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Subscribe to RSSThe town hall heat is on… Who wins the political debate over the Ryan budget depends on how the debate is defined… Panetta to DOD, Petraeus to CIA -- and the upside and downside for Obama… Scoring cheap political points on gas prices (2008 vs. 2011)… How low can Donald Trump go?... Trump’s in New Hampshire today… The 2012 issue terrain… Prosser- Kloppenburg recount begins in WI… And Obama tapes “Oprah” and then hits DNC events in NYC.
From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The heat is on: After Republicans and conservative groups drew blood in those 2009 congressional town-hall meetings over health care, you knew that Democrats and liberals would try to do same after House Republicans passed a budget that included phasing out Medicare. As NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reported on “Nightly News” last night, GOP Rep. Paul Ryan -- the architect of that budget plan -- faced heat from his Wisconsin constituents. “You are a good man, you're an intelligent man but you are not looking out for me," a retired teacher told Ryan. Said another attendee: "My concern is that my 48-year-old son is not going to have Medicare." In Florida, Rep. Daniel Webster (R), who beat liberal Alan Grayson (D) last fall, had to deal with angry outbursts at his town hall. (WFTV has the footage.) And also in Florida, the New York Times reports on GOP Rep. Allen West’s own town hall. “[S]ome of his constituents began on a chaotic note, with audience members quickly on their feet, some heckling him and others loudly defending him. ‘You’re not going to intimidate me,’ Mr. West said.”
*** Who wins? Who wins this political debate will largely depend on how the debate is defined. If it’s about the budget deficit, Republicans win or at least minimize the damage. According to the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, 44% say they think President Obama’s budget plan is better, while 43% think Ryan’s is, and respondents give congressional Republicans the advantage in dealing with the budget deficit. As Ryan told O’Donnell,” I sleep very soundly knowing what I'm trying to do is help fix this country's problems." But if the debate is about changes to Medicare and Medicaid, then Democrats win. Per our February NBC/WSJ poll, a whopping 76% said significant cuts to Medicare were unacceptable as a way to reduce the budget deficit.
*** Panetta to Defense, Petraeus to CIA: NBC’s Savannah Guthrie confirms the long-anticipated changes to President Obama’s national security team. He is nominating CIA Director Leon Panetta to succeed retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates; he has picked Gen. David Petraeus to replace Panetta at the CIA; and he will nominate former Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker will become the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. Guthrie has more: The president called Panetta Monday to offer him the job, and Panetta accepted Tuesday. The idea for Panetta to go to DOD originated with Gates months ago, and Gates lobbied for Panetta to take the job. Panetta, Guthrie adds, was reluctant to leave CIA, but it was clear the White House never had any serious candidate other than Panetta.
*** The upside and downside for Obama: These moves also do these two things: 1) They FULLY shut the door on Petraeus 2012, and 2) they place a political bureaucrat (and we mean that as a compliment) in charge of DOD. Panetta is essentially similar to a Democratic version of Gates – someone who has bipartisan respect and also knows how the town’s machinery works. And he's also "fully formed" a la Gates, meaning Panetta won't care if he makes folks mad on Capitol Hill and on K Street during what's going to be a tumultuous budget reform process within the walls of the Pentagon. Remember, Panetta is a former budget director, he knows numbers too. The downside for Obama: The moves take Gates out of the Afghanistan discussion publicly and politically. After all, there's going to be a point where the president is going to need a Petraeus to sign off and provide bipartisan cover when the withdrawal begins. And with Petraeus at Langley, he's not going to have the direct contact with the public and the uniformed chiefs to have the same clout as he has now. All of these appointments will fly through confirmation.
*** Scoring cheap political points on gas prices -- 2008 vs. 2011: In the spring/summer of 2008, remember when then-candidate Obama avoided scoring cheap political points with gas prices -- as both Hillary and McCain advocated a gas-tax holiday (which would have taken money away from the Highway Trust Fund)? In the end, Obama won that debate, and gas prices disappeared as an ’08 issue. But now the White House is trying to score cheap political points after House Speaker John Boehner suggested he’d be willing to eliminate oil subsidies. Of course, you can’t blame the White House for wanting to take advantage of Boehner’s misstep. But this is as much a stunt as what we saw in 2008…But it's born out of political necessity. Gas prices are serving as a HUGE drag on public pessimism in general, not just the president's approval rating.
*** How low can you go? First, he raised doubts about whether President Obama was born in the United States. Then he accused him of not writing his best-selling "Dreams from My Father." And now he's charging that the nation's first African-American president (and Harvard's first Law Review president) of not deserving to get into Ivy League schools. What's next? A "your mama" insult? The question is no longer whether Donald Trump has disqualified himself from being a serious presidential candidate (because he has, a long time ago). Instead, it's whether he's staining the GOP by association. How much longer can serious Republicans stay silent as Trump -- who visits New Hampshire today -- hijacks this whole process? Simply put, what Trump is doing is the equivalent of a GOP presidential candidate in 1995 campaigning on the Vince Foster rumors, or a candidate in 1968 suggesting that LBJ was connected to the Kennedy assassination. It is crazy conspiracy talk that has gone mainstream. And while Republicans quietly dismiss Trump as a sideshow, they aren't saying a lot publicly. What are they afraid of?
*** The 2012 issue terrain: The day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, you knew that the 2004 presidential election would be fought over national security. (It's why Republicans chose New York as their convention city, and why Democrats picked John Kerry.) In 2007-2008, with Bush exiting the White House, you knew it would be a "change" election. (Which is why Obama was able to beat Hillary, and why the maverick McCain won the GOP nod.) Yet with more than 550 days until Election Day 2012, it's safe to say we don't know what kind of presidential election it will be.
*** The different narratives: Mitt Romney is hoping it will be a referendum on the economy. But what if the U.S. economy continues to add hundreds of thousands of private-sector jobs per month? And what if gas prices begin to fall in the summer? President Obama is hoping for more jobs and lower gas prices, as well as a resolution to the situation in Libya, so he can campaign on a message of stability. But what if things get worse? Tim Pawlenty is hoping that this February and March becomes a GOP referendum on Romney, and that November 2012 becomes a referendum on Obama. Bottom line: As we pointed out earlier this week, a year and a half from now is a LONG time. The C.W. says it's going to be about the economy. But remember, at this point in the 2008 cycle, the C.W. was convinced foreign policy would be AS important as the economy.
*** Recount begins in Wisconsin: The recount to determine the winner of Wisconsin's Supreme Court race between conservative incumbent David Prosser (who is ahead) and liberal JoAnne Kloppenburg kicks off this morning, NBC’s Jason Seher reports. The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, the body that rules on all election matters in Wisconsin, ordered the start of the massive recount after approving Kloppenburg's request last week. The recount will not be conducted by the GAB, but by the 72 county clerks spread across the state. While county clerks only have until Monday May 9 to finish counting the 1.5 million ballots, the GAB will monitor progress in each county and, by the middle of next week, file for extensions for specific counties if the recount is taking longer than anticipated.
*** The O’s: President Obama and the first lady head to Chicago today to tape an episode for the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Afterward, he travels to New York City to hit three DNC events.
*** On the 2012 trail: Cain delivers a speech to Americans for Tax Reform in DC… Gingrich already spoke at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in DC… And Santorum remains in Iowa.
Countdown to NY-26 special election: 27 days
Countdown to Iowa GOP straw poll: 107 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 195 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 285 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up
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For several months I have been cautioning people about the GOP/TP and there drive to change voter registration laws in over 22 GOP/TP controlled States. They have tried to cloak this in “Voter Fraud” claiming that we have a major voter fraud problem which is another outright lie from the right. There is no massive voter fraud at all. Just like they tried to use the fiscal problems of this country to pass DRACONIAN Spending Cuts and then turn around and take the majority of the savings and give it to corporations and the richest 2% in the form of huge tax cuts. This is the same bait and switch tactic just a different target.
In Florida as reported on the Rachael Maddow show last night the State is trying to fast track a law that will all but outlaw “Voter Registration Drives” Why, because new voters typically vote along democratic lines. The GOP/TP knows their current fascist agenda is loosing steam and they cannot win on their lack of ideas to help this country so they are going to rig the elections.
In the 2008 election “Our President” carried Florida by a 51% to 48% over McCain. The democrat’s voter registration drives outpaced the republicans two to one registering 660,000 new voters more.
