It’s a gift that keeps on giving! Professor Krugman weighs in, from vacation, on Today’s Only Topic:
Galt / Gekko 2012
Paul Ryan for VP — or, as Romney said in the press conference, “the next president of the United States”. I did say Galt/Gekko, not Gekko/Galt…
[A]nyone who believes in Ryan’s carefully cultivated image as a brave, honest policy wonk has been snookered. Mark Thoma reviews selected pieces I’ve written about Ryan; he is, in fact, a big fraud, who doesn’t care at all about fiscal responsibility, and whose policy proposals are sloppy as well as dishonest. Of course, this means that he’ll fit in to the Romney campaign just fine.As I said, I have no idea how this will play politically. But it does look like a move from weakness, rather than strength; Romney obviously felt he needed a VP who will get people to stop talking about him.
Via Paul Constant, Karl Frisch has a PDF of “All 290 Pages of American Bridges’ Opposition Research File on Paul Ryan.”
Constant also points out that Ryan is a much more professional liar than Romney:
… Something that worries me, though, is Ryan has a disconcerting habit of completely denying the reality of his record, in a very convincing way. If a senior citizen asks Ryan about privatizing Medicare, he will toss a word salad that leaves the senior disoriented and convinced that he’s actually for a stronger Medicare. He will force his interns to read Ayn Rand novels, tell everyone we’re “living in an Ayn Rand novel,” and even credit his entire life of public service to Ayn Rand, and then he will tell a crowded room with a straight face that his love for Ayn Rand is an “urban legend.” Both of these contradictory truths are on the record.
***********
Speaking of little wads of dust and ice showily flaming out, court astrologers would note that tonight is the annual peak of the Perseids:
The Perseid shower has it all. It offers a consistently high rate of meteors, it produces more bright, visible meteors than any other shower, it happens in August when many people are on vacation, and it happens at a time when nighttime temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere are reasonable and the weather is good. What more could you ask for?
You could ask for the 2012 shower, because we have two added advantages. The moon will be in a waning crescent phase. That means on the night of the peak shower, the moon will be at about 25%, so it won’t block viewing. The second advantage is that the shower peaks on a Saturday night, so most people can afford to stay up late or sleep in on Sunday morning.
This year, the shower peaks on the night of August 11/12. You can expect to see somewhere around eighty “shooting stars” per hour between midnight and dawn. Add in the fact that just before dawn, Jupiter and Venus will join in and this promises to be one of the best Perseid showers in memory…
***********
What else is on the agenda for a summer Saturday night?
RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist
The agenda? Going out with spouse and friends for a rare fancy dinner celebration. Lotsa good stuff happening this summer.
Corner Stone
Just been DRONEZing people in the neighborhood all day. No biggie.
Corner Stone
WTF is a “vacation”?
Hypatia's Momma
Re-reading Escape From Camp 14 because I’m a masochist or something.
Villago Delenda Est
What Dubya OvenMitt Rmoney has done here is deliver, via FedEx, with a ribbon attached, yet another quiver of arrows to Barack Obama.
A quiver of arrows that Obama and Biden were planning on using all along.
So, now, they can launch devastating volleys of attacks on three subjects simultanously:
1. OvenMitt’s record at Bain.
2. OvenMitt’s tax returns
3. The Ryan Plan, redubbed the Rmoney/Ryan plan. Oh yes, they will make Ryan’s plan stick to Rmoney like glue, to include the granny-starving and more tax cuts for the parasite overclass, of which Rmoney is the poster boy.
Whatever Gods there be, they are smiling so beatifically at Obama that you’ve got to wonder if next the man can walk on water. What the hell did Obama do to deserve all this divine favor? It’s like he’s getting Voltaire’s one prayer answered, in a super-size version.
Hypatia's Momma
Re-reading Escape From Camp 14 because I’m a masochist or something.
burnspbesq
Taking the kid shopping for college stuff. T-minus 17 days. Damn, didn’t I just change his poopy diaper?
gbear
I’m trying to get a new cat introduced into the house today. We’re still in the hissing phase. Here’s the theme song for both cats today.
jeffreyw
Fish tacos.
EconWatcher
How do you explain that this announcement was rolled out in a seeming panic on a terrible news day on the weekend? My theory is, Mitt got wind that some major wingnut powerbroker(s) had had enough and was about to come out publicly against him, possibly triggering a circus at the convention. The Ryan pick was made to stop this is ints tracks, pronto. Of course, this is speculation, but it would explain the otherwise inexplicable way this was rolled out.
