Skippy says go.

Blogroll Amnesty Day is coming up on February 3, but Skippy's declared that Blogroll Amnesty Day Days begins today. The rules are simple. Bloggers are invited to link to five blogs smaller than their own. To judge "smaller," I'm relying on Technorati "authority" rankings. I don't know what that means, exactly, but for these purposes, mine is bigger (mostly not much, I admit).

Here's five I never miss, in no particular order...

Left Edge North is home Mr. Natural. Natch has somewhat less safe for the office approach than I do, but if he's a bit outrageous in expressing his outrage one in awhile, he's a regular source for a good laugh and an angle or an item I haven't seen elsewhere.

Kickstand holds forth graphically at Where It Stands, offering "Conventional wisdom. Scaled." Regulars here will recognize his stuff because I've "borrowed" more than a few of them. You should really see them at the source, where there's far more (and likely better) than I've shared here.

CitizenSteve and jpeg are the Washington Outsiders, holding forth from the upper upper left. Winners of a Niewert Award in 2006 for Best Local Party Coverage, they're equally adept at tracking stories beyond Whatcom County as well. Still, it's that local angle from a part of our state that's an important - and not automatic part of our Democratic majorities both in Olympia and the other Washington that makes them a distinctive and essential voice for followers of northwest politics.

Dashiell, as in Chris Dashiell, is the repository for some of the best writing in blogtopia (™ Skippy). I think even Chris would agree that it would be nice if he could do it faster and more frequently, but his posts tend to be worth waiting for, and to give you plenty to think about while you wait for the next. You can't rush the kind of thoughtfulness that underlies his best work, and he seems loathe to offer less than his best. Heck, even his rants are thoughtful, with his Final Phillipic Against Bush being a perfect case in point to begin with.

Carl Ballard, Demo Kid and TheHim are your hosts at Effinunsound, where they roast wingnuts on skewers. I'm totally down with the "know your enemy" concept, but I couldn't bear to read the righties without the pithy commentary of Carl and crew. Thanks, guys!

That's five. Wasn't hard at all. If you're a blogger, give it a go. Heck, it was so much fine I just might go again...

Random is easy.

Eclectic takes years to master...

Bobby Blue Bland - There's A Stranger In My House
Garrin Benfield - Leave Me Alone
Riley Baugus - Willow Tree
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love?
The Moaners - Heart Attack
Travis Tritt - Tougher Than The Rest
Bobby Vee - The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
Brigitte DeMeyer - Rooftop
Brian Setzer Orchestra - The House Is Rockin'

It's not over, over there.

Latest Confirmed Casualties, via Chad Shue…

Staff Sgt. Anthony D. Davis, 29, of Daytona Beach, FL died Jan. 6 in Northern Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Justin L. Bauer, 24, of Loveland, CO died Jan. 10 in Baghdad, Iraq.
Sgt. Marquis R. Porter, 28, of Brighton, MA died Jan. 11 in Anbar province, Iraq.
Pvt. Sean P. McCune, 20, of Euless, TX died Jan. 11 in Samarra, Iraq.
Senior Airman Omar J. McKnight, 22, of Marrero, LA died Jan 17 in Balad, Iraq.
Pfc. Ricky L. Turner, 20, of Athens, AL died Jan. 16 in Baghdad, Iraq.
Spc. Matthew M. Pollini, 21, of Rockland MA died Jan. 22 near al-Kut, Iraq.
Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, 24, of Swansea, MA died Jan. 24 in Basra, Iraq.
Pvt. Grant A. Cotting, 19, of Corona, CA died Jan. 24 in Kut, Iraq.
Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr., 35, of Bovey, MN died Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley, 30, of Cameron, MO died Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua M. Tillery, 31, of Beaverton, OR died Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin H. Todd, 29, of Colville, WA (88th Washingtonian) died Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq.

Damn.

Some dare call it treason.

Steelworkers President Leo Gerard does…

To survive this economic catastrophe, Americans must assert themselves as economic patriots. They must stand up to the likes of the Chamber and the Roundtable and call them out for being economic traitors to the United States of America.

