Pakistan: "A suicide bomber killed 16 people Thursday outside a courthouse in northwestern Pakistan, the latest attack in an onslaught by Islamist militants ...

This is ridiculous scare-mongering and scape goating. We all know that this so-called suicide bomber was mentally ill. The mentally ill often take their cues from the socio-cultural milleau. If it hadn't been Islamists, it would have been Brittany Spears inspiring this man to blow himself up outside a courthouse. To say any different is to participate in a Islamist witch hunt.

Tuition at UC is going up $7,500 a year, and on top of previous steep increases over the last several years -- but at least all those parents sending their kids to UC don't have to pay higher taxes!

I disagree with the Palin analysis. I think she speaks at an adolescent level and intentionally talks as if to a child.

She just spouts the sixth grade version of the talking points with an apparently total unawareness that she sounds like a child.

George W. Bush was exactly the same way. I think it's because when complicated policy points were explained to him, aides had to dumb it down to a sixth grade level and that's the angle that he would repeat. I strongly suspect it's the same with Palin.

I strongly suspect it's the same with Palin.

Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt. You can see it in both of their faces: semi-concentration as they retrieve the simplistic talking point, relief that they're able to repeat it, then a big smirk as they congratulate themselves for the imaginary point they scored.

"I'll never understand, 39 out of 40 Senate Republicans -- including Snowe and Collins -- voted against him."

I'd guess that it's out of fear of Tea-baggers who will trash them relentlessly in the next elections.

Fools - that's coming anyway! Votes like this won't stop the crazies.

"This is ridiculous scare-mongering and scape goating. We all know that this so-called suicide bomber was mentally ill. The mentally ill often take their cues from the socio-cultural milleau. If it hadn't been Islamists, it would have been Brittany Spears inspiring this man to blow himself up outside a courthouse. To say any different is to participate in a Islamist witch hunt."

If you can't see the difference between this bombing in Pakistan and Ft Hood I suggest you slink back to redstate where things will make a lot more sense for you.

You know that "simplistic" is not a compliment, right?

It's hard to believe how much college tuition rates are going up in California. It's going to price a lot of students right out of their schools.

And it ain't going to stop either due to Prop 13, insane drug laws and collapsing real estate prices. Already we're spending more on prisons than on education. Also, California's K-12 per-pupil spending has gone from top in the nation in the late 1960s to 48th, 49th or 50th today, depending on who's math you're using. The state park system has been essentially shuttered. The transportation infrastructure is literally collapsing. The Reagan Revolution managed to turn California in Mississippi. Bravo conservative movement.

"It's hard to believe how much college tuition rates are going up in California. It's going to price a lot of students right out of their schools."

No shit. When I went to UCSB in the 70's, they were charging $25/unit = $400/16-unit quarter = $1,200 3-quarter year. It's soon going to be 10X that amount. And Yudof's response is, "it's OK, they can just borrow more."

Meanwhile, he pulls $800K+ in salary and perks. All you have to do is read the NYT interview with him to see where he's coming from.

She just spouts the sixth grade version of the talking points with an apparently total unawareness that she sounds like a child."

My eleven year old started reading the first few pages of her book in Borders tonight, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He also wanted to know why the map of Alaska in the frontispiece didn't show the porch she could see Russia from.

"...the latest attack in an onslaught by Islamist militants..."

Why are they listed as "Islamist" militants? Why not just militants or insurgents or tribal militants?

"...For reasons I'll never understand, 39 out of 40 Senate Republicans -- including Snowe and Collins -- voted against him."-Benen

These repubs couldn't give you a reason either... except the truth is they try to obstruct or stall all of Obama's nominees...aren't they holding over 80 nominations right now? Doing anything to cause Obama's administration failure and thus the majority of the country- failure.
The Obstructionists and kings of hypocrisy. Screaming USA USA USA with anger and condescension is just more hypocrisy, especially while letting thousands die each yr from lack of HC. Invaded by Paliens with loud mouths exaggerating their miniscule numbers while the millions of the majority vomit. 8yrs of these repubs almost destroyed the nation completely and as usual left dems to clean up the mess because they obviously don't know how to govern and their idea on how to help is to obstruct everything the dems try to do so they can say see, dems are as bad as we are.

Is Tim Geitner finally seeing the light. Has he determined his approach to our financial crisis must be redirected to exclude the Banks and Wall street from profiteering from the bailout. He is saying "I was wrong" and these groups are actually evil financial terrorists trying to hold the country in place by blackmail... with the consequences they will unleash if the gov. interferes and then finally decide to increase taxes on derivative trading etc. Well prove it Tim...time to put an end to "too big to fail" and break up Goldman Sachs and AIG and regulate wall street with big huge chains of accountability.

Yay Tim Geitner...go Tim go...get it done (or we will fire you)

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) pushed a measure yesterday to freeze credit card rates on existing balances through the holiday season. Senate Republicans quickly blocked it.

Funny I didn't see anything about this on the evening news. I guess the Liberal press just didn't feel like seizing the opportunity to show-up the Republicans for the anti-Christmas turds they are.

Is it just me, or does the guy on the Red Baron pizza boxes look like Tom Selleck?

"...To say any different is to participate in a Islamist witch hunt."
Posted by: inkadu on November 19, 2009 at 5:42 PM | PERMALINK\

Nice try inkadu. You got it all figured out. No chance this man's entire family was being held hostage or already been killed by the occupiers etc etc etc.

Desperate people with fanatical beliefs do not represent an entire religion...just ask the Inquisitor or Tim McVeigh.

If he was "an" Islamist he does not represent the millions of Islam believers. Now go kill a child who disrespects his parents (Leviticus) so we can begin a Christian witch hunt.