First Time voters went 59% for President Obama and 40% for McCain – a 19% margin
This Law is aimed at a very select group of people, namely the lower income, students, certain race and ethnic minority groups, the elderly and disabled. These are people that traditionally vote democrat, look at the numbers;
1. Low Income voters went 66% for President Obama 33% for McCain
2. Young voters went 60% for President Obama and 39% for McCain
3. Latino voters went 57% for President Obama and 42% for McCain
4. Black voters went 96% for President Obama and 4% for McCain
This is not about Voter Fraud by a long shot. It is an outright attack on trying to disenfranchise millions of United States Citizens from voting in 2012 and the future. This is an attack trying to take away our Constitutional Right for an open and fair election process FREE from outside interference. Not only is the GOP/TP trying to tell their employees how to vote, they are backing it up with taking your right to vote away from you.
The GOP/TP is denying millions of US Citizens their constitutional right to vote and they claim to support the constitution, BS. FASCISM here we come, we are now on the train and arriving soon. People this is “Class Warfare” designed to destroy the middle class.
This party is against your right to vote, they are against the rights of gays, women and people of color, they are against the rights of unions, they are against education, medical research, teachers, fire fighters, law enforcement, etc, etc. The list is a long on. But they do support Wall Street over Main Street, Big Business over Small Business and the millionaires and billionaires that have paid for the elections and bought their votes.
I’m really enjoying laughing at the major whining and complaining campaign from lefty liberals about the evil “big oil subsidies” of $4 billion per year. To put that number in perspective, it’s less than one days’ deficit spending in Barry’s current federal budget. But, the part that I find most entertaining is that the vast majority of lefty liberals haven’t got the first clue as to what these “subsidies” are, how they work, and what the logic is behind their inclusion in the tax code. To all those “I think for myself” lefty liberals it’s just another talking point they been told to repeat endlessly. I happen to know what they are, how they work, and why they are in the tax code because I have owned oil and gas company investments over the years and did my own research before investing. Can any of the FR lefty liberals illuminate FR as to what they are, how they work, and what the logic is behind their inclusion in the tax code??
Bonus points question: Do you really think that these companies will just let this $4 billion evaporate into thin air, or do you think they will just increase prices a few cents a gallon to make it all back?? In the end, only the ultimate consumer pays taxes because it’s all built into the price charged by the evil corporations.
Good morning US Navy Disabled Veteran - Retired
For several months I have been cautioning people about the GOP/TP and there drive to change voter registration laws in over 22 GOP/TP controlled States.
Navy this is very assiduous on your pehalf to remind American of the GOP/TP's plan. I can not thank you enough.
I told you all a long time ago this was their Master Plan.
What a great way to start the day off and Prez released birth certificate. fanatisic
The GOP/TP Circus:
Observing the Republican Party is a lot like watching a circus. There are plenty of elephants and a clown with bad hair shouting, Obama was born in Kenya! (Talking about you Donald.) Then there are the pretty ladies, winking, smiling, holding Tea Party signs, and distracting the Grand Old Party males. (Looking at you Sarah and Michele.) And of course, the flip-flopping ring-master, Mitt Romney who "forgot" we are currently engaged in two wars.
But seriously, there is widespread dissatisfaction with the current field of GOP/TP candidates. The RNC chairman, Reince Priebus, was the latest top GOP/TP official to say so. He said that other Republicans will be "compelled" to run. Priebus did not say who these Republicans might be, but the NRC chairman is in a position to know.
His comment rules out some potential second-tier candidates like Huntsman, Gingrich and Daniels. In their own way these three candidates carry a lot of baggage. Huntsman has worked in the Obama administration. Gingrich has had affairs and dumped his first wife. And Daniels, as Bush 43's Director of Budget, spent considerable money and didn't come close to balancing the budget.
So what Republican is out there who could be encouraged to run? Someone who would be "blessed" by the Tea Party is a criteria. Yesterday Ron Paul announced he is forming an exploratory to become a candidate. He has a pretty decent group of followers and some in the Tea Party would support him. He is a possibility, but at age 77, probably not.
Priebus is a close friend of fellow Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan. Would Ryan make the big jump into national politics? Democrats would love that, but I don't think so. Paul is having trouble explaining the Ryan budget to his own constituents.
So who might the chairman of the RNC be urging to run? Jeb Bush is my dark horse pick to come out of the GOP/TP stable. The question becomes, is the country ready for yet another Bush?
Well, the day lefty liberals have been waiting for finally arrived. Yesterday, the planet’s biggest pompous a$$, Keith Olbermann, announced the details of his brand new show on some cable channel no one’s ever heard of. Unfortunately he will be up against beloved Larry O’Donnell. Yeah, you can DVR one and watch it later, but, if you count Cerk (sic) Yugar, there will now be six hours of prime time lefty liberal drivel on every week night. That hardly leaves time to study thinkprogress and mediamatters.
You can also tell his creative juices have been really flowing since he left MSDNC. His brand new show has a clever, catchy, new name: “Countdown with Keith Olbermann”.
WTF?!?!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pat Buchanan is nothing but a follower. Whatever crap the right wingers are willing to throw out there, you can depend on Buchanan to repeat it, with zero back up. His performance yesterday was horrendous. The manner in which these so-called “men” are going after President Obama is disguised racism. No one wants to say it. But it is. Not everyone in this country wants to hear the other side. There is no other side except lies, and more lies from these white over the hill racists. America can do better. If it wants to. Why must we be subjected to this?
I HATE calling anyone a racist. But enough is enough. Where are the responsible producers of these programs? Are there any?
Salon:
Leaving aside the fact that Obama, who went on to graduate Harvard Law magna cum laude, seems like he was probably a very good student, Mr. Trump might need a refresher course in how unqualified people actually do manage to get into the prestigious Ivy League Universities .
Let us take, as an example, the story of a student so obviously unqualified, so transparently unworthy, that a book was written about what his admittance into Harvard said about the sorry behavior of supposedly elite colleges.
That student -- that dull, below-average student who somehow made his way into Harvard -- was Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Kushner's father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, bought Jared his Harvard acceptance. It cost him $2.5 million. (Kushner later went to jail for tax evasion and witness tampering, so it was also, technically, dirty money that bought Trump's daughter's husband's entry into the Ivy League.)
Wall Street Journal education writer Daniel Golden's book "The Price of Admission" explores the Kushner donation at length. An official at Kushner's (expensive, private) high school told the author: "There was no way anybody in . . . the school thought he would on the merits get into Harvard. His GPA did not warrant it, his SAT scores did not warrant it. We thought, for sure, there was no way this was going to happen."
But it did.
_________________________________________________
New York, NY, April 27, 2011—Ninety percent of American families living above the federal poverty level will be able to afford health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report by Jonathan Gruber and Ian Perry of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The report finds that new subsidies available through health insurance exchanges established under the law will make premiums affordable for most families. But the authors also warn that high out-of-pocket costs will likely mean some families will still be unable to afford health-related expenses.
“The Affordable Care Act is very good news for millions of Americans who are struggling to afford health care, going without health insurance, or skipping the care they need because they can’t afford it,” said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. “The new law makes health insurance and health care affordable for nearly all families, and introduces delivery system reforms that have the potential to greatly improve quality and efficiency. If implemented well, new entities like accountable care organizations may bring even greater savings and affordability than this report predicts.”
http://blackwaterdog.wordpress.com/
The Path To Sanity & GOP/T-Bagger Party Dreamin
The GOP/ T Baggers are ‘taking the whole country hostage’. But Republicans are facing the backlash at townhalls.
Republican Majority House Speaker and official town crier Boehner said -- Paul Ryan has an idea that’s certainly worthy of consideration in terms of how do we — how do we do this in a more efficient way?” .
“I’m for it,” Boehner continued. “It’s our idea. Right? It’s Paul’s idea. Other people have other ideas. I’m not wedded to one single idea, but I think it’s — we have a plan.”
Let’s get serious now. At first it was a PLAN now it’s an IDEA. Really now?? Wasn’t it not long ago that 235 members of House Speaker John Boehner’s caucus voted to make the Paul Ryan “path to prosperity” budget plan their own.
Yes, it was.
Our elected crier has mad a insane proclamation.
US Navy, Republicans in this country won't be happy until we have an out and out dictatorship. And their sheep are more than willing to comply.
Pat: Excellent reporting.
