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Subscribe to RSSPreviewing the president’s 1:30 pm ET news conference… Obama’s two promises to the left: 1) $1.6 trillion starting position on revenue, 2) decoupling the Bush tax cuts… The GOP’s red line: It doesn’t want tax RATES to go up… Decision Day on Capitol Hill for Pelosi, King, and McMorris Rodgers vs. Tom Price… Getting the message on immigration… and Autopsy 2012: the marriage gap.
NBC's Mark Murray discusses President Obama's first press conference since his re-election. Plus, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and incoming Maine Senator Angus King make important announcements.
*** Previewing the president’s presser: At 1:30 pm ET from the White House, President Obama will hold a news conference. This will be his first press conference since winning re-election last week. It also will be his first public statements about the Petraeus-Allen-Broadwell-Kelley story. (About the only good news for the White House today on this story -- we don’t have a new “name” to add to a hyphen!) Here is something to chew on: Had Obama held this press conference immediately after his victory last week, he wouldn’t have had to answer questions about Petraeus or Allen. Now? We bet questions about this sex scandal make up about half the news conference. But your First Read team will be paying more attention to what the president has to say about the upcoming fiscal cliff negotiations. How willing is he to let all the Bush tax cuts expire if there isn’t a deal? Is he willing to bargain on entitlements? And what lessons did he learn from the debt-ceiling standoff a year ago?
*** Obama’s two promises to the left: We can report that Obama made two promises to the labor and progressive leaders he met with yesterday. One, his starting position is extracting $1.6 trillion in additional revenue, and the Wall Street Journal picks up on that figure today. This is a clear sign to the left that Obama has stopped beginning his negotiations from the middle -- something Democrats have often complained about. (Obviously, the White House knows it won’t get $1.6 trillion but they would like $1 trillion or $1.2 trillion to be an option, and isn’t it interesting how $1.2 trillion is exactly halfway between Boehner’s July 2011 $800 billion offer and the president’s $1.6 trillion?) Two, Obama said it was his goal to decouple the Bush tax cuts: keep the lower rates for those making less than $250,000 but eliminate them for those making more than that and get that into law for 2013 while the larger tax reform legislation is negotiated. Notably, it appears that the left is willing to give Obama some space when it comes to entitlement reforms on Medicare and Social Security, if the president sticks to his guns on the Bush tax rates. At 2:45 pm ET today, after the news conference, Obama and Vice President Biden meet with business leaders to discuss the upcoming fiscal cliff negotiations.
Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
President Barack Obama makes Veterans Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Nov. 11, 2012.
*** The GOP’s red line: Meanwhile, in speaking with Republicans, the GOP’s red line is this: They’re willing to give up additional REVENUES; they just don’t want to see tax RATES go up. The two sides actually aren’t that far apart. The question is whether they can agree on a revenue target for tax reform. That’s Step 1; Step 2 is how the temporary agreement is forged regarding the tax rates for 2013, sequestration, payroll tax, etc. The White House’s view: If you let the Bush tax rates expire for the Top 2%, it makes negotiating the issues surrounding sequestration (even the farm bill!) a lot easier. But the hurdle is big: getting the votes in the House. No Republican wants to vote for a tax RATE hike; it’s likely a primary suicide mission. And while one could argue the big picture for the GOP that says, “Let Obama own the tax rate hike,” that doesn’t mean individual GOP House members won’t have to walk the plank to get to 218 votes. Ironically, the GOP may end up giving the president and Democrats MORE cover on taxes by agreeing to a revenue goal within tax reform, essentially, covering up tax hikes while the politicians can claim they’ve lowered tax RATES. Ah, the politics of the now vs. the politics of the long term. It’s the GOP’s challenge in managing its own base right now.
*** Decision Day on Capitol Hill: Also on this Wednesday, we’ll find out decisions to three separate stories on Capitol Hill. First, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she would be holding a 10:00 am ET news conference, apparently to answer questions about her political future. (Will she stay on as leader? Will she run for re-election in 2014?) In addition, Sen.-elect Angus King (I-ME) is expected to decide as soon as today which party he’ll caucus with. (It will be a HUGE surprise if it isn’t the Democrats, especially given all the outside GOP money spent against him in Maine, and King hasn’t had a one-on-one meeting with either McConnell or Cornyn to discuss joining the GOP side.) And finally, per the New York Times, House Republicans will choose between Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Tom Price (R-GA) to be chair of the House Republican Conference, the No. 3 position in House GOP leadership. Conservatives like Paul Ryan, outgoing Conference Chair Jeb Hensarling, and Gov.-elect Mike Pence are backing Price, the Times says, while Fred Upton, Peter King, and Darrell Issa are supporting McMorris Rodgers.
In the latest turn in the scandal involving two top US generals, the FBI said they have uncovered "flirtatious" emails between General John Allen and socialite Jill Kelley but have found no wrongdoing.
*** West isn’t giving up: Meanwhile, NBC’s Frank Thorp reports that Rep. Allen West (R-FL) is continuing the fight to hold onto his Florida congressional seat, even though his opponent has already declared victory (and spoke at his first Capitol Hill press conference yesterday). West, who is trailing Democrat Patrick Murphy by .58 percent of the vote, has not conceded, even though the race is not tight enough to require an automatic recount (.50 or less needed). "We have to maintain the honor and integrity of the electoral process," West told NBC News, "You cannot sit up and say to the voters in Congressional District 18, to the American people, that when there are issues that are there, an incredible 4,400 vote swing in a 30-35 minute period at one o'clock in the morning, and no one is explaining that to them." West has filed a complaint in Florida state court asking for a recount of the early ballots, which he says could bring him within the threshold to trigger an automatic recount. "No one is explaining to me how you can go from being up by 1,800 to being down by 2,400 in a 30-to-35 minute period," West said, "The people deserve better."
*** Getting the message on immigration: How losing Latinos by more than 40 points will suddenly change a party’s tune… “Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), three key Republican players on immigration, told The Hill they're ready to start working on broad-based reforms next year that could include a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States. All three are expected to be key players on any immigration-reform negotiations, which are expected to move first in the Senate.” A path to citizenship is supported by a 57-39% majority, a Washington Post/ABC poll finds.
*** Autopsy 2012: The marriage gap: In the latest installment of our look at the presidential exit poll, we examine the marriage gap. Yes, there was a significant gender gap -- Obama won women by 11 points (55%-44%), while Romney won men by 7 points (52%-45%). But an even wider gap existed when it came to marriage. Sixty percent of the electorate identified themselves as being married, and Romney won that segment by 14 points, 56%-42%. But Obama won the 40% who aren’t married by nearly 30 points, 62%-35%. In fact, Obama won non-married women by a whopping 36 points, 67%-31%. What’s more, Romney won people married with children by 9 points, 54%-45%. To quote Beyonce, “All the single ladies, now put your hands up.”
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Ya know...it sure feels good to be on the right side of history!
and I love it when I wake up everyday and Barack Obama is our President!
President Obama campaigned on his commitment to extend permanently, the current tax cuts for 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses. And yesterday, the President re-stated unequivocably that he will NOT extend the Bush tax cuts.
The Senate has already passed a bill that freezes tax rates for folks making less than $250K a year. Now it falls to House Republicans to follow suit. Their failure to do so, will cause everyone's income tax rates to go up.
A balanced approach to revenues, creating certainty for ordinary Americans and small businesses in 2013, will grow our economy and create jobs. House GOP can show here how Congress makes critical, constructive, timely actions for the good of the People.
Creating jobs and growing our economy in the near-term is our top priority, regardless of the drama du jour. President Obama's tax plan has our majority support, and we expect Congress to ACT on it.
House GOP - Get It Done!
“If any bipartisan deal includes cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, or extends the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent,” Trumka pledged, “we will oppose it.”
You go, Dick!!!
Don’t give an inch on SS and Medicare!!!
I EARNED those benefits and the fact that both “trust” funds are going broke due to the country’s changing demographics shouldn’t force me to not get every penny of the benefits I’m ENTITLED to WITHOUT having to pay more in.
I’m not as worried about Medicare because the hospitals in the country would collapse if it goes broke and all their union employees would be on the unemployment line. I’m sure Dick would not let that happen.
I do worry about SS because in my retirement planning I make the assumption I will get nothing from it. That way everything I do end up getting from SS is “extra” partying money. As I said, I earned that benefit and I’m entitled to it. Party hearty.
Thanks for your support Dick.
HEY!!! It’s really fun being a lefty liberal, once you accept their definition of “shared sacrifice”: Somebody else needs to sacrifice so I get my share of the goodies.
Since everything else has gone up in the last 30 years why shouldn't tax rates for the millionaires go up? Also, what part of 60 % does Senator Paul Ryan the so-call Math Whiz not understand? I nearly fell over yesterday when Paul Ryan said the House of Representatives has a mandate because they won the House. No, that is not a mandate. 60% of the electorate voted, making their voices clear. 60% of Americans stand with President want the GOP/Tea Bangers to comply with President Obama's call for a tax hike for those who make more than $250,000.
Closing tax loop holes will not do it Speaker Boehnor. This your time to lead. If you think the fiscal Cliff is looming, just wait until 2014. You and your obstructive Caucus will all be on your asses.
The pundits have spoken. They are correct. They know why Obama won and Romney lost. It was demographics. It was bigotry. It was racism. It was party line voting. It was the economy, stupid. Or not. These pundits, these experts accidentally rub elbows with the great unwashed now and again and issue their proclamations. "Here's what the people think."
Really! Did Chuck Todd ask you about your personal views or are you just one of those numbers on his high-tech display? Did Sean Hannity share a meal with you at your local restaurant and ask your opinion? Rush Limbaugh? Al Sharpton? They sure as hell didn't ask me. Not one single pundit ever was able to tell me why I voted for President Obama. Not one.
I voted for President Obama because he is the American Dream. He is living, breathing proof that those traits, characteristics, and yes, intellect that we say we cherish is all you need to succeed.
His background was such that no one could have or would have predicted that this kid would become the President of the United States, even though we love to say this is possible. We say this with such frequency it might be classified as a mantra. In our hearts though, we don't really believe this. Yet, here is the proof that it can happen. Barack Obama, the President of the United States.
He is the son of what we would kindly describe as a rebellious young white American girl, and an irresponsible Kenyan father. At an early age, he is trundled off to a foreign country and raised in a Muslim-dominated culture. Somehow, he rises above all this and goes to college in California, which fortunately is much more open to diversity than many other states like his Mother's native Kansas. He ends up at an Ivy League School and enters the work force.
That little preceding paragraph can't begin to describe the confusion a little boy must have faced growing up. It can't describe how hard it must have been to find direction. It certainly isn't hard to imagine a child with a background like that winding up in a gang or serving time in prison. That didn't happen though. He rose above all that and became the President of the United States.
Certainly some voted for him because he has quite the tan. Surely some voted for him because he is a Democrat. Surely he received the votes of people who voted against Mitt Romney.
But many of us voted for him because he makes us proud. He is the validation of the values we hold dear. We know he is not perfect, but we know he is honest. We know he has integrity. We know he has heart. And now, we know he has steel. We suspected as much all along.
Now, we look for two years of either battle or compromise. Either way, my money is on President Obama. As his Vice-President would say, you just don't bet against someone like that. He is the American Dream.
President Obama is going to do what he said he would during the campaign. Work for the working class and Enlightened Americans. Conservatives can cling to their outdated conservative policies and continue to find disfavor with women, immigrants, and the youth.
Southern conservative may wish to secede, but that issue was resolved 160 years ago and they lost.
Last Sunday, Bill Kristol recommended that GOP extend the tax cut for 98% of Americans - and let taxes on the wealthiest income earners go back to Clinton rates.
Kristol: "It won't kill the country if Republicans raise taxes a little bit on millionaires.."
Let's hear it for Susan Rice as Secretary of State. The fact that McCain and Graham oppose her potential appointment says selecting Rice is a good choice. Kerry needs to stay in MA as there is no good reason to give up a perfectly good Senate seat. Kerry is more valuable as a Senator.
Chris, me, too!!!
Backhouse, David Walker, well said. Nothing like FR gremlins in the morning, hey, Ron?
Leave it to MSNBC to even "spin" a press conference..... "the first press conference since the election"..... Barry hasn't held a press conference in MONTHS.......
Chris, me, too!!!
Backhouse, David Walker, well said. Nothing like FR gremlins in the morning, hey, Ron?
I find the slicing and dicing by pundits to be amusing at best and annoying at worst. We are America, we are a "melting pot". It should come as no surprise that minorities live here and that they VOTE; it should come as no surprise that women care about equal pay for equal work and their reproductive rights and they VOTE. It does not matter who voted for whom and in what numbers: President Obama WON, democrats won more House seats and more Senate seats to retain the Senate Majority. The GOPTP took a shallacking.
Edit note: See what I mean....gremlins. They ate half of my #1.8 as bubblegum but put up some of it to confuse me.
I sure hope our President sticks by his guns and zap those taxes for the rich as well as Military spending that we need like a hole in the head. Let them all expire.
And all this hellabeloo about two horney Generals and their fossy girlfriends is just a waste of time. Who cares. Ohh, I forgot, it's Fox News only talking point now. I love it.
Here's what's remarkable. Red states get more "goodies" from the federal government than they pay in taxes. Why is that? They are the REAL TAKERS it seems. Perhaps when working the new budget they can change that inequity. And while they're at it send the blue states that get less than they pay in a little more.
Morning All!
At the meeting of Progressives and Labor yesterday, group leaders voiced support for President Obama's promise to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
The President has been unwavering on this issue.
Good 'ol patriotic Joe -
There seems to be a lot of "me's" and "my's" in your posts. If it's not about how successful you are, and how affluent you are, and how you figure thing's out no one else can, and what a victim you are because you're one of those hard-working white guys, now in 1.2 we see you're "entitled" to lots of money and privileges. I assume that means you were quite happy about the election results as all those giveaway programs the Democrats inaugurated will be protected for you.
Joe in Albany
Labor leaders should defend Medicare and Social Security. More and more often, employers seek to use people during their working lives and then bear no responsibility for their retirement costs. It's increasingly a throwaway work force in the eyes of the rich and powerful.
If we just taxed all incomes at the 15.3% tax rate, social security and medicare costs would be covered for the foreseeable future.
It will be interesting to hear Obama now that he isn't worried at all about re-election, something tells me he will be a little tougher in negotiations.
DCIA, you've got that right. I'm tired of having my Blue State wealth distributed to those takers, and their handlers like big oil and agri-business.
Kerry needs to stay in MA as there is no good reason to give up a perfectly good Senate seat. Kerry is more valuable as a Senator.
I Agree Ron.
The GOP clown car has finally ran out of gas. Thinking back at all of the clowns ejected one by one, It's kinda sad. The clown car stopped and everyone got out, but it's life is not yet over. it was last seen being pulled down the road by Rafalca, The fancy dancey prancey therapy horse, with Mitt and Queen Anne inside. It will be taken to an obscure location where in about three years a "NEW" casting for clowns will begin.
So, fear not liberal friends! More comedic relief is but a few years away!
CaliTom... only Fox News?... Really? You might as well lump ALL of the media outlets into this one because they are all talking about it? Funny how this is taking center stage instead of the true issues.
First of all, the cliff is something we're looking UP at not about to fall off of......We're in a hole, not on a precipice.
If we let all of the tax cuts expire and spending cuts stick, the cliff we're looking at is a steep slope upward toward fixing the deficit. $500B in the first year if we do that. Fiscal hawks/auterity hounds ought to LIKE that.
We (I think everyone) wants to lower the slope so our economy doesn't have to go into economic 1st gear to get up it. But, to be sure, if we left the cliff as it is, the Federal budget would be be better much more quickly.
Alternatively, we can lower the slope to a 10 year slope instead of a 1 year slope and we can go into 3rd or 4th gear, repair the economy, yetimprove the deficit situation
The analogy everybody is using about "falling off" sucks.
How about asking Mr. Obama about the concocted stories on Benghazi and what information he had, when he had it, what instructions were given to Susan Rice, why Mr. Obama kept referring to the video as the source of a spontaneous mob when the evidence showed otherwise, etc..., etc...
And how about asking him how his plan to raise taxes is going to stop deficit spending and result in reduction of the national debt? What specific spending cuts is he willing to agree to to get a deal done?
And how he expects to get Iran to comply and will that be more difficult given that one of the leaders of Hamas has now been killed?
No need to spend a lot of time on the Petraeus matter, all he is going to say about that is that he didn't know about it and it is being investigated.
RTFS -- Those red state governors like to brag how they balanced their budgets. Huh! Now we know how they do it, with a lot of help from the government and blue state tax dollars.
Just think, if California just got back what they put in. That would go a long way toward helping them balance their budget. It's time to rethink things.
No, maybe 60% of people that voted this cycle, but no where near 60% of Americans....sorry to burst your bubble.
The comments on here just amaze me. To all the liberals - what is wrong with the rich having achieved the American Dream already? Why are you so jealous of that - it is like you want to see them lose everything. News flash - the raise in taxes won't hurt them - it will hurt you. You were willing to give up everyday freedoms for the sake of getting back at the rich? Obama's whole campaign was based on negativity, name calling and attacking those that have actually "worked" and have something to show for it. Corporations will start pulling out of your states because of the tax increases. Companies will drop health care because they won't be able to afford it.
