Obama Photo Preceded Cartoon Of Gunned Down Chimp

From Huffy Post

Sam Stein

In the page preceding a New York Post cartoon that depicts drafters of the stimulus legislation as a gun-downed chimpanzee, the paper published a large photo of Barack Obama signing that very piece of legislation.

The succession of the story and cartoon creates a rather jarring visualization for some readers. One person who pointed out the layout to the Huffington Post expressed bewilderment that anyone "would think that this is okay."

Indeed, reading through the paper one finds a spread image of Barack Obama signing the stimulus gracing the top of Page 11. The accompanying graphics breaks down the contents of the recovery package. The article details the new demands of the auto-industry for more government assistance.

Flipping over to Page 12, there is the now-infamous cartoon with two befuddled looking policeman standing over a shot-dead, crazed chimpanzee. The caption reads: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus."

The New York Post has defended the publication of the cartoon by Sean Delonas, saying that it "is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy."

Inside the paper, however, the mood is much less defiant. An employee of the paper told the Huffington Post that the phones have been ringing incessantly with complaints from readers and the general public. "As they f---ing should be," said the employee.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that "many Post staff members were dismayed by the cartoon."

MAYOR VIRG BERNERO OF LANSING MICHIGAN TEARS FOX ANCHOR A NEW ONE - HILARIOUS!!!

If you oppose stimulus, don't take the money

By Paul Begala CNN Contributor

Editor's note: Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor, was a political consultant for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992 and was counselor to Clinton in the White House.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina took umbrage at my writing that his approach to the economic crisis is to do nothing. I'll deal with his "ideas" in a moment, but first let me make a modest proposal:

If Republican politicians are so deeply opposed to President Obama's economic recovery plan, they should refuse to take the money. After all, if you think all that federal spending is damaging, there are easy ways to reduce it: Don't take federal money.

Gov. Sanford can lead the way. South Carolina should decline to accept any federal funds for transportation, education, health care, clean energy or any of the other ideas President Obama is advocating to fix the economy. And the rest of the GOP can follow suit.

Justice Louis Brandeis famously called states "laboratories of democracy." So let's experiment. Gov. Sanford can be the guinea pig. His Palmetto State already gets $1.35 back from Washington for every dollar it pays in federal taxes, according to 2005 numbers, the latest calculated by the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit tax research group.

South Carolina is a ward of the federal government. It's been on welfare for years. If Gov. Sanford is so all-fired opposed to federal spending, let's start by cutting federal spending in South Carolina. Otherwise, he's got about as much credibility on fiscal conservatism as A-Rod has on steroids.

Under the Bush-Sanford economic theories, South Carolina's unemployment rate has reached 9.5 percent -- among the highest in the nation. But if Gov. Sanford wants to continue those policies, good luck to him.

Make no mistake about it, Republicans like Gov. Sanford want to go back to the bad old days of George W. Bush. In his CNN.com column, Gov. Sanford expends 605 words attacking President Obama's plan to turn the country around after eight years of Bush-Republican-Sanford economics.

That is his right, but attacking President Obama's plan is not itself an alternative plan. Nor is dredging up hoary old gripes about the New Deal. Nor, indeed, is deriding neighborhood electric vehicles -- which create jobs, save money and reduce pollution -- as "streamlined golf carts." But that is what Gov. Sanford offers us. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on the stimulus plan

Then Gov. Sanford turns to his ideas (keep in mind he was responding to my charge that he favors doing nothing). He devotes precisely one half of one sentence to his plan to save the world economy; 24 words that will create millions of jobs, restore liquidity to capital markets, protect investors and consumers, regenerate stagnant demand and restore the capitalist system. Here they are:

"... cutting the payroll tax, opening foreign markets through an expansion of our trade agreements, and reducing our corporate tax, which is among the highest worldwide."

Wow. As we say in the South, I've got the vapors. So cutting taxes and cutting trade deals will get us out of this mess? That's all we need to do?

We don't need to extend unemployment insurance, or update health information technology, or move to renewable energy or repair roads or rebuild bridges or modernize the power grid or prevent states and cities from laying off teachers and cops or any of the other myriad proposals in President Obama's plan?

To be sure, President Obama's plan includes tax cuts -- mostly for middle-class families. But cutting taxes on corporate profits is of little utility when there are no corporate profits to tax. And precisely with whom would Gov. Sanford cut these miraculous trade deals? In case he hasn't been watching CNN, the entire world economy is in the tank.

If cutting taxes for the rich and for big corporations and promoting foreign trade alone could energize the economy, we wouldn't be in this mess. But maybe Gov. Sanford is right. Let's keep our federal money -- give it to states where the governors will actually put it to good use. We'll let Gov. Sanford try his plan, we'll try President Obama's plan.

Something tells me Gov. Sanford won't take that gamble. Because for all his rhetoric about hating federal spending, he can't wait to get his hands on our money.

GOP Moderates Live In Fear Of Right-Wing Republican Study Committee

By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff

President Obama’s enviable poll numbers have yet to persuade moderate House Republicans to back key parts of the new administration’s economic agenda.

The moderates are more worried about the pressures from their right, where the Republican Study Committee is taking names and conservatives are raising the prospect of primary challenges, than about potential fallout from opposing a popular president.

No Republican voted for the Obama-backed economic stimulus package (HR 1) when the House passed it on Jan. 28, and the outlook is not much different for an upcoming omnibus fiscal 2009 spending package, the fiscal 2010 budget and a new financial bailout plan.

GOP leaders say they are less worried about defections now than they were during the departed Bush administration. And they see moderate Republicans as offering a good chance of unseating Democrats in marginal districts.

Having failed so far to draw moderate Republicans into the fold on major economic initiatives, and facing possible defections by fiscally conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats, Obama pivoted last week away from offering carrots like White House invitations or opportunities to offer amendments. During a Feb. 5 speech to House Democrats at their retreat in Williamsburg, Va., the president reverted to campaign-style rhetoric.

Rep. Charlie Dent , R-Pa., was unmoved by such warnings. “In this environment, both parties seem to be appealing to their bases. Centrists must carefully weigh each issue,” he said. “I’m more fiscally conservative than most Democrats. That reflects my district.”

Dent and Rep. Fred Upton , R-Mich., were guests at Obama’s Super Bowl party at the White House on Feb. 1, and they were among a dozen moderates hosted last month by Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel .

So far, Obama has little to show for his charm offensive. Dent, Upton and their allies in the 33-member, moderate Republican Main Street Partnership opposed the House-passed stimulus legislation, disagreed with the release of an additional $350 billion in bailout funding for the finance industry and are signaling possible opposition to other big pieces of his agenda.

David King, a lecturer in public policy at Harvard University, said Obama is forcing GOP centrists to perform a balancing act. “They know they are most likely to face challenges from the right. So they must protect their right flank, especially on economic issues,” King said.

But there may still be room for cooperation on other issues. “There’s areas for collaboration on education, on health care and embryonic stem cell research,” Dent said.

GOP Leaders Confident

The Faces of the House GOP’s Moderate Wing: Click here to view chart

GOP leaders say they are confident that moderate Republicans will be less likely to defect as members of the opposition party. “We no longer have to worry about being blamed for all of the problems of the president and his administration. Now, it’s the moderate Democrats who have to worry about that,’’ said Rep. Mark Steven Kirk , R-Ill.

In firming up the party line against Democratic spending bills, a new financial rescue package and administration budget priorities, GOP leaders invite their troops to consider the example of moderate freshman Lynn Jenkins , R-Kan. She defeated former Rep. Jim Ryun (1996-2007) in a GOP primary, then ousted Democratic incumbent Nancy Boyda (2007-09), a Blue Dog ally, by labeling her a big spender.

“I promised I would be tight-fisted,’’ Jenkins said. “The bills I’m seeing from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are not tight-fisted at all.”

Kevin McCarthy of California, the House GOP’s chief deputy whip, has led a push to recruit tough-minded moderates like Jenkins to oppose Democrats in divided districts. “We’re going to find the best candidates that represent their districts. There won’t be a litmus test,’’ he said.

But while McCarthy hunts for moderate candidates, the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) — which includes more than 100 of the 178 House Republicans — has called for enforcing party unity on big issues and has hinted at retribution against defectors.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, a former RSC chairman, fired a warning shot of sorts by ousting moderate Judy Biggert of Illinois from the top GOP slot on the Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. Hensarling denied that his move was part of an RSC campaign to nudge moderates aside. “I just wanted one of the subcommittees. That’s all,” he said.

But another senior GOP lawmaker said, “The change shows who is running things in our caucus. It’s not the centrists.”

Biggert, who was given the top GOP seat on another Financial Services subcommittee, declined to comment on the shift but said her later vote against the stimulus package was not the result of RSC pressure.

Party leaders say they want to give moderates high-profile jobs and will allow them to defect on some issues. They point to the recent choice of Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri as the top Republican on the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee.

“We in our party are working on a strategy of inclusion, not exclusion,” said Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, an RSC member. “Not anyone is disqualified from getting any job because of their position on an issue.”

Palin must pay tax on past per diem, state says

By LISA DEMER ldemer@adn.com (02/17/09 21:53:17)

Gov. Sarah Palin must pay income taxes on thousands of dollars in expense money she received while living at her Wasilla home, under a new determination by state officials.

The governor's office wouldn't say this week how much she owes in back taxes for meal money, or whether she intends to continue to receive the per diem allowance. As of December, she was still charging the state for meals and incidentals.

"The amount of taxes owed is a private matter," Sharon Leighow, Palin's spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. "If the governor collects future per diem, those documents would be a matter of public record."

The revelation about Palin comes as U.S. senators, including Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, are under scrutiny over back taxes. A survey by the political newspaper and Web site Politico (www.politico.com) found that Begich was one of seven senators who acknowledged owing back taxes.

Some other state employees also owe back income taxes for travel payments and will be getting revised tax forms, Annette Kreitzer, state administration commissioner, said in an e-mail.

She wouldn't say which, or how many, employees will be receiving the notifications.

The payments became a touchy issue for Palin last fall when she was running for vice president and campaigned as a budget watchdog.

The Washington Post published a story in mid-September that said she had charged the state almost $17,000 for meals and incidentals while staying in her own home.

The state considers Juneau, where she lives in the Governor's Mansion, to be Palin's official duty station.

Palin billed the state for 312 nights spent in her Wasilla home during her first 19 months in office, according to the Washington Post. She received $60 a day tax free, money intended to cover meals and incidentals, while traveling on state business, her travel forms show.

"Last fall we raised questions about longstanding practices within the Department of Administration regarding tax treatment of per diem payments," Kreitzer wrote in an exchange of e-mails over the past few days with the Daily News.

"At the Governor's request, we reviewed the situation to determine whether we were in full compliance with the pertinent Internal Revenue Service regulations," Kreitzer wrote. "As a result of this review, we determined that per diem needs to be treated as income, requiring a revision of W-2 forms for any affected employees."

