NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 12:34 PM) Here is the original ST article. To me it doesn't pass the sniff test. In the grand scheme of things it isn't as dirty as some of the Clinton stuff we saw, but it reeks none the less. http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/1211...brown02.article OK, I read it. At the time I read the Trib (I usually avoid the Sun Times). I still see the same thing - it doesn't look squeeky clean, but frankly, I don't see anything too underhanded about it either. No pay for play. Just Obama and Rezko trying to help each other out financially. The only sleeze in that was Obama getting involved with the guy at all - that was his mistake.

QUOTE(WHITESOXRANDY @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 12:23 PM) http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_re...sp&c_id=bos For those that didn't think the Sox would get anything for him - TWO....that's TWO single A pithcers that have been playing pro ball for 4 years and couldn't get above A. Also, Socolovich has played TWO seasons, not four, and was at AA already at 21. Where did you get your information on those two?

QUOTE(WHITESOXRANDY @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 12:23 PM) http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_re...sp&c_id=bos For those that didn't think the Sox would get anything for him - TWO....that's TWO single A pithcers that have been playing pro ball for 4 years and couldn't get above A. Well, good they got something for him. And Mota, let's be clear - he has pitched only ONE year.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 12:02 PM) I don't know that I would go that far, there was some strange dealings with the purchases back and forth of their lands. As I understand it, there were a couple questionable land deals. I remember right after Obama announced he was running, that came up in the press, and I read into it at the time. It looked pretty grey - I am not sure how much if it was just stuff going on around an inexperienced Obama, versus how much he was really aware was going on.

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 12:05 PM) I've never heard Teddy Kennedy talk before. he sounds a LOT like his brother John. He sounds a little like him, I wouldn't go as far as a lot.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 11:32 AM) And yet, the team still felt his injury was serious enough to recommend the surgery to him nearly a year before he got it, because they were convinced it was the right move. I'll still side with the team doctors on this one, regardless of how many times people repeat that "oh back surgery is risky" mantra. And you know what? History already proved me right. I fail to see how history proved you right. You can side with the team, but I'll side with the doctors I've heard comment on back surgery numerous times before. These are guys who love the idea of surgery, they make a living off it - and yet, they are all very avoidant of it until all other paths have been exhausted. I just can't hold this against Joe.

QUOTE(Reddy @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 11:09 AM) this is good news for Obama: Refko Arrested He was already under indictment and bonded out. They brought him in because they were concerned about some money movement. It certainly isn't good to have his name resurrected, but, its not anything significant. It definitely looks like a good move on Obama's campaign's part when they sent around that picture of him with the Clintons. Sort of takes the edge off the accusations a bit, and helps them out here. Obama's involvement with Rezko wasn't that big anyway.

While the Dems start their SDOGPEIT run, the GOP is in Florida for their Tuesday primary. Latest polls show McCain and Romney in a dead heat, with Giuliani fading fast. So let's discuss the candidates and what Florida means for them... --McCain is currently leading the polls in a lot of the key SDOGPEIT states. If he wins Florida, I think he's not only the front-runner, but he's also going to be really hard to beat. --If Romney wins Florida, especially since he's already in the lead in delegates and would get that nice media boost, I think he's got a slight edge on McCain. But since McCain leads many other key states, Romney would need to take that FL victory and do something with it. If he can't win Florida, I think he's going to become the 2nd place guy, unless Huckabee or Giuliani drop out and endorse him (which is possible). --Giuliani, unless he pulls a major upset victory in FL, is done. --Huckabee is, I think, already done - barring some major shifts among the candidates ahead of him.

Toni Morrison, the woman who called Bill Clinton the "first black President", endorses Obama.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 09:41 AM) Whatever happened to "switch grass"? I remember scratching my head when Bush brought it up in a SOTU. There are plenty of bio-fuel potential crops, including that one, as well as sugarcane and others, that are far better at energy production (for these purposes) than corn. I think we all hoped they would look into it. As it stands, little is being done.

QUOTE(max power @ Jan 28, 2008 -> 12:43 AM) I won't miss crede at all. What if he gets an injury and can get it repaired, but elects to wait until the season begins instead? f*** joe crede and f*** borass. Do you have clue one about back surgery? Because I know enough to know that you avoid it unless absolutely necessary. There are serious risks involved. Its not like a labrum repair or something like that.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2008 -> 02:57 PM) Failing upwards. Yeesh. Follow up on the Countrywide CEO's package. He has elected to give a lot of the severance package back to the company. But he's still keeping some of it, along with a 400k/year "consulting" job, access to the company jet, etc. Clearly, the company was getting too much negative press from this. I doubt this guy made this decision of his own volition, or else he would have proposed it to begin with. But, if there is a silver lining... maybe public pressure on these severance deals is finally generating some results. That might be a good thing if it happens a few more times and starts a trend.

