And The Bleat Goes On

I thought unity was the solution?

kos:

Wait a second...

[RNC Chairman Michael] Steele said the national Republican leadership, with its emphasis on party discipline rather than developing a strong nationwide bench of candidates, put the party in the mess it now finds itself [...]

We've just had to suffer through a week of quotes from the GOP and national media about what a victory the stimulus battle was for Republicans because they were "united" in opposition. Now we have the Republican Party's head honcho saying that the GOP's problem has been, well, unity?

Michael Steele: Yo yo yo!

kos:

Holy shit this is funny.

Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele plans an “off the hook” public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.” [...]

Under Mr. Steele's helm, the “old” may seem inappropriate in the Grand Old Party's affectionate nickname. He said he is putting a new public relations team into place to update the party's image.

“It will be avant garde, technically,” he said. “It will come to table with things that will surprise everyone - off the hook.”

Organize! Many Employers are Just Using the Recession to Stick it to Workers

Dave Lindorff:

Whatever the truth is about where this economy is heading, one thing is clear: employers are taking every opportunity to slash employment and, if they are unionized, to hammer unions for pay cuts, even when there is no justification for these actions.

Hypocrisy Alert: Republicans take credit for the stimulus plan after they voted against it.

John Amato:

There should also be a law passed that states if Republicans obstruct a bill they may not be allowed to take credit for it if it passes. I knew this was coming, didn't you? [...] I love the fact that Goober Graham is gladly taking the money:

– Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who also campaigned ardently against the bill, said he would nevertheless gladly accept its funds for his state. “You don’t want to be crazy here,” he said.

And Digby finds this nugget about the psycho right wing Govenors that may want to refuse some of the money. Stupidly, Clyburn , inserted a clause in the bill that says legislator's can override the Governor and accept the money. I know he was just looking out for the people in the states where Republicans are more interested in playing politics than helping their constituents.

How Drudge Pumps The Marc Morano Jokers

Brad Johnson:

Recently, the Wonk Room unmasked the fifty-two men who work with Marc Morano, the environmental communications director for Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), to obfuscate the threat and deny the scientific consensus of man-made global warming. This core network of conspiracy theorists and right-wing media operatives generate stories for broadcast by the conservative media network, from Glenn Beck to George Will. But one other man is especially responsible for getting their work out — Matt Drudge.

Washington Post Defends George Will: The Editorial Page ‘Checks Facts To The Fullest Extent Possible’

Brad Johnson:

George Will’s recent “global cooling” column contained several demonstrable falsehoods. Despite waves of criticism, George Will and Post opinion editor Fred Hiatt have refused to respond or run corrections on Will’s “stunning, boneheaded, egregious errors.”

Now Issa cares about taking extra measures to preserve White House e-mails.

Matt Corley:

In a letter to White House Counsel Gregory Craig today, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee, “called on President Obama to put in place a system that ensures all White House emails be preserved even if official business was done through private e- mail accounts.” This newfound interest in the use of outside e-mail accounts at the White House is ironic, considering his dismissal of such concerns when Democrats investigated the Bush administration’s use of RNC e-mail accounts...

Swiss Bank Will Open Files to U.S. Authorities

Susie Madrak:

Ah yes, the Swiss bank account. Truly, the end of an era. For decades, it was the banking tool of choice for those who were hiding income - for reasons as mundane as tax evasion, but also for more nefarious purposes, like money-laundering from illegal enterprises:

UBS, the largest bank in Switzerland, agreed on Wednesday to divulge the names of well-heeled Americans whom the authorities suspect of using offshore accounts at the bank to evade taxes. The bank admitted conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and agreed to pay $780 million to settle a sweeping federal investigation into its activities.

It is unclear how many of its clients’ names UBS will divulge. Federal prosecutors have been examining about 19,000 accounts at the bank, but UBS ultimately may disclose the identities of only a few hundred customers.

But to some, turning over any names at all heralds the end of the secret Swiss bank account, whose traditions date to the Middle Ages.

Phil ‘mental recession’ Gramm attempts to resuscitate his reputation.

Pat Garofalo:

This month, Time released a list of the top 25 people to blame for the financial crisis. Second on the list (and leading its readers’ poll) is former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX). Gramm advised Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) during the presidential campaign, famously referring to America as a “nation of whiners” in a “mental recession.” In the 90s, he also played an instrumental role in deregulating the financial sector. [...]

The Wonk Room has more.

The Phil Gramm Rehabilitation Tour Is Underway

Pat Garofalo, Wonk Room:

Today, Phil “mental recession” Gramm has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal disputing the notion that the deregulation he promoted while in the Senate had anything to do with the financial crisis.