The Commentariat -- September 13

We are in this wrestling match with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. -- Barack Obama, on the economy

Lawrence Wright, in The New Yorker, on the wages of intolerance: look to the Danish model.

Factoid of the Day. America’s Muslim community is more ethnically diverse than that of any other major religion in the country. Its members hold more college and graduate degrees than the national average. They also have a higher employment rate and more jobs in the professional sector. (Compare that with England and France, where education and employment rates among Muslims fall below the national averages.) These factors have allowed American Muslims and non-Muslims to live together with a degree of harmony that any other Western nation would envy. -- Lawrence Wright

The Age of Unreason. George Packer of The New Yorker: "Evidence, knowledge, argument, proportionality, nuance, complexity, and the other indispensable tools of the liberal mind don’t stand a chance these days against the actual image of a mob burning an effigy, or the imagined image of a man burning a mound of books." ...

... Fareed Zakaria in the Washington Post: "... across the Muslim world, militant Islam's appeal has plunged. In the half of the Muslim world that holds elections, parties that are in any way associated with Islamic jihad tend to fare miserably, even in Pakistan.... Over the past few years, imams and Muslim leaders across the world have been denouncing suicide bombings, terrorism and al-Qaeda with regularity." In the U.S., the right-wing's "campaign to spread a sense of imminent danger" is unjustified.

"The Year of No Inflation." David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "... the Fed has a dual mission: keep inflation contained and maximize employment. By any measure, inflation is contained, and the economy is millions of job shy of maximum employment." ...

... Former federal agent Robert Mazur in a New York Times op-ed: "Bankers are escaping prosecution because law enforcement is failing to expose the evidence that some bankers market dirty money.... What’s needed is a small but elite multi-agency task force, including representatives of the intelligence community and accomplished members of law enforcement agencies from other nations, that could identify the institutions and businesses that handle the bulk of the dirty money flowing around the globe."

Paul Krugman writes that by manipulating its currency policy, "China is taxing imports while subsidizing exports, feeding a huge trade surplus.... Time and again, U.S. officials have announced progress on the currency issue; each time, it turns out that they’ve been had." ...

... Deborah Solomon of the Wall Street Journal: and Tim Geithner says, yeah, that's right. ...

... AND the Constant Weader (#4) is skeptical of Geithner's sincerity. ...

... In a Wall Street Journal interview, "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Washington is at risk of undercutting an already sluggish economic recovery if it fails to provide quick, additional support to business and individuals. Mr. Geithner said the biggest challenge facing the economy right now was Washington paralysis.... Mr. Geithner's comments are part of a White House campaign to convince a nervous public that the administration understands what ails the economy...." Here are excerpts of the interview.

The Democratic National Committee introduces the Boehner Economic Plan:

     ... Here's a related Wall Street Journal post by Laura Meckler.

John Boehner on extending middle-class tax cuts:

... We welcome John Boehner's change in position and support for the middle class tax cuts, but time will tell if his actions will be anything but continued support for the failed policies that got us into this mess. -- Robert Gibbs

... Andrew Leonard of Salon: "Since four Democratic senators and Connecticut independent Joe Lieberman have already expressed doubt about raising taxes on the wealthy, Senate Republicans are sitting in a very strong position. So Boehner can say whatever he wants, and theoretically neutralize Obama's recent push on the tax cut issue -- in which the president has relentlessly portrayed the Ohio Republican as Chief Apologist For the Rich." BUT Leonard points to this Bloomberg news article & wonders if Mitch McConnell will really throw all his muscle behind making sure rich people can buy new BMW convertibles. ...

... Bloomberg: "Wealthy Americans have the price of a BMW convertible riding on the outcome of the Congressional battle over tax cuts set to expire this year."

     ... No Surprise Here from Sen. BMW -- Bitchy Moaning Whiner. New York Times Update: "With the focus now shifting to the Senate over a potential compromise on the expiring Bush-era income-tax cuts, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman ... said on Monday that he favored maintaining the lower rates for everyone, including the wealthiest Americans, for at least one more year." ...

     ... Update 2. Michael Crowley of Time: the Boner's spokesman effectively admits Boehner's stance is a stunt:

Boehner's words were calculated [emphasis mine] to deprive Obama of the ability to continue making those false claims, and as a result we are in a better position rhetorically to pressure more Democrats to support a full freeze.

Robert Gibbs responds to Newt Gingrich's far-out appeal to far-out crazies:

... Even Andy Card, Dubya's Chief-of-Staff who was irked that President Obama sometimes went jacketless in the Oval Office, is "disappointed" in the Newt:

CW: several states hold primaries tomorrow, & the Delaware Republican contest is a doozy. You might want to read some of the Delaware stories linked on the Campaign 2010-General page.

