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Subscribe to RSSWill President Obama and Congress agree on raising the debt ceiling? Candidates crisscross Iowa, and without Domenico, can Andy defuse an explosive situation?
The Week Ahead: Debt deadline goes down to the wire
Will President Obama and Congress agree on raising the debt ceiling? Candidates crisscross Iowa, and without Domenico, can Andy defuse an explosive situation?
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Well..well... this is a pleasant surprise! I haven't seen Domenico around this week and figured we'd have to go 'cold turkey' on no The Week Ahead!
If you thought this week was wild & crazy in DC - JUST wait until next week!
Unfortunately, I'm feeling less & less confident that our representatives will magically start to conduct themselves as adults and do what's right for the country!
Many thanks to our hosts/moderators for keeping FR thee BEST place on the web to play whack a troll! Lord knows it's quite the work out! lol
Okay, time to head over to the Dew Drop Inn - Navy I got some cold ones lined up here for you! ;o)
And of course I have some of Jody's special cranberry juice!
Me? I don't care what it is as long as it's COLD and STRONG!
Wow Obama could be the 1st President to preside over the US's 1st ever default. Historic. His poor leadership is going to be very costly for this country.... VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2012!
You're right UAW - President Obama is the first President in history that Congress has refused to raise the debt ceiling for...
Wonder WHY that is?
Nixon raised the debt ceiling 9 times for a total increase of 36%. Ford... 5 times for a total increase of 41%. Reagan... 18 times for a total increase of 199%. George H.W. Bush... 9 times for a total increase of 48%. George W. Bush... 7 times for a total increase of 90%. That was okay; they were white Republicans.
You RWNJ's amaze me, you really do...
Fiesty like I said before. Obama is no Nixon, Reagan, Ford or Bush 1 or 2. His poor leadership goes back to when he was 1st elected. He should have engaged someone becides Pelosi and Ried. We wouldnt have that ridiculous health bill that doesnt do any thing about healthcare costs and that ridiculous Frank/Dodd bill that just costs consumers more. Now a majority got elected with commonsense and he's struggling to deal with it. (until he leaves office in 2012)....
Nice job, Andy!!
Just keep telling yourself that UAW, fantasies are your specialty but that last remark is the best so far. You do realize that if all the Presidents you named had a Congress filled with Tea-publicans, they would have had the same problem. Fortunately for them, they had democrats and republicans who were NOT willing to drive the country off the cliff; they had legislators who actually UNDERSTOOD what the stakes were.
UAW Pleeeeeeeease
The Healthcare Reform Act the Democrats passed and President Obama signed lowers the federal deficit by $130 billion over the first ten years.
Oh, that's right, lowering the deficit is no longer the Republican's number one priority, now it's refusing to raise any tax revenues, even on oil companies and hedge fund managers. Hedge Fund Managers! Cue the sighs and murmurs of worship from the right-winger crowd. I think we know who their real number one priority is.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0318/Healthcare-reform-would-lower-deficit-by-130-billion-over-10-years
Amy did you fall on your head recently? You keep repeating the same info with IRA flat out proved via an very informative post, which you read, to be false. Not even Obama believes Obama care lowers anything.
So if not brain damage what?
You figures are grossly inaccurate and you continue to look complete ignorant.
Come on Amy you are better thatn this.
But yes, by all means lets specifically target certain segments of the population for "special" taxation. That must have been what the founders had in mind, right Amy.
Face it team Blue you all have lost, and lost badly. Man it has to be painful to watch Big Ed Schultz call out Obama.
Oh and Cenk Unger had a few choice words for the fellows over at MSNBC, eh? You bet he did.
"Wow Obama could be the 1st President to preside over the US's 1st ever default. Historic."
That is because he is the First and not the last Black President. Of course this possible default is due to the Racist Haft-Wit Tea Baggers who came along right when he was elected.
