Sunday, February 8, 2009

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Tim Giago: Throwing Tom Daschle Under the Bus Top
By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji) © 2009 Native American Journalists Foundation, Inc. February 9, 2009 Tom Daschle? Now what does one write about a friend of nearly 30 years when that friend has become the brunt of the late night talk shows and the object of scorn by the national newspaper columnists? America has a bad habit of devouring its heroes. I believe it is different in the Native American towns, villages and reservations because we have seen so many of our heroes torn apart and vilified over the years. I am not just talking about those heroes condemned in history books for fighting to defend their homelands from the invaders, but I am talking about some of our friends we grew up with that fell to the ravages of alcohol and drugs and had the ability to rise above these faults and become better men and women because of it. I needn't reiterate all of the miscalculations that placed Tom Daschle in hot water, but most of it had to do with the failure to pay certain taxes, a relapse he considered to be an "oversight." But that is hard to explain to the common man that is now fighting day-by-day for his very survival. Most Americans have been faced with tax problems and some have even had confrontations with the Internal Revenue Service over "forgetfulness," but nearly all have experienced the immediate swoop of the IRS axe and were left to wonder what hit them. Liens on their possessions or businesses and confiscation of funds in bank accounts have been the aftermath of tax omissions or mistakes by the common man and heaven protect those who think they are above such retributions by the tax man. At least that is how many Americans saw the predicament faced by Daschle. The truth of it is that Daschle brought a lot of what happened to him on himself. Writing in the local daily on Sunday columnist Kevin Wooster likens compares Daschle to a man who forgot what it was to buy a $4 sports coat at a discount store. Wooster wrote, "Still mixed in among the details of Daschle's tax-related fall from a sure Obama Cabinet seat are the opulent signs of change. He is less one of us, now, and more one of them." The implication here is that Daschle forgot who he is and where he came from and lost the touch of the common man and joined the elite. Another columnist wrote that Daschle wanted to leave a financial legacy to his children and that is why he made $5.2 million in just two short years. Somewhere in between lays the truth. Let me make one irrevocable truth here and now. I believe to my very core that Tom Daschle is an honest man. Daschle has tried for more than 30 years to make South Dakota a better place to live for the thousands of Indians residing here. He has often had to face the ire of the white population, his major constituents, for stands he has taken in behalf of his Native constituents, and when pressed, he has sometimes taken the side of the white voters against certain Native American factions and issues in order to survive politically. The case of the Sioux Nation and the Black Hills Claims Settlement is a case in point. Daschle has said that when the U. S. Supreme Court offered monetary settlement in this case that it was considered settled. Not so to the Sioux, but Daschle believed that he had to compromise at times in order to keep the office that allowed him help the Indian people. I have written for more than 30 years that the lack of adequate healthcare for Native Americans is one of the most terrible of chapters in the history of how America has treated its indigenous population. From the onset of the early diseases to which Indians had no immunity to the present day epidemic of diabetes, heart disease and cancer, American Indians are dying at a much younger rate that all Americans. Therefore it was imperative that a man with the experience and sensitivity to these health issues on Indian reservations be appointed to the head of Health and Human Services. Daschle was that man and the people that will suffer the most because of the errors that brought him down will be the Native Americans. Daschle is still a young man and he will rise above this setback. I would admonish those who find it enjoyable to kick a man when he is down. There is an old Western song that goes, "Pick me up on your way down," so let's not forget that an elevator goes both ways. I consider Tom Daschle a true friend and I, for one, will never throw him under the bus for mistakes he has made. I have too many Lakota friends who picked themselves up and started all over again. I believe that from the ashes will rise a better Tom Daschle. (Tim Giago, an Oglala Lakota, was born, raised and educated on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He was the founder and publisher of Indian Country Today, the Lakota Times, and the Lakota Journal. He can be reached at najournalist@msn.com)
 
