Auto-industry giant Bob Lutz, who made international headlines in 2008 for his FrontBurner quote calling global warming a “total crock of ****,” reportedly is stepping down as vice chairman of General Motors. (Word is he wasn’t that cozy with Ed Whitacre, the former AT&T CEO who’s now running GM.) Question: With what we know now about climate-change shenanigans, was “Maximum Bob” just ahead of his time?
Director Paul Greengrass has been on a roll this decade. Since his 2002, he’s churned out Bloody Sunday, United 93, and two Jason Bourne movies, which, in my opinion, out-Bond Bond. That’s why I’m looking forward to his latest Matt Damon flick, The Green Zone, which opens March 12. But you don’t have to wait. We have two pairs of tickets to giveaway to an advanced screening on Tuesday, March 9. All you need to do is be the first person to email me with the name of the Irish civil rights leader who led the Derry march on that terrible January day. First two correct responses get the tickets.
UPDATE: The tickets are gone. I was fishing for Ivan Cooper, the subject of Greengrass’ film about Bloody Sunday, and the leader of the march on January 30, 1972. Some good Irish names popped up in my inbox (guesses and contestants). Some included Bernadette Devlin, who didn’t lead the march, but clocked a British MP over it, and Eamonn McCann, the journalist, who was also there that Sunday.
Tim beat me to the Watkins story today: Sam Merten stuck a stick in a fire ant pile, and an amusing bit of internet bullying ensued, offering a voyeur’s view into the backroom discussions that likely go on more often then we would like to admit in this town. In the end, my favorite comment didn’t come from Watkins office, but from Richard Schumacher: “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” The whole episode is rather puzzling, so I put together some reading discussion questions. Jump for them, and feel free to add your own.
Staking out a position far stronger than the Federal Reserve Board on which he serves, Richard Fisher said yesterday at a speech at the Council of Foreign Affairs in New York that dismantling the “too big to fail” banks is a “disagreeable but sound thing to do.”
As someone pointed out in the comments to Leading Off this morning, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the folks over at Unfair Park have found evidence that Craig Watkins’ campaign office is playing dirty. On the Observer’s blog, there appeared comments impugning the character of Dallas County Republican Party chairman Jonathan Neerman. The comments pointed to a fine Neerman received from the Federal Election Commission, and they alleged that Neerman is the target of an investigation by Watkins’ office for money laundering. Thing is, Neerman can explain the fine (not a big deal). And the alleged investigation? Makes absolutely no sense.
Of course, the comments — 15 of them — were posted from a computer in Craig Watkins’ campaign office. That ain’t cricket.
1. The primaries are behind us. Dallas County results are here, and Collin County’s are here. If you’re the interactive maps type, check out the Texas Tribune. And here’s video of Rick Perry celebrating his win. I’m so relieved. Because he’ll keep Washington from messin’ with Texas.
2. The University Park City Council approved rezoning for the Bush library. Quick! Someone call Rick Perry! He’ll stop those political fat cats from messin’ with our land values!
3. And speaking of obese animals, the Guinness Book of World Records has named Oscar the world’s oldest pig. He’s of the Vietnamese potbelly variety, and he lives in Far North Dallas. That’s a double happy ending.