BuzzFlash Mailbag for July 2, 2009

BUZZFLASH MAILBAG

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Subject: Sighted, Peace On Earth & Goodwill To All Living Beings

"Peace on earth? How?"

"Troops out now from the Afghanistan/Iraq/Pakistan War along with our help in securing justice for the Palestinians."

"What about goodwill to all living beings?"

"The start-up is Medicare for all."

"Anything else?"

"Yes we can."

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Steel industry on the rebound... Sort of

(Photo: SCIway.net)

ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, last week said it was planning to restart some of its idled capacity in the United States and Brazil. U.S. Steel Corp also signalled that it was about to bring back some capacity.

However, analysts and producers say the light at the end of the tunnel is still dim and although the worst seems to be over, the road to recovery is set to be rocky.

I decided to move on from our steel mill's situation weeks ago - even with the latest developments, but after seeing this I felt it was necessary to show what others around the world are saying about our industry. Here's more, specifically from a "steel industry get-together called American Metal Market's Steel Survival Strategies":

The keynote speaker was Lakshmi N. Mittal, CEO of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal (MT), the world's largest steel producer. According to BusinessWeek.com, Mittal said he is seeing "green shoots" of stronger demand. He went on to say: "Chinese steel demand is now forecast to show growth this year compared with a previously expected decline. The de-stocking period has led to historically low levels of inventory, for example here in the United States, where inventories are at their lowest since 1983."

However, I do feel it's odd that if they are starting some idled plants back up, why come after us for concessions, minimal hours of work and no guarantee to give back what they take when the market comes back fully.

In long products, billet prices in the Black Sea region have risen to around $410-415 a tonne, compared with around $350 a tonne about a month ago.

I hope this story is among other positive things to come for the steel industry. Then again, there's positive news already for those in... China.

After seven consecutive months of losses, China's iron and steel industry has recorded its first profit, according to the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA). Although industry insiders believe that this is the first sign of a turnaround, the industry recorded overall losses in the first five months of the year.

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NRCC Attack Ad Backfires in Roanoke!

Just when you think the NRCC can't stoop any lower, they out do themselves.


video details and more



This one has already begun to backfire. WDBJ-TV in Roanoke has already refused to air the blatantly false ad.

The NRCC ad credits a Washington Times editorial for its claim that the Waxman-Markey bill would make electricity prices ?skyrocket,? costing families $1,870 a year. But the NRCC is wrong.

The Washington Times editorial took the figure from a Heritage Foundation analysis that concluded ?the GDP hit in 2020 was $161 billion (2009 dollars). For a family of four, that is $1,870.? But a decrease in gross domestic product is a different calculation than an increase in electricity costs.

The DCCC has it's own take on the recent ad:

?The NRCC has a track record of running ads so deceptive and misleading that local TV stations refuse to air them or have to remove from the airwaves,? said Jessica Santillo, Southern Regional Press Secretary. ?Clearly, Washington Republicans realize that the truth is not on their side so they resort to deceptive and false attack ads. Virginians deserve to hear the facts about how this bill will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, not be subject to scare tactics.?

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Massive Michael Jackson Tribute Set for Staples
Center Tuesday

Fox News says it's official. The LA Times says it's under discussion.

There will be a massive public tribute to Michael Jackson at the Staples Center Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.

People are grumbling about the security costs. How about if everyone who ever enjoyed a Michael Jackson song kicks in $1.00. Wouldn't that cover it?

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Grassley explains how you, too, can afford better
health insurance

Senator Chuck Grassley has been holding town-hall meetings around the state this week, and the Iowa Democratic Party highlighted a fun clip from his June 30 meeting in Waukon. A constituent wanted to know why his health insurance policy was so much more[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mydd/~3/bXJEEyl3vV4/0179

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ACTION: $2,457 so far! Can we make it $4,000 by
July 4th

Hi again! As you know, I'm proud to be organizing online for the Kansas Democratic Party!I've got[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2009/07/action_2457_so_far_can_we_make.html

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Harry Reid, nothing but excuses

During the Bush years, the Senate needed 50 votes (plus Cheney) to pass legislation. Once Democrats took the Senate, that obviously changed. 60 votes became the new threshold. And no one has been a more avid promoter of that new standard than the Senate Democratic leader himself, Harry Reid.

Now that he has 60 votes, his handy excuse is bunk. So what does Reid do? Make more excuses.

"We have 60 votes on paper," Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said Wednesday in an interview. "But we cannot bulldoze anybody; it doesn’t work that way. My caucus doesn’t allow it. And we have a very diverse group of senators philosophically. I am not this morning suddenly flexing my muscles."

