Madoff gets 150 years.
Gotta figure he’s not going to be alive in 150 years. So I guess you’d call that life.
Zack Roth has more.
The top anti-Sotomayor group’s reaction to Ricci decision on its website: “NOT EVEN ONE JUSTICE APPROVED SOTOMAYER IN RICCI CASE.”
As I mentioned on Friday, TPM is doubling the size of its editorial staff.
Today we are announcing seven new job openings — three in Washington, DC and four at our main office in New York City. Four of the seven are reporting jobs; the rest are a mix of writing, editing and production positions.
For job descriptions and instructions for applying see our job announcements page here.
This won’t come as the slightest surprise to those versed in health care policy issues. But I fear it’s only barely permeated the health care reform debate in the country, certainly in Washington. And that’s this: the opposition to a so-called ‘public option’ comes almost entirely from insurance companies who have developed monopolies or near monopolies in particular geographic areas. And they don’t want competition.
Note, I’m not saying more competition. I’m saying any competition at all. As Zack Roth explains in this new piece 94% of the health care insurance market is now under monopoly or near-monopoly conditions — the official term of art is ‘highly concentrated’. In other words, there’s no mystery why insurance costs keep going up even as the suck quotient rises precipitously. Because in most areas there’s little or no actual competition. Read More
Not sure we’ve got a good general heading to put this under. But over the weekend Francine Busby was holding a fundraiser in an upper-income neighborhood in San Diego, prepping to run again in the fairly Republican CA-50 district. Remember, that’s Duke Cunningham’s old district, now represented by Brian Bilbray. So Busby’s holding her fundraiser. Some neighbor calls the cops complaining of noise. And before you know it, the sheriff’s department is there with eight squad cars and a helicopter, dousing multiple attendees with pepper spray and arresting one of the hostesses. (Click here for our TPMDC interview with Francine Busby discussing the incident.)
Only it gets better, or worse, depending on your perspective.
There’s evidence the noise complaint was bogus. Busby did use a microphone to communicate with the crowd for a period of time — a crowd she described as “middle aged and above.” But no other neighbors heard any noise to speak of, according to reports. And there is this. The fundraiser was hosted by a lesbian couple. And not long before the sheriff’s deputies showed up, someone was heard outside screaming anti-lesbian epithets.
As you can see, a lot of unanswered questions. Here’s our initial report. We’ve got an interview with Francine Busby coming shortly.
Obama calls out official Washington for being lazy and out of shape. Will the Senate couch potatoes get moving in time to pass the climate change bill the House is sending over?
As noted earlier, here’s our interview with congressional candidate Francine Busby (CA-50), discussing the incident over the weekend in which San Diego Sheriff’s deputies raided a Busby fundraiser with eight squad cars and a helicopter, pepper-spraying numerous attendees and arresting one of the hostess after putting her in a restraint hold.
President Obama just said the US government regards the coup in Honduras as “not legal” and still recognizes now-exiled President Zelaya as the country’s legitimate president.
Sen. Vitter (R-LA) decides to go easy on fornicators in new fundraising appeal.