State governor Rick Perry rejects call from Barack Obama to spare Mexican’s life in order to protect US interests abroad Texas has executed a Mexican-born man after the US supreme court and the state’s governor, Rick Perry, spurned appeals from Barack Obama to spare the convicted murderer’s life in order to protect US interests abroad. Humberto Leal Garcia was put to death by lethal injection for the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl despite the appeals of senior diplomats, military officials and prominent politicians who said the execution could jeopardise the lives of Americans. Shortly before Leal was led in to the death chamber in Huntsville the supreme court rejected by 5-4 an appeal from the White House to block the execution on the grounds it was in breach of an international convention governing the treatment of foreigners who are arrested and would therefore do “irreparable harm” to America’s interests . Perry also declined to exercise his power to delay the execution by 30 days. His office argued that Leal was guilty of a heinous crime and deserved to die for it. The Texas governor is a vigorous advocate of the death penalty. He has overseen the execution of more than 200 men and is on the brink of entering the US presidential race with strong support of conservatives who back capital punishment. Perry’s decision followed a rejection by the Texas board of pardons and paroles of Leal’s request for a reprieve or commutation of his sentence. Leal, a 38-year-old former mechanic, was convicted in 1994 of the rape and killing of Adria Sauceda, whose battered naked body was found hours after the pair left a street party together. Her skull had been smashed in with a piece of asphalt. After his arrest, the Texas police failed to tell Leal, who was born in Mexico but has lived in the US since the age of two, that under the Vienna convention he was entitled to contact the Mexican consulate. Leal’s lawyers have argued that had a material effect on whether he received the death penalty because he did not have swift access to legal representation which Mexican diplomats would have offered. “There can be little doubt that if the government of Mexico had been allowed access to Mr Leal in a timely manner, he would not now be facing execution for a capital murder he did not commit,” Leal’s lawyers said in their appeal to the pardons board. That position has been backed by an international court of justice ruling which said that Leal and about 50 other Mexicans on death row in the US were not given their full legal rights. US diplomats, top judges, senior military officers, the United Nations and former president George W Bush also appealed for Leal’s execution to be halted on the grounds it could jeopardise American citizens arrested abroad as well as US diplomatic interests. The White House asked the supreme court to put the execution on hold while Congress passes a law that would prevent Leal from being put to death along with dozens of other foreign nationals who were denied proper access to diplomatic representation before trials for capital crimes. In a 30-page brief to the court, the administration said that carrying out the execution “would place the United States in irreparable breach of its international law obligation” under the convention. “That breach would have serious repercussions for United States foreign relations, law-enforcement and other co-operation with Mexico, and the ability of American citizens travelling abroad to have the benefits of consular assistance in the event of detention,” it said. But Stephen Hoffman, an assistant attorney general for Texas, said in a brief to the supreme court: “Leal’s argument is nothing but a transparent attempt to evade his impending punishment.” Sauceda’s mother, Rachel Terry, told a San Antonio television station that Leal’s life should not be spared. “A technicality doesn’t give anyone a right to come to this country and rape, torture and murder anyone,” she said. Critics of any delay to the execution also say that Leal, after living all his adult life in the US, is not the usual type of foreign national confronting an unfamiliar judicial system or language that the Vienna convention is designed to protect. Leal’s lawyer, Sandra Babcock, criticised the supreme court’s refusal to block the execution. “This case was not just about one Mexican national on death row in Texas. The execution of Mr Leal violates the United States’ treaty commitments, threatens the nation’s foreign policy interests, and undermines the safety of all Americans abroad. That is why the US solicitor general, former diplomats, military leaders, and Americans detained overseas were among those who joined together to call for a stay of execution,” she said. “It is now imperative that Congress promptly act to ensure passage of legislation that will bring the US into compliance with its international legal commitments and provide judicial review to the forty Mexican nationals who remain on death row in violation of their consular rights.” United States Capital punishment US supreme court Rick Perry Texas Chris McGreal guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …We can all use a little good news today , right? The event – a foul-shooting contest for top academic students at Compton High School in Los Angeles – was created with a simple premise: Organizers wanted to show the kids at Compton how to create community spirit with college scholarship money as the incentive. Allen Geui won in front of a packed house. Following a tear-jerking gesture from the winner – it appears the true lessons learned were by the adults. The kids in Compton are more than alright. Three months after winning the $40,000 top prize, Allan Guei donated all of his winnings to the seven other finalists . Guei, a star player on the basketball team who is headed to Cal-State Northridge on a full scholarship, said he felt the others could use the college cash more than he could. He wanted to give his classmates a chance to make their academic dreams come true, too. “I’ve already been blessed so much and I know we’re living with a bad economy, so I know this money can really help my classmates,” he said in a release from the school. “It was the right decision.” One that stunned Court Crandall, the man behind the event. “What he has done is exceptional, just like Allan,” he said. “Like any young people, whether it’s my kids or someone else’s, you hope they are given opportunities to show what they can do. These Compton High grads have a lot of talent. They have a lot of drive, and I wish them all the best.” See, some people know instinctively that we’re put on earth to help each other. (Even if our politicians can’t quite get it through their thick skulls.) How nice to see it in someone so young.
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Five elite schools sent more pupils than 2,000 others, with choice of A-Level subjects helping to account for gap Four schools and one sixth-form college sent more pupils to Oxford and Cambridge between them over three years than 2,000 schools and colleges across the UK, according to a new study that analyses university admissions from individual schools. Westminster, Eton, St Paul’s, St Paul’s girls school and Hills Road sixth-form college, a Cambridge state school, produced 946 Oxbridge entrants from 2007-09, the study by the Sutton Trust finds. In the same period, there were 2,000 schools and colleges which sent two or fewer pupils to Oxbridge, producing 927 in total. The difference in these schools’ success rates is driven mainly by gaps in achievement at A-level, but some schools do better at gaining entry to university than others with similar exam results. The analysis is published as the Office for Fair Access, a government watchdog, vets universities’ plans to charge fees higher than £6,000 a year. It will announce next week which have been approved, based on an assessment of their proposals to widen access to students from state school backgrounds. The Sutton Trust study underlines a familiar divide between the private and state sectors – finding that independent school pupils are twice as likely as comprehensive pupils to get into the 30 most selective universities and seven times as likely to get into Oxbridge. Even at the 30 highest achieving comprehensive schools, entry into competitive universities lags behind private and grammar schools. Just under 60% of pupils from the best state schools went to the most selective universities compared with just under 90% of pupils at the best private schools and 74% from the top grammars. Of a comprehensive and a private school in Cornwall, with near identical results, the former sent 17% to selective universities and the latter 66%. There are striking differences even between schools of the same type. At two comprehensives with similar results, almost 70% of 18-year-olds applied to go to university at one, but only 33% at the other. Such differences cannot be explained by ability, the study says, but may be influenced by parental backgrounds, choice of A-levels and poor advice to pupils. The study highlights Cockermouth school in Cumbria, a comprehensive with below-average results which exceeded expectations. Nine pupils went to Oxbridge over the three years of the study and 37% to highly selective universities. Its head, Geoff Walker, said it paid close attention to its pupils’ A-level choices and offered the preferred subjects for elite universities. “We have 100 students doing physics, 100 doing maths. We don’t have anyone doing sociology, media studies or theatre studies.” The study says Oxford and Cambridge find it hard to attract applicants from the north as teenagers increasingly opt to study near home. Of the dozen local authorities that send more than 2% of state school A-level candidates to Oxbridge, all but one, Trafford, is in the south-east. In Hammersmith and Fulham, 86% of state school sixth-formers go to university. In Reading, one of the most affluent parts of the country, more than half of those staying on after 16 go to highly selective universities. But not a single student in Knowsley went to Oxbridge in the three years of the study. Deprived parts of the south also have a poor record. Portsmouth only had four Oxbridge entrants in three years. The study notes that of the city’s 279 state-educated A-level candidates last year, only 14 took English literature and 11 took maths. In the same year, 25 took media studies. Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “We know these stark inequalities in university progression rates are driven primarily by the exam results in schools, yet the data we are publishing today also reveals that university chances can vary dramatically for schools with similar average grades. “Our hope is that by making these figures available, the spotlight on schools will widen to encompass the actual destinations of pupils after they have left, alongside their A-level results.” The trust’s report was criticised by universities for comparing schools based on average points per A-level student. Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of leading research universities , which includes Oxford and Cambridge, said this did not take into account the specific subjects and grades required to enter highly competitive degree courses. She said: “We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our doors are wide open to students with the qualifications, potential and determination whatever their background. “We urge schools to encourage their students to apply to leading universities, and work hard to help them to do so.” A spokesman for the University of Cambridge said: “It is incorrect to assert that similar total points scored equates to ‘identical A-level results’ when considering entry to highly selective universities. “When applying to the University of Cambridge, it is the quality of the student’s performance in relevant exams that is of most importance. Our research shows that the state and independent school students we admit go on to perform equally well in their degrees.” Oxbridge and elitism Access to university Higher education University of Cambridge University of Oxford A-levels Equality Private schools