About The Last Guy

OMG I'm quoting Kos!

Questions:

1. What was the average monthly private sector job growth in 2008, the final year of the Bush presidency, and what has it been so far in 2010?
2. What was the Federal deficit for the last fiscal year of the Bush presidency, and what was it for the first full fiscal year of the Obama presidency?
3. What was the stock market at on the last day of the Bush presidency? What is it at today?
4. Which party's candidate for speaker will campaign this weekend with a Nazi reenactor who dressed up in a SS uniform?

 Answers:

1. In 2008, we lost an average of 317,250 private sector jobs per month. In 2010, we have gained an average of 95,888 private sector jobs per month. (Source) That's a difference of nearly five million jobs between Bush's last year in office and President Obama's second year.
2. In FY2009, which began on September 1, 2008 and represents the Bush Administration's final budget, the budget deficit was $1.416 trillion. In FY2010, the first budget of the Obama Administration, the budget deficit was $1.291 trillion, a decline of $125 billion. (Source) Yes, that means President Obama has cut the deficit -- there's a long way to go, but we're in better shape now than we were under Bush and the GOP.
3. On Bush's final day in office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 closed at 7,949, 1,440, and 805, respectively. Today, as of 10:15AM Pacific, they are at 11,108, 2,512, and 1,183. That means since President Obama took office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 have increased 40%, 74%, and 47%, respectively.
4. The Republican Party, whose candidate for speaker, John Boehner, will campaign with Nazi re-enactor Rich Iott this weekend. If you need an explanation why this is offensive, you are a lost cause.

Question 4 is why you don't USUALLY see me quoting Kos, but the first 2 - these are solid fact-based arguments. You might say that these are things the president has no real control over, but if you do you probably shouldn't make that the keystone of your campaign.

A Reminder For Next Week's Elections

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Another Quote of the Day: Stockpiled Youngsters Edition

Marriage is the crucible by which we pour all of our values and pass them on to our children, and that is how the culture is renewed each time. So, if we lose marriage — for instance, if our children are raised in warehouses, so to speak. There have been civilizations that have tried to do that. The Spartans did that. They took the children away and taught them to be warriors. It’s a good way to defend a country, but not much of a way to run a civilization.

- Rep. Steve King (R-IA), arguing the case against same-sex marriage.

Listen, if you're one of the warehoused kids in Boston or England or Iowa, comment below. How is the ol' warehouse? Good inventory policies? Are you barcoded or RFID chipped, or counted by hand? When they need a shipment of children, do they bring in dollies or simply have you walk to the loading dock on your own?

Also if you're in one of those places and you're not in a warehouse, how did you escape? Did you sneak out when the supervisor was marrying a dog or sheep?

First Quote of the Day So Far

The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.

 - Lord Acton

More Threats of Crushing

Christine O’Donnell went on a local conservative radio show yesterday to talk about her campaign. After finishing this interview, that campaign told the radio station it would “crush” it if it didn’t turn over the videotape of what transpired, though it’s kind of hard to destroy an interview that was broadcast live on the air and online, so now the campaign is apologizing and now says it doesn’t need to kill anyone to get these tapes, thank you.

Here's a little advice for Tea Party candidates: if you don't want to be asked questions in public, and you don't want people to approach you in public, and you deride people who work in Government, maybe you shouldn't run for public office.

Maybe your true calling is as a masked avenger of some kind; Christine O'Donnell by day, TEA LADY by night! Drivin' around in her TeaMobile, storing weapons in her constitution belt, dispensing completely lawful justice somehow. Or maybe just deciding that some guy on the street is an illegal alien and neutralizing him. I mean, come on, you can just tell by looking at 'em.

How DARE YOU Make Me Hurt You!

...The woman, 23-year-old Lauren Valle from Washington D.C., appeared to be following a specific set of instructions detailed on MoveOn.org's website designed to attract media attention. Profitt claims he believed Paul was in danger from the woman and that he acted to protect the candidate, but the campaign has condemned Profitt's actions. "I put my foot on her, and I did push her down at the very end, and I told her to stay down," Proffitt said, "I actually put my foot on her to... I couldn't bend over because I have issues with my back."

Lexington Police began an assault investigation identifying Profitt as a suspect. "Well I'll just say it, if the police had done what they were supposed to do, it would have never happened," Profitt said.

