Monthly Archives: September 2008

Hey GOP, have a cup of STFU

It’s too much. In what has to be the worst political gamble of my lifetime, House Republicans killed the bailout and then tried to blame Nancy Pelosi. Barney Frank, of all people, destroyed the GOP spin in a single sound … Continue reading

Posted in Barack Obama, John McCain, barney frank, nancy pelosi, republicans suck, wall street bailout | Leave a comment

The Next Debate

Too many Democrats are salivating over the Palin-Biden debate. They ought to be praying for a snoozer. The best case scenario for Democrats is thirty million Americans changing the channel out of sheer boredom. Yes, Sarah Palin is vulnerable on … Continue reading

Posted in 2008 presidential debates, joe biden, presidential election, sarah palin, vice president | Leave a comment

The Day After

Once again, the pundits are parsing the debate their way. Once again, they completely miss the point: no one wins a presidential debate with ‘facts.’ There are no judges scoring each landed blow like a boxing match. That stuff is … Continue reading

Posted in 2008 presidential debates, Barack Obama, John McCain, presidential election | Leave a comment

Debate Liveblog

All times Central. 8:04 – Jim Lehrer brings up Eisenhower and asks the candidates to comment. Obama sets out right away to appeal to the middle class. McCain talks about bipartisanship and then immediately spurts our random crap about oil … Continue reading

Posted in 2008 presidential debates, Barack Obama, Bush foreign policy, Iran, John McCain, gi bill, iraq, presidential election, veterans, veterans issues | Leave a comment

Did McCain Just Overreach?

The big story tonight is that the bailout deal is off for now, and maybe over for good, because Bush tried turning it into a bailout plan for McCain’s election chances. How in the world did Bush and McCain think … Continue reading

Posted in Barack Obama, John McCain, deregulation, fiasco, financial meltdown, wall street bailout | Leave a comment

Recipe for Fascism

Fascism can be a wonderful substitute for Democracy. It is far less messy and much more profitable — for rulers and collaborators, at any rate — so why not try cooking up one in your country? Here’s what you will … Continue reading

Posted in George Orwell, fascism, george bush, shock doctrine | Leave a comment

Is McCain Bailing Out for the Bailout?

So the big news today is that John McCain has suddenly remembered he’s a senator and wants to postpone Friday night’s debate for the sake of the bailout. It has nothing to do with his suddenly-sinking poll numbers, or the … Continue reading

Posted in 2008 presidential debates, Barack Obama, John McCain, debates, financial meltdown, keating five | Leave a comment

Obama’s Smart Problem

Okay, there was a lot going on today. My own state’s Republican Senator Shelby sat next to Chris Dodd and raked Paulson over the coals about the bailout. The Bush White House isn’t telling us how bad things have really … Continue reading

Posted in 2008 presidential debates, Barack Obama, John McCain, debates, harrison bergeron | Leave a comment

The Bailout Needs a Bailout

The public and Congress are both turning against the bailout plan — and with reason. In fact, the reasons for opposing this bailout grow by the hour. We had thirty-two more reasons today: Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the … Continue reading

Posted in John McCain, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, deregulation, financial meltdown, new deal, treasury secretary paulson, unitary executive, wall street bailout | Leave a comment

Just Say No to the Bailout — this one, anyway

If I had the power to do a commercial about the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, it would feature George Bush holding a fistful of money. “This is your money,” a voiceover would say. Then the camera would pan back … Continue reading

Posted in george bush, glass-steagall act, naomi klein, paul krugman, shock doctrine, wall street bailout | Leave a comment

McCain Needs a History Lesson

Here’s one interesting fact lost in the hullabaloo over the trillion-dollar bailout: To prevent this meltdown, all we had to do was NOT repeal the Glass-Steagall Act. It really is that simple. Just keep a law passed in 1933, and … Continue reading

Posted in John McCain, financial meltdown, health care policy, health insurance, lehman brothers, mortgage crisis, new deal, social security | Leave a comment