How cute is Joe Scarborough calling Secretary Clinton his “girlfriend”?? Repeatedly? Evidently, he has NO idea how much competition he has, does he?

And Scarborough makes a great argument about Hillary Clinton “not going rogue.” Of course she is taking the tack Obama has directed her to take. It is not a surprise that Obama would want her to do the HARD work while he “flying at 40,000 ft”.

Just to be clear on Pakistan, the White House does back Secretary Clinton on what she said there. While it may not be the language Mika wants her to use (and honestly, could Hillary Clinton say anything of which Mika approved? Just asking, in a snarky kind of way.)

Don’t even get me started on the whole election thing, though. Don’t even get me started. Good for JOE for pointing out - AGAIN - that the media played a huge role in how she was treated, as we all know already.

The remarks by General Petraeus were telling, telling indeed. That, along with the relationship she has developed with our military personnel is exactly why I contend she would have gotten to Fort Hood tout suite after the tragedy there. Because she truly cares about those serving in uniform. She, unlike our President, has made that support crystal clear.

Okay. About this “unnamed White House source” crapola. I am referring to the “Unnamed White House sources” who claimed Secretary Clinton had made big mistakes in foreign policy since becoming Secretary of State reminded me of the “Unnamed McCain aides” who made the most outrageous, and false, allegations about Gov. Sarah Palin, including that “she didn’t know Africa was a continent.” That is to say, I just cannot take their claims seriously. Especially when one of those high up in the Obama Administration, Jon Favreau, has demonstrated just how much he respected Hillary Clinton when he posted a photo of himself groping a life-size Hillary Clinton cutout on Facebook. Yeah, right. I’m not buying what they’re selling. I’ve seen plenty from those folks already, and have been singularly unimpressed. Whatever.

Anyway, it was an interesting discussion about Secretary Clinton, the work she is doing, and Joe’s undying love for her. All I can say about that is, join the club, Joe, join the club.

Speaking of Secretary Clinton, Saturday is when she commissions the assault ship, USS New York. There will be video available later, which I will then put up. For more on the USS New York, its 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Towers, and the emotions it elicits, please watch the video below:

Very moving, and powerful. Great thanks to those who serve aboard this state of the art vessel, and who sought to serve aboard this ship. The motto of the ship is apt: Strength Forged Through Sacrifice. Never Forget.

They won’t forget, and neither will we.

May this ship and its crew have smooth sailing for years to come.

[A]ll the wounded were in stable condition, including the suspect and the policewoman who shot him, Sgt. Kimberly Munley, 34.
“It was an amazing and an aggressive performance by this police officer,” said Cone, praising her for stopping the gunman despite already being wounded herself. … [Hasan] shot more than 40 people before military police and civilian police officers responded, officials said. He was wounded by a civilian policewoman, who was injured in the exchange, police said.

[...]

Lt. Col. Larry Masullo, acting chief of the post’s emergency hospital, said that within minutes of the first shooting report, his staff began calling every physician, nurse and medic available.

About 100 medical personnel converged at Darnall as teams were assembled into trauma bays, he said.

Maj. Stephen Beckwith, a doctor and the post’s EMS director, said shots were still being fired when paramedics arrived on the scene.

One paramedic, who began treating people as officials said Hasan continued to fire, later suffered an “acute stress response,” he said.

Sgt. Andrew Hagerman, a military police officer, had been patrolling a housing area when he heard reports of a shooting. He said he first suspected kids with firecrackers but raced toward the scene when he realized what was happening. [...]

Beckwith said 16 trauma beds were available in the hospital, and medics and doctors treated patients quickly enough that they never ran out of beds.

“You don’t hesitate at all,” said Hagerman, who has deployed to Iraq. “And your main goal is to take the shooter down.”

From the A.P.’s “But for heroes, bloodbath could have been worse“:

Pfc. Marquest Smith, on his way to Afghanistan in January, was completing routine paperwork about a bee-sting allergy when the sounds erupted.

A loud, popping noise. Moans. The sudden, urgent shout of “Gun!”

Smith poked his head over the cubicle’s partition and saw an extraordinary sight: An Army officer with two guns, firing into the crowded room.

The 21-year-old Fort Worth native quickly grabbed the civilian worker who’d been helping with his paperwork and forced her under the desk. He lay low for several minutes, waiting for the shooter to run out of ammunition and wishing he, too, had a gun.

[...]

Pfc. Amber Bahr, 19, of Random Lake, Wis., tore up her blouse and used it as a tourniquet on a wounded comrade. It was only later that she realized she’d been shot in the back, the bullet exiting her abdomen.

Sgt. Andrew Hagerman, a military police officer, was patrolling a housing area when word of shootings crackled over his radio.

As he arrived at the processing center, bloodied soldiers, some shirtless, were already treating each other on the grass outside, ripping pant legs off and tying off wounds. Munley—with whom Hagerman had exchanged small talk on patrols—was being loaded into an ambulance.

Hasan lay on the ground, his two handguns beside him, as medical personnel struggled to remove his handcuffs to treat his wounds.

Hagerman entered the building, took a deep breath and asked himself: “What do I need to do?”

He picked his way around the room’s edges, careful not to step in pools of blood or to kick any spent shell casings. He had seen death during his two tours in Iraq, but nothing that compared with this. …

From the November 7th edition of the Houston Chronicle, “She stood ground, even as bullets struck her“ — and yes, this is a long quote, but every word is worth reading:

FORT HOOD — However complete her training or rounded her experience, Sgt. Kimberly Munley may be forgiven if she never expected a scene quite like the one Thursday, when she found herself in a courtyard facing an Army major apparently gone berserk and a body count that would keep rising unless she stopped him.
Two quick shots from her Beretta 9 mm — pop, pop — and now Munley had the attention of the gunman. She had missed. He was angry. Now his Belgian-made 5.7 mm pistol was pointed not at the already wounded soldier he was chasing, but at Munley, a civilian police officer hired to help keep order at the sprawling base.

He charged her, firing rapidly along the way. She returned fire and dropped to the ground to give herself more cover. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who in an inexplicable instant had turned from caregiver to accused mass murderer, was allegedly in the process of killing 13 people and wounding 38 more. He now had Munley in his sights.

Hasan “was interested in nothing else but trying to eliminate her as his threat,” said Chuck Medley, head of the Fort Hood police and fire departments, which are civilian operations contracted to the Army.
The two fired again, perhaps simultaneously, Medley said. Each was struck. The gunman took a bullet to the upper torso; Munley was hit in her legs and wrists. Both would survive and the carnage had ended.

“He went down,” Medley said. “She eliminated the threat. She did what she was trained to do.”

And the lives she saved?

“Countless,” he said.

Second officer also fired

Munley was one of two people who shot the gunman, officials said Friday. Little information was available about Senior Sgt. Mark Todd, who also engaged the gunman and shot at him.

Munley, a 5-foot-2 weapons expert, was still on the scene when paramedics rushed Hasan to the hospital, Medley said. He visited the 34-year-old police officer in her hospital room Friday afternoon and found her in high spirits. She had only one request for her boss: Bring her husband, Staff Sgt. Matthew Munley — a soldier who recently transferred to Fort Bragg, N.C. — to Fort Hood to see her. The Army agreed, small compensation for a big act.

