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Subscribe to RSSJust hours after the Washington Post editorial page reported that anti-tax activist Grover Norquist wouldn't consider letting the Bush tax cuts expire as breaking his tax pledge (“Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase"), Norquist said he opposes such a compromise in the current debt standoff.
"It wouldn't pass the laugh test to go to the American people and tell them you just allowed four trillion dollars in higher taxes by allowing the 2001, 2003 lower rates to lapse and tell people that's not a tax increase," he told MSNBC's Chris Jansing.
When Jansing pressed Norquist whether letting the Bush tax cuts expire would violate the pledge, he didn't directly answer the question -- but stressed that his organization would oppose the move.
"There are certain things you can do technically and not violate the pledge, but that the general public would clearly understand as a tax increase. So I can be clear: Americans for Tax Reform would oppose any effort to weaken, reduce, or not continue the 2001, 2003 Bush tax cuts.
Norquist added, "Clearly they need to continue, and not to continue them would be felt by the American people as a very dramatic tax increase. And the Republicans have made it clear that's off the table and we support that effort."
Bottom line: It's technically correct that letting the Bush tax cuts expire doesn't violate the pledge, which states that a member will "1) oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and 2) oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."
But Norquist also said Americans would still see it as a tax increase, and that's why his group would oppose it.
NBC's Lauren Selsky and Dax Tejera contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
Is Grover talking about the additional unfunded 900 billion over the next two years, the extension of the Bush tax cuts adds to the deficit?
Uh huh - thought so! ;o)
This goffball is some kind of 21st century svengali when it comes to Teapublicans!
Anyone know if they had to do the 'double pinky swear' when they signed this nut jobs blood pact?
Norquist: "There are certain things you can do technically and not violate the pledge, but that the general public would clearly understand as a tax increase. So I can be clear: Americans for Tax Reform would oppose any effort to weaken, reduce, or not continue the 2001, 2003 Bush tax cuts.”
Even the king of tax cuts and no increases calls them the “Bush tax cuts”.
End of controversy
Well of course he opposes letting the Bush tax cuts expire. And the huge debt doesn't bother him a bit. In most of the world, in order to get out of debt you have to increase revenue. AKA taxes.
Yea Denis, then that must make it true. So it was Bush. He came back in 2 years later and signed them into law.
Ahh libbie denial.
Ok now please let's get some deep tax insight from the gang. Come on Drive By, Amy, Jody, Navy et al. and tell us all about unfunded liabilities, :loopholes" deductions" and my favorite "write-off cheats."
Ready Ira? This should be super fun AND informative.
Say Ron - in your experience what plays a bigger role in debt reduction?
Revenues or expenses?
I don't suppose you have ever been part of a bankruptcy work out plan, or a chapter 11?
But hey keep it up with the team Blue mantra - no matter what the problem all you need is higher taxes.
Not even Obama believes that, hence him letting Bush come back last December to sign the tax rates into law.
That was mighty nice of Obama to let Bush do that, right Ron?
Not sure what insight I could provide that YOU would approve of, Spanker, but I do have a quesiton for the whole gang:
Who the hell is Grover Norquist, and why should what HE wants govern what a majority of the citinen's of this country want??
Oh, and if you insist that they are now the 'Obama' tax cuts- ok. I'm good with that. Now all that needs to be done is let the 'OBAMA tax cuts' expire'. Geez- that was easy.
Oh, and:
Bob-1887910
"Thanks for your usual substance-free and humor-free input, Feisty. Keep working at your snark, some day you may say something really witty."
(........said Bob, as he inserted some substance-free snark, and avoided saying something really witty.)
One could argue that the tax cuts are an expense. Or, Revenue foregone, despite our accumulating deficit and debt.
not continue the 2001, 2003 Bush tax cuts.”
Even the king of tax cuts and no increases calls them the “Bush tax cuts”.
End of controversy
________________________________________________
No controversy. The 2001 and 2003 tax cuts were the "Bush tax cuts". They expired 12/31/10 as provided at the time they were signed into law.
The tax cuts beginning 01/01/11 passed by a Democratic controlled Congress and signed into law by Barry Obama are the "Obama tax cuts". While the may look very much alike, Bush had NOTHING to do with enacting them and pretending otherwise is foolish.
I see why he gets his way. Grover Norquist is now the King of the United States.
