E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
President Obama speaks during town hall meeting at North Virginia Community College today. (AP)
From NBC's Athena Jones
President Barack Obama took his case for deficit reduction on the road Tuesday, telling a town hall audience in Virginia he is hopeful a bipartisan compromise to address the nation's budget deficit can be reached.
It was the first stop on a campaign-like swing to sell his approach to cutting $4 trillion from the deficit over the next 12 years. The president will hold similar events in Palo Alto, CA and Reno, NV over the next couple of days as he travels to tout his plan and raise money for his re-election.
The push begins a day after markets shook when ratings agency Standard and Poor's downgraded its long-term outlook for U.S. debt. The agency said it had lowered its outlook to "negative" from "stable"because the U.S. had "very large budget deficits and rising government indebtedness" compared to similar countries. The path to addressing those concerns is "not clear," it wrote.
The debt and deficit were a winning issue for conservatives and Tea Party-backed candidates in the last election, and Obama has spoken frequently about the need to get America's fiscal house in order.
Still, his speech last week at George Washington University was the first major attempt to begin to spell out how he would go about reducing the nation's gaping deficit. In that address, he offered a stinging rebuke of a Republican approach that relies mainly on spending cuts that would affect seniors, the poor and middle class and the disabled.
Today, he repeated his call for everyone to do their part to bring down the budget deficit.
"If we don't close this deficit now that the economy has begun to grow again, if we keep on spending more than we take in, it's gonna cause serious damage to our economy," the president told the crowd at Northern Virginia Community College, going on to explain that companies would be less likely to set up shop in America, individuals would see their interest rates go up and the government would not be able to afford to invest in areas that would create jobs and spur growth.
"We've gotta tackle this challenge and I believe the right way to do it is to live up to an old-fashioned principle of shared responsibility," he said.
Obama criticized the House-passed Republican budget plan, saying it would slash spending in key areas like education and infrastructure. The plan would "change Medicare as we know it," he argued, by creating a voucher system that would lead to higher out of pocket costs for elderly patients, while proposing more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
"We can't just tell the wealthiest among us, 'You don't have to do a thing. You can just sit there and relax and everybody else, we're gonna solve this problem,' he said.
That argument -- that the Republicans are the party of the rich and big companies, while the Democrats are looking out for ordinary Americans -- was a central theme of Obama's campaign for president in 2008 and one that seems certain to play a role again this time around.
"The only way to pay for these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans is by asking seniors to pay thousands more for their health care or cutting children out of Head Start or doing away with health insurance for millions of Americans on Medicaid," he continued. "That's not a trade off I'm willing to make; it's not a trade off I think most Americans think is fair no matter what party you belong to. That's not who we are as a country. We're better than that."
The president, who wants to see the Bush-era tax rates for the wealthy expire, delivered a 20-minute speech to the crowd before spending nearly 40 minutes answering questions on education funding, Medicare, Social Security, clean energy investments and the chances for bipartisanship when it comes to reducing the deficit.
Even as S&P stated there was "a material risk that U.S. policymakers might not reach an agreement on how to address medium- and long-term budgetary challenges by 2013" and the Republican National Committee used the ratings report to drive home its own argument that the president is "all talk," the White House believes a bipartisan deficit-cutting agreement can be reached.
"I believe that Democrats and Republicans can come together to get this done," Obama told the audience. "Shockingly enough there will be some politics played along the way. There will be those who say that we're too divided, that the partisanship is too stark, but I'm optimistic. I'm hopeful. Both sides have come together before. I believe we can do it again."
The White House yesterday set Thursday, May 5th, as the date for Vice President Biden to host a meeting on deficit reduction with members of congress at Blair House.
In his fiscal policy speech last week, the president asked House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to each designate four members of their caucuses to participate in the negotiations.
Leave a Comment:
Obama, the epitome of the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" President, just doesn't seem to have the ability to face reality. Gold is now at $1500, the dollar continues to be devalued, inflation is ramping up, gas will soon average $4/gallon across the country, entitlement spending (mandatory spending) now consumes ever dime the federal government collects in taxes, and Obama wants to keep spending trillions he does not have. And now Obama is cruising the country, giving his little happy speeches while he raises funds for his next, and last, campaign.
The man just does not get it.
At this point I have a hard time believing he is really concerned about the deficit. I voted for him because he talked about the negative affects of deficit spending, but his actions speak otherwise.
I would add, it will be even MORE effective this time around, thanks to the Citizen's United ruling that came out of Roberts Kangaroo Court!
The people are beginning to WAKE UP from their collective COMA and wiping the 'wool' out of their eyes!
Where's the 24/7 'librul' MSM asking where the J O B S are like they did in the lead up to November?
*crickets*
Most of the Democrat party doesn't get it!
Thanks Democrats for your stewardship of this country for the past four years. You have FAILED.
Fiesty - Why don't you ask "ordinary Americans" how things have been the past four years? You are clueless.
What's the one thing lacking in the POTUS's spending reform plan? Details... He's all talking points and no substance. While Ryan's plan may have some faults and can be tweaked, at least he has substance in his plan. He has outlined detailed proposals.
Mr. President, you were elected to lead...not to campaign. Enough with the "I hope", "I think", "Bushes fault", and happy go lucky speeches. We need a LEADER...not an eloquent speaker!!!! Where are the DETAILS or are you waiting for the next round of polling to come out first?
Feisty....
Really? So giving GE tax breaks in the name of "green technology" so they can pay $0 in taxes on $14 billion in profit is for the poor people? Seriously? How delusional are you? Sounds to my like you and the POTUS have a lot more in common than I thought...you're both hypocrites.
JoAnna, he's the President. It's his job to, as you say - "cruise the country". Nice to see SOMEONE in this country who is dignified, mature and welcomed no matter where he goes to meet with we, the people. The people he attracts as well are dignified and mature. And always smiling for their president.
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/04/19/annandale/
The Republican Party is nothing but a party of ill mannered unenlightened haters.
Obama claims he is "working towards the future" by BORROWING $200 MILLION every HOUR
Unless the future necessarily involves "junk" rated US debt and bankruptcy OBAMA IS LYING (as usual)
"Obama, the epitome of the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" President, just doesn't seem to have the ability to face reality."
"reality" of course, being the idea that NOW is the time to give MORE tax breaks to the ALREADY well-to-do. Good one, Smiff.
Obama signs the bill extending tax cuts for the wealthy, and now he derides them as costing our seniors their entitlements? What, does Obama have dirt for brains? Doesn't he not remember who signed those tax extensions? Is it his "Evil" twin that is causing all these problems for the "Good" Obama?
Obama campaigned against Bush in 2008. In 2012, it looks like he's going to run against himself.
Obama makes snake oil salesmen look honest.
JoAnna....
Your question is a trick question. It assumes there is a "good" Obama. The only thing good...is what is good for him at the time. If it isn't good for votes, it isn't good....regardless of what is best for the country ;)
If he were serious about doing what's best for the country, he would rise above the partisanship on issues of importance. When he does things like slamming the opposition and in the same breath asks for their cooperation, he shows nothing more than his disingenuous intentions. If he were just a candidate running for office, then that is to be expected. However, that is not what is expected of a LEADER...and that...his actions (or lack thereof) have gone to great lengths to prove he is not a leader.
Obama talking about curtailing deficit spending is a lot like your layabout brother in law talking about finally getting a job.
In other words- all talk, no action.
Now we are in danger of losing our AAA bond rating- and halve already lost our "stable" rating.
How much more proof do people need? He is an epic disaster as president.
Forgot to mention that rating agencies are now becoming more and more critical of the bond rating for the good'ol U.S. of A. Sure Obama, we should all ignore that too. "Don't Worry, Be Happy", right? Do you Libs even understand what happens if investors make their investments in other than Treasury bonds? The country would have two choices 1) Raise the payable interest rates on the bonds to attract investors or 2) Quit spending money it doesn't have. Doing 1) devastates our future. Doing 2) devastates the people today. Neither is a very attractive option.
JoAnnaSmith1
your simply beyond description.......everything that comes out of your mouth is factually baseless and disturbingly ignorant of truth. that's worrisome.
in rep bachmann, i see you.
So, Smiff- are the extensions GOOD or BAD? I can't seem to tell where you stand on them here....
I would add, it will be even MORE effective this time around, thanks to the Citizen's United ruling that came out of Roberts Kangaroo Court!
The people are beginning to WAKE UP from their collective COMA and wiping the 'wool' out of their eyes!
Where's the 24/7 'librul' MSM asking where the J O B S are like they did in the lead up to November?
*crickets*
Mr. Obama, your "redistribution of wealth" is NOT ON MY AGENDA.
Further, instead of "looking under pillows", as you mentioned during your town hall meeting today, to find $$$ to bring down the deficit.......instead......how about taking your White House aides to Federal Court, along with other Congressional members and Federal Workers, to PAY THEIR BACK TAXES. Now that would be a lot better than you "looking under pillows" for change. These folks owe MILLIONS of dollars and they are right under your nose.
2012 cannot come soon enough. Mr. Obama, you are a ONE TERM PRESIDENT !!
drive by - In obamas state of the union speech he reflected on how he would consider tax cuts as long as they were revenue neutral.
When ryan presented his plan he proposed two things. Closing tax loopholes and cutting taxes for the wealthy and business, you know raise revenue by closing loopholes and making revenue neutral by cutting rates.
Regardless, how does obama explain this...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-18/get-rich-pay-lower-taxes-boost-u-s-revenue-commentary-by-amity-shlaes.html
Don't like an op-ed piece try this...
http://www.ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html
Based on IRS data I would say keep the cuts and address the loopholes accross the board.
Ido,
Just out of curiosity, will you be able to afford the $6,400 more a year your healthcare will cost you when you are over 67 if we privatize Medicare as Paul Ryan's deficit reduction plan calls for?
Because that is what the non-partisan Congressional budget office figures it will cost every senior if the Republican's plan goes into effect. Maybe you can, maybe you can't, I dunno, but, at least, understand what's on the table.
ldo
Mr. Obama, your "redistribution of wealth" is NOT ON MY AGENDA.
Further, instead of "looking under pillows", as you mentioned during your town hall meeting today, to find $$$ to bring down the deficit.......instead......how about taking your White House aides to Federal Court, along with other Congressional members and Federal Workers, to PAY THEIR BACK TAXES. Now that would be a lot better than you "looking under pillows" for change. These folks owe MILLIONS of dollars and they are right under your nose.
Silly Ido, what is Republican Congressman Darrell Issa doing?
2012 cannot come soon enough. Mr. Obama, you are a ONE TERM PRESIDENT !!
What a sham you're wishing for or is it the "Impossible dream"?
Honey, haven't you heard ? Even T-baggers are seeing through the Republican sham? They have fallen off the band wagon.
The Koch brothers can't even fill up a bus for a Mad Tea Party. They just don't have enough money. Money can't buy everything; especially integrity.
Let's see few showed up for that wild eyed heifer Michelle Bachmann and even fewer for that twit Sarah Palin.
Forgetdabout it if you think the President will be one term.
The push is on; fired up.
Noboby but Obama
Obama Biden 2012
Just out of curiosity, will the federal government be able to afford kicking in that $6400/yr of which you speak? Inquiring minds want to know.
I think hell has frozen over... Obama has said in a speech the SAME THING that Tea Party Members have been saying for a long time now.
Sadly my guess would be his answer to not spend more then we take in, isnt to cut spending, but to bring in more money.
Ill meet you half way Obama.. Prove to ME a United States Citizen, that your Gvmnt can run on the money we are giving you NOW, aka ZERO DEFICIT SPENDING, and I will accept a tax increase to pay off our debt.
I have to live within my means, its about time our Gvmnt does the same.
IRS data showes that in 2008, the top 5 percent of earners -- households earning more than $160,000 -- accounted for about 59 percent of all federal income tax paid.
The next 45 percent -- solidly middle-class taxpayers earning between $33,000 and $160,000 -- account for about 39 percent of all personal income tax paid.
Bill, Fairfax VA
When Bill Clinton left office, we were on track to paying down that federal deficit to ZERO.
After the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the passage of Bush's Medicare Prescription bill, on top of historic tax cuts, we are over our heads in debt.
It wasn't the President Obama doing, but the right-wing is doing its darndest to lay the blame on him and the Democrats. Frankly, I trust the President more than the Republicans, to make the right decisions for where to cut. He lead us away from a 2nd Great Depression, after all.
Amy - although I liked having Clinton as president (with a fiscally conservative Republican congress), his last couple of years were the benefit of a building bubble - similar to 2005 and 2006 for Bush. When Clinton left office the deficit had already started to increase again.
But, I completely agree that Iraq and the Medicare Prescription bill were bad decisions. Afghanistan is a different issue for me...we had just been attacked by a country that effectively housed the military that attacked us. I was ok with regime change there - but I would have left long before now. Also, when considering Bush, we have to keep in mind the economic fallout from 9/11 - not just the immediate hit, but also all of the new protectionist spending that both parties were pushing for. I'm not saying this to insinuate I liked Bush...but I do think it's valid to point out certain historical facts.
x
AmyB deficits are not the real problem, our debt is, the interest payments on that debt is a growing problem. When S&P gave the US a negative rating it was because the US had no medium to long term solution for our debt
Bollocks...
By the economists definition our recession ended in 2009, Which means that bush had already put the brakes on. Obama was left with the cleanup, but he chose to ignore it by using his lazer focus on obamacare and wall st reform.
So AmyB, why didn't you answer bills question about who was going to pay that extra $6400 for the seniors medicare by maintaining obamas status quo?
Pat, Boston, MA Comment collapsed by the community
JoAnna, he's the President. It's his job to, as you say - "cruise the country". Nice to see SOMEONE in this country who is dignified, mature and welcomed no matter where he goes to meet with we, the people. The people he attracts as well are dignified and mature. And always smiling for their president.
