RIP

Left-leaning Christian Democrat

Democrat/Labour

No honeymoon or is that coming later ?

These are some amateur pics.

Now part of the Leitch clan..one of us! one of us!





With my mum and dad.



With his actor cohort

I take it that it must have been a quiet affair [i.e. a small wedding 'do']

Cigarettes

Why the rapid decline in fortunes for the CDA? [... without my having to read a 29 page thread] given that they've went from having 41 seats in 2006 to 13 now?

Congratulations Andrew and Michael

[Besides, when they get to know him they will learn to love him.]

Fortunately, it's Americans voting for President, not those in foreign countries.

They may not care too much for Mitt, but those who count in this election will flock to the polls in November and elect Mitt President to save the nation from economic disaster.

So who really cares what others think?

Besides, when they get to know him they will learn to love him.

Well if - God forbid - he's elected and I'm impressed that would be a FIRST for a Republican post-1981. I was only ever going to play a low expectations game with President Obama so I'm not that disappointed given the hand he was dealt

I know why U1 is as high as it is. Its because austerity measures - the loss of public sector jobs - have had a detrimental impact on the US labour market and, worse still, at a time when demand for private sector goods and services remain pretty weak

Funny how congressional Republicans are insisting it must be a private sector led recovery because its not the standard to which they applied to their own miserable failure, during the first term of whom, saw the paltry net gain in jobs come from the public sector

Nevertheless workers are workers - and certainly more empowered consumers of private sector goods and services relative to the unemployed (aye, its hell being out of work this side of the Pond, too, given the pittance we call Job Seekers Allowance; in fact, beyond six months you get nowt if you've savings of more than 16k or a partner earning >7k). Underemployment seems to be becoming a big problem in the UK. Part-time employment is all very well for those who only need (i.e. can afford) to be working part-time. My mother worked part-time through the 1970s because my father had a well-paid job but she only needed to go full-time in the mid-1980s because my father had a less well paid job

[AT-LARGE SENATE]

AT-LARGE SENATE

[2] AndrewPA of Pennsylvania
^Independent

[1] Bacon King of Georgia
^{Liberal Party}

[3] Franzl of Illinois
^{Liberal Party}

[5] Marokai Blue of Iowa
^{Labor Party}

[7] NVTownsend of Nevada
^{Liberal Party}

[4] Seatown of Washington
^{Labor Party}

[6] Snowstalker of West Virginia
^{Labor Party}

Moderate liberal populist (left-leaning Christian Democrat)

[only]

Its a myth that the private sector can only expand if the public sector contracts

Actually that is precisely what has been happening.  The problem is the private sector hasn't expanded fast enough to deal with both the effects of the 2008-9 crisis and the contraction of the public sector since then.

Emphasis on only Ernest. Maybe the private sector would have expanded more had demand for its goods and services not been reduced by public sector contraction?

Given that the 'liberal' welfare model is weak, I'm loathe to culling the public sector until such time as unemployment is sub-5%. The transition from employment to unemployment in the UK is a most horrifying fate indeed, and the FEAR of losing your livelihood could be suppressing consumer spending
 
'Liberal' welfarism worked during the Golden Age of Capitalism (aka the post-war economic expansion) when UK unemployment averaged 1.6% but it has averaged 7.4% during the Washington Consensus, while I suspect the more downside impact of globalisation may have contributed to an 'expanded' public sector in many developed economies

The "Romney advantage" is something Gallup made up by adding the "conservative advantage" to the "Republican advantage."

Based on the assumption that ALL Republicans and conservatives will vote for Mitt Romney. 20% of self-styled conservatives, nationally, voted for President Obama in 2008. I'd be a somewhat socially conservative Democrat but it sure as hell doesn't follow I'd be voting for Mitt Romney

[center]

Romney is focusing on the economy while Obama is palling around with Ricky Martin. You decide which people prefer.

That, and of course obama's miserable economic numbers.

If only a Democrat had been dealt the Clinton legacy of prosperity, low unemployment and solvent government on which to build not destroy

Romney won't be dealt such by Obama. He's not complaining.

The valueless cipher who stands for little save his own advancement and enrichment isn't there yet? I'd be sticking with the center-right option because Obama will do the necessary and channel Bill Clinton on taxes. Remember 'Clintonomics' and marginally more progressive rates of taxation?

Logic dictates, then, that the public doesn't agree with you as they have witnessed Obama doing the opposite of Clinton on a lot of things in reality, such as, of course, taxes and government spending and job creation. As opposed to your hypothetical and baseless mental fiction.

