"* Iran signals interest in a nuclear fuel swap. Hmm."

Bah. I hope the Iranian government will excuse me if I treat their "interest" as if it were as trustworthy as an offer from the Republican party.

I am *extremely* skeptical Bill Clinton said this. He was not of the class that was ever "served coffee" except in a cafe, where his relatives would just as likely have been the waitstaff.

WRT Leno/Conan, it always seemed to me that NBC was testing the waters on the idea of dropping expensive, scripted programming for prime time in favor of something much cheaper. If it had worked, the other networks would have followed their lead and Jeff Zucker would look like a genius.

As it happened, Leno's late night show didn't pull in enough audience to compete in prime time, so now NBC has three late night hosts to stuff into two talk shows worth of time slots. Serves them right, if you asked me.

The usual accomplices (Lieberman & McCain) are screaming about the fact that Mitchell suggested withholding money for Israel if they don't cooperate on the peace process.I would like to see all monies cut off from Israel, they have national health insurance & aid from the US, always fought for by Lieberman, he would send our tax dollars to them but would let a US citizen die in the street for want of healthcare.

"If that father had believed that the United States was a rogue superpower that would torture and abuse his child without any sense of decency, would he have turned him in?"

In that case, the father certainly would have only expressed concern about his son having become radical, and meeting fundamentalists in Yemen. He wouldn't have said that he knows that his beloved has become a terrorist, and is meeting with Al Queda to coordinate an attack on the US! Oh, wait, he didn't really say that...

Concerning late night TV:
Have Conan and Jimmy Fallow on the same set,two
desks and the same guest.....problem solved.

If he's not voting for it, pull the concessions.

I swear, why can't concessions have riders on them requiring the senator to have voted for it?

"If that father had believed that the United States was a rogue superpower that would torture and abuse his child without any sense of decency, would he have turned him in?"
Don't expect this idea to get any media traction.

In the Republican "reality," Abdulmutallab's father was waterboarded for 20 hours straight by a strapping, six-foot tall, flinty eyed, covert operative until he gave up his son. Then, some liberal wimp failed to make good.

to make republicans happy, harry reid will no longer use the word "negro." he'll refer to (ahem) those people just like a republican and call them "the coloreds."

you don't think that taking in almost a Half A Million Dollars ( $500,000 ) would have any influence on what and how you report something ???

"... the controversy surrounding Jon Gruber's HHS contract."

you are either woefully naive benen or an obama stooge.

Krugman Shoots the Messenger: Blames Wheeler, FDL for Fueling “Fake Scandal” over Gruber

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/01/11/krugman-shoots-the-messenger-blames-wheeler-fdl-for-“fueling-a-fake-scandal”-over-gruber/

During the last couple of weeks I have been saddened by the fact that while Repub Peter King has been ranting about terrorists & calling Obama weak, no one has printed anything about Peter King's ties with terrorists, finally someone has spoken, there is an article today on The Daily Beast written by Alex Massie. I hope everyone has time to get acquainted with King's past dealings. This is very close to me, a friend was paralyzed from the neck down in an IRA bombing.

I'm not a huge fan of Bill Clinton, but I was very skeptical of that quote when I first heard it, too. It just doesn't seem like the type of thing he would say.

Regarding the sensitive issues with Harry Reid being followed so closely by the Republican opposition:
Tonight on Countdown, Lawrence O'Donnell noted that when Rush Limbaugh obviously and negatively referred to President Barack Obama as "Barack the Magic Negro," did ANY of the Republicans come forward to challenge Rush on this racist slur?? Anyone?
Good question: Did any of the Republicans come forward to say Rush was out of line with these racist remarks? Did John Cornyn stand up? Did Anyone? Did any republican insist that Rush Limbaugh resign?
Anyone??
Good for Lawrence O'Donnell brilliantly pointing out this fact.
Can someone pick up on this?
Isn't this proof of the partisan nature of the attacks by Republicans on Harry Reid????

