The Senate Races considered to be toss ups until today, adding Hawaii according to the US Chamber of Commerce.

Massachusetts


Warren (D)  vs  Brown (R) - evenly divided at 47% each


Indiana 


Donnelly (D)  vs  Mourdock (R) - currently evenly at 42% which reveals a high level of undecided and possibly independent


Virginia 


Kaine (D) 46%  vs  Allen (R) 44% - that leaves about 10% undecided


New Mexico 


Heinrich (D) 46%  vs  Wilson (R) 42% - 10% undecided


Montana


Tester (D) 47%  vs  Rehberg (R) 49% - Not much wiggle room. Low amount of undecided. Tester has been a great Senator for Montana, I am a little surprised.


Dodd - Frank? Rehberg must be lying through his teeth big time. Given the irresponsibility that still exists in the Financial Sector as exhibited by Morgan, Barclays and LIBOR there should be no doubt Senator Tester is doing the right thing. He is being attacked by Rehberg because he is on the Senate Banking Committee. It is a 'designer' focus. Tester has done a lot for Montana, they will be sorry if they don't put him back. Senator Tester needs to speak about some of his best accomplishments for Montana. Seriously, they need him.

Rehberg is attacking Tester for having sponsored a bill that would have delayed limits on debit interchange fees in Dodd-Frank’s Durbin rule.

Whereas Tester "implied it was the six-term GOP congressman who lacked independence as demonstrated by his vote against the Dodd-Frank Act," writes Wack.

"It held Wall Street accountable," said Tester, and Rehberg "opposed it, for obvious reasons."

Got that? In sum: they are each trying to paint the other as beholden to the financial services industry.

"The Montana campaign is getting a lot of national attention because it is one of several races that will determine whether the Senate swings into Republican hands," observes  Wack....


Why would Montana want to vote for deregulation again. Barclays is going to be on the Hill, unless they were there already. Let me see.


I think this article makes an interesting point. It is the institutions failing to act responsibly in the market. They want governments to leave them alone without regulation. That can't be. They haven't proven to be either stable enough or ethical enough. Those are not reasons to deregulate, the complete opposite. Montana doesn't understand that?


Senator Testers experience is important, especially now.

Blame Barclays, not capitalism (click here)

By Jonah Goldberg

7:00 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2012

Why aren't more people furious about the Libor scandal?

That's a question mostly being asked on the political left these days, and they're right to ask it....

...Indeed, a conservative estimate is that some $350 trillion in bonds and loans are pegged to Libor worldwide. That's more than 20 times the GDP of the United States....

Hello? Montana? Are you out there? Crops ain't that good, but, that has nothing to do with the banks directly. I guess it is starting to get expensive to feed the cows, huh? Fuel prices, cost of production. How the loans rolling this year? There are low interest loans this year to help with costs. Diesel. You know I would think cooperatives should be producing their own biodiesel by now. 

The American Research Group has interesting Household Surveys.

There is a big difference in the way Americans are viewing their Household Financial Situation; much better than a year ago.

...When it comes to rating their household financial situations,(click title to entry - thank you) 63% of Americans give an excellent, very good, or good rating and 36% give a bad, very bad, or terrible rating.

Among those saying they approve of the way Obama is handling his job, 80% say excellent, very good, or good and 19% say bad, very bad, or terrible. Among those saying they disapprove of the way Obama is handling his job, 41% say very good, or good and 58% say bad, very bad, or terrible....

Household financial situation	Excellent	Very good	Good	Bad	Very bad	Terrible	Undecided
Jun 2012	10%	15%	38%	25%	8%	3%	1%
May 2012	9%	16%	43%	19%	6%	6%	1%
Apr 2012	10%	14%	41%	24%	7%	4%	-
Mar 2012	6%	16%	52%	15%	5%	5%	1%
Feb 2012	6%	16%	37%	28%	7%	5%	1%
Jan 2012	10%	15%	40%	22%	8%	4%	1%
Dec 2011	3%	19%	45%	23%	3%	6%	1%
Nov 2011	6%	15%	44%	22%	9%	3%	1%
Oct 2011	11%	15%	32%	22%	7%	12%	1%
Sep 2011	10%	13%	48%	24%	1%	3%	1%
Aug 2011	1%	16%	50%	23%	6%	3%	1%
Jul 2011	7%	17%	47%	21%	4%	3%	1%
Jun 2011	4%	14%	45%	25%	8%	3%	1%

There is a consistent change over the last three months compared to one year ago. I find that interesting. The most remarkable change in this survey actually sees their Household Financial Situation as Excellent. A year ago that comfort level was at 4%, in June 2012 it rose to 10% but has not fluctuated much at all over the past three months.


It is a smaller sample size, but, that smaller size is consistent over the year. The methodology to the American Research Group doesn't really change, so their reporting even though it appears to be an outliar, is consistent. I still find it interesting.


The greatest fluctuation exists between the "Good and Bad" ratings, but,that makes sense. There will be more dynamics at those levels. But, the approval rating is shifting up to Excellent. 


Interesting.

Hawaii is in play in the Senate and the Democrats are winning the fundraising.

By Patrick O'Connor

...A new round of polling (click title to entry - thank you) from the business-friendly U.S Chamber of Commerce suggests President Barack Obama’s home state might actually be in play.
Republican former Gov. Linda Lingle leads Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono, 47% to 41%, to fill a seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka, according to a new poll released by the Chamber. Earlier polls show the Democrat with a solid lead.
The Chamber, which rarely discloses poll results, released the Hawaii numbers along with the results of public-opinion surveys for Senate races in Montana and Virginia that also show the Republican candidates outpacing their Democratic opponents....

Senate Fundraising Winners and Losers (Click here)

By Sean Sullivan and Julie Sobel

July 17, 2012 | 6:31 a.m.

During the second quarter of the year, Senate Democrats largely won the fundraising battle, but the power of well-funded Republican outside groups will even the playing field in races with weak Republican candidates for whom fundraising has not been a strong suit.

Individually, the period's standouts were mainly familiar faces who had already demonstrated a knack for hauling in big bucks. The quarter's biggest disappointments also largely had a history of lackluster numbers; but now they also face a race against time with most of the remaining primaries slated for August. With just one more complete fundraising quarter left until Election Day, here are our second quarter Senate fundraising winners and losers:...

Stop the anger, let the university heal.

A plane flying the Penn State University campus in State College, pulls a banner reading "Take the statue down or we will." The Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium has been a point of much contention.

AP Photo/Centre Daily Times, Nabil K. Mark

No, you will not. Penn State is considering closing down the football program. The proper measures will be taken by the school administration. The administration has to be trusted again. The exposure and conviction of the pedophile acted effectively to seek change in the way Penn State conducts its professional staff. 

The decision around the football team is in regard to any rule breaking of the conference. If Paterno proves to be dishonorable in many venues his leadership will be eliminated as an icon for the university in the future.

Paterno’s Alma Mater Takes Name Off Award

By TIM ROHAN

Published: July 17, 2012

...Brown — which Paterno graduated from in 1950 — (click title to entry - thank you) has removed Paterno’s name from a coaching position and an annual award. It is debating his status in the university’s athletic hall of fame in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal involving Jerry Sandusky and Paterno’s role in it....

Patero was of a different generation. One that didn't understand the strength of safety in numbers. Most of the time institutions were not empowering so much as machines of the system. That is what Peterno understood. Either become a 'brick in the wall' or lose your job, your place in the world and a future.


Paterno is a prime example of the failure of power today. People find empowerment among each other. The ease with which danger of any kind exists in the world today, rarely goes unnoticed. That was not the case for Paterno. He handled a pedophile as best he could while building lives and futures for students and staff.


Paterno obviously had success. The people under his tutelage became successful and it wasn't because pedolphilia ran wild among them.


Sandusky was gone a while ago. He was considered a danger to the Penn State Football Program long before he was finally prosecuted and moved out of society. Paterno did something right. No one can accuse him of simply looking the other way, that wasn't the case. If he didn't have the means within his own understanding of his power and prestige enough to move an administration then all anyone can accuse him of is being humble. If he was at a loss to protect young men and boys whom he had little to no influence over, then the only thing he is guilty of is being an innocent by stander.


Paterno is not the monster. He is an unfortunate. He lacked the will to move against the system, he acquired that understanding somewhere.


The problem with Sandusky was the incideous ability he had to acquire young boys for his sexual antics. He formed an entire organization around recruiting disadvantaged young men to satisfy his appetite. He adopted boys to exploit. Was there no measure within the system to stop this man?


