It's GOTV time

It's time to sign off our computers and sign up for a Get Out the Vote shift at your local Clark County Democratic campaign office. Alternatively, contact Eric Withee with the Campaign for Change at 541-912-1512.

Let's counter the Republicans' 72 Hour Program with our own renewed push. This is not the time to relax, basking in the favorable polls. It's time to put the hammer down.

49% of ballots have been returned in Clark County, so the job now is to turn out our remaining base.

Benton pulls endorsement of James

Durbin notices a stunning lack of mention of Joseph James on Don Benton's web site:

James considered Benton a mentor. He was proud to post Benton’s endorsement on his Web site.

Now, days before the election, Benton’s endorsement has mysteriously disappeared from the site.

That's pretty sad. My liberal overlord and master, Barbra Streisand, sums it up so much better:

Civility, bitches!

After eight years (actually longer, but ok) of incredible incivility from our friends from across the aisle, we now get admonished to practice civility:

Andrew Deal, 46, is throwing his entrepreneurial skills into promoting a national “vigil for civility” that he hopes will cool the post-election fury that could flare up next Wednesday.

Ah yes, the "post-election fury" that Republicans are predicting if Obama loses the election. As if.

Mr. Deal, according to The Columbian, votes for Libertarian candidates, so he can be absolutely trusted to weigh in on the civility issue in a non-partisan matter. Pay no attention to his web site development company that developed the Clark County GOP web site (the one with the infamous Obama Muslim smears), or his mobile phone distribution platform for that champion of civility, Dr. Laura Schlesinger.

It's a pretty neat trick that Mr. Deal has accomplished here. Preemptively question the legitimacy of the vote, spread lies about ACORN, and push faith as the context in which "civility" is reached. That's quite the hat trick, and one worthy of Republican partisan hackery nonpareil.

Fox News may run the world of The Columbian's journos, but out in the real world, we'll be launching fireworks from our drive ways the very moment Obama is the projected the winner from credible news sources.

Journo prof flexes First Amendment muscles

David Carr of the New York Times laments the death spiral of newspapers:

Clearly, the sky is falling. The question now is how many people will be left to cover it.

That's a good question. Unfortunately, the sky was declared to have weapons of mass destruction, and our traditional media dutifully reported on that rather than getting the real story. When you lose legitimacy, expect subscriber numbers to fall.

If I want a government stenographer, the government has plenty of capable people. The deal, in theory, is that a free press is a check on governmental overreach. What's been clearly missing from the current generation of corporate owned newspapers is this commitment to uncovering the truth.

Instead, what we have are apologists for traditional media who claim that distribution of the inflammatory Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West DVD in the Sunday paper are, according to Clark College journalism professor Christina Kopinski "First Amendment" issues.

What Kopinski is conveniently glossing over is that Obsession does not merely "question facets of Islamic faith", it condemns an entire religion as terrorists. Add to that distribution financed by elements outside our country specifically timed to influence our presidential election. In general, First Amendment protections apply to those residing within our country, and not too foreign entities looking to sway our domestic elections.

From a local angle, the Obsession DVD stars Brigitte Gabriel, who likes to whip up the flames in the crowded theater:

"Absolutely. If a Muslim who has -- who is -- a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day -- this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America."

Brigitte Gabriel was one of the star attendees of State Senator Joe Zarelli's (R-18) Convergence Northwest conference of last year. A question at the time of Convergence Northwest was who was paying the way? Unfortunately, our traditional media never did get the answer then, and they don't seem interested in questioning Zarelli about his connections to the same folks who brought you the Obsession DVD.

All these great stories out there just waiting to be picked up and ran with, and generating long term subscribers. Instead everyone just gets to scratch their collective heads as newspapers fall the way of stereoviews.

Throwing their bodies upon the gears

This is simply fantastic:

Some three dozen workers at a telemarketing call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than read an incendiary McCain campaign script attacking Barack Obama, according to two workers at the center and one of their parents.

