Jay Bookman

By AJC/DNC Management

December 17, 2008 5:42 PM | Link to this

You may want to look up the word “China.”

And come out of that windowless compound you libs occupy and look at the DT connector which is probably backed up for miles.

And save us the anti automobile green whining.

By AJC/DNC Management

December 17, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this

Does anyone else find it rather remarkable that it took less than thirty days of the Oblahma adminstration to make Bush look like George Washington?

By AmVet

December 17, 2008 5:57 PM | Link to this

While King George II was reading My Pet Goat, his gangster capitalist buddies were busy destroying capitalism.

And only his bootlickers still give him a pass and don’t fathom that they are going to foot the bill.

So let the morons in Cobb and Gwinnett drive their Escalades around.

Their kids are not college material anyway…

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 5:57 PM | Link to this

Wow,

You would think that all those jobless people would be out driving around all day looking for work and just burning up that expensive gas. I don’t think we’re driving any more or less now than we were six months or a year ago. We just don’t do a lot of driving. If we find a good electric car though, we might just start driving more. There’s just nothing more American than driving a Detroit-built electric car powered by made in the USA electricity — as long as it’s not from dirty coal. Yuck.

By AJC/DNC Management

December 17, 2008 6:03 PM | Link to this

You hear that UAW, that’s love in the springtime, thee croaks are ringing all through the fever swamps, it’s all of the liberals whining and moaning about the products you make, aren’t they so affectionate?

It’s almost like they got your vote already.

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 6:12 PM | Link to this

Why any real American would want to deliberately use oil from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc., any longer than it takes to tool up to make electric cars and other greener alternatives is beyond me. Why would people want to hand over their money to countries that breed terrorists and Fascists. That’s just plain demented. It’s as bad as being a terrorist. After all, Bush says that if you fund terrorists, we’re coming after you so I guess what he’s saying is that he’s coming after all of us that use gasoline that’s refined from Saudi oil, etc.

By NRB

December 17, 2008 6:31 PM | Link to this

Taxpayer, what about the “poor” people that liberals are always whining about….will they be considered eco-terrorists because they cannot afford $30,000 electric cars, or will Obama be giving those away for “free”, too?

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 6:56 PM | Link to this

30k for a gas-powered car or 30k for electric powered. What’s the difference. Well, one does not use gas that has been refined from Saudi oil.

By Class of '98

December 17, 2008 7:12 PM | Link to this

Cobb students aren’t college material?

Uh, okay. Maybe I’m missing the sarcasm intended. Or maybe you need to check out average SAT scores by county in this state.

By AF

December 17, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this

Well, NRB, I don’t have the money to buy a new electric car. Financed for 6 years - and without interest - that is probably about $500 per month. (I have paid cash for used cars for so long, I have no idea what a monthly car payment would be.)

I guess I am one of those “poor” people you think the liberals whine about. But, guess what, NRB, we are real, and there are probably quite a few of us who live right next door or just down the street. Jobs are disappearing, layoffs are rampant, gas prices will go up again.

So, stop your own whining. I am not asking for anything for free. I will do what I have always done and what I suspect lots of poor people do. I will wait and buy used.

Try not to lump poor people into a faceless, thankless mass of nobodies. Some of us work very hard and don’t ask for a thing.

By AJC/DNC Management

December 17, 2008 7:46 PM | Link to this

Thiisst ess sthuch an outwage, serwiuswee!

Gay activists furious with Obama- Barack Obama’s choice of a prominent evangelical minister to perform the invocation at his inauguration is a conciliatory gesture toward social conservatives who opposed him in November, but it is drawing fierce challenges from a gay rights movement that – in the wake of a gay marriage ban in California – is looking for a fight.

Aahhh, yes, liberals pulling each others hair.

ew

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this

The self-proclaimed real Americans have a plan to help out the poor that cannot afford a 30k car. Yes, indeed. The wizards of Wall Street have a new line of low payment loans, called loans for life, designed to help those that cannot afford to own a piece of American-made. Assuming you have a credit rating of at least 750 and verifiable annual income of greater than 100k, you just might qualify for a prime loan of 20k (you’ll need to put down 10k) financed over 40 years for a low, low introductory rate of 10 percent — subject to yearly reviews and interest rate adjustments based on just about anything imaginable. Now isn’t that a deal. It’s less than half the interest rates charged by Mastercard and Visa. So, get on out there and finance it — it’s the American way. And remember, your hard-earned money goes to support the lifestyles that you so enjoy watching and learning about every weekend on HGTV.

By Bud Wiser

December 17, 2008 8:22 PM | Link to this

Peggy Joseph is first in line for the electric car giveaways from BO.

By Bud Wiser

December 17, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this

And they said Bush voters were stupid……

By Mike

December 17, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this

Does Bookman really get paid to copy and paste from others work? No wonder the AJC is dying. Look at the useless nonsense they put up.

I get people emailing me articles all of the time. Why do I need Jay Bookman to do the same?

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 8:45 PM | Link to this

Of course, there will likely be gas powered cars around for a long time for those that prefer to send their money to a country that sponsors terrorism. After all, they do realize that every electric car put into service in the USA will eliminate an average of approximately 400 gallons of gasoline that would be refined from Saudi or other foreign source of oil. Just think about it — one million electric cars equals 400 million fewer gallons of gas per year or over 14 million barrels of oil per year. So, for oil priced at $50/barrel, one million electric cars would keep over $700 million out of the hands of foreigners such as the Saudis. What’s so bad about that.