The Paul campaign is not alone in its reaction. Another man involved in the altercation, Mike Pezzano, who held down Ms. Valle, tells NEWSFIRST he doesn't condone Profitt's actions. Valle has said she believes Paul supporters planned an attack on her. Pezzano asked not to appear on camera for an interview, but he denies that accusation and says he barely knows Profitt and didn't even know Profitt was there. As for Profitt, he remains defiant. "I don't think it's that big of a deal," Profitt said.

And when asked if he would apologize to Valle. "I would like for her to apologize to me to be honest with you," Profitt said.

Now THAT'S what the Tea Party is all about, taking personal responsibility for your actions and not relying on help from the government. Obviously I'm being snarky here, our sympathies should fall with the real victim: Profitt, who risked hurting his back to protect Ron Paul from an embarassing incident. Thank God (well, not God, because Paul's a libertarian and probably doesn't believe in one) that an embarassing incident was prevented!

Headline of the Morning

Gridlock or chaos?
What will happen if Republicans seize control of Congress?

From BBC.co.uk.

Me, I'm pretty sure it will be gridlock.

Quote of the Day 2: Sincere Good Wishes Edition

"We wish Carly Fiorina a speedy recovery and hope she is able to return to her normal schedule soon."

Barbara Boxer's campaign manager Rose Kapolczynski. I'm with her.

Quote of the Day: Taibbi Is Making Sense Edition

"It would be inaccurate to say the Tea Partiers are racists. What they are, in truth, are narcissists. They're completely blind to how offensive the very nature of their rhetoric is to the rest of the country. I'm an ordinary middle-aged guy who pays taxes and lives in the suburbs with his wife and dog — and I'm a radical communist? I don't love my country? I'm a redcoat? Fuck you!"

Matt Taibbi, On the Tea Party

Red State Headline of the Year

And Even STILL I Am Not Allowed To Make A Racial Slur About Our President? After THIS? AYFKM!?!?!?

Hey, feel free. I won't stop ya.

Incidentally the quote from the President: "All y'all crackers is honkies!"

No wait, it's this:

We don’t mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back.

So you can see, the field is wide open now. Quick, before the election!

A Little More About Juan Williams

I don't really have anything new to add to what I said last week, but hopefully I can say it a little better.

Juan Williams wasn't fired from NPR for saying a racist thing. He was fired because his job there was as a news analyst, someone who boils down news stories and makes them easier to understand. Suppose Juan Williams is called upon to explain the Kenneth Gladney "beating" on NPR and last week he had said this on another network: "Well personally, it's pretty obvious to me that the Teabaggers are a bunch of liars." Or if he had simply put quotes around the word beating. You would not trust his version of the Gladney story.

Similarly, even measured as he was on O'Reilly, Williams reavealed a prejudice that excludes him from fairly covering most of the important stories nowadays. And he was measured. Look at this: “Wait a second though, wait, hold on, because if you said Timothy McVeigh, the Atlanta bomber, these people who are protesting against homosexuality at military funerals, very obnoxious, you don't say first and foremost, we got a problem with Christians. That's crazy.” So in context the comment that is said to have gotten Williams fired is very mild indeed. In fact, that's a viewpoint I frequently espouse myself, and just like Juan I can't seem to get any traction with it.

I can't see into the minds of NPR executives but I suspect the real problem is that Juan is working for Fox at all. Just being associated with that network is admitting that you are no longer interested in fairness and balance. Pop quiz: who is the sexy liberal at Fox? Estrich? Colmes? Juan Williams? They're stacking the deck in every way they can come up with to battle their percieved bias in the rest of media. It should be their job to balance within the network, not the entire media landscape. Why? Because they advertise themselves as a whole drink, not a tonic.

(Yes I know Colmes doesn't work there any more. He was too charismatic for them.)

Anyway, Williams is not hurting much from his firing. He signed a $2 million contract the next day and celebrated by guest-hosting the Factor. I'll be interested to see when THAT happens again!

Quote of the Day: These People CHOOSE To Be Short Edition

“There’s no absolute right to serve. Men under the height of 5 feet, 2 inches can’t serve — I don’t see anybody protesting. Where are the people standing in front of the White House, the short guys standing in front of the White House? You don’t see it.”

-Republican House candidate Sean Bielat, who is running against incumbant Barney Frank

Weirdly Predictable

Warner Todd Huston argues that maybe NPR should lose its federal funding because it fired someone for displaying an ideological bias. Next step - subsidies for Fox News!

What's With the Terror of George Soros?

"...the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. ...He is the Napoleon of Crime, Watson, the organiser of half that is evil and nearly all that is undetected in this great city..."

