Archive for December, 2009
Bulo Remembers 2009-An Epic Year For Marketing Blunders
From an inspired wiseass at Collateral Damage, a humorous look at the “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” backfires of the year.
Except, (and this is what makes them funny), none of them seemed like good ideas at the time, and people who make more money in a week than you ever will in [...]
Hold It Hostage – Fix It Later
Food for thought for both the “fix it later” crowd and the “kill the bill” crowd – don’t give up the fight. Use the leverage you’ve gained with your passionate outpouring. Hold the individual mandate hostage (this is something the insurance industry definitely wants):
The only way I can see progressives being able to [...]
Let It Snow!
Just the possibility of snow brings out the kid in me. And while I know this isn’t the most convenient time for a major snowstorm – and I still have a gazillion things to do – I’m secretly thrilled. So in the spirit of you can’t control the weather here’s Lena Horne performing my favorite [...]
18Dec2009 | pandora | 15 comments | Continued
Franken Cuts Off Lieberman
This is awesome — and McCain jumping up to defend “comity” takes the cake. Comity means that you start out by trying to not take advantage of the rules
17Dec2009 | cassandra_m | 6 comments | Continued
Thursday Open Thread
It’s Thursday and it’s open thread time. Remember, tomorrow is DL’s War on Christmas Party. The WOC party starts at 7 p.m. at C.W. Harborside. We’ll be collecting canned goods to donate to the Food Bank. Come on out and forget your troubles for a while!
How did I miss this?
A Costco [...]
The Individual Mandate
The fight over the public option has obscured other parts of the bill. Right now the individual mandate is getting a lot of attention. Ezra Klein explains the purpose of the individual mandate and the consequences if it’s removed:
Right now, the insurer sets the rules. It collects background information on applicants and then [...]
Exactly
Let’s cue up the circular firing squad. John Cole nails exactly what I’m feeling right now:
About health care reform is that it is a primer for Banking and Financial Regulation. We get to look forward to watching the House bill get neutered down by the conservadems, the GOP will be aligned in unison with [...]
Wednesday Open Thread
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for this week to be over (not just because vacation is coming next week). I’m exhausted for yesterday just from reading the comments.
Let’s think about something else. How about the “Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2009″ from Bad Astronomy. This is my favorite, the [...]
Coalition Of The Bribed
The Republicans must be having a hard time building a real grassroots movement. Their anti-health care reform die in was a bust yesterday when only 60 people showed up and none of them actually pretended to die. They are sending anti-reform form letters to Congress through Facebook games. Now, the U.S. Chamber [...]
16Dec2009 | Unstable Isotope | 10 comments | Continued
Anita Van Sant: Rest In Peace
I was truly saddened to read of the passing of Anita Van Sant.
While the low-key obituary was typically self-effacing, Anita was one of the best political campaign managers I’ve ever met. She and her husband, former State Representative John F. Van Sant, were the perfect political team. As the candidate, John knew that his job [...]
Another Dispatch From The GOP Brain Trust
Fox News has figured out how to sell the GOP jobs plan. Cut wages!
Now, with its Republican-inspired “Where are the jobs?” campaign in full swing, Fox has gone “on the job hunt” with a “new” idea for increasing employment: cutting the minimum wage. Jumping off from an op-ed by Washington Post editorial board member [...]
Do You Need A Pick-Me-Up?
Do you need a pick-me-up? I know I do. I don’t like spending time arguing with people who have the same goals. Watch this video (edited) of a confrontation between John Thune and Al Franken. Franken to Thune – you’re not entitled to your own facts.
15Dec2009 | Unstable Isotope | 4 comments | Continued
2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
The full list here.
15Dec2009 | cassandra_m | 38 comments | Continued
Tuesday Open Thread
It’s Tuesday of the seemingly longest week of the year (the week before a 2 week vacation). Let’s open this open thread.
Please, if you get a chance, read this fascinating article by James Chartrand. James Chartrand writes about her struggles getting by as writer, until she adopted a man’s pseudonym.
I struggled to get [...]