By Midori

December 17, 2008 8:46 PM | Link to this

No wonder the AJC is dying.

I can’t see that happening, as you are always here — giving it life.

By Swami Dave

December 17, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this

AF:

I am sure that you missed it, but NRB’s point -was- that it would be financially impossible for a large segment of American society to immediately “switch” to his vaunted “environmentally-approved” electric cars. His very point -was- that alot of Americans (like you and me) would be unable (or unwilling) to simply go out a buy a new electic car as a replacement for our “dirty” gas burner. By the very fact that there really is no “used” market for electric vehicles, those of us who don’t immediately surrender to his wisdom for our lives and finances would apparently (according to him) be defacto “terrorists”.

By your umbrage at his mockery of Taxpayer’s argument, you effectively proved it. Your venom is misplaced & should be directed at the individual who apparently thinks that -his- environmental principles deems him qualified to dictate the financial decisions that you should make.

Now for my good friend, Taxpayer: Your contention is actually silly on multiple fronts.

AF & NRB exhibited its vacancy on the financial front as it would be a economic DISASTER (not boon as the wacko enviro-nuts would claim) to mandate a switch to electric cars for most Americans. With no existing resale market providing Americans unable to buy a new car (gasoline or electric), you simply can’t get there from here. Furthermore, lacking the production capacity among the automakers to provide all of the cars that would be needed for such a switch, getting them built is another you simply can’t get there from here.

For a final point, our electric grid is already taxed beyond its ability to provide electricity for our -current- needs. Since you have already eliminated “dirty” coal as a resource to provide additional capacity, unless you are willing to allow the building of nuclear power plants (many of them) to increase the supply of electricity, from a supply side, you simply can’t get there from here.

The rational decision would be to increase our productive capacity of all of our energy resources while allowing our research and development into alternatives that can further augment supply as they become economically viable. Along that path, any number of better (and, likely, currently unimagined) alternatives will be introduced and integrated to the market as consumers want and can afford them.

-Swami Dave

By TW

December 17, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this

Why is Mike so angry?

Poor Mike :(

By RB from Gwinnett

December 17, 2008 9:07 PM | Link to this

Swami, don’t confuse them with facts. You know how p** they get when you do that.

By Bud Wiser

December 17, 2008 9:15 PM | Link to this

The carbon footprint for the electric car batteries is massive, not to mention the environmental impact of disposal. From what I have read, they are initially constructed in the US, then sent to Germany, then China, then back to the US for encasing. Wow, what a savings (not) for consumers.

The same info also said that you could run a fleet of @40 Volvos for 10 years to equal the footprint for 1 set of batteries.

Just another pipe dream by the global warming crowd.

By sunshine and thunder

December 17, 2008 9:16 PM | Link to this

It’s hilarious that some of the libs on this board are claiming that every gallon of gas you put in your car is financing terrorists.

I guess we should begin drilling offshore? ANWAR? No? Then shut the eff up.

The only stocks that shot straight up over the last year were coal stocks. Now Obama wants to destroy another winner.

Go figure. If it makes money it must be good for only one thing… taxes. Unless it provides conventional energy. In that case it must be destroyed.

How do these left nuts look themselves in the rear-view mirror while they are burning fossile fuels?

Oh, that’s right. Do as I say, not as I do.

Why is it that every big lib summit on the environment can only be accessed by Lear jets and limosines? Are they required? Would they be turned away if they showed up on scooters?

Have any of you libs ever considered how much fossile fuel it would take to power all of those electric cars?

Flaming moonbats.

By Midori

December 17, 2008 9:18 PM | Link to this

actually RB - Swami is the only one of your, um, “group” who consistently makes sense, writes wonderful and thoughtful posts, and is always a gentleman.

Maybe you should try to learn from him?

By Bud Wiser

December 17, 2008 9:22 PM | Link to this

Why don’t you libs put a good set of FX custom sails on your Pintos and ride around in that?

Or a set of wheels on a catamaran?

Oh, it might make it hard to find a parking spot at the welfare office when you go to pick up your check.

Forget it.

By sunshine and thunder

December 17, 2008 9:28 PM | Link to this

Liberals Beginning To Face ‘Financial Armageddon’

One of these days the taxpayers are all going to go away.

By @@

December 17, 2008 9:30 PM | Link to this

It’s because we’re still coasting “downhill” jay.

The only thing that’s accelerating is Obama’s promise of a trillion dollar spending spree on top of countless bailouts which have NOT rendered the results that were anticipated.

That and some unfolding scandals surrounding PrezE Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Bill Richardson…….

Everybody’s tires have gone flat.

No matter how hard he tries, Obama can’t inflate ‘em.

By RB from Gwinnett

December 17, 2008 9:30 PM | Link to this

California can’t produce the electric energy to keep the lights on today, so where do the granola’s think the energy to charge up all those electric cars is going to come from?

I honestly don’t think liberals have the intellectual horsepower to think through an issue to include all the consequences their pipe dreams create. There is no free energy available today. Until solar (which I believe is ultimately the one and only solution for us) gets developed to the point we can depend on it, we are stuck with the technology we have. We have to make the best of it and not act like converting from oil to electric, which is produced from oil, is a solution. You’re just moving the source from the fuel pump to the power plant.

