Aloha Politics

And finally, New Rule: Since President Obama seems to be having so much trouble defending his record on the economy, the next debate must be held in a mall. Any mall. It doesn’t matter. They’re all packed. There’s one not 100 yards from this studio, with dancing waters and a choo-choo train, and a shirtless gay kid out in front of Abercrombie & Fitch. The parking garage is always full, the Cheesecake Factory is working overtime, and Lady Gaga’s new perfume — with its delightful scent of blood and semen — is flying off the shelves at Nordstrom’s.

What I’m saying is, I know it’s campaign season, but can we all stop acting like the American economy is in complete shambles, where no one has a job or a place to live, and we’re all doing our laundry in the river? (wild audience applause)

Thank you. I mean, folks, I travel this country constantly, all four corners of it. And everywhere I go, I’m always standing in line for 20 minutes to buy hair gel, or batteries, or nipple moisturizer. Traffic is a bitch everywhere. Yes, there are people sleeping on the sidewalk, but that’s to buy an iPhone just like the one they already have! (audience applause)

It just doesn’t feel like Obama has ruined America. Republicans, you know, they used to talk a lot about this thing called the stock market, and how it helped not just the rich, but middle class folks, whose pensions and 401(k)’s depended on it. Well, now they never seem to mention the stock market. Perhaps, because under President Blackenstein, the Dow has doubled. Or as Republicans call it, “devastating economic news”. (audience applause)

Now, there certainly still is poverty in our country, but it’s obviously among the underclass that you don’t see — the very people that today’s Republicans couldn’t give a shit about! So I don’t understand why they’re all so upset about the economy. Except, of course, it’s their big issue. So they have to pretend that America is a rotting compost heap where people are eating cat food and wiping their ass with the pennysaver. (audience applause)

And weirdly, Obama kinda has to pretend that too. Because if he doesn’t, then he’s “out of touch”. So we all wind up living with this fictional picture of America that actually would be more appropriate for the year before Obama took office. Remember 2008? (audience applause) Yeah, I do.

That’s when Lehman Brothers collapsed, and the markets froze, and they were measuring GM for a pumpkin lot. And when you opened your bank statement, you saw the drowned Japanese girl from The Ring, and then you died.

And yes, I am saying we can keep blaming Bush for that. It’s the same as blaming rats for the Black Plague. Just because you’re sick of hearing historians say it, doesn’t mean it stopped being true. (wild audience applause)

George Bush left a flaming pile of dog shit on the White House steps, and now it’s gone, and Mitt Romney has a hell of a nerve running on the idea that “I’m going to fix the economy by restoring the policies of the party that destroyed it”.

12 million jobs. That’s what Mitt Romney promises. 12 million. A number that’s just… waaaaay up there. (reaches into ass to pull it out) Oh, there it is, wow! There it is, 12 million! (wild audience applause) Way up there! Hoo, boy, I feel better.

And about 45% of American voters hear that and say, “I like. Me want good now.”

People are disappointed in the economy? Sorry. I was disappointed in Prometheus. You don’t like the way the stewardess landed the plane after werewolves ate the flight crew? Stop electing werewolves.

That’s our show!

“HSBC and JP Morgan accused of manipulating silver market,”  Garry White and Rowena Mason, UK Telegraph, 11/8/10

“Michael Lewis Exposes Goldman’s Prop Trading In Flow Clothing,” Zero Hedge,10/27/10

“Chris Whalen Welcomes Our New Tyrannical Overlords, Prepares For The Taxpayer Funded Mortgage Insurer Bailout,” Chris Whalen, Institutional Risk Analytics via Zero Hedge, 10/27/10

“Homeowners Protest HAMP: ‘It’s Just A Scam And The Banks Are Getting Everything’,” Arthur Delaney, Huffington Post, 10/26/10

“Treasury Hid A.I.G. Loss, Report Says,” Mary Williams Walsh, NY Times, 10/26/10

“SIGTARP Calls Out Tim Geithner On Various Violations Including Data Manipulation, Lack Of Transparency, “Cruel” Cynicism, And Gross Incompetence,” Zero Hedge, 10/25/10

“The enormous mortgage-bond scandal,” Felix Salmon,  Reuters 10/13/10

“Exclusive Excerpt: America on Sale, From Matt Taibbi’s `Griftopia’,” Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, 10/18/10

“Foreclosure Fraud: We Need to Fix the Banks Again,” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 10/16/10

