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In an interview with NBC, Pelosi’s confident that Dems will hold the House… She also urges Obama to make the distinction between criticizing Washington and criticizing Republicans… And she defends continuing to blame Bush… First Read’s Top 10 Senate takeovers… What should Democrats do about the Florida Senate race?... Jerry Brown compares Whitman to Goebbels, violating First Read’s Law about Nazi references in politics… And the mysterious case of Alvin Greene.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Pelosi on the Midterms: In an interview with one of us yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi maintained that Democrats would hold on to the House after the midterm elections. “Take it to the bank,” she said, adding: “I’m very pleased with how the primaries have been going in terms of the votes that my members have received. Looking at the other side and who the challengers are, I feel pretty good about it.” Pelosi continued to make a distinction between how House Democrats are dealing with this election cycle versus the rest of the Democratic Party.
*** Don’t lump us with Bush and the Republicans: Asked about the House Democratic complaint of President Obama railing against Washington -- but not against Republicans in particular -- Pelosi said she prefers that Obama distinguish between the two, given that House Democrats have done almost everything the president has asked. “No one is more eloquent and dynamic in terms of making the case for why we need to take the country in a new direction.” But she said that when Obama talks about Washington’s problems, many of them hark back to the Bush days. “Because it’s their lack of supervision, of regulation, of discipline … that caused recklessness on Wall Street, [that caused] joblessness on Main Street, people losing their jobs, their health care, their homes, their pensions, perhaps their children's higher education… Those were the policies of the Bush administration. We're not going back to that. But we don't wanna be lumped in with it.”
*** Defending the Bush blame game: Asked how much longer Democrats should continue to blame Bush, Pelosi replied: “Well, it burns out when the problems go away. And here's what the president inherited. He inherited a deficit, when this president inherited from the Clinton administration four budgets that were either in surplus or in balance. And he turned it into a massive deficit. He … brought us to the brink of a financial crisis. He brought us to the brink of deep recession, ignoring issues that relate to climate change.” (It's clear that while some Democrats aren't sure whether "blame Bush" is still a viable campaign tactic, the speaker believes it is. And she was pretty emphatic about this.)
*** On the oil spill and on Carly Fiorina: Turning to the oil spill in the Gulf, Pelosi also she wanted to get rid of the liability cap on oil companies -- to be able to punish BP to the fullest extent. “They are liable for the damage that they caused. To the ecology, to the economy, to individuals, to the taxpayer. And the taxpayer will not pay the bill for BP.” But she seemed to acknowledge that it won't be the easiest sell to the House. And asked about Carly Fiorina’s critical comments about Barbara Boxer’s hair, Pelosi responded: “Well, let me say this: I wasn’t surprised… I wasn’t surprised that she would say that.”
*** Top 10 Senate takeovers: After the May 18 and June 8 primaries, after the dust settled in the story about Richard Blumenthal's military service, and after Dino Rossi's entry in Washington state, it's time for another First Read Top 10 Senate takeover list. Below we rank what we consider the 10 most likely Senate seats that will flip to the other party; Republicans need to net 10 seats to take control of the chamber, and their opportunities are the first seven races on our list. The number in parentheses is our ranking from last month.
1. North Dakota (1): Still our No. 1…
2. Delaware (2): Still our No. 2, but Democrats continue to believe Coons (D) will give Castle (R) a race.
3. Arkansas (3): Blanche Lincoln (D) shocked the political world -- and maybe even herself -- by winning Tuesday’s run-off. But the bigger shock would be pulling off the same feat in the general against John Boozman (R). Don't be surprised, though, if she gets a bounce. But if she can't pull even by end of this month, can she ever?
4. Indiana (5): Surprisingly, the Dan Coats (R) vs. Brad Ellsworth (D) contest has been quiet. In the short term, that has benefited Coats.
5. Nevada (4): Harry Reid (D) keeps moving down our takeover list. If the race becomes a referendum on Reid, he loses. If it’s a referendum on Sharron Angle (R), he probably wins. It's that simple. Here's what we do know: This race is more of a toss-up today than it was last month.
6. Illinois (6): As our friends at Hotline have observed, when's the last time we've heard about Alexi Giannoulias' bank? The flap over Mark Kirk's (R) military record has helped Democrats here. But who lands the next punch? This does have the feel of a race to the bottom.
7. Pennsylvania (7): With the job-offer story over (we think), Joe Sestak (D) vs. Pat Toomey (R) is shaping up to be one of the most competitive races of the cycle.
8. Ohio (8): Here's the first Democratic pick-up opportunity on our list. Lee Fisher (D) is ahead of Rob Portman (R) by a fingernail, according to Quinnipiac. But Portman has the cash advantage, and he's now up on the air. This is a very important month for Portman; he has a HUGE money edge and he needs to create some space to overcome the Democrats' ground advantage in the state.
9. Kentucky (10): Rand Paul (R) is no longer talking on TV, and that has stopped the bleeding. But this race is now more competitive than it was immediately after Paul's May 18 primary.
10. Washington (unranked): Dino Rossi (R) is now challenging Sen. Patty Murray (D), and that instantly made this race competitive. Rossi's challenges: 1) navigating a GOP primary that has been tricky for other establishment picks, and 2) winning statewide in a blue state where he came up short in 2004 and 2008.
*** What do Democrats do about Florida? Connecticut has moved off our Top 10 list; other states that didn’t make it but that we’re still watching: California, Missouri, and New Hampshire. Then there’s Florida. We didn’t include the Sunshine State in our Top 10 list because a Charlie Crist (I) win isn’t technically a Democratic or Republican takeover. But the recent polls we’ve seen -- including Quinnipiac -- show Crist leading Marco Rubio (R) and Kendrick Meek (D) in a three-way race. And with Meek stuck in the teens, how much more time do national Democrats give him before some start placing their bets with Crist? In a briefing with reporters yesterday, DSCC Chairman Bob Menendez said his committee was firmly behind Meek. "We are committed to Kendrick Meek. We believe that he can win the general election… I'm focused on having Democrats support Kendrick Meek." He attributed Meek's standing in the polls to his low name ID. By the way, Crist is about to get his THIRD photo-op with Barack Obama in the last three weeks when the president heads to Pensacola on Monday.
*** Achtung Baby: What’s going on in California? First, Carly Fiorina (R) is caught on an open mic criticizing Barbara Boxer’s (D) hair. And now Jerry Brown (D) is comparing Meg Whitman (R) to Nazis. In a conversation Brown had with KCBS reporter Doug Sovern, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee worried about the millions Whitman would pour into the race. Per Sovern: “‘You know, by the time she's done with me, two months from now, I'll be a child-molesting...’ He let the line trail off. ‘She'll have people believing whatever she wants about me.’ Then he went off on a riff I didn't expect. ‘It's like Goebbels,’ referring to Hitler's notorious Minister of Propaganda. ‘Goebbels invented this kind of propaganda. He took control of the whole world. She wants to be president. That's her ambition, the first woman president. That's what this is all about.’”
