NBC political correspondent Andrea Mitchell is one of the network's news stars, so it's only natural that we've been seeing a lot of her lately. Even when the topic turns to the government's and the candidates' responses to the current financial crisis. But you will not see her, supposedly, when the discussion turns…
Well yes, sure, of course we can. But how? It's easiest to just blame greedy bankers or something, because Wall Street assholes act the same way in good times and in bad, and we lionize them in good and castigate them in bad (also we deregulate them in good and bail them out in bad, but whatevs). But now we have our…
Nate Silver runs some numbers and finds that 30 of 38 congressmembers in tight reelection races voted NAY on the bailout. Stupid voters, always wanting to doom the economy! And stupid congressmembers, always wanting to get reelected! "By comparison, the vote among congressmen who don't have as much to worry about was…
The bailout bill? It didn't pass the House. The vote went 228-205 against, with 95 Democrats and 133 Republicans opposing the Paulson/Dodd/Frank/Pelosi/Blunt plan. Insane. The Dow is self-destructing. The roll call vote is here, the list of members who voted against the bill can be found below. So what now? It'll go…
The "serious" finance/econ press (ranging from liberal Krugman to conservative Rich Lowry) agrees that the House Republican plan—insurance??—is a joke. McCain lending his ostensible support to it (though he won't come out for it, his intervention pushed the rebelling Repubs to the forefront of the debate) is designed…
Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer has apparently hired Sard Verbinnen & Co. to help him with his bountiful PR needs. Anna Cordasco, a managing director at the firm, was quoted in the Post today as a spokesperson for Spitzer. Sard, as the agency is referred to in a shorthand that annoys co-founder Paul Verbinnen to no end,…
When the Spitzer sex scandal broke yesterday, we got in touch with a couple of real live crisis PR professionals to find out what sorts of devious spin moves they would use to help rescue the Governor's career and his reputation from dishonor. If Eliot came to them, cash in hand, asking for public salvation, how…
Scaffolding collapse at 915 Broadway and 21st Street! Or actually near-collapse! Firemen on a crane, dismantling! Block closed down! New York Observer reporters forced to take freight elevator in back of building! Take-home message: Don't take a cab down Broadway south of 23rd Street, not that you should anyway,…
Last night, the fire alarm went off at the Harper's Bazaar holiday party! But the resulting video was incredibly boring. (I mean, it was like, a fire alarm. And some queen going, "Ooh there's a fire." There wasn't.) But, thanks to the magic of a tragic and lurid dance remix of the native sounds from the video (so…
