Obama should recess appoint all of them - every last one of them.

No, blizzards do not disprove global warming.

Way back in seventh grade Earth Science class they taught us the difference between climate and weather.

I guess what this debate proves is that the folks using that argument aren't as smart as a seventh grader.

This is from the Huffington Post and is just too delicious to ignore

"It appears that Sarah Palin may have committed an even bigger faux-pas than simply reading from "crib notes" on her hand during her appearance at the National Tea Party Convention over the weekend."

"The former Alaska governor wore a black bracelet with the name of her oldest son, Track Palin, who served in Iraq in 2008. Only problem is bracelets of this nature are traditionally reserved to commemorate those who have died in military service. Track is still alive..."

The Huffing Posting article quotes the "Yale Daily News" which published an article on the subject by "Eric Robinson, a first-year Yale graduate student in international relations and a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars"

"'Commemorating Track's service by wearing a a black memorial bracelet which is reserved for those dead or even a red bracelet for those missing in action, demonstrates a horrifying contempt for those who gave their last full measure of devotion or an almost unbelievable ignorance of the importance of symbols in American history.

Unfortunately, given Palin's reputation and frequent public statements, I assume it is the latter.'"

So much to comment on, but I will only address one issue: Why is Iran not allowed to develop its nuclear capacity, for whatever reason, while China, Israel, Pakistan, India, USA, Russia and possibly others (Great Britain & France?)have nuclear energy and weapons capabilities? How are they any different than the others?

* Maybe it's just me, but I don't see why the president's comments this morning about the bonuses awarded to the CEOs of Goldman Sachs and Chase were so controversial. The wording was a little awkward, but that's about it.

LOL. Ah yes, The Washington Monthly is the Obama of progressive blogs.

Republican Global Warming Science Principles.

1. Snow days in winter put the entire basis pf global warming science in question.

2. Record heat days in summer and record annual temperatures are statistically meaningless.

“New Iran asset freeze: ‘The Obama administration announced Wednesday that it was freezing the assets of four subsidiary companies of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a senior commander’.”

Not gonna work.

Oh, Steve, here's why Pres. Obama's comments likening Wall St. bonuses to ballplayer's huge salaries is awful: 1) The government is not bailing out baseball owners; 2) When baseball players fail, the world economy does not fall with them; and 3) baseball players can get fired for poor performance, and strange as it may seem the Wall St. guys keep their jobs and keep collecting; 4): This was VERY ineptly put, at best, and Pres. Obama is smart, so either he wasn't paying attention, and he should always pay attention in America when the subject is money and pay, or Summers and his little dog too, Timmy, as still feeding him crap.

For those who think that the blizzard in the northeast denies the existence of global warming, what, pray tell, is the significance of the fact that Vancouver, the site of the winter olympic games, can't truck in snow fast enough because it melts due to their warm spell?

Some people are very provincial in their world view and don't know that there IS anything outside the county they live in let alone what is happening there. These ignoramuses can be identified by their arguments and it seems that their ignorance carries over into many walks of life, not just their understanding of science.

@ SteveT

i make sure that the special ed kids i teach know the difference between climate ("it's what you expect") and weather ("it's what you get"}.
and they're retar... excuse me, they're like trig.

No, blizzards do not disprove global warming.

Moreover, there are other significant changes this year that may be because of global warming that would also cause significant changes in the weather patterns, making some areas colder, some warmer.

In particular, the fact that the Gulf Stream has gone missing from Northern Europe is very significant. This has lead to a great deal of snow in England which in turn may be caused by a disruption of the thermo-haline circulation.

What's that got to do with Global Warming? This was predicted by Dr. Wally Broecker of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in his 1999 paper What If the Conveyor Were to Shut Down? based on more fresh water sea ice coming farther south and melting in the Gulf Stream.

If Europe is really unlucky, this could cause a long-term cold-spell similar to (but likely with different causes) The Little Ice Age that lasted from the 16th century until the end of the 18th century (approx.)

You don't see why Obama saying why the CEOs of Goldman Sachs and Bank of America are "savvy businessmen" is a problem?

Which is the "savvy" part? The being bailed out by the taxpayers part, or the huge bonuses part?

And which is the "businessmen" part? The taking down the world economy part, or the massive accounting control fraud part?

Honestly, Steve, if I want propaganda, I can just read Pravda.

