I wouldn't say that that the parasites on Wall Street are idiots, exactly. Soulless, greedy, opportunistic, sociopathic swine without an ounce of integrity between them, but not idiots.

To paraphrase the old saying, if they're so dumb, how come they're so rich?

I'll have to give Obama credit for returning bipartisanship to Congress. We had a bipartisan vote in the House and it looks like another in the Senate next week. Of course, the bipartisan votes are against his bills but, what the heck. I'll take what I can get in bipartisanship.

> what the heck. I'll take what I can get ....

Ah, you must be one of the bankers.

Mike K wrote: "I'll take what I can get in bipartisanship."

Good. Because what you are going to get is enactment of President Obama's agenda into law by the Democratic majority in Congress, with the overwhelming support of the American people.

You'll love it, because there's nothing so-called "conservatives" love more than to whine and complain, and so-called "conservatives" will have plenty to whine and complain about for the next eight years.

Gregg should ask for Mitch McConnel's job, lol.

How about a stipulation of receiving bail-out money or stimulus funds is that the highest paid company official can only be paid 100 times (or some such number) as much as the lowest? If the boss wants more he gives a raise to his part timers.

Spread the wealth. Build smart.

The artist made his point with the shoe. Now he can cash in on it's sale on Ebay.

A story on CNN.com says Rudy Guiliani thinks those big Wall St. bonuses are a good thing.

Wow. That article on Obama's style really helps highlight what a douchebag Bush was. Everything about that guy was complete turd. He actually forbid Dan Bartlett from even going into the Oval Office because he was in khakis on the weekend, even though he was chewing him out?! What a mental case!

Bush's anal style is clearly symptomatic of bigger problems.

Oh, and I like David Gergen's description of Obama's vibe as "Aloha Zen." I think that describes him well.

It's a new day, people.

"Following the news about $18 billion in Wall Street bonuses last year, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) suggested a salary cap for employees of any company that accepts federal bailout money. "We have a bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer," McCaskill said on the Senate floor. "They don't get it. These people are idiots."

No, we're the idiots for electing the representatives and senators who let this go happen.

I'm beginning to think that it might take a true rebellion to make our "leaders" come to their senses.

Holy idiot! Bush didn't get his daily briefing on Sundays?!? What, is it assumed that bad guys don't work on Saturday? Or is it that he figured God would take care of everything for him on the Sabbath?

And Bush didn't get daily economic briefings?! Oh wait, I suppose I could have guessed that one. After all, why bother with learning what's going on economically if you know the free markets will take care of themselves? Knowing Bush, he would have just made things worse.

Oh, and that's not to mention that the article said Bush once locked Colin Powell out of a cabinet meeting because he was a few minutes late. That really does highlight all of Bush's big deficiencies as leader. Punctuality was more important to him than including his Secretary of State in the discussion. What a genius!

Jesus, why am I writing about all this here, when I could have made a blog post about it?

“I’ve got this thing and it’s f—-ing golden, I’m not giving it up for f—-ing nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it.� Rod Blagojevich on open Senate seat.

“I would say whatever it is, name it.� John Cornyn on open Senate seat.

... Birds of a feather.

Can we send roses, candy-grams, whatever to Sen. Gregg?

Please, please, please, please, please let him take it.

I have absolutely no idea what his qualifications are, but I do know the Governor is a Democrat, and we could have 60 votes. Pleeeeeeeeeze

Can you point me to the Aloha Zen comment? What show? I need to see it.

So apropos. I loved the shaka at the Ponahu band on Inauguration Day.

Despite the economic crisis, ExxonMobil reported an annual profit last year of $45.2 billion. It's the biggest profit any American company has ever had.

Sounds like we should force them to bail out the auto industry.

"Chairman John Cornyn was asked today what he'd offer Gregg to stay in the Senate. "I would say whatever it is, name it," Cornyn replied."

Hows about voting for the stimulus package? Then AFTER the vote Gregg could move to the Cabinet.

Screw the right-wing fundies.

Sarah Barracuda, @19:10

The Aloha Zen comment is in the New York Times article that Benen linked to (last but one "bullet", about the president's personal style)

Michelle Bernard, all dolled up in too much make-up and too much hair actually had the idiocy and audacity to argue on Chris Mathews' "Hardball" that the Lilly Ledbetter bill is very bad for women.

A black woman against pay equity, asserting that it "VICTIMIZES" women and it will be a barrier for women to be hired!

SAY WHAT?

Uh, this is something to EMPOWER, Michelle! This is intended to send a message of fairness for all
where it matters most--in the pocket-book!
(Me thinks she just don't like it, 'cause it's the government saying so...).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And to add insult to injury, Mathews gets the argument all wrong--he says he is "intuitively feels that women have gotten a raw deal", which is all well and good--but then he goes on and confuses and distorts this particular bill which is for equal pay for equal work: He goes on to say that women are underpaid in general, that they deserve more their work in such fields as education and nursing.

Well meaning on his part, but this discourse unravels to a joke and he once again confuses the whole central issue at hand. He just loves to hear himself talk, loves to make hay out of nothing and is clearly more interested in the drama than doing his homework.

Mathews is just not very bright. Indeed, his dramatics serve as decoy for his lack of intellect.