Obama has added 900 federal regulations recently - we will all be affected by those. You say that the Republicans won't work with Obama - however, during the election process - democrats were saying the same thing - that they would refuse to work with Romney.
We have in office now and for the next four years a regime that could possibly bring this nation to it's knees. Obama has bragged about decimating Al-Qaeda - and reducing the military - because they haven't asked for anything....we are now potentially sitting ducks for every crazy in the world.
All that I can say....be careful what you wish for.....
What a bunch of BS. Obama doesn't have to take responsibility for anything negative.
He will get a walk on this just like he does everything else.
Before this is over, it will be made perfectly clear that only the Republicans and/or Bush are solely responsible for anything negative.
God it must be great being Obama.
This is simply too funny ! Obama wins by a couple of points or so and liberals are ready to fall down on their knees and scream "Sieg Heil !!! "
Nowhere, and I repeat NOWHERE do we actually discuss the concept of cutting expenses to any significant degree. With Obama, it has been "my way or the highway". I wonder how long before Obama's arrogance will have him telling Boehner that he will have to sit in the back of the bus.
But the real kick in the crotch will be when Obama decides to simply let the "Bush tax cuts" expire on everyone ... since he is ultimately so fond of raising taxes, spending and redistributing. Obama doesn't care about the middle class .... Why do you think he put the "fiscal cliff" off until AFTER the elections ??? Now Obama can screw everyone and not have to worry about re-election ! SHAZAM ! When will the libs wake up to his real strategy ?
Now that the elctions are over, the U.S. citizens will be in for a whole bunch of surprises from Benghazi, sexual coverups of the CIA and now the fiscal cliff !!
BS -
A lot of baseless old petunias, on your part.
You are correct! They are. Point taken! Thank You!
SmBusiness...from John Mauldin investment newsletter:
"There is also no doubt the US monetary policy will remain under the control of Ben Bernanke, or those with similar biases, which implies a continuation of negative real rates with all the terribly bad side effects that they always bring. The combination of these budget and monetary policies should lead to a weaker dollar, slowing the wheels of global trade and raising the odds of another financial crisis erupting somewhere (if not everywhere). We are entering into a very dangerous world indeed."
Take that for what it's worth....
dksouthern, you summed up Albany Joe perfectly.
The only thing to add is that Albany likes to brag. I know and have known a good number of successful, wealthy people--the real ones do not spend their time bragging and touting their excellence, their wealth, their intelligence least of all do they spend time touting said accomplishments on a political blog site like FR. The ones I know like Joe are dreamers who talk big but that's all it is--big talk. In blunt terms, I don't believe a word he posts about himself.
Libs got what they asked for let them enjoy it.
Fiscal cliff ? bring it Obama wants it his way or the highway . well 50% of america doesn't agree with his way.
The danger
to America is not Barack
Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the
Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama
presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a
depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.
The problem
is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of
what ails America .
Blaming the
prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools
that made him their prince.
The
Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool.
It is less
likely to survive a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their
president."
found this on web. it pretty much sums it up don't it.
Mr. Obama do you agree with the Israeli strategy of eliminating the ability of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad, by striking their leaders and stockpiles, in advance of the anticipated attack on Iran? Will the US be coordinating with Israel when the attack on Iran is carried out?
Good job and good morning everybody. I would like to suggest that we stayed FOCUSED on the real issues facing this country and not the sad little soap opera being played out in Tampa and Charlotte. Wait for the reality show or the made-for-TV movie. The President has much more important things to deal with.
I want to take a moment here and go a little off-topic. I find the new Secession movement more than a little frightening. 152 years ago we fought a war to prevent the Secession of the Southern States over their FEAR that the newly elected President, Abraham Lincoln, would free the slaves. In this day and time it seems incredible to type those words. "Free the slaves". The release fellow human beings from bondage and inhumane conditions. And we had to go to war to do it.
Here we are, 152 years later, and the heir to Lincoln's legacy, Barack Obama, has been re-elected to a second term. NINE of the states of the old Confederacy as well as several states not involved in our national tragedy a century and a half ago have declared their interest in once again seceding from this union. And all because they FEAR that the President will impose "gun control" and that Obamacare is "socialism". Well, first of all, the President has never indicated that he plans to do anything about gun control. He didn't in his first term and it's doubtful he'll have TIME in his second term. There are more important matters to be dealt with. And Obamacare IS NOT socialized medicine in any form. It merely levels the playing field and insures AFFORDABLE health care for all Americans. It's a good thing and long overdue.
Folks, this new "secesh" movement frightens me because it indicates to me there are THOUSANDS of Americans who are crazy enough to do unthinkable things just because they can't have their way. They are scared that "traditional white America" to use Bill O'Reilly's phrase, is somehow threatened by our President and his goals and accomplishments. Despite the fact that polls show his programs reflect the opinions of the MAJORITY of AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS! WE ARE THE MAJORITY, they are a vocal, crazy and very scary MINORITY.
Crazy people do crazy things. Just look at the housewife who ran down her husband with her car because he didn't vote last week and the President won re-election. The Producers of FOX NEWS as well as Rush Limbaugh and all the other hate mongers on right wing radio should be named as co-defendants on the charges that woman is facing.
A frightened crazy person is capable of anything, even vehicular assault or secession or worse, assassination. Just how many of these crazy secessionist people would be willing to not only follow the path of the OLD SOUTH but would also be willing to don the boots of John Wilkes Booth?
Propagandists like FOX and Limbaugh and all the others FUEL the fears of those crazy people out there. THEY VALIDATE their craziness and turn their disappointment and discontent into disturbing actions. They tell these malcontents that they are the REAL Americans, the REAL patriots and fuel their craziness with their propaganda.
It scares me. It truly scares me to the core of my being that we appear to be walking down a path this nation trod 150+ years ago. A path that beings in irrational fear and madness and ends in destruction.
WE MUST DO SOMETHING about those who would use the public airwaves as vehicles to spread their propaganda.
This foolish secessionist movement is the just the tip of the iceberg. Mark my words, don't laugh these folks off, there are some hard core nuts out there who would do our President harm.
Keep up the good work everybody, it's important, because I believe we may be fighting for the very soul of America.
I see conservatives received their talking points again. Don't discuss why they lost, don't talk about current problems that need to be resolved but beat the dead horse of Benghazi. Here's a thought: Fast & Furious, the GOPers insisted Eric Holder, the DOJ, the White House were responsible; they held Holder in contempt but were made fools of by the witch hunters, they were as wrong about it as they are about Benghazi. That won't stop the GOPTP witch hunters from turning a tragedy into a political football, even if they will never score a tough down or field goal. There is no THERE, THERE. That truth is out there for anyone who doesn't live in that alternate universe known as Conspiracy-Theoryville.
Oh NOW we want to talk immagration?? These people only learn when the get hit upside the head with the truth! But didnt hear Dems talk about all 11 million people as a policy. They were more concerned about the "Dreamers" .... What's up with that??
BTW.. that was a terrible Beyonce qoute lol
fuzzy44...thanks for validating my point so concisely. Blame EVERYTHING negative on the other party.
I'm just curious, what would Obama have to do for you to see his action in even the slightest negative light?
That may be much too difficult a question, so let me ask you this: Obama and the Republicans voted together on the foreign trade act. The Democrats voted against Obama on foreign trade.
So who is the bad guy on this one? Obama, or the Democrats?
Skip, well said.
I would propose creating an additional tax bracket. The highest tax rate is 35% on marginal income over $388,350. There is a major difference between making $388k in some major cities and making millions.
I recommend leaving tax rates the same for everyone under $500k and creating an additional bracket at the "old" 39.5% rate.
Study: Red states more disposed to charitable giving than blue states
posted at 2:41 pm on August 20, 2012 by Erika Johnsen
According to a new survey of tax data by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, it appears that red states are much more prone to charitable donations than blue states — interesting, but not at all surprising when you think about it. Politico reports:
I'm always astounded by the degree to which people often accuse free enterprise of bringing out the worst aspects of humanity, such as 'greed' — but human 'greed' (which I personally prefer to call rational self-interest) is a fact of life, and only through government can people enforce their 'greedy' compulsions through fiat. In a free market, people's 'greed' can only survive when they provide products and services that other people freely want, rather than whatever it is the government deems is good for them.
Looking at it that way, the discrepancy between charitable giving between red states and blue states makes sense. Liberals tend to see the government as a force for good and as the means of distributing fairness, and therefore rely on the government more to do so — while conservatives are more about taking matters into their own hands. As the study's authors noted, "the reasons for the discrepancies among states, cities, neighborhoods are rooted in part in each area's political philosophy about the role of government versus charity," and in turn "religion has a big influence on giving patterns." People don't need government to motivate or force them to do good things, and it seems to me that putting your faith in something other than the power of the state can be a much more efficient and powerful motivator.
In short, it is statist liberals who personify the spirit of Scrooge, and it is the benevolent gentlemen entreating his personal participation in the lot of the poor that is righteous and good.
The checks are gonna stop commin and you are gonna eventually have to go to work.
Gay, illegal, welfare, disability don't work for ever ya know.
Wow, the President of the United States hasn't had a question thrown at him in over 5 months. I hope, hope, hope that the media finally asks Obama tough questions.
Obama will deny knowledge of the pleads for more security from US Ambassador Stevens and he will deny knowledge of the Petreaus fiasco. So my question is, why do we have a President?
I want to be the President because all I've seen him do is play golf, going on vacations, attending state dinners, attend meetings and nothing coming out of them.
Oh, sorry Elmo.
Jo Ann - you are right. When he actually answers a question...he skirts around it for 10 minutes - never really answering the question - then he conveniently runs out of time.
If I performed my job the way he does, has and will - I wouldn't have a job.
At some point - he will need to be held accountable....the problem is - in the meantime - my family and your family will pay for the decision the rest of the country has made.
You can educate ignorance, but you can't fix stupid!
President Obama is certainly far from perfection personified, but he is certainly more representative of the current makeup of the majority of the population and how it votes in the present. Demographics have changed and are interesting which are stated in the article. Romney lead among men and among families with children certainly to be honored, admired and highly valued. However Obama lead and then won the election among women, single people youth and minorities (as well as men and families with children..just not a lead). America is now more than simply a paternalistic society where paternalistic candidates clinging to that now past tense notion lose elections. Unless the Republican party is able to address and appeal to not only men and families with children but women, single people, minorities and youth they will continue to have their jaws drop open in disbelief as they lose election after election. It remains to be seen whether they will awaken to the fact in 4 years or whether they will turn further to the extreme right element thereby further ostracizing themselves from the American majority.
Mr. Obama, The Seniors and Disabled voted for you BECAUSE you promised to defend Social Security, Disability, medicare and medicaid. Now you want to stab Seniors and Disabled in the back. Mr. Obama should you decide to stab the Seniors and disabled in the back, come 2014 you will LOOSE total control in the HOUSE AND SENATE and be a do nothing has been President for your final 2 years.
Stop frightening the Seniors and Disabled, Stand up for Social Security and Disability, keep your Promises not to change, cut or end Social Security, Disability, Medicare and Medicaid.
Do it now!!!
Earl, I see what you are saying however "gay, illegal, welfare, disability" is not the manner in which President Obama was re elected it was via the majority of the popular vote and by the electoral college. Aside from that saying "the checks are gonna stop". Many of those on disability are veterans who have proudly served the country in the name of freedom and have become disabled. While not denying fraud exists in the disability system, there are certainly citizens who are genuniely disabled through illness. I don't think veterans disabled in combat or those who are genuinely to ill to work would or should have checks stopped. I haven't seen any statistics (as they don't exist) that gay citizens receive checks in the mail from the government. They earn livings, pay taxes and vote.
SSgirl -
American voters held President Obama accountable for his first term, and a clear electoral majority found he deserved another term.
Republicans clearly had their chance to make their case, and the American people decided against their argument.
You dont have to approve of the direction of the country or agree with Pres. Obama's policies, but to say he has not been held accountable is rubbish.
Claiming that those who voted for President Obama are 'stupid' or 'want free stuff' ignores the legitimacy of their beliefs and opinions and is symptomatic of Republican's inability to capture a more diverse electorate.
You're really close to the definition of compromise.
You just need to fix a few of the words. While people like you complain about giving and sharing, the country works best when everyone sacrifices a little and everyone has an equal share and an equal opportunity. Not because of their wealth or power or influence or bloodline, but because they are Americans.
now in 1.2 we see you're "entitled" to lots of money and privileges.
______________________________________
dksouthern: Apparently the sarcasm went in one ear and out the other with nothing in between to even slow it down a bit. Typical lefty liberal.
Life is good. Enjoy.
Even you, Jody.
Uhm, no, 60% of the electoral college votes went to President Obama, 50.55% of the popular vote (actual voters) went to President Obama. That means 50.55% of electorate voted, making their choice clear with President Obama, 49.55% of the electorate voted, making their choice clear wanting someone other than President Obama to lead this country in a different direction. The only thing this is a mandate on, is what everyone already knew, in order to win the election, you have to win the large cities.
TO: Backhouse who wrote:
Well, surely you are correct, but does the House of Representatives even work for the American People?
I don't think so.
That's why the House can't get anything done, because they're too busy making "side deals" with gangsters and special interest thugs to benefit them and their families personally while they use The People's House to do their dirty work.
Chris, I cannot agree with your being happy that Obama is still our president. I for one am not. I feel he will continue to bring this country to its knees financially. But one positive I see coming out of this past election is that the people of this country are tired of stagnation that exists in our government. This has been caused by the democrats being too far left and the republicans being too far right. Neither side has been willing to meet in the middle. The message the voters sent to Washington was for congress to begin working together. Obama's reelection was not a statement that people are happy with Obama and his policies because the votes were too close. If they wanted his policies, they would have elected a democratic house too.
What does this mean? Obama and the deocratic senate will have to depart from their socialistic agenda and move towards the middle. The republican house will have to move from its hard line conservative ideals to a more moderate position. Both sides sides must recognize that this country in in the cross hairs of financial failure. Urgent action is needed to get the uncontrolled spending of the government in line with the revenues. Any additional revenues, be they from higher taxes or closed loop holes, must be earmarked to reduce the debt and balance the budget. In return for the republican house to agree to the additional revenues, the president and senate must agree and understand that those revenues are to be used to balance the budget and reduce the debt. They cannot be used for additional spending programs.
The voters are fed up with government. If Obama and congress can't get it done this time, I predict the voters will make wholesale changes to both the house and senate in 2 years.
KIng K
Please refer to 9-12-12 report on Benghazi from Reuters correspondent Hadeel Al-Shalchi. An excerpt follows:
So, Finally some responsibilty, say it aint so. You mean the President has to be a leader? But he is a much better blamer. Ron Indiana - Wants a liar as our Sec of State. What a frickin joke. But she would fit right in as someone vastly underqualified for the job. God help us!
TNSEVOL: You are most certainly entitled to your beliefs - as am I. Have you ever watched Waller - or Jay-walking. When American citizens are asked simple questions related to this country or to their freedoms, or what the candidates stood for - they don't have a clue.
But single women voted because they might need an abortion one day, some voted because they might be at risk of losing their "free" stuff....or Obama gave them a free phone - if you haven't seen the video - google it - then you will understand my statement. Some voted because of religious beliefs, some voted because they actually believed all the name calling and bully tactics that were used. Some voted because their favorite rock star, rap artist or movie star told them how to vote - again...that wasn't just ignorance - but plain stupid.
When the government runs out of money and can no longer take care of abortions, pass out food stamps and welfare - maybe Bruce, JayZ, Beyonce, etc will pick up the tab....
But here is my question....will Obama ever take responsibilty for the 16 Trillion and counting deficit...will he ever answer questions about the four men that were killed...no...because people like you and the media will never hold him accountable.
If our country is attacked by Al-Qaeda - who by the way - is alive and well....will that be George's fault too?
Thanks Jody. I'm very concerned about this new incarnation of right wing hysteria.
WOW! Look at the new crop of right wing trolls!
Where did they all come from? Did they just fall off the goon wagon or did the usual suspects get a makeover?
The price of Freedom is indeed ETERNAL VIGILANCE!
TO THE BARRICADES!
It's a matter of taking personal responsibility. The "rich" and "all the liberals" are often the same people. The infrastructure that the rich used to make their money doesn't come free. The country is going deeply into debt to provide it and we can't keep on leaving this debt for future generations.
Beyond that, you are wrong about the rise in tax rates on the rich hurting the poor. Tax rates on the higher end have nothing to do with the country's prosperity or the employment rate.
It's well-known that Governor Romney swept the white vote. What is less well-known is that Obama beat him on the highly educated white vote. You might wish to take a look at this: http://www.progressivepolicy.org/2011/03/more-college-graduates-more-democratic-voters/
TO: Beverly in Chicago who wrote:
Oh Beverly you gave me the biggest tickle of the day!
If I had heard Lyin Paul Ryan say that, I probably would have fell over too!
Not to worry, he must have been reading from his useless "victory" speech and crossed out "White House" and replaced it with "House of Representatives".
Forward...
I agree geo. When some of the American people want a known liar in Susan Rice as Secretary of State than America is making a downward spiral. Our founding fathers are turning in their graves.
