To some, the schism between DailyKos and MyDD is simply a reflection of the broader Civil War between Democrats as a whole across the country. But lately, since the much publisized "strike" of DailyKos, MyDD has, in my view, been consciously diminishing in credibility as a Progressive media outlet.

(tiny diary)

Our candidates, no matter how we might feel about them, are both far too intelligent to be wasting their time and ours by participating in conversations under village idiot control.

There are many questions both candidates still need to be confronted with on stage, by actual thinking humans, concerning Iraq, healthcare, civil rights, torture, lobbyists, and the economy.  And these questions need to be framed within the context of reality, unlike everything we've seen thus far in this campaign.

When did taking a chance at real progress become such a bad thing to Jerome at MyDD?  Defying logic, he argues that we need to get behind Hillary as the "sure thing," despite the costs.

Who's afraid of Barack Obama? Well it seems as if the high priests of the progressive blogosphere are all in a huff about Senator Obama's counterattacks on his many critics in the democratic establishment. Could it be that Markos, Jerome, Atrios, Digby, et al, feel threatened. I love them all - I read them daily - but they seem to be the new Broders of the left. They are shocked that any candidate would not bow down to the power brokers within the party, such as union leaders, trial lawyers, and of course the leaders of the netroots.

In the October Outlook Bill Gross is describing why he has more business running for President, than anyone in the Democratic Party, where Economic Policy has become a non-sequitur; Fiscal responsibility is taking hold again in the Republican Party, Bush talks about it, and who can tell with that collection of painful expressions he used, where the man is being sincere or not, when he chides the Democrats on spending? The ugly step-child is turning into Cinderella, but then the Democrats have squandered every other missed opportunity, why not this one too?

When the Federal Reserve announces in a few minutes that there will be no change in the Prime Rate, the market will scrutinize their comments for any hint of which direction they are leaning. The market seems to be thinking that the Fed is biased toward more accomodation. Rates should head lower.

And why not? Alan Greenspan directed the FOMC, through a less than subtle statement, that he wants to see the housing market gain another 5% of value. Even a small increase in the value of existing homes would pop the subprime bubble, slow down the number of foreclosures, and keep the economy humming.

Anyone who has bought a home knows the value of housing exists in a circular logic, a) labor and materials b) interest rates, borrowing costs, and c) land. A change to any one demands a compensatory change in the value of the other two, to maintain equilibrium. When equilibrium is not the desired effect, the policy of restraining the effects of inflation on two of these, labor and materials, and land, while lowering interest rates, is the correct procedure to inflate the Housing Bubble.

Get ready for Housing Bubble, Part II

In last week's dairy I offered the following suggestion concerning predatory lending practises, and regulation of the mortgage lending business. Some comments actually supported the view of the Federal Reserve Board, ergo the administration, and the big money center banks, who have made money off the sub-prime collapse. More of the same is in order according to recent testimony of one of the Federal Reserve governors. Read the fine print.

She is battling a horrendous illness.

I'm blessed to be healthy. We all are.

Frankly I felt some of the comments here about her and the excruciating set of circumstances she is dealing with were gratuitously hurtful and unpleasant.

There's plenty of anger, but wishing ill on a sick human being is not the route I would follow.

People might consider challenging her ideas and pray that she regains her health.

That said, most-- though not all--of the comments displayed compassion and empathy for her plight.

There was a recognition that she is dealing with the same set of health care nightmares that tens of millions of Americans also confront.

Our health care system is broken. Although Ms. Seipp is knee deep in the quicksand, she continues to defend the indefensible.

She calls her latest blog entry: Werewolves of Blue Cross.  

Indeed. This is what they are. Not just Blue Cross, the entire broken system. Predators and werewolves.

A century after Henry Ford, middle class does less to drive economy   (IHT)

The Economics of Henry Ford May Be Passé (NYT)

"One's own employees ought to be one's own best customers," Ford said years later. "Paying high wages is behind the prosperity of this country."

This was one of the pillars of 20th century economic wisdom. It is time to ask, though, whether Ford's big idea is as ill-suited to this century as his car company seems to be.

Even some Democrats, who have long made Fordism a centerpiece of their rhetoric, are coming to the conclusion that Ford's reassuring cycle is not the only thing that can keep the U.S. economy humming.

"You don't need an equitable distribution to have a sustainable recovery," said Jared Bernstein, a liberal economist in Washington.

How on earth can "Democrats", and a "liberal" say that?

The Dissociated Press

AMSTERDAM (DP) - Last night, in a last-minute diplomatic decision, three political bloggers from three different nations met to discuss foreign policy, food, wine, and to trash other bloggers to extol the virtues of the liberal blogosphere.

Jérôme à Paris, respected French energy blogger and aspiring adult novelist, quipped to Plutonium Page "You look different with your clothes on," to which her husband Frank answered "In your dreams, Frenchman!"

The three bloggers "met" at the very orange liberal American political blog, www.dailykos.com, where Ms. Plutonium is a former front page poster.  Lately, she has focused on bashing Exxon, but has "moved on to writing a piece about Chernobyl," due to be posted in the next two weeks.  M. Paris promised to start a giant flame war on that post, telling Ms. Plutonium that "nuclear power is quite a viable option."  Ms. Plutonium just winked and said "I love a challenge," and ordered more wine, which the bloggers finished in record time.

[Click all images to enlarge]

Left to right:  Jérôme, Page, and Frank.

Frank and M. Paris had a spirited discussion about their countries' respective leaders.  Frank made his opinion of conservative Dutch Prime Minister Harry Potter Jan Peter Balkenende quite clear, stating "Hij is een eikel! [He is a dickhead!]" and expressed his hopes that the Dutch election next year will bring a liberal government with Dutch Labor Party leader  Wouter Bos at the helm.  M. Paris, who is no fan of French president Jacques Chirac, just shook his head sadly and said "Chirac's obvious Botox treatments are symbolic of his paralytic leadership...".

As the evening went on, things got more and more interesting.  Turn the page...

Check the CTG website for updates.
http://www.crashingthegate.com/

- an end to Iran's non civilian nuclear programme
- an end to Iran's support to anti-Israeli groups like Hezbollah
- security guarantees by the USA to Iran, and an end to threats of regime change
- the end of economic and other sanctions, and a return of Iran as a full member of the international community.

Well, according to this article (unearthed by Fran and posted in her invaluable European Breakfast news thread this morning), which quotes high level sources, including Colin Powell top aide Lawrence Wilkerson, that's exactly what the Iranians offered, and THEY WERE REBUFFED BY THE NEOCONS.

See also this diary by vercencheto on the UN Security Council discussions.

As promised yesterday, I present you the follow-up to the NYC Kossak meetup. First off, good lord were there a TON of people. When I was emailing with Kossak JBilger, trying to figure out how many people we should tell Yaffa would come, we estimated about 30. We ended up with more like 75. Nothing like the power of Markos to pull the crowd.

More copy and the images you have all been waiting for below

Take this one:

Despite a 23% improvement in motor efficiency, the USA increased its fuel consumption by 11% between 1990 and 2001.

or this one:

(click on pic. to see larger (220kb) version, or see the original here)

I'd like to argue that, while things will not be easy in the short and medium term, this is the best thing that could have happened both for Israel and for the West.