Bush team rushing through changes in workplace safety

Think of it as a little good-bye gift to industry, since they haven't enjoyed enough benefits already. Business will look back at these years as the Golden Years when all their dreams came true. For everyone else, not so much.

The text of the proposed rule has not been made public, but according to sources briefed on the change and to an early draft obtained by The Washington Post, it would call for reexamining the methods used to measure risks posed by workplace exposure to toxins. The change would address long-standing complaints from businesses that the government overestimates the risk posed by job exposure to chemicals.

The rule would also require the agency to take an extra step before setting new limits on chemicals in the workplace by allowing an additional round of challenges to agency risk assessments.

The department's speed in trying to make the regulatory change contrasts with its reluctance to alter workplace safety rules over the past 7 1/2 years. In that time, the department adopted only one major health rule for a chemical in the workplace, and it did so under a court order.

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Do the Republicans want to leave Iraq ever?

I get the need to withdraw from Iraq in an orderly manner that protects our troops and preserves whatever gains we've made. But, isn't it a bit odd that we're "negotiating" with the Iraqi government over whether, and when, we're ever going to be leaving Iraq? Basically, the "negotiating" positions are:

1. Iraq: Buh-bye
2. US: No

I just find it odd that we're "not an occupying force," but at the same time, the government in power, that we're supposedly there to help, has to "negotiate" our withdrawal, rather than just being able to tell their friend that it's time to go. Not to mention, the very fact that we're negotiating, and clearly opposing the Iraqi government position, which is "please leave," suggests that Bush and McCain really don't want us to leave Iraq for a long time. And just look at how upset Bush and McCain are with Obama, and Maliki, ever since their positions fused as one. It's as though the Republicans are simply don't want to leave Iraq, ever. Read the rest of this post...

New study suggests household products may be toxic

The chemical industry is not happy because the EU is forcing them to list all chemicals and prove that they are safe rather than the US model where the government has to prove unknown (and unlisted) chemicals are dangerous. As it stands today, the burden of proof is stacked against researchers and consumer groups. The chemical industry is obviously happy with the US model which is why they are furious with the details of this new study from the University of Washington. The study claims that many household products far exceed safe levels of toxic chemicals despite what the chemical industry says.

Trouble is, you have no way of knowing it. Manufacturers of detergents, laundry sheets and air fresheners aren't required to list all of their ingredients on their labels -- or anywhere else. Laws protecting people from indoor air pollution from consumer products are limited.

When UW engineering professor Anne Steinemann analyzed of some of these popular items, she found 100 different volatile organic compounds measuring 300 parts per billion or more -- some of which can be cancerous or cause harm to respiratory, reproductive, neurological and other organ systems.

Some of the chemicals are categorized as hazardous or toxic by federal regulatory agencies. But the labels tell a different story, naming only innocuous-sounding "perfume" or "biodegradable" contents.

"Consumers are breathing these chemicals," she said. "No one is doing anything about it."

Industry representatives say that isn't so.

"Dr. Steinemann's statement is misleading and disingenuous," said Chris Cathcart, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Consumer Specialty Products Association, in a statement.

Right. Is Nathan Thurm working for these people? Read the rest of this post...

Why the right wing and the media swiftboated General Wesley Clark

Because he's one of the best things the Democratic party has - a general who is on our side. A general who was the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. What the Republicans know, and we always manage to forget, is that they always go for our strengths. John Kerry is a war hero? Then attack his war record. George Soros is funding Democratic advocacy, then demonize Soros. MoveOn has become a major fundraiser and activist resource for Democrats, then make MoveOn a bad word in the Democratic party. The blogs have become a powerful left-wing noise machine, then demonize and marginalize the blogs.

They always target our strengths. And our problem? We always let them. It's time we stopped shoving our best assets to the side, and started using them. And here, without further ado, is the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, General Wesley Clark.

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Now it's FEMA who wants immunity

Let's just give everyone immunity and pretend as though nothing ever happened. You'll have to step over those people that are dying and struggling to breath but that's OK, Congress doesn't have a problem ignoring obvious wrongs. Besides, if we don't give immunity to everyone the Republicans might get angry and then be mean.