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/04/19/annandale/
The Republican Party is nothing but a party of ill mannered unenlightened haters.
Pat, Boston, MA
The Republican Party is nothing but a party of ill mannered unenlightened haters.
I prefer the term ill mannered unenlightened heathens better.
I would add, it will be even MORE effective this time around, thanks to the Citizen's United ruling that came out of Roberts Kangaroo Court!
The people are beginning to WAKE UP from their collective COMA and wiping the 'wool' out of their eyes!
Where's the 24/7 'librul' MSM asking where the J O B S are like they did in the lead up to November?
*crickets*
I am beginning to see the correlation between Obama's campaigning and his dropping poll numbers.
He is out there today, the day after S &P dropped our rating from stable to negative, talking about how "hopeful" he is that congress will agree to act. On what, he does not say.
He is out there talking about how he wants to live in a "fair" country. What constitutes fair, he does not say.
He is out there berating a reporter for insisting he answer a question, (that he did not answer, by the way)- insisting that, "next time, let me finish my answer".
He is NOT out there addressing the drop in rating.
And you wonder that the majority of the country sees him as hopelessly out of touch? I find it amazing that so many liberals are still drugged by his supposed magnificence.
So that bridge collapsed because of the lack of money spent on infrastructure?
Feisty, Drive By, Bev. that was an out and out lie. That bridge collapsed due to a design flaw.
Why does you guy keep telling lies? It's kinda sad, right?
By golly guys things are getting bad. Lying about the tax code - "spending reductions in the tax code" is one thing - most people are too stupid/have never read the code to know there is no such thing. But lying about a bridge that collapsed is easily verifiable.
In fact I'm sure the next story here at FR will be a citation to the Dept. of Transportation report stating that the bridge was improperly designed, right?
You tell her Spanky, she refuses to accept reality. The bridge collapsed due to design flaws, as stated by the government transportation dept. Reminds me that if you do have flaws, your post can also be collapsed, just as Feisty has had happen twice on the same post. Now she tries for the third time.
As a side bar, I have decided to join the ecological movement and not spray dangerous chemicals onto my little hoby vineyard property. Yep, I decided to be a tree-hugger. To keep the weed population down, I have purchased five old goats - the original "weed-whackers". I just named them: Barack, Harry, Nancy, Feisty and Bev.
As I post this, I see them in the back forty grazing away, chewing the grass and happily helping Mother Earth replentish herself. Wow, back there Feisty, she wants to show Harry her set of balls, while black goat Bev is peeing on the white goat Nancy.
To Bill, Fairfax, VA and to American - the short answer is this - we do NOT have to pay the extra $6400 for seniors IF we structure dealing with medical costs correctly.
Now, with Rep. Ryan's plan, they elderly would get a VOUCHER that is supposed to cover ALL of their care for an interval. I have no problem with the voucher IF we can stop the escalating cost of Health Care. My take - it is the middleman - insurance companies - that are driving the costs upward because the providers that they are paying are getting less and less in reimbursement.
Think about it - the Doctors complain because they are seeing more patients for less money. The Hospitals/Facilities complain because the reimbursement they are getting is not enough to cove their costs.
Who is the only one left in this equation?
It makes no difference if we adopt Rep. Ryan's plan of of we adopt the 'Obamacare' plan IF we do not get a handle on the escalation of the cost.
safecracker-1205811
To keep the weed population down, I have purchased five old goats - the original "weed-whackers". I just named them: Barack, Harry, Nancy, Feisty and Bev.
As I post this, I see them in the back forty grazing away, chewing the grass and happily helping Mother Earth replentish herself. Wow, back there Feisty, she wants to show Harry her set of balls, while black goat Bev is peeing on the white goat Nancy.
Honey, you are lot sicker than I thought. You'd better stick with that protective environmental stance you claim to now possess.
You gonna need to because it looks like the chemicals have gotten to you food and water or some lead went stright tp your head.
h/t I would never come any where near you even if you are a safe-cracker. I'll bet you wear a white pointed hat and an upside down cross.
Looks like the MessNBC moderators aren't getting enough liberal talking points across so they are collapsing a bunch of the more conservative comments. MessNBC - no matter what you do you won't get 0bummer re-elected and you will never catch up to Fox - get used to it!
At what point doees this madness end? We cannot raise the debt limit until tough choices take place, Real Tough Choices that everyone must be a part of. Here are my suggestions:
Cut ALL gov't programs (with the exception of Social Security) 7% across the board. Will this be painful? Absolutely! But a lost toe from ganggrene is far better than losing one's leg.
Cut ALL foreign aid to every country in the world. We have to get our financial house in order and worry about our citizens before we concentrate on other countries.
Stop ALL corporate welfare. Tax breaks like those given to GE are disgraceful and immoral. Penalize any company outsourcing jobs overseas.
Iniatiate a windfalls profit tax on oil companies as well as companies making a fortune in the over-the- counter derivitivies markets such as ICE. Many companies such as Goldman and Morgan are long ridiculous amounts of oil contracts in a totally unregulated market, are driving oil prices higher, and are making insane amounts of money in the process. There should be position limits as well as disclosure of all participants in this market. It's pretty ironic that ICE is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia but is considered a foreign company because they bought the London Int'l. Petroleum Exchange.
Stop ALL aid to anyone in this country illegally. Have a 6 month window for those in our country illegally to become citizens, providing they have gainful employment and no criminal record. Put them on the payroll and have them pay taxes. If they fail to do so, deport them.
ELIMINATE the Bush tax cuts immediately. Raise the capital gains back to 22.5%. The majority of those in this catagory might bitch and scream, but they can easily afford this and will not deter them from making money.
Start billing ALL countries for our military presence in their country. This includes countries not at war such as Germany and South Korea.
Once our debt is eliminated, restore the 7% back to Medicare.
Ok, so when I hear liberals complain about unpaid for tax cuts for the wealthy I have to smirk; there is an obvious flaw in this language. I'm not surprised by this flaw because it is purposeful; demonize tax cuts, grow government, echo the common sentiments of the right by continuously proclaiming the unsustainability of spending more than we take in when reality what they are really trying to stress is the folly of taking in less than we can spend. It's all semantics; word play to push an agenda. I mean honestly let's think about this; what is the Federal government's source of income? That's right, income tax, the collection of which is a perfectly legitimate function of our government when done so in moderation and spent only according to our Constitution. But the key word is not "tax"... it is "income". Anyone with any small knowledge of basic financial accounting knows that an income statement is comprised of a section for income and a section for expenses, the difference of which yields net income. What liberals have done is to recharacterize a lack of income as an expense. An expense can indeed go unpaid, but a lack of additional income is just that, less income. Over the last two years, Democrats have injected steroids into the debt and deficit. Suddenly, they lose a section of the government and now they're super duper concerned... oh whatever shall we do... clearly we need to raise taxes. It's so transparent it's ridiculous. What can you do, some people will remain moronic until the day they die. I just hope they leave enough country intact for future generations. So many grown adults have become petulant children in constant need of sustenance from those who choose to exercise a maturity level consistent with their age. I pray the grown ups win this battle.
PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT NATION, THAT I CALL HOME, HEAR ME WHEN I BESEECH YOU TO VOTE FOR ME AS I RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
I have been on my campaign for 4 days now, I have no signs, no rallies, no support, NOW I'm calling out to my brothers and sisters of america, I NEED support, We the people of the United States are all tired of how our government has been treating us for quite some time, and I for one can take this deceitfulness no more!
Every 4 years we deal with the same type of people, listening to all their lies, and false promises. I'm tired of it, what we need is a real HUMAN BEING in the white house, NOT a puppet, We are all tired of putting these thieves in power, and for what? So they can raise taxes to ridiculous amounts and never give anything back, This IS NOT okay! Also, once we (the american people) elect these officials, how often do we actually know what they're doing? All we know is what the news reports say, NOT FAIR! We need to know what OUR government is doing at all times, no more midnight meetings, no more closed-door meetings, we elected these people to do a job, and so far all they've done is a great job of messing it up. You as people want "CHANGE" well how about we "change" it back to before all the lies, slandering, and HATE over political parties, before the news had to butt in and only tell the side of the party they endorse. Both sides can have good ideas, but it takes an agreement to get anything done. FAIRNESS is the name of my game, since we all saw how good HOPE and CHANGE did. Should've called it "HOAX AND CHAINS!" So remember, vote FAIR vote Ghoster0071 for 2012.
Now let's get to some issues:
Let's start off with something thats been a "hot topic" for quite sometime.
THE DEFICIT-
First of all we need to know how the deficit was created. There are many contributing factors to our current deficit, financing three wars, illegal immigration, and welfare.
FIRST TOPIC: WAR
We need to bring our troops home within the next six months, that would save us 5.4 billion dollars per week, which comes to 280.8 billion dollars a year. That alone would balance the budget and create a surplus of money to start the pay off of the national debt. Even with these number alone, however, it would still take 50 years to fully pay off this debt. This is where the immigration comes into play.
SECOND TOPIC: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
We need to stop supportting the illegal immigrants, they cost the U.S. taxpayers 100 billion dollars per year. If they want to live here the need to follow the proper steps. We cannot keep giving them, free housing, free education, free medical. They need to pay for it just as we all do. No more free handouts to them. If they want to work on the farms, so be it, but we will give them a temporary visa to work the fields. They must check back in every 30 days to get it renewed. If they fail we deport them back.
THIRD TOPIC: WELFARE
Now i understand this is a sensitive issue by nature, but it must be addressed. Welfare cost the U.S. taxpayers over 1 trillion dollars per year. So how do we fix this. One social security stays in tact no changes to this or medicare. That will cost us about 500 billion per year. The rest of the programs such as the anchor baby programs are gone. This can save us 200 billion dollars per year. We will no longer, feed them, house them, clothe them, educate them, or give them medical aide, unless they can pay for it themselves. If you can work then you will work. No more free rides on the government. I know these cuts seem harsh, but they are necessary.
So far i have saved almost 600 billion per year. With these numbers it will still take 14 years to pay off the debt.
In closing I know this is hard to swallow all at once, but these are the issues we face on a daily basis. We need to act on our Nations behalf. The times are changing and the government needs to change with the times. Less government and more freedom. Fairness is the key to success.
Obama's deficit redution approach?
SPEND SPEND SPEND
Class Warfare
Campaign
SPEND SPEND SPEND
Demonize opposition
Travel, Party Hoops
SPEND SPEND SPEND
Start a new War in Libya
SPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND
Shut down oil drilling in US and drive up gas prices
SPEND SPEND SPEND
Give speeches to Union Supporters (see SPEND SPEND SPEND)
Blame everybody else for the walking disaster that has been the Obama administration
Madison From NY
Obama's deficit redution approach?
SPEND SPEND SPEND
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/themes/chimpy/images/@!$%#edyouall.jpg
Bev. is that a website or a link to your Facebook page?
As much as I marveled at the sheer preposterousness of the will.i.am "O Bah Mah" messianic chant and music video, complete with empty-headed, unbelievably naive celebrity appearances (how embarrassing it all must seem today) during the 2008 presidential campaign, I must admit...
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" seems more appropriate for this go-round, doesn't it?
It has a certain "the band played on", "Titanic" feel to it, actually.
Spanky-
Bev. is that a website or a link to your Facebook page?
Why? I wouldn't de-friend you.
I wonder if 0blamer will ever speak to a group of adults or just to college students that don't know any better? 85% of the students that have graduated since 0bummer became POTUS have had to move home with Mom & Dad because they couldn't afford to live on their own. A good number of them won't be fooled into voting for this moron again!
People that say Oblamer or Oduma are likely to vote for Trump or Palin.
I feel I must apologize...
I didn't acknowledge the brilliance of Madison's post...I just hopped on board.
Madison...that was paralyzingly funny at first glance.
Worse yet, (for most of the American public, anyway) it was dead-on accurate...and actually, not funny at all.
We shouldn't elect a President to do what President Obama is doing.
To re-elect him would be completely irrational.
Cautiously Optimistic-3172914 - and you didn't call Bush anything but President Bush - right?? I didn't mind seeing Dubya or Shrub - its all what makes your little heart happy!
Black belt,
Some of your posts are interesting. You do not advance your cause with childish name calling.
And yes, I never called Bush names.
None of us are ever going to change anyone's mind in here into voting for the other party. You know who you are voting for or against and I know who I am voting against. I wish Hillary would run so that there might be a chance that I would have the chance of voting for 1 of 2 decent candidates. As it is I have no choice but to vote for whoever the GOP puts on the ballot. Out of respect for you - I will not be voting for 0bama! :-)
The POSOTUS will hit the road.
Let's just SPEND, SPEND,and SPEND so more, even though our country's poor.
Spending like a drunken whore, it doesn't matter anymore.
Our deficit is insanely high, but there our things we need to buy,
tensions running awfully high, but what is my share of the pie?
Our jobs are gone the're overseas, it's the stockholders we must please,
CEO's are all at ease, they feel no pain from this disease.
The world is catching up with us fast, union salaries will be a thing of the past,
Bloated pensions cannot last, repercussions will be vast.
We went from times of being needy, turned them into being greedy,
politicians are so damn seedy, we went to thin from being meaty.
Now we have to live in pain, re-adjust our lives again,
Our times of being oh so vain,
Are now a thought down memory lane.
Black Belt,
Interesting point that Hillary might be best alternative to Obama.
I too am very watchful for a replacement. I agree with most of Obama's policies, except our continued killing of Arabs. I believe our ME wars are expensive in treasure and blood. They are counter productive and they promote terrorism long-term.
