Grab and Keel

Economic Bailout

They said they would be working through the weekend. I checked today, Saturday, at 3:00 PM PT.  “H.R.2638”, “Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes”, had passed. No other Nay or Yey votes so far.

On Friday the Senate got as far as kicking this football, that looks similar to the one the House just passed.

Senate Republicans block economic stimulus bill

Associated Press

Published September 26, 2008 at 10:36 a.m.

Updated September 26, 2008 at 11:28 a.m.

Bush, Congress resume bailout talks

Senate Republicans on Friday blocked a plan by Democrats to pump $56 billion in government spending into the economy through public works projects, help for the jobless and money for states struggling with their Medicaid bills.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/sep/26/senate-republicans-block-economic-stimulus-bill/

Debate results

Apparently a lot of the MSM thought the debate was a winner for Obama. Although, it’s hard to see how, what Lynn Sweet calls inconclusive, turns into a McCain rout. If you’ll recall, everyone expected McCain to fail because of all the build up over his “supposed” inability to speak in a debate setting. Yet he had all the command and tactics he needed at his fingertips last night.

My husband and I are having arguments over whether his choice to look at Lehrer, instead of Obama, was a failing or a successful tactic. I vote the latter. Lehrer was attempting dialogue, which is what would have happened in the town hall meetings McCain has asked for, and Obama has declined. McCain played it as a debate, and did not let Obama out-talk him. However, I think my husband is right in how it was perceived, by those looking for a racist answer.

Obama, McCain inconclusive debate

By Lynn Sweet on September 27, 2008 11:17 AM

OXFORD, Miss. — The economy is going to hell, we may be on the brink of a depression and John McCain and Barack Obama, during their first presidential debate Friday at Ole Miss, found it impossible to simply say what Congress should do — right now for real people who are worried sick they may be losing their homes.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/09/obama_mccain_inconclusive_duel.html#more

Lynn has also provided a text of the debate. Take a gander:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/09/barack_obama_john_mccain_debat.html

It made no sense to me to persist in the question over a third party opinion, until I recollected this:

[…Palin v. Kissinger: “Asked if she considers former Republican Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to be ‘naïve’ for supporting talks without preconditions, Palin said, ‘I’ve never heard Henry Kissinger say, “Yeah, I’ll meet with these leaders without preconditions being met,” ‘ per ABC’s Teddy Davis and Rigel Anderson. “Palin was overlooking that Kissinger (with whom she met earlier this week) has backed negotiating directly with Iran over its nuclear program and other bilateral issues — a point which Couric reconfirmed at the closer of her interview.”…]

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3105288

This is a classic SunTzu move. To paraphrase, if you have a guy that is your enemy, but he is too strong, attack a lesser, associated enemy, and you are going to get the same result. You’ll note that what Palin said above, and what Kissinger said, are not contradictory. McCain was having none of that! In case you don’t remember, we saw that same move from Bush, when he attacked Dan Rather, raised the hackles of the “Hate Liberals” groups and successfully pinned that uproar on Kerry.

In case you weren’t sure this was an attack; in the true tradition of rabid right wing bats, there have been 29,200 google hits in the last 24 hours on just the subject of “Palin, Kissinger”. Only thing is, this disease is spreading in the liberal blogosphere. Dick Morris and David Horowitz must be proud!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&as_q=kissinger+palin&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=d&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

Then we have the reported word from “The Kissinger” himself as further evidence, via Politico, wherein he refutes Obama.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Kissinger_fact_check.html?showall

Finally, McCain did address at least one economic issue firmly. Iowans don’t like it anymore than they did the first time they heard it. Hmmm.. Food or fuel?

McCain hits pitch but Obama makes sale

How will it play in the Iowa?

[For those in Iowa looking for specific personal financial reasons to pick a candidate, McCain may be the only one who has provided us one — and it is not good for him in this state.  McCain made it clear one of the casualties of the potential Wall Street bailout should be ethanol….

…”Supporting ethanol might be debatable on a national level, but it is N.I.M.B.Y. around here.

“I’d eliminate ethanol subsidies,” McCain said flatly. “I oppose ethanol subsidies.”

Those are likely deal-killing words for farmers and others in rural America who have made investments and business decisions based on ethanol.

Iowa’s ethanol industry has resulted in more than 47,000 new jobs in Iowa.  Production of ethanol puts $1.7 billion into Iowa consumers’ pockets each year, according to the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

In neighboring Nebraska, ethanol is big business, too, and because the Cornhusker State bases three of its five electoral votes on how presidential candidates do in individual congressional districts, McCain’s ethanol blast only serves to help Obama’s already aggressive efforts in Omaha”…]

http://iowaindependent.com/6194/mccain-hits-pitch-but-obama-makes-sale

Otherwise, you didn’t really think they were going to say anything conclusive on the economy did you? In fact I thought it was distracting, even though I know everyone wants answers. THERE AREN’T ANY RIGHT NOW! Try back Wednesday on that issue. We gave one third of the debate time that could have been better directed to Homeland Security, and FEMA, and, and, 

I Own My Vote, PUMA, The Denver Group, Just Say No Deal