Super Bowl XLIII

And the Steelers win one of the craziest Super Bowls ever, 27-23. The last 3 minutes of that game will go down in history, folks.

Congrats to the Terrible Towels and their sixth Super Bowl win.

The Gregg Gambit

Reports are flying around this weekend that Obama plans to name New Hampshire Republican Sen. Judd Gregg as Commerce Secretary as early as tomorrow.

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is the leading candidate to become President Obama's Commerce secretary, an administration official said Saturday, adding that a decision could come as early as Monday.

Gregg's appointment would add another Republican to Obama's Cabinet at a time when the president is preaching bipartisanship and working to build GOP support for his agenda.

It would also have the potential to tip the balance of power in the Senate: New Hampshire's governor, a Democrat, could name a Democrat to succeed Gregg.

Depending on the outcome of the contested Senate race in Minnesota, a Democratic appointee from New Hampshire could give the party 60 seats in the Senate, counting the two independents who caucus with Democrats -- enough to shut down Republican filibusters and smooth the way for Obama's plans whether there is bipartisan support for them or not.

So, what are the pros and cons of this plan? Is Obama outsmarting the GOP, or is he too clever for his own good?

The Pros for Judd Gregg:

• Sixty Democrats in the Senate.
• Gregg would have to take his orders from Obama or be fired (the Hillary Solution).
• Eliminates Gregg as a block on the stimulus and EFCA.
• Bipartisan points with the Village Idiots.
• Gregg may be sick of the GOP and this would be a strong career capstone.

The Cons against Judd Gregg:

• NH Gov. Lynch may in fact appoint a Republican.
• There's no way Gregg and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will see eye to eye.
• GOP may block Gregg's appointment unless a Republican replaces him.
• If a Dem replaces Gregg, it will be all out war to make sure Al Franken is never seated.
  
• Gregg may go rogue once inside.

I can see why Obama would do it. Clearly, Gregg could have politely withdrawn his name from consideration at any point, so clearly he wants the job. Frankly, Gregg is a fiscal conservative that I doubt has much in common with Obama's vision of a green corporate America. Politically, short term, it's very tempting. Long term, it could be a disaster.

We'll see.

Quick, While Nobody Is Looking

Three more banks quietly went under Friday night. Tens, perhaps hundreds more will follow over the course of the next year or so.

Banks in Florida, Maryland and Utah were closed yesterday as regulators wrapped up the busiest month for failures since the housing slump began in 2006.

Ocala National Bank in Florida and Suburban Federal Savings Bank of Crofton, Maryland, were shut by federal regulators, according to statements sent by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. MagnetBank of Salt Lake City was seized by the Utah Department of Financial Institutions. The banks had total assets of $876.4 million and deposits of $790 million.

Six banks have failed this month as tumbling home prices and a 16-year high in unemployment boost foreclosures. The FDIC classified 171 banks as “problem” in the third quarter, a 46 percent jump from the previous period amid the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression.

Regulators closed 25 U.S. banks last year, the most since 1993, draining money from the FDIC deposit insurance fund, which had $34.6 billion as of Sept. 30. Ocala and Suburban Federal combined will cost the FDIC fund about $225.6 million, the regulator said. No estimate was provided for MagnetBank.

Six banks in January. At that rate, that'll be 3 times as many bank closings in 2009 than in 2008.

I'm betting it'll be more than that. A lot more.

Things Fall Apart

Meanwhile deep within the GOP, the racist, hate-filled core of the Republican party is going ballistic at the election of Michael Steele as head of the RNC as Pam Spaulding reveals.

OK. Now this is seriously funny. The BFF of Tony Perkins (of the Family Research Council), former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke, is going apesh*t over the election of Michael Steele to run the RNC. He refers to the former Maryland Lt. Gov as "Obama Junior" (if only!):

To Hell with the Republican Party!

GOP traitors appoint Obama Junior as Chairman of the Republican Party
I am glad these traitorous leaders of the Republican Party appointed this Black racist, affirmative action advocate to the head of the Republican party because this will lead to a huge revolt among the Republican base. As a former Republican official, I can tell you that millions of rank-and-file Republicans are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore! We will either take the Republican Party back over the next four years or we will say, "To Hell With the Republican Party!" And we will take 90 percent of Republicans with us into a New Party that will take its current place!

I think the insanity of nominating "Mr. Amnesty" John McCain and now this Black racist - will lead to insurgency in the Republican ranks, and a lot of dissidents getting elected in Republican Party primaries around the country. This will result over the next four years a real move by millions of Republicans to take the party back to the populist issues that are not only right but can win for the Republican Party. We must end affirmative action, protect our gun rights and all our constitutional rights, have a moratorium on immigration, we must have protectionism, yes I said protect American businesses and their workers from NAFTA and GATT and the lie of free trade, and we must have America First, not foreign interventionism. Our boys should be home protecting the American borders a not being murdered on the borders of Iraq or Afghanistan. The time as come for Republican Party to stand up to Obama and defend American heritage, rights, and freedom!

...Let's make this abomination in the Republican Party, the last major party of White redoubt, as a rallying cry of resistance!

What are the race-baiting, ignorant McCain/Palin mobs going to do now that its party is being headed up by a black man? Perhaps a better question is whether the Steele and the GOP will try to salvage this ignorant base of voters that they've depended on since the Southern Strategy of Nixon? GOP strategists are so used to using color-aroused campaign tactics that it's second nature; will the party be able to cure its addiction to racism and xenophobia?

And of course the answer to that is no. The only strategy the GOP has right now is to fully embrace the xenophobia and racism to the point where Barack Obama is seen as the Enemy of All That Is Good. The GOP is already vested in America's failure. The plan is to rise up against Obama and his Democratic "enablers" in 2010 and "take America back". It's a gamble that will drive the party further apart.

