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3/17/08
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JPMorgan Chase Buys Bear Stearns for $270 Million
March 17 (Bloomberg)
-- JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to buy Bear Stearns Cos. for about $240 million,
less than a 10th of its value last week, after a run on the company ended 85
years of independence for Wall Street's fifth-largest securities firm.
Shareholders of New York-based Bear Stearns will get stock in JPMorgan
equivalent to about $2 a share, compared with $30 at the close on March 14, the
two companies said in a statement today.
Our MBA prez has
done so well by our economy.
The World
Baghdad rocked as McCain, Cheney visit
BAGHDAD - Sen. John
McCain stressed the importance of a
U.S.
commitment to Iraq during talks with Iraq's prime minister Monday, and
explosions struck Baghdad
during twin visits by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and Vice
President Dick Cheney.
Iraq Insurgency Runs on Stolen Oil Profits
On a good day, 500
tanker trucks will leave the Baiji refinery filled with fuel with a street value
of $10 million. At least one-third, and possibly much more, of the fuel from
Iraq’s largest refinery here is diverted to the black market, according to
American military officials. Tankers are hijacked, drivers are bribed, papers
are forged and meters are manipulated -- and some of the earnings go to
insurgents who are still killing more than 100 Iraqis a week.
Iran conservatives win parliament majority: state TV
Conservatives won a
majority in Iran's
parliamentary vote, state television said on Sunday, but the new assembly may
still give President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a tougher time ahead of next year's
presidential election.
Three die in Afghan suicide blast
A suicide bomber has
attacked a Nato military convoy in southern Afghanistan, killing three Afghan
civilians, police said. Police said another seven civilians were wounded when
the car bomb went off near the convoy in
Helmand province.
Missile strike in Pakistan kills 20
At least 20 people
were killed and several others injured on Sunday in a missile strike on a home
in Pakistan's
South Waziristan tribal area... At least seven missiles hit the residential
compound at Shahnawaz Kot village, located about two kilometres from Wana, the
headquarters of South Waziristan. State-run PTV said 20 people were killed in
the attack. Local residents said the missiles might have been fired from
neighbouring Afghanistan
or from a pilotless drone. They also said they had heard an aircraft flying over
the area when the missile strike occurred.
Parliament hostile to Musharraf sworn in
ISLAMABAD (Reuters)
- Pakistan's new National Assembly was sworn in on Monday, setting the scene for
a showdown with President Pervez Musharraf a month after his opponents swept a
general election.
Official: 16 dead in Tibet riots
BEIJING - Tibet's
governor promised leniency to anti-Chinese protesters who turned themselves in
before the end of Monday — and harsh consequences for those who don't — while
troops fanned out to quell sympathy protests that have spread to three
neighboring provinces.
Anti-war protests in Canada demand troops back from Afghanistan
Anti-war protesters
held rallies in20 cities across Canada Saturday against the ongoing conflicts in
Afghanistan
and Iraq. About 1,000 protesters showed up at the rally in
Toronto,
the biggest city. They shouted "End it, don't extend it," in reference to
Canada's military mission in war-torn Afghanistan.
The Suspect Society
The Surveillance
Society. The New Authoritarianism. The Age of Paranoid Politics. These are just
a few of the ways writers and thinkers describe the age we’re now living in. The
signs of anxiety and fear in this post 9-11 era are all around us. School
lock-downs are called the new fire-drill. Recently, many schools boards in
Canada made rehearsing the lock-down mandatory.
MI5 Seeks Power to Access All Citizen Travel Records
Millions of
commuters could have their private movements around cities secretly monitored
under new counter-terrorism powers being sought by the security services.
Records of journeys made by people using smart cards that allow 17 million
Britons to travel by underground, bus and train with a single swipe at the
ticket barrier are among a welter of private information held by the state to
which MI5 and police counter-terrorism officers want access in order to help
identify patterns of suspicious behaviour.
UK: Store DNA of School Children Who May Become Future Offenders
Primary school
children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behaviour
indicating they may become criminals in later life, according to Britain's most
senior police forensics expert.
There will be a public inquiry into Iraq, says Brown
Gordon Brown has
promised that the Government will hold a full-scale inquiry into the mistakes
made in Iraq before and since the invasion five years ago. His concession marks
a significant break from his predecessor, Tony Blair, who steadfastly refused to
hold a wide-ranging inquiry into the war.
UN police retake UN court in Kosovo
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA,
Kosovo - U.N. police and NATO troops used tear gas and stun grenades against
hundreds of stone-hurling Serbs protesting their eviction from a U.N. courthouse
they have occupied to protest Kosovo's declaration of independence.
Darfur rebel group calls for Annan mediation with Khartoum
KHARTOUM (AFP) - A
rebel leader in Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur on Sunday called for
one-on-one peace talks with the Khartoum government under the mediation of
former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.
The Nation
Survivors reflect 40 years after My Lai
Forty years after
rampaging American soldiers slaughtered her family, Do Thi Tuyet returned to the
place where her childhood was shattered. "Everyone in my family was killed in
the My Lai massacre -- my mother, my father, my brother and three sisters," said
Tuyet, who was 8 years old at the time. "They threw me into a ditch full of dead
bodies. I was covered with blood and brains."
Reprise of Winter Soldier anti-war conference held near D.C.
Veterans of the wars
in Iraq
and Afghanistan are meeting this weekend at an anti-war conference modeled after
a well-known 1971 gathering at which Vietnam veterans spoke out against that
conflict.
Iraq war's cost: Loss of U.S. power, prestige, influence
WASHINGTON — It was
a decision that only President Bush had the power to make: At about 9 a.m. on
March 19, 2003, in the Situation Room in the basement of the West Wing of the
White House, he gave the "execute order" to begin Operation Iraqi Freedom, the
U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Now, five years later, the consequences of that act
will soon be beyond Bush's grasp. In 10 months, they'll land on the desk of his
successor. Thanks in part to the Iraq war, the next U.S. president — Republican
or Democrat, black or white, man or woman — will take office with America's
power, prestige and popularity in decline, according to bipartisan reports,
polls and foreign observers.