Me too.

Quote of the day.

President Obama...

I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem, to me it's part of the solution.

The President said that! It's been a long time comin'...

Have I mentioned lately…

…how much I hate what they've done to my Army? Well, I hate it a lot...

WASHINGTON – Suicides among U.S. soldiers rose last year to the highest level in decades, the Army announced Thursday. At least 128 soldiers killed themselves in 2008. But the final count is likely to be considerably higher because 15 more suspicious deaths are still being investigated and could also turn out to be self-inflicted, the Army said.

Damn.

What he said…

…even if it's not fully family friendly.

Truth.

From the Rude Pundit…

When your argument comes down to "Shut up," you have no argument at all.

Yep.

Dear Republicans,

The jig is up.

In addition to December's NBC/WSJ poll, which showed that only 27% of the country viewed the GOP favorably (versus 49% who said that about the Dem Party), a new Gallup analysis of the 350,000 interviews it conducted in 2008 finds the Democratic Party leading in every state in the nation except in Alabama, Kansas, Nebraska, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.

Fondest wishes for a long, restful retirement,

America

Quote of the day.

"We have this thing called impeachment and it's bleeping golden and we've used it the right way."

Illinois State Senator James Meeks, Democrat

Bleepin' A.

Just the facts…

…from Marc Ambinder.

Obama is the most talented political figure of our generation - Boehner and McConnell are, uh, less talented.

It occurs to me…

…that for the last year or so most every statement I've heard or read based on the notion that "Obama must…" or "Obama should never have…" has turned out to be wrong. I'm not sure where his quest for bi-partisan harmony is headed or what it's worth, but I'm still extending enough slack to believe that he knows.

It's only week two, after all. We've got a long way to go, but there's still a bit of time to get there.

OK, then…

Specter Says He Will Back Holder

…can we stop with the silly and get this thing done.

Since you asked…

Bob Herbert...

What’s up with the Republicans? Have they no sense that their policies have sent the country hurtling down the road to ruin?

No, they don't.

Are they so divorced from reality that in their delusionary state they honestly believe we need more of their tax cuts for the rich and their other forms of plutocratic irresponsibility, the very things that got us to this deplorable state?

Yes, they are.

Happy to help.

Dear World…

We, the United States of America, your top quality supplier of ideals of democracy, would like to apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption in service. The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has been located, and the software responsible was replaced November 4, 2008.

Early tests of the newly installed program indicate that we are now operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully functional on January 20, 2009. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward to resuming full service and hope to improve service in years to come. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

The United States of America

A hearty Heh™ to Mr. Natural.

Dear President Obama…

We congratulate you and wish you the very best of fortune in your great undertaking. As writers, we admire your eloquence and your engagement with ideas. But we are worried because a new beginning will not be possible as long as we continue to spill the blood of the men, women and children of Afghanistan, The Taliban is not a direct military threat to the United States nor are the people of Afghanistan. There is no victory for those who attempt to occupy Afghanistan, as the Soviets and the British discovered. There will be no progress at home while such an all-consuming war is being waged. If we stay, the situation will get worse, not better, and the toll in American lives and American prestige, as well as the damage to our standing in the Middle East and to the American budget will be staggering and tragic. Wartime Presidents accomplish little else. We urge you to negotiate with the Taliban, withdraw all troops from Afghanistan, and begin the moral and physical rebuilding of Afghanistan, as well as that of the United States.

Me too.

You win some…

…then you win some more.

Senate confirms Geithner as treasury secretary

And some more, soon, I trust.

There it is.

jnfr...

The reason the Republicans don't have a lot of input into this stimulus bill is that they have no good, workable ideas.

That's it. Whatever 'post-partisanship' may turn out to be, it surely doesn't mean solutions that ignore science, defy experience and erode the Constitution, and that's all they've got left.

From the Department of Redundancy Department.

Joe Sudbay

The Republicans are lying...

Yep.

Again Still.

From the "Elections have consequences" file.

