Karl Malden died

Wow, he was 97 years old. I loved him in the old Brando movies and he was a fantastic Omar Bradley in Patton.

Karl Malden, the Academy Award-winning actor whose intelligent characterizations on stage and screen made him a star despite his plain looks, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 97.

Malden died of natural causes surrounded by his family at his Brentwood home, they told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He served as the academy’s president from 1989-92.

While he tackled a variety of characters over the years, he was often seen in working-class garb or military uniform. His authenticity in grittier roles came naturally: He was the son of a Czech mother and a Serbian father, and worked for a time in the steel mills of Gary, Ind., after dropping out of college.

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ADP jobs report bad, but no surprise

CNBC's prediction of the recession being over takes another hit. The June numbers are a slight improvement over May but they remain stubbornly high. There's a myth that CNBC and others keep promoting which is that the economy will somehow recover and bounce back. As much as it's in the best financial interest of Americans (and the world) to see a strong recovery, it's laughable to suggest there will be any recovery of consequence in 2009.

As the San Francisco Fed president said yesterday, the economy will probably not show positive movement - even minimal movement - until late this year. Even then, recovery will be painfully slow. The cheerleaders like CNBC need to learn how to be patient. Let's strong together a few stable months before the hype of recovery starts.

U.S. private employers cut 473,000 jobs in June, more than expected but down from the 485,000 jobs lost in May, a report by a private employment service said on Wednesday.

The median of forecasts from 25 economists surveyed by Reuters for the ADP Employer Services report, jointly developed with Macroeconomic Advisers LLC, was for 393,000 private-sector jobs lost in June.

Though June's job loss was the smallest since October 2008, the surprisingly large number of cuts deals a setback to those expecting the U.S. economy to recover soon.

"The data surprises me a little bit in that the consensus out there seems to be that business is improving and that the economy has hit bottom," said Mark Bonhard, investment advisor at Dawson Wealth Management in Cleveland, Ohio.

"This definitely is not good news."

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Mortgage applications tumble, again

Maybe CNBC was too hasty yet again. How shocking but I blame their editor who probably failed to turn his frown upside down. He could have done a better job of smiling so it's all his fault. MarketWatch:

The volume of mortgage applications filed last week dropped a seasonally adjusted 18.9% from the week before, as refinancing activity plunged, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday.

Applications for mortgages to refinance existing home loans fell 30% for the week ended June 26 -- putting the MBA survey's refinance index at its lowest level since November.

Meanwhile, the week-to-week pace of applications filed for mortgages to purchase homes was down a seasonally adjusted 4.5%.

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An added reward from Franken's win: It made the right wing talking heads apoplectic

One of the best things about Al Franken finally securing his Senate seat was captured in this video from Media Matters. It made the crazy right wingers go even crazier:

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Reap the World Wind: The Mark Sanford Story

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DNC may have lied about $1m take from fundraiser; DNC insider says blogs are right on party's intentions towards gays

Gee, no one could have guessed that one. Pam has a source inside the DNC that says they're lucky if they raised $250,000, not $1m. Pam's source also says that the DNC has pretty much written off doing anything of substance on gay issues until after "the election" - not clear if that means waiting until 2011, 2013, or the end of the Obama administration in 2016.

Pam's insider adds:

[T]he blogs are closer to the truth [on how the Dems plan to handle gay issues] than the party wants us to know. They used the blogs to their advantage during the election, and now they're trying to figure out how to control what's become a nuisance for them. The current method for the fundraiser is by not telling the truth.

The Democratic party finds you and your civil rights a nuisance.

UPDATE: Mike Signorile has also been investigating the claims about the DNC fundraiser and the alleged $1 million raised. He's been asking a lot of questions, but getting no answers. Read the rest of this post...

As more of Sanford's sexual exploits become known, more calls for his resignation

Mark Sanford, sex machine. Who knew? (Besides quite a few women around the world, apparently.)

The calls are increasing for Sanford to resign -- and the calls are coming from Republicans in the State legislature:

Six of 27 members of the conservative Senate Republican Caucus Tuesday night issued a letter calling on Gov. Mark Sanford to resign.