Afghanistan challenge romantic - Bush
US
President George W Bush says he would fight in
Afghanistan
if he was younger. Bush spoke of his dream to work on the frontline in
Afghanistan during a video conference with US military and civilian personnel in
the war-torn country. "I must say, I'm a little envious," Bush said. "If I were
slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic
experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed. It
must be exciting for you ... in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know,
confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks," Bush said.
Serving in a war
zone is so romantic that Bush avoided doing so at all costs. For more
ridiculous, but real, quotes from this man, visit
The Real George Bush.
Pentagon: $520 Million for Space Weapons Research
(by Noah Shachtman at Wired)
Over the years, the gang at the Center for Defense Information has... just
released their survey of the Pentagon's 2009 budget, highlighting research that
could lead to arms in space. By the absolute most conservative estimate, we're
talking $520 million dollars in next year's budget. The real number is likely
several multiples of that.
Top TSA Officials in Cheating Scandal Also Ran Private Consulting Firm
(by Annie Jacobsen at Pajamas Media)
Pajamas Media has learned that Michael “Mike” Restovich and fellow TSA
[Transportation Security Administration] senior executive Morris “Mo” McGowan
ran a private security consulting company while working as high-ranking
officials with TSA. Their company, Group 2M Consulting, LLC, was filed with the
office of the secretary of state of Texas on April 15, 2004, a copy of which can
be downloaded here:
ACLU Appeals Dismissal of Extraordinary Rendition Lawsuit Against Boeing
Subsidiary
The American Civil
Liberties Union today announced it will appeal a federal court decision to throw
out a lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen Dataplan for its role in the
CIA’s "extraordinary rendition" program. Mohamed et al. v. Jeppesen, filed by
the ACLU on behalf of five victims of the rendition program, was dismissed in
February after the government intervened, once again misusing the "state
secrets" privilege to avoid legal scrutiny of an unlawful program.
Army judge in Guantánamo Bay rebukes government
In a rebuke to the
government, an Army judge Friday issued five successive orders instructing the
Pentagon to do more to help lawyers for Canadian captive Omar Khadr build a
defense case. The judge ordered prosecutors to give Khadr's lawyers the list of
all American personnel who interrogated the Canadian as well as access to their
handwritten notes, made both in Afghanistan and at the prison camp here.
Democrats upbeat, eye bigger majority in US Congress
WASHINGTON (AFP) -
Opposition Democrats are upbeat about the odds of boosting majorities they won
in Congress in 2008, and see a promising sign in the election of a Democrat to
replace the Republican former House leader.
Today on the presidential campaign trail
Obama picks up
delegates in Iowa thanks to Edwards switches ... Clinton expresses support for
Michigan Democratic primary revote proposal ... Pelosi's stance on Democratic
convention delegates boosts Obama
Story behind the 2004 lockdown
In a key county in
Southwest Ohio -- amid vague references to "homeland security" -- officials
locked everyone else out of the board of elections as they counted punch-card
ballots. President Bush emerged with more than 72 percent of the votes in Warren
County, helping him narrowly win Ohio -- and a second term. To this day, the
lockdown is cited as evidence of an election stolen from Sen. John Kerry and the
Democrats.
Idaho House Shoots Down Real ID
The Idaho House
passed unanimously yesterday a bill directing the Idaho Department of
Transportation not to implement the federal REAL ID Act. If passed by the Senate
and signed by Governor Butch Otter, Idaho will join more than 30 states in their
opposition to the unfunded Congressional mandate.
In Alabama, a Crackdown on Pregnant Drug Users
ANDALUSIA, Ala. — A
day after she gave birth in 2006, Tiffany Hitson, 20, sat on her front porch
crying, barefoot and handcuffed. A police officer hovered in the distance. Ms.
Hitson’s newborn daughter had traces of cocaine and marijuana in its system, and
the young woman, baby-faced herself, had fallen afoul of a tough new state law
intended to protect children from drugs, and a local prosecutor bent on pursuing
it. She made arrangements for the baby’s care, and headed off to a year behind
bars.
Economy & Finance
Fed acts Sunday to prevent global bank run Monday
Acting quickly to
prevent a run on major global financial firms, the Federal Reserve cut its
discount rate by a quarter percentage point to 3.25% and offered to lend money
to a longer list of firms than ever before.
Global markets tumble
LONDON - Global
markets plunged Monday on news that JPMorgan Chase, backed by the U.S.
government, had to rescue troubled Bear Stearns, with investors struggling to
gauge how much worse financial markets could get.
Bear, credit fears sink stocks at open
NEW YORK - Stocks are tumbling in early trading as nervous investors
retreat following JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s buyout of faltering investment bank
Bear Stearns Cos.
Subprime Lending's Smartest Guys in the Room
Corporations
"restating" earnings; fawning business media; chief executives diverting the
blame; Securities and Exchange Commission probes initiated after the damage is
done. This Enron-WorldCom déjà vu is brought to us courtesy of America's housing
industry, and the standard narrative is that irrationally exuberant buyers drove
up home values while banks made too many loans to the wrong people. The truth,
however, is that this latest boom-and-bust is about stock prices as much as
housing prices—and that's where the real scandal lurks.
Who is the next bailout target?
(by Chris in Paris at AMERICAblog)
Just how much money do these freeloaders want from taxpayers? The previously pro
free market crowd is now calling for bailouts, hand over fist, because we just
can't have a domino effect… The worst of this bailout is that the US government
is committing so many billions without even debating where the money goes or who
is it helping. Are we now picking up the tab for Wall Street bonuses? Let Wall
Street pay back the commissions and bonuses that were based on this trash and
then let's talk.
George Speaks, Badly
(by Gail Collins, The New York Times)
Watching George W. Bush address the New York financial community Friday brought
back many memories. Unfortunately, they were about his speech right after
Hurricane Katrina… I recalled a day long ago when my husband worked for a
struggling paper full of worried employees and the publisher walked into the
newsroom wearing a gorilla suit. The country that elected George Bush — sort of
— because he seemed like he’d be more fun to have a beer with than Al Gore or
John Kerry is really getting its comeuppance. Our credit markets are foundering,
and all we’ve got is a guy who looks like he’s ready to kick back and start the
weekend.
