THE VOX BLOG IS NO LONGER ACTIVE

PLEASE POST COMMENTS ON THE COMMENTS PAGE LOCATED BENEATH THE MOST RECENT SHOW. CLICK "MORE" OR "COMMENTS" BELOW THE MOST RECENT SHOW.

LRC BLOG IS MOVING!

Hey LRC blog posters: We've begun migrating the LRC Vox blog to the LRC comments section below each week's show. PLEASE GO TO "TODAY'S SHOW" (the next box down from this one) AND CLICK ON THE COMMENTS SECTION. We've had some feedback on the new system--please bear in mind, it is still evolving and we're working on tweaks. Meantime: we want the conversation among you to continue -- so please just scroll down a bit and JUMP IN!

KCRWs Left Right & Center show 1.30.09

We are in pledge drive now! our on-air listeners will only hear an edited version of this show -- but you get to hear the whole thing online and via podcast. Isn't that worth supporting? Come on -- you join us here every week -- it's free to you, but not to us. Please call 1-800-600-KCRW or pledge online at KCRW.com! You might win a trip to Australia!!!!

Slipping into Socialism or Sliding into Protectionism? Obama says SHAME ON YOU to Wall Street and really: what are they doing giving $2 billion in taxpayer dollars out to their executives in the form of bonuses for failures? A very feisty discussion follows, lots of interrupting each other, but ultimately, all three agree, it’s irresponsible. Obama’s recovery plan has taken the bi out of bi-partisan, and left a wide divide between the Dems and GOP. Did he subcontract the plan to Nancy Pelosi? Were Republicans listened to at all? They voted NO in lockstep. And Tony is upset with the language Obama used in talking about Muslim nations on his Al Arabiya TV interview – says he’s gotten the history wrong.

Arianna’s in Davos and simply couldn’t get away to join the show today. Apologies.

Here's that Slate piece Matt mentioned:

The Quitter Economy

Companies are liquidating; homeowners are mailing in the keys. Have we given up?

KCRWs Left, Right & Center 1.23.09

Obamarama; Bankers Behaving Badly; Foreign Policy Choices; Caroline KO’ed

Shepard Fairey Obama HOPE

1 comment

Well, he’s the man now. We discuss the symbolism, the messianic atmosphere surrounding the Inauguration versus the hard realities Obama says we’re facing and the first of many policy decisions he’s already made, plus those he’ll be tackling. Bank execs who are tone deaf give the tone deaf a bad name: what ARE they doing with our money? George Mitchell, Richard Holbrooke, Hillary Clinton: familiar faces but not lately -- is the world getting the message? There’s been a regime change in America. And can the Kennedys ever regain their dynastic power? Caroline’s out…and it’s mostly her own fault.

Just after the link to the Krauthammer piece he mentioned, Matt wanted me to share this humor piece about the Faux Bush Library which he mentioned during his rant; and don't forget, Matt and Tony both have new books out -- Tony's is quite tough and unapologetic, called American Grit: What It Will Take to Survive and Win in the 21st Century and it's likely to stir some controversy. Don't forget Matt's book The Tyranny of Dead Ideas. You might be interested in knowing that the photo of Matt at that link was shot by our photographer the night we did the post-election round up live stage show.

Obama’s Inaugural Surprise

By Charles Krauthammer

Friday, January 23, 2009; Page A15

Fascinating speech. It was so rhetorically flat, so lacking in rhythm and cadence, one almost has to believe he did it on purpose. Best not to dazzle on Opening Day. Otherwise, they'll expect magic all the time. …(link above)

The GWB Presidential Library

Please Donate to the GWB Presidential Library

Dear Fellow Constituent:

"The George W. Bush Presidential Library" is now in the planning stages and accepting donations.

The Library will include:

1. The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.

2. The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you won't be able to remember anything.

3. The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't even have to show up.

4. The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in

5. The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.

6. The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room, which no one has been able to find

7. The National Debt Room, which is huge and has no ceiling.

8. The Tax Cut Room, with entry only to the wealthy.

9. The Economy Room, which is in the toilet.

10. The Iraq War Room. (After you complete your first visit, they make you go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth visit.)

