Paul Krugman, The New York Times, July 13, 2007 During the 2000 presidential campaign, Ralph Nader mocked politicians of both parties as “Republicrats,” equally subservient to corporations and the wealthy. It was nonsense, of course: the modern G.O.P. is so devoted to the cause of making the rich richer that it makes even the most business-friendly Democrats look like F.D.R. But right now, as I watch Senate Democrats waffle over what should be a clear issue of justice and sound tax policy — namely, whether managers of private equity funds and hedge funds should be subject to the same taxes as ordinary working Americans — I’m starting to feel that Mr. Nader wasn’t all wrong. What’s at stake here is a proposal by House Democrats to tax “carried interest” as regular income. This would close a tax loophole that is complicated in detail, but basically lets fund managers take a large part of the fees they earn for handling other peoples’ money and redefine those fees, for tax purposes, as capital gains. The effect of this redefinition is that income that should be considered by normal standards to be ordinary income taxed at a 35 percent rate is treated as capital gains, taxed at only 15 percent instead. So fund managers get to pay a low tax rate that is supposed to provide incentives to risk-taking investors, even though they aren’t investors and they aren’t taking risks. For example, the typical hedge-fund manager has a 2-and-20 contract — that is, he gets a fee equal to 2 percent of the funds under management, plus 20 percent of whatever his fund earns. It’s not exactly straight salary, but none of this income comes from putting his own wealth at risk. Except for the fact that he might make a billion dollars a year, he resembles a waitress whose income depends on a mix of wages and tips, or a salesman who lives on a mix of salary and commissions, more than he resembles an entrepreneur who sinks his life savings into a new business. Read More Here

Paul Waldman, TomPaine.com, July 10, 2007 "Can you smell the English Leather on this guy, the Aqua Velva, the sort of mature man's shaving cream, or whatever, you know, after he shaved? Do you smell that sort ofa little bit of cigar smoke? You know, whatever." It will not surprise you to learn that the one who spoke those words was Chris Matthews, nor that the mature man about whom he was speaking was the Republican flavor of the month, former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson. Matthews' references to English Leather and Aqua Velva, male grooming products whose status (along with Old Spice) as totemic signifiers of American manhood faded some 30 years ago, could hardly be more apt. Thompson's rapid ascent up the polls, before his campaign has officially begun, has been judged a product of the weaknesses of the leading Republican candidates. It's aided by an admiring press corps, never more enraptured than by a persona carefully crafted and maintained with skill, swooning that he is Reaganesque and looks like a president. Apart from Hillary Clinton, no candidate's bid hinges so much on the impact of traditional ideas and assumptions about gender. As Peggy Noonan, able chronicler of the GOP id, put it, Thompson's campaign is aimed at the major pleasure zones of the Republican brain. Those pleasure zones are activated most surely by someone who challenges nothing they believe, and whose appeal could be easily transplanted back in time to the halcyon days for which they pine. The fact that those days never existed, except on television and in the movies, makes Thompson, the actor, the perfect man to embody their spirit. If Romney sells himself as the M.B.A. president George W. Bush was supposed to be, efficient and capable, and Giuliani posits that only he can keep the murderous horde of terrorists at bay, the Fred Thompson brand is straight out of 1950s television. This persona, honed in role after role, is tough but fair, firm but caring, wise and strong, the kind of man whose dog brings him his slippers when he walks through the door at the end of the day. Country singer Lorrie Morgan, one of Thompson's ex-girlfriends, recently told the Financial Times , He's majestic. He's a soft, safe place to be and that could be Fred's ticket. Women love a soft place to lay and a strong pair of hands to hold us. She also noted that Thompson is "the kind of man little girls dream about marrying, who opens doors for you, lights your cigarettes, helps you on with your coat, buys wonderful gifts. It's every woman's fantasy." And who is it that little girls dream of marrying? Their fathers, of course. Read More Here

William Rivers Pitt, Truthout, July 13, 2007 We are all wired into a survival trip now. - Hunter S. Thompson Who can forget the incredible scandal that erupted back in May of 2002? Around about the middle of that month, details began to emerge about the August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing that specifically warned Bush about Osama bin Laden's determination to strike the United States. Wait. Actually, everyone forgot, because two days later, the Bush administration unleashed a blizzard of dire warnings about impending terrorist attacks. FBI Director Robert Mueller intoned such attacks were "inevitable," and the Department of Homeland Security announced the imminent, explosive destruction of all American railroads, along with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Who can forget the incredible scandal that erupted back in June of 2003? Over the course of two days, reports emerged about serious doubts held by the CIA regarding the credibility of the administration's claim Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger. On the heels of this, Congress unfurled its 9/11 report, which criticized all levels of the Bush administration for its performance before and during the attacks. Wait. Actually, everyone forgot, because the Bush administration unleashed another blizzard of warnings about impending terrorist attacks. Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security warned terrorists were, once again, preparing to attack the United States with suicide missions using commercial airliners as bombs. Who can forget the incredible scandal that erupted back in December of 2003? 9/11 Commission chairman Thomas Keane declared the attacks of 9/11 should have been prevented. The next day, a Federal appeals court ruled against the administration on the case of suspected terrorist Jose Padilla, stating Padilla could not be held indefinitely without being charged. Wait. Actually, everyone forgot, because the Bush administration increased the terrorism threat level to Orange and claimed more suicide planes were about to come zooming out of the sky. Six international flights were diverted due to potential terrorist actions of some passengers who were later identified as an insurance salesman, an elderly Chinese woman and a five-year-old boy. Read More Here

