And now the company is defaulting on the loans. Of course they are.

In 2010, the state of Rhode Island came a-calling. As part of the RI Economic Development Corporation's effort to create jobs in the state, they offered 38 Studios a $75 million loan, if only they would pack up operations and bring them to Rhode Island. Schilling and co. moved to Providence, and pledged to employ 450 locals. It was a gamble for the state, which only had $125 million for the entire job creation program, and took criticism at the time.

450 people? To design a video game? I worked in the industry about 10 years ago on a game that became really popular and was sold to a major company for a metric butt-load of money (not that I got any of that). If there were ever more than 30 people working there I'd be shocked and they never got anywhere near $75 million in cash until they sold out.

Of course Schilling's company only ever had 288 people working there anyway. 288 people? On development? For a game not even ready for preview at E3? Oh dear God!

They better have singing robots there for that kind of money.

Of course Schilling is a "conservative" who is happy to take government money (that he used to pay himself back money he "lent" his company) and now wants even more money from Rhode Island. It seems all this money apparently comes from Obama's so-called "stimulus".

People in government don't even know how to run a government. Why do they think they are qualified to be investors?

Remind me again, why do we have Rhode Island as a state?

Via @abumuqawama

Posted by: DrewM at 02:08 PM | Comments (159)
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"A balanced approach."

President Obama's budget suffered a second embarrassing defeat Wednesday, when senators voted 99-0 to reject it.

Coupled with the House's rejection in March, 414-0, that means Mr. Obama's budget has failed to win a single vote in support this year.

Republicans forced the vote by offering the president's plan on the Senate floor.

Democrats disputed that it was actually the president's plan, arguing that the slim amendment didn't actually match Mr. Obama's budget document, which ran thousands of pages. But Republicans said they used all of the president's numbers in the proposal, so it faithfully represented his plan.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, even challenged Democrats to point out any errors in the numbers and he would correct them — a challenge no Democrats took up.

Democrats don't want to be on record supporting $6.4 trillion in fresh debt -- and yet they also demonize the Republican budgets (paring debt down to $3.1 trillion or under $2 trillion, spending on the plan) as "extremist."

They hate the Republican budgets -- and yet they cannot, will not produce their own.

Posted by: Ace at 12:47 PM | Comments (329)
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50-44, but don't get complacent, Wisconsin voters.

Just three percent say they are undecided.

This represents a five-point shift to Walker's side -- in the previous poll from late April, Walker barely edged Barnett 48-47.

The Lieutenant Governor is doing okay, but needs your vote too. She's been pitted against the president of a firefighters union. Kleefish is ahead, 47-41.

Meanwhile, Walker's highlighting a survey showing a 33,000+ boost in Wisconsin employment.

And Republicans are somewhat more enthusiastic about voting in the recall than Democrats. 91% of Republicans are "absolutely certain" to vote, as opposed to only 83% of Democrats.

Not too surprisingly, the latest head-to-head figures track Walker's approval rating pretty closely -- he's at 50-46.

One more thing: CAC keeps saying the Republicans can win Wisconsin. Many commenters doubt him on that.

One of CAC's points is that people haven't updated their own private electoral maps yet, but are still thinking in terms of 2000, 2004, and 2008. Some states, CAC says, have become more Republican friendly -- he puts Wisconsin in that category, and Pennsylvania (I think).

Others have become much more Democratic. I forget his list on that, but I'd guess it includes New Hampshire (no longer red at all) and possibly Ohio (no longer Republican leaning, but Democratic leaning) and Virginia (toss up, maybe slight D advantage).

Anyway, the latest polling shows that Romney and Obama are tied at 46 in Wisconsin, among likely voters.

So Wisconsin is genuinely in play, it seems.

Posted by: Ace at 11:51 AM | Comments (127)
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At Mediaite.

[Lovitz] felt that spirit threatened by the attacks on rich people from the chief executive. “I said what a lot of people are thinking,” he told Kelly, and explained that “a lot of people are thanking me… they feel like they are being vilified because they are successful.” . . .

