Recently in Politics Category

On Wednesday (January 13) Government Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein was questioned by FCIC chairman Phil Angelides about some, shall we say, less than ethical practices at Goldman. In essence what Goldman is accused of doing is selling securities as safe investments while at the same time betting their value would go down, Here is a portion of the transcript, from McClatchy:"PHIL ANGELIDES (the commission chairman): I want to ask you about a very specific...

There's a lot of good stuff coming out of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) hearings. In fact, it's starting to take on sort of a Watergate-y feel about it, or as George Costanza put it, it's like an onion, the more layers you peel back, the more it stinks. There is too much to cover in one post, so please indulge me. I hope you find it as interesting as I do. On Thursday...

The Conservative Case For Gay Marriage by Ted Olson is a must-read, no matter where you side on the issue.And I'm not just saying this because I agree with every word. :)Olson's article in Newsweek is a window into the case he is about to make against Proposition 8 in California.  It is a glimpse of the future and a shot across the bow of those who would use a tyranny of the majority to...

Some conservative bloggers and talking heads, including Glenn Beck and Newt Gingrich, have accused President Obama of "ceding American sovereignty" over an executive order granting Interpol the same immunities and privileges granted other public international organizations with offices here in the US.This practice is an outgrowth of Ronald Reagan granting Interpol immunity from prosecution for official acts and from lawsuits in 1983 and the culmination of a request lodged with the Bush Administration when Interpol...

Okay, it's a pathetic attempt to garner some attention via Bobby Flay's popular show, but the challenge is real nonetheless.When you watch the video below, bear in mind that this is a 16-y-o boy who is willing to give up a big chunk of time on a Saturday and who gets nothing in return except quality time with his mom ;-), the undying gratitude of a committed but overburdened staff at the Arthritis Foundation, and...

Vice President Joe Biden's Mom, Jean Biden, died on yesterday at age 92.  Then Senator Biden paid a touching tribute to her at the Democratic Convention last August in Denver.  Posted without further comment:Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy ...

As the search for an honest person in Washington, D.C. continues, there's no need to look inside the Department of Treasury. From Huffington Post (emphasis mine):"An arm of the Federal Reserve, then led by now-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, told bailed-out insurance giant AIG to withhold key details from the public about overpayments that put billions of extra tax dollars in the coffers of major Wall Street firms, most notably Goldman Sachs...The sordid tale unfolds in...

Stop the presses. President Obama has finally found something he is willing to fight for on health care reform. No, not the public option, but he didn't campaign on that anyway, or so he says. It's the 40% excise tax on benefits. Politico reported yesterday that the president delivered a "forceful" message to House Democrats that he "wants a final bill that includes a tax on Cadillac insurance plans." AP this morning says:"President Barack Obama...

Ping pong, anyone? With much of the national attention focused on the underpants bomber, the White House, the Senate, and the House are preparing for a game of three-way table tennis, as they work on the final version of the health care reform bill. Well it's not really 3-way, it's the White House and the Senate on one side, and the House on the other. I wonder how that's going to turn out? All this...

Do you ever look at how members of Congress vote on any particular issue, health care reform for example, and wonder, what are they thinking? How can they be so out of touch and out of step with the majority of Americans? This might clear it up for you:"The Center for Responsive Politics released a study which found that, while only one percent of all Americans are millionaires, 44 percent of congressional members [237 out...