In yet another victory for the plutocracy that controls both political parties, President Barack Obama has decided not to back Elizabeth Warren as director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which opens on Thursday, according to sources who were briefed on the subject.  Warren is reviled by Wall Street and Republicans for having the audacity of speaking up for the little people getting shafted by shady mortgages and credit card companies, and for her ability to speak cogently to people across the country.  The bankruptcy and tax law professor at Harvard has been a longtime advocate of consumers’ rights, and was the person who conceived of and led the creation of the new bureau.

[Bloomberg]

“We’ve been down this road before, and Republicans will not go down it again. In 1990, Congress and the President struck a deficit reduction deal that combined spending cuts with tax increases. Unfortunately, while the tax hikes remained, the spending restraint did not, and our debt has only marched higher.”

–Republican Senator, Orrin Hatch

Apparently, being a Republican means you can re-write history any which way you please, and not be called out on it. This morning, as I watched CNN, the 24 Hour News network ran a segment on President Obama’s call for a debt limit/long term budget compromise position that would involve spending cuts and tax increases at a ratio of about 5 to 1. CNN then quoted Hatch above, but for some reason saw no need to point out that Hatch’s statement is a bald faced lie, seemingly suggesting that the Clinton era tax increases (which left the nation with a $200+ billion surplus when the Democratic president left office) are still with us today, when in fact they were undone by his Republican successor, President Bush, who pushed through massive tax cuts that immediately plunged the nation into deficit. Hatch is correct that massive spending increases also followed, but conveniently fails to note that the spending increases, too,  were the result of Republican policies, such as unnecessary wars and a poorly conceived prescription drug benefit for seniors that was not balanced by either tax increases or spending cuts and which specifically excluded the government from using its purchasing power to negotiate better drug prices.

In honor of Carmageddon, we thought we’d revive our favorite movie about the 405. Which is also, as far as we know, the only movie about the 405.

Carmageddon could result in 20-mile back-up on 405 [LAT]

Now that Rebekah Brooks has resigned, we here at Stinque can better concentrate on the issue that has kept us wondering throughout this developing scandal which has already engulfed one of Britain’s most venerable institutions and looks set to engulf more, namely — Who Does Her Hair?

As the women of Stinque (and some Stinque men: you know who you are) can attest, a do like that does not come cheap. Though it looks like she just jumped out of the shower, scrobbled it quickly with a towel before running for a bus, such a coiffure can only be achieved after significant spendy-time in a Knightsbridge salon listening to cockney stylists whining about their boyfriends. Or even worse, taking the morning train to Paris so the only colorist who can really pull off that particular tone of hebridean ginge can breathe stale garlic fumes all over one’s tuck box from Fauchon.

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Christianity Today recently interviewed a well known conservative personality and author about her personal views and her latest book. Can you guess who this person is, based solely on the following exchange?

Cristianity Today: In your book, you described premarital sex as a sin. Do you worry that by calling it a sin, it might distract non-Christians?

Mystery Author: You know, it might, but for me I do think of it as a sin. And, if that distracts other readers then I’m sorry, but that’s what I believe.

Is the author in question:

A) Dr. Laura Schelssinger
B) Bristol Palin
C) Ann Coulter
D) Christine O’Donnell

Click the “Read more” link to see the answer.

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[Atlantic]

Our guest columnist is The Most Not Reverend Rick Perry.

At twenty-seven years old, I knew that I’d been called to the ministry. I’ve just always been really stunned by how big a pulpit I was gonna have! I still am. I truly believe with all my heart that God has put me in this place at this time to do His will.

On Aug. 6 of this year, 2011, we are going to have a day of prayer and fasting. And it’s going to be the real deal. It’s not going to be some program where we line up a dozen political figures to come in and talk. It’s going to be people standing on that stage, projecting and proclaiming Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior at Reliant Stadium in Houston…

Our founding fathers understood that [property] was a very important part of the pursuit of happiness. Being able to own things that are your own is one of the things that makes America unique. But I happen to think that it’s in jeopardy.

It’s in jeopardy because of taxes; it’s in jeopardy because of regulation; it’s in jeopardy because of a legal system that’s run amok. And I think it’s time for us to just hand it over to God and say, “God, You’re going to have to fix this.”…

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