A look back at 2009

A 2009 retrospective by Niall Ferguson.

Rove 110, Bush 95

That's the number of books Karl Rove and W. Bush read during their book-readin' contest in 2006.

It all started on New Year's Eve in 2005. President Bush asked what my New Year's resolutions were. I told him that as a regular reader who'd gotten out of the habit, my goal was to read a book a week in 2006. Three days later, we were in the Oval Office when he fixed me in his sights and said, "I'm on my second. Where are you?" Mr. Bush had turned my resolution into a contest.

By coincidence, we were both reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals." The president jumped to a slim early lead and remained ahead until March, when I moved decisively in front. The competition soon spun out of control. We kept track not just of books read, but also the number of pages and later the combined size of each book's pages -- its "Total Lateral Area."
The Opinion Journal Widget

We recommended volumes to each other (for example, he encouraged me to read a Mao biography; I suggested a book on Reconstruction's unhappy end). We discussed the books and wrote thank-you notes to some authors.

At year's end, I defeated the president, 110 books to 95. My trophy looks suspiciously like those given out at junior bowling finals. The president lamely insisted he'd lost because he'd been busy as Leader of the Free World.

Ricardo Manapat, the Forger, is dead

From ABSCBN: "Ricardo Manapat, the former director of the National Archives and author of the classic anti-cronyism pamphlet "Some Are Smarter Than Others", has died. He was 55...

In 2004, he was accused of tampering documents pertinent to a disqualification case filed against then presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. The Supreme Court later ruled against the petition and allowed Poe to run."

Videos of Celebrities talking in French, German, Spanish

Sandra Bullock in gives an interview in German, and at the Bambi Awards (german speech)

Audrey Hepburn gives interview in French and Italian.

Jodie Foster gives a french interview in 2007 for the movie "The Brave One".

Kobe Bryant's interview in Italian.

Kim Cattrall (Samantha of "Sex in the City") does an intro statement in German.

Natalie Portman talking in Hebrew. More here.

Viggo Mortensen speaks perfect Spanish (w/ an Argentinian accent). Also in Danish. And he tried to answer a question in French.

Johnny Depp in French at the World Music Awards in 2002.

Malin Akerman does interview in Swedish

Uh oh...

When America sneezes, the world catches a cold. But what if China sneezes...

From David Frum:

I've been banging the drum in this space for some weeks about the risk to China's political stability posed by the financial crisis. Here's an authoritarian regime that legitimates itself by delivering economic benefits - only the benefits are ceasing to flow. Today's Washington Post delivers the latest report on the consequences:

When 9,000 of Shin Guoqing's fellow taxi drivers went on strike early last month, he felt he had to join them.

Soaring inflation had undermined what his $300-a-month income could buy for his family, and Shin said he was frustrated that the government had done nothing to help. "After running around the whole day, you have only a few renminbi for it," he said, referring to China's currency. "You don't feel good about your life."

For two days, the drivers held this Sichuan province metropolis of 31 million people under siege, blocking roads and smashing cars. The Communist Party quickly stopped the violence by promising to address the drivers' demands for easier access to fuel and better working conditions.

From the far western industrial county of Yongdeng to the southern resort city of Sanya and the commercial center of Guangzhou, members of China's upwardly mobile working class — taxi drivers, teachers, factory workers and even auxiliary police officers — have mounted protests since the Chongqing strike, refusing to work until their demands were met.

"...Trade is not the highest priority for the incoming Obama administration..."

From Instapundit:

Becerra Won’t Be Obama’s Trade Rep. “Saying that he has come to the realization that trade is not the highest priority for the incoming Obama administration, Rep. Xavier Becerra has decided not to accept Barack Obama’s offer to be United States Trade Representative.” I’m very worried about a descent into protectionism, which would turn the economic situation from problematic to disastrous all by itself. This isn’t making me feel better.

Hmmm... and how will that affect the RP?

Where's my Conan and Leno?

bakit walang Tonight Show at Late Night w/ Conan O'Brien sa JACK Tv kanina?

Taking Naps

it's good for you. although i still haven't mastered the technique on how to take it during breaktime.

but in my experience, naps aren't necessary if you get enough sleep (7 hours) at night.

only sleep deprived people need naps... like me sometimes kung 6 hours lang ang tulog ko.

Today: GM. Tomorrow: the Egypt bailout?

Too big to fail, World Edition.

Manila reports Ebola virus in pigs

but it's not the same one as the deadly African variety that affect humans raw.

How the Kennedy and Nixon administration used the Fairness Doctrine

Until the Reagan administration extinguished it, the doctrine required broadcasters to devote reasonable time to fairly presenting all sides of any controversial issue discussed on the air. The government decided the meaning of the italicized words.

When government regulation of the content of broadcasts began in 1927, the supposed justification was the scarcity of radio spectrum. In 1928 and 1929, when Republicans ran Washington, a New York station owned by the Socialist Party was warned to show "due regard" for others' opinions, and the government blocked the Chicago Federation of Labor's attempted purchase of a station because all stations should serve "the general public." In 1939, when Democrats ran Washington, the government conditioned renewal of one station's license on that station's promise to desist from anti-FDR editorials.

In 1969, when the Supreme Court declared the fairness doctrine constitutional, it probably did not know the Kennedy administration's use of it, as one official described it: "Our massive strategy was to use the fairness doctrine to challenge and harass the right-wing broadcasters and hope that the challenges would be so costly to them that they would be inhibited and decide it was too expensive to continue." Richard Nixon emulated this practice. In 1973, Supreme Court Justice William Douglas, a liberal, said the doctrine "has no place in our First Amendment regime" because it "enables administration after administration to toy with TV or radio."

From George Will.

Bakit absent si Mike Arroyo sa recent Pacquiao match?

dahil ba kasama siya kasama siya sa imbistigasyon ng money laundering ng mga US authorities at FBI?

Manny Pacquiao's pre-fight interview (in English) with Gambo and Ash

he sounds like a metrosexual Oscar dela Hoya, but with more uhmms...

Court of Appeals wants Erap Docu rewriten before it gives TV airing approval

The 12th division of the Court of Appeals demanded a major rewrite in the Erap Documentary before it will the movie to be shown on tv:

There was the 12th Division of the Court of Appeals (CA) actually demanding a major rewrite of the Joseph Estrada bio-documentary, should it be shown on television, because as the court ruled, the producers of the bio pic Ang Mabuhay para sa Masa in documenting the Edsa ll revolt, which was definitely a coup d’ etat, does not show the “legality of the transfer of power” from Estrada to Gloria Arroyo in January 2001.

The CA said in its ruling that “petitioners are still mandated to recognize the legality of the transfer of power from former President Estrada to President Arroyo and reflect the same in the file” while upholding Malacañang’s position to include in the film the side of persons who were allegedly “defamed” by the documentary that states Estrada was illegally removed from office.

As the report went, the CA was quoted as having ruled that “the portion ‘Power-Grab,’ by its descriptive appellation, connotes the illegal seizure of power purportedly executed by the current president. It runs contrary to the Supreme Court (SC) ruling.”

Apart from this, the court also found objectionable the portion with “Conspiracy” emblazoned across pictures of Gloria, Mike Arroyo, Fidel Ramos, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Angelo Reyes, then Estrada’s chief of staff, Michael Defensor, Hernando Perez, Chavit Singson and other businessmen.

This said the court, “insinuates their unified action to overthrow President Estrada” and that “integration of said portion into the film tends to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in the government,” with the court even adding that the biopic can even be deemed “libelous and defamatory.”

More amazing, the court, acting like a lapdog of Gloria, ruled that “finding the subject film replete with defamatory remarks and scenes (it is) likely to impair faith in its government” and “imposition of limitation/condition on its exhibition appears in order.”

More: As the balancing factor in the form of replies of personalities defamed, “their replies should be integrated in the film as a part thereof,” the court said.

This is not only a clear infringement on the freedom of the press and of speech that the CA upholds, but worse, it even dictates what should and should not be included in a documentary.

