September 29, 2011 5:30 PM
Thursday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Clearing one hurdle in Europe: “Clearing another significant hurdle in the European debt crisis, the German Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Thursday for the expansion of the bailout fund for heavily indebted European countries. With that, the front now shifts to tiny Slovakia amid questions about an approval process already months long and still not complete.â€

[i]Epstein, a writer and activist with a history of inflammatory statements about race and immigration, was previously arrested for attacking a woman with a ‘karate chop' and calling her the n-word.â€

September 30, 2011 5:30 PM
Friday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* U.S. economy: “The Commerce Department on Friday said consumer spending in the United States in August rose 0.2 percent, while incomes actually fell for the first time in nearly two years.â€

October 03, 2011 5:30 PM
Monday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Austerity doesn't work: “Greece will miss a deficit target set just months ago in a massive bailout package, according to government draft budget figures released on Sunday, showing that drastic steps taken to avert bankruptcy may not be enough.â€

[i]"* And how extreme is right-wing entertainer Hank Williams Jr.? Even the cast of “Fox & Friendsâ€

October 04, 2011 5:30 PM
Tuesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* This was supposed to be reassuring: “Greece has enough money to pay pensions, salaries and bondholders through mid-November, the finance minister said Tuesday.â€

GOP leaders were surprised when 53 Republicans voted against the spending measure.

Shows how out of touch with reality they are.

In reality, the Post has devoted roughly 4,000 words to Perry's ranch. It's published at least 46,000 words about Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama.

Well DUH!
Everybody knows that 4,000 is wayyyyyyyyyyy more than 46,000...

 

 

 

 

 

...isn't it?

Only when you're reporting your income for taxes.

October 05, 2011 5:30 PM
Wednesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's no longer a rumor: “Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday introduced their own plan for paying for President Obama's jobs package, proposing a 5 percent surtax on millionaires to cover the cost of the $447 billion initiative.â€

October 06, 2011 5:30 PM
Thursday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “The European Central Bank increased aid to cash-strapped financial institutions Thursday, but disappointed those expecting more drastic measures to combat slowing growth and address a deepening bank emergency.â€

October 07, 2011 5:30 PM
Friday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A court fight worth having: “The federal government asked an appeals court on Friday to halt an Alabama immigration law considered by many as the toughest in the United States, saying it invites discrimination against foreign-born citizens and legal immigrants.â€

Financial prognosticators on CNBC have characterized Occupy Wall Street protestors as "bizarre", "freaks", and "law-breaking", "anti-American", "anarchists" who are "more aligned with Lenin."

Stalin is quoted as saying "Lenin left us a wonderful thing. We fucked it up". If communism is such a bad thing, it's only because it fell to greed - much like capitalism is doing right now.

October 10, 2011 5:30 PM
Monday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

* Egypt: “At least 23 people were killed and nearly 200 were wounded in downtown Cairo on Sunday night as a march by Coptic Christians turned into the deadliest outbreak of violence in Egypt since the popular revolt that toppled the country's autocratic leader in February.â€

[i]* Afghanistan: “Prisoners held at several Afghan-run detention centers endured ‘systemic' torture, ranging from brutal beatings to electrical shock, as part of attempts to wrest confessions from them, according to a startling report from the United Nations released Monday.â€

Yeah and I'll bet that huckster in the Prime Minister's chair knew about it all along.

Of course.
Torturing Muslims is the christian thing to do.

October 11, 2011 5:30 PM
Tuesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A foiled plot: “U.S. officials on Tuesday said that they had foiled an elaborate terrorist plot backed by factions of the Iranian government aimed at assassinating the Saudi ambassador to Washington. At a news conference, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said two Iranians have been charged with conspiracy to murder a foreign official and conspiracy to commit an act of international terrorism, among other charges.â€

[i]* A foiled plot: “U.S. officials on Tuesday said that they had foiled an elaborate terrorist plot backed by factions of the Iranian government aimed at assassinating the Saudi ambassador to Washington. At a news conference, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said two Iranians have been charged with conspiracy to murder a foreign official and conspiracy to commit an act of international terrorism, among other charges.â€

October 12, 2011 5:30 PM
Wednesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The underwear bomber reverses his plea: “Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a commercial airliner with a bomb in his underwear in 2009, abruptly pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to each of the eight counts against him, officials said.â€

[i]* Currency bill passes with votes to spare: “A bipartisan bill targeting China's alleged currency manipulation easily cleared the Senate Tuesday night, despite warnings from Beijing and free-trade backers that the legislation could spark a trade war and harm the global economic recovery.â€

Just wait until they start calling in their loans.

Hell is just around the corner.

They don't even have to do that.
All they have to do is stop investing in US paper and pressuring the Asian markets to do the same.
Edit: They can also refuse to accept the USD and insist on getting paid in Euros. Of course, the US can refuse to buy but US corporations have billions invested in China and they'll not have the US market for their products any more than the Chinese would.
Might be time for US lawmakers to face the reality that they are no longer the big dog on the porch.
  

Sometimes, things are just to miserable to contemplate...

What a freakin' mess.

October 13, 2011 5:30 PM
Thursday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran: “President Obama on Thursday vowed to push for what he called the ‘toughest sanctions' to punish Iranian officials whom he accused of complicity in a suspected plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States. At the same time, State Department officials said United States officials had been in direct contact with the government of Iran over the accusations.â€