Weekend open thread

Sat, 10/04/2008 - 6:16am
What's on your minds?
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I am working on my new post

by franciscopolo on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 6:28am

I am working on a post about The Three Great Market Failures: Financial Crisis, Food Crisis and Climate Change.

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Francisco Polo
http://franciscopolo.com

Bailout

by gregbrockway on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 11:57am

Gregory B.

I don't understand how a "money bill" began in the Senate. It is my understanding of the Constitution that ALL bills concerning monetary events, must originate in the House of Representatives. How then was this bailout passed in the Senate first? Particularly when a similar bill was previously voted down in the House.

read the Constitution

by Don Bacon on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 12:44pm

It is not "money bills" that must originate in the House but rather bills for raising revenue [Art I, par 7]. In any case, as a vehicle for this bailout the Senate resurrected a 2002 Paul Wellstone bill promoting mental health and addiction parity which ends discrimination in insurance coverage. So there is some benefit in the senate bill for non-fatcats (I assume that it survived).

Afghanistan is on my mind

by Don Bacon on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 11:20am

Biden: "We need to focus on defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban and restoring America's standing in the world -- not an unending commitment in Iraq."

news report: LAHORE/WASHINGTON: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has advised Taliban leader Mullah Omar to return to Afghanistan and join him in the political process, Geo News reported on Friday. In an interview with the channel, Karzai said, “I propose that Mullah Omar return to Afghanistan as I will be responsible for his security and answerable to the whole of the world on his behalf.” According to AFP, the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan and France on Friday voiced support for Karzai’s bid to hold talks with the Taliban. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that in some regions in Afghanistan, there must be contacts with the Taliban at the local level, AFP reported.

I am surprised that Passport

by Sam on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 7:22pm

I am surprised that Passport hasn't yet raised the story of British Ambassador's letter about Obama.

Gregory B. So the Senate may

by gregbrockway on Sun, 10/05/2008 - 12:23am

Gregory B.

So the Senate may originate bills that spend money, but not raise money? Is that the deal? And if they revive a bill, even adead man's bill, they may raise monies anyway?