Something Missing

clipped from volokh.com From the evening of Nov. 10 until yesterday, Blagojevich, Obama, and his transition team acted in ways that are consistent with a knowledge of Blagojevich’s bribery attempt and a rejection of that attempt. What doesn't fit easily with the timeline is Obama's statement yesterday. It should be noted that it is not a crime to fail to report a bribery attempt. The federal misprision of felony statute would seem to make it a federal crime to fail to report a federal felony But case law has conclusively determined that mere non-reporting is not enough. Active concealment or the acceptance of a benefit for concealing is required. Yet, looking at this timeline of Blagogate, it seems quite possible that someone in the Obama Camp is either lying or at least not revealing what they know. Something important is missing from this story. Let's hope that, whatever it is, the absent fact or explanation will allow the narrative to fit Obama's denial more naturally.

Touch Your Nose

clipped from www.weeklystandard.com Roll Call scoops everyone with an interesting piece that suggests how Governor Blagojevich may have sounded out Barack Obama about his vacant Senate seat, as well as giving a candidate for identifying 'Adviser B': Blagojevich has relied heavily on political advice from inside-the-Beltway strategists since taking over the statehouse. In particular, political consultant William Knapp of Washington-based Squier Knapp Dunn Communications has worked closely with the Illinois governor. Knapp’s partner, Anita Dunn, was a top adviser to Obama during the presidential campaign. Knapp, who is a member of the governor’s small inner circle of advisers, helped develop the strategy that catapulted Blagojevich to become the first Democrat in 26 years elected Illinois governor. In doing so, Knapp became Blagojevich’s highest-paid Washington consultant. Did Blagojevich use Bill Knapp to reach out to the Obama campaign -- via Knapp's partner Anita Dunn

George Who?

clipped from atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com I don’t see anyone making this point in the ‘Seatgate’ (Senate Seat for sale). Advisor B obviously has the authority to represent Obama, and has the knowledge and ‘where with all’ to know how Obama operates and what Obama would ‘approve’ of. For Advisor B to be presenting and representing the idea of a 501( c) (4) non profit and for him to have all of the knowledge on how they operate, Advisor B incriminates himself and Obama that ‘this has already been done before’. I would assume a whole lot of 501 ( c) (4)’s that are tied to Obama and Michelle, and other Democrat Politicians are getting sanitized right now.  It is also interesting to point out who the MASTER of 501 ( c) (4)’s is, none other that George Soros, although many of the Arabs and muslim organizations have been getting pretty good at them to. Advisor B may have revealed ‘the cards’ that Obama and Michelle are already holding in promised 501 ( c) (4)’s, the next step would be to find out ‘who’ set them up.

The Real OFitzmas

clipped from minx.cc 27  One scenario that I can imagine is Fitzgerald (or his people) warning the Obama camp that they were getting close to the quicksand in the swamp after hearing the 2-hour horse-trading marathon through the wire tap. I have no doubt that this is exactly what happened. The media doesn't need to cover for BHO. Fitz has already seen fit to do so.

Let's Make A Deal

clipped from ace.mu.nu And Obama's denials are very circumscribed: n a news conference in Chicago to introduce his choice as secretary of health and human services in the new administration, Obama reiterated that he has never spoken to Blagojevich about the appointment of a replacement to serve out the remainder of Obama's Senate term, and he said he has not been contacted by any federal investigators regarding the case. Obama said he has asked his team to "gather all the facts about any staff contacts" that might have taken place between his office and Blagojevich or his advisers. But he said he was "absolutely certain" that his office was not involved in "any deal-making" with Blagojevich on the Senate seat. Obviously, "I" didn't talk about this to Blago allows for the possibility that, say, Rahm Emmanuel did, and a denial about "any deal-making" doesn't mean deals weren't discussed. Just not made. Thanks to CJ.

I Think I Know Now What It Will Take To Kick Off The Oministration

clipped from gatewaypundit.blogspot.com Ruh-Roh... It was already reported that Rahm Emanuel was keeping quiet since the Blagojevich Scandal broke. a Comeback. Thursday, December 11, 2008 Ruh-Roh...Rahm Emanuel Continues to Duck Questions On Hot Rod Ruh-Roh... It was already reported that Rahm Emanuel was keeping quiet since the Blagojevich Scandal broke. But, this morning and later this afternoon Rahm Emanuel continued to duck questions about the scandal. ** The Smoking Gun, that bastion of conservative thought, already reported that Emanuel was linked to the case: "Rahm Emanuel, the incoming White House chief of staff, is referred to in the affidavit as "President-elect Advisor."