And you are right on...Pat Buchanan is a racist. I refuse to watch him.
Excellent point Navy!
Now that it's getting tougher to STEAL an election, they're shifting to voter suppression!
ConservativeVille - Land of the CHEATERS and Home of the AFRAID!
WTF?!?!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You think THAT'S funny? The ol' birth certificate is coming out. Watch the ding-dongs ramp up the garbage on here TODAY! Between that , and the new flavor at the town halls, I'd find a bunker to hide out in!!
Very true. This is exactly the path the GOP/TP has us on as they see it as the only way to get back into the White House and the he!! with the rest of the country. They cannot win on their current ideology, so they are going to try and stack the deck any way they can. This is about as repugnant as a party can get. They definitely are not following true American ideology. Not by a long shot.
Excellent post, US Navy. While rebels across the middle east fight for the simple right to choose their elected officials, the GOP/TP fights to make voting and registering to vote more difficult. The GOP/TP knows it is losing voters but instead of embracing those things that would bring voters to their party, they rig the voting system to exclude and disenfranchise citizens from their Constitutional right to vote.
Ron, great job as well. It is like watching a circus.
Ron, as a rule, I don't listen to him. But there was a lot of buzz on the internets after the first program @ 5:00. People all over the country were furious. So I decided to watch the re-run @ 7:00 to hear for myself.
These racists are still giving a platform to spew this crap and it makes me furious. I work with a man who grew up in Bosnia. I work with another man who grew up in Africa. I don't know how they vote. They are cultured, educated, polite...they are so informed on American history, world history...I hear them on the telephone and it doesn't matter who they're talking with - they are so so friendly and well mannered. Very professional. Just two people I'm so happy to work with.
And they are aghast as what is happening here in America with President Obama. Especially the media.
How about those union-busting Democrats in the House Of Representatives in Massachusetts...stripping away the rights of the public sector unions to negotiate for health care?
Democrats have a 128-32 supermajority in the Massachusetts House, don't they?
Wasn't a close thing, either...the vote was 111-42.
Looks like the unions are furious.
They'll probably be mass demonstrations.
MSNBC should send Rachel Maddow and Ed Shultz...I'm thinking blanket coverage.
Pat, Boston, terrific post. I heard Pat Buchanan on Cenk Ugher Monday night and Hardball Tuesday; his comments were offensive and completely irrational. Listening to him go on about our President's education and why didn't we want to know how he got into Columbia and Harvard and questioning his Magna Cum Laude records was disgusting. I try to avoid using the term racists but in the case of Buchanan, Trump, the shoe fits them like Cinderella's glass slipper.
Pat, Boston
Buchanon used to remind me of that 'creepy' uncle who drinks to much at family gatherings and then gets a little too touchy - feely...
Having listened to his comments over the last couple of days Unlce Pat comes across as a certifiable RACIST!
MSNBC is doing itself NO favors by keeping him around!
If the shoe fits...
Bingo. We need to really start calling these people out. Especially Buchanan, who does no reporting of his own. He just repeats the nonsense over and over and over. He's a sheep. And this is supposed to be fair and balanced reporting? It's not. It's racism.
Feisty, Buchanan believes whatever crap he hears from the right wingers, of which he is one. He honestly believes it until the real media do some research.
He's a good right winger. One of the best. If you like racists, that is.
lol
Why do you think MSNBC keeps Pat Buchanan around, anyway?
Why not a less "colorful", more conventional house conservative?
They love him.
He isn't going anywhere.
US Navy,
So what is wrong with would be Democrat voters?
Are they like cattle ..... have to be herded by union drovers to resigister to vote? They don't care enough, not responsible enough to do it on their own? They need a political machine to round them up. Which party really resembles the things dictators do?
I know, I know ....... Democrats are completely helpless and dependent on others. They need someone else to do everything for them.
Know what's odd?
Pat does this history report, complete with comments.
The writers of this blog have this column about this, that, and the other.
Nobody reports on this
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/04/27/house_votes_to_limit_bargaining_on_health_care/
So, the Democratic governor of MASSACHUSETTS, along with the democratic assembly of same, vote to curtail union bargaining rights, and there is NOTHING?!?!
Huh?
Please tell me again about how professional the journalists on this site are- although, I do agree that they set the agenda for the rest of the news, it is more like propaganda spreading than reporting.
I will now sit back and await the hue and cry of the liberals on how the democrats are trying to stomp out the middle class.
You will all be posting on that, right Navy? Ron? Anna Molly?
no joe, no bo, nj
So, the Democratic governor of MASSACHUSETTS, along with the democratic assembly of same, vote to curtail union bargaining rights, and there is NOTHING?!?!
Huh?
No Jo the point of the story is that they did not take collective barganing right away in reguards to salary. the health care cost for public workers must be cut. the union offical need to see how lucky he is that this is not another wisconson when the republicans gave a tax cut and paid for it through eleminating all barganing right not just 1.
Source: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/04/27/house_votes_to_limit_bargaining_on_health_care/
Again, what else can the states do, they're broke. The 2008 Obama Stimulus money used to prop up the union membership pay in the states (and here you all thought it was to be used to 'stimulate' the economy) has dried up, and the states have to balance their budgets. Massachusetts has made their choice, Wisconsin is making their choice, Ohio has made their choice. NY and California will make their choice. In all cases, the public unions have bleed those states dry, and in all cases the union membership will be asked to now pay their fair share for their benefits and their pensions. The unions have really bankrupted this country.
jeff-
Read the comments from union leaders in Massachusetts.
I don't get the impression they're feeling "lucky" at the moment.
They're very, very angry and determined to fight.
And this time, their target won't be a Republican governor with his Republican state legislature.
Like I said...I just hope we get thorough coverage of the whole thing from Rachel, Lawrence, Chris, Cenk, and most especially...big Ed!
While all you liberals go on your tirade about Buchanan, what is this about the Massachusetts legistalture gettgni rid of all the unions' negotiatiing rights? And their legislature is controlled by DEMOCRATS? My My... Why aren't the uniion thugs who camped out in Wisconsin now outside the MAssachusetts capitol with protest signs and sit-ins and such. Could it be that they are hipocrits???? Inquiring minds want to know more. WHy has this not been broadly reported?
Source: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/04/27/house_votes_to_limit_bargaining_on_health_care/
The union leadership seems to think they own the government, and up until now that was probably true. Looks like that has changed a tad, no? Maybe Obama can get a "comfortable pair of shoes" and join the union picket lines?
That's a lot of noise to make over a bill that appears to be headed to its death in the opposite house.
list:
birth certificate - check
college transcript?
Law school transcript?
name changes?
how many and under what names does he hold social secuorty numbers?
only time will tell, will he?
I love the lefties first read with the required minion admiration society follow up praising the writer.
Myself, I can't understand why Obama spent money to fight the disclosure of this document, or why he is spending money to assume all and any college transcripts are disclosed. Lay it all out Obama and end this, unless you feel it will shift the media from the real problems caused in your administration.
OK libbie, you ranted when gas went to $3/gal under Bush. With the cost well over $4.50 gal, where are the same outrages today?
You wonder what messages Massachusetts SenatePresident Therese Murray has on her voice mail today. Oh, who am I kidding, she has the "Special" cell phone of her's given to her by the union leadership, she doesn't let those calls go to voice mail.
Ms. Murray says she's "reluctant to strip workers of their right to bargain over their health care plans."
Source: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/04/27/house_votes_to_limit_bargaining_on_health_care/
And if the law fails in the Senate, what to do next? Either layoffs or raise taxes. Lets see how that sells in the great state of Massachusetts.
Mixed Bag
jeff-
Read the comments from union leaders in Massachusetts.
I don't get the impression they're feeling "lucky" at the moment.
They're very, very angry and determined to fight.
Fight For what, i saw his comments and all i will say to his is, Come on Man!!!!! health care cost are out of control, and everybody needs to give back, at least these guys did this in the open and did not take from your members in order to pay for a tax cut.
some times union leaders don't know when to shut up.
NAVY, RON, BEV, FEISTY - outstanding posts and observations. If the GOP/TP can't win with their proposals and actions, then they can always jigger the balloting itself. They did it in 2000, and again in 2004, and it looks very likely they did so with the recent vote for the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.
But the Republicans are truly in deep doo-doo now. The Paul Ryan budget is now exposed as a fraud.
The voters in town halls are holding freshman Tea Party officeholders accouontable for what they did NOT do - take any positive action on economic problems, jobs, and the many other concerns of the nation.
America has always been a country whose true political guideword was "pragmatism." Officeholders who are ideologically-rigid, dogmatic and inflexible are going to get smacked down in the next election. Or, they will be if the voters are permitted a trustworthy ballot.
The truth hurts Republicans. For example, Donald Trump looked absolutely foolish today, claiming he's "achieved" something because President Obama obtained and published his long-form birth certificate. Phooey- Trump was exposed as a LIAR instead - wasn't it only a few days ago Trump solemnly told Wolf Blitzer on CNN that his investigators and "someone" he wouldn't identify had incontrovertibly discovered the document didn't exist in the state archives? Obama delivered Trump's head in a basket, today - and the liar Donald's lips were still moving. I'm sure Salome is somewhere behind a curtain ....
The President is stepping forward with positive concepts to deal with the country's problems. The Republicans can only tear down. And their byword? If they can't win fairly - cheat.
Well, Navy, I just did some research on you diatribe about Florida, and all I have to say is
Huh?
One of the changes proposed prevents people from changing their vote g address at the polls.
You have got to be kidding me.
I cannot believe this was ever allowed. See, in my state, if you move within your district within three weeks of an election, you can vote from your old address- outside of that time frame, you must re- register.
If you move out of your district, you must re-register- it is advised that you do so in time to vote.
Allowing people to change addresses at the polls invites fraud. What is to stop anyone, or a lot of anyones, from going from poll to poll, changing addresses as they go? The odds they will get caught are slim to none, after all.
Less than 10,000 voter registrations were disputed after the last law change was upheld by a federal court, from what I read. Seems names and the last four digits of the social security numbers did not match, or the name and the address provided did not match.
You are not advocating that people be allowed to vote fraudulently, are you?
After the liberals have used OUR tax money to support such groups like ACORN who lead the field in voter fraud, I find any charges of vote tampering against Repubs as ridiculous.
Mr. Navy is on target, but I feel the damage is already done. NAFTA came along defined as a necessary evil, it was necessary for the GOP, not the American public. The lack of economic growth we would have had to live with, has slowly begun to rebound and is coming at us from across the Pacific and Atlantic like a 200 ft. Tsunami. The continental acceptance status of the dollar is coming to an end, for we are definitely a country of consumers, not producers. I cannot put into coherent words what I am sensing is coming our way, but it is going to be very ugly, very ugly indeed.
The problem is that we consume too much. Domestic demand far outweighs foreign demand. Even as the dollar depreciates, this still holds true. Americans save next to nothing, this affects the GDP as well. If Americans would quit buying everything they see, and save a portion of their income (not under the mattress), our current account and trade deficit would begin to lower, as exports would increase.
Regarding Ryan’s “Highway to Hell” plan:
Seriously, the only way anyone could sleep soundly after proposing a mean joke like that, is if there’s a LOT of cognitive dissonance going on.
Gas Prices -- The GOP/TP and their conservative base attack President Obama with Birther claims, and now gas prices, which he does not control, because that’s all they have—is contrived crap. Even worse, we keep having these gas crises because of Republican obstruction to alternative energy.
Republicans aren’t speaking out against Trump (or last time around Sarah Palin) because of their 11thCommandment and Borg culture. The GOP/TP leadership needs to begin “leading” and putting a stop to the conspiracy crap, because this is only going to hurt them more and more. After the neocon invasion of Iraq, deficits (due to spending, tax cuts for the rich, the meltdown and TARP), and “family values” scandals, Republicans already suffer a huge credibility gap.
John (above), thank you for reminding folks that Republicans have won by cheating for a long time now. The 2000 election ended up being decided by a right-leaning Supreme Court, which Gore did not contest out of concern for the nation. And then all the problems found after the 2004 election with electronic machines, hanging chads, and general miscounts--we really need third party monitoring.
But aside from the more blatant election fraud mentioned above, is the gerrymandering (why FOX gave a million to Republicans in governor races, and why all states should have to have neutral committees determine district lines), religious-based propositions on gay marriage, etc, robo-calls giving wrong day to vote, voter intimidation, etc. -- all of which have been utilized by Republicans the most.
This is why many Red States are trying to get propositions like Birther laws on the 2012 ballot as we speak. But this could backfire, because it may actually motivate the opposition more than their base. If the GOP/TP play these games and lose, they deserve it.
"now he's (Trump) charging that the nation's first African-American president (and Harvard's first Law Review president) of not deserving to get into Ivy League schools."
Probably true, since even Obama has been quoted as saying that he benefitted from Affirmative Action programs', as did Michelle Obama, but it does show that some people actually do make the most of opportunities given them.
Now that Trump has forced Obama to 'cave' on releasing his 'original birth certificate', Trump is going after him to release his SAT scores (we have them for all other recent presidents and candidates, showing that Bush was smarter than either John Kerry or Bill Clinton, but not Al Gore or Hillary Clinton), and his grades. My guess is that Obama will refuse, since finding out that he's not as 'smart' as he'd like people to believe is the last thing he wants people to know.
Conservatives (like Trump) who are obsessed with such things need to get a life.
President Obama had earlier released the standard short form certificate (which is now the only form issued by Hawaii). But of course that wouldn't suffice. Still the president brushed it off with good humor and refused to take the bait. Then comes Trump seeking to profit from all the silliness, and soon the news cycle is consumed with Birther conspiracies, preventing reviews of truly important issues. So President Obama kindly released the long form. Immediately the long form is being questioned, as predicted--I won't give credence by mentioning some of the nonsense I've already seen or heard.
In case you're wondering Roy -- President Obama is a writer who wrote his own books (which is more than we can say about Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck--though at least both of them agree that the Birther conspiracy is a distraction). While attending Harvard, President Obama was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and later as president of the journal (the first African American). President Obama graduated with a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, and later taught law as well.
Is it better to correct the lies in these threads, or to ignore it all? It is a bottomless well (and poisioned one at that). Just as our president has asked this very question, so do I.
After this post, I suspect it's best to let the right-wingers wallow in their excrement, and not be sucked down with them. I don't want my time wasted trying to educate these ignorant, hateful people. The rest of the nation who are sane, would do well to focus on reality and the truly important problems we face.
Roy..."My guess is that Obama will refuse, since finding out that he's not as 'smart' as he'd like people to believe is the last thing he wants people to know."
Personally I don't think Obama cares one bit what most people think. In case you haven't figured it out, he's actually pretty smart, because he's used this "birther" issue to set up using the race card in the upcoming election, in hopes of drawing out all the Jay-walking types to give him the margin he needs to win again. (And it is those types coming out in droves to make a political statement by electing our first black president that gave him the margin he needed to win last time.)
There is no legitimate reason why Obama didn't release his birth certificate when the Democrats, Hilliary Clinton's campaign camp, first made it an issue, and move on then. There are however political and/or neurotic reasons for not doing so.
Obama will release the remaining information when he feel's it's politically expedient, like now as a distraction when he can't solve any budget problems.
TruePatriot-445959 "While attending Harvard, President Obama was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and later as president of the journal (the first African American). President Obama graduated with a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, and later taught law as well."
As did a large percentage of the other graduates from Harvard Law School that year. By the way, none of that answers the question of whether Obama got into Harvard through Affirmative Action quotas, and magna cum laude is far less prestigious than summa cum laude.
At worst that's still top 20% of the class.
Btw, any Conservatives want to fall all over Clarence Thomas as being unqualified? All these same complaints would apply to him if they had any validity at all.
The White House has just released the long form of OUR PRESIDENTS birth certificate. Now lets see what the "birthers" have to say on this. Good Bye Mr. Trump and the rest of your tea party my President just TRUMPED your A$$.
Well said Navy.
Our President is doing an excellent job!
Mr. Trump, where is all that information that you claim to have that says "MY PRESIDENT" was not born in the United States??
Your Presidential Campaign is now officially OVER and OUT. As with those that still promote this stupid idea. I guess Bachmann must have seen the handwriting on the wall last week.
Good Morning Navy!
These birther nit wits could watch a video tape of his live birth in a Hawaiian hospital and still NOT believe it!
As for how low will Trump go - there is no depth to which he will not dive when it comes to ridiculous!