The new determination by administration officials won't affect state lawmakers, said Pam Varni, director of the Legislative Affairs agency.

Under IRS guidelines, legislators receive tax-free payments to help with living expenses while in Juneau for the legislative session -- if their home is at least 50 miles away, Varni said.

The current rate, set by the U.S. Department of Defense, is $189 a day. That goes to everyone except the three Juneau-based legislators, who get smaller payments that are taxed as compensation.

Legislators can also charge the state $150 a day for time spent on state business when the Legislature is not in session, but those payments are taxed as income, Varni said.

Begich's situation came to light through a political survey released last week by Politico about senators and their taxes.

Fifty-five senators, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, didn't answer the questions, and a few others owed money but didn't consider it "back taxes" for one reason or another.

On his way out of a meeting with veterans on Monday, Begich answered a few questions about the back taxes he paid on a vehicle provided to him by the city when he was mayor.

"I refused the car the first 10 or 12 months," Begich said. "I didn't want the car.

"Then they told me I had to have it because of liability and a need and security and blah, blah, blah. So I ended up getting a used car. The first time a mayor has gotten a used car." It was a former police SUV.

The tax obligation came to his attention in late 2007, as he remembers it, after a regular IRS audit of city issues. The city then sent him revised tax statements.

"They gave me a letter and said you got to pay taxes on it. So they revised my W-2s." He wouldn't say how much he owed. "It's irrelevant," Begich said.

Generally, people are supposed to pay income taxes on the value of an employer-provided vehicle that is for personal use. Police vehicles are among the exceptions -- officers can drive them home and not be taxed on the value of the commute.

There's no specific exception in the law for mayors or governors. Palin has had a state Chevy Suburban.

Begich said a mayor is always on the job. No other Anchorage mayor ever had to pay income taxes on a city vehicle, he said.

"That's the point. I'm always on call. Always. ... And I think that's what the city's view was, for the city manager and me, was that we were always on call," Begich said. "But the IRS viewed it differently."

"After that issue came up, I got rid of the car," Begich said. He was in a downtown parking lot getting into the Toyota Highlander hybrid he bought in late 2007 to replace the city rig.

The Politico story about the survey said his situation echoed that of Tom Daschle, who had to step down as President Barack Obama's pick for health secretary after revelations about back taxes, including taxes owed for a limo and driver.

"For Politico to say it's the same as Daschle -- that's bunk," Begich said.

MCL comment: I wonder will the right wing make jokes about this one?

"The House GOP Is Back": Republicans Promote Stimulus Opposition With Aerosmith

Last post for the night from Huffington Post

UPDATE: Aerosmith has asked the House GOP to stop using their song, "Back in the Saddle," TPM reports.

The GOP's use of the tune "was something we, as the publishers, didn't approve and would not have approved without going to the writers," Connie Ashton, director of copyright and licensing at Stage Three, told me. "Aerosmith did not approve of its use and also wanted to have it taken down," she added.

* * * * *

Usually, in war and politics, the victor writes the history. In the case of the soon-to-be-signed stimulus package, however, neither side is admitting defeat.

Republicans in the House of Representatives are trying to mold success out of what is, at its core, a legislative failure. The most recent bit of gloating: a back-slapping YouTube clip from minority whip Eric Cantor's office, set to the tune of Aerosmith's "Back In The Saddle."

"The House GOP is back," reads Cantor's website. Indeed. Having been relegated so far into the minority so as to be incapable of stopping a stimulus bill that it deemed wasteful and liberal, the GOP is taking solace in the unity of its opposition. Conspicuously absent from the video is any mention of the party's House leader, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH). But this video is a House Whip Production.

Gov.Jindal may reject stimulus money

Louisiana faces a possible $2 billion budget shortfall next year, and the state is being hit hard by unemployment. Yet Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), rumored to be a future presidential candidate, said this weekend that he may turn down the roughly $3.8 billion for the state in the economy recovery package, which is expected to create 50,000 jobs:

We’ll have to review each program, each new dollar to make sure that we understand what are the conditions, what are the strings and see whether it’s beneficial for Louisiana to use those dollars,” Jindal said.

Jindal seems to be taking an even harder line than his colleagues, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), who both may accept stimulus money while opposing the stimulus legislation. Jindal is scheduled to give the official GOP response to President Obama’s address next Tuesday.

MCL comment I agree with Paul Begala, these Republican governors states shouldn't get any support and when their state far further behind let the likes of Bobby Jindal explained why they chose not to support the stimulus for their states. Bobby Jindal is trying to position himself for 2012 by bow downing to the Newt and the extreme right of the republican and he's going to find himself being the younger clone of John McCain from 2008. Another tidbit on Bobby Jindal I don't see what's about him that makes the Republicans so excite.To me Bobby Jindal is the political equal to Darko, I watch the dude a couple of times and he's boring as hell. If you thought Jeb speaking style was bad Bobby could could put a corpse to sleep.

Pat Robertson denounced Rush for hoping Obama to fail

In an interview with U.S. News & World Report, conservative Christian leader Pat Robertson denounced talk show host Rush Limbaugh for saying he wants President Obama to fail.

"So you don't subscribe to Rush Limbaugh's "I hope he fails" school of thought?" asked interviewer Dan Gilgoff.

"That was a terrible thing to say," Robertson responded. "I mean, he's the president of all the country. If he succeeds, the country succeeds. And if he doesn't, it hurts us all. Anybody who would pull against our president is not exactly thinking rationally."

After the election, Robertson pronounced himself "remarkably pleased" with Obama and not so happy with President Bush. Robertson told Gilgoff that Obama hasn't been "as skillful" since taking office but that he wants "to give him the benefit of every doubt, and I definitely hope he succeeds."

Limbaugh has repeatedly expressed his desire to Obama -- and the stimulus package -- to fail. Listen:

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appeared to implicitly criticize Limbaugh in a recent interview, saying use of "personal partisan attacks" is "not right for our country, it's not going to help us, and it's not going to help Republicans."

Obama signs stimulus bill, readies homeowner plan

By LIZ SIDOTI and TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti And Tom Raum, Associated Press Writer 11 mins ago

DENVER – President Barack Obama put his own indelible imprint on the nation's distressed economy Tuesday, signing the huge recovery package into law, readying a $50 billion proposal to help homeowners fend off foreclosure and awaiting emergency restructuring plans from flailing automakers. Obama said the sprawling legislation, which congressional Democrats pushed to passage last week over near-unanimous opposition from Republicans, would "set our economy on a firmer foundation."

Obama's first major piece of legislation, it's a $787 billion mix of tax cuts and one of the biggest public spending programs since World War II.

"I don't want to pretend that today marks the end of our economic problems. Nor does it constitute all of what we have to do to turn our economy around. But today does mark the beginning of the end, the beginning of what we need to do to create jobs for Americans scrambling in the wake of layoffs," Obama said.

The setting for the signing was the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, with solar panels on its roof, underscoring the investments the new law will make in "green" energy-related jobs. Workers in solar, wind, and other renewable-energy industries joined Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at the bill-signing ceremony.

Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters the White House was open-minded about another stimulus effort. But he stressed that there were no plans in the works for one.

Meanwhile, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC raced to complete recovery plans they were due to submit as part of their deal to receive billions of dollars in government loans. It was not clear they would make Tuesday's deadline.

The two automakers have been living off a combined $13.4 billion in federal bailout loans. They must persuade the administration that they can remain viable. Detroit's third major automaker, Ford Motor Co., did not request government help.

With the economy dominating Obama's first weeks in office, the president on Wednesday will unveil another part of his recovery effort — a $50 billion plan to help stem foreclosures.

All the activity also is allowing Obama to get away from Washington, with its intense partisan wrangling, and be cheered by people who may benefit from the huge government intervention.

Obama planned to outline his plan to help struggling homeowners in a speech in Arizona, one of the states hardest hit by home foreclosures that are at the center of the nation's economic woes.

The $50 billion program was mentioned last week by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as part of a wide-ranging financial-sector rescue plan that could send $2 trillion coursing through the financial system. But details were not announced at the time.

Obama's announcement is expected to include details about how the administration plans to prod the mortgage industry to do more in modifying the terms of home loans so borrowers have lower monthly payments.

More than 2.3 million homeowners faced foreclosure proceedings last year, an 81 percent increase from 2007, and analysts say that number could soar as high as 10 million in the coming years, depending on the severity of the recession.

As for Tuesday's stimulus package, it will pump money into highway, bridge and other infrastructure projects, health care, renewable energy development and conservation.

It includes a $400 tax break for most individual workers and $800 for couples, including those who do not earn enough to pay income taxes. It will distribute tens of billions of dollars to states so they can head off deep cuts and layoffs and will provide financial incentives for people to start buying again, from first homes to new cars to shoes and cereal. It also provides help to poor people and laid-off workers, with increased unemployment benefits and food stamps, and subsides for health insurance.

Separately, GM and Chrysler raced to finish restructuring plans to present to the federal government but seemed unlikely to complete deals with debtholders and union workers by the government-imposed deadline on Tuesday.

Gibbs, Obama's press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wouldn't rule out bankruptcy for Detroit automakers. Gibbs said the administration looks forward to reviewing GM and Chrysler's restructuring plans. Gibbs said it is important for the economy to have a strong and viable auto industry and that it's up to automakers to make choices about what is most helpful to their recovery.

GM earlier received $9.4 billion in government loans and Chrysler $4 billion. GM picked up the second installment of its loans, $4 billion, on Tuesday, according to Gibbs.

The Obama team had weighed appointing a "car czar." But Sunday night, the White House instead announced a task force to oversee the companies' restructuring.

The back-to-back government moves to try to lift the economy from a crippling recession had been eagerly awaited by Wall Street. But with the programs now being put in place, investors seemed concerned the impact might not be fast enough or big enough and stocks tumbled on Tuesday to near their November lows.

___

Associated Press Writers Ben Feller and Ken Thomas in Washington and Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.

