The Atheist Communist Caliphate Made Flesh, Spread the Clusterfuck Around Thread

[World B Free]

Once again, I need someone to explain to me why something is a bad idea.

The British government announced Tuesday that it will break up parts of major financial institutions bailed out by taxpayers, highlighting a growing divide across the Atlantic over how to deal with the massive banks that were partially nationalized during the height of the financial crisis.

The British government -- spurred on by European regulators -- is forcing the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group and Northern Rock to sell off parts of their operations. The Europeans are calling for more and smaller banks to increase competition and eliminate the threat posed by banks so large that they must be rescued by taxpayers, no matter how they conducted their business, in order to avoid damaging the global financial system.

"We still need to see exactly which parts the [British] banks will need to sell off to judge whether the goal of having smaller banks is really achieved," said Richard Portes, an economics professor at the London Business School. "But there are lessons here for the United States. The supposed economies of scale of massive financial institutions are outweighed by the difficulties in controlling risk inside them."

Not a bad idea at all and I think it is happening to some extent, but we just never hear about it in the news.  I read a week or two ago about Citi selling off their profitable trading arm and a couple other businesses in their portfolio.  In the end, there needs to be financial regulation with some teeth and possibly having definitive separation of the banking, insurance, and investment bussinesses.

[Gil Gunderson]

Also, I don't know where to put this, since I don't think we have a Commufascisthomoscience thread, but this fascinated the hell out of me.

Giant Crack in Africa Will Create a New Ocean

I would think this could work

This makes it Clusterfuck-worthy...

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=29281

It brings up a couple points:

    * Does the fact that this is happening so quickly make the theory of plate tectonics more believable to young earthers?

    * Thank God this wasn't Kenya or they'd be looking for a birth certificate in there.

Update. This is good news for conservatives.

I didn't exactly get a time frame for this oceanic development, but I spent about two or three minutes after I read the article pondering what the impacts would be on any potential sea level incease caused by AGW.

Also, there are alot of God comments in the article I posted.  Do they really think the end times are near, or some shit like that?

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

Also, I don't know where to put this, since I don't think we have a Commufascisthomoscience thread, but this fascinated the hell out of me.

Giant Crack in Africa Will Create a New Ocean

I would think this could work

This makes it Clusterfuck-worthy...

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=29281

It brings up a couple points:

    * Does the fact that this is happening so quickly make the theory of plate tectonics more believable to young earthers?

    * Thank God this wasn't Kenya or they'd be looking for a birth certificate in there.

Update. This is good news for conservatives.

I didn't exactly get a time frame for this oceanic development, but I spent about two or three minutes after I read the article pondering what the impacts would be on any potential sea level incease caused by AGW.

Also, there are alot of God comments in the article I posted.  Do they really think the end times are near, or some shit like that?

http://www.desipio.com/messageboard/index.php?topic=7047.0

[MikeC]

Since I love pointing out hypocritical stances here is one from the GOP...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29108.html

House GOP leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor created a select committee on earmark reform to bring "meaningful change to the process by which Washington spends taxpayers' hard-earned money."

Nearly a year later, the committee has done virtually nothing about earmarks — except to request more of them.

When Boehner and Cantor announced the creation of the committee last November, they proposed that Republicans in the House refrain from requesting any additional earmarks until the committee reported back with its recommendations for reform.

That report was to be delivered "no later than Feb. 16, 2009," but it still hasn't come. While a Republican aide said earlier this month that the report is a "work in progress," committee members acknowledge that they haven't met once since their February deadline came and went.

In the meantime, the vast majority of House Republicans — including eight of the 10 on the committee — have continued to seek earmarks.

And the news of the day is whether or not the GOP is on the upswing, not if they don't get their shit together on issues like this.

[Quality Start Machine]

Since I love pointing out hypocritical stances here is one from the GOP...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29108.html

House GOP leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor created a select committee on earmark reform to bring "meaningful change to the process by which Washington spends taxpayers' hard-earned money."

Nearly a year later, the committee has done virtually nothing about earmarks — except to request more of them.

When Boehner and Cantor announced the creation of the committee last November, they proposed that Republicans in the House refrain from requesting any additional earmarks until the committee reported back with its recommendations for reform.

That report was to be delivered "no later than Feb. 16, 2009," but it still hasn't come. While a Republican aide said earlier this month that the report is a "work in progress," committee members acknowledge that they haven't met once since their February deadline came and went.

In the meantime, the vast majority of House Republicans — including eight of the 10 on the committee — have continued to seek earmarks.

And the news of the day is whether or not the GOP is on the upswing, not if they don't get their shit together on issues like this.