Surgeons repaired damage to Munley’s left leg and knee, but they still have to remove a bullet from the right thigh. She is expected to recover.

Department of the Army police officers are civilians that compensate for the deployments of military police.

“She’s a small young lady, but don’t let that fool you at all,” Medley said. “She’s very, very, very physically fit, and very capable, especially with firearms.”

Kept neighbors safe

As military wives on Munley’s street cared for families while their husbands were deployed, she would keep an eye out for them and let them know of any criminal activity, said Erin Houston, a neighbor. “I’ve always found her to be a very strong woman,” Houston said.

One night Munley shooed away a couple of men trying to break into their house, telling them, “If you try to come in, I’m going to shoot you,” Houston said. “After they went away, she walked the neighborhood — by herself — to make sure they were nowhere around.”

[...]

Lastly, here’s a great story that Sara in Italy discovered, from MSN, “Military hails 2 heroes in Fort Hood rampage,” with more details about the 19-year-old nutritionist who was so brave:

FORT HOOD, Texas - The top commander at Fort Hood is crediting a civilian police officer for stopping the shooting rampage that killed 13 people at the Texas post. Lt. Gen. Bob Cone also hailed a young Army nutritionist who helped wounded victims.

Both women heroically intervened despite being shot.

[...]

Cone also hailed Amber Bahr, 19, as an “amazing young lady.”

The commander told NBC’s TODAY show that the nutritionist put a tourniquet on a wounded soldier and carried him out to medical care. And only after she had taken care of others did she realize she had been shot, he said.

‘In and out of pain’

On Thursday, her mother, Lisa Pfund, told the Sheboygan Press that she spoke briefly to Bahr after she was taken to a community hospital.

“I actually got to talk to Amber and I talked to her for about 30 seconds and she was in a lot of pain,” Pfund said. “She couldn’t tell me nothing, either.”

[...]

Later that night, she was able to speak with her recovering daughter, she told the Sheboygan Press. She was “in and out of pain” and on medication but in good spirits, adding that she tried to help others during the rampage, the Sheboygan Press reported. …

I am sure that there were countless others that day who were extraordinarily brave. Thank you to them all. And, if YOU spotted a story we haven’t included, please share it.

Here’s the ending of today’s Chronicle story:

Munley completed 80 hours of firearms instructor certification taught by Texas A&M University’s Texas Engineering Extension Service last September, said Lee Santo, the TEEX training manager. “She knows what she’s doing with a pistol in her hand,” he said.

Nobody will ever doubt it.

“She ran into gunfire and stopped the bad guy,” Santo said. “I think she’s a hero.”

Nobody would doubt that, either.

Major Nidal Malik Hassan short circuited yesterday and we had more American soliders killed in one day at Fort Hood than have been killed in Afghanistan in a single day this year. So much for the dangers of combat. Hassan is not a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder victim. Anyone who tries to push that line is as delusional as Hassan.

What about Islam? We have to deal with these hard facts. There are over 1 billion muslims in the world. If murder and mayhem was a simple consequence of being muslim then we would see horrific, horrendus attacks every day. But we do not. However, Hassan’s religious devotion did not dissuade him from killing unarmed people in a cowardly fashion. The soldiers may have been wearing uniforms but they were not armed and certainly were not in a combat theater.

There was a break down in the Army chain of command. Why?

Hassan, through previous comments and actions, showed clear signs that he was not fit for duty, particularly as a psychiatrist. As is so often the case in a large bureaucracy like the Army it is always easier to defer action or pass along a problem rather than fix it. Fixing a dysfunctional guy like Hassan is a lot of trouble. At a minimum there will be a mountain of paperwork. I realize that hindsight is always 20/20, but his last fitness report should have set off some alarm bells.

But cases like Hassan are not unique. I know an Army Lt. Colonel who is currently stationed in Europe. He is not muslim but he is a disturbed personality who talks openly of his SadoMasochistic fantasies. The Army promoted him last year from Major to Lt. Colonel. He has some disturbing personality traits and could very well blow his cork one of these days. And what did the Army do? They promoted his sorry ass.

Let’s not forget that there are several thousand muslim soldiers and marines who are serving their country honorably. The cowardice of Nidal Malik Hassan should stain only Nidal. That is no comfort for those families weeping today for their fallen soldier.

I do not think that Nidal Hassan was part of some jihadist cell. He acted on his own, apparently inspired by what he thought was “jihad.” I heard his cousin claim, “Nidal was a good American.” No, Nidale was a bad American. He’s a despicable person. He took an oath as a physician to do no harm. He has inflicted pain and suffering that will span generations. We may come up with some explanations of why this happened but I am certain that there is no excuse for this action. None. I hope the military moves quickly to court martial and execution of this man. He deserves that.

First the taxpayers’ treasure was raided to bail out Wall Street firms. Now it’s happening to 13 of them again, this time by putting their employees ahead of the highest risk groups among us ordinary folks to receive the H1N1 vaccine. Melanie Sloan, the Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington put it best: “In what world do Wall Street employees deserve to be vaccinated ahead of high-risk children, pregnant women and health care workers?”

So, while millions of our vulnerable citizens falling into the Center for Disease Control’s high risk category are still waiting for vaccinations to become available, some fat cats have pushed their way to the head of the line again.

Business Week reports:

A spokeswoman for Goldman, who asked not to be named, said the company had just received the vaccine and did not yet have information as to how it would be distributed, saying that Goldman will supply vaccine only to those who qualify as high-risk, per the CDC requirements. Citigroup had not responded with a comment as of the evening of Nov. 2.

However, as CREW Director Sloan so slyly responds:

Although CREW has been unable to uncover the demographic makeup of Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and JP Morgan Chase, it seems safe to assume the vast majority of their employees are not pregnant women, infants and children, young adults up to 24 years old, and healthcare workers.

How did this happen? No one appears to be talking yet, except, perhaps, money.

Due to the tragic events at Fort Hood yesterday, this post was delayed out of respect for those who were lost and wounded. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, and all those serving at Fort Hood.

Bleary eyed, but sated with my celebratory Belgian pecan waffles, turkey link sausages, numerous cappuccinos, and with a goofy grin plastered on my face, I am happy to report that the New York Yankees have won their 27th World Series Championship. Woohoo!!

The Yankees have christened their new stadium with their 27th World Series Championship in 40 tries. They won the Series 4 - 2 over a gutsy, exceptional Philadelphia Phillies team with a strong 5 2/3 showing by Andy Pettitte. Pettitte gave up 3 runs, but battled hard for outs and got the ones that counted even though he only had 3 days rest. Pedro Martinez was operating on regular rest, but that didn’t keep the Yankees from driving him out of the game early. Joba Chamberlain and Demaso Marte held down the fort until the Yankees could bring in the greatest reliever of all time, Mariano Rivera. Rivera got the last 5 outs of the game, capping a phenomenal year, and post-season, with a final score of 7 - 3. Derek Jeter recorded his 175th hit in his post season appearances, and had a hit in all but one game in the entire Post Season. Alex Rodriguez was hit by pitches three times, as was Mark Teixiera, but A-Rod also provided a tremendous spark to the offense, casting of the demons of post seasons past.

The Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, won 3 World Series rings as a Yankees player (catcher), and has now won 1 as a manager in only his second year at the helm. That is quite a feat. And quite a feat to have done both for the same team. Not only is he a great manager, and a great player in his day, but a great humanitarian, too. On his way home from the stadium last night, after their big win, he stopped and helped a woman who had crashed her car into a wall. Not only did he check on her and make sure she was okay, but he flagged down a police car for her. Oh, and he had to run across a highway on which people routinely go 80 mph, according to the article link above. He didn’t tell the woman who he was, either. She found that out after the fact. That’s one helluva guy.

The Yankees, with the best record in baseball (103 wins in the Regular Season), played like the best team in baseball, and earned this 27th World Series Championship.

(Gallery of Photos, NJ.com)

Hideki Matsui earned the World Series MVP on the strength of his bat, driving in 6 runs Weds. night, tying a 49 year old record held by Bobby Richardson, also a Yankee. Matsui’s contribution to the team throughout the postseason was simply outstanding.

(Eric Gay/AP)

This team started out slowly at the beginning of the season, losing their ace, Chien Ming Wang, early in the season. Alex Rodriguez was out for almost a month following hip surgery, with more surgery to follow in the off season. Mark Teixeira was also off to a very slow start with his bat, but not his defense. Yankee fans were dismayed, to say the least, when the Yankees were swept by the Red Sox - TWICE - early on.

But then something happened - A-Rod came back, Tex’s bat began to match his defensive prowess, the pitchers started locating their pitchers, and the team became a team. People often complain about how much money the Yankees spend on their players, but all the money in the world doesn’t buy you a Championship - it has to be won. This team, this 2009 club, is just that - a TEAM. They enjoy each other, have fun with each other, and they are passionate about playing the game. We usually hear about the highly paid players, like A-Rod, or Tex, or CC Sabathia. But there are plenty of players on that team who contributed who do not rake in the big bucks. The point is something happened this year. Despite their slow start, despite losing some crucial players, this team jelled as a team. They backed each other up, they worked for every win, and as a result, they are now the new World Series Champions.

Oh, and for all of the Yankee haters, here is a little piece of trivia for you - when the Yankees win the World Series, historically stocks go up, especially when they do it in 6 games! So, even if you hate them, there is a total bonus to them winning!

Here is Hal Stein Steinbrenner, son of The Boss, George Steinbrenner, talking about this team, and this win:

This win came exactly 9 years after the Yankees lost the World Series in Game 7 back in 2001. That was an emotional year for the Yankees, for the entire country, coming as it did on the heels of the attacks on the World Trade Towers. It is fitting that this week, the week the Yankees claim their Championship, in New York City Harbor is the USS New York awaiting its commission. This new ship is partially made with 7.5 tons of reclaimed steel from the rubble of the World Trade Towers. While traditionally* only submarines are named for states, former NY State Governor Pataki lobbied to have this state of the art ship named for New York as both a memorial and a monument to those who were lost, and for those who will take the fight to our attackers. The ship’s motto: Never Forget. Here it is sailing into New York City Harbor this week:

(AP Photo, Newsday.com)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will commission this assault ship on Saturday. Secretary Clinton will represent the Administration, but as a NY State senator at the time of the attacks, and one who worked diligently for the First Responders in New York City, it is most fitting that she has this honor.

It is a big week for New York City, for the Yankees as they clinch their 27th Championship, and as this great monument to those who were lost at 9/11 is commissioned into active duty.

Go, Yankees! Only four and a half more months until Spring Training starts!

* Please see comment below on naming of ships/submarines - while accurate that a certain class of submarines receive the names of states, that appears to be a fairly recent event.

I. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
July: 9.5%
August: 9.4%
September: 9.7%
October: 9.8%
- November Consensus Expectation: 9.9%
- November Actual:10.2% !!!!

>> LD’s comments: this is the shocker and will get all the play. This rate is especially damaging because the participation rate declined. That drop would help the unemployment rate, all other things being equal. The fact that the rate jumped to 10.2% is an indication that job losses jumped much more than otherwise expected with a loss 558k jobs. The underemployment rate (U-6 rate) is 17.5%!!

II. NON-FARM PAYROLL (click here for definition of this term)
July: initial loss of 467k initially revised to a loss of 443k and now revised to a loss of 463k
August: initial loss of 247k revised to a loss of 276k, further revised to -304k
September: initial loss of 216k, revised to a loss of 201k, revised to a loss of 154k
October: a loss of 263k, revised to a loss of 219k
- November Consensus Expectation: loss of 175k
- November Actual: a loss of 190k with revisions of +91k to prior months

>> LD’s comments: this month’s print is slightly worse than expected, but given the revisions the overall non-farm payroll could be spun in a somewhat positive fashion. In my opinion, there has been massaging of these numbers for many months and dare I say market participants are questioning the integrity of the reports. Recall that the birth-death model has likely overestimated job creation by upwards of 800k jobs. More of the same here? Perhaps, if not likely. Temporary workers did increase by 36k jobs.

III. AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
July: 0.0%
August: +.2% revised to +.3
September: came in at .3 but then revised to .4%
October: .1%
- November Consensus Expectation: +.1%
- November Actual:+.3%

>>LD’s comment: a positive for those working, but in conjunction with no movement in the hourly workweek this is muted.

IV. AVERAGE HOURLY WORKWEEK
July: 33.0 hours
August: 33.1 hours
September: 33.1 hours
October: 33.0 hours
- November Consensus Expectation: 33.0 hours
- November Actual:33.0 hours

>> LD’s comments: no indication here of any strength. This number rests at a low going back to 1964.

V. FURTHER COLOR
It’s all about the headline print of 10.2%. That number will spook consumers and keep Consumer Confidence under pressure. The Fed will clearly remain on hold for as extended as extended can be. I expect this report will cause Washington to talk about the need for another stimulus package.

VI. MARKET REACTION
At 8:10am:

2yr Tsy: .89%
10yr Tsy: 3.52%
S&P 500 Futures: +2
DJIA Futures: +14
U. S. Dollar Index: 75.78

At 8:50am, Post-Report:

2yr Tsy: .85%
10yr Tsy: 3.47%
S&P 500 Futures: -8
DJIA Futures: -68
U.S. Dollar Index: 75.86

Questions, comments, constructive criticisms always encouraged and appreciated. Thanks.

LD

‘If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory,’ he is said to have written.

Once again, just to be clear, this is not the belief system of the vast majority of Muslims, but of a very small few fringe elements. All Muslims cannot be painted with a broad brush stroke, just as all Christians, Jews, et al, cannot be categorized by the actions of a few. That being said, in my opinion, this is a horrible interpretation of the Koran, and the words of Muhammad.

For more information on the latest in this case, including additional information on Hasan’s religious beliefs, and posts he allegedly wrote, you can click HERE or HERE.

One of the most comprehensive articles I have seen on this horrific tragedy at Fort Hood comes from The Daily Mail. In addition to photographs of Hasan in the 7-11 he routinely visits, this time in traditional Muslim dress, just hours before the carnage began, it includes a piece on Muslims in the Army and The Psychological Cost Of War.

