Dow down about 350 points at close

By GottaLaff

Here's the latest from the L.A. Times, via an e-mail alert:

The stock market briefly went crazy Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrials plunging nearly 1,000 points before quickly recovering most of that loss.

Most traders were unable to explain the sudden decline, which came amid continued worries about Greece's debt problems and another day of unrest in that southern European country. Rumors abounded that the fall was triggered by a trading error, compounded by computerized trading.

Preliminary figures show the Dow finished down about 347 points, or 3.2%, at about 10,520. Its low for the day, at 11:46 a.m. PDT, was at 9,872 points, down about 995 points from Wednesday's close.

More soon at: http://www.latimes.com/

VIDEO- President Obama on "60 Minutes": The party crashers

By GottaLaff

"It won't happen again."


Watch CBS News Videos Online

He was not thrilled, to say the least.

President Obama on 60 Minutes this Sunday

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

This should be interesting:

President Obama will appear on 60 Minutes this Sunday, in his first full interview since announcing his plan to send 30,000 additional troops of Afghanistan. He’ll also discuss the economy, and the gate-crashing incident at the State Dinner. (7:01 p.m.)

I have a sneaking suspicion health care will slip into the conversation, probably a little mention of the-- What's it called again? On yeah-- public option.

VIDEO: SNL spoofs Salahis, Obama, Secret Service

By GottaLaff

Just when I get sick of stories like these, along comes snarkage like this that almost--almost-- makes them worthwhile:

VIDEO: Robert Gibbs' tense exchange with April Ryan

By GottaLaff



Cringeworthy:

However, the one that took place Wednesday between White House press secretary Robert Gibbs and April Ryan of American Urban Radio, in which Gibbs essentially compared Ryan to a petulant child, is among the most heated (and entertaining) in recent memory. [...]

Ryan claimed that there have been whispers around Washington insinuating that Rogers had overstepped the traditional role of her title at the event to become the "belle of the ball," thus "overshadowing the first lady." Frustrated by Ryan's tabloid-y line of questioning, Gibbs instructed her to "calm down" and to take a deep breath," adding "I do this with my son and that's what happens."

Squirmitude.

White House party crashers admit no confirmed invitation

By GottaLaff

(AP Photo/NBC Universal)

From the Department of What Took So Long:

[They] have admitted to a federal official they went without a confirmed invitation just in case they could get approved at the last minute.

Then they blamed their cell phone. Yes, they pulled the ol' "my cell did it" excuse.

The battery died and they missed a voice mail telling them they weren't on the list. Oopsies! Funny, but on the Today show, they said just the opposite. And they sounded so put-upon!

Moral of the story: Charge your batteries, admit when you're wrong (immediately), and don't try to pull a Balloon Boy.

H/t: Alan Colmes

PhotOH! White House Party Crashers

By GottaLaff

(click on images to enlarge)

Per Michaele Salahi's Twitter profile: "Loving, Passionate, Energetic, Charismatic, Giving, Beautiful, Always Positive, Faithful, I see the good in everyone, Love Fashion, Polo & OASIS Champagne"... And! I shook hands with the president at a party and may face charges for being an extremely uninvited guest!

Won't that make a swell reality show premise?

And check out this rundown of other famous people the Salahis have shaken hands with, including John McCain, Donny Osmond, Charlie Rangel, Prince Charles and Matt Damon.

More here on who these people are.

Fox Business News responsible for 50% drop in Dow

By GottaLaff

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Those claims about blaming President Obama for all those crashing stock market catastrophes? Yeahwhateverwrongwrongwrong... The official pointer finger of guilt is gravitating toward the real culprit... a little band of miscreants run by some Australian pirate (see video for Keith Olbermann's splendid impersonation):

In response to a post about how Fox News falsely claimed the Dow dropped 56 points during a speech by President Obama, an e-mailer offers up a snarky question (subject line Fauxviating):

So what has the DOW done since Faux came into existence?

[...] Just for the record, Fox Business News had its first broadcast on October 15, 2007. The previous close was 14,093.08.