Tony Buzbee, one of the lead lawyers for the plaintiffs, said FEMA and the trailer manufacturers “worked hand in hand” after the 2005 hurricanes and should share legal liability in the cases. The lawsuits contend FEMA ignored concerns about formaldehyde levels in trailers for months after Katrina.

“FEMA is right to blame the manufacturers for the production of the toxic trailers, but the agency is not without culpability or legal liability for this debacle,” Buzbee said in a written statement Tuesday.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs want Engelhardt to certify the consolidated cases as a class action on behalf of tens of thousands of current and former trailer occupants in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The judge hasn’t ruled on that request yet.

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Or it's a testament to a subtle and pervasive media bias

From National Journal's Blogomoter:

Liberal bloggers are hammering John McCain for incorrectly asserting that the Iraq troop surge "began the Anbar Awakening" (in reality, the Anbar Awakening began months before the surge strategy was implemented). Liberal bloggers are describing McCain's statement as a "breathtaking" mistake that "disqualifies him from being president". They're also tying McCain's remark to his other Iraq-related misstatements -- such as confusing Shiites and Sunnis and making an incorrect statement about troop levels -- and arguing that the presumptive GOP nominee is ignorant of basic facts about Iraq.

The Politico noted yesterday that McCain's misstatements "have been concentrated in what should be his area of expertise: foreign affairs." It's a testament to how much credibility McCain possesses on matters of foreign affairs (deservedly or undeservedly, depending on your perspective) that these gaffes haven't appeared to hurt his campaign in any significant way. Given that Barack Obama does not have McCain's years of political and military experience, these sorts of mistakes would likely do considerable damage to the Dem candidate's presidential hopes.

No, sorry. It's a testament to how the corporate media, as David Broder already admitted, think they already "know" John McCain - they even bring him his favorite donuts - so there's nothing McCain can do that will cause the media to criticize him, ever. When a man keeps getting confused, in his area of expertise, over and over again, and he's rarely made such mistakes before, it's time to start asking some questions about just what's going on. If anything, John McCain making repeated misstatements in his area of "expertise" should raise even more red flags, rather than allay fears - McCain shouldn't be making these kind of mistakes on this subject matter, and he didn't used to. So why is he now? He's run for president before, been under pressure before - but he's never routinely confused his facts before. So why now? That's a story, even if you know his favorite donuts. Read the rest of this post...

Rasmussen now has Obama up in Florida and a slew of House seats are in play

Movement for Obama in the Sunshine State:

Barack Obama has caught up to John McCain in Florida. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds Obama with a statistically insignificant one-point advantage over his rival, 46% to 45%. When “leaners” are included, the Democrat leads 49% to 47%.

Over the past six months, McCain has maintained leads ranging from seven to sixteen percentage points. Last month, McCain led 48% to 41% in the Sunshine State.

A big push for Obama this month in Florida comes from unaffiliated voters. Last month, he had just a three-point lead in this demographic. This month, he leads by twenty-three.

That's quite a jump.

Keep in mind, Democratic registration has been surging in the Sunshine State. Just two weeks ago, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported on a "huge swing" to Democrats in voter registration:

An escalating number of voters registering as Democrats is providing evidence that the 2008 election could produce a wave of support for Barack Obama — and trigger a decades-long shift of party allegiance that could affect elections for a generation.

The numbers are ominous for Republicans: Through May, Democratic voter registration in Broward County was up 6.7 percent. Republican registrations grew just 3 percent while independents rose 2.8 percent.

Democrats have posted even greater gains statewide, up 106,508 voters from January through May, compared with 16,686 for the Republicans.

There are also a slew of competitive House races in Florida this year, which should also help bolster Democratic turnout. For years, there was an unwritten rule among the Florida delegation that the opposing party wouldn't challenge incumbents. Those days are over. By my count, there are eight GOP held seat that are very interesting in Florida. We'll spend more time on these races over the next couple weeks, but keep an eye on:

Florida 8: August 26 primary winner v. incumbent Republic Ric Keller;

Florida 9: Democrat John Dicks v. incumbent Republican Gus Bilirakis;

Florida 12: Democrat Doug Tudor v. incumbent Republican Adam Putnam; (Because Putnam chairs the GOP conference, he is the third ranking Republican in the House.)

