| Gardening! |
[12 Nov 2009|11:49am] |
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mood |
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I've been doing serious gardening in the disgusting stuff they've been calling weather around here. It all has to be done between sometime after 6:30pm (when it finally gets cool enough, ish, to be outside) and 8:30pm, when it gets dark. Which means dinner has been very very late too, of course.
Nonetheless...( Cut for far too much gardening )
In other news, I am currently absolutely livid about something that really doesn't belong in a livejournal post, even a locked one (which this isn't, of course, because I don't really believe that anything is actually private on the internet, and I'm not going to fool myself into thinking it is), and have just sent the most strongly-worded email of my entire existence. I don't know what, if anything, it will achieve, and I'm a bit scared because I hate confrontation, but it would be irresponsible and unfair to just walk away without at least giving the people in question an opportunity to explain themselves and also not do that again. Though just walking away is unbelievably tempting at present. I am running out of time and patience for this sort of nonsense, and after all, il faut cultiver notre jardin...
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| Coburn Disses Veterans |
[12 Nov 2009|12:30am] |
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http://rss.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/59IxB-QY7GI/-Coburn-Disses-Veterans Throughout U.S. history, war veterans have been handy ornaments for many politicians to parade around with on national holidays, early on for the Fourth of July, later for Memorial Day, and later still for Armistice Day, which we now commemorate as Veterans Day. These politicos apparently think that they acquire some vicarious patriotism if they cuddle up to veterans on the dais two or three times a year. But many of the same politicians have dishonored veterans during the rest of the year, routinely ignoring their needs. It doesn't matter whether these were amputees from the Civil War or the beleaguered Bonus Marchers of World War I, or the irradiated atomic test veterans of the Cold War, or the sufferers from post-traumatic stress disorder and the after-effects of Agents Orange in Vietnam, or those afflicted with Gulf War syndrome. With the exception of World War II, when Democrats invented the GI Bill in 1944, veterans have repeatedly gotten the shaft from a boatload of politicians who talk a good game when they've got red-white-and-blue bunting in the background and a national holiday audience to address but become forgetful when a vote for veterans' interests comes up in Congress. We've heard plenty of flag-waving speeches from some of these hypocrites today. Smarm and treacle to a drumbeat.  I don't know if flag-waving Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma gave a speech with veterans as a backdrop today. What is known, as BarbinMD wrote earlier, is that he has a dismal record with veterans groups, Ds and Fs and rankings of 40% or worse from groups such as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Disabled Veterans of America and the Retired Enlisted Association. No surprise.
For weeks now, Senator Coburn has been using his "holding" privilege to block consideration of the Veterans Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act - S. 1963. The legislation would help severely wounded veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars. Coburn wants to fund it by diverting unused stimulus funds. According to Army Times, the hope of many veterans organizations was to get the legislation passed by Veterans Day. The delay initiated by Coburn prompted a letter from 13 veterans organizations to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a week ago Monday: Those signing the letter include the nation’s major veterans groups — The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, AmVets, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Blinded Veterans Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Jewish War Veterans, plus the Military Officers Association of America, National Military Family Association and Wounded Warrior Project. Steve Robertson, legislative director for The American Legion, said delaying the bill hurts families caring for severely wounded combat veterans who would benefit from the stipends, health care, counseling and respite care that would be provided to caregivers in the bill. "For a lot of family caregivers, delay is costing them their jobs and their savings. It’s having a big impact," he said. At a press conference Tuesday, Senate Democrats, including Reid, asked Coburn to release his hold. Back in Oklahoma, Jim Myers and Barbara Hoberock at the Tulsa World reported: "Devoted families caring for seriously injured service men and women are losing their jobs, their health insurance, their savings, caring for their injured family members," said Medrano, an Iraq War veteran. State Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones said in statement responding to the Democrats that Coburn has the courage to stand up for veterans, their children and grandchildren "by demanding that Congress not write another multibillion-dollar hot check that puts future generations in even deeper debt." Why didn't that debt matter when Coburn, first as a Representative from Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District and then as Senator, was voting to pour money into the wars that put men and women into harm's way? Never mind. The answer to that question is all too obvious. A one-fingered salute to you, sir, and all who think like you.
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[11 Nov 2009|04:15pm] |
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This is my new favorite icon for the next five minutes. I need another good Watchmen icon.
