Thinking Right

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. The answer to the question is, “teach those voters who have no economics literacy, all they need to know about markets.” I am one of those conservatives “put out” with Captain Queeg, mostly due to his lack of economics education, although I did vote for him. The distress in the current markets no longer reflects “mortgage meltdown” – that ended a month ago. Today the erosion in markets is entirely attributable to the flight of capital, from an anticipated leftist government in the United States. It is a vote of “no-confidence” in the US future under democrat rule.

The US has seen leftist governments before – Wilson (Panic of 1917), Roosevelt (depth of Great Depression 1937), Johnson (inflation, 1968), Nixon (wage/price controls 1973), and Carter (October 1978 total economic meltdown). In contrast, the laissez faire provided by the Republican congress from 1994-2000 provided one of the greater prosperities of our times. The democrats interrupted the prosperity by taking the Senate in 2000, thus the poor performance through 2002. When the republicans seized control again late in 2002, the economy grew quickly from 2002-2006. In 2006 the democrats seized control of Congress again, and the economy began the current slowdown. US investors are generally students of economics, and are aware of the significant effects of “policies” on the economy (as opposed to the frivolous relationship between economies and “personalities.”) The general rule is that Congress can only damage an economy, by passing laws that steal private capital or restrict freedom; in contrast, legislative passivity, or even better, repeal of restrictions, allows the economy to flourish.

The reasonably literate among us understand that Obama promises nothing that will make it easier or cheaper or more profitable to do business in the United States. In a global economy, closing opportunities in one market sends capital to more-open opportunities – that is simply rational business practice. So, while we all regret the looming bankruptcies of Chrysler and General Motors, such large-scale failure is the natural consequence of government constriction. (What constriction, you ask? Pollution rules, CAFÉ, safety requirements.)

The democrats promise to:

(1) make it easier to compel union membership as a requirement of retaining a job;

(2) raise corporate taxes;

(3) raise taxes on higher income individuals;

(4) renegotiate international trade agreements, to make them less free and more “fair”;

(5) implement a “cap and trade” system for energy, primarily to enrich those who control the system;

(6) restrict production of traditional energy sources, such as coal, oil, and nuclear;

(7) raid the taxpayers for corporate welfare, to be paid to preferred “alternative” energy producers, mostly leftists;

(8) nationalize health care, and to finance all costs through business taxes.

All of those policies increase costs, and will thus reduce quality of life for all living under the yoke of nanny government. The flight of capital, seen in the decline of the Dow Jones Industrial average, is fully rational, and, as we regularly note here, voters deserve the governments they elect. If McCain wins next week, the Wednesday after will see the largest daily point increase in the history of the market, so depressed is the market by the prospect of a democrat government.

By mm

October 27, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this

Jim,

More than 2 hours have passed since you posted your article and only 1 post? And that being the windbag Ragnar. Wonder why?

Because your talking points are being ignored by everyone but the extreme right.

RIP GOP.

By Churchill's Mom

October 27, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this

Jim why are you writting about John McCain,, SARA is the future of our party.. Here’s a good article written by DUSTY’s favorite By MAUREEN DOWD Published: October 26, 2008 McCain advisers have been scathing about the “sexism” of critics who dismiss Sarah Palin as Caribou Barbie.

How odd then, to learn that McCain advisers have been treating their own vice presidential candidate like Valentino Barbie, dressing her up in fancy clothes and endlessly playing with her hair.

In 1991, with Americans fretting about a shaky economy, Poppy Bush visited a J. C. Penney and bought $28 worth of tube socks and a toddler’s sweat suit in a desperate effort to seem in touch with the common folk. Palin might have followed that example and popped into Penney’s to buy some new American-made duds. She is so naturally good-looking, there is no need to gild the Last Frontier lily.

Instead, with the economy cratering and the McCain campaign running on an “average Joe” theme, dunderheaded aides, led by the former Bushies Nicolle Wallace and Tracey Schmitt, costumed their Eliza Doolittle for a ball when she should have been dressing for a bailout.

The Republicans’ attempt to make the case that Barack Obama is hoity-toity and they’re hoi polloi has fallen under the sheer weight of the stunning numbers:

The McCains own 13 cars, eight homes and access to a corporate jet, and Cindy had her Marie Antoinette moment at the convention. Vanity Fair calculated that her outfit cost $300,000, with three-carat diamond earrings worth $280,000, an Oscar de la Renta dress valued at $3,000, a Chanel white ceramic watch clocking in at $4,500 and a four-strand pearl necklace worth between $11,000 and $25,000. While presenting herself as an I’m-just-like-you hockey mom frugal enough to put the Alaska state plane up for sale on eBay, Palin made her big speech at the convention wearing a $2,500 cream silk Valentino jacket that the McCain staff had gotten her at Saks.

At that point, Palin should have been savvy enough to tell those doing her makeover that she was a Wal-Mart mom. The sartorial upgrade was bound to turn into a strategy downgrade, as Palin pressed her case as a homespun gal who was ever so much more American than the elite, foreignish Obama, while she was gussied up in Italian couture.

Politico broke the news that the Republican National Committee spent over $150,000 on a “Pretty Woman”-style shopping spree for Palin, including about $75,000 at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis and nearly $50,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and St. Louis.

Palin advisers did their best to spin the fashion explosion during the economic implosion, telling The Times that she needed new outfits to match the climate changes across 50 states.

Republicans once more charged the media with sexism for reporting on Palin’s Imelda Marcos closet. “No one would blink if this was a male candidate buying Brooks Brothers suits,” said William F. B. O’Reilly, a G.O.P. consultant.

It doesn’t wash to cry sexism now any more than it did at the beginning, when the campaign tried to use that dodge to divert attention from Palin’s lacunae in the sort of knowledge you need to run the world. The press has written plenty about the vanities and extravagances of male candidates. (See: Haircuts, John Edwards and Bill Clinton.) Sexism would be to treat Palin differently, or more delicately, than one of the guys.

The governor who spent all her time talking about how she had cleaned up excesses in Alaska, and would do the same in Washington, also went over the top on hair and makeup. As a former beauty pageant contestant and sports anchor on TV, Palin already seemed on top of her grooming before the McCain campaign made her traveling makeup artist, Amy Strozzi, the highest-paid individual on the campaign for the first two weeks of October. Ms. Strozzi, who earned an Emmy nomination for her war paint skills on the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance,” made $22,800 for the first half of this month.

Governor Palin, who used to get her hair done at the Beehive in Wasilla and shop at an Anchorage consignment shop called Out of the Closet, paid her traveling hairstylist — recommended by Cindy McCain — $10,000 for the first half of October.

In The New York Times Magazine today, Robert Draper reveals that the campaign also hired a former New York stage and screen actress, Priscilla Shanks, to be her voice coach for the convention. The expense was listed in finance reports as Operating Expenditures and Get-Out-The-Vote consulting. Apparently getting out the vote includes teaching a potential vice president the correct way to pronounce “nuclear.”

The conservative big shots who have not deserted Palin and still think she can be Reagan in a Valentino skirt are furious at those who have mishandled the governor and dimmed her star power. They mourn that she may have to wait now until 2016 to get rid of the phony stench of designer populism.

Makeovers are every woman’s dream. But this makeover has simply pushed back Palin’s dream of being president.

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this

Dear mm @ 10:02, a rational mind would argue that Jim and I covered all of the arguments.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

What fools you stining Repukes are, and you Rag Boy in particular. Want proof? Here stupid, read this: Today’s wsj has a very interesting graph of income distribution in America from 1910 to present….The percentage of income going to the top 1% peaked just prior to the 1929 stock market crash at ~30%, then dropped to a much more reasonable 15% or so till the mid 80’s, and has since risen to its current peak at ~30%…just as we are beginning another depression….correlation? oh yeah…. Here is the link, since most Repukes are too stupid to look anything up, they just parrot back what Rush and his fellow scum mutter: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122506174552170247.html

By Peter

October 27, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this

Well Jim, as you talk your party is doing exactly the opposite as you say……..

Your party stands for PORK, Special interests, against good education, and against helping small business !

Example………

Amid state employee furloughs and calls for massive spending cuts, work is set to begin this week on the $23 million Go Fish Center down the road from Gov. Sonny Perdue’s home in Houston County.

But the cutbacks — which will affect everything from schools and health programs to veterans — didn’t include Perdue’s Go Fish Center, which was approved for funding more than a year ago. Perdue’s proposed cuts were for spending approved by lawmakers this year, not in 2007.

Williams said he is particularly disturbed that Go Fish is going forward at the same time some veterans are having to find new homes because of the state’s decision to save $2.7 million by closing a Milledgeville domiciliary unit at the Georgia War Veterans Home.

The Republican’s are lying about almost everything……they cut Education spending, cut Vet’s benefits, have no plan for the water crisis here in Georgia, and offer zero help to GA Business going under, thus hurting the low wage earner.

North Georgia business bankruptcy filings surge By MARGARET NEWKIRK

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, October 26, 2008

The popped housing bubble and crushed credit market have pushed record numbers of North Georgia businesses into bankruptcy court this year.

Chapter 11 filings are up between 50 percent and 70 percent over all of last year, depending on how they’re counted.

Jim why don’t you get OFF the SCARE TACTICS, and say something POSITIVE McCain will do ?

Because John has NOT offered anything Positive…if he did YOU would talk about it !

Republican’s Dishonest to to the end !

By Redneck Convert

October 27, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this

Well, it don’t matter what old man McCain does. Us godly Republicans are in for a butt-whomping like we ain’t never seen before. If there’s one thing a redneck hates more than Those People it’s getting your butt whomped. Even the big boys in our party done give up. They stopped talking about electing old man McCain and started in on electing Republicans to Congress to keep this Obama from passing his socialism. See, we got a good thing going right now. We can use the filibuster to keep the librul Democrats from passing anything and then say the librul Democrats run a do-nothing Congress. But if the librul Democrats win enough seats in Congress they can ram anything they want up our butts, the way we were able to do to them back when we were in charge.

The worst part is pretty soon we won’t have My President in the White House. He made up for everything by sort of ruling like a king. If Congress passed something he didn’t like he could veto it or else put out one of them signing statements that said the new law meant exackly what he said it meant and not what Congress thought it meant. Pretty soon he’ll be lucky not to be arrested and sent to Holland to go on trial. It’s the end of the world.

We are in for it. Old man McCain can wiggle and dodge and buy all the $150,000 clothes he wants and say he done donated part of them, but sooner or later he has to take his whomping. That’s why I’m putting all my left over money in my cement vault so the libruls can’t touch it. I sure wouldn’t want to be Raghead or AJCCommie or some of the other big money people about a year from now when they are looking at a big tax increase. And poor Sister Dusty will probly have to wait two or three hours to see her Dr. on account of all the worthless trash that will be filling the waiting room after guvmint health care passes.

I never thought old Saxby would be in big trouble but the libruls are mad this year and they are gunning for us. Time to take the McCain-Palin stickers and signs down and sort of lay low till all this blows over. In a couple years we can blame the mess we made on the Democrats and say they ain’t done nothing to fix it. Then we will get back in power. Till then, we need to be real quiet.

Have a good day everybody.

By Shrugging Atlas

October 27, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this

I love to see Jim and the rest of the repugnants crying. It’s not very becoming of a professional journalist, but then again I gave up a long time ago thinking there was any journalistic merit to these ramblings. Just more narrow minded stupidity for Dusty and Ragnar to suck on. By the way has anyone ever seen the three of them in the same room? And to answer your question, John McSame can go cry in his early-bird soup.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this

Did you see where the thieves at Goldman are taking the 25 billion dollar federal bailout money their boy Poulson gave them, and are spending it by giving bonuses amounting to the entire 25 billion to their fat cat employee’s, not all employees note, just a few fat cats. Unbelievable, no wonder Poulson was so passionate in groveling for the 700 billion dollar bailout, his pals needed their annual bonus money…..

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this

Dear Crooks @ 10:17, were you an honest person you would have acknowledged what the article actually proved – that in times of prosperity the wealthy enjoy even faster rising incomes than others, and that the incomes of the wealthy fall in times of slow economies. I think we would all agree that the incomes of the wealthy will fail for the entirety of the Obama administration.

Dear Redneck @ 10:21, don’t worry about us, we know how to avoid taxes.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this

Yo Rag Boy, the spin put on the graph by the wsj means nothing, the graph speaks for itself…

By Davo

October 27, 2008 11:06 AM | Link to this

JW has it all confused again…McCain has no more conservative values than Obama. Conservatism died in Reagans 2nd term. A real conservative would never have voted for the bailout. Republicans like to think they still have claim to the title of ‘conservative’ but look at the record.

By getalife

October 27, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

Lets see, two bushes gave us two recessions.

John uses bush’s recession economic policies so Jim wants strike three.

Why is Jim not a “real American”?

What happened to “country first” Jim?

By El Jefe

October 27, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this

If Mr. Empty Suit get elected.

I sure hope you leftist leaning fools enjoy the 2 years that you will control Congress.

The problem then becomes will the demoncrats totally destroy America or will there be chance to vote out the windbags Pelosi, Reid, Franks and Dodd.

I fear for this nation. With Barry or Barak or whatever name he uses today, in the White House, it will not be good for the working folks.

Since BO thinks that the Government is the only solution to our woes, can anyone tell me what government give-a-way program ever worked efficiently?

With the problems we have with the best medical care in the world, I can’t wait to see how bad the demoncrats screw it up.

As you wait a month for a simple UltraSound or X-ray, keep thinking of the well cared for Brits and Canadians in US hospitals instead of their own countries facilities.

If the election in ‘92 was any indication, I guess the republicans will return to power in 2011. I hope this Republic can survive.

By Adam

October 27, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

Crooks @ 10:17 reveals his level of thinking by describing income distribution.

