text: youtube Rifftrax Coming to Sioux Falls [VIDEO] By Ben Davis August 13, 2013 Rifftrax live is riffing on 'Starship Troopers' in a one night comedy event coming to Sioux Falls. Read More|Comment Category: Ben & Patty Morning Show Tags: Rifftrax Live, Starship Troopers Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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U.S. stocks are poised to extend a rally relative to gold that was interrupted at midyear when the precious metal's price climbed, according to Tobias Levkovich, Citigroup Inc.'s chief U.S. equity strategist.
European stocks have risen half as much as global benchmarks this year, leaving them cheaper than equities in the U.S. and Asia as the region's economy starts to recover from the longest recession on record.
Credit Suisse Group AG's Andrew Garthwaite lifted his 2012 forecast for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to 1,400, citing the European Central Bank's refinancing plans for banks as a "potential game changer."
Forecasts from Andrew Garthwaite, global equity strategist at Credit Suisse Group AG, will be included in Bloomberg's weekly survey of Standard & Poor's 500 Index projections.
Stock investors shouldn't get used to the relative calm that markets are now showing, according to Andrew Garthwaite, a global equity strategist at Credit Suisse Group AG.
China's government will undertake more policy easing and growth of 8 percent is likely for the nation's economy, according to Andrew Garthwaite, global equity strategist at Credit Suisse Group AG.
Investors in Treasury securities will have to get used to yields lower than the U.S. inflation rate, according to Andrew Garthwaite, a global strategist at Credit Suisse Group AG.
Stocks slid with Treasuries and gold while the dollar rallied as better-than-forecast data on business activity and consumer confidence fueled speculation the Federal Reserve will scale back its bond purchases. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index trimmed a seventh straight monthly gain.
U.S. stocks retreated, snapping a four-day rally for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, as euro- region governments braced for credit downgrades by S&P and after JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s profit slumped 23 percent.
The world economy is sliding into a "twilight zone," trapped between outright expansion and renewed recession.
"The current level of confidence is consistent with auto sales some 14 percent above current levels."
- Andrew Garthwaite on May 17, 2013

subset: commoncrawl


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First, we look at one couple's heartache after losing their little girl … and how their selfless gift saved the life of another child. It's a miracle that has bonded two families together forever. Then, Ralph Fiennes and Felicity Jones stop by, and don't miss Lady Antebellum's holiday performance!
After Lynette and Luis Gonzalez lost their four-year-old daughter, they turned their grief into another family's joy.
In June, Lynette and Luis Gonzalez made the difficult decision to donate their daughter Annie's organs when she died after a long illness. Now, Annie's heart lives on in two-year-old Lindsay.
Two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes has built a career taking on difficult, complicated, and iconic roles. Now he's stepping into the shoes of Charles Dickens in the new film he directed and stars in, "The Invisible Woman."
In Ralph Fiennes' new film, "The Invisible Woman," he plays Charles Dickens, who falls for a woman half his age, played by Felicity Jones. Now, both actors are earning some serious buzz for their performance.
Normally when Katie has big stars in the studio, she asks them the same five questions to get to know them a little better. This time, it's an all holiday theme! Who was naughty? Who was nice? Find out!


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SMART's new train design has failed to meet a passenger seating safety test last week, prompting a redesign of the passenger seating.
The redesign, however, will not affect the rollout of the new car design, according to a story in the Petaluma Argus Courier, set by the end of 2013.
Lisa Cobb, SMART's vehicle and systems manager, told the Argus Courier that the results of the safety test are surprising, but that the safety issues can be expected during the roll-out of a new car design.
The new trains, dubbed diesel multiple units, are slope-nosed, self-propelled by diesel engines and run in pairs. Cobb said the seats are the last thing to go on the cars, and doesn't anticipate any delays in the rolling out of the new cars.
The new cars are part of SMART's plan to create a passenger train line from Santa Rosa to downtown San Rafael, set to be complete in late 2014 or early 2015. Longer-range plans include service south to Larkspur and north to Cloverdale.
Take a look at the full story here.
See what else is on San Rafael Patch:
- San Rafael Driver Injured in Hwy. 101 Collision with Golden Gate Transit Bus
- Copier Catches Fire in Downtown Office
- Planned Parenthood to Open Full-Service Health Center This Summer
- Autodesk Debuts Nanodesign Software at TED Conference
- San Rafael to Put the Homeless to Work
- Op-Ed: Help the Homeless in Marin While Solving Climate Change
- Pedestrian Hit in Downtown Intersection
- San Rafael Sales Tax Extension: Would You Vote for it?
- Grandma 'Harlem Shake' Video Gets San Rafael Man International Attention
Don't miss news about your neighborhood! Like San Rafael Patch on Facebook!


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CUSTER, S.D. (AP) _ The U.S. Forest Service is working to reduce waste material that could contribute to forest fires in western South Dakota's Black Hills. Crews in the Black Hills National Forest are burning slash piles - leftover branches and limbs from pine trees that have been cut down and hauled away. Smoke will be visible and might impact communities for the next several weeks. Fire Management Officer Todd Pechota says there needs to be at least 2 inches of snow on the ground for slash pile burning. He says with recent snowfall and the extended forecast, conditions are ideal.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press AP-WF-01-18-13 1735GMT
518 St. Joseph St.
Rapid City, SD 57701
Telephone: 605.342.2000
Fax: 605.342.7305


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UDINE, Italy Yaiza Rodriguez Ortego contributed three points, five rebounds and one steal in Spain's 61-40 victory on Wednesday. The win over Turkey gives Spain a top seed in the quarterfinals of the FIBA European U20 Women's Basketball Championship.
Spain rebounded from a 77-69 loss to Russia on Tuesday in which Rodriguez Ortego had four points and two steals. Spain will next play Poland on Friday.


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83-16317 - 512MB Raspberry Pi Model B+ Project Board
The Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It's a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your de...
Mfr Name: Raspberry Pi
Mfr Number: 83-16317
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83-14421 - 512MB Raspberry Pi Model B Project Board
Raspberry Pi Model B Single Board Computer
The Raspberry Pi is a small SBC (Single Board Computer) perfect for learning programming or using as a small desktop PC. It supports both HDMI and composite video which makes it very versatile for both business and educa...
Mfr Number: RASPBRRY-MODB-512M
See all items in Project Labs
83-16318 - 512MB Raspberry Pi Model B+ Project Board and 8GB NOOBS Card
Mfr Number: 2429301
30-2900 - Digital Television Tuner / Recorder with HDMI and Component Output
High Definition Television (HDTV) Tuner/Recorder
The DT-1200 set-top-box receives digital high definition broadcasts for viewing on virtually any television or monitor. Multiple outputs are provided allowing compatibility with many devices, from older analog tel...
Mfr Name: Stellar Labs
Mfr Number: DT-1200
See all items in Television Tuners
555-19900 - 320 LED Light Bar with 26 Channel DMX Control
320 LED Light Bar with 26 Channel DMX Control
The Pulse LEDBAR 320 features (320) 10mm LED's split across eight controllable segments. Offering greater output than the standard 252 LED products the LEDBAR 320 is ideal for adding effects to stages, washing walls i...
Mfr Name: Pulse
Mfr Number: LEDBAR 320
See all items in LED Lighting Effects
83-16319 - Clear Raspberry Pi Model B+ Enclosure
These Raspberry Pi enclosures are designed to give you maximum use of the Raspberry Pi board. Designed to allow viewing of the status LED's as well as proper airflow to keep your Raspberry Pi cool.
Mfr Name: Multicomp
Mfr Number: 2426744
See all items in Raspberry Pi
83-16320 - Black Raspberry Pi Model B+ Enclosure
Mfr Number: 2426745
28-18030 - Pi Noir 5MP Raspberry Pi Night Vision Camera Module
The Raspberry Pi NOIR Camera Module is a 5 megapixel camera custom designed add-on for Raspberry Pi, featuring a fixed focus lens without an IR filter. It's capable of 2592 x 1944 pixel static images, and also supports 1080p30, 720p60 and 640x480p60/90 video. It a...