What pray do you think was the road out of the 'Great Recession' like? Austerity . The cost of the primary response to it - the ARRA - being a conservative, and far from radical, $800 bn. Mindful of deficits, President Obama was never going to propose trillions of 'new' supply side tax cuts

Indeed, the US public sector has contracted, as a result of the 'Great Recession', by 600,000, which is quite a drop in demand for private sector goods and services

Its a myth that the private sector can only expand if the public sector contracts

[center]

Romney is focusing on the economy while Obama is palling around with Ricky Martin. You decide which people prefer.

That, and of course obama's miserable economic numbers.

If only a Democrat had been dealt the Clinton legacy of prosperity, low unemployment and solvent government on which to build not destroy

Romney won't be dealt such by Obama. He's not complaining.

The valueless cipher who stands for little save his own advancement and enrichment isn't there yet? I'd be sticking with the center-right option because Obama will do the necessary and channel Bill Clinton on taxes. Remember 'Clintonomics' and marginally more progressive rates of taxation?

[prosperity]

Romney's bold message of economic freedom and prosperity is spreading across the country like a prairie wildfire.

Not that the Reactionary Party knows anything about that. 'Reaganomics' delivered middle class stagnation; 'Bushonomics' delivered middle class decline

I don't see Mitt Romney channelling Bill Clinton do you and raising taxes, especially on the primary beneficiaries of the supply-side tax cuts which fuel $1.4 trillion deficits?

Indeed, the post-war era has proven that its Democrats who own 1) economic growth; 2) job creation and 3) broad-based prosperity whether during the Golden Age of Capitalism or the Washington Consensus

Of course, the 'Crash of 2008' has discredited the neoliberal Road to Serfdom making it as dated as revolutionary socialism

Romney is focusing on the economy while Obama is palling around with Ricky Martin. You decide which people prefer.

That, and of course obama's miserable economic numbers.

If only a Democrat had been dealt the Clinton legacy of prosperity, low unemployment and solvent government on which to build not destroy

Seriously, how bad a result is North Rhine-Westphalia for Angela Merkel moving forward into 2013? Any other major electoral tests coming up between now and the federal elections? Is it a potential sign of things to come?

The CDU had a sh**tty candidate who ran sh**tty campaign. Just the opposite of the FDP, actually. In other state elections, the CDU may have better candidates.

But to answer your question: There's the Lower Saxony state election on January 20, 2013. That's all there is if you disregard the mostly insignificant Schleswig-Holstein local elections which will also be held sometime early next year.

Thanks

Seriously, how bad a result is North Rhine-Westphalia for Angela Merkel moving forward into 2013? Any other major electoral tests coming up between now and the federal elections? Is it a potential sign of things to come?

Wish they'd discovered their love for Sarkozy a week ago.

Can't say I'd have any love for either. Chancellor Angela 'Hoover' (is Eurozone unemployment at a record high or not?) Merkel is out of favour, though I'd still suspect I'd split my vote between the CDU and SPD

Unemployment in Germany is lower than it has been in decades. With virtually no deficit spending.

Yes, the social market does seem to be an improvement on whatever the hell it is the UK has

Wish they'd discovered their love for Sarkozy a week ago.

Can't say I'd have any love for either. Chancellor Angela 'Hoover' (is Eurozone unemployment at a record high or not?) Merkel is out of favour, though I'd still suspect I'd split my vote between the CDU and SPD

Being in the UK, of course, unemployment is my priori issue given that its been all aboard the neoliberal merry-go-round for these past 30+ years and the hell to any ordinary person who falls off from the 'Monetarist Recession' onwards given an horrifyingly inadequate welfare safety net

Hollande falls not far short of adding what seems to have never been pink (at least, not since the President's of the Fifth Republic were directly elected); Sarkozy winning Manche 50.1 - 49.9

Sarko wins Lozere by 45 votes

Mitterrand took about 51.8% in 1981, interestingly enough.

Yep. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_presidential_election,_1981

[Local elections (change since 2008): CON 17% (+1), LAB 48% (+21); LD 7% (-6); PC 14% (-3); Independents and Others 15% (-12)]

YouGov Welsh poll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-17906118

Topline voting intention figures are as follows:

Westminster (change since 2010 GE): CON 23% (-3), LAB 50% (+14), LD 7% (-13), PC 12%(+1)
Welsh Assembly constituency (change since 2011): CON 19% (-6), LAB 48% (+6), LD 7% (-4), PC 18% (-1)
Welsh Assembly regional (change since 2011): CON 13% (-10), LAB 33% (-4), LD 9% (+1), PC 22% (+4)
Local elections (change since 2008): CON 17% (+1), LAB 48% (+21); LD 7% (-6); PC 14% (-3); Independents and Others 15% (-12)