The Obama Honeymoon is Over (and I didn’t even get a cuddle out of it)

Duh Fineman, it was never there to begin with.

Like the Repubs are going to help Obama out the messes they (mostly) created. Wait till Barry tries to push through some form of Universal Healthcare. It will garner the same reaction as throwing a firecracker into the Howler Monkey Cage at the Zoo.

Schween bag Mark Halperin had similar thoughts – and the best thing is, they can probably get it passed without Republican support. Fuck Halperin, and fuck the GOP.

@blogenfreude:
Just more concern trolling.

It’s not Barry’s gestures that bother me, it’s his lack of response when the Repugs gesture back. Something along the lines of “We tried to engage them, but they behaved like a pack of assholes” would be sufficient. Then just run the votes.

@nojo: The imagery of “pack of assholes” is troubling.

sorry, my mind just short-circuited….

@Dodgerblue: You’re welcome.

@nojo: Yes, he should basically be taking a page from Barney Frank’s book.

Is he insane? These assholes were screaming DEATH TO THE COMMIE DARKIE when he won the primary and sent out Talibunny to shriek to the Adkisson Brigades that America needs to arm itself for the bloody conflict with unwhite commie scum. Wait a week and these same goons will start screaming Obamarxism fucking failed to correct the Clinton Depression. It’s like trying to have a coherent conversation with a four year old who always lies about taking a shit in the cookie jar.

@FlyingChainSaw:

I was forced to watch Faux Noise at the gym last night while running, and they had the usual wingtards on claiming that their plan–whatever it is–would’ve created six hundred bajillion jobs, if not even more perhaps (but they were defeated by the evil, evil Demoncrats. Why oh why would baby Jeebus allow that?).

I’m really curious if a political party can be sustained solely on lies, hatred of homos and racial minorities, and propaganda. Looks like we’re about to find out either way.

@Original Andrew: I’m really curious if a political party can be sustained solely on lies, hatred of homos and racial minorities, and propaganda.

Eight years isn’t enough?

I wasn’t paying attention to the CBO fake-out last week, but when I heard that line about twice the jobs at half the cost, I was waiting for someone to ask for details. Silly me, I still think journalists have professional standards.

OK, people. I’ve discovered the antidote to the Republicans.

BOLLYWOOD!!!!!

Srsly. It is fraptastic. Watching Hrithik Rosahn (le sigh) movies. An action hero who can dance! How great is that? Besides the prettiness (which is extreme. I mean… extremely extreme)… an action hero who can dance!!! That’s how they demonstrate their virility!!

I’m moving to Mumbai.

@Benedick: What a great idea. Ever since I discovered this amazing clip Chaiyya Chaiyya I’ve been a fan. I defy anyone to watch this and give a second’s thought to Republicans or Howard Fineman or much of anything except what a cool country India appears to be.

@Dave H:

Oh wow, that is a superb song.

I really like this version as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_jXAVWg7Sg&feature=related

If Mr. OA and I ever have a ceremony, this is totally the floor show.

And what language is the presenter speaking? Is it German?

Has anyone read the details of the “stimulus” package? It would help if there were anything bold and decisive in it, something forward looking and paradigm-shifting, a commitment to spend on something in a big way, like a MAJOR infrastructure initiative, or free college for all, or universal day care, SOMETHING exciting.

Sorry, got to say it, its just a pile of pork, same old, political paybacks to interest groups. Half of it seems to have been written by the teachers unions, the rest by the governors of the states with budget shortfalls looking for help just funding business as usual. Its just a bunch of nice, but not earth-shattering, increases in ordinary spending, giving more grants, etc. Nothing to get the blood going, to get excited about, thats for sure. No major “manhattan project” for alternative energy, no major public transportation initiative, no really exciting long term infrastructure projects of the kind that pay off for 100 years, like the TVA or Hoover Damn. I am underwhelmed, except by the cost.

Now is the time to shoot for the moon, his best shot for major action is now, right now, before they have smeared and maligned him for a year. It would be nice if there was just 1 BIG IDEA in it, that the republicans would look stupid for opposing, the problem with this bill is, that when you go over it line by line, there is nothing that you can really say is absolutely essential, nothing you can really argue create worthwhile argument with the republicans over. He aimed too low.

@Promnight: I can’t say I’m even remotely surprised. I agree, this was his chance to launch New Deal 2009, WPA 2009, anything but “more business as usual 2009.”

And sorry Repubs, but tax cuts don’t get anyone spending money. When they have jobs and feel comfortable, they spend. When they get a $300 check from the gummint, they put it toward their staggering debt load, or in savings. Someone mentioned somewhere that someone was trying to get “$5000 off if you buy a new American car” in there, but who’s gonna drop $20k on a $25k car when they’re having a hard time paying the cellphone bill?