Jody, before Obama got elected we didnt need the Tea Party. Amy keep in mind the healthcare bill dumped those patients on the states to incur more costs. That is why the states are fighting it and looking for expemptions. I suppose you could argue that lowers the federal deficit. But, obamacare does nothing but increase healthcare costs....
Feisty and all, Will join all of you at the DDI. Gin and tonic with extra lime for me.
Funny line on the threads for me this week:
Spanky saying " I keeping telling Ms Spanky I am a people person."
Wish he would have posted her response!!
Job1, I don't think Obama's skin color has anything to do with his poor leadership. He's 1/2 white as well. I believe his social enviroments thru life and lack of experience is the biggest contributing factors to his poor ability to lead people with common sense....
Feisty:
Heading over to the DDI. I am going to put on "Cry me a River" I like the title. See ya in a bit.
Oh, brother, that's really grasping for straws UAW. All the spending by the GOP and George W. Bush and only when a democrat was elected President did we need a Tea Party. Sorry, UAW, you've been out in the heat too long. stts.
As for Spanky, he's full of himself. Have a good one anyway.
The President has shown GREAT leadership and that's why he will be re-elected. I guess these Republican_Tea Baggers can't stand it that we have a Black Man smarter than them.
Jody, The problem isnt that he is a Democrat. It's his rhetoric and anti-business policies that many people feel is stealing the future of many Americans. Seriously you can have healthcare, get an education, get a job, get a house, get a car, feed yourself w/o a government subsidy. Someone elses success is not what is causing the poverty lobby to fail.....
I'll drink to that! Best thing I ever did was put the little gnat on ignore...
Not having to wade thru his fertilizer makes FR a much more enjoyable experience! ;o)
Sure you did Feisty.
Oh and Northstar - I think you can guess what her response was. In fact she was mad that I even brought "her" up, which mad me laugh [which of course did not help] because the "her" was of course Ms. Spanky.
In fact she has been calling me Spanky for the last two days.
And for the record, and despite what anyone says [including Ms. Spanky]: I am a people person gosh darn it!
Plus I know Feisty loves me as much as I love her. :)
See youall next week. Regardless of sides, affiliations, or parties, it's getting curiouser and curiouser. And a heck of a lot of fun.
Thanks all.
Breaking News: President Obama to speak at any moment on debt talks...
Weeper Boehner has broken off negotiations...
Give them HELL Mr. President!
The Republicant’s failed to drive our economy off the cliff back in 2008, looks like their back
for another bite at the apple!
These right wing bastards are intent on taking our economy to the brink of the abyss…
Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over again while
expecting different results…
BTW – WHO the F%$# does Boehner think he is not answering the Presidents phone calls?
Traitorous creep!
A viable plan to raise the ceiling was presented, but shot down by the dems. The dems have absolutely no viable back up plan of their own.
So now they face the real possibility of no raise in the ceiling. We conservatives do not think there will be any default. So...
Guess we get to find out, for real. So what happens to Obama's credibility when there is no default?
He said he had to have the stimulus of unemployment would go above 8.5%. Wrong.
He said Obama Care would lower costs. Wrong.
He said Social Security was at risk is no raise in ceiling. Wrong.
Interesting times.
I think there will be a deal, it will suck for all, but heavily weighted in favor of those glorious 100 House freshman who came to change things up.
No more business as usual, causee it sucked.
Spanky, The" flatlanders" or freshman tea party folks don't think it is important to raise the debt ceiling.Let's default. They are crazy.
I know the ceiling will be raised some way, but can't believe the Republican's walked away from 4 to 1 cuts to revenue, over 400B in revenue that was still on the table.
By the way please listen to Obaoma speech. when he was talking about the tax code, I swear he gave you a shout out! Something about lawyers and the tax code.
Give my regards to Ms Spanky. Maybe you are a people person in training.
Need to go watch Lawrence ODonnell.
Anyone believe me now when I say "history will not look well upon this time when the Republican Party mainstreamed crazy"?
