| Medicare, Social Security potent come-ons
Many are based in the Washington, D.C., area, the base of operations for direct-mail companies that sell their mailing lists. Stuart Grey, one of the most prominent, sells more than 30 mailing lists, "with access to over 560,000 donors," according to its Web site. Its lists, the company says, "will help you reach like-minded individuals who are ready to answer your call-to-action." Among its clients are several that target the elderly, including the Benefit Security Coalition, Council of Seniors, The Seniors Center, Senior Legacy Foundation, Money-Minded Seniors, National Council of Survivors, National Senior Citizens Donorbase and Secure America Alliance. A donor who writes a check to any one of these groups - as Leona Wolling apparently did - can expect to get mail from several more.
Transcript: Republican presidential debate
That's an area where America can continue to lead the world. It's time for us not just to talk about improving our economy; we're going to have to do the hard work of rebuilding our economy, strengthening it. And I know that there are some people who think, as Senator McCain did, he said, you know, some jobs have left Michigan that are never coming back. I disagree. I'm going to fight for every single job, Michigan, South Carolina, every state in this country. We're go-ing to fight for jobs and make sure that our future is bright. We're going to protect the jobs of Americans and grow this economy again. WALLACE: Since you mentioned his name, Senator McCain, you have 30 seconds to rebut. MCCAIN: One of the reasons why I won in New Hampshire is because I went there and told them the truth.
A sense of balance on consumer gloom
That is perilously close to the 5.1% red ink of 1989, the height of the Lawson boom and just ahead of the long and painful recession of the early 1990s. There are differences. In the late 1980s the North Sea still gave Britain a healthy trade surplus in oil, whereas now there is a deficit, so the true extent to which consumers were sucking in imports of other goods was greater. That is not surprising; back then consumer spending peaked at more than 8% real growth, very much higher than recent rates. Even so, the current account did improve in the years after that 1989 low point as a result of a deep consumer recession – a peak-to-trough fall of 3.6% in consumer spending between mid1990 and early 1992 – together with sterling’s substantial devaluation following Britain’s exit from the European exchange-rate mechanism.
Losing Half a Million on NetBank's Fall
The most interesting reader feedback from Monday's story about the failure of NetBank Inc. (formerly a unit of NetBank (NTBK - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr)) came from Chris Coulthrust, president of Applied Cognetics in Brooklyn, N.Y. Applied Cognetics had a million dollars in uninsured NetBank deposits. It looks like he's out about half that amount. "I was one of NetBank's first customers back in 1998," Coulthrust says. "I moved to them after being turned away from three different banks who did not understand our business and refused to open a business account for me." Applied Cognetics is a software developer, specializing in providing its online marketing and lead-generation platforms to Internet marketers and the consumer-finance industry. The company also provides automated underwriting engines for lenders.
The Editors
Your recent foray into advertising for video segments was badly done. Videos are now preceded by the ONE advert you apparently have (this gets annoying very quickly) and the main video frequently does not show. If it does, it still appears as a barely visibile tiny window. This is not my idea of broadband video. .
Ex-CNET Chief Shelby Bonnie Hits Campaign Trail
The site also offers a selection of videos, including a YouTube Big Brother spoof based on an old Apple Computer commercial in which the reverie for Big Brother (Hillary) is interrupted by a hammer-throwing rebel. Mr. Bonnie has provided most of the capital so far for the startup, whose business plan calls for advertising to provide financial support once an audience has been established. Though Mr. Bonnie has contributed to the campaigns of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John Edwards, according to his site, he said Political Base is strictly nonpartisan. “We're a pretty diverse group," Mr. Bonnie said of the co-founders, describing them as “libertarians, Republicans and Democrats." Further, Mr. Bonnie said his experience managing the editorial organization at CNET will ensure that the site remains balanced.
Yes, We Have Candidates!
In hotly contested District 73, north of San Antonio, where GOP Rep. Nathan Macias narrowly ousted moderate Republican incumbent Carter Casteel last time out with the help of deep-pocketed voucher proponent Dr. James Leininger, former write-in candidate Daniel Boone filed as a Democrat. The retired Air Force officer and experimental psychologist released a statement saying he's running "to protect our children's futures through quality public education and to take our government back from special interests." The Republicans are not just playing defense. In Houston, Greg Meyers has filed against two-term Rep. Hubert Vo, the Democrat who narrowly knocked off GOP powerhouse Talmadge Heflin in 2004. Others are looking to replace retiring Democrats. In the mostly rural District 17, Tim Kleinschmidt hopes to replace outgoing Robby Cook; in 2006, Cook squeaked to victory in a three-way race with Kleinschmidt and Libertarian Rod Gibbs.
Mickey Kaus
We're going to hear a lot more of this sort of thing — the White House is counting on it. Standing up to the coming lobbyist onslaught will be the final stage of the battle against amnesty. I fear Krikorian underestimates the outrage and opposition a Katrina-like application of the new rules by Chertoff's agencies could produce. But maybe they're so hamhanded they can't even be hamhanded when they want to be. P.S.: Beyond Paranoia Lies Ecstasy! Roy Beck of Numbers USA sees the upside of outrage-- The illegal alien communities – and the outlaw businesses that hire them – are in a panic this weekend. And they should be. The panic has spread to your town or city – all across America. It is most important that all of us contribute to that panic and ensure that it continues.
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