The Great American Job Machine

Skip Krugman (who is in the midst of his own “great unraveling”) and check out this NY Times opinion piece on the ever-changing American labor market:

Some people tend to forget this. The almost daily drumbeat of reports and "expert commentary" about a so-called jobless recovery prompts the question, "What's gone wrong with the labor market?"

The surprising answer: nothing.

The authors’ position is that improvements in technology mean that new business will live while others fade away (think: typewriters converted to word processors). And while new technology can be disruptive, it’s a natural evolution:

Large-scale upheaval in jobs is part of the economy; the impetus for it comes from technology, changing trading patterns and shifting consumer demand. History tells us that the result will be even more jobs, greater productivity and higher incomes for American workers in general.

Cool.

Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic

Unintentional humor alert: “Kerry accuses Dean of flip-flopping on issues”

Things are looking grim for Kerry in New Hampshire. Thus the attacks on Dean and the ultimate gesture of futility: the website redesign.

Survivor recap (by popular demand)

Voted back into the tribes: Burton and Lil. I was glad to see Burton get another chance since he was voted out after Drake "threw" an immunity challenge. But Lil? Ugh. Has there ever been a more hapless and confused Scout leader? The tribes merge with new black buffs.

Immunity challenge: Burton, who doesn't need immunity because as a "re-assimilated" tribe member gets it automatically this week, wins. Later he passes one of his immunities to Rupert who lost the swimming contest by a split-second. Rupert! Swimming! The man is a machine! Anyway, ex-Drake knows they have to band together for now, so they vote off an ex-Morgan tribe member - Andrew - instead of that asshat Jon.

However, if I know Survivor, the coming attractions for next week give me hope that Jon's number is about to be up.

(Happy Owen?)

Restating the case for war

Christopher Hitchens has a great article with that title and the subtitle: "Waiting for Saddam to change is what got us into this mess in the first place." Hitch unleashes on Hussein's instability and the danger of Iraq by extension. All the salient points are there:

The continuation of this regime was indeed an imminent threat, at least in the sense that it was a permanent threat.

Read it all.

Ich Bin Ein Kindergartener

A loyal reader noted my urge to repeal the 26th amendment (18-yr-olds can vote) and noted this story: Germany considers allowing kids to vote. Funny stuff.

Kerry: Making stuff up

About two-thirds of the way through the [“Rock the Vote” debate], CNN moderator Anderson Cooper turned to the Massachusetts Democrat and said: “Senator Kerry, we've got an e-mail for you. It says, 'What do you think about the recent polls that put Hillary Clinton 20 percent ahead of all you guys?”

Without missing a beat Kerry shot back, "Well, it all depends on which poll you look at. I saw a poll the other day that showed me about 15 points ahead of her."

In fact, every major media poll taken on the 2004 race since Al Gore withdrew last December shows Hillary leading the pack, usually by 20 or more points. In a Quinnipiac University survey released last week, Sen. Clinton bested Kerry by 35 points.

MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews said Wednesday night that his producer contacted Kerry's office earlier in the day to get the source of the poll cited by the candidate.

Kerry staffers, however, were unable to produce any evidence to back their boss's claim.

Maybe he meant somebody from Krakow.

Louisiana backlash?

The last significant race until 2004 is this Saturday in Louisiana where Republican Bobby Jindal and Democrat Kathleen Blanco are in a tight race for the governor’s office. But I’m wondering if all the recent squabbles and perceived slights against the South by Democratic candidates might lead to a late break for the Republicans in exactly the same way the Paul Wellstone “memorial service” led to a backlash that helped Norm Coleman (and probably had an effect on national elections also). In addition, the news today of soaring productivity and declining unemployment claims can only help the Republican Jindal.

Dual prediction: Bobby Jindal wins the Louisiana governor’s race and then Terry McAuliffe is relieved of his position as head of the Democratic National Committee. (BTW, I went 3-for-3 on Tuesday).