But I don't see that alternative yet. I think Hillary might actually do more violence than Obama.
Seems none of us are happy with our current leadership, or the likely alternatives.
Well, the GOP just cut out job training funds, even though their plan is to require people to enroll in job training to get food stamps.
So I guess all those poor people will have to pay for the training out of their pockets to get food stamps?
"Let them eat cake." 'Cept there ain't no cake.
"Only in a fantasy capital like Washington could Sunday morning talk shows become the high church of conventional wisdom, with partisan shills treated as holy men whose gospel of prosperity always seems to boil down to lower taxes for the rich.
Poor Obama. He came to town preaching the religion of nice. But every time he bows politely, the harder the Republicans kick him.
No one's ever conquered Washington politics by constantly saying "pretty please" to the guys trying to cut your throat. "
Strong words from one of the most observant -- and respected -- commentators on the state of our nation over the past half-century, Bill Moyers. He said that in September 2009 during the health care debate. And it is still relevant today.
Wake up, people. The Republicans are doing everything they can think of to try and discredit President Obama. They said when he was elected that if Obama was able to institute the programs he was championing, it would be the death of the Republican Party as it is today.
They are becoming more and more strident, more and more obvious. And yet so many people still seem to buy into that! I know that much of the media is owned by the people who want Obama out. I know that about half of the American people do see through the Republican 'fear and smear' approach. But I really thought better of the rest of my fellow citizens. I will say, though, when they discover they have been betrayed and manipulated by those who have misled them, there will be hell to pay!
The death of the Republican party as it is today? That is a good idea. President Eisenhower wrote to his brother in 1954:
“Should any political party attempt to abolish Social Security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.”
Sadly, they have bought enough of the politicians and enough of the media that their numbers are no longer negligible. But they still are stupid. In the short run (which may be all they care about) they will accrue more money and power. But in the long run they are soiling their own nest.
I think personally I will not be voting this time around. We have two violently opposed parties but when they get up to the presidency they look remarkably similar. The only way I could see voting for someone is if they explained HOW they wanted to accomplish their goals, rather than giving vague descriptions of what they said they wanted to do. That way maybe there would be less of an "April Fools" feel to our elections.
Real American, did it bother you, as much, when Obama cut SNAP (previously food stamps) to bailout the teacher unions to the tune of 23 billion?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/10/house-approves-billion-teacher-bailout/
Pay close attention to the following paragraph....
Could you please tell me what "tax loophole", used by "multinational corporations" was closed? I would really like to know... Thank you!!
This is in response to Madison from NY:
You left out the part of starting an illegal, unfunded WAR in Ltbia. Something the left seems to still chide Bush for, even though HE had the support of Congress(Until they all voted against it, for election purposes per Lying John "# Silver Stars in 90 Days" Kerry" ) and the support of "I invented the internet" and failed plagurist/no-fact AlGore.
Now, today, Non-POTUS Obama is saying "It's very important we address the Border problem" because the 2012 pink-slip is right around the corner. For his first 3 years, Obama has had his Administration ignore the issue and sue the States that enforce the Constitution ( Art 4, Sect 4 ), and allowed the Invasion of America on OUR Soil by Armed aggressors, ie., the Illegals and Human trafficers, Drug Cartels, et al. His Administration, in a failed attemt to claim that American Arms were "walking off to Mexico after purchase here in America", has now been named in a Lawsuit against the Justice Dept. for NOT reacting to mass sales as reported by the Liscensed Gun Dealers, but, instead, only wanted to "Track" those guns to see where they ended up. Don't stop the Purchases, but instead let them go and when another Border Agent gets Murdered by one of them, IN ARIZONA, claim no knowlege of the "deal".
Obama and the left, your Chickens are coming home very fast to roost on your lies and ignoring the Constitution.
Lefties can begin the whining and crying, name calling and lableing, but the fact is there. OObama had the DOJ allow the gun sales the Dealers didn't want to do, ignored who was buying, and then went to So. America for moere "sweetheart" deals with the So American nations to keep crossing unabated. Bush did all he could to stop it until Pelosi and Reid stopped him when they gained both houses in 2006, and now, I just can't wait to hear the "For the Children and Level the Playing Field" failed arguements from the DNC and the Communists that are actively killing America without any barriers from the Government, as the Law dictates we have a Legal Obligation to stop them.
As for the Reporter, well, I can see now what happens when a reporter isn't hand picked for interviews. Obama can't handle the Pressure, and as is typical, he blames the Reporter and Press for his failure.
Town home? In Palo Alto or anywhere in CA? Not gonna happen. The audiances will be so flooded with hand picked special interests, no usable or correct info will come of them, only the parts the Left want, so they can furthur stifle the Free Speech of the RIGHT. However, we will speak in 2012, and there isn't any way to stifle that. Well, except by furthur bribes to the 9th Circuit Court in SF.
Obama still lives in a dream world of spend,tax and borrow. Now he thinks invest is not another word for spend what an idiot.Â
stormerF - And the Republicans live in a dream world of spend, borrow and give to the wealthy while at the same time taking money from the middle class to pay for their generosity to the wealthy.
Vs the republicans who spend more than they have and then cut taxes to ensure failure?
stormerF
Obama still lives in a dream world of spend,tax and borrow. Now he thinks invest is not another word for spend what an idiot.
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/themes/chimpy/images/@!$%#edyouall.jpg
Laurie - the 0bummer tax cuts that he signed in December - which used to be called the Bush tax cuts let the bottom 98% keep $330 billion of their own money. (well the 48% that paid taxes) while the top 2% who pay 40% of the tax burden got to keep an extra $70 billion of their own money. Lets go back to the Clinton tax rates for everyone and then the govt will get an extra $400 billion per year. We should also go back to the Clinton spending rates. His last budget which was delivered on time was for just under $2 trillion. Amazing that is what the IRS says that we pay in taxes right now. 0bummer has a spending problem to the tune of $3.7 trillion instead of the $2 trillion that we can afford.
Bev/Feisty have no answers to any of the country's problems. They pick out one email from one rougue Republican and try to infer that all Republicans share those views. They do not. Just because we disagree with President Obama doesn't mean we are racist and the implication is getting quite old.
As I said earlier, Bev/Feisty offer not one solution to any of our country's problems. They are filled with hate which must keep them from thinking logically.
My solution to todays problems are guarenteed to make everyone angy.
!. Repeal all tax cuts. Repeal tax credits and taxcuts for the rich, repeal all credits, including the one's for having children. The main credit is the earned income credit which somehow allows people who pay no taxes to get money back. That one must be repealed. If we are going to have shared pain, then everyone gets to share the pain.
2. Cut defense budget.
3. Cut all welfare payments, and require that everyone is required to take a drug/alcohol test every week, if they do not pass, they will not receive any welare payments what so ever.
I'm sure this will make everyone angry, that way all will share the pain of the problems our country faces now.
Janet - I like the way you think. We have a spending problem - not a revenue problem - but I am more than willing to go back to the Clinton tax rates for everyone. You are right - the race card has expired and isn't accepted anymore - kinda like no one uses Diners Club anymore!
The GOP has their whole economic theory UPSIDE DOWN and DEAD WRONG. The reason tax revenues have plummeted is NOT because America is broke. Both corporate profits and GDP are ABOVE where they were in 2007.
So why is there no tax revenue coming in? Because the money isn't going to WAGES, it's being siphoned off by the investor class. (See the chart)
When workers are paid wages, 100% of that money goes back into the economy. They pay both income taxes and payroll taxes (which account for 36% of U.S. tax revenue), and they spend the rest on goods and services right here in America.
But when the money earned for corporations by their workers is instead diverted to corporate profits and the investor class, tax revenues plummet (NOT grow, as Paul Ryan so history-blindedly predicts). Despite their vastly higher income levels, corporations' share of the tax burden is only 12% due to their vast amounts of tax writeoffs, credits and creative accounting. Both investors and corporations are more likely to move their earnings overseas (into either tax shelters or foreign investments). And foreign entities also hold a big share of the stock market, diverting corporate profits abroad before the American tax system gets a penny.
The investor class also pays an historically low tax rate of 15% on their earnings, as most are capital gains. And neither corporations nor investors pay payroll taxes, a factor which alone knocks a huge hole in the tax rolls. Even when investors do pay earned income tax rates on a portion of their income, those top tax rates are at their lowest since the 1930's. U.S. tax revenues as a percentage of GDP are far lower than many countries whose economies are recovering faster than ours.
The GOP solution? Cut off all the remaining government services that benefit the working class. Cut the top tax rate even lower. Drive wages down even further.
Then pray the fat cats grow a heretofore unseen conscience and give a little of it back.
President Obama has a whole different language when it comes to taxation.
Spending = "investment".
Tax increases = " reduce spending in the tax code". (translation from Obamaspeak: tax cuts = "spending in the tax code").
Oh my...
George Orwell would have been proud.
lol
So far, Obama has been long on talk, but short on details that can be analyzed. When we see some details, then we can make a comparison with the Republican plan.
I hope any cuts in spending are not just the same old "cuts in future spending increases" game, where he 'projects' a $10 Billion increase in spending, and then 'cuts' it to a $6 Trillion increase in spending, claiming he 'cut $4 Trillion from spending'. I also hope that all of the 'cuts' are not designed for AFTER he leaves the White House, so someone else will take the heat.
0bama will not put out a plan to compare to the Repub plan - his plan is to demagogue the Repub plan to try and win re-election. The electorate showed in Nov 2010 that it is smarter than that. That election was a referendum on the 0bama agenda which was clearly rejected. The more he talks now - the lower his ratings will go. He would be better off playing hoops and golf than campaigning.
The first thing I notice in these threads is conservatives keep repeating “broken system” and “debt crisis” as if progressives are unaware or unconcerned about deficits. EVERYONE realizes we have a debt crisis.
It's just that progressives prioritize differently. For example, the most important problems are, in this order: 1) jobs, 2) improved economy, 3) balancing the budget and 4) affordable health care system. Tax cuts, especially for the rich, aren't on the list at all. Progressives want a responsible plan to address these problems without increasing unemployment, destroying the fragile recovery, or further hurting the many Americans who are already suffering in these times.
Okay, get it? That's the difference in a nut shell. So can we all move on now?
In regard to conservative-speak, a piece of advice to progressives -- One of the many fallacious notions that conservatives embrace is that of "gateway" argumentation or fear-mongering. In other words, they take the idea of "slippery slope" to a whole new level of extrapolating pretty much everything to outrageous conclusions. Gays are going to turn the rest of us into gays, liberals are going to force everyone even men to have abortions, the social contract is really communism, you just wait and see.
While the right-wing is busy obsessing over "gateway" delusions, signing statements, or hybrid seeds, the really important issues are lost in a pile of drivel. Maybe that’s why they haven’t noticed that “Balancing the Budget” IS on progressive’s list of priorities.
Once again, however, for progressives “Balancing the Budget” means putting everything on the table, from defense spending to corporate subsidies to increasing the tax base and eventually ending Bush’s tax cuts for the rich. And until the working poor and middle class rebound, forget about placing more burdens on this group.
Class warfare never works? Maybe not for the GOP/TP who think they’re “temporarily embarrassed millionaires” or in other times when we haven’t been in this deep of doggy-doo. Look at the GINI coefficient (measure of disparity between rich and poor) which is at a record high for the U.S. and on par with China.
And this outrageous pay is often for CEO’s of failing companies, including investment bankers with huge bonuses despite being bailed-out by taxpayers (a few who should be in prison).
This was not the case for previous generations, at least not since the robber barons of the gilded age. The time of the gilded age and horrible working and living conditions is why unions were started, and why the GOP/TP Masters (Koch brother, Dick Armey, etc.) are trying to union-bust. They know that labor doesn’t have power anymore, and they want to keep it that way.
A reality check for the far-right wing-nuts -- Things have changed—A lot. The general population has enjoyed the American Dream, and aren’t likely to give it up “prosperity for all” so easily.
All the President (and Dems) need to talk about right now are these general concepts (Hope vs. Fear). They can break-out the graphs and charts later. Besides, conservatives can only grasp sound bites anyway.
Good post, True Patriot, but I think you confused them because you didn't mention how we all want to sponge off of the government. You know a real good solution would be to get us back to work and quit bickering, but that's much too simple. A divided nation is easier to control than a united one.
That's true about sponging off the government, but mostly from the right-wing. My Tea Party brother, for example has at least one daughter on food stamps, and he can't wait until his other daughter with a learning disability can start collecting disability. My Republican mother who's on Social Security and Medicare complains about not getting a COLA and having to get gap insurance through private insurance--yet she will vote Republican in 2012. I don't begrudge them these things, I just can't wrap my head around the hypocrisy of it.
BTW, that’s chicken crap about the working poor not paying taxes. Even folks collecting Unemployment Insurance will owe taxes, and in some states the elderly on Social Security pay taxes. The right-wing has got to stop getting information from the Heritage Foundation, who then supplies talking points to FOX and Hate Radio. As the Neanderthal said: “Fire good, facts good.”
Sure, we can go back to the Clinton tax rates—but not until the working poor and middle class have recovered. Why can’t conservatives grasp this?
Also, you right-wingers need to understand the difference between tax rates and the tax base. Reagan lowered tax rates, and then after realizing this was contributing to deficits, he increased the tax base. Reagan increased the tax base by eliminating loopholes and tax credits. Once again, why can’t conservatives understand this, why wouldn’t you be in favor of it?
It’s kind of like the flat tax concept, expect a progressive rate is kept in place to help preserve the middle class. Really, our biggest problem is tax evasion and discriminatory redistribution of wealth based on lifestyle/life choices. Get rid of write-offs, force people to just pay their friggin’ taxes, and the rates could be kept low for everyone.
