groups mentioned above [***], who already get it. Our enemy is the plutocrat, not the poor schlubs who are struggling as hard as we are to feed their families. At this point, the No-Money White Guy is the only one who doesn't see that.
As always, George Carlin, as he always should, got the last word.
George Carlin - Who Really Controls America
posted by Gotham 11:49 AM
Sunday, October 19, 2008
DOJ Still A GOP Wasteland
0 commentsFrom TPM:
Ex-DOJ Voting Rights Chief: "It's Going to Take a Long Time to Cleanse" Justice Department
The U.S. Justice Department as led by Attorney Michael Mukasey is broken.
Utterly and totally broken. No part of it can be trusted any longer.
And if we cannot trust our law enforcement agencies to remain lawful, just whom can we trust?
Every agency and office within it is broken, and fully supports Injustice. The GOP has turned it from being the populace's legal representative and protector of last hope to being the GOP's official legal counsel. We citizens cannot look to our own protectors of the law for help. In fact, our safeguard has become our sworn enemy, looking out only for the interests of the party in power and for no one else. This is "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers," come terrifyingly to life.
Remember, this is all of a piece with the U.S. Attorneys firings in 2006. Keep in mind that these brave Americans, good Republicans all, were fired for either not pressing pro-GOP bogus "vote fraud" cases, not pressing phony "corruption" charges against Democrats locked in close election battles or for pressing actual live corruption investigations against Republican officials or candidates. Each of these actions piqued White House ire. So these people were simply fired for doing their jobs.
Since 2006, the DOJ has continued its bitter transformation.
The DOJ is still pushing the Karl Rove-led frivolous "investigations" of "voter fraud" (see: the politically corrupted use of the FBI in the trumped-up investigation of ACORN). That means the GOP is continuing to use a corrupted justice system as their only means of winning next month's election and holding onto power, which is the only thing Republicans aspire to.
The entire governmental apparatus has now been brought into play into salvaging the GOP position.
With "Because we can," being the official motto of the administration of George W. Bush.
Believe nothing that emerges from this federal apparatus. Our government has been turned on us.
How sad.
How chilling.
posted by Gotham 8:12 PM
Sarah's Limp Appearance
0 commentsSarah Palin is no Tina Fey.
Is it just me, or was Palin's cameo on SNL last night, incredibly lame?
What an egregious waste of space and promo. It's hard to tell who pushed this thing harder—SNL or McCain/Palin.
As part of their recent, desperate above-the-water charm offensive as they foul all the waters below them, Palin failed miserably. She left the charm back in the hotel. She was wooden, churlish, nasty and not at all the "good sport" they sought to portray her as.
America may well feel comfortable with Fey/Palin, and has actually developed something of a crush on her; but real/Palin is turning people off, as long as they're not fans of the KKK, in droves.
Palin didn't help herself a whole lot here.
The way in which she said she wasn't going to take any questions in the opening press conference skit, after taking the podium from Fey, was way too close to how people imagine that she would handle the actual press corps were she to finally give a real press conference. Then, in the bit they'd set up for her in the "News Update" segment—the grumpy way she asserted she wasn't going to co-operate and "do what they'd planned," so that Amy Poehler could carry the heavy lifting in the skit—did nothing but cast her in exactly the evil, bitter, wingnut loser role the campaign put her on the show to try to pull her out of in the first place.
She handled two things well—thanks to the Alaska TV-News Sports Anchor jobs on her resume. She got through the obligatory, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" unscathed. Plus, at the end of News Update, she reverted to her Eyewitness News training and handled the closing tag with Seth Meyers with big-teeth aplomb—arguably her best moment.
Whatever the campaign was hoping to achieve by shoving her onto SNL, she neither helped nor harmed herself in any appreciable way.
So—in light of their desperate need for major wins—this comes off as another lame net loss for McCain/Palin.
posted by Gotham 12:28 PM
Powell Endorses Obama
Republican ex-official Colin Powell endorses Obama0 comments
You'd think that after how badly George W. and Dick Cheney pissed all over his shoes and then laughed at him, Colin Powell would have been an original Campaign Co-chair for Barack Obama. That he wasn't is the real surprise here.
Also how long, do you think, until the John McCain campaign begins a slur campaign about Powell's choice of skin tone—in keeping with the brand of leadership that they're offering this country?
