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In this image made from video, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal delivers from Baton Rouge, La. the Republican Party's official response to President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress (AP Photo/APTN Pool)
This is going to get old fast. In response to Barack Obama's big "State of the Union" like speech last night, the Republicans, via Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, had sharp criticisms of the President and stimulus bill including trying to reduce the MagLev train between Anaheim and Las Vegas to "bridge to nowhere" levels:
While some of the projects in the bill make sense, their legislation is larded with wasteful spending. It includes $300 million to buy new cars for the government, $8 billion for high-speed rail projects, such as a "magnetic levitation" line from Las Vegas to Disneyland, and $140 million for something called "volcano monitoring." Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, D.C.
First of all, there's no guarantee that the project will get some funding. Secondly, Anaheim, Las Vegas and everything between on the proposed train route is not some playground for the SoCal and Sin City heathens--these are working cities with real people who need jobs and transit options. Speaking from a regional commuter train perspective, a trip from Anaheim or Palmdale to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles would be minutes compared to the hours it currently takes on the freeways today.
This isn't about party hopping between the two international tourist meccas (and what's so bad about good tourism anyway?). So please, stop using this fictitious and silly symbol to sell your point of view, it's weak.
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NPR spent a segment this morning "fact checking" Obama's speech. But not one minute doing the same for Jindal. I think Rachel Maddow mentioned the fantasy train though. This and the Salt Marsh Mouse myth don't seem to be dying, even though they are easily proven false.
Your liberal media at work.
But he does it in such an endearing, Mr. Rogers-esque cadence!
if you go to www.jabberwonk.com you will find a whole list of linked articles on Jindal, including one that proves that his "Katrina story" is a lie.
Jindal, his fake southern accent and the rest of the GOP are scumbags. Noticed how he specifically named Disneyland and not Anaheim, CA. The whole region as whole would benefit for the train. Jindal lacked any sincerity. Vince from the Sham-Wow commercials would have done a better job.
i think the anaheim to vegas train would be beneficial to both cities. not sure if it will get the funding it needs to make it happen. but i think it's a good idea.
jindal needs to stop sounding like he knows what he's talking about. boo jindal.
What is most ridiculous is that the Recovery Act says NOTHING about a HSR (high-speed rail) from Vegas to Anaheim. The Recovery Act sets aside money for HSR for the Department of Transportation to appropriate through the usual means. The DoT also has never outlined this corridor for HSR. It's not on the list, and never has been.
The "orange line" you linked to isn't even the one he's referring to... there's another effort, some sort of advisory board that was put together to study a HSR corridor through the desert.
Moreover, EVEN IF HSR from Anaheim to Las Vegas was on the table (you know, linking two of the west coast's most populous and profitible urban centers) WHY IS THAT BAD? They keep referring to it as "Disneyland" but fail to mention that it passes through Los Angeles County (12 million people) and ends in Orange County (3 million). The fact that it's in Anaheim, and NEXT TO Disney isn't a big deal, it's just spin and buzzwords. If they would follow up on the plan, Anaheim has proposed a hub that would include more residential, commercial development, bigger convention centers, hotels, and resorts, and be a hub for transportation.
ITS CALLED SMART AND JOB CREATING. But apparently, that's bad.
Also, why is it so bad to spend 300 million on helping the auto industry by replacing and adding government vehicles when they obviously need the work?
I just don't get it. Do some research Republican Party!!
Amen, Zach!
As someone who commutes on the 405 from Long Beach to Santa Monica everyday, I want to see transit options here in SoCal!
I had a work function in downtown LA, and I chose to take the bus across Long Beach and catch a train to downtown. It was a very good experience, and one I would do daily if it were an option.
Bring on the trains!!
Heck, I wouldn't complain about catching a train from Anaheim to Vegas either. Cheaper than flying, I'm sure, and less airport hassle and such.
Please make Bobby Jindal go away. Really.
Sadly, not less hassle that flying-most likely the same, due to new anti-terrorism laws for train and bus travel the the Bush administration passed. Good to see that your leader Arnie's considering high-speed rail of any kind for SoCal, though-I'm from Canada (Toronto, Ontario), and I'm envious.
