POWIP Piece of Work In Progress

Litotes Illustrated

"A series of secretly taped videos filmed at ACORN offices around the country caught employees giving bad advice . . . ."

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Dutch and Dean

Fascinating period piece unearthed, and everyone's got it posted, I'm sure. Just two things I want to say.

1) That was the sort of programming GE supported back then.
2) You can tell that Ronnie really enjoyed his Chesterfields.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Protest in the Age of Obama

Didn't Gibbsy just have some kind of pow-wow about press availability and treatment?

It really is pretty ridiculous. Or full on fascist, depending on your view.

If I were a member of the Washington press corps, I'd maybe just neglect to go to the next Obama photo op . . . with all my friends.

Good thing the press isn't raising a ruckus and calling for clawback. It's all part of the White House's SEO push. And, about that meltdown . . .

C'mon, gay men and women: there's plenty of room at the Tea Party.

Related: Terrible skepticism regarding government probably tantamount to sedition. Mind you, this comes after Reid's freak out that Republicans met secretly with Wall Street bigwigs. Rahm says that the administration found out about the SEC 3-2 ruling via the media. Uh huh.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Transparency Troubles

I should have put the Allee Bautsch/Joe Brown links below here, but I'm feeling too lazy.

In a rare public dispute between a Democratic-led Congress and the White House, a Senate committee on Monday subpoenaed the Obama administration for secret documents and access to witnesses in last year’s mass shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.

Congress has been largely supportive of President Barack Obama’s policies and the White House prides itself on increased government transparency. Nonetheless, the chairman and ranking Republican of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee have alleged that the administration is covering up critical details on the case, including whether the government had access to information that could have prevented the shooting.

So, there's that, there's the Sestak job offer thing that's also been stonewalled, there's the Holder New Black Panthers matter. Lots of unfinished business.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Rahm Wants To Be Mayor of Chicago

Via Tom Bennett:

A transcript of the interview

Charlie Rose: Is there any other job in government you'd like to have?

Rahm Emanuel: In government?

Rose: In government.

Rahm Emanuel: Yeah.

Rose: What?

Emanuel: Well, I mean, it's no secret --

Charlie Rose: That you want to be speaker of the house.

Emanuel: Well, that's over. No, I would one day -- first of all, let me say it this way, I hope Mayor Daley seeks reelection. I will work and support him if he seeks reelection. But if Mayor Daley doesn't, one day I would like to run for mayor of the City of Chicago. That's always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives.

Rose: Mayor of Chicago.

Emanuel: Yeah, fact I said the one thing if you ask me what I miss, I miss the contact with constituents. You know, I miss being in the -- when you were running the office, that touch with people. I used to do as you know I developed this thing called Congress on Your Corner where I used to stand in the grocery stores with a table of constituent service, and just greet people. And you learned a lot. And one of the best pieces of legislation I introduced was the Elderly Justice Act, came from a lady who talked to me at a grocery store about what happened to her father in a nursing home, and the way I found out that the law on the books was no real federal bill that dealt with seniors. And that's a -- you know, not all stories are like that. I helped a small business get a loan that expanded a tubing company. I miss that. I mean, I love what I'm doing. I find great passion in it because I work for a great president with a breadth of issues that has -- if you're in public policy at a period of time in history that's important, one day I'll go back to elected office and say I've enjoyed it, I enjoyed that process.

Rose: So rather than being a member of the Cabinet, if you left the chief of staff job you'd more likely want to go --

Emanuel: One day I'll -- I mean, you asked me if I was thinking of it that term, I mean, right now I'm a Chief of Staff -- I'm in the Cabinet, President put the Chief of Staff in the Cabinet, but one day I want to run again for office and if I get a -- but again I want to repeat because the Mayor's a dear friend of mine, and I support him, I hope he seeks reelection as you know, Charlie, you've been out to Chicago, he's done a fabulous job, and one day I would like to -- but if he doesn't at some point that will be something I'll do.

If he decides not to run? Maybe Rahm knows something about the Blago trial that we don't? About the scope of Fitzgerald's investigation, not only regarding what it encompasses, but what it doesn't?

Considering the administration's background in supporting Blago and Daley, it takes a special kind of balls for Emanuel, who was also on the board of Freddie Mac during the period of greatest scandal, to say that he'd like to be Mayor of Chicago. I'm looking at the "wonderful job" that Daley's done and thinking, gee, you're totally broke.

Here's the latest on Allee Bautsch and Joe Brown.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Warranty Invalidated

If you open up your MacBook to do a little bit of work yourself, you've technically invalidated your warranty, though I'm not sure how rigidly that's enforced by Apple. Similarly, if you go to see an independent consultant about your back pain in the UK, don't expect the NHS to cover your surgery.

I think Harry should get McConnell's minutes, just as soon as the transcripts of the back room deals with big pharma and the insurers are released.

Deutsch wonders if he's crazy. If he really does believe the talking points, he really is.

Via Smitty at TOM, Pat Condell on what he knows about Islam:

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Congratulations to Six Meat Buffet

on six years of awesome blogging.

Here's to many more!

