Today’s Standard
Saturday, Jul 21, 2012
The Economy Is Slowing, but Perhaps Not for Long12:00 AM, Jul 21, 2012 • By IRWIN M. STELZER
Slow, slower, and maybe even stop—that’s a quick summary of how Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke sees the U.S. economy. The economy grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent last year, 1.9 percent in the first quarter of this year, “and available indicators point to a still-smaller gain in the second quarter” he advised congress last week. Household spending is slowing down because “confidence remains relatively low” (at its lowest level since December); numerous factors (a supply overhang, unavailability of credit) “impede growth” in the housing sector; manufacturing production has slowed; business investment has “decelerated”; there is “further weakness ahead” for investment demand; and “reduction in the unemployment rate seems likely to be frustratingly slow.”
Now for the bad news. “U.S. fiscal policies are on an unsustainable path.” In the hope of forcing the politicians to do something to prevent the economy that is due to fall off a “massive fiscal cliff” at year end, when scheduled tax increases and spending cuts will, if implemented, cut 4 percent out of GDP and throw us into a sharp recession, Bernanke is holding fire – there will be no QE3, at least not just yet, and probably not until the August meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, if then. Besides, some of Bernanke’s colleagues feel the Fed has done enough, and that interest rates are already so low that a QE3 can’t lower them any further. Former Democratic Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin has the same view about the fecklessness of a possible QE3. The International Monetary Fund disagrees, and would have the Fed do more to ease monetary policy.
But Bernanke’s decision to hold fire is not likely to force the soak the rich Democrats and the no tax increases Republicans to compromise. We are in the midst of an election campaign in which President Obama has decided to replace argument with mudslinging, Chicago style—the style that has brought his home state of Illinois to the brink of bankruptcy, but which has been effective in boosting his polling numbers in swing states. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney is so busy responding to Obama’s charges – including one that he has committed a felony by filing false information with the Securities and Exchange Commission – that he has not had time to make clear how he would reverse the disastrous economic performance of the incumbent – if, indeed, he has a fully thought through plan to do just that.
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Friday, Jul 20, 2012
Happy Hour Links: Atrocious6:05 PM, Jul 20, 2012 • By MICHAEL WARREN
Mona Charen: Where's the anger?
ABC News apologizes for getting the initial report very, very wrong.
"What kind of idiot makes that kind of statement?"
Actually, it really is better for kids to have a mother and a father.
Unemployment is creeping up in 27 states.
Boston mayor/dictator says "no" to Chick-fil-A.
The Merlot's alright.
1 Sailor Unaccounted For; 3 Servicemen Injured in CO Shooting4:03 PM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
The Department of Defense announced that one sailor is missing after the Colorado movie theater shooting, and three servicemen are injured. Here's the press release:
The Department of Defense is deeply saddened by the news of the tragic incident at the Aurora Mall Movie Theater in Aurora, Colo. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families of those impacted by this event.
One sailor was injured and one, known to have been at the theatre that evening, is currently unaccounted for. Two airmen were injured in the incident. The Navy and the Air Force are working with the families of these service members to ensure they have the care and attention they need.
We can also confirm that the alleged gunman in this incident, James Holmes, is not a past or current member of any branch or component of the U.S. Armed Forces.
NPR Uses Your Money ... to Ask Congress for More3:28 PM, Jul 20, 2012 • By GEOFFREY NORMAN
National Public Radio media enterprise is so essential, according to backers, that it requires government support. But, as its supporters always point out, in an amount equal to merely 2 percent of the NPR budget. Which leads one to ask if the outfit couldn't find a way to spend two percent less or raise the money in one of those marathon pledge drives it holds every two or three weeks. The government, after all, is tapped out.
NPR is, instead, hiring a lobbying firm to lean on Congress. The firm's mission will be to "explain how the federal investment in public radio stations and larger public broadcasting system provides one of the most effective returns of any program authorized by Congress."
