Dumb RepubliCONS Flourishing Anti-Intellectualism

OWS is under attack and critism. Over @ the "Fear Factor Channel" aka Fox Noise is posing questions (truthfully speaking Fox rhectoric) about human chains clashing with police suggests violence. If it occurs would the party that supports it (read democrat) be responsible. Hint: President Obama and VP Joe Biden have expressed understanding of the movement that has spread rapidly across this country. Then the trio of pantomimes on the curvy coach asked should the protesters be in front of WH? Duh, the question shouldn't be--if the party that supports the OWS be responsible.

It should be... shouldn't the protesters "Press On" at the Kochs and Murdoch or other Wall Street CEOs since they caused/are causing the melt down?

How many CEOs have been arrested for bringing down the economy?

But, Fox is ignorant of facts. Unfortunately, for the idiots at FOX the CLEAN UP has been cancelled. Now the deuce and monkey girl are perplexed at how to promote more stupid questions.
Here are the top six banks and their total assets:

1. Bank of America Corp., $2.264 trillion
2. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., $2.246 trillion
3. Citigroup Inc., $1.957 trillion
4. Wells Fargo & Co., $1.260 trillion
5. Goldman Sachs Group Inc., $937 billion
6. Morgan Stanley, $831 billion

Together, the top six companies’ assets were $9.495 trillion.

http://www.ffiec.gov/nicpubweb/nicweb/Top50Form.aspx

999 MEANS CALL 911.

OBAMA/BIDEN 2012

"Don't just do something, stand there."

That's a line from a recent E.J. Dionne column, intended to demean and denigrate the Republican response to the policy prescriptions advanced by Obama and his Democratic buds. It's a cute variation of the 'party of no' nonsense that was designed specifically to appeal to the low information dolts who don't have the capacity to grasp the flaws embedded in the left's love affair with activist big government. Too bad E.J. is so blinded by his own biases that he can't write about the legitimate differences between the parties without resorting to tossing out some red meat for his uber-liberal audience to chomp on. Kind of reminds me of the leftist loons around here who couldn't take an objective look at an issue if their life depended on it.

But such is the state of political communications these days – especially when the policies of the party in power have failed so miserably for all the world to see. When saddled with a record of failure, their best defense is to go on offense and try to convince the great unwashed that the demonstrated incompetence of the current regime is actually the lesser of two evils. Then reinforce this notion by using divisive class warfare rhetoric that implies the gravy train ride will be coming to an end if Republicans come to power in 2012. Because if there's anything that will energize the dependency class the Dems rely on for votes, it's the prospect of a reduction in their gravy rations.

Yet that strategy too is doomed to failure because it ignores the depth and breadth of disgust throughout the land with Democratic governance – a disgust that has only grown stronger since the broad repudiation of 2010. The fervent opposition to an overindulgent left that would blithely spend us into oblivion has not gone away. Few have forgotten the Obama legacy of a failed stimulus program, an expensive new health care entitlement forced on us at a time we can least afford it, pursuit of overly aggressive regulatory policies that impede economic growth, and the largest budget deficits in American history as far as the eye can see.

Heck, with "accomplishments" like that on the Obama record, maybe just standing there would have been the more prudent course.

Speaking of hitting a nerve...

Anyone one know if the overly emotional, glow in the dark Weeper of the House attended the State Dinner last night?

Or did he have a more pressing engagement with his favorite bar stool instead?

Great way to end the week, Backhouse. 281 days and the GOP House has yet to discuss a jobs plan. They break their 2010 election promises every day they spend on anti-abortion, on destroying the US Post Office, on Voter ID, etc.

It’s time to Wake Up America and realize that the Occupy Wall Street is a vile and soon to be violent movement that has its birth roots from Barack Insane Obama.

“An Occupy Los Angeles protester has been caught on camera telling fellow demonstrators that nonviolence is a dead end. He calls Gandhi a "tumor" who created an Indian society in which 600 million people live in "maximum poverty." Instead, he says, Occupy Wall Street should use the bloody French Revolution as its model. (See the video below.) "The bourgeoisie won't go without violent means. Revolution!" the unidentified man says. "Long live revolution! Long live socialism!" His comments are met by a smattering of applause from the surrounding crowd. Is this just one guy's random rant, or is Occupy Wall Street turning dangerous?

The reaction: Leftist uprisings start with talk of justice, says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, "but always end up demanding redistribution — and the guillotine." Note to the journalists who painted the Tea Party as violent: I've never seen a Tea Party speaker advocate the "bloody" overthrow of America, as this guy does. This Marxist "clown" certainly isn't the first Occupier to call for destruction, says Susan Duclos at Wake Up America. President Obama wanted a class war to distract from his "dismal record," and he got one. Hold on, says Katty Kay at BBC News. Occupy Wall Street may be fueled by the same frustration that has people throwing stones in Athens, but "the most extraordinary thing about the U.S. protests so far" is not the level of anger — it's "that they have been so mild." Watch the un-Gandhi-like speech, and judge for yourself:”

http://theweek.com/article/index/220263/occupy-wall-street-turning-violent

“In a speech made on June 29, 2011, Obama made a deliberate political calculation to distract from his dismal record, high unemployment and stalled economy by stoking and inciting a class war.

Over 1,000 arrests later, tales of protesters defecating on police cars, living in filth, selling drugs and allowing fugitives of the law to hide among the Occupiers, death threats against the wealthy sent to New York Assembly members via email and an analysis by Occupy Threat Center finding significant increases in Occupy supporters and activists promoting physical destruction and violent action and direct and specific threats from Occupy "hacktivist" groups against specific financial and law enforcement targets”.

http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-has-obama-done-occupier-urges.html

Vincent Schiavone, founder and chairman of ListenLogic, a company that gives corporate clients advance warning of cyber attacks and of other threats circulating on the Internet, says the increase of violent threats is "alarming."

He continues on to say that "there's an increase in 'let's kill' them. We see 'eat the rich,' 'kill the wealthy.' There are images circulating of senior executives being decapitated, images of blood. Artists are releasing images of banks on fire."

“Note to Obama and Democratic lawmakers: You cannot "harness" this type of anger but you have publicly embraced it, and many of us warned you it would spiral out of control. It is getting ugly now and you have nobody to blame but yourselves and Barack Obama for making a political calculation to distract from his failures and dwindling poll numbers by inciting this class war.”

great post

How about the Grand Poobah of all things right wing coming out and publicly stating; Romney is NOT a conservative?

"Romney is not a conservative," said Limbaugh (as pointed out by RealClearPolitics). He continued, "he's not, folks. But you can argue with me all day long on that, but he isn't." Limbaugh went on to explain that "what [Romney] has going for him is that he's not Obama," and that the former Massachusetts governor is a "seasoned" debater

Any bets on how long it is before Rush goes off the rails and claims Willard is not a Christian? 3...2...1...

*popcorns* done!

A real life story illustrating the stupidity of Barry, St. Warren of the Left and the OWS clowns:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.

Thus goes a typical day for Conservatives, in which label fiction as "a real life story." That goes a long way toward explaining why the entire history of Conservative economic policy is failure.

Meanwhile Rick Perry is hitting the morning talk show circuit promoting immediate resource extraction on EVERY INCH OF FEDERAL SOIL including National Parks, monuments, and wildlife refuges. Whatever the wealthy elites need or desire, their wish is command to the GOPTP.

Great post Backhouse. The Republicans in the House yesterday had a choice to make and it speaks volumes: put all their efforts towards a jobs bill or try to put further restrictions on a woman's right to choose in an effort that would never be passed in the Senate and has been promised a veto if somehow it did. I guess they told us what is their priority.

Speaker Boehner: House Will Keep Passing Jobs Bills Supported by Both Parties

http://www.speaker.gov/blog/

Posted by Don Seymour on October 13, 2011

Here are your jobs bills from the House. Quit telling lies that there haven't been any.

At his weekly press conference, Speaker Boehner highlighted several jobs bills included in the Republican Plan for America's Job Creators that have passed the House with bipartisan support. Boehner also said the House will continue moving jobs bills supported by both parties, including a bill "making permanent the 3 percent withholding provision from the president's jobs plan." Watch him here and find excerpts from Boehner's opening remarks below:

ON HOUSE-PASSED JOBS BILLS AIMED AT "CREATING A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR JOB CREATION":

"Republicans remain squarely focused on jobs, and once again this week we've passed several bills aimed at creating a better environment for job creation and putting Americans back to work. Despite long delays, the House and Senate yesterday approved three trade free agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Those measures are now ready for the president's signature. The House has passed numerous bills to stop excessive regulations that are threatening the creation of jobs, and two more of those bills will be passed this week. We have also passed several bills to increase American energy production to create jobs and to lower American energy costs. And Dave Camp and the members of the Ways and Means Committee are working on a bill to reform the tax code that will lower rates for individuals and corporations, while broadening the base and closing loopholes."

ON THE REPUBLICAN JOBS PLAN: THE PLAN FOR AMERICA'S JOB CREATORS:

"We're doing all of these things because we said we would. They are all part of our plan for America's job creators, a plan that we outlined in May. And we worked on many of these bills before we actually put the plan together. But our real focus since May is on getting the American people back to work and creating a better environment for job creation in our country. It is a serious plan. Some of the ideas have bipartisan support, and we've made it clear for months that we are willing to sit down and work with the president on many of these ideas."

ON THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S FAILURE TO KEEP THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BELOW EIGHT PERCENT AS PROMISED:

"The president has taken a different approach. As one of the Washington newspapers reported yesterday, getting his jobs bill passed in Congress, quote, was never really part of the plan for the White House. It was about politics. Well, the president yesterday said he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Listen, the president's first stimulus bill failed to keep unemployment below eight percent, as he argued. Nearly 3 years later, with 9.1 percent unemployment, the president really has shown that he doesn't understand how private sector job growth really happens. Listen, I've run a small business. I know how to create jobs. I've met a payroll. And the fact is the president's plan, in our view, will not work as he's laid it out there."

ON CHALLENGING THE PRESIDENT TO WORK WITH REPUBLICANS, FIND COMMON GROUND ON REMOVING BARRIERS TO JOB GROWTH:

"So I would tell the president and challenge the president: Take 'yes' for an answer. Listen, a month ago Republicans outlined areas where we thought we could find common ground. While a bipartisan majority in the Senate opposed his plan to raise taxes on American job creators, we can find common ground on the barriers to job creation in our country. We passed the trade agreements this week, and the House will soon take another step by making permanent the 3 percent withholding provision from the president's jobs plan. We've offered to work with him to help small businesses to provide tax relief and improve and repair our infrastructure. Listen, the American families and small businesses are still asking the question: Where are the jobs? We've extended our hand and offered to work with the president, but the president has chose to campaign instead of govern. I think it's time for the White House to stop the campaigning, start listening, and working with the bipartisan Members of Congress to do what the American people expect of us: Find common ground and move ahead."

Republicans want "NO" Wall Street whatsoever. The reduduncy they pulled yesterday masqueradered as a JOB plan is a testment to theier ignorance. It's the same exact thing that has brough the 99% of American into stagnation. The cretins in the republican/ tea bagger actuall stood on the floor of the House. Republican/Tea Party claiming their J-O-B s plan would create 5 million jobs over time.

Haahaa, I'll bet. Have scored by the CBO.

Iran

Republican/Tea baggers are beating the war drums again instead of sanctions. Do these dummies know the appeite in America is Jobs; not war?

