Energy Move?

Her in the CSMis a good summary of the president's offshore drilling announcement. As you will see, it is designed to please no one, which is just what has happened.

This is O.'s way. It worked with HCR, unless you think that only single payer was legitimate reform.

At the end of the day, O. won that one by demonizing - deservedly - the insurance companies. Here it will be the oil companies and the carbon producers.

I believe he will win, and, this time, even with some GOP support, maybe Lindsay Graham e.g.

Bob Corker looked like being a Republican supporter on financial reform until today, when he changed his mind. I'm optimistic here too, because ultimately being on the side of Wall St. and the banks is not where you want to be. O. must detach himself from Dodd, however, and call for a truly independent consumer advocate.

Big Collision

One of the scientists involved described it as the beginning of a new era, an event today at the large Hadron collider at CERN in Switzerland.

Scientists at the world's largest particle accelerator have successfully collided beams of protons at the highest energy levels ever seen -- about 7 trillion electron volts.

And I don't know what that means. Here's a fairly clear explanation, including the issue of the Higgs Boson, a particle that imbues other particles with matter, thus earning it the moniker, "God particle." Nobody has ever seen the Higgs boson, and it may not exist. If it does, however, it would support the so-called Standard Model of sub-atomic physics. It will probably never be observed, only its trace.

An essay in the NYT said this:

A pair of otherwise distinguished physicists have suggested that the hypothesized Higgs boson, which physicists hope to produce with the collider, might be so abhorrent to nature that its creation would ripple backward through time and stop the collider before it could make one, like a time traveler who goes back in time to kill his grandfather.

I know, this doesn't even sound like science.

HCR Adjustments

After threatening to dodge the HCR lawprovision on children with pre-existing conditions,the insurance companies have backed off, according to the WSJ

Meanwhile, the Times has a useful rundown of what the consumer gets out of the new law in the short run. And the AP goes over the "myths" surrounding the new law.

I'm not commenting on the apocalyptic murderers in Michigan or the nationalistic murderers in Russia, except to note that, like it or not, we seem to live on a hair trigger.

3+K=(Final)4

With Duke, it almost always comes down to the coach.

At the half, it certainly looked like Baylor could win. They seemed faster, stronger, hungrier.

But in the second half, Duke tightened its man to man defense just enough, crashed the offensive glass to outrebound Baylor's zone and coach Mike Krzyzewski made deft substitutions to work around the cold shot of Kyle Singler. Methodically, the Blue Devils wore down the Bears with 3-point conversions (especially from Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer) and offensive rebounds (two huge ones from Lance Thomas), emerging as the only #1 seed going to Indy, where they'll face a tough matchup against West Virginia.

Benedict Under Siege

The AP says the Pope is under increasing pressure to call a special synod to deal with the re-emergence of the priest-pedophile scandal.

It seems that Sean Brady, the primate of all Ireland and three other Irish bishops are on the verge of resignation. Der Spiegel even suggested that Benedict himself might resign, but Vatican insiders shot that one down.

It is difficult to measure the Pontiff's anguish level. He's got to be very uncomfortable, but he has also perfected a "we" vs. "they" attitude toward the media and other perceived enemies, including organized victims of abuse.

The Pope turns 83 in three weeks. He's had a couple of minor strokes and some wonder about his health.

Benedict's defenders point to a history of sharp rebukes aimed at abusers, and to his characterization of the scandal as "filth." But he also covered up a case in Germany, and more than anything he has tried to keep the whole issue intramural, when there are thousands of criminal offenses.

Back in 1968, when I was Religion writer of TIME magazine, I thought the RC church might split over Humanae Vitae, the birth control encyclical. Of course I was wrong, which makes me leery of predicting any melodramatic outcome to this saga.

But, as I say, the Achilles heel of the church and its obdurately conservative leader, is that it has covered up, denied, even defended criminal behavior. They have become the Mafia. And because a succession of Popes, especially JP II, eliminated any remaining Vatican II liberal element, there is no real hope of reform. It smells, like a fish, from the head.

Blue Devil Time Out

My son went to Duke. I watched the game, which Duke won. Now, I'm going to bed.

