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Here’s the problem with the deregulation talking point: it’s just not true. WJC fought for and signed NAFTA. More to the point, WJC signed repeal of Glass-Steagall, which had erected barriers between commercial banks, investment banks, mortgage lenders, and insurance companies. The consequence?: We bailed out AIG because its investment banking arm, AIG Financial Products, entered into a ton of derivatives and credit default swaps that went bad and threatened to take the whole company under. That could never have happened if Glass-Steagall was still on the books.

By the way, I supported WJC on the repeal of Glass-Steagall. And as WJC recently noted, he doesn’t think the repeal directly led to the crisis, because he thought the specific industry regulators would do their jobs. But they didn’t. And a lot of that has to do with Congress, including Democrats. Congressional Democrats resisted greater regulation of Fannie and Freddie, and sidelined efforts to regulate derivatives and hedge funds.

So there’s blame all the way round. Financial deregulation in the modern era may well have started under Reagan, but Democrats also proved to be quite adept at it.

also from Politico

The White House’s new message plan:
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“The party of NO” I heard Rep. Weener this morning playing that tired song about Obama creating an economy “like England in the 20′s and France in the 30′s”… aka “socialism” it’s getting really OLD.

The White House’s new message plan:

Beginning Sunday, the White House will harness every part of the Democratic Party’s machinery to defend President Obama’s budget and portray Republicans as reflexively political, according to party strategists.

A participant in the planning meetings described the push as a successor to Democrats’ message that Rush Limbaugh is the Republican Party leader. “We have exhausted the use of Rush as an attention-getter,” the official said.

David Plouffe, manager of Obama’s presidential race, helped design the strategy, which includes the most extensive activation since November of the campaign’s grassroots network. The database—which includes information for at least 10 million donors, supporters and volunteers—will now be used as a unique tool for governing, with former canvassers now being enlisted to mobilize support for the president’s legislative agenda.

Others involved in the planning included White House senior adviser David Axelrod; the DNC chairman, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine; and DNC Executive Director Jennifer O’Malley Dillon.

Unity ’09

A broad coalition of left-leaning groups is quietly closing ranks into a new coalition, “Unity ’09,” aimed at helping President Barack Obama push his agenda through Congress.

Conceived at a New York meeting before the November election, two Democrats familiar with the planning said, Unity ’09 will draw together money and grassroots organizations to pressure lawmakers in their home states to back White House legislation and other progressive causes.

The online-based MoveOn.org is a central player in the nascent organization, but other groups involved in planning Unity ’09 span a broad spectrum of interests, from the American Civil Liberties Union to the National Council of La Raza to Planned Parenthood, as well as labor unions and environmental groups.

…

“When progressive activists are working in concert and the right is forming a circular firing squad, you know it’s a new day,” said consultant Paul Begala, who said he’s not involved in the new organization.

>I can’t find a station with Steph. Miller, Thom Hartman and the liberal talk lineup. I’m bummed.

Try

KXRA 540AM Monterey
KAZU 90.7FM (NPR/PRI/BBC) – Pacific Grove
KGO 810AM
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mucho grass.

I stream Stephanie in the morning but I want to set my car radio for these three you gave me. thanks.

contrarian? CONTRARIAN?! MOI?!?!

“Party lines are blurred with Obama. The results are what is important to him.”

And what exactly ARE those results? Giving the repugs basically equal input on legeslation and SUPREMICY in the “air war”?! President Obama better have an ephiphany or he is going to see all the good will and optimisim bleed away from a thousand little cuts from the media and the repugnantklan. It is hard to believe from the drubbing the repugs got at the polls that they would actually be touting their “ideas” but they are, because President Obama has given them a podium to do it from.
They should be nonexistant as far as the goings on at the White House,the Senate and the House of Representatives is concerned.

Try

KXRA 540AM Monterey
KAZU 90.7FM (NPR/PRI/BBC) – Pacific Grove
KGO 810AM

I think you are correct about this. I think blurring the party lines is what confuses me about Obama. I also think Bill Clinton, although a pragmatist, would have been more progressive had he not had a Republican congress for 3/4 of his term as President.

Those are my sentiments exactly. I sometimes wonder, “Is he a real Democrat?” I always thought I was a moderate Democrat but I’m not so sure anymore. I think I am getting more progressive as time goes on. Or maybe it’s just a reaction to those Bush years.

14 March 2009 2:03 pm by Taylor Marsh
That is to say that on the question of “bipartisanship,” it’s now dawned on the new President that this “new tone” cuts off a critical avenue by which he can make his case.
But since Obama has touted Ronald Reagan at different points, mostly in a good way, once again his “bipartisan” “new tone” helped box him in.

(I never thought there was anything ever to tout about Ronald Reagan. He just was a good “B” actor – acted his way into the Presidency. And I agree with you about cutting off a critical avenue to make the case. I think sometimes you just have to take a strong stand and fight for it.)

Battle brews over Bush library

“The former president and first lady have already begun holding small private dinners to persuade wealthy friends to invest in a monument and incubator based on the values and events of his presidency.” (good luck with that)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19996.html

goodnight LL.

They nest right outside my bedroom window. A common morning sight is a bluebird plucking a spider from it’s web in my big window.
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Nice! BTW In our new place I drive by a salt marsh in the morning when I take the dog for exercise and I see all sort of egrets and water birds. I like it here

Night all~

Geo~ I am in the process of going green and yellow…I kind of need to wait until outside matches inside. Things are just starting to barely green up and the daffodils are popping.I saw a pair of bluebirds looking for their box today…gotta get it back up.

They nest right outside my bedroom window. A common morning sight is a bluebird plucking a spider from it’s web in my big window.

Palin v. Political Punch

March 13, 2009 6:43 PM

A very irate aide to Gov. Sarah Palin contacted ABC News today to explain why his boss’s 31 requests for earmarks in the fiscal year 2009 budget, totaling $197 million, represent a victory for fiscally conservative values.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/palin-v-politic.html

By the way, D.L. Hughley is having Ron Reagan on tonight to talk about health care. That should be pretty good. I’m a fan of Ron Reagan.
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me three… I love that guy’s demeanor, he handles the wingnuts well. They have a hard time arguing with someone named Ronald Reagan, it goes against their DNA

There’s a warrant out for Lindsay Lohan’s arrest.
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for assaulting her boyfriend/girlfriend in Vegas?

Well~ I have been at it all day. I take all my decorating apart;pillows,hanging art,slipcovers,afgans,dishes,bedclothes etc. and change seasons.I do it five times a year.I always love the new season when I put it up.
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My wife does basically the same thing but kind of on a holiday theme…we’re very green around here right now

Hey GeoT do not forget Glenn Beck and Michael Savage. They are just as bad if not worse. Then we have my local radio station that I b***h about because it’s strictly right wing. And we have an idiot locally who claims to be an attorney, but I have wonder if he lost his brain because he no longer practices
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I know Betsy, especially Beck. And cosidering his life story he really should be compassionate and grateful but he’s just the opposite.
And BTW I live in one of the most progressive areas (Santa Cruz) in an arguably progressive state, California and the local AM station is conservative talk with Limbaugh at the helm… I can’t find a station with Steph. Miller, Thom Hartman and the liberal talk lineup. I’m bummed.