Top North Carolina Republican: We Must ‘Divide And Conquer’ Welfare Recipients, Deny Assistance To Single Moms

North Carolina state House Speaker Thom Tillis (R) extolled the virtues of drug testing low-income people who need welfare benefits, declaring that they need to be “conquer[ed]”
He even suggested drug-testing the more than 450,000 unemployed before they receive unemployment benefits. “All of this is about running [government] more efficiently and getting money to people most deserving.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/13/342949/nc-republican-divide-conquer-welfar/
======================================================================
I nearly fell out of my chair when I read this. Any one reading it will recognize it as Dog Whistel to claim Blacks are using too much of the governmrnt teat. First of all, the House Speaker needs to get over it. Abraham Lincoln settled the "divide and conquer issue.
Congress should get some drug testing too to see just how many are on pysctrohic drugs and are fit to stand in Congresss.
Floride

A Florida county commission to stop adding fluoride to its public drinking water has revealed just how dumb and anti-intellectual the Tea Party is. Fluoride advocates, including the American Dental Association, insist the practice reduces cavities, especially among poorer residents who can't afford dental care. But, do the baggers care. It's all about government take-over in theier eyes.

Stay full of holes republicons

Ray --

The best thing about OWS is that it shows the hypocrisy of the TPGOP -- that "grass roots movements" (if we even buy into the somewhat specious idea that the TP was grass roots in the first place) are only valid on the right and not the left.

The ironic thing is that a lot of what OWS is about should appeal to the TP because it is in their economic best interest, but they are so blinded by hatred of the President and anything to the left of center-right that they can't see their own best solutions.

President Obama, please VETO any Bill that comes across your desk that infringes on the rights and health of this Nations women. We must put an end to these ignorant Republicans and their Draconian ideas.

Vote all the rascals out in 2012.

Obama in 2012.

Ray, the republicans love people like you. btw, did you see the latest scam going on with Goldman Sachs?

Goldman Backed For Profit Colleges Earn Billions Making Dubious Promises - A Predatory Pursuit of Students and Revenues.

They going right at our students. This is today's America. Anything for a profit. Anything. Including scamming our students.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/14/goldman-sachs-for-profit-college_n_997409.html

What are you going to do about it? Stand up against the scams?

Or, like all other cowards, are you going to just blame the protestors and expect them to put up with this? People aren't as willing as you are Ray to put up with the dishonesty in Corporate America.

_______________________

The Obama Diary:

As Adam Sorensen (Time) put it: ” ….. The precise breakdown for the third quarter won’t be available for another few days, but there’s enough out there to tell us that the small-dollar donors have not, in fact, been “Slow to Return to the Obama Fold.” According to the Obama campaign, some 600,000 people gave to the cause during this last reporting period at an average of $56 per donation. In the prior quarter, there were around 550,000 donors giving an average of $69. When the campaign filed with FEC, that worked out to be $22 million given in increments of $200 or less, almost half of the total haul.

Some context is in order. Consider this: Mitt Romney, the GOP’s fundraising juggernaut, claimed just 6% of his second-quarter intake from small-dollar donors. And during his groundswell campaign in 2007, then Senator Obama made headlines by drawing a little less than a third of his $33 million second-quarter haul from donations less than $200. Now Obama’s up around 50%.”

Just read the article on the front page of MSNBC on the floods in Thailand. If ever there were an example of the Repbulican/Libertarian philosophy in practice, it's the lack of regulation, planning and respect for the environment that has led to massive flooding in that country.

Folks that could be US! If we elect the "drill baby drill" crowd and the "no regulation crowd" to public office, the calamity you see happening in Thailand, where they poo-poohed environmental warnings much like the American right-wing poo-poohs any concern for the environment, the United States would be cutting it's own throat.

Backhouse, Good morning, Excellent post and well timed.

I find it telling that not one independent thinker has commented on this poor 'performance'. It has been mentioned in passing, as if it is the most normal happening in the delusional world of Washington .

For these so called fiscal conservatives who are forever decrying about 'big' government, none has anything to say about the waste of taxpayers money spent on these good for nothing clowns in Congress. Wouldn't an unemployed citizen or two like to have their jobs and all its perks?

The plan to work 2 weeks and then take a week off, is just an excuse not to work on legislation and gets them off the hot seat of having to answer why they are not producing any legislation to help the American jobless.

It is all part of the plan to destroy the middle class, and no one challenged them on that. No one, none, nada.

@Pat -- Yes I see Goldman Sachs -- It's not any surprise since it is closely entwined with the Obama Administration.

http://my.firedoglake.com/fflambeau/2010/04/27/a-list-of-goldman-sachs-people-in-the-obama-government-names-attached-to-the-giant-squids-tentacles/

A List of Goldman Sachs People in the Obama Government: Names Attached to the Giant Squid’s Tentacles

By: fflambeau Tuesday April 27, 2010 1:03 am

Tweet108

At a time when Congressional hearings are set to call testimony from some Goldman Sachs employees, it is vital to understand how widespread that institution’s ties are to the Obama administration. This diary shows the pervasive influence of Goldman Sachs and Goldman created institutions (like the Hamilton Project embedded in the Brookings Institution), employees and influence peddlers in the Obama administration.

While many of the people listed below formerly worked for Goldman Sachs or its offshoots (like the Hamilton Project, including all three of that project’s first Directors) influence can be exerted not only through people but through money, awards, sponsored scholarship, and creation of an agenda favorable to Goldman Sachs (which is where Brookings and the Hamilton Project come in and have proved especially useful to Goldman Sachs).

It is further of note that although Goldman Sachs has been the center of attention especially since Matt Taibbi’s insightful investigative journalism, that I have not been able to find a comprehensive list of the influence of Goldman Sachs in this administration. Recently in the New York Post, for instance, Michelle Malkin wrote a good article called "All the President’s Goldman Men" but she only listed the usual suspects like Larry Summers, Timothy Geithner, Rahm Emanuel, Gary Gensler and Mark Patterson.

But that’s just the tip of the Goldman Sachs iceberg. Here you will find, I believe, the most comprehensive list of people-groups yet available to show how Obama’s administration has really become the Goldman Sachs administration. But I need your help. I suspect there are far more people out there with such ties that I have missed even though I have spent lots of time researching this issue. If you know of other people who should be on this list, please help out and give the details in a comment to this diary.

One further caveat. The Obama administration is not the first administration that Goldman has infiltrated, although it is perhaps the one that has been most completely co-opted from top to bottom. Recall that former Secretary of the Treasury Paulson in the George W. Bush era came from–Goldman Sachs where he was its chief. Recall too that the brilliant, late economist John K. Galbreath has written an entire chapter of a book devoted to the Great Depression and the economic collapse of Wall St. that accompanied it to the role of Goldman Sachs.

Bev+++ , Gingerbread M,

Great points!

Add to the list, anti-science, anti-education, (anti-women, anti-healthcare).

They want pawns not questioners.

Let's give Obama -- "FORE MORE YEARS" and plenty of time to do it. Vote Republican in 2012!!!!!

Then he'll also have time to drink more beer with convicted felons.

Only 20 more legislative days to take up the Jobs Bill.

Having finished naming all the Post Offices as possible - they've moved on to waging war on women...

What makes your post so great Backhouse is it's 100% accurate! ;o)

@Feisty -- a 100 percent accurate to only those with the minds of a two-year-old. LOL

Ray, Goldman Sachs ALSO donated campaign money to John McCain. It is a known fact that big business hedges their bets on elections. Ignorance is bliss, I guess, and it is also blind to truth.

@Jody -- donations are one thing but administration infiltration is another. Apples & Oranges -- but you already knew that. Next subject.

Oh just in case you don't understand. From CNN:

According to Federal Election Commission figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, Goldman Sachs' political action committee and individual contributors who listed the company as their employer donated $994,795 during 2007 and 2008 to Obama's presidential campaign, the second-highest contribution from a company PAC and company employees.

Goldman Sachs contributions to the Obama campaign were more than four times larger than the $230,095 in donations to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign.

Now that Harrisburg filed for bankruptcy will you Lefites STOP with the class warfare and AGREE to CUT SPENDING?

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/14/8306663-bankruptcy-may-just-be-the-start-of-harrisburgs-headaches

Beverly, you do understand what an asset is right? So if Banks have the assets you described, those assets are in the form of loans they have made to businessess, corporations, individuals etc. Those assets are offset by liabilities they owe to all of us when we deposit money in our savings account or checking account. Did you think they have cash just sitting around that matches those assets you mention for you to plunder? In addition all of those banks you mention are public so when you want to take their assets which are loans and use it or tax it, you do realize that you are going to reduce the bank's overall value right? When you do that you do realize that you are reducing an asset that is owned by private and government union pension plans right? Also owned by endowments that help fund your kids college education or in 401(k) accounts that help fund middle class retirements. So what point are you trying to make about those assets?

Too funny. The jobs bill proposed by the President is viewed as a 'political stunt' by the right, but what do they say about the 'fake' jobs bill being floated by the House???

That's right- *crickets*.

@Kirk -- The left just doesn't care about the middle class working folks. It's plain and simple. They get off trying to attack the very source of the middle class's bread and butter. Pathetic.

Ray is talking out of his hat as usual. Ex-Goldman Sachs employees have been in every administration for a very long time. From 2006;

When US President George W. Bush stepped forward to announce his new treasury secretary on May 30, a few Goldman Sachs friends likely knew Henry Paulson had the job.

Paulson was not the first Goldman executive to join the Bush administration from the 137-year-old investment bank described by the president as one of America's "most respected firms".

In fact, he was following in the well-heeled footsteps of three other former Goldman alumni who answered Bush's call, although Stephen Friedman who briefly headed the White House National Economic Council, has since returned to "the firm" as it is known on Wall Street.

Aside from running a billion-dollar bank, it is also likely that Paulson's political donations of tens of thousands of dollars to Republican senators added to his luster.

The "revolving door" between the corporate world and government is nothing new, but Goldman leads the way by far in terms of its managers infiltrating the White House and other top government posts.

"It appears to be, for whatever reason, that Goldman Sachs sometimes has a disproportionate share of former employees in and out of government at any one time," said former White House spokesman Trent Duffy, who observed personnel decisions.

"Some companies are more welcoming of government officials and maybe that's how Goldman has been a little more successful in putting its people in there," Duffy said.

Others said Goldman's blue-chip reputation also helps.

"There is a bias in favor of people who have risen to the top at places like Goldman because it is seen as giving that person more to offer in that type of post, like the treasury," said Beth Young, an analyst at The Corporate Library, an independent corporate governance consultancy.

Young said Goldman benefits when executives return to the firm, as they would be expected to bring back a BlackBerry bursting with influential contacts.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0820-06.htm

This only highlights why OWS isn't a Left v Right issue...it's a big v small or Wall Street v Main Street issue. Right now Wall Street is winning their war on the middle class. Republicans are the primary warriors, but Wall Street has worked hard to by complacency from Democrats as well. This needs to change.

FR:I don’t worry too much about polls,” adding that he’s more worried about people who don’t have jobs.

What about all those people with insurance; especially the little children?

Gov. Perry the Killer- in- Chief- is so lost in his lies

Have you noticed or maybe MSNBC is interviewing and showing the wrong people, but all the OWS protestors are white. Does that mean they are racist? Wasnt that a charge thrown out about the Tea Party?

Correction:

What about all those people WITHOUT insurance; especially the little children in Gov. Perry the Killer- in- Chief's state?

Ray-4054460

@Feisty -- a 100 percent accurate to only those with the minds of a two-year-old. LOL

Ray you have a problem with lots of numbers regarding President Obama

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You have ODS (Obama Derangement Syndrome)!!!

Get well kid.

John B, thanks for adding more specifics to my brief comment.

Ray, what do you think "hedge their bets" means. Business almost always gives the bulk of their campaign contributions to the party they think is most likely to win. Did it ever occur to you that Goldman Sachs and others like it felt that John McCain was completely inept when it came to economics? I doubt it. You provide facts but twist them to suit your narrative. Have a nice weekend.