Income is not distributed by anyone, it is earned by providing something of value to someone else. Whether it is labor, intellectual property, skills or whatever it is you have to provide you income is dictated by the value add. It’s not about fairness, it’s about what you EARN.

THe leftists never understand the basic principle that the money people earn doesn’t belong to the government and therefore cannot be distributed. A tax cut means allowing individuals to keep their money and therefore is not money being given to those being taxed.

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this

“And I think one of the tragedies of the civil rights movement was that the civil rights movement became so court-focused, I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and organizing activities on the ground that are able to bring about the coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change, and in some ways we still suffer from that,” Obama said.

By ron

October 27, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this

Good late morning,What McCain needs to do is write an congratulatory speech for Obama.It seems that is all that is left.

That Obama is a Socialist is beyond argument.He’s one dyed in the wool Socialist.

Ragnar.—— One thing

Good late morning,all McCain can do now is write a congratulatory speech to Obama.I can’t think of any miracle that can pull him through.

That Obama is a Socialist is beyond arguement.He is one.

Ragnar——One fact that neither you or Jim have covered in your argument is that the bottom 1/3 of the population will actually be worse off under a socialist government.As taxes are extracted from corporations and businesses to pay for social programs,prices for goods rise exponentially,causing the poor to not be able to afford even the meager living they have now.All of the purloined money gets filtered down through layers of government before it gets to the people it’s supposedly intended for.When it finally arrives at it’s destination,precious little is left.This could be called a tricke out economy.

When one goes to the store to buy groceries they will find prices have risen to compensate for the extracted taxes.Funny how that works.Try price control and the supply of goods dry up,eventually raising prices for what remains.

The bottom 1/3 of the citizenry,The ones who think Obama is going to be their savior are in for a big surprise.His poicies are designed to help only those of his stature.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this

Adam, you confuse earning money by work with making money by speculating on stocks, bonds, and other assets, usually with other people’s money, with the other people taking all the risk of loss, but the fat cat speculator taking the majority of the alleged profits….take private equity for example…the game was to buy companies, at a premium, that generated good cash flow. One in PE’s hands, the company was loaded down with debt, employee’s fired to make the company look lean and mean, and the proceeds of the debt given to the PE boys as a special dividend. The now debt ladened company, sans 30 or 40 percent of its work force, was then ipo ed back in th public markets. Most of that debt will never be repaid, the companies will go bankrupt, but the PE boys have already pocketed the proceeds of the loans. Sound like a scam to you? That is what Rag Boy and the Repukes call work…..

By Captain Freedom

October 27, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this

THE Captain wishes to compliment Mr Wooten on today’s important column, a message we will ignore at our Mortal Peril.

However, THE Captain fears that Mr Wooten’s lofty and ornate prose may be lost upon those very voters that We of True Belief must cultivate to turn this thing around. (THE Captain speaks of the simple people, like Dusty. You know, Morons!”)

To correct Mr Wooten’s demi-eltist appeal to cracked reason, THE Captain offers this instead…..

Socialist!!! Bill Ayers!!! Boooggettty booogetty!!!! Scary Negro!!!!! Terrorist!!! Knife attack!!!! Did I mention Negro?!?!?!

Vote McCain/Bush. It is the Right Thing to do.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this

Oh yeah, Stupid Repukes: the word “distribution” is a statistical term for the lay of the data, not a verb for giving out money….you lying, thieving scum….

By Ga Values

October 27, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this

May be most you remember Saxby Chambliss(Socialist,Ga) & his bought vote on the $700,000,000,000.00 Bail out WALL STREET act. He and his buddies in the Senate added $153,000,000,000.00 of PORK to the bill & today POLITICO has a story about the $192,000,000.00 subsidity for rum. Here’s the short version A large multi national, Diegao, has built a new automated rum plant in the Virgin Islands but wanted the US Taxpayer to pay for it, so their lobbyist put the money in the right place & got $192,000,000.00. As a result Diego will close a Rum plant in Puerto Rico putting 160 people out of work & get a new plant hiring 60 employees in the Virgin Islands. SAXBY ECONOMICS in action

Here’s the link if you want to read about this taxpayer rip off::

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14939.html

By Jason

October 27, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this

During last night’s debate, Sen. Saxby Chambliss said that he went against the Bush Administration on immigration. Really? That’s not how I remember it.

I write this as a supporter of immigration, though not of this particular bill, but the statement is misleading. Chambliss supported the McCain-Kennedy immigration legislation, which was pushed by the Bush Administration. He flippantly dismissed criticism of the bill and was booed at the 2007 Georgia Republican Party Convention because of his support of it.

It is true that he voted against the plan, but only after a protests against him and thousands of phone calls to his Washington and constituents offices.

Russ Spencer, the moderator of the debate, pointed out that Chambliss had voted with the Bush Administration 92% of the time. Chambliss’ response was pathetic to say the least. He said, “If you look at that 92%, I don’t know that President Bush has ever voted. So when you say I voted with him, that’s really not right.”

That is an absurd response to a legitimate question. Sen. Chambliss should stop listening to Republican radio and answer the damn question.

You voted with the position of the Bush Administration 92% of the time. Seriously, this shtick, which can only been viewed as an attempt to run away from the big government record of the Bush Administration, is not going to fool voters.

By El Jefe

October 27, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this

Republicans R Crooks,

I guess your response is to only let the government speculate with your money, like Freddie and Fannie.

Maybe you are okay with the regulations allowing mortgage derivatives.

Personally, I would rather have an open stock market than a government controlled one.

By Saxb Chambliss THIEF

October 27, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this

Ga Values 12:04 PM

Doesn’t Captain Freedom or Morgan own Diegao? It’s good to see Saxby getting all the money he can from the LOBBYIST, he’ll be needing it for the run off.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this

Well, I drove past one of the just opened today early polling places in Cobb County, and the line stretched more than 100 yards out doors, with many people of color in line, right here in East Cobb, the heart of the stinking repuke machine……oh, what a beating McCancerFace and Saxbee the Coward are gonna take…..

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this

Dear ron @ 11:37, well-argued. You are correct.

Dear Ga Values @ 12:04, would a “veto-proof” democrat Senate be a good thing or a bad thing?

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 12:16 PM | Link to this

Good points, Jim Wooten..

You explained only too well. An economic disaster is in the making with Obama as the “spread the wealth” President. That is just one major point.

It does seem strange that many adults still have not realized that something FREE is usually paid for in other ways. And that is Obama’s theme, as some of our wise posters have reminded us. Obama mentions the “free” but not the cost that follows one way or another.

The government cannot or is not supposed to be SANTA CLAUS. The assurance of freedom is basicly what our Constitution declares for us. It gives us the freedom to pursue all that is within our possibilities. It is not a list of agencies to babysit or babyRAISE citizens.

Obama has now provided us with his list of TAKE CARE OF YOU activites for all citizens from birth to death. Who pays for all of this is to be done by the RICH. But there will not be any rich when “spread the wealth” is fulfilled, only governmental taskmasters.

I hope that Americans will realize this week that Obama is nice to watch (just like Elvis Pressley) but America needs more than infatuation and entertainment. It needs a man and a woman who know that we are free independent Americans and we want to keep it that way. That team is McCain/Palin.

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

Captain Freedom,@ 11:58

You lost all your “class” this morning. You are now down with RedNeck, your co- conspirator. Shake hands with Republicans R Crooks. It is your gang. Sorry you “lost it” so clearly. At one time you were entertaining.

By Redneck Convert

October 27, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this

Socialist!!! Bill Ayers!!! Boooggettty booogetty!!!! Scary Negro!!!!! Terrorist!!! Knife attack!!!! Did I mention Negro?!?!?!

Well, this Captain Freedom got me so scared I might have to take the rest of the day off from work to go home and perteck the missus from Those People. I just don’t know how people can vote for this Obama.

I asked the only librul at the warehouse this a.m. why he would vote for Obama. The guy had went broke from so many hospitle bills and was bitter I reckon. He mumbled something about somebody peeing on his leg and calling it rain and then walked away from me. Couldn’t even give a decent answer to a simple question.

I wish he would read some of Captain Freedom’s writing once in a while and then he would become a godly conservative like the rest of us.

By You decide

October 27, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this

McCain, Obama, and Some Painful Truths About Aging

When U.S. presidential candidate John McCain had a birthday recently, television talk-show host Jay Leno told McCain that he had planned to get him a birthday cake but that the local fire chief had objected, commenting, “That many candles?”

Indeed, 72-year-old McCain is the oldest person in U.S. history to run for the presidency, and his opponent, 46-year-old Barack Obama, once accused McCain of “losing his bearings,” a polite way of saying that McCain is becoming senile. McCain, in turn, sometimes refers to Obama as “that young man with very little experience.”

The age issue is one of many that will help decide the upcoming election. What’s the truth about it? How much difference does age actually make in competent leadership? Does cognitive ability really decline as we age, and, if so, by how much?

The American public is predictably divided on this issue. Some believe that Obama is indeed too young to assume such high office, even though John F. Kennedy was a mere 43 when he became president. Others insist that McCain is just too old, noting that President Ronald Reagan showed clear signs of Alzheimer’s disease during his second term in office, when he was in his late 70s. Barely three years out of office, Reagan’s cognitive impairment had become severe.

At 55, having been a research psychologist for 30 years now, I decided to take a dispassionate look at these issues. The process proved to be painful in some respects, particularly when I took an honest look at my own declining abilities. But I have long believed that knowing is better than not knowing, no matter what the pain. And when it comes to the issue of cognitive decline, knowing might also be the best defense.

Here, in brief summary form, is what relevant research says about the usual course of cognitive abilities as we age.

First, let’s consider a rather basic ability: learning. Most middle-aged people are aware that their elderly parents are mystified by the latest DVD players, PDAs, and iPods — and that the quickest way to solve a computer problem is to ask a teenager, or even a child. Do you see the trend here? Indeed, research shows unequivocally that our ability to learn new things peaks during our teen years and declines steadily thereafter. One illustrative study, conducted by Harry Braun and Richard Geiselhart a half-century ago, even showed that classical conditioning — that most basic of learning processes first studied by Ivan Pavlov in the early 1900s with dogs — barely occurs at all in elderly humans.

Our ability to acquire new knowledge declines in part because of a decline in most basic memory functions. The deterioration of memory is best illustrated by looking at some old research on what researchers call “incidental” memory — remembering that occurs automatically and without effort. Mnemonic strategies mastered as we get older can mask memory’s decline; when we look at what is remembered accidentally, we get a clearer picture.

Raymond Willoughby of Clark University first studied this phenomenon in 1929. He had people copy pairs of digits and symbols and then — without first having told his subjects that he was going to do so — later asked them to recall which symbol had been paired with each digit. Performance on this task improved from childhood to about age 13 and then declined thereafter, and old subjects performed more poorly on this task than children did. Incidental memory was also studied in a simple but ingenious study conducted by Harold E. Jones and his colleagues in which researchers asked people emerging from a cinema to give details about the film they had just seen. Teens and people in their early twenties performed best — and elderly people could barely remember the name of the movie without looking up at the marquis. As you age, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember things unless you make a concerted effort.

The pattern is the same on classic tests of intelligence — tests that measure basic reasoning ability, certainly an important ability for a nation’s leaders. You may have heard that “IQ” remains relatively stable throughout life, and indeed it does. That’s because IQ is a quotient (“Intelligence Quotient”) — a relative measure that expresses your test score in relation to test scores of people your own age. Your IQ stays roughly the same because you stay in roughly the same place with respect to your cohort.

When you look at raw scores, however — your actual test score before it’s expressed in relative terms — the pattern is distressing. On both the traditional intelligence tests developed by David Wechsler and the more culture-free types of tests developed by J.C. Raven and others, raw scores peak between ages 13 and 15 and decline thereafter. As Wechsler put it, after age 14, increases in mental age in succeeding half-year scores “are so small as to make them unreliable,” and the highest mental age we can achieve is fifteen and a half. In other words, IQ, the relative measure, is stable only because virtually everyone in your cohort is deteriorating at about the same rate.

Findings from studies of IQ are consistent with research conducted by Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget and his colleagues and students. Piaget found that the highest level of reasoning, which he called “formal operational thinking,” is normally achieved by age 14 or 15 — if it is ever achieved at all.

You may also have heard that brain size is a poor predictor of intelligence. That’s true when you compare species, and this also applies to genders (no one has ever figured out what human males use all that extra brain mass for). But several studies conducted over the past decade or so show that when it comes to individuals, brain size is in fact an excellent predictor of a variety of cognitive abilities. Does brain size follow the pattern we see with intelligence and memory? Indeed it does. A recent MRI study conduced by Eric Courchesne and his colleagues at the University of California San Diego shows that brain size in humans peaks at about age 14 and declines gradually thereafter. By the time a man—such as candidate McCain — is 70, his brain has shrunk to the size it was when he was about 3. This pattern occurs both for overall brain volume and for the all-important gray matter that contains signaling neurons.

Although not central to the cognition issue, I would be remiss in failing to point out that most of our perceptual and motor capabilities also fit this disturbing pattern: our visual acuity, overall hearing ability, ability to discriminate speech sounds (important during delicate meetings of state), touch sensitivity, and so on. Elderly people sometimes, ahem, face odor challenges because—according to a study conducted in the 1980s — they lose much of their sense of smell in their 70s and 80s. More to the point, reaction time — our ability to respond swiftly to sudden events, which is undoubtedly an important competency for leaders — also follows this pattern. We react to sudden stimuli most quickly in our teens and twenties and quite slowly in old age. (A new study by George Bartzokis and his colleagues at UCLA suggests that some fine motor abilities, such as finger-tapping speed, don’t start declining until age 40, but this is more relevant to pianists than presidents.)

