Yesterday President Obama displayed once again, he's the ONLY adult in DC. In the meantime on the other side of the aisle Eric Cantor was measuring the drapes for the speaker's office while, threatening, demanding & in general exhibiting the juvenile, petulant behavior we've come to expect from him!

'Can't NOR won't' NEVER fails to disappoint!

What I find most fascinating about Cantor's performance is his duplicity about what he actually stands to gain by choosing to go with the 'nuclear option' and defaulting on the Debt Ceiling…

A $15,000 investment is pocket change
for a person of Cantor's means, but the fact that he would bet against his own
country speaks volumes about the character of the man.

During
a February 28 speech at Harvard, Cantor said, "Our people want the
government to do less. Our businesses want us to stop spending money we don't
have," he said. "We all assume everyone deserves a fair shot at success. Yet many
Americans are wondering what happened to their fair shot in life?"

It is interesting that Cantor would
dare to speak of fairness when he stands to financially profit from the
potential devastation of millions of Americans through a misfortune which he will
have helped directly and intentionally cause. In an April
10 appearance on Fox News Sunday, Cantor said, "I have to believe that the
president and the White House are beginning to sense the American people get
it. You know, we have a fiscal train wreck before us. And unless we act, and
act deliberately, we're not going to enable our kids to have what we have. It's
plain and simple as that."

Cantor has a history of betting
against America. The difference is that in 2011, he now has the power make sure
that his bets pay off.

Conflict of interest, abuse of power,
it doesn't matter what you call it. Eric Cantor's desire to make a profit based
on the pain and misery of very people that he has taken an oath to represent is
just plain wrong.

Eric Cantor is the Republican House leader who can't wait to see America fail.

In fact, he's counting on it.

Your financial destruction will be Eric Cantor's gain.

I guess this is what Republicans mean when they refer to one of their own as a "Real American."

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicususa.com%2Fen%2Funamerican-eric-cantor&ei=SkIcTp_eM6XlsQLHiuGmCA&usg=AFQjCNHbZKNpJCgSLp9rPMJ1Id1NeX6zsg

Isn't it about time we say ENOUGH to these 'candy men' guarding the playground?

The House Republican's have a very simple path to avoiding a US default on the debt AND calling Barry's bluff on his promise that cuts in SS and Medicare/Medicaid are something he would support. They should make the case with the public that 10 days is way too little time to seriously consider such hugely important changes and the prudent course is to pass the $1-2 trillion in cuts already agreed to in the Biden group along with a 60-90 day increase in the debt limit. Those 60-90 days would be solely dedicated to resolving the complex issues that require more than 10 days to properly consider. Language to that effect should be put in the bill. And no August vacations for Congress and Barry until this is all done.

Let the House pass the bill and send it to the Senate for their consideration. If the Senate Dems won't bring it to a vote, then the default is on their hands. Same thing if they defeat it. If they pass it, let Barry choose to sign it. Or, if "the only adult in the room" wants to pick up his ball and stomp his way home angrily, let him veto it. As far as I can recall, that's how our democracy is supposed to work.

On the subject of the Dems demanding tax increases, a little history lesson is in order: From January 2009 to January 2010 the Dems had the WH, an overwhelming majority in the House and a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate. The Dems could have done anything they wanted in terms of tax increases and yet they chose to do nothing. Now they want the Republican's to do their dirty work for them?? Hell, in 2010 the Dems didn't even bother to propose a 2010-11 federal budget and the Republican's inherited their mess and had to clean it up for them this year. The Republican's are on the high ground by making the Dems pay the price for their political games and irresponsible inaction.

The GOP/TP wanted President Obama to get into the Debt Ceiling Debate. Be careful for what you wish for, you just may get it.

President Obama is in the debate and he has laid all his cards on the table for all America to see. He has put his political career on the line for ALL Americans because he believes it is the right thing to do and the political ideologies have no place in this debate.

His has challenged both sides to put the political rhetoric in the parking lot and get down to doing the business of this country as the people have asked all their elected officials to do. It is time to do what is right, make the hard choices and sacrifices and move this country forward. Now the GOP?TP Party either accepts the challenge or the process stops here and we go down the toilet – period, end of game.

The gains we made to our 401K plans, IRA’s, Pensions will be wiped out, unemployment will get even worse, the economy will be in the crapper and only God knows what the ramifications will be on the global markets. This is what will happen if the GOP/TP Party continues to play politics.

Our President has put everything on the table for DISCUSSION from reducing the DOD Budget to Entitlements and Tax Reform and he is already getting major flak from some in our own Party, which in my opinion is no better than the “Obstructionist” views from the GOP/TP. Work together people and stop the crap, we cannot afford it any longer.

Any plan that is proposed must have shared sacrifice on Spending Cuts – everybody has to put some skin in the game and not just one specific segment of Americans. The GOP/TP will have to modify their position on the Spending Cuts, the middle class cannot afford 100% of the bill.

The plan must include features that will increase revenues, President Obama will not sign one that does not. He is looking to close tax loopholes and tax incentives.

He wants Tax Reform as it is crazy that millionaires/billionaires pay 18% effective income tax rate when the worker at the machine shop down the street is paying 25% effective income tax rate.

We have all by now seen the articles on the Hedge Fund Managers that pay 15% Income tax Rate due to a tax loophole. One of the top managers makes $2,400,000.00 PER HOUR. A person making $50,000.00 per year who works for 47 years will make $ 2,350.00.00 over his/her lifetime, and this person make that much money in ONE HOUR – This is wrong and President Obama want to change it.

Same for companies like GE who pay less in taxes than the worker at the dinner down the street. These are the thing President Obama is going after. He should and so should the GOP/TP – lets see if they do.

The bottom line is President Obama has put everything on the table for DISCUSSION. He has put his political career on the line for America. He is now challenging the Democrats and GOP/TP to do the same. If they do not, then we will as a Nation, know with 100% certainty who is for this country and who is betting against us. Will the GOP/TP support the 98% of Americans or will they continue to only support the 2% from Wall Street, Big Business and millionaires and billionaires telling 98% of the people to go to he!!. We will see.

Note about some of the lies I have seen this week:

President Obama is not raising income taxes this year or next. The Bush Tax Cuts stay until 2012. After that he wants to raise the tax rates about 3-5% only on those with a taxable income of more than $500,000.00. He wants to put back the 2% payroll tax and close the tax loopholes and tax incentives now.

Medicare and Medicaid are not going to face major benefit reductions – President Obama is looking at the costs that are driving the problem, like Medicare Advantage which he does address in the HCR Law come 2014. Like negotiating better Drug Prices etc. He is not going to gut Medicare and Medicaid, but rather put in some strong cost controls and eliminate the fraud and redundancy.

On Social Security he threw this in since we are doing everything else less get it all on the table, but he is looking to make SS viable at 100% of funding beyond 2037.

So now Obama is all hyper and wants a "Big Deal" or "No Deal" on cutting government spending. This is the same guy that back in January, not even 6 mothns ago, submitted a budget with $1.65 trillion dollars in deficit spending. How fast Obama's small mind has changed. That budget of his of course, coming on the heels of him signing the Obama tax cuts, the ones that looked quite similar to the Bush tax cuts, the same ones he was critical about for years, the ones he insisted over and over that he would let expire, the ones he said were the cause of all our deficits. Obama, the same guy that wanted a raise of the debt ceiling without any consequences. Obama, the same guy that voted against raising the debt ceiling in his brief moment as a US Senator. Obama sure changes his small mind a lot.

These things happen because Obama has no core values. He's not driven by what he believes, he believes in nothing, he's driven by what sounds good at the time. Obama got rolled in December by the GOP with his tax cuts, he'll get rolled again this time with no tax increases. And the media again will ignore what a hypocrite and loser this man is, and has always been. "Spectacular failure", that's what Obama epitaph will read.

David Walker was trying to argue that Obama’s stimulus worked yesterday …. Said he typed in ... did stimulus work …. and “Yup….. “

So I took Dave’s advice and typed in ……. Is Casey Anthony a good mother…… Yup …..

Absurd? Of course, But just to show you how really, really absurd Obama’s performance has been, try to find a rebuttal for the following …..

Unemployment has never been under 8% since Obama took office and has been under only 9% in 5 out of Obama’s 29 months. Find a president since the Great Depression that can match that record for failure.

Find a President that spent almost a trillion and 2.4 million less people are working 2 years later than when he signed the stimulus since the Great Depression.

Find a president since WW II that can match Obama’s average length of unemployment. Make it easier – name someone that had half the average length of unemployment.

Find a president where the value of homes dropped more than under Obama – feel free to use any time frame, Obama even beats the Great Depression on this one.

Anyway, be sure to get back to me Dave when you have the answers. Surely you want to tell the truth …… just like Casey Anthony, right?

“I must have killed more men than Cecil B. DeMille.” Blazing Saddles

(I've always loved that line, so so damn funny)

Mind boggling segment last night with Lawrence O’Donnell. I know I've been scratching my head lately over the president's stance re: Medicaid & Medicare. But as Lawrence said, the president learned - whatever he is for, the GOP will be against.

And I realized this isn't Boehner v. Obama.

This is Boehner v. Cantor.

Thanks Lawrence for not setting your hair on fire like everybody else is. You and President Obama are the only two I swear. LOL.

President Obama is right - bring it all to the table - all of it - and we'll sort it out. Yet the GOP won't do it.

The GOP’s rich friends won't like it.

It just goes to show you - people will do just about anything for money.

Anything. Including watching our country go completely down the tubes, a road the GOP continues to take us on.

There has been an opening in Congress for a Ted Kennedy type Democrat.

Nancy Pelosi and Senator Sanders. The torch has been passed to you.

Again, excellent analysis by Lawrence on the show down in Dodge.

FR headline you'll never see: "Obama calls citizens stupid because they are against raising debt limit"

"Let me distinguish between professional politicians and the public at large," the president said, emphasizing that lawmakers, not the American people, were "paid to worry about" the debt limit. "The public is not paying close attention to the ins and outs of how a Treasury (bond) auction goes. They shouldn't," he said. "They've got a lot of other things on their plate. We're paid to worry about it."

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20078452-503544.html

Now Obama thinks he and his "professionals" "know better" than the American public. This is the same bunch that predicted unemployment would be 6.5% now if we would just spend $800 billion of borrowed money to pay off the unions. This is the same set of "professionals" that spent trillions in deficit dollars to produce a 9.2%, and rising, unemployment rate. This is the same set of "professionals" that produced 14 million unemployed Americans and 10 million under-employed Americans. These are same "professionals" spending the country back to the Stone Age? Obama and his economic "professionals" are nothing but a of bunch of amateurs, a set of academic pinheads without a clue. And the most dangerous thing of all is that Obama thinks he knows what is going on. The man has all the power and not a clue, he's more stupid than he believes the American public are.

Bob, I have to disagree, Casey Anthony is obviously a bad mother, but that's just my opinion.

He's not driven by what he believes, he believes in nothing...

That's an oxymoron isn't it?

Pat, I agree, they're eating their own. I'm sure Feisty will bring enough popcorn for all of us.

Then there's this from the presumed 'front runner' in Iowa, none other than bat sh!t crazy
Bachmann & her homophobic husband!

As if feeding at the Gubment trough by accepting Medicare payments wasn't ENOUGH!

An undercover investigation from a staff member
of the organization Truth Wins Out has revealed that the clinic run by Dr.
Marcus Bachmann, husband of Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann,
is providing discredited "ex-gay" reparative therapy. Dr. Marcus Bachmann has
been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, after a ThinkProgress report documenting his past
comments referring to gays as "barbarians" and an NBC News report that revealed Bachmann and
Associates had taken $137,000 in federal Medicaid funds over the past five
years despite Michele Bachmann's strident anti-government stance. John Becker
of Truth Wins Out, who went undercover at Bachmann & Associates, writes:

Based on my experiences at Bachmann & Associates, there can no
longer be any doubt that Marcus Bachmann's state- and federally-funded clinic
endorses and practices reparative therapy aimed at changing a gay person's
sexual orientation, despite the fact that such "therapy" is widely discredited
by the scientific and medical communities. It's time for Michele and Marcus Bachmann to stop
denying, dodging, and stonewalling. They owe it to all Americans to provide a
full and honest explanation for their embrace of these dangerous and fraudulent
practices.

The
scrutiny of the Bachmanns' extreme anti-gay views has only
increased in the past 24 hours, following Bachmann's decision to sign an extreme anti-gay,
anti-Muslim pledge put forward a key Iowa group, the Iowa FAMiLY
Leader.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/07/08/264546/breaking-undercover-investigation-confirms-bachmann-clinic-provides-discredited-damaging-ex-gay-therapy/

If this is what's masquerading as 'family values' these days… I'll take a pass! These BIGOTS should be ashamed!

No wonder the baggers & birthers are as cranky as they are these days… THIS is the BEST you have to offer? LMAO!

Obama/Biden 2012 - all the WAAAY BABY!

Feisty/Pat:

Outstanding posts this morning.

President Obama has put doing what is right for America before his political career. He has laid it all out there and has challenged both the Democrats and Republicans to do the same. Put the political rhetoric in the parking lot and just get the job done.

It is now the GOP/TP Party's ball. Either they will stop the "Obstructionism" and help this country or not. If they do not then we will know with 100% certainty that they are the ones that are hurting America and it will show in 2012.

The GOP/TP has a unique chance to show some leadership they keep talking about. Our President is the only one showing any leadership at all, but he cannot do it alone. The GOP/TP knows this.

First Read is concerned that the debt ceiling negotiations "could blow up in Obama's face."

If First Read is worried, it's time for most of you to begin worrying.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where the majority of the public doesn't hold President Obama responsible for a failure to raise the debt ceiling. For most Americans, the buck stops there, like it or not.

His penchant for last-minute involvement in matters of great urgency isn't serving him well.

Again...

If First Read is worried...

bob:

Your post really needed more numbers, don't ya think? Without them, all we have is you trying to hang President Bush's turd sandwiches around President Obama's neck.

Louis says ......

They have no spine especially when the President of the United States of America challenges them to do their job. Not only has President Obama challenged them to do their job, he has also thrown down the gauntlet of sacrifice.

Yea .... Obama tells them to eat their peas .... has he left for his next $35,000.00 a plate fundraiser yet?

I don't know if Boehner has a spine, but Obama definitely has no conscious, no sense of reality, no leadership, no class .....

FR headline you'll never see: "Obama calls citizens stupid because they are against raising debt limit"

"Let me distinguish between professional politicians and the public at large," the president said, emphasizing that lawmakers, not the American people, were "paid to worry about" the debt limit. "The public is not paying close attention to the ins and outs of how a Treasury (bond) auction goes. They shouldn't," he said. "They've got a lot of other things on their plate. We're paid to worry about it."

Source:

--------------------------------------------------------------

I don't get it, Smiff...you say the President called us stupid but then present a quote that doesn't use that word.

Per First Read:

“Democratic leaders are pressing Wall Street and the business community to urge Republicans to soften their demands and strike an agreement on raising the debt limit,”

Pressing Wall Street and the business community to urge Republicans… Who do the Republicans report to? Can’t negotiate with their “leadership”, so go to the Board of Directors. Big business is running the GOP.

“Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) on Monday presented a sweeping plan that he says will reduce the nation's deficit by about $4 trillion over the next decade through a balanced combination of deep cuts in spending and tax hikes,” adding, “It's the chairman's first public presentation of the proposal, which was hashed out behind the scenes for months. Republicans had been hammering Democrats for not releasing a budget plan.”

“Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad unveiled his budget plan on the Senate floor Monday, but top Congressional leaders weren’t even on Capitol Hill to hear his proposal,”

Budget is out there and no one is listening. Sort of like if a tree fall in the forest and there’s no one there…

For all their complaining… “More than six months after being sworn in to office, a handful of Republican freshman lawmakers have yet to introduce a single piece of legislation,”

These are the same people holding America hostage to the Tea Party demands. Not one piece of legislation to solve any of the problems facing the country and yet they are attempting to gut existing programs and allow America to default on its obligations. No answers just straight budget cuts which primarily affect the poor and elderly. No one proposal announced in the press affects big business or big money.