Bill Clinton: Stimulus is 'our bridge over troubled water

Bill Clinton: Stimulus is 'our bridge over troubled water

Attacks GOP, says Obama has one year to get stimulus to work

Filed by David Edwards and Rachel Oswald Simon & Garfunkel had a surprise reunion the other night, meanwhile, after weeks and weeks of talk about bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats seem further apart than ever. In an interview with CNN’s John Roberts, former President Bill Clinton referred to the stimulus package as America's "bridge over troubled waters" and predicted that President Barack Obama has about a year of continued public support in his efforts to revive the economy. “The public, I think, will support him at least for a year in trying to work these things out,” Clinton said. “He’s been very straightforward in saying it might take as much as two years for the economy to get in gear again. My instinct is it will happen a little quicker than that.” Clinton had harsh words for the recent actions of Congressional Republicans, who he accused of being hypocritical in accusing Obama of being a spendthrift while they were the ones that oversaw record deficits when they had control of the Congress. “He has reached across and it takes two to tango,” said Clinton of Obama’s efforts to gain Republican support for the stimulus package. Clinton, who during the 2008 campaign criticized Obama’s ability to lead the nation, now has only words of praise for his job performance. “He did the right thing. He did everything he could to get Republican support,” said Clinton. “Given the Congress he had and the environment and the speed in which he had to move, I think he did a fine job with this.” Despite Obama meeting personally with House Republicans to gain their support for the stimulus package, not a single House Republican voted in support of the bill, though three moderate Republicans in the Senate did cross the aisle to give the package their support. “If you look at this bill, it is designed to do three things and it does all three,” Clinton said. “It puts money in the hands of people who need money to survive, unemployment benefits, food stamp benefits, tax cuts. Second thing it does is to give money to state and local governments so they don't have to lay a million people off or raise taxes. Either one would be bad for the economy. The third thing, it creates new jobs.” This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Feb. 16, 2009.

Obama Is Said to Drop Plan for ‘Car Czar’ to Fix Detroit

By BILL VLASIC

DETROIT — President Obama has dropped the idea of appointing a single, powerful “car czar” to oversee the revamping of General Motors and Chrysler and will instead keep the politically delicate task in the hands of his most senior economic advisers, a top administration official said Sunday night.

Mr. Obama is designating the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, and the chairman of the National Economic Council, Lawrence H. Summers, to oversee a presidential panel on the auto industry. Mr. Geithner will also supervise the $17.4 billion in loan agreements already in place with G.M. and Chrysler, said the official, who insisted on anonymity.

The official also said that Ron Bloom, a restructuring expert who has advised the labor unions in the troubled steel and airline industries, would be named a senior adviser to Treasury on the auto crisis.

The unexpected shift comes as G.M. and Chrysler race to complete broad restructuring plans they must file with the Treasury by Tuesday. The companies’ plans are required to show progress in cutting long-term costs as a condition for keeping their loans.

The administration official said the president was reserving for himself any decision on the viability of G.M. and Chrysler, both of which came close to bankruptcy before receiving federal aid two months ago.

One of President Obama’s top advisers said Sunday that the administration had not ruled out a government-backed bankruptcy as a means to overhaul the automakers.

“We’re going to need a restructuring of these companies,” the adviser, David Axelrod, said on “Meet the Press” on NBC. He added that a turnaround of the companies would “require sacrifice not just from the auto workers but also from creditors, from shareholders and the executives who run the company.”

The automakers had been expecting the appointment of a car czar to break the logjam of negotiations with the United Auto Workers over the finances of a retiree health care trust, and with bondholders about reducing the companies’ debt.

Mr. Bloom is known for bringing his Wall Street experience as an investment banker to an advisory role as the “in-house” banker for the steel workers’ union. With the auto union locking horns with bondholders in the G.M. revamping deliberations, Mr. Bloom appears to bring credibility with both the union and the debtors. Mr. Bloom could not be reached for comment Sunday night.

Another senior administration official said that Mr. Obama had considered appointing a car czar, and among those considered for the job was the private equity executive Steven Rattner. It was not clear why the administration changed course or whether Mr. Rattner would have a role on the task force.

The panel, called the Presidential Task Force on Autos, will draw officials from several agencies including the departments of Treasury, labor, transportation, commerce and energy, according to the administration official.

Many members of the task force have already been working closely with G.M. and Chrysler on the viability plans they are preparing for the government.

G.M. and Chrysler are both expected to request more loans to stay solvent during what is shaping up as another miserable year for auto sales.

Chrysler’s chairman, Robert L. Nardelli, has said his company needs another $3 billion in addition to the $4 billion loan it received in January.

G.M. originally asked for $18 billion in aid in December. G.M. has borrowed $9.4 billion so far and is scheduled to receive another $4 billion, if the Treasury is satisfied with its revamping plan.

G.M. said in a statement that it welcomed the new task force and that it looked forward to sharing its plan “to restore our company to viability and to meet the requirements of its loan agreements.”

Representatives of Chrysler could not be reached for comment on Sunday night.

The administration official who disclosed the change in Mr. Obama’s plans for oversight of the auto industry said the group would review the companies’ submissions for a week or two before responding publicly. Until then, the auto makers are expected to continue talks with the union and other stakeholders.

On Sunday afternoon, G.M. and the U.A.W. resumed discussions in Detroit about reducing the company’s labor costs, a person with direct knowledge of the talks said. This person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private, characterized the talks Sunday evening as “intense” but did not indicate that an agreement was imminent.

The U.A.W. had walked away from the bargaining table late Friday as the two sides clashed over how to cover retiree health care costs.

U.A.W. leaders in December agreed to help the automakers by delaying when the companies are required to make multibillion-dollar payments into a new trust fund designed to pay for retiree health coverage.

The Ford Motor Company is not taking federal aid, and therefore does not need to submit plans for approval. But Ford, which lost $14.6 billion in 2008, the most in its history, is expected to ask the U.A.W. for whatever concessions are granted to G.M. and Chrysler.

Both G.M. and Chrysler are likely to outline deep cuts in jobs, plants and models in their restructuring plans. One G.M. executive said the automaker is proposing a much smaller company with fewer brands and far fewer people.

G.M. and Chrysler recently extended buyout and early retirement offers to nearly all of their 90,600 hourly workers as they try to eliminate factory jobs and replace older workers making about $28 an hour with new hires who can be paid half as much.