He's right of course, but that wasn't his previous excuse. His previous excuse was all about 60 votes. And the DSCC fundraising emails were all about 60 votes, like this one from May 1:

When Sen. Arlen Specter joined the Democratic Party a few days ago he said his old party had "moved far to the right."

It's the truth.  All the GOP has is the same low wage, no regulation economic platform and cultural warfare garbage that's like a gallon of milk out past its sell date.

We want universal healthcare?  A climate change bill?  We got to help the DSCC beat its goal before the April 30 fundraising deadline so they can deliver President Obama a filibuster proof 60 seat Democratic Senate majority in the 2010 elections.

Well, the donors responded these past four years, and voters delivered 60 seat ahead of that 2010 schedule. And like the DSCC promised, we should now get all those wonderful things, right? Instead, we get more excuses!

Always excuses with Reid. For someone who is supposed to be tough, a former boxer no less!, he sure doesn't sound so tough whining about his poor lot in life -- not exactly what voters had in mind when they delivered Democrats a solid governing majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Any failures at this point are the Democratic failures. They have no excuses. And if the Senate falls flat in its duties because Reid can't deliver key votes, then that's his fault, not anyone else's. With real leaders, the buck stops at their desk. Sargent:

Reid’s comments raise a broader question: How much should Dems worry about the emerging Republican line right now, which is to raise expectations by pointing out that Dems now own the government — and its failures? As RNC chair Michael Steele put it: "I can say without hesitation that this government is totally theirs now, and everything that comes out of it and everything that results from it is on their plate."

Why run away from this? Some Dems might point out a better response: "Damn right — everything we accomplish is the result of Democratic rule." After all, Steele is right. The public did hand Dems a mandate to govern. Rather than worry about how the GOP is playing the "expectations game," the other option is for Dems to embrace the public’s expectations of them, own their accomplishments, and seize on the GOP line to point out even Republicans are admitting that they’re irrelevant now.

Just imagine how different things would be if McConnell had 60 votes. He'd be taking the bull by the horns, not making excuses about how 60 really isn't 60.

I'll be looking forward to DSCC fundraising emails these next couple of weeks, promising all sorts of wonderful things if only Democrats had ... 75 seats in the Senate? I wouldn't put it past Reid to make that the new threshold for Senate action on important legislation.

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Kurtz: Can African-American women objectively
cover Michelle Obama

In his column today, Washington Post media reporter Howard Kurtz devotes his column today to the question of: “Does Race Play a Role in Coverage?” He readily admits that “no one raises questions when an Irish American male reporter covers a pol named Murphy,” but that doesn’t stop him from writing a 1,600-word article raising questions about black women:

Rachel Swarns of the New York Times and The Washington Post’s Robin Givhan were among those herded behind the rope Monday. They and the other main beat reporters — Newsweek’s Allison Samuels, Darlene Superville of the Associated Press and Politico’s Nia-Malika Henderson — have something in common: They are all African American women. [...]

Whether racial and gender identification produces a gauzier, more favorable portrayal of Obama is perhaps too early to judge.

As Adam Serwer observed, “You would never ever see a media critic like Kurtz questioning the ability of white men to cover other white men objectively, or for that matter the ability of white men to cover women or people of color, despite the fact that if newsroom coverage were to be affected, it would be by the prevailing cultural biases of the better represented population in the newsroom.”

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Of course Debbie Rowe now wants her kids. Who
didnt see one that coming

If I had a choice between Michael Jacksons' life and my life, I would choose my life.

Read The Full Article:
http://blackliberal.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/of-course-debbie-rowe-now-wants-her-
kids-who-didnt-see-one-that-coming/

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The Business Of Access Journalism

So the Washington Post has scrapped its full monty pay for play scheme. But it is important to remember that the business of Traditional "journalism" now is in fact favorable coverage in exchange for access - which can be just as pernicious. A couple of days ago, Bob Somerby linked to this June 3 Digby piece on Richard Wolffe, the fellow covering the Obama campaign while at the same time writing a book about it. Digby cited this Wolffe quote:

“The idea that journalists are somehow not engaged in corporate activities is not really in touch with what’s going on. Every conversation with journalists is about business models and advertisers,” he said, recalling that, on the day after the 2008 election, Newsweek sent him to Detroit to deliver a speech to advertisers. “You tell me where the line is between business and journalism,” he said.

More . . .

The business of "journalism" today is gossip and access. The WaPo tried to charge the lobbyists and "the newmakers" for access to WaPo reporting. It made naked what the real business of the Traditional Media now is. The rest of us? We are just "d*cks".

Speaking for me only

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