There are many other aspects to Sandusky's crimes that needs to be examined to the exploitation of children. Paterno was not as much the problem as the system he lived and worked. Paterno was not omnipotent. He did not control every aspect of the indecency and criminal content of a pedophile. I am sure he was as disgusted as anyone and reflected on it many times. I sincerely believe Paterno simply didn't have the ability to move outside  his own understanding of victimization. 


It is not unusual for professionals to dismiss federal mandates to act against abuse. There is sometimes a lot on the line, too. They can't do it anonymously. They don't have a lawyer's head on their shoulders. They second guess their own conclusions.


I believe all those involved with Paterno, his memory and the appropriate elevation of his career will do the right thing. The administration has to have a chance to sort through it all. Their case for action has to be solid and well considered, otherwise, it will look like as a vengeful propaganda stunt.


I'll tell you what bothers me more; the murder of a man years ago. Sandusky is physically a large and strong man. I would not put anything past him in his belief he was a pedophile's path to success, including murder. Sandusky wrote a 'how to book' for other pedophiles. If one gets to know the pedophile community there is the understanding they have a legitimate right to their lifestyle. Sandusky is an example of that community and he was proud of his accomplishments as a pedophile satisfied with his choices. Believe me there are far larger and more pressing problems than a statue of an unfortunate.

Enough of the killing in Syria. Is there any reason to object to the battle against Assad?

The opposition Syrian National Council issued an ultimatum of its own as the UN Security Council prepared to vote on extending the mandate of the UN's cease-fire monitors in Syria. (click title to entry - thank you)

By Howard LaFranchi, Staff writer / July 17, 2012

UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.

With world powers playing a bit of brinksmanship over international action on Syria, Syria’s largest opposition coalition is presenting an ultimatum of its own: Either the UN Security Council passes a resolution with real consequences targeting President Bashar al-Assad and his regime’s violence, or the opposition will turn elsewhere for the means to defend itself and the Syrian people....

The ultimatum is not leveled at any other country or the UN, it is leveled at Assad. The ultimatum simply illustrates a reality Assad has to face. There are people within in Syria that can alter his future plans.

This was a strategic decision. The opposition performed intelligence, found the defense minister and made sure he was dead. That is a well organized opposition. They are ready to take control of their country. They know their enemy. They can defeat it.

Bomb kills Syrian defence minister as Damascus battle rages (click here)

By Dominic Evans and Khaled Yacoub Oweis

BEIRUT/AMMAN | Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:18pm IST

(Reuters) - Syria's defence mininister was killed in a bomb attack on a high level security meeting in Damascus on Wednesday, state television said, as the revolt against Bashar al-Assad struck at the heart of the president's inner circle.

State television said Defence Minister Daoud Rajha was killed in a "terrorist bombing".

Lebanon-based news channel al-Maydeen said several senior security officials had been killed in the attack while battles raged within sight of Assad's presidential palace....

There was no terrorist bombings. This was self-defense of their own neighborhoods. The innocent needed a champion, evidently they have found one.

How many more Nazis are out there? He is 97 years old. What a nightmare.

Hungarian authorities (click title to entry - thank you) have taken Nazi war crimes suspect Laszlo Csatary into custody for questioning, prosecutors have said.

He is number one on the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center's wanted list and is accused of assisting in the murder of 15,700 Jews.

Last week, reporters from British newspaper The Sun found the 97-year-old living in Budapest.

Prosecutors reportedly want him to be held under house arrest.

This will enable the authorities to confiscate his passport.

They said that, considering his age, he is in good physical and mental health....

Romney really believes he is entitled.

Al Green's copyright has been enforce equally. If anyone tries to view the clip of President Obama's vocal debut, the links are dismantled because of copyright. So, demanding the Romney campaign FOLLOW THE LAW, is not singling them out or an act of discrimination so much as enforcing what is Reverend Al Green's to protect. The context of a legacy matters and Reverend Green has his standards.

Al Green hasn't released a new album since 2008's Lay It Down, (click title to entry - thank you) but the soul great has been having a hell of a year. In January, President Barack Obama sang 10 seconds of Green's 1971 hit "Let's Stay Together," single-handedly saving the music business. This week, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney responded to an Obama ad that features the former Massachusetts governor's rather pitchy "America the Beautiful" by running an ad depicting Obama's surprisingly solid Green rendition. As tech blog Ars Technica points out (via the Daily Swarm), though, the Romney YouTube ad has been hit with that common, dreaded sight: a copyright takedown notice. The ironing is delicious....