Sebelius Signs FY 2010 Budget

Today, Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed the FY 2010 budget and though she did wield her line-item[...]

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http://kansasjackass.blogspot.com/2009/04/sebelius-signs-fy-2010-budget.html

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How can Goldman talk of repaying TARP and not
talk about AIG

The billions handed over to AIG which are then passed along to Goldman Sachs continues to be avoided in these discussions. It's all fine and good that Goldman is ready to pay back the TARP money but having this discussion without the indirect TARP payments is ridiculous. Pay that back and then let's talk about how Goldman can get around the pay restrictions associated with the TARP billions.

That's noteworthy because Wall Street's desire to pay off TARP loans has intensified as complaints about federal involvement in the banking sector have risen.

Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, warned in a speech last month of the dangers of the "vilification of corporate America." Less than a week later, Dick Kovacevich, the chairman of Wells Fargo, pronounced the government's plans to test the balance sheets of big banks "asinine."

Goldman execs have been considerably more politic. Asked last month at a conference whether Goldman would become the first big bank to return TARP funds, Gary Cohn, the firm's co-president, replied that he would be surprised if anyone "is really in position to give back TARP money till the results of the stress tests and first-quarter earnings are out of the way."

There's nothing quite like listening to bank CEO's complain like this. The anger out there has nothing to do at all with these banks ruining the US economy. Folks like Dimon (who was one of the candidates for Geithner's job at Treasury) need to get out among real people for a change instead of the Wall Street crowd. There's a reason his type is disliked, especially when he makes comments like this.

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/-XNpHn3BJXg/how-can-goldman-talk-of
-repaying-tarp.html

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Bill Berkowitz: Why do Sarah Palin's bizarre
religious beliefs continue to get a pass from the mainstream media

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Bill Berkowitz

Last spring, when the mainstream media's feasted on Pastor John Hagee's anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic sermons, Senator McCain was forced to repudiate the Pastor's endorsement. Why then did the mainstream media give Sarah Palin a pass regarding her -- some would say -- astonishing religious beliefs and affiliations?  

A BuzzQuiz: Which do you know more about?

a) Levi Johnston's relationship with Sarah Palin's daughter.  

b) Sarah Palin's religious beliefs and affiliations.

If your answer is a), read on; you've got a few things to learn about. If you answered b), read on anyway.

During the presidential campaign, the religious convictions of the candidates frequently dominated the headlines. However, unlike stories about whether Barack Obama was secretly a Muslim masquerading as a Christian, or whether John McCain was sufficiently loyal to the Christian right's social agenda, and unlike the reputation-tarnishing videos of sermons delivered by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Pastor John Hagee, the religious beliefs of Sarah Palin remained mostly a mystery. While her beliefs drew some attention from the mainstream media, her religious convictions and connections never received Rev. Wright-or-Pastor Hagee-like coberage.
Bookmark/Search this post with: buzzflash | delicious | digg | yahoo | technorati Technorati Tags: Guest Contribution Bill Berkowitz Sarah Palin religious right speaking in tongues

read more

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http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/1950

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Obama-Kennedy Ethics Problem

Amid all the oohing and ahing about the official arrival of Bo the Portugese water puppy at the White House tomorrow, some spoilsport part of my mind raises a nagging question about the ethical implications of the gift by Ted Kennedy, whose niece Caroline is obviously up for an ambassadorship.

The new First Dog, with his "tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee" is clearly destined for media stardom, but purebreds of his ilk sell for from $3000 to $5000 a pop (or pup) from professional breeders.

Will the Obamas have to declare him as a gift and will his status, aside from the Vatican's views on abortion, complicate consideration of Caroline Kennedy as an ambassador?

At least, we can be grateful that the dog did not come from the President's cousin, Dick Cheney, so there are no questions of nepotism--or snarling at visitors.