I think normally Obamas' comment wouldn't be too big a deal, but he's clearly not getting that a huge part of his problem is his lack of clear, concise simple talking points.

In that regard,I did find it rather unsettling not so much for what he said, but how he said it..and well, yes, what he said as well.

I dunno.. Look--he just seems all over the map, speaking out both sides of his mouth time and again..even if he's not really, he comes off as such.

Maybe he really did have a point in there that was more meaningful, but wow..like his talking points on health care..it sure got lost.

This is the last thing we need now.

He equivocates way, way too much.

And in doing so, creates a huge vacuum for all to jump in.

He needs a lesson or two from the likes of the very cogent Maddow.

Hey, Steve, you'll get a kick out of this. Did you hear about the right-wing Republican House Budget Committee member who came out with a budget blueprint that proposed hundreds of billions, even trillions of dollars in tax cuts over the next 10 years and told the CBO to score it as if the cuts would have NO IMPACT on revenues??? Isn't that a good one?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That Ryan, what a cut-up!

Steve: "Maybe it's just me, but I don't see why the president's comments this morning about the bonuses awarded to the CEOs of Goldman Sachs and Chase were so controversial. The wording was a little awkward, but that's about it."

But that's not fair! Why, Obama's done everything but appear in public wearing one of those Mao caps with the red star on its front! And don't forget, he septupled our national debt just in January alone! We don't need more government regulation, we need to get out of Goldman Sachs' way and let them finish the job they've done! We need more F-22 fighters built at home, and less by illegal immigrants in Mexico! We need to cut capital gains taxes, which will reduce rising health care costs for seniors! We nee- (Ka-BOOM!)

You know, Obama did say early on (I think in one of his books) something to the effect that he made a decision early on that he was adamant about not being 'boxed in', not wanting to be categorized.

He abhors the idea that he could be too predictable.

I think this stance is one to be taken very seriously, and looked at more closely in terms of what it translates into when we need real change now, when we are dealing with an ultra-conservative "empowered by NO" Partisan Right and a fatigued, disenfranchised, aimless Left.

My guess is this stance of his is coming into great internal conflict with the reality of what's needed.

lambert strether: "Honestly, Steve, if I want propaganda, I can just read Pravda."

Honestly, lambert, you sound like you need to let out the inseam on your jockey shorts ...

Thanks @Sf and @Dale.. that's better than I would have said it.

Mr. Benen,

I know you don't read the comments, but even the slowest of 3rd graders can tell you that if taxpayers had to save a company from bankruptcy, then the CEO of that company should not receive a bonus. This is bad for the Obama, the Democrats and for the U.S. economy. It's shit like this that alienated voters in MA. How can you not see this?

Anyone catch that very telling black humor comment Buchwald made in his dying days at the Hospice where he was interviewed a couple of years ago? When he was asked what advice or parting words he had?

One of the first things he blurted out:

"Good luck with that Global Warming Thing!"

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Never mind the voters:
What about a basic civics test and science and economy 101 test for all of our elected officials before they can run for office?

It's so embarrassing we have elected this many idiots. And now they are boasting it (YEP..THEY'RE NOT EMBARRASSED) in full force, as though to compensate for the Brain Drain that Bush/Cheney were.

What's also true is several of the more vocal amongst them truly don't give a damn about Pollution and Carbon Emissions. After all, they're true believers who just know they're going to a 'better place' when the world comes to an end.

RE: Bonuses. Steve, maybe you need to give your political instincts a check-up. What did you think last week when Obama said these bonuses were "obscene"?Seem OK then? I'll tell you this: when Krugman was told about this his reaction was "O.M.G." Really Steve, time for a check-up and a tune-up. Or overhaul.

Does the asset freeze on Iranian companies mean they can't pay for political ads in the next election? Won't the Supreme Court decide this is infringement of free speech?

The S.F. Chronicle has a story about the outrageous price hikes from Anthem Blue Cross. Unfortunately for them, Waxman is on the case.

Angry lawmakers turned up the heat on Anthem Blue Cross on Tuesday, calling for federal and state investigations into the California health insurer's decision to increase rates by as much as 39 percent for thousands of policyholders statewide.
U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led the way by scheduling a Feb. 24 special hearing on the increases.
California Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein also weighed in Tuesday, with Boxer urging state Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate the proposed rate increases and Feinstein asking state Sen. President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, to introduce legislation to regulate rates.