Mfr Number:
200-040 - DeoxIT D5 Spray Contact Cleaner, 5% solution, 5 oz.
Fast acting deoxidizing solution cleans, improves conductivity, lubricates & protects.
DeoxIT contact cleaner dissolves oxides and sulfides that form on metal surfaces. This restores the contact's integrity and leaves a thin microscopic layer that protects t...
Mfr Name: Caig Laboratories
Mfr Number: D5S-6
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83-15501 - Raspberry Pi Model B Camera Kit with 8GB O/S Card
The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized single-board computer developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Simply plug into your TV or monitor and keyboard. The Revision 2.0 Model B features 512Mb of RAM, dual USB connector and an ethernet jack.
Now inclu...
83-15490 - Raspberry Pi Tuxedo Multimedia Case
This beautiful black matte laser-cut case is specifically designed to house a Raspberry Pi with an optional Pi Power Supply. It also accommodates our right-angle stereo cable as well as the Nwazet Pi IR Receiver. The vents ensure that the electronics within the ca...
Mfr Name: Nwazet
Mfr Number: PITUX
See all items in Single Board Computing Cases
58-17085 - 400W DC to AC Power Inverter with USB Output
Never be without AC power, RCA makes it easy to get power for your electronics on the road. This power inverter turns 12V DC automobile power into a dual AC, single USB power outlet, with up to 400W for your portable devices. Just plug, connect and go!
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831-2761 - Wireless N Nano USB Adapter
EW-7811Un is a nano USB wireless adapter that supports maximum range and speed. Despite the size, this tiny USB adapter supports higher data rate of up to 150Mbps when connecting with wireless 802.11n device which is 3 times faster than your normally 11g connectio...
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Mfr Number: EW-7811UN
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83-14402 - 7" LCD Display with Composite input for Raspberry Pi
Yes, this is an adorable miniature monitor! The visible display measures only 7" diagonal, the TFT comes with a NTSC/PAL driver board.
Mfr Name: Adafruit Industries
Mfr Number: 947
21-4355 - Tip Cleaner
Cleans tip quickly without reducing tip temperatureCleans better than conventional spongesMay also be used as portable soldering pencilholder Non-skid base
Mfr Name: Tenma
Mfr Number: 21-4355
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For Immediate Release
Police to Begin Charging for Reports
Effective October 1st, 2012, the Springfield Police Department will begin charging for police and accident reports requested from front desk personnel, any records staff, or the public affairs office. The cost of a report will be $2.00 for each police report received from any SPD personnel.
View or download a free incident summary narrative at www.springfieldmo.gov/spd/GeneralInfo/mediareport/mediareport.pdf
In the near future, the SPD will be digitizing its accident reports through a partnership with the Carfax© Police Crash Assistance Program. All accident reports will be stored electronically in a secure database and available for purchase online at either www.springfieldmo.gov/spd or www.crashdocs.org .
Filing electronic crash reports reduces overhead costs for the department and will allow more efficient public access to the reports. Reports needed by involved parties, insurance companies and other members of the public are now easily obtained online within minutes.
Working with Carfax Police Crash Assistance, the Springfield Police Department hopes to better serve our community.
Media Contact: Cpl. Matt Brown, phone: 417-864-1786
Release authorized by: Lt Ben King


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Ayers, co-founder of the '60s Weather Underground radical anti-war group, drew an angry and vocal group of protesters who condemned his appearance at St. Mary's Soda Center, where he drew cheers and boos from the crowd of about 500.The controversial author and education professor at the University of Illinois was repeatedly characterized as an "unrepentant terrorist" by GOP vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin during the presidential campaign."I was going to propose that Sarah Palin and I have a talk show called 'Pallin' Around,' " Ayers said in his opening comments, which got laughs. Then, looking around at the standing-room-only crowd, he added: "Had it not been for the recent presidential campaign, there would be 22 of you here."
Ayers is in California on a tour to promote a new book on race relations that he wrote with his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, a fellow former leader in the underground movement who is now a Chicago lawyer and law professor. Ayers said he plans to return to the Bay Area with Dohrn later this month to speak before the Middle East Children's Alliance in Berkeley.His appearance at St. Mary's "Against the Grain" lecture series to explore the topic of "Trudging Toward Freedom" drew sharp criticism from conservative and religious groups.
Ayers delivered a wide-ranging address on social justice and education, but his effort outraged some 150 protesters - most marched outside, and others sat in the audience and occasionally disrupted his speech with yelling before they were escorted away."I don't know what they're protesting actually, but if the last few months are any indication, they're protesting a cartoon character that shares my name and likeness, but it's not me," he told The Chronicle before his speech, adding that the McCain-Palin campaign had attempted to turn him into a "monster."
Meet the new chairman of the Republican National Committee: Former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele, who defeated South Carolina party chairman Katon Dawson by a 91-77 margin on the sixth ballot."As a little boy growing up in this town — this is awesome," Steele said bluntly in accepting his victory.Steele came six votes shy of the magic number 85 on the fifth ballot, and was able to get over the top after Michigan chairman Saul Anuzis dropped out to make it a clear two-man race. Steele is now the first African-American chairman of the RNC.
Bush has also had his share of turkey while in office, shown above bringing a turkey to troops in Baghdad, Iraq. However, the turkey was only for the photo op - it wasn't real.Credits: Martinez/APPublished: 01/28/2009 11:11:27
A partner in a prominent, Washington-based political consulting firm is among those secretly recorded discussing ways Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich can cash in on President Barack Obama's old Senate seat. Frederick S. Yang, a top executive at Peter D. Hart Research Group Associates, is identified by prosecutors in the Blagojevich criminal complaint as "Advisor B," Michael D. Ettinger, a lawyer representing the governor's brother, said Thursday. Robert Blagojevich, who has not been charged with a crime, runs his brother's campaign fund.The Hart firm has represented dozens of Democratic governors and members of Congress. The revelation that a key executive at the company was captured on FBI wiretaps working with the governor could embroil one of the nation's most respected and influential polling and consulting groups in the Blagojevich scandal.
In addition to the very likely fact that Obama's office was co-ordinating with the Illinois Governor with respect to the Senate vacancy, the President-Elect's connection to so-called "Advisor B" may raise some uncomfortable questions. Advisor B promises to become a person of greater interest as this story unfolds, based on the following passage from the government's affidavit (at pg. 68) [HT: texasdarlin]:On November 12, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with Advisor B. ROD BLAGOJEVICH discussed with Advisor B his idea for a 501(c)(4) organization. Advisor B stated that he likes the idea, but liked the Change to Win option better because, according to Advisor B, from the President-elect's perspective, there would be fewer "fingerprints" on the President-elect's involvement with Change to Win because Change to Win already has an existing stream of revenue and, therefore, "you won't have stories in four years that they bought you off." ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that he likes the 501(c)(4) idea because he knows it will be there in two years when he is no longer Governor, whereas Change to Win might not be.(my emphasis)Advisor B is described earlier in the affidavit as "a Washington D.C.-based consultant" (pg. 60) with whom Blagojevich and his co-defendant assistant (John Harris) discussed a plan to trade favors with the President-Elect and the SEIU in exchange for the Governor appointing Obama's preferred candidate to his Senate seat
On November 12, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with Advisor B. ROD BLAGOJEVICH discussed with Advisor B his idea for a 501(c)(4) organization. Advisor B stated that he likes the idea, but liked the Change to Win option better because, according to Advisor B, from the President-elect's perspective, there would be fewer "fingerprints" on the President-elect's involvement with Change to Win because Change to Win already has an existing stream of revenue and, therefore, "you won't have stories in four years that they bought you off." ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that he likes the 501(c)(4) idea because he knows it will be there in two years when he is no longer Governor, whereas Change to Win might not be.
