Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Miscellaneous 87
1) My suspicion is that if you put Obama, Reid, and Boehner into a room together, the three of them could probably hammer out a decent budget deal fairly quickly. Unfortunately, Mr. Boehner is presently residing in a straight-jacket. So frigging fearful of offending the tea party is he that brinkmanship is probably the BEST that the fellow can do - unfortunately.............2) As for Congresswoman Bachmann, while I don't doubt for a second that she's a nice individual (anybody who raises 25 foster kids has got to have at least a decent heart), HER lack of statesmanship here is palpable. In fact, people, I have prediction for you here. Unless this upcoming compromise (and, trust me, there WILL be a compromise - there has to be!) contains in it something like eliminating Obamacare (something totally unrealistic, in other words), she will unequivocally vote NO. I guarantee it. Watch.............3) I consider myself a fairly sturdy pro-choice voter. But I also like to consider myself a person who respects the pro-life position/a person who strives to locate common ground especially......So, how does a person like me try to cope with somebody like Laura Ingraham; a rabid/over-the-top pro-lifer who NEVER compromises and who purely sees the pro-choice position as morally repugnant, Satanic even? The simple answer - I don't! I mean, seriously, how can you? Last night, for instance, while subbing for the intrepid one (i.e., O'Reilly), she asked a woman's rights advocate, "So, do you think that abortion has been a "good thing" for woman?" When the woman answered her by saying that women having choices is always a good thing, Ms. Ingraham snorted back with, "Yeah, but was it a good thing for all of the females who ended up getting aborted?"....You see what I'm saying here, right; the stupidity? The females who were aborted never got a chance to be sentient human beings. Ergo, they never knew what they missed. And, besides, a lot of these pregnancies were terminated because the mother didn't have the means to raise these children. When, folks, was the last time that Laura Ingraham showed an interest in poor LIVING kids?............4) The Republicans are obviously playing games with the debt-ceiling (save for Bachmann - that blankety blank is dead serious). But to say that this is something that's entirely new isn't exactly accurate, either. In fact, folks, a certain Democratic Senator from Illinois actually DID vote "no" on raising the debt-ceiling in 2006 (he didn't even show up to vote in 2007 and 2008). Granted, he probably knew that it was going to pass anyway but, still, a game is a game is a game, damn it!............5) Oh, and, yes, the debt-ceiling - it's absolutely going to get raised. It has to get raised. Everything; the Ryan Plan included, is contingent upon it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
19 comments:
Will,you have selective memory.The dems had control of the House,Senate and White House for two years and did'nt pass a budget.Now its the speaker's fault?Did you hit your head on something?
I just caught up with something on Mediaite....some guy named Halperin on MSNBC called Obama a "dick" and got suspended.I always thought he was a pussy,but maybe this guy knows someting....just saying.
Rusty, according to The Hill, (1) the Democrats passed a "budget enforcement resolution", and (2) "the GOP-led Congress didn’t pass a final resolution in 1998, 2004 and 2006".
The boner and Cantor WALKED OUT of the negotiations. I don't know how the eff anyone could argue they aren't responsible. Did you hit your head Rusty?
Poor,poor WD...continues to drink the Kool Aide.Big difference between a "budget enforcement resolution" and an actual budget.
Once again,perhaps it will sink in this time...from the day Obie took office Reid and Pelosi did'nt attempt to pass a budget.In fact for the whole of 2010 they were scared shitless to even say the word budget due to the up coming elections.Dont try to revise history sparky.You can have your own opinions....you cant have your own facts.Stop being a donk.
Those commie pig lefties better not even think about taking away our private jet loopholes.
My revised history and invented facts are better than your revised history and invented facts Rusty.
Also, have you heard Michele Bachmann's husband's bigoted anti-gay rant? He thinks gays are "barbarians". Michele Bachmann's campaign is toast (not that she had much of a chance to begin with). Americans are sick of the intolerance and hatred.
Rusty: Those commie pig lefties better not even think about taking away our private jet loopholes.
I won't be satisfied unless the Dems negotiate for single payer and a 99.99 percent tax rate on the wealthy. We must stand up against the fascist plutocratic radical right!
I'm prepared to grab my gun and take to the streets.
When you go to the street with your "gun" will you be taking that mutt with you?
Speaking of wasting our money.White House Dossier reported that Moochelle's recent trip cost the tax payers at least $500,000 and probably cost 7 to $800,000."no camp this summer girls...you,me and Big Mama,we's going to Africa."
Wow, an argument that I'm NOT involved in.............I will only add that there is MORE than enough blame to go around. Being that the Republicans (a lot of them anyway) have apparently taken revenues off of the table, then, yeah, they're probably more to blame. But enough already with this frigging blame-game. Like I said in a previous thread, my buddy and I were able to get nearly 300 billion in deficit reduction. And, no, we really didn't do anything drastic in order to get it. If he and I could do it, then why in the hell can't these imbeciles in D.C. do it? That's what I want to know.
Some of the comments made here represent precisely what drives me nuts about the political discourse in this country. Firstly WD: Are you seriously advocating a 99% top tax tier?! Even if you got your way it would not pay down the debt. I dont think its fair that the middle class pay for everything but neither would I advocate a policy that confiscates without due process. What your suggestion would do is explode the economy. IMO, your suggestion can't be taken seriously. Rusty: I don't think eliminating some deductions is all that harmful if done sensibly. I advocate eliminating deductions for the top tiers. You could reduce them by 1-2% for everyone else. The "pain" for everyone else would be a small pinprick but would raise billions. Reducing and or eliminating some deductions does not "increase the size of government" nor would a marginal reduction in deductions blow up the economy. This idea does not even raise the the marginal tax rate structure. (Forget Mr Norquist bromides PLEASE.) Any legislation could mandate that increased revenues be used for debt reduction. Ultimately, we can reduce everyone's marginal rates if we slowly reduce the size of some of the deductions. Yes I am talking about Mortgage /Child care deductions...I think a fair trade off would also end oil/gas subsidies, the rates thereof subject to a negiotated elimination over time.