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| Southerners -- including GOPers -- want a federal jobs bill |
[11 Nov 2009|11:00pm] |
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http://rss.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/gH93oxSMh9w/-Southernersincluding-GOPerswant-a-federal-jobs-bill Winthrop University is out with a new poll on political views among southerners. By far, the most interesting result is that among southerners there is overwhelming support for a new federal jobs bill:  Source: Winthrop Poll of 11 Southern states, November 2009, +/1 3.3% As you can see, support for a new jobs bill cuts across party lines. Even among Republicans, a strong majority wants to fund new federal programs to create jobs. Moreover, by an equally overwhelming margin, southerners rank the economy as the nation's top priority (39% rank it at the top of their list, compared to 13% for the second-place health care). Putting these two findings together -- that southerners (a) overwhelmingly favor a new federal jobs bill and (b) see the economy as the nation's top priority -- and you quickly see that on the most important issue, the south actually isn't that different from the rest of the United States. In January, Gallup asked all Americans whether they favored or opposed individual elements of the stimulus package. The most popular component? You guessed it: creating jobs with massive new spending on infrastructure. Issue Favor Oppose Creating new jobs with major new 78% 18%
government spending on the nation's
infrastructure such as bridges,
highways, and power grids Tax cuts for businesses in order to 75% 20%
save and help create jobs Income tax cuts of $500 for 72% 22%
individuals and $1,000 for couples
for most Americans Providing federal money to state 49% 42%
governments that are facing budget
shortfalls
The conventional wisdom is that the south sees politics differently than the rest of the nation, and on many issues -- most of them cultural -- the conventional wisdom is right. But on the most important issue -- the economy -- the south is completely in sync with the rest of the nation. They want a jobs bill, a jobs bill that will rebuild our nation, creating not just economic growth now, but investing in our infrastructure to enable future growth once the construction is complete. Congress will confront no shortage of must-pass legislation once health care reform is enacted, including immigration reform and climate change legislation. These numbers clearly indicate that a major new jobs bill must be added to the mix. It should be a clean bill, one that focuses on creating jobs and nothing but jobs, to rebuild our infrastructure. It should be the kind of bill that lets Democrats put to the test the GOP position -- as voiced by RNC Chairman Michael Steele -- that infrastructure jobs aren't real jobs. A good jobs bill would give the Democratic Party an opportunity to take the fight to the GOP not just on a national basis, but also in the south. The GOP may be a regional rump party, but that doesn't entitle them to a free pass in their region. If Democrats can make a good jobs bill define the 2010 election, they will have put the GOP squarely on defense -- and completely turned the current crop of conventional wisdom about the 2010 elections on its head. The opportunity is there. It's just a question of whether it will be seized.
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| Fox News Regular Bo Dietl: ‘Ten Years Ago, [Katie Couric] Looked American. Today, She Looks Oriental |
[11 Nov 2009|10:30pm] |
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http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/11/dietl-couric-imus/ http://thinkprogress.org/?p=68883 On Monday during an appearance on Don Imus’ radio show, which is simulcast on the Fox Business Network, former George H.W. Bush appointee and Fox News regular Bo Dietl used sexist and racist language to attack CBS News anchor Katie Couric. “Katie Couric, the cougar,” said Dietl. “If she gets her eyes done anymore, she’s going to look like a split face.” As Imus meekly attempted to defend Couric, saying “she’s fine,” Dietl unleashed a derogatory rant about Couric:
DIETL: She looks like a Halloween cartoon. She’s got her eyes pulled so far, she’s starting to look Chinese herself. Enough with these face lifts, alright Kate. And enough with the young guys Katie. You’re over the top baby. You’re over fifty. Start going out with guys your own age. This cougar stuff don’t work.
After some cross talk, Imus tried to get Dietl to “leave Katie Couric alone.” But as Dietl approached the end of his rant, Imus offhandedly called Couric “a rodent” as he tried to end the conversation:
IMUS: I’m just saying that if she wants — leave Katie Couric alone. She’s fine.
DIETL: Oh no no no. You like her eyes the way they look?
IMUS: She looks fine to me.
DIETL: They’re getting smaller and smaller.
IMUS: She looks fine.
DIETL: Ten years ago, she looked American. Today she is an oriental.
IMUS: She is a rodent. Leave her alone.
