A pointed two-part editorial from The New York Times on federal largesse for the rich and powerful and the lack thereof for the rest of us.
Bruce on politics — his Jon Stewart moment
I somehow missed this bit of Springsteen news, but my friend Bill passes it along:
In a recent interview, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien asked Bruce Springsteen (aka “The Boss”) about criticism he has received for taking a stand on political issues. Springsteen responded sarcastically, “Yeah, they should let Ann Coulter do it instead.” He added that there are “idiots rambling on on cable television on any given night of the week,” and called the idea that musicians shouldn’t speak up, “insane” and “funny.” Watch it:
Transcript:
O’BRIEN: In 2004 you came out very strongly in support of John Kerry
and performed with him – your fellow guitarist, I think is how you introduced him to the crowd. And some people gave you a lot of flack for being a musician who took a political stand. I remember…SPRINGSTEEN: Yeah, they should let Ann Coulter do it instead.
O’BRIEN: There is a whole school of thought, as you well know, that says that musicians – I mean you see it with the Dixie Chicks – you know, go play your music and stop.
SPRINGSTEEN: Well, if you turn it on, present company included, the idiots rambling on on cable television on any given night of the week, and you’re saying that musicians shouldn’t speak up? It’s insane. It’s funny.
O’BRIEN: As a musician though, I’d be curious to know if there is a concern that you start talking about politics, you came out at one point and said, I think in USA Today listen, the country would be better off if George Bush were replaced as President. Is there a worry where you start getting political and you could alienate your audience?
SPRINGSTEEN: Well that’s called common sense. I don’t even see that as politics at this point. So I mean that’s, you know, you can get me started, I’ll be glad to go. […] You don’t take a country like the United States into a major war on circumstantial evidence. You lose your job for that. That’s my opinion, and I have no problem voicing it. And some people like it and some people boo ya, you know?
Dispatches: Taxing questions for the state
My Dispatches column on the state budget.
No surprise here, Part 2
This was the worst-kept secret in basketball. A painful and embarrassing episode that, due to the club’s decision not to pay Larry Brown, will hang around tainting the club for months. Add to this the decision not only not to fire Isaiah Thomas but to make him coach, and you can see why New York basketball fans have given up on the franchise.
No surprise here, Part 1
From todays’ New York Times:
WASHINGTON, June 22 — The Senate voted today against measures calling for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, after a long and emotional debate that was in some ways reminiscent of the Vietnam War era.
The votes, 86 to 13 on one measure and 60 to 39 on the second, reflected not only deep divisions between Republicans and Democrats but within the Democratic ranks as well. The bitterness of the debate, and some comments afterward, made it clear that Iraq would be a dominant issue in this year’s Congressional elections, and perhaps in the 2008 presidential race.
The first measure was an amendment to a military-spending bill offered by Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin, both Democrats. It would have set a July 2007 withdrawal date. But with a majority of Democrats voting “no,” its lopsided defeat was assured.
The second, more generally worded measure was also intended to scale down the American commitment in Iraq. It declared that it was “the sense of the Senate” that redeployment of United States troops from Iraq begin by the end of this year.
Only 12 Democrats and the lone independent, Senator James M. Jeffords of Vermont, voted in favor of the Kerry-Feingold proposal. The second measure was supported by 37 Democrats, Mr. Jeffords and one Republican, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Six Democrats joined 54 Republicans in opposing it. They were Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Bill Nelson of Florida, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Hank Kalet 
