The pathetically anemic slow-bama “recovery” continues to limp along. The majority of American voters were stupid enough to re-elect a President who had demonstrated he was clueless on the subject of getting the economy going at a normal growth rate of +/- 3%.

Now they are getting EXACTLY what they deserve.

A negative Q4 GDP “growth” rate, and month after month of job “growth” that isn’t even enough to keep up with population growth, and a rising unemployment rate. And this is more than three and a half years after the official end of the recession in June 2009. Get used to it. This is the new normal. Lefty liberals are doing their best to make America more like the socialist mediocracies of old Europe and we are doomed to the accompanying slow economic growth and high unemployment

Einstein’s definition of insanity fits these voters well: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

Sucks to be them.

BTW, did you see where President “focused like a laser on jobs” let his Jobs Council expire yesterday after not meeting with them for a year?? I guess he was too busy making sure he had a job for the next four years to waste time on meetings that might help the millions of unemployed get a job.

Life is good.

Enjoy.

(or, if you are a lefty liberal, at least try to be less miserable)

Economy Adds Another 157,000 Jobs; Rate Up to 7.9%

BUSINESS NEWS

By:Jeff Cox | CNBC.com Staff Writer

CNBC.com | Friday, 1 Feb 2013 | 8:30 AM ET

The new year started off with an old story: Employment grew again in January but not at a pace able to lower the jobless rate.

Nonfarm payrolls rose 157,000 for the first month of 2013 while the unemployment rate edged higher to 7.9 percent, news unlikely to alter the Federal Reserve's monetary policy or instill confidence that the recovery is gaining steam.

Economists were looking for 160,000 net new jobs created with the unemployment rate holding steady at 7.8 percent.

The NRA Is Clueless:

The NRA wants us to focus on mental health/illness instead of focusing on guns: repackaged themes that guns don't kill people, people kill people. To examine mental health issues there are some important points to consider.

1.Mental health has historically been underfunded and with the implementation of the Affordable Health Care law, mental illnesses should gain closer parity to physical illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease.

2.Seriously mentally ill (SMI) patients tend to be victims of crime rather than the perpetrators of crime. While there are some exceptions, it is a movie myth that crazy ax murderers lurk behind trees to kill handsome men and beautiful women.

3.Psychiatry/psychology is not an exact science and it is very difficult for mental health professionals to determine if one particular person is going to be a mass murderer.

4.It is unreasonable to think that all mentally ill people can be screened to determine their likelihood of being a killer of children. We are looking at approximately 15% of the population who are seriously depressed, schizophrenic, and/or bipolar.

5.Due to issues of confidentiality, mental health professionals are reluctant to release the name of a patient unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the patient is about to commit a crime. To incorrectly release the name of a client can often lead to a law suit and the loss of one's license to practice.

6.In all 50 states there are laws on the books to report a person who could be considered a danger to self or a danger to others. When a person is reported, it becomes a legal matter and a judge recognizes that a crime has not yet been committed, thus has to weigh the rights of the individual against the safety of the community. The outcome is seldom clear.

7.The funding to treat SMI's is woefully inadequate and there needs to be more pharmacological research for better medications and better trained professionals to treat the mentally ill.

But to be honest, it is not the seriously mentally ill who are scary—it is the gun manufacturers, the NRA, and the crazies who join militia groups, who go on fantasy weekend excursions and have visions of taking down law enforcement officers and the federal government. Right wingers are now publically saying that they need equivalent fire power (assault rifles) so they can stand up to sheriffs, marshals, and the police. Now that is scary and crazy.

UpChuck Hagel is completely and totally UNQUALIFIED to be Secretary of Defense.

The biggest national security threat to America is a nuclear armed Iran and this moron was so unprepared that he got the US policy on a nuclear armed Iran totally WRONG!!!!

The FACT that he was so unprepared for such an obvious and predictable question is enough to determine that this BOZO FAILED the job interview and should step aside as a candidate for Secretary of Defense.

And yet it’s highly likely that he will get the appointment by a Dem party line vote.

Ya gotta love America: Incompetent voters elect an incompetent President who appoints incompetent cabinet secretaries and no one seems to get it that this is the reason for America’s steady decay as a great world power.

From Politico (emphasis added):

Chuck Hagel stumbles on Iran questioning
By: Tim Mak
January 31, 2013 01:26 PM EST

Chuck Hagel stumbled Thursday during questioning on Iran, inadvertently saying the Obama administration supports “containment” and calling the country an “elected legitimate government.”

"I support the president's strong position on containment, as I have said," the former Republican senator from Nebraska told the Senate Armed Services Committee considering his nomination for Defense secretary.

(The statement differed from his prepared opening statement, where he said: "I am fully committed to the president’s goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and — as I’ve said in the past — all options must be on the table to achieve that goal.”

The Obama administration supports preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, rather than containing it.

“As you know, our policy is prevention, not containment,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Fox News on Tuesday. “We have, through the hard work we’ve undertaken with the international community, imposed the toughest set of sanctions — international and bilateral — on any country.”

Later, Hagel, who was being questioned by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), was passed a note informing him of his mistake, and he offered a correction.

"I misspoke and said I supported the president's position on containment. If I said that, I meant to say we don't have a position on containment," Hagel said.

But even that was not clear enough. Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) stepped in to clarify further.

"We do have a position on containment, and that is we do not favor containment," Levin said. "I just wanted to clarify the clarify."

Asked about Hagel's remarks at the White House, press secretary Jay Carney said, “The fact is we judge Iran on its behavior. They are consistently in violation of their United Nations obligations, their international obligations, and because of that they are enduring the most intense sanctions regime in history."

In addressing Iran, Hagel said that the country was "a member of the United Nations. Almost all of our allies have embassies in Iran ... [It is] an elected, legitimate government, whether we agree or not."