Joe Biden and Jobs

O. went book shopping for kids today. He also challenged the Republicans to go ahead and try to repeal the HCR law. Fine. But it's time to move on. Doing financial regulation reform is OK, but there is no doubt as to what should be #1 on the administration's to-do list. It is time to move on to JOBS. And in a big way, big enough to become the administration's hallmark. And it should be what Geithner and Summers and Emanuel will probably oppose -- a major investment in infrastructure, which the county needs anyhow. And it should be announced and pushed forward with a very large megaphone. I suggest making Biden the point man, because THIS is REALLY a big fucking deal.

California Dreamin'

Recreational pot use will be on the ballot in CA this November.

Obviously, it would save a huge amount now spend on pointless law enforcement. It would presumably give a much needed jolt to the state's tax revenues. And if Jerry Brown gets elected governor, it would be a major blow for poetic justice.

It will also mean a booming growth in the number of NA meetings, and of DUI incidents. But I guess nobody wants to re-criminalize booze. It will, however, mean the transformation of weekends. And, sorry to report, pot use does lead to harder drugs. It just does. That said, I'm for it.

Settlements Count.

"We must not be trapped by an illogical demand." He means the Palestinian demand that Israel halt settlements. I doubt O. agreed with Bibi's feelings when they met today.

But the US isn't saying Israel has to stop all settlements, just that they stop announcing them, especially at precisely the wrong moment.

Here's a dispatch from Tel Aviv. Israel has imposed, the author says, apartheid on the Palestinians.

Netanyahu is a supercilious self-important leader. I doubt that he and Obama like each other very much, not to mention the Secretary of State. This is all very awkward, since US-Israel ties must remain strong.

Where is all this bitterness going? Probably no place. But if Netanyahu continues to insist that it's all about Iran, while Obama says it's about the Palestinians, then Bibi is dead wrong saying he is trapped by "an illogical demand." It's not illogical, and as long as he says it is, then he's not committed to the peace process.

Sticks and Stones

It now seems obvious that the Republican made a major mistake egging on the haters at the Capitol on Saturday. Now Boehner has repudiated the protesters, undoubtedly hoping this will go away, but ordinary observers of the debate will make the easy connection between Boehner's anger and hate and the frustrations and feelings of the idiots who called civil rights hero John Lewis a nigger and stalward congressman Barney Frank a faggot. Then Bart Stupak who tried mightily to extend the laws against abortion was rewarded for his effort by mindless Rep. Randy Neugebaueer calling him a baby killer.

That esteemed conservative intellectual William Bennett passes all this off as an aberrarion in a society that has dismissed racism.

"Is there occasional racism, of course. But this country’s been transformed on the issue of race. You talk to young people, they don’t even understand how people could have judged people by race. They just don’t even, it doesn’t even parse. So, you know, what some of the liberal Democrats want to suggest is that Republicans and conservatives are still, you know, they have one, one scenario for this. It’s Mississippi burning and, you know, they’re still there. But the country is not there. Mississippi isn’t Mississippi of Mississippi burning. Transformed society on this issue. And everybody who is honest would admit to that."

He talks to different young people than I do. My son went to Duke and was there for the lacrosse team incident. And just this month some doings at UC San Diego, including a noose in the library.

Bill Bennett is just another right wing ideologue with a gambling habit. Or, in the spirit of the moment, a fat asshole.

The Bill is Passed

"All politics is personal". Nancy Pelosi, before the House of Representatives, this evening, before the historic vote on Health Care Reform.

"We proved that we are still a people capable of big things." O.'s post-vote statement.

Immediate Benefits

As we wait, this from Crooks and Liars is useful.

Last Second Drama

Did you see that kid from Northern Iowa, ice water in his veins, sinks a trey with 36 seconds on the clock all by himself, his team ahead by one? No clock killing for this son of an Iranian dad. Ali Farokhmanesh had missed five threes in the second half, but not this one. He and his teammates had eliminated the overall #1 seed Kansas. This is why you gotta love the Tournament. At this point, it's not too much to hope that my son's Alma Mater, the Duke Blue devils, not only goes to the Big Dance, but wins the whole deal. Apart from the family connection, I will take great delight if that lyin' cheatin' John Calipari gets his nose rubbed in it by Coach K and Co.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Here's what seems to be the latest picture on HCR in the House. Trouble is I can't count, so I'm not sure what this means, except not a single Republican will vote yay.

Dan Balz, that hoary sage of the Washington Post pontificatesabout the high price of winning for O. Bullshit. Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Stup-id-ak

I can't believe these guys, Stupak and the rest, who believe the federal government shouldn't finance abortions (which the new law won't permit), but think it's just dandy for the State to prohibit abortion, ignoring the obvious right to privacy.

Of course, they're all Catholics, just like the five-man majority on the Supreme Court. Fellow-spirits with Pope Benedict, who is being more than ever linked to covering up priest-abuse. Birds of a feather.

The State has no right interfering with a woman's right to choose; the State has no right to ban gay marriage. And we should note that it is conservatives, believers in less government, who espouse these interventions.

Just two days left. There will be further compromise on abortion, which is awful, but it will probably be the last thing necessary to pass the bill. So be it.

Poor Judgment

Why is it these scumbags like Jesse James always say they used "poor judgment," when they cheat on their wives, I think Sandra Bullock might think it was more than bad judgment.

Her seemingly heartfelt thanks to hubby at the Oscars was actually a high point. Now we realize it probably wasn't genuine. Why did she ever marry the tattoo model Reality TV star. One can only guess?

Marjorie Magowan makes a good point about the downside of being a female award winner:

"Reese Witherspoon's family famously fell apart after her Oscar win for her incredible performance as June Cash in "Walk the Line". Supposedly her husband, Ryan Phillipe was jealous. The same thing happened after Julia Roberts' won for "Erin Brokovich." She was with Benjamin Bratt. Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes also ended their marriage after her win. Other successful actresses whose marriages supposedly broke up because they surpassed their husbands include Hilary Swank and Jennifer Garner."

Another famous cheat, Tiger Woods, has announced he will return to golf next month at the Masters. Talk about poor judgment. Like Jesse James (was he born with that name?) Tiger's taste ran to porn stars, and one of them, Joslyn James (nee Veronica Siwik-Daniels) has now put more than 100 texts from Woods online. Here is CBS online's version. The texts include reference to slapping, choking, threesomes and humiliation (!).

Here's some from the LA Times:


"Some of the texts on her site read, 'OK, I would like to have a threesome with you and another girl you trust;' "I want to treat you rough, throw you around, spank and slap you;' 'Have you ever had a golden shower done to you? ... just morbid curiosity,' and 'You are my f**king whore. Hold you down while I choke you.'

A message sent on Sept. 8 reads, 'Having a few issues at home. Might be a little later before i see you tonight' followed by another text, 'Parent hood melt down:)'

The last message is dated October 4, 2009 and says, 'Don't f**king talk to me. You almost just'ruined my whole life. If my agent and these guys would have seen you there, F**k."

James did not post any messages she sent to the golfer."

Real Time Paper (paper?)

Here's a really advancedinteractive local paper in Santa Rosa CA, that is one of a group of papers the NY Times owns and is exposing to Fwix, a Realtime Hyperlocal newsstream.

Fwix looks to me like the future of online newspapering. And portable once it's up to speed on iPad. It's a good venture for The Times, which is showing signs of intenal entrepeneurship when it comes to convergence.

The Platinum Years

TVLand has announced that Betty White will have a featured role in their new sitcom, "Hot in Cleveland," starting in June.

At the same time, Lorne Michaels gave in to a Facebook campaign, and, in response to half a million petitions, booked the 88 year old Ms. White to host SNL on May 8.

Which gives me 20 years to achieve sufficient notoriety to match her accomplishment.

But then The Betty White Show debuted on radio in 1949, when she was 27 and I was seven.

Politics 2010

 

"I believe we are going to get the votes, we're going to make this happen." O. said that, but he may not be that certain as we enter the final days.

The NYT provides a nice summary:

The broad outlines of both Democratic bills and Mr. Obama's proposal stick relatively closely to the plans that emerged over the summer and fall from five Congressional committees, all in the face of all but unanimous Republican opposition. The bills would expand coverage by making more lower-income people eligible for Medicaid, and by offering subsidies to help moderate-income people buy insurance. They would forbid insurance companies from denying coverage of pre-existing conditions, and would create insurance exchanges — new government-regulated marketplaces where individuals and small businesses could come together to buy coverage. The 160 million Americans who get their coverage through their employer would stay with that insurance. Nearly everyone would be required to get insurance or face a penalty, and businesses would be required to provide coverage or contribute to its cost.

Pelosi says she may even try to pass the Senate bill without a vote, using a kind of gimmick known as a "self-executing rule" or a "deem and pass," whereby the House votes on fixes to the bill without voting on the bill itself.

The Senate bill is very unpopular in the House, and the President and the Speaker have left themselves only a few days to get the votes.

I will be so glad when this is over.

To say nothing of this (Rielle Hunter, and Quinn's toys).

The sex abuse scandal is once again raging in the Roman Church, and now it's touching the pope who might have brushed aside a case when he was in charge of the Munich archdiocese.

Today, the Vatican lashed back at editorials in the German press which blamed the celibacy rule for the history of abuse.

The most important prelate linking celibacy and abuse has been Christoph Cardinal Schoenborn of Vienna. Schoenborn isn't calling for an end to celibacy, but he once presented the Vatican with a letter from Austrian laymen that did call for the rule's abolition.

The Pope last week called celibacy an "expression of the gift of oneself to God and others."

A canon lawyer and professor of psychology from the Jesuit Gregorian University is quoted in L'Osservatore Romano:

"First off, it's known that sexual abuse of minors is more widespread among lay people and those who are married than in the celibate priesthood," he wrote. "Secondly, research has shown that priests guilty of abuse had long before stopped observing celibacy."

Duh. There are way fewer priests than laymen, and the other part is just totally bizarre, since abusers are usually homosexual. The Roman Church would like nothing better than to palm the whole thing off as "well other people -- and a lot more people -- do it."

As Andrew Sullivan
points out. The Roman Church, behaving just like politicians, is mostly concerned with making the Pope out to be the victim.

Celibacy entered the RC Church officially only at the Counter Reformation Council of Trent in the 16th Century, as a DISCIPLINE, not a religious practice. Similar to the clerical practice of wearing pants to just below the knee under the cassock. Kept them out of brothels.

Chastity,on the other hand, is a VOW taken by those in religious orders since the 12th and 13th Century, along with the vows of poverty and obedience The vows express a lifestyle. Celibacy, however, is merely a way of prohibiting sex.

And prohibiting sex is without a doubt an avenue to perversity.

The Menace was in the RC seminary from age 13 to age 24 and although sexual privation didn't lead to any kind of abuse, it certainly distorted my sexual equilibrium. To this day, at 68 and after two marriages. I'm writing a memoir. This is all anybody wanted me to write about. Forget 35 years in TV News. Hence the title: HOLY MOTHER: A MEMOIR OF RELIGION, SEX AND TRUTH.

"Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures." Dr. Samuel Johnson

A Sports Moment (plus O. on Education)

OK, here's the headline: the Knicks beat the Dallas Mavericks by 34 points, sending the Knicks sector of Twitter into a frenzy.

Here in the neighborhood it rained like hell.

The New York Times account of Obama's education plan is, unfortunately, very poorly writteen, as education pieces often are.

The President's plan is worlds' better than W's no child left behind. Criteria like individual growth replace mindless reliance on tests alone. Reading and math scores are replaced by readiness for college, which the Times's Sam Dillon says could prove "equally elusive." Like, who asked?

Ed Secty Arne Duncan says: "We want to get rid of prescriptive interventions.: I've been waiting for somebody to say that since I was about ten.

The NEA doesn't like it. Neither does the AFT. The AFT President, Randi Weingarten said: "This blueprint places 100 percent of the responsibility on teachers, and gives them zero percent of the authority." Well, she's sort of getting the picture.
Duncan's plan would require the states to develop evaluation procedures for teachers partly based on whether their students are learning. These would replace the law’s current emphasis on credentials. Seems obvious to me.

The Pope: Closer to the Flame

The Times has an interesting piece about the ongoing revelations of priestly child sex abuse in the Roman Church. Their story concerns a priest who was allowed to return to priestly duties while awaiting prosecution. Pope Benedict was the Archbishop of that diocese at the time.

