Jack & Jill Politics

rikyrah: More on "BLAGO":

Blagojevich's Multi-Million Dollar Campaign fund To Be Frozen

Federal authorities plan to freeze Gov. Blagojevich's campaign fund, crippling the governor's ability to use the money for his legal bills.

In a letter this week, they put the Blagojevich camp on notice they intend to freeze the money, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

That disclosure comes a week after the governor was hit with federal charges including scheming to sell the U.S. Senate seat given up by President-elect Barack Obama.

Today in Springfield, the governor's lawyer, Ed Genson, appeared before a House panel investigating whether to impeach Blagojevich. Genson asked to be appointed a special attorney general to represent the governor in the impeachment process.

Read the whole story here.

NOW the FEDS appear to be moving quickly. Annnnnnd, this investigation has been going on - - "how long?" Hmmmmm!?

rikyrah: O.K. I found this and I hope that it is NOT what should NOT be posted here. I'm still learning all the subtleties/nuances. :>) I don't know anything about this author.
Soooo, B very gentle IFFF this is a BAD post! :>) :>) :>)

The 12 Days Of Fitzmas

The part that I liked was "Five Bleeping Blagos!" :>)

I don't get the rest. :>( Annnnd, that betta be a POSITIVE line about P-E Obama! :>)

O.K. I'm submitting this and PRAYING!! :>)

rikyrah: "HOLD UP!!" The GOP is "doggin' Holder!:

Eric Holder Nomination: GOP Casts Wide Net To Derail

Senate Republicans are casting a wide net in their efforts to dredge up information that could be damaging to the candidacy of Eric Holder as Attorney General.

In addition to pushing Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy to delay the start date of the Holder hearings, GOP officials on the committee also have asked the Justice Department and the Clinton library to hand over large swaths of information relating to virtually every potentially controversial aspect of Holder's time as Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton White House.

Republicans on the committee will thus have more time and information to consider Holder than with any AG nominee in recent history. In the process, they are leaving the impression that they are actively looking to derail the nomination rather than merely examining his qualifications for the post. Leahy suggested as much when he accused Karl Rove of instigating the (unexpected) opposition to Holder. Democratic staffers on the Hill, likewise, are deeply suspicious of the GOP's ploys.

Most telling, however, is that even a Republican Senator on the committee suggested that his colleagues may have overreached in demanding documents that could be beyond their purview.

"I believe Senator Specter is justified in asking that this hearing not start so soon," Senator Jeff Sessions, said recently from the floor. "Members of the committee have sought a bunch of documents. I am not sure they are entitled to all of those documents, but many of them are public record documents that are quite appropriate to be requested. These members have requested those documents and they need to be looked at because there are some questions here that are going to have to be examined."

Is THIS how you define - -"macra-fackas??"

I'm just askin' . . . . . . . .




P.S. THAT CHOIR IS "SANGIN'!!" :>) :>)

rikyrah: Looking ahead:

Next up for Obama: SEC, transportation

President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday will name the first woman to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to two senior Democratic officials.

Mary Schapiro is currently CEO of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a non-governmental association that oversees all American securities firms. She is a former SEC commissioner.

Then on Friday, he’ll come back with a Republican for his Cabinet — retiring Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois, who will be tapped as Obama’s transportation secretary, two Democratic officials said.

Obama is keeping up this week’s news-conference-a-day pace with the announcement of Schapiro Thursday in Chicago. She would take the post at the height of a national economic crisis fueled in part by Wall Street excesses.

Current SEC chairman Christopher Cox came under fire during the presidential campaign over how his agency missed the Wall Street meltdown. Republican candidate John McCain said he’d fire Cox.

But even Cox raised questions this week about how the SEC failed to investigate fraud allegations surrounding Bernard Madoff, accused of leading a $50 billion Ponzi scheme that bilked investors ranging from Steven Spielberg to Mort Zuckerman. Cox said credible accusations about Madoff were brought to the agency but never formally investigated.

Then on Friday, Obama will fulfill his promise to add a Republican to his Cabinet with LaHood, a former top aide to House Minority Leader Robert Michel, LaHood has a friendly relationship with both Obama and incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

THERE IS MORE!

HE is just MOVING RIGHT ALONG!! :>)

Mr. President-Elect Obama!:>) LEADERSHIP!!! :>)



P.S. Watching "Christmas in Washington:" Rafael Sadiqq(sp?) is on now! :>)

Most Promising Places to Start a New Career
by Amelia Gray, FindTheRightSchool

All things being equal, where you live can make a huge difference in what you earn. Whether you're ready to make a move to a new city or you want to choose an education that fits the needs of your hometown, career training can make a big difference to your wallet.

When it comes to marketing your degree, the old axiom for real estate holds true -- it's all about location, location, location. Check out these top degrees available online, matched with some of their best areas nationwide and earnings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

There is more

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-most_p...

Anybody know anything about the Republican Barack chose as Transportation Secretary?

From Politico:

LaHood to head Transpo

Retiring Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) will be tapped on Friday as Barack Obama’s Transportation Secretary, according to senior Democratic officials.