And this article includes information on the police officer who took down Hasan, shooting him four times, Sgt. Kim Munley:

The heroic policewoman who shot an army psychiatrist during a murderous gun rampage at an army base was today named as Sergeant Kimberly Munley.

She had been on routine traffic patrol when Major Nidal Malik Hasan entered a medical centre at Ford Hood, Texas, shouted ‘Allahu Akbar‘ (God is greatest) and opened fire.

It took just three minutes for the slightly built mother-of-one to get to the scene, engaging the killer in a gun battle which ended with him being shot four times.

In the course of the cross-fire, Sgt Munley, who has a daughter, was shot in the leg. Hasan had managed to kill 13 and wound 30 others before she got there.

Lt. Gen. Bob Cone described her actions as ‘amazing and aggressive’.

‘She was quite effective, one of our most impressive young policemen,’(sic) he added. ‘She walked up and basically engaged him. I think, certainly, this could’ve been far worse.’

Hasan, who was furious about US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, is also in a stable condition in hospital and under armed guard.

(Twitter photo)

Greatest thanks to Officer Hunley (on the left above) for her quick thinking and action in this tragic shooting. She is truly a hero, and no doubt saved many lives with her efforts. I wish her a full and speedy recovery, as I do for all those who were wounded in this horrific tragedy.

I understand that, as of this writing, President Obama will be speaking again about the attack at Fort Hood. Here is my question: WHY THE HELL IS HE NOT AT FORT HOOD NOW??? Seriously. Why hasn’t he done what he has done so many times now for far less important events, hop on Air Force One and get down there already?? He is the Commander in Chief, and he needs to start acting like it. I might add, not with his “wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president” (emphasis mine) as written in this article,”Obama’s Frightening Insensitivity Following Shooting“:

Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That’s the least that should occur.

Uh yeah, and not with his blinkety blink blink short statement he has to read from a piece of paper instead of speaking from his heart. Wow. Get down there, President Obama. This takes precedence.

One last thing - you better believe Hillary Clinton would already be there visiting the wounded and talking to the commanders on the ground. You KNOW she would. Obama? Uh, yeah, NO. That is unconscionable, just unconscionable.

UPDATE: This is a good article about Sgt. Munley and her actions at Fort Hood. According to those who know her, she was “born and bred to be a police officer.” I’ll say.

However, if these initial reports are verified as true this will be bad for muslims in America.

The murder and wounding of more than forty soldiers is bad enough. If a cell of muslim extremists have infiltrated the U.S. Army then this is going to cause some major blow back throughout the military. Muslim officers and enlisted personnel will fall under suspicion. Most of this will be unfair and unwarranted. But human nature is what it is and the suspicion engendered by this kind of act will reverbrate for some time and probably hurt our ability to do a better job on winning hearts and minds overseas when there is such distrust in the ranks.

Stay tuned.

22:45 Update: Gunman is alive and stable in hospital. Female police officer wasn’t killed and is stable.

20:32 Update via Houston Chronicle:

CBS News, quoting an anonymous source, reported that Hasan was a licensed psychiatrist in Bethesda, Md. and drug and rehab specialist who got his Virginia psychiatry license in 2005. [Photo caption: An undated photo obtained from www.cstsonline.org shows the gunman, Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, a mental health professional killed after opening fire.]

ABC News is reporting that 12 are dead and 31 wounded.

Suspected Gunman Is Identified by ABC News as Major Malik Nadal Hasan — Twelve people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting spree at a Texas military base by what officials believe was possibly carried out by an Army officer.

Updates: Photo of George Stratton who was shot in the shoulder and was five feet from the shooter. A police officer was shot and killed by one of the shooters who he had shot. The A.P. offers live video coverage. There’s a televised briefing at 6:30 p.m, Fox News reported (postponed). Bret Baier says that Major Hasan was a “mental health professional.” (Now Fox says Maj. Hasan had received a poor performance evaluation.) Via MSNBC:

NBC News’ Pete Williams reported that U.S. officials identified the gunman as Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who had been promoted to major in May. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, said military officials told her that the gunman, who was 39 or 40, was about to be deployed to Iraq and was “upset about it.”

And, the Houston Chronicle has up-to-date reporting: “12 killed in shooting at Fort Hood.” Check the Chronicle’s home page for all related stories.

Please share any news you may have heard, and thoughts you have in Larry’s post.

This is terribly shocking news and I’m dumbfounded.

Update: Check out more news stories via Memeorandum.com, which has listed all the major MSM sources as well as blog reactions.

Here are impressions from all over the ‘net, even bloggers like the yoyo Taylor Marsh and sensible shoes columnist Ruth Marcus:

“The Obama magic has faded,” Glenn Reynolds for the The New York Post:

The Obama invincibility that was so much in evidence then seems to have lost its power. People can argue the reasons why these elections, all in places Obama carried handily, were so close. But if he were the political marvel he was thought to be, these races wouldn’t have been contests, but walkovers. So one consequence of this Election Day is the end of his special political magic.

That’s no surprise — as that magic was a largely substanceless froth whipped up by campaign consultants and compliant big-media cheerleaders. [MORE below from this excellent column]

“Election Night Blogging II: Christie is NJ’s New Governor,” The Confluence:

Corzine’s loss should have Obama peeing his pants right now. … And all you Obots out there? Be afraid. Be very afraid. Bwahahahahahaha!!!!!

“Obama Not a Factor, But Independents Flood to GOP,” Taylor Marsh at taylormarsh.com:

…and I want to take you back to the National Journal’s new media poll from last week. What are the two big issues for 2010? I said economy, but also added my own category to include GOTV. Tonight I’ve been proved correct on both. [WOW, that was deep.]

“NY-23: [UPDATE] Hoffman Accuses Democrats of ‘Stealing the Election’,” Washington Independent (before results in):

“There are reports that they’re bringing in the troops and they’re bringing in ACORN,” said Hoffman. “I think the Democrats are doing anything they possibly can to steal this election away from the 23rd district.” … The campaign is pushing [a slashed tire] story hard after a wave of morning reports that Hoffman’s grassroots supporters were misbehaving. [Turns out the driver ran over a broken bottle.]

It’s not unheard of for a candidate to make an accusation like this without having all the facts, but it’s a strange sideshow in the final hours.

“As Virginia goes, so goes not much,” Ruth Marcus, Washington Post:

Finally, do the off-year results foreshadow anything for a president’s reelection three years down the road? Hardly. Of the 10 elections in which one party won both states, a president of that party was elected six times in the following presidential contest. …

[A]s to the question of whether Tuesday’s results portend very much for Congress in 2010 or Obama in 2012, the answer is: not really, all the commentary notwithstanding

More key points from “The Obama magic has faded,”:

The truth is, Obama wasn’t ready to be president when he ran in 2008. When he started, he probably thought he had no real chance — he himself admitted upon entering the Senate that he wasn’t qualified to be president — and that his first run would simply be a PR effort that would lift him to the top ranks of Senate Democrats.

When, to everyone’s surprise, resentment of the Clinton machine crystallized around him, he wound up beating Hillary for the nomination, and found himself riding an out-of-control express train. He rode it to victory, with some help from erratic McCain actions.