Huge Scandal Brewing: Obama Administration Paid $780,000 To MIT Economist for Health Care Reform Support

For almost the entirety of the health care debate, the Obama Administration has relied on economist Jonathan Gruber to make the public case for its idea of reform - even the most unpopular parts. But as Firedoglake revealed on Friday, the Obama Administration has failed to disclose that it paid the same economist more than $780,000.

Jonathan Gruber's work has been cited by the White House, Members of Congress, and countless media outlets, but not once did the Obama Administration disclose it was paying him more than $780,000 in tax dollars. This is a huge ethical violation that undermines the entirety of health care reform.

Once we broke this scandal, The New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and other publications all said they should have disclosed Gruber's lucrative contracts if they were aware of the conflict of interest. Dozens of Members of Congress cited Gruber's work in their floor speeches. The White House pushed Gruber hundreds of times to the press and on its website.

While Gruber's ethical lapses are his own personal and professional issue, the true problem here is that the White House used Gruber and his research as a seemingly unbiased source in support of its unpopular reforms.

When Obama wanted to tax middle class health care plans, Gruber defends the tax. When Obama to force people to buy private insurance, Gruber defends individual mandate. When Obama does not want public option, Gruber says a public option is not important. When Obama needs to pretend the bill has cost controls, Gruber says it has the greatest cost controls ever.

It is simply not right for the White House to cite Gruber's analysis to illustrate the benefits of the bill they support without disclosing that Gruber is on the government payroll. A biased insider can't be an unbiased outside observer. But that's exactly the approach of the Obama Administration, to the tune of $780,000 in tax dollars.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/49147

TRUMKA WARNS DEMS ON HEALTH CARE

(AP) - The president of the AFL-CIO, irate over a proposed tax on high-value health insurance, warned Democrats Monday they risk catastrophic election defeats similar to 1994 if they fail to come up with a health bill labor likes.

"A bad bill could have that kind of effect — a place where people sit at home" — as happened in 1994, when Democrats lost 54 House seats and eight in the Senate, costing them control of Congress, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka told reporters.

"The benefits tax in the Senate bill pits working Americans who need health care for their families against working Americans struggling to keep health care for their families. This is a policy designed to benefit the elites," Trumka said.

"Politicians who think that working people have it too good — too much health care, too much Social Security and Medicare, too much power on the job — are inviting a repeat of 1994," Trumka said. "Our country cannot afford such a repeat."

LINK

Not happy with MSNBC's reporter Chuck Todd continuing on the news network now that he not only outed himself as a conservative, saying "We conservatives.." as he was reporting the other day, AND THEN today, on The Chris Matthews' show, when Todd was asked about Sarah Palin herself evidently saying her being vice president to McCain's campaign was "God's will"...
CHUCK TODD SAID HE SAW NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.

We just had 8 years of a president thinking God told him to do things, including to invade Iraq.

I think it is time to replace Chuck Todd?

smells bad, just as bad, whatever you call yourself, just give it a rest. Krugman is right. What's your real agenda here? What's FDL's agenda?

Did Michael Steele, who recently made the comment "Honest Injun" on the Sean Hannity hate fest ever come out to call radio personality Rush Limbaugh out on his racist remarks "Barack the Magic Negro?" Or when George Allen referred to the man as "Macaca?" Where were these sensitive Republicans then, those so interested in setting the record straight with Mr. Harry Reid.

Isn't this proof Republicans are cashing in on the Reid gaffe in a partisan manner???

What about Glenn Beck calling Obama "a racist?"

Republicans--what did you have to say then?

Krugman weighs in on the controversy surrounding Jon Gruber's HHS contract.

Let's put the Gruber controversy in another light. Suppose the White House contracted a noted climate scientist from Columbia University to develop a model that would assess the effects of a number of energy sources on global warming. The scientist is a noted supporter of alternative energy, but is also a brilliant modeler. Once built, they then ask the climate scientist to assess the White House plan using this model and, when the model shows that alternative energy sources produce a significant reduction in greenhouse gases leading to "bending the curve" in global warming, the White House announces these results and uses them on the floor of the Senate to argue for increased funding for alternative energy paid for by increased taxes for fossil fuels.

