Category: Politics

New York Times Puts Siegleman News Blackout in Alabama In OP/ED

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They write about the fact that WHNT, a CBS affiliate, went to black during the 60 minutes presentation of the politicization of the prosecution of former governor Don Siegleman.

Last two ‘graphs:

In 1969, the F.C.C. revoked the license of WLBT in Jackson after the commission established a systematic effort by the broadcaster to suppress information about the civil rights movement. Today, broadcast rules have changed, giving stations more leeway to decide what to air. Dropping a single report is unlikely to set the regulators in motion. Still, it would be deeply troubling if a partisan broadcaster could suppress information on the public airwaves and hide behind a technical fig leaf.

In this case, if the blackout was intentional, it may also have been counterproductive. Rather than take attention away from allegations that Mr. Siegelman was the victim of a partisan campaign, WHNT’s technical glitch seems to lend support to the charge.

Based on what is going on in Alabama, I’m coming to believe that this prosecution was driven by political considerations.

Otherwise, why would the GOP there be so freaked out and hypersensitive about this.

Naomi Kline Nails It

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She has an article in the nation, Disowned by the Ownership Society, or as I like to refer to it, the Pwn3rsh1p society.

Go read it.

Here is a sample:

In November Nasdaq joined forces with several private banks, including Goldman Sachs, to form Portal Alliance, a private equity stock market open only to investors with assets upward of $100 million. In short order yesterday’s ownership society has morphed into today’s members-only society.

BTW, this private market will crash and burn, because there is no small investor left to hold the bag when the bubble bursts.

Brad Delong Gets it On Walt and Mearsheimer

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Brad Delong points to a series of very interesting critiques Walt and Mearsheimer’s book, The Israel Lobby. Specifically, he cites a quote from their original paper, “The mere existence of the Lobby suggests that unconditional support for Israel is not in the American national interest. If it was, one would not need an organized special interest to bring it about.”

This would of course apply to NOW, NARAL, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Humane Society, etc.

They must necessarily be acting against the interests of the US, because otherwise they would not need an organized special interest to bring it about.

It is utilitarianism taken to absurd extremes.

It is the idea that the national best interest is immediately apparent to any policy maker, and so the only time one needs a lobbyist is when one wishes to make the government operate in a member contrary to government interest.

This is tremendously naive at best.

Things You Do Not Expect Out of the WSJ Editorial Page

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It should be noted that the WSJ dishonesty editorial page was one of the prime media outlets enabling this:

Renzi and Republicans

Extortion and money laundering are usually the province of gangsters, not Western Congressmen. That changed yesterday with the indictment of GOP Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona on charges that he used his seat on the House Natural Resources Committee to enrich himself through a trail of payoffs on land deals.

…

Plurality Support “Socialized Medicine”

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EzraKlein has found this study by the Harvard School of Public Health, which shows that a plurality support “socialized medicine” even when it’s called “socialized medicine”.

Here is the picture:
[img]http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1689/10590113/18913141/304823818.jpg[/img]

and here is why the picture looks that way:

This is important because “SOCIALIZED MEDICINE” has been the scare word used by Republicans for years to kill any healthcare reform, and now nearly half of the people have a favorable opinion of this, even when it’s called by those scare words.

Government Shutting Down Economic Indicators Website

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Due to budgetary constraints, the Economic Indicators service (http://www.economicindicators.gov) will be discontinued effective March 1, 2008.

Economic Indicators.gov is brought to you by the Economics and Statistics Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Our mission is to provide timely access to the daily releases of key economic indicators from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau.

You may link to the most recent release by clicking on the report name in the table below. You may also subscribe to our *free Subscription Service to have these files emailed or faxed directly to you as soon as they are released.

Barry Ritholtz, of The Big Picture, rightly asks, “WTF? Feds Shutting Down Economic Data Site.”

He then suggests that, much like eliminating the release of the M3 Data, this was done because the data is inconvenient, and I agree.

Overheard in the Office — Political Funny

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A not by me, but by my “friend I’ve never met in person”, JR:

‘Do we really need a black drag queen running as the conservative candidate?’

‘Um, are you talking about Ron Paul?’

‘Yeah, him.’

‘He’s white and racist.’

‘Then who am I thinking of?’

‘Ru Paul.’

‘I take it they’re both about as qualified?’

‘I think the GOP leadership would take either one over McCain.’

Emphasis mine, and JR owes me a screen wipe.