11. The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shooting gallery.

12. The Environmental Conservation Room, still empty.

13. The Supreme Gift Shop, where you can buy an election.

14. The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet some of your favorite Republican Senators.

15. The Decider Room, complete with dart board, magic 8-ball, Ouija board, dice, coins, and straws.

Note: The library will feature an electron microscope to help you locate and view the President's accomplishments

The library will also include many famous quotes by George W. Bush:

1. 'The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country.'

2. 'If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.'

3. 'Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.'

4. 'No senior citizen should ever have to choose between prescription drugs and medicine.'

5. 'I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy - but that could change.'

6. 'One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is 'to be prepared'.'

7. 'Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.'

8. 'I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future.'

9. 'The future will be better tomorrow.'

10. 'We're going to have the best educated American people in the world.'

11. 'One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures.' (During an education photo-op)

12. 'Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not having it

13. 'We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.'

14. 'It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.'

15. 'I stand by all the misstatements that I've made.'... (George W. Bush to Sam Donaldson)

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY!

Sincerely,

Jack Abramoff, Co-Chair
G.W. Bush Library Board of Directors

KCRWs Left Right & Center 1.16.09 Show

More Bailout; Geithner, Holder Appointments; Gaza News; W's Legacy; Obama's Inauguration

Citigroup is tanking, BofA gets another bailout, and yet not one single American has received one single dollar for mortgage assistance. Is this taxation without representation? Timothy Geithner: a tax cheat as Treasury Secretary? Eric Holder: Tony’s still troubled by his Marc Rich pardon. There's some movement in the Israel/Gaza conflict--we hope it ends soon. Is it pointless to investigate the Bush administration for alleged high crimes and misdemeanors; would such an investigation portend the end of democracy? And will expectations outweigh the realities facing Obama?

On a personal note

A Note From your Bloginatrix:

In my Second Life (actually my non-work life) I am a gardener of dubious distinction but passionate engagement. I was pleased to pass on news of this idea to the former NPR Garden Blogger Ketzel Levine, now it's been awarded grand prize idea at OnDayOne.org. I heartily advocate this concept and want to share it with all of you.

KCRW's Left Right & Center 1.9.09 Show

UPDATE on 1/12/2009: Listen to Matt Miller discuss "The Tyranny of Dead Ideas" on Tue., Jan. 13 at 2:30 pm PT at www.KCRW.com/etc/programs/pc (streaming, podcast and on-demand) with LA City Council President Eric Garcetti.

Please get creative: show us what a Panetta Kerfuffle looks like.

Economy/Unemployment; Gaza Burning; Panetta Kerfuffle

We’ve invented a new dessert: the Panetta Kerfuffle, but that comes later in the show. First we collectively decide that Obama’s big speech about the economy may not be big enough. Then the inevitable disagreements over the Israel/Gaza conflict are discussed. No end in sight. And finally: the Panetta Kerfuffle. Take one former Clinton Chief of Staff, throw in the initials CIA, mix together with whining establishment Senators and Congressional Representatives, add a dose of media and questions about Biden’s involvement and – you’ve got the Panetta Kerfuffle.

Just for fun:

Watch Matt Miller on COLBERT REPORT here: http://mattmilleronline.com/index2.php

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

Paul Krugman, THE OBAMA GAP NY Times 1.9.09.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/opinion/09krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

“I don’t believe it’s too late to change course, but it will be if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years.”

So declared President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday, explaining why the nation needs an extremely aggressive government response to the economic downturn. He’s right. This is the most dangerous economic crisis since the Great Depression, and it could all too easily turn into a prolonged slump.

But Mr. Obama’s prescription doesn’t live up to his diagnosis.

$700 Billion Dollar Attaboy

Today’s must read MSM piece is a brutal Bloomberg column, delineating why the Bailouts have been such a sweet deal for the banks. Despite the gross incompetence and sheer recklessness of Wall Street and the Financial sector, they were handed massive amounts of money with little in the way of returns to the taxpayer, no specific guidance or requirements....

