Advocacy Consultant
Not much has gone right in Washington DC over the last year, and that includes the hometown football team – which is looking more and more like it’s being run by the same people who run the Metro.
Last weekend, the Redskins managed to lose by missing a 23-yard field goal and allowing a 53-yard touchdown pass.
How sure was Washington’s victory? Why, you could bet a 60-inch TV on it…
Like this guy did:
President Obama is calling for a new stimulus package, this one specifically targeted to create jobs. Though the President is no doubt a gifted orator, one can’t help but feel like the speech to the Brookings Institution was a little familiar… But where have we heard it before?
Of course, this speech comes on the same day that news broke that $6 million of the last stimulus went to PR work coordinated by firms run by Democratic operative Mark Penn.
Maybe the President should have looked at this speech instead:
The Obama administration is expected to name carbon dioxide a pollutant today – which makes it easier to regulate without Congressional approval. According to second grade science class, carbon dioxide is one of the essential ingredients for life – plants need it for photosynthesis. Still, too much of anything is bad, which begs the question of whether dihydrogen monoxide – a substance which can now be found on over three quarters of the Earth’s surface – is next:
What’s the problem with having a public option as part of a health care reform package? This video does a good job of exposing the fallacy that a government-run insurance program simply expands competition on an even field – or, in this case, court.
enator Dodd
Letters:
· Ted Keyes – Financial professional, active member of numerous greater Hartford business organizations and Dodd supporter ( has spoken with Dodd over the years on litigation reform issues, specifically Class Action).
· Ryan Kennedy – Former personal aide to Dodd. Ryan began a career in financial services about 5 years ago after leaving Dodd’s staff. He is a supporter, contributor and son of Dodd’s close friend, Brendan Kennedy.
· Mark Austin – Private Capital Group
Web postings:
· http://philosophyofexperience.blogspot.com/2009/11/dodd-turns-bank-reform-into-gift-to.html
· http://donpesci.blogspot.com/2009/11/dodd-dancing-with-scheme-liability.html
Sen. Bayh
Letters:
· Martin Wright – CPA and the CFO for Laibe Corp.
· State Representative Matt Bell (R-Avilla) – He is forwarding a previous securities letter along with a new cover letter.
· Deirdre Tiernan – CPA for the Indiana Rural Electrical Cooperatives.
· Michael Brenner – CPA for the Indiana Rural Electrical Cooperatives.
Phone call:
· Chris Belch – Partner in the bankruptcy firm Lynch and Belch. He spoke to Ellen Chube, Senator Bayh’s Banking LA. According to Ellen the Senator is reviewing the language and she could not speak specifically to section 984. She did say the Senator feels the House version provides too much financial regulation.
Web/Email:
· Indiana Manufacturers Assoc. – Included language on the Bill in their morning email blast to 8,000 members on 11/17.
Sen. Schumer
Letters/email:
· Mark Gjonaj – Treasurer, Albanian American Chamber of Commerce, to Marty Brennan with a copy of a letter he had previously sent in on scheme liability.
· Ralph Coti – Owner of Coti and Sugrue, a well-known law firm in New York City. He’s dealt with Schumer in the past.
· George Darden – Mayor, Village of Spring Valley
Phone call:
· Armen Meyer – High level staffer for NYS Banking Superintendent Richard Neiman. Called Jona Crain, Schumer’s LA for the banking committee, to express the superintendent’s views about the single regulator proposal and the negative impact it has on New York: destabilization of the state charter, removing expertise of a state partner, and giving banks no reason to stay in New York. He said JC wasn’t forthcoming with position of Schumer, but was very receptive to the opposition points despite public comments made by Schumer.
Here’s a nifty video from the NRCC (via TechRepublican):
Earlier this week, the Leadership Institute’s Campus Reform blog told the tale of a conservative student group at Slippery Rock University running afoul of the campus librarian. (Seriously.)
Apparently, the story got even jucier after the cops were called:
Mr. Tramdack claimed, to wit: “I have a copyright on everything I say and do. If you are willing to sell me the copyright, if you are willing to endorse that I own the copyright to this video, I will license it to you for $50,000. If I write a shopping list that says toilet paper to go to the supermarket tonight, that’s copyrighted. You need to learn about copyright laws…You have a potential libel suit coming down on you.”
Mr. Tramdack’s outburst demonstrates not only a stunning lack of professionalism but a disturbingly inaccurate understanding of copyright for a campus library director.
One more reason it’s always good to have a video camera nearby.
(This would have been discussed earlier, but it’s been a busy week…)
After an election season of making fun of Creigh Deeds’ ads, Bob McDonnell has to get his in the interest of equal time. Variants of this commercial – with McDonnell talking into a camera about generic, I-have-a-nine-point-lead-and-don’t-want-to-risk-anything themes – have been making the rounds on Washington stations:
It may be a testament to Deeds’ failure as a candidate that he is likely going to lose to a candidate who looks like the father, uncle, older brother, or possibly even the older version of Bruce McCulloch of Kids in the Hall:
Since it’s the season for spooky and disturbing things, well, here you go:
Sure, MLB playoffs are intense. But University of Alaska-Fairbanks Hockey? Why, they’ll send a bear to destroy the solar system…
Jim Eltringham 