A Senate Republican aide reached out soon after the statement, pointing out that the Senate had voted 94-0 to pass the Menendez-Kirk amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in 2012.

It said, in part: "It shall be the policy of the United States ... to deny the government of Iran the ability to continue to oppress the people of Iran and to use violence and executions against pro-democracy protesters and regime opponents ... [and] to fully and publicly support efforts made by the people of Iran to promote the establishment of basic freedoms that build the foundation for the emergence of a freely elected, open and democratic political system."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) pressed Hagel on those terms, and Hagel walked back his previous comments.

"I want to make sure that your statement earlier today with regard to whether Iran is legitimate... I can understand if you meant [that] it's a legal entity that has international relations and has diplomatic relations and is a member of the U.N., but I do not see Iran or the Iranian government as a legitimate government,” Gillibrand said.

And Hagel replied: "Thank you, senator. What I meant to say, should have said, [is that Iran is] recognizable. It is recognized by the United Nations, most of our allies have embassies there. That's what I should have said."

""The US is the most heavily armed nation in the world, possessing about 270 million guns. As CNN notes, "Yemen, a tribal nation with no history of strong central government or the rule of law, comes in a distant second.""

"The US is also far and above the most violent developed country in the world. According to an analysis by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, more guns lead to more murders, regardless of state or country."

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/17/1345321/america-is-more-heavily-armed-than-yemen/

Did you ever wonder why we have friends? We live in a world where you go to a job, do whatever it is you do, and get a paycheck. You don't have to like the people there. You just have to do your job. You don't have to like the person who sold you your home, or if you don't own your home, you don't have to like your landlord. Just pay your money and stay there. You don't have to like the person who feeds you. Just go to the store or a restaurant, give them money, and they give you food. You really don't need friends, when you have money.

But, as it happens, some of us see a larger world out there. A world that includes a lot more than money. There's a lot of things going on out in that world, and a lot of it doesn't make any kind of sense. You can make a choice. You can focus on money, never look past your nose, and pretend the world is just you. The other choice is to believe you are just a part of that world out there and ask yourself how you fit in that world.

That's why we have friends. Some of our friends are very close. There's not a lot of those. They're the ones you trust without question. Real trust. Life and death trust. When you get right down to it, it's a very rare person who needs more than one hand to count those kinds of friends.

Then there's the other kind of friends. You don't know them well enough to ask them for a loan. You don't want to ask them to extend themselves too much on your behalf. But they're the people with whom you feel a certain comfort, with whom you share beliefs, who offer reassurance that we're not alone. They're the kind of friends you find here. The kind you know you'd like if you met them in person. They see the world as you do. They're as mystified by the craziness they see around them as you are, and they wonder about it, just as you wonder about it.

Guns? Gun violence is in the purest sense of the word - AWESOME. More than 30,000 dead and grievously wounded each and every year as a result of the too-easy availability of guns. Year after bloody year this happens, and people scream we need MORE guns? My friends think this is insanity. We think doing nothing IS NOT a good solution.

Bankers? They package up worthless securities, sell them to unsuspecting buyers, crash the economy, demand that taxpayers bail out their stupidity and unbridled greed. They give themselves huge salaries, and wash, rinse, repeat. None of them go to prison. My friends think this is insanity.

Religion? Some insist there's a Supreme Being. It's about faith. We're good so far. They want a relationship with that Being. We're still good. Then, here comes some guy and says this Being wants 10% of your money. He'd be glad to pass along that 10%, and everything is just peachy keen. I wonder why a Being who could create the universe out of thin air needs 10% of anything. Some of my friends wonder that too, but they have a relationship with that Being. We're good.

My friends have as many questions as I do, and we are always looking for answers. We think money isn't the answer for every problem. In fact, a lot of us think money IS the problem. Those are my kind of friends. I'm glad I have 'em.

Hey, Joe, where was the commercial where someone got on and said that Romney created their job? Oh, yeah - THERE WASN'T ONE!!! Meanwhile, pundits have pointed to the commercial where the poor schlub built the stage from which it was announced that the schlub was losing his job as being a devastating blow to Romney's campaign. "Romney The Job Creator" is right up there with Bigfoot as a fiction. The. Best. Man. Won.

On another point, if Rumsfeld could be secretary of defense, apparently any sober sonuvab#tch can do i.

Excellent post, Ron. About time this was addressed.

The Senate Republicans yesterday were a disgrace, not Hagel. This isn't sugar coating, this is a performance by our United States Senate that will go down in history as just as much a disgrace as was their performance towards Hillary Clinton.

SOME in the media saw this for what it was, as did Senator Manchin - so disgusted that he actually went over to Chuck Hagel and APOLOGIZED for the BS he had to be subjected to.

Republicans care more about Israel than anything going on in this country. What complete morons. And what a mess they have made. A complete mess.

______________

Lawrence said something last night that was literally jaw dropping - he was speaking about rape in the military and went on to say that in 2010 - 19...

So when he said 19 - I thought he was going to say 19 women were raped in 2010.

But that isn't what he said.

The figure was actually 19,000. 19,000 rapes in the military.

19,000.

Albanian Idiot,

Einstein's definition of insanity fits these voters well: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

And given that you have posted Einstein's quote for the umpteenth time now in the past 2-3 weeks, I have created my own quote for you--and you alone: "Posting the same Einstein quote over and over and over and over and over again is the product of a limited intellect that will never contribute anything of any substance."

Ron, scary and crazy is exactly what it is.

Great post as always.

p.s. - In your travels, don't forget about Gettsyburg.

Mr. Hagel must have the patience of Job. How he could sit there an take the vile comments coming out of John McCain's mouth is beyond me. Disgusting. I was embarrassed for McCains actions and questions. And this from a "so called" friend of Mr. Hagel. How he could take that kind of crap without getting up and punching McCain in the mouth only shows me how restained and in control Mr. Hagel is under fire. Just what we need in a Secretary of Defense. And Lindsey Graham, another embarrassment to the Republican Party. How soon can we vote these old fools out? Not soon enough for me.

I still predict that Mr. Hagel will be confirmed.

Ron,

Lack of professional services for mental heath is appalling.

With insurance or not, it takes months to get in to see a psychiatrist for evaluation .

The hardest part is when a family has exhausted every resource to get help for an young adult.

Many people can function very well if they have proper medication and continuing support and monitoring.

Pat,

Those TeaPeople Senators DO NOT care about the culture of rape in the military.

It is beyond their comprehension.....so they asked nothing!

The Right to Pursue Happiness

From the article above:

Here’s the obituary in the New York Times: “Edward I. Koch, the master showman of City Hall, who parlayed shrewd political instincts and plenty of chutzpah into three tumultuous terms as mayor of New York with all the tenacity, zest and combativeness that personified his city of golden dreams, died Friday morning at age 88.

The debate Wayne (Pepe Le Pew) La Pierre and the gun manufacturers never wanted to happen is happening and this is exactly what they have been feverously trying to prevent for almost two decades now.

They hate it because we get to witness all of their faults, lies, and propaganda being exposed right before our eyes. They hate it because THEY are finally being held accountable for how they have manipulated the public into buying a product they don’t need, and likely will never use.

This debate is long overdue.

We Americans should embrace this debate about the right to bear arms with open arms. It’s healthy for our country to have. We must remember that the new Angels from the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy are the ones telling us this debate must have positive, lasting results for our country.

We now interrupt this program to bring you the following message:

“I said; to be a New Yorker you have to live here for six months, and if at the end of the six months you find you walk faster, talk faster, think faster, you're a New Yorker.”
Ed Koch

Have a great weekend.

Go Ravens!

Salud

Good morning Pat, agree on yesterday it was a disgrace to watch the Hagel hearings. There is no other word but to call it bullying, by republicans of a former Senator, a member of their party and in McCain's case, a fellow Vietnam vet. It was disgusting to watch and reeked of bitterness and intimidation. Sen. Hagel did not deserve to be treated that way by anyone regardless of party.

Backhouse, Ron, great way to start Friday.

For all the dissecting, moaning, groaning and finger-pointing regarding former Senator Chuck Hagel's testimony, what is lacking in the dissecting is pointing out the often completely absurd questions asked by Senators.

Much of the time was spent badgering, yes badgering, Mr. Hagel regarding positions and policy that are totally unrelated to the position of Secretary of Defense. I found much of the hearing to be a lot of grandstanding, nit-picking--mostly by republicans--and a waste of time.

These hearings should be treated seriously by both parties. Every nominee deserves respect, deserves to be questioned civilly and should be allowed to answer the questions or explain their position without being badgered. I give Chuck Hagel a big cheer for his wonderful opening statement, a cheer for trying to explain his positions, and a cheer for not interrupting and calling some of those senators idiots in public because they often behaved like ignoramuses.

Perhaps Senator McCain could explain what difference it makes if Mr. Hagel agrees or disagrees that the Iraq surge worked or didn't work. That unnecessary war is finished. The USA left, it's like discussing why the horses aren't in the barn because someone left the door open.

Senator Gillibrand quibbling over whether or not Iran is "legitimate" wasn't much better although it was respectful. It's was like arguing that apples and oranges are the same because they're both fruits. Iran is a country with a government, it is recognized by the UN as a sovereign state. It is irrelevant whether or not WE the USA think Iran is "legitimate" simply because we don't like Iran.

David -- Beautiful post.

Jack -- You beat me to it!

Tomas -- Nice post. Gotta say it... Go 49ers!

unemployment rate ticks up to 7.9%...

Now, after four years of Obamanomics, try to blame that on Bush.

I'm telling you folks, Obama doesn't have a clue and when he's done we'll all be lucky to have fifty cents in left our pockets.

.....and now for the important stuff, my super bowl prediction; Ravens 27, Niners 24. I don't really care for either team. But, what the hell, it's an excuse to pig out on junk food, and drink a couple nice cold beers. Enjoy the game everyone!

Right wingers are now publically saying that they need equivalent fire power (assault rifles) so they can stand up to sheriffs, marshals, and the police.

Excellent thought Ron!

Not to mention they actually believe they stand a snowballs chance in hell against the U.S. military! lol

While video games may play a role, it is very clear that the high volume of guns in the U.S. is the main culprit.

Backhouse,

Those figures are fascinating - thanks for sharing!

"Posting the same Einstein quote over and over and over and over and over again is the product of a limited intellect that will never contribute anything of any substance."

Jack,

SSDD out of him! lol

ZMan,

There were 2.2 million jobs were added in 2012

That is an average of 183,000 jobs a month

The 8 years from 01 thru 08 averaged less than 32,000 a month for an 8 year total of only 3 million jobs, the worst period since WW-II, probably ever.

Gingerbread Mama, I think the nation as a whole saw this hearing as you and I did.

The most incompetent Senators in our life time and they have the audacity to question Chuck Hagel in the manner they did? About Israel no less? What decisions is Hagel supposed to make about Israel? And what about what's going on in OUR MILITARY?!

The media treat these Senators as though they deserve some sort of respect for their behavior. Chuck Hagel should never have stooped to their level. Never.

Mind boggling. It's a whole new world now with this Administration. Goodbye neocons. Forever. McCain was used and exploited by them. He will never ever admit it.

