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03 Oct 2011 16:31

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Politics: Memos reveal Obama warned not to visit Solyndra

  • A number of us are concerned that the president is visiting Solyndra. Many of us believe the company’s cost structure will make it difficult for them to survive long term. . . . I just want to help protect the president from anything that could result in negative or unfair press.
  • Investor and Obama fundraiser Steve Westly • From a memo sent to Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett in May, 2010. The document was released by Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, charged with investigating the failed government loan. Whatever your political opinion on this issue, these are certainly the sorts of warnings you’d hope the administration would take seriously; there’s mounting evidence that people within the industry were skeptical of the company well in advance of the President’s visit. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Oct 2011 21:11

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Politics: Herman Cain: Rick Perry’s hunting camp had “very insensitive” name

  • My reaction is, that’s just very insensitive. [There] isn’t a more vile, negative word than the N-word, and for him to leave it there as long as he did, before I hear that they finally painted over it, is just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country.
  • Herman Cain • Complaining about the hunting camp Rick Perry once owned, which once had a name that included a racial slur (we’ll let you figure out which one). Perry’s camp already came out on the defensive against this, claiming it was painted over long ago, and the quickly-rising Cain (who just won another straw poll) has every reason in the world to combat this. Perry will have to work hard to come back from this mess. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Oct 2011 11:27

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Politics: Ghost from Rick Perry’s past: An unfortunately-named hunting camp

  • claim A Washington Post article, published Saturday, claimed that a hunting camp once owned by Rick Perry (and at other times, his family) was once named after a racial slur we won’t be saying here. Even after his family owned the property, the name was still visible, though painted over.
  • rebuttal Perry’s staff was quick to the punch on this controversy: “Governor Perry’s last visit to the Crooked River Ranch was December 2006. He stopped leasing the property in 2007.” (The article states this.) An associate of Perry says the article has a number of inaccuracies. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Oct 2011 20:08

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Politics: Human Rights Campaign: No surprises from Obama, but a victory lap

  • There was no open support of gay marriage in tonight’s speech, but Obama did speak out in favor of more equality for gays. The president, fresh off his success with the full repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” continued pushing for his view on the Defense of Marriage Act — “It should join ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in the history books,” he said — and emphasized the hard work that he’s done for the gay rights movement over the past three years. (He also, when bringing up his jobs bill, dropped a couple of government-related lines that will anger those on the right, such as “I believe in a big America”.) While Obama has yet to come out in support for gay marriage (perhaps his most puzzling view), he has done more for gay rights than any president, ever. Still, his view on gay marriage is one that was likely on the minds of many listening to Obama. Here’s how his views have changed on the still-controversial issue over the years:
  • 2004 While he was still in the Illinois State Senate and running for U.S. Senate, a former aide claims that Obama he supported gay marriage at the time.
  • 2008 When he ran for president, however, Obama made it clear that while he supported civil unions, he did not support gay marriage.
  • 2010 Obama’s views on gay marriage began evolving; as of 2011, the Obama administration no longer enforces the Defense of Marriage Act. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Oct 2011 15:35

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Politics, Tech: Eric Schmidt on Google’s antitrust case: We’re not that bad, really

  • So we get hauled in front of the Congress for developing a product that’s free, that serves a billion people. Okay? I mean, I don’t know how to say it any clearer. I mean, it’s fine. It’s their job. But it’s not like we raised prices. We could lower prices from free to…lower than free? You see what I’m saying?
  • Google Chairman Eric Schmidt • Proving to be a bit cagey in an interview after taking questions at a Senate hearing a week ago. Google is facing antitrust questions that they’re abusing their power in the search market, and Schmidt claims that there’s a disconnect at play between Washington and the tech culture of Silicon Valley. “The press is so young, they don’t understand the history here,” he said. “We’re still a small component of what a whole bunch of other companies have done, and certainly most other industries. So I reject all such charges.” Think he’s right about all this? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Sep 2011 16:55

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Politics: “Muffingate”: Quick on the rage, slow on the follow-through (even um, us.)