Why should a court impose and mandate prior restraint on a documentary — because as sure as hell, the court, being a part of government has imposed prior restraint in getting that Erap documentary from being released in the electronic media and even dictates to the producers what should and should not be included in a documentary.

But it was a power grab. There was a conspiracy. And this is another attempt to censor political speech.


Armida Siguion Reyna:

I hear that the Court of Appeals (CA) wants Joseph Estrada’s biographical video documentary to first acknowledge the legitimacy of Gloria Arroyo’s presidency before it can be shown on television, and for a moment, I think, hey. Not even the CA bench is sure who the rightful leader of the country is, and that’s why it needs the Erap video to tell them!

Don’t think I’m being odd. Right now there’s nothing odder than the court requirement to edit into Ang Mabuhay Para sa Masa the recognition of “the legality of the power shift” that was Edsa Dos. The addition completely changes the tenor of the docu from when it was originally conceived and put together three years ago, at the time the subject was still in Tanay. It also tells us just how much this administration continues to be afraid of the man it kicked out of power in the name of morality, only to find out that — well, you all know what’s been found out about the one installed, no matter the times she and her cabal deny their thievery.

The value of Ang Mabuhay Para sa Masa as a historical document cannot be dismissed by even those who disagree with what it says. It was produced, written and directed from a point of view that is decidedly not Gloria Arroyo’s, nor that of any from her side of the fence, so it’s hard to understand why the CA and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) want it redone as if it were produced, written and directed by Malacañang.

Government has access to media such as no one else has. In 2005, soon after then Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye made a fool of himself declaring which of the two CD’s in his hands was fake, the Pasig River Mafia threatened, through the National Telecommunications Commission, to close media outlets caught broadcasting the “Hello Garci” recordings. This is how powerful Mrs. Arroyo is, and still her men insist on re-editing the Erap video to remind all and sundry who the boss is?

The CA order for revision, says producer Rey David of Public Perception Management Asia (PublikAsia), is “a directive to rewrite not just a script but an entire portion of Philippine history,” because “everything in the newsreel can be verified in historical documents and even news reports. Therefore I find it odd that we are being compelled to revise certain portions of the film when there was nothing invented or fictional in it.”

Read the whole thing. and read this report too from the inquirer.

Only Ten?

the indian government said that only 10 terrorists were involved in the Mumbai attack. kinda hard to believe since a lot of valued targets spanning a wide area were under attack on that day. i won't be surprised if half of the terrorists members managed to escape and "melted away" among the indian population after their successful operation.

No sense of delicadeza

Many of the Justice committee members that voted against the impeachment complaint were among those listed as recipients of the Jocjoc Bolante Fertilizer Fund.

"How does the country hold the president, any president, accountable?"

yan ang tanong ng INQUIRER.

The answer is: NOT through impeachment

Pinatunayan na yan ng militar, simbahan at civil society noong 2001 pa.

The only way to get rid of people like Arroyo, Erap, and Marcos is thru People Power.

Mumbai Attacks Highlight the Cancer that is Pakistan

a cancer to its neighbors in India and Afghanistan.

The Murder of the 2008 Impeachment

List of Justice Committee Members & How They Voted. I saw my congresswoman in that list.

DBP lost P4 Billion in Lehman Brothers collapse

From Ernesto Maceda:

A senior DBP governor confirmed to us that the government financial institution lost $80 million or P4 billion in investments in Lehman Brothers.

If only for that, president Rey David and the DBP Board of Governors should resign. But shouldn’t major foreign investments by government financial institutions be subject to approval by the Secretary of Finance?

Up to now, GSIS has not admitted how much it lost in investments in Credit Agricole and ING Barring.

NFA lost P72 billion in its operation while BSP lost over P100 billion in “foreign exchange trading losses.”

All these while GMA and Secretary Gary Teves are considering raising taxes and claiming lack of funds to support government programs.

Meanwhile, coffee shop and stock market lounge talk about how much a top administration personality lost in the Lehman bankruptcy. Estimates range from $300 to $700 million. Three Malacañang cronies and a Cabinet member are said to have lost millions of dollars in the financial meltdown from their stash of illegally acquired wealth.

So what were they saying again about our financial system and economy not being affected by the meltdown in Wall Street?

Or what about that "firewall" we keep hearing about? I think this administration has not even come close to telling the entire truth about the extent of our government losses due to the collapse of many financial institutions in the US.

From Marlen Ronquillo:

Investing in Lehman Brothers? I don’t think it is a priority in the investment portfolio of the DBP. Investing in Lehman Brothers, the collapsed investment bank that got sucked up in the whirlwind of greed-induced turmoil that rocked the financial system of the US (and many parts of the globe), was definitely one of the last things DBP, as per its sworn mandate, would engage in.

The news reports said otherwise.

The news reports tagged DBP as one of the Philippine investors in Lehman Brothers. A $90 million placement was made to Lehman by DBP. The story did not detail under whose leadership the $90 million investment was placed by DBP. What is clear is that the investment had vaporized, along with the money invested in Lehman from prominent and obscure places across the globe.

It was the only state-owned bank said to have invested in Lehman Brothers.

Pagmamayari ng gobierno ang DBP, so we taxpayers are on the hook again for the P4 billion lost to Lehman + the needed bailout.

UPDATE: Philstar columnist and GMA toady Alex Magno is a board member of the DBP. Maybe people should ask him about the Lehman Brothers deal.

China slashes interest rates as panic spreads

The People's Bank of China cut interest rates by more than 1pc point as the economy crumbles and millions of jobs are predicted to go ahead of Christmas.

AND: Workers riot at Chinese toy factory.

(via Drudge)

Instapundit: A harbinger of things to come?

Iran: A Nation of Bloggers (video)

Boyfriend ni Francine Prieto?

The guy on the right. Naka-jackpot ka manong.

Nani Perez walks

Why? Did you expect a different outcome? Lusot si MR. IMPSA.

From Ninez Cacho Olivares:

As predicted, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the case against former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez, his wife, his brother-in-law and Gloria Arroyo’s fund-raiser, Ernest Escaler.

But get this: Sandiganbayan Justice Edilberto Sandoval, in dismissing the case, cited “inordinate delay” of the Ombudsman in charging Perez et al., as he claimed this to be a violation of Perez’ constitutional rights.

He then went on to quash the Ombudsman’s information against Perez et al. on graft charges.

The current Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez never took the case seriously, kahit na noong in charge pa siya sa DOJ (after boss Nani was forced to resign from his post.)

Anthony Golez is a dum dum

from a malacanang press release:

Golez scoffed at the claim of ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. in his auto-biography regarding the cancelled National Broadcasting Network-ZTE deal.

A portion of De Venecia’s autobiography, which was printed by a Philippine national daily today, touched on an alleged meeting at the ZTE headquarters in Shenzhen, China in which the President and the First Gentleman were present.

But Golez dismissed the former speaker’s claim, saying it “will not hold water.” “Madali pong gumawa ng auto-biography ng kahit na sinong tao.” He added.

In his autobiography, De Venecia said that “as always, the First Gentleman said hardly a word.”

Golez said that if De Venecia’s autobiography is “going to be used as evidence for any intention or motivation, it will not hold water. It is hearsay, dahil ito ay isang kwento lang.

“It has to be appreciated by the courts. Only then can we call it a biography of the truth — otherwise it would be mere science fiction,” he said.

Manuel Buencamino: "The first thing the physician cum spokesman has to learn is how to use a dictionary. Any dictionary will tell Golez that De Venecia’s account is only hearsay if he had heard it from another person and then told it to someone else. Eyewitness account ito ni De Venecia. He was there, he saw, he heard. So it is not hearsay."

A few things you might find interesting about the Bubby Dacer case

Since Cesar Mancao and Glenn Dumlao have been arrested, bumalik na naman sa balita ang kaso ni Salvador "Bubby" Dacer. Naglabasan na naman ang mga insinuations at innuendos na may kinalaman si Ping Lacson dito (This is the same Lacson that has a "Billion dollar" hidden account sa US, hindi nyo alam?)