Ron that was a very informative post. For far too long mental health needs have been pushed aside and has to be a terrible burden on families. There is little available to those with limited funds as insurance will often not cover it, private facilities are available, but prohibitively expensive one in my area costs 35K a week....this is only for the rich and famous.

In the area of medication, as you know it only works when taken, and there doesn't seem to be answer as to what to do when an adult stops taking it, sometimes with disastrous results. Can anything be done about that part of the problem?

Joker Joe is such a gaffe, gaffe, gaffe. GDP under bush, a mere 2%. Yet here he is proclaiming growth under Obama is dismal. Just so we have it straight, growth at 2% under Bush equates to "Everything is Beautiful", growth at 2% under Obama doomsday galore. Thanks Joe, for reminding us of your world view under the eye of a monocle (a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the vision in only one eye.).

Go Lions, er, well, maybe next year. ( - :

The. Best. Man. Won.

________________________________________

Auntie: OK. Think about what a pathetic statement that is in a country of 300+ million people and those two were the "best" choices that the country had to offer. That's why I am firmly convinced that America is in an irreversible, long term decline. Just like former world powers in the 16th to 19th centuries like Spain, England and France, America is on its way to the same fate of being a former world power.

Go Ravens!

Tomas, I spend enough time on football blogs to know that football fans despise the N.E. Patriots, so I will just say that I wish you well on Sunday.

Super Bowls are always fun. Enjoy it. It's so special.

Good One Ron!

Thanks

Gee, Joe, what about the rest of the Republican candidates? How did Romney beat them? Out of curiosity, who did you think was a better candidate?

The biggest national security threat to America is a nuclear armed Iran

Leave it to a sock-eyed sucker to come up with that line. Forty years ago, it was a nuclear armed USSR, thirty years ago a nuclear armed Israel, 20 years ago India, then Pakistan, and the list goes on. The biggest threat to America is some bozo drinking Sam Adams dreaming about the boogie man wearing red and hiding under his bed.

On Sunday, NBC’s Chuck Todd -- subbing for David Gregory --

Has Gotcha finally been sent packing over to Faux?

Just like former world powers in the 16th to 19th centuries like Spain, England and France,

Does he ever stop projecting idiocy? Those were periods of decline? One has to wonder what he sees when he sees an incline.

Joe in Albany

The biggest national security threat to America is a nuclear armed Iran

Oh crap Joe, I think North Korea just got totally pissed at you.

Albanian Idiot,

Hey Jack-off: If I ever start caring what you think of my posts

Apparently you care enough to respond . . . .

Keep on eating that smoked carp from the Hudson River . . . .

this BOZO FAILED (emphasis added):

Says the Albania of himself. He wonders why we call him the Albanian Idiot.

David W, Pat, CA Tom, Tomas, GBM and, probably by now, several other "FR friends"--enjoyed your comments. Nearly everyday I come to First Thoughts and find the variety of liberal views and subjects quite different yet the underlying thinking is similar, like snowflakes.

Johntho -- Thanks for the chuckle!

Hey, Ebenezer Joe. It's Friday, lighten up, have a Sam Adams or two. It's going to all right. What happened to life is good? Enjoy. Try to be less miserable.

Chuck Hagel couldn't think of any war crimes committed by Israel, but a UN panel proved that Israel has violated the Geneva Conventions:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/world/middleeast/un-panel-says-israeli-settlement-policy-violates-law.html?_r=0

Presenting their findings in Geneva after a nearly six-month inquiry for the United Nations Human Rights Council, a panel of three judges, led by Christine Chanet of France, presented its view that Israel’s settlements violated the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit a state from transferring its own civilian population into territory it has occupied.

Israel can't just claim "bias". It is a fact that Israel has moved settlers onto Palestinian property and it is a fact that that violates the Geneva Conventions. Hagel was right about the Israel (not "Jewish") lobby in this country. No crime committed by Israel will be denounced by the politicians in Washington. Might makes right for Israel, just as it has for every other country seeking to dominate and exploit its neighbors.

Now, after four years of Obamanomics, try to blame that on Bush.

Zman - you got the economic recovery you wanted. Low stimulus, low recovery. Why are you bitching?

Joe, is always cherry picking numbers to make it seem like the Whole World is coming to end under Obama. What a joke this guy is. Now, all of sudden GDP is your number 1 scare tactic.

Say what you want idiot, you cant cherry pick these numbers

35 straight month of Postive Job Growth

4.9 million NEW jobs created since Obama became President in 2009.

Bush created 3 million jobs in 8yrs, Obama 4.9 million in 4yrs, 1 month.

So take your DOOM an GLOOM and shove it Loser!!

"Gee, Joe, what about the rest of the Republican candidates? How did Romney beat them? Out of curiosity, who did you think was a better candidate? "

Auntie, had you ask that of me, I would have said Jon Huntsman, he has all the criteria that presidents need to be successful, he has served our country well, and he is a moderate. (thats why he couldn't win in today's world of tea bags before country.) I am also as sure that I would have voted for Obama because of the great job he has done. Biden was right, the AHCA was "a big f-ing deal" Plus he has brought the country back from the dark days of Bush, again proving it takes a democrat to clean up the mess's that republicans always leave behind.

Jack in Portsmouth

"Posting the same Einstein quote over and over and over and over and over again is the product of a limited intellect that will never contribute anything of any substance."

It does give me an opportunity to point out that the Idiot from Albany is reverently quoting a SOCIALIST. Gasp!

Hey Joe, you nutcase, put this quote in your pipe and smoke it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Socialism%3F

"I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals." -- Albert Einstein

To quote some moron: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Johntho, Huntsman can't win in today's Republican party. Sane people need not apply.

Auntie Fascist

Johntho, Huntsman can't win in today's Republican party. Sane people need not apply.