Susan Rice (the dumb one)
Condi Rice (the smart one)
Uhhh...Yea? Why do you think he is trying to raise taxes in areas that won't hurt the economy, cut costs and expenditures?
Have you been sleeping through the last two weeks? Your cluelessness is amazing.
Well I guess it's all good here. Let's bash on the Republicans. After all, politics really is simple in this country...In order to have a hero, you must first have a villan. Don't worry, your hero got in. I'm glad you wake up and are on the "right" side of history. I wonder how history will veiw what comes next in 2013 though. I wonder how histroy will view how fast America will fall.
I submit:
2013 The Affordable Health Care Act
Has anyone actually read what that part is or what the potential impact will be to business chains like grocery stores or department stores that don't offer health plans to keep costs down? Funny thing about modern Americans, we never read the fine print. I can't wait to see what comes next.
By the way, Redistibution of Wealth...that's a Marxist Ideal.
After 8 years of Obamanomics , at the end of his term Obama will continue blaming Bush for his failure, he will need 4 more years to fix the economy , thanks God the Constitution do not allowed a third term. However .I have no doubt we will hear form crazy liberals , we must change the constitution.
That's because your inherently incoherent assumption that people who actually take personal responsibility want "free stuff" is so far divorced from reality that you just sound inane, not sarcastic.
So, Republicans have a problem raising tax rates on the rich, but they don't have a problem closing loopholes that make the rich pay more?
Sounds like Republicans want to play games again.
Federal government workers have taken a pay freeze for 2 years....savings...$78 billion.
Letting the 2% payroll tax holiday expire for those making $110,000 or less......savings...$120 Billion/yr
Letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%.....savings....$823 Billion.
The Republican right-wingers think the savings from letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the top 2% as "a drop in the bucket" but the freeze in federal pay is worth every dime and the payroll tax holiday "should never had been done in the first place".
We know that Republicans hate the middle class. Now we have proof.
This study is inherently flawed as "giving to a church" is often not charity as is conventionally understood. For example, Utah leads in "charitable giving" but a significant part of the charitable giving was used to fight gay marriage in California.
Giving to a church is not necessarily the same as giving to the poor, especially in the South, where churches take an active role in political causes. Your conclusions are invalid.
Could you explain how he "continues" to bring this country to its knees financially? Because by every reasonable objective measure, he's saved this country financially. Corporate profits, deficit reduction, tax reduction, unemployment, employment, GDP increases, pick one.
And yet, Condi Rice supported the administration's account of what went on in Libya. So who is smart and who is dumb again?
<<<< White House Press Secretary Jay Carney made clear that the president is sticking by his original budget plan, which includes $1.6 trillion in new revenue, by raising taxes on households making more than $250,000>>>
$ 250,000 is $ 750,000 far from be a rich , a millionaire. Obama is attacking the core of the meddle class and small business owners.
This is for Skip in OK. Your whole post is predicated on the assumption that the civil war was actually fought over slavery. It wasn't. It was fought over STATES' RIGHTS. Then, as now, ONLY the very rich could afford to own slaves, and within a couple of decades even THEY would have been better off investing in Machines.
My father was born and raised in AL, in 1920, and his grandfather and all of his grandfather's brothers fought for ALABAMA, not for slaves. One uncle resigned from WEST POINT, a few weeks shy of graduation, for ALABAMA, not for Slavery.
Slavery was a SICK practice. SO was 'indentured service', which was little better, and heavily practiced in the NORTH. So was child LABOR, in the factories of the north. But you didn't see Julia Ward Howe writing songs about THOSE wrongs. My dad's grandfather was a country doctor (back in the days where you became a doctor by 'apprenticing' with another one) and he treated ALL the residents in his town without regard for race or color. His 'maiden aunt' sister (and to be frank, she was PLUG ugly!) who kept house for him rounded up all the kids in town, and taught them their letters and numbers. And yes, that was ALL the kids.
So 'STICK' your "the civil war was fought over slavery.'' It was fought because ONE part of the country wanted to be able to tell another part how they could live. EVEN Lincoln hesitated to free the slaves, and it is NO accident that he freed the ones in the SOUTH in the hopes that they would fight with the union.
FEW did.
I haven't read enough to know why various states are talking about pulling out of the Union now. But do NOT equate it to the Civil War, unless you equate it to states' NOT liking the FEDS running rough-shod over their state.
Let me ask all in favor or Obamacare what you think about this. In 2014 some 32 million people without healthcare will now be taxed so to speak $700. With that $700 are they provided health care? As well since that new $700 will supposedly be used to support Obamacare, do you favor a government funded system competing in the private market? I mean seriously do any of you own a company and feel it is fair that tax payers money could be used to compete in the same market you are in? Just curious how others feel and if they have more information on the subject.
Thanks
Call millionaire to a household or small business that make $ 250,000 or more is a lie. Simple math.
Wow Petraeus Sex Scandal and Fiscal cliff? Man they are pulling out all the distractions & disinformation "Smoke & Mirrors they can to Protect Obama from Benghazi-Gate!
The story "isn't" that BetrayUS betrayed his Vows & Oath to US....It is the "Information" his "Squeeze" squeezed out of him with "Pillow Talk"!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/12/paula-broadwell-benghazi-attack-petraeus/1699207/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/11/12/why-did-paula-broadwell-think-the-cia-had-taken-prisoners-in-benghazi/
And around & around the "Top" spins but the Obomination just can't cover-up their BS fast enough!
Now "Magically" right after the "Election out come the Obama "Democratic Attack Dogs" spewing their vial nastiness and spinning around like tops trying to tell everyone "It's Old News.... No Story Here...Move it on....Move it on folks!
Anyone remember "Obama Biden & Clinton" Posing for a Publicity Photo Shoot over the "Dead Bodies" of Ambassador Stevens and his three hapless "Protectors"?
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-09-14/news/33848960_1_security-forces-president-obama-transport-plane
Imagine being Dragged through the streets and Murdered (or worse) merely to insure Broken Promises Barry's Re-Election....
You Democrats might not "like it" but that is what appears to have happened and if it was "possible" for you to be honest with yourselves you'd admit it! So is ANY THING AND EVERYTHING OK SO LONG AS OBAMA DOES IT?
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/the-benghazi-drip-drip-drip/
Come on Paula you got nothing left to lose "they've" already forever "Branded" you a "Slut and a Whore" so it is time to start spilling the "Good Stuff"! Don't wait for Congress get it on the "Record" BEFORE the "Accident"!
It might even save your life and keep your name off of the "Obama Kill List"....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7W0PONlcI8
Watergate (Where No One was actually MURDERED) brought down Richard Nixon after he won a second term.....We can only hope Barrack Obama has as much "Honor" as Nixon and resigns over Benghazi-Gate!
But sadly "Everyone knows Broken Promises To US Barry has NO HONOR and willing to stop at nothing!
Impeach Obama 2012!
"We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them." ~George Orwell, 1984
Think about -- For decades people with insurance have been "taxed" $1000 to pay for those without insurance.
As it stands now the for profit hospitals and insurance outfits are consolidating, price fixing and up-coding to rip off the tax payer.
What would you do if a non-profit came out and competed with the for profits?
Erika Johnsen provided the biggest howler I've seen in awhile: "People don't need government to motivate or force them to do good things."
The fiscal cliff wouldn't exist if government regulations hadn't been subverted or exploited by rapacious mortgage lenders.
Sorry, but James Madison--a Democrat--had it right: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
Dont_carry_it_all says->
Really? Maybe if California stopped spending $21.6 billion a year on illegals, they may have a balanced budget. Maybe, just maybe, the local State and Federal governments will look in that check register and see that you can't spend what you don't have! Red State or Blue State, is irrelevant! The government is clearly spending more than they are taking in! In business when this occurs, you make cuts! Talk about corporate American bleeding us? LMFAO, YOUR GOVERNMENT IS BLEEDING YOU!
So now the hypocrites are ready to do something about immigration, after they thought they had the Latina vote....aren't the funny!! LOL
On the rest of this, a poll is already out that shows if there is no compromise on this so-called 'fiscal-cliff," 53% will be the republican congresses fault, while blame to the President will only be 27%. Isn't this the way it's always been, the republican congress holding up most EVERYTHING the President has tried to do!
David Walker....AMEN........All those hundreds of millions spent by those millionaire repubs....all the voter suppression laws put in place by the corporations and millionaires that repubs put in place, all the voter fraud republicans were caught doing, add in the republican Romney ever changing daily plan....could not push the nation off the republican cliff of giving more welfare to the rich . The nation has been giving welfare to the rich in unequalled amounts since Reagan started his trickle on "VOODOO economics.......All these forces brought down on the nation before elections...and the nation has spoken.
Chucky Todd...get with the reality of what was said....and said by the majority of Americans.....We are the middle class and poor, and rich with a conscience, who hold America together......Rt wingers pull America apart for their own greed and for their own religious aspirations.
President Obama has a job to do, and that is the one of making all men created equal...no matter how much money you have...you only have one vote........Down with Citizens United, Grover Norquist, and those republicons who pledged against America 4 years ago.
Jerry-- For every dollar California sends to the federal government they get 79 cents back. You should worry about the states that take much more assistance then they pay in taxes.
The other big problem we have is the tax avoidance laws written into our tax code which are bought and paid for by the rich and business through lobbyists. Why is it the NFL, NHL and PGA pay no taxes yet take in billions in profits? Perhaps if more were made to pay something the U.S. could begin to tackle the debt.
Focus your efforts on cleaning up the tax code first. That's a start.
Let the Fiscal Cliff explode. I don't mind paying a little extra to see Liberals squirm.
To all of you who voted to re-elect the president, I am glad you got your wish and I pray for the sake of us all that it doesn't come back to bite you in the a$$. Over the next 4 years look to see your taxes and fees expand, your income to decrease, and a further shrinking of the economy. In order to make good on his promises for social security and medicare the money will have to come from somewhere and that somewhere will be everyone's pocket not just the top 2%. The apparatus that funds social security and medicare depends on a general increase in younger workers to pay the bill for those aging into these benefits. Right now that demographic (younger workers) is not growing at a sufficient rate to offset the baby boomers entering retirement. It will take a generational swing to change it without increasing premiums or taxes, something I am quite sure that the president nor the democratic party is capable of achieving on their own. There is still no budget in place nor is it likely that one will be passed by both house and senate anytime soon as the spending requirements set forth by the president and democrats are unsustainable in the short term as well as the long. The president is seeking 1.2 trillion in new revenues, funny how that would still leave us with about a 300 billion dollar deficit. Even if he were to achieve these revenues, do to the previous history of democratic spending practices, the deficit would soon be approaching one trillion again and our national debt will still continue to climb. While pursuing green energy technologies is a worthy pursuit, the money invested today will unlikely bear fruit for another 10 years until infrastructure, attitudes, and science changes. We cannot continue to throw trillions at problems and hope they go away. We need a sound energy policy that maps the way in detail from our dependence on oil to dependence and abundant supply of green energy. This has been sorely lacking in the president's vision for America and apparently continues to be the case. Immigration is a double edged problem that he has also failed to properly address. His "Dream Act" was hopelessly one sided and designed to do nothing but win him votes. Forgiving law breakers is not wisdom it is folly as it will only encourage more of the same behavior that brought us to this point. Yet immigration is important to the growth of our economy as there is a genuine need for skill sets that Americans fail to pursue. Education can play a role in easing that need but in it's current form will not succeed. Again throwing more money at the problem does not solve the problem in a broken system, it only perpetuates the same old abuses. It is pointless to send every child to college, if they all choose degree programs that are easy grades. There are only so many jobs for sociology and psychology majors to be had, there are only so many jobs for I T professionals or language majors. We need to have incentives in place to encourage a broadening of our educational backgrounds that is more in line with the needs of business. In a free market, unhampered by governmental interference, the incentives come in the form of compensation for those positions that are in need. That is why Doctors are able to charge what they do and hospitals pay nurses premiums to retain them. It is also why garbage men make higher wages than the folks that run most offices. If we are to survive as a viable nation and economic power, we need to use our resources wisely because like oil they are severely limited. When we spend a dollar we need to understand what we are spending it on, why we are spending it and be able to accurately project the impact it will have. The last 4 years have shown us that these thoughts have not been followed through by this administration. Health Care is a glaring testament to this short coming. The money being spent is not having the desired stated result nor in its current form will it. Covering more people will cost more, it is a simple fact. Someone will have to pay the bill, but it will not be the lower and lower middle income people paying their way it will be the middle class once again. The upper class will be affected a bit, but the amount they are affected is severely limited. They have the means of mobility that most of us lack and as is happening right now in France, if the burdens become too ridiculous they will just relocate to a more friendly tax structure and the wealth of America will migrate elsewhere. Government control is not the answer and never really has been. The failed experiments in communism around the globe are stunning examples of this. In order for a government to exercise the proper amount of control to achieve any desired result, people have to forgo any control or freedoms of choice they posses. Once that takes place, corruption of the system grows until all power is abused in favor of the few in control and the rest starve. Government's role is to moderate not control, it is to support freedom, not repress it. Our government is supposed to act on the will of the people, not on the will of one man who cannot find a way to win support for his ideas. Many democrats or liberals will point to the grid lock of the last 4 years and say that conservatives kept the president and democrats from doing great things. While there is some truth in these assertions, I applaud the conservatives in congress for keeping a check on runaway funding of unsustainable programs that were not mandated as government responsibilities. Someone must stand up and say the emperor is naked at some point, that the edge of the abyss is near or soon the whole herd will head off the cliff into the abyss without realizing they are falling to their deaths. Our ideas and Ideals differ from one to another as our experiences dictate. In our current course those experiences are becoming to narrow and as economic problems continue to get worse the variety of them will shrink down to survival only and the herd will only want to follow someone that tells them what they want to hear, someone that calms their fears.
Not a millionaire, but far, far more than I make and I do okay. If I made that kind of money, after taxes, I would still have no financial worries.
Hey Democrat only and Republican only extremist Ding Dongs!
Don't we have Jill Kelley to thank for blowing the lid off of everything, including herself?
She's 37. And she gets this life where she gets to f*ck with all these high ranking generals. And call in favors for her compulsively lying sister? When do I get my shot at all this BS?
Reminds me of Lindsey Lohan. Apparently, if you are a big enough assh*le, you get to make all sorts of money and become all sorts of famous. Is that all I have to do? Turn myself into a total man whore?
DUDE, let's get ON WITH IT AMERICA! If our role-models are having extra marital affairs, we ALL NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST 4. Because, then we'd be setting the moral compass back for those politicians....compared to us, they'd be saints!
DO AMERICA A FAVOR. CHEAT ON YOUR SPOUSE. AT LEAST 4 TIMES! And make sure you are pompous enough to pretend you are a Bible thumping Christian while you are at it. Sorry there, meant Manifesto thumping for Democrats and Koran thumping for Republicans....
@ fielden (post 1.68)
Condi said last month that reports have to be completed. She never 100% supported the WH's account.
This was posted today:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/condi-rice-breaks-down-benghazi-attack-something-doesnt-seem-quite-right-to-me/
Joe In Albany ref your post at 1.2: You ARE the problem with this country. So entitled aren't you.
Letting the Bush tax cuts expire on the top earners will raise about 80 billion a year in additional revenue. A mere drop in the bucket when you are running 1.2 trillion dollar deficits, and not even a remotely serious attempt to get our fiscal house in order. Obama is picking on the top earners because that is an easy sale to the rest of the people that remain unaffected by it. This like everything else they do in Washington is all about political gamesmanship rather then actually solving anything. Meanwhile the next fiscal showdown will be when Harry Reid asks Congress to raise the debt ceiling to just under 20 trillion. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad to realize that even another debt ceiling increase of that magnitude will not be enough to get us through Obama's second term. Term limits for Congress, total tax reform, and a balanced budget amendment is what is needed to have a shot at saving this country.
Just let the evil Bush tax cuts expire... The two unpaid wars are going to end and the unpaid for drug plan is now a part of that awesome and totally paid for Obamacare.
Just let the cuts that middle and lower class American taxpayers had no benifit from expire. Afterall why would somebody on welfare deserve a 5K check every year for an EITC? The great Bill Clinton/Newt Gingrich duo didn't want that when they designed their forcasted surplus. George Bush was only for the rich.
Expire already.
First act of last term is the purging of top intelligence and military officers. Notice the Middle East connection there is with Petraeus? Secession is only a small act of defiance. When they bring Foreign troops on this shore to enforce gun ban, better head for the hills. There is no clue on fiscal problem, evident by the last 50 years.
Excellent post, skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City (1.34)
You are 100% correct.
Ricky...soooo...just keep taking from the middle class and poor is your answer then.....Oh...those poor rich folk...they shouldn't have to pay their fair share....why should they, ? They haven't the last 30 years......They were the only ones getting ahead all the years....so why should they now.?...BOO>>>>HOOO!
The people voted against taking away the capital gains taxes on the rich..Romney ..for a reason..How much more greed? How much more? ..........Most of the profits the last 30 years went to the top 2 and 1 %.......You don't give a damn about using any facts...you just want to complain because you lost the elections....!
Drill, unpaid wars? We didn't pay for bullets and tanks? LOL They weren't in passed budgets but they were put through like many other things..... in supplementals. And in the department of defense budget totals.