Fault them not; it's what Republicans do. It's in their DNA.
posted by Gotham 12:13 PM
Run With Wolves;
Bank With Brits
The Hacks are back!0 comments
From Rupert Murdoch's pro-greed organ, MarketWatch:
Corporate governance takes back seat in bank bailouts
Oops.
You knew this was coming, right?
Time for Barack Obama to rework that stump speech segment about holding runaway CEOs accountable and within limits.
The actual bill? Uh, not so much..."The rock struck the water and it made a significant splash, but the ripples have been limited by the actual rules," Patrick McGurn, special counsel at corporate governance specialist RiskMetrics Group, said in an interview. "From a corporate standpoint, the fine print has limited some of the impact of the bailout package."
Now, the British response actually has some teeth.... the UK government is exerting more control over the banks it's investing in. It's planning to appoint three new directors at Royal Bank of Scotland and two directors at the bank that's created when Lloyds TSB acquires HBOS PLC.
"In line with normal commercial practices, the government on behalf of taxpayers will have appropriate representation on their boards," Chancellor Alistair Darling said. "These shareholdings will be managed on a fully commercial basis by an arm's-length body—with a precisely defined remit—to act in the interests of taxpayers."
Makes perfect bloody sense. But in the U.S., according to McGurn,"The legislation looked like it had real teeth, but the interim final rule is just a gap-toothed smile."
Lovely.
SMILE!
posted by Gotham 12:03 PM
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Sarah's Runaway Personnel Board
Anchorage Daily News has news of the expanding Second Troopergate Investigation:0 comments
Board's Troopergate probe casts wider net: Others under scrutiny
posted by Gotham 8:04 PM
It's The Definition, Stupid
The Crackpots are cracking pots, again.2 commentsIn another stunning example of the total, abject failure of our national educational system, we offer you Leslee Unruh, the executive director of a Have-the-baby-or-we'll-kill-you group that I won't do the favor of naming, which is the main proponent of a measure on the South Dakota ballot to outlaw ALL abortions, save rape, incest or danger to the health of the mother. Those factors are inserted in the bill this time around because it was voted down last time without them. Ever pragmatic, the crackpots are willing to take things a step at a time; they'll get the rape and incest and health requirements tossed down the line, once they've gotten South Dakotans used to there being no abortion, for all intents and purposes.
AP: Abortion Ban Returns to Ballot in South Dakota
This AP story alludes also to the chance of this measure later becoming the test case the Aryans have longed for to bring to the Supreme Court to go after Roe v. Wade.
The current measure on the ballot also would criminalize abortions for doctors.
But worse than criminalization is the demonization which would befall any woman who is uppity enough to antagonize the righteous and the "holy."
THIS is the totalitarian state 1984 once warned us of. The tyranny of the viewpoint of a few over that of the many.
Unruh has been a long-time leader in the draconian and racist push for white fertility. Populate every corner with white babies, they espouse, to out-breed those nigger, nigger hordes!
So, no abortions; no birth control. Abstinence only: not as a means of not having sex, mind you, but as a vile, cruel substitute for sex education and birth control, so that when you DO have sex, the odds are quantitatively higher that you'll get pregnant, which is when they can step in and force you to carry to term, whether you keep it or not. It's better if you don't, so that they can pass the child to families who have been cleared under their ideological umbrella. And for a lot of cash.
Basically, consider it an Aryan Race Baby Mill Scam.
Which is what it seems Madame Unruh has been in and out of court for.
But this is what makes these fools so dangerous:Unruh: "What happened to 'doctor do no harm?' These are South Dakota's little citizens."
Nowhere in the AP story is there any opposition posed to that thesis. None. Just accepted in passing as legitimate, and on they write.
Yet again—there is an appropriate, perfectly viable other way of looking at this entire procreative arena:
IT'S TISSUE! It's like a pancreas. It's like a sphincter!
It's NOT "A LITTLE CITIZEN." That's spin, and nothing else.
When it leaves the womb and can sustain itself separately, then it'll be a citizen.
Until then, it's an organic part of the mother's body.
Madame Unruh and most Americans have entirely different philosophies and viewpoints about "When Life Begins." Every American is fully free to live his/her life the way he/she sees it in the context of their moral and spiritual persona. It's what the U.S. Constitution refers to as "The Separation of Church and State."
To cram any viewpoint down another's throat is tyranny.