Florida 13: Rematch between Democrat Christine Jennings and incumbent Republican Vern Buchanan;

Florida 18: Democrat Annette Taddeo v. incumbent Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; (Everyone who reads AMERICAblog knows we love Annette.)

Florida 21: Democrat Raul Martinez v. incumbent Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart;

Florida 24: Democrat Susan Kosmas v. incumbent Republican Tom Feeney;

Florida 25: Democrat Joe Garcia v. incumbent Republican Mario Diaz-Balart; Read the rest of this post...

Snickers is running another violent homophobic TV ad

You'd think these people would learn. Apparently not. Opvortex reports that this time they show a guy, who looks awfully gay - they even show a close-up of his ass wiggling back and forth - speed-walking (i.e., walking fast instead of jogging). Mr. T shows up with some kind of submachine gun and shoots the guy, with Snickers bars or something, yelling at him to act like a man and "get some nuts." Yeah, nothing gay implied about the guy looking like a big fag in short-short jogging shorts, wiggling his ass, and then yelling at him to "be a man" while shooting him.

So sick of these people.

Even Ad Age says the thing is anti-gay. You may remember two years ago when Snickers ran the horribly homophobic, and violent, ads during the Super Bowl. Apparently Snickers liked the publicity, or they wouldn't be doing this again. Really disgusting.

Read the rest of this post...

Jed presents "John McCain's Neverending War"

Watch this:



Jed does it again. Bravo.

Jed posted this video last night. So far, it's had over 25,000 views, which is very impressive for a nine-minute video. Jed also reports that the McCainiacs have been trying to bury it on Digg. So, he's trying again. Digg it. Read the rest of this post...

Novak-ula accused of hit and run against pedestrian

Wow.

A concierge at 1700 K Street said that she saw a bicyclist yelling and walked outside to see what the commotion was about.

"This guy hit somebody and he won't stop so I'm going to stay here until the police come," Aleta Petty quoted the unnamed bicyclist as saying, as he stood in K Street, blocking traffic.

A source who saw Novak put in the police car and saw the pedestrian on the ground, motionless, said other witnesses said the biker jumped on Novak's car to stop him.

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Nobel-prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz talks to me about the true cost of the war in Iraq, high oil prices, and the mortgage crisis

While attending the Symi Symposium in Greece last week, I was able to spend some time with Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel-prize-winning economist from Columbia University. Stiglitz not only won the Nobel prize in Economics a few years back, but he also served as the chair of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers. Stiglitz is an amazing man. He kind of reminds you of your favorite college professor. The one who took the time to explain things to you, and who actually seemed to enjoy doing it. I can't say enough about the guy (and his wife, who was a real gem as well) - it was just a pleasure and honor to be able to sit down with someone like this.

So... I was able to pigeon-hole Stiglitz for about 25 minutes and interview him on a variety of topics. I've split the interview in to three portions.

1. The first deals with Stiglitz's new book, "The Three Trillion Dollar War." Stiglitz argues that the Bush administration lied to us about the true cost of the Iraq war, and then when all is said and done, it will be costing us around $3 trillion dollars - and that's being conservative. (9 minutes)

2. The second portion of the interview deals with the physical cost of the war on our troops, and then we delve into the issue of oil prices. A really fascinating discussion about whether or not OPEC can produce more oil, how the dollar is affecting the price of gas at home, and how speculators are impacting the market. (8 minutes)

3. And finally, in the third part of our interview we talk about how increased US domestic production of oil won't help lower oil prices, and about the mismanagement of the US mortgage crisis by the Bush administration. (5 minutes)

This is the first part of the interview, below. The other two parts you can watch via the links above. Part 1 is okay, but it's in parts 2 and 3 that Stiglitz really gets going and the interview takes off. Altogether it's probably 23 minutes or so of video. I highly recommend it. I learned a ton, and hope you will as well.