Schools Jeevan Vasagar guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Five elite schools sent more pupils than 2,000 others, with choice of A-Level subjects helping to account for gap Four schools and one sixth-form college sent more pupils to Oxford and Cambridge between them over three years than 2,000 schools and colleges across the UK, according to a new study that analyses university admissions from individual schools. Westminster, Eton, St Paul’s, St Paul’s girls school and Hills Road sixth-form college, a Cambridge state school, produced 946 Oxbridge entrants from 2007-09, the study by the Sutton Trust finds. In the same period, there were 2,000 schools and colleges which sent two or fewer pupils to Oxbridge, producing 927 in total. The difference in these schools’ success rates is driven mainly by gaps in achievement at A-level, but some schools do better at gaining entry to university than others with similar exam results. The analysis is published as the Office for Fair Access, a government watchdog, vets universities’ plans to charge fees higher than £6,000 a year. It will announce next week which have been approved, based on an assessment of their proposals to widen access to students from state school backgrounds. The Sutton Trust study underlines a familiar divide between the private and state sectors – finding that independent school pupils are twice as likely as comprehensive pupils to get into the 30 most selective universities and seven times as likely to get into Oxbridge. Even at the 30 highest achieving comprehensive schools, entry into competitive universities lags behind private and grammar schools. Just under 60% of pupils from the best state schools went to the most selective universities compared with just under 90% of pupils at the best private schools and 74% from the top grammars. Of a comprehensive and a private school in Cornwall, with near identical results, the former sent 17% to selective universities and the latter 66%. There are striking differences even between schools of the same type. At two comprehensives with similar results, almost 70% of 18-year-olds applied to go to university at one, but only 33% at the other. Such differences cannot be explained by ability, the study says, but may be influenced by parental backgrounds, choice of A-levels and poor advice to pupils. The study highlights Cockermouth school in Cumbria, a comprehensive with below-average results which exceeded expectations. Nine pupils went to Oxbridge over the three years of the study and 37% to highly selective universities. Its head, Geoff Walker, said it paid close attention to its pupils’ A-level choices and offered the preferred subjects for elite universities. “We have 100 students doing physics, 100 doing maths. We don’t have anyone doing sociology, media studies or theatre studies.” The study says Oxford and Cambridge find it hard to attract applicants from the north as teenagers increasingly opt to study near home. Of the dozen local authorities that send more than 2% of state school A-level candidates to Oxbridge, all but one, Trafford, is in the south-east. In Hammersmith and Fulham, 86% of state school sixth-formers go to university. In Reading, one of the most affluent parts of the country, more than half of those staying on after 16 go to highly selective universities. But not a single student in Knowsley went to Oxbridge in the three years of the study. Deprived parts of the south also have a poor record. Portsmouth only had four Oxbridge entrants in three years. The study notes that of the city’s 279 state-educated A-level candidates last year, only 14 took English literature and 11 took maths. In the same year, 25 took media studies. Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “We know these stark inequalities in university progression rates are driven primarily by the exam results in schools, yet the data we are publishing today also reveals that university chances can vary dramatically for schools with similar average grades. “Our hope is that by making these figures available, the spotlight on schools will widen to encompass the actual destinations of pupils after they have left, alongside their A-level results.” The trust’s report was criticised by universities for comparing schools based on average points per A-level student. Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of leading research universities , which includes Oxford and Cambridge, said this did not take into account the specific subjects and grades required to enter highly competitive degree courses. She said: “We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our doors are wide open to students with the qualifications, potential and determination whatever their background. “We urge schools to encourage their students to apply to leading universities, and work hard to help them to do so.” A spokesman for the University of Cambridge said: “It is incorrect to assert that similar total points scored equates to ‘identical A-level results’ when considering entry to highly selective universities. “When applying to the University of Cambridge, it is the quality of the student’s performance in relevant exams that is of most importance. Our research shows that the state and independent school students we admit go on to perform equally well in their degrees.” Oxbridge and elitism Access to university Higher education University of Cambridge University of Oxford A-levels Equality Private schools Schools Jeevan Vasagar guardian.co.uk
