extending unemployment insurance

Yeah, people will hate that. Especially the unemployed -- a growing, vote-rich segment of the population!

giving money to states and cities

There's nothing that chafes people's asses more than bloc grants.

and increasing spending on infrastructure....

If I'm not mistaken, people have demanding that more bridges fall down.

[I]f Democrats pass it, and particularly if they add an auto bailout, there could be a public backlash.

Sure. There could be. There could also be a thunderous public celebration that will make GM's Red Tag Sale look like a cheap marketing gimmick! Odds are more are sympathetic to auto workers than crooked bankers, but then I'm not Bush's Brain.

I like the tired ideas. Tired old ideas, harking back to an ancient period of relative prosperity in this tired old country. What was that, the Clinton era? Not that Clinton did much with infrastructure, thanks to the Gingrich Congress, but revenue sharing was inspired, and we're going to need unemployment extension, thanks in large part to Rove. Suggested Holiday present for the ol' TB: a fool's motley, cap and bells. He'll need them if he continues to write for the WSJ or anywhere else, as badly as we need these proposals. And we thought we'd miss Kristol!

Who is Karl Rove, and why do his thoughts on anything matter? Seriously, does this guy hold some sort of national office or something that makes him relevant enough to be offered space on the WSJ op-ed page, or are they just publishing nonsense from any old loser that sends in his random scribblings?

how about this sentence?

"Barack Obama is the first president-elect since Richard Nixon without executive experience."

obviously from the chaney school ....i guess he must think the vp's office isn't part of the executive branch....

or this one? "Another early decision was that Sen. Hillary Clinton was being vetted for secretary of state. Any other selection now would embitter her supporters, even if she publicly declines the appointment."

get it? even if HILLARY HERSELF takes a pass, her SUPPORTERS would be BITTER.....

where to begin?

also want to recomend you click thru to matt's post and check out the comment thread...matt originally wrote "FBI Director Herbert Hoover" and hilarity ensues....

This guy's claim to fame is that he was able to get a candidate close enough to steal two elections. How or why that qualifies him for space anywhere except prison still escapes me.

There "could be a backlash". Ha Ha. I predict people will *love* it. They'll say, "I didn't know the government could get this done." Some people will get construction jobs. People will get better transportation, etc.

Investigating high profile democrats? That's me baby! Bring it on!

Elvis Rod Blagojevich

Why is anyone listening to Karl Rove?

Karl Rove admonishing the next administration on email legalities is the height of hypocrisy. BTW Karl, did you guys ever find the emails you "lost" on your "stealth" RNC email system? Didn't think so.

This guy's claim to fame is that he was able to get a candidate close enough to steal two elections.

That's unfair, he's also famous for outing a covert CIA agent. If he's not going to jail, he should be shunned from respectable company for the rest of his life. I guess working for Fauxnews is close enough.

Stefan >"...or are they just publishing nonsense from any old loser that sends in his random scribblings?"

Hmmm, do you need to be reminded who owns the WSJ these days ? Know anything about that person like who he is a puppet for or how he got his start in the big time ?

Use your brain fella.

"...we are karma hunters..." - Pinker Tones

Karl Rove's new job: Concern Troll.

Concern Troll - perfect!

Here's some advice, use some of that executive power Karl and Dick were so big on and declare Karl an enemy combatant, then send him off for a few years of "interrogation", to gather even more of his "sage advice".

There are statutory prohibitions on the White House blah blah blah

But according to Bush, the president is above the law.

The bare fact that Obama would use his massive donor e-mail list as an electronic bully pulpit doesn't surprise me at all; in fact, I blogged about it a month ago.

Even as folks like Jane Hamsher are wising up to the "kumbaya" of some of Obama's post-election actions and decisions, you all who gave the Big O your e-mail will get a packet of Kool-Aid powder coming your way every month.

You quote Karl Rove: "tired ideas offered by congressional Democrats: ....increasing spending on infrastructure...."

Reason number 235 why the Republicans are in decline: We don't need no stinking infrastructure! Privatize, baby, privatize!

Even as folks like Jane Hamsher are wising up to the "kumbaya" of some of Obama's post-election actions and decisions, you all who gave the Big O your e-mail will get a packet of Kool-Aid powder coming your way every month.

Oh no! And once we read it we'll be powerless to resist! HE'LL OWN OUR MINDS, PEOPLE!!!!

Oh no! And once we read it we'll be powerless to resist! HE'LL OWN OUR MINDS, PEOPLE!!!!

Exactly. Just like those e-mails I get about once a month from John Kerry after he got my e-mail address four years ago. I'm now a total mindless slave to the will of John Kerry because of the virtual Kool-Aid he's been sending me for four years.

OK, Karl, explain me this. I signed up for both the Al Gore and the George W. Bush email alerts back in 2000 for a project I was working on. Eight years later, I still get emails ad nauseum from the Republican side of the aisle on every issue.