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Increasingly desperate McCain accuses Obama of flip-flopping on the Holocaust

As I wrote yesterday, the Democrats let the Republicans attack their patriotism, and now their humanity, with impunity, and we're surprised that the Republicans keep doing it? This is classic Karl Rove, who is now advising John McCain. Rove clearly told McCain to do this, in order to steal attention from Obama's overwhelmingly successful international tour. Also, Rove and McCain must believe that Jewish voters are going to fall for this ridiculous line - that Obama might have been for the Holocaust. Abusing the memory of six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, in order to help your election. Kind of puts the Brandenburg Gate kerfuffle, and McCain's criticisms that Obama's trip was just political, into perspective. And what's worse, it's not the first time the Republicans have tried to use the Holocaust as some kind of political weapon against Obama. Remember when the GOP tried to make hay out of the fact that Obama couldn't remember the name of the Nazi labor camp that his uncle helped liberate? The Republicans are right. Jewish voters should take note... of who is abusing the memories of their ancestors.

By the way, I'm waiting for the ADL to weigh in and tell McCain to cut it out. Or do they just weigh in against Democrats who invoke the Holocaust for political gain? Read the rest of this post...

Mukasey is a disappointment to Democrats who supported him. Really?

Okay, this NY Times article was just waiting to be written. Eric Lichtblau probably put it in his calendar to give it six or seven months. How can Chuck Schumer really be disappointed? Seriously. Mukasey works for George Bush:

When President Bush tapped Michael B. Mukasey to lead the scandal-plagued Justice Department nine months ago, Senator Charles E. Schumer could not say enough good things about his fellow New Yorker. Mr. Schumer ran out of time in ticking off Mr. Mukasey’s accomplishments at his Senate hearing, and the senator’s vote of support ensured his confirmation as attorney general.

Yet at a hearing this month, face to face with his pick for attorney general, Mr. Schumer, a Democrat, did not hide his disappointment in what he saw as Mr. Mukasey’s reluctance to move more aggressively in investigating accusations that the Justice Department had brought politically inspired prosecutions against Democratic politicians.

Mr. Schumer was still fuming a short time later as he went to the Senate floor for a vote. “That was terrible,” Mr. Schumer told a colleague privately in assessing Mr. Mukasey’s performance, an official privy to the conversation said.

Articles like this are hard to stomach. Last November, Schumer and Diane Feinstein voted to approve Mukasey, despite his bizarre transformational performance during the confirmation hearings. They should have known better then. They shouldn't be surprised now. No one else is.

Read Dan Froomkin's column about how Bush rolled the Senate -- again -- to get Mukasey appointed. Disappointed. Ha. Read the rest of this post...

Obama's uncle, Charles Payne, recounts the liberation of Ohrdruf

Remember, in May, how the right wingers went into a frenzy because Obama named the wrong concentration camp when speaking of his uncle, Charlie Payne, who served in World War II? And, many of the traditional media types, including the Washington Post, played along like it was some kind of game. Oh, they really thought they caught Obama in a whopper.

Obama told a true story about his uncle's involvement with liberating a Nazi concentration camp -- and admitted that he got the name of the camp wrong. Jake Tapper wrote an excellent piece putting this issue into context. Tapper also made the point that Obama never raised this issue on its own. He brought it up in response to a question about veterans and PTSD.

Now, Obama's uncle, who is clearly very proud of his nephew, has come forward to tell his story of arriving at Ohrdruf:

Charles T. Payne was 20 years old and, like any good Midwesterner, he knew how to listen.

He was making conversation, in pieced-together English and German, with a freed prisoner of Ohrdruf, the Nazi work camp Payne's infantry division had just liberated at the end of World War II.

"With great difficulty we conversed and, if I got what it was he was telling me about, it was that the Germans had killed a million Jews and that the world didn't really know this yet," Payne, 83, told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday as, on the other side of the world, his great-nephew, Barack Obama, prepared to visit the Yad Vashem national Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

Helping liberate Ohrdruf, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp, in April 1945 was Payne's first close brush with history.

Like his nephew, Mr. Payne is clearly a very smart and thoughtful man:

As attention turns to the Holocaust with Obama's expected visit to the Israeli memorial on Wednesday, Payne reflected on the lessons of history.