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Man given synthetic trachea created by growing his own stem cells on artificial ‘scaffold’ Surgeons have performed the first transplant operation using an organ wholly grown in a laboratory to give a man a new windpipe. The 36-year-old is recovering after surgeons implanted the world’s first wholly lab-grown organ into his body. The synthetic trachea was created by growing the patient’s own stem cells on an artificial “scaffold”, which British scientists helped design. Windpipes have been grown from stem cells before, but only using the collagen “skeletons” of donated tracheas. The landmark operation at Karolinska University hospital in Sweden could mean patients may not have to wait for a suitable donor organ. This could be particularly significant for children, for whom donor tracheas are much more difficult to find. The patient, an African student living in Iceland, had been suffering from life-threatening tracheal cancer. Professor Paolo Macchiarini, a Spanish expert in regenerative medicine who led the groundbreaking operation, designed the Y-shaped synthetic trachea scaffold with Professor Alexander Seifalian, from University College London. The Y-shaped structure was made from a plastic-like “nanocomposite” polymer material consisting of microscopic building blocks. Two days after stem cells were placed into the scaffold they had grown into tracheal cells ready for transplantation. Since the organ was built from cells originating from the patient, there was no risk of it being rejected by his immune system. Prof Seifalian said: “What makes this procedure different is it’s the first time that a wholly tissue-engineered synthetic windpipe has been made and successfully transplanted, making it an important milestone for regenerative medicine. We expect there to be many more exciting applications for the novel polymers we have developed.” The patient is said to be doing well and is due to be discharged from hospital today. Medical research Stem cells Cancer Biology guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Man given synthetic trachea created by growing his own stem cells on artificial ‘scaffold’ Surgeons have performed the first transplant operation using an organ wholly grown in a laboratory to give a man a new windpipe. The 36-year-old is recovering after surgeons implanted the world’s first wholly lab-grown organ into his body. The synthetic trachea was created by growing the patient’s own stem cells on an artificial “scaffold”, which British scientists helped design. Windpipes have been grown from stem cells before, but only using the collagen “skeletons” of donated tracheas. The landmark operation at Karolinska University hospital in Sweden could mean patients may not have to wait for a suitable donor organ. This could be particularly significant for children, for whom donor tracheas are much more difficult to find. The patient, an African student living in Iceland, had been suffering from life-threatening tracheal cancer. Professor Paolo Macchiarini, a Spanish expert in regenerative medicine who led the groundbreaking operation, designed the Y-shaped synthetic trachea scaffold with Professor Alexander Seifalian, from University College London. The Y-shaped structure was made from a plastic-like “nanocomposite” polymer material consisting of microscopic building blocks. Two days after stem cells were placed into the scaffold they had grown into tracheal cells ready for transplantation. Since the organ was built from cells originating from the patient, there was no risk of it being rejected by his immune system. Prof Seifalian said: “What makes this procedure different is it’s the first time that a wholly tissue-engineered synthetic windpipe has been made and successfully transplanted, making it an important milestone for regenerative medicine. We expect there to be many more exciting applications for the novel polymers we have developed.” The patient is said to be doing well and is due to be discharged from hospital today. Medical research Stem cells Cancer Biology guardian.co.uk
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Click here to view this media Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is introducing legislation to create a “pilot’s bill of rights” because he feels he was unfairly treated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In October, airport construction workers told the FAA that Inhofe had endangered their lives when he landed on a runway that was clearly marked as closed. “He sky hopped over us,” airport construction supervisor Sidney Boyd told an FAA representative. “He was determined to land on that runway come hell or high water evidently.” “He come over here and started being like, ‘What the hell is this? I was supposed to have unlimited airspace,’” the construction supervisor recalled of a confrontation with Inhofe following the mishap. The FAA agreed to drop legal enforcement action in exchange for the completion of about seven hours of remedial flight training. “He almost landed a plane on a group of construction workers on a closed runway, inexplicably, but now he’s the victim,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow observed Wednesday. “I did nothing wrong, but at any time I could have suffered the revocation of a license,” the Oklahoma senator complained to Tulsa World .