As for pushback, Lovitz went as far as saying it may have helped his career, and explained that he would “never tell anybody who to vote for.” “I think I’m a different kind liberal in that I think people should be true to themselves… if you’re Republican or Democrat or conservative, you should be that.” Saying he was not “qualified” to tell people who to vote for, he noted he had about 10,000 new twitter followers, and there, “people say you’re a racist, you’re a Nazi– I’m Jewish, I’m a Nazi now– I mean, that’s the most ridiculous thing i’ve ever heard!”

The John Lovitz Comedy Club and Podcast Theater is at Universal Studios. Just sayin'.

Video below the fold. more...

Posted by: rdbrewer at 11:13 AM | Comments (137)
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Brian Williams claims that every military leader, when asked, would say "we would like to kill" bin Ladin, but it wasn't a "priority."

Until Obama.

That exchange starts at 2:20. Later, at 7:00 or so, Letterman says of Obama: "What more do we want this man to do for us? Honest to God!"

"You should have gotten wise before you got old." -- The Fool to King Lear

Leno on Romney's Coolness Gap: Sort of funny.

Thanks to carey. more...

Posted by: Ace at 10:40 AM | Comments (201)
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The last part is deftly implied.

Tell the truthÂ….

While you cling to a family story and the inaccurate report that ONE document was found that supports your claim, we real Cherokees understand that those things mean nothing. You see, we Cherokees have lots and lots and lots of documentation supporting our claims of our ancestry. Our Cherokee ancestors are found on every roll of the Cherokee Nation (30+ rolls!) dating back to before the removal and in all sorts of other documentation, including but not limited to claims against the US government for lost property; the Moravian missionary records; ration lists before and after the forced removal, etcÂ…yet your ancestors are found in NONE of those records.

But, your ancestors are found in plenty of historical records, and every time, they are found living as white people among other white people. Never are your ancestors ever found living among the Cherokees. Never, never, never, neverÂ…Â….yet you claim they were CherokeeÂ….

So, Ms. Warren, you see, it is not just your opponent who has questions. We Cherokees have questions too and those questions have yet to be answered by you. You see, for us Cherokees, this is not political. This is about the truth.

You have claimed something you had no right to claim — our history and our heritage and our identity. Those things belong to us, and us alone. These are not things we choose to embrace when they benefit us and then cast aside when we no longer need them, but that is what you seem to have done by “checking a box” for several years and then no longer “checking” it more recently, when apparently you no longer needed it.

And she says she's formed a special group to prove Warren is 32/32nds white, and that they'll be releasing documents establishing this soon.

Posted by: Ace at 10:19 AM | Comments (184)
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His numbers resemble those of George H.W. Bush (the first Bush).

Perhaps the broadest indicator of the public's mood comes from Gallup's satisfaction measure, which asks Americans if they are satisfied or dissatisfied with "the way things are going in the United States at this time." The 24% of Americans currently satisfied is most similar to the 20% recorded in May 1992 during George H.W. Bush's first and only term. Bush was also the only sitting president of the last four to lose his re-election bid.

By contrast, satisfaction was above 35% in May of 1996 and 2004, in advance of Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's re-elections. And it was 48% in September 1984, the closest time period Gallup has to May of Ronald Reagan's re-election year.

This is even worse, it seems:

The extent of Americans' concern about the economy -- as evident in their top-of-mind mentions of it as the nation's "most important problem" -- is greater today than for any president seeking re-election since Jimmy Carter in 1980. The current 66% mentioning one or more economic concerns is substantially higher than it was in May 2004 or May 1996, and moderately higher than at the same point in 1992 and 1984. Americans' mentions of the economy did surge in August 1984 to 65% -- comparable to where they are today -- but fell to 51% by September.

That the economy was on the top of people's minds as a concern in May 1984 is, as usual, deceptive, because the U.S. was emerging from a very painful recession, but surging with explosive growth -- the economy reversed itself sharply in a positive direction as 1984 marched on.

So, nearer the election, the economy fell as a top mention to 51%.

It is virtually out of the question that there will be a sudden surge in US economic output in the near-term timeframe. The likelihood of a meltdown seems a lot higher.

