Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Ratcheting Up the Ugly

Posted on October 18, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Here's a pretty scary video of a US Congressperson playing the role of Joe McCarthy with a nicer face: Rep. Michele Bachmann: Obama is anti-American

For a mental cleansing, try Katrina Vanden Heuvel Responds to Bachman's Call for McCarthy like Investigation of Members of Congress

It comes complete with Patrick Buchanan (!) being less McCarthyite than Rep. Bachmann. Ol' Pat understands where the wind blows….

The worse the polls for the GOP (and I mean the party, not just McCain), the more were going to see that political phenomenon known as “the cornered rat”. There are already reports of a reporter being stomped on at a Palin rally, of racists mailers around the country, and of GOP robo-calls suggesting Sen. Obama is terrorist. And we still have two and half weeks to the election.

Posted in Politics: The Party of Sleaze | 1 Comment

Intrade Market Manipulation?

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

CQ Politics | Trader Drove Up Price of McCain “Stock” in Online Market

An internal investigation by the popular online market Intrade has revealed that an investor has been attempting to artificially boost the prediction that Sen. John McCain will become president.

Over the past several weeks, the investor has pushed hundreds of thousands of dollars into one of Intrade's predictive markets for the presidential election, the company said, resulting in great financial losses through a strategy that belies any financial motive.

Intrade is somewhat thinly traded in dollar terms, making this sort of manipulation possible. Even so, apparently it was expensive — tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of dollars in opportunity costs (relative to buying similar contracts on other exchanges, or even on Intrade), not to mention losses. But many news organizations look to the headline candidate matchup as a meaningful statistic, making this particular contract the one you would wish to manipulate if you were trying to send false signals to observers.

Posted in Politics: US: 2008 Elections | Comments Off on Intrade Market Manipulation?

Friday McBush/McSame Bashing

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Overkill? There's so much to bash, but we don't want a sympathy vote here….

Friday

Thursday

Wednesday

Tuesday

Monday

Sunday

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Friday

Posted in Politics: McCain | 2 Comments

The Greatest Defendant

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

At last! A companion case to US ex rel. Mayo v. Satan and His Staff. The Omaha World-Herald reports,

Judge Marlon Polk threw out Nebraska Sen. Ernie Chambers' lawsuit against the Almighty, saying there was no evidence that the defendant had been served. What's more, Polk found “there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant.”

Contrast this result to the famous Jewish story about the Rabbis sent to a concentration camp who decide to put G-d on trial for allowing the Holocaust to happen. Not subject to the FRCP, they hold a trial on the merits, and find the Defendant guilty of abandoning them and of allowing this great evil to happen.

And then, after the trial was over, they said evening prayer.

Posted in Law: Everything Else | 1 Comment

Most Effective Commercial of the Year?

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

This commercial for Tom Udall (NM Senate candidate) has to be near the top of the 'best' list for this cycle.

But I think it's beat by this anti-Palin commercial called Choice?

Please feel free to nominate other contenders in the comments.

Posted in Politics: US: 2008 Elections | Comments Off on Most Effective Commercial of the Year?

Paranoia Strikes Deep in the Heartland (Countdown Edition)

Posted on October 16, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

The Booman Tribune points to this Al Jazeera news report finding hate and fear in Ohio.

Gonna be a rough (almost) three weeks…

Posted in Politics: US: 2008 Elections | Comments Off on Paranoia Strikes Deep in the Heartland (Countdown Edition)