Wherein I criticize Obama

by folkbum

One of my six regular readers, Dan, complains that I never criticize Democrats. Well, I have a slate of posts in the pipeline criticizing Republicans, so let me offer Dan a bone.

Barack Obama is wrong on FISA. Russ Feingold is right.

Cognitive Dissidence

by folkbum

The nest is getting emptier; long-time guest blogger here capper has struck out on his own with Cognitive Dissidence.

I'm turning his bedroom into a billiard parlor.

Jim Webb's Economic Stimulus Package

By Keith Schmitz

Think of it. It isn't often that a freshman senator such as Jim Webbb (D-VA) in the world's most deliberative (translate sludgy) body gets to pass a major piece of legislation such as the Iraq Veteran's GI Bill. He had to bulldoze it through past the opposition of President Bush and presidental wannabe John McCain. Webb proves that persistence can win out over flashy.

As for Roadmap to Ruin Ryan, he voted against the funding.

Meanwhile Charlie Sykes maintains that letting 13 year olds enter the virtual world of Iraq at the Big Gig is his way of supporting our troops.

Now thousands of people who went off to Iraq will have the opportunity their fathers and grandfathers (mostly men you know back then) had to get a college education and advance economically.

This is the right thing to do for those who have put themselves in harm's way. It is also the right thing to do for the economy. Even though today's version will be serving the much larger numbers of people as the last one over 50 years ago, by sending these folks to college will in its small way help grow the middle class.

This is how you support the troops and the rest of the country at the same time through a (gasp!) government program.

Being bad at math does not excuse your skewed sense of newsworthiness

by folkbum

Shortly after joining the U.S. Senate and while enjoying a surge in income, Barack Obama bought a $1.65 million restored Georgian mansion in an upscale Chicago neighborhood. To finance the purchase, he secured a $1.32 million loan from Northern Trust in Illinois.

The freshman Democratic senator received a discount. He locked in an interest rate of 5.625 percent on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, below the average for such loans at the time in Chicago. [. . .] "It's certainly safe to say that this borrower did better than average," said Keith Gumbinger, an HSH vice president.

Obama did better than average, and so did about 50% of the rest of the people who got mortgages in Chicago in June, 2005.

I wonder if the Washington Post will do a story on all those other borrowers. Maybe they'd like to do a story on me and the 5% fixed rate I got in 2003, which was below average in Milwaukee at the time. My email address is to the right, for any interested reporters.

UPDATED to add, Nate at 538 points out that having a moderately decent credit score--as the Obamas likely do--could be enough to account for the 0.3% rate discount the Obamas received.

Summer Reruns

by folkbum

This post, tentatively, is no longer operative. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Until further notice, we'll be re-running the classic "Haloscan is blinkered, please excuse the long load times and inability to comment" message. Thank you for your patience.

Braveheart-like, Sykes Leads Attack on Summerfest

by bert

Charlie Sykes is completely predictable. Nobody should be surprised that he teed off today on Summerfest and "the leftists" who persuaded the festival directors to remove the elaborate video war game that the U.S. Army offered at the festival grounds until yesterday. I just finished listening to the two hours that he devoted to this topic.

Let me summarize and react.

Shorter Sykes #1: The Summerfest directors are not manly ("wimps" "caved like slinkys"), they hate the military, and it is wrong that they responded to the complaints and worked to close the war game.
My question #1: What if Bill Maher had been booked to perform at Summerfest?

Shorter Sykes #2: This virtual war game, where kids as young as 13 suit up and ride a humvee to shoot with automatic weapons at images of "the enemy", is good because it teaches this country the realities of war.
My question #2.a: How would you or I know the reality of war, since we have never come close to experiencing it?
My question #2.b: If it is important that the citizenry know more of the reality of war (I agree, by the way) since we are fighting two at the moment, did you ever criticize the White House policy to forbid images of our dead soldiers' caskets? Did you ever applaud reporters for showing death on either side during these wars, or did you instead support more news about privates handing out candy to children?

Shorter Sykes #3: Shame on Americans for being ignorant (he threw in "fat" too) of the fact that we are at war.
My question #3: What percentage of your show's content say over the last year has been devoted to informing listeners about these wars? Repeating the specious talking point that Democrats were wrong about the surge doesn't count.

My question #4: How much did this elaborate simulation cost, wasn't it our taxpayer money that funded it, and how many sacks of groceries paid for with food stamps distributed in Milwaukee would that same amount of money produce?

Poor Charlie is obviously energized about this issue. He used the show to not just bitch, but to also encourage public pressure on Summerfest to restore the exhibit.

