Monday Open Thread

Happy St. Patty's Day! (Feel free to update.)

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I am back!

Hey guys. Back from vacation. What's happening?

"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR

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You missed all the excitement

While you were gone Bush and Cheney were indicted for crimes against humanity. They fled the country and are hiding out on Bush's ranch in Bolivia.

qui tacet consentire

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hehehe

was this before or after the Spitzer thing?

"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR

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Get the story straight-- it's Paraguay!

I think you have them confused with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, who fled to Bolivia under similar circumstances...

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Paraguay's the place where all the Nazis went, right?

Must be Paraguay then.

Which one is Butch and which is Sundance?

qui tacet consentire

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Cheney is Butch, Bush is the Sundance Kid

Bush is obviously the sidekick in that relationship... Bush only gets to be top dog when Cheney is getting a new pacemaker installed.

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Sen. Vitter says there is a huge difference between he & Spitzer

No, he really said there was an "enormous" difference between his own use of prostitutes and Govenor Spitzer's use, in a conference call with constituents over the weekend.

But then he never explained what that "enormous" difference was. I figure the only thing "enormous" that Vitter has is the load in the diapers he wears. Other than that, the only difference seems to be that Spitzer had the good taste and decency to resign (not that I think that is a requirement for adultery, I don't think it is). But I do always love seeing the hypocrisy light shining brightly.

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The biggest difference

is that Spitzer has a sense of shame and Vitter does not.

qui tacet consentire

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You left off the best line

This may be the funniest thing Vitter's ever said:

The people that are trying to draw comparisons to the two cases are people who've never agreed with me on important issues like immigration and other things.

If I'd been in the room at the time, I'd have busted out laughing. That's comic genius, there.

Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce

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To be expected

Ad hominems work better than can be expected, especially so in a polarized political climate.

The sad thing is that they are starting to become the first thing that comes across anyone's lips when they are debating an issue.

I never broke the law; I am the law! -- George W. Bush Judge Dredd
I'm listening to...

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Obama's church says it is being crucified

The Trinity United Church's current pastor, Otis Moss II, responded to the media frenzy from his pulpit on Palm Sunday, defending his congregation and his predecessor, Mr Wright.

"We have listened and watched as the wonderful work of our church has been vilified this week," he said. "This week should be special for us because I guess we know a little something about crucifixion."

The church released a statement that began: "Nearly three weeks before the 40th commemorative anniversary of the murder of the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King jnr, the Reverend Dr Jeremiah A. Wright jnr's character is being assassinated in the public sphere because he has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children and men in America and around the globe."

Link

qui tacet consentire

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I don't see what the fuss is about -

meaning, I don't see what the fuss is about from Obama's supporters. When politicians align themselves with churches or religious figures, they become fair game during election season. You know for sure that photos of McCain speaking at Liberty University are going to be pasted everywhere during the general.

I'm not saying Wright = Falwell, only that I don't see why people (*cough, dkos*) are so indignant that Obama's detractors are going this route. It's a fairly typical route to go.

Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce

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Today at DKos

Somebody told me that what Wright said is similar to what Jesus said when he challenged the existing authorities of his time.

Groan.

qui tacet consentire

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This just in -- Obama to give "major speech" on race

"I am going to be talking about not just Reverend Wright, but the larger issue of race in this campaign," he said.

He added that he would "talk about how some of these issues are perceived from within the black church issue for example," he said.

He also briefly defended Wright from the image that has come through in a handful of repeatedly televised clips from recent Wright sermons.

"The caricature that’s being painted of him is not accurate," he said.

Link

qui tacet consentire

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What do you think Obama needs to say...

...to put this issue to rest?

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He should simply state the obvious.

That McCain hates Catholics and they are a whore religion.

Isn't that the same thing? Hagee who McCain went on live TV hugging said it. Doesn't that make it Saint John's words as well now by the doctrine of if a preacher associated with you said it, it must be true?

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Um....... no

It's not quite the same thing.

I think Obama will say something much different than that.

Whatever happens, if Barack is the visionary leader, that some believe he is, his speech tomorrow will be a historic opportunity with huge implications. I hope and pray he is up to the task! People say they are interested in policy and issues etc, but I really think this is what they want to talk about. Race and religon have left scars on our country and many of the wounds have not healed. The history of race, the civil war, women's rights, and religion are the history of our country. It is not all pretty pictures.

For a sneak preview, Gwen Ifill, of PBS, will interview him on the News Hour this evening.

It is the economy, stupid.

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He should implore

those who have had bitter experiences within our culture, such as Rev. Wright, of the older oppressed generation, to stop leading their ministries and the children within their ministries with inflammatory rhetoric that is so offensive to those who have served this great country, and instead to inspire them to serve their country, themselves and their race in a positive way.