Oliver Willis…

Off the top of my head I can think of 69 million reasons why John McCain doesn’t get a rewrite of the stimulus bill.

Of course, one'll do.

He lost.

From the "Friendly advice" file.

Republicans look for a role to play

Easy. Play dead.



Glad to help.

And now...

By the way, in a couple of weeks I'll have devoted a full year to this series. Previous victi...err...honorees have been William Jennings Bryan and Sam Rayburn. I've got a couple of Democratic icons of yore in mind for the nest round, but wonder if any of you might offer up a suggestion or two in comments.

Let's see, President Obama takes office...

...and within a week, the Huskies take first place in the Pac-10.

Maybe he is The One.

Kill 'em all...

Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina, introduced a proposal this week that would save money by slashing all of the state's 470 boards and commissions.

…let the Leg' sort 'em out.

Might help.

Some things never change.

The random ten, for instance, lives on...

Bare Naked Ladies - Brian Wilson
Baucom, Bibey & Blueridge - Shifting Sands
Saving Jane - Autumn & Me
Edwin McCain - Lost In America
The Beau Brummels - Laugh, Laugh
The Rolling Stones - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
The Bank Robbers - Facing Our Nightmare
Mr. David Viner - Tonight Will Be Fine
Linda Ronstadt with Ann Savoy - King Of Bohemia
The Beat Farmers - Beat Generation

Quote of the day.

President Obama...

"I won."

Yes, he did.

He just told the truth…

…and they think it's Hell.

“There were a few sharp elbows that really rankled and I felt were not as magnanimous as the occasion called for,” Karen Hughes, a longtime Bush confidante, said in an interview.

***

Dan Bartlett, another top adviser...added: “It was an ungracious inaugural. It was pretty clear he was taking shots.”

Sorry, kids, the tantrum won't work this time. We've turned this country around and we're headed home.

Yep, we're having fun now.

Sir Charles…

For the first time in eight years I am looking forward to reading the morning newspapers.

Me too...

Bush's 'War' On Terror Comes to a Sudden End

Obama slams companies for squandering bailout funds

$20 billion clean energy bill clears hurdle

Obama to reverse foreign abortion rule

Intelligence Pick Calls Torture Immoral, Ineffective

From the "Elections have consequences" file.

Speaker Pelosi...

"Yes, we wrote the bill. Yes, we won the election."

Yes we did.

Headlines.

Obama Moves to Quickly Erase Bush's Legacy

Senate approves landmark equal pay legislation

Obama sends a message: the United States will not torture

Senate Confirms More Obama Nominees

Obama Orders Secret Prisons and Detention Camps Closed

Are we having fun yet?

Thanks, Mr. President…

…we needed this...

I can say without exception or equivocation that the United States will not torture.

…and we'll be holding you to it.

Nice one…

…by Bob Weaver at Democratic Underground.


You can click it a bit bigger.

Hey, Mr. Spaceman...

I wonder what they were thinking out there.

Mr. Chairman.

Tim Kaine replaces Howard Dean at the DNC with some encouraging words...

Together, we'll do some new things-because we can never rest on what worked yesterday. But we will never again as a party write off states or regions or people.

The 50 state strategy is now and forever what Democrats do.

Hat tip to Todd Beeton.

Of what she sang.

While tongues wag about Aretha's very fine but hardly extraordinary church hat (I mean, haven't y'all ever been to church? The Queen was the very model of taste and decorum in the selection of her crown), DHinMI shines some historical light on her performance, in harmony the still vibrant echoes of Marian Anderson and Martin Luther King, Jr.

And they all had their fill of loaves and fishes.

ABC News...

As of late yesterday afternoon, two senior law enforcement officials said they did not know of a single arrest on the National Mall.

Amazing.

"…a delicious little bill."

Right now in the State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee, they’re discussing HB 1024: Designating Aplets and Cotlets as the state candy.

Sweet - though the powerful Almond Roca lobby could sour the deal.

