BANKS CLOSE TO DECIDING THAT THEY CAN LIVE WITH LOWER PRIME RATE, AFTERALL
Hank Paulson's plan is drawing fire from a number of quarters, but freezing rates at 7% or so doesn't look like a hardship, given that it looks like the Prime Rate should be falling anyway, right? (Much real-estate lending is tied to prime, but not all).
Chart 1. Prime Rate vs. 10-year treasury cost of funds [click chart to embiggen]
Meanwhile, here is some quick math on how much of an impact that resets can have on an ordinary budget:
Lend $200K, less 10% downpayment, at 7%, to get a $1,200 monthly payment that we might assume is 40% of the monthly budget (few get away with the old-fashioned 33%).
Now rates "reset" to 11%, payment balloons 43% to $1,700 or $500/mo more, pushing housing, before taxes, to a whopping 60% of the budget (technically, you are supposed to throw in property taxes and insurance, too, for "housing").
You and I might think that is ridiculous, but apparently there are loans out there just like that. The "good" ARMs (started in the early 90s, as I recall), the ones that ran a short-term funding of 3-4% and then locked in to reasonable long-term rates (circa 6-7%) are still worth preserving, but an 11% reset?
Friday, November 30, 2007
A Farewell to ARMs
Corporate Tax Cut Euphoria
The drums are beating for a corporate tax cut.
Probably not a bad idea to keep corporate taxes low.
But ...
Would be an opportunity to end the deduction for health care, so that there is a level playing field between the Nanny corporation(s) and individuals purchasing insurance contracts.
Might also be an opportunity to end a lot of the so-called "corporate subsidies".
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Action Needed on Loan Workouts
States are working on loan modification plans. Amen - it's needed promptly.
I'm all for re-writing loans that have terms that cause people to jump 30-40%, subject to some type of discretionary cap. I mean, seriously ... that's just ridiculous.
I was touring CNBC's blogs, which I've never have done (because ... you know), and I found this note from FDIC Chairwoman:
...
One last important point I would make is that this category of borrowers is typically already paying between 7 – 9% at their starter rate. This is well above prime rates for a typical 30 year fixed mortgage."
1.2 million is a lot. It would almost double the default rate from this year, other things being equal (of course they are not - some of these folks are ones who would have defaulted anyway).
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
GOP Debate Showcase
The Dems are going to have their work cut out for them. It's not going to be an easy win, for any Dem nominee.
ON THE ISSUES
Couldn't vote for McCain because of his long, continual, visible support of DADT (among other things). His reliance on commanders, like Petreaus, to make his point, is sickening. Why not pick commanders who have different views?
Romney is close to tapping into the Republican myth of "one America" that reached rhetorical heights unknown under Reagan's superior verbal hypnotism. Of course, they all believe that the "states should decide" on most issues, which is like saying that there really isn't "one America", afterall, in the Republican vision.
In the right hands, the "no new taxes" pledge might come back to haunt the GOP in the general election. Romney, for instance, wants to debt-spend to greatly expand the military ... AND call it "strengthening America".
It's very clear that immigration has a high likelihood of becoming a key dividing line. The Dems need to come up with something far more emotive than "comprehensive immigration reform". "Earned citizenship" sounds about right or "Tancredo-inspired deportation plans that put the prosperity at risk by kicking out millions of law-abiding workers".
THE LONG TAIL OF THE RADICAL CONSERVATIVE MEDIA ON TORTURE
I cannot fathom why Giuliani got a pass on the waterboarding question that Romney failed. We don't give up anything by saying that waterboarding is not permissible. Apart from the morality of the issue, the idea is to get people to surrender, either directly on the battlefield because they do not fear capture or indirectly through skillful interrogation. You don't need torture or waterboarding, in either case. The G.O.P. should get its ass handed to it on this issue, but it probably won't, given how much the passions against an enemy so evil that we need evil ourselves to combat it have been stirred up by conservative media and politicians.
WINNING OR NOT
Giuliani is extremely competent on stage. Hillary could handle him, but I'm really, really not sure about Obama. "Not sure" means just don't know, not doubting based on some evidence. What will Obama say to Giuliani's law-and-order routine, when he might agree with him? Does he know enough to counter the way Biden did in the last Dem debate on the issue?
Why they call these things "debates" is a weird Americanism, maybe. It's more like 30-second Q then 90 second A. In fact, in all the places where something like a debate starts up, the "moderator" invariably jumps in to get back to .... script.
The Bin Laden Factor
The "GWOT" has ... caused treasure to flow ... and put the U.S. up for sale.
Who'd have thought?
Even bin-Laden won't be able to spin that.
more: The Middle East as Spark Plug
Welcome to Conduit Hell
A first take as to what may be going on behind the scenes:
Tripped Up, While Just Passing Through
Fortune continues its series on ... how banks and brokers screwed themselves in the process of passing along junk credit.
Money quote (pun intended):
None of this would have been a dire problem for Merrill if it hadn't gone from simply manufacturing CDOs and reaping fees to becoming a huge investor in the CDOs it created - getting high on its own supply, you might say.
The hellishness of "the liquidty put"
What's in the pandora's box?
Here's my stylized summary.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
GOP's Veto Pen - Contributing to Recession Worries?
As various people talk nervous, including Harvard's Larry Summers, about "recession", one has to look at the forecast numbers for the next year.
If the GOP hadn't obstructed spending on things like S-CHIP, we might have some stimulus in the pipeline, in the right places, providing relief to those LMI consumers likely to be touched by high gas and home heating prices over the wintertime.
The blind pursuit to "re-brand" themselves is occuring precisely when progressive values might have done some economic cushioning.
:-(
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Annapolis Preview
SAME OLD "SUMMIT MENTALITY"?
Flashy summit meetings are no substitute for a robust peace process.
Think about it.
THE BENEFIT OF SECOND CHAIR?
Could the lack of attention on Palestine help foster compromise, as the regions participants have full attention on Iraq, the Afghan re-meltdown, and the emergence of sizable instability in Pakistan (and now Lebanon)?
It could be. Hamas, I'd guess, has very little widespread support and what is left of the PNA ... is more motivated than ever to find a way around, so to speak.
Of course, it could be the neither the Hammas nor the Iranians spoiling things. It may well end up Syria this time, with the Golan.
The Lebanese Government ... uh, Times Out
Lahoud, photo by AFP, story by al-jazeerah.
It'll be the army ... holding the pail while the political parties ... do what, one might ask?
"Lebanon, unable to occupy itself"
Mini Mini Battlefield Digest: Iraq, Week 47
Kurdistan Goes Sour - Newsweek (see link below)Quick look at some developments in Iraq. More at sisterblog.
