Last Call

The final debate before the GOP primary in South Carolina was still uniformly awful, but if anything it shows that Mitt may end up being the weakest major party nominee in decades.

It was a huge shift for Romney, who’s emerged from more than a dozen debates as a winner, mostly because no one could land a blow against him. There have been gaffes a plenty, of course — from “I’m running for office for Pete’s sake” to the $10,000 bet — but Romney’s always had the air of a frontrunner, rather than the guy playing catch up.

That wasn’t true Thursday. After days of stumbling through stories about his tax rate and his resistance to release his returns, Romney’s bad few days came to a head at the debate.

When asked whether he’d release more than a single year’s tax returns, Romney said “maybe,” prompting boos and jeers from the audience. “I don’t know how many years I’ll release.”

“I’m not going to apologize for being successful,” he said. “I’m not suggesting these people are doing that but I know that Democrats will go after me on that basis and that’s why I want to release these things all at the same time. “

I honestly thought John King served up volleyball after volleyball just to see who could spike Romney in the head the hardest.  He got mauled by all three opponents, while Romney just fell apart, spewing vapid talking points while he searched in vain for a way out.

I'll tell you what, President Obama is going to make shredded wheat out of this guy.

Who Wants To Tax A Millionaire?

Mitt Romney says his effective tax rate was "closer to 15%" last year.  Who paid a higher tax rate than Mittens did in 2011?  If you made more than $50,000 in income last year, the answer is "You, sucker!"

Now that Mitt Romney's confirmed what we've long suspected about his effective federal tax rate -- "It's probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything" -- we have a fact worth contextualizing. Though it could easily be less, assume Romney effectively pays 15 percent in taxes on all his income to the federal government. How does he stack up to the rest of us, most of whom are regular wage earners? When you account for the fact that most people also pay payroll taxes, and don't enjoy enormous deductions, credits or other benefits, you see that Romney's making out about as well as a taxpayer who makes $50,000 a year. Not bad for a man whose net worth is estimated to be in the neighborhood of a quarter billion dollars.  

And every single Republican running for President thinks Mitt Romney pays too much in taxes.  All of them want to sharply cut or eliminate totally the capital gains tax.  Meanwhile, nearly all of their flat tax plans would raise taxes on the poorest Americans while cutting them for those making six figure incomes or more.

That's what's in store if the GOP gets control, folks.

The Moose And The Newt

Newt must really think he has a shot in South Carolina.  The polls are tightening up in the state, cutting Romney's 20 point lead over the pack to just 10.  Newt's in striking distance and he knows it...enough that he's playing the Palin card.

If Newt Gingrich wins the White House in November, the former House speaker said Wednesday Sarah Palin may get a big seat at the table.


"I would ask her to consider taking a major role in the next administration if I'm president, but nothing has been discussed of any kind," Gingrich said on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."

His comments came one day after Palin urged South Carolina voters to head to the polls for Gingrich during Saturday's first-in-the-South primary.

She said a win for Gingrich would prolong the Republican primary and allow voters more time to vet the remaining candidates.

She's right, but not for the right reasons.  It'll extend the primary season alright, but it will weaken the eventual nominee.  I'm okay with that, and apparently so is Sarah Palin.  Way to go, dear.  Keep up your plan.

Blackberry Jam: Death Rumors

There is a rumor that Samsung is considering buying Research In Motion.  It seems Microsoft and Nokia took a pass, losing interest after the declining role of Blackberry products in the cell phone and tablet markets.  Amazon was another rumored buyer, but that fell through as well.  One article says RIM is greatly overestimating their value.  I agree.  Regardless, it makes sense to start negotiations on the high end and work down.

Recently, CNET published a story saying RIM hired Goldman Sachs to help them field potential buyers.  It makes sense, and it's the right time.  RIM has nothing but a slow decline to look forward to.  Their newest products are just a repeat of the same old stuff.  If you've had one Blackberry, you've really had them all.  They do not command development or attention like they used to, and businesses are flooding to Android phones because they mesh well with the Google palate of services.  Google has theoretically secured email and file sharing enough that a modest operator can control access and get the full benefit from the free options.  The exceptions are few and far between, and they aren't buying Blackberry phones.

It's sad.  We all saw it coming, but I take no joy in watching Blackberry fall through.  They brought about a lot of changes and was a gateway to the smart phone lifestyle.  But they failed to evolve and stay on top, so their time is nearing an end.

What's In The Ba...OH MY GOD!