Jody,

Somehow by some dastardly leap, those fighting for jobs for ordinary Americans, standing up for the environment, the less fortunate, fighting for the 99% = being the great unwashed looking for a handout.

And a slew of other names while they change the subject.

Once upon a time, there really were "good" Republicans.

Today, however, it seems that ancient race of giants has died out. What passes for "Republicans" now has not a single trace element of the party's forebears in its constitution.

The Republican Party is dead. The claque that now claims that name somewhat resembles the barbarian Goths who destroyed Rome in 476 CE, then set themselves up as "Romans." Their objective now is to tear down, as those ancient barbarians did, feed off the ruins, loot the treasuries, enslave the people, and devolve into a collation of feuding baronies.

For that is the end-game of the Tea Party ideology.

After the Civil War, it was Republicans who carried forward the martyred Lincoln's plans to assist newly-freed Blacks. It was Republicans who sustained the Freedmen's Bank system that enabled former slaves to own a farm, start a business, get an education (at least, until the end of Reconstruction in 1877).

In the latter years of the 19th century, it was Republicans who managed at last to harness the political patronage system, instituting a merit-based Civil Service to clear away so much corruption and begin to instill in the national character the principle of honest public service as the very minimum standard of behavior.

At the same time, it was Republicans who finally rationalized the hodge-podge banking system and at last firmly established a single national currency. It was Republicans, then, who developed the public health system, began to set standards for food and drug safety, organized a means of encouraging but also regulating immigration, and generally set up a nationwide network of public schools providing universal education to America's children.

When flood and disaster stretched its skeletal fingers across the nation's midsection, Republican Herbert Hoover, fresh from the relief campaigns of war-torn Europe, led a heroic effort to save the drowning, feed the hungry, house and clothe the naked homeless.

As the nation's interior began to fill, and the industrialists cast greedy eyes upon massive reaches of primordial forest, northern barrens rumored to hide mineral riches, and pristine lakes or rivers suited for disposing of factory wastes, Republican President Theodore Roosevelt saved magnificent wilderness regions by creating the national park system.

To a great extent, the old Republican Party laid the foundations for a modern America. We, their heirs, owe a duty to be "conservative" in protecting and extending their good works.

The barbarians who have killed off the old Republican Party are not "conservatives." They are not protecting and preserving the good. They aim to tear down, sell off, give away, and hoard the remaining scraps.

Sound the dirge. Cry out the lament. tTe Republican party is dead.

And then ring the tocsin! There are barbarians at the gates, smoothly lying, waiting to sack the country!

@Jody -- No, I believe the garbage the left spews here is that the donations go to the ones where they can have the most influence. Obviously, Goldman Sachs has the Obama Administration on puppet strings.

@John -- Obama/Biden Lied -- The Democrat Party Died.

P.S. -- Have a link for your history lesson? You left out that Republicans are the reason for the Civil Rights Act.

I don't know nor care how many arrests were made during TP situations.

There is a difference. The OWS has been going on for a month. You are bound to see arrests. The TP were bused in by corporate America for an afternoon.

What a pity that there are still those in this country who refuse to open their eyes to what is happening in this country.

History just keeps on repeating itself. Pathetic.

What a pathetic appeaser and excuse maker.

"I am the 53%."

Joe in Albany -- You said:

In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Well good luck finding a Country with a healthy economy! LOL But I know the cheap asses (not to mention anti-American) that chose to leave will make sure it's a Country that provides healthcare to everyone. Anything to save a buck right Joe.

And as for your silly fairy tale example let me assure you the average American has more class than to go out when they don't have the money. Instead they throw a party and invite all their friends over including their rich friends. They provide good food, a variety of drinks, great music, and a warm inclusive environment where all feel welcome. And they certainly don't charge admission or blink over the cost of friendship. Your guys would rather stand and argue over a buck.

Kirk-2957282

Beverly, you do understand what an asset is right? So if Banks have the assets you described, those assets are in the form of loans they have made to businessess, corporations, individuals etc. Those assets are offset by liabilities they owe to all of us when we deposit money in our savings account or checking account. Did you think they have cash just sitting around that matches those assets you mention for you to plunder?

Kirk you mean like they plundered mortgages, fees, and stop leanding loans while their CEOs took home big bonuses and those that got fired got golden parachutes? In fact, enough to take of several protestor

Do you really believe that if 100% of your political party's platform was enacted without any input from the other side, that we'd have a happier society, or a more prosperous one?

Pat -- Great post on the for-profit industry masquerading as educational institutions.

Ray -- If you ever toned it down just a notch I might argue with you! : )

Fiesty -- You said:

Why the omission of Perry on the Today Show claiming he would open the National Parks to gas & oil drilling within 90 days guys?

Thank you for pointing this out.

I walked through our local OWS yesterday. OH My!

If that's your gang, and you all support them, you can have them.

Looked exactly like a Rasta Concert.

I love Jesse jackson Jr.'s idea - just employ all the unemployed, at $40k per year. BRILLIANT.

Man, that guy actually appears to be dumber than his old man.

I wonder if Jr. has any love children running around.

.

Beverly, what has that got anything to do with your original post? So banks charge fees I dont understand what your point is on that? Isnt the whole point of a bank and there are tons of competition so your always free to get up and use a different one, is to make money? Do you think you get the benefit of their services for free? As for mortgages, how did they plunder mortgages? I am not sure I get your point on that one but if your talking about the fact that they put their business model at risk by reducing their underwriting criteria to provide mortgages to people who couldnt afford them, yes they are guilty and high risk loans were clearly a big mistake on their part. Are you trying to get me to defend large severance payments like Fannie made to Franklin Raines for their plunder, I wont do it. I agree with you that incompetent behavior shouldnt be rewarded but nothing you said had anything to do with your original post. What was the point to your post illustrating the bank's assets?

So we've got the list du jour:

"clowns, gargage spewing, ugly, vile, pathetic" etcetera today from Mr. Ray himself.

He calls OWS names and that is supposed to end it.

What was truly "ugly" Ray were the Tea Party town halls. Where I live, we had the gun meisters standing around with their put-up-or-shut-up at anyone who opposed.

Here is another word, "anti-democratic".

Well good luck finding a Country with a healthy economy!

____________________

Australia's doing fine right now and has a bright economic future because it's mainly a natural resource based economy selling to all the emerging market countries. and I love the Aussie accent. Especially the way Karen Tso, who is from Sydney, says "Persaint" (percent) on CNBC World's Asia Squawk Box 6:00 pm edt. And Mandy Drury on CNBC US is another beautiful Aussie. From a March 2010 article:

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd once described Australia to be a nation whose origins lie firmly in the west, “but whose geo-political and geo-economic circumstances are shaped in large part by our location in the east… this is the inescapable expression of the Australian condition.”

Today, Australia’s economy has truly reflected this “condition”. Prior to the 1970s much of Australia’s trade was held with the European and North American markets. During this period, Australia was also considered as a relatively closed and protectionist economy. However, as key economic reforms were gradually being introduced by the Australian government, the Australian economy also started to turn their attention away from trade with the Western markets to trade within the Asia Pacific region.

This shift has turned Australia into one of the fastest growing advanced economies in the world. Australia is the 13^th largest economy in the world according to nominal GDP (current prices) and the 17^th largest according to GDP (PPP).

The bank fees recently imposed are the direct result of small business asking for relief from what the banks were charging them to accept their cards. They lobbied for change they got it and the banks felt it necessary to not only recoup their loss of profit but doubled down in their greediness and moved the cost to the consumer. Thus, many consumers have chosen to move their business to friendlier and less costly places of business.

LOL Joe...Took you a while but if Australia suits you have fun! ; ) Maybe you'll invite your friends to visit.....so maybe I should quit picking on you.....Not! too fun!!!!

Spanky-

I walked through our local OWS yesterday. OH My!

If that's your gang, and you all support them, you can have them.

Looked exactly like a Rasta Concert.

What's the matter Spanky couldn't find a Jamaican queen? Let me guess they ignored you.

Next time you drop this line; it might help you in your foray.

You're a Jamaican queen
I'm an American king

Everyone knows that is what is in your huge, egotistical, head. You think you are a king.

Slow wind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rt3Hikejsc

What do you think of the millionaires in NY like Russel Simmons whose worth half a billion offering to pay for the clean up? they were other millionaires there too.

I love Jesse jackson Jr.'s idea - just employ all the unemployed, at $40k per year. BRILLIANT.

Man, that guy actually appears to be dumber than his old man.

I wonder if Jr. has any love children running around.

Spanky

What business is it of yours?

The more Ray W gets debunked, the angrier he gets. Bush lied. Cheney lied. The GOP lies everytime they claim to be fiscally responsible. The facts prove they wouldn't know fiscally responsible from a hole in the ground and it all began with Reagan. You've been duped, Ray, duped into believing the GOP really watches out for you; duped into believing that people protesting unfairness means they are evil and to be feared.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/14/house-panel-looks-at-solyndra-loan-restructuring/

Please explain how Obama's favorite Solar Company got loans that stipulated that Solyndra's private investors received money ahead of tax payers should the company go bankrupt.

Treasury says this is a first. I am stunned even for the Democrats.

I wonder how much of the money came back to Obama in the form of political donations? Makes me wonder just how much of the nearly $5 billion in solar company loans on the last day of the program will come back to Obama in the form of donations.

Gun running, crooked loans....just what is beneath the Democrats?

For many, many years the banking system worked on a pretty basic model. You put money in the bank. The bank loaned that money to others, collected interest, and paid you a piece of that return for making their business possible.

Now you deposit your money in the bank. Unless you constantly maintain an extremely high balance you get no interest, they keep all that. Then they pile on rapidly increasing fee schedules so they make money WITH your money AND from your account. Their sense of entitlement to YOUR MONEY is positively offensive;

Bankers are sure trotting out the appealing straight talk to defend the recent increase in rates on various consumer banking services. First it was Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan telling folks that adding a $5 monthly fee for debit cards was okay because they "have the right to make a profit." Now an American Bankers Association has an interesting turn of phrase to defend the jackup in checking account costs, most recently done by Citibank.

"We don't expect to pay nothing to ride the train," Nessa Feddis, vice president and senior counsel of the American Bankers Association told CNN Money. "It's the same thing with a checking account."

Citibank had announced that it was adding or increasing monthly fees across its checking account options if minimum balance amounts weren't met. In some cases, those minimum levels have been increased as well.

Sure, no one expects to ride the train without paying. But no one expects to be handed a no-cost train pass and then, after the railroad gets get bailed out by their town for speculating in esoteric and low-quality trains painted with gold-leaf paint (too big to rail?), the travelers start getting charged a fee what was advertised as a "free for life" ticket.

http://consumerist.com/2011/10/american-bankers-association-defends-checking-rate-hikes-we-dont-expect-to-pay-nothing-to-ride-the-t.html

Given that kind of attitude it isn't hard to figure out the genesis of Occupy Wall Street.

[Have you noticed or maybe MSNBC is interviewing and showing the wrong people, but all the OWS protestors are white.]

Uhm, Kirk...you don't get out much...or your neighborhood is lily white...come to New York City...where it all started. Black, brown, white, yellow, RICH, poor, old, young REPUBLICAN, TEA PARTY, INDEPENDENT, Democrat, Green Party...

You really should get out more.

[I walked through our local OWS yesterday. OH My!]

Spanky, you little lying sack of monkey @!$%#...you know damned well if you set foot anywhere NEAR one of those protests, you'd get your ass kicked. You simply don't have the balls, "counselor".

Any one of those protestors would make you hold their jacket while they danced with your wife.

You fool no one...

