Couldn’t Help But Comment ….. (082608, Morning)
Well, I was wrong last week when I asserted that retired New York Times reporter David Cay Johnston wouldn’t be engaging in his apparently annual silliness with IRS data for the Times this year (six errors found in his rendering from last year were cataloged here).
I am sorry about that. Times readers, and the Times’s editors, should be more sorry.
In what I suppose is an honorary reappearance, Johnston is back again with another snorter.
If you doubt my harsh assessment, first establish in your own mind what the following headline and sentence mean:
Average U.S. Income Rose in 2006
Americans enjoyed higher average income in 2006 for the first time since 2000, when the last economic expansion ended, the latest tax data show.
Then go to his Times article and see what Johnston, the headline writer, and the Times’s alleged editors think they mean. You won’t believe it (well, considering it’s from Johnston and what remains of the Times, maybe you will).
I hope against hope that the Times didn’t pay Johnston anything extra for this. That’s the only way the Old Gray Lady could have gotten her money’s worth.
I may have more on this later — if I can stand it.
Update, 715 a.m.: OMG — They’ve already changed the headline from when I first saw it (about 11 PM last night). Now it’s “Average U.S. Income Showed First Rise Over 2000.” Even that’s a bit “inartful” (and wrong, because IRS Adjusted Gross Income is not “income” or “gross income” as the average person understands it). The first sentence remains the same. I took a picture of the whole thing. We’ll have to see if it does any more morphing.
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This is an important and in my opinion favorable development:
Illegal Immigrants Returning to Mexico in Record Numbers
….. The illegal immigrant population in the U.S. has dropped 11 percent since August of last year, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Its research shows 1.3 million illegal immigrants have returned to their home countries.
It also has all kinds of potential impact on the economic data that’s being published, and on its interpretation. Think about it: job reports, GDP, income — the list goes on and on. There’s lots of sorting out to do.
But please, let the out-migration of illegals continue.
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Scott Beauchamp, who embarrassed himself and The New Republic with his writings from Iraq last year, attempts to rehabilitate himself in a Radar Online interview.
That may end up not be nearly as interesting as the first comment made there, or the link included in that comment.
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Attention Team McCain: One of your Veep shortlisters has connections to the guy discussed here. Hint: He’s already Objectively Unfit, and, thanks to the investments made by him, his family, and his “former” firm, at a minimum not clearly on our side in appearance.
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Here’s important reading that will provide a meaningful contrast to the Denver event where “The One” I refer to as “Mr. BOOHOO-OUCH” (Barack O-bomba Overseas Hussein “Obambi” Obama – Objectively Unfit Coddler of Haters) will accept his party’s nomination — “The Obama-Ayers Top Ten: Highlights of the 20 year Obama-Ayers Connection.”
Here’s more, from Mark at Weapons of Mass Discussion — “One of Obama’s Mentors is Just SICK!!!! Frank Marshall Davis, Communist… and Pedophile?”
The underlying UK Telegraph article is here.
Wow. That’s mentoring you can believe in.
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Dan Scott has five Veep recommendations for the presidential candidate I refer to as “JS3M3″ (John Sidney the Mad Maverick McCain III): Tom Tancredo, Alan Keyes, Michael Steele, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson.
My take:
- Tancredo? Way too much diametric opposition between the two. Never happen. Someone needs to prove that immigration can swing congressional and Senate elections before using the presidential race as the guinea pig.
- Keyes? You don’t put the guy who only got 20% or so against Obama in the 2004 Illinois US Senate race on your ticket. No way.
- Steele? I hope not. He’s not prolife.
- Hunter? An absolutely awesome idea.
- Fred? The base would be so energized the delegates could float home from Minneapolis.
Thanks Tom for the reference, I believe we need to get a dialogue going that will impact the McCain camp. This is one election cycle that is in dire need of a candidate.
Yes, I like Fred too, however, my strategic thinking was more focused on other issues than Steele’s one negative. Maybe it’s time for a pro/con list of the various candidates????
Comment by dscott — August 26, 2008 @ 10:39 am
#1, wish I had time. I obviously think Romney’s not they guy. Besides that, being prolife, pro-growth, pro-borders enforcement, and pro-security are the keys, accompanied by a lack of skeletons.
Comment by TBlumer — August 26, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
Tom, don’t tease…and let’s not assume that McCain wants to win big as he would by chosing Thompson or Hunter. As it stands, he’ll pick a weakling and just eek by and as such have no mandate to show an already disgruntled electorate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrkjCjZbuVg
“My hopes are not always realized, but I always hope.” ~Ovid
Comment by Rose — August 27, 2008 @ 8:18 am
Huge ICE raid in Mississippi: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,411121,00.html Nets 1000 illegals. What I find annoying in this story is ICE waited years to finally pull the trigger on this company. They seem to be going for the big PR splash when they should be firing the shot across the bow by making an immediate inspection and sit there in the office running the SS#s. Even if you don’t physically arrest all the illegals, pin prick inspections would send the immediate message that ICE is everywhere and nowhere in this country are you going to get away with working when you are not supposed to. The self deportation process would be quicker and much more cost effective than rounding them up for immigration court dates. As soon as the sweat shops realize there will be periodic inspections checking the I9 form against the SS# provided, the jig is up and they will be forced to increase wages to hire citizens. With over 8.7 million people out of work, there is no excuse to claim they can’t get enough workers.
Comment by dscott — August 27, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
Talking about McCain, this really torques me: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10310154
This moron wants to waste more money on embryonic stem cell research. Haven’t we wasted enough government money on dead end research? Not one theraputic treatment has been made with embryonic stem cells, not one and yet billions of dollars are being wasted on panaceas of miracle medical cures. Had the money that was wasted been spent on adult and cord blood stem cells we probably would have had a cure for Altheimers and Dementia by now.
Between the embryonic stem cells, AGW and immigration issues, McCain certainly is not what I would expect of a GOP candidate. btw- just watch McCain on the immigration issue, his caveat was secure the border first, then he would get back to amnesty. Is it a coincidence that the 700 mile barrier system is almost done???? BTW – only half is fence (to stop people walking across) the other half is vehicle which means people can get through there. %#$%#%#$!@$
Comment by dscott — August 27, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
#5, I think McCain will be convinced that anything ESCR can do, ASCR can do better. Because those are the facts on the ground. That has only been clear for about 6 months, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Additionally the Dpost may be taking liberties with his stated position, given an LA Times and elsewhere article about a meeting he had with prolifers in Greater Cincinnati a couple of months ago (don’t have time to find now).
Comment by TBlumer — August 27, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
I agree w/dscott here. McCain’s first act will be to use his bully-pulpit to push through an amnesty bill. I don’t care what he says…no one can believe a word that comes out of any of their mouths.
I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but history proves that that is a risky bet.
McCain is a mean, bitter old man and this has/is all about the fact that he never got over “being screwed” (in his estimation) out of the 2000 nomination.
McCain wants the title, perios. He wants to say he was President. He doesn’t care what he does, who he screws, or what happens after he gets his “precious” (think Gollum in Lord of the Rings) title. Picking Romney or some other moderate will prove it.
Let’s just stop the posts, it’s hard enough to be forced to vote for the lesser of two evils who considered switching parties twice.
We’re screwed regardless of who wins.
Comment by Rose — August 27, 2008 @ 5:47 pm