He will have to issue his pardons at the start of his term rather than the end. And his pardons may need to be issued from the federal pen.

But the Dems will wonder why anyone would consider it problematic...

The Shut Down

clipped from www.qando.net As we head toward government health care, I continue to keep a wary eye on the systems presently funcitoning in other countries - like the UK's NHS. You pick up little nuggets like this: The NHS already restricts access to expensive new drugs that could benefit older age groups — such as sufferers of Alzheimer's and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness — amid fears that the costs could cripple the health service. Why is that important, besides the obvious fact that government is restricting treatment due to cost to 'it'? The fact that the reason these "expensive new drugs" are available is because there is a system out there in which there is the incentive to develop them. Yes, it is that "horribly expensive" American system, where drug companies are known as Big Pharma and considered to be evil by a certain class. But what happens if that particular engine of innovation is essentially shut down?

Sarkozy Speaks Sagely

clipped from www.qando.net "I have said this to my friend Kofi [Annan]: I find it impossible to shake hands with somebody who has dared to say that Israel must be wiped off the map. "I know perfectly well that we must resolve what is perhaps the most serious international crisis we are having to resolve: that of Iran moving towards a nuclear bomb. "We cannot resolve it without talking to Iranian leaders, but, after what was the Shoah, after what was the 20th century, I cannot sit at the same table as a man who dares to say: Israel must be wiped off the map." How indeed. But the world continues to crowd their table and they continue to show their arrogance, defiance and disdain. Perhaps if more world leaders expressed their thoughts about cabal's such as those that constitute Iran's leadership, it would do more to delegitimize them both at home and abroad.

Arrived And Then Some

clipped from www.powerlineblog.com Spitzer and Edwards will walk away from their respective scandals the multi-millionaire celebrities they were when they walked in, with a fawning (for liberals) press telling us that (a) everybody does it, or (b) to err is human, or (c) we can't be so judgmental, or (d) [fill in the blank]. It's that we (or at least they) learned from The Big One ten years ago. Bill Clinton disgraced his office, lied, and encouraged or (possibly) arranged for others to lie. He also granted at least one pardon after the pardonee's former (but still friendly) wife forked over a few hundred thousand in "contributions." And what happened? Clinton's popularity went up, his spouse became a serious candidate for President, he's touted by the press as an elder statesman, his guy at DoJ who checked off on the pardon is about to become Attorney General, and of course Clinton himself lives a life of luxury and adulation. The world of perverse incentives that the Left labored so long to create has arrived.

Corruption? Yes, We Can!

clipped from hotair.com How serious has this scandal tarnished the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest public-sector unions in the nation?  Badly enough to gain the notice of the New York Times.  Steven Greenhouse does a good job providing the background to the union connections in this scandal, and shows why the SEIU made sense as a deal-cutting go-between for Rod Blagojevich and Barack Obama: The federal criminal complaint filed against Mr. Blagojevich said his chief of staff, John Harris, had suggested to a service employees’ official that the union should help make the governor the head of Change to Win, the federation of seven unions that broke away from the A.F.L.-C.I.O. The complaint said Mr. Blagojevich was seeking a position that paid $250,000 to $300,000 a year. In exchange, the complaint strongly suggested, the service employees union and Change to Win would help persuade Mr. Blagojevich to name Valerie Jarrett, President-elect Barack Obama’s first choice,

See comment #3 for the title.

The Hawk Strikes Again

clipped from iowahawk.typepad.com CHICAGO - The ongoing corruption probe into Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich took a dramatic turn this evening, as federal agents working for US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced that they had seized the governor's eBay account. It is as yet unknown how the latest seizure will effect the outcome of the case. IOWAHAWK EXCLUSIVE! RUSH UPDATE! Leaked documents from latest sealed federal indictment (click to embiggen)

Parallel Universes

clipped from www.qando.net While the President-elect trots out his New New Deal, which smacks more of Soviet style planning than free market recovery, Communist China is taking an alternate course: CHINA may soon cut business tax as part of its efforts to prop up the slowing economy amid the global financial crisis, state media reported on Tuesday. As for the great public works that Obama plans, even his new budget chief knows it isn't going to do what Obama thinks it will do. When Peter Orszag ran the Congressional Budget Office, he had this to say about Obama-like programs: "Practically speaking, however, public works involve long start-up lags. Large-scale construction projects of any type require years of planning and preparation. Even those that are "on the shelf" generally cannot be undertaken quickly enough to provide timely stimulus to the economy.

