I’ve been following results in the Wisconsin judge’s race. Every news story says something slightly different, but as of right this minute I understand there is only one precinct left in the state to count. The progressive favorite JoAnne Kloppenburg is ahead by somewhere between 200 and 300 votes. However, the uncounted precint is in a county that went narrowly for the troglodyte favorite, David Prosser. So it’s too close to call, and there will almost certainly be a recount.
[Update: Kloppenburg wins by less than 250 votes; recount is a near certainty.]
Meanwhile — remember yesterday, when all the serious people were talking about how serious the serious Republican budget? Get this —
On Monday and Tuesday, politicians and commentators were practically falling over themselves to praise Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) budget proposal as “serious” and “courageous”, even in cases where they disagreed with it on policy terms. Whatever you think of his policy positions, the argument went, give the man credit for telling it like it is and grappling with the hard numbers. But after a day or two of looking at the numbers, it turns out a lot of his assumptions and predictions are completely preposterous. Not just in the sense of the normal padding and optimistic assumptions that most budgets include. But really preposterous. Like 2.8% unemployment? Really curious what all the Ryan-o-philes are going to say about these numbers. Check out our report. Really must read.
Republicans proposing a budget —
See also “CBO: GOP Budget Would Increase Debt, Then Stick It To Medicare Patients.”
Update: Glenn goes bye-bye. I’m sure he’ll pop up somewhere else, though. But where? He might do well on the TLC lineup, between “My Strange Addiction” and “Sister Wives.”
Update: See also “Paul Ryan’s Multiple Unicorns“
Well, the Republicans will be very unhappy it’s around 250 votes.
They wanted it to be under 240 votes because they were afraid they would have to hire a 13th shoeless fact checker to manually count-up the votes. And, you know, 13, Judas, that’s bad luck.
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Krugman’s having a FIELD DAY over “Privatizing Ryans” plan. He’s like a combo of a kid in a candy shop and a cat with a cornered mouse. Read him:
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/
The best of all of the great posts was this one:
Looking at the House budget proposal, in all its ludicrousness, makes me wonder about an enduring puzzle: the gullibility of so much of our pundit class.
In the time I’ve been writing for the Times, I’ve watched my colleagues in the commentariat, en masse, agree that:
George Bush is a nice, moderate guy, who will work in a bipartisan way.
George Bush is a heroic leader, who has risen to the occasion.
The case for invading Iraq is overwhelming; only a fool or a Frenchman could fail to be persuaded by Colin Powell.
John McCain is an independent-thinking maverick.
Paul Ryan is an honest, deeply serious thinker who really cares about the deficit.
The tax cut deal paved the way for a new phase of bipartisanship.
The Ryan plan sets a new standard of seriousness.
In each case, any educated citizen with internet access could quickly see overwhelming evidence that these things weren’t true. And you would think that people would learn something from the repeated failure of these kinds of consensus.
And yet LinusCharlie Brown keeps trying to kick that football, over and over again.
Hmmm, what can take Becks place?
How about “Savaged Nation?”
Where we’ll be treated to Michael Savage shirtless, in flesh-colored briefs and assless, crotchless leather chaps, leather jacket, and nipple rings, holding forth on a white board, explaining his theories on the downfall of America and how it’s now a ‘savaged nation.’
And then, in a segment called, “It’s My Tea Party and I’ll Make You Cry if I Want To!,” he’ll be shown interviewing a Teafelching loon from a different part of the country every day.
Topics could include:
Freedom of Religion – Tyranny, sacriledge, or both?
The 2nd Amendment – Can’t one man be his own militia?
Obama – Kenyan alien, or outer space alien?
Audience members will be polled on future topics. Internet recommendation appreciated! For those who don’t understand how to use the internet, Murdoch will re-open Western Union for telegrams (comma) at the senders expense (stop) double charges on weekends (stop) (end of message)
And a fun audience participation segment called, “Founding Father Says,” which is like “Simon Says,” only Savage comes with a FF mask, now tighty whities and a new pair of assless, crotchless 18th Century costumes, and hoop earrings, and tries to trick contestants into doing something un-Constitutional.
“Read him his Miranda Rights!”
Member starts, “You have the…” Then says, “Oh no, I lose! You didn’t say “Founding Father Says!’
Savage corrects him, “Not only that, but the whole damned Warren Court was un-Constitutional, so you’d have lost anyway!”
