| Texas? |
[Nov. 4th, 2008|06:17 pm] |
Obama is only 2-3% behind McCain ... in Texas?
Only 3% of the precincts are reporting in, but how is the possible? Virginia is currently more red than I expected, while Florida is on the fence, shading blue.
Huh. |
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| A midterm this morning and a midterm tomorrow, but I voted, darn it. |
[Nov. 4th, 2008|02:25 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | politics | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  patriotic | ] |
I voted.
There was no line here in Seattle. People stood around in a line-like formation, but that turned out to be a coincidence. I eventually realized it wasn't moving and there were booths open. I believe the statistics are that 60% of Seattle voters who are clearly smarter than me vote absentee ballot (something I'm doing next election. Uh... mmm... of course that's what I said last election).
They moved my polling place to a different location (thank you, ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) heidi8, for the election info that turned into a "Oh, wait--" last night) which happened to be the performance hall at my old college. Much bigger than the usual church ... but then a trickle of signs led away from a hall to a room much smaller than the church. The poll workers weren't very busy -- they have time to contemplate -- but managed to look harried nonetheless.
It's the duty of a poll worker to look harried.
They were extremely helpful and earnest, grateful, even, for a problem to solve. I had a few a pen squiggles on my ballot and this was of great moment. A supervisor was called over. After a three person pow-wow we determined that the squiggles should not interfere with the ballot being read, but if they did, the reader would reject it and they'd give me a new ballot. The supervisor looked me firmly in the eye to make sure I understood that I might have to fill out two ballots. I nodded very seriously, like the point in a soap opera where we learn -- gasp! -- Alex has terminal cancer. I was very brave.
Filled out the ballot, distracted from my civic duty by fantasies of jettisoning the cell phone of the guy next to me.
We are voting. It's a sacred moment. Get off the damned phone. Also, your ring tone sucks. If I had a cellphone, you know what the ring would sound like? A phone. Ringtones are as idiotic as those "creative" answering machine messages back in the 80s, you know, where some tone-deaf jerk would sing the lyrics to an Air Supply song and then tell you how to leave a message. Tortured everyone who called yet somehow the perpetrator always thought he was clever. We've merely revised the strategy to target innocent bystanders.
Where was I? Oh yeah. Voting.
I had a midterm this morning, and a midterm tomorrow, but I voted, and have the sticker to prove it. Now I'm going to go to Babes in Toyland to pick up my free vibrator.
What? |
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| Voting no on Prop. 8: A drabblethon fundraiser. |
[Nov. 3rd, 2008|12:51 am] |
tzzzz, whom I just met and already approve of heartily, has a proposition on Proposition 8:
For everyone who writes a drabble or a fic as a comment to this post today, I'll donate a five dollars to the campaign, up to $150 (it would be a lot more if I wasn't a graduate student, trust me). If anyone else wants to make a similar pledge, let me know and I'll add you.
Mine is here.
Your story goes here. |
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| Joe Biden. |
[Oct. 2nd, 2008|07:52 pm] |
Joe Biden just won my heart.
I agree with him on foreign policy, respect him as senator. But my perspective on him just completely changed.
There's a real person under there. |
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| Supreme Court meme: United States v. Nixon |
[Oct. 1st, 2008|10:15 pm] |
I wasn't going to do this, but I couldn't resist. My first thought was Hustler Magazine vs. Falwell. And that post-bellum decision that upheld racial segregation on trains and mandated it at the federal level (the name of which I'd have to look up). But then I found a much more appropriate decision for an election year: Watergate.
As was demonstrated in an interview with Katie Couric, Sarah Palin is unable to name any Supreme Court Case other than Roe v. Wade.
The Rules: Post info about ONE Supreme Court decision, modern or historic, to your lj. (Any decision, as long as it's not Roe v. Wade.) For those who see this on your f-list, take the meme to your OWN lj to spread the fun.
United States v. Nixon (1974)
Five men broke into the Watergate complex and were arrested with cameras and bugging equipment. The men all worked for the campaign to re-elect President Nixon. They went to jail, but one of the men wrote to the judge detailing pay-offs from the highest levels of Nixon's office in return for his silence. It was then discovered that Nixon taped all of his conversations. The special prosecutor subpoenaed those tapes.