Is the news all bad? Fortunately not. Research suggests that we do become “wiser” as we get older, meaning that we can make especially good decisions in areas where we have accumulated a great deal of specialized knowledge — as long as we don’t need to acquire a great deal of new knowledge quickly, that is. In a static world, wisdom has great value, but in a rapidly changing one, it’s prudent for the old to make way for the young.

As for the candidates, Obama, as brilliant as he appears to be, has likely started having trouble finding his keys, and McCain, his courage notwithstanding, is probably little more than a ghost of his former cognitive self.

Dr. Robert Epstein

By Edwin

October 27, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this

It is very funny how the right would label Obamo a socialist but want something that you have not earned. Don’t elect McCain on his on merits but because there will be a majority of democrats, vote for McCain. McCain and every other Republican has a chance to win thier own individual race. What is the word that desribes; to give some one something that they haven’t earned? Welfare

By williebkind

October 27, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this

I heard on the radio that a west hollywood resident had a mannequin of Sara Palin hanging from a tree. He stated that during the holiday season all were fair game. Hmmmm, let me see a mannequin of Barak Obama handing from a tree in downtown Atlanta. Hmm, would it be fair game?

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this

At 18, even Dusty could have been entertaining…dancing on a pole in a mens club…

By Over it

October 27, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 10:17 AM

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 12:14 PM

You nasty comments are what we’ve come to expect from you and many others in the Dem & Repub Party. Sad, digusting and embarrassing.

By Curious Observer

October 27, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this

At 18, even Dusty could have been entertaining…dancing on a pole in a mens club.

Even at that tender age, Dusty would have splintered the strongest pole in a firehouse.

By Ga Values

October 27, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this

Ragnar Danneskjöld 12:15 PM

You don’t know much about Saxby the Socialist if you don’t think he will sell our vote for a little more Ethanol subsidy. I voted for Buckley in the general & will vote for Martin in the run off. Stupidity is doing the same thing over & over & expecting a different out come. I voted for Saxby once, but he lied when he said he was a CONSERVATIVE, Martin is more conservative than Saxby the Socialist.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

McCain Vows To Come From Behind…Cindy that is…..Ah hope the little druggie is up for it….

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this

Yeah, ah hear there are bridges in Atlanta that Dusty dare not cross, due to the weight limit….

By Captain Freedom

October 27, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this

At 18, even Dusty could have been entertaining…dancing on a pole in a mens club…

Well, there went THE Captain’s lunch. Good God man, be more careful with your envisualizations!!

Off to Staples to get a replacement keyboard. At least He was able to frighten the “salt of the earth” Redneck before He launched His lunch.

Uh, one more thing….

Socialist!!! Bill Ayers!!! Boooggettty booogetty!!!! Scary Negro!!!!! Terrorist!!! Knife attack!!!! Did I mention Negro?!?!?!

Vote McCain. Stop the Scary Negro.

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this

Dear Ga Values @ 12:40, thanks for your honesty. I disagree, and believe a veto-proof democrat senate – not seen since the Carter administration – would be a disaster on a scale of that failed administration.

By ron

October 27, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this

Good afternoon all, The garbled beginning of my 11:37 post is the fault of the cat.She jumped in the middle of the keyboard and made everything disappear to some place in cyberspace known only to her.I started at the beginning and some how everything reappeared after I posted.Aren’t computers wonderful machines? I have to confess that when I went to school I only had enough money to have two of my fingers educated in the art of typing and I sometimes get in trouble by myself,but not this time.

By John

October 27, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

I will continue to state this every day until the election - this is one proud Republican who will not stab my president nor my party in the back.

If John McCain and his running mate want to trash our President, that’s their decision. If they wanted to run against President Bush, they should have run for president four years ago. Real Republicans do not get elected by running away from their Party and certainly do not win by trashing the man that has kept us safe for eight years.

Last Thursday I left the presidential line blank on my ballot (the first time in 11 presidential elections I have not voted for the Republican candidate) but still voted for all down ballot Republicans.

Don’t reward these two anti-Republicans’ anti-Bush tactics with your vote BUT DO VOTE to protect our Georgia Republicans.

By Mr Snarky

October 27, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

What can McCain do? Not much. He’s weighed down by all that bush baggage. His rhetoric hasn’t worked except at getting the extreme right worked up…but that doesn’t take much. He’s tried various gimmicks..labeling Obama a celebrity/socialist, putting a hot chick on the ticket, “suspending” his campaign…no dice. The people aren’t buying it for once. Well, at least he has eight houses and many cars to ease his pain, he’s not like most people who will suffer from this republican recession.

By yellowdog

October 27, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this

McCain ought to team up with Dick Cheney and declare “war” on the stock market. We could go in with F-14s and B1s and blow the hell out of it………We could call it a WMD….

By Chad Harris

October 27, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this

I always like to respond to the totally goofy Jim Wooten whose single stroke of brilliance is that he has managed to extract a salary from Cox Newspapers and the goffy Sandy Schwartz continues to allow him to do so.

The only triumph for Wooten and the wingnuts are that ole Junya is warmin’ up his pardon pen. You betcha goshdarnit—ole Scootie will be pardoned with a big middle finger to the world.

The moroncuda is now using Shania Twain’s “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face” for Eliza Doolittle’s entrance. The words go “She’s not Just a Pretty Face—their’s mush in her brain and it’s completely scrambled.”

No order yet out of the 3JP to crush the evil Karen Handel’s scheme to knock hundreds of thousands of votes off because an individual may have filled out their driver’s license with a middle initial and their social security with their full name when they were 16, and their voter registration with the middle name omitted they can be struck from the list of registered voters. This is the exploitation of the HAAVA or Help the Vote Act that Handel is determined to exploit. There are also endless videos on the web of the Diebold machines now called Priemier Election Systems being hacked in less than ten minutes, and in states like Ohio over one thousand names were actually dropped from the machines. SOS claims it is no problem. The appeal on the voting machines is in the Georgia Court of Appeals. Nothing will happen in time to fix the machines for this election—that is for sure. The common mantra for every SOS in Georgia for years is “we want a paper trail but we want to do this correctly”—you have to understand that they define correctly as *never.

If you do a search right now on Amazon.com for “terrorist costume” you get an Obama mask. That’s an index of how badly McPalin will lose come 8 days.

The columns rarely every butress claims with facts, and the McCain articles from the epicenter of the Wingnut Religious Right are never an exception.

It is common knowledge by every politically savvy person in Arizona, and I have good friends there who are that McCain is dead in the water come 2010 when Janet Napolitano is already beating him in every poll today. Her lead is only increasing every month.

Wooten LOL is talking about the election in November? With a pure bred moron a heart beat away with a history of 4 metastatic melanomas and a Stage III resection for the last one? When you’re really dumb, and you take a whiz on the American people, although they have a big learning curve they resent being thought of as really dumb.

Every plumber I know has said to me that he and his children are infintely better qualified and better informed to be President than the idiot Palen that is Jim Wooten’s standard bearer. Wooten cannot think that AJC or Cox Newspapers would use Palen at any administrative level, and I triple dare him to say so.

She couldn’t even write these delusional columns.

In the first place this election is exactly about the stupid failing economy plan from Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke and it is precisely about the 3 trillion dollar fiasco in Iraq, and it is precisely about Bush and McCain’s supporting him in 90% of overall votes and 100% of 2007 and 2008 votes and Chambliss supporting him 90+ percent of the time. You betcha.

There are several reasons why with a 60 majority Senate or greater that none of Obama’s plans will pass automatically. Mr. Wooten must not have taken a history course at UGA. I refer Wooten to this article in which one of the great historians of the Senate Robert Caro holds forth and I recommend Caros 3 books to Wooten on LBJ who can easily afford them.

Wooten is just regurgitating the familiar wingnut meme here and he is getting paid to do it—that’s real welfare.

Democrats See Risk and Reward if Party Sweeps

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/us/politics/26congress.html?ref=politics

But even with a 60-vote majority, Democrats could face challenges in pushing their agenda, said former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, who had experience with such wide margins during the Carter administration and as a Democratic senator in the 1960s.

“People tend to think that if you have got 60 votes you can pass anything you want,” Mr. Mondale said. “It means you can pass a lot more. There’s no question about it. But it’s not a slam-dunk.” He added: “It’s not just a push-button Congress. For sure, they’ll have their own ideas.”

But even with a 60-vote majority, Democrats could face challenges in pushing their agenda, said former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, who had experience with such wide margins during the Carter administration and as a Democratic senator in the 1960s.”

Wooten seems blisfully unaware that the bailouts of his now clearly socialist party from Paulson and Bernanke are faililng and they have a gleam in their eye to bail out Chrysler whose CEO owns two opulent multimillion dollar homes on Garmon Drive in adjacent lots.

As Nobel Prize Winner Paul Krugman puts it this morning:

“There’s also bizarre stuff going on with regard to the mortgage market. I thought that the whole point of the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the lending agencies, was to remove fears about their solvency and thereby lower mortgage rates. But top officials have made a point of denying that Fannie and Freddie debt is backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government — and as a result, markets are still treating the agencies’ debt as a risky asset, driving mortgage rates up at a time when they should be going down.

From

The Widening Gyre

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/27/opinion/27krugman.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

By CommunistAJC

October 27, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this

Mccain can run this. Obama is a socialist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQXcImQfubM

By making

October 27, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this

George W Bush will go down in history as the worst President ever to be elected. I’m sure McCain will be a much better President and do the republican party proud in the White House.

By getalife

October 27, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

“This might just be the perfect companion to John McCain’s “the economy is fundamentally strong” gaffe. Sunday morning on Meet The Press, McCain told Tom Brokaw that he and George W. Bush shared a “common philosophy.”

Do we share a common philosophy of the Republican Party? Of course.”

All they got is gridlock because their philosophy has turned into socialism for the rich.

Gridlock when our country is falling apart is not country first or real American.

By Stella B.

October 27, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

Strategy: McCain can rely on criminals like Karen Handel for extra help! It’s worked before.

After four attempts to post the link to this story, I am assuming Mr. Wooten’s filters have blocked it. Go to cnn dot com and add 2008/POLITICS/10/26/voter.suppression/index.html to the end, to see how Karen Handel has scroooooed people out of their Constitutional rights.

By Ellis Wyatt

October 27, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this

Ragnar,

I finally got a chance to read your book. I must say, amazing, and what’s really amazing is how the parallels exist today from a book that was written in 1957. Just one question, have you read the Fountainhead?

By ButtHead

October 27, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this

I love how delusional the dimocrat Obama idiots are. Please watch this YouTube video of all the dimacrats in 2004 saying how they should prosecute the republicans for wanting to look deeper into and regulate Fannie and Freddie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGTcSi7Rs

By the way Republicans R Crooks, looks like the dimocrats are the crooks, and you can watch it in action…

By deegee

October 27, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this

It’s just so funny to watch the diehard Bushies get so wrapped up in this “spread the wealth around” controversy. The right wing spin machine is very adept at making them think that they are part of the country club and that their buddies are going to lose some of their wealth if Obama becomes president. Instead, why don’t they stop and think about how their 401K is doing and how long it is going to take to recoup what they have lost over the last few months? How much of their disposable income have they lost to inflation over the last few years. Why not stop and think about how the value of their home is doing? I’m really concerned that some bloated CEO is going to have to spend more in taxes. Cry me a river.

By dag

October 27, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

NoBama, No way. He is a socialist and them dems are socialist. I heard that they are going to start a bunch of socialist programs on January 20, 2009. They aint even gonna let my hero George Bush get out of the house before they turn this country into France. I heard they already have plans to start socialist programs such a social security, medicare, and a progressive tax where people of different incomes pay different percentages. We have never seen these socialistic programs in the US of A and we gotta keep Obama out so they never see the light of day. Next thing you know, they will require unemployment insurance. If you lose your job, tough. Get out there and find another. You don’t deserve help. Eat macaroni and cheese each day if you got to but you aint getting no socialistic handout like unemployment insurance. We give you that, next thing you know, you will want some tax break on owning a house. Hey why should the government give you a socialistic break just cause you own some house. Man the English in Dicken’s era had it right. Sink or swim man, sink or swim. So we gotta keep Obama out of the White House, so we do not get them socialist programs. Next thing you know, they are gonna want people to have health insurance. Man that sucks. Make them go to the county hospital. It is annoying as hell for poor people to want good care. They did not earn it like us. On top of that them gay people are gonna want the right to live like they want, not as we want them to. Are they for real, dirty pigs? So we gotta keep Obama out and keep out socialism and lets get us good rich americans in charge again.

By Frost

October 27, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

By Chad Harris

October 27, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this

If the Wingnut Bushies are hung up on “spread the wealth” then what the hell are they calling the 16 trillion dollar bailouts that has Bob Nardelli the theif who stole 270 million from Home Depot after running it into the ground begging for a handout along with Ford, and a gamut of insurance companies and airlines? You’ve already socialized investment banks on the backs of taxpayers who won’t see a penny.

You’re looking stupid and you’re going to get stomped in the way you richly deserve in 8 days. T-8 all you Wooten, Dick Williams, Karen Handel, Phil Kent wingnuts. Your a* is fixin to get a whuppin. And get that moron who doubles subjects and pronouns off our frigging TV’s. The base didn’t have the guts or brains to know she would drag your ticket down unbelievably and now she has. The moroncuda is the gift that never stops giving to the Obama campaign and the downticket candidates.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 1:33 PM | Link to this

Woodenhead’s idea of free and open elections is to require everyone to sing a complete rendition of “Dixie” prior to being admitted to the voting booth….KarenHandlesDogPoop agrees….We need to get these un educated high school only graduates out of government….they are an embarassment to all of us…Lets put Karen in prison…Forever…On Federal Voter Disenfranchisement charges….Make it So….

By tcoach

October 27, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this

You should not be concerned that some ceo is going to have to pay taxes. What you should be concerned about is how is that ceo going to maintain his current income level. The answer is simple he will fire or not hire the amount of employees that he/she is getting taxed under the Obama plan. The only reason you should care about ceo taxes are because there will be a direct relationship between how much taxes go up and how much the cost of goods and services go up.