Where are the jobs? Oh, there they are

Via Power Line - This morning's Wall Street Journal Online news roundup opens as follows: "The number of U.S. workers filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits plummeted to a 34-month low last week, surprising Wall Street. Simultaneously, a third-quarter productivity report showed U.S. workers boosted their productivity at the fastest rate in 18 months.”

Viking Pundit’s alma mater Rutgers is #1, baby!

The night Dean put Old Dixie down

(to the tune of “The Night they drove Old Dixie down” by the Band)

Howard Dean is the name and I served in a state near Maine
A Vermont governor once, I shot off my mouth again
In the winter of 65, I was skiing, just stayin’ alive
But now I’m running for President and I seem to have lost all common sense

The night Dean put Old Dixie down and he was condescending
The night Dean put Old Dixie down, with no apology pending
He went na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na

In the debates my rivals all tried to criticize me
“Howard, why do you raise the ghost of Robert E. Lee?”
They all think what I said was bad
But I’m trying to reach the NASCAR dads
I need them if I want to win the day; the critics will all vote for Dems anyway

The night Dean put Old Dixie down, he used to be winning
The night Dean put Old Dixie down, and now his aides are spinning
They went la-la-la-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

All the pollsters before me say I need the South
But the problem I have is: I run off at the mouth
I know the battle is half-won
If I can make them give up their God and guns
I swear by the Vermont mud below my feet
I’ll win those rednecks over or I’ll face defeat

The night Dean put Old Dixie down – a Yankee condescending
The night Dean put Old Dixie down – he’ll have no happy ending
Na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na.

Howard Dean seriously doesn't know when to shut up

"We have got to stop having our elections in the South based on race, guns, God and gays and start having them on jobs and health insurance and a foreign policy that's consistent with American values," he said.

Dean then asked if Uncle Jesse could bring Daisy around with some moonshine. Yee-haw!

Medicare prescription drug bill may be doomed

From The Hill: Democrats move to kill prescription drug bill. Tom Daschle heard to mutter: “The hell with Granny!”

In all seriousness, I’ll be so happy if this legislation is killed. Unreformed, the burden of Medicare and Social Security will crush non-codgers with overwhelming debt; the last thing we need is another half-trillion dollar benefit piled on top.

Republicans on a Roll

Here's Fred Barnes in the Weekly Standard:

WHEN WE HEAR that old saw about how local issues prevailed on Election Day, you can be sure of one thing: Republicans won. And of course Republicans did on Tuesday, capturing the governor's races in Kentucky and Mississippi. In both contests, there are important national implications that favor Republicans.

Sounds logical.

Around the Blogs

Right Wing News - Michael Moore on people who buy his books: “They are possibly the dumbest people on the planet.”

Outside the Beltway has a great map of party affiliations for governors and this observation: “The fact that the four largest states (California, Texas, New York, and Florida ) all have Republican governors is stunning.”

Matthew Hoy criticizes Joe Lieberman’s Patriot Act prevarications.

David Wissing twists the knife: “I think we should all thank the Democrats for hiring Terry McAuliffe. He has done a remarkable job so far as Democratic Party Chairman.”

And Pejman has a post on national election strategies writ small in Kentucky: “At some point, Democrats will have to realize that however emotionally attached they are to Bush-bashing, they need something more to succeed on the hustings. Because spin or no spin, Democrats keep losing elections to Republicans.”

I am the elephant: Coup Coup, Katchoo!

The despair is thick at the open thread on the DNC’s blog Kicking Ass today after losing Kentucky and Mississippi last night:

See, the Republicans actually did the coup thing in 2000. And the California Recall? Coup. And the Clinton Impeachment? Attempted Coup.

But, you see, the problem for the Democrats is that we Republicans simply refuse to be logical:

We beat them hands down when they are being logical, because our arguments are logical. But when they are acting like fourth graders, it is more difficult to have a rational discussiion [sic] with them.

I know you are, but what am I?