I see your snark and raise it two more snarks...

Benen: Despite the economic crisis, ExxonMobil reported an annual profit last year of $45.2 billion.

Shalimar: Sounds like we should force them to bail out the auto industry.

Me: Or pay for the 30 billion in road construction that's in the House stimulus bill.

Bye-Bye, Thugs!

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department will not renew the contract of security contractor Blackwater Worldwide when it expires in May, a senior State Department official said Friday.

The decision was made after the Iraqi government refused last week to renew the firm's operating license because of a 2007 incident in which the Iraqi government says security guards -- then employed by Blackwater -- fired on and killed 17 Iraqis.

Blackwater's latest "task order" expires in May, and the senior official said that "one of the conditions is that you have to have a license" to continue working in the country.

"No license, no renewal," the official said. "If they don't have a license to operate, we would certainly not renew the task order."

With the news that Blago's name and photo has been removed from signs and wall, who will be the first comedian to quip: "and they put his picture up in every post office, he's now one of America's ten least wanted."

koreyel: Me: Or pay for the 30 billion in road construction that's in the House stimulus bill.

Yes. America's profits can be lent to the federal government to fund the "stimulus" package. Those profits may have to be supplemented by other funds to get up to $850B (or whatever the final figure is), especially since the profits will be taxed first to fund (some of) the regular budget. But at least management won't have to worry about the uncertainties associated with, for example, risky investments in energy.

"Steele" yourself for some Michelle Bernard Big media snark...

A black woman against pay equity, asserting that it "VICTIMIZES" women and it will be a barrier for women to be hired!

You didn't get the memo?

Get used to it friend...

All the talking points from the right must now issue from the maws of minorities. Big media has decreed that this lends the old ideas new validity. Looky, it's not racism if a black guy tap dances to Barack the Magic Negro sung my Rush...

It is only matter a time before we have Malkin arguing on prime time that WW2 internment camps for "slants" was as morally justified as Gitmo is for ragheads.

Get used to it friends:

Big media = Over fried dog hit served hot with stale, fiber-less chips.
(i.e. Network TV is going the way of newspapers, they just don't realize it yet.)

To paraphrase the old saying, if they're so dumb, how come they're so rich?

A con artist doesn't have to be smart in order to steal your money. He just needs to be convincing.

Daschle has now paid his taxes so the recession should be over soon. These guys are amazing. I'm not whining, just astonished at the tax evaders going into the administration.

I think the porculus bill is DOA, by the way.

glenn beck's ratings on cnn headline news were so weak, his largely-unknown replacement is already generating better numbers.

perhaps nationally she's largely unknown, but jean velez mitchell was a staple in los angeles news for several years.

i'm glad to see her do well, tho i'm sorry she's doing a copy of nancy zomg! dead kids! grace.

* I'm delighted to see Howard Kurtz take my side against Mark Halperin's argument about Obama and the stimulus. -- Steve Benen

Your aim is too low, Benen :) For all I live in VA, I think WaPo is a rag (mostly) and only read it on Sundays (when I get it delivered to my doorstep). Otherwise, it's NYT and it, too, seems to appreciate your wise commentary:

http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/defaming-michelle-obama/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daschle has now paid his taxes so the recession should be over soon. These guys are amazing. I'm not whining, just astonished at the tax evaders going into the administration. -- Mike K, @ 21:03

Much as I, too, deplore tax evasion, especially among the super rich (if you owe $100K in taxes alone, *and* can afford to pay that, without going bankrupt, you can't be hurting or worried about where your next glass of milk is coming from), I can't help but wonder...

Just how much of those revelations about the "tax mistakerers" (this being the second) surfacing at all is due to Obama's invitation to all and sundry to actually scrutinise every last nook and cranny of his administration/proposed administration?

I'm not whining, but I can't remember anyone in the Bush administration having their tax returns examined with the same microscope.

For anyone interested, I turned the NY Times article on Obama's style into a post at American Nihilist, awarding him Nihilist of the Day

Remember, American Nihilist is the freshest blog for liberal nihilists who hate stuff. Don't miss it!

My favorite interesting fact about Michael Steele is that the Maryland GOP paid him to be their Lieutenant Governor candidate in 2002. (Really, look it up.) The Baltimore Sun described the arrangement as apparently not illegal, but highly unusual.

OBAMA TO REPUBLICANS: ‘just tell me what you want, I’ll get it done - its the new way’

HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO OBAMA: F-U, and your stinkin’ little Americans too!

SENATE REPUBLICANS TO OBAMA: F-U, and your stinkin’ little Americans too!

only thing left to know: did Obama learn anything?

It is only matter a time before we have Malkin arguing on prime time that WW2 internment camps for "slants" was as morally justified as Gitmo is for ragheads. - koreyel

In case anyone didn't get the snark, Malkin has already written that book.

Yes, I have a question: given Israel's prohibition agains the passage of cement into Gaza, how does one build homemade rockets using cement ? Any rocket scientists out there for this one ?

Given Olmert's recent promise of a disproportionate response to the latest barrage of four rockets by someone from Gaza, does this mean that the Israelis are planning on killing everyone in Gaza ? If so, wouldn't gas ovens be less destructive ?