The Senate voted 97-3 to suspend the purchase of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Bush administration wants to continue filling the reserve to capacity, it is currently at 97% of capacity. The reserve was established to maintain supply in case of another shortage.
Oil isn't getting cheaper in the immediate future, it could be cheaper to keep buying it now. The Senate seems to believe that the demand induced by increasing the reserve would be more harmful to our economy.
The price of oil is political and not economic, so says keepkalm. We have record gas prices and record profits for the oil companies, why haven't these people been drug out into the street?
Oh yeah, they all moved to Dubai.
Senate votes to halt oil reserve shipments
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
End of an era
The Clintons have long been transformational figures in American politics. William Jefferson Clinton was born of tremendous talent and intelligence and overcame tremendous obstacles in his life and eventual rise to power. Bill Clinton's story sounds like Huey Long with a twist. Run for statewide office, run for governor, then run for President. Don't get assassinated.
What Bill will be known for is winning. Beating George Bush Sr. in 1992 was the last time a challenger defeated a sitting president. He is also known for, and villified in certain circles in the base of the democratic party. Clinton made the Democrats the party of free trade, much to the chagrin of union backers who favor protection of homegrown industry. Gave most favored nation status to China when there were serious questions about product safety and most importantly human rights violations.
A few years after this landmark policy, Wal-Mart is the world's largest corporate organization and largest private employer in the United States. The vast majority of Wal-Mart's products are made in China and sold in the US. Hillary formerly sat on the board of the corporate giant.
The Clinton years will be remembered for balancing the budget and the unprecedented run of growth for the American economy.
Hillary was the presumptive nominee in 2004 and in 2008. By not making an announcement and by raising money in 2004, Hillary took the wind out of the sails of everyone else who was ready to run against George W. She would have been a much better candidate than John Kerry or Howard Dean. She would have shored up a key demographic that abandoned the democratic party in favor of the republican incumbent. That demographic is women.
"Soccer moms" were now "security moms" who didn't trust Kerry over Bush. I think that women would have been more likely to trust one of their own gender over Bush, but it is mere speculation at this point. Hillary chose not to get her hands dirty in 2004 and thought that she would walk to the White House when it opened up in 2008.
But it didn't happen. Her miscalculation 4 years ago cost us all dearly.
Have the Clinton's forgotten the reasons why they built their political machinery?
Is it just about winning? Or is it about standing up for a world view? The speculation now focuses on whether Hillary will accept that she is going to lose the nomination or try to win with superdelegates, and the delegates from the states of Florida and Michigan. The rules were agreed upon at the outset of the contest, Hillary seems poised to move the goal post. Or perhaps more appropriately she is playing Lucy to Barack Obama's Charlie Brown, convincing him to kick the ball through the uprights only to have the ball yanked away at the last possible second.
I hope that the Clinton's remember that they have a legacy to defend. A very popular and effective presidency that offers stark contrast to our current economic and geopolitical situation.
Hillary's real problem is that she doesn't have the talent that Bill had, and definitely doesn't have the talent (or consistency) that Obama has. She has risen further than any other first lady, she also appears to be the only first lady that ever had that kind of ambition for elected office. She has been tacitly accepting help from Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos," encouraging GOP faithful to vote Hillary in the primaries in order to prolong the contest. I wouldn't normally give Limbaugh this kind of credit, but given how well Hillary is doing with white voters with less than a college education (which is not a typical democratic constituency) it is worth noting that Limbaugh's key demographic are uneducated white people who are hyperactive and impressionable politically.
I would have never thought that there would be this kind of opportunity for the GOP. The democrats have let McCain into the race by not having this contest decided already.
What Bill will be known for is winning. Beating George Bush Sr. in 1992 was the last time a challenger defeated a sitting president. He is also known for, and villified in certain circles in the base of the democratic party. Clinton made the Democrats the party of free trade, much to the chagrin of union backers who favor protection of homegrown industry. Gave most favored nation status to China when there were serious questions about product safety and most importantly human rights violations.
A few years after this landmark policy, Wal-Mart is the world's largest corporate organization and largest private employer in the United States. The vast majority of Wal-Mart's products are made in China and sold in the US. Hillary formerly sat on the board of the corporate giant.
The Clinton years will be remembered for balancing the budget and the unprecedented run of growth for the American economy.
Hillary was the presumptive nominee in 2004 and in 2008. By not making an announcement and by raising money in 2004, Hillary took the wind out of the sails of everyone else who was ready to run against George W. She would have been a much better candidate than John Kerry or Howard Dean. She would have shored up a key demographic that abandoned the democratic party in favor of the republican incumbent. That demographic is women.
