Rolling Stone: Taibbi Unbound http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/ Fresh reporting and rants from RS politics writer Matt Taibbi en Copyright 2009 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:35:30 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Attention Taibbi Unbound Readers: Read Your Favorite Stories in National Affairs Hello readers of Taibbi Unbound! *Rolling Stone* will continue to offer blog posts by Matt Taibbi, but they will now be located with the rest of our political posts in the National Affairs Daily blog. Head on over to National Affairs for all the news that fits from the Beltway and beyond — and your favorite Taibbi broadsides. National Affairs for all the news that fits from the Beltway and beyond — and your favorite Taibbi broadsides.]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2009/03/attention-taibbi-unbound-reade.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2009/03/attention-taibbi-unbound-reade.php Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:35:30 -0500 From the Issue: Blago's Revenge How did craven Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich outfox his fellow Democrats on the eve of Barack Obama's historic inauguration — and why did they let him? Read Matt Taibbi's story from the new issue here: • Balgo's Revenge How did craven Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich outfox his fellow Democrats on the eve of Barack Obama's historic inauguration — and why did they let him? Read Matt Taibbi's story from the new issue here: • Balgo's Revenge]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2009/01/from-the-issue-blagos-revenge.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2009/01/from-the-issue-blagos-revenge.php Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:48:48 -0500 From the Issue: Bush Apologizes (We Wish) Illustration by Tim O'Brien. Based on photograph by Shawn Thew/EPA/Corbis George W. finally leaves the White House on January 20th. But before he escapes, *Rolling Stone* nabbed an "interview" in which Bush came clean — on his daddy issues, Condi's farts and the time Dick waterboarded the houseboy: Let's talk about August 6th, 2001. That's the day you got a memo warning about plans for possible attacks by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. What were you doing that day? I'll be honest with you. I was at the ranch, on vacation. I was watching the Hall of Fame game on TV. First NFL preseason game of the year, hate to miss it, you know? Get started on Matt Taibbi's cover story here: • Bush Apologzies More Taibbi on George W. Bush: • The Top Five Bush Rumors • Bush Like Me • Post-Bush Syndrome • The Great Iraq Swindle • The Magical Victory Tour Illustration by Tim O'Brien. Based on photograph by Shawn Thew/EPA/Corbis
George W. finally leaves the White House on January 20th. But before he escapes, *Rolling Stone* nabbed an "interview" in which Bush came clean — on his daddy issues, Condi's farts and the time Dick waterboarded the houseboy: Let's talk about August 6th, 2001. That's the day you got a memo warning about plans for possible attacks by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. What were you doing that day? I'll be honest with you. I was at the ranch, on vacation. I was watching the Hall of Fame game on TV. First NFL preseason game of the year, hate to miss it, you know? Get started on Matt Taibbi's cover story here: • Bush Apologzies More Taibbi on George W. Bush: • The Top Five Bush Rumors • Bush Like Me • Post-Bush Syndrome • The Great Iraq Swindle • The Magical Victory Tour]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2009/01/from-the-issue-bush-apologizes.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2009/01/from-the-issue-bush-apologizes.php Rolling Stone Articles Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:28:43 -0500 The Whore Factor Photo: Watson/AFP/Getty The choice of Hillary Clinton as Barack Obama's Secretary of State is one of those mighty wind-generating news items that will keep pundits busy for days or even weeks; like a lot of campaign reporters, however, I'm suffering from Hillary fatigue after last year and find myself with absolutely no opinion at all about that head-scratching nomination. The Barack-watching business has begun to take steps in a nervous direction for other reasons, however. Obviously the big question about Obama, after his election, was just exactly how much "change" he was going to bring about — would he bring in people who actually can do the job to work in his government, or would he hire the same old whores to man the ship? I know several reporters who are either officially or unofficially on "Whore Factor" duty, watching the rapidly kaleidoscoping transition picture and keeping track of the number of known whores and ghouls who for some reason have been invited to befoul the atmosphere of the next administration. Obviously there has been some dire news on that front already. When Obama picked Tom Daschle to be the HHS Secretary, I nearly shit my pants. In Washington there are whores and there are whores, and then there is Tom Daschle. Tom Daschle would suck off a corpse for a cheeseburger. True, he is probably only the second-biggest whore for the health care industry in American politics — the biggest being doctor/cat-torturer Bill Frist, whose visit to South Dakota on behalf of John Thune in 2004 was one of the factors in ending Daschle's tenure in the Senate. Photo: Watson/AFP/Getty