Saw a clip of Palin's interview with Barbara Walters, which also included her daughters Willow and Piper. Not only is Palin's eye makeup so thick you can't see her eyes, Piper, age eight (8!) was wearing makeup (not as thick thankfully). I don't remember that happening during the campaign. Too funny when Walters asked the girls if "mom" was a good cook they both said yes, and when asked what their favorite dish was said "moose hot dogs with melted cheese inside". ::snort::

I wonder what really goes on inside her head?

I wonder more about what's going on in the heads of the people lining up for her book, and that consider qualified to be President.

From the CBO letter to Reid: The public plan would have to charge premiums that covered its
costs, including the costs of paying back start-up funding that the government would
provide.

Either that simply will be ignored and the government plan will run at a large deficit, OR the insurance coverage that is provided to people who can't get private insurance will be extremely high. There are other doubtful provisions. Financing coverage by adding a tax to the sale of medical equipment is not going to reduce total costs or add to net revenue.

The CBO letter clearly states that the forecasts depend for their accuracy on assumptions about what future Congresses will do, for example, the assumption that future Congresses will cut medical spending more than any past or current Congress has done.

There are way too many colleges and universities, teaching way too many student way too much academic nonsense.
Students in CA may find themselves lucky a few years from now, if what's happening forces them over into learning trades and practical vocations.

When workers in the H-wood film industry are beating down the doors of porn producers, desperately looking for work, then you know the place has been torched by Conan the Vulgarian - and good.
They're going to have to aim for subsistence living, by the looks of it.

And for the record - I have a graduate degree from a leading University.
But so does everybody else these days.

Rupert Murdoch: David Paterson Is a Hapless Blind Illiterate

from Ezra Klein: But it relies on the bill working, and being implemented. The legislation targets Medicare for continual reform and experimentation, with the goal being 6 percent, rather than 8 percent, annual spending growth. One reply to that is to judge it impossible, and call the bill a farce. I'm not quite so pessimistic. Six percent is lower than current growth, but neither unheard of nor unattainable. In any case, it's necessary. At some point, we have to get Medicare to 6 percent growth. The alternative is federal bankruptcy.

Another alternative is to try to avoid bankruptcy by taxing more, borrowing more, printing more money, and reducing the "discretionary" spending like military, transportation, energy, and science. I doubt they'll try reducing ag subsidies.

What? Nothing on the "pray for Obama" nastiness?
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/19/pray-obama-psal/

There's obviously differences between Pakistan and Ft. Hood; but they're responding to the same struggle.

We don't have any trouble saying that Michelle Bachmann's rhetoric may have had a lot to do with the survey worker being strung up, or the pro-life movement was behind the assasination of the abortion doctor, or that the entire right-wing noise machine had a lot to do with the murders at the Unitarian Church, or anti-semitism behind the shootings at the Holocaust museum.

Of course that doesn't mean every muslim is a suspect (Islamist is list Christianist). I definitely understand the reluctance to call a spade a spade in this case, because the United States is full of peasants waiting to get out their pitchforks... but I'm just applying the same logic to all these events.

Good Lord, UC rate increases!

Talk about how to take apart the best university system in the world - it was not only the best because of the world class quality of the education, but because it was affordable for the masses too.

It's just MHO, but given the world's economy, this isn't the best time for California to take a world class institution for innovation, new technology and businesses and cut it off at the knees.

There are way too many colleges and universities, teaching way too many student way too much academic nonsense. Blah blah blah.

Tell that to Sergey Brin and Larry Page, dimwit.

Matthew,

From the CBO letter to Reid: The public plan would have to charge premiums that covered its costs, including the costs of paying back start-up funding that the government would provide.

"Either that simply will be ignored and the government plan will run at a large deficit, OR the insurance coverage that is provided to people who can't get private insurance will be extremely high."

Wrong on all counts.

* Other than the initial start-up expenses (which is a loan that has to be repaid over time), there will be no taxpayer funds involved with the Public Option.

* There will no longer be any Americans "who can't get private insurance", as it will be illegal to deny anyone coverage or rescind coverage from anyone.

* Given that the administrative overhead in the Public Option will mimic the less than 2% administrative overhead in Medicare, compared to the 30%+ administrative overhead in the for-profit private-sector health insurance corporations, the premiums under the Public Option have the room to be a lot cheaper.

In retrospect, I think it's quite hilarious that the McCain campaign tried to brand Obama as a vapid, superficial "celebrity" who was only in it for the crowd-love. Jon Stewart was particularly brilliant the other day when talking about Palin-- I think it was Tuesday-- and referred to her as a "talking points machine" among other things.

I'm just hoping that after all of this that Palin will be seen as little more than a Republican pin-up girl with absolutely nothing serious to contribute.

She is a female George W. she speaks in bumper sticker. Everything she says could go on a bumper sticker. When she completes a paragraph it's like putting a bunch bumper stickers in a blender, give it whirl and presto you have Word Salad

Palin is Pol Pot in a skirt. She sells because her message to her followers is that their ignorance is actually "common sense" and that if we just get rid of all the smarty-pants liberals things will be fine. Any criticism of her is interpreted by the Palinoids as a sign of how much liberals fear her and by extension, them. She validates them and provides them with an other whom they can blame for everything that's gone wrong both in the country and in their own lives and they adore her for that.

This woman will be making mischief for some time to come.

dr. bloor @ 7:10,
sounds like you're raising a real smart-assed little left-winger there.
keep up the good work.
(the smart=assed little left-wingers i raised are now 40 and 36.)

michmac....get it straight...

sarah palin is g.w. bush with t*ts..