Source:
Paulson Bailout Didn’t Give Taxpayers What Goldman Gave Buffett
Mark Pittman
Bloomberg, Jan. 9 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aAvhtiFdLyaQ&

Geithner Preparing Overhaul Of Bailout
Obama Team Broadens Scope to Secure Final $350 Billion for Rescue

By David Cho
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 9, 2009; A01

Confronted with intense skepticism on Capitol Hill over the $700 billion financial rescue program, Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy F. Geithner and President-elect Barack Obama's economic team are urgently overhauling the embattled initiative and broadening its scope well beyond Wall Street, sources familiar with the discussions said.

ARIANNA MENTIONED http://bailoutsleuth.com/

KCRWs Left Right & Center 1.2.09 SHOW

***UPDATE 1/6/08: MATT MILLER APPEARS ON TONIGHT'S COLBERT REPORT talking about his new book, The Tyranny of Dead Ideas.***

Gaza; Obama's Back in Town; Senate appointments -- Blago's Burris; Crowning Caroline.

Happy New Year...we hope. Today we don't solve the Middle East crisis that Israel and Gaza are creating. The President-elect is back in town -- what kind of challenge does the Gaza conflict present him, what kind of stimulus package will Obama present us, and will Congress be on board? The inevitable discussion about fraud and accountability ensues. The tainted and unrepentant Rod Blagojevich throws Dems into disarray over his choice of a relatively untainted and unrepentant Roland Burris to replace Obama in the Senate; and a brief commentary on why Caroline Kennedy should/shouldn't will/won't be selected to replace Hillary Clinton. Plus rants. Weigh in here, then take to your corners...gloves not required but keep those punches clean and no iron knuckles! Links to books/articles mentioned are below.

The Necessity of Israel
Charles Krauthammer
Friday, January 02, 2009
http://townhall.com/Common/PrintPage.aspx?g=f7cad698-25c2-4cc5-a1bd-6a959e91f0a1&t=c

Late Saturday, thousands of Gazans received Arabic-language cell-phone messages from the Israeli military, urging them to leave homes where militants might have stashed weapons. -- Associated Press, Dec. 27

WASHINGTON -- Some geopolitical conflicts are morally complicated. The Israel-Gaza war is not. It possesses a moral clarity not only rare but excruciating. (read the rest at link above)

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (Hardcover)

by William B Irvine (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230933183&sr=8-1

KCRWs Left Right & Center 12.26.08 Show

We're looking back at the year that was. Please note that we had to record it last week. Unfortunately, Arianna's not with us. Next week possibly a predictions show -- or we'll just talk about whatever's been in the headlines. Happy New Year to all in advance. We welcome your comments, as usual. Thank you all so much for participating in this forum. We will continue the dialogue in the years ahead and we wish you health, peace, and joy.

***UPDATE 12/29/08: MATT'S LATEST COLUMN IS INCLUDED BELOW*****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt Miller's latest column

from the New York Times, Sunday, December 28

Nixon's The One -- To Imitate On Education
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy holidays to all -- you can find information on my new book, "The Tyranny of Dead Ideas," (and read the introduction) at http://www.mattmilleronline.com/. It will be published on January 6.

Nixon's the One - to Imitate on Education

By Matt Miller

Local control of schooling - which means local financing of schools - is an injustice, masked as a virtue, so deeply ingrained in the American mind that no politician in either party dare challenge it. But America's obsession with local finance, which made perfect sense in the 19th century, is now sinking us morally and economically. To fix it, Barack Obama needs to steal an idea from Richard Nixon.

Drive around Chicago, Detroit or most other big cities and you'll see dilapidated schools staffed largely by rookie teachers. The districts spend, say, $10,000 a child. Twenty minutes up the road you'll find suburban schools that sport Olympic_quality pools, Broadway_style (or maybe Off Broadway) theaters and the best teachers in the state. Those schools spend more like $17,000 per pupil.

This is what local control hath wrought, with financing schemes under which less than 10 percent of the money spent on primary and secondary education comes from the federal government. The grim equation by which accident of birth determines educational quality in the United States is straightforward. The poorer the district and the state, the lower the local tax base, with less money for students. No other advanced nation tolerates such inequities.