That's right, the crazy philosophy of extremist groups like the John Birch Society, once ostracized by intelligent Conservatives like Barry Goldwater and William F Buckley, now rule the GOP. They're plainly willing to crash the economy in pursuit of their twisted vision for the United States, a reality which up to this point has existed only in their paranoid imaginations.
I guess now there's really nothing to do but wait and see how bad the damage gets before the American people make enough noise to shut down the Conservatives. Time for a Hoegaarden.
So did Obama "Change the goal line", or is Boehner wrong? Here's a hint;
Obama said recently that they were negotiating $3 in budget cuts for every $1 of tax increases, but in Obama's press conference, he said that the latest 'deal' he was pushing was $1.65 Trillion in Budget cuts for $1.2 Trillion in new taxes. That's only $1.38 in cuts for every $1 in tax increases.
I have to believe Boehner on this, and it looks like Obama 'Speaks with a forked tongue'.
How can you 'negotiate' with someone that is not honest and keeps changing the rules.
PS - The Republicans have explained their plans to cut the Budget in detail, and have actually PASSED several bills to increase the debt limit, but we still have not seen a single written proposal from the Democrats, including Obama.
Why didn't the Republicans just pass a clean increase in the debt ceiling in the first place?
It's been done 74 times since JFK was President.
I think feisty redwig needs an intervention now! Both for her political and social drinking problems!
D@mn it’s hotter than two H$ll’s out. I mean fry an Egg on the sidewalk, 101 in the shade, Old Dog laying up under the porch Hot. No wonder everybody in Washington is kind of cranky.
Now Floyd and Betty are going to throw a “Melt and Run All Over Yourself” party down at the Dew Drop Inn. Since this is Floyd and Betty’s first wingding down at the Inn they’re going all out. We’ve invited all the best country cooks from all over the United States and two or three foreign countries and principalities.
We got Bar-b-Que experts from all over. Got North Carolina, Texas, Kansas City and Memphis style covered. Got as many different kinds of Chicken as there are chickens and even a little bit of ‘gator from down in Florida and Louisiana. My personal favorite is a rack of ribs with an apricot preserve rendition spread over it that came from somewhere. Take the Undertaker six months to wipe the smile off your face.
Now you may wonder how we’re going to keep all the Patron’s and beverages cool in all this heat. Well it seems that our friends Floyd and Betty have got you’ll covered. They have at great personal expense made arraignments for a Tugboat to pull an Iceberg right up to the front of the Inn. So you can not only sit on it and keep cool but you can just lean over and chip off a piece or two to keep your beverage chill. One word of caution you might want to pay attention to your state of dress or undress as your lounging. Wouldn’t want any frostbitten tookases now would we.
As always my thanks and appreciation to our hosts for their time, giving me a little place to stand, a subject to comment on, a forum to put it in, and their indulgence when I don’t quite get it right or get a little off subject. I purely do appreciate it. Hope you’ll have a fine weekend and good fun among folks that you know and love. To my fellow participants keep well, keep safe, and keep the faith. We’ll make it. See you’ll next week
Drive –By a little bit of “Summer In the City” by the Lovin Spoonful to start us off and follow that up with “When Your Hot Your Hot” by Mr. Jerry Reed if you please.
Floyd - Betty *hearts* you!
We sure do know how to put on a shin-dig now don't we? ;o)
Drive-by add - 'The Heat is On' by Glenn Fry will ya?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZ9WVBXBvw
Yes we do Betty. Drive-By while your at it a little "Heat Wave" by I believe Linda Ronstat.
I've got a very special request and dedication this week - to Clara, KCMO - the hostess with the absolute mostest - and to everyone else who contributed to the awesome goodie bags (I'm wearing the t-shirt today and mmmmm....popcorn!) - and especially to Clara's hubby for putting together the CD I've been playing all week of the Greatest Hits (Volume 1) of the Dew Drop Inn Jukebox. This one's for you, Clara and hubby!
(cue piano intro:)
"I'm nothing special....in fact, I'm a bit of a bore.
If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before....."