The man that Hillary Clinton brought in to replace controversial strategist Mark Penn got his start in politics 32 years ago in Pennsylvania, the very state that is so crucial to her presidential hopes now. Back then, however, Geoff Garin was working for a Republican.[...]In the meantime, he has become one of the most well-regarded and sought-after Democratic pollsters, giving campaign advice to a host of Senators, including Illinois's Richard Durbin, New York's Charles Schumer, Vermont's Patrick Leahy and North Dakota's Kent Conrad. He also did work on Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign. "On the Democratic side," says one campaign veteran, "he is a totally trusted person."
The message seemed effective. Pollster Geoff Garin, president of Peter D. Hart Research Associates in Washington, which has worked with both of Axelrod's businesses, says his research showed that after the advertising campaign, ComEd customers were more supportive of a rate hike than customers served by other electric utilities elsewhere in Illinois.
The union organization that figures in the complaint, Change to Win, is a 6 million-member coalition of unions that was started in 2005. Its members include the Service Employees International Union, the Teamsters and the United Farm Workers of America. Tom Balanoff, an official at SEIU's Local 1 in Chicago, has been identified as the SEIU official mentioned several times in the Blagojevich complaint, including being identified as "an emissary" for the appointment of Jarrett.SEIU is listed as a client of Peter D. Hart Research, which has conducted surveys for Change to Win, according to a union news release.
In my opinion, if there is an appointment this summer - which principally means that some otherwise serious candidates will not yet have had the time to be appointed to a court of appeals and develop experience there - there are three reasonably clear front runners, and one dark horse candidate. All are women, for the simple reason that there is only one woman on the Court now and I cannot imagine that the President will conclude that he cannot find a highly qualified female nominee.The three obvious candidates are Elena Kagan (SG), Sonia Sotomayor (CA2), and Diane Wood (CA7). The sleeper candidate is Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.All four were born between 1950 and 1960. Diane Wood is the most respected as a judge. But she is the oldest (born 1950), and as a consequence a seat this summer would likely be her one shot. Kagan and Granholm have the advantage of being the youngest (born in 1960 and 1959, respectively). Granholm has experience dealing with legislatures and actually representing people, as well as law enforcement experience as the state's attorney general. Sonia Sotomayor has the advantage that she would be the first Hispanic nominee to the Court; she also served as a trial judge. She and Judge Wood have the longest written track record, but not one that would present any obstacle to confirmation with this Senate.
In Ricci, 19 white firefighters and one Hispanic firefighter charged that New Haven city officials engaged in racially discriminatory practices by throwing out the results of two promotional exams. As [Second Circuit judge (and Clinton appointee) José] Cabranes puts it, "this case presents a straight-forward question: May a municipal employer disregard the results of a qualifying examination, which was carefully constructed to ensure race-neutrality, on the ground that the results of that examination yielded too many qualified applicants of one race and not enough of another?"The district judge, Janet Bond Arterton, issued a 48-page summary-judgment order ruling against the firefighters. Summarizing Arterton's opinion, Cabranes clearly finds highly unusual that Arterton could grant summary judgment for the city officials notwithstanding her acknowledgement that the evidence was sufficient to enable a jury to find that the city officials "were motivated by a concern that too many whites and not enough minorities would be promoted." Further, Cabranes finds it remarkable that such a "path-breaking opinion" was "nevertheless unpublished." On appeal, Cabranes's account indicates, the judicial effort to bury the firefighters' claims got worse. In a case in which the parties "submitted briefs of eighty-six pages each and a six-volume joint appendix of over 1,800 pages," in which two amicus briefs were filed, and in which oral argument "lasted over an hour (an unusually long argument in the practice of our Circuit)," the panel, consisting of Sotomayor and fellow Clinton appointees Rosemary Pooler and Robert Sack, "affirmed the District Court's ruling in a summary order containing a single substantive paragraph"-which Cabranes quotes in full and which gives the reader virtually no sense of what the case is about. Four months later, just three days before Cabranes issued his opinion-and after the panel evidently knew that it had evaded en banc review-"the panel withdrew its summary order and published a per curiam opinion that contained the same operative text as the summary order, with the addition of a citation to the District Court's opinion in the Westlaw and LexisNexis databases."[...]Cabranes and his five colleagues clearly believe that Sotomayor and her panel colleagues acted as they did in order to bury the firefighters' claims and to prevent en banc and Supreme Court review of them. Cabranes's opinion expresses his "hope that the Supreme Court will resolve the issues of great significance raised by this case" and his judgment that plaintiffs' claims are "worthy of [Supreme Court] review."
Ms. Kagan, 48, is dean of Harvard Law School. She has a powerful and varied résumé and has produced a substantial paper trail. But she has provided few clues about where she stands on the great legal issues of the day, notably the Bush administration's broad assertionsof unilateral executive power in areas like detention, surveillance, interrogation and rendition.[...]Most of Ms. Kagan's legal writings are dense, hedged and moderate. But in a 1995 review of a book on Senate confirmation fights, she made a statement she may come to regret."When the Senate ceases to engage nominees in meaningful discussion of legal issues," she wrote, "the confirmation process takes on an air of vacuity and farce." But she also described "the safest and surest route to the prize." The trick, she said, is "alternating platitudinous statement and judicious silence."
The retirement would almost certainly be a member of the Court's left - Justice Stevens or Justice Souter. (Justice Ginsburg has made her intention to stay clear.) None of the likely replacements would reshape the Court in the slightest, including by laying the foundation for a shift in jurisprudence through dissenting opinions. None is a visionary and committed progressive. Each is on the left, but none is regarded as a classic liberal in the Warren-Court mold. Their ideology is more likely to resemble Souter, Ginsburg and Breyer on the left or Kennedy or O'Connor on the right; not Marshall or Brennan.
Geithner came in with a carefully prepared confession of error. "These were careless mistakes," he told the committee. "They were avoidable mistakes. But they were unintentional." Geithner explained that when he first went to the IMF in 2001, he somehow believed - he didn't explain exactly how - that he was not required to file those Social Security and Medicare taxes. As he thinks about it today, he said, he realizes that the IMF informed him repeatedly, and precisely, about his obligation. But back then, he just didn't get it. "Looking back, it was very clear," Geithner said. "If I had thought about it more carefully at the time, and I'd asked more questions - I would have gone back and asked a bunch more questions about that, and I would have approached it differently."As the hearing went on, Geithner repeated that explanation several times, whether it answered the question he had been asked or not.
The IRS has a three-year statute of limitations on offenses such as Geithner's, Kyl said, which meant that, after that 2006 audit, Geithner was obligated to pay for 2003 and 2004 but not for '01 and '02, which were too distant in time. Kyl wanted to know whether Geithner, when he paid for '03 and '04, knew that he also would have owed for '01 and '02 were it not for the statute."When you found out what you had done wrong, it is incomprehensible to me that you did not immediately realize that you had done it wrong for the entire time that you had been at the IMF," Kyl told Geithner.
Geithner simply wasn't going to answer. "Senator, again, as I said, the IRS told me what my obligations were," he said. "I met the obligations."Kyl became visibly frustrated. "Would you answer my question rather than dancing around it, please?" he asked.Kyl's demand forced Geithner to open up, just a little. "Senator, I did not believe when I settled that audit and paid what they said I owed that I had obligations to go back," he began. "I did not think about that until I was going through the vetting process.I had not thought about it in the intervening years. No occasion to think about it. And I might not have thought about it unless I had gone through the process.""Okay, that's a relatively clear answer," Kyl said, "the answer being no, you didn't think about it until it became important in connection with your nomination."
"Okay," Kyl concluded. "Rather than me asking for any additional testimony, review carefully what you said, and if you think it needs to be modified - because you're under oath here - if it needs to be modified in any way, please provide that for the record." The message could not have been clearer: Kyl simply didn't believe Geithner's story and was giving him one last opportunity to change it.
The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday approved the nomination of Timothy Geithner as secretary of the Treasury on an 18-5 vote, despite lingering doubts from Republicans on the panel over irregularities in the nominee's tax records.Mr. Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve's New York regional bank, is expected to win quick confirmation by the full Senate, with lawmakers from both parties saying the critical Treasury post should not be left vacant as the nation confronts a severe financial crisis and a deepening recession.
