Thursday Reads
Posted: January 20, 2011 Filed under: U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: Christian fundamentalists, financial regulation, Goldman Sachs, Governor of Alabama, health care reform bill, Jerad Loughner, Robert Bentley, snow, Tucson shooting, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics, weather 35 Comments
Good Morning!! Let’s see what’s going on out there in the world.
A federal grand jury has indicted Tucson shooter Jerad Loughner.
Jared Loughner was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday in Tucson on a three-count indictment for attempting to kill U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides, Pamela Simon and Ron Barber. The announcement came from U.S. attorney Dennis K. Burke’s office.
Burke said, “This case also involves potential death-penalty charges, and Department rules require us to pursue a deliberate and thorough process. [Wednesday]’s charges are just the beginning of our legal action. We are working diligently to ensure that our investigation is thorough and that justice is done for the victims and their families.”
According to the indictment, Loughner, 22, attempted to assassinate Gabrielle Giffords, a member of Congress, and attempted to murder two federal employees, Ron Barber and Pamela Simon.
A conviction for attempted assassination of member of Congress carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both, according to Burke’s office.
That happened really quickly, didn’t it?
Have you heard there’s more snow coming for the Midwest and Northeast? Oh joy. Right now they are saying 3-5 inches for Boston. That’s not too bad, except for the fact that we already about about 2-1/2 feet piled up everywhere. Oh well… check the story to see what might be coming your way.
According to the Wall Street Journal, poor poor Goldman Sachs is hurting.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s profit slide of 52% in the fourth quarter showed the securities giant’s size and swagger aren’t enough for it to escape the tightening squeeze of a regulatory overhaul and jittery clients and investors.
The New York company suffered its third quarterly profit decline in a row, hurt by lower revenue from its vaunted trading and investment-banking businesses. Fourth-quarter net income fell to $2.39 billion, or $3.79 a share, from $4.95 billion, or $8.20 a share, a year earlier.
Oh those nasty regulations! Is anything like that really happening? I’m confused. Oh wait. It’s not really regulations, it’s just the Wall Streeters’ fears of risk or something.
Like its rivals, Goldman is being hurt by the reluctance of many institutional investors, wealthy individuals, companies and other clients to take risks because they still are reeling from losses during the crisis. Hedge funds are weaning themselves from some of the leverage used to make big bets, and U.S. companies are holding more than $2 trillion in stagnant cash.
As a result, demand for the vast inventory of stocks, bonds and other investments that Goldman buys and sells on behalf of customers, generating commissions and other fees for the firm, fell in the latest quarter. Trading-related revenue shrank 31% to $3.64 billion from $5.25 billion in 2009’s fourth quarter.
Whatever… A bunch of rich people whining. Just what you wanted to hear about with your morning coffee, I’ll bet.
The Governor of Alabama doesn’t consider me among his brothers and sisters. Shock!
Alabama Republican Governor Robert Bentley said in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day message Monday that he does not consider Americans who do not accept Jesus Christ as their savior to be his brothers and sisters.
“There may be some people here today who do not have living within them the Holy Spirit,” Bentley said shortly after taking the oath of office, according to the Birmingham News. ”But if you have been adopted in God’s family like I have, and like you have if you’re a Christian and if you’re saved, and the Holy Spirit lives within you just like the Holy Spirit lives within me, then you know what that makes? It makes you and me brothers. And it makes you and me brother and sister.”
”Now I will have to say that, if we don’t have the same daddy, we’re not brothers and sisters,” he continued. “So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I’m telling you, you’re not my brother and you’re not my sister, and I want to be your brother.”
Awww… I’m really hurt.
Didja hear the new Republican House voted to repeal the useless Republican style health care non-reform bill?
The vote passed Wednesday 245-to-189 — with unanimous GOP support, plus three Democrats. But the repeal bill is destined to die in the Senate, so Republicans will use their newly acquired power in the House to wage a long-term campaign to weaken the law.
The next steps — hearings, testimony from administration officials, funding cuts — lack the punch of a straight repeal vote, but Republicans said they will keep at it, hoping the end result is the same: stalling implementation of the $900 billion law.
Republicans promise to hold a series of hearings and oversight investigations into the law, attempt to repeal individual provisions and craft an alternative health care plan. Some of the first issues they will tackle are the cost of the law, the mandate on larger employers to provide coverage and the impact of the legislation on the states.
But the GOP is expected to be thwarted at every turn by the Democratic-controlled Senate — and ultimately President Barack Obama, who has said he is willing to “improve” the law but “we can’t go backward.”
{HUGE YAWN}
At least while they’re fooling around with Obamacare, they’re not repealing Social Security….
Sooooo…. what are you reading this morning? Anything cheerful happening?
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
She looks like they had a flat and her husband made her change the tire on her way to the ball.
Huh?
Who does? What am I missing?
Oh I was trying to be clever. But I shouldn’t because I’m not – clever, that is!
Yes you are clever. I just missed your point.
Hey, Zal, I bet you are being clever–but we just don’t know who the “she” is you’re talking about! Are you talking about MO at the state dinner by any chance? Just a guess. I thought she looked weaker than usual.
Zal, I got who you were talking about from the moment I read your comment…the print on that dress looked like grease marks.
Ding ding ding ding ding!!!
And one strap off the shoulder looked disheveled (I know it was supposed to look cool) and the wrap from far away looking torn (it’s probably lace or something). And her husband looking perfect, I just thought if they had a flat she WOULD be the one to change the tire. You know it’s true!
Hells Yeah!
Did that fine “Christian” governor ever read anything Jesus said? (Or MLK?) Or does he suffer from a severe lack of reading comprehension? Or maybe it’s just his inability to think logically. Or think at all. I swear this guy would be so easy to destroy on cross-examination. Can you spare me 10 minutes, brother dearest? After all, maybe you can “save” me.
Perhaps he is the logical conclusion of religious partisanship. Thanks, BB, for highlighting this. Such inanity may be brought up short with a good airing.
I think those guys mostly read the old testament. They don’t seem that familiar with Jesus’ teachings most of the time.
Most of them still assert that Jesus was a “gentile,” we got these folks up in my town, they are completely out there…
lol!
that laugh was for mjames
Dave Wiegel explains what Santorum means.
Everyone else except women who can get pregnant, that is.
Why isn’t anybody seriously talking about this?
Clinton ready to leave State in 2012?
I’m always surprised to even see people specualting about Hillary Clinton running for POTUS in 2012 or in 2016. I’ve observed both Clintons in the last couple of months and they look exhausted. These people have been in day to day politics for the last 4 decades and at some point mind and body scream “enough!” Anybody really think they want to go through another presidential campaign?
I think Hillary is looking forward to having some quiet time, reading and working on various policies in a think tank. She’s not the spotlight hog and media troll some has accused her to be. These signals she has been sending should be taken seriously.
I’m always talking about this and raining on the Hillary 2012/2016 parade. Hillary is going to go on to creating her own foundation for women and girls after she’s finished with her work at State, imho.
Hill has said she won’t be running for President…I think it’s in part because the office no longer exists…
paperdoll @ 12:15: Touche.
She’s the best president we never had. As much as I’d vote for Hillary and campaign for her in a heartbeat if she were ever to announce she was running again, I would not blame her one iota for never announcing such and I see zero indications from her that doing so, even in 2016, is on her radar at all. I wouldn’t be interested in running again if I were her anyway. She’s a savvy pragmatic dreamer–she gave it her all in 2008, put everything she had into it. It’s our loss as a country that we passed on the opportunity to have her as our president, but she walked out of that transcending the office of presidency entirely with her grace under fire–she reached a level that goes beyond. And as you say the office no longer exists–it’s been eclipsed. It’s been the office of the emptiest suit for the last decade.
She’s doing important work as a stateswoman right now and it will give her a great base from which to get back to her advocacy roots once she leaves–that’s what matters most to her.
@wonk, I know. Can’t wait until she gets that foundation going.
Wonk, I totally agree…the same forces who derailed her in ’08 haven’t gone anywhere….in fact they have gotten stronger. She tired doing it for real( and no one could have tried more ) and found that way was blocked even back then.. Like you. I think she will bring her light were it will be accepted and of use.
At least while they’re fooling around with Obamacare, they’re not repealing Social Security….
OMG…You found a sliver lining!!
I had a laugh at the noon news…at the idea of the GOP “planning to present a health care plan” …lol! will stockades and public whipping for non payment be included? lol!
We need to start calling it DOLEcare or ROMNEYcare because all Obama did was rip off the 1990s Republican plan and get the Democrats to pass it this time.
Sadly, O would LOVE if everyone called it Romneycare. I don’t think he has any intention of heeding what Truman said about people choosing the candidate that actually runs as a Republican if they have to choose between R and R-Lite.
I’m waiting for Obama to announce he’s now a candidate from the party of ideas… like he said during the primaries…the GOP. Going from admiring Reagan to becoming Reagan. Santorum clearly expects him to…he paid Obama ( in his bizzaro world ) a complement.
paper doll permalink
January 20, 2011 12:15 pm
Hill has said she won’t be running for President…I think it’s in part because the office no longer exists
Lol.
Did it ever?
My husband and I have a theory that whoever gets elected is ushered into a secret vault in the Pentagon and introduced to the assassination squad ready for him if he fails to toe the military/industrial complex line.
That would explain alot ! Except I’m sure Jim Baker showed them the Bush family’s squad
outsourced from Russia mafia…lol! ….Obama is Cheney’s cousin
Obama’s New Chief of Staff Makes $8.3 Million From Wall Street Gig – Truthdig
These people have no idea what it is like in the real world.
One more, and this has a special place in my heart…I’m funny? Funny how?
(Goodfellas is my favorite movie.)
FBI arrests 127 in its biggest ever Mafia crackdown | World news | The Guardian
Sarah Palin’s website graphics and word choice are making people violent, and Michelle Obama’s “Get Moving” program is causing more pedestrian deaths.
Lord have mercy.
yup, guess all those ladies’ auxiliaries really were covering up stuff back in the day
Hundreds of Yankton, South Dakota birds poisoned by USDA – KTIV NewsChannel 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports
Well, what do you know?
Wth…………….Nikki Haley, Gov. of SC has given raises to her staff……..that’s her stimulus plan at work. Not to mention, that she has a law suit against her, as she is keeping the Unions out of SC……..Get over it and get used to it, is what the news is reporting.
Evidently the Governor of Alabama apologized to Muslims, Hindus and Jews now. Guess the rest of us still don’t count …
Bentley is a little bit pregnant with a thought, I guess