Random Jottings

Just few impressions on a few stories that caught my attention over the last two weeks:

Unemployment insurance extension:   I have a question for the GOP:  In what universe does cutting unemployment insurance create jobs?  I mean, not extending unemployment may give people more incentive to find work, but all the incentive in the world doesn't help one find a job if there are no jobs to be had.  Not to mention that 30 billion dollars is small potatoes compared to TARP and 2 wars.   This is one of those few things the Dems may be right about.   Of course the Dems could have easily used some of the stimulus money or TARP money already borrowed to cover this instead of new borrowing, but I guess bailing out Wall Street , the banks, and funneling money to Democratic interest groups is more important than helping ordinary folks to weather the current economic storm.   More proof that our political class is arrogant and out of touch, regardless of party.


JournoList:  I think conservative commentators are overreacting somewhat to it.  I don't think the emails released by the DailyCaller tell us much that is new.  It showed us that the Journolisters in those emails seem to be a spiteful, mean, petty bunch.  We also learned the posters in the leaked emails hate conservatives, as if anybody who had ever read any of Eric Alterman's garbage couldn't figure that one out.  A bunch of libs, trashing conservatives when they thought they wouldn't be seen doing it. Seems like the kind of slimy, petty behavior found in a junior high school clique. 

The one thing I found interesting is the discussions on how to discredit Sarah Palin before these clowns knew anything about her. The exchanges just screamed the "how dare this outsider aspire to this!, she's not one of of us! " meme.  Given the immediate trashing she got in the media after John McCain selected her for his VP candidate, it sure would be nice to know how many of the JournoList members were involved.  I suspect not all that many, since the Caller didn't name a lot of names, nor were the people mentioned all that prominent other than as left wing hacks.  The way she was trashed was so immediate and widespread that it does make you wonder.  One hopes that Tucker Carlson will release a list of the JouroList membership so we can get an idea.