"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.