I think this got to him -- his ego and his grudges -- because of the role that bloggers played. More than once he let slip some sincerity, and made gratuitous attacks on the bloggers during this show. He saved special attention for Keith Schmitz. That's his real motivation: As sweet as the sense of power he obtained from scoring a hit on Bill Maher this spring, the bile is even more bitter to realize that bloggers and Peace Action had an influence here. He wants that reversed.

This is a direct quote from early in the show: "Why do they always get their way?"

Simple Answers to Simple Questions

by folkbum

James Tiberius Harris asks, "Is there any other country in the whole wide world that has bought into the junk science of global warming like American has?"

Answer: No country buys into junk science like America does.

Invading Iran -- Could Bush Be That Dumb?

By Keith Schmitz

The latest speculation from Seymour Hersch that the Bush administration is again pondering an invasion of Iran has left the right wing happy that BushCo is going to "do something" about Iran and fuming that the info was leaked.

How smart would an invasion of Iran be? Not very according to a report in the Australian which counts the ways that this adventure would do damage to all concerned -- even the Bush administration:

First, any strike will prejudice the pivotal US strategic goals in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would expose 150,000 US forces in Iraq to Iranian retaliation. It would threaten progress in Iraq and vastly complicate US force withdrawal. It would trigger Iranian terrorist activity across the region and provoke Shi'ite militia group Hezbollah into strikes. It would represent a complete refusal to absorb the lesson from the 2003 invasion of Iraq: that resort to massive military action unleashes forces beyond the control of the US.

Second, the global economic consequences would be grave. Iranian retaliation would see the world oil price skyrocket from its present high level. Commander-in-chief of Iran's revolutionary guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, has warned that Iran "will definitely act to impose controls on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz". This will take inflation and recession threats to new peaks in the industrialised world. The resentment towards Bush would be even greater.

Third, the Bush administration would implode politically. There is little grasp in Australia of the dramatic power shifts within the administration with Vice-President Dick Cheney's influence on the wane and the diplomatic option in the ascendancy under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates. Witness the diplomatic deal over North Korea's nuclear facilities. Cheney's position on Iran is that there is only one thing worse than military action: Iran being allowed to gain nuclear weapons.

But in the absence of evidence or intelligence justifying a military strike the administration would fracture. High-level resignations would be likely. The intelligence community, blamed for the Iraq war, would not tolerate any distortions from its recent modest assessment of the Iranian threat. Senior US military leaders would be alarmed, with many believing the military option was an unjustified risk.

This highlights the reason for delay: Iran is still several years away from acquiring a nuclear capability. The ultimate decision point for military action will come but that point arrives under Bush's successor. At that stage the US must either accept a nuclear armed Iran or move to thwart it.

Just So I Am Clear

by folkbum

1992: Unquestioningly support the War Hero over the Draft Dodger
1996: Unquestioningly support the War Hero over the Draft Dodger
2000: Unquestioningly support the Draft Dodger over the Soldier
2004: Unquestioningly support the Draft Dodger and lie about the War Hero
2008: Unquestioningly support the War Hero over the Muslim the negro that boy the guy too young to fight in Vietnam

That's the right's position for every presidential election of my voting-age lifetime. I wonder if they are as confused on the inside as they make me on the outside.

Oil Price Silver Lining

By Keith Schmitz

Just heard it speculated on Morning Joe that higher oil prices are going to increase the cost of importing goods from Asia and possibly making production in the US more viable.

Also learned last week that LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for buildings are encouraging purchase of materials to happen within 500 miles of a project.

Could there be a new economic paradigm?

These Guys Are Supposed to Protect Us?

By Keith Schmitz

Knew that the Bush administration's treatment of the CIA as a tool and doormat would bite us in the butt:

Deep policy divisions within the Bush administration and CIA opened the door for Al-Qaida to pose as great a threat as ever, intelligence officials say.

Making the professionals in the intelligence look like fools in the run-up to the Iraq magical adventure and the outing of Valerie Plame was due to take its toll in low morale, resentment and the eye being taking off the ball, not to mention the generation of articles such as these.

In the meantime McCain has lashed himself to this mast as he attempts to sail into the presidency.

Magical Misery Tour

By Keith Schmitz

The Fiscal Wake Up Tour hits Milwaukee today at Discovery World. The group, which includes the sagely Ann Rivlin who was former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, will be bringing dire warnings about the condition of our economy.

What they will be talking about before the members of the MMAC and any one else who cares to show up is that we are in sorry shape.

It is sort of Animal Farm in reverse. This time, instead of the piggy proletariat leaders selling out their followers to the other side, we are being offered up by those of the right wing.

