Giuliani: Wall Street bonuses trickle down!

Rudy Giuliani warns that cutting corporate bonuses will lead to cutting jobs. He adds that when he was mayor of New York City, he based the city budget in part on Wall Street bonuses.

"If you somehow take that bonus out of the economy, it really will create unemployment," Giuliani said on CNN's "American Morning." "It means less spending in restaurants, less spending in department stores, so everything has an impact."

Lemme see...where have we heard this before?

An even better question: Where has this theory actually worked before?

Answer: Nowhere.

Here's a better idea, Mr. Giuliani: Take those fatcats' billions, give the money to the workers who helped make them rich, and let the workers do with it as they choose. Who knows, maybe they'll choose to spend some of the money and it will eventually trickle up?

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Craig Robinson is writing a book

Craig Robinson, brother of Michelle Obama (and coach of the Oregon State University men's basketball team) is writing a book called A Game of Character. Part tribute to his family and part inspirational guide, the book will be published in 2010 by Gotham Books.

Even though the book has not yet been written, let alone published, it has already sold more copies than did Joe the Plumber's book, Joe the Plumber: Fighting for the American Dream, which is in its eight week on the New York Times Worstseller List.

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How Obama uses touch

Politico has a very interesting article on the different ways Obama will touch people while speaking with them--a light squeeze, a firm pat, etc.--to convey different meanings and perhaps motivate behavior changes. People who have been on the receiving end of an Obama talk/touch say he's quite good at delivering his message.

So we have a president who intuitively knows and uses Nuero-Linguistic Programming...which could come in handy when dealing with some of the more obstinate heads of state.

Mission accomplished!

Obama is finally president, and just in case it hasn't quite sunk in for you yet, check this out.

Wasn't it great watching ex-President Bush take off in that helicopter and head back to Texas? I'm probably going to replay that scene in my head a thousand times over the next couple of weeks.

Yes, we did!

Well, at least one country liked him

Now that Bush is leaving, journalists here and abroad are free to express how they really feel about the ex-prez. The consensus: Bush was a colossal failure. Unless you live in Israel.

Karl Rove will personally deliver your farewell message to President Bush!

Now's your chance to say everything you've been wanting to say to President Bush for the past eight years...and Karl Rove (aka Turd Blossom, aka Bush's Brain) will personally deliver your note to the prez on January 20.

In Rove's own words (on his Twitter site):

Send a farewell letter to President Bush—Email gwbfarewell@gmail.com [no attachments] and I’ll give him your note on January 20.

The deadline for messages to President Bush is 6 p.m. Eastern time, January 19.

Naturally, Rove will deliver only what he considers to be positive messages to his old pal and fantasy boy toy, so if you have something negative to say, get creative and try to couch it in positive terms, e.g.:

Dear President Bush,

I don't care what most of the country and most of the world and probably most of the universe says, you were a fabulous president. I mean, you kept us safe ever since September 11. Who cares if you didn't keep us safe ON September 11--we've been safe ever since! OK, so the soldiers you sent to Iraq and Afghanistan weren't safe, but they kept us safe by keeping the fight "over there"!

And so what if we've been in a recession for the past year or so? For the previous 7 years, we were only in a steady downward spiral, careening inexorably toward a recession. You held it at bay for as long as you possibly could--considering everything you did that precipitated it!

But the main reason I think you were the best president, Mr. Bush, is that you kept Social Security from becoming privatized. Man oh man, can you even wrap your mind around what might have happened if our Social Security were funded by the stock market? Thanks to your efforts, Mr. Bush, we REALLY dodged a bullet there (unlike the poor guy Cheney shot in the face)!

Speaking of dodging bullets, I hope you have the best retirement ever, with as few "untoward incidents" as possible. With all the Bush-bashing kooks out there, you never know what might happen to our beloved ex-president. Stay low, and stay out of sight!

Sincerely yours,

EAL

Well, what are you waiting for...write that letter and send it to Karl!

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Should Bush be prosecuted?

The answer, according to Paul Krugman, is yes.

Sarah Palin, victim

Jon Stewart's mockery of Sarah Palin is hilarious, but it's also a little disturbing. The once-proud "hockey mom" and vice-presidential candidate seems to have been reduced to a whining, moaning, finger-pointing caricature of her former self--which, of course, was a caricature to begin with.

Still, does Sarah Palin deserve this kind of treatment?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Blamey Whinehouse

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Well, yes. If she wants to be seen as a victim, then Jon Stewart has every right to victimize her.

Bush's mistakes vs America's disappointments

23/6.com schools President Bush on the difference between a mistake and a disappointment. (Click to enlarge.)

Bush worries about his reflection

In his final news conference yesterday, President Bush said:

I don’t see how I can get back home in Texas and look in the mirror and be proud of what I see, if I allowed the loud voices, the loud critics to prevent me from doing what I thought was necessary to protect this country.

Well, exactly, Mr. Bush. How will you look at yourself in the mirror and be proud?

How will you sleep at night?



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Krugman: Obama's economic plan too conservative

In today's NY Times, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman writes that Obama's economic plan "isn’t as strong as his language about the economic threat. In fact, it falls well short of what’s needed."

Obama needs to stop trying to appease the Republican minority in Congress and start taking advantage of his Democratic majority. Yes, that's exactly what Bush did for eight years with his Republican majority, but it may be the only way to get the pendulum dislodged and started swinging in the other direction.

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More insights into who Rick Warren really is

Hey Mr. Obama, could you please tell us again why you think Rick Warren is a good guy?

Sneak preview: Laura Bush's memoir

Somehow, the investigative reporters over at 23/6.com got hold of the proposed contents page of Laura Bush's highly anticipated memoir.

Okay, anticipated.

Put down your coffee and take a look. (Rub some Vimax on the image to enlarge it.)

Ann Coulter: goofy, sophomoric victim

Yes, yes, I know: Ann Coulter is just an entertainer, like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity. But still, millions of people actually take her seriously. Even when they see her on TV, making a total fool of herself...


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Why is this woman even allowed to speak, let alone speak on TV? I liked her better when her jaw was wired shut.