One suspects that the people at NPR consider the subsidy a kind of public blessing, an affirmation that it is involved in a higher kind of broadcasting than that which is done by the crass commercial outfits that take advertising – as opposed to "underwriting." That the federal money amounts to some kind of status marker.
Which makes Senator Rubio's heretical statement on one of NPR's signature programs all the more appealing.
Obama Directs Flags to Be Flown at Half-Staff2:23 PM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
President Obama issued a proclamation directing government flags to be flown at half-staff "honoring the victims of the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado.
"As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colorado, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, July 25, 2012," Obama's proclamation reads. "I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations."
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA
Rasmussen: Brown 46, Mandel 42 in Ohio Senate Race1:59 PM, Jul 20, 2012 • By MICHAEL WARREN
Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown holds a small lead over his Republican challenger, Josh Mandel, in Ohio's U.S. Senate race, a new poll from Rasmussen shows. According to the survey, 46 percent support Brown, who was first elected in 2006, while 42 percent support Mandel, the state treasurer.
Brown's lead is the smallest in the Rasmussen poll since March, when Mandel came within three points. The RealClearPolitics average shows Brown with a much healthier advantage, and the race still leans Democratic. But with Ohio occupying its usual role as a battleground state for the presidential race, the fortunes of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in the Buckeye State could have further implications down the ballot.
Romney Gathers for a 'Word of Prayer'12:51 PM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gathered with supporters in New Hampshire this morning for "a word of prayer."
"Our hearts break with the sadness of this unspeakable tragedy," Romney said, according to a rush transcript. "Ann and I join the president and first lady and all Americans in offering our deepest condolences for those whose lives were shattered in a few moments, a few moments of evil, in Colorado. I stand before you today not as a man running for office but as a father and grandfather, a husband, an American. This is a time for each of us to look into our hearts and remember how much we love one another and how much we love and how much we care for our great country. There's so much love and goodness in the heart of America."
Romney later said, "We pray that the wounded will recover and that those who are grieving will know the nearness of god. Today, we feel not only a sense of grief, but perhaps also of helplessness, but there is something we can do. We can offer comfort to someone near us who is suffering and we can mourn with those who mourn in Colorado."
His remarks were brief, and the crowd reflected the somberness of the moment.
"We're seeing that greater power today in the goodness and compassion of a wounded community," Romney said. "Grieving and worried families in Aurora are surrounded with love today and not just by those who are with them and holding them in their arms. They can also know that they are being lifted up in prayer by people in every part of our great nation. Now and in the hard days to come, may every one of them feel the sympathy of our whole nation and the comfort of a living god. There will be justice for those responsible but that's another matter for another day. Today is a moment to grieve and to remember, to reach out and to help, to appreciate our blessings in life. Each one of us will hold our kids a little closer, linger a bit longer with a colleague or a neighbor, reach out to a family member or friend. We'll all spend a little less time thinking about the worries of our day and more time wondering about how to help those who are in need of compassion most. The answer is that we can come together. We will show our fellow citizens the good heart of the America we know and love. God bless you for being here and sharing together this moment of sorrow, and god bless the United States of America."
UPDATE: Here's video:
The Political Battle Over the ‘Occupation’ Narrative11:33 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DORE GOLD
In January 2012, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yaakov Neeman, the justice minister, turned to former Israeli supreme court justice Edmond Levy to head a panel of legal experts that would look into questions of land ownership in the West Bank. The initiative came about when it was discovered that a housing project in the settlement of Beit El, north of Jerusalem, had been built years earlier on Palestinian private land, and the government decided to adhere to the judgment of the Supreme Court to have the Israeli building project removed. The panel was intended to study how Israeli decision-making had been made in the past and what could be done to avoid such situations in the future.
