No flip-flops for The Big Man. Alas.

Despite some intense lobbying by wealthy Republican donors (especially those in the culturally-copacetic Northeast and California), Christie's aides say that no means no.

Mr. Christie's aides say the governor hasn't budged from his months-long insistence that he won't enter the presidential fray, despite what one described as a "relentless" stream of calls over the last week from prominent Republicans urging him to run.

"None of that triggers any new thinking on his part," said one Christie adviser. "He's very polite to these people: 'Thank you for calling. That's very flattering. I'll let you know.' And I think they interpret that, 'Ah-ha! A rethinking.' "

A speech Mr. Christie will deliver Tuesday evening at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in California has nonetheless intensified speculation about the governor's intentions. Aides insist he won't use the appearance to make any surprise announcement.

...

"Some in the conservative movement are still searching for Mr. or Ms. Wonderful," said one person who moves in Christie fund-raising circles. "But Christie is a guy who through his whole career has said what he means, and he has said no."

Christie's aides say that national-stage appearances are just "organic outreach" (whatever that means) and not an attempt to build support for a run.

Just a Thought: One of the reasons cited for Christie not getting in is that he wouldn't have time to properly prepare, and would, like Perry, come out rickety in debates.

I have a weird idea for Christie on this point (and it would have worked for Perry, too): Try the truth.

What is wrong with saying, shortly after you've gotten in, "I don't yet have a good answer to that question. I'm still being briefed. I know that presidential candidates are supposed to come out of the box with positions on everything, but frankly, that's just not true. It requires some prepping and thinking, and I confess I haven't yet come to a good conclusion on this issue."

Bonus points if you then say, "But let me give you my sense of it," and then repeat the standard-issue bullet-points on the issue, which is frankly what your opponents are doing anyway, so it seems like your "off the top of my head" thinking is equal to or better than other candidates' scripted answers.

Sometimes the truth "works." Sometimes people like hearing the truth.

Posted by: Ace at 08:09 AM | Comments (230)
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There was a dispute about this in the debate. Perry alleged Romney had deleted an inconvenient sentence from his book when it was published in softcover, editing out a statement that suggested he could bring a form of RomneyCare to the nation at large.

Romney claimed the sentence said no such thing. Politifact, which poses as some kind of nonpartisan truth-telling service, claimed that Perry's statement was Mostly False.

But it did so in a Snopes-like way. Snopes clearly leans to the liberal side, and has a dirty habit of "resolving" disputes by inserting in its own rooting position and ideological arguments.

Looking at that PolitiFact piece, my own rating would be "Mostly True."

Perry's ad reinforces that. more...

Posted by: Ace at 07:41 AM | Comments (159)
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Well.

"I would make sure that FEMA got the money it needed, and if I had to go find the offsets later, go find it later. Stop playing with people's tragedies — these are real people we’re talking about," Cain said on CNN.

...

Cain also responded to criticism from Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) who said that the budget standoff was "embarrassing" and that Tea Party conservatives needed to do a better job picking their battles. Cain agreed with the Virginia Democrat, saying that this is not an issue he would pursue as doggedly as House conservatives.

"This is one that I would basically try to, you know, fall on my sword for — go ahead and do what’s right for the people," Cain said. “People should not have to suffer because of the political bickering.”

I argued that the GOP should frame this as the Democrats putting their pet "green jobs" plan ahead of people in need. Now that Cain is siding with Pelosi and Reid, I guess my "jam it to the Democrats" idea is the new RINO position.

Cain does differ slightly from the Democrats in that he thinks there should be a "gentleman's agreement" to find the offsets later. Yeah, like that would ever happen. Maybe they could just add it to the list of things for the "super committee" to deal with.

I'm really not sure what to make of this.

It could be Cain trying to broaden his appeal by showing some distance from the tea party, which makes no sense at this point. There's simply no point in moving to the middle until you actually have sewn up your base. A good debate and a straw poll win doesn't really qualify as that.

Or Cain really believes this is such an extreme emergency fiscal discipline and changing the way Washington works when the opportunity presents itself.

The problem is with the way he put it, “People should not have to suffer because of the political bickering". That strikes me an awful lot like Perry's "you don't have a heart" line on in-state tuition for illegals. Isn't the House GOP is just doing what we sent them there to do? Yet Cain seems to think they are playing games and hurting people.

I guess he could really think a handshake with Reid and Obama is good enough. In that case, I'd say his lack of actual political experience is showing through and yes, it sure as hell does matter.

Last time Cain had some momentum he derailed by talking about his discomfort with having Muslims in his administration (See correction). Picking a fight with the House GOP 2 days after winning the Florida straw poll is...not helpful.

A correction: more...

Posted by: DrewM at 07:29 AM | Comments (101)
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Did Obama rush to Texas to personally oversee disaster relief? To comfort the victims? Why does Barack Obama hate Texans?

Apparently because they elected someone who doesn't believe in the fever that is consuming Gaia.