Nixon stonewalled the investigation by invoking "executive privilege."
The case tested the limits of presidential power. Does executive privilege mean that the president has absolute power to withhold any information he likes from the other branches of government? If his power is not absolute, can he withhold tapes pertinent to a criminal investigation? Does it breach the separation of powers if the judicial branch investigates the executive branch? If so, wouldn't that mean that the executive branch would have to investigate itself? Did invoking "executive privilege" violate due process for the man trying to defend himself?
Result: The President could not withhold information from a criminal investigation simply because he was president. Nixon had to turn over the tapes. Nixon resigned shortly thereafter, rather than be impeached.
Why is this relevant today? The Bush administration has claimed executive privilege more times in the last eight years than we've seen since Nixon. McCain refused to turn over his notes concerning his meetings with Kenneth Lay of Enron despite the fraud investigation of Enron. This week, the White House stonewalled investigation of the suspicious firings of nine US attorneys.
...the White House refused to turn over to Justice Department investigators emails and other documents that investigators believed were crucial to uncovering the truth as to why the U.S. attorneys were fired, the report said.
Raises a lot of questions, eh? |
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| Yes, future historians, we *did* turn a global economic crisis into a fanfic challenge. |
[Sep. 29th, 2008|09:15 pm] |
Personally, I enjoy doom and gloom if I happen to be right. /Snape-voice
But the normal people on my friendslist might enjoy a break from all the, hmm, political excitement. You are therefore invited to play in the Multifandom Bailout Challenge.
As very_improbable describes it: Yes, future historians, we *did* turn a global economic crisis into a fanfic challenge.
And we should be proud. |
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| The bailout. |
[Sep. 29th, 2008|07:45 am] |
The bailout.
The bailout won't recapitalize the banks. It just bails out reckless bankers, lenders, and investors at the top of the food chain. Economist Nouriel Roubini says, "This plan does not even achieve the basic objective of recapitalizing undercapitalized banks."
It could be done much cheaper. $175 billion instead of $700 billion. Buying the toxic assets is just one way -- the most expensive and the most likely to be abused.
There's a JPMorgan sized loophole. It allows JPMorgan, the buyer of the collapsed Washington Mutual, to sell WaMu's toxic debt to the government at a profit. That's downright corrupt. And since the government brokered the sale of WaMu to JPMorgan -- selling it while the CEO of WaMu was on an airline flight -- it looks like the loophole was created just for JPMorgan. (Note: WG did some research and JPMorgan has been involved in a lot of scandals.)
It doesn't solve the mortgage crisis that sparked the melt-down. There are no provisions for home owners at all. So the mortgage crisis will continue for the rest of us, dragging the economy down.
According to Roubini, "Congress did not consult any of the many professional economists that have presented alternative plans that were more fair and efficient and less costly ways to resolve this crisis."
I don't get it. You go to a doctor when you have a medical problem. When you have an economic problem, you talk to an economist. Don't you?
We have to do something, and I don't oppose government intervention at all. But this bails out the wrong people and won't recapitalize banks. Which is the point. |
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| Avoid the spin doctoring. I like to give my opinion, don't you? |
[Sep. 26th, 2008|04:52 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | politics | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  wiped out | ] |
Aviod the spin doctoring. Yes, McCain's ad campaign announced that he'd won the debates -- before he'd even agreed to grace us with his presence.
Fortunately, you can do something about the spin doctoring. Weigh in with www.freepress.net and tell the press what you think about the coverage of the debates, instantly, before the spin doctoring sets in (well, except for McCain's ad). They're hoping to have at least 10,000 volunteers. Last I looked, they had 6,000.
https://secure.freepress.net/site/SPageNavigator/rtd
Meaningless soundbites? Pointless, out of date questions? Or substantive stuff you want to hear about, now?
Rate the Debates is a citizen-driven guide to better media coverage of the issues that matter most to Americans. Sign up to use our online tool to rate how well the media moderates the debates as they happen.We will immediately tally your response and inject our people-powered feedback into the news cycle -- before media pundits and spin doctors (mis)interpret the events for their viewers.