Personally - I don't agree with the President releasing it - the train to Beckistan was gaining momentum!
"US Navy Disabled Veteran - Retired
Mr. Trump, where is all that information that you claim to have that says "MY PRESIDENT" was not born in the United States??"
You mean you haven't been following it? He's "not telling". Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.......
Feisty:
How true. Pretty soon we will have to take a DNA sample with us to vote, actually they would not work they would want to draw the blood themselves.
Morning all. I agree with Feisty, nothing will satisfy the nuts. The real issue is how the "liberal media" has handled this issue. With all the breaking news this morning, that this story still leads the news is dumbfounding. And now a news conference for Trump? Barnum where are you.
Thank you all for your birthday wishes yesterday.
Trump is now on MSNBC taking credit and saying how PROUD he is that he has done what nobody else has done in getting the Birth Certificate. He says HE is "taking Great Credit for this" to a question just asked. This is one repugnant SOB. He cannot see beyond his own ego. What an A$$.
Now he is honored for the role he played. He is taking all the credit.
I heard that just a few minutes ago. It should be interesting to see if this shuts down this lie. I doubt it, and the WH knows it won't but I'm glad they released it. It is great that they decided to prove how foolish the GOP/TP has become. Perfect timing, too, it makes Trump look completely and utterly stupid and foolish--how sweet it is!
Doesn't surprise me in the least, after all, it's what active bottom feeders do...
Now the Chump is raving about President Obama's releasing his academic records...
Can one one our resident tea baggers explain to us WHY this President is being held to a different standard other than the FACT he's BLACK?
Donald Trump is speaking now. What a bag of hot air. His response to the long-form birth certificate, "if he wants to release it that's fine, blah blah blah." Lying hypocrit, for more than a both he's been demanding it and claiming it doesn't exist.
I wonder why they finally released the long form birth certificate, after all this time?
Is the White House that afraid of Donald Trump?
Why not simply wait until Trump officially announces his candidacy, THEN blow him out of the water?
Maybe when they started getting questions about President Obama's birth certificate from people like CNN's White House correspondent, Ed Henry, they decided that enough was enough.
Connecting the dots to USN's first, excellent post you can see that the GOPTP strategy is two-pronged;
Disqualify likely Democratic voters from casting ballots.
Disqualify Democratic candidates from office.
It's hard for me to have much respect for a group that isn't willing to address FACTS directly, acknowledge them, and present their ideas clearly as Conservatives refuse to do.
*sigh*
Typical Fox Noise response!
Has your Pat Buchanon Fan Club decoder ring arrived yet?
Why, Mixed Bag? Well, I think I know.
It was a great strategy to cast opponents of Obama as loonies when it was left to the wing- nut pages of the Internet- but, unfortunately, it had run its course. When you get people from CNN asking questions, it begins to take on a different tone- so, goodbye, old friend, you were great for a while.
I ALWAYS knew that (a) Obama was born in Hawaii, and (b) they kept this issue alive because it served them well.
Once (c) happened- it made it into the mainstream- they needed to stick a fork in it.
nojonobo
It's typical of nojonobo to blame the idiocy rampant in the Republican Party on Obama, and come up with a conspiracy theory as idiotic as birtherism to do it. Obama doesn't have to do anything to cast his opponents as loonies. People like Michele Bachmann and Steven King (the scary one in Congress, not the novelist), and the Weeper of the House ARE loonies.
Houston, I did not release the long form of the birth certificate today- Obama did. After refusing for two years.
Now, I never had a doubt that he was born here-when the issue came up in the campaign, all I asked was that the media debunk it, which they did. However, immediately thereafter, there were those who complained about the birth certificate out there- that it was not the long form.
There was a choice to make- release the long form, or let the wingnut conspiracy theorists have at it.
Obama chose the latter, not me.
So, when questions begin coming from CNN, I guess things went too far. To my thinking, this gave the matter a credibility it had not had before. Not with me, mind you - but I am pretty sure that the White House was not concerned with me.
They were, however, concerned about the distraction of the issue backfiring on them.
Obama said so, in his surprise appearance.
Funny thing- Drive By Observer mentioned that this would happen just a few days ago.
Maybe ask him about it- he seems to have an inside track.
Translation: It's OK to lie and smear because the ends justify the means.
Conservative thought isn't always very pretty when you get it out in the light of day.
nojonobo
You're lying yet again some more, nojonobo. The president said nothing about any issue "backfiring" on him. The birther conspiracy nonsense couldn't "backfire" on Obama unless he was responsible for keeping it alive. He did not use that word. You just stuck it in a sentence next to his name. Stop trying to shift the guilt to the president from those who are obviously responsible : Donald Trump and the other race-baiting scoundrels in the Republican party.
Barrack Obama proves once again that anyone BORN IN THIS COUNTRY can grow up to become president.
Donald Trump proves over and over that being born into wealth and privilege and given every advantage is no guarantee that you'll have even the slightest whiff of class.
I have a thought for No Joe and RVZ and all the other right wing conservatives, how about START a discussion of your own instead of hiding inside others strings and spewing your venom on someone who is courageous enough to state an opinion and open it up to discussion. I hardly ever see any of the GOP/TPers on this site actually start a string. Afraid your rhetoric will be refuted and found to be falacious? Hmm...
Interesting Batman85,
So you and two others believe that this site should be policed, with conservative views rounded up and sent away? Hmmmm, what other person believed the same as you? Sickelgrubber, wasn't it?
@safecracker-1205811
On the contrary, I want them to open up a conversation without hiding inside someone elses string. I would love to see what they believe, in a stand alone post. Certainly make your points in existing threads, but if you are going to introduce a tangent, start a new string.
Democracy in Peril. When belief in a pure ideology is so rigid that compromise becomes a dirty word, one that is unacceptable in government, democracy itself is in peril. We are at that point today. We have only to listen to the conservative Tea Party legislators who see no danger, no risk in allowing the U.S. Government to default which will ultimately cost far more than the simple act of raising the debt ceiling to prevent economic collapse both here and worldwide. Raising the debt ceiling does not mean giving up the fight to reduce the deficit and the debt--it merely provides the time needed to do it right, to do it without holding the country and the world hostage to a misguided sense of fiscal responsibility.
The United States was founded on compromise, built on compromise and grew on compromise. Government was established to provide rules to protect the public from the private greed and corruption; it was established to provide together what each state and person could not provide singularly. In order for Government to protect and provide for its citizens, it must have revenue. "Starving the beast" in reality means starving the people.
How powerful and great will the U.S. be when it has inadequate revenue to maintain its power? How powerful will our military be when our infrastructure crumbles, the power grid degrades, the people struggle to feed their families because all the revenue is spent to maintain a powerful military-industrial complex? How great will this country be when it has no revenue to invest in its people, its economic growth, its future? What happens when the education of those who will run it in the future is left only for those who can afford to buy an education in the private schools because the conservative ideology does not believe in public education? What kind of country will this be when all the power is in the hands of a few and the rest are left behind? To answer those questions, we only need look to the former USSR which bankrupted itself by investing only in a powerful military. To answer those questions, we need only look at North Korea which spends its money on a powerful military while its citizens starve and suffer.
Our country was founded on free-market principles which made the country great, made democracy work. Free-markets must also be subjected to rules when they become all powerful as they did in the gilded age, the age of robber barons, the age of child labor, the age without worker rights for personal safety and a living wage. The Government enacted rules to protect citizen's money in banks, provided unemployment benefits to those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, established a retirement savings account for old age, determined that medical care for the elderly should not be subject to the whims and costs of private insurance or the ability to pay, determined that caring for the disabled, the poor was simply the right thing to do. Unions fought to send children to school not factories; they fought for better working conditions and sustainable wages. The result was not the demise of free-market capitalism; the result was a vibrant economy, the growth of the middle class, increased wages which meant increased purchasing power which meant more profits for business, big and small.
Today, we see a resurgence of the robber baron, gilded age mentality from the right. Those with money and power are increasing their money and their power. The powerful rule the powerless. The powerful rule our state and federal legislators; they call the shots, they bribe with campaign donations; they tell legislators what is and is not acceptable to them--and what is not acceptable is exactly what benefits the powerless. Across the country, republican governors and state legislatures are passing laws eliminating unions, re-establishing child labor, privatizing education, seizing whole towns and sending a dictator-like person to rule; states are giving even more tax breaks to big business and the rich while cutting education spending, laying off teachers, reducing aid to the poor and disabled.
