* Speaking of which, Geithner was confirmed late yesterday, following a 60-34 vote. The Democrats (Harkin, Feingold, and Byrd) voted against him, as did one of the independents (Sanders) caucusing with the Dems.

Took me a moment to realize that should have been Three Democrats...

(also worth noting that 10 Republicans voted for Geithner)

The link in the post goes to an article that says that a 60-34 vote is Obama winning "just barely". Not sure how that lopsided a vote, with more than twice as many Republicans coming over than Dems lost, is "just barely" a win...

Speaking of rightwing bs talking points, here's the latest from FRC. Love the use of "potentially: throughout:

Please contact your Representative to vote against H.R. 1, a stimulus bill full of earmarks and payback to liberal political cronies like ACORN and Planned Parenthood

Stop Nancy Pelosi's Taxpayer Funded Payoff Scheme
January 27, 2009 | Refer a Friend

Dear Edward,

Exactly what kind of stimulus did Speaker Nancy Pelosi have in mind? That's a question more Americans should be asking now that details are trickling in about the controversial $825 billion "economic recovery" package. $200 million for lawn care in Washington, D.C., $360 million to potentially be used to put on transsexual beauty pageants and erotic art shows. These are a few examples in the $825 BILLION (and counting!), over 1,588 page stimulus bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi argues this bill would stimulate the economy, however only 7 percent of the legislation actually goes towards infrastructure - the rest of the bill reads like a taxpayer funded payoff to groups that have supported liberal Democrats' interests.

And what a pay off! ACORN, the long controversial group that purposefully tried to muck up last year's elections to benefit the Democrats is being rewarded by Nancy Pelosi with potentially $4.19 BILLION in taxpayer funds. And more than 10 percent of the proposal-$87 billion-would be directed to groups like Planned Parenthood! The country's recession is crippling families, and the Democrats' solution is spending billions of dollars on contraception?

On the latest "This Week" program on ABC, George Stephanopoulos pressed Speaker Pelosi for an explanation. She implied that making sure there are less children is a great way to stimulate the economy! Meanwhile she helped stop an amendment to the bill that would have protected parental rights!

Contact your Representative today to vote against H.R. 1, the so called "American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009".

Thank you and God bless you.

Stop Nancy Pelosi's Taxpayer Funded Payoff Scheme

Sincerely,

Tony Perkins
President

Thanks for mentioning Susan Solomon's study on the long-term effects of anthropogenic global warming and consequent climate change.

The main point to take from her study is that whatever turns out to be the peak level of CO2 that results from anthropogenic emissions, we are going to be stuck with it and its effects for a thousand years. Not only rising sea levels and continent-wide megadroughts, but acidification of the oceans. This is a recipe for mass extinction such as the Earth has experienced only a few times in its history.

Which makes it all the more urgent to stop increasing CO2 levels as soon as possible, which in turn means ending all anthropogenic CO2 emissions as soon as possible, which in turn means phasing out fossil fuels as soon as possible.

At present, anthropogenic CO2 emissions are not only increasing every year, but accelerating.

Not sure how that lopsided a vote,...is "just barely" a win... - TG Chicago

I suspect the logic is that if Geithner only had 59 supporters, the Republicans would have filibustered him. Personally, I would bet that if fifteen more Dems had voted no, the Reps would have ponied up an extra six, and still not filibustered. They wanted Geithner more than anyone else Obama would have nominated. But they also wanted hissy points.

Not sure how that lopsided a vote, with more than twice as many Republicans coming over than Dems lost, is "just barely" a win...

Get used to it, unfortunately. The media can't stand someone whose popularity makes them independent from the Village, and god knows the Republicans never had dates and hate popular guys. So their snarky revenge for Obama-mania will be to set the bar impossibly high.

"Obama's bill didn't pass the Senate 100-0? Obviously his unreasonably high popularity has slipped since he had to start the real work of governing. . ." blah blah blah.

The digital TV conversion has been delayed?! Are you effing kidding me? Like the bazillion commercials haven't been enough? I'm sorry, but if you are the 0.5% of the nation that still has rabbit ears, and you've just been too lazy to get the converter, too bad so sad.

I was really looking forward to next month. It was going to be like when all the political ads stopped -- pure bliss.

I'm sorry, but if you are the 0.5% of the nation that still has rabbit ears, and you've just been too lazy to get the converter, too bad so sad.

I read recently that (if I were a Republican I'd say "I read where") some really surprisingly large number of people, mostly older people but an amazing number of younger ones, too, don't have digital TVs or cable. I recall being shocked by how many people were planning to get the converter. But now I'm too lazy to look for that reference.

Oh, oh. Looks like Kirsten Gillebrand may become more controversial soon. Seems (tpmm) her father is not only her chief money raiser, but he's also linked to Joe Bruno, Republican former State Senate Majority Leader, who was recently indicted for corruption charges.

A: The converters don't work very well, especially with indoor antennas, and the problem affects the poorest group of people in the country, who get all too many kicks already. Take away their soma, and society could have real problems. I said a year ago this was a time bomb waiting for whoever became the new president. Looks like Obama agrees.

B: Wow, three of the most liberal Senators (and of course Bob Byrd) had the guts to vote against Geithner. Interesting. I'm sure at least one would have voted for him if he was threatened, but wonder what this means for the future. Looks like a warning to Obama from the Progressive camp. Hope so. These are three of the smartest people in the govt.