Before the facts caught up with him, Ratzinger used to aay that it wasn't just thchurch that had these problems. He later did see he was underestimating the problem, and now he may have to own up to his own involvement.

The Munich archdioces says Ratzinger didn't know about the abuser's transfer, but those who know the Pope well, say that's highly unlikely for this chronic micromanager. The same point was made by Barbara Blaine, president and founder of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

When the pope headed up the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he sent a letter to all the bishops telling them to send all abus cases to the congregation, and that they were to be kept secret. Irish bishops took that letter as justification for not bringing abuse cases to the police.

The Archbishop of Vienna has called for an inquiry into the link between celibacy and child sex abuse. Benedict immediately quashed that idea, calling celibacy the ultimate commitment to God.

Deluded? Denial? Dangerous?

If you've got seven minutes, read this.

And watch the video.

Sometimes it sounds to me like Rove and Bush were just deluded. But watch this BBC interview, and you will see Rove for the self-serving, sanctimonious bastard that he is.
Joe Klein has got a thorough, if bland, review of the Rove book. Hard to be anything but bland, since the book's bland.

After Humiliation in Israel (alJazeera video)

When Israel announced plans to build 1600 new housing units in East Jerusalem just as Vice President Biden arrived in Israel, Biden condemned the action harshly, repeating his words after meeting with Palestinian president Abbas.

Israel has apologized for the timing of its announcement, but has not withdrawn the housing plan.

George Mitchell will have his work cut out for him now if he is to move the peace process forward. And, with Washington furious over this most recent slap in the face, it will be interesting to see if O. can talk some sense into Bibi Netanyahu.

Ego in Israel, Ego in D.C.

I don't know why Chris Matthews
didn't ask V-P Biden whether he thought Netanyahu was trying to embarrass Biden by initiating new settlements just as he arrived arrived in Israel. Netanyahu of course denied it, but Biden responded by arriving 90 minutes late for dinnerr at Netanyahu's residence. and condemned the settlements decision as "precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I've had here in Israel."

I just don't get why Chris didn't ask.

I really think we need to figure out a way to totally support Israel, totally condemn Iran, and still get some leverage in the Mideast. Biden walked right into a trap. Netanyahu is incurable.

__________________________________________________________________________________

So now, Roberts, Scalia and Thomas -- and, I am sure Alito -- have decided to boycott the State of the Union. It's like secession. Roberts says he didn't mind the criticism of the outrageous Citizens United decision, just the setting. If he can't take the heat .... Supreme Court, Supreme Hubris.

Attack Mode

"The issue here is not the politics of it." O. today in PA.

Directing his more emotional rhetoric toward the Blue Dogs, O. encouraged them to vote for HCR because "it's the right thing to do."

And, in a populist vein he attacked the insurance companies who, he said, "will keep on doing this for as long as they can get away with it."

O. is asking Dems to trust him, and some of them may be unwilling to do so. That's why there will be some very tough arm twisting in coming days, coupled with public appearances like today's in PA.

In a letter to insurance company execs, O. asked "how much higher do premiums have to rise before we do something about it?"

Of course, they say high insurance prices are due to rising medical charges, which they don't control.

"Part of the motivating factor here is letting members of Congress know there's a price to pay for failure," Rahm Emanuel said in an interview with the AP.

Trouble is, a lot of people don't believe that, at least if they have insurance from their employers or their unions, and to convince them that one day they will pay the piper is a little more complicated than the current speechifying.

Stupak seems optimistic about some sort of abortion compromise. Where did this guy Stupak come from?

Both O. and Nancy P. have referenced a conference call during which Goldman Sachs advised investors to buy shares in United Health and Cigna -- insurance giants -- because they stand to make big profits.

By the way, if the insurer companies are blaming doctors, hospitals and labs, then they should be active in trying to jawbone those entities into controlling costs instead of going hand in hand in pushing costs in a skyward spiral. The republicans -- some of them -- are right to point to growing costs, although they have absolutely nothing relevant to offer on to do about it. I haven't noticed any Republicans in Congress leading the way on preventive medicine, for example. They really do content themselves with lining the pockets of the big insurance companies.

Like it or not, that's why only a single payer system would have introduced justice into the system. (I am aware of the legitimate contrary arguments, but they're wrong).