Pero in Ping Lacson's defense, I will post here a few exculpatory items that was pretty much ignored by the then pro-Arroyo, pro-edsa dos mainstream media, but point to others as the suspects in the dacer-corbito murder case.

Here's article one:

DACERS ASKED TO COMMENT ON PRIEST'S EXPOSE

Manila, April 9, 2001 - The family of public relations man Salvador "Bubby" Dacer was asked yesterday to comment on the statements of a Parañaque priest over the possible knowledge of former President Ramos and his national security adviser Jose Almonte in Dacer's disappearance.

The opposition Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino said yesterday: "We appeal to the Dacer family to come out and confirm or deny Fr. (Gabriel) Baldostamon's statement. We understand the pain they must feel at the continued disappearance of their father, but they must come out in order to help shed light on this matter. Don't be afraid of Ramos and Almonte."

Fr. Baldostamon is the parish priest of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church in Sun Valley Subd. where the Dacer family lives.

He claimed to have heard Almonte "consoling" the Dacer family that should they recover or "arrange" for Dacer's release, they would spirit him out to the United States and make it appear that he was still missing.

Baldostamon said Almonte made the statement in a breakfast meeting with the Dacer family about 10 days after his disappearance.

"Did Almonte really say that?" the LDP asked. "If he did, he must explain his intentions for doing so and why did he sound as if he had contact with Dacer's abductors?"

The LDP said it is a "surprise" that Almonte has not even reacted to Baldostamon's claims.

Almonte earlier came out with a letter in which Dacer wrote apprehensions over drawing the ire of Joseph Estrada and former PNP chief Panfilo Lacson.

The LDP said the parish priest had no reason to lie when he bared his story, which was first brought public by Bishop Teodoro Bacani in his Today newspaper column last Thursday. The following day, Baldostamon confirmed the contents of Bacani's column.

It was also Bacani who first questioned Almonte's motive for coming up such statements before the Dacer family. Bacani also asked probers looking into the Dacer case to dig deeper into Baldostamon's statements.

Article two from Herman Tiu Laurel:

Investigate Almonte

by Herman Tiu Laurel

Two weeks ago, news of the explosive revelation from the Dacer parish priest hit the newspapers. Fr. Baldestamon of the Sun Valley parish church came forward to make public overtures he heard from Ramos henchman Joe Almonte to the Dacer children a short time after their father disappeared—that he could negotiate for his release provided Dacer is immediately shipped to the US and the family continues to mourn like he had never been found. Why has NBI chief Reynaldo Wycoco not called in Almonte to find out more about this crucial angle?

We are now being bombarded on a daily basis by headlines on “killers” of Dacer having surfaced and confessed.

However, when read, the full story identifies them only as “suspects.” Before this, an Inquirer headline tagged Estrada as the culprit behind Dacer’s disappearance and presumed murder. Department of Justice Secretary Nani Perez had to clarify later that there was no factual basis at all for the headline. The “uncivil Society” media has really been going amuck. I suspect it is to deflect attention from the Fr. Baldestamon bombshell involving Almonte—and Ramos.

Fr. Baldestamon’s revelation was brought to the surface in one of the newspaper columns of Bishop Ted Bacani. Last week, I read a letter-to-the-editor from Ramos to Bacani, outlining his response to the Bacani column. It was a very lame letter recalling his expressions of concern for Dacer’s disappearance, citing such inane publications as Customsweek. Readers will recall that it was precisely Ramos’ dubiously premature and hammed up concern, when Dacer’s disappearance was not even an established fact yet, that triggered suspicions about a Ramos hand in the abduction.

The story is now told to close friends by the Dacer children, Ampy and Sabina, that the Ramos visit to Dacer’s office on that fateful day of the disappearance was very uncharacteristic. In the many years of Dacer and Ramos’ professional dealings, never once did Ramos visit Dacer’s office. But on the day of Dacer’s kidnapping Ramos did, and after only an hour of waiting he started making it too obvious he was concerned—by calling media about his alarm over Dacer’s disappearance.

It could have just been traffic, a flat tire or engine trouble, a sudden family emergency, a bum stomach, an extended breakfast meeting, or a hundred other small possibilities that delayed Dacer for an hour. With cell phone service the way it is today, and service providers undermining each other by delaying interconnections or with cell sites jammed or down, an hour’s wait to get a cell phone connection happens quite frequently. So, delayed cell phone contact is not sufficient reason to panic and call media.

The scenario is too much like a no-smoking room with a tell-tale tobacco stick.

The government has produced one suspect after another. Each time they bring up these suspects, more questions come up. The original duo, who were alleged to have disposed of the bodies, were themselves blocked from seeing their lawyer, Atty. Ric Valmonte. The subsequent “confessed” participants in the Dacer case have, according to newspaper reports, reportedly been arrested without warrant and “subjected to physical torture.” All these alleged violations of the suspects’ rights, which will have serious bearing on the credibility of the investigations, must be looked into.

The NBI, which is assigned to the Dacer case, must preserve and protect its integrity and credibility at all times. Unfortunately, former general Wycoco is not delivering on this fundamental duty he has to the organization. He is leaving too many stones, nay, boulders, unturned on the trail of the Dacer case—lying so in plain sight of everyone who cares to see. But he is apparently deliberately turning his eyes to where there are no rocks and boulders, content to follow the trail where red herrings are being tossed farther and farther away.

Now that the Almonte angle has been raised by Fr. Baldestamon, Gen. Wycoco is obliged to invite both to be interviewed. The story must be officially verified, and Almonte’s side should be looked closely into. The Dacer children must also be asked, to crosscheck the parish priest’s story. But foremost among these actions is this—send a summon to Almonte. This Rasputin of Ramos has some explaining to do. If he gets himself off cleanly, we won’t raise the issue again. While he avoids the Almonte matter, nothing he does will be credible.

And from Ninez Cacho Olivares:

NINEZ CACHO-OLIVARES
Too strange,too rushed
Apr 16, 2001

The case of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer is a strange one indeed.

First, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announces to the public that the case has been solved, as its officials presented before the media, two eyewitnesses and a bag of charred bones plus dentures that they claimed were Dacer's and his driver Emmanuel Corbito's but which still had to undergo DNA testing for positive verification.

Then one witness showed the media a pair of brown loafers which he claimed belonged to Dacer and which the killers gave him for his own use. He even went to the extent of claiming that the pair of shoes used to be white, but that they were brown today because he had dyed the pair brown.

Based on the eyewitness account, certain cops identified with former Philippine National Police chief Panfilo Lacson, were implicated in the "murder" of Dacer and Corbito.

It was later discovered that the pair of shoes shown by the witness could not have belonged to Dacer or Corbito. And forensics still had not determined whether the charred bones were human bones.

It was much too evident that the so-called eyewitnesses were lying through their teeth and the NBI certainly knew it. But NBI chief Reynaldo Wycoco continued to peddle the story and came up with the ridiculous claim that in the case of Dacer, the corpus delicti was not the body but the killing itself. Duh!

It was clear that the Arroyo government, its Justice department and the NBI were more than willing to frame their foes with a murder rap, which does not speak too well of the Arroyo government.

Other questions arise: Why was the skull never found? Why weren't other pieces of jewelry, which Dacer normally wears, found in the site where he and his driver were said to have been burned to a crisp four months ago?

A priest suddenly surfaced and claimed he had overheard Fidel Ramos' man, Jose Almonte, talking to the Dacer children and telling them to keep on mourning for their father as if he were really dead while Almonte communicates with the kidnappers.

The same priest also went to the "murder" site and concluded that given the report that Dacer and his driver were burned to a crisp, the site would have shown a bigger burnt area.

Not too long after, the children of Dacer suddenly called a press conference claiming they have accepted the fact that their father is dead, as they had the bones and dentures checked by a private physician. They also claimed that found in the same murder site were the dentures as well as pieces of jewelry that belonged to their father.