Money isn't everything. Some high_spending districts, like Washington and Newark, are dens of mismanagement. But communities like these are distracting exceptions. If you compare most poor, urban areas to their nearby affluent suburbs, the suburbs typically spend thousands of dollars more per pupil.

Because big chunks of district budgets go to teachers' salaries, local financing means we systematically assign the greenest, least_qualified teachers in America to the children who need great teachers the most. Research shows that after a few years in such classrooms, these children never catch up.

In the early 19th century, the property tax was considered the fairest way to pay for schooling. Property was the main form of wealth, and rich and poor people didn't live in separate taxing communities. The wealthy paid more than the middle class and the poor paid nothing, yet all enjoyed access to the same public schools.

Since World War II, however, we have segregated ourselves into a multitude of tiny tax enclaves. The last important official to look hard at the consequences was Richard Nixon. His commission on school finance, headed by the chairman of Procter & Gamble, issued a report in 1972 that urged states to equalize financing disparities, and proposed spending a little federal cash to help.

Nixon's commissioner of education said publicly that the federal government should pay 25 percent to 30 percent of the cost of public education. His domestic policy staff considered a new national tax, with the proceeds distributed to states that drastically reduced state and local property taxes while closing the financing gaps among their school districts.

In the end, of course, Nixon found he had bigger problems to deal with. But he left a blueprint for Mr. Obama to follow. The federal government contributed just $45 billion of the $488 billion spent on primary and secondary schools in 2004 and 2005 (the most recent data available). That's just nine cents of the nation's education dollar.

Going to 25 percent to 30 percent of the overall tab by using a Nixonian revenue_sharing plan would lift the federal contribution by $80 billion to $100 billion a year, and replace an equivalent amount of state and local taxes. A little more federal money might be needed to sweeten the pot, round up the votes and give a boost to the poorest schools.

Federal cash could also be offered to lift teacher salaries for high_poverty schools. States or districts that accept the money would have to allow higher pay for the best teachers or those in scarce specialties like math and science, defer or eliminate tenure (or link it to student achievement gains), and make it easier to fire bad teachers. These districts could pay top teachers up to $150,000 a year, attracting a new generation of talent to America's toughest classrooms.

Mr. Obama says rebuilding rundown schools will be part of his stimulus plan. That's a start, but a one_time construction boon can't solve the perennial woes caused by the very structure of American school finance.

At a moment when we've basically nationalized the banking, mortgage and insurance industries, a little nationalization of school operating costs is in tune with the times.

***

Matt Miller, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, is the author of the forthcoming book "The Tyranny of Dead Ideas."

More at the new site
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.mattmilleronline.com/

KCRWs Left Right & Center 12/19/08

A wish for the world this holiday season. Peace to all and may our future be hopeful.

Peace_symbol_6_l

Auto Bailout; Madoff; Senator Caroline? More Obama-noms

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Chinese New Year. (Did I leave anything out?) President Bush decided to rescue the auto industry to the tune of $17.4 billion in loans. Bob says he punted the tough calls to Obama; Tony says what else could he do? Madoff made off with billions, and Bob agrees with Paul Krugman who said that these financial titans destroyed, not built, wealth. Tony defends capitalists against these charges. Will Caroline Kennedy be the next senator from NY? Should she be? What's this political aristocracy thing about? Matt thinks it's demoralizing. Tony says NY loves celebrity senators. Even if they're not qualified. Obama-noms are discussed. And by the way: have you heard there's a chance the White House bowling alley may be retooled as a basketball court??????

Sorry Arianna couldn't be here this week but we certainly want to hear from YOU!

MENTIONED ON TODAY'S SHOW
MATT'S BLOG!
mattmilleronline.com

New York Times Op-Ed Columnist
The Madoff Economy
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: December 19, 2008

The revelation that Bernard Madoff — brilliant investor (or so almost everyone thought), philanthropist, pillar of the community — was a phony has shocked the world, and understandably so. The scale of his alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme is hard to comprehend.The scale of his alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme is hard to comprehend.

Yet surely I’m not the only person to ask the obvious question: How different, really, is Mr. Madoff’s tale from the story of the investment industry as a whole?

Charles Krauthammer's syndicated column
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/272324