Where's the Outrage?

Here’s the Saturday evening news roundup:

• Chinese astronauts experienced their first spacewalks. Congratulations to China. Now, let’s see, the Soviets did their first spacewalk on March 18, 1965. American Astronaut Ed White walked on June 3, 1965.
• Zimbabwe is in the midst of a huge food crisis.
• There is evidence to suggest that Pakistani tribesmen in the northwest frontier are beginning to rise up against the Islamic extremists. I wonder if the Pakistan government or the U.S. government are supplying these tribesmen? This seems to be remarkably similar to the “Sunni Awakening.”
• At home, what happened on Thursday? Remember, around noon on Thursday it appeared there was a bailout deal. Then, a couple of hours later, there was no deal. The Washington Post has an interesting article today about these negotiations. It appears that Republican nominee John McCain played a central role in derailing the process. It is not clear whether this was intentional or not, but Republicans like Representative Paul Ryan (Wisconsin), ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, were waiting to talk to someone and McCain was that someone. After listening to House Republicans, McCain went to the Senate. He attended a Senate Republican policy luncheon. Senators Robert Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (New Hampshire) explained the contours of the bailout agreement. Then McCain said, “Just like Iraq, I’m not afraid to go it alone if I need to.” Just like that, the deal had gone up in smoke. Is this an example of McCain putting his Country First?
• In 1992, Sweden underwent a huge financial crisis. Sweden did not bail out their ailing financial institutions. Instead, they bought huge stakes in the banking industry. They increased regulation. Then, as their economy began to heal, banking profits went to the government and the taxpayers. The government was then able to sell off some of its banking assets, making more profits for the taxpayers. Proposing something like this is laughable in the United States. Republicans, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, and probably anarchists would all be dead-set against such a plan. This type of plan would be dead on arrival in Congress.
• The new National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan has been prepared and it is ready but will not be released to the public. The Bush administration thinks it’s in our best interest. Maybe it’s in the best interest of neoconservatives that their major failures stay hidden and under wraps before a major election.
• Remember when Deputy Attorney General James Comey testified that White House Chief of Staff Andy Card and then Chief White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales visited John Ashcroft in his hospital room trying to get re-authorization of the double secret surveillance program? There was speculation that the only way that Card and Gonzales would bother the Attorney General while he was in the hospital would be a under the direction of President Bush. Well, it appears that President Bush was directly involved.
• Fifty-seven million people watched last night’s debate. It is nice to see the country engaged in possibly the most important election in the last 40 years.
• Someone on the McCain campaign team thought it would be a great idea to send Governor Sarah Palin into an Irish pub in downtown Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the city that is known for pelting Santa Claus with snowballs during an Eagles game. Although there were about 400 supporters inside the pub, there were approximately 300 protesters outside of the pub. Some of the signs read: “McSame/Failin’;” “Hey Hockey Mom — keep the puck out of PA;” “Just like Bush in lipstick.” Sweet!
• Finally, where was Governor Palin after the debate last night? Senator Joe Biden was everywhere, making Palin’s absence even more noticeable. One Republican columnist thinks it’s time for the Sarah Palin experiment to end. She has asked her to resign.

Tags: Afghanistan, Domestic Spying, Economy, Election 2008, Foreign Affairs // View Comments