"...repeating lies often enough are an affective way to sway the America voter..."

This is so true. I've been polled a couple of times and it's very interesting how they structure the questioning - and repeat it with subtle changes to dig to the core...at least Gallup does it that way. But I think the general population is a lot less on top of politics than the regular readers on this site, so those quick one-line talking points have a tendency to stick.

Here's a poll I would like to see the results of:

Do you think First Read's the finest place on the web for political debate?

Margin of error plus or minus 3.5 points lol

There are numerous other places on the web where people actually do have debates

Well then, why are YOU here?

You sure spend an inordinate amount of time here in Obamabot Land! lol

RVZ555 - then what are you doing here? Is there something you want to debate or are you just here to insult progressive thinkers?

RVZ555

No. There are numerous other places on the web where people actually do have debates. This is not one of them. This site is basically a forum for Obama groupies and other socialists to come and commiserate, whine, bash the right and ridicule Sarah Palin and her children. That's all.

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

Move along little doggie you're in the wrong place.

Ah, how perfect - "they have massive debt issue but health care for all of their citizens."

Huh, sounds lovely. Oh and especially VAT - it's like you libbies always say - every thing would be all better if only we could raise taxes. A VAT of 13 - 23%, on top of all the other taxes and the place is still in the crapper. How can that possibly be?

Sorry folks but Greece is in the progressive toilet. It is the ghost of Christmas future.

But good news on the Dick front. Seems they got the goods on Anthony's poor little Weiner. Seems the "face of the democratic party" was sexting with a 17 year old.

But that's not the best part - he's hanging on, not do continue to do good, further justice or any of the other silliness you libbies eat up. Nope, he's sticking around for the $.

Priceless. And too bad really, he's taking stage time away from Debbie "the repubs are trying to make illegal immigration a crime" Downer Schultz.

Good post Spanky,

Can you imagine the political attack ads the right can mount showing some "pics" of Weiner?/ And, of course, air them heavily in the bible belt.

Mark, you guys don't like the daily tracking polls.

I don't like the daily tracking Rasmuseen either, opps I mean Fox-mussen.

Have you or ever known someone who voted a certain way because of a poll? They are fun to read but noone really cares what someone else feels when it is crunch time in the voting booth. I lived with my husband over 40 years and often our votes did not match. We were often asked why bother to vote and we both felt it was our right and duty to do so.

My children and their adult children often vote for different things and people. You have one vote so use it your way.

So should the little Weiner show up to work, how many congress critters, not to mention media folks, will be pointing at his Weiner pic on their phones and laughing at his face?

God I hope he sticks around. Problem is this 17 year old thing wrecks him. Just shows he lied during and through his "confession."

My favorite line of questioning, once I have established that someone has provided false testimony under oath is to just keep asking: " yes, but are you lying NOW?" or "you just testified that..., but how can we tell you are being truthful NOW."

It's super fun, and alway works. Once you exposed someone on the record as a liar, it is over on EVRY issue, no matter what.

GO WEINER.

Spanky-

But good news on the Dick front. Seems they got the goods on Anthony's poor little Weiner. Seems the "face of the democratic party" was sexting with a 17 year old.

I really wish you'd lay off the Dick. If the Internet is anonymous how would that factor in?

Weiner has been distracted of late

He had inappropriate sexual entanglements with a number of women and lied about it repeatedly to the American people. Yet nobody --- save for one Colorado law school prof--- seems to be calling for Justice Clarence Thomas' resignation for some reason.

That, even though Thomas, unlike Rep. Anthony Weiner, appears to have actually, and flagrantly, and repeatedly, broken the law.