John B--I am confused. Banks always made money with the money you deposit in a savings, checking or certificate of deposit. Did you think banks were not for profit enterprises. Given all the competition, its not like you cant shop around and find another bank so I am lost at what the issue is. The reason you dont get paid interest is the fed has interest rates so low to try and stimulate the economy, there investment spread is very low. It used to be they could make even more money with your deposits in the past but now people have so many options where they can invest their money and competition as driven earnings on checking accounts very low. So banks had to find ways to create revenue elsewhere. Its the epitome of market based capitalism and we consumers use it the same way by shopping for better credit card rates, CD rates, checking accounts with low or minimal fees, no ATM fees etc. In fact its quite the opposite they dont have any entitlement to your money they have to compete very hard for your money. If you want to blame somebody, blame Durbin and Elizabeth Warren for their ignorance on not doing their homework, not listening to economic advisors who told them how Dodd Frank would work and cause 30,000 layoffs with BofA alone and that the unintended consequences of their supposed protection of the consumer has a worse impact on those same consumers than the so called abuse they were trying to eliminate. I know people have a beef with banks--but its really the risk based investment bankers they should be attacking and the politicians that pushed and approved of the risk they were taking not the commercial bankers who are not evil people.

Mickey, I live in Chicago so have no current plans to get to NY to check them out so I have to rely on news reports. Your comment sort of cracked me up as I think its the exact same response as the Tea Partier said to Fiesty and the gang when they were complaining about the lily white nature of their crowds.

Fisty! When and where sister??? I gotta catch your live show!!! Where is Roselle anyway...just outside of Chitcago?

The Teapublican "plan" is to repeal health insurance regulation, to pass draconian spending cuts via a balanced budget amendment, to increase offshore drilling, and to lower tax rates in exchange for ending loopholes.

What part of this creates JOBS?! What part of this is new? It's just the same old garbage bundled together. How is repealing an existing law even a "plan?" It's a joke, a gimmick, an insult to the many Americans who are suffering. As for any Teapublican tax reforms, the CBO needs to score this before it can be taken seriously. My guess is it not only would not create jobs, it would increase deficit.

The only abundant energy we have is natural gas. We do NOT have a large oil reserve, certainly not in comparison to reserves in the Middle East. We do not have clean coal technology either--I'm throwing this in just in case FAUX Noise is BSing you on that too.

Did you know we are drilling at record levels right now? Did you know oil is sold on the global market, and therefore more oil would not create savings for you at the pump? Did you know the only benefit this would create would be for those related to the oil industry, especially those from Texas like Perry (or Palin from Alaska), but also Bush, Cheney, the Koch brothers...And let's not forget Cantor who is in debt to speculators on Wall Street who profit from artificial price increases of oil... And is it any wonder these are the Teapublicans who promote Drill, baby, drill?!

My gawd you people are dense. Build, baby, build. Try that one for a change, because that would actually benefit YOU.

True Patriot--that was the most ignorant understanding of basic economics that I have seen on here. Even the most radical idealogues like John A, John B and David would have to disagree with you. All of those GOP ideas would clearly increase jobs although they may not be consistent with the progressive political agenda. For example, repealing HCR would eliminate significant additional health care cost currently from the mandates, eliminate the additional taxes and fees to corporations and individuals starting in a few years, there is zero doubt in the economic community that this would be a job creator however it would not begin to create universal health care environment desired by progressives. Reducing government spending, puts additional dollars to work in the private sector, increasing offshore drilling creates thousands and thousands of energy related jobs. Its been estimated that the current ban has eliminated 25,000 jobs already so lifting the ban puts those people to work. Finally, clearly reducing the tax complexity by eliminating loopholes and creating fairness and simplicity in the tax code would create a very pro business investment environment similar to what Reagan did in 82 jumpstarting his economic recovery.

As for your energy rant, I am not sure what point you were trying to make. We actually have quite a bit remaining oil in shale deposits, in Canada that seems to make the Middle East seem small, in Alaska, in North Dakota and whether its sold on the global market makes no sense as income and jobs created here help everyone. Did you know that GM cars are sold in the global market but when you sell a car made here it creates jobs and keeps the money in the US? If you just spew garbage without any economic relevance, its tough to be taken serious at least thats what I have been told by John B all the time.

Kirk -- You're talking about deficit reduction, which is not one and the same with job creation. Therein lies the "slight of hand" being used by the GOPTP with their so-called "jobs plan," and your inability to see through the smoke screen and connect the dots.

The same Teapublicans who are presenting this gimmick (e.g., John McCain) are also against cuts in defense while this political game is being played. The best way to reduce deficits is to end the wars and other skyrocketing expenditures related to defense and Homeland security. So one must ask if Teapublicans are even sincere about deficits.

If Teapublicans were sincere about job creation, they would propose ways to stimulate demand, which would require investment. Spending cuts will do no such thing, and in fact will destroy jobs. The tax reforms are the only part that could contribute, but as stated, I need to see the CBO score this part before I'll believe it.

The rest of the plan does nothing to create jobs. If you insist on posting further to this point, I strongly encourage you to provide facts to support your claim in the form of links to credible sources, with data, etc. and not just your personal opinion. FYI -- I'm not going to reply again, just so you know, because I am against removal of oxygen from the air.

True Patriot--sort of like your facts that you state? Did you provide links from credible sources indicating why offshore oil drilling wont create jobs? Did you provide non think progress links that explain why your version of slight of hand doesnt create jobs? Stop with the so call link to facts defense when some times its just basic common sense and knowledge that is missing. For example, your silliness on the your deficits discussion is the classic progressive lack of understanding of economic behavior. You focus on one aspect of your conclusion but dont understand the overall financial environment. You say that the best way to reduce deficits is to end wars and defense spending and homeland security. Do you think that there are any people working in any of those industries? What about all the TSA people you would eliminate from homeland security or the thousands of people working in defense. Do you not understand that you cant grow spending across the board at 80% regardless of what revenue is growing. I agree lets end the war etc but deficit reduction (whiche equates to the aggregate standard of living that will be enjoyed by our kids and grandkids when they have to pay these debts back) has to come from all aspects of the government including entitlement spending.

I also noticed that you ignored my refutation of your other incorrect rants regarding the HCR, oil drilling and the global markets or basic tax reform. Do I really need to provide links to basic facts that you dont understand in Obamacare? Did you not know that it required starting immediately insurance mandates to cover dependents under 26 and no life time maximum? Did you not know the mandates this year for contraceptives and female health screening? Did you not know the 3.8% increase in tax starting in 2013? Did you not know that the costs of these alone to businesses and individuals are preventing job growth already? I am not saying we shouldnt address health care delivery for the 45 million that dont have access to the same quality of care as the remaining 85% but lets be honest about the impact of this law.

By the way, are you sure the room wasnt already oxygen deprived when you provided your personal opinions without any credible sources in all of your posts?

This 3.8% increase in tax wouldn't be this one debunked by Factcheck, would it, Kirk? You make it sound like everyone will have a 3.8% tax increase. You're reading too many of the far, far-right teabagger e-mails, Kirk. Disingenuous much? Must be the teapublican way.

I never said everyone and what debunking are you talking about? Its an additional tax on investment income and I wasnt editorializing but making sure that the transparency of the costs associated with HCR are discussed. You cant add costs to consumers and employers and expect that jobs are created as a result. Maybe the cost of HCR is worth the loss of jobs and additional burden thats a different discussion but True Patriot makes it sound like HCR doesnt add costs to business or consumers. So where was I disengenous or what is wrong with tea party fiscal sanity even though I dont have any identification with them.

Yes Kirk, you're confused because I stated banks are for-profit institutions as below:

For many, many years the banking system worked on a pretty basic model. You put money in the bank. The bank loaned that money to others, collected interest, and paid you a piece of that return for making their business possible.

I have made my choice in the free market, by the way, moving my money to a local credit union. My Bank of America branch manager wasn't a bit happy about it and was very indignant in his insistence that jacking up fees to pay back bail out money I've already given them through my taxes while still setting record profits was entirely warranted.

Anyone who's concerned about "too big to fail" should remove their money from the giant banking oligarchy as soon as possible. If you don't do that you don't have any right to complain about "too big to fail."

But John, your decision is perfectly rational but totally different from the words you used. There is nothing patently offensive that they want to use your deposit money to make money which is what you said. By the way, they arent using any fee revenue to pay back bail out money as bail out money was used to keep their balance sheets within prescribed FDIC limits. Money they get from you is a liability not an asset.

Thanks for admitting it's rational to pull my money out of an oligarchic big banking system that treats average Americans with contempt.

If it was an oligarchic system you wouldnt be able to pull your money out and put it somewhere more competitive and it certainly doesnt treat Americans with contempt. Do you consider McDonalds an evil corporation when they raise the price of their hamburgers by a nickel? What about your local hotel chain when as a result of one of competing hotels going out of business the remaining hotel raises its room rates by $10 dollars a night? Are they evil? Face it John, you have a very large chip on your shoulder that prevents you from looking at success in a positive way and you want to punish those who have done better than you

Kirk, you're playing your usual games. The biggest banks control the vast majority of financial resources after a wave of consolidation in which 37 financial institutions became just 4. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/content_images/big-bank-theory-chart-large.jpg The fact that there are still local options doesn't change the fact that the trend has been strongly in the direction of oligarchy, and the functioning of the market reflects that.

So you fall back on a ridiculous assertion of wanting to punish those who've done better than I. By now you know better as I've stated my position so many times by now you know if for certain. You KNOW that I call not for equal outcome, but equal opportunity to succeed.

Since you've decided to descend to the level of personal insult I will be frank. If you don't understand how OWS is tapping into the anger of Americans then there is no hope for you. You are a part of the "let them eat cake" crowd with whom Americans have been upset ever since the BSD's of Wall Street collapsed the economy in their greed, avarice, and self-aggrandizement. The Tea Party tapped into that anger, but did nothing to offer help. They were a manipulation of the political process only.

People are angry. People want change. You stand against that. The Kochs and Murdochs, Roves and Norquists of the world stand in the way of the will of the people. The 99% is tired of being taken advantage of.

THE BARACK INSANE OBAMA 2012 CAMPAIGN SLOGAN:

FORE MORE YEARS

The bad news keeps piling up for President Obama: His approval rating is sinking to record lows; the economy is on the brink of another recession; and Republicans are threatening to block much of his jobs plan. And now, a columnist from Obama's hometown newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, is advising Obama to withdraw his re-election bid. With unemployment high, voters are likely to give Obama "the ax" anyway, says Steve Chapman. And even if Obama wins, his second term — possibly with a GOP-controlled Congress — will probably bog down in "frustration, exhaustion, and embarrassment." He should step aside, Chapman says, and let the tough and tested Hillary Clinton take over his "unenviable job."

Steve Chapman argues that President Obama might be well advised to call it quits after a single term as president:

If he runs for re-election, Obama may find that the only fate worse than losing is winning. But he might arrange things so it will be Clinton who has the unenviable job of reviving the economy, balancing the budget, getting out of Afghanistan and grappling with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Obama, meanwhile, will be on a Hawaiian beach, wrestling the cap off a Corona.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-09-18/news/chi-chapman-obama-reelection_1_obama-iran-contra-scandal-house-spokesman-bill-burton

Think about it, says The Crawdad Hole. If Obama steps down, "history will likely be kind to him because he inherited a mess even Hercules would have trouble cleaning up." If he sticks around, he's "unlikely to get any significant policy victories" in his second term — and even if the economy improves, "it will be lost in the shuffle of the race to replace him." And no matter what, "Obama will always be a lifetime member of a very exclusive club. He can spend the rest of his life reading speeches and playing golf."
"Fore more years"

If Obama quits he won't have to face losing his last campaign. He will still be the historic first black POTUS, and history will likely be kind to him because he inherited a mess even Hercules would have trouble cleaning up.

If he is reelected he is unlikely to get any significant policy victories, and even if the economy recovers before he leaves office it will be lost in the shuffle of the race to replace him.