Did that idiotic comment come straight of your progressive talking points memo??
How is allowing ANYONE, Upper, Middle, or Lower class to KEEP what they are paid by their employer TAKING from anyone else. Typical leftist trash double speak. 50% of the population pays ZERO TAXES each year, yet you want to worry about the half that actually works.
True Patriot - I was actually reading your post 3.11 with interest. You started off making some sailent points... pretty much the best points from the liberal point of view so far that actually made sense... BUT... you completely lost all your credibility when you started your name callling. I guess liberals can't help themselves. I was actually hoping for some reasonable dialogue with you but my hopes were dashed. It's hard to have dialogue when one of the parties involved exposes their hatred through their words... sorry, but I've lost all interest in what you have to say now.
While your words prove you are about as far from a patriot as humanly possible, they also prove how warped the progressive mind is.
Didn't Obama in the referenced speech blame the collapse of the MN bridge on a lack of funding, and claim that the Republican's plan would cause more of the same? Yep, he did, while ignoring the facts. The bridge he mentioned , according to the NTSB suffered from a design flaw, and was in the process of being repaired with 4 of its 6 lanes closed when it collapsed.
EVERYTHING you claim that the right does in your little rant is EXACTLY what the left does on a daily basis. You either chose not to listen, or are simply a partisan liar.
Actually, it's simple fact. Check IRS.gov. EVERYONE making less than 30,000/yr gets back more than they pay in taxes. (WELFARE)
While you are technically correct in that they PAY taxes when they are taken out of their check, you chose , again, to lie or are ignorant of the fact that they get all if not more than they paid in back.
Hey blackbelt and you other rightwingers:
You make a point of pointing out that Clinton's last budget was $2T. Yet you make NO mention that BUSH'S last budget was for $3.1T + TARP (another $750B). You ALSO fail to mention that bush last last budget had a $500B deficit BEFORE TARP ( another $750B). That's a $1.3T deficit BEFORE Obama took office! You ALSO fail to mention that in 1981 the national debt was less than $1T and at the end of bush's last budget, it was $11.9T , with bush accounting for almost $6T all by himself! ALL these numbers can be verified at the US treasury site but here are the debt figures.
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
So, just WHO has been doing all the spending???? The last 3 gop presidents signed TWENTY deficit riddled budgets that led DIRECTLY to $11T in debt! They also pushed thru huge tax cuts woth the wealthiest americans!! And guess what?? Republicans ran up all that debt DELIBERATELY---- to cause a debt crisis so they could privatize all the social entitlements!! ( called "starve the beast"
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/06/tax-cuts-republicans-starve-the-beast-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html <=== conservative republican
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10054/1037783-109.stm <=== Nobel Prize -Economics
http://www.dlc.org/print.cfm?contentid=251788 <=== Democrat
So, I asked a question about who was doing all the spending and the answer is: REAGAN/BUSH/BUSH!
You guys are intellectual frauds or you cant read. This crisis was all planned so that all the entitlement money would go to the insurance companies, bankers and Wall St. moguls who just finished crashing the economy!!! I DARE you to refute ANYTHING I said with reputable documentation!!! THIS version of the GOP is the most dangerous thing to happen to Average America since the days of the robber baron and you guys respond by playing mindless political games. Republicans spent while America burned! So, turn off Fox News and Read! You jsut CANT let this happen!!
Tom in NH - You would have a leg to stand on if Obama didn't sign the 09 budget adding $800 Billion in Stimulus and $400 Billion in Porkulus. You rail against past administrations while avoiding all the spending this administration has piled onto the debt. It's useless to point out the faults of others while dismissing the faults of your own. All your numbers and all your blame game is a joke because you REFUSE to acknowledge what a terrible president Obama is when it comes to the economy. Obama is dangerous. $4 Trillion in debt in 2 years. $1.5 Trillion in budget deficits.
Really? Try on a Civics 101 class there skippy. House passes bill, Senate approves bill, President signs bill. Most of what you say is correct and is exactly why only about 10% of the Conservatives in office at that time are still there. Try looking at the makeup of Congress during your little time frames since THEY MAKE THE LAWS. Yes, The Conservative Presidents of the time should have told them to take a hike, but during of that time Dems controlled Congress.
Tin hat much?? Although the marixsts currently in power certainly are driving us down that road. Look at the lobby money that BO and his minions took from Wall Street, Insurance Companies and Bankers (see Golman Sachs) then look at the people from those markets that he promoted.
DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With your documentation.
"Nuf said.
RealAmericansFirst - "Nuf said" about what? Are you jealous? Not making enough money? Blame yourself, not the rich people.
Ohhhh... You think that the rich people don't pay enough in taxes... So you are one of those people. What about the 50% of the population that pay 0 in taxes? I don't hear you complaining about those people. I guess you feel it's right that 50% of our population that enjoy the protection and the services of the government don't pay anything for it at all.
I don't think nuf was said.
I find it interesting that the liberal/progressives point to deficit spending under Bush when Obama and the Democrats get criticized for their deficit spending.
It is wrong no matter who does it. As someone else mentioned on here, the House creates the budget, it then goes to the senate and then on to the president. That's why there was an alleged surplus under Clinton, the republicans wrote the budget and Clinton signed it. He realized he needed to moderate his liberal/socialist beliefs to get re-elected. Thank God for that!
I think we should go with Obama and just bankrupt the country and get it overwith. We can then start over. Of course, our standard of living will be impacted, but at least we'll know what works and what doesn't. We'll have to appologize to our kids and grandkids, so let's start now.
I don't believe him anymore and his spin. Democrats the party of the average american?? Give me a break. This average american is paying more for gas, is watching the lazy get all sorts of medical attention this average WORKING american can't afford to have done, watching my tax dollars get eaten up by illegals, watching the lazy eat better and live better on ENTITLEMENTS, etc.
Democrats are the party of the lazy, illegal, and unions, they are NOT the party of the average american. Blaming the Republicans and saying it's all the fault of big business and the rich is nothing more than a spin. Even if you taxed the rich 100% you still wouldn't put a dent in our deficit. If you hit the corporations more then they'll just move over seas taking what jobs we do have left with them.
Here's an idea... Why doesn't the government stop the free spending and cut back. Obama's solution is just like me going to my boss and telling him that he doesn't pay me enough to live in the life style I want, so he has to give me a raise.
Live with in your means!!! Cut the foreign aid (most of those countries don't like us anyways), cut back on the social programs (entitlements for you lazy liberals), kick the d@mn illegals out, stop the oil wars, make GE pay some taxes, and kick the UN the hell out of our country.
That would be a start.
And you progressive liberals that are going to flame me, bring it on. I absolutely despise what you've done to this great nation.
Get a life. I am a democrat and you have never worked as hard as me on even your best day.
Sorry, not going to epeen stroke ya.
I guess posting at 1pm you're working pretty head there James, keep up the hard work!!
Alex,
Let me explain what james means.
You have never played that Video game for 20 straight hours like he has.. Or waited as long walking back and forth to the Mailbox to get the Welfare Check..
I give up. You little girls are too much for me.
Nice, when in doubt go with the name calling. Hey, you're the one that stated you work the hardest. Am I wrong?
Republicans always state. "No one works as hard as me". "No one is as patriotic as me". "No one pays any taxes except me". "No one knows whats best for the country except me". Give me a break! Anytime I hear a Republican blaming all our ills on illegals and taxes I realize they are dazed and confused because Fox News is filling their heads with spin. Read a little! You'll see we have a deficit but one that is not as large as some developed countries. You would also see all the countries with less debt than us have UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE! Yes that thing you hate so much because you have been brainwashed into thinking it is bad for you. You can't even help yourselves. How can you possibly help our country? Obama 2012.
Sorry Ana, James stated that above.
Read again, Alex was the one who insisted that democrats were the party of the lazy....I just challenged his asertion and then you had the desire to chime in.
Well James, he is correct on two of the three. Lazy? In my opinion there's lazy people not matter what party you want to tie yourself too.
annabanana - since you brought up healthcare why does obama think that vouchers for the poor are such a good thing under obamacare and such a bad thing for seniors and medicare?
James Reynolds
All that is required for the right-wing bullies to win is for good people like you to give up challenging them. Don't give up!
AnaBanana,
You would also see all the countries with less debt than us have UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE!
And if you didn't read the article yesterday, those countries people also pay about twice as much as we do in taxes. And is their healthcare any better than ours. I don't think so. It is just given to everyone.
Besides--little Denmark and it's 6 million people paying 47% in government taxes, paying $1.14 in gasoline taxes--by the liter. Heck we have it good in this country.
Universal Healthcare is just another entitlement that we don't need, considering the 2 major entitlements that we do have take up 43% of the budget.
AlexM-2364525
This average american is paying more for gas,
Well you sure can't drill your way out; stupid. Drilling today, tomorrow, next month, or next year either isn't gonna have any effect on gas prices. Act like you back has got a bone and put the blame where it should be; on the speculators.
watching the lazy get all sorts of medical attention this average WORKING american can't afford to have done, watching my tax dollars get eaten up by illegals, watching the lazy eat better and live better on ENTITLEMENTS, etc.
You can always return yours to the treasury since you feel that way.
Democrats are the party of the lazy, illegal, and unions, they are NOT the party of the average american. Blaming the Republicans and saying it's all the fault of big business and the rich is nothing more than
T-baggers are the Party of Stupidity.
And you progressive liberals that are going to flame me, bring it on. I absolutely despise what you've done to this great nation.
After that rant you just gave, it seems like your @aa is already on fire.
From everything I've ever heard, universal health care would actually reduce costs from the current system because it could be run at a much smaller margin than insurance companies make, pharmaceutical costs could be bargained for, and poor people would no longer need to resort to emergency rooms to receive primary care. Relieved of the burden to provide insurance, companies could pass enough of that savings through to employees in increased salaries to pay the additional taxes and probably still save money over what they pay now.
Why don't businesses want to reduce their costs, BigBear? What's so great about the private insurance system that you think couldn't be improved? I think almost everything about it could be improved. We should be ashamed of ourselves for letting profit motive drive something so important to our national wellbeing. The profit takers are not doing this country any service, are they? Or haven't you heard all the stories about people being denied care, even though they paid premiums for it, and being dropped just because they actually got sick and needed the care? Have you never had a personal run-in with health insurance company bureaucracy? They represent the height of arrogance, wrapped up in a rather threatening bow. They know that it is still a seller's market.
As for whether other countries are doing a better job with health care than we are, that seems to go without saying, just based on statistics, such as morbidity, that are readily available. We rank nowhere near the top in health or healthcare, for all that we spend so much more on it per capita than any other country. We aren't getting our money's worth, by any means.
The way things are going in this country, I think I might rather live in Denmark.
anna, have a nice trip, do keep in touch though.
Am you should totally take James R with you. Seems like he needs a vacation.
And gosh since he wrote those HUGE checks yesterday, he could so use a break.
But you do raise an interesting point - I think I am getting my money's worth from health care. The care we get here is amazing. I have represented many doctors over the years. The stuff they can do, and the skills they have is unmatched anywhere.
But then again I got some fine insurance. It would suck to have to rely on the government, the best example of that being the VA system.
Anna,
Been out with the kiddos, It is a beautiful day here in the mountains, temperature just above the freezing mark.
I have also heard that Universal Health Care would lower prices, but also heard it lower quality of health care also. But a government run health care system. For argument's sake, can you tell me one (1) government program that stays in the black. (For all you racist out there today, that is a financial term used to mean the business made money)
Look at the spiraling cost of Social Security/Medicaid/Medicare--all of which are going out of control. And people can't see the need for reformation. 43% of the 2010 budget went to these 2 programs. 63% of the budget went to those programs and military. What will it be like in 5 years.
I am not a huge fan of the insurance companies either. Having to deal with them is like pulling teeth. I, even a fiscally conservative person, would like to see some regulations placed on health insurance. Since our Democratic leaders & President seem to be backed by the insurance companies, I doubt that will ever happen.
Heck, when passing HCR--why didn't they put in a regulation that stated that insurance companies could not raise premiums more than 3-5% per year. Or by inflationary costs. But this year alone, many people are getting a 30% increase in insurance rates. All that has happened with HCR is the Democratic leaders are getting great kickbacks from the insurance companies because they mandated that everyone purchase insurance from "for profit" companies.
Hopefully, we won't get collapsed on this site.
Not sure about Denmark--it might be cold there.
american-2051576
annabanana - since you brought up healthcare why does obama think that vouchers for the poor are such a good thing under obamacare and such a bad thing for seniors and medicare?
Um, because its less expensive to buy insurance when you're young and the risk of illness is much lower? Wow, you should try thinking sometime.
Looks like the MessNBC moderators aren't getting enough liberal talking points across so they are collapsing a bunch of the more conservative comments. MessNBC - no matter what you do you won't get 0bummer re-elected and you will never catch up to Fox - get used to it!
Before they go taking away food stamps and Earned Income Tax Credits and low-income energy assistance and Medicaid, I suggest the GOP go ask their corporate buddies to pay their fair share.
From Senator Bernie Sanders, (I, VT):
1) Exxon Mobil made $19 billion in profits in 2009. Exxon not only paid no federal income taxes, it actually received a $156 million rebate from the IRS, according to its SEC filings.
2) Bank of America received a $1.9 billion tax refund from the IRS last year, although it made $4.4 billion in profits and received a bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department of nearly $1 trillion.
3) Over the past five years, while General Electric made $26 billion in profits in the United States, it received a $4.1 billion refund from the IRS.
4) Chevron received a $19 million refund from the IRS last year after it made $10 billion in profits in 2009.
5) Boeing, which received a $30 billion contract from the Pentagon to build 179 airborne tankers, got a $124 million refund from the IRS last year.
