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   Dan Savage, the brilliant and foul-mouthed sex columnist, has become one of the most important ethicists in America. Are we screwed?
 The federal government is supposed to issue new rules about debt levels for students in for-profit colleges. In the meantime, the states are working on their own regulations.
 Washingtons budget hawks want to decimate the federal workforce to shrink the deficit. It will have the opposite effect.
 There arent nearly enough counterterrorism experts to instruct all of Americas police. So we got these guys instead.
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November 4, 2009
WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits: * Unrest returns to the streets of Tehran. * Interesting: "In a landmark ruling, an Italian judge on Wednesday convicted a base chief for the Central Intelligence Agency and 22 other American C.I.A. operatives of kidnapping a Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan in 2003." Kevin added: "Let me get this straight: the Italian judge was happy to convict a bunch of Americans who he knew would never pay a price since they'll never be extradited, but he wasn't willing to convict the Italians involved in all this, who would have paid a price. You'll excuse me, I hope, if I don't exactly see this as a triumph of judicial independence." * Not surprisingly, the Fed left interest rates near zero. * A House vote on health care reform on Saturday? * A Senate vote on extending unemployment benefits today? * Sen. James Inhofe (R) of Oklahoma stopped by the Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on a climate change bill, refused to discuss the basis of his opposition, and left to continue his boycott. What a clown. * In related news, a tri-partisan group of senators -- John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Lieberman -- announced their combined efforts to advance a climate bill. * Harold Meyerson makes the case for the House health care reform bill. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also touts its strengths. * Election-day victories for higher ed. * John Stossel thinks he's being criticized because he's at Fox. John, trust me, you were criticized plenty before. * Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwelll resigned. It's about time. * Why is Newsweek co-hosting a discussion on energy policy with an oil-industry lobbying group? * MSNBC's Chris Matthews thinks it's awful to talk about whether Chris Christie is overweight. MSNBC's Chris Matthews also thinks it's great to talk about whether Al Gore is overweight. * When Sarah Palin's book becomes a best seller, remember that it helps to have right-wing outlets buying copies in bulk and selling them for under $5. * Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that government intervention prevented a depression? * Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) isn't sure what "dithering" means, but he's pretty sure President Obama is guilty of it. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread. —Steve Benen 5:30 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (33)
Comments
When Sarah Palin's book becomes a best seller, remember that it helps to have right-wing outlets buying copies in bulk and selling them for under $5. Amazon is listing it for a flat $9, almost 70% off list. Posted by: Still Too Steep for Me on November 4, 2009 at 5:37 PM | PERMALINKHow has the credit crunch affected you or your business. I don't know about you, but I have encountered any number of solid small and medium sized businesses who have had a devil of a time acquiring the credit needed to expand into open markets or to even service their regular customers. Have you or your company had trouble borrowing money? Posted by: Ron Byers on November 4, 2009 at 5:37 PM | PERMALINKIt's not Sarah Palin's book. I doubt she wrote but a sentence or two. Posted by: depressed beyond belief on November 4, 2009 at 5:45 PM | PERMALINKSteve, once again I'm going to have to ask you to cease and desist this scandalous libeling of hardworking clowns. I met a nice, smart clown at a birthday party, and I've heard James Inhofe speak. James Inhofe is no clown. Posted by: BGinCHI on November 4, 2009 at 5:55 PM | PERMALINKRep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) isn't sure what "dithering" means * Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) isn't sure what "dithering" means,[...] -- Steve Benen So that's why my husband couldn't remember him at W&L; J W didn't take any English classes, I guess. Posted by: exlibra on November 4, 2009 at 6:28 PM | PERMALINKBe careful where you shop. Ordinarily, I do shop at WalMart quite often; I don't have much choice, where I live. But I'll be planning my future trips carefully, limited to a bare minimum (my pharmacy is there). And it's not just WalMart, either; as the article points out, all kinds of cut-rate shops, with workers at hourly wages, are likely to be similarly affected. ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl claimed the following New Jersey exit polling means DIRE CONSEQUENCES for the Democrats healthcare reform proposal: TOP ISSUE ? 32% - Economy/Jobs Eh, I assume the question was in regards to New Jersey STATE issues ? What a clown. I just finished watching NBC nightly and it was a massive disgrace. They had the Governors' races and the big narrative about disgruntled voters and reflection on Obama etc. - OK, I get that. But then Brian noted "other contests" and I had a twinge of anticipation for hearing the implications of NY23! But no, just some flabby throwaway about Bloomberg in NYC and the Philly Mayoral race. Absolutely nothing, at all, about the two House seats picked up by Dems including the stunning upset in the 23ed, reversing around 1.5 centuries of Republican control! The bastards are making a conscious decision to play the anti-Obama narrative and cover up the Republican fracture as revealed in the 23rd. Total, stinking, corporatist turds through and through. Someone, please, post the best direct culprits and their numbers and email addys so we can at least vent at them. Posted by: N e i l B ♠ on November 4, 2009 at 7:11 PM | PERMALINKHarold Meyerson makes the case for the House health care reform bill. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also touts its strengths. How about BHO? Where is he on this? Hiding under his fucking desk? Posted by: Econobuzz on November 4, 2009 at 7:12 PM | PERMALINKUnrest in the streets of Tehran. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. The youth of Iran can't change those facts one whit by offering up their skulls to clubs or their chests to bullets. They are just wasting their flesh... Nor will all the brave green font used by Western bloggers change Iran one nudge. In fact, encouraging the youth of Tehra to offer themselves up as canon fodder is hardly noble blogging. Guns always win in civil unrests of this sort. So let's not quibble: And he will be the dictator 10 years from. This is North Korea all over again in a much more volatile region of the world. If I am president: I give Iran 2 more months to come to heel with their nuclear bomb ambitions. After two months are up, and if they are still recalcitrant, then I bomb their nuclear installations to smithereens. AND... I start a skunkworks to assassinate Ahmadinejad. I fast track those little drones that can fly into a building like insects, and prick this prick with poison. Ahmadinejad is no fucking good for the future of this planet. Allowing his dictatorship to flourish is a mistake. Kill him. Make that a priority. And the sooner the better. It is either that, or 5 years from now, Iran will be arcing rockets out into space like that Kim Jung Jackass... Posted by: koreyel on November 4, 2009 at 7:27 PM | PERMALINKI remember back in 1996 when John Stossel did a news segment about "Super Prisoners". Apparently, prison inmates across the nation had access to bench presses, free weights and nautilus machines, and they were using this equipment to transform themselves into beings of alarming strength. We were informed this posed a dire threat to society. I've hated Stossel ever since. Posted by: garnash on November 4, 2009 at 7:30 PM | PERMALINKHave to agree with koreyel. Not the whole country needs to be bombed back further into stone age, just have Amedickwad whacked. Posted by: vwmeggs on November 4, 2009 at 7:42 PM | PERMALINKYou'll excuse me (Kevin Drum), I hope, if I don't exactly see this (conviction of 23 American C.I.A. operatives for kidnapping a Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan) as a triumph of judicial independence. No, I won't. By what conceivable right do CIA operatives justify plucking a non-American citizen out of the streets of a non-American city in a non-American country? It's not the Italian judge who lacks independence, it's Mr Drum. Though Mr Drum does recognize that neither country is inclined to hold their own people accountable, the culpability is more severe in the case of the aliens' interference. Posted by: Goldilocks on November 4, 2009 at 8:04 PM | PERMALINKIf the SENATE were voting on Saturday, then Joe Leiberman couldn't vote against cloture OR the bill. As an observant Jew, he would be blocked from working on the sabbath. (I'm not advocating it, but the thought did occur to me.) Does the Senate have rules about this? Posted by: Adiv on November 4, 2009 at 8:05 PM | PERMALINKJohn Stossel has to be one of the more annoying persons in the media biz. Posted by: ted on November 4, 2009 at 8:28 PM | PERMALINKactually, adive, i HAVE advocated calling the senate vote on health care for a saturday. along with keeping the house and senate in session over thanksgiving and christmas until they pass a robust public option. and when it comes to tweety talking weight, the new gov of new jersey remminds me a lot of the soprano family's bobby bacala. just sayin'. Posted by: mellowjohn on November 4, 2009 at 8:30 PM | PERMALINKWhy