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Subscribe to RSSHouse Republicans’ new “Pledge to America” focuses heavily on proposals to rein in federal spending and slash taxes. But it’s not getting rave reviews from one conservative organization dedicated to limited government and “economic freedom.”
Citing the Pledge’s lack of an explicit ban on earmarks and a specific amendment – like the one proposed in the 1994 “Contract with America” -- to balance the budget, a staff member for the Club for Growth panned the campaign manifesto, calling it “milquetoast.”
“I want to like the new GOP Pledge to America,” wrote Andy Roth, the organization’s vice president for government affairs, on the Club for Growth’s blog today. “I want to endorse it, but it's so milquetoast that it proves to me that these guys just aren't ready to lead.”
“The Pledge has not [sic] teeth,” he said. “Voters have no reliable assurances that House Republicans will behave appropriately.”
It's not unusual for the D.C.-based group to endorse candidates and policy proposals that are more conservative than those backed by establishment Republicans. Among its favored candidates this cycle are Tea Party-backed Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sharron Angle of Nevada, and Ken Buck of Colorado – none of whom had the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee before winning their respective GOP primaries.
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All I can think of is a character from Berke Breathed's comics - Opus, Outland and Bloom County.
Wasn't he that little cockroach? How appropriate.
Opus was the penguin, or "pudgy, flightless waterfowl".
I know, John. Drive-by nailed it, tho'.
God, I miss Berke Breathed.
I was always told to watch what people do and not what they say. The republican’s actions do not agree with their words. If the pledge is any thing other than a campaign season narrative, then as some people have noted, it is not a cohesive plan. We should expect comprehensive planning from our elected leaders. The pledge is not comprehensive, competent, or cohesive. We have real issues in America today and all we can get from our leaders are window dressings. As in the wizard of OZ, once the curtain has been pulled back, you see there is no great and powerful OZ. The pledge would not see the light of day as a competent business plan and or a practical way forward out the economic, social and environmental abyss where America dwells today.
Larson (Far Side), Breathed and Watterson (Calvin and Hobbs)- Can you imagine the fun they'd have with Palin and 'Suzy Derkins' O'Donnell??
Exodite,
Totally off message here, but was reflecting today on past post and I realized that any subject that came up the dems were rude to the republicans and visa-versa.
I realized that I often fell into the mindset of being critical right along with everyone else. Then I remembered an occasion when I complemented Obama and the people on here that are usually lambasting me decided I wasn't as evil as previously thought.
Long story short.........I was rude to you the other day and I apologize.
...well! That is a surprise. Thank you kindly. :)
TP: Overall, the GOP’s “Pledge” isn’t exciting too many conservative activists. Aside from basically calling for a return to the Bush years, popular ring-wing blogger Erick Erickson called the GOP’s new agenda “dreck.” “The entirety of this Promise is laughable,” he wrote yesterday. In a post titled, “A Pledge to Do Nothing,” conservative David Frum writes, “this is not a document to govern with in the recessionary year 2010.” And conservative Fox News pundit Monica Crowley said today on Fox that it’s “just ok.”
_________
They didn't have to expend a lot of time and energy into a 21 page report. Their supporters in the tea party don't understand government and how it can help them.
Actually, that much they do understand. What they don't want is government helping anyone else. Just them and the rich. That's it. And Boehner and Cantor are more than willing to govern that way.
__________
Today some of the health care reform takes effect. And it's all very very good. Health care provided by President Obama and the Democrats.
"Dreck" is a good word: why don't we use it more often?
Pat, Boston, MA
Calling the GOP’s new agenda “dreck by ring-wing" blogger Erick Erickson whose Census worker comment was he would pull out my wife’s shotgun and see how that little twerp likes being scared at the door does indicate how much greed they want.
I saw Erick Erickson on Joe Scarbough pushing his book. I couldn't believe his wanting to take the GOP that far to the right on fiscal conservatism without any way to pay for it.
I find it EXTREMELY interesting that even some of the more 'Conservative' group and voices that would normally go with whatever the GOP has on the table is panning this Pledge.
Fascinating.
To go as far as to say that 'These guys are NOT ready to lead' - from a CONSERVATIVE point of view - is even MORE fascinating.
It seems that Rep. Boehner is long on Rhetoric and short on what actually can be done. This is reminiscent of the 'Budget' that was 10 pages with no figures. This is reminiscent of the 'Health Care Plan' that was 3 pages and an outline.
I am not Conservative, but the track record from these GOPers would give me MUCH pause even if I WAS Conservative.
Just sayin'.
Why do you think I stopped registering as a Republican?
Pierto,
A few more questions about “The Pledge”.
Where is a pledge on Immigration Reform and Boarder Security?
Where is a pledge on Afghanistan?
Where is a pledge on the Middle East?
Where is a pledge on Trade Agreements?
Where is a pledge on a Ban on Earmarks?
Where is a pledge on States’ Rights?
Exodite Dragon, I'm trying to understand your political stance. From your posts I get the feeling that you are socially liberal and possible fiscally conservative. Is that correct? If so, what are some of your fiscally conservative positions?
Pat - you forgot that Paulson's and Bush's TARP was only 3 pages long.
But Elise...
TARP was over 2000 pages long...it's just that the extra 2000+ pages were blank checks for the Wall Street banks!
Charles, you'd be correct - my views on how to handle fiscal policy more often'n not winds up aligning me with the Republicans.
Socially I do tend to be a bit more liberal, especially on those issues where the question is often one of simply allowing people to be people, as is the case with gay legal rights. I don't take kindly to anyone who'd presume to suggest someone is less by virtue of being different. Other issues I'm not so in step with: I abhor more extreme forms of gun control, for example, and I support the death penalty.
I'm loathe to peg myself to a particular label - I much prefer the term "anti-stupid," since I try to base my views on Enlightenment (rather than post-modern) philosophy. That doesn't mean, of course, that I'm oblivious to facts. If my economic position, as an example, needs to change because of evidence to the contrary, it will change. Persuading me on moral imperatives is a little trickier.
As far as my specific positions are concerned, I advocate some rather unpopular notions. I'm a believer in right-to-work laws, favor transforming Social Security to privatized accounts (assuming the money deposited isn't required to be thrown into the stock market or a mutual fund) and feel that a temporary scaleback of government spending needs to accompany a temporary hike in taxes, provided the surplus goes towards paying down the deficit. If you want more than generalities, you'll need to toss some specific issues my way. Feel free to express concern/counter-arguments to my positions, too.
I agree strongly with your overall philosophy and approach, though I may have come to some different conclusions on specific fiscal issues.
I'm a proponent of Scientific Skepticism so the idea of changing your mind when presented with new evidence is something I strongly advocate for. Johannes Kepler believed in a Platonic Solid model for the motion of planets for decades but when he finally got more accurate measurements he abandoned a position he had held for most of his life and ended up discovering the laws of planetary motion. I wish our politicians could do that. Most are so entrenched in their ideologies that they won't budge no matter what new information surfaces.
I also agree that changing my mind on moral issues would be very difficult. As an example, I can't imagine a situation where evidence would surface that showed that certain groups of people don't deserve the same rights as others.
Keep up the rational thought!
ED and Charles - I like both of your styles. I am also of the school where you can learn something from people when you talk with them. As with both of you, I am not 'cast in concrete' when it comes to many things in my ideaology. I would consider myself center-left, and I am more fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I like the idea of reinvestment of Social Security as long as it is NOT in the stock market and it is used to help us here in America if that is what the recipient of those Social Security funds deems appropriate.
I like to spar with Bill, Fairfax, VA a lot, as he is pretty conservative. I actually learned a few things from him and that has changed a few things in my thinking (the Social Security reinvestment idea was spawned by Bill). I give this person credit - who is also a conservative - SoldiersDad, who challenged me to think about an alternative to Welfare and after thinking about it, I felt it was a good idea. I would add that Welfare should not be free, and a portion of that welfare should be used as a 'salary' that the recipient pays taxes on, with the chance for working overtime and/or getting training in some field that is compatible to the recipient that will allow them to transition to a 'real' job.
I feel it is necessary to give Bill, Fairfax, Va and SoldiersDad some credit because we are on this blog to LEARN SOMETHING from people who have different thinking and a different prespective. We have a golden opportunity to continue learning, challenging, growing and becomeing better AMERICANS, no matter what the GOP or the Tea Party says.
This blog PROVES that there is more that binds us than that that divides us.
We have to learn, from both sides of the aisle, that we are AMERICANS first. It is a SHAME that we are seeing policies promoted that will harm US, and the proponents of those policies are getting rich off of our disagreements.
Finally, I'll just say this - we can agree to disagree on issues. We can even be passionate on issues that we disagree. We have seen the political discourse spiral out of control in the electorate, to the point where SOMEONE is going to get killed. I support the right of an opposing voice, but we have to tamp down the hostility (by hostility, I mean wanting to hurt someone that does not agree with you).