Right now, Madame Unruh is doing the cramming. So, all of the forces of liberty and justice must be brought to bear in stopping her. What she is doing is Un-American. She spreads fear and doubt into the hearts and minds of young girls and women who find themselves in an untenable situation, leaving them open for abuse for personal and ideological gain. The crackpots in Unruh's army pillory those they oppose. They enlist the uneducated and ignorant to their cause, using them to attack and harass those who oppose the cause.
That's Terrorism.
You then, Madam Unruh, are a Terrorist.
Abortion is not a legal question. It is a moral question, forced into the legal and political arenas by people like Unruh. And as a moral question, each person individually must look to his/her own conscience to wrestle with such questions as when life begins, and what their difficult path should be and how their faith will guide them. That is what America was founded on.
The American experiment was not begun merely to give the likes of Leslee Unruh face time on FOX, or a seat of power or a bully pulpit to spew anti-American rantings.
As far as South Dakota is concerned, hopefully the women of South Dakota will declare the entire state effectively a NO-SEX Zone. If they are not to be allowed the benefit of deciding how to organize the lead-in to, or the aftermath of, sexual activity for themselves, then the easiest approach would be to tell the men of South Dakota to head to Montana or to Gotham City, if they want to get laid.
Imagine how much less pressure would be visited upon the high school- and college-age (i.e., prime breeding-age) women of South Dakota if they simply gave their horny beaux a map to the border, with a smile. How long until South Dakota's husbands start grousing about "that troublemaker," Unruh? How long, in terms of milliseconds, would it be until the male power structure of South Dakota rethinks its political support for Unruh's army?
And no, this wouldn't be Unruh's highly touted abstinence plan, which she fosters only because she knows it will fail. Her faith in biology tells her that, happily, abstinence is doomed to failure as long as there is a hormone left on this globe. Thankfully, she knows, those babies will keep right on churning out.
No, this would be rejection. Not of sex, but of you and your terrorist ilk, Madame Unruh. No birth control or abortion? Then, no sex; no sex, then no pregnancy; no pregnancies, then no baby mill; no baby mill, no Aryan Bund; no Aryan Bund, no seat of power for Leslee Unruh; no Leslee Unruh, no totalitarian movement.
Just a return to the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave, and the Birds and the Bees.
posted by Gotham 7:08 PM
Interesting Take
The cast members of Oliver Stone's W. give New York magazine thumbnail sketches of their characters while heading into the premiere the other night.0 comments
All are pretty sharp.
The point that jumped off the page here was Thandie Newton's use of the word "rule" rather than "govern." Speaks volumes.
New York: Psychoanalyzing the Bush Administration, By the Cast of ‘W.’
posted by Gotham 12:37 PM
Maybe We've Been Lucky...
Could it be that we've been wrong about George W. Bush and John McCain?0 comments
Maybe McCain won't be just another Bush.
Maybe Bush was a precursor to McCain.
Good ad from SEIU.
posted by Gotham 11:52 AM
GOP Moves To Steal Election
Obama Moves To Block
Barack Obama may well have calmly made his first "presidential" act a defense of the entire American System. And the protection of your vote.0 comments
Many Americans still feel that the Republican thefts of the 2000 and 2004 elections are Urban Legends. Those who closely follow American politics know better.
This time, it seems the Obama campaign was prepared and waiting for the GOP to make its eventual grab at the power it does not actually have, according to the will of the American people. If the GOP had the votes to remain in office, they'd simply let things play out. But they don't. No matter, they still are not about to relinquish power, the American people be damned. Not until their fingers are pried away from it. This is about nothing BUT power.
The Raw Story: Obama campaign wants Attorney-gate prosecutor to probe GOP's 'sham anti-fraud campaign'
This late-breaking event was also covered fully on Countdown.
Also on The Rachel Maddow Show.
CNN? Not so much.
This evening's coverage only mentioned it in passing, buried in a general campaign Candy Crowley report. In his follow up to the Crowley clip, Anderson Cooper never even mentioned it; missed it 360 degrees. As of this writing, there is no mention of this story whatsoever on the main CNN Web site page.
You have to look all the way down to the lower right of CNN's main interior POLITICS page under Latest Headlines before you find an unassuming link to this major story.
Here's CNN's story, once you can find it by following that unassuming link.