Seven down…

By unanimous consent, the Senate has just confirmed Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy; Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education; Janet Napolitano, for Homeland Security, Peter Orszag as Director of the office of Management and Budget; Ken Salazar as Secretary of the Interior; Eric K. Shinseki as Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture.

More in the next day or two after some political games have been played, but that's a strong start. The Republicans had best beware. I don't think the public has much patience left for pointless obstructionism.

Change keeps coming...

And then he said...

Of course, he had me at "Hello."

I just want to say...

...President Barack Hussein Obama.

Without prefix, without suffix.

With joy.

From the "Ain't that America" file.

A thought. Tomorrow morning we will see the 44th consecutive peaceful transition of executive authority under the provisions of the Constitution of the United States of America.

That's a heck of thing when you think about it. That Constitution has proven amazingly resiliant, surviving even the recent resurgence of the counter-revolutionaries posing as "movement" conservatives.

Just a thought.

Just a few hours…

…and I'll be up to salute the new era over a champagne breakfast with the Brilliant and Beautiful Bride of Upper Left. Here's the uniform of the day…

The BBBUL's got one in white. Yeah, we're pretty hyped at this point.

It's just about here. It's going to happen.

It's been a long time comin'...

I hope they're right...

WASHINGTON (CNN) — More than two-thirds of African-Americans believe Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision for race relations has been fulfilled, a CNN poll found — a figure up sharply from a survey in early 2008.

...but I still have my doubts.

On the other hand, I admit that a year ago today I didn't imagine tomorrow would be possible. Whether the dream is fulfilled or not, the fact that I was wrong makes this the happiest MLK Day of 'em all.

'Course, I still have to go to work, but I'm not even going to grumble about it.

Practically President Obama…

...did join in on the singing for "This Land is Your Land."

Hey, maybe we can get him onboard…



(By the way, if anyone has a pointer to an mp3 of the Seeger/Springsteen performance, lemme know...)

And now...

Clear?

Thers…

Of course we're still much too bigoted to elect a homosexual or an atheist, though, so we're still mostly a bunch of bigoted assholes and shouldn't pat ourselves on the back too gustily just yet. At least, the back patting should not turn into a National Hand under the Sweater leading to an Unhooking of the Bra Strap of Jeffersonian Democracy. That much is clear.

Crystal.

We aim to please...

Hat tip to Fixer.

Good question…

…from Steve M.

What parts of the agenda would you sacrifice to try to put Bushies in jail for torture?

And then ten...

...to end the Bush era.

The Beach Boys - Shut Down
Martha Wainwright - Tower Of Song
Carbon Leaf - Bright Lights
Meat Puppets - Severed Goddess Hand
The Beatles - Piggies
Riley Baugus - Rove Riley Rove
Jerry Garcia Band - The Harder They Come
B.B. King - Three O'Clock Blues
Bestcellar - Armchair Ladder Armchairwall
Buzz Zeemer - One Shot

Why are these men smiling?

Last night Caucus Chair Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, represented the Senate Democrats at the 2009 Inaugural Ball.

Joining him on the walk from the Senate Chamber was his domestic partner, Michael Shiosaki – the first time in the state that an honored guest was introduced at a gubernatorial inauguration with his or her domestic partner.

Hat tip to the WA Senate Democrats' blog, The Hopper.

Look for the Union label.

You'll find it in Marcy's rundown of the contributions of the USALPA, AFA-CWA, NATCA, SIU and IAFF to yesterday's "miracle" on the Hudson.

The "miracle," I suppose, being that after eight years of Bushco™ there are still so many trained union workers available when we need 'em.

One of these things is not like the other.

Practically-not-President Bush, now…

All human life is a gift from our creator that is sacred, unique and worthy of protection.

…and then...

George W. Bush during his six years as governor of Texas presided over 152 executions, more than any other governor in the recent history of the United States.

It's the hypocrisy, stupid.

Well, that and the recklessness, lawlessness, brutality, stupidity, yada, yada, yada...

Heh™.

Gail Collins...

George W. Bush has been saying goodbye for so long now, he’s come to resemble one of those reconstituted rock bands that has been on a farewell tour since 1982.

