RSSItalian Minister Wants to Bring Back the Lira
Welfare Minister Roberto Maroni wants to rid Italy of the euro and bring back the lira. He sited that the euro “has proved inadequate in the face of the economic slowdown.”
Italy should consider leaving the single currency and reintroducing the lira, Welfare Minister Roberto Maroni said in a newspaper interview on Friday.
Maroni, a member of the euro-skeptical Northern League party, told the Repubblica daily Italy should hold a referendum to decide whether to return to the lira, at least temporarily.
He also said European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet was one of those chiefly responsible for the “disaster of the euro.”
The euro “has proved inadequate in the face of the economic slowdown, the loss of competitiveness and the job crisis,” Maroni said.
In this situation, the answer is to give the government greater power to defend national industry from foreign competition and “to give control over the exchange rate back to the government.”
I personally always wondered why the individualistic European countries were going to give up the control of their currency for the euro. From a national level I never understood how it could work, let alone from a currency control stand point.
Maroni cited Britain as a virtuous example of a country whose economy “grows and develops, maintaining control over its currency.”
When it was put to Maroni that Trichet on Thursday dismissed the idea that monetary union could break up, the minister replied: “Sure, he is one of those chiefly responsible for the disaster of the euro.”
Don’t get an “Americano’s” opinion, let’s go right to the source. Lets ask the Right Nation’s opinion their opinion on this matter.
Or either Mirko or IdeaLibertÃ
We await their reply.
Come ritenete circa portare il lire indietro che sostituisce l’euro? È questo un l’opinione popolare in Italia o appena un crusade dell’uomo?
(Perdonilo prego se questo non correttamente traslate.)
Hmm … looks like the Vodkapundit doesn’t think this has legs. I do have to agree that when I was in Italy in the 80′s a pocket full of change really was a pocket full of change.
Last Chance For Blogger to Voice their Opinion with the FEC
Today, Friday June 3 is the deadline for bloggers to send their comments to the FEC to provide their opinions and views on a number of proposed regulations dealing with Internet activities. (Proposed rules can be found here.)
Federal Election Commission is considering whether to require political bloggers to disclose whether they are receiving funds from a political campaign, the latest step in a larger debate over whether political activity on the Internet should be regulated by the government.
This has been one of the hot button topics this week in the blogosphere as bloggers from both sides of the political spectrum have found commonality; Free Speech.
One of those new rules, the disclosure requirement, has many bloggers bristling, accusing the government of unfairly targeting them and impinging on free speech. But other political activists say that blogs can act as secret cover for political smear campaigns and create a Potemkin village of grassroots support. They say if that’s the impact, then the Web logs should be required to disclose whether their operators are on a campaign payroll.
Mike Krempasky of Red State has been the leading advocate of bloggers in this free speech battle and has done some amazing work. If you are a bloggers and are wary of leaving your name and address as the FEC requires go to Red State’s OnlineCoalition homepage and sign on to our anti-regulatory comment there.
Bruce McQuain of QandO was quoted in the Fox News article as well:
Bloggers have been particularly vocal about the proposed regulations, and suggest that self-disclosure, and adhering to a code of ethics, much like other news media do, is preferable to government control.
“Most bloggers agree that those who are being paid to support a candidate should disclose such an arrangement,” Bruce McQuain, co-editor of the neo-libertarian QandO blog, wrote in an e-mail to FOXNews.com. “It’s a credibility issue. Bloggers would be (and are) merciless to those who don’t disclose those sorts of arrangements.”
And thus McQuain hits it dead on. The blogosphere is unmerciful upon those that do not disclose arrangements which is more than I can say for the MSM. In the process those opposed to blogs being the “press” do not want to give bloggers “press exemptions”.
Krempasky of RedState has an update of a the reform groups response to the FEC:
Finally, we do not believe anyone described as a “blogger” is by definition entitled to the benefit of the press exemption. An individual writing material for distribution on the Internet may or may not be a press entity. While some bloggers may provide a function very similar to more classic media activities, and thus could reasonably be said to fall within the exemption, others surely do not . The test here should be the same test that the Commission has applied in other contexts – is the entity a “press entity” and is it acting in its “legitimate press function”?
See also Red States reaction to the reform groups explanation of “media exemption”.
Reform Groups (excerpt)
Indeed, as the NPRM notes, some bloggers have been on the payroll of federal candidates; others overtly solicit funds for candidates . These are not characteristics associated with the media in the off – line context. That fact, and other similar indicia of whether a blogger is acting as a press entity in its “legitimate press function,” should be an important consideration in the on – line context in deciding whether to extend the press exemption to a blogger
What? I would have to agree with Krempasky 100% with his Paul Begala/CNN comparison. The idea that the “exempt media” is not partisan is as foolish a response as I have ever seen. Since when have individuals not acted as both political consultant and partisan political operative? The media has been doing this for years and there has never been an issue even after campaign finance was passed. What’s good for the media is good for the blogs. I would further have to congratulate Kos as we did last night for tearing a new one into the IPDI. Thank you as well Mike Krempasky for all your tireless work.
Blogger unite, this is an important one. Take the time, this last time before the deadline hits to voice your opinions to the FEC. Do what we do best, make yourself heard and lets hear what you have to say.
Who else is posting:
Bill Hobbs
Desert Cat’s Musing
Update: The Political Teen getting into the mix.
Previous Post: Should Blogs Trust the FEC?
