Sideline SquawkBox

2008:

 A BAD REVIEW OF THE YEAR A REVIEW OF A BAD YEAR THE YEAR IN REVIEW:

Well, the month of Janus is upon us and with that, it's time to reflect on the happenings of the year past and speculate on the one to come. Here is the monthly blow-by blow of the year that most of us would like to forget:

January

• I'm quite sure a whole lot of fascinating things happened in the first month of 2008, but I had an Ilizarov frame bolted to my lower left leg at the end of December--so I spent the better part of January in the quiet comfort of a morphine haze. I'm really not qualified to comment on any of the happeniongs of this month.

February

• SPORTS--The New England Patriots,weary from constantly winning football games, take a much needed break and lose one to the NY Giants. Unfortunately, it's the only game of the season that really counts--bad timing, that one...
• POLITICS-- Super Tuesday! arrives at the polls. As usual, most Americans know more about the American Idol contestants than they do about the politicians running in the party primaries. Maybe we should bring back the 'talent' portion of the campaign vetting process.
• ENTERTAINMENT--The Writer's Guild of America reaches a tentative bargaining agreement with the major Hollywood studios, ending the 3 month old writer's strike. During the strike, the viewing public is fed a steady diet of reality programming, re-runs, movies, live sports shows and news. No one realizes the difference.

March

• ECONOMY--The phrases 'sub-prime mortgage'  and 'crisis' are suddenly linked together forever in the popular lexicon as Chase aquires Bear Stearns on St. Paddy's day for $2 a share--proving that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow-- if you just drink enough green beer. What could possibly go wrong?
• WORLD--China crushes an uprising in Bhuddist Tibet (again). It is estimated that over 100 people have been killed during the unrest. In a strange case of instant karma, the godless nation of China is rocked by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on March 21st.
• PERSONAL-- For the 536th time, I vow to quit smoking, and I mean it this time! Unfortunately, 2 days into the venture I decide it's really not a good time because of my hectic schedule (what with all the new video game releases, and what not...)

April

• WORLD--Pirates hijack a French yacht off the coast of Somalia. France demands to know the terms of surrender...
• ECONOMY-- The US consumer confidence index falls again in April due to the public being bombarded daily by media reports that consumer confidence is falling again

• POLITICS-- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are running a tight race in the Democratic primary. Meanwhile, on the Republican side, George Bush takes a commanding lead over George Bush . George Bush drops out of the race due to lack of interest in his candidacy. Both Democrats promise to defeat George Bush wherever and whenever they encounter him during the upcoming election.

• PERSONAL--I vow to stop wasting my time on so much video game playing, and concentrate more on my smoking addiction 

AUTO BAILOUT FAILS IN SENATE

Late last night, the Republican minority in the Senate managed to scuttle the $14 billion subsidy for our auto industry.Republicans leaders said they want the U.S. auto industry to survive and thrive, but they also insist that a multi-billion-dollar taxpayer loan is not the only option. There’s also federal bankruptcy protection.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)said the plan’s greatest flaw is “that it promises taxpayer money today for reforms that may or may not come tomorrow. And we would not be serving the American taxpayer well if we spent their hard-earned money without knowing with certainty that their investment would result in stronger, leaner auto companies that would not need additional taxpayer help just a few months or weeks down the road.”
 
“We simply cannot ask the American taxpayer to subsidize failure,” McConnell added.

Thank goodness. We're safe from this brand of socialism at least until the new year...

More here...

-GM retains bankruptcy counsel

Michelle Malkin blogs the Senate vote live...

THE BLAME GAME: NORTH KOREAN NUKES

Who are we to blame for the fact that the North Koreans now have Nukes? I'm guessing it's probably T.O. or A-Rod's fault...

THAI COUP

Thai Coup...Hey, isn't that some sort of traditional Japanese poetry or sommin?

Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi finally killed?

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq who waged a bloody campaign of suicide bombings and beheadings of hostages, has been killed in a precision airstrike, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Thursday. It was a long-sought victory in the war in Iraq.

Al-Zarqawi and seven aides were killed Wednesday evening in a remote area 30 miles northeast of Baghdad in the volatile province of Diyala, just east of the provincial capital of Baqouba, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.

Al-Qaida in Iraq confirmed al-Zarqawi's death and vowed to continue its "holy war," according to a statement posted on a Web site.

"We want to give you the joyous news of the martyrdom of the mujahed sheik Abu Musab al-Zarqawi," said the statement, signed by "Abu Abdel-Rahman al-Iraqi," identified as the deputy "emir" or leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

"The death of our leaders is life for us. It will only increase our persistence in continuing holy war so that the word of God will be supreme."

Video from the scene of the attack showed children scrambling over a flattened jumble of cinderblocks, concrete reinforcing bars, blankets and other debris. A pickup truck nearby was scorched and crushed.

This is good news indeed. Developing...