"Clearly to me it's proof that there's no limit to what a man will do to man and what government out of control will do," he said. "I guess we need to be on our guard eternally."

We sure do. Read the rest of this post...

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

We've been waiting for John McCain to go off the deep end. He took a dive in that direction yesterday with his way over-the-top attack on Obama's patriotism saying, "Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign." It was disgusting. The video is here if you haven't seen it. Watch McCain's extended and very creepy grin at the end. Brandon Friedman wrote about the backlash from veterans. Jed Lewison accurately analyzed it as an attack on any American who opposed the war. Even Joe Klein was appalled:

I can't remember a more scurrilous statement by a major party candidate. It smacks of desperation. It renews questions about whether McCain has the right temperament for the presidency.

Desperation is the best word to describe it.

Thread the news, please.

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British soldier made $371,000 selling beer in Iraq

I think Halliburton might have a job waiting for this guy. The good thing about Halliburton and the other Western contractors working in Iraq is that having a criminal record would probably only enhance his chances of landing a juicy job.

Sgt McKay denies stealing Ministry of Defence funds. John Mackenzie, defending, told the court martial at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire, that the astonishing profits Sgt McKay made from his alcohol shop were achieved by buying cases of beer for £10 and selling them on to coalition troops for £37 or £50, Mr Mackenzie said.

In the first week he made £1,502 from his enterprise, which, said Mr Mackenzie, was carried out with the permission of the unit quarter master. In week six of the deployment he made £16,228 in profit, the trial heard.

"His estimate is that over the 12 weeks this venture made a $371,000 (£185,825) profit," said Mr Mackenzie.

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Freddie & Fannie bailout could cost $25 billion

Republican economics continues to show America how costly it is to ignore the basics. Failure to properly regulate and letting financial institutions do pretty much anything they liked is going to cost the US much more than any regulation would have cost. So now that we're in an economic downturn and funding two costly wars, where are we supposed to find the cash for this?

Congressional budget analysts put a $25 billion cost estimate on a Bush administration plan to bolster mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but raised questions about a key assumption underlying the plan.

The Congressional Budget Office said the estimated cost to taxpayers would be incurred over 2009 and 2010, if Congress approves the plan proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson amid a deep slump in the U.S. housing market.

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Europe investing $70 billion in solar powered supergrid

Sure, if you like that kind of thing. Anyway, we could never do such a project in the US because we don't have any sunny regions that are ideal for solar energy and besides, our current energy program is really good. Just ask the people who are selling it. It's probably better that the US stays out of these programs because it will only encourage more ventures and more jobs and more revenue.

A tiny rectangle superimposed on the vast expanse of the Sahara captures the seductive appeal of the audacious plan to cut Europe's carbon emissions by harnessing the fierce power of the desert sun.

Dwarfed by any of the north African nations, it represents an area slightly smaller than Wales but scientists claimed yesterday it could one day generate enough solar energy to supply all of Europe with clean electricity.

Speaking at the Euroscience Open Forum in Barcelona, Arnulf Jaeger-Walden of the European commission's Institute for Energy, said it would require the capture of just 0.3% of the light falling on the Sahara and Middle East deserts to meet all of Europe's energy needs.

The scientists are calling for the creation of a series of huge solar farms - producing electricity either through photovoltaic cells, or by concentrating the sun's heat to boil water and drive turbines - as part of a plan to share Europe's renewable energy resources across the continent.

A new supergrid, transmitting electricity along high voltage direct current cables would allow countries such as the UK and Denmark ultimately to export wind energy at times of surplus supply, as well as import from other green sources such as geothermal power in Iceland.

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CBS edits McCain gaffe from interview, provides fake answer for viewers to cover for McCain

This one is hard to even explain, it's so bizarre. McCain, looking just awful on camera, made yet another major gaffe about national security policy, on CBS. So what did Katie Couric do? She aired the interview with McCain, aired the question that led to the gaffe, and then inserted an "answer" to the question that wasn't the real gaffe-filled answer - it was something McCain said in a total other part of the interview. It's absolutely astounding how far the corporate media is willing to go in order to defend John McCain. And seriously, take a good look at McCain in this video, I was kind of shocked by his appearance - he doesn't look well at all.

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