6) Valero Energy, the 25th largest company in America with $68 billion in sales last year received a $157 million tax refund check from the IRS and, over the past three years, it received a $134 million tax break from the oil and gas manufacturing tax deduction.
7) Goldman Sachs in 2008 only paid 1.1 percent of its income in taxes even though it earned a profit of $2.3 billion and received an almost $800 billion from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury Department.
8) Citigroup last year made more than $4 billion in profits but paid no federal income taxes. It received a $2.5 trillion bailout from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury.
9) ConocoPhillips, the fifth largest oil company in the United States, made $16 billion in profits from 2007 through 2009, but received $451 million in tax breaks through the oil and gas manufacturing deduction.
10) Over the past five years, Carnival Cruise Lines made more than $11 billion in profits, but its federal income tax rate during those years was just 1.1 percent.
And hedge fund managers for the most part ALSO don't pay taxes, because they have a loophole to call their earnings "carried interest". That income is not taxed, so they leave those earnings in their hedge fund and then take out "loans" at ridiculously-low rates of interest against their balance.
No Social Security taxes, no Medicare taxes, and no income taxes. VOILA!
And whatever pittance they DO take as income is taxed at 15%! What a deal!
(and look, black_belt - I said all that without saying "Boner" or "McDummer" even once!)
Hedge Fund Managers Pay Only A 15% Income Tax
Is anyone else angry enough to fix this sh$t yet?
Amy B.-
And...
Don't YOU give up challenging the folks who collapse other folk's posts, Amy.
You've been a warrior on this, darlin'...!
James, I thought Republicans were supposed to be mean spirited. No one has worked as hard as you?? Who do you think you are? Which proves once that a democrat is really a democ-RAT!
Two things about this thread. 1) Alex M. never answered back, which means he posted a prepared statement from the 'bagger bible, or keeps snippets of Rush and Beck handy, and 2) I notice that Steve and 3wolves are also trolling at 1:30 in the afternoon. So what's your excuses, did mommy let you 2 use the computer before naptime?
Wow,, brilliant comment,,, claim that drilling won't help, and blame the prices on speculators while calling others stupid (POT anywhere) Drilling will immediately drive the price down BECAUSE of speculators. Do you even know what speculators do, or how the market operates?
A new study by the New England Journal of Science shows that 95% of people who call others teabaggers are pedophiles or have less than a 20 IQ. Which is it?
RealAmericansFirst - No need to check in with the GOP, perhaps the campaigner-in-chief can ask his pals GE, Goldman-Sachs, and Citigroup himself to pay their part. Combined those 3 alone donated $2,195,215 to his 1st presidential campaign.
The GOP/TP has become a cult, like Jonestown, drinking the Kool-Aid.
Ben Stein says the richest 2% are Democrats. Warren Buffet and others like him are progressives. All the hippies from the 60s are running Corporate America now, like a person can’t be conscientious and successful at the same time.
It’s just more of the same propaganda, for example we know (based on statistics) that Republicans have been the tax and spend party; we know that Republicans do not keep Americans safer, not to mention--"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die." ~Jean-Paul Sartre ...'Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich." - Peter Ustinov
I agree with AnnaBanna -- Conservatives are self-righteous. In fact, Stephen Cobert’s show is based on this, wrapping himself in the flag and using other symbolism like the eagle—making fun of this very thing. Truth is funny.
About health care, there’s a major difference about Medicare in comparison to Universal, single-payer, or just HCR insurance reform… The elderly are the most expensive to insure. As such it would further devastate HCR if this group was added to the general population “pool” AND if forced to get individual (they don’t get group benefits through and employer) private insurance, they would be rejected and/or couldn’t possibly afford it. We as a society must subsidize this group, and having the non-profit government administer it is the best we can do.
Oh, and about the elected woman who sent the racist Email out… No, she’s not rogue--she just got busted. The KKK, neo-Nazi groups, etc. are not in the Democrat tent—they are right-wing organizations. Like AAA, the first step is to own up, and then a little self reflection, etc.
Here's what the real socialists are saying....
Obama campaigns for austerity
19 April 2011
President Obama is on a campaign-style tour to promote his plan to slash trillions of dollars in social spending over the next decade. After a stop in northern Virginia today, Obama will speak at events in California and Nevada, including a “Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity” town hall meeting on Wednesday at the San Francisco-area headquarters of Facebook.
The trip follows the agreement reached with congressional Republicans earlier this month to slash $38.5 billion from the fiscal 2011 budget, which the White House boasted was the “largest one-year reduction in discretionary spending in US history.” This was followed by the president’s April 13 speech outlining his plan to cut $4 trillion from the federal deficit over the next 12 years.
The tour is designed to promote the myth that there is a groundswell of popular support for deficit reduction, when what really concerns tens of millions of Americans is the lack of jobs, rising gas and food prices, and the attack on public education, health care and other vital social programs in virtually every state and city.
In a cynical effort to bolster the president’s lagging poll numbers and boost his prospects for reelection next year, the White House is presenting its draconian cuts as a reasonable and “humane” alternative to the proposal by the House Republicans to slash $4 trillion from the deficit by wiping out Medicare and Medicaid and gutting food stamps and other longstanding social programs. “While I think their goal is worthy,” Obama said in his weekend address, “I believe their vision is wrong for America.”
Unlike the Republicans, Obama told an audience in Chicago last week, the Democrats believe “fiscal discipline” and “living within our means” is compatible with the “idea that we’re all in this together, that we look out for one another; that I am my brother’s keeper…”
Acknowledging the anger over his rightwing policies, he continued, “I know there are times where some of you have felt frustrated because we’ve had to compromise with the Republicans on some issues.” While he had agreed last December—when the Democrats still controlled the lame-duck Congress—to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, this time, he promised, he would not renew them when they expired in 2012.
This lie only shows Obama’s contempt for the intelligence of the American people....
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/apr2011/pers-a19.shtml
Isn't that nice, Obama and the boys on the hill want to cut the deficit. The amount we spend more than we take in. So we will just keep spending more then we actually have until the whole f#cking thing collapses.......Great plan Dem's and Reps. We cut the deficit.......buying champagne on a beer pocketbook.
Odumbo long range plans in 2006. Campaign 2 years, take a 2 year vacation and then campaign for 2 more years. If he wins reelection, 4 more years of vacation! Pssst, odumbo, your speech you said you were tired of seeing homeless people on the side of the road. Hey bud, your reckless spending has put many there. I also believe your brother is homeless. How can you fix a country when you can't fix your family. You made 1.7 million last year and can't spare a dime for your own brother! Shameful!!!! Also I heard you took the evil Bush tax cuts on your return! You are 7 times a rich person according to your $250,000 limit. Do you really need to take the evil Bush tax breaks???
Well they better come together because if we don't raise that debt ceiling it's going to cause major havoc in our financial system. It will take compromise on both sides of the isle, some taxes will have to go up and spending will have to come down. You can't do one without the other.
Retired Navy,
Taxes don't have to come up for revenue to raise. The deductions and the loopholes have to end to raise revenue.
As I stated on another blog--the President did show his tax returns yesterday.
A couple of wonderful things that need to be considered. While "rich" the President only paid 27% into the federal government, as opposed to the "36%" bracket that he should fall into--seeing he believes that the top 2%--which he belongs to--should pay more in taxes.
The President was able to make $245,000 worth of charitable deductions--14% of his earnings--and was able to write off $22,000 in foreign tax credits. That in tax dollars--was about $80,000 total--that we know of--that got written off. That is 2 teachers in the real world.
Just imagine if everyone who made $1.7 million dollars had to pay that extra $80 K--Just 100,000 federal income tax forms like that--Well that alone is $8 BILLION dollars--didn't have to raise the tax rate--(I did this at 30%--I rounded up, easier for my middle class brain:)
Big Bear,
Good point, but I think what people fail to mention is that his housing, food and transportation is all free too. There's benefits he gets, which is fine, so in reality he made more than 1.7 million and only paid 27%? Can't see why Liberals are not up in arms, but he is Obama though.
3wolves, didn't obamacare try sneaking in a requirement for businesses to report on the employess W-2 the amount the company paid towards health insurance? Seems like a precursor for the IRS to consider that as reportable earned income.
American,
Exactly, why is the IRS involved? Why would health care be reportable?
BigBear,
Although I'm no longer an Obama fan, I have to disagree that taking away charitable tax deductions would be a good thing. Charitable deductions are someone saying "I'd rather spend this money than give it to the government to spend for me". We want to encourage this kind of behavior. When people give out of their own pocket they become attached to the cause. There a lot of positives to charitable giving and I never want to see that tax deduction go away.
Bigbear, you do realize we have a marginal tax rate system in this country, right? No one is going to pay 36% of their income, but rather 36% of the income past a certain level. It would be much more reasonable to compare what his household would be taxed without any deductions (except for maybe the standard deduction) versus what he actually paid. There is a difference for sure, but the amount they paid is not insignificant.
You got it Ron. According to obamas debt reduction plan 1.0 obama wants to limit charitable deductions for the wealthy.
http://cedartownstd.com/view/full_story/11387354/article-Obama-unveils--3-73-trillion-dollar-budget-for-2012?instance=home_news_1st_left
Our history is full of examples at both the national and local level of how the rich gave back with no government coercion.
What about the mortgage interest deduction?
Ron,
It isn't that I totally hate charitable deductions, but 14% of one's earnings. That seems a little excessive. I guess Warren Buffet pays less than his administrative assistant because he gives 50% of his earnings to charities. I don't know the true answer.
But I am willing to figure out solutions that are good for everyone.
Limit charitable deductions to 6%, bring in a flat tax rate, close the loopholes, & what about a foreign tax credit--the President made $22,000 extra dollars overseas that got credited--didn't have to pay taxes on. In some small way--isn't that sending American jobs overseas? or did he have an American book seller go overseas and sell all those books?
Jason,
I know we have a progressive tax system. But isn't our President, even today, going around the country saying the "rich" need to pay more. Isn't our President that said in the 2008 elections, that anyone making $250K was "rich". He wants the wealthiest to pay a higher tax rate, 3% more than before the Bush Tax Cuts--up to 39%--yet he actually paid 27% of his "rich" income into federal taxes. I just don't see how the lefty liberals can handle that double standard. Or is it just me?
Only 2% of Americans make over $250k a year taxable income.
So, yeah, that's rich compared to the other 98% of us.
And the top tax rate in the 1950's was 91%. Except for 1952 and 1953, when it was 92%.
Quit whining about 39% - that's still the lowest top since the 1930's.
You ignorant fool. Read the tax code from the 1950's, then report back. Simpletons should be caned when the speak.
4 Trillion deeper in debt since Obama was elected. Yeah, that's change all right...
so you're arguing the debt started to be a problem 2 1/2 years ago? Tell me, does the sun come up in your world?
Most of the gains the economy has incurred over the last 30-40 years has gone to the upper 2% of earners. I have seen estimates from 67% - 80% of the gains went to this group of rich folk. When you look at the downside, or losses to the economy during the last 2 years the same group of rich folk only suffered about 47% of the loss.
Obviously this sucks. We cannot allow the rich to get most of the benefit during the good economic periods while the rest of us suffer the lions share of the losses during the bad economic periods.
The rich and the corporations that make them rich are sitting on trillions of dollars that should be spent on much needed economic advances in our nation. We have to pry the money from their greedy little fingers and get the cash into the hands of folks hungry enough to do something productive with it. Our rich are rather pathetic at this point in history.
The money they are sitting on is theirs and theirs alone. It isn't greedy to keep what has been earned. If you have something of value (a service or a good) that these corporations are looking for, they will buy it. Your entire argument seems to be based on the premise that wealth/income originates with government and not the people. You are wrong.
When the rich and the corporations pay less tax than I do, I don't think you can say they earned it. You might say they lobbied for it or purchased it but surely you don't believe they earned it. if you so think, you are wrong.
Ok, so tax the rich 100% and drive up the taxes on the corporations...
Now tell me exactly what good you have done to this country.
You get the money out of the hands of hoarders and into the hands of the hungry who can do something productive with the money.
Ok, the rich are broke and the corporations have moved over seas with the jobs.
It's a catch 22.
It's a problem, I'll agree, but taxing them isn't the solution (not that I know what the solution is).
James, WOW!! Lenin would be so proud of you. A real American fanatic. You really have a bad case of "Spread the Wealth". Did you ever think about earning money instead of just taking it? Is that purely a DNC thing? Just take the money?
I think the point is, we need to get the money out of the corporations hands. The corporations are not creating any jobs and are not paying any taxes, why are we bowing down to them. they are not even worthy of American labor. I think they would do just fine using the overseas slave labor they desire.
There needs to be a benefit for the corporation to creating the jobs here. They are a business, and they have one purpose, to make money. If they don't do it here, they'll do it somewhere else, that's just the harsh reality.
Gary, get real. The rich are maintaining more than their justifiable share of American wealth by owning the government. When I pay a higher effective tax rate than a wealthy man it is a pretty good bet that rich man will only get richer as my income is transferred to him. What is the deal that income other than labor is taxed at a lower rate than labor?
I agree with that Alex, that is true for any business. Where is the demand for the business going to come from if the rich are tying up all the money and not putting it into motion. I know of individuals who would spend that money to get things moving. The rich are like a bad case of constipation as far as the economy goes.
James, who are you to say "the rich didn't earn" their wealth? Have you followed every rich man's life, taking notes of how they got there? If you did, by all means please share your information proving that every "rich" person didn't earn their wealth. Also, I'd like to see your proof showing where the rest of the country EARNED their share of the said "rich man's" wealth, by schools attended, work they've done, sacrifices made, etc.