No matter what happens Obama will always be a lifetime member of a very exclusive club. He can spend the rest of his life reading speeches and playing golf, and Michelle can quit playing a Stepford wife and go on a permanent vacation.

Meanwhile Hillary can start cleaning up the mess. It would be a win-win for everybody.

http://crayfisher.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/fore-more-years/

It's clear that Obama should step aside, says Scared Monkeys. But he won't, because that would be admitting "that the last four years have been something that no one would want to repeat." Somebody with an ego like Obama's would never give up the dream of a second term "for the sake of the party," especially if it meant having a longtime rival like Hillary Clinton being the one to "ride in on the white horse."

The vultures are starting to circle. Former White House spokesman Bill Burton said that unless Obama can rally the Democratic base, which is disillusioned with him, "it's going to be impossible for the president to win." Democratic consultant James Carville had one word of advice for Obama: "Panic."

What does this mean when Obama's home town newspaper contemplates The One bowing out of the 2012 Presidential election? Why would anyone of the LEFT or the MSM think of the unthinkable if Obama was going to win? Of course they mention the problems with a Presidential second term, especially since it looks like the GOP will control the House and the US Senate. There is a reference of scandals that might arise. Did some one say scandals … you mean like the ones that already exist like "Fast & Furious" and Solyndra-gate"?

However, does one really think that some with an ego like Obama would step down for the sake of his party and have some like say, Hillary Clinton run? There is no love loss between the Obama and the Clinton's. Obama has felt with the Clinton's like something out of The Godfather, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Now suddenly Obama would give up running for a second term and have Hillary ride in on the white horse, complete with white hat … NEVER. After all, Obama thinks he is going to win. Of course he is ignoring the fact that he is polling lower with pretty much every voting demographic including Whites, Blacks and Hispanics … add Jews to the list as well.

Just as Obama refuses to admit that Obamacare is a night more, his $787 billion stimulus plan was a disaster and his presidency has been an epic failure … Obama stepping down will be an admission that the last 4 years have been something that no one would want to repeat. It is beyond comprehension that Obama would not run in 2012, after all how will he give up weekend golfing and trips to Martha's Vineyard without a fight.

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2011/09/18/chicago-tribune-editor-opines-why-barack-obama-should-withdraw-from-the-2012-presidential-election/

Ray, I'll ask you again.

Are you going to stand with the protestors against Wall Street or are you just going to blame the protestors?

Ray-4054460

THE BARACK INSANE OBAMA 2012 CAMPAIGN SLOGAN:

FORE MORE YEARS

The bad news keeps piling up for President Obama: His approval rating is sinking to record lows; the economy is on the brink of another recession; and Republicans are threatening to block much of his jobs plan. And now, a columnist from Obama's hometown newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, is advising Obama to withdraw his re-election bid. With unemployment high, voters are likely to give Obama "the ax" anyway, says Steve Chapman. And even if Obama wins, his second term — possibly with a GOP-controlled Congress —

Newsflash: the Chicago trib is a right wing news paper.

Is the the guy who won't let go of Hillary so much to the point he takes a plastic doll of her to bed with him?

FYI: El Presidento Obama raised $70 million dineros. So much for losing his white, black, and Latino base.

Newsflash: the Chicagio trib is a right wing news paper

And they don't come any more conservative then Steve Chapman! lol

@Pat -- I can't stand with the protestors. I don't blame them for anything either. I respect and defend their right to protest in a decent and civil manner. I expect the media to expose the extremists in OWS as they did with the Tea Party. I expect those who vilified the extremists at Tea Party rallies to do the same for the extremists at the OWS protests.

@Feisty -- So what? St. Pete Times, et al. are not liberal newspapers. If you can quote yours, I can quote mine. Fair enough.

'some' fleabaggers = 'all' fleabaggers?

Damage, no I hadn't heard that. I will go and check it out.

I STILL stand with the OWS. There were a lot of nuts in the Tea Party. Does that mean you align yourself with them?

I don't see any communists. I see people who are seeing their futures go down the drain. Democrats, Republicans, Independents. Do you expect them to do nothing about it? To just sit by quietly for another 30 years like my generation did?

Why don't you stand up to Wall Street. They're killing us all. One major scam at a time. And it won't change until we all speak up.

You, me, every citizen in this country. It ain't about us. It's about the future. And right now it's not looking too good.

This Goldman Sachs story is horrendous. Just one of many we see day in, day out.

@Damage, Your" reading" of the article about occupy Boston should be cited in your post. At least Ray gives his sources. See below...

@Ray, I was curious about your using a month old article from the Chicago Tribune. You found it on the blog Crawdad hole. Interesting anti Obama site. The authors pictures say it all.LOL But I do like the picture of Obama playing golf. The lead article today on Crawdad was the article Damage is referring to in his above post.

Your other blog site" sacred monkey" lists names of missing persons and some articles. don't understand that site at all.

Both of you can watch the live stream of OWS with streaming tweets etc. Go for the primary sources. Just goggle live stream occupy wall street.

How many arrests were made at Tea Party rallies? How many people assaulted police and s**t on police cars? Are the "nuts" at the Tea Party rallies the ones who carried guns...which is legal? How many bridges were blocked, disrupting the everyday lives of middle class, working Americans?

And don't try to paint the Fleabaggers as standing up for the middle class or even being part of the middle class. Anyone who actually is a part of the middle class doesn't have time to go make an ass of himself. He/she is too busy working and taking care of his family. If he's out of work, he's smart enough to know that he's better off job-hunting than laying around in a park all day with a bunch od ex-hippies, people who miss the 60s/wish they were there for the 60s, Rage Against The Machine fans and imbeciles who think Mumia is onnocent.

Ray-4054460

@Jody -- donations are one thing but administration infiltration is another. Apples & Oranges -- but you already knew that

Ray, amongst your numbers problem two things...

a. they all donate to various

b. do you know if they will not be donating this year since the Wall Street crowd has said they will NOT, I repeat "NOT" because of the regulations?

The reversals come in the wake of Obama's tough rhetoric on Wall Street — most notably last year, when the president was pushing Congress to pass what has become known as the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/177675-wall-street-execs-turn-back-on-obama-give-to-romney

Get some help and stay on track; Ray!!!

@Beverly -- excuses and appeasing is all you can do. Try to deflect to make it seem someone else is off track when it is your train that has derailed. The word "crowd" indicates several -- at least three after two's company -- so please name the movers and shakers on Wall Street that said what you claim.

P.S. -- You better be careful when making mistakes and correct typing errors because Laurie says that invalidates what one has to say after that ROFLMAO.

Damage, Again take some time to watch the live stream of OWS. The folks I saw and heard on live stream were at the most in their 30"s.

the old ex hippies are all on first read :0)

Damage - ask and yee shal receive. First google hit on tea party rallies violence. Go figure. Fight errupted and spilled into a busy intersection. That meets all of your criteria except s**t on police cars.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2009/1118/violence-at-tea-party-rally-bare-knuckle-politics-in-the-streets

Take it easy on Bev. She's nothing more than a slave on the Democrat plantation. She does whatever they tell her (at her own expense), votes for who they tell her to vote for, says what they tell her to say. And when someone rises up from the pity party at the slave quarters, she says their not black enough.

What's worse, not one of her supposed friends here would want a damn thing to do with her in the real world. A hot-tempered, conspiracy-minded, profane Black woman? Please. Though they would never say it, they don't want to be anywhere near a person like that. Why do you think Feisty Redhead lives in a town that's only 1.67% black?

By the way.....Anyone who doesn't think Herman Cain should be president is a racist. Haaaaa!!!! I love how simple and easy that is!

Ray-4054460

@Beverly -- excuses and appeasing is all you can do. Try to deflect to make it seem someone else is off track when it is your train that has derailed. The word "crowd" indicates several -- at least three after two's company -- so please name the movers and shakers on Wall Street that said what you claim.

An appeaser is one who feeds the trolls such as you and Laurie and other whacko right wingers.

P.S. -- You better be careful when making mistakes and correct typing errors because Laurie says that invalidates what one has to say after that ROFLMAO.

Everyone knows I'm not a good typist. Since I've got a new laptop I haven't learned how to control the built in mouse and don't know how to install the optical mouse I brought. But, you can always fact check.

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
Winston Churchill quote

I usually always reference when I state facts. So what's your problem if you can't read or use critical thinking. Are you afraid of the truth; huh?

@Beverly -- Laurie is a liberal poster. When I posted five minutes after you, there was not all of the extra you have now on your post. It wasn't that I misread -- it just wasn't there. If there was a hiccup in Newsvine, not my fault. I kept refreshing to make sure the time had passed to edit comments. Thanks for posting a link you are correct about the "crowd." But I have no idea what they will actually do. There were stories about wealthy Jews jumping ship as well after the Israeli border remarks.

Hi Backhouse,

A Great Post on your part. The Tea Bagger Republican- Radical Right -Rat Bastards are doing nothing to help our country which is a crying shame and many of them are going to be voted out.

Of course we still have the Radical Right posters who post here that don't have a clue and are too stupid to open their eyes and see what these Republican- Radical Right -Rat Bastards are doing.

Job 1 thanks, you too,

It really is the Anything But Jobs Party.

A repost of Jody's excellent recap:

"And that's the way it is".....this week.

A poll last week indicated 46% of GOP primary voters say they still aren't happy with the field. Now that their Rescue Knight, Gov Christie, said NO and endorsed Romney, will they be any happier?

Mitch McConnell continues his Senate floor drama act. He said "this bill is the same wasteful spending...union favors...and raises taxes on small business" which proves that Mr. Magoo can't read even with his glasses.

When campaigning, Florida Governor Rick Scott promised 700,000 jobs (on video tape) but in an interview he told the reporter "he didn't know who said that". Ha! Gotcha.

Herman Cain told unemployed people "if you don't have a job and you're not rich, don't blame Wall Street, blame yourself" which makes one wonder where Mr. Cain was in 2008 when all the greedy risk taking on Wall Street came to a screeching halt and as a result millions of Americans in unrelated jobs found themselves unemployed--it's their own fault don't cha know.

McConnell played games last week by using an old Senate rule (there's a bunch of those buggers) to force a vote on President Obama's jobs plan before Reid and democrats had finished making changes. Mitch wanted to embarrass our President but whoa, baby, Reid pulled the Nuclear Option and left Mitch sitting in a pile of eliminated 1941 rule dust. Cheers, Harry! One arcane rule, gone; many to go.

The Values Voters Summit was last weekend. In addition to the GOP candidates, except Huntsman who wisely skipped it, Eric Cantor and John Boehner spoke vowing whatever the crowd wished to hear. Reverend Jeffress introduced Rick Perry; Perry thanked him for the rousing speech of confidence; then Jeffress proceeded to the press where he called Mormonism a "cult". Perry has played dodge ball all week. If the GOP candidates insist on playing the "I'm more religious than the other guy" card to appease the unappeaseable, they deserve the wrath and criticism of everyone else for the prejudicial comments made on their behalf.

Last weekend Eric Cantor described Occupy Wall Street protesters as "dangerous mobs". By Tuesday it was "people are upset...they're out of work...and I get it". I seriously doubt Eric "gets" anything beyond--good gosh, those are all angry voters and they don't like me. No kidding, Sherlock.

Republican Congressman Frank Wolf deserves a round of applause for his passionate speech addressing the GOP's allegiance to one man, Grover Nordquist, the Pledge, and its interpretation. "Have we really reached a point where one man's views...." control the republican party? Bravo!

Mitt Romney said if elected, he is going to order a full review of Afghanistan and listen to the military. Hey, Mitt, careful now, President Obama did exactly that before making a decision and the GOP called it "dithering".

