Trash Talk! Packers v Barack Obama
I don't know whether it's because we almost didn't have a season, or because the accelerated pre-season is making things more interesting (or that the alternative was the clown show GOP Presidential debate). But I sat my arse down and watched…
Links, 8/12/11
The Daily Show
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The National Security State
While David Cameron has just been speaking hypothetically about shutting down social networks…
David Plouffe, Still Believe People Are Feeling Better about Economy?
David Plouffe was at yesterday's disappointing "Freedom Rally" at Johnson Controls. Aside from being amazed (as I often am when I see politicos in person) at how short he is, seeing him also made me newly cranky about Plouffe's comments last…
Made in China: Ensuring Everyone Gets Paid Less
The San Francisco Federal Reserve has a report showing that we don't really import all that much from China (this, in spite of yesterday's report that our trade deficit rose again last month). It manages to make the claim by tracking not the…
Apparently, "Freedom" Is the New Euphemism for "Government Investment"
There's something really disturbing about Obama's speech at Johnson Controls today: he barely claimed credit for the government's involvement in it.
Understand, I think the opening of factories like Johnson Controls the single biggest piece…
Obama Tries to Sell Free Trade in Holland, MI
I'll have more to say about Obama's speech at Johnson Controls later today when I get back to reliable Toobz.
But here are my first impressions.
First, here's the order of emphasis in his speech:
Freedom
Debt and compromise
The…
A Jobs SuperCongress
It's rather pathetic that this idea seems so remarkable.
Rep. John Larson (Conn.), chairman of the Democratic Caucus, wants to amend the recently passed debt-limit package to establish a joint select committee on job creation to operate alongside…
Links, 8/10/11
The HuffPo looks at how the Panama trade deal will just make it easier for rich Americans to dodge taxes.
Bank of America may be insolvent and stealing homes from people, but the police still obey them, rather than Community Organizers, even…
Coming Soon to Your Hard-Hit Neighborhood: Government-Subsidized TBTF Slumlords
I'm all in favor of creative ways to solve the foreclosure crisis. But I don't think this is answer.
The government is soliciting ideas for ways to unload lots--big lots--of foreclosed properties currently owned by Fannie, Freddie, or FHA.
The…
Ron Bloom to Spend More Time with His Family While Obama Pushes Trade Deals
So Ron Bloom, Obama's manufacturing czar and a key figure in the auto bailout, has announced he is leaving the White House to spend more time with his family.
Today, the White House announced Ron Bloom will be stepping down from his position…
WSJ: How the Problem of Low Wages Is Different from the Problem of Low Wages
This WSJ article--purporting to explain the difference between the 2008 crash from this crash (which is basically the extension of the earlier one)--is amusing for the way it avoids discussing the drop in real wages as the common cause for both…
Links, 8/9/11
Our Dying Economy
Update: Reid just named his three picks for SuperCongress: Patty Murray, Max Baucus, and John Kerry. IMO, Kerry is actually a worse choice than Baucus (yeah, that's me saying that), since Kerry was in favor of the 4T bargain…
Donald Rumsfeld's Torture Defense and Appendix M
As I noted yesterday, the 7th Circuit has permitted a Bivens lawsuit against Donald Rumsfeld to move forward.
I wanted to turn to a dispute not resolved in the opinion, which should be: whether or not Rummy changed the Army Field Manual after…
Attacking Romney Rather than the People Looting our Economy
This Politico story--"revealing" Obama's campaign plan to brand Multiple Choice Mitt as "weird"--has gotten a lot of attention in the twittersphere.
Barack Obama’s aides and advisers are preparing to center the president’s reelection campaign…
Another Day, Another Person Suing Donald Rumsfeld for Torture
The 7th Circuit has just issued a decision in yet another case where a US citizen (actually, two of them--Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel) are suing Donald Rumsfeld for the torture they suffered at the hands of the military. (h/t scribe) The opinion…
Links, 8/8/11
Our Dying Economy
Banks are slashing jobs. I guess giving all that free money to "job creators" didn't work out the way it was supposed to.
If Dodd-Frank could do what it was supposed to, the Feds would be busy resolving Bank of America…
Mexico Drug Cartels: Fighting Transnationalism with Transnationalism
Particularly in light of the Administration's recent rollout of its Transnational Criminal Organization program, the NYT's article on our escalating war in Mexico raises several concerns. As I laid out, that program basically applies a number…
The UndieBomber Trial Gets Interesting
I used to have a bit of a party trick last year before I moved out of SE Michigan. At some opportune time, I'd surprise folks by telling them the UndieBomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was in a prison just 20 miles from where we were in Ann…
Obama's Slogan for Trade: "Displaced workers ... Made in America"
When I saw Obama's pivot to creating Korean jobs on Tuesday, I actually thought he had mangled his script.
And I want Congress to pass a set of trade deals -- deals we’ve already negotiated -- that would help displaced workers looking…
The End of the American Empire
I write about our dying empire just about every day in my links posts. But given the debt limit debate and Friday's S&P downgrade, I wanted to look at four pieces that examine where we are more closely (note, all of these are well worth…