Flip, flop, flip, flop, flip....
Amazing.
This man is seriously clueless, but then again, this is no surprise.
Tell WHICH "American" people that this is not a tax increase? The burden of letting the Bush tax cuts expire falls mostly on the RICH, as I recall it.
So, we're supposed to be afraid to tell the rich that their taxes will go back up to where they used to be?
No laughing matter, for sure.
But it also doesn't pass the "laugh test" to tell the elderly and the sick that they will lose benefits they have already paid in so that millionaires don't have pay a little more.
I guess if I had to fail a laugh test, I'd choose to fail the latter laugh test.
Just goes to show you, doesn't it?
LoL Remember where being "King of the World" got Leonardo DiCaprio?
We aren't allowed to call them "rich" any more. We're supposed to call them "Job Creators" now.
(Now, maybe, if they'd create some jobs...)
I wish the GOP would come to their senses give Grover good dunking in that bath tub and then kick him and his Tea Bag Ayn Rand fans out of the Party.
Grover Norquist has been the eminence grise of Capitol Hill for many years.
A protege of Jack Abramoff, Norquist set up Americans for Tax Reform as a frnt group for channeling tremendous sums of money through lobbyists to campaign coffers. In addition his "K Street project" sought to force companies and organizations to hire only "reliable" conservatives who hewed to the Norquist line as lobbyists. he helped Capitol Hill staffers move to the corporate ranks.
He guided Bush Administration hiring decisions for regulatory agencies - setting such fine examples of competence as Larry Brown, the Arabian horse fellow, in charge of FEMA, to ensure incompetence was the rule of the day. Norquist also helped insure that conservative opponents of things like banking regulations and environmental protection were appointed to be in charge of those very functions in the Bush White House. Or he aided former Goldman Sachs executives in being named to the securities and financial oversight agencies in the Bush White House, just when some mighty illegal and shady dealings in derivatives and securitized mortgages where taking flight at Goldman and some other banks.
Now this wasn't just playing pals, not for Norquist. This meant he could pretty much dictate terms to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Manufacturers' Association, and other major organizations. They gladly paid him to use his clout to attack regulators, block bills, and steer sweetheart deals to friendly firms such as Kellog, Brown and Root.
And he, along with the Koch Brothers, the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and others have pots of money for undisclosed third-party campaigns favoring or opposing candidates, as well as control over how the actual direct campaign contributions are made.
He is the biggest Neanderthal on the block, with the biggest club.
Read all about it in Steven Frank, The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Ruined Government, Enriched Themselves and Beggared the Nation, or in Griftopia, by Matt Taibbi.
I don't know and don't care who he is, only that he is keeping their feet to the fire.
A long time ago we had a hero [yeah I went there] out here by the name of Harold Jarvis.
Prop.13 saved thousands from losing their homes. As you can imagine he is the bane of the dems and public unions, although as you can see they still managed to get theirs.
And now Cali goes the way of Greece.
LoL That's really job creator.
They're the ones who enjobcreator themselves at the expense of the middle class.
By George, I think I get it. ;-)
I guess that 4 Trillion he's talking about just might help us with the so-called "debt crisis", but I guess that's not really what the repubs are all about is it? And who the he!! is Norquist. He's not an elected official. All he is is some dork that the whole repub/t-pers have to bow and kneel to whether it screws our country over or not, and they actually take a pledge to this guy, and forget that they have a country to run for the good of the "people". I don't know about the rest of you, but I think the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America is the only "pledge" that these congresspeople should be taking. Not only do I think it smacks of treason, at its best it is anti-American.
One of the weapons in Norquist arsonal to destroy people is faux and other Murdoch owed interest. Faux is one of the best propaganda machine around. They sold us a war that was against the best interest of America and did it with censored news. Day after day on the air with censored news and claiming to be fair and balanced. After the liberal media lie pushed by the republicans everything they heard not on faux was a liberal lie.
This is the same kind of abuse of power that Murdoch was using in England. It is only now in England the politicians are starting to stand up now that Murdoch is being brought down.
The only answer is to vote out everyone that signed his pledge. Traitors to America the lot of them.
When you give a break at all you should believe and accept it will end. It was a gratuity say thank you, but we are broke now so we need to stop it.
