End of a Plutocracy

Paulson Bailout Failure: First Shot in the Next Class War

On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadephia

Springsteen to play in Philly Saturday, for free, for Obama

The Obama campaign has just announced that Bruce Springsteen will play a free, acoustic, set on the Parkway Saturday afternoon. The stated purpose is to assist voter registration and volunteer efforts, and, indeed, to get "preferred" tickets you have to go to an Obama campaign office and sign up to volunteer. General admission is available via the web.

Just in case

Just in case you aren't already appalled and terrified at what sort of shoestring - what sort of nitwits - the fate of the earth rests on, there's this:

Witness: Officer admitted taking missile device

MINOT, N.D. — An Air Force supervisor says a Minot Air Force Base officer admitted taking a missile launch control device as a souvenir because he thought it would be "a cool thing to have."

The domino-sized device is now obsolete but Borowiecki's supervisor says had the technology been compromised, it could have accidentally detonated a nuclear missile.

Hugo Chavez is Arabian

Hugo of Arabia

A Democrat sends over this clip from John McCain's economic forum just now, in which McCain, talking about energy policy, stresses the importance of "ensuring that America is secure, and not dependent on oil from people like Hugo Chavez or other parts of the Middle East. which is, we know, could be destabilized under certain sets of circumstances."

*sigh*

Adviser: "Pssst! John! John! Hugo Chavez isn't from the Middle East!"

McCain: "Ummmm...he's kind of dark and he has oil."

Adviser: "Venezuela, John, Venezuela."

Quote of the day

I don’t think that comforts anybody. I don’t think that moves a single vote. With due respect and sympathy for the man, that was the picture of a beaten dog. That was the picture of presidential impotence right there. He looked terrible like his bell had been rung. He looked drawn to me. - John John Heilemann of New York Magazine, on Bush's speech

Transcript of the pathetic thing here.

Sarah Palin Endorses Hamas

McCain is rejected by Republicans

I have seen a few people complain that 95 Democrats voted against the Bill, and thus, against Pelosi and Reid.

That's less than half the story:

Democrats vote: YES - 140-95

Republicans vote: NO - 133-65

The REAL question is: Why did 133 Republicans go against John McCain?

John McCain is running for President of the United States. He acted like he was going to ride into town like the Cavalry and use his magnetism, charisma and influence to get that bill passed.

And his OWN PARTY voted against his wishes. By almost two-thirds. IF he had been President, that would have been an almost veto proof majority. He said he was going to get it passed. He didn't get it passed. It DIED. Because he couldn't lead his own party.

Why did McCain's own party reject him?

So they'll just print more money

Fed Pumps Further $630 Billion Into Financial System

They did this BEFORE Congress rejected the 700 billion dollar bailout.

I'm not all that sure that created major inflation - which is what printing 630 billion dollars will do - is much of a solution.

It's an outrage

7 years

Emptywheel has some numbers:

January 19, 2001: 10,587.59
September 29, 2008: 10,365.45

NASDAQ Jan 19, 2001 = 2770.38
NASDAQ September 29, 2008 = 1983.73

CPI, January 19, 2001: 175
CPI, September 29, 2008: 219

Dollar exchange with Euro, January 19, 2001: 1.068
Dollar exchange with Euro, September 29, 2008: .695

So if you're one of these idiots who has saved for retirement, you would have done better stuffing your money into a mattress, and MUCH better keeping it in a 1% savings account, thanks to George W. Bush and the Ideological Economy.

Obama is right: McCain was wrong

Obama ad

Only one candidate in this race acts like a grownup - and it isn't John McCain.

Virginia Veterans for Obama

Jack Cafferty on Sarah Palin

Sooooo...

I didn't see the bloody thing last night, since, like a fool, I was out enjoying myself.

Strangely enough, most individual seem to think it was quite close, but the polls show a rather strong preference for Obama.

CNN post-debate poll:

Who did the best job in the debate?

Barack Obama 51
John McCain 38

Who would better handle Iraq?

Barack Obama 52
John McCain 47

Who would better handle the economy?

Barack Obama 58
John McCain 37

CBS Insta Poll:

CBS Insta Poll shows Barack Obama won 39% to John McCain's 25% with 36% saying the debate was a draw.

Insider Advantage reports those polled Obama won 42% to McCain's 41% with Undecided 17%

CNN reports voter opinions that Obama "did better" 51%, McCain "did better" 38%

The CNN poll showed men were evenly split, but women gave Obama higher marks 59% to 41% for McCain.

One thing I wish the left would do is work to lower expectations. I'm surprised that Obama is viewed as doing as well as he did because people EXPECTED him to - he's obviously a better public speaker - and debate results are often decided by contrast with expectations. I.e., if Obama is expected to wipe the floor with McCain, and they're about even, he can be perceived as losing. John McCain is a good debater; he always has been. I would much prefer that people realize this, and then are negattively surprised that he didn't look particularly good last night.

Giuliani=scum

From the Daily News

Rudy Giuliani is positioning his law firm to cash in on Wall Street's train wreck - a move that has become a gift to political enemies of his pal John McCain.