When Silence Is Golden

More form the Johnny Mac drama. He wanted to be there. He doesn't just phone in. He's ready to lead. After he's done taping talk shows, of course.

From CNN:

“I know that many of you have noticed, but it’s not my style to simply ‘phone it in.’ I am a Teddy Roosevelt Republican. I believe our leaders belong ‘in the arena’ when our country faces a challenge,” said the Republican nominee. “I’ve never been afraid of stepping in to solve problems for the American people, and I’m not going to stop now."

Over the weekend, both McCain and major supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham used similar language in describing the reason for his choice. “John didn’t phone this one in,” Graham told Fox News. “You can’t phone something like this in. Thank God John came back.”

Democrats responded by pointing to comments from top McCain advisor Mark Salter, who said that McCain had decided to spend his time at home or at his campaign headquarters instead of visiting Capitol Hill during marathon negotiations over the bailout bill over the weekend because “he’s calling members on both sides, talking to people in the administration, helping out as he can. …He can effectively do what he needs to do by phone,” said Salter.

The Bailout Bill

This bill was a joke from the start. I've included the text draft from the NY times. I have few problems with this: no oversight; no gradual implementation of the 7 billion; SEC 3 blatantly puts the companies before the taxpayer; SEC 11 offers NO credit reform; and take a look at SEC 10, and our public debt.

Here it is folks:

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR TREASURY AUTHORITY
TO PURCHASE MORTGAGE-RELATED ASSETS

Section 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as ____________________.

Sec. 2. Purchases of Mortgage-Related Assets.
(a) Authority to Purchase.--The Secretary is authorized to purchase, and to make and fund commitments to purchase, on such terms and conditions as determined by the Secretary, mortgage-related assets from any financial institution having its headquarters in the United States.
(b) Necessary Actions.--The Secretary is authorized to take such actions as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the authorities in this Act, including, without limitation:
(1) appointing such employees as may be required to carry out the authorities in this Act and defining their duties;
(2) entering into contracts, including contracts for services authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, without regard to any other provision of law regarding public contracts;
(3) designating financial institutions as financial agents of the Government, and they shall perform all such reasonable duties related to this Act as financial agents of the Government as may be required of them;
(4) establishing vehicles that are authorized, subject to supervision by the Secretary, to purchase mortgage-related assets and issue obligations; and
(5) issuing such regulations and other guidance as may be necessary or appropriate to define terms or carry out the authorities of this Act.

Sec. 3. Considerations.
In exercising the authorities granted in this Act, the Secretary shall take into consideration means for--
(1) providing stability or preventing disruption to the financial markets or banking system; and
(2) protecting the taxpayer.

Sec. 4. Reports to Congress.
Within three months of the first exercise of the authority granted in section 2(a), and semiannually thereafter, the Secretary shall report to the Committees on the Budget, Financial Services, and Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committees on the Budget, Finance, and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate with respect to the authorities exercised under this Act and the considerations required by section 3.

Sec. 5. Rights; Management; Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.
(a) Exercise of Rights.--The Secretary may, at any time, exercise any rights received in connection with mortgage-related assets purchased under this Act.
(b) Management of Mortgage-Related Assets.--The Secretary shall have authority to manage mortgage-related assets purchased under this Act, including revenues and portfolio risks therefrom.
(c) Sale of Mortgage-Related Assets.--The Secretary may, at any time, upon terms and conditions and at prices determined by the Secretary, sell, or enter into securities loans, repurchase transactions or other financial transactions in regard to, any mortgage-related asset purchased under this Act.
(d) Application of Sunset to Mortgage-Related Assets.--The authority of the Secretary to hold any mortgage-related asset purchased under this Act before the termination date in section 9, or to purchase or fund the purchase of a mortgage-related asset under a commitment entered into before the termination date in section 9, is not subject to the provisions of section 9.

Sec. 6. Maximum Amount of Authorized Purchases.
The Secretary’s authority to purchase mortgage-related assets under this Act shall be limited to $700,000,000,000 outstanding at any one time

Sec. 7. Funding.
For the purpose of the authorities granted in this Act, and for the costs of administering those authorities, the Secretary may use the proceeds of the sale of any securities issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, and the purposes for which securities may be issued under chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, are extended to include actions authorized by this Act, including the payment of administrative expenses. Any funds expended for actions authorized by this Act, including the payment of administrative expenses, shall be deemed appropriated at the time of such expenditure.