Nina Williams, a stay-at-home mom in Lake County, Indiana, tells us that her daughter recently called her from her job at the center, upset that she had been asked to read a script attacking Obama for being "dangerously weak on crime," "coddling criminals," and for voting against "protecting children from danger."

Williams' daughter told her that up to 40 of her co-workers had refused to read the script, and had left the call center after supervisors told them that they would have to either read the call or leave, Williams says. The call center is called Americall, and it's located in Hobart, IN.

Reminds me of a certain quote:

“There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can’t even passively take part, and you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop! And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!”

Call center workers who channel Mario Savio. Not bad, America, there's hope for you yet.

Friday Night, Wazzzzzzup!!!

Seattle Times shills for Reichert

Goldy up at HA Seattle goes rightfully nuclear on the Seattle Times' hit piece on 8th Congressional District candidate Darcy Burner's Harvard degree:

By Emily Heffter
Seattle Times staff reporter

In recent weeks, congressional candidate Darcy Burner has touted her Harvard degree in economics when talking about the nation's financial crisis and her opposition to the bailout package passed by Congress.

[...]

Harry Lewis, a Harvard computer-science professor and a former dean who oversaw the computer-science department when Burner was a student, confirmed that Burner did study economics at Harvard. She graduated in 1996.

"She doesn't have a degree in economics," he said. "It's a specialty within the computer-science degree that she has."

Only problem is, she really does have a degree in both Computer Science and Economics:

I’m the professor and ex-dean who was quoted in the story, and as it happens, also the guy who wrote the CS degree requirements. At the time Darcy was at Harvard, she would have needed, as part of her CS degree requirements, several courses in a technical specialization area related to CS. She fulfilled that CS degree requirement by specializing in Economics (which meant, by the way, that she couldn’t have taken just the easy, non-mathematical Ec courses). So it’s not exactly a minor (which we didn’t have then, though we do now), and it’s also not anything that the registrar would be able to certify (because it’s an internal requirement of the computer science faculty). But it’s something everyone getting a degree in CS had to do (though other students would have other specialties). The way Darcy is describing herself is accurate.

So what Heffter is doing here is quite clever, insinuating that Darcy Burner is claiming two degrees, when what it is a Computer Science degree (which is hard enough to get) specializing in Economics. Heffter has a fantastic future working for Fox News ala Judith Miller, since there's really no well paying gigs on the Left for such promising journalists. In these uncertain economic times, you've got to take care of numero uno.

But what do I know, I'm just a blogger who deals in inaccuracy, rumor mongering and speculation. Thank goodness for traditional media to set the record straight!

CEO, MBA makes PDC SNAFU

CEO, MBA, and Republican 17th Legislative District state house candidate Joseph James, just can't get that whole separate bank accounts for business and campaign thing down:

Thomas and Beth Baker boarded their dog at Joseph James’ dog boarding business in Stevenson several times last year, and usually paid by check.

But the last time they used the service, the Camas couple put the $200 fee on a credit card. When their statement came, they were surprised to learn that the payment had gone to an organization called Complete Campaigns, which offers Web-based services to help campaigns track supporters, votes, fund-raising and volunteers.

[...]

On Jan. 2, James’ campaign reported a $200 contribution from Thomas Baker.

Baker said he never intended for his dog care payment to end up in James’ campaign chest.

James can't help it, he's just following questionable business practices of so many other corporate CEOs and applying the lessons to political campaigning. In this case, by padding your PDC contribution filings, one establishes credibility, whether it's the extensive use of in-kind contributions or this latest example.

How many other contributions on James' PDC filings are commingled with his dog boarding business? What next, disclosure that he's shopping for campaign suits at Saks Fifth Avenue in downtown Portland?

Rossi has "grassroots"

Local politico Jon Russell, executive director of Washington Faith and Freedom Network and Washougal city councilman, let's us know about "grassroots" job opportunities (contact info blanked out):

From: Jon Russell <xxx@zyzyzyz.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Subject: Unemployment is up...but we still have jobs working for Conservative Candidates in North King County
To:

Dino Rossi & other conservative candidates need your help. 4-8 p.m. Mon-Friday and 10-2 on Saturdays. You will be working in the Redmond, Woodinville & Kirkland Area. Pay is $12 per hour. You will work in groups. Paid for by Wallking for Washington Please let us know if you would like a job by emailing us at j.russell@zzzzzzzzzzzzz or call 9-999-999-9999 Please invite 5 friends

Who's Walking for Washington? It's BIAW's "grassroots" organization, that pays "volunteers" to wave signs and canvass.

I may be reading too much into this, but when you have to pay your "volunteers" to do the front-line work of canvassing and sign waving, you just might be suffering from an enthusiasm gap.

Aneurin's Political Machine Endorsements 2008

It's time for Aneurin's Political Machine Endorsements ^TM 2008 General Election Edition!!! Grab your ballot, bow to the awesome power that is the local blogosphere, and do EXACTLY WHAT I SAY:

Statewide Initiatives:

Measure 985 - Timmy Eyman has to make his money somewhere, this time from the HOV Lanes Are Rampant Socialism group. Vote NO

Measure 1000 - Government should stay out of the end-of-life decision making process. Vote YES

Measure 1029 - You mean background checks aren't already on the books for home healthcare workers? Serious? Vote YES

Statewide Office:

Governor: Shorter Dino Rossi: "I will go through the budget line by line and cut SCHIP first. Children don't need health care". Vote Christine Gregoire

Lt. Governor: Rather than be a job-for-life program for Democrat Brad Owen, vote Marcia McCraw. Yep, I'm endorsing a Republican, get over it.

Secretary of State: I would've said Sam Reed, but then he had to be a putz and demonize ACORN. Vote Jason Osgood

Treasurer: Former state house Finance Committee Chair Jim McIntire gets the nod.

Auditor: No endorsement as Sonntag has gotten a bit out of control with performance audits. Audits are not necessarily a bad thing mind you, but Sonntag's micro-managing the entire state.

Attorney General: Does anyone in Clark County know who John Ladenburg is? Why do Puget Sound Democratic politicos ignore Clark County at their peril? He'll get my vote, but that's only due to Rob McKenna's extensive BIAW ties.

Commissioner of Public Lands: Now here's a Democratic candidate who hasn't ignored Clark County, and for that, we can probably thank his uber-smart campaign manager. Must be those down-to-earth Eastern Washington, "real Washington" values at work. Vote Peter Goldmark

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Bergeson has been there long enough. Again, what is with the job-for-life program? Vote Randy Dorn

Insurance Commissioner: I'm staying out of this one. Kreidler has no solutions for Clark County's unique insurance market other than regulating competition out of existence. Talk to Oregon insurance providers about the Washington OIC, and they'll run screaming. Not good.

17th Legislative District:

State Senate: David Carrier is uniquely qualified to get to work on shoring up our uncertain economy. The other guy just wants to keep his job-for-life.

State Rep Pos 1.: Tim Probst knows a thing or two about job creation as head of Washington Workforce Association, and he'll bring that knowledge to Olympia. The other guy is a "CEO" of various websites. Uh huh.

State Rep Pos 2.: Deb Wallace is operating at a completely different level than her opponent when it comes to issue complexity in Olympia.

18th Legislative District:

State Senate: No endorsement, but dang, if you like politics served up with a side of smashmouth, Jon Haugen is your guy. Both Navy men, I get the sense here that the Annapolis grad Haugen is disqualifying Zarelli on his PQS. Had Zarelli not been involved in that whole "Muslims want to kill me" Convergence Northwest garbage, he might have earned a vote, but he just can't stay from End Times extremists in his own party.

State Rep, Pos 2: Jonathan Fant combines superior qualifications and an entrepreneurial background that the 18th desperately needs. No more job-for-life Orcutt.

