Nightly Ramble:Reading the Signs

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ‘sphere… The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

• LEFTISM AS A RELIGION: Anyone who doubts and the leftist religion is a powerful one should draw comparisons between the reaction to word of President Obama being willing to settle for a less invasive “public option” , and the Afghan protests yesterday over the mere reports of a burnt Koran. The rule appears to be that it  doesn’t need to be true to completely unhinge the adherents of the religion involved. In the end, however, what this is is Leftist Democrats demonstrating once again their unique inability to herd their own, over the cliff.  The democrats in both houses of Congress are many things, but they’re not lemmings.  The ones out on the leading edge of this nonsense are beginning to see that there’s a long drop off that cliff to the water. Public support for a government takeover of healthcare continues to flatline, and they’re starting to feel voter anger. The Democrat leaders, meantime are looking at the calendar and realizing that having nothing to show for the $800 billion that they’ve taken from our economy so far for this socialist nonsense  probably doesn’t make  good election campaign slogan, either.  Amazing, the trouble you can get into with other people’s money, isn’t it?
• LAWS DON’T APPLY TO CONGRESS:  Armstrong Williams has something to say:
  If there’s anything that surprises me about any of this, it’s that people are still surprised when someone points it out.
• 85 INDUSTRIES MORE PROFITABLE THAN HEALTH INSURANCE: That’s right. Mark Perry has the details. So are we now going to see government intrusion in their profit margins, too?  I guess maybe I shouldn’t give them any ideas, eh?
• TAPSCOTT TO CLIENT NUMBER NINE:  PUT A SOCK IN IT A great column.
  

  

  Mark Tapscott

  Lest anybody gets the idea that Spitzer can be considered a credible source on issues of corporate ethics, let’s review a few facts about his own misuse and abuse of the public trust. During his successful 2006 campaign for governor, Spitzer loudly announced his return of more than $124,000 in campaign contributions he had received since 2003 from lawyers with the Milberg Weiss law firm in New York. The firm and four of its senior partners had been indicted on 20 counts as a criminal enterprise by the Justice Department for paying an estimated $11.7 million in bribes to plaintiffs in at least 150 cases going back to 1981. The firm received $250 million or more in tainted legal fees from the cases.

  What Spitzer didn’t say was that he kept an additional $42,555 in such contributions. Among the unreturned checks were $10,000 from senior partner Melvyn Weiss and $10,000 from senior partner David Bershad. Weiss was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and $10 million in fines, while Bershad cut a deal with the government, got a six-month prison sentence, paid a $250,000 fine and forfeited $7.75 million. Spitzer also kept checks totaling $8,000 from Weiss senior partner Steven Schulman, who was convicted and served a six-month federal prison term.

  Seems complaining about the ethics of companies you’re trying to demonize can backfire on you of someone has your history down.

• SO WHERE IS ALL THE “STIMULUS MONEY GOING? Apparently, to companies under criminal investigation. Hope and change.
• SPEAKING OF MONEY GOING TO PEOPLE UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, shall we speak of Charlie Rangel? Course he’s not getting quite so much as he once did.
• CHRIS DODD, TOO: You knew this stuff would eventually happen. Simply a matter of the crime and the usual defense of it catching up with them. And time, of course. Not that they’re not still trying to cover their asses. (BBCT:Glenn)
• THE TREND: Am I alone in noting the pattern developing here among leading Democrats? I mean, look at the last several points. Salena Zito at RCP says apparently not:
  

  

  Selina Zito

  A poll of opinion polls shows Americans’ attitudes are changing rapidly.They are less and less thrilled about the country’s direction and Congress, according to Tom Bevan, executive editor of national polling aggregator RealClearPolitics. He says independent voters are shifting away from the polices of the Obama administration and Democrats.

  “Independents have flipped negative,” warns Bevan. “That’s not a good thing for any party.”

  And this is after less than a year. Imagine what the trend will be after four years.

• MEANWHILE THE PRESIDENT PLAYS GOLF: Remember when George W Bush gave up golf because his critics thought he should be staying in the white House directing the response to the crisis?  I guess that doesn’t apply to the Chosen One.  He’s played as much golf in the last nine months as Bush played in nearly three years. And where’s the outcry now? Oh, wait… his caddy is holding up the sign for silence. I guess we shouldn’t say anything.