This development raises more questions than answers. How is it possible for the family to have gotten another set of dentures and bones after the NBI had already been through the site with its "evidence"? More to the point, did the NBI surrender the "evidence" to the Dacer family for a private test? Why couldn't the NBI find the jewelry and the denture which the family suddenly found long after the NBI had combed the place? How could a private physician positively identify the dentures and bones when they were presumably with the NBI forensics unless there were of course two sets of dentures and bones, both belonging to Dacer, which would be too incredulous.

Then too, what does this make of those eyewitnesses, who claimed they saw Dacer and his driver murdered and burned to a crisp?

What does this make too, of the Dacer children who claim to have found the jewelry in the same murder site, a development which doesn't quite jibe with the eyewitness' account. If the murderers were generous enough to give away a pair of shoes, wouldn't they also have taken the jewelry Dacer was wearing?

Even more strange is that Fidel Ramos who first tipped off the cops that Dacer was missing after the publicist was late for an hour for his meeting, didn't quite say why he didn't bother to call back Dacer, who had a mobile phone with him, to first check out if he was indeed missing.

And wonder of wonders. The day the Dacer children claimed that their father was indeed dead, Ramos had, in the newspapers, a condolence note, claiming too, that Dacer was dead.

It's the strangest case yet, and what seems clear is that too many people want the case closed, with the conclusion that Dacer is dead.

One wonders why there is that rush to declare Dacer dead.

Eto yung reaction ko dati.

It was ramos who called the attention of the police re dacer's kidnapping because na late lang ng isang oras si dacer. Makes you go hmmm....... (ah!~ siguro malakas ang ESP ni FVR na kinidnap si dacer kaya tinawag nya kaagad ang mga pulis.)

Nail in the Coffin for the Pidals?

Former Speaker Jose De Venecia confirms bribery, corruption in Arroyo Government.

High Gas Prices killed the US economy

OPEC's gift to GWBush. And it worked.

So Obama's plans to re-impose the ban on off shore drilling via an executive order once he assumes office is completely wrongheaded.

Hollywood's decline, TV's rise

By 2020, the movie industry in the US will be on life support because of movie piracy and torrents. I say this because movie piracy and the internets have already killed the movie industry here in the Philippines. But TV shows will survive because it is free. Most American movie stars of today will make the transition to TV in the near future, just like what is happening here. For example, while moviestars like Sharon Cuneta and Vilma Santos are in decline, TV stars like Bea Alonzo, Willie Revillame and Kris Aquino are replacing them as the biggest and most influential celebrities in RP today.

"Level the playing field" with card check

From Mickey Kaus:

The New Plan? Cripple Honda! Save Detroit with Card Check! Eliminating the secret ballot and making it easier to organize U.S. Honda and Toyota workers (and imposing contract terms via binding arbitration) would "level the playing field," says Dem. Congressman Tim Ryan. ... Then when Honda and Toyota responded by importing more cars from abroad, we could have import quotas! Eventually the whole automotive sector could be planned by Congress in conjunction with existing business and labor interest groups. Red State has seen the future and it is corporatist.

Republicans need less GOD in their Party

The Social Conservatives have taken over the Republican party, to the GOP's own detriment. Sabi ni Kathleen Parker:

As Republicans sort out the reasons for their defeat, they likely will overlook or dismiss the gorilla in the pulpit.

Three little letters, great big problem: G-O-D.

I'm bathing in holy water as I type.

To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh.

Simply put: Armband religion is killing the Republican Party. And, the truth -- as long as we're setting ourselves free -- is that if one were to eavesdrop on private conversations among the party intelligentsia, one would hear precisely that.

The choir has become absurdly off-key, and many Republicans know it.

But they need those votes!

So it has been for the Grand Old Party since the 1980s or so, as it has become increasingly beholden to an element that used to be relegated to wooden crates on street corners.

Short break as writer ties blindfold and smokes her last cigarette.

Which is to say, the GOP has surrendered its high ground to its lowest brows. In the process, the party has alienated its non-base constituents, including other people of faith (those who prefer a more private approach to worship), as well as secularists and conservative-leaning Democrats who otherwise might be tempted to cross the aisle.

Here's the deal, 'pubbies: Howard Dean was right.

It isn't that culture doesn't matter. It does. But preaching to the choir produces no converts. And shifting demographics suggest that the Republican Party -- and conservatism with it -- eventually will die out unless religion is returned to the privacy of one's heart where it belongs.

Agree. Even African Americans and Hispanics, who are usually conservative on social issues, are not flocking to the GOP. Non-whites are just not buying what the Religious Republican Right are selling.

More from Gov. Christine Todd Whitman: The Party Won't Win Back the Middle as Long As It's Hostage to Social Fundamentalists

Peter Schiff's predictions in 2006-2007

Ann Althouse said Peter Schiff "was painfully correct and surrounded by clowns."



Bilib ka ba?

Now here's him predicting Obama's impact on the economy.



Change you can believe in?

UPDATE: Time to stock up on canned goods and ammunition?

The Next Four Years?

Trends Research CEO Gerald Celente, the guy who got many things right re the financial meltdown has three predictions:

- By 2012, America will become the First "Undeveloped" Country in the world

- Tax Revolution, Food Riots, Squatter Rebellion, Job Marches

- Holidays 2012: Food More Important than Gifts

Say Hello to your new Senate President

Juan Ponce Enrile.

Those who voted for JPE were:
1) Ed Angara
2) Rudolfo Biazon
3) Jinggoy Estrada (trinaydor si Villar?)
4) Chiz Escudero
5) Dick Gordon
6) Gringo Honasan
7) Ping Lacson
8) Lito Lapid
9) Loren Legarda
10) Jamby Madrigal
11) Bong Revilla
12) Mar Roxas
13) Migz Zubiri ("Maguindanao" senator)
14) Juan Ponce Enrile

Those who abstained were:
1) Noynoy Aquino
2) Joker Arroyo
3) Alan Peter Cayetano
4) Pia Cayetano
5) Kiko "Noted" Pangilinan
6) Nene Pimentel (Enrile's dagdag-bawas victim)

Absent:
1) Miriam Defensor Santiago
2) Sonny Trillanes

Kawawa naman si Villar. Walang bumoto para sa kanya. Those who "voted present" este... those who abstained were not necessarily Villar supporters--like pimentel and aquino. Pero lahat ng presidential candidates para sa 2010 ay bumoto kay Enrile. And the "Wednesday Group" stuck together.

GMA pushes for limitations on press freedom at the UN

In a recent event at the UN that got little coverage from the local media, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was seen pushing the "RP model" her administration concocted as the new standard for press freedom.

Consider one key draft resolution at the event. Introduced jointly by the Philippines and Pakistan, it openly seeks to limit press freedoms. Sure, as read by Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, the language pays lip service to the notion of freedom of expression.

But the document then goes on to emphasize the "special duties and responsibilities necessary for the respect of the rights or reputations of others, protection of national security or of public order, or of public health and morals."

Translation: Don't even think of publishing those Danish cartoons or anything even close to them. And forget about questioning authorities in places like, say, Riyadh.

Or don't go after people like Mike Arroyo and Co. And people need to stop making documentaries that "undermine" people's faith and confidence in the duly constituted authority.

Fidel Castro gets religion

Christopher Hitchens: Why on earth did Castro build a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Havana?

Lito Banayo's blog

wish it was more "bloggy." Puro Malaya articles lang kasi ang laman eh.

How to speed up the vote counting without the machines

By electing our senators by region. Two senators per region, where one seat (alternating) is up for reelection every three years.

Kasi in our current system, a voter gets to pick 12 senators per election cycle (plus vote for President and Vice president every six years.) That means each voter needs to fill up up to 12-14 names on his ballot. No wonder bumabagal ang bilangan sa national level.

[Hindi naman problema ang bilangan sa local level (congressman, governor, mayor, etc).]

Imagine, if each voter will only have to choose One senator per region every election year, mapapabilis ang bilangan sa midterm elections, hindi ba?