So to be more clear if you raise taxes on the ceo they will do 1 of 2 things.

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 1:36 PM | Link to this

Dear Ron,

Your cat can think about as well as some of the liberals here. They too jump on the keyboard without a deep thought. (Or may be was telling you something!)

Looks like I will have to try pole dancing, since at 18 I was busy studying at the university. I’m sure that Captain Freedom aka RedNeck would give me a demonstration as he is good at that sort of thing at men’s clubs.

Repubs R Crooks sounds too old to trip the light fantastic.

Dr. Epstein @12:25 is a liberal who suddenly finds that he has lost his cognitive abilities due to his age but not his political abilities. He discovered all this age stuff at election time.

Amazing, isn’t it? We thought our grandparents were smart and so many are now raising their smart children’s offspring.

Obama is off to see his grandmother who raised him but hey…all grandparents can’t be successful. It is a shame grannies and granpas have to be thrown under the bus just to get a few votes. Such is the level of Democratic true values. Values????? R U kidding?????

By DAG

October 27, 2008 1:36 PM | Link to this

NoBama, No way. We gotta stop him now. He is a socialist and them dems are socialist. I heard that they are going to start a bunch of socialist programs on January 20, 2009. They aint even gonna let my hero George Bush get his stuff out of the house before they turn this country into France. I heard they already have plans to start socialist programs such as social security, medicare, and even a progressive tax where people of different incomes pay different percentages. We have never seen these socialistic programs in the US of A and we gotta keep Obama out so they never see the light of day. Next thing you know, they will require unemployment insurance. Get a load of this. YOu lose your job and were not fired for cause, you get some money for like 26 weeks. Unbelievable. I know none of us would even accept that type of socialistic handout. Hell, if you lose your job, tough. Get out there and find another. You don’t deserve help. Eat macaroni and cheese each day if you got to but you aint getting no socialistic handout like unemployment insurance. We give you that, next thing you know, you will want some tax break on owning a house. Hey why should the government give you a socialistic break just cause you own some house. Man the English in Dicken’s era had it right. Sink or swim man, sink or swim. So we gotta keep Obama out of the White House, so we do not get them socialist programs. Next thing you know, they are gonna want people to have health insurance. Man that sucks. Make them go to the county hospital. It is annoying as hell for poor people to want good care. They did not earn it like us. On top of that them gay people are gonna want the right to live like they want, not as we want them to. Are they for real, dirty pigs? We know how people should live and they don’t. So we gotta keep Obama out and keep out socialism and lets get us good rich and good americans (none of you liberal types) in charge again.

By Ayn Rand was Right

October 27, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this

Good afternoon all. For those touting how Obamanation will only hurt the rich, think about who is signing your paycheck. When the rich get pinched, so do those that are being supported on their growth curve. Be it the employees, the hair dresser, the clothing store, grocery store, car dealership, house keeper, you see where this goes.

When the liberals have a strangle-hold on our government purse, we will still have rich people. Most of them will live in Washington DC. It may behoove you to think about how Washington makes money and what they produce. They make money from donations and “lobbying” for favors. They produce NOTHING.

Consider your vote. The UN is dying for Obama to rule our country. Why would that be?

By making

October 27, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this

There’s nothing wrong with putting in place a check and balance system for voting by showing an ID…unless you have something to hide.

By Ayn Rand was Right

October 27, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this

Good afternoon all. For those touting how Obamanation will only hurt the rich, think about who is signing your paycheck. When the rich get pinched, so do those that are being supported on their growth curve. Be it the employees, the hair dresser, the clothing store, grocery store, car dealership, house keeper, you see where this goes.

When the liberals have a strangle-hold on our government purse, we will still have rich people. Most of them will live in Washington DC. It may behoove you to think about how Washington makes money and what they produce. They make money from donations and “lobbying” for favors. They produce NOTHING.

Consider your vote. The UN is dying for Obama to rule our country. Why would that be?

By Ayn Rand Was an Ignorant Cu|\|t

October 27, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this

She was dead wrong. Even Greenspan admits it now. Give it up, losers.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 1:47 PM | Link to this

The 25 Billion Dollar Federal Gift to Goldman is spreading the wealth to fat cats….the whole 25 billion is going to bonus money for the fat cats at goldman, yet I hear no complaints from Rag boy and its ilk….

By metoo

October 27, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this

Palin is married to a terrorist…Remember the Alaskan Independence Party?

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this

Some of us make a yearly trek to Ayn Rand’s tomb, not to honor her, but to p** on her tombstone…..

By Cornbread Fred

October 27, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this

Good day, Jim! And hello, tiresome lefties and righties! The “Redneck Convert” is now welcome to join our stand-up comedy troupe. He won the prize by coining the side-splittingly hilarious phrase “godly conservatives”. Keep the laughs coming, folks!

By GaNative

October 27, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this

McCain can throw in the towel and bow out with dignity. There is no way he can win without rigging the election. There are so many folks unemployed and they are willing to stand in line 24 hours if that’s what it takes to make a change happen.

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this

Chad Harris@1:07

Are you jealous because Jim Wooten makes a good salary for being a talented journalist?

You on the other hand (which is a long long laborious hand) get your paycheck from the Obama Propaganda Unit which is flush with money made by Obama after he broke his financial election PROMISE to McCain.

By the way, Karen Handel just likes things LEGAL, something you libs cannot understand. If you were too ugly or too dumb to get an ID picture or card, my sympathy.

There is an unwritten rule here that boredom should be limited to a few paragraphs. Get your wits together and TRY IT, Chaddie LongWind.

By Chad Harris

October 27, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this

There is nothing wrong with checking voter ID’s. But there is a ton wrong with matching people to lists which may disqualify them because they filled out

1) SS# with one name 2) DL # with just an initial different 3) Voter registration with the middle name written out

or any combo of the above. That’s one of the major objections towards the matching lists that are part of the Thug effort to knock several hundred thousand Democratic votes off the list since they are far and away the majority of newly registered voters.

Further the lists are replete with high percentages of incorrect entries by bureaucrats both at the state level and the federal level.

Simkply put, the lists are far from pristine which is the words that Laughlin McDonald used before the 3 Judge Panel last Wednesday, and more accurately the lists are trash.

If the new voter has valid ID at the time of voting, that is enough.

And arrogantly, the Georgia AG’s office—Dennis Dunn, Stephan Ritter, and Julia Anderson arrogantly and nastily failed to pre-clear with DOJ as is required by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and has been required of Georgia since 1974.

Mr. Wooten doesn’t tell you this because he simply does not know.

By metoo

October 27, 2008 1:59 PM | Link to this

Palin is married to a terrorist…Remember the Alaskan Independence Party?

By GaNative

October 27, 2008 2:02 PM | Link to this

McCain can throw in the towel and bow out with dignity. There is no way he can win without rigging the election. There are so many folks unemployed and they are willing to stand in line 24 hours if that’s what it takes to make a change happen.

By making

October 27, 2008 2:02 PM | Link to this

The long election will be the training for the democrats to get them acustom with the long government freebies lines they will be in IF Obama is elected.

By Ga Values

October 27, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this

Ragnar Danneskjöld 12:54 PM

You need to be thinking Allen Buckley for US Senate, Saxby will sell us out.. How can you vote for some one that sold us out on the Bail Out Wall Street Act. $7000,000,000,000.00 of taxpayer ripoff + another $153,000,000,000.00 of PORK & all Saxby got was a measly $3,500,000.00(We should do a T shirt). Saxby Economics

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this

metoo@1:49

Put on your tutu and do a better dance. Palin’s husband is not a terrorist any more than you are. He lost interest in a rowdy local group long ago.

There is a (former I suppose) terrorist around. His name is William Ayers and he is a friend of Obamas. Ayers joined a terrorist group, the Weathermen, and helped blow up the NYC Police Department, the Capitol and the Pentagon many years ago.

Now there is an action group you might be interested in reading about. Obama does not mention Ayers untless he HAS to, even though Ayers helped Obama get into Chicago politics.

You, too, metoo, have made a booboo.

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this

Dear Ellis @ 1:17, I have not. I read Atlas first, and both my son and my best friend independently used identical language to describe Fountainhead, called it her “practice” version of Atlas. While that ought not discourage me from reading it – both affirm the greatness of Fountainhead also – it has. I still have a copy sitting on my shelf at home, unread.

Too bad our leftist friends are unwilling to read either. I can affirm for Atlas that the argument is impressive, and her development of mood in that first section is brilliant.

A short story, when my kids were in junior high, I gave each a copy of Atlas, told them there was a $100 bill attached to the last page. The older one, the athlete-singer, decided he had better things to do with his time, and I suppose he did. The younger one, now the Lt JG, slogged through it, with my coaching (asking him nightly, “did anyone disappear?”) He read it only that one time, but still quotes long sections verbatim. He is smarter than the rest of us.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this

Saxby gave 25 billion of our dollars to Goldman Sacker’s to pay their BONUS’s…Hey Saxby, all that bonus money stays in New York City….None of it comes here to Atlanta…..Fire Saxby….

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

October 27, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this

Dear Ga Values @ 2:03, I cannot get past thinking about the difference between Harry Reid having 59 democrats in the senate and having 60 democrats. The difference is horrific. Too bad Buckley did not run against Saxbe in the Republican primary. Maybe he’ll run against Johnny in two years.

By Mr Snarky

October 27, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this

What can McCain do? Not much. He’s weighed down by all that bush baggage. His rhetoric hasn’t worked except at getting the extreme right worked up…but that doesn’t take much. He’s tried various gimmicks..labeling Obama a celebrity/socialist, putting a hot chick on the ticket, “suspending” his campaign…no dice. The people aren’t buying it for once. Well, at least he has eight houses and many cars to ease his pain, he’s not like most people who will suffer from this republican recession.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this

Hey Stupid Rag Boy, Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead were works of FICTION by a post menopausal, drunken adultress who chain smoked four packs of cigarettes per day…It was the Romance novel of the 1950’s, and nothing more….Rand accomplished nothing in her life but to write fiction…but you neoconmen take it as your bible for stealing…..Nothing the fictional characters of John Galt or Hank Reardon were imagined to have done could have been accomplished without the rest of society providing the infrastructure and intellectual accomplishment necessary to build steel mills, railroads, or free energy systems….so stop reading 1950’s romance novels, and start dealing with facts, like the 25 billion dollar federal taxpayer gift to Goldman by the Bush Administration that is being used to pay bonuses to fat cat stock traders….

By making

October 27, 2008 2:21 PM | Link to this

There’s nothing wrong with having multiple homes and cars…it’s call the American dream and you get it with hard work. Try it, you might like it!

By Ga Values

October 27, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this

Ragnar Danneskjöld 2:13 PM

If Saxby is re elected Harry Reid will 59 democrats & 1 Socialist (Saxby The Socialist)in the senate at his disposal. Vote like a Conservative vote BUCKLEY

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this

The past as guide to the future: In August 1914, a London Times correspondent sat down with his lady wife to work out some household economies that would help them, and the country, survive the war. This is the list they came up with (warning - you may find some of their cost-cutting efforts more useful than others):

War Programme 1. The servants must take 25 per cent less wages. 2. We must have no guests to stay in the house. 3. No casual entertaining; no theatres; no outings for pleasure costing over 2s 6d each; no taxis; only third-class travelling. 4. No wines, spirits, or cigars. 5. Neither of us must have one single new article of dress for at least a year. 6. No newspapers except The Times and one feminine weekly. 7. If any golf, no caddies; and only on the home course. 8. No Christmas, birthday, or wedding presents. 9. Rigid economy in food; no soups, entrees, sweets (ie, crystallized fruits, etc), or fruit, beyond what is thought necessary for the boy’s health, except from our own garden; only joints, plain puddings, and simplest food. 10. Strict economy in coal, gas, and electric light.

AND WHAT DID WOODENHEAD SACRAFICE FOR THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN? NOTHING, HE GETS LOTS OF FREE LUNCHES FROM FAT CATS THOUGH…

By Cornbread Fred

October 27, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this

DAG, you are really funny too, almost as funny as Dusty, who uses the word “propaganda”, then calls people “too dumb or too ugly” - which comes right out of the papers printed by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis’ method# one: name-calling. Shame on you all! Those who call liberals and democrats “socialists” would not like to be called “fascists”, would you? Both political parties are country clubs and it’s doubtful any of us will ever have full membership benefits.

By making

October 27, 2008 2:31 PM | Link to this

What can John McCain do? Get ready to add the 7th house to his list of homes…the White House!

By Kevin

October 27, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this

McCain needs to keep hammering home the Joe the Plumber and bring up Comrade Obama’s 2001 comments that the Supreme Court should have addressed income distribution. No Comrade Obama supporter will be convinced to change because they are voting on emotions not logic.

For years Walmart has been a place for the struggling middle class to save money. If the bill eliminating the secret ballot is passed and passes what sure should be court challenges, than Walmart will be the prime target of the unions. It will raise costs for the people Comrade Obama “claims” to want to help.

By Saxby Chambliss Coward

October 27, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this

If the war/surge is such a success why isn’t Bo Chambliss in Iraq instead of making all the country club booze parties in D.C.? What’s going to happen to that “surge success” when the Shiite militia calls of the cease fire and the thousands of Sunni insurgents (aka the “CLC”) we are paying millions to get tired of fighting for a country they hate, and there is still no political progress on the most significant contentious issues?

Some 70,000 former insurgents are now being paid $10 a day by the U.S. military. It costs about a quarter billion dollars a year in the three trillion dollar fiasco that’s helping to usher in Depression II.

