Jack & Jill Politics

God help us, but I see this getting legs and it scares the s+++ out of me.

“http://www.examiner.com/x-28242-Election-Reform-Examiner~y2009m11d20-Obamas-friend-sexual-predator-protected

“Blame it on Michelle Rhee, the brave defender and reformer of the D.C. School system. Gone bad, you might say. A vision of integrity, now sullied by “taking care of” her boyfriend's victims.

The boyfriend, Obama's predator friend, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, pounced on as many three employees in the Americorp camp. Michelle Rhee managed to quiet the girls. Kevin Johnson personally offered to pay at least one off with a mere $l,000 weekly slush fund, according to Byron…”

we'll see how far this goes. if true, I want both of them nailed to the wall. but, we have to see if it's true.

Rep. Jackie Speier's Tough Bank Amendment Passes With Room Nearly Empty
First Posted: 11-20-09 05:34 PM | Updated: 11-20-09 06:59 PM

Don't sleep on Jackie Speier. The freshman Democrat from California came into the House Financial Services Committee room Thursday ready to fight for her long-shot amendment to limit the leverage ratio for big banks.

“I expected a roll call vote,” said Speier, fresh off a star turn on the Colbert Report.

Lobbyists and committee staffers expected that the amendment — which would mandate that banks essentially could not lend out or invest more than 12 dollars for every dollar they keep in reserve — would only get a roll call and that it'd be soundly defeated, bounced by a coalition of Republicans and bank-friendly Democrats, who call themselves “New Democrats.”

Instead, there were barely any lawmakers in their seats when her amendment came up during an all-day debate on comprehensive financial regulatory reform.

One of the two or three Republicans in the room asked for a roll call, but then quickly reconsidered and withdrew the request.

It passed by a unanimous voice vote.

The amendment makes sense, but rationality alone is rarely enough to get legislation through committee. The banks long fought to eliminate the cap and finally succeeded in 2004, a victory that is partially to blame for the financial crisis as over-leveraged banks ran short on capital.

But when the vote was called Thursday, the GOP members present didn't want to put their names to that agenda.
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“I was thrilled,” said Speier, who wouldn't confess to being surprised that she won. She guessed, instead, that the initial objection was simply Pavlovian.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/20/tough-…

Virginia is screwed:

McDonnell promises to reject the public option

Pat Robertson is ALREADY causing headaches for McDonnell and the man hasn't even been sworn in

He promises to be the JOBS GOVERNOR but AOL is slashing 1/3 of its workforce and most of those are up in Northern VA and these are “good” well paying jobs.

VA is facing even more loss of revenue which common sense tells you a “tax cut” will not fix. Gilmore “cut taxes” back in the late 90s which led to Virginia having NO MONEY in the early 00s (which was a freaking BOOM TIME). McDonnell promised to reopen the rest stops within 90 days of his being governor. In order to fulfill that promise and correct the state's empty pockets McDonnell is either going to have to drastically slash services (I predict DMV will be closing down which will NOT make people happy) or raise taxes.

I predict an “affirmative action” fight regarding the state's universities. The state doesn't fund the schools properly so the top tier schools are taking in a LOT of out of state students, which denies spots to Virginia residents. As more and more VA residents are denied entry into UVa, Tech, W&M etc. the Republicans will look for a scape goat and they will claim that affirmative action aka blacks are taking “good Virginia citizens' spots.”

VA is so screwed. Sad thing is, it didn't matter which one got elected, b/c both of them were going to screw the state. McDonnell is just going to screw it more.

The saga at the USDA definitely defies “if you work hard, you will succeed” reasoning given for POC's lack of “success” in this society. You will never see Bill Cosby at a Black Farmer's protest giving them a bootstrap lecture. There are multi-generation family complaints unresolved at the USDA and there are still land grab efforts underway. The history of POC battle with the USDA shows even if you play by the rules, you still lose.

It is a surprise. Her reckless bravado rings true in much of America. That is part of her appeal. That willingness to say what is true(when factually it isn't) is what people believe.