Feingold and McCain want to play around with the Constitution again

Hmmm, lemme think about that...

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 03:25 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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DC looks to track your web browsing

Bipartisan FAIL because the Democrats proposed pretty much the same thing a few years ago.  I know what you're thinking, you're thinking, who evokes the Think of The ChildrenTM argument, that'd be Senator Cornyn,

"While the Internet has generated many positive changes in the way we communicate and do business, its limitless nature offers anonymity that has opened the door to criminals looking to harm innocent children," U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said at a press conference on Thursday. "Keeping our children safe requires cooperation on the local, state, federal, and family level."

Yeah, and what about privacy?  What safeguards will be put in place to keep individuals with access to that information from abusing it for political or personal ends?  Our medical records are already compromised, will our web browsing be too? 

Undoubtedly, we need to do what we can to keep predators away from kids online, but these sorts of blanket regulations end up doing very little to advance security for those it's meant to provide security for, the potential for abuse of the information gathered is is too great, and the cost is immense.  The money that would be used for the new bureaucracies and databanks for this plan would be better spent on traditional police work and stings. 

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 02:11 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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Gang of Douchbags

Looks like a few Vichy Republicans are getting ready to sell us out again, Specter apparently told Fox News that they're trying to sellout work out a compromise.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 10:23 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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GAO Auditors: Hey! Don't Look At Us! We Can't Tell If The Bank Bailout Worked Or Not!

Ummm....isn't that your job? Just askin'.

And some of the solutions for the banking industry are just chock full of potential Epic Fail.

The report covers Treasury's administration of the bailout, called the Troubled Asset Relief Program, through Jan. 23. Nearly $294 billion had been released by that date — almost $200 billion of it through a program to inject capital directly into financial institutions.

The roughly $200 billion in capital injections doesn't include any of the separate money authorized to guarantee losses for Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc., or about $20 billion to stabilize automakers Chrysler and General Motors Corp.

"Even with more time and better data, it will remain difficult to separate the impact of TARP activities from the effect of other economic forces," the report said.

Recent moves to improve oversight of the money hadn't gone far enough, according to the report. Treasury introduced a plan to survey the 20 largest participating firms each month following an earlier GAO report that blasted the program's lack of transparency.

More information about how the money was divided and how recipients spent it was still necessary, the new report said.

"We continue to believe that additional action is needed to better ensure that all participating institutions are accountable for their use of program funds," the GAO said.

The report also said Treasury had "taken important steps" to address nine recommendations from the earlier report, which included calls to improve communication about the bailout and hire staff to oversee it.

But Treasury "has yet to fully address eight" of the recommendations, the report said.

"The lack of a clearly articulated vision has complicated Treasury's ability to effectively communicate to Congress, the financial markets, and the public on the benefits of TARP," the report said.

Also Friday, officials including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair were meeting to discuss overhauling the bailout program and other financial and regulatory reforms.

Officials have been considering several programs, including a government-run "bad bank" that would buy up trouble assets clogging banks' balance sheets, and additional guarantees against losses like those granted to Bank of America and Citigroup. Additional capital injections also are possible.

 

Posted by: eddiebear at 03:20 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Something to check out

If there's one Twitter feed to follow, it'd be Senator Coburn's Pork Barrel, which chronicles wasteful pork spending in DC.  Yeah, I know that pork is a drop in the bucket as far as DC wasteful spending goes, but every little bit helps, and Coburn has been pretty solid all around on trying to limit spending. 

Anyway, this one caught my eye, given that it's not too far away from here, an official from Northumberland County was given $1500 for plane tickets plus expenses to go to an expo on renewable energy in France.  Hey, I'd be willing to listen to a bunch of bullshit artists rattle on about "green energy" for a free trip to France, if for no other reason than to get my fill of wine and brandy.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 11:09 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Thought on the Obama/Limbaugh story

Looks to me like Obama is trying to offer an out to the GOP leadership for selling out conservatives.  When Obama says that the GOP leadership can't let Limbaugh stop them, he doesn't mean Limbaugh, he means conservatives.  He knows the GOP leadership despises us, he's trying to convince them that selling out is gonna be alright.  Seems to me there's a race between Obama and conservatives to see who can implant a backbone into the GOP elites first.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 09:57 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Question to all you PA Morons

Did your State Representative/Senator promise to give back their raise?  Mine definitely didn't give back theirs if they did.  For those unaware of the back story, a few years ago, the PA State Legislature decided to sneak themselves a little pay raise, pissed off voters, and a bunch of incumbents were booted out of office in the next election, a few of which were pretty powerful in Harrisburg.  Ever since then, any time the words "Legislative Pay Raise" are uttered, PA state legislators dive into a foxhole, cower and shout "I'LL GIVE EVERY PENNY BACK I PROMISE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T VOTE ME OUT!" 

This time, the PA legislature was given a raise this December because of a previous state law that automatically raises their pay.  For those that don't know, PA legislators are actually paid fairly well compared to most other states, which is in part why people flip their shit when the PA legislature gets another raise.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 09:23 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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We live in a scary world

When the Paulnut himself makes more sense than most of of Washington on the economy.  He's still a fucking nutball, though.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 11:29 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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City of Harrisburg asks for bailout

Offers up $700 million in project proposals. 

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 11:07 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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McCain just earned a big steaming pile of 'Screw You'

I'm sure you'll agree.

Speaking to ABC's "This Week," McCain was asked whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could count on his support.

"I can't say something like that. We've got some great other young governors. I think you're going to see the governors assume a greater leadership role in our Republican Party," he said.

I'm hoping he doesn't run again in 2010, because I can't see how he's going to raise any sort of funds to get re-elected.  He owes a huge debt to Sarah for keeping him from being completely embarrassed in the November election, and this is how he repays her.

Posted by: Alice H at 08:22 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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Yard sign bizarreness

I meant to post about this yesterday but something shiny went by I was thinking deep thoughts.  On my way to work yesterday I saw another Obama sign.  In the same yard as a Lou for Congress sign.  That's Lou as in Lou Barletta.  One of these things is not like the other.  I thought maybe it was someone having a little fun but they were still there when I came home and still there tonight.  Either it's a mixed marriage or someone's been hitting the bad crack. 

Posted by: alexthechick at 09:51 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Dammit...

...and the boomers are gonna croak and leave us to pay the fucking tab they're running up, bastards.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 10:29 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Credit Markets: I can has moar bailouts?

Getting greedy we are.  See, this is exactly the problem.  Now they're going to try and hold the economy hostage to squeeze more bailout money out of DC.  We've got California demanding bailouts, Detroit already got the auto bailout.  Hey, let's bail everyone and everything out! 

Know what, let them sink, enough is enough.  Frankly, someone ought to write a bill to repeal the $700 billion bailout for this insult.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 09:48 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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The problem with bailouts...

...is that everyone thinks they should get one, which is why I've been so hesitant to come out in favor of this financial market bailout.  The Soviet of California is now demanding $7 Billion in bailouts or that they're gonna collapse.  Let 'em collapse, they wanted Marxism, they got Marxism, and they should get the bankruptcy that inevitably follows Marxism.  They won't though, the GOP in Congress will cave again and we'll keep bailing them out time and time again until the entire nation is sucked under by debt.  The Soviet of California won't learn that doing everything under the sun to choke off growth and business is destructive and leads to ruin and woe.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 01:18 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Don't want to hear it, citizen

The House is getting flooded with emails over the bailout. Solution?  Why, limit how many emails will get sent, of course.  If only they had thought about that during amnesty!

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 08:53 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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The latest on the latest GOP sellout

What the hell, did we import our Senators from France?  I knew our people were squishy wusses, but good grief.  Here's the latest dishonor roll of the Ten GOP Senators who want to sell you out,


Dole (NC)
Collins (ME)
Graham (SC)
Thune (SD)
Corker (TN)

Isakson (GA)
Chambliss (GA)
Sununu (NH)
Warner (VA)
Coleman (MN)

And you can find the Democrats who are selling out here too.

NRO has a look at this thing, the Gang of Twenty bill is Amnesty-level sellout *correction, I think that's a look at the Pelosi plan, Gang of Twenty isn't much better though, and we need to stop it before they sneak it by. 

The McCain campaign would be smart to avoid this bill like the plague, and would be smart to try and destroy this Gang of Twenty Sellout behind the scenes.  The last thing McCain needs is a massive Amnesty-style fight to remind conservatives how much they dislike him, and he and his campaign better be aware of that if they want to win in November.

Want to know what the environmentalists say about this bill?  Here you go.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 01:04 PM | Comments (37) | Add Comment
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Naturally: Bush is too stupid to be politically savvy on the oil issue

A Bush Administration spokesman told the press that Bush has no plans on urging or demanding a special session to address the oil issue because the Democrats control Congress and it ain't happening.  Someone at the RNC needs to give Bush a phone call and tell him to pull his head out of his ass.  It's exactly this sort of laziness that caused the GOP to lose Congress in the first place. 

Allah thinks it was a good move, due to Bush's unpopularity and it'd give an opportunity for the Democrats to screech about executive overreach.  Now that I think about it, maybe, it would give the House GOP the ability to take full credit.  I'm still not quite sold on that line of thinking, though, I think this comes from stupidity, laziness or a healthy mix of both.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 03:21 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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No

Just no.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 07:03 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I guess this kills all my web-based monkey store plans...

Let it not be said that Congress doesn't understand the needs and concerns of everyday Americans.  With the price of fuel reaching record highs, the House of Representatives has finally taken some decisive action...to ban the interstate sale of pet monkeys:

House members on Tuesday turned a debate on a low-profile bill on pet monkeys into another round in the debate over how to address the price of gasoline.

The bill (HR 2964) would ban the interstate sale or trade of monkeys, chimpanzees and other non-human primates. The House passed it, 302-96, but not before GOP lawmakers argued that the Democratic majority had misplaced priorities.

Not only did Republicans think the bill was unnecessary, but they said floor time would be better spent discussing how to lower gas prices.

“Maybe we should actually spend more time with human primate energy issues, rather than the non-human primate non-issue,” said Rob Bishop, R-Utah. Other GOP lawmakers made similar comments.

The bill had the support of 96 Republicans, including new conservative standard-bearer Rep. Tom Davis (Va.), kleptocrat Rep. Don Young (Ak.), and NRCC Chairman Rep. Tom Cole. 

Remember back in 2002-2003 when people were talking about a permanent Republican majority?  Ahhh, those were the days. 

(h/t)

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 12:31 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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feinstein-widestance amnesty provision stripped from iraq supplemental bill

McCain better hope that Congress doesn't make any big effort to try and pass another Amnesty bill.  Amnesty almost destroyed him once politically, and may come back and succeed if he doesn't shut it down very quickly, should it rear its ugly head again.  In fact, it may do so anyway, because I'm guessing that's a huge reason why he has no money or volunteers. That could give Obama the edge he needs...yeah, I'm assuming Hill's done, unless she's got one hell of a trick up her sleeve, she's not gonna be the nominee.

In any case, the mini-Amnesty Feinstein and Widestance tried to slip into the Iraq supplemental bill have been stopped, for now.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 01:50 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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