Two additional senators considered among Sanford’s staunchest allies, also said they want him to resign though they did not sign the letter. Two other senior senators who spoke to the State said Tuesday’s revelations moved them closer to asking Sanford to step down.

The letter was crafted by Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, and was circulated among Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

It marked a major break in the silence of the General Assembly, which has the authority to remove the governor. Senators have been debating what to do about Sanford since late last week, while House members have largely remained silent.

“I signed a letter today asking him to step down,” said Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, chairman of the Senate Rules committee. •

Martin’s reaction came after Sanford told The Associated Press he had more romantic meetings with his Argentinian lover, Maria Belen Chapur, than he previously admitted, including two trysts in New York.

Sanford told the news agency he also had “crossed the line” with other women.

Probably not a good sign that "The State" is now including information on South Carolina's impeachment process. Read the rest of this post...

Fort Worth Police Chief: That Faggot Had It Coming

Dan Savage's headline. And he's right. The Ft. Worth, Texas police chief is now arguing the infamous "gay panic" defense to explain why his officers beat a gay man so badly that his brain is bleeding. (According to the chief, we're lucky his officers acted with such restraint.) The latest on the beaten man here. Read the rest of this post...

Consumer safety focused China eyes 'standing room' airline

I've flown on my share of dodgy developing world airlines but this is where I would draw the line. What else would you expect to be allowed in a country that consistently has consumer safety problems including the brand new apartment building that fell over due to shoddy construction. If the Beijing government isn't going to be serious about safety, why would others care? But hey, they have safety belts.

China's Spring Airlines, in an effort to handle a growing number of passengers, is considering selling standing-room tickets. A spokesperson said the carrier has been mulling the idea since the beginning of the year.

"The process of plane making is really long," spokesman Zhang Wuan told CCTV. "We already ordered 14 new jets. But some of them will only be delivered next year. And you have to wait for at least 5 years to lease a plane, and it is also very expensive."

"It's just like bar stools," he added. "The safety belt is the the most important thing. It will still be fastened around the waist."

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UPDATED: Democratic primaries: In NY, Rep. Maloney will challenge Sen. Gillibrand. In PA, Rep. Sestak will challenge Sen. Specter.

UDPATE @ 4:31 PM via Greg Sargentwe learn that it's not "official" yet for Sestak:

But Sestak spokesperson Jonathon Dworkin tells me that in fact, Sestak has not made a final decision. Dworkin says Sestak told the paper what he’s been saying to everyone else: He’s still talking to his family about whether to run.

“He mentioned his daughter in the interview,” Dworkin said. “He hasn’t made a final decision. He’s still on the same timeline as before. That has not changed.”

Dworkin confirmed, however, that Sestak had set forth on a tour of all of Pennsylvania’s counties. But is he in the race yet?

Nope. Sorry.

__________
Two of the newest Democratic Senators, New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed by Governor Paterson to take Hillary Clinton's vacant seat, and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, who switched parties, will be facing primary challengers.

Via The Hill:

An adviser to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) confirmed Wednesday that the congresswoman will enter the state’s Senate primary against appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Paul Blank, who works with Democratic consultant Joe Trippi’s firm, said Maloney is officially in the race. Blank is set to serve as a top adviser for her Senate campaign.

"Congresswoman Maloney has made her decision,” Blank said. “She believes times are too tough and our challenges too important for politics as usual.

He added: “Congresswoman Maloney is putting together a campaign team and will make her announcement in two weeks."

And, The Hill again:

Rep. Joe Sestak (Pa.) said Wednesday he will challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), becoming the second House Democrat in the past few hours seeking to unseat an incumbent Senate Democrat.

“I am going to get into the race against Arlen Specter in the Democratic race for senator,” Sestak told the Wayne Independent on Wednesday morning.

This is good for the process. Senate seats aren't inherited or bestowed upon people, although many in the Senate seem to think that's the case. Also, opportunities to run for the Senate don't happen very often. Read the rest of this post...

Those magical 60 votes

Well, this should be interesting. We've been hearing for years that the only thing stopping the Democratic party from asserting itself, from following through on its promises, was the lack of that all-mighty 60-vote majority in the Senate. And now they have it. So, Senator Reid, and President Obama, bring it on.