Two men were walking several dogs in a park in Hollywood.  They were at the bottom of the hill where the famous Hollywood sign stands.  The dogs found a discarded bag and started playing it it.  The two men weren't concerned at first, then the stopped to check out what had caught the attention of the pets.

It was a human head.

Of course, there is an investigation underway, and we'll surely post an update as more becomes known.  This type of thing is incredibly rare, despite what Hollywood would have you believe (sorry, couldn't resist the pun).  One has to wonder if it was intended to get attention or if it's just a coincidence.

Harry Bosch could tell us for sure.

But I Think It's Just A Matter Of Trust

The third annual PPP TV news trust poll is out, and the bottom line is Americans are just as polarized as their news sources.

Fox is the most trusted TV news source for 34% of voters, followed by PBS at 17%, CNN at 12%, ABC News at 11%, CBS News at 8%, MSNBC at 5%, and Comedy Central and NBC each at 4%.

68% of Republicans pick Fox as their most trusted source, with no one else even hitting double digits. Democrats split closely three ways with PBS at 21%, ABC News at 19%, and CNN at 17%. Despite having a reputation for appealing to the left MSNBC actually polls in only 6th place among Democrats at 8%, finishing slightly behind even Fox News' 9%. Independents split almost evenly between Fox News (29%) and PBS (27%).

Fox is also the least trusted TV news source for 34% of voters, followed by Comedy Central at 16%, MSNBC at 15%, CNN at 11%, ABC News at 7%, CBS News at 5%, PBS at 2%, and NBC News at 1%.

Democrats (53-17 over Comedy Central) and independents (44-13 over Comedy Central) both overwhelmingly say Fox is their least trusted news source. Republicans go for MSNBC by a 28-23 margin over CNN, followed by Comedy Central at 18% and ABC News at 10%. 

Those numbers are better than 2010 overall, but not by much.  Still, it's interesting to see that only PBS was trusted by a majority of Americans (52%) , and overall ABC News came in behind MSNBC in the trust department.

I blame George Will.

We'll Just Call It A Tie

In an example of just how terribly corrupt Republican party officials are, the official, certified results of the Iowa caucus are finally in and Rick Santorum actually won by 23 votes.  The Iowa GOP has decided to call it a tie instead.  Josh Marshall:

The rationale for calling this a tie, according to the Des Moines Register, which has the story as an exclusive, is that 8 precincts’ numbers are lost permanently and will never be certified. So in practice it’s a tie, too close to call, etc. That of course probably applies to pretty much all recount type elections — Bush v Gore, maybe Franken v. Coleman, etc. The vagueries of the process itself is too imprecise in some sense to tell you who ‘won’ in some Platonic (the other sense of the word) sense. But in normal elections where the people holding it aren’t deeply invested in not letting one guy win we have a name for that kind fo situation — Rick Santorum won.

Of course, it’s unlikely to do Santorum much good at this point. And he probably just was never a good enough, or viable enough, candidate to have truly shifted his fortunes even if it had come out on caucus night. But it’s worth speculating how the news would have affected Romney’s momentum. A win is a win, as the state GOP of Iowa seems to have a hard time now accepting. And even though it was razor close, Romney came out of Iowa with a win. And after a rout in New Hampshire he had two ‘wins’. And together those shifted where the race was pretty decisively by mid-January, finally forcing a lot of Republicans with Mitt-commitment issues to get on board.

In other words, the call in Iowa then made Mitt all but inevitable now.  It'll be interesting to see how the Republicans react to this on the road.  If Mitt wins Saturday, it's over.  But would he have still done the same if Santorum had been rightfully declared the winner in Iowa?

We'll never know.  Republicans aren't terribly interested in facts, just results.  Remember that the next time they play the ACORN/UNION THUGS/BLACK PANTHERS!!!!11!!one! card.

StupidiNews!

• Forced by Congress to make a decision before EPA studies could be concluded, President Obama has shelved the Keystone XL pipeline.
• The US Supreme Court heard arguments on three cases involving foreign-born permanent residents, 2 facing deportation and the third denied re-entry into the US after traveling overseas.
• Democratic party officials say they will shorten this year's national convention in Charlotte to three days, with Labor Day's opening being an outdoor ceremony at Lowes' Motor Speedway.
• Somali piracy was cut by 80% in the last three months of 2011 as the international community made a series of pre-emptive strikes to clear the waters off the coast of Africa.
• Some 13 US Senators announced they would opposed PIPA legislation censoring the internet after yesterday's blackout.

Last Call

One final piece of actual news tonight...and it features Dinosaur Steve, the Governor of my fair commonwealth of Kentucky, doing something irritatingly awful again.