Sec. 8. Review.
Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any a
administrative agency.

Sec. 9. Termination of Authority.
The authorities under this Act, with the exception of authorities granted in sections 2(b)(5), 5 and 7, shall terminate two years from the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 10. Increase in Statutory Limit on the Public Debt.
Subsection (b) of section 3101 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking out the dollar limitation contained in such subsection and inserting in lieu thereof $11,315,000,000,000.

Sec. 11. Credit Reform.
The costs of purchases of mortgage-related assets made under section 2(a) of this Act shall be determined as provided under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, as applicable.

Sec. 12. Definitions.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Mortgage-Related Assets.--The term “mortgage-related assets” means residential or commercial mortgages and any securities, obligations, or other instruments that are based on or related to such mortgages, that in each case was originated or issued on or before September 17, 2008.
(2) Secretary.--The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Treasury.
(3) United States.--The term “United States” means the States, territories, and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia.

For an in-depth copy of the proposal, visit the NY Times Here.

John McCain...You Are Wrong!

One of the best videos to come out of the debate, courtesy of Jed Lewison.

Palin and Earmarks

Since the VP debate is coming up, I've decided to look-up Palin's talking points, and go about showing people how funny they are. Since we're in the middle of an economic "hic-up", let's look at her economic plans. First up, earmarks. She's a champ....at getting them. Reform, she says? Reform your state, Governor.

Comedian of the Day: John McCain!

They are losing their minds.

Palin, while gracing Geno's and Pat's in Philadelphia with her presence, undermined John McCain and seemed to support Obama's position on Pakistan. What's McCain have to say?
He asserts that this was a private conversation, and that Palin shares his views. So...
Either she lied, or she's not that bright. Frankly, I think it's both. She would be the Comedian of the Day, but I think Johnny Mac out-did her with his weird and incoherent defense of her statement:

Steady Drive

From THOMAS M. DeFRANK at the NY Daily News:


A new Gallup Poll released Monday shows the Illinois Democrat leading McCain by 8 points, 50%-42%.

The three-day tracking poll included one full day of sampling after last Friday's first McCain-Obama debate, so the next Gallup poll this week will fully reflect how voters reacted to that encounter.

The new Gallup numbers - and five other national polls in the last week that have Obama ahead beyond the statistical margin of error - suggest that jitters over the financial markets calamity may have hurt McCain by refocusing voters on economic issues, traditionally a plus for Democrats.

For example, Gallup found that Obama is the only politician who gets passing marks on handling the Wall Street crisis. A majority disapproved of the performance of McCain, President Bush, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, congressional Democrats, and congressional Republicans.

McCain has shown that he's much too impulsive, and not thoughful enough to lead. While in DC, after "putting his campaign on hold"- after a few interviews, a campign stop, etc. - McCain said nothing. While work continued, he thought it best to "man the phones" in VA.

No wonder Senator Obama is pulling away in the polls.

Is Their Blood Not Enough?

I find a lot of things about the election cycle amusing. It's a great time to be involved. But, as with any situation in life, there are some aspects of this that sicken me as well.

Nothing is more disgusting than a soldier's name invoked for some political gain. Particularly when that soldier has died. And in this respect, both campaigns have let me down.

What motivates a soldier is hard to explain to those that have never served. The sense of honor, integrity, brotherhood, and duty, are instilled in you to the core. And they shine brightest when you are called to action. A soldier is not afforded the luxury of politics. They cannot argue, they cannot reflect, and they cannot express themselves when faced with the challenges of combat. And more often than not, their voices are not heard when they return.

So when a politician singles out a soldier to further a political point, they denigrate the service, and the man. That soldier's life was not given for your cause, it was given for his brothers, and his country.

It's often best if it is left at that.

To Sum It Up

From the NY Daily News by THOMAS M. DEFRANK:

OXFORD, Miss. - At a difficult moment in the Vietnam War, crusty Republican Sen. George Aiken of Vermont offered a novel solution - simply declare victory, and leave.
John McCain resurrected Aiken's playbook Friday - except he declared defeat, and left.