Based on the polling data coming out of yesterday's elections, the 2 gubernatorial races were decided by non-National issues, so they might want to take a good look at the NY Congressional race, since the GOP couldn't pull together enough to hold their district.

Partisanship aside, the leadership of the Republican caucus is every bit as bad as the Democratic one - I couldn't believe when Boehner went to a Tea Party, that would be like Joe Lieberman going to a Peach march.

They might pick up seats in 2010, if the GDP growth doesn't translate into jobs by then. However, the longer Richard Steele is at the helm, and is unable to get the entire party on the same page enough of the time, 2012 will be an absolute bloodbath.

They are looking like the Dems, circa 1989.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

Was listening to David Plouffe today trying to tell people how a poor innocent moderate Republican like Scozzafava was sabotage by the lunatics on the right in Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. And how he was soooooo concerned with the health of the Republican party.

He doesn't give a rats ass about Republicans and Scozzafava is a liberal registered as a Republican. She voted for the stimulus, she wants healthcare for all, her voting record is so damn far to the left it isn't even funny. And its supporting candidates like that is where the Republicans have gone wrong. Michael Steele, and Newt Gingrich are morons for throwing their support at Scozzafava. And it just goes to show you how screwed up the leadership is with Republicans. Inside the party one side just wants to be Democrat light to try and win elections, while the other side wants to return to Republican values of less government, lower taxes, strong military etc.

A Republican win or loss means either way that Republicans are alienating moderates, thats how it will be portrayed by the media. No matter what happens atleast we got rid of a liberal posing a Republican, and people in that state saw that sham and stopped supporting her. You just can't claim to be Republican and then vote for every liberal policy that comes down the pipe.

It's hilarious to me that Newt Gingrich is now too liberal for the teabaggers.

Who are you guys sending to Illinois to primary Mark Kirk's sorry socialist ass?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/eye-on-2012/il-sen-kirk-seeks-palin-endors.html

Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk penned a memo to Republican poobah Fred Malek hoping to secure an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his Senate candidacy, according to a copy of the memo obtained by the Fix.

After noting that Palin will be in Chicago later this month to appear on "Oprah", Kirk writes that "the Chicago media will focus on one key issue: Does Gov[ernor] Palin oppose Congressman Mark Kirk's bid to take the Obama Senate seat for the Republicans?"

Kirk goes on to write that he is hoping for something "quick and decisive" from Palin about the race, perhaps to the effect of: "Voters in Illinois have a key opportunity to take Barack Obama's Senate seat. Congressman Kirk is the lead candidate to do that."

Malek confirmed the authenticity of the memo in an e-mail exchange with the Fix.

"Quick and decisive" = just enough to keep the teabaggers off Kirk's back, but not so much that he's actually associated with her?

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

Adding...

http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2009/11/04/mark-kirk-asks-for-sarah-palins-endorsement

I'm now hearing that the Kirk memo was sent yesterday - before the NY congressional results came in. The word I've been getting for a few days is if the Conservative Party candidate won the race, Kirk would move hard to the right. This memo fits in with that. And the memo's date also fits. Kirk simply out-thunk himself because, despite the polls and very high expectations, the Conservative Party candidate lost and the Democrat won. Oops.

...

Statement from Republican US Senate candidate Patrick Hughes...

"I believe Mark Kirk, who has consistently supported President Obama's legislative agenda, including cap and trade legislation, is quickly realizing that Republican Primary voters do not share his extreme views. In a desperate attempt to prove otherwise, he is seeking the endorsement of Sarah Palin, a true Reagan conservative, to help disguise his liberal voting record."

And...

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk asked a national Republican power broker to secure an endorsement by conservative former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin when she hits town later this month to appear on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," according to a memo obtained by the Tribune today.

The request came a day after Kirk, who has long billed himself as a moderate, dodged questions from reporters about whether he would want Palin, the controversial 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, to raise campaign money for him.

...

At his Monday news conference, Kirk eventually got around to replying about a Palin fundraiser: "We'll see. We'll see. Yeah. Yeah. I've got a lot of folks coming in. I think I've got (Senate Republican Leader) Sen. (Mitch) McConnell coming in shortly."

In a statement, Kirk campaign spokesman Eric Elk said the memo was part of a briefing given to Palin's team, "including talking points on Congressman Kirk and the Illinois Senate Race.

"The memo was like many others regularly prepared for high-profile visitors, pundits and media," Elk said in the statement. "The briefing provided details on the race and only requested supportive comments."

[Oleg]

Can we keep an eye on the real grassroots movement?

[Chuck to Chuck]

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk asked a national Republican power broker to secure an endorsement by conservative former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin when she hits town later this month to appear on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," according to a memo obtained by the Tribune today.