*** First Read’s Law: Not surprisingly, the Whitman campaign fired back at Brown. “Just last week, Gov. Brown promised he wasn’t going to engage in mudslinging, but now he is comparing Meg Whitman to Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels,” Whitman’s campaign manager said in a statement last night. “Jerry Brown’s statements comparing our campaign to a propagator of the Holocaust is [sic] deeply offensive and entirely unacceptable.” You’ve heard of Godwin’s Law -- in an online argument, the person who brings up the Nazis or a Nazi comparison automatically effectively ends (and loses) the arguments. Well, here’s First Read’s Law -- bringing up the Nazis in American politics never does anyone any good. And guess what: The first one to bring it up always sees it boomerang.
*** The Mysterious case of Alvin Greene: Finally this Friday, we turn to the mysterious case of Alvin Greene, the unemployed vet who won South Carolina’s Democratic Senate primary -- despite having no campaign structure, no campaign Web site, and no previous political experience. And on top of it all, he’s been charged with a felony. Well, Greene has now been interviewed by the Washington Post and by Keith Olbermann. The biggest question: How – and why – did Greene pay the $10,000 fee to get on the ballot? The Washington Post: “Greene says he put up his own money in March for the $10,400 campaign filing fee, an assertion that many in South Carolina doubt.” If there was ever a case of "follow the money" to figure out what happened, it's here.
Countdown to UT primary and NC and SC run-offs: 11 days
Countdown to AL run-off: 32 days
Countdown to GA primary: 39 days
Countdown to OK primary: 46 days
Countdown to KS and MO primaries: 53 days
Countdown to CO and CT primaries: 60 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 144 days
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I just don’t have it in me this morning to giggle and joke. Saw a big’ol, good’ol Louisiana Shrimper and Waterman almost break down the other night. Just like farmers know and love their land Watermen know and love the sea. It is their second wife. She is your life partner and the mother to your children and stands beside you through thick and thin, happy and sad. You come to know her so well. The curve of a hip, that little snore that gives you a faint smile in the night because you know that she’s sleeping well and untroubled. That little wrinkle on the forehead that lets you know that you’ve said something a little off color. The flash of those eyes that lets you know that you’ve royally screwed up and when you get somewhere private a bad storm is coming. Takes years to build that relationship and develop the rules that you can both live with and reach an accommodation with each other. If all goes well your best friend and if things go bad and you break her trust your worst enemy. Somebody has slipped in the back door one evening while he was out making a living and done her great harm. The gentleman has received the diagnosis from the doctor but it just confirms what his eyes and heart have already told him. It ain’t good. There isn’t anything that he or she has done to deserve it. There isn’t much that he can do to change it. It is rock bottom down to his toes breaking his heart. No folks I just ain’t got it in me this morning.
Ditto IR! With every passing day of the catastrophe that has NO end in sight...
I find it's harder to find words to express my deep sense of sadness!
On a lighter note:
Thanks to all who gave me a shout out of Congrats regarding the Blackhawk's Stanley Cup win! It was a long time in the making... which only made the win all the much sweeter! :0)
Independent:
I hear you. These real human tragedies make all the politcal one-up-manship comments on this blog seem petty when compared to the trials and tribulations that your average fellow citizen experiences everyday. That is why I said earlier I frankly don't care about the Republicans, Dems, the Rubios, Palins, Reids, Pelosis, Boeners, Cantors, Limbaughs, Olbermanns, and all the bickering that goes on among these folks. And what is more disturbing is how others let these same folks influence their thinking (and feelings) rather than people listening to their own hearts and those of their fellow citizens. Sure, I'll make political comments on the blog, argue some issues with folks, but at the end of the day I'm thinking of this Louisiana shrimper and others who on that day had a much rougher time than I had on that particular day no matter their politics. I might have even shared a few barbs with some bloggers on this site but at the end of the day, if they were having difficult times, I would think of them and wish them the best. I think we need more concluding days like this in our country and a little less blame-letting and politicking. I mean think of it folks and ask yourselves, is it not really true that most politicians no matter what side they may represent , really don't get it.
You just have a way with words, IR! This was beautifully stated and on the money. Thank you!
IR, you speak for a lot of us this morning. I come from a family of watermen on the East coast, and the sea is in your blood. My grandfather hauled coal on barges from Norfolk to New London until he was lost at sea in a nor'easter. When you are away from the water, as I have been for years now, you long for a whiff of that low tide, the screech of the seagulls and the salt in the air. To have that fouled and ruined, and your livelihood taken away along with it, is soul-breaking.
Just a suggestion, but we can send monetary donations to churches and food banks in the hardest hit cities like Grand Isle, LA and others. Most, if not all, churches have discretionary funds that are used to help people with rent, bills and food. Believe me, these folks who have lost their jobs and are waiting on BP to sustain them will soon be turning to churches and food banks. Send a note stating that your donation is for their discretionary fund. I have worked in churches and administered these funds and can tell you that they are always running low on money. It's one way to directly help our fellow citizens, and such donations are tax deductible.
C. A. For right now thank you. I’ve been sitting here for about a half an hour kind of trying to get a thought out along your lines and I can’t quite seem to get It right. Short version when did we let our system devolve to the point where we put folks in office by how much money they spent rather than their genuine desire to serve the public. Can’t quite get it to come out the way I need to have it make sense. What you’re saying about the current crop of pundits falls in there too. Most of the folks that seem to be involved in the political process don’t seem to have a life style that brings them into contact with the majority of the people that they are representing or purport to speak for. There is a heck of a disconnect going on there somewhere. One of these days I’m going to set down and get it out the way I need to get my point across. Clara thank you too. Along the lines of what I’m trying to get out above I can’t get them to come out right unless they originate with me and my life and experiences. They just don’t look right on paper to me if I don’t do them that way.
Gail - Excellent suggestion. IR had posted some similar thoughts last Saturday after reading the transcript FR posted of the President's meeting with some of the residents of Grand Isle and the mayor there talking about people needing exactly the kind of help you mentioned. The town has a website that lists addresses and phone numbers for four churches - no e-mail addresses and no links to the sort of online donation sites we've become accustomed to using in these type of situations because it's so quick and easy. This one may take a few minutes more of our time, but I think it's the least we can do. Thanks so much for posting this.
Gail I think that is a fine idea. I would also pass along for folks to be on the lookout in thier local communities especially with the churches that are having fundraisers etc. They seem to provide a good avenue too. I'll vote for anything that any body of any political outlook will do to step up and take a little load off the folks down there. Don't know if I would miss the low tide it gets a little pugent now and again but I will agree that the salt air and atmospere is unique and stays in one's mind and memory forever.
Great post, I.R--words of widom with a comparison we understand. It is the human and environmental tragedy, the destruction of wildlife and a way of life that makes it so hard to watch and listening to the people, it is so sad.
This is not about politics, never was and should not be. This is a different kind of 9/11 and our elected politicians need to work together to rally the country. I've tried to convey my frustration with the media's attempts to label it as a negative for President Obama and Government; the attempt to create a storyline that is irrelevant and doesn't match the magnitude and reality of this disaster frustrates and angers me. Except for money and time, none of us including the President, the Government, Congress can plug the darn hole; all we can do is try to keep ahead of the oil's direction and clean up after BP, Halliburton and TransOcean. This is 9/ll multiplied many times over--not in numbered loss of life but in loss of a way of life for millions for years--we don't know.
The media pushed Hurricane Katrina as what turned the public against Pres Bush. I've always disagreed with that; it had been happening slowly--Katrina was the last straw in a series of bad leadership decisions. Katrina was one too many. Katrina by itself would not have cost Bush an election had he been able to run again. It was Iraq, WMD's, greeted with flowers, 3-month war, Mission Accomplished, Valerie Plame, mushroom cloud, Abu Grahib, Guantanimo, torture, not finishing Afghanistan, a realization of the massive debt he was amassing and the list goes on. Katrina was simply the final straw.
Your right, I'm no Bush fan, but the idiots in the local government in LA we're the ones who decided not put money on the levies, and second, his going down there when everything was happening would have only cause more of a mess w/ the secret service and such. His error was appoint Brownie as head of FEMA.
IR . . . thanks for writing that . . . you summed up my feelins perfectly.
Good job, Jerry Brown. Your father started the destruction of California and you will try once again to continue it. Keep making idiotic comments about nazis and child molesting and solidify your reputation as a fruitcake.
CU Farley - I have relatives who live in the San Francisco area (visited them last month - it was wonderful) and they don't seem to have the same opinion as you do, they think most of it started with ronnie reagan and feel that arnie has been totally off the wall since he and jay leno overthrew your elected government.
Oddly enough I agree with CUFarley..... how old are your friends Union Baby and do they remember when he was in office before. His nickname then was Moonbeam for a reason. He swings from one end of the rope to the next. Not very stable and I think that I would want someone with new ideas in there head. he is 72 years old. True very athletic but for how long.
Didn't Meg Whitman state she wanted to run CA like a business, I remember someone else saying that, oh that's right George W Bush and we see where that got us.
CU Farley
What is it about Dems that you hate so much that you can ignore all the damage that the Republicans have done. Thanks to Reagan, the biggest of all debt creators in modern history, we have some of the problems we have now. And GWB, do we really need to go there. Remember this phrase, "If your not w/ us your unpatriotic and hate the troops." That stuff was pushed by the Republicans, while they we're deregulating the banks, the energy industries and so forth. So really, you really need to think about that.
OK. I'll give you 72 hours to produce the time and place where Bush said "If your not w/ us your unpatriotic and hate the troops." Go ahead. Show me. For that matter, show me when and where ANYBODY in the Bush admin said that. No wonder you and your fellow travellers have so much crap in your heads that make you hate the leaders of your country and the country itself. Whoever told you that is a friggin' moron.
What Bush said , following 9/11 was "you are either with US or against US". When he said "US", he was referring to the United States Of America and it's people, who had just been attacked and 3,000 people were slaughtered in one morning. Remember that? He was calling for ALL civilized people across the world to stand up against Islamic Facism and terrorism. To clear thinking people, the choice was easy. That's where you and your liberal friends come in...
The fact that you would twist those words and/or not be able to take sides after 9/11 in light of what happened is disgusting, outrageous and disturbing. But to moral relavists like you and your fellow libs, it's perfectly normal. You want to jail the men that went after the Islamofacists, exterminated thousands of them, locked thousands more up etc...But when new attacks occur, all you people can say is "what about Tim McVeigh?"....Again...disgusting.
Bush never accused anyone of being "unpatriotic". These are words put into his mouth by lefty a--holes and loudmouths throughout the liberal media and also several Democrat politicians. "Hate the troops?" Are you f***ing kidding me? Again, show me. And you all wonder why America instinctively knows Democrats can't be trusted to protect the country. Maybe YOU better think about that.
If anything, Bush bent over backwards to appease you people who did and do everything in your power to undermine and disrupt the war on Islamic Terrorism. The good news? Obama has kept much of what Bush put in place. But that's ok with you because Obama is...not Bush. Remember, dissent is patriotic*
* Expires 01-20-09
And when he was questioned on the intelligence and proof of WMD, all of a sudden, its unpatriotic. Look up Cheney's comments, it would show this. :)
Sorry, fuc. You're wrong. Obama has had to continue two wars started by bush. The first one was a just one. The second one was illegal and has helped to bankrupt this nation.
Phillip:
Cheney never said that either. I think you're pulling that out of your ass. If you are going to quote someone, YOU put up the link.
MFisher:
What war was illegal? What law was boken? That is a phrase the left has been using since Vietnam. That phrase "A JUST WAR" WTF is that? The nation is not bankrupt. The housing fiasco and Obamaniah's spending is what's going to eventually bankrupt this nation.
WAR IS WAR. If the Congress declares war or delegates that authority unofficially to the POTUS, then it is on.
In case you don't know it, war was declared on us.
Now I have to admit, this made me laugh out loud when I read it.
what was funny about it?
I am pretty sure she means ridiculous 'funny', not knee slapper 'funny'.
You haven't heard? Libs think all conservatives are nazis. What a knee slapper!
Thank you Clara. It was so ridiculous, that it was funny. I literally had to wipe my eyes with a napkin from laughing so hard when I read it. It wasn't what I was expecting and yet there it was, right at the top of today's posts from First Read. Nazi's are everywhere it seems. But I hadn't heard Goebells' name lately referring to a candidate. Referring to the media, yes. But not a candidate.
It's going to be a long year and we've only just begun.
No defense of the comment; however Jerry Brown's remarks were comparing the tactics of Whitman to Goebells not Whitman herself but that's splitting hairs. Both parties need to get off the Hitler, Nazi bandwagon because it diminishes the evil and the horrors of both and the cost in human lives, wealth and total world war should not be turned into political footballs used to paint the other side as bad.
"...You haven't heard? Libs think all conservatives are nazis. What a knee slapper!".
No, doofus- not 'nazies'- "Greedy, Me First, Ass-wipes".
BTW- haven't you heard, CUF- All Conservatives think libs are commies and heathens. Howzzat for a knee-slapper?
