2 posts tagged “joe biden”

UPDATE on 1/12/2009: Listen to Matt Miller discuss "The Tyranny of Dead Ideas" on Tue., Jan. 13 at 2:30 pm PT at www.KCRW.com/etc/programs/pc (streaming, podcast and on-demand) with LA City Council President Eric Garcetti.

                            Please get creative: show us what a Panetta Kerfuffle looks like.

Economy/Unemployment; Gaza Burning; Panetta Kerfuffle

We’ve invented a new dessert: the Panetta Kerfuffle, but that comes later in the show. First we collectively decide that Obama’s big speech about the economy may not be big enough. Then the inevitable disagreements over the Israel/Gaza conflict are discussed. No end in sight. And finally: the Panetta Kerfuffle. Take one former Clinton Chief of Staff, throw in the initials CIA, mix together with whining establishment Senators and Congressional Representatives, add a dose of media and questions about Biden’s involvement and – you’ve got the Panetta Kerfuffle.

Just for fun:

Watch Matt Miller on COLBERT REPORT here: http://mattmilleronline.com/index2.php

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

Paul Krugman, THE OBAMA GAP NY Times 1.9.09.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/opinion/09krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

“I don’t believe it’s too late to change course, but it will be if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years.”

So declared President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday, explaining why the nation needs an extremely aggressive government response to the economic downturn. He’s right. This is the most dangerous economic crisis since the Great Depression, and it could all too easily turn into a prolonged slump.

But Mr. Obama’s prescription doesn’t live up to his diagnosis.

$700 Billion Dollar Attaboy

Today’s must read MSM piece is a brutal Bloomberg column, delineating why the Bailouts have been such a sweet deal for the banks. Despite the gross incompetence and sheer recklessness of Wall Street and the Financial sector, they were handed massive amounts of money with little in the way of returns to the taxpayer, no specific guidance or requirements....

Source:
Paulson Bailout Didn’t Give Taxpayers What Goldman Gave Buffett
Mark Pittman
Bloomberg, Jan. 9 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aAvhtiFdLyaQ&

Geithner Preparing Overhaul Of Bailout
Obama Team Broadens Scope to Secure Final $350 Billion for Rescue

By David Cho
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 9, 2009; A01

Confronted with intense skepticism on Capitol Hill over the $700 billion financial rescue program, Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy F. Geithner and President-elect Barack Obama's economic team are urgently overhauling the embattled initiative and broadening its scope well beyond Wall Street, sources familiar with the discussions said.

ARIANNA MENTIONED http://bailoutsleuth.com/

 

 

The Dems’ Denver Surge; McCain’s Palin Surprise

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Conventions/story?id=5686244&page=1  (link to news and video of Palin, Obama and McCain announcing Palin)

Sorry kids, no Arianna today, and Tony had to join us by phone, or we risked not having him (he had a major health issue interfere with his life in the past month and he needed to rest before heading to the Republican Convention). By the way: a plug for our other Convention coverage, which I urge you to tune into on our live stream next week or listen to in archives (available as a podcast too): http://www.kcrw.com/news/democratic-national-convention-2008...One of the cool features is that we've sent our producers off with specialized Nokia Phones that have software allowing for video recording and INSTANT uploading via KyteTV to our website -- for behind the scenes non-televised views of the conventions. 

Okay, now on to LRC:

John McCain exploded the news agenda today with the announcement of his surprising choice of running mate, Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska. And it nearly blew Obama’s speech and the Democratic Convention right out of the headlines. Is she, as Bob said, “Hillary’s worst nightmare – a young Phyllis Schlafley breaking through the cracks in her glass ceiling”? Or was a brilliant move to wrest those alienated blue-collar women away from Hillary and over to the Republicans? But first: the Democrats! Bill Clinton gave an impassioned speech, something he’s a natural at doing, the panelists agreed. And the Clintons did their part in endorsing  him – but did they really “credential” Obama? Tony said he’d be relieved if Obama proposed Bill Clinton’s economic policies but instead, calls his program  a throwback to a pre-Clintonian pro-liberal agenda; Tony’s worried about the implied protectionism in a global economy. Matt’s worried that if elected, the expectations Obama is setting up with his ambitious agenda cannot be paid for…And Bob says, bring on the regulation for all those banking villains who’ve bankrupted America.