Electronic Writer

Representative Barney Frank is getting the word out about the economy, and has a few things to say in rebuttle to the negative press.  Watch this:


Also, Rep. Frank will be joining Crooks and Liars for a live chat about the state of the economy tomorrow at 3pm. Come and join it! That is COOL!

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has created an online tool to help the members of the Republican Party generate apologies to the almighty Rush Limbaugh.  The controversy is provided by Rush Limbaugh openly hoping on his national radio program that President Obama fails in with his stimulus package and pulling the country out of the recession (he obviously still has a job, health insurance and plenty of food in his cupboards).  The apology generator was created by Democrats only a few days after Republican-party criticism against Rush Limbaugh was rescinded by: Congressman Phil Gingery (R-GA), Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC), and RNC Chairman, Michael Steel. (Here’s a whole list of articles at USA Today about it).

I think the apology generator is an ingenious invention.  While having fun and tinkering with the options, I can see what it feels like to be a member of the modern day Republican Party–forced to swallow the ill-concieved and self-centered rhetoric of a few loud-mouth, evangelical wing-nuts as if it were medicine and somehow good for me.  Free will be gone.  It’s the party-line, or it’s nothing.

Rush Limbaugh Apology Generator:  http://www.dccc.org/content/sorry

A great friend of mine sent me a link to a funny video clip just after the third Presidential debate, and I had to laugh at the similarities of the Penguin’s campaign tactics to the McCain campaign.  NOT John McCain himself, but rather Steve Schmidt and by proxy, the tactics of Karl Rove.

So, watch and see: Lie about the truth, sling as much mud as you can, use the Palin-effect at least one time during your presentation, and use technical difficulties to the disadvantage of your opponent.

I suppose that the Penguin was “running a campaign to win.”

After a much needed break, I am back for the last few weeks before the magical election day.  While time is short, there are a few noteworthy videos circulating around these days, like the one below.

This is a very funny Video from MoveOn.org where college-age voters are having a nice discussion with their parents about not voting for McCain.  Make sure you watch until the very end . . . it is funny.

Matt Damon talked about it last week: Sarah Palin as Vice President is like a bad Disney movie.

For those of you who wanted to see it, ask, and you shall receive.  The film producers at College Humor have put together the trailer for that bad Disney movie, and it’s called Head of Skate.

Grab your popcorn!  It’s time to go to the movies and laugh, thanks again to the Republican Party, at the SKATE of America  (Get it?  SKATE of America).

Are you ready to watch the Vice Presidential debate tonight between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden?

You may have your pizza lined up.  You may have your refrigerator stocked with your 6-pack (you are a Joe 6-pack kinda guy/gal, too).  You may have the Cheetos ready for the snack bowl.  What’s missing, you may ask?

No one is fully ready for the Vice Presidential Debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden until you have printed your Palin Bingo cards!

With all of the buzzwords, talking points, and just plain gibberish that she continues to recycle, some great minds put together a game called Palin Bingo.  Each person prints a card and marks off the squares as Palin utters the buzzwords.

Sample Palin Bingo card.

There are 4 cards to choose from, and even a template to make your own!

Download your Palin Bingo cards and play today >>

PS. Give em hell, Joe!

Although once famed for having fell asleep in the front row of High School Economics, I have developed some ideas about the current economic crisis.  And, while I am no economic genius, my ideas are simply good for America.  The best part is these are not dependent upon any politician—they are behaviors that we can adopt that will be good for ourselves, and other Americans.

Stop Buying Chinese-made Products: Buy American

I don’t mean to seem prejudicial.  Personally, I think China is an amazing country.  The reality is that China’s unprecedented growth has caused a lack of oversight that is dangerous.  This is similar to the turn of the last century for the United States where people were literally dying in the gears of industry, factories were producing food without any food safety and oversight, and, of course, the lack of the economic oversight on Wall Street led to the First Great Depression.

The recent melamine findings are very troubling in China.  According to the articles, a single food producer was angry because of a government-related legislation change.  In order to recover the money that he lost, he began putting melamine into his milk.  The chemical is used in creating plastic and simulates high levels of nitrogen which is a by-product of protein rich milk—and, how the Chinese government officials test to ensure that the milk was not watered down.  The melamine enabled him to water down the milk and sell a larger volume than he had produced, and fool the Chinese officials.

The downside, which he either did not know or did not care, is that it is deadly.  There are more than 54,000 babies that have become sick from the melamine and several have died from kidney stones.  Adults can ingest more than children, but it is not good for us either.  In China, certain brands of baby formula used the tainted milk.  Some brands of powdered milk have melamine in them—which means that they have the tainted milk in their product.  Cadbury, the British candy manufacturer has recalled bunches of their chocolate because there are exceedingly high levels of melamine, and quite possibly, the kidney stone-producing medical affects in their candy bars.  US manufacturers are concerned and have begun testing their products for traces of the poison.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case.  People were being poisoned by tainted tubes of toothpaste made in China as recently as last year.  Over 1400 people were sick from salmonella on tomatoes from a farm in Mexico as recently as May of 2008, and there are plenty of other examples.

My point is not to describe the business sector of China and their struggles as they globalize, but rather to focus on home.  Turn to the labels of your t-shirts—even the ones with American Flags on them.  Do they say Made in China? Hecho en Mexico?  Made in Bangladesh?  Or Made in America?

One part of the solution to American economic crisis is about trade—it is a long-range solution (although we might see the direct effects SOONER than we see any of that off-shore oil).  Buy American made products.  The corporations that buy globally do so for one reason: price.  There are few places on earth that can surpass the quality of American-made products.  Price-wise, we are beaten by third-world countries every time, but the by-products of this are clear.

American-made Products may be More Expensive

American-made products cost more in-part because of American minimum wage laws, the expectations of high standards of living, and America has a high level of oversight in most industries.  The good news is that our milk is NOT getting past the FDA and causing 50,000+ babies to have kidney stones.  Not to say that our record is completely unblemished, but in general, our inspection procedures and safety standards allow for a reasonable level of comfort with the quality and safety of American-made and American-grown products

While your safety may be one good reason for you to buy American-made/grown things, the effects on the economy are quite clear.  Your purchase of an American-made T-shirt, for example, will pay American shirt makers, the cotton growers, the teamsters who transported both the cotton and the finished shirts, and either the delivery drivers if the final printed shirt was shipped to you, or the retailer (and all the Sales Associates, Janitors, the local electric company, etc.) if you bought it at a store.

Talk with your dollars.  All of those Americans that you have touched with your dollars will have a little bit more money to feed their families (or, their companies will stay in business longer and can continue to provide health insurance for their employees and their families).  This is undulterated Keynesian Economics (I must have woken up for that part of my High School Economics course).

For example, there is a direct connection between the closing of American car factories, and you purchasing a Honda or Toyota.  The auto industry is a bit more slippery because many of the car companies have manufacturing plants in America (Honda, and Daimler-Chrysler, for example), but ultimately, the owners of those companies buy their groceries in another country.

Don’t give the profits to foreign companies—let’s spread the dollars around here.  We could use them right now.  And, this is my first step toward recovery from the American Economic Crisis (the politician-free method).

More on my Economic Recovery Plan tomorrow . . . .

This video clip of Sarah Palin (Sarah Heath) in the Swimsuit Competition for Miss Alaska in 1984 is simply too good to omit.

I am sure that the McCain Campaign saw all of this footage during their “vetting” process, and I am equally sure that Putan and other world leaders will find it amusing . . . but feel that they are on equal footing during complex global negotiations.

One heartbeat away . . . .

When the conservative commentaries start to ask for their candidates resignation, the situation is bad.

Kathleen Parker is a conversative commentator, and a self-admitted fan of Sarah Palin—at first.  The message that she has now is quite different.  She argues that is Sarah Palin loves her party, and loves her country, that she needs to step down because she is “out of her league.”

Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.

Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there’s not much content there.

Take heed.  This is an example of the conservatives taking a big bite of humble pie.

Kathleen Parker had said earlier in the month that Sarah Palin is a “perfect storm of God, Mom and apple pie.”  Less than a month later to change her opinion is quite a flip-flop, or perhaps this is damage control for a political party staring a losing strategy in the face (lies, lies, and more lies–say whatever you have to to win).

Or, perhaps Sarah Palin is too religious (her relationship with her Pentecostal church is a bit too probelematic) and that she is too quick to be decisive–often times without enough information.  In fact, her behavior might be mildly reminiscent of the guy who got us into this place to begin with . . . .

On a more base level, perhaps Republicans are realizing that their candidate is lying to them . . . and don’t want to be inplicated.

Regardless of what the reasons may be, this is the first conservative calling for what the liberals have generally understood about Palin–she was a game changer to win ratings and votes, and McCain’s campaign managers didn’t care much about the consequences . . . .

Read the entire CNN Article >>

Read the Kathleen Park Commentary published in the National Review >>

In a CBS interview, Matt Damon gives a pretty precise run-down about the Sarah Palin.  The actuary calculations for McCain surviving his first term are less than 30%–a 70% or greater chance that Sarah Palin would become President of the United States.

Matt Damon says that he wants to know if she thinks that dinosaurs were created 4000 years ago (she is a creationist, and depending upon which brand of creationism, 4000 years ago might be the date when she believes God created the world).  He explains simply that she is going to have the nuclear codes–and, that we have the right to know if she beleives in dinosaurs being created 4000 years ago or not . . . .

Frightening stuff . . . .