BTW, the $30K electric car is a Prius sized box appropriate for a gay couple while the $30K gasoline vehicle is a mini van a family can actually use. Apples and oranges. There is no electric mini van available and the batteries to power one would price it more like $50K. Nice try, but the facts still don’t support your pipe dreams. Kinda like global warming….

By AJC/DNC Management

December 17, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this

By Taxpayer December 17, 2008 8:45 PM Of course, there will likely be gas powered cars around for a long time for those that prefer to send their money to a country that sponsors terrorism.

Blah, blah, blah.

The only reason we buy our oil from foreign “terrorists” is because of our domestic terrorists in Congress who go by the name “democrat.”

By david wayne osedach, san diego/ U.S.A.

December 17, 2008 9:36 PM | Link to this

Most people fear just how bad trhe recession is going to get. They are cutting back on just about everything including lower priced gasoline. If they lose their jobs every cent in savings will count.

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 9:40 PM | Link to this

Swami. So nice of you to help make the financial case (of course the environmental case is just a bonus) for conversion to electric vehicles. In fact, your simply stated fact that we cannot get there from here is more than sufficient justification (given the fact that we thrive on capitalism) to pursue the electric car because in order to get there we would need to equip everyone with one or more electric cars — a slow process — so we would need to do that for generations (because it would take generations of working Americans to phase out the old and phase in the new and create those used car markets, etc) and we would need to build more power plants and upgrade the grid and supplement that capability with alternate sources and distributed power… and the good things about doing that for all of those years — jobs for generations, American jobs with an output that actually helps Americans by creating a need for power — made in America power that creates jobs for Americans like you and me….It’s the American way — out with the old, in with the new.

We’ve gotten all the steam there is out of the internal combustion engine. It’s just not delivering what this country needs any longer. So, we need change now for the future — our future. On a side note, we used to refer to such product life cycles and resultant changes as designed obsolescence but people frowned on that concept or at least its publication because they thought that we should be able to build a low cost product that lasted forever and the savings could then be spent on other wants but I digress too much. Of course, this is just the tip of the melting iceberg but it’s a step in the right direction. Change can be good when done properly, Swami Dave.

Just remember, for capitalism to work well generation after generation, the entire system must be monitored and properly maintained. For example, once everyone has purchased and tired of gadget A, you need to already have the groundwork set for gadget B, etc. Otherwise, you can introduce serious “glitches” into the system that cannot be easily and/or quickly corrected. Talk of glitches also leads into another component of the capitalist system that is suffering from some serious glitches — our finance industry. Care to talk about the need for regulations and their proper enforcement while we’re at it.

.

By Algonquin J. Calhoun

December 17, 2008 9:43 PM | Link to this

PULLED.

Mr. Calhoun, please refrain from personal insults. You’ve been pushing the envelope for a while now.

By Tom

December 17, 2008 9:47 PM | Link to this

Not to worry. Typical American Hillbillies are waiting for production of even bigger SUVs and a rise in gasoline prices before driving again. Yup! Lower MPG will help too. Trust the Big Three.

By Swami Dave

December 17, 2008 9:50 PM | Link to this

RB I like to think of it as the political equivalent of “Chinese Water Torture”. If someone truly gets mad at facts, who looks bad? It is about a silly as getting angry at gravity or photosynthesis.

That & I’m pretty confident in my ability to present / defend my principles & ideas based on their merits.

Midori Thanks for the kind words. Oh yeah - drip…drip…drip…… heh!

-Swami Dave

By Mr Snarky

December 17, 2008 10:12 PM | Link to this

People think electric cars are the answer. The real answer is population density and public transportation. When we get serious about forcing people to pay the real price of burning oil and coal…this means paying for the pollution…we’ll have energy prices that will make people weep and force them to change their sprawl based, carbon burning lifestyles. When we stop building our worlds around the automobile, and instead build for people, we’ll have a much better world in many ways.

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this

Now, for anyone that just cannot figure out the facts about the “flow” of oil around the world:

As of 2006 data, Saudi Arabia was the top producer while the US was number three but the US was the top consumer and top net importer. The bottom line there is that the Drill, Baby Drill mantra won’t get you any closer to energy independence but it will get a few votes from an ignorant base. All the while, Saudi Arabia continues to rake in the profits and, by the way, how many of those hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. So, let’s try not to rewrite the facts, OK.

By Algonquin J. Calhoun

December 17, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this

Mr. Bookman, i apologize for my impertinence.

What i said is that capitalism has died by its own hand. The corpse is still dancing but the life force has flickered out. What is being referred to as a recession is actually a depression, the likes of which we have never witnessed previously. And it’s worldwide! Socialism, though it will be called something else, awaits on the horizon.

By Swami Dave

December 17, 2008 10:30 PM | Link to this

Taxpayer It would appear that we agree on more than I initially thought - bonus!

Assuming that we are going to address our already overtaxed electricity grid and productive capacity prior to mandated drives into an uninitialized market, I would agree that electric cars will have their place. As RB stated, we will have to address the production of electricity to replace the gasoline (instead of simply moving it).

