E.J. Dionne Jr. - Gulf oil spill offers a lesson in capitalism vs. socialism

So who is in charge of stopping the oil spill, BP or the federal government?

But the truth is that we have disempowered government and handed vast responsibilities over to a private sector that will never see protecting the public interest as its primary task. The sludge in the gulf is, finally, the product of our own contradictions.

Obama’s financial reform bill: Wall Street breathes a “sigh of relief”

Only a very naïve individual, a political idiot, or an editor of the Nation magazine could imagine that, under these conditions, the American ruling elite would turn on its friends on Wall Street and do anything to impede their money-making, or their capacity to precipitate further and greater financial disasters.

If the big banks and financial institutions are on the verge of being “reined in,” no one is telling them about it. Naturally, Wall Street would prefer to have no regulations imposed on it at all. A close second best, however, is a set of toothless measures such as Obama’s, essentially amounting to more paperwork. Ingenious lawyers and financial experts are already figuring out the best means of navigating through and around the “tough” new regulations. We predict they will find the work relatively unchallenging.

Obama administration defends BP response to oil spill disaster

Amid growing popular anger over BP’s disastrous response to the gulf coast oil spill, the Obama administration came to the company’s defense on Monday, while again rejecting any federal takeover of the response.

“Despite everything, the Obama administration is saying: ‘You’re doing a heck of a job Brownies!’ It’s disgusting,” said Steiner, invoking the infamous praise given by George W. Bush to his Federal Emergency Management Agency head, Michael Brown, for the government’s catastrophic response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “This is no different than Bush’s response to Katrina.”

Obama’s “anger and frustration” at the BP oil spill

This has become Obama’s standard operating procedure.

The Obama White House represents the interests of American big business as directly, or more directly, as any administration in history. It has helped Wall Street to vast sums from the public treasury, intervened to destroy the living standards of auto workers, escalated the brutal war in Afghanistan and continued the Bush government’s wholesale assault on democratic rights.

Tuscany and Southern Italy

Tuscany and Southern Italy
Farpointe Cellar
Tasted Saturday, May 15, 2010

Flight 12003 A Mano Brunello di Montalcino Prima Mano (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino) - 90 Points The nose had a lot of blackberry mixed with loam mixed with almonds. There was also some spice and vanilla. The palate was soft and pleasantly light. It had blackberry and coffee, some dirt, and a slightly nutty finish.

2000 Marchesi Mazzei Chianti Classico Castello di Fonterutoli (Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico) - 89 Points The nose had sweet berries and floral notes. There was also a little earth. The palate had lots of ripe berries, some spice and floral notes, and a good earthy finish.

2006 Querciabella Mongrana Maremma Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT) -87 Points The nose had cherry and earth, and a little spice. The palate was soft and juicy, with cherry, spice, floral notes, and an earthy finish.

2006 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico (Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico) - 87 Points The nose had cherry and raspberry, some floral notes, a touch of spice, and a hit of vanilla at the end. The palate was soft, and had berries and spice, lavender, and a little oak on the finish.

2006 Fattoria dei Barbi (Colombini) Brusco dei Barbi Toscana IGT (Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT) - 86 Points he nose was a little tight. I did get some raspberry and floral notes. The palate was soft, with lots of berry flavors. It also had floral notes, and spice.\\

Flight 22004 San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere (Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino) - 92 Points The nose had berry and chocolate, citrus peel, a little spice, and some vanilla. The palate was soft with lots of berry flavors. It also had citrus and spice, and a very oaky finish.

2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia (Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico) - 91 Points The nose had blackberry and black currant, mocha, stone, and some floral notes. The palate was soft and juicy, with blackberry, black currant, spice, and a coffee finish.

Big Reds and Crisp Whites

Big Reds and Crisp Whites
Farpointe Cellar
Tasted Saturday, May 08, 2010

Flight 1

2007 Sanglier Cellars Syrah Kemp Vineyards (USA, California, Sonoma County) - 92 Points The nose had a massive amount of chocolate covered blackberry, some plum, and a big dose of toasted pepper at the end. The palate was juicy, with rich, dark fruit, some chocolate, and a big shot of toasted oak on the finish.

2007 Rockpile Winery (Mauritson) Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge Vineyards (USA, California, Sonoma County, Rockpile) - 90 Points A lovely nose of black currant and chocolate, some pepper, and a little earthiness. The palate had lots of dark fruit and chocolate, pepper, and a cola finish.

2008 Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley (USA, California, Napa Valley) - 89 Points The nose had grapefruit, lemon, and orange. There was also a little bit of cat pee at the end. The palate was very fruity, with loads of grapefruit, orange, and lemon. It finished with some stone and grass.

2008 Château Sainte Marie (France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers) - 88 Points The nose had lots of wild flowers and lemon zest. There was also some stone. The palate was crisp and had a bunch of citrus. It finished with stone and some floral notes.

2008 King Estate Pinot Gris Acrobat (USA, Oregon/Washington) - 88 Points The nose was mainly fruit - pear, apple, pineapple, and citrus. It also had a small amount of stone. The palate was also very fruity, just like the nose. The only difference was the finish had some tangerine.

Flight 22007 Martinelli Zinfandel Lolita Ranch (USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley) - 92 Points The nose had black currant and herbs, pepper and strawberry, and a little meat and earth at the end. The palate was slightly bitter, with black pepper and strawberry, spice, and some earth on the finish.

2007 Marquis Philips Shiraz 9 (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale) - 89 Points The nose had blueberry and blackberry, spice and tobacco, and some dirt at the end. The palate was soft, and had blackberry, spice, tobacco, and a very earthy finish.

2007 Louis Bernard Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) - 83 Points The nose had figs and black currant, roasted coffee beans, and vanilla. The palate was rich and thick, with black currant and vanilla, figs, and some coffee on the finish.

US Senate moves towards passage of financial “reform” bill

By an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 93-5 Wednesday, the US Senate removed the main obstacle to the passage of the misnamed “financial reform” legislation proposed by the Obama administration.

Far more significant than the rhetorical tub-thumping against bailouts of Wall Street is the fact that the Senate is adamantly opposed to any new taxes and fees on the financial institutions that less than two years ago triggered a worldwide financial crisis and the deepest slump since the Great Depression.