If we had the GOP dream of interstate sales -- i.e., a race to the bottom with S.D. or Delaware or another state setting up the most minimal regulations to allow insurers to do what they want.

Sad to see Charlie Wilson died. Say what you will about him, but he was surely one of our most colorful politicians. And surely the only Congressman to run his own private war. And it would have fallen apart if he weren't on the ethics committee and Jack Murtha didn't have ethics problems.

Um, Obama's comments were against the bonuses.

The point was that _although_ the CEOs are 'savvy businessmen,' and _although_ success can be rewarded with wealth in a free-market system, the bonuses are bad because they don't reward success. By analogy to baseball, where players who don't lead their teams to the World Series don't deserve their fat paychecks, CEOs who don't lead their companies to success... I mean, how fucking hard is it to fill in the fucking blanks?

And yet actual Nobel Prize winners decided they just couldn't follow it, because Bloomberg News and Huffington Post slapped ignorant headlines onto the story that suggested he didn't begrudge the bonuses, when what he said was that he didn't begrudge wealth and success, and the second part of the answer stated pretty clearly that the bonuses were not properly regarding wealth and success.

Instead of just reading fucking quotations, like 4 sentences instead of a half and a paraphrase by some jackass reporter who got bored too fast, we just have to grab at the opportunity to get pissed off instantly. Every. Damn. Time. What the hell, people?

Sorry, that second paragraph should end "the bonuses were not properly REWARDING wealth and success."

The results of the new Washington Post/ABC News poll were a mixed bag, but it's worth remembering that the criticism of President Obama on national security doesn't seem to be working.

I'm always amazed by this. Obama remains the most popular political figure in the country. His policies are widely supported by the public. And yet a number of key Democrats in congress spend a great deal of time running away from him and his policies and most Democrats seem utterly incapable of providing support for policies when asked by the MSM (ie sticking to a script).

It's like the Dems in Congress want to lose and/or accomplish nothing.

I think it is clear that Obama's comments on the bonuses were very controversial, because his standard "I am not a socialist" throat clearing was reported instead of his actual policy proposals.

I plead guilty. I am one of the people who denounced his comments without reading the transcript (which I think was rushed out by the WH rapid response team).

IU think Obama should recess apoint all 70 and sadly recall the good old days when he was a Senator and the Senate worked (well actually it didn't since the Republicans were already filibustering everything).

FlipYrWhig, I could not agree more. Doesn't it seem as though everybody reads the headline and a line or two (at most) of an article and then spend the rest of the day commenting on it? Huffington Post is one of the worst for the "Dramatic Headline"...everyone come gather round and give us your uninformed opinion! I love the blogosphere but it has ruined public discourse in our country and I imagine in most other countries as well. Nobody has to be accountable for what they say and they say a lot of bullsh-t.
Oh well, I love America and I love politics so I'll continue keep the faith and carry on.

@ maggie, thanks for the pick-me-up. It's been a frustrating day. It would be one thing for people to question why Obama would use the word "savvy"--even during the period Robert Waldmann called "throat-clearing." (I think the answer would be pretty obvious, because Obama is clearly partial to the tactic where you say one nice thing first, _then_ throw a punch, but it would at least be a legitimate question.)

But this whole thing has been based on two wholly false premises, (1) that Obama said he didn't begrudge the bonuses, and (2) that he downplayed the bonuses by saying some baseball players made more money than that. Neither is the case. Each is disproven by spending 20 seconds reading his remarks rather than 5 reading a hack reporter's repackaging of his remarks.

It happens ALL THE TIME now. You'd think that people who think they're very smart and who claim to distrust the media would learn to check before flying into the umpteenth rage of the month. Or else you'd think that those people either aren't as smart as they think they are. Or that they have a vested interest in keeping the Perpetual Indignation Machine running. Or both.

@Robert, @maggie and @FlipYrWhig, in a manner of speaking, Obama's correct in pointing to the loose/unfavorable regulatory system and not the 'savvy' businessmen as the problem. But don't forget (1) The baseball analogy is insanely inappropriate (2) this is taxpayer money he's talking about (3) this issue is going to be huge in the 2010 elections and continuing to explain away problems in this manner is going to cost Democrats the senate. In short, this answer makes him appear weak and powerless, which is exactly the perception that gave Scott Brown his seat.

The headlines you complain about, while technically incorrect, are spot on. He *doesn't* 'begrudge' the CEOs. He doesn't care at all and he'd be perfectly satisfied to let them get rich at the taxpayers' expense.