- Sherlock Holmes describing his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty

I'm just not getting something again, perhaps because I don't have a 24-hour news network telling me what to think; what exactly has George Soros done to make himself such a figure of evil? Yes I get that he has expressed an ideological bias; and that he sometimes funds organizations that have a bias towards the left. What else you guys got?

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Josh Fruhlinger is right - even if this looks like the greatest single panel of Mark Trail that will ever be, how can we be sure that they won't top it somehow next week? Sky's the limit boys!

DNC Velly, Velly Solly

We aporogize for the offensive lacial stereotype use of gong in ad. Editol lesponsible wir commit seppaku immidiatry.

Keep Fear Alive

Juan Williams said this:

I mean, look, Bill (O'Reilly, of course), I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.

Now, I remember also that when the Times Square bomber was at court, I think this was just last week. He said the war with Muslims, America’s war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts.

"I'm not a bigot, but any one of THOSE PEOPLE could be a terrorist. AMIRIGHT? I mean, c'mon now."

Well the difference between NPR and Fox News is that NPR has a problem with people encouraging unreasoned fear and they have terminated Mr. Williams' services. As it happens Williams retains his contract with Fox News, which pays about a gazillion times more. He will flourish there just as Alan Colmes did. Congratulations on the increased respect you will receive there as a minority and "liberal" Mr. W! Maybe they'll give you your own hour-long!

But They're Right About The Birth Certificate Thing

The U.S. government’s bailout of financial firms through the Troubled Asset Relief Program provided taxpayers with higher returns than they could have made buying 30-year Treasury bonds -- enough money to fund the Securities and Exchange Commission for the next two decades.

The government has earned $25.2 billion on its investment of $309 billion in banks and insurance companies, an 8.2 percent return over two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That beat U.S. Treasuries, high-yield savings accounts, money- market funds and certificates of deposit. Investing in the stock market or gold would have paid off better.

When the government first announced its intention to plow funds into the nation’s banks in October 2008 to resuscitate the financial system, many expected it to lose hundreds of billions of dollars. Two years later TARP’s bank and insurance investments have made money, and about two-thirds of the funds have been paid back.

“From the perspective of the taxpayers getting their money back, TARP has been a great success,” said Todd Petzel, chief investment officer at New York-based Offit Capital Advisors LLC, which has more than $5 billion of assets under management. “But there are other costs as the government made it possible for the banks to pay back TARP. Those costs can turn out to be larger, and their legacy could last longer.”

Also fixing roads and infrastructure, that'll never pay off either.

Hidden Plank #2

Vote for us, and we'll fight to lower your income. Republicans will help your employers to PAY YOU LESS! This will ensure the deficit will continue for years to come.

Building A Platform, Then Keeping It Under Wraps

Well, THIS is certainly an interesting approach!



The ad was pulled (they had bought time on Univision but the network backed down) but it was still why would Latinos for Reform discourage voting? Seems counter intuitive! Who are these Latinos, anyway?

To begin with, the group’s 8872 form lists the same P.O. Box number as the one belonging to the Admiral Roy F. Hoffmann Foundation, an organization founded by the chairman of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), Roy F. Hoffmann. For those who don’t recall, SBVT was another 527 group formed during the 2004 elections aimed at opposing Sen. John Kerry’s (D-MA) presidential bid by distorting and misrepresenting his war record.

De Posada told Talking Points Memo the address was a “mistake”: “In 2008, because the laws were so strange, we hired a political compliance company that handled our reporting and accounting.”

The connection doesn’t stop at a P.O. Box. Latinos for Reform, the Hoffmann Foundation, and SBVT have all employed the services of the same consulting firm, Political Compliance Services. Susan Arceneaux, a “long time aide of Dick Armey” heads the company. The firm markets itself as “an accounting services vendor specializing in FEC regulations. Our comprehensive approach to your individual accounting needs will deliver you from the headaches and legal ramifications of FEC non-compliance.” Latinos for Reform hasn’t filed anything with the IRS since April 2, 2009.

Latinos for Reform’s post-election 2008 report also lists an expenditure of $1,203 that went towards Paul Sullivan & Associates, a law firm recommended by the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA).

Finally, John T. Finn, who donated a total of $70,000 to Latinos for Reform, is listed as a “Producer & publisher” on the group’s contribution form. However, the address attached to his name also belongs to Pro-Life America and Lovematters.com.