Fun facts.

Gallup...

Only Richard Nixon was explicitly less popular at the time of his exit than Bush is today.

Yep.

Tula Connell...

Dog food for dinner. That, in a few words, sums up the Bush legacy.

As flips go…

…this one's a flop. SCHIP passed the House again, by a vote of 289 to 139, which is 16 more votes than it got for an unsuccessful veto override in the fall of '07. Nate Silver found a couple Republicans among 'nayes' this time who were supporters of the pre-election override effort, including…

Cathy McMorris-Rodgers from eastern Washington state, an up-and-comer who just became vice chair of the House Republican Conference.

McMorris-Rodgers post-election conversion on this issue is particularly egregious given the cuts in our state's health coverage for low income kids as our antiquated, regressive revenue system fails us once again. I suppose her step forward in her caucus requires toeing a tighter partisan line, but is the suffering of sick kids worth a promotion in the legislative bureaucracy of a fading minority party? Is being a GOP up and comer worth creating a generation of health care down and outers?

The race may not go to the swift…

...nor the battle to the strong, but in the Senate, I'd bet on the side with the votes.

WASHINGTON — The nomination of Timothy Geithner to head the Treasury Department became a political tug of war Wednesday, with a top Senate Democrat saying that his confirmation is certain while a top Senate Republican said it wasn't.

Practically-President Obama seems to agree.

A reminder…

…from Dave Johnson…

We were attacked on 9/11 after the Bush administration ignored a memo titled, "Bin Laden Determined To Strike In US," and went on vacation. Never forget that.

Never.

An idea whose time has come…

GetAfghanistanRight.com

Pretty cool, huh?

Obamacards. With stickers and "inspiring quotes"!

From the "If only…" file.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), on Republican defections on Sunday's "Tomnibus" vote…

"If my colleagues on my side continue to accept this, there's going to be no such thing as a Republican Party."

I can accept that.

Hat tip to Josh Orton.

From the "Small comforts" file.

Historical perspective from Don Brazier on the $6 billion revenue shortfall the upper left leg is dealing with...

“It’s not even remotely close to what the 1933 and 1935 legislatures faced.”

Feel better now?

58.

Done. Where's Al?

Speaking of tips...

...if you're in a postion to, go over and help fill the tip jar at the Group News Blog, where a personal emergency has thrown an almost literal wrench into Jesse Wendel's plan to cover the inaguration from the other Washington as a blogger with coveted official media credentials.

If you can, give because Jesse's an upper lefty. Give because it's a gift to all of us. Give because Jesse's one of the best of us.

Hell, give because Gilly would'a wanted you to.

A "major question"...

...as presented by Nancy A. Youssef for McClatchy...

Just how quickly the U.S. military can shift its weapons, tactics and mindset to Afghanistan after nearly seven years of training almost exclusively for Iraq is a major question as President-elect Barack Obama takes office promising to transfer combat units out of Iraq and into Afghanistan.

…brings to mind some other ones.

Like, for instance, how is it that we've been in Afghanistan longer than we've been in Iraq, with an ongoing commitment to the pursuit of Al Queda and the suppression of the Taliban being fundamental to an international "war on terror" promised on multiple fronts, and yet our military has been trained "almost exclusively" for Iraq. Kind of like the new baby getting all the attention at the expense of an older sibling, I guess.

Meanwhile, I'm wondering if the clock simply hasn't run out on any further productive pursuit of those twin missions of pursuit and suppression. In the former case, top leadership elements of Al Queda have proven quite elusive since we first closed in in the early days of the case. If we can locate them, which seems increasingly unlikely, it must be the case that we simply can't capture them, for a variety of reasons including questions of Pakistani sovereignty. The idea that the Bush administration had definitively located bin Laden & Co. and simply wouldn't act strains my credulity past the breaking point.

As to the latter element, our initial move against the Taliban was successful in removing them from national power, but before we could secure the ground we'd captured, the Iraqi diversion occurred. With nothing like the force needed to secure a national occupation, we have retreated to defending the capitol and some surrounding territory while the Taliban is resurgent in entire provinces, competing with drug lords and tribal factions, but hardly with American or NATO forces.