Likewise, I would contend that there are some gaps to be addressed in the technologies of batteries (development of, storage capacity of, and eventual disposal of said) and safety. Safety issues arising mainly from the fact that with current technology one would really need 220A service for charging & there is a shocking reason that everything in your home that uses 220A is shielded and functionally immovable. Kids (and those without garages whose shielded 220A cables would be exposed to elements) are simply other obstacles to be overcome.

I would also say that we agree that every barrel of oil that we can minimize purchased from countries best described as unfriendly is of political and security benefit to us all. That is why I am a supporter of domestic production of our own oil resources, increased development of nuclear power, and expansion of our usage of other domestic energy resources like natural gas. Personally, I think that a number of these resources would be very well used as bridging opportunities as the advances and market-viability of other alternatives come on line.

In a nutshell, I’m not willing to discard any of my energy “aces”. I contend that we are better off as a nation playing them all in the hand.

On the financial front, I’m not sure that is the topic of this thread, but I am one who supports freedom and opportunity. At the core, one of the hallmark requirements of a market supporting those goals is honesty and transparency. Lacking them, markets (and participants in them) can fall victim to fraudlent activities. Not surprisingly, governments have the exact same problem (probably because they are made up of the same species - many of whom are predisposed to act unethically for their own benefit to the detriment of their peers). In our most recent situation, it would appear that there has been (in some cases) collusion between those acting unethically in both markets & government.

Sadly (for us all), alot of the “regulations” that were passed & enacted dealt more with imposing arbitrary will onto our society with little to no prevention / punishment for those acting against its interests.

Personally, I would pose that much of our recent past has been less of “foxes guarding the hen house” and more similiar to “foxes (politicians) cooking the hens (our wealth) for the wolves (frauds & cheats) on the farmers (taxpayers) stove”! Having grown up on a farm, I know what we did to both the foxes & the wolves!

-Swami Dave

By @@

December 17, 2008 10:50 PM | Link to this

With the economic crisis looming large, PrezE Obama faces yet another challenge. I guess it’s the one Joe Biden warned us about. From Stratfor:

Obama’s first test is starting to take shape: According to RIA Novosti news agency, Russia is in the process of “implementing a contract” that would ultimately deliver the S-300 strategic air defense system to Iran.

The importance of the S-300 — specifically the more modern PMU series — is that it would increase the difficulty of air attacks on Iran.

This is not the Cuban Missile Crisis, but it is a significant challenge to American interests on Russia’s part. If Obama does nothing, he will be seen as weak; if he gives the Russians what they want, he will be seen as an appeaser. And if he moves toward a major crisis or even military action, he will be seen as overly aggressive. With this move, Russia’s aim was to push Obama into a corner and say, in Russian, “Welcome to the big league.”

Putin…..the Chess Master.

By getalife

December 17, 2008 10:54 PM | Link to this

Yeah, reading Krugman is depressing:

“That’s zero interest rate policy. And it has arrived. America has turned Japanese.

This is the thing I’ve been afraid of ever since I realized that Japan really was in the dreaded, possibly mythical liquidity trap. You can read my 1998 Brookings Paper on the issue here.

Incidentally, there were a bunch of us at Princeton worrying about the Japan problem in the early years of this decade. I was one; Lars Svensson, currently at Sweden’s Riksbank, was another; a third was a guy named Ben Bernanke. I wonder whatever happened to him?

Seriously, we are in very deep trouble. Getting out of this will require a lot of creativity, and maybe some luck too.”

Geez.

By Taxpayer

December 17, 2008 11:21 PM | Link to this

Well,

I won’t attempt to delve too deeply into all the points that you raise Swami Dave since this old geezer needs his beauty sleep. So, I’ll just make a few points: 1) Demand is the best motivator of change in our capitalist, I need it yesterday for less, environment. So, building the extra electricity capacity before the demand exists simply does not work, at least from a historical perspective. Southern Company, for example, would much rather build a power plant as a result of excess demand than as a result of a hope for future demand. If they see electric cars as a reality then they’ll have the justification to build more plants, 2) Regarding electricity, we have an electrical code that is intended to provide for as safe as practical use (there will always be risk associated with whatever we do) of electrical energy in our homes and I’m sure that new code will be needed to deal with such changes. However, you can get sufficient current from a 110VAC circuit, as well as many other circuits, to charge a battery or electrocute a person. Further, most electric dryers operate on 220VAC and have plug-ins and I even had an additional 220VAC outlet installed in my garage to power my air compressor. So, 220 plugs are actually fairly common, 3) I don’t believe in tossing so-called energy aces out the window however I do believe in conducting a thorough analysis of the options and selecting those options that best fit our needs, given the limitations of existing technology of course (hence the need to re-visit options if and when breakthroughs allow), 4) As far as our need for regulations and proper enforcement of them, I think this guy that made off with 50 billion provides a pretty fair amount of justification without even getting into the topic of credit default swaps or other such unregulated weapons of financial destruction as I believe one famous billionaire put it — he tried to warren us but we would not listen.

Anyway, that’s enough from me for now. Perhaps we can continue our exchange at another time. Good night all.

By Swami Dave

December 17, 2008 11:55 PM | Link to this

Agreed. It’s time for some downtime.

I enjoyed the discussion as well. To the credit, it was pointed & strongly-held, but focused on the issues. Personally, something of which I’d rather see more.