Yep, that's me, and I hereby admit it - I'm a big ABBA fan! But like the song goes on to say:
"Thank you for the music - the songs I'm singing;
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing.
Who could live without it?
I ask in all honesty - what would life be?
Without a song or a dance, what are we?
So I say thank you for the music.....for giving it to me."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4069PUk3aM0
Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks to Floyd and Betty for the Redneck Air Conditioning!
Don't forget Johnnie Cash's "Ring of Fire"...
http://www.youtube.com/artist/Johnny_Cash?feature=watch_video_title
Just for the record...
The high temperature yesterday in the tiny town of Hell, Michigan was 99 degrees.
So yes, those of you in the bulk of the country were truly..."Hotter than Hell"! ;-)
Good one Frank! I like a little heat humor.
JoAnne thought you'd like that Redneck A.C. Like its inventor a little rough around the edges but highly effective
IR, as always, great way to end the week! Good choices for the Juke Box, too.
Sounds like a great party Betty and Floyd are throwing. I'm headed over to the DDI to cool off on that iceberg.
It was 121 here Wednesday with the heat index. Knoxville, IA, had a record 131.
Have a great weekend everyone.
75 and pleasant here.
It's always been the best weather in the world. And now that we have a total collapse of the real estate market it's getting down right affordable.
But then again it is Cali, so we live in Greece. But what the heck, the surf is up. I looking to get in some body boarding tomorrow.
Oh and hey - do any of you Dew Droppers have any word on Bev.?
If she shows up let her know we all miss her. It just is not the same around here with out her.
ahh, Redneck, you are the best.
We called 'em swamp coolers down in Texas when I was growing up (Pre air conditioning). I was sick all the time and am now aware I am highly allergic to MOLD counts. Not to be too descriptive of what a swamp cooler is; but most will get the inflection.
JoAnne, just so you know I was PROPERLY inspired and the T-shirts and totes were provided by the gentleman that runs the Dew Drop. Feisty provided the Garretts (and yes it WAS YUM). Did anyone request Summer in the City, yet? Cuz' that's the one imma' go with today! My thermo on the car yesterday reached 114 degrees and I was driving in the shade. WTH? Also, Mr. Clara's name is Andrew.
Again, thanks to Mark, Dom and Ali for giving us the scoop and allowing us to pull up a little patch of space and make a neighborhood out of it. The heat has me cranky; but I'm feeling love even for the crotchety old coots yelling at us to not let the sprinkler get any water on their lawn!
I've got the Mich Ultra on ice and I'm getting ready to rock the lounge! Happy Weekend, everybody!
PS. Did Floyd and Betty ever see the photos I took? I'll put them up over the weekend.
Redneck, how's about a wet t-shirt contest? LOL
Ditto that GF! Thank GOD the A/C is working again...
I saw the Floyd & Betty photo's - I still have the originals which I'm having problems scanning... Those are PRICELESS! lmao
Did you say wet t-shirt contest? Remind me to tell you a story about Puerto Vallarta some time! ;o))
Oh IR....I'm there everything sounds delicious and the choice of music will be just right, if you can squeeze in a little Jimmy Buffett that would be the cherry on the icecream.
Thanks to our hosts, for keeping us up todate on all the happenings. Rest up good friends, next week will be a tad testy and not from the heat either although it wont help.
And UAW, you keep dreaming for the worst things to happen to our country, being careful what you dream about. Your teaparty buddies wouldn't know commonsense if they met it coming and going.
Have a good weekend all. Stay cool
Feisty, will you tell the story after the second drink? I am sure it is a good one. Been to PV many times.
Hey Floyd - me thinks someone @ Hardball might of been paying attention, they're using "Summer in the City' as the lead out promo! ;o)
Now Northstar, I too LOVE PV and have been there many many times... One night things got more out of control then usual at Senor Frog's... ;o)
During my 21 plus years in San Diego, spent a lot of time travelling south of the border. I've been to Puerto Vallarta as well. Fun place and the margaritas are excellent! San Felipe beaches as well, not the town just the beaches. Can't remember them all.
