Today on DT: Obama sells out, Rendell says something dumb (and possibly sexist), and Ron learns about the Grammys
So far here's what we know about Barack Obama: He's appointed a mostly centrist cabinet, he's backed off promises to enact a windfall profits tax on oil companies and to get rid of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, and now it looks like the "residual" force he plans to leave in Iraq might no be so residual. At what point has he sold out?
Today we have a double dose of moronicity. White House spokesperson Dana Perino couldn't explain why Bush opposes the cluster bomb treaty. And PA Governor Ed Rendell made some comments about Homeland Security Secretary nominee Janet Napolitano that were not very nice. He basically said it was good that she was unmarried and had no kids, cause that way she could devote enough time to the new job. Turns out he didn't realize a mic was on. Doh! Of course what can we expect from a Philadelphia Eagles fan? (Sorry, my bias is showing here.)
And we'll play Kuby v. Kuby. At issue: How much money is too much money for a company to have to pay someone who sues them? The Supreme Court may decide just that as they discuss the case of the Oregon woman who won an $80 million judgement from Philip Morris.
Finally, we'll have some fun. Is that okay? We'll talk about Eliot Spitzer's new advice column (seriously), Australian politicians taking breathalyzers, and the Grammy nominations.
Tune in. Call in. And now, tweet! That's right, we've got a Doing Time Twitter stream, check it out.
Broken promises
Betrayed is not actually a good way to describe what is going on with Obama when you keep in mind that he campaigned for Lieberman. If you read between the lines of his campaign, you could have figured out that this was going to happen. Remember what Samantha Power said?
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0308/Power_on_Obamas_Iraq_plan_be...
March 07, 2008
Power on Obama's Iraq plan: "best case scenario"
For all the chatter about Obama adviser Samantha Power's calling Clinton a "monster," another set of remarks made on her book tour in the United Kingdom may be equally threatening to the Obama campaign: Comments in a BBC interview that express a lack of confidence that Obama will be able to carry through his plan to withdraw troops from Iraq within 16 months.
"He will, of course, not rely on some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator," she said at one point in the interview.
Power downplayed Obama's commitment to quick withdrawal from Iraq on Hard Talk, a program that often exceeds any of the U.S. talk shows in the rigor of its grillings. She was challenged on Obama's Iraq plan, as it appears on his website, which says that Obama "will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months."
"What he’s actually said, after meting with the generals and meeting with intelligence professionals, is that you – at best case scenario – will be able to withdraw one to two combat brigades each month. That’s what they’re telling him. He will revisit it when he becomes president," Power says.
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By lproyectDecember 4, 2008 - 3:20pmThe Right To Damages in Court
One of the only remaining bulwarks against corporate and state crime, greed and corruption is the right of ordinary americans to go to court and sue for money damages.
The threat of money damages in court is what forces corporations and everybody to be careful about what they do.
Think of all the lives and millions of dollars tobacco companies have cost this country, with tobacco deaths, illnesses, and medical costs.
Being able to go to court and sue and the protections of our constitution (trial by jury of civil actions is enshrined in the constitution) is what has and always made this country great. If we buy the insurance company line about the McDonalds coffee (that verdict was reduced by an appellate court by the way, and the woman was really hurt) you take away our freedom.
Don't give in to the Dark Side Luke.
el
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By Elliot LewisDecember 4, 2008 - 3:40pmChris is right
Rendell's comments about Napolitano weren't sexist at all. If anything they were just derisive about the position. Chris is right. Bringing up the fact that she's female and trying to make this sexist is the really sexist part of this mess.
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By xntricpunkDecember 4, 2008 - 4:28pmRon is right
Of course Ron is right, we're talking about a female. If it was male we wouldn't even be having the conversation! Marilyn from Florida, wife of Hippi
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By MarilynforobamaDecember 4, 2008 - 4:31pmSexist
It might be a sexist comment... but I also agree it's kind of an assumption. It's not something he meant to be aired either, so it's hard to say "it's never said about men". Who knows, maybe it has? I know people are glad I have no life and can do my support job more often than others.
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By the_captainDecember 4, 2008 - 4:30pmPalanquin
Never heard of a howdah, but how about "palanquin"?
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By the_captainDecember 4, 2008 - 4:59pmA Question
Why wouldn't the statement by Gov. Rendell be equally applicable to a man as to a woman?
You could say the same thing about a bachelor without a wife or family. So I do not see the comment as sexist.
However, perhaps it could be taken as offensive by those of us who are unmarried without families. It doesn't feel good when co-workers who are married with children assume you couldn't or shouldn't mind coming in on Sunday. It sucks when you are constantly assigned tasks involving unpleasant hours because you are single without a family.
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By Elliot LewisDecember 4, 2008 - 5:11pmgrammy songs are vanilla and flat
it's all so generic sounding. really yuck. the nature of pop these days is just sooooo boring. hiphop, rock, soul, bluegrass, whatever... basically top 40 has nothing interesting or original to it now. has pop music always sucked this hard? I can remember despising the grammys in the past for not honoring true talent, but I thought maybe something worthy won once in a while. but, then again, I can also remember milly-vanilly winning a grammy, and that's basically what I hear in all the music Ron played today. where's the inspiration? where's the sharp social commentary? where's the innovation? happy I don't listen to the radio, I feel covered in blandness now after that segment and I think I need a bath
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By twirling fartknockerDecember 4, 2008 - 5:22pmMuch ado about nothing at all.
----------So far here's what we know about Barack Obama: He's appointed a mostly centrist cabinet, he's backed off promises to enact a windfall profits tax on oil companies and to get rid of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, and now it looks like the "residual" force he plans to leave in Iraq might no be so residual. At what point has he sold out?
I suspect there is not all that much "windfall profits tax" with the economy the way it is.
He already said he was going to let the Bush tax cuts "expire".
Iraq wants to sign an agreement for all US forces to pull out by 2011. That is only three years from now.
Obama isn't even president.
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By deanrddDecember 4, 2008 - 7:41pmRon said "OK, you don't want to raise taxes during a recession"
This is the meme that the right wing nuts are spreading, and Ron quoted that line without comment as if it was some sort of valid excuse when he was discussing Obama's reversal of campaign promises.
Ron, say something. Tell me you don't really believe it, because history shows it is a total lie. It is based on the assumption that if you give the wealthy as much money as possible, somehow it will trickle down to the masses. "Trickle down economics." What that really means is that the upper .1% of the richest are peeing on us peons. Get out your umbrella.
Thom Hartmann explained has explained detail the history of tax cuts over the last 100 years. A bubble and then a crash always follow large income tax cuts. Before the great Republican Depression of the 30's, there was a tax cut by Hoover, a housing bubble, and a crash. In the 80's, Reagan cut taxes on the wealthy; there was a bubble, then black Monday. There was the .com bubble and crash of the 90's, and of course, the current disaster.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&add...
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By shickDecember 7, 2008 - 9:08am