I Was Wrong -- He Does Have Leadership Experience After All...

...of the Chicago Mafia.

clipped from gatewaypundit.blogspot.com Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, taking an oath next to Barack Obama pre-2008, allegedly said, "I want to make money" off the power to pick Obama's Senate successor. (NY Post) Rahm Emanuel said that he and Obama were top advisors to Blagojevich during his run for governor. The Roaring Republican reported: Ryan Lizza reported in the New Yorker that Obama received “his first high-level experience in a statewide campaign” while advising Blagojevich during his campaign for governor. Additionally Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s current Chief-of-Staff also was a top strategist for that campaign. From the report: He and Obama “participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor,” Emanuel said. “We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two.” A spokesman for Blagojevich confirmed Emanuel’s account... But, now Rahm Emanuel is singing a different tune and trying to distance himself from Hot Rod

Just Asking

clipped from dyn.politico.com The stinging criminal complaint against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris raises lots of questions for President-elect Barack Obama – questions he’ll have a chance to answer Thursday when he does his first news conference since Blagojevich was charged. Here are seven worth asking: 1 – “Did you communicate directly or indirectly with Blagojevich about picking your replacement in the U.S. Senate?” Obama issued a categorical statement Tuesday that he personally hadn’t spoken with Blagojevich about the seat — but seemed to correct himself in a way that suggested others around Obama might have. 2 – “Why didn’t you or someone on your team correct your close adviser David Axelrod when he said you had spoken to Blagojevich about picking your replacement?” 4 – “Did you or anyone close to you contact the FBI or U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald about Blagojevich’s alleged efforts to sell your Senate seat to the highest bidder?”

Blago Bussed

clipped from ace.mu.nu Obama's getting pretty good at denying any contact whatsoever with people known to be close associates.

Move along, nothing to see here...

The Sunnis Object

clipped from gatewaypundit.blogspot.com Charles Krauthammer celebrated this historical pact today at the Washington Post: The barbarism in Mumbai and the economic crisis at home have largely overshadowed an otherwise singular event: the ratification of military and strategic cooperation agreements between Iraq and the United States. They must not pass unnoted. They were certainly noted by Iran, which fought fiercely to undermine the agreements. For the United States, this represents the single most important geopolitical advance in the region since Henry Kissinger turned Egypt from a Soviet client into an American ally. The only significant opposition bloc was the Sadrists, a mere 30 seats out of 275. The ostensibly pro-Iranian religious Shiite parties resisted Tehran's pressure and championed the agreement. As did the Kurds. The Sunnis put up the greatest fight. But their concern was that America would be withdrawing too soon, leaving them subject to overbearing and perhaps even vengeful Shiite dominance.

To what Obambi will almost certainly do next.

NerObama

clipped from hotair.com Now, with the federal government deep in debt, unwilling to address an entitlement disaster, and throwing hundreds of billions of dollars at private enterprises in a vain attempt to rescue them from their own bad management and labor practices, Obama wants to create a new WPA to renew American infrastructure not because it’s needed as much as Obama needs to ensure his re-election. None of this comes as a great shock, though.  While Obama has given some indications that he doesn’t intend a massive shift to the Left on defense and foreign policy, his economic plans have always favored statism, class warfare, and a striking ignorance of history and reality.  Recreating the WPA and proposing even more massive spending programs in the face of our precarious financial condition and debt load finds its equivalent only perhaps in the apocryphal fiddling of Nero while Rome burned.

You Guys Should Be Ashamed

clipped from www.powerlineblog.com

Really?