Oops, never mind. Read the rest of this post...

How Senators are deforming health care

A must read on health care reform today. It's titled, "Health Care Deform: Afraid of the public option? This is what America will look like without it." The authors explain in great detail how the country will look. It won't look good for most Americans, although the insurance companies will love it. This should be a must read for Democratic Senators on the Hill and their staffers -- the ones who are rejecting the public option and falling for an insurance industry gimmick

Opponents of the plan paint a dystopian future in which the government takes over American medicine, limiting choice and competition. The claim is demonstrably false: If the public plan option were enacted, most Americans would continue to get private insurance through their employers as they do today, and the public plan would be just one choice offered alongside a menu of private plans. Yet a post-reform world of unraveling choices, runaway costs, and rampant health insecurity could well materialize--if critics get their way and the public plan dies as a health care bill wends its way to passage.

Fast forward a few years to the first day that this reform bill--signed with much fanfare in the Rose Garden, with a beaming bipartisan coterie--takes effect. The bill's crown jewel is not the public option, but a "national insurance exchange," a benefit clearinghouse that is supposed to sign up private insurers to provide choices to people without workplace insurance. These choices vary based on the region you live in, to reflect the plans in the local market.

In many markets, however, the choices turn out to be roughly as limited as they are today, when the dominant insurer enrolls at least half of privately insured people in 16 states and at least a third in 38 states. The national insurance exchange is meant to create greater competition, but for most of the country, the choice is basically between WellPoint and UnitedHealth--gargantuan for-profit insurers each about the size of Medicare. Yes, there is more than one choice in most areas, but not choices that meaningfully differ from each other, or from what is on offer today.

Ironically, the problem is worst in the rural areas of the country whose Democratic Senators--such as Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus of Montana--have been among the Democrats most willing to forsake the public health insurance plan. In these rural areas, one or two dominant insurers hold over 90 percent of the market. (In all of Montana, for example, one insurer has 75 percent of private enrollees.) For people in these parts of the nation, a real choice of health plans is as mythical as unicorns.

Equally mythical, it soon becomes clear, are the consumer cooperatives that Conrad and Baucus had backed to attract Republican support. The reform legislation envisioned that these cooperatives would be chartered by the government and owned by consumers--the idea being that a democratically-controlled enterprise would be driven not by profit, but by serving the interests of its citizen-owners. But the cooperatives are almost impossible to get off the ground, just as similar consumer-oriented ventures have been in the past. Doctors largely boycott them, insurers undercut them, state politicians argue over them, and federal dollars are woefully insufficient to nurture them. It soon becomes clear that they represent little more than a fig leaf covering a lack of commitment to the basic aim of a public plan: having a tough competitor that forces large insurance companies to bring up their standards and bring down their prices.

Seems like Senators Baucus and Conrad aren't actually looking out for the best interests of their constituents.

It would probably help if President Obama were more definitive about his plans. The Obama campaign had hundreds of experts involved in crafting solutions to the health care crisis. It feels like right now, the decision-making is being left to the knuckleheads on Capitol Hill who have shown themselves incapable of fixing this problem. If Obama doesn't step in soon, insurance company lobbyists are going to be writing health care legislation, and we're going to be stuck with more of the same disguised as reform.

If this is truly Obama's signature issue, the White House needs to step in now and make it clear what is and isn't acceptable. It's time for a line in the sand. The president needs to lead. And, he needs to tell his former Democratic colleagues in the Senate to grow a spine and really reform health care. Read the rest of this post...

Citi raises credit card rates ahead of new law

It's really time to punish this idiotic company. Whether it's raising salaries to get around having to deal with their own problems or even being rescued from total failure, this is a company that continues to thumb its nose at everyone. You'd hardly know this was one the most troubled financial companies in the world. Then again, how would you know when Obama has hired so many Citi executives? If Citi wants to play games - and it's clear that's what they want to do - someone in Congress who isn't tainted by links to Citi needs to give it right back to Citi. The tax code can have an amazing impact on businesses and it's time that is used. Reuters:

Citigroup has increased interest rates on up to 15 million U.S. credit card accounts just months before curbs on such rises come into effect, the Financial Times reported citing people close to the situation.