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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“Honey, This Is Lord Vader”

"This is my wife, Marian."
"Pleased to meet you. Please, call me Darth."
"Oh, Roger's told me all about you!"
"Ha! Remember that time when you said, I can't do the voice, 'I find you disturbing'?"
"I find your lack of faith . . . disturbing."
"Exactly! I thought I was going to die!"
"Oh, my dear!"
"Well, I was . . . ."
"Where are my manners, eh? Can I get you a drink?"
"Roger mixes the most divine mojitos!"
"I'll have a whiskey sour, if you don't mind. With a . . . do you have any of those bendy straws?"
"Somewhere around here. Say, I've always wondered . . . how do you eat with that helmet thing on?"
"In fact, I . . . ."
"Oh, Rog, don't you think that's a little rude? Don't you listen to him. He asks the most impertinent questions."
"Honey, where's the sour mix? Ah! Found it."
"So, Mr., I mean, Lord Vader . . . ."
"Just Darth, please."
"Well, then, Darth . . . are you married?"
"No."
"Was there ever a Mrs. Vader?"
"She died, a long time ago."
"Oh, how terribly sad."
"Here you go. Cheers, Darthy!"
"Thank you. Cheers."
"If you don't mind my asking, what did she die of?"
"Bad acting."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I jest. She died in childbirth."
"Heavens. How?"
"The plot required it."
"Awful. I say it's Federation health care. I hope you don't mind my saying so, Darth."
"Oh, not at all."
"Dreadful business. As I recall, that was shortly before you got . . . er, melted."
"Roger! Really, you say the most outlandish things!"

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Why Christians are Offensive

Last year, my business partners and I purchased a small interactive company from a nice fellow - husband and father of 4 kids. He had accepted an offer to go full-time into the Army, having served in the Guard for many, many years. He is a Captain and a real solid guy. Salt of the earth type.

His wife, Karen, is likewise very cool. Exceedingly sharp. A one-time financial executive with NASA, she and Dan (not brother Dan) met, married, and decided to start a family. They moved back to Wisconsin, with Karen quitting her job and had their first child. Three more following in rapid succession.

Karen and Dan decided to home school their children. That responsibility fell to Karen. And they have stuck to the plan for some 10 years.

I have met their kids and they are wonderful, bright, and respectful children. Near as I can tell, they have done a great job.

But Dan continues to commute 1.5 hours to and from Madison - every day - for his job.

So when I asked Karen, who stopped in last week, how things were, she remarked that the commute is really a drag for Dan. I asked if they planned on moving closer to Madison. She laughed... "Are you kidding me? People like us aren't really the 'Madison Type,' if you know what I mean."

"Oh," I said. I figured she was saying that because they are conservatives. Madison, like any other state capitol, is extremely liberal - being the hub of state government and packed with bureaucrats living at the trough of the tax-payers. But then she put in, "I mean, being Christians. They're tolerant of Muslims, Hindus, Atheists, Jews, Pagans, etcetera. But Christians? Enoch, they hate us all. I mean hate... us... Once they find out you're a believer, you're as good as done."

WOW. This got me to thinking about why Believers in peace, love, gentleness, forgiveness, and sacrifice are so reviled among the Bourgeoisie?

I have my own thoughts on the topic. What are yours?

Enoch_Root

AKA. Bobby Donn Brubaker (the most popular man in Mesa, AZ), the Umbrella of Terror, Jack Ketch.

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Billy Jeff Returns & O’s Poland Debacle

In concert with Rachel Maddow's special on Tim McVeigh, Billy Jeff is doing the TV circuit, talking about how awful the Tea Party people are. After many years of demonizing talk radio and, more recently, protesters against big government, he's saying that people shouldn't demonize officeholders, but criticize them instead. These are the people who created the expression "vast right-wing conspiracy."

InstaGlenn is having none of it:

THE NEW CURRENCY is obedience.

Meanwhile, remember how the left went crazy over Ari Fleischer’s advice to “watch what you say?” But now Bill Clinton is comparing Tea Partiers to Tim McVeigh and proffering rather Fleischeresque advice. Maybe Clinton should watch what he says, when it comes to branding large numbers of nonviolent Americans as terrorists. But this statement serves as a useful reminder to those who have come to think of Clinton as some sort of cuddly, not-so-bad figure. He was a demagogue who would say whatever he thought might work when he was President, and he still is.

Summers and Rubin gave me bad advice on derivatives, and I was wrong to take it, but the boundaries were already blurred, so . . . . At any rate, not on the Congressional agenda is a rigorous analysis of how Congress blew financial regulation, which is okay, I guess, because the MSM are letting them skate, which they have to, because to do otherwise would expose their own whistling past the graveyard.

When Obama assumed power, he was predicting a 40-year Progressive supremacy in the US, so naturally the idea that it could crater by November is galling. Also, he owed Obama big time for giving his wife a job that would guarantee that she was gone far away most of the time.

What McVeigh did was evil beyond all imagining. What Clinton and Reno did at Waco was also evil, and deserves its own retrospective.

Some of you will undoubtedly think that my criticism of Obama for not attending the state funerals in Poland is over the top. If Obama cared, though, he'd be able to go to his hometown and conduct a ceremony at the Polish Museum of America, an institution of which he must be almost as aware as he is of the players on the Chicago White Sox. The fact is, he doesn't give a damn. The fact is that the Chicago Tribune doesn't give a damn, either.

Related duplicity would be the Cohen of Silence. And read Marc Theissen's lengthy demolition of Jane Mayer's putrid courtiership for disaster.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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