Your argument about the taxes is lame. Which corporation pays less taxes than you do? I'm not talking about percentages, I'm talking about dollar amounts. Please show me your facts that corporations and "rich" people pay less dollars in taxes than you do.
TM, you are a very defensive fellow....fine. The rich do not do work in the sense that items are moved. The rich use others to do work. Are you going to say this is not the case?
Didn't GE pay 0 in taxes and then even received rebates on top of that? I have read in numerous places that 60% of corporations pay zero in taxes. I think you are being delusional if you think the rich pay their fair share. How big a portion of the economy do you think the wealthy should sit on?
James Reynolds: "We have to pry the money from their greedy little fingers and get the cash into the hands of folks hungry..."
And you lefties say the Tea Party is crazy?!?!
Put down Mao's little red book and take a nap Jim, you've completely lost it today./p>
But you are right about GE, shortly after they paid no taxes Obama hired their CEO Jeff Immelt to be his senior financial advisor. Now do you see how the dems are looking out for the little guy??
The rich did not get into the position of being able to hire people to do the work, without working themselves to that point. It seems like people simply don't understand that concept. Sure, there are few out there that are born into it, but the majority of these wealthy individuals worked their way up a ladder to get there, but the rest of America wants a piece of that pie without putting in the sacrifice of their own.
As far as GE goes...
http://www.gereports.com/setting-the-record-straight-ge-and-taxes/?kmed=ppc
You failed to answer my questions. Why am I not surprised.
TM, the top 2% pay an average effective rate of 16.8%. I paid 21%.
TM, you are great at generalizations. There is no one I know that thinks the rich should be deprived of their fair share. The issue is that they are sitting on the money needed to get the economy back on track. When investment income is taxed much less than earned income, things are not right in the tax code. if anything, the investment income should be taxed at a higher rate....just my opinion. For the rich to think their money is somehow sacred and should be protected from the tax man is corrupt BS. Just pay your taxes, there is no defense for the level of greed displayed by the slovenly top 2%. Why are the corporations only contributing about 6% of the revenue to the nation when not too many years ago they were at more like 20%? They make more money now but pay less taxes? Seems fair to no one!
James,
You need to find yourself a few more deductions and write-offs then. As long as our current tax codes stay the same, those with, will pay a lower percentage, yet more dollars, while those without, will pay a higher percentage, yet less in dollars.
James, I specifically said dollar amounts, not percentages. Equate your percentages into dollars and let's talk.
You still haven't explained why you think that the rest of America has a right to take the "rich man's" wealth. To be honest, most of America doesn't want to take from them, they want the opportunity to earn it on their own and spend it how the INDIVIDUAL deems fit, not the government. After all, it is THEIR money that THEY earned.
I take your point BigBear....if the tax code stays the same it is unfair. I do choose to just pay my taxes as they come rather than fret about them and design my life around them....but that is just me.
The entire point or thesis of my argument is that the tax code is written by the wealthy for the wealthy and it does not need to be that way. My second point is that due to the crooked tax code the rich are sitting on the trillions our nation needs to invest to get us going again.
James - Without private sector businesses and workers where is the revenue going to come from to pay government workers and fund government programs.
Why not translate those percentages you claim and apply them to the incomes reported to the IRS. Bet that 16% you claim the wealthy pays is a whole lot more than your 21%.
Check out the following link (based on IRS) on who pays the most in collected taxes.
http://www.ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html
I hear you TM. You want to maintain a tax system by where those that have most pay less percentage-wise than those who have less. No matter what that is pretty sweet for those that have much isn't it? It guarantees not only that the rich maintain their riches but that their share increases through time.
I'm just sad people think it is fair.
James, you are putting words in my mouth, I never said that's the system I want. I never said anything about my thoughts on how taxation should be handled.
I was arguing that you don't pay more taxes than the rich and corporations. You pay a higher percentage, but you don't pay more money. There is a HUGE difference. You said I was delusional, but frankly, I think you are the one having trouble seeing the truth.
And you STILL have not answered my question on why the government should be entitled to take even more from the wealthy.
TM-689440
In the past twenty five years, white males without a high school diploma have seen their wages drop 12%. A big reason for this is dwindling power of the unions, who fought for higher wages and benefits for their members.
The average salary of all Americans has fallen to $33,000 from the average of $33,400 twenty years ago, while the salaries of those making over $350.000, 1% of the population, has risen 33 per cent. Chief executive pay has risen from $2.82 million to $11.8 million.
I think you will agree, the wealthiest are not getting more raises passed on their financial genius, considering we just skirted a Depression.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/16/news/economy/middle_class/index.htm
It is a question of fairness in the tax code TM and I have addressed that in detail. Your beliefs are not even realizable in your own head. You can't believe that the rich are getting an advantage by paying a decreased percentage of their income over what an average tax payers ponies up. I still think you are delusional. The rich should pay, at least, the same percentage in taxes as I do. The government should ensure that the rich pay at least the same percentage as the middle class.
If you believe that my paying a higher percentage in taxes than the top 2% is indicative of a fair tax code then there is not much value in conversing about taxes with you.
Amy,
Have you ever thought that these folks might need to get an education to survive. Heck, who wants to hire someone without a High School Diploma? Do you really want someone building your vehicle that couldn't get a simple education? I can't believe that over 25 years, their wages dropped just 12%, I would have thought that it would be a higher percentage. I guess they are lucky we have a minimum wage in this country.
Big Bear
Funny you mention the minimum wage. The Maine legislature is considering setting a "training wage" which would be lower than the minimum wage, for teenagers, and changing the limits of how late they can work from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock.
Seems we need to get more productivity out of these white, unskilled males if we are ever hope to lower the deficit. C'mon, McDonald's workers, work harder for less!
Amy,
I would think that federal programs out weigh the state--McCulloch v Maryland--the first one. I believe--am I correct Anna Molly?
Therefore, I don't think that a law like that would be constitutional.
If there were no federal minimum wage, would the 12% be higher for uneducated white males? And can the same thing be said about uneducated males of other skin colors? What is their percentage of drop in wages? Or like others on this blog--Are You Racist against White Males?:) (only joking on last statement)
James, I keep seeing "fair share." What exactly is the "fair share" you believe the wealthy should pay?
You also indicate that corporations and the low tax rates they pay contribute little to the nation.
Conoco Phillips employs 33,800 people, Exxon Mobil employs 83,600, AT&T has 267,720 employees, Bank America 286,951 and Walmart employs 2,100,000. 5 companies helping support the livelihoods of close to 3 million people. That counts for something, doesn't it?
Candace,
Regardless of how many employees a corporation has, if they are skirting the US tax laws by excessive deductions written at their request by lawmakers in their pocket, then no, that doesn't count for something. If corporations were required to pay a minimum percentage, regardless of deductions (maybe 10%), our tax revenues would be in much better financial condition. This in turn would help improve the deficit, which is destroying the US. Just my humble opinion.
Republican committee members shows an image posed like a family portrait, of chimpanzee parents and child, with Obama's face superimposed on the young chimp. Text beneath the picture reads, "Now you know why no birth certificate."
This is the real GOP/Tea Party! How sicking! I guess this is a new low in racism! We get it you Hate President Obama and minorities!
Here are my thoughts from yesterday on that Tommy:
There has been much back & forth with certain posters who lean to the right accusing other posters who lean to the left of playing the 'race' card!
Imagine my surprise when I came across this litle 'item' over the weekend:
Republicans seem to have a really, really narrow idea of what constitutes racism -- which is how they're able to claim that the Tea Parties aren't riddled with racism throughout.
But then little stories like this one from Orange County keep bubbling up to the surface of their fetid little Tea Party cesspool:
As always, the "sweet little old lady" who sent the mail had no idea that anyone might possibly construe the mail as racist, even though comparing black people to various kinds of apes has always been a stock feature of racist denigration in America. Why, some of her best friends are black!
When in doubt, play the 'I have black friend's card! Works like a charm every time or so they imagine!
Tell me again WHAT the point was to tie Chimpanzee's to President Obama's birth certificate?
All the repudiation in the world ain't gonna change a thing!!!
Tommy this only cements in many minds that the GOP/TPers are racists at heart even taking into account their vehement claims to the contrary. All this birther stuff, and tougher requirements for voter registration, the "I want my country back" mantra, a rise in secession rhetoric and a glorification of the rebels of the Civil War??, is evidence enough of an hysterical racist tantrum coming from the right inhabiting the Republican Party. It's a shame ignorance is so rampant still in this country.
Tommy please spin this some more. One person represents the whole party? Kind of limited thinking on your part, but whatever. I guess we can judge all Democrats by the Code Pink protest?
Yep, one person speaks for millions.... I see your logic. I guess all Democrats are anti-Caucasian and anti-American since La Raza talks about taking the white politicians out and taking over our country.
I follow you, I get your logic....
I'm not stupid enough to believe it though.
You people are too funny for words! You forget the liberal racism.
AlexM: To argue with those who cry "racist" at every turn is to waste one's time.
Tommy, you are so correct. This is the REAL GOP/Tea Party. They think it's funny and then wonder, when they are asked to resign, what they did wrong.
It's just a joke, they say.
How could anyone joke about something like that? I just can't understand how they can spend their lives doing things like this. I just can't fathom it. They used to joke about Jews in Germany in the 1930's. You know what today is? Today is the date in which the Nazi's began dismantling the Warsaw Ghetto. This is what results from hate. Just like the KKK here in this country, which resulted in lynchings. As Keith O. said last night, not doing lynchings doesn't save you from NOT being a racist.
On April 19, 1943, Waffen SS attacks Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Shortly after the German invasion of Poland, in September 1939, nearly 400,000 Polish Jews were confined to a 3.5-square-mile area that normally housed about 250,000. The "ghetto" was sealed off with a 10-foot-high wall. Anyone caught leaving was shot on sight. As if this weren't bad enough, the Nazis strictly controlled the amount of food that was brought into the ghetto, forcing Jews to live on a bowl of soup a day. By July 1942, about 80,000 Jews had died.
On April 19, 1943, Passover, Himmler sent more than 2,000 Waffen SS soldiers to combat the Jewish resistance. German tanks, howitzers, machine guns, and flamethrowers were met with Jewish pistols, rifles, homemade grenades, and Molotov cocktails. The Jews were able to fend off the German assault for 28 days. Finally, SS General Jurgen Stroop set the entire ghetto block, now reduced to an area 1,000 yards by 300 yards, on fire and blew up the synagogue. By May, 56,065 Jews were dead.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/warsaw-ghetto-uprising-put-down
WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS DOING WITH THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE ISSUE IS RACIST. YOU GET IT MEDIA?
navyvet98 - The racism we see now is coming from one side and one side only.....it's ugly and it's old. Most of these people are still fighting the "war" and I mean the Civil War. They forgot they lost that battle but their old ideas and values hang on. You seem to be the one that doesn't see the handwriting on the wall with these people....Partriots? Hardly! 2 steps removed from the KKK? Probably.
To defend racism is racist.
Really Pat, how is that racist? Comparing Nazi Germany with Trump? Don't see it, sorry
3Wolves, I'm highlighting what becomes of hate. And Trump is catering to the haters in this country who despise the fact that an AA is our President. He is no better than those who hated the Jews back in the 1930's Germany. Who blamed the Jews for all their ills.
Hate is hate. It's just the victims of this hate who change. Right now it's the President. And Trump is exploiting this for all it's worth. He's just another white entitled privileged jerk who has found someone to blame, someone the haters can get angry over for their own miserable dismal lives and decisions.
It's the same old story.
Good History lesson Pat,
But, I want to know, have you ever disliked someone because of the way the dressed, smelled, looked like, or any other thing.
Bigotry is Bigotry--and I believe we have all been bigots at one time in our lives. And probably still are.
I don't like everyone--I can admit that. Do I listen to bigoted jokes, yes--especially from folks a lot older than myself--because they lived in a different place and time.
Do I tell and listen to "Blonde" jokes? Yes--but does it make me a bigot towards blondes--well not all blondes. (Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory--was throwing away all the "W's") Just love that one:)
Is it wrong to impose people's faces on monkeys--yes. Does that make every person from the same political party a racist? No
Is Donald Trump worth voting for? I say NO, but others think its cute.
Are all "teabaggers"--a sexual connotation--gun slinging, beer drinking, woman beating, individuals? NO,
Just like not all Liberals are not lazy, government subsidized, rose colored glassed, idiots.
Like 95% of all people are good hard working individuals--it's the 5% of the trouble makers that cause the rules for the other 95%. Too many extremist make the news, while the rest just sit back and watch.
Well Pat, you're correct hate is hate right? What about those two Brits that got killed in Florida? Hate? What did Trump say that was considered hate? Asking for something? I'm still confused how a man that had a White Mother and a Black Father is African American? Did the ethnic race changed and if it did, when did it?
There's haters in all races and if you think theres not then you have blinders on.
Laurie I think you are being a bit narrow minded yourself. I abhor bigotry or racism of any kind but to call out all Republican's as racist is a stretch. I agree with Big Bear. Extremist views exist on both sides and the problem is we keep giving them a voice by the news playing it up.
3Wolves, what is the point in Trump asking for a birth certificate? Who the hell does he think he is, questioning the President's place of birth? He's trying to get the TP crowd to support him. The SAME TP crowd who made the most despicable signs imaginable regarding yes, RACE.
When is your party going to grow the hell up? The GOP is one big circus. Who own the problems this country has had to deal with for the past 10 years.
But hey, I didn't vote for them. The TP did. They're as dumb today as they were in 2000.
BB: The only TP I am aware of are racists. Horrible horrible people.
And you can't compare racism with blonde jokes.
Now Pat,
You don't think those Black Panthers in Philly during the last election were racist?
And dang it Pat--I thought I did a good job comparing blonde jokes with racism. That hurts:)
How about this one.