President Obama has proved the GOPTP to be insincere in their claims to reduce the deficit and debt. The GOPTP failed to realize they can only play the "we won't budge" game for so long before the rest of the country wises up to their tricks. They failed to learn when they've been offered a really good deal, it isn't wise to keep betting they'll get more. This country was founded on the premise that compromise would be required in order for Government to remain all-inclusive and centrist rather than extreme right or left. The GOPTP has painted themselves into a corner and President Obama gave them the paint and the brushes.

Where is the world is Mitt Romney? Is he off an a cruise like Gingrich and no one in the media notices? Or is he hunkered down trying to decide whether he should be for or against whatever he used to be for or against?

Bachmann's clinic sounds as "fringe-y" as she and her husband are. Wonder how many conservatives will complain about the secret video.

Twenty years in the future, the majority of people will look back on 2011 and wonder why the Republicans-Tea People in office didn't go to jail for crimes against the United States and it's people. For any group that is trying to bury the poor and middle class, in order to save the rich and big corporations from paying one dime in additional taxes is treason against the United States.

The biggest problem I have is the fact that so many people are so stupid, that they actually support the likes of these so called Republicans. They are like a group of blind little sheep that fall into lock step with these villains who want nothing more than to destroy our President.

You may ask why, and I think we know why. I will give you a hint. Who signs a pledge that suggest that black children were better off when born during slavery?

“Your guys already voted for them [entitlement reforms],” the president said, referring to the budget offered by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.

“Excuse us for trying to lead,” Boehner said.

Source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/07/cmon-man-exclaims-vp-in-deficit-meeting-lets-get-real.html

=======================

Poor Obama. He can't get any traction. No respect either, not that he deserves any.

What nonsense will Obama be spewing today with his propaganda conference?

The problem with the debt negotiation is the same as the problem with the economy- Obama is clearly out to lunch.

Yesterday, he made his priorities clear

The president also went further in explaining the benefits he imagines if Congress enacts a significant deficit-trimming deal -- and one of those benefits, he suggested, might be more stimulus-style spending to boost the economy. Even an agreement to enact the grandest deal would not achieve a budget surplus anytime in the near future, but it could stabilize economic and political arguments enough to open the door for new "investments," he said. In other words, a deal now could pave the way for new spending for programs he favors, or that could put more Americans to work.

"We can't even have that conversation if people feel as if we don't have our fiscal house in order," the president told reporters. "So the idea here is let's act now. Let's get this problem off the table. And then with some firm footing, with a solid fiscal situation, we will then be in a position to make the kind of investments that I think are going to be necessary to win the future."

"Winning the future" is a slogan Obama uses in speeches and in his re-election campaign.

"What we can do is to solve this underlying debt and deficit problem for a long period of time," he continued, "so that then we can get back to having a conversation about ... some strategies that we could pursue that would really focus on some targeted job growth."

Republican control of the House constrains his options to move new versions of pump-priming, job-creating stimulus through Congress, he said.

In other words, his plan is quite simple- reduce the debt so he can add to it, in the name of "stimulous".

Right. That ought to sell in Peoria.

Not to worry, Obama worshippers- I am thinking he will just keep using the "investment" language. Maybe even refer to a "bank". After all, last year stimulous got turned into a four letter word- ARRA- because he was convinced that the electorate was too dumb to know the difference.

We see how well that worked out.

On the other hand, he sees the need to come up with another trillion or so in "investments"- just at the time he needs to get big "investors" in his WTF campaign. Last time, those big dollar donors got millions back from their "investment" in his campaign- a billion to start up electric car companies, half a billion for Chinese turbines for a donor owned Texas wind farm, to name just two.

I guess he has visions of the payoffs to come with even more of our tax dollars.

Obama sure picked the right campaign slogan- seems most of the electorate is saying WTF about this entire presidency.

Hey Nash,

Most of my comments, although addressed to libs, are actually intended for independents and undecided - hence numbers / statistical support for my argument.

The above was intended for Dave and libs and since you guys have no concept of numbers and statistical support, it was left off.

See you still have a turd sandwich fetish.

While you will have a very hard time finding an answer to the points in my posts, you should be able to find boo-coos of people to help with that fetish ...... just type it in ...

danoid: you say the President called us stupid but then present a quote that doesn't use that word.

It's called an inference. A process you're obviously not capable of doing.

The advice given to a gay person was "Anytime I felt the temptation to act out homosexually or have homosexual thoughts to pray about it, to take to the Bible,"

Oh my goodness. A Christian tells a 'sinner' to consider what Jesus said and pray for the strength to overcome a weakness.

How dastardly of them - what is this world coming to?

Mixed Bag

It's hard to imagine a scenario where the majority of the public doesn't hold President Obama responsible for a failure to raise the debt ceiling. For most Americans, the buck stops there, like it or not.

His penchant for last-minute involvement in matters of great urgency isn't serving him well.

Mixed Bag

That all depends on what poll you're watching. If it something like Fox-mussen you'll always see opposition to the President.

Polls say Americans oppose proposed changes to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, but support raising taxes on the wealthy.

It's the insane clown posse called the GOP/T-BAGGERS whose prerogative is lacking.

Joanna Smith1, go back and review the video of Obama's news conference. The phrase"professional " was in reply to a reporter talking about poll results. Obama was making the point that as elected officials it is their duty to do their work as any other profession. As politicians they need to do their jobs.

In my opinion in addition to telling the American people "what their job" is, the other appalling statement coming from this failed prez's mouth was the characterization that although he has been successful and has become a millionaire, he had money "he didn't need" and didn't want to face the American people with that (or in so many words). Well, that's fine that he can determine what he doesn't need -- personally -- but he -- the government -- can't dictate that to others. This sounds somewhat like redistribution of wealth. If he doesn't need money, then he can donate it voluntarily to charity or anything else he chooses. It is not government's role to determine what Americans don't need. It is government's role to determine what it needs and live within those means without burdening Americans with taxes.

@Beverly -- the polls also show that Americans don't want the debt ceiling raise -- about 70 percent -- and the question was phrased very simply so we "dumb" Americans could comprehend.

@Danoid -- read between the lines. His arrogance is showing through.

bob lotsanumbers:

So I wrote that you should type in the search block, "did stimulus work". So you typed in, "Is Casey Anthony a good mother". Bob, I think this explains the reason it is impossible for you to experience cognitive dissonance.

I will leave it to the reader of your post to figure out why it would be a waste of time to get back to you on any subject. You have zero comprehension.

Mixed Bag and Spanky:

Yesterday, I expressed my virtually limitless disdain and contempt for the punk's punk, Eric Cantor (R-Corporate Lackey). I observed that it would give me great satisfaction to wipe the smirk off his face and I also made it clear that I would like to pummel the little weasel. Apparently, that kind of emotion doesn't square with your mental picture of a "liberal".

So, you clearly implied - both of you - that I was anti-Semitic, and yes Spanky that's the how you spell "semitic". In any case, the loathing I feel for Cantor is not rooted in his ancestry. Regardless, I was curious how you knew he was a Semite. Well, you know how I am about facts, so I got on the Internet and looked high and low for information that might confirm his Semitic ancestry.

I'm not going to claim that I'm the best researcher, but I can usually find the information for which I search, but this time I failed. Please tell me where you found the information that Cantor is a Semite.

danoid: you say the President called us stupid but then present a quote that doesn't use that word.

It's called an inference. A process you're obviously not capable of doing.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Oh...so, if it's your inference doesn't that mean that YOU think we're stupid?

bob:

Your posts are non-reality based, and thus not really worth the time required to "refute" them. You blame President Obama for unemployment, when he inherited rising unemployment from the President with the worst job creation record in history.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/01/09/bush-on-jobs-the-worst-track-record-on-record/

P.S. It is Republicans who have a turd sandwich fetish . . . no matter how many their policies generate, their "solution" is always to just keep making more.

agitprop it's not really government's job to take money from people (code for taxes). Americans are not saying what Republican House Majority Leader John Boehnor is saying. Dunno, maybe what he thinks he hears is due to a a drunken stupor. Amricans are fed up and have reached their breaking point. Americans, let me tell you, are not saying they don’t want tax increases for the rich, multimillionae companies, big oil, corporate jet tax breaks, or

On the contary, polls say th complete opposite of what that raging narcissist , Eric Cantore and that brawny whine nosh Republican House Majority Leader John Boehnor portend.

The ends no longer justified the mean. Where’s that bottle and glass? Uh oh here it is next to his gravel ensconced in snuggly in his to do list; a J-O-B-S plan.

http://media.bigoo.ws/content/gif/alcool/alcool_4.gif

Michellee bachmann’s endless stream of blah blah, blah blah deserves her a

Stiff drink.

“Today’s jobs report makes it clear: more must be done to create jobs and strengthen our middle class. Republicans must join Democrats to focus squarely on Americans’ top priority – putting people back to work.

“In the six months since Republicans have been in charge of the House, they have failed to bring a single jobs bill to the floor or offer a clear jobs plan. Democrats have forced ten votes on job-creation measures in this Congress – and Republicans have voted ‘no’ each time.

“Democrats know that creating jobs must be job number one for this Congress, yet Republicans continue to push their plan to end Medicare in order to give billions in tax breaks to Big Oil and corporations that ship American jobs overseas. And now, they are putting our entire economy at risk – by threatening to let our nation default for the first time, injecting uncertainty into the economy, and demanding we balance our budget on the backs of seniors and the middle class.

“We are ready to work together on a balanced, bipartisan approach to bring down our debt, while creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, and growing our economy.”

Read more: http://thepage.time.com/2011/07/08/job-reax-from-the-left/#ixzz1RsaEGwyC

Hmmmm let's see build or expand a business in India with no taxes or Detroit and pay State, Fed, Local taxes and outrageous union benifits? That's a tough question. It would take GE, CAT, John Deere, NUCOR, etc. etc. etc. atleast 2 years to move those plants. Let's raise taxes and live like Grass Hoppers for 2 more years! Whooopeee! OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA :)~ <------You know my message VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2012......

Didn't Obama say he was the captain of the ship ...... (Do his analogies not even work anymore ... I thought it was a car .... bus ....?)

Spaceship. We're in the 21st Century now. No more neanderthals.

Bob: Didn't Obama say he was the captain of the ship ...... (Do his analogies not even work anymore ... I thought it was a car .... bus ....?)

Corporate jet.

Beverly in Chicago "Polls say Americans oppose proposed changes to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, but support raising taxes on the wealthy."

Let's take a poll of people in Oregon about raising taxes on people in California. Would you be surprised if most were in favor of raising taxes on 'someone else'?

There are two problems with the idea of raising taxes;

1 - Raising taxes during a recession is bad policy - ask any reputable economist.

2 - The tax increases have a tendency to include large parts of the 'middle class' because the tax increases always raise less than 'anticipated'.

Bag:

If First Read is worried, it's time for most of you to begin worrying.

And why would that be? Are you still deluding yourself that First Read is part of some vast liberal propaganda machine, along with the Washington Post, CBS news, and various other corporate media outfits that routinely frame issues to favor Republicans? That's exactly what FR did by asserting the Obama should have entered the negotiations on the debt ceiling much earlier -- a criticism that the Republicans aimed at Obama for months.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where the majority of the public doesn't hold President Obama responsible for a failure to raise the debt ceiling. For most Americans, the buck stops there, like it or not.

And you think they'll let the Republicans off the hook if they wreck the economy unless the president capitulates completely and agrees to all of their demands?

Obama expects us to believe he knows what he is doing, despite evidence to the contrary.

He expects us to believe that he is finally serious about cutting the debt- while talking about increased spending in the same conversation.

He expects us to believe that he thinks he should pay more in taxes- well, this is another instance of watching what he does- or does not do- rather than what he says, because he could easily write a check for whatever amount he deemed fair- but he has not.

I find it impossible to believe a word that comes from the man's mouth- he has been exposed as a liar more times than I can count- but the most recent revelation is more disgusting than anything to date.

The man lied about his own dying mother.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/07/fresh-doubt-cast-obamas-health-care-story

So, his mother had health insurance- there were no arguments over coverage- it was disability insurance that was denied.

And who was the brilliant counsel who was in charge of getting that decision reversed?

None other than her son- who failed at that endeavor, too. Not surprising, since this was the man who complained that his car insurance would not cover repairs to his car after a fender bender- when he did not have collision coverage.

He's toast in 2012.

I'm not going to claim that I'm the best researcher, but I can usually find the information for which I search, but this time I failed. Please tell me where you found the information that Cantor is a Semite.

Is this what you're looking for?

Eric Ivan Cantor (pronounced /ˈkæntɚ/; born June 6, 1963) is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district, serving since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, he becameHouse Majority Leader when the 112th Congress convened on January 3, 2011. He previously served as House Minority Whip from 2009 to 2011.

His district includes most of the northern and western sections of Richmond, along with most of Richmond's western suburbs and portions of the Shenandoah Valley. Cantor is the only JewishRepublican currently serving in Congress.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cantor

This would be a really good time to lighten up on Boehner. I understand the inclination to beat on him, but consider his position.

As backdrop, look at the difficulty that Nancy Pelosi had when she was Speaker. She had to marshal her majority - the herd of cats. We all know Dems don't do the lockstep thing. That's the nature of the left-wing.

Now, consider the work facing Boehner. He knows now, and always did know the debt ceiling HAD to be raised, but he had to play to the Republican majority. Unfortunately for him, Republicans do tend to take a position en masse and hold to it. His quandary stems from the fact that there are two very distinct groups in the Republican Party right now. There are the realists and there are the hard right ideologues who are quite ignorant of the way government works. (This is the crowd that thinks government can be run like a business.)

Boehner has his work cut out for him, and ironically the Dems will save his bacon. He knows it. He was completely outflanked by Obama. What a shame this has turned into a game of brinksmanship.

BrianB:

Knowing as you do that Congress is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Big Money boys and Megabuck Monstrocorp, why would you not favor public financing?

It's called an inference. A process you're obviously not capable of doing.

Sorry, in Vermont we call it a lie. You RWNJS are pretty good at putting words into other peoples mouths. I would suggest you try the truth for a change.

This is what you get when you have people trying to defend what cannot be defended. They lie and make up false accusations, trying to pass them off as the truth.

Look, you are entitled to your opinion, you are not entitled to make up false facts.

Alan, NJ:

No, but thank you. I have already seen that entry. I'm looking for confirmation of his Semitic ancestry.

Pat, I saw Lawrence O'Donnell's excellent analysis last night. He really nailed it.

I've often commented that President Obama is always 10 steps ahead of republicans, many in the media and sometimes democrats and wondered why time after time so many never recognize the set up. Lawrence has figured that out and recognized that whatever President Obama does, it is well planned.

danoid:Oh...so, if it's your inference doesn't that mean that YOU think we're stupid

There are some things people think, and there are some things people know. In your case noid, it's the latter.

No, navy, it is called an inference, and you should be the expert on the subject.

Remember what House democrats were supposed to infer from, "the difference between 1994 and now is, this time, you've got me"?

He was clearly right- losses for democrats were much worse in 2010 than in 1994.

Somehow, I do not think that is what those House democrats inferred from that comment.

Obama's got a gift, okay.

David,

I wrote that you should type in the search block, "did stimulus work". So you typed in, "Is Casey Anthony a good mother".

Sorry it went over your head.

Maybe Ron can explain it to you tonight in the tree house.

Bob, I think this explains the reason it is impossible for you to experience cognitive dissonance.

Huh?

Anyway, I don't have any cognitive dissonance issues whatsoever with what I post ..... you sure you know what you are talking about, or is cognitive dissonance like everything else for you?

Not a big fan of liberal cognitive distortions .... or liberal cognitive epistasis as demonstrated in your comments ..... but what the heck, right?

No, but thank you. I have already seen that entry. I'm looking for confirmation of his Semitic ancestry.

What do you mean like his family tree? Just curious.

Dad has a spending problem and has been on a wild binge for 2 1/2 years

Dad maxes out his Visa, calls the bank and tells them he will go bankrupt if they don't raise his debt limit.

What should the bank tell dad WHAT should the taxpayers tell Washington?

The reality for the Republicans is that they will take a few $Trillion in 'cuts' now in return for a short term extension of the debt, without giving any tax increases. Then, when the time comes for another increase in the Debt limit next year, they will ask for REAL cuts in exchange for tax increases.

The Democrats want to get tax increases in exchange for the 'easy cuts', but the Republicans are not buying it. A 'short term deal' without tax increases is the likely outcome.

The Republicans sense that this issue is an 'achilles heal' for Obama, and they want deja vu just before the 2012 elections.

Ben, Smiff, et al...

You all seem to have missed something in your rush to criticize the President with your blind hatred...

HE'S EXACTLY RIGHT!!!

Go back to the original statement...

"Let me distinguish between professional politicians and the public at large," the president said, emphasizing that lawmakers, not the American people, were "paid to worry about" the debt limit. "The public is not paying close attention to the ins and outs of how a Treasury (bond) auction goes. They shouldn't," he said. "They've got a lot of other things on their plate. We're paid to worry about it."

It's not that the President thinks the average citizen is "stupid" (your word, Smiff, not his). It's that the President thinks the average citizen is not concerned with the minutiae of the process.

...and he's correct...they don't care because they don't see how it affects their daily lives. The average citizen has a job and their own bills and their kids' soccer practice.

We have elected representation that we have sent to Washington to deal with this issue. We expect them to get a deal done.

Nash,

Bush created 8.2 million jobs. Yea - the economic collapse wiped them out, but that was a crdeit issue.

I explained it all in detail to you - no one ever refuted anything.

Did you already forget ....... or is that durn ole lib gene that keeps libs from ever learning anything?

Ira Lapin “More than six months after being sworn in to office, a handful of Republican freshman lawmakers have yet to introduce a single piece of legislation,”

They managed to get a Budget passed within weeks of taking over the House, something the Democrats couldn't get done in 12 months.

no joe, no bo, nj

The problem with the debt negotiation is the same as the problem with the economy- Obama is clearly out to lunch.

Yesterday, he made his priorities clear

Not to worry, Obama worshippers- I am thinking he will just keep using the "investment" language. Maybe even refer to a "bank". After all, last year stimulous got turned into a four letter word- ARRA- because he was convinced that the electorate was too dumb to know the difference

Investment sound alot better than tax welfare for the rich. also the folks in peoria are alot smarter than you think. Navastar is located there and invertment is what people do when they are buying there product.

ok No Jo Just like your comment that construction spending is not interchangeable, your statement now that Obama is out to lunch is in the category, how is he out to lunch when he is putting SS and Medicate on the table tax reform on the table, i ask, aren't those the main things the debt commission said had to be changed. so if thats are on the table then how the hell is he out to lunch. Hate No Jo, its not becoming of you!!!! i hope you take that hate face off when you go out side!

i wish you would stop being selfish old lady and forget the ryan plan, it screws over guys like me who are not 50 yet and will force me to keep my health care after i retire, because 6k toward a health plan will break me. you are already retired so any changes now will not affect your selfish behind so why do you care!!!! this is why you love to ryan proposal to gut medicade, it does not affect the great educator and know it all No Jo.

Tax reform is the most important thing we have to do, so said the debt commission, they made it very clear that the bush tax cuts coupled with the wars, Medicaid part D and Stimulas is why we are broke. not to mention the added spending on HLC after 911,(the republicans instead of spending 42 billion on a jobs bill, they spend that amount on HLC!!!!) in addition entitlements are taking a beating because we have been in recession for almost 4 years. (i don't care what the economist say, we are still in a recession),you know No Jo i know you don't care, you should be ashamed to not care that fellow American would go hungry if you were president. you have said as much!!!!

Have a nice day and please take that hate face off girl , folks just might run away!!!

Navy, lets do some reality checks. Tell me about this machine shop working down the street that has a 25% effective tax rate? He must be making enough money to pay that effective rate so not really a good comparison and tell me about these millionares and billionares with 18% effective rates? Big deal Buffet made a comment once but any working millionare or the vast number of wealthy that are needed to raise any real revenue pay effective rates of 36% and higher and going 3.9% higher in 13 with Obamacare and then state rates. So lets not embellish too much ok?

Lets talk about GE paying less than the worker down the street. Come on do you think thats a little hyperbolic? Didnt Obama give GE the green energy tax credits that allowed GE to pay no US tax even though it paid billions in foreign tax. Plus, you do know that GE is certainly a stock in your mutual fund, 401k account, union pension fund or whatever retirement plan you have. So every dollar you tax GE, you just took that value out of that retirement plan. So Navy use some critical thinking skills and start understanding the unintended consequences of your partisan rhetoric.

noid: We have elected representation that we have sent to Washington to deal with this issue. We expect them to get a deal done.

Sure. We shouldn't bother these Mensa members during this critical time. All those annoying phone calls, snail mail, and e-mails to our representatives - just cut it out people, quit bothering them! Town halls, debates, meet-and-greets of your congressman/congresswoman, forget those too. These are professionals people, wizards that know their business. The voters, mere peons, just are not capable of understanding the details, the minutia, the process of making these highly technical decisions in Washington DC. We should just stand back and let these elected geniuses sort it out, and pay the bill when they present it to us, and then go to our kids soccer practice, but only if we can afford the gas.

You're too much noid. You're a lot of fun.

bob:

The Wall Street Journal said that President Bush had the worst job creation record in history.

Good enough for most rational folk.

By the way . . . have you figured out why the economy collapsed yet? I mean, we cut taxes and regulations like ya'll told us to do . . . what happened?

While one Democrats want to continue spending the money we don't have and asking for another blank check ,and telling to Americans that Medicare is untouchable when the new Heath Care Law approved for them in the dark of the night will take 500 millions from it, the Republican side is not willing allowed the president to borrow more money to pay our compromises without any serious cuts . How unmoral is the Democratic government that is putting more debt in our child's and grand child's and then claiming that if Republicans don't allowing to borrow and spend more our grandmas will die.

As long as the Republicans stay on track and not give on significant spending cuts without any tax increase, they will do fine and the economy will improve due to less uncertainty in the markets.

Obama is throwing his own base under the bus as he has already done before. Man, his base is bloodied! You would think they got the number off that last bus wouldn't you?

bob-1805084 wrote:

Unemployment has never been under 8% since Obama took office and has been under only 9% in 5 out of Obama’s 29 months. Find a president since the Great Depression that can match that record for failure.

Find a President that spent almost a trillion and 2.4 million less people are working 2 years later than when he signed the stimulus since the Great Depression.

Find a president since WW II that can match Obama’s average length of unemployment. Make it easier – name someone that had half the average length of unemployment.

Find a president where the value of homes dropped more than under Obama – feel free to use any time frame, Obama even beats the Great Depression on this one.

Unemployment has never jumped up within 6 months of a presidents' tenure (the inertia factor would be relevant here - lagging indicator -something a statistics guru like you should know) as with Republican, George W. Bush. That's probably why he hasn't shown his face in public since he left office. Obama can't be expected to stop 750K a month jobs being lost the day he becomes president.

From the end of 2007 thru Jan 2009, 4.5 million jobs were lost under Republican, GW Bush (and trending 750K in losses per MONTH), . With 8 years of Republican rule there was $1.7 Trillion spent on tax cuts during that same period ($2.8Trillion if extended thru 2017).

The length of unemployment only goes back to GW Bushs' Presidency. Since the Republicans ran the country into the most severe recession in history in 2008/2009, unemployment has set records for longevity, something (as you noted) that has never happened before. Unfortunately, it's been Republicans that have tried to cut off benefits to those unemployed multiple times, extorting more tax cuts for the rich from Obama. Those extended tax cuts for the rich have only increased unemployment since they were extended in December, 2010.

The collapse of the real estate market, under Republican, GW Bush, has pushed home values to record lows. Republicans (and some economists) have said the Administration needs to allow them to drop further to those not seen since 2000.

JoAnnaSmith1,

Great posts today. With you posting I need to add nothing.

@STC -- actually if you do the proper research and not spread lies and leftist talking points, you will see that unemployment and the housing market stayed relatively stable until Democrats took over Congress in the years you are citing. Nice try though.

Nash,

Most rational people, people with an IQ above 75 understood my repsonse.

Kirk-2957282 wrote:

Plus, you do know that GE is certainly a stock in your mutual fund, 401k account, union pension fund or whatever retirement plan you have. So every dollar you tax GE, you just took that value out of that retirement plan. So Navy use some critical thinking skills and start understanding the unintended consequences of your partisan rhetoric.

I hear this all the time.....Do you really think I'm concerned about the $25 (1/1 billionth of a %) I'm losing out of my 401K so that GE can pay a little more tax?

I also liked the Republicans saying a couple of years ago that increasing the capital gains tax would also "hurt those retirement fund participants", until they finally realized cap gains tax does not apply to retirement funds? What a bunch of clueless, ignorant individuals we have in the Republican party.

Now, how about YOU thinking in realistic terms?

Ben:

Help me out . . . so in your world . . . everything was going great . . . and then Democrats were sworn into the Congress . . . where they cannot do a damn thing unless President Bush signed it . . . but on your planet . . . that means that the trouble was created by Democrats . . . not the policies implemented by Republicans?

Well alrighty then.

Here is a lil' factoid for you to ignore:

“[D]uring the important years in the build up to the crisis, from 2002 until late in 2006, Fannie and Freddie were losing subprime market share to private sector firms. For example, as noted by McClatchy News, “More than 84 percent of the subprime mortgages in 2006 were issued by private lending institutions,” and “Private firms made nearly 83 percent of the subprime loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers that year.”

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/maximum-utility/fannie-freddie-and-the-cra-did-not-cause-the-financial-crisis/1513/#ixzz1RtysSU4i

So, basically, the "corporate people" had run the housing market into the ground before Fannie and Freddie even got their shoes on.

no joe,

Thanks for the link.

How dispicable and loathesome can one person be?

The GOP/TP position in this debate is consistent with the ideology pressed by Grover Norquist and his mentor, Jack Abramaoff, for almost 30 years.

Thomas Frank, in The Wrecking Crew, documented howthe ultra-right Libertarian wing of the GOP has consistently pressed to either remove or incapacitate government regulations, privatize government functions (to enrich private industry), and limit taxation of the upper classes.

Naomi Klein, in Shock Doctrine, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, documented the way the right wing has consistently taken advantage of war, natural disaster and now recession to force their ideological programs on the country - and around the world.

And Nobel prize economist Joseph E. Stiglitz, who has recently termed the Debt Commission's proposals a "suicide pact," explained that the right-wing economic model is and has been an utter failure that caused the current crisis, in Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.

It's increasingly clear that President Obama's economic program has been too moderate - that greater government intervention in the economy is called for, as Stiglitz outlines (and a great many other economists agree). It's also clear that the tax cuts and tax subsidies for the very wealthy and corporations in fact helped contribute directly to the economic disaster that began in December, 2007, and has followed on since. Stiglitz notes that those various policies actually created incentives for banks to offer bad loans, risky derivatives, and make poor judgements that both created the housing bubble and then blew it up in a collapse of the debt-built American consumer marketplace.

Now comes the debt ceiling debate, which is less and less about the debt ceiling, and more and more about the rigid ideological position of the Libertarian right. It is a continuation of the decades-long attempt to restructure the American nation into a cartel corporatist state like Japan. The linkage between business, lobbyists, and lawmakers has grown so extensive since the conservatives first started their campaign during the Reagan Regime that American governance indeed now looks very much like Japan - and that is a terrifying realization.

For an in-depth examination of the status of Japanese industry, government and economic structure, read Dogs and Demons, Tales from the Dark Side of Japan, by Alex Kerr. Ultimately, the story describes a system of cynical contradictions, corruption, exploitation by business interests with the venal cooperation of politicians. And it looks far, far, too much like the political operations of the American far right wing.

The debate about "raising taxes," or as others put it, about eliminating tax subsidies and favoritism for a tiny percentage of the population, as well as requiring business to actually pay some of the taxes they now legally evade, features Democrats and Republicans talking past, rather than with, each other. The Democrats are attempting to discuss a system of governance that includes some aspet of fairness; the Republicans are talking about an entirely different system of governance in an alleged "free market" environment that in fact is really open season on both private and public funds by a cartel economy. The two sides are not even any longer in the same reality.

As Stiglitz wrote, adjusting the taxes paid by the upper income earners and corporations, even during a weak economic recovery, has no effect whatsoever on job creation, or continued economic activity. The money that tax favoritism gave to the most wealthy and big business is actually diverted from the economy, and reduces the rate of growth. It is better for economic health to capture some of that wealth and put it into the national and global economies, through debt reduction, to further support expansion of economic activity. The Libertarian position instead would contract economic activity.

To even consider the potential of debt default, as many of the GOP extremists are contending, is beyond insanity. But it is actually a deliberate tactic to pursue their program of "disaster captialism," as described by Naomi Klein. There is a lot of historical evidence that a state's default leads to serious, long-lasting repercussions.

Spain defaulted on her debt three times during her Hapsburg monarchy. Ultimately it led to complete collapse of the Spanish empire, a century and a half of civil war and class warfare, and impoverishment of the nation. The interregnum of the Franco dictatorship from 1936 to 1975 changed the dynamics, but Spain even now remains a deeply divided and unstable nation.

France defaulted on her debt in the early 1700's, because of a "bubble" involving risky investment and corrupt bankers and regulators. (That sounds familiar, doesn't it?) The consequences of that, and of inept public management, an overweening, arrogant aristocracy, and gross inequality between the working and upper classes resulted in the French Revolution - and, later, Napoleonic France. Oddly enough, that description of 18th century France sounds a great deal like the right-wing program put in place, intentionally, during the Reagan and Bush I and II years. Again, see Thomas Frank for a very detailed treatment.

The debt ceiling must be raised. The alleged "current receipts" solution some here have proposed is unworkable and inadequate for a stable long-term perspective, for government operations, and for economic recovery. In addition, more, rather than less, public intervention in the economy is essential to promote a more robust recovery.

The radical right now must face the truth: America is unwilling to continue pursuing the failed policies of the Libertarians and Milton Friedman. They have caused nothing but distress and economic collapse. The future of continuing with such a program, as being pushed without relent by the Tea Party contingent in Congress, is only bleak and desperate. Recent and more distant history is uncompromising in its warnings.

Ben - I think even you knows when a bubble bursts, the problem lies with the administration who let it expand to the point of bursting.

Nice try though.

I don't know, bob. It seems with Obama we need a new definition of low.

It's funny- this book has been out for a little while- think more of the press would have clued in to what is, in my mind, the most despicable lie ever told.

How can anyone believe a word he says?

Alan, NJ:

I'm going to do something here I've never done before, but I'm rather long of tooth, so what the hell.

Yesterday, I stepped all over Spanky. He was going on about the financial straits in which China finds itself. Oh woe is us, how will we sell our debt? Well, the fact is - and I provided the link - China holds only about one in 16 of our debt dollars. Don't get me wrong, that's still a lot. You can control a huge corporation with a smaller stake than that. However, the bulk of our debt is held by us - American citizens. Rather than chastising himself for not doing his homework, Spanky looks for revenge. I'll hammer Walker.

Later, as you have noted from my earlier post in this thread, I expressed my extreme displeasure with Eric Cantor in another post in another thread. Time for revenge. We'll get that libtard Walker. Mixed Bag joined in with Spanky with the observation that I was probably anti-Semitic, hence my post this morning, which you answered.

Now, here's the deal: I'm looking to persuade - not to fight. By way of explanation, I know what bullying and fighting is is all about. For a number of years, I was bullied. I wasn't very big. Then, for some reason, it just seemed to stop. At the same time, my wife noted there were a lot of bullies out in the world. She'd be in the store and some clown would run over her and just walk on as if she weren't there. That didn't happen to me. But then, she hadn't grown to be more than 6-feet tall and weigh in at 200 and change as I had. Epiphany time! Bullies are really punks. Cantor is a punk.

A while back you wrote that I had an ego. That's true. We all do, you know. I also have a great deal of confidence. That's because I do my homework, and that's the reason I'm such a stickler for facts. That's why I asked for proof that Cantor was a Semite. You see, both Mixed Bag and Spanky in their attempt to belittle me made the common mistake of equating Jews with Semites. The fact is, Arabs are Semites and certainly not necessarily Jews. Sammy Davis Jr. and Elizabeth Taylor were Jews, but not necessarily Semites.

