Archive for March, 2008

Sunday, March 30th, 2008

Weathered The Storm, He Has

(You have to read that headline in the voice of Yoda for it to make sense)…
Well, it looks like Obama has passed the moment of crisis.  There is no doubt that the Wright affair was a very big deal, indeed - it may not have looked like much on the surface, but it snowballed quickly […]

3 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, 2008 Polls, Democratic Candidates by Mark

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Thursday, March 27th, 2008

As Promised, Bear Sterns

It’s hard to take a consistent stand on principle when things are going badly…and this economy of ours faces some real big-time challenges of a sort that could quickly tip into ‘major disaster’ area. So while I oppose government intervention in private markets in principle, what is one to make of the Fed’s unprecedented […]

6 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs by Mark

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Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

On Bailouts, In General and Particular

It is, quite simply, wrong for government to bail out homeowners who are facing foreclosure in the tough credit markets that have followed the subprime meltdown. Inhumane? Perhaps…it’s gut-wrenching to watch people lose their homes. But if the market for mortgages is to have any meaning, the notion of ‘risk’ must be matched […]

15 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs by Mark

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Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

No Crisis In Social Security? Tell That To The Trustees

One of the odder political transformations of recent times has been the newfound disdain the American left has for the notion that Social Security is in trouble. One needn’t look far for the reason - as Paul Krugman neatly explains here, it’s because the notion of privatization had gained traction, so the natural response […]

32 Comments » - Posted in Domestic Affairs, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots®, NY Times/Media Watch by Mark

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Monday, March 24th, 2008

News Of The Weird

A review of my Sitemeter logs reveals that the number one result when a person Googles the phrase “why do i break out in certain areas in my face” points to this blog…I don’t know whether to laugh or cry…but try it yourself!…

No Comments » - Posted in Navel-Gazing by Mark

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Monday, March 24th, 2008

I’ll Mark You Down As Unimpressed

The great Hitchens delivers another one of those patented rejoinders, this time to the Obama speech on Wright and race:
It’s been more than a month since I began warning Sen. Barack Obama that he would become answerable for his revolting choice of a family priest. But never mind that; the astonishing thing is that it’s […]

16 Comments » - Posted in Hitchens the Great, Barack Obama, Democratic Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

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Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

That’s What I Said!

Here was my official write-off of Hillary Clinton on March 8th:
Every analysis I have seen indicates that Barack Obama will lead the delegate race going into the convention. This holds true even if Hillary gets a do-over in Michigan and Florida. And the Democratic Party simply cannot afford the long-term […]

18 Comments » - Posted in Navel-Gazing, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Democratic Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

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Thursday, March 20th, 2008

Momentum Or Not…

…with the collapse of the Florida and Michigan revotes, it becomes nearly impossible for Hillary Clinton to execute her ‘legitimacy’ campaign.  Adam Nagourney notes her options are narrowing:
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton needs three breaks to wrest the Democratic presidential nomination from Senator Barack Obama in the view of her advisers.
She has to defeat Mr. Obama […]

12 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Democratic Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

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Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

I Have Read The Transcript Of Obama’s ‘Race’ Speech…

…and I have just finished watching the actual clip.  Here are my thoughts:
First, all credit is due to Obama for mentioning Wright by name, not once, not twice, but numerous times.  He surely didn’t try to hide the reason he felt the need for his remarks. The key passage here:
I have already condemned, in unequivocal […]

12 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, 2008 News, Democratic Candidates by Mark

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Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

I Have Much To Say About The Obama Speech…

…but events conspired against me today.  I will be a day late, but not, I hope, a dollar short.  I do think it was an important, substantive speech, and it deserves commenting at length, forthcoming soon…

No Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, 2008 News, Democratic Candidates by Mark

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Monday, March 17th, 2008

Florida Makes It Official: No Do-Over

From CNN:
After weeks of negotiations, the Florida Democratic Party said Monday it will not hold a second primary in the state.
The state party’s leaders have been seeking a way to have Florida’s delegation seated at the Democratic National Convention.
“We researched every potential alternative process — from caucuses to county conventions to mail-in elections — but […]

26 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, 2008 News, Democratic Candidates by Mark

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Sunday, March 16th, 2008

Let’s Put A Fork In This One

Okay, Obama’s pastor is a certified fear-mongering conspiracy theorist kook, but here’s what Obama said in an op-ed:
…I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies. I also believe that […]

39 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, 2008 News, Democratic Candidates by Mark

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Saturday, March 15th, 2008

War With Iran Is Immiment - Or Maybe Not

I’m late on highlighting this, but with the resignation of Admiral Fallon, top military man in the Middle East, last week, tongues started wagging again about our plans re:Iran. Widely quoted was this Terry Atlas U.S. News piece giving six reasons we may be going to war with Iran.
In the Washington Post, William Arkin […]

6 Comments » - Posted in Israel, Iran, Iraq, Foreign Affairs by Mark

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Thursday, March 13th, 2008

Florida “Mail-In” Do-Over Close To Dead

Here’s the latest:
Florida Democrats on Thursday proposed a vote-by-mail presidential primary to solve the high-stakes delegate dispute while acknowledging the plan’s chances are slim.
Democrats in Florida and Michigan have been struggling to come up with an alternative to ensure their delegates are seated at the national convention this summer after the party punished them for […]

4 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, 2008 News, Democratic Candidates by Mark

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Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

‘Kristen’ Revealed

Well, the whole world knows who Client #9 is - and now we know who ‘Kristen’ is.
Go ahead, look, get down in the gutter a little - you know you want to.
I’ll still respect you in the morning…honest…(’Kristen’ gets bonus points for being a former Austin resident - but I guess we didn’t move in […]

16 Comments » - Posted in Donkeys, Celebrities / Pop Culture / Sports by Mark

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Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

Mississippi Goes To Obama

No surprise at all there…but CNN is also reporting that Obama officially got more delegates out of Texas than Clinton:

Obama will also finish first in the Texas Democratic caucuses, which were held last week.
He will get more delegates out of the state than rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, who won the state’s primary.

Now don’t hold […]

13 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, 2008 News, Democratic Candidates by Mark

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Monday, March 10th, 2008

A Do-Over? On What Grounds?

I was on record, at the time of the Florida primary, as follows:
Hillary wins big…considering that no one else campaigned in the state due to the DNC stripping Florida’s delegates, this is the biggest non-story of the night…however, if Michigan and Florida’s delegates end up getting seated somehow, Hillary is going to look like a […]

19 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Donkeys, Hillary Clinton, Democratic Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

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Sunday, March 9th, 2008

Brookings Institution: Iraq Is Making Political Progress, Too

The latest liberal talking point on Iraq goes something like this: sure, the surge worked, militarily (as if they had said that at the beginning, instead of arguing that more troops would lead to even greater violence), but Iraq has made zero progress politically, so it’s been a waste, and yes, we should bring the […]

16 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Iraq, John McCain, Democratic Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

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Saturday, March 8th, 2008

Hillary Will Withdraw, Eventually…

…but not any time soon.  She is a Clinton, she plays tough, she has a lot of pride, and she feels entitled to the nomination.  But mark my words, she WILL withdraw.
There is simply no choice.  Every analysis I have seen indicates that Barack Obama will lead the delegate race going into the convention.  This […]

17 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Democratic Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

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Thursday, March 6th, 2008

Once More, With Feeling

Yes, I know, I know, another post about economics…but trade policy is shaping up to be a major (perhaps THE major) theme of the 2008 election (a sign of how much better things are in Iraq these days, and how bad the current economic picture is). I’ve made my stance on unfettered free trade […]

8 Comments » - Posted in Barack Obama, Progressive Nonsense / Nutroots®, Hillary Clinton, Democratic Candidates, Election 2008 by Mark

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