DIETL: She doesn’t like you either pal. She never stuck up for you.
Watch it:
This isn’t the first time that Dietl and Imus have had a racially-charged discussion live on the air. In May 2008, after Dietl said that then-President Bush should fly to Saudi Arabia to talk to “those little hamel humpers over there,” Imus replied, “It’s, uh, ‘camel humpers.’” An advocate of having law enforcement “go out to the Muslim communities,” Dietl, who is a birther, has referred to Muslims as “Aba Dabba Doos.”
Dietl has appeared on Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and Neil Cavuto’s Fox News shows and is someone for whom Fox News CEO Roger Ailes personally vouches. “I have known Bo Dietl both personally and professionally for many years,” says Ailes in an endorsement letter posted on Dietl’s website. “He does excellent work and personally is a man I trust.”
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| Promise 217: White House names nominee for USAID |
[11 Nov 2009|05:32pm] |
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http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/217/restructure-and-streamline-usaid/ The Promise:
Barack Obama and Joe Biden will "coordinate and consolidate PEPFAR, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Middle East Partnership Initiative and many foreign assistance programs currently housed in more than 20 executive agencies into a restructured, empowered and streamlined USAID. ... An empowered and elevated agency should be more nimble in the face of change and use tax dollars more responsibly."
The Update: In the Works
President Obama pledged to restructure, empower and streamline the U.S. Agency for International Development, an agency charged with distributing economic and humanitarian aid worldwide.
After a significant delay -- one that prompted Democratic senators to ask Obama to expedite a nomination -- the White House said Rajiv Shah would be named to head USAID.
Shah already serves in the administration as undersecretary of agriculture for research, education and economics. In theory, that means his nomination should proceed more quickly than someone who needed to be vetted and approved by the Senate for the first time.
In October, U.S. senators led by Sen. Christopher Dodd called on Obama to appoint a USAID administrator as soon as possible. A Senate resolution said that "a highly capable and knowledgeable individual should be nominated with all expediency and exigency to serve as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development."
Nominating the head of USAID is a significant move that prompts us to label this promise In the Works.
Complete promise details
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| Senate aide: Dems hush-hush on Carper's 'triggered co-ops' to avoid progressive pushback |
[11 Nov 2009|10:15pm] |
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http://rss.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/diE1ACwc3C0/-Senate-aide:-Dems-hush-hush-on-Carpers-triggered-co-ops-to-avoid-progressive-pushback This was a revealing final paragraph of Congress Daily's article about Tom Carper's plan to replace the public option with what amounts to state-level triggered co-ops (emphasis added): The Democratic aide said staffers have tried to keep Carper's alternative quiet due to concerns that publicity could draw attacks from liberal activists, which could complicate efforts to line up support from the full Democratic caucus. Given that Carper's plan -- which would create a series of state-level non-profit insurance carriers in states without competition -- is actually worse than co-ops (because they'd only be created in the case of a trigger), it's not surprising that Democrats would fear the reaction from liberals. No shock there. But what is interesting is that they are afraid that pushback from progressives could scuttle Carper's plan to kill the public option. Even though they may be stupid enough to think that they can pull the wool over our eyes, they at least realize they need to keep us happy. What's mystifying is that they would thinks a strategy of "shh, don't tell the progressives" is an effective way of accomplishing that.
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| A True Gift for Veterans - Peace |
[11 Nov 2009|02:32pm] |
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I just found this and wanted to pass it on...
