Dick Cheney: Executive Assassination Ring

This is going to get interesting.

Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh’s bombshell earlier this week that Vice President Dick Cheney controlled an “executive assassination ring” continues to reverberate throughout Washington, with Nixon aide John Dean going so far as to accuse the former VP of murder if the charges are true.

“It’s potentially a war crime,” Dean said of the reported assassination ring. “It’s potentially just outright murder and it’s clearly in violation of the Ford Executive Order.”

Dick Cheney is a monster who ran the White House for 8 years. As easy as it is to find Bush's actions deplorable, Cheney was the true puppet-master behind the curtain.

Someone get Sen. Leahy on this.

Source: Rawstory

Stewart Versus Cramer: Brawl Street

Is this the turning point? Where fake news holds real news up to a higher standard.

I feel for Jim Cramer. It was painful to watch him take it for all the CNBC weasels and the financial world, et al. I should add painfully good. Jon Stewart was amazing, summing up a nation's psyche with, "I understand that you want to make finance entertaining, but this is not a fucking game". Cramer was at least genuine, it seems, in trying to atone. Saying, on the spot, he will try to change. Watch the show here.

Cramer is in a unique position, sort of like a mobster turned good: yes he has killed people and his friends are wise guys, but from time to time he does well and has the church painted. Cramer would make a great mafioso, but that's not who he is. He is marketed as a trusted name by a corporate TV channel.

Yes, Cramer is entertainment. His Mad Money show is very well produced and slick. But he knows this is a game played in back rooms using false information to manipulate positions. Foment anyone? He has done the manipulating himself. He admits it.

So when Cramer goes on the air and says "I spoke with a CEO like Dick Fuld and he said 'statement A'", knowing that CEOs lie and have lied to his face before, he has to take responsibility and not just turn around and repeat the "statement A", then down the road, with self-imposed impunity, say I was lied to.

I think its time to peel back the fairyland veneer that Wall St has built and see it for what it is. We need to embolden the SEC to go after these schemes that are beyond the grasp of the average investor. Hedge funds should not have carte blanche anymore. And hopefully networks like CNBC stop cheerleading and investigate these crimes they are knowingly broadcasting.

In sports, when a Roger Clemens makes a over-reaching statement, the commentators attack him for lying. In sports, the Alex Rodriguez steroid story was broken by Sports Illustrated. In sports, Patriot's coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for cheating within a week of being caught. In sports, ESPN is not owned by Las Vegas.

And as much as sports is influenced by gambling [why are the Vegas odds printed in every newspaper?] and tips are shared in back rooms, it's SPORTS! Your money, while wasted on high ticket prices, is still your money and you can choose to not go [or gamble].

The financial world and CNBC are different. That is people's 401k and retirement money. They have to be held responsible. Either that or put up graphics on screen as disclaimers: "this guy may or may not be talking complete bullshit, invest at your own peril".

I guess it's a weird sentiment in America where if you really screw up on Wall St, like Ivan Boesky to Bernie Ebbers to Ken Lay to Bernie Madoff, there is no real venom, no real justice. We just let them sit in a prison, but not a dangerous one where they are someone's bitch "tossing salad". A nice one. With tennis courts.

Steal billions of dollars and get your day in court. Loot a water-logged DVD player in New Orleans after Katrina and you should be shot on the spot.

The fake world of finance is busted by the fake news of the Daily Show. Is anyone surprised?

Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest, Erickson

This is the Republican Party.

"We have a guy who ran a ponzi scheme that stole billions of dollars from people to fund God knows what. Granted the American people elected him President, but compare what Barack Obama is doing to what Bernie Madoff did and I fail to see a substantial difference beyond Obama having a “mandate” from voters and Madoff not having one. Both Madoff and Obama have put people out of work. Both Madoff and Obama have destroyed the financial health of lots of people. Both Madoff’s and Obama’s schemes have convoluted accounting schemes designed to obfuscate the criminal mismanagement of other people’s money. The difference is that Madoff did it to powerful billionaires who are now millionaires. Obama did it to the rest of us," - Erick Erickson, Redstate.

Obama has destroyed so much according to this genius. I guess Bush has done nothing. The $1 trillion Bush spent on wars, while racking up the most debt ever, that's sound finance. It's that damn Obama, after 50 days in office, who fucked it all up. Obama forced Bush to buy Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, he forced Bush to federalize the banks and buy up AIG last year.

Madoff's ponzi scheme is the same as the President, Vice-President, the 535 members of Congress and the collective millions in local and State governments acting under the Constitution, enforced by the Supreme Courts and thousands of State and local courts? That is crystal clear, Erick. You don't even have to explain it to me.

And throwing around "criminal" as if Bush and Cheney will not be history's poster boys for illegal activities while in office. Well played.

Erick, even your audience of social and financial cretins deserves better.

Source: Andrew Sullivan

Jon Stewart:Jim Cramer as Bill Moyers:Tim Russert

Great article on how Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer compares to Tim Russert and Bill Moyers on the build up to the Iraq War.

First, last night:

"That's the heart of the (completely justifiable) attack on Cramer and CNBC by Stewart. They would continuously put scheming CEOs on their shows, conduct completely uncritical "interviews" and allow them to spout wholesale falsehoods. And now that they're being called upon to explain why they did this, their excuse is: Well, we were lied to. What could we have done? And the obvious answer, which Stewart repeatedly expressed, is that people who claim to be "reporters" are obligated not only to provide a forum for powerful people to make claims, but also to then investigate those claims and then to inform the public if the claims are true. That's about as basic as it gets."

There are more specifics in Greenwald's Iraq War comparison, but this sums it up:

"It's fine to praise Jon Stewart for the great interview he conducted and to mock and scoff at Jim Cramer and CNBC. That's absolutely warranted. But just as was true for Judy Miller (and her still-celebrated cohort, Michael Gordon), Jim Cramer isn't an aberration. What he did and the excuses he offered are ones that are embraced as gospel to this day by most of our establishment press corps, and to know that this is true, just look at what they do and say about their roles. But at least Cramer wants to appear to be contrite for the complicit role he played in disseminating incredibly destructive and false claims from the politically powerful. That stands in stark contrast to David Gregory, Charlie Gibson, Brian Williams, David Ignatius and most of their friends, who continue to be defiantly and pompously proud of the exact same role they play."

Source: Glenn Greenwald

Mark Sanford: The Evil Ploy To Turn Down $700 Million

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is a dick. His state is suffering high unemployment, needs all the Federal help it can and NOW is the time the Republican wants to lower spending? In his world, the rich don't have enough money and the poor have too much.

Watch this CNN video featuring SC's Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the student invited by President Obama to the White House. It puts a face on the mind-numbingly stupid attack on education Gov. Sanford has imposed on his state.



Via The Washington Monthly

"he's spectacularly wrong. Sanford wants to reject $700 million from the federal government. As a consequence, 7,500 teachers would lose their jobs (and they, in turn, would spend less money in their local economies); construction workers who might work on school repair will not get hired (and they, in turn, will not be able to spend money in their local economies); and students like Ty'Sheoma Bethea will stay in schools that are literally falling apart."

The state legislature will over-turn him and the state will get the money. This is all political posturing for a 2012 run at something. What an evil ploy. He puts his career ahead of his constituents.

Source: Washington Monthly

Ricky Gervais And Elmo: Keeping It Real

Ricky Gervais and Elmo outtakes from Sesame Street. I smell a new TV show.

"Do you know what necrophilia is?"

Source: Videogum.com

Michael Steele's Plan B

The RNC's Michael Steele looking for a new job that's a little less wack, baby.

Ari Fleischer: Selling His Soul A Third Time

What use does Ari Fleischer have?

He did his job for Bush, selling wars, hiding facts, even having a moment of clarity post-Bush admitting the war was a mistake. By selling his soul two times amid his high-profile career, he must be well off. Right? What, can't find a job?

Now he is selling his soul a third time on the pundit-circuit trying to pump up his old boss. Dude, no need. You worked for the worst...president...ever.

Watching this interview with Chris Matthews is painful. Ari has such a incredibly wrong perception of what he did that he is in full denial mode: never admitting a problem, attacking those who question him, lying about the past, making up stories to rationalize his poor behavior. It's clinical.

The snide remarks about getting intel in August 2001 about an impending attack by Bin Laden: yeah we knew, but it didn't say when or where. Did you even ask those questions? No.

That is a huge problem for conservatives. I'm not saying you have to walk the Earth, cowering is shame as you should. Just don't make up shit about the Bush years. Bush was the worst, he handled every crisis in the worst way, oversaw the destruction of the global economy, two countries and an entire US city. Bush's social and class warfare, vis a vis Karl Rove, will go down as the low point in US history.

For any of the conservative movement to think about the future, they must come to grips with their past. Just because you sucked in the biggest way under Bush does not mean you always have to. Scott McClellan manned up. But as is your nature, you hate the truth as much as you hate hard work. Why atone when you can attack the messenger by sending Ari "Me, Shameful?" Fleischer to take on the press. Must feel good sending a guy from 2003 to fight your credibility crusade.

As Borat would say, "bad for you, good for me". The Democrats will enjoy years of power thanks to your denial regarding your systemic shortcomings. Thanks, Ari.

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

Source: HuffPo

Meghan McCain: The GOP Short Bus Has Arrived

Meghan McCain on Rachel Maddow last night. It's nice that she is taking on mental and social Neanderthals like Ann Coulter, but talk about "fame, fame fatal fame, it can play hideous tricks on the brain".

Her gushing "I've done so much!" gets pretty annoying around the third time.

As for the future of the Republican Party, watch at 3:50 on. At 4:20 she should just walk off the stage. Once you get past her cult of personality, "I've been blogging since I was a kid" cuteness, when asked one simple question about GOP policy, her head almost explodes. She is honest, I'll give her that, admitting she does not understand economics despite trying to read about it [I wonder who she inherited that trait from?], but she sort of sums up what the Republican brand is all about: it's the "eww, I'm not a liberal" but some of my best friends are meets my Mommy and Daddy are rich and I can't explain my principles or even grasp what real life problem solving is.

Fellow short bus rider Ann Coulter is licking her chops as the GOP races to the bottom.

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

Source: Rachel Maddow

D.L. Hughley: Frank Schaeffer Laments The Current GOP

Frank Schaeffer laments what his father Francis Schaeffer and the Religious Right started.

Funny how these guys who were instrumental to the formation of the movement in the 60's have to do a 180 to the present day GOP. I feel for conservatives who have to follow their current Republican politicians.

Calls the Republicans "the loud drunk guys on the subway". Classic.

The Anti-Pelosi Strategy FAIL

The GOP strategy to attack Pelosi because Obama is just too popular is paying off. For the Democrats. A four-year high!

The more Rush, Boehner and Cantor the better.

Bristol Palin Pre-empts Eventual Jerry Springer Show

And now we have this to deal with?!

Seems Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston have had enough of trying to pretend they like each other and have called off their marriage. It's nice having a choice, isn't it?

Levi's sister, Mercede Johnston, told Star: "Bristol's just crazy. That's the nicest way I can put it. She and Levi actually broke up a while ago!"

All that homespun sex ed and their religious beliefs of raising children in a family sure speaks volumes of certain wacked-out Alaskan governors.

With her first two kids as high school drop-outs and one of them a single parent living at home, good thing Sarah Palin is not the kind of person who routinely assassinates other people's character.

Source: Radar

45 Percent Of World's Wealth Destroyed

Thank you conservative love of deregulation, underfunding the SEC and letting corporations run your party. And thank you Alan Greenspan. I digress.

Blackstone Group LP CEO Stephen Schwarzman said on Tuesday that up to 45 percent of the world's wealth has been destroyed by the global credit crisis.

"Between 40 and 45 percent of the world's wealth has been destroyed in little less than a year and a half," Schwarzman told an audience at the Japan Society. "This is absolutely unprecedented in our lifetime."

People worked just as hard, it's that the financial world and Wall St invented risky new investments and sold them around the world. Greed blinded everyone, but Schwarzman is calling out a particular group in this massive web of greed and deception.

He put part of the blame for the financial crisis to credit rating agencies.

"What's pretty clear is that, if you were looking for one culprit out of the many, many, many culprits, you have to point your finger at the rating agencies," he said.

Rating companies have been the focus of intense criticism for their role in granting top "AAA" ratings for complex bonds that later plummeted in value, resulting in subsequent rating cuts, in many cases to junk status.

"Once you bought into ... the Triple A paper and it turned out to be paper that was in many situations going to end up defaulting, then you really had the makings of a global problem," he said.

You then have to add mark-to-market accounting, made popular by Enron, of asking banks and other financial institutions to price assets at a value related to how they would be sold in the open market. When those prices are over-valued in a bubble, almost fictitious, the house of cards begins to implode once real prices of homes drop.

The fact that so many different industries blindly played this mortgage game is staggering. The hard work of many was wiped out by easy schemes of a few.

Source: Reuters

Opiate Of The Masses Waning

I guess priests raping young children has a negative effect.

"When it comes to religion, the USA is now land of the freelancers.

The percentage. of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation. The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers — or falling off the faith map completely."

Right on the heels of science making a come back. The days of Rapture as foreign policy are over, too. We are approaching freedom from religion, not just freedom of religion.



Source: USA Today

Bush Interviews Bush

Bush interviews Bush thanks to Will Farrell.

You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W Bush comes to HBO on March 14.

You're Welcome America: Wood

Wall Street Used Main Street, Let's Get That Straight

Money manager Peter Schiff is one of the only guys who called the financial crisis we are in years ago. Check out youtube and see him on Fox News in 2006 when the Fox hosts were making fun of him.

So I tend to check out his Euro Pacific Capital website to hear what he has to say. He tends to call it like it is. But I take his latest as just too simple:

"The president claims that his constituency is Main Street, not Wall Street. But for all the scorn heaped on the “fat cats,” we must remember that it took two to tango. Sure, Wall Street loaned out too much money, but it was Main Street that borrowed it. Average Americans used the windfall for the biggest shopping binge in world history. As a result our entire economy has been transformed from one based on savings and production to one based on borrowing and consumption."

Americans borrow too much. I get that.

Did Main Street package the mortgages, sell them around the world as securities, then invent derivatives and other risky instruments like credit default swaps, and force the big banks and investment houses to load up on all these risks? No, Wall Street did that.

Peter forgets that the Fed keep interest rates low for far too long. The Government let the derivatives markets go unregulated. Mortgages from across the country were allowed to be bundled to obscure the risk ratings, then sold as AAA rated to investors around the world. All that collusion, all those fees generated along the way, all the risk insured? Main Street did that?

Say I bought a house I couldn't afford at $100,000. I end up walking away from the house because the ARM got too high. At the same time the house depreciated by 40% and is now worth $60,000. Is that why Merril Lynch went under? Is that why AIG is bailed out. Is that why Lehman Brothers is gone? It's not like these companies had bad years and earnings are off. They don't exist anymore!

Mortgages became a new currency when cash was not good enough. The mortgages were made so easy to get because the holders of the debt could leverage it 20 to 30 times. Some big companies were allowed 40 times. It amounts to trillions of dollars in paper that simply have no value once a mortgage is defaulted or a company goes bust.

That is why we are in the mess we are in. The naive person buying the unaffordable house was part of the problem, but the much much bigger aspect was what was done by Wall St.

For Peter to say "two to tango" is disingenuous.

Source: Peter Schiff

The GOP: Taking "The Least I Could Do" Next Level

If politics were sports and Congress was the Major Leagues, the GOP is your local vocational high school's JV team. Yeah, they play, but they suck and have way too much attitude.

From the World Bank:

"The global economy is likely to shrink this year for the first time since World War Two, with growth at least 5 percentage points below potential. World Bank forecasts show that global industrial production by the middle of 2009 could be as much as 15 percent lower than levels in 2008. World trade is on track in 2009 to record its largest decline in 80 years, with the sharpest losses in East Asia."

The Republicans' response, eschewing any hard work, think the government should "go on a diet", a spending freeze. Let things fail.

The Dems have to be bipartisan with that?

Source: World Bank

Karl Rove: Maybe Bush Bought Your Shit, We Don't

David Schuster rips the whining Karl Rove.

It gets so bad that Rove complains about the Bush tax cuts expiring next year, despite Bush being the one who signed the law letting them expire in 2010. Obama is FOLLOWING Bush's law. So Rove designed the policy, and now complains that Obama is following it.

Karl, how does it feel to be meaningless? Zero value. A functioning moron.

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

Bush Added To Endangered List. Extinction Soon?

Obama chooses science. The Republican Dark Ages are over. Bush added to endangered species list.

From tiny embryonic cells to the large-scale physics of global warming, President Barack Obama urged researchers on Monday to follow science and not ideology as he abolished contentious Bush-era restraints on stem-cell research. "Our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values," Obama declared as he signed documents changing U.S. science policy and removing what some researchers have said were shackles on their work.

"It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology," Obama said.

I'll take facts, not faith, any day. Religion was great for explaining things to uneducated people 2000 years ago through the personification of unknowns and metaphors. The Sun and the 12 Zodiacs of the Egyptians became the Son and the 12 Apostles of Christianity. The "stories" are all borrowed, never to be verified.

Which is the exact opposite of science which has be be verified.

When I go to a hospital, religion is not going to operate and save me. Science is. And the research on stem cells is going to save even more people. Obama is making it possible for millions of people to live better lives. And it can be verified.

Funny enough, Nancy Reagan gives stem cells the thumbs up. Which means by the "associative property/the wife wears the pants rule", Ron Reagan is for it, as well.

Source: HuffPo

Derivatives Are The Bets That Broke All The Banks

We all know why Tim Geithner is going so slow. The news is devastating. The major banks are dead men walking.

"America's five largest banks, which already have received $145 billion in taxpayer bailout dollars, still face potentially catastrophic losses from exotic investments if economic conditions substantially worsen, their latest financial reports show.

Citibank, Bank of America, HSBC Bank USA, Wells Fargo Bank and J.P. Morgan Chase reported that their "current" net loss risks from derivatives — insurance-like bets tied to a loan or other underlying asset — surged to $587 billion as of Dec. 31. Buried in end-of-the-year regulatory reports that McClatchy has reviewed, the figures reflect a jump of 49 percent in just 90 days."

There is no easy way out, but what is most annoying is the same conservative people who wanted the government out of the markets are the loudest ones criticizing that the government has not done enough or has not done it exactly the way you want. Face it, you don't know much, you rode your fake capitalism into the ground, now step back and shut up.

Source: McClatchy

David Koechner as Rush Limbaugh

David Koechner as Rush Limbaugh. Has the voice down, but could have been funnier.

Rush Limbaugh addresses the nation... - watch more funny videos