One war is basically over and we are still running well over a trillion dollar deficits. The tax on the "rich", which includes about 1 million businesses, doesn't even cover 5% of the spending deficit. Makes me wonder when someone spends 99% of their time lobbying for a solution to a problem, but that solution doesn't even cover 5% of the problem they are trying to fix.
Why does no one mention the taxes in Obamacare.... around 400 Billion over ten years. Maybe because 75% of that burden falls on ALL income levels BELOW $250K.
If our economy grew at 4% instead of 2%, it would put 5 Trillion in revenues over 10 years. Growing is the only way to get the revenue we need. I'm sure the philosophy of taking more money from the top 1 million small businesses will make them expand.
What do you think they are trying to do?! I'm so tired of this ridiculous response: "Oh yeah? Well Red states have higher entitlement spending. So what are Repulicans complaining about?" They are complaining about the high levels of entitlement spending. And, if they are willing to address this concern even though the red states have higher entitlements, then maybe Democrats should quit their incessant whining about it and get on board.
I think they could fight their way out.
starsailing, apparently BO thinks the poor and middle class should pay more as the majority (about 75%) of his 20-something new taxes imposed in Obamacare comes from there. If he truly doesn't want the low and middle class paying more why do you think he put those new taxes in? He wants EVERYONE to pay more taxes to feed govt spending or he wouldn't have put those in. And you NEVER hear the main stream media talk about the new Obamacare taxes.
ATC.... Obamacare is free. We don't pay for it, the government does. Ask any Obama voter.
Get your facts strait.
And yes those wars happened because Dick Chenny and Carl Rove lied to all the senators and congressmen of little black kids in the inner city and then sent them off to war.
Thank god Dodd/Frank passed to fix all the problems that put us in this situation in the first place. I mean Bush signing that housing bill written by democrats... he should have known better.
Friggen Repukes do this all the time. They don't like old people or kids... And they hate woman even more. They proved it by trying to ban all birth control forever. And that whole fracking thing don't even get me started with that new untested technology.... they have only drilled one million wells like that and have only 50 years of data. That is hardly enough time to test for the true effects. I seen on TV where this one guys kitchen sink had flames coming from it. We must stop.
Thanks to allah we have Obama in office to protect us from the evil GOP. He's so dreamy
Sad, many people do not really get it. The raise in tax rates will be for those that make more than $250,000 (well if they are married, $200,000 if single).
It's NOT the millionaires.. it's not just the top 2%. Employers are already cutting jobs, let's just cut more?
As for the millionaires, they pay taxes on the assets. They pay payroll taxes. They pay the matching funds that go towards Social Security and Unemployment...
They will protect their bottom line, and they WILL take what ever legal steps they can to protect their investments. Just as everyone else in this world would.
I do recall Obama saying that the FIRST thing he was going to do was close the IRS loopholes (wouldn't identify them)... just another campaign promises.
Desn't matter dec 21rst 2012 is almost here LOL!
Dodd/Frank does nothing to regulate derivatives or do anything to put the reins on Fannie/Freddie. Those are 2 of the biggest contributors to why the real estate market blew up, thus causing the derivatives to also blow up and cause massive credit default swap payouts to people that actually saw it coming.
Community Reinvestment Act also played a role, although how big is arguable.
Banning birth control?? I have never seen anyone put forth any policy for that.
The flames coming from the sink is gas that occurs naturally in lots of wells. My grandmother had that long before fracking was ever started. They actually put in a seperate reliefe valve for that.
lol, taxes is NOT the problem... GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is lowest is have been in decades... we are not producing, and people are not earnings.
When you have people workings and health business activity, the revenue is increased just thanks to the number of people paying into the IRS.
This is why people don't get that Socialistic practices fail... when you try to balance out the results, people are less driven, so you end up with an imbalance of poor and wealthy, giving the wealthy the upper hand, since they can pay $1000 to save $1 million.
And make no mistake, right now, they are working on ways to move their money into tax shelters. Be they charitable donations, 401k style investment portfolios, Angel Investments or just simply purchasing land in other countries and calling them home (since they don't tax nearly as much).
The taxes that will be gained from the rich will not be enough to run the Government for more than one week..But it will push these jobs out of our Country... You people have to wake up.. Its one more way to bankrupt our great Country.. Jobs are shutting down daily.. Each and everyone of you should have gone to the movie 2016, obama's America... But no you just want to blab and not educate yourselves.
He wants 1.6 trillion more to push us into bankruptcy faster. We are losing folks and you are blind. The GOP wants to stop the spending and you think we can continue printing money like there is no tomorrow.
Education people.. You have to study. ECONOMICS...
ATC that is simple untrue.
Rich people are the enemy.... We must take steps to make them unrich so the middle class that works for the rich people have a fair chance at becoming rich themselves.
@ backhouse,
Explain to me how 97% of small businesses will see a tax break. As an owner of a small business, S Corp. our Net Income after tax will go down, all things being equal because of the tax increase the Democrats are proposing on our business. This will leave less profit to grow inventory, CAPEX purchases, hire workers and give raises. I guess that is your mandate, to reinvest our profits to further grow the company (which didn't lay off a single person during the recession because of the reinvesting).
But I still can't figure out where you get your 97% of small business will see a tax break. Unless you are stating that 97% of all small business owners, when combining their wages with the business profits net less than $250,000. If that is true, then one could assume that since small business accounts for nearly 100% of job creation, that creation must be with the 3% of small business negatively effected by the tax increase.
SSGirl said:
There is nothing wrong with achieving the American Dream - regardless of one's wealth or lack thereof. We all want that Dream. We libs are not jealous at all. We don't want millionaires to lose their riches - where did you get that idea? We just want the wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes. And FYI, if we go off the so-called fiscal cliff, it won't be a "raise in taxes". It will be the expiration of the 10-year tax cut we've ALL been enjoying. And for your information, it will NOT hurt me as you assume, and I make less than $35K a year. These tax cuts need to expire so that America can start digging out of the hole we are in and begin paying our debts.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been extensions of the Federal Government for years. They have been that way since the Government got into the "guaranteed student loans" business...
You don't honestly expect them to regulate themselves, do you?
And yes, they were are the heart.. but all thanks to President Bill Clinton and his FHA guaranteed loans. Forcing banks to right loans for people that would not pass typical loans, promising that the Fed would "buy back" any that failed, via Freddie and Fannie... just like they did with the Student Loans.
And the removal of Glass-Stegall Act did more to create the issue... since it removed restrictions from banks.. also thanks to President Clinton.
It's also why I laugh when people talk about ACA. When Clinton was President, people actually praised these changes, but it took 6 years after his term ended, before the full effects could be seen.
Make no mistake, the FHA and mandate to banks WAS the cause of the financial crisis, and both go back to Clinton... NOT BUSH... but people are too busy hating the GOP and loving the media spin...
I notice people who make little or no money benefit greatly on tax day. Some receiving over 10,000 dollars back from government. Deductions, credits, dependents, and other benefits to poor. I don't have a problem with them not paying taxes. I do have a problem with them getting large checks, which are not warranted. You also do not have to be a citizen to receive many of these tax benefits. Go ahead legalize another 20 million like Reagen did and watch the deficit balloon. I won't mention SSI or a lot of other programs on the books.
MOmaid,
You are mistaken, wrong, and without an historical leg to stand on. Please read some actual history and NOT the monthly memorandums sent you by the SONS OF THE SOUTH organization.
The euphemism "state's rights" is used by some to mask the real cause of the Civil War. The only "state's right" the South was fighting to preserve was the practice of slavery. There is nothing else mentioned in their platform. It's all about the slavery issue.
If you knew and understood your own history you would know that throughout the 1850's the single greatest legislative issue facing the country was the question of slavery. Laws were passed to ensure that the balance between slave states and free states was maintained so the abolitionist north could not legislate the freedom of the black captives held by their "owners" in the south. This led to bloody fighting between Kansas and Missouri in the years just prior to the Civil War over whether Kansas would enter the union as a free state or a slave state.
In 1860 it appeared inevitable that the Democrats were going to nominate an Abolitionist candidate, Stephen Douglas at their national convention. In protest the entire southern delegation withdrew from the convention and held their own convention in Charleston, South Carolina. There they drew up their own platform which protected the peculiar institution of slavery as a state's right. The only one of concern to them and their constituents. The Southern democrats nominated their own candidate for the Presidency and when the polls opened for the 1860 Presidential election there were more than two candidates for the office on the ballot. Without the split in the democrat party Douglas would have won. Instead, Lincoln, a "black republican" was elected and shortly after he took the oath of office in 1861, North Carolina seceded from the union and fired on the American flag at Fort Sumpter in Charleston harbor.
The rest of the Southern states quickly followed North Carolina's example and formed the Confederacy. Texas was the last to secede. Sam Houston did everything in his considerable power to prevent Texas from joining the Confederacy and leaving the Union. But in the end his efforts were in vain.
The issue that caused the Southern democrats to reject Stephen Douglas and to leave the Union was SLAVERY. That was the only "state's right" issue they were concerned about. The South remained staunchly democrat until the 1960's when the Southern Senators with the help of Northern democrats passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Almost over night the south became a loyal bastion for the GOP. Again, just as in 1860, the issue was EQUAL RIGHTS for blacks.
Please cancel your membership in the SONS OF THE SOUTH organization and stop listening to Rush Limbaugh and FOX news.
And until you educate yourself please stop demonstrating your ignorance on this board.
I strongly suggest Bruce Catton's Pulitzer Prize winning three volume history of the American Civil War or at least the first volume that deals with the politics and the run-up to the war. That way you won't continue to embarass yourself in public.
Smlfry, they top 10% of wage earners already pay more (individually) than most posters here combined.
The typically pay into the system, per year, more than most here will see in their lifetime..
THEY ARE PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE!!
Those making above $250,000 pay at a rate more than double those below. They also pay taxes on the assets (separate from income tax). They also pay payroll taxes, investment taxes, business taxes...
They pay taxes quarterly based on everything in their lives. So see the big picture, they are paying through the nose to the Federal Government...
Then they repeat 95% of those taxes to the States... yes, that's right, when they pay $1 million in Federal Taxes, they also pay nearly the same amount to the State's they do business... ALL OF THEM!!
But they don't sell you that... and they don't list the number of "donations" to key charities... charities that would fold without those donations, like the March of Dimes, MDA, HeadStart..
But make them pay their fair share??? If they were to balance it out, so everyone paid their fair share, they would pay LESS, not more...
To archangel regarding your post #1.81:
Were you ever taught in school to write in paragraphs?? If you are serious about getting your points across, try making your post more readable by breaking your single paragraph novel up into multiple paragraphs. People will be more willing to read it. I myself will not bother reading a one-paragraph mini-novel. It is too hard to read.
As I've said before the "Real Story" isn't the "Affair".... The "Scandal" is what Paula Broadwell claims to have happened in Benghazi (the CIA's Secret & Illegal Prison) and what Obama knew about it beforehand.
If I was her "Dad" I'd be in fear for her life.......Accidents happen with amazing regularity whenever the "CIA" is involved!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83750.html
Since a lot of you do not seem to have "Educated" yourself on this "Subject" before posting your nonsense please allow me to assist in "your" research....
http://www.digtriad.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1966903720001
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2012/nov/13/general-petraeus-and-other-naked-body/
It's all about Benghazi-Gate and how "The Corporate Media / FBI" covered up these "Crimes Against America" before the Election to apparently benefit Obama's Re-Election Campaign!
http://news.lalate.com/2012/11/12/paula-broadwell-david-petraeus-being-used-for-cia-benghazi-cover-up/
Now even the British "Corporate Media" is trying to "Blow Smoke" for Obama! Isn't it "Funny how the UN Globalist love Obama?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231203/Barack-Obama-David-Petraeus-Was-relationship-discovered-FBI-months-ago-hushed-election.html
Sorry but "No Amount" of "No Story Here Folks, Move it on Move it on" Corporate Posters are going to cause this "Scandal" to go away so....Impeach Barrack Obama 2012....At least Richard Nixon had the Honor to Resign!
"The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history." ~ George Orwell
Jean this is not about jobs remember Obama make a joke about shovel ready jobs. , this is about an Ideology a socialist ideology driven by the fer left who are taking hostage the Democrat party. This is about class warfare, the proletariat against the oligarchy , this is the Obama revolution. The problem is that the path is taking Obama is the same path that is destroying the economies in Europe, where in Spain the unemployment is 22% and the rich are been beating with higher taxes. France elect Hollande a socialist president , he receive congratulations from his American counterpart, France after 6 months is even worst. Socialism is a failure and we are going to fail.
Drill ... Dodd/Frank deals with financial institutions. There isn't one sentence in it about derivatives trading or Fannie/Freddie. Regulations on trading should originate with the CFTC.
This was in fact tried in 1996 when the CFTC did in fact try to regulate the transparency of derivatives. Spearheaded by one Brooksley Born who had 20 years in the industry and was the head of the department. It was killed in Senate committee testimony by Larry Summers, Robert Rubin and the SEC chairman. Those are all Democrats if you were wondering.
F/F was also pushed for regulation in 2004-2005 and was killed in the Senate by filibuster. That was from democrats also, including then Senator Obama. You are blaming the wrong party as both tries at regulation was killed by democrats.
Prove it Byron with facts dude, your a flat out LIAR, and I support gay marriage and have for over 2 decades. You just make it up as need be. Pants on fire Byron!
Businesses have been complaining about paying workers and taxes since they have been in existence. It took strikes to get them to provide decent wages, a safe work place, child labor laws and proper work hours.
So why should we believe them now?
President Obama campaigned on his commitment to extend permanently, the current tax cuts for 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses. And yesterday, the President re-stated unequivocably that he will NOT extend the Bush tax cuts.
The Senate has already passed a bill that freezes tax rates for folks making less than $250K a year. Now it falls to House Republicans to follow suit. Their failure to do so, will cause everyone's income tax rates to go up.
A balanced approach to revenues, creating certainty for ordinary Americans and small businesses in 2013, will grow our economy and create jobs. House GOP can show here how Congress makes critical, constructive, timely actions for the good of the People.
Creating jobs and growing our economy in the near-term is our top priority, regardless of the drama du jour. President Obama's tax plan has our majority support, and we expect Congress to ACT on it.
House GOP - Get It Done!
God has a master plan for ALL AMERICAN'S to prosper...I can prove it...Put me up against the top ten guru's (Affilliate Marketers) and or (financial experts) I'll sell them on this fool safe, completely new, one and only master plan...I can say this because I know it to be fact., a God given fact....
What stands out the most in this phrase? UNITED states of america...UNITED right.That is why God has called upon us as a nation to carry out His Master Plan For THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...I Have that master plan that will do EXACTLY as described below.They laughed at Noah, they laughed at Moses..Now they are laughing at me... LOL
That's right LOL GOD's ( LABORS OF LOVE ) It's real and coming to a city near you......AMEN
Dream Big, God does have a master plan for America. Welfare eliminated ,our children futures secured with a Social Security reserve bigger then ever. Healthcare, College For Everyone, trust funds, retail discounts. COST TO U .S. GOV.. Zero-nada-zilch.. All required services and products will be given by other Americans who believe in change.All this possible through LOL..(.LABORs OF LOVE)
This is no mistake,God is calling on you today.Will you deny your Father?NO ONE has ever heard of God's Master Plan for America.Launch Date depending on President.Contact your Pres.demand Change.Change that has already begun within the heart of man...Word for the day; FREEDOM PASS IT ON...Wake up America.......
This President has always looked out for all Americans. Just so.
Oh really, even the Americans he sued when they tried to protect themselves from the illegals?
It amazes me... the very tax cuts that demos say got us into this mess are very tax cuts the demos are defending now. Raising the taxes on the wealth will be minor for the debt issue other than a feel good moment for some. Let's pat everyone on the back.. Hear! Hear!
Obama will be taxing all of us more to pay for the out of control spending binge we have been on for the past 40 years. How else is he going to pay for this newly imposed spending monster called Obamacare. It's already costed me lots and sure to cost more.
Let's keep spending like there's no tomorrow. Let's put million more on the government dime. At least we will get one more party. Obama's fiscal cliff is coming. And we have to thank all Demos and Repubs for this great mess.
You don't get it Bob. Everyone knows taxing the rich into oblivion won't make a dent in the problem, especially long term. This is all about GREED for political power. Obama and the Dems will tax the rich, but just enough to look like they're doing something. They will keep spending and expanding entitlements to get votes. They even said as much:
Emboldened by their victories in Senate races from Massachusetts to Montana, and encouraged by their pickup of eight House seats, newly elected and returning Democratic members of Congress said Tuesday they won by focusing on protecting and expanding entitlements and by calling for higher taxes on upper-income people.
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/14/15143389-democrats-return-to-washington-emboldened-by-election-wins?lite
They won't be able to tax the rich too much, because there are a lot of filthy-rich evil people who are Democrats, like Clinton, Kerry, Pelosi, Gore, etc.
In the end, we are all going to pay.
HEY JOE! I'm comin' over later in my bus- got njnb with me, but I'm drivin' and she's gotta sit in the back.
You just make sure my cheeseburger's ready when I get there, SON. You KNOW you don't wanna p*** me off.