I love that the papers are blowing this out of proportion. Republican's aren't going to complain about this. That's why Democrats need to call Obama out.

Really like what Howard Fineman and others are finally flat out asserting re: this myth that Obama is good at explaining things, when the truth is he's not. Not by a long shot.

Obama is WAY too cerebral and it's time for him to get out of his head and into others' hearts and lives. Time to connect the dots in a way folks can really see it, feel it, touch it, smell it..how precisely these imperative policy changes will affect them, their loved ones, our nation.

There is such a disconnect there..he's not getting to the crux, he's not keeping it simple, he's not touching peoples' hearts in a way they can really envision..instead folks are angry and confused and exhausted.

He and his cronies really need to begin to connect the dots between the policy key points and day to day lives..

He was so lousy with explaining the need for Health Care Reform and selling the points.

And he's been lousy about explaining the need for this Cap and Trade bill and the Jobs bill.

All over the map..way too long winded and not connecting with the real people in front of him.

Wow..Obama really needs some lessons in cogency and marketing these critical policies so that folks get it.

He needs to imagine himself in the listeners shoes..he is very poor at doing this..he gets caught up in his own intellectualizing and assumes folks get it.

Guess what? They don't!

And they don't have the time!

And the thing is most people truly want what he wants..it's just that they're all angry and tired and confused now...they want to believe in him, they voted for him!

Even yesterday--when he popped in on the Press Conference--I cringed when he started saying: "It's complicated" (health care)...ARGH!

NO! Enough with the "it's complicated" crap.

Look, Americans are going broke and they're angry and exhausted and they don't want to hear the all the nuances...they don't want to hear Health Care or anything is complicated!

Talk about a turn-off!

And lets hope he'll stop promising to listen to
others and encourage bipartisanship--to hell with that...it's so obvious they hate him.

He's already caved in so much as though we are in the minority!

Obama is in deep deep denial and he needs help.
He needs a good friend to tell him all this.

And maybe some coaching on intuitive speaking.

And it's demeaning and sad to see him appear so detached. I believe he's not detached, that he truly cares, and yet he presents otherwise.

We don't need any more lectures. We need a Man of principle who sticks to his guns and stops talking and starts doing what he said he would do.

That's the guy I thought I voted for, anyway.

I love Obama, at least the idealized image many of us have created, BUT the question I would ask him is: "Mr. Obama, how do you and how will you explain this period in U.S. history and politics to you two daughters? What would you say to the millions of young and adolescent boys and girls who are watching you and your administration and the politicians of this time who so easily lie and spin what is clearly against their best interests?"

It's not about talking to the adults; it is how we establish a basis for our children's evolution into adulthood. How do they establish their values is they are using the most visible adults as their guides?

I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation.
peace,
st john

if, not is, they are using...

I also love what Maddow said tonight as sort of the other part needed here in addition to Obama needing to delivering a much more cogent and intuitively framed communication of critical policies.

The Dems also need to spell out (as Chris Hayes elucidated with Maddow) and brag a lot more just how it is the Recovery ACT has been effective, how it IS helping. As in use specifics!

And yes, need to keep showing the unbelievable hypocrisy and lying--again in detail..absolutely dancing around that far far too much.

Again, the Dems and Obama have been so wanting in this area, leaving a huge vacuum for the Republicans to spin all kinds of wild tales and promote such lies and myths.
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In that regard, I almost fell ill as I heard Candy Crowley do her crowing thing in rare form on CNN today--caught how she just sort of calmly slid in there very authoritatively a so called take on what's going on, which amounted to nothing but hearsay. Wolf Blitzer led her on and
didn't question her facts/sources:

Crowley flatly stated:

"Well, yeah, lots of people (who are these people, I wonder?) are unhappy with the Stimulus adding: "they don't see it's creating jobs."

No-one at all to dispute her. Hearsay is now perceived as fact on CNN with Candy Crowley.

I can't stand Crowley--a real snake that one--so contrived..comes off as intelligent and thoughtful and totally unbiased when she's as slanted as they get.
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And also agree with Fineman that labels do matter--time to call Global Warming Climate Change (or even Pollution and C02 problem)
and time to call the Stimulus Bill the Recovery
Act and as Maddow said..maybe even put little signs/ stickers/ logos everywhere it's made a difference such as: "Made possible by the Reinvestment and Recovery Act".