Well, Danp, you're late with the news. All us New Yorkers knew this for a long time.

On another topic, my TV has rabbit ears, but needs a new set to use my converter right. One ear currently broken. The ignoramus above who thought everybody had cable was also probably somebody who wondered why the folks in New Orleans didn't get in their cars and evacuate. Sheesh.

I can't get the "tabs" function to work for the link to Soloman's climate report; you'll have to do it the dirty way, and play "cut-&-paste." sorry....

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/news/2009/climate_change_irreversible.html

Oh my, I thought John Updike died a while ago. I guess it was someone else who I haven't read since college and keep meaning to read again. He was a good writer and will be missed by those more up to date than I am since I already missed him.

Anyone know the particular reasons the three Democrats gave for not supporting Geithner? Just curious.

another nice summary of recent alternative energy progress:

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Renewable_Energy_Leading_Source_Of_New_Electric_Generating_Capacity_In_USA_999.html

More than half of new electricity generating capacity is from renewable sources.

@ericfree: The converters don't work very well, especially with indoor antennas, and the problem affects the poorest group of people in the country, who get all too many kicks already. Take away their soma, and society could have real problems.

Speak for yourself, a-hole. I don't have cable, haven't yet bought a converter and I guarantee you that I my net worth is significantly greater than yours.

"The Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, announced on Tuesday that he would crack down on lobbying to influence the $700 billion financial bailout program by the companies that are receiving billions in taxpayer funds."

Well, this is shear stupidity, for how does Congress figure out which proposals result in good and which result in bad except by talking to the participants in the economy?

What is he going to do, I might ask? Ignore all resented data, because most data is given with a viewpoint?

I guess this idiot is going to throw darts, because how in the hell does Congress fix the private sector by refusing to talk to them?

Like a venture capitalist opneing up shop but refusing to read business plans because of moral hazard!

Deep snark

The digital TV deadline has been extended to the summer.

Any news on when we will be converting to metric?

Deeper snark

BELMONT, Calif. — During her 50 years of smoking, Edith Frederickson says, she has lit up in restaurants and bars, airplanes and trains, and indoors and out, all as part of a two-pack-a-day habit that she regrets not a bit. But as of two weeks ago, Ms. Frederickson can no longer smoke in the one place she loves the most: her home.

“I’m absolutely outraged,� said Ms. Frederickson, 72, pulling on a Winston as she sat on a concrete slab outside her single-room apartment. “They’re telling you how to live and what to do, and they’re doing it right here in America.�

If is any consolation Ms. Frederickson you still have complete freedom to befoul my lungs with your chimney, your car, or your outdoor barbecue. Your right to stain my air is still far greater than my right to breathe clean air. So please... be happy for small things...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/us/27belmont.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Man. Crazy how they can get a "Hamas militant" with an airstrike! What accuracy! What intelligence they must have on the ground!

I cringe every time I see Byrd's name anymore. He probably needed to retire a few years back. He does not look well up there giving speeches, and it brings into serious question his mental capacity.

He does not look well up there giving speeches, and it brings into serious question his mental capacity. -winner

Well, he got the vote on Geithner right.

* The "truce" in Gaza is already looking shaky, in light of a Palestinian roadside bomb that killed an Israeli today [...] -- Steve Benen

And how can we be sure that it was, indeed, "a Palestinian roadside bomb", and not one of the cluster(fuck) bombs with which Israel has so generously salted the Gazan ground?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyone know the particular reasons the three Democrats gave for not supporting Geithner? Just curious. -- Franklin, @20:30

No clue about Byrd's reasons but the other three are the most progressive in the Senate and Geithner is a long way from that (besides being a tax-cheat). Of all Obama's appointments, he's the one that sticks in my own craw the hardest, too -- talk about setting a fox to guard the hen-house... OTOH... If not him, then who? The guys who'd go down more easily are all academics, not "rude mechanicals"

I've begun to argue in the last few months that we need scientists to develop a compound or device that when exposed to the air, takes carbon from it and turns it into well, rocks basically. Then we shoot them off into the sky or deploy it like the nano-cloud in the matrix. Of course then we have small rocks falling but hey, drastic times call for drastic measures.

BTW, it was an Israeli soldier not a civilian. Why did the statement not say that but it did make it clear that a Hamas militant (how did they know?) was killed in response.

the problem with digital tv is the same thing that makes it better: reception and image are perfect. But when they aren't, you get nada. Since digital signals don't penetrate structures well, or transmit as far. I set up my Mom's over the holidays and we had to rearrange the living room to get any reception. She couldn't have done that by herself. I just gave up in my apartment and trashed my tv (no value on non-digital sets anymore) yes, it's going to be a clusterf**k. I wonder if we'll get to the point where basic cable becomes a utility, basically provided for free to residences. Kill over air broadcasts almost entirely save some rural areas. You plug into the jack on the wall and get the big four nets, your local PBS station, the WB and anyone else who wants to pay a fee to subsidize the project.

"The digital TV deadline has been extended to the summer."
I imagine those that are affected probably don't have the internet so I hope the gov't runs another billion dollar ad campaign to tell these folks to catch a ride to the big city and get themselves one of those converter boxes.