Villago Delenda Est
What Dubya OvenMitt Rmoney has done here is deliver, via FedEx, with a ribbon attached, yet another quiver of arrows to Barack Obama.
A quiver of arrows that Obama and Biden were planning on using all along.
So, now, they can launch devastating volleys of attacks on three subjects simultanously:
1. OvenMitt’s record at Bain.
2. OvenMitt’s tax returns
3. The Ryan Plan, redubbed the Rmoney/Ryan plan. Oh yes, they will make Ryan’s plan stick to Rmoney like glue, to include the granny-starving and more tax cuts for the parasite overclass, of which Rmoney is the poster boy.
Whatever Gods there be, they are smiling so beatifically at Obama that you’ve got to wonder if next the man can walk on water. What the hell did Obama do to deserve all this divine favor? It’s like he’s getting Voltaire’s one prayer answered, in a super-size version.
cathyx
This is exactly right.
cathyx
@Corner Stone: I think it’s when you get time off without pay. In other words, the weekend.
burnspbesq
This may be the definitive guide to Ryan’s lies.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/106029/ryan-romney-vp-budget-cuts-medicare-medicaid-voucher-tax-cut
Villago Delenda Est
FYWP.
That is all.
cmorenc
@AnnieLaurie, quoting Paul Constant:
Let’s home that:
1) Team Obama will prove as adept at convincingly conveying the truth about Ryan and his tax/budget proposals as they have been so far at convincingly conveying the essential truth about Romney.
2) Once Ryan ceases to be a shiny new object for the media (new in his role as VP nominee and higher level of exposure), in two or three days, enough of the media will ask simple questions about how exactly Ryan’s budget and tax plans add up, especially in light of his claim that his tax proposals are “revenue neutral”. Whose taxes exactly get cut, which and whose deductions exactly get eliminated to pay for it, where exactly the necessary budget cuts are going to come from, etc.
General Stuck
He might get away with that during town halls as a congressman back in WI. But he won’t be able to bullshit his way through a pres campaign. Every one and their brother is going to know want he wants, and by extension, what Romney wants. For better or worse, bring it on motherfuckers
Corner Stone
@cathyx: Oh. Well I’m feeling pretty good then! I got one about 10 weeks ago and if this fucking engineer can follow directions I’ve been trying to walk him through over the phone for the last hour, I may get another “vacation” today!
Waratah
Chris Mathews says Romney is showing a spine of conviction!
burnspbesq
And is the Ryan choice designed to deflect blame for a Romney loss? Bwahahahaha.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/106035/picking-ryan-isnt-bold-its-highly-risk-averse
fraught
The godless part of Randian fake philosophy is really, seriously a big part of the scam. God really doesn’t exist and religion is a competing scam which cannot be fitted into objecctivism. I met Ayn Rand about 50 years ago and she would kick this guy into the gutter for trying to lie god into her theories.
Corner Stone
@Waratah: It’s funny because Matthews has also been laughing at Ryan, basically saying he’s a 20 year old in love with Randism and he hasn’t grown up or out of it.
Violet
@General Stuck:
Tell me what he wants, what he really, really wants.
cathyx
@Corner Stone: Wow, and it’s only a half over too. What will you do with all your free time?
MonkeyBoy
R-money / R-ayn or R-money / ayn-R(and)
(one version as a bumper sticker.
General Stuck
@Violet:
Mo money. What else?
B
@EconWatcher:
That may be but I think a little noticed interview Romney did with Chuck Todd where he whines about a truce on attacks by O on his business, taxes and family-the entire interview has not been aired-played a role. That portion of the interview was leaked. He looked pathetic and it looked like capitulation. Rumor has it that this event was already planned and McCain was supposed to join him. I think that played a factor. Look how they started leaking this last night after all the “hoop de la” about their app. I also think they got tremendous pressure from big donors behind the scenes along with the editorials from The Wall Street Journal and National Review after the polls came out. What I don’t understand is all this talk of this being a bold decision. I see it as complete capitulation and a decision he had no choice but to make. I think he looks so weak and completely under control of the far right extremist.
wrb
@EconWatcher:
Exactly what I think.
It drips flop sweat.
