Photo Finish (Start?) for DonkeysThe game is to imagine a scenario that produces a win for a long shot like Edwards, who, in addition to running the campaign that is most progressive (and most appealing to me), has put all his eggs in the Iowa basket. The game goes like this: after months of creeping back up towards an Iowa lead that he relinquished early in the year, Edwards wins Iowa. The momentum bump gets him to second place in New Hampshire and competitive in South Carolina. By that point, whoever is in third place becomes a non-competitive long shot and it becomes a two-candidate race that Edwards has a chance to win. Realistically, I think there is very little chance that Edwards will do well enough to get a bump out of Iowa.
These are the fall poll numbers from Iowa: In September, it was Clinton (24-30), then Obama (21-28), then Edwards (19-23). At the end of December, it was Clinton (23-31), then Edwards (24-29), then Obama (22-30). Meanwhile, in New Hampshire it was Clinton (35-41), then Obama (16-23), then Edwards (10-16) in September. And near the end of December, it was Clinton (30-31), then Obama (27-32), and then Edwards (20-21).
What a world, what a world! Giuliani MeltsThrough the end of September, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee was polling between 4 and 12 percent in the Iowa polls. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was in the gold medal position, polling between 22 and 30 percent; former New York City mayor Giuliani was the silver, polling between 13 and 21, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson was the bronze, polling between 13 and 16, and Arizona Senator John McCain, a former front-runner, came in 4th, between 7 and 11.
In October, Huckabee’s numbers hit double digits and stayed there. By November he started polling in the 20s. By early December Huckabee had hit the 30s, and over the last week of the year, he polled between 23 and 36, battling for the lead with Romney–whose numbers remained steady throughout the fall and who was polling between 27 and 32 at year’s end. Whom has Huckabee’s climb hurt most? Giuliani, whose numbers dropped to between 4 and 8.
In New Hampshire, Romney polled between 23 and 30 in September, just ahead of Giuliani (20-23), McCain (12-20), and Thompson (7-19). Huckabee was not competitive. By mid-December, Romney’s numbers had strengthened a bit (28-34) and McCain (20-30) had overtaken 2nd place. Giuliani (9-16) slumped to third and Huckabee had risen to 4th (9-11). Thompson is not competitive.
Oh no you don't!Speaking of Iowa, the last time we checked in on what was happening outside the beltway, this blog reported that gay marriage had been made legal in Iowa. And it was. For about four hours on August 31st, after county judge Robert B. Hanson overturned a state law banning gay marriage. After four hours, the same county judge delayed further granting of licenses until the Iowa Supreme Court decided whether to consider an appeal.
Nuclear Holiday
In early September, we learned that on August 30th, six nuclear weapons were accidentally loaded onto the wing of a B-52 bomber and flown from North Dakota to Louisiana in a glaring display of how easily our nuclear safeguards can fall apart. The mistake went unnoticed for more than 36 hours.
In early September, we learned that on August 30th, six nuclear weapons were accidentally loaded onto the wing of a B-52 bomber and flown from North Dakota to Louisiana in a glaring display of how easily our nuclear safeguards can fall apart. The mistake went unnoticed for more than 36 hours.
Come and Listen to my story ‘bout a man named João
In November, Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobas announced the largest oil discovery worldwide since 2000.
Though the country is already a self-sufficient oil producer, the new Tupi field — located off the eastern coast of South America, beneath a crust of salt a mile thick in some places—could turn Brazil into a major exporter to rival Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.It’s Still Hugo’s Time
In early December, voters in Venezuela narrowly defeated a referendum on changing their constitution to abolish presidential term limits and vastly increase President Hugo Chavez's executive powers. Undaunted, President Hugo Chavez later decreed that Venezuela would permanently set clock back half an hour, creating a country-specific time zone.
29 comments:
Despite all their talk the democrats are just as burro cratic as the d.. republicans. I can't forget when Nancy told us that if we would elect a democratic congress they would get gasoling below the fifty cent mark. what a crock. maybe 110 pounds of it. the coyote
When did Nancy Pelosi say a Democratic Congress would get gasoline below fifty cents a gallon?
