Quickies

A look at some articles, news items, columns and blog posts that caught our eye this past week.





Kaus on Krugman and Porkulus...

Out: You know, Porkulus just wasn't big enough.

In: You know, it just wasn't the right kind of Porkulus

More Keynesian fail: $22 Billion Housing Tax Credit Program Utterly Failed as Economic Policy

This paper finds that (1) the home buyer tax credits had an insignifi cant effect on the number of homes sold, (2) sellers in markets with low and stable prices captured most of the credit, and (3) The effects of the credits sharply reversed after expiration. ... Rather than igniting 'animal spirits' or pulling housing demand forward from the distant future, the tax incentives were a simple redistribution of wealth.

Gawd, what a bunch of whiners...

A long-running tiff between the White House press corps and the West Wing over presidential access flared anew today when press secretary Jay Carney faced off with reporters over the right to shout questions at the president during debt talks.

Obama chafes at the time-honored practice of answering questions shouted at him during pooled, non-press conference events — and his staff has often opted for “stills sprays,” excluding print reporters or TV cameras who might capture Obama in the less than flattering non-act of snubbing a query.

When asked today why TV crews and print reporters were barred from the pool covering the White House meeting with congressional leaders on the deficit, Carney responded by pointing out that the administration has held two press conferences in the past two weeks and allowed TV cameras into the spray earlier this week.

"People shouted questions at him," Carney said. He then added, "The purpose of the meeting is not to create a circus, but to negotiate, so today we're doing stills only."

Is there anything more annoying than an administration that has received the benefit of continual tongue-bathing by the press now complaining about that very same press and the long-standing nature of press conferences? Pathetic.





Confirmed: Economists clueless about the economy and jobs numbers.

If you’re confused over high unemployment, you’re not alone. The people who are best supposed to understand this issue don’t have much of a clue either.

That became readily apparent following the government’s release Friday of the June jobs report, a dismal data set with virtually no redeeming factors.

More than that, though, the report blindsided Wall Street and Washington economists, who expected about 100,000 jobs created last month, not the 18,000 that showed up in the Bureau of Labor Statistics compilation.

That’s an enormous miss.

Well, this admission was rather, uh, unexpected.





Hey, here's some of that "new civility" we've been hearing so much about:

Fresh off of his claim that voting for Republicans is akin to voting “not guilty” in the Casey Anthony trial, Bill Maher appeared on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” on Monday, where he slammed and denigrated both Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.

The comedian used derogatory and sexist language, stating that he hopes Palin jumps into the presidential race so that she and Bachmann can “…split the MILF vote.”

We guess the upside here is that with Bachmann in the mix, both Palin and Bachmann can split the misogynist vote of the deranged liberal-Left.

Folks, let's call it like it is: Bill Maher is a sad, little one-trick pony. No one really pays any attention to the Ralph Nader-voting, self-described libertarian (yeah, credibility right out the window with that impossible political contortion) unless he's venting his bile.

Side note and returning to a previous thought: What sort of world do we live in where people get away with talking about women in this manner? What sort of world do we live in where the husbands of Palin and Bachmann haven't kicked someone's ass yet?




Here's even more of that "new civility" we've been hearing about:

A new exhibit at a Michigan city art gallery features a provocative piece that depicts four Republican governors beneath the Nazi party symbol. Despite complaints, the work will remain on display.

Titled “The Faces of American Fascism,” the poster has pictures of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Wis. Gov. Scott Walker, Mich. Gov. Rick Snyder and Fla. Gov. Rick Scott under the national insignia of Nazi Germany. The symbol of the Republican Party is encircled in the wreath under the eagle instead of a swastika.

Nazis? That's the best these clowns could come up with? Nazis? Nazis are so 2004. If there is a more tired and played-out pejorative brand than Hitler/Nazis, then we've yet to see it.

And looking on the bright side, to paraphrase P.J. O'Rourke, Conservatives/Republicans shouldn't get too upset by this as no one has ever had sexual fantasies involving liberals.




And speaking of... the obligatory Hitler rants on Carmageddon and the weekend shut down of the 405 up in L.A.



Adolf Hitler: not a big fan of public transportation.

Side note: we've always been puzzled as to why the 405 is called the San Diego Freeway when it's southern terminus is a good 70-80 miles north of the city of San Diego. How about the Southbay Freeway? Makes much more sense, don't you think?




The legacy media desparately doing whatever it can to provide cover for Team O in the Gunrunner/Fast and Furious debacle.




And finally, B-Daddy on the President, his temperament and the debt ceiling debate:

So despite the President's rhetoric that he will sacrifice his presidency over this, one can only hope, the real issue is that he doesn't want this as a campaign issue in 2012, so he won't go for any deal that doesn't push the next debt ceiling debate beyond November, 2012, with cushion to spare. It has been widely reported that Obama said that "Ronald Reagan wouldn't sit here and take this." How true; in the 1980s, Reagan reached out to Dan Rostenkowski to cut deals on tax code simplification and rate reductions that led to real growth in the economy. He didn't sit back and wait to the eleventh hour to jump into the fray with politically charged rhetoric designed to deflect criticism. William Daley, an old Chicago pol, who probably knew Rosty, should get Obama to refrain from comparing himself to Reagan, its too easy a target.

Obama was elected in no small part because of his supposed bipartisan tone suggested a willingness to independents that he would work in good faith with Republicans on pressing issues in trying times. He has certainly lost whatever good will he may have had by his consistently nasty tone, whether towards the opposition or the "fat cats with corporate jets."

If class warfare is all this guy has ever known, why are people surprised when he lashes out in such a petulant non-post-partisan manner. And comparing himself to Reagan? Please...


OK, gang, that's a wrap. We'll see everybody bright and early on Monday.