WOW!

HOLY CRAP! ETC!!

Last I heard, earlier today, Ken Lewis was being retained as BofA chairman. Well! Looks like that bit of wisdom was just wrong. He will remain on the board, and continue as President/CEO, but has been stripped of his title as Chairman.

I've not been a big fan of BofA since the days when they were still NCNB and moved into Texas during the banking disasters of the late 80s/early 90s (when they were known as No Cash for Nobody!) And then they subsumed BofA and assumed their name. And then, all this crap this decade came along and my 'respect' for them dropped even further.

I hadn't heard much about Lewis before the TARP hearings and then the Merrill Lynch thing broke. So I had no real preconceptions about him. But, I have to say, I was pretty unimpressed with his appearances before Congress, and his public statements/press releases since have been much less than inspiring.

Apparently, I wasnt the only one unimpressed. There was a big move today among several of the big stakeholders (read pensions and mutual funds) to oust him. The last announcement I heard this afternoon (admittedly an announcement by Bof A staff in process of counting the ballots) was that Lewis had been retained. It seems the shareholders finally get some say in the management of the big companies.

Fuck Virginia Foxx

... all her Republican brethren and cistern.

Chrysler Breaking News

Just on CNBC-

Fiat and Chrysler will sign a pact tomorrow to join forces, if not exactly merge. BK is still on the table, but most likely a prepackaged version, since the creditors are apparently all on board.

100 Days

First, I think the whole 100 days thing is BS. That said, I'll throw my 100 cents in:

Grade: A (but not A+)

Overall, I think he's done a very good job (of course, given the previous boob for comparison, how could he not?) On the economy, the war in Iraq, the Iran situation, regulation and oversight, he's done a good to very good job. On 'visuals', how Americans 'feel' about ourselves, and how we're perceived overseas, he's done a very good job. On the Gitmo, surveillance, and state secrets front, I'd say mediocre to okay (mostly good+ on Gitmo, fair/poor on the others.)

On the bailouts/TARP/autos, I'm a little less thrilled. The financials need surgery, maybe radical surgery, and we're handing out splints and aspirin. I'm not sure what the best route is, but a little more Krugman/Steiglitz/Roubini and a little less Summers/Geithner/Bernanke would be good. At least, listen to them. Listen hard. With the autos, I'm even less thrilled (disclosure: I'm a car freak!!) Much more than the financials, the autos are the 'heart' of the country, and we've treated them like bastard stepchildren at a Baptist picnic. Apparently, contracts are only sacrosanct when made with banksters; unionistas need not apply (except for unemployment!)

All that said, I think the good outweighs the bad, and the very good is edging past the good (we're still a couple of blocks shy of being able to even see perfect!) But he seems to be (mostly) on the right track(s) and has gotten the battleship at least turning in the right direction. With a more friendly Senate (assuming Specter's change isn't all optics, that movement should get easier (AL FRANKEN! COME ON DOWN!!!) All we need to do now is hook up a hotline to Krugman and we're in business!

Specter Converts

Wow, while it's not surprising on an intellectual basis, it's pretty shocking in reality. Specter was dead if he stayed in the GOP, but to go all the way across the aisle, instead of joining Liebermann on the Isle of Mediocrity, is an amazing jump.

All the hoopla aside, if he doesnt change his vote on EFCA, we need to make sure he's primaried out of his new party. It doesn't really matter who the Dems run in PA if Toomey is the GOP candidate; Arlo the Dancing Bear would still win. So get Specter right with the party, or get him out altogether.

Line of the Week

From TPM, re the DHS report on RW terrorism possibilities:

Deep Thought

Conservatives are so incensed by warnings about the threat of right wing radicalism that they're considering overthrowing the federal government.

--Josh Marshall

Tea Partying

While I'm all in favor of tea-bagging, I have to admit I'm completely mystified as to what yesterday's inanity was all about (other than a Fox/Repug cross-promo opportunity... can the same organization crosspromote with itself?!?!) If someone has a clue, please let me know. I know it can't be about a tax increase, since Obama cut taxes for 90+% of the populace, altho, from the reports of attendance, it may have been everyone in the country whose taxes WERE raised....... just saying....

Delusion Runs Amok

From Chris Cillizza at WaPo's TheFix:

Say What?: "I have a better chance of winning a general election in Pennsylvania than Senator Specter." -- Newly announced Senate candidate Pat Toomey.

Torture Memos Coming?

Looks like the Obamaniacs are leaning towards releasing the memos. Good for them!

Update: They're out and they're ugly!

Cuba Libre!

Looks like we're moving in the right direction.

Franken Wins! Part II

The Minnesota election board declared Al Franken the victor in the Minnesota Senate election. It will undoubtedly go to the MN Supreme Court, and then possibly the Federal Courts, so it may still be a while before we get Senator Al.

CAPTAIN FREED!

The Captain of the Alabama has been freed from Somali hijackers by Navy Seals!

IOWA?!?!

Iowa's Supremes overturned their one man/one woman marriage law, citing equal protection clause problems (ya think?!?) So, it's come to this: if you live in West Hollywood, you can't get married; if you live in Dubuque, you can! What a country!

Ed Schultz Bags MSNBC Show

Progressive radio talker Ed Schultz has been given a show on MSNBC (before Chris Matthews?) From the reports, sounds like a cross between his radio show and a news show. Should be interesting.