Posted by: Ace at 09:37 AM | Comments (233)
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ABOVE THE JUNK UPDATE- THE BLUE WALL CRACKS: BARACK OBAMA, MITT ROMNEY TIED 46%-46% IN WISCONSIN

New poll out, numbers developing as they announce results.
UPDATE- Poll is now online.

Their last LV poll showed Walker winning by 1, 48-47.

So far, since the primary we have seen a Rasmussen poll giving Walker a 5 point lead, a We Ask America poll giving him a 9-point edge, and a DailyKos/SEIU-commissioned poll giving him a 5-point edge so that makes four for four since primary day. All other pollsters are finding a dynamic Republican turnout, which seemed pretty obvious from their showing in the primary May 8th.

DEVELOPING

UPDATE- PER MULAW WALKER APPROVAL RATING: 50/46 (up from 47/51 last poll)

UPDATE- Like/Dislike what Walker has done?
37% Like 38% Dislike, 22% like but not the way he's done it.

UPDATE- LT GOV RECALL RACE: Rebecca Kleefisch (R) leads Mahlon Mitchell (D) 47% to 41%

UPDATE- MORE CONFIRMATION OF PARTY ID CRASH FOR DEMS: Democrats had an 8 point lead over GOP in February, that has plummeted to a single point.

UPDATE- Are you absolutely sure you will vote in the recall? 83% of Democrats said yes. NINETY-ONE PERCENT of Republicans said yes. We could be looking at Presidential election-level turnout amongst Republicans.

UPDATE- Should WI keep ACT 10? YES 50% NO 43%

Follow hashtag #AOSHQDD or me on twitter
@MULawPoll

Posted by: CAC at 09:17 AM | Comments (112)
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This isn't a double post of CAC's election night coverage. It's the morning after, "what the hell did they just do?" story.

Last night a little know state Senator knocked off two other candidates to win the right to take on Bob Kerrey for Nebraska's open Senate seat this November.

Ms. Fischer beat state Attorney General Jon Bruning, who had long been the front-runner, by 41% to 36% with all precincts reporting. Mr. Bruning had won statewide election three times before and raised far more money than Ms. Fischer.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Ms. Fischer last week, and a political action committee backed by TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts spent $200,000 over the weekend on ads criticizing Mr. Bruning and promoting Ms. Fischer.

The result was a setback for powerful conservative groups that backed the third major candidate in the race, state treasurer Don Stenberg.

Mr. Stenberg, who had 19% of the vote, positioned himself as the tea party-style challenger to Mr. Bruning. He benefited from roughly $2 million spent on his behalf by Club For Growth, the Senate Conservatives Fund and FreedomWorks, but he faded at the end.

I'm not even going to pretend to know enough about Fischer but I hope we aren't in Angle, O'Donnell, Paladino territory here. She seems to have the positions you'd expect for a tea party type. The question is, did she receive enough attention in a campaign that seemed to focus on the other two candidates. Can she stand up in a one on one fight against a well known and experienced guy like Kerrey?

Two years ago tea party candidates (like some "establishment" ones) were hit and miss. I was hoping that the Richard Mourdock would be more the model this time around but I guess not in every case.

Fischer might well be the greatest thing since sliced bread and Nebraska might be so in the bag it doesn't matter. Still, we did learn that inexperienced candidates can say the darnedest things and blow up. Let's hope that's not the case here and Nebraska GOP voters do know exactly what they are doing.

Posted by: DrewM at 08:21 AM | Comments (316)
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Weigel's latest piece on Slate describes the massive swing indicated in Public Policy Polling's Kos poll of the state, in which Republicans hold a massive seven-point edge in turnout:

When I journeyed to Wisconsin last week, I saw a surge of public support for Walker -- signs, bumper stickers, little tokens like those -- unlike anything I've ever seen in a non-presidential race. The polling bears this out. It's not necessarily doom-saying for Obama. It does explain why the DNC is quietly backing away from the race. Easier to give up then to try and narrow this enthusiasm gap twice.

MULaw Poll will be up in 90 minutes.

Posted by: CAC at 07:51 AM | Comments (93)
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