What right does Grover have to create any pledge and have it signed by elected legislators, that belong to ALL of the American People.....Does a pledge which uses language like "kick the can down the road" have any authority over how legislators should vote. I'm with Feisty, should we pinkie swear about something as serious as this?
Do we as American accept a nut job like Grover to share in making important legislation? I'm sure he is a member of their other illegal activity know as ALEC.....go to: (alecexposed.org) and see what else these corrupt congressmen are up to in their American takeover.
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) boasts �During the 1999-2000 legislative cycle, ALEC legislators introduced more than 3100 pieces of legislation based on our models, and more than 450 of these were enacted. . . . In the legislative Sessions of 2000, there were more than 2150 introductions promoting ALEC Policy.�
So why haven�t we ever heard of this group?
Because corporate America doesn�t want us to know. Close scrutiny reveals that ALEC is little more than a screen for hundreds of big corporations and trade associations to advance their legislative agendas in state capitals from coast to coast.
Thanks mom, for bringing alec up.
Report exposes �Corporate America�s Trojan Horse in the states�
"Influence peddling to shape government laws to suit corporate special interests is not just a Washington phenomenon," Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen said. "It is just as aggressive if not as visible in the states. It's time to shine the public spotlight on state influence peddling, beginning with the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC has a carefully cultivated 'good government' image, but the masters it serves are its corporate sponsors and funders, not the nation's hard-working but vulnerable state legislators."
The report � titled �Corporate America�s Trojan Horse in the States: The Untold Story Behind the American Legislative Exchange Council� � is available on the Internet at www.alecwatch.org. It is based on thousands of pages of primary financial documents and other source material, including tax returns filed by ALEC and its major underwriters.
WASHINGTON -- Major corporations are operating behind-the-scenes in state capitals across the country through a purported �good government� group that pushes an industry-friendly agenda, according to a report to be released by Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In addition to financing gifts and free trips for elected officials, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) acts as a conduit for special-interest legislation from corporations to key state legislators on issues that range from rolling back environmental and consumer protections to privatizing government services such as prisons and schools.
Report exposes �Corporate America�s Trojan Horse in the states�
"Influence peddling to shape government laws to suit corporate special interests is not just a Washington phenomenon," Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen said. "It is just as aggressive if not as visible in the states. It's time to shine the public spotlight on state influence peddling, beginning with the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC has a carefully cultivated 'good government' image, but the masters it serves are its corporate sponsors and funders, not the nation's hard-working but vulnerable state legislators."
The report � titled �Corporate America�s Trojan Horse in the States: The Untold Story Behind the American Legislative Exchange Council� � is available on the Internet at www.alecwatch.org. It is based on thousands of pages of primary financial documents and other source material, including tax returns filed by ALEC and its major underwriters.
WASHINGTON -- Major corporations are operating behind-the-scenes in state capitals across the country through a purported �good government� group that pushes an industry-friendly agenda, according to a report to be released by Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In addition to financing gifts and free trips for elected officials, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) acts as a conduit for special-interest legislation from corporations to key state legislators on issues that range from rolling back environmental and consumer protections to privatizing government services such as prisons and schools.
Thanks for your usual substance-free and humor-free input, Feisty. Keep working at your snark, some day you may say something really witty.
Bob, is it possible for the Feisty Redhead to place a post that is composed with substance? From what little I have read, her posts are more of a political put-down with little jabs about anyone who doesn't have her interests at heart. Would that be a true assumption?
For a nano second I thought he was being somewhat reasonable. Honestly how can you deal with a deficit without any additional revenues and only cuts?
As it seems less likely that a Gang of Six or Cut cap balance approach will pass their rivals bodies of congress, the McConnell plan still seems the only quick fix to get past this deadline. The other option which I think no one would like is to have Obama disregard the debt ceiling limitations and try to argue constitutional intent of the 14th amendment. Why are these legislators so ready to let go of their share of power to the executive branch?
Mr. Norquist or any reasonable conservative should understand that you can not keep taxes this low indefinately just like we can't keep spending unchecked indefinately.
*BUZZZZZZZZZZZ*
WRONG!!!
Yellowdog-Mark D..
Actually, there are enough Republicans in the Senate who would vote for the Gang of Six plan, Norquist pledge or not. These Senators understand the gravity of the situation and are ready to put country above party.