At kung ang boto lang para sa pagka President at VP ang bibilangin natin para sa national elections, sa tingin ko within 3-5 days malalaman na natin kung sino ang nanalo.

pero kailangan muna nating amendahan ang Constitution.

"Si Gen. Garcia sa States nahuli, si Bolante sa US din natiklo, si De La Paz, sa Russia. Bakit sa Pilipinas walang nahuhuli?"

Tongue Twisted's favorite quote from from Sen. Mar Roxas.

My New Blog

dealing with the NBA.

Do Filipinos believe in Creationism?

there was a big to-do with Sarah Palin's stance on "creationism" a month ago. Turn off raw ito, sabi ng mga moderate at independent American voters, dahil backwards-thinking raw yan.

Pero tayong mga Pilipino, would many of us shun a candidate if he or she admits to believing in such things, ie God created Life and Earth... Adam and Eve... Garden of Eden...

O hindi, dahil naniniwala rin ang mga Pinoy dito?

Condi and Hillary's new Hairdos

Condoleezza Rice's new look



Hillary Clinton

The Weather Underground Documentary

I didn't know there was a "Weather Underground" docu. Most of the blogs I've read never mentioned it either.

But here's Obama supporter Camille Paglia doing her own research on Ayers Dohrn in her latest article.

Pursuing the truth about Ayers, I recently rented the 2002 documentary "The Weather Underground," from Netflix. It was riveting. Although the film seems to waver between ominous exposé and blatant whitewash, the full extent of the group's bombing campaign is dramatically demonstrated. It's not for everyone: The film uses gratuitous cutaways of horrifying carnage, from the Vietnam War to the Manson murders (such as Sharon Tate's smiling corpse, bathed in blood). But the news footage of the Greenwich Village townhouse destroyed in 1970 by bomb-making gone wrong in the basement still has enormous impact. Standing in the chaotic street, actor Dustin Hoffman, who lived next door, seems like Everyman at the apocalypse.

Ayers comes off in the film as a vapid, slightly dopey, chronic juvenile with stunted powers of ethical reasoning. The real revelation is his wife, Bernardine Dohrn (who evidently worked at the same large Chicago law firm as Michelle Obama in the mid-1990s). Of course I had heard of Dohrn -- hers was one of the most notorious names of our baby-boom generation -- and I knew her black-and-white police mug shot. But I had never seen footage of her speaking or interacting with others. Well, it's pretty obvious who wears the pants in that family!

The mystery of Bernardine Dohrn: How could such a personable, attractive, well-educated young woman end up saying such things at a 1969 political rally as this (omitted in the film) about the Manson murders: "Dig it. First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them. They even shoved a fork into a victim's stomach. Wild!" And how could Dohrn have so ruthlessly pursued a decade-long crusade of hatred and terrorism against innocent American citizens and both private and public property?

"The Weather Underground" never searches for answers, but it does show Dohrn, then and now, as a poised, articulate woman of extremely high intelligence and surprising inwardness. The audio extra of her reading the collective's first public communiqué ("Revolutionary violence is the only way") is chilling. But the tumultuous footage of her 1980 surrender to federal authorities is a knockout. Mesmerized, I ran the clip six or seven times of her seated at a lawyer's table while reading her still defiant statement. The sober scene -- with Dohrn hyper-alert in a handsome turtleneck and tweedy jacket -- was tailor-made for Jane Fonda in her "Klute" period, androgynous shag. Only illegalities by federal investigators prevented Dohrn from being put away on ice for a long, long time.

Given that Obama had served on a Chicago board with Ayers and approved funding of a leftist educational project sponsored by Ayers, one might think that the unrepentant Ayers-Dohrn couple might be of some interest to the national media. But no, reporters have been too busy playing mini-badminton with every random spitball about Sarah Palin, who has been subjected to an atrocious and at times delusional level of defamation merely because she has the temerity to hold pro-life views.

Take that, Mainstream media! LMAO! And yes, read the whole thing.

PBS documentary website

Torrent or get the Youtube version.

Jobama?

Jojo Binay declares his intention to run for president in 2010.

And if Mayor Binay wins, he'd be our first "black president" raw, sabi ni House Deputy Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales II.

It's good that Jejomar declared early. Let the vetting process begin!

MORE: Ellen Tordesillas thinks Binay's announcement means Erap has closed the door on running for president in 2010.

Margaret Hoover en Español

She always has that naughty girl look whenever I see her at The Factor.

The Rehabilitation of Sarah Palin's Image

From Marc Ambinder:

Wonder why Sarah Palin is everywhere? It's not because she IS running in 2012. It's because, in order for her to think about running, she has to change the way that non-Republicans see her. It's a precondition.

Because Democrats and Independents just don't like her.

Who will be the new White House Chef?

Will it be this guy?

Does it mean the current Filipina Head Chef will be replaced on Innauguration Day?

"Why is the Philippines absent in the excitement over the election of America's 44th president?"

kasi may pagka-racist raw tayo, sabi ni Conrad de Quiros. And here's the original W. Scott Thompson article "America's gain, Philippines' loss?"

I have similar thoughts on the subject here.

How family planning works in Mexico

and how we can learn from them.

Inquirer: Stop Stalking Obama

The Inquirer Editorial on our Stalker-in-chief:

WE HOPE that President Macapagal-Arroyo, on this visit to the United States, will not try again to wangle a meeting with President-elect Barack Obama, or even try to call him to offer belated congratulations. She may suffer a third snub, and succeed only in embarrassing not just herself but the Filipino nation.

It is not difficult to speculate why Obama has been avoiding Ms Arroyo. Aside from the fact that the Philippines does not figure importantly in the US' geopolitical scheme of things, Ms Arroyo is not exactly a political figure that Obama, who ran on a platform of change and would like to project a good, clean image, would want to be seen with. The nation's experience with Ms Arroyo the past eight years shows that she is the quintessence of the traditional politician.

But what if Obama relents and gives Maam her 5-minute photo-op in NY?

Obama is an intelligent, smart leader and he must be up-to-date on what's happening in various parts of the world. He probably knows that Ms Arroyo is held in low esteem not only in her own country but in parts of the world that value honor, integrity and honesty in government leaders.

The Philippines, during the incumbency of Ms Arroyo, has sunk lower in standing in terms of corruption. The Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy last March found the Philippines to have the worst corruption rating among Asia's 13 biggest economies. A World Bank study in July said that corruption in the Philippines is perceived to be the worst among East Asia's leading economies. Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index, released in October, showed the Philippines way down at 141 among 180 countries surveyed.

Forty-two percent of the respondents in a Pulse Asia poll in October considered Ms Arroyo "the most corrupt president in Philippine history." She "surpassed" even Marcos, who was featured in an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the "biggest robbery" [of the national treasury] of $5-10 billion.

Obama probably has an inkling of the world-class graft and corruption that is taking place in the Philippines, and of the suspected complicity of Ms Arroyo and her husband in some of the multibillion-peso deals like the $329-million NBN-ZTE project and the P728-million fertilizer scam.

He probably knows about the human rights record of the Arroyo administration: 933 activists and militants killed and 199 missing or disappeared, and 59 journalists killed. He probably knows something about the report of UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston who criticized the executive branch and the military for their apparent failure to stop the spate of extrajudicial killings. He probably has read reports about the attempts of the Arroyo administration to suppress the freedom of the press and freedom of expression and to restrict the people's right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for the redress of their grievances.

But what if he isn't up to speed with the current Philippine affairs?

Change.gov scrubbed

Agenda disappears from Obama's website.

Voting "present"

Obama does it again!

UPDATE: Pulling a NAFTA?

And the importance of being careful.

The new SWS 2010 prez surveys are out

De Castro, Villar, Legarda tops the survey.

The results probably doesn't mean much at this early a stage. I mean wasn't Hillary polling 20 pts. ahead nationally of Barack Obama a year ago. And wasn't Rudy Giuliani the frontrunner for much of 2007 after McCain's campaign imploded?