It isn't new--Herbert Hoover was labeled a commie; FDR a commie socialist. The John Birch Society claimed Eisenhower was a communist plant which correlates to the Tea Party antics. Wouldn't you think that after all these decades with this kind of attack lines, we'd grow up and realize--it doesn't work, it makes us sound silly and it is.
You can blame Glenn Beck for this because he has Nazi Terets according to Lewis Black
good one, philip
Tourette's i think is the actual word,...
Your rightm my mistake.
Okay, what would anyone expect Speaker Pelosi to say, "We're going to lose so bad that I'm going to retire"? I expect that she believes that the Democrats will retain control of the House, but I'd also make a bet that she's not as confident as she sounds.
California politics:
I voted against Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown back in the seventies, not because he's too liberal for me, which he is, and I'll vote against him again, or not vote at all for governor, not sure yet. This comment referencing Nazi's really harkens back to the reason his nickname was "Moonbeam", he's too off the wall. I understand rhetoric, and I understand that oftentimes, people make comments that are over the top to make a point, or to get airtime, but Jerry is 72, he's been a public servant essentially his entire life, and it's time to retire. Is Meg Whitman any better? I don't know, as I indicated, I may not vote at all for Governor, if there's no candidate worth the vote.
If the majority of (voting) Californians elect Jerry, then that's what we'll have, and we'll see how an entirely Democratic legislature/executive branch deals with the dismal state of California's finances. Whomever is Governor I offer my condolences to, it won't be pretty no matter what.
I lived in CA while Reagan and Brown and many others were governors--as I remember, he was called Gov Moonbeam because of his completely different lifestyle--he wouldn't live in the Gov's mansion, he dated Linda Ronstad, he was single, and he was a product of the hippie generation, he was different and did quirky things but he was a good governor.
here, here,,,,, I concur
But Jody I don't think he was a good governor
Much of Brown'sremarks were fine, and no doubt valid. But people need to STOP making Nazi comparisons. Anyone who has visited a concentration camp such as Dachau, or the Holocaustmuseum in DC knows that no matter how tempting it may be to exaggerate and make the comparison, doing so is unacceptable.
Brown could make his point, and did make his point before diving into the deep end.
Pat-it's really revealing that you could post something like that-try thinking what your response would be if someone with an 'R' after his/her name had made such a comment. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be laughter.
The answer to why no foreign governments have aided in the gulf spill was revealed this morning: seems that, in the 1920's, congress passed the Jones Act, which closes U.S. waters to foreign tankers. Thad Allen has been waiting for congress to act to waive or repeal it; the White House seems to be unaware of the act.
By the way-what ever happened to the EPA? They've been remarkably silent after ordering the fire on the rig put out, which caused it to collapse. Allen has said he answers to Janet Napolitano; there are other stories of Senators and congressman having to clear their visits to the area with Homeland Security; I'm just wondewring-what is the EPA doing in this mess?
Nancy Pelosi is delusional about keeping the House. They were going to lose it, anyway-running on HCR may mean Dems lose 100 seats. Voters don't like being ignored.
Yesterday, a question was posed about poll results, and what they mean. If you take the time to open the poll, and read the questions asked, you will know the answers. It is also important to find the pool, and the weighting in calculating the percentages used. On health care, every question possible has been asked and answered. Only a tiny percentage think that the reform is not liberal enough, or does not go far enough.
On the other hand, if you did that, you'd have to give up your strawman argument, and Alinsky wouldn't prescribe that as a strategy, would he?
No Joe says “White House seems to be unaware of the act”
Meanwhile Gibbs discussed the Jones Act in a daily briefing over 3 weeks ago.
The Dutch did offer to help in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Surely the Jones Act could be waived in this instance.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/7043272.html
Both BP and the U.S. government said 'thanks, but no thanks' and are just now changing their tune and seeking their assistance.
What's worst, not knowing or knowing but failing to do anything about it. It seems we don't have anyone taking the role as leader in regard to the oil spill. It seems the President is once again relying on others to make his decisions. The failure of the President to lead becomes more apparent everyday. It seems the only thing he can do right is campaign but people are getting tired of that.
Larry Sabato must be delusional, too. He's got the Republicans picking up 27 seats. This leaves the Democrats in the majority. Speaking of delusional, anyone that thinks the Republicans are picking up 100 seats this year needs to make time in their schedule for Wednesday night meetings!!
Auntie, we all know all joe all blow is delusional, just go back to her comments about Presidend Obama resigning before the end of his first term, now that's delusional and just plain stupid.
If Gibbs mentioned the Jones Act three weeks ago and the Admin knew something about it, why weren't they calling Harry and Nancy to call Congress in to change the law? When the Terry Schiavo situation was deemed an "emergency", Congress was called in at 1 a.m. for an emergency vote! Call your representatives and tell them to change the damn law now!
The President is leading but remember the well is leased by BP, the equipment is BP's and BP has promised to pay for the cleanup. If the govt takes over BP's responsibilities other than being the coordinator of the effort, we taxpayers will be stuck with the bill because they'll walk away.
dirt, just saw you comment. Congress was in session at the time. I really don’t have an answer. I heard something about the waters being too crowded for more skimming vessels – not sure where or from whom I heard that.
Clearly the oil is covering such a large area now (3 weeks later) that things have changed.
Another great week here at First Read, the best political blog on the internet. Thanks Awesome First Read crew for posting so many great articles to comment upon. Also thanks to the Democrats who post such witty and intelligent comments telling it like it is.
One thing I don't like about the Ladies Night label the media placed upon Tuesday's election results is that the media focused solely at looking at a couple of high profile races where women won. I ask the First Read crew if one looked at all the races combined what percentage of women really won? I'd bet it was a lot smaller than one would think, especially in the GOP where they go for the old stale pale males.
You forgot to mention "except for Chuck Todd". Remember? You people think he's joined the conservative/nazi/corporate propaganda club.
I'm glad that President Obama and the Democrats are placing proper blame on Tyrants Bush and Cheney's reign of terror against our country for 8 years. Get over it repugnant ones we're going to blame your BushBaby for as long as you blamed Bill Clinton for every ill you perceived. It was Corporate Oil Criminals Bush and Cheney who made sure that Minerals Management Services was as corrupt as can be and they never cleaned up that shop even after they got information that their pals there were being plied withy sex and drugs to give the oil companies carte blanche. That was the gameplan that Oil Criminals Bush and Cheney wanted them to play.
It was a shame that President Obama and Ken Salazar didn't move more quickly to clean up the corrupt MMS but we all know that had they tried to do it the dopes of nope would have screamed bloody murder about it when the oil companies sent their hordes of lobbyists to decend upon Washington to complain about it. Now that we have a geniune disaster caused by lax regulations and oversight Obama can now clean up MMS and the oil companies won't dare complain too loudly for fear of public backlash.
Normally I would agree Eric, but Salazar needs to go. His department was still giving out leases after the spill happened. He's just a little too close to that industry for my liking.
"Finally this Friday, we turn to the mysterious case of Alvin Greene, the unemployed vet who won South Carolina's Democratic Senate primary -- despite having no campaign structure, no campaign Web site, and no previous political experience. And on top of it all, he's been charged with a felony."
Sounds like Alvin is the right man for the job, most every polititian has commited a felony or two, some of them just never got caught.Â
Serfdom is the new word that Wailing Old Woeman Glenda Becky and the repugnant ones have learned and are now bandying about. Some worthless old book about Serfdom that Ronny Raygunz liked is making it's rounds as if it's brand new. Nope just another book of heresy by the rich and greedy to keep fools supporting their drive to amass ever more wealth while the rest of us just get poorer and more numerous.
Serfdom has it's roots in old Imperialistic Russia, though it was extensive in Europe as well during the Medieval times. Serfdom is what happens when a small class of rich and greedy control the vast majority of wealth while the rest are mere paupers, well serfs who own nothing and work cheap. This is what happens when Aristocracy rules and private industry isn't properly shared. Socialism was the cure that Russians decided upon to replace their Serfdom, now the lying dopes of nope are trying to say that Serfdom is a result of Socialism - as always fractured fairy tale history from the conservative liars.
Just who are our new Serfs? Why it's the illegal immigrants who come here to work for greedy conservative businesses who are too cheap to pay regular Americans real wages. They have no rights, no papers and no wealth, just like the Serfs of old Imperialistic Russia. Just like the slaves of the South before the Civil War. Or as Clueless George Bush and the repugnant ones now call them "Guest Workers".
When we think of Serfdom we think of rich kings lording over the poor Serfs in their Castles, now it's rich and greedy CEO's who lord over us in their Steel and Glass Corporate HQ buildings. Serfdom is what happens when the wealthy write all the rules, just like what the repugnant ones want to do. Keeping taxes too low on the rich and greedy is the hallmark of Serfdom.
Wailing Old Woeman Glenda Becky and the repugnant ones want to bring back Serfdom (slavery) to our country to maximize the amount of wealth the rich and greedy wield over all of us Serfs. If we let the repugnant ones have their way soon America will be like old Imperialistic Russia with a few rich and greedy wealth owners and hundreds of millions of poor Serfs. Plus one Czar to keep us all in line.
Amen Eric. Remember the old song? The rich get rich and the the poor get poorer.
Eric,
I find your comments all at once funny for your characterizations and very sad for the kernels of truth. It saddens me that the Glen Becks of the world think of the President as a Socialist, Communist, Stalinist, Nazi, etc. just because he wants more poor folks to get a break.
"If we let the repugnant ones have their way soon America will be like old Imperialistic Russia with a few rich and greedy wealth owners and hundreds of millions of poor Serfs. Plus one Czar to keep us all in line."
They have already partly accomplished that sir, they haven't got hundreds of millions of poor Serfs yet but they have tens of millions and counting, it's steadily working it's way up the food chain, and what bothers me is they have the stage set to ensnare hundreds of millions soon, people better take a good look around our infrastructure to maintain a decent standard of living has been packed up and sent overseas with the Republicans blessings, Obama has plans that will help this country and everyone needs to support his efforts, to vote the Republicans back in November would be a mistake that this country can not survive, everyone should think long and hard before pulling that lever in November.
Because Pelosi agreed that her hair was "soooo last year". ;-)
An oligarchy (from Greek á½€λιγαρχία, oligarkhía[1]) is a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, military control, or religious hegemony.
The media only invokes Godwin's Law when a Democrat engages in a little hyperbole. If a teabagger waves around a picture of Obama with a Hitler mustache painted on it, the media go rushing to take his photo and opine that it's an indication of how "angry" the American people are.
BTW: Rachel Maddow did an excellent job debunking the corporate media narrative about the rising tide of anger against incumbents. Almost all incumbent congress members have won recent primaries, with people like Arlen Specter being among a handful of exceptions. But the media is hanging on to this phony narrative for dear life. I guess they figure if they keep pushing it, it will eventually come true.
Exactly right about the media lately. Yes, Rachel did a great job on incumbents; it seems they all won Tuesday.
Forgot to add, the media pushes a storyline about the administration not being angry enough or responding (although they were on it from the first notification) and pretty soon, people think it must be true because every pundit and critic is out there selling it.
First Read: Jerry Brown compares Whitman to Goebbels, violating First Read’s Law about Nazi references in politics…
Pat-it's really revealing that you could post something like that-try thinking...
nojoe - Why don't you try thinking before writing this. It was a ridiculous comment. Forgive me for laughing. It's been a long long week with many a late late night.
Did I read this right? We're in the middle of the biggest environmental disaster in history, two wars, a struggling economy, on-going debates about healthcare and energy, and multiple tensions abroad, none of which are being effectively dealt with because Congress is entrenched in the worst petty partisan gridlock ever, there's an unprecedented wave of anti-incumbency from the voters, and yet "one of us" still finds time in an interview with the Speaker of the House to ask one female politician to comment on what a second female politician said about the hairdo of a third female politician?
You've come a long way, baby......
Not only that, but when has a women criticizing another woman because of her hair/clothing become news anyway. Like that doesn't happen everyday. Obviously someone is trying to make something out of nothing for political gain whether it be reporter or politician.
Not only that, all those HUGE problems and people whine that Pres Obama isn't focused--well, pick up, which one comes first and how much time can he spend on each. The president does what he can to keep things in our Gulf from completely imploding and then has to stop to address Israel's latest antic or North Korea or calm the British because they think the U.S. is picking on BP!
Hey Pat, Boston - another ugly game and congrats to your Celtics for your bench's hustle. I hope Bynum's knee gets better as he really does make a difference.
Can you believe that Agent Orange Boehner and the US Chamber of Commerce is now calling for a taxpayer bailout of BP Oil, a foreign corporation? How hypocritical that after having a big cow about bailing out American corporations the repugnant ones now want to bail out a foreign corporation. I say that no taxpayer money gets spent bailing out BP Oil, let them pull themselves up by their own bootstraps if they have any left after we force them to pay for all of the costs of their disaster.
Agent Orange Boehner and the US Chamber of Commerce want to blame the federal government for the oil spill. Yes the corrupt conservative oil lackeys at MMS screwed up royally so why should us taxpayers have to pay for their mistakes? Better believe the fools who screwed up at MMS haven't been properly punished and they should be the ones who pay for their sins of lax oversight.
How about it Righties who post here, do you want to bail out BP Oil, a foreign corporation? Looks like we Lefties and Righties can agree on something.
Make BP Oil Pay Every Penny!
