28thavenue.net

By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The economy skidded to a near halt in the final quarter of last year, clobbered by dual slumps in housing and credit that caused people and businesses to spend and invest more sparingly.

The economy? A near halt? Like it almost just…stopped? Maybe you’re thinking of economic growth… You never made it to calculus, did you?

PS I heard this same lede read on the radio this morning. The dumb doth rule us.

To help her ailing campaign finance situation, Hillary Clinton has taken to doing product placement spots during national televised debates.

Seriously, how much do you suppose she owes right now for leasing copiers and fax machines? I’ll bet dollars to donuts there’s a there there.

How much did you pay for those consultants?

I’m not crazy about the title, “I Refuse to Buy into the Obama Hype,” just because it’s a little too clever.

But the post provides a good rundown of comparative legislative accomplishments between Obama and Clinton. Basically, Clinton’s arguments about “solutions” ring pretty hollow.

David Schuster gets suspended from his job at MSNBC for asking whether the Clintons are “pimping” out their daughter by having her campaign, but not allowing the press access to her to ask questions and do interviews.

A poor choice of words, to be sure, but I think “pimp” has become a less offensive word through its use in network TV shows like “Pimp my Ride” for example. Schuster wasn’t using the word in this sense, of course, but still — it’s obviously not considered a taboo word anymore.

So I’m not trying to forgive Schuster. I’m not saying his suspension was unwarranted. I’m just saying that his statement nearly lost him his job. He got a major reprimand for it.

The question I have is this — what consequences will Bill O’Reilly face following this statement about Michelle Obama:

That’s wrong. And I don’t want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there’s evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that’s how she really feels — that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever — then that’s legit. We’ll track it down.

When does his suspension start?

Here’s to committing it to memory:

If a way to the better there be it exacts a full look at the worst.

“Exacts” is a cool verb.

I wish I could email this guy — “kudos” I’d say, “kudos.”

Haugen offers the grown-up’s response to childish rants like this.

With apologies to Rita Hayworth, this one’s for listening purposes only. (vocals: Doris Day)