Ole Saxbuh voted 99% with Bushie in the last eight years. His pronouncements during the passage of the illegal wiretapping debacle were simply false statements meant to take advantage of an indifferent and uneducated populace who is getting the democracy they deserve including the bills Bo writes for the Chicago Mercantile exchange.

Saxby still flies Corporate Jet Air free on company owned planes in a familiar quid pro quo.

“It leaves when you want to leave. It goes where you want it to go when you want it to go there. You don’t have to go through the normal security, and you get a lot more than peanuts.”

Little Bo is a recipient of this largess as well.

A spokesman for US Tobacco, Mike Bazinet, said that it received more requests for planes than it could fulfill and that it generally sent a representative on the flights. A spokeswoman for Federal Express, Kristin Krause, said it was policy to do just that. Ms. Krause rejected the notion that FedEx lobbyists had undue access.

“The way you get there is less important than what you do while you’re there,” said Mr. Chambliss, who spent more on corporate jet travel than any other incumbent senator, the Political Money Line said.

Mr. Chambliss said he never spoke to a lobbyist “about any particular issue” on his trips.

I wasn’t on the plane, but ole Saxbuh flew for free on corporate jets than any other Senatuh.

Here’s lookin at ya Bo and Saxbuh:

Saxby the Sugar Stooge. One of the biggest corporate stooges in the Senate, Saxby took corporate loyalty to a new level at a Senate hearing on Friday.

Based on his demeanor at a Senate hearing on Friday you would think Saxby owned Imperial Sugar Company.Well maybe Imperial Sugar owns him.

Saxby is arguing that a “whistleblower” is responsible for a February explosion that killed 13 people at the Imperial Sugar company plant in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Keep in mind that Graham. H. Graham (the man being questioned) had only worked at the plant for three months, while others allege years of safety violations.

Let’s follow the quotes and then follow the money and even Saxby’s son ,the corporate lobbyist, and his connections:

The Article in the Houston Chronicle says

“Chambliss also said he has not been influenced by any lobbyists for the Sugar Land, Texas-based company or by his son, Bo. The younger Chambliss is an in-house Washington lobbyist for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which also is represented by an outside firm that lobbies for Imperial Sugar. “My purpose has been to try to get the facts out,” Chambliss said. “This guy (Graham) is an agent of the company. How anybody can interpret that I’m doing something for the benefit of the company when really I’m chastising their agent is beyond me … The company’s got to stand on their own. I’m not about to defend them in any way.”

However that is countered by Graham and his attorneys as well as the other Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson.

“Hilder and others have accused Chambliss of doing the company’s bidding on Tuesday when he sharply questioned Graham at a Senate hearing. Chambliss’ questions raised eyebrows because no one aside from Imperial had publicly doubted Graham’s claims. That includes Chambliss’ fellow Georgia Republican, Johnny Isakson. The two rarely split, but Isakson says he has full faith in Graham’s account.”

Let’s follow the money for a second

This might show a little inisght as to why the questions of bias arise.

Look at Imperial Sugar’s PAC $1,000 to Saxby Chambliss this cycle- $2,000 of which was contributed by John Sheptor

John Sheptor is President and CEO of Imperial Sugar who is compensated quite handsomely.

There are several others with ties to Imperial Sugar that have contributed to the PAC Harold Mechler - CFO is a $500 Contributor to the PAC

Gaylord Coan - $1,000 contributor to the PAC is a director

(Apparently Savannah Congressman John Barrow returned some of the money he was given by Imperial and he’s not even questioning them at a Senate hearing)

Saxby Chambliss has received $21k from the Sugar industry this cycle.

Saxby Chambliss has a son Bo Chambliss who works for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a registered lobbyist (the quote is correct there)

Clarence “Bo” Saxby Chambliss has given $2,000 to the Chicago Mercantile PAC.

The Chicago Mercantile lobbyist works on behalf of several companies with ties to the Sugar Industry.

Googling lobbying and CME, we found one article that shows that

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is employing the son of Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) to lobby members of his father’s congressional committee and other lawmakers on legislation that may increase trading at the exchange. Clarence Saxby “Bo” Chambliss Jr. is one of two staff lobbyists at the Merc charged with “providing information on issues that impact our industry to decision-makers in Washington,” Merc spokesman David Prosperi said Friday. Saxby Chambliss heads the Senate Agriculture Committee, which jointly oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and must this year pass legislation reauthorizing the futures regulator through 2011. The CFTC’s current authority expires Sept. 30. The panel may vote as early as this month on a bill to reauthorize the CFTC, said a committee spokesman.

Now there isn’t much recusing Bo Chambliss can do with one other lobbyist unless that lobbyist is doing the heavy lifting while Bo is giving mulligans to Judge Smails

Probably not much of a stretch to say that Saxby has some questions to answer about his claim that he is not biased. We will keep searching to see if we can find more connections between Saxby and Imperial Sugar. Or we will let you know if Saxby follows suit of John Barrow and returns the PAC contributions. Conclusion: Saxby Chambliss needs to go home or get a job at some Sugar Refinery (Remember what he did to Max Cleeland) and remember Saxbuh faked a knee injury that was not examined with any modern degree of medical competence and Bo chooses not to serve like so many other Republican cowards.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this

No making the 7th house of McCain is the Dog House. What was the phrase John McCain heard most often at the Naval Academy and again in the Navy from his fellow pilots? It was “John, you really screwed the pooch this time.” Well John, in selecting Evita Palin as your running mate, you really screwed the pooch this time….

By Ayn Rand Was an Ignorant Cu|\|t

October 27, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this

THE Captain falls to his knobby knees to Thank God for his gift to Us all of the incomparable Dusty. Her post at 2:09 is illustrative of her value, for without that post, who among us would have learned that the NYPD, the Capitol AND the Pentagon had all been blown up?!?!

THE Captain demands to know why He has not been told of this. Is this another MSM conspiracy, hiding pictures of the gaping maw of Ground Zeroes II and III, smoking pits where the Pentagon and Capitol used to sit?

And what of the NYPD?? Are there 15,000 smoldering mini-craters where all the officers used to be, vaporized in a sort of terrorist Rapture? Or did the entire city get wiped out? Just the precinct houses? THE Captain demands to know.

Thank you Dusty. THE Captain knows He speaks for the whole Wooten community when He says that without you, We would all feel relatively less smart than you make Us appear.

By making

October 27, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this

McCain’s age is a plus…we won’t have to pay the Secret Service many years for the protection he will get when he leaves office!

By Filster

October 27, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this

I for one do not believe all the “polls.” I think when it comes time to actually vote, a lot of Obama’s ideas will make the undecided’s ponder “if 250k today, why not 150k tomorrow.”
If the dems succeed in getting illegals legal AND entitled to social security, they’ll have a ready made supply of new voters for life. Sad thing is, and someone touched on it above, raise taxes on small business, etc., and a lot of those who will benefit from Obama’s spreading the wealth will find themselves without a job. I predict a serious recession, tettering on the verge of depression, within 2 years. Or, maybe we should all quit work and just get those free handouts. Where do I sign up to have the government pay my mortgage again? And, with the recent strikes in Pakistan and Syria, if he’s elected Obama just might face some nuclear hothead within Joe Biden’s “6 months.” God help us all.

By The Forgotten Messiah.

October 27, 2008 2:58 PM | Link to this

Here’s a speech that could save McCain at the last moment, but he wont deliver it.

My Fellow Americans. Yes, I am a Conservative. I’m very proud 2B a Conservative. I hold onto two simple principles of conservatism: Taxes stunt growth. Entitlements stunt productivity. I am speaking to you, America. Yes, you. You! I’m an American and each of you is an American. Isn’t it great 2B an American? Our country is a hybrid that came late in world history. It’s been only seven score and FIVE years ago that Lincoln defined our democracy as an equal opportunity employer! And it was only four score and seven years before THAT that the monarchy was exposed as a poor substitute for majority rule. That’s only nine score and eleven in dog years. But I’ll get to that later.

Majority rule itself is obsolete without free commerce: the incentive to get out of bed in the morning is founded itself in the knowledge that time is money. Phone calls. Meetings. Personal presentation. Sell yourself to others, America. Make them trust that you will pay them the money you owe them. . You can do it, America. It’s not a perfect system, but until I see a better one, I’m sticking with America

Why would a banker comply with Federal Regulations that were obsolete? The Federal Regulations Greenspan argued against were admittedly common sense regulations that any reasonable person should have abided by, but a reasonable person statute is only applicable in the courts. SO SUE THEM. We are facing the toughest times in generations. The market predicts six months ahead. That means we have nearly half a year before destiny acts against us. If we get through the calamity we are about to face, it will be only because there truly is a merciful God. I can only promise America that I will adhere to the basic principles as outlined by our founding fathers. Bush? Yes, I voted with him. I aligned myself with Bush’s coat tails for personal and political gain. When it suited him, so did Obama. Hey! I’m an American! But Bush is an idiot. I mean look at the man. Listen to him speak. I am not Bush.

I am speaking to each and every one of you individually as one patriot to another: vote for me. We are about to face real change. Change we can’t control. Our economy is entangled with the global economy. All we really have is our reputation as peace loving, humanitarian Americans. If that’s not enough for our enemies, then, By God, we shall prevail. I am a loyal American. You can trust that I am an American. I love America, and everything it stands for. I am brave, hard working, and convinced in the destiny we deserve.

Pray for me as we enter the final turn and run down the stretch to the White House .

Oh, and I’m keeping Checkers, the dog. Nixon had him stuffed and he’s been underneath the kitchen stairs for the last 35 years. Well, Obama would give him to the Smithsonian, but not me. I’m keeping Checkers in the White house, in the oval office.

I’m keeping Checkers. That’s the difference between me and Obama.

I’m keeping the stuffed dog.

God Bless America.

By hotlanta

October 27, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this

Wooten I wanna talk about this woman giving a fake police report saying that an Obama supporter attacked her. Now they are talking about that she is disturbed. Boy I tell ya being a white woman you can get away with murder. The Runaway Bride record will be erased even though she committed several felonies. The media is afraid to say anything bad abour Sarah because they will be accused of being sexist. Now we got this fake attack and it seems like she is gonna get off. Must be nice. Yeah Obama spread the wealth. Sarah Palin daughter is 7 years old with a Louis Vutton bag with no job and I am getting my purses at Target and work everyday.

By hotlanta

October 27, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this

Wooten I wanna talk about this woman giving a fake police report saying that an Obama supporter attacked her. Now they are talking about that she is disturbed. Boy I tell ya being a white woman you can get away with murder. The Runaway Bride record will be erased even though she committed several felonies. The media is afraid to say anything bad abour Sarah because they will be accused of being sexist. Now we got this fake attack and it seems like she is gonna get off. Must be nice. Yeah Obama spread the wealth. Sarah Palin daughter is 7 years old with a Louis Vutton bag with no job and I am getting my purses at Target and work everyday.

By making

October 27, 2008 3:08 PM | Link to this

I wonder how much did the democrats paid the woman to play the part in the fake attack story. I wonder…

By Chad Harris

October 27, 2008 3:09 PM | Link to this

Dusty—

Handel was defeated by the order from the 3JP this afternoon. They obviously found that she broke the law and they have forbid her from doing so from now on. Her voter supression operation has been shut down.

The brief is the last link.

All Briefs in Morales v. Handel

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/litigation/moralesv.handel.php

I’m not paid to blog or paid by the Obama campaign. I didn’t do many years of training to take a job like that. I hit this when I have time because I got sick of reading stupidity from Wooten for years.

AJC/Cox or Obama doesn’t have the money to pay for what my time’s worth.

I’m not “jealous” LOL of Jim Wooten and I believe he needs a freshman English writing course. He never butresses his political claims with facts. Once in a while his state issue economics articles will have some facts.

The order for Handel is the last link if you want to get someone to read it and explain it to you.

AJC has a little golden book version written by Bill Rankin which is about as legally sophisticated as they get.

By Cliff

October 27, 2008 3:14 PM | Link to this

McCain can…continue to lie about most all things. Especially, for the past 36 years, that he ever was/is a “war Hero.” Instead of a complete screw-up, detested by his mates and with a Naval records of failure after failure. Only man in U.S. history to proclaim himself to be a…”war Hero.” And then to ride that same phoney sled for a career. That’s what he’s best at. Being an imposter.

By Zinger

October 27, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this

McCain Obstacles: Bush & Economy.

Bush was crucified last 4 yrs for the war. Dems saw an opening and started a drum beat and beat and beat and it worked. Majority don’t even know why their against the war but they are. I think Bush did a great thing he knew our enemys and he set up shop. If Obama pulls us out imagine the cost to redeploy if the mideast isn’t over its desire to destroy the infidels. Or Obama will just leap frog on Bush’s back and reap the benefits of an army in place when he starts “EXPERIMENTING” with foriegn policy.

The economy. We have been living below our means for past 25 yrs so we could put a chunk of payroll in 401k. For the past 8yrs its been rolling along FINE. Economy FINE. National Debt rising beacause of WAR!! Not out of control spending but a much needed WAR.

Enter mortgage mess. 25yrs in the making. Carter’s Community Reinvestment Act, Fannie Mae’s 1994 Trillion $$ campagin “Opening Doors”, Bill Clinton’s vow to veto Bank Modernization Act unless banks beef up big time committment to CRA loans. He sheepishly said he didn’t blame Republicans for loan mess. Republicans may have some fingerprints on loan disaster but Dems have “HUG MARKS”.* Vote Democrat and hand economy back to enemy.*

Im not crazy about the way McCain has run the campaign but Im voting for a president and his character not a slick campaign manager. The media is useless and in the tank for Obama. It feels to me like Obama is buying the office. Did Joe Kennedy leave is playbook laying around?

