Inspire Political Discourse

Update on Goldman Sachs

>>According to Bespoke Investment Group, the fraud charges cost Goldman Sachs $14.5 billion in market capitalization as of the close of the market on Friday.

The CDO involved in the Goldman lawsuit cost investors on the wrong side of the trade about $1 billion.  Goldman Sachs (GS) is down $25 at the moment, which translates into $14.5 billion of market cap.  Are these charges going to cost Goldman $14.5 billion?

>> Reuters’ Felix Salmon minces no words in his assessment [emphasis mine]:

I think that the SEC has the right defendant here. Paulson and ACA are both culpable, but it’s Goldman which was clearly central to the plan of deceiving investors into believing that the CDO was being managed by people who wanted it to make money, when in fact it was being structured by the biggest short-seller in the entire subprime market.

And although ACA should never have been so passive in terms of accepting the names given to it by Paulson, it did reasonably believe, because it was essentially lied to by Goldman Sachs, that Paulson was in the deal to make money on the long side:

>> And Felix Salmon regarding the Abacus Pitchbook:

Here is the Goldman Sachs pitchbook for the Abacus deal in question today. It spends 30 pages talking in great detail about ACA and its qualifications to manage CDOs; it never mentions Paulson.

>> US stock drops as fraud charges hit, via Business Week:

“The Goldman story is pulling the stock market down, and you’re getting a flight to quality into the yen,” said Carol Hurley, a senior market strategist in Chicago at Lind-Waldock & Co., a unit of futures broker MF Global Holdings Ltd. “It’s most definitely weighing on risk sentiment.”

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Health Care Reform Progress

The Senate bill which is the base for health care reform passed the house on Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Today, the reconciliation bill passed the Senate, The Senate Parliamentarian claims that the Byrd rule was violated, and the bill now returns to the House for another vote.

UPDATE:
Last night, March 25, the House passed the reconciliation bill, and the long effort to enact health care reform is over. That is, excepting the improvements we intend to make over the next few years before the mandates kick in.

The Unfortunate Implications of the Teabagging Revolution

Okay. I am supposed to be working on my taxes right now, due to my BAD BAD BAD habit of procrastination, but I couldn’t resist stopping to check out the news reports on the latest folly wrought by the GOP.
I did a search and came up with a variety of articles, but in all honesty, the two videos posted below really say it all . Well, almost all. A few points to keep in mind.

1. Our forefathers protested taxation without representation.
2. The teabagging GOP is protesting a return to the tax tables of the Clinton years, which means that 95% of American taxpayers will receive a tax cut.
3. The protests are being paid for by corporate lobbyists, and Fox Faux News is providing free publicity, which makes perfect sense when you consider that most of these dumb protesters will benefit from a tax cut while the lobbyists and Fox Faux News will pay additional taxes. Ah, the perils of idiocy.
4. I have never, until this year, seen a protest complaining about tax cuts.
5. Best and funniest of all, is the unfortunate name choice made by the GOP.  The actual definition of “teabagging”. (Try really hard not to picture John McCain teabagging Michael Steele.)   

In the first video, Rachel Maddow struggles mightily to keep a straight face as she discusses the various “tea parties”.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The second video is Andy Cobb elaborating upon the meaning of “teabagging”. FYI, this video contains cartoonish pics of genitals, so be forewarned, it is not for children.

And from Andrew Sullivan, who always says it best:

As a fiscal conservative who actually believed in those principles when the Republicans were in power, I guess I should be happy at this phenomenon. And I would be if it had any intellectual honesty, any positive proposals, and any recognizable point. What it looks like to me is some kind of amorphous, generalized rage on the part of those who were used to running the country and now don't feel part of the culture at all. But the only word for that is: tantrum.

These are not tea-parties. They are tea-tantrums. And the adolescent, unserious hysteria is a function not of a movement regrouping and refinding itself. It's a function of a movement's intellectual collapse and a party's fast-accelerating nervous breakdown.

This whole thing just screams “we are the uncoolest losers in the world” and “we have no clue what the fuck we are doing” and “we are complete and utter assholes”.  *sigh* Back to my taxes…….

UPDATE: As if the teabagging thing is not funny enough, the religious right nutjobs have named their anti-gay anti-marriage campaign after a gay sex acronym/call-sign, 2M4M (M4M=male seeking male 4 relationships/sex in personal ads, and is also the name given to online gay chat rooms).

Conservative Anti-Gay Marriage Group Launches "2M4M" Campaign

UPDATE: “Before any media covering these events accept the idea that this is just a grass roots outpouring of populist sentiment, they ought to take a look behind the curtain -- where Dick Armey is laughing and counting his cash.” source

My thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link-back.

Related articles:

Spontaneous Uprising? Corporate Lobbyists Helping To Orchestrate Radical Anti-Obama Tea Party Protests

The Corporate Lobbyists Behind the Tea Parties

Dick Armey Fighting Obama On Health Care Reform

Fox's Cavuto Claims Network Covered Protests Before Network Was Founded

Cavuto: Tea Party Protests To Be "Infiltrated" By Diabolical Liberals (VIDEO)

The Republicans Are Freaking Crazy!

I suppose it would be too much to ask that the Republicans behave like normal human beings. You know, valuing things like TRUTH, empathy, intelligence, etc.. Argh…..they are the absolute WORST I have ever seen them. From the MSM down to the Jeebus freaks on the streets, they are lying, ranting, conniving, and while it may not be politically correct to say it, I truly believe that they would rather see this country completely destroyed than see the Democrats in power. And it isn’t like they don’t understand what their party did to this country. Hell, a complete idiot could see it. Talk about the verge of destruction……

Currently, as always, in their inimitable fashion, they are running around like the proverbial chickens with their heads cut off. But, unlike those chickens, they can not stop whining, lying, squawking. This is apparently a manifestation of their inability to accept the political demise of the GOP, as evidenced by their thorough drubbing at the polls during the last two election cycles.

So anyway, the past few days have simply been the same old, same old in

A case in point could be made of Bill O’Reilly, who is now known as the the GOP’s Stalker of Liberal Bloggers.

wingnut land. Media who steps all over and out of the boundaries of intelligent discourse, and dimwitted followers who….what else but follow, of course.

O’Reilly reacted to a single comment posted by Amanda Terkel to the ThinkProgress.org blog. It happened like this.

When O’Reilly announced that he was scheduled to speak at a fundraiser for the Alexa Foundation, a group that supports rape survivors, Terkel posted the following:

TERKEL: In the past, however, O’Reilly has made controversial comments about an 18-year-old woman, Jennifer Moore, who was raped and murdered, implying that it was partially her fault. O’Reilly called her “moronic,” adding:

OREILLY: “Now Moore, Jennifer Moore, 18, on her way to college. She was 5-foot-2, 105 pounds, wearing a miniskirt and a halter top with a bare midriff. Now, again, there you go. So every predator in the world is gonna pick that up at two in the morning. She’s walking by herself on the West Side Highway, and she gets picked up by a thug. All right. Now she’s out of her mind, drunk.” source

Please note that Terkel’s post in no way criticized the Alexa Foundation, as you watch the video of O’Reilly’s producer going after Terkel.

Terkel’s own account of the ambush by O’Reilly Factor producer, and prime hitman, Jesse Watters.

Watch Olbermann’s interview of Terkel below.

And the end result? ThinkProgress.org is now conducting a campaign to end O’Reilly’s show. Whether it will be successful or not is anyone’s guess, but advertisers are reacting. Join the campaign and help to put an end to this kind of harassment by Republicans on liberals.

Meanwhile, I am bloody sick of thinking about Republicans today. Ciao.

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UPDATE NO. 3 – April 1: O’Reilly lies again, claims Think Progress smeared a rape victim, when in fact, HE smeared a rape victim. Video at TP. From ThinkProgress.org:

Yesterday on The Factor, Bill O’Reilly addressed ThinkProgress in his “Reality Check” portion of the show, “a segment set up to defeat deceit.” And of course, O’Reilly proceeded to peddle deceit, claiming that “far left zealots…attacked a rape victim and her family because they asked me to speak at their fundraiser.” Wrong. We never attacked the Alexa Foundation; we simply highlighted quotes from O’Reilly that were unsympathetic towards a rape victim. O’Reilly has never explained why he implied that women who dress in a certain way or consume too much alcohol should perhaps expect to be raped and murdered. Watch last night’s segment.

UPDATE NO. 2 - March 27: Olbermann names O’Reilly “Worst Person” for his stalking of liberal blogger, Amanda Terkel.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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UPDATE NO. 1 - March 27: UPS announces that it will stop advertising on the O’Reilly show due to his stalking/harassment of liberal blogger, Amanda Terkel. From ThinkProgress.org:

In response to our Stop Supporting The O’Reilly Harassment Machine campaign, UPS told us yesterday that it was investigating whether to continue supporting O’Reilly’s show. “We are sensitive to the type of television programming where our messages and presence are associated and continually review choices to affect future decisions,” spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg told us.

Today UPS announced it will stop advertising on O’Reilly’s show. Here is the statement UPS emailed out just moments ago:

Thank you for sending an e-mail expressing concern about UPS advertising during the Bill O’Reilly show on FOX News. We do consider such comments as we review ad placement decisions which involve a variety of news, entertainment and sports programming. At this time, we have no plans to continue advertising during this show.

Reuters/India image.

GOP Governors of Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alaska, South Carolina and Idaho Consider Rejecting Stimulus Money

UPDATE No. 1 - 1:06 PM: First to cave: Gov. Sanford Hedges of South Carolina says "being against the plan doesn't preclude taking the money."  Make me laugh, GOP losers. Really the hypocrisy of the GOP pols is positively hysterical!

:: Let me be clear. They have not yet rejected it outright, they are currently just making NOISE. Led by Bobby Jindahl of Lousiana, these govs think that the citizens of their states don't need or want the money.
My opinion? These guys are clearly not working for their constituents, but hey, you voted the idiots in to office, and you continue to support GOP IDIOCY. Take that however you like. LMAO in Michigan. From HUFFPOST:

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the No. 3 House Democrat, said the governors _ some of whom are said to be eyeing White House bids in 2012 _ are putting their own interests first.
"No community or constituent should be denied recovery assistance due to their governor's political ideology or political aspirations," Clyburn said Wednesday.

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RELATED POSTS:

» Update to The House Republicans Celebrate Their Failure
» The House Republicans Celebrate Their Failure
» Conservatives Call GOP Stimulus Strategy "braindead"
» President Obama Signs the Stimulus Bill - Video of Speech and Signing
» President Obama Signs the Stimulus Bill - Transcript of Remarks

Update: Obama Photo Linked to Cartoon

If you haven't yet read it, click here to read the story about the cartoon published by The New York Post today. The cartoon, seen below, has become a major controversy, not only nationally, but internationally. Thanks to the right-wing owned Post (Rupert Murdoch), America is looking like a less than decent place to live. A place where the 44th president is in fact, depicted as a very dead and rabid chimpanzee.
On the Huffington Post, Sam Stein reports that in the actual newspaper today, the cartoon page was preceded by a page with an image of President Obama signing the stimulus bill, as seen below.

In the page preceding a New York Post cartoon that depicts drafters of the stimulus legislation as a gun-downed chimpanzee, the paper published a large photo of Barack Obama signing that very piece of legislation.

And according to The New York Times, a newsroom employee at the Post reported a major backlash via telephone. The employee also indicated that many Post staff members were themselves upset.

A newsroom employee at The Post, who spoke on condition of anonymity because employees were not permitted to comment on the matter, said its newsroom received many calls of complaints on Wednesday morning after the publication of the cartoon. “Every line was lit up for several hours,” the employee said. “The phones on the city desk have never rung like that before.”

On my earlier story, Lyn (see below for more info on Lyn) left a comment as to her opinion. It is a comment, the content of which, has been echoed across the net today by many other right wingers. And it is a load of unadulterated crap. Bolding is mine, comment is Lyn's:

NO it does not imply violence against any elected official. It's just a cartoon.
Mr. Delonas has free speech rights. His cartoon makes a critical assessment of the frenzied politics that gave us the Obama stimulus/fraud package.
There is no racism in this cartoon. Get over it people. It's a cartoon.

Oh please, darlin', let's just briefly examine the 'parody' parallel. According to the  NY Post Editor in Chief,  "It was a clear parody of..."

So, a chimp on Xanax, in an unprovoked attack, almost kills a woman and has to be shot and killed by police  = legislators and/or the President writing the stimulus legislation.

Yeah! I get it! That's a REAL KNEE-SLAPPER! I bet the woman who had her face ripped off by the chimp might have a thing or two to say about that!

And hey, that doesn't even address the issue of how black Americans have traditionally been portrayed as apes or ape-like in political cartoons for too damn many years. This sort of transparent racist ugliness is just another disgusting addition to a series dating back to the days of slavery in America.

Furthermore, and most importantly, the depiction of violence perpetrated on a rabid chimpanzee equated with either the President or with our legislators, is completely sick and inappropriate, and has not got a damn thing to do with free speech! Remember "incitement to violence"? 

Update to The House Republicans Celebrate Their Failure

::You may recall seeing my post about Eric Cantor and the GOP yesterday. It included a video, produced by House Minority Whip, Eric-the-loser-Cantor, and used Aerosmith's song, "Back in the Saddle".Well....as I predicted and was hoping, according to TPM, the GOP has been told by Aerosmith to stop using it. While  it's a pity that the GOP can not be bothered to understand copyright law, it is entertaining.     From TPM:

The GOP's use of the tune "was something we, as the publishers, didn't approve and would not have approved without going to the writers," Connie Ashton, director of copyright and licensing at Stage Three, told me. "Aerosmith did not approve of its use and also wanted to have it taken down," she added.

The video is no longer on You Tube.
H/T to HuffPost.
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Update on RNC Chair Race

:: UPDATE - 4:04PM:  Michael Steele will be the next RNC chairman, and the RNC's first African-American chairman.

:: The RNC is today electing a new chairman, with the battle seemingly between social and fiscal conservatives. Sprinkle on some issues involving race, it becomes more complicated.

Yesterday, Chip Saltzman withdrew from the race for the chairmanship of the RNC after another of his favorite little tunes was exposed, from the same cd that Saltzman distributed previously, which contained the racist song, "Barack, the Magic Negro".  This song, "The Star Spanglish Banner", is now under fire from enraged immigration groups. By the way, both songs were written by the same author, Paul Shankin.

Today, Mike Duncan, the current chairman of the RNC, appointed by Bush in 2007, has withdrawn from the race, after the third ballot,

In the lead currently is Katon Dawson, a social conservative, but MIchael Steele, the former lt. governor of Maryland, a fiscal conservative, and an African-American, is close behind him.

From HuffPost- bolding is mine:

This is shaping up to be a new direction v. social conservative showdown, one with racial components as well: Steele is African-American while Dawson once belonged to a white's only country club. The deciding factor, it seems, will be whom Anuzis and Blackwell instruct their backers to support.

UPDATE - 4:00PM: Steele is now ahead by a margin of 10 votes in the 5th ballot, and is now 6 votes away from the 85 needed for victory.

UPDATE - 4:00PM: Michael Steele is the next RNC chairman; he won the final ballot by 91-77. The RNC's first African-American chairman.

January 30, 2009 on Media Matters

 

• Media Matters: Fetishizing off-center centrism

• Brzezinski suggests "welfare" provisions in stimulus bill don't stimulate the economy -- economists disagree
• "Political Grapevine" goes sour: Fox's Baier understated Obey's response to alleged conflict of interest
• Will Dobbs retract his stimulus bill falsehood?
• Fox Business Network joins with GOP senators to further spread false ACORN attack
• AP's retracted stimulus bill falsehood finds a new home at Fox
• AP cited only single anonymous Republican official in support of stimulus falsehood

Watch for updates throughout the day.

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Political News Summary: Tuesday, January 27, 2009

:: Rush Limbaugh copies GOP liars, makes false claim that ACORN is mentioned in the stimulus and will receive $4.19 billion. What a sad loser cherub-cheeked Rushie is...... From Media Matters:

Summary: Parroting GOP talking points, Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed $4.19 billion of President Barack Obama's economic recovery package "is going to ACORN." In fact, the bill does not mention ACORN or otherwise single it out for funding.

TAGS: Rush Limbaugh, Conservative Pundits, GOP/Republicans, President Obama, LIES,
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Political News Summary: Monday, January 26, 2009

:: Geithner confirmed as Treasury Secretary. From HUFFPOST:

WASHINGTON — The Senate has confirmed New York Fed chief Timothy Geithner to be President Barack Obama's secretary of the treasury.
The 60-34 vote puts Geithner at the helm of Obama's plan to rescue the economy from the worst financial crisis in three generations.
Obama and others supporting Geithner's nomination said the nation couldn't afford to wait for Obama to search for another nominee to run the Treasury Department.

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:: The US to engage in diplomacy with Iran. From HUFFPOST:

United Nations — President Barack Obama's administration will engage in "direct diplomacy" with Iran, the newly installed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Monday.

Not since before the 1979 Iranian revolution are U.S. officials believed to have conducted wide-ranging direct diplomacy with Iranian officials. But U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice warned that Iran must meet U.N. Security Council demands to suspend uranium enrichment before any talks on its nuclear program.

AP photo.
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Take it to the People

Never mind the damn Republican obstructers, and the Blue Dog Democrats. Screw 'em. They wish to play politics when this country is in deeply serious trouble, tell 'em to take their balls and go home, because they aren't working for the people who not only voted them in to office, but pay their freaking salaries!.Take it to the people, Obama!

That really is all you need to do.

UPDATE - Jan. 26 - One of the "eggers-on" of the obstructionists, Bill Kristol, seemingly lost his position as a columnist at the NYT. For further info, read Jason Linkins on the HuffPost, and to view Kristol's last, pathetic lying column, click here. So long, Billy, we will not miss ya. In my collage below, Kristol is Old Neocon No.3.

UPDATE - Jan. 26 - Nobel prize winning economist, Paul Krugman weighs in. Bolding is mine. From the Int. Herald Tribune (NYT global):

As the debate over President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan gets under way, one thing is certain: Many of the plan's opponents aren't arguing in good faith. Conservatives really, really don't want to see a second New Deal, and they certainly don't want to see government activism vindicated. So they are reaching for any stick they can find with which to beat proposals for increased government spending.

 

Off the Cuff - Just Deal With It!

UPDATE: Sunday, January 18
Another report from media watchdog, Media Matters : "The AP Concocts the Cost of Obama's Inauguration".

UPDATE: Saturday, January 17
A report from Eric Boehlart on Media Matters, points to the farce that the right-wing media is conducting re Obama's inauguration and it's potential cost, as well as the comparisons with Bush 43's inaugurations. Very detailed/thorough investigative reporting. Read it and weep, right-wingers.
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[begin minor rant] Friday, January 16
For the whining right-wingers, and some dems too, who don't bother to fact-check before they speak, you can relax. After reading a post in a primarily right-wing forum this evening, I did some checking, and the inauguration is largely being paid for by donors, NOT funded by your tax dollars. So, get over it, and stop the damn whining. Sore losers.

“Though the federal government is pitching in $10 million toward the cost of Obama’s Inauguration, his team is planning festivities that could cost as much as $50 million.

IPD Legislation Tracking: H.R. 12: Paycheck Fairness Act

To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.

Why this bill is important: Another civil rights issue, this bill deals with equal pay for equal or essentially the same work. This speaks to the heart of women's biggest complaint re equal rights. It is the area where we still are very much discriminated against, and this bill is the first step towards dealing with that inequity.

• Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D-CT] cosponsors (198)
  
• How they voted.
  Or who exactly was and was not on the side of  equal pay for equal work.

House - Roll No. 8 -     View Votes		YEAS	NAYS	Didn't Vote
Democrats		246	160	7
Republicans		10	3	7

pending vote

Senate - Roll No. _		YEAS	NAYS	Didn't Vote
Democrats		pending	pending	pending
Republicans		pending	pending	pending

• Text:

 Summary | Full Text

• Status: (Updates will be posted here)

	Introduced	01/06/09
	Passed House 256-163	01/09/09
	Senate vote	pending
	Signed in to law by the President	pending

IPD Legislation Tracking: H.R. 11/S. 181: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

To amend title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and to modify the operation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to clarify that a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under such Acts occurs each time compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation decision or other practice, to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.

Why this bill is important: A civil rights issue, the bill would overturn a 2007 Supreme Court ruling which threw a wrench in to a lawsuit filed by Lilly M. Ledbetter, a supervisor at a Goodyear tire plant in Alabama. This bill will allow plaintiffs more time to file discrimination/bias lawsuits, and thus give employers fewer escape routes to avoid job bias.
President Bush threatened to veto this bill, however, he will not have the opportunity, and the soon to be  President Obama, is eager to sign it.

• Sponsor: Rep. George Miller [D-CA] cosponsors (195)
  
• How they voted.
  Or who exactly was on the side of labor.

House - Roll No. 9 - View Votes		YEAS	NAYS	Didn't Vote
Democrats		244	3	7
Republicans		3	168	8

Senate voted

Senate - Roll No. 14		YEAS	NAYS	Didn't Vote
Democrats		54	0	1
Republicans		5	36	0
Independents		2	-

• Text:

 Summary | Full Text

• Status: (Updates will be posted here)

	Introduced	01/06/09
	Passed House 247-171	01/09/09
	S. 181 - Passed Senate 61-36	01/22/09
	Signed in to law by the President	01/29/09

Political News Summary, Monday, January 5, 2009

:: IPD Daily Political Cartoon Find.

Gary Wasserman, the Boston Globe
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:: Update on the Coleman-Franken senate race.

Political News - Weekend Update - Saturday-Sunday, December 13-14, 2008

:: Bush attacked with flying shoes by Iraqi reporter.

I've seen this story on numerous blogs for several hours now, and I didn't add it to the update because I couldn't make up my mind how I felt about it. It was just too weird. I was torn between thinking that this kind of thing should not be laughed at, and wanting to laugh because it just seemed so fitting for the end of W's failed presidency. The quote is from Matt Stewart on the Huffington Post. Re the weirdness, he said it better than I could.

It's a strange capstone to a presidency, one of those semi-absurd semi-scary incidents like the pretzel-choking, the back-shooting, the bike-crashing. Yet somehow those ten seconds seem to say everything about the man, about guts and intelligence, humor and luck, the dangerous world Bush has helped make worse. For what the world hopes to be the last time, we've watched the man do just enough to keep himself afloat.

Image from Huffpo.

Watch the video here.

:: The Shoe As A Campaign Metaphor - NPR

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:: The Hill Gossip Mill: Word is that Karl Rove will be leading the fight to oppose the nomination of Eric Holder as Attorney General.

The dissension loving Rove doing what Rove always does.

Ceci Connolly, national staff writer for the Washington Post, said as much on Sunday, when she passed on a bit of hill gossip in the waning moments of "The Chris Matthews Show."

"Word on the street is that Karl Rove is going to be helping lead the fight against Eric Holder when his nomination for Attorney General heads up to the Senate," she said.  HUFFPO

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Gov. Rod Blagojevich Arrested on Federal Corruption Charges

Gov. Rod Blagojevich [D-IL], along with his chief of staff, were arrested by the FBI today on federal corruption charges.

Read the full release detailing the charges from the US Attorney's office here.

Scroll down or clickhere to view today's political news summary.

A federal complaint charges Gov. Rod Blagojevich with conspiring to sell or trade Obama's vacant senate seat for personal benefit, along with other corruption charges.

“"The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement. "They allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism."”  Chicago Tribune

Image credit: Dec. 8, Chicago Tribune

:: Blagojevich, Illinois Governor Arrested - Huffpo

UPDATE NO. 1 - 1:30pm: Think Progress is reporting that Rahm Emanuel may be responsible for the FBI's quick action on Gov.Blagojevich today.

I am loving the idea that our incoming administration has actual scruples. You know, one of the many attributes of a fine character that has been in notably scarce supply for the past 8 years.

“Marcy Wheeler catches local Chicago press reporting that Rahm Emanuel may have tipped off federal investigators that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) was engaging in corrupt acts. Jack Conaty, a Chicago reporter for the local Fox affiliate, said on-air that Rahm Emanuel might have been responsible for causing federal investigators to act quickly to apprehend Blagojevich this morning:.”

The Siege in Mumbai Ends - IPD Weekend Update Nov. 29-30, 2008

Sunday, November 30, 2008

►Top Indian security official resigns as death toll reaches 183, and questions are asked regarding India's preparedness for this type of attack.

 “As an investigation moved forward, there were questions about whether Indian authorities could have anticipated the attack and had better security in place, especially after a 2007 report to Parliament that the country’s shores were inadequately protected from infiltration by sea — which is how the attackers sneaked into Mumbai.
Home Minister Shivraj Patil, responsible for public safety and internal security as one of the most senior members of the government, resigned on Sunday to take responsibility for the failure of the country’s intelligence services and military to prevent the attacks in Mumbai.”  NYT

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Saturday, November 29, 2008

Media Literally Revolt Over McCain Campaign Severe Limitations of Palin's Foreign Relations Tutorial at the UN

►From the New York Times: (hilarious) 

Update | 12:17 p.m.: Word now is that a print reporter will be allowed in at the next two meetings. Stayed tuned for updates on all the handshakes and pleasantries… 

Update | 12:02 p.m.: The campaign is relenting and letting in the television producer, so the camera crew will be going as well. But print reporters are up in arms about being excluded. 

Media Rebellion: Live from New York, it’s Gov. Sarah Palin’s top-secret foreign policy tutorial! 

Ms. Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, is scheduled to meet Tuesday in New York with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, and former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. 

But the McCain-Palin campaign’s sharp limitations on coverage of the meetings have sparked a mini-revolt – and a threatened boycott — among the press corps. 

The campaign plans to bar print reporters from the meetings, and to limit coverage to brief photo-ops for a still photographer and a television camera. The television stations, though, are objecting, noting that they have a policy of not sending cameras to cover events without a producer, who provided editorial guidance. 

A stand-off has ensued, with the networks threatening not to send cameras. The newspapers are trying to get back into the act as well. Continue reading here.