G.M. announced plans last week to cut 10,000 white-collar jobs worldwide, including 3,400 in the United States. It said that salaries for those who remain on staff would be cut by as much as 10 percent through at least the end of 2009.

Over all, automakers are expected to sell between 10 million and 11 million vehicles in the United States this year, far below the 16.2 million they sold in 2007. G.M. said last week that the two-year drop is roughly equal to the capacity of 24 assembly plants.

Jackie Calmes contributed reporting from Washington, and Nick Bunkley from Detroit.

Sen.Schumer:GOP didn't object to Bush's spending

Filed by David Edwards and Muriel Kane />Congressional Republicans have attacked the Obama administration's stimulus program on the grounds that it involves spending money we don't have, but Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) struck back sharply against that argument in an appearance Sunday on ABC's This Week. "On the floor of the Senate, I heard over and over again, 'This is a trillion dollars that we're not paying for,'" Schumer began. Schumer was referring to statements like those made by House Minority Leader, John Boehner, who is quoted on his official website as saying, “Republicans agree action is needed to help our economy create jobs and get back on the path to recovery, but borrowing billions from our children and grandchildren and spending it on slow-moving government programs isn’t the answer." "I never heard that mentioned when it came to the Iraq War," continued Schumer, "which is a trillion dollars which we're not paying for. I never heard it mentioned when George Bush changed a surplus of $300 billion into a deficit of over 800." In 2006, when the Republicans still controlled Congress, they actively beat back any attempts to control deficit spending. The New York Times reported on March 14 of that year, "Senate Republicans on Tuesday narrowly defeated an effort to impose budget rules that would make it harder to increase spending or cut taxes, a move that critics said that showed Republicans were posturing in their calls for greater fiscal restraint. ... Republicans said the push to add the rules to the budget was a back-door effort to make it harder to extend President Bush's tax cuts. 'The practical effect of this is to raise taxes,' said Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire and chairman of the Budget Committee." "So all of a sudden, the reason to be against this is deficit spending," Schumer concluded. "But when it was Iraq War or tax cuts for the highest-income people, we never heard it."

2/14/09: Your Weekly Address

New thing for the blog

Fun with conservative blogs: Return of Amy Proctor

Summary: like two years ago I had few post about the conservative blog sphere but I stop running those post for two reason 1. my attention span sucks and 2. going to conservative blogs is pretty much like looking at the sun for a while it hurts your eyes. Conservative bloggers are about as useful as three legged race horse, while their main purpose is get their readers to exchange the daily talking points among themselves and harass or dumb down their friends or neighbors with those talking yet most conservative blogs are not really effective. If you're a conservative why read a blog when 95% of talk radio is conservative, why read a blog when you a cable news network is dedicated to your point of view? While time to time there are blogs that catch my eye it's only because of the sheer hypocrisy, the number of lies that blog has or it's one of those niche right blogs, like Amy Proctor a right wing blogger I touch upon in a post like two years ago. Amy is the pro life- pro war blogger who spent time protesting Cindy Sheehan and proud of the fact she supports a war that country was lie into. I correspond with her and her zombie like readers on her blog and she and her one zombie correspond to me on my blog. Anyway the point of this was I was thinking about what were the low level conservative bloggers were talking about on their blogs so I decided to go to Amy Proctor's blog to see what she and the 23%ers are saying now since Barack Obama won the election like three months ago. And she didn't disappointed me(thank you Amy) for one she has a 12 year old girl speaking out against abortion, that's right a 12 year old girl speaking on the ills of abortion. The girls I knew at that age were talking about their favorite R and B group or which boy they liked, but hey you're never too young to have your brainwashed. Other then that Amy's blog is your standard right wing blog cherry pick poll numbers, half truth and bold face lies. So drop over to Amy's blog http://amyproctor.squarespace.com/ and be prepare to amazed by right wing craziness at its finest.

Stephanopoulos allow GOP talking points regarding the stimulus

ABC's Stephanopoulos provides welcome forum for dubious GOP stimulus talking points

Summary: George Stephanopoulos did not challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham's claim that "11 percent of the appropriated money in the [economic recovery] bill hits in 2009." In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, approximately 15 percent of the total spending in the bill and 23 percent of all spending and tax cuts included in the bill will take effect by September 30, 2009. Stephanopoulos also again advanced a discredited Republican calculation of the stimulus bill's job-creation costs.

During the February 15 broadcast of ABC's This Week, host George Stephanopoulos did not challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) claim that "11 percent of the appropriated money in the [economic recovery] bill hits in 2009." Stephanopoulos did not ask Graham to support that claim or point out that according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), approximately 15 percent of the total spending in the bill and 23 percent of all spending and tax cuts included in the bill will take effect by September 30, the end of fiscal year 2009. Stephanopoulos also uncritically quoted South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) claim that "For every job the bill creates, American taxpayers will spend $223,000"; Stephanopoulos has previously cited a similar cost per job figure. However, those figures discount tangible benefits of the stimulus package besides job creation -- such as infrastructure improvements and education, health, and public safety investments -- and economists have said that the actual cost per job will be far less than either figure Stephanopoulos mentioned.

According to a February 13 CBO report on the conference agreement for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the approximately $787 billion bill includes roughly $120 billion in outlays or spending projects that will take effect in fiscal year 2009 -- that is about 15 percent of the total cost of the bill. Further, when also accounting for approximately $65 billion in reduced revenues or tax cuts that will take effect in fiscal 2009, roughly $185 billion or 23 percent of the total stimulus package will take effect by September 30, 2009.