Not so in the House. The inflexibility there and the inability of the Speaker to control his caucus is astonishing. If this bi-partisan agreement fails either due to a pledge to a powerful, non-elected lobbyist or the blind stupidity of people who think that default doesn't hurt the country or global economy AND actually helps it and our credit rating the shock and aftershocks of the event will be felt for years.
Under Bowles- Simpson, the renewed Bush tax cuts expire. If Norquist is against allowing them to expire, then he is against the only real partisan solution that has a chance of passing...at least the Senate for now. He is a fool and a denier of the situation and it will be interesting to see how many Kool Aid drinkers are willing to follow him.
Uh yellow dog?
Taxes are at the same place they have always been.
But tell us, for how long has spending been at 25% of GDP?
You do see how that works right? Even Noid gets that we spend way more than we bring in, and the percent we have brought in has always been roughly consistent.
These guys are simply REPULSIVELY STUPID.
Mark D - the only other VIABLE option that you did not put in your post is a 'clean' bill from the House that will raise the debt ceiling. That bill will sail through the Senate and onto the President's desk where he will sign it.
Let's see if the House can produce THAT bill before August 2nd.
Ira,
I agree. I would only add that at this point I don't even care who gets credit or who steps up. It seems as if some are disregarding this threat and its consequences. I actually saw someone post that this is all fear mongering and said default would have the same consequences as the Y2K non catastrophe.
I sincerely hope that the House GOP don't have this belief or we will for sure default.
Spanky - From Usgovernment.com it appears as if it has been above 25% of GDP since 1933. Spiked to 55% in the middle of the 1940's crept up to about 40% as of 2010.
Mark, you do it by cutting spending.
look at where the money Obama spent went- over a trillion to just TWO of his major donors for "green" electric car companies. Heck, he even threw in a $7500 tax rebate in order to make $55,000 cars more "affordable".
He threw half a billion to one major donor to build wind turbines in China for his wind farm in Texas.
He threw a couple hundred six figure jobs at other major fundraisers. About a billion to one "green" company that is now going bankrupt.
Come on, Mark. You cannot support any of this.
On top of all of this, Obama wants the debt ceiling raised enough so he can campaign on more of the same- stimulous, shovel ready jobs- all so he can promise payback to his big donors, while the taxpayers get the dubious benefit of having to pay it back, with interest.
I'll compromise- when the spending cuts actually reduce the debt, talk to me about raising taxes. Not until then.
Honestly, let the country default. The POTUS should go on record as having done all that he can do to shape the legislation of the GOP/TP in the House and it was THEIR decision to allow the US to default. Then let it happen. It is policitcal suicide for the GOP/TP.
Call their bluff like you didn't on the tax cuts.
Yellowdog---I had the same thought as you for a second about Mr. Norquist---he was giving the people who have signed this pledge a reasonable out in serious circumstances. After all, I'm assuming the pledge was around when they were all voting to raise the debt ceiling 7 times during the Bush administration. Sadly I was naive about the possible out.
I still don't understand why the conservatives will not compromise on this issue when the Democrats will. Our views are as strongly held as theirs yet we are willing to compromise to avoid a default. Each side believes it is correct (raise revenue v. cut spending) but why does that preclude compromise?
Whoops- correction
Obama gave over a BILLION to two of his major donors- not a trillion.
Even Obama is not that bad.
SteelerFan
Cantor and co are been held captive making them unfit to legislate and this is a big problem for our country. This GOP congress is in CAPTIVE.
Hello No Joe - "Even Obama is not that bad" :}
Researched the Obama wind farm in Texas per MSNBC 10/21 story...
As I fly to the valley and west Texas on occasion I have seen many new wind mills that continue to be erected. It was unfortunate that they didn't have an American only construction mandate in the legislation. Somehow I would doubt you market types would agree to that. If they would have those patriotic companies favored with windmill construction probably would have used their foreign facilities to build the components.
__________
"Administration officials and the companies did not dispute that much of the work on the wind farms occurred in late 2008 or early 2009, but said the stimulus money was vital for creating jobs down the line. Even if the wind farms that received the grants had been completed, they said, the money was vital to ensure that the next generation of wind power plants is built."
_________
That said the numbers created should not have been credited to the stimulus.
Your point about the shovel ready jobs and their temporary nature; could this be the fact that those numbers are construction jobs that are always temporary (most construction jobs end when the project is over). The only permanent construction type jobs I know about are maintenance related.