Palin/Jindal in 2012!
It is amazing to watch.
Here we have Hilda Solis, Gary Locke and Gil Kerlikowski from the West Coast taking key cabinet posts, and the Republican Party seems oblivious to the fact that Americans live out there.
Scientists say over 46 million live out there!
People in Washington and Oregon still remember Mount St. Helen's eruption and it is but one of a whole range of volcanoes through Washington and Oregon.
I believe they have a few in Alaska and Hawaii too.
I think today's testing equipment is better than the ones designed in the 1990s, and I know they regularly have to replace sensors at Mount St. Helen's.
Maybe the Republicans feel Volcanoes are how God punishes people and we shouldn't interfere.
michael's comments about the possible train from Orange County to Las Vegas are right on.
There is a story on FoxNews today complaining that two of President Obama's cabinet picks added earmarks to the 2009 Omnibus Bill that is in congress.
Solis' crime? She asked for federal money to help cover the cost of police equipment in the cities of Covina, Monterey Park and Baldwin Park, Calif.
"Scientists say over 46 million live out there!" good one.
Yeah, I feel like some people still think it's the wild west out here with no people.
Sometimes I wish we still were the wild west. But with people. And a government.
At least there are some people out there actually reading the bill.
http://www.factcheck.org/politics/gop_stimulus_myths.html
Zach, it's not news when you add your own opinionated slant!!!
Why you sticking this under news?
I know your the editor for this site, but that's weak.
Really weak.
I never took your stuff seriously before, but this just confirms you have no credibility.
If you want to stick it under news... write the facts.
Then be the first to comment with your own take. At least that would show you have some journalistic creadibility. Or will you admit you and this site have nothing to do with journalism?
Trojan, where is it written that news can't include an opinion? Nowhere. Conventional journalism frowns upon it, but this is a blog... not conventional journalism.
I don't think anyone would confuse the facts Zach provides with his opinionated take on them, so where's the harm besides that you clearly don't agree with his argument?
Did you see him last night?! He looked as a puppet for the GOP.
Did you see Obama last night? He looked like the person who is blazing the path to destroy America.
Spending bill to fund all of the liberal dreams... check
Wall Street crashing... check
Increase taxes... getting there
Welfare.... check
Save auto industry for union bosses... almost there
Tell Hugo Chavez his election on the 15th was democratic... check
War on Terror... what's that? we'll just let the terrorist go back home and continue with plans to bomb and kill americans.
Yeah, Jindal may have looked like a puppet. But it's not like Obama has done a great job so far.
BUT HEY, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ELECT A GREAT SPEECH GIVER WITH ZERO EXPERIENCE. YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM TIME TO LEARN ON THE JOB. IT'S NOT LIKE HE HAS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN THE WORLD. Oh WAIT, he does.
Poor trojie, he's wacthing the GOP commit political suicide. When Obama's plan works no one will ever believe them again.
The Green Party will represent the left, the Democratic Party will represent the right, and Republicans will be relegated to obscurity like the Whigs and the Torries.
JRB, I could give rats ass about the Republican party. They are a disgrace just as much as the Democratic party is.
But you keep drinking that kool aid.
Its funny how you were one the people who has commented that Republicans and Bush hijacked the constitution, but now that the Democrats and Obama are doing it, you're ok with it.
You don't call a spade a spade, and that's how I know you're a kool aid drinker.
Trojan... You need to chill the fuck out.
As far as your little epileptic tantrum; typical. I keep hearing it over and over again. Duh, a stimulus bill is a spending bill. The problem with conservative congressmen is that they believe breaking concrete is the only method of "stimulating" the economy.
Wall Street is not crashing you over-zealous dramatist. Markets fluctuate, shit like this is recurrent. To assume that the US and other industrialized countries won't find methods to capitalize and grow economically from this recession is typical over-reactive, apocalyptic, rhetoric from the right.
Hugo Chavez is an extremely popular political figure in Venezuela! If this administration said anything different it could have implications of eroding interests between the two countries. And Venezuela is one of the US's top exporters of oil.