Link A federal judge has ruled that Clinton cannot use the power of his office to block prosecutors from questioning his senior aides, rejecting Clinton's assertion of executive privilege in the Monica investigation, lawyers familiar with the decision said yesterday. In a ruling issued under court seal Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson concluded that Ken Starr's need to collect evidence in his obstruction of justice probe outweighs Clinton's interest in preserving the confidentiality of White House discussions, the lawyers said. But now, with the Bush-felon having killed 3600 soldiers, he gets to claim executive privilege? Why do the rules work against Democrats and FOR Republicans?

Link House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Traitor), repeating his criticism of Clinton for his behavior in the Monica scandal, refused today to rule out the possibility of impeachment if the facts warrant such action. Impeaching the president -- and effectively overriding the election of 1996 -- should not be undertaken lightly, Gephardt cautioned. Still, "that doesn't mean it can't be done or shouldn't be done; you just better be sure you do it the right way." Gephardt said if Clinton were to leave office, "we'll get through this." F-ing Democrats - Always having to be "fair." Republicans would die before they allowed one of their own to be impeached while the weenie Democrats volunteer to be screwed. How did I get is such a suicidal party?

Link Two top Republicans cast aside the Chimp's pleas for patience on Iraq Friday and proposed legislation demanding a new strategy by mid-October to restrict the mission of U.S. troops. The proposal, by veteran Sens.Warner and Lugar, came as the Pentagon conceded a decreasing number of Iraqi battalions are able to operate on their own. "The idiot in the White House must adjust to the reality that sectarian factionalism is not likely to abate anytime soon and probably cannot be controlled from the top," the Warner-Lugar proposal states.

Today was a very tiring day. We woke up and went for a drive in the big city, then we drove north to check out the big trees in the country. Then I got thirsty, so we stopped at this one place where they had a $200 shot of Chinaco on the menu. You read that right - a $200 shot of tequila.  It was Chinaco Black Label. I ain't got that kind of money. I was offered another  shot of fancy Chinaco for $120. I ain't got that kind of money, either. They had shots of Chinaco Negro for $50, no thank you. They had shots of  Chinaco Emperador that 30 of us shared in Vegas last year for $65, and they got a no thank you for that, too. But they had maybe 200 kinds of tequila, so some tequila was going to be had. I settled on a 1/2 shot of Chinaco 1996 (What?) for $8.50 and a 1/2 shot of that Sammy Hagar, Cabo Wabo Uno, which was kinda spectacular for $16.   Mrs Bart had her very favorite Corralejo Reposado margarita with 4 freshly squeezed limes and some mystery juice that added up to a damn fine tasty margarita. They had two big ice chests full of cut limes - they must've had 300 limes cut and that smell was truly wood-inducing. I saw 40 bottles of tequila that I never saw before - that's a really rare thing to happen.    This place was rated the 6th best bar in the world by Bartender Magazine. As far as       I'm concerned, it's the best place on Earth - with a bullet. It would be even better if the bartender spoke English.  If I ask for Chinaco and he pours the $200 shot - we got trouble

Link John Edwards has an answer for all the criticism about his expensive haircuts and expansive home: A man can be wealthy and care about the poor, too. Just look at a Democratic hero — Robert F. Kennedy. Edwards plans a poverty tour reminiscent of Kennedy's 1968 trip. Edwards even plans to end his journey where Kennedy did some 40 years ago, in Prestonsburg, Ky. The eight-state tour shifts the spotlight to an issue that has been the focus of Edwards' campaign since his first run for the White House four years ago. In recent weeks, publicity about his personal wealth — $400 haircuts, construction of a 28,000-square-foot house, hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary to speak about poverty and advise a hedge fund for the superrich — has opened him to charges of hypocrisy and threatened to undermine his message. That's bullshit and I'd offer his campaign this advice: Just remind voters that rich Democrats do what they can to help the poor, which rich Republican bastards say "I have mine, 'F' 'em, they can get their own." Bush promised tax cuts, then gave the super-rich most of it. John Edwards wouldn't do that because he's a Democrat and we have hearts.