Not Everyone Thinks Hillary is the Democratic Savior
Hillary Clinton did the rounds in Hollywood with the Democratic elite raising an estimated $1 million from political donors. These fund raisers were to benefit both her Senatorial campaign for 2006 and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as well.
From a $1,000-per-person soiree at the home of Warner Bros. chief Alan Horn to a late-night Young Hollywood shindig co-hosted by such performers as Christina Aguilera, Scarlett Johansson and Jake Gyllenhaal, organizers of the Wednesday night events had to turn away aspiring guests.
One dinner at the home of radio syndication billionaire Norm Pattiz was expected to bring in $450,000 for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, organizers said. Clinton appeared at the event with Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
Hosts said a late-night event at the home of Roland Emmerich, the director and executive producer of “Godzilla” and “Independence Day,” was packed. The 27 people listed on the invitation as $1,000-per-person co-hosts included young actress Lindsay Lohan. Other guests paid $125 or $250.
Fund raising aside two rather interesting things can be said from Hillary’s Excellent Adventure to Hollywood.
1) Not everyone at the event was so sure that Hillary is the answer in 2008 for the Democrats answer for the Presidency. There seem to be some honest Democrats who actually consider Hillary a lightening rod for the mobilization of the Republican base in 2008.
But the fundraising swing, which occurred during the congressional recess, spurred speculation about a possible 2008 Clinton presidential run.
“I think she can win the Democratic nomination in a heartbeat,” said a veteran fundraiser who hosted one event in his home. “I question whether she can win the presidency.”
“It seems to be the Republicans who are talking her up more than anybody. That’s who they’d like to face,” he said. “There are some very high-powered Democrats in this town who were off to Chappaqua [the Clintons' home in New York] the minute we lost the election, looking to Hillary as the savior.
“If she’s that good,” he joked, “she could coach the Lakers.”
2) This fund raiser Hillary attended in Hollywood took place at the same time as another major Democratic get together was occurring as well. Why was Hillary Clinton not at “Take Back America“? The event was billed as the largest single get together of progressives liberals since the 2004 Presidential Elections. It would appear that Talk Left asks the same question.
Could it be because of this man and Hillary’s need to distance herself from him as far away as she can? Gee, you think? Hillary, Hillary … “Do you think all Republicans have never made an honest dollar in their lives either?”
The game of Dodge Dean has just begun for the Hillary for ’08 crowd.
An Iraqi Story Not Well Publicized
Days, even hours after the fall of Baghdad we were barraged with images and stories of looting. Then came the MSM’s tirade against the Bush Administration of not protecting the artifacts from the Iraqi National Museum. It appears that Archaeologist and museum director Donny George has changed his tune from the original blame game he had following the liberation of Iraq.
Mr. George — like many Iraqis and much of the American press — blamed U.S. military planners at the time for ignoring the history and culture of the country they had come to liberate.
But the museum director was much more conciliatory at the National Arts Club, where he told a well-heeled audience that he was “satisfied” with the level of financial and technical support to rebuild the shattered museum.
Asked whether the Pentagon had offered an apology for failing to guard the museum, Mr. George said U.S. assistance allowed his staff to rebuild the museum’s offices and galleries, install new security systems and create computer networks where there had been none.
“I will take that as an apology,” he said.
For all the reported stories and images from the MSM during the looting where are the ones discussing the efforts made to find and return the museum artifacts?
Roughly half of the 15,000 items looted from the National Museum of Iraq in 2003 have been recovered, said its director, who thanked American officials for assistance in restoring the building.
Archaeologist and museum director Donny George said law-enforcement and customs officials in the United States had intercepted at least 1,000 artifacts stolen from the museum in the chaotic days after the fall of Baghdad.
Another 3,000 or so artifacts have been found and secured in Jordan, Syria, Italy and other nations, said the museum director, an Iraqi-born Christian.
In true MSM fashion is the fact that not only were soldier and contractors found taking some items as souvenirs; the media was responsible as well. Report on a story of missing historic artifacts while also taking them as well. Is this a case of the MSM being hypocritical or creating the news story? They do both so often one loses track.
U.S. troops, journalists and contractors returning from Iraq are among those who have been caught with forbidden souvenirs — mostly paintings and small seals and cylinders that can be carved exquisitely and hidden easily.
Donny George further went on to say that the museum theft was done by “insiders” which in my estimation would have made it impossible to have ever prevented the theft from occurring. The items were gone before we ever got there.
Mr. George said much of the thievery was done by insiders, but told The Washington Times this week that Iraqi and museum authorities have made little effort to find the culprits.
Spell “appoggiatura”. Spell It, I can’t Even Say It
Anurag Kashyap won the National Spelling Bee beating 272 other spellers in a two days of competition. To be honest with you I would have a difficult time spelling “spelling bee” let alone the winner name without spell check.
Anurag, 13, of Poway clinched “appoggiatura,” a melodic tone, to take home some $30,000 in prizes. He won in the 19th round of the 78th Annual National Scripps Spelling Bee.
Anurag, a straight-A middle-school student whose favorite subject is science, tied for 47th in last year’s spelling bee. That experience “helped me to know what I should study to … like, win this thing,” he said afterward, repeatedly hiding his face behind his cardboard number.
I watched part of this competition this afternoon and needless to say I was humbled. Thank you “spell check”. I was lost at welcome contestants. To borrow a line from the movie Jerry Maguire; they would have had me at cabochon
Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin