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Click here to view this media Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is introducing legislation to create a “pilot’s bill of rights” because he feels he was unfairly treated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In October, airport construction workers told the FAA that Inhofe had endangered their lives when he landed on a runway that was clearly marked as closed. “He sky hopped over us,” airport construction supervisor Sidney Boyd told an FAA representative. “He was determined to land on that runway come hell or high water evidently.” “He come over here and started being like, ‘What the hell is this? I was supposed to have unlimited airspace,’” the construction supervisor recalled of a confrontation with Inhofe following the mishap. The FAA agreed to drop legal enforcement action in exchange for the completion of about seven hours of remedial flight training. “He almost landed a plane on a group of construction workers on a closed runway, inexplicably, but now he’s the victim,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow observed Wednesday. “I did nothing wrong, but at any time I could have suffered the revocation of a license,” the Oklahoma senator complained to Tulsa World .
Continue reading …Rush Limbaugh: MSNBC ‘A Loony Bin Filled With People Overflowing With Uncontrollable Rage and Anger’
July 7, 2011 No Comment
Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh doesn't like to comment about MSNBC because he fears it will help their dismal ratings. However, he made an exception on Thursday's program saying amongst other things, “That whole network is a loony bin filled with people who are overflowing with uncontrollable rage, anger, unhappiness, and misery, by design” (video courtesy Right Scoop follows with transcript and commentary): RUSH: See, I think there's a new strategy. I don't think this is happenstance. It's for the Drive-Bys to specifically refer to Republicans as terrorists and suicide bombers. And, you know, folks, the last thing, I'm very uncomfortable giving these people any kind of publicity anyway because nobody really watches 'em, and it's very frustrating for Cookie and Cookie's little helpers 'cause most of this crap happens on MSNBC, and I told 'em I really don't want to give them any attention. Nobody else watches 'em, why should we give 'em any attention? And they get very frustrated because MSNBC is the best example of where all this crap is happening. It does happen throughout the left-wing media, but MSNBC is just where it's all codified, condensed, and concentrated. Chris Matthews, I can remember when he once guest hosted this show. It once was sufficient that we could put him on here to guest host the program. It wouldn't happen anymore. I don't know what's happened to the guy, I really don't. That whole network is a loony bin, and it's a loony bin filled with people who are overflowing with uncontrollable rage, anger, unhappiness, and misery, by design. This is their niche. They've chosen it. Chris Matthews said Tuesday it was scary that Republicans like Michele Bachmann were willing to not face the warning signs about raising the federal debt ceiling and take the United States right off the cliff. His guest was Senator Claire McCaskill from Missouri. She noted that it was a misconception that raising the debt ceiling would permit Congress to spend more. (laughing) My brother went to law school with her and I remember he used to say she was okay. They've gone nuts. I mean, a misconception, raising the debt ceiling would permit Congress to spend more? “All we're doing is making good on the spending that's already occurred,” she said, “It's like they bought a new car and don't want to make the payment.” That's a crock. It's not true. And then later speaking with Joan Walsh at Salon, who is also out of control, and these people are all part of the cabal that, you know, the Duke lacrosse case, without any evidence those lacrosse players were guilty as sin. These people were recently embarrassed on a similar type story, they all piled on, they were all wrong about, I forget what it was. I don't think it was DSK. I'll find out what it was. Anyway, Joan Walsh was a guest, and Matthews said, “Republicans' plans to hold the debt ceiling hostage until the Democrats agreed to budget cuts was terrorism.” Now, I say this in the context, okay, if we're gonna suspend Halperin for using the word “dick,” I'm just telling you there is a lot worse and more