Eniwey, bakit paminsan-minsan lang lumalabas yang mga SWS at Pulse surveys na yan. Hindi ba nila kayang gumawa ng daily tracking poll katulad ng Rassmussen at Gallup?

At dapat, independent ang SWS sa Pulse sa data gathering, hindi katulad dati.

Luchi Cruz Valdez resigns from ABS-CBN

The funny thing about it (for me) was that the news item was posted in the Inquirer Showbiz/Entertainment section.

Rahm Emanuel, Obama's Pitbull w/out Lipstick

Clinton's former thuggish aide from Chicago becomes Obama's next WH Chief of STaff. Here's some background about this character from Rolling Stones in 2005.

But Democrat analyst and FOXNEWS contributor Kirsten Powers give Rahm the thumbs up.

More from Glenn Reynolds:

"Actually, I think this makes sense for Obama. Emanuel will serve as Obama's hatchet-man and Dr. No, but the main targets will be Congressional Democrats and Democratic interest groups. Obama realizes that he's promised a lot more than he can deliver, and Emanuel's job will be to stave off all the claimants who -- as they realize that too -- will try to get to him before it's too late. Obama can stay the good cop, while Emanuel will be the bad. Republicans flatter themselves if they think they'll be the focus of Emanuel's attentions; they'll be an afterthought."

Stocks continue post-election plunge

Dow, S&P 500 Post Worst Two-Day Decline Since 1987.

And Michael Moynihan on the Surge that never came.

Now they tell us!

From Ramesh Ponnuru

David Greenberg in Slate: McCain's campaign wasn't really so dishonorable. Next he'll be telling us that Obama's connection to Wright was a legitimate issue.

UPDATE: Hillblogger disagrees though.

Condi celebrates Obama's victory

Nice touching moment. So Barry's the first, will she be the second?

How bad was Sarah Palin?

here's the "day after" report from FOXNEWS that was put off the record until after the elections.



HuffPo: Palin Once Greeted McCain Staff Wearing Only A Towel

Asians uneasy over Obama's trade stance

because Obama appears to be a protectionist. And how will that affect our call center industry?

Related: What to expect from an Obama presidency

John Hindraker: "Barack Obama is a rather mysterious figure: despite the fact that every policy he advocates will hurt the economy and the stock market, he has been the darling of Wall Street. Employees of securities firms have been among the biggest contributors to his campaign."

Luli Arroyo ties the knot

Maam's 37-year old daughter finally gets married to banker Jay Bernas of Bear Stearns Int'l.

Mr. Bernas is a kamaganak of Jesuit fr. Joaquin Bernas of The Ateneo.

RIP, Michael Crichton

He passed away yesterday at the age of 66.

He's one of my fave authors and i have read almost all of his novels except for the recent ones like "State of Fear" and "Next".

Norm Coleman finally ekes out a small lead

over Al Franken. But it's not over yet (just keep refreshing, 99% na). Let's hope moderate R-Sen. Coleman wins re-election over Stuart Smalley.

UDPATE: AP calling the race for Norm Coleman.

Filipinos pick Obama over McCain in mock polls

77% to 23%

sponsored by the US embassy and held at the Mall of Asia and in Cebu.

Congratulations

to the next US president, barack obama.

"The End of Jewish Domination in the United States."

the world rejoices!

Why McCain lost the election

McCain's recent moves after the financial crisis was a factor. The situation was an opportunity for John McCain to show leadership, to show that he has the right temperament for the job-- but instead, his reactions were erratic and too gimmicky/stuntlike to reassure the public. Compared to Obama's cool and calm, McCain's impulsiveness seemed like a riskier choice for voters.

Obama's performance in the debates were also Barack with the voters. He made a good impression on undecideds and he looked presidential. He beat McCain on the economy in the first two debates and did a respectable job on national security and foreign policy.

But the main reason why mccain's poll numbers have dropped was because of Sarah Palin.

Defenders of Palin like Rush Limbaugh claims that she gave McCain his only shot at beating Obama in this election. But that's nonsense. The slight lead McCain got over Obama in the polls during September was just your typical post-convention bounce.

If the McCain camp wants to energize the rightwing base, it could have done much better by selecting the more qualified Fred Thompson or the impressive wonderkid Gov. Jindal.

It could have played safe and smart by selecting economics expert Mitt Romney. Or it could have made a bold move by picking Condi Rice.

Pero hindi eh.

For independent voters, the Palin pick was a risky choice. She is unqualified for the job she seeks, and McCain is pushing 73 yrs old. If something unfortunate happens to the old man, many people would be scared of letting this woman take over the white house.

The palin pick was supposed to attract women voters and Hillary's PUMAs to mccain, but obama's slight lead among women voters has ballooned to a big double digit gap after sarah palin's disastrous interviews with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric:

Women prefer Obama (51-38) while men prefer McCain (47-43), indicating the Palin strategy did not really work on females... Single women prefer Obama (65-26) while married women vote for McCain (46-43)

Take note, as Sarah Palin's once favorable-unfavorable numbers have steadily dropped after her convention speech, it dragged mccain's chances at the presidency down with her.


(poll source: FOXNEWS)

Look at the table, McCain's favorables are still good. In short, pabigat si Gov. Palin sa ticket.

McCain's VP choice also killed whaterver chances he once had with attracting independent and moderate republicans. Just look at the numbers for mccain before and after the Palin selection. Gen. Colin Powell endorsement of O. was the nail in the coffin for Sen. McCain.

This Fucking Election

words. just words.

The Sarkozy Scenario

From David Frum's article:

The president of the country was massively unpopular. His party was hammered by scandals. The economy was bad, unemployment was rising and polls showed worrying levels of public pessimism.

The nation’s left-wing opposition party had united behind a charismatic and appealing challenger: the first major party nominee to be something other than the usual white male.

Really, the whole thing seemed hopeless.

America 2008? No — France 2007.

Read the whole thing.

Reading Ta-Nehisi Coates...

I am even more convinced that mccain made a stupid move by selecting palin. he should have selected this person for VP.

My Gal.

Dog and Pony Show by CBCP bishops

This is too little, too late. A pretty meaningless call at this point.

Some bishops (not Oscar Cruz) are trying to rehab their own image as Arroyo nears the end of her term.

(Yes, I believe Arroyo will step down in 2010 to avoid Marcos' fate. Which means she will get away with everything.)

Sarkozy: Obama's Iran Policy "Arrogant" and "Utterly Immature"

From the respected Israeli Newspaper Ha'artez:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is very critical of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama's positions on Iran, according to reports that have reached Israel's government.

Sarkozy has made his criticisms only in closed forums in France. But according to a senior Israeli government source, the reports reaching Israel indicate that Sarkozy views the Democratic candidate's stance on Iran as "utterly immature" and comprised of "formulations empty of all content."

Obama visited Paris in July, and the Iranian issue was at the heart of his meeting with Sarkozy. At a joint press conference afterward, Obama urged Iran to accept the West's proposal on its nuclear program, saying that Iran was creating a serious situation that endangered both Israel and the West.

According to the reports reaching Israel, Sarkozy told Obama at that meeting that if the new American president elected in November changed his country's policy toward Iran, that would be "very problematic."

I do believe that it will be the tougher and more experienced Sarkozy, not Obama (if he wins), who will take a leadership role in how the international community deals with nations like Iran, Pakistan and Russia.

A look at financial developments around the world

From Forbes:

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine stocks plummeted with steep losses triggering a circuit-breaker that automatically halted trading for 15 minutes. The Stock Exchange index plunged 239.66 points, or 12.3 percent, to 1,713.83 points, the lowest close since September 2004 and the biggest one-day drop since February 2007. Decliners outnumbers gainers 123 to five, with 13 stocks unchanged.

"We are about to elect as president of the United States a man who is essentially a cipher."

"...who has left almost no paper trail, seems to have few friends (that at least will talk) and has entire years missing out of his biography."

