Ex-MF Global CEO, and very close friend of Barack H. Obama, Jon Corzine has been subpoenaed to appear before Congress.

Guess ol'Jon will be taking the 5th. Maybe he'll wear a tux and just head to another Obama fundraiser afterwards, you know, just to save a trip.

Jon Corzine. Obama's man on Wall Street. Quite the guy.

Spanky,

It's Friday night. Time for a beer. It's happy hour somewhere in the U.S. Relax my friend. Should you be so concerned about all wasted taxpayer money on programs such as drug testing the poor. Who use drugs at at rate four times lower than you and me. Or voter ID laws, which in itself also adds millions upon millions in costs because of the free ID requirements. Also the corporate welfare to the wealthy. And last but not least, the industrialized war machine, which should be dismantled come January 2013. Thank God! Damn, now I need a beer also, see you at the Dew Drop Inn :)

Brian Williams is'nt gonna take to Kindly to Domenico's Fire extinguisher pic!

Occupy SoggyBottom!

I like the way you think AnaB, but out here it's not even 2:00pm.

Hearing is at 9:00 on Monday, and I will be out of town all weekend [Disneyland!].

As to your drug stats, I say legalize them all, then no need to test, create silly laws, or incarcerate for their use.

Me, I want any voter to show ID, You gotta do it to liquor up, buy cigarettes and so many other trivial things. Nothing is as important and a honest and fair vote.

Your corporate welfare to the wealthy is misplaced. I presume you are talking about tax code issues, a tax code created by dems and repubs alike. I would love a flat tax.

I think every citizen of this republic should pay the same percentage to participate as anyone else. That is truly fair, but would take all the power away from the politicians, so will never happen.

Oh and as for the 'war machine' - a dangerous game that. There are people out there that want you dead. Straight up.

And gosh AnaB, I just don't think you'd look as pretty in a Burka. But the sad reality is we will still be waging war in several countries come 2013. That is just a fact.

Spanky, you and Mrs. Spanky, if you like Disney, need to do Orlando. With the 4 parks and all the other stuff they have at their resorts, she would owe you big!

Sorry Smiffy but Corzine is NOT a "close" friend of President Obama's and you know it. He's a political acquaintance, learn the difference.

Late coming in today....but I gotta say..

Congratulations phinephancy on having your question chosen, great answer from FR crew.

I think Mr. phinephancy was more excited than me!!! Mark & Domenico - you rock!!!

Spanky,

Disneyland! Are you going willingly?

Obama's man on Wall Street. Quite the guy.

Obama is quite the guy too - lit the Wall Street Christmas tree up for $4.2 million last night in 3 fund raisers, or was that 3 "job" speeches to the $38,000 a plate American public .

BTW - My apologies to the OWS crowd for including them as Jerry Springer Libs.

Seems even people that pee in their tents and crap on cop cars have the sense to now realize Obama is a corporate putz.

Maybe there's hope for Feisty and the other FR Springer Libs?

...... nah.

Of course totas, who doesn't love Disneyland?

phinep - Orlando is a long way away. I spent a large part of my youth traveling up and down FLA. I love Ft. Myers and Pompano Beach. What's the name of the pink hotel there?

Jody - you are very wrong. The Corzine Obama/Biden relationship is very deep.

But I suspect that you know that and are in denial.

Yes Bob, 4.2 mill from Obama's corporate masters. Why would Obama's Wall Street buddies and corporate masters pay $35,800 for a plate of peas? Oh, yea, to get no bid contracts like Siga Technologies.

Bob, it's after 5 on a Friday night. Loosen up, okay? Have yourself a cold one on me.

@Spanky

Are you thinking of the Cesare in St. Pete Beach? Nice place. Seriously, think road trip next year and get a park hopper pass for Disney. You & the Mrs. will love it.

Have a good weekend.

Spanky,

Seriously? Whip me, beat me, make me write bad checks! Anything, but not Disneyland.

It's happy hour somewhere in the U.S. See you at the Dew Drop Inn Feisty! We can replay late night's funniest moments from this week, or the Republican interviews and debates. Whichever you consider funnier. Game?

That's right, Feisty, there's "bubbly" in honor of phinephancy's question being selected.

AnaBanana, it's a toss up as to which is funnier.