Think of it. A major portion of our debt is being held by the "Red" Chinese. You know. Those evil folks that we have been taught to fear and loathe since 1949 mainly by Republicans.

It's not all Bush's fault, but certainly the trillions of dollars of debt built up by this administration over the past eight years has put us in the spot where the "Red" Chinese might be able to call the shots.

The Wake Up Tour will be telling us that who ever takes over after this election will have to make some tough choices. Of course one that seems totally inappropriate will be extending the tax cuts for those making high incomes who would feel the pain the least. At least John McCain thinks this would be wonderful.

If the US does not bite the bullet, we could have China, Saudi Arabia and other countries dictating our internal policy just like the World Bank does with any other third world country run by a tin horn dictator.

When Bush said he wanted to create an ownership society in this country, this is not what some of us had in mind.

Oh, let it be McCain-Jindal!

by folkbum

It's easy to see why conservatives might like Louisiana's Bobby Jindal. He's young, he's non-threateningly ethnic ("Big Tent! Democrats are the racist ones!"), and in his campaign for governor, he kind of came across as a pragmatic technocrat as opposed to a bone-headed ideologue.

However, since his election, we've learned that he's basically not anyone's dream candidate except maybe Democrats'. Consider, first we learn that he's performed an exorcism. Then he enthusiastically supports (and signs) a bill that puts in place a law exactly like the policy that was voided in the anti-"intelligent design" ruling in Kitzmiller v. Dover. (My favorite line: "Evolution is no more scientifically controversial than gravity, and Governor Jindal surely knows that -- he graduated from Brown University with honors in biology. His own biology professor reminded him recently that 'Without evolution, modern biology, including medicine and biotechnology, wouldn't make sense. In order for today's students in Louisiana to succeed in college and beyond, ... they need a solid grounding in genetics and evolution.'")

But this has to be a deal-breaker:

But yesterday on Fox News, it was Jindal who was displaying Katrina incompetence. Making a push for expanded offshore oil drilling, Jindal repeated the myth that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused “no major” oil spills in the state. Jindal called it a “great unwritten success story” [. . .]. Jindal is clueless about the reality in his own state. As noted in the Wonk Room, the Hurricanes caused offshore oil spills so large that they could be seen from space (check out a picture here.) The Minerals Management Service reported that 113 oil platforms were “totally destroyed”--a total of 124 offshore spills.

In fact, oil seeped onshore into southeast Louisiana, which saw 44 onshore and offshore oil spills. The EPA called the spills “worse than the worst-case scenario.” Even oil industry representatives admitted: “nature can always topple you.”

It’s hard to see how this is a “great unwritten success story.”

One of the least-discussed drawbacks of the "increase off-shore drilling" crowd's demands is the potential for environmental disaster, particularly from hurricane damage. It's among the biggest reasons why Florida has resisted efforts to increase drilling offshore there. And, look, I've seen "Deadliest Catch": There are hurricane-force storms as far north as Alaska. But for Jindal, perhaps, being more than $200,000 in debt to the oil companies allows him the selective amnesia to toe the party line.

As a bonus, I know this story is more than a year old now, but it has to be the most bizarre McCain story I have read to date:

Rank-and-file Republicans are disgruntled about McCain's support for campaign finance reform and gun control and his opposition to a federal ban on gay marriage. Conservative anger reached a boiling point in 2004 when McCain led the opposition to Prop 200, a state ballot measure restricting public services for undocumented immigrants. In the summer of 2005, months after Prop 200 succeeded with support from nearly 70 percent of GOP voters, [Republican state committeman Rob] Haney introduced a resolution in District 11 to censure McCain for "dereliction of his duties and responsibilities as a representative of the citizens of Arizona." After the resolution coasted through the district, it was introduced before the GOP committee of Maricopa County, Arizona's largest, encompassing Phoenix and Scottsdale (once home to Barry Goldwater).

At the time, McCain and his handlers were working to burnish his conservative credentials to win over wary Republican primary voters. [. . .] Although Arizona is somewhat off the national radar, Haney's resolution posed a threat to the McCain makeover. [. . .]

Not content to let the purely symbolic resolution stand, McCain recruited a slate of candidates to oust Haney and his allies in last November's state committee elections. McCain supporters formed a political action committee, Grassroots Arizona PAC, to bankroll this effort. Forty percent of Grassroots Arizona's funds were provided by two Democratic donors from San Francisco apparently enraptured with McCain and his "maverick" image, Gregory and Lisa Wendt, which added fuel to the flames of Haney's revolt. McCain's slate was formidable, including Fife Symington, a former Arizona governor coaxed out of retirement to come to the rescue of his old friend. So worried was McCain about being rebuked by his own party that he threw his own hat into the race, announcing that he would run for state committeeman.