I used to love doing the exact same thing. Ensanada. Puerto Nuevo Lobster. Calafia - a great bar on the sea about 30 miles south of the border.
On Thanksgiving, when the kids were very young I took off in my 4x4 with some friends and drove all the way to La Paz. Surfed, fished and ate a lot of tacos on the beech drinking Coronas. Super fun. Ms. Spanky was none too pleased, but a truely fantastic experience.
These days it is way too dangerous to go down. Drug and human traffickers.
It's a super fun and pretty place, but no worth dying for.
I still go to Cancun every year - I love the all inclusive resorts. Best deals around. But the violence is creeping in there as well.
If you are tired of hot, come to Washington State. I think all the cool came here and all this talk of hot makes me jealous.
I'll contribute red raspberries and vanilla ice cream at the DDI. The berries are coming fast in this heat.
John B, One of my most favorite things: fresh homegrown raspberries!! Thing are really in high gear at DDI
It is so hot where I am I saw a tree whistle for a dog.
Forrest, Good to see you on the boards today. I thought maybe you were on vaction this week.
Love your wit!!
Thanks, I have been out of town, I'm back for a week, then off to Michigan next week to teach a class, I still got to hustle up a few bucks here and there when I can.
As I said on an earlier Thoughts and Prayers going out to our Norwegian Friends tonight. Fine peaceable folks and if you have something we can help you with you have but to ask. Until then simply Sympathies.
IR, My sentiments exactly.
Leave it to a sports writer to provide the most interesting insight into what's wrong with the debt ceiling debate...
Question: How are the NFL lockout talks like the national debt ceiling debate?
Answer: In both cases, the public is held hostage without really knowing why.
Who wants to cut entitlements and programs providing money to those who then spend it, the result being to effectively advocate cutting stimulus to the economy?
Who wants to protect Tax Cuts for the wealthy and concessions to major corporations, both who already have substantial income and spend what they want, thereby advocating cutting revenue without ever stimulating the economy?
Who has constantly blocked and faulted all efforts to solve problems, being totally focused only on their political ambitions and on serving Special Interests and the very few, while giving the majority only subterfuge to con and manipulate?
Who has ignored the plight of the majority, including the total middle class, and concentrated only on their own objectives?
Who under Bush-Cheney and ever since have concentrated on pushing, justifying and rationalizing the “trickle down” theory which has proven to be a total fraud in only making the wealthy wealthier and soliciting political support?
Who has designed, financed and used previous deceptions, like manipulating the Christian block, the Swift-boat propaganda and now the Tea Party extremes, to exploit emotions and sway voters?
Who has well financed and organized third party groups, like those run by Norquist, Cheney and Rove, just to buy, intimidate and squelch individual consciences of representatives?
Who has proven to be disgustingly stubborn and totally arrogant while consistently being irresponsible?
If we can objectively and rationally, honestly and impartially answer these questions, then we should have no trouble identifying where the problem is and who we should firmly and completely reject?
The question is, can we “objectively and rationally, honestly and impartially” be discerning? ... or are we taken in by the money and effort being aggressively spent to control public opinion and to con us?
And finally, who really is to blame if we can’t do this?
RGILES---I think I see where you're going with this. My answer to you is it's those Rat Bastard Republicans, that's who! If you vote for Republicans, you are either rich, Christian, dumb or maybe even all three.
Yep, those there are the only possible choices.
How very insightful Tom.
How blessed be those that are dumb yet rich. Or is it rich yet dumb.
Tom are you smarter than the rich dummies?
You one of them super smart porr folk? Sounds terrific.
Lucky.
Spanky-- Hi, I'm not like you. That I know.