Now that Barack Obama has secured another four years in the White House, his next task is deciding what he is going to accomplish while he is there. The list of possibilities is long; here are just six priorities in no particular order, a combination of new needs and of promises he made in 2008 that he has not fulfilled. (In some cases he did try to keep a promise, but was stymied by an intransigent legislature; nevertheless, having good intentions is not the same as enacting a good law, and these policies are too important to let drop.)
1. Sick Leave
Millions of Americans are in danger of losing their jobs if they take so much as one day off because they are sick or need to care for an ill family member. The federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects employees who take up to 12 weeks off for medical reasons, but the FMLA covers only employers with 50 or more employees — plus, those are 12 unpaid weeks. Many workers can’t afford to forgo their pay should they fall ill.
During his first run for the presidency Obama promised to reduce the FMLA threshold from 50 employees to 25, which would increase the number of employees guaranteed unpaid sick leave. He also said he would create a federal requirement that employers provide seven paid sick days a year.
Obama also wanted to expand the conditions the FMLA covers to include leave for reasons related to domestic violence or sexual assault.
At the state level, Obama planned to provide $1.5 billion to encourage and help states to adopt paid-leave policies.
He hasn’t fulfilled any of these promises, leaving people in danger of losing substantial earnings or even their jobs if they or a family member become sick. As Obama said himself, “nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their job and caring for a sick child or an ailing parent.”
2. Pollution and Climate Change
Obama made big promises about enacting cap-and-trade legislation, restoring Superfund programs and making other changes to protect the environment. He hasn’t done any of these things, and on the campaign trail this time around made barely a peep about climate change.
Obama made detailed promises about the cap and trade program he would implement. The program would cap the amount of carbon a company could emit, but permit it to trade permits with other companies if it wanted to emit more carbon or was emitting less than its maximum and wanted to profit from the difference. Gradually the overall cap would decrease, lowering carbon emissions nationwide.
Cap and trade would create a capitalist market in carbon emissions. It sounds like something that would appeal to Republicans, but they haven’t bought it, making it one more promise Obama hasn’t kept. A domino effect from this failure has crushed another of the President’s promises: to use the “revenue from cap and trade to support clean energy and environmental restoration,” as Politifact describes.
Superfund requires polluters to pay to clean up their own messes. It has stalled for lack of funds. Previously a tax on the oil and chemical industries paid to clean up “orphaned” sites for which the polluter could not be found or no longer existed. Approximately half of the toxic sites in the nation are orphaned.
The tax that paid to clean up orphaned sites was cut, hampering the Environmental Protection Agency’s “ability to conduct environmental cleanups around the country.” Obama has not succeeded in restoring the pivotal tax.
Obama planned to pass a law requiring “transportation fuel producers and importers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from their fuels,” including emissions during production as well as use of the fuel. Companies could offset high emissions fuels by also producing low emissions fuels, like hydrogen, to lower their average “carbon intensity.” The law would help reduce American dependence on foreign oil as well as pollution. Unfortunately, the law doesn’t exist.
3. The Freedom of Choice Act
Some states are relentlessly chipping away at women’s right to choose abortion. Obama promised a solution called the Freedom of Choice Act, which would prohibit governments at every level from interfering with women’s right to abortion before viability, and their right to abortion after viability if their lives or health were endangered. Not only has this Act not materialized, but as early as March 2009 Obama announced that it was not his “highest” legislative priority. This promise wasn’t just broken, it was snubbed.
4. Immigration
The 2008 Obama promised a new deal for undocumented immigrants: those in good standing would be able “to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens,” according to The Fiscal Times.
It would have beat deportation, but deportation is what we got. In fact, “the Obama administration has been deporting illegal immigrants like crazy,” reports Reason.com. In These Times posits that this is a ploy to inoculate the administration “from right-wing attacks, and gain leverage for reform.” But the Republicans didn’t want to play, and Obama’s promise, which could have ended mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, has gone unfulfilled notwithstanding the new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program — that initiative offers only qualified, temporary protection and only to people who immigrated as children.
5. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act
During his first campaign Obama promised to champion “a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.” As federal law stands, employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is legal. Employers may not discriminate based on gender stereotypes, so a worker may argue that she suffered discrimination for not fulfilling her boss’s expectations for women’s behavior and appearance — i.e., that she was victimized because she seemed “butch.” But this is a far cry from being able to sue for discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Obama should fight hard to get this necessary law enacted.
6. The Paycheck Fairness Act
This isn’t one Obama promised, just something he ought to do now that he has the chance: get the Paycheck Fairness Act enacted. The legislation would go a long way towards narrowing the wide and enduring pay gap between women and men. As Care2′s Jessica Pieklo explains, the Act would
mandate that employers prove any pay disparity is job related; would prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with co-workers; strengthen punitive and compensatory damages; require the U.S. Department of Labor to improve outreach to employers to eliminate pay disparities; enhance the collection of wage information to address pay disparities, and create grant programs to strengthen the negotiation skills of girls and women.
This is not only an issue of basic fairness and of gender discrimination, but also of economic necessity: with so many households living off the paychecks of women, it is more urgent than ever to ensure that employers are paying women what they are worth, not just what the employers can get away with.
7. Minimum Wage
When he campaigned for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama promised to increase the minimum wage to $9.50 and “index it to inflation,” Politifact reports. And yet, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Some states have higher minimums; they aren’t allowed to have a lower one.
Indexing the minimum to inflation is important. If the minimum wage had been indexed to inflation over the last 40 years, it would be up to $10.55. In real dollars, it is worth significantly less than it used to be and than it was intended to be.
According to Raise the Minimum Wage, a full-time minimum-wage worker cannot afford the rent on a two-bedroom apartment in any state in the union. 64 percent of minimum-wage workers are women.
It is vital to the working poor that Obama keep his promise to raise the minimum wage and to index it to inflation. He might even consider raising it higher than $9.50 so it is worth as much as it was 40 years ago.
8. Labor Unions
“The declining power of American labor unions — and the related rise in economic inequality — are among the most important stories of Obama’s first term,” writes In These Times. In addition to raising the minimum wage, Obama made another promise that might have countered these trends: the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The EFCA would help unions gain bargaining rights.
Right now, if 30 percent of employees in a workplace sign a card supporting the union, they can hold an election to decide whether to unionize. Under the EFCA, if 50 percent of employees signed a card in support of the union, the workplace would automatically be unionized and the workers would gain collective bargaining rights. As a senator, Obama co-sponsored the Act, but during his presidency the EFCA died in a Republican filibuster. It is time for Obama to revive and champion it.
Obama promised another measure that would have helped slow the increase in economic inequality: banning the permanent replacement of striking workers. Without this protection, workers can’t “stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods,” notes Politifact. If Obama doesn’t keep this promise, unions’ most important leverage — the threat of a strike — will remain severely weakened.
9. Social Security
Politicians fret about whether Social Security will run out of cash, but so far Obama and his colleagues in governance have failed to take one simple measure that would significantly increase the amount of money flowing into the Social Security fund.
Payroll taxes fund Social Security, but not all pay is taxed. Social Security taxes are taken out of the first $110,100 a worker earns in one year, according to CBS News. Any earnings after that are free and clear of Social Security withholding.
Obama promised to lift that cap so that earnings above $250,000 are also subject to taxation for Social Security. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation to implement Obama’s idea, and said that the change would keep Social Security in the black for 75 more years. Alas, the Senator’s bill never became law. Obama has yet to make good on this promise.
Krowley-
Please post links for all to review.
Salud
arguesforsport . . .
The 60% that voted are those that get to cheer and complain. Those that didn't (and where you got your numbers is interesting) get to stay in their lazy boys and keep their traps shut. We are given the right to vote to change this country. If people didn't vote and want their voice heard, day late and LOTS of dollars short!
(This was supposed to be on the thread above .... sigh ...) Sorry!
No, Stop, 50 TROLLS have already submitted some form of secession petition and you fools are falling all over yourselves spewing your treasonous cut-and-run talking points. Honestly, all because you lost an election. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.
Joe in Albany,,, you are such a,Dick?
Krowley
As for sick leave... Why should a company have to pay a person for missed work? When was the last time you stopped off at your local service station and said "Here is 500 bucks, I know I haven't need any work done, but you deserve it."
They have insurance to cover missed pay days.
Minimum Wage: Good Idea but here are a few draw backs.. If an empoyer has to pay more, that means he has to charge more which in turn means you have to pay more when you buy the end product. Thus the 'Extra monies you have earned for higher wages is now spend on the same product you were paying less for before the raise. BUT the fun part of that is, YOU WILL PAY MORE INCOME TAX on your wages, thus you LOSE MONEY in the end.
Item 6. The Paycheck Fairness Act and Item 8. Labor Unions are directly connected. If a person is working say in the Auto industry... A Union employee receives (we will say ) 50 dollars an hour for the job they are doing... The person standing next to them doing the same exact work is Non-Union and is getting paid 25 dollars an hour...
Sort-a Blows your 'Paycheck Fairness Act right out of the water, doesn't it? I mean how can he support the Unions and the Paycheck Fairness Act at the same time?
I could go on but it really won't matter to you at all.
Have you ever thought that in his first term he could have done all these things but as you have stated... Nothing has been done on them.
Have you ever thot that maybe this was just 'Eye Candy' to get you vote?
Go Figure...
Pedestrian in SF
I don't find it funny at all and I definitely don't find it pathetic! If you grow up and look at the meaning of these petitions, you'd realize that not only is our nation divided, but that there are those that no longer feel safe with our system of government. Those are serious problems that need to be addressed and a cavalier attitude will do nothing but inflame them further. President Obama has been one of the most divisive presidents to date. His constant rants about discrimination, his favoritism towards minorities in his policies, his callous statements about business and the rich are BAD for this country! The President's job is to lead! Not some of the people, all of the people. He is not suppose to champion one race, economic class, gender, or sexual orientation, he is supposed to champion ALL Americans. It is possible to ensure equitable treatment without crying racial, sexual, or economic bias but Obama has never learned to do that. It is that one thing alone that will tank his next 4 years as it has his first term. He does not stand up for all Americans, only the ones that suit his political purposes. His campaign was run on feeding the fires of hatred, and his volatile style does not serve him well. In all the debates and all the statements issued in this last election, Republicans most often raised real questions about his record as president and democrats most often attacked their opponents using fear and smear tactics. They have too often swept their dirt under the rug and played the game of misdirection. That is why I did not vote for him. Not because I am a huge Romney fan, nor a life long Republican because neither assertion would be true. I voted against his politics and his record, I voted against his abrasive arrogance, and I voted against his vision for America which I still believe is the wrong path to travel.
archangel 316 (2.14):
What the heck are you putting in you coffee?
It's your beloved Repuklecans that have divided this country. Won't compromise on ANYTHING. Instead of working WITH the President and Democrats, they WERE DETERMINED TO MAKE Obama a one-term President--NO MATTER WHAT!!!
You're 52 cards short of a full deck.........
Jean
I did not see a Republican call a white policeman stupid for arresting someone he warned that he was getting out of hand. I did not see a Republican calling a law that mirrors federal immigration law almost exactly discriminatory and then suing the state for passing it. I do not see Republicans standing at the podium and calling big business greedy or evil. I do not see reppublicans pitting rich against poor. I do not see republicans stepping outside congressional authority with an executive order to implement a program that benefits one race of people. In the last election the republicans talked about making America better for all people , the president was the one that was specifically targeting gays, Hispanics, and the poor. And you say that Republicans are divisive? I think it is you coffee that has had something added to it.
I hope all of you Obama voters are happy. Obama's tax increase object is more than double what he ran on in the election. He now wants to nearly double the amount of taxes businesses pay, on top of the taxes they pay for Obamacare, and nearly double what people making $250k pay in taxes. I hope all of you enjoy unemployement, because if Obama does get those taxes increases then businesses will be looking to cut some fat to pay for it. They are already planning to cut back because of Obamacare.
Paula Broadwells only hope for protection now is to put "Everything" into the Public Record before the "Administration" decides she knows "too much" and puts her on "Obama's Kill List" .....
President Obama's Kill List and What It Means For You.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhRjRapKoIE
Or "indefinitely detains her under the NDAA2012.....http://www.infowars.com/federal-court-rules-in-favour-of-indefinite-detention-of-us-citizens/
If you have committed "No Crime".....You can still be "Put Away" for Life Without Trial in Obama's NEO Amerika and the UN's (Wall Streets) New World Order!
"Winston Smith: Does Big Brother exist?...O'Brien: Of course he exists....Winston Smith: Does he exist like you or me?...O'Brien: You do not exist. " ~George Orwell
Krowley, Human nature is persistent. As such, unintended consequences are actually quite predictable if you conceded that, in the end, humans will follow human nature.
Let's deal with card check. Union Jobs are in decline because you - Krowley (and me and everyone here) shops for value, and thus buys things made for less, and thus buys things made in China. We complain hypocritically, but we still do it. Take an honest assessment, look at your stuff - see its true. If not made in China, its made in a non union state. If not, it's a company in a Union State (like my Illinois) that is quietly but quickly losing its manufacturing base to more business friendly states.
What will Card Check do? It will not make Americans pay 10bucks for something where a 5 dollar Chinese equivalent performs just as well.
It will raise the cost for companies in Union States - making them less competative, and they will lose jobs to their non-union locations - or to China.
Right now, Businesses are choosing winners and losers in the location game. Card Check will accelerate that.
It scares me. Because I sell to Illinois businesses. And they are either leaving, or all growth is in other states. If it continues, my business will follow. But many of the jobs will be lost.
So Krowley, if you get what you want and it results in you and many others losing their jobs, do you think it will have been worthwhile?
I don't.
Dawg-4710266
Of course we are. We're also getting real used to FOX stories and their pundits who post their nonsense. I'll cut you some slack if you post a link to some facts that go with your post above.
Unconventional .... being in neighboring Indiana i have seen segments on the news about companies coming here from Illinois. The reason being .... taxes getting too burdensome for them there. The big tax increase you guys had was supposed to cover deficits, but instead the deficits got larger. Imagine that. Good luck to my neighbors to the west.
Archangel. Fox News = satire. Every single one of your "points" is grounded in rwkj hysteria and talking points with not an ounce of substance. Time for you all to get a clue and get out of the echo chamber. Maybe then you'll start to understand what the majority of Americans are concerned about and why they voted for President Obama over Mr. 53%.
This just in:
After disappearing from the public eye for a little over a week former Presidential Candidate Ol’ Willard Romney resurfaced today to announce that he has signed a long term deal as a spokesman for Viagra.
“Since Paul Ryan and I failed to erect a viable campaign we decided to quit lying to ourselves and the public and get at the root of the problem” said the erstwhile landslide victim.
“I want to thank former candidates Bob Dole and John McCain for showing me the way to stay relevant and make a buck in what is for us trying times. Plus that I get all the free product that I can use so that ought to belay Anne’s fears that I’ve been emasculated”.
“Since we seem to have had a lot of recent success with Overheated Army Generals and the Ditsy Ladies that pursue them Viagra is hoping that I can expand their market into the Navy and Air Force. We’ve had to give up marketing to the Marines as they already do it better than anybody else long past their prime”.
IR, can't stop laughing; well done!
Mornin' darlin'. I would write something incredibly relevant and witty, but my brain is too foggy from only getting 4 hours of sleep before I got up to get the little guy off to school and I really should go back to bed. I do hope that the President sticks to his guns and REQUIRES a tax RATE increase for the top 2%. It really boggles my mind how the Republicans think that they can cut the deficit by also cutting the income for the country.
IR-
"I'm Mitt Romney, and I STRONGLY approve this message!"
LMAO.
Salud
Touche, IR, touche. That was great. May the mighty blue pill be the cure for the common cold that has infected the GOPTP. Speaking of the blues, poor Boehner just can't seem to stop the steady stream of tears over the utter loss of his party. And for now, let's leave Cantor's serious case of blue balls off the table - that day of reckoning is forth-cumming er, em, so to speak.
Sorry, Mitt Romney has been unable to maintain ANY position for an extended period of time.
I don't think Viagra wil do the trick.
Careful where you point that thing.
Mitt finds Viagra "severely" effective!
If the repubics keep pushing the Benghazi crap I am sure Holder in company will release more information on Senators and House Representatives. They probably know who is zooming who in the Washington circles. I would be very careful if I were one of the rethuglicans. They may be sending a message don't f%&k with us are you will pay. Let's see if the repubics keep pushing the president on Benghazi. If the rethuglicans back off then we know the Obama team hit a nerve. The republicans have to learn that Obama is know one to mess with he plays hard ball just ask OBL. This is how you play politics on the graduate level.
My question is, why has there been so little focus on Cantor's role in the Petreaus matter. He seems to have been plugged into it before anyone else, and since it involved national security, shouldn't he have done something with the information? Shouldn't he have informed someone high up in intelligence circles or the House intelligence committees? It seems like he just sat on it. Could it be that he saw an opportunity to possibly influence the election, rummaged through the material and just couldn't find a way to link the president to anything? And what are his ties to this sorry example of an FBI agent? Aren't FBI agents supposed to rise above any political partisanship on their part, and just do their job to protect the country. This whole thing stinks from top to bottom, but there's not one thing that could discredit President Obama. Yet, Limbaugh and the rest will keep trying, and their right wing lapdogs will keep buying whatever they're told to.