The closest friends he has are all in Chicago, and Obama would rather them not talk.

NBA Schedule 2008-2009 (Philippines)

GOTO: NBA 2009-2010 Schedule Philippines

Republicans who decide to stay home on election day

because they think John McCain doesn't have a chance will also hurt the GOP from top to bottom--by that I mean the re-election chances of those republicans who are also running in competitive races in the Senate and the House. A depressed turnout for the Republican because of the weak showing of McCain-Palin will probably mean 60 seats in the Senate for Dems.

(bump up)

UPDATE: David Frum (10/26/08) : "There are many ways to lose a presidential election. John McCain is losing in a way that threatens to take the entire Republican Party down with him."

Read this too from K-Lo.

The 10 Worst Political ads of the season

The List. Cmon, "Big, Bad John" can't be that bad.

Clintonesque

Government computers used illegally to find information on "Joe the Plumber"?

I am changing my name to Fannie Mae

Blogroll updated

I added a few more links on political blogs that I currently read.

The Palin pick pushes McCain towards "generic Republican" status

that's why he's losing now. Most of the independents were appalled by his VP pick.

Foreign Policy makes a reappearance, thanks to Joe Biden

It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking…Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate… And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you - not financially to help him - we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.

Christian Monsod's fears

Sabi ni MLQ3:

Christian Monsod (skeptics will say perhaps having had a “conversion experience” of his own due to Meralco’s recent bruising battle with the government) issues an appeal not to give up on impeachment, and I must say I’m glad he said what he did.

His point of view is motivated by a desire to avoid People Power, speaking to, and for, a constituency that has begrudgingly tolerated the President not out of support for her, but fear over the institutional damage People Power might cause

Too late.

As for Monsod having "a conversion", I don't recall him ever calling for Arroyo's resignation. And he never supported impeaching Arroyo. What he said in MLQ3's post was that those who are against arroyo should rely only on Constitutional means to remove her.


UPDATE: Watching this video with children still in school uniforms, i remember catholic schools back then suspending their classes to encourage students join Edsa Dos.

Can Americans keep their jobs during a recession if Obama raise taxes on those who provide jobs?

Barack Obama says that he will give a "tax cut" (or some exemptions) for small businesses and companies who create jobs (after raising their taxes).

The problem with Obama's plan is that the US is headed towards a deep recession, and businesses will have a harder time keeping their employees on their payroll, much less creating jobs.

So if these small businesses and evil corporations can't create jobs, they will be punished with additional tax burdens that will make them likely to cut jobs.

In short, Obama's tax plan is a jobs killer, especially during a recession.

David Letterman accuses McCain of "pallin around with terrorists"

David Letterman brings up G. Gordon Liddy's association with G. Gordon Libby of the Watergate fame

Stuart Taylor: When Fannie And Freddie Opened The Floodgates

President Bush, his Securities and Exchange Commission appointees, other free-enterprise dogmatists who have stood in the way of regulating risky and opaque financial manipulations, and greedy Wall Streeters deserve the blame heaped on them for the financial meltdown that has so severely shaken America.

But the pretense of many Democrats that this crisis is altogether a Republican creation is simplistic and dangerous.

It is simplistic because Democrats have been a big part of the problem, in part by supporting governmental distortions of the marketplace through mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose reckless lending practices necessitated a $200 billion government rescue last month. It is dangerous because misdiagnosing the causes of the crisis could lead both to regulatory overkill and to more reckless risk taking by Fannie, Freddie, or newly created government-sponsored enterprises.

McCain to Letterman: "I Screwed Up."

Torrent link to the Letterman-McCain episode.

Obama has to explain his support for "Card Check"

From Mickey Kaus:

USA Today editorializes against "card check." The more attention this issue gets, the less chance it has of passing, you'd think. It's hard to publicly defend getting rid of the secret ballot. ... I'd like to see Obama try it. (Since he's for "card check," shouldn't he be asked to explain his position?) ... P.S.: No wonder Democrats would want to rush "card check" through, in the early days of his presidency, before too many people notice--and when press reports are likely to be buried under a crush of other news. ... 5:10 P.M.

Democrats attack Joe the Plumber

calling him a racist and such.

and here's a video of biden taking a shot at Joe the Plumber's credibility.

Good News: Toledo moves to shut down Joe the Plumber

McCain should not focus on Ayer's terrorist history

but his present radical views on education, where he and Obama have worked together in the past.

More:
"My Friend Bill Ayers"

Not a boring debate

great job by Bob Schieffer moderating. and kudos to mccain for making this interesting.

John McCain doesn't feel contempt for Obama anymore

He makes eye contact with Obama in this last debate. I guess Obama's finally earned McCain's respect.

John McCain best debate performance yet

he's kickin ass this time--and it's on the economic issues.

Joe the Plumber becomes the Mang Pandoy of the US Campaign

he's been the symbol of an American that will get hurt if the dems raise their taxes.

UPDATE: Democrats and MSM go after Joe the Plumber.

"One of the most dangerous things about her views is that she doesn't even know what she doesn't know."

I agree with Colbert and Kathleen Parker about Sarah Palin. If Palin was smart enough, she should have turned down the VP offer--because clearly, she's unqualified to be president or vice president.

But ignorance is bliss.

She's a cocky but unqualified candidate. A scary combination.

Ann Althouse moves to the left

it is jarring because it is done so suddenly. I blame McCain's second debate performance and his recent disastrous moves for the Althouse shift to Obama.

(Or maybe this guy should get much of the credit too for making fun of Althouse's "cruel neutrality"?)

ACORN registers Mickey Mouse

(link) aside from dead people, or real people multiple times.

They "over-registrate" so they can cry voter suppression later on.

John McCain will guest on David Letterman's show this Thursday

On Thursday October 16. Wow. This is must see tv if you like awkward moments.

McCain Letter Demanded 2006 Action on Fannie and Freddie

Signed by him and 19 other Senators-- all Republicans. Obama and his fellow dems did not sign on to this.

Obama hammered Hillary in the Primaries for supporting the Iraq War

kept repeating that slogan and succeeded. An anti-war speech Obama gave in 2002 was the basis for his largely successful primary campaign.

But McCain is not without any assets on his sleeve.

1) McCain was right on the Surge, and the democrats were wrong to accept defeat in iraq. (foreign policy)

2) McCain and republicans were right to push for reforms and regulation on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to preempt the financial crisis in 2003-2005, and the democrats were wrong to oppose it. (Economic and financial).

As of right now, the voters are angrier at the republicans than democrats for the financial crisis. But democrats should get more of the blame for sitting on their hands on Fannie and Freddie. It should have never come to this. A 9/11 type financial catastrophe could have been avoided if only the democrats took the looming crisis ahead of them more seriously.

Too MUCH government intervention in the market, not too little, caused this financial crisis

From Conn Carroll:

The left is slowly beginning to wrap their heads around the fact that it was too mush government intervention in the market, not too little, that caused the current financial crisis. In an article at Slate defending government subsidization of subprime loans, Daniel Gross writes:

Let’s be honest. Fannie and Freddie, which didn’t make subprime loans but did buy subprime loans made by others, were part of the problem. … There was a culture of stupid, reckless lending, of which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the subprime lenders were an integral part. But the dumb-lending virus originated in Greenwich, Conn., midtown Manhattan, and Southern California, not Eastchester, Brownsville, and Washington, D.C. Investment banks created a demand for subprime loans because they saw it as a new asset class that they could dominate. They made subprime loans for the same reason they made other loans: They could get paid for making the loans, for turning them into securities, and for trading them—frequently using borrowed capital.

So Gross is finally willing to admit that Fannie and Freddie were part of the problem, but still wants to lay the lion’s share of the blame on Wall Street greed. As if greed was invented yesterday. As John Steele Gordon documents in today’s Wall Street Journal, our country has a long history of financial break downs, do mostly to bad government regulations enacted to combat greedy bankers. Turning to today’s crisis he writes:

In the 1990s interstate banking was finally allowed, creating nationwide banks of unprecedented size. But Congress’s attempt to force banks to make home loans to people who had limited creditworthiness, while encouraging Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to take these dubious loans off their hands so that the banks could make still more of them, created another crisis in the banking system that is now playing out.

