It appears, from the latest poll, the Rev. Wright did, indeed, hurt the Obama campaign. Interesting, while the numbers moved, a lot of people polled still don’t thing the Wright events are a big deal.
From Fox News Poll: Clinton 44, Obama 41. Change from March poll: [...]
Categories: 2008 Election · Clinton · Obama
And, it’s no wonder why. Hillary Clinton took part in a most inappropriate, staged, photo op today. Not that most campaign events are NOT similar, this one really seems ill-advised.
Clinton Takes a Lesson in How to Pay at the Pump
Amy Chozick reports from South Bend, Ind., on the presidential race. “To drive home just how much she understands the impact of rising gas prices, Sen. Hillary Clinton joined a steel worker in South Bend today on his morning commute. The only snag: She hasn’t actually pumped gas—or driven—in years. Hillary Clinton pumps gas with Jason [...]
Categories: 2008 Election · Clinton
Really. How could anybody justify the way KBR has been operating? How can they continue to land government contracts? If you can believe these former employees, there’s no way that you CAN justify it.
Former Employee Says KBR Promoted Camp Manager After She Was Caught Stealing
On Monday, two former employees of embattled contracting firm KBR testified that they saw coworkers regularly steal from Iraq while working there. One employee, Linda Warren, said “that some of her American colleagues doing construction work in Iraqi palaces and municipal buildings took woodcarvings, tapestries and crystal ‘and even melted down gold to make spurs [...]
Categories: Bush Administration · Iraq War
Ch-ch-ch-changes. Another head rolls from the Bush Administration.
One of Bush’s most notorious hacks exits stage right
The General Services Administration generally isn’t one of those departments that captures the public’s attention. The GSA is, by design, a behind-the-scenes agency — it helps other parts of the government function by managing federal contracts. In recent years, however, the GSA has found itself under the spotlight, after the White House tried to exploit the [...]
Categories: Bush Administration
Take a sad gander at the latest crude oil pricing predictions. Scary stuff, my friends. So very scary.
Oil heading to $125, possibly $150 per barrel
The important point that jumps out in this video exchange is that the fundamentals are there to support a steady increase in the price of oil. The world has not yet hit a price high enough to have enough of an impact on pressuring consumption. CNBC flashes a chart showing per capita oil consumption and the US numbers are [...]
Categories: Economy
Don’t you feel safer tonight?
U.S. Prepares ‘New Options’ To Attack Iran, Deploys Second Carrier To Persian Gulf
The Bush administration deployed a second aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf on Tuesday to serve as a “reminder” to Iran, in the words of Defense Secretary Robert Gates. When asked whether the Pentagon was preparing military strikes, Gates said, “No.” But, CBS News reported last night that the Pentagon is developing new “options” for attacking [...]
Categories: Iran · National Security
If you fly very much, this is certainly not going to make you feel very good tonight.
Why Airlines Might Abandon Your City
Nightmare Scenario #1: You’ve got your briefcase in hand, boarding pass in pocket, and your carry-on rolling behind you. You head to the airport with confidence. Except — there are no planes there. Nightmare Scenario #2: [...]
Categories: Consumer
Good work, gentlemen. Good work, indeed.
Robert Kennedy, Greg Palast: The Final Investigation
One million Democrats attempting to vote in this year’s primaries found their names missing from voter rolls. WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GO? Law professor Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and journalist Greg Palast are launching an investigation. We want to know: where are these votes? Who swiped them? How? And [...]
Categories: Politics
Of course, somebody will point out that it’s probably still more human than it was back in the 1800’s. Still doesn’t make it right.
AP Exclusive: 2 beef processors cited for humane violations
A government inspection of slaughterhouses found significant problems with the treatment of cattle and two of the nation’s largest beef processors - both of which provide meat for the National School Lunch Program - were [...]
Categories: Uncategorized
Bill Press was talking about the President’s Tuesday news conference as I was driving to work this morning, noting that there were a lot of just flat-out false things that came out of his mouth. Chief, perhaps, among them was the concept that having access to the crude oil in the ANWR would have solved a lot of our problems. Well, that and new refineries that he hinted Congress had a roll in blocking. Isn’t that the responsibility of the oil companies? Shouldn’t they be putting some of those huge profits into new refineries? Congress, to the best of my knowledge, hasn’t blocked any new refineries.
Now, on to the problem with the ANWR argument.
Reuters has a nice rundown of why George Bush’s claim that gas prices are a result of Democrats’ refusal to allow oil drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is just so much horsepuckey: [...]
Quite the fascinating discussion on the issue of building refineries here:
Shell Oil president: To cut price, produce more gasoline in U.S.
Categories: Congress · Economy · George W. Bush
I don’t know whether to pound my fists on the table or cry.
I just get the feeling that people aren’t going to be too pleased to learn about this: Two oil giants, BP and Royal Dutch Shell, announced record profits yesterday totaling $17 billion in the first three months of the year. Exxon Mobil is expected to smash its own previous records for quarterly corporate profits tomorrow. Average gasoline prices, meanwhile, have surged to a new high of $3.60 per gallon. If you thought the war in Iraq would provide us with cheap gas, you were wrong. If you thought the war [...]
Categories: Economy
More government-speak. By “get control” they mean “cut benefits” don’t they? Either that, or make everybody pay more.
Medicare “drifting towards disaster”
REUTERS: “(U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt) said the next administration will have to act to stop rising costs and get control of the $400 billion federal health insurance plan for the elderly, which now covers 44 million people.” And boygeorge and his pals breathed a collective sigh of relief at the mention of the words “the next administration.” Maybe voting for [...]
Categories: Health Care
Travel restrictions? Give me a break!
Don Siegelman hit with travel restrictions…
Well America, it has come to this. If you don’t know who Don Siegelman is, I suggest you start HERE. Now for the news update: “WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman has been barred from traveling without getting [...]
Categories: Crime
Ah, the sweet smell of springtime! We’ve had several of the nicest days, weather-wise. Sunny, light breezes, around 70 degrees. Chamber of Commerce weather, I always call it!
Too bad everything around us isn’t so nice. The economy is bad. And, it appears, getting worse. Banks can’t even unload a lot of the foreclosed homes. We’re talking future shanty-towns, folks.
Banks increasingly stuck with their problems
This is a really interesting bit of information pulled out of the home foreclosure report that came out on Tuesday. Just another sign of how excessive the real estate market was and is even today. This suggests much more room to fall before prices even come close to [...]
Categories: Economy · Housing Market
I can usually manage with one suitcase and my laptop case when traveling and I can usually keep the suitcase small enough to carry on unless it’s a lengthy trip. So, the new rules won’t really impact me. Now as for others I know (taps wife on the shoulder and points to story) it’s a BIG deal.
American joins list of airlines charging for a second bag
American Airlines on Monday became the latest carrier to announce that it would require passengers to pack light, or pay up. The nation’s biggest airline said it must charge passengers $25 for checking a second bag to help offset rising fuel costs. The fee will apply to travelers who buy domestic economy-class tickets on or after May 12, American said. It will also affect passengers on [...]
Categories: Consumer · Economy
The President chatted with reporters today. I don’t think anybody expected any major news. And we didn’t get any. Other than just some Bush-Speak and another attempt at chastising Congress.
Blaming Congress For His Failures
With consumer confidence in him falling through the floor, Bush blamed Congress today for delaying help to consumers to deal with oil prices that have more than tripled during his time in office. With a straight face, he tells the gullible press corps that things would have been better if [...]
Categories: Congress · Economy
With the help of a defense contractor.
U.S. Military Contractor ‘Used Armored Cars To Transport Prostitutes’
Over at Muckraked, we get news that “a panel of whistleblowers” testifying before a Senate committee yesterday dropped a dime on their employer, military contractor DynCorp (among others). The most explosive part of the testimony involved a contract manager, a misappropriated armored car, and prostitutes: [...]
There’s more ugly stuff:
Former KBR employees say workers stole from Iraq, ‘melted down gold to make spurs.’
Yesterday, two former employees of embattled contract company KBR told a congressional panel that some of their coworkers frequently stole money and artwork from Iraq. One said that “some of her American colleagues doing construction work in Iraqi palaces and municipal buildings took woodcarvings, tapestries and crystal ‘and even melted down gold to make spurs [...]
So much for the American Dream…
Today’s Housing Bubble Post — Prices Down 12.7% Feb. Year Over Year
It’s just getting started and home prices dropped 12.7% in February from the previous year. Home prices fall record 12.7% in past year, Case-Shiller say,The decline in U.S. home prices quickened in [...]
Categories: Economy · Housing Market
Asking the obvious question: Is this any way to run an airline? For you youngsters, that question was used by National Airlines back in the 1960’s as an advertising slogan. The answer that followed: “You bet it is!” Where’s National now? Yup. Gone. Can American be far behind?
American Airlines Loses $3.3 Million Per Day
Just as the Boeing 737 started its initial approach into Washington’s Reagan National Airport, Gerard Arpey asked for my pen and pad. Arpey, the polished chief executive of American Airlines, was on his way from Dallas to brief FAA administrators about the maintenance issues that had recently grounded nearly half his fleet. But as the seatbelt sign went on, his mind turned to [...]
Categories: Economy
Great argument, but it sounds slightly out of whack. Seems to me Congress can investigation pretty darn much anything it wants, can’t it?
Earlier this month, British international lawyer Phillippe Sands revealed in his new book that Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff David Addington personally traveled to Guantanamo Bay in 2002, witnessed an interrogation, and sent approval back to Washington. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) has requested that Addington “testify about his involvement in the approval of [...]
Categories: Bush Administration · Torture
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