49th Legislative District:

State Senate: I'm sorry, but has anyone proven otherwise that Langston is just a pawn in the BIA Clark County's game of life? Vote Craig Pridemore

State Rep, Pos 1: For Pete's sake, it's time for the MA in Peace Studies, Jim Jacks, to pack his bags for Olympia!

State Rep, Pos 2: You can label yourself as "prefers Independent Party" all you want, but the truth of the matter is, you're just part of the BIAW machine. Vote Jim Moeller

Clark County:

Commissioner District No. 1: I'm a bit unclear on Pam Brokaw's case for what she'll actually do for Clark County, but faced with the alternative, which is to pave everything over, I'm voting for Pam Brokaw.

Commissioner District No. 2: Hmmmmmm. Ummmmm. Yeah..... NO SALE!

-- and the best for last--

President:

This is where the politically burned out usually say something like "Nader!" or "McKinney!". This is not the time or place for that. For moderates the past few weeks have shown the McCain of 2000 being a distant memory, as somewhere between then and now, he had to kiss far too many rings to garner the Republican nomination.

Long time readers will know of my concerns about an Obama administration, that he's just far too captive of Wall Street and other special interests. But then again, they all are, it's how the game is fixed at that level. On a more enthusiastic note, at least we'll be getting a president with the intellectual curiosity to make informed decisions rather than going off like a crazed cowboy.

Vote Barack Obama

Change comes through increments of degrees, not overnight.

THE PRECEDING BLOG POST IS FILLED WITH INACCURACY, HYPE, AND UNINFORMED OPINION, AND IS TO BE USED FOR NOVELTY PURPOSES ONLY. NOT VALID IN CONNECTICUT, VERMONT, OR U.S. TRUST TERRITORIES. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PERSONS LIVING, DEAD, OR MERELY INDISPOSE IS COMPLETELY COINCIDENTAL.

Luke Esser goes fishing

The Daily World out of Aberdeen reports:

MONTESANO — The state Republican Party filed a public record request on Friday for all communications the Grays Harbor Auditor’s Office has had with any Democratic official on the state and local level, plus basically anyone else who has been interested in the election process from the ACLU to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a national non-profit group, which offers legal advice to voters on Election Day.

[...]

State Republican Chairman Luke Esser said Grays Harbor isn’t being singled out. His party has requested records from every county in the state.

Meaning that Clark County Elections is being subjected to this complete waste of taxpayer resources having to respond to this fishing expedition, with Republican County Auditor Greg Kimsey responding to my query about contacts made:

Yes, we received a very comprehensive public records request from the WSRP on this subject. And you are right, we don't have a lot of communication with the state or local Democratic Party or the Gregoire campaign, so our response is pretty short.

So to Luke Esser and the WSRP, here's the deal with county elections departments. They train elections observers from the major political parties, then make requests for trained elections observers during the ballot count process. That's it. There is no nefarious agenda by either competent elected officials such as Kimsey or partisan election observers, Republican or Democrat.

What Luke Esser is doing here is demeaning the hard work put forth by county elections officials and the thankless task of unpaid elections observers. He's trying to undermine the process in the event of a close Rossi - Gregoire result. That he'd do this in opposition to an elected Republican elections official speaks volumes, he just doesn't care.

Unless you're with one of the major parties, you're not even allowed to participate as an observer, so there is no ACORN bogeyman down at county elections. Looks like Luke's fishing expedition came up empty.

The case for McCain

McCain / Palin supporters make compelling arguments:



Counterbalanced by Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama from yesterday's MTP:



I haven't done my highly praised and hugely anticipated Aneurin's Political Machine Endorsements ^TM yet, as I'm still wading through the statewide ballot initiatives, but suffice it to say, the presidential endorsement is going to be hard to make after watching the two prior videos.