But he was right the first time about not being ready for the Oval Office. As president, he seems confused and a bit distant on the issues, leaving the details to congressional Democrats and an ever-growing number of “czars” while he golfs and launches attacks at Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.

With the economy tanking (unemployment is much worse after Obama’s deficit-swelling stimulus than Obama’s advisers predicted it would be with no stimulus at all), with the promised post-partisanship dissolving into witch-hunts against hostile media and the promised post-racial America devolving into the awkwardly staged “beer summit,” with the “necessary war” in Afghanistan the subject of endless dithering and the promised “smart diplomacy” materializing as a series of awkward missteps by Hillary Clinton, the froth has become a lot less frothy.

Republicans, who were prepared to give Obama the benefit of the doubt a year ago, now can’t stand him. Independents who voted for him are deserting in droves. And Democrats don’t seem that happy either.

The good news for Obama is that he doesn’t have to run for re-election for three more years, so he still has a chance to get his feet under him. But for Congress members facing elections in a year — including but not limited to the famous “blue-dog” Democrats — the lesson of this week is that Obama can’t save their seats if the public is unhappy (and, equally, that Obama probably can’t hurt them much, either). So what Obama wants is nice, but it’s what the voters in their districts want that will control.

That makes Obama’s health-care “reform” package look iffy and his other big plans for remaking America look even iffier. With the hope having faded, enthusiasm for change seems much diminished. From a mythic figure, Obama has shrunk to an ordinary politician — and, so far, not an obviously deft one. It’ll be politics as usual from now on, and we can thank Obama, at least, for making politics-as-usual seem not so bad after all …

“CBS’s Schieffer Denies Vote a Referendum on Obama, Compares Conservatives to McGovern,” NewsBusters.org:

Shortly before the polls closed, CBS’s chief Washington correspondent, Bob Schieffer, rejected any effort to tie President Barack Obama to two the Democratic gubernatorial candidates for whom Obama campaigned, insisting on Tuesday’s CBS Evening News that the contests were more about local issues and so “I don’t think they had much to do with anything but New Jersey and Virginia.”

Citing the special congressional race in New York, Schieffer rued “this third-party conservative who literally pushed a moderate Republican out of the race,” and proceeded to analogize Republicans this year to leftist activists who in 1972 pushed Democrats to pick an un-electable presidential candidate:

The Republican Party is really split and it is the conservatives who seem to have the juice right now. It’s very much like what Democrats went through in 1972. The party activists on the left were so upset with mainstream candidates that in an effort to purify their party they pushed it so far to the left that they nominated the very liberal George McGovern for President. Now it’s conservative Republicans who are upset with their mainstream candidates. They want to push the party to the right.

[...]

And you all? What say you?

I’m with Glenn Reynolds. Last night, in the Election thread, I wrote this about the over-rated Obama voters of 2008:

There was a phenomenon in 2008 with a lot of irregular or never-vote-at-all voters showing up to vote for Obama. The Democrats cannot count on these erstwhile people to show up. And let’s see if they turn out even in 2012 when Obama’s running for a second term as a president whose “fire has gone out,” as Arianna Huffington said on Morning Joe today. I wonder.

Those 2008 voters are not reliable citizens, in my book. They voted for a personality. They saw a symbol. That is not rational voting, and if they aren’t mesmerized and overwhelmed emotionally, they’re flat out not going to show up. Ever again.

As Charles Krauthammer noted yesterday on Special Report, Obama had coeds swooning in 2008 but they fell for charisma, not substance. And people so easily duped are just like people who fall in love because it’s romantic, not because it’s about developing a substantive relationship that is durable.

Just ask Larry Johnson and Mr. B.B. King.

There was another election issue on which I wanted to focus instead, and that was the vote in Maine to allow or prohibit Same Sex Marriage. The title of this article pretty much says it all: “Mainers Vote Down Gay Marriage Law“. Dammit.

Here are the particulars:

Maine voters on Tuesday narrowly voted to repeal a law that would have made the state one of a handful that allow same-sex couples to marry.

At 1 a.m., with 87 percent of the state’s precincts reporting, 52.8 percent of Mainers had voted to repeal the state’s same-sex marriage law, versus 47.2 percent who voted to keep it.

Yes on 1, which led the people’s veto effort, proclaimed victory at about 12:30 a.m., as supporters gathered on a small stage at the Eastland Park Hotel behind Frank Schubert of Schubert Flint, the public relations firm hired to work on the campaign.

“I am very proud to tell you tonight that Question 1 has passed,” said Schubert. “Thank you so much to the people of Maine. To the thousands of volunteers who have worked day in and day out. It has all come together tonight.

“The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across this nation,” he said, pumping his fist into the air.

Marc Mutty, Stand for Marriage Maine campaign manager, took the podium after Schubert: “What a team we’ve had. We’ve worked hard. We’ve struggled, we’ve worked against tremendous odds, as we’ve all known.

“It’s been the little guy against the big guy in terms of resources, financial resources,” said Mutty. “We prevailed because the people of Maine, the silent majority, the folks back home spoke with their vote tonight.”

A prayer followed.

I imagine that prayer went something like this: “Dear Lord, thank you so much for your will being done to subjugate those homosexuals, Lord. We thank you for helping us keep the sanctity of marriage as you meant it to be, one man and one woman, forever and ever. We thank you, dear Lord, for making it clear it is Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. So, we thank you, Lord, that your will has been done. We thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for the love you have shown us in your son, Jesus. We know that you are love, Lord. We thank you for showing what true love is through us so we can take away rights from other Mainers, as you want us to do. In Jesus’ name we pray…”

Or something like that.

But some Mainers aren’t giving up:

At 12:30 a.m., a defiant Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, spoke to several hundred supporters who lingered at the Holiday Inn By the Bay. Connolly did not concede, saying the campaign always knew the election would be close. Workers would be counting votes all night long, he said.

Connolly said supporters of same-sex marriage would keep fighting and keep working for their cause. “We’re not short-timers, we’re here for the long haul,” he said.

Pollsters and pundits had predicted a thin margin on the state’s same-sex marriage vote, and the results proved them right.

Gov. John Baldacci – who watched returns come in at the No on 1 party – signed the bill into law in May, but opponents of same-sex marriage quickly gathered well more than the 55,000 signatures necessary to call for a public vote.

Maine would have been the sixth state in the country to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Iowa already allow gay marriage, and New Hampshire’s new law will take effect in January.

Five states out of fifty. That’s it. Just five that recognize our being fully human and thus deserving of all rights bestowed upon heterosexual couples.

As indicated above, in addition to religion, there were other issues that prompted the outcome of this vote:

The fight over the issue touched on religion, civil rights, schools, sexuality and family.

The two campaigns spent more than $7 million, with same-sex marriage supporters outspending opponents. Both sides said the vote will have national implications that will influence future same-sex marriage battles in other states.

The crowd at the No on 1 party was several times larger and louder than the competition. In the lobby outside the ballroom, Roger and Peggy Marchand of Gorham set up cardboard cutouts of male and female couples and brought along their camera for those who wanted to get a snapshot.