I'm not unsympathetic to the idea behind the plan Obama put forward during the campaign - to correct the error we made in taking our eye off the targets in Afghanistan who had legitimized themselves by launching and defending an attack on the United States. Once again shifting our attention back to those targets while bringing the diversionary activity in Iraq to an end seems reasonable enough on the surface. The ground, though, has shifted in the intervening years. One of our targets has become more obscure and elusive. The other has become, if anything, more formidable.

Meanwhile, we have an exhausted military, trained and equipped for the wrong tactics and the wrong terrain.

If a major new initiative on the Afghanistan front is one of the campaign promises Obama feels compelled to compromise, I'd be happy to overlook the oversight.

I suspect I'm not alone.

Did I say "alone"? Heck, looks like a crowd is forming...

Quote of the day.

The Honorable Barney Frank, Democrat...

“We are at a moment now when liberalism is poised to have its biggest impact on America since Roosevelt, because the conservative viewpoint has been so thoroughly repudiated by reality.”

Hat tip to Will, who has additional wisdom.

The incredible shrinking...

…Republican Party. Via First Read…

...Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich will announce tomorrow he intends to retire after his term expires in 2010. He is the third GOP senator to retire in a month, following Florida's Mel Martinez and Missouri's Kit Bond. Also, Kansas GOP Sen. Sam Brownback is widely expected to run for governor in 2010, rather than seek re-election, meaning the minority party already is set to defend four open seats.

Guess life in the minority has lost its appeal.

Maybe it's time to set our sights at seventy.

And now...

And the war drags on...

KABUL—A homemade bomb killed three U.S. soldiers in the southeastern province of Zabol on Friday, less than 24 hours after two American soldiers died in a suicide bombing at a busy produce market in neighboring Kandahar province, officials said.

Damn.

Stimulate me!

Neil Sinhababu wonders...

...why not lock up the waiter/waitress vote by making tips non-taxable in 2009?

Tax free income for waiters, waitresses, bartenders, busboys and, well, me! What a (ahem) stimulating idea.

Meanwhile, always tip in cash when you can.

Ready, steady…

…random!

Woody Guthrie - Two Good Men
Ani DiFranco - Not A Pretty Girl
Riley Baugus - Long Steel Rail
Oasis - Bring It On Down
Jimmy Buffett - Scarlet Begonias
James Blood Ulmer - I Can't Take It No More
The Mothers Of Invention - Brown Shoes Don't Make It
Meat Puppets - Station
Chris Ledoux - For Your Love
Edwin McCain - The Kiss

Let's see…

…it's Friday. Blago's impeached. Burris is still sidelined, with new clouds gathering over his head.

And Harry Reid is still the Leader of the largest Senate majority by either party since, well, I haven't actually looked it up, but it's been a while.

Jane Hamsher may be a heck of a poker player, but I'm thinking Harry might push her all over a chess board.

OK, I looked it up.

The last time a political party seated 57 Senators it was the 103rd Congress ('93-95). When the full complement of 59 Senators is seated (soon and very soon, I trust), it will be the largest majority since the Democrats held 61 seats during the 95th Congress ('77-'79).
Seems like a stretch to damn the current leadership as completely incompetent.

From the "One can only hope" file.

Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY)...

"Forcing private plans to compete with a public program like Medicare, with its price controls and ability to shift costs to private payers, will inevitably doom true competition and could ultimately lead to a single-payer, government-run health care program."

Sounds like a cunning plan to me.

Hat tip to Steve M.

Heckuva job, Georgy.

'01 v '08, via First Read...

