It’s Mourning In America
October 10, 2007 at 8:34 am
Forgive my grumpiness and general depression this morning. I still haven’t recovered from yesterday’s Republican debate. That is, I haven’t recovered from the questions CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo asked during the debate.
A sample of the sadness that’s sweeping America, as indicated by her questions:
- “Two-thirds of the American people said that we are either in a recession or headed toward one. Do you agree with that?”
- “Senator, you painted a very nice picture. The Dow and the S&P 500 today at new highs — tonight — record numbers. And, yet, two-thirds of the people surveyed said we are either in a recession or headed for one. Why the angst?”
- “Here in Detroit, Michigan, alone, one in every 29 homes went into foreclosure in the first six months of the year. Whose job is it to fix this problem? The government or private enterprise?”
- “Is London going to replace New York as the financial capital of the world?”
- “What is the greatest, long-term threat to the U.S. economy?”
- “Wall Street executives are making millions of dollars every year, paying tax rates of 15 percent, while the average guy out there is paying 30 percent in taxes. Is this system fair?”
After hearing all that, I need something to make me feel better about what’s happening in America. Maybe I’ll watch a film by Michael Moore.
willis said,
October 10, 2007 @ 9:43 am
So, to be a journalist, you invent baseless claims, then demand the candidates explain how they would deal with them. I never realized it could be so easy.
capitano said,
October 10, 2007 @ 9:56 am
This hasn’t been the best year for the Money Honey –
In 2007, controversy arose over the nature of Bartiromo’s relationship with Todd Thomson, former chief of Citigroup’s wealth management unit. Thomson at one point flew with a group of employees to China, then left the employees to make their own arrangements for the trip back while he took the corporate jet back to the U.S. with Bartiromo. In another instance, Thomson [7] spent $5 million for programming on the Sundance Channel that Bartiromo was tapped to host. Thomson was eventually ousted by Citigroup for reasons including his contact with Bartiromo.[8] CNBC has stood by Bartiromo, claiming that her relationship with Thomson was a case of [9] “legitimate business assignments”.
Paul said,
October 10, 2007 @ 10:16 am
She’s hot and all but has terrible taste in men, political affiliation.
Karen said,
October 10, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Sounds like she’s an excellent journalist to me: she’s got her bias, she’s staying on message, she’s repeating the catchphrase of the day….
M. Simon said,
October 10, 2007 @ 10:41 am
I can’t wait for the state of journalism in Islamic countries to improve.
The question of the day would be: “Why have you stopped beating your wife”.
Mike said,
October 10, 2007 @ 10:47 am
Here’s one: “Liberals control the big three networks and the largest newspapers in the U.S. If the Fairness Doctrine is resurrected, how will you handle these large media conglomerates?”
Duneview said,
October 10, 2007 @ 10:53 am
Rudy did his best to cheer her up, noting opportunities that Americans can be hopeful about, but she was not having any of it. Call her Maria Bartiromorose.
Duke DeLand said,
October 10, 2007 @ 11:58 am
Wasn’t this the gal who originated that cute little sign seen on so many office walls?:
“Due to budget considerations the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off!”
It must indeed be hell to feel so badly about everything!
Does she have a twin……you know, the one in the room full of pony poop?
Duke
Drew W said,
October 10, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
I would’ve loved to have seen ABC’s Bianna Golodryga at that debate last night.
Actually, I would’ve just loved to have seen ABC’s Bianna Golodryga.
Rob Mandel said,
October 10, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
you right-wing nutcases they say the media is biased. puh-leeze. can’t you see she’s just asking the tough questions. I mean, why didn’t she ask “How do you feel about George Bush taking money from poor people, throwing them on the street penniless and starving, and giving it all to the rich?”
as for the “beating your wife” question, I’m still laughing uncontrollably!!
TLB said,
October 10, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
The real issue with those questions is that, except for the last, they were too general or too much speculation was involved. Better questions would have involved not the apparent alternative of repeating Bush admin talking points but of asking questions designed to point out flaws in the candidates’ past statements and actions.
K T Cat said,
October 10, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
Here’s my take on the debate and it runs along the same lines. Any answer that suggested that the government should not intervene in something was utterly alien to both Maria and Chris.
http://ktcatspost.blogspot.com/2007/10/analysis-of-last-nights-republican.html
This is a great post and I will throw a link back to it.
MarkJ said,
October 10, 2007 @ 1:49 pm
Maria Bartiromo? I’ll excuse her inanity because she’s hot, hot, HOT. Maria looks like the devious, drop-dead gorgeous sister Tony Soprano SHOULD have had in “You-Know-What-Series.”
Neo said,
October 10, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
If 2/3 people think we are in a recession/heading for recession then she needs to do her job better in conveying how well the U.S. economy is really doing, and stop whining about whatever doom and gloom fake metrics are causing the false belief of impending recession DOOM.
Mister Snitch! said,
October 10, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
Gee, and I thought I was the only one who found the woman unwatchable. Don’t care what she looks like, she makes my skin crawl. (And no, NOT in a good way.)
Suzy said,
October 10, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
She always looks like she rolled out of bed and forgot to take off her makeup from the night before.
If 2/3 of Americans think we are heading for a recession than she needs to spend less time “researching” whatever corporate executives she happens to be sleeping with at the moment and spend more time reporting on the good economic news!
richard said,
October 10, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
The first and second ‘questions’ cited ask whether the candidates agree with the two thirds of some survey respondent group who think we are in a recession, or are headed for one. Since being in a recession is a factual matter, not one of opinion, and since the nation is NOT in a recession, she was essentially asking if the candidates agree that they don’t know what they are talking about.
Duh.
Joseph hill said,
October 10, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
if you take the time to listen to that batch of liars, cheaters, fakers, then why worry about the inerviewer?
PD Quig said,
October 10, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
Q: Two-thirds of the American people said that we are either in a recession or headed toward one. Do you agree with that?
A: Yes, two-thirds of Americans are economically illiterate thanks to the stultifying biased and lame reporting that you in the MSM do on the economy.
Q: Senator, you painted a very nice picture. The Dow and the S&P 500 today at new highs — tonight — record numbers. And, yet, two-thirds of the people surveyed said we are either in a recession or headed for one. Why the angst?
A: See my answer to Question #1.
Q: Here in Detroit, Michigan, alone, one in every 29 homes went into foreclosure in the first six months of the year. Whose job is it to fix this problem? The government or private enterprise?
A: It is the job of the people who placed their signature on the paperwork.
Q: Is London going to replace New York as the financial capital of the world?
A: Only if your big government buddies in Congress do not repair the overregulation and rapacious tort regime.
Q: What is the greatest, long-term threat to the U.S. economy?
A: Government overspending. Next question?
Q: Wall Street executives are making millions of dollars every year, paying tax rates of 15 percent, while the average guy out there is paying 30 percent in taxes. Is this system fair?
A: Wall Street capital creates the private sector jobs that pay for all of our government, and the top 10 percent of taxpayers pay 70% of taxes. The top 20% pay 86% of taxes. I would explain marginal tax rates to you, but you are obviously not equipped for anything more taxing that whipping some skull on my big, red, donkey d**k. Any more questions?
Kevin said,
October 10, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
Nothing wrong with Money Honey’s questions. The general public does have a lot of confused notions, thanks to the relentless efforts of the mainstream media and the Democratic Party. These are excellent questions to give a good candidate a springboard for disabusing people of stupidity and stating a good case for whatever. The question is, were the candidates smart enough to take advantage of it. (Don’t know; didn’t watch).
Goodbye Natalie said,
October 10, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
LOL. Pretty good PD Quig. Answers Natalie would have liked to have heard.
Q: Two-thirds of the American people said that we are either in a recession or headed toward one. Do you agree with that?
A: No worries. 2/3 of the country can’t name the Vice President of the United States either.
Q. Senator, you painted a very nice picture. The Dow and the S&P 500 today at new highs — tonight — record numbers. And, yet, two-thirds of the people surveyed said we are either in a recession or headed for one. Why the angst?
A: 2/3 of the country will be watching “Dancing with the Stars” this evening.
Q: Here in Detroit, Michigan, alone, one in every 29 homes went into foreclosure in the first six months of the year. Whose job is it to fix this problem? The government or private enterprise?
A: Having two Dimocratic Senators by the names of Levin and Stabenow will do this for you.
Q: Is London going to replace New York as the financial capital of the world?
A: Like CNBC, London will be lucky to survive radical Islam until the end of this year.
Q: What is the greatest, long-term threat to the U.S. economy?
A: Al Gore, Commander-in-Chief Hillary Rotten and a Dimocratic Congress.
Q: Wall Street executives are making millions of dollars every year, paying tax rates of 15 percent, while the average guy out there is paying 30 percent in taxes. Is this system fair?
A: George Soros is a convicted felon and largest political donor for the Dimocratic party. Is the system fair?
Capitalist said,
October 11, 2007 @ 6:04 am
Regardinh her question: “Wall Street executives are making millions of dollars every year, paying tax rates of 15 percent, while the average guy out there is paying 30 percent in taxes. Is this system fair?”
An analogy: Is it unfair that a vendor will charge someone $1 for a single apple purchase but only $5 if they buy ten of them? I think not. It’s known as quantity discount. . . and it works just great for both the buyer and the seller.
The person out there “making millions of dollars” (let’s say $2M) and getting a tax rate of 15% is simply getting the same quantity discount our apple buyer enjoys. What’s “unfair” about that? You make $2M, you pay $300K. You make $75K, you pay $30K. That means that we have two individuals who both put their pants on one leg at a time. And one of ‘em is forced to pay $270,000 MORE in federal income taxes each year. On second thought, that doesn’t sound too fair to me either, be in the total opposite way than Ms. Bartiromo inferred.
MikeSC said,
October 11, 2007 @ 8:04 am
“So, Maria, people like you were pimping Enron stock when their numbers didn’t add up and they refused to provide any financial details as to how they actually made money. Should we just assume you’ve learned how to do your job in the last few years when the previous bunch of years indicated you can’t?”
JP said,
October 11, 2007 @ 4:41 pm
I agree with Kevin. There is nothing wrong with those questions. Those questions are, if anything, softballs served up on a platter. Any candidate could have used any of those questions to refute common mispeceptions. If no candidate did it is their fault and not the questioners.
And Maria is no left-winger, Michael Moore disciple. She was one of the first interviewersa to really call out Morgan Spurlock on the manipulative nature of his “Supersize Me” pseudo-documentary.
http://www.techcentralstation.com/052704G.html