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Protesters in Djibouti rally to replace president
Today's Headlines
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Page 6: Politix
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Page 4: Opinion
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Economy
The Bernank Says He is Blameless for Global Financial Disruption
Federal Reserve policy isn't to blame for the steep inflation and other woes affecting developing nations, the central bank's chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said Friday as he tried to rebut a rising chorus of criticism of the Fed's easy-money policies from abroad.
On 27 March 2007, a few months before all hell broke loose, The Bernank testified before Congress that he thought the current problems in subprime home loans were 'contained'. He'll never live that down.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 02/19/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  ION WAFF > INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY FEARS US MANUFACTURING DECLINE. US DNI wants an NIE as per LT US Security implications.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/19/2011 0:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Also from WAFF > {MEMRI.org] IRANIAN GEENRAL WARNS US OF CONSEQUENCES OF MEDDLING [Iran, ME Affairs], PREDICTS CONFRONTATION SOON AGZ US, warning that the ERA OF ABSOLUTE POWER FOR THE US + ITS MILITARY, SECURITY SERVICES IS OVER.

Once again, OLLIE STONE'S "PLATOON", "WHITE RABBIT" anthem by Jefferson Airplane, + NOSTRADAMUS > "NONE SHALL SEE THE POWERS OF ASIA DESTROYED UNTIL THE SEVEN/SEVENTH HOLDS THE LINE" [ as per "Decisve Battle"]".
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/19/2011 0:56 Comments || Top||

#3  Fire Bernanke for not doing his job. He's about as useful as the Minerals Management Agency.
Posted by: gorb || 02/19/2011 1:28 Comments || Top||

#4  Ben doesn't care about the USA or the Fed... only about JPM and GS.
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/19/2011 1:32 Comments || Top||

#5  Well of course he says that. There is considerable blame to go around--mostly among donks to my way of thinking.
Posted by: JohnQC || 02/19/2011 11:05 Comments || Top||

#6  Karl,

Methinks Bernanke couldn't carry Greenspan's loafers.

James,

He could not carry Volker's jock strap must less be qualified to sit in the same chair.
Posted by: James Carville/Karl Rove || 02/19/2011 11:09 Comments || Top||

#7  Not to suggest that I think Weimar Ben is right, about anything. But he is doing his job, which is to support the federal government. Either Congress has to cut expenditures, or he has to print the money to close the gap. If he refused, he'd be handed his hat, and someone willing would take his place.

I notice that his middle initial S (Shalom) is turning up more and more frequently in the MSM, which makes me wonder why on earth that matters. Easier to blame a Jooo than Congress and the whole social welfare Ponzi scheme, I guess?
Posted by: RandomJD || 02/19/2011 13:11 Comments || Top||

#8  Kissenger Foundation flunkies, the lot. Send Ben and Tax Cheat Tim off to China where they belong. They've sold us out, let them declare their rightful Chinese Communist citizenship along with Henry the greedy bastids!
Posted by: Besoeker || 02/19/2011 13:16 Comments || Top||

#9  Methinks Bernanke couldn't carry Greenspan's loafers.

I dunno. Greenspan came up with the idea of the ARM and released it into the wild.
Posted by: gorb || 02/19/2011 14:11 Comments || Top||

#10  The Republicans repeal Glass Steagal (1987) and pretty much the first thing Greenspan did in 1987 was to guarantee unlimited liquidity to banks.

Effectively writing them a blank bailout check, which underwrote all the wild speculation by banks that led to the GFC.
Posted by: phil_b || 02/19/2011 19:57 Comments || Top||

#11  Bernanke and Greenspan are two sides of the same coin.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 02/19/2011 20:02 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Recall Petitions Considered in Wisconsin
Two exploratory committees have been formed to recall 2 absent Democratic state senators. The recall effort would require that the committees collect over 15,000 to 20,000 signatures, according to the organizers, which they say won't be a problem. "I've been bombarded by phone calls from people asking what we can do," Simac [a small business owner] says. "Everybody is really angry. We want to let our Senator know that he needs to be so kind as to come back to work. That is what he is getting paid for."
It's not a Tea Party issue, although the MSM will certainly try to make it so.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 02/19/2011 14:08 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  So who's covering their little hissy fit road trip? The unions, the party, or will they expense it off to the taxpayers?
Because you know they aren't.
Posted by: tu3031 || 02/19/2011 14:48 Comments || Top||

