Lee Gibson's Blog

Midterm Disaster

2010-06-15T14:40:50Z

If the country returns Republicans to power, Republicans will destroy the country. You know what? The country will deserve it.

You Know What?

2010-03-06T21:43:16Z

They may be right.

From The People's Daily:

The quenching of the developed countries'growth by the bout of the Great Recession has driven more Western thinkers and political analysts to look eastwards at China. Some have coined the phrase "Beijing consensus" or "China model", and more are studying the phenomenon of the country's political skeleton versus its monumental rise.

The way the decision-makers in Beijing chewed the possibly decimating impact of the global financial crisis and swiftly meted out a massive stimulus plan in late 2008, raised the eyebrows of many. The funds were rushed to high-speed railways, inter-province expressways and tens of thousands of infrastructure projects right away, without hitting the walls of parliamentary obstruction.

It has worked out wonders: the country's economy expanded by 8.8 percent last year. It outgrew Germany as the top exporter and the United States as the largest auto consumer in 2009.And, even before some Western economic gurus warned it of bubbling asset prices, China's central bank had started to fine-tune it by twice raising the reserve requirement ratio of banks, aimed at reining in credit and preventing inflationary bubbles.

Are Chinese getting smarter these days? Not exactly! It has nurtured a system that is tested and proved to be fairly functioning and efficient. The result is not as rowdy and contesting -- even predatory -- as we have seen in some Western democracies. The way one political party tries to sit at the throat of another by obstructing and killing every legislative move proposed by the politicians in power regardless of its merits, is just outrageous, if not preposterous.

Take the United States for an instance. More than 16 months has passed since the eruption of the crisis, the country hasn't come out with a repair plan to fix the holes of its financial regulation, because legislative lines submitted by the Obama administration to scrutinize credit default swaps and other dubious financial instruments, and protect individual consumers, are being held back by partisan lawmakers and bank lobbyists.

http://english.people.com.cn/90002/96743/6908714.html

Things Are Always Bigger in Texas

2009-07-03T17:24:24Z

From today's Dallas Morning News story about the local Tea party:

"A promotional company director helped arrange T-shirt sales and donations. Others helped line up speakers and entertainment, such as former Monkee Mickey Dolenz.

"We wanted to go big," Dennis said."

Big, indeed.

Sanford Emails

2009-06-25T13:29:20Z

I know some people are going to have a problem with TPM and other outlets publishing Sanford's emails. In most cases, I would have been opposed to releasing these very personal commnications. They are excruciating to read for a number of reasons. But this piece of crap has invaded and politicized the private lives of women and gays over choice and marriage equality, and he has damaged the lives of thousands of South Carolinians through his hard-hearted refusal to take the stimulus money. So anything that destroys his own life, both personal and political, is ok with me. No mercy. Not this time.

I Have a Dream

2009-05-02T17:09:26Z

My dream is to get enough senators in the next election so that we can ignore that jackass Nelson.

Sludge Rising

2009-04-14T19:24:50Z

In the early 90s, I listened regularly to a short-wave radio station called WWCR (World Wide Christian Radio)--500,000 watts from Nashville. They carried programs like Radio Free America and The Hour of the Time, farragoes of black helicopter, FEMA, New World Order-fueled paranoia that managed to be hilarious and terrifying. But this was short wave, fringe broadcasting that few people ever heard. Now, I hear the same stuff on Fox News. It's mainstreamed and even in some quarters acceptable. I once heard Chris Matthews mention "the wonderful Michael Savage" on Hardball. Now that's scary, and it's not hilarious any more.

Spitzer Rehab

2009-04-06T16:15:15Z

On the TPM main site, David Kurtz writes "Spitzer is so good on financial issues that I alternate between sadness and anger for his stupidity." This is exactly the wrong response. The correct response is anger at the idiocy of a system and at the hypocrisy of a media that would banish this guy while allowing David Vitter (and other sleazy wingnuts) to continue their careers as though nothing happened.

Naming Rights

2009-04-04T01:48:23Z

Let's start calling this the Bush Depression. Every reference. Every time.

"Please Don't Leave Me! I Can Change!"

2009-03-26T20:42:18Z

This is as good a take as any I have ever seen to explain why the wingnuts have behaved the way they have post-election.

"Politics is everything to them, but they don't respond to it like politicians -- they respond like spurned lovers. They have been in stark shock since the November election, and even then could not admit that they had been rejected by the country they thought was theirs for the pandering. One day they'll see, they mutter into their tear-stained pillows. And in their exile they comfort one other with stories that America isn't doing so well, she pines, she sighs -- she is depressed."

The Right Move

2009-03-26T14:02:40Z

Former TPMer Greg Sargent has an update describing Obama's latest attempt to counter the baleful influence of the Village media whores. This is absolutely the right move, and not just for his own political benefits. The hold the corrupt, shallow and decadent Village media has on the national discourse must be broken, completely and permanently.

"It's Bipartisan!"

2009-03-25T18:03:15Z

Following the lead of our Village betters, I think we should begin to use "bipartisan" as a universal term of praise, as in," Great dinner tonight, honey. Really bipartisan!" or "wow, that new dress makes you look bipartisan!" or "You're the most bipartisanest little kitty cat in the whole wide world!" This usage makes about as much sense as any usage I've heard from Broder and his pals. In fact, I think this is the most bipartisan idea I've ever had.

Press Corps Clown Car

2009-03-25T11:13:09Z

That the Village media is a national disgrace was again in evidence last night during Obama's press conference. Asking people who are already sacrificing to make sacrifices? Too bad that press conference decorum prohibits the only answer such a question really deserves: "That is the stupidest question I've ever heard, you stupid moron." But the winner for my money was the odious Major Garret from Fox News (natch) with his idiotic framing of a question about monetary policy and our European allies: "OMG!!! Communists!!! Socialists!!! Left of center!!!" What a maroon.

Heeeee's Back? Maybe.

2009-03-21T14:38:34Z

The blogger Brilliant at Breakfast has an interesting speculation on the possible return of Wall Street scourge Eliot Spitzer to public life. Why David Vitter still has a Senate seat and this guy's career went in the toilet has always puzzled me.

History Lesson

2009-03-20T22:17:00Z

One of my favorite guys, Zach Karabell, has an excellent column in the WSJ offering some historical perspective on our boom-and-bust cycle past. Zach is a very smart guy. The fact that he's a regular contributor on CNBC shouldn't be held against him. He's no wingnut like most of those loons.

A Little Calm, Please

2009-03-20T20:24:22Z

Terence Samuel has a good article in The American Prospect on the recent AIG stink. Everybody needs to take a deep breath.