Yet, looking back over the last two weeks, what appeared to hit a raw nerve with the critics of the report, that was just released in July by Levy's committee, was not what it had to say about the issues, for which the committee was appointed, but rather with how it dealt with the broader narrative for describing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This became evident in how the reaction focused on the report's conclusion that "the classical laws of 'occupation' as set out in the relevant international conventions cannot be considered applicable to…Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria" (the West Bank). It was this sentence that was paraphrased and plastered on the headlines of Israeli newspapers and became a subject of debate in the international media as well.
How did Levy's panel reach this conclusion along with his two colleagues, Tehiya Shapira, the former deputy president of the Tel Aviv District Court, and Alan Baker, the former legal advisor of the Israeli foreign ministry in the 1990s? It was Baker who brought in a unique expertise having been one of the main drafters of many of the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians. The panel argued that the Israeli presence in the West Bank was sui generis, because there was no previously recognized sovereignty there when it was captured by the IDF in 1967. The Jordanian declaration of sovereignty in 1950 had been rejected by the Arab states and the international community as a whole, except for Britain and Pakistan.
Moreover, as the Levy Report points out, the Jewish people still had residual historical and legal rights in the West Bank emanating from the British Mandate that were never cancelled, but rather were preserved by the U.N. Charter, under Article 80—the famous “Palestine Clause” that was drafted, in part, to guarantee continuity with respect to Jewish rights won at the League of Nations.
Finally, with the advent of the Oslo Agreements in the 1990s, there was no longer an Israeli military government over the Palestinian population. Indeed, the famous 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention on occupied territories stipulates that an occupying power is bound to its terms “to the extent that such a Power exercises the function of government in such territory (Article 6).”
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Obama Prays, Takes Moment of Silence11:01 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
In brief remarks about the movie theater shooting, President Obama led the audience in prayer and a moment of silence.
"I would like us to pause in a moment of silence for the victims of this terrible tragedy, for the people who knew them and loved them, for those who are still struggling to recover, and for all the victims of less publicized acts of violence that plague our communities every single day. so if everybody can just take a moment," said President Obama, and then solemnly put his down.
The president called the shooting "senseless." "Even as we learn how this happened and who is responsible, we may never understand what leads anybody to terrorize their fellow human beings like this," Obama said, according to a rush transcript. Such violence, such evil is senseless. It's beyond reason. But while we will never know fully what causes somebody to take the life of another, we do know what makes life worth living. The people we lost in Aurora loved and they were loved. They were mothers and fathers, they were husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbors. They had hopes for the future and they had dreams that were not yet fulfilled. and if there is anything to take away from this tragedy, it's the reminder that life is very fragile. Our time here is limited and it is precious. and what matters at the end of the day is not the small things. It's not the trivial things which so often consume us and our daily lives. Ultimately it's how we choose to treat one another and how we love one another."
And the president invoked his own family. "I'm sure that many of you who are parents here have the same reaction that I did when I heard this news. My daughters go to the movies. What if Malia and Sasha had been at the theater as so many of our kids do every day?," Obama asked. "Michelle and I will be fortunate enough to hug our girls a little tighter tonight, and I'm sure you will do the same with your children."
The president concluded: "I hope all of you will keep the people of Aurora in your hearts and minds today. May the lord bring them comfort and healing in hard days to come. I'm grateful to all of you, and i hope that as a consequence of today's events, as you leave here, you spend a little time thinking about the incredible blessings that God has given us."
UPDATE: Here's the official White House transcript:
THE PRESIDENT: Well, let me, first of all, say how grateful I am for all of you being here, and how much we appreciate everything that you've done. I know that there are a lot of people here who have been so engaged in the campaign, have sacrificed so much, people who've been involved back since 2007. (Applause.) And so I want all of you to know how appreciative I am.
And I know many of you came here today for a campaign event. I was looking forward to having a fun conversation with you about some really important matters that we face as a country and the differences between myself and my opponent in this election. But this morning, we woke up to news of a tragedy that reminds us of all the ways that we are united as one American family.