I think I'll cut to the chase; the unspoken plank in the Republican platform is "we'll fight to keep a white nation." It's not the only plank but they're certainly not being too subtle about it. On the other hand they can't come right out and say it because most Americans recognize the goal as both unachievable and abhorrent. In other words, if they run on what they REALLY want they'll get no votes at all. This is why Sharron Angle keeps having to cancel appearances, because when she speaks for too long she gives away the game. And that's without the gotcha questions!

"No ad should ever discourage voters from voting or expressing their opinions at the ballot box," Angle's spokesman Jarrod Agen said in a statement to ABC News.

Oh man, once she finds out he said that, she's gonna KILL him! By the way, "Agen"... what kind of name is that anyway? Where you from boy?

Look there'll always be racism; it's only when you codify it as policy that you get real trouble. You know who the real Americans are? All of 'em. Seriously, even the ones who don't look like you.

Great Moments In Political Advertising

Wow, I had no idea they were this desperate! I'm thinking maybe Democrats might GAIN seats, based on this!

Why Change Context Now?

And here is the esteemed Miss Palin, last night on Dancing With the Stars:



It's just JIVE, people! What are you so sensitive about?

Thank God That's The Last Racist Republican Chairman!

Well I'm pretty sure we don't have to worry about racism in the party now that Virginia Beach GOP chairman David Bartholomew has resigned.

The city's Republican chairman agreed to resign late Monday night, just hours after a racist joke sent from his e-mail address surfaced.

David Bartholomew is not a racist (so says the Hampton Roads Pilot Online) and agreed to resign because the e-mail had become a distraction to the Nov. 2 election, said Gary Byler, the 2nd Congressional District GOP chairman, after meeting with Bartholomew.

The e-mail was dated March 15 and sent from the address that Bartholomew uses as party chairman. Bartholomew forwarded it without reading the contents when "he was first getting familiar with the Internet," Byler said.

Dude shouldn't have to resign... I mean after all, he only needs to produce the apology emails that he sent out some time between March and the time he discovered he accidentally sent out racist jokes. He could even have had an intern fix up his email thingie so that it would go to the same addresses!

Can you imagine how afraid of appearing racist these guys are, that claiming to not have any knowlege of the internet until 2010 is a less objectionable story? Text of hilarious joke that Bartholomew never got to read because he certainly never would have forwarded it if he had SEEN IT (the TV thing, you know, the screen, wasn't hooked up) but he regretfully sent it anway even though he's not a racist, below.

MY DOG


I went down this morning to sign up my Dog for welfare.


At first the lady said, "Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare".


So I explained to her that my Dog is black, unemployed, lazy, can't speak English and has no frigging clue who his Daddy is.


So she looked in her policy book to see what it takes to qualify...


My Dog gets his first check Friday.


Is this a great country or what?

And again, remember that the point of the joke is that welfare is bad.

Seriously, No Questions

I think we can safely assume that  one of the agenda items once the Tea Party gets control of all branches of government this Novemeber is the elimination of that bothersome, question-askin' press.

The editor of the Alaska Dispatch website was arrested by U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller's private security guards Sunday as the editor attempted to interview Miller at the end of a public event in an Anchorage school.

Tony Hopfinger was handcuffed by the guards and detained in a hallway at Central Middle School until Anchorage police came and told the guards to release Hopfinger.

Hopfinger has not been charged but the owner of the Drop Zone, the private security firm that's been providing Miller's security, accused Hopfinger of trespassing at the public event, a town hall sponsored by the Miller campaign. The owner, William Fulton, also said Hopfinger assaulted a man by shoving him.

Anchorage Police who responded to the call said they would leave it to the District Attorney's office to decide whether to prosecute. They spent more than an hour taking statements, then left.

Hopfinger, who was holding a small video camera, said he was attempting to draw out a statement from Miller on why he was disciplined by the Fairbanks North Star Borough when Miller worked there as a part-time attorney. After Miller walked away, Hopfinger said, he was surrounded by Miller supporters and security guards and felt threatened, so he pushed one of them away.

Why was Miller speaking at a public school? I thought those guys hated public schools! Next you'll tell me he drove on ROADS to get there! At least he had the grace to use private security guards instead of police to enforce the non-existant law of trespassing at a public event. And you just know that the lamestream media is going to use this to make Miller look bad. As if physically restraining reporters for trying to knock a guy off message wasn't reasonable! AmIRight?