incendiary language out there being used. This is dangerous stuff. I mean it really is over the line. Tina Brown, “Republicans are acting like economic suicide bombers.” That was on MSNBC. She was talking to Mika Brzezinski. Tina Brown is the editor of the Daily Caller and Newsweek now. And Chris Matthews called the Republicans the Wahhabis of American government. Meaning that the Republicans are Muslim terrorists. Wahhabiism is the militant Islam. And I'm just saying this stuff is far more incendiary than what Halperin said. And of course, (imitating New Castrati) “It's not civil, it just isn't civil and we're supposed to be civil.” Remember that, Obama goes out there to Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords thing, and talks about the need for new civility because these people lied about Sarah Palin being responsible for the shooter out there, and then me? And then you got these guys making these kinds of comments? Those needing more proof of the insanity at MSNBC should review the following: Twice in Less Than 24 Hours, Chris Matthews Compares Republicans to 'Terrorists' Calm Morning Joe? Newsweek Boss Tina Brown Says GOP Are 'Suicide Bombers' Chris Matthews Smears the 'Scary' GOP as the 'Wahhabis of American Government'
Continue reading …Debt Ceiling News: Pelosi, Democrats, broad array of groups object to including Social Security-Medicare cuts in talks
July 7, 2011 No Comment
Many progressives and Democratic leaders are sounding off against the Obama administration for the idea that cuts in benefits to our safety-net programs are acceptable in the debt ceiling debate: The top House Democrat says she and fellow Democratic lawmakers will oppose including cuts in Social Security or Medicare benefits in any package aimed at reducing huge federal deficits. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi made the remark to reporters Thursday after returning to the Capitol from President Barack Obama’s budget talks with congressional leaders. The leaders are looking for a compromise package that would extend the government’s borrowing limit while also slicing trillions off future budget deficits. Signals have emerged that the White House would consider culling savings from Social Security and Medicare. But Pelosi, a California Democrat, says Democrats believe those two programs should not be used to pay for tax breaks for the rich. Chuck Schumer and Van Holland were on Andrea Mitchell today and they say that they also are against benefit cuts to Social Security and Medicare, but pushed the idea that they could find ‘savings’ in Medicare to help with the debt ceiling negotiations. ” The devil is in the details ,” said Schumer. Right. Like most American voters will be able to understand that cutting waste out of Medicare by using “savings” they can find via drug prices will resonate. Typical Liberal claptrap. Schumer also said that there needs to be a balance between spending cuts and raising revenues from closing tax loopholes. That got Mitchell a bit unnerved and she nervously stated: Mitchell: You’re not saying it has to be one for one, cause there had been a previous position in previous talks where three to one would be… Schumer: No, we’re not saying…there has to be balance. We’re not going to take a hundred dollars of cuts for one dollar in revenues, but we’re not specifying exactly what that balance should be. However, it’s gotta be some decent form of balance. Yes, how awful would that prospect hold for the Villagers? A real negotiation with real revenues being raised against massive spending cuts during a time of high unemployment. Schumer wouldn’t describe what the word balance means to her. We’ve heard as much as a 5-1 ratio for cuts over tax increases and that’s pretty shocking to me as it is Rep. Ellison Questions Putting Social Security Into Debt Ceiling Deal: It Isn’t Adding To Deficit, It ‘Loans Us Money’ CQ via email: Progressives Vow to Oppose Any Debt Deal That Cuts Entitlements By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are vowing to oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid listed as part of any deficit reduction package combined with a proposal to raise the $14.3 trillion debt limit. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona, a co-chairman of the liberal faction, said he was one of about 15 members of the group signing a letter to President Obama that makes the case that “job creation is the most important issue facing the country — not deficit reduction.” The Hill : Obama move on Social Security puts him at odds with Dem leaders Reid, Pelosi Is it surprising that Paul Krugman would write: The Obama-Keynes Mystery I’m not alone in marveling at the extent to which Obama has thrown his rhetorical weight behind anti-Keynesian economics; Ryan Avent is equally amazed, as are many others. And now he’s endorsing the structural unemployment story too. To those defending Obama on the grounds that he’s saying what he has to politically, I have two answers. First, words matter — as people who rallied around Obama in the first place because of his eloquence should know. Yes, he has to make compromises on policy grounds — but that doesn’t mean he has to adopt the right’s rhetoric and arguments. The effect of his intellectual capitulation is that we now have only one side in the national argument. Second, since Obama keeps talking nonsense about economics, at what point do we stop giving him credit for actually knowing better? Maybe at some point we have to accept that he believes what he’s saying. The question then is why. As I’ve tried to show many times, the facts overwhelmingly refute the anti-Keynes talking points. Neither the invisible bond vigilantes nor the confidence fairy have made an appearance. So why is Obama talking up those talking points? TPM reports: House Dems Stunned By White House Debt Proposal, Read Obama The Riot Act Multiple senior House Democratic aides tell TPM that caucus members were caught off guard by news stories about President Obama’s push for deeper deficit and spending reductions — and particularly about the White House’s willingness to cut Social Security as part of a grand bargain to raise the debt limit. AARP had earlier signaled they might be open to adjustments to Social Security, but now they’ve changed their tune and are firmly opposing the move. The top advocacy group for seniors, AARP, is sounding the alarm over reports that cuts to Social Security and Medicare may be included in a deficit deal. CEO Barry Rand issued a lengthy statement on Thursday demanding that the White House and Republican leaders take the issue off the table and address any changes to the programs in separate negotiations. “AARP is strongly opposed to any deficit reduction proposal that makes harmful cuts to vital Social Security and Medicare benefits,” Rand said. — “AARP will fight any cuts that are proposed to this important program, including proposals to reduce the cost of living adjustment for beneficiaries (COLA)–such as the proposed chained CPI–which AARP also believes should not be considered as part of the debt ceiling or deficit reduction negotiations,” he said. Digby reminds us what FDR’s legacy is: The Grand Bargain Arrives Under pressure from the right, he (FDR) pulled back a lot of New Deal programs the next year and it caused unemployment to go back up, so rhetoric isn’t everything. But he had no illusions about how political power is won and used for the greater good and he didn’t give the Republicans tools to gain political power by pretending they were anything but the opponents they were. His lasting legacy, however pragmatically it was envisioned and implemented, was that people trusted the Democrats for generations and the New Deal programs were woven into the fabric of America. Liberalism, not conservatism, was the default ideology because Roosevelt made his arguments in stark and clear ideological terms. Some are writing that this is all a master plan that the administration is hatching to trap Conservatives and win Obama all the Independents for the upcoming election because he’s being the adult, or something like that. Some are just too hopelessly optimistic. And check out Ezra’s graph on spending cuts and tax increases under various presidents and see how lopsided this administration proposed plan stacks up against the rest. enlarge Credit: Washington Post deficit-reduction deals passed by Presidents : It’s safe to say at this point that the White House is starting to get the credit it wants for working hard to find a compromise even as Republicans work hard to resist one. But that’s not a triumph of messaging. It is, if anything, an understatement based on the White House’s willingness to give congressional Republicans a much more lopsided deal than Reagan, Bush or Clinton presided over. Republicans might be fools for passing on it, but if and when they finally say “yes,” a lot of Democrats are going to be wondering whether the Democrats were suckers for offering it.
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