The choice of Hillary Clinton as Barack Obama's Secretary of State is one of those mighty wind-generating news items that will keep pundits busy for days or even weeks; like a lot of campaign reporters, however, I'm suffering from Hillary fatigue after last year and find myself with absolutely no opinion at all about that head-scratching nomination. The Barack-watching business has begun to take steps in a nervous direction for other reasons, however. Obviously the big question about Obama, after his election, was just exactly how much "change" he was going to bring about — would he bring in people who actually can do the job to work in his government, or would he hire the same old whores to man the ship? I know several reporters who are either officially or unofficially on "Whore Factor" duty, watching the rapidly kaleidoscoping transition picture and keeping track of the number of known whores and ghouls who for some reason have been invited to befoul the atmosphere of the next administration. Obviously there has been some dire news on that front already. When Obama picked Tom Daschle to be the HHS Secretary, I nearly shit my pants. In Washington there are whores and there are whores, and then there is Tom Daschle. Tom Daschle would suck off a corpse for a cheeseburger. True, he is probably only the second-biggest whore for the health care industry in American politics — the biggest being doctor/cat-torturer Bill Frist, whose visit to South Dakota on behalf of John Thune in 2004 was one of the factors in ending Daschle's tenure in the Senate. ]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/12/the-whore-factor.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/12/the-whore-factor.php Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:33:41 -0500 From the Issue: The Last Recount In Al Franken's race in Minnesota, blue and red tangle for the final time in the Bush era. Read the full story here: • The Last Recount In Al Franken's race in Minnesota, blue and red tangle for the final time in the Bush era. Read the full story here: • The Last Recount]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/from-the-issue-the-last-recoun.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/from-the-issue-the-last-recoun.php Rolling Stone Articles Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:57:13 -0500 From the Issue: Requiem for a Maverick John McCain ran one of the most incompetent, schizo campaigns in history — and for that we owe him big-time. Read the full story here: • Requiem for a Maverick John McCain ran one of the most incompetent, schizo campaigns in history — and for that we owe him big-time. Read the full story here: • Requiem for a Maverick]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/from-the-issue-requiem-for-a-m.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/from-the-issue-requiem-for-a-m.php Rolling Stone Articles Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:45:52 -0500 Palinalysis Photo: Raedle/Getty So the other day I'm getting off a plane in Minneapolis — thanks to Al Franken and Norm Coleman, the long-awaited post-election chillout period never materialized — and I see Sarah Palin's face onscreen on a CNN broadcast in the Limbergh terminal. As side note: It's been a tremendous relief to me personally to see that Sarah Palin has consistently stayed in the public eye since her walloping defeat at the hands of Barack Obama last week. It may be that no American politician will ever again match the comic genius of George Bush, but I have high hopes for the Palin era. True, Bush was a once-in-a-century phenomenon: when he got tongue-twisted and said something stupid, it was also inevitably revealing in a very moving, very profound way. He was a like a cross between Yogi Berra and Confucius, with a dash of Vlad the Impaler thrown in. No matter how dumb future Republican Party nominee Sarah Palin turns out to be — and she's just awesomely dumb — she'll never be able to come up with stuff like "Just because you happen to be not rich, doesn't mean you're willing to kill," or "Make no mistake… I talk to families who die." The truly unique thing about Bush was that his mistakes and malapropisms spanned such an awesome comic range. Photo: Raedle/Getty