When the votes were counted, McCain and his entire slate were resoundingly defeated. [. . .] McCain's botched revenge has solidified his reputation in Arizona's Republican circles as a divisive, untrustworthy and even dangerous figure. Haney hopes the general public meets this side of McCain before his penchant for angry reprisals is invested with the powers of the presidency. "This just shows that McCain is mentally unstable and out of control and vindictive," Haney told me. "If he is determined to go through that much trouble to attack a district committee chairman, what does that say about his ability to handle real political problems?"

Just. Wow.

Well done, Sprecher!

by folkbum

As it turns out, my favorite root beer also came out on top in the New York Times--another local business taking on the big boys and winning. Time to grab a frosty mug and a four-pack or two.

Updates On Bad Decisions

by capper

If one remembers, three weeks ago, I wrote about the bad decisions that Serb Hall had made. Two weeks later, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel finally got around the story. This past Friday, I thought I'd take a slightly different route home, and go past Serb Hall to see how they were doing.

I couldn't believe my eyes. At 5:45 p.m., when they are usually in high gear, and it's hard to find a parking spot, the lot was almost empty. I pulled in and I counted a whole 27 cars. The little lot directly next to the building was only a third full. The big overflow lots were empty. The drive-thru lane had three cars in it.

Later that evening, I called one of the waitresses at Serb Hall, with whom my family have become friends. She told me that she served four tables during her entire shift. That's it. Four tables. She also told me that half the waitresses have been laid off for the entire month of July at least.

I realize that Summerfest opened this past weekend, and that summers are usually slower for them due to festivals, cookouts and people going up north, but it has never, ever had that kind of impact before.

I only wonder how long they will continue on this course of folly. If they needed to raise the fish fry a couple of bucks, I'm sure they would have lost some customers, but the regulars would have still gone there. Other restaurants are going up in price, or switching to a different kind of fish, but I haven't heard or seen of any kind of decline like this anywhere else. The management at Serb Hall will either have to change their business strategy, or they will be killing off their Friday night fish fry.

In comparison, Shakey's, which is closing tomorrow, has been going crazy with business. From the WestAllisNOW community paper:

The Shakey's Pizza franchise could only have continued its West Allis location if it ended its buffet and switched to a pizza-only menu, owner Tom Miller said today.

"We've been doing this too long, and I think it would be too difficult for us to convert to a pizza restaurant and maintain the level of sales," he said.

[...]

Since the closing was announced, the restaurant has been packed every day,
Miler said. About a half-dozen people were waiting outside for about 15 minutes before the restaurant opened at 11 a.m. today.

About an hour later, empty tables were hard to find as the restaurant was filled with people wanting one last taste of Shakey's.

Here, the franchise is telling the owners that they should fix what wasn't broken. The restaurant owners were smart enough to know that that this wouldn't work, and took their money and ran. I can't say that I blame them.

Too bad the owners of Shakey's can't take over Serb Hall's operations. At least they know how to run a business, besides into the ground.

Scott Walker is Dumb. But I repeat myself. Literally.

by folkbum

Scott Walker has threatened to veto, for what must be the bazillionth time, an advisory referendum on raising the Milwaukee County sales tax to fund, among other things, parks, transit, and emergency medical services. In honor of that, I would like to reprint, wholesale, the post I wrote the last time he vetoed the referendum.

I don't know how else to put it. Scott Walker is just dumb.

Today he vetoed an advisory referendum on raising the Milwaukee County sales tax one cent in order to fund the public services he won't, and offer a little property tax relief on the side. If passed, this would not of itself raise taxes--it would merely advise the county supervisors whether the public is in favor of the increase or not.

If the public votes no, Scott Walker is vindicated in his and his suburb-dwelling radio chorus's constant no-tax crusade. He can rub the county board's face in their clear out-of-touchness with the voters. He can dance the jig of joy on the grave of the people who still believe that there is a place for the public--parks, transportation, schools, and so on.

If the public votes yes, then no doubt the county board will send along a sales-tax increase for Walker's signature. There, he's got two choices, both of which leave Walker a potential winner. One, he vetoes the measure then, claims his victory, and remains a hero of the pundit class. (The danger is that the board could override him.)

Two, he could sign the sales-tax increase into law. Would that violate the no-tax-at-any-cost ethos that Walker is so dimly the hood ornament for? Yes. But Walker gets a freebie here--after all, the people wanted it! And, perhaps most importantly for Walker, Milwaukee County services will finally get the funding they need! Walker gets to dodge the blame for raising taxes while at the same time fixing a lot of the problems people hate him for!