A moderate Republican and former top aide to House Minority Leader Robert Michel, LaHood has a friendly relationship with both Obama and incoming Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

His appointment would also fulfill Obama’s promise to include Republicans in his cabinet (While serving in President Bush’s cabinet, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is not a registered Republican).

LaHood, who represented Peoria in the House, took his old boss’s seat in the Republican sweep of 1994, and later won a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

Known for his familiarity with House rules and press-friendly style, LaHood urged more civility in the often-rancorous House and held bipartisan member dinners with Emanuel. While some Republicans criticized Obama’s selection of Emanuel as Chief of Staff last month, LaHood said publicly that it was a wise choice.

moderate Republican. nobody strident.

And his transportation credentials?

(Color me lazy. I figured someone from IL would have the 411.)

he's so non-descript, Craig. I hadn't even heard this mentioned. this came out of nowhere. sorry. I knew he was from Illinois, but he wasn't loud or strident or hogging the tv enough for me to know him in Illinois.

rikyrah: From change.gov:

The President-elect on his goals and agenda in a time of crisis

This week President-elect Obama gave an interview to Time magazine, answering some of the key philosophical questions facing the next Administration. As David Von Drehle wrote in a story based on the interview, the circumstances the country faces are extraordinary: “Score that as follows: one imploding economy, one deteriorating war in an impossible region and two versions of Armageddon — the bang of loose nukes and the whimper of environmental collapse. That’s just for starters…”

During the interview, the President-elect discussed what he views as the key benchmarks for his first two years, and whether the economic crisis will force him to hold back on the bold agenda he has put forth:

When voters look at your Administration two years from now, in the off-year election, how will they know whether you’re succeeding?
I think there are a couple of benchmarks we’ve set for ourselves during the course of this campaign. On [domestic] policy, have we helped this economy recover from what is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression? Have we instituted financial regulations and rules of the road that assure this kind of crisis doesn’t occur again? Have we created jobs that pay well and allow families to support themselves? Have we made significant progress on reducing the cost of health care and expanding coverage? Have we begun what will probably be a decade-long project to shift America to a new energy economy? Have we begun what may be an even longer project of revitalizing our public-school systems so we can compete in the 21st century? That’s on the domestic front.

On foreign policy, have we closed down Guantánamo in a responsible way, put a clear end to torture and restored a balance between the demands of our security and our Constitution? Have we rebuilt alliances around the world effectively? Have I drawn down U.S. troops out of Iraq, and have we strengthened our approach in Afghanistan — not just militarily but also diplomatically and in terms of development? And have we been able to reinvigorate international institutions to deal with transnational threats, like climate change, that we can’t solve on our own?

And outside of specific policy measures, two years from now, I want the American people to be able to say, “Government’s not perfect; there are some things Obama does that get on my nerves. But you know what? I feel like the government’s working for me. I feel like it’s accountable. I feel like it’s transparent. I feel that I am well informed about what government actions are being taken. I feel that this is a President and an Administration that admits when it makes mistakes and adapts itself to new information, that believes in making decisions based on facts and on science as opposed to what is politically expedient.” Those are some of the intangibles that I hope people two years from now can claim.

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE! :>)

Mr. President-Elect Obama! :>) GOALS - -AGENDA!! YES HE WILL!! :>)

I love this pic with RuPaul-its genius. For a sec I did a double take. I always forget what a handsome man RuPaul is. Anyway he is always good for a laugh and a smile.

What's crazy is that his Michelle is better than his Barack. He really makes a pretty woman.

RuPaul hasn't been looking terribly healthy lately. I hope he's alright.

From your lips to Gods ears...

rikyrah: Betcha y'all thought that I forgot - huh? :>) ****ducking*** :>)

It is the FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS! FIVE GOLD(EN) RINGS!! :>)

The Twelve Days Of Christmas

ENJOY!! :>) :>) [Sing-along "JJP CHOIR!" :>)]

Hey, JJP. Someone may have already mentioned this is the earlier thread, but I'm so excited that Elizabeth Alexander has been chosen as the Inaugural Poet! She is an amazing artist with a very thoughtful voice that tackles issues dealing with race and history quite movingly. Plus, she's a really cool person. Her most famous collection is probably The Venus Hottentot but I also like the series of poems on the Amistad in American Sublime. I had heard that she and Michelle were friends, but I think her selection to write and read an Inauguration Poem speaks volumes about the Obamas cultural investment in this country as black Americans. Can't wait to blog more about this! If anyone else has read her work and cares to share favorite poems, please do!

claudia_m, I'm excited about E.A. Just staring to familiarize myself with her works. Looking forward to experiencing her presence and recitation.

Goldman Sachs Tax Rate? 1%

Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which got $10 billion and debt guarantees from the U.S. government in October, expects to pay $14 million in taxes worldwide for 2008 compared with $6 billion in 2007.

The company’s effective income tax rate dropped to 1 percent from 34.1 percent, New York-based Goldman Sachs said today in a statement. The firm reported a $2.3 billion profit for the year after paying $10.9 billion in employee compensation and benefits.

