The top bowler for the Special Olympics looks forward to meeting President Barack Obama in an alley.
"He bowled a 129. I bowl a 300. I could beat that score easily," Michigan's Kolan McConiughey (KO-lahn Mc-KAHNA-he) told The Associated Press in an interview Friday.
The athletic-minded president made an offhand remark Thursday on "The Tonight Show" comparing his weak bowling to "the Special Olympics or something." He quickly apologized and told the Special Olympics chairman he wants to have some of its athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball.
McConiughey, who is mentally disabled, is just the bowler for the job. He's bowled five perfect games since 2005.
The 35-year-old McConiughey has been bowling since he was 8 or 9. His advice for Obama? Practice every day.
#3
"He bowled a 129. I bowl a 300. I could beat that score easily," Michigan's Kolan McConiughey (KO-lahn Mc-KAHNA-he) told The Associated Press (Ass-Hole-see-ate-d Puh-ress) in an interview Friday.
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/20/2009 20:56 Comments ||
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While not exactly a film buff, Gordon Brown was touched when Barack Obama gave him a set of 25 classic American movies -- including Psycho, starring Anthony Perkins on his recent visit to Washington.
The Brits signal clearly that they are not amused ...
Alas, when the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem. The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words "wrong region" came up on his screen.
Funny how Walmart in DC doesn't have DVDs for Britain in stock ...
There is no Wal-Mart in DC. We're not zoned for that sort of thing. You have to drive to (egad!) Germantown to hang with the hicks.
So it's even worse than I thought: Barry had someone buy the disks from a street vendor ...
Although he mournfully had to put the popcorn away, he is unlikely to jeopardise the special relationship -- or "special partnership", as we are now supposed to call it -- by registering a complaint.
He will instead make sure the Brit papers hear about it.
A Downing Street spokesman said he was "confident" that any gift Obama gave Brown would have been "well thought through," but referred me to the White House for assistance on the "technical aspects".
Blame it on the staff. That's an old Hildebeast trick ...
A White House spokesman sniggered when I put the story to him and he was still looking into the matter when my deadline came last night.
Yup, he was 'Gibb'ering wildly ...
By the way, when Obama's unlikely gift was disclosed, a reader emailed me to ask if Clueless was among the films. Funnily enough, it was not.
Brown, on the other hand, presented a rather more thoughtful gift to the American President in the form of a penholder carved from the timbers of an anti-slavery ship. The sister ship, in fact, of the one that was broken up and turned into the desk in the Oval Office.
Barack Obama proclaimed during the campaign that he was for 'smart diplomacy'. What kind of smart guy is disrespectful of one of our closest allies? You don't have to like them, Barack, but you'd better recognize that at some point you're going to need them.
When Barry goes over, maybe Brown can reciprocate and present him with the Complete Benny Hill Collection that won't work in the White House DVDs...
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/20/2009 00:00 ||
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Should not the title of the piece have read
"Gordon Brown is frustrated by 'Psycho' in Whitehouse" ?
#7
Perhaps if Prime Minister Brown and his cabinet had been a little less rude over the years about everything being America's fault, he would have gotten a better reception. Iraq, Afghanistan, the current financial melt-down... America is as bad as God, to that particular gentleman and his little friends. Posturing has consequences even in special partnerships.
#9
I dunno, TW. I think when Brown was complaining about things being America's fault he really meant George Bush. Why would Obama have a problem with that?
I'm just hoping the Queen will have something very special planned for our thoughtless president.
#10
So the internet savvy, cool cats in the White House couldn't even bother t order a drop ship from amazon.uk? As a bonus, Amazon would have even gift wrapped it and included a sentimental card.
Posted by: ed ||
03/20/2009 13:58 Comments ||
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#11
No problem, he just needs to buy a region 1 player and an NTSC compatible TV. Oh yeah and power converters. Nice gift Barry. Gonna give Sarkozy a bottle of Mad Dog?
#12
All you really have to do is to also give a region free DVD player from those good folks at jlist.com along with those hard to find dvds that a friend told me about.
On February 22, 2005, Barack Obama, a U.S. Senator at the time, placed a trade on a tiny biotechnology company out of Oregon. The biotech company's name is AVI Biopharma.
Records show that Obama purchased tiny AVI Biopharma just above $2 a share.
What was AVI's claim to fame? Not much. It's a biotech company that's been around for years. It develops drugs intended for the use to treat infectious diseases... some of which the Department of Homeland Security have deemed "bioterrorism" viruses like West Nile, Dengue fever, SARS and Ebola.