Citigroup had upped rates on 13 million to 15 million credit cards it co-brands with retailers such as Sears, the paper said.

When the credit card law first was passed it never made any sense to delay its implementation other than Congress allowing banks like Citi to abuse consumers. Well done Congress and thanks for nothing, again. Read the rest of this post...

Defense chief looks into making Don't Ask Don't Tell more "humane"

Splitting that baby in half is being raised to an art form in the Obama administration. It's as if they think if they just hand us a few crumbs, maybe we'll go away - or more likely, maybe they'll be able to say "look at all the things we've done, and you're STILL whining?!" Obama is also hoping, I suspect, that he can con some naive gay rights organization into welcoming this "bold move" in order to give him cover for the DOMA incest brief and the ongoing DADT discharges. And once upon a time that might have been enough. I suspect Obama already has a group or three in his pocket, but as was proven over the past few weeks, the gay rights groups no longer control the community nor the agenda. And more importantly, the community isn't stupid. Finding more "humane" ways to discriminate against us is not going to, I think, placate people. Rather, this "3/5ths a man" solution may just infuriate the community all the more.

As an aside, it's interesting that Obama, who has been claiming that he must obey the letter of every law (well, actually, only the letter of anti-gay laws) is now trying to twist the law in ways that Congress may not have intended. Rather than trying to carve some questionable loophole out of existing law, why not just use his unquestioned power to issue a stop-loss order halting the discharges pending a legislative repeal? Good question. Read the rest of this post...

Politico: Sarah Palin story sparks Republican family feud

Politico on a new Vanity Fair story in which GOP operatives trash Palin's "mental state."

The vitriol also suggests the degree to which Palin remains a Rorschach test not simply to Republicans nationally but within a tight circle of elite operatives and commentators, many of whom seem ready to carry their arguments in 2012. Was Palin a fresh talent whose debut was mishandled by self-serving campaign insiders, or an eccentric “diva” who had no business on the national stage? Going forward, does she offer a conservative and charismatic face for a demoralized and star-less party? Or is she a loose cannon who should be consigned to the tabloids where she can reside in perpetuity with other flash-in-the-pan sensations?

Yes.

Some of our readers asked, last winter, after the election, why we were continuing to focus on Sarah Palin. Because she's quickly becoming the frontrunner for 2012, and a lot of the GOP establishment can't stand her. The more fuel we can throw on her fire, the better. Read the rest of this post...

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Finally, we're officially going to have a 60th Democratic Senator. Congrats to Al Franken. He'll be a strong progressive voice in the Senate and we sure need more strong progressive voices in the Senate. And, while there are 60 Democrats, there are rarely 60 Democrats in the chamber (and I don't mean Joe Lieberman and Specter.) Senator Kennedy is receiving treatment for his brain cancer and rarely appears on the Senate floor. Senator Byrd has been hospitalized and hasn't been around for weeks. The Senate really is an odd institution.

I'm in Maine for a couple days. Carlos and I drove up yesterday (we drove so we could bring Petey.) We're going to celebrate my dad's 73 birthday and the Fourth of July. I'm also going to meet up with the campaign staff from Maine Freedom to Marry to get a full briefing on the strategy to win in November.

Apparently, people in Maine haven't seen much of the sun for the past month or so. We're hoping that changes very soon.

Let's get things started... Read the rest of this post...

Insured but still bankrupt

Best health care system in the world, according to the right wingers and industry apologists. It's wonderful as long as you don't get sick and then you're screwed. Stories like this strike a cord with me because even though my father had decent health care coverage (even though his company pushed these costs to him while in retirement, against the terms of his retirement) he was terrified of losing everything. Even after reading the health coverage and confirming details he still never trusted the insurance industry and was afraid that somehow the cost of treating his cancer would leave his wife with nothing. This is what led him to choose the horrible VA system which did save him money though the treatment was as poor as one might expect.