I could keep going. But I'd be wasting my time, especially if I'm retorting to an USC alumni.
Thirty days in office and some are expecting miracles I guess. What do you expect Condom; a magic fucking wand?
Now the Republicans, including latex boy, are insisting that the country will be destroyed with Obama at the helm. Like the Republicans didn't do it already with no federal oversight insisted upon for the mortgage loan industry and no attempt made whatever to curb or end credit default swaps.
Due to the gross incompetence of the last eight years we'll all be lucky if we aren't living in shacks crapping in an outhouse somewhere. Everytime you hear about a tent going up in a tent-city...in this country...thank the right-wad dipshits that made it all possible.
Do you have any fucking clue what a credit default swap is? I can explain it to you if you like.
You obviously have no clue how we got into this mess, blaming a lack of federal oversight.
There was a lot of federal oversight. The federal government made sure this happened.
Congress, approved by Clinton, let banks get into investment banking and insurance.
Congress, led by a corrupt Dodd and Frank, pushed to keep Fannie and Freddie as a GSE requiring them to purchase more subprime loans. Frank who said he would rather error on the side of home owner than banks. But he had nothing to do with it.
When Bush and his Treasury secretary Paul O'Oneil pleaded with congress to deal with sub prime loans, Frank and Dodd called them racists.
When congress went after the Wall Street, but not after mortgage brokers and the bond rating agencies, there was federal oversigh with that too. Mortgage brokers have been huge donors to the democrats in congress. Check out who the top donors of Brad Sherman, Maxine Waters and Howard Berman are.
Don't through CDS out there if you don't know what it is. I may be a trojan, but you're nothing more that what's left behind in a condom and tossed in the trash.
Pointing the past and said but he/ they were worst, and we're just doing the same or a little better, is childish.
The Bush era ended when democrats took over congress in 07 and Obama became president this year. Stop trying to distract people with the what is happening now.
What did the liberals all spend the last 8 years reading on how Hitler and Nazis took power so easily?
"Do you have any fucking clue what a credit default swap is? I can explain it to you if you like."
We didn't fucking ask you to. And you can't explain shit.
"Congress, approved by Clinton, let banks get into investment banking and insurance."
So Clinton invented CREDIT CARDS?! You don't say?!
"Congress, led by a corrupt Dodd and Frank, pushed to keep Fannie and Freddie as a GSE requiring them to purchase more subprime loans. Frank who said he would rather error on the side of home owner than banks. But he had nothing to do with it."
So, last year, when the Banks pleaded in the congressional hearings for a bailout, why didn't they blame it on the lack of federal oversight and the committee members if this evidence is so prevalent?
Alex, you can't explain shit...
Hugo Chavez popular?
Banks pleaded?
Just 2 banks pleaded. Name the others that did?
Most of them were FORCED to take the money.
And yes I've explained a lot of things well on this site, and CDSs are something I can easily explain.
But, hey good for you. Let's not blame Dodd and Frank, who jumped at the chance to help banks, their number 1 donors. Lets not blame Dodd who got favorable mortgagges, Frank who... I'll let you look up all of his corrupt bank connections.
There should be NO bailout of banks, mortgages, car giants, NO ONE, NOTHING.
No government has ever been able to lead an economy. The people do. Tax and spend, govt sponsores entities DON'T work. NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL.
Look at the market today GENIUS. Obama says he wants to remove privitzation of student loans, only the govt should give student loans. Really? SLM, crash and burn.
3 weeks ago he said we had no time to waste, stimulus now. Bill passed, he waited an extra 48hrs to sign it. Guess it wasn't that important.
Now, he says we should raise taxes to spend more.
Find me the economists who appoves of raising taxes in a slowdown!
And AlexCANTSEE (No SHIT), Chavez needs the USA more than we need him. Chavez threatened people to vote for him.Chavez went on tv threatening people. Chavez has worked with the Sandinstas.
"Hugo Chavez popular?"
In a word, YES!
So popular in fact that the CIA couldn't subvert Venezuela's election, and get his Capitalist opponents elected.