John Leland of the New York Times: as Congress threatens to raise the age for Social Security eligibility, "a new analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that one in three workers over age 58 does a physically demanding job ... that can be radically different at age 69 than at age 62. Still others work under difficult conditions ... for long stretches. In all, the researchers found that 45 percent of older workers, or 8.5 million, held such difficult jobs. For janitors, nurses’ aides, plumbers, cashiers, waiters, cooks, carpenters, maintenance workers and others, raising the retirement age may mean squeezing more out of a declining body." ...

... AND Speaking of Hard Labor, Susan Craig of the Times writes that as many as 60 Goldman Sachs partners could become, boo-hoo, "de-partnered" this year.

A Bomb in the Attic. Hugh Sidey for Time: President John F. Kennedy & the Defense Intelligence Agency believed Russians had used inspection-free diplomatic pounches to smuggle atomic bomb parts into their Washington, D.C. embassy, & had then assembled the bomb on the third floor of the embassy.

After California's Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman runs this ad, which includes a 1992 cliip of Bill Clinton falsely accusing Jerry Brown of raising California taxes when he was governor ...

... Jerry Brown responds:

     ... Update: Brown apologizes to President Clinton, bashes Whitman. His statement is here.

     ... New York Times Update, September 14: "President Bill Clinton endorsed his long-ago rival Jerry Brown for governor of California, brushing aside Mr. Brown’s recent snippy joke about the Monica Lewinsky scandal."

A High-Toned Young Christian* Man**

Maureen Dowd's sister Peggy believed that Barack Obama, "the dazzling young newcomer, could change Washington."

The Constant Weader does not share Peggy's concern:

Can we all concede now that no one can "change Washington" as long as K Street is King & the sole project of nearly every elected official is self-aggrandizement, seeded with self-preservation? Let's get over it, people. And that includes you, Mr. President.

The "tone" in Washington may be of concern to your sister Peggy, but it isn't to me or to most other Americans. I don't much care if those smarmy little creeps we call "Senator" & "Congressman" tear at each other in the most vile of terms ever heard under the Capitol dome as long as they'll work together to put the country back to work & get us the heck out of Afghanistan.

Oh, sure, the level of decorum & gentility the late Sen. Robert Byrd demanded would be ever-so-sublime. But how much good does it do? The Justices of the Supreme Court are – or so they claim – supremely cordial to one another, yet cordiality & fellowship haven’t made, for instance, Justice Scalia less of an idiot. Maybe if Justice Stevens had throttled that pompous, thoughtless dope a few decades ago, the Constitution would have been better served.

In the Congress, most Republicans & quite a few Democrats have no plans whatsoever to do what is even close to right for the people who gave them their jobs & pay them their unearned wages. And they have learned to be very, very good at talking the Peggys of the nation into believing that what's good for their K Street benefactors & the Koch brothers is good for Peggy, too. Why, one day she might become super-rich & then she'll appreciate that tidy tax break they're reserving for the rich! And when she's super-rich, the fact that they've whacked the guts out of Social Security & Medicare won't mean so much to her! AND she'll be glad to know she saved us from socialism just in the nick of time.

I'd like to see President Obama, since he's already going down for the count, really take off the gloves, & you can tell Peggy I don't care if he does it on the White House lawn or in Peoria. I'd like to hear him say, "If redistributing the wealth from the super-rich to the middle class makes me a socialist, then -- yes, I am a socialist." He can elaborate: "If trying to see that everybody has affordable health care makes me a socialist, then -- yes, I am a socialist. If ensuring that women have a right to equal pay is socialistic, then you betcha, I’m a socialist. If raising the minimum wage – which does indeed redistribute the wealth – makes me a socialist, then I’m a socialist. And I’m proud of it.”

Then he might add, "Yes, folks, I am black. Take a look at this skin. Take a look at my census form. Right there next to 'race' it says 'black.' Now, get over it." Then, in a fit of super-candor, he might say, "No, I'm not a Muslim. But then I'm not much of a Christian, either. Since I know how to think for myself, organized religion doesn't do all much for me. Oh sure, I tried out Christianity to please the public & look where that got me -- Jeremiah Wright. (Hey, how did I know he was a nut job? I hardly went to church.)"

And then he could say, "You know, when I got this gig I tried getting along with Republicans, but they don't play well with others. Never have. Never will. They are not motivated to help you. They want government to fail. They don't care what happens to you. And they sure don't want me sending you a little more cash & a little better job & a lot better future for your children. Because every time I help you, it hurts their special interests. And that is all they care about it.

"So there you have it, my fellow Americans. I'm a black, halfhearted Christian socialist who believes his job is working for you. Your alternative is some white Christian guys who only work for themselves and want government to fail you. Take your pick."

Honesty may not be the best policy. But pandering has not worked out all that well for the President & real Democrats. Perhaps a shot of truthiness would set them free.

Huh. Frank Rich pretty much agrees with me. Except for the Christian bit.

AND/BUT, as Cenk Uygur notes, the Obama Administration's facile deals with the devil(s) will likely cause many of us "fucking retards" to stay home.

* Or not.

** With apologies to Wallace Stevens, & a hat-tip to my friend Ned.

The Commentariat -- September 12

No, this is not a war zone. It's San Bruno, California after the gas explosion that killed at least four & injured dozens of others. AP photo. CLICK TO SEE LARGER IMAGE.... The Huffington Post has more photos here. The San Francisco Chronicle lists aid groups you can contact.

What if [Obama] is so outside our comprehension, that only if you understand Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior, can you begin to piece together [his actions]? -- Newt Gingrich, proving he will tell any lie, spew any slur that he thinks will advance his agenda ...

... Gingrich ... is not a reasonable man.... He's just like the rest of them, with a worldview shaped by the most radical and fringe elements of the Republican Party, which are more dominant with each passing day. -- Hari Sevugan, DNC Press Secretary

Susan Saulny in the New York Times: Mayor Richard M. "Daley inherited a Chicago on a gritty decline, and he helped make it economically viable. He led an effort to resuscitate downtown.... He built new parks and refurbished old ones.... He gave incentives to developers who emphasized landscaping, art and environmentally friendly buildings. He was a stickler about trash.... But he was not always transparent in his decision-making. And critics say that downtown’s renaissance came at the expense of poor, far-flung neighborhoods. ...

... Chicago News Cooperative on the Daley legacy. "He is quick to anger, surprising, emotional; exceedingly loyal to some and ruthlessly business-like to others; parochial, yet overly sensitive when criticized for it. While he was in office, great strides were made."

Legal Corruption. Eric Lipton of the New York Times: House Minority Leader John Boehner "maintains especially tight ties with a circle of lobbyists and former aides representing some of the nation’s biggest businesses, including Goldman Sachs, Google, Citigroup, R. J. Reynolds, MillerCoors and UPS. They have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaigns, provided him with rides on their corporate jets, socialized with him at luxury golf resorts and waterfront bashes and are now leading fund-raising efforts for his Boehner for Speaker campaign, which is soliciting checks of up to $37,800 each, the maximum allowed."

Michael Luo of the New York Times: "... from 2007 through 2009, the number of families in homeless shelters — households with at least one adult and one minor child — leapt to 170,000 from 131,000.... With long-term unemployment ballooning, those numbers could easily climb this year." ...

... Stephanie Armour of USA Today: "Anthony and April Soper of Lake Stevens, Wash., went on a trial plan that cut their monthly payment. But they didn't get a permanent modification, and they say they don't know why. Now, they're suing Bank of America, their mortgage servicer. BofA is seeking a dismissal of the case." CW: some of these cases are being rolled into a class action suit; at the very least, HUD should join as a plaintiff against the bank, but Secretary Donovan has been asleep at the wheel ever since he got the job, so be surprised if he suddenly wakes up. ...

... Gretchen Morgenson of the New York Times: big reason for all the foreclosures -- the powers-that-be in Washington were more interested in saving the banks than in saving the homeowners. (Think "TARP.") CW: evidently, they still are because nobody has stood up for homeowners. Nobody.

Rod Nordland of the New York Times: "Even as more American troops flow into the country, Afghanistan is more dangerous than it has ever been during this war, with security deteriorating in recent months, according to international organizations and humanitarian groups. Large parts of the country that were once completely safe, like most of the northern provinces, now have a substantial Taliban presence — even in areas where there are few Pashtuns, who previously were the Taliban’s only supporters." ...

... David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "Amid the warlords, ex-mujahideen fighters, hard-line clerics and shady businessmen running for a seat in the Afghan parliament, Robina Jalali, a 25-year-old candidate from Kabul, offers a more inspiring biography."

Glenn Greenwald points to another absurd example of U.S. double standards -- we don't allow (alleged) victims of U.S. torture to have their day in court under any circumstances, but we obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in "compensation" for Americans for alleged abuses by Saddam Hussein. CW: of course what this is really about is abuse of power; we do it because we can.

The Fuck Obama Xtravaganza (FOX) gives a sterling example of how to cover up breaking news AND simultaneously diss the President & First Lady. Neil Cavuto used the opportunity of Michelle Obama's Shanksville speech to, well, shut her up & remind the viewers where "that young lady... and her husband" were on September 11, 2001: "he was a nobody and she was married to a guy who wasn't that well-known." Video via Jeff Neumann at Gawker:

In the Washington Post, Wray Herbert reviews Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine. Fine details the way scientists, including the best-credentialed scientists, just "make stuff up" to suggest that men & women are "wired differently." Fine IDs what she calls "blobology" & "brain scams" & other phony science. ...

... "The Bad Science of Brain Sexism." In Salon, Thomas Rogers interviews Fine.