Lucid Links (030609)

Noteworthy Net-Worthies:

Detroit Free Press — “Visteon shares at 2 cents; bankruptcy feared.” Visteon is/was Ford’s attempt to do what on-the-brink General Motors did with Delphi.

At Politico — “Obama’s safety net: the TelePrompter” (HT Warner Todd Huston at NewsBusters). This is beyond pathetic. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that we have a president who would have a hard time getting through a high school speech class. Especially note how the press works hard to cover for his extemporaneous speech-making impediment.

Can’t let this one get away  — “The Obama administration has directed defense officials to sign a pledge stating they will not share 2010 budget data with individuals outside the federal government.” Now imagine if Bush had done this.

No, it’s not the Onion, it’s the Obama Administration — “US Treasury secretary (Tax Cheat Tim Geithner) attacks oil, gas tax breaks.”

No, it’s not the Onion, it’s the Obama Administration (from the same link) — Tax Cheat Tim is a climatologist on the side, telling Congress that “U.S. oil and natural gas producing companies should not receive federal subsidies in the form of tax breaks because their businesses contribute to global warming.” I would say “Stick to your day job,” Tim, but …. well, maybe Jim Hanson is hiring.

“Totally unrelated” to the previous item (not) — “Treasury Secretary Geithner’s choice for deputy withdraws; department still lacks senior staff.” Also in the article “Geithner’s choice for undersecretary of international affairs, Caroline Atkinson, also withdrew from consideration, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.” And this: “Five weeks into his tenure, he (Geithner) has yet to name a single top deputy or assistant secretary.” My theory: Those turning the jobs down know a train wreck when they see it, and are not interested in jumping on board. Update: Michelle Malkin — “Wow. The rats keep jumping off the sinking S.S. Treasury Department.”

Jim Cramer on Obama, the NewsBusters collection:
- Feb. 2 — “We Heard Lenin”
- Feb. 13 — “Who Edits This (NYT) B.S.?”
- March 3 — “It’s Amateur Hour at Our Darkest Moment”
- March 3 — “This Is the Greatest Wealth Destruction by a President”
- March 3 — “Robert Gibbs Does It Again”

Cramer’s last word, at his place — “My Response to the White House” –
- Money sentence at his response (Page 2) — “The market’s the effect; much of what the president is fighting for is the cause.”
- The “I was fooled” admission (Page 5) — “I favored Obama over McCain because I thought Obama to be a middle-of-the-road Democrat.”
- Cramer still has the blame allocation for why we are where we are wrong. Some things take time.

After all the talk of deep, dark White House conspiracies during the Bush Administration, we have proof of a deep, dark conspiracy emanating from within the Obama campaign, and then the White House, just 6-1/2 weeks into the administration: “Rush Job: Inside Dems’ Limbaugh plan.”