All Things in Moderation

Friday 11/9/2012 Open Thread

41 Responses

1. 

   novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 8:40 am said:

   just talked to a friend who does energy lobbying. layoffs to start immediately in the coal industry.

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2. 

   Mike, on November 9, 2012 at 8:45 am said:

   CBO report on the fiscal cliff:

   On the basis of its analysis, CBO concludes the following:

   Eliminating the automatic enforcement procedures established by the Budget Control Act of 2011 that are scheduled to reduce both discretionary and mandatory spending starting in January and maintaining Medicare’s payment rates for physicians’ services at the current level would boost real GDP by about three-quarters of a percent by the end of 2013.

   Extending all expiring tax provisions other than the cut in the payroll tax that has been in effect since January 2011—that is, extending the tax reductions originally enacted in 2001, 2003, and 2009 and extending all other expiring provisions, including those that expired at the end of 2011, except for the payroll tax cut—and indexing the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for inflation beginning in 2012 would boost real GDP by a little less than 1½ percent by the end of 2013.

   Making all of the changes described in the two preceding bullets—which captures all of the policies included in the first two years of CBO’s alternative fiscal scenario—would boost real GDP by about 2¼ percent by the end of 2013 (as CBO estimated in August). Thus, of the total difference in the projected growth of GDP next year under current law and under the alternative fiscal scenario, about two-thirds owes to changes in tax policies and about one-third owes to changes in spending policies.

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3. 

   jnc4p, on November 9, 2012 at 8:48 am said:

   Taibbi talking sense:

   “I searched the right-wing media landscape far and wide and tried to find even a hint of self-examination, self-criticism, and I didn’t find much. Then again, they didn’t lose the presidential vote by much, so they didn’t take the election result as a total repudiation of their belief system, as they probably shouldn’t have, anyway.

   But some introspection was probably in order, particularly with the question – soon to become the dominant question in American major party-politics – of what the Republicans have to do to do better with women and minorities. They dominated with white males, but lagged with almost all other groups.”

   http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/hey-rush-limbaugh-starting-an-abortion-industry-wont-win-you-female-voters-20121108

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4. 

   Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 9:19 am said:

   jnc:

   “lagged” as a verb in that sentence is too kind. Matt should have said something along the lines of “tanked”.

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5. 

   novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 9:53 am said:

   “lagged” and “tanked” are boring. I like “horsewhipped”

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6. 

   Brent Nyitray, on November 9, 2012 at 11:18 am said:

   Starting to think we are going to go over the fiscal cliff, which pretty much guarantees a 2013 recession.

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7. 

   Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm said:

   “horsewhipped” has both 19th century and porn connotations. . .

   or maybe I’m thinking of “buggywhipped”

   Brent: do you think so? I don’t know that Obama is willing to go there; 2014 mid-term elections and all.

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8. 

   novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 12:43 pm said:

   Our 19th century asses got buggered.

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9. 

   jnc4p, on November 9, 2012 at 1:21 pm said:

   Didn’t see this coming:

   “CIA Director David Petraeus resigns
   Posted by Rachel Weiner on November 9, 2012 at 3:07 pm”

   http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/11/09/cia-director-david-petraeus-resigns/?hpid=z1

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10. 

    novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 1:31 pm said:

    rumor that circled town is that he had an affair — with an Elizabeth Warren staffer.

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11. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 2:11 pm said:

    NoVA:

    No way!!!!

    Really?????

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12. 

    novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 2:15 pm said:

    it’s can’t possibly be true — but that’s the talk that circled the beltway. but how a would a bunch of health policy guys would know? same story from 2 people “oh, i heard it from a guy on the Hill.” i’d bet against it.

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13. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 2:24 pm said:

    No, it can’t possibly be true. Not in a million years.

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14. 

    jnc4p, on November 9, 2012 at 2:27 pm said:

    Hmm, according to the NYT, his wife works at the CFPB.

    “Ms. Petraeus is the assistant director of the Office of Servicemember Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. ”

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15. 

    novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 2:33 pm said:

    there’s your connection — that’s likely the source of the rumor.

    Too funny — “Hey, let me tell you about how I protect the public.”

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16. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 2:33 pm said:

    Reading the news reports now. . . I’m betting that it’s not just an affair, but that he wants to get a divorce and remarry (or keep seeing the “other woman”).

    But an Elizabeth Warren staffer? That’s going out way, way on a limb.

    Probably some young redhead. Blond, I meant blond.

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17. 

    novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 2:35 pm said:

    redhead. it’s always a redhead.

    [flashback to most chaotic and insane six months of my life]

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18. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 2:39 pm said:

    Hey!!

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19. 

    novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 2:42 pm said:

    oh, it was totally worth it.

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20. 

    yellojkt, on November 9, 2012 at 2:45 pm said:

    His wife worked for Warren in the unfortunately named (as Wonkette puts it) Office of Servicemember Affairs, hence the possible source of the rumor.