Of course I was being facetious in the first paragraph - obviously item number one will be dismantling the government, like they promised. Silencing the press will be... well, they'll need the government to do that. Once they silence the press and eliminate the Sharia Law threat, that's it, no more government! Oh and preventing Gay Marriage, because people can't be allowed to do anything they want.

The Return Of Knut

Digging around in my stats: the most popular post this blog ever did was about Knut, the polar bear cub.

Knut

Frankly, I don't blame you guys, because that bear is adorable. But the post goes all the way back to 2007! I peaked pretty early, looks like.

Speaking of peaking:

A year after his public debut, Knut was reported as weighing more than 130 kg (286 lb). A plate of six-inch glass, strong enough to resist a mortar blast, was erected between him and zoo visitors. At the end of March 2008, Markus Röbke, one of the keepers who helped rear Knut, reported that the bear should leave the zoo as soon as possible in order to help him acclimate to a life alone. Röbke also said that Knut plainly misses his past father-figure, Thomas Dörflein, and has become so used to attention that he cries when no one is near his enclosure. "Knut needs an audience," Röbke stated. "That has to change". In April, animal welfare campaigners criticized the zoo for allowing Knut to kill and eat ten carp from the moat surrounding his enclosure, saying that it was a breach of German animal protection regulations. The zoo's bear expert, Heiner Klös, however, said that Knut's behavior was "all part of being a polar bear."

It's like all child stars... they get a little older, it's massive weight gain and a neurotic need to be loved by a public that has moved on to the next one. If Knut doesn't have a problem with blow, I'd be very much surprised.

Cold Sweat

Elections are coming up! Dja hear about it?

I have a standing prediction that Democrats will lose seats but not control of the house or senate. Almost everybody disagrees with me about congress. Especially Nate Silver, my statistical idol, who gives the odds that Democrats keep the house at a paltry 28%. I'm going to stand by my prediction because the election is still weeks away, the gaps are closing, and if I'm wrong, so what? A handful of guys in the Netherlands lose their faith in my ability to predict races.

Now let's assume Nate is right (he usually is) and we get a Republican Congress and a Democrat Senate. What changes?  More than it will appear. Republicans will have a much more effective platform to obstruct any kind of government, which is their obvious strategy. The less Obama accomplishes, the better 2012 looks for ... Palin? Angle? Scott Brown? Generic Republican for President! But even with no majorities, it seems like Republicans have done a splendid job of obstructing everything anyway.

But in fact Democrats got a handful of historical things done - health care reform (watered down), credit card regulation (watered down) got the troops out of Iraq (not all of them, and Obama just sent them to Afghanistan) and of course the stimulus (could have been better, watered down). So the next two years, expect everything to be shot down.

Republicans are promising, and will deliver, a government which achieves much less while remaining as expensive. It's still better than if they ran all branches - last time that happened they neutered AND expanded government. So maybe the next two years are good for us.

Plus, assuming the 'baggers make it into office, that oughtta sour voters on the movement in a big way. Either they'll do a bunch of crazy crap and alienate the general population, or they'll be reasonable like Scott Brown and lose the base. No matter how they govern, someone will be furious at them.

Who Reads This Crap?

Thanks to the good folks at Blogger, I can tell you where they're from this week.

United States 89
Netherlands 39
Algeria 18
Belarus 12
Singapore 4
Canada 3
United Kingdom 3
Sri Lanka 3
Hungary 2
India 2

Putting aside the paltry numbers, I gotta question for you guys - what possible interest could someone in the Netherlands have in American politics? Seriously, drop me a line at danielkr@darkmeat.name, because I'm completely mystified. Similarly you guys in Belarus and Singapore. I'm stumped.

More About Paul Snover

For fans of his billboard, from the official Paul Snover Website.

I love to draw, write and be creative in general. My style tends toward the humorous, casual, coloristic side.

A full life of travel and experiences has developed me into the artist I am today.

I Have 30+ years of creative knowledge and offer a variety of skill-sets. I can assure you I have the ability, experience and determination to meet your cutting-edge creative requirements.

Humorous AND coloristic? Sign me up Snover!

"Looks good ... I like your cartoons." Zac

"Very, very nice. had no idea that you were so talented!" Susanne

"I enjoyed viewing your well done website. You are a talented guy! " Dick

"I think you are doing a great job! I have used your site more than any other at this point to stay informed on what goes on in the GJ area. All I could say to you is keep up the great work." Kelly W.

