There's apparently a deal afoot on the Wall Street bailout. Details are still a little fuzzy, but after reading this article several times I still see no mention of limiting executive pay. That was to have been the holy grail of this deal - keeping the very miscreants who created this mess from benefiting financially. And the Democrats seem to have sold us out on that.
UPDATE: 7:05 PM PST:
Details are still sketchy, but it appears that Congress included some limits on executive bonuses. Let's hope it's true...but I'm skeptical until I see the details.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
That OTHER Corrupt Alaska Politician
Nevermind Caribou Barbie...Ted Stevens is much more entertaining these days. Kickback Ted's corruption trial started yesterday. He's got an uphill battle to fight these charges:
Stevens' home remodeling job was unusual on many fronts. Workers from VECO Corp., an Alaskan oil pipeline company that does not do residential construction, managed the project. Employees were pulled off other jobs and worked 60-hour weeks on the house.
Now Ted's not charged with corruption per-se...he's charged with knowingly failing to report these renovations on disclosure forms. He claims he knew nothing about the renovations...maybe he has 10 houses like John McCain?
I've said this before...when corruption is an integral part of your and your party's ideology, you don't have much room to argue ignorance.
Stevens' home remodeling job was unusual on many fronts. Workers from VECO Corp., an Alaskan oil pipeline company that does not do residential construction, managed the project. Employees were pulled off other jobs and worked 60-hour weeks on the house.
Now Ted's not charged with corruption per-se...he's charged with knowingly failing to report these renovations on disclosure forms. He claims he knew nothing about the renovations...maybe he has 10 houses like John McCain?
I've said this before...when corruption is an integral part of your and your party's ideology, you don't have much room to argue ignorance.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Best of Craigslist
Some hillarious Best of Craiglist:
Autographed copy of the Bible - $1,000,000,000 OBO
Girlfriend Potential Test
Autographed copy of the Bible - $1,000,000,000 OBO
Girlfriend Potential Test
Troopergate Begins...
Several of Sarah Palin's top aides defied subpoeanas to testify today at a legislative hearing into her firing of a state Public Safety Commissioner who refused to fire Palin's former brother-in-law:
Palin fired Walt Monegan, the public safety commissioner, in July. He claims he was fired for refusing to fire a state trooper who had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister.
He claims he was pressured by Palin, her husband and members of her staff to fire the trooper.
Ah, but this is the excuse-heavy God-Obsessed-Party we're dealing with, so they have a ready-made answer:
Palin denies the charge, and says he was dismissed over budget disagreements.
Palin claims that the Commissioner travelled to Washington DC without authorization. Just one problem with that, Sarah...it's a lie.
When will people stop believing these prevaricators?
Palin fired Walt Monegan, the public safety commissioner, in July. He claims he was fired for refusing to fire a state trooper who had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin's sister.
He claims he was pressured by Palin, her husband and members of her staff to fire the trooper.
Ah, but this is the excuse-heavy God-Obsessed-Party we're dealing with, so they have a ready-made answer:
Palin denies the charge, and says he was dismissed over budget disagreements.
Palin claims that the Commissioner travelled to Washington DC without authorization. Just one problem with that, Sarah...it's a lie.
When will people stop believing these prevaricators?
If There's Grass on the Field...
This had me almost speechless:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/26/AR2008092600417.html
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Evangelist and convicted tax evader Tony Alamo says the age of consent is puberty and there's a mandate in the Bible for girls marrying young.
...
And so once again, the one-time rock promoter and street preacher that former President Clinton likened to "Roy Orbison on speed" will return to federal court.
Roy Orbison on speed...classic.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/26/AR2008092600417.html
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Evangelist and convicted tax evader Tony Alamo says the age of consent is puberty and there's a mandate in the Bible for girls marrying young.
...
And so once again, the one-time rock promoter and street preacher that former President Clinton likened to "Roy Orbison on speed" will return to federal court.
Roy Orbison on speed...classic.
