While money talks, it apparently doesn't vote.
Candide II: Wall Street has died and gone to heaven; Obama says he will betray the American people, gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and deliver the money stream to Wall Street and the health insurance industry. And then take a bow for wining The Washington Post's Good Boy award. Remember, Nixon went to China.
Going Walkabout: Eight hours of talks over future funding for the EU ended in a deadlock, raising doubts about whether the summit on EU spending scheduled for the end of the month will go on as planned. Just as well, for Britain intends to veto any attempt to increase EU funding. Tough finding out what the austerity you've imposed on others feels like when it comes home to roost.
Definitely: Peter King (R-NY) has been the first to use 'mandate' in it's new meaning 'chutzpah', claiming that the thumping they took on November 6 constitutes a mandate for them to prevent expiration of the Bush tax cuts for the rich.
Sound Bites: Two things to remember about the 'fiscal cliff'. One, it is not a cliff, it's a slope with various bumps built in over a few months. Two, it is a self-inflicted creation of Congress, created by vote that can be postponed or dissolved by vote. We're not all going to start going barefoot come January 1st, but we are going to get very tired of the political histrionics, which will in the end signify nothing.
Spite: Murray Energy (and by 'energy' they mean coal), the folks who forced their employees to attend a Romney rally, has now laid off more than 160 of them because they did not vote for Romney Obama won. Is this legal? Probably not, but Papa John's, Applebee's, Olive Garden and Red Lobster are joining the parade . Will they get away with it? Ha, where you been, bubba?
A Great Disturbance in the Force: Unmentioned in the campaign, climate change has elbowed its way into the conversation. The National Center for Atmospheric research says that global temperature rises will be more severe than earlier thought and that the resulting floods, droughts, sea level rise and extreme weather will be more severe and would come sooner than expected. The IEA says our current emissions trend guarantees a 6ºC rise this century, and 6ºC is a guarantee of disaster after disaster, as we burn every last barrel of oil, ton of coal and flicker of gas we can wrest from the earth. Superstorm Sandy won't seem so super in a few years, so enjoy it while you can. Along the way, as species after species of animals and plants becomes extinct, even coffee is threatened, that's how bad it will be. Those who say we will now do something about global warming have forgotten what we did after Columbine, Virginia Tech, Tucson, Aurora....
When Wishes Come True: The Republicans wanted the deficit cut. Obama says he's going to raise taxes on the rich to cut the deficit. Now the Republicans are trying to explain (despite all evidence to the contrary) that this would slow economic growth, increase the deficit, drive 10-year Treasuries to 7%, and increase Global Warming. Oh, wait, they still don't believe in global warming.
Imagine... OPEC now pretends to know that a barrel of oil will cost $155 in 2035. Really? And and how much will bread cost in twenty years and who will win the Derby?
Unclear on the Concept: Florida's Republican Secretary of State said that the fact that people had to wait in line up to seven hours to vote early – after he cut the voting period from 14 to 8 days – showed what a good job he was doing, claiming the long lines show ‘people liked the voting hours’. Former governor Charlie Christ, a fellow Republican, said “the only thing that makes any sense as to why this is happening and being done is voter suppression.”
Points On Arrows: Apple, having patented the idea of “a rectangle with rounded corners,” is working on something called a 'triangle'. You've been warned.
The Parting Shot:
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