So much the administration is not doing to sell existing policies..painful to watch.

Katherine Graham is spinning in her grave tonight. Old dean broder is carrying two buckets of stagnant water for sarah palin.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021002451.html

If you think that shark jump is a 'good read', check the comments, hilarity ensues

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021002451_Comments.html

@ JK: (1) The baseball analogy is insanely inappropriate

He's borrowing one of the most common sports-fan complaints: players who are overpaid. "You know how you feel about players who make millions and don't even win championships? That's how I feel about bank CEOs." I.e., it's one thing to be rewarded for success, it's another to be rewarded for failure. It's totally appropriate, if you just look at the actual statement and not the reporter's restatement.

(The only people who should find it inappropriate are baseball stat-heads, who have spent decades trying to undo the presumption that MVPs have to come from pennant winners.)

Obama is WAY too cerebral and it's time for him to get out of his head and into others' hearts and lives.

Hey, maybe he can try comparing large-scale economic issues like executive pay to the kind of conversations people everywhere have about sports! He's sure to be rewarded for that!

* Maybe it's just me, but I don't see why the president's comments this morning about the bonuses awarded to the CEOs of Goldman Sachs and Chase were so controversial. The wording was a little awkward, but that's about it.

ahhh, lets put it this way, when was the last time you were rewarded with $7 million for being a complete fuck-up, corrupt and likely criminal? shesh. what obama did was say was that being a complete fuckup and driving the economy to collapse with certainly unscrupulous, if not criminal activity is OK, its just like baseball.

Man! obamafans are unbelievable with their blinders.

The reason criticism of Obama on national security is not working is that he is following in GW's footsteps. That's all.

Is there a sociological condition called mass solipsism? Because that is what DC has. No matter than Jan. was warmest on record worldwide, no matter that 150 miles up I-95 the snowfall is very normal, if DC has two blizzards then global warming must be a farce.

When do we get to dump Ben Nelson ?

Uh, Kurt, about that bracelet article. Perhaps you should visit that Huffpo link again. Go ahead. Go take a look.

RIP Charlie Wilson:

While I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Charlie Wilson and enjoyed the funny stories told about him today, I found myself questioning whether his free-lance foreign policy making was really good for the nation.

One could ask whether his determination to create a Vietnam for the Soviets in Afghanistan lead inevitably to our conflict with Al Qaeda and Vietnams of our own in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Perhaps someday there will be a more sober examination of his legacy, maybe a realization that foreign policy conducted on the basis of morality and the best American values is the way to go?

@ pluege: what obama did was say was that being a complete fuckup and driving the economy to collapse with certainly unscrupulous, if not criminal activity is OK, its just like baseball.

What the fuck are you talking about? He said it wasn't OK, and he said it was like a highly paid baseball player not helping his team win the World Series and therefore not deserving his paycheck. It's the exact motherfucking opposite! How fucking stupid do we have to pretend to be in order to keep ourselves properly angry about made-up bullshit? Jesus Christ, what a pack of imbeciles.

One interesting point that the media fails to comprehend is that while the Pakistani military and intelligence generally supports the Taliban (Afghan-franchise) Taliban, the Pakistani government strongly opposes the Pakistan franchise of the Taliban, which wants to replace the Pakistani government.

bob,

“While I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Charlie Wilson and enjoyed the funny stories told about him today, I found myself questioning whether his free-lance foreign policy making was really good for the nation. One could ask whether his determination to create a Vietnam for the Soviets in Afghanistan lead inevitably to our conflict with Al Qaeda and Vietnams of our own in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

You mean like how some of the American military weaponry good 'ole Charlie gave to the Mujahadeen ended up later being used against allied troops in Bosnia ?

Or how his support and arming of Osama bin Laden eventually caused a huge blowback ?

Survival group against God?? LOL. Good luck with that. Truth is, no one knows the exact time this will happen except the man upstairs, however, I firmly believe that there are people placed here by God that post the warning signs and it's up to you to take heed.
your new chakra system
- some truth about 2012

Survival group against God?? LOL. Good luck with that. Truth is, no one knows the exact time this will happen except the man upstairs, however, I firmly believe that there are people placed here by God that post the warning signs and it's up to you to take heed.
Nibiru
- some truth about 2012

occasionally and I am seriously happy to report this latest piece of writing is in truth sort of good quality and very much superior than 50 % the various worthless junk I read today