The Hollywood Liberal

Fallows: Anti-Mormonism is Bigotry
James Fallow: I am no big fan of Mitt Romney’s. I do understand that voters assess a whole suite of traits, including race and gender and class background and religion and family status, in deciding whether or not they are comfortable with a candidate. But for people to come out and say that they won’t back a candidate because he’s Mormon and therefore a “cult” member is no better than saying “I’d never trust a Jew” or “a black could never do the job” or “women should stay in their place” or “Latinos? Let ’em go back home.”

Oh those poor “not poors”
The response to Occupy Wall Street from the beneficiaries of a generation of one-sided class warfare are responding with a virtual dropping of monocles: “Occupy Wall Street Protests Rankle the Rich.”

The response to Occupy Wall Street from the beneficiaries of a generation of one-sided class warfare are responding with a virtual dropping of monocles:

Occupy Wall Street Protests Rankle the Rich

Oh no, they are rankled!

But at least they’ve found their hero, Robert Samuelson of the Washington Post, determined to out Tom Friedman in the battle of the pornstaches.

Good luck with that one fellas.

?

Rick Perry’s Texans Are Searching for Herman Cain
According to Google’s data, “four of the top 10 cities with the most searches for [Herman Cain] are major cities right in Texas.” Those would be Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Cain, the only candidate of color in a Republican field large enough to include two Mormons, has been climbing in the polls while Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently took a big dive. Poll watching is akin to weather predicting, but it’s worth noting that a man who once may have been alone in believing he could win is now in a statistical tie with front-runner Mitt Romney.  —PZS Links: Google’s trend data Gallup’s poll results for Republican candidates

According to Google’s data, “four of the top 10 cities with the most searches for [Herman Cain] are major cities right in Texas.” Those would be Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Cain, the only candidate of color in a Republican field large enough to include two Mormons, has been climbing in the polls while Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently took a big dive.

Poll watching is akin to weather predicting, but it’s worth noting that a man who once may have been alone in believing he could win is now in a statistical tie with front-runner Mitt Romney.? —PZS

Links:
Google’s trend data
Gallup’s poll results for Republican candidates

Related Entries

• October 10, 2011 Rick Perry’s Texans Are Searching for Herman Cain
• October 8, 2011 Wall Street Occupiers Make Gains

Ron Kovic Rallies at Occupy L.A.: ‘This Is the Beginning of a Revolution’
On Oct. 1, Vietnam veteran, author and activist Ron Kovic gave a throng of Occupy L.A. protesters gathered near Los Angeles’ City Hall an enthused boost with this speech, in which he invokes the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. and serves notice to President Obama by co-opting the president’s campaign slogan … (more)

On Oct. 1, Vietnam veteran, author and activist Ron Kovic gave a throng of Occupy L.A. protesters gathered near Los Angeles’ City Hall an enthused boost with this speech, in which he invokes the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. and serves notice to President Obama by co-opting the president’s campaign slogan … (more)

Related Entries

• October 10, 2011 Rick Perry’s Texans Are Searching for Herman Cain
• October 8, 2011 Wall Street Occupiers Make Gains

Richard (RJ) Eskow: Seven Snappy Comebacks for Those Lame Anti-“Occupy” Talking Points
Here are a few easy comebacks covering everything from the supposed “hypocrisy” of demonstrators who buy cardboard to snarky comments about scruffy-looking anticapitalists with beards.

Dozens Arrested At Occupy Des Moines
Dozens were arrested at the first Occupy Des Moines event Sunday night, including a former Iowa state representative and a 14-year-old girl. All but one…

Mohamed A. El-Erian: Listen to the Occupy Wall Street Movement
To those wondering whether to pay attention to the “Occupy Wall Street” protests, the answer is yes. This is more than just a nascent movement that will grow in the weeks and months ahead. It is part of a worldwide drive for greater social justice.

Dobbs Falsely Claims “Every Major Economist” Considers Jobs Act “Nonsense”

Fox Business host Lou Dobbs falsely claimed that “every major economist” thinks Obama’s American Jobs Act is “a continuation of” the “nonsense” that is “excess confidence in government power to do something over the economy.” In fact, several economists agree that the American Jobs Act would boost employment and “help avoid a return to recession.”