What happens here is that too many view this as a win-lose forum. Folks like Spanky, Mixed Bag, and bob lotsanumbers just don't get it. I see it as an opportunity to persuade and learn. I think it's safe to say, you just learned something. No?

I rarely agree with the solutions of the right-wing. While they may have been valid in another day, they do not work today. For instance, the tax-cut stance of the Republicans actually worked in the past. But in a world where borders are little more than a fiction, tax cuts do not work to stimulate the local economy. Capital chases the best returns and the best returns are to be found outside our borders.

We are too foolish and shortsighted to understand that if we are to become a great target for capital investment we must push green energy technologies like they've never been pushed before. There's much more to that of course, but that's an example.

So, I'm not looking to fight you. I'm looking to persuade you. Let's argue and debate facts. We might actually change our minds.

John A.

I guess Greece , and the decadent economy in Portugal are not a good example of the endorsement of a big government, high taxes and more welfare. Tell me what capitalist country have failed. United States is not a free market country anymore , we are in the path to be another welfare country , high taxes more regulations and of course a path to a decadent economy. However we still have time to reverse the course and go back to the free market, lower taxes less regulations ,less welfare and be again a great country with more jobs and opportunities for our citizens because when is prosperity everybody enjoy it poor and rich .

In your own words:

robert@mo

JoAnnaSmith1,

Great posts today. With you posting I need to add nothing.

You are correct,...you added nothing

I like that David Walkers getting all tough and full of testosterone! Had much combat training David? Are you licensed to carry a weapon ? Do you have some kind of faster than a speeding train or stop a bullet with your bare hands? This Independent just loves watching the liberals (minority) brag about the support for this administration! Im telling you all my Independent peer are not falling your way. You may have some urban areas but mid america isnt buying it! The Obama administration has announced that it is going to bail out Detroit! Hmmmmm wonder what he wants of the people in Urban Detroit?

Heh, if you're an Independent then Bugs Bunny is Elmer Fudd.

jollyoldsoul:

David wasn't pointing out that he was tough and full of testosterone. David was clearly explaining how it was he could understand a bully. Combat training? Long time ago. Licensed to carry a weapon? Nope, not these days. Even though I see firearms ownership as a basic right, I don't even own one any more, but if I did and I felt the need to carry, I'd do so.

You aren't an independent. You're a right-winger. The fact that you think there's some sort of minority group that identifies itself as "liberals" exposes the truth. You fool only your own kind, but that's not too terribly hard. You degrade true independents when you identify yourself as one.

Given the backlash against proposed cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid one might be justified in concluding that there is a very heavy socialist bent in this country though.

Jollyoldsoul? Really? I see bittersoullessoldguy.

oskar -

However we still have time to reverse the course and go back to the free market, lower taxes less regulations ,less welfare and be again a great country with more jobs and opportunities for our citizens because when is prosperity everybody enjoy it poor and rich .

Like "less regulations" in the mortgage industry, right? Because the last time they had less regulations they did not create a housing bubble that destroyed our economy, right? . . . Oh wait.

Maybe you mean less regulations on environmental issues. That way we can have ANOTHER oil company completely destroy an entire coastline, kill millions of animals, and pollute our oceans. Why care about animals, coastal jobs, or clean water when you can have your money, right?

And "less welfare"??? From the party that wants to ban abortion and FORCE more births into the welfare community? So tell me, wise one, how will you reduce welfare by increasing the welfare population? What, you think all those worthless babies are free? Hell no, we pay for them. So explain how increasing the welfare population will help us achieve "less welfare"?

David Walker-

From James D. Besser, Jewish Week, Tuesday, January 4th, 2011:

"When Eric Cantor (R-VA) takes over as House majority leader this week in the new divided Congress, he will become the highest-ranking Jewish lawmaker in history."

Merriam-Webster defines anti-Semitism as: hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group

I can't speak for Spanky, but your zeal in expressing the desire to inflict your own pogrom, up-close and personal, on majority leader Eric Cantor was notable for its unbridled passion, David.

You certainly didn't lack for sincerity. The raw hatred toward Cantor in your comments was palpable.

Surely you're aware of that?

If you aren't an anti-Semite, you certainly have little tolerance for dissent. I don't know that pounding anyone is likely to persuade them of anything. It might convince them of your brutality...but little else.

Just who are the REAL brownshirt thugs here at First Read, anyway?

Maybe Navy should re-visit that question.

Mixed Bag:

I didn't ask about anti-Semitism. I asked you whether you could show that Eric Cantor was descended from Semites.

What do you do? You come up with a definition of "anti-Semitism" from Merriam-Webster. Try this link from the same dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semite

That link clearly defines a Semite. Many peoples besides Hebrews and Jews are Semites. Both Jews and Moslems can be Semites.

Eric Cantor may be Jewish, but that does not mean he is a Semite.

As to my raw hatred of Eric Cantor - so what! You right-wingers seem to think that once you slap a label on someone they must behave in accordance with your definition of that label. I hate Eric Cantor - obviously not because he is a Semite. I don't know whether he is a Semite, and you haven't been able to show that he is, even though you clearly implied that he is.

I don't care that he is Jewish. My hatred doesn't spring from the fact that he is delusional.

He is selling America to the highest bidder. He is a traitor, a treasonous bastard who will sell you out without a second thought, and if you took a moment to look, you would have seen that he has made his living at the government trough, and he has the nerve to tell us that government is the problem.

Don't think for a moment that I mean to hide my feelings for this evil little man.

Thank you, David.

Your attempt to distract and deflect through the offering of the "shiny object" of a precise, academic definition of the word "Semite" fools only the gullible. You chose your forum wisely in that regard, if no other.

We are both aware of what the commonly-accepted definition of "anti-Semitic" is.

Let me ask you, David:

If I tell a Jew that you're an "anti-Semite", they may not agree with me...but, they'll certainly understand what I'm suggesting, won't they?

And...

I don't know about Alan, but I "just learned something" about you...courtesy of your remarks of the last couple of days.

You've provided valuable context to everything you've posted or will ever post at First Read going forward, David.

Again...

Thank you.

If we are looking to be a great country "again" we should reverse our course. But we have never had a "free market" we have had regulations to protect ourselves. We have never had taxes so low, we paid our taxes proudly to help build this country to be great. We could be a great county again if everyone was allowed to participate, and everyone did participate. Now all I see is a country ruled by the rich for the rich.

Mixed Bag:

You tell a Jew whatever you please. Frankly, I'm not that interested in looking to someone who believes in an invisible guy in the sky who gets pissed off at the drop of a hat for the definition of "anti-Semitic". Of course, you continue to evade the question: Is Eric Cantor a Semite. You raised the issue, not I.

With respect to your argument, I would point out that on the one hand you want to use Merriam-Webster for a definition for which I did not ask, but you want to seek confirmation of that definition from a Jew. Perhaps you are aware that Jews also seem to think they are the only group understand the true meaning of the word "holocaust".

I'm going with Webster. By the way, with respect to diversion and deflection and outright obfuscation, you might want to go to that dictionary and look up "projection".

lol, David...

You're defining yourself to a finer and finer degree.

I love it!

Are you determined to become the new Julius Streicher of First Read?

Eric, Salinas was the old one...but, without your intellectual pretensions.

Thanks for confirming the true nature of your enmity towards Eric Cantor.

With Cantor, it isn't political with you at all, is it David?

Otherwise, you'd have chosen another Republican boogey-man's face to pound in, wouldn't you?

David Walker...

Unplugged.

I SEE you, Dave.

You can't hide from me.

Mixed Bag:

Could you possibly be more pathetic? Who else would define me, but me? No the problem for you is that you want to define me. It's like that god thing. You want to define me in your image.

You wish to frame a debate and to win, you will define the words we are to use......as we go along.

Enmity? A nice simple word like hatred works just fine for me. As I said earlier, that he is delusional and that he has chosen the invisible guy in the sky, Yahweh, to define his delusion is of no moment.

That he is willing to sacrifice this country on the altar of his true god - MONEY/POWER - is the reason he is the target of my hatred. I don't know if you ever took the oath, but when you take it you promise to defend this country and its Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. Eric Cantor is an enemy of this country. I took that oath. It is as binding now as it was the first time I took it and the last time I took it.

Save your two-bit pop analysis. I've spelled it out in black and white. There is nothing to read between the lines. Cantor has sold himself for 30 pieces of silver. He has betrayed MY country.

I'm a Vietnam vet, Dave.

I took the oath.

I still don't want to "pound" anyone's face in, though...

That would be you...

Right?

This whole thread was down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass...

When you're trying not to brand yourself as an anti-Semite, one of the first things to remember (in addition to arguing over the meaning of the term) is to avoid any "judas" analogies...not that I think it's going to help in this case mind you.

MB-

You are an old dog....just like me. Thanks for your service pal.

Nice attempt at diverting from David Walker's point, Conservatives. When you have to resort to that you've already lost.

Fact: Eric Cantor is willing to destroy the economy for pure GOPTP ideology, and if he succeeds will personally profit in a very real financial way.

That's the only thing that matters. That he is of Jewish decent is a coincidence which is unimportant to the overarching issue. Conservatives lose on this issue so they try to shame those who point out the truth into silence.

dangerfield-

Thanks.

We disagree on much politically, but I respect you more than you know.

Years ago, I worked for a man who told me that, "you can disagree with me, and that's OK...but, whatever you do, don't make me lose respect for you."

I've never forgotten what he said, and I never will.

John B.-

David Walker's comments about Eric Cantor are a matter of record.

Don't try to tell us what he said, or what he meant.

It's all written down...we'll sort it out, John.

No response to the below?

Fact: Eric Cantor is willing to destroy the economy for pure GOPTP ideology, and if he succeeds will personally profit in a very real financial way.

That's the only thing that matters. That he is of Jewish decent is a coincidence which is unimportant to the overarching issue. Conservatives lose on this issue so they try to shame those who point out the truth into silence.

John B, Des Moines, IA

No response to the below?

Fact: Eric Cantor is willing to destroy the economy for pure GOPTP ideology, and if he succeeds will personally profit in a very real financial way.

That's the only thing that matters. That he is of Jewish decent is a coincidence which is unimportant to the overarching issue. Conservatives lose on this issue so they try to shame those who point out the truth into silence.

Response to a post that is way off topic? Whatever...

But I'll take your bait.

Tell me, what "pure GOP/TP ideology" would destroy the economy?

You don't get that a default on the national debt would destroy the economy?

John B, Des Moines, IA

You don't get that a default on the national debt would destroy the economy?

That's not an ideology. I never stated that a default on the national debt wouldn't destroy the economy either. Those are your words. Again, what "pure GOP/TP ideology" would destroy the economy? Or are you unable to support your belief?

I am not sure which issue, everyone is debating here; so I am going to hit a couple of them.

To Chinless Mitch, who appears as if, he has swallowed his own face: Republicans may have to take "co-ownership" of the poor economy? Mitch, have you been asleep at the switch? Republicans created the poor economy! Don't you recall, President Clinton handed Bush a balanced budget, we the little W, was crowned ruler, of the States. The economy hit the bottom and jobless rates did a nose dive before President Obama was Elected President. It sounds like Mitch needs to start on Remeron.

Secondly, in regards to Marcus Bachman, Michelle's hubby. I think he is gay. He "sounds" gay and some of his affectations appear to be gay. I have my gay-dar on. He is definitely gay. I am surprise no one from the Tea Bag society, pick up on that.

OK, I'll say it slowly. Conservative Republicans are chanting a mantra of "just stop spending" and made other statements making it seem as if there's an alternative to raising the debt ceiling. They're willing to play chicken with the economy to dismantle the social safety net in return for their agreeing to raise the debt ceiling.

That's triumph of ideology over reality.

Take that back.

I think they were so busy being 'enthralled' with his message,...they were wide in their stance on them, as well.

It's always the ones screaming from the rafters,...isn't it? Denial it ain't just a river in Egypt.

LOL Clara! I am not really a bigot and supported gay rights for a long time. Anyway, you are correct, there a lot of anti-gay people who are so threatened to be associated with gays for fear, they will be outed. I will be so happy when all this debt ceiling and pre-election business is over. Then we can concentrate on real issues, like jobs and infrastructure. I swear Republicans, (who said last election, "it's all about jobs.) have been catering to the Tea Bag Party they cannot see, normal Americans are looking for 'somewhat' normal politicians. They just keep following the money. Koch money.

John B, Des Moines, IA

OK, I'll say it slowly. Conservative Republicans are chanting a mantra of "just stop spending" and made other statements making it seem as if there's an alternative to raising the debt ceiling.

It's ok, take your time. Speech impairments can be a real drag. You do realize that the Democrats, Republicans, and even Obama agree we need to cut spending right? Yes, if they cut spending enough the debt ceiling wouldn't have to be raised even though it probably will. Neither would cause our economy to fail or be considered a GOP/TP ideology that would cause our economy to fail.

They're willing to play chicken with the economy to dismantle the social safety net in return for their agreeing to raise the debt ceiling.

The only ones playing chicken with the debt ceiling are the Democrats that want to attach tax increases to the bill. Again, all parties agree to cut spending. Then cut spending and raise the debt limit. The tax increases need to be addressed on a different bill. Our tax code needs to be reformed before any tax increase is even considered in my opinion.

Once again you didn't answer my question: What "pure GOP/TP ideology" would destroy the economy? I'm beginning to believe you can't support your own statement or belief.

I've supported my position repeatedly, you respond with Conservative talking points. Please, by all means demonstrate how we can cut spending enough to make the budget balance. Using the tool here;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/federal-debt-limit-you-choose-who-gets-paid/

Please tell us what you'll pay and what you'll cut in order to come in under the anticipated revenue. It should be quite fascinating to see your priorities.

Speaking of Conservative talking points, your claim that defaulting on the national debt wouldn't cause the economy to fail is one of the most ridiculous being driven by GOPTP ideologues.

“Asking what the U.S. economy might look like after a possible U.S. Treasury default is akin to asking ‘what will you do after you commit suicide,’ ” wrote Steven Wieting, Managing Director in the Economic and Market Analysis team of Citigroup, in a July 11, 2011 report.

Wieting added that in his industry, “No one thinks any of this is funny…. You are talking about a catastrophic financial event.”

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/the_creditrating_warnings_begi030853.php

Every reasonable person realized it will take a balanced approach with both spending cuts and revenue increases to get our fiscal mess under control.

John B, Des Moines, IA

I've supported my position repeatedly, you respond with Conservative talking points.

bla bla bla.......

You stated:

Fact: Eric Cantor is willing to destroy the economy for pure GOPTP ideology, and if he succeeds will personally profit in a very real financial way.

I simply asked for you to provide the GOP/TP ideology that would destroy the economy. You haven't stated what the ideology is. Is it because you don't know the meaning to the word ideology?

Apparently words only make sense to you when they come out of Glenn Beck's mouth. You've played long enough for me to lay my case out in full for those who wish to listen. Thanks for playing, don't forget to pick up a nice parting gift on your way out. Goodbye.

Wow, you can't provide one GOP/TP ideology that would destroy the economy supporting your claim. Sure is telling isn't it? The definition of a "troll" comes to mind.

Thank you Mr. Barnard. http://www.mindspring.com/~mfpatton/sketch.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y

Obama says he's put Medicare "on the table". Obama says he's put Social Security "on the table". Obama says he has tax reform "on the table" Really? So what's your plan Obama, what are the details of these reforms for the things you have "on the table"? That's all we hear about is what is "on the table", but never the details of the Obama plan. Representative Cantor is the one that is dominating these meetings at Obama's house Anyone know why? He has a plan! He knows what needs to be done! Cantor has details to present and he knows what he's talking about. Day in and day out, Cantor is stealing Obama's lunch money.

Obama and the Democrats? They talk about "eating our peas" and "quickly pulling off the band-aid". Nonsensical babbling, that's what Obama and the Democrats are producing. That, and Obama just being a demagogue of any plans the Republicans have, and scaring the American people. Obama needs to quit the Chicken Little act with his little propaganda filled press conferences and maybe start thinking about getting to work.

FR: Remember, he (Obama) has never really come up with his own plan during these talks.

How is this Higher Ground? All this President does is talk in generalizations without ever dealing in specifics. This is not leadership. It is political folly.

JoAnnaSmith1

Obama says he's put Medicare "on the table". Obama says he's put Social Security "on the table". Obama says he has tax reform "on the table" Really? So what's your plan Obama, what are the details of these reforms for the things you have "on the table"? That's all we hear about is what is "on the table", but never the details of the Obama plan....

We know more of what Obama is proposing than anything the GOP has put forth. Except for budget cuts and revenue neutral revisions, what exactly are they proposing? Seems this all they have.

I thought we were moving towards a quasi Debt Commission solution but that got blown away when the GOP said no new revenues.

Who is not being coming forth with specifics?

XXX

Post was duped.

Please continue to give them hell, Mr. President. We, the good guy will win.

IL: We know more of what Obama is proposing than anything the GOP has put forth

Really? The last plan we saw out of Obama was his budget he produced last January with $1.65 trillion in deficit spending and no reforms to SS or Medicare. You recall that budget, it was voted 97-0 in the Senate. It didn't get one vote.

So what is Obama's plan for SS? Raise the age of eligibility? Increase taxes? Raise the cap? Reduce benefits? Privatise it? You tell us Ira, you seem to know.

Same with Medicaid - what's Obama plan? Increase taxes? Increase the age of eligibility? Steal the money from the providers? What is it?

Obama wants to raise taxes, that much is true. On who? By how much? How much revenue will it generate? How will it affect businesses and individuals?

Waiting for an answer . . . . .

Anyone care to wager that obama loses and no new tax increases come about? The conservatives won by a vast majority and rightfully should get their way. This one-term idiot you libbies call president is a non-factor at this point.

The conservatives won by a vast majority and rightfully should get their way.

Even if it destroys this country in the process. Now there is an ideology for you. NOT!!!!!!!

JoAnnaSmith1..

First, we're talking about the debt ceiling negotiations and he's laid out his plan including entitlement cuts including $100 billion in Medicare....he put everything on the table....the GOP, well just cuts and the standard revenue neutral nonsense. No new revenue streams, none. Oh, they did say that revenue would be generated by the increase in tax revenues from all the new jobs they've created. The same old trickle down plan. Ask Bush how well that worked out for him since 2004.

Second, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) on Monday presented a sweeping plan that he says will reduce the nation's deficit by about $4 trillion over the next decade through a balanced combination of deep cuts in spending and tax hikes," adding, "It's the chairman's first public presentation of the proposal, which was hashed out behind the scenes for months. Republicans had been hammering Democrats for not releasing a budget plan. Unfortunately, Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad unveiled his budget plan on the Senate floor Monday, but top Congressional leaders weren't even on Capitol Hill to hear his proposal.

Everyone who posts here knows that the President asked Senate Democrats to vote against his budget proposal as it did not cut deep enough. The vote was 97 to 0 based because Democrats were told to vote against it by Obama. Don't twist facts for the benefit of your post.

Cite: FR

Too funny, reading the Smiffs and No Jo's of the blogosphere this morning. Looks like Mr President has em' (conservatives) by the shorties. Hes' now exposed them as the complete, non-cooperating partisan hacks they are. Mission accomplished. Oh, and if push comes to shove, he can go to '14th ammendment remedies' to keep our cretit rating intact. Neat, huh?

Also Red: yes conservatives won by a vast majority in 2010. That's because mostly Repubs got out and voted. Not gonna be that way in 2012. I'm betting there are a hell of a lot more lower-middle and middle-class voters than there are upper-class voters that are going to turn out for that one. And, they are going to remember thse antics the Right is trying to pull.

With a vengance.

What say you?

Is it true Obama is overspending so he can collapse the economy? Google Cleward Piven strategy. That's what is looks like.

Ira, in the interest of fairness, I should warn you that FR is not a reliable source for citation.

Their version of reporting is to print whatever Obama utters- with no fact checking required.

If he stated that the sun rose in the west, we would get three columns on it, which would be followed by the stupidity of (name the republican), for stating that the sun rose in the east.

Tobe followed by a couple of Sarah Palin columns, and at least one on Bachman.

you will notice that Obama did not bother presenting another budget- nor has the Senate introduced a budget to be voted on to reconcile with the House budget.

It's been two years. Think that might be a problem?

The reality for the Republicans is that they will take a few $Trillion in 'cuts' now in return for a short term extension of the debt, without giving any tax increases. Then, when the time comes for another increase in the Debt limit next year, they will ask for REAL cuts in exchange for tax increases.

The Democrats want to get tax increases in exchange for the 'easy cuts', but the Republicans are not buying it. A 'short term deal' without tax increases is the likely outcome.

The Republicans sense that this issue is an 'achilles heal' for Obama, and they want deja vu just before the 2012 elections. Obama senses the trap, but there's probably not much he can do about it, and is setting himself up for a fall. Perhaps the Republicans are better at poker.

Ira: First, we're talking about the debt ceiling negotiations and he's laid out his plan including entitlement cuts including $100 billion in Medicare....

The GOP has a clear plan for address to Medicare, they have produced legislation to support that plan, and it has passed the House. The Democrats have a proposal with no plan and no path to achieve its stated goal.

Ira: Second, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) on Monday presented a sweeping plan that he says will reduce the nation's deficit by about $4 trillion over the next decade through a balanced combination of deep cuts in spending and tax hikes,"

So take that plan to the Senate floor and vote on it. Lets finally see where the Democrats stand on the issue. And lets see if the Senate can actually pass a budget because they haven't for over 800 days.

Ira: The vote was 97 to 0 based because Democrats were told to vote against it by Obama

So Obama produces a budget, and tells his party to vote against it? And the Liberals are trying to paint the GOP as being insane.

This article is HILARIOUS!!

Senator Pat Toomey says the current administration has “moved the goal posts” in the debt-ceiling talks.

“What they have done is massively expanded the size of government by about 25 percent, relative to GDP, and now they come along and say, 'you guys need to raise taxes to pay for this,’” Toomey said.

...high road?....you guys have got to be kidding me!

The collapse chickens on the right are working today.

Feisty:

Let them play their little tea bagger games - I've got ALL day! ;o)

The fact that you really do have "all day" for this is really, well, just kind of sad.

@Ira Lapin

you posted this line...

Everyone who posts here knows that the President asked Senate Democrats to vote against his budget proposal as it did not cut deep enough. The vote was 97 to 0 based because Democrats were told to vote against it by Obama

First of all, what kind of leader puts out a budget that he doesn't want passed? Second, what kind of leader tells individual senators and representatives how to vote? I thought senators and representatives were supposed to vote in favor of what their constituents want. Is this what you call leadership?

The way I understand what is going on with the republican side of the house right now is that John Boenher isn't telling individual representatives how to vote because he knows that they have integrity and are going to vote their constituents viewpoint, not what he tells them to vote. That's the way America is supposed to work and I like what the republicans are doing. They are doing the PEOPLE"S BUSINESS!

No joe, no bo, nj

The problem with the debt negotiation is the same as the problem with the economy- Obama is clearly out to lunch.

Yesterday, he made his priorities clear

Not to worry, Obama worshippers- I am thinking he will just keep using the "investment" language. Maybe even refer to a "bank". After all, last year stimulous got turned into a four letter word- ARRA- because he was convinced that the electorate was too dumb to know the difference

Investment sound alot better than tax welfare for the rich. also the folks in peoria are alot smarter than you think. Navastar is located there and invertment is what people do when they are buying there product.

ok No Jo Just like your comment that construction spending is not interchangeable, your statement now that Obama is out to lunch is in the category, how is he out to lunch when he is putting SS and Medicate on the table tax reform on the table, i ask, aren't those the main things the debt commission said had to be changed. so if thats are on the table then how the hell is he out to lunch. Hate No Jo, its not becoming of you!!!! i hope you take that hate face off when you go out side! also what wrong with taking care of a problem now and for good, instead of coming back to it in 10 years.

i wish you would stop being selfish old lady and forget the ryan plan, it screws over guys like me who are not 50 yet and will force me to keep my health care after i retire, because 6k toward a health plan will break me. you are already retired so any changes now will not affect your selfish behind so why do you care!!!! this is why you love to ryan proposal to gut medicade, it does not affect the great educator and know it all No Jo.

Tax reform is the most important thing we have to do, so said the debt commission, they made it very clear that the bush tax cuts coupled with the wars, Medicaid part D and Stimulas is why we are broke. not to mention the added spending on HLC after 911,(the republicans instead of spending 42 billion on a jobs bill, they spend that amount on HLC!!!!) in addition entitlements are taking a beating because we have been in recession for almost 4 years. (i don't care what the economist say, we are still in a recession),you know No Jo i know you don't care, you should be ashamed to not care that fellow American would go hungry if you were president. you have said as much!!!!

Have a nice day and please take that hate face off girl , folks just might run away!!!

Dad has a spending problem and has been on a wild binge for years, tha last 2 1/2 years totally out of control.

Dad maxes out his Visa, calls the bank and tells them he will go bankrupt if they don't raise his debt limit.

What should bank tell dad?

What should the taxpayers tell Washington?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Tea Party 2012

Good Morning Everyone,

It isn't difficult to understand why our leaders can't agree on a plan to handle the growing deficit. Just read the posts above. We are paralyzed by polarization and partisan politics. If NO JO say Po-Tay-To Feisty has to respond Po-Tah-To and so on.

Folks, the never-ending blame game has got to stop. We cannot govern by political rhetoric.

I know you are all political junkies and you come here not to exchange ideas but to hurl mud-balls (and worse) at your political opposites. But it's got to stop. Here. Now.

This is a Rodney King moment, "Can't we just all get along?"

I've never wavered in my position, personally, I think President Obama is doing a good job in an absolutely toxic political atmosphere. Every time I see the man he has more gray hair and looks more exhausted than the last time I saw him.

Why can't we just stop the rhetoric, stop the name calling, stop the partisan politics for just one day and work out a deal? It's going to be painful no matter what happens so let's all work together to get the job done.

I rarely comment any more on this blog because I finally figured out it really does no good. None of you are listening. You only want to argue and name call from the safety of your anonymous blog monikers. People, you are not part of the solution YOU are the PROBLEM!

Why can't we address the deficit and get a workable solution to our so-called debt crisis? Just read the posts above and you'll have your answer.

And as I always like to say,

Obama/Biden 2012 I really think they are doing the best they can in an impossible situation.

AMERICAN!!!!!

The way I understand what is going on with the republican side of the house right now is that John Boenher isn't telling individual representatives how to vote because he knows that they have integrity and are going to vote their constituents viewpoint, not what he tells them to vote. That's the way America is supposed to work and I like what the republicans are doing. They are doing the PEOPLE"S BUSINESS!

You were serious when you wrote this right? You mean that all those votes that every Republican voted exactly the same were a coincidence. The GOP whip in the House didn't orchestrate those votes. Funny, I don't believe in coincidences and taking up just 18 bills in 10 months with 15 of those having to do with naming buildings isn't doing the peoples business.

Per FR: For all their complaining… "More than six months after being sworn in to office, a handful of Republican freshman lawmakers have yet to introduce a single piece of legislation,"

You also wrote: First of all, what kind of leader puts out a budget that he doesn't want passed?

A leader who knows that the proposed legislation will resolve the problem it addresses and is willing to admit that and get new legislation out that WILL do the job.

It's not doubling down on stupid, it's smart and an effective way to manage and govern.

JoAnnaSmith1

The GOP has a clear plan for address to Medicare, they have produced legislation to support that plan, and it has passed the House. The Democrats have a proposal with no plan and no path to achieve its stated goal.

I am afraid you have been lied to. Destruction of Medicare is "not a clear plan." If you don't realize that they are trying to destroy Medicare with this "plan", then I don't think it's very clear, anyway.

Dear Red,

You are hoping that President Obama fails and when he fails so does America. The conservatives wons some seats in the 2010 election but I would not call it a vast majority. If the real facts don't fit your narative, just change the facts.

Our country was founded on compromise.

Don't let history and truth get in the way of a conservative talking point.

In 2008 when the Democrats actually did win a vast majority, I do not remember hearing any Republican saying we should rightfully get our way. Actually that is when they started blocking everything to make the President fail. That was their stated goal. A one term president.

If America fails in the process, so be it, thats the price the conservatives are willing to pay, with our lives. But not their lives, actually they would throw America under the bus to save their jobs.

You guys act like nobody is watching and we are going to blame President Obama.

Looks like more smoke and mirrors to me. Obama says he is putting everything on the table and his lotus eaters are eating that up. What he is not saying is that he is getting major resistance especially from the democrat leadership in the house. You talk about how unfair the tax code is yet Obama does not want to change it as suggested by the republican leadership. The mantra from the left is increase revenue through tax hikes and won't budge. The republican mantra is no new taxes and won't budge. So if the democrats won't budge and the republicans won't budge then please explain why it is the republicans fault only. The dems could give up their tax increase just as well as the republicans could give up their deep cuts. The leaders of both parties have said they would compromise. Obama says he will consider cuts to medicare, medicaid and SSI and Boehner has said he will consider tax increases. It is others in the party on both sides that won't compromise.

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL Comment collapsed by the community

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL Comment collapsed by the community

Yesterday President Obama displayed once again, he's the ONLY adult in DC. In the meantime on the other side of the aisle Eric Cantor was measuring the drapes for the speaker's office while, threatening, demanding & in general exhibiting the juvenile, petulant behavior we've come to expect from him!

'Can't NOR won't' NEVER fails to disappoint!

What I find most fascinating about Cantor's performance is his duplicity about what he actually stands to gain by choosing to go with the 'nuclear option' and defaulting on the Debt Ceiling…

A $15,000 investment is pocket change
for a person of Cantor's means, but the fact that he would bet against his own
country speaks volumes about the character of the man.

During
a February 28 speech at Harvard, Cantor said, "Our people want the
government to do less. Our businesses want us to stop spending money we don't
have," he said. "We all assume everyone deserves a fair shot at success. Yet many
Americans are wondering what happened to their fair shot in life?"

It is interesting that Cantor would
dare to speak of fairness when he stands to financially profit from the
potential devastation of millions of Americans through a misfortune which he will
have helped directly and intentionally cause. In an April
10 appearance on Fox News Sunday, Cantor said, "I have to believe that the
president and the White House are beginning to sense the American people get
it. You know, we have a fiscal train wreck before us. And unless we act, and
act deliberately, we're not going to enable our kids to have what we have. It's
plain and simple as that."

Cantor has a history of betting
against America. The difference is that in 2011, he now has the power make sure
that his bets pay off.

Conflict of interest, abuse of power,
it doesn't matter what you call it. Eric Cantor's desire to make a profit based
on the pain and misery of very people that he has taken an oath to represent is
just plain wrong.

Eric Cantor is the Republican House leader who can't wait to see America fail.

In fact, he's counting on it.

Your financial destruction will be Eric Cantor's gain.

I guess this is what Republicans mean when they refer to one of their own as a "Real American."

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicususa.com%2Fen%2Funamerican-eric-cantor&ei=SkIcTp_eM6XlsQLHiuGmCA&usg=AFQjCNHbZKNpJCgSLp9rPMJ1Id1NeX6zsg

Isn't it about time we say ENOUGH to these 'candy men' guarding the playground?

@Ira Lapin

That's some resolution he's got going there, Ira. It's smart and effective? If this is how you think a president should lead, then by all means, keep right on voting for him. Maybe you'll get the same result with your stance on Israel.

By: Eric Scheiner - July 11th, 2011

At a White House press conference today, President Barack Obama said that "professional politicians" understand the debt crisis better than "the public."

Obama was responding to a question from CBS News Reporter Chip Reid. “The latest CBS News poll showed that only 24 percent of Americans said that you should raise the debt limit to avoid an economic catastrophe," said Reid. "There’s still 69 percent who oppose raising the debt limit. So, is it the problem that you and others have failed to convince the American people that we have a crisis here and how are you going to change that?”

Obama responded: “Let me distinguish between professional politicians and the public at large. You know, the public is not paying close attention to the ins and outs of how a Treasury auction goes. They shouldn’t. They’re worrying about their family, they’re worrying about their jobs. They’re worrying about their neighborhood. They have got a lot of other things on their plate. We’re paid to worry about it.”

