tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55397562011-04-22T00:36:38.352-04:00Society, history and politics from a South Florida perspective.Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comBlogger11351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-58799451243739866442008-11-25T08:39:00.002-05:002008-11-25T09:24:07.420-05:00

A commenter at the Volokh Conspiracy nails it:In the federal system, court loads are managed by plea bargaining. People, who are actually guilty, are undercharged in exchange for being cooperative with expedited procedures. If someone insists on a trial . . . then they are overcharged, with the full consequence in sentencing.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-9145704461809879552008-11-19T12:32:00.002-05:002008-11-19T12:36:11.775-05:00

The Language Log on Sarah Palin:I think being so utterly unable to explain what one wants to say is truly and reasonably regarded as a defect in one's qualifications for office — partly because being so inept at talking in a controlled and sensible way strongly suggests that there was no sensible thought back there, and partly because even if there were sensible thoughts back there somewhere, a

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-30228707021039170332008-11-19T07:43:00.003-05:002008-11-19T07:59:33.311-05:00

President-elect Obama's possible selection of Eric Holder to be Attorney General brings this Miami Herald headline:Obama may tap Elián players for White House rolesThe article notes that the appointment was "infuriating some Cuban-American Republicans who haven't forgotten the 6-year-old boy seized in Miami and sent back to the communist regime." It fails to mention, however, that he was sent

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-82355657276046765162008-11-17T09:42:00.003-05:002008-11-17T09:51:21.902-05:00

It probably is too late for it to work, but instead of giving the US automakers 25 billion dollars to keep them going, why not provide a significant tax credit to those who purchase a new car from the Big 3?An average credit of $2500 would encourage the purchase of up to 100,000 automobiles. The credit could be on a sliding scale - the better the gas mileage, the larger the credit.As I mentioned

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-35774004454388043702008-11-09T22:36:00.003-05:002008-11-09T22:45:42.948-05:00

For my two grandfathers, it was John F. Kennedy.For my father it was Jimmy Carter.And for me, it is Barak Obama.I'm referring, of course, to the point in our lives when we were finally older than the president.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-68397289259403645022008-11-09T22:29:00.002-05:002008-11-09T22:32:47.845-05:00

Former Sun-Sentinel political columnist Buddy Nevins has started a blog about Broward County politics -- so far it's mostly all about the Lamberti-Israel race for Sheriff.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-30046154374983177562008-11-05T11:25:00.002-05:002008-11-05T11:52:48.519-05:00

The last non-Southern Democrat elected president was John F. Kennedy in 1960.In 1960, the overwhelming number of schools in the southern states were segregated, as were its universities. The freedom riders had not yet begun their bus rides into the deep South, Martin Luther King had not made his "I Have a Dream" speech, the poll tax had not been abolished, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-70211243757769256952008-11-05T08:18:00.002-05:002008-11-05T08:22:25.647-05:00

I first voted in the 1968 presidential election. This will be the fourth one in which I voted for the winning candidate, but none were more satisfying nor gave me more hope for the future than did the victory of Barak Obama.That Obama carried Florida was the icing on the cake.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-86548482628537877572008-11-04T15:46:00.002-05:002008-11-04T15:51:00.082-05:00

Jonah Goldberg: "Truth be told I am not trying to say anything too profound."Harry Callahan: "A man's got to know his limitations."

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-83231872628900824392008-11-04T07:41:00.000-05:002008-11-04T07:42:50.996-05:00

Jed Lewison at Daily Kos:Republicans may not realize it yet, but it's not just John McCain who is going down in this election. It's also guys like Matt Drudge and propaganda machines like FOX News. They may maintain their influence within the shrinking world of the conservative right wing, but the rest of America has said goodbye and good riddance to their lies and distortions.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-45415868913679187462008-11-03T21:47:00.001-05:002008-11-03T21:49:50.119-05:00

FiveThirtyEight: "McCain's chances of victory are estimated at 1.9 percent, their lowest total of the year."