"Soccer moms" were now "security moms" who didn't trust Kerry over Bush. I think that women would have been more likely to trust one of their own gender over Bush, but it is mere speculation at this point. Hillary chose not to get her hands dirty in 2004 and thought that she would walk to the White House when it opened up in 2008.
But it didn't happen. Her miscalculation 4 years ago cost us all dearly.
Have the Clinton's forgotten the reasons why they built their political machinery?
Is it just about winning? Or is it about standing up for a world view? The speculation now focuses on whether Hillary will accept that she is going to lose the nomination or try to win with superdelegates, and the delegates from the states of Florida and Michigan. The rules were agreed upon at the outset of the contest, Hillary seems poised to move the goal post. Or perhaps more appropriately she is playing Lucy to Barack Obama's Charlie Brown, convincing him to kick the ball through the uprights only to have the ball yanked away at the last possible second.
I hope that the Clinton's remember that they have a legacy to defend. A very popular and effective presidency that offers stark contrast to our current economic and geopolitical situation.
Hillary's real problem is that she doesn't have the talent that Bill had, and definitely doesn't have the talent (or consistency) that Obama has. She has risen further than any other first lady, she also appears to be the only first lady that ever had that kind of ambition for elected office. She has been tacitly accepting help from Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos," encouraging GOP faithful to vote Hillary in the primaries in order to prolong the contest. I wouldn't normally give Limbaugh this kind of credit, but given how well Hillary is doing with white voters with less than a college education (which is not a typical democratic constituency) it is worth noting that Limbaugh's key demographic are uneducated white people who are hyperactive and impressionable politically.
I would have never thought that there would be this kind of opportunity for the GOP. The democrats have let McCain into the race by not having this contest decided already.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Special Session on Sonics unlikely
Apparently the Governor will not call a special session to work on an arena proposal for the Seattle Center/Supersonics.
Couldn't agree more. Bennett has two pending lawsuits, one by the city to keep the team to its lease until 2010 and the other by Howard Schultz over Bennett's bad faith effort to keep the team in Seattle.
"The last we checked, the votes aren't there," Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards said. "So why would we bring people down here (for a special session) to vote no on something? The governor is not going to waste the taxpayer dollars to have a debate in Olympia when the votes aren't there. The speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader and both minority leaders are going to have to show that the votes are there before we bring people back to town."Seattle PI: Special Session on Sonics Unlikely
Couldn't agree more. Bennett has two pending lawsuits, one by the city to keep the team to its lease until 2010 and the other by Howard Schultz over Bennett's bad faith effort to keep the team in Seattle.
Schultz v. Bennett
The lawsuit over the Seattle Supersonics has been officially filed. Cynical voices have deemed this little more than a publicity stunt for Howard Schultz, who has been the target of criticism for not selling to a local owner in the first place. When someone from an outside city buys a sports franchise it is a pretty good bet that they will try and move the team back home.
So the suit alleges that Schultz sold the team to Bennett with the condition that he try and keep the team in Seattle. Schultz knew what seemed obvious to everyone, Bennett wanted a team for Oklahoma City. Bennett was a part owner (investor?) in the San Antonio Spurs, part of the reason why Sam Presti and PJ Carlesimo were brought over from San Antonio. Bennett is also close with RC Buford, majority owner of the SA Spurs. Bennett was also tried to keep the new Orleans Hornets in Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is the top team in the West, OKC wanted the Hornets, Sonics are the next best thing.
Stern also know Bennett. Stern doesn't want to move the Hornets out of New Orleans. If the NBA works for New Orleans and the owner wants to keep them there fine. That is the way it ought to be.
They have scuttled, aka rebuilding, the Sonics to erode fan support for the next couple of seasons. Sonics aren't going to be in the Playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Read these articles, it is pretty clear that Bennett made the deal with Schultz only to move the team or sell.
The Sonics don't deserve this. They have been pretty good citizens. Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, and Nate McMillan all made significant contributions to the community. It is true that we still had Ruben Patterson (sexual assault charges)and Dale Ellis (DUI, back in the 80s when a DUI was a lot tougher to get in WA).
Here are some supporting articles and some of the court documents. Pop some corn and get comfortable we're going to overtime.