Media
Permanent link to MTA daily media news
"Hip Music School" (WAFB, Baton Rouge,
LA)
It started small, Doug Gay giving after-school music lessons. Then more students
came, and Doug called on friends to teach the overflow. "And it just kind of
flowered into this community of young musicians," he says. It's called Baton
Rouge Music Studios--eight practice rooms and a recording studio in the works.
Here they go beyond the traditional high school music classes. So what's wrong
with the way the schools teach music? "There's absolutely nothing wrong with
John Philip Sousa and Mozart," says Doug. But many kids today want to know how
to play rock and jazz, how to form a band, and Doug explains, "What we're trying
to do here is to, I guess, fill a void."
Doug Gay is my
nephew, and I am SO proud!
Click here for the video.
AP: Iraq After 5 Years -- Only at Midpoint?
How much longer?
Most likely, the war will go on for years, say many commanders and military
analysts. In fact, it's possible to consider this just the midpoint. The U.S.
combat role in Iraq could have another half-decade ahead -- or maybe more.
Winter Soldier: America Must Hear These Iraq Vets' Stories (by Penny Coleman, AlterNet)
If America listens to what they say, the war would be over tomorrow.
Five years later: Iraq war goes online
The Web has done
more than quicken reporting from the battlefield; it has made war interactive.
C&L makes the Guardian’s: ‘The world’s 50 most powerful blogs’
(by John Amato at crooks and liars)
This is pretty cool. It doesn’t say that it’s in number order, but what it does
say is that the C&L team and our readers are doing great work.
It’s cool AND
it’s well deserved.
'Tis A Beautiful Thing... (by tristero at Hullabaloo)
... when the august New York Times sounds like a common blogger: “What Mr. Bush
wants is to be able to listen to your international telephone calls and read
your international e-mail whenever he wants, without a court being able to
prevent it or judge the legality of his actions... The president will continue
to claim the country is in grave danger over this issue, but it is not. The real
danger is for Mr. Bush. A good law — like the House bill — would allow Americans
to finally see the breathtaking extent of his lawless behavior.” That last
sentence is not entirely accurate, but nevermind. I mean, Americans have always
been able to see a great deal of the breathtaking extent of Bush's lawless
behavior. It's just that media outlets like...well, like the New York Times
itself, never reported the lawlessness in such a fashion as to sound the alarm
if they reported it at all. Anyway, better late than never.
Sirius Radio launches 'Client 9 Radio' (Political Ticker, CNN)
NEW YORK (CNN) — For those who can't get enough of the sex scandal that brought
down New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Sirius Satellite Radio has launched what it is
calling "Client 9 Radio," a special channel dedicated to covering all aspects of
the Spitzer saga.
If you just can’t
get enough of Spitzer schadenfreude.
The $200 billion bail-out for predator banks and Spitzer charges are intimately
linked (by Greg
Palast, posted at the Smirking Chimp)
This week, Bernanke's Fed, for the first time in its history, loaned a selected
coterie of banks one-fifth of a trillion dollars to guarantee these banks'
mortgage-backed junk bonds. The deluge of public loot was an eye-popping
windfall to the very banking predators who have brought two million families to
the brink of foreclosure. Up until Wednesday, there was one single, lonely
politician who stood in the way of this creepy little assignation at the
bankers' bordello: Eliot Spitzer.
Cutting Women Out: The Media Bias Against Female Candidates (by Erika Falk, In These Times, posted at AlterNet)
The mainstream media treats female presidential candidates as novelties instead
of serious contenders -- just like they did 100 years ago.
Writers Strike at Daily Kos? Try a Readers Strike…
(The Brad Blog)
"Alegre", a longtime Daily Kos diarist, has called for a writers strike at the
world's largest supposedly-Progressive blog site, due to what she says has
become a "hostile environment" for pro-Clinton supporters. We don't know whether
that's the case or not, since we haven't much followed what goes on at dKos for
years for our own personal, if not necessarily unrelated, reasons. But if you
really want to get the attention of a blog owner, we'd suggest a readers strike
is far more likely to accomplish that goal…
Tom Watson is keeping a running list of blogs and other online sources that treat Hillary Clinton and her supporters fairly.
Clinton Gains on Obama Nationally
(Political Wire)
Two new polls show a shift of momentum in the Democratic presidential race to
Sen. Hillary Clinton. A new
Gallup
poll finds Sen. Barack Obama edging ahead of
Clinton, 49% to 46%, but within the survey's margin of error.
Clinton was stronger in Friday
night's interviews which could be a result of some of the recent controversy
related to Obama's ties to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and developer Tony Rezko. A
new Rasmussen Reports survey shows Obama leading, 46% to 45%, but "reflects an
unusually sharp change from yesterday’s results when Obama led by eight points."
Oink, oink...
(Malcolm Redfellow's World Service)
Malcolm spent a few moments doing a quickie with the Primary returns to date. He
listed the 22 States (obviously including Florida) the Democrats won in 2000,
and must win in 2008, which would deliver a total of 287 votes in the Electoral
College. There's not much point in summing the "popular" vote, because of the
different ways delegates are selected between Primaries and Caucuses. However,
when he summed the "Electoral College" votes for Clinton and Obama in these (for
the Democrats) key States, Malcolm found something quite remarkable:
Clinton 161;
Obama 98.
Clinton camp supports a verified paper trail at Texas Caucuses (by TxKat at MyDD)
For the last 2 weeks, there have been a multitude of reports of misbehavior,
sloppy math (when determining final caucus totals), people who attended -- and
voted -- in the caucuses who were not even registered to vote (some of these
were even selected as delegates) and more… The TDP has been so overwhelmed, both
with the numbers of attendees to check and the size and frequency of the
problems, that they say they cannot accomplish these tasks prior to the
scheduled County/State Senatorial Conventions on March 29. The
Clinton campaign has requested
that the County/State Senatorial Conventions be delayed until that information
can be provided and the State Party can accomplish its job.
Man, that Clinton
campaign is racist!