Wednesdays are for W

The new and improved Blogs for Bush website is up and running and today reminds Republicans – and all Americans – the stakes involved going into 2004. As my posts below indicate, I’ve been highly critical of the Democratic debates and especially the “Rock the Vote” debate last night. Why? Because, as Elvis Costello once noted, “clowntime is over.” When the very first question in a nationally-televised debate is whether John Kerry would have pulled Pedro Martinez in Game Seven, there’s a fundamental disconnect with reality at hand.

Visit the GWB re-election web site and pledge your time and support. It's important.

Clowntime is over
Time to take over
While others just talk and talk
Somebody's watching where the others don't walk
Clowntime is over

Massachusetts loves…Dean! This can’t be good for Senator Splunge: Dean surpasses Kerry in raising funds in the Bay State

Why we should repeal the 26th Amendment

As promised, here's the CNN transcript from last night's "Young Voter" forum sponsored by "Rock the Vote". Here's the last question of the night:

QUESTION: Going along with this less serious note, but still this is a question of a lot of importance to me, I think.

You guys seem to get to know each other fairly well. I'd be curious to find out, if you could pick one of your fellow candidates to party with, which you would choose. But keeping in mind, partying isn't just, you know, who do you think can shake their groove thing.

I mean, we're talking, who's going to be loyal to you? Who is going to stand by your side? If you get sick, who's going to hold your hair back?

There's more. There's more to it. Who's going to be a team player, you know, if you -- imagine if you were single again. If you see a cutie across the room...who's going to be your wing man? Who's going to take one for the team?

Ha-ha! Remember when we got attacked by terrorists? What a bummer that was, fer sure.

Like that was so totally bogus, ya know?

Holy cow…I just finished watching the “Rock the Vote” debate among eight of the Democratic Presidential candidates (Gephardt skipped it) on CNN. The transcript will be up tomorrow, but it won’t do justice to just how vapid and vacuous this showcase was. The candidates should be embarrassed to have participated.

Working from memory:
- Judging by the responses, you’d barely know the United States had deposed a brutal dictator. Nearly every Iraq-related answer used the words “sweetheart deal” and “Halliburton.” It’s all about the oiiiiilllllll.....
- Three (four?) questions about homosexuality, in the military and elsewhere. Not a single query about the crushing debt that the younger generation will have to carry to support Social Security.
- John Kerry was in Vietnam.
- Repealing tax cuts creates jobs (I didn’t know that!)
- When the candidates were asked in turn if they had ever smoked pot, the audience applauded lustily if there was an admission of taking a hit. Devout religious man Joe Lieberman looked positively L-7 when he said he never chowed on Doritos and stared at his hands.
- The last question – God in heaven help me – was “What other candidate would you like to party with, that is, who would hold back your hair or be your wingman if you saw a hottie across the room?”

I would have mortgaged my house to hear one of them say: “That is the dumbest question I’ve ever heard. We’re running for the most powerful office in the world and you’re asking who we’d like to do tequila shots with.”

But, alas, it was all about the kids tonight and they would not be denied their clown show or their candy.

Debate winner: Gephardt.

The Democrats on Iraq: we’re the “UN-Cola”

How bad is it for the Dems? Here’s the start of an article on the left-wing Working for Change website called “The Democrats’ Quagmire”:

Yesterday, if you went to johnkerry.com and followed the links to discover Kerry's thoughts on Iraq, you'd finally reach the prompt: "What is Kerry's plan to win the peace in Iraq? *Read here*."

Clicking the link simply took you back to Kerry's home page.

Kerry's web team thus inadvertently captured perfectly the problem Iraq presents to the Democrats' nine major presidential hopefuls. All of them agree, to varying extents, that George Bush has made a mess of things. But they've been so busy of late harping on Dubya's failures that few of us have any idea what each of them would do. And there's this nagging suspicion that they don't know what they'd do, either. Ask them, and they're likely to simply send you back to their home page, the one that reads "Bush = bad. Me = good."

Generally speaking, they all rely on some variation of “let the world help us.” But what they assiduously fail to address is what the United States would do if France Germany our “friends” say “no” – they won’t help in Iraq. Then what? *Poof* - there is no Plan B for the Dems.