I know the company very well. I have played golf with former AVI CEO Dennis Burger in Sun Valley, Idaho. And Dennis gave a presentation at my biotech conference in August 2000.
But even though the company was founded in 1980, it has never successfully brought a drug to market. 25 years in business. 0 drugs on market.
So why did Obama buy it?
Maybe he knew something 99.9% of investors didn't...
You see, 8 months after Obama bought the stock, the company was awarded a $28 million contract from the federal government to research treatments against biological warfare or a bioterrorism attack.
AVI Biopharma spiked in price... and days after the announcement, Obama sold his shares and booked a 73% profit.
Not bad for a community activist from Chi-town, right?
Sure, but Obama understood one of the most fundamental trading strategies on the street: Buy the rumor, sell the news.
Add to that "don't fight the Fed" and what you have is the potential for a massive payday.
But here's the best part... the Obama trading strategy is about to pay off again. Today, inside his 1,047-page stimulus plan, the White House pinpoints potentially massive deals for 3 more companies that could pay even larger gains.
Andrew Malcolm, "Top of the Ticket" blog @ The Los Angeles Times
We are not making this up: You cannot possibly make this stuff up.
Barack Obama was elected commander-in-chief promising to run the most transparent presidential administration in American history.
This achievement and the overall promise of his historic administration caused the National Newspaper Publishers Assn. to name him "Newsmaker of the Year."
The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.
The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press.
Posted by: Mike ||
03/20/2009 08:32 ||
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Another day, another resounding clanger from the Obama White House...
To repeat a line I stole from the comments at another blog - "I knew the Obama Administration was gonna be a train wreck, but I thought it would make it out of the station first."
Black Press Week to Celebrate, Salute Obama Family
Thursday, March 12th 2009
Black Press Week, the annual celebration of the birth of the Black Press of America, March 16, 1827, will salute Americas first family, celebrate civil rights champions and honor a political pioneer during its annual Newsmaker of the Year Award Dinner March 19.
Black Press Week promises to be the most exciting ever, says Dorothy R. Leavell, chair of the NNPA Foundation, unveiling this years honorees, selected by member publishers. The pride of our profession gladdens our hearts as we acknowledge the first African-American president and replay the role of the Black Press over these 182 years.
The top honoree is the Newsmaker of the year, which will go to the entire first family of President Barack Obama, in celebration of their historic impact on America as a family and as public servants. They include the president, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Sasha and Malia.
The years glitzy awards reception and dinner will be held March 19 at The Fairfax at Embassy Row, a Luxury Collection Hotel.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will go to civil rights icon the Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder and former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who recently rendered the benedictory prayer at the presidential inauguration.
Two Outstanding Community Service Awards will go to Xernona Clayton, president and CEO of The Trumpet Foundation, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, president and CEO of the National Action Network, and radio talk show host.
A special Political Leadership Award will be given to U. S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who, as House majority whip, is an example of the wisdom and influence that has been so closely intertwined with the Black Press over centuries of activism and accomplishment,'' says Leavell. Americas first Black newspaper, Freedoms Journal, was founded by Samuel Cornish and John B. Russwurm in 1827 in New York City.
During the Black Press Week celebration, held this year March 18-20, publishers from around the nation also visit with congressional leaders - Democrats and Republicans - in the spirit of the first editorial printed on the front page of the journal. It stated, We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. It continues, Too long has the publick been deceived by misrepresentations in things which concern us dearly .
The publishers will also participate in an annual ceremony in the Browsing Room at Howard University, which houses Black Press archives and a shrine honoring deceased heroes and heroines of the Black Press, says Leavell.
We are looking forward to our celebration of our founding in 1827 by Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm and other distinguished Publishers of note such as Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, The Murphys of Baltimore, Robert S Abbott and John H. Sengstacke of Chicago, The Jervays of North Carolina, The Vanns of Pittsburgh, The Youngs of Virginia, Dr. Carlton Goodlett of California and many, many more that understood the importance of the Black Press and sacrificed personal fortune to give a voice to the voiceless.
Denouncing a "squandering of the people's money," lawmakers voted decisively Thursday to impose a 90 percent tax on millions of dollars in employee bonuses paid by troubled insurance giant AIG and other bailed-out companies. The House vote was 328-93. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate and President Barack Obama quickly signaled general support for the concept.
"I look forward to receiving a final product that will serve as a strong signal to the executives who run these firms that such compensation will not be tolerated," the president said in a statement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, told colleagues, "We want our money back now for the taxpayers. It isn't that complicated."