By BS Aplenty

October 27, 2008 3:18 PM | Link to this

If Only Those Smart Guys Knew Everything

Long-Term Capital Management was a US hedge (private investment) fund which engaged in trading strategies such as “fixed income arbitrage” and “pairs trading.” Strategies which, when combined with high leverage, were supposed to accrue better returns to the company. LTCM’s principals were none other than famed Wall Street investors, John Meriweather, Eric Rosenfeld, Greg Hawkins, Larry Hilibrand, and many others. The company even recruited Noble laureates Myron Scholes and Robert Merton to supplement their already significant knowledge base. Heady intellects all.

Meriwether further leveraged his reputation in the financial markets and recruited a number of brilliant quantitative mathematicians, and, of course, the aforementioned Nobel Prize (Economics) winners. One would have thought with this much intellectual firepower these investors would have little trouble navigating the financial markets. They were, after all, some of the intellectual elite of the global investment world.

Apparently, though, the greatest problem with intellectual prowess is that you begin to think you know more than everything, that you can consider all potential problems and that your mathematical models are infallible.

For LTCM nothing could be further from reality.

After a five year run achieveing sometimes 40%+ annual returns, LTCM’s principals made several fatal errors in its trading strategies. It’s assumptions about the way markets would react to certain economic events led to sizeable losses in its pairs trading and its significant gamble on Russian debt led to more. In 1998, Russia would defy normal convention and default on its external debt that, coupled with significant pairs trading losses, would leave LTCM with to cope with losses of $2 billion. The company teetered on the brink of insolvency and was ultimately forced to sell its businesses at a significant loss to investors.

You may recall the terrible LTCM unwinding in September 1998 - toward the end of Clinton’s second term in office. At the time, the Federal Reserve was forced to step in and sell what remained of the company to prevent further panic in the financial markets. All that cumulative LTCM intellect and still the company foundered. Was there a new lesson to be learned from this debacle? Not really - just that intellectual pride goes before the fall.

Ronald Reagan graduated from unheralded Eureka College in Illinois and assumed the office of the presidency at the age of 70. He brought with him a keen understanding of what would restore American greatness - and it was not his flashy intellectual credentials. Rather, it was Reagan’s profound understanding that he didn’t know how to solve the many problems that America might face.

But the American people did.

Remember to vote.

By making

October 27, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this

Yeap…people forget about Reagan’s record…being the oldest person to hold the office and being the greatest President in modern times. McCain will be the next one to claim the record!

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this

Oh my Captain Freedom @2:49( he forgot to use his usual ID.i.e..senility u know)

I am so sorry I frightened the bejeebers out of you. Of course I should have said “Ayers BOMBED the NYC, the Pentagon and the Capitol. But I thought you would remember. You were 40 years old back in the sixties and it must have been big news. The Weathermen bombers were the heroes of the drug filled hippies among which was most assuredly our CAPTAIN.

But I apologize for making those feeble hands of yours shake terribly over your cup of therapeutic tea and your snickerdoodle. I will make things much simpler from now on, down to your level. No thanks required. My kind and gentle nature does not require it.

By Peter

October 27, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this

What a pile of crap coming from Dusty today………

“Obama is off to see his grandmother who raised him but hey…all grandparents can’t be successful. It is a shame grannies and granpas have to be thrown under the bus just to get a few votes.”

I guess Dusty with all her “Republican Family Values”, would not stop to see her ailing Grandmother !

Gosh, I guess that is what being Republican is all about………too busy ripping off the poor to take time to see family…….especially those about to pass !

By Redneck Convert

October 27, 2008 3:36 PM | Link to this

Well, I see this Handel woman done stepped in it worse than a city slicker on a walk thru a cow pasture.

Seems like the yankees in charge in D.C. got a court order to make her let every person she took off the voter roll know they been took off and how they can vote. Something called the Voter Rights Act.

It’s just like a bunch of yankees to do something like that. Why do they think we elected a godly Republican to be in charge of voting in GA if people are allowed to vote willy-nilly? If a guy ain’t got any more sense than register to vote as John S. Doe but have his SS no. and drivers liscence as just John Doe, he ought to be struck from the voting roll. It’s our Christian duty to do it.

We ain’t never going to win another election if the yankees keep butting in to our business. I think we need to send this Handel woman more flowers than a funeral home can hold for doing all she done to try to help us out. The yankees done ruint the big suprize we had waiting for the people took off of the rolls. If Those People she took off the rolls end up voting, it won’t be her fault.

By deegee

October 27, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this

And what kind of sense does it make for Palin to come out and say that the $150k clothes allowance was a capital expense that was incurred solely to get her through the campaign? Are we supposed to believe that after she assumes the office of the VP she will give away all of the nice, new stuff and present herself to the world as Second Hand Sarah? How stupid does she think we are?

By making

October 27, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this

I’m sure grandma will make an amazing and quick recover…somehow, yes a miracle…yes! Let’s throw our hands up and shout…

By AJC cirulation declines

October 27, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this

During the six-month period ending September, the newspaper’s circulation fell to 274,999 — a 13.6 percent drop from the same period a year ago. Figures are based on a Monday through Friday average.

This latest drop comes after a 8.5 percent decline in circulation in the previous six month period ending March 31, where circulation numbers were 326,907, and a 9.1 percent decline in the six month period before that.

“Regarding circulation, the recent results are in line with our expectations, are no surprise and reflect several key strategic decisions,” said Jennifer A. Morrow, spokesperson for the AJC. “These strategic circulation initiatives support the AJC’s focus on stabilizing our core product while concentrating on circulation that matters most to advertisers.”

What matters to most advertisers is that you actually have readers….

Could it be that the AJC is a far left leaning liberal opinion paper versus a REAL newspaper.

You’d think someone would figure out that no one really cares what the AJC’s opinion is….

By AJC circulation declines

October 27, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this

During the six-month period ending September, the newspaper’s circulation fell to 274,999 — a 13.6 percent drop from the same period a year ago. Figures are based on a Monday through Friday average.

This latest drop comes after a 8.5 percent decline in circulation in the previous six month period ending March 31, where circulation numbers were 326,907, and a 9.1 percent decline in the six month period before that.

“Regarding circulation, the recent results are in line with our expectations, are no surprise and reflect several key strategic decisions,” said Jennifer A. Morrow, spokesperson for the AJC. “These strategic circulation initiatives support the AJC’s focus on stabilizing our core product while concentrating on circulation that matters most to advertisers.”

What matters to most advertisers is that you actually have readers….

Could it be that the AJC is a far left leaning liberal opinion paper versus a REAL newspaper.

You’d think someone would figure out that no one really cares what the AJC’s opinion is….

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this

Chad Harris,

Why don’t you read before you write.

The judge ordered Handel to issue what is called Challenged votesto people placed on lists as non voters. Handel must also send information to Challenged voters on what they should do about their vote. Handel is NOT out of business. She continues to see that Georgia voters are LEGAL VOTERS.

I cana’t help but wonder why you insist on voters, even when they are illegal, go to the polls. I read that prisoners are also being registered. If they have not committed a felony they can vote.

R U sure you don’t work for Obama??

By Saxby Chambliss Thief

October 27, 2008 3:47 PM | Link to this

Mrs Handel has the election in control, she called & said I would get 50% + 180 votes on election day. It’s cheaper to steal an election than pay for a runoff.

By ncgreybr

October 27, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this

Dems are socialists! Obama is a socialist! Liberals are socialists!

Who was it that basically nationalized the investment banks? Oh, yeah! George BUSH!

We “libs” have a long way to go before we can match that one.

By AF

October 27, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this

Jim,

All tax policy redistributes wealth. The current tax policy has led to an increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the already wealthy and a decline in the median income of American families between 2000 and 2007. In case that needs explanation, half of the working families have not had a growth in income adjusted for inflation. Average wages have grown - which means those in the top half got more and those in the bottom half got nothing. “Trickle down” economics is not trickling.

We were neither socialist nor communist before we cut corporate, personal, estate, and capital gains tax rates and we will not be socialist or communist when we increase them.

Except for World War II, our national debt increased more under the Reagan and Bush administrations than under any Democrat administration. The current President Bush has almost doubled our national debt while he tries to fight a war and cut taxes at the same time. Selfish Americans who don’t want to pay taxes now, and that includes all of us, not just the ones Obama wants to tax, are leaving a devastating debt to our children and grandchildren.

I don’t like all of what Obama proposes, but I know what McCain proposes won’t work.

By Chad Harris

October 27, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

@ AJC Circulation declines.

Naw. They let Wingnuts like Wooten write at the 6th grade level and they syndicate right Wingnuts like Krauthammer.

All newspapers have had significant circulation drops the last 5 or so years, and this is covered regularly by NYT, IBD, WSJ. The Wingnuts aren’t having impact on the AJC’s circulation—competition by new media content delivered via the web and pocket devices and laptop and smaller pc formfactors is making the real difference.

RSS feeds where someone can pull 4500 free newspaper or print media feeds into one web page if they like also have impact.

By making

October 27, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this

Oh yes, Obama is the chosen one! Let’s hope he stands and holds his arms up and split the MS river into two and points it to Atlanta and yes at last…we have no drought. Yes another miracle…thanks be to Obama…he’s amazing! How did we exist before he came to this great land?

By zinger

October 27, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this

by ncgreybr

George Bush is trying to clean up Dems 30 yr mess left by trying to give everyone a house. In 2003 he went before congress with warning. IGNORED! McCain 2005 tried to regulate Dems shot it down. Vote Democrat hand broken economy back to enemy.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this

Save the ajc, Fire Wooten, NOW…..

By AJC circulation declines

October 27, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this

Well they’re leading the pack in the decline…even the Oregonian is doing better than the AJC! If it weren’t free on line I wouldn’t bother either.

By WTF

October 27, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this

Hotatlanta where have you been? Welcome back! You are dead on! Mental illness if you vote for Mcbaddecision you have a mental illness

To Rags:

During the course of the campaign you have shown intelligence but now you are actually blaming Senator Obama for the stock market crash!

Wow are you going to blame Senator Obama for 9/11 also? You might as well do so because that is how stupid you have become!

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this

Peter,3:30

You are absolutely right. I have NEVER stopped to see my grandmother.

My grandmother died in childbirth when MY MOTHER was four years old. My other grandmother died when I was less than four years old. Got it??

No visitng hours.

By Jackie

October 27, 2008 4:05 PM | Link to this

How odd that many of the so-called conservatives are putting forth the concept the continuation of the economic tsunami is due to the world anticipating a leftist government being elected in the USA, therefore, the resultant crisis is a vote of no-confidence.

This economic theory is bolster by the fact that none one else understands economics clearly enough to understand the nuisances of micro-economics, ostensibly, marcro-economics.

I do believe most do understand the politics of economics, our own budgets with many having formal education and experience in business.

More obfuscation and conflation.

By Jackie

October 27, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this

Sen. Stevens found guilty on all counts. Does that portend the beginning of the Senatorial election rout? It will be a major victory for the Dems if “Low-Blow” Saxby is defeated.

By Shrugging Atlas

October 27, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this

Great post to old Ragnar from “By Republicans R Crooks October 27, 2008 2:18 PM”!!

Give it up Dusty!! Obviously the American people can see through the Ayers smear campaign, as it is not an issue. You should drop it as well, just like the charges that were against him. Are you suggesting that every person who has a relationship with him is a terrorist? Does that include all of the people who have taken his class over the years? Does that include the people who game him the Citizen of the Year Award? I don’t see anyone giving Todd Palin an award for selling out his country? Give it up, and get a life.

By Peter

October 27, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this

Wow Dusty no wonder your hate and ugly came out when Obama went to see his dying Grandmother.

Perhaps you might need some Counseling to get over your problem with other folks having Grand Parents !

Too bad your parents never introduced you to your grand parents before they died.

By Ayn Rand Was an Ignorant Cu|\|t

October 27, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this

Filed at 4:01 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has been convicted of lying about free home renovations and other gifts he received from a wealthy oil contractor.

The Senate’s longest-serving Republican, Stevens was found guilty on all seven counts of making false statements on Senate financial documents.

The verdict throws the upcoming election into disarray. Stevens is fighting off a challenge from Democrat Mark Begich and must now either drop out or continue campaigning as a convicted felon.

The trial hinged on the testimony of Stevens’ longtime friend, who testified that his employees dramatically remodeled the senator’s home.

One seat closer to a veto proof majority!!!

By Peter

October 27, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this

Gosh By making……..Do you actually go to Church on Sunday…….then write this crap on a Monday ?

“By making

October 27, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this

I’m sure grandma will make an amazing and quick recover…somehow, yes a miracle…yes! Let’s throw our hands up and shout…”

I hope NO ONE in YOUR Family is dying Currently……..if someone is………….I would hope they would have the best Health care, and are being taken care of so their pain is eased !

“Republican Family Values”……. Gotta love the crap these folks say.

By Ayn Rand was Right

October 27, 2008 4:18 PM | Link to this

To all the nasties out there today, have a cookie, enjoy the sunshine, and chill out. Urinating on a grave is disgusting, if that, even metaphorically, makes you feel better, especially the grave of a so called 50’s romance novelist, you really need some professional help.

Dear blasphemer of Ayn Rand. Please don’t suggest the C word toward anyone. Those t-shirts were another chink in the last bastions of decency we have in this country. The use of that word is offensive and makes you appear very much without class.

For all of you Nobama supporters, if you are so far ahead in the polls, why are you so viciously opposed to Ragnar, Dusty and the rest of us. We are merely pointing out the weaknesses in your “Change” agenda, the affiliations of your chosen leader and how they have and will impact our country and as far as I can tell, we are not rude or derogatory while doing so. Also, I am not positive about this, but as far as I can tell, none of us are falling on a sword for W. Wrong is wrong no matter your party.

I feel certain that no matter the outcome Nov. 5, we will all be happily eking out a living doing what we love and producing only for those that earn it, offering nothing at the point of a gun. While those of you that are fighting so viciously for your One, will be looking around wondering where that big ole chunk of your paycheck went, and where the heck did the middle class disappear to all of the sudden.