Someone threatrened the life of OUR President yesterday (I am sure that happens every day, but this is an illustration). Why is that OK? Where are the Conservative voices that say that threatening the life of OUR President is NOT OK? We had an issue on this blog a few days ago, and both conservative and liberal voices came together to decry the practices we all thought were wrong.
Why can't we do that with our body politic TODAY? Why is our discourse so VOLITILE?
I think that most people reading this blog are either center-left or center-right, with the common area being CENTER.
OK. I am off my soapbox now. Bill, Fairfax, VA, you are STILL wrong, and we can take up our regularly scheduled sniping on another day.
I think Bill is stilll mad at me for rigging his power steering to ONLY go to the left.
Oh well.
Here's a Tagxedo (word cloud) visualization of the 21-page "Pledge to America" document.
http://daily.tagxedo.com/september-24-gop-unveils-pledge-to-america
Top words: Government, Spending, People, American
Tagxedo
Tagxedo calls it word cloud. I call it hypocritically anti-government, anti- people, and incredibly greedy .
Of course you do, why am I not suprised?
where were all these so called ideas during the debate...
Milquetoast is a noun. "Milk toast" is an adjective. So the plan is "milk toast." It's hard to take any pundit seriously when they can't even figure out proper word usage - how can we trust they even understand what they are reporting on? The same goes for websites that replicate the errors . . . . .
A noun is a person, place or thing. Given the definition of milquetoast, you should be able to figure out that by likening the plan to such, he was essentially calling it unassertive, meek and timid.
English: learn to use it!
I have; you should. The original statement calls the plan "so milquetoast." How is that possibly the correct use of a noun? (hint: it isn't)
Sure, bro. Whatever helps you sleep at night. ;)
All those who misunderstood the intended meaning say 'Aye' (or 'I' or 'Eye').
I guess I am not sure what "milquetoast" or "dreck' means best as I can figure they must be synonyms for Bullcrap.
I'm excited to know that these organizations want more. Perhaps we will get more specific proposals if enough of these organizations complain. Specificity would allow for some real debate over what to cut, what to expand, by how much, and why.
A group of rich, powerful, privileged white people getting together to tell us how they are going to maintain their money, power and privilege. Oh joy! Just another reminder that anybody who votes Republican has a large gapping hole in what they might otherwise designate as their soul.
Durer
A group of rich, powerful, privileged white people getting together to tell us how they are going to maintain their money, power and privilege.
That would be the House and Senate?
Hey Anon--
That gaping hole also happens to be the space of dead air between their ears.
h/t to DKos -
Washington Monthly
...the endeavor is such an embarrassing failure. The document combines old ideas, bad ideas, contradictory ideas, and discredited ideas. The Republican Party that lost control of Congress four years ago has had an abundance of time to craft a policy vision that offered credible, serious solutions. Instead, we’re confronted with a document that can best be described as tired nonsense.
...If Republicans set out to prove that they’re wholly unprepared and incapable of governing effectively, they’ve succeeded beautifully.
...today, the House GOP will release a "Pledge" that simply doesn’t make any sense to those who take reality seriously. It’s a reminder that the Republican Party just isn’t good at this sort of thing. It excels in attack ads, smear campaigns, and media manipulation; but the GOP struggles badly, to the point of comedy, when asked to do substantive work.
Wah-wah-wah-waaaaaaaaaaah!!!
FAIL!!!
Stops copies me. X3
John Boehner and the GOP's Pledge to America: "We pledge to crank up the corporate welfare, give tax breaks to our Libertarian billionaire patrons, and dismantle the social safety net - cause we can't afford that."
What else do you think these "leaders" should pledge allegiance to?
Weather control and moon colonies. @_@
Well the insurance companies found a way around HCR -- does it surprise me? No! Perhaps if the HCR was not so watered down in the first place, and single payer was used initially as a bargaining tool, this would not have happened. It's a shame we got a crappy bill that has allowed insurance companies to refuse to cover children. Shame on the insurance companies, but shame on the president and congress, too.
"Insurance Companies Drop Coverage For Children Ahead Of Reform Benefits Kicking In"
"One of the highly anticipated benefits of health care reform implementation Thursday is that new rules will prevent insurers from denying coverage to children under age 19 with pre-existing med...ical conditions, like asthma or cancer. But the insurance industry has found a way around that pesky new regulation.