BP is a foreign oil company, but this could have happen with an American company also. AT the end of the day, the oil companies are all cutting corners and the lawmakers are going to stick it to the tax payers.
On another note, I am very tired of the parish President (Nunn?) consistent spew and complain. As an oil producing state, what are they doing for themselves, where are the state's plans to address this eventuality?
I am getting frustrated with Lousiana because they are crying about the destruction of their way of life and venting that the President lift the moratorium before the investigation. What the hell do they want?
Eric, I was just told that Charles Barkley was "holding court" across the street yesterday with anyone who wanted to speak with him. I guess he had quite a crowd around him; he appeared to be quite friendly to everybody, and giving out autographs.
These games are so late here in the northeast. And impossible to turn off until it's over. And then post game for another half hour or so.
Tomorrow we're heading out to Fenway Park to see the Phillies. I'm dying for a few pre-game beers, a big fat hamburger (unhealthy but hey, it's a baseball game, need to indulge occasionally) and some relaxation.
Eric,
I'm a righty leaning person, and I haven't seen the information that you reference regarding a bailout of BP. As a matter of principle, I'm against any form of bailout for BP, it's their mess to clean up, but I wonder if BP isn't operating some of it's business here under a U.S. chartered corporation, which would or could be, the basis for a bailout.
I note your comments regarding corruption, and the specific statement regarding conservative corruption. I would caution you to remember that corruption, like everything else, knows no idealogical boundaries. MMS as well as every other governmental agency is open to corruption, it all depends on how much money, or other tangible benefit, is being offered, and the integrity of the (proposed) recipient of the benefit.
So living in LA, I take by you post your one Republican in favor of a bailout of BP. Even though your against bailouts. Enough said.
Did you read what I wrote? "As a matter of principle, I'm against any form of bailout for BP, it's their mess to clean up"
The last part of the comment was relating to whether or not they were operating as a U S chartered firm, which would or could be the basis for the bailout, if any was proposed. I also stated that I didn't know where Eric got his info, do you? Whether they are U.S. chartered or not, I'm not in favor of a bailout for them.
Rather than immediately jump to the wrong conclusion, take a deep breath, and wait a moment before you let your fingers do your talking.
Thanks for reading though.
Eric, LA Lakers sightings are everywhere right here where I work. They are staying at a hotel right outside of my window. Famous national sports reporters and commentators are all over the place as well. Long lines of fans standing in front of the hotel at night, wanting Lakers' autographs. Pretty cool.
Hey Pat, Boston - okay now you're making me drool with envy that you're so close to the action and my beloved Lakers. Get a Laker's autograph for me! Man I can't imagine staying up so late watching the games since they start at 9PM your time which is like my bedtime. Ofcourse outside my window I get to enjoy a nice vista of Pike's Peak and the coastal mountain range that forms the western side of the Salinas Valley and I can be cruising around the fields watching all those illegal immigrants picking our fruits and veggies cheap cheap in a matter of a few minutes. Heck of a nailbiter series huh?
Go Lakers!
Is there another Pike's Peak besides the one in Colorado??
Or can you see that far on a clear day?
Answered my own question..... in Pinecrest, CA.
Watching the news or cable has become depressing with the heart-breaking scenes of the oil spill. There is little any of us can do to stop it, from the President to the Coast Guard, those working to clean oil covered birds and beaches--we can only clean up, try to guess which direction it is headed next, and pray BP stops the leak; we are at the mercy of big oil to plug a hole a mile down.
Speaking of that it seems the media has finally started focusing on the reality of this crisis instead of trying to make it Pres Obama's Katrina or he's not angry enough. The pundit and critic yowling at Pres Obama seems to have dropped about 50 decibals. Maybe they finally used their brain to realize what the problem is and who is to blame. Face it, we're all to blame in some way or another; we allowed ourselves to be lulled into the oil company's words that deep water drilling is safe; we elected the people who deregulated and appointed heads of oversight agencies who were in bed with them and had little regard for environmental concerns and plenty of regard for big oil (big banks, big coal--take your pick)--who needs regulation to protect the public, who needs a smart, strong government. Well, we voted those yahoos into office and we kept sending them back.
Keith Jones, father of one of the Deep Water Horizon explosion victims was on Ed Shultz last night during the half hour I usually watch. He had been at the White House with President Obama. Mr. Jones described a compassionate president who was generous with the time he spent with each family. In answer to Ed's question about whether the president was doing enough, was emotionally connected to the oil spill enough--Jones responded that he felt Pres Obama was doing everything he possibly could and that Obama most definitely was anguished about what had and is happening. In other words, Keith Jones gets the reality of this disaster.
It was painful to watch Keith's interview with Green last night; I felt sorry for him because he obviously is not qualified--it's almost as if he didn't expect to win and is now confused. I absolutely cannot understand how Green would even consider running for federal office let alone win without campaigning, with no money, no fundraisers and win. I realize that in SC democrats would just not engage much because DeMint is nearly unbeatable but this one is suspicious. There's simply something not right about that primary win. Apparently, that race wasn't the only SC race with some shady goings-on, I think the total number is 5 mysterious candidates. Now I'm not into conspiracies but SC is an open primary state so I can't help wondering if DeMint's strong supporters didn't follow Rush Limbaugh's advice during the long democratic presidential primary--Limbaugh urged republicans (and they did in large numbers) to switch and vote for Hillary Clinton to drag out the campaign and split the party--did GOPers do the same thing to get the weakest democratic candidate for November. I think what happened in SC is a story to watch.
Republicans can moan and groan about dems blaming Pres Bush but the shoe fits whether they like it or not--he bungled just about everything he did. That said, I think democrats need to point to the problems he left like the deficit, the unfunded spending, massive debt, tax cuts for the 10% wealthiest, but they need to do so when appropriate and without beating it to death. Otherwise voters will figure it's just politics when it is NOT, it is about the harm Bush and so many republicans going back to Reagan have caused the country.
When the investigation is over (Democratic Representative Clyburn calling for Federal investigation) it is not going to be pretty whether it was Republican chicanery or some Democrats playing games.
Bottom line is Mr. Greene appeared confused and mentally challenged. Even more disturbing is that this gentleman was in the military. His IQ is borderline at best and someone has taken advantage of this poor man.
Shelia:
You are so right and Keith Olbermann did a great job during his Q&A session with him...he is lying and it's pretty hard to hide that in front of a camera. What a joke...
Keith did a great job in being aggresive towards the poor man. If he's a plant like Clyburn says, is to make DeMint look big after his comments about Healthcare being Obama's Waterloo? Remember South Carolina has a open primary, so Republicans are free to vote for whoever like the Democrats are. I just wonder if maybe theres more racial undertones here regarding DeMint
Jody:
Your comment expressed my feelings and summed them up beautifully...