There is nothing wrong with being conservative, with believing in small government or low taxes. What is wrong is when that belief interferes with democracy and the ability of Government to function because compromise is unacceptable, meeting in the middle unacceptable, recognizing opposing ideas is unacceptable. Rigid far right, conservative ideology rules today and that ideology is placing this country and democracy as we know it in peril because it gives all the power to those who do not have the country or the people's best interests in mind.
Jody:
Great post. The new GOP/TP is not a party based on American Ideology, beliefs or values. It is a party that opposes fair elections and the right to vote, they oppose gay rights, women's rights, religious rights. These guys want to repeal Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, HCR and Financial Reform. And the list is too long to keep typing. They just oppose everything that this country was based on with their "Class Warfare". This new ideology of the right is not compatible with Democracy as we know it. Not by a long shot. It more resembles the failed ideals of Europe in the 30's and 40's.
Brilliant Jody! I was delighted to be reminded of a speech that FDR gave in 1936, so to the point, that the same speech could be given today and be accurate. From an article by David O. Russell posted on Huffington Politics; 4/22/11; "FDR Said It All in 1936--Who Will Follow in His Steps Today? " Quoting FDR: "For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up.
We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace--business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.
They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob." (Emphasis, mine.)
Sound familiar? Why are we willing to cede this nation to corporate interests above the people that it should be serving. It was wrong in FDR's time, it is equally wrong now.
Except we are much closer to that happening.
FDR continues: "Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me--and I welcome their hatred."
This applies equally to our President. There is no end of the lies and calumny that people repeat against this President. They say that he is not a citizen. That he got into Harvard Law because of affirmative action (shame on YOU, Pat Buchanan..do you honestly believe that the only way a minority candidate can have Ivy is if he is given a pass on standards? If you do, you know nothing of the Ivy League.)
This is the promise that FDR makes in this remarkable speech. "of course we will continue to seek to improve working conditions for the workers of America--to reduce hours overlong, to increase wages that spell starvation, to end the labor of children, to wipe out sweatshops. Of course we will continue every effort to end monopoly in business, to support collective bargaining (emphasis, mine.) to stop unfair competition, to abolish dishonorable trade practices. For all these we have only just begun to fight."
Are we still willing to fight these battles? Or will we allow those who are only interested is in enriching the top 2%, at the expense of the elderly, the poor, the disabled, to triumph?
Please read this speech.
Thanks. US Navy, NDD you've added excellent thoughts to mine.
Jody, one of your best posts recently, and NDD yours was spot on as well. President Obama said it very well a few weeks ago;
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/13/6465318-president-obamas-deficit-speech
Jody, Iowa
Democracy is in peril Jody, and pure ideology has been in vogue since the progressive democrats took over the control of government in '06. Prior to that, every year the progressivesdemocrats have had control, the deficit has growth due to their unsustainable spending programs.
Was there compromise during the Obamacare hearings? Yes, one lip service meeting to benefit the Prez. imagine his concern to listen to the opposition. But did he and the progressives actually allow input from the opposing party?
Progressives only desire to compromise when they cannot control the issue. And on this site, a number of posters openly desire those with conservative views leave to find another site. Now isn't this a typical libbie view. I believe a police state site was not the original intention of MSNBC. Without opposing issues, you would only find one early morning report with several "pat-on-the-back" responses. Oh, wait, that does happen.
And if you oppose a posting, the attack dogs come out, verbally insult the writer, then several comment about the attack response as a good thing. Or, Bev will call you a racist.
No, compromise isn't seem in discussion anymore, much less in government. Sad, because we, the American people suffer for those who lead by party first.
Looks like the GOP's dogma has been run over by our karma.
DaNoid:
I sure has been run over by something. I cannot wait until 2012 when this country re-elects our President, unless of course the GOP/TP can pass their laws rigging the election process in their favor like they are doing in Florida and Kansas.
There are way too many variables and not enough time to figure out just how the economy and the price of gas to figure into the next election. If the economy improves and gas stabilizes, its a big win for Obama. If they go in the other direction, it will be harder to place the blame in one place as both parties have control of each house Congress.
The difference maker is how the public interprets what is going on in D.C.. To this point in time, things look very bad for the Republicans. Chaos, defiance and animosity at the town hall meetings. Things look very bad indeed.
Unless JAS1 can lay one of her pearls of wisdom on me and change my mind.
Frank H, well said; keep posting. That last line is priceless.
Frank H:
Ditto Jody. Keep writing I look for your posts every day.
Huh?
Seriously First Read, how in the hell can you say "Republicans win" if its about cutting the deficit, if their plan to cut the deficit is to kill Medicare? Are we just supposed to ignore that part?
And can you 'splain to me how cutting the deficit is a "win" for Republicans?
Why is it that you continue to pretend that the Republican Party is fiscally responsible when it is NOT! The Republican Party CREATED the deficits! The Republlican Party DEMANDED that we continue with UNFUNDED TAX CUTS for millionaires! The Republican Party is the party of fiscal fairy tales, so enough with this "Republicans win" crap. The only thing that Republicans have won is control of the Congress and the airwaves.
My Nash - a little teed off are you today?
The truth tends to do that to you Lefties.
Btw - nice work with the caps key. Superb!
"nice work with the caps key."
And there you have it, folks. Some REAL meat and potatos to think about on this busy news day.
Great post, Nash---I had that same thought----how can the Republicans killing Medicare and keeping tax breaks for the wealthiest to balance the budget be seen as a "win" for anyone other than the Republican insiders and the folks pulling their strings? Maybe that is what FR meant by a "win."
JoAnna:
Apparently, you missed me more than I missed you.
Perhaps I would not need the CAPS LOCK if you and yours had ANY capacity to process or formulate reality based ideas.
But hey, as long as you "win" that is all that matters.
Yay you.
"After years of historic deficits, this new Congress will commit itself to a higher standard: pay as you go, no new deficit spending. Our new America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not burden them with mountains of debt.” - Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Acceptance Speech - January 3rd 2007
During Speaker Pelosi’s 4 years, the House of Representatives passed spending bills with over $5 trillion dollars in deficit spending.
JoAnna:
Unfunded war. Unfunded prescription drug benefit. Unfunded tax cuts. All thunk up and approved by the same yahoos whining about deficts now.
Holler at me when you have an original idea or solution based in reality.
You just like to read what you type.
Hey JoAnna, is there any reason why you didn't dispute or disprove any of Nash's comments?
Interesting Nash. So now you're into excuses and handwaving. That didn't take long, and so early in the morning. Usually it takes until mid-day for you Lefties to give up and blame Bush. Looks like that old excuse got fast-tracked today. So did Pelosi lie? And are you just "mis-informed"?
*waves to driveby and Steeler Fan*
Good morning ya'll . . . I slept under my stairs with my kids . . . lol . . . just thankful to have survived ANOTHER night of storms.
P.S. JoAnna, I really am flattered by your attention . . . but I'm not sure what it is that you want me to say . . . I mean First Read has already declared you to be a "winner", ain't that enough? You want me to print you a certificate or sumthin'?
Terrific post, Nashville. The Beltway media tends to ignore what's happening anywhere except D.C. because that's the prism through which they view politics. Paul Ryan faced more informed constituents again yesterday and they still aren't buying what he's selling. Ryan indicated that people don't understand what he's trying to do--no, they understand exactly what he's trying to do and they don't like it one bit.
The recalls of GOP legislators in Wisconsin are moving smoothing and it is likely the GOP will be out of the majority in the state Congress this summer.
It seems to me that the proprietors here at FR do a pretty good job of keeping things balanced, but in this case they're just repeating the conventional wisdom. The thing is, CW is wrong as often as it's right, and this is one of those times. The FACT is Conservatives are willing to expand the national debt by $6T in the next decade, $62T total before the budget is brought into balance in the 2060s...if ever. All that to take $3T in 10 years out of programs that benefit regular Americans in order to enrich the fatcats by another $3T.
That isn't the winner, and the discomfort Republicans are experiencing at their town hall meetings is evidence of that. It's also evidence that this time the conventional wisdom is just wrong.
President Obama shows his "long form" Birth Certificate. Take that Repugs and especially the Trump man. ROTFL. What a bunch of losers. Wonder what they'll come up with next?
