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What’s Important in Virginia Politics

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On May 5, 2009

In Politics, Virginia

here:

Step away from the polls, go outside and get some perspective. Find a hobby, hire a hooker. It doesn’t matter, but at some point, everyone needs to calm the fuck down and stop living or dying by Virginia politics. It’s not a skillful sport; it comes down to money, connections, and not being a fuckup.

[ . . . ]

Quit taking yourselves and this race seriously. The fact that you put so much energy into these things should probably tell you (and will demonstrate to your court-ordered psychiatrist) that the Virginia political machine is so filled with it’s own self-replicating ego bullshit that it can’t possibly work for the people. You. Are. Not. Important.

What’s important to recognize is that while you’re donating 500 bucks to a candidate, there is a homeless guy down the street who hasn’t eaten a decent meal in a few days, or a food bank that has empty shelves. Think about that while you stress about some two-bit poll, you selfish bastard.

I encourage each of you to take a day you would normally volunteer for a campaign and instead, after calling and politely telling the campaign volunteer coordinator to go fuck himself, find a worth charity or cause and donate your time to making a difference in the world and in the lives of others. Because, honestly, the rest of us think you people are real pricks.

Now GTFO and do something useful with your lives.

Hear, hear.  I have to admit that I’ve got multiple drafts of posts related to the Virginia governor’s race generated over the last month.  But halfway through each, I realize that it just won’t matter.  Plus, Angry Potato’s probably already written what I’ve wanted to say, and is (usually) funnier in saying it.   So I’m just going to keep leaving it alone, for the time being.  Except for saying that I hope you’re not suckered by the McAuliffe machine.

DC Represent!

By

On April 7, 2009

In DC, Politics, Society

The DC City Council voted today to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states that have adopted equality laws.  It’s a solid step towards DC’s bringing same-sex marriage within its own laws.  There will, no doubt, be the challenge of overcoming Congress (which can overturn any DC law, no matter how petty).  It’ll be an interesting illustration of 1) the Democratic Party’s commitment to equality and 2) the hollowness of the Republican Party’s supposed commitment to states’ rights.

Someone Should Ask Creigh Deeds . . .

By

On April 3, 2009

In Personal, Politics, Society

whether he will be helping Iowa politicians put forward a constitutional amendment to ensure that discrimination is built into the Iowa Constitution.  He’s got relevant experience.

Think AIG’s Bonuses Were Bad? Read This.

By

On April 3, 2009

In Policy, Politics

Megan Slack, over at Alternet, reports on what appears to be an important story that has yet to be picked up by bigger news organizations:

Dennis Kucinich sent out a round of letters to top Treasury officials Monday morning, questioning how much they knew about bonuses paid to Merrill Lynch executives that totaled $3.62 billion, nearly 22 times the total bonuses paid to AIG executives. The payouts made up more that 36 percent of the TARP funds the financial institution received from the Federal government. [emphasis supplied]

Kucinich points out that unlike AIG, the bonuses were not locked in by preexisting contracts and were performance bonuses, as opposed to retention bonuses.

From Rep. Kucinich’s letter:

The Merrill bonuses were 22 times larger than those paid by AIG ($3,620 million versus $165 million). They were also very large relative to the TARP monies allocated to Merrill. The Merrill bonuses were the equivalent of 36.2% of TARP monies Treasury allocated to Merrill and awarded to BOA after their merger. The bonuses, awarded mostly as cash, were made only to top management at Merrill. To be eligible for the bonuses, Merrill employees had to have a salary of at least $300,000 and attained the title of Vice President or higher.

The Merrill bonuses were determined by Merrill’s Compensation Committee at its meeting of December 8, 2008, shortly after BOA shareholders approved the merger but before financial results for the Fourth Quarter had been determined. This appears to be a departure from normal company practice, since the type of bonus Merrill awarded was a performance bonus that, according to company policy, was supposed to reflect all four quarters of performance and was paid in January or later. In this case, however, the bonuses were awarded in December before Fourth Quarter performance had been determined.

Why aren’t we seeing more on this?

The US Financial Industry

By

On March 29, 2009

In Policy, Society

Around September, when this mess was getting some play in the public eye, I used to joke that it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if the financial industry just blew up.  That we could rebuild something much better from the pieces than what we had with the present whole.  I still say that.  I’m not so sure I’m joking all that much anymore.  Two graphs, from a story in the Atlantic:

financial industry compprofit graph

The numbers at the bottom are 10 year terms, starting in 1948.  And yes, that uptick starts around 1980.  From the article, titled The Quiet Coup, by former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson, is summarized:

The crash has laid bare many unpleasant truths about the United States. One of the most alarming, says a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is that the finance industry has effectively captured our government—a state of affairs that more typically describes emerging markets, and is at the center of many emerging-market crises. If the IMF’s staff could speak freely about the U.S., it would tell us what it tells all countries in this situation: recovery will fail unless we break the financial oligarchy that is blocking essential reform.