Racism, hatred, and failure. That's all the GOP has left. Their leaders know it. It's all they have left, and the inevitable schism will bury them in the dustbin of history for decades. Personally I'm waiting for the GOP to split down the middle and form a third party dedicated to the "preservation of the White, Christian Male."

Even More Stimulus And Response

I've said time and time again that the House GOP never had any intention of voting for Obama's plan to fix the economy whatsoever. They were always going to oppose it, they were always going to obstruct it, they were always going to do everything they can to sink it with the intention that they fully expected the economy to come apart at the seams.

The GOP is counting on the American economy to fail in order to make political gains in 2010 and 2012. This is the game plan, and it has been the game plan since Obama was elected into office in November. If enough Americans lose their jobs, they will vote in Republicans in response.

Today's evidence of this? Senate GOP #2 man Jon Kyl of Arizona says the country needs "to start from scratch" on the stimulus bill.

Now that the House of Representatives has passed President Obama's $800 billion stimulus plan without a single Republican voting in favor, all eyes are on the Senate, where the Democrats need to peel off at least a couple of Republican votes to avoid a filibuster.

Senate minority whip John Kyl (R-AZ) took a hard line against the legislation during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. He told host Chris Wallace, "It's very wasteful, it spends way too much money ... and it's ineffective. ... I see support in the Senate actually eroding. ... The basic approach of this bill, we believe is wrong."

"What is the minimum that you would need to see in changes in this package to get significant Republican support?" Wallace asked.

"We're not talking about little things at the margins," Kyl replied. "There would be major structural changes that would have to occur."

No intention whatsoever to vote for it. Every intention of holding the bill hostage and blaming Democrats for failure to pass a "bill we can vote for." The only way the GOP can regain power is if all Bush's failures are transferred to Obama. The GOP plan is to do exactly that. The Village media is giving them the cover they need already.

Bipartisanship was stillborn among the GOP. They want to destroy him and make sure he is to blame for all the failures of the last eight years. Obama has been wasting his time on the GOP and the Village. It's time for him to take his case to the people.

[UPDATE] Nor can he count on GOP moderates and Red State Democrats in the Senate.

In the Senate, Republicans will have more of an opportunity for compromise, by offering amendments to the Democrats' bill. But it's not just Republicans who are unhappy. Some Democrats said the bill includes too many proposals that do not relate to stimulating the economy.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, oppose the proposal in its current form and want to slash what they call wasteful spending from the bill, so moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats will be more likely to vote for it.

The two senators, known as consensus builders, have spent the weekend scrubbing the bill of spending that does not narrowly target job and economic growth.

This bill is coming apart. The GOP and Red State Dems will assure that anything that does reach Obama's desk will be so useless that it will fail miserably.

But then again, that's what the GOP wants.

The Obamedia Strikes Again

Now that Barack Obama has had a whole eleven days in office, it's time to fire up the blamethrower. Newsweek's cover story for the week of February 1?

It doesn't matter what the other guy did for the last seven years. It's all Obama's Vietnam now.

"Even 60,000 troops is a long way from the half million American soldiers sent to Vietnam at the war's peak; the 642 U.S. deaths sustained so far pale in comparison to the 58,000 lost in Vietnam," Thomas and Barry add.
"Still, consider this: that's a higher death toll than after the first nine years of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. And what is troubling is that no one in the outgoing or incoming administration has been able to say what the additional troops are for, except as a kind of tourniquet to staunch the bleeding while someone comes up with a strategy that has a chance of working. The most uncomfortable question is whether any strategy will work at this point."

But remember, Your Liberal Obamedia is madly in love with the Obamessiah at this point and would never, ever ruin his unending stream of praise.

Honeymoon. Over. After all, eleven whole days of "You should let the GOP have as much influence as possible" and "You should really resist your own party on this" and "We think Sasha and Malia are cute" is really just too much. Now it's time for the real work: "Why haven't you fixed the economy, Afghanistan, Gitmo, global warming, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Russia, China, and all of Islam yet? It's been almost two weeks, you asshole. That's not change we can believe in!"

[UPDATE] Bonus Obamedia love: last week's ice storm here in Kentucky is now (wait for it...wait for it...) Obama's Katrina.

Local officials were growing angry with what they said was a lack of help from the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In Grayson County, about 80 miles southwest of Louisville, Emergency Management Director Randell Smith said the 25 National Guardsmen who have responded have no chain saws to clear fallen trees.

"We've got people out in some areas we haven't even visited yet," Smith said. "We don't even know that they're alive."

Smith said FEMA has been a no-show so far.

"I'm not saying we can't handle it; we'll handle it," Smith said. "But it would have made life a lot easier" if FEMA had reached the county sooner, he said.

FEMA spokeswoman Mary Hudak said some FEMA personnel already are in Kentucky working in the state's emergency operations center and that more will be arriving in coming days. Hudak said FEMA also has shipped to 50 to 100 generators to the state to supply electricity to facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and water treatment plants.

Hudak said travel is still dangerous in some areas and communications are limited.

"We have plenty of folks ready to go, but there are some limitations with roads closed and icy conditions," she said.

How much more of the "failed Obama Presidency" can America take? After all, if Obama had just cut down all the trees in Kentucky when he came into office, he could have prevented this tragedy. Clearly we must impeach...

In all honesty folks I've said time and time again that the Village has but one job now: to paint Barack Obama as worse than George W. Bush could ever have been. So far I'd say they're doing a bang-up job.

New tag: Already Failed Obama Presidency. Sheesh.