Yes, I'm sure if I went over every single word, I'd find something here to annoy, if not infuriate me, in this Phil Ochs song, but right now I'm so happy I just have to link this–"I believe, the war is over!" The War Is Over – Phil Ochs www.youtube.com
Mrs. Lincoln Department: Other than the economy, it's been a pretty good week for the President, the country and (dare I say it), the world.
Chait on the dichotomy between the foreign and domestic Obama:
"One answer can be found in the juxtaposition of a second Obama triumph that occurred yesterday: He finally got his Commerce secretary confirmed. You probably didn’t hear, because it doesn’t matter, which is the point. Last June, Obama named John Bryson as his Commerce secretary. Senate Republicans, despite harboring no objections either to Bryson or to his unimportant department, nevertheless held up the appointment for months in order to demand the signing of several trade deals. When Obama signed those, they made other demands…
…They finally confirmed him yesterday — the same day Qaddafi was killed, and the day before Obama announced the final pullout of American troops. The striking contrast is the relative ease with which Obama pulled off these respective feats. At the snap of his fingers he can start a war or end one. But try to install a bland functionary into an unimportant domestic position, and he’ll be ensnared in months of controversy and inertia. This is the current state of “separation of powers…
…When Obama tries to craft international coalitions to support his policies, he is negotiating with leaders who have different interests than his, but ultimately share a common interest in peace and prosperity. On domestic policy, Obama has to deal with leaders engaged in a zero-sum contest for power, understanding full well that anything that helps Obama hurts them." Barack Obama, the Unexpected Foreign-Policy President nymag.com
Even those Republicans slightly too honest to totally deny the President credit for his international triumphs settle instead for taking credit for his policies, but little Pod to the contrary, there are crucial differences between them and the President.
Besides bearing the mark of real (rather than kabuki) international cooperation, Obama's war was shorter, cheaper, more effective and did not kill any Americans (other than perhaps the stray traitor or two). Prez makes his peace with being a war hawk www.nypost.com
Smith summing up Tapper: "The basic rule of thumb: Obama is for intervention, except when he's not, while Republicans are for intervention, except when Obama is." Romney's Libya muddle – Ben Smith www.politico.com
Zac Segal: The Harry Truman strategy should work for [Obama] in November.
Gatemouth: With Obama, the slogan'll be "Give 'em Purgatory"
"The Romney Rule: Lower taxes for millionaires like Mitt; more pain for middle class folks like us. It's time to repeal the Romney Rule" Repeal The Romney Rule | Sign the Petition at theromneyrule.com www.youtube.com
For the benighted, one of the few recordings not removed from the web of Herman Cain's 2006 "Amos and Andy"-like commercial for black radio stations urging a vote for the GOP as a means to prevent the snuffing of black seed (Cain is the voice artist for the churchgoing Amos figure talking trash to the Kingfish).
Query: if one believes that, however evil, abortion is still a question for a woman and her family, and not the government, what possible rationale could one have for cutting such a vile commercial?
Will someone interviewing Cain play this for him and ask him to coherently explain how this squares with his position on abortion?
Not likely; they can't even get him to coherently explain his position on abortion. Herman Cain's Reason To Vote GOP? 'I Don't Snuff My Own Seed' crooksandliars.com
How was he to know when his parents arrived from Cuba, he wasn't even born yet (has he been giving advice to John Liu?). Did Florida Senator Marco Rubio Lie About His Life Story? | PolitickerNY www.politickerny.com
When the public employee unions are allied with the Tea Partiers on an issue, I think it's at least a rebuttable presumption that evil is afoot. In education standards fight, strange bedfellows – Ben Smith www.politico.com
Foer echoes a point made I’ve made myself:
"Let’s say Occupy Wall Street can overcome its self-limiting strategic philosophy, develop some concrete goals, and blossom into a full-fledged social movement. Over the long-term, then, liberals will want to position their reforms as the most reasonable mechanism for staving off the radicals. That’s how FDR played it—“Liberalism becomes the protection for the far-sighted conservative.” But you can’t triangulate against a social movement if you fully embrace it.” Foer: Democrats Beware! Occupy Wall Street Could Sink Obama’s Re-Election | The New Republic www.tnr.com
From Kinsley: A list of demands for OWS to make. Sez Kinsley:
"My list is not very romantic; it’s all about taxes. It has nothing to offer those who would like to see a banker or two guillotined. In that sense, it doesn’t do justice to the Occupy movement, which has inspired excitement even among many who haven’t attended a rally. On the other hand, working on my list, I ran into the same problem as when I tried to distill the goals of the Tea Party movement. What these people want can’t be supplied by government or Wall Street. They need the tooth fairy. " Four Iron-Clad Demands for Occupy Wall Street: Michael Kinsley www.bloomberg.com
Anti-Semite at Occupy Vegas rally turns out to be backing a Republican for President, which proves nothing about the Republicans and everything about the accusations that anti-Semitism typifies these demonstrations (and since some readers clearly didn't get my point, a guy at an OWS demo who supports a Republican is obviously an outlier). The Limits of Nutpicking www.slate.com
Whatever one thinks of OWS, it takes a certain kind of disgustingly amoral hatred to show your disapproval by publishing an article as despicable as this one, describing in lurid salacious and suggestive detail one demonstrator’s family situation.