Gov. Steve Beshear proposed an austere state budget Tuesday that he conceded is “inadequate for the needs of our people” — cutting funding for most state agencies by 8.4 percent while protecting some priority areas.

The cuts, coming on top of others made during Beshear’s first term, will likely mean delays in services, the loss of federal matching funds, the possible closing of some state offices and perhaps even limited layoffs of state workers.


“We should be making substantial investments in our physical and intellectual infrastructure to bring transformational change to our state. This budget does not allow us to do enough of that,” the governor said in his 39-minute budget address Tuesday night before a joint legislative session in the House chamber.

“Instead, it requires painful cuts that may well force us to retreat on some core services and that risk jeopardizing progress we’ve made over decades in education,” he said.


Base support for public schools is essentially frozen through the next two fiscal years at its current year appropriation — a move Beshear acknowledged will reduce the state’s per-pupil spending for schools because the student population is growing.


State universities would be cut by 6.4 percent next year, and Kentucky State Police and most public safety agencies by 2.2 percent.

So yes America, more austerity on the way for Kentucky.  And I voted for Dinosaur Steve because his opponent would have eliminated the state's income tax, and then imposed a flat sales tax on everything in its place, far more damaging in the long run.

Sometimes you have to make the lousy choices, folks.  But it's a choice I'd make every time.

House Of Cards

Want to know what the House GOP's first order of business is in 2012?  If you guessed anything other than "attack President Obama" it's long past time for you to start paying attention to these idiots, because they are the reason there's no jobs bill and no help coming for the housing market.  They'd rather do nothing but attack the President and hope you'll blame him for it.

For their first legislative act of 2012, House Republicans plan on delivering a symbolic rebuke to President Obama on Wednesday for raising the federal debt limit, which the August 2 law permits them to do. The GOP resolution is expected to pass the chamber, but no matter the outcome, it won’t threaten the ability of the U.S. government to meet its obligations either at home or abroad.

After a grueling battle last summer, Congress passed with strong bipartisan support a three-stage increase in the federal credit limit totaling $2.4 trillion. The first $400 billion took effect right away; the second $500 billion came a month later, and the final $1.2 trillion was requested by President Obama last week.

A provision in the law, placed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), allows Congress to vote to disapprove of the phased increases — a transparent effort to embarrass the president and deride him for the $15.2 trillion national debt. It won’t amount to anything because even if the Senate passes it, which it likely won’t, Obama can veto it and go on about the business of governing.

“Unfortunately, the only thing we have on this week’s agenda is a charade,” House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told reporters Tuesday. “An abdication of responsibility.”

They abdicated that responsibility on the first day of last year's legislative session, and they've not done a single thing since for the American people...except repeatedly take them hostage.

Betty And Barack

You have to admit, the President has a hell of a sense of humor.

StupidiNews! Texting Edition.

Gary Dourdan is in hot water for texting his ex and wishing her a merry Christmas. The judge let him know he was not going to cut him any slack. Until the entire case has been heard, Dourdan would be wise to follow orders.

In Crestview, Florida a man pulled the same trick with even more stupidity. Also forbidden from contacting his ex, he sent the following message: "Even though u r mad at me will u still marrier me? ... I love you!"

I never thought I'd have to say this, but guys... if someone has a restraining order against you then it's a little late to send cheerful or loving messages. That ship has sailed. That dog won't hunt. That fart is blowin' in the wind. Pick your cliche, but learn your lesson.

The Paula Deen Conundrum

People are shocked, just shocked that a heavyset older woman has diabetes, and that she hawked food under such deplorable conditions.  Again, I have to call BS.  Not on Deen, but on the people who pretend to be horrified that she was so "dishonest" in running her business.  So here we go, Bon The Geek style, down a list of bullet points of why this is ridiculous.

She's famous for cooking.  That doesn't change no matter what her blood sugar is.  She's not a vegetarian cook, she's not a trendy lean grilled kind of broad.  She is famous for deep fried and chocolate coated yum yums, and always will be despite her diagnosis.

Type II diabetes is not always the result of poor eating or health habits.  While it's true that our lifestyle has caused a boom in the number of cases, it doesn't mean that genetics or other factors don't come into play.  I take this personally, because I also have had to deal with people assuming things about my lifestyle.  In reality, both parents and three out of four grandparents were diabetic.  I could be a rail thin marathon tennis weight cruncher and still have this condition.  We hear so much about how to prevent it that we forget there are people who are diabetic, and would have been no matter how many pies they baked.

