Pat Oliphant for February 11, 2010

No need to comment, cartoon says it all.

As Krugman has been pointing out, we’re not the new Russia, we’re the new Poland.

This hits the nail right on the head.

Look how Punk refers to Mr. B.!

senorbullwinkleGenius_badge said, about 7 hours ago

New Rules, we have a one party system. No matter who wins an election, the republicans still run the country. Or should I dare say, their “PEOPLE”, the Corporations run the Country.

In time, even the Republicans will come to understand that they have been voting against their own best interest and destroyed their country.

We have the most prisons in the world and building more. Who do you think they will fill them with ?

Welcome to the one party country, where we jail everyone. WE ARE THE NEW RUSSIA !

God help us, I agree 100%.

“We will see about “no”–particularly now with unions totally upset with what Dumbocrats have NOT done the past year alone.”

Yet the conservative pundits won’t stop shouting how the Democrats’ ideas are ruining the country.

@ Av8tor: oh yes, we saw what this government takeover with the healthcare reform (if it ever gets anywhere). Exchanges, subsidies (which eventually go to private insurers, nom nom), yep, government takeover of the first degree. As for business… whoever pays the fiddler chooses the tune. In fact, goverment has done very little to regulate those who messed up and whom it bailed out.

Oh, and as for higher taxes, yeah, somebody is going ot be paying back for that deficit. If you think that the US can afford wars and tax cuts while in a recession, then you better be willing to pay for it soon. Or your kid will - with additional interest, of course.

4uk4ata, Goverment has done quite a bit to regulate who “messed up.” The Gov has picked winners and losers. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and JP MorganChase are clear winners. And why not? They were all three in the top ten list of donors to the Obama campaign!

To long-winded diatribes- the answer is appropriate at “no”.

To “draft dodgers” , and those who dodged the military, who only fought to START wars- just say “no”.

I’m for CLIMATE CHANGE……… let’s change the economic climate in America…let’s dump almost all of the 545…there may be a small number of keepers….start by getting rid of the one’s in charge of each branch

@ Habanero: Unfortunately, there was way too little regulation on those who managed to mess up and needed public financing. Frankly, I think we could all have done without them - but at the time, psychosis was running high, and we were told the entire financial system was at stake, so I am willing to say it was a poor decision, and call it quits if the companies thus financed a) return the money and b) are made to be more… careful in the future.

Oh, and by the way - the companies you mentioned (or rather their PAC, employees, etc) were in the top ten (and five, for that matter) of the McCain donors as well (top five was Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase). That should hardly be surprising, mind you. They have the money and the interest in having the next president, whoever he may be, owe them a favour.

4uk it was over reg [ cairn ‘,so called red line laws etc done by GOP er like dobb , frank] that did in financial sector + fraud by rating companies

And the GOP’s plans to fix all of this are what?

Come On! They must have some plan, otherwise why do you want them back into control?

Gorgeous black & white!

Feels as fresh as his early work in the 60s.

Pat Oliphant, still going strong!

Boner! :-D

More folks believe he is willing to work with the opposition than believe the opposition is willing to work with him.

@ WBR: I’m quite unconvinced that it was overrregulation that killed the financial sector, sorry. If I remember correctly, companies used to play fast and loose with derivatives, and large banks went into other branches of financing past the 1999 bill (which allowed them to do just that).

There was a problem with regulation, sure - but not necessarily that there was too much of it. What regulation existed was simply inefficient - and most likely, insufficient as well.

Elizabeth Warren on financial regulation:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-26-2010/elizabeth-warren

Wait, don’t go in, Admiral Ackbar says It’s a Trap!!

Or at least, that’s the Republican mantra now. The last time Republicans faced him Fox News cut away 20 minutes early because he spanked them so badly. This time… Fox News may cut away before it starts.

HOW - I think you meant to use the word “Would” when you wrote “Warren you SHOULD not believe it any way”, but I think you told the truth by using the word SHOULD, because it is true that I SHOULD NOT BELEIVE IT.

“It would take some major historical revision to reverse that understanding.”

Cue the Republican Party and Fox News. Rep Bachmann made it part of her reelection campaign that the banks failed because they were too regulated.

Re. senorbullwinkle’s comment: small reminder from the world: this is not only about (U.S. of) America - whatever you do, the whole world gets it. This goes for Democrats and Republicans alike, though Bush (and the brains behind him) made a particular mess of it.

mwme:

In your parallel universe there is a former president Clinton, too?

As Spock would say: “Fascinating”!

Oliphant hit it right today. No wonder really capable people are dropping out of congress. I’m sick & tired of it & I don’t even work there.

Its funny how John Bonehead and the cons want to fix a sinking ship i.e. the economy.

“We need to drill more holes!” Translated, “We need more deregulation!”

Nice going genius! And then blame the Democratic party for their failure.