Dems Should Rattle the Markets

The great political journalist Paul Kane reports on the the Kabuki theater of a "clean" debt-ceiling vote that will occur this evening and "prove" that there isn't support, or at least a majority vote, for an increase in the national debt limit without some sort of fiscal action. The GOP is taking great pains to reassure Wall Street that this vote is merely symbolic while they continue their extreme demands for massive social spending cuts and the elimination of Medicare as the cost for their vote sometime in the near future. Their demands are patently reckless and irresponsible

My question is why Democrats have to be the responsible party solely concerned with the nation's debt rating, particularly since Republicans are so extreme on the other side of this issue?

Why don't Dems adopt Republican tactics in response and try to unsettle the markets by suggesting that they won't vote for any "unclean" debt ceiling vote? Boehner will need some Democratic support for any unclean increase and of course McConnell will need the same in the Senate. 

Better to rattle Wall Street now and have the GOP businessmen bring pressure to bear on their Republican puppets, rather than let insane Republican demands drive all of the negotiations.

Unfortunately, Dems don't do crazy. Unless it's Cynthia McKinney or Maxine Waters. Whereas crazy is running the House GOP leadership (Boehner excepted but complicit).

Mucho Illegal

LA police have arrested Giovanni Ramirez in the savage beating of Bryan Stow at Dodgers Stadium. Stow's crime in Ramirez's eyes was that Stow was a Giants fan.

The LA Times is reporting that Ramirez is a member of a Mexican street gang, the Varrio Nuevo Estrada. With estimates that up to 60% of such gang members are illegal immigrants, it's fair to ask if Ramirez is. And since Ramirez "has at least three prior felony convictions. According to police sources, he was convicted of attempted robbery in 1998, robbery in 1999, and firing a weapon in a public place in 2005," according to the LA Times, it is definitely worth pursuing an investigation as to whether Ramirez should have already been deported before he left the 42 year-old white father of two in a coma with brain damage.

Debt Do Us Part

If I were a Democrat, I would immediately introduce a bill directing the Treasury to pay armed services personnel and social security recipients ahead of bondholders in the event the Congress doesn't raise the debt limit and the country defaults on its obligations. It sets up a nice contrast to the money changers in the House temple who want to pay off bondholders before any others.

Another reason to Hate the Yankees & Cowboys

Just another reason why fans are increasingly better off watching games on their high-def TVs at home, the Yankees and Cowboys ding you an additional 20% above and beyond the posted price for concession food. Incredible!

Though come to think of it and especially as it relates to the Vikings stadium situation, adding a 20% surcharge on all concession sales at a stadium would seem to be a great revenue stream to help pay for said stadium's construction.

The Anti-Trust League

My favorite line from the most recent 8th Circuit ruling is this part of the dissent:

The NFL also argues, in the absence of a stay, its clubs will be required to "produce their inherently joint and collective product," which in turn will subject the League to further antitrust claims by the Players. Each of these arguments is questionable given the current juncture of affairs. The preliminary injunction does not dictate the NFL's free agency rules, or any other conduct in general, outside of the lockout. Moreover, the fact the NFL must comply with the law, i.e., the Sherman Act, does not constitute irreparable harm — it is the absolute minimum that could be expected of the League.

Yes, negotiating leverage is important in this labor dispute. But doesn't this suggest that lifting the lockout is much more about the NFLPA gaining leverage (at the expense of the league) but about the league being at risk of violating anti-trust law if it has to re-start operations?

Negotiation Limits

Only moronic democrats (or crypto-Republicans - it's hard to tell the difference) like Turbo Timmy Geithner would come up with a strategy to deal with House Republican hostage taking of the debt limit by delaying the crisis so that the Obama administration can eventually acquiesce to most of the Tea Party's demands. The debt limit was reached today. Rather than delaying the day of reckoning, why hasn't the administration tried to accelerate the debt issue and force Republicans to vote on the issue before they could organize their demands?

Dead on Rick Reilly

ESPN's Rick Reilly reevaluates the 2006-08 drafts - and reorders the picks based on how the selections have actually played, It's really surprising no one has done this on a league wide basis before.

Tow things that really jump out: for all of the criticism the Texans got for forsaking Reggie Bush in favor of Mario Williams, that pick stands the test of time. 

2nd: Reilly is a coldhearted SOB. He lists Gaines Adams (the #4 overall pick in the 2007 draft by the Bucs) as someone who wouldn't have been drafted in hindsight cause....Adams is now dead.  Wow.