ESPN - E-mails key in Schultz's suit to reverse Sonics sale - NBA
Seattle PI: Bennett knew he would flip team
Schultz suit filing
So the suit alleges that Schultz sold the team to Bennett with the condition that he try and keep the team in Seattle. Schultz knew what seemed obvious to everyone, Bennett wanted a team for Oklahoma City. Bennett was a part owner (investor?) in the San Antonio Spurs, part of the reason why Sam Presti and PJ Carlesimo were brought over from San Antonio. Bennett is also close with RC Buford, majority owner of the SA Spurs. Bennett was also tried to keep the new Orleans Hornets in Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is the top team in the West, OKC wanted the Hornets, Sonics are the next best thing.
Stern also know Bennett. Stern doesn't want to move the Hornets out of New Orleans. If the NBA works for New Orleans and the owner wants to keep them there fine. That is the way it ought to be.
They have scuttled, aka rebuilding, the Sonics to erode fan support for the next couple of seasons. Sonics aren't going to be in the Playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Read these articles, it is pretty clear that Bennett made the deal with Schultz only to move the team or sell.
The Sonics don't deserve this. They have been pretty good citizens. Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, and Nate McMillan all made significant contributions to the community. It is true that we still had Ruben Patterson (sexual assault charges)and Dale Ellis (DUI, back in the 80s when a DUI was a lot tougher to get in WA).
Here are some supporting articles and some of the court documents. Pop some corn and get comfortable we're going to overtime.
ESPN - E-mails key in Schultz's suit to reverse Sonics sale - NBA
Seattle PI: Bennett knew he would flip team
Schultz suit filing
Friday, April 18, 2008
Supersonics vs. the future of the Seattle Center
Although I am a massive sports fan and active participant, I have tried to keep politics and sports separated as much as possible. However the news surrounding the Seattle Supersonics has crossed the line from sports into politics.
The NBA Board of Governors voted 28-2 in favor of letting the ownership group move the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City. The two dissenting votes were Paul Allen and Mark Cuban, owners of the Trailblazers and Dallas Mavericks. Allen is a local guy, owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Cuabn has been the Maverick owner in the NBA often criticizing the league and it's officials.
The Sonics have been in Seattle and the NBA since 1967. This is their 40th season in the league (altough it has been one worth forgetting). One year removed from the World's Fair Seattle was able to convert one of the pavilions into the Seattle Coliseum. Professional basketball was a lot different then. Everything was different then. Going to an NBA game now is a full blown spectacle. When the game isn't going, it's like the circus is in town. During the 60's and 70's it was a much more low-key affair.
It is hard to say what changed exactly. Most of the change can be described in simple economic terms. Players wanted more money, tickets went up. Fans expect more when the pay more and to keep the interests of the casual fan the circus was allowed to go on during pre-game, halftime, and the much maligned "media-timeout."
You could say that it was all about the game back in the day, and that is what made professional sports so popular. You didn't need luxury suites or restaurants in the arena, the game was what mattered.
OKC has tapped into what Seattle tapped into in 1967. The World's Fair was a recognition that Seattle was no longer the last fishing village on the way to Alaska. Seattle was a "Big League City." Seattle was important to the rest of the country in ways it never was before. Seattle was the major manufacturer of air transportation and potentially "Supersonic" Transport.
The Sonics have been a bell weather for our city for as long as they have been here. During the 80's we were overshadowed by LA. During the 90s grunge and the technology boom had the city riding high, the Sonics with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp were the high-flying stars of the explosive Supersonic teams that were title contenders for several seasons.
After the boom, well things haven't been so great. Gary Payton was traded (still makes me a little sad and nostalgic, he's still my favorite player) for Ray Allen, and we haven't seen any success lately. The team has been lost. There seemed to be no direction for the team, and it seemed to be run strictly on the personality of the ever petulant Payton stifling the team's growth and success.
Now the Sonics are a symbol of our political impotence. Our inability to compromise and support our own. The Sonics are a much bigger symbol than the Viaduct, the 520 bridge, or the ferry system. The personalities and egos are calling the shots right now. Greg Nickels and Howard Schultz couldn't agree on a new lease that would have kept the team here and both refused to back down. Frank Chopp wasn't going to let a public financing bill even come close to the floor of the House in the State Legislature and the Governor wasn't putting any weight behind the effort either.
This seems really anti-climatic, it seems over with a whimper. Schultz, who up until this week had been a villian for selling to Bennett, is suing Bennett for breach of contract by not acting in good faith to keep the team in Seattle.
Bennett did spend a lot of money lobbying and designing a new arena, it certainly looked like he tried, just not very hard.
The NBA Board of Governors voted 28-2 in favor of letting the ownership group move the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City. The two dissenting votes were Paul Allen and Mark Cuban, owners of the Trailblazers and Dallas Mavericks. Allen is a local guy, owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Cuabn has been the Maverick owner in the NBA often criticizing the league and it's officials.