Please note: I signed up for the *George w. Bush* campaign email alerts, not the RNC. Yet, I get all the RNC shit from McCain, Palin, Saxby Chambliss, Rick Davis, Mitch McConnell, and other names I can't remember and every Republican campaign notice and lobbying notice ever since. So obviously George W's crew turned over his email list.

Tell me, Karl, did you violate the law with this?

PS and to illustrate the Democrats' lack of coordination in the past, once the 2000 campaign was over, nary an email from the Democratic side.

The problem with the ideas underpinning a stimulus package is that the proposals are "tired."

They're tired of trying to get Republicans to agree to stimulus that benefit hardworking Americans instead of the ultra-rich! Yeesh!

WSJ's editorial page, always a source of cringe-worthy, lunatic prose has REALLY improved since Murdoch bought it. Kamarad Karl must feel right at home.

I've read that Republicans were letting infrastructure slide under Bush because they did indeed desperately want to privitize the rebuilding of the infrastructure. This would shed light on why Bush repeatedly attacked the Army Corp of Engineers (Seems strange until you consider the privitization aspect). Now, what will happen to infrastructure and state spending in the next few months? Is there money for intrastructure spending now that the banks have been given all of our money? Is this the reason why the banks were allowed to fail? Dry up every resource so that there would be no federal money for states and local governments to rebuild infrastructure?

This is the real reason Rove is whining about infrastructure spending. Republicans want to construct yet another ponzi scheme.

and increasing spending on infrastructure....

If I'm not mistaken, people have demanding that more bridges fall down.
---------------------------------------

Jay B #1,
Look, here's the beauty of your point. If we don't save the US automakers, there will be far, far fewer vehicles on the road; ergo, no need to repair bridges, since who the hell is going to drive on them? Good call, seriously.

A bit O/T; big atta-boys to Senate on their decision to have Big-3 go back, do their homework, and respond with an operational/ financial plan as a step to get their money. After Tuesday's Lieberman vote, let's say I was a bit, oh, disenchanted with the Senators (D). This Big-3 homework assignment gives me hope.

Personally, I think Patrick Fitzgerald deserves a promotion for all of the hard work he's done in Illinois, but I can see people like Karl Rove insinuating there's something untoward about Obama promoting a prosecutor who investigates Republicans and Democrats even-handedly.

The guy's also clearly very politically savvy as well -- he was one of the ADAs who was originally put on the chopping block by Rove and his pals, but he managed to wiggle out of it.

Plus he was really funny on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me."

or this one?

Another early decision was that Sen. Hillary Clinton was being vetted for secretary of state. Any other selection now would embitter her supporters, even if she publicly declines the appointment.

get it? even if HILLARY HERSELF takes a pass, her SUPPORTERS would be BITTER.....

where to begin?
Posted by: dj spellchecka on November 20, 2008

Add chicory, it takes away some of the bitterness

Karl Rove and the Bush administration really know how to "do" surreal bizarro.

Hillary should take the Sec. of State position. She'd be great and she'd probably enjoy it more than being one of a hundred senators -- not that being senator isn't a great gig. It must be nice having such great options in your life.

Obama may be disappointing a few people with Clinton-era picks, but really has he picked anybody who isn't up to the job or has some shady past or conflicts of interest? I think he's doing alright.

Oh, yeah, the people are REALLY going to complain when the government goes to improve the infrastructure with jobs that can't be outsourced and actually pay pretty good.

The local construction companies that get the bids to build the bridges and road are probably going to be the first ones to scream out against it. After all, if they get so much business that AFTER they hire all these folks, buy new trucks (from GM and Ford), and put in orders for steel and concrete, they net more than $250K, they are going to have to pay 7 cents more on the 251st dollar. They are going to be OUTRAGED, I tell you. OUTRAGED.

"Barack Obama is the first president-elect since Richard Nixon without executive experience."

Yeah. Bush the Lesser had LOTS of executive experience.

Except that that experience was mostly in going broke. Looks that he DID serve as a business mode.

AND he traded Sammy Sosa. Don't forget that.

"Just like those e-mails I get about once a month from John Kerry after he got my e-mail address four years ago."

That's why I use my hotmail email account for anything I do online. Let IT fill up with dreck and check it once a week for anything of any value.

"...There are ... plans to use the Obama campaign's email list to lobby for Mr. Obama's policies. The Chicago Tribune, reporting comments from Obama spokesman Steve Hildebrand, summed up the plan this way: the email list could be used "to challenge Democratic lawmakers if they don't hew to the Obama agenda."

Just one problem. It's illegal. There are statutory prohibitions on the White House from using tax dollars to directly lobby Congress by unleashing emails, calls and visits. That's up to outside groups to do..."

News flash: Before Obama Field Organizers left their respective campaign offices across the country, the brought campaign volunteers together to transfer the momentum in to the hands of the locals. In my small community, for example, that meant 75 volunteers showed up for a meeting *after* the election and agreed to carry on independently from there. How often does *that* happen in campaigns?!!!