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Romney Pulls All Colorado Ads10:45 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
The Romney campaign announced that it will be pulling all ads in Colorado after the movie theater shooting last night. "We are pulling all ads in CO until further notice," says spokesman Andrea Saul.
Saul also says that "Gov. Romney’s event will be to address the CO shootings," which will be later today in New Hampshire. "Ann Romney’s events are cancelled," says Saul.
W.H. Addresses Gun Laws Issue in Wake of CO Shooting10:32 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
In response to a question about gun laws and violence in wake of the movie theater shooting in Colorado, White House spokesman Jay Carney had this to say:
"I would say as you know the president believes we need to take common sense measures that protect the Second Amendment rights of Americans while ensuring that those who should not have guns under existing laws do not get them. ... We're making progress in that regard in terms of improving the volume and quality of information on background checks but I have nothing additional on that for you. This is obviously a recent event."
The quotation is courtesy of the pool report.
Obama Campaign Pulls Down Negative Ads After CO Shooting 10:27 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
Campaign spokesman Jen Psaki said, on Air Force One, that President Obama's reelection campaign has asked affiliates to pull down negative ads in the wake of the movie theater shooting in Colorado.
"We have asked affiliates to pull down our contrast advertising for the time being," Psaki said, according to the pool report. "It takes time for stations to be able to do this, but we are making every effort."
It's not clear whether the negative ads are being pulled accross the country, or just in Colorado.
UPDATE: The Obama campaign says it's only pulling down negative ads that are on air in Colorado.
UPDATE II: An Obama campaign official says all ads in Colorado are coming down. "We have asked affiliates in Colorado to pull down all of our advertising for the time being. Not just contrast spots. It takes time for stations to be able to do this, but we are making every effort."
White House: No 'Apparent Nexis to Terrorism'10:17 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters this morning on Air Force One that, in regards to the Colorado movie theater shooting last night, "We do not believe at this point there was an apparent nexis to terrorism."
According to the pool report, Carney said President Obama has been briefed twice about the shooting. The first was at 5:26 a.m. by homeland security adviser John Brennan, and the second briefing from FBI director Robert Mueller, chief of staff Jack Lew, and Brennan. From the pool report:
[Carney] said at aprox 12:30 a.m. mountain time the suspect entered the theater and opened fire on people during premier of The Dark Knight Rises. the incident happened three blocks from local police headquarters and law enforcement response "was immediate." Obama ordered his adminsiration to do "everything it can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time."
Obama spoke with the mayor of Aurora. VP Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama have canceled their events today, psaki said.
Carney said Obama first wanted to be sure the incident was over and "no more people were in danger," then he reacted as a parent, Carney said. Carney briefly appeared to choke up at this point.
ABC Suggests CO Shooter a Tea Partier (Update: ABC Backtracks)9:58 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
This morning, on ABC, reporter Brian Ross suggested the Colorado movie theater shooter might be a Tea Party member:
George Stephanolpoulos: "I'm going to go to Brian Ross. You've been investigating the background of Jim Holmes here. You found something that might be significant."
Brian Ross: "There's a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea party site as well, talking about him joining the Tea Party last year. Now, we don't know if this is the same Jim Holmes. But it's Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado."
George Stephanolpoulos: "Okay, we'll keep looking at that. Brian Ross, thanks very much."
Ross's evidence seems only to be a cursory Google search, nevertheless, he implies the shooter could just be a radical Tea Partier.
UPDATE: ABC News passes along this editor's note:
Editor's Note: An earlier ABC News broadcast report suggested that a Jim Holmes of a Colorado Tea Party organization might be the suspect, but that report was incorrect. ABC News and Brian Ross apologize for the mistake, and for disseminating that information before it was properly vetted.
Special Report Panel on Syria9:19 AM, Jul 20, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
Steve Hayes, with Kasie Hunt and Charles Krauthammer, last night
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