Then there's this note:

"Believe it or not — this was in the '60s — we used to hustle on over the border for health care that we would receive in Whitehorse. I remember my brother, he burned his ankle in some little kid accident thing, and my parents had to put him on a train and rush him over to Whitehorse, and I think, isn't that kind of ironic now. Zooming over the border, getting health care from Canada." Sarah Palin.

So O. is not telling it straight. It IS about politics after all.

They All Look Great

I thought of blogging the Red Carpet and the Oscars, but, really, I'm not up to it. It's not, like, you know, my thing. But I love watching it.

So far, the best line on the Red Carpet was from the fashion guru presenter who said of Charlize Theron's dress that, "her chest takes too much away from her face.

Tome Ford, who directed one of the films, designs a hell of a tux. Colin Firth's was even better than Tom's own suit.

I couldn't watch Barbara. I just couldn't.

J-Lo looked great. So did Kate Winslet. Sandra Bullock's dress was great, but she had trouble wearing it.

I did okay in the pool, but was aced om some of my long shots. And I picked Avatar. I loved Hurt Locker and talked it up constantly ever since it came out. But I still think Avatar was best picture. The more it grossed the more people seemed to hate it.

Yet Cameron's laughing all the way to the bank, and Bigelow's movie will be watched mostly at home.

It's called .. reggaeton

I bought my first batch of Mets tickets today, and I'm following the accounts from spring training in Florida. Soon, once I've given up completely on the Knicks, and paid my respects to March Madness, it'll be all baseball friends.

The Mets sparkplug, shortstop Jose Reyes lost most of last season due to a bum hammie, and now he's been flown back to the city with an overactive thyroid. Usually that's not a big problem, but my non-professional feeling is that Jose-Jose-Jose is too fragile.

But the big thing is all this bleeding snow is over with, you can feel spring in the air, and soon baseball will bring hope.

The economy's looking a little better, so you dads, find enough dough to take your kid to a game. You'll feel better about everything. Believe me.

And, most important, go Mets.

Good Day on the Street

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Here's Forbes:

Markets Brief
Slowing Job Losses Dazzle Investors
Peter C. Beller, 03.05.10, 6:16 PM ET

Job losses came in under expectations while consumer borrowing rose finally, boosting prospects for an economic recovery in the U.S. That sent stock markets sharply higher Friday with the Dow up 122 points while commodities also gained on signs that demand will recover from last year’s recession.

The Labor Department’s monthly payrolls report showed a loss of 36,000 jobs last month, fewer than Wall Street analysts had predicted while the nation’s unemployment rate, a high 9.7%, held steady and defied predictions of an increase.

Adding another boost of confidence late in the day, the Federal Reserve said consumer credit unexpectedly grew by $5 billion in January, about the size analysts had expected the figure to shrink. The rebound, helped by an increase in auto loans, ended an 11 month streak of shrinking borrowing and reinforced bullish views on consumer spending after retailers posted surprisingly strong sales earlier this week.

The major indexes all posted strong gains to finish the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 122 points, or 1.2%, to 10,566 while the S&P 500 was up 16 points, or 1.4%, to 1,139. The Nasdaq gained 34 points, or 1.5%, to 2,326. That left the Dow with a 2.3% gain for the week, the S&P up 3.1% and the Nasdaq with a gain of 3.9%. All three indexes moved into positive territory for the year to date this week.

Apple shares hit a new high thanks to word that its iPad computer will be on retailers’ shelves during the first week of April. The stock rose 3.9% for the day. Energy companies got a lift from the jobs numbers as crude oil marched upwards. Exxon Mobil added 1.6% while Chevron was up 1.7%.

The rise in credit boosted card companies’ prospects with investors, who have been worried about a long-term decline in borrowing and spending. New rules that limit what credit card companies can charge also recently went into effect with more regulations likely this year. Discover Financial Services rose 2.9%, American Express was up 3.4% and Visagained 1.7%.