#2  you can bet they'll put in for a per diem, tho'
Posted by: Frank G || 02/19/2011 14:52 Comments || Top||

#3  Had a talk with our former mayor this morning at coffee. First, this has been done in the past by both parties. last time was about thirty years ago. Second, they are not having their motel/hotel/meals covered by per diem. It is most likely being paid by the State Democratic Party. Third, He said he was at a social event for a group of former state elected officials up to the level of govenor. From both sides of the aisle. And from what he told me the general consensus was that Walker has over reached. In the short run he will get what he wants but it will come back to bite him long term. He also opperated pretty much the same way in Milwaukee when he was County Exec. But there he had the County Board to use as a whipping boy when or if things did not work out as it was controlled by the Dems. Here he's got both houses of the State Assembly and is in the position that he should remember be careful what you wish for you might get it. Now I have to agree that WEAC and the local teacher unions really need to be reigned in. But you also don't want to get into the position where your school systems have a tough time recruiting and keeping good teachers. This is just my opinion but I think they should of been pushing for performance bonuses for the good quality teachers and at the same time a way to get rid of the ones just keeping time because they like the pay/benefits. This also applies to state and municiple employees. Plus there is more to this bill than just the stuff getting the media attention. A good part of the bill is reducing or eliminating state aid to counties/cities/towns/school districts. And if that happens it will wind up increasing local property taxes. Because even with the tax rates they are now the various taxing bodies will not have sufficent funds to operate even if they are able to get significant wage/benefit reductions. Plus a good portion of what local government and school boards are doing is required by state mandate. And unfunded mandates has been a topic that has almost everyone mad for a long time.
Posted by: Cheaderhead || 02/19/2011 15:31 Comments || Top||

#4  apparently there's so many teachers available they can take sick time to protest. I belong (against my wishes) to a local gubbamint union, and rarely feel they represent me. We are prohibited from striking, and if others did, I'd enjoy crossing that line. We gave back salary in furloughs (understood - no issue), paid more to retirement (understood - no issue) and paid more in copays to our medical coverage (again). The WI Gov was elected based on his promises to do exactly what he's doing. If the Madison nutjobs want to defy the rest of the state - go ahead. I'll sit back and enjoy the smackdown of the libs, you're former Mayor included. It's time to get real. Landscapers, building maintenance, electricians, etc. should be farmed out to private which can do it cheaper
Posted by: Frank G || 02/19/2011 17:14 Comments || Top||

#5  your, not you're. damn it. I hate when others do that....
Posted by: Frank G || 02/19/2011 17:15 Comments || Top||

#6  There are some cities with 70% of home owners under water. Some areas have unemployment well into double digits.

City, county, state, and federals hired hands had better take a reduction NOW before or it will get worse, and I do mean worse. 5% reduction of 100,000 in teacher pay is not much to ask when parents of some students are recieving 0% income.
Posted by: Enver Junter3689 || 02/19/2011 17:30 Comments || Top||

#7  If someone discovers where they are hiding, they should order all sorts of pizzas and delivery goods for C.O.D. to them.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/19/2011 18:29 Comments || Top||

#8  First, this has been done in the past by both parties.

And thus the Tea Party. That is not a defense. It is an indictment of the political class.

It boils down to this -

Do you exist to serve the state and its operators or does the state exist to serve you?

The first is slavery just dressed up in fancy terms. The second is true representative government.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/19/2011 18:59 Comments || Top||

#9  I understand Cheddarhead's comments. I don't live in Wisconsin (I'm an inmate in the Peoples Republic of Greater Chicago) so I don't know the specific issues.

Is Walker overreaching? He might be; I know a lot of folks here in Chicago were having WTF moments yesterday. I think if I were in his shoes, I would have gone at this more gradually -- more like getting the frog into the pot of water and then turning the heat up gently. I would have framed the fiscal issue and gotten the health care and pension contributions fixed, and then later, if the unions proved unreasonable (a near certainty) used that to go after them more directly.

But again, I don't live there.