The request came a day after Kirk, who has long billed himself as a moderate, dodged questions from reporters about whether he would want Palin, the controversial 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, to raise campaign money for him.

...

At his Monday news conference, Kirk eventually got around to replying about a Palin fundraiser: "We'll see. We'll see. Yeah. Yeah. I've got a lot of folks coming in. I think I've got (Senate Republican Leader) Sen. (Mitch) McConnell coming in shortly."

In a statement, Kirk campaign spokesman Eric Elk said the memo was part of a briefing given to Palin's team, "including talking points on Congressman Kirk and the Illinois Senate Race.

"The memo was like many others regularly prepared for high-profile visitors, pundits and media," Elk said in the statement. "The briefing provided details on the race and only requested supportive comments."

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

Can we keep an eye on the real grassroots movement?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/03/national/main5515569.shtml

[R-V]

Tuesday: The electorate effectively brings Obama's presidency to an end with the stinging rebuke of two gubernatorial defeats and a close loss by Doug Hoffman in a Congressional district that's been GOP since Reconstruction.

Thursday: The CBO effectively brings the Democratic Congressional reign to an end with their score of the revolutionary GOP health plan.

CBO begins with the baseline estimate that 17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won't have health-care insurance in 2010. In 2019, after 10 years of the Republican plan, CBO estimates that ...17 percent of legal, non-elderly residents won't have health-care insurance. The Republican alternative will have helped 3 million people secure coverage, which is barely keeping up with population growth. Compare that to the Democratic bill, which covers 36 million more people and cuts the uninsured population to 4 percent.

But maybe, you say, the Republican bill does a really good job cutting costs. According to CBO, the GOP's alternative will shave $68 billion off the deficit in the next 10 years. The Democrats, CBO says, will slice $104 billion off the deficit.

The Democratic bill, in other words, covers 12 times as many people and saves $36 billion more than the Republican plan.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2009/11/05/cillizza-bumbles-no-explicit-palin-endorsement-request/

f Cillizza really did see the memo, as he claimed, then he would've known that nowhere in that memo does Congressman Kirk explicitly ask for an endorsement. How do I know this? Because I now have the memo...

Memorandum

November 3, 2009

To: Fred Malek
From: Mark Kirk
Re: Gov. Palin Visit to Chicago November 16th

Governor Palin is scheduled to appear on Oprah November 16th in Chicago. The Chicago media will focus on one key issue: does Gov. Palin oppose Congressman Mark Kirk's bid to take the Obama Senate seat for the Republicans?

We would hope Gov. Palin could say something quick and decisive:

Voters in Illinois have a key opportunity to take Barack Obama's senate seat. Congressman Kirk is the lead candidate to do that. Kirk, the first member of Congress to deploy into combat since 1942, voted against the Stimulus, Omnibus and Pelosi health care bills. He announced he will oppose Cap & Trade and is the key House national security hawk on Iran. Kirk is a unique Republican candidate who has become the number one pro-Israel fundraiser in America, Republican or Democrat.

The memo then goes on to detail Kirk's position on specific issues, including his oppositon to the Obama budget, "card check," the Ledbetter [gender pay equity] bill and the stimulus, as well as his support for President Bush's tax cuts and his proposal to cut off funding for Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere."

...

All that being said, the Kirk/Palin memo is still incredibly pandering. And it still points to a very valid question: Does Mark Kirk even know who he is?

Lynn Sweet...

That Kirk is courting Palin takes on more significance, however, after Tuesday's balloting for an open House seat in New York yielded a Democratic win after the moderate Republican was driven out of the race by Palin and others who supported the third party conservative candidate.

Conservatives may be shopping for other moderates to knock off. But the reality in Illinois is very different from New York or other places. Though the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been trying to pump Kirk's seven primary rivals as real threats, they are barely known and hardly register in polls.

Sweet is right, but it's more than that. Why has Kirk consistently overreacted to this mild threat? I'm not just talking about the Palin thing, here. He's turned into Mr. Flip-Flop lately to placate a Right-wing that barely registers. Is he really concerned that something huge could explode or is he just thin-skinned? Is this about making sure a Constitution Party or independent candidate gains no traction in the general election? Questions, questions, questions, but few answers.

[R-V]

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/victim_in_fatal_car_accident

[R-V]

DPD. If you're like me and fairly ignorant of that whole Israel-Palestine thing, this paints a depressing picture of how completely fucked of a situation it is.

[Internet Apex]

DPD. If you're like me and fairly ignorant of that whole Israel-Palestine thing, this paints a depressing picture of how completely fucked of a situation it is.

Thanks for the link.