Good G-d, has the Post no shame whatsoever? Florida banker's wife left family to join Wall Street protesters www.nypost.com
It should surprise no one who was actually paying attention that not one person interviewed at the "Occupy Albany" protest could be bothered to say anything about the "Millionaire's Tax"–more fun to yammer about "kill[ing] whitey" [apparently, in an ironic manner], protectionism [apparently sincerely], and "direct democracy" [ditto]. Occupy Albany Protests Near The Capitol (Updated) www.capitaltonight.com
The 99%? The Organizers vs. the Organized in Zuccotti Park nymag.com
Local District Leader Paul Newell, a fervent OSW supporter, emphatically insisted to me that the drums have ceased. Apparently, the news hasn't yet reached those who actually live near Zuccotti Park.
I must note that the local residents complaining, some of whom are neighborhood activists, are not exactly Tea Party types—even most of the demonstrators wish the drums would stop already–everyone living downtown, whether a temporary or long term resident, needs their sleep.
By contrast, the bankers get to go home every night. Angry Manhattan residents lambast Zuccotti Park protesters www.nypost.com
Wall Street self-absorption is apparently contagious; hanging out in the Financial District has seemingly caused these two protestors to contract a possibly fatal dose:
" In response, the head of the drum corps – officially called "Pulse" – said during a meeting of the protesters' General Assembly that he and his fellow bangers were not only going to keep up the din, they wanted money from the general fund to buy more drums.
"We need to grow," said Elijah Moses, 19, of Astoria. "We need $8,000 for more instruments" Zuccotti Park neighbors furious at Occupy Wall St. protesters over 'noise and garbage' www.nydailynews.com
DeBlasio wants to "Occupy Wall Street."
And hiring Reshma Saujani proves he wants to keep them occupied–by writing checks for DeBlasio. Bill de Blasio thinks Occupy Wall Street could be a good thing, with some refining | Capital New Yor www.capitalnewyork.com
Grimm attacks potential Democratic opponent (G-d help us!) Borgognone as a "Bronx interloper," but that’s unfair–Borgognone is not really an interloper; he's just a schmuck. Borgognone Launches NY-13 Challenge To Grimm www.nydailynews.com
Diane Savino (who I once referred to as Senator Snooki) tans (perhaps not the best choice of words) the real Snooki's hide.
Whodda thunk?
Next thing you know, she'll be burning her fur coat and posing in a PETA ad. Savino: Snooki Needs ‘Help’ www.capitaltonight.com
As someone with a bit of knowledge about the Taxi industry, let me be clear: almost no one plunks down a million dollars for a medallion. They get a mortgage. Then, after paying it for a while, with the equity they've accumulated, they get another mortgage and buy a second medallion. Eventually, someone accumulates a fleet's worth, usually without ever actually paying off any of the mortgages.
The prices are shocking, and illustrate why reform of an artificial government-created scarcity is difficult. But, the idea that the price to operate a taxi is prohibitive, and that building a business in the industry is daunting to immigrants, is greatly overstated. 2 Taxi Medallions Sell for $1 Million Each cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com
Sorry, but the segregated bus thing puzzles me. If this is a religious need, why do so many Hasidim ride the subways?
Back when Domestic Partner was very visibly pregnant, she and her sister were standing on the F train watching several seated Hasidic men davening.
"So many reading Halacha" said her sister Fegele.
"Yes," said DP, sighing, "too bad none of them have yet gotten to the part about mitzvoth."
At which point, one embarrassed young black hat did get up and give her his seat, but the man she sat next to did not find it necessary to move (perhaps because he knew she for sure that she wasn't having her period) City Threatens To Shut Down Bus Company That Segregates Passengers www.wpix.com