XOXO

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this

Another Crooked Republican bytes the dust. Sen. Ted Stevens found guilty in corruption case By MATT APUZZO and JESSE J. HOLLAND

Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON — Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that tainted the 40-year Senate career of Alaska’s political patriarch.

The verdict, coming just days before Election Day, adds further uncertainty to a closely watched Senate race. Democrats hope to seize the once reliably Republican seat as part of their bid for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

ANOTHER CROOKED REPUBLICAN OUT OF THE SENATE…TO BE REPLACED BY AN HONEST MAN OF THE OBAMA PERSUASION…MAKE IT SO….

By Ayn Rand Was an Ignorant Cu|\|t

October 27, 2008 4:21 PM | Link to this

From CNN:

Ensuring that news of the Republican National Committee’s sartorial spending spree will remain in the headlines for at least one more news cycle, Sarah Palin on Sunday sounded off on the $150,000 wardrobe that was purchased for her in September, denouncing the report as “ridiculous” and declaring emphatically: “Those clothes, they are not my property.” A senior adviser to John McCain told CNN’s Dana Bash that the comments about her wardrobe “were not the remarks we sent to her plane this morning.” Palin did not discuss the wardrobe story at her rally in Kissimmee later in the day.

bwahahahahaha…meltdown proceeding apace…critical mass approaching…stay tuned for the smoking crater.

By making

October 27, 2008 4:24 PM | Link to this

Oh yes Obama ones…the chosen few…we republican do at least have family values…and eyes to see thru the smoke cloud of Obama.

By Peter

October 27, 2008 4:24 PM | Link to this

Go Republican’s…….Two now GUILTY from the wonderful State of Alaska………

Republican Liars abound !

Yes……….. ethics……… No one can trust !

By Jackie

October 27, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this

Two Neo-Nazi skinheads have been arrested and charged with a plot for a mass murder of African-American students and assassinate Barack Obama.

I feel sorry for these ladies when they arrive in Federal prison.

By Ayn Rand Was an Ignorant Chain Smoking Alcoholic Schizophrenic Who Couldn't Write

October 27, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this

Yes, perhaps the earlier name was overly confrontational. Hope this works better.

And now, more news about Dusty and Repugnar and their ilk:

AP NewsAlert

Oct 27, 2008 15:13 EST

ATF says it has disrupted skinhead plot to assassinate Obama, kill 102 black people.

It’s McCain’s only hope.

By Jim Jr.

October 27, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

* 8 more years – John (George Jr.) McCain* Umm or should that be 1 year John and 7 years Todd Pallin?

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this

Evita Palin has gone rogue…In the Punic Wars, Hannibals elephants were riden by warriors who had but one job: If the elephant turned rogue, they were to hammer a metal spike into its spine/brain at the base of the neck. Too bad McCancerFace failed to provide a similarly equipped rider for his little Evita luver wanna be…..Ya just know he picked Evita in hopes of getting laided….in the oval office….on the great seal of the united states….

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this

ATF just nailed a bunch of woodenheads pals, the skin heads, who were after Obama….Did they get woodie too? He is almost a skin head, naturally and intellectually….

By Ayn Rand was Right

October 27, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this

So, it seems an R has been busted for working the system to his advantage. Pity, he didn’t take his responsibility to his constituents more seriously. Then again stone throwers, wasn’t it a D that was guilty last week of having an affair with one of his staff and paying her off to the tune of $120K+. Either way, the yahoos we keep sending to Washington are taking our money and using it for endeavors in poor judgment. At what point to we cease to see party and start to see them out the proverbial door?

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 4:37 PM | Link to this

Shrugging Atlas,4:09

The facts about Ayers can hardly be called a smear. You can verify them at any number of places. Ayers was not found guilty because of “an irregularity in police reports”. Two others on trial with him went to jail.

Also verifiable is the fact that Ayers introduced Obama to Chicago politics. In fact, he had a party for Obama when he was trying for a state senate seat. Ayers also got Obama on the Woods Board which was funded by the Annenberg Foundation. They served on this board together for several years. Ayers has said in the early 2000s that he wished he could have done more. He was referring to the bombings in his younger days.

I have never said Obama was a terrorist. The question is why he has had close association with known radicals such as Ayers. Then he sits in church for 20 years with a radical bigoted minister. Then close ties with a shyster politico such as Rezko comes to the surface.

That may not bother you but it is certainly questionable. If you don’t want to face facts, you can skip over anything you want. I don’t vote on fascination. I try to find the most suitable and that is not Obama.

By Republicans R Crooks

October 27, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this

Hey Dirty ball, after what you and your kind have done to black people over the last 200 years, I think they have a right to doubt your motives…..I myself just hate and dispise you and yours, and I am lilly white…..

By making

October 27, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this

It’s not fascination…it’s true. Oprah said he’s the ONE and we all know Oprah is right on everything.

By Saxby Chambliss Thief

October 27, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this

They will Never Catch Me

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was convicted today on seven counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in improper gifts he received from 1999 to 2006, a stunning blow to a political career that has lasted more than 40 years and marked Alaska’s entire history as a part of the United States.

Stevens, 84, now faces a question over whether he will resign, and if he does not, whether he can win reelection Nov. 4 in an already tough race. At first, Stevens showed no emotion, holding his stomach as verdict was read. But a few minutes later, it seemed to sink in as Stevens sat quietly, hunched over with his hands covering his face. Stevens, visibly shaken, did not take any questions as he quickly slipped out a side door of the federal courthouse and left in a white van.

Stevens could also be sentenced to as much as five years in federal prison, although considering his age and lack of previous convictions, is unlikely to receive anywhere near the maximum sentence. Stevens’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25, and Stevens’ attorneys have already told Judge Emmet Sullivan they would file motions to overturn the verdict by early December.

Stevens could also appeal the decision, but would likely to have to pay a heavy political price for such a move. Alaska’s Democratic Party has already called on Stevens to resign.

“Senator Stevens’ felony convictions are very serious and he should immediately resign from the Senate,” Democratic Party Chairwoman Patti Higgins said. “He knew what he was doing was wrong, he did it anyway and liked to Alaskans about it. Alaskans deserve better from their public officials, it’s time for us to elect an ethical and honest senator who will move this state forward.”

The conviction came after a tumultuous week in the jury room. First there were complaints about an unruly juror, then another had to be replaced when she left Washington following the death of her father. Finally, jurors on Monday discovered a discrepancy in the indictment that had been overlooked by prosecutors. Jury deliberations in this historic trial have at times been as contentious as some of the proceedings

See Also Right tries to make ‘socialist’ tag stick Obama to debut ‘closing argument’ McCain warns of ‘dangerous threesome’ The Justice Department indicted Stevens on July 29, and Stevens took a huge legal gamble and asked for a speedy trial in order to resolve the charges before Election Day. Judge Sullivan complied with Stevens’ request, and in less than three months from the time of his indictment, Stevens was found guilty.

The verdict, which followed a month-long trial, puts into serious doubt Stevens’ political career, as well as his 40-year tenure in the Senate.

Stevens was seeking a seventh full term as in the Senate – he was first appointed in 1968 – and wanted to clear his name before he had to go before voters. With today’s guilty verdict, Democrat Mark Begich, Stevens’ opponent, will get a huge political boost, and make it that much more likely that he will unseat Stevens.

And even if he wins reelection, Stevens could face an expulsion from the Senate. Of the four sitting senators who were convicted of crimes while in office, only one — Sen. Truman Newberry (R-Mich.) — continued to serve after being found guilty, and he was eventually hounded out of office in 1922 by senators seeking his expulsion.

By Ayn Rand was Right

October 27, 2008 4:51 PM | Link to this

Yes, that name is much less offensive. I appreciate your efforts if not your taste in writers. Thank you.

Regarding the skin heads….this says it all. Good grief, if we give press to these bottom dwellers and discuss it on the news, we will ensure others follow in their seriously misguided footsteps. For goodness sakes please do not use their names or show their photos. The other crazies will do it for the press. That being said, I agree with the earlier poster. They should use their names and post their photos when they arrive at the big house.

By @@

October 27, 2008 4:51 PM | Link to this

Jim, I voted early and Republican. If you can point me in the direction of an ACORN activist, maybe I can vote often?

Here’s hoping that McCain can appeal to the common sense voter. OBlahMa’s entire campaign was anchored to HOPE. Hope sailed with the economic meltdown. it’s time to tell the truth. He’ll either have to increase the deficit or fail to deliver on the promises made.

The markets are convulsing on the threat of OBlahMa’s tax policy. He’s alienated the business community and it’s all of us who will pay for his arrogance.

It’s a warning. that many will refuse to see.

By ncgreybr

October 27, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this

I have a question. When McCain “tried to investigate Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in 1994 the Democrats stopped him”. How did they do this? The Republicans held a stongarm grip on Congress. Democrats were barely even recognized as the opposing party, much less having a say in anything that happened. Even a Republican acknowledged in 2006 when the Democrats took over: “I hope they don’t treat us as badly as we did to them.” So…someone! tell us how the Democrats did it!

By Saxby Chambliss Thief

October 27, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this

If someone solicits a child for prostitution, shouldn’t it be a felony? Jim Martin doesn’t think so. Martin voted against tougher penalties for people who prey on children.”

On Feb. 1, 1988, H.B. 1221 passed the state House in 1988, with Martin voting against it. The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Betty Aaron (D-DeKalb). Under its provisions, soliciting or procuring children for sex was to be a felony. First offenders could be fined from $1,000 to $5,000 and sentenced to jail terms of one to five years.

The bill was sent to the Senate, which altered the bill and sent it back to the House on Feb. 17, 1988. This time, Martin voted for it.

According to House records, the only major difference in the two versions was that the original House version — the one Martin voted against — loosened the definition of “solicitation of sodomy” so that it only applied to an exchange of services for money. Cash prostitution, in other words.

In the version that Martin voted for — which included the provision to make child solicitation a felony — solicitation of sodomy was to be considered as any request for the sexual service. I.e., the status quo. Remember that, at the time, Georgia’s sodomy statute was a hotly debated topic.

By ncgreybr

October 27, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this

I have a question. When McCain “tried to investigate Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in 1994 the Democrats stopped him”. How did they do this? The Republicans held a stongarm grip on Congress. Democrats were barely even recognized as the opposing party, much less having a say in anything that happened. Even a Republican acknowledged in 2006 when the Democrats took over: “I hope they don’t treat us as badly as we did to them.” So…someone! tell us how the Democrats did it!

By Algonquin J. Calhoun

October 27, 2008 5:06 PM | Link to this

McSame should spend his time working on that gracious concession speech he’s going to have to deliver.

By Saxby Chambliss Thief

October 27, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this

Stocks took a late dive this afternoon despite investors’ excitement earlier in the day over moves by the U.S. Treasury to help banks recover from the credit crisis.

The Dow Jones industrial closed down 203 points, or 2.4 percent, after a morning spent mostly in the red and an afternoon rally. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted losses of about 3 percent, down 27 and 46 points, respectively.

Tomorrow, the Federal Reserve begins a two-day meeting and is expected to cut the key federal funds rate by half a point, down to one percent.

“That is a legitimate reason to be buying stocks,” said Richard Cripps, Stifel Nicolaus chief investment officer in Baltimore. “More importantly, we’re seeing coordinated action coming out of Europe.”

The European Central Bank could be moving toward an interest rate cut after President Jean-Claude Trichet said today that such a move was “a possibility” as inflation pressures ease up.

Stocks were also buoyed by new Commerce Department data showing a surprising improvement in sales of new homes in September.

Sales of new single-family homes rose by 2.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 464,000 homes. Economists had expected sales would drop from the August level.

And the median price of a new home sold in September declined by 9.1 percent from a year ago to $218,400, the lowest price level in four years.

By Vera

October 27, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this

=Socialist!!! Bill Ayers!!! Boooggettty booogetty!!!! Scary Negro!!!!! Terrorist!!! Knife attack!!!! Did I mention Negro?!?!?!

Is this and most of the rest of the trash ya’ll are writing for real? I can’t even get angry this stuff is so ridiculous and beyond reason. Wooten you are an intelligent man, is this really the following you want?

By making

October 27, 2008 5:09 PM | Link to this

They prayed…we shall over cum!

By Matt

October 27, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this

Republicans did not strong arm enough to get the vote passed to regulate FRED and FANNIE. While all the votes went along party lines, Dems against, Repubs for, the republicans did not keep pushing the issue while Barney Frank and Harry Reid were both video taped saying that the two companies are perfectly fine and absolutely need no oversight. Republicans lost their nads to fight and the democrats seized on that and shut down all efforts to regulate.

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this

Just a little note to Peter.

PLEASE

MY parents could not let me visit one grand mother because she was dead.Before I was born, Peter. BEFORE I WAS BORN.

My other grandmother in far off places was too ill for me to visit when I was less than four years old.

LIBS!!

And NOW, we get LIB LOGIC: TWO SKINHEADS make violent threats against Obama. Therefore ALL Republicans are SKIN HEADS making violent threats which proves that SKIN HEADS should not be president nor presidents should not be SKIN HEADS and Republicans should never shave their heads or become President because OBAMA is not a SKIN HEAD and should become President and SKIN HEADS are nut cases which everybody knows.

Thus goeth the “logic” of Democrats. Republicans are killers! Even Confucious would be confused by such curious cranial contortions.

Is there a full moon or something????

By catlady

October 27, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this

For those who see their wealth as coming from somebody else ….. such as you who have wealth from the sweat of other’s brows, unearned income from dividends, stock in Halliburton, McGrawHill, the oil companies, and other FOB…… As well as you who draw social security, especially that of your mate while you stayed home and kept house….. And you who used government help to get a house(tax deductions) or education (GI BILL, Pell grants, low student loan rates)……. and those of you who have gotten tax breaks for your SUV “for business purposes”…… Gimme a break. Everyone sucks off the public t**. Some just suck higher up on the pig’s belly.