Romney's foreign policy team reads like a Who's Who of Neoconservatives. They're the same yahoos who were pushing for an invasion of Iraq in the late 1990's and pushing to invade North Korea and Iran. These guys, Robert Joseph and Dan Senor among them, were drummed out of foreign policy jobs, unemployable in Government after the Iraq debacle; they had to change the name of their firm it was so tainted but Willard will gladly invite them into the White House to make foreign policy decisions if he's elected. Jobs, World War III style.

More GOP majority state governments have passed Voter ID laws that can be listed. This is not about voter fraud, this is about voter suppression. President Obama said that it is a priority of the DOJ to review what is going on in state governments which are making it harder to vote. The GOP claims it is to protect the "purity of the ballot box" but the truth is, it is to protect the "purity" of only those voting republican. Welcome to democracy, ain't it fine.

Republican Cliff Stearns said on the House floor "we cannot compete with China when it comes to solar energy". Why not, Mr. Stearns? Perhaps if the GOP wasn't bought and paid for by big oil and coal, the US could beat China like a drum. China uses our solar technology. Seems the GOP thinks we should simply give up trying. This country mobilized to build planes, tanks, ships and ammunition for WWII, we can certainly mobilize to develop and manufacture clean, renewable energy equipment for our economic well being. It just takes willpower and investment by both public and private. It seems the GOP lacks the "will" to compete and excel. American Exceptionalism, GOP style--give up, let China lead us.

Ron Paul and Herman Cain were the big straw poll winners this week. If Romney is the "chosen one", why is it never wins these? Clue: establishment versus voters.

In Topeka, Kansas, spending cuts now threaten personal safety. The district attorney stopped prosecuting domestic violence cases. One abuser was released to abuse the next day, and released again. How many victims will be beaten badly or die in the name of spending cuts? Starve the beast does that.

Occupy Wall Street and its multiple offshoots seem to be rattling the right. They have resorted to sending "provacateurs" who were dumb enough to blog about what they did to insight violence; and spewing fear. Glenn Beck said "the violent left is coming to our streets, all our streets, to smash, to tear down, to kill, to bankrupt, to destroy." He left out to steal your food.

Paul Ryan said "social unrest is not what we do here" but he sure liked the Tea Party version of social unrest. Who knew little Eddy Munster was such a hypocrit.

Of the 400 richest Americans, 1,470 millionaires and billionaires paid ZERO taxes in 2009, according to the IRS, which means that applying a millionaire surtax of 5.6% might mean they actually pay at least 5.6% of their millions and billions in taxes. But the GOPTP will defend their right to pay ZERO to the death. What was your tax rate?

Politico reports a feud between Karl Rove and the Koch brothers. Rove wants to spend their secret millions on establishment candidates and the Koch boys want to spend their secret millions on Tea Partyers. It had to happen sooner or later--the far right fights with the extreme far right. Toto, looks like we're not in Kansas anymore.

Within six hours Mitt Romney went from calling OWS dangerous and dividing us to he "understand the 99% and wants to help them". That must set a new record for flip flops even for Willard.

46 GOP Senators and 2 Blue Dog Democrats filibustered the American Jobs Act (they can't read polls) thus denying real debate, amendment, a vote, and denying jobs. The tyranny of the minority defeats democracy again.

The House GOP said they had no time to debate and vote on a jobs plan but they had time for Anti-Abortion Day. 281 days have passed for this Congress and not once has the GOP brought a jobs plan for discussion. Where are the jobs, GOP?

The DOJ announced that the FBI foiled a plot by an Iranian American to kill the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US. One would think by now that the GOP would avoid criticizing the Obama Administration on foreign policy and fighting terrorism but no, they just can't help making themselves look foolish.

The GOPTP had another debate. Absolutely nothing new from any of the candidate; in fact, much of it was recycled. The most telling was the expression on their faces when they watched their hero Ronald Regan talk about raising taxes. They all looked as if they had no idea Reagan raised taxes, let alone 11 times. Priceless, those looks.

Gingrich resurrected the infamous "death panel" lie; and said Frank and Dodd should go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. That's the best Newt has to offer voters.

Bachmann said in the 80's we all hoped for a 3rd term for Reagan--in her dreams maybe. Even republicans wanted him gone and democratics definitely wanted him gone. Oh, the wonders of the Myth that is Ronald Reagan.

Huntsman resurrected the debunked lie that the IRS will hire over 19,000 people just to take care of the health care mandate--been giving Jon too much credit for smarts.

Perry resurrected the "energy independence" line that nearly every president and presidential hopeful has spoken for decades. Beyond that, Perry's got nothing.

Herman Cain said "9-9-9" 25 times. Wait until his supporters figure out most of them get lumps of coal and millionaires again get the gold-filled pot at the end of the rainbow. Bachmann was accurate when she said it's more like "6-6-6, the devil's in the details."

Rick Santorum said business taxes should be ZERO. These guys are so transparent. By his plan local taxpayers can pay for the roads and streets, police and fire protection, and educate the future workforce at ZERO cost to business. So much for "shared" social contracts between the public and private.

Mitt Romney said he supported TARP (Wall Street) but not the auto industry loans (Main Street). Kiss Michigan goodbye, Mittens.

Frank Kameny, a prominent gay rights activist, died Wednesday. His story goes back to the early 1960's. He lost a job because he was gay and spent the rest of his life fighting against discrimination and for gay rights. He was 86. Rest in peace, Mr. Kameny--this country has come a long way thanks to you!

Thanks GBM. Looks like Conservative enemies of the truth are out in full force today.

Hey Jody--great wrap-up as usual! Does anyone know what the progress on the WI recall of Scott Walker? He was planning some sort of takeover of the election board that oversees elections in the state, so he could veto his own recall--anything new on that?

"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly

Thanks for the recap, Jody----seeing it all in one place seems to magnify the tone deafness of the Republicans/Tea Party.

Sounds like Romney set a new record on the OWS----they went from unruly mobs to feeling their pain. I hear his doctor is on call 24/7 to treat whiplash.

Wait til people learn more about the 999 plan and its impact on Social Security. That will make it the 000 plan.

Have a great weekend!

Jody, you did it again, hit it out of the park. Thank you for doing this, it is a lot of work, that you do so well, and the list will grow as the campaign season gets well underway. We will continue to look forward to your excellent work.

Have a great weekend.

Jody, Iowa

"And that's the way it is".....this week.

Xcellent, Jody

My favorite recap is the one about Eric Cantor the Clown; of course their all clowns. Cain is a nut. sarh thinks he is a HERB

Frist read it is time to put Jody on staff

Thanks for the support to keep doing this. As long as FReaders like it, I'll keep at it. There's so much going on--if I had put it all in, it would have filled 2 FR pages all by itself.

Nurse, I heard this week that the recall Walker effort is in full swing and it looks good; they aren't having any trouble getting signatures.

Thank you Jody for all your continued hard work. Your posts are always interesting. I vote you keep it up. I think we all do. {wink}

Great post as usual, Jody. Your work would make fine satire if Conservatives weren't REALLY that radical and crazy.

On your Karl Rove comment, the far Right fringe is already laying the groundwork to marginalize "the Architect." Probably a week ago Koch-backed Glenn Beck laid out in great detail why Rove was once at the peak of his game but is now a has-been.

Many of us predicted long ago that selling their souls to the John Birch Society/Tea Party would result in insanity for the Republican Party. Like it or not radical crazies now OWN the GOP. It's theirs now, and it's ceased to be a viable alternative party.

At some point the Republican Party will crash and burn. At that point hopefully reasonable Conservatives will again retake control of the party and our government can once again be functional. None of this makes me happy because I'm a firm believer in the importance of 2 parties as a part of checks and balances, but a rational reading of the facts on the ground have to come to that conclusion.

Jody--have you heard anything about Walker trying to change the rules so he can veto his own recall? Had something to do with the board that oversees elections. I thought that was a pretty scary move! Heard it on Democracy Now, last week!

"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly

I've forgotten which guest on MSNBC this week commented that the GOP has a history of periodically allowing itself to be co-opted by the far right elements of its party. It was the John Birchers before and it took William F. Buckley to haul it back from the extreme. Right now, I don't see a Buckley out there to do the same with the tea party and libertarians. As Rachel pointed out last night, the Birchers thought fluoride in the water supply was a communist plot and now in Florida, there's another "fluoride is a plot to dumb down people and make them stupid" movement. LOL What goes around keeps coming around.

Nurse, I didn't see that about the board and Walker trying to fix it so he can't be recalled. I think that would violate Wisconsins Constitution and it would require a Constitutional convention to change existing law. He might try to stall and delay. Thanks for the tip, I'll keep my eyes and hears open.

Brilliant Jody,

Also you wrote:

Of the 400 richest Americans, 1,470 millionaires and billionaires paid ZERO taxes in 2009, according to the IRS, which means that applying a millionaire surtax of 5.6% might mean they actually pay at least 5.6% of their millions and billions in taxes. But the GOPTP will defend their right to pay ZERO to the death. What was your tax rate?"

Rs like to say on here that the 1% paying zero it isn't true.

Anyway seems the surtax may be the answer and the non-partisan CRS (if i have that right) has said the numbers check out very positively.

@Backhouse & Jody -- You are spreading lies but that doesn't come as a surprise. Try checking your facts first!!!

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/story/2011-09-20/buffett-tax-millionaires/50480226/1

There may be individual millionaires who pay taxes at rates lower than middle-income workers. In 2009, 1,470 households filed tax returns with incomes above $1 million yet paid no federal income tax, according to the Internal Revenue Service. But that's less than 1% of the nearly 237,000 returns with incomes above $1 million.

This year, households making more than $1 million will pay an average 29.1% of their income in federal taxes, including income taxes, payroll taxes and other taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.

Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 will pay an average of 15% of their income in federal taxes.

Thank you Jody--I hope he can't do it, but we just never know--I also thought the TPGOP couldn't disenfrancise voters, but they are really trying! The Walker thing is below the radar. We are living in strange times! Have a great weekend!

"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly

Nurse,

Here's an excerpt from the article on Walker you are looking for:

WI GOP now considering Pennsylvania-style Election Rigging Plan

As Weigel notes, this effort to render democracy irrelevant in Wisconsin was inevitable. Indeed, ever since Gov. Scott Walker (R) was sworn in last January, Wisconsin has become ground zero for GOP efforts to ensure that only Republicans can win elections. Walker stripped state workers of their right to organize to strengthen the GOP’s position in the next election. He gutted the state’s public financing system, which allows candidates to run effective campaigns without pleading for money from big dollar donors, and used this money to pay for a voter ID scheme that disenfranchises thousands of poor, minority and student voters.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/10/13/342534/wisconsin-gop-now-considering-pennsylvania-style-election-rigging-plan/

That new & improved NJ Nut Job repellent I bought last weekend seems to be much more effective then the old stuff! lol

As always Jody, right on the mark! ;o)

Thanks, Jody! I look forward to your digest. Keep up the great work!

jody as lways good round up of the week

Thanks again Jody for the great wrap up this week. I look forward to them every week!

I will keep mine shorter than Jody the Libtard.

Obama's Solyndra loan rewritten to guarantee Solyndra share holders get paid back first should the company go bankrupt. Instead of taxpayers. Treasury says this was a first.

Obama's Jobs Bill voted down. Because it was a political charade by Obama trying to paint the Republicans in a corner. Even Dems voted against it.

Eric Holder subpoenaed by Congress. Apparently Obama's Justice Department is either lying or they are incompetent and have no idea what their underlings are doing. It is a shame how many lives were lost by this Keystone Cops Program.

Occupy LA say the loons bash Gandhi and call for bloodshed. Democrats rejoice. Does that make you seditionists?

So what is it OWS stands for: antisemitic? free urine and feces in the street? Getting rid of capitalism? for what socialism? How'd that work out for USSR? Even China understands capitalism better'n we do! Good luck with that bunch!

Have a great day sitting in the bean field, Jody.