The Democratic Party has a lunatic fringe that nobody pays attention to. The Republicans have a sanity fringe that is shunned by the lunatics who dominate the GOP.

Pat Boston MA.

Tomas, I spend enough time on football blogs to know that football fans despise the N.E. Patriots, so I will just say that I wish you well on Sunday

Thanks Pat.

Enjoy your weekend too.

I'm really a Broncos fan, so this year we can share our pain and give a toast to next year.

Salud

If you don't think that there are questions over the Presidents' picks for Defense and Treasury then you are a partisan.

Mr Hagel has never managed a large bureaucracy. He has never been in charge of a public or private entity. The DoD is one of the largest departments in the world, and as Secretary Panetta has shown experience does count. The fact Mr Hagel could not answer basic questions on weapons systems, troop levels etc, even after weeks preparation, demonstrates that he is not ready.

Mr Lew managed two departments at CitiGroup, both associated with the financial crisis of 2008. He claims that he was not responsible for the policies and practices of the departments as he came late to the job. However, there is no indication that he made any attempt to change these practices. So, either he did not know they were taking place, or he was complicit in their continuation.

Democrats -- from both the White House and Capitol Hill -- tell First Read that they’re still confident Hagel will win confirmation. You’re unlikely to see a Senate Democrat vote against him or even peel off today; in fact, the hostile GOP questioning might have made Democrats even more united, or so the White House hopes and believes. And if that’s the case, Hagel will have support from a majority of senators. So the question becomes: Do Republicans decide to mount a filibuster against Hagel? That could make things more problematic for his nomination, because he would need 60 votes instead of 51. But it also would create a problematic storyline for Republicans: Do they really filibuster one of their former colleagues who fought and bled in Vietnam?

I'd put nothing past Republicans. Sore losers, obstructionists, delusional...

But they might just want to keep in mind that we are watching. They might just want to consider that we vote, and that we are fed up with their useless foot-dragging.

It's time for a return to sanity in Washington, D.C....and that means voting out the Tea Party nuts.

FORWARD!!

Jody, Iowa

David W, Pat, CA Tom, Tomas, GBM and, probably by now, several other "FR friends"--enjoyed your comments. Nearly everyday I come to First Thoughts and find the variety of liberal views and subjects quite different yet the underlying thinking is similar, like snowflakes.

Thanks, Jody.

Love reading your posts and all my progressive freinds as well.

And yes, even my Teaparty freinds are fun to read (and jab at) everyday as well.

We are one big, disfunctional American family.

LOL.

Salud

Meanwhile, from the fantasy that is Obamacare....

Increases in the estimated impact of the law on private insurance premiums, along with increases in the estimated cost of health care more generally, have led the Congressional Budget Office to increase its estimate of the budget cost of the law's coverage expansion. In 2010, CBO estimated the cost per year of expanding coverage at $154 billion; by 2012, the estimated cost grew to $186 billion. Yet CBO still scores the law as reducing the deficit.

How can this be? The positive budget score turns on the fact that the estimated revenues to pay for the law have risen along with its costs. The single largest source of these revenues? Money taken from Medicare in the form of lower Medicare payment rates, mostly in the law's out-years. Since the law's passage, however, Congress and the president have undone various scheduled Medicare cuts—including some prescribed by the law itself.

Put aside the absurdity that savings from Medicare—the country's largest unfunded liability—can be used to finance a new entitlement. The argument that health reform decreases the deficit is even worse. It depends on Congress and the president not only imposing Medicare cuts that they have proven unwilling to make but also imposing cuts that they have already specifically undone, most notably to Medicare Advantage, a program that helps millions of seniors pay for private health plans.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323374504578217720567917856.html

Does anyone care to wager that Obamacare NEVER cuts the deficit?

Looks like the regular lefty liberals have their panties all twisted up in knots today.

And not a single one of them has anything to say refuting the FACTS in my posts that Barry's record on GDP "growth" is dismal, his record on job creation is not even enough new jobs to keep up with population growth, and Barry's Defense nominee, UpChuck Hagel, doesn't even understand US policy on Iran.

Sucks to be them.

BTW, the Dow crossed over 14,000 today, despite Barry's poor record on the economy. Ain't capitalism great!!!!

And just for David Wanker: The Super Bowl party menu is exactly what you would have guessed, and lots of it.

Life is good.

Enjoy.

(or, if you are a lefty liberal, at least try to be less miserable)

Good Morning, It's so nice to get online and see all of you making ; unlike the ungrateful T-baggers. I don't suppose the baggers know a termite can do nothing to a stone but lick it.

you got the economic recovery you wanted. Low stimulus, low recovery

Low stimulus, who are you kidding?

$1T of deficit spending a year is low? Throughout this Administration deficit spending has been above 10% of GDP, dropping last year to 8.5%. This does not even count the money the Fed is printing, and the fact that interest rates are basically 0%.

Low stimulus my ass.

The biggest national security threat to America is a nuclear armed Iran...

No, Joe.

The biggest national security threat to America is within our borders: the delusional, paranoid, gun-worshipping, government-hating right wing nuts who make up a large portion of the GOP.

They scare me a lot more than a nuclear-armed Iran.

Can some of you Pundits tell me who is the Democratically Elected Senator(or REP.) from the 51st State of Isreal? I can't seem to find it anywhere crawlin thru these Tubes.

Anyone with an inkling of Rational sense knows, that Iran is a Blimp on the Radar(can you say Contained). Yet i'd still like to know when ANY Isreali Troops have stood Side-by Side with Our American Troops in Battle on Foriegn soil?

A post on twitter yesterday said Hagels response to McCain should've went something to the Effect of " And You want America to believe you're decisions were Sound, when you wanted America to believe Sarah Palin was Remotely Quailified to be a HeartBeat from the Presidency"!