I will say this about the doctors handing out excuses today (Instapundit, Althouse and Drudge all noted it): I'm a physician. I take care of patients. Yes indeed, if I were to give a doctor's note to someone without conducting a proper medical evaluation (however brief), I'd be guilty of improper behavior and ethics and could be brought before the medical licensing board.

However, there's another name for this: FRAUD. The teachers will use these notes to justify their absences and collect their pay. Both the doctors and the teachers are perpetrating a fraud.

Wonder if the Wisconsin attorney general could be motivated to look into that? At the very least, demand that any teacher turning in a doctor's note over this work action also turn over the record of the medical 'evaluation'. That would put a stop to this real quick.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/19/2011 19:10 Comments || Top||

#10  Dr. Steve, I'm personally acquainted with Wisconsin's AG (J.B. Van Hollen, who is a pretty sharp guy). Don't think for a moment the 'fake' notes won't be dealt with in a manner not unlike your suggestion by him and local school districts.

Gov. Walker's position is that he's trying to repair the budget because Wisconsin is broke. Senator Holperin, Senator Wirch, Senator Erpenbach, Senator Miller, and his other fellow Democrats are many of the same Senators who, two years ago, rammed through a billion dollar tax hike in 24 hours with no public input. At least Walker tried to hold hearings.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 02/19/2011 21:47 Comments || Top||

#11  It is actually quite amazing how many goldbrickers and redundant administrators are in the system. Giving the local district the ability to clear the deadwood will not only help get a grip on budget issues, it will be a motivator for those who consider themselves untouchable and clear the way for younger teachers who may be more motivated and frankly depending on the subject have a better understanding of the subject.

I have found through the years I went through one of the better public systems, and 7th grade on (when multiple teachers kicked in for us) I was assured 1 landmine each semester. That is, a tenured teacher where for whatever reason after the semester was finished nearly all students learned squat. There were electives nobody took because the risk of getting one of those teachers was too great.

I got to listen to people today whose friends are head'd ta Madi to protest..whatever or anything, its like a Renaissance Festival for old hippies without jobs, except dirtier and likely more expensive. Their deal was something like the only thing protecting a teacher is that bargaining. Well thats horseshit - job performance is the best protection against being layed off, just like everyone else in the world. They are getting their notes because there is a good chance they will lose and get their asses fired, and rightfully so. With the dems on the chicken run, they could have finished the week out and protested Saturday/Sunday but no. Had to throw a little fit.

Quite honestly is was easy for us to raise county taxes, we like our school and teachers. What we don't want is our school to be closed because we are tied into the cityphukups who cannot seem to get it right no matter how many damn schools they build. I hope our state legislature does this exact same thing.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 02/19/2011 22:21 Comments || Top||


DHS Erroneously Pulls 81,000 Domains
In a breathtaking case of government incompetence not seen since the last breathtaking case of government incompetence, DHS ordered the shuttering of 81,000 internet domains belonging mostly to individuals, families and small businesses. Visitors to these domains were redirected to a DHS page accusing the domains of supporting child pr0n.

So far I haven't heard a peep out of the MSM.
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/19/2011 02:04 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Actually it was 84,000 domains and sorry for posting it in the wrong spot.
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/19/2011 2:28 Comments || Top||

#2  More here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/18/fed_domain_seizure_slammed/

Note: STRONG LANGUAGE at link.
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/19/2011 3:11 Comments || Top||

#3  A. This story was all over the media when it came out

B. It's a couple days old now

C. Boingboing? That's a hipster scum website
Posted by: gromky || 02/19/2011 4:21 Comments || Top||

#4  Just a practice run here. Nothing to see. Just Move On.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/19/2011 9:09 Comments || Top||

#5  Hey, hipster scum are just as likely to be beheaded by Allan's adherents as anyone else. They can be pretty open minded about that.
Posted by: rammer || 02/19/2011 10:16 Comments || Top||

#6  I like boingboing; they have some interesting stuff there sometimes.
Posted by: Glenmore || 02/19/2011 10:28 Comments || Top||

#7  Hmm Musta missed it. Boingboing is tech and pretty much everyone in Silicon Valley reads it. Maybe "hipsters" in other areas read it, no idea.