Corner Stone
@cathyx:
Given the option, I’ll probably choose to make some nachos and insult scumbags like burnspbesq a few more times.
J. Michael Neal
@cathyx:
I thought that was called the last seven years.
Waratah
@Corner Stone: He started the show excited and said that. Then Chuck Todd and Gregory thought it was good and repeated it . I have not laughed this much since Romney went to London
Violet
@wrb: The strangest thing about it is that they didn’t even announce that there would be an announcement until late on Friday night. No chance for people to make plans to be there and hardly any time for the news folks to get there. Really amateurish. Flop sweat is right.
Waratah
@Corner Stone: He started the show excited and said that. Then Chuck Todd and Gregory thought it was good and repeated it . I have not laughed this much since Romney went to London
Hal
@EconWatcher:
.
So does that mean Pawlenty got a call a few days ago saying “sorry, but we’ve decided to go with a different candidate?”
It makes me wonder if Romney’s internal polls showed a pending huge dip from his base, a base that perhaps was about to jump ship, or maybe someone was about to do a wiki leaks dump of Romney’s tax records? It’s all so suspicious and last minute. Something must have happened to cause that kind of panic.
raven
Smokin chicken, simmerin butter beans, chillin the sweet potato salad. . .
Waratah
@Corner Stone: He started the show excited and said that. Then Chuck Todd and Gregory thought it was good and repeated it . I have not laughed this much since Romney went to London
Baud
C’mon, Senator Reid. We need you now more than ever.
Dennis SGMM
Just finished China Miéville’s Railsea which reminded me in some ways of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky’s A Roadside Picnic (Which Miéville referenced in the Afterward) so now I’m reading that. Both on a Kindle Touch. I love that thing. When I finished the one book I just turned on the wireless and bought the other. All this in the wee hours.
I’ve been trying to finish Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, but I’m finding it a bit of a slog compared to his earlier The Wind-up Bird Chronicle: A Novel.
raven
What, smoked chicken, sweet potato salad and butter beans triggers mod?
cathyx
@J. Michael Neal: Then you lead a charmed life being on vacation for 7 years.
geg6
Taking John’s brother out for his 62nd birthday. Gary, however, is in complete denial. He thinks he’s still 22 and it’s 1972.
Waratah
@Corner Stone: chuck Todd and Gregory thoughtvitvwas a great quote and told him so. I have not laughed this much since Romney went to London
Dennis SGMM
Just finished China Miéville’s Railsea which reminded me in some ways of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky’s A Roadside Picnic (Which Miéville referenced in the Afterward) so now I’m reading that. Both on a Kindle Touch. I love that thing. When I finished the one book I just turned on the wireless and bought the other. All this in the wee hours.
I’ve been trying to finish Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, but I’m finding it a bit of a slog compared to his earlier The Wind-up Bird Chronicle: A Novel.
Spike
If I had any reason or inclination to ascribe any tactical shrewdness to the GOP establishment, I might believe that they see the incipient doom of the S.S. Romney and have seized the golden opportunity to lash young ZEGS (*) to the stern before it goes under.
As for my agenda for this evening, it consists of a bowl of tortellini and a bottle of zinfandel
(*) Zombie-Eyed Granny Starver, of course. Hat tip to Pierce.
Hal
@EconWatcher:
Internal polls showed Romney dive bombing with conservatives in the coming week, and he had to try a desperation move? If so, it begs the question of whether Pawlenty was engaging in the political equivalent of eating a whole cheesecake after getting stood up for the prom. Or maybe a wiki leaks style release of tax records. All in all, very suspicious and last minute. Something in the milk ain’t clean…
arguingwithsignposts
@Corner Stone:
It must be awesome to be Chris Matthews and wake up in a new world after every nap.
Redshift
@Villago Delenda Est: And there’s the synergy that the Ryan plan would definitely reduce Romney’s taxes to zero (since it eliminates taxes on capital gains and interest to “promote savings”), except possibly the taxes on the small amount ($374,000) Romney makes on speaking fees.
I’m sure there are interconnections between Bain and the Ryan plan that are just waiting to be found.
AdamK
I was cleaning my glasses while squinting at the headlines, and I read this:
Quakers in Iran kill at least 180, injure more than 1,300.
Damn those Quakers.
raven
I must be banned, I have tried to post my dinner menu twice.
