Patterico's Pontifications

11/24/2009

Andrew Sullivan on Bill Sparkman, the Guy (Not Really) Murdered by Conservatives

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 9:45 pm



Sullivan fail.

It’s apology time, Milky Loads.

White House Hosts its First State Dinner

Filed under: Obama — DRJ @ 8:05 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Tonight President and Mrs. Obama are hosting the Prime Minister of India and his wife at their first White House state dinner. Reports say 338 celebrities and leaders from India and the United States will dine and be entertained in a lavish pavilion tent with gold-accented green and purple decorations, a vegetarian-based menu (the Prime Minister is described as a strict vegetarian), stunning outfits, and a mix of Indian, American, and well-known Chicago entertainers.

While some are dreaming of a new Camelot, this article in last Sunday’s UK Times suggests either the Times is making things up or the White House has changed its talking points in recent days:

“Conscious of the economic crisis, the Obamas are sticking to the White House. Their dinner will be for 130 in the state dining room, followed by dancing in a marquee on the lawn to which a further 200 guests are invited.”

If the Obama Administration lectures Americans about deficit reduction, cost-cutting, and the need to live within our means in the coming months, I’ll remember tonight.

— DRJ

Obama’s Katrina

Filed under: Economics,Obama — DRJ @ 1:11 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

A blogger wonders whether unemployment will be President Obama’s Katrina, the event that exposed “critical weaknesses in the priorities and competence of the Bush administration.” But it’s not just any blogger, it’s a Huffington Post blogger. In fact, it’s Arianna Huffington herself:

“Which makes one wonder: what level of unemployment would it take to unmix them? Even 10.2 percent, the highest level in 26 years, after 22 straight months of job losses, doesn’t seem to have quickened the pulse of Larry Summers and Tim Geithner.

And it’s not like the levees haven’t begun to crack, with the real unemployment rate — factoring in discouraged and partially employed workers — at 17.5 percent, the unemployment rate for workers aged 16 to 24 at 19 percent, and the unemployment rate for young African-Americans at 30 percent. What’s more, the average length of unemployment is at a record high, while the ratio of job seekers to open positions is now 6 to 1.

A new ABC/Washington Post poll reported that 30 percent of Americans say someone in their home has lost a job. I’m guessing that Summers and Geithner are comfortably in the other 70 percent. But even if it hasn’t hit home for them, it should be clear that unemployment is going to be the singular issue of 2010.
***
I can hear it now: Heck of a job, Larry! Heck of a job, Timmy!”

The post also details the growing consensus among Democrats in Congress that something needs to be done about jobs and that Summers and Geithner aren’t the people to do it. But it doesn’t sound like the Obama Administration has gotten the message yet. Maybe they are too distracted from the multi-month planning of the first “state” dinner. (Click the link to see why “state” is in quotes.)

— DRJ

More ACORN Document Dumps

Filed under: Government,Politics — DRJ @ 12:39 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

The U.S. government never sleeps but apparently neither does BigGovernment:

“ACORN’s San Diego office isn’t the only place its been careless with sensitive documents. Late last year, ACORN abandoned an office in Oklahoma. In its haste to vacate the office–and skip out on the landlord’s claim of back-rent–ACORN abandoned piles of documents, as well as a computer.”

Among the recovered documents is a copy of ACORN’s “Oklahoma Power Plan,” a copy of which is available at the link. Here’s a summary by Publius who posts at BigGovernment:

“The “Power Plan” is a very interesting document. First, it provides another example for how ACORN’s political operation thinks strategically. The plan is focused on impacting state legislative races to create momentum and a power base to effect political races next year.

The second interesting feature of the document is how overtly partisan it is. At the beginning of the document, ACORN makes clear its goal is to put the Democrats in charge of the state Legislature.”

Meanwhile, the San Diego documents reportedly included many personal credit histories that were not redacted. This Publius post provides redacted examples and discusses the criminal penalties that might apply.

— DRJ

Afghanistan Decision Preview

Filed under: Obama,War — DRJ @ 12:30 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

In a press conference with India’s Prime Minister Singh today, President Obama said he will soon announce his Afghanistan policy — the current one, not the March 2009 “comprehensive” policy — and that he intends to “finish the job.”

And via Hot Air, McClatchy reports President Obama will announce on December 1 that he is sending 34,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. Did it really just take Obama 3 months and 1 day to decide to send 34,000 troops?

— DRJ


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.0674 secs.