Posted by: crosspatch || 02/19/2011 10:50 Comments || Top||

#8  Also, the Pirate Bay domain seizures of late last year were widely reported but the Mooo seizures of this week show no MSM coverage according to Google News.
Posted by: crosspatch || 02/19/2011 11:09 Comments || Top||

#9  must be what happened to Pat Dollard site
Posted by: bman || 02/19/2011 11:27 Comments || Top||

#10  Pat Dollard's site is still Tango Uniform.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man || 02/19/2011 13:43 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
Sheila Jackson Lee (D- TX) Takes Dumb To a New Level
HT to JWF!
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D.-Texas) told the House Judiciary Committee yesterday that the “penalty” that the health-care law enacted last year by Congress imposes on individuals who do not buy health insurance is not in fact a penalty.
"it's ummm...something else!"
The law itself states: “If an applicable individual fails to meet the requirement of subsection (a) [having a government-approved health-insurance policy]… there is hereby imposed a penalty with respect to the individual.”

Elsewhere, in a section entitled “Payment of Penalty,” it says that individuals failing to carry a government-approved health insurance policy must pay a maximum penalty of $750.

In Rep. Jackson-Lee’s view, however, this language does not actually impose a penalty.

“I would make the argument, one, that instead it is an incentive to do right--that it is not penalizing because penalty is punishment,” Jackson-Lee told the Judiciary Committee.
I bet jaws were on the floor. This is the same genius that thought the Apollo missions went to Mars. She's guaranteed one or two incredibly dumb things a week, just most don't get publicized
Posted by: Frank G || 02/19/2011 08:47 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  They could make a TV show. She's offered enough material for at least one season.

"S#*! My Representative Says"
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 02/19/2011 8:59 Comments || Top||

#2  It could be argued that this is also why so many brothers and sisters are in prison for smoking crack. That instead of punishment, it is an incentive to do right and not smoke crack.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/19/2011 9:17 Comments || Top||

#3  Yale and UVA Law must be so proud. Still think Wikipedia must be fooling around with her bio.
Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division || 02/19/2011 10:05 Comments || Top||

#4  She graduated from Yale in 1972. That was during the time that Yale did away with grades and everything was pass-fail.

The only way to fail during that time was to be vocally conservative. I would say she is an excellent example of 'social engineering' from the 60's.

Al
Posted by: Frozen Al || 02/19/2011 12:10 Comments || Top||

#5  Pelosi said: "You've got to pass it to read it." Jackson has had plenty of time to read Obamadon'tcare but apparently has not.
Posted by: JohnQC || 02/19/2011 12:50 Comments || Top||

#6  Pelosi said: "You've got to pass it to read it." Jackson has had plenty of time to read Obamadon'tcare but apparently has can not.
Posted by: Frank G || 02/19/2011 13:34 Comments || Top||

#7  Just when you think Sheila can't go any lower, she calls in a backhoe.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 02/19/2011 18:36 Comments || Top||

#8  A mind is a fo'shizzle thing to waste.
Posted by: Pearl Gleaper1127 || 02/19/2011 19:17 Comments || Top||

#9  Can't waste what you never had, Pearl Gleaper1127.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 02/19/2011 19:34 Comments || Top||



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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
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Two weeks of WOT
Sat 2011-02-19
  Protesters in Djibouti rally to replace president
Fri 2011-02-18
  Yemen protesters flee armed government loyalists
Thu 2011-02-17
  Violent protests break out in Libya
Wed 2011-02-16
  Bahrain mourner killed in funeral march clash
Tue 2011-02-15
  Mufti warns of revolution in Saudi Arabia
Mon 2011-02-14
  Iranian protesters rally as Arab unrest spreads
Sun 2011-02-13
  Saeed Al-Shihri, Deputy Leader of AQAP Dead in Yemen
Sat 2011-02-12
  Police in Aden disperse ‘day of rage’ protests
Fri 2011-02-11
  Mubarak resigns
Thu 2011-02-10
  Mubarak still there
Wed 2011-02-09
  Suleiman: Mubarak Forms Panel to Pilot Constitutional Changes
Tue 2011-02-08
  Egypt sees largest demonstrations since start of revolt
Mon 2011-02-07
  Egypt: beginning of discussions between government and Muslim Brotherhood
Sun 2011-02-06
  Mubarak resigns as ruling party head
Sat 2011-02-05
  U.S. envoy to Egypt: Mubarak 'must stay' for now


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