That was about the time she, Nancy and George declared war on the middle class. Today a new battle was launched when Ms Clinton proposed to borrow 70 billion and give it to the mortgage companies. What a brilliant plan. It's just paper money and we can pass the debt on to our children. Who cares? Heck it's simple economics. When the rich start crying and threatening, then a short term solution is to "Mortgage" the future with more debt. It's not like taking from the productive to give to the rich and poor. It's just passing expedient political decisions on to future generations to deal with. I can go along with that as long as my little comfortable, unproductive life will continue utill my "balloon payment" comes due. Ah,that Hillary, what else does she have up her sleeve, among the aces. Get out the votes for her. I will. I need ten more years of credit protection, ten more years to make irresponsile decisions, and ten more years of using the system. I want those remaining years for my crazy adventures, then my kids can pay for it.
the coyote
It sounds to me like you’ve been spending a little bit too much time on your Fox News recon missions, Gene.
I spent more time than I’d like to admit trolling through the internet in search of Nancy Pelosi’s promise to lower gas prices 50 cents a gallon.
Closest thing I came across was Pelosi’s 2005 plan to:
1) Give the Federal Trade Commission authority to prosecute oil companies engaged in price gouging and impose tough penalties on companies that are found to have ripped off consumers -- through triple damages (fines would be used to expand the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program or to provide relief to consumers paying record prices at the pump)
2)Require oil companies to disclose publicly how they determine their wholesale prices for gasoline and other motor fuels.
3)Apply antitrust laws to OPEC oil producers.
4)Investigate whether oil companies deliberately reduced refinery capacity to increase profits.
5)Stop tax breaks for oil and gas companies at times of high energy prices.
6)Fully Fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) must be fully funded for FY 2006.
Here’s the link: http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/Sept05/gasprice.html
I don’t doubt the Democratic Congress has failed to implement this and other good plans advocated by Pelosi, but since they don’t have a veto-proof majority, I don’t see how they can be entirely blamed.
I should say, though, that I don’t think lowering gas prices a good goal. I think the federal government should raise taxes on gas and invest the revenue in environment friendly transportation alternatives.
As for Clinton’s recently released economic stimulus plan, according to the New York Times, $30 billion would go to low-income families unable to make mortgage payments and in danger of losing their houses. $25 billion would help low-income families pay heating bills this winter and $10 billion would extend unemployment insurance for people unable to find jobs. Another $5 billion would go for alternative energy programs like home weatherization and low-emission automobiles.
Again, these sound like good ideas to me, but I’d rather pay for them up front through higher taxes.
It's always nice to talk with someone who is knowledgeable and cares. Also someone who may not agree with me. In response: Most peoples around here don't care about anything except their drugs, beer, TV and cars. I suspect it is different in Chicago. Fox News Recons. I spend maybe ten minutes a week at Fox News. That news chanel has become a Jerry Springer of news reporting. It is disgusting. They can't speak well, they editoralize too much, they are too political and as they say, they filter out a lot of news. In other words, they choose what is news. I search for good journalism and don't find it very often. PBS and Link have some good journalism. I also like the ch 351 book reports.
No, you didn't push a button like you wanted, well maybe a small button. Sorry you searched for Nancy's statement and couldn't find it. Perhaps I just heard it from some redneck. Probably got buried like a lot of other political nonsense. Steve, Nancy's 2005 plan is a political bunch of nonsense that would require the Federal government to legislate, impliment and control. That would never happen. 95 per cent of Federal laws are not enforced. I hire and work illegal workers to mow my yard. How do I know? I ask them, in Spanish. I don't file the fed forms, I don't pay the taxes. I don't care either. They wouldn't do a thing to me even if I reported myself. All politicans care about is short term stability and transfer of wealth. Well maybe not some from Chicago, or a few others who remain unknown. Perhaps thay know it is too late. There are no solutions, only band aids now and forever. the coyote
Clinton's economic stimulus plan? Loan companies gambled with a lot of poor peoples lives when they talked them into taking those creative mortgages. Does it make sense to bail out the banks and finance companies, mortgage the future and encourage irresponsible behavior? Some could say that Kensian economics brough us out of a depression. Maybe so. Who am I to cast the first stone? On my birth certificate it list my dads job a working for the Workers Progressive Authority. those jobs were made up, but not outright gifts to banks and finance companies. Perhaps the only deviding line between me and Nany is that she approves of helping the rich and that I approve of doing things that will help the poor, in the long run. The only thing about paying for it by raising taxes is that they will also borrow as much as they can and spend it to. Steve, I have observed politics and elections for sixty years. they were all the same. "The American people want change..." Remember what the mercurious republicans promised in 2000, to pay off the national debt? I didn't believe a word of it. Veto Proof? That is a cop out. They go through the motions knowing that they will fail. the coyote
As you know I have lived among the poorest of the poor in Mexico. I was curious why they did not take up arms and change things. To a person they all told me that approximately thirty per cent of Mexicans died in the Mexican Revolution and nothing changed. the coyote
I guess I have more sympathy for the low-income families who fell for some of those creative mortgage schemes.