Caroline Kennedy announced early Thursday that she was withdrawing from consideration for the vacant Senate seat in New York, startling the state's political world after weeks in which she was considered a top contender for the post.[...]Caroline Kennedy announced early Thursday that she was withdrawing from consideration for the vacant Senate seat in New York, startling the state's political world after weeks in which she was considered a top contender for the post.Ms. Kennedy believed that the job was hers if she would accept it, the person said, but aides to Mr. Paterson would not comment on whether that was true.
Supposedly, Kennedy doesn't want the appointment any more, due to the poor health of her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy. But Ted Kennedy has been very sick since the outset of the Lady of Camelot's pursuit of the high office. More likely, Dame Caroline learned that the Governor intends to appoint someone else and was given time to gracefully withdraw and avoid further embarrassment.Only two days ago, there were reports that Kennedy had the Senate seat sewed up.In her brief mini-campaign, Dame Caroline failed abysmally to garner public support or to convince anyone other than close friends that she had any particular qualifications for the job, as I noted in a series of posts here, here, here and here.
Jabari Asim, author of What Obama Means, explores connections between the president-elect and a variety of oversimplified black movie characters who critics have mockingly called "magic negroes."
Flap Over 'Magic Negro' Song Roils RNC In the search for someone to lead the Republican Party out of its political wilderness, the winnowing has begun.Former Tennessee GOP Chairman Chip Saltsman appears on the brink of elimination from the competitive race for the national party chairmanship after sending GOP committee members a Christmas CD that contained the parody song "Barack the Magic Negro." [...]Saltsman's stumble comes at a time when the Republican Party is struggling to define the role of loyal opposition to the nation's first African-American president. The party is uncomfortable with the minuscule share of the black vote it received in 2008, as well as the lack of African-Americans among GOP officeholders. No black members of Congress are Republican, and only a few black Republicans are in statewide office or on the Republican National Committee itself. Black membership in the Democratic National Committee is just over 21 percent, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
Chip Saltsman, one of the candidates for chair of the Republican National Committee, sent a CD full of song parodies to several RNC members - including a song called "Barack the Magic Negro." The term "magic negro" dates back to the 1950s. Used today, is it satire or racism?
Despite this, hourly wages rose 0.3% in December and were up 3.7% from December 2007. With the Consumer Price Index (CPI) expected to decline by 1.2% in December (data released this Friday), real (or, inflation-adjusted) wages likely increased 1.5%. Moreover, those real wages are likely up 4.8% from a year-ago, the fastest increase since 1972.In addition, the real purchasing power of workers' cash earnings (total hours multiplied by real hourly earnings) actually increased by about 0.3% in December, putting it about 0.1% ahead of where it was a year ago. In other words, declines in energy prices, as well as some other prices, have roughly offset the damage to consumer purchasing power caused by job cuts and fewer hours for the remaining workforce.
Seems more likely that the recession is just getting started. The "stimulus" seems mostly good for padding the wallets of the well-connected, so I don't see a lot of benefit there. But maybe I'm overly pessimistic.
The court decision, made in August 2008 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, came in an unclassified, redacted form.The decision marks the first time since the disclosure of the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping program three years ago that an appellate court has addressed the constitutionality of the federal government's wiretapping powers. In validating the government's wide authority to collect foreign intelligence, it may offer legal credence to the Bush administration's repeated assertions that the president has the power to act without specific court approval in ordering national security eavesdropping that may involve Americans.The Aug. 22 appeals court decision upheld a secret ruling issued last year by the intelligence court that it oversees, known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, or FISA, court. In that initial opinion, the secret court found that Congress had acted within its authority in August 2007 when it passed a hotly debated law known as the Protect America Act, which gave the executive branch broad power to eavesdrop on international communications.
The New York Times originally reported that the FISA court's ruling offered "legal credence to the Bush administration's repeated assertions that the president has constitutional authority to act without specific court approval in ordering national security eavesdropping." But based on the additional reporting, that's just wrong. The decision has nothing to do with the president's inherent authority, and everything to do with Congress' ability to shape surveillance law, giving the White House far more authority than it was previously allowed.Put another way, the case was about the legality of the Protect America Act. It cleared the court's examination. But as A.L. explained, this doesn't lend "credence" to the administration's legal arguments at all.
... we hold that a foreign intelligence exception to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement exists when surveillance is conducted to obtain foreign intelligence for national security purposes and is directed against foreign powers or agents of foreign powers reasonably believed to be located outside the United States.
... there is a high degree of probability that requiring a warrant would hinder the government's ability to collect time-sensitive information and, thus, would impede the vital national security interests that are at stake ... Compulsory compliance with the warrant requirement would introduce an element of delay, thus frustrating the government's ability to collect information in a timely manner.
From the moment the NSA program was first disclosed in December of 2005, the issue has always been whether the president has the "inherent authority" to disregard a statute like FISA that purports to place restrictions on his ability to conduct surveillance of Americans. The Bush administration claimed it had such powers, despite overwhelming legal authority to the contrary. When Congress passed the Protect America Act, it statutorily authorized the President's subsequent surveillance activities, assuming he stays within the rather wide confines of that law. The court here has merely upheld Congress's prerogative to pass such a law. There's nothing here that lends any credence whatsoever to claims of law-breaking authority made by the Bush administration over the last few years.
Inclusion of Arctic Coastal Plain- In furtherance of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), an area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Alaska comprising approximately 1,559,538 acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled 'Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—1002 Area Alternative E—Wilderness Designation' and dated October 28, 1991, is hereby designated as wilderness and, therefore, as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The map referred to in this subsection shall be available for inspection in the offices of the Secretary of the Interior.
... there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this chapter and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for the purpose of this chapter (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area.
Provided, That, unless hereafter specifically authorized, no patent within wilderness areas designated by this chapter shall issue after December 31, 1983, except for the valid claims existing on or before December 31, 1983.
"I am dismayed that legislation has again been introduced in Congress to prohibit forever oil and gas development in the most promising unexplored petroleum province in North America - the coastal plain of ANWR, in Alaska."Let's not forget: Only six months ago, oil was selling for nearly $150 per barrel, while Americans were paying $4 a gallon and more for gasoline. And today, there is potential for prices to rebound as OPEC asserts its market power, and as Russia is disrupting needed natural gas to Europe , for the second time in three years.[...] The governor made the following points:* Oil from ANWR represents a huge, secure domestic supply that could help satisfy U.S. demand for more than 25 years.* ANWR sits within a 20 million acre refuge (the size of South Carolina ) but thanks to advanced technology like directional drilling, the aggregated drilling footprint would be less than 2,000 acres (about one-quarter the size of Dulles Airport ). This is like laying a two-by-three-foot welcome mat on a basketball court.* Energy development is quite compatible with the protection of our wildlife and their habitat. For example, North Slope caribou herds have grown and remained healthy throughout more than three decades of our oil development. Most of the year, our coastal plain is frozen solid and thus characterized by low biological productivity.* ANWR development would create hundreds of thousands of good American jobs, positively affecting every state by providing a safe energy supply and generating demand for goods and services.* Development here would reduce U.S. dependence on unstable, dangerous sources of energy such as the Middle East , and would decrease our huge trade deficit, a large percentage of which is directly attributable to oil imports.* Incremental ANWR production would help reduce energy price volatility. Previous price disruptions demonstrate how even relatively low levels of oil production influence world prices.* Federal revenues from ANWR - cash bids, leases, and oil taxes - would help reduce the multi-trillion dollar national debt, and we'd circulate U.S. petrodollars in our own country instead of continuing to send hundreds of billions of our dollars overseas, creating jobs and stronger economies in other countries.