Why did Obama remove his name from the Michigan ballot? The Michigan Two-Step (video)
Obama opens up on Rezko, and it's almost believable
(by John Kass, Chicago Tribune)
Obama asks us to believe he can swim in the sewers of Illinois politics without
catching a cold. He tells us that [indicted political fixer and fundraiser Tony]
Rezko helped him scope out his dream house, yet Obama never thought he'd get a
call from Tony saying his back was itchy. "No," Obama said. "Because I had known
him for a long time, and so I would have assumed I would have seen a pattern [of
Rezko asking for favors] over the course of 15 years." I'm too old to believe in
fairy tales.
Story behind the story: Obama's pastor (by Mike Allen at Politico)
The coverage of [Rev. Jeremiah] Wright's comments bolstered the effort by Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to raise vague doubts about the judgment of her
rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Obama’s poor
judgment is Clinton’s fault. You knew that was coming.
Hannity & Colmes: Bringing On The Right Wingers To Lose It Over Obama & Rev.
Wright (by
Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars)
Despite the fact that Billo says he’s the only guy out there courageous enough
(*cough, cough*) to talk about Barack Obama’s relationship with Trinity UCC’s
Rev. Jeremiah Wright, there wasn’t much else of discussion on Hannity & Colmes
on Friday night. In fact, I’d say that the outrage was proportionate to the
number of wingnuts brought on to discuss it. Nevertheless, co-host Alan Colmes
and Democratic strategist Bob Beckell manage to inject some semblance of sanity
to the predictions of the end of Obama’s chance for the White House. C&L
contributer Heather made [a] mash up of Friday’s show.
Click through to
watch the video.
Obama's pastor disaster
(by Mark Steyn, Orange County Register)
Barack Obama is not supposed to be the candidate of the America-damners: He's
not the Rev. Al Sharpton or the Rev. Jesse Jackson or the rest of the racial
grievance-mongers. Obama is meant to be the man who transcends the divisions of
race, the candidate who doesn't damn America but "heals" it – if you believe, as
many Democrats do, that America needs healing. Yet since his early twenties he's
sat week after week, listening to the ravings of just another cookie-cutter
race-huckster… The "racist" here is not Geraldine Ferraro but the Rev. Wright,
whose appeals to racial bitterness are supposed to be everything President Obama
will transcend. Right now, it sounds more like the same-old same-old.
Senator Obama, Do Words Matter? (by Larry Johnson at No Quarter)
[Jeremiah] Wright’s words matter. Wright’s words express a view of history and a
view of society that every member of his congregation understood. Obama will
struggle in the coming days to insist he knew nothing about a man he calls
Uncle. But Uncle Jeremiah is not some crazy relative living in an attic. He has
been a leader in Africentric Liberation theology, a religious vision that
promotes racial division and hatred. I guess Senator Obama is truly audacious
because he apparently believes that America will not believe the recorded words
of Uncle Jeremiah.
Christmas Day 2007: Obama in Chicago
(by truthteller2007 at MyDD)
Jeremiah Wright fulminated against Hillary Clinton while preaching from his
pulpit at Trinity United Church of Christ on Christmas Day 2007. Obama explains
how he is a member of Trinity United Church of Chirst to an Iowa voter the day
before he departed for Chicago for the Christmas holiday. Was he present during
this Christmas Day sermon? Did he speak with his minister and spiritual advisor
before the sermon was delivered on Christmas Day? Was he aware of the content
of Wright's sermon? And if so, when was he alerted to the inappropriate content
of Wright's sermon: Christmas Day, the day following Christmas Day, the week
following Christmas Day? Or were Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha standing and
not "sitting" in the pews of TUCC when Wright uttered controversial comments
critical of Hillary Clinton's whiteness on Christmas Day?
Mr. Obama, We Have a Question
(by SusanUnPC at No Quarter)
Why won’t you release your schedule that notes the dates when you attended
church and heard the sermons of Rev. Jeremiah Wright? We want the facts, sir.
Just the facts. You deny being at the July 22 service — as is asserted by
NewsMax — but you provide no verification that your claim is accurate. You can
deny from now until the end of time, but you need to provide proof, sir.
What Else Didn't Obama
Realize? (by
Andy Ostroy at the Ostroy Report)
He didn't realize his business dealings with indicted Chicago real estate
developer Tony Rezko constituted a conflict of interest. He didn't realize his
pastor and spiritual advisor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, delivered hate-filled church
speeches. Are we really to believe those assertions from Illinois' junior
Senator, Barack Obama, a graduate of
Harvard
Law
School
and the first black president of its esteemed Law Review? Kinda hard for a magna
cum laude Harvard law grad to play dumb, don't ya think? And is it not fair to
ask the question, what else didn't Obama realize that might surface soon from
his past?
Gospel Time (by
Taylor Marsh)
I know everyone is now trying to equate Reverend Wright with McCain's Reverend
Hagee. I've done so much eviscerating of right-wing preachers, I'd be all in for
it. However, Hagee hasn't been McCain's spiritual guru for 17 years. Hagee also
never explicitly said so many hateful things about this country. I find the man
detestable, especially given his anti Catholic views. But religious prejudice is
one thing. Sounding anti-American is another, especially when the man railing at
this country is tied so closely to a man who might be the Democratic nominee for
president. Old "uncle" won't do in a general election fight with John McCain. In
fact, Wright could ignite the Republican base in a way never anticipated.
But Taylor,
Hillary Clinton is the divisive one. SHE’s the one Republicans will come out in
droves to vote against. I know because Randi Rhodes told me so.
Red State Update: Obama's Preacher (video)
How will Wright's remarks affect Obama's support from McCaskill, Sebelius? (Kansas City
Star Editorial Board)
Two of Barack Obama's most important endorsements from America's Heartland are
from Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. But how
will the controversy that now surrounds Obama and his long-time pastor, Jeremiah
Wright Jr., affect those endorsements? At the very least, both Midwesterners
will face pressure from Missourians and Kansans to back off their earlier
enthusiastic support of Obama. Both Sebelius and McCaskill will be watching very
closely in the days ahead as Democrats in their states react to Wright's
offensive words.