Break it.  Blow it up.  Let’s just have a plan for putting it back together beforehand, yes?  And one more suggestion: don’t leave that plan to the people who put us here in the first place.  (Of course, that’s the even bigger joke, right there – yes, there’s a problem, but who’s going to fix it?  Not the people in power now.  This is the hand that fed (and clothed, and housed, and . . .).)

Aww, Blue Commonwealth Quits

By

On March 28, 2009

In Politics, Virginia

Blue Commonwealth collapsed under a pile of childishness, self-obsession, and pointlessness today, and it appears to be done for.  If you’re a reader looking for an alternative, I suggest checking out the New Dominion Project.  I’m a fan of the primary authors, and while there are still some rough edges in the site itself, I think that place has a good future.  If you’re a regular BC front-pager?  Please don’t go over to NDP.  Just sit and think about what a ridiculous mess you made, and go do penance by doing something useful, for once.   Like volunteering.  Offline.  For a while.   Through June, at least.

[Update: While I’m recommending places, I might as well toss in a link to the Angry Potato.   Funny and foul, but most of all – smart.  Not a combination I’ve seen anywhere else in VA online Dem politics (well, Blueweeds gets the funny and smart nod, but it gets totally outclassed in the foul dept.)]

Steele: I Meant To Do That

By

On March 25, 2009

In Politics

Michael Steele?  Is the gift that keeps on giving:

And then came this exchange, when he insisted that his public face-off with Rush Limbaugh was all part of his plan — to scope out the state of the Republican field, and see who was with him or against him:

Lemon: There’s a rationale behind Rush, all that stuff?

Steele: Yup. Yup.

Lemon: You want to share it with us?

Steele: Sure, I want to see what the landscape looks like. I want to see who yells the loudest, I wanted to know who says they’re with me but really isn’t.

Lemon: How does that help you?

Steele: It helps me understand my position on the chess board. It helps me understand, you know, where the enemy camp is and where those who are inside the tent are.

Lemon: It’s all strategic?

Steele: It’s all strategic.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXU7EVXs2A[/youtube]

When It Absolutely, Positively . . .

By

On March 24, 2009

In Law, Politics

has to be done FedEx’s way:

FedEx could cancel contracts for $10 billion in American-made planes if Congress makes it easier for unions to organize the delivery giant’s workers.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the Memphis-based company disclosed that purchases of Boeing 777s are contingent on FedEx Express’ continued coverage by the National Railway Labor Act.

The disclosure serves as a warning shot to lawmakers seeking to put FedEx Express workers under the National Labor Relations Act, a move seen as helping the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

[ . . . ]

Under the Railway Labor Act, a union like the Teamsters would have to organize FedEx Express employees nationally, rather than in local bargaining units. Drivers for FedEx’s chief domestic competitor, UPS, are largely represented by the Teamsters, but FedEx has fended off organizing attempts for years.

Virginia Political Ridiculousness, Afternoon Edition

By

On March 19, 2009

In Personal, Politics, Society

Vivian Paige, in the context of some shameful personal attacks on a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, says:

The people have been lulled – by their own inaction – into a sense that politics is dirty and that’s just the way it is. But it doesn’t have to be. There are a lot more of us than there are of them. If we wanted to, we could change the way politics is done. But far too many are “too busy” to get involved, the result being the kind of attacks that Pat Edmonson and others experience, attacks that divert the candidate’s attention away from the real issues of jobs, healthcare, education and others.

People like to blame the candidates for the state of politics, but the candidates do it for a reason – it works with voters.  And it takes the focus away from things that are hard: jobs, healthcare, education; and onto things that are easy: playground insults and identity politics.   Now, as a fan of the occasional playground insult, I’m hardly hoping for some idealized world of policy debates (although if it could keep me from ever having to endure another pearl-clutching kabuki dance about how shocked and offended a Virginian was by language, all the while gliding over the ugliness of their ideas, I might sign up).  Rather, I’d like us all to be a little more conscious of our own tolerance for the form-over-substance approach to politics.

Another Pint, Gordon?

By

On March 19, 2009

In EU, Policy, Politics, UK

I have so little good to say about the UK’s Labour Party these days that I might as well get in a compliment where I can.  Prime Minister Gordon Brown has, against all reasonable expectations, struck a blow for common sense and decency:

Gordon Brown today rejected controversial proposals from the chief medical officer to establish a minimum price for alcohol, which would double the price of many beers and spirits.

The prime minister said that he would protect the interests of the “sensible majority of moderate drinkers” when responding to proposals from Sir Liam Donaldson for a minimum charge of 50p per unit of alcohol to be imposed on beer and wine.

And Scotland, well, how do you like that devolution now?

The Scottish government is planning to introduce minimum prices for alcohol and these could come into force by the end of the year. It would make Scotland the first country in Europe to introduce minimum pricing, which would be accompanied by a ban on certain drinks promotions.

Cheers.

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