" Wellup........I'm impressed! Do you setup websites? As far as your website goes........SUPER DUPER!!!!! Bright, well done and user friendly." Joyce

Why so formal, Kelly? And Suzanne - bet she's a relative! I'm glad I could paste Joyce's comment here; on the site its dark blue on dark grey, and it's a little hard to read. Just sayin'.

Sorry everybody, but I have to make fun of this guy - he's just become the leader of the Republican Party!

Trying Too Hard

Art for a billboard in Grand Junction, CO.



Though they toned it way down once it made it up to the billboard itself;



See? No crescent moon armband! Probably squelched by the lamestream media!

I'm guessing the Democratic candidates in Colorado must be pretty mild, because this guy (Paul Snover) doesn't have any scary ethnic stereotypes to depict them as. They must be - OMG, I just noticed the rat on the right side is labeled "TRIAL LAWYERS"! This is a fatal blow to the Democrats! Jesus, how can they defend themselves against this kind of onslaught?

If only Snover had stopped at ONE rhetorical point, they'd have a chance. Now, clearly, no Democrats will ever be elected again. Curse you for pulling out all the stops!

And While I'm At it - Ladies and Gentlemen, the Next President of the United States

If she can just keep out of the public eye for the next two years, she's got a chance!

Don't Fear the Republican

Not in California, anyway.





The polls are with me on this one. Given the choice between billionaire Republican women I'd choose Whitman over Fiorina, if only because e-Bay was a much better run company under her watch. Still, until Brown says something that really pisses me off (probably involving mandatory wheat germ in school lunches) I'm going for the Democrat because they don't want to scuttle the executive branch.

Volt: Nuts!

American car companies just don't want to do real electric cars. You might think that GM's Volt was going to change that, with it's 230 miles to the gallon and an internal combustion engine which exists solely to charge the batteries. LIES!

In August of last year, we heard GM's then-CEO Fritz Henderson claimed with all the marketing might it could muster at a Detroit-area press event, that the Chevy Volt would get 230 MPG in city driving conditions. Now, as the Volt's being tested by the auto trade press, we're seeing some surprisingly low fuel economy figures amid the expected lavish praise buff books are heaping upon the Volt.

Let's see what they've found out. Popular Mechanics saw just 37.5 MPG in city driving. Car and Driver apparently didn't choose to use their wheel time for any city driving — but found with all-electric driving

"...getting on the nearest highway and commuting with the 80-mph flow of traffic-basically the worst-case scenario-yielded 26 miles; a fairly spirited back-road loop netted 31; and a carefully modulated cruise below 60 mph pushed the figure into the upper 30s."

Motor Trend, like the rest of the trade press other than Popular Mechanics, didn't appear to do any testing in city conditions, but did find that

"Without any plugging in, [a weeklong trip to Grandma's house] should return fuel economy in the high 30s to low 40s."

They also parrot GM's new line of 25-50 miles of all-electric — a far cry from the 230 MPG they originally marketed — that the "Volt provides 25-50 miles of real-world electric operation no matter how hard you flog it."

...But while even providing only 10% of the fuel economy initially touted, these more real-world figures are merely an exaggeration. The bigger problem is that, as Mr. Oldham now claims, is that GM lied to them about the powertrain.

Since the Volt was first unveiled as a concept car, GM engineers, public relations staff and executives have all claimed adamantly that the internal combustion engine did not motivate the wheels. If that were the case then the Volt would be nothing more than a very advanced hybrid. Even as late into the development cycle as this June, we were told the only drivetrain that motivated the wheels was the electric one. The auto trade press swallowed the line, hook and the sinker. Sam Abulesmaid at Autoblog even ran a piece headlined "Repeat after us: The Chevrolet Volt's gas engine does not drive the wheels!." And why shouldn't he have lapped it up when in online chats, the Volt's chief engineer Andrew Farah was saying:

Apparently it's GM's JOB to kill the electric car, over and over again. When are those Teslas coming out again?

I Don't Care Who Does It, I Don't Like Lying In Political Ads

The people at FactCheck.org chase down a lie, this one by Democrats.

And now, there’s a new twist on the false tax attack in the Massachusetts’ gubernatorial campaign. A labor-financed political committee accuses Republican Charlie Baker of "favoring tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship our jobs overseas" and signing "a pledge to protect those loopholes." However, the pledge for gubernatorial candidates — a single sentence promising to oppose or veto any new state taxes — is different than the one for federal candidates, so the attack on Baker makes even less sense.