No Jo the GOP talk about spending cuts and tightening the proverbial belt, but I don't think that we can afford the type of cuts you want. Believe me I know that there are not cuts that will reduce the debt, they will only decrease the deficit. However, I think if we can cut and bring in more every year than we have a chance to get to a lower deficit. If we can temper the balance just right, maybe the captains of industry can hire enough of us to raise production add to the tax base grow the economy....
Pietro, Columbus, Ohio, the House already voted on a 'clean" debt ceiling increase. They voted no and told Wall Street they were only kidding...now, wasn't that special...
Just who in the heck is Grover Norquist anyway? What is he suppose to be in charge of except getting pledges signed? I may be a little behind the times, but I have never heard of him, honestly. Why does he have so much power over the conserves.
My thoughts EXACTLY, Joann. Who IS ths CHERRY and why are the conservatives kissing his ring??
And what exactly are the reprecussions of NOT following this pledge? Remember the Pledge to America? None of these boobs followed that pledge and look at them now.
They did end business as usual like NOT paying our obligations, that i'll give them.
Joann
He's another diversion, another deflection, another boogeyman for the left. Anything and anybody to deflect from the tragedy that is the Obama presidency.
The "Koch Bros" was running a little stale with over use.
Doug, what are you talking about?
Norquist is the darling of the RIGHT. Not the left. He is one of the factors contributing to the refusal of the right to join in making this country work.
you are the one who is stale...
fielden
You don't get it. Not surprised. So many of you from the left walk around awaiting what to think from your "intellectually superiors" that you have no clue there is even a larger picture.
I know who Grover Norquist is. He's just not important in the scheme of things. He may have some views which are shared among conservatives. That doesn't mean he controls anybody the way the left leaners on this blog who rabidly support their "party" thinks he does.
The left no longer presents anything but attacks against those who have a different view point. No ideas. They don't want ideas, they seek control. Stop and think about it for a minute. Consider the whole debt ceiling "debate". They gave no specifics, just attacks.
So from where I'm sitting "no new taxes" is reasonable. Simply attack and decide you must compromise when you're going to lose anyway.....not reasonable.
You would have to be completely void of math skills to not understand that the biggest drivers of the debt, SS, Medicare, and Defense need a serious look. People propose to get the ball rolling. For the first time in my adult life some put their political career on the line to correct a problem only the truly uninformed doesn't admit exists. What do the "leaders" from the left do? Run some stupid ad with a Paul Ryan look alike pushing some "grandma" over the cliff and demonize hard working Americans in an attempt to instigate some half assed class warfare so they can continue to retain office. Then tell us they had nothing to do with our problems. It was all BUSH! and the other guys.
I don't think people who lean Democrat even understand the issues. Including those who were elected. If they did they wouldn't be leaning Democrat. I extend that to many of the Republicans also.
Social security and parts of medicare are Prepaid. If they were truly out of the budget and had been left in their own funds as some think they are, they wouldn't even be part of the debt mess. It is wars and military that you are paying for!
In my opinion, the only pledge that any elected official should make is the pledge of Alleigence to the USA
If this is misspelled , sorry, but you get the drift.
Mark, you've got a typo there buddy (assuming you are responsible for the title). That would be the OBAMA tax cuts. Remember? He signed.
BTW.......anyone else besides Norquist opposing letting the Obama tax cuts expire? Anyone at all?
Spin all you want, fool, they were the Bush tax cuts and it was an 'extension', not a new item. No matter how hard you try to make it otherwise, facts are facts and you are WRONG.
Never mind the Republican/TP Inc. party held the poor, the unemployed and the sick hostage to preserve the cuts for the top 2%.
Time to put this fool on ignore.
He didn't have to sign simpleton. You see, that's one of the perks of being President. He alone wields the power to scrap legislation with a stroke of his pen. Now if you want to discuss how inept and weak he is we can do that.
That's the problem with you wannabe Obama teabaggers. You can't get your mind off his crotch long enough to get your mind on his responsibilities to the nation. But just keep on blaming the last guy who left office nearly three years ago. That argument only plays with the cerebral dwarfs.
Rantings of the idiotic. I'm sure you have no idea as to the reason why your messiah gave for putting his name on the paper. Or was he just doing his second favorite past time? He took office Jan of 2009. Anything after that is his "fool".