The Mysterious case of Alvin Greene
So the story from the far left is that this guy was fronted by the Republicans, but they didn't promote him, and then secretly contacted thousands of people to let them in on the scam to ensure he received enough votes to win? Give me a break! The fact is the Democrats screwed up here and are now grasping at any straw in order to force this guy out so they can get another candidate. I'll chalk this one up as in the same category with the CIA sold heroine to Blacks conspiracy. I probably shouldn't have given any ideas to Anita.
I agree with you up to a point. The Dems FAILED big time in not treating EVERY race as legitimate. I mean this entire story is bizarre. Apparently in South Carolina the DNC didn't even attempt to win this one - or vet it - or login and check it out? And the Voters? Is eeinie meenie miney moe really an 'election' strategy?
I am not taking the race bait you so lusciously placed out there, though.
No, Dan G, I'm not blaming republicans or saying he is a republican plant. But 5 strange candidates in one state smells fishy and should at least be investigated. It was a fact about the Obama/Clinton battle and Limbaugh's efforts, available and shown on cable, which succeeded in dragging out the election and GOP voters might have crossed over to help DeMint.
I'm sure that Nancy Pelosi's correct assertion that Democrats will retain control of the House have the Teahadist Paliban foaming at the mouth that she's wrong. Despite all the messes that Obama, Pelosi and Reid have had to clean up after Clueless George Bush and the repugnant ones Democrats have been doing pretty well cleaning up and making sure people know who made the mess in the first place. Real Americans want a positive message to follow and the dopes of nope have nothing but lying whining to present which isn't the American way.
Let's not forget that the repugnant ones blamed every ill they had on Bill Clinton, and still do. Get over it uptighty righty whities that we Democrats are just doing to Clueless George Bush what you did to Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton left Clueless George a strong economy and a budget surplus which Clueless George prmoptly wasted. Clueless George left Obama a wrecked country, military and economy plus a massive budget deficit and massive national debt. Not to mention a corrupt MMS that let BP Oil slime our Gulf shores with our own oil.
Our country can't afford to go back to the way it was under Clueless George, we need to move our country forward. That's why the majority of real intelligent Americans will be voting for Democrats to retain control of both chambers of Congress this November.
Besides cutting taxes, let the tax payers clean up the BP spill, deregulate all industries, abolish the EPA, give tax credits to businesses who later send jobs overseas, what ideas and solutions has the Republicans offer to address the country's many problems?
If we the taxpers do not hold them accountable and demand straight answers instead of political spin, then we will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Eric,
Yes, "real intelligent Americas" will be voting Democrat in November.
Republicans still blame Jimmy Carter.
Just a fact or two. What caused the economic collapse?? Well it started in the 90s with Clinton's HUD and the Federal Housing Enterprise Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (GSE Act) which empowered the HUD to establish "affordable housing" targets for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (together, the GSEs) who in turn "enhanced" their product offerings to meet these targets. What caused the oil spill?? Clinton is the one who closed drilling off shore which led to deep sea wells. Obama as usual has it all wrong. We don't have to go deep to find oil. We have to go deep because of enviro-wackos! Bush increased the national debt by 5 trillion but 2.4 trillion of the increase was under the Obama / Dem controlled congress. Obama is expected to increase the debt by $10 trillion in 5 years. You libs have done more to destroy this country than any enemy could. We are going to start repairing this nation starting in November. Hope you porch sitters are ready to get real jobs!!!
Federal Housing Enterprise Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992. Clinton took office in 1993 so this falls on Bush 41.
As far as the debt and deficits are concerned you need to take a better look at what is driving them. This is if you care about being more informed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Budget
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deficit
And a few years ago, when W. tried to privatize Social Security, wasn't he big into ownership?
Oops on Clinton...the dems had significant control of house and senate...
Yeah I looked...main driver is ever expanding gov't under liberal congress.
Hobie, Bush 41 could have vetoed the bill but he didn’t. You really shouldn’t start something with saying anything about facts unless you have the data (link) to prove your point.
Make all the comments you want – They don’t require factual data and they fall under your constitutional right.
Just like I disagree with what you took away from the links I provided but I have a right to my own opinion just not my own facts.
Dennis,
Congress could have overidden a veto. They had big majorities at that time and a few Republicans that would vote with them.
FHEFSS was enacted in 93'. Please don't use wikipedia as your source; I just went in there an edited everything you sourced. See how easy that is.
ITM:
There were 56 Democratic senators in the 102nd congress. 66 are required to override a presidential veto. Once again... wait for it... as you usually are... you are empirically wrong.
ITM, The bill was signed into law on 10/28/1992 Became Public Law No: 102-550 in 1993.
Also no President signs a bill into law just because congress could over-ride his veto. First of all a presidential veto has a lot of weight and usually causes some in congress to change their vote.
Also I check all 3 of my links and none of the items I sourced was changed or edited. I know that Wikipedia has some problems but you are not one of them.
Enough with your phony BS!
Nice works guys for busting ITM and his BS!
Crediblity has NEVER been his strong suite!
Hobie, Clinton didn't take office until Jan 1993.
First of all @!$%#;;;;take your pick either one of you.
I said if you can read, SOME REPUBLICANS WOULD HAVE VOTED WITH THEM.....thus reaching the veto proof range. I know how many Senators were there at that time even though I didn't give a .......about politics then.
Wikipedia doesn't have SOME problems. It has a lot of problems. It can be EDITED by anyone.
Fiesty,
I don't see anywhere in the conversation it included a link to your triflin' FAT AZZ. Pushing yourself up away from the table definately has never been your string suite. Make sure you wipe that computer seat with Fabalusa when you get up......whewwwww......
Awww... ITM... I told you before - don't confuse me with yo Mama! WTF is Fabalusa?
Hobie 81 makes some decent points but he fail to acknowledge, that GWB started 2 wars, 1 was justified but he had no plan in actually capturing Bin Laden, and one that he and Cheney lied to get us into. Mind you Obama at least shows the costs of the wars in the budget, unlike Bush and Cheney's fuzzy math.
Alvin Greene . . .oh, Alvin . . .I had such high hopes for you. Yes, I know that South Carolina is as much of a "Good Ole' Boys" state as we're gonna get . . .I mean the Confederate flag is still PROUDLY displayed on the state capitol's grounds, as much as it disgusts and dishonors me - a native South Carolinian who fought in Iraq. I was kinda hoping that your candidacy might pick up some steam once we all learned more about you, and you displayed your Southern charm for the world to see . . .that is, until I heard you speak to Keith Olberman last night. (Sigh). Alvin, really? You have a degree from USC (Carolina), have served in both the Marines and the Army, and you still can't string together two sentences? You have to be able to talk to be a politician - even if what you are saying is straight BS. WTF?