I know people from Venezuela. Hugo Chavez is popular, he's a dominant figure in their country because of their stance against US foreign policies and favorable social-welfare programs. Do you know how much a gallon of gas is there? I bet not.
"And yes I've explained a lot of things well on this site, and CDSs are something I can easily explain."
No you can't because you haven't. You'll just have to live with the fact that you don't know everything; especially this. Douche.
"There should be NO bailout of banks, mortgages, car giants, NO ONE, NOTHING."
I agree, but this is concerning the stimulus package. Which concerns more with putting tax cuts, credit, equity, and economic stimulus back into the American hands. Don't confuse to stimulus with the bailouts.
"No government has ever been able to lead an economy. The people do. Tax and spend, govt sponsores entities DON'T work. NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL."
Right, FDR's New Deal, Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System, etc. never helped stimulate the US economy. So you're also an expert on US economic history? Right.
And for your information, my name is an ironic observation of how astonished I can get when I'm confronted by over-zealous dumb-asses. Like "I CAN'T SEE how Tojan can blame only the democrats and no one else." I figured you wouldn't be able to catch that because, well, you're you.
This isn't an argument on who is to blame. Blaming those does not matter, we are in a fucking crisis and you are to busy bitchin about who's fault it is. It's everyone's: The Government, banks, and the people who got swindled. Repub and Dems.
FDRs NEW DEAL did not work.
I'll take all the name calling in the world, I would take the torture Chavez puts his political opponents through, but I will always say the NEW DEAL did not accomplish the goal of stimulating the economy. It failed. Had he not been so protected by the press, had it not been for the outbreak of WWII, it would be more obvious. Instead, only economic professors will admit it.
Before you tell me FDR is an angel and a G-d... be careful. He's man that revoked the rights of people.
For my new friend DingDONG... a CDS is a tool used to insure a financial instrument. I'll give you an example.
CA issues 10 year bonds with an interest rate of 5%. A buyer, who would have to purchase $10MIL worth to think about purchasing a CDS, would then buy a single contract CDS to protect the investment. In most cases the buyer of the contact pays an upfront fee plus an annual interest for continous coverage.
In CA's case, the current up front fee is $220-250K to insure a $10Mil bond for 5 years, plus .25% interest.
If the issurer of the bond is unable to redeem the bond, or defaults by not paying due interest, the issurer of the CDS pays the bond/CDS owner the full amount.
The upfront fee of a CDS and the annual interest rate are gauges used to determine the viability of an investment. The higher the rate, the more likely the investment will fail. The lower the rate the better.
The seller of the CDS, the best counterparties at least, will take the funds recevied and purchase 90 days and 3 year US govt debt, or high grade commercial paper (90 day loans to companies).
AIG and Lehman were the biggest counterparties in the CDS market of mortgage backes securities. The mortgage backed securites of sub prime (ALT A) tranches were rated AAA or US govt grade by the rating agencies. So when AIG and Lehman insured these investments they thought they were safe, and did not charge high enough premiums.
As the MBSs failed and defaulted, AIG was paying investors until they ran out of cash. And because AIG was smart, they used the proceeds to buy ALT A MBSs insured mainly by Lehman.
Oddly enough, AIG was the counter party to the MBS of the Lehman HQ in London. So when Lehman went bankrupt, AIG was left holding the bag on CDSs they traded with Lehman and paying investors for the defaulting Lehman loan.
And ding dong, republicans are trash and democrats are demorcraps. I don't associate with either party because they are both corrupt, and purveyors of lies and bipartisian gamesmanship. I also don't like individuals who put politicial ideologue before practicality.
I am a believer of limited govt involvement in all matters, from economics to healthcare, to marriage, to abortion, to education and everything else. I am a believer of free trade, open markets, and competition.
And in case it really matters, I am against the death penalty too.
And neither party believes in those.
> For my new friend DingDONG... a CDS is a tool used to insure a financial instrument. I'll give you an example.
There's your first mistake. The word "insure" was carefully excluded from any explanations or descriptions of CDS. Why? Because if these instruments had been touted as insurance they would have fallen under federal guidelines which require insurers to be backed by capital and/or collateral.