Developing.
posted by Gotham 3:52 AM
Consider This To Be
A Citizens' Signing Statement
The Raw Story: Telco immunity faces first court challenge0 comments
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have said for years that Congress has no real authority and they don't need to follow any section of any law they don't like in the Executive Branch.
Voila! Signing statements.
Over a thousand of them.
Then that holds for the general populace, and truly bad laws, too.
We just need to have the Judicial Branch back us up.
Bush already has the military to back him up.
posted by Gotham 3:12 AM
This Just Shouldn't Be...
Levi Stubbs, 72, Powerful Voice for Four Tops, Dies0 comments
Rest In Peace, Levi.
Shake Me, Wake Me
Something About You, Baby
I Can't Help Myself
And an already very ill Levi's last stand in 2004...
Bernadette
You will be missed.
posted by Gotham 1:08 AM
Friday, October 17, 2008
Questions About Plumber-butt Joe
0 comments
Man, there's so much to this whole story that doesn't pass the smell test.
This story claims Joe Wurzelbacher—who is now thoroughly enjoying his fifteen minutes of fame with everyone digging into him, and trying to find out, "Who is Joe the Plumber?"—spent a few years living up in Alaska.
Hmmmmmm...
One person interviewed about Joe's time in Alaska offers an assumption that Wurzelbacher never met Governor Sarah Palin. But the article never mentions Todd Palin. Did they ever meet up? They do sound like a pair who'd do that. Plus, Todd Palin's anti-American AIP activities sound tailor-made for someone like Wurzelbacher.
Based on no clear fact, granted, but just from an instinct you pick up living in Gotham City, he's smelling like a plant.And while Wurzelbacher's pontificating is all merely scatter shot, wing-nut, talk radio points, still at one juncture he went into detail about not wanting Social Security. Bad idea; don't need it, we can take care of our own, etc., etc.
Fine, dude. I'll take yours, if you don't want it.
Especially, if you want to wash your hands of it.
posted by Gotham 11:48 PM
Think McCain Knows That Palin's
Running Around Calling Obama A Socialist?
0 commentsFor the next two weeks, nothing you hear John McCain utter should be believed.
To any degree. If he says you're fine, duck.
If he yells that there's a bullet heading straight for you, laugh at him.
He is heading into the process of "angry man, chewing his own leg off" in an attempt to free himself from the "Loser" trap he's created for himself.
So, as with any wounded animal, don't get too close, and don't believe anything you hear or see. They can't see you anymore, only their pain and anguish. Which, in this case, is total.
Case in point:
Nasty John has been walking around the last couple of days, saying that he and his campaign are above saying nasty things about Barack Obama. That he's proud of his campaign. That everybody has to calm down, and let's all be all civil-like.
Meanwhile, Sarah Palin is out, jetting around the Red States, pandering to the People Who Hate, storming the battlements, enticing the Klan out of retirement, exhorting the militias with a call-to-arms, and stoking the children of the night into a blood frenzy in preparation of her run for president/queen in 2012.
So, no. It's not wise to listen to McCain about much of anything right now, because he's totally lost control of the fire that he thought was such fun to play with.
And he's as much a danger to you, at this point, as he is to himself.
posted by Gotham 7:51 PM
Who'd Get Fired First?
When FOX hires the Todd & Sarah show after the election and her probable impeachment in Alaska, it'll be basic bloodlust to see which of them gets fired first:0 comments
Sarah Palin for saying something basically Un-American, which gets the entire Murdoch empire torched in court.
Or Todd Palin for throwing his weight around as Producer, and "First Dude."
Neither will be able to stop themselves.
It'll be just like waiting to gawk at an accident.
"Mom, make the popcorn, the crazy people are on!"
posted by Gotham 7:33 PM
OUCH! Oh, Scott, You So Snarky!
Via 13:0 comments
From Scott McClellan's review of Oliver Stone's W.:The most unflattering portrayal was that of Condi Rice, caricatured by Thandie Newton as a mere yes–woman, which is excessively denigrating but not entirely without basis.
posted by Gotham 4:47 PM
In These Times,
The Funny And The Scary Always Merge
Every pol of note always shows up at the Al Smith Dinner presided over by the current, extremely well-connected, NYC cardinal. Pols blow off this event at their peril. It's THAT hooked in.0 comments
posted by Gotham 4:18 PM
Ummm... No!
0 commentsKeeping the statue separate and apart
from the edifice is the whole idea of America.