Two years ago, Mari and I bought cell phones from a company (wirefly) that promised a $500 rebate if you could find your way through the red tape obstacle course they had constructed. I made it past all the obstacles but the last (I sent in my documentation a couple of weeks too late) and, so, did not get the rebate.
Though the representative I originally spoke to on the phone didn’t tell me about that last hurdle, the cell phone vendor was off the hook, because the last hurdle was described in the fine print of the contract they sent me. In a class-action suit brought before the federal courts in Washington D.C., wirefly was forced to reimburse consumers who had been stiffed like we were (I found out about it too late, alas).
It wasn’t that wirefly had done something illegal, but they did something that was deliberately misleading. Their whole system was designed to dupe the customer.
According to the L.A. Times, nearly 2 million Americans are in danger of losing their homes over the next two years. Here's the link: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-bush7dec07,1,37168,full.story
You claim that Pelosi’s 2005 plan helps the mortgage companies. But if those 2 million Americans who can’t make their payments lose their homes, who takes them over?
I’m with the consumer advocates referred to in the LA Times article who believe that “many homeowners facing foreclosure were misled by brokers, who earn higher fees on sub-prime loans designed for people with shaky credit -- the kind of loans that are most likely to go into default.”
Based on what you’ve said about politics and elections over the last sixty years, I’m guessing that you’re political instincts turn toward the libertarian. I, on the other hand, dig big government as long as it advances the causes I care about. I look to the extensive social welfare nets provided by the governments of Scandinavia (paid for by high taxes) as a model.
Closer to home, here’s a short list of political accomplishments of the American Congress over the last 50 years:
1.The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination in employment practices and public accommodations
2. The Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965, which abolished national-origin quotas that heavily favored whites of European descent.
3. The Social Security Act of 1965, which established the Medicare and Medicaid programs
4. The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Acts of 1966
5. The Fair Housing Act of 1968
6. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
7. The establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970
8. The establishment of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is in 1972
9. The Endangered Species Act of 1973
10. The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974
Whew, can't spend all day in response. My heater is out and supposed to be freezing in a day or two. While I fix the central heat, in the attic, I'll buy a space heater and run the central fan to mix the air. I could burn wood in the fireplace but according to reports it costs more than electricity for btus. Another pesky obstacle in my path of a useless life. As for all the other, and perhaps it all can be summed up by response to your last line about water. It's Ok if you live on a giant lake, but there are places where the demand for water is beginning to exceed the supply. One of my rich cousins in Cent Tx told me that they had exhaused the oil supply, ruined the water table in the process, and then set up a Special Utility District to make money for many years to come, drawing water out of the lake built by the Corps of engineers, water protected by the "Act" and selling it to the unwashed masses at a rediculous price. They have fertile ground for living their "Anal Complex" live. Nothing will ever be OK if politicians mortgange the future by promoting Marxian economics financed by Kynesian practices, that is those tax shortfalls caused by lower wages and made up with government borrowing to suppliment that sector of the economy, a sector that is some say will continue to fall behind. I admit to my part in all this mess. I admit that my life was wasted. If I could go back fifty years I dang sure do things differently. But, alas I cannot. I know you will forgive this poor ole liberterian and keep on working and paying taxes so I can receive my tax-exempt government checks, much of which goes to help really poor people in Mexico. Ruth called my one time and told me to "come home" that I had spent twelve thousand dollars in one month. I have found a place in the remote and isolated desert mountains of the Sierra Madres and when R gets better I plan to spend more time there. Thanks ole friend for the inf and links. I'll take a look at them when I can take my gloves off. the coyote
According to wikipedia, the goal of the Clean Water Act was to eliminate "releases to water of high amounts of toxic substances, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and [ensure] that surface waters would meet standards necessary for human sports and recreation by 1983."
Sounds good to me.
As for "Marxian" economics . . . I love 'em! Go Marx!
Sounds good to me to. Our local lake in Cen Tx has posted signs that it is not safe to drink the water. We need some of that early 80's Fed. law down there. I guess it is filtering down, uh, perhaps a "trickle." Yow, I can see good things about Marxian economics as well as I can see good things about Islam. I checked on repairs of my Cent Heating unit and no one would repair it. All wanted to replace it, so I put on my mask, climbed into the attic, took it all apart, cleaned it up, put it back together, fared it up, adjusted it, tweeked it and ta da, it works great. My stubborness and stinginess saved me 4 or 5 K. Welp got to go to cent tx and take care of rat killing there. I think it gets cold in Chicago, Indiana too, so keep the cent heat clean and maintained. stay warm and stay the course. the coyote
Ha just as I predicted. The GOP idiots headed by Pres Bush trumped Hillarys end run by announcing an economic stimulous package of 150 billion, money to be borrowed and passed on to my kids to pay. What a deal, get us into trouble then appear to bail us out, all the time underwriting the rich and with the approval and undying thanks of the wicked, evil, greedy and yes, the ones who claim to know what is good for us all. And the Democrats, what a bunch of losers. Who could be proud of that bunch of evil ones who are willing to tear each other apart while being pals with some of the worst elements of society at the same time. Nancy, she is as useless as Senator Kay Baily and is in all that hog wallowing in corruption mud up to her chin. This whole political mess is beginning to look more and more like the mess they create in third world countries where the people are relegagted to positions of nothingness, just pawns in a bloody pool of stinking crap. I hope I have sucked the system for as much as I can get before the whole steam kettle blows up. the slinking stinking coyote
Maybe if we had an executive branch that cared more about spending the necessary money to enforce the pro-environment laws that have already been enacted and cared less about lowering taxes, your local lake would be in better condition.
Pelosi is too much of a centrist for a lefty like me, but I care too much about the environment to put her in the same boat (a leaky oil tanker) with right-winger Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
According to wikipedia, as recently as 2006, Hutchison received more campaign contributions from large oil and gas corporations than any other member of Congress and her voting record on environmental issues has the smudges to prove it. In 2005, Hutchison voted against prohibiting oil leasing in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and has supported legislation promoting drilling in the refuge in 2002 and 2003. In 2005 she also voted against including oil and gas smokestacks in the Environmental Protection Agency's mercury regulations.
Here’s a comparison of the rating given to Pelosi and Hutchinson by the League of Conservation Voters (one of the leading pro-environment groups). A rating of zero is the lowest possible score.
106th Congress (1999-2000): Pelosi 93, Hutchinson 0.
107th Congress (2001-2002): Pelosi 95, Hutchinson 4.
108th Congress (2003-2004): Pelosi 94, Hutchinson 8.
109th Congress, 1st session (2005): Pelosi 94, Hutchinson 5
109th Congress, 2nd session (2006): Pelosi 100, Hutchinson 0.
One person I love and respect above most people once said that a fanatic has an answer for everything. My grandpa once said that never to argue with a woman because she is always right. When I see a situation of two persons who cannot agree on anything, I have to wonder what cubby hole each fits into. coyote
Well, I guess that makes you a fanatic and me a woman (or is it vice versa?). And if you want me to jump in a cubby hole, I'll call mine "Marxism."
Last Marxist I argued with I got so frustrated that I hit him with my purse. Ms coyote
The Marxist news said that people who were having trouble paying their loans so the were burning their houses. Hmm, if your house payments go up, burn it? Haa, that makes about as much sense as saying that if you see a person throwing trash out of the car, they are democrats. The other coyote calls so I'll have to put down my matches and run and go real fast and see what she wants so I can get on it real fast and not be in too much trouble. Wylie
You don't have to be a Marxist to attribute positive value to the ratings issued by the League of Conservation Voters.