We're all ACORN now

So let me get this straight. A politically motivated investigation by the FBI is launched 20 days in advance of a federal election, combined with strong rhetoric from John McCain lambasting an anti-poverty group. Contact made to one of your senators expressing concern result in a hung up phone call, and that senator ain't Maria Cantwell. And now we have ACORN offices being vandalized and death threats made:

WASHINGTON — An ACORN community organizer received a death threat and the liberal activist group's Boston and Seattle offices were vandalized Thursday, reflecting mounting tensions over its role in registering 1.3 million mostly poor and minority Americans to vote next month.

[...]

Republicans, including presidential candidate John McCain, have verbally attacked the group repeatedly in recent days, alleging a widespread vote-fraud scheme, although they've provided little proof. It was disclosed Thursday that the FBI is examining whether thousands of fraudulent voter-registration applications submitted by some ACORN workers were part of a systematic effort or isolated incidents.

What say you, citizens of Vancouver? You gonna take this lying down, or form an ACORN Vancouver chapter? With an economy looking downright Brechtian, it's time to rattle some cages.

What's increasingly clear is that ACORN is being HUAC'd.

Don Benton goes to the trough

Someone should let Clark County Republican chair Ryan Hart know what a real special interest is, just look at Don Benton's PDCs:

Banking

BANK OF AMERICA	6/27/2008	$800.00
BANK OF AMERICA	6/27/2008	$800.00

WASHBANKPAC

12/13/2007

$700.00

WA MUTUAL PAC

11/25/2007

$300.00

Payday Loans

BASSFORD DAVID	11/11/2007	$275.00
BASSFORD DENNIS	10/29/2007	$275.00
BASSFORD SARA	11/11/2007	$275.00

CZ LOANS, INC.

8/5/2007

$200.00

Tribal and other Casinos

MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE	10/11/2008	$800.00
MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE	7/3/2008	$800.00

CAMPAIGN FOR TRIBAL SELF-RELIANCE B

9/26/2008

$800.00

MTM GAMING

12/14/2007

$700.00

DRAGONSLAYER, INC.

12/14/2007

$700.00

Tobacco

PHILIP MORRIS USA

8/31/2007

$700.00

PHILIP MORRIS USA

9/18/2008

$800.00

That's really just the tip of the iceberg. So if Benton and the Republicans want to make special interest money an issue, we can have that discussion.

He's not Darwin

Brian Baird seems to be in a bit of trouble over that Galapagos trip in June, especially after the Inside Edition (hey, guys, learn to leverage Internet video) piece:

A producer and correspondent went undercover as tourists to investigate the trip, deploying hidden cameras to capture members of Congress and their guests staying in “plush seaside suites” at the Red Mangrove Inn, one of the islands’ most expensive resorts, where they enjoyed fine wine and sushi dinners, cycled and took in a little shopping, according to an Inside Edition press release.

[...]

Inside Edition correspondent Matt Meagher reported that the tsunami warning center the group had planned to visit does not exist, and that some of the scientists that members met with had to be flown to Ecuador from Washington to explain the work they were doing on climate change.

So in addition to the cost of the trip, there's the slight issue of the taxpayer cost to shuttle climate scientists down to Ecuador as well.

With everyone taking a 30% haircut on their retirement accounts, no one is in a mood to pay for these junkets, whether its members of Congress or chardonnay sugar scrubs for AIG execs. But you know, it's all about personal responsibility if you're bankrupt due to medical bills. For fat cat CEOs and members of Congress, it's time to party down.

As someone much smarter than myself remarked about Baird's trip, "What's he doing in the Galapagos? He's not Darwin."

Settle the case and shut the hell up

City of Vancouver officials are still blabbing non-stop after the Navin Sharma settlement, from city councilman Larry Smith:

Councilman Larry Smith said the real victims were 78 people whose reputations were damaged by Navin Sharma’s “false” and “sloppy” drunken-driving reports.

“Sharma actually discriminated against these 78,” Smith said during a discussion of how the city intends to carry out a post-settlement review. “I’m a little concerned that those individuals who got a false report have been victimized.”

