Apt. 11D

Hell In a Handbasket

Last night, we came back from my Palm Sunday dinner at my mom's and I quickly popped in front of the computer to check the blog and e-mails. I yelled to Steve who was getting Jonah to brush his teeth, "JP Morgan just bought Bear Sterns for $2 a share." He dropped what he was doing and started scrolling through messages on his Blackberry.

I don't usually post about big economic events on this blog, because so many people out there do it better than I can. I can blog about the bread-and-butter issues - the impact of economy on the middle class and their families -- but the details of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown isn't my bag.

I can also share some anecdotal stories.

My husband who works on Wall Street says that the investment houses are in risk management mode. He worries about another house going down soon. He's started making references to the Great Depression.

Regular people are terrified, too. When our electricians came in, they gossiped with the plumbers about the slow business. Our contractor is worried that he won't be able to sell a McMansion that he just built. One contractor down the block hasn't worked in so long that he has had to barter for services, like getting their family car fixed.

Krugman says that we need a major bailout. "And we need it quickly: things are falling apart as you read this."

Weekend Journal

I lined up the soles of Jonah's Payless sneakers and my New Balance sneakers and realized for the first time, that they were the same size. A boy's 4-1/2 is the same size as a women's size 7. That punk kid, eight years old, has the same size foot as me.

What Blogs Reporters Read

Atrios and Unfogged link to Drezner's and Farrell's list of the blogs that reporters read.

I did a survey of reporters at four major newspapers last summer. As part of the survey, I asked them what blogs they read. I came up with a completely different list from Drezner and Farrell. Almost none of the reporters read Kos or Instapundit. They all read the smaller blogs that specialized in their particular beats. They also were big fans of TMZ.

The paper is out for review right now. If you all want to see the list of blogs that reporters read and my methodology, I can pull that together for you all.

The Rich Are Different

A couple of people have sent me the link to this column in Pajamas Media. I have no comment at this moment. Just read it. Here's a taste:

Remember that scene from Casablanca, when Captain Renault declares that he is shocked, shocked to find gambling going on – just as the croupier hands him his winnings? I keep thinking of that scene when I read about all those politicians who are baying for Spitzer’s blood. Because I know, and they know, that almost all of them have been escort agency clients too. Show me a rich and powerful man between the ages of 35 and 60 who has never paid an escort for sex, and I will show you a man who is a very rare exception.

But why would a rich, powerful and handsome man pay for extra-marital sex? Aren’t there tons of women waiting to throw themselves at him for free? Yes, there are. But those women always want something: they want attention, intimacy and romance. They want to enjoy the high of sleeping with a powerful man. Escorts don’t want or care about any of those things. At least one of the articles about the 22 year-old escort who slept with Spitzer implied that she didn’t even know who he was. Based on my experience, I think it’s highly unlikely that she knew or cared. She was in it for the money, and she had as much to hide as he did.

She thought that Silda must have known.

More Speculation on Silda

Spitzer resigned this morning. Silda stood by his side again with bags under her eyes and her hands behind her back. As I watched the speech, my eyes were on her, more than him.

I'm fascinated by her reaction, mostly because I'm quite sure that I wouldn't be so cool. I would react emotionally in a Donna Hanover style. It would be unbecoming and loud. Perhaps her decision to stand by her men was motivated by an interest in protecting the children. If that's the case, then I admire her. I'm not sure that I would be so rational and cool.

Others have had their own spin on Silda. Hirshman sees it as a morality tale for opt-out moms.

I agree that staying at home is risky behavior (and so does Allison). I also think that staying at home is worth the risk for some women.

But in this particular case, Hirshman's opting out lecture doesn't work. Silda's problem is the dissolution of her marriage and public humiliation, not poverty. Silda could have her pick of paid positions in politics or in law in a second. Paid employment would not shelter her from the public humiliation that she now faces.

My mom had still another take on events. She stopped by today with some chicken soup for my sore throat.

I asked her if she watched the speech. She said yes.

"How about Silda?", I said. She said, "women are stronger than men."

Dr. Manhattan says that political families have their own rules of behavior that forces them to keep up the public face at all times.

Issue Politics

"With so few real policy differences between the two Democratic presidential candidates currently slugging it out, unusual issues are motivating voters. I’m not talking issues in a policy sense, but issues in the therapy couch sense."

What's With the Wives?

Why do political wives stand by their man? Why do they stoically stand next to their husbands at the podium as the dirtbags admit to sleeping with prostitutes and young men? Most women I know would morph into Loretta Bobbitt in a similar situation rather than Silda Spitzer.

Silda is urging Eliot to stay in office. At this point, I would be throwing his clothes out of the window of their 5th Avenue apartment and letting them rain down on the reporters below.

Silda must have known about the hookers. She must be getting off on the photo spreads for the Governor's green mansion. She must be loving the dinners with Martha Stewart and New York City big shots. She is willing to put up with a creepy husband for all that. Sad.

The View was talking about this yesterday.

The female hosts on “The View” have also had their share of tabloid stories, but most of those scandals followed catfights behind the scenes, not lapses in morality or professional probity. Certainly there were no tears shed for Mr. Spitzer on Tuesday on “The View,” where for once all five women agreed emphatically on almost everything about the scandal.

“Aren’t you sick of men?” Joy Behar, one of the hosts, said. “Viagra is destroying our government.”

Dina Matos McGreevey says that we shouldn't be wondering what the heck is going in the mind of the poor wives.

Why not? We're wondering about the motivations of these women, because their behavior is just bizarre and unthinkable for most women. I'm wondering why Dina still uses her ex-husband's last name.

The New Eliot Mess Post

The last post was getting too long. Here's more stuff about Spitzer that I'm finding as I compulsively gorge myself at this table of trashy treats.

Great post by Lindsay about Spitzer's hubris.

Regardless of what you think of the morality of paying for sex, and irrespective of whatever understanding Mr. and Mrs. Spitzer might have had... Eliot Spitzer was a self-indulgent fool to think that he could arrange for sex over the telephone and move his money around to cover it! (...in an election year, as the Dems were poised to take back the State Senate, on the heels of the State police intel scandal...)

Spitzer displayed a Nixonian level of hubris. If he thinks the rules don't apply to him, he shouldn't be in power.

More to follow...

Louisiana: Politics Cajun Style

The new governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal is trying to clean up state politics. He pushed for a $50 per meal cap on lobbyists and legislators. Many state legislators are whining that they'll be forced to discuss important state matters over Nacho Grandes rather than a proper cajun meal.

Effectiveness of State Government

The Pew Center grades the 50 states on their effectiveness. New Jersey gets a C. Guess which state is the worst and which is the best.