Thomas Ricks: War In Iraq Is Not Over (VIDEO) Top
Thomas Ricks, author of the the book "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq," which deals with the planning and execution of the Iraq War, appeared on Meet the Press to discuss his new book, "The Gamble," and the current state of Iraq. Ricks, a war correspondent for the Washington Post thinks that predictions that we have won the war in Iraq are too soon by far, and that we have a long way yet to go with the outcome still uncertain: "A lot of people back here incorrectly think the war is over. What I say in this book is that we may be only halfway through this thing." Watch David Gregory interview Ricks below. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy< .center> More on War Wire
 
Dem Group Heaps Praise On GOP Senators For Stimulus Compromise Top
A Democratic interest group that has been targeted Republican Senators opposed to the stimulus plan has now invested in a new set of ads, honing in on three centrist, GOP lawmakers, looking to bolster support for the plan. "It's critical that the Senate pass President Obama's jobs and economic recovery bill right away," the ad from Americans United for Change argues. The group represents a large coalition of liberal interest and organized labor groups.
 
Plouffe Gives Speech For Oil-Rich Azerbaijan Despot Top
Barack Obama took office just a few weeks ago and already David Plouffe, his campaign manager, appears to be doing quite well for himself. He's already signed a lucrative book deal, which seems fair enough, but now he's flying off to oil-rich Azerbaijan at the invitation of a pro-democracy front group that works closely with the ruling despot. According to Radio Free Europe, Plouffe will be giving a speech and also be meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, who inherited power from his father, a former KGB chieftain who took over the country when the Soviet Union collapsed.
 
Summers: At Least $50 Billion In Treasury Plan For Housing Relief (VIDEO) Top
Larry Summers, President Obama's chief economic advisers, told George Stephanopoulos on ABC this morning that at least $50 billion in the Treasury's revamped bailout package will go towards cushioning the deteriorating housing market. Tim Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, was supposed to make a speech on his bailout plan Monday, but that has been postponed until Tuesday. Read more Politico here . Watch Summers on ABC below. More on Larry Summers
 
McCain On Stimulus: Democrats Just Like GOP Top
WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. John McCain says that Democratic lawmakers putting together an economic stimulus plan are no more open to input from the opposing party than the GOP was during the Bush administration. The Arizona Republican says that he thought there was going to be a change in the tone of partisanship in Washington when the Obama administration took over, but he adds that he's not seeing it. McCain says he favors an economic stimulus bill about half the size of the $820 billion package the Democrats favor. McCain says that Democrats are building up a national debt that is going to hamper the economy in the future and require the next generation to pay it down. Last year's GOP presidential nominee appeared Sunday on the CBS program "Face the Nation." More on John McCain
 
Richard Holbrooke: Afghanistan Will Be "Much Tougher Than Iraq" Top
MUNICH, Feb. 8 -- President Obama's national security team gave a dire assessment Sunday of the war in Afghanistan, with one member calling it a challenge "much tougher than Iraq" and others hinting that it could take years to turn around. U.S. officials said more troops were urgently needed, both from the United States and its NATO allies, to counter the increasing strength of the Taliban and other warlords opposed to the central government in Kabul. But they also said new approaches were needed to untangle an inefficient and conflicting array of civilian-aid programs that have wasted billions of dollars. More on Foreign Policy
 
Armando Astorga, US Diplomat, Expelled From Ecuador Top
Ecuador's left-wing president has ordered the expulsion of a senior US diplomat, accusing him of suspending aid to Ecuador's anti-drugs programme. During his weekly TV address, Rafael Correa said US customs attache Armando Astorga was "insolent and foolish" and had treated Ecuador like a colony.
 
Schumer: Stimulus Bill Will Be Passed Next Week Top
WASHINGTON — A top Democratic senator predicts that an economic stimulus bill will pass Congress by the end of the coming week because the stakes are too high to let it fail. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York says there are only minor differences in the House and Senate versions of the economic stimulus package and that Democrats in the House and Senate and the three Republican senators supporting the effort all understand the need for a bill. He says the value of the bill after a compromise is reached would remain around $820 billion. Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby says he remains opposed to the stimulus measure. Shelby says the economy's biggest need is to straighten out the banking system, and until that's done, the economy is going to continue to struggle. The lawmakers appeared Sunday on CNN's show "State of the Union."
 
Mohammad Khatami, Former Iranian President, Will Run In June Vote Top
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's former reformist president declared Sunday that he will run for president again in the country's upcoming elections, posing a serious challenge to hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There had been speculation for months that Mohammed Khatami would seek the presidency in the June 12 vote. The 65-year-old popular reformist is a powerful counterpoint to Ahmadinejad, whose mixture of Western defiance and fiery nationalism sharply contrasts Khatami's tempered tones and appeals for global dialogue. "I seriously announce my candidacy in the next (presidential) election," he announced Sunday during a meeting with his supporters. Khatami said it was impossible for someone like himself who was interested in the fate of Iran to remain silent. He said he decided to run because he was "attached to the country's greatness and the people's right to have control over their own fate." Khatami's landslide presidential victory in 1997 defeated hard-liners who ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He is credited with relaxing some of Iran's rigid restrictions on cultural and social activities, but he left office in 2005 widely discredited among his political base after hard-line clerics stifled the bulk of his reform program. He had been considered a long shot to return to politics after turning his attention to religious and cultural exchanges in recent years. But his candidacy could boost Iran's dispirited reformists, who have not had a political heir emerge since he left office. Hard-liners have vowed they will never again allow reformists to take control of the government and have used the Guardian Council, an election watchdog that vets candidates, and other institutions they control to block reformists from gaining power. It is unclear if the Council will block Khatami's candidacy. The June vote is critical for Ahmadinejad, who was elected in 2005 promising to bring oil revenues to every Iranian family, tackle unemployment and improve living standards, but has increasingly been criticized for his failure to do so. Under Ahmadinejad, Iran has suffered international isolation, skyrocketing prices and disputes over Iran's nuclear program, which the West fears masks a nuclear weapons pursuit. Iran denies the charge. Khatami's decision to run against Ahmadinejad, 52, could significantly shake up Iran's politics, appealing to citizens disillusioned by the country's failing economy and Ahmadinejad's foreign policy. So far, the only other candidate who has announced he is running in the June vote is moderate Iranian cleric Mehdi Karrubi, 71, who is considered a long shot in the race.
 
Summers Slams Mitch McConnell For 'History Lecture' Top
One of the top economic advisers to President Barack Obama is warning that the U.S. economy is in the worst shape that most economists have ever experienced, and says aggressive action must be taken to turn it around. The director of the White House National Economic Council, Lawrence Summers, says that a "large, forthright" approach is needed. Summers says more federal money needs to be funneled to state and local governments to ward off a downward spiral that he warns could be catastrophic. Failure to do that, Summers says, could lead to a vicious cycle of layoffs, falling home values, lower property tax revenues and then even more layoffs. Shown a clip of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell questioning the New Deal, Summers replied , "The people who presided over the last eight years" don't "seem to be in a strong position to lecture on history." Summers spoke Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program. More on Larry Summers
 