Sharma. Discriminated. That's chutzpah. Vancouver Police Chief Cliff Cook:

Police Chief Cliff Cook declined to say that Sharma had intentionally falsified his reports. But he did characterize his drunken-driving reports as “careless, sloppy work” and said that aspect of the case has been lost in the post-settlement discussion.

“I think the rhetorical question would be what degree of sloppy, careless police work are we willing to accept? None.”

And City Attorney Ted Gathe:

City Attorney Ted Gathe, also speaking following the meeting, said Sharma’s reports were so inaccurate that in one case he did not have the correct sex of the person he accused of drunken driving.

“This officer was terminated for valid reasons,” he said.

I'm not a lawyer, but these repeated public denunciations are fodder for yet another round of litigation by Sharma's lawyers. The continual besmirching of Sharma's reputation only adds fuel to the fire, especially in light of an upcoming Justice Department investigation into the matter.

We don't know if Sharma's "sloppy" police reports were a matter of poor training, bad management, or both, and with the latest statements by city officials, we're not about to obtain closure.

Updated thought: If I'm AIG, who's just gone through a quasi-bankruptcy, I'm probably not going to lower my general liability insurance premiums for the City of Vancouver. As long as city officials fail to yap up, expect any liability insurance provider to look sideways at City of Vancouver.

Shorter Tom Mielke: Pave it over

Clark County Food & Farm blog picks up on Tom Mielke's quote in The Columbian regarding the future of farming in Clark County:

Mielke: Says the county over-regulates agriculture; doesn’t think small farms have much future. “To think that someone’s going to make a living on five acres is ridiculous. … That’s not a farm. A farm is something you make your living at.”

And points out just how wrong Mielke is:

The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast says the average farm household income will grow by 6.3 percent this year to $89,434. But $75,805 will come from teaching, sales and other non farm sources.

[...]

I guess Tom also hasn't been paying attention to the growing CSA movement in Clark County, the increasing popularity of the recently formed Farm Connection/Locavore group, the 170+ people working to open this county's first food co-op, or the fact that the number of productive small farms is actually increasing every year for the past few years. Maybe he isn't aware of the exponential increase in the number of farmer's markets across the country or the increase of sales that has been occruing year after year.

And Mielke's solution? Pave it over:

Mielke: Said the county has planned for too little residential and industrial growth. “We don’t have enough industrial and heavy industrial land here to create those jobs. … We need a diversity of jobs, not just green jobs. We can’t be out there picking and choosing when we have people unemployed.”

If anything has been proven by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, we've planned for far too much residential, and not enough planning devoted to making or growing stuff. With Tom Mielke, you get the same old thinking rather than someone who can face new challenges, as he readily admits:

Mielke: “I’m older. I used to think my grandpa was the smartest guy in the world, and now I know why. … I’ve got the experience. I’ve got the knowledge.

Older doesn't necessarily mean wiser in Mielke's case.

Future Congressman

Frankly, I'd rather see the wait staff run for Congress than schlep beers, as they'd do a better job than the current crew:



(h/t to the SO)

Carrier, Probst garner Columbian endorsement

In two closely watched races, The Columbian goes up with their endorsements in the 17th, and picks the uber-qualified Tim Probst:

Vote for Tim Probst — Few rookies are better prepared for elected office than Tim Probst. He currently works as leader of a statewide work force training group and has solid experience as state policy analyst, legislative liaison and assistant to Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar in the 1990s. Bolstered by 48.2 percent of the primary votes, Probst has the momentum and the expertise to help 17th district voters forget about Dunn.

His opponent — Republican Joseph James — has an unimpressive background as a business owner. He’s campaigned well, though, and should consider running for a lesser office. But he lacks the broad civic knowledge that makes Probst a superb choice.

Oh come on, James is a CEO of several web sites, that has to count for something?

More surprisingly, or perhaps a sign that Don Benton has worn out his welcome, they pick challenger David Carrier:

David Carrier for state senator — You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who provides a greater contrast to blustery incumbent Don Benton than Democrat David Carrier, a soft-spoken political newcomer, avid outdoorsman and holder of a doctoral degree in economics from Notre Dame. Carrier is working tirelessly in the campaign.

