Nightly Ramble Tuesday

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the web; The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

• THE LEFTIST DOUBLE STANDARD WRIT LARGE: So now we find ourselves watching an argument between Ezra Klein and Jane Hampshire….arguably two of the most dishonest , in a large vat of leftist dishonesty.  For quite some time now, on the order of decades in fact, we underwrite have been subject to all kinds of derision when the more conservative among us decide not to support an action because it is not conservative enough.  Yet, watching this argument tells me all I need to know about that whole scene.
• AS BAD AS IT IS, IT”S WORSE THAN THEY”RE TELLING US: Ed Morrissey tells us:
  

  Almost two months ago, the Commerce Department cheered the announcement that the third quarter GDP had grown at an annualized rate of 3.5%.  The Obama administration hailed it as a sign that their economic policies had spurred real growth.  Even when Commerce sharply revised the number downward a month later to 2.8%, the White House continued to argue that the lower number still meant that the US had turned the corner, even after a number of critics asked how Commerce could have missed the number so widely.

  Today, Commerce backtracked even further.  The annualized growth number for Q3 turns out to have been 2.2%, a revision of over a third from its original estimate two months ago:

  The U.S. economy grew at a much slower pace than initially thought in the third quarter, restrained by weak business investment and a slightly more aggressive liquidation of inventories, according to data on Tuesday.

  The Commerce Department’s final estimate showed gross domestic product grew at a 2.2 percent annual rate instead of the 2.8 percent pace it reported last month. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast the report to show GDP, which measures total goods and services output within U.S. borders, unrevised at a 2.8 percent growth rate in the third quarter. …

  Growth was boosted by government stimulus programs, including the popular cash for clunkers and tax credit for first-time home buyers, and debate continues to rage over the sustainability of the recovery once government support wanes.

  No kidding.  The Cash for Clunkers program and the first-time homebuyer tax credit was estimated to have contributed as much as half of the original Commerce estimate of 3.5%.  Assuming that to still have contributed at least 1.5% of the final GDP, that leaves a rather pathetic 0.7% growth in Q3 without it.  It’s barely a recovery at that level.

  No, Ed, it’s no recovery at all. What ‘recovery’ there has been has been in government… and nothing in the private sector.  Can we be worried, now? And by the way, why are we taking the word of this administration at their word?

• FUNDING ACORN: According to John McCormick at the Weekly Standard, ACORN qualifies for funding in the senate health care bill.  That portion of the bill is being taken credit for by …. wait for it …. Roland Burris.  Welcome to Chicago.  Michelle Malkin points out that the whole thing is racist, as does David last night. Particular kudos to Michelle who has been pointing this stuff out since mid July.  Let there be no doubt what these people are all about.  Meanwhile, I notice that Chicago has shut down governmental services as a cash saving measure.  Mr. Burris has yet to determine where the funding for ACORN will come from.
• WHAT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? This stuff used to be amusing it was so out of hand ridiculous.  Now it’s frightening, because these idiots have the power of government behind them.  They are seriously considering running a hose up to the stratosphere to pump out sulfur particles.  The law of unintended consequences has to apply here.  Their plan looks good on paper, as they are selling it, but let’s remember that the level of government spending that Obama has placed on us sounded awfully good in the midst of the campaign, too.  The actual consequences of those actions are a little bit different than advertised.  We may (or, we may not ) recover from governmental this management of our economic system.  But doesn’t the same question apply to “global warming”, to say nothing at all of the proposals to fix the problem nobody can prove exists?
• DORGAN TRAILS BY 22 POINTS (The coal mine Canary):  Ed  at Hot Air:
  

  

  Ed Morrissey

  Call it the Wages of ObamaCare.  When only 30% of a state’s likely voters support the one piece of legislation on which the incumbent has worked for most of the year, they tend to get a little chippy about the idea of sending him back to Washington.  When paired up with Republican Governor John Hoeven in a 2010 midterm election, Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan trails by 22 points, 58%-36%:

  This is one pending loss of many for the Democrats. Approval for this monster is down to 36%.  Notice that the ratings rot starts at the top of the pile, with Obama’s approval at about 44% and on a downward spiral.  and moves down from there.  Let’s not make any mistakes about this.  There are no tears being shed over Dorgan losing his seat. The Democrats knew they were going to be losing a large number of people in Congress and indeed at every level of government once they started implementing their neo-socialist policy.  They consider it a small price to pay for the implementation of that policy.  The ultimate goal being ultimate control for government.

• PICTURE OF THE DAY: Comes by way of Roger Kimball: