$700 million dollar fraud by contractors at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.  For some reason--this is only local news?  But ACORN gets wall to wall coverage?  
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/springfield-business-news/wright-patt-contractor-suspended-in-fraud-investigation-322145.html

Good grief.  
The country is going to hell in a hand basket and you all are bitching about who sits at the "popular" table in the cafeteria.  Oy.  
TPM became a habit for me during the AG Attorney firing scandal.  The comments and blogs were made more interesting because we all rallied to find "our own" part of the story to contribute.  We had an assignment--a purpose--and that, it seems to me, made the site worth spending time with.  That feeling of helping uncover the truth is what helped TPM become recognized and it was the efforts of the TPM readers and posters that "made" the story of the AG scandal.
Maybe we need another assignment?  Perhaps we are so bored we are starting to eat each other--as evidenced by the contributions of the grammar patrol (whichreally needs to stop), the anti-compliment faction and the nescient brickbat coalition?
Maybe, because the health care debate is being steamrolled by the Tea Baggers and Birthers who are being bankrolled by the Health Care Cartel, TPM should invite us to contribute to the story so that we can get the "big" picture by compiling all the stories from all the local "little" pictures?  
Just a thought.
i once heard the survivorsof a colony of antsthat had been partiallyobliterated by a cow s footseriously debatingthe intentionof the godstoward their civilization
Archy Don Marquis

I've been out of the news loop for a few days-so this may not be current- but isn't it interesting that the first occupation of a company by its employees in over two decades was staged at a company were most of the worker's were Hispanic Immigrants...

Today I got campaign literature from Peggy Lehner who is a Republican running for Ohio State Representative.  NOWHERE on her campaign literature does it list her as a republican. Must be ashamed of being a republican?  I know I would be...

I have questions concerning the Sub-Prime mess, the Foreclosure Crisis and the Economic Stimulus Rebates and thank you in advance for your thoughtful answers...
What impact has the mortgage products boom--ARM's, 100% no-down loans, etc. had on Federal taxes and on local taxes?  Anything significant?  It would seem that ARM's benefit the Fed in the short run because less interest is being paid--therefore less mortgage interest deductions--but in the long run--when more interest is paid--the Fed takes in less? 
What about Foreclosures?  What is the tax hit for local governments?  I assume property taxes suffer?   Does the bank who takes over the property have to pay the taxes on it?  Do they?  If, because as we've seen with some of these loans, it is difficult or impossible to assign ownership--who pays the taxes?  Do any of these Foreclosure proposals take that into consideration?  
What about for tax payers going through foreclosure?  If you give back your house do you get a 1099 for the "income" you "receive" via not paying the debt?  How does that work?Thanks!  

I was at Presiding Judge Training last night (in Ohio) and we were reviewing form 10 X--Change of Party Registration Form.  The form states "I (name of person Challenged) of (Address) hereby state, under penalty of election falsification, that I desire to be affiliated with and that I support the principles of the (Designate Democrat or Republican) party and wish to cast a ballot in the party's primary election this year."  It is left up to the Poll Workers to decide if the individual gets to change their party affiliation or not.  I'm new to this arena--anyone have any experience with people switching party allegiance in a primary in order to vote in such a way that is beneficial to their original party?  Has anyone ever been denied the opportunity to switch parties at a primary election?  Our trainer would not even give us an example of when a Poll Worker would approve or deny this request.  Falsely switching parties is a 5th degree felony.