“We have high hopes,” Roger Marchand said.

While gay-marriage supporters have had success in New England and Iowa in the last five years, most of the country still opposes same-sex marriage. Nationwide, 30 states – including California – have voted to ban it.

Oh, that just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside as I consider that the vast majority of my fellow citizens think so little of me, my partner, and millions of other GLBT people in this country.

As for how Maine got to this place:

The push to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine began in January, when hundreds of activists gathered at the State House to announce that Sen. Dennis Damon, D-Trenton, would sponsor a bill to change the definition of marriage.

The bill defined marriage as “the legally recognized union of two people” rather than “the union of one man and one woman joined in traditional monogamous marriage,” a definition put in place by the Legislature in 1997.

It allowed any two people to apply for a marriage license “regardless of the sex of each person.” And, finally, it allowed religious institutions to refuse to perform same-sex marriage if it is not consistent with their beliefs.

When the bill was introduced, Baldacci, a Catholic Democrat, said he was unsure whether he would support it. He had previously been on record as supporting civil unions but not gay marriage.

In April, more than 3,000 people came to the Augusta Civic Center for a 10-hour public hearing on the measure. Supporters said the change was necessary to give gay and lesbian families access to more than 400 state laws pertaining to marriage, including health insurance through a spouse and tax benefits. They said a separate civil union law would not be equal.

Opponents said it was important to keep the traditional definition of marriage, arguing that it is better for society and children to have a mother and a father.

Six days later, the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee voted in support of the bill.

House and Senate votes quickly followed, with final Senate approval at 21-13 and House approval at 89-57.

The same day the Senate took the final vote, Baldacci signed the bill into law, saying “times have changed.”

As Baldacci announced his decision, cheers of joy could be heard coming from the hallway outside his office, where gay and lesbian couples gathered to await his decision.

But, as they celebrated, opponents expressed their disappointment and vowed to gather the signatures necessary for a people’s veto of the law.

Less than three months later, opponents turned in more than 100,000 signatures to the state calling for a vote.

The law was put on hold pending the outcome of Tuesday’s election.

At the No on 1 party Tuesday night, optimism had prevailed earlier in the night. The No on 1 campaign had led in early returns.

Eigen Heald of Portland said she’s been with her partner for 22 years.

“My toes are curling,” she said. “It would be really nice to be married in Maine.”

James White, 31, of Berwick, who was at the No on 1 party , said he was “very emotional.”

“It’s our time,” he said. “It’s our moment.”

Staff Writer Jenn Menendez contributed to this report. Reach Susan Cover at 620-7015 or at scover@centralmaine.com

Sadly, no, no it is not “our moment.” Not in Maine, anyway. It makes me emotional, too, both sad and angry at the same time. I guess the lesbian and gay couples there will have to continue to live without more than FOUR HUNDRED benefits extended to heterosexual couples.

I cannot leave it there, though. That would simply be too depressing. While Mainers may have voted to continue to discriminate against GLBT people, there is some good news. And here is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to bring it to you:

This left my partner and me arguing over who loves her more. It’s me, I’m telling you!

Secretary Clinton gives me hope that one day, my partner and I will have the same rights and benefits as everyone else, over 1,000 federal benefits, even as another state votes against us, robbing a number of their citizens of over 400 rights enjoyed by others in that state. Some day. But not today.

This is rich. We know about Obama’s many, many czars. Mark Steyn believes Obama has another one, someone of whom you have heard, but who isn’t on the usual list,

Obama Makes Bush His Blame Czar. You know, he has a point - we’ve been hearing for months now “He did it!” from Obama on all sorts of issues.

Steyn begins his piece writing about “Barack’s Rock,” Valerie Jarrett:

Valerie Jarrett announced the other day that “we’re going to speak truth to power.”

Who’s Valerie Jarrett? She’s “Senior Adviser” to the president of the United States – i.e., the leader of the most powerful nation on the face of the Earth. You would think the most powerful man in the most powerful nation would find a hard job finding anyone on the planet to “speak truth to power” to. But I suppose if you’re as eager to do so as his Senior Adviser, there’s always somebody out there: The Supreme Leader of Iran. The Prime Minister of Belgium. The Deputy Tourism Minister of the Solomon Islands. But no. The Senior Adviser has selected targets closer to home: “I think that what the administration has said very clearly is that we’re going to speak truth to power. When we saw all of the distortions in the course of the summer, when people were coming down to town hall meetings and putting up signs that were scaring seniors to death.”

Ah, right. People “putting up signs.” Can’t have that, can we? The most powerful woman in the inner circle of the most powerful man on Earth has decided to speak truth to powerful people standing in the street with handwritten placards saying “THIS GRAN’MA ISN’T SHOVEL READY.” Was it only a week ago that I wrote about this administration’s peculiar need for domestic enemies?

The Senior Adviser seems to have forgotten that she is the power. Admittedly, this is a recurring lapse on the part of the administration. There was Barack Obama only the other day, blaming everything on the president – no, no, silly, not him, the other fellow, the Designated Fall Guy who stepped down as head of state in January to accept the new constitutional position of Blame Czar. Musing on problems in Afghanistan, Obama blamed the “long years of drift” under his predecessor. The new president – OK, newish president – has been Drifter-in-Chief for almost a year but he’s too busy speaking truth to the former power to get on top of the situation. It could be a while yet. In his more self-regarding moments, such as his speech to the United Nations, he gives the strong impression that the “long years of drift” began in 1776.

Indeed, Ms. Jarrett thinks throwing around phrases pulled from those who are actually in the trenches will give her some street cred. You don’t think anyone fell for that hooey, do you? Just in case you know anyone who did, you can tell them that she is a lawyer, married to a doctor, and was on the Chicago Stock Exchange. So, yeah, not exactly a career in the Peace Corps., or hell, even AmeriCorps. Just more posturing on the part of the Obama Administration.

Just like Obama’s blame shifting. Just more posturing to protect his carefully crafted image:

Rocco Landesman, head honcho at the National Endowment for the Arts, seems closer to the reality of the situation. In his keynote address to the 2009 “Grantmakers in the Arts” conference, Landesman hailed Obama as “the most powerful writer since Julius Caesar”. He didn’t mean a “powerful writer” as in a compelling voice, gripping narrative, vivid characterization, command of language, etc. He meant a “powerful writer” as in Caesar was king of the world, and now Obama is. He came, he saw, he stimulated: “If you accept the premise, and I do, that the United States is the most powerful country in the world, then Barack Obama is the most powerful writer since Julius Caesar. That has to be good for American artists.”

I suppose so. He could invade somewhere and force the natives to accept degrading roles in NEA-funded performance art. He could take out the Iranian nuclear program by carpet-bombing it with unreadable literary novels. That is, if you “accept the premise” that the United States is the most powerful country in the world. Rocco Landesman may, but it’s not clear, from his actions (or inactions) in Eastern Europe, Iran, Afghanistan and elsewhere, that the president does. But, even so, it seems an odd pitch to “American artists.” Rocco Landesman, Speaking Goof to Power, isn’t the first Obama groupie to enjoy the kinky frisson of groveling obsequiousness, but he’s set an impressive new standard in public revelation thereof. Rocco’s aunt, Fran Landesman, is the great lyricist of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” as well as “The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men.” But surely there are few sadder middle-age men than her nephew, prostrating himself before his master as the most literate global colossus in two millennia.

Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that, but I take his point. Still, there are a whole bunch of sad “middle-age men” who would fit that bill. Chris Matthews springs immediately to mind.

Speaking of the NEA:

Meanwhile, Larry David is now doing televised NEA exhibits on his HBO show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Christians are said to be “angry” at him because of an episode in which, after he accidentally sprays his urine on a picture of Jesus, his assistant mistakes the droplets for tears and calls in her mother to witness the miracle of Christ weeping. Ha-ha! Oh, those brave transgressive artists! Of course, Christians aren’t “angry” in the sense that two U.S. residents arrested last week are. The pair – one an American citizen, the other Canadian – were so “angry” about the Muhammad cartoons published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that they hatched a plot to kill the artist and his editor. As many commentators pointed out, Mr. David’s splashy stunt is a dreary provocation: It’s easy to be provocative with people who can’t be provoked. If he were to start urinating in a more Mecca-ly direction, he’d find an entirely more motivated crowd waiting for him at the stage door.

But I liked the point made by the Anchoress, a writer at the magazine First Things: Putting Muhammad, et al aside, if Larry David had a yen to urinate hither and yon, wouldn’t it have been “braver” to have done it to the religious icon du jour? That’s to say, Barack Obama. And then maybe Ashton Kutcher could have marveled at how even Obama’s image was empathizing tearily with all 687 million Americans without health insurance. Or, alternatively, dribbling warm champagne from his Norwegian Nobel banquet toast. C’mon, Larry. Sure, you might not have a career afterward, but, unlike any Islamo-provocations, you’re not gonna get killed. Just fired, and probably damned as a racist. But at least you wouldn’t be a simpering suck-up to power like Rocco Landesman and the other creeps.

“Religious icon du jour” - priceless. I mean, c’mon, obviously he is - just check out that Chia commercial. And I wouldn’t hold my breath on the end of sucking-up, but that’s just me:

At some point the Caesar cult has to manifest itself in an achievement – I mean a real achievement, not merely some dud prize handed out by Norwegian Lefties. Afghanistan is his now: Notwithstanding “years of drift,” whether it winds up as victory or defeat is his call. It’s Obama’s war. It’s Obama’s economy. The stimulus bill is his stimulus, and for $787 billion it created 30,000 new jobs (according to the government) or (according to the Associated Press) 25,000. Either way, you do the math. It’s Obama’s unemployment rate, Obama’s dollar, Obama’s debt. Pace Valerie Jarrett, the truth is you are the power. And those on the receiving end of it are going to be speaking a lot louder in the months ahead.

Yep, it surely is all Obama’s now. And not for nothing, but it isn’t like the Democrats didn’t control both houses for two years before Obama got into the White House. There is a lot for which Bush is responsible, but at some point, Obama needs to stop making him the Blame Czar, and start doing his job.

Last night’s election results mean one thing–tell em’ BB.

No amount of moonwalking by the Obama team can alter the results.

The thrill is gone and the gloss is off the messiah.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air and Glen Reynolds also are singing this tune. Ed writes:

What signals? The GOP trounced Democrats in two states that Barack Obama won big just one year ago. Obama beat McCain in Virginia by 13 points; Bob McDonnell won it by 17. Republicans swept the statewide offices, reversing Democratic gains made over the last few election cycles, and are set to take at least a half-dozen Democratic seats in the legislature. It should be remembered that the current governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, is also the Democratic Party chair, put there in part to consolidate Democratic gains in his state.

In New Jersey, the news is even worse. Chris Christie beat Jon Corzine by four points in a state that went for Obama by 15 points — and where a Republican hadn’t won in over ten years. Unlike Virginia, Obama campaigned heavily for Corzine, calling him his “partner” and putting his prestige on the line. Joe Biden made a couple of campaign appearances, too, and the White House supervised the campaign in the final weeks after Corzine initially fell behind. Obama made the argument for Corzine all about Obama — and New Jersey, one of the bluest states in the nation, rejected him.

Obama will still be president for another three years, but the mystique is gone. New Jersey just taught Democrats in Congress a big lesson — Obama can’t get them re-elected. Being the President’s “partner” on his radical agenda is not a winning position; it wasn’t for Corzine in what should have been a secure blue state, and it certainly won’t be in moderate or conservative districts and states held by Democrats in the House and Senate.

By the way, who was Barack rooting for in the basketball game he was allegedly watching? Did his team lose?

The Yankees bats were slow to warm up, but just like Sunday’s game, they made a game of it. Had Yankees reliever Phil Coke not given up a second home run to Chase Utley, as well as one by Raul Ibanez, the outcome may have been different. The second Chase Utley home run proved to be the difference in the game, and tied him with Reggie Jackson’s World Series record of five. Ironically, Utley’s regular season .282 BA and 31 HRs would not have indicated he would have joined such elite company as Yankee Great Jackson with his five home runs, but that’s baseball. And that’s Utley, who has kept his team in this Series with his bat and defense on the field.

The Yankees, down 8-2 came storming back, and had a chance to tie the game in the 9th with Johnny Damon coming through yet again. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Mark Teixeira’s slumping at the plate continued, and Madson struck him out for the save. The series now stands at 3-2, with the Yankees looking to clinch their 27th World Series Championship as they return home to Yankee Stadium tonight.

Speaking of Chase Utley, I just have to ask this: what is up with his hair? I assure you, I am not the only one who is asking. In case you don’t know what I am talking about, check it out:

It reminds me of a “Little Rascals” show I saw when I was a child in which how Alfalfa did his hair was revealed. He took down a big can of lard, scooped a huge handful out, and plopped it right down on top of his head. At least according to the article linked above, Utley uses a gel product so he doesn’t get hat hair. Sure. Because the lard look is SO much better…Dude - go with the hat hair already. Anyway, the man can hit, that much is certain, though why the Yankees continue to pitch to him is NOT. (Walk the man already!)

(cubbienation)

And speaking of pitchers, up for the Phillies tonight is Pedro Martinez, of “Yankees Are My Daddy” fame. He is hoping that he shows the Yankees who THEIR daddy is. In their last meeting, the Yankees prevailed, winning 3 -1 in Game 2. Martinez, pitching on regular rest, will work to get the Phillies to Game 7.

(new york yankees blog)

On the Yankees side is Andy Pettitte, who hopes to lead the Yankees to their 27th World Series Championship tonight. He already holds the postseason win record at 17, having picked up his last one in Game 3 against the Phillies. He struggled in that game, giving up 4 runs, but the Yankee bats managed to get him the win despite his shaky outing. The Yankees will strive to get him his 18th win, even though he is pitching on short rest, to clinch the Series.

Here is what Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has to say about the match-up, and the games in general:

One thing is for sure, this will be another nail-biter for fans of both teams. Who will prevail, Martinez or Pettitte? Will Chase Utley smack another home run? Will Mark Teixiera finally get his bat going? Tune in tonight at 7:57pm on Fox (ugh - McCarver and Buck again) to see if the Series ends tonight, or if the drama continues tomorrow.