Imagine if Wright Were Hillary’s Pastor … (by SusanUnPC at No Quarter)
Imagine for a moment Hillary had for two decades embraced a minister and a
church that preached racism or hatred for America as Wright has done. Imagine
that she had embraced a minister who claims that America “started the AIDS virus
. . . We are only able to maintain our level of living by making sure that Third
World people live in grinding poverty.” Imagine that Hillary had Rev. Jeremiah
Wright on her “African American Religious Leadership Committee,” as did Obama as
of December 4, 2007.
Hillary Clinton not only would not be running for president, she wouldn’t be in
the Senate, she probably would not be employable in public life anywhere.
The Fine Art of Clinton Derangement (by eriposte at the Left Coaster)
Ezra Klein at The American Prospect… "The sense around town seems to be that the
odd emergence of this old video of Wright was part of a
Clinton oppo dump, and that's
likely correct." Put up or shut up. Must we ceaselessly slander HRC? Why is it
that every bad thing that happens to Obama is her fault? Do you really not know
that the wingnuts over at Faux News have been doing regular stories about Wright
for months? Are you really so out of touch with the rest of the blogosphere that
you haven't realized that this crap has been widely discussed ad nauseum by the
crazies? A good portion of the progressive blogosphere REALLY has gone bonkers.
Attack timeline – see how the Obama campaign has spread lies and sexist hate, starting more than a year ago.
The Clinton Rules and The Obama Rules
(by eriposte at the Left Coaster)
One of the useful side-effects of the Jeremiah Wright brouhaha is its ample
illustration of The Clinton Rules and The Obama Rules for this campaign. These
rules are based on the Brilliant and Thought-Provoking Journalism™ of some of
the major, allegedly, "progressive" blogs and the traditional media outlets that
they have become extensions of… Vastleft at Corrente is the inspiration for this
post. Vastleft sarcastically says (emphasis mine): “I’m beginning to develop a
moral sense about this stuff, but it’s still kinda cloudy for me. For example, I
know this to be true, but I don’t quite know why: If Obama gets the nomination
and loses, it will be the fault of Hillary and her supporters. If Hillary gets
the nomination and loses, it will be the fault of Hillary and her supporters.”
Click through for
more of this sad but true rendition of how the two candidates are treated by
so-called progressives. And don’t forget to add your own ideas.
The True Definition of
"Party Unity"
(by Andy Ostroy at the Ostroy Report)
[The pro-Obama] Progressives, angry that we won't support their candidate right
now or call [Clinton] dirty or demand she quit even though she's a hair away
from Obama, threaten to vote for McCain as punishment if she wins. My way or the
highway is their campaign slogan. We fight for liberty, truth, justice and
Progressive values for all, they self-righteously brag, but then would freely
toss their precious votes to yet another war-mongering, small government,
staunch conservative if they don't get their way in the primaries… [I]f our
candidate wins, the sane thing to do is support her in our collective fight
against Republican tyranny. And if Obama wins, we will of course back him with
all we've got. Funny, that sounds an awful lot like party unity to me....
Rep. Tom Davis: Bush has killed ‘the Republican brand.’ (Think
Progress)
Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), who is retiring this year, tells the Washington Post:
“You have a very unhappy electorate, which is no surprise, with oil at $108 a
barrel, stocks down a few thousand points, a war in Iraq with no end in sight
and a president who is still very, very unpopular. He’s just killed the
Republican brand.”
Who Is Rev. Moon? 'Returning Lord,' 'Messiah,' Publisher of the Washington Times
(by John Gorenfeld, PoliPoint Press, posted at AlterNet)
"True Father" to some, madman to others, Sun Myung Moon is one of the strangest
and least scrutinized figures in the conservative media world.
Bernanke: "The problems in the subprime market seems likely to be contained."
(by Dean Baker)
At this point, the financial markets need credible analysis from the Fed, not
happy talk. An important first step would be a move toward greater transparency.
Why is the Fed letting banks borrow hundreds of billions of dollars in secret?
What guarantees were given to J.P. Morgan as part of its takeover of Bear
Stearns? Bernanke has to start being open and honest in addressing the country's
financial problems. Otherwise his words will have no weight. Reporters should
demand a fuller accounting from Bernanke and the Fed.
Media Matters for America headlines
• Fox's Baier claimed McCain "right away" denounced controversial statements by supporters
China blocks YouTube over Tibet videos
BEIJING - Internet
users in China were blocked from seeing YouTube.com on Sunday after dozens of
videos about protests in Tibet appeared on the popular U.S. video Web site.
ISPs In Japan Agree With Copyright Owners To Ban Persistant File Sharing
(Mashable)
Under growing pressure from copyright holders in the music, movie and software
industries, Japanese ISPs have agreed to assist in tracking down file sharers,
and eventually ban their accounts if they don’t stop their activities.
Craigslist Cleared Of Discrimination Charges In Listings
(Mashable)
Craigslist, the popular online classified system, has been cleared of problems
stemming from discriminatory ads placed on its sites… [T]his ruling could be a
boon to people who operate online forums.
State officials keep e-mail from view
Governments at all
levels are often unwilling to let the public see the e-mails of their elected
officials.
Text messages enter public-records debate
Those messages that
officials dash off on government cellphones to friends and colleagues aren't
necessarily private after all.
Annual PEJ Report: Web Changing Journalism, But Not As Expected
The Internet has
profoundly changed journalism, but not necessarily in ways that were predicted
even a few years ago, a study on the industry released Sunday found. The news
agenda actually seems to be...narrowing, the Project for Excellence in
Journalism found.
Real Web 2.0 Mantra? Be Evil. Very Evil.
There Is Nothing Utopian in the Bare-Knuckled Brawls Between Old-Media Titans
and New-Media Boy Wonders
World's Publishers v. Google: The Fight Continues (by Matthew Buckland at Poynter Online)
Newspapers and online publishers appear to be heading back into battle against
search engine behemoth Google. Yesterday the powerful World Association of
Newspapers (WAN) issued a rather terse statement, calling on Google "to respect
the rights of contentcreators" and embrace a new access protocol for search
engines indexing Web sites, known as the Automated Content Access Protocol (ACAP).
It certainly
makes sense to me that the creator of particular content be ranked first in web
searches.