Walker looks obstructionist and petty with this veto. It will not help as much as he thinks it will with his said-it-wouldn't-happen re-election campaign. Not letting this referendum through is just dumb.

(I hope I'm not stealing capper's thunder too much here; I know how much he likes blogging about that ol' Walker: Tosa Ranger.)

Today, He Would Be Called A Socialist

by capper

In light of the not-really-a-riot riot from earlier this week, a quote from Dom Helder Camara:

When I feed the poor, they call me a saint, but when I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist.

The Less Than Super Superintendent

by capper

Ron Malone needs to be given his walking papers. It's that simple really.

Ron Malone is the superintendent of the Milwaukee County House of Correction (HOC). Over the past year, we have seen numerous inmates that have escaped from custody.

We have seen good correction officers being scapegoated for an inmate's escape, even though they don't know if he really escaped.

Malone has shown that he doesn't even know what the policies are at his facility regarding late nights. In fact, Malone, as superintendent would have to approve of any decisions regarding grievances, but denied ever seeing the grievances regarding the late nights.

There was an inmate that died from a drug overdose, which stemmed from the consequences of the facility being short staffed.

There have also been audits that have shown the HOC to be in terrible shape regarding security, morale, and overall policy.

Things were bad enough that County Executive Scott Walker had threatened to fire Malone if things didn't turn around in a few months.

Now, in the last day, we see that there has been an ongoing investigation into reports that ranking officers were sexually harassing female employees. From what I understand, the report does not cover the whole story, and that there are people being investigated who go above and beyond just the two lieutenants, and that the investigations have been going on for at least a couple of months. One would think that complaints this expansive and serious in nature, involving some of his higher ranked employees would have caught his attention. One might think that, but that doesn't appear to be the case:

Meantime, House of Correction Superintendent Ron Malone would not go on camera Wednesday night but tells TMJ4 he takes this very seriously.

He couldn't tell us without going back through the records, if there is an investigation.
He does, however plan to take a closer look at this Thursday and promised to follow up.

Malone is either trying, and failing, to cover up a whole mess of problems that he is fully aware of, or he is just plainly incompetent and/or obtuse to what is going on in his facility. Either way, he hasn't shown that he is deserving of the role as superintendent.

Fortunately, some of the members of the county board have enough sense to put a halt to rubber stamping his re-appointment as superintendent, and have referred his appointment to be sent back to committee for further review. Hopefully, they will get it right this time and not agree to his re-appointment to this position.

I won't even rip on Scott Walker for this one either. I doubt if he was aware of the investigations. He's been too busy running for governor promoting Milwaukee County on his bike ride.

What I learned from Wisconsin's conservatives this week*

by folkbum

When the Supreme Court of the United States overturns a state law duly enacted by the legislature of that state, it is an activist court making a bad decision by overturning the will of the people. Alternatively, when the Supreme Court of the United States overturns a state law duly enacted by the legislature of that state**, it has done a great service for the Constitution and our freedoms.

Also, when Supreme Court of the United States overturns a law duly enacted by the Congress of the United States, it is an activist court making a bad decision by overturning the will of the people. Alternatively, when Supreme Court of the United States overturns a law duly enacted by the Congress of the United States, it has done a great service for the Constitution and our freedoms.

* I went with this format since I figured "Heller High Water" was already taken by someone, somewhere. Also note that my wry irony about Scalia's "[i]t will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed" rationale made the front page of Daily Kos, but some other guy got the credit, though I clearly beat him to the punch.

** For purposes of this post, we'll consider Washington, DC, a state, since the principle is the same.

Will SCOTUS Say This Is OK?

by capper

Many on the right side of the blogoshpere are eagerly anticipating the much expected ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States regarding a gun ban in Washington, D.C.

Given the recent rulings of this court, I personally don't have much hope for common sense to prevail. But I do find it ironic that on the day the right might be celebrating the re-affirmation that they can carry their precious handguns (in D.C. anyway), there are many people in Kentucky that will be mourning their loved ones killed by someone taking advantage of a similar law. And make no mistake, the killer's access to a gun was approved. From the article (emphasis mine):

Nevels said family members told detectives that Higdon kept a .45-caliber pistol in his car almost all the time, which is permissible in Kentucky.

I can't imagine how someone could defend this, as the reason for the murdering rampage was that he had to wear safety goggles and not talk on his cell phone while working-common rules in most factories.

I'm just waiting for similar stories to come out of Florida as well.