Archive → December 1st, 2008
Coleman still leads by 292
No one is sending out any wedding invitations just yet, but with 86 percent of the mandatory recount completed, incumbent Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman still leads DFL challenger Al Franken by a gap of 292 votes.
While the last 14 percent of votes are still to be recounted and endless court challenges are planned, what most folks don’t like to admit is that at no point has Franken taken the lead in any final vote totals. Determined to turn this Senate election into another Florida Recount mess, we can count on Franken whining and appealing and recounting throughout Coleman’s six-year term.
But at this point, it’s hard to imagine a scenario that legitimately swings the election in Franken’s favor.
International global warming court?
A British judge, Stephen Hockman, is leading a liberal drive to establish an international court to enforce environmental agreements between nations and “punish” nations who fail to comply with such agreements, according to the Telegraph UK Web site.
“The time is now ripe to set this up and get it going,” he said. “Its remit will be overall climate change and the need for better regulation of carbon emissions but at the same time the implementation and enforcement of international environmental agreements and instruments.”
Of course, part of “the time is now ripe” has to be translated thus: Barack Obama is the incoming US president and we have to get this passed while he holds the office. Get ready to get reamed, America. You voted for it, you’re gonna get it, kind of like the shocking price of renewal on term life insurance rates following the initial term.
It’s an Algore/zittohead wet dream.
Oil prices at $55 per barrel, OPEC wishes for $80
At close of market on Friday, oil closed at $54.43 per barrel, well below the high of $147 per barrel price suffered through this past summer. As consumers enjoy gas below $2.00 per gallon for the first time in years, the drop in price is nevertheless a fluctuation in demand. US demand for oil dropped 12.8 percent from a year ago, and even demand in China is down.
This roof cleaning action by the market after a price-roof-breaking summer is a welcome relief to most consumers. However, OPEC has been making noises about wishing prices would rise back to a so-called “fair price” of $80 per gallon, although the Saudis say $75 would be more appropriate.
Still, these are the same folks who, when oil was going for $147 per barrel, were claiming $60 per barrel would be a fair market price. Now that we’re back in that vicinity, they want to drive it up again?
Never trust an oil baron.