By catlady

October 27, 2008 5:27 PM | Link to this

I say we should let Sarah keep the clothes. Sort of as a consolation prize.

By Ayn Rand Was an Ignorant Cu|\|t

October 27, 2008 5:31 PM | Link to this

In one day I have defenestrated Ayn Rand and her dimwitted followers and proved how easy it is to ape the execrable lance private freedom. Triumphant, I will return to the comfort of my other identities, POorer but *FO sho wiser.

I own this blog. Everyone else kneel.

By making

October 27, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this

Having her keep the clothes won’t hurt as much as having to go thru 4 years of Obama being President.

By Peter

October 27, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this

Just a little note to Peter.

PLEASE

MY parents could not let me visit one grand mother because she was dead.Before I was born, Peter. BEFORE I WAS BORN.

My other grandmother in far off places was too ill for me to visit when I was less than four years old.”

So Dusty……….. This angry rant above was the reason to say something about Obama, and his dying Grandmother ?

By Outta Here

October 27, 2008 5:38 PM | Link to this

I think you will see white flight if Obama is elected. The white will take their money, businesses, intellect, and leave this country. Within 20 year, the US will look like one big Clayton County. Bottom line is white are sick and tired of having to apologize for being successful and happy, while listening to all the justifications for blacks failures and misery.

By Peter

October 27, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this

Gee Matt if you only had the story Correct……..

“By Matt

October 27, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this

Republicans did not strong arm enough to get the vote passed to regulate FRED and FANNIE. “

Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081020/aponbige/theinfluencegamehousing

Read the story Matt……. Freddie and Fanny were paying a REPUBLICAN Consulting Firm money to stop the legislation………!!!!!

By Matt

October 27, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

In 2005, the gross domestic product grew 3 percent and had grown for 16 straight quaters. U.S businesses created over two million jobs in 2004. Also in 2005, the hourly wage increased by 3 percent, the unemployment rate was at an historical low of 5 percent, the dow jones went above 11,000 since 2001.

THEN, the democrats were elected into congress as the majority. After 5 years of improvements, it took Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid just one and a half years to tear it all down and blame it on the Bush administration. All of this destruction in order to advance her party based on her and her own parties favor.

Seems to have worked though. Too bad the American people have to suffer for a long time for it though. Thank you Nancy P-on-us.

By Jackie

October 27, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this

@@@

Why don’t you call ACORN and have them send you registration documentation.

Register again, and vote. Then we can watch you go to jail!

By making

October 27, 2008 5:49 PM | Link to this

With Nancy P and Harry Reid it was only a matter of time before we would hit rock bottom with a candidate like Obama.

By Jackie

October 27, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this

@Outta Here,

Where do we send donations for your move?

@Matt,

You grasp of our government system is severely lacking. The House proposes, the President disposes of all monetary items. I seem to recall that Dubya did not use his veto power until 2007, therefore, he was able to get practically everything he wanted, including the monstrous debt our grandchildren will have to pay!

Debt went from $5 Trillion to $10 Trillion in 7 years under Dubya’s watch.

By Thinking Correctly

October 27, 2008 5:54 PM | Link to this

Its hilarious how much of the republican complaint has always been based on the “liberal media”. Just read the first paragraph of Wooten’s latest sob story.

If the media is really so liberal and really so powerful as to decide who will be the next president, why would it have let W and the neocons screw up this country the last 8 years?

Easier to find scapegoats than accept responsibility, I guess.

By Matt

October 27, 2008 5:56 PM | Link to this

Peter 5:14

Again, I say, the republicans lost the nads to strong arm the bill.

By Rove/ Bush

October 27, 2008 5:57 PM | Link to this

John can start by getting rid of Governor Palin. The new celebrity whom they want to give credit for running a small town and a small state.

We need to know does the Governor of Alaska really have management skills and make good decisions?

It is obvious the Governor is not verse on national issues that plague this great country!

By Dusty

October 27, 2008 5:59 PM | Link to this

Republicans R Crooks,4:44

Nobody in my family has ever done anything to “Blacks”, as you put it. I won’t bother to tell you that my family has been friends and coworkers of people of many skin colors for as long as I can remember.

So you are “White”. I bet “Blacks” won’t have anything to do with you. They know a nut case when they see one, no matter what skin color.

By Peter

October 27, 2008 6:01 PM | Link to this

For Matt…………

WASHINGTON – Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, Fannie Mae, three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse.

In the cross hairs of the campaign carried out by DCI of Washington were Republican senators and a regulatory overhaul bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. DCI’s chief executive is Doug Goodyear, whom John McCain’s campaign later hired to manage the GOP convention in September.

Freddie Mac’s payments to DCI began shortly after the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee sent Hagel’s bill to the then GOP-run Senate on July 28, 2005. All GOP members of the committee supported it; all Democrats opposed it.

In the midst of DCI’s yearlong effort, Hagel and 25 other Republican senators pleaded unsuccessfully with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to allow a vote.

“If effective regulatory reform legislation … is not enacted this year, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system and the economy as a whole,” the senators wrote in a letter that proved prescient.

Unknown to the senators, DCI was undermining support for the bill in a campaign targeting 17 Republican senators in 13 states, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The states and the senators targeted changed over time, but always stayed on the Republican side.

In the end, there was not enough Republican support for Hagel’s bill to warrant bringing it up for a vote because Democrats also opposed it and the votes of some would be needed for passage. The measure died at the end of the 109th Congress.

McCain, R-Ariz., was not a target of the DCI campaign. He signed Hagel’s letter and three weeks later signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill.

By the time McCain did so, however, DCI’s effort had gone on for nine months and was on its way toward killing the bill.

In recent days, McCain has said Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were “one of the real catalysts, really the match that lit this fire” of the global credit crisis. McCain has accused Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama of taking advice from former executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and failing to see that the companies were heading for a meltdown.

McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, or his lobbying firm has taken more than $2 million from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac dating to 2000. In December, Freddie Mac contributed $250,000 to last month’s GOP convention.

The Republican senators targeted by DCI began hearing from prominent constituents and financial contributors, all urging the defeat of Hagel’s bill because it might harm the housing boom. The effort generated newspaper articles and radio and TV appearances by participants who spoke out against the measure.

Inside Freddie Mac headquarters in 2005, the few dozen people who knew what DCI was doing referred to the initiative as “the stealth lobbying campaign,” according to three people familiar with the drive.

They spoke only on condition of anonymity, saying they fear retaliation if their names were disclosed.

Freddie Mac executive Hollis McLoughlin oversaw DCI’s drive, according to the three people.

“Hollis’s goal was not to have any Freddie Mac fingerprints on this project and DCI became the hidden hand behind the effort,” one of the three people told the AP.

Before 2004, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were Democratic strongholds. After 2004, Republicans ran their political operations. McLoughlin, who joined Freddie Mac in 2004 as chief of staff, has given $32,250 to Republican candidates over the years, including $2,800 to McCain, and has given none to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics.

On Friday night, Hagel’s chief of staff, Mike Buttry, said Hagel’s legislation “was the last best chance to bring greater oversight and tighter regulation to Freddie and Fannie, and they used every means they could to defeat Sen. Hagel’s legislation every step of the way.”

“It is outrageous that a congressionally chartered government-sponsored enterprise would lobby against a member of Congress’s bill that would strengthen the regulation and oversight of that institution,” Buttry said in a statement. “America has paid an extremely high price for the reckless, and possibly criminal, actions of the leadership at Freddie and Fannie.”

Nine of the 17 targeted Republican senators did not sign Hagel’s letter: Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Christopher “Kit” Bond and Jim Talent of Missouri, Conrad Burns of Montana, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and George Allen of Virginia. Aside from the nine, 20 other Republican senators did not sign Hagel’s letter.

McConnell’s office said members of leadership do not sign letters to the leader. McConnell was majority whip at the time.

Eight of the targeted senators did sign it: Sens. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Jim Bunning of Kentucky, Larry Craig of Idaho, John Ensign of Nevada, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, George Voinovich of Ohio and David Vitter of Louisiana. Santorum, Crapo and Bunning were on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and had voted in favor of sending the bill to the full Senate.

On Thursday, Freddie Mac acknowledged that the company “did retain DCI to provide public affairs support at the state and local level.” On Friday, DCI issued a four-sentence statement saying it complied with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations in representing Freddie Mac. Neither Freddie Mac nor DCI would say how much Goodyear’s consulting firm was paid.

Freddie Mac paid DCI $10,000 a month for each of the targeted states, so the more states, the more money for DCI, according to the three people familiar with the program. In addition, Freddie Mac paid DCI a group retainer of $40,000 a month plus $20,000 a month for each regional manager handling the project, the three people said.

Last month, the concerns of the 26 Republican senators who signed Hagel’s bill became a reality when the government seized control of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae amid their near financial collapse. Federal prosecutors are investigating accounting, disclosure and corporate governance issues at both companies, which own or guarantee more than $5 trillion in mortgages, roughly equivalent to half of the national debt.

Freddie Mac was so pleased with DCI’s work that it retained the firm for other jobs, finally cutting DCI loose last month after the government takeover, according to the three people familiar with the situation.

Freddie Mac’s problems began when Hagel’s legislation won approval from the Senate committee.

By Matt

October 27, 2008 6:03 PM | Link to this

Jackie5:52

I voted libertarian last election. Mainly because he did not veto any spending bill. Get your debt facts straight and don’t be so assuming.

I would vote libertarian again this year but I know how an abama admin. would decimate america. Therefore I am forced into my second choice by means of self preservation.

By Ayn Rand Was an Ignorant Cu|\|t

October 27, 2008 6:23 PM | Link to this

Shorter Dusty…some of my best friends are, you know, colored.

Dusty…racist hater of people who still have grandmas to love.

Dusty…tried to carve a ‘B’ in her face to blame Barack, but was looking sideways in the mirror so it ended up looking like a graffiti drawing of a butt crack.

By Andrea

October 28, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this

McCain can vote for Obama. That’s what he can do.

By John Warren

November 1, 2008 3:57 PM | Link to this

Our beautiful soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is the best future leader for this nation, not Senator Barak Obama. Our beautiful soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is also would be better at leading our nation in the future after a McCain Presidency than Senator Barak Obama would be in leading our nation in the future starting in January 2009. There are great reasons our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin would be a better future leader than Senator Barak Obama. The greatest reason for our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin’s is ideology. Our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is conservative in that she is pro life, marriage, guns, low taxes, low government spending, small government, unintrosive government, traditional and judeo Christian values, Bible reading and prayer in our public schools, and military spending.She is also pro free and private enterprize. Senator Barak Obama is a liberal who is anti every thing that I have described that our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is pro about or for. A second reason that our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is superior is because of experience. As a governor she has two years of executive administrative governing experience that Senator Barak Obama does not have. A final reason that our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is superior is because of political accomplishments. When our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin came to office she accomplished 3 major things which are as follows: she showed great leadership in the 3 following areas: government reform, the state budget and the economy, and wise use of natural resources. She reformed government by standing up to the big oil companies by breaking up the monopoly on power and resources. She insisted on competition and basic fairness which ended the control that the oil companies had on the state, and thereby returning control of the state back to the people. She also stood up to the special interest and lobbyist, and produced major ethics reform. She lead well in the state budget by generating a surplus which came about by vetoing a half billion dollars of wasteful spending, ending the abuses of earmark spending by congress, and by getting rid of the private jet, the chef, and the chuffer. Economically under her leadership she brought about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. She also suspended the state fuel tax, and when oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, she sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska . On natural resources she has shown great leadership by beginning a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence. When the last section of the pipeline is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart. Senator Barak Obama has done nothing, so please vote John McCain for President and give to our beautiful soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin the opportunity that she deserves leading the nation into the future after a John McCain presidency. When our soon to be Vice President does lead the nation as President after a John McCain presidency,she will be the greatest President that we have ever had. Finally she is smarter than Senator Barak Obama

Thank You

John Warren

By Breast Augmentation

December 12, 2008 1:42 PM | Link to this

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By Liposuction

January 6, 2009 11:45 PM | Link to this

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By Tummy Tuck

January 7, 2009 11:08 PM | Link to this

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By Saxby Chambliss LOBBYIST BEST FRIEND

January 8, 2009 8:35 AM | Link to this

The job cuts are just the latest in a yearlong series of layoffs at manufacturing and distributing companies throughout Northeast Georgia.

► CertainTeed laid off 125 workers at its Social Circle plant in May, when the company shut down its vinyl-siding production lines.

► Weyerhaeuser, an engineered wood products company, announced in November that it would close a Madison County mill indefinitely, leaving 105 people without jobs. Workers at the plant, on Georgia Highway 72 east of Colbert, made pressed-wood beams and planks.

Weyerhaeuser laid off about 100 people from the Colbert plant in 2007 when it closed a veneer manufacturing line.

► Ninety-two people lost their jobs Nov. 3 when the Louisiana-Pacific Corp. slashed operations at its Athens strand board plant on U.S. Highway 441 just north of the Jackson County line, cuts blamed on the depressed housing market.

► About 80 employees at Southwire’s electrical wire plant in Watkinsville were scheduled to be laid off starting Jan. 1, cutting the work force in half, the company announced in November.

► The Hagemeyer distribution center in Winder will lay off about 60 employees when the trucking hub and warehouse closes in March. Hagemeyer, a Dutch company that provides electrical, maintenance and health and safety products to businesses around the world, opened its Winder distribution center off Georgia Highway 316 in the Barrow County Industrial Park in 2002.

► Invista laid off 50 workers the week before Christmas at its yarn-processing plant on Voyles Road amid sagging demand for its products. Invista is one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and fibers, primarily for nylon, spandex and polyester applications.