tugmoose

Good stuff. I'm just thankful the public isn't buying the plan put forth last week. The one that got the stock market back it's losses and was reported as making everything OK. "And it will only cost $700 Billion - that's 30% down from $1 trillion! What a bargain! But don't wait - these prices won't last forever!"

What the plan needs is a zippy name, like Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Shock And Awe. How about Operation Coverourassets? Sucker Shakedown? Wait, that's it? We're facing the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, and W explains it all in 14 minutes? And the networks cut straight to America's Got Talent and David Blaine? We're doomed.

From CNN McCain surrogate Sen. Lindsey Graham tells CNN the McCain campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the VP debate, currently scheduled for next Thursday, October 2 in St. Louis. In this scenario, the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin would be rescheduled for a date yet to be determined, and take place in Oxford, Mississippi, currently slated to be the site of the first presidential faceoff this Friday. Guess the "pitbull" n

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) blasted McCain's move. "It's the longest 'Hail Mary' in the history of either football or Marys," Frank, chairman of the Financial Services Committee, said during a break in today's critical hearing on the bailout. Despite McCain's denunciation that the current proposal has "no consensus" and cannot pass, Frank said he would keep working with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. "I'm not particularly focused on Senator McCain. I really don't care," he said. "I guess if I wanted expertise there [from the GOP ticket], I'd ask Sarah Palin." Zing! Score one for the

Here's the big plan: It's elegantly simple. The three key provisions: (1) The Treasury Secretary is authorized to buy up to $700 billion of any mortgage-related assets (so he can just transfer that amount to any corporations in exchange for their worthless or severely crippled "assets") [sec. 6]; (2) The ceiling on the national debt is raised to $11.3 trillion to accommodate this scheme [sec. 10]; and (3) best of all: "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any admi

Glad they ditched this design: Looked like it was designed by a 9-year-old high on model glue.

Indians just pulled Lee with the game tied in the seventh. It was his last home start of the season, and the crowd wanted a curtain call. But the TV guys said the stadium music drowned out the crowd. That sucks. Sometimes, you gotta pull the plug on SOP.

Anyone else going to the Beachland show?

IknowIknowIknow!!! Cut taxes!!!

Once you become one, you don't have to spell it!

after the big push to privatize social security.

We now own Fannie and Freddy and AIG!!! Government bails out AIG with $85 billion loan By JEANNINE AVERSA, IEVA M. AUGSTUMS and STEPHEN BERNARD, AP Business Writers 52 minutes ago WASHINGTON - For the second time this month, the U.S. government put taxpayer money on the hook to rescue a private financial company, saying the failure of the huge insurer American International Group Inc. would further disrupt markets and threaten the already fragile economy. The Federal Reserve said Tuesday it would provide up to $85 billion in an emergency, two-year loan to rescue AIG, which teetered o

You'd hate him more if you were needing the Indians game story on deadline. Believe me, I know.

As my handle might indicate, my loyalties are split - I was a Mets fan until they traded Tug to the Phils. Part of me was pulling for the Mets to make the postseason and the Yanks to miss, with all the love that's been heaped on YS and Shea being pretty much ignored. Yanks are toast. Are the Mets collapsing again?

They're gonna play the last game ever at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. Anyone here give a crap? At baseball-fever.com there's talk about how cheap (kinda - under $200) tickets can be had at stubhub. I realize it lacks the charm of Wrigley or Fenway, but there's been a lot of history at the Stadium.

Apparent suicide. That sucks. David Foster Wallace, the author of "Infinite Jest," was found dead in his home in Claremont on Friday night. The 46-year-old author apparently committed suicide. In 1996, Wallace talked to the online magazine Stim about the recently published "Infinite Jest." [My] secret pretension ... I mean, every writer wants his book to change the world, but I guess I would like to know if the book moved people. I assume that the future the book talks about, while it might be amusing, wouldn't be a fun future to live in. I think it would be nice if the book could maybe

So . . . John's a lesbian? That's why Jeff keeps him in the band!

A to Cliff Lee, who is 22-2.

Saw her last night at the Beachland Ballroom and was very pleasantly surprised. I got the Bikinis CD a couple years ago and it never really got traction with me. Last night I definitely got the Beatles vibe, plus more than a little early Andrew Bird. Of course, the violin plays into that. And speaking of violins . . . I've fallen madly in love with the Stroh violin! What a lovely sound!

Let's postpone two! Hurricane Ike, approaching the Texas coastline and expected to reach land this weekend, has temporarily thrown off the National League Central and wild-card races. The Astros announced Thursday that they have postponed the first two games of this weekend's three-game series against the Chicago Cubs because of the potential impact of Ike on the Houston area. Rescheduled dates for what would have been Friday night and Saturday night games have yet to be determined. Hurricane Ike, currently in the Gulf of Mexico, is projected to be a Category 3 storm when it hits land.

Big ol' Texas size vibes hoping y'all come through OK.

Ya gotta Huckabee-lieve!!!

Here's one that's really gonna help. Even if you argue that the Palin family is fair game (I don't), this displays a very flippant attitude toward abortion. Apparently abortion is no big deal to democrats. And then she give one of those apologies "to anyone who found my remarks offensive," not "I'm sorry for my offensive remark that was way out of line." Wonder why Dems keep losing these things? SC Dem chief says sorry for Palin-abortion comment 2 hours, 35 minutes ago COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina's Democratic Party chairwoman said Wednesday that Republican vice presidential nominee

Long as it ain't that friggin' Michael Moore.

McCain's in front of a green screen again. That guy's got balls!!!