Thomas appears to have "knowingly and willfully" filed falsified Financial Disclosure Forms which withheld disclosure of nearly $700,000 his wife received from the rightwing Heritage Foundation for the better part of the last 20 years. Only once it was pointed out publicly this year did Thomas bother to file "self-initiated amendments" to the forms he had signed just above the legal warning in bold and all caps which reads: "NOTE: ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO KNOWINGLY AND WILLFULLY FALSIFIES OR FAILS TO FILE THIS REPORT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL SANCTIONS (5 U.S.C. app. § 104)"

While there has been little indication that law enforcement is actually investigating the crimes of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice (which, as we pointed out in January, are punishable by up to $50,000 and/or 1 year in jail for each instance of falsification), last Friday when Thomas' Financial Disclosure Form for 2010 [PDF] was released, the matter appears to have gotten shadier still, leading at least one government watchdog organization to describe what Thomas and his wife Virginia "Ginni" Thomas may be been doing as "Judicial Insider Trading."

Connecting the dots, it would seem the couple made huge profits from Thomas' participation and insider knowledge of last year's Citizens United ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court, as we'll show you below.

Thomas' Financial Disclosure Form for 2010

http://www.velvetrevolution.us/images/Clarence_Thomas_2010_Disclosure.pdf

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8561

Like I said before...

Andrew Weiner never lied about his stances when it involves the middle and poor working classes. Republicans do!!! Did I mention he supports President Barack Obama unequivocally?

Weiner in is better than Weiner out. He is a fighting machine.

Anthony Weiner's anatomy has been dominating the news here lately; Spank(er). How have you been beating the heat here lately?

Spanky-
So should the little Weiner show up to work, how many congress critters, not to mention media folks, will be pointing at his Weiner pic on their phones and laughing at his face?

GO WEINER.

Spanky

Weiner in is better than Weiner out.

Weiner's constituents may not like his online behavior, but poll says many still back him

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-ap-us-congressman-twitter-photo,0,2926670.story

My Congresman Said he'd vote with him; Spanky

New Yorkers still support Rep. Anthony Weiner.
Marist Poll showing that 56% of voters surveyed in Weiner's district didn't think he should resign.

Best argument yet Bev. "two wrongs make a right."

Ok, sure let's go with that. So are you back to supporting Weiner? Is he a great guy again, like he was last week?

And FYI I never, ever read the crap you or anyone else cuts and pastes. If you can't articulate a post using your own words, it just is not worth my time.

So come on Bev. use your own thoughts. That's what I am interested in, not someone else's.

K? Great.

And 55% find President Obama to be a strong leader.

nb. My personal poll says that someone here who's name begins with Sp, has a supermandate to goad, bait and undermine Feisty et al. and mess up the vibe. The greatest thing Dems here can do is talk about where we're going, and where we want to go and enjoy doing it.

We know the right wing wants to take us doubleplus backwards. We're seeing dirty tricks at State level all over the country from 'spoilers' in Wisconsin, to the Texas vote yesterday to end Medicare and Medicaid.

We can choose to ignore those who want to derail and stop us moving forward, whenever and wherever.

Not eve n55 % of democrats think Obama is doing a good job on the economy.

But yes it is all the right wing. Too bad the dems are so powerless and ineffectual they can't get anything done.

And please do ignore. That is an excellent strategy and will certainly ensure excellent results for the dems.

Good Golly the dems can't even ignore Anthony's Weiner. And we know Anthony could not ignore 17 year old girls.

Yep, I'm thinking ignoring is not your all's strong suit. :)

Bev - Did I mention he [Weiner] supports President Barack Obama unequivocally?

So using your logic, if a person is a lowlife peice of trash and he supports Obama "unequivocally", it is Okay to lie, cheat, and be a POS....as long as he likes Obama.

Too funny and oh so predictable.

The libbies were all about supporting the Weiner last week. Then the got slapped in the face - and who doesn't hate a dick slap? So they were naturally on down on the Weiner.

But now, and from here on they will begin to rally behind the little wanker. OF course they will, it's their way.

I do caution you all. Before you do what Bev just did and start to support the Weiner again, you should take a deep breath and wait. There are some really bad things about to break on the dick. You do not want to be getting behind him or it. It's pretty bad.

I'm a big fan of statistics: both the body of Math known as Statistics and individual stats themselves. Used properly they are of incredible value. When abused they can do enormous damage.

There is no better place to look than sports for examples - Albert Pujols is a perfect exemplar. Here is a man who carries a .330 lifetime average and he's hit more than 400 home runs. Those are Hall of Fame numbers. This season he is hitting below his lifetime average by more than 40 points. It's all about perspective.

The good - In his career, Albert has gotten at least a base hit 1 out of 3 at bats. The bad - did NOT get a hit 2 out of 3 times. It looks like he fails twice as often as he succeeds.

The good - Even though Albert is hitting below his lifetime average, he is still hitting better than the majority of other players. The bad - he will probably get at least 20 fewer hits than usual this season and will probably cost his team a victory or two.

The good - Based on his lifetime average, we might expect to see him get hot and take his average up and help his team. The bad - he might not.

The point here is that statistics are not the end-all be-all. The guy who hits .350 with no one on base is probably not as important to his team as a player who hits .250 for the season, but hits .300 with men on base.

If you lost your job and you are the sole breadwinner in your home, your unemployment rate is 100% - very bad. When you have a job, the rate is 0% - very good, unless you are making less than you were in your previous job, you're working part-time, you hate the job, you are now doing shift work. All this may be going on in your home while the rate across the nation is 9.1%, 2%, or 50%.

Even when we have loads of numbers we may not understand them. The unemployment rate is a fabulous example. First, it measures PAID employment. Second, it doesn't include those who are no longer looking for work. It certainly doesn't include those who are being paid under the table. Yet, this is treated as some sort of sacred number.

When it comes to polls - well, they're just useless. Do you like Obama? Well, hell no. Look at the color of his skin. The cold logic and dispassionate analysis of the job the President is doing is based on pigmentation. How absolutely rational.

I'll wait for the November poll in 2011. I sure hope you'll see your way clear to give Obama a second term. It's pretty hard to sell him short when you know that his opposition has been deliberately sabotaging his every effort.......and still Obama gets it done. Give him serious legislative support, and that lame duck might get some serious work done.

Two polls here: The President has a very high approval rating in this house and almost assuredly will get our votes. Poll two - The respondents in this household are in complete agreement that cheese makes almost any dish better.

Sp,

As you say, we know you guys are all about power and powerlessness.

The GOP/Corporation overlord approach is: We'll keep the profits, you 98% pay the bills.

Bev - I don't like the daily tracking Rasmuseen either, opps I mean Fox-mussen.

How about Gallup? They currently have Obama Unfavorable - 46% and Favorable - 45%. Looks like the Bin Laden Bump is gone.

http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx

John,

Exactly the point the video/article was making because 3
days ago it was Fav 50 - Unfav 40.

My favorite poll is the people I speak to everyday.

RVZ555,

My little America-hating pigeon. Why don't you leave the site? Put an egg in your shoe and beat it.

On second thought where else are we going to get such easy pickins as you?

You make picking righties apart easy.

You may stay.

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL "Here's a poll I would like to see the results of: Do you think First Read's the finest place on the web for political debate?"

I'll participate.

Since about 80% of the posts are liberal, it's more 'preaching to the choir' than real political debate, but it is fun sometimes seeing why Feisty gets 'collapsed' so often.

I do, however, have a problem when pollsters completely disagree with each other - for example, Quinnipiac recently released a poll showing Obama ahead of Romney by 9%, while several other pollsters (with better track records) showed Romney ahead of Obama by 3%, and all of them claimed a 'margin of error' of only 2 or 3 %.

At any rate, it's just human nature to want to see polls.

Greg in Detroit "RVZ555, My little America-hating pigeon. Why don't you leave the site?"

Are you trying to limit the 'debate' to only the liberal point of view?

Feisty asked if this was the best site for political DEBATE, but then anyone that takes a non-liberal position is immediately attacked personally. I think the answer to Feisty's question is self evident.

but it is fun sometimes seeing why Feisty gets 'collapsed' so often.