On the eve of the Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Robert Redford got some very bad reviews today, not from movie critics but from black ministers. They came from around the country to attack his environmental views and to stand up in favor of oil and gas drilling.Redford's critics chose the Broadway Theatre in downtown Salt Lake, hoping to draw a few of the cameras that would normally be covering the film festival. The ministers said they were here to speak up for the poor, but critics claim that some of the organizations involved are actually fronts for industry. .It's a national coalition arguing that more drilling would lower energy costs for the poor.
A San Diego woman who is auctioning off her virginity said she has now received a bid of $3.7 million, according to a published report.Natalie Dylan, a 22-year-old San Diego woman, said she got the idea for the auction after her sister was able to pay for her college education after prostituting herself for three weeks, according to the London Telegraph.Dylan has a degree in women's studies. She told the paper she hopes to pay for an advanced degree in family and marriage therapy with the proceeds from the auction.
I'm amazed... this must be the first woman's studies graduate ever with the possibility of actually making money.
She told the Telegraph that she doesn't think she's the only one who will be benefit from the auction."I think me and the person I do it with will both profit greatly from the deal," Dylan told the paper.
Israel's notifications to civilians in Gaza to leave populated locations before they are bombed are cynically used by Hamas for organizing human shields, a new study says. The study by the Terror and Intelligence Information Center shows that when the IDF warns Arab civilians of an impending attack in their neighborhood, Hamas uses the information in order to organize the civilians into human shields in the hope of protecting the targets from the IDF's wrath. Hamas's de facto prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and other top terrorists, including Nizar Riyan, who was killed in the course of Operation Cast Lead, have publicly boasted of using the warnings as "intelligence" and then using civilians, including women and children, as human shields to protect the homes of terrorists.
Earlier on Thursday, thousands of Palestinians fled their homes in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli forces bombarded Rafah after dropping leaflets to warn local residents about an impending blitz.Witnesses said that homes, suspected smuggling tunnels and a mosque were hit in the area along the Egyptian border early on Thursday.The leaflets warned that that the Israeli military "will bomb the area due to its use by terrorists to [dig] tunnels and to stock up" on weapons.Hundreds of tunnels are believed to cross under the Egyptian border around Rafah allowing Palestinians to smuggle in basic supplies, in short supply due to the Israeli blockade, and weapons.An Israeli army spokeswoman said the military dropped the flyers "as in the past to avoid civilian casualties".[...] Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Gaza City, said the flyers would have frightened the civilian population of southern Gaza.
Peled notes that Egypt is not allowing journalists to enter Gaza from the territory's southern border, either. Yet there may be another cause to the restrictions: Israeli officials have long complained that Palestinian activists and terrorist groups manipulate foreign journalists by claiming Israeli atrocities.
On June 18, 1912, Congress passed a law entitled, An Act to provide for the support and maintenance of bastards in the District of Columbia.
Rapid growth spurt leaves amount of ice at levels seen 29 years ago.Thanks to a rapid rebound in recent months, global sea ice levels now equal those seen 29 years ago, when the year 1979 also drew to a close.Ice levels had been tracking lower throughout much of 2008, but rapidly recovered in the last quarter. In fact, the rate of increase from September onward is the fastest rate of change on record, either upwards or downwards.
Earlier this year, predictions were rife that the North Pole could melt entirely in 2008. Instead, the Arctic ice saw a substantial recovery. Bill Chapman, a researcher with the UIUC's Arctic Center, tells DailyTech this was due in part to colder temperatures in the region.
In May, concerns over disappearing sea ice led the U.S. to officially list the polar bear a threatened species, over objections from experts who claimed the animal's numbers were increasing.
But it's clear that Obama also is running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination - the "Magic Negro."The Magic Negro is a figure of postmodern folk culture, coined by snarky 20th century sociologists, to explain a cultural figure who emerged in the wake of Brown vs. Board of Education. "He has no past, he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist," reads the description on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro .He's there to assuage white "guilt" (i.e., the minimal discomfort they feel) over the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history, while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest.As might be expected, this figure is chiefly cinematic - embodied by such noted performers as Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Scatman Crothers, Michael Clarke Duncan, Will Smith and, most recently, Don Cheadle. And that's not to mention a certain basketball player whose very nickname is "Magic."
The only mud that momentarily stuck was criticism (white and black alike) concerning Obama's alleged "inauthenticty," as compared to such sterling examples of "genuine" blackness as Al Sharpton and Snoop Dogg. Speaking as an African American whose last name has led to his racial "credentials" being challenged - often several times a day - I know how pesky this sort of thing can be.Obama's fame right now has little to do with his political record or what he's written in his two (count 'em) books, or even what he's actually said in those stem-winders. It's the way he's said it that counts the most. It's his manner, which, as presidential hopeful Sen. Joe Biden ham-fistedly reminded us, is "articulate." His tone is always genial, his voice warm and unthreatening, and he hasn't called his opponents names (despite being baited by the media).Like a comic-book superhero, Obama is there to help, out of the sheer goodness of a heart we need not know or understand. For as with all Magic Negroes, the less real he seems, the more desirable he becomes. If he were real, white America couldn't project all its fantasies of curative black benevolence on him.
The problem, Ehrenstein says, is he's not real. Al Sharpton's real, Snoop Dogg is real, but Barack Obama is not real. He's just there to assuage white guilt. In other words, the only reason Obama is anywhere is because whites are willing to support him because they feel so guilty over slavery. Now, before you reject this, Shelby Steele has written a great book about the whole concept of "White Guilt" and how it is allowing our society to become more and more passive about any number of transgressions that the country has made from its inception. Here's the close: "Like a comic-book superhero, Obama is there to help, out of the sheer goodness of a heart we need not know or understand. For as with all Magic Negroes, the less real he seems, the more desirable he becomes. If he were real, white America couldn't project all its fantasies of curative black benevolence on him."So, those of you white people out there who are supporting Barack Obama, you are racists. That is the point that David Ehrenstein is making. You're attempting to assuage all of your white guilt by supporting Obama, is worthless, because you're just exhibiting racism because you know he's not a "real black." As Biden said, he's "clean," and "articulate." What else did he say? Good-looking, articulate, one of the first. But he's not real. This is more of the drivel and the bilge that we get from the Drive-By Media. In order to be a real black, you gotta be a Sharpton or you've gotta be a Snoop Dogg. You gotta be a Ludacris or something like that. Obama can't possibly fill this role because nobody knows anything about him and we don't want to know anything about him. The only thing that matters is he's black and he sounds good and it allows you white racists to assuage your guilt. There is white racism out there, much of it is on the left where the plantation mentality still resides.
"Now, let me ask you a question. The term "magic negro" has been thrown into the political presidential race and the mix for 2008, and the term magic negro, as applied to Barack Obama, has been done by an LA Times columnist David Ehrenstein. Do you think, if I keep referring to Obama as "the magic negro" from this day on, I will eventually get the credit and/or heat for this? Magic negro. It is a term, and it's exactly as described here. Its purpose is to allow whites the guilt-free support. But in Barack's case, it's only because he isn't a "real black." The LA Times, by the way, is not first with these types of columns. The LA Times has two or three columns like this: "Is Barack Obama Black Enough?" And so forth. So there's a racist component out there on the editorial page of the LA Times that's obsessed with the race of Barack Obama — and as with all leftists, while they are obsessed with race, they're accusing everybody else of being racists.
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.The L.A. Times, they called him that'Cause he's not authentic like me.Yeah, the guy from the L.A. paperSaid he makes guilty whites feel goodThey'll vote for him, and not for me'Cause he's not from the hood.See, real black men, like Snoop Dog,Or me, or FarrakhanHave talked the talk, and walked the walk.Not come in late and won!Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.The L.A. Times, they called him that'Cause he's black, but not authentically.Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.The L.A. Times, they called him that'Cause he's black, but not authentically.Some say Barack's "articulate"And bright and new and "clean."The media sure loves this guy,A white interloper's dream!But, when you vote for president,Watch out, and don't be fooled!Don't vote the Magic Negro in -'Cause -'Cause I won't have nothing after all these years of sacrificeAnd I won't get justice. This is about justice. This isn't about me, it's about justice.It's about buffet. I don't have no buffet and there won't be any church contributions,And there'll be no cash in the collection plate.There ain't gonna be no cash money, no walkin' around money, no phoning money.Now, Barack going to come in here and ........