Battlefield News, Iraq
Political Developments and Major Campaign Resource Shifts
- AsiaTimes: Muqtada moves to stop a Sunni 'surge'
- Guardian: The British commander in southern Iraq confirmed yesterday that UK officials have been holding talks with supporters of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army in the hope they would be drawn into the political process. -Friday, November 16, 2007
- WaPo: More than 300,000 Shiite Muslims from southern Iraq have signed a petition condemning Iran for fomenting violence in Iraq, according to a group of sheiks leading the campaign. -Thursday, November 22, 2007
- Reuters: Iran has agreed to hold a new round of talks soon with the United States on how to improve security in Iraq, Iran's foreign minister said on Tuesday. -Tuesday, November 20, 2007
- NPR: While insurgent violence is down in Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi forces continue to face a tough fight in Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq. The surge of American forces into Baghdad pushed some insurgents northward into the Mosul area. -Friday, November 16, 2007
note: 11/11/07 MCT: Mosul's governer survives 2 assassination attempts
the governor of Mosul , Dureed Kashmoola and the general brigadier Wathiq Al-Hamadni , the chief in command of Mosul police , survived from two assassination attempts by two roadside bombs , one in the forest area and the second one was few minutes... - NPR: Nine months after the start of the U.S. troop surge in Baghdad, signs of life are slowly returning to some neighborhoods of the Iraqi capital. In the Sunni enclave of Amriya on the west side of the city, shops are reopening, and the economy is picking up. -Tuesday, November 20, 2007
- Newsweek: Kurdistan Goes Sour - As shocking as it was to witness, Nariman Ali wasn't surprised when a mob of his fellow Kurds ransacked and burned the paramount emblem of their people's suffering—the memorial to the more than 5,000 victims of Saddam Hussein's 1988 chemical... -Saturday, November 17, 2007
- dpa: Poland will withdraw all its troops from Iraq by the end of 2008, new Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in his first address to the Polish parliament on Friday. -Friday, November 23, 2007
- AP: Thousands of Iraqi refugees in Syria have applied for resettlement in the United States, a U.N. refugee agency official in the Syrian capital said Wednesday. -Thursday, November 15, 2007
- AP: Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. -Friday, November 16, 2007
- AP: Iraq's prime minister lashed out at the country's Sunni Arab vice president in an interview published Tuesday, drawing attention to a bitter rift between two key politicians from rival sects at a time the U.S. is pressing for Iraqi unity. -Tuesday, November 20, 2007
- Reuters: Reuters: U.S Commander says surge working in badlands south of Baghdad: "There's way too much emphasis on civil war and sectarian violence, because we're not seeing it. What we are seeing is violence," Major-General Rick Lynch said, adding that a lot of the violence was due to "thugs and criminals" vying for power, rather than insurgents -Friday, November 16, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Bizarre Wartime Juxtaposition of the Day
Iraqis return home 'in thousands'
Most of the returnees are coming from Syria - and very few from Jordan, where better-off refugees tended to go.
From UPI:
BAGHDAD, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry said more than 80 cases of cholera were reported in Baghdad over the past few weeks.
A Health Ministry official said most cases of the disease were reported in impoverished areas that lack water and other necessary services, Alsumaria satellite TV reported Friday.
The official also said water supplies at six government hospitals were found to be unsanitary.
Mini Mini Battlefield Digest: Afghanistan, Week 47
The fight in Afghanistan appears to have never been hotter.
I say that week after week, but ...
Battlefield News, Afghanistan
Political Developments and Major Campaign Resource Shifts
- Reuters: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday Taliban insurgent leaders were increasingly contacting him to try to find ways of making peace. Afghan and Western military leaders and diplomats recognize talks will ultimately... -Thursday, November 22, 2007
- Roggio: The Afghan denfense minister said the US will speed up the transfer of weapons for the army. -Saturday, November 17, 2007
- Roggio: NATO support for the Afghan mission is waning. -Monday, November 19, 2007
- Roggio: The Global Islamic Media Front demanded Germany and Austria withdraw their troops from Afghanistan. -Tuesday, November 20, 2007
- AsiaTimes: The Afghan government and its international partners are struggling to bolster the country's security forces, fighting the twin problems of boosting the numbers of the national army and trying to disband illegal armed groups. -Tuesday, November 20, 2007
- Reuters: France on Thursday denied a report that it is setting aside roughly 1,000 troops for possible deployment in Afghanistan, a move that would be a boon to the United States, which wants NATO countries to do more there. -Thursday, November 15, 2007
- Roggio: The Taliban recaptured the Gulistan district in Farah province. -Friday, November 23, 2007
- The Taliban beheaded seven police officers after overrunning their checkpoints in Kandahar's Arghandab district; six other police are missing. -Friday, November 23, 2007
- Roggio: British soldiers have pushed to the outskirts of the Taliban controlled district of Musa Qala in Helmand province. "Several" Taliban fighters and facilitators were killed in Helmand's Garmsir district. -Thursday, November 15, 2007
- smh: The Taliban has a permanent presence in more than half of Afghanistan and the country is in serious danger of falling completely into its hands, according to a report by an independent think tank with long experience in the area. -Thursday, November 22, 2007
- Reuters: the conflict in Afghanistan has reached "crisis proportions," with the resurgent Taliban present in more than half the country and closing in on Kabul, a report said on Wednesday. -Wednesday, November 21, 2007
- AP: The United States military transferred 20 Afghan prisoners from its detention facility at Bagram Air Base to the custody of the Afghan Defense Ministry, a ministry statement said Wednesday. -Wednesday, November 21, 2007
- AP: The famed bookseller of Kabul "whose family life was chronicled by a Norwegian journalist" has published a scathing response to that best-selling book, accusing the author of creating lies about him and abusing his hospitality and friendship. -Tuesday, November 20, 2007
- AP: Up to two-thirds of the 77 people killed and 100 wounded in a suicide bombing last week were hit by bullets from visiting lawmakers' panicked bodyguards, who fired on a crowd of mostly schoolchildren for up to five minutes, a preliminary U.N. report says. -Saturday, November 17, 2007
- smh: Pamela Constable in Baghlan examines the conflicting accounts of a bombing's aftermath. Mohammed Asadullah, a high school teacher in this quiet northern town, was lining up his students to greet a group of visiting politicians... -Thursday, November 22, 2007
- A US F-15 fighter jet squadron is back in operation in Afghanistan after being grounded. -Thursday, November 15, 2007
- Roggio: ISAF forces and Afghan police capatured two foreign fighter facilitators in the Deh Chopan district of Zabul province. -Friday, November 16, 2007
- dpa: Taliban militants attacked a police checkpoint and beheaded seven policemen and took away another six agents in the early hours of Friday in southern Kandahar province, local police said. -Friday, November 23, 2007
- AP: Afghan and foreign troops called in air strikes after clashing with suspected Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan, leaving some 55 insurgents dead, police said Wednesday. -Wednesday, November 21, 2007
- AP: Taliban militants tortured five abducted policemen in southern Afghanistan and then hanged their mutilated bodies from trees in a warning to villagers against working with the government, officials said yesterday. -Monday, November 19, 2007
- AP: A suicide bomber struck outside a governor's residence in southwestern Afghanistan on Monday, killing six policemen and wounding 14 people, an official said. -Monday, November 19, 2007
- AP: A military court on Thursday ordered seven Polish soldiers held for three months while investigators look into allegations of war crimes in the killing of Afghan civilians. -Thursday, November 15, 2007
[this space purposely left blank because of lack of de-classified, systematic data]
- OttawaCitizen: Six years after the fall of the Taliban, the reconstruction of Afghanistan is a booming business for the private sector, but much of the work is still going to big foreign firms, say Afghan officials and development workers. -Friday, November 23, 2007
Weekly Casualty Lists: Week 47
No break in the violence for Thanksgiving holiday, as the effort to keep these names from going by unremarked continues.
Two Canadian the three British casualties.
Enemy casualty lists, here.
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: MNF-IRAQ
| ------- | Name, Age | Srv Branch | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank, Unit | |||
| Location; Circumstance of Death | |||
| Melvin L. Henley Jr., 26 | U.S. Army | Jackson, MS | |
| Specialist, 603rd Aviation Support BN, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Divisi | |||
| Baghdad (Camp Stryker); 21-Nov-07; Non-hostile | |||
| Alfred G. Paredez Jr., 32 | U.S. Army | Las Vegas, NV | |
| Sergeant, 1st BN, 8th Cavalry Reg, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division | |||
| Baghdad (eastern part); 20-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Name Not Released Yet | British Army | n.a.-UK | |
| Not reported yet, Special Air Services | |||
| Baghdad (southeast of); 20-Nov-07; Non-hostile - helicopter crash | |||
| Name Not Released Yet | British Army | n.a.-UK | |
| Not reported yet, Special Air Services | |||
| Baghdad (southeast of); 20-Nov-07; Non-hostile - helicopter crash | |||
| Alejandro Ayala, 26 | U.S. Air Force | Riverside, CA | |
| Staff Sergeant, 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron | |||
| Kuwait; 19-Nov-07; Non-hostile - vehicle accident | |||
| Marius L. Ferrero, 23 | U.S. Army | Miami, FL | |
| Private 1st Class, 1st BN, 38th Infantry Reg, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division | |||
| Ba'qubah; 18-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - suicide bomber | |||
| Jason T. Lee, 26 | U.S. Army | Fruitport, MI | |
| Corporal, 1st BN, 38th Infantry Reg, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division | |||
| Ba'qubah (died in Balad); 18-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - suicide bomber | |||
| Christopher J. Nelson, 22 | U.S. Army | Rochester, WA | |
| Corporal, 1st BN, 38th Infantry Reg, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division | |||
| Ba'qubah; 18-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - suicide bomber | |||
| Mason L. Lewis, 26 | U.S. Army | Gloucester, VA | |
| Sergeant, 26th Brigade Support BN, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division | |||
| Baghdad; 16-Nov-07; Non-hostile - accident | |||
| Peter H. Burks, 26 | U.S. Army | Dallas, TX | |
| 2nd Lieutenant, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Reg | |||
| Baghdad; 14-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Derek R. Banks, 24 | U.S. Army National Guard | Newport News, VA | |
| Specialist, 237th Engineer Company, 276th Engineer BN, 91st Troop Command, Virginia Nat | |||
| San Antonio, Texas; 14-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Kenneth R. Booker, 25 | U.S. Army | Vevay, IN | |
| Sergeant, 2nd BN, 23rd Infantry Reg, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division | |||
| Mukhisa; 14-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Steven C. Ganczewski, 22 | U.S. Army | Niagara Falls, NY | |
| Sergeant, 3rd BN, 75th Ranger Reg | |||
| Baghdad; 14-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: ISAF-AFGHANISTAN
| ------ | Name, Age | Srv Branch | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank, Unit | |||
| Location; Circumstance of Death | |||
 | Michel Levesque, 25 | Canadian Army | Riviere-Rouge-Canada |
| Private, 3rd battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment | |||
| Kandahar (45 km NE of); 17-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp, 28 | Canadian Army | Pont-Rouge-Canada |
| Corporal, 5th Field Ambulance | |||
| Kandahar (45 km west of); 17-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
 | John Mcdermid, 43 | British Army | Glasgow-UK |
| Captain, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | |||
| Sangin District (Helmand Province); 14-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: IRAQI CIVILIAN, counted by large event
| Counted Civilian Casualties: 307 this week; 229 last week; 283 prior week. | |
| Counted bodies found: 159 this week; 130 last week; 100 prior week. | |
| Thursday 22 November: 46 dead | |
| Baghdad: | 4 bodies. |
| Hawr Rijab: | up to 18 'Awakening' Council guards reported killed in attack by gunmen. |
| Baquba: | 3 village residents killed in attacks by gunmen on two villages. |
| Abu Saida: | 8 residents killed during clashes with militants. |
| Mosul: | car bomb kills 2; roadside bomb kills policeman; decapitated body of University lecturer from Tikrit is found. |
| Kirkuk: | member of municipal council is shot dead; decapitated body found. |
| Basra: | 2 shot dead. |
| Wednesday 21 November: 67 dead | |
| Baghdad: | gunmen kill interior ministry secretary; 9 bodies found, 6 in mass grave in back garden in Saidiya. |
| Ramadi: | suicide car bomb kills 6; mass grave is found, containing 40 bodies. |
| Hawija: | US forces raid house, kill 4 peasants from the same family. |
| Baquba: | 3 bodies. |
| Mosul: | 2 bodies. |
| Tuesday 20 November: 31 dead | |
| Baghdad: | 6 killed in separate incidents, Mansour, Atifiya, Bayaa; 6 bodies. |
| Zighania: | gunmen attack home, kill 3 brothers. |
| Dhuluiya: | 3 bodies. |
| Basra: | 4 bodies. |
| Monday 19 November: 40 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | Security guards may have killed many of the children after [panic] firing on a crowd after the suicide attack in Baghlan. A suicide bomber detonated outside the governor's house in the town Zaranj, in Nimroz province; six police were killed and 14 wounded. |
| Baghdad: | roadside bomb kills 1, Baladiyat; 3 bodies. |
| Basra: | mother and 5 children are killed when a rocket hits their house; body found. |
| Baquba: | gunmen attack police station, kill 3 policemen; 3 bodies. |
| Falluja: | 3 killed by car bomb. |
| Samarra: | 4 bodies. |
| Tikrit: | 5 bodies of policemen found. |
| Sunday 18 November: 31 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | An Afghan police commander said over 100 Taliban have been killed during fighting in Kandahar's Zari district since Saturday. The Taliban murdered five policemen captured several months ago and hung them from trees in Uruzgan. A suicide bomber killed only himself in an attempted attack on US forces in Nangahar province. |
| Baghdad: | car bomb kills 10, Karrada; taxi driver shot dead by US forces; 4 bodies. |
| Mosul: | suicide car bomber attacks police checkpoint, kills 4. |
| Baquba: | roadside bomb kills 3 children as they flock around US patrol handing out gifts. |
| Samarra: | US forces open fire on cars, kill 3. |
| Saturday 17 November: 61 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | Up to nine police may have been killed in a Taliban attack in the western province of Ghor. |
| Baghdad: | an estimated 39 bodies found -around 33 inside a deserted building and 6 in various areas of the capital. |
| Mosul: | gunmen kill 5 civilians; 5 bodies. |
| Baquba: | gunmen kill civilian; 6 bodies found in surrounding villages. |
| Amara: | gunmen kill 2. |
| Friday 16 November: 31 dead | |
| Afghanistan: | Five police were killed in a suicide attack in the Zari district of Kandahar. |
| Baghdad: | roadside bomb kills 1, Nahda; 4 bodies. |
| Diyala: | roadside bomb kills 3 policemen. |
| Shaikhy: | gunmen attack village, 7 villagers die in clashes. |
| Sadiya: | the bodies of 2 brothers found. |
| Anbar: | 10 bodies. |
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: JOURNALISTS IN IRAQ
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Circumstances | |
| None counted this week. | |
src: MNF-I, MNF-A, journalists from icasualties.org; Iraqi Civiilan: iraqbodycount.org; Afghan events from Bill Roggio, other sources
Electoral College Update
New Mexico, Ohio, Florida (!), and Iowa all go slightly more bid for Dems in the latest two week period, on intrade's contracts:
| State | DEM | REP | Chng Wk. Dem/Rep | Bid-Ask. Dem/Rep | Elec. Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania* | 77 | 15.1 | 2/0 | 10%/59% | 21 |
| •Oregon‡ | 75 | 20 | 0/0 | 7%/50% | 7 |
| •Michigan‡ | 75 | 15 | 0/0 | 13%/67% | 17 |
| Minnesota* | 75 | 20 | 5/0 | 7%/40% | 10 |
| •Wisconsin‡ | 70 | 20 | 0/0 | 14%/50% | 10 |
| New Hampshire* | 70 | 20 | 0/0 | 7%/50% | 4 |
| •Ohio‡ | 60 | 30 | 5/-5 | 17%/33% | 20 |
| New Mexico | 60 | 39 | 10/-1 | 8%/15% | 5 |
| Iowa* | 50 | 40 | 5/-5 | 20%/25% | 7 |
| Florida* | 49.5 | 45 | 9.5/-5 | 5%/22% | 27 |
| •Nevada | 45.5 | 45 | 0/0 | 21%/22% | 5 |
| •Missouri* | 45 | 45 | 0/0 | 22%/22% | 11 |
| •Colorado | 41.1 | 51.1 | 0/0 | 21%/17% | 9 |
| •Virginia*‡ | 41 | 50 | 1/0 | 22%/18% | 13 |
| •Arkansas*‡ | 20 | 71 | 0/0 | 25%/13% | 6 |
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Pilgrim's Progress (Slouching Toward Capitalism)
Only a die-hard would think about property rights on Thanksgiving, a fete at the early end of what became the largest "property" theft, from the natives ...
Happy Thanksgiving
from our neck of the woods.
Foliage was fine, in the neighborhood, this year (got caught in a golden shower of leaves on the Parkway last week). This is from earlier today:
Gratuitous photo of local place that made it into inter-planetary American History (do you know how?):
Did Romney Play the Mormon Card for Thanksgiving?
We'll never know.
And ... we'll never know, now, if it worked.
Q: could it work for gay or lesbian candidates, if it did? humm....
Race and Andrew Sullivan, the Latest Turn
Wherein we find out a new what-it's-all-about ("what we're discussing"), another remake to add to the growing list of AS's attempts to popularize race as a key dividing line:
What we're discussing is a function of both genetics and environment and their interaction.Gosh, this is the "exploding" "debate"? Who knew? Clearly, this is NOT what "we're discussing".
At best, it's mostly a proxy for what Conservatives (AND others) want to discuss, that's all.
I don't think those pointing out resilient racial differences in IQ are positing anything as crude as "innate." -ASReally? I thought one of their main points was to use race-based genetics like a Serenity Prayer, almost?
Fey!
Deconstructing Krugman
AS finds someone who's cooked up this:
But the circumstances are of course not the only thing to have changed since he [Paul Krugman] opined on this topic in the past. His modes of analysis and expression have changed too, and radically, in ways that often seem calculated ...
I say, if anyone comes along and offers you a bi-weekly column for the NYT, turn it down on those terms. It's almost impossible to do properly, on that kind of schedule, in my estimation (and it is no more just that and an estimation from afar, to boot). Invariably, people turn to "shorthand" to fill the column inches.
McClellan will ... recant
... that's my bet, putting it at 60% odds, rather than have the wolf pack turn on him.
[p.s. once he does, that should be about it. It's doubtful Rummy will ever say anything, except posthumously and Tenant was compromised the minute his say-nothing book came out trying to say-something. Cheney ... doesn't keep notes.]
Hillary on Foreign Policy
I think this critique of Hillary's experience is going too far.
The re-emergence of Bill Clinton on the international beat for America would be a good thing. The wealth of experience and understanding only a trusted word away from the Presidency is probably more than Obama can manage.
If Maureen Dowd is worried about experience on foreign policy (and shouldn't we all be, quite a lot?), she should be looking at Dodd and Biden, both of whom have more than Obama, who has not been involved in national politics except for a short while.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Victimology
From time to time, AS - and others, it's not personal - is clear that he doesn't want The Left sweeping him into a "victimology".
Are small town boys "victims"?
I'm just saying. It's worth examining ... all aspects of the truth, yes? It's not really a criticism, that, it's a call for a wider grasp ...
Reality "Show"
One of the best parts of going to the Vets is the fish tank ("aquarium"), which used to have even a few sea horses that are not so easy to keep:
Our pets are old, but can you guess the number of puppies in this photo, hanging on the doctor's wall? (embiggen if you need to):
Monday, November 19, 2007
Yes, Virginia, There is a Bottom
This Citi stuff?
For those with a long view, it's o.k. to dip a toe into the water, I think. There is not a "rush" - that's the good thing. Goldman sees "sell" because they think short term (and 33 is higher than 32, or whatever).
(It's seldom you get out ahead of the pack. Pat self on back.)
My guess - and it is a guess - is that the big money won't get behind the financials until January or somewhat later, which means that between now and the end of the year the little guys can have a rare chance to act first.
Other notes:
The Tier1 capital thing - red herring, in my view.
The $2 Trillion credit-crunch dollar impact from the $200 bn prime-mortage write-offs? Could happen, but it will probably be spread out, in ways that may not dislocate growth. Some part of a "crunch" isn't the end of lending, it is lending at a higher price.
The housing market stuff - serious. Keep an eye here.
The dollar - the fear of inflation over the weak dollar is probably small compared to the worries about $90 oil.
NY Times to Explain Itself
If you have to explain a joke ...
Same might be true about an editorial.
Good luck to the editorial board of the NYT with this enterprise.
Top Ten Blog Mistakes
The pros would look unkindly on my ... golf swing:
The List of Failures:
- No author biographies. [strike]
- No author photo: [strike]
- Nondescript posting titles:
- Mysterious links:
- Big stories buried:
- Chronology as only means of navigation:
- Irregular publishing frequency:
- All-inclusive content: [yikes - is this true?]
- Forgetting you are publishing:
- Having a blog service domain name: [strike]
The Public Eye
Somehow, I'm glad I missed this:
"Janea and Joyce Padilha tend to the author’s grooming needs. “The male version of the wax is officially called a sunga, which is the name for the Brazilian boys’ bikini. I regret to inform you that the colloquial term for the business is ‘sack, back, and crack.’ ”
Chris Hitchens, over-exposed.
Monday Mustache News
The aspirational mustache here and here (hey, kids want to look like their dads...).
John Wilkes Booth makes the list.
Simon has a good Movember, so far (see pic).
Another Simon leads the team (Edinburgh) into the woods of Movember ...
Time lapse .gifs!
In Tune for the Holidays
WSJ does a holiday sales blog, before Rupert Murdoch turns it into FOX (Freaked Out: Teens' Dance Moves Split a Texas Town).
It's all about ... Guitar Hero III ["Punk Rock Tried to Kill the Metal"]:
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Who Profits From Your Self Loathing?
It's not the boa and it's not the van and it's not hair, hat or ... shawl (?).
It's the sublime dress alongside the ugly willingness to wear a contestant number/placard:
f:/ Isn't Flickr at least as good as youTube?
What a Real Parliament Can Do for You
Rather than the U.S.'s broken Congress, in which everything is debated in 30-second sound bites on TV shows and for which nothing is worth getting exposed over on the House or Senate floor, AS notes that Britain is getting along with it all much better:
There is instead an open debate [in England] about the length of time terror suspects can be detained without charges. Right now, it's 28 days. The Brown government wants more time - 58 days. When you remember that Jose Padilla was detained for years without charges -
THE FAILED LEGAL STRATEGY: THINGS THAT THE GOP WILL DUMP ON THE NEXT EXECUTIVE
How many people are detained awaiting trial? That's what I want to know. When I'm being cynical, the "reason" that these trials haven't been concluded is that the Bush Administration might fear having to let someone go. Exoneration might mean that they may have made a mistake, upsetting their public line for many years that everyone at Gitmo was a terrorist (by definition).
This a problem with military tribunals. Even if you talk yourself into the possibility of them, you start to worry that detention periods have more to do with Presidential politics than the facts of the case... And that is ... how far from torture, on a conceptual taboo scale?
Also on the list of things to dump:
-Taxes that are too low and little chance that the last budget will be balanced
-An economy that is going to reel from high oil (and natural gas) prices
-An Iraq stabilization effort, in which our best estimate is that it will take years for the army to develop to a size and proficiency after which they can 'stand up'.
-An Afghan effort that is hot, hot, hot, with experts suggesting that ending the poppy-trade will not be as swift as it was in Burma's golden triangle and the Taliban showing no signs of wanting to evolve into a 'political party' alongside others.
Rising Sun, Still Rising
Barron's is bullish on Japan.
Mee too, based on preliminaries (i.e. without currency considerations done, etc.), for 2008. Not confident that it will be a top market pick, but it is in the list.
Bishop Jack Iker: No Women, No Gays
Forth Worth, Texas, latest in string of four ultra-conservative to defy the Church leadership's request for calm and discernment, in favor of confrontation and separation.
[background - see linked article in this prior post, despite deliberately provocative title]
Federalism - Until you Just Can't Stand It
The GOP's facile use of "Federalism" is again on display.
Now, when State's make their own choices, they are to be punished by the Federal Government. This time, it's Romney on immigration.
Romney has used the issue to criticize opponent Mike Huckabee, who as governor of Arkansas supported a failed attempt to extend in-state tuition and scholarships to the children of illegal immigrants. Huckabee has said he does not believe students should be punished for crimes committed by their parents.
Campaign Songs - Dusty Springfield
Because we cannot have Fleetwood Mac again....
For Hillary: "Can I get a Witness?"
runner-up: "What you gonna say, In Private?"
John McCain: "I just don't know what to do with myself"
Kucinich: "Everyday, I have to cry"
up-tempo runner-up: A love like yours
Fred Thompson: "Spooky"
Romney: "You don't have to say you love me, just be close at hand ..."
Huckabee: "The only boy who could ever reach me was the Son of a Preacher Man"
runner-up: Shelby Lynne, "Jesus on a Greyhound".
Gravel: "All Cried Out"
runner-up: "I'll go my way by myself"
John Edwards: "I'm Coming Home" [this is an elegant and beautiful song ...]
(skip past the Bassie part at the open)
runner-up: "I think I'm going back"
Richardson: "Get Ready [because here I come]"
Chris Dodd: "Maria Christina" with Jose Feliciano
Rudy Giuliani, mayor for life: "I Only Want To Be With You"
runner-up: Dusty in drag
Trancredo - still mulling it over, possible: "What Have I Done To Deserve This?"