As always, I hope to see y’all here, Yankees and Phillie fans both!

Then check this out.

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is the most out of touch with reality?

It’s been exactly a year since Barack Obama was elected President. In only one word, describe how you feel today.

A whole year? In some ways it seems like forever, I guess because I have been waiting for this Democratic Congress and President to show they really care for us rather than only those who have far more than they would ever need. In other ways it seems like yesterday for the same reason—too little has been done, too few promises kept.

The
New York Times has given us all an opportunity to characterize in a single word how we are feeling about the election one year later. (I bet you can guess what one I selected!)

Go in and make our little voices heard–lots of little voices are about all we have to work with. There is only a small window of time to participate here. (I suggest selecting one from their list as these are more likely to show up in the final talley.)

Regardless of whether you get into the NY Times, what’s YOUR word?

1. Warren Buffett makes his single largest acquisition ever with the $34 billion purchase of Burlington Northern

2. Ford posts surprisingly strong auto sales

3. Royal Bank of Scotland becomes the biggest banking bailout yet with another injection of capital

4. Johnson & Johnson announces plans to layoff 7% of its global workforce

Each of these developments is truly meaningful. Interestingly enough, numbers one and two are decidedly constructive while numbers three and four are clearly quite bearish about global prospects. Despite the magnitude of these stories, in my opinion, they pale in comparison to developments in the precious metals and bond markets today. What is happening? Let’s navigate.

The Treasury yield curve is steepening dramatically today with yields on longer term notes and bonds rising by 6 to 8 basis points, while shorter maturities are unchanged. A snapshot of the Treasury market is provided by WSJ Market Data.

Why is the curve steepening? What does that mean? What are the implications for other markets? All great questions. Let’s navigate further.

In my opinion, the Treasury yield curve is steepening as hints of a second economic stimulus package work their way through Washington. I definitely sense growing unease and anxiety over the state of the job market. The story about layoffs at Johnson & Johnson only adds fuel to the fire.

A second stimulus will only build upon the already out of control fiscal deficit which will need to be funded by increased government borrowing. As our borrowing needs increase, the demand for the funds will drive the price for the funds ever higher. The price is the interest rate on Treasury notes and bonds.

Why would the curve be steepening, though? Why aren’t rates on short maturity bills and notes also going up in sync with the longer term notes and bonds? The rates on shorter maturity Treasury bills and notes is most heavily influenced by Federal Reserve policy. It just so happens Fed governors are meeting today and tomorrow and assuredly they will leave their current policy unchanged. That policy is one of very easy money with a Federal Funds rate of 0-.25%.

The prospects of (1) another economic stimulus package; (2) a continued policy of very easy money supported by an accomodative Fed; and (3) a steepening curve with a rise in long term rates, all collectively point towards a greater likelihood of inflation. What segment of the market gives us a hint as to inflation? Gold.

What is gold doing today? Rallying in a big-time fashion. Gold is up 3% on the day as Bloomberg reports, Gold Climbs to Record as India’s Central Bank Buys IMF Bullion:

Gold jumped to a record after India’s central bank bought 200 metric tons of the metal from the International Monetary Fund, heightening speculation that there may be more official purchases.

Gold futures for December delivery rose to a record $1,087 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Comex unit and traded at $1,084.20 at 1:28 p.m., up $30.20, or 2.9 percent. A close at that price would be the biggest gain for a most-active contract since March 19.

“This will encourage other countries and other investors, especially Indians, who are big buyers anyway, to jump into the market,” said Leonard Kaplan, the president of Prospector Asset Management in Evanston, Illinois.

The Reserve Bank of India paid $6.7 billion for the bullion, which it bought from Oct. 19 to Oct. 30. It was “the biggest single central-bank purchase that we know about for at least 30 years in such a short period,” said Timothy Green, the author of “The Ages of Gold.” “The only comparable event was the U.S.’s steady purchases in the 1930s and 1940s.”

Now what was going on back in the 1930s that would have prompted steady purchases by the U.S. government?

Oh, no. I’m not going there. That thought is a little too ‘depressing.’

What do you think?

LD

I know you may be shocked but the U.S. military force that has the counter terrorism mission is doing some grand things and the results are indisputable. So far this year, at least publicly, you have had the successful rescue of Captain Philipps (he was nabbed by Somali pirates) and the killing of one of the masterminds of the bombings of the US Embassy in Kenya and Tanzania. Here’s the good news that is not getting a lot of press.

U.S. forces–CIA and military–operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan have killed and captured some significant terrorist assets. A dear friend of mine (a retired military intelligence analyst who predicted the Tet offensive back in December 1967) gave me some important insights the other day. Let me state at the outset that he is a conservative Republican, voted for George Bush and John McCain, and did not support Barack Obama. Let’s call him “the Plymouth guy” or PG for short.

PG spent much of 2007 and 2008 developing terrorist target packages on people who were hiding out in Pakistan and some surrounding countries. Some of these people have friends and relatives who live in the United States. PG made sure that CIA and FBI got access to his work.

PG was quite frustrated because the Bush Administration, despite all of its chest thumping, did not act on this information. Part of the problem, according to PG, was that mid-level officials at both the CIA and State Department blocked military action because they did not want to rock Pakistan. (In case you cannot figure it out, Pakistan, particularly Pervez Musharref, were harboring Islamic extremists who were involved in planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against us.) They argued that going after these terrorists could weaken Pakistan. So the Bush Administration declined to use the targeting packages. When Musharref finally left office, however, the Bushies finally started coming around and greenlit going after the cells in August of 2008.

There were only four months left in the Bush Administration when the gloves finally came off and we went after some ket terrorist targets (some of these have been reported in the press). We are talking targeted killings–i.e., killing known bad guys.

We have had more success in the last 9 months then we did in the previous six years. Barack Obama could have stopped doing this, but he has not. He is following the advice of his military commanders on this front. Best of all his Administration is not out bragging about its accomplishments. Silence is golden.

While I think Obama is a failure on his economic policy and dithering in responding to General McChrystal’s request for more troops, he is not going limp on the counter terrorism front. As I said a year ago–we will criticized Barack Obama when he deserves it and praise him when he earns it. He’s earning it on the counter terrorism front. Keep it going.

How are races sizing up around the country? Fox News has called Virginia for the Republicans — both Governor and Lt. Governor. And the Attorney General GOP candidate is in the lead.

Now for New Jersey. So far, they say, exit polls look good for Christie over Corzine. Who do you think will win?

And here’s some fodder for the Dems to chew on:

There was a phenomenon in 2008 with a lot of irregular or never-vote-at-all voters showing up to vote for Obama. The Democrats cannot count on these erstwhile people to show up. And let’s see if they turn out even in 2012 when Obama’s running for a second term as a president whose “fire has gone out,” as Arianna Huffington said on Morning Joe today. I wonder.

Those 2008 voters are not reliable citizens, in my book. They voted for a personality. They saw a symbol. That is not rational voting, and if they aren’t mesmerized and overwhelmed emotionally, they’re flat out not going to show up. Ever again.

Last: Are there any fascinating races in your neck of the woods?