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-39728314662806805482008-11-03T07:08:00.003-05:002008-11-03T07:24:13.068-05:00

The Huffington Post has a list of pundits' predictions.The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes thinks Obama will fall short, gathering only 252 electoral votes. No one else has Obama winning less than 311.James Carville is the only one on the list who believes the Democrats will hold 60 Senate seats after the election.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-29065749991578333422008-11-03T07:03:00.002-05:002008-11-03T07:06:35.944-05:00

James Fallows:. . . no candidate who thought he had a prayer of winning would have appeared on this show.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-86028220849280280842008-11-02T19:54:00.003-05:002008-11-02T20:00:08.589-05:00

Spent today canvassing for Obama in a lower middle class neighborhood in Pompano Beach. Nobody home behind about half the doors we knocked on, but of those who responded, Obama was the voters' choice by a ration of about 16:1.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-20092996561165435972008-10-31T09:45:00.002-04:002008-10-31T09:55:53.832-04:00

Brian Schaffner is not surprised that the McCain's use of "Joe the Plumber" is not gaining traction:First, critiques of income redistribution and higher taxes for those in the top income brackets appear to mostly resonate with Republicans (who are already supporting McCain) and they have far less appeal for independents. Second, the argument also fails because the symbol doesn't fit the argument

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-33238950848305587342008-10-30T13:39:00.002-04:002008-10-30T13:48:38.896-04:00

James Wolcott:It's one of the richer ironies of this election season that the conservative bloggers disparage Obama as a phony lightweight, a glib opportunist, a suave vessel of empty eloquence, yet endow him with the sinister strength to bend America to his socialist will and fog men's minds.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-22655279788424282832008-10-30T10:19:00.001-04:002008-10-30T10:21:56.789-04:00

Shorter David Broder: It's not McCain's fault.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-4564618469549340452008-10-30T10:13:00.002-04:002008-10-30T13:51:18.317-04:00

I'll be worried until the final results are in, but the Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn makes a convincing case for an Obama victory.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-52904264702939354862008-10-29T22:52:00.003-04:002008-10-29T22:54:51.941-04:00

Bob Norman discovers problems in the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office.Lesson: If you have registered, don't take anyone's word that you are not eligible to vote.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-25628651584114550272008-10-29T22:42:00.002-04:002008-10-29T22:49:13.521-04:00

John McCain came to Miami today to charge up his supporters: After the rally, we witnessed a near-street riot involving the exiting McCain crowd and two Cuban-American Obama supporters. Tony Garcia, 63, and Raul Sorando, 31, were suddenly surrounded by an angry mob. There is a moment in a crowd when something goes from mere yelling to a feeling of danger, and that's what we witnessed. As

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-77462627097679499812008-10-29T08:08:00.003-04:002008-10-29T08:23:02.450-04:00

As a Florida Gator football fan for the past, oh, forty-five years, I know a little bit about false confidence. I remember the 2003 game against the Miami Hurricanes, where the Gators were up by 23 points at half-time, only to lose the game 38-33.So there are no safe leads, in football or in politics.That's why I'm volunteering to make phone calls to help make sure that we get the voters to the

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-12071407067803972942008-10-29T08:04:00.002-04:002008-10-29T08:07:57.499-04:00

Anyone who has read the comments on right-wing blogs can see the truth of the following analysis:Part of what has been wrong with the GOP is that its rank-and-file members take their political advice and insights from radio entertainers who seem to understand little about political reality and even less about policy, and who substitute bluster for understanding. When they are confronted with an

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-21030644635232142712008-10-24T07:51:00.002-04:002008-10-24T07:56:04.817-04:00

Perhaps the most telling indication of an Obama victory:Simple rule: if you're a 72 year-old Presidential nominee, and MATLOCK ENDORSES THE OTHER GUY, it's time to pack it in.Commenter responding to a Volokh Conspiracy post on Ron Howard and Andy Griffith endorsing Barak Obama.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-7573589311438617102008-10-23T17:10:00.004-04:002008-10-23T17:17:59.610-04:00

Taking the high road, Jonah Goldberg expresses his admiration for one of his reader's ideas:If the donations list is published we could always do a bunch of donations as William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright etc. and then publicize that Obama's taking donations from these indidividuals [sic].The only way to avoid the connection is to admit that they allow anonymous donation which, if I understand

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-35066126151210338382008-10-21T23:04:00.004-04:002008-10-21T23:12:36.647-04:00

The Onion could not have written a better parody of the right-wing desperation that's setting in about now: the National Review's Jim Geraghty touts the Nickelodeon Kids' Poll as a sign that things just might not be as bad as they seem for McCain.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-34919836086997917082008-10-19T22:45:00.001-04:002008-10-19T22:47:40.804-04:00

Flablog has the count on Florida newspapers' presidential endorsements: 6 for Obama, one for McCain.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-6288706503468698702008-10-19T22:36:00.002-04:002008-10-19T22:41:00.495-04:00

I don't agree with Bob Norman very often, but in this case he is on the mark:You hear mainstream media sources constantly talking about how, yes, McCain/GOP has been negative, but so has Obama. Well, what they don't say is that Obama's campaign has been negative on important issues like health care, taxes, voting records, etc. Not a scurrilous and underhanded attempt to associate his opponent

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-36459206804854358182008-10-19T22:31:00.001-04:002008-10-19T22:34:32.734-04:00

In Florida, Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga has announced his plans to pack up his toys and go home if Obama wins the election, saying that he'll sell the team because of Obama's tax policies. After 15 years of plodding mediocrity under Huizenga (no Super Bowl wins, AFC Championships, or even AFC Championship Game appearances, compared to 2 Super Bowl wins, 5 AFC Championships, and 7 AFC

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-690511407230191602008-10-15T10:27:00.001-04:002008-10-15T10:29:32.708-04:00

Ross Douthat:This is what a lot of conservatives are going to be telling themselves after election day: That Obama cheated, that the media cheated, that McCain wasn't a conservative anyway, and that the only reason Sarah Palin wasn't a hit with swing voters is that the press - with an assist from conservative quislings like Frum and Brooks and Parker and Noonan - poisoned the well. And in such

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-2346667431108799172008-10-07T16:42:00.003-04:002008-10-07T16:51:32.643-04:00

John Heilemann's article about the devaluation of the McCain brand in New York Magazine validates a thought I've had -- that the kindergarten sex-education ad was where the McCain campaign really jumped the shark.It was so obviously contrived and cynical that henceforth McCain would have a hard time getting the benefit of the doubt.The selection of Palin. The lipstick-pig imbroglio. The ad

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-75170504216737335042008-10-07T15:43:00.001-04:002008-10-07T15:46:10.388-04:00

James Wolcott:Even as I wave a farewell hankie at my investment holdings as they sink into the briny deep, I draw spiritual comfort from seeing the McCain-McWinky campaign unceremoniously drown with them. McCain could still win, but the advance signs of rapid decay are everywhere in his campaign . . .

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-58501426897640944312008-10-07T15:38:00.001-04:002008-10-07T15:40:25.056-04:00

James Fallows: If John McCain has a better set of plans to deal with the immediate crisis, and the medium-term real-economy fallout, and the real global problems of the era -- fine, let him win on those. But it is beneath the dignity he had as a Naval officer to wallow in this mindless BS. I will say nothing about the dignity of a candidate who repeatedly winks at the public, Hooters-waitress

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-85046462710830990252008-10-07T08:22:00.003-04:002008-10-07T14:09:45.825-04:00

The Palin campaign was taking no chances when the VP candidate spoke in Clearwater, Florida: Constantly under the watchful eyes of security, the media wasn't permitted to wander around inside Coachman Park to talk to Sarah Palin supporters. When reporters tried to leave the designated press area and head toward the bleachers where the crowd was seated, an escort would dart out of nowhere and

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-47051399940778134352008-10-05T21:12:00.002-04:002008-10-05T21:30:25.697-04:00

Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, David Bernstein is upset with the AP for its biased reporting of Sarah Palin charge that Obama was palling around with terrorists.His evidence:Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday accused Democrat Barack Obama of "palling around with terrorists" because of his association with a former 1960s radical, stepping up the campaign's effort to

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-52398495104802870512008-10-05T20:41:00.002-04:002008-10-05T20:44:29.694-04:00

James Fallows takes David Broder to task for being an calling the VP a draw:Such an assessment can be true only if you have decided to assess debate performance on one factor alone, perky self-assurance, and to assign no weight whatsoever to such items as logic, responsiveness to questions, clarity in explaining views, factual knowledge, sentence by sentence coherence, and so on.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-41071929706210422352008-10-05T20:35:00.002-04:002008-10-05T20:39:09.749-04:00

Remember during the VP debate when Sarah Palin spoke about how she got the Alaskan state government to divest any investments it might have in Sudan?Apparently it's not true.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-51192956635570445442008-10-03T11:21:00.002-04:002008-10-03T11:27:59.985-04:00

Apparently the unions are alive and well in West Virginia. The mine owners allowed the National Rifle Association to bring cameras onto mine property to try and capture miners attacking Obama's position on guns.In response, the miners staged a one-day work stoppage.Said one union member: ". . . a lot of the miners felt this was a direct slap in the face of the union because they were trying to

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-43067056191959788272008-10-02T09:06:00.001-04:002008-10-02T09:07:30.652-04:00