Health plans in at least four states, California, Colorado, Ohio and Missouri, have announced they’re dropping children’s coverage just days ahead of new rules created by the health care reform law, according to the liberal grassroots group Health Care for America Now (HCAN)."
Thank God someone besides me noticed that.
It broke last night on CNN -- it's disgraceful -- it's also WHY we needed a public option. No one should be surprised, though; the HCR bill rewarded insurace companies minus a public option. It's a big part of why I blame the president and congress, too!
You and me both. You've got no argument from me there.
Actually there was an article in the newspaper today that the administration is challenging this in court.
Also, those companies who do this will be unable to join the exchanges when they go up. That will lose them a lot of money.
Some companies have already started rethinking this.
Exodite Dragon
Thank God someone besides me noticed that.
You are not alone.
If you read, or watch PBS you know.
I try, when I can.
The "challenge" in court will take years; HCR should have been handled correctly in the first place. The denial to children will be in place for years to come -- and that is horrible. And anyone that did not see this coming, including President Obama and the democrats, were not paying attention!
And I mean the democrats in Congress (and President Obama) that allowed a watered down bill to pass and had the nerve to call it Healthcare Reform and celebrate it-- we did not get HCR -- we got a sell-out for those we campaigned and voted for.
Don't blame Pres Obama, he could not create votes out of whole cloth or wave a magic wand to get the DINOs of Nelson, Lincoln and Lieberman off their rear ends or republicans who agreed with 95% of the legislation (having written much of it). I'm not concerned because the 3 companies--Wellpoint, CIGNA, Conventry One--could find themselves losing business. There are far more healthy children than unhealthy ones. Sounds to me like a threat to the American people--they're basically saying to We the People, profits over people.
Children are usually hooked up to their parents insurance for the whole family. Are they than talking about individual plans for children? How many do you think that could be? And wouldn't an individual plan for a child mean that most likely the parents could not afford insurance for themselves?
Wait one "Durham" minute here! PAM910
You are crying now about a public option. If you remember to get the 60 votes necessary Joe Lieberman/Ben Nelson/Blanche Lincoln/Sen Landau's part of the Democratic Caucus wouldn't go along with HRC for whatever reasons so there were special concessions made to those turn coats.
Then the Dems tried to make it bbipartisan going after Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe making compromises to get the Bill passed taking on GOP amendments only to be town halled to death.
The President stated itwas better to have something passed that we could improve on later than nothing at all if HCR didn't pass the way it did when it did then today we'd have nothing I guess you all would be happier with that? We can't forget that Scott Brown came in campaigning as the the 41st vote against HCR.
We have to face realities on how things work on the Capitol Hill these last couple of years i found out my eyes were wide shut! Who knew that 51 votes couldn't/would be enough to get things done in the Senate. The minority party showed us how to get things done. And not everyone with a D by their name showed party unity when the Opposition showed it could and would stand together. They are locked in total party unity when it comes down to the votes. Even today
Well put ucg. Politics is ALWAYS the art of the possible. Conservatives understand that better than Liberals and they've moved our society FAR to the right over the last 30 years as a result.
Like I wrote in First Thoughts, the Republican obsession with tax cuts now, when federal tax rates are the lowest they've been in 50 years, is the fiscal equavalent to an anorexiic trying to cut down on food. Of course, the Republicans DO want to starve the government to death and hand over all of its power to private corporations.
Judging by the Republicans' actions rather than their lying words, their real goal is to turn the US into another banana republic, with a tiny number of extremely wealthy people living in gated communities protected by armed guards while everyone else lives in shanties made of discarded packing crates. The party ought to be called the Banana Republican Party.
I dig the pun.
Also count Glenn Beck's radio show as being heavy in their criticism of the Pledge. Glenn wasn't off today so it was a guest host, but plan on the hordes from Beckistan to be firmly against this. Not exactly the rollout the Republicans wanted.
So much for party uni-tea.
Exodite Dragon
...and I approve of your pun.
I thought it clever and giggle-worthy. X3
The Republican harem of right-wing "feminists" and their Prince Charming John Boehner oppose equal pay for women, because, in their words "discrimination plays little role in pay disparities between men and women, and it threatens to impose onerous requirements on employers to correct gaps over which they have little control." Seriously?
Yet another slap in the face to equality!
True enough, Pam. Still more evidence that Conservatives oppose the very notion of "equality" no matter what their rhetoric.
You got it!
No S Sherlock! The GOP is simply up to their OLD tricks of selling Americans more lies...only this time they've stolen Democrats Completed projects and actual work-in-progress that they've been fighting against.
