As CW said, it's my initials. I have four because my wife and I hyphenated the last names when we got married.

I have this pipe dream that some day double last names will be the norm, with couples taking the name the bride got from her mother and the name the groom got from his father. (And same-sex couples using the names from both same-sex parents.) That way everyone would have a name that traces the all-male lineage and a name that traces the all-female lineage. It would make genealogy easier, not to mention figuring out whether a woman is someone you knew in school under her maiden name.

I just now read your comment here and it made me smile.

Just wanted to say that and, don't be such a stranger around here!

I had an uncle whose career was a progression of jobs as editor of successively larger local papers, ending his career as an editorial writer for a major. But, in the earlier jobs, the hot lead typesetting was literally in the "next room." He died quite young of cancer, maybe in part from the journalist's breakfast of booze and cigarettes, and maybe not...

Somewhere, Anthony Weiner is muttering, "Some guys have all the luck..." :D

TM,

They need a grown-up to TAKE CONTROL...use whatever FORCE is available...One of the MANY instances lately in which an actual DEMOCRAT would be preferable to a "rock star" (hint)

Ya KNOW it's a topsy turvy world when the Progressive blogosphere is actually admiring the Tea Party for their political resolve... :D

"Never more disgusted with our politics...

Until the next time, anyways.. :D

CW,

OK, I'm stumped -- was the Hitler quote Sanders or Brown? I'm guessing Sanders.

I think it was Franken, actually. I recall reading an article on the quote recently, but I thought it was Franken who said it. Could be wrong. Probably am..

Why thankew.

De nada. :D

I saw people ridiculing the Tea Party folks from the get-go,

The problem they have (and I am susceptible to it as well) is that they indulge in "wishcasting" rather than forecasting. They predict what they WANT to happen and then look for examples to support their wishes and ignore any facts that would dispute their wishes..

Not knocking them for it TOO much because, as I said, I indulge in it myself on occasion.. :D

The trick is being able to recognize when one is wishcasting and when one is forecasting..

In the case of the Tea Party, it's clear to anyone who is not a Liberal/Progressive/Democratic Party Fanatic that the Tea Party is NOT just a bunch of redneck racist longing for a return to the Jim Crow days. They have a viable platform that many average Americans respond to..

The Left would LOVE to create a political force like the Tea Party...

I worked on a college newspaper with a "hot wax" machine

I read that and all I could picture was that scene from 40 Year Old Virgin where Steve Carrol was getting his chest hair removed with a hot wax treatment.. :D I am laughing just picturing the scene... :D

Michale.....

One more thing -- I worked on a college newspaper with a "hot wax" machine and strips of paper containing columns of type. I've done REAL "cut and paste" layout in the absolutely literal sense. But we used blue pencils.

Heh.

-CW

When I notice them, I fix HTML problems in comments. Both of yours look correct, now.

Don't forget to close those tags! Read this for details.

:-)

-CW

Yeah, well, poetic license. I was just annoyed at the entire "save us from ourselves!" aspect of the committee, and wasn't speaking as precisely as I could have.

tinsldr2 [3] -

Heh heh. Hey, Franken, Sanders and Brown would certainly make for a lively debate.

You sure you want to deride second-rate actors who go into politics? I mean, there's plenty of fodder over in GOP-Land on that one, right? Heh.

OK, I'm stumped -- was the Hitler quote Sanders or Brown? I'm guessing Sanders.

dsws [4&5] -

Yeah, I use the LOC Thomas page a lot, but I didn't bother until the deal was done. THANKS for posting the bill number, as I would like to read it (how long is it?).

I spent the weekend reading SCOTUS court cases (mainly Perry v. US -- thanks to... um, LeaningBlue?... for the tip on that one, which made it easy to find) on the 14th Amendment (and, incidentally, the gold standard), and then didn't even get a chance to write about them. Oh, well, wasted research is always interesting in its own right. Anyway, thanks for the bill number.

Michale [6] -

What I find ironic is that the Tea Partiers are probably the most annoyed at what did actually pass. Now THAT's irony!

David [7] -

Aha! So it wasn't just me who noticed!