Two forms of capitalization that these instruments are not required to have. And just what good, condom, is an "insurance" policy backed by air?
Dipshit!
Trojan you are an unpaid lackey. How do you like it? You know, being someone else's bitch without having brains enough to know you are being played?
Bet YOU don't know what a credit default swap is. But by all means prove just how ignorant you are and explain it to everyone else.
You still didn't explain CDS in your rant fool. And who was in congress when Clinton signed those bills? REPUBLITRASH ran the place!
Even worse than the bullshit complaint about the train is the complaint about "something called 'volcano monitoring'".
As a governor whose state benefits from the federal government spending a lot of money on something called 'hurricane monitoring', you'd think Gov. Jindal would understand the value of spending relatively small sums to prevent much greater losses by giving advance warning of impending catastrophic natural disasters.
If you think Hurricane Katrina was a mess, imagine what it would have been like without NOAA weather satellites and hurricane-hunter flights to provide advance warning.
What an idiot.
And trojan2002, why don't you give the whole "journalists can't have opinions about the news" thing a rest?
That's just more nonsense from the same people who claimed that "fair and balanced" meant 'balancing' the grim but realistic pronouncements of one side with pie-in-the-sky bullshit from the other side.
If you don't like blog editors stating their opinions in a news article, then go read a different blog or go start your own.
Whining about what people choose to do on their own blogs is just boring.
I'm not sure the editors of the blog would like you to tell other readers to stop visiting this blog & visit others.
Laist & Gothamist as a whole profit from the more viewers they have. Further, I think it's healthy to cultivate a medium that accepts all viewpoints, regardless of what they are.
Play nicely.
LAMap,
we're not talking about FNC we're talking about this site. Specifically this article.
Obviously Zach has his own opinions and that's fine. I didn't attack his opinion or have anything against.
But he posted this under NEWS. But when he INSERTS his opinion into the piece it's not news it's an OPINION piece.
And this is not Zach's blog he works for a company that owns the site. He's the editor. Again, if he has an opinion it shouldn't be inserted into a NEWS piece.
And this site is supposed to be more than a blog. It's supposed more local news than blogging.
AND LAMAP, FNC must not be fair and balanced when all of their shows bury MSNBC and CNN, and liberal papers are losing money left and right.
America already decided, and they decided FNC is more fair and balanced than other networks and other news outlets.
Do you read the paper? Half of the crap is filled with their opinion. Thinly veiled yes, but still opinion. Same with news on TV. Isn't that why they grab ratings?
What's ridiculous is when there is a one sided piece towards Republicans, Democrats will yell at it for being one sided and biased/bible thumping/gay-hating individuals while the republicans will celebrate it as "real news" and when there is a onesided piece towards Democrats, it will be hailed by democrats as "real news" and criticized by the republicans as the liberal left/baby killing/socialist bastards.
or whatever you'd like to call it.
Journalists with opinions about the news started at Fox. The right-wing mouthpiece for all things fucked up.
Bottom line: The stimulus act provides funding allocated for HSR. WHICH high speed rail lines might be built with this money is NOT decided. The DOT will use the money on projects as it sees fit. Most of the HSR money going to California will go to the project we just voted on (socal-san francisco line). I doubt they'll worry about the Orange-Vegas line until this other line is finished.
The project we just voted on was amended to include Orange-Vegas.
We'll stop fabricating specifics about the party train to nowhere when Obama stops lying about our "recovery plan free of earmarks".
I mean honestly, who the the hell does he think he's kidding with that?
As for Jindal, I agree that his response started off incredibly weak (not to mention downright strange) but I think he managed to turn it around by the closing. He definitely needs to work on his presentation.
Translation: We'll keep lying if we think you're lying.
WTF sort of blind partisan are you, Ugly American?
BTW, I disagree with a lot of the items in the plan, but where or when did Obama ever say the recovery plan would be free of earmarks? Or are you trying to spread another lie?
Several times. Most recently in his SOTU address last night..."I’m proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks..."
And my lie for a lie comment was meant to be tongue in cheek because as everyone knows, Democrats never exaggerate their talking points.