Pincus: The press should play an activist role in government
In a magazine piece
that's not online, Walter Pincus complains that journalists and media owners
rarely push issues they believe government should take up. "They don't want to
play activist roles in government -- either personally or professionally --
unless, of course, it could affect the bottom line," writes the Washington Post
newsman. "I believe this failure is a threat to our democracy and a poor example
for the rest of the world."
Walter Pincus has
been living in a cave for the last 16 years.
Nobody can touch newspapers when it comes digging up dirt
The prestige dailies
have the credibility and reach to make a scandal like the Eliot Spitzer saga
fly, says William Powers. "For the real thing, the stuff that outs corruption
and hypocrisy, revealing the powerful for who they really are and shaking things
up in the most immediate, consequential ways -- in short, the scandals that are
truly scandalous -- nobody else can touch newspapers."
Yeah, like the
runup to the Iraq War. Newspapers did a GREAT job of investigating the
administration’s false claims. NOT!
Would Zell sell the Baltimore Sun? "I don't know," he says
Sam Zell once said
he planned to keep all of Tribune's assets, but with the tough economy and
steeper-than-expected revenue declines, "we may have to re-evaluate a lot of our
decisions," the Tribune chief told Baltimore Sun staffers. He said was
evaluating what to do with the Sun's real estate holdings. Zell was asked if
he'd consider selling the paper. "I don't know," he replied.
Publishers need to reset profit goals, say goodbye to 30%
Hearst vice chairman
Frank Bennack Jr. says publishers have to get realistic about their business,
and reset advertising, circulation and profit targets "so we don't live in a
constant state of depression." He also warns that severe newsroom cutting will
come back to haunt publishers. "If newspapers don't cover the news and do it
with detail and context, someone else will."
30% was NEVER a
realistic goal. It’s not a realistic goal for almost all businesses.
Dusting Off the Archive for the Web
For magazines and
newspapers with long histories, old material can be reborn on the Web as an
inexpensive way to attract readers, advertisers and money.
CBS orders "Birbiglia's Journal"
LOS ANGELES
(Hollywood Reporter) - CBS has ordered the comedy pilot "Mike Birbiglia's Secret
Public Journal," a project based on a weekly blog in which the comedian
chronicles his daily life.
Indie labels take e-commerce into their own hands
NEW YORK (Billboard) - With their digital download sites, a growing
number of indie rock labels have begun to answer the prayers of fans who would
love to hear long-out-of-print singles on their iPods or other mobile devices.
Voting for the Worst on ‘American Idol’ Makes Money for an Entrepreneur
A Web site that
started out as an Internet lark is now attracting advertisers.
Microsoft Pitches Merger Vision To Yahoo at Meeting
Senior executives
from Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. met Monday to discuss Microsoft's takeover
offer for the Internet company, according to people familiar with the matter.
The meeting, the first since Microsoft made its unsolicited offer Jan. 31, marks
a breakthrough in communication between the two camps following Yahoo's
rejection of Microsoft's offer last month.
Google says Microsoft's Yahoo buy might hurt Internet
BEIJING (Reuters) -
Google Inc, the world's leading search engine, said on Monday it was concerned
about the free flow of information on the Internet if Microsoft Corp were to
succeed in acquiring Yahoo Inc.
Mergers are in the Air
Though many tech
vendors are suffering as the widening U.S. financial crisis slows down consumer
and business spending, IT mergers and acquisitions including bellwethers such as
Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Electronic Arts and AOL continue to reshape the
technology landscape and provide opportunities for investors.
Google Ad Manager: It’s bigger than it looks (by Jeff Jarvis)
The biggest news of the week — well, besides the governor-erect (hat tip to the
New York Post) — was not AOL’s purchase of Bebo or Yahoo’s embrace of the
semantic web (about which I remain skeptical) or certainly Lacygate. No, the
biggest, most game-changing news went by without a great deal of notice and that
Google’s announcement of a free ad-serving platform. Google Ad Manager is one
critical piece in creating the open network of networks where any site can take
any ad and any marketer can advertise on any site. When that day arrives, we all
become atoms that can attract to one molecule or another, no longer locked into
one network.
Microsoft to buy Rapt for ad management tools
Microsoft hasn't yet
snagged Yahoo, but it plans to acquire another company it hopes will boost its
online advertising yields: Rapt, of San Francisco. Rapt sells advertising yield
management tools for online media companies. The tools are designed to predict
demand for advertising and optimize the price and placement of ads, improving
revenue.
Advertisers shun user-generated video
NEW YORK - Anyone can become a director or star through video-sharing
sites like YouTube, but not everyone can make money.
Net video ads: attention vs. annoyance
Marketers and Web
sites alike are struggling to bring to the Internet ads that resemble television
without turning off viewers the way TV ads often do… The challenge is finding
the right formula — in the creative approach, the format or the frequency with
which the ads appear — so visitors notice the pitches without getting so annoyed
that they never come back.
Startup Aims to Broker Customer Feedback
BOSTON (AP) - One of
the great things about the Internet is the way people post reviews on just about
anything you're considering trying, whether it's a movie, a new restaurant or
the local florist. This also introduces one of the worst things about the
Internet: trying to figure out which reviews to trust. Was that effusive praise
written surreptitiously by the merchant? Was that anonymous online slam posted
by a devious competitor?
Bearer of Bad News Decides to Advertise It
After more than 70
years, Consumer Reports has decided that a review isn’t enough for a bad product
— it deserves a provocative ad campaign, too.
Technology & Science
'Spam
King' pleads guilty to wire fraud
A man once described
as one of the world's top e-mail spammers pleaded guilty Friday to federal
charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and failure to file a tax return.
Diamond's got just a little, itty-bitty bling
Scientists have
created the world's smallest diamond ring. It won't get any ‘oohs’ or ‘ahhs’
from admiring friends, but it can help scientists who are developing quantum
information processing.
Starved for Sleep? Watch Your Waistline
Not enough slumber
can contribute to weight gain, experts say
New method finds networks of genes behind obesity
WASHINGTON (Reuters)
- Overeating disrupts entire networks of genes in the body, causing not only
obesity, but diabetes and heart disease, in ways that may be possible to
predict, researchers reported on Sunday.
Therapy Could Save Limbs After Frostbite
Angiography plus
anti-clotting drug keep tisue viable, researchers say.
