Saturday slumming... with the pundits.
Carl Cannon:
In the 2008 election, we took sides, straight and simple, particularly with regard to the vice presidential race. I don't know that we played a decisive role in that campaign, and I'm not saying the better side lost. What I am saying is that we simply didn't hold Joe Biden to the same standard as Sarah Palin, and for me, the real loser in this sordid tale is my chosen profession.
Carl, the standard is: are you qualified? The rest is detail. Where the media fell down is in not keeping that front and center at all times, and building her up where she never should have been. CNN exit poll:
Gail Collins:
The reason the Republicans lost so many Senate seats last November is now becoming clear. No one had any time to think about the campaign. They were too busy worrying about Senator John Ensign’s sex life.
Daniel Gross:
I am not an economist. Still, I am confident in saying that, just as it was absurd to talk about an Obama bear market in March, it's much too soon to be condemning the stimulus package.
Bob Herbert:
The crisis staring America in its face and threatening to bring it to its knees is unemployment. Joblessness. Why it is taking so long — seemingly forever — for our government officials to recognize the scope of this crisis and confront it directly is beyond me.
Robert Reich:
Unfortunately, V-shapers are looking back at the wrong recessions. Focus on those that started with the bursting of a giant speculative bubble and you see slow recoveries. The reason is asset values at bottom are so low that investor confidence returns only gradually.
That's where the more sober U-shapers come in. They predict a more gradual recovery, as investors slowly tiptoe back into the market.
Personally, I don't buy into either camp. In a recession this deep, recovery doesn't depend on investors. It depends on consumers who, after all, are 70 percent of the U.S. economy. And this time consumers got really whacked. Until consumers start spending again, you can forget any recovery, V or U shaped.
Politico:
Coming after the recent Beltway debate over coordination between Huffington Post’s senior news editor, Nico Pitney, and the White House over a question about Iran at a recent presidential news conference as well as President Obama’s decision to call on another Huffington Post reporter at his first White House press conference, the choice of Froomkin to oversee reporters as Washington bureau chief seemed to solidify the site’s identity as a progressive voice heavily invested in Obama’s success.
But is it really?
The Opinionator (NY Times) on GM's comeback, from Detroit Freep’s Mark Phelan to Barry Ritholtz.
SF Chron: Swine flu money begins to flow to CA. Coming soon to a state near you.
California will receive more than $30 million in federal grants to help prepare for an expected resurgence of the swine flu in the coming influenza season, federal public health authorities announced Friday.
The money will go primarily toward distribution of a vaccine to protect against the swine flu, a form of influenza Type A, subtype H1N1. Federal officials said the vaccine, which could be available in October, probably will go first to schoolchildren, adults with health problems, pregnant women and health care workers.
Vaccine is unlikely to be availalble all at once, and will be in addition to seasonal flu vaccines. One shot, or two, is unclear. It will be voluntary. And it will only be suggested of the virus seems to warrant it (but probably yes.)
The full list of states is here.
Added: One.org is blogging Obama's Ghana trip.
Added: Jennifer Skalka at Hotline On Call challenges Rush to get off his tuchus and help jump start the GOP.