A Redhead and Blonde jump off a bridge at the same time--Who lands first?--Redhead, Blonde had to stop and ask for directions:)
Pat,
My party? I don't belong to a party. Let him ask away, so what. You seem to forget that the President works for the people, he has to answer to the people. He's not a King now is he? I should be allowed to ask him anything I want and so should you. Now what signs are you talking about? Because there was signs about other Presidents too. You might want to open your eyes because if you think this country was getting better since 2007, you're fooling yourself. A little bit of trivia for you, who spent more money than any other President and for the bonus question, what did it get us?
Pat from your posts I can ascertain that all you see is racism with ALL people that: A) Disagree with you politically B) Disagree with Obama C) Agree with the principlie that Americans are paying too much tax D) Are conservative..... Did I miss anything?
soaz, disagree with this President or any Democratic politician all you want. We're a democracy. Cut out with the racism. Everybody.
Racism is the last straw for those without a real intelligent argument. Trump should know better.
_____________________________________________
Think Progress:
The Wall Street Journal reports today that Corporate America certainly isn’t doing its part to help bring America out of its economic malaise. The paper surveyed employment data by some of the nation’s largest corporations — General Electric, Caterpillar, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Chevron, Cisco, Intel, Stanley Works, Merck, United Technologies, and Oracle — and found that they cut their workforces by 2.9 million people over the last decade while hiring 2.4 million people overseas.
Another question asked of the executives found that the top reason for companies to outsource was to “reduce operating costs” (46 percent of respondents). Only 12 percent of respondents said their reason for outsourcing was “access to world class capabilities.” This means companies are outsourcing to save themselves money, not make better products.
Unfortunately, for some of these companies, sending American jobs overseas isn’t enough. They also want to bring the profits back into the United States with as little tax liability as possible. Cisco Systems, which had 26 percent of its workforce abroad at the start of the decade but 46 percent of its workforce abroad by the end, is currently involved in a lobbying campaign titled “Win America” calling for a tax repatriation holiday that would let big corporations “bring money they have stashed overseas back to the U.S. at a dramatically lower tax rate.” A similar tax break in 2004 actually increased the amount of money companies store overseas.
Sent by BB: You don't think those Black Panthers in Philly during the last election were racist?
_________________________________
Why do you suppose the BPanthers even exist? Do you know why? It's stories like this below that break my heart. It's stories like this below that should wake this country up to what Trump and his ilk are doing. Trump is not one to be admired, respected nor listened to. He's a con man. Using racists to get himself attention by pushing the Birth Certificate issue.
October/2008
Brandon McClelland, 24, was dragged to death beneath a truck driven by two white men in Paris, Texas last month. McClelland was black. The site of his death is about 200 miles from the location where James Byrd was murdered in a similar manner ten years ago.
Tommy, et al. - why not check out past newspaper publications for satire and comical derisive images of past presidents. Nothing new way back when and it sure won't be new in the future. Might have something to do with the 1st amendment.
Pat - get real, every day we have rapes, muggings, burglaries, assaults, thefts and murders. Do you expect us to believe that these tragic occurances are due to politicians or wannabes?
Pat Boston, That story is a tragedy but to say that is why the Black Panther's exist is a bit of a stretch. I don't think we should belong to the two wrongs make a right club.
Pat,
Was in the area for both of those. Especially the first one. Down in Jasper, TX. A place less than an hour from the home of the Texas KKK. Now, even those folks are more Redneck than I will ever be. I have seen their lifestyle first hand. I don't like it, but I don't put everyone in the same category based on their political beliefs, their skin color, or anything else.
I remember my sophomore year of high school. We were down in that area playing a football game. We were an integrated school, they were not. On the hill across from the football stadium, burned a cross, the second one I had seen in my lifetime. Scared the heck out of most of us. We kicked their butts in the game, but the fights during the game were incredible. Heck the other team didn't attack our black players, they attacked the white ones. I different era.
But the original Black Panthers were around many years prior to either of those attacks. There were other attacks, both groups are wrong in their protesting. (BP & KKK) But the Black Panthers, KKK, and other groups like that are all racist. I don't care which side of the political aisle you are on.
“A bare majority of Republicans, 52 percent, believe that President Obama was born in the U.S., with 43 percent saying that he was born elsewhere,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
American, get real? Who? Me? Or these 43% Republicans who wouldn't know the truth if you handed it to them on a silver platter.
This is beyond pathetic here in this country.
Liberals play the race card every time they get beat in the arena of ideas - which is all the time. This admin has done more to divide this country since George Wallace and Robert Byrd 1/2 a century ago. The race card has expired - its not taken anymore by the Independents and Repubs. You will have to find a new way to demonize the opposition.
So, Obama announces his budget and the S and P lowers the US credit rating? His plan can't be that bad can it? Or, maybe it is that bad?
How sad! Not one of you stated that the picture was appalling! So I can just state from your answers that you approve!
How sad. Tha article is about Obama selling his budget, and you cannot focus on Obama's budget plan because it is so bad that the S&P downgraded our credit rating when the Obama plan came out.
S&P according to the Wallstreet Journal Today downgraded our Credit Rating because of the "Gridlock" in Washington over the budget. However, the S&P and Moody's are the same 2 credit agencies that gve Wallstreet a Pass and Outstanding Credit Ratings when they knew the junk noted, mortgage, etc they were selling weren't worth the paper they were written on. So their rating is tad amount to irrevelant.
Because the S&P & Moodys failed to provide proper credit ratings on Mortgages and Hedge Fund activity many would say they have absolutely no credibility
Bottom line that downgrade had nothing to do with the President's budget more to do with the Republicans playing games with our "Credit Globally"
Tommy,
If you look at a statement of mine above--even though I am not the biggest fan of our President--I stated that it was wrong to do that.
Also provided a blonde joke.
Mr. President Stop It, Paul Ryan's Plan Will "End Medicare" Not "Change Medicare Care" Even The Wallstreet Journal Is Honest About The Republicans Plan For Medicare. Tell the American People the truth, you are making us Very Nervous by refusing to Say Medicare Will END" period. WSJ also changed the Yearly Voucher For Seniors From $15,000 to $8,000 in a 3 day period.
Wallstreet Journal
Wednesday April 13, 2011 “Review & Outlook” “Paul Ryan & His Critics’ said the following:
“The Premium Subsidy For Seniors To Choose From A List Of Regulated Private Health Plans-would start at $15,000 a Year and increase annually.
Then Wallstreet Journal
Saturday April 16, 2011
“GOP Gambles On Budget Plan” WSJ said this
“In his most dramatic proposal Mr. Ryan’s plan would “END Medicare’ Benefit Guarantee in favor of having Seniors Choose among Private Health Plans.
The U.S. would “Subsidize the Premium Payments With An Average Payment Starting At $8,000,
That Subsidy wouldn’t be guaranteed to keep pace with the rate of Health Care Inflation leaving “Beneficiaries Potentially to Face Growing Out-Of Pocket Costs”
Finally we get the truth,
One day in the Hospital is significantly more than either the $, 8,000 or $15,000 Yearly Subsidy that Ryan and the Republicans plan to give to our Seniors
Any Senior that’s been hospitalized or not knows that their “Medical Bills” are significantly more than these two amounts.
Prescription Drugs well Seniors once again are on their own.
Here’s what the Media or anyone is asking
What Specific Private Insurance Companies have Guaranteed that they will take our Seniors?
What are their Exceptions, Limitations, Non-Covered Charges & Non-Covered Riders will be placed on these Seniors and for what Medical Conditions?
Exactly what benefits will be covered or partially covered, and at what dollar amount.
Tell the American people the exact Price Difference, the Benefit Difference that the Private Insurance Companies are guaranteeing.
What types of Illnesses will these Private Insurance Companies “Not Accept”?
Since the WJS specifically states
“That Subsidy wouldn’t be Guaranteed to keep pace with the rate of Health Care Inflation leaving
“Beneficiaries” Potentially to Face Growing Out-Of Pocket Costs”
Finally, for those age 54 and under will the Federal Goverment Give Them Back Every Cent They Paid into the Medicare System for the past 34-40 years With Interest!
How can the Republicans even pass a bill that is THEFT. Medicare is paid for By The American Peopole its Mandatory, period, what give them the right to Steal from the American People yet they take from the Oldest, Poorest, Disabled, Middleclass and "Transfer" those same funds to the Rich & Corporations
The Budget Has Not Changed, Republicans Keep Transferring the Money from Point A to Point B & Point ; Point A The American Tax Payers and Point B The Rich & Point C Corporations!
Mr. President if you want to sell us something sell us the "TRUTH"
Sell us that you are going to Stand up and not only Say No To Social Security Cuts but to Medicare Cuts
Sell us that you and the Dems will stop folding you have neogiated enough, time to hold the Republicans accountable. You talk about Shared Sacrifice, yet you keep piling on the Old, The SIck Old People, The Poor, & The Middle Class..........................................
Poor June,
Afraid of losing your government subsidies?
Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, are government programs, entitlements given to people by the our representatives. Our Democratic representatives that controlled congress and the white house during their years of birth. Those programs either need to be reformed or eliminated to save the financial state of this nation. They consume 43% of our budget today, and will only expand that consumption as the baby boomers retire.
I prefer reformation of the programs, but if eliminated I can live with that also. Hope you can too.
BigBear62 - A lot of people can't live with the system we have already:
Do you care? Or will you just go along with making it worse?
Honestly how can you label entire groups for the actions of a few.
How about the nutcase that opened fire on the congress woman. He appeared to be a democrat according to what his friends knew of his political beliefs and the literature found at his living quarters. I guess all democrats want to kill politicians and innocent people?
How about Holder dropping the DoJ lawsuit against the Panthers for voter intimidation that was caught on camera... I guess that all Democrats are anti-white?
What about La Raza and their anti-white/anti-american propaganda, I guess all Democrats are like that?
What about the voter fixing/intimidation in Nevada for Reid last year. I guess all Democrats commit voter fraud?
There is nothing right about the Obama letter (even though I despise him), there is nothing right about any racism no matter what party. But to put all the blame on one party is ignorant beyond belief since both parties are no different than the other with having those off their rockers.
Really, You mean Obama hits the Campaign Trial AGAIN!
3WolvesandaMoon
Big Bear,
Good point, but I think what people fail to mention is that his housing, food and transportation is all free too. There's benefits he gets, which is fine, so in reality he made more than 1.7 million and only paid 27%?
At least he paid his taxes,
Can't see why Liberals are not up in arms,but he is Obama though.
Yes he is Barack Husseien Obama, President of the USA.
We don't expect our presidents to live in a shack no matter the party; bigot.
Yes Bev?
So Bev, you're ok with Obama only paying 27%? Is that want you're saying? Yes, he paid his taxes, no issues there, but how can you liberals say, "tax the rich"? Obama says Middle Class is 250K and below right? So why isn't he paying 39.6%? You don't have to answer because you don't have an answer.
Obama lives on our dime and if you can read what I said, I said "fine", as for the name calling though, you're one classy old lady.
Hey, 3Wolves: NOBODY pays at their bracket level-that's the problem. It's called the Effective Tax Rate: the rate that people actually pay, regardless of their bracket. And Americans pay less than almost any other industrial country. That's a fact that's easy to find.
After a decade of war, a gigantic new federal entitlement (Medicare drug benefit), a big new cabinet department (Homeland Security), and tax cut after tax cut (40% of the stimulus was tax cuts), I agree with Reagan's budget director David Stockman-everybody should go back to the rates under Clinton. You, me, and everybody else. That would really make a difference to the long-term deficit. What we bought, we need to pay for. Or are you "conservatives" really just freeloaders?
JoAnnaSmith1
Obama, the epitome of the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" President, just doesn't seem to have the ability to face reality.
The man just does not get it.
Surely, you don't expect the President to be a troll like you; did you?
But George W Bush gets it and he's happy.
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/themes/chimpy/images/@!$%#edyouall.jpg
 
"It was the first stop on a campaign-like swing..." No MSNBS, it is a campaign....it's all he knows how to do. I'm just amazed so many people are still buying into his same old same old.
I'm amazed the R's haven't come up with anything new--he's done too much--no wait, he's not doing enough---bomb Libya, no wait, oh, he did that...wait...did I say bomb Libya?--Do something! Wait! Taxes? hell no!" He's talking too much...wait, he's not talking at all!"
Same ol' same ol'...trickle down economics...race hatred...culture wars....class warfare....birther morons...this is why the Presodent will get a second term. The R's can't even float a decent candidate.
Yes, still buying into the Same Old Same Old Republican Near Depression even after the Collapse of our Economy, Americans brought them back and look at the mischief they are causing, Jobs is not on the agenda as Promised. Some cried about jobs yet once elected, it's faded from memory
And what president said he'd focus like a laser beam on jobs June? That would be Obama, and what has he focused on? Campaiging. Keep believing in your hope and change. I believe in my hard work and self reliance, in saving money for the future and preparing accordingly. And at the end of the day let's see who's better off. You might believe in Yes we can, I believe in Yes I can!
Obama must have got his talking points from the GOP again. I am sure that it will start with the words "we need to comprise" you know the rest, he will follow the GOP budget word for word. You know bipartism the word he uses when he has decided to side with the GOP. Seniors you better hold on to you a$$ because the GOP is going to take you social security, medicare, medicade and votes can't stop it. We have states enforcing martial law and taking over the government of their cities and communities government's. The GOP has been able to get some states to pass a law that would allow child labor laws to be eliminated. The GOP has also be able to get some governors to eleminate minimun wages laws. The power of the GOP governors is amazing. State laws now supersede federal laws, and their representives can refuse to follow Supreme Court dicision, if they don't pass state muster. In my state they have eliminated the reading suspects their rights after arrest.