He DID have to sign, Doug, unless he wanted the unemployed to suffer the consequences of the right's politics.
Why is the right so eager to get the Bush Tax Cuts off their books? If they are so great?
Fielden, my point is factual and saying he HAD to sign is doing what his sycophants always do for him. Make excuses for his lack of leadership.
Who took control of Congress in 2007?
The tax cuts increased revenue to the treasury. We don't have a revenue problem. We have a spending issue. Why don't all you Obama teabaggers email the White House and tell the Big O to end the wars? Quit screwing around with the job producers? Allow the states to crack down on illegal immigrants? SS and Medicare needs serious reform (or ended) and your "party" obstructs reform. The democrats are hindering progress. Stop excusing them and start paying attention.
God, why did I open his post? Well, the damage is done . . .
The Fool Ponders wrote: The tax cuts increased revenue to the treasury.
LIAR!!! If you're so positive this happened, prove it!
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=692#m2 (check out myth #2)
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=966 (check out table #1)
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2010/09/17/Bush-Tax-Cuts-No-Economic-Help.aspx
http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2010/09/so-how-did-the-bush-tax-cuts-work-out-for-the-economy.html
In other words, The Fool That Ponders His Own Naval, you are a LIAR!!
Who took control of Congress in 2007? The Republican/TP Inc. party with their filibuster power that they used to thwart bills and policies they previously supported, that's who, fool.
Get a clue, fool, no one, except the willfully stupid, believes you.
So doug, you are saying to those who were working and were recieveing unemployment to pound sand, because of the semantics of obama having the ability to NOT sign it? Is that really your position? I mean really, what would you have done, not sign it and allow millions to not recieve unemployment and basically in possibly some instances starve, lose homes, etc?
That argument works well if you forget that almost half of our current debt is because of the tax cuts to the richest in American.
Of course we don't have a revenue problem. In what world are you in that tax cuts to the richest increased revenue? Next you will telling me tax cut create jobs and we don't have an unemployment problem.
Let see, hedge fund managers driving up the cost of gasoline making millions. Everybody in America paying more for gas. (I am not sure what kind of increased revenue we get from those kind of tax cuts.)
Those wall street guys after they raped American and got huge bonuses and managed to disappear half of your 401K, surely they increased revenue and need to keep their tax cuts
These are the people the republicans are protecting with their no raising taxes on the richest again.
So Grover Norquist is the head of the Republican/Teabaggers! So when did he get elected to office?
He is the head of the whole GOP as most of them have signed his pledge. The one congressperson and one senator from my state has signed! He seems to be running a pretty big show! Pledging should be made illegal!
Since when did Grover Norquist get elected to any position to have any say in the matter? His desires should carry no more weight than mine, or any other poster on here, left, center, or right. Any legislator that gives Norquist any more authority than any one of us needs to review just who his oath of office was too.
But then again, there is this:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2010/06/03/173302/voinovich-no-anti-tax/
Note that 33 members of the Senate Republican/TP Inc. party have signed it. Anyone know how many Representatives have signed?
Who cares? Only recipients of OPM thinks Americans are not taxed enough.
Let me ask you since I'm fairly confident you are a recipient of OPM and perhaps a staunch believer in the latest DNC sound bite of "shared sacrifice".
What percentage of their income should the 47% who presently pay no federal income tax contribute to our debt so our future generations do not have to pay for our mismanagement? What is their "shared sacrifice"?
Grover Norquist is not an elected official and therefore should not be running our country. I voted for representatives and senators to represent me,however they are Republicans that have signed his pledge!
I do not want to be held hostage by outside interests. Are we not fighting 2 wars to keep ideological takeover of Iraq and Afghanistan? Shouldn't this be true in the United States?
While we are at it, Tex, Doug, and Sad.....Perry has no qualification other than "The so called governorship of Texas" to run for President. A Texas Governor has almost no authority in the law making of Texas. It is one of the weakest leadership position in this country. Example George W. Bush who's only qualification was Governorship of Texas and the Son of an Ex-President. Do we want to take that road again. NO, NO, NO!
Doug, I have had it with the argument that taxing corporations less will create jobs. They have been taxed less for over ten years. The only answer I want from you is where is the flood of jobs the lower taxes were supposed to encourage? I'm wasting my keystrokes and I know it. You cannot answer that question, and rather then admit it you will attack me.