Of course they're not ready to lead...they weren't ready to lead when they had leadership of this country in the past.
They are a JOKE...very dangerous jokes on the publics dime...
Well you see Anita - it would take too much time away from Boehner's golf game to really come up with new ideas!
Elise,
Of course you're right...Boehner and the rest of the misfits HAVE NO IDEAS...and THAT is the very reason they're unfit to govern...
It is a sad day in America when a group of KNOWN criminals and idiots are allowed to CONTINUE to infest Washington with BS that affects ALL of us...
President Obama and the Democrats are will do and are doing and EXCELLENT job at fixing what REPUBLICAN leadership screwed up...yet the SPIN war and MSM pundits are STILL attempting to change the landscape of America with lies...but these idiots are stealing President Obama and Democrats WORKING solutions for America...
Imagine...they are attempting to STEAL from a CIC that they claim is runiing America...
The Republican Party is in so much disarray it's laughable. From day one of President Obama's administration, the obstructionist agenda was in place. Never any concrete suggestions, just no, no, no. And I think for awhile , it worked. Along comes the tea party, although it's not really a legitimate political party. So the Republicans decided to ride it out with these goofballs. Then along comes Angle, Buck, Miller, Paul & O'Donnell. 'Oh no,what do we do? These people aren't fit for political office (they said behind closed doors). Then they tried to pretend they actually supported these candidates, but when Karl Rove puts O'Donnell in her place, actually telling the truth. Since that's not a prerequisite for being in the party, he had to backtrack because Limbaugh almost blew a gasket. Now, the "Pledge". Since they've never come up with any ideas to this point, they just put down the same old rhetoric everyone's heard over and over and over.... I wonder if they actually know how pathetic they look.
Breaking news says Congressional Republicans just came out of a closed meeting to announce that if tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% aren't renewed before breaking to go home and campaign they'll make sure EVERYONE's tax break expires on 1/1/11.
Anyone else here tired of being held hostage by the the Conservatives' fealty to the upper class?
You betcha! Democrats, prepare for battle and tell them fine, WE democrats will be sure to run ads in newspapers, TV, radio and billboards telling the American people just who raised taxes.
It's part of their new "Pledge" to fleece America!
Now that's a kick in the backside for the Republican Tea Party. Pretty bad when not just one but several conservatives say their leaders are not ready for Prime Time.
If you look at this plan, it is the same things repubs have been saying since Ronald Reagan promised a shining city on the hill--for some anyway, mostly those who already lived on a shiny hill.
We only need to look at the financial collapse in 2008, the massive debt created by Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43, to know that tax cuts is not the answer. The answer is to reinvent American manufacturing so that workers earn a living wage and can afford to spend more without going into debt. The more middle class people with well paying jobs, the stronger the economy will be. Even if the repubs cut all discretionary spending, it would not make a dent in the deficit or the debt; add the massive tax cuts they want and we are headed back down the rabbit hole.
President Clinton raised taxes and created 21 million jobs--Clinton created more jobs than Reagan, Bush and Bush who cut taxes and increased deficit spending. Wonder how Boehner and McConnell would explain that little fact.
Facts make Republicans go blind!"The sound of one hand clapping"
Jody,
Bush didn't create any NEW jobs while he was in office and this inquiring mind wants to know...
What makes America's that are buying into their BS think that they can create any now..chit-- the jobs that most people had and lost were a farce just as the fake home value in the real estate market was.
President Bush and the Republican Congress enacted the tax cuts originally to ease the effects of the recession caused by the technology and internet blow up and compounded by 911. Subsequently, 4 million jobs were created after the tax cuts took place. Sadly, 2007 rolled around, the Democrats took control, and at the same time the financial system melted. That's when jobs were lost. By the end of President Bush's term, only 2,000,000 net jobs had been created.
Candice,
Democrats DIDN'T take control in 2007...spin those talking points on Fox...
Your statement about the 4 million jobs created was BS...it was smoke and mirrors...
I happen to know for a fact that following 9/11...by the end of the week, tech jobs were GONE to India...I will challenge you on this one Missy...
Also...the ones that were left were drastically reduced by $10.00 dollars an hour and that is where they are now...there were many engineers and software developers that went from sugar to chit with in days...
The ones that were blessed enough to maintain their jobs were employed as Government Contractors...
WTH are you drinking this time of morning that makes you post this garbage? Bush didn't create a single NEW job while he was in office and I CHALLENGE you to produce the facts...