@IanJ: Even a moratorium on foreclosures, with the gubmint paying the banks for their losses, would have had a significant jolt with the average joes and janes.

On the other hand, as I have said before, in my job, I see some retail data really early, day to day. Its limited to car sales. I am seeing an uptick. Domestic franchises seeing a return to pre-September levels, not great, but not fucking as if everyone in America just suddenly decided to stop spending money.

Even if there is a real uptick in retail, there are still widening circles of damage spreading through the economy as a result of what has already happened. What happened in September will continue to have a disastrous impact till summer at least, and for years beyond, if this uptick is not an early sign of a return to semi-normalcy, the damage staying at the level of a severe recession. But it would be fantastic if this were some indication that at least one sector has shown a sign of having reached a bottom. A continuation of what was happening in November and December would have been disastrous, to me, it would have been the proof this is a depression, and would be a long one.

Bollywood.

Heaven.

I take everything back about musicals. They are IT.

Om Shanti Om. Make me your slave and dance that dancey Hindu danciness over me. Om Shanti Om!

And can Hrithrik strip off shirt? pants? jock?

@IanJ: And sorry Repubs, but tax cuts don’t get anyone spending money. When they have jobs and feel comfortable, they spend. When they get a $300 check from the gummint, they put it toward their staggering debt load, or in savings.

Depends.

James Surowiecki in the New Yorker has an interesting counter-argument: tax cuts can work, as long as they’re not dumped in a lump sum.

He points to the 1992 Bush “tax cut”, which was really just a withholding adjustment. According to one study (granted, studies can prove anything), folks were more likely to spend that extra $20 a week than save it. It was really a perceptual issue.

That’s the kind of practical argument a Republican should be making. But since they deal in faith-based economics, it’s not even on their radar.

@Dave H: @Original Andrew: Om Shanti Om.

I will only watch Bollywood movies from now on.

We don’t stand a chance.

“Thank you for your chicken.” Blago’s statement to the Latino community after his impeachment this afternoon (“Gracias por su pollo.”)

@Promnight: BBC says Honda’s taking four months off in the UK. Also, US Army suicides and suicides in general are up now.

@Original Andrew: Not German. Probably Dutch, because I can understand it, and Dutch, like Afrikaans, just sounds like slightly bizarro German to me.

Fuck it. Throw everything Pelosi wants in the damn bill, Unicorn, and then make the GOP filibuster the fucker til they can’t stand any longer.

And the UK press is saying it’s $4 trillion that’ll wind up being spent in the bad bank fund. If you’re gonna get labeled a commie pinko Negro in the campaign and slighted afterward, fucking earn the label and nationalize the damn banks until we can get a pittance of that back.

Yes, financiers and Repugs will bitch about how un-American it all is. And how well did your tax cuts and invisible hand do over the past three decades, hmmmm?

@mellbell:

Danke!

@Benedick:

Well the good news is that they film like 600 a year, so you’ll never run out. Though it looks like you’ll need to brush up a bit on your Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujrati, and Telugu to get the full effect.

@Promnight:

I thought the whole point of the bailouts and “stimulus” was to shovel trillions to the bankrupt huckster CEOs so that they can give themselves and their puppets in Congress more $10 million dollar bonu$e$.

And thank the FSM for that; I’ve been so worried about them!

Our very kleptocratic plutocracy is at stake!

@Signal to Noise: And President O can show up with a baseball bat soaked for a month in kerosene, set it aflame and swing it into Boehner’s face.

You want true crime? Here’s ya true crime:

“A thief hauled off a 10-pound box of bacon and a box of ground beef from a walk-in refrigerator after breaking into a building Wednesday in the 1800 block of Cerrillos Road.” – Santa Fe New Mexican

@Original Andrew: It’s better with subtitles. You can watch the whole movie and have no clue what it’s about. But you can still admire the product placement: Bournevita? The nectar of my childhood dreams? That’s what superheroes drink? Color me impressed. (CheapBoy will get it).

They do action movies and no one gets shot. No one dies. How cool is that? There are no ‘brave’ soldiers. No Jeebus. And a dance language with a whole new vocabulary. Woo hoo! If I seem to be going off on a tangent (unlike me, I know) it’s because I’ve seen the light. And it comes from India. And my god they are the most beautiful people!!!! I thought the Jamaicans were gorgeous (they are) but the Indians!!!

BTW. I always think it’s a great advantage to not be able to understand the lyrics to pop songs. They’re always trash.

That is reality, You are my destiny, And you can count on me.

Well here’s the solution: Hindi!! I no longer care about anything. I don’t give a fuque what politicians say/do or how many banks fail. I have found Bollywood!!!!

Now I must go to Sodom on the Hudson to create Musical Theatre. Tilting at windmils? I haz it!!

@redmanlaw: I guess he wants to make that bacon log thing from the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?_r=1&em