I'd for one woulda really loved to seen Mccains Jaws drop over That kinda response, but o'well, it did'nt happen!

You Betcha!

Occupy SoggyBottom!

Auntie, that is what I said. However of all the candidates Jon Huntsman was the one that would have led the republican party with honor, something that really lacked in their latest defeat was honor. That is something that can be witnessed everyday by the post here, nutty Joe from Albania is a prime example of no honor.

Speaking of queer, how odd is this - conservatives posing as members of the GLBT community to derail Hagel. Yo Sheldon and Friess, what else do you do whilst in the closet, besides holding aspirin between your knees?

Use Your Mandate uses Del Cielo Media, an arm of one of the most prominent Republican ad-buying firms in the country, Smart Media, with clients that have included the presidential campaigns of former Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. of Utah and Senator John McCain of Arizona; the 2010 Senate campaign of Christine O’Donnell, who was known for positions against homosexuality, in Delaware; and, as it happens, the Emergency Committee for Israel. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/us/politics/secret-donors-finance-fight-against-hagel.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp&

Ron,

EXCELLENT post! I've been posting about the mental health issues for the last few days and am very frightened if Congress decides they should be armchair "psychiatrists" and try and make the decisions as to who will qualify - by dx or meds or number of commitments? It is quite a large issue.

As for the rest of the beautiful snowflakes - happy weekend!

Can some of you Pundits tell me who is the Democratically Elected Senator(or REP.) from the 51st State of Isreal? I can't seem to find it anywhere crawlin thru these Tubes.

Seems Mr Hagel couldn't answer that question either.

Are will still at war, Graham wants to know. After some stammering, Hagel says "Yes."

Graham's next question is "name one person in Congress who has been intimidated by the Jewish lobby." Hagel can't do it (or won't).

Now Graham wants Hagel to name one dumb thing Congress has done in response to pressure from the Israeli lobby. Hagel can't do it (or, actually, won't).

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/02/hagels_senate_confirmation_hearing_shocks_supporters.html#ixzz2JfDeP2je
Follow us: @AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook

I sat on the balcony of my hotel room in Puerto Rico this morning at 5:00 am local time in shorts and a tee shirt, drinking coffee and waiting for sunrise to wash over the total blackness of the ocean in front me. As the stars gave way to the sunlight the vastness of the ocean horizon allows you to detect the curvature of the earth. Once in awhile you have to be reminded that in the big picture of things we are individually somewhat insignificant specks in the universe. I actually find this to be a calming, somewhat soothing thought, that puts the problems I will face today at work, and in life into a more proper perspective, and certainly renders the most outrageous and insulting posts on FR all the more bearable. The only moment of regret I had was that I was not able to talk Mrs. Grump into coming with me on this trip, so I called her to tell her what she was missing (actually to let her know I missed her without coming right out and saying so), and she said geezus it's 3:AM in the morning, what, did you drink last night, did you sleep at all, you know you have to work today, and I found that to be somewhat calming and soothing as well. The sky is not falling and we will be fine be folks, if we focus on the big picture, and don't allow ourselves to get caught up on every little bump in the road.

Alan, your not being fair, (let me pause here to giggle) Ok, much of the stimulus was in the form of tax breaks and incentives. Very little of it was actual spending. Most sane economist agree that without the stimulus we would have dropped into a great depression, in words even a caveman or republican could understand the stimulus while limited worked.

Mr. Hagel should have known; a sober man will always be accused of throwing to a light pot when He shoots craps with a mob of drunks.

Alan, NJ:

He co-founded Vanguard Cellular, the primary source of his personal wealth, and served as president of the McCarthy Group, an investment banking firm, and CEO of American Information Systems Inc., a computerized voting machine manufacturer

Joe in Albany:

The GOP controlled House's record on GDP growth is dismal. Who controls the purse strings?

Alan -- Shouldn't deference be given to the President on these matters? Sure, ask your questions, go on record with your concerns, but in the end the President should be given deference. Simple majority is all that's needed. Looks like you are caught up in the drama. Graham and McCain are quite the actors, eh?

Dennis said:

The 8 years from 01 thru 08 averaged less than 32,000 a month for an 8 year total of only 3 million jobs, the worst period since WW-II, probably ever.

Hey Dennis, with unemployment in the high 4's to upper 5's, what jobs would you like to see "created". Most Americans who wanted to were working. YOu are comparing apples to oranges.

Auntie Fascist:

Was Rumsfield sober when he said this, "...You don't go to war with the Army you wish you had, you go to war with the Army you have...."

I don't think he was sober when that happened,...But these numbnuts still state what a GREAT Sec of Defense HE was,...selective amnesia, if you ask me!

Here are some more - just for old time's sake:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/donald_rumsfeld.html

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And there's Joey - turning cartwheels that America is 'failing' (he'll never admit any improvement over the Bushwhacked Era); but man oh man he'll slam the Sammies over 'weak' GROWTH any day!

What an asslick.

Clara, he didn't slur his words and fall down, so I'll give his sobriety the benefit of the doubt.

But to be honest, it is not the seriously mentally ill who are scary—it is the gun manufacturers, the NRA, and the crazies who join militia groups, who go on fantasy weekend excursions and have visions of taking down law enforcement officers and the federal government. Right wingers are now publically saying that they need equivalent fire power (assault rifles) so they can stand up to sheriffs, marshals, and the police. Now that is scary and crazy.

Excellent points, Ron. The Second Amendment 'purists' might want to consider that NANCY LANZA was a law-abiding citizen who obtained her weapons and 30-round ammunition clips legally.

She was apparently fearful of economic collapse and civil unrest, so she stockpiled weapons against her perceived threat...when in fact, the greatest threat she faced lived under her roof and shared her table.