Michale [10] -

Why thankew. I saw people ridiculing the Tea Party folks from the get-go, and for about a day or so I thought about doing the same (this was right before I wrote my first article about them in early 2009). But I'm a softie for political theater of any type, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm thinking of writing tomorrow(Wed.)'s article about this, so I'll have more to say later.

tommymccarthy [11] -

I, too, admit I read that wrong at first (I read it: "tinsel door 2"). But, after he quoted the song "Ohio" to me quite a while back, I realized it is actually "tin soldier 2." I hope I'm not giving away secrets or anything, but "dsws" is a the individual's initials, so don't drive yourself crazy trying to read anything into it.

[Aside: there's a column in the local paper which has been running funny personalized license plates, and challenging the readers to figure them out. The one that made me laugh was: 1BYCOSC. Now, I recognized the equation, but didn't solve it (trigonometry always bored me). When solved, it changes from "1/cos C" (one over cosine C) to "sec C" (secant C). Read the solution's abbreviated form out loud, to get the joke.]

1) I think the proper term is "Rube-Goldbergian" (heh). I find it craven, but not questionable. As long as Congress agrees to the rules beforehand, almost anything they come up with is actually allowable -- their rules are actually quite flexible, and they can make things up as they go along.

2) The full House and Senate will have to vote on whatever they come up with, so it's constitutional. Google "base closing commission" to see a precedent.

3) It smacks, to me, of people who desperately do not want to do the job they were sent there to do, and of people who are passing the buck BIG TIME. It's political cowardice, plain and simple, and there's enough of THAT blame to go all the way around the Capitol.

I liked your teenage metaphor -- my instant reaction was "Ground Congress until they do their homework!" Heh.

dsws [15] -

Yeah, it's always bugged me that Thomas doesn't provide permalinks to searches. Their web code probably hasn't been updated since about 1997. But I can't complain about the service they provide. I usually just quote the bill number "S365" and the main Thomas page link, and tell people to do their own searches. Clumsy, but what can you do?

-CW

Among the jobs I won't be seeking to supplement my income during the depression will be web designer, or anything requiring markup not entailing a red pencil.

Two market related items. First, a Chinese rating agency today downgraded the USA debt. I doubt Fitch, Moody's or S&P will follow any time soon, now after the Deal That Saved America. But that horse has left the barn, in fact if not in form.

Second, there were credible reports that BoJapan intervened in the currency market in the last 24 hours, supporting the USD against the yen. The USD remains very weak, due principally to the fact (at least, I believe, the fact) US is again in recession, if it ever really left it.

How about my old friend..Pat Buchannan... congratulating his "Tea Party" allies on their budget victory...and advising them to celebrate by nailing a COONskin cap to their wall?

Howdy to "TinselDr.".....Who, seemingly, has weighed in on the SIDE of (simultaneously) The Union Movement AND Der Fuhrer (not an easy thing to do!)

"dsws" (must tell me what that means...as time permits..) Typically... is laboring tirelessly to provide accurate, & impartial FACTS......for which he/she does NOT receive nearly enough credit.RSVP

And speaking of CREDIT......A big "hello" to Michale...while otherwise insufferable on this day which is...undeniably... a great victory for those who think as he does (grr)
BUT....who thinks correctly to credit "cee-dub" (CW) with predicting (early) the influence of the Tea Party..........for which we can all be......grateful? (grrrr)

And here I was going to make some smart-@ss remark like this:

The most signifigant part of the "agreement" is this new, (extra-constitutional?), SUPER-committee
(which will be whatever Mitch McConnell allows it to be, grr).....which will, going forward....decide whether "triggers" will be pulled...or fired...or whatever these kind of "triggers" do.

Question(s)......

1:)Does anyone besides me find this Rube Golberg contraption questionable?

2:)Does anyone imagine this cobbled-together device can end up ANYWHERE but in front of the supreme court? (2b:) And won't THAT work out well?)

3:) Is it just me.....or does ALL of this smack of something being being "made up as we go along"..by people who HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING?

The President always THRILLS when this or that pundit describes him as "the only grown up in the room"...during these negotiations.

I find the metaphor overused and inaccurate...but let's go with it for the moment...