Forget it, Wade, the guy won't answer you. It is why I have him on ignore, he ain't worth any more of my time.
He is on ignore Matthew, I will expand a response if he posts in this thread, but he is on ignore to stay.
ponder would not say anything good about obama, if obama saved his life. he's a teabagger, and like most teabaggers, he has his reason. most people know what that reason is.
No politician elected by and representing a large segment of the population should be signing any pledges that pander to the special interests of a select organization. Grover is a self serving troll who only wants to further his own special interests. Any politician willing to sell themselves out to Grover and his group or any other narrow group should be thrown out of office or not elected to begin with. This goes for Ms. Bachmann and her ilk that sign religious pledges that again pander to a select few in our society to the detriment of the many.
Whether they signed a written pledge to do so , or not, Democrats have voted in lockstep to expand the Government, increase taxes, and open up the Treasury vault to the looting public employee unions.
Whether they sign a specific written document or not is not important, as long as Republicans pledge to stop this if elected.
Way to blame civil servants, Bob. On with the decimation of the middle class, right? Save the elite at all costs. You work for Grover?
http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2011/07/21
Bob ... does it really matter who's looting the Treasury ... the fatcat wealthy and corporations or the Unions? At least the unions are attempting to protect employees ... these fatcat millionaires and corporations are hiding their money and sending their jobs overseas to China, Mexico, Honduros, India ... its called Capitalistic GREED, Bob!
Its not going to matter anyways ... as soon as the majority of the middleclass begin hitting the nursing homes in 10-15 more years, there will be no more middleclass. There will only be the Rich and the Poor. Possibly you've heard of the Filial Law? As the Federal Government cuts back on Medicaid, nursing homes will be coming to the kids & grandkids to get the money to pay for the nursing care expenses being run up ... $1,200 a week, currently on average. Those that can't pay, will be rolled out on the streets.
Grover Norquist doesn't run this country ... doesn't hold an office in our Government ... if Repubs wish to commit political suicide by hanging their hats with Norquist, so be it. The taxpaying middleclass have had their fill of Norquist, TPbaggers, and Republicans in general. Let them hold the line on taxes ... funny, how the very people that are holding UP this debt ceiling adjustment are the very ones that voted at least 5 times to raise the debt ceiling for GW Bush. All their names are on the list ... Boehner, McConnell, Cantor, Kyl ... all of them voted to raise the debt ceiling, might i add with NOOOO hesitancy.
So let 'em hold the line ... come 2012 the Republican party might have a dozen members in the House & Senate ... they are HISTORY.
bob said " open up the Treasury vault to the looting public employee unions."..... that reminded me of a political cartoon i saw awhile back. it had a donkey and an elephant ,dressed in suits, standing in front of the treasury vault. the door was open and the vault was empty. on the door was a note that said "suckers" signed wallstreet. the donkey says to the elephant "we've been robbed". and the elephant says "no, we've been spending too much".
No. You work for Soros?
no. you work for rupert murrdock, karl rove, the koch bros., grover norquist, americans for prosperity, the tea party, the heritage foundation, the cato institute, club for growth, the chamber of commerce, american legislation exchange council,glen beck, rush limbaugh,sean hannity, sara palin, faux news, milton freidman, richard devos,mission america, family research counsil, andrew breibert, focus on the family.........
 Any Congressperson--or candidate for President--who thinks a pledge to some policy wonk wannabe--is more important than their oath of office--shuld be tarred and feathered.
The GOP puppet master has spoken.
Dance, my little puppets, dance.
so holding up unemployment benifits to people that lost there jobs to Bush's finacial mess make extending them by Obama to save these people from complete finacial ruin makes them Obamas tax cuts. Sounds to me like without these tax cuts we would of still been spending down the debt like were when Clinton was in office instead putting into the deepest recession since the Great Depression this same Republican party caused. The people of the United States need to quit listening to the huge lies reapped upon them by the Republican/Tea parties and check out what they have really done to this country and enconomy.
The House Republicans have a golden opportunity to lay out exactly which spending cuts will help save the country from debt.
....Awfully quiet out there, isn't it?
And they're taking off this weekend for the beach. God forbid they should ever put the country first.
But then, they would have to explain _why— it's so necessary to cut food stamps, disaster relief, and Medicaid to send more money to rich people. Hasn't worked out that well for Rep. Ryan, has it?
