Local Blogs Matter

Senate candidate Al Franken wants to talk about jobs, health care and global warming. Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb wants to talk about Franken's failure to pay all his income taxes on time.

Guess what everyone is talking about?

Local blogs can make a difference, someone tell the RRStar!
DKK

Yahoo News Via: Instapundit

More Info On Economy

Incomes and Inflation

Growth in total incomes for all Americans has continued to outpace inflation, as it has for the past several years.

4.03% - Growth in total incomes -- 3/07 - 3/08
3.98% - Total consumer inflation -- 3/07 - 3/08

Job Growth

The job markets in April were pretty strong, albeit uneven:

362,000 - net gain in total employment (that includes 1099 and per diem jobs).
29,000 - net loss in private-sector W-2 employment.
9,000 - net gain in government W-2 employment.

DKK

WizBang Blog

Energy 101

I have to say it again: cheap energy will cause a boom. The only cheap energy I know of is nuclear. Three Hundred Billion bucks in nuclear power will do wonders for the economy. We build 100 1000 MegaWatt nuclear power plants -- they will cost no more than 2 billion each and my guess is that the average cost will be closer to 1 billion each (that is the first one costs about 20 billion and the 100th costs about 800 million). The rest of the money goes to prizes and X projects to convert electricity into mobility.

Of course we won't do that.

The political will is non existent, but will it still be at $7?
DKK
JERRY POURNELLE
Via Instapundit

Primary Money

The DNC has fallen far behind the RNC in contributions for 2008, exacerbating a problem that began last year. At the moment, the Republicans have almost six times as much money in the bank as the Democrats, and continue to outraise them on a month-to-month basis. Why does the GOP lap the DNC every month? Everyone’s cash goes to the primary meltdown instead of the general election

With the amount the candidates are raising I don't think they will suffer come the general, but this has to wear on them non the less.
DKK
Hot Air -- Has the primary race impoverished the Democrats?

The End Result of Socialism

But far from electricity for all, there are now shortages — the same kind hitting other industries Chavez has meddled in.

Businesses have been confiscated across the board in Venezuela, amounting to a nationalization of much of the economy. Chavez has taken cattle ranches, sugar farms, steel companies, cement companies, oil companies, ketchup and soda factories, apartment buildings, phone companies, and TV stations, handing many over to the control of his cronies. His government's excuses for the theft have ranged from lack of title deed, idleness, hoarding, strategic value, ownership by the wrong race (read: white) and, in the case of RCTV, the station Chavez shut down last year, "coup-plotting."

Price controls have eliminated all incentive for farms to produce more. As a result, there's little meat, milk, coffee, eggs, or salt in Venezuelan shops.

DKK
Investors Business Daily

Via: DANEgerus Weblog -- Bill Richardson's good buddy Hugo

Gas News

A surprising build in crude oil highlighted this week’s national inventory statistics.

That's good news. On the other hand, there's this:

Two worker strikes, combined with a bit of sabotage.

Read the report at Instapundit.
DKK

Unemployment Rate Drops .10

Unemployment Rate Falls…Democrats and Economics Reporters Hit Hardest

Ace has the best headlines evah!
DKK

Ask The Kos -- Preserving the Sanctity of The Left

An interesting and frankly frightening phenomenon is being observed in America today. It seems that the left has so demonized Fox News channel that they can't understand nor can they accept their candidates appearing on that channel. In their opinion they are legitimizing the enemy -- Faux News as it is called.

But it goes even further then Fox News.

This is a mere manifestation of the far left and their need to control every aspect of the Democratic Party. They have closed their mind to any opinion that does not fit their own and it is sacrilege for party members to break from the approved manifesto.

While this is very reminiscent of the Communist Party it reminded me even more of a eye opening example I observed while doing a post on desecration of the Koran.

During the research for that post I came across one of the, "Ask an Imam," sites with a question about a person who wanted to learn more about Islam and offered to exchange his bible for a Koran.

The answer from the Imam was that under no circumstances should the person accept the bible. They could loan the Koran if they believed there was a chance the person would read and learn from it -- but they could not accept the bible. Doing so might lead to corruption and temptation of the believer, even if he never intended on reading it and it would legitimize the bible and the person who believed in it. He could answer questions about the Koran but could not enter discussion of the bible.

In disallowing an open exchange of information with non-believers they preserve the sanctity of the believer, eliminate temptation, and insulate the religion from reform.

Sound familiar?

This same tactic allows true believers on the far left to justify their irrational hatred and proclivity to lash out at Fox News and people on the right. It allows justification of tactics designed to silence any opposing viewpoints, demonize opponents, and even attempt to criminalize those who don't hold your beliefs.

Again, sound familiar?

But perhaps I'm stretching things a bit, after all, no one on the left would lash out at anyone just for claiming (and backing it up) that Fox offers a pro-American view for middle America. And if they did, the surely wouldn't say you were not pro-American or imply you were a chicken hawk fascist, would they? (see comment #19 -- saved a copy in pdf format for posterity)
DKK

Hot Air -- Olbermann sobs on dKos’s shoulder over Hillary’s O’Reilly interview

Politico -- Fox Trumps Netroots; bloggers rebel