So the other day I'm getting off a plane in Minneapolis — thanks to Al Franken and Norm Coleman, the long-awaited post-election chillout period never materialized — and I see Sarah Palin's face onscreen on a CNN broadcast in the Limbergh terminal. As side note: It's been a tremendous relief to me personally to see that Sarah Palin has consistently stayed in the public eye since her walloping defeat at the hands of Barack Obama last week. It may be that no American politician will ever again match the comic genius of George Bush, but I have high hopes for the Palin era. True, Bush was a once-in-a-century phenomenon: when he got tongue-twisted and said something stupid, it was also inevitably revealing in a very moving, very profound way. He was a like a cross between Yogi Berra and Confucius, with a dash of Vlad the Impaler thrown in. No matter how dumb future Republican Party nominee Sarah Palin turns out to be — and she's just awesomely dumb — she'll never be able to come up with stuff like "Just because you happen to be not rich, doesn't mean you're willing to kill," or "Make no mistake… I talk to families who die." The truly unique thing about Bush was that his mistakes and malapropisms spanned such an awesome comic range. ]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/palinalysis.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/palinalysis.php Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:09:57 -0500 Wall Street Experts Needed Photo: Tama/Getty Friday afternoon in the city: I basically needed two days after the election to get caught up rest-wise; when I finally woke up, I found out that Chuck Schumer was already starting to talk about bringing the Fairness Doctrine back. Somehow you knew after Obama won that some of the dumber Democrats would be unable to help themselves and would show up on TV the next day in full marking-their-territory mode, pissing on every Washington tree. In any case, let's hope that blows over — in the meantime, a public appeal: I'm going to be following Andrew Cuomo's investigation into the Lehman Brothers/Credit Default Swap mess. Since there are undoubtedly some readers out there who work on Wall Street or in the finance world, I wanted to ask anyone who either worked for Lehman or in a relevant field to get in touch with me, strictly for background. What I'd really like is to meet up with someone who can walk me through the day-to-day routine surrounding the trades of those kinds of derivatives, or really with anyone whose job touches the finance world in a way that's relevant to the crash. This can be a strictly off the record/background type of deal, just for my own edification. Anyway, if you can help, please contact me at this address: editors@rollingstone.com. More coming next week, gotta run. Photo: Tama/Getty
Friday afternoon in the city: I basically needed two days after the election to get caught up rest-wise; when I finally woke up, I found out that Chuck Schumer was already starting to talk about bringing the Fairness Doctrine back. Somehow you knew after Obama won that some of the dumber Democrats would be unable to help themselves and would show up on TV the next day in full marking-their-territory mode, pissing on every Washington tree. In any case, let's hope that blows over — in the meantime, a public appeal: I'm going to be following Andrew Cuomo's investigation into the Lehman Brothers/Credit Default Swap mess. Since there are undoubtedly some readers out there who work on Wall Street or in the finance world, I wanted to ask anyone who either worked for Lehman or in a relevant field to get in touch with me, strictly for background. What I'd really like is to meet up with someone who can walk me through the day-to-day routine surrounding the trades of those kinds of derivatives, or really with anyone whose job touches the finance world in a way that's relevant to the crash. This can be a strictly off the record/background type of deal, just for my own edification. Anyway, if you can help, please contact me at this address: editors@rollingstone.com. More coming next week, gotta run.]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/wall-street-experts-needed.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/wall-street-experts-needed.php Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:08:02 -0500 The Day After Photo: Sullivan/Getty So it's over. Won't have much to say here, since I just got done writing a piece for the magazine following a long day and night of travel and my brain is therefore in full melted cheese mode right now. On my flight from Atlanta to Phoenix yesterday evening I sat next to a McCain supporter from Georgia, a retired military guy gone into sales. We were both watching the returns come in on Delta's in-flight TV service. When news flashed that the polls had closed in Florida, he turned to me. "I bet those people in Miami-Dade‚ will be supporting Obama big-time," he said, apropos of nothing. In Phoenix a few hours later, at a very somber McCain "Victory party," another retired Air Force officer railed against the new regime. Obama, the man said, will "demoralize the armed forces" to the point where "we won't even exist anymore." I asked him if he really thought Barack Obama would intentionally destroy the military and ruin the country just because deep down inside, he hates America that much. The guy shrugged. Photo: Sullivan/Getty