The outcome may not have been complicated. But the lopsided vote failed to reflect the contentious political battle that preceded it.
Republicans took Democrats to task for rushing to tax AIG bonuses worth an estimated $165 million after the majority party stripped from last month's economic stimulus bill a provision that could have banned such payouts.
"This political circus that's going on here today with this bill is not getting to the bottom of the questions of who knew what and when did they know it," said House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio. He voted "no," but 85 fellow Republicans joined 243 Democrats in voting "yes." It was opposed by six Democrats and 87 Republicans.
The bill would impose a 90 percent tax on bonuses given to employees with family incomes above $250,000 at American International Group and other companies that have received at least $5 billion in government bailout money. It would apply to any such bonuses issued since Dec. 31.
The House vote, after just 40 minutes of debate, showed how quickly Congress can act when the political will is there.
It was only this past weekend that the bailed-out insurance giant paid bonuses totaling $165 million to employees, including traders in the Financial Products unit that nearly brought about AIG's collapse.
AIG has received $182.5 billion in federal bailout money and is now 80 percent government-owned. Most of these firms are headquartered in New York City.
90% fed + 8.14% state + 4% city = 102.14% income tax rate
My eyes are watering. Can't decide if from laughter or crying.
Best Congress that money can buy? Not even close.
Posted by: ed ||
03/20/2009 01:49 ||
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Ex post facto taxing? What a wonderful method of encouraging folks to go out and spend what little money they do have. Wrong signal, a very wrong signal.
But if I were one of those AIG people who had been persuaded to stay on and help wind the company down in an orderly way, or if I were someone brought in by the government recently to help with the same, my response would be a simple one:
I quit.
Today.
And my last act would be this on my office PC:
'Delete C:*.*'
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/20/2009 9:02 Comments ||
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#5
From what I read earlier the people most responsible for AIG are long gone. Liddy was brought in with a new COO to try and fix the disaster that was in the Financial Products Division.
The people that are getting the bonuses were the least culpable. They are the ones trying to unwind the collossal mess. Supposedly they have said, privately, that if this s**t continues they will take the money they've gotten and resign since their contracts would be voided. They could then sign on with the counter parties to all the remaining instruments and help them figure out how to screw what's left of AIG.
This strikes me as similar to wanting to punish all the players on a football team after you've chased away all the bad execs and coaches. If you expect to compete at all you have to keep a few people that know where the key to the bathroom is.
PS apparently some of those retention bonuses went to janitors, cafeteria and the like so that the place could at least keep running.
#6
I'd like to see how they are going to enforce this tax on all the executives that are British, Belgian, French and Luxembourg's. As I understand it most of the higher bonus amounts went to the guys who worked in The City (London) not in Danbury.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
03/20/2009 11:04 Comments ||
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#8
Mrs. Uluque6305 had to drag me out to the backyard to keep me from throwing my glass of scotch at the TV last night when they started talking about this because the hypocrisy of these congress critters is so blatant. How stupid do they think we are? Even in San Francisco, are they really so stupid that they can't see what a sham this is?
The move in Congress to heavily tax bonus payments at companies receiving federal bailout money could face legal challenges and political fallout, experts said Thursday.
Opponents of the bill could mount a fight on the grounds that the legislation violates due process and other constitutional aspects of taxation, said Denver attorney Dirk de Roos, a business and civil litigator at Faegre & Benson. "The tax lawyers will have a field day with this," he said. "It seems to me to be way off base and a questionable legal approach."
The bill was approved Thursday by a wide margin in the U.S. House. It would impose a 90 percent tax on bonuses given to employees with family incomes above $250,000 at banking giant AIG and other companies that have received at least $5 billion in government bailout money.
De Roos said that because the federal government now owns 80 percent of AIG, it should exert its legal rights as a shareholder by filing suit if it believes the bonus payments are improper instead of imposing a legally questionable tax. "It seems to me that Congress is posturing and playing to its audience," de Roos said. ". . . It's almost as if judgment has been suspended in Congress, and they're just rushing to do something."
Legal experts are divided on whether the bill violates provisions in the Constitution that forbid laws aimed at individuals or small groups.
Robert Willens, a corporate tax lawyer in New York, said there is plenty of precedent for imposing punitive taxes on behavior that lawmakers find objectionable. He cited the steep excise taxes levied on money paid to firms to keep them from launching hostile takeover bids. "You can write very narrowly tailored laws," Willens said.