When we stand on the precipice of a theist takeover of this country, overt politics from the pulpit is not a trivial matter. While discussion and ideas are under-utilized in our society, articles like this one only serve to push an agenda, not promote discussion.Early American history is replete with examples of politically charged sermons with highly partisan content. The current ban on electioneering by tax-exempt groups dates to 1954, when then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson pushed an amendment to the tax code through Congress with little debate.
LBJ! LBJ! LBJ!
The article's author, Charles C. Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center in D.C. writes:Pastor [Dan] Fisher and his fellow protesters seek to erase that line by defying the law. Past accusations of pulpit partisanship have usually involved ambiguous sermons that tell people how to vote without naming names. But these 31 pastors proclaimed outright endorsement of one candidate (John McCain) and/or attacks on another (Barack Obama). Now the IRS has little choice but to investigate. That process will likely end in a test case challenging the pulpit restriction.
I confess I have no idea how Jesus would vote—and I wouldn’t attend a church where the pastor turned the pulpit into a partisan platform. At the same time, however, the question of when a sermon becomes too political should be determined by worshipers in pews—not bureaucrats in Washington.
When Hell freezes over, Charles.
One minor point I don't want to miss in this larger context, and would point out to Mr. Haynes:
He assumes a Protestant pulpit where the pastor serves at the pleasure of the deacons of the church. He/She can be voted out any time they don't like what he/she's saying up there. But in situations where the pastor's pitch serves only to inflame sentiment which may reside in the community, there is little danger of losing his/her position. Rather, he/she may be pushed to lead and/or speak for an angry mob. This is a good time for everyone to go back and re-watch or re-read Inherit The Wind, loosely based on the Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee. This is just such a community, led by ideology masked as theology. Tyranny and insanity are usually not far behind. The pastor said it, so God obviously said it, so, obviously, this is right!
Also, Mr. Haynes misses the point that in faiths like Catholicism, there is no direct accountability from the congregation; they must go to church and they must deal with the clergy appointed to their parish, or lump it. Since Catholics believe there is a direct conduit between what they are told and the word of God, the weight of "God's word" pointing you to vote for/against Joe Blow or for/against any ballot measure becomes great and severe.
In no case can you separate the person from the pulpit. If it comes from the pulpit, it will be, in some way or other, coming from God. Each denomination or group puts more or less emphasis on this relationship, but it is inherent in every faith.
One person in a pew may easily separate person from theology as they listen, "My dear, what a buffoon Pastor Smith is," while others may hear ideology or personal pique from Rev. Smith and immediately blur it with theology. A matter of "faith."
This is dangerous in the extreme, not only for our society, but for the mental health of those who attend religious services. When people look for answers outside themselves, they cede their sense of disbelief to the figure leading them towards (hopefully) profound truths. This dependence can be absolute, leaving many in a very fragile state, psychically. These seekers should not be placing themselves at the mercy of religious ward healers at the same time.
People have legitimate fears about turning simple schools such as madrasahs into political petri dishes in other locales around the world; we should not be looking to do the same to our very own churches.
Unless, of course, they want to pay property and other taxes just like everyone else does; then I'd say, cool, let 'er rip! And damn the torpedoes!
See? It's easy.
posted by Gotham 3:41 PM
GOP Loses Supremes
0 commentsWow.
That was quick.
9 - 0.
AP: High court rejects GOP bid in Ohio voting disputeOhio Republicans contended the information for counties would help prevent fraud. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said the GOP is trying to disenfranchise voters.
This is an example of why the Right wants to pack the Court. For just such cases as this one. If the GOPers lose a handle on their Supreme Court backup, they're screwed.
In this case, the GOP is certainly encouraged to track down any person(s) whom they can prove engaged in voter fraud. Not just make wild, hysterical charges; but prove. For the couple dozen actual cases nationally that are probably out there, yeah, the GOPers would be doing the commonweal a great service.
But they don't get to use those couple dozen events to grab the vote away from hundreds of thousands of Democrats and Independents, just so the GOP can win SOMETHING, ANYTHING anywhere in the U.S.
If you'll recall, bogus "voter fraud" claims were the underpinning of Karl Rove's push to fire the U.S. Attorneys, the serious misstep which was the first major crack in the underpinning of the GOP's One Party Rule attempts.
So, this is certainly good news, if you're an American.
posted by Gotham 2:15 PM
