Shorters, Part 1

tons to catch up on, and Megan has been verbose. So let's watch her flail about laying blame for the meltdown everywhere but at the feet of the deregulatory policies she's supported for the last 8 years.

Watch the budget:

Whatever your opinion of the Bush tax cuts, it is indisputable that they made our tax base more progressive: the rich and very rich now pay a higher percentage of the total tax take than they did before Bush took office. That has dire implications for the budget for the next few years.

That's right folks, everything you've ever learned or been told about the nature of Bush's tax cuts was wrong. And no, there's no need to support a massively counter-intuitive claim with any kind of direct evidence; that's what poor people do. She goes on to explain how this alternate reality means Obama will have less revenue to work with than he claims and McCain won't be able to make these "progressive" tax cuts permanent the way he wants. Also, zombie outbreaks.

Sure glad I got that MBA:

I graduated from business school in 2001, straight into the teeth of the last recession. This article sure brings back some painful memories. If you're a newly minted MBA, I offer the following, not very helpful advice:

Never forget who has the money, or how to kiss their asses. Also make sure to kiss the ass of anyone who might one day affect your career. Basically, be a huge suck up and hope selling your soul left you as the right kind of half-human shade to please your new masters.

Is McCain suffering from Alzheimers [sic]?:

No, you asshole, he isn't. He couldn't understand the interviewer through her thick accent, and tried to bluff his way out. Stupid mistake, but easily understood. The real gaffe was McCain's camp claiming he did understand and meant to say he'd refuse to meet with the head of another NATO member. That is fucking stupid, and raises all sorts of questions about what lengths McCain will go to in service of his pride.

Clear as Glass (Steagall):

Who are you going to believe; me, or everyone else in the western world, including a tenured Professor of Economics at Princeton who has a column in the national paper of record? Will they use meaningless jargon instead of a real argument? Huh, punks?

Demon short-selling:

There's nothing whatsoever wrong with an unregulated market where rich people sell shit they don't actually own, you communist bastards. The idea in no way resembles this ad.

Insiders save themselves:

Clearly, this crisis shows we need to give rich people free money to save their self-esteem, the question is how much.

More to come.