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

Then: 4.2% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2001)
Now: 6.7% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2008)

DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE

Then: 10,587 (close of Friday, Jan. 19, 2001)
Now: 9,015 (close of Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009)

BUSH FAVORABILITY RATING

Then: 50% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 31% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

CHENEY FAVORABILITY RATING

Then: 49% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 21% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

CONGRESS APPROVAL RATING

Then: 48% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 21% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

SATISFIED WITH THE NATION'S DIRECTION

Then: 45% (1/01 NBC/WSJ poll)
Now: 26% (12/08 NBC/WSJ poll)

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE (1985=100)

Then: 115.7 (Conference Board, January 2001)
Now: 38.0, which is an all-time low (Conference Board, December 2008)

FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY

Then: 6.4 million (Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 7.6 million (Census numbers for 2007 -- most recent numbers available)

AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE

Then: 39.8 million (Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 45.7 million (Census numbers for 2007 -- most recent available)

U.S. BUDGET

Then: +236.2 billion (2000, Congressional Budget Office)
Now: -$1.2 trillion (projected figure for 2009, Congressional Budget Office)

Epic fail.

He says it like it's a bad thing…

John "Boner" Boehner...

President-elect Obama has called for Congress to move quickly and in a bipartisan fashion on legislation to help our economy get back on track. The Democratic majority in Congress has responded by proposing to revoke key elements of the Contract with America...

…and I say good on 'em.

And then there's the "honey do" list...

All I've gotta do is head for the perfect tavern for another double shift. Third in a row. Ouch.

I'm dragging the 12 string along, though, so Tuesday night tunes are on. Blogging will have to wait.

Thanks to Howie for the funny.

As usual...

… reading digby is beneficial.

Stay tuned. There are a lot of trial balloons being floated and we have no idea what's real and what isn't.

The full measure of change we need won't come as quickly as we'd like, as completely as we'd like or the ideal form in every instance that we'd like. Without continued vigilance and pressure, it likely won't come at all. We still have a long way to go.

Despite all that, though, there are long-absent opportunities at hand. The most disappointing rumblings from the Obama camp are still preferable to the proudest "achievements" of Bushco™.

To paraphrase Joe Hill, "Don't panic, organize."

Well, when you put it that way...

Bob Brigham...

An uninterested, part-time, inept on TV, self-loathing, anti-Choice, DLC'er as DNC Chair?

…maybe not.

And now...

Perhaps particularly random this time...

...with a pile of freshly ripped discs on the drive.

Alice In Chains - Nutshell
Linda Ronstadt with Ann Avoy - Go Away From My Window
Jimmy Buffett - Playin' The Loser Again
The Moaners - Water
Woody Guthrie - Blowing Down That Old Dusty Road
Marshall Tucker Band - You Say You Love Me
Ani DiFranco - On Every Corner
Suzy Bogguss - Letting Go
Leftover Salmon - Funky Mountain Fogdown
Mindy Smith - You Just Forgot

There's stuff I know...

...and stuff I know I don't know. Among the latter is the strength of the case that Harry Reid and the Sentate Democrats have in their effort to reject Blago's nominee for the U.S. Senate. Actually, until the case has been adjudicated, no one really knows how strong it may be. There seem to be credible, knowledgable folks on both sides. That being the case, as a partisan Democrat I'm inclined to accept the arguments put forward by the voices raised in support of the Senate Democrats.

I confess to some dismay at the number of "progressives" who are using this appointment as an opportunity to vent their frustrations with Senator Reid's performance as the leader of a razor thin and often divided majority throught uncritical acceptance of any argument that would undermine and embarrass the elected (and a lock, apparently, to become the re-elected) leader of the Democratic Party in the United States Senate.

If hoping for a procedural defeat for the Democratic caucus simply to diminish the stature and effectiveness of the Majority Leader is "progressive," that's a prefix I can do without.

Good question.

Oliver inquires...

...if you can’t sell out a playoff game, what the heck are you doing with an NFL team in the first place?

All the more reason, of course, for the Seahawks to return to their divinely ordained position atop the division.

Goldy looks back…

…on 2009, earning the year's first coveted Heh™.

From the "Let me count the ways…" file.

Former A.G. Alberto Gonzales...

"What is it that I did that is so fundamentally wrong, that deserves this kind of response to my service?"

Of course, the fundamental wrong was letting him serve in the first place.