RELATED: McCAIN, OBAMA BATTLE AT OLE MISS
The collapse of McCain's Hail Mary intervention capped a tumultuous week which saw the Arizona Democrat's lead over Obama evaporate and his running mate deliver a ragged and at times impenetrable TV interview. With economic jitters playing to traditional Democratic dogma, McCain's Big Mo suddenly reverted to his challenger.
"This is the attention-deficit-disorder campaign," said a bewildered senior Republican operative. "They've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week."
In the process, McCain invited questions about his judgment and ability to work his will in Washington if elected.
"This raises the fundamental issue of how a guy who is hated by his own party can govern," fretted a GOP mandarin who worked for several Presidents. "If he can't control the Republicans, how can he run a country?"
Initially, McCain's dramatic decision to suspend his campaign, opt out of the debate and rush back to Washington smacked of bold, gutsy leadership. Even some Democratic strategists grudgingly admitted it was the sort of thing Presidents do.
But McCain ignored the first rule of high-stakes summitry: before committing precious credibility, make sure a deal's in hand, or at least in sight. In this case McCain, who probably has more Democratic friends on Capitol Hill than Republicans, couldn't even deliver his own side.
In rolling the dice yet again in his storied career, McCain should have pondered the last time a presidential contender tried this gambit. In 1980, with the Iranian hostage crisis in its second year, President Jimmy Carter suspended his campaign against Ronald Reagan and vowed to stay in the White House until Americans held by Tehran's Revolutionary Guards were released.
After a couple of weeks, Democratic leaders revolted. Answering a planted question at a White House event, Carter announced the crisis was now "manageable," so he could resume campaigning.
He looked weak, indecisive, blatantly political - and the hostages weren't freed until the day Reagan took office and Carter limped away in defeat.
The parallels to McCain's misstep are eerie and ominous.

Game....Set......Match?

This debate was supposed to be McCain's strongest. It was about his baby, his foreign policy experience. And it was. How did he do?


From Brian Montopoli aty CBS News:

Thirty-nine percent of uncommitted voters who watched the debate tonight thought Barack Obama was the winner. Twenty-five percent thought John McCain won.

Thirty-six percent saw it as a draw. Forty-six percent of uncommitted voters said their opinion of Obama got better tonight. Thirty-one percent said their opinion of McCain got better.

Sixty-six percent of uncommitted voters think Obama would make the right decisions about the economy. Forty-four percent think McCain would.

The Germans are Laughing!

Some time has passed since Obama's speech to a thrilled German audience. Since then, many-a-pundit have voiced their opinion of a Presidential candidate that cares about what foreigners think about the US and our policies.

How do they feel about this German reaction, as reported by the WSJ:

The U.S. will lose its status as the world’s leading financial power, German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said Thursday, criticizing the U.S. authorities’ late reaction to the financial crisis and the country’s free-market policy.
“The serious global financial market crisis will leave deep marks. It will revolutionize deeply the global financial system,” Steinbrueck told the lower house of parliament in a debate on the situation in financial markets. “The U.S. will lose its status as the super power of the global financial system, not abruptly but it will erode. The global financial system will become more multipolar.”

Steinbrueck also said that the U.S. “didn’t sufficiently regulate investment banks” and criticized Anglo-American free market policy as a short-term “insane drive for higher and higher profits,” adding that yields of 25% can’t be generated in the long-term.


Maybe we should listen to our European friends.

A Perspective on Palin's Problem

Roger Cohen wrote this, in a great op-ed in the NY Times:

From an inspirational notion, however flawed in execution, that has buttressed the global spread of liberty, American exceptionalism has morphed into the fortress of those who see themselves threatened by “one-worlders” (read Barack Obama) and who believe it’s more important to know how to dress moose than find Mumbai.

That’s Palinism, a philosophy delivered without a passport and with a view (on a clear day) of Russia.

Behind Palinism lies anger. It’s been growing as America’s relative decline has become more manifest in falling incomes, imploding markets, massive debt and rising new centers of wealth and power from Shanghai to Dubai.

The damn-the-world, God-chose-us rage of that America has sharpened as U.S. exceptionalism has become harder to square with the 21st-century world’s interconnectedness. How exceptional can you be when every major problem you face, from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to gas prices, requires joint action?

Read the rest here.

Naive? Kissinger?

Yet another example of the depth of the GOP's choice for VP. Honestly, at what point do you start looking around for the cameras that are taping the biggest political prank in history?