Let's face it. Most people don't watch the debates. They hear about it later. |
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| There goes my bank. Time to ask Sarah Palin about the bailout plan. |
[Sep. 26th, 2008|04:48 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | politics | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  can't sleep | ] |
There goes my bank.
Let's have Sarah Palin explain the current economic situation and the bailout plan:
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| Nouriel Roubini is a straight up guy. In stark contrast to AIG, et al. |
[Sep. 24th, 2008|09:12 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | politics | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  cynical | ] |
The FBI investigates AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Lehman Brothers for fraud.
"The FBI focused on accounting fraud, insider trading, and failure to disclose the value of mortgage-related securities and other investments."
Yep. Thought so.
The collapse of these giants has triggered a $700 bailout proposel by Bush*, which he tried to ram through Congress over the weekend. His original bailout plan included golden parachutes (big fat bonuses) for the CEOs of failed -- and potentially fraud-riddled -- businesses.
His plan currently includes some relief for home owners, but wait! To qualify they have to have 29% debt-to-income ratio and at least 6% equity in their house. So, if you have 100% financing, just bought your house, lost your job, or your property value plummeted (gee, isn't that, uh, everyone?), you're S.O.L.
Economist Nouriel Roubini says we are privatizing profits and socializing losses. He predicted last July that these companies were "toast," and proposes a better plan.
In order to resolve this financial crisis it is not enough to take the bad/toxic assets off the balance sheet of the financial institutions (a new RTC); it is also necessary and fundamental to reduce the debt overhang of millions of insolvent households via a significant debt reduction on their mortgages (an HOLC program like the one that was implemented during the Great Depression); and also recapitalize undercapitalized banks with public capital in the form of preferred shares (as the RFC did with 4000 banks during the Great Depression).
Thank you. Finally, a voice of reason.
* Don't you love how Bush didn't notice there was a recession until some of his rich buddies got burned? |
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| Palin: How ugly *is* that firing? |
[Sep. 23rd, 2008|02:35 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | politics | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | suspicious | ] |
Palin still dodging the probe.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Less than a week after balking at the Alaska Legislature's investigation into her alleged abuse of power, Gov. Sarah Palin on Monday indicated she will cooperate with a separate probe run by people she can fire.
( More about Palin trying desperately to evade this investigation. Since the basics are already out -- she tried to get the state trooper who divorced her sister fired -- I wonder why the artful dodging. I heard that her husband also tried to get the state trooper's workman's comp claim turned down, so I suspect this is nastier than we know. )
Palin is trying desperately to evade this investigation. Since the basics are already out -- she tried to get the state trooper who divorced her sister fired -- I wonder why the dodging. I heard that her husband also tried to get the state trooper's workman's comp claim turned down, so I suspect this is nastier than we know.
Now Palin has kicked out the press on her foreign policy, okay, let's put that in quotes, "foreign policy" U.N. crash course.
[Unknown LJ tag] told me right before I went back to sleep that Palin was getting a UN crash course in foreign relations by meeting (*eyeroll* once) with som foreign leaders (all of the ones on the list have benefitted from US cash). The campaign banned all reporters from the meetings. The campaign just wants pictures, no record of what they talk about.
In protest, CNN pulled both its reporters and its TV crew, denying her the manipulative splashy coverage.
In response to questions about why pool reporters who routinely travel with Palin were denied access, spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt didn't offer a reason in a statement that read, "The decision was made for this to be a photo spray with still cameras and video cameras only."
A television producer with a notepad was denied entry into Karzai's suite by a man who repeatedly said, "No writers."
Yeah, those writers. They're dangerous.
I snorted and went back to sleep. Then I dreamed that I was the alternate candidate (fuzzy how). Meeting with Palin I told her, "Well, I've lived in India for two months, I've lived in Germany for a quarter, and I spent half my life in Canada. Plus I speak a little Hindi and German and I'm earning a degree in International Studies. Even I have more qualifications than you do."
When she tried to argue with me, and I told her, "It doesn't matter anyway. They're not going to let us have any power. We're just here because they wanted a woman." |
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| Holy cow. Wolves: nowhere to run. |
[Sep. 19th, 2008|12:04 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | politics | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | disgusted | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Jerry C - electric Pachebel Canon | ] |
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund put out an ad on Sarah Palin's policies concerning shooting wolves from helicopters.
