I’ll be out this evening, but I’ll leave a post up for commenting.
Elsewhere — like anybody is surprised — from Politico:
A long-running federal investigation has found that White House political aides to President George W. Bush engaged in widespread violations of a federal law which limits partisan political activity by government employees during the 2006 midterm elections.
A 118-page report issued Monday by the little-known Office of Special Counsel cites numerous violations of the Hatch Act by the Bush-era White House Office of Political Affairs. The report concludes that federal taxpayers footed the bill for improper activities that were intended to advance Republican political candidates.
The report says that partisan political activities were not incidental to the White House staffers’ jobs; that was their job. And taxpayers paid for it, including travel. However, the article doesn’t say whether anyone will ever be indicted. I’m not holding my breath.
I think I’ve seen almost every SOTU since I was in HS, so that’s about 35 years. And I’m going to watch it tonight. But I’ll be damned if I can remember any one memorable line from watching them, except for Bush’s yellow cake one, when his expression and delivery would have gotten him a “C-” in the college theatre class I taught – for overacting. Realizing how stupid and untalented my student George was, I would have had to give him that grade just for trying, and for actually being able to deliver that line – even though you could almost smell the eggs next to that ham. And, in case you’re wondering, yeah, I was a pretty easy grader.
Since he was given a pass on his war crimes, I see no reason for Dumbya to sweat the small stuff now. The ‘baggers are onto something with their talk of an “elite” to whom the rules do not apply. Remember Leona Helmsly’s remark to the effect that taxes are for little people? How many defense and Medicare fraudsters go to jail? How many of Wall Street’s theiving denizens have been jailed? Cats really are our alien overlords. Some have just developed excellent disguises.
Oh, and in their infinite wisdom, CNN has decided to also air barking-mad Michele Bachmann’s Teabagger response to Obama’s SOTU.
I guess they figure that the wino in the tin-foil hat who stands on a soapox and screams into his megaphone at Washington Square Park will have passed out by 10pm, so they’re giving her his air time.
I’ve go some shippets from her address:
AMERICA, whine, Liberal’s, howl! Kenyan Darky, whine, 2nd Amendment, howl! Birth Certificate, whine, Death Panels, howl! CONSTITUTION, whine, Founding Fathers, HOWL!. CONSTITUTION, WHINE, HOWL, BARK, BARK, BARK!!!”
Did I miss anything?
What’s scary about this, is that she’ll make that imbecile Ryan look thoughtful and reasonable in comparison. YIKES!!!
I guess I’m glad that someone finally got around to documenting the violations of the Hatch Act that were perfectly obvious at the time, though it is pretty academic since no one will be prosecuted.
I’m really hoping that Obama can make a case for smart spending tonight, so we can have a counterweight to the austerity hawks who are using the deficit as an excuse to cut all the spending on the bottom 95% they’ve always wanted to cut.
I’ll watch it but in pain, given Obama’s general coziness with financial industry and corporate America and his recent remarks about the evils of regulation. SOTU’s are for the voters and OBama’s corporate supporters will reject the limelight and wait for reward and advantage, bestowed as silently as possible.
Smart spending would be nice. I’d also be happy with an economics primer, perhaps more pointed than the prior mushy attempts. I’d like to see a false premise or three crushed…decisively.
Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.
-Groucho Marx-
From the book “__ ________ _____(1)”
Nietzsche was also right when he implied that the democracies of the world would be ruled by shop-keepers. Generally, societies were managed by the individuals that produce the greatest wealth, and the most influential people were the ones that held the keys to the treasury. Today, large associations, multinationals, and transcontinental companies, constantly lobby to achieve the best deals for their private interest, which effort drive insane any politician willing to implement common sense in favor of the majority of the citizens. Those lawyers, merchants, and businessmen, often disregard the importance of having a balance strategy with respect to the future of the country, attracting favoritism in exchange of partial and local improvements.
I watch the State of the Union Address every year, but I can never figure out which state won.
I need a job! Not a bunch of platitudes and standing ovations. Praising heroes and American exceptionalism stories about overcoming adversity in the land of opportunity, and calling for God to bless America isn’t going to keep the wolf from my door or put food on my table. I don’t need my ears tickled. I’m tired of the same old shit in different packages that just amounts to a waste of time pep rally. I guess I could say that change did come my way…but unfortunately it’s been a detrimental change.