Also, your blind partisanship remark is quite amusing considering all of the above comments. I just wish you guys could admit that Obama's recovery plan is as big a goatfuck as Bush's TARP funding was.
Thanks for the citation!
If you loons out there think a multi-billion dollar boondoggle bullet train from Vegas to Anaheim is such a great idea, put YOUR money where your mouth is. PAY FOR IT YOUR OWN D*** SELF. Quick picking my pocket.
What makes you think it would be a "boondoggle" and not profitable?
You fail to provide an answer to his question.
Why not pay for it yourself?
Uh, he didn't ask a question. Stop being such an ass.
I was asking for clarification regarding the assertion that a high speed train between SoCal and Vegas would be a boondoggle. What is the evidence?
"Why not pay for it yourself?"
Uh, we will be.
Just a thought for you, you right-wing drone: That war in Iraq can be paid for by you and the rest of your brainwashed GOP zombie brood. Better yet, let's see you go there and fight it yourself.
If you are in the minority as to how tax dollars are spent that's just too damned bad. Now buck the fuck up and bite the bullet. Better yet move.
Why don't you apply the same thinking to all of that military pork for useless fighter jets that get shot down anyway despite being stealthy, moron? That's more a waste of money than this! Or do you like having your brain turned to mush by bullshit info from Faux Noise?
From TPM Muckraker...
Jindal Admits Katrina Story Was False
By Zachary Roth - February 27, 2009, 12:39PM
Looks like the game is up.
Remember that story Bobby Jindal told in his big speech Tuesday night -- about how during Katrina, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a local sheriff who was battling government red tape to try to rescue stranded victims?
Turns out it wasn't actually, you know, true.
In the last few days, first Daily Kos, and then TPMmuckraker, raised serious questions about the story, based in part on the fact that no news reports we could find place Jindal in the affected area at the specific time at issue.
Jindal had described being in the office of Sheriff Harry Lee "during Katrina," and hearing him yelling into the phone at a government bureaucrat who was refusing to let him send volunteer boats out to rescue stranded storm victims, because they didn't have the necessary permits. Jindal said he told Lee, "that's ridiculous," prompting Lee to tell the bureaucrat that the rescue effort would go ahead and he or she could arrest both Lee and Jindal.
But now, a Jindal spokeswoman has admitted to Politico that in reality, Jindal overheard Lee talking about the episode to someone else by phone "days later." The spokeswoman said she thought Lee, who died in 2007, was being interviewed about the incident at the time.
This is no minor difference. Jindal's presence in Lee's office during the crisis itself was a key element of the story's intended appeal, putting him at the center of the action during the maelstrom. Just as important, Jindal implied that his support for the sheriff helped ensure the rescue went ahead. But it turns out Jindal wasn't there at the key moment, and played no role in making the rescue happen.
There's a larger point here, though. The central anecdote of the GOP's prime-time response to President Obama's speech, intended to illustrate the threat of excessive government regulation, turns out to have been made up.
If a Republican's lips are moving s/he's lying.
*sigh*
With Hurricane Katrina -- the day after Bobby was in my office, said, 'What do you need?
--Sheriff Harry Lee
Daily Kos.....LOL..... Brilliant.
Next Idiotic Claim: The "day after" is not equal to "during".
"Next Idiotic Claim:"
**sigh**
Yea that's what I say. Jindal's staff have admitted it was a lie. This is just as bad as someone who isn't claiming to be a Veteran. Sheriff Harry Lee was a hero. He's dead now, and here's Jindal trying to glom onto Lee's legacy of heroisim for propaganda puposes.
What a typical Republican scumbag!!
"Next Idiotic Claim"
How 'bout that Jindal's staff have already come out and admitted it was a lie?
What a typical Republican scumbag! Jindal gloms onto real heroisim in hopes some will rub off on him. Too bad Lee isn't alive to call Jindal a liar, but then I suppose that's why Jindal came up with this particular tale. Lee isn't in a position to call him out on it.
TUA, here's scumbag Jindal telling the same lie in Grand Rapids. This time in jindal's own words the incident happened "an hour after the storm".
Watch for yourself...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sopRKVaiSc0