is newseek hosting a pay-to-play salon with big-oil? It's the money Posted by: grooft on November 4, 2009 at 8:35 PM | PERMALINKGood to see koreyel finally coming out of the closet as the genocidal racist neocon fucker that we've always known he is. Fits in well with this group. You have to vote for cloture, not against. If you're just plain missing, that counts against. Posted by: Crissa on November 4, 2009 at 8:45 PM | PERMALINKRep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) isn't sure what "dithering" means, but he's pretty sure President Obama is guilty of it. According to the definition Wilson eventually looked up, anyone who hasn't made a decision yet is necessarily indecisive, and therefore dithering. The important thing is to make decisions immediately! Posted by: Grumpy on November 4, 2009 at 8:48 PM | PERMALINK"Have to agree with koreyel. Not the whole country needs to be bombed back further into stone age, just have Amedickwad whacked." Right on! Then we can whack Nasrallah, Kim Jong Il, Chavez, and any other leaders that try to get too cute with the US (or Israel.) See, foreign policy is easy! Posted by: garnash on November 4, 2009 at 9:25 PM | PERMALINKIran is a dictatorship now. Um, no, that would be Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (his title, Supreme Leader, kind-of gives it away, no?) Ahmadinejad doesn't take a leak without first running it by Khamenei. And you may want to think things through a little bit more before sending Skunkworks in to whack Khamenei. Just a thought. Posted by: Dwight on November 4, 2009 at 9:28 PM | PERMALINKHey, guys! I have a great idea! Let's kill world leaders who don't agree with us! Just think of all the freedom we could spread! By the way, I just woke up from a 9 year coma. Posted by: garnash on November 4, 2009 at 10:02 PM | PERMALINKAmazon is selling a $29 list-price book for $9, two weeks before its release date, while the book is #1 on its best seller list. This is seriously weird. I've never seen anything like it. Posted by: Nancy Irving on November 4, 2009 at 11:15 PM | PERMALINKoptimism concerning biofuels: http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/11/ethannol-has-up-to-13-to-1-energy.html http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/02/us-arpa-e-funding-enlisting-cyanobacteria-to-make-fuel-for-humans/#more-3872 Posted by: MatthewRMarler on November 5, 2009 at 1:03 AM | PERMALINK..., but he wasn't willing to convict the Italians involved in all this, who would have paid a price. According to Reuters via Scott Horton and also to comments after Kevin's post, two Italians were sentenced to prison. Posted by: Gerald Vandergrift on November 5, 2009 at 1:10 AM | PERMALINK"When Sarah Palin's book becomes a best seller, remember that it helps to have right-wing outlets buying copies in bulk and selling them for under $5." Another sign of the weak economy. Usually bulk orders of right-wing trash books are just left to rot in the warehouse. Just ask Ann Coulter. But now things are so bad they have to try and get at least a few bucks back to help cover the cost of printing the things. Tough times, indeed. related fake news SUB-ROSA NEWS Some of the News CANDIDATES URGED TO BE FAT In a conference call yesterday, Republican consultant Oliver B. Reese advised party leaders to seek candidates who were overweight. "Not obese, mind you" said Reese, despite the success of President Taft. But just enough poundage to tempt opponents to imply that you were too fat to serve. Obie, to use Reese's nickname, explained further that voters believe that heavy people were more trustworthy, perhaps jolly. Also, voters can relate better to corpulent candidates, since many Americans exceed the weight chart standards. In addition to last Tuesday's results, history suggests that this is a winning strategy. Skinny Obama's poll numbers are down and we know how famously fit George W. Bush performed in office. So follow President Clinton's lead, get those Big Macs. homer www.altara.blogspot.com Posted by: altara on November 5, 2009 at 7:55 AM | PERMALINKThe Italian judge did not convict the Italian head of military intelligence in the CIA kidnapping case because of "diplomatic immunity." How does anyone have diplomatic immunity in their own country? Posted by: Bob M on November 5, 2009 at 9:26 AM | PERMALINKRep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) who had to look up the word "dithering" when it was used by his leader, Cheney, is also a South Carolina attorney and a Colonel in the South Carolina National Guard. I can accept being ignorant of a word, and I'll give him credit for actually looking it up (probably told a staffer to do it) but for a politician to actually say he had to look it up on a radio show is the acme of stupid. If that's the best South Carolina politics has to offer there sure isn't much there worth anything. Posted by: Rick B on November 5, 2009 at 11:14 AM | PERMALINKPost a comment
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