Paula Deen is a cook and a businesswoman.  She is going to do her job, which is to sell cookbooks and make people drool.  There is no hypocrisy in her following the money doing what she does best.  It's what public figures do, and we should know that.  Again, celebrity is not a gauge of wholesomeness.  While Deen likes to drawl and flutter her eyes to work the grandma angle, she never promised to lead us to healthy food.  In fact, she was quite open about celebrating the opposite.

Are people going to say that she tricked them into eating chocolate cake?  Does someone feel deceived that an older woman with a common disease somehow misled them into the world of fried chicken?  Because she is diabetic, should she hide in the house and find a new career?  I've heard people say all of those things, somehow feeling entitled to an apology from her.  Bullshit, and shame on them.  We are accountable for what we eat, and expecting Paula Deen, the queen of southern fried bliss, to be a role model is like expecting the Marlboro Man to attend the funerals of smokers.

I am really not a Deen fan. I think she's creepy, and I fully expect to find that she sacrifices kittens or kicks little kids when nobody is looking.  But stupid is stupid, and the minute this story hit I knew where it was going.

Future Imperfect

Two British futurists, Ian Pearson and Patrick Tucker, tackle what the next hundred years will bring:  aquatic kelp farming, fusion power, telepathy, clinical immortality through downloading your brain, weather control, but there was also the geopolitical predictions like the break up of the United States.

6. One single worldwide currency (from Kennys_Heroes)

IP: Likelihood 8/10. This is very plausible. We are already seeing electronic currency that can be used anywhere, and this trend will continue. It is quite likely that there will be only a few regional currencies by the middle of the century and worldwide acceptance of a global electronic currency. This will gradually mean the others fall out of use and only one will left by the end of the century.

PT: Great try! The trend on this is actually more in the opposite direction. The internet is enabling new forms of bartering and value exchange. Local currencies are also now used by several hundred communities across the US and Europe. In other words, look for many more types of currency and exchange not fewer, in the coming decades.

I'm going to have to go with Ian on this one.  What makes currency valuable is its ubiquity.  The more widely accepted it is, the more useful.  That favors fewer currencies as electronic transactions become far more commonplace.

10. There will only be three languages in the world - English, Spanish and Mandarin (Bill Walker)

IP: Likelihood 8/10. This does look like a powerful trend, other languages don't stand a lot of chance. Minor languages are dying at a huge rate already and the other major ones are mostly in areas where everyone educated speaks at least one of the other three. Time frame could be this century.

And by the time we get to the era of Firefly, it'll be just Mandarin and English.

11. Eighty per cent of the world will have gay marriage (Paul) 

IP: Likelihood 8/10. This seems inevitable to those of us in the West and is likely to mean different kinds of marriages being available to everyone. Gay people might pick different options from heterosexual people, but everyone will be allowed any option. Some regions will be highly resistant though because of strong religious influences, so it isn't certain. 

I think this will be a lot sooner in places like the US, but 80% by 2112 seems pretty likely, yes.

12. California will lead the break-up of the US (Dev 2)

IP: Likelihood 8/10. There are some indications already that California wants to split off and such pressures tend to build over time. It is hard to see this waiting until the end of the century. Maybe an East Coast cluster will want to break off too. Pressures come from the enormous differences in wealth generation capability, and people not wanting to fund others if they can avoid it.

As they say, California by itself would be the 7th largest economy on Earth.  What California doesn't have is water that the Rocky Mountain states do.  It still comes down to basics.

17. Marriage will be replaced by an annual contract (holierthanthou)

IP: Likelihood 6/10. I think we will certainly see some weaker forms of marriage that are designed to last a decade or two rather than a whole lifetime, but traditional marriage will still be an option. Increasing longevity is the key - if you marry at 20 and live to well over 100, that is far too long a commitment. People will want marriages that aren't necessarily forever, but don't bankrupt them when they end. 

Interesting.  What will marriage mean when longevity is extended into the triple digits?

19. War by the West will be fought totally by remote control (LowMaintenanceLifestyles)

IP: Likelihood 5/10.

Psst, don't tell Greenwald.

I'll put this in the future stupidity files, where it can be dug out by scientists after the collapse.

A Day Without Lolcats

Many of my favorite sites, like Raw Story and Boing Boing have gone dark today to protest the House GOP's Stop Online Piracy Act.  The effort has really grown in the last week:






So try not to panic. But do call your House Representative and tell them you're against SOPA...and that they should be too.



Find your Congresscritter here.

Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Guide for first-timers here.

As far as ZVTS goes, it's going to be a rather light day.