As Joe and John have suggested many times, Congress ought to cancel their own health insurance plan until they manage to work something out for everyone. Their problem is that they can't even begin to relate to what the rest of the country is experiencing because they have it too good. Having their ears bent by the insurance industry doesn't help either. Whether it's under-insurance or flat out lousy insurance and of course no insurance, the system is a disaster and Big Insurance is about as trustworthy as Big Oil. NY Times:

In the House and Senate, lawmakers are grappling with the details of legislation that would set minimum standards for insurance coverage and place caps on out-of-pocket expenses. And fear of the high price tag could prompt lawmakers to settle for less than comprehensive coverage for some Americans.

But patient advocates argue it is crucial for the final legislation to guarantee a base level of coverage, if people like Mr. Yurdin are to be protected from financial ruin. They also call for a new layer of federal rules to correct the current state-by-state regulatory patchwork that allows some insurance companies to sell relatively worthless policies.

“Underinsurance is the great hidden risk of the American health care system,” said Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard law professor who has analyzed medical bankruptcies. “People do not realize they are one diagnosis away from financial collapse.”

Last week, a former Cigna executive warned at a Senate hearing on health insurance that lawmakers should be careful about the role they gave private insurers in any new system, saying the companies were too prone to “confuse their customers and dump the sick.”

How many members of Congress have ever had to worry about going bankrupt from being ill? Read the rest of this post...

Young girl survives Yemenia airline Airbus crash

Better still, the doctors are reporting that she is recovering well. Our of 153 people on board the young 14 year old was the only survivor. Many are calling for an investigation into the airline who was using the 19 year old Airbus and EU investigators will review as well since this flight connects with a European flight.

According to rescuers, the sole survivor was a young girl called Bahia, who was making a good recovery in hospital on the largest of the Comoros Islands. The girl, 14, who was said to have been travelling with her mother, was plucked from the sea near the crash site and then confirmed her identity to local officials. “She is well now,” said a spokesman. “She was able to talk to the authorities.”

Rescuers continued to comb the wreckage with help from the French navy last night, battling 40mph winds and high seas. Initial reports that a five-year-old boy had been rescued were later corrected as officials said no other survivors had been found.

Back in France, anger was mounting over allegations that authorities had known the aircraft was unsafe |to travel. Many of the missing passengers were French, or holders of dual French-Comoran passports, and EU officials admitted that they were considering blacklisting Yemenia Air over safety concerns.

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China backs down on internet filter...for now

It feels like the opening day of the Beijing Olympics. Plenty of optimism about the nasty government changing but we all know it's a big lie. They probably figured out another way of achieving the same goal, but with less of a PR disaster. The Guardian:

Instead of proceeding with plans to transform its notorious Great Firewall internet censor with new tools known as Green Dam, the authorities desisted. A terse statement ran on the Xinhua news agency. "China will delay the mandatory installation of the 'Green Dam-Youth Escort' filtering software on new computers."

The plan to bundle the software into every new computer in China had provoked an unprecedented wave of online opposition, protests by foreign governments and calls by prominent bloggers for Chinese netizens to climb, attack and demonstrate against the "Great Firewall". China insists the software is necessary to clear the Chinese web of "harmful content". But critics say it is a misguided attempt to put the internet genie back in the bottle by a Communist party with about 300 million netizens to answer to.

But this was just a small victory in a larger war. The tools have been shelved temporarily, not scrapped. Wen Yuchao, a journalist and blogger who goes by the online name North Wind, cautioned against overoptimism. "I am happy at this news, but this is just an interim victory – we still have a long way to go in the struggle. It remains to be seen whether the authorities will press ahead."

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Green technology is bad for business

Consumers would never buy it so let's quit trying and stick to our dear friends from big oil who know what's best. Reuters:

Is green becoming mainstream? A new global survey shows nearly six in 10 people would choose an environment-friendly car over a petrol-powered one, even if they had all the money in the world.

The survey of 13,500 city dwellers in 18 countries, by market research firm Synovate, also showed that over a third of respondents said they would either use public transport, walk, or cycle more often this year, partly to save on fuel costs but also for the sake of the environment.

"More and more, owning a car may not be viewed as that responsible," said Scott Miller, CEO of Synovate Motoresearch. "But car makers are producing more and more options that will appeal to this fast-growing group of green-inclined people.

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