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http://ajliebling.blogspot.com/2009/04/obama-kennedy-ethics-problem.html

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Fox & Friends left the "FNC" out of "FNC Tax
Day Tea Parties"

On the April 13 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson repeatedly stated that Fox News will be "covering" tea party protests, planned across the country on April 15, while co-host Steve Doocy claimed, "Fox isn't sponsoring any of this stuff. We're just realizing there are a lot of people across the country who are not happy with the tax situation." However, Fox News is not simply "covering" the tea parties, which the channel has often described as primarily a response[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mediamatters/latest/~3/WAoPa4kpeiE/200904130007

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Chamber of Commerce Answers My Question --
Ambiguously

This morning I posed the question: "Is the Chamber of Commerce Using Bailout Money to Attack[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OpenLeft-FrontPage/~3/zkm4CnAFP2c/chamber-of-comme
rce-answers-my-question-ambiguously

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21ST CENTURY BANK RUNS.

Simon Johnson points out that the new bank run is a rather different beast: Long lines of scared consumers don't form at a bank's door. Rather, professional investors batter the banks using financial markets. Johnson notes the irony of this: "It?s the[...]

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http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=04&year=2009&base_name
=21st_century_bank_runs

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Rick Warren Was Sick ... Or Exhausted ... Or Full
Of It

It's been a bad week for noted homophobe Rick Warren. First he went on Larry King and denied that he had ever equated gay marriage with pedophilia and incest:

Rick Warren: ... I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.

Steven Waldman: Do you think, though, that they are equivalent to having gays getting married?

Rick Warren: Oh I do.

... and denied that he had advocated for Proposition 8:

video details and more

... which shocked Warren's fellow homophobes, who described themselves as "extremely troubled," and "baffled" ... not about the blatant lies, mind you, just that he had tried to distance himself from the issue.

Of course everyone expected Warren to clarify his shifting positions and revisionist history when he appeared on yesterday's This Week with George Stephanopoulos - until he abruptly cancelled at the last minute:

For those of you tuning in this morning expecting to hear from Pastor Rick Warren, we were too, but the pastor’s representatives canceled moments before the scheduled interview, saying that Mr. Warren is sick from exhaustion.

And now, a few more details for the cancellation from a Warren spokesman:

My understanding was that Dr. Warren’s condition was related to fatigue and exhaustion — which affected his voice — exacerbated by inhalation of fumes from the newly refurbished (but still drying) pulpit used in the televised services the previous night. After initially informing George Stephanopoulos of his inability to pre-tape on Saturday, I put him directly in touch with his chief-of-staff after doctor consultation to pursue the remote possibility of an early [Sunday] AM pre-tape. That turned out to not be a possibility as he had to cancel half of his sermons today, though he was able to preach several of the six services at which he was scheduled to preach.

Oh, and the spokesman also said that Warren really didn't equate gay marriage with incest and pedophilia (see above) and he really didn't advocate for Proposition 8 (see above).

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/kkhJYtoUpB4/-Rick-Warren-Was-Sick-
...-Or-Exhausted-...-Or-Full-Of-It

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Mike's Blog Roundup

BeggarsCanBeChoosers: Where were the 'Tea Party' protesters during the Bush years?

Intrepid Liberal Journal: The Democracy Index: An interview with Yale Law School professor Heather Gerken, who on January 1. 2007, published a widely read article in the LegalTimes entitled, ?How Does Your State Rank on The Democracy Index.? Gerken argued that just as the Environmental Performance Index (?EPI?) shamed countries such as Belgium to upgrade their environmental practices, a ?Democracy Index? would embarrass state and localities into reforming their electoral administration through competition.

Lean Left: Free-Floating Dumb: Victor Davis Hanson grapples with reality, and he's not alone

Lawyers, Guns and Money: Here's a Bush-era rule that must go

Prairie Weather: Ask not what you can do for your country

ANNALS OF JOURNALISM: The Brits get it...Fox hits another new 'new low'...Stenography v Journalism...Actual Headline is their new meme...The fears of a clown...How young Neocons get rich...Why is this man a member of the media?...Edward R. Murrow and the Fairness Doctrine... Dogged Journalism..

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/mike-finnigan/mikes-blog-roundup-167

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Obamas Nixon to China Moment on Iran

Once again Richard Cohen provides foundational reality: I think it?s almost certainly too late to stop Iran achieving virtual nuclear power status ? something like Brazil?s or Japan?s mastery of the know-how without a weapon. Iran?s advances of the past[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.taylormarsh.com/2009/04/13/obamas-nixon-to-china-moment-on-iran/

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