Aces Full of Links

They're trying to regain popularity with amendments. I heard on "Marketplace" this morning that the new bill will be laden with, as the presenter put it, "goodies," such as:

tax credits for alternative energy such as wind and solar (Republicans think renewable energy is fine, they just don't want to pay for it);

a change to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) such that it won't hit upper middle class Americans, as it would next year--something the Republicans have been trying desperately to do for years (may not be in the Senate version);

and increase on limits on FDIC insurance for bank deposits from $100,000 to $250,000.

I knew the minute this thing failed to pass the other day that it would be plumped up with gimmies (or goodies). Disgusting.

What does the AMT and renewable energy have to do with the financial rescue package? Nothing. This is all about getting Repubicans to vote for this. As one presenter said, the fiscally conservative Democrats aren't happy about the tax breaks, but they're hoping to gain Republican votes, though they know they'll lose some Dems.

Why am I not surprised this has turned into a porkfest? Pathetic.

Here's the show, with commentary by Robert Reich:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/www_publicradio/tools/media_player/popup.php?name=marketplace/morning_report/2008/10/01/marketplace_morning_report0450_20081001_64

I mis-typed.

The conservative House Democrats were for the renewable energy chunk, but they also wanted to pay for it (imagine that, finding a way to pay for somethig that you propose!). They fought to force the Senate to pay for it, too.

These changes may gain Republican votes but lose Democratic votes. The hope is there will be a net gain in votes.

The Blue Dog Democrats wanted to see spending cuts along with the tax cuts. No dice.

All the people who yelled at their congresspeople basically gave the Republicans cover to tack on these goodies. They'll vote it through now, even though the public outcry had nothing to do with these things.

I don't blame citizens for being upset about the original plan, I blame the "leaders" who used the public outcry.

Friedman puts it well:

I totally understand the resentment against Wall Street titans bringing home $60 million bonuses. But when the credit system is imperiled, as it is now, you have to focus on saving the system, even if it means bailing out people who don’t deserve it. Otherwise, you’re saying: I’m going to hold my breath until that Wall Street fat cat turns blue. But he’s not going to turn blue; you are, or we all are. We have to get this right.

It has been said that the language that framed the debate was wrong (calling it a bail-out of Wall Street), and I agree. As we have learned from BushCo and Rove, how you talk about a subject makes a big difference (Freedom Fries, anyone?).

One person who called in to Talk of the Nation the other day said if this had been called the Save America's Jobs bill, it would have passed.

Robert Krulwich, with the help of Odd Todd, explained how money moves. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5915403

What flores me is that people don't already know this. For pity's sake, have we not all endured the endless reruns of "It's a Wonderful Life"?

Where's your money? It's in Jim's barn and Andy's feed store and in Mr. Gower's drug store, etc., etc.

Lord, we live in a nation of morons whose chief refrain is "What's in it for me."

Speaking of momentarily popular, Ladbrokes has closed betting on what they called their "Sarah Palin Special": "Sarah Palin to be replaced as Republican Vice Presidential pick before November 4th 2008"

Last night, the odds were, I believe, 16 to one.

See more at http://www.ladbrokes.com/lbr_sports?action=go_generic_link&level=EVENT&key=211048850&category=SPECIALS&subtypes=&default_sort=&tab=undefined

Another betting site, Betting Choice, had a story on the race, bits of which are below (note the wording in the URL):

Obama Confirmed as Clear Frontrunner
September 30, 2008 - A.J Ryder

http://www.bettingchoice.co.uk/ladbrokes-obama-frontrunner-mccain-palin-disaster.php

"BARACK Obama is in to 4/11, from 2/5, to become the next US president, according to British bookmaker Ladbrokes.

"And John McCain is out to 2/1 from 15/8. The Republican's vice presidential pick, Sarah Palin, is 16/1 to be axed from the GOP's ticket.

"Ladbrokes spokesman, Nick Weinberg, said: 'McCain's campaign is beginning to falter and punters have been quick to respond.

'Palin's performances have been underwhelming. As a result we've reopened our market about whether she'll be replaced.'"

Earlier in the story:

"All major bookmakers agree that Obama is the clear frontrunner at this point and McCain is well on his way to becoming (literally) a political longshot. Thanks to the abysmal performance of Sarah Palin in televised interviews Ladbrokes has now decided to re-open their market on Palin's replacement, which is looking ever more likely by the day. Will it be Mittens or Huckabee? The odds are currently 16/1 that she will be replaced."

Mittens? Mittens?! Why had that never occured to me?

Talk of replacing Palin is just a distraction. Her debate tapes show her as an unflappable debater.

Don't pop popcorn for Thursday night. You're going to want to watch with a bottle of Pepto Bismal. The consensus on Thursday night and Friday morning will be that Palin won.

"She really looked like she could handle herself" is what people will say. "I liked how she stood up to Biden."

I could write the analysis now. If any of you are putting money down, put it on Palin winning the debate. She'll most likely get a bump out of it, and if Biden underestimates her it will be a big bump.

Maybe Biden should say he's needed on the floor of the senate then. Palin can have a town hall meeting where she rambles on about nothing for 90 minutes. Or Katie Couric can ask some more softball questions that she proceeds to whiff on.

The Obama campaign must have read this blog and your comments on low expectations for Palin being part of "securing her win."

In yesterday's Boston Globe, the "Campaign Notebook" section had this:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/09/30/palin_says_shes_ready_for_debate_with_biden/

Barack Obama's campaign is already doing its best to raise expectations for Palin. David Wade, a spokesman for Biden, told reporters, "He's going in here to debate a leviathan of forensics, who has debated five times and she's undefeated."

"She's very skilled and she'll be well-prepared," Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod told reporters Sunday night, CNN reported.

What the hell is "a leviathan of forensics" supposed to mean.

Not sure. Maybe it, too, can see Russia from its house.

Maybe Putin rides on it when he flies over Alaska?

Pssh. You obviously didn't pay attention to the super duper qualified Sarah Palin. Only his head comes in to US airspace.

See this for actual proof that Putin's head can, indeed, come into US airspace.

http://www.quizlaw.com/blog/ahhhh_putins_head_enters_alask.php

And just to clarify:

McCain campaign tries to explain Palin's Putin-airspace line, Air Force says claim not true

[...]
The spokeswoman for the McCain-Palin campaign, Maria Comella, clarified in an e-mail to The Associated Press that when "Russian incursions near Alaskan airspace and inside the air defense identification zone have occurred ... U.S. Air Force fighters have been scrambled repeatedly."

[...]
However, no Russian military planes have been flying even into that zone, said Maj. Allen Herritage, a spokesman for the Alaska region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

"To be very clear, there has not been any incursion in U.S. airspace in recent years," Herritage said.

---------------

Hmm...could it be that our own military is full of haters who hate the super duper qualified Mrs. Palin, hockey mom of 5?

URL to explanatory story mentioned above:

http://www.wgntv.com/landing_election_news/?McCain-campaign-tries-to-explain-Palins-=1&blockID=75303&feedID=21