I was hoping that maybe Alvin could charm his way into some national endorsements and give the Democratic National Senatorial Committee a reason to pay attention to the South Carolina election. He did, I suppose, but not in the way I was hoping. No, no real-life story of "The Distinguished Gentleman" here. This man has none of Eddie Murphy's polish.
I'm dismayed for my people back home. What the heck were y'all thinking? I called my dad and asked him how this dude won the primary, and he said, "Who?" I explained a little more, and he said, "Who? I don't even remember seeing his name on the ballot." LOL. I called my mom and asked her the same question and she said, "Who?" LOL. Sad. Just sad. First Read, take a moment and commiserate with me.
endurance97 - I'm not First Read but I do commiserate with you and thank you for giving us some local flavor to this Alvin Greene mystery. Seems two other Democratic races were stolen by total unknowns so Alvin Greene isn't the only one we need to have investigated to discover how 3 unknowns won in south carolina. Funny and interesting how your parents came up blank on his name. I sincerely hope that Clyburn has success in getting an investigation into this obvious voter fraud going soon. This sordid affair is why open primaries are a bad thing, but then now that we have it in California maybe we Democrats can turn the tables on the repugnant ones the same way two years hence.
First, we do not know what happen, who voted for this man, and what really happens. Something smells...
I watched the interview (monosyllabic responses) between Keith Olberman and Mr. Greene and it was painful.
This man has been used by some powerful individuals who had $10,000 to throw away by paying for Mr. Greene's filing papers to run in the primary. Based on some accounts Mr. Greene has $114 in his campaign war chest! The good people of SC must be sick of the loons that seem to be running things whether it's trying to sabotage Nikki Haley on the right or sabotage "real" Democratic candidates on the left. There must be some bad mescaline or LSD floating around down there.
Come on people. There are real problems that we as a nation need to address.
Knarly Carly Fiorina tanked HP's stock 33% during her reign of terror as CEO. Phony CEO Fiorina made Portfolio magazine's top 20 of the worst CEO's of all time, now that's something Knarly Carly should be bragging about. Barbara Boxer will box Knarly Carly's ears off come November no matter how much money Phony Fiorina pours into her losing campaign. Here in Salinas we watched Knarly Carly run down HP because it was local news from the San Jose Mercury. We know just how dastardly she is spying on her own Board of Directors when she got into trouble screwing up the company.
Jerry Brown is correct to compare Old Nag Twitwoman's campaign to that of Goebbels. Let's not forget where Klueless Karl Rove got his dirty poltiical tricks propaganda, yep from Goebbels and the Nazis. Why else would Wailing Old Woeman Glenda Becky of Fox and Freaks be so infatuated and in love with everything Nazi? Better believe that Old Nag Twitwoman will spend tens of millions of dollars on lying propaganda ads that will throw every lie possible at Jerry Brown in order to buy the governor's mansion.
Old Nag Twitwoman and Knarly Carly Fiorina are the Real Demon Sheep!
I think you spell lit gnarly? I could be wrong. It's funny either way. When you call him Glenda Becky I laugh every time. Sorry,...but (s)he is on a 28 day cycle of tears and emotion. (and I'm aware I'm being sexist - to her,...it's part of the charm of it all).
x
Once again, I cannot see the "Show More" tab, so I can't read the rest of the article. I came to MSNBC, clicked on Politics, then on the first headline under First Read's logo. I get the headline, article summary and I see the comments, but nowhere the Show More link to read the rest of the article. Yesterday I had the same problem until later in the day when I was going back and forth between articles for awhile.
Still no "Show More" link for me on this article, but there is a "Show More" link on the latest post by Mark Murray he put up about twenty minutes ago. Most peculiar.
If you click on “## comments, including:” on the right it will take you to the first comment. From there if you scroll up you can read the entire article (thread).
Amy, try going directly to first read...the page is http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com
That is the way I access this every day. Takes me directly here. If you click on the headline of the article you want to read, it takes you right there, and you just have to keep scrollling down to see the comments. Try this way.
I wonder if Vegas has odds on when bp declares bankruptcy, the attorneys have descended on the gulf like a swarm of locust, but at this point Congress has refused to remove the liability cap which is currently set in the millions, and cost estimates are already in the billions so we will see if bp can buy enough Congress persons to save their skin, who really thinks the taxpayer is not going to be on the hook for this?
w bush - if Vegas doesn't have odds on when BP Oil delcares bankruptcy then I bet the British bookies do. I did some quick calculating last night that at $4,300 a barrel fine times 2 million barrels spilled BP Oil would have to pay $86 billion in fines. That doesn't account for an additional $1,000 per barrel for another kind of fine and I bet BP Oil's accountants have calculated the cost and their lawyers are already preparing the bankruptcy paperwork. Thanks to the US Chamber of Commerce and the repugnant ones we taxpayers will be on the hook for a huge portion of the cost unfortunately.
You have 2 moron senators to blame for that. That shill for the oil industry Murakowsky and the idiot from Oklahoma Inhoff who actually said that this exactly what the oil companies want, unlimited liability. Must definitely be something in the moose and dust in these 2 states
First Read, this is the second week you don't have Missouri in your top 10. I am surprised as I still see this as a major pick up opportunity. Robin is beating the crap out of Roy with his "oil money" and dirty hands. Actually, an independent group was running one of the most effective ads showing the politician literally dripping with oil. This ad, coupled with what is going on in the gulf has helped her pull ahead in popular opinion. I don't know where she's polling - I don't do the DANCE.
Let's give Robin her due,...she's going to win this one. And it's a 'steal', no matter how you slice it.
The British people are now getting mad at us Americans for being mad as heck at their BP Oil for sliming our Gulf shores with our own oil. I wonder how the British people would feel if an American oil company created a massive oil spill off their shores that slimed hundreds of miles of coastline, put hundreds of thousands of people and businesses out of work, killed tens of thousands of animals and caused billions of dollars of damage to their economy? I bet they'd be pretty mad and rightly so.
British people we aren't mad at you but we have every right to be mad at your oil company BP Oil now that they've really messed up our country. This isn't the first time BP Oil has slimed our country but it had better be the last. If our people and businesses have to suffer economically then you'll have to belly up to the bar and suffer as well. The British people ought to be plenty mad at BP Oil for screwing things up here and there and they should force their government to also force BP Oil to clean up it's act before BP Oil slimes their coastlines or someone else's.
While the mess BP Oil created with the help of the other Three Stooges oil companies Transocean and Halliburton is bad it's the lies spewing forth from Tony Baloney Wayward Hayward that are the worst mess of all. It's BP's lies that infuriate us Americans so British people put some pressure on BP Oil at home to just come clean with the facts if you want us Americans to calm down.
BP = Believable? Poppycock!
Eric - Have you seen the British coastline? I don't think they'd be all that upset.