Joe Biden: "I don't want to hear it anymore"
Obama - hummm - no clue, but try: "A House is not a Home"
runner-up for Sullivan: "I just fall in love again" and "I close my eyes and count to 10"
first alternate: "A Brand New Me" [with the magic Dusty hands ...]
Alan Keyes: good grief, how about "Knowing when to leave"?
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Trade Deals
LIKE THE PATRIOT ACT AND NIE'S, "THINGS THAT NEED TO BE READ, FOR 500, ALEX"
Loss of sovereignty, or, more precisely, judicial sovereignty, is one of the problems with the creation of trading blocks, which are not such a bad idea, from a realist perspective, otherwise.
It appears that the most recent "compromise" includes ensconcing the status quo, in a way, in Peru, by providing ... "environment guarantees" that mitigate the normal/natural risks of "free trading".
One can easily see a link between labor and environmental standards, so that "foreign capital" from America doesn't look so obviously predatory. What the heck does how a country managing it's domestic policy on pensions have to do with it, though?
John Edwards on the Peru Deal
The Hill, on the same.
"Gay Culture" Ought Not End
AS, ever on the lookout for the end of gay culture, notices this.
PRICED OUT OF THE MARKET
Rent is the impetus for the dissolution of the former enclaves, the "cultural centers"; and less so the grand cultural shifts that everyone posits.
After mulling the topic for a while, I think that gay cultural enclaves are a conceit worth keeping (especially, now, after cities like Chicago have ponied up money):
Latest Reports from Iraq: Roundup
Exhibiting keen editorial selection, AS singles out three pieces on Iraq.
For readers, I'll summarize:
DUST GETS IN YOUR EYES
Inside the Surge
The American military finds new allies, but at what cost?
by Jon Lee Anderson
If the hope was some sort of civil society, think again. Equilibrium here is described as a story of vendetta.
At the end of a cycle of killing (or still some way along in the middle of it?), "Victory" here is the absence of people killing each other and finding a few people at the local level who seem to have the take-charge abilities required to keep calm.
Altogether, however, one has a sense of "arc" to the Iraqi developments.
From the 'insurgency' perspective, the first years were about bringing the U.S. (Bush?) to its knees, then the violence took on its own life under an 'alliance' with al-qa'ida using a sectarian banner.
After a lot of killing and refugees, as well as a move to change the security posture to make backsliding hard, the way forward seems both easier and just as out of reach as at the start.
The absence of a unbalanced will to tear things apart but to go along in grief over the situation is ... a turning point, possibly the hollow, unremarked "victory" point, in Lee's analysis. (It's true that some turning points in counterinsurgency are almost impossible to know, except sometimes quite some time afterwards).
THE WAY FORWARD
Katulis: Looking at the Broader Perspective
by Mark Lynch (a.k.a. Abu Aardvark), Mid East Scholar at GWU
Not surprisingly, how to consolidate the 'security gains' politically is the main point of contention (as noted on this blog months ago). Neither a bottom-up or a top-down approach seem sufficient of convincing. This is the ultimate discussion about tactics.
Iraq is not a sovereign nation, but the leadership pretending it is have gotten out of the Green Zone a little be lately.
Few inside Iraq are calling for or supporting Provincial elections, from what I read here, something I thought was strategically important. *gulp* Turns out the existing power structures don't want them and the central government has other priorities, including the Sunni Block that exited the government in October.
We'll see what the U.N. comes up with, but this suggests that the idea of "National Reconciliation" as we westerners might think of it if being supplanted by other notions of what is doable.
Staying to police the power-block struggle for power might be a way to maintain U.S. influence, even favorable influence, as some have suggested. [However, there is ample experience that this does not work over the long haul. Two examples are from Ireland (see General Jone's report/comments) and possible the British experience in Palestine. The problem is that the two sides (or more) first turn on you, then on each other... This suggests that there has to be rapid forward movement in order to gather no moss.]
NO TIME, WILL, OR MONEY LEFT, BUT LOTS OF TIME, MONEY, WILL NEEDED
Iraqis Wasting An Opportunity, U.S. Officers Say
With Attacks Ebbing, Government Is Urged to Reach Out to Opponents
By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 15, 2007; Page A01
70,000 neighborhood volunteers participating in bottom-up security. Prior article notes that only 1,600 have so far come under the command-and-control structures of the government(s), a mere drop in the bucket of what is needed.
Fear Not
What is the swag one gets at a jihadi convention?:
After hosting a summit with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas three days ago in Ankara, Turkey is now host to a giant gathering in Istanbul of thousands of high level representatives from hundreds of radical Islamist organizations and institutions from Morocco to Indonasia.
Cleaning up
Can this job really be "worth" $50 million? There are no competent alternatives for less?
It's on days like this that one remembers that they have a bleacher seat in the game of life, I guess:
The pay package, largely made up of stock and options, could be worth more than $120 million if Merrill stock rises more than $40 a share in the next two years.
Friday, November 16, 2007
"Now you're back. From outer space."
Is this anything? Yes, you just have to see the opening (if you haven't), up until the mirror ball falls, introducing the 80s:
Democratic Debate
Let's figure out how to give Tancredo a wedgie.I just saw the rerun (missed the first parts, however, but caught a few youtubes).
HILLARY CAN FIGHT BACK SOME (AND SO CAN YOU!)
This is the first "debate" that AS hasn't declared a "winner", so I'll assume it was Hillary in his calculus and that he just cannot admit it.
The questions and questioning was terrible. Miserable. Almost 70% came off as designed to elucidate ... nothing of interest, just possible material for the Republican campaign. (CNN has some stunningly right-wing moments, I think).
At the same time, the candidates can see these questions coming (like R. v. Wade) and ought to come up with more, I think.
Hillary was the only one, I thought, consistently wrapping up her responses with an attack on the Republicans, although Joe had a good point about the stupid phrase "this Administration".
OBAMA SHOULD PICK A FIGHT WITH GIULIANI AND WIN
At this point, I'm thinking (and I'm certainly no qualified campaign consultant), the best thing Barack can do is pick a major fight with Giuliani, now, and win it in the press. (I'm not sure why he hasn't sooner).
Chris Dodd's spanish was nice relief from George Bush's backwards efforts (but that'll scare a lot of Republican voters).
I like Edwards because he doesn't back down, but my first impression is that he shouldn't have backed down too far. For instance, if Hilliary thinks that Edward's concerns are akin to the GOP playbook, then we need to see her handle those. If she intends to dismiss them, that might be something to know (as we recall, Kerry got in trouble ignoring his troubles for too long, possibly).