And what does the white man get out of the bargain? That's a question asked by John Guare in "Six Degrees of Separation," his brilliant retelling of the true saga of David Hampton - a young, personable gay con man who in the 1980s passed himself off as the son of none other than the real Sidney Poitier. Though he started small, using the ruse to get into Studio 54, Hampton discovered that countless gullible, well-heeled New Yorkers, vulnerable to the Magic Negro myth, were only too eager to believe in his baroque fantasy. (One of the few who wasn't fooled was Andy Warhol, who was astonished his underlings believed Hampton's whoppers. Clearly Warhol had no need for the accouterment of interracial "goodwill.")But the same can't be said of most white Americans, whose desire for a noble, healing Negro hasn't faded. That's where Obama comes in: as Poitier's "real" fake son.
Today's headline news, in all its various establishment media permutations, was full of stories about Still-President George W. Bush paying a visit to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center this morning. A couple added that this was the site of one of his administration's most serious scandals.[...]When I heard the story, I smirked and shook my head in disgust, figuring it was just another lame, lame duck attempt at legacy burnishing.Well, it was that, but it was so much more. . . or less.It turns out, as is now being reported, that Bush had an MRI this morning at Walter Reed for a chronic pain in his left shoulder. Yes, that's right. Bush went to WRAMC because he wasn't feeling well.I suppose it's a chicken and egg thing. . . kind of. It certainly would have looked bad if word had gotten out that Bush was at the medical center and didn't stop in to look after the men and women who owe their disability checks to his vainglorious boondoggle. But would George W. have gone out there at all if he hadn't had his own needs to look after?My guess is a certain "no."
Bush, even at his most "engaged" was never big on confronting his mistakes-especially ones made so (pardon this) flesh. The man was, is, and will forever be a reality chicken.Now, as anyone looking at an unemployment check will confirm, the decider has decided he's decided enough. He's over it, done his bit, given what he can give. You don't like him being president any more? Fine, he just won't be.So, while it's just me s'posin', I'm going to say that if Bush hadn't felt the need, there's no way he goes to Reed.Which might have been just fine with the brave men and women confronting reality every day. . . whether they choose to or not.
For much of the past seven years, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have waged a clandestine operation inside the White House. It has involved thousands of military personnel, private presidential letters and meetings that were kept off their public calendars or sometimes left the news media in the dark.Their mission: to comfort the families of soldiers who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to lift the spirits of those wounded in the service of their country.On Monday, the president is set to make a more common public trip - with reporters in tow - to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, home to many of the wounded and a symbol of controversy earlier in his presidency over the quality of care the veterans were receiving.But the size and scope of Mr. Bush's and Mr. Cheney's private endeavors to meet with wounded soliders and families of the fallen far exceed anything that has been witnessed publicly, according to interviews with more than a dozen officials familiar with the effort."People say, 'Why would you do that?'" the president said in an Oval Office interview with The Washington Times on Friday. "And the answer is: This is my duty. The president is commander in chief, but the president is often comforter in chief, as well. It is my duty to be - to try to comfort as best as I humanly can a loved one who is in anguish."Mr. Bush, for instance, has sent personal letters to the families of every one of the more than 4,000 troops who have died in the two wars, an enormous personal effort that consumed hours of his time and escaped public notice. The task, along with meeting family members of troops killed in action, has been so wrenching - balancing the anger, grief and pride of families coping with the loss symbolized by a flag-draped coffin - that the president often leaned on his wife, Laura, for emotional support."I lean on the Almighty and Laura," Mr. Bush said in the interview. "She has been very reassuring, very calming."Mr. Bush also has met privately with more than 500 families of troops killed in action and with more than 950 wounded veterans, according to White House spokesman Carlton Carroll. Many of those meetings were outside the presence of the news media at the White House or at private sessions during official travel stops, officials said.
Eight years after arriving in Washington vowing to spread the dream of homeownership, Mr. Bush is leaving office, as he himself said recently, "faced with the prospect of a global meltdown" with roots in the housing sector he so ardently championed.There are plenty of culprits, like lenders who peddled easy credit, consumers who took on mortgages they could not afford and Wall Street chieftains who loaded up on mortgage-backed securities without regard to the risk.But the story of how we got here is partly one of Mr. Bush's own making, according to a review of his tenure that included interviews with dozens of current and former administration officials.From his earliest days in office, Mr. Bush paired his belief that Americans do best when they own their own home with his conviction that markets do best when let alone.He pushed hard to expand homeownership, especially among minorities, an initiative that dovetailed with his ambition to expand the Republican tent - and with the business interests of some of his biggest donors. But his housing policies and hands-off approach to regulation encouraged lax lending standards.
At the time [in 2003], Fannie and Freddie were allies in the president's quest to drive up homeownership rates; Franklin D. Raines, then Fannie's chief executive, has fond memories of visiting Mr. Bush in the Oval Office and flying aboard Air Force One to a housing event. "They loved us," he said.So when Mr. Falcon refused to deep-six his report [warning of a financial meltdown led by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac practices], Mr. Raines took his complaints to top Treasury officials and the White House. "I'm going to do what I need to do to defend my company and my position," Mr. Raines told Mr. Falcon.
Mr. Bush did foresee the danger posed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage finance giants. The president spent years pushing a recalcitrant Congress to toughen regulation of the companies, but was unwilling to compromise when his former Treasury secretary wanted to cut a deal. And the regulator Mr. Bush chose to oversee them - an old prep school buddy - pronounced the companies sound even as they headed toward insolvency.As early as 2006, top advisers to Mr. Bush dismissed warnings from people inside and outside the White House that housing prices were inflated and that a foreclosure crisis was looming. And when the economy deteriorated, Mr. Bush and his team misdiagnosed the reasons and scope of the downturn; as recently as February, for example, Mr. Bush was still calling it a "rough patch."The result was a series of piecemeal policy prescriptions that lagged behind the escalating crisis.
By standing in the way of an auto industry bailout, GOP senators appear to have bitten the hand that fed them.Over the last decade, General Motors has given $1.50 to Republican candidates for every $1 it has given to Democrats. That same pattern has been followed by Chrysler and Ford, which year after year have favored the right side of the aisle, sometimes by more than a 3-to-1 ratio in dollar terms. Since 1990, the auto industry as a whole — including suppliers, dealers and manufacturers — has cut $100 million in checks to Republicans, compared with just $34 million to Democrats.On Thursday night, the carmakers discovered just how little loyalty that investment strategy had bought them.Efforts to get through even a watered-down version of the $14-billion aid package were stymied by Republican senators, many of whom contend that GM and Chrysler — the most troubled U.S. automakers — should simply go bankrupt.
This year, for the first time on record, Detroit's spending slightly favored Democrats. But since 2000, overall spending by the Big Three has steered 61% of contributions, or $7.2 million, to Republicans, according to Federal Election Commission data compiled by the Center for Responsible Politics.Democrats, meanwhile, have looked to the United Auto Workers for support. Since 2000, the union has given $12.5 million to Democrats compared with only $94,540 to Republicans.
"It's highly doubtful that political giving ever played a factor in an individual member's position," GM spokesman Greg Martin said.But on Capitol Hill, the cold calculus of money is never too far from any issue.A study released Thursday by the Center for Responsive Politics suggested that in the House of Representatives, where the bailout passed this week, there was a direct correlation between votes and campaign cash: Those who voted in favor of the plan received, on average, 8% more money from the auto industry than those who did not.In the Senate, other forces may have been at play.Some of the loudest opponents to helping Detroit were senators whose states are home to car factories of foreign brands, including Sen. Richard C. Shelby (D-Ala.), who has Mercedes, Hyundai and Honda plants in his state but no Big Three facilities.At the eleventh hour, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) put forth a bill that sought to wrest new concessions from the United Auto Workers as well as from corporate bondholders. He has received $234,860 from the auto industry throughout his career, but Tennessee is also home to several Nissan plants and the Japanese automaker's U.S. headquarters.