Dennis SGMM
Just finished China Miéville’s Railsea which reminded me in some ways of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky’s A Roadside Picnic (Which Miéville referenced in the Afterward) so now I’m reading that. Both on a Kindle Touch. I love that thing. When I finished the one book I just turned on the wireless and bought the other. All this in the wee hours.
I’ve been trying to finish Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, but I’m finding it a bit of a slog compared to his earlier The Wind-up Bird Chronicle: A Novel.
cathyx
@geg6: There was a character like that on 30 Rock. Liz’s brother.
Redshift
@Villago Delenda Est: And there’s the synergy that the Ryan plan would definitely reduce Romney’s taxes to zero (since it eliminates taxes on capital gains and interest to “promote savings”), except possibly the taxes on the small amount ($374,000) Romney makes on speaking fees.
I’m sure there are interconnections between Bain and the Ryan plan that are just waiting to be found.
General Stuck
Wow! Reds closer, Aroldis Chapman is 50 kinds of awesome sauce. Just blanked the Cubbies in the ninth for another save with 103 MPH fastballs. Whiff!
J. Michael Neal
Sigh. Cole’s stupid website.
I signed up for a 1-on-1 writers’ thing in which we’re supposed to review each other’s work. We exchanged stuff a month ago. A little over two weeks ago we got together and discussed the other guy’s work. I haven’t gotten a single word of feedback on mine. I tried to send him a polite message asking if he’s ready to do so.
The email bounced. So I guess I get nothing.
Violet
@Baud: I think Reid is wisely letting the hubbub about Ryan die down a bit before bringing up tax returns again. No point in wasting good ammo on a day like this.
Violet
@Baud: I think Reid is wisely letting the hubbub about Ryan die down a bit before bringing up tax returns again. No point in wasting good ammo on a day like this.
J. Michael Neal
@cathyx: Actually, being on vacation starts to suck after about six months.
beltane
Whatever happened to Mitt’s tax returns? His baby vampire running mate provided a few hours worth of distraction but we still need to see the tax returns.
Southern Beale
That’s basically the entire media at this point. The guy on NPR — Ari somebody — could barely contain himself.
cathyx
These internets are broken tonight.
Waratah
Sorry about repeat posts. Kept telling me the server was down.
First time I have used my iPad to post
Spike
Bah! FYWP!
sdhays
Barack Obama really is Republican kryptonite. Jack Ryan/Alan Keyes, McCain/Palin, now Romney/Ryan. There’s something about this man that makes the Republican Party go crazy in way that just knocks them off their game, even when he’s not trying (particularly in the Illinois Senate race, practically all of the problems on the Republican ticket were completely self-inflicted; I’m not even sure Obama had to bother running any negative campaign ads).
A lot gets speculated about how much the Republicans hate Obama in a way that they might not hate a President Hillary for…certain reasons, which has caused him to face stiffer opposition than President Hillary might have faced. Supposing this is true (and while it might be true, they already mightily hated Hillary Clinton and her husband, so I don’t know how far this thinking really goes), perhaps the flip-side of this white-hot burning hatred of the non-white man in the White House is that the conservative movement truly is going to expend itself a bit faster than it might have done otherwise.
This ticket has the potential to save the Democratic Senate majority and give Nancy back the gavel to the House, and, demographically speaking, 2016 looks much worse for Republicans. If Romney had run a competent campaign and picked T-Paw or McDonnell or Portman, I think he still would have lost, but down-ticket races wouldn’t have been so tightly tied to his sinking ship. Now, they’re joined at the hip, and he’s going to take them all down with him.
Normally, I’m much more conservative about future prognostications, but I really can’t take Mitt Rmoney seriously. This is the man who couldn’t take a feel-good trip to England, of all places, without getting kicked out on his rear-end, the man who couldn’t even introduce his running mate correctly, who’s been running for President for nearly a decade, and yet couldn’t be bothered to get his taxes in order, a man who whines about that big meanie President Obama suggesting that his business experience isn’t something to be completely proud of. And now, after being very concerned about not picking another Palin to be his running mate, he lets himself be pushed into choosing the Tea Party darling, Paul Ryan, with the plan of ignoring the “Ryan Plan”. What a Loser!
beltane
Spike’s bowl of tortellini and bottle of zinfandel are sounding awfully good right now.