Steele Confuses Stephanopoulos: Claims Government Jobs "Aren't Jobs," Private Sector Jobs Never Go Away Top
There is certainly a political debate to be waged over whether or not government spending can effectively create jobs. But in his interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Michael Steele seemed to suggest, as he did back in January , that government jobs are not, in fact, really jobs. Rather, Steele said, government jobs are "just work." (Is work not a job?) The newly-minted RNC Chairman added that when it comes to the private sector, job loss is never permanent. "They come back though George," said Steele. "That's the point. They've gone away before and they come back." Stephanopolous did his best to sift through the logic, pointing out that millions of private sector jobs have been lost in just this past year. Earlier in the interview, Steele acknowledged that the government can create "work" in the short-term. But the notion that this type of spending could spur economic growth -- whether in advancing environmentally friendly industries or through the filter down of more infrastructure -- was dismissed out of hand by Steele. "These road projects we're talking about have an end point," he said. "As a small business owner, I'm looking to grow my business, expand my business. I want to reach further. I want to be international. I want to be national. It's a whole different perspective on how you create a job, versus how you create work... "I guess I don't really understand the distinction," said Stephanopolous. "Well, the distinction is this," replied Steele. "If you got a government contract that's a fixed period of time it goes away. The work may go away. There's no guarantee that there's going to be more work when you're done with that job." The whole thing is worth a watch if only to get a better sense of where the nexus of the anti-stimulus argument lies. It is as much a critique of any federal spending as it is critique of "wasteful" spending. Transcript: STEELE: You've got to look at what's going to create sustainable jobs. What this administration is talking about is making work. It is creating work. STEPHANOPOULOS: But that's a job. STEELE: No, it's not a job. A job is something that -- that a business owner creates. It's going to be long term. What he's creating... STEPHANOPOULOS: So a job doesn't count if it's a government job? (CROSSTALK) STEELE: Hold on. No, let me -- let me -- let me finish. That is a contract. It ends at a certain point, George. You know that. These road projects that we're talking about have an end point. As a small-business owner, I'm looking to grow my business, expand my business. I want to reach further. I want to be international. I want to be national. It's a whole different perspective on how you create a job versus how you create work. And I'm -- either way, the bottom line is... STEPHANOPOULOS: I guess I don't really understand that distinction. STEELE: Well, the difference -- the distinction is this. If a government -- if you've got a government contract that is a fixed period of time, it goes away. The work may go away. That's -- there's no guarantee that that -- that there's going to be more work when you're done in that job. STEPHANOPOULOS: Yes, but we've seen millions and millions of jobs going away in the private sector just in the last year. STEELE: But they come -- yes, they -- and they come back, though, George. That's the point. When they go -- they've gone away before, and they come back.
 
Steele: Money For Sister A "Legitimate Transaction" (VIDEO) Top
In an interview with ABC News, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele attacked yesterday's Washington Post article calling his campaign spending into question. The Post reported Steele's 2006 Senate campaign finance chairman told federal prosecutors that Steele arranged for his campaign to pay a defunct company run by his sister for services that were never rendered. "It's not true," Steele told George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" Sunday. "Those allegations were leveled by a convicted felon who was trying to get a reduced sentence on his conviction," Steele said. "The reality of it is that the US attorney, as well as the judge, looked at what he presented and it did not apply. He said there was no credibility to it." Watch:
 
Dowd: Obama Gave "Kiss Of Life" To "Flat-Lining Republican Tax Cut Fetishists" Top
Once upon a time, America thought Prince Charming would glide in and kiss her, reviving her from a coma induced by a poison apple of greed, deceit, carelessness, recklessness and overreaching. But then the prince got distracted, seeing Lincoln in the mirror, and instead gave the kiss of life to a bunch of flat-lining Republican tax-cut fetishists. More on Barack Obama
 