Obama could have found a one-liner to defend his "Politics of Hope" from the Clinton machine. If I can think of how to write them, why can't he?
In any case, I'm still undecided, which is surprising to me. Perhaps it is possible to over think it... Still, these "debates" don't do much to vet the candidates. "30 second answers" and Blitzer talking over anything that looks like a solid exchange in order for ... whatever, just doesn't do it.
Somebody could have attacked the GOP's stool (pun intended), instead of talking about "triangulation" - or have switched the phrase to mean three-legged stool:
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Bad Tax Law Equals Perpetual Waste of Time
THE REPUBLICANS ARE ATTACKING THE PAY-AS-YOU-GO RULES, AGAIN
The Republican leadership had a news conference yesterday in which they all attacked "pay-go", as it is called, as some sort of formula for spending and tax growth, rather than fiscal responsibility.
They are trying to spin pay-go as a tax-and-spend formulation!
If I was running the Dem attack machine, this would be like gifts on a plate, for them to do such a thing while the Party is scrambling to re-cover from its profligate ways.
BADLY WRITTEN TAX LAW
Back when it was written into the code, the AMT (alternative minimum tax) should have been indexed. In fact, it would be a good idea to get two or three indexing formulas and replace most of the dollar values written into the tax code with indexed values, quite possibly.
Instead, time passes and soon the tax is applying in ways it wasn't supposed to and this provides an impetus, a gripe, a causus belli, for the Republicans to undue what has been done.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Mailer: Democracy is valuable because we can lose it
If the price of freedom is vigilance, no where is that debate more clear today than on two fronts.
TORTURE
Mary Jo White, who I like to listen to, proving why Ignatieff was right to strike early on the torture issue (I thought he was being redundant - that was before FOX launched its campaign to soften the beaches on torture). She needs to take a trip to Israel and find out why her judicial equivocating (on behalf of New Yorker's Mukasey and by extension, Giuliani) was rejected there ... by the Supreme Court.
THE ESTATE TAX
Something that has been around since the early 1900s somehow became an "urgent" issue, to save - wait for it - "family businesses"...
Warren Buffet was superb today in Committee testimony. (I'll put one up if I can find one. The whole feed from the Senate Finance Committee, today. Buffet begins around 34:00. It appears again on c-span late-late).
[btw, the Huckabee "fair tax" has the chance to rank as high in Orwellianism as "Compassionate Conservative"]
Mukasey - Will He or Won't He
... use his new position to help the Giuliani campaign (he was an adviser to the campaign, reportedly, before he was chosen by Bush in an effort to take politics out of the DOJ ... gulp).
What if Giuliani doesn't win ...
... could it be a Romney-Huckabee ticket? Yikes!
What would we call that, a plastic "mug" of coffee with Schnapps?
While I was thinking that early this a.m., it occurred to me that I haven't seen Obama debate a hardcore opponent, yet.
I'd estimate that Hillary would do well in a debate of Romney, but that Obama would do better against Giuliani direct style than against Romeny's slick presentation.
The Sins of the Husband
AS links Hillary to what he sees as the "sins" of her husband.
How does that work? On The Dish, she doesn't get common-sense credit for being a political partner, lest she submit to some sort of bizarre paper release demand, but she shares in the ... collective recrimination.
It's perceived as easier to lie than to ask for forgiveness, especially in politics, but including most other coveted leadership slots. All politicians ... ameliorate or try to not take on water they don't have to. On the whole, I cannot say I felt that Clinton-42 ever told a whopping "Presidential lie", in the sense of abusing the public trust. ["Lifting the ban" was thought to be a matter of Exec Order, like Truman's - it turned out not to be.]
VOTING THE ISSUES, NOT AS'S ... SWOONS
I like the outline of Hillary's health care plan better than Barack's. Paglia can continue to find depth in flag poles or missed tips - that's not how I vote (certainly Edward's pricey haircut didn't dissuade me). If Hillary isn't her ideal woman, so what. Who in the field is the ideal man?
I can't estimate whether Hillary is better than Barack on gay issues. I'm guessing that her Ship of State will have more gay sailors than will Barack's, who seems a little uncomfortable in close quarters, still, to me; but he might do more systematically and forcefully to help (as much as his party will let him).
We might fault Hillary for being "calculating" or "cagey", but Barack has passed a lot of ammunition to the Republicans.
Here's a final question: If I want eight years, and the next four are going to be pretty awful for the next Executive, including possible economic and national security challenges, wouldn't Hillary's well-known brand withstand a greater beating than would Barack's?
The "War on Terror", uh, Corruption, Drugs, and Illiteracy
The LA Times puts it in high relief just now, asking, "Is Maliki's corruption worth American lives?"
It's the same story from Afghanistan, "Corruption rife in Afghanistan-President [Karzai]".
The 'forces of order' have strong enemies - willing to kill 59 schoolchildren with a ball bearings bomb this week - and weak allies.
The Weekly Summary from Iraq is ... too depressing.
Weekly Casualty Lists: Week 46
Groups: MFN-Iraq, MNF-Afghan, Iraqi Civilian Casualties Count, Journalists (Iraq)
September wounded: 358; October: 47; [a new section for wounded forthcoming ... soon, I hope!]
notes:
The "battlefield" Afghanistan is HOT - you'll see it in the casualties this week.
If you noticed a pattern from the dailies, two totals this week that confirm:
- 280 teachers have been killed since the 2003 invasion, according to UN report.
- 60,000 people are currently detained in Iraq (International Committee of the Red Cross).