She might have figured that out and saved the lives of twenty children, six educators, her son and herself.

It's far more common to be shot and killed by a family member or neighbor in a domestic dispute than it is to be shot in a home invasion or mass shooting.

But reality is a tough nut for the frightened, paranoid gun worshippers.

Alan, NJ writes:

"If you don't think that there are questions over the Presidents' picks for Defense and Treasury then you are a partisan."

You could go even further and say anyone who thinks there are no questions about the qualifications for a cabinet position is an idiot. There are no counterparts for these positions anywhere. Careful and thoughtful questioning is absolutely necessary. Let's look at that Secretary of Defense.

Anything Cruz had to say can be dismissed out of hand. The man is an idiot. (As a veteran, I absolutely despise that chicken hawk punk. No service, but he can question holders of purple hearts. Please don't tell me you weren't embarrassed by that worthless POS.) Graham is playing to his right wing base as he fights to remain a part of the government he wants to destroy. McCain is demanding validation for his position on Iraq, something Hagel cannot give him. The questions they posed were embarrassingly shallow, self-serving, and embarrassing.

There is no agency anywhere in the world like the Defense Department. The only position with more responsibility on the planet is the Presidency of the United States. There simply is no place where someone can get training for these jobs. Both are learn-on-the-fly positions. Yeah, it's scary to think the job-holders are in an OJT program on steroids. All the more reason for important and penetrating questions.

The military is getting ready for massive change. Useless weapons programs must be eliminated. There will be inter-service squabbling that we haven't seen in decades. Bases will closed, impacting local economies. The mission of the military itself is going to be re-evaluated and changed markedly.

And what do we get from McCain, Cruz, and Graham? Nothing! They didn't want to see if Hagel was qualified. They wanted to make hay. If you weren't as pissed off by that as I was, then you have to ask yourself whether you aren't ready for that "partisan" label. We disagree on many issues, but I think we are in agreement on this one.

We did not get the vetting we needed. We got a circus side show.

Joe in Albany

Looks like the regular lefty liberals have their panties all twisted up in knots today.

Joe,

I enjoy glancing at your daily fictional Op-ed pieces.

Salud

And what do we get from McCain, Cruz, and Graham? Nothing! They didn't want to see if Hagel was qualified. They wanted to make hay. If you weren't as pissed off by that as I was, then you have to ask yourself whether you aren't ready for that "partisan" label. We disagree on many issues, but I think we are in agreement on this one.

We did not get the vetting we needed. We got a circus side show.

I did think McCain's questioning was a waste of time and I didn't see Cruz. As to Graham I think he was quite right to call out Hagel on his "shoot from the hip statements". It was no different than McCarthy claiming there were so many communists but when called on it he couldn't name any.

I do agree that Hagel was not vetted by yesterday's hearings but that in itself is no qualification, as is the fact he was an enlisted soldier (why this is continually brought up as a qualification is beyond me). Either way if he is confirmed he has a tough act to follow in Panetta.

Joe the joke

BTW, the Dow crossed over 14,000 today, despite Barry's poor record on the economy. Ain't capitalism great!!!!

So when the stock market is down you blame Obama, when Stocks are UP its capitalism. Prime example of a obama hatin loser!! You might as well lock yourself in the basement until 2016.

Joe you have been eating too much Salmon, now all your posts smell fishy.

Talk,

Unemployment Rate
Dec 2000 = 3.9%; Dec 2008 = 7.3% net -4.3
Dec 2011 = 8.5%; Dec 2012 = 7.8% net +0.7

So adding 2.2 million jobs only decreased unemployment 7 tenths of a percentage point so what does that mean for the GWB years that his unemployment increased by 3.4 percentage points? At that rate it must have been a loss of about 11 million jobs.

That makes sense since it is estimated that 150,000 jobs need to be created every month to keep up with the number of people entering the workforce. Over 8 years that would be 14.4 million jobs but GWB only created 3 million leaving the economy short 11.4 million jobs

Forrest,

Pretty sure it's a Mercury High. Reference The Mad Hatter,...

lol

Alan, your not being fair, (let me pause here to giggle) Ok, much of the stimulus was in the form of tax breaks and incentives. Very little of it was actual spending. Most sane economist agree that without the stimulus we would have dropped into a great depression, in words even a caveman or republican could understand the stimulus while limited worked.

Why are tax breaks not stimulative? The President fought to maintain tax breaks for 98% of workers twice. Christine Romner architect of the 2009 stimulus argued for tax breaks because they could not get money into the economy quick enough by other methods. You talk about the stimulus as if it was a single event. The Administration has run a $1T deficit for four years. Hardly a low stimulus.

This is where Chicago gets its guns

Not a single gun shop can be found in [Chicago] because they are outlawed,"

Gun rights advocates, not surprisingly, are especially keen on visualizations of targets like these...

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/01/29/us/where-50000-guns-in-chicago-came-from.html?ref=us

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

More than a quarter of the firearms seized on the streets here by the Chicago Police Department over the past five years were bought just outside city limits in Cook County suburbs, according to an analysis by the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Others came from stores around Illinois and from other states, like Indiana, less than an hour's drive away. Since 2008, more than 1,300 of the confiscated guns, the analysis showed, were bought from just one store, Chuck's Gun Shop in Riverdale, Ill., within a few miles of Chicago's city limits.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/us/strict-chicago-gun-laws-cant-stem-fatal-shots.html?_r=0

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

Chuck's Gun Shop is very familiar to me since I'm from the very far South side of Chicago. I even purchased my gun there years and year.

Chuck's Gun Shop is right down the street from the shopping mall.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/01/30/us/JP-CHICAGO-4/JP-CHICAGO-4-articleInline.jpg

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

Notice the article mentions nothing about the straw purchasers selling trunk loads of guns to our future, the youth!!!

Don't worry AIPAC and the Zionazies will make sure that their man will get the job. After all they want war with everybody in the Middle East to make room for the settlements without any oposition.

Sort off uncle Adolf's idea with a greater Germany, Now it is for Greater Israel

Hagel is toast

You are exactly right Clara, mercury poisoning of many in the hat making industry, and the resulting dementia, is what lead to the term Mad as a Hatter. As Joe's posts often end with a maniacal laugh, you may be on to something there.

But Alan, you are not being fair again. First thing, Bush's last budget, which by the way was inherited by Obama, was a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit budget. That is the first of his four years. Then the economy went in the crapper, this means less revenue coming into the treasury, larger deficit, his legacy also included two wars, and a drug benefit not paid for in his budget that Obama has included. And yes the tax cuts that Obama got in his stimulus did cut revenue also and ran up the deficit. But the jobs he saved also added to the revenue that the Treasury or that deficit would be much more. Where that stands I am not sure. But to blame Obama for the spending is disingenuous a best. Obama has actually reduced the growth in spending rates to less then any since W.W. l l.

Oh, and I didn't say that tax cuts wasn't stimulative, what I said was they were not spending.

But Alan, you are not being fair again. First thing, Bush's last budget, which by the way was inherited by Obama, was a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit budget.

Only by using Knutter's analysis.

Then the economy went in the crapper, this means less revenue coming into the treasury, larger deficit, his legacy also included two wars, and a drug benefit not paid for in his budget that Obama has included. And yes the tax cuts that Obama got in his stimulus did cut revenue also and ran up the deficit. But the jobs he saved also added to the revenue that the Treasury or that deficit would be much more. Where that stands I am not sure. But to blame Obama for the spending is disingenuous a best. Obama has actually reduced the growth in spending rates to less then any since W.W. l l.

Who said I was blaming Obama for the spending? I was simply pointing out that a deficit of 10%+ of GDP for 4 years cannot be considered a low stimulus, particularly when you add in the the additional monetary stimulus of the Fed's QE1, QE2, QE3 etc. Over the past 4 years there has been around $7T in stimulus to the economy, hardly a low stimulus, and still growth is tepid.

Hagel was obviously very ill prepared for his testimony! "The position (SoD) is not a policy making position", WHAT? What is it upChuck, were you nominated to be head janitor?

Make no mistake, Obama wants Hagel only to hold the ball, Barry wants to be the kicker and only nominated Hagel as a sycophant!

King Obama is surrounding himself with those who will adore him and do his bidding!

I see that unemployment is up and in January another 150,000 workers have stopped looking for work... creeping socialism at its best!

King Obama

Please note: The only people who refer to the President as a king are those on the right.

Get a grip!

Forrest,

You are exactly right Clara, mercury poisoning of many in the hat making industry, and the resulting dementia, is what lead to the term Mad as a Hatter. As Joe's posts often end with a maniacal laugh, you may be on to something there.

No, no, no. It's that carp he catches out his back door at the Projects along the Hudson that's results in his dementia and maniacal laugh.

DCIA,

Yeah, isn't it weird? Here's a President who has tried to be more inclusive than past GOP presidents and they refer to him as a dictator. These clowns taken a lesson from 1984, where the Ministry of Defense has been renamed the Ministry of Peace.

I was disappointed to see so many questions for Hagel that were not in the realm of the job for which he is being vetted.

Lawrence O'Donnell and Jon Stewart covered this expertly in their broadcasts last night.

Defense does not have a say on foreign policy. Defense does not dictate decisons of the executive branch. All of the questions about Israel and Iran are off base.

As has been said above more eloquently, the committee seemed to be more on a witch hunt than a confirmation hearing. They were really questioning Obama, not Hage. It's just that they couldn't admit it ot themselves.

We have a fine, bi-partisan, qualified, ex-military man seeking the job. Yet the committee is seeking to torpedo him by any means possible.

Forrest Grump, I love your comment #1.59; made the bitter-cold day here much warmer and brighter.

Sally Rocks, seriously, we're all socialists; the difference is knowing good socialism from bad--you should study up on it. You might also ask those republican legislators why they keep sabotaging the economy by insisting on austerity--it worked so well in Great Britain that they're in a triple-dip recession.

Alan, growth remains tepid because, with the exception of part of the first stimulus (it had too many tax cuts but that was the only way to break the GOP Senate filibuster), the only stimulus republicans would agree to after 2010 was tax cuts. Tax cuts are the least effective stimulating dollars.

I would like Mr. La Pierre to explain what happened with Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde or Al Capone after all they didn't have violent video games to spark their crime sprees. As long as it is made clear to kids, most are smart enough to realize it anyway, that the video games and violent TV shows are fake and for entertainment only and emphasize that they should not try that themselves.

According to Vice President Biden's report, while a ban on so called assault weapons won't stop gun violence it will reduce the number of people who fall victim to such incidents.

One thing I will agree with the NRA on is the lack of attention paid to mental illness in this country. I don't believe there is the stigma on a family that there once was if one of the family members teeters on the edge of sanity or goes totally bonkers. Because our tradition is not to talk about it little is done in the way of funding. Insurance companies want to ignore mental illness as it means more outlays and less for the greedy insurance company executives. So as part of a comprehensive law regarding gun control I believe we need to increase funding and interest in assuring those teetering on the edge of sanity as well as those who have gone over the edge get help. In the case of the Colorado theater and in Sandy Hook School the shooters were about to go over the edge. If they had gotten the help they needed these events probably wouldn't have happened.

Like everything else there is no simple solution to the gun violence problem in America. