Month: October 2011

#rsrh Chicago Tribune whines about “Durbin tax.”

They’re very upset that Senator Dick Durbin is being rather insolent:

Sen. Dick Durbin must be forgetting that once you’ve dug yourself into a deep hole, you’d best stop shoveling.

How else to explain the Illinois Democrat’s blustery reaction to the $5 a month that Bank of America Corp. plans to charge some of its customers who use debit cards? The charge, which other banks are likely to adopt, is a direct result of his lawmaking. Call it the Durbin Fee.

…but, really, why should Dick Durbin be sorry? I mean, the Chicago Tribune endorsed Durbin in 2008, and it will undoubtedly endorse Durbin in 2014.  I can’t for the life of me imagine why the senior Senator from Illinois would care that the editorial board of the local paper is upset at the loss of its free checking and debit card services; what are they going to do, actively try to get a conservative elected in his place?

(Via RCP)

Moe Lane

#rsrh Grim news for Democrats on housing front.

Very grim news.

Home prices are unlikely to recover before 2020 and mortgage defaults will persist for years, says a survey of bank risk managers out Friday.

The survey conducted by the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association for FICO, found that 49 percent of respondents do not expect housing prices to rise back to 2007 levels for another nine years. Only 21 percent of respondents said they would.

Continue reading #rsrh Grim news for Democrats on housing front.

Headline of the Day, I Spoke Too Soon Edition. #occupywallstreet

Damn, but this is funny – and you only need the headline, really.

Occupy Wall Street protest, swelled by Radiohead hoax, marches on NYPD HQ, but gets lost

Says it all, doesn’t it?  Whoever wrote the headline over at the NY Daily News earned his or her corn for that one.

Moe Lane

PS: But, hey, far be it from me to not be helpful; if any of those protesters wanted to hear Radiohead, well, click the link for assistance.  Because I’m a giver.

A Primer for the 3Q Obama for America (OfA) numbers.

Well, the 3rd quarter is over, which means that the set of speculation over various and sundry people’s fundraising totals may now kick into high gear.  Probably the most anticipated numbers will be coming from Obama for America (OfA), given their haul last time – and their brags this time.  The Politico has started off with an eye-grabbing headline – “Obama 3Q haul: $55M or more?” (H/T: Hot Air)- which is at least something that we can use to start looking at numbers.  And write elaborate posts about them, for that matter.

Let’s go with the traditional bullet points on what needs to be taken into account at this stage of fundraising reporting. Continue reading A Primer for the 3Q Obama for America (OfA) numbers.