Whichever you consider funnier. Game?

Sounds like a plan Anna - I'll stop & pick up some real pizza's (not the crap Hermie serves up)!

What kind of toppings do you want?

hey Feisty, how on earth did you and the moderators allow Spankster to troll first?

Thanks, Mark, Dom and Ali for another great week. My contributions lately seem relegated to defense; but I appreciate everyone else's contributions SO much!

Feisty,...hubby's birthday is coming up this week, so can someone give me a good French Silk Pie recipe (besides Tippin's - that's what I do every year and I am going bold or going home!)?

Also, Our neighborhood 'progressive' cocktail party is tomorrow night and I am committed to making 75 more tiramisus. Given that I will be up late tonight, Buzz, if you would load the juke box up with some good ole PROGRESSIVE music, that would make the time go by! Let's kick off with Pink's @!$%#in' Perfect! It sets a proper tone, for sure!

Hats and hearts to the hosts and my friends,...still working out the details of Meetup 2012,...keep those cards and letters coming!

Sorry Clara, can't help you with the pie recipe, but do give Mr. Clara a great big Birthday {{{hug}}} from me will ya!

You got a keeper there! ;o)

Hats and hearts to the hosts and my friends,...still working out the details of Meetup 2012,...

It will be here before we know it!

Can't wait!!!

Clara, I found some great French silk recipes on the Food Network site. Tried a couple, and they were wonderful.

A Happy Birthday to Mr. Clara; Feisty's right, he's a keeper. Can't help with the recipe either. 75? Whew, now that's a bunch.

Enjoyed the remake of Brian Williams fire alarm Nightly News the other night.

Brian handled that mis-step like only Brian can!

Nice job by him!

See you over @ the Dew Drop Inn, I've got the bartender ready to mix you up a Tangeray & tonic with fresh lime!

Yes, Brian did a great job. Tangeray? Now, that's a real treat. Be right there.

Happy Friday folks, It was hard to get in the work mode again after my vacation to Florida.

Just trying to catch up on the political news. I really did not miss much this week...

Good news in MN. We have a budget surplus for the first time in two years. It will go into our rainy day fund. Also our unemployment rate is 6.9%.

MN is the home of proud progressives.* (except 6th district*, home to Bachmann).

On that note I will have a Appletini with all of you at the DDI.

And a toast to Phinephancy for her great question of the day! Cheers to everyone!

Feisty and IR, hope the party is rocking when I get there, going to be a bit late, have some barn work to attend to

No worries NDD - we'll keep a barstool warm for ya! ;o)

Thanks, little cold here, vicious wind. Will need the warmth. Hot brandy at the ready if you please!

newdayD, terrific post. Good for John Danforth on speaking the truth. Ed Schultz gave the Frank Luntz list of talking points last night; you're right about how scared Occupy has these folks. I'm thinking old Grover is sweating as well; what a disingenuous, pompous man he is. It may have taken 30 years but finally, the American people are waking up to the reality that is Luntz's talking points and Norquist's Pledge.

I don't know why the thought of Luntz having nightmares about Occupy Wall Street makes me laugh. I see him having nightmares about when the Bastille was overrun. We all know how that turned out!

Makes me laugh, too.

Woo Hoo! Gonna have to make a late arrival at the DDI. Mr. phinephancy is taking me out to dinner to celebrate at one of favorite places - Harry's. A New Orleans style restaurant.

Thanks Mark & Domenico. I just got dinner out of it!

And thanks to all at FR. You make me sharper and smarter.

newdaydawning...returned,

Only seven unimportant prisoners at that prison on July 14 when it was stormed. People were after the ammo not really the prisoners. But it makes a great holiday for the French. Don't know if Frank knows the true history or not. If he did he would be afraid, very afraid, and as yous stated, having nightmares, because OWS has been very docile for now. Once they decide they need to retaliate and get ammo, it gets dangerous. Imagine the 99% armed. No amount of protective gear or ammo will help the police or military if that happens. Let us hope that things will stay calm. For the good of our country.

You've got that right Anabanana: I believe they were also after the symbolism of conquering the Bastille itself.

But, for Frankie... I do believe that is his nightmare!

OWS has been VERY peaceful, even though the response from the powers that be haven't. I think they will stay that way.