We can not wipe out the debt over night...any attempt to do so will ruin the economy. This process needs to occur over time. I am admittedly an amateur but another idea would be to adopt the Simpson-Bowes Plan...Richard Durbin recently advocated this.
Before you blow a gasket WD remember...the reductions I am suggesting is 1-2% for everyone...in my estimation a pinprick. I am also for eliminating deductions all together for the top tiers...
Marcus, the difference between me and you and some of these other folks is that WE actually want to solve the problem. Political considerations (who wins, who loses, yada yada), if in fact they exist at all, are secondary.
Will: ...the difference between me and you and some of these other folks is that WE actually want to solve the problem.
The way you propose we go about it won't work (and is actually counterproductive, IMO). But it seems to me that you Moderates are actually more interested in presenting yourselves as the "reasonable adults" and better-thans. Frankly I'm tired of the hubris.
There is a difference between negotiation and capitulation. The Republicans are demanding that the Democrats capitulate. The only way any blame can be attributed to the Democrats would be to blame them for not capitulating.
Yet you ARE blaming "both sides". Obviously you believe the Democrats should capitulate. I (personally) categorically reject that "strategy" (although I fear the Democrats will eventually go that route).
It isn't about winning; it's about not tanking the economy, which the Republican budget will do. THAT is what we are fighting for. But you can't see it... due to your idiocy (on this subject).
Another example of moderate hubris is Marcus stating that I'm going "blow a gasket". He portrays himself as calm and reasonable, while I'm unreasonable and borderline crazy.
His hubris contributed to his inability to deduce that my comment about a 99.9 percent tax rate was a JOKE, and in response to Rusty's joke post about being in favor of private jet loopholes.
Obviously he believes himself to be so reasonable and me so unreasonable that I'd actually propose that high of a tax rate.
I suggest you two get off your Moderate high horses and choose a side. If you really want to fix our problems you need to side with the Democrats... and urge them not to capitulate.
Hubris? WD you can't even man up and admit that you, in effect, labeled me an idiot in one of your previous posts...You claimed that I've bought into a lie but you weren't calling me a liar. How disingenuous is that. You wrote a post calling it the The Idiocy of Moderation. What would reasonable person infer?? I am a professed moderate so the conclusion is I and all other moderates are idiots. You could have titled your post, Why I believe Moderates are Mistaken or something like it but you didn't...Why is that??? Because you think you are always right and never wrong.
I am not advocating the Democrats capitulate...the Republicans are playing a dangerous game of brinksmanship...The Dems also need to step up and stop their version of Drama and come to grips with Entitlements...I am taking sides. Its called "try to do the right thing."
Marcus: You could have titled your post, Why I believe Moderates are Mistaken or something like it but you didn't... Why is that?
Because Will's post indicted ALL progressives. Yet I don't see you criticizing him.
If you wish to believe that I called you an idiot despite my words to the contrary... then go ahead. Obviously nothing I say will convince you otherwise... short of retracting my entire post and humbly begging your forgiveness... which isn't going to happen.
Also, if you refuse to believe me -- then I'm going to refuse to believe you. You DO believe the Democrats should capitulate. Why else suggest that the Dems "step up"? Step up and... capitulate?
The Repubs have made it clear that they will accept nothing less. Yet this idiotic "step up" comment makes it clear you think the ball is in our court. What else could a reasonable person infer?
BTW, I'm not sure what the Moderate position regarding entitlement reform is, but I'm probably opposed. Aside from going after fraud and attempting to save money by increasing efficiency, I don't believe entitlements need to be "reformed" (by which I assume you mean cut).
Step up means leading...Understand what the problem is and do something to solve it. Being so rigid in ones world view so as to call leadership capitulation...well, lets just say I find that wanting. If the Repubicans are acting like children whats the response? To act like a child like them? Waaaahh...I cant get my way....he started it.....not me, its his fault....waaaaahhh!!! The response I would hope is to put a COMPREHENSIVE package on the table which includes some stuff we dont like but regard as necessary to solve the problem. The ball would then be in the childrens court and then if the spit hits the fan, then its all on the kids...
Yes, wd, I DO blame both sides. I blame the Republicans more because it was a Republican President (granted, with the consent of 27 brain-dead Democratic Senators who voted to give this neophyte Bush character a blank check) who got us into 2 idiotic quagmires and whose domestic spending and tax cuts WEREN'T paid for. But I also blame the Democrats for their piss-poor management/overseeing of Fannie and Freddie and this idiotic notion that anybody with a pulse in fact deserves their own home (the Democrats actually inferred that the Republicans were racist because of Franklin Raines being black). I also blame the Democrats for constructing what was clearly a poorly planned out stimulus package ("As it turned out, shovel ready wasn't exactly shovel ready chuckle chuckle).............Actually, wd, I generally DO pick sides. I just tend to do it issue by issue and NOT via the blue-plate special approach. I mean, my God, what in the hell do you think this is; 1970s wrestling?
Post a Comment