OZero OAccountability

clipped from gatewaypundit.blogspot.com Yid With Lid reported that Susan Rice is one those responsible for letting Osama Bin Laden get away in the 1990's. Susan Rice in Sudan. Rice bungled a deal with Sudan to capture terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden. (Sudan Net) On Monday, Barack Obama is expected to announce that he has chosen the same Susan Rice as his UN Ambassador and that the position will be elevated to a Cabinet Level job. Here's more on the country's next UN Ambassador: She deserves a hefty portion of blame for the fact that Osama bin Laden wasn't neutralized during the 1990s. "The FBI, in 1996 and 1997, had their efforts to look at terrorism data and deal with the bin Laden issue overruled every single time by the State Department, by Susan Rice and her cronies, who were hell-bent on destroying the Sudan," one-time Clinton diplomatic troubleshooter Mansoor Ijaz told radio host Sean Hannity in 2002.

Submission In Mumbai

clipped from www.powerlineblog.com Corroborating the doctors' claims about torture was the information that the Intelligence Bureau had about the terror plan. "During his interrogation, Ajmal Kamal said they were specifically asked to target the foreigners, especially the Israelis," an IB source said. Phillips comments: The atrocities demonstrated with crystal clarity what the Islamist war is all about - and the western commentariat didn't understand because it simply refuses to acknowledge, even now, what that war actually is. It does not arise from particular grievances. It is not rooted in "despair" over Palestine. It is not a reaction to the war in Iraq. It is a war waged in the name of Islam against America, Britain, Hindus, Jews and all who refuse to submit to Islamic conquest.

All You Need To Know Right There

clipped from www.qando.net Austan Goolsbee is slated to become Barack Obama's chief of staff at the Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Mr. Goolsbee is a respected economist, but in this particular situation, may not be the best choice, considering his views on the lending practices that got us into this mess. Thus, Goolsbee was delighted that political and regulatory tools were being used to get those uncredit worthy into new homes. The private sector was not thinking far enough ahead, and that's what the government needed to get them to do, Goolsbee said. OK. Well, we did that. How'd that work out for us? And by "us", I mean, all of us who aren't Austan Goolsbee. for him, it appears to have worked out fine. His reward for advocating the policies that led us into this mess appears to be increased power and responsibility. That's all you need to know about how government works right there.

The Shock Never Ends

clipped from volokh.com Obama Chief of Staff Hopes to Exploit the Economic Crisis to Expand the Growth of Government: In earlier posts (e.g. - here and here) I have emphasized the risk that the combination of economic crisis and unified Democratic control of Congress and the White House would lead to a vast expansion of government. It looks like key Obama advisers and congressional Democrats are thinking along the same lines. As Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel puts it, the crisis is "an opportunity to do things you could not do before . . . You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." The WSJ article from which the quote comes makes clear that the "things" Emanuel has in mind are government policies that "pick winners" by subsidizing particular industries on a massive scale - as Congress is already doing with the finance industry, auto industry and others (HT: David Boaz). an enormous transfer of resources from taxpayers and wealth-producing industries to interest groups with political leverage.

Winners

clipped from pajamasmedia.com The bottom line is it may take a generation to determine what sort of failure or success there was in Iraq. Not even. The war was a massive net gain for the U.S. 1. We now have the first Arab democracy and the first Arab free press, which show the rest of the region what’s possible if you’re willing to fight and change your hidebound way of doing things. 2. The Shi’ites now govern a country, which gives hope to the oppressed Shi’ites all over the region and therefore alleviates simmering sectarian tensions. 3. Al Qaeda is totally discredited. 4. We’ve created a de facto Sunni Arab alliance against Iran. 5. The U.S. is much more involved and influential now than it was under Clinton. 6. The U.S. and its military have utterly destroyed our image in the middle east as paper tigers that can’t take casualties. 7. The U.S. military is now the most combat-hardened force on the planet, able to fight both conventional wars and asymmetrical wars. This experience will sustain us for decades.

RTWT.

And of course since most people aren't capable of abstract thought they also don't stop to consider what the likely outcomes were if we continued to let the Oil For Food scandal destroy the sanctions regime against Iraq. There were such sunny options as another Iran-Iraq war or a WMD armed Iran-Iraq alliance against Israel among others...

A Most Unhappy Man

clipped from hotair.com I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men. - Woodrow Wilson (shortly after signing the Federal Reserve Act into law)

All OTangled Up In Clinton

clipped from pajamasmedia.com Late in Clinton’s tenure, the White House put forth a document celebrating “Historic Economic Growth” during the administration and pointing to the policy accomplishments it deemed responsible for this growth. Among the achievements on Clinton’s list were “Modernizing for the New Economy through Technology and Consensus Deregulation.” That’s right, a Clinton White House document credited part of the administration’s success to that now dreaded d-word, deregulation. Everything in those passages is true. All that’s missing is credit to the GOP-controlled Congress elected in 1994 for passing most of the policies that led to the prosperity. But the Clinton administration, whatever its personal and policy flaws, should indeed be praised for signing and advocating this deregulation. These bipartisan financial policies, however, were the very same policies that Obama, running mate Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and other Democrats attacked during the campaign.

I Don't Think So

clipped from pajamasmedia.com I am convinced that someone possessing a hard science degree from Harvard or our other elite academic institution is worthy of respect. They are often the very best in the entire world. But this is not necessarily true of those who acquired a softer credential from the very same universities! These latter individuals are usually idiots. Those who are truly gifted will be the exception to the rule. This is why I ridicule the naive people who made a big deal about Barack Obama’s Harvard Law degree. Let’s not forget that it is the graduates from our so-called best universities, like Frank and Rains, who are mostly responsible for our current economic crisis. They are not only politically correct—but also lacking in wisdom and plain old common sense. By all rights, anyone who obtained a liberal arts degree form a Ivy League school should perhaps be deeply ashamed. We may even have the moral right to question their integrity. Am I exaggerating? I don’t think so.

They Were Wrong

clipped from hnn.us Subprime mortgages are a problem but they are not the cause of the collapse. The collapse was caused by an OPEC generated precipitous rise in oil prices. Subprime mortgage buyers could no longer pay their mortgages because too much of their pay check had to go to pay for gasoline. Yes, I know, gas prices have since declined but not before Humpty Dumpty, the American consumer, was broken. All subprime loans did was to encourage poor people to join the national spending spree. Indeed, when Oil rich nations decided to squeeze the American consumer by not only raising oil prices but also by ending or lowering their investment in the American financial markets, they assumed that there were enough new consumers in Asia to replace the American ones. In other word, they assumed that the collapse of the US economy would not lead to the collapse of the global economy, most especially, the Asian one. They were wrong.

Two Legs Good?

clipped from corner.nationalreview.com Given all that, are we now suddenly—in 1984-fashion—around late January either to be told all that was not quite so, or will we simply hear no more about how these Bush legacies have ruined America—or what exactly is the party line to be? There is still such a thing, after all, as Google. The point is that somewhere around early to mid-2007 ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, Newsweek, Time, etc. chose to become—in the manner that they selected, emphasized, and presented their news stories—a quasi-official Obama media, or at least a quasi-official what-they-thought-Obama-was news media. Chris Matthews' asinine statement about his investment in the success of the Obama administration was merely a crude summation of the creed of the more sober and judicious. I don't really think they can now pull off an Animal-Farm-like 'two-legs were bad', 'now two-legs good' complete turn-about just because they've taken over the manor.

Oh The Horrors!

clipped from hotair.com According to the New York Slimes it’s ok for obama, to support throwing a newborn human survivor of a botched abortion into a dark storeroom to die of dehydration and exposure BUT - kill and dress a turkey.??.. OH THE HORRORS.. The NYT is nothing but a bunch of hysterical wusses. Maybe they ought to ask obama about what happened when his buddy Odinga lost the election.. You know, the machete murders, the buring of a bunch of refugees in a church??? Oh, wait a dang minute.. I forgot, he is their chosen messiah and not Gov. Palin plus those were just political opponents of his friend, not TURKEYS.. Gee am I stupid or what??

Der Fuehrer Heute

clipped from pajamasmedia.com Obama should surely now release the full details of his contractual relationship with the Bertelsmann Corporation. After all, if one is to judge by his recent tax returns, even as president, he will be paid far more by Bertelsmann than by the American taxpayers. It might be considered irrelevant today that Bertelsmann massively collaborated with the Nazi regime during World War II. The Obama team and the Mohns would undoubtedly say that it is scandalous to suggest that the Mohns were using their millions to influence the American presidency or that Obama could possibly be corrupted. But as a reputed former professor of constitutional law, Obama will surely recall the famous words of James Madison in the Federalist Papers: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” The president-elect’s most fervent followers may well be convinced that he is divine. But his financial relationship to Bertelsmann proves, after all, that he is only human.

Those who cannot learn from history...

What. A. Surprise.

clipped from armsandthelaw.com An interesting piece on changes to police tactics. The traditional response was bring up the SWAT team, plan it out carefully, then go in. As the matter was better understood, this switched to whoever gets there first goes in immediately -- seconds passing means people dying. To my mind, this is a powerful argument for allowing teachers to be armed. The article ends: "The other statistic that emerged from a study of active killers is that they almost exclusively seek out "gun free" zones for their attacks. In most states, concealed handguns are prohibited at schools and on college campuses even for those with permits. Many malls and workplaces also place signs at their entrances prohibiting firearms on the premises. Now tacticians believe the signs themselves may be an invitation to the active killers. As soon as they're confronted by any armed resistance, the shooters typically turn the gun on themselves."

The Microcosm

clipped from www.powerlineblog.com Bob Cunningham explains how Detroit's Big Three fit in: The real story is the frightening extent to which Detroit is just the New Deal U.S. in microcosm...the Big 3 became essentially private versions of the middle class welfare state...social agencies for providing non-market validated income, health and retirement benefits, with a sideline of making cars....and now the model is unsustainable. In part it is because of the burden of the retired UAW workforce, which now vastly outnumbers the actual working members. As of 2007, the UAW represented 180,681 members at Chrysler, Ford and General Motors; it also represented 419,621 retired members and 120,723 surviving spouses. This is not dissimilar to Social Security and Medicare for the U.S. economy as a whole. Both of these entitlement programs are unfunded liabilities of the U.S. government, politically, if not legally, and, on a current basis, consume almost 50% of the $3 trillion federal budget.

Today's Cloward-Piven Update

clipped from pajamasmedia.com We can debate whether the policies of Frank, Dodd, Pelosi, Reid et al. accelerated, enhanced, exacerbated or caused the certainty of failures (Shumer’s actions related to Indymac and beyond as Exhibit A). However, it cannot be seriously debated that it is in the interests of those who thrive on devouring the bloated carcass of an expanding bureaucracy…alternately fatting the beast and gluttonizing upon it…and that “nationalizing” banking and finance, manufacturing, energy, travel, print and airwaves communications, savings, health care, insurance, …would pretty much “tear down the system” of capitalism. Voila! On Ayers, on Dohrn, on Alinsky, Klonsky, Chomsky and Comet. Rudolph the Red knows reign, dear. Whereupon, we come to Humpty Dumpty’s wall of bureaucratic red tape would put all the king’s horses and all the king’s men into a level of power heretofore not seen since we left the shores across the pond in the 1700’s. We know how that ends each time history has witnessed it…

O's Not The Source

clipped from www.qando.net Sweetness and Light has an interesting post up. Among many of the highlighted sentences are these: A moratorium on foreclosures and evictions. Reset mortgages so payments are affordable. No bail outs for banks. Extend unemployment compensation, increase payments and eligibility. Increase food stamps, WIC, children's health insurance, and low income energy assistance. [...] Enact massive public works job creation to make existing buildings energy efficient, construct new schools, hospitals, affordable housing, mass transit and bridges. Priority to areas hurt by loss of manufacturing, loss of family farms and highest unemployment areas including the Katrina-devastated Gulf Coast. Ratify Kyoto Treaty and other climate change agreements. Enforce nuclear non-proliferation, work to abolish nuclear weapons. Cut Pentagon spending in half, close down US bases around the world. The incoming Obama Administration's wish list? Well, yes, but that's not the source.

Etc, etc...

The source would be CPUSA of course...

Shocking I know.

OChange You Can't Believe In

clipped from www.bloomberg.com Nov. 11 (Bloomberg) -- It's hard to believe Barack Obama would even think of calling this change. Take a good look at some of the 17 people our nation's president-elect chose last week for his Transition Economic Advisory Board. And then try saying with a straight face that these are the leaders who should be advising him on how to navigate through the worst financial crisis in modern history. First, there's former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. Not only was he chairman of Citigroup Inc.'s executive committee when the bank pushed bogus analyst research, helped Enron Corp. cook its books, and got caught baking its own. He was a director from 2000 to 2006 at Ford Motor Co., which also committed accounting fouls and now is begging Uncle Sam for Citigroup- style bailout cash. Mulcahy and Parsons also once were directors at Fannie Mae when that company was breaking accounting rules. So was another member of Obama's new economic board, former Commerce Secretary William Daley.