Quick thoughts: -Yes, you put 220A service in your garage for your air compressor (so did I). However, neither you nor I would hook our air compressor to a 220A service and leave it unprotected from the elements in our driveway. However, if you don’t have a garage in which to house the on-site charger & the 220A service hookup, there is an immediate obstacle that will have to be overcome to achieve feasiblity.

-On Madoff, that case serves more as supporting evidence for my contention that the foxes and wolves are cooking our hens pretty clearly. I referenced an AP article in the New Mexico thread that detailed a number of the beneficiaries of Madoff’s campaign contributions. Amazingly, it was a number of the same receipients as the other now-recognized fradulent financial dealings with organizations like FannieMae & FreddieMac.

It would seem that some of the pompous, self-righteous windbags who took umbrage and offense that someone would attempt to “sell” a Senate seat had no problems “selling” blind (if not actively impeded) oversight for the past few years. It is truly about as asinine as a call girl getting offended by a hooker.

-Swami Dave

By The Corporal

December 18, 2008 12:03 AM | Link to this

Since this seems to be a slow night, how about an Off Topic:

*A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children.

After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season, overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, make sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond
to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened, and there was already a crowd in the elevator. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids in with her and all the shopping bags. When the doors closed, she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up, and shot.”

From the back, everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, “Don’t worry, We already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator, it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.*

By Roscoe T Coltrane

December 18, 2008 12:17 AM | Link to this

It’s quite nice that Americans are driving less and at least driving more fuel efficient cars. I’ve noticed a big drop in the numbers of large SUVs I see in rush hour traffic everyday.So if we are lucky, we may be on the way, albeit by baby footsteps, to telling OPEC our cow manure in the stockyards of Chicago is worth more. Send them back to raising camels and herding goats; that’s the way they treat their women anyway. In the meantime, someone was talking about Putin. He’s a KGB thug, nothing more. With the right squad, he could develop a serious case of lead poisoning right between his eyes. Problem solved.

By Chad Harris

December 18, 2008 2:58 AM | Link to this

Some of them USers may be avoidin’ the pump but the bell shaped curve of ‘em ain’t. If you done thought they was, stand at Piedmont and 10th and watch the Parade of the SUV clowns roar past the intersection at 70mph or walk down any of the streets perpendicular to 10th at night and you’ll see half of ‘em goin’ more ‘n 60 mph like morons when there are cars parked on both sides of the street.

That don’t look like no pump avoidin’ to me. Ah done noticed that Bush’s hand holdin’ Kingdom BFFs are cutting refineries significantly. So it’s a comin’ and what it is is between $100-$200 a barrel soon. Then ah gots to listen to all the clones of the Bravo “Atlanta Housewives” complainin again about how much it costs to fill up their Mercedes SUVs and that the stations have lines and that they are only allowed a certain limited amount of gallons.

It sure is amazin’ to see how so many wealthy people and managers of multimillion dollar foundations and hedge funds had no clue who was actually controlling their life savings including a Massachusetts law school dean. Their mamas didn’t send them to elite schools to become so very stupid.

Clauses in many of the contracts allowed for 3rd party management and some of the fund managers never told their investors that they were 3rd party outsourcing their money management to Bernie Madoff, and taking huge percentage of the profits when they rolled in to do so.

It’s amazin’ how Steven Spielberg control freaks every nanomolecule of his movies but blithely and foolishly didn’t have a clue where his money was going or who was managing it.

Here’s the LOL Quote of the Year from one Bernie Madoff in a roundtable discussion on the future of WS thanks to the Muck:

In today’s regulatory environment it is virtually impossible to violate rules … It’s impossible for a violation to go undetected, certainly not for a considerable period of time.

Yeah baby as Austin Powers would say. You Betcha! Ponzies R US slams the hedge fund mavens. There are secrets a plenty in ole Bernies head that ain’t gonna never see the light of day.

In the newly seeded democracy the shoe thrower did not appear in court yesterday as scheduled after welcoming America as a liberator.

Caroline Kennedy on her listening tour in New York looked about as comfortable as Ludacris soloing with the New York Philharmonic. I’m going to enjoy watching her make a fool of herself despite the fact that the only thing the unqualified elitist brings to the table is that she can outsource $60-$70 million worth of fundraising.

By AJC/DNC Management

December 18, 2008 5:50 AM | Link to this

If you ever wonder why we stood up for Terri Schaivo and her parents-

That taboo is costly. According to studies, an estimated 30 to 50 percent of all health care costs are incurred in a patient’s last six months of life. From a strict cost-benefit analysis, that is often money poorly spent because the odds of success are low. But it’s a price we correctly choose to pay to protect the dignity of human life.

Sometimes, though, the lines between right and wrong aren’t drawn so easily.-Bookman

This is the same logic the Nazis used, first the mentally retarded were on the wrong side of the “line,” next thing you know, they’re stuffing Jews in the ovens by the millions.

Awfully ghoulish this morning.

By Sam

December 18, 2008 7:31 AM | Link to this

By AJC/DNC Management

December 17, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this

Does anyone else find it rather remarkable that it took less than thirty days of the Oblahma adminstration to make Bush look like George Washington?

Are you really that stupid. Or just on some high powered hallucinagen?

By JayD

December 18, 2008 7:42 AM | Link to this

AJC/DNC MGT is joking, right? No human being on the planet could actually be that stupid!