There is no correlation to made between rich and smart, or poor and dumb, not even in a general way. Being born into a wealthy family makes you wealthy not smart, being born into a poor family makes you poor not stupid. Take some of these wealthy people and make them operate as a poor man without the benefit of the family fortune and connections and they would have wound up looking like a poor old dumb-ass. Take a poor man and given the benefit of family wealth and connections and many would wind up being rich and looking smart.
@Spanky A tip for developing your "people person" skills, do not tell or even imply to people that they are smart or dumb based on their net worth. That is total BS and you know that because even with your smarts and all your hard work to make it, a few bad breaks of one kind or another and you might still be a smart guy who hangs drywall to support himself. I think the old "accountant" Spanky, overpowered the new "people person" Spanky on that one. I will give you another people person insight, you may even be able to use this one to your advantage when plying your trade. I probably should charge a fee for this and I would be a little richer and appear a little smarter, and maybe then what I am about to say would be taken as truth and wisdom? No it will be free, and I won't be any richer, but it will still be truthful and wise. OK are you ready for this? This is really important to understand if you want to be a "people person".
People will often forget exactly what you said, but they never forget exactly how you made them feel.
If you work in a Massey Energy coal mine or in any environment where a manager can unnecessarily put lives at risk, and you can't resolve it with your people person skills, then kick the bastard in the shins.
Stop paying the senate and the congress first ...make sure they are not paid !
Anyone watching the President newest press conference? Next week will be brutal for sure.
Not very pretty. I hate to see desperation, its very unsettling to watch.
I am with you Tom Yreka. I have more news for the Republican's.........don't screw with the seniors.....they fooled some with the "death panel" crap but now we know they want to kill it totally.........we are 50 million voters who always vote, ALWAYS.
Yes Kathryn, that's why they're selectively targeting the ability to vote across the country.
How about we END the REPUBLICAN party INSTEAD of social security and medicare. Only a FEW would miss them.
Did anyone catch Meet The Press hosted by David Gregory, aka Tim Russert Light. Talk about throwing softball questions that do not reach the plate of the debate! Good God; Russert would have been into those guestslike it was the Spanish inquisition. The future of our country is at stake! Russert would have had them on the rack not a tanning bed.
Taxing the rich for their fair share to pay for the debacle; Senator Coburn made an unchallengedtalking points speech. We must remember; that asking the rich to pay more would include Gregory's bank account. It is now pretty clear where he stands on that issue. And then there was the freshman tea-party congressman, He talked about his grandiose willingness compromise by offering the unchallenged following; raising the debt ceiling was a concession to the Democrats. Excuse me for pointing this out; those payment obligations are the country's obligation to cover money already spent on Republican Party iniatives. Obama has spent money trying to recover from the results of those iniatives!
Gregory, aka Mr. Tim Russert light didn't believe this absolutely naieve position should be challenge at all! Tim Russert would have been on him so bad; that that freshman congressman would have needed month of Psychiatric counselling!
I've been saying it since Gregory took over the late great Tim Russert's seat;
GOTCHA GREGORY HAS GOT TO GO!
THE ENTIRE DEM ARGUMENT SOUNDS LIKE A REDICULOUS TALE OF IRRESPONSIBILITY...
kind of like your neighbors complainging about declining value of their homes.....
while you park a rusted 1979 Impala on the lawn....
you don't want to listen to their complaints because THEY HAVE A LAWN AND YOU DON'T...
those other guys should have to replace your lawn & provide free lawn service because they can afford it
"Yes" to, McManus and Feisty. This debate is now boiling down to what (who) will be cut. Ask the American People what they want to cut--and what they don't. Politicians are telling us we can afford to spend trillions on dubious military engagements and homeland security with the result being an inabiliity to support the infrastructure, healthcare, education, seniors and the poor in our own country. Americans are not pleased with how our politicians have allocated our wealth nor with policies that continue to redistibute wealth disproportionately to the top 10% while wages and jobs for the bottom 90% reflect real decline. We know what needs to be cut first (military, foreign aid, and political expenses would be a good starting point) , we know contributions by the wealthiest need to be increased by various measures, and we need trade reform.