However, University of Denver accounting professor Richard Leaman said he believes the bill "is pretty darn close" to violating the Constitution. "High tax rates are OK, but confiscation is illegal under the Fifth Amendment," he said.
University of Colorado associate law professor Michael Waggoner said the legislation could cause more problems politically than legally. "If they start using the tax code to punish people, it may look good now," he said, "but six months from now, it may not look so good."
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/20/2009 13:51 Comments ||
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#11
The course of action this Congress needs to pursue in the best interests of the country is clear: it needs to go home. Adjourn, quit, desist. If it feels obliged to remain in session, it ought to limit its activites to things within its competence, such as naming federal buildings after Robert C. Byrd or passing resolutions observing that the sky is blue. Maybe the occasional luncheon.
Posted by: Matt ||
03/20/2009 15:06 Comments ||
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#12
Well, the 52'ers got the government they deserve. To bad the rest of us have to suffer along with 'em.
#13
"AIG has received $182.5 billion in federal bailout money and is now 80 percent government-owned."
Hmmm . . . remember what I said about deconstructing the financial sector? Bringing all under government control?
OBAMA: "I look forward to receiving a final product that will serve as a strong signal to the executives who run these firms that such compensation will not be tolerated," the president said in a statement.
Not "tolerated?" Government is now setting salaries.
Obama is moving in to kill the private sector, and to render helpless those who have the smarts and ability to oppose him. It is a very personal attack on private citizens, but serves to confuse the real aim by whistle-blowing against "corruption." He wants to turn most Americans against corporate business, so he can take over corporate businesses. The AIG thing is just a smoke screen for doing that--"See . . . the government HAS to take over and regulate these out of control BIG (BAD) BUSINESSES." They knew about the bonuses before because they were contracted for more than a year ago. It's a set up. And it's working. People are attacking and victimizing the people they think are responsible for the economy--just like Obama wants them to. Oh, but forgot to mention that 100% of bailouts are going to the top 1% of companies that contributed to the Obama campaign. The original AIG guys are long gone. Long before they agreed that Obama could use their company as an example.
The "Chilling Effect" this taxing and demonizing of business has on people is part of the deconstructionist design. Who's going to want to go into business now? Hmmm?
90 percent tax ? After the fact? Unconstitutional. But who cares about a constitution. Barak's in charge now--Suharto style.
#14
My daughter and son-in-law have automobile insurance through AIG. Guess what? They can't find anyone to continue making payments to. The local office is closed - there's no one there. Their telephone calls go unanswered. Their letters and payments are returned to them. They finally broke down and went with someone else. All the problems with AIG are NOT in the corporate offices. All the LEGISLATIVE problems of the Obambi administration aren't necessarily in Congress, either. Washington DC needs to be declared a disaster area and totally evacuated - at rifle-point if necessary.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/20/2009 20:32 Comments ||
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#15
Washington, DC has become a Superfund Site, for toxic finances. so to speak, in a perverted way.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/20/2009 22:31 Comments ||
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#16
"Washington, DC has become a Superfund Site, for toxic finances."
Well, the Bambians want to reinstitute "polluter pays" laws/rules, AP.
Perhaps they should start with the Congressional and Administration clowns responsible for this toxic mess....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/20/2009 22:41 Comments ||
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Two months ago, the website added an official Congress channel, inviting Democrats and Republicans to share quirky political messages with voters.
But analysts say the move has been hampered by politicians inability to adapt to an online audience. Andrew Rasiej, founder of the political technology site Personal Democracy Forum, said too many messages consist of warbling monologues that miss the point.
Other postings, including one by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, were said to be too eccentric or random to resonate. In a minute-long video, Mrs Pelosi showed footage of her life behind the scenes in the Capitol Building through the eyes of two pet cats. Making matters more bizarre, the minute-long film was captured to the strains of Rick Astleys disco hit, Never Going To Give You Up.
Mr Rasiej said: The problem for Nancy Pelosi, or anyone who tries to do this, is that you cant fake authenticity. The more you try to make the video authentic, the more inauthentic it becomes. And Nancy Pelosis cat video is the perfect example of overdoing it, and watching ones head disappear in a pool of quicksand.
In another video, Democrat Tim Ryan promoted the virtues of driving an environmental car by referring to the vehicle as a chick magnet.
Citigroup Inc. plans to spend about $10 million on new offices for Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit and his lieutenants, after the U.S. government injected $45 billion of cash into the bank.