From the NY Times:

The CBS interview, shown partly on Wednesday and partly on Thursday, was only a first taste — Ms. Couric is scheduled to go out on the campaign trail with the Palin team early next week. But it may be hard for Mr. McCain’s running mate to recoup. It wasn’t her first interview on national television, but in some ways it was the worst.

Ms. Palin was criticized — and mocked — for appearing to be stumped when Mr. Gibson, on ABC, asked her on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to define the Bush doctrine. The McCain campaign, however, cast the scorn as sexism and media snobbery.

Ms. Palin’s interview with Mr. Hannity the following week went more smoothly, but perhaps too smoothly. Mr. Hannity mostly seemed intent on giving Ms. Palin a chance to correct any confusion left by her ABC interview. “What do you view as the Bush doctrine?” he asked. Ms. Palin replied, “That’s a great question, and being an optimist, I see our role in the world as one of — being a force for good and one of being the leader of the world.”

Ms. Couric asked her questions firmly but gently, careful not to seem flippant or condescending. But she ended on a “gotcha” moment. After Ms. Palin attacked Senator Barack Obama for saying he would meet with leaders of Syria and Iran without preconditions, Ms. Couric reminded the governor that she recently met with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who supports direct diplomacy with both countries. “Are you saying Henry Kissinger is naïve?” Ms. Couric asked. Ms. Palin replied, “I’ve never heard Henry Kissinger say, ‘Yeah, I’ll meet with these leaders without preconditions being met.’ ”

After the interview, Ms. Couric faced the camera and added a postscript. “Incidentally, we confirmed Henry Kissinger’s position following our interview,” she said, explaining that Mr. Kissinger supports talks “without preconditions.”

Another One Bites the Dust

From the Wall Street Journal:

In what is by far the largest bank failure in U.S. history, federal regulators seized Washington Mutual Inc. and struck a deal to sell the bulk of its operations to J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Associated Press
Pedestrians walk past a Washington Mutual branch in downtown Seattle.
The collapse of the Seattle thrift, which was triggered by a wave of deposit withdrawals, marks a new low point in the country's mortgage crisis. But the deal, as constructed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., could hold some glimmers of hope for the beleaguered financial system because it averts any hit to the bank-insurance fund.
Instead, J.P. Morgan agreed to pay $1.9 billion to the government for WaMu's banking operations and will assume the loan portfolio of the $307 billion thrift. The full cost to J.P. Morgan will be much higher, because it plans to write down about $31 billion of the bad loans and raise $8 billion in new capital. All WaMu depositors will have access to their cash, but shareholders and other debt holders will likely see little if any recovery.
The deal will vault J.P. Morgan into first place in nationwide deposits and greatly expand its nationwide franchise.
The seizure capped a frenetic period for the U.S. banking system, and came while members of Congress continued to wrangle over the Bush Administration's proposed $700 billion bailout package.
The fact that no bank was willing to buy WaMu until it failed shows how badly confidence has eroded in a banking system awash with record profits just a few years ago. Faced with deepening losses on mortgages, credit cards and other loans, big and small banks across the country are struggling with what many bank executives say is a crisis far deeper than the savings-and-loan debacle.

Piling On

Things just keep coming and coming. I think the new GOP strategy is to make us feel sorry for Palin, by making her out to be the biggest klutz in political history.

Vetted they say? BS says I, and

Steve Quinn and Justin Pritchard of the AP:

Sarah Palin felt so strongly about the public corruption indictment of a Republican state senator this summer that she urged him to resign — but not strongly enough to return the $1,000 he gave to help elect her governor.
The donation from John Cowdery was one of two from Alaska legislators who contributed to Palin's 2006 campaign weeks after the FBI raided their offices. The sprawling public corruption scandal that followed became a rallying point for candidate Palin, who was swept into office after promising voters she would rid Alaska's capital of dirty politics.

Comedian of the Day: Qualified?

This is getting bad. I feel horrible for Palin. I almost wish I could help her. So here it goes:

Please stop. Just stop. The proximity of your state to Russia and Canada means NOTHING. You sound like a complete lunatic. I'm sure that no one on your staff thinks it's a good idea to show you how dumb you sound. And since you like to watch comedy with the TV muted, why don't you try watching this:

Ladies and getlemen, Johnny Mac's VP pick! Country first....