DEET works by masking body odor from bugs
The bug repellent
DEET works by making mosquitoes and their brethren unable to smell the sweet
aroma of human sweat that alerts them that a meal of blood is nearby, scientists
said on Thursday.
New drug holds promise for parasitic worm disease
CHICAGO (Reuters) -
U.S. researchers have discovered a promising new drug for
schistosomiasis -- a parasitic worm disease that affects more than 200 million
people in 70 countries.
Self-Management Program Helps Diabetics
31 employers in 10
cities waive co-pays if diabetic is "coached" by pharmacist
Soy Compound May Halt Spread Of Prostate Cancer
ScienceDaily (Mar.
17, 2008) — A compound found in soybeans almost completely prevented the spread
of human prostate cancer in mice, according to a study published in the March 15
issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer
Research.
Post Brain Injury: New Nerve Cells Originate From Neural Stem Cells
ScienceDaily (Mar.
16, 2008) — Most cells in the human brain are not nerve cells, but supporting
cells (glial cells). They serve as a framework for nerve cells and play an
important role in the wound reaction that occurs with injuries to the brain.
However, what these 'reactive glial cells' in the brains of mice and men
originate from, and which cells they evolve into was unknown until now.
Light Waves Can Detect Alzheimer's Disease Early On, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (Mar.
17, 2008) — A team of researchers in Bedford, Mass. has developed a way of
examining brain tissue with near-infrared light to detect signs of Alzheimer's
disease.
Zoo beasts must battle the bulge, too
CHICAGO - Gorillas
on Weight Watchers? Polar bears slurping sugar-free Jell-O shots? Giraffes
nibbling alfalfa biscuits?
Birds take 'power naps' to keep their senses alert all day
Hamburg - Just like
busy executives who work 14-hour days, birds take power naps to keep their
senses alert for predators, according to German researchers.
Experts link Leonardo da Vinci to chess puzzles
Experts say the
Renaissance genius may have illustrated the puzzles in a long-lost chess
treatise recently recovered in the library of an aristocratic family in northern
Italy.
Chess, of course,
was the first virtual reality game.
Pre-Inca Temple Discovered in Peru
LIMA, Peru (AP) -
Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient temple, roadway and
irrigation systems at a famed fortress overlooking the Inca capital of Cuzco,
according to officials involved with the dig.
Garage sale: Mastodon skeleton up for auction
California resident Nancy Fiddler has put for sale on eBay a mastodon
skeleton that takes up most of her garage. The minimum bid — $115,000.
Spacewalkers to kit handyman robot with tools
HOUSTON (Reuters) -
NASA astronauts prepared for a spacewalk on Monday to outfit the International
Space Station's new robotic handyman after tests showed it to be in good working
order.
Venus and Mars: Surprising Similarities Found
Mars and Venus,
those seemingly contrasting planets of self-help book fame, have more in common
than you might think. Two nearly identical spacecraft around Mars and Venus have
compared the two worlds' atmospheres and found them to be surprisingly similar.
Puzzling 'Eye Of A Hurricane' On Venus
ScienceDaily (Mar.
17, 2008) — Venus Express has constantly been observing the south pole of Venus
and has found it to be surprisingly fickle. An enormous structure with a central
part that looks like the eye of a hurricane, morphs and changes shape within a
matter of days, leaving scientists puzzled.
Environment
UN: World's glaciers melting faster
ZURICH, Switzerland
- Glaciers are shrinking at record rates and many could disappear within
decades, the U.N. Environment Program said Sunday.
Huge Iceberg Splits In Southern Atlantic Ocean
ScienceDaily (Mar.
17, 2008) — Envisat captures the break up of the massive A53A iceberg located
just east of the South Georgia Island (visible at image bottom) in the southern
Atlantic Ocean.
Climate-change meeting ends without agreement on emissions
Tokyo - The world's 20 major greenhouse gas emitters ended two
days of discussions in
Japan
Sunday without reaching consensus on a concrete plan to tackle climate change.
Japan, Peru join hands in fight against climate change
Tokyo - Leaders of Japan and
Peru on Monday in Tokyo signed
a joint statement to strengthen cooperation in the fight against global warming
in their first summit talk in nine years.
Green Energy Could Avoid Recession.
So far the industry
sector that includes clean, renewable and efficient energy has been holding up
well under continuing bad news from just about every other segment of the US
economy. Green energy stands out as a bright spot in an otherwise cloudy
economic picture.
Hydrogen Fuel Station Opens in White Plains
White Plains now is
the Northeast hub — and one of three cities nationwide — for a model program
designed to put hydrogen-powered cars in consumers’ hands.
Kite-Driven Beluga Skysail Completes 12,000 Mile Journey and Proves Concept
“We can once again
actually ”˜sail’ with cargo ships, thus opening a new chapter in the history of
commercial shipping” Thus is the verdict from MV Beluga Skysails captain Lutz
Heldt upon completion of the vessel’s 12,000 mile round-trip maiden voyage. The
crew and vessel were at sea for nearly two months, giving the “skysail” concept
ample opportunity for testing and tweaking.
Ships & trains ordered to become cleaner
WASHINGTON - The
Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that marine and locomotive engines
must meet tougher pollution controls, hoping for dramatic cuts in the amount of
smog-causing chemicals and soot coming from trains, cargo ships, tugboats and
passenger ferries.
EU Pledges Deeper Emissions Cuts
The E.U. Summit
produces a pledge to cut greenhouse gases and slash energy imports
State Seeks to Regain Recycling Momentum
New Jersey lawmakers have passed a series of measures intended to
revitalize recycling in a state that has slipped from a national leader to a
laggard.
Survey Sets Benchmarks for Tracking Book Industry Sustainability
NEW YORK,
March 17, 2008 -- A large chunk of the book industry is embracing green
publishing, and sustainability is steadily spreading through the book publishing
world, says a new report.
Grand Canyon Flood Shows Signs Of Success
A manmade flood
designed to nourish the ecosystem of the Colorado River has created new sandbars
in the Grand Canyon ranging in size from small nooks and crannies to ones as
large as football fields, an official said.