Affidavits filed with New York's Department of Buildings show Citigroup expects to pay at least $3.2 million for basic construction such as wall removal, plumbing and fire safety. By the time architect's fees and expenses such as furniture are added, the tally for the offices at the bank's Park Avenue headquarters will be at least three times as high, according to a person familiar with the project who declined to be identified because he's not authorized to comment. Citigroup said the project will help it save money over time.
Pandit, criticized by lawmakers over Citigroup's use of U.S. bailout capital, canceled an order for a company jet in January and told Congress on Feb. 11 that, "I get the new reality and I'll make sure Citi gets it as well." Of the biggest U.S. banks that received federal aid, only Citigroup has turned to the government three times for rescue. The company, once the biggest U.S. bank by assets and market value, has agreed to limit perks and restrict executive pay.
"In this environment, it absolutely sends the wrong message," said Charles Elson, director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, referring to the office renovations. "Timing in life is everything."
Citigroup said in a statement that the construction is part of a global space-saving initiative. The bank plans to reduce its office space worldwide by more than 10 million square feet to help save $15 billion over the next few years, according to a company official who declined to be identified. Pandit has already slashed Citigroup's dividend and sold units to free up capital. He said in November that he would cut 52,000 jobs, about 15 percent of the firm's headcount as of Sept. 30.
"Senior executives in our corporate headquarters are moving from two floors to smaller, simpler offices on a single floor," the company's statement said. "Based on estimates made when the project was initiated, we expect to generate savings in the next few years well in excess of the project costs."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2009 00:00 ||
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Tax (bailout) money at work again on Park Avenue, yet Citibank keeps overcharging customers with loan sharking type interest rates. What a racket.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
03/20/2009 1:17 Comments ||
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#2
What is it about the financial industry that makes them so oblivious? Do they really not see how things like this look or do they just not care?
Posted by: Formerly Dan ||
03/20/2009 6:54 Comments ||
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#3
When you're dealing with billions every day, what's a few million for office decoration?
Posted by: ed ||
03/20/2009 8:04 Comments ||
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#4
People who have no concept of how the other 95% live. You know the one's you're sticking the bill to, along with their children and grandchildren. Someone needs to point out, really hard, that no one had a manual on building a country from the ground up, but a team of people who make a hell a of a lot less then these 'captains of industry' did it. You are replaceable. Force the 'troubled' banks into Chapter 11 receivership and get people who are beyond ego and self aggrandizement into the positions, yesterday.
#5
This is another example of the entitlement mentality that has affected so much of society. When all risk is socialized there is no need to deny yourself anything.
These banks should have had much clearer and stricter rules about what they were responsible for (aka reserves) and if they blew it. Too bad, you are now banrupt.
But, Fannie and Freddie and now Congress has removed any penalty for incompetence and theft for so long that there is no clue to be found.
#6
Oh, good, a shovel-ready project of the kind President Obama is so fond. How generous of Citigroup to stimulate the local economy instead of paying out bonuses.
#8
Well, at least I don't have to pay for it. That's the government's job now. For full disclosure purposes, I confess that I am a Citigroup stockholder and I don't make over $250,000.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
03/20/2009 15:12 Comments ||
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The White House has estimated that the Obama budget will produce deficits of about $6.9 trillion over 10 years. But a powerful congressional office that is due to file its budgetary estimate on Friday will report a uch larger deficit.
The Congressional Budget Office has warned the White House in advance of Friday's estimate that the deficit projections will outpace the White House estimate, perhaps by as much as 20%, Politico reports. Democrats expect that the CBO projections will add around $1.5 trillion more to the Obama deficit.
One of the things pushing up the deficit is a lowered baseline for economic performance over the next few years. In addition, some spending programs may be viewed as more costly than earlier anticipated.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2009 00:00 ||
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Obama Deficits To Be Much Higher Than Hoped Expected.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/20/2009 17:33 Comments ||
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#7
To be fair, the Obama administration's were based on more optomistic assumptions. Such as the appearance of the "magical money fairy" with trillions of dollars of free cash.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Two months ago, the website added an official Congress channel, inviting Democrats and Republicans to share quirky political messages with voters.
Other postings, including one by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, were said to be too eccentric or random to resonate. In a minute-long video, Mrs Pelosi showed footage of her life behind the scenes in the Capitol Building through the eyes of two pet cats. Making matters more bizarre, the minute-long film was captured to the strains of Rick Astleys disco hit, Never Going To Give You Up.
The White House has estimated that the Obama budget will produce deficits of about $6.9 trillion over 10 years. But a powerful congressional office that is due to file its budgetary estimate on Friday will report a uch larger deficit.