Hey Capt. Would you be interested in some water front property?
LOL!
DKSouthern - my observations are that old Eddie Cantor is trying to figure out how to shuck that noose around his neck. He is in some serious trouble and like a rat trapped in a corner, he is jumping and hopping, trying to figure out his next move. My personal hope is Feinstein snaps his weaselly little neck.
You is one crazy fascist dksouthern. This last batch of Obama-aide beverage was a strong one. Can't you see that your man Barack is lying and sending up smoke screen after smoke screen to absolve himself? Either way you slice it he loses: 1.) He is so incompetent that he isn't aware or doesn't care about security lapses on our soil (benghazi embassy). 2.) He is aware and doesn't care and spins it as if it was a spontaneaous protest to absurd video and is a traitorous bastard.
Buy his lies if you want. This has nothing to do with the bifurcated (divide and conquer-power grab 101) state of our nation and a Republican knee jerk, sour grapes response. This has to do with competence, integrity, national security and dereliction of duty by our Commander in Chief.
The blind loyalty and ignorant stance you take is immature, counter productive and truly borders on fascism.
"He is so incompetent..."
How can you say that? He got re-elected didn't he? He never has to take responsibility for anything negative, ever. He was quite successful at class warfare on several fronts: Poor against the rich, women against men, minorities against whites, etc.
America doesn't matter. It's about GREED for power. Obama maintained that. How is he incompetent?
dksouthern, it was reported last night that the shirtless e-mail FL FBI guy who started the investigation at the request of Jill Kelly is the one who called Eric Cantor to tip him off. Where's Darryl Issa? Odd silence from the witch-hunting crowd who investigate the drop of an ink pen at the White house.
My own view is it is a sad, pathetic sex scandal. Shame on General Petreaus; considering this ever-expanding, messy tri-angle, President Obama was correct to accept his resignation. James Clapper, Petreaus's boss, was correct to demand the general resign. As for General Allen, let the investigation dictate the result.
LOL, the petty hs321 and Dismayed continue their echo-chamber whining. YOU LOST, GET OVER IT.
A tough media question for the President...
Mr. President, what is your favorite color?
Mr. President, if you were a tree what type of tree would you be?
314159-
Well, at least President Obama would be able to answer that question. A President Romney (shudder) would work his way through the color wheel by the end of the press conference.
Romney - " a Michigan tree, because they are the right height".
Your asinine post just makes me even more aware that we avoided a calamitious mistake by not electing Romney.
Not sure about the rest of you because you keep talking about Taxing Millionaires ~~ the changes in the taxes will affect those couples making $ 250,000 ~~ have you ever tried to pay for a home, put 2 kids through college & save for retirement on that?? Won't affect me I don't fall into other of these categories but have quite a few friends that do ~~ maybe Trumka can help them out!!
If this was a Nixon, reagen, or the Bushs who didn't help stevens, you gawddamn lib/dem would be on the highest roof tops with bullhorns screaming to get to the bottom of this and I imagine call for impeachment proceedings. but this is your obama. your savior, who has to be protected from the neo-nazi reps. I bet my last dollar, if there was some way to blame the reps for what happened, you latch onto it like a vice grip and not let go. I remember Nixon getting keel hauled by the Dems, because of a lousy break-in and the cover up. But, as it is said, if one persists, there is an end result. that result was resigning. think obama will do that for the good of the country? F--k NO!
Another thing:
You can tax the crap out of the rich. but don't complain when your paychecks are smaller. remember, you asked for it, you got it and now you will get it. lmfao/rofl at you lib grubbers.
After thought:
don't expect the press to be harsh on their savior as for questions asked. they didn't do it during the election. they won't after the election.
Capt. Smash
Just like a Dem-o-Rat... Resort to BLACKMAIL.
As long as they report on both sides of the road I say go for it.
Doc S
This if they still have a job to get a pay check.
Captain Smash
Why gee golly gosh, isn't what your talking about called transparency in government? Isn't that exactly what the president promised from his administration? Air the dirty laundry on both sides so the American people can see the truth about their leaders. Enough of sweeping @!$%# under the carpet. My only question I want answered about the resignation of the former CIA chief is why the FBI continued to investigate the case when they determined shortly after the investigation began that NO breach of national security took place as a result of the affair! At that point it ceases to be providence of the FBI and becomes the business of local authorities and the involved parties. Attorney General Holder made the statement himself that they quickly determined that NO breach of National Security took place. Oh and one other question as well, why they waited until after the election to break the story on an investigation that was going on for 14 months!
So...in your opinion, it's wrong to find out the truth in the murdur of American citizens?
Now watch, the method of dealing with anything and everything is to change the subject over to the health care debacle. The past four years have been smothered with promises of his magical health care plan that STILL have not happened (as well as ending the war in the middle east). Maybe in the next four years we will get somewhere ? We will get to the point of no more employer subsidized health care, all health care will be funded by the workers in the private sector, and those workers will no longer be able to afford their own. But hey, at least the unemployed and workers in the public sector will have health care...
But that is all beside the point since all the health care plan has been is something to fall back on and point attention away so that immediate tasks are derailed. Go ahead and deny it, but then you would be denying the reality that is presented right before your eyes.
A good read, the end of an era;
The rise of employer-sponsored coverage
Employer-sponsored health insurance plans dramatically expanded as a direct result of wage controls imposed by the federal government during World War II.[17] The labor market was tight because of the increased demand for goods and decreased supply of workers during the war. Federally imposed wage and price controls prohibited manufacturers and other employers from raising wages enough to attract workers. When the War Labor Board declared that fringe benefits, such as sick leave and health insurance, did not count as wages for the purpose of wage controls, employers responded with significantly increased offers of fringe benefits, especially health care coverage, to attract workers.[17] <---- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELLO !
President Harry S. Truman proposed a system of public health insurance in his November 19, 1945 address. He envisioned a national system that would be open to all Americans, but would remain optional. Participants would pay monthly fees into the plan, which would cover the cost of any and all medical expenses that arose in a time of need. The government would pay for the cost of services rendered by any doctor who chose to join the program. In addition, the insurance plan would give a cash balance to the policy holder to replace wages lost due to illness or injury. The proposal was quite popular with the public, but it was fiercely opposed by the Chamber of Commerce, the American Hospital Association, and the AMA, which denounced it as “socialism.”[21]
Foreseeing a long and costly political battle, many labor unions chose to campaign for employer-sponsored coverage, which they saw as a less desirable but more achievable goal, and as coverage expanded the national insurance system lost political momentum and ultimately failed to pass. Between 1940 and 1950, the total number of people enrolled in health insurance plans grew seven-fold, from 20,662,000 to 142,334,000,[22] and by 1958, 75% of Americans had some form of health coverage.[23]
NavyChief24
The investigation I am referring to is not about Benghazi it is about the extramarital affair by Patreaus. By all means the investigation into the death of American citizens should continue and General Patreaus should be compelled to testify as he was director of the CIA at the time. Truly, I hope the revelations of his affair and his resignation free him to tell the unadulterated truth about what happened no matter how it falls! There are far to many cover ups and far to many mistakes swept under the carpet in the last 20 years or so and the American people have a right to know who is at fault!
"LOL, the petty hs321 and Dismayed continue their echo-chamber whining. YOU LOST, GET OVER IT."
But Jody, I thought you guys wanted everything to be fair?
The Dems and Libs whined for 8 years when Bush was President. Isn't it fair that the Repubs and Cons get 4 more years? Or do only Dems and Libs get to whine?
dragon lady
kiss my a&$ I'm doing it on $50,000 and tell your $250,00 friends to suck it up what a bunch of cry babies.
JR. You may be surprised but there is far less practical difference between your fifty and her 250. The difference is you lump her with billionaires (you know. 4,000x 250K).
Paul Ryan Sighting. Seems Ryan remains in the same state of denial as do the other GOPTPers; he remains in that weird Bubble the GOP created during this election. When a party lives in an alternate reality zone, breathes FOX and Limbaugh talking head opinions, Rasmussen and Gallup, no wonder that political party remains stunned and in shock.
In an interview, Paul Ryan said the Romney/Ryan team ran on "big ideas", new ideas, bold ones. When was that? Their campaign will go down in history as one that told the most lies ever during an election. That should come as no surprise because Ryan lied about his marathon run time. The only ideas coming from either was repeating the same failed GOP policies of more tax cuts for the rich, more defense spending, turn medicare into a coupon system, cut social security, cut education, cut everything else that makes this country great. R/R's big ideas would have made the USA look more like North Korea--big, powerful, expensive military at the cost of everything else.
Ryan was shocked by the voter turn out in urban areas. Was he shocked because he thought the GOP state governors and legislators had "cooked the books" to suppress those votes? Or was he shocked that huge numbers of democratic voters remained "enthusiastic" about President Barack Obama?
The House republicans retained the majority BUT they lost seats. The only reason many of those seats were retained was gerrymandering of districts by republicans in power. The GOP does NOT have a mandate. They lost the White House, they lost more seats in the Senate and they lost seats in the House.
Republicans/conservatives/tea party: YOU LOST, GET OVER IT and GET OUT OF THE WAY. Time to put aside the GOP obstructionist tactics of filibustering, delaying, denying.
Note: Romney remains in the Mittmess Protection Program.
I would be willing to bet there there were few Republicans who would wait in line 5 or more hours to vote. Big ideas indeed---taking away rights women have fought for, protecting tax breaks for the 1%, voter suppression, treating our President with disrespect---that is the definition of small, petty ideas and that was the GOP campaign.
Jody, you put it in a nutshell.
RomneyRyan tried it all. They thought they could win on lies and big secret cash. Most expensive, most faux, most deceptive, retrograde candidates in GOP history.
Jody, Iowa-
I here ya!!!
As usual, nicely done.
Salud
Steeler Fan, Backhouse, good points added to mine. Tomas, thanks; Salud!
I think Romney/Ryan really did believe they could buy this election with millions of SuperPAC bucks, that suppressing voters would help them win and that lies did not matter. Ryan won re-election to his House seat but by the lowest percentage since he first ran for office which says he's lucky to have his job. Neither Romney or Ryan carried their home states--that speaks volumes and both might want to reflect on that fact.
The tea party appears to falling out of favor and hopefully they will continue to fade. You really have to ask yourselves, if the Republicans base are so smart, why do they fall in line with an extreme group such as the tea party?
These folks need to do some research other than relying on FOX Noise, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich.
The tea party is falling out of favor with liberals ... someone they never had large support to begin with.
The Tea Party still favors a budget as a plan for fiscal responsibility, and we all know Obama has not had a budget during his entire term of office. Under Obama, the National debt increased fron $10.8 trillion to over $16 trillion and GROWING .... all without a BUDGET as required by law !
BY the time Obama leaves office, he will have DOUBLED the national debt of ALL his predecessors COMBINED !!!!!!!!
If they don't begin to gain some sanity, the Republicans have 2 years left as a viable, relevant political party. Surely, there must be one influential Republican left with the courage to stand up in public and repudiate the fringe factions that have taken the party down. Maybe Christie? But as it stands now, if the one-dimensional radical sub-groups retain their power, the Republicans Party will be basically shot after 2014. 2012 has proven they can no longer fool the majority of Americans.
Nope, you are wrong. The President submitted his budget to the House and the House changed it and submitted for a vote and all the Democrats voted against it.
You guys just can't get your facts in order. Hopefully, by the next House election we will see more of the Tea types gone like Allen West and Joe Walsh.
Job1, conservative posters can't get their facts in order because like the Romney campaign said, they wouldn't let fact checkers get in the way.
GOPTP: Truth is a simple thing to grasp provided one is willing to grab hold of it.
What is the obsession with Fox, Rush Limbaugh, etc. The only time I ever really hear about them is reading posts here on FR. So many sweeping generalizations put forth.
I just don't think all those bogey men have the influence ascribed to them. Extremists are a minority, unfortunately often times extreme minorities make the most noise. There are a lot of Republicans in the country - if the TV screamin' meemees are so influential why didn't Mr. Romney win? I believe it is because a lot of Republicans don't pay any attention to that @!$%#, do not side with party extremists, and did not think Mr. Romney was right for president. It has been pointed out that all the money poured into the campaign from the far right had little effect on the election - isn't this a good thing?
C'mon, be a sport and wish the Republicans well as the party struggles to define itself. The game is way better with top-notch teams participating.
Jim -
The election is over. Your side lost, mainly due to a tenious grasp of facts - as so proudly illustrated in your post.
President Obama has submitted a budget proposal every year, as required. Please see the link below for the 2012 and prior budget proposals:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionGPO.action?collectionCode=BUDGET
The 2013 Budget proposal can be found at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget
So now that the facts have been established, will you stop posting this nonsense?
TNSEVOL: What was the vote count in the Senate for those budgets? The answer is given below....
Speaks volumes, doesn't it?
OK: One used to be able to cut and paste links. Now the links are not posted but my typed comments are.
Anyone else have this issue, or do I have to look at my system settings on my end?
I didnt llike either candidate the better liar won!
All you people talking about a landslide victory need to look at a few facts. He won states that didnt require ID to vote and got a surpriseingly high number of latino votes. I wonder if they could seperate the number of latino votes, and the total number of registered latino voters. And see if the number is the same? I wonder this because starting a few months before the election I started getting a lot of junk mail at my house with different names all latino,Gonzoles, Martineze ,etc. 7 different names in all and I was just wondering how many people registered to vote using my address?
Jody in Iowa,
Clueless again! The Obama campaign out spent Romney and Ryan in this election and that is not even figuring the amount of money that Obama got for free from the American tax payers. That is the value of the time he campaigned (4 years worth) while acting as president!
TNSEVOL
The last budget proposed by Obama and voted on by the house saw NO votes for and Unanimous against. Not even his own party voted for his last budget when it came to the floor, yet Rep. Ryan's budget at least passed along party lines! If that is not a statement of Apathy within the democratic party, I don't know what could be! The two votes, held within hours of each other in the house, showed the democrats stance on having a budget, any budget to work from. They are strongly opposed!
Adultery
From the article above:
One week after President Obama’s Landslide victory of 332 Electoral Votes to 206 over the Governor and with all of the votes finally tallied in Florida and Arizona, the full scope of this historic win and the power that comes with it, has finally come into full view.
The Petraeus scandal that has rocked the nation since the election is for me a metaphor for what Karl Rove and Faux has done to this great country with its propaganda campaign and blatant polling deception.
Karl Rove and Faux cheated on America, and they have FINALLY been caught red-handed.
The manipulation of the right-wing polling data to purposely deceive and mislead not only the Romney Campaign and the millions of Americans who voted for the Governor, but also the television networks and radio stations in thinking that they were going to win, represents the culmination of over 20 years of lying by Karl Rove and the Faux dominated media machine.
The significance of the complete, willful deception from Karl Rove, Faux and the conservative media perpetrated on the American public can only be described as shameful, disgusting and yes, an act of the most heinous betrayals of trust; adultery.
Therefore, the only dignified and honorable thing for American's to do at this point, is to file for divorce from Karl Rove, Faux, Rush Limbaugh, Drudge, and the rest of the RW media-adulterers.
This includes the many vile internet bloggers that work for or conspire with those many media outlets whose sole purpose during this campaign was to lie about who we Democrats are, who this great President is, and what we Democrats stand for and believe in.
There are some right-wing bloggers on this website who express their views with passion and dignity and I highly recommend we continue to engage with them in healthy, honest debate.
But this mandate marks the end of a very dark time in our nation's history and represents a new beginning for America. We should all be reminded every day of the campaign motto, FORWARD, and we need to leave the ugliness of this scandalous period behind.
We Democrats now initiate the discussion and dialog for the next four years. We will not let the Rovian tactics and talking points dictate the policy or control the public perception any more.
We will proudly begin new relationships and re-establish old ones with our friends on the right side of the aisle who recognize the significance of this election and understand this is a new era of cooperation and compromise in America.
Salud
Tomas,
Brilliant analogy.
I would add Grover Norquist is screaming that he does indeed have custody over all the GOP congress, he even has a piece of paper that they signed to that effect.
The judgement of the voters say who cares if you "primary" these folks.
Get to work, you only have 19 working days in this session.
Thanks Tomas,
"But this mandate marks the end of a very dark time in our nation's history and represents a new beginning for America."
People want ACTION on jobs and economic growth - and those steps will impact the deficit. We can extend middle class tax cut right now = 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses.
Europe is modeling the mistake of trying to cut our way to prosperity. We'll balance spending and revenue, and ask the wealthy to pay a little more. President Obama is not going to reduce the deficit on the backs of low-income, seniors, poor folks, students, children and middle class.
And the majority of Americans agree with the President. Time for congressional action to reflect the will of the People.
Great Point Tomas.
Salud
The Republicans live in their bubble world of denial.
Let’s all think back to September 2008 and the financial storm that had developed and the whole government and the rest of the world that was unraveling in financial markets. The jobs were going down so fast that and the United States had suffered the worst crisis sense the great depression.
Then Obama takes over on January 20, 2009, and suddenly it’s his fault. No way! Obama stepped into this storm on the brink of depression, and Obama has done a GREAT job of turning the country around.
I honestly have to say anyone that doesn’t recognize this fact is pretty out of touch with reality, and living in “Rush World.”