I'm glad the Annenberg Center is doing this kind of work, because most people (like it or not) get their political information from TV. A well-informed electorate is a better electorate, whatever an electorate is. I hope that Chris Murphy is desperate and not just lazy, because that would be unforgiveable. If he's desperate, it's merely dishonorable. Either way knock it off dude.

A Vision Of The Post-Taxation America That We All Want

Quoting from the AFA's Bryan Fischer:

A controversy has erupted over a decision by the South Fulton, TN fire department to allow a rural home in Obion County to burn to the ground because the owner did not pay the requisite $75 annual fee to secure fire protection.

The fire department was called when Gene Cranick’s grandson accidentally set his property on fire, but made no attempt to extinguish the flames, for the simple reason that they had no legal or moral authority or responsibility to do so. When the fire endangered the property of Cranick’s neighbor, who had paid the $75 fee, the fire department swung into action and put out the fire on the neighbor’s property. Cranick’s home meanwhile, burned to the ground after his family had fled for safety.

The back story is that, while South Fulton had a fire department several years ago, the county did not. Rural residents approached city officials and asked them to extend their fire protective services outside city limits. Fine, said the city. We will provide fire services to any rural resident who pays an annual $75 fee. You pay the $75, you just bought yourself a year’s worth of fire protection. You don’t pay the fee, that’s fine too, it’s your choice, but be aware that you are making a deliberate choice to forgo fire protection.

Fine, said Mr. Cranick, I’ll take my chances. He didn’t pay the man his $75, and when his house caught fire, he was on his own, by his own choice.

A lot of people have taken issue with Fischer's spin on this issue, that Jesus would have done the exact same thing as the Tennessee fire department. Check out the comments! Then check out Fischer's spin on the comments. Whatever. I'm an atheist, and Jesus wasn't a fireman. But the basic situation that he's talking about, now THAT'S interesting.

Conservatives, as a rule, would love to privatize everything. Everything. Try to pin one down some time, ask him or her what government function wouldn't be better privatized. They're even furious with the post office, which practically IS a private business. It's self-supporting anyway.

I'd argue that when you privatize, this is what you get - a yearly fee that is higher than what you pay for the government service (what portion of your county taxes goes to fire prevention, do you think? $75 bucks?) and less efficiency. This truck had to go out the property and wait until the fire threatened neighboring houses, where it could have saved all the real estate on the block. And they could have simply gotten a pledge from the guy to pay up afterward, but that would have disincentivized his neighbors from paying annually.

Get Well, Glenn Beck

Dude has medical trouble. I sincerely hope it's temporary and not painful. I disagree with the man's opinions, the man himself I got no problem with.

Hey, W4 Paperwork is Hard

Lou Dobbs, says a piece in The Nation, "reserved a special venom for the employers who hire them, railing against "the employer who is so shamelessly exploiting the illegal alien and so shamelessly flouting US law" and even proposing, on one April 2006 show, that "illegal employers who hire illegal aliens" should face felony charges."

So Dobbs is probably turning himself in right now, on citizen's felony charges:

Based on a yearlong investigation, including interviews with five immigrants who worked without papers on his properties, The Nation and the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute have found that Dobbs has relied for years on undocumented labor for the upkeep of his multimillion-dollar estates and the horses he keeps for his 22-year-old daughter, Hillary, a champion show jumper.

You might think I'm bringing this up to excoriate Meg Whitman, who's had a little illegal alien hiring trouble lately. But there is a broader issue here, which is this: Republicans making aliens an issue are working at cross-purposes to their own interests. If you want to deregulate business and lower the cost of doing business, illegal immigrants are a perfect solution. Let business hire whoever's available! In fact, with all these illegal human resources running around, business can't HELP but hire them. They have an obligation to the shareholders.

Ultimately, what Republicans want is for business to be able outsource, and for people like me to be driven to accept half of what I'm making now. It's their solution to unemployment - employ everyone for peanuts. And whatever illegals are around after the fences go up, turn a blind eye. It's an inelegant solution to stop people from crossing a multi-thousand mile border (not unlike nailing jello to a wall) but it's the only way to do something about immigration without disturbing business. And God forbid they should disturb business.

It's been so good to all of us lately.

Event Verizon

At %$#%$^$ last!

Apple Inc. plans to begin mass producing a new iPhone by the end of 2010 that would allow Verizon Wireless to sell the smartphone early next year, said people briefed by Apple.

The new iPhone would be similar in design to the iPhone 4 currently sold by ATT Inc. but would be based on an alternative wireless technology called CDMA used by Verizon, these people said. The phone, for which Qualcomm Inc. is providing a key chip, is expected to be released in the first quarter of next year, according to the same people.