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21. 

    yellojkt, on November 9, 2012 at 2:46 pm said:

    Corked. I should refresh more often.

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22. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 2:46 pm said:

    We are.

    Blonds are overrated.

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23. 

    novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 2:49 pm said:

    amen to that. damn that girl could drink. and those boots. sorry. i’m somewhere else right now.

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24. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 2:56 pm said:

    🙂 Ha!

    And I do need to go get a couple of new pairs of boots.

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25. 

    novahockey, on November 9, 2012 at 3:00 pm said:

    and on that note, it’s time for me to go.

    bye!

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26. 

    jnc4p, on November 9, 2012 at 3:03 pm said:

    For your amusement:

    “Posted at 02:48 PM ET, 11/09/2012
    Best of the Star Wars fiscal cliff
    By Alexandra Petri”

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/best-of-the-star-wars-fiscal-cliff/2012/11/09/b94c0756-2a93-11e2-bab2-eda299503684_blog.html

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27. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 3:05 pm said:

    Have a great weekend! I’ll be rooting for Notre Dame again!

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28. 

    Mike, on November 9, 2012 at 4:20 pm said:

    Petraeus had his affair with Paula Broadwell, who was writing a biography of him. Brunette.

    Looks like she was under investigation for improperly accessing his email.

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29. 

    yellojkt, on November 9, 2012 at 4:54 pm said:

    That’s one way to get the inside story.

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30. 

    Mike, on November 9, 2012 at 5:01 pm said:

    Petraeus gets company in the resigning-because-of-an-affair doghouse.

    Bethesda-based contracting giant Lockheed Martin said incoming chief executive Christopher E. Kubasik has resigned because of a “close personal relationship with a subordinate employee” and Marillyn A. Hewson, who was in line to become president and chief operating officer, will become chief executive.

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31. 

    Michigoose, on November 9, 2012 at 5:37 pm said:

    Mike:

    Your links send me to a weird “linx” site.

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    • 

      markinaustin, on November 10, 2012 at 5:54 am said:

      Brian Simon found this link:

      http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-25-2012/paula-broadwell

      Her wiki article suggests that she is an extraordinary woman. I am speculating that they were, or are, smitten, and that is a problem for two families, not an easy thing to get beyond.

      I am actually saddened that we lose Petraeus from public service over this.

      Addendum: CORKED by YJ!

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32. 

    Mike, on November 9, 2012 at 9:08 pm said:

    Hmm. Looks like paulabroadwell.com has been taken down. The other links should work though.

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33. 

    yellojkt, on November 10, 2012 at 5:50 am said:

    Paula Broadwell on The Daily Show.

    The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
    Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

    Her book “All In” has the most unintentionally ironic title since Jerry Sandusky’s “Touched”.

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34. 

    yellojkt, on November 10, 2012 at 6:50 am said:

    We do need to get over our prudery to the point where indiscretions between consenting adults are not career killing events.

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    • 

      markinaustin, on November 10, 2012 at 7:21 am said:

      YJ, I am guessing he resigned b/c she had inappropriate access to his email, per the FBI.

      If he resigned for unspecified reasons the speculation would never end. If he resigned stating he gave his biographer access to his emails the trail would have led to this anyway. I give him some credit for forthrightness, and for deflecting from the actual security breach.

      Holly, by all accounts, has been a great advocate for military families at the Consumer Affairs thingie, and if she leaves it will be another sad consequence. Major Broadwell, another serious, accomplished, and smart woman, will now become the focus of super market checkout tabloids. Her husband, an M.D., will have to deal with constant BS, too. And both families have children. A trainwreck.

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35. 

    Michigoose, on November 10, 2012 at 7:23 am said:

    yello:

    Whole heartedly agree. The specific problem, in this case, is that it’s so disqualifying for the rank and file agents that there’s no way he could continue as director. Admitting to an affair automatically loses you your security clearance, no matter who you are. Not admitting to one is a felony. Rock, meet hard place.

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    • 

      markinaustin, on November 10, 2012 at 7:32 am said:

      Thanks, Kelley. That really clarifies that. However, I think it was the FBI investigation of the email access that brought this to a head. In other words, I think Petraeus would have kept it buried, otherwise.

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36. 

    Michigoose, on November 10, 2012 at 7:36 am said:

    Mark: I think you’re right. And it’s a tragedy for the families.

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37. 

    yellojkt, on November 10, 2012 at 7:56 am said:

    On a humorous note:

    [S] I don't imagine Petraeues's affair was a big deal to the CIA, in and of itself. But not being able to keep it secret? FIRED.

    — Paul and Storm (@paulandstorm) November 10, 2012

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38. 

    jnc4p, on November 11, 2012 at 5:44 pm said:

    Courtesy Shrink2: Bruce Bartlett explains Romney’s loss one year ago:

    http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2011/10/14/Why-Romney-Cant-Beat-Obama-in-2012.aspx#page1

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