RSSBack To Hooverville for First Quarter GDP
GDP up 3.5 percent in the first quarter of 2005.
The country’s economic performance in the opening quarter of 2005 was better than first thought, logging a solid 3.5 percent annual growth rate in a new sign of a strong springtime business expansion.
The latest reading on gross domestic product, released by the Commerce Department on Thursday, was an upgrade from the 3.1 percent pace initially estimated for the January-to-March quarter.
The higher estimate for economic growth mostly reflected a slight improvement in the nation’s trade deficit, which was less of a drag on growth than the government previously thought. More brisk spending on housing projects also helped.
However, it appears that the media saw fit to rain on this good economic news by placing on the head line the negative statement, “Jobless Claims Rise”, as if it was a comparable. When we get way into the story we find the following:
In other economic news Thursday, the Labor Department said new claims for unemployment insurance rose by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 323,000 last week. Even with the increase, the level of claims still points to an improving job market, analysts said.
They are going to compare a 3.5% GDP for a quarter with 1000 unemployment claims? Even the negative economic news that is inferred by the headline, is really not negative after all. Go figure. To bad this information was not left for that last paragraph of page 2.
The trade deficit didn’t weigh as much on economic growth in the first quarter as previously estimated. The deficit shaved nearly 0.7 percentage point off GDP in the first quarter, compared with an initially estimated 1.49 percentage-points reduction.
Iraqi Govt Confirms Zarqawi Wounded
The Iraqi defense and interior ministers, confirmed Thursday that they believe Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was wounded.
Iraq’s defense and interior minister said he has confirmed reports that militant leader Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been wounded.
“We have information in the Ministry of Interior that al-Zarqawi was wounded, but we don’t know how seriously,” Interior Minister Bayan Jabr said during a news conference. “We are not sure whether he is dead or not, but we are sure that he is injured.”
Also according to an internet web site, al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist group appointed a temporary replacement for al-Zarqawi.
An Internet statement claimed the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist group had appointed a temporary replacement for al-Zarqawi. The statement was quickly denied in another Web site claim that disputed Abu Hafs al-Gerni had taken over.
The authenticity of either Internet statement could not be verified, although the second — denying any deputy had been appointed — was posted in the name of the person who usually handles the group’s Web site claims and announcements.
Wednesday’s first statement identified al-Gerni as “deputy of the holy warriors,” saying he was “known for carrying out the hardest operations, and our sheik would choose him and his group for the tough operations.”
However, the internet statement that was not verified was then denied by the Web site disputing Abu Hafs Gerni had taken over.
The Internet statement, the authenticity of which could not be verified, was quickly denied in another Web site claim disputing Abu Hafs Gerni had taken over from Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born head of the al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist group. The conflicting statements follow days of rumors Zarqawi was wounded and possibly killed or moved outside Iraq for treatment.
Update I: CNN
“We are not quite sure if he is alive or dead,” Interior Minister Baqir Jabbur said, adding the government received the report several days ago.
CNN’s Jane Arraf asked Jabbur after the Baghdad news conference whether he believed al-Zarqawi had been wounded. “He said, ‘Yes, it is true he has been wounded,’” Arraf said.
In an analysis of one posting, Octavia Nasr, CNN’s senior editor for Arab affairs, said the author “doesn’t go into the seriousness of the injuries.”
“If indeed there is an injury, the injury is serious enough for the group to be inclined to announce it publicly so that in case of death, it won’t be a total shock,” Nasr said earlier this week.
Update II: Fox News - Even with denial, A respected pan-Arab newspaper, Dar al Hayat reported:
A respected pan-Arab newspaper reported Thursday that several candidates were jockeying to succeed al-Zarqawi, none of whom it identified as Abu Hafs al-Gerni, but one being Abu Maysara al-Iraqi — the man who issued Wednesday’s denial that a deputy had been appointed.
Al Hayat quoted multiple unidentified sources of various names, saying that sources in Jordan close to al-Zarqawi, including a former Iraqi officer, told the newspaper Abu Maysara al-Iraqi and Abu al-Dardaa al-Iraqi, an Al Qaeda operative in Baghdad, were two potential successors.
Middle East experts on Islamic militants told The Associated Press that al-Gerni is a Saudi who has been al-Zarqawi’s military adviser and is the emir, or prince — as senior commanders are called — of the military committee of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
The two experts spoke on condition they not be further identified.
Related posts:
Zarqawi evacuated from Iraq
Zarqawi Wounded?
Could It Be True; Zarqawi Killed
Hat Tip: Gateway Pundit
A very good round up also being done by Another Rovian Conspiracy
A great job by Athena
Sometimes Its Just Clean Fun
Its not a party until a racy photo surfaces. Come on the theme was The Playboy Mansion, what did people think was going to happen? From most accounts it appears that they were actually wearing clothes.
While one student, who asked not to be identified, told the station a dress code for the party was not established, some of the girls showed up in skimpy lingerie.
“Regardless, the girls are hardly wearing any clothes. I just couldn’t believe their parents would let them out of the house like that,” Boone said.
Folks, have you seen what some of the girls actually wear to school these days?
Some Memorial High School alumni told the station the so-called “Playboy Party” went too far, saying the theme was too hot for teens. However, students who attended the party disagree, saying it was all clean fun.
In the immortal words of Dr. Ruth, “Sometimes a banana is just a banana”.
Update: Now this is a theme that might not to too appropriate.
Extremist, Priscilla Owen Confirmed As Federal Judge
After four long years Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen won Senate confirmation by a 55-43 vote.
“We cannot stop with this single step,” Majority Leader Bill Frist said in a written statement soon after the vote. The Tennessee Republican resurrected a threat to strip Democrats of their right to filibuster Bush’s picks for the nation’s highest courts if they violate the 2-day-old accord.
“We must give fair up-or-down votes to other previously blocked nominees,” he said. “It is the only way to close this miserable and unprecedented chapter in Senate history.”
The White House released the following statement:
Bush said Owen “has served with distinction on the Supreme Court of Texas, has demonstrated that she strictly interprets the law and brings a wealth of experience and expertise” to the appeals court.
“I urge the Senate to build on this progress and provide my judicial nominees the up or down votes they deserve.”
The filibuster compromise brokered the other night by a bipartisan group of 14 senators (Seven Dwarf’s from both parties) is seen to be as week as a Palestinian-Israeli cease fire agreement. It is one filibuster away from being broken and the “nuclear” Constitutional option brought back into play.
An aide in Reid’s office told FOX News that Democrats intend to filibuster Myers’ nomination; that could bring the entire filibuster agreement reached earlier this week to its knees. Some Republicans have said if judges like Myers are filibustered as an obstructionist ploy, they would throw their weight behind bringing in the nuclear option.
Frist said Democratic use of procedural delaying tactics to stop Owen and nine other Bush judicial nominees was “a new and dangerous course” and “a power grab of unprecedented proportions.”
Other Republicans agreed that the deal was just another way to “kick the can down the road” and postpone another inevitable fight.
“The big issue will be the Supreme Court vacancy,” Sen. Allen told FOX News, referring to the expected upcoming vacancy on that bench once the ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist becomes too ill to serve. “And we don’t want to be going through this sort of battle as opposed to the qualifications of the nominee. And unfortunately it seems to me that we will.”
What may be more interesting is the following comment by Senate Minority leader Harry Reid which goes against the intent of the filibuster compromise that 7 of his Democratic colleagues strapped him with.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said before the vote that he would vote against Owen because of her “extreme ideological approach to the law.” He said she consistently ruled in favor of big business and corporate interests and against consumers and workers.
In a point also made by The Moderate Voice, under the agreements of the filibuster compromise Democrats have the right to filibuster only “under extraordinary circumstances.” By Democrats allowing the passage of Owens, Brown and Pryor (the three most extreme) according to Democrats in the run up to today; how are they going to brand other judges that George W. Bush may nominate as being extreme? As The Moderate Voice says,
This was the first of Bush’s stalled judicial picks to sail through under the compromise struck by Democratic and Republican moderates — a compromise hard-core partisans on both sides consider something of a sell out.
Under the plan Democrats retain the right to filibuster “under extraordinary circumstances.” That suggests that Owen, first nominated by Bush four years ago, doesn’t fall into that category. So does she become the new yardstick? In politics — as in law — precedent matters.
It is only a matter of time before this situation boils over as too many Senators and their constituents were not please with the compromise sell out. Before long all the praise given John Mc Cain by the media will go the way of a Middle East Peace cease fire. Nothing has been settled with the issue of judicial filibuster and frankly the Republican base will never forgive Republican Senators if they do not do what they were voted in to office for. Act like you are in the majority.
Social Security Needs to Be Fixed
So say the Polls at the Rasmussen Report.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of American adults say that Social Security needs to be fixed. A Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of 2,500 adults found that just 38% take the opposite view and say the New Deal program needs to be left alone.
As with just about everything involving Social Security, there are huge gaps between the views of senior citizens and working age Americans. By a 61% to 29% margin, Americans under 40 say that Social Security needs to fixed. By a similar 58% to 29% margin, those over 65 say it needs to be left alone.
If you have not been listening those of you over the age of 65; President Bush has said over and over and over again that there WILL BE NO CHANGES TO SS FOR THOSE SENIORS ALREADY RECEIVING THE BENEFITS!!!
Bush said his job is to convince Congress that the problem is real and warned that opponents will try to frighten seniors. “If you’re a senior receiving your Social Security check, nothing is going to change,” he said.
Interestingly, the working people who pay into the system want it changed. The only segment of people who do not want the system changes are those no longer working and collecting benefits. How typical.
Among those who are currently employed and funding the Social Security program, 59% say it needs to be fixed. Just 33% of workers want it left alone.