Job - Sadly, their world of denial goes back much further than 2008. The first case of denial was after 9/11/2001, when they fully believed Iraqi's were responsible for the terrorist attack, and declared War. They have been off track ever since.
Sorry that dog won't hunt anymore...this is the Empty Suit's economy now....
Well said, Tomas!
I mentioned the other day that "Dem's police their own", and what you wrote above is why we do it. I didn't mean necessarily Democrats, but all of us truth-seekers. I read, I learn, and my opinion is often fine tuned by the words of YOU reasonable folks on Newsvine.
Thank you all for your contributions!
-Janny
Delaware
Tomas, excellent post. Salud!
Job1, great points. The alternate universe of the GOP existed in Sep 2008, Jan 2009, just as it does today. The GOP suffers a severe case of Bushnesia and Romnesia--both are "pre-existing conditions".
Hey libs: Keep taking the drugs. They suit you to a T. you are already in that make believe world of OZ, might as well stay there.
Job 1
Can't seem to take any responsibility for our continuing mess 4 years after Obama took office and 6 years after Democrats began a 4 year run of near total control on spending! Prior to 2007, the Bush deficits were under 400 billion/ year by a significant margin, after 2007 they ballooned. The difference was in controlling the purse strings. 6 years later and 5 years of trillion dollar plus deficit spending to stimulate the economy and the best we can do is 2% or less economic growth? The government could have handed all 300 million Americans a million dollars and still come out money ahead with better economic projections than we currently have.
I really can't understand why the Republicans are taking it out on the rest of us. If I were one of them (which thankfully I'm not) I would be more than a little po'd at those on Fox News and the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, O'Reilly, Dick Morris and the rest. I would be boycotting them. But they don't. They just return to them for solace during this terrible time.
I just don't get it. And then they want to secede from the Union?! WOW! We really have to be very wary with the craziness that seems to be going on.
Just a note on a previous comment about gun control in the President's first term...he actually expanded gun rights. Now anyone :-\ can carry a gun into a national park or on AmTrak. The Republicans are out of touch with reality. We need to free them of the bubble in which they are living.
neighborhood
You didn't catch the revival of the UN gun ban treaty in the Senate this past week? That is what the above comment was referring to.
neighborhood. Don't fret. The republicans do not want to secede from the union. There is a percentage of extremists in each party, and the Republicans wing-tips have been showing quite some time now. That's who I'd wager are behind this little farce.
I'll grant you that the nuttier side of the right has had the mic so long one would be forgiven for thinking all republicans are loopy. I look instead to the people around me. Both Liberals and Conservatives. All pretty smart. All capable of sharing their conflicting views and still liking each other. More like sports rivals than jihadists.
I find it a little amusing all of the Dems here fretting oh so ernestly what has befallen the GOP, the once loyal opposition now controled by extremists.
Don't worry too much. The last time the GOP was creamed and they were supposed to be out for decades, they came back in two yeas. And it was the over reaching of Dems that recescitated them.
So once the gloat has run its cource, will the Dems over reach again - thus recesitating the GOP once more??? Probably. It's what pols do. Take 51% of the 70% who even bothered to vote, and claim its a mandate.
Here's my mandate. Please guys, just try not to screw things up too bad.
There are 2 words I wouldn't expect to see in a sentence with the name Allen West---honor and integrity. This from the man who said that there were at least 80 Communists in the Democratic party serving in Congress. He needs to hold onto his job because where else can he get paid to do nothing but make stupid statements?
Of all the lessons to be learned from the election, I wish the GOP would learn the one that the nation wants bipartisanship on the big issues facing us. There is a reason that Congress has such a low approval rating and gerrymandering of districts won't work forever. Besides, the Senate is more vulnerable as we've seen so the Senate GOP should encourage their colleagues in the House to get things done.
Steeler, exactly how many combat tours did you serve? Allen West has views different than yours and all of a sudden he has no honor or integrity? Colonel West served with distinction in the Army, what have you done??
Bill---Allen West has chosen to make outrageous statements about people serving in Congress. He is reaping what he has sown.
My views have nothing to do with his past service to our country in our military; my comments were about his behavior while in Congress.
Bill, assuming for a minute that serving in the military AUTOMATICALLY implies honor and integrity, where were you when Joe Walsh was hammering Tammy Duckworth's character? West's service record is his service record, and doesn't mean that he acts with honor in every circumstance. I'm also tired of the BS that serving or not serving determines the right to have an opinion or comment regarding a veteran's POLITICAL life. Grow up.
West was
charged with assault and violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The
military decided not to court-martial him, which would have meant years in
prison and a dishonorable discharge if convicted. Instead, he was given an
administrative Article 32 hearing and fined $5,000 for misconduct and assault.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,326026,00.html
I imagine this is where she’s getting it bill. Sounds about
right to me. Contrary to you’lls point of view a feller don’t have the right to
be court martialed for cause and still retain the tag Officer and Gentleman
Allen West has no honor and integrity. He is nothing more than a lying tool for the GOP Cult Machine.
The man lost the seat he had held, and it's time for that loud mouth trader to man up and step down.
Alan West wants a complete recount in his district because of voting irregularities and multiple violations of Florida election laws. You Democratic whiny babies demanded a complete recount of the entire State of Florida back when Al Gore got beat .... and many of you are still in denial today ! Hypocrite much ?
Allen West should be accorded the respect for his service due to any honorably discharged veteran.
He should also try to take defeat like a man.
Irony is lost on some.
Fact, Al Gore never lost State of Florida. W. Bush will forever be known as the illegitimate President appointed by the Supreme Court, and Al Gore will remain as the President Elect that never got to serve.
So you say:
"In 2001, a consortium of news organizations, assisted by professional statisticians (NORC), examined numerous hypothetical ways of recounting all the Florida ballots. The study was conducted over a period of 10 months. The consortium examined 175,010 ballots that vote-counting machines had rejected. Under some methods, Al Gore would have emerged the winner; in others, George W. Bush. But in each one, the margin of victory was smaller than the 537-vote lead that state election officials ultimately awarded Bush. Under the strategy that Al Gore pursued at the beginning of the Florida recount - filing suit to force hand recounts in four predominantly Democratic counties - Bush would have kept his lead, according to the ballot review conducted by the consortium. If Florida's 67 counties had carried out the hand recount of disputed ballots ordered by the Florida Supreme Court on December 8, applying the standards that election officials said they would have used, Bush would have emerged the victor by 493 votes.[1][2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_v._Gore
jim -
The irregularities and 'violations of FLorida election laws' exist ONLY in the Republican bubble. Let me amend your statement:
Alan West wants a complete recount in his district because
of voting irregularities and multiple violations of Florida election lawshe lost.Steeler Fan, well said. West's attack on Debbie Wasserman-Shultz for her comments on the House floor was disgusting; he didn't even have the courage to say it to her face choosing e-mail instead while deriding her for NOT addressing him face to face. Her words on the House floor didn't even mention West but he obviously recognized who she was referencing. What a coward.
Sorry, dangerfield, I disagree. West gets credit for his service but he is not an honorable person; he is hate-filled and angry for whatever reason. He gets credit for serving but nothing more. The reason he wasn't court martialed and instead was given an honorable discharge remains a military decision likely based on his years of service--that doesn't make him honorable or deserving of respect when he gives no respect to others.
IR, glad you posted the truth about Allen West.
Fla recount ? Why don't they just complete the count first?
"Mr President, when were you briefed that the CIA DIrector may have been compromised by his affair with a journalist?" I do not believe for a second that AG Holder did not tell the President that the CIA Director was uder investigation. General Petraeus did the honorable thing and resigned due to his behavior . Too bad politicians don't have the same moral code.
Wow, Rep. Reichert and Rep. Cantor knew about this before the election
also, and they said nothing.
Where was their moral code?
Petreaus resigned because his boss, James Clapper, demanded he resign. In other words, Petreaus was fired.
Obama has to get really serious about cutting spending if he expects GOP to get on board with taxes. It's not going to be a one-way street if anything substantial is going to be accomplished.
Remember "The Grand Bargain"? 3-for-1...$3 cut in spending for every $1 in additional revenue.
President Obama had Speaker Boehner's agreement but then what happened?
Noid, seems the "Leader" can't get his own members on board. Talk about the inmates running the asylum! The tea party folks made him look like an ineffectual idiot.
Da Noid, You truly are naive, aren't you ? Boehner had agreement(s) with Obama but Obama kept changing the agreement(s) after they were made ... several times !
Of course, people like you will actually believe that "Lucy will continue to hold the football while Charlie Brown runs up and kicks it".
If you believe that Obama will make a serious effort to actually reduce U.S. spending (other than "gutting" the military by 23%), then I have some swampland in S.W. Florida to interest you ... can get you in on the "ground floor" ! LOL !!
Jim...What kind of agreement is it of Boehner's when his agreements included cutting funding to the new healthcare reform laws? Boehner and the GOP are still attempting to bully this president. The problem is the American people will stand for no more of the GOP obstruction and the GOP knows it.
The only reason Boehner would even consider cutting funding to the new healthcare law is to gut it completely. It is a law. You don't gut funding to a lawful enactment by the government. What about that don't the greedy right wing beasts and neoconartists get?
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwweent ! The healthcare law, Obamacare, was rammed through Congress while Democrats bribed Democrats in back-room deals for their support ! Then, the Democrats disenfranchised the vote of Scott Brown and ABUSED the process of "RECONCILIATION" to deem the bill passed. Reconciliation has as its core the concept of revenue neutrality and was "ACHIEVED" only through bogus cost assumptions and double-counting of Medicare savings ! Since its passage, we have "begun" to see how horrible those cost assumptions truly were so the entire passage of Obamacare has "FRAUD" at its very foundation !
Our country simply cannot AFFORD Obamacare ... the law is a stupid entitlement program passed at a time when Medicare is already going broke quite rapidly, and Social Security is not far behind ! The National debt is $16+ trillion and still rising like flood waters in New Jersey did ! What part of MASSIVE FEDERAL DEBT do you fail to understand ?
By the way genius, about 55% to 60% of U.S. citizens were OPPOSED to Obamacare, That is the primary reason the Democratic Party was "shellacked" in the elections of Nov, 2010. Furthermore, if you are so damn concerned with laws, then where is the enforcement of existing immigration law by our President ? Where are the BUDGETS as required by law ??
Our country can barely afford to handle its debt issues now, and huge federal spending increases to pay for another, inefficient federal entitlement program will only hasten the financial demise of our country.
The bottom line is Obama Care, or the AHC is here to stay, and there is nothing that the Republican Bubble people can do about it.
The ACA is good for America. I know the tea baggers don't like it, because they would then have to stop getting medical care for free off of the tax payer dime.
So, we can say any adult who doesn't want health care insurance is not only a fool, and leach, but is pretty darn stupid.
Job1...are you aware that many people will not have to the pay the PPACA tax?
Who exactly is going to pay for their healthcare?
Answer: Job1
The tea baggers are not the leeches. Most of the leeches are in the blue states. And this is not about the election. This is about freedom. The republicans are trying to protect your freedom, but you takers are too stupid to see that. Obama makes it seem like he is for you, but he is lying again. He is about to take over your freedom. With him it is about power. He did not win the election by votes. He won by electoral votes which should not be allowed either. Most of the country does not want his polices because it is taking our freedom. When you wake up and see what he is doing it will be too late. And the one that said he hasn't said anything about gun control is totally stupid. That is all him and Hillary Clinton has talked about. First he forces his policys on us, then he takes our guns, then he turns into dictator. He is no better than Bin Ladin. So shut up about the majority of citizens wants his dictatorship, there are still a majority of us who want to remain free. If you want to be government controlled and in bondage, go for it. I choose to remain free. The republicans will not go down as you are predicting, They are all that is holding this country together. If it were not for them Obama would already have this country destroyed.
Job ! first of all mist Tea party members have jobs! this would mean that they would have uh insurance Duh.
Now I have lost my job due to the cost of Obama care are you going to hire me ? we already know that is a resounding NO!
vAnd to the 60% it was actually over 70% against. laws are repealed all the time it may not get repealed now but when we have to put in European austerity measures just in the European fasion that Obama wants us to go it will have to be repealed.
And since you are so much more intelligent than the rest of us please explain why anyone would create such an unsustainable law during a recession instead of fixing the economy so it would be a less bitter pill to swallow?
Bingo, Job1 (9.6)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Allen West needs to pull together a little dignity and concede. Yes, the people do deserve better, and they got that when the majority voted for Pat Murphy. West needs to move out of his radical-right, Beck and Limbaugh-inspired bubble and recognize that there are consequences to making crazy unfounded statements and holding extremely out-there positions, even in Florida.
A recount is needed. Numerous Florida voting laws were ignored and he is entitled to a recount. If the recount then proves he lost, then he should concede.
But the Republican Party has already witnessed "statistically significant" voting ANOMALIES in Philadelphia where many districts showed 100% votes for Obama and none for Mr. Romney. In other areas of our country, more voted than were registered.
Meanwhile, absentee ballots sent to our military are sent late ... AGAIN... and not counted !
West is not entitled a recount, the margin is too big
JIM: NO! more too it than just that. not just sent late. ballats were burned up in a plane crash. Ballets were returned late because of being sent late and not counted. ballets were never sent. And the dimwits dems have said, voting fraud is only in the imagination of the reps. "This whole election with the dems is a fake,fraud and phony. What are they going to come up with in 2014 and 2016? It will have to be one hell more creative than this farce of an election.
jim -
How about providing a link to your accusations of voter 'anomalies'?
Similar claims were debunked in Cuyahoga County (Ohio), where the same precints had only one or two votes for McCain in the prior elections - not an anomaly but a factual trend. I am sure there are precints in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, etc. where Pres. Obama received less than 1% of the vote.
Overall state results tracked closely to polls, so your 'conspiracy' claim is a crock!
The military absentee ballots 'issue' was proven to be based on a satire article posted on a military blog.
Do you Republicans EVER check your facts?
DocS, who was in charge of running the state elections, in charge of sending those ballots? Republicans!!!!!! As for the rest of your post, got the proof? Burning plane crash?
jim#'s, seriously, provide the proof otherwise your side looks like petty, sore losers. The right lost and now they cry voter fraud, make unfounded accusations. The GOP ran the FL elections; they ran the OH elections, too.
Obama Knows That Regarding The Bush Cuts That:
1) Cuts On The Lower End For The Most Part Go Right Back In To The Economy And Act As A Growth Stimulus.
2) By Eliminating The High End Cuts These Added Dollars Will Now Come Into Play As Growth Stimulus As Well.
3) With $ 85 Billion More To Use Approximately 1 To 1.4 Million More Jobs Can Be Created Directly And Even
More Through Job Credit Programs In A Year!
4) With Job Gains The Need For Entitlement Spending Will Decline.
5) New Tax Revenue From Jobs Growth Is The Needed Key to Deficit Reduction!
The GOP Can Spin All They Want But Without A New Stream Of Tax Revenue For And From Jobs -- Spending Cuts
Will Not Address The Deficit Issue Alone!
Does anyone know where (which forums) the right-wingers (that previously shouted and cursed here) are?
They've been replaced by the equally obnoxious left-wingers patting themselves on the back.
Actually, they have been replaced by the MORE OBNOXIOUS lefties who seem to think that winning a close election and picking up some Congressional seats somehow magically equates to a "MANDATE of BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS" for Obama to do whatever the hell he pleases !!!
All we are looking at now is that same old "CAN" that has been kicked down the road many times ... until AFTER the elections ! Now, expect the tax and spend megalamaniac to go crazy with tax increases that will send an already fragile economy back into recession ! Heck, the onset of Obamacare alone is already causing businesses to opt for "survival mode".
Here's an interesting right-wing echo chamber from Nov. 7:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/11/john-kerry-had-a-million-more-votes-than-mitt-romney/
Listen, they know why Romney lost. It was VOTER FRAUD.
These folks are ripe for more (Fox News / Limbaugh / Beck) conspiracy theories. Imagine what it must be like to live inside those heads.
Ian...for one, you can try www.townhall.com.
jim-1455434.......
Why would democrats and President Obama do anything likely to cause the economy to go back into recession?
We want to take back the HOR and increase our Senate majority in 2014. That will be quite useful in crafting legislation to render meaningless the "Citizens United" SCOTUS decision. It will also enable us to strengthen the Voting Rights Act and reconfigure filibuster rules such that a minority cannot hijack the entire legislative process. We probably won't be able to increase our legislative presence if the economy does not improve. Thus, we will do all possible to see that it does.
Democrats know how to structure an economy that is durable. It is an economy where wealth percolates up from the middle class rather than (not) trickling down from the plutocrats. We've done it before. We will do it again.
Obstructionism: You've been there. You've done that. It did not work (politically). Now, you will be forced to face reality. That reality is that you will either do what is best for this country or you will continue to shrink. That is YOUR mandate.
Barack Obama is President of the United States. He will be, God willing, for the next four years. You were not elected to lead. Now, you should follow or get out of the way.
"We probably won't be able to increase our legislative presence if the economy does not improve."
I don't by that for one second. If the economy improves, Obama and the Democrats will take credit, whether they have anything to do with the improvement or not. If the economy does not improve, Obama, the Democrats and the media will blame the Republicans (and Bush no doubt), and Obama will get a walk on it, just like he does everything else that isn't positive.