Not Bad for 3 Weeks of Work
Alan H. Fishman's world just changed drastically. He's the CEO of Washington Mutual, but not for long. The feds just brokered a deal for the failed commercial bank, selling its banking assets to JP Morgan for a song. This came as a surprise to Fishman, who was on his private jet flying from New York to Seattle at the time...and what a nice surprise it is...for Fishman:
Mr. Fishman, who has been on the job for less than three weeks, is eligible for $11.6 million in cash severance and will get to keep his $7.5 million signing bonus, according to an analysis by James F. Reda and Associates. WaMu was not immediately available for comment.
$19 million for three weeks of work? Not a bad gig, if you can get it. Where do I sign up? Oh yeah, that's right: you can't become a CEO unless you know the right people. Why is it that the rich can fail miserably and still make money, while the rest of us suffer even when we succeed? Could it be that the rich believe in Socialism for themselves? We know Henry Paulson does. He was the CEO of Goldman Sachs before becoming Treasury Secretary. And to pursue this noble career in public service, Paulson had to sell over half a billion dollars in Goldman stock. And according to some, he got to avoid paying capital gains on that sale:
One of the things they say is that, in leaving Goldman for government service, Paulson made the greatest trade of his life. Not only was he required to sell his half-billion dollars in Goldman stock near the high, but also, as Treasury Secretary, he was exempt from capital-gains taxes. By getting out of Goldman while the getting was good, the guy may have doubled his net worth.
WTF? I repeat: WTF? Paulson helps build Goldman's portfolio of bad loans built on a highly unregulated and speculative market, gets out while the getting is good, and avoids paying any capital gains taxes? WTF? I'm trying to verify that this is true...if so, it's an even greater outrage from the worst administration in American history.
Mr. Fishman, who has been on the job for less than three weeks, is eligible for $11.6 million in cash severance and will get to keep his $7.5 million signing bonus, according to an analysis by James F. Reda and Associates. WaMu was not immediately available for comment.
$19 million for three weeks of work? Not a bad gig, if you can get it. Where do I sign up? Oh yeah, that's right: you can't become a CEO unless you know the right people. Why is it that the rich can fail miserably and still make money, while the rest of us suffer even when we succeed? Could it be that the rich believe in Socialism for themselves? We know Henry Paulson does. He was the CEO of Goldman Sachs before becoming Treasury Secretary. And to pursue this noble career in public service, Paulson had to sell over half a billion dollars in Goldman stock. And according to some, he got to avoid paying capital gains on that sale:
One of the things they say is that, in leaving Goldman for government service, Paulson made the greatest trade of his life. Not only was he required to sell his half-billion dollars in Goldman stock near the high, but also, as Treasury Secretary, he was exempt from capital-gains taxes. By getting out of Goldman while the getting was good, the guy may have doubled his net worth.
WTF? I repeat: WTF? Paulson helps build Goldman's portfolio of bad loans built on a highly unregulated and speculative market, gets out while the getting is good, and avoids paying any capital gains taxes? WTF? I'm trying to verify that this is true...if so, it's an even greater outrage from the worst administration in American history.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Play That Fiddle, Nero
Scroll to 2:40 in the video to hear George W Bush's acute analysis of this economy...
Interlinks...
After almost 8 years, you'd think I'd be used to the ineptitude of George W Bush. But these days, I almost pity him...the same way you take pity on the retarted kid just trying to keep up without special ed. George is just lost...he's in a job he can't do, he's been a marionette of Cheney and the corporate interests for too long, and the puppetry strings have become tangled just as the stage and set go up in flames. We never should have let that idiot kid play with a lighter.
Rome is burning, George. I hope you took a few music lessons.
Interlinks...
After almost 8 years, you'd think I'd be used to the ineptitude of George W Bush. But these days, I almost pity him...the same way you take pity on the retarted kid just trying to keep up without special ed. George is just lost...he's in a job he can't do, he's been a marionette of Cheney and the corporate interests for too long, and the puppetry strings have become tangled just as the stage and set go up in flames. We never should have let that idiot kid play with a lighter.
Rome is burning, George. I hope you took a few music lessons.
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