You know, us little people shouldn't pay attention....we're just not smart enough to understand. We just don't have the same brain capacity as them. Give me a break....HOW CONDESCENDING CAN HE BE?....and you're ok with that, right Ira?

You hate the Captain of the Ship so.... you blow a hole in the side and Sink Everyone!. This crop of republicans are "crazy and selfish".

They hate President Obama so much, they would rather drown all of US to "KILL OFF ONE MAN"

They are NOT worthy of being called Americans. They are Obstructionists who are killing off our Constitutional form of Government.

They have been driven "MAD" from power. The Constitution is not a PROVISO for BIG BUSINESS!

BR: I am afraid you have been lied to. Destruction of Medicare is "not a clear plan."

By doing nothing, which is the Democrats plan, the Destruction of Medicare is assured.

@Ira Lapin

you also posted this little diddy that I almost forgot to respond to

Per FR:For all their complaining… "More than six months after being sworn in to office, a handful of Republican freshman lawmakers have yet to introduce a single piece of legislation,"

GREAT!!!...the last thing we need is more "legislation".

Nine posts after mine and it's all just more of the same.

Your honor, the prosecution rests.

How many times did Republicans raise debt limit under Bush?
While the four Republicans in Congressional leadership positions are attempting to hold the increase hostage now, they combined to vote for a debt limit increase 19 times during the presidency of George W. Bush. In doing so, they increased the debt limit by nearly $4 trillion.

At the beginning of the Bush presidency, the United States debt limit was $5.95 trillion. Despite promises that he would pay off the debt in 10 years, Bush increased the debt to $9.815 trillion by the end of his term, with plenty of help from the four Republicans currently holding Congressional leadership positions: Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl. ThinkProgress compiled a breakdown of the five debt limit increases that took place during the Bush presidency and how the four Republican leaders voted:

June 2002: Congress approves a $450 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $6.4 trillion. McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor vote “yea”, Kyl votes “nay.”

May 2003: Congress approves a $900 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $7.384 trillion. All four approve.

November 2004: Congress approves an $800 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.1 trillion. All four approve.

March 2006: Congress approves a $781 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $8.965 trillion. All four approve.

September 2007: Congress approves an $850 billion increase, raising the debt limit to $9.815 trillion. All four approve.

Database searches revealed no demands from the four legislators that debt increases come accompanied by drastic spending cuts, as there are now. In fact, the May 2003 debt limit increase passed the Senate the same day as the $350 billion Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

When Bush was in office, the current Republican leaders viewed increasing the debt limit as vital to keeping America’s economy running. But with Obama in the White House, it’s nothing more than a political pawn.

American, the congress is called the LEGISLATURE for a reason. Their purpose, their JOB, is to legislate.

@fielden

So, you want them to introduce bills for the sake of introducing bills?

AMERICAN!!!!!

Read your post and could not imagine what obscure right wing source you posted from so I followed your link.

…and the source of the post was CNS News and you quoted Eric Scheiner of CNS News.

A little bit about CNS....From CNS...About US tab.

“CNSNews.com was launched on June 16, 1998 as a news source for individuals, news organizations and broadcasters who put a higher premium on balance than spin and seek news that’s ignored or under-reported as a result of media bias by omission.

Study after study by the Media Research Center, the parent organization of CNSNews.com, clearly demonstrate a liberal bias in many news outlets – bias by commission and bias by omission – that results in a frequent double-standard in editorial decisions on what constitutes "news."The parent company, The Media Research Center is also 501(C)3 organization whose mission is to educate the public and media on bias in the media. So a very conservative parent company conducts a survey and finds that there is liberal bias in the news. Shocking.

In response to these shortcomings, CNSNews.com was founded in an effort to provide an alternative news source that would cover stories that are subject to the bias of omission and report on other news subject to bias by commission.

CNSNews.com endeavors to fairly present all legitimate sides of a story and debunk popular, albeit incorrect, myths about cultural and policy issues.

Organizations described in section 501(c)(3) are commonly referred to as charitable organizations. Organizations described in section 501(c)(3), other than testing for public safety organizations, are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions in accordance with Code section 170. Section 501(c)(3) organizations are restricted in how much political and legislative (lobbying) activities they may conduct.

Sure seems that they are doing exactly opposite of what 501(C)3 entities are allowed by law.

Mainstream news sources weren’t adequate for a response. This obscure right wing blog is your source. Sad...you couldn't respond with a reputable news source.

Oh...that thing you wrote about no needing any more legislature....you do realize that's how we pass laws in this country or did they not mention that on CNS.

Oh...the insult about Israel again. Glad that both you and CNS know better than the people of Israel want for themselves. Almost 60% of the Israeli people want the problem resolved as I suggested. Hell, CNS must know better than the people who actually live there and fought 14 separate wars to keep their freedom.

Really, great post.

Skip,

Yours was the first post that I read that made any sense to me at all. Maybe you should run for office! I agree with you that President Obama is trying to do the best with what he was given. Let's face it, this country was in a downward spiral when he took office due to the high cost of the 2 wars that were being waged for 7 years before he took office.

I did not vote for him, and I do not align myself with any particular political party. When it is time to vote, I vote for candidates that are active on the issues that are important to me, our country and it's future (as I am a mother).

Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, we all have something in common...we are AMERICAN! I read these posts on here and I'm thinking that most of you could run for office and probably win...most of you sound as selfish as the next candidate in line...looking to forward interests that benefit you and your party, not your people!

One thing is for certain...if there is life on this planet after December 21, 2012 I worry about this country and it's future for our children...especially if all you selfish people are raising kids.

Have pride to be an American! Support your country, and your president. Instead of being a bunch of hate mongers try to look at the good qualities that the man possesses. He's trying, give him a chance. I am not happy with everything that he has done, but I am interested in seeing what he can do, if we give him a chance!

Skip,

The only problem I see with stopping the rhetoric is that Obama just wants everyone else to stop it while he keeps piling it on every day in his press conference. It is pretty hard to stop fighting when the other side continues. He should practice what he preaches.

@Ira Lapin

Mainstream news sources weren't adequate for a response

You're kidding, right? Mainstream "news" sources?

Regardless of the source, the words spoken are that of the president. So, I guess you can try to comfort yourself by trying to discredit the source, but that doesn't change the facts about how Obama thinks of us. He thinks we are too stupid to understand the "game". Let me post them again so you are no confused about the president's exact words.

Obama responded: “Let me distinguish between professional politicians and the public at large. You know, the public is not paying close attention to the ins and outs of how a Treasury auction goes. They shouldn’t. They’re worrying about their family, they’re worrying about their jobs. They’re worrying about their neighborhood. They have got a lot of other things on their plate. We’re paid to worry about it.”

About legislation, I guess you are of the same belief as fielden. Why do you want the legislature to introduce bill after bill merely to introduce bill after bill? When do you think it would be a good time to take on the backlog of bills that are out there now?

About Israel, 60% of the Israelis people want the problem solve? I'll bet 100% of the Israelis people know beyond a shadow of a doubt that AT LEAST 60% of the palestinians want ALL Israelis wiped off of the face of the planet. So you keep telling yourself you are on the side of right and I'll keep my eyes wide open, ok!

Jessie,

Thanks for your civil and thoughtful response. I appreciate it very much. I am an independent, my personal leanings are a little left of center. I regard myself as a centrist. I DID vote for Obama and will vote for him again in 2012.

I do not belong to either political party, never have and never will. Just look at the partisan carping on this blog if you want to know why.

Robert, thank you for your civil response as well, but I respectfully disagree. The President has called for a bi-partisan effort. He has offered to meet the GOP halfway and put "everything" on the table which the left has already gone on record as opposing. He's doing the best job he can in an impossible situation. Your response to that is to find fault and criticize. You are still playing the blame game.

This is like the two little kids in the backseat of the car. "Billy stop hitting your brother" "But he hit me first!" Yadda yadda yadda, ad nauseum.

At some point SOMEBODY has to be the adult, they have to stop and hold out a hand to the other side. President Obama has done that and the response has been more partisan rhetoric. "Raising Taxes On Job Creators." That's a quote from Congressman Boehner and it's just political rhetoric. It contains hot button terms and cue words designed to mollify his base. That is not helpful.

We need to stop the rhetoric, we need both sides to reach across the aisle and come to some agreement so we can get the country off high center and get it moving forward again.

You blaming Obama and my finding fault with Boehner isn't going to solve the problem. IT IS THE PROBLEM and we need to stop it now.

Obama/Biden 2012

Only true Americans support and respect whom every is the President of the United States. If you deny President Obama is your president then your are Not an American and please leave.

Skip.....AMEN! and AMEN!!!

I sure hope you're right about the will of the People, IR. From where I sit it seems more like the Republicans keep gaming the system with no adverse consequences to them.

In August 09, President Obama in an interview with Chuck Todd of NBC replied to a questions on taxes:

...In August 2009, on a visit to Elkhart, Indiana to tout his stimulus plan, Obama sat down for an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd, and was conveyed a simple request from Elkhart resident Scott Ferguson: “Explain how raising taxes on anyone during a deep recession is going to help with the economy.”

Obama agreed with Ferguson’s premise – raising taxes in a recession is a bad idea. “First of all, he’s right. Normally, you don’t raise taxes in a recession, which is why we haven’t and why we’ve instead cut taxes. So I guess what I’d say to Scott is – his economics are right. You don’t raise taxes in a recession. We haven’t raised taxes in a recession.”

Are we not still in a recession? If so, why is Obama now trying to levy $1 trillion in taxes on Americans in this defict debate? His talk of cutting taxes would refer to his extending Bush's tax cuts.... does he or doesn't he want to levy taxes? We are still in a recession, not a downturn, despite what we hear from the left.

No more Taxes, Cut Spending Now!

Everything Obama does these days is predicated on it's impact with the 2012 elections, nothing more!

In his first year in office Obama's wild spending actually doubled the debt, something that had taken over 200 years to accumulate! In his first term he has proposed to double that debt again in just 10 years!

Now he wants to cut $4trillion and raise taxes by $1 trillion. Wow, the inconsistencies in the administration boogle the mind!

Thanks for the reminder, IR, well said!

I think open primaries are NOT a good thing because it lends itself to exactlly what is happening in Wisconsin. We saw it during the 2008 democratic primary when Limbaugh and FOX friends suggested republicans vote for Hillary Clinton to create a political divide in the party because the repubs knew their chances at winning the WH were questionable.

Yes, President Obama has doubled the debt all by himself. How any one person could spend that much money boggles my mind. Must be having some party at the white house.

Oh wait, you mean to tell me a lot of this debt is paying for two wars and a vastly overbudgeted defense department. Whats more, the big meanie President Obama thinks the rich should kick in their fair share.

Republicans voted for these wars without anyway to pay for them when they were in charge and in addition gave hugh tax breaks to the rich. Now all the sudden the budget needs to be balanced on the backs of the American people. Republicans like you Red are ignoring the elephant in the room. What war, we don't see any war destroying our budget.

Funny, you see no inconsistencies in the conservative party. Business as usual blame President Obama.

Miked;is'nt that what all politicians are doing right now?Saying what needs to be said in order to keep thier jobs.That in itself is the problem with Washington our elected officials [I will not call them representitives because that is simply not true] are trying to stay in office.TERM LIMITS would put an end to alot of this politicking nonsense

Always fun to read conservatives defending tax breaks for people who already pay far less in taxes than they likely do. I'm all for making as much money as one can but giving taxpayer money to big corporations for Corporate Jets, oil subsidies, and extra breaks for millionaires and billionaires is ideology run amok and believing the GOP talking point claiming it as tax increases is lunacy. How many of the conservative posters protesting make a million a year or more? If not, their actual tax rates are higher than Warren Buffet's and the hedge fund guys who can earn a million in an hour. Obviously, their tea has been spiked with ideological delusion. The democrats did NOT create this massive debt, irresponsible GOP policies did and irresponsible unfunded spending from Reagan to Bush 41 to Bush 43 did.

cooch, great post! We all should be working towards term limits!

miked:

President Obama had not doubled the debt. That is a right wing lie.

"Obama did not double the debt in one year. The debt owed to the public was $6.3 trillion the day he took office. A year later, it was $7.8 trillion, and as of June 1, it was $9.7 trillion. That's a huge increase, to be sure, but nothing close to a doubling, either in Obama's first year or in his first two-and-a-half years. The same holds true when looking at the total outstanding debt, which includes both the public debt and money the government owes to itself. That figure was $10.6 trillion on Jan. 20, 2009; a year later, it was $12.3 trillion, and it’s $14.3 trillion today."

http://www.factcheck.org/2011/06/obamas-bumbles/

Why is this even an issue? This fight belongs in the budget bill. That was passed. Now congress has to borrow to pay for it. If Republicans have an issue with spending then bring it up in the next budget bill. Also, the budget is not the responsibility of the president. It is up to congress to determine taxes and spending. I don't see why the Republican congress is blaming Obama for any of this. Obama is trying to facilitate a compromise but it is congress's responsibility.

Wouldn't it be the coolest if all of the sudden while republicans whine and cry because inside they know they are trying to hurt America and Americans on purpose, the credit gets down graded tomorrow out of the blue?.. I mean honestly poetic justice comes to mind there. Of course all of America would suffer in anger with violence around the bend but to know, to know that in fact the republicans stupidity was on display for the WORLD to see well. I'd like to hear them talk about two years from now then;]

There! I threw my juice on it

mowdy5000 2011

www.screwu@llnowhardandraw.comm

Cheers

Bill, Fairfax, VA: "Compromise" is a code words for tax increases

Obama has cried a river over this "corporate jet" tax that he wants, the very same tax loophole he and his Democratic Congress put into the 2009 Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The one that will bring in $3 billion of additional tax revenue if repealed, over 10 years, so $300 million a year.

If FR, or any other liberal rag, bothered to fact check Obama's rantings, they'd notice the things he brings up (now he's yakking about taxing successful authors for their book sales) don't amount to any significant reforms, or additional tax revenues, at all. You'd sure hear about these idiotic corporate jet taxes and author taxes though if someone like Bachmann or Palin brought them up.

"while those dang Republicans are a wild and crazy bunch of irresponsible yahoos hell bent on pushing the country into uncharted fiscal waters."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

One bit of truth, that we agree with.

If a White House reporter had any courage during an Obama propaganda conference he/she would ask: "Mr President, you want to raise taxes - how much do you want to raise them and on who? Also, what are your revenue projections for those taxes if they are passed by the Congress?"

Obama would just glare at that person, because they just asked their last question to him ever.

The President did answer that question.

Actually, the Republicans spend like drunken sailors.

Joanna - When you say "last question" do you mean like what happened to Major Garrett?

Debt increase responsibility: Carter, 42%; Reagan, 189%; Bush 41, 55%; Clinton, 39%; Bush 43, 89%. Add it up, GOP wins with 333% increase to the debt comparied to 81% for democrats.

It has always been the idea that the Republican party is made up of rich folks and the democrats of the hard-working people. When you don't have to work hard for your money, you don't normal think as much about how you spend it! That's the problem with Republicans!

With the obama tax cuts (AKA bush tax cuts) scheduled to expire at the end of 2012, what is the lefts problem? On Jan 1, 2013 the tax rates will automatically increase.

Seems that the lefts demand for increased taxes have already been met. Didn't the right sign off on this piece of legislation? I also don't recall that other than the $38 billion in fake cuts in the FY2011 budget there is any long term spending cuts legislated by anyone.

Ooops, almost forgot about obamacare transferring ~ $500 billion in medicare savings to fund obamacare. Wonder when the last time any government program restructuring resulted in savings?

Good work, IR. If only corporate welfare weren't the only welfare that's truly sacred to the radical Conservatives.

See there an old Redneck can find you about 4 trillion in about five minutes.

______________________________________________________

What a genuis!!!!!

"If you want to raise $4 trillion in new taxes, just increase taxes."

Why didn't I think of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, IR. GREAT Point!

IR:

Outstanding posts this morning. This is the very thing President Obama is going after.

The time has come, either the GOP/TP get serious or they do not.