What oh what have we learned this week?

bob learned how sad it is, to what histrionic extent some will blindly and emotionally go to defend the Obama narrative - even over his silly $1,600, exotic pure breed, "re-homed" shelter "mutt."

BTW newday, was there anything in the thinkprogress dumpster about your sensitive and caring, anti-animal cruelty, animal rights advocating, re-homing and animal loving Obama signing dem legislation to re-allow a mechanical plunger to split the forehead, the bleeding, the eviscerating, slicing, grinding, and packaging of ...... horses.

(Is re-packaging horses from their coats to freezer wrap kinda like re-homing?)

Seems that damned Bush defunded the "food" inspections, thus stopped horses from being bashed to death so evil corporations couldn't get rich selling American horse meat to foreigners for human consumption.

So with Obama's robo-pen, let the horse disassembly begin, huh?

Oh well, at least Obama's Bureau of Land Management will be able to now round up all those pesky, freeoading horses eating federal grass without paying for it.

And oh yea, didn't Senator Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign, promise support for a "permanent ban on horse slaughter and exports for horse for human consumption?"

Quite a compassionate animal lover, huh?

Poor bobby: you lost that argument last week. And you looked quite foolish. Or do you posit that you should be allowed to pick a dog for a family other than yours?

As to horse slaughter? I am sure you are reveling at the very thought. My horses, all of them throughout the years have been/are safe from it. Given your concern, I suppose you eschew eating ANY slaughtered animals at all and are a vegetarian?

But really bobby, you are looking quite pathetic, and honestly...I have given you far more credit than you deserve after reading your histrionic diatribe above.

bob188...

Your post 4.6 makes no sense. Your attack of NDDR is juvenile.

Now you are referring to yourself in the third person?!?

Relax Bob, and chill out. It is the weekend...

Newday,

Hope all is well with you and your family.

Frank Luntz gives me the creeps. He is always sweating, and what's with his hair, plugs or a rug?

Focus Group anyone...

Your attack of NDDR is juvenile.

It's the name of his game Northstar!

Give him an hour & a couple more Scotch's and he will really become a hot mess!

Hi theotas: Hope you had a good Thanksgiving with family and friends. Luntz creeps me out too!

Thanks Northstar and Feisty. Can't think what bobby is so upset about. I have been very nice, I promise.

Poor bobby: you lost that argument last week. And you looked quite foolish.

I know how you guys luv your green stars / votes and just for curiosity, went back and checked that thread.

Funny thing is that one of us was outnumbered 5 (libs) - 1 (conservative) on that thread, yet got half again more votes than the other. Not that I care, but is that "losing" and looking "foolish?" And btw - did I call you a loser or fool for having a different perspective? Nope. I generally only toss that out to true fools and losers like Feisty.

Or do you posit that you should be allowed to pick a dog for a family other than yours?

Never made that point, never suggested it.

Where do you posit you got that idea?

Still have problems with the pesky reading skills? Here's the number for the Sylvan Learning Centers national locator - (877) 675-7453.

As to horse slaughter? I am sure you are reveling at the very thought.

It's needless, it's pretty disgusting.

My horses, all of them throughout the years have been/are safe from it.

So you don't care about the others, huh? Typical lib when faced with reality.

Given your concern, I suppose you eschew eating ANY slaughtered animals at all and are a vegetarian?

If you are vegetarian, you can claim your self-indulgent moral superiority.

If not, do you eat collies?

Or you do make a distinction between something that cares about, provides companionship that will try to protect to you .... as opposed to a chicken, or a fish.

And even if you are a true vegetarian, why do you care about rescue dogs but have no regard or care about other rescue animals .... they don't have horse resuces / adoptions?

And on a final note, the word "needless" in my comment above would be the operative word. It is wrong to needlessly kill even a chicken for the sake of just killing it.

But really bobby, you are looking quite pathetic, ...

eh ... in the minds of little libs probably .... don't care.

For others, simply pointing out liberal blind hypocrisy.

BTW - Thanks for the sanctimony, it is always nice to know when the lib has conceded the discussion.

I have given you far more credit than you deserve after reading your histrionic diatribe above.

You related to my use of the word histrionic, huh?

And now imitation / projection .... another form of flattery.