During the call [on Nov. 7], ROD BLAGOJEVICH, HARRIS, and Advisor B discussed the prospect of working a three-way deal for the open Senate seat. HARRIS noted that ROD BLAGOJEVICH is interested in taking a high-paying position with an organization called "Change to Win," which is connected to Service Employees International Union ("SEIU").22 HARRIS suggested that SEIU Official make ROD BLAGOJEVICH the head of Change to Win and, in exchange, the President-elect could help Change to Win with its legislative agenda on a national level. Advisor B asked why SEIU Official cannot just give the job to ROD BLAGOJEVICH. HARRIS responded that it would be just a big "give away" for SEIU Official and Change to Win since there are already individuals on the Change to Win payroll doing the functions of the position that would be created for ROD BLAGOJEVICH. HARRIS said that Change to Win will want to trade the job for ROD BLAGOJEVICH for something from the President-elect. HARRIS suggested a "three-way deal," and explained that a three-way deal like the one discussed would give the President-elect a "buffer so there is no obvious quid pro quo for [Senate Candidate 1]." ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that for him to give up the governorship for the Change to Win position, the Change to Win position must pay a lot more than he is getting paid right now. Advisor B said that he liked the idea of the three-way deal. ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that he is interested in making $250,000 to $300,000 and being on some organization boards. Advisor B said they should leverage the President-elect's desire to have Senate Candidate 1 appointed to the Senate seat in order to get a head position with Change to Win and a salary. Advisor B agreed that the three-way deal would be a better plan than ROD BLAGOJEVICH appointing Senate Candidate 2 to the Senate seat and getting more done as Governor.
Why is Cerberus, one of the world's richest private equity firms, begging for a bailout?When I wrote about the bailout blunders of the auto industry two weeks ago, I thought the Big Three had most likely topped out on the political outrage meter. But that was before the shady story of Cerberus, the uber-connected private equity firm that owns Chrysler, reared its three ugly heads over the weekend.Buried on the business page of The New York Times Saturday were the details of Detroit's biggest snow job yet—literally as well as figuratively. Turns out that Cerberus CEO John Snow, who spent three-and-a-half lackluster, and some might say lap-doggish, years as President Bush's second Treasury secretary, is leading a who's who of crony capitalists in a lobbying campaign for a taxpayer bailout to "salvage Cerberus' investment in Chrysler." That's right. Not to save the jobs of Chrysler employees or America's disappearing manufacturing base, mind you, but to prevent "one of the world's richest and most secretive private investment companies" from having to take a relatively modest financial hit and use some of its own capital to prop up the smallest of the major automakers.
December 10, 2008 Stat of the DayIn 2007, Toyota sold 9.37 million vehicles.In 2007, General Motors sold 9.37 million vehicles.In 2007, Toyota made $17.1 billion.In 2007, General Motors lost $38.7 billion.(Source: Mises Blog)
That was the second best sales total in GM's 100-year history and the biggest loss ever for any automaker in the world.For Toyota, that was roughly $1,800 in profit for every vehicle sold. For GM, it was an average loss of $4,100 for every vehicle sold.Collectively, Detroit's Big Three automakers are currently losing about $5 billion per month, with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, respectively, burning through $2 billion, $2 billion and $1 billion in cash every 30 days.
The Big Three automakers appealed to Congress for billions in emergency aid Thursday by touting overhauls to their business models, but skeptical lawmakers may be looking to impose even more-severe changes — possibly including a corporate merger — as part of the deal.The latest developments come after a top economist warned that the $34 billion that General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are requesting is just the beginning. Lawmakers are divided over whether the government should intervene and how.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, conducted by telephone on Dec. 1-2 with nearly 1,100 people, showed that 61% of those surveyed oppose government assistance for the major U.S. automakers.[...]A full 70% of respondents indicated that a bailout is unfair to taxpayers.In addition to being unfair, the poll showed that a majority of those surveyed think a bailout would not help the economy.
Cerberus holds controlling or significant minority interests in companies around the world. In aggregate, these companies currently generate over $100 billion in annual revenues.
Chrysler now is seeking a $7-billion bridge loan from the federal government to keep its business going, as well as an $8.5-billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to help make more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Corker spent much of his time sparring with Nardelli over the privately-held company asking for taxpayer help.Cerberus invested $7.4 billion in August 2007 to acquire majority control of Chrysler from Daimler AG.[...]"Cerberus owns 80% of this company and has cash — lots of cash — that they are unwilling to put into this company," Corker said.He also accused Cerberus of simply trying to buy time in order to merge Chrysler."It troubles me a little bit knowing that basically all we're really doing is providing a little capital for y'all to hang around long enough to get married," Corker said.
Private investment is no magic elixir, but in certain cases like Chrysler, we believe it offers simply the best hope for restoring competitiveness to sectors of the U.S. economy that need it most. And stronger, growing companies are the best way I know of to provide job security, increase employment, raise living standards - and keep America's economy strong.
Last time I checked, 41% was a failing grade. Not so in the Senate it would appear. No, now that Chambliss has won, apparently having just 41 votes in the Senate is REALLY great news for Republicans and bad news for Democrats, especially President-elect Barack Obama.On AC360 earlier David Gergen declared: I think this actually puts a lot more pressure on Barack Obama to govern much more from the center and not from the left. He is going to need Republicans now, he is going to need a bipartisan approach...Right, a 41 vote minority should by all means have Barack Obama shaking in his boots.
I think this actually puts a lot more pressure on Barack Obama to govern much more from the center and not from the left. He is going to need Republicans now, he is going to need a bipartisan approach...
What yesterday's election definitely taught us is something we already knew — that Democrats generally perform better the higher the turnout. Too many of our core constituencies are low performing ones — racial and ethnic minorities and young voters. Obama got them out, and made Georgia close. Martin did not, and he got blown away in what is still a Red state.Throw in the fact that Democrats acted like the mission had been accomplished (Obama couldn't be bothered to lend too much of a hand), and there was little reason for his supporters to put in a similar effort. It may have been smart politics for Obama, since it's hard to see how he could've helped close that much of a gap anyhow, but the example is set at the top. If Obama acts like a race isn't worth his time, then neither will his supporters.
Both Sarah Palin and Barack Obama campaigned in Georgia. Palin flew all over the state rallying Republicans. Obama flew under the radar heavily targeting black voters, demanding support for Martin, and running heavy radio advertising on urban stations.Ladies and Gentlemen, black voters turned out for Obama, but not for Obama's candidates. Remember that for 2010.But folks, remember this too: Sarah Palin asked Republicans to turn out and they did. Of all the Republicans who campaigned for Chambliss, she was the only one that went all over the state for him. And it paid off.
Momentum? That's an overstatement, but it does call into question the Democrats' standing after the Obama phenomenon. At least in Georgia, Obama had a lot more coattails than anyone credited. I originally predicted that Chambliss would win by six or seven points without Barack Obama driving the turnout model, but his absence created a difference of 13 points between the two elections. If that same dynamic holds true across the country in 2010, Obama may have an extremely disappointing midterm election and could find himself with at least one chamber of Congress under opposition control for the second half of his term.
Chambliss's margin of victory looks to exceed almost all runoff polling on the race, suggesting that the turnout models used in the polling overshot Democratic turnout without President-elect Obama on the ballot.Martin appeared to suffer mightily from a lack of African-American turnout, which dropped from 30 percent of early votes four weeks ago to around 20 percent in the runoff.[...]The result could also speak to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) continuing appeal to her party's base, which is the focus of runoff turnout operations. Palin made several stops for Chambliss on Monday, just a month after she concluded a disappointing Election Day as McCain's running mate.
Interestingly, nine percent (9%) of those who plan to vote for Martin say the prospect of a 60-Democrat Senate makes them less likely to vote for him. Only 2% of Chambliss voters who say it makes them more likely to vote for Martin.
