What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Barack Obama and John McCain will both pursue the image of a strong leader in troublesome economic times as they meet for their third and final presidential debate. That would be a welcome change of pace. Imagine, a presidential nominee actually displaying some real leadership. Both presidential contenders have used the previous debates to make and remake their main campaign points, frequently sidestepping direct questions such as how they would have to scale back their long lists of campaign promises in light of the economic crisis. Why let reality get in the way of campaign promises that will never happen? Advisers for each candidate say he will use the final debate to lay out his vision for the country and promote his economic policies while drawing differences with his opponent. Call me a skeptic, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Economy - Big banks started falling in line behind a rejiggered bailout plan that will have the government forking over as much as $250 billion in exchange for partial ownership. Oh goodie, Main Street is now in the bank ownership business. On the bright side, I hear banks throw killer holiday parties. Initially the U.S. government will pour $125 billion into nine major banks with the hope that they will use the money to rebuild their reserves and to increase lending to consumers and businesses. Another $125 billion will be made available this year to other banks — if they need it — for cash infusions. Treasury switched gears deciding to first use a chunk of the $700 billion from the recently enacted financial bailout package to pay for taking partial ownership stakes in banks, rather than using the money to buy rotten debts from financial institutions. Some choice, huh? Worthless mortgages or worthless banks. I love to see those hard earned tax dollars going to good use. The government's shares will carry a 5% annual dividend that will increase to 9% after five years. That increase in the rate is aimed at providing an incentive for companies to buy the government out. The advantage to the taxpayer is that if the rescue plan works, then the shares can be sold for more than the government initially paid, providing a profit on the transaction. I'm sorry, but did I read this correctly; the government is actually attempting to turn a profit for taxpayers? I suppose this was bound to happen at some point--pigs are officially flying out of my butt.

Need more proof that the world is going bonkers? I give you Exhibit B...

Syria - Syria formally recognized Lebanon for the first time by establishing diplomatic relations with its neighbor. Lebanon and Syria have not had formal diplomatic ties since both gained independence from France in the 1940s and the move by President Bashar Assad ends six decades of non-recognition. Relations between the Arab nations have been lopsided since the 1970s, when Syria sent its army into Lebanon and retained control there for nearly 30 years. Recognition of Lebanon could help Syrian aspirations to build trust with the West as it pursues indirect talks with Israel, mediated through Turkey. What's this now. First Syria plays nice-nice with Lebanon, and now its in talks with Israel. Quick someone check to see if Frosty the Snowman relocated to hell.

Then again, some places remain business as usual...unfortunately.

Afghanistan - U.S. military successes in Iraq have forced sophisticated and well-trained insurgents to pour into Afghanistan instead, part of the reason violence has spiked in Afghanistan. The Afghan defense minister said terrorists who would have once fought in Iraq have been "diverted" to Afghanistan. "The success of coalition forces in Iraq and also some other issues in some of the neighboring countries have made it possible that there is a major increase in the foreign fighters," he said. He also said militant Web sites have been encouraging fighters to go to Afghanistan instead of Iraq. Well duh. Even if I'm a terrorist, I'm still rather interested in being a living terrorist as opposed to a dead one (I imagine it's also a bit easier to spread terror if one still has a pulse).

Capital Punishment - The first inmate to die by lethal injection in Ohio in more than a year argued to the end that his obesity would make it difficult for prison staff to find suitable veins in his arms to deliver the deadly chemicals. There were no difficulties, said a spokesman for the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, where inmate was executed for killing two University of Akron students in 1986. Whew. That's a relief. Nothing ruins a good execution more than screwing up the IV. The inmate said in numerous legal filings that his obesity made death by lethal injection inhumane. Problems finding veins on other inmates had delayed previous executions in Ohio. I'm not a big fan of capital punishment, and probably never will be. That being said, my problem with this dude's argument is that at no time do he suggest that his actions warranted any lesser punishment. His only contention was that his weight posed a problem with this particular type of execution. Some expression of remorse would probably have been better received.