By ByteMe

December 18, 2008 8:30 AM | Link to this

Gasoline Demand Chart

After the initial decline from high prices and the credit markets seizing up, I think the graph in the link shows that prices are pretty much inline with the drop in economic activity year-over-year since 2007 and not anything to do with that we’ve suddenly become a conservationist society.

I wish we had become that society, but it’s unlikely until there is some kind of “carbon tax” on all hydrocarbon-based energy consumption.

By jon

December 18, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

Q: Where does most US imported oil come from? A: Canada

Q: Who is the next largest supplier? A: Mexico

Those are terrorism sponsoring countries?

If the US never used another drop of gasoline, the Arabs would have plenty of customers for their oil, providing them with ample funds to sponsor terrorism.

If we open the continental shelves, ANWAR, other restricted areas in North America, we can let the Europeans and the Japanese deal with the Arabs.

By the finger

December 18, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this

of the many pathetic posting by AJC/DNC Management, has there ever been one that is interesting or anything other than amateurish name-calling or hackneyed re-names (“Oblaham”, “Kookman”). hysterical!!! this guy must be a real hoot at parties!!!

we all have a debt of gratitude for to AJC/DNC Management tireless attention to this blog and his brilliant contibutions to public dialogue.

By DB, Gwinnettian

December 18, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this

Jon gave us: If we open the continental shelves, ANWAR, other restricted areas in North America, we can let the Europeans and the Japanese deal with the Arabs.

Jon, the election’s over. Nobody has to lead chants of “drill baby drill” in hopes of making a semi-respectable showing in the Electoral College. Surely John McCain never bought that BS; perhaps even Sarah Palin was bright enough to know better.

Do you really cling to the notion that “opening up” these areas is really going to matter more than a hill of beans’ worth of methane, energy-independence-wise? Really?

If so, it’s sad, really.

By ByteMe

December 18, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this

Jon’s numbers are wrong.

Crude Oil Imports

As of Sept, it was Canada, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico, in that order.

And Mexico’s supply is starting to falter; in 5 years, they will be a net importer of oil instead of an exporter.

By Red

December 18, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this

When gasoline brushed the $3.00 mark on the upward climb, I changed my habits. The price continued to climb and I did more to combine trips and cut consumption even more. Now that the price has fallen back to earth again (since GWs oil buddies now have enough cash to last 5 lifetimes) my habits have been set in stone. Why should I change? In fact, while the capitalists were getting rich off $4.00 a gallon gas, I realized that I could afford more than $1.49 a gallon. This is the argument for an additional .50 tax per gallon of gasoline. ( collected by the Feds because the State is still run by Republicans and we’ve seen how they squander opportunities) This will give our Dear Leader the money he needs to accomplish his ambition to get us off foreign oil in a decade.

By spankmonkey

December 18, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this

I see the wingnuts are worked up today… don’t they have a war on christmas to deal with, why are they here reading “libural green whining” somehow in the articler Jay has commented on?

There’s no slant whatsoever in this piece. Amazing what some idiots can read into anything.

So if someone writes an article praising us for actually DOING something good (all of us, the American public) how is there a liberal bias there?

Is it a bad thing that we as a nation have reduced our driving habits, thus our dependence on foriegn oil, and managed to lower the price of gas as well by reducing demand?

How is this bad? How is this “liberal”?

I mean come on. I know Ari Fleischer famously remarked something to the effect of “it’s every American’s god given right to drive an SUV” at a press briefing once, is it now a plank for the GOP?

Can you all step back and simply read what the words say here, not what you want the words to say?

This article simply states WE are all driving a bit less, in the process we’ve managed to lower the price of gas. How is that liberal or conservative thinking?

And… JayD, I’m sorry to say things are worse than they appear with “that one”… The good news is that all that hate and anger will eventually remove him from the gene pool, hopefully before he procreates and makes little skinheads like the kid who’s birthday cake was apparently news yesterday…

By jon

December 18, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this

DB and byte:

The annual imports from Mexico and Saudi are about the same, but nevertheless, most do not know that Canada is our largest supplier.

There are many good reasons to boost our domestic production, like keeping jobs and dollars at home.

Drill baby drill! Because this didn’t carry the election for McCain doesn’t make it a bad idea, just currently unpopular. Sometimes our “leaders” have to do things that are unpopular.

By Class

December 18, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

For all of you Bush haters, Jay included.

Bush says he didn’t compromise soul to be popular

Bush said presidents fail when they make decisions based on opinion polls.

“Look, everybody likes to be popular,” said Bush.

“What do you expect? We’ve got a major economic problem and I’m the president during the major economic problem. I mean, do people approve of the economy? No. I don’t approve of the economy. … I’ve been a wartime president. I’ve dealt with two economic recessions now. I’ve had, hell, a lot of serious challenges. What matters to me is I didn’t compromise my soul to be a popular guy.”

An Associated Press-GFK poll last week showed just 28 percent of the public approving of the job Bush is doing, about where he has been all fall. Among Republicans, 54 percent approve, a low figure from members of a president’s own political party.

Bush said he didn’t think he would be viewed as the 21st century’s Herbert Hoover, who was president during the Great Depression. He said he worked to keep the economy from collapsing.

“I’m a free market guy,” Bush said. “But I’m not going to let this economy crater in order to preserve the free market system. So we made a lot of very strong moves and it’s been painful for a lot of people, particularly because, you know, this—the excesses of the past have caused a lot of folks to hurt when it comes to, like, their 401(k)’s or, you know, their jobs.”