Beijing pollution no threat to athletes: IOC
ATHENS (Reuters) -
Pollution at the Beijing Olympics poses no immediate threat to athletes' health
but could affect world-class performances, the International Olympic Committee's
top medical official Arne Ljungqvist said on Monday. "I believe the conditions
will be good for athletes although they will not necessarily be ideal," the IOC
medical commission chief told reporters in a conference call from Sweden.
Japan kill half of their intended whale target: reports
TOKYO (AFP) -
Japanese authorities believe their whaling mission in the Antarctic will kill
little more than half the intended goal due to harassment by environmentalists,
reports said Friday.
Japan, Australia agree on whaling protests
MAKUHARI, Japan (AFP)
- Japan said Saturday it and Australia had agreed to oppose aggressive tactics
by anti-whaling protesters despite the two countries' strong disagreements on
whaling itself.
Activists Vow to Stop Kangaroo Cull
CANBERRA, Australia
(AP) - Protesters gathered at an abandoned military site in the Australian
capital Saturday to prevent the planned slaughter of 400 kangaroos blamed for
ruining the habitat of rare lizards and insects.
Peter Daou's memo to bloggers
Peter Daou is Hillary Clinton's internet director. When does the unity part start?
I'm writing this to a group of bloggers. Some of you are Hillary supporters, some not, some neutral.
I want to address a pervasive misconception, namely, that Senator Obama hasn't run a negative campaign against Hillary. I think it's time to put that misconception to rest.
The truth is that for months, the Obama campaign has been attacking Hillary, impugning her character and calling into question her lifetime of public service. And now the Chicago Tribune reports that Senator Obama is preparing a "full assault" on her "over ethics and transparency." To those who contend that Senator Obama is the clear frontrunner, I ask, to what end this "full assault" on Hillary?
On CNN last Tuesday, Senator Obama said, "Well, look, Wolf, I think if you watch how we have conducted our campaign, we've been very measured in terms of how we talk about Senator Clinton. ... I have been careful to say, that I think that Senator Clinton is a capable person and that should she win the nomination, obviously, I would support her. You know, I'm not sure that we have been getting that same approach from the Clinton campaign."
The facts of this election stand in stark contrast to that statement. Senator Obama and his senior campaign officials have engaged in a systematic effort to question Hillary's integrity, credibility, and character. They have portrayed her as someone who would put her personal gain ahead of the lives of our troops, someone who would say or do anything to win an election, someone who is dishonest, divisive and disingenuous. They have adopted shop-worn anti-Clinton talking points, dusted them off and unleashed a torrent of unfounded character attacks against her. Among other things, they have described Hillary - and her campaign - as:
"Saying and doing whatever it takes to win"
"Attempting to deceive the American people"
"One of the most secretive politicians in America"
"Literally willing to do anything to win"
To top it off, they have blanketed big states with false radio ads and negative mailers -- ads and mailers that experts have debunked time and time again. They have distributed health care brochures using Republican framing. They have tried to draw a nexus between Hillary's votes and the death of her friend Benazir Bhutto. And one of Senator Obama's top advisers (who has since left the campaign) recently called Hillary "a monster."
This "full assault" on Hillary comes from the very top of the Obama campaign, not surrogates and supporters.
This "full assault" is being directed at someone I personally know to be a thoughtful, brilliant, principled, compassionate person, someone the world knows as a good Democrat, a trailblazer, a lifelong champion for children and families, a respected former first lady, a senator, a presidential candidate.
This "full assault" is targeting a staff of hundreds of hard-working, dedicated Democrats, who I've had the privilege of working with for the past 14 months.
This is a hard-fought campaign - as it should be. Like any candidate for elected office, Hillary has made clear why she thinks she would do a better job than her opponent. She has laid out comprehensive policy proposals, put forth her 35-year record of accomplishment, and spent countless days introducing herself to voters across the country. She has said that she is far better prepared to take on John McCain on national security. She has contended that she is the candidate with the experience to confront the GOP attack machine. She has argued that she is more electable. She has said that Senator Obama's words are not matched by actions. And she has challenged him to live up to core Democratic values and goals such as universal health care.
I recall indignation online at the suggestion that Senator Obama has not made the case that he is ready to be Commander in Chief -- the concern being that this would be terribly detrimental to him in a general election. As I blogged recently, and as many of you know, I spent 2004 in the Kerry-Edwards war room, and I understand full well that national security will be front and center in the general election. It's not a matter of choice. And the reality is that the public views Hillary as better prepared to take on Senator McCain when it comes to national security. Democrats must factor that in as they nominate a candidate to win in November.
If that suggestion is potentially harmful to Senator Obama in a general election, how exactly do the personal attacks against Hillary (which echo and reinforce rightwing talking points) help her in the event she wins the nomination? I recall no similar outrage at those harsh attacks on her character, many of which were directed at her when she was the clear frontrunner and seen as the likely nominee.
Both candidates are running a vigorous campaign. Both have had surrogates or supporters who have crossed the line and made offensive statements that they rejected. And these offensive statements are an unfortunate part of a long and close campaign. Those who make a habit of automatically assuming and ascribing to only one candidate the worst motives, ignoring more reasonable and benign explanations, who substitute conjecture for fact and then use those assumed `facts' as a foundation on which to pile more conjecture about only one candidate's intentions, who express anger at negative campaigning and perceived dirty tricks but focus on only one candidate's words and actions, risk losing credibility. And those who conclude from that one-sided reasoning that Hillary ought to stop seeking victory, should ask themselves if quitting in the middle of a hard-fought - and winnable - contest is a desirable attribute in a future president.
Hillary has rightfully stated that as Democrats we should be proud of our field of candidates. And it is truly inspiring to see the level of enthusiasm among voters this cycle. We should encourage as many people as possible to become part of this process and to forcefully advocate for their candidate of choice. But there is a sharp line between supporting a candidate (and excusing their faults, which all supporters do to some degree) and conducting a "full assault" on an opponent's integrity and character. The Obama campaign's unabashed attacks on Hillary's honesty and trustworthiness should give every Democrat pause.
We are all entitled to support and oppose whomever we choose, but I challenge my online friends to call this "full assault" on Hillary's character for what it is.