Dobbs Claims “Every Major Economist” Considers Jobs Act A “Continuation Of” Obama’s “Nonsense”

Dobbs: “Every Major Economist Points Out That The Jobs Act Is Just A Continuation Of This Nonsense.” On Fox News’ America Live, Fox Business host Lou Dobbs claimed Obama is trying to “compound” his “excess confidence in government power to do something” on the economy with the American Jobs Act. Dobbs further claimed “every economist, every major economist, points out that the Jobs Act is a continuation of this nonsense.” From America Live:

DOBBS: This chart points out a number of things. One is the underestimation of the depth of the crisis that we faced going into 2009. It also is a tribute to a monumental excess confidence in government power to do something over the economy. This is an absurdity that is trying, that this administration is trying to compound now with the jobs act. Every economist points out, every major economist points out that the jobs act is just a continuation of this nonsense. And it’s really, it is really just amazing, it’s mind-numbing to think that this president continues to perpetuate the idea that government has some sort of magic power over the direction of the economy. [Fox News, America Live, 10/10/11]

But Economists Point Out American Jobs Act Would Create Jobs, Prevent Economic Contraction

Bloomberg: Economists Conclude Jobs Act Would “Help Avoid A Return To Recession.” Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News concluded that the jobs plan “would help avoid a return to recession by maintaining growth and pushing down the unemployment rate next year.” From Bloomberg:

President Barack Obama’s $447 billion jobs plan would help avoid a return to recession by maintaining growth and pushing down the unemployment rate next year, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

The legislation, submitted to Congress this month, would increase gross domestic product by 0.6 percent next year and add or keep 275,000 workers on payrolls, the median estimates in the survey of 34 economists showed. The program would also lower the jobless rate by 0.2 percentage point in 2012, economists said. [Bloomberg, 9/28/10]

Zandi: American Jobs Act Would Add Nearly 2 Million Jobs. UPI reported: 

President Barack Obama’s $447 billion job-creation plan would likely add 1.9 million payroll jobs and grow the U.S. economy 2 percent, a leading economist said. 

The plan, which Obama outlined before a joint session of Congress Thursday, would likely cut the unemployment rate by a percentage point, Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi said as Obama prepared to tout the plan at Virginia’s University of Richmond. [United Press International, 9/9/11] 

Macroeconomic Advisers: American Jobs Act Would Be “A Significant Boost To GDP And Employment.” From the blog of Macroeconomic Advisers LLC:

We estimate that the American Jobs Act (AJA), if enacted, would give a significant boost to GDP and employment over the near-term.

· The various tax cuts aimed at raising workers’ after-tax income and encouraging hiring and investing, combined with the spending increases aimed at maintaining state & local employment and funding infrastructure modernization, would:

· Boost the level of GDP by 1.3% by the end of 2012, and by 0.2% by the end of 2013.

· Raise nonfarm establishment employment by 1.3 million by the end of 2012 and 0.8 million by the end of 2013, relative to the baseline.

· The program works directly to raise employment through tax incentives and support to state & local governments for increasing hiring; it works indirectly through the positive boost to aggregate demand (and hence hiring) stimulated by the direct spending and the increase in household income resulting from lower employee payroll taxes and increased employment. [Macroeconomic Advisers LLC, 9/8/11]

EPI: American Jobs Act Would “Increase Employment By About 4.3 Million Jobs.” On the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) blog, EPI research and policy director John Irons provided a “preliminary breakdown of the package and a first pass look at the job impact” of Obama’s jobs plan:

Overall the package would increase employment by about 4.3 million jobs over the next couple of years. The new initiatives would boost employment by about 2.6 million jobs, while the continuation of the two temporary provisions (EUI and the payroll tax holiday) would prevent a backslide of over 1.6 million jobs.

There’s still a big hole left to fill, but every step matters.

Irons included the following graphic in his post:

[Economic Policy Institute, 9/8/11]

DOJ: Issa’s ‘Recycled’ Charges That Holder Lied About ATF’s Fast And Furious Are ‘Baseless’
The back-and-forth between House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa and Attorney General Eric Holder over Holder’s knowledge of ATF’s controversial Fast and Furious program continued Monday, with a Justice Department spokeswoman accusing Issa of “partisan showboating.”

Major League Baseball Prevented Another 9/11, Says Value Voters Speaker (VIDEO)
Bryan Fischer of the conservative Christian group the American Family Association floated an interesting theory about why there hasn’t been a “Muslim attack” since Sept. 11 during his speech before the Values Voter Summit on Saturday.

Issa To Holder: Time ‘To Come Clean’ About Fast And Furious
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter firing back at Attorney General Eric Holder, who had accused House Republicans of engaging in “political posturing” instead of trying to actually get to the bottom of what went wrong in ATF’s Fast…

Connect the Dots: Here’s How We Became the ’99 Percent’
…and some things we can do to change it. Deregulation enacted by Republicans and conservative Democrats, and an unprecedented Supreme Court decision allowing corporations the free speech the Founders intended only for flesh-and-blood human beings, led to the majority of Americans steadily sinking economically, as the nation’s wealth flowed to the top. Here are some simple […]

Romney Leads in Iowa and New Hampshire
A new NBC News-Marist poll finds Mitt Romney leading the Republican presidential pack in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

In Iowa, Romney leads with 23%, followed by Cain at 20%, Paul at 11%, Perry at 10% and Bachmann at 10%

In New Hampshire, Romney leads with 44%, Cain at 13%, Paul at 13%, Perry ay 6% and Huntsman at 5%.