Litlebritdifrnt
The timing of this is what smells to me. You never dump news like this on a Saturday when most people are cleaning house, or doing yard work, or out shopping, or whatever else people do on the weekends and when MSNBC is usually on a “jail” special. I mean there is the Friday afternoon “newsdump” which is well known, but a Saturday morning newsdump? What the hell? Why didn’t he go for a prime time spot on a Thursday evening or something? This tells me something else was going on in the background that we know nothing about.
The Ancient Randonneur
Yankees won today and are STILL leading the AL East. The Red Sox hope to make it back above .500–someday.
Maude
@J. Michael Neal:
That’s a blessing in disguise.
Learn to trust yourself and that happens with tons of practice.
Violet
@Litlebritdifrnt: What day of the week did Obama announce Biden as his running mate? For some reason I thought it was a Saturday.
J. Michael Neal
For god’s sake, people, stop hitting Submit over and over. It gets posted the first time. Just refresh the thread and you’ll see it.
Maude
@Litlebritdifrnt:
There’s more to the story.
Violet
I’m trying to make myself go work in the garden. It’s 100 degrees outside and I detest heat and summer. My motivation is low. But I like working in the garden and have a lot that needs doing.
beltane
@Litlebritdifrnt: Romney couldn’t even wait for the Olympics to be over. How rude of him. He is the only person I can think of who managed to make an ass of himself during both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Southern Beale: Ari Shapiro? I haven’t seen the media infatuated with someone like they are with Ryan since…. ’94? When Newt Gingrich was a bold and fresh intellectual?
@Litlebritdifrnt: I hope there is some kind of storm brewing, but I think it had more to do with Willard just being unaccustomed to things going against him for so long. A move of frustration and growing panic, probably.
J. Michael Neal
@Maude: Wrong. Any writer that thinks he doesn’t need feedback from other people is an idiot that’s going to produce shit. *All* authors should let other people read works in progress and listen to their advice. You don’t take all of that advice, of course, particularly since different reviewers are going to contradict each other, but you listen to all of it.
Violet
@J. Michael Neal:
Did you hit Submit for your multiple same posts? Or did they just happen?
MikeJ
@Dennis SGMM: I loved 1Q84 but have still never made it all the way through any of China Miéville’s stuff, even though I fell like I’m *supposed* to like ’em.
ODing on non fic right now, finally about to finish Before the Lights Go Out, dipping into Everybody Loves Our Town (Seattle/grunge), Our Divided Political Heart (EJ Dionne), and loaded The Family onto my nook because everyone always talks about it and I never read it.
I need some fiction. Last I got was Redshirts, which I devoured in one sitting.
Dennis SGMM
Apologies for the multiple posts, multiple posts, multiple posts. The page hung when I hit Submit and after many seconds my browser popped a message saying that the page would have to be reloaded because the server wasn’t returning any information.
J. Michael Neal
@Violet: I hit it multiple times and then figured it out. There are a number of people that have done it with several posts.
Violet
@J. Michael Neal:
See Dennis SGMM’s comment above yours–sometimes it just happens, even if you don’t press Submit multiple times.
Lojasmo
@Litlebritdifrnt:
I think the left-wingosphere had more fun with this than the repulblicans. Given that we are a bunch of lazy, shiftless layabouts and all.
J. Michael Neal
@Violet: You need to go back and reload the thread. If you reload the page that has the error message, you’re reloading the command to post the comment. Hit Back and then refresh.
Dennis SGMM
@MikeJ:
You might consider Miéville’s The City and the City. That one’s a lot more accessible than, say, Perdido Station or The Iron Council.
Miéville is not, IMHO, the easiest person to read at times. His imagination and his passing mentions of absolutely mindblowing stuff makes him worth the trouble for me.
Violet
@J. Michael Neal: I’ll open an entirely new tab from the Home Page of B-J of a particular thread to see if my comment has posted. It usually hasn’t when there’s a FYWP situation happening. The comments get completely hung and the page goes to nothing. You can’t refresh the page because it’s an error page and not the thread page. At least that’s how it plays out for me. If I want to see my comment again I have to hit back and then it shows up in the comment box as if it hasn’t been posted.
Elizabelle
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Agreed re the funky timing. Wonder how long until the story comes out.
And hope you and your DH are doing well.
J. Michael Neal
@Violet: Right. Then hit refresh. That worked for me every time I tried it during this last spasm. Hit Back from the error page and then refresh. My comment always showed up when I did that.
Elizabelle
@Violet:
I think WordPress just duplicates once a comment is hung up.