That's simple - because rabid little trolls like YOUSELF can't handle the truth!

What you idiots/cowards can't comprehend is, everyone OPENS them to take a peek!

I do appreciare your participation, the MORE you collapse my comments the HIGHER my vote totals go... lol

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL

Thanks for proving my point.

lol

PS - I NEVER collapse you or anyone else - it's more fun this way.

..

Are you trying to limit the 'debate' to only the liberal point of view?

Nope. Just posing the obvious question. If he and you find the site so reprehensible, why don't you find another that suits you better?

See? Obvious. Like voting Democratic.

Not to mention that most polls are 800 - 1000 people. Does this small amount really represent all Americans? NO.

I've never been called for a poll---has anyone else here?

Have they corrected yet for the fact that so many young people (and more of us not-so-young people) have only cell phones and not home phone landlines?

Steeler Fan,

I’ve been called 2 times for State and once for a National political poll.

Elise,

Statistically speaking, polls do represent the segment selected (registered voters, adults, likely voters, etc) if proper techniques are used. It is similar to quality inspections. But you have to look at the questions asked, number sampled (n=??), margin of error (+/- x.x%) and other breakdowns (age groups).

I like seeing most polls and looking at the numbers. I realize that as our Boiler Room Hosts said, they are a snapshot of the moment and not a guarantee of the future. I would add that polls often reflect the personal mood of the people polled based on events, public and private, where they live and work as well as national event(s).

The past few weeks we have seen a steady stream of bad news related to tornados, floods, fires, fewer jobs created, etc. and the combined effect is a sense of gloom, doom, and not the optimism we felt after learning Osama bin Laden was dead. I would compare the impact of moods on polls to going to work in a good mood, feeling chipper and happy then having a boss or co-worker growl, grumble, scowl and nitpick--it doesn't take long before you find yourself in that same foul mood and any opinion you give will reflect it.

I've been called a number of times for local and national polls. Sometimes, the questions really come close to push/polls but most of the national polls are pretty good. Just before the 2008 Iowa caucus, I was receiving one poll call every night or two night and sometimes more than one. It gets old, fast.

Polls are conducted by computer-generated phone numbers, not by selecting from the phone book. So, yes, cell phones can be called. I've been called a couple of times. Furthermore, 800-1000 responses IS representative of the population. I work in direct marketing and we can reliably read test results with as few as 300 responses.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/101872/how-does-gallup-polling-work.aspx

Some polls give the number of Cell v Landlines called.

I love to read all these demwit post,if the polls show your god down then you dont care about the polls and make excuses,but when your annoited one is up ,the dems are all fired up.I love to read all your Palin putdowns witch shows me you must be so afraid of this woman beating your boy even though she isn;t running for pres. She would not win the election but she just scares the crap out of you obuma nuts,the fact is your boy did not have the expierince to make a sentence without a teleprompter.Oil is highest ever , unemployment , fuel prices, food prices,odumba care, and on and on and on,come 2012 he;s gone,thank the real lord for that.

It used to work that way and it should work that way now but it doesn't. Obviously the GOPTPers are ignoring that 84%? of people want medicare fixed not killed or privatized. Legislators, blue dogs on the left and the entire right, ignored that 67%? of people supported a public option during the health care debate. These days legislators listen to their Corporate donors more than they do the people.

Amy dear, what do you suppose the total amount of tax evasion is per year in Greece?

Now, what is the total cost of health care there?

Maybe "part" of the problem is the fact the the Greeks looked to the government to do everything for them and then take care of them?

Maybe? Just a little bit?

Amy, have you read any tax code today? You might want to review the sections on depreciation and depletion credits. Give it a whirl, you might learn something. Knowledge is power Amy.

Amy, I've read that about Greece as well. Sounds familiar--the special interest tax loopholes create tax evation here, too.

The Greek problem has more to do with corruption than it does with people looking to be taken care of--greed, tax evation, corruption all lead to a failed nation.

Jody please look up the definition of "loophole" and "tax evasion." You libbies seem to be confused. Like Groucho below with his "legal stealing." Inconsistent.

Oh and do keep that head of yours buried in the sand.

Of course GM's future write-off of 12B is not a loophole, tax evasion or legal stealing. It's a "good" company that only uses the tax code as intended.

Uh....That would be SAINT Reagan, to us commoners, Amy.

Kind of like the old "when did you stop beating you dog" question.

I see the same thing in our referendum questions during our elections. They are pretty cleverly worded to get you to vote yes. Thankfully there are pro and con statements provided on the voter's guide.

Edward, are you admitting to using Cliff Notes when you vote?

Boy THAT explains a LOT!

I mean WHERE would your outrage be if someone else didn't tell you how to feel about it? Or for whom or what to vote?

df,

pure genius, really!

Clara KCMO

My reply on tax breaks belonged on the thread above, the "X" was to avoid duplication, as I failed to select the corresponding "post comment" section. Unfortunately, as the original entry could not be cancelled, the "x" stands in place of the aforementioned reply. It was done as a courtesy.

I take it that your comment was meant as some kind of superfluous jibe, joke or call for attention. Why I do not know.

You have ABSOLUTELY lost your sense of humor, seriously.

Lighten up already - there have been many 'pokes' when this situation occurs. Good grief. On both sides, very bi-partisan poking,...as it were.

One thing Ronald Reagan did was overhaul the tax code. He did so when he discovered just how riddled it was with special interest loopholes and favors--his response to the discovery was that he had no idea it had gotten so bad. The tax code has not been overhauled since and many of those special interest loopholes have found their way way. Another good thing Reagan did was discard his own trickle down, tax cut theory because being the pragmatist he was, he knew the resulting and ever increasing debt would cause great harm.

As I posted in my Thoughts comment, the results are in: 1% of the population received 65% of the tax cuts from 2001 through 2007 (the last year the numbers are complete to date).

So you allow people to keep more of their money, and that is a transfer of wealth.

Huh.

So tell us, why didn't Clinton just return us to Pre-Reagan tax rates?

Declaring 2010 "the best year in safety performance in our company's history," Transocean Ltd., owner of the Gulf of Mexico oil rig that exploded, killing 11 workers, has awarded its top executives hefty bonuses and raises, according to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

That includes a $200,000 salary increase for Transocean president and chief executive officer Steven L. Newman, whose base salary will increase from $900,000 to $1.1 million, according to the SEC report. Newman's bonus was $374,062, the report states.

Newman also has a $5.4 million long-term compensation package the company awarded him upon his appointment as CEO in March 2010, according to the SEC filing.

The latest cash awards are based in part on the company's "performance under safety," the Transocean filing states.

"Notwithstanding the tragic loss of life in the Gulf of Mexico, we achieved an exemplary statistical safety record as measured by our total recordable incident rate and total potential severity rate," the SEC statement reads. "As measured by these standards, we recorded the best year in safety performance in our Company's history."

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/04/03/gulf.spill.bonuses/index.html

Nice SMACK DOWN Amy!

Thanks for pointing out this particular bunch of greedy bastards rewarded themselves handsomely for KILLING 11 human beings!

Not to mention what they did to the Gulf!

They have NO shame what so ever!

Say Roy - who signed the last tax extensions into law? Ccould the bill have become a law without his signature? In fact he could have vetoed it, right?

Why would he do that if they are so stupid? He's not stupid is he?

Bev now that we are talking about low lifes, was it you calling Herman Cain a lawn Jockey?

welcome to "Lowest Common Denominator Day"...

Well is related to weiner as we are discussing low life's.

If I say I oppose your Idol, let's say beacuse I don't care for his friends and associates, you libbie's call me a racist.

If you a libbie's refer to Mr. Cain as a lawn ornament that is permissible.

I'll give you this one, I am confused clear this up for me will Ya?