I'm not too amused with humans
Ed Ruscha, Jelly, 1967
* New York Times. excerpt:
"In Tuesday night’s debate, Senator John McCain denounced Senator Barack Obama and his 'cronies' for receiving campaign money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It was odd to hear him denounce lobbyists, whom he once called 'birds of prey,' particularly for those two mortgage companies.
"By that standard, Mr. McCain is living in a virtual aviary with, among others, his campaign manager and his White House transition planner, bona fide heavyweights in the power game of lobbying and consulting.
"It was Mr. McCain who chose to make this a big deal. His campaign attack ads accusing Mr. Obama of questionable ties to Fannie and Freddie have backfired. It turns out that the Washington firm of Rick Davis, Mr. McCain’s campaign manager, was profiting handsomely from Freddie retainers until the government took over the mortgage-finance companies last month amid the credit crisis.
"Mr. McCain insisted that Mr. Davis had no involvement with his business for several years. But he appears to have been benefiting from the $15,000 a month that Freddie paid the firm from the end of 2005 through last August. Previously, Mr. Davis was paid nearly $2 million across five years in running a group set up by Fannie and Freddie officials to beat back stricter regulation.
"The good, the bad and the ugly of lobbying are well known, but it’s a stretch for a man with 25 years in Washington to demonize it. His brain trust is heavy with consultants and lobbyists. Other McCain aides with past ties to the lending companies are the strategist Charlie Black; Wayne Berman, deputy campaign finance chairman; and Mark Buse, chief of staff at Mr. McCain’s Senate office."
...
"The Obama campaign is hardly spotless, particularly as one of the main beneficiaries of donations from the two mortgage-finance companies. When it was disclosed that James Johnson, the former Fannie Mae chairman, had received preferential mortgage treatment, the Obama campaign had the sense to drop him as leader of the vice-presidential search team. Senator McCain shows no comparable savvy. In seeking to make lobbying an issue, Senator McCain has made one of hypocrisy."
* Buy the upcoming super reissue of Brighten the Corners early to receive a copy of the live album that has never been released.
* Pavement's Trigger Cut, from Coney Island High, 1991.
* "I hate flowers. I only paint them because they're cheaper than models and they don't move." -- Georgia O'Keefe
Ed Ruscha, Jelly, 1967
* New York Times. excerpt:
"In Tuesday night’s debate, Senator John McCain denounced Senator Barack Obama and his 'cronies' for receiving campaign money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It was odd to hear him denounce lobbyists, whom he once called 'birds of prey,' particularly for those two mortgage companies.
"By that standard, Mr. McCain is living in a virtual aviary with, among others, his campaign manager and his White House transition planner, bona fide heavyweights in the power game of lobbying and consulting.
"It was Mr. McCain who chose to make this a big deal. His campaign attack ads accusing Mr. Obama of questionable ties to Fannie and Freddie have backfired. It turns out that the Washington firm of Rick Davis, Mr. McCain’s campaign manager, was profiting handsomely from Freddie retainers until the government took over the mortgage-finance companies last month amid the credit crisis.
"Mr. McCain insisted that Mr. Davis had no involvement with his business for several years. But he appears to have been benefiting from the $15,000 a month that Freddie paid the firm from the end of 2005 through last August. Previously, Mr. Davis was paid nearly $2 million across five years in running a group set up by Fannie and Freddie officials to beat back stricter regulation.
"The good, the bad and the ugly of lobbying are well known, but it’s a stretch for a man with 25 years in Washington to demonize it. His brain trust is heavy with consultants and lobbyists. Other McCain aides with past ties to the lending companies are the strategist Charlie Black; Wayne Berman, deputy campaign finance chairman; and Mark Buse, chief of staff at Mr. McCain’s Senate office."
...
"The Obama campaign is hardly spotless, particularly as one of the main beneficiaries of donations from the two mortgage-finance companies. When it was disclosed that James Johnson, the former Fannie Mae chairman, had received preferential mortgage treatment, the Obama campaign had the sense to drop him as leader of the vice-presidential search team. Senator McCain shows no comparable savvy. In seeking to make lobbying an issue, Senator McCain has made one of hypocrisy."
* Buy the upcoming super reissue of Brighten the Corners early to receive a copy of the live album that has never been released.
* Pavement's Trigger Cut, from Coney Island High, 1991.
* "I hate flowers. I only paint them because they're cheaper than models and they don't move." -- Georgia O'Keefe
posted by hackmuth at
9:39 AM
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