2010-197 Oct. 15, 2010 Former Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo to Pay SEC’s Largest-Ever Financial Penalty Against a Public Company’s Senior Executive*

2010-177 Sep. 30, 2010 Former State Street Employees Charged for Misleading Investors About Subprime Mortgage Investments*

“Ending the Off-Balance Sheet Charade,” Rolfe Winkler, Seeking Alpha, 9/17/10

“Follow the Dirty Money,” Robert Mazur, NY Times, 9/13/10

“SEC Says Prince, Rubin Knew of Losses Assets at Suit’s Focus,”  Joshua Gallu and Donal Griffin, Bloomberg, 9/9/10

“Why Robert Rubin and Citibank Execs Should Be in Deep Trouble,” Zach Carter, Alternet.org, 9/9/10

“Wall Street’s Big Win,” Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, 8/6/10

2010-136 Jul. 29, 2010 SEC Charges Citigroup and Two Executives for Misleading Investors About Exposure to Subprime Mortgage Assets*

2010-133 Jul. 27, 2010 SEC Charges General Electric and Two Subsidiaries with FCPA Violations*

2010-123 Jul. 15, 2010 Goldman Sachs to Pay Record $550 Million to Settle SEC Charges Related to Subprime Mortgage CDO*

“Bank of America Admits To Repo 105-Like Fraud, Even As End Of Quarter Window Dressing,” Zero Hedge, 7/11/10

“America’s Municipal Debt Racket,” Steve Malanga, Wall Street Journal Online, 6/14/10

“Senator Kaufman Blasts SEC And Getco For Latest Episode Of Glaring Regulatory Capture,” Zero Hedge, 6/11/10

“SEC Investigation of Goldman Trading Against Its Clients Widens,” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 6/10/10

“No Criminal Charges Against AIG Execs,” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 5/21/10

“Goldman to Face SEC Deputy Director in Subprime Securities Suit,” David Glovin, Bloomberg, 5/18/10

“DOJ: Banks Colluded with Municipal “Advisers” to Rig Bids on GICs,” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 5/18/10

“Conspiracy of Banks Rigging States Came With Crash (Update1),” Martin Z. Braun and William Selway, Bloomberg, 5/18/10

“Citi And Deutsche Subpoenaed Over CDO Sales,” Zero Hedge, 5/12/10

“SEC Didn’t Act After Spotting Wall Street Risks, Documents Show,” Bloomberg, Jesse Westbrook, 5/6/10

“Crisis Panel to Probe Window-Dressing at Banks,” Louise Story, NY Times 5/5/10

“Goldman Said to Face Criminal Probe by U.S. Prosecutors Examining SEC Case,”  Justin Blum and David Glovin, Bloomberg, 4/29/10

“The Feds vs. Goldman Sachs,” Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, 4/26/10

“Criminal Charges Next? Barofsky To Coordinate With DOJ To See If US Taxpayers Were Victims Of Goldman Fraud,” Zero Hedge, 4/20/10

“SEC Investigating Other Soured Deals,” Carrick Mollekamp, Serena Ng, Scott Patterson, Gregory Zuckerman, Wall Street Journal,  4/19/10

“S.E.C. Inquiry May Widen, Khuzami Hints,” Dealbook, NY Times, 4/16/10

2010-59 Apr. 16, 2010 SEC Charges Goldman Sachs With Fraud in Structuring and Marketing of CDO Tied to Subprime Mortgages*

“Rampant Fraud and Financial Collapse,” Zach Carter, Alternet.org, 4/14/10

Big Banks Mask Risk Levels Kate Kelly, Tom McGinty and Dan Fitzpatrick, Wall Street Journal, 4/9/10

“Finally! SEC Charges a Big Bank with Fraud,” Zach Carter, Alternet.org, 4/7/10

“Wall Street’s Repo 105 Cops Wake Up From Dead: Jonathan Weil,” Jonathan Weil, Bloomberg, 4/1/10

“SEC Launches Repo 105 Investigation,” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 3/30/10

“Full SEC Letter Demanding Repo 105 Disclosures From Financial Firm CFOs,” Zero Hedge, 3/29/10

2010-48 Mar. 26, 2010 SEC Announces $185 Million Distribution to Investors Injured by Prudential Securities Market Timing Fraud*

“Bank Of America Can Not Deny It Used Repo 105, Response From PricewaterhouseCoopers Pending; The BofA QSPE’s,” Zero Hedge, 3/23/10

“Obstacles to SEC/DOJ Pursuing Criminal Indictments for Lehman,” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 3/21/10

“Repo 105′s antecedents: Ken Lewis,” Bronte Capital, 3/20/10

2010-42 Mar. 18, 2010 SEC Warns Firms on Muni Pay-to-Play Rules*

“Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, UBS Are Charged With Fraud (Update1),” Elisa Martinuzzi and Sonia Sirletti, Bloomberg, 3/17/10

“Goldman’s Great Greek Swindle and the American Blowback,” Scott Thill, Alternet.org, 3/16/10

“NY Fed Under Geithner Implicated in Lehman Accounting Fraud Allegation,” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 3/11/10

“Secret AIG Document Shows Goldman Sachs Minted Most Toxic CDOs,” Richard Teitelbaum, Bloomberg, 2/23/10

“Goldman Says `Nothing Inappropriate’ in Greek Swaps (Update1),” Gavin Finch and Andrew MacAskill, Bloomberg, 2/22/10

“When is a Fraud Not a Fraud? (Greece-Goldman Edition),” Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism, 2/17/10

2010-21 Feb. 4, 2010 SEC Charges State Street for Misleading Investors About Subprime Mortgage Investments*

“Is Geithner Toast? Barofsky Announces 2 New Fed-AIG Probes,” 1/26/10

“Reuters: SEC Considered AIG Bailout National Security Matter,” 1/25/10

“SEC mulled national security status for AIG details.” Matthew Goldstein, Reuters, 1/24/10

“Naked Capitalism Guest Post: AIG Bailout Secrets Exposed!” Naked Capitalism, 1/23/10

2010-10 Jan. 20, 2010 SEC Charges General Re Corporation for Role in AIG and Prudential Accounting Frauds*

“New York Fed Told AIG To “Stand Down” On All Counterparty Discussions,” Zero Hedge, 1/19/10

“New York Fed Faces House Subpoena Over AIG Bailout (Update2),” Hugh Son, Bloomberg, 1/12/10

“Breaking (Update): Fed Denies House Subpoena For AIG Docs,” 1/12/10

“SEC order helps maintain AIG bailout mystery,” Matthew Goldtein, Reuters, 1/11/10

“Geithner’s dubious AIG cover up,” Edward Harrison, Credit Writedowns via Naked Capitalism, 1/7/10

“Might AIG Escape Prosecution for (Allegedly) Cooking the Books?” Marla Singer, Zero Hedge,  01/07/2010

*=THIS

There is one line in the sand, however: Social Security. Social Security is THE bedrock social compact that binds this nation together through generation after generation. It is THE signature achievement of modern American democracy. It is the foundation program of the modern Democratic Party. There is nothing wrong with it. It produces substantial surpluses every single year and will for many years into the future. It is the one program that ties youth, work, sacrifice, perseverance, aging, sickness, old age, and death together all at once. It is so important, it nears the sacred. For that reason, there is really no reason at all to remain a Democrat if a Democratic president cuts Social Security. For now, I take the president at his word when he says he prefers to raise taxes on the wealthy to account for distant shortfalls in the program. But when he says, “All options are on the table,” I start to worry. It makes me fearful that he will mess around with the last, best, hope of an impoverished middle class. Make no mistake: Cutting Social Security is a dealbreaker, pure and simple. Cut it, and I’m gone.

go here for da full story —–Going forward with loyalty and trepidation by brooklynbadboy

This is a good essay about why the Supreme Court is dead wrong in the way they have sided with the corporations and compromised the integrity and honesty of the free democracy and elections in the United States. In truth what SCOTUS has done is akin to the worst treason imaginable. Roberts, Scalia, Allioto, etc will go down in history as the worst corporate whores ever appointed to SCOTUS. This is a sad day for America. MSM, if you want a good academic background on the SCOTUS decision against the people and for the rich corporation then read this.

One last thing. I look at the Preamble. When I read “We the People of the United States” I somehow do not think the Founders intended corporations to be included in that formulation. If they did, then I have been wasting the past decade or more of my life in teaching government, because that is not what I have been teaching. Nor am I willing to teach that perversion of the principles behind the establishment of our government.

Go here to read the whole thing and tell the world how SCOTUS has fucked up bigtime! We are losing our democracy! Citizens United not the first wrongly decided case

Watch the video and see if it doesn’t remind you of the repression of the press in communist nations, like China and still in Russia despite their capitalist leanings.

Updated: Joe Miller’s pals at Drop Zone: About as hard-core as militias get