Elections Aren't the Only Thing

I know that most of us are busy yaking away about this or that political gesture or happening. It's election season. The most exciting in my entire life. But the world is moving along as well, and we need to pay attention.

After weeks of posturing, invading, and launching strikes inside Pakistan, this happened:

U.S. says Pakistan shot at U.S. copters in Afghanistan

Wake up people. In a prior post, I tired to show you what the Middle East map looks like in relation to our presence and conflict there. Looks like we are about to lose an ally.

The debate on Friday just got a bit more relevant.

Analysis Through Quotes

From Mark Mooney's article at ABC NEWS:

"The American people deserve to hear directly from myself and Senator McCain about how we intend to lead our country. The times are too serious to put our campaign on hold," Obama said.

"This is not the John McCain I know," Letterman fumed on air. "Don't suspend your campaign. You let your campaign go on shouldered by your vice presidential nominee. That's what you do. You don't quit. You know, this just doesn't smell right ... Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."

It appears to me John McCain is trying to divert attention from his failing campaign. Coming back here is not going to add to the process," Reid said.

"Frankly, we're going to have to interrupt a negotiating session between the Democrats and Republicans on a bill, where I think we're getting pretty close, and troop down to the White House for their photo-op, and then come back and get on to it," Frank said.


So what do you think? Political or not? And remember the 8am phone call...

Johnny Mac To the Rescue......Comedian of the Day!

John McCain has decided to put his campaign on hold. He'll even cancel the debate on Friday.

But first, he cancelled his Late Nite appearance, so he could hippity-hop on an airplane and get to work on this economic catastrophe.

Too bad we live in the age of the TV:

Great Take, Sir!

From Harold Meyerson, at the Washington Post:


Slipping in the polls? Concerned that Americans may be paying more attention to the declining economy -- and even supporting economic regulation again -- than to your own stellar leadership abilities?
What's a Republican presidential nominee to do?
If you're named John McCain, the answer became apparent yesterday afternoon -- make the solution to the economic crisis all about yourself. Suspend your campaign. Pull out of tomorrow's debate -- a trivial exercise merely allowing Americans to judge the two candidates side by side. Change the terms of the nation's economic discussion from the course we should take, and the defects of the laissez-faire model that got us here, to the indispensability of John McCain, leader of leaders.

What a great piece.

"The fundamentals." Hahaha.

Multitasking

It's what "hockey moms" do everyday.
It's what world leaders do everyday.

GW? Not so much.
Can John McCain?

I don't think so. This latest try to stall both the debate and Obama's progress in the pools shows how unready John McCain is. Why shouldn't we expect the candidates to honor their agreement with the thousands of people that helped set up their first debate?

What I'm seeing during the Congressional hearings is the emerging backbone of Congress. This time, they're not willing to be bulldozed into making rash decisions. They want to take some reasonable time to look at what this all means. They want options.

McCain has called for an orderly revision of the facts. I agreed. Now, he wants to jump head-long into this problem as if he were the one economics guru we need.

I appreciate his call for unison. I'm just not sure that this was McCain's call. It smacks of politics. It will be interesting to see the timeline of this developing story.

Fluffy

Fluffy. That's what I'd call Palin's campaign so far. Why? Because it's full of fluff, obviously.

Since Palin got the nod, and her admittedly historic acceptance speech, the McSame campaign has held Palin on a very tight leash, presumably because Palin has no foreign relations experience. If Charles Gibson's interview didn't cement that idea for you, maybe this will:

The McSame campaign will not be allowing reporters to question Palin, or to record what goes in in her meetings this week at the UN. They'd love to have the photo ops, but they don't want any of her substance leaking out to the world.

Thankfully, even FOX News realizes that this is a sham. Maybe the media will grow a collective backbone, and refuse to cover the spoon-fed material they are subjected to. We'll see.

Palin's Second

One had to feel a bit sorry for Palin, as she clearly had some trouble with "Charlie". Her first interview left much to be desired, and created more questions than were answered by her.

So to settle the score, Palin's second romp through the national media is going to be mediated by....Sean Hannity. Sean Hannity. The commentator. The fake reporter.

Or as I like to call him: the biased media.

Are you kidding? Sean Hannity of Fox News. I don't know how I feel about this one. I'd laugh, a lot, because she's funny when she's asked questions. Any questions.

But I'm equally tempted to throw my chair at my TV, because the "impartiality" of this interview is going to make me sick.

For Today At Least

As I look over the news, the web, and the country today, I notice even the most extreme people taking a break from divisiveness today.

Let's follow their lead. I'm done for today.

Comedian of the Day: Sean Hannity!

Last night, Sean Hannity showed Robert Kuttner his econ prowess.

According to Sean, the economy is great. All of those people "spewing" the "dire straits garbage" we're loony Democrats.

Yes. Sure. Tell that to Lehman Brothers, or to Bern. Or better yet, the tax paying public that has to bail these giants out. I seldom lower myself to this but: what an idiot!

We're Winning....Aren't We?

From the Associated Press: US death in Afghanistan makes 2008 deadliest year.

Let's discuss the surge for a moment, leaving out the fact that its goals are less than clear. The surge HAS WORKED, in that it has brought violence down. Yay. WHY?
Because you simply have a bunch more US soldiers and Marines walking around. It's like putting a cop on every corner of a city. It'll work, but its not practical. If we were destroying Al Qida and Iraqi insurgents at the same time, I'd understand.

But we're not. Afghanistan is a far more dangerous place, and you can bet that any terrorist packed up their IEDs and tippy-toed into Pakistan until the successful surge ended. We can't keep troops in Iraq because of the cost to both men and treasury, and the Iraqis are just about ready to hand us a withdrawl date. And I'm not so sure that Iran won't play at least a cordial part in Iraqi politics. So for the same reasons as the cops on every corner, the surge has worked. And for the same reasons, it won't make a difference in the long run.

Who's the candidate that has been calling constantly for a redirection of forces to Afghanistan? And who's not ready to lead?

An American Citizen on Palin Pick

Why are people calling Matt names over this? Oh, that's right. He's an actor.
What I see is an American citizen asking relevant questions about a VP nominee that refuses to answer the media and the people. We should all be so bold.

Our War On Terror...Really?!?

Pictures speak louder than words. So, have a look, and let me explain the crude paint file.

This is a map of the middle east. The blue country is Afghanistan, the country where the attackers of 9/11 were trained. Or, the country we should be fighting in.

The green country is Iraq. I still, to this day, have no idea what we're doing there.

The yellow countries are the ones that we are currently bent on fighting, or at least agitating. The red one is our ally, or "happy to take your money for oil, while putting down the 95% of the population that wants the 'Infidel dogs to pay'".

Oh, and that brownish smudge in the middle. That's the Persian-Arab Gulf. The highway for the tankers that carry the oil the world needs.

Slam dunk policy.

Seven Years Ago

Feudalism...Making a Comeback?

You laugh, and say: "Oh, you crazy exaggerator."

I say: "Watch your head. It's Bill O'Reilly trickling the Reaganomics on your head." Curious?

Let me explain. I decided to watch the second part of the Obama interview last night on "The Factor", fully convinced I wasn't going to learn a thing. Boy, was I wrong!

The interview was the usual back-and-forth, until Obama repeated that his tax plan would raise the tax on the top 1% of Americans, those making over $250,000, and would cut taxes for about 100 million families. (More like 60 million). I thought Billy was going to choke, but he composed himself as best he could, and called the plan "class warfare." Interesting.

So, by inductive reasoning, Billy divides the class system in this country in two: 95% making under $250,000, and the 5% making over that mark. I guess, if we were trying to be thorough, we could divide that top 5% into 4.99% making Great $, and 0.01% making Ridiculous $.

Let me draw some conclusions: The top 4.99% may be CEOs and other executives of smaller corporations, and some extremely successful business owners. The 0.01% are CEOs and other executives of mega-corporations. You know, the ones with the salary increases and stock options. Bear Stern types. You know where this is going.

So IF I'm right, these people are the ones that reap huge benefits no matter what the economy does, while the 95%, the workers, get screwed by the market, and those layoffs.

During the Dark Ages, there were kings that made Ridiculous $, and lesser nobles that made Great $. And then there were the serfs; the ones who would work the land, fight for nothing, and pay the taxes. And as far as I know, the only thing that trickled down on them was rain, and waste thrown form whatever castle they were lucky enough to serve. You draw the parallels.

Ha ha?!

GOP Math Lesson

For those of you that have just completed the fourth grade, please bear with us. For the majority of the GOP, grab one of the people I just mentioned. You may find this ground-breaking, and a little scary. The rest of you, have a laugh, and then start investing in €. Here we go. From Andrew Taylor and ABC news:

The Congressional Budget Office released figures Tuesday that indicate the red ink will spill over into next year, when the deficit would reach a record $438 billion — and could go even higher as the government takes over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The worsening deficit is largely due to continuing weakness in the economy, high energy and food prices, and the slump in the housing and financial markets, the CBO said. And the economy could still slide into a recession, according to the forecast.

So. Less coming in (tax breaks) + more going out (war, BAILOUTS) = More for you!

Right?

Comedian of the Day: John McCain!

Flippitty-floppitty. That's the sound of change.

Now I have to be honest, I hate that phrase. You can broadly apply it to every chage of heart, regardless of the facts involved. A person, even a politician, can change their mind on an issue for many reasons; I'd like to think that politicians listen and are able to discern changes that occur in the world, and that those perceived changes influence their world view. That's why we're taught to listen.

Unfortunately, some changes can only be explained in the context of political gain. They are not a reaction made to better the country, they are politically calculated. And they're extremely obvious.

I'm not going to categorize the following changes. It's your call:

War wounds, and Veterans......Surprise!

The man spent years being tortured. He spent those days dreaming of America. When he came back, America welcomed him. So to all my fellow service men and women, here's how McCain thanks us for our service, err.......retention rates. Who needs college, anyway?

Socialized Bailouts

My conservative friends all-too-often chime in with their views on welfare. Most argue that the working middle class should not be burdened with the task of providing for those that choose not to work.

I fall in the middle. I think that we have a responsibility to our fellow Americans. Some need more help than others. But I also think that we need to incentivize people to get back to work. Most honest people need a helping hand, not a permanent crutch. This is an important issue, one that deeply divides our politics, and our politicians. So what's so funny?

The extremists in our government, the ones who cry "socialism" whenever the poor need your help; those same extremists that have now fully ensured that the new strategy in dealing with our economic problems is, and get ready: socialized bailouts. That's right folks. If you max out your credit cards, you can't afford your rent or mortgage, if you lose your job because of an accident that wasn't your fault, who helps you out? Who tries?

So when Bear and Fannie and Freddy go under, they're on their own, right? And that's what's funny.

Comedian of the Day: Karl Rove!

Apparently, the esteemed Karl Rove has many talents. He's President Bush's political genius, the architect of the administration. He's also a gifted TV personality (FOX News contributor), and a powerhouse inside the GOP. Now, I can safely say that Karl Rove will be alright, even if the Democrats win this November. He'll always be able to find a job with any circus, because this man can bend and twist like no one I have ever seen:

Mr. Rove had this to say about Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, while Senator Obama was vetting him:

"[Kaine] was mayor of the 105th largest city in America," Rove said. "And again, with all due respect to Richmond, Virginia, it's smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa, or Gilbert, Arizona; North Las Vegas, or Henderson, Nevada. It's not a big town...So if he were to pick Governor Kaine it would be an intensely political pick where he said 'You know what? I'm really not first and foremost concerned with is this person capable of being President of the United States..."

Naturally, one would assume that Mr. Rove would apply his well-formed logical argument to the VP aspirations of Gov. Palin. But, with a deftly executed back-twist, he has managed to hide his head from his own opinions. I laughed for an hour.

If you want to see this played out on video, please visit the Daily Show.

The Guidelines

I would like to start my conversation with you by thanking a select few for helping motivate my enterance into the world of political discourse: the main-stream media, the Democrats, and the GOP.

The Comically Partisan views and opinions of these groups has left me with no other choice: I must write and catalog everything they say. Why?

A few reasons. First and foremost, I must vent. If I don't, my head will explode. Secondly, these people are funny. Their moral contortions, their complete amnesia, and their view of us, the people, is the ultimate comedy act. I find it more palatable to view our political process with a conscience tempered by a sense of humor, because I am sure that our elected officials are laughing at us as well.

I'm no foot-soldier. I'm not prepared to tell you what's right and wrong with the political landscape in America. That type of rhetoric is far too nuanced and too often over-simplified. But I can show you what's Comically Partisan.

Welcome, and let the games begin.