He should implore women who now have opportunities that weren't available to them a generation ago go forward with their careers and dreams and stand strong as an example to their daughters and sons without stepping on the accomplishments of others.

He will say that our country faces serious and difficult problems such as terrorism, and economic downturns that will not be solved if we are a nation divided, and that each of us, especially leaders in the community like Wright and Ferraro should be aware of the example pf our words and of our actions are to others.

It is the economy, stupid.

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Although it seems like everyday is an important day in the marke

ts, tomorrow is a *really* important day with Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs both releasing their earnings.  Also, the Federal Reserve will move to lower the discount rate by ~100bps.  Stay tuned.

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Here's skymutt's market take, worth approximately $.02:

I think that the real big news for the week are going to be profit warnings for some non-financials which I predict will flow freely for the rest of the month.  It's about that time of the quarter...  German giant Siemens got hammered on a profit warning today.  In my piddly little insignificant Ameritrade account Skymutt Model Portfolio, I have a short on the S&P 500 in roughly an equal amount to my total long positions, because I lean towards a down week.  Valuations aren't attractive enough yet that the market can hang in with bad news day after day after day. 

By the way, the  Skymutt Model Portfolio is up 5% for the year, not bad in this market!  Look for that to get wiped out tomorrow though as I foolishly hold onto this short as the market explodes thru the roof for no good reason :-p

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My less-than-$.02-take

If I was out to make as much money as possible, I'd be shorting the dollar like crazy and buying as much oil and gold as I could get my hands on. I think we'll see the dollar fall to at least .50 euros and oil should hit $150/bbl by the end of the year. Gold I'd think still has awhile until it hits it's peak.

If I wanted to be socially responsible, I'd put money into alternative energy.

As an aside, many places allow you to play the markets with funny money. Perhaps we should set up an SC group and see how we do by the end of the year.

In fact Marketwatch has a site that does just that. If anyone's interested I'll set up a private game for the SC crowd.

I never broke the law; I am the law! -- George W. Bush Judge Dredd
I'm listening to...

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Count me in!

As an aside, many places allow you to play the markets with funny
money. Perhaps we should set up an SC group and see how we do by the
end of the year.

Lover the idea! Count me in, if we can get numbers... anyone else? 

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I'm in

Always more fun to lose fake money ;-)

Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world -- Tennyson

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An excellent comparison of evangelical statements vs Rev Wrights

statements is over at Salon's Glenn Greenwald . It covers many aspects like:

"(1) Given their close and long-standing personal relationship, does Wright merit more scrutiny vis-a-vis Obama than white, radical evangelical ministers merit vis-a-vis Republican politicians? and,

(2) Are the statements of white evangelical ministers subjected to the same standards of judgment as those being applied to Wright's statements?"

and:

"the idea that America deserves terrorist attacks and other horrendous disasters has long been a frequently expressed view among the faction of white evangelical ministers to whom the Republican Party is most inextricably linked. Neither Jerry Falwell nor Pat Robertson ever retracted or denounced their view that America provoked the 9/11 attacks by doing things to anger God. John Hagee continues to believe that the City of New Orleans got what it deserved when Katrina drowned its residents and devastated the lives of thousands of Americans. And James Inhofe -- who happens to still be a Republican U.S. Senator -- blamed America for the 9/11 attacks by arguing in a 2002 Senate floor speech that "the spiritual door was opened for an attack against the United States of America" because we pressured Israel to give away parts of the West Bank."

He finishes with a:

"UPDATE II: Frank Schaeffer, son of highly influential Religious Right figure Francis Schaeffer, writes (h/t FPL-Dan):

When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father -- Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer -- denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr."

So, of course the treatment and the media attention isn't remotely equal. But "fairness" in media is like one of those unspoken rules the people in my childhood church went by. They wanted things to be on the surface fair, but they really didn't mind a little crucifiction in the name of the lord against those who they did not feel a kinship to. And this was a liberal denomination no less.

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David Kuo evangelical ministers

weighs in and defends Obama.

IN spite of the inglorious rhetoric, this church in chicago has done a lot of help those who face many struggles.

And there is supposed to be a separation of church and state....... right?

This searching for Utopia by mixing politics into religion is dangerous.

Yet large churches are a great place to get to know a lot of voters. Mega-churches, Hagees church, MLK's church and all that opportunistic political stuff.

It is the economy, stupid.

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I just finished watching the first two episodes

of John Adams on HBO.

It is nothing short of spectacular.

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I agree

It's fabulous. Makes you want to go out and kick some Redcoat ass.

qui tacet consentire

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