For OpEdNews: Rowan Wolf - Writer The U.S. is deeply embedded in the mythology of the heroism of the warrior culture. There is a lot of rhetoric about the courage and sacrifice of the those who have fought (versus those who have served) for our "freedom." Never is that "freedom" defined. However, it is true that many have served - willingly or not - under the belief they our protecting our "freedom" and "our way of life." I will not besmirch those sacrifices, nor will I be silent on the utterly shameful way that both the government and the people of the United States have met the needs of those who have served. We call them "heroes," but as a nation living with heroes is a more difficult task than remembering (once in a while) those who have died. Many return from their service transformed All too often, they are too uncomfortably transformed to fit into the "civilian" flow of life. For some, it is more comfortable to return to bloody combat and the risk of death, than to return to friends and family, and co-workers, and a clueless populace. The adrenaline, and violence, and death-linked comradery is a real embrace. The invisibility and lack of understanding of "home" is a different kind of death. For some, there is no return to war zones, and for better or worse they wrestle the demons and some "win" and some "lose." Some rebuild their lives. Some end up on the streets, or in the jails, or numbed by drugs of choice. Many, and certainly their families, cling with all their might to the comfortable myth that "it was all for a grander purpose." I have heroes who are veterans. I have watched many face the demons of war (and military "actions") that remain with them - often for a life time. One of the sacrifices they made is the tattering of a glamorized entertainment myth of war and fighting in the face of bloody reality and burned indelibly upon their mind's eyes, and upon their hearts. It is a cost beyond bearing, and one that goes virtually unacknowledged by the populace. Instead, they all too frequently face a betrayal by those societally tasked to know - and support - them. Namely, the Department of Defense, and the various military services, and the Veterans Administration. Conditions such as PTSD and psychological issues are frequently ignored, or those who have served are dissuaded from pursuing services. Then there are those other things that the military does not want to acknowledge, and therefore refuses to provide service - the "atomic" vets, agent orange, depleted uranium, Gulf War Syndrome, the effects of vaccinations, the paltry benefits left to the families of the fallen, the list goes on and on. The realities of serving - or surviving serving. Once a year (twice if we count Memorial Day) the nation is called on to recognize these heroes - standing and fallen. This sanitized recognition does not mean embracing the reality of the service or the true sacrifices made. This sanitized recognition does not even recognize the human and national costs of that service. Certainly, nothing is said in this war glorifying culture regarding what the best recognition should really be - a commitment to ending war and working for peace. Yes, peace is work - ongoing work. However many veterans DO make this commitment, and for veterans that commitment comes at a higher price than for most who have never served. So I want to say thank you to the most courageous of veterans who I know - those veterans who struggle for peace. They have fought, and continue to fight, incredible internal battles while waging the most significant of struggles - the struggle for peace. Thank you veterans for this ongoing service to an ungrateful nation. Thanks also to those veterans organizations that struggle untiringly for peace and truth, and support those who have served in this critical struggle. Please thank a veteran, and thank a Veteran's organization such as those below. Importantly, also commit to fighting for veteran's rights and to creating a world where such sacrifices are never needed again. Veterans for Peace Iraq Veterans Against the War Veterans Against the Iraq War Winter Soldier Investigation Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan www/uncommonthought.com/mtblog/ Rowan Wolf is an activist and sociologist living in Oregon. She is the founder and principle author of Uncommon Thought Journal
Peace,
Ed
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| Network Maintenance: Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 04:00-06:00 UTC/GMT |
[11 Nov 2009|02:00pm] |
On Saturday the 14th at 4AM UTC/GMT we will be upgrading the operating system of our network load balancers to a newer version, one that will allow us to use both CPUs! Nifty, because multiprocessing is nice.
Since we have 2 load balancers, the plan is to upgrade 1 at a time, and there really should be very little impact to our website. Hopefully you won't notice a thing and I'll get to go back to the hotel and watch some wonderful late night infomercials.
We've got a lot of exciting projects coming up for 2010 and we're hoping that we'll be able to deliver them all to you, that you will find it useful/cool/lovely and then you will use the site even more. Behind-the-scenes work like this will give us the capacity to handle the anticipated traffic, so expect a few more maintenance windows especially in the beginning of next year as we've got some neat ideas to improve performance around here! We had the recent 30-45 minute outage yesterday due to one of our logging databases filling up disk space -- not so great design coupled with my human error in handling the initial problem -- and it looks like we're going to finally have some resources to eliminate stuff like that. I can't wait!
As usual, I will be updating status.livejournal.org before and after, just in case you are not able to reach our main website during the work.
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| Under Pressure From Tea Party Activists, Charleston GOP Censures Lindsey Graham For Bipartisanship |
[11 Nov 2009|09:00pm] |
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http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/11/graham-censure-climatechange/ http://thinkprogress.org/?p=68873 On Monday, the Charleston County Republican Party’s executive committee “took the unusual step” of officially censuring Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The local GOP committee admonished Graham for stepping across party lines to work with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) on a bipartisan clean energy bill and other pieces of legislation. The censure stated that Graham’s “bipartisanship continues to weaken the Republican brand and tarnish the ideals of freedom.”
Part of the fury from the right against Graham is being spurred by the oil and coal industry. The oil company front group “American Energy Alliance” has blanketed South Carolina with ads smearing Graham for seeking to address climate change.
The pressure against Graham has also stemmed from his criticism of hate radio and Fox News host Glenn Beck. “Only in America can you make that much money crying,” said Graham, mocking Beck in early October. Beck has responded with a slime campaign against Graham that he typically reserves for liberals. The leader of the Charleston Republican Party, Lin Bennett, is also a member of Glenn Beck’s 9/12 organization in South Carolina. According to its website, the Charleston GOP claims to work closely with tea party groups and Beck’s 9/12 activists in selecting its favored candidates.
Will Graham be able to stand up to the angry backlash being cultivated by far right voices and entrenched corporations interests? At a Graham town hall in Greenville last month, activist Harry Kimball of “RINO HUNT” protested by constructing a display that portrayed Graham, as well as other GOP moderates, being flushed down a toilet:
KIMBALL: This is for every RINO who has failed to represent us. [...] [the toilet represents] flushing them, flushing them.
Watch it:
Graham’s spokesman defended his boss to reporters yesterday, claiming the senator has a “90 percent conservative voting record.” Unfortunately for Graham, that may not prevent him from being “Scozzafavaed.”
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| Promise 62: Health care reform bill includes requirement for more disclosure |
[11 Nov 2009|05:11pm] |
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http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/62/require-providers-to-report-measures-of-health-c/ The Promise:
"Require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care and costs."
The Update: In the Works
Democratic plans for health care reform include new requirements for hospitals to report on health care-associated infections that develop in hospitals and demographic information associated with such infections.
The secretary of Health and Human Services is also authorized to make the information publicly available over the Internet. The secretary should also make an annual report to Congress with recommendations for reducing such infections.
This proposed new authority is a concrete step toward fulfilling this promise. So we rate it In the Works.
Complete promise details
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| Biden: "I Have Everything To Hope, But Little To Fear" |
[11 Nov 2009|08:50pm] |
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/11/with-such-men-i-have-everything-hope-little-fear On Veterans Day, Vice President Joe Biden joins all Americans in honoring those who have fought and died for our country. Yesterday, in recognition of the seven soldiers killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan last month, the Vice President visited Fort Lewis military base in Washington, where he spoke to a crowd of 500 people, recognizing the bravery and sacrifices of the fallen soldiers:
It's that valiance that we remember here today at Fort Lewis. It's that valiance that we honor today at Fort Hood. And it's that valiance that we'll celebrate tomorrow, our nation's 91st Veterans Day.
Today, these seven men take their place on the rolls of the greatest American heroes. And the rest of us -- all the rest of America -- should once again be reminded and rededicate ourselves to a simple proposition: The only sacred responsibility we have as a nation -- the only sacred responsibility we have as a nation -- is to give all those we send all they need, and care for them and their families when they come home. That's the only truly sacred obligation our government has.
Meriwether Lewis -- soldier, explorer, a leader of men -- when speaking of his historic expedition, said of those under his command, "With such men I have everything to hope, but little to fear."
Well, I say to all Americans today: Knowing these seven men are watching over us now, and that our military is filled with thousands upon thousands of women and men like them -- I think we can believe that, even as we struggle with tragedy, even as we grapple with the profound loss and devastating grief, we can look up at the heavens, think of those heroes, and know with certainty that we have everything to hope, but little to fear, thanks to them.
 Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the memorial service for seven soldiers killed by a roadside bomb on Oct. 27 in Afghanistan, at Ft. Lewis, Washington, Tuesday, November 10, 2009. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.)
 Vice President Joe Biden places a coin in front of each pair of boots at the memorial service for seven soldiers killed by a roadside bomb on Oct. 27 in Afghanistan, at Ft. Lewis, Washington, Tuesday, November 10, 2009. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.)
Today, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a luncheon at the Naval Observatory for Veterans and active duty servicemembers along with their families. The Bidens, whose son Beau recently returned from Iraq, were joined by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
 Vice President Joe Biden greets attendees of a luncheon for veterans and their families at the Naval Observatory residence in Washington DC, Wednesday, November 11, 2009. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.)
 Dr. Jill Biden speaks to veterans and their families flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki during a luncheon for veterans and their families at the Naval Observatory residence in Washington DC, Wednesday, November 11, 2009. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.)