Shit. They allow shooting in winter when there's nothing but white tundra and nowhere for the wolf to run.
And she put out a bounty for each severed wolf leg? |
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| Ask Palin about dinosaurs... oh. Wait. |
[Sep. 15th, 2008|09:44 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | politics | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | cheerful | ] |
Oh, ha. That's good.
Yeah, ask this one about dinosaurs. |
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| The Fact Checkers are hard at work. |
[Sep. 14th, 2008|11:33 am] |
The Republicans have admitted to lying about Sarah Palin's history on earmarks and her so-called trip to Iraq.
And whoops, she's told a whopper about Alaska providing 20% of America's energy needs.
- Sarah Palin's visit to Iraq in 2007 consisted of a brief stop at a border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait, the vice presidential candidate's campaign said yesterday, in the second official revision ofher only trip outside North America. Her trip to Mexico turned out to be a personal vacation. The trip to Ireland was really just a refueling stop.
- By day's end, the McCain campaign backed down from the claim the GOP presidential candidate made on the ABC television show "The View." ... Palin, in fact, requested $198 million in federal earmarks in February. The funny part? McCain has actually stood on the floor of the Senate and pointed out Palin's earmarks as a sign of wasteful spending.
- Palin claims Alaska "produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy." That's not true. Alaska's share of domestic energy production was 3.5 percent, according to the official figures kept by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
That email from Anne Kilkenny has largely checked out.
- Turns out that Palin's spend-a-riffic habits are confirmed. Sports complex. Check. Road bonds. Check. Massive debt. Check. The current mayor of Wasilla defends Palin's history (unsurprisingly, since Palin is governor and might be VP) as part of Wasilla's growth. But a tiny town of 9,000 was left $23 million in debt.
- The Wasilla librarian isn't talking, but the Palin asked if the librarian would ban books at her request. The librarian was told that she and the police chief were being fired. After a community outcry, Palin changed her mind about firing the librarian. The question remains if this was a "test of loyalty" from Palin as Palin claims, or if Palin really intended to ban books. But she did tell the librarian she was fired and had to change her mind. There was an outcry in Wasilla over a book called Pastor, I Am Gay at the time.
I'm so pleased to have groups like www.factcheck.org and www.politifact.com. Remember the old days when you'd find out a claim was bullshit... after the election?
Why does Palin matter?
Because John McCain has had stage two cancer (and high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and he takes kidney medications, the list is long).
McCain is old and he's not in good health. |
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| The state of the Icarus |
[Sep. 11th, 2008|08:57 pm] |
All the politics I'm allowed right now
Two useful sites for your election needs:
http://www.factcheck.org/
Non-partisan, checks the facts on all the candidates.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/
Very thorough polling analysis. Methodology is explaimed here.
Wisdom teeth
Still down for the count. My wisdom teeth were pulled out Tuesday. It's been 48 hours. Feels like much, much longer.
Loved the recs, guys, thank you. Read some new fics and then when my concentration gave way, cruised by some old favorites.
WG has turned into Nurse Cratchett and disallowed all politics, though we have cut a deal on Out Of Bounds. Happy things. I am allowed happy things. For example, I'm allowed television and all the ice cream I can chew.
Since I had an impacted wisdom tooth (for about a year and a half -- er, high pain threshold?) I had the doctor put me out for the operation. I remember the first thing I told the doctor on waking, "It would be cute if a whole bunch of cats walked in here right now." I was picturing about four or five.
The nurse told WG that everything wentvery smoothly, they didn't even have to drill.
The doctor called to check on me yesderday morning. He asked, "Do you remember anything?"
I said, "Zilch."
He seemed amused and joked, "Well, don't let anyone come near you with any knives."
I take it that I must have woken up and had a strong opinion in the matter. There's a flea-sized nick on my lip that I can't place. Yes, that would be why I had them put me under. I only like knives if I'm the one holding them |
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| Michael Palin for President. Oh, yeah, that's better. |
[Sep. 9th, 2008|11:44 am] |
Oh, ahahahahahahaha! Monty Python's Michael Palin for president:
A constitutional scholar: "Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!"
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amazingly distracted