Government Rant

Under pressure from many Democrats, John Kerry apologised on Wednesday, two days after appearing to tell college students that if they did not get an education, “you get stuck in Iraq”.

In a written statement, Senator Kerry said his words had been “misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologise to any service member, family member, or American who was offended”.

The botched joke not only sapped momentum from his party in the final week of campaigning for the midterm congressional elections, it also dealt a blow to his 2008 White House aspirations.

Senator Kerry cancelled campaign appearances in three states, saying he did not want to be a “distraction”.

Fellow Democrats worry that his words have made their party’s candidates vulnerable to accusations of insensitivity towards the troops in the final week of an election in which Democrats seemed to be benefiting from voters’ distaste for the Iraq war.

Government Rant

Government Rants

The Fed says that the Economy is still growing.  The data is a little mixed though - and a few regions are admitting/claiming some cooling down.

Fed boss Ben Bernanke appears to be facing a tough call on rates

The US economy has continued to grow in most parts of the country since early September, says the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book survey. Its report helped the Dow Jones hit yet another record close - its fifth in two weeks - ending up 96 points to 11,948.

The Fed’s study of economic conditions in 12 regions across the US said four areas had seen strong growth, and six had seen moderate or mixed expansion.

Only two districts reported that growth had cooled - Philadelphia and Dallas.

Most regions reported stronger consumer spending, but they also said there were some inflationary pressures.

Government Rant

Government Rants