I expect the people of Joplin wish someone would get down to business.
Hey, Spanky, hope your clients never find out just how much of their 'billable hours' has been spent here. Or they might decide they want a lawyer who actually works for them.
Spanky is not a lawyer, it is a lie and he knows it.
Ok. So we know Norquist isn't working for the American People, so who's paying Norquist's salary?
Just a few thoughts:
Congress passed a budget. The budget was unbalanced. They knew the budget would require an increase in the debt. Why get into all this now? Increase the debt ceiling as they were aware it would be required and then get back to the next budget and handle it at the appropriate time and level. Stop playing politics when our economy is at a severe risk NOW! Idiots!
While blogging my opinion on the internet, I am also writing and calling my congressperson and senators with my opinions. It may not change their votes or encourage them to negotiate but at least the effort has been made!
I do it too, sandy. I think my congressman deletes my emails when he sees my email address. But we have to make our voices heard. I tell everyone to do it.
To both sandy & lib 50 - DO NOT let your voices be silenced...
Keep on blogging & talking to anyone who will listen... there is TOO much at stake here!
Thank you for your voices & you BOTH earned my vote! ;o)
There can only be one "most important" priority.
Either it is doing what we need to do get the deficit under control - OR - keep the lower tax rates for the wealthy.
Once you decide which one of those you put in the top place you will know that the other one isn't as vital to you no matter what you really want to believe.
i think the republicans have shown us whats important to them , and it ain't the debt.
One of my patrons said he's leaving the state and moving to California because this state is full of "teabagging crazed nutjobs", his word not mine. I work in a environment that caters to the wealthy and another one of my patrons is a medical student and he's in his last year before he graduates; also leaving the state. And this student said he could not participate in my industry because half his financial support; in the form of loans are not there anymore. So, the republicans are truly working on their mission to deny the Affordable Healthcare plan the funding that is neccessary for it to be successful. Now I work for a non-profit and these two examples had strong history with my organization. So someone tell me what is the republican plan?
grover norquist and the republican plan.... "starve the beast till we can drown it in a bathtub"....30 years of this and reaganomics and i would say they have it in the tub with its head under water>
Anyone able to read and/or think is aware that the deficit began with the obscene tax relief for the wealthy by the 2001-2009 circus. Even Jesus(ever heard of Him, conservatives?) said "Render to Caesar"- and the wealthy have laughed as they got richer and the country I love, infested by fans of Ayn Rand and Reagan the mythical, has been systematically ruined. The jobs the tax relief was supposed to cause(and that Republicans ran on in 2010) haven't happened...and, funny thing, never happened when Reagan spoke the same lies, either.
Don't worry, the debt ceiling extension will fail, and the country's credit will be ----ed, as the people who pay Norquist have planned, causing the banks(the bad guys, who committed financial sodomy upon America in 2008, remember them?) to suddenly "have to" charge the government billions of dollars more to do the everyday business of running the country...and Norquist, McConnell, and Reprehensible Boner, with his ridiculous rotisserie-tan, will - like Steve"Did I do that?" Urkel, act all surprised - and blame it ALL on the president!
Good Luck!
Who elected Norquist to anything? Isn't he just another highly paid partisan hack who makes his living promoting a one-platform agenda that does little if anything to serve the nation's best interest? When the Bush tax-cuts were first implemented by Republicans, did they give a definitive date when they would expire? If so, they should keep their word.
Looks to me like Grover Norquist has perfected the art of blackmail........people used to go to jail for that.
If the GOP/TP pushes this extortion to the limit and the economy suffers even more there will not be enough places for them to hide........
So how's that deregulation, war, and trickle down workin' for ya?
Oh yeah, in 10 years we almost destroyed our economy and went from surpluses to record deficits.
Nothing like trying more of the lame same to shoot our general population in the foot some more. "Dance! I said dance, Dems!"
The Corporations are SITTING ON BILLIONS, and not creating jobs, while the Republicons spending (CUT JOBS) program holds us hostage until we all agree to CUT GOV. JOBS and cut granny's benefits until the American people are on their knees and the economy is bleeding out.
TRICKLE down is a FALLACY (look it up), and NOT a job-creator. The NASA jobs? Well, that's just the beginning as we slash education and more and begin our "race to the bottom."