An Apple CDMA iPhone would spell the end of the exclusive U.S. arrangement with Apple that ATT has had since 2007, when the original iPhone debuted.

I am happy to report that my contract with ATT should be ending early next year, heh heh heh.

Speaking of tech that has taken a little long to come down the pike:

Richard Buckminster Fuller had a lot of nerve. In the 1930s, the great US inventor secured the first $1,000 he needed to build a giant futuristic car, called the Dymaxion... The Dymaxion was meant to be phase one of a social revolution, fuelled by the latest technology, but only three were ever built. No 1 caught fire and No 3 was turned into scrap; only No 2 survived. It now sits in the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada – or it did until 18 months ago, when the architect Norman Foster decided he wanted to fulfil a dream, and build Dymaxion No 4. So he borrowed No 2 for inspiration.

"The Dymaxion had the same engine and transmission as the Ford Sedan of the time," says Foster, who worked with Fuller, his design hero, from 1971 until his death 12 years later. "However, at three times the volume, with half the fuel consumption and a 50% increase in top speed, it not only did more with less, but anticipated the 'people mover' of several decades later."

My friend Skot labored for the better part of a decade to restore a 1946 Chevy Panel Van, which he also painted emerald green. Presumably that's the color he'll be when he sees the Dymaxion.

Don't Regulate Away the Abuse of Animals!

It it the government's JOB to stop the abuse of animals? NO! says the Missouri Tea Party. I linked to an editorial by Joe The Plumber about this last week. They're right of course; regulating animal breeders will just result in more expensive animals.

While they're at it, what's up with those restrictive and unnescesary child labor laws? If your local steel mill or textile factory was allowed to hire children, unemployment would go down! Kids need jobs! Their parents are unemployed, or don't you read the papers?

In any event, it's a bold stroke to side with animal abuse. That's why the Tea Party will completely take over the Republican Party by 2012.

Spending, That's What I'll Cut!

Just a reminder for people who are expecting Republicans to fix the economy.

Ironendorsementy

Nevada's largest newspaper endorses Angle over Reid

This is a DEATH BLOW to Reid! Tea party people respect the opinion of traditional media over everything else!

Actually it's unclear to me whether this is the paper endorsing Angle or just an individual on the paper, though without a byline I suppose we can say it's the Review-Journal. I suppose. Perhaps it will carry some weight, this endorsement, perhaps this is a situation like the opening week of MANNEQUIN - it's critic proof and people will decide no matter what the papers say.

The Gay Agenda Claims Another Victim

Courageous Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell has has been forced to take a leave of absense and will be facing disciplinary action just for exercising his free speech! You may recall he had a blog which criticized the Gay Student Body President of University of Michigan, Chris Armstrong. Isn't it the JOB of government to single out college students and wreck their lives?

The national buzz around the blog began when Shirvell appeared on Cooper's show on Tuesday evening.

"This is a political campaign. This is nothing personal against Chris," Shirvell told Cooper.

Shirvell's blog also features a photo of Armstrong with a swastika painted on a rainbow flag and the word "resign" scrawled on his face.

"Chris Armstrong is a radical homosexual activist who got elected partly funded by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund to promote a very deeply radical agenda at the University of Michigan," Shirvell said on CNN.

See? SEE? Armstrong never would have been elected if HOMOSEXUALS hadn't contributed MONEY to his campaign! Who says THEY have a right to participate? Where is THAT in the constitution?

You could question the judgement of a man in his 30's meddling in college politics, I suppose, or devoting his off-hours time to a blog called "Chris Anderson Watch" (not currently online) instead of anything else, but that's his perogative, right? Well, yes it is.

"He does satisfactory work and, off hours, he's free to engage under both our civil service rules, Michigan Supreme Court rulings and the United States Supreme Court rule," (Attorney General Mike) Cox said.

Cox did, however, call Shirvell's actions "offensive."

"He's clearly a bully. Absolutely. And is he using the Internet to be a bully? Yes," Cox said. "But is that protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution? Yes."

So what is he really guilty of, aside from rabid anti-gay hysteria? Nothing! And probably he has a little crush on Chris Anderson, but that ain't no crime. So hopefully when he returns from his voluntary leave he'll get his reprimand for making the AG's office look bad and keep his job, though more likely he'll be moved to a less prominent department. Maybe Assistant Postmaster General could be made available? Those people have a rep for mental stability.