Yeah, I usually watch, even when I know its going to just frustrate me. I just feel obligated. And the speech itself is sometimes OK - even proposes some good stuff. Then it is inevitably followed by the live version of the infamous BushCo signing statements, where some press rep comes out and basically says "he didn't actually mean any of those things". 2009 can't come soon enough, in terms of politics.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jan 27, 2008 -> 05:20 PM) Spoofs haven't really been good since, basically, the Naked Gun and Mel Brooks movies. There's the occasional one that I'll enjoy, like Mafia, but that's it. Galaxy Quest was fairly amusing.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 27, 2008 -> 02:41 PM) That's a great idea. If we could clearly define where those people go and how many jobs. The problem with these plans is that they're so complicated. The reason a lot of this "reinventing government" stuff comes with so many strings is because it affects so many people so personally, in a way that Angry Joe Voter might not realize. Because when you play with the scope of the federal government, especially when it comes to reducing and eliminating departments, you're putting the careers of thousands and thousands of people on the line. This doesn't mean that reducing the scope of government isn't a good idea, it just means that it's a complicated one and the answer is a lot less clear than a (not so)"Fair Tax" initiative. There are some really good ways to move that direction though. For example, government agencies that are just ridiculously inefficient, you outsource their work with some contractual obligations for current staff over a specified period. Or, you use some of the saved money for tax incentives to businesses to encourage hiring. Or, you use some of those monies for education and training. I am not saying it would be easy, nor am I saying it would be easy to market politcally (in fact it would be very very difficult). But I am saying its something that would benefit everyone if done properly.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 27, 2008 -> 02:34 PM) So you advocate a phased reduction of workforce? Or do you advocate a phased elimination of safety net programs? I advocate a phased move of (some) jobs from the public payroll to the private workforce.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Jan 27, 2008 -> 02:23 PM) Super Duper Orgasmic Galatic Pooper Extremely Important Tuesday will tell us if that's true or not. I hope you're right. And SDOGPEIT was born.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 27, 2008 -> 02:22 PM) But who absorbs them? How do we suddenly handle the shock of hundreds of thousands of people without work? Oh no problem, the state handles Unemployment Insurance. All these mandates that the Federal government requires of individual states... wouldn't those end up unfunded? Wouldn't that basically mean a higher state income tax rate? The suddenness is the real problem. It needs to be a gradual process, not a big bang.

Sqwert was asking the other day, so, here is a good reference point for Illinois local candidates - the Trib lists all their endorsements. You don't have to agree with the endorsements of course, but the articles discuss each race's candidates. Combine that with this handy tool to find your districts, and you should be all set. Posted in Dem and GOP threads.

Sqwert was asking the other day, so, here is a good reference point for Illinois local candidates - the Trib lists all their endorsements. You don't have to agree with the endorsements of course, but the articles discuss each race's candidates. Combine that with this handy tool to find your districts, and you should be all set. Posted in Dem and GOP threads.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 27, 2008 -> 01:37 PM) To keep his name from being trashed by the media as he holds out (the greedy SOB's demanding the VP slot and neither side wants to give it to him!), to allow for some measure of party unity in the months coming up to the convention, and to generally give the Dems a shot. All good points (though I think that if the Dems are a near-lock for the Prez, unless its against McCain), but, if Edwards is indeed motivated by trying to juice the best post possible out of this... then his motivation will be to hold out.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 27, 2008 -> 10:43 AM) If Edwards can crown the nominee, it happens before the convention. You think so? Assuming that the race is still to be had (no nominee with significantly more than 50% of delegates) before Denver, what is the motivation to do that earlier? Just curious.

Don't be surprised if Bloomberg makes an internal decision this week about his Presidential aspirations. Rumors will start to increase. If he runs, he'll announce later of course. But if he doesn't... he'll endorse Obama. And that will very suddenly make a distant New York race tighten.

Well hell, a 30 point victory in SC? I'm pretty darn happy. I was going to be happy with 10 or 12 points. And the racial split may be a red herring, as far as being an indicator for how that will occur on Super Tuesday. I personally hope the Clintons go for that strategy - try to marginalize Obama as "the black candidate". Because I am pretty sure that won't work well outside the south. I mean, in case they forgot, Obama won lilly-white Iowa, came close in almost-as-white NH, and basically took a draw in Nevada with its mostly white and hispanic population. If they try that road, I think the reaction will be against Clinton, not for her. It should be interesting in the coming week to see what polls look like in CA, NJ and other large Super Tuesday states (other than NY and IL, which I think are forgone conclusions). See if this ass-whoopin' does anything to boost Obama. Obama has a ton of money coming in, and this is the primary date (Feb 5) where money matters most. I still think that this thing is going to Denver, where Edwards will crown the nominee.

QUOTE(Cknolls @ Jan 25, 2008 -> 03:08 PM) Can anyone tell me how any of these monolines have AAA ratings without some manipulation by the ratings agencies? Are Hanky and BOOM BOOM twisting arms? You really enjoy just posting random trader-speak, don't you?