Friday, July 29, 2005

The Price of Free Trade     You were probably wondering just what the going rate of a Congressman's vote is.  Well, a number of Republicans were bought on the free trade vote with promises of transportation bill pork.  Now let's say that, at most, a half dozen Republicans were persuaded to change their votes.  The Transportation bill had stood at $284 billion.  The bill passed the House overwhelmingly today at $286.4 billion, which is a difference of $2.4 billion.  So the going rate per Congressman appears to be at least $400 million.  Representatives, you owe it to your constituents not to let yourself be bought for less.  Clearly, the White House will pay what it takes to pass bad legislation.  If you don't hold out for all you can get, they won't respect you.  They'll just think you're...cheap. 3:59:17 PM    comment []

Bad Poodle   The President's Poodle, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, has broken with the President over stem cell research.  Senator Frist has decided that a medical research procedure that could save, and improve the quality of, countless lives, and allow American medical companies to continue to be competitive is more important than the President's principled stand against...using stem cells which would be destroyed anyway.  Since no one has ever been able to explain any logical reason to support the President's position, this is a real profile in courage, here.  The White House will take it badly.  They get even angrier when someone opposes their position when they don't have a leg to stand on.  I figure Bill Frist will be locked in the White House basement until he learns again to only go where the President tells him to.  Not to worry, though; this is Washington, D.C.  There should be plenty of paper to put on the floor. 1:53:16 PM    comment []

Radio Radio   Jacob Slichter wrote an excellent essay for the New York Times today about payola and the recent efforts by New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer to do something about it, The Price of Fame.  This is a story of corporate corruption and criminality no less than Tyco and Enron (though less disastrous in its results), but there is a reason payola has continued to flourish in the music business.  Radio stations have always been resistant to playing new songs by unfamiliar artists; that has only been exacerbated by the incredible (not to say horrifying) consolidation in the business of radio, which has led to dozens or even hundreds of stations with nearly identical playlists.  It is through corporate payoffs that the big music companies persuade the radio stations to try new songs.  The listening public is rewarded by hearing a wider variety of music than they would otherwise.  Unfortunately, what they hear is what the record companies want them to hear.  This explains the explosive popularity of satellite radio, despite the fact you have to pay to listen to it, and the fanatical loyalty of its listeners.  I doubt satellite radio will become as widespread as cable television, but so far it is growing much faster than cable television did in its inception. I hope Spitzer is successful in stamping out radio payola.  I doubt that he will be.  But at some point, as they lose listeners to satellite radio, we can hope that commercial radio will adapt, and become both more honest and more willing to embrace new and innovative sounds. 11:10:28 AM    comment []

Quote for the Day, 7/29/2005   "The thing that's depressing about tennis is, no matter how good I get, I'll never be as good as a wall."   -Mitch Hedberg   Of course, that's only half true; I'm sure he had a better serve than a wall.  I saw him on a BBC America show a couple of days ago.  He was doing his act without his sunglasses on.  I'd never seen that. 9:37:04 AM    comment []