Nate brings up a more disturbing possibility: Democrats are already in the hot seat in the mind of the electorate, and will lose seats in both 2010 and 2012 unless they make real progress turning the country around. In other words, if Democrats can't fix the nation's problems, the country will actually turn back toward Republicans, and there will be no two to four year grace period as I have previously surmised. The reason Nate's thesis is so disturbing is that a new Democracy Corps poll shows he is probably correct.
Q.32 Now I'm going to read you some pairs of statements. After I read each pair, please tell me whether the FIRST statement or the SECOND statement comes closer to your own view, even if neither is exactly right.32 (SPLIT A) I'm more concerned that Congress will prevent Barack Obama from making the kinds of changes he thinks are needed, by playing politics and catering too much to the special interestsORI'm more concerned that the Democratic Congress will be too much of a rubber stamp for Barack Obama, and will push through Obama's programs whether they are good or badAgree first statement: 42%Agree second statement: 49%33 (SPLIT B) I'm more concerned that Republicans in Congress will obstruct BarackObama's agenda and prevent him from making the kinds of changes he thinks are needed.ORI'm more concerned that Democrats in Congress will be too much of a rubber stamp for Barack Obama, and will push through Obama's programs whether they are good or bad.Agree first statement: 43%Agree second statement: 48%
So, last night's results and the Democracy Corps poll showed that the country isn't going to dump on Republicans forever. There is no grace period when the country will still vote for Democrats just because they hate Republicans. Democratic hopes in 2010 and 2012 rest entirely on our governing record during the next two to four years.
In two years time, simply being a Democrat will no longer good enough to be elected. We have been hired in huge numbers to solve problems without Republican interference. If we can't do that, then the country will sour on us, too. As such, the way back for Republicans is straightforward: hope that Democratic governance does not turn the country around.
"I can't overstate the impact she had down here," Chambliss said during an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News."When she walks in a room, folks just explode," he added. "And they really did pack the house everywhere we went. She's a dynamic lady, a great administrator, and I think she's got a great future in the Republican Party." Chambliss said that after watching her campaign on his behalf at several events Monday, he does not see her star status diminishing within the party.The Republican also thanked John McCain and the other big name Republicans that came to Georgia, but said Palin made the biggest impact."We had John McCain and Mike Huckabee and Gov. Romney and Rudy Giuliani, but Sarah Palin came in on the last day, did a fly-around and, man, she was dynamite," he said. "We packed the houses everywhere we went. And it really did allow us to peak and get our base fired up."
But a second, more optimistic, interpretation is that Obama is planning big change, and has decided these individuals will be the most politically effective advocates of reform. Let's call this the "Nixon to China" interpretation.Let's assume, for instance, that Obama is in fact "throwing long." That is, he wants big change - e.g., new multilateral diplomacy; negotiations with Syria and Iran; and even cuts to the grotesquely-large and corrupting military budget. If these are truly his goals, then voices like Clinton and Gates and Jones will be powerful advocates indeed. It's not merely that they'll provide political cover across the national political spectrum. They'll also provide political cover to nervous Democrats who remain afraid of their own shadow on these issues. Winning over the latter is a precondition of winning over the former. (For instance, you can't have talks with Iran if half the Senate Dems are on TV saying it's a bad idea).Same deal with the economic team. Who better to provide political cover (both nationally and within the party) for a massive public works program than a bunch of old Rubinites?
Of course, there is a risk to the Nixon to China strategy - namely, you might get a Nixon without a China. There's a very real possibility that these individuals (given their prior history and ideological leanings) will thwart this type of reform - or at least hesitate to really push for it. But if - just if - Obama can keep them on board, then these selections will prove to be an enormously savvy and effective strategy.
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time
Are there any legitimate escape hatches to this constitutional bar? Let's consider them quickly. First, does the fact that the emoluments of the office were increased by executive order, pursuant to a general authorizing statute, take the case out of the Emoluments Clause rule? Plainly not. The clause is written in the delightfully ambiguous passive voice that we always discourage in our law students. "shall have been encreased ... by whom, exactly?!" The clause does not limit the application of its rule to direct statutory enactments.In the world in which legislation may be accomplished by delegation of general quasi-lawmaking authority to executive branch officials, there is no difference in legal principle between a direct legislative enactment and an executive order pursuant to specific legislative authorization. If pay increases may be accomplished, legally, by executive order, then those increases in emoluments fit within Article I, section 6's rule. If those increases occurred during the time for which Hillary Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate, they disqualify her, regardless of when the general statutory authorization for such increases was enacted.But wait! Wasn't the (probable) purpose of the Emoluments Clause to prevent congressional self-dealing in the form of creation of offices (or increasing their emoluments) and hoping to profit thereby by being appointed to such office? And isn't that purpose plainly inapplicable here? Perhaps. But the content of the rule here is broader than its purpose. And the rule is the rule; the purpose is not the rule.
As I understand it, 5 U.S.C. § 5303 provides for an automatic annual increase in certain federal salaries, including the salary of the Secretary of State, unless the President certifies that an increase in salaries is inappropriate. The salary of the Secretary of State has increased during Senator Clinton's current Senate term, which does not end until 2012. Therefore, under a straightforward application of the Emoluments Clause, Senator Clinton is ineligible for appointment as Secretary of State because the emoluments of that office "have been encreased" during Senator Clinton's current Senate term, and this disability continues until the end of "the time for which [she] was elected, or until January 2013.I do not believe it affects the analysis that the salary increase occurred as a result of an Executive Order or that the statute creating these quasi-automatic salary increases was enacted prior to Senator Clinton's current term. By its plain language, the Emoluments Clause applies when the office's salary "shall have been encreased," without regard to exactly how it was increased. Indeed, an early proposed draft of the clause included language limiting it to an increase of emoluments "by the legislature of the U[nited] States," and was later revised to encompass any increase in emoluments. It is worth noting that several Framers thought, without much explication, that the clause was too lax as initially drafted. The clause also does not require that a Senator or Representative have voted for the increase.
Here's my very tentative thinking: I think the phrase "the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time" is ambiguous. It could mean "shall have been increased at least once," or it could mean "shall have been increased on net." If you're thinking about buying a computer, for instance, and you ask "Has the price of this computer been increased during the last year?," it seems to me quite possible that you would mean "Has it been increased so that it now costs more than it cost a year ago?," rather than "Has it been increased at all, even if the price hike was entirely rolled back a month later?" In fact, the "on net" reading strikes me as more plausible than the rival reading.
Created in 1789 by the Congress as the successor to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of State is the senior executive Department of the U.S. Government. The Secretary of State's duties relating to foreign affairs have not changed significantly since then, but they have become far more complex as international commitments multiplied. These duties-the activities and responsibilities of the State Department-include the following: * Serves as the President's principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy; * Conducts negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs; * Grants and issues passports to American citizens and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States; * Advises the President on the appointment of U.S. ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and other diplomatic representatives; * Advises the President regarding the acceptance, recall, and dismissal of the representatives of foreign governments; * Personally participates in or directs U.S. representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies; * Negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties and agreements; * Ensures the protection of the U.S. Government to American citizens, property, and interests in foreign countries; * Supervises the administration of U.S. immigration laws abroad; * Provides information to American citizens regarding the political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian conditions in foreign countries; * Informs the Congress and American citizens on the conduct of U.S. foreign relations; * Promotes beneficial economic intercourse between the United States and other countries; * Administers the Department of State; * Supervises the Foreign Service of the United States.In addition, the Secretary of State retains domestic responsibilities that Congress entrusted to the State Department in 1789. These include the custody of the Great Seal of the United States, the preparation of certain presidential proclamations, the publication of treaties and international acts as well as the official record of the foreign relations of the United States, and the custody of certain original treaties and international agreements. The Secretary also serves as the channel of communication between the Federal Government and the States on the extradition of fugitives to or from foreign countries.
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