And comes up with a well thought out rationale for why Benton's time in Olympia should end:

He once missed 17 consecutive meetings as a member of the Higher Education Committee. Benton’s bellicose collisions with colleagues raised eyebrows as far back as 2000 when Republican leaders demanded his resignation as state chair. Through the years, he’s become an inveterate “Dr. No,” opposing sensible ideas that draw popular support, such as all-mail voting and abolishing the supermajority for school levies. He is even opposed to the proposal for replacing the decrepit and dangerous Interstate 5 Bridge.

Benton can't even get along with members of his own party, how's he supposed to work on meaningful legislation in Olympia to get the economy moving again, of which getting the bridge project done is a key part?

Really glad that the Bailout passed

That Bailout plan is working wonders:

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street tumbled again Monday, joining a sell-off around the world as fears grew that the financial crisis will cascade through economies globally despite bailout efforts by the U.S. and other governments. The Dow Jones industrials skidded nearly 500 points and fell below 10,000 for the first time in four years, while the credit markets remained under strain.

The markets have come to the sobering realization that the Bush administration's $700 billion rescue plan won't work quickly to unfreeze the credit markets, and that many banks are still having difficulty gaining access to cash. That's caused investors to exit stocks and move money into the relative safety of government debt.

Heckuva job, political establishment.

Update: Watching the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Carolyn Maloney's (D-Manhattan) softball questions ("what advice do you have to ensure we shore up our economy") to Richard Fuld, the failed Lehman Bros. CEO, all you need to know is who contributes money her way:

Securities & Investment	$154,325
Real Estate	$140,298
Lawyers/Law Firms	$126,078
Misc Finance	$83,350
Retired	$64,200

Fantastic, we have corporate influenced members of Congress asking if CEO's control membership of corporate compensation committees. Kabuki theater at its most delicious.

Fascinating, captain

Here's two statements from a candidate questionnaire from two local candidates in response to the question, "What is your political philosophy?":

Candidate A: Small government, fiscal conservative.

Candidate B: That government should do those things for the collective that the individual can not accomplish best on its own, such as providing educational opportunity, providing for the elderly and the disabled while providing public safety for all. It is our job to do those things that provide opportunity for all without picking the winners and losers.

Without clicking the link, guess which party Candidates A & B are affiliated with?

Fascinating.

Clawbacks as a way to save the bailout

Now that Congress has time to go back to the drawing board on the bailout plan with a more comprehensive solution, they might want to consult Clark county's David Nierenberg, who has some strong medicine for any bailout proposal:

David Nierenberg, a Camas, Wash., investor, went further, calling for "clawbacks" that would allow the government to recover compensation paid to former executives and directors who were in charge when companies moved into subprime mortgages and other high-risk securities that put them in harm's way.

"It's harsh, it's blunt, it's bloody," Nierenberg said. "But that's the way it should be."

Nierenberg also urged the government to take equity positions in the companies receiving federal aid, as it did when it bailed out Chrysler in 1979. The government ended up making money on its investment in Chrysler.

"If the government is going to put all this money of ours at risk, it should get equity, warrants and options to get repaid first," he said.

The notion of "clawbacks", where CEO's give up their golden parachutes, is exactly what's needed to sway detractors of the bailout plan. No one wants to hear about CEOs making $20 million for 17 days worth of work. In order to sell this thing politically, taxpayers need to know that they're not the only ones taking it in the shorts. The "clawback" is a rare combination of both financial and political savvy where both sides can agree is the sensible proposal to add to any bailout legislation.

The majority of bailout detractors were against the original plan as formulated due to its weak oversight and lack of making companies accountable. By adding "clawback" provisions and taking equity positions (making the government the ultimate "turnaround specialist"), my sense is that support could shift dramatically thus making the bailout plan politically viable.

It might behoove someone with one of the national campaigns to get in touch with Mr. Nierenberg to get more detail.