By the end of Bush's trerm we lost 4 million jobs...that was in 2009...
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2010/02/03/824000-mor...
Get your facts straight...mine are...
Senate Democrats signalled Thursday that they are unlikely to schedule a vote on extending the expiring 2001 and 2003 tax cuts before Congress leaves for the campaign trail.
Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus told reporters he is “ready” to introduce tax legislation, but that “people want to leave . . . by next week.”
Other Democrats said flatly that no vote would be held on extending the tax cuts until after the Nov. 2 midterm elections. Instead, the leadership plans to focus on legislation designed to counter the offshoring of jobs.
Some Democrats have been eager to draw a sharp distinction between their call for an extension of tax cuts only for married couples making less than $250,000 and the Republican push to extend the Bush-era cuts for all taxpayers, including the wealthy.
But there are sharp divisions among Democrats in both chambers, and party leaders appear unwilling to force the issue at a time when their party is battling to retain control amid voter anger over the economy.
Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif., whose home-state Democratic colleague, Barbara Boxer , is locked in a battle for re-election, said she opposes taking a tax cut vote before the election. “I actually believe taking a vote on taxes right before the election is a mistake — and I’m not up,” she said. “Because the message can be manipulated.”
Feinstein said that the nuances of the White House’s tax position — continued tax breaks for the middle class and a return to pre-2001 levels for the wealthy — “won’t come across on Election Day.”
Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin , D-Ill., said, “I can see the value in” holding a pre-election vote, “but because of the short timetable, it makes it difficult.”
He noted that even if the Senate voted, it would be impossible to get a final deal with the House before the election.
Tom Harkin , D-Iowa, said flatly that there would be no vote on the tax cuts before the election. “There’s nothing we can do about it right now,” he said.
John Kerry , D-Mass., said Republicans won’t allow a final vote before the election. “I’m not into exercises that are futile and pyrrhic,” he said.
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=cqmidday-000003738745
_______________
Go out and campaign all you Democrats. Campaign hard and go after the GOP. Night and day. Bottom line: Keep Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. And I hope every single Democrat in Congress does everything in their power to ensure that she is Speaker of the House January 2011.
Help Senator Feingold as well. These two must stay where they are. They simply must.
This is one of the reason Dems are in the fix they are this November -- they haven't shown they have a spine. Republicans want to filibuster fine. They should've been on the Senate floor all night, every night for the last year reading names out of the phone book. Democrats should have been forcing votes on things that are popular with the public every single week EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES. The airwaves and newspapers could be clogged with the results of those votes right now.
This from a Republican candidtae running in Iowa for Congress Brad Zaun---the new health care law needs to be replealed as it takes away some of the power the insurance companies have.
Now I am ll for making a buck, but these insurance companies having been making blood money by droping coverage to people and denying coverage for treatments all while the consumer pays for their services.
Now as I consumer when someone rips me off, I usually have laws that help me, but these Republicans have not presented a plan that will do anything other than continue to rip off the consumer!
In my book, that is anti AMERICAN!
You don't know the half of it when it comes to Brad Zaun. If he wins he has a real shot at supplanting Jim Ross Lightfoot as the meanest person to ever represent Iowa in Congress.
With Zaun it only starts with his stalking an ex-girlfriend, beating on her windows, and screaming at her when the police arrived.
I think Boehner is done as minority/majority leader. Too many rounds of golf paid for by corporations and donors--not enough substance, even for his issue thin party.
But Elise...
TARP was over 2000 pages long...it's just that the extra 2000+ pages were blank checks for the Wall Street banks!
Vote your opinion on the Health Care provisions...we need some help here
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39160527/ns/health-health_care/
Bush was riding the wave of 23 million jobs from the Clinton era as jobs were sent over seas half way through we needed to borrow 200 million per day from China just to keep the economy floating for awhile. this would have been the time to let the economy correct itself in a recession.
The blue dogs screwed up the public option"
The Republicans are still unable to come up with any real solutions to problems we need to see real plans not just holding up their rule book and a promise to do something taxes and health care is not the only thing that needs to be fixed what about Immigration? Social Security? jobs? real estate? the war? with Obama you get a clear idea of how he plans to tackle the problems agree or disagree you see what he plans to do to fix the problem I don't think they have changed or are ready to lead the country at this time!
And then their is the loose cannons like Angle Palin, Brewer, Michell Bachman, Rush Beck and a host of others who do not even know each other or have any idea of what the other would do how could they be Unified???
dale-763548,
Great posting!