Of course the Republican's gnash their teeth, since "everyone knows" that natural gas and nuclear energy are the only rational energy sources for the future so they decide to attack the modeler. What do they do? They say that the White House paid the modeler to get the answer they wanted. That since the modeler is known to support alternative energy sources, she cannot be relied on and as proof, they cite a speech the modeler made saying that the future is in wind, solar and tidal power. They look up the amounts paid to her and they are large numbers. Obviously she was paid to find this answer.

This is trumpeted on every right wing blog and of course on Fox News. They pound away until the White House cancels the contracts and moves on to trying to get the next item passed through a recalcitrant Senate.

Of course the Right is thrilled! Now they have a way to destroy any credible scientist! Never mind that their scientists are paid by industry, the White House is using scientists paid by the government! And look at all the money paid to academics by the NIH, NSF and DOE! Obviously they are corrupt since they know the money won't flow unless they get the "right" answer!

Unfortunately this story is not about Republicans and climate change, it's about Democrats and economics.

You know, the problem with us liberals is that we really think humans are guided by reason and logic and common sense. Sadly, it isn't true.

Mark Twain said it best:

"...we all know that in all matters of mere opinion that [every] man is insane--just as insane as we are...we know exactly where to put our finger upon his insanity: it is where his opinion differs from ours....All Democrats are insane, but not one of them knows it. None but the Republicans. All the Republicans are insane, but only the Democrats can perceive it. The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane."

"Iran signals interest in a nuclear fuel swap. Hmm."

Considering that David Ignatius reported in October that Iran's power plant grade enriched uranium is tainted with chemicals that would destroy their centrafuges if they tried to enrich to weapons grade, why bother giving them anything? They've got what they need for electrical power generation and they DON'T NEED BETTER!

"I am *extremely* skeptical Bill Clinton said this. He was not of the class that was ever "served coffee" except in a cafe, where his relatives would just as likely have been the waitstaff." - Emma Anne

Then consider the fact that Ted Kennedy IS of the class who would have been served coffee somewhere other than a cafe and NO member of his family would have working as a barrista and you wonder just who said it actually.

Yeah for Media Matters on doing the fact-checking! This is the best news in this whole stream.

"A coalition of watchdog and reform groups gave President Barack Obama's administration high marks for its efforts to increase transparency in its first year."

How about transparency in the Treasury Department? Why won't Tim Geithner let anybody see the evidence in the crimes committed at/by AIG?

Why did Geithner decide on Christmas Eve to lift the cap on how much taxpayer money could be poured in to rescue Freddie and Fannie's toxic portfolio? Christmas Eve? Could the Obama Treasury Department have picked a less transparent time? Always covering up for the corporations and it's always at the expense of the taxpayers.

This am (wednesday) I turned on BBC news, saw some interesting parts of the official Iraq inquiry, about how we got into war, also they are following the story of a young US former Guantanimo guard who managed to contact two former prisoners and went to England to reunite with them and apologize for his part, very interesting. Then on to CNN, they are talking about -guess what - should Harry Reid step down -this has been going on for days now 24 hours a day and there is more news on BBC in 30 minutes -no wonder the media here is losing viewers.

"Transferring control of the prison at Bagram Air Field to Afghan control?"

But, hang on, isn't Obama worse than Bush? Didn't he have a cunning plan to pretend to close Gitmo and outlaw torture but really carry it on at Bagram? Narrative is in danger, must find new criticisms of Obama - ah, I know - Obama is caving on Net neutrality!

Oh, maybe not.

How about Gruber is a paid hack and nothing he says can be trusted. Oh, maybe not.

Must, must find something else - I know, Rahm Emanuel swears too much! he made some money when he was in the private sector! sack him immediately

and, and, Tim Geithner - you know that person who has been in public service all his adult life - yeah, really he is a corrupt human being, doling out money like candy to banks - sack him immediately and replace him with ?

homerhk and JS...what you said. Really, the press in the US is a gross waste of digital space (what with newspapers going by the wayside)reporting inane gossip, personal politics and corpoarate agendas. It makes me sick.