Goldman Sachs, which today reported its first quarterly loss since going public in 1999, lowered its rate with more tax credits as a percentage of earnings and because of “changes in geographic earnings mix,” the company said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103...

From Al Giordano:

Kennedy Opponents: Keep Railing Against Monarchies, Please!
Posted by Al Giordano - December

See this photograph? It's of New York political leader Basil Paterson and his family, who has been: State Senator, Deputy Mayor, candidate for Lieutenant Governor and the first African-American Secretary of State in New York. He's a living legend in New York politics.

And see the kid with the afro on your right? That's his son, David Paterson, now Governor of New York, who will fill a US Senate vacancy in January.

Some folks seem to be forgetting that this will be a "primary-of-one." The state Constitution instructs that the Governor appoint to fill any empty US Senate seat until the next regularly scheduled election.

David Paterson has had to suffer the slings and arrows and jealousies of those who said he would never have risen through the ranks of Big Apple politics (first as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens, then on the staff of Manhattan Borough President - and close friend of his dad - David Dinkins, then filling his father's old State Senate seat, then tapped as Eliot Spitzer's running mate and finally filling his vacancy to become governor) if not for the family name and his legendary father's influence.

Of course, Governor Paterson knows the truth about himself, and is well familiar with the sniping of those who say he didn't deserve to rise (or wouldn't have risen if his name hadn't been "Paterson").

My guess is that every time he reads and hears some pundit or blogger or politician railing against an appointment of Caroline Kennedy to the Senate based on her name and family and the suggestion that she's not qualified, calling her a nail-filing princess and comparing her to Sarah Palin and all the other cheap shots taken in the past week, an enormous well of empathy and commonality is stirred.

Ha ha. They fell for it, hook, line and sinker, while forgetting the rules of this process: that only one person gets to decide.

They broke a cardinal rule of community organizing: they should have studied the target audience first.

There may be other arguments that could work on Paterson to pick someone else, but they've been drowned out by the shrill and unfair critiques that he's long heard against him now applied just as spitefully to Caroline Kennedy!

Checkmate.

(Did I say "ha ha"?)

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/kenne...

Patterson will appoint Caroline Kennedy as New York's Senator.

ROFL at this pic. HIlarious.

My hair color magically changed to Blonde today :-) so I need a little help understanding how this is a good idea.

Obama looking at $850 billion jolt to the economy.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081217/ap_on_go_pr...

I'm not balking at the idea of getting a little back. However, the last time I checked, it was RIGHT before this MASSIVE recession that we received a stimulus similar to this one. I'm not a big fan of coincidences. In fact, I don't really believe in them.
Therefore, I beseech someone to break it down for me and give me a better understanding of how this will bring us out of the red.

P.S. Remember how Dr. Evil asked for 1 million dollars and they laughed at him? So I guess a billion dollars isn't a lot of money anymore. As someone feeling the effects, let's just say that I'm glad that a few places still have dollar menus.

You got this from THE BLACK SNOB.

Annnd, yeah, you wrong for posting it. ROFL

The Illinois Supreme Court REJECTED Attorney General Madigan's attempt at having them declare the Governor unfit to serve. They wouldn't even hear the case.

Back to the legislature and impeachment it goes.

I know Blago doesn't deserve defending, but Fitzgerald make a premature arrest and fucked everything up. He better have a case (seeing as though he's asking Barack not to release his own investigation, I'm beginning to belive he doesn't) because otherwise Blago is going to remain a thorn in so many sides.

the thing is, now that I step back, this is making me doubt Fitzgerald. Because, I'm going to be honest....this shouldn't even be what the indictment is about. It should be all about Rezko, who SUPPOSEDLY has been singing.

The arrest was purely political. That's why all the attempts to link Barack to Blago have reached such a fever pitch.

They think we can't see.

true, but he better come serious, after asking Obama to hold off until the 22nd.

Blago has hunkered down. That lawyer of his is no joke. And a street fighter to boot.

His lawyer is a swamp alligator. I wouldn't mess with him at all.

I thought I heard somewhere that Fitzgerald didn't want to move so soon but the Chicago Tribune was getting ready to publish the scoop, so that's why Fitzgerald moved so quickly?

Well, that makes no sense. And Barack is being made out by the media as someone with something to hide. Which makes me believe Fitzgerald was pressured by more than a Tribune scoop.

Where is Karl Rove?

The media needs to be asking Fitzgerald all the questions they're asking Barack.

I've had to turn off the television.

I'm curious...what exactly WOULD constitute "unfit to serve" if not this?

the Court believes they could only rule on MEDICAL impairment.

political impairments should be taken up in the legislature with impeachment.

rikyrah: I'll "betcha" IFFF they needed a MEDICAL/MENTAL HEALTH Impairment DEFENSE, there would be PSYCHIATRISTS/PSYCHOLOGISTS up the ying/yang ready to OPINE!!

I'm just sayin'. . . . . :>)

So legal impairment is considered political only? Interesting....I really hope that only extends to a certain segment of crimes.