He said his administration is continuing to look at options for helping the Big Three automakers and that it needs to get done “relatively soon.” He said a “disorganized bankruptcy” of one or more of the automakers could cause great harm to the economy “beyond that which we’re now witnessing.”

“That concerns me,” he said. “And the other point is that I—I’m not interested in—in really putting good money after bad.”

On other subjects:

—Bush called Obama’s national security team “solid,” especially praising his own Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will continue in the post in Obama’s administration.

“I think the incoming administration’s going to have to fully analyze the risks and the tools and—come to their own conclusion,” he said. “But one thing’s for certain. I’m confident that President-elect Obama knows that one of his most solemn duties is to protect the American people.”

—Bush avoided discussing Blagojevich.

“They’re going to have to sort it through in Illinois,” Bush said. “Obviously anytime anybody allegedly betrays the public trust there’s got to be great concern because, you know, democracy really is, you know, really rests on the trust of the people. It’s a system of people and by people and for people. And, therefore, the public trust is important.”

By Algonquin J. Calhoun

December 18, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this

Mr. Monkey, the modern day attitude, by Republinazis, toward the concept of conservation can be traced back to the administration of that old fool Reagan. Upon moving into the White House, he had the solar panels Jimmy Carter had had installed removed. He also appointed James G. Watt as Secretary of the Interior. Watt was a “bored again’ Christian who wanted to use up as many resources as possible because he believed Jesus was coming back here soon.

During his tenure as Secretary of the Interior, Watt cut funds for environmental programs, such as those protecting endangered species, and reorganized the department to put less regulatory power on the federal level. He favored the elimination of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which increased the land holdings of national forests, national wildlife refuges, and national parks and made matching grants to state governments to do the same. Watt also favored opening extensive shorelands and wilderness areas for oil and gas leases, speeding the sale of public lands to private interests and doing so at bargain prices. Watt also loosened regulations on oil and mineral resource extraction companies.

What we are hearing now from Republinazis is nothing new. In fact, it’s just a recapitulation of the Watt doctrine which was to use up the resources without any thought for tomorrow or for the environment at all. By the way, this is the same genius who sought to ban the Beach Boys from performing on the mall for a fourth of July concert. He said, without mentioning them by name, that they weren’t wholesome enough. he wanted Wayne newton instead. The Beach Boys had raised a lot of money for Reagan’s campaign and Nancy informed Watt they would be playing, which they did.

By SaveOurRepublic

December 18, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this

AmVet @ 17:57 (12/17) - You’re correct regarding Globalist shill “Jorge Boosh” & his Corporate Welfare & Central Bank enabled ponzi scheme pals on Wall $treet destroying (true) Capitalism. However, you should have added *While Skull&Bonesman Boosh read “My Pet Goat”, the Neocons arch-Machiavellian false-flag was being “successfully” executed). The Bush “Dynasty’s” greatest treachery against our Constitutional Republic has been their endless, unrestrained embrace of Globalism.

In my estimation, oil prices were intentionally (& largely artificially) increased to make the populace more pliable for Big Government control. The same is the case with this financial crisis (by design). It’s just another control mechanism used by the Globalist Elite & their many shills to enact further Big Government empowerment via Nationalization & govt growth. It’s about transferring citizens/individual rights, independence & wealth to the Globalist Elite controlled government. This is standard M.O. for the Internationalist Cabal.

http://www.infowars.com

By Logical Dude

December 18, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this

This drop in demand at the pump does not reflect the changing patterns of the American worker. Not that many workers are choosing mass transit. Yes, there are some, but not enough to reflect in the drop in demand.

No, the real reason is that so many more Americans just ARE NOT WORKING. This keeps them from driving to work every day. With another half a million people out of work last month, and more coming this month, that alone will more than account for the drop in demand.

“It’s the economy, Stupid!”

Oh yeah, plus the profiteers from the Bush years see their time is near, and are no longer artificially driving up the price of oil.

By Algonquin J. Calhoun

December 18, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this

Look out Mr. Logical! You have plainly and simply stated a truth the Republinazis will not be able to tolerate. No need to drive anywhere if you have no place to go and no money to pay for superfluous trips.

By (OIL)SlickDick

December 18, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this

Yeah.. and these CLOWNS have the nerve to cut production in an attempt to drive the price of gas back up??!!!

Hah! We’re in the swing of this whole thing now. People have changed their driving and commute habits, etc. Bite me OPEC!! I’ll keep taking MARTA!! It’SMARTA!

Broke…but SMARTA (than feeding the oil monster)

Greedy b@$tard$!!!

By Houckster

December 18, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

It so interesting to see the Hard Right “conservatives” accuse normal people of whining and calling them “liberals”. It’s all denial. If someone’s “whining” than what they say can’t be worthwhile. Consequently these old goats don’t have to confront the reality that their core beliefs are unrealistic and unworkable and that they have had a monstrous impact on this country.

What they refer to as “liberals” are those who no longer are fooled by the distorted “conservatism” they preach. Americans voted for Mr. Obama because they saw someone with the guts to make the changes they know need to be made responsibly and carefully. That Mr. Obama’s approval rating is higher now than when it was during the election shows us more than a few people who voted for Mr. McCain approve of the first steps he’s taking.