The salient point the Prez keeps missing is.....
The juveniles in question are NOT little children.....
They are Teenagers....fully formed, strong as lions, and drunk on their own power.
Further...they've already BEEN to juvie
(under the LAST grown-up to hold his office)
And NOW (mostly thanx to him) they have got hold of the checkbook, the credit cards, the keys to all the cars, and the gun safe.

What they need is NOT a genial Uncle Barack to shuffle about muttering "can't we all get along"..or.."how about I tell you a story?"

They need a grown-up to TAKE CONTROL...use whatever FORCE is available...One of the MANY instances lately in which an actual DEMOCRAT would be preferable to a "rock star" (hint)

As I said...I don't subscribe to the parameters of the metaphor....

Here's my smart remark:

"Oh joy ...we now have a SUPER Congress.....to go with our president-in-miniature....who knew we needed either?"

I find it on point...and clever enough...but

My missive is signed:

"Never more disgusted with our politics...
TM"

For the record, the only blog I read that recognized and acknowledged the possibility that the Tea Party could become the power-house political force it has become is CW.COM....

Credit where credit is due.... :D

Michale.....

Idunno, Michale. No one I know who is actually in the Tea Party is happy.

I am just going by what I hear from your fellow progressives.. :D

Read Taylor and Ben.... :D

Why? Spending cuts do not boost an economy. There's no growth provisions from the bill.

If this was actually a spending "Cut" you would be right.

But this is the largest Debt Ceiling increase in the HISTORY of the country...

Hard to see how ANYONE can view this as a spending CUT..

"Oh look, honey!! Our Credit just went up by 1.4 TRILLION dollars!!! Just think how much money we are going to be able to save!!!"

Michale......

But the market is down.

Why? Spending cuts do not boost an economy. There's no growth provisions from the bill.

Now its true that some weak economic data came back today as well. Bt if the bill were good for the economy, we'd likely see a boost.

The market understands this even as the rest of the country is bamboozled by GOP claims that "tax cuts create jobs".

Want to get past the political rhetoric? Follow the market ...

From my Tea Party friend:

"The new debt plan does not reign in the debt. You have been fooled.

Neither party has the courage to make true cuts in spending. This is because neither party wants to be blamed for reducing entitlements. Nature will simply take its course: the debt will continue to increase and our dollar will continue to decrease. Unless, of course, we throw out the socialists and elect people who uphold the constitution."

Of course I think Tea Party people are people who are pretty angry and confused to begin with and may never be happy :)

But I'm glad you're happy!
-David

Despite all the claims from the Left about the Tea Party, in this debacle it was the Tea Party that showed the strength of their convictions. It was the Tea Party that showed the real political backbone...

Ya gotta love the irony... :D

Michale.....

Why don't people ever say the bill number of a bill they're reporting on?

It is painful to read much less contemplate a serious discussion of politics involving "Bernie Sanders, Al Franken, and Sherrod Brown"

Really? A Second rate comedian off of Saturday Night Live and the person who gave us this gem:

"I look back in history, in some of the worst governments that we had, you know the first thing they did, go after unions, Hitler didn’t want unions,"

Of course Here is a direct quote from Hitler on trade unions.

" In the present state of affairs I am convinced that we cannot possibly dispense with the trades unions. On the contrary, they are among the most important institutions in the economic life of the nation. "

Just sayin...

They all seem to forget the much worse and much more vile tactics the Left used to push thru CrapCare. An agenda which 75% of Americans were AGAINST...

It's no fun when yer on the RECEIVING end of such tactics, eh?? :D

Michale.....

The implicit premise is that there won't be even one Republican ready to support a balanced approach. That in itself is almost as interesting as the question of which Democratic senators.

The committee will have the same exact sweeping powers which Congress as a whole already possesses -- the ability to decide matters of taxation and federal spending.

I suppose Congress has the power to bring a bill to a vote, without filibuster or amendment. But in order to do so they would have to do something extraordinary, like pass a joint resolution authorizing a committee to draft the bill, making the rules say it gets a vote in each chamber. But even that would just guarantee a no vote, unless they pass a law having politically-bad stuff happen unless the committee's bill gets passed. In other words, they have the authority, but (as far as I can see) the only way they can possibly exercise it is exactly what they just did.