In other words, since Fox Business News came into existence, the Dow has dropped nearly 50%.

Wowzers, maybe Faux Biz Noise should remove itself from the airwaves. They are singlehandedly responsible for the Fox Depression and Stock Market Crash of '09.

Crash

By GottaLaff

Not good:



If this works like it did last time, every time you refresh, it will update the numbers.

VIDEO: Harry Reid calls out John Sidney McCain on the economy

By GottaLaff



Majority Leader Harry Reid, from the Senate floor:

Today, with all the bad news, Senator John McCain said today that the fundamentals of our economy are strong. Think about that. I don't know what that means. I don't know if anyone knows what that means. For whom is the economy strong? It's not strong for homeowners in Nevada. Certainly not strong for homeowners in Florida, Arizona, California, and most every other place in America.

It's not strong for wage earners who are spending more than their paychecks than ever to buy gas to get to work, and then they have to come home at day's end. School districts are having a difficult time because busing is now an integral part of school and school districts. Trucking companies in desperate shape all because of the high price of fuel.

And, Mr. President, it's not just for middle-class families who are saving less and spending more on grocery, clothing, and health care. It's throughout our society. The economy certainly isn't strong for the 606.000 Americans who lost their jobs this year. This is 606,000 people, and you have John McCain saying the economy looks good? I really don't understand what he means, the fundamentals are good.

The economy's not strong for fixed-income seniors, which, the presiding officer of the State of Florida has more than any other place in the union. Certainly in Nevada, we're the most rapidly senior population, it's not strong for them who face, especially in the northeast because they have so much of their heating is done with fuel oil, prices are going to go up at least by 50%, some say 75%, this year.

There may be places in America where the economy is strong – country clubs, a few board, firms that haven't – boardrooms, firms that haven't folded. For the rest of America this country is not strong and won't solve itself. No matter what President Bush and Senator McCain say, fixing this mess will take real leadership and a change of direction.

H/t: BooMan!

The Bush/McCain/Palin Economy strikes again

By GottaLaff

Palin/McCain = Bush III, Cheney II:

2007:

Lehman hires Jeb Bush as private equity advisor 30 Aug 2007 Lehman Brothers has hired Jeb Bush, brother of the President of the United States, as an advisor to its private equity business, a source familiar with the situation said. Lehman hired another relative of U.S. President [sic] George W. Bush last year--George Walker, a second cousin, who heads up the bank's asset management business.

2008:

Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 protection 15 Sep 2008 Lehman Brothers, a 158-year-old investment bank choked by the credit crisis and falling real estate values, filed for Chapter 11 protection in the biggest bankruptcy filing ever on Monday and said it was trying to sell off key business units. [Lehman Brothers, a 158-year-old banking institution survives the Industrial Revolution and two world wars... but not Bush.]

And...

Dow falls 500 points in worst day since 2001 --Investors react to Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch sale 15 Sep 2008 A dramatic makeover of Wall Street sent stocks falling precipitously Monday, with the Dow Jones industrials sliding 500 points in their worst point drop since the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Investors reacted badly to a shakeup of the financial industry that took out two storied names: Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co.

H/t: CLG

"Bursting with metaphors": The Fake Talk Express has an accident

By GottaLaff

Crash and burn:

In September 1979, President Jimmy Carter collapsed in a road race. The images of the world's most powerful man faltering contributed to a growing public perception that he was a weak president. Just two months later, Sen. Ted Kennedy announced he would challenge the incumbent in the Democratic primaries.

Yesterday, Sen. John McCain's bus -- the "Straight Talk Express" -- was involved in a bad crash with a blue van, according to the Miami Herald. It's not exactly the images you want broadcast on the evening news.

Update: As DailyKos notes, the story is "bursting with metaphors."

There go the insurance premiums.

Sorry, forgot to add this part, snicker. Looks like J Sid's fellow triplet was a passenger:

The bus driver, along with Sen. Joe Leiberman and an aide, were traveling south on Biscayne when they collided with a blue van, according to Miami police.