A proposal to catch "Gotcha" journalism.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-71106270701628970382008-10-02T08:18:00.002-04:002008-10-02T08:24:22.109-04:00

Alex Epstein looks at the McCain campaign and sees a problem in the script:The McCain people have never really nailed down what his story is. Partly I think they've been distracted by his personal story of being a prisoner for 5 years. It's a compelling personal story but they've never tied it convincingly to what McCain would actually do. Obama would change things. Hillary would fight for you.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-78172072780088171132008-10-01T10:29:00.002-04:002008-10-01T10:38:20.198-04:00

This just doesn't make any sense:Senate leaders have scheduled a vote for Wednesday on the $700 billion Wall Street rescue plan rejected by the House.Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell say, however, that they're going to add a tax cut package already rejected by the House on Monday.The bipartisan move caps a day of behind-the-scenes maneuvering on Capitol Hill over what

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-23169639350000107702008-09-30T23:03:00.005-04:002008-09-30T23:28:19.642-04:00

I would suspect that just about any high school senior running for student body president could handle him or herself in an interview better than Sarah Palin:COURIC: And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this — to stay informed and to understand the world? PALIN: I’ve read most of them

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-41363118383062105082008-09-30T07:31:00.003-04:002008-09-30T07:38:52.240-04:00

The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Jeffrey R. Lewis sees the signs that the Bush administration is preparing for another war -- this time against contraception:The administration has proposed a new set of regulations that it says will protect doctors, nurses and health care workers who object to abortion from having to participate in providing care they find objectionable. The new conscience

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-80811586316890565312008-09-29T05:53:00.003-04:002008-09-29T06:03:06.331-04:00

This is the attitude that creates a constituency for George W. Bush and Sarah Palin. James Lileks:My interest in these machines [steam engines] is mostly aesthetic, to sound all academic and/or high-falutin’ – it’s fascinating to learn how they work, but I’m drawn to the way they look and why, and what that said about the era.So this is what it has come to. Any display of intellectual curiosity

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-62159260134789727212008-09-26T18:25:00.002-04:002008-09-26T18:35:32.602-04:00

Always good to end the work week with a smile on your face.Peter Robinson in Forbes Magazine:How is the outsider doing? Throughout the campaign, Sarah Palin has remained poised and articulate. As far as I am aware, she has committed not a single gaffe. Speaking with Charles Gibson of ABC during the first of the two major interviews she has so far given, she sometimes appeared tense. Even then,

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-11598786958938607422008-09-26T13:38:00.002-04:002008-09-26T13:41:32.725-04:00

Having seen the Couric-Palin interview(s), I was a bit surprised at how well Couric handled the questioning.James Fallows saw the same thing:Couric deserves better ratings for the CBS news based on the steely relentlessness of her questions. Unlike Charlie Gibson, and unlike Joe Biden in a (possible!) future debate, she has no background complications of the older white man bullying the younger,

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-27404059345912733432008-09-26T11:34:00.002-04:002008-09-26T11:37:01.897-04:00

Sadly No! traces the disillusion of Palin cheerleader Kathleen Parker.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-56673377408837338532008-09-26T08:17:00.002-04:002008-09-26T08:48:48.199-04:00

Yikes!And Yikes! again.In the words of Tim Calhoun, "I have little experience in a courtroom, but I did once work in a food court."

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-31705615971006809272008-09-25T08:24:00.002-04:002008-09-25T08:30:40.988-04:00

James Fallows:Now, maybe I am misjudging my fellow citizens. Maybe most people will say: Yes, it's perfectly understandable that John McCain, having traveled constantly for years on the campaign trail, suddenly can't make it down to Mississippi on Friday. We respect him all the more! But I don't think this is some mass-vs-elite type question. This involves basic "dog ate my homework" appearances

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-71733119561616295352008-09-24T23:23:00.003-04:002008-09-24T23:34:16.276-04:00

Backing out of the debate a little over 48 hours before it's scheduled to begin? Another example of McCain's impulsive instincts. Moreover, he has time for a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative, but not to communicate with the American people? No, McCain's afraid of getting clobbered while his poll numbers are already heading south.Unless the real reason is to get Palin off the hook.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-53897671896973191022008-09-24T11:54:00.004-04:002008-09-24T12:04:26.551-04:00

"[O]ne could make a fairly solid historical case for the assertion that the first real commander of the 7th Cavalry, Major General George Armstrong Custer, was one of the last real "warriors" in the United States Army."Robert Bateman, an officer in the 7th Cavalry, on why we should stop using the word "warrior" to describe our soldiers.A commenter to Bateman's post illustrates the troublesome