Hey you and I quote you, Sir 'Free Urine and Feces in the Street".

Bringing every subject to the lowest common denominator does not make you right. Denigrating those who are excercising their right to demonstrate and speak freely will not win you this particular argument. You might feel better, but temporarily. It does not fix the inability to face the reality of the Ocupy WLL Street demonstration, that represents a cross-section of America.

During the Town Hall 'debates', so-called Tea Party's were loud, violent, threatening, unruly and flatout anti-democratic during the Town Hall debates. If you went to any, you would know.

Here's your list of dirty filthy put downs: "lying, incompetent, loons...call for bloodshed, seditionsists, antisemetic, free urine and feces".

Doing nothing except call others dirty/filthy,

ain't nothing but dirty strategy.

Thanks Jody. Have not kept up with the circus much this week. Your recap tells me though a new week has past, same old hateful ignorance abounds. Well there is always hope for next week...same time, same place, but maybe a different story for the sake of the American people :) <fingers crossed> . Have a blessed weekend all!

Backhouse - lowest common denominator, you mean like Lefties always do?

Facts sting don't they. Get a spine.

I would suggest you check out the latest NBC/WSJ poll that came out Wednesday:

Among political parties, unsurprisingly, the movement is most popular among Democrats (56%-6%), and least popular among Republicans, where a plurality do not support 17%-34%. Independents support 34%-17%

Educating yourself prior to posting would of saved a lot of space! ;o)

Look at that - you even managed to sneak 'Solyndra' into your rant! lol

Bill Thomas provides proof that conservatives refuse to look at the truth about OWS and instead spout the usual socialism nonsense. OWS are not anti-capitalists, they are against the Corporatocracy in place today. We do not have a voice in Government because Government is bought and paid for with campaign donations from special interest lobbyists and big business.

We are all socialists, Bill, because we work together to pave streets, build roads, have public schools and we pay for police and fire departments, garbage pickup, we pay for a military and provide taxpayer money to private industry to support that military--all as part of essential government. Conservatives need to learn the difference between good socialism and bad. Since its founding, the United States has always been a mix of capitalism and socialism which is why, until the last 30 years of starve the beast ideology, the country remained a great economic power. Pure capitalism is as bad as pure socialism. It is the mix that makes us great.

Well said Bill! As an old activist, I will watch this 'Occupy Wall Street' with interest to see where it takes us!

Carrot Top ridicules polls that don't support her position, yet will use a liberal generated poll if it suits her position! She and most liberals treat the truth the same fashion. She is consistent in her hypocrisy!

yet will use a liberal generated poll if it suits her position

Please explain to us Sally, how the Wall Street Journal is liberal will ya? lol

Isn't it owned by 'Uncle' Rupert Murdoch? The same uncle Rupert who owns Fox News?

Your slip is showing honey!

Get back to me after you look up the definition of hypocrisy - little girls who have no clue shouldn't be throwing around such BIG words... lol

Aw Sally, are you seriously making that statement, surely you jest. And you guys would never do any such thing?

Me thinks you'd know more about hypocrisy than most of us would, look in the mirror for starters.

Please, try to be a little more creative in your critiques, this is so yesterday.

His former supporters have taken to the streets to protest his corporatist alliances. Sure, they oppose the Republicans and the conservatives, but they have more in common with the Tea Party than they realize. Both are acting out against big business. Wall Street is as much the enemy of Main Street as it is of college campuses.

Bill Thomas - Interesting well thought out thread where you paint a picture to go along with your narrative. I will not call it a rant or even that your are wrong, I merely disagree on some of your points and have a couple of questions.

First off, if the Tea party is acting out against big business then why do they prescribe to the ideas of anti-regulation? Why do they almost to a person decry that government needs to get out of the way of business? Why does the Tea Party predominantly support politicians who support big business and banks in their rhetoric and in their legislative actions?

More and more, the opposition to Obama is based on the outcomes of his policies, not on their ideological bias or their liberal intent.

I understand you are coming from a right leaning viewpoint, however this statement seems to go against the earlier portions of your post. If Obama is more a corporatist then someone who has pure liberal policies then why do you say that his policies want to turn the US more into a European socialist model?

Coming from a disenchanted progressive, my viewpoint is that Obama has not been liberal enough. Instead he has compromised so much that the Republicans toy with him as they move the goal posts time after time.

Placing aside the fact that a truely progressive set of packages couldn't be pushed through the toxic halls of Congress, lets say Universal health care or a WPA type stimulus passed. If he had pushed that farther left approach to health care, passed a stimulus package that was more about jobs then tax cuts and it still failed then we could honestly discuss that liberal policies failed. The policies that had lukewarm success have all been policies formerly embraced by the GOP.

Concerning the OWS movement, I think that if Democratic leaders embrace the movement they could be burned by the actions/disobedience of a few fringe members. I suspect the GOP are still having heartburn over the far fringe members of the Tea Party. I hope that the protests remain peaceful and support the right for them to exercise their rights.

Again, a good post, but one that I can not agree with on all of your points.

Bill thomas, I agree that both tea party and OWS point out that main street or the 99% need to raise their voice to the 1% embodied in WallStreet.

But I disagree that unions are not part of this gorup. I watch live streaming of OWS last night. No anti union sentiment. In fact the AFL CIO had emailed their members to go to the park in solidarity with the threat of closing it down this morning. Close down did not happen. Instead the people themselves are cleaning up the park.

As James Hayduke said in his post...Too early to know where this will take us. I do know that Oct 15 will see rallys world wide and throughout the US.

Interesting how conservatives work so hard to demonize a legitimate grass roots movement but cheered the Tea Party. Talk about hypocritical.

In every movement and protest, right or left or center, there are always a few fringe elements. That's fact. It does not make the movement less genuine. OWS is a mix of tea party, republican, independent, democrats and everyone in between. It is also a much more popular movement per the polls than was the Tea Party.

People mocked the Vietnam War protests, they lampooned the civil rights marches but people continued to take to the streets demanding change. They were disorganized at first, they weren't in agreement on the goals but they kept marching, protesting and demanding change. They ultimately won.

OWS, while it is still vague in its early stages has the potential to bring about genuine grassroots change as it becomes more focused. The TP fizzled in protest power and lost itself not because of lack of passion but because it allowed itself to be co-opted by the GOP establishment via Koch Bros and Dick Armey; it allowed it's extreme right-wing element to overpower the majority. I don't see that happening with OWS.

While "The Obama can do no wrong" team and the "Obama can do no right" team go at it hammer and tongs yet again, they won't be the "deciders" come November 2012...

(Thank your lucky stars!)

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Morning Jay: Without Independents, Obama Has No Chance of Victory

Over the last 50 years, we have seen a remarkable transformation of the American electorate. The percentage of people identifying as Democrats has been cut nearly in half – from 51 percent in 1961 to 30 percent in 2011. Republicans have seen some gains from this, but the biggest jump has been in the number of people who identify with neither party, which according to the most recent Gallup poll is 46 percent.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/morning-jay-without-independents-obama-has-no-chance-victory_595834.html

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Actually most candidates stand little chance of victory without the independent voter...

Jody, you're assbackwards again, or your memory is deteriorating! It was the Tea Party demonized by the liberals, who are now praising the OWS kids. At least the Tea Party folks cleaned up their own mess after their rally's. The kids at OWS are looking for others to clean up their mess! Kinda like liberals who prefer to spend other peoples money! Eh?

Sally, like your post and your pet name for feisty is spot on girl! Carrot Top is a 'real' redhead whose style is getting the audience to laugh at him, not with him. Feisty has same style but uses wigs. Almost a perfect match though! lol! :)

On this day back in 1967, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier! A day of greatness for the United States!

Now 44 years later we're broke and some American's are praising a bunch of filthy kids that refuse to clean their 'occupied' space, don't have a clear idea what they are protesting, and are being supported by others!

How far have we fallen since 1967?

.." a bunch of filthy kids"..??? Oh my, that takes me back to Agnew...how far have we fallen? Well judging by your post...not much has changed at all (thankfully, I'm sure most Americans know democracy in action when they see it).

Science goes on and cannot go backwards.

We need to put tons of money into R & D so we can compete with other very engaged countries globally.

We need to put tons of money into infrastructure, half a century or more old built by our grandparents, ports, bridges, roads. Now it falls to us to leave it as good, or better than we found it.

We need to modernize our schools half a century, or even a century old that are cold in the winter or hot in the summer. We need to have science labs, not just an old pipette hanging around in the cupboard.

If folks are dirty it might be because their wages have flatlined, jobs sent overseas, been fired following bad GOP policies of deregulation and tax breaks for the rich. Followed by the great Bush depression.

No, OWS folks are not standing out there for the good of their health, but because they want Action, they are tired of the 1% raking it in without paying their fair share. The richest group ever in the history of the world. OWS is tired of GOP congressional lackeys putting their signatures and pledges to Norquist over their Oath of Office to this country.

The majority of Americans want the components of the American Jobs Act to be signed into law. They want GOP to quit blocking, quit delaying and do the job they promised to do last year....PUT AMERICANS BACK TO WORK.

If folks look dirty to you, adjust your focus until you see real people who need action from Congress. See people who want job creation. The American Jobs Act is ABC. Tell your party to get it done.

Sam, AP I was one of those filthy kids back in the 60s, Vietnam protester, and proud of it! Now I'm older and wiser Tea Party protests are cleaner and pretty much without serious violence or arrests.

In the 60s we knew Vietnam was a mistake and I believe our effort ultimately help end that War. The OWS kids have no direction or focus and unlike the Vietnam protests they rely entirely on handouts! These are our future leaders... yikes!

Sam is right, these are much tougher times for the United States! A lot has changed and the country is not what it was!

The Tea Party wants to go back a couple of hundred years. Or at least those who support them (Koch, Exxon et al.) have set that trajectory ~ as though it has real substance. As though there could be anything good about it.

The Tea party is a vey small percentage of the US.

The rest of us want to move on and we look forward to living in an engaged, educated, forward-looking employed 21st century with a growing competitive economy.

Yes, a lot has changed.

So we want GOPTP in Congress to get on board and quit stalling US progress.

As the OWS movement has grown (or should I say exploded) and we look at footage of rallies around the nation, it is obvious that the movement consists of a large swath of America -- All ages, all races, all walks of life. We see teachers, first responders, organized labor, even marching bands--average middle class Americans who are your neighbors.

They are not packing heat, or carrying signs with hateful pictures of anyone, or stomping anyone's head. They are not lazy or uninformed or radical.

Interviews have also shown that many go to the rallies when they have a lunch break, get off work, or on their day off. If you get a chance to watch Buddy Roehmer talking with some of the folks at the rally, you can see these folks are very informed and know exactly what they are talking about--and they are not yelling, they are exchanging view points with him. They are not radical--as already mentioned many are teachers or other mainstream folks.

If conservatives underestimate this movement, or disparage it, it only helps the movement. It wouldn't be surprising to see more Democrat leaders getting involved as well.

Vilify the Wall Street Movement if you want, but I'm all for it and the news that it's going global is great. To the nay-sayers, don't just watch Faux News, read articles and I urge you to watch HBO's movie "Too Big To Fail" it lays out the story in lay-men's terms and if that doesn't help you too understand the movement nothing will. This isn't an assault on capitalism its and assault on avarice!

As I recall, Amy, Mitt Romney was especially outspoken on not wanting to help the U.S. auto industry.

Steeler Fan-380417

As I recall, Amy, Mitt Romney was especially outspoken on not wanting to help the U.S. auto industry.

If Romney gets the Repub nomination, I hope Obama remembers to mention Romney's position on the auto bailouts. Over and over and over.

Houston.......Michigan will for certain, and maybe he realizes that he's toast there as he no longer claims it as his home state. Not that MA wants him either, so should we consider him 'stateless'? lol

I'm not sure any of the states where Romney has homes states want him.