Bulo Remembers 2009-Best of the Web
At least according to the surfers at URLesque.
For example, I had never heard of Ben Huh and The Cheezburger Network before. But after reading the profile, I think the Urlie Lifetime Achievement Award is well-earned.
And, who can argue with the winner in the Best Single-Topic Blog: Awkward Family Photos?
Oh, and I’m especially partial to The [...]
This Is Gonna Hurt…
I’ve been wanting to use this classic post (I Hate Your Politics) for years, but never really had the opportunity. Well… I do now. And what I’m writing here isn’t directed at any individual politician – it’s directed at us. I’m highlighting the section on liberals, but you should really read the whole thing, because [...]
15Dec2009 | pandora | 196 comments | Continued
Busted!
Eugene Robinson digs up this gem:
Sarah Palin is such a cold-eyed skeptic about the Copenhagen summit on climate change that it’s no surprise she would call on President Obama not to attend. After all, Obama might join other leaders in acknowledging that warming is a “global challenge.” He might entertain “opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas [...]
Americans Want More Jobs Spending and They Want Rich People to Pay for It
Americans want their government to create jobs through spending on public works, investments in alternative energy or skills training for the jobless.
They also want the deficit to come down. And most are ready to hand the bill to the wealthy.
15Dec2009 | cassandra_m | 1 comment | Continued
Does Mike Castle Oppose The FDIC Too?
Last week the U.S. House passed an ambitious financial overhaul package. The vote count was 223-202, with some Blue Dogs voting with all Republicans (including Mike Castle) against the bill. Mike Castle released this statement about his vote:
“Since the financial crisis began, I have worked with my Republican and Democrat colleagues in the [...]
Public Option And Medicare Buy-In Dropped
Reports are just coming in that there’s a new “deal” on health care reform. President Lieberman wants only to give U.S. taxpayer money to big insurance companies but doesn’t care anything about lowering costs. Do you know the origin of the Medicare buy-in? Joe Lieberman. Joe Lieberman proposed a Medicare [...]
14Dec2009 | Unstable Isotope | 127 comments | Continued
Food Bank Donations Down
We are having our War on Christmas party on this Friday at CW Harborside at 7PM. We will be collecting donations for the Food Bank of Delaware to help them out. I just saw a tweet from the Food Bank. They are currently down over 12 tons from last year at the same time. I [...]
14Dec2009 | liberalgeek | 2 comments | Continued
Monday Open Thread
It’s Monday so let’s get started on our open thread. How’s your holiday shopping going? Despite my doubts about the new fitness shoe craze, I bought some. I’ve been wearing them and they’re pretty comfortable but my thighs are killing me. Is this a sign they’re working?
I find this interesting, especially [...]
Jacob Hacker Endorses Medicare Buy-in
Even though apparently Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson are now bad-mouthing a deal they helped to make, Jacob Hacker was in the news last week endorsing the Medicare Buy-In. Hacker being pretty much the Godfather of the Public Option. The complete interview on this (including others) is here on the PBS website, but this piece from Hacker is important:
14Dec2009 | cassandra_m | 3 comments | Continued
The Blame Obama Brigade
This weekend seemed to be filled with lots of discussion all over the internet re: Matt Taibbi’s piece giving President Obama’s economic team a not undeserved beat down. I like Taibbi’s writing a lot and the fact that he doesn’t do conventional “objective” reporting doesn’t bother me (but the repetition of bad data does bother me, like the so-called “cost” of all of the bailouts being 23.7 trillion), but I still find it hugely remarkable that there are plenty of people on the left who are very comfortable blaming Obama for not being liberal or progressive enough – as if that is all it would take to get major legislation through Congress.
14Dec2009 | cassandra_m | 116 comments | Continued
The GOP Abandons Rhode Island
Rhode Island is gearing up for a governor’s race in 2010. And this is one election result I can predict with certainty, the Republicans will not win this race . . . you can take that to the bank. Political Wire reports that the sole GOP candidate for governor has dropped out of the race. [...]
14Dec2009 | nemski | 2 comments | ContinuedSocial Media