“Some of you here may be folks who actually used to be Republicans but are puzzled by what's happened to that party, are puzzled by what's happening to that party. I mean, has anybody been watching the debates lately? You've got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change,” Obama said in San Jose.

Add this to the pile of, "Imagine if a Republican had used a tragedy in a blue state for political gain column". Of course it won't get the same play because the MFM is in Obama's pocket and many reporters/editors/producers probably agree with him. Also, at this point, no one actually expects Obama to be anything but a classless son of a bitch.

Someone should tell Professor of Climate Change Obama that the most recent major fires in Bastrop County, TX were caused by wind gusts knocking trees into power lines. Does "climate change" cause wind now? Trees to grow too tall? Of course it does all of that, it does EVERYTHING!

Also, someone might want to clue Obama in that that wildfires aren't exactly a new thing.

Posted by: DrewM at 06:15 AM | Comments (242)
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The Fed is pushing on a string. Fiscal policy, not monetary policy, is the only avenue that will work -- and weÂ’re not going to get any real fiscal policy out of the federal government until 2013 at the earliest.

Euro skeptics have been vindicated, but itÂ’s a hollow victory. I take no pleasure in watching this disaster unfold despite having seen it coming from the very first. (This article also chronicles the demise of the Financial Times as a serious economics journal and its increasing leftward tilt.)

ABANDON YOUR POSTS! FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES!

Another “lost generation”? This is very bad demographic news:

“Younger women across all race and ethnic groups had fewer children compared with 2008. Births declined 6 percent among 20-34 year-olds last year even though the number of women in this group increased by more than 1 million, according to an analysis of census data by Kenneth Johnson, sociology professor and senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. Never before has such a drop in births occurred when the population of young adults increased in at least 15 years.”

In related demographics news: welcome to Geezer-Topia! Go long on Vicks Vapo-Rub and Preparation H.

The U.N. now projects that over the next 40 years, more than half (58 percent) of the world's population growth will come from increases in the number of people over 60, while only 6 percent will come from people under 30. Indeed, the U.N. projects that by 2025, the population of children under 5, already in steep decline in most developed countries, will be falling globally -- and that's even after assuming a substantial rebound in birth rates in the developing world. A gray tsunami will be sweeping the planet.

Global Recession, Part II: The Boning!

Living and working to 100. I'm just waiting for androids to get good enough -- then I'm going to upload my mind into one and scrap the crummy low-end OEM gear I'm currently using.

“Apocalyptic financial horror”. It says something about how bad things have become that those words are no longer dismissed as alarmist.

Saying that “it was a bad day in the markets” is kind of an understatement.

How do you know when government has gotten too big? Well, when your government runs up $14 trillion in debt, I'd say that it's a pretty good sign that it's too big.

The limits of means testing. Means-testing Social Security would require the Democrats to give up on the lie that the benefit is actually a savings plan or pension. That's never been the case, of course, but it's been part of the myth surrounding the welfare program right from the start. They'd have to accept that it would need to become a pure transfer-payment welfare program to even have a hope of staying solvent.

Mark Steyn: ItÂ’s the end of the world as we know it. And maybe that isnÂ’t such a bad thing.

Well, when the democratic process doesnÂ’t go the way you want it to and the cultural gestalt is against you, thereÂ’s always...MURDER! This is the *real* end-state of the Socialist experiment: lawlessness, murder, penury, and collapse.

Remember back when “trillion” was a mind-bogglingly huge number that few people ever used in day-to-day situations? Mish’s thoughts are the same as mine: more throwing of good money after bad.

Average European citizens are finally beginning to grapple with the potential consequences of a Euro breakdown.

Zero hour for the Euro is not weeks or months down the road; it is here right now.

I have never seen European policymakers as scared as I saw them in Washington last week.

WhatÂ’s behind the big plunge in gold and silver? IÂ’m actually kind of glad gold and silver have pulled back; that means I can buy some more without worrying that IÂ’m buying at peak.

Is pointing out that FDR’s “New Deal” was a social and economic disaster really that controversial these days?

Comic book economics: villains earn their wealth; heroes inherit it. So when you imagine me in my Lair of Inchoate Evil, laying plans for world domination, remember: I had to work my ass off to build that lair. I didn’t inherit the cash from the ‘rents. Henchmen, lackeys, toadies, bootlicks, and minions don’t come cheap either, you know. And when Superdude comes jack-assing in and busts up the place, you know who has to pay to have it repaired? Me! That’s right! It ain't like I can go down to First Supervillain Savings and Loan for the money.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, health care is killing us.

The Greeks are re-discovering a universal truth: borrowed money must be paid back in one way or another. The Greeks thought they had discovered a magical fountain of “free” money when they entered the Eurozone, and spent money like water. But the old Greek habits (particularly tax-avoidance) meant that sooner or later the holiday from history was bound to end. It’s going to be a hell of a hangover in Greece. This story also shows that ultimately, the Greek people will force a solution on their government rather than the other way around.

