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Wednesday, September 24, 2008 TODAY IN HISTORY [Byron York] Today is a red-letter day for the New York Times. For the first time, the paper has reported in its news section that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright once uttered the phrase "God damn America." Wright's comments were widely reported and widely discussed beginning with an ABC News report six months ago. Barack Obama even had to give a much-publicized speech because of those words, and others. But the newspaper of record has never seen fit to publish Wright's quote in its news pages. Until today. If my search of the Nexis database is correct, Wright's quote first appeared in the Times in a column by Bill Kristol on March 17. It was mentioned again in a column by Maureen Dowd on March 23. It appeared in an editorial on April 26. It appeared in a column by the public editor on May 4, and also in an article in the Week in Review section on that same day. But never in the front section of the paper. Until now. As with the April 26 editorial, today's mention of "God damn America" is in the context of reporting on attack ads targeting Obama. But still, it's there, on page one, for the first time. Posted at 11:29 AM
AROUND THE WEB: 2008 [Katherine Connell] The latest on the candidates . . . McCain Aide's Firm Was Paid by Freddie Mac The New York Times For Palin in New York, a Predebate Introduction to Motorcade Diplomacy The New York Times Palin Courts Cameras, but Dodges Questions Politico Florida Hispanics Sticking With GOP Miami Herald Poll Shows Challenge The Washington Post Obama Focus of Pinpoint Attacks The New York Times Pinellas is Backdrop as Prepares for Debate St. Petersburg Times Economy Gives Clear Leads in Polls The Boston Globe Out to Flip Indiana to Dems The Associated Press State of the Race Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Over McCain in Poll The Washington Post
9/24/2008 11:31 AM
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Posted at 10:52 AM
RACISM & OBAMA [Jonah Goldberg] From a reader in response to my column today: Your piece gets to the heart of the issue. Your last paragraph speaks volumes about race relations and the Democratic Party. As an African-American, I have never supported a Democratic presidential candidate. Why? Because I have always believed that the Democratic Party's and the liberal media's marked propensity to stigmatize the Republican Party as racist is a disingenuous attempt to deflect any criticism about the Democratic Party's own shortcomings in this regard. Much of what the DNC and the liberal media say about its commitment to stamp out racism in America rings hollow, because they never miss an opportunity to fan the flames of bigotry. If one needs proof about where racism lies, whether consciously or not, all one has to do is to take a close look at some of Joe Biden's comments in recent years. Posted at 10:50 AM
RE: MAGIC MARKER CAMPAIGN [Kathryn Jean Lopez] From a reader's lawn in Indiana:
Posted at 10:09 AM
BAILING ON THE BAILOUT? [Kathryn Jean Lopez] Robert Moran e-mails: Survey Finds Washington Opinion Elites Split on Bailout Plan With Support Eroding Majorities predict bailout plan will be heavily amended and that more will be needed later WASHINGTON, DC, September 24, 2008 – StrategyOne’s Beltway Barometer survey of 412 Washington, DC policy makers and shapers finds support for the initial $700 billion bailout plan split along party lines, but eroding over the course of the two night survey.
9/24/2008 11:31 AM
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In the survey, 67% of beltway Republicans supported the administration’s bailout plan and 33% opposed. Beltway Democrats were split, with 47% supporting and 53% opposing. However, support for the bailout plan eroded between Monday night and Tuesday night, as Democratic support dropped from 61% to 40% and Republican support dropped from 73% to 63%. “The trend in the overnight results suggests that support for the $700 billion bailout is eroding. In fact, it’s a tale of two nights, Monday night when elites were very concerned and reviewing the plan and Tuesday night after they had reviewed it”, said Robert Moran, Executive Vice President at StrategyOne. While Washington opinion elites may not agree on a bailout strategy, they do appear to agree that the administration’s proposal will be heavily amended and that more will be needed later. 68% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats surveyed believe that any bailout plan will have “significant amendments” and not pass in the “streamlined form” the administration is pressing. More troubling is the finding that wide majorities of Washington elites think that even with a bailout plan in place, more action will be needed later. 86% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans in this survey said “more will be needed later” as opposed to the 14% of Democrats and 30% of Republicans that thought an autumn bailout “will be enough to solve the problem.” Washington opinion elites are split on whether a bailout for the financial sector increases or decreases the likelihood of near-future bailouts for other industries. Among Republicans 47% say a financial sector bailout makes other industry bailouts more likely, while 53% say it makes other bailouts less likely. Among Democrats 39% say a financial sector bailout makes other industry bailouts more likely, while 61% say it makes other bailouts less likely. One thing these elites are NOT split on is the likelihood of future financial services regulation. 80% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats say the next Congress "will spend significant energy on financial services regulation." Beltway Republicans and Democrats have very different opinions about where the economy is headed over the next 2 years, with Republicans (66% growth - 27% recession) much more optimistic than Democrats (35% growth - 59% recession). In fact, significant Democratic pessimism over the short term prospects for the economy may be the fear that keeps congressional Democrats at the negotiating table. Finally, although some writers have explored this crisis within the context of American international dominance, a majority of beltway elites in both parties (85% of Republicans and 61% of Democrats) disagree with the notion that "this financial crisis marks the end of American international dominance." (More here and here.) Posted at 10:05 AM
WHAT MADE THE GREAT DEPRESSION "GREAT"? [Jonah Goldberg] The Great Depression is being invoked a lot these days, and I understand there's a reasonable real fear of a total meltdown out there. But some points are worth making. Even if we entered a serious depression, we will not experience time travel. America is a different place than it was in the 1930s. As Lawrence Lindey notes:
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