Lingle Will Run for Senate in Hawaii
Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) “is expected to announce as soon as Tuesday that she will run in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate,” the Honolulu Star Advertiser reports.

The Hotline: “Her decision gives Republicans a shot at competing in the state’s open-seat race, given her past ability to win in a solidly Democratic state.”.

Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and former Rep. Ed Case (D) are the Democratic contenders to replace Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) who is not seeking another term next year.

Razor Thin Senate Race in Virginia
A new Quinnipiac poll in Virginia finds Tim Kaine (D) just edging George Allen (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 45% to 44%.

There has not been more than a 1% difference between them in any of the three Quinnipiac surveys so far this year.

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Scapegoating Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers, who have now morphed into “young seniors,” certainly did not contribute to the economic decline of America. On the contrary, this huge demographic bulge–as we have moved through our highly-publicized life cycle– helped create the country’s consumerist prosperity…

Reading the Tea Leaves on Wall Street
For a group initially dismissed as fair-weather warriors, the September 17 “occupiers” of Wall Street are now set to spend a sixth soggy night in the Financial District’s Zuccotti Park. And while this particular action is riddled with flaws –…

Romney Backs Off Letting Generals Decide Course In Afghanistan: ?I Would Make My Own Decision?
Leading GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney is playing a tricky game on Afghanistan and — in typical fashion — he’s done a pretty good job at avoiding saying where he actually stands on the issue. Seeming to recognize that the 10-year-old war is deeply unpopular with American voters, Romney has tried to give off the […]

Leading GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney is playing a tricky game on Afghanistan and — in typical fashion — he’s done a pretty good job at avoiding saying where he actually stands on the issue. Seeming to recognize that the 10-year-old war is deeply unpopular with American voters, Romney has tried to give off the perception that he too, stands with them. “It’s time for us to bring our troops home as soon as we possibly can,” Romney said in a recent debate. But at the same time, Romney echos President Obama’s right-wing critics who say that the president should’ve deferred his troop withdrawal decision to the commanders on the ground (thereby essentially abdicating his role as commander-in-chief). “It’s time for the troops of Afghanistan to take on that responsibility according to…the time table established and communicated by the generals in the field,” Romney then says.

So essentially, Romney’s electoral strategy seems to be to pander to those Americans that want to get out of Afghanistan, while also aiming to please those who want to stay, all by washing his hands of the entire decision — should he be president — by leaving it up to U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan. “I would listen to the generals,” Romney said on Newshour on Friday, “then of course I would pursue that course.” Host Judy Woodruff asked the former Massachusetts governor about this peculiar position and wondered whether Romney would really break the chain of command and allow the generals to decide U.S. strategy in Afghanistan:

WOODRUFF: But isn’t it the role – not but – isn’t the role of the president to make his or her own independent judgment about where American troops go? You were saying you would always defer to the generals. Is that –

ROMNEY: Did I say that? Did I say that, Judy? If I did, let me correct myself.

WOODRUFF: OK.

ROMNEY: I said I would listen to the generals and receive the input of those who are the commanders in the field, and then I would make the – my own decision. But I believe that in the case of the president’s decision to withdraw our surge troops in September of 2012 it was a political decision, and not a decision based upon what is necessary for the effects of our effort in Afghanistan.

Watch it, starting at 3:40:

So in the very same interview, Romney says he would do whatever the generals tell him to do in Afghanistan, then when Woodruff asks him to clarify, he’s suddenly conforming to the chain-of-command, saying he’d listen to the generals, but ultimately make his own decision — which also happens to be exactly what President Obama did.

And aside from all the pandering, Romney doesn’t even have a plan for Afghanistan of his own, one that he can take to the campaign and differentiate himself from Obama, or even the other GOP candidates. In his big foreign policy speech on Friday, Romney said he’d wait until becomes president in order to “order a full review of our transition to the Afghan military.”

The Washington Post’s Dan Balz recognized yesterday that Romney is all over the map on this issue:

But he has yet to follow his own advice to lay out clearly the answers to the questions he posed in his speech or to explain what progress is being made, what challenges remain and what kind of timetable he would recommend for bringing the troops home. Most important, he has not explained what he thinks the U.S. mission in Afghanistan is at this point and what would constitute success.

At least, given his conversation with Woodruff on Friday, Romney now recognizes that there is a chain of command, and that the president is at the top.