I love your sense of humor. Wheres my purse? Someone said that when you have to worry about your purse then you are probably around a democrat. Ms Lenin, a great man said there are lies, dam lies, and statistics? I think he was a Yankee too. Who knows what the truth is with those words on paper? I agree that Nancy is far the better person, and politican than the "long hair" that clicks down the isles of congress in her four inch long heels. Hutch is probably the most worthless, useless a.. kissing b...., that ever worshiped the ground that the most worthless president we have ever had walks on. Have a good day, I have to mosey on down to cent tx and get sick on some of that water the democrats says has to be clean and have had thirty years to do it. They also have a sign at the lake that says swim at your own risk. Someone said that if you see anyone swimming in that nasty water it is probably a democrat. Sr. Coyote
Oh, a few minutes to let you in on a great deal. Want to buy a bridge? It is in Arizona and the person who will sell it is probably a democrat. May need a bridge around here pretty soon, to walk over the left over bs after the presdental election. Might as well get ready for it. They are already talking about turning our roads, built with borrowed govt money, into toll roads. And to top it all off they want to let Spain build the trans tx corredor. We don't need Spanish peoples to do it. We have enough Mexicans to do it. I'd be glad to borrow the money, and let the users of the road service the loan. I heard that when a person wants to sell texas land so a spanish company can build a toll road on it, then that person is probably a democrat. Welp this wiley one has to vam mus, thats texas talk pardner. and ye bedder like it cause i have this here purse.
The Marxist news? Sounds good. Do they have an internet link? Love the idea of depriving the predatory mortgage companies from foreclosing on your house—if you can get away with it (fat chance of that, I’m afraid). Why reward a wealthy corporation for fixing the game to rip you off and then throwing you out on the street when they’ve taken your last dime? Ever see It's a Wonderful Life? Sounds like these predatory mortgage companies are being run by a lot of Mr. Potter types.
Don’t know how you can blame Democrats for the pollution in your local lake. Last time I checked Republicans control all statewide political offices in Texas and both houses of the state legislature (and have since 2002).
Don't you wish there were some true lefties in office who actually cared about taking on the corporations and enforcing the laws on the books, and were courageous enough to raise taxes to pay for it?
Speaking of which, rumor has it Ralph Nader may be running for President again. I hope he does.
Don’t know what Spanish company is winning the bidding war to build the road you’re talking about, but I do know that Spain has an excellent public transportation system. The subway system in Madrid is amazing—clean, extensive, fast. The buses cause very little pollution, too.
For the record, I agree with John Edwards that the money Congress is dedicating to an economic stimulus would be best spent on “green” infrastructure.
I think it was Gandhi who said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they hit your with their purses, then you win.”
Speaking of Marxism, remind me again: which one of us said Che Guevara was his hero?
Got delayed waiting for my esposa to get ready. May take a day or two more. Che? Yes I said that and mean it. He along with several other people, including Castros girl friend, got impatient with Castro and believed that Castro had betrayed them and the revolution. Yep Che went off to other adventures and some say was tracked down and killed by the CIA. Who knows what the real story is. Gandhi? a great man too. Wasn't he killed or assinated? Jesus? Wasn't he strung up too. JFK? Seems to be a pattern here. I've only been in Spain once. I can't speak of what you say. I did want to go back to most of the countries I have been in. I did not have a desire to revisit
Spain. Too civilized. They seemed to have everything together. The road I spoke of, the Trans Texas Corredor, is supposed to facilitate the traffic from Mexico to your neck of the woods. The old families who own most of the land are not very happy about giving it up. If it would go through the center of Pres Bushs ranch I might get more excited about it. Texas legislature and all those republican spooks represent the voters today. Tomorrow they will be women, blacks and Hispanics and we will all feel good and be happy I'm sure. They certainly can't do a worse job than the white republican men do, although they say one hand is tied behind their backs by the Feds., and woefully lament the loss of control over their schools, for one example. Ghandi was brilliant and somehow knew the middle path was the better one for India He knew that nobody wins when sects, religious beliefs, races and democracy fragment a society. To consolidate and avoid long term hatred and revenge. he went along with India up into three countries, a practice that might solve a lot of problems here in the U.S. The main thing between Che and Ghe was the path to the goal. I don't have all the answers so I choose to tread the softer easier path between the extremes and look for peace and happiness, knowing that democracy contains the elements of its own destruction and like a pendulum, will swing back and forth between the extremes, today probably somewhere near the middle ground and headed for one of the extemes that is just as bad as the other.
Have to go get my esposa out of bed so we can head off toward the republican dirty lake. wylie
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