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: MNF-IRAQ
| ------- | Name, Age | Srv Branch | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank, Unit | |||
| Location; Circumstance of Death | |||
| Casey P. Mason, 22 | U.S. Army | Lake, MI | |
| Private 1st Class, 728th Military Police BN, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command | |||
| Mosul (near); 13-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire | |||
| Christopher R. Kruse, 23 | U.S. Army | Emporia, KS | |
| Sergeant, 2nd BN, 23rd Infantry Reg, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division | |||
| Mukhisa; 13-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Peter W. Schmidt, 30 | U.S. Army | Eureka, CA | |
| Specialist, 2nd BN, 23rd Infantry Reg, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division | |||
| Mukhisa; 13-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Joseph M. Vanek, 22 | U.S. Army | Elmhurst, IL | |
| Sergeant, 2nd BN, 325th Airborne Infantry Reg, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division | |||
| Baghdad; 12-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire | |||
| Jermaine D. Franklin, 22 | U.S. Army | Arlington, TX | |
| Specialist, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Reg, 1st Brigade Combat Team, (Air Assault) 101st Airborne Division | |||
| Jisr Naft; 09-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED, grenades | |||
| Benjamin D. Tiffner, 31 | U.S. Army | n.a., WV | |
| Captain, 1st BN, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) | |||
| Baghdad; 07-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Lui Tumanuvao, 29 | U.S. Army | Fagaalu, AS | |
| Sergeant, 1st BN, 30th Infantry Reg, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division | |||
| Arab Jabour; 07-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: ISAF-AFGHANISTAN
| ------ | Name, Age | Srv Branch | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank, Unit | |||
| Location; Circumstance of Death | |||
 | Name Not Released Yet | Not reported yet | n.a. |
| Not reported yet, Not reported yet | |||
| Eastern Afghanistan; 12-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Adrian Hike, 26 | Not reported yet | Ralston, IA |
| Sergeant, 173rd Airborne | |||
| Eastern Afghanistan; 12-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
| Patrick F. Kutschbach, 25 | U.S. Army | McKees Rocks, PA |
| Staff Sergeant, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group | |||
| Tagab (Died in Bagram); 10-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack | |||
| Phillip Allen Bocks, 28 | U.S. Marine | Troy, MI |
| Sergeant, Not reported yet | |||
| Aranus; 10-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack | |||
| Joseph M. Lancour, 21 | U.S. Army | Swartz Creek, MI |
| Private 1st Class, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team | |||
| Aranus; 09-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack | |||
| Lester G. Roque, 23 | U.S. Army | Torrance, CA |
| Specialist, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team | |||
| Aranus; 09-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack | |||
| Sean K. A. Langevin, 23 | U.S. Army | Walnut Creek, CA |
| Specialist, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team | |||
| Aranus; 09-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack | |||
| Jeffery S. Mersman, 23 | U.S. Army | Parker, KS |
| Sergeant, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team | |||
| Aranus; 09-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack | |||
| Matthew C. Ferrara, 24 | U.S. Army | Torrance, CA |
| 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team | |||
| Aranus; 09-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack | |||
| Jake Alderton, 22 | British Army | Bexley-UK |
| Lance Corporal, 20 Field Squadron, 36 Engineer Regiment | |||
| Sangin (Helmand Province); 09-Nov-07; Non-hostile - vehicle accident | |||
 | Kristoffer Sørli Jørgensen, 22 | Norwegian Home Guard | Stange-Norway |
| Private, Opplandske Heimevernsdistrikt 05 | |||
| Maymana (near); 08-Nov-07; Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack | |||
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: IRAQI CIVILIAN, counted by large event
| Counted Civilian Casualties: 206 this week; 229 last week; 283 prior week. | |
| Counted bodies found: 57 this week; 130 last week; 100 prior week. | |
| Tuesday 13 November: 24 dead | |
| Baghdad: | 6 bodies. |
| Mosul: | US forces kill suspected insurgent in his house, along with his wife and baby; gunmen kill policeman; gunmen kill medic; body found. |
| Baquba: | 2 die in explosions. |
| Abu Saida: | 3 bodies. |
| Kirkuk: | policeman killed by gunmen; body found. |
| Monday 12 November: 31 dead | |
| Baghdad: | gunmen kill 2 policemen, Abu Ghraib; 5 bodies. |
| Baquba: | gunmen kill academic, Dr Haitham Abdel-Salam, and passenger in his car. |
| Mosul: | 4 killed in separate incidents. |
| Jurf al-Sakhar: | roadside bomb kills 2. |
| Hawija: | headless corpse is found. |
| Qadir Kam: | family of 5 is found murdered. |
| Adwaniya: | 5 citizens fighting against al-Qaeda are killed during battle. |
| Sunday 11 November: 17 dead | |
| Baghdad: | roadside bomb targeting US patrol kills 12-year-old child, Baladiyat; civilian killed in bomb explosion outside policeman's house, Bayaa; 4 bodies. |
| Baquba: | gunmen kill student. |
| Mosul: | man killed by gunmen; body found. |
| Qasim: | body found. |
| Diwaniya: | 3 killed in violent attacks. |
| Saturday 10 November: 42 dead | |
| Baghdad: | roadside bomb kills 2, Baladiyat; man is shot dead in his car, Adil; 3 'Awakening' members are mistakenly killed in US airstrike, Yathrib; another civilian is killed in the same airstrike; 6 bodies. |
| Diwaniya: | US plane bombs two homes, kills father of 10. |
| Baquba: | 2 killed by gunmen; 4 bodies. |
| Mosul: | 4 killed by roadside bomb; gunmen kill policeman. |
| Balad Ruz: | roadside bomb kills 2 policemen. |
| Friday 9 November: 23 dead | |
| Fifty-nine schoolchildren were killed in the Baghlan suicide attack on November 6. Ball bearings were used in the Baghlan attack; police detained two suspects. | |
| Baghdad: | 2 killed by roadside bomb, Kadhimiya; 3 bodies. |
| Khanaqeen: | 3 policemen killed in explosions. |
| Balad Ruz: | 3 children killed in mortar attacks. |
| Baquba: | a bomb in a field kills child. |
| Hawija: | policeman killed by roadside bomb. |
| Albu Ajeel: | gunmen attack on village leaves 3 residents dead. |
| Khalis: | suicide bomber blows himself up inside Sheikh's house during meeting, kills 5 Sunni Sheikhs and 2 others. |
| Thursday 8 November: 40 dead | |
| Baghdad: | policeman killed in ambush; 4 bodies. |
| Falluja: | roadside bomb targeting police patrol kills 6 policemen. |
| Mandali: | gunmen kill 3 policemen; 9 bodies. |
| Baquba: | 2 members of Awakening Council killed by gunmen; policeman killed during clashes. |
| That Thar: | 7 bodies. |
| Mahaweel: | 2 bodies. |
| Wednesday 7 November: 29 dead | |
| Baghdad: | gunmen kill the son of Mizher Al-Sheikhli ( a member of the political bureau of the Islamic party), Dora; also a maths teacher on her way to work, Mansour; 6 bodies. |
| Suwayra: | roadside bomb kills 2 children. |
| Diwaniya: | mortars strike house, kill 2 children. |
| Hashimiyat: | mass grave containing 17 bodies is found. |
WEEKLY CASUALTY LIST: JOURNALISTS IN IRAQ
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Circumstances | |
| None counted this week. | |
src: MNF-I, MNF-A, journalists from icasualties.org; Iraqi Civiilan: iraqbodycount.org; Afghan events from Bill Roggio, other sources