Just heard our President speak about why he released it. He subtly admonished the media and indirectly republicans for spending the past two weeks and periodically over two years or so focused on his birth certificate while ignoring his budget speech and debating and discussing it, and the other serious issues this country faces. I doubt they'll quite grasp the concept that serious problems requires serious journalistic coverage and not hours and days discussing his birth place but cheers to President Obama for making the point.
Jody, nobody ignored his budget speech.
Unfortunately for Obama, that is.
Have you seen the polls since that speech? Not good for Obama. Not good at all.
Add to that yesterday's release from USAToday/ Gallup, and methinks I know why suddenly the long form B.C. Was released.
Now that that distraction has been used, what else does he have up his sleeve? A juggling act?
I must have missed Trump's analysis of the speech...
Pat, Boston, MA
Pat Buchanan is nothing but a follower.
I HATE calling anyone a racist. But enough is enough. Where are the responsible producers of these programs? Are there any?
Oh thank you so much Pat. I'M glad it you today calling out Uncle Pat. I been saying it for years.
I was done with that neo- confederate when he said...
"America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known."
Pat I'd loved to share these 2 things with you...
1. I met with an ex- co -worker last night at the Sports Bar on Rush Street to watch the playoffs. Yeah! Go Bulls. The first thing she said after we embraced was -- Find that Birth Certificate, Beverly. I replied --I'm working on that. WOW, I had no idea it took my influence for the President to show his birth certificate that quickly. LOL LMBAO
2. President Obama and First Lady are flying in to Oprah's studio to tape the last episode. one of the employees used to confuse my telephone number with her work number. We'd shoot the breeze. I always wanted to inquire about getting tickets. I never did. I could kick my self. The number has been changed now. Anyhow, I'm glad our President and First Lady as well as fellow Chicagoan get to shoot the last episode on Oprah.
I'm so glad the Prez showed his birth certificate. Maybe it can be laid to rest and we get on with the real business of America
Now, I want Trump to show me what's under his hair!!!
Hi Beverly. I agree - GO Bulls!!!!!
I am really uncomfortable calling someone a racist, but Buchanan has crossed the line too often for me. It's why I don't often watch Matthews. I don't like his guests on the GOP side, particularly Buchanan.
Matthews was just chuckling, like this is funny. It isn't. It's derogatory and makes us as a country an embarrassment.
This is what the Republican Party does. Just like it did with Clinton, just like it did during the Bush years, the Nixon years and now this.
The journalists for the most part are pushing back on this nonsense. But leave it to cable to continue this story. Just shut it down. They won't.
I am watching the Trump news conference as I write this. What a joke. Now he is diverting the blame for the increase in oil prices from the speculators, where in belongs, to OPEC.
OPEC is on record as saying they have ample capacity and are willing to increase production if necessary, but the market is acting irrationally.
They're a smart bunch, a far cry from where they were in the 1970s when they would do disruptive things just to show they were important. OPEC is on a long term strategy to keep oil prices high enough for a tidy profit but low enough to discourage immediate development of alternative energy.
It isn't refusal to drill in the US that keeps us hooked on their drug, it's being too focused on immediate results to realize that long term we need to do something different. As an example I give you Brazil, who in a few decades has transformed itself from a net oil importer to an exporter by commitment renewable fuels and energy saving technology. They're on the verge of becoming an major economic player because they're playing the long game. Meanwhile our focus gets shorter and shorter, and we sacrifice long term gain for a series of short plays that dont' get us as far in the end.
the republican philosophy, say what you want and say it many, many times and because the majority of people don't have time to check it out they will accept as fact!
repulicans lie. they lie on paper. they lie when they speak. they lie when they think. unfortunately, when liars lie all the time they then believe their lies and no longer know what the truth is?
paul ryan lies about his own bill when he states it will not affect persons over 55. lie! the bill removes the donut hole provision to save drug cost.
I guess the republicans political theory should be known as capitalist communisim!
To shift from the petty, trivial political newscycle I was saddened to learn that six coalition forces, five of them American where killed in Afganistan. Apparently it was done by a supposed Afgan ally with small arms fire. This comes after 450 plus Taliban fighters walk out of a maximum security jail this week. They used a tunnel that took collaborators five months to build. Prisoner guards are thought to have helped usher the prisoners to freedom.
Does anyone really think that we are winning in Afganistan and can someone explain why we are fighting there? I have never bought into the we are fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here BS. If as a nation the populace doesn't want us there and that country's leadership can not present a viable alternative to the Taliban, why is it our responsibility to support the afganistan government. Why do are troops have to die for this failed war? Time to pull out and let them sort it out! I shudder at the thought that we will have a prescence there until 2015.
There is no winning in Afganistan. Our military commanders should know that there have been very few instances where a foreign army can put down an armed insurgency that has the support of its countrymen. I would suggest our learned military tacticians read Sun Tzu, Chinese general cerca 500 BC and his masterpiece, "Art of War." Heck google it it least. Through the use of spies, insurgency techniques and assemetric warfare our modern military does not have a chance to route out the Taliban completely. This is not a knock on our troops, it is just a fact. Why can't we win? Amongst a myriad of reasons primarily I think it is because the enemy use the terrain to their advantage, they chose their battles, they attack our weak points. In essence they know our MO. We on the other hand do not know the enemy. Unfortunately, as this case points out we don't even know our supposed allies. I would have thought we could have learned some of these lessons in Vietnam.
Another major tenet of the Art of War is that warfare is a means to an end to gain territory, political power etc. It should only be instigated after thoughtful due consideration. It is not something to be started lightly or implemented half @ss. Careful consideration should be taken about not only short term implications but long term consequences. Something to consider for those who cheer the Libya continuing operation. In afganistan I have to shake my head, still there and losing men after the three week offensive drove the Taliban from power in 2001. There has been more than enough time, blood and tears shed there.
The polls show that two thirds of Republicans are birthers. I wonder if the release of Obama's long-form certificate is going to decrease the number of birthers in the Republican party. My guess is, not by much. As the old saying goes, you can't reason someone out of a belief that they weren't reasoned into in the first place.
As for Trump, I don't know if he's a racist but he's sure pandering to racists with his latest vile attacks on the president questioning his academic achievements. Trump is appealing to racists who want to believe that a black man couldn't be intelligent enough and disciplined enough to succeed in a school like Harvard without affirmative action. The president who did get into an Ivy League school on affirmative action was George W. Bush, who got into Yale thanks to affirmative action for the sons of rich white men.
I hestitate to call anyone a racist for many reasons but Trump is practicing the worse kind of politics, the ugly side of hateful, race baiting politics. My sense is that if a person like Trump panders to racists, that person is a racist because anyone who believes in equality for everyone has the character of his/her convictions and will not pander to those who think some people are less than equal.
By your definition, Trump is definitely a racist, even though he says he gets along well with "the blacks."
If you talk the racist talk, walk the racist walk, and accept the racist support and vote, it doesn't matter if you're doing it just for political gain--you're a racist. I hope that the mainstream media will hold Trump accountable for his recent statements. Trump clearly thinks he can say anything and then later say just the opposite and not be called on it. Maybe, if it's the dumb-as-dirt Republican base, but hopefully . . . hopefully . . . the mainstream media is a little smarter than that.
FirstRead
Unbelievable! Is FirstRead subsidized by the petroleum industry? Why should calling for the end of taxpayer subsidies for extremely profitable oil companies be characterized as a "misstep" that Obama took advantage of? Getting rid of the subsidies wasn't the misstep, it was Boehner flip-flopping immediately to pander to his teabagger caucus. The president was absolutely right to make Boehner pay for his deviousness.
Would someone please remind Paul Ryan that the US had a budget surplus when he came into office. In his 14 years, his votes helped create the fiasco.
Perhaps, if we go back to the system we had prior to Ryan coming to the House, we'll return to surpluses and save Medicare.
If they think Obama got his law degree through affirmative action, what about Clarence Thomas, who actually gets to rewrite the intent of the laws from his position in the SCOTUS. Go back to the hearings and the issues raised about his legal credentials and qualifications.
Do you wacky libs think MSNBC is a bit biased for the radical Left? Believe what you read from a buffoon like Todd?
Aganda driven articles on this site are laughable like you lazy pot smokers with your hands out!
You mean Faux Cartoon News Channel where making making up stories actually plays better for them then reporting the Real News.
"Democracy will last until the public realizes that it can vote itself largesse from the public trough".
Truth! That is what it should be all about, the simple truth. Without the truth, then nothing can be trusted, whatever is said doesn’t mean anything ... in fact, when you know it isn’t the truth then you know it is a con and that they are only concerned with their own interests. Of course there isn’t any perfection as they all embellish, “puff their wares” and, as is made necessary by the need to compete, make their positions sound the best. Yet there is a very obvious gross dishonesty that needs to be recognized in order to avoid being manipulated, duped, taken for granted, used and abused. The trouble is that many people have predetermined biases and when given subterfuge to support those feelings, they can rationalize being loyal to what even is against their own best interests. Those perpetuating the con, the manipulators know and readily seek to use that.
That is what we see in many presentations and in the distracting arguing over the details; being the smokescreens and distractions put up to hide the overall self-serving intent. That is what we see in the bazaar and exaggerated acting out, in the aggressive appeals to biases, prejudices and emotional attachments aimed to excite emotions, fears and self-interests and aimed to then result in swaying and controlling public opinion. Whenever that behavior is recognized it should be an automatic “red-flag” and whatever is being offered should be throughly questioned. There are some very obvious and simple examples like the “birthing” argument, like calling Obama “unpatriotic”, like claiming positions addressing problems, where bipartisan cooperation was belligerently withheld, are “socialistic” and so on. And there are more complex but still intentionally deceptive arguments, intended to mislead the public, like which budget or deficit programs honestly address the nations needs and which just seek to continue serving the needs of the few. We have also seen some really very extensive, organized and greatly financed efforts, like with the manipulation of the Christian block, with the Swift-boat propaganda and now with the Tea Party movement. A whole lot of money and effort is constantly being spent to accomplish these cons and the public would be foolish not to cautiously question things, especially when with emotions set aside it becomes obvious that the positions offered just serve the interests of the few.
I’m not advocating that anyone just follow my political preferences but rather strongly recommend that everyone seek to know the truth and then to make their own objective and rational determination. The only way that can ever be accomplished, the only way people can feel confident their evaluation is valid is by first checking their own biases, prejudices and emotional attachments to be able to reject the creative appeals, the deceptive subterfuge, the insulting con and the intended manipulation. Hopefully the majority can accomplish that.
Are you nuts!? We're never going to get the truth from either party, because they all come from the same place and have the same objective. So long as we're walking around with this two party mindset, we're doomed. I will say, the Tea Party is a great idea, because it grows up from within the Republican party, sort of like a mole in the CIA. Probably the best last chance we have, so long as it doesn't get hijacked. Check the credentials of them all to be sure none of them have any ties or offer any support for the Fed.
The media makes the into a popularity contest. The truth is, Democrats and Republicans have exactly the same objective, because they come from the same place. They are both trashing the constitution and they are both bankrupting this country. Over a ten year period, the net difference between the Obama "plan" and the Republican (Paul Ryan) budget proposals is $20 trillion deficit vs $19 trillion deficit. And, with both of them, there will be no Medicare or SS because, ALL TAXES WILL GO TO PAY JUST THE INTEREST ON THE NATIONAL DEBT. We will be OWNED by the bankers. At that point, we will all be slaves to the bankers (read CFR here), regardless of how old we are. Health care will be "reserved" for the rich. The rest of us will start to die at a much younger age, so this problem won't arise again. Not to mention that we'll be working for wages equal to the rest of the third world... and, be happy to get it.
truthaboutfraud.org/
The Republican voter fraud hoax
Donald Duck and the Dallas Cowboys won't steal the election for Obama. Acorn's only crime is registering Democratic voters
Barack Obama and the Democrats are stealing the election. Massive voter fraud is being carried out, even as we speak, by their henchmen, known by the innocuous sounding Association for Community Organisations for Reform Now, or Acorn. Clever bastards.
The only problem? Despite the screaming wall-to-wall coverage of "Democratic voter fraud in 11 swing states" as seen on Fox News and even the once-respectable CNN, none of it's true. None of it.
In just the last week, we've had a phoney stunt raid in swing state Nevada (where Acorn had been cooperating with officials for months, concerning problem canvassers they'd long ago fired); a Republican election official in swing state Missouri tell Fox News that she's being beseiged with fraudulent registration forms from Acorn (in a county where they've not done any registration work since August); a Republican sheriff in swing state Ohio, who, the very next day, suddenly requested the names and addresses of hundreds of early voters (with evidence of exactly zero wrong doing, but lots of Democratic-leaning college student in the particular county, and John McCain's state campaign chair as a partner in the investigation); and a screaming front page headline in Rupert Murdoch's New York Post about a guy who claims he was somehow tricked by Acorn into registering 72 times (but read the article closely to note he says he registered at the same address each time, which, even if true, would allow him - you guessed it - precisely one legal vote.)
It's an old Republican scam, but it's never been carried out with more zeal than this year. The Republicans have been putting so much time, money and resources into the propaganda leading up to this over the last four years, we should have expected no less.
As luck would have it, the Democrats have a man who, as an attorney years ago, actually had the temerity to join the US department of justice in representing Acorn in a successful lawsuit, forcing the state of Illinois to follow the law by allowing citizens to register to vote at the department of motor vehicles. What a scoundrel.
That, of course, was before the department of justice, under George Bush's corrupt command, would itself become politicised by the very Republicans so desperate to keep low-income voters from voting, that they were willing to fire their own US attorneys for failing to bring phoney charges of voter fraud in key swing states like Nevada and Missouri.
So what are the crimes that have caused all the Sturm und Drang on US television and talk radio, and in several otherwise respectable newspapers and even by the McCain campaign itself?
The only actual crime here is that Acorn managed to register some 1.3m low-income (read: Democratic-leaning) voters over the past two years. The rest is, pretty much, just made up.
But in the bloody and desperate trenches of the Republican war on democracy, that's more than enough to kick in a last minute surge of lies that may - with the help of a compliant and lazy corporate US media - wreak enough havoc, scare enough voters, confuse enough people and plant enough seeds to call an Obama victory into doubt on November 4.
If you can't win it, steal it. If you can't steal it, claim the other guy stole it. If you can't claim the other guy stole it (yet), say they're about to and then kick up smoke that maybe someone will believe you. (Heckuva job, CNN.)
Here are the facts. Acorn verifies the legitimacy of every registration its canvassers collect. If they can't authenticate the registration, or it's incomplete or questionable in other ways, they flag that form as problematic ("fraudulent", "incomplete", et cetera). They then hand in all registration forms, even the problematic ones, to elections officials, as they are required to do by law. In almost every case where you've heard about fraud by Acorn, it's because Acorn itself notified officials about the fraud that's been perpetrated on them by rogue canvassers. Most officials who run to the media screaming "Acorn is committing fraud" know all of the above but don't bother to share those facts with the media they've run to. None of this is about voter fraud. None of it. Where any fraud has occurred, it's voter registration fraud and has resulted in exactly zero fraudulent votes.
You'll
Republican tend to use voter fraud as a way to supress vote but they also know the absentee ballot they produce from time to time to try and sway they election are majority Republican leaning and that is where the majority of voter Fraud comes from where dead people or babies have voted heavily for Republicans.
we like to think america is the land of the free, etc etc, On the vote to authorize the constitution in 1789 only 4% of americans voted. Lets see, we had a pop of 7 million, half were woman who could not vote, 700,000 were slaves who were not full humans,in order to vote you had to be a property owner, and the court houses where you voted were in county seats and a lot of people were a day away by horse or carriage to get to, and not everyone had the ability to take two or three days off work. We are working TOWARDS a democracy and reading all the vitriol on here makes one realize how far we have yet to go
Republican use of voter fraud tends to be of the type to suppress voter turnout in democratic areas and make sure the republican side is taken care of. In Florida in 2000 they denied voting rights to any person likely to vote democratic that had a similar last name as a felon(documented and admitted by the republicans in 2000), or to deny extra voter machines in heavily democratic districts where the line up to vote meant a wait of an hour or two or longer (knowing a lot of people did not have the time nor the inclination would not vote) as in Ohio in 2004. In both cases the head of the re-elect committee for Bush were also the Sec. of State and therefore in charge of a impartial election. The more they can make it difficult to vote the greater the likleihood of it impacting democratic areas then republican.
What is this a DEM & LIBBER coffee klatch board? Ha!Ha!Ha!