A supporting quote from an expert: "These are good numbers, especially when you consider all the apprehension that was out there beforehand," said head trader David Bellantonio, of Instinet, a New York brokerage. "It may be the sort of thing the market can build on, cited in the Journal

But the jobless rate remains at a static 9.7%. But the experts predict this could be a sustaining trend. Slow and steady. And you know what they say about "slow and steady." But, putting it in perspective, it would probably take something like 300,000 new jobs a month to really win the race. And that's going to take a surge in consumer sales and global demand for U.S. products.

But it's also worth noting that this recovery may be more asymmetrical than earlier rebounds. People may have to learn to live not only within their means, but within lesser means. Who's going to deliver that message? "Trim your sails." That's a very legitimate message, but in this country, it's also a cutural revolution.

When Spin Becomes History

A program note courtesy of TV Newser:

David Corn, in Mother Jones, previews Rove's book as excerpted by the AP.

Here's a good summary in the Times:


For the most part, his book, “Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight,” is an unapologetic defense of Mr. Bush and his presidency, and takes aim at Democrats, the news media and others for what he describes as hypocrisy, deceit and vanity. He also describes his own hardscrabble upbringing in a family broken by divorce and suicide.

The principal history rewrite is Mr. Rove's justification for the war in Iraq

The most quotable quote in the so-far released sections is this one:

“Would the Iraq War have occurred without W.M.D.? I doubt it. Congress was very unlikely to have supported the use-of-force resolution without the W.M.D. threat. The Bush administration itself would probably have sought other ways to constrain Saddam, bring about regime change, and deal with Iraq’s horrendous human rights violations."

And when confronted with the truth?

"Who was responsible for the failure to respond? I was. I should have stepped forward, rung the warning bell and pressed for full-scale response. I didn’t. Preoccupied with the coming campaign and the pressure of the daily schedule in the West Wing, I did not see how damaging this assault was.”


Still spinning.

.

Up or Down

Listen to how he said this: “I believe the United States Congress owes the American people a final vote on health care reform.” Get an overview from the NYT here

OWES. Write that on your palm. OWES.

He mentioned past successful reconciliation efforts, without using the word, which he probably never will: children's health, unempl0yment insurance, Bush tax cuts. He's, of course, setting the scene.

"Every idea has been put on the table," Obama said. "Every argument has been made. Everything there is to say about health care has been said and just about everyone has said it."

That's for effing sure

Boehner's reaction to O.'s four concessions was predictable and pre-cooked. "You can't add a couple of Republican sprinkles on the top of a 2,700-page bill and claim that it's bipartisan."

McConnell says that if health reform becomes law, every Republican will campaign to repeal it. Let's see how that works out . Tea parties are all well and good, but at the end of the day, you don't necessarily want to be against adequate health care for all. There may be a price to pay for mistaking the forest for the trees.


"I don't know how this plays politically, but I know it's right," Obama said of his latest proposal.

"At stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem," Mr. Obama told a crowd of white-coated doctors and nurses in the East Room, where a year ago he started the drive for the legislation.

There will not be a public option, there will be no abortion coverage.

It's up to the Blue Dogs now. O. was thinking of them when he referred to "those of us who were sent here to lead (and not) to just run away."

No Hit/No Brain

Jim Bunning finally gave up his one-man battle against extending unemploymen benefits for 400,000 Americans as well as many federal highway and transit programs.

The former baseball pitcher has alays had a screw loose, but this was extreme. Bunning, who is retiring, has already earned himself the eternal enmity of fellow Kentuckyan and Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell.

Bunning still has some support.

"Senator Bunning was right to address this problem and I commend him for it, and I hope our colleagues will stop the hypocrisy," said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. "I want to thank Senator Bunning for his courage and clarity.


Bunning finally lost 78 to 19. He was hurting his own party too much.

On June 21st, 1964, Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game for the Philadelphia Phillies against my New York Mets, who were an execrably bad team, only two years old at the time.

From perfect game to perfect fool. A hero's life.

9 Dems who voted no on health bill may reconsider - Politics- msnbc.com

9 Dems who voted no on health bill may reconsider - Politics- msnbc.com

Leaving Him for Dead

For weeks, the NYT has been after NY Gov. David Paterson. They got him to quit his re-election campaign, but now his blood is really on the water.

Simultaneously, Harold Ford has decided to not run for the Senate, a smart move since Kirsten Gillibrand has proven a savvy occupant of Hillary's old seat.