Here’s an interesting bit of trivia: the Greeks recorded the very first sovereign default in recorded history. In the 4th century BC. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

IÂ’m hearing a lot more concern about ChinaÂ’s slowing economy lately. It makes sense: ChinaÂ’s economy is heavily export-driven, and both the US and Europe (their primary export markets) are in the middle of a prolonged downturn.

What if there had been no Euro? (And note to John Kornblum: Europe did turn to war. Remember that little fracas in the Balkans?)

Is it really news that our political class is screwing us in an epic fashion? It's a "dog bites man" story, and has been for...well, for most of human history, actually.

You are the weakest link! Goodbye! DonÂ’t you love how I catch onto these cultural memes while theyÂ’re at the height of their popularity and weave them into my narratives? I'm groovy like that. That's what all the kids say now, right? Groovy?

Next up in the game of “bailout roulette”...the IMF! Who’s going to bail out the bailer-outers? At some point the sovereigns must either debase the currency by printing more, or simply default on their debts.
more...

Posted by: Monty at 04:44 AM | Comments (116)
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Two email newsletters that should be on your radar:

Jim Geraghty's Morning Jolt and Ben Domenech's The Transom.

Both are daily emails, usually in the morning, that have politics, campaign, and news links with excellent analysis.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 02:37 AM | Comments (92)
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Hey as bad as things are here - at least we're not living in Britain..or Europe in general. So we have that going for us.

UK Times New Atlas Missing Greenland Ice, Possibly Maldives, Tuvalu, etc.

Actual geographic truth (i.e. reality) must take a back seat to religious faith. If the Church declares Greenland has lost over 15% of its icecap, then it must have - no matter what scientists and satellites say:

Following its controversial decision to produce a map suggesting that Greenland has lost 15 per cent of its ice cover in the last twelve years – a loss rate disputed by most credible scientists: and even, amazingly, the Guardian agrees on this – the Times Comprehensive Atlas Of The World has decided to take its new role as cheerleader for Climate Change alarmism a step further. In its upcoming 14th edition, unconfirmed rumours suggest, it will completely omit Tuvalu, the Maldives and major parts of Bangladesh in order to convey the "emotional truth" about "man made climate change."

More Britain Watch: "Axe murderer who hacked three people to death is allowed out of prisonÂ…for a course on chopping down trees"
Sure - seems reasonable. Well except for the bloodthirsty Neanderthal types who insist on always seeing the worst in people and obsessing over 'justice' and stuff. more...

Posted by: Maetenloch at 05:31 PM | Comments (631)
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Posted by: rdbrewer at 03:36 PM | Comments (321)
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The cold open is a meh Republican debate parody. Kind of obligatory to link it. more...

Posted by: Ace at 01:37 PM | Comments (153)
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Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Times reported that yet another Obama fundraiser was involved with the federal loan guarantee program that backed Solyndra.

Steve Spinner, who helped monitor the Energy Department's issuance of $25 billion in government-backed loans to renewable energy projects, was one of Obama's top fundraisers in 2008 and is raising money for the president's 2012 reelection campaign.

Spinner did not have any role in the selection of applicants for the loan program and, in fact, was recused from the decision to grant a $535-million loan guarantee to Solyndra Inc. because his wife's law firm represented the company, administration officials said Friday.

So, who is she and what is the name of the law firm?

Well, her name is Allison Spinner and she is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. She also personally contributed $2,300 to Barack Obama in 2007.

She wasn't the only employee at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati to donate money to Obama's Presidential campaign. A search for donations from individuals with an employer listed as "Wilson Sonsini" and "WSGR" returns over $130,000 in donations. These are donations from individuals, remember. For reference, General Electric donated $529,855 to Obama.

There were six individuals who donated more than $4,000 to Obama at the firm and one of them was John Roos, CEO of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Roos was also one of Obama's top fundraisers in 2008, bundling more than $500,000. What is Mr. Roos doing these days? Well, President Obama appointed him ambassador to Japan in 2009.

More on John Roos from an April 2008 interview:

ItÂ’s impossible to tell for sure exactly how much the two attorneys have raised so far.
But within Wilson Sonsini, at least, Roos is the winner.
Lawyers at the firm had donated $60,500 to Obama by the end of February, and only $48,850 to Clinton.
The firmÂ’s lawyers based in California donated $31,050 to ClintonÂ’s campaign and $48,350 to ObamaÂ’s. That makes the firm one of the top five California law firm contributors to each campaign.
Roos could be talking for either campaign when commenting on his success so far:
“In every cycle, lawyers are key,” he said.

In a completely unrelated story, the audit is in on how much money the law firms raked in handling the Solyndra loan.

Morrison Foerster, which represented the Department of Energy as the loan guarantor, received more than $1.9 million for legal services. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, which represented Solyndra, received more than $2.4 million.

Nothing to see here, move along now.

Posted by ace, but actually written by JohnE.

Posted by: Ace at 09:45 AM | Comments (188)
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