What these sad “conservatives” don’t realize is that they’re on the fringes of our political spectrum. They have resumed their rightful place in the American political wilderness where they belong.

By Houckster

December 18, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this

It so interesting to see the Hard Right “conservatives” accuse normal people of whining and calling them “liberals”. It’s all denial. If someone’s “whining” than what they say can’t be worthwhile. Consequently these old goats don’t have to confront the reality that their core beliefs are unrealistic and unworkable and that they have had a monstrous impact on this country.

What they refer to as “liberals” are those who no longer are fooled by the distorted “conservatism” they preach. Americans voted for Mr. Obama because they saw someone with the guts to make the changes they know need to be made responsibly and carefully. That Mr. Obama’s approval rating is higher now than when it was during the election shows us more than a few people who voted for Mr. McCain approve of the first steps he’s taking.

What these sad “conservatives” don’t realize is that they’re on the fringes of our political spectrum. They have resumed their rightful place in the American political wilderness where they belong.

By SaveOurRepublic

December 18, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this

Houckster @ 12:20 - To expand on your statements…”Jorge Boosh”, “Juan McAmnasty”, Michael “RINO” Bloomberg, “Rudy “Ghouliani”, etc. are not real, true (paleo)conservatives, but are instead phoney (neo)cons…which are actually Globalists. The are almost as bad as the hardcore Marxists in the DNC, because they masquerade as “conservatives” thereby duping many well-meaning (but deceived) folks.

To see a real, true conservative (& patriot), look no further than Texas Congressman Dr.Ron Paul!

By Sir Winston

December 18, 2008 2:32 PM | Link to this

My Gosh!!!! The Ru Paul loons are still around. Ru and his stuttering stammering message was soundly reject by the Republican party. Next time out he should run as a libertarian. One of the many reasons Ru Paul was rejected was because he was not a Republican to begin with. Another reason, of course, was that his supporters acted like 1960’s retreads and turned off the party. Anyway, I will now be attacked by the Ru Paul types…. let the fun begin. I have a great story to tell about a dude in my neighborhood, affectionately know the “Idiot Ru Paul Supporter.”

By Scholar

December 18, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this

Class,

“Bush says he didn’t compromise soul to be popular”

Neither did Hitler. Just because you are convinced you are right does not make you so. You know the saying about the road to hell. It is paved with good intentions.

By Uncle Fun

December 18, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this

Jay, I was reading where president-elect Obama is going to have Rick Warren deliver the invocation at his inauguration. I was wanting to get your thoughts on that one. He seems to be reaching out to conservatives by doing this. Not a bad thing in my view. But, gays and lesbians are outraged by this even though Obama himself has stated that he does not support gay marriage. Care to elaborate?

By Hillbilly Deluxe

December 18, 2008 3:51 PM | Link to this

I like T. Boone Pickens’ idea of converting to natural gas. More people could probably afford to convert to that than could afford a new electric car. In many cases the electricity is generated by natural gas anyway. There is also a problem of range with an electric car for us rural dwellers. Natural gas is also a finite resource but as Pickens says it can serve as a bridge until we come up with something better. Some people will be forced to keep what they have now for finacial reasons. There but for the grace of God go others. Instead of condemning them, count your blessings.

By SaveOurRepublic

December 18, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this

Sir Winston @ 2:32 PM - I won’t “attack” you here (although you did so by calling Dr.Paul’s supporters “loons”), but allow me to clarify some things. First, you’re correct…Dr.Paul is not a Machiavellian, Trotskyite, Globalist Elite puppet like most of the GOP Neocon “leadership”. You’re also correct that he’s not some slick talking, snake-oil salesman like Mitt Romney or John Edwards. The reasons the Republicruds didn’t embrace Dr.Paul’s sound platform is because Dr.Paul’s ideals are 100% supportive/in-line with the Constitution. The phoney (neo)”conservatives” hijacked the GOP, thus I left it a few years ago. I suggest you further investigate what real (paleo)conservatism is all about.

http://www.jbs.org

P.S. - Your Ron Paul supporting neighbor probably has a solid understanding of how paleoconservatism matches up 1-to-1 with the Constitutional. Hats off to him/her!

By Nurse Ratchet

December 18, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this

Ahhh… AJC/DNC Management the Magpie. Still foaming at the mouth and drooling all over his keyboard…

Seeing things like a blind man in one-eyed GOP world view. Folks, if stupid was dirt, this guy would EASILY cover quite a few acres… sheez…

By Pogo

December 18, 2008 4:54 PM | Link to this

The most important thing about this whole thing is, the main producers of petroleum in the world are pretty much enemies of the US. Until this economic mess, they lorded their resource over us as a way to pretty much destroy our economic system. They figured that we Americans are so decadent in our consumption that we couldn’t change. Now, ironically, the temporary failure of our econonomic system is bringing them to their economic knees. Yes, the US is now hurting. But look at the rest of the world. The tin-pot despots like Chavez and the American hating oil producing Arab states and Russia are sweating bullets because the only thing they have going for them “IS” their oil. China is also learning a valuable lesson from this. If the US goes down, everybody goes down. We may be hurting, but in our own way, we are diversified in both our resources and our people and are still better off than them. Most of these leeches that have profited off of America and that hate America aren’t.