So it's over. Won't have much to say here, since I just got done writing a piece for the magazine following a long day and night of travel and my brain is therefore in full melted cheese mode right now.

On my flight from Atlanta to Phoenix yesterday evening I sat next to a McCain supporter from Georgia, a retired military guy gone into sales. We were both watching the returns come in on Delta's in-flight TV service. When news flashed that the polls had closed in Florida, he turned to me.

"I bet those people in Miami-Dade‚ will be supporting Obama big-time," he said, apropos of nothing.

In Phoenix a few hours later, at a very somber McCain "Victory party," another retired Air Force officer railed against the new regime. Obama, the man said, will "demoralize the armed forces" to the point where "we won't even exist anymore."

I asked him if he really thought Barack Obama would intentionally destroy the military and ruin the country just because deep down inside, he hates America that much. The guy shrugged.

]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/the-day-after.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/11/the-day-after.php Campaign 2008 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:08:43 -0500 From the Issue: My Campaign Memories Illustration:Barry Blitt It was hot, it was dirty, and it took a very long time to be over — but it's finally time to light that cigarette after the 2008 presidential race. In the end, this strange and bitterly fought campaign season was really about two things: the unbelievable, almost inexpressible incompetence of the Republican Party, and the commensurate rise, on the other side, of the remarkable figure Barack Obama. So now, from Mitt Romney as a Kmart shopper to Hillary Clinton as a horse, a few favorite moments from the trail. Read the full article [here](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23947840/my_campaign_memories) Illustration:Barry Blitt

It was hot, it was dirty, and it took a very long time to be over — but it's finally time to light that cigarette after the 2008 presidential race. In the end, this strange and bitterly fought campaign season was really about two things: the unbelievable, almost inexpressible incompetence of the Republican Party, and the commensurate rise, on the other side, of the remarkable figure Barack Obama.

So now, from Mitt Romney as a Kmart shopper to Hillary Clinton as a horse, a few favorite moments from the trail.

Read the full article [here](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23947840/my_campaign_memories)]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/from-the-issue-my-campaign-mem.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/from-the-issue-my-campaign-mem.php Campaign 2008 Rolling Stone Articles Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:57:24 -0500 Speaking of Whiners Photo: FReeper dinasour/MichelleMalkin.com In connection with the whole whining theme, something has to be said about Republican third-stringer [Michelle Malkin’s column yesterday](http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/29/notorious-obamedia-moments-of-2008/). As noted, we should all brace ourselves for an unprecedented period of whining about liberal media bias; it's starting already, with hacks like Malkin already cranking out what essentially are early election post-mortems, blaming the already-conceded McCain loss on the campaign press. Malkin listed five major crimes of liberal bias committed by the “Obamedia.” One is the absurd story about a “suppressed” videotape purportedly showing Barack Obama attending a “Jew-bash” party with Palestinian professor Rashid Khalidi, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. Photo: FReeper dinasour/MichelleMalkin.com

In connection with the whole whining theme, something has to be said about Republican third-stringer [Michelle Malkin’s column yesterday](http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/29/notorious-obamedia-moments-of-2008/). As noted, we should all brace ourselves for an unprecedented period of whining about liberal media bias; it's starting already, with hacks like Malkin already cranking out what essentially are early election post-mortems, blaming the already-conceded McCain loss on the campaign press.

Malkin listed five major crimes of liberal bias committed by the “Obamedia.” One is the absurd story about a “suppressed” videotape purportedly showing Barack Obama attending a “Jew-bash” party with Palestinian professor Rashid Khalidi, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.

]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/speaking-of-whiners.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/speaking-of-whiners.php Campaign 2008 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:02:37 -0500 Generation Whine Photo: Getty Off today to Pennsylvania to catch a joint McCain-Palin appearance. That should be fun. McCain's latest tactic is to cast himself as the last electoral bulwark America might ever have the chance to employ against the inevitable socialist takeover. I can't wait to see the applause he gets from all those Pennsylvanian anticommunists. The reason I even joke about this is — well, let me just make this one small point before I hop in my car. If, as expected, Barack Obama wins, we should all get ready for the emergence (one might say re-emergence) of a powerful new storyline in the right-wing media. There are going to be many stories circulated about the rise of Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann and other in-the-tank-for-BO media types. Complaining about media bias was already a national sport before this election season, but now that one of America's top TV commentators is an affable lesbian who rolls her eyes every time she reads a Republican talking point, you can expect the howls from the hills to be louder than ever. Photo: Getty

Off today to Pennsylvania to catch a joint McCain-Palin appearance. That should be fun. McCain's latest tactic is to cast himself as the last electoral bulwark America might ever have the chance to employ against the inevitable socialist takeover. I can't wait to see the applause he gets from all those Pennsylvanian anticommunists.

The reason I even joke about this is — well, let me just make this one small point before I hop in my car. If, as expected, Barack Obama wins, we should all get ready for the emergence (one might say re-emergence) of a powerful new storyline in the right-wing media. There are going to be many stories circulated about the rise of Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann and other in-the-tank-for-BO media types. Complaining about media bias was already a national sport before this election season, but now that one of America's top TV commentators is an affable lesbian who rolls her eyes every time she reads a Republican talking point, you can expect the howls from the hills to be louder than ever.

