fantapolitica
humorous look at Italian politics (bilingual)Monday, March 14, 2011
Wisconsin continues to outdo Italy in fantapolitica.
The Republican Majority of the Wisconsin Senate has deprived the Democratic Senators of their votes. Can they do that ?
Politico outdoes itself
Jonathan Chait quotes and gently criticizes. Edited down his post is much less diplomatic.
Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen argue that the Tea Party redefined the purpose of the GOP as opposition to spending:The Republican Party is undergoing a messy but unmistakable 20-month transformation from fanatically anti-Obama to fanatically anti-spending ...
[skip]
Here's is the one part of the article proposing a defined policy change:Even Ralph Reed, the Republican operative most tapped in to evangelicals, reflected the new GOP mindset when he gave this surprising wish list for the next presidential race: “In a perfect world, I’d like to hear the Republican nominee run on a platform that takes the capital gains tax to zero over five years.” ...
So an article putatively about the GOP redefining itself as an anti-spending party has one actual programmatic detail, and it's: a zeroing out of the capital gains tax. In the name of appealing to swing voters -- who, in fact, oppose tax cuts for the rich. Meet the new boss...
I think that Allen and VandeHei really don't care about the difference between cutting taxes and cutting spending. Politico is influential, but, what's worse, they used to be presented as reporters by the Washington Post. Clearly any interest in actual policy is considered liberal bias over there.
I can't top this. Also I'm pleased that my native country is following in the glorious political tradition of my country of residence (although 25 is a bit old by Papi's standards).
Jim Newell reports
Wisconsin Senator’s Wife, Maid Support His Recall
Jim Newell — Wisconsin State Sen. Randy Hopper, a close Republican ally of Gov. Scott Walker, is among the eight senators that activists will try to recall for supporting the infamous "budget repair bill" to weaken public sector unions. So this weekend, some protesters marched to his house — yikes! — to have a chat. But his wife answered the door and told the protesters that Hopper lives with his 25-year-old girlfriend now, and a divorce is underway.
Not surprisingly, his wife said she would join Team Recall and sign the petition. The (ex-)family's maid, apparently, had already signed it.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Belusconi nei Guai con donne
No not the million or so who protested Sunday and not the one's he invited to his bunba bunga. The ones who will judge him.
Turns out that various women have been making all sorts of trouble for Sivio.
There is the juvenile court magistrate who ordered the police to send Karmai Al Mahroug to a community making her release to the care of a dental hygenist regional councilor and a prostitute clearly the result of extortion (concussione).
Then, of course, Ilda Boccassini who handled the investigation and will handle the prosecution. And the GIP Judge Cristina Di Censo who just indicted him.
But the new news is that he will be tried by a panel of three women
"The trial is set to begin April 6 before a panel of three female judges."
This shows us how dangerous written exams are. The reason that so many magistrates are women is that entering magistrates are hired (typically right out of university) based on their score on a written exam on the law which is graded anonymously (with a serial number not a name on the exam paper). Therefore women are taking over the Italian Judiciary.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Stolen from the Associated Press
Staff
AP News
Nov 29, 2010 12:08 EST
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has insisted he only throws elegant, dignified soirees at his villas and not wild parties described by a Rome-based U.S. diplomat in a cable contained in the Wikileaks trove.
[skip to avoid violating the law too obviously]
According to the cable, the diplomat said of Berlusconi that "frequent late nights and penchant for partying hard mean he does not get sufficient rest."
Berlusconi said Monday he didn't attend "wild parties."
He added that "once a month, I throw dinner parties at my houses, where everything takes place in a proper, dignified and elegant way."
Berlusconi has been accused of entertaining escorts and underage girls at his villas.
Source: AP News
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Readers (if any) will have noticed that this blog has been quiet for a while. I just can't compete with Berlusconi
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Permanent Extension of the R&D Tax Credit
This is an unusually pointless post, since I am arguing that a dead on arrival proposal shouldn't have been made. The Obama administration proposed (or maybe just leaked that they might propose) a permanent extension of the research and development tax credit. This is (or would have been) an odd proposal, since it is very high minded and far forward looking.
The credit is extended every year. Permenent extension will have no effect on actual policy. It is partly a matter of honest budget forecasting -- pretending the credit doesn't exist in the future is one very minor way of understating future deficits. It is mostly a matter of removing uncertainty. Firms can't be certain the credit will be extended (even though it always has been) but they can be sure a permenent credit won't be revoked -- it takes 41 senators to block extension and 60 to revoke.
The really dismal prospect is that Obama thinks he is engaged in a serious debate with his critics. I understand that this is implausible, but recall the brief popularity of the argument that Obama and the Democrats were bad for the economy because they caused uncertainty. I don't think anyone took that argument seriously. Certainly elected Republicans didn't as is obvious from their enthusiasm for vague promises of major change of some kind.
Obviously Obama knows they aren't sincere, but he may have thought that journalists who quoted the Republicans argument would note that Obama's proposal reduces uncertainty. If so, he just doesn't understand the rules. If an argument is repeated and repeated, it will be quoted. If not it won't be quoted. Logic and consistency have nothing to do with it.
I know my hypothesis that the Obama administration thinks there is an actual policy debate is implausible, but can anyone think of a more nearly plausible explanation ?
I mean the proposal (or trial balloon) is long forgotten so no harm done, but it was worrisomely strange.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Extraordinarily hard working and productive blogger Marcy Wheeler who shows what other journalists could accomplish if they were able to concentrate on deadly boring legal documents hundreds of pages long without getting distracted wrote
First They Came for Women Enjoying Sex, Then They Came for Men Jacking Off
Referring to Christine O'Donnell's opposition to masturbation. I thought of sending her an e-mail noting that masturbation isn't just guys jacking off, but then I thought maybe she wouldn't be so willing and able to read hundreds of pages without getting distracted if I informed her about that little point.
Also Martin Neimoller might not like a paraphrase which can be edited down to "they came ... men jacking off."
p.s. I really hope readers of both genders know which little point I have in mind.
Tbogg has an idea "Someone should float a rumor to Andrew Sullivan that Christine O'Donnell is Trig's mom. Best week of posts ever"
Well that's OK. Certainly one doesn't get pregnant masturbating, so there is a link, but it has nothing to do with dabling in witchcraft, so it's like totally so last week.
I'd say the really good rumor is that Christing O'Donnell performed a voodoo ritual in which she stuck needles shaped like 23rd chromasomes into a wax model of Trig so that he would have Down's and Palin could prove that she is really absolutely pro-life and get elected and then appoint O'Donnell vice President when McCain keeled over. Now that's a rumor.
It's hard for fantasy to keep up with reality these days.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Atrios at 12:38 and 16:42
The Dangers Of Not Checking Article Dates
[skip]
-Atrios 12:38
The Obvious Course Is To Do The Opposite
I haven't figured out of the Blue Dogs and assorted fellow travelers really think supporting tax cuts for rich people is the way to keep their jobs or the way to audition for their next job... Because, you know, it isn't popular.
-Atrios 16:42
Which links to
April 6, 2009 6:30 PM
Poll: 74 Percent Support Higher Taxes On The Rich
I guess it depends on what the definition of "isn't" isn't.
