Middle Class=Zero

Obama hits a run with that ad.

And I approve it.

Cool Hand Luke: The Grace of Paul Newman

Paul Newman passed away. Luckily, his family was around him when he died last night.

RIP.

Avg Joe is Right About McSame

And I know Joe Biden wouldn't wish to do this, but he feels compelled to speak out.

(h/t to Desmoinesdem at Bleeding Heartland)

Go Home, To Alaska

Protest at an Irish bar in Philly about Sarah Palin, who was watching the debate last night at that location.

Jeepers, did she bring Trig and try to nurse him there?

Go home, to Alaska, Sarah. Obviously, some of your ilk think you need to put country above your lack of experience or not blinking.

Benny's Grandmother: Debate is in Your Town

My Grandmother Benny was born and raised in Oxford, MS. I'm sure she wouldn't be pleased, as she grew up with great prejudice, but I would still tell her this is a great moment in history. And I would be thinking of the Meredith family too.

WH Deserves a Bum Steer Award

Look at the below chart I swiped from Ezra Klein today. As citizens, taxpayers, or voters (the latter doesn't matter as much to the GOP) our country doesn't look so good after seven 4 more years of Bush and essentially, McCain economic policy. Granted, it's not quite the mess that Nixon and Ford left to Carter to fix, but it's still pretty awful.



McPalin was so bent in helping Main Street this week, even to suspend his campaign. Bush asked the bi-partisans to be our captains shepherds of Wall Street flock to lead the good sheep to greener pastures. And so they are trying, with visions of $700B in their arses.

Meantime, there are others in the bleeding heartland, but the White House's Office of Budget Management believes this is too much to help the foreclosed and unemployed Average Joe because it costs too much money.

Wow, what a revelation!

A 2nd stimulus package is proposed by the Dems and perhaps in the moment of the perception Dems caving in, the WH suddenly has gone back to regular programming after "McCain Faux Populist Interruptus".

From Think Progress:

Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a statement of administrative policy today recommending Bush veto a proposed second stimulus package. The $56.2 billion package, announced yesterday, would extend unemployment benefits for seven weeks, increase food stamp benefits by 10 percent, and provide $50 million for food banks, among other proposals. This afternoon, Senate conservatives successfully blocked the bill, as the motion to proceed won 52 votes, eight shy of the necessary 60.

In the press briefing today, just an hour before the Senate vote, Dana Perino said the White House opposed the measure, specifically citing its extension of unemployment and food stamp benefits as explanation:

PERINO: There’s some elements of the package that have been put forward by Democrats that we do not think would be stimulative to the economy, such as unemployment insurance. The food stamps, we believe we have met the need.

Doesn't any of the Fush ilk observe that perhaps if folks had an extension on unemployment benefits, they may be able to look for jobs longer and pay a bit back on mortgages. No. To quote a non-reality character, " Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" once the Dems signaled they could cave compromise with a bunch of partisans who don't give a damn about the rest of us but their campaign perks and coffers.

Food stamps are enough, if you do or don't qualify...right.

I don't get the connections. Or maybe I do.

Mc Palin: Quarterbacks Not Ready to Play?

John McCain is allegedly putting country first by suspending his campaign to go back to DC, after not making one vote since April 18. He also wants to postpone the debate tomorrow evening.

Here are the real reasons he's "putting country first".

From the Politico:

A McCain aide told Politico Wednesday night that the campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the vice presidential debate, currently scheduled for October 2 in St. Louis.

I don't think Palin is ready to debate Biden, especially as her interview with Katie Couric wasn't one of her better ones. She only knows how to respond to Fox News pundits, who throw her softballs.

McCain isn't ready either.

Obama was on target in his response:

“It’s my belief that this is exactly the time the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible with dealing with this mess," he told reporters in Florida, where he has been prepping for Friday's event. "What I think is important is that we don’t suddenly infuse Capitol Hill with presidential politics," he said.

He also took a real shot at McCain: "Presidents are going to have to deal with more than one thing at a time," Obama said. "It’s not necessary for us to think that we can do only one thing, and suspend everything else."

Meantime, Congress needs to work for us. Even the Wall Street Journal concurs with this opinion:

Last we checked, the President of the United States was still George W. Bush, the Secretary of the Treasury was still Henry Paulson, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve was still Ben Bernanke, and Congress still had 533 members not running for President who are at least nominally competent to debate and pass legislation.

So count us as mystified by Senator John McCain's decision yesterday to suspend his campaign and call for a postponement in Friday's first Presidential debate so that he and Barack Obama can work out a consensus bill to stabilize the financial system. This is supposed to be evidence of leadership?

And the WSJ editors agree (to a certain extent) with Obama too:

The behavior of both candidates has an air of running for political cover. Neither of them need master the subtleties of credit default swaps and mortgage-backed securities in time for their debates. But it would be reassuring to know that they are at least capable of holding, and sticking to, a coherent position on what is now the most important issue of the campaign. When one of them becomes President, he won't have the luxury of pressing the "pause" button at the next crisis.

.

McCain and his second string are panicking. Not good in the middle of a crisis nor good for their campaign.

Update: a milk carton in DC



(h/t Bob Geiger)

Benny's World Says: Change the Debate

Tired of trivial questions instead of asking about issues that matter to most of us?



Sign the petition here by Media Matters.

Hey Traders: Leave Our Money Alone

Yesterday, the greedy traders stamped their feet like Mr. 24% and McCain do, and decided to play games with us and Congress. One of my mutual funds dropped 20% alone yesterday because of massive sell offs.

Traders, don't you get the hint? We don't wish to bail you out with your seven figure bonuses and parachutes without getting something in return.

Congressmen, you don't need to leave DC until you come up with a solid plan. Senator Dodd has a start, but it isn't good enough. Remember Congress: you work for us.

Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs...and where I was conceived in fall 1958, and 40 years later, where I had my first long weekend with my spouse in becoming a couple. One might say I have an "attachment" to the place.

I do and will always.

The picture says it all. And likely my burial will be there too, but not thinking too much about it, other than alpha to omega, at times.

Thanks to AM for the pics.

Congress Helped Bankers Get Into the Mess

If you want a chronology of how Congress allowed deregulation to exploit consumers on the credit side, read Deviltower's piece at Brand X, Three Times is Enemy Action.

You also know that the Bush/Paulson robbery plan to help their friends is bad when even Newt says Congress should be asking a lot of questions. Cue Newt:

Congress had better ask a lot of questions before it shifts this much burden to the taxpayer and shifts this much power to a Washington bureaucracy.

Imagine that the political balance of power in Washington were different.

If this were a Democratic administration the Republicans in the House and Senate would be demanding answers and would be organizing for a “no” vote.

I concur with Glenn Greenwald that bi-partisan debate is healthy.

I still trust no Bush.

George Will Validates Benny's World

On today's ABC's This Week, George Will validated what I wrote on Friday.
It was as clear to him as to me and my readers that McCain did not appear "Presidential" in the midst of financial crisis. The rest of the panel seemed to concur.

(video clip courtesy of NcDemAmy)

Blogged with the Flock Browser

John McCain on SNL

Enjoy!