The Sonics have been in Seattle and the NBA since 1967. This is their 40th season in the league (altough it has been one worth forgetting). One year removed from the World's Fair Seattle was able to convert one of the pavilions into the Seattle Coliseum. Professional basketball was a lot different then. Everything was different then. Going to an NBA game now is a full blown spectacle. When the game isn't going, it's like the circus is in town. During the 60's and 70's it was a much more low-key affair.
It is hard to say what changed exactly. Most of the change can be described in simple economic terms. Players wanted more money, tickets went up. Fans expect more when the pay more and to keep the interests of the casual fan the circus was allowed to go on during pre-game, halftime, and the much maligned "media-timeout."
You could say that it was all about the game back in the day, and that is what made professional sports so popular. You didn't need luxury suites or restaurants in the arena, the game was what mattered.
OKC has tapped into what Seattle tapped into in 1967. The World's Fair was a recognition that Seattle was no longer the last fishing village on the way to Alaska. Seattle was a "Big League City." Seattle was important to the rest of the country in ways it never was before. Seattle was the major manufacturer of air transportation and potentially "Supersonic" Transport.
The Sonics have been a bell weather for our city for as long as they have been here. During the 80's we were overshadowed by LA. During the 90s grunge and the technology boom had the city riding high, the Sonics with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp were the high-flying stars of the explosive Supersonic teams that were title contenders for several seasons.
After the boom, well things haven't been so great. Gary Payton was traded (still makes me a little sad and nostalgic, he's still my favorite player) for Ray Allen, and we haven't seen any success lately. The team has been lost. There seemed to be no direction for the team, and it seemed to be run strictly on the personality of the ever petulant Payton stifling the team's growth and success.
Now the Sonics are a symbol of our political impotence. Our inability to compromise and support our own. The Sonics are a much bigger symbol than the Viaduct, the 520 bridge, or the ferry system. The personalities and egos are calling the shots right now. Greg Nickels and Howard Schultz couldn't agree on a new lease that would have kept the team here and both refused to back down. Frank Chopp wasn't going to let a public financing bill even come close to the floor of the House in the State Legislature and the Governor wasn't putting any weight behind the effort either.
This seems really anti-climatic, it seems over with a whimper. Schultz, who up until this week had been a villian for selling to Bennett, is suing Bennett for breach of contract by not acting in good faith to keep the team in Seattle.
Bennett did spend a lot of money lobbying and designing a new arena, it certainly looked like he tried, just not very hard.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Top Two
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the State of Washington, and ruled in favor of the popular will of the people. Citizens rejoice!!! There will be no more partisan primary balloting in the State of Washington.
Ok, so there aren't people in the streets. But, 2008 just got a lot more interesting. More interesting because we will be able to see if any "safe" districts cannibalize themselves in the general election. Most districts are designed to be safe, safe for one party to win election. When districts are drawn, they are drawn to give safe seats to both major political parties and they determine where the battleground is going to be decided.
For those of you who know your ancient chinese philosophy, whoever dictates the field of battle wins. And wins handily.
The parties now can have two candidates in the general election provided that they are the top two vote getters. The question is just how happy is the party establishment with their incumbents? I wonder if any legislators are going to be targeted by their own party for defeat. This certainly changes things a bit doesn't it?
Welcome to the State of Washington, home of the Thunderdome.
PS we also bring you the real thunderdome ;)
Yourwelcome.
Ok, so there aren't people in the streets. But, 2008 just got a lot more interesting. More interesting because we will be able to see if any "safe" districts cannibalize themselves in the general election. Most districts are designed to be safe, safe for one party to win election. When districts are drawn, they are drawn to give safe seats to both major political parties and they determine where the battleground is going to be decided.
For those of you who know your ancient chinese philosophy, whoever dictates the field of battle wins. And wins handily.
The parties now can have two candidates in the general election provided that they are the top two vote getters. The question is just how happy is the party establishment with their incumbents? I wonder if any legislators are going to be targeted by their own party for defeat. This certainly changes things a bit doesn't it?
Welcome to the State of Washington, home of the Thunderdome.
PS we also bring you the real thunderdome ;)
Yourwelcome.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Dr. Cornell West on Sen. Barack Obama
"I told Obama that when he wins--which I think he will--I will celebrate for one day. I'll break-dance in the morning and party in the afternoon. But the next day, I'll become one of his major critics. His calling is one of progressive governance, and my calling is Socratic and prophetic. But all the criticism will emanate from my deep love for him."
-Dr. Cornell West
-Dr. Cornell West
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