I got 2 posts when my screen froze earlier today a few times; knew not to hit “submit” again. (Did copy the posts, just in case, while they were hanging.)
arguingwithsignposts
I posted once and then went to a new tab. If you see this, it’s because I didn’t believe what FYWP told me.
ETA: Gumbo!
jeffreyw
Eyeball to Eyeball
karen marie
@EconWatcher: No, that’s way too complicated when there’s an obvious reason — Mittens wanted the focus moved off his taxes.
Did you know that one of the prizes David Koch is collecting for having bought the Republican presidential/vice presidential candidates is being named as a delegate from New York! He will definitely be attending. He wants to be there to remind Romney and Ryan who owns them.
(edited for clarity)
Steeplejack
@Spike:
Wow, 15 dupes. I think that’s the new record. FYWP.
ETA: And now they’re gone. Strange are the ways of the FYWP.
General Stuck
@jeffreyw:
Fantastic shot, Jeffrey!!
SiubhanDuinne
@raven:
Dunno about mod. Triggers my salivary glands.
Violet
@J. Michael Neal: I tried posting on one tab. Got error page. Went back to front page of B-J. Opened completely new tab of the thread in which I was trying to post, the one that gave me the error page. Hit refresh. Hit refresh. Repeat refresh ten or 20 times. My comment never appears.
Go do something else. Come back several minutes later. Hit refresh in same tab (the one I did NOT try to comment in). Multiple repeats of my same comment now appear in the thread–the one that didn’t appear when I hit refresh in an entirely separate tab from the one in which I tried to comment.
Sometimes the site is just borked.
RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist
I just got Neal Stephenson’s book of essays “Some Remarks”. I’m looking forward to the hundred-pager on undersea data cables. Because I’m weird that way.
MikeJ
@RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist: Is that the same essay that ran in Wired? That was pretty good.
RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist
Frikkin’ USPS. I sent back a very important doc for overnight delivery by noon ($18.75). Tracking says it didn’t make it. Obsessive refresh!
Privatize the bastards!
RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist
@MikeJ:
Yup. Should be fun!
Maude
@J. Michael Neal:
Sign up on Authonomy. That isn’t one on one. You will get feedback. It is also great for proofreading.
Trusting yourself is everything. You have to know what is right for the book.
Some people can be very mean. That can stop someone from writing.
Writers write alone.
When a book is published or self published,it’s what the readers think that counts.
Corner Stone
Only JMN could start a bitch fest about a FYWP issue.
karen marie
@Spike: People been searching for a nickname for Ryan. I think ZEGS is perfect.
Phylllis
Roasted salmon, smashed red taters and a crunchy green salad for supper. Braves are fixing to knock Johan Santana out in the 2nd inning. Aaand he’s out after Chipper knocks a line drive to right.
karen marie
@Litlebritdifrnt: It’s a slow, controlled roll-out. ZEGS has a few days to get himself oriented in his new position.
PurpleGirl
I’ve sometimes found that if a lot of people are trying to post at once that the servers hang and do weird shit. May I suggest that everyone just take a breath before posting and give the servers some time to do their jobs.
burnspbesq
@Corner Stone:
In the unlikely event that I ever care what you think, I’ll be sure to let you know.
You’re a pathetic little creature,
Corner Stone
@burnspbesq: Yes, I’ll stand quite happily against your judgment.
Your clients’ avg net worth counselor?
WaterGirl
@Violet: I have been thinking the same thing all day, but your comment spurred me to google and find out. Yes, it was a Saturday. And I got my text message at something like 4am or 5am.
So Romney completely imitated Obama on this, except I am pretty sure we knew he would be announcing ahead of time because I went to Springfield that day to see Obama and Biden when he formally made the announcement.
LanceThruster
Romney / Ryan
Caution
(RxR)
Train
Wreck
Ahead
Death Panel Truck
@Maude: Writer’s support groups are composed of unpublished authors, frustrated by their lack of success and itching to take it out on others. I joined one for a brief time, and quit when it became quite apparent that several of the members weren’t at all interested in making my work better. I worked in community journalism for 20 years under a variety of editors, and no one takes constructive criticism better than I do. You do have to trust in yourself first and foremost. I have a few close friends who read my work and offer suggestions, some of which I accept because I know they want to help. But mostly I trust myself, because I know what I want to say.
Ben Franklin
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