Megan Kelly can fill in when Savage is off and this segment will cover a Founding Mother, like Abigail Adams, Martha Washingon, Betsy Ross, or Molly Pitcher. Of course, she’ll be in a bikini carrying a bullwhip.
Or, “The Ted Nugent Music Hour!”
One hour of Teds greatest hit (sic), a few shots at a target of Obama with an AK47, and the rest of the time – Christian R&R, Christian Rap, Christian Soul, Christian R&B, Christian Gospel, Christian Metal, Christian Punk, Christian Hip-Hop, Christian Hippity-Hop, Christian Instrumental, Christian Harmonica, Christian Humming, Christian Whistling, Christian Kazoo, Christian Clapping, Christian Drumming, Christian whatever, etc.
IMO, there is a link between the attack on AARP and the Ryan Plan. AARP is certain to analyze the effect of the plan on Seniors, and being objective, they might just come to the conclusion that Seniors will loose a big chunk of medical care.
So the move to deny tax-exempt status was a pre-emptive strike.
Gulag.. How can you leave out Christian Pole dancing? It’s the latest Christain craze. Pole Dancing for Jesus!
Hopefully the recent numbers hold through recount, and recent recounts seem to indicate that it will. In Milwaukee County, the candidate who was a state assemblyman and had voted for Walker’s stuff, got crushed 60-40. But according to Walker, none of this indicates that people are dissatisfied with him. Right. This is only the fifth Supreme Court incumbent to lose, in 150 years. He did say today that he thought this indicated that WI is a purple state. I can see why he said that, but it doesn’t explain why he would try some hard-right policy.
You don’t have to worry about Glenn going away soon..He’s nothing more than a physical manifestation of the sick minds that gave him substance. And those delusional dolts are here to stay.. If not Beck it’ll be just another bloviating clown to fill that void and satiate that need to feel everything is a conspiracy, and they’re the only ones who can understand it. Beck isn’t the problem.. He’s the symptom of a sickness much worse than himself.
One of the most amusing love notes to Privatizing Ryan was from Our Favorite Cabbage, David Brooks. His piece on the Ryan budget actually reads like brilliant satire, only it, well, isn’t. He started it with a shout-out to the wonderful mood of bipartisan agreement that was reigned in response to the Simpson-Bowles commission (which couldn’t even get its own members to agree!), and then went on to call a Republican “bold” from suggesting we do away with a program Republicans have been trying to kill since St. Ronnie was a GE pitchman. Seriously laugh-out-loud funny. (It was also the most comprehensive budget plan in years, though somehow it managed to miss the defense department. )
Still, the best news I’ve heard in a while is that Kloppenburg has won, at least for now. Oh, and that the official who will appoint a judge to hear challenges to the election is the head of the WI Supreme Court, the same woman Prosser called a bitch. Hee hee.
Thank goodness my salary doesn’t depend on the federal government being open for business.
It was also the most comprehensive budget plan in years, though somehow it managed to miss the defense department.
Yeah, that says it all! They are just playing games.
Somewhat OT but I groped for the opportunity to share this. I am getting it from sources that I count among the most intellectually capable and visionary… It’s from Joseph Stiglitz, an eminently credible economist who might have been in the Obama administration were the banksters already in the hen house able to abide with the economic diversity of opinion that he would have brought to any “team of rivals”. Now that would have been real hope — actual debate rather than capitulation.
Pat …Interesting link. I had just read the other day an article about why America keeps starting wars. The similarity between the story you provided and the one I read was uncanny..You’d think that our nation’s warmongering and the inequality of wealth wouldn’t have much of a connection with underlying reasons, but it seems the same factors that add to the inequality of wealth also contribute our warmongering foreign policy.
I grope for explanations Swami. Obamas explanations bear the same signature of Bush’s with several elements in common — having to act NOW, because of what “might happen”…brinksmanship with little time for diplomacy or bringing world pressure to bear. I can only imagine Obama being cornered by Generals telling him it could be no other way. Eisenhower, who knew the MI-complex well warned us about this repeatedly. We lost just over 2,000 in 9-11 and have very little clue as to what something like genocide in Africa, the Armenian genocide, the Iraq or the holocaust imprints upon a culture and the succeeding generations. Dropping bombs seems to have gotten too easy to have to mess around with any due diligence. It would take an unusual leader rather than a typical one to stand up to that. I disagreed with a lot he did but at least Poppy Bush had done that much, recognizing the toll invasion would take.