President Obama is not going to bow down to the likes of that arrogant toad Cantor or the other TP radicals. He was very clear in that the time to act is now and he put it all out there.

Now the GOP/TP has to show America some of that leadership they keep talking about but have so far to date, not done.

You're on fire, Floyd... ;o)

Independent Redneck Va.,

Seriously, I'm on your side in this fight but you really have no knowledge of the IRC nor what you are proposing or why companies like GE pay no taxes.

You want to call for tax reform go to it....stop citing specific proposals cause they're meaningless.

I posted this yesterday, real IRC reform on just a few code reforms that would raise trillions:

I'm for revising the tax code as a source of revenue, not the only source but there's a jackpot to be found immediately.

Just some examples:

There is currently $1.4 trillion in subsidies in the IRC. How many can be repealed....half? All?

There is currently over $1 trillion in funds held overseas by US and former US corporations.

If they bring the money back to America, they will be taxed at 35%.

If we lower the corporate rate to a more competitive 15 or 20%, that money comes home with huge tax dollars in the Treasury. Not the 5% the GOP is proposing.

Hedge fund managers pay 15% tax on their earnings instead of 35% due to an IRC loophole that allows their earnings to be considered capital gains...the carried interest loophole.

It is estimated that between $50 and $70 billion would be added to the Treasury just by elimination of this loophole.

Oh, repeal the extension of the Bush Tax cuts. That's $400 billion.

No new taxes, just added revenues due to simple IRC reform.

Morning Betty

Ira Okay we'll do it your way. Point is there's a lot of ways to do it. Couple that with some wastful spending and your talking some real money. Problem is we got to do it and quit talking about it.

Independent Redneck Va...

Problem is we got to do it and quit talking about it.

That IR is the message of the day!

Floyd and Betty

Isn't that cute.

Terrific information, IR. We also have off-shore in Utah, Vermont, Delaware, South Carolina, Wyoming and other states which have turned themselves into onshore tax havens for business.

When President Ronald Reagan was informed of the many tax loopholes in the tax code that provided Corporate Welfare, etc., he said he had no idea it had gotten that bad. Reagan ordered Congress and worked with Congress to overhaul the tax code. It generated billions in revenues previously lost as tax earmarks for the powerful. That was the last time the tax code was overhauled and in those 30 years, the special interest lobbies have managed to get their Corporate and special interest loopholes back into the system.

The Debt Commission recommended a complete overhaul of the tax code because there are hundreds of special interest loopholes, corporate welfare, which means ordinary citizens pay the price. There were many recommendations in the Debt Commission Report that make a lot of sense regardless of party affiliation. It definitely is time for another overhaul.

And that congress promised to cut spending in return. That congress got their tax increases but managed to put off the spending cuts indefinitely. Think maybe that is why the republicans don't trust the democrats?

@RICK-312779

The Republicans right at this moment 7/12/2011 are arguing on Capital Hill, over the people using more efficient energy saving light bulbs.

Their logic is the Government had no right {under GW Bush} to tell the people to use a more cost effect "LIGHT BULB" for lowering their electric bills.

They want us to go back to the LESS efficient bulbs. Right now this is more important than the DEBT CEILING!

So when it come to saving Americans money and reducing they PROFITS for the Electric Companies, the government is "OVER STEPPING THEIR BOUNDS".

These are the REPUBLICANS who will never be able to be TRUSTED by ANYONE!

EXCEPT BIG BUSINESSES! The Republicans have sold their souls for MONEY and POWER over the Common Man, which happens to be US!

I do believe Saint Reagan was a Republican. The old prezel dance. The Republicans fix the tax code and raised taxes so therefore we don't trust democrats.

I said the DEMOCRATS DID NOT HOLD UP THEIR SIDE OF THE BARGAIN. Why do you all not understand that. Could be a political agenda. It is beginning to look like the democrats mode of operation is lies and deception.

Democrates did not hold up their side of the bargain says the man shilling for the Republican party.

Who was the only President to not have to raise the debt ceiling in recent times?

Hint: not a Republican.

Think the Republicans might be lying about caring about the debt?

You think any party that starts two wars and then give a tax break to the rich care about the debt?

I am thinking the republican mode of operation is lies and deception. Political agenda seems to be destroy America. Rick, you fell for it hook, line and sinker.

The last President to not raise the debt ceiling was Clinton.

Talk is cheap and the Republicans have plenty of it. If you truly want to know a person watch what they do and not what they say.

Well said, John B.

To create more demand requires more targeted government spending, not less. The downturn in jobs creation is because states have laid off public employees which means they no longer have money for extras to create demand. What republicans fail to comprehend is the facts--tax cuts are only effective when the tax codes are as high as they were during Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Carter. Once the tax rates reach a certain point as they are now, the tax cuts no longer generate an economic surge. Add to it flatline and declining wages over the past 30 years and tax cuts merely allow families a bit more money in their pocket to pay bills or try to save a bit. While I recognize the national debt is unsustainable, drastic spending cuts will have a negative impact on the economy which is what we see happening now. It becomes a vicious downward spiral causing less demand, meaning more layoffs, less money in the economy, fewer new jobs created, more layoffs, less demand, slower economic growth.

A recent poll showed the most disliked GOPer was Paul Ryan, followed by Palin and Gingrich.

John, it was not that long ago that Obama himself said that every one dollar increase in taxes there would be a 4 dollar cut.

Jody,

The downturn in jobs creation is due to the fact that we do not manufacture in this country anymore because we are not competitive. It has nothing to do with government job losses. If government was cut in half we would still have too many people in government jobs. We need to bring the manufacturing base back to the US. That is what pulled our economy out after the WWII and it will pull us out of this recession if they would just get serious about doing it. It takes no money and we would have a chance to do what Democrats do best , raise taxes. The difference is let's raise taxes on companies that import the goods that they expect to sell here. Companies, domestic or foreign owned, that manufacture here avoid the extra tariffs and therefore make it more attractive to manufacture here.

Time for a new talking point, robert. Manufacturing has in fact been the bright spot in this recovery;

Manufacturing has been the
star of the economic recovery.
While making up around
12% of total economic output,
manufacturing has contributed
over 30% of the economy’s
growth since the recession
ended.

http://www.td.com/economics/special/ab0311_manu.pdf

mamasay mamasa mamakusa

ditty. ditty dum... ;o)

to complete_

"dum ditty do, Got miine doing fine, do wa ditty dum ditty do" - Go Manfred Mann.

Now I got the bubble gum song stuck in my head.

You aren't the only one now stuck with do-wa ditty, ditty dum ditty do playing in your head, Navy.

Steven, Delaware, nice post.

I stopped believing the GOP about taxes and small government when I realized they did the opposite of what they claimed to believe and claimed to be doing. Those legislators and presidential wannabees claiming that raising the debt ceiling will not cause huge problems are either irresponsible and ignorant or just plain liars--probably both.

Fair enough - make real cuts in spending first. If that doesn't work - then raise taxes.

Nash, there is no such thing as meeting the R's half way. Doesn't matter what the WH put out months ago, the R's wouldn't have dealt with it, just like everything else.

They don't act until cornered. That's always been their MO.

When GWBush was president, they didn't have to do anything. Nothing. Just go along with whatever...

Now they have to actually govern. And they won't.

Where is the Jobs Bill? Where.is.it?

Cantor needs to be shown for what exactly he is.

A corporate shill.

Cantor needs to be shown for what exactly he is.

A corporate shill.

Who stands to PROFIT by NOT raising the debt ceiling!

It's vogue these days to bet AGAINST your country!

PS: *waves @ Nash & Pat* You knocked it out the park this morning GF's!

If "halfway" were a consistent place maybe it'd be possible...but every week they move the goalposts. Some may consider that "smart politics", but eventually it just breaks down trust and therefore the ability to get anything done...which is exactly where we are now.

I'm a little confused by these Republicans---their stated mission is for the President to fail but they also want him to do their jobs as well. It is Congress' job to come up with a solution to the debt ceiling issue but the Republicans (who do control half the Congress) seem to want the President to come up with the plan that they can support, on their terms. There is no compromise in their dictionary, either.

You can't negotiate with the domestic equivalent of Yassir Arafat in 2000. Just as Arafat was willing to unleash yet another holy war, rather than give up the right to return, Republicans are willing to unleash an economic apocalypse rather than even look like they're caving in on taxes.

Great points, Nashville. Republicans have done nothing but delay, obstruct, deny and filibuster for 2 1/2 years--they have not compromised once and why anyone would think they would meet democrats or President Obama in the middle is beyond me. The GOPTP is not sincere about the debt anymore now than they were when they passed all that UNFUNDED legislation during the Bush years.

The problem with most of the GOP legislators is the only thing they care about is winning and if the country fails because their goal is to make President Obama a one-term president, they consider it collateral damage.

Something that doesn't get discussed much in the media, if at all, is that President Obama has been trying to get Congress back into its respective role in governing, back into the Constitutional role of process. He is often criticized for providing Congress with his guidelines and letting Congress do their job in turning into legislation. Yet that is exactly what the Constitution demands.

Republicans compromised big time on the budget debate just a couple months ago.

In what way, MrBoz? Republicans passed EXACTLY the budget that Paul Ryan wrote. What definition of "compromise" fits that?

Dan,

An increase in revenue does not mean more spending.

Spending is controlled by the Teapublican controlled House. They have the power to end any spending they want stopped {period}.

That's funny, show me a case where the Federal or local government didn't increase their spending after increasing taxes. Why do you think taxes just keep on going up?

Dan,

Tell me why Federal income taxes are at their lowest level in 60 years.

Dan, the increased revenue would go to paying down the federal deficit.

Nice try in changing the subject. I'll admit I'm making $6.21 more per pay period than I did last year because of the temporary reduction in payroll taxes, but I'm paying twice as much as I did when I first started working. The fact is there is plenty of money going to the Federal, State, and Local governments but they have gone well beyond their scope in what they should be spending taxpayer money on. There are just too many government programs, employees, and non-essential expenses and it's time for it to stop.

Amy B. Portland, ME

Dan, the increased revenue would go to paying down the federal deficit.

You mean like how all the money paid into Social Security is kept in a lock box.

Dan,

Tell me why Federal income taxes are at their lowest level in 60 years.

It doesn't matter how low the tax rates are when almost 47% of Americans aren't making enough money to pay taxes. These non payers have an income below $16,182 per year. It's not about paying taxes for these folks, it's worrying where they are going to sleep and where their next meal is coming from.

There are over 200,000 veterans homeless and broke in America. They're not worried about taxes. I want to know why the government is not keeping their promise to this people who served their country honorably and provide re-entry training so they can find a job, medical including programs for PTSD and TMI , housing, rehab for substance abuse.

I'm outraged, why aren't you?

Ira,

“I'm outraged, why aren't you?” Yes and you have a very good point but it doesn’t help when tax rates for those that are actually paying taxes are at these very low levels causing cuts for the very people you talk about. Sad !!

Dan, arguing with the Amy's of this world is a losing proposition. They will not admit Obama's failures.

Last month, Pew Research polled on the economy. Only37% of democrats admit that the economy is poor.

http://people-press.org/2011/06/23/section-1-views-of-national-economy/

These are people who live in an alternate universe- I call it Obamaland, home of the plaid sky.

And you, NJNBNJ will not admit any of Obama's successes. Any. And there have been successes.

Arguing with no joe 's of this world is a losing proposition. They will not admit the Republican failures.

Republicans won seats in the 2010 elections on jobs. Trust us we will make the jobs the Democrats has been unable to produce.

No jobs, not one jobs bill and will not even vote to pass any jobs bills. Their main push is to shut down the government to keep the rich from sharing in the pain. Where are all the jobs the tax cuts are producing?

These are the people who live in an alternate universe-I call it Republicanland, home of the turd sky. These people will not be happy until America is in the toilet.

Due to how much I trust Republicans, I have moved my 401K to guaranteed out of the stock market, so now if the Republicans get their way (shutting down the government) I will just get higher interest and not chance losing half like last time the market crashed. Speaking of economy the market has been going down, down....

Dan G. When was the last time your taxes went up? That's right, they went up because Clinton and Gingrich agreed they had to increase them to balance the budget and pay down the debt created by Reagan and Bush 41. They are now the lowest in 60 years.

The "don't raise my taxes but pave my street and keep me safe" ideology doesn't work.

Actually tax rates were lower during the Reagan admin once he got his plan thru and got rid of the Jimmy Carter era rates. The top rate during Reagan was then 28% and the income into the IRS doubled in his 2 terms in office. I would love to see us go back to the Clinton era tax rates to shut the liberals up. But that is the Clinton era tax rates on everyone - not just the top bracket. At the same time - in exchange for raising taxes on everyone that the 0bama regime will agree to a balanced budget amendment so that we don't have to worry about raising the debt ceiling. Going back the Clinton rates will raise an additional $400 billion per year - so 0bama regime - lets see the $1.3 trillion in cuts it is going to take to balance the budget. That is per year - not 10 years.

It looks like the Republicans are going to wreck the US economy if their demands aren't met to pile all the sacrifice on the middle class in order to preserve the tax breaks for the "malefactors of great wealth" (as Teddy Roosevelt called them) who caused the economic disaster of 2007.

I hope that Obama responds to this by invoking the 14th Amendment and simply ignoring the debt ceiling. Lincoln had to really bend the Constitution to save the Union when he revoked habeus corpus and rounded up secessionists. Obama would be saving the Union from economic catastrophe by doing what the Constitution requires him to do.

How do you suppose that? The Clinton administration passed the mandate forcing banks to give home loans to unqualified buyers with no money down--nice idea, but has bankrupted our country. Do your homework, the democrats have controlled the US for years. Look at what a great job they have done in Detroit. That's where our country is headed.

My rational brain says you are right, Houston! But my partisan side says, "screw 'em, they don't deserve his pragmatism!"

This should be ALL on them!

"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law... shall not be questioned," reads the 14th Amendment.

I hope that Obama responds to this by invoking the 14th Amendment and simply ignoring the debt ceiling.

I disagree, It is all about perception. Constitutional argument or not the US has to hold up the perception that it will meet its obligations. I am no economics expert but I would wager that if Obama tries to ignore the debt ceiling in this way there will be DIRE economic repurcussions.

Small things affect the economy in big ways, and ignoring the debt limit is definately not a small thing. Lets just look at how gas jumped some 15 to 20 cents in the past couple days after the weak job numbers from June.

A compromise must be made, it appears as if the GOP will be unwilling to compromise. Therefore for the sake of the economy and our stance as a country Obama must make a deal. As a far lefty who complains about Obama caving, he has no choice this time. I will not twitch and moan against him. It will not be on him, however, the population come next year will put the blame on all of this on Obama's feet.

A extended extension must be agreed to. Immediately afterward an honest talk must commence to increase revenue. Politically speaking, at least you can campaign by saying that you compromised your idealogy for the sake of the country.

Mr. President be a leader and make the best deal you can get. You and your party will not be rewarded but it has to be done.

Our system of government is wrecked. It will not get better.

edit - Bye bye American pie (Perfect song)

MAW:

The Clinton Administration did no such thing. Blaming the wrongs of casino capitalists on their victims is just wrong, wrong, wrong.

Fannie, Freddie, and the CRA are Not Responsible for the Financial Crisis

“In the story being pushed by free market advocates, the CRA forced banks to make loans to unqualified, low-income households. When those loans blew up, it caused the financial crisis. But the largest players in the subprime market were private sector firms that were not subject to the CRA’s rules and regulations. For example, “Only one of the top 25 subprime lenders in 2006 was directly subject to the housing law that’s being lambasted by conservative critics.” The largest losses had nothing to do with banks covered by the CRA.”

And

“[D]uring the important years in the build up to the crisis, from 2002 until late in 2006, Fannie and Freddie were losing subprime market share to private sector firms. For example, as noted by McClatchy News, “More than 84 percent of the subprime mortgages in 2006 were issued by private lending institutions,” and “Private firms made nearly 83 percent of the subprime loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers that year.”