Amy, GM and Chrysler did slide into bankruptcy. I give Obama credit for stepping in and helping the industry at a time that the banks were close to failing and were unable to provide bankruptcy financing but he didnt save the automobile industry. GM and Chrysler were not going to liquidate and go out of business. Bankruptcy eliminated their liabilities allowing them to show the operating profit and success you see today. That would have happened under any bankruptcy scenario. What was disappointing is that Obama under cover of bankrutpcy and the marketing ploy of saving the auto industry ignored established law and gave ownership of the company to the unions over the lenders.

Great post Jody #4. Of course the collapse bastard are at work again.

Would that be the same biggest man made natural disaster in American history that had Halliburton's tentacles all over it?

Is that the one your talking about Nash?

These neocons are perfectly content to rape & pillage this country for the sake of the almighty dollar!

Sex, Drug Use and Graft Cited in Interior Department

By CHARLIE SAVAGE, Published: September 10, 2008

As Congress prepares to debate expansion of drilling in taxpayer-owned coastal waters, the Interior Department agency that collects oil and gas royalties has been caught up in a wide-ranging ethics scandal — including allegations of financial self-dealing, accepting gifts from energy companies, cocaine use and sexual misconduct. . .

The reports portray a dysfunctional organization that has been riddled with conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior and a free-for-all atmosphere for much of the Bush administration’s watch. . .

The report says that eight officials in the royalty program accepted gifts from energy companies whose value exceeded limits set by ethics rules — including golf, ski and paintball outings; meals and drinks; and tickets to a Toby Keith concert, a Houston Texans football game and a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

The investigation also concluded that several of the officials “frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/washington/11royalty.html

Dear Governor Perry:

How much lower do you need the regulators to go sir?

Feisty,

That would be the one! Glad I'm not the only one to remember it!

Wonder if anyone in the media remembers? Is someone going to ask the good Governor about it? Or just parrot his talking points like they are paid to do?

Is someone going to ask the good Governor about it?

Not a chance & that's what scares the hell out of me... ;o(

I find it interesting that I never once heard any of the cable news talking heads refer to the corruption of the EPA under Bush as a "scandal" -- if they mentioned it at all. But now, the same talking heads glibly call the Solyndra loan a scandal, even though it just seems to have been an investment that didn't pay off without any sex, drugs, or graft involved. (And I'm not talking about the Fox Comedy Channel, I'm talking about the allegedly "serious" news networks like CNN).

Excellent observation Houston . . . the media is very selective about what constitutes a scandal . . . hell, we talked more about why Senator Obama didn't wear a flag pin than about the fact that we have a Supreme Court Justice with a wife taking money from lobbyists that he "forgot" to report.

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

The EPA seems to be the favorite target right now but how about the FDA, FAA, SEC (wouldn't they love to get rid of them)? And I've never seen any evidence cited as to how regulations were negatively impacting the economy---they just take the business executives at their word.

Well said, Nashville Fan. It amazes me how no one questions or challenges comments like Perry's.

Houston, good point about how, where and when the GOP chooses to place blame.

Ron Paul said we should privatize the FDA.

Here is a great rebuttal article in the Washington Post to the Republican argument on regulations cost jobs:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal-government/fact-check-contrary-to-republican-claims-in-debate-regulations-are-not-a-huge-job-killer/2011/10/11/gIQADNuodL_story.html

Great discussion everyone!

9 9 9 = Class Warfare

Gutting Revenues and paying them with spending cuts that hurt the middle class and only benefit the non-job creating rich folk = Class Warfare

Obama fighting for the Middle Class sure is Class Warfare, the kind of War that needs to be fought...and the battle has begun on Wall Street!

Have a nice day votes against self interest Rob in ma numbers!

that battle in the street during the 60's did wonders for democrats!

5 of the next 6 presidents were republicans

Independents do not particularly like panhandlers that could very well fend for themselves.

Bums with substance abuse issues gain sympathy not so much with able bodied BUMS

It seems Rob in MA is calling the Tea Partyers and republicans who are part of OWS panhandlers and able bodied BUMS. Who knew. Ya really need to pull your head out of the sand.

Idiotic remark,there are no riots in NY, only outrage . I live here and it is amazing peacfull

Houston, hadn't heard this one. That would be McCain of "the fundamentals of the economy are strong" fame as Lehman Brothers collapsed. The McCain of shutting down is campaign to rush to Washington DC fame where he sat in the meeting with Bush, Obama and others without speaking. The level of incompetance and ignorance is mind boggling.

Read post 1.11 before you make false accusations. Reid has stalled every jobs bill to come to the senate. Liar, Liar Pants on Fire is an ole phrase that comes to mind.

Geez, Ray, read something outside the conservative world. You see, Ray, the House is supposed to pass any spending bills first--that's fact. How many jobs bills has the House passed? Zero. Reid brought AJA for a vote because the House has refused to act on it. What GOP plans has Reid blocked? Name them, please. I'm sure there were a few alleged job plans that had clauses for anti-abortion or voter ID or something onerous attached. Are those the bills that eliminate the EPA or some other imaginary evil job killing agency?

Ray,

Dumb as a box of rocks is one that comes to mind when reading your 1.11 post. Touche!

Damage, you forgot the "" around her statement, unless of course you made that statement up. Please follow up with a direct quote or sound clip or video to prove that you're not a straight up lying fool.

I see you guys are really missing George W. He sure got us on the right path.

Maybe we can have a re-do with Perry. That just sounds great!!

Tom,

I have seen energy production save towns, which in trun create jobs. That feeds into other local economies and the domino effect of progress. This has nothing to do with bush. It is fact. So I see no point to anything you just stated. Rant away.

MRWSR: A few weeks back I spent a few days enjoying Yellowstone and all it's wonder. Please don't advocate ruining our national treasures....not worth it for a few hundred jobs that may last 20 years. Our parks can last forever if we keep them off limits to any type of drilling/fracking or whatever. The impact of such measures would destroy the delicate balance and beauty many wise people decided to preserve. Not ranting just giving you something to consider.

The progressive movement will be marganilized for years and years.

Yes we can!

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

Just like the Conservative movement was crushed forever all the way back in 2008...

Like we would NEVER elect another REPUBLICAN President after Richard M. Nixon resigned in disgrace.

Just like Karl Rove's "permanent Republican majority"

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

Another student of history...

Rob,

Show me the results of the drug test you performed on a single protestor. I will be waiting here for your response.

Thought not you mindless talking head. You'll believe anything Glenn Beck says, won't you Rob in MA

Backhouse, I know. Pathetic to watch conservatives malign the 99%; they should be careful.

Well said, as they say, he's all hat and no cattle.

Did you miss that the stimulus bill passed before they ever took up HCR? Did you miss the legislation the democratic majority House passed and the GOP Senate minority filibustered. The ARRA had a two year impact and until the GOP took back the House in 2010 and started slashing jobs, recovery was in progress. Just the employment and jobs charts on Google. We were creating jobs thanks to ARRA and democrats. But that's probably a little fact you'd rather ignore; it's much more pleasant to stick ones head in the sand to avoid reality.

Poor Kevin, Jody just handed you yours. Thanks for participating. I hear Kmart is running a special on razor blades...

Beck was saying this last year. But he was labeled crazy.

Rob, have there been riots in the streets here in MA? Because I haven't seen any. The OWS protests are across the street from me and down about a block or so. All I see is them standing with signs and people driving by them, honking their horns in support.

There is a possibility of seeing a replay of 1965-1972. The leftists/liberals were out protesting and generally causing trouble. Many were bombing, rioting etc...One of the worst was a guy named Bill Ayres. Whatever happened to him? Last I heard he was ghostwriting biographies for failed liberal politicians. Basically, the American public. The real America. Middle America. The middle class. Was disgusted by the behavior of the left and the Repubs, beginning with Nixon, went on to win 4 of the next five elections. The lefties can't help themselves.

It's looking more and more like the Fleabaggers, made up partly of brain-fried veterans of those dark days, would like to repeat their mistakes of the past. Myself and MANY others have already been compiling videos and pictures of the Fleabagger "protests" onto emails and sending them to thousands of people. Middle America has always hated the left. Why do you think socialists ahve to lie and pretend they're "centrist" to get elected Prez?

Damage, Yes ,those chain emails are a potent force to spread the word. LOL.

Have you ever heard of spam filter?You are a old guy!!

Most folks in their twenties never use email. It is old school.

It is all social media for them... which the OWS is using quite effectively.

The liberal press denigrated the tea partiers. I'm not a member and haven't been to a rally but I respect them as they have demonstrated respect for the law.

Lawful assembly - the tea party always gets the appropriate permits and leave the area in which they gathered cleaner than when they arrived there.

Remember when 10's of thousands gathered on the mall in Washington. Reports were that you couldn't find a gum wrapper on the ground.

This crowd is very different it's America's ugliest side. Disgraceful. And it is all coming about because we have a class warfare president!

Looks like Rob in MA is scared just like all the other conservatives--fear, sell fear, it's what the GOP does best because they sure as heck can't govern.

This morning a Tea Party leader compared them to Malcom X and the Black Panthers and compared the TP movement to Martin Luther King. Talk about ignorance, it must be bliss for conservatives.

Your right Jody...I'm scared for the country and for the police.

I'm not a fan of violence. Cantor was right these people are acting like a mob.

I missed that comment by the tea party leader but agree 100%!

"demonization of success and wealth"...well that's a really interesting take on the results of the two term disaster called the Bush Presidency bringing us to the very brink of financial ruin (how'd that "no regulation, no problem" thing work out? About as well as the "mission accomplished" thing). You join a long line of laughably out of touch politicians (including Spiro T. Agnew and Cantor) and ridiculously call these protestors a "mob"...even Cantor was told to shut up by his leadership for making the Republicans look more ridiculous if that is possible...the T Party is a "movement" but OWS is a "mob"? Hypocrite. GOP (grumpy one percent)...your dying days are at least loud.....this great country will do just fine without you.

please google glass steagall and read up

Rob, please read ALL the news before you go spouting off and embarrassing yourself.

Where Are the riots ? and if there are it is caused by the police. you are no better then sheep.You support tax breaks for the rich foolishly thinking it will create jobs. I have news for you einstiens, demand creates jobs and you do not create demand with tax cuts to the rich. You feed the economy from the bottom,the rich end up with the money anyway. Jobs did not go overseas because of taxes, they went overseas because of corporate greed. The way to create jobs is to give tax cuts to the middle class,they spend and create jobs No one hires anybody because taxes went down.As I said you are sheep, you support a party who wants to take away your job and your civil rights. THank G-d you represent no threat to our President. Obama beats every one of your clowns. Herman Cain leads the pack, after this campaign he could go on broadway with a one man show. Nothing is more entertaining then a interview with Cain

BrainDamaged#'s:

[Myself and MANY others have already been compiling videos and pictures of the Fleabagger "protests" onto emails and sending them to thousands of people.]

ROTFLMFAO!

Suuuuurrrreeeee you have...how could you...you don't have the balls or the attention span.

What a lying sack of monkey @!$%# you are...but how about just thanking the protestors for doing what YOU don't have the balls to do.

Why would anyone be surprised that a repub would just make up "facts" out of whole cloth. That is exactly what the republican do on a regular basis.

When they talk amongst themselves this is how they gin up the hate, fear and anger. Then, when the absurdity of their remarks is pointed out to them they are surprised. After all, lying to themselves and their fellow repubs is a regular thing and being gullible enough to believe the nonsense is part and parcel of everything they do and say.

What is nice is that Rob is willing to display his stunning gullibility and dishonesty here for our entertainment.

I'm just checking out the pictures on MSNBC's home page.

Excuse the express but it doesn't look like they at having a "tea party" down there on wall street.