 Vice President Joe Biden speaks to veterans and their families accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden and Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki during a luncheon for veterans and their families at the Naval Observatory residence in Washington DC, Wednesday, November 11, 2009. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.)
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| Veterans' Armistice Remembrance |
[11 Nov 2009|05:03pm] |
Whatever you call the day, it's dedicated to the appreciation of those who have defended our land, our people, and our freedom.
To all of you, past, present, and future: Thank you. Thank you for giving of yourselves -- of your talents, your passion, your blood, your lives. And please do not take it as a slight when I say: Someday I hope your jobs become unnecessary.
Peace.
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| No actual poll results in first 8 paragraphs of AP poll analysis |
[11 Nov 2009|09:36pm] |
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http://rss.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/yzXzwmR08HE/-No-actual-poll-results-in-first-8-paragraphs-of-AP-poll-analysis The AP's Liz "Donuts" Sidoti really hates President Obama -- or at least that's the impression she gives, because in the first eight paragraphs of her 'article' on the most recent AP-GfK poll, she doesn't mention a single number from the poll. Before conceding that President Obama's job approval rating stands at 54% (which is essentially unchanged since July), Sidoti paints a portrait of doom and gloom for a Democratic president in distress: Confidence in Obama slips more, poll shows
Wave of optimism that swept president into office turns more pessimistic By LIZ SIDOTI
AP National Political Writer
updated 3:29 p.m. PT, Tues., Nov . 10, 2009 WASHINGTON - The euphoria of 2008 is over: America is in a funk. Elected last November on a wave of optimism, President Barack Obama now finds himself governing an increasingly pessimistic country in recession while muscling through Congress a health care reform overhaul and weighing whether to commit more troops to the 8-year-old Afghanistan war. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows that Americans grew slightly more dispirited on a range of matters over the past month, continuing slippage that has occurred since Obama took office as the year began. They were more pessimistic about the direction of the country. They disapproved of Obama's handling of the economy a bit more than before. And, perhaps most striking for this novice commander in chief, more people have lost confidence in Obama on Iraq and Afghanistan over the last month. Ambitious agenda
All that is troubling for a president trying to accomplish an ambitious agenda at home while fighting wars abroad, as well as for a Democratic Party heading into a critical election year in which it will look to stave off losses a new president typically experiences in his first midterms. A third of the Senate, all of the House and most governors' offices will be on the ballot. The findings underscore just how quickly the political environment can change, a lesson in cautiousness for out-of-power Republicans salivating at the murky state of the electorate and buzzing with energy after booting Democrats from rule in Virginia and New Jersey governors' races last week. It was just over a year ago that Obama won the White House in an electoral landslide and Democrats padded their congressional majorities. The country was riding high with optimism by just about all measures when Obama took office in January. "Hope" and "change" were en vogue back then. But "change" didn't happen overnight, as the rhetoric of campaigning crashed headlong into the realities of governing. And "hope" slipped in a country that always has clung to it. In those first eight paragraphs and 363 words, Sidoti manages to claim a new poll shows the Obama administration has "crashed," taking the coountry from "the euphoria of 2008" to a "funk." To make this claim, she cites exactly zero numbers from the poll. Sidoti does characterize some numbers from the poll, but there's a reason that she's characterizing them rather than citing them. For example: in the AP poll, Obama's overall approval is 54/43, essentially unchanged from July's 55/42 rating. His numbers have dropped from the staggering numbers early in his first couple of months (67/24 in February), but that's old news. Since July, things have been steady. Another example: despite Sidoti's claim that "the euphoria of 2008 is over: America is in a funk," the country's right-track/wrong-track numbers are better now than they were in 2008. The AP poll shows a 38/56 right-track/wrong-track number. That's down from 48/46 in May, but still better than the 2008 numbers (32/60 in December '08, 36/56 in November '08, 17/78 in October '08, and 26/70 in September '08). It's true that nobody could argue with a straight face that Americans are happy with where things stand in the country today. But Sidoti isn't just claiming that: she's trying to say that people are more pessimistic today than they were a year ago, and she's blaming it on President Obama. In light of that thesis, the real reason she avoided citing any actual numbers in the first half of her article becomes clear: her argument didn't add up, and she knew it.
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The New York Times reports that CNN anchor Lou Dobbs plans to announce on his show tonight that 