In addition to excluding other tangible benefits of the stimulus package, the cost-per-job figures Stephanopoulos cited are inflated for another reason, according to Center for Economic Policy Research co-director Dean Baker and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman. As Media Matters has noted, both Baker and Krugman have pointed out that if the stimulus bill strengthens the economy as predicted, this will lead to higher tax receipts that should be accounted for in cost per job estimates, meaning that the true cost per job is less than $70,000.

From the February 15 broadcast of ABC's This Week:

STEPHANOPOULOS: And I'm going to begin with your governor, Mark Sanford, big opponent of the stimulus legislation, and I want to show everybody what he wrote in this morning's State newspaper in South Carolina. He says that, "For every job the bill creates, American taxpayers will spend $223,000. If we add the cost of this bill to the previous efforts of the federal government to deal with the financial crisis, the American taxpayer is on the hook for $9.7 trillion ... If the stimulus bill were a country, it would be the 15th-largest country in the world."

Senator Schumer, he says it's going to be a waste, it's not going to work, and we're going to be paying for it for generations.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Well, you know, it's easy to say no. This is the worst economy we've had since the Great Depression. Half a million people, more, losing jobs every month. The economy's hurtling southward. Yes, this is a big, strong, bold package. It's going to do three things. It's going to keep or create 3 or 4 million jobs. It's going to put money into the hands of the middle class so they spend it in the stores and restaurants and get the economy going. And it's going to create an infrastructure that not only puts people to work but leaves something after, God willing, we get out of this. To do nothing risks a depression.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So what's wrong with that?

GRAHAM: Well I wanted to do something. I think we do need a stimulus package with a focus, and that's to create jobs in the near-term. 11 percent of the appropriated money in this bill hits in 2009. Most of the money in this bill is in entitlement spending; it's not going to create jobs. Twenty-seven percent of the bill is now tax cuts. That's down significantly. And of those tax cuts, most of them -- only $3 billion goes to small business. Seventy-five percent of the people in this country work for small business. Of a $787 billion bill, $3 billion is directed towards small-business people. I think we missed the mark a long way. We increased new government. We did not increase new jobs.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And Congressman Waters, when this bill came out of the Senate, at the end of the week, your speaker, Nancy Pelosi, had to quell a mini-revolt among House Democrats who actually take an opposite view from Senator Graham. They thought this bill wasn't big enough and they didn't like the cuts, particularly in state aid, education aid that came in the Senate.

MCL comment: What Barbra Boxer did on the senate floor few days ago should be the Democratic tactic when they deal with the Republicans, point out when the Republicans had the majority they passed almost every single thing George W. Bush wanted and regardless of how much it cost the Republicans passed it and them along with their allies in the right wing media threaten the Dems to go along with it. Now Lindsey Graham, John McCain and other Republicans are screaming about debt when they help rack up the national debt to where it is today. But here's the kicker John McCain is using the pharse "Generation theft" a pharse cooked up by super dim and ultra stupid Michelle Malkin. So Grampy what you and your fellow Republicans did for the last eight years was generation theft.

New RNC chair on his own party: No reason, none to trust our word

RNC Chair Steele on his own party: ‘No reason, none, to trust our words or our actions at this point.’» On Glenn Beck’s Fox News show this evening, Beck told RNC Chairman Michael Steele that conservatives are “pissed” at Republicans because they don’t “expect socialism” from them. “Why should we even think twice of pulling a lever again?” asked Beck. Steele responded that he was right and that voters have “no reason” to trust the GOP “at this point”: STEELE: Yeah, no, Glenn. I’m not gonna, look, I’m not going to soft pedal this with you. I’m not going to try to blow smoke either. The reality of it is, you are absolutely right. You have absolutely no reason, none, to trust our word or our actions at this point. So, yeah, it’s going to be an uphill climb. Watch it:

House passes Obama's economic stimulus bill

February 13, 2009

House passes Obama's economic stimulus bill By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press

WASHINGTON— The House has passed a $787-billion plan to resuscitate the economy, handing President Barack Obama a big victory.

The measure was passed 246-183, with no Republican "yes" votes. It will now go to the Senate, where a vote is expected later today.

The eight-inch-thick measure combines tax cuts for individuals and businesses with a half-trillion dollars in government spending for infrastructure, health care and help for cash-starved state governments. Seniors would get a $250 bonus Social Security check.

Eight Democrats voted against the bill.

Obama says that the plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. But Republicans said it won't work because it has too little in tax cuts and spreads too much money around to everyday projects like computer upgrades for federal agencies.

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MCL comment: Why are the Republicans dead set on these tax cuts? After eight years of George Bush where most of his plans to help the economy were tax cuts.

Dems target right wing nazi radio

Dems target right-wing talk radio

Posted: 11:08 AM ET

From CNN Radio's Dick Uliano

Rep. Maurice Hinchey is targeting right-wing radio.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — More and More Democrats in Congress are calling for action that Republicans warn could muzzle right-wing talk radio.

Representative Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York is the latest to say he wants to bring back the "Fairness Doctrine," a federal regulation scrapped in 1987 that would require broadcasters to present opposing views on public issues.

"I think the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated," Hinchey told CNNRadio. Hinchey says he could make it part of a bill he plans to introduce later this year overhauling radio and t-v ownership laws.

Listen: Hinchey says he wants to make talk-radio more fair

Democratic Senators Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Tom Harkin of Iowa added their voices recently to those calling for a return of the regulation.

Republicans oppose the Fairness Doctrine, arguing it would be wrong for the federal government to monitor political speech on the airwaves, in order to require opposing views.