Even George Soros, prolific funder of left-wing causes, writes: “There are four fundamental problems with our current system of mortgage financing. First, the business model of Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs) in which profits accrue to the private sector but risks are underwritten by the public has proven unworkable. … It would be a grave mistake to preserve the GSEs in anything resembling their current form.”

As they like to say, read the whole thing.

More here.

If only McCain were this articulate and coherent...

he might still have a chance at winning the hearts and minds of voters on the issues that are bugging the voters lately. Here's Glenn Loury, no right winger he, talking about the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in starting the fire (ie Global Financial Crisis).

McCain Letter demanded 2006 Action on Fannie and Freddie

No Democrats signed the letter, including Obama.

How can you trust the MSM with this kind of crap?

is ana marie cox in the tank for barack obama or is she just corrupt?

Glenn Reynolds:

NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE? So we've had nearly 8 years of lefty assassination fantasies about George W. Bush, and Bill Ayers' bombing campaign is explained away as a consequence of him having just felt so strongly about social justice, but a few people yell things at McCain rallies and suddenly it's a sign that anger is out of control in American politics? It's nice of McCain to try to tamp that down, and James Taranto sounds a proper cautionary note -- but, please, can we also note the staggering level of hypocrisy here? (And that's before we get to the Obama campaign's thuggish tactics aimed at silencing critics.)

The Angry Left has gotten away with all sorts of beyond-the-pale behavior throughout the Bush Administration. The double standards involved -- particularly on the part of the press -- are what are feeding this anger. (Indeed, as Ann Althouse and John Leo have noted, the reporting on this very issue is dubious). So while asking for McCain supporters to chill a bit, can we also ask the press to start doing its job rather than openly shilling for a Democratic victory? Self-control is for everybody, if it's for anybody. . . .

"Neither party has clean hands. Or rather, both parties have dirty hands."

From Peggy Noonan on the financial crisis:

As to what they will do about the crisis, Mr. Obama will raise taxes on the rich and help us weatherize our homes, while Mr. McCain favors "energy independence" and buying up mortgages. On the causes of the crisis they spoke of insufficient regulation, or high spending.

But these were not the great causes. Neither party has clean hands. Or rather, both parties have dirty hands. Here is the truth, spoken by the increasingly impressive Sen. Tom Coburn: "The root of the problem is political greed in Congress. Members . . . from both parties wanted short-term political credit for promoting homeownership even though they were putting our entire economy at risk by encouraging people to buy homes they couldn't afford. Then, instead of conducting thorough oversight and correcting obvious problems with unstable entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, members of Congress chose to . . . distract themselves with unprecedented amounts of pork-barrel spending." That is the truth.

McCain's Hail Mary

or his last stunt?

SC chief Puno orders probe on RTC judge Winlove Dumayas for giving unfair judgment

From News Balita:

MANILA, Oct. 5 — Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Reynato Puno ordered the Office of the Court Administrator to look into the administrative complaint filed against Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 59 Judge Winlove Dumayas for allegedly rendering an unjust judgment after the latter reversed his earlier decision.

In a one-page order, Puno ordered Court Administrator Jose Perez to look into the case filed against Dumayas, saying that the judge has “knowingly rendered an unjust judgment and failed to exercise the required judicial diligence to ascertain the facts and applicable laws in connection with the orders he issued in Civil Case No. 00-1122 pending before his court.”

btw, this is the same judge who sentenced Ninez Cacho Olivares to a three year jail term.

Diana West: Social Engineering Derailed Our Economy

The conventional wisdom is that the economic crisis is the reason Sen. Barack Obama is up in the polls.

The conventional wisdom is wrong. Not about Obama being up in the polls, of course, but about why that is so. Obama is up in the polls not because of the economic crisis, but because the reason for the economic crisis, the festering root of it all that has twisted the U.S. financial system beyond recognition, is being ignored in our narrative-creating centers, from the mainstream media to Congress to the White House to the presidential candidates themselves.

Since Obama can only stay up in the polls as long as this all-important reason remains an unspoken, murky kind of secret, I can well understand his obvious inclination to change the subject.

The fact is, if American citizens become too widely acquainted with the fact that race-based social engineering virtually created the sub-prime mortgage industry that has transformed the U.S. economy into The Titanic, Obama will sink in the polls. That's because race-based social engineering is what Obama both advanced as a so-called community organizer, and later funded as an official of Chicago's Woods Fund, where he served alongside unrepentant terrorist and political ally William Ayers -- another phantom political fact citizens now pondering their presidential votes are not supposed to consider.

But I digress. The question is, how exactly did the government overlay of race-based goals onto the real estate marketplace help create the sub-prime mortgage industry, which, having imploded, triggered the current economic crisis, and what did Obama have to do with it?

The answer goes back to one of those totalitarian drawing boards where social engineers draft their human havoc. Not "enough" minorities owned homes, the social engineers decided, because not "enough" minorities were eligible for mortgages, the social engineers concluded. Therefore, in the bean-counting name of what "should" be, the social engineers effectively junked all bottom-line, non-racial markers of mortgage eligibility, from steady employment and clean credit to the all-important down payment, that banks have traditionally relied on to determine the difference between a good and a bad credit risk. This paved the way for increasingly unconventional "sub prime" loans for all (including rubber-check-writing deadbeats, speculators and novices-in-over-their-heads of all races). The social engineers claimed victory for what they called "affordable housing" -- which also paradoxically created a vast market of extremely unaffordable housing -- but it was just a house of card!

s. The real estate bubble popped, the bad loans came crashing down, and the world markets came tumbling after.

Back in the early 1990s, however, it was all still coming together. Writing in the New York Post, Stanley Kurtz described some of the techniques community organizers use to intimidate banks into making bad loans: "In the name of fairness to minorities, community organizers occupy private offices, chant inside bank lobbies, and confront executives at their homes -- and thereby force financial institutions to direct hundreds of millions of dollars in mortgages to low-credit customers."

He continued: "In other words, community organizers help to undermine the U.S. economy by pushing the banking system into a sinkhole of bad loans. And Obama has spent years training and funding the organizers who do it."

Kurtz went on to detail the nature of that training and funding in concert with ACORN (the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now), an essential component in the drive to force banks "kicking and screaming" as Madeline Talbott, one of Obama's close ACORN associates put it, into the risky loan business. At one point, Kurtz reported, "Obama was training the army of ACORN organizers who participated in Madeline Talbott's drive against Chicago's banks."

Will America elect someone this far left wing to take charge of the Federal Reserve Bank? Terrifying thought. To be sure, it wasn't just community shakedown artists who brought our current crisis about. They had massive help along the way, as "affirmative action lending" practices were foisted on the banking industry at the national level, particularly during the presidencies of Carter, Clinton and, yes, George W. Bush. These lending practices were further institutionalized once government-sponsored Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, under the astronomically well-paid leadership of Fannie CEO James A. Johnson, began snapping up high-risk loans and repackaging them for sale on the world market. Johnson, whom Obama, of course, chose to lead his vice-presidential selection committee (until financial shenanigans over a sweetheart housing loan forced him out) even set a goal for Fannie Mae to buy up $1 trillion in low-income loans to ensure that, as CNSNews.com quoted him as saying, "every American who wants to get a mortgage will have their loan approved."

Well, they did. And it didn't work out so well, did it? Such is the human cost of social engineering, whether on Wall Street, Main Street or Red Square. No wonder Obama doesn't seem to want to discuss the pesky details. "The main thing is to just move away from this hyper-political environment and recognize the house is on fire," he recently said.

That's the main thing? "Let's put out the fire first," he added, "and we can figure out what caused it."

Later, he means. A lot later. Like after Election Day when it's too late to vote for the other guy. Because what voters in their right minds would expect the man who likes to set the fires to put them out?