Read more: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/maximum-utility/fannie-freddie-and-the-cra-did-not-cause-the-financial-crisis/1513/#ixzz1RtysSU4i

Should have said - Bye Bye American pie (perfect song playing as I type this)

Nashville_fan #11.5,

If you don't like what "MAW" posted, try this:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/view/

Yellowdog-Mark D

I disagree, It is all about perception. Constitutional argument or not the US has to hold up the perception that it will meet its obligations. I am no economics expert but I would wager that if Obama tries to ignore the debt ceiling in this way there will be DIRE economic repurcussions.

I think you misunderstood what I meant. If the Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling, I hope that Obama should ignore the debt ceiling limit and continue paying the money the government owes. It's not paying our bills that has the dire consequences. And if Obama simply capitulates to the Republicans and gives them everything they want, that will have dire consequences, too. So if the Republicans refuse to make any reasonable compromise, I think Obama should just ignore them.

Houston - Oh I misunderstood. Thanks for clarifying. I hope we don't get to that point.

Bob, provide a link to a Republican 2010 campaign ad that promised voters they would not raise taxes on oil companies.

Amy,

do you ever get tired of continually playing the moonbat class warfare game of punishing the mean old oil companies, or the rich, with higher taxes? or are you paid by the word?

If you care about tax equity, support a flat tax and get rid of all so-called loopholes. Otherwise the hate the rich and oil companies mantra is just hot air.

Bob,

Do you ever get tired of continually playing the moonbat class warfare game of punishing the unemployed, the old and the sick.

I am glad you are so rich that these tax rates are such a concern to you. But after having the lowest tax rates in 50 to 60 years don't you think the rich should share. Apparently they have gotten the most benefits.

The loopholes you so gracily offer up are what your party is fighting so hard to preserve.

Why are we giving coporate welfare to the richest oil companies in the world?

The real hot air is Republicans claiming they care about America.

Bob, I believed the Republicans when they said lowering the deficit was their number one prioroity. I believed them when they said Social Security and Medicare had to be restructued to "save" these programs. But then they walked away from 4 trillion in spending cuts, including cuts to entitlements, all over the issue of...not raising taxes on corporate jets, on oil companies? What exactly do Republicans stand for, cause "fiscal conservative" sounds meaningless these days.

Exactly Bob,

The budget talks are something that all working, and retired, responsible Americans can personally relate to.

We all live within a budget. We are all very well acquainted with the pitfalls of debt. As the enormous magnitude of our debt slowly sinks into the consciousness of America, the reality of Obama's radical policies becomes clear.

His game plan?? Raise taxes and blow another couple of trillion on another failed stimulus....all so he can get re-elected. Pitiful.

Cut spending?? He wants to push that way down the road, so some future President has to deal with it. The new taxes?? They would take effect immediately.

The Democrat Senators and Representatives would like to be re-elected too. They constantly monitor the mood of the electorate, and what their seeing and hearing does not bode well for their party.

Nobody, but a handful of dedicated Obamabots, isbuying the liberal rhetoric anymore.

America is going to vote it's pocetbook more than ever before.

I love how you Republicans love to blame President Obama.

Funny how you all forget the two unfunded wars and unfunded tax cuts for the richest brought to you by the Republican party. Showed how much you cared about the debt then and just blaming Democrats for your debt shows you really do not care now either.

Truth, who cares about the truth, we have a conservative talking point to push.

People I know who get tax refunds spend it all within about two weeks: they pay off bills, and they BUY STUFF. Consumer demand = jobs.

PS Don't talk to me about "fair" when the executives of the oil rig that blew up, costing 11 lives, got thousands of dollars in "safety" bonuses a few months later.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42393722/ns/business-us_business/t/transocean-gives-safety-bonuses-despite-gulf-spill-deaths/

Amy,

Did they earn that refund? So what if they go and spend the money, its still money that they did not earn. How can you justify that.

I work all year and pay my taxes and if I am lucky maybe I get a few bucks back. Then we have people not working or only working enough to get by, and they get refunds. And if I might add they get more than what they paid into the system. You tell me how that is fair.

What an asinine comment,...if they worked and had taxes withheld and are SO poor they got a refund,...yes they EARNED it. You try living in poverty, it's hard work.

And don't forget,...someone in YOUR government decided that poverty really does have a floor. It's safe to assume there isn't a high powered LOBBY working for the impoverished in DC.

PS. If you manage your deductions in a manner to receive a lesser refund,...that doesn't mean you're paying a disproportionate share of taxes,...you do know that right?

and Dan G. are you saying if they are poor they shouldn't have those children that you are theoretically subsidizing? Can I put you on record as advocating for abortion then?

I guess ignorance is bliss, what a silly comment Dan G. They don't get "extra" refund dollars, they can only be refunded the amount they paid in payroll taxes. What gets me when I read comments like Dan G's is the failure to ask why such a large number of Americans do not earn enough money to pay federal taxes, why so many Americans are living at or below the poverty level but especially the failure to say this is a problem that needs fixing.

Clara, you hit that one out of the ballpark on so many levels.

Right Jody,

You get a tax refund when you show that you over-paid the government. Anyone can easily do this. You can even be rich and get a tax refund. So what??

50% of Americans pay no taxes?? So what, just tax the other 50% more. Eventually, the working people will wake up to the fact that they have many more dependents than they realized.

49% of Americans on food stamps?? Hey, how can I get some of that free stuff?/ I have a nice fat public sector pension, and I always shop at Wallmart, but I could really go for some free government food too.

I haven't, dottielou, but thanks for pointing it out. Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican.

there is NO red or blue in the DC bubble,...

only GREEN, and I'm not talking environmentally friendly,...

what a sad state of affairs!

dottielou, I did see that story. A nearby diner confronted Paul Ryan and his hedge fund hosts over going through TWO bottles of wine at $350.00 each, and the impropriety of smoozing with investors while proposing cuts to Medicare.

Paul Ryan kept the receipt, which shows he paid for one of the bottles.

http://www.businessinsider.com/everyone-is-freaking-out-that-cliff-asness-thought-about-buying-paul-ryan-a-350-bottle-of-wine-2011-7

Ummm, Paul Ryan -- and even Obama for that matter -- can drink as much wine as they damn well please, with whomever they damn well please. And if it pleases them, they can even pay $1000 for a bottle. That's all of their business, and none of ours. Some busybody leftist is impolite enough to interrupt the congressman's dinner with his rant, and now it's a story? Good grief.

Maybe he should have just stayed home and eaten a peanut butter sandwich.

Certainly anyone can drink and eat whatever they want with whomever they want. But when the person in question is an influential congressman who is speaking publicly about fairness and monetary inequity, and the person he is having dinner with is a hedge fund manager who is already afforded special tax dispensation... then it becomes pertinent.

And if another diner, a citizen and constituent, is offended by this, they are also within their rights to say so publicly.

Oh, Amy, there you went and did it,...you've shed the sanitizing light on Paul Ryan's 'business' associations and got Billy Boy's knickers in a knot. Funny how the money President Obama spends is somehow EQUAL to the favors Ryan is garnering, right?

It is INDEED the public's BUSINESS to know about associations similar to Jack Abramoff type 'dealings' and it is INCUMBENT upon us as citizens to know what is being promised for $700 worth of wine. Many would call that 'richness' a favor. I wonder how many of those occurred that were NOT disclosed on any statements?

Out of touch much? You betcha'. Amen, fielden!

Well that would be nice... vote everyone out... alas, we will only replace Democrats with Republicans, and Republicans with Democrats, which does no good at all.

These so-called "two parties" are collaborators and co-conspirators... they are not rival political ideologies.

The whole point of pretending to be two parties is to get you personally to condemn the OTHER half of government for everything...

...and it's working so well now the Party is pretending to be a third party too. "Tea Party" they call it.

Replacing Obama with a Bush, or replacing a Bush with an Obama is kind of like replacing Laurel for Hardy.

You still wind up with Laurel and Hardy....except it's no joke... and these are savvy cynical politicians... not jokers...

I reject and denounce your attempt to lump President Obama in with these congressional card sharks. President Obama has a vision for America, one where the middle class is not falling further behind as the rich get richer. And he has worked tirelessly to implement it. He has inherited more problems and workd harder than any President in modern history. And even so, he is then criticized for not doing the Congress's job too. Part of the game is to convince us that they are all alike and nothing matters.

Well, in the case of President Obama, that just isn't true. I mean,when he first started, the talking point was he was "doing too much". What the heck does that mean?

President Obama had done an awesome job with some crappy cards. Imagine if anyone in Congress cared about anything other than themselves.

Nashville.............you are a fool to be sucked in to the kool-aid drinking frenzy........... obama has done NOTHING good for America since taking office. The Nat. debt is much higher, unemployment is much higher, gas in much higher, people are loosing their homes in the thousands to foreclose, the housing industry is in a terrible slump, obama has divided the Country as never before. I could go on but am getting depressed....... Now those are cold hard facts...... so you are sure wrong..Nashville.. And yearning......we would wind up with all NEW people in office. That would not be even close to as corrupt as the lifers in office now. Forget party it's the Politician and not party.........Change is good......

Oh and Nashville...isn't obama a Politician? A career, lifer Politician? So why should he be any different than the rest? Inherited? That's a laugh. He ask for all he got when he ran for President. They all do........

Willam:

President Obama is doing a great job. . . ask Osama Bin Laden.

The economy is better now than when he was sworn in, based on what little actual work he could encourage the Congress to do. Not perfect, but better than the alternative . . . the housing, job, and stock market simultaneously collapsing under the weight of voodoo economics.

President Obama is a politician, and a damn good one. He is representing the interest of the human people against the corporate people.

And he is winning.

William,

Given the state of affairs when he took office in 2008, and the 2 wars that were already going on, would anyone else have been able to do any better? I guess we'll never know! You guys all sit around and complain, but noone stands up to their legislation and demands any better! Maybe instead of posting on here, we should all be posting on the current legislations websites!!!

jwatl:

The majority of corporations operationg in the United States pay zero taxes. So save the "tax rate" double talk please.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/12/news/economy/corporate_taxes/

The very reason there is no hiring going on is simple. Many people only hear that big companies are sitting on billions of dollars and wonder why they aren't hiring. They are making money people and obviously have enough people on the payroll to meet the demand. So many want to blame them for not hiring people and creating jobs. What if there aren't any? Do businesses now become the welfare and food stamp program? Do they hire just for the sake of hiring to help someone out? Unfair to present employees to "create a position" when they were fortunate enough to be retained when the recession hit. Another reason, corporations are waiting to see the outcome of all the political rhetoric of the last two years. Tax cuts to last only another year or so. Obamacare uncertainty> Regulation burdens on the rise. They cannot pinpoint their future and are very squeamish when it comes to jeopardizing their future and the future of those who are presently dependent on them for the jobs they have. You raise taxes now and what little bit of progress is being made will come to a screeching halt. Dems started the downfall in 2006 and it has to stop for revitalization to begin.

The boy king obama is out of touch with anyone not a commie. All you socialist misfits if you get your way will see a civil war before this boy king gets done distroying the USA. Already we have see the bama private army( the new black panther s strong arming white voters). Wake up America the socialist are stealing your country.

Sickofliberals sounds like a nut and a racist. Typical of the right wingers bred in the hills somewhere; very scary people. Obama should pull out of these deficit talks and push for a massive public works program to rebuild our infrastructure while money is cheap. Where are all the private job creators enjoying very low to nonexistent taxes? Where are all the Bush supporters? Why aren't they defending his and their years of irresponsible spending?

Dear Sick,

Boy King? Just hang that racism out for everyone to see. I am from the south and know what calling a black man boy means.

Hint: The Republicans destroying American and your social security is more important that your private hate fest based on color.

AmericaFirst,

I believe that Sickofliberals meant that the President is a child that got to be king. How quickly you play the race card, means that you have nothing to really say anyway.

Being from the South doesn't make you an expert on prejudice. In fact, it doesn't make you much of an authority on anything except,maybe hominy grits. LOL

Believe me President Obama is not a child that got to be king.

Here we go again the prezel dance.

As a white woman born into the segregated south, I know to call a black man a boy is the ultimate insult. It was the insult white people use to degrade black men. To embarrass or to belittle a black man you called him a boy and then dared him to talk back. Talking back in segregated south could get you killed, or at least beaten.

Izz jut a too stoopid to know what I am taelking abut. thks edwrd

America first,

Educate us about those Hominy grits. You seem well up on how to antagonize black people.

You make some good points but no one is listening. The American voter is as big an idiot as those we elect. Sending the same people to Washington but expecting different results prove what idiots the American people really are, so they try to blame someone else rather then pulling on some big boy pants.

Division works in this country, and politicians and even the media are doing their best to keep the American people as divided as possible. People can no longer separate fact from opinion, and the blame game has become the American past time. We do live in a country where not only do two wrongs make a right, any number of wrongs also make a right. Its really easy math.

Despite the fact that the only thing both Republicans and Democrats corner the market on is hypocrisy, the lemmings in society will proudly wave their party flag ignoring all failings except those across the isle. If our politicians were made into a deck of cards, they would in fact all be the same suit. Hate to burst your bubble, but everything that goes on in Washington is politically motivated. Concern for the country or the American people, surely you jest.

Politicians are not failing this country, the American people are, and yet who is around to blame them? We don't hold any politician accountable, incumbents have jobs for life, and they thank us with nothing but contempt. They don't serve us, they serve themselves and their cronies. Democrats and Republicans alike, get real people all politicians are feeding from the same trough.

This country has no hope of survival if left in the hands of our Washington elite, and it is not as if the collapse of the country is going to have any affect on them. They have padded their wallets with lavish pensions, perks, benefits, and all the IOU's OUR money could buy. They pretend to care about the American people during an election, when they tell us what we want to hear for them to get elected. They herd us like sheep without any prodding.

If anyone of you truly believes Washington can solve the financial mess THEY created, well I have a great investment for you. How about an acre on the moon? If we the people don't take control by insisting upon a balanced budget amendment, we the people are to blame for what happens to this once great nation we squandered.

Good post! Even the person with the most basic understanding of economics knows that without increased revenues we can't continue spending on those programs that are important.

Why should certain elements of society be exempt for taxes, when every middle class wage earner and taxpayer is hit 100%. While the gilded class may enjoy their yachts, why should minimum wage earners pay a higher percent of income so they can enjoy a tax write-off. Oil companies with billion dollar profits and agri-businesses don't need subsidies. The oil industry is not a a start up, it's been with us 160 years or so. Farm subsidies worked in the 30's and 40's but now most agriculture and animal husbandry is run by agri-businesses who make billions as well.

Trim defense contractors who are making weapons even the generals don't want. But that energy and money into systems we'll need for the future. Why do we have 200,000 military personnel spread around the world? Who is attacking Germany that we need installations, same with Japan and Diego Garcia. Put those dollars to better use.

Of course, the entire tax system needs to be redone; however, between accountants and tax lawyers, we'll be pushing up daisies before this happens. Establish about 4-5 tax ranges that exclude certain percentage of income and tax capital gains at regular rates. While unearned income should be taxed higher, I would rather have 12 percent of $100,000 gain than 38 percent of $0.

The chances of anything serious taking place is zero because both parties are beholding to the moneyed interests and aren't about to bite their masters. Someone posted that Congress should get no pension and let them purchase medical coverage on the open market like most people must do. While not perfect, this would be start!

Mad2002mad,

Re-read your first sentence, and then just stop right there. That sentence says it all.

We can't continue spending. (on those programs that are important)

There's the rub, get it?? What programs are important?? How important?? To whom are they

important, and why??

There are literally thousands of programs that can be eliminated completely. Whole agencies that can be dissolved tomorrow. Grants, gifts, bailouts, subsidies, fraud, theft. You name it, it can be cut or eliminated.

This is a national crisis that should be addressed as if we were going to war. With a concerted national effort.

This is a national crisis that should be addressed as if we were going to war. Republican war? Yahoo... does not need to be funded.

Tax cuts for the rich- nah does not need to be funded.

You would think with a concerted national effort treating this like we were going to war the rich would gladly pitch in without complaining. Nope same old mantra cut... cut... programs for the poor.

Pass this on from Joe

joe wobblie

justwhatiexpected:

HERE is your TRUTH! — Just click on the cards!

http://www.ruckus.org/warprofiteers/

The TRUTH Will OUT!

Bravo, MJL-3! — Bravo, "ruckus.org"!