Democrats greed for power makes them orders of magnitude better politicians than Republicans.
hs321......
Here are a sampling of comments from http://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2012/11/14/the_right_isnt_waving_a_white_flag/page/2:
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Do you think this is representative of the current stream of consciousness on the right?
Ian...no, I don't think it's representative of the current stream of consciousness on the right as a whole, just the extremist. There are extremist on both sides. No informed person can deny that honestly.
Have you ever read any of the hate-filled rantings by Feisty Redhead and her followers who agree with her comments?
Do you think they are representative of the current stream of consciousness on the left?
Of course neither of us believe the average person on the left is anything like them.
Ian, they lost their paid troll jobs and are now unemployed bloggers. I see, however, they have re-registered to post equally, nonsensical rants without facts to back the rants.
Maybe most of them like me are still in shock a bit how a country could re-elect a person who cannot get the job done. So after a few days a person comes to grip with let him OWN it. This way everything we have been barking about can come to fruition, and it surely will. No one to blame....just the empty suit standing there. In the next couple of years all those dole voters can WALLOW in it.
And when the Bush Tax cuts are ended, then EACH person will see less on their checks. The non intelligent voter bought into taxing the rich more, and never realized they too will have their income lowered. Let the Wallowing begin!! Then it will be a bit easier in 2016 to fix whatever is left.
Hey Texola......
When can we start negotiating on how much Texas is going to pay for 15 military bases (+ remaining federally owned property in TX) when you secede?
Anyway, who believes, if deferred to a state referendum, the majority of Texans would vote to secede?
Regarding expiration of the Bush tax cuts: Democrat legislators are preparing legislation, as we speak, to restore middle class tax cuts upon BTC expiration. This will decouple these from those of the wealthy and provide plausible political cover for republicans when they vote (as they will) to restore the MC tax cuts WITHOUT doing likewise for the wealthy.
If you are middle class, democrats will protect you. If you are wealthy, prepare for a (re)re-distribution. The wealthy have been on a gravy train for way too long......<14% and zero FICA....good grief !
Increase in after-tax income group, 1979-2007;
Top 1% 281%
Top 5% 160%
Top 10% 125%
Top 20% 95%
Forth 20% 35%
Middle 20% 25%
second 20% 23%
Bottom 20% 16%
Figures are adjusted for inflation.
Source; Congressional Budget Office "Average After-Tax Household Income" June, 2010.
As you can see, there is plenty of extra disposable income on the part of the top income earners to contribute more to reduce the deficit.
"Sports statistics are kept in a much more rational way than statistics about political issues. Have you ever seen statistics on what percentage of the home runs over the years have been hit by batters hitting in the .320s versus batters hitting in the .280s or the .340s? Not very likely.
Such statistics would make no sense, because different batters are in these brackets from one year to the next. You wouldn't be comparing people, you would be comparing abstractions and mistaking those abstractions for people.
But, in politics and in commentaries on political issues, people talk incessantly about how "the top one percent" of income earners are getting more money or how the "bottom 20 percent" are falling behind. Yet the turnover in income brackets over a decade is at least as great as the turnover in batting average brackets.
In the course of a decade, the top 400 income earners include a couple of thousand people. The income received by the top 400 (as a statistical bracket) has risen, both absolutely and as a share of all income, even while the average income of the average person who was in that bracket at a given time has fallen by large amounts. How can this be? The short answer is turnover.
Turnover in sports creates no such confusion." – Thomas Sowell
My old College Statistics professor used to have a a saying for folks like you: Figures lie and liars figure. Seems to be appropriate here.
You do realize how misleading this list is, right? You look at the "Top 1%" and this massive increase in pay and it never, not ever, takes the circumstances into consideration. Case in point: American Idol Winner, Scotty McReady goes from a High School student delivering pizzas for around $5,00 per year to a $5M recording contract, an increase of 1000%. That would NEVER skew the figures, would it?
Why not look at it logically: Do you really believe that Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, or Bill Gates had an increase or "281%"intheir incomes? (What a question - You are a Liberal so of course you do)
You are delusional if you think Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Al Gore, Obama or Clinton are going to pay more. They only want others to pay. I guarantee that they have their money so locked down the US government won't see any increase from that bunch of takers.
All I can think of is one word - Aaaaaaaahhh. I just had my first hot shower since before hurricane Sandy. I know that may sound trivial to everyone, but to me it was awesome. It is amazing what we take for granted. Like the song, you never really know what you got 'til it's gone. None of this political bs from both sides matter. You're never gonna change the otherside by using vitriole. Politics should be entered with an open mind, debated intellectually and decided mutually by still remaining freinds. The constant bombardment of rants and derogatory comments mean nothing. Life is too short to be wasted by spending time and effort belittlling the other side. Forget politics for a day, a month or the rest of your life. Enjoy the things we take for granted. If you stop all this hatred you will be a much happier person. It's amazing how something as simple as a hot shower can completely change your attitude.
I loved your post! You should run for president!!! Every now and then I have to wonder if we are actually fighting against something that is true. Does the Left really want to take everything I have away from me and give it to people who don't do anything to earn it? And does the Right really not give a damn about the plight of their fellow man? I am not a Democrat but we give 20% of our income to help others - people in the US, people in other countries and animal causes. We also pay our staff the highest salaries in the city, contribute to their retirement, and offer healthcare. The economy in the last four years has caused great hardship and many months we had to borrow from our own retirement so we could continue to pay our staff. Do we really deserve the hatred of these far left democrats?
Well said. Glad to hear a different perspective that matters. Hope things work out better for you in the future.
Ho Hum more lies from Washington I hear he's going to raise taxes then double it ! This guy doesn't even have a clue as to what he's doing ! It's like wanting to sell a hot dog for a dollar but you want to make at least a hundred a day selling it but it doesn't sell so raise the price more to cover your losses but don't think anything about something might be wrong DUH ya think anyone is going to buy it ?? tax welfare and you won't need to raise taxes !
the king will not get grilled the us media will blame bush and the g.o.p. and give this president a pass again.
The United States is becoming another Greece fast.
Not true, for so many reasons. For one thing, the U.S. has a much larger and more diverse economy than little ole' Greece. For another thing, the Greeks raised the art of tax evasion to Olympian levels in the years before they tanked. Further proof that paying your taxes is the patriotic thing to do.
No we are not. Only in the GOP bubble or Rush World.
Greece is cool .. it has awesome buildings and statues and stuff.
Yeah, cool buildings until the Entitlement group, when their free money runs out, start tearing them down. Let's start with the White House.
I'm just curious - those of you on the left, is there a limit to the amount of money you think a person should be taxed? The new Obama tax rate will have many people working for the US government 5 months of the year. Would you be willing to work 5 months a year for zero pay and only keep what you make the other 7 months? Also, do you think someone who has an IQ of 70 and didn't finish high school should get the same amount of pay as someone who went to medical school and then specialized in open heart surgery and borrowed $500,000 to start his practice?
Do you honestly feel the woman on crack with 9 kids has the same value to society as the guy who opened his own business and employs 40 people??? So the more drugs she does and the more kids she has the more the rest of us should just pony up with no rights in getting her to be responsible for what she has created??
My sentiments exactly. The problem with people is that they do not think about the big picture and how what we do, who we vote for today and how we choose to over look things today - effects us and the future generations down the road.
Look how much different we are today then we were just 15 years ago. Many may think that we are better today then we were 15 years ago. However, if you truely look at our morals, ethics and principals today in comparison to 15 years ago - we could not be any more off base and/or on the opposite side of the fence. Our principals, morals and ethics makes us who and what we are. In todays society it woulod appear that most of us no longer have any of those character qualities.
Don't forget Benghazi. Seems they are keeping this one silent for some reason and Americans actually died there. Start there and then move to the other issues.
Don't forget Mississippi - three were 'actually' killed when a place crashed into a house there. Let's start there and move onto other issues.
President Obama, ahead of his first press conference since winning re-election and a meeting later this week with congressional leaders, staked out his starting point for fiscal cliff negotiations -- $1.6 trillion in tax hikes.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney made clear that the president is sticking by his original budget plan, which includes $1.6 trillion in new revenue, by raising taxes on households making more than $250,000.
Interesting how the $250k figure is now being used rather than the $1 million figure that was used during the election and debates. Bring on the superfluous excuses and/or misrepresentations.
StateRunMedia (#19):
President Obama has ALWAYS stated the amount as being $250k figure. Please let us know the specific source where you got the $1 million figure from. (Faux News is NOT a source.)
Sixty percent of the electorate identified themselves as being married, and Romney won that segment by 14 points, 56%-42%. But Obama won the 40% who aren’t married by nearly 30 points, 62%-35%.
OK, I will admit to being seriously math challenged. I've been drawing pie charts and filling them in since I read this sentence.
So, 60% of the voters are married, and Romney won those voters by 14 points. Obama won the single people by 30 points, which made up a smaller portion of the voters. You combine the married people who voted Democratic, with the single people who supported Obama, and Obama won the popular vote by 2.81%. This is still hard for me to wrap my head around, but I guess, you could say, that small sliver of married people who voted for Obama, they made the difference.
well, not sure that 42% is a "small sliver" of people (married who voted for obama)..and it was 3% out of any and every category that made the difference.
Actually, I suspect a significant number of married women SAID they voted Romney when their conservative hubbies were in earshot, but what goes on in the voting booth stays in the voting booth! Did Romney really think women were going to give him a pass on his silence on the GOPs anti-women policies?
Thanks, vermont guy. Good points. Breaking these exit polls down by categories makes my head spin. Seems like the pundits are trying to figure out which "group" to blame for the Republicans loss, as if it's a given, Obama "should" have lost.
Seems to me, a better question is, how the heck did Bush get elected to his second term? President Obama has been so much more successful, why should his re-election be in doubt?
I am confused - what has Obama been successful at? Forcing something on the American people that they did NOT want? Ok, I will give him that one. But Welfare is up, Unemployment is up - ok is was successful in moving toward a Welfare/Socialist state. Got an ambassador murdered - yep, successful there too. Experiencing the biggest backlash of angry Americans ever - yeah, he is successful there too.
Looks to me that the only areas he hasn't accomplished his goals yet are to have the tax rate at 100% with every single American living on Government money. Yeah, then the wealth will be very even. So all you college kids, you are wasting your time trying to get a degree so that you can live the American dream. No matter what you study you will make the same salary as the guy removing trash from the side of the road...
This married woman was proud to vote for President Obama for a second time! My husband did, too---no vote cancellation in our household.
The bigger question is how any woman could have voted for Romney---during the election he offended us in so many ways---failure to back equal pay, "binders of women", failure to call out Rush Limbaugh over Sandra Fluke, blaming gun violence on the lack of two-parent homes, opposition to Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood to name a few.
As a female, we must think for ourselves and not take things so personally. I am 100% pro choice and believe every woman has the right to choose. However, the comment made on the right side about rape pregnancies did not offend me in any way. Why? Because men are completely ignorant when it comes to things of this nature and I know that Roe vs. Wade will NEVER be reversed. Therefore, why get all pissy about a stupid comment and get in a frinzie about something that will never change. More women should be concerned about the state of our economy and how their children and grand children will be effected by things should Obama not do anymore in his next four years then he did in his first/last 4 years.
Our principals and priorities are totally #@*&ed up as a society. My God, the people elected a president based on his social views verses his ability and knowledge to be able to lead our country out of the mess we are presently in.
I have to say that some women have a long way to go before they can consider themselves equal to men. It is horable to say that considering I am a woman. But women do make themselves look ignorant - they do not need much help from men. (this does not pertain to all women - just the womans stupid enough to vote for Obama because their feeling were hurt by the other party)
Repubs are in shock that the community organizer kicked the businessmans butt AND Repubs lost seats in the House and Senate.
GOP's only objective for the last 4 years was to make President Obama a 1 term president....major FAIL!
What will the GOP do now that their collective butts have been kicked....only have to look at this site and see the ranting and wailing that will continue for the next 4 years....nothing constructive, nothing positive, nothing logical...just ranting and wailing.
That's OK, President Obama and the Dems will be the adults in the room as they have been for the last 4 years and America will continue on the path to recovery...which is why majority of Americans re-elected President Obama.
Dragon, You post that like a badge of honor. When really you should be questioning your decision making skills.
"GOP's only objective for the last 4 years was to make President Obama a 1 term president....major FAIL!"
You're right...now our mission is to get the Empty Suit impeached!!
Dragon...collective butts kicked?
Tell me again which party still controls the House.
According to liberal logic, that is a mandate.
Tell me again which party just LOST seats in the house when they were predicting they would gain seats across the board ... and most of those casualties were the extremists. If there are any intelligent, centrist Repubs left, this message will NOT be lost on them...
"Major fail"?? I would call it an "Epic Fail"
spiritdance..."and most of those casualties were the extremists. If there are any intelligent, centrist Repubs left, this message will NOT be lost on them..."
As the extremist lost, apparently the message was not lost on "intelligent, centrist Repubs".
That being said, "A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers." - Ronald Reagan 1975
"A political party cannot be all things to all people." No, but it can certainly give that illusion if that's what it takes to get elected.
The buck stops here. Yes Obama is responsible for this Petraus situation. Yes Obama is reponsible for Benghazi. Yes he is responsible for fast and furious. No debate. He is responsible.
I'll agree that he is "responsible" for everything in the country in the same way that every other president is "responsible" for everything in the country during their terms.
that would, for example, make bush "responsible" for 9/11.
Anthony, Anthony, Anthony...Sir, you just don't understand how it works. Bush is responsible for everything negative that ever has, or ever will happen in the universe. Have the libs and Obama not made that clear to you over the last 4 years?
Obama does not have to take responsibility for anything negative. Ever.
well, now that's a stupid post.
the idea here is that there are different levels of "responsibility". You are directly responsible for things you control, but only indirectly responsible for those you don't, and if you dont underrstand the different, you are clueless.
"Nothing is easier than blaming others for our troubles, and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions. Anybody can do that. Responsibility and leadership in the 21st century demands more." - Barack Obama - First United Nations Speech - September 23, 2009
I don't think anyone is going to see anyone "grilling" Pres O again. This is a new President Obama you're looking at.
And what is the difference?
New doesn't always equal better.
which one was prez for the last four years? Old or "new"?
No, unfortunately it is just a worse rendition of the appallingly incompetent president we have had for the last four years. This arrogant prick is going to rip the country in two because he refuses to realize that there are two viewpoints and he only works for the one that wants to destroy any incentive to create businesses and feels that a clerk at the county courthouse should make the same pay as a heart surgeon. Because everyone is equal, right? No, people are NOT equal. They should have equal opportunity to make the best of their abilities but if they have an IQ of 90 they are just not going to be as capable as someone with an IQ of 135. That's life and you can't suppress someone or punish them just because they are more able.
"That's life and you can't suppress someone or punish them just because they are more able."
Just you wait and see.
Hs321 is that more able to screw up?
Did I miss the questions on Behghazi?
I was just wondering the same thing. Really, nothing about Behghazi????
I was just wondering the same thing. Where are the questions about Behghazi? Americans died and the media is not interested in asking questions about what happened. I don't get it???
If you are going to willingly play the role of court jester (or the idiot savant), please ensure you keep apprised. Diane Feinstein has already said, loud and clear via the media, that Congress wants General P. to testify. The investigation is ongoing, and your ridiculous attempts to stir the pot are pathetic, at best.
"Diane Feinstein has already said, loud and clear via the media, that Congress wants General P. to testify."
As long as it's behind closed doors......don't want the truth to get out until we spin it.......
After over two months and after the elections, the investigation is still incompetently slow. As a result of blistering criticism from the victims families and those who care about what really happened, the investigation creeps along again. What a farce and fraud this cover up is.
Uh...Mr. Empty Suit...Who's idea was it to go with the You Tube video excuse and when was that decision reached???
Why didn't your staff do a better job of vetting General Petraeus??? Was the Attorney General so tied up with covering up Fast and Furious that he couldn't do a adequate job on this issue.
Why would one of your FBI agent go rouge and go to a congressman to leak this information? Wouldn't he go to his boss first and if so why didn't his boss inform up the chain of command???
Don't you think the timing is a little questionable on the release of the information on General Petraeus? Did you or your administration threaten him in any way???
Why didn't you send help to those poor people you let die in Benghazi?
This isn't going away Mr. Empty Suit.......What's you next plan for a cover up?
wb52,
This is really depressing. Is it going to take another 4 years to make people understand it's Bush's fault?
Doesn't you tongue ever get tired of licking the rim of the toilet bowl?
Much better than the Empty Suit being the contents therein........
Smoke and mirrors to distract from Bengazi - I hope that President Obama did not do anything illegal with regards to Bengazi, I would hate to see him impeached.
wb52 must have heard the words "empty suit" recently, as he tends to use it often. I knew that the Obama haters would be rubbing their hands together regarding the Petraeus incident, which has NOTHING to do with President Obama!
Rockamama funny that thins like fast and furious, Begasi,Acorn, the selling of Obama's senate seat,using the commerce clause to pass an unpopular law, the secret service scandal and so much more happen around one man and one man only! Most presidents will have one maybe two scandals in their term but with this guy it is non stop. But no mater how many times you are hit in the head with a brick you still will not admit that it huts