]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/generation-whine.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/generation-whine.php Campaign 2008 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:06:44 -0500 From the Issue: The Death of a Red State Illustration:Victor JuhaszThe strategy of the Era of Rove has worked for a long time — but now, suddenly, things are different. Not only does the torch-bearing evangelical Colorado of Ted Haggard and James Dobson appear poised to turn its nine electoral votes blue for a nonwhite presidential candidate, but the congressional seat belonging to one of America's most celebrated gay-bashers in this once-impregnable Republican stronghold is also up for grabs. Has there been a sea change in the electorate? Is there a place on the American map where you can actually see the country outgrowing the politics of bigotry?Read the full article here Illustration:Victor Juhasz

The strategy of the Era of Rove has worked for a long time — but now, suddenly, things are different. Not only does the torch-bearing evangelical Colorado of Ted Haggard and James Dobson appear poised to turn its nine electoral votes blue for a nonwhite presidential candidate, but the congressional seat belonging to one of America's most celebrated gay-bashers in this once-impregnable Republican stronghold is also up for grabs. Has there been a sea change in the electorate? Is there a place on the American map where you can actually see the country outgrowing the politics of bigotry?

Read the full article here
]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/from-the-issue-the-death-of-a.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/from-the-issue-the-death-of-a.php Campaign 2008 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:47:32 -0500 Wall Street: Less Responsible Than a Coked-Out NFL Running Back Photo: Jacobsohn/Getty Before I even put up today's post more letters from the York exchange started piling up accusing me of not knowing what I'm talking about – so I'm assuming those same letters will be even more relevant after they see that post. "Nothing quite like a dilettante trying to explain the theory of relativity. Good show!" wrote one.Okay, first of all, give me a break with the "theory of relativity" nonsense. If all of you Wall Street people actually had the brains of nuclear physicists we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.But as far as your general point goes, I plead guilty. I'm not an expert on any of this. Anyone who is, is welcome to write to me and fill me in. And obviously it wasn't just CDOs and CDS and MBS that caused this crash. Everything points to a confluence of many different bad or unsound practices. There are plenty of people out there who actually know what they're talking about who are describing these issues – the predatory lending, those crazy subprime mortgages in which the low teaser rates were like the free drinks that brought borrowers to the blackjack table (hoping they would hit 21 via continually rising real estate prices), the ramping back of one Roosevelt-era regulation after another (culminating in the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act), the generally high level of speculative home-buying, etc. Photo: Jacobsohn/Getty
Before I even put up today's post more letters from the York exchange started piling up accusing me of not knowing what I'm talking about – so I'm assuming those same letters will be even more relevant after they see that post. "Nothing quite like a dilettante trying to explain the theory of relativity. Good show!" wrote one.

Okay, first of all, give me a break with the "theory of relativity" nonsense. If all of you Wall Street people actually had the brains of nuclear physicists we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

But as far as your general point goes, I plead guilty. I'm not an expert on any of this. Anyone who is, is welcome to write to me and fill me in. And obviously it wasn't just CDOs and CDS and MBS that caused this crash. Everything points to a confluence of many different bad or unsound practices. There are plenty of people out there who actually know what they're talking about who are describing these issues – the predatory lending, those crazy subprime mortgages in which the low teaser rates were like the free drinks that brought borrowers to the blackjack table (hoping they would hit 21 via continually rising real estate prices), the ramping back of one Roosevelt-era regulation after another (culminating in the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act), the generally high level of speculative home-buying, etc.

]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/post-2.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/post-2.php Wall Street Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:56:19 -0500 The Title "Blogger" Sickens Me. On the Lighter Side, Worldwide Financial Holocaust Photo: Tama/Getty
Making that first entry in a blog is sort of like taking that first step into sexual deviancy. Once that zipper comes down, the label sticks forever.  Blogger. What a horrible word. It has such an awful, dirty, biological sound to it. The words it reminds me of are words like felch, belch, bilge, log, globes and rubber. It sounds like belching log-rubber. And now I am one. I feel sick.

I’ll get into why we here at Rollingstone.com decided to start this blog at some other time. Let’s just say that I’ll be making semi-regular updates to this page, and occasionally adding live or nearly-live commentary to things like debates and other events. This page will also contain links to web versions of all my print articles from Rolling Stone and provide contact info for anyone looking to reach or stalk me/my editors as the case may be.

]]> http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/first-post.php http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/10/first-post.php Wall Street Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:01 -0500