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-31417434625953067952008-09-24T11:02:00.003-04:002008-09-24T11:11:30.956-04:00

Troopergate - an Alaskan attorney examines the bumbling legal cover-up.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-75163206887153160712008-09-24T07:59:00.002-04:002008-09-24T08:05:21.597-04:00

Exactly who gets bailed out? I thought the idea was to prevent the collapse of corporations that hold a critical position within their industry and the American economy.Now, I wonder whether this might be a sweetheart deal for, in the words of a Bush administration spokesman, "successful banks and investment companies."Let's not rush this until we're sure.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-47102953947468885192008-09-24T07:41:00.001-04:002008-09-24T07:49:21.777-04:00

Eric Muller's five stages of reaction to the Palin nomination:1. Astonishment.2. Perverse joy.3. Disbelief.4. Anger.5. Abject terror.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-59336192633981512232008-09-22T08:10:00.001-04:002008-09-22T08:13:22.286-04:00

John McCain:Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.(via

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-23952788668874725702008-09-18T16:19:00.002-04:002008-09-18T16:30:32.095-04:00

Trivial but curious:HANNITY: One last question that I didn't ask you: Did you watch Tina Fey on "Saturday Night Live"?PALIN: I watched with the volume all the way down and I thought it was hilarious, she was spot on.HANNITY: Do you think you could play her one day?PALIN: Oh absolutely. It was hilarious. Again, I didn't hear a word she said, but the visual was spot on.Really?She is watching

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-973187705792359692008-09-18T09:38:00.002-04:002008-09-18T09:42:13.659-04:00

Sarah Palin, in response to a town hall meeting question about her specific foreign policy skills:"Well, I think because I am a Washington outsider that opponents are going to be looking for a whole lot of things that they can criticize and they can kind of beat the candidate here who chose me as his partner to kinda tear down the ticket. . . But as for foreign policy, you know I think that I am

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-59869499534715182772008-09-16T15:43:00.004-04:002008-09-16T15:54:04.268-04:00

This is absolutely pathetic.Apparently McCain thinks we are all loco.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-39741886097022921992008-09-16T13:07:00.002-04:002008-09-16T13:10:59.003-04:00

John McCain helped create the BlackberryOK, but isn't the Blackberry the product of a Canadian company?

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-47267429264577453832008-09-16T10:21:00.002-04:002008-09-16T10:28:05.895-04:00

McCain advisor Carly Fiorina on the SNL skit:"[T]he portrait [on "SNL"] was very dismissive of the substance of Sarah Palin, and so, in that sense, they were defining Hillary Clinton as very substantive and Sarah Palin as totally superficial," Fiorina argued. "I think that continues the line of argument that is disrespectful in the extreme and yes, I would say, sexist, in the sense that just

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-50956637804072139512008-09-15T13:01:00.002-04:002008-09-15T13:04:21.719-04:00

Fifty-two fact checks on McCain claims.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-19014548940436659212008-09-11T13:50:00.003-04:002008-09-11T13:59:47.198-04:00

Sounds like McCain-Palin are ready to pick up where Bush-Cheney left off:Gov. Sarah Palin is being asked by a local Republican activist to release more than 1,100 e-mails she withheld from a public records request, including 40 that were copied to her husband, Todd.Palin had claimed executive privilege for documents copied to her husband, who is not a state employee, in responding to an open

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-59925454283379006102008-09-11T07:32:00.002-04:002008-09-11T07:35:02.250-04:00

Understanding the McCain-Palin campaign:"The overall strategy seems to be to run around and tell everybody that everybody is offended, and get them to believe it before they quite realize what they're offended about."

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-55081592823073928212008-09-10T23:02:00.003-04:002008-09-10T23:07:56.691-04:00

James Fallows wonders why the press is treating Sarah Palin in a different manner than they treated Hillary Clinton:Twice in the last six months we've had the spectacle of a candidate clinging to a provably false personal narrative. Each tale was meant to show something admirable and significant about the candidate's character. But in each case the press had the goods to show that the tale was

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-29575215610127009652008-09-10T17:55:00.002-04:002008-09-10T18:00:57.111-04:00

Of Rove and his henchmen.Andrew Sullivan: For me, this surreal moment - like the entire surrealism of the past ten days - is not really about Sarah Palin or Barack Obama or pigs or fish or lipstick. It's about John McCain. The one thing I always thought I knew about him is that he is a decent and honest person. When he knows, as every sane person must, that Obama did not in any conceivable sense

