Jared Bernstein, late a TPMCafe blogger, now VP Biden’s Chief Economist, tees off on James Cramer’s “shovel ready nonsense.”
Obama administration to dispatch two senior officials to Syria for talks with Assad regime.
Party committees put out a lot of claptrap. But, okay, I’ll bite. This one’s pretty funny. The DCCC has put together an automated Rush Apology Widget. You use the pull down menus to tell Rush what breach you’re apologizing for, what you really meant to say, how you could have erred so grievously, etc.
Fidel Castro blogging about Cuban government shake-up.
TPM Reader PD chimes in from the Rush Wars …
You know what’s great about all this Rush nonsense? It looks like the Democrats, from Robert Gibbs to Rahm to the DCCC, are finally using some of the techniques of bitch-slap politics against the Republicans. If GOPers are put on the spot and agree with Rush, they’re taking an unpopular position about the direction of the country. If they disagree, they’re immediately forced to grovel and look weak doing it. Only in this case it’s sort of like the bitch-slap theory combined with jujitsu, because the Dems are actually getting Rush to administer the slaps. I’m about your age, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the Dems have the confidence to make Republicans look weak like this.
From the News Star …
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal brought most of his Cabinet here Monday afternoon to offer moral and tangible support to a group of 500 desperate Pilgrim’s Pride contract growers and employees whose livelihoods are at risk following the company’s decision to idle its northeastern Louisiana and southern Arkansas operations.
…
Jindal said that the state would apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance from the federal government, which would expand unemployment benefits to employees and provide benefits to growers who aren’t eligible for unemployment benefits. The state was recently granted Trade Adjustment Assistance for International Paper workers who lost their jobs when IP closed its Bastrop paper mill late last year.
Just out from WBAL in Baltimore …
The WBAL TV 11 News I-Team is raising new questions about the campaign spending of former Maryland lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidate Michael Steele, as well as former Gov. Robert Ehrlich.
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According to campaign records, some of the biggest payments from their accounts went to the same firm — a Prince George’s County firm that went by the name Allied Berton, LLC.
The firm’s Web site said it was in the business of trading commodities, such as minerals, metals, coffee and sugar. But the campaign payments it received, according to the candidates’ accounting, were for a wide range of other activities, according to campaign filings.
See the rest here.
Remember, this comes on the heels of other accusations of financial shenanigans from Steele’s 2006 campaign,
albeit based on accusations from a former campaign official who was facing time on unrelated charges and thus had strong incentives to try to cut a deal. The FBI is currently investigating those other charges.
Also, think about this. Who’s more likely to be dropping a dime on Michael Steele right now? Republicans or Democrats? I trust that question answers itself.