Republican Congressman Greg Walden, a former owner of five radio stations in Oregon including a "classic rock" station joked that the Fairness Doctrine is "the musical equivalent" of "every time we'd play a classic rock song we'd have to play a polka!"

MCL comment: I think the question should be why there so many right talk shows when there's only 23% of the country agrees with them? Around here Detroit has one progressive talk station but we have two right wing talk stations WJR and "News"talk 1400 and this isn't just Detroit, cities that lean progressive or like Detroit overwhelming Democratic yet there's only one or no progressive station around. But if you want to hear Rush, Sean Hannity and their numerous clones on the radio all you need is to hit the scan button on your radio and boom there you go.The thing I'm hearing is that places are dropping progressive talk even though they're doing well, this isn't about people wanting to hear liberal talk or not it's about these owners wanting to stack the deck with these right wing hacks to distort political discourse and dumb down Americans. As for right wing talk what is their value? I listen a bit to them it's nothing more then paranoia, lies and hate.

Two thirds of Americans support a probe of Bush's term

Poll: Two thirds of Americans support probes of Bush era John Byrne Almost 40 percent of Americans support criminal investigations into the Bush Administration's use of harsh interrogations and warrantless wiretapping program, even after President George W. Bush left office, a USA Today/Gallup poll found Thursday. Forty-one percent favor a criminal investigation into the Bush Administration's use of the Justice Department for political purposes; 38 percent favor an investigation for the Administration's warrantless wiretapping and 38 percent favor a criminal probe for the possible use of torture in terrorism investigations. Close to two-thirds of respondents also said they'd like to see formal investigations of Bush policies, even if not criminal probes. These results are based on a Jan. 30-Feb. 1 USA Today/Gallup poll. Strikingly, Gallup and USA Today presented the polls in entirely different lights. USA Today headlined their article, "Poll: Most want inquiry into anti-terror tactics," while Gallup bannered theirs, "No Mandate for Criminal Probes of Bush Administration." Bush, meanwhile, claimed a mandate for his agenda in 2000 with just 48 percent of the popular vote. One third of respondents said they wanted nothing to be done. Another third favored an independent panel, with 25 percent favoring neither. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. recently subpoenaed former Bush Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove for testimony relating to the firing of nine US Attorneys and the possible political prosecution of a former Alabama governor. In the Senate, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said he's open to the idea of a "truth commission," which would probe alleged Bush-era abuses but offer broad immunity to those who testified. At President Obama's Monday night press conference, Obama said he'd look at Leahy's commission concept but that his "general orientation is to say, let's get it right moving forward." Obama's CIA chief nominee promised CIA officers won't be prosecuted for their roles in harsh interrogations under Bush's tenure. USA Today also noted the Republican viewpoint from Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA): "If every administration started to re-examine what every prior administration did, there would be no end to it," Specter said. "This is not Latin America." Chile and South Africa have both held "truth commissions" over civil rights abuses in previous decades.

Fox News passes off GOP press release as research

Fox News passes off GOP press release as original research as Huffington Post comes of age

02/10/2009 @ 3:37 pm

Filed by John Byrne

Even repeats typo -- Dec. 19, 2009

Fox News Channel has hit a new low. A GOP press release was turned into a series of graphics and passed off as the network's own research -- so exactly that the graphics even included the Republicans' original typo. Fox host Jon Scott, speaking on Fox News' "Happening Now," asserted that "the Senate is expected to pass the $838 billion stimulus plan -- its version of it, anyway. We thought we'd take a look back at the bill, how it was born, and how it grew, and grew, and grew." "We thought," apparently includes the Senate Republican Communications Center. Not only do the dates and sources of the stimulus history on the graphics match, the sources even follow in the same order as the press release. All of the sources and cost figures cited were mirrored in the Republicans' release. The similarity was first noticed by Media Matters for America, a media watchdog group. Fox News' accompanying on-screen text was also contained in the Republicans' release. "One on-screen graphic during the segment even repeated a typo from the GOP document, further confirming that Scott was simply reading from a Republican press release," Media Matters remarked. "The Fox News graphic and the GOP press release both claimed that a Wall Street Journal report that the stimulus package could reach "$775 billion over two years" was published on December 19, 2009" -- even though December 2009 remains a good 10 months in the future. To be fair, media outlets often use press releases as bases for their stories, especially when reporting on breaking news. Most outlets, however, identify the information as being part of a release. The practice of repeating press releases is reminiscent of the escort-turned-reporter Jeff Gannon, whose now-defunct GOP USA and Talon News website would often push Bush Administration talking points and then be circulated as news. Gannon was often called on in the White House briefing room as a reporter. Strangely, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, speaking about Obama's press conference Monday night, disparaged an online news outlet that asked a question -- just a day before a major cable network he'd surely have classified as a media outlet was found to have turned a press release directly into a series of graphics posing as in-house research. "There are some reporters, you know, in that briefing room, you can imagine, Bill, you get a lot of dot coms and other oddballs who come in there," Fleischer said. "Like the Huffington Post. Now it gets called on. "I used to seat them all in one section," Fleischer added. "I would call it 'Siberia.'" And I told the president, 'Don't call on Siberia.'" Fleischer's comments were highlighted by Think Progress, which also has video. Examples of the press release content Fox News ran as research follow. MCL comment : It seems Fox News can't catch a break, first they're losing money, their owner the Rupe admits Fox News never deal with facts and now they're cutting and pasting RNC talking points claiming them as their own.