  • Muffingate still provides a telling illustration of how relatively minor revelations can be turned into blood-curdling controversies. It also shows how the political and media communities move much faster to trumpet an outrage-inducing story than to set the record straight.
  • The Huffington Post’s Sam Stein • Offering a sobering take on the issue of $16 muffins from a story from a couple of weeks ago. Stein’s point: Despite the early coverage of the initial story, based on an infuriating Justice Department report, the follow-up coverage (where Hilton pointed out that the $16 wasn’t for “muffins” but a continental breakfast, written as shorthand on receipts), was a bit lacking. As a site, we admit that we didn’t even see the follow-ups ourselves (Editor’s note: I intended to do more with the story, but never got to it. Total fail on my part. — ES), but as this was a key fact, it throws the whole study into question. In retrospect, it feels more like a political hit piece — one that might have some truth to it, but blew its most important factoid. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Sep 2011 15:26

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Politics: Scott Walker’s chief of staff resigns at a somewhat suspect time

  • what Scott Walker’s chief of staff, Keith Gilkes, just decided to resign from his post. The timing is suspect due to an investigation over Walker staffers possibly doing political activities on the taxpayer’s dime.
  • why Gilkes, who says he’s not involved in the “John Doe” investigation, claims that he’s returning to his being a political consultant, but will come in from the bullpen if Walker gets recalled next year. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

28 Sep 2011 20:10

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Politics: Obama administration appeals Obamacare to Supreme Court

  • Throughout history, there have been similar challenges to other landmark legislation such as the Social Security Act, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, and all of those challenges failed. We believe the challenges to Affordable Care Act … will also ultimately fail and that the Supreme Court will uphold the law.
  • A statement from the Justice Department • Defending Obama’s Affordable Care Act ahead of a Supreme Court decision expected to come next year, after the Obama administration decided to appeal the case — specifically the individual mandate, which is the bill’s most controversial part. Expect the decision in this case in the middle of 2012, just as Obama takes on … uh … let’s say Herman Cain … for the presidency. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Sep 2011 22:32

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Politics: Romney, Perry: We won’t raise very much money

  • Hey everyone, let’s play “no expectations!” This game is common in presidential campaigns, and usually commences just before quarterly fundraising totals are announced. Here’s how it works: Each campaign works diligently to convince the press that they’re not going to bring in very much money; this is accomplished by saying things like, “We are going to raise considerably less than what we did in our first reporting period.” Then, once the numbers come in, it’s a win-win. If the totals are robust, the campaign looks surprisingly potent; if the numbers fall short, the campaign can just say, “I told you so!” It’s also acceptable to play this game prior to debates and straw polls. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Sep 2011 19:08

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Politics: UC Berkeley administration sends open letter condemning “diversity bake sale”

  • Forbearance and consciousness of how one’s actions may affect others should always be a strong consideration. We celebrate the exchange of ideas through the freedoms we share as a nation, but intelligent debate is based on mutual respect. Freedom of speech is not properly exercised without taking responsibility for its impact. Taking that responsibility does not negate the freedom, it brings an enhanced humanity to it.
  • A letter by UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, and two Vice Chancellors • Condemning the UC Berkeley College Republicans and their “Increase Diversity Bake Sale,” which priced its confections on a sliding scale based on race and gender. It’s intended as a criticism of a bill awaiting signature by Gov. Jerry Brown, which would allows UCs to consider race, gender and ethnicity in their admissions process. We couldn’t agree more with those arguing this is an ineffective means to have a debate, is absurdly reductive, and seems designed to spark the kind of discord that kills any chance of nuanced discussion — in short, it’s a bad idea all around. We will say this, though: Berkeley’s reputation as a haven of free speech needs an inclusiveness for all types of speech to be credible. The BCR has a compelling argument that the administration is telling them in what way they should speak, despite the fact their message, while no doubt horribly offensive to many, isn’t really violent or existentially threatening to the student body. We’re not so crazy about that. (h/t bsig) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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