Thank you newday.

Have a good weekend newday .... and give a special pat / rub to your dogs for Obama ..... but not your horses ..... right.

Like I was saying - give booby a bottle of Scotch and some time alone and this is what we are subjected too...

Go back to ripping the wings off of butterflies little buddy & leave the grown up conversation to the adults...

Dear lord - if ONLY you had some wood in that pecker of yours... lol

and give a special pat / rub to

Here's a start...

Make sure you give a special rub to that little head of yours - sounds like it needs some much needed attention action!

*Kleenex*?

Feisty, is it me or is bobby making less and less sense as time goes on? ANOTHER post from him that is complete nonsense. I own I am beginning to worry about the boyo.

The only thing clear from his post is that he is jealous of Libs and their friends, the fact that I can have and train very well bred dogs and horses, and that he knows nothing about any of it.

Poor fellow.

Wouldn't surprise me but Donald loves the spotlight! The only thing bigger than his ego is his hair.

This interlude was brought to you by "Judy Hensler" who takes the little happiness she can find in creating clouds on a sunny day.

No Joe,

For the past few months ADP reported more jobs created than the BLS and I don’t think that ADP uses a survey – they use data directly from businesses. Also, not reported in the BLS monthly report, is the other data collected that comes from employers that requires them to report the actual numbers on their payroll and how many were added or deleted since last month’s report.

Your 20% number is overstated. Agencies that report total unemployment are giving numbers between 15.4% and 18.2%.

Do you have any facts to support that the BLS is underreporting by hundreds of thousands or are you just reporting the normal fallout of a long economic downturn? Also the way you phrase your statement implies that this is being done on behalf of the Obama administration. This occurs with all deep and/or extended period of high unemployment. It was estimated that at one point during the 80’s recession that total unemployment reached 22%.

Too funny NDD! lmao

Well, Dennis- you're wrong. ADP ALSO uses a survey- strictly a business survey- so they do not include gains or losses in the public sector.

Just because they are a payroll company does not mean that they use merely the people who contract for their services- if they did so, it would be an absolutely meaningless report to which no one would pay attention.

this is not the first month where the unemployment rate was artificially kept down due to the "removal" of hundreds of thousands of people from the civilian labor force.

It is, however, the first time the media noticed. It won't be the last time.

Looks like the chicanery is going to be scrutinized going forward. Good for us.

No Joe,

Won’t be the last time I’m wrong but at least I’m willing to admit it and I even qualified my statement by saying “I don’t think that ADP uses a survey”.

But ADP has recently been reporting more hiring than the BLS is reporting in the private sector, not net. The BLS numbers are less than ADP for private sector job growth … so, No Joe, which do you think is more accurate?

The media has reported in the past that the unemployment percentage would have been higher except for the number that quit actively seeking employment. They did put more emphasis on this report than other reports but it has been part of the discussion. You should watch CNBC or Fox Business when the BLS monthly numbers are released. They are very informative about the good and bad in the numbers.

If Congress does not vote to continue the extended unemployment benefits millions of employment seekers will drop off the numbers next year and unemployment will drop to 8% or below. While many would like to see the additional benefits stop that decision may be helpful to our President’s reelection.

Be careful what you wish for !!

Dennis, ADP is seen an an indicator- nobody takes them seriously as an "official" source.

The reasons are complex- they do not make any effort to seasonally adjust their numbers; they overstate certain sectors; understate others, and have generally raised questions about their methodology.

For about a year, those of us who watch the numbers have been taking over/unders on how far off ADP will be.

So, what it comes down to is BLS- not Gallup, not ADP, not any other polling organization. The problem becomes- if BLS is playing with the numbers so as to lose credibility, this economy will seriously crash.

It will make 2008 look like a blip on the radar.

No Joe,

I fully understand that they are an indicator but why is their trend any worse than any other survey? Raw, unadjusted data is good data if you understand all the parameters, all the plusses and minuses.

You seem to believe, and have said so for over 2 years, that the BLS is fudging the numbers. You know this is just a conspiracy theory – I have been hearing the same thing during every period of high unemployment since the early 80’s. With all the other “indicators”, all the great economists, all the great statisticians and all the great mathematicians out there the BLS would be brought down in flames.