Last week I thought maybe maybe Mr President was going to make the repugnicans own what they are. But already again with the bipartisan pipe dream. Rejoice all you sheeple, he's gonna cave again. Why in the world do you gripe?? He gives your hateful repugnicans everything they want.
And
Why do repugnicans hate seniors.??
human, congratulation for pointing out how you fell for the DNC talking points hook line and sinker, without even reading the Ryan proposal. Care to buy some swamp land?
AlexM - We get it that you hate President Obama, and maybe you dislike all minorities! We have election to remove people we disagree with, but the name calling and racist pictures are mostly coming from one side! Instead of being part of the problem why don't you be part of the solution!! Stop voting for Hate!
Tommy, you care to talk about the budget issues?
I'm an independent who thinks that at this time the Democrats (politicians) are the greater of two evils. As an independent I have the freedom to vote as my beliefs tell me, not what my party tells me. At this time I personally feel that we've had two terrible presidents in a row, Bush and Obama. Both were/are out for their own personal agendas, they aren't out for what's good for the country.
Currently Obama is catering strong left since he's announced that he's running for a second term, which means he's putting his campaign above what's good for this country. Anything we hear from him from now on is going to be a spin for more votes, not him actually addressing what needs to be done and what he's going to do about it.
Sadly I fell for this spin when he ran before and I voted for him, something I heavily regret. Regrettably, it's looking like this election is going to be just like the last election, not a single decent representative that I would vote for.
I don't dislike minorities, I'm not racist. The only people I don't like in this country are illegal aliens, and that is race/culture neutral. The name calling and racist pictures aren't just coming from the right. There's been plenty of name calling from the left, and I'm sure if we dig enough there are racist pictures from the left also.
I'll stop voting for hate by not voting for Obama for a second term. He's about as anti-american as you can get considering he's gone against everything this country used to stand for. The only problem that leaves me with is.... who the hell am I going to be able to vote for since the right doesn't have a decent candidate!
We need an Independent candidate!
Alex - what we really need is a president that believes in America, regardless of political party affiliation. I find it hard to believe that obama goes out of his way to inflame the right.
BTW - off topic, as an independent do you get calls from both parties prior to elections on who to support?
AlexM,
As an American you have the right to vote for whomever you choose, whether or not you belong to a political party or not. Once inside the booth, the vote is yours, and yours alone.
Vote your conscience!!!
as Tom in California would say "TO VOTE"
American,
I don't think he's going out of his way to inflame them, but he's definitely campaigning against them at the moment.
I don't get any calls since I don't have a land line. I've found my evenings much quieter just having a cell :)
I don't care if he gets a deal with the GOP or not he needs to force them to deal with him and the DEMOCRATS . he has more power than they do . the DEMs have 2/3 of the power and the GOP has 1/3 Boehner acts like he has more than the president to which I say bullsh-- . the President don't have to deal with him he has to deal with the President or there is no deal . I say STAND UP MR> PRESIDENT AND SHOW THEM WHO IS THE BOSS >
under no conditions do you bargain with the HOUSE . you don't have to . The tea Baggers are telling Boehner what to do .
President Obama understands the crises facing this country far better than most of the GOP wannabees and certainly better than the GOP/TP legislators. The President has a serious plan. Despite what is reported about Ryan's plan having details--take a look at it, Ryan uses "fuzzy math", and the whole thing is a sting within a sting. Ryan's plan sells middle class republicans down the river along with independents and democrats and provides big, cushy tax cuts to 2% of the population and asking for the rest of us (regardless of party affiliation) to subsidize another 10% in tax cuts for Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Paris Hilton, Jamie Dimon, Donald Trump, etc..
President Obama also understands that the only thing the GOP is serious about is the 2012 election. Why is Congress on another two-week break? Stands to reason if Congress isn't doing anything, then the President is right to also hold town halls and meet voters, give speeches--that's what legislators are doing,too.
If the GOP was serious about the deficit and the debt, why don't they cut military spending instead of increasing it--why focus on social security, medicare and medicaid when defense spending eats up as much budget as those three combined? Why don't they fix health care reform instead of demonizing it, why don't they listen to Alan Greenspan, right and left economists, Jamie Dimon and Warren Bufffet and raise taxes?
The President realizes that closing tax loopholes and eliminating tax breaks will do more than all the budget cutting the GOP has proposed yet the GOP refuses to discuss those oil subsidies and tax breaks for businesses which ship jobs overseas. The President can do none of those things unless Congress provides the legislation for him to sign. What better way to convince Congress to get off the dime and do what is right--go directly to the people and sell it. Change happens from the bottom up, not top down.
Judy, LOL. You have got to be kidding? Please say your not serious.
What you think Obama is worried about. Sure isn't the deficit. Get your head out of your a-- and be smarter than a 5th grader.
You must not of been in the military. Do not cut the Military budget. There are the ones fighting for your freedom stupid Bit--
Gary: don't worry about it. It's either a 'robo' response or she's one of the 'paid' lib bloggers. If you notice how stilted the writing is, it's usually a hint. The use of "President Obama" or sometimes "Mr. Obama".....etc. these are not-for-real people......
So you say obama has a plan. Yep he says his plan will cut 4 trillion from the deficit by the end of the decade, but what he forgets to mention is the fact that the national debit will continue to rise to over 20 trillion in the same time. His health care will bankrupt the country; he has no social security plan & all he wants to do is raise the taxes on the rich, who by the way already pay 97% of all taxes collected in this country.
Gary must get paid on the number of people's names mentioned as he covers.
Jody - if what you say is true...
Why did he say he took a "shellacking" in the nov 2010 election? His words sweety.
Why did he create a bipartisan debt reduction panel and then ignore it by proposing a $1.1 trillion cut plan with his FY 2012 budget proposal?
After he waited for ryan to submit a written proposal for a FY 2012 and cuts in excess of $5 trillion, obama presented a new $4 trillion plan via rhetoric, not numbers and promptly dismissed ryans plan as an attack on the poor and elderly.
Gotta give obama credit though, he did cut $500 billion from medicare, bet the seniors loved that!
It is fascinating that obama is now trying to play catch up with the republicans on the debt/deficit issue. That is the definition of an effectiveleader isn't it. To follow behind while others cut the path. Good thing real leaders like Dr King chose to be out front.
Jody, Iowa,
Better check your facts dawg.
According to the 2010 budget report--found in Wikipedia,
Social Security--20% of the budget
Medicare/Medicaid--23% of the budget
Military--20% of the budget.
Military spending does not use up as much as the other 3 combined, actually is 1/2 of the other 3 combined.
Problem is--63% of our budget is based on 3 programs. And we wonder why roads are bad. Maybe we should reform the entire government--vote them all out and start again.
Jody Seriously the GOP is only interested in 2012, who is already campaiging for 2012, President Obama.
Anna Molly Did you read my last text on Hill last night. Once again my apologies.
Birther issue was started by a democrat lawyer, same one who started the truther garbage. Most republicans have already called the birther issue nonsense, in fact most don't even talk about it.Trump going for ratings. If the did a study most would be interested to know that there are probably a good amount of dems and independents who believe the birther garbage.
Interesting news Plane carrying Mrs Obama almost bought the farm in a mid air. Controller mistake maybe taking naps daytime now. I wonder how the media will spin this one.
Jody, Sure the President has a serious plan. A govt control plan for the economy of the country. You Dems are squirming now that your control economy can get off the ground.
Like everything Obama and other Presidents have said. Reducing the deficit. Obama need to stop monkeying around. Reduce the Federal employees pay to the private sector. Freeze all pay raises, bonuses and ranks. There is alot of savings in that area. For get reducing military pay until they freeze their pay. Forget Obama Care. Do not leave a child behind in education and don't leave the elderly on the streets that their are planning to do. The are cutting back on the wrong things
What's his plan? Status quo and higher taxes? That wont work. It has been tried and has failed. It is called Europe.
... well played ...
Meanwhile, with the country broke and citizens paying through the nose for energy, the Obama Administration finds $ 2 Billion for oil drilling for Brazil and the US Import/Export Bank just announced more than $3 Billion for new oil refinery capacity, . . . in Columbia.
IRS data showes that in 2008, the top 5 percent of earners -- households earning more than $160,000 -- accounted for about 59 percent of all federal income tax paid. The next 45 percent -- solidly middle-class taxpayers earning between $33,000 and $160,000 -- account for about 39 percent of all personal income tax paid.
Hopefully any further speechs will be less partisan. As an Independent Conservative I would have thought a better approach might have started something like this.
" In front of me today is Representative Paul Ryan. He has presented his sides version for reducing the deficit, and although I have some strong reservations about it, I am looking forward to sit down with Paul, and others of his party to try and understand better their point of view. At the same time I want them to see where I am coming from, and listen to how I think we can hopefully come together to find a solution which combines the best of both plans."
"In good faith I believe our parties can work this out."
Attacking the others position and him by name while asking him to sit in the front row of your speech does President Obama no favor. Instead it shows him as a calculating partisan, and seeks to destroy good faith efforts at working things out together.
Welcome to Stagflation. Gee, it really is Jimmy Carters second term. First high unemployment and now inflation. Inflation., using the reporting methodologies in place before 1980, hit an annual rate of 9.6 percent in February. http://www.cnbc.com/id/42551209
Look, you cannot tax or cut your way out of the deficit. You must grow the economy.
How to grow jobs, energy, the economy, remain competitive, and eliminate the deficit:
1. Legislatively remove the anti-trust exemption for insurance, The McCarran-Ferguson Act. Then Repeal Obamacare as unnecessary.
2.. Legislatively restrict the wetlands definition of "navigable waters of the United States" in the Clean Water Act.
3. Fund and begin construction of power generation and water supply projects necessary to meet future population and industrial demands.
4. Remove all geographic restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling, and use the power of federal money transfers to the States to prevent States and local governments from interfering with drilling.
5.. Remove environmental restrictions and environmental and social impact requirements for all infrastructure and utility construction for the next 10 years.
6.Cut Federal budget by 10% excluding defense, starting with those duplicative items identified in the 3/1/11 GAO report and Presidents Debt Commission, however, maintain current spending for infrastructure construction, repair and upgrade for the next 5 years. Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act.
7. Reduce corporate tax rates by 50%. Reduce Corporate tax rates by 70% on private utilities and transport companies.
8. Reinstitute significant tax and assistance payments for residential and commercial alternative energy instillations, particularly focusing on residential solar. Use Commerce Clause to force all electrical utilities to be reverse metering.
9. Subsidies the further development of electric and hybrid electric cars. Provide significant tax breaks and incentives for the purchase of same, particularly when combined with the purchase of a residential solar instillation within two years of one another. This is no longer a simple market issue, but one of national security as the time to substitution is longer than the economy can withstand when confronted with a supply side shock
10. Eliminate the Ethanol subsidy for any and all processes using foodstuffs. Redirect monies to nuclear and coal. Streamline regulation of new construction of nuclear power plants and provide incentives for same. Open Yucca Mountain as originally agreed.
11. Eliminate any power of the EPA to regulate Carbon.
12. Use the power of the Federal purse to eviscerate Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005) and Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 535 U.S. 302 (2002),
13. Repeal the Community Reinvestment Act.
14. Hold congressional investigations into the roll of the Community Reinvestment Act, Freddie and Fannie in inflating demand and thus prices resulting in the collapse of the real estate market.
15. Build a wall embedded with sensors and toped with razor wire along both our borders, beginning with the southern one. In the name of national security remove all environmental restrictions and environmental and social impact requirements for the construction of same.
16 Pass legislation that all jurisdictions receiving federal monies of any sort are required to enforce all of the laws of the land, including enforcement of federal immigration laws.
17. Restrict the collective bargaining power of State civil service unions in line with the 1978 Federal Civil Service Reform Act
18. Scrap the tax code and adopt a flat-tax that will build the size of the pie (and thus tax revenues) for everyone instead of the Obama class warfare of trying to redistribute a shrinking one.
19. Revisit New York Times v. Sullivan and remove the "actual malice" requirement to improve the quality, objectivity and accuracy of media reporting,
Great except for #9 - electric cars are a waste.
The Chevy dolt - I could not make my round-trip to/from work in one (54m total).
Among 20 of the world’s wealthiest countries, America now has:
* the highest poverty rate, both generally and for children;
* the greatest inequality of incomes;
* the smallest amount of government spending (as a percentage of GDP) on social programs for the disadvantaged;
* the lowest number of paid holidays, annual leave days and maternity leave days;
* the lowest score on the UN’s index of material well-being of children;
* the worst score on the UN’s gender inequality index;
* the lowest social mobility (i.e. in America, more members of the lower and middle class remain stuck in that class than ever before);
* the highest public and private expenditure on health care (as a portion of GDP), and yet accompanied by:
- the highest infant mortality rate
- the greatest prevalence of mental health problems
- the highest obesity rate
- the largest percentage of people going without health care due to cost
- the greatest number of low birth weight children per capita
- the greatest consumption of anti-depressants per capita
- the shortest life expectancy at birth (except for Portugal);
- the largest amount of carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption per capita;
- the lowest score on the World Economic Forums Environmental Performance Index and the largest Ecological Footprint per capita (except for Belgium);
- the highest rate of failing to ratify international agreements;
- the lowest amount of spending on international development and humanitarian assistance as a percentage of GDP;
- the largest amount of military spending as a portion of GDP;
- the largest amount of international arms sales;
- the largest negative balance of payments (except New Zealand, Spain and Portugal);
- the lowest scores for student performance in math (except for Portugal and Italy) (and far down from the top in both science and reading);
- the highest high school drop out rate (except for Spain).
The GOP plan is to roll that snowball to hell. Let's see, how much of a chance does that give us?