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-7116107232586258202008-09-09T08:53:00.002-04:002008-09-09T08:57:30.942-04:00

Over a Peer Review, Mr. G provides Democrats with some solace should McCain win:And lets be honest, from a democrat point of view, there could be much worse options than John McCain. Certainly, if you can handle 8 years of W, you can handle just 4 of McCain.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-86307661221253936852008-09-09T08:23:00.002-04:002008-09-09T08:39:44.258-04:00

The McCain campaign strives to portray Barak and Michelle Obama as an elitists -- a couple who are out of touch with the average person.And yet I doubt that Michelle's convention attire reached the level of Cindy McCain's haute coture:Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000Four-strand pearl necklace: $11,000–$25,000Shoes,

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-5563900824831798942008-09-08T08:30:00.002-04:002008-09-08T08:34:06.674-04:00

I received the following email from a community college instructor:Let me tell you how angry I got listening to McCain's empty promises, especially when he said community colleges should help solve the employment problems in our country. With the severe budget cuts to community colleges in Florida during the past few years thanks to Republicans, I'd like to know how we are going to do MORE to

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-40516430950215478132008-09-05T07:13:00.005-04:002008-09-05T07:25:06.913-04:00

Florida Congressman John Mica (R) apparently was not happy about being caught leaving a party hosted by Tom DeLay:Via FlaBlog

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-46384697788293014342008-09-05T07:02:00.001-04:002008-09-05T07:04:33.338-04:00

You knew it was coming:Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term "uppity" to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday. Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama. "Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-69655655408486064632008-09-03T12:57:00.003-04:002008-09-03T13:00:45.012-04:00

James Fallows: Sarah Palin's nomination is more analogous to that of Clarence Thomas rather than to Dan Quayle's.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-59904098829812826782008-09-02T23:14:00.003-04:002008-09-02T23:18:25.109-04:00

From a McCain spokesperson:Sen. McCain believes the correct policy for educating young children on this subject is to promote abstinence as the only safe and responsible alternative. To do otherwise is to send a mixed signal to children that, on the one hand they should not be sexually active, but on the other here is the way to go about it. As any parent knows, ambiguity and equivocation leads

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-4548990765333943892008-08-28T17:59:00.001-04:002008-08-28T18:02:26.706-04:00

McCain's experience inspires others to higher callings.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-26308098409181632802008-08-27T10:20:00.003-04:002008-08-27T10:28:26.500-04:00

On the very day that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, what was John McCain doing?Meeting with President Bush, who delivered McCain a birthday cake.McCain makes a big deal of late about how he would have handled the disaster, but the facts are:McCain voted against relief measures for Katrina victims multiple times, as well as voting against an investigation into the failures of the government

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-67109570121468945942008-08-26T21:39:00.003-04:002008-08-26T21:55:06.823-04:00

In the primaries, I supported Hillary Clinton; even donated some money to her campaign.But when Obama won, that was OK with me -- and I'm getting involved in the campaign. The important thing is that we not have a continuation of the last eight years. Which makes me increasingly iirritated at the hold-out Hillary supporters I see being interviewed on television coverage of the Democratic

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-44241289768027242102008-08-26T10:45:00.001-04:002008-08-26T10:46:35.067-04:00

Andrew Sullivan:There's no question that if you judge the candidates on their actual lives, rather than mythologies, the Obamas are extremely mainstream and conservative. Married for life, great parents, very humble beginnings, driven meritocrats. No divorce or adultery - and regular religious attendance and faith. And yet they are tagged as elitists and radicals. Yes, they're liberals in policy,

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-86052253939134177182008-08-23T19:42:00.004-04:002008-08-23T19:58:38.642-04:00

Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, David Bernstein spends some time comparing the law school standings of Joe Biden and Dan Quayle to make the point that . . . well, it's not clear what point he was trying to make.Later, to bolster his argument, which he says is that " . . .Republicans are subject to a different standard re intelligence than Democrats," Bernstein tries to seal the deal by quoting,

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-20172916497700915692008-08-22T11:00:00.003-04:002008-08-22T11:19:11.633-04:00

Glenn Reynolds has a "Heh" for a "gun-toting 85-year-old" who stops a thief almost 400 miles away near Pittsburgh, but has nothing to contribute on the high school shooting that occured about six miles from his campus.Or on any of the other incidents involving guns at Knoxville schools.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-86308086926578628562008-08-21T14:10:00.001-04:002008-08-21T14:13:00.761-04:00