Iraqi Shoe Thrower Gets Trial Date Top
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at ex-President George W. Bush faces trial next week for allegedly assaulting a foreign leader after an appellate court refused to reduce the charge, a judicial official said Sunday. Muntadhar al-Zeidi, 30, who won folk hero status throughout the Arab world for his protest, has been in custody since the Dec. 14 outburst at Bush's joint news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He had been due to stand trial in December but his defense team won a delay as it sought to reduce the charges to simply insulting Bush. However, court spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar said an appellate court rejected the request and ordered the journalist to face trial on Feb. 19 on the original charge. He did not say when the appeals court issued its decision. Bayrkdar refused to speculate what sentence al-Zeidi might receive if convicted, saying it would be up to the court. The defense has said the assault charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The bizarre act of defiance transformed an obscure reporter from a minor TV station into a national hero to many Iraqis fed up with the nearly six-year U.S. presence here. The case also drew worldwide attention and became a rallying cry throughout the Muslim world for critics who resent the U.S. invasion and occupation. Thousands demonstrated for al-Zeidi's release and hailed his gesture, which came in the waning days of the Bush administration. The incident also embarrassed al-Maliki, who was standing next to Bush at the time. Neither leader was injured, but Bush was forced to duck for cover as the journalist shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq." Al-Zeidi's lawyer, Dhia al-Saadi, said the defense would urge the court to consider his act as "a nationalistic expression" which was not intended to harm Bush physically but express opposition to "the occupation." "This type of expression is well-known in America and Europe, where people throw eggs or rotten tomatoes at their leaders to express their rejection of their policies," al-Saadi told Associated Press Television News. "When al-Zeidi threw his shoes at Bush, it was this kind of political expression. Therefore, there should be no criminal charges," he said. Al-Zeidi was a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia, a satellite television station based in Cairo, Egypt. Station director Abdul-Hamid al-Saeh said he was disappointed that the charge was not reduced. "We stress again that Muntadhar's case puts before the government a challenge that any democratic state must deal when it comes to an expression of opinion," he told The Associated Press by telephone. Al-Zeidi's brother, Dhargham, said the family has not yet been informed of the trial date. He also repeated complaints that relatives and lawyers have been denied access to al-Zeidi, saying authorities turned down the family's request to meet with him last Thursday. "This court works according to orders from the Cabinet," the brother said. "He has been deprived of his simplest rights." Al-Zeidi's family claims he was beaten and tortured in detention. The investigating judge who reviewed the case said al-Zeidi had been struck about the face and eyes, apparently by Iraqi security agents who wrestled him to the floor after he hurled his shoes, forcing Bush to duck for cover. One brother who visited al-Zeidi last month said he appeared in good shape and his injuries wounds had healed. Dhargham al-Zeidi said his brother's guards threw him a birthday party last month complete with a cake. __ Associated Press Writers Sinan Salaheddin and Hadeel al-Shalchi contributed to this report.
 
Republican Cabinet Secretary LaHood Can't Get Support For Stimulus (VIDEO) Top
President Obama has been using his Republican Transportation Secretary, former congressman Ray LaHood, to help build GOP support. But LaHood says it hasn't been working out , at least when it comes to the stimulus. Watch: More on President Obama
 
Why Kissing Is So Pleasurable: New Research Top
The reason that kissing feels so pleasurable is that sparks a surge of hormones in our brains, according to new research. Couples who share a passionate kiss this Valentine's Day will enjoy sensations of relaxation and excitement because of a complex series of chemical processes, as well as their love for their partners.
 
TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads Top
Good morning everyone and welcome to your Sunday Morning Liveblog and I am Jason. Look at me, here ! All right, now stop that. I hope you are ready for a stimulating conversation, by which I mean a conversation about stimulating. By which I mean the stimulus package. And whether it stimulates the economy. You know, some people think the economy is best stimulated through tax cuts. Others think that we should pay out on spending projects that get things built and people employed. That's why I'm glad that Senators Susan Collins and Ben Nelson have taken over, because those two know what the country needs right now - hyper-timid incrementalist bullshit. Oh, say! Can you see by the dawn's early light all of the hyper-timid incrementalist bullshit being tossed at the walls of the Senate? It's delicious, really. Now, the package probably won't work, but it will at least be safe, and filibuster-proof. I mean, in the event that we even have a filibuster! Seems like lately, you just say the word "filibuster" and suddenly to can compel Harry Reid to start spinning straw into hyper-timid incrementalist-- Well, you get what I mean. But remember! Straight from the White House and President Obama, this bill is supposed to have a bipartisan stamp of approval! That bipartisanship is so important! Seriously. If you don't believe me, take out your wallet, and start enthusiastically shouting, "Bipartisanship is here!" to your money. See what happens? Seriously, can you tell me if you see anything happening? My money doesn't do anything when I tell it about the bipartisanship and I am really, really, really hoping it's broken. So, leave a comment, send an email , and enjoy hearing about how failure sausage gets made. FOX NEWS SUNDAY Oh, joy. Lawrence Summers is on televsion this morning, so maybe Paul Volcker can have a little White House face time while he's chatting up Wallace. How big a re-write is to be expected, once the stimulus package, or "Stimpy" goes to conference committee? Well, Summers wants you to know that the priority is jobs and that there will be some scrubbing and the nipping and tucking but everyone needs to transcend politics, which is like water trascending wetness. Summers thinks that there's too much at stake to miss the February 16 deadlines that Obama has sought. Wallace goes down some of the cuts that have been made. The $40 billion to the states that have been cut is a huge loss to Stimpy. Just re-route that money to the states of the Senators that don't vote against it. Seriously, why should Haley Barbour and Sarah Palin have money forced on them? Enjoy you FEMA trailers and wolf-pelts, Governors! Summers is all a-politicking here. I'm wondering if there's going to be any actual economic theory here. Wallace hits him with the timely-targeted-temporary tag, and wonders if Stimpy is living up to those principles. Summers notes that hiring on an infrastructure project begins right away. Wallace says that social spending initiatives aren't targeted, but Summers counters by saying that a family that receives assistance in sending their kid to college helps stimulate the economy in myriad ways (it also tucks someone who'd otherwise be looking for a job in a bad job market into a four year college program). Wallace asks if Obama's trying to permanently expand the size of government. Isn't that something the last administration did? Summers says we're "inheriting the worst financial situation since the Depression." Which, as you recall, was solved through bipartisanship. Summers addresses the too many chefs criticism by saying that Obama has "final edit" on economic decisions. As for the fact that Summers has been labelled as sort of a dick, Summers says he's just trying to help Obama with his awesome opinions, and a "high-degree of intensity" is needed. This is where I notice that Summers is answering these questions just like a guy who knows he's a hothead would, with slow, pointed preambles that allow him to mentally count to ten. He praises Paul Volcker, though, so maybe he got his nuts trod on during the week. Now, it's time for Representative Chris Van Hollen, who I still have a hard time thinking of as some sort of major player, and Senator John Cornyn, for which I have a boundless contempt for that I shall not even try to hide. This guy is a fool and a horse's ass and you should all take dizzy pleasure in the way Hillary Clinton emasculated him in the Capitol . Cornyn ran and found someone from the National Republican Senatorial Committee with flowy enough skirts to hide behind and issue a denial, but look, anytime that Glenn Thrush and Megan Carpentier say something happened, print it, grab it, put it in the bank, and don't look back. Anyway, onto the blather. Why can't Cornyn support a bill that his party have added so much crap to? Cornyn mumbles, "Guh, this is a political document! I'm going to pretend that the 2% of the total package, which is all we're objecting to, is worth having a snit-fit over." Cornyn says, though that it will pass, and then he spits out some Amity Shlaes talking points about how the New Deal didn't work. Van Hollen, counters with a raft of cliches and platitudes and warnings and admonishments that all come straight from whatever talking point flashcard he was handed. He moves off of those to talk about things he wants back in the final package: classroom building and such. But no one's going to draw lines in the sand. Does the House need to meet the Senate halfway? Van Hollen issues about a page of words that add up to...uhhh, something on the maybe to not at all spectrum. On to TARP II. Is Cornyn more supportive to the new approach to dispensing the TARP monies? Cornyn was down on the lack of transparency and the strategy that ruled the disbursal of the first half, but he doesn't seem to be that excited about TARP II. Cornyn wants to "fix housing," in some inspecific way. Van Hollen says that the second half of the TARP will be disbursed with much more transparency, more accountability, and with a greater target to housing. But that's Geithner's baby, and it's being delivered this week. Cornyn is presented with a raft of polling information: Obama is loved, Congress is not, Congressional Republicans are especially disliked. Cornyn plots the way his party is weaving around the numbers: basically saluting Obama for his effort, talking him up as a fair player, and dumping all over Pelosi and Reid. There's a brief discussion of the census, and how both parties are really eager to get down to some old-fashioned gerrymandering, without looking like their interested in doing that. Cornyn's the more worried, because his party's out of power. Ordinarily he'd be carving up his home state of Texas for MAXIMUM SHRILLNESS. Hume and Kristol are off today, leaving Fred Barnes and Charles Krauthammer to fill in. So, a bunch of people in the Obama administration have had tax problems! Barnes says that the problems don't seem to be dragging Obama down, but that the Democrats in general may be hurt by it. Barnes yammers on about what a MONSTER Daschle is: "He makes money! He rides around in a limo!" Yes, you know Barnes has to walk to and from work in the cold with nothing but a baked potato to eat and/or warm him. But, okay, Tom Daschle is a sickening fellow, who loves lobbyists and using the entire supply of American car services. Liasson says that Obama has "boxed himself in" in expecting a Cabinet to not have terrible eithical failings, since the country is pretty much run by ghouls who crave baby tears and shiny Sacajewea dollars. Krauthammer basically thinks that Obama maybe should have not tried to be such a "transcendant figure." Juan Williams reads from his notes. Does Obama get good will for saying "I screwed up?" Barnes notes that guys like Cornyn aren't slagging Obama. I'm not sure the two relate, but okay. Is there a danger that Obama could get over-exposed, stumping for Stimpy? Liasson thinks no: he gooses Stimpy's popularity the same way he sells magazines. By God, we really are going to totally shift to a Barack Obama Hummel Figurine-based economy, aren't we? Aren't we? How will the bill get sorted out? Krauthammer says that the conference committee will act in terms of politics and not economics, and that Susan Collins will have to be "okay with it," because she's suddenly a chowder-eating economic genius instead of someone who has to run like a meemy to one party or the other when the tide turns against her. Barnes is totally leading the panel by the nose, suggesting that passing Stimpy would be "easy" if there were some tax cuts in it! Again, I'll point out, the Republicans aren't objecting to the bill on substance, and they have received a lot of tax cuts and compromise. The ingredients for the "ease" Barnes talks about are there, and Barnes knows it, he's just being a good little waterboy. The drag is ALL POLITICAL, and it's all wrapped up in the excuse that 2% of the total package is objectionable. If you stripped that 2% out, though, opponents would just find another 2% worth of objection. This happens because the Democrats refuse to acknowledge or use the leverage that majority status conveys. Now, the $64,000 Question: Will the package work? Liasson says that Stimpy will work if it's stimulative. "in the end," she says, "we'll never know if it did work." Yeah! Woo! Nuts to monetary policy! No one knows anything about anything! Krauthammer says that the "honest answer is nobody knows," but when Williams interrupts him (a bold move for Juan) to suggest that infrastructure spending will work, Krauthammer says, that every dollar spent on that will have been taken away from another use, so the net effect could be zero. Uhm, I think every dollar taken away from frivolousness and spent on, say, high-denisty rail corridors will have the net effect of creating connected economic hubs, like we have out here in Acela country. Anyway, Matt Yglesias foresaw this exact talking point coming up : Conservatives like the conclusion that having the federal government engage in deficit spending can't improve economic performance, irrespective of the circumstances. But the same reasoning would also support the conclusion that a tax cut stimulus can't work, which is less congenial. And it gets worse. The same logic also leads to the conclusion that monetary policy can't boost the economy. Sure, you could lower interest rates thus encouraging firms to take advantage of cheap money to engaging in some debt-financed investment but since those companies don't "have a vault of money to distribute in the economy" they won't be creating new aggregate economic activity, they're "just transferring it from one group of people to another." Indeed, [this] view makes it a little difficult to understand how economic growth can happen at all--as a result of public policy or as a result of private initiative. His model does allow for vault-based growth, in which Scrooge McDuck decides he doesn't need so many gold coins lying around and invests the funds in something useful. The real-world economy, however, clearly doesn't depend on vault-based growth as its primary mechanism. Riedl has set out to come up with an argument against stimulus spending that sounds like common sense, but the principle he's invoking (roughly, the idea that "the money has to come from somewhere") leads to sweeping and clearly incorrect conclusions far beyond the narrow point at issue. The problem is that for [this] to be true, we would not only need the velocity of money to be a constant...rather than a variable, but we'd also have to assume that we're operating in circumstances of full employment. Needless to say, however, we're not in that situation. THE CHRIS MATTHEW SHOW
 

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