He feels your pain: McCain unsure how many houses he ownsNo wonder he isn't interested in taxing the rich.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-86314536020290138412008-08-20T11:37:00.001-04:002008-08-20T11:39:13.629-04:00

Undercover Black Man:Now consider: The Vietnam vets who attacked Democrat John Kerry four years ago became a dominant force in the campaign. The Vietnam vets who attack Republican John McCain... are a non-issue.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-34991119763780099602008-08-19T07:45:00.002-04:002008-08-19T08:05:51.263-04:00

The quickest way for either of the presidential candidates to lose the election is to be honest about the bigger picture of the conflict in Georgia.The honest answer? That we have alliances that we cannot sustain and promises (overt and implied) that we cannot keep. Let's leave out, for now, the supposed strategic reasoning behind this overreaching.Even if the American military was not tied up in

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-50559027755660057492008-08-18T07:51:00.006-04:002008-08-18T08:30:51.035-04:00

"The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous."This from a McCain spokeswoman in response to suggestions by journalists and bloggers that McCain may not have been in the so-called cone of silence during Obama's questioning by Rev. Rick Warren Saturday evening.It appears that while McCain professes to be hesitant to speak about his

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-27676847799707031652008-08-17T12:12:00.004-04:002008-08-17T12:23:06.664-04:00

Obama's answers appealed to the head; McCain's to the heart. Obama tended to answer the questions, as they were asked; McCain often strayed into small stump speeches. Obama addressed Rev. Warren; McCain, the audience. Obama was more nuanced in his answers; McCain more dogmatic.I liked the format -- and the questions. They avoided the "gotcha" queries of other debates where candidates were

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-34178022706499748542008-08-14T11:22:00.002-04:002008-08-14T11:26:38.737-04:00

The Neo-Cons have a new worry -- sober Chinese Air Force pilots.I'm sure we'll soon be hearing the arguments for a pre-emptive strike to negate this Sino-threat before it is too late.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-44298957758710502512008-08-14T07:56:00.005-04:002008-08-14T11:17:00.774-04:00

Remember the right-wingers charging Obama with acting prematurely presidential on his overseas trip? Wonder what they have to say about this?Sen. McCain has just announced that he's sending his own delegation to Georgia (Sens. Lieberman and Graham). . . via TPMAlso, from Andrew Sullivan:He's despatching Lindsey and Joe as emissaries to the country immediately. He's on the phone with Sakashvilli

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-87340493140162155222008-08-13T10:03:00.002-04:002008-08-13T10:07:17.386-04:00

Roy Edroso:It seems to me that as Russia invades Georgia, the market convulses, Kashmir heats up, Musharraf falls, and our President, after fucking off to the Olympics all weekend, makes obviously toothless grimaces over South Ossetia while much more effectively sabotaging the Endangered Species Act, that even the Republicans would find it hard to tell people that their greatest danger comes from

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-30233102029138819322008-08-12T07:39:00.003-04:002008-08-12T07:57:20.905-04:00

The conflict in Georgia has provided the tough guys plenty of opportunities to show off their strategic acumen.All over the internet you can read suggestions on how the Geogians might prolong the fight, why the the United States should provide military assistance and, of course, why the Europeans are ungrateful cowards.For a taste of this sort of war gaming, go here. The comments are not to be

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-38372589643156920652008-08-11T23:25:00.002-04:002008-08-11T23:28:24.536-04:00

Digby looks at the Veterans Affairs policy that makes it difficult for disabled veterans to register to vote . . . and sees a sinister purpose.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-10693137313130228062008-08-11T23:05:00.002-04:002008-08-11T23:11:09.075-04:00

Glenn Reynolds: "BUSH TO RUSSIA: Back off Georgia. We'll see how much impact this has."I'm sure the Instapundit goes to bed at night dreaming of F-22s in the sky over Georgia, turning back the Russian bear. But then he can do so knowing that there is no real risk that anything dangerous is going to happen to him.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-24498575032128667542008-08-11T08:12:00.003-04:002008-08-11T08:18:15.860-04:00

The St. Petersburg Times' Howard Troxler on the inner workings of Florida's Amendment 5:Yaaay! A 25 percent property tax cut! Who could be against that?Well …Here's the thing. If we cut school property taxes by 25 percent, that is gonna whack something like $9-billion to $11-billion out of the education budget in this state.Do we have a plan for how to make up that money for the schools? Yes, we

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-15144442127040008602008-08-10T23:02:00.003-04:002008-08-11T08:06:30.708-04:00

Although I am not making excuses for Russia, I do think that the fighting there is partially the result of the effort to bring Georgia into NATO.Look at the United States' response to perceived threats to it from small Caribbean and Central American nations. How much more could we expect Russia to fear a Western alliance member on its doorstep?Update: Here's something that won't happen often --

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-55114415206511845932008-08-05T00:36:00.002-04:002008-08-05T00:43:07.625-04:00

The only black reporter covering a McCain rally in Panama City is removed from the site.McCain officials say the black reporter was in the wrong place. Acknowledging that other reporters were also in that location a McCain spokesman explained, "I do not know why the other reporters were not moved."

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-20836060777114934362008-08-04T10:58:00.003-04:002008-08-04T11:03:54.546-04:00

James Wolcott on McCain's use of the two blonds:Regardless of the racial-sexual subtext being purveyed, referencing Britney Spears and Paris Hilton seems a bit tired and dated, the older generation scolding the younger. Picking on Spears in a political ad seems like poor sportsmanship (she's hardly done the harm to the culture that Ann Coulter has), and in her wealth, privilege, and lathed

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-11174426371619207062008-07-31T18:02:00.002-04:002008-07-31T18:17:30.354-04:00

How bad do you have to be to get expelled from the University of Alabama for racism? In 1972!Don Black did, and it seems to have confirmed, in his mind, that all the batshit, paranoid voices he was hearing were on the money.A third of a century later he is hanging out in West Palm Beach running a "white power" website. Naturally he expects the election of Obama to bring him a flock of new

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-2280278510966786912008-07-29T15:32:00.002-04:002008-07-29T15:35:07.777-04:00

I'm glad to see that today's students have not let a proud tradition slip. I know that when I was a student there, we worked hard to be the best at this.It's great to be a Florida Gator!

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-4235940426635111082008-07-28T16:26:00.005-04:002008-07-28T16:41:57.011-04:00

Remember the old joke about the person looking for his lost watch under the streetlight? When queried about it he said he lost it elsewhere, but the light is better here.Pretty lame, but not so lame that it couldn't be bested at the NRO:Even Rudyard Kipling thought Afghanistan was a hellish place to fight. So why is Obama itching to fight al-Qaeda there rather than Iraq? Yes, we did draw the

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-88575503865526936072008-07-27T11:49:00.004-04:002008-07-27T11:55:18.528-04:00

There are plenty of issues on which to base your choice for president, but is this one of them?If a rockstar you like gets too popular and everyone's squealing over him, including a lot of people who seem to be excited by the popularity itself, well, then, it's just not cool to like him anymore. He's now popular for his popularity, and it makes you want to discover something new.(Ann Althouse on

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-39096914471158652652008-07-24T22:03:00.003-04:002008-07-24T22:14:02.537-04:00

We've all been treated to the indignant response of right wingers to accusations that a good portion of their opposition to Brack Obama is his race.And yet how else to explain this email I received today?I'm sure by now that all of you have seen the sad report on the evening news. It was announced yesterday that the Rose Garden at the White House was being torn out. It is being replaced by a

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-21827036433809538002008-07-23T08:53:00.005-04:002008-07-23T09:03:49.864-04:00

Once again James Lileks throws rocks at fellow Twin Citian Garrison Keillor, getting the hurled stones up as high as GK's knees.We have to assume that Lileks wants us to take his "fisking" seriously, but he must realize that what he is complaining about in GK's writing is just a mirror image of his own work?Surely he does . . . or maybe not.

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-16713568480793866342008-07-14T11:06:00.003-04:002008-07-14T11:10:49.119-04:00

Why am I not surprised?Mr Bush also faced criticism at the [G8] summit after Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, was described in the White House press pack given to journalists as one of the "most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice". The White House apologised for what it called "sloppy work" and said an official had simply

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539756.post-31183519741582200372008-07-07T11:12:00.002-04:002008-07-07T11:20:28.428-04:00

Right Wing News lists what it considers to be the 24 individuals with the best chance to be selected by Obama as his vice presidential candidate.Among them is one Floridian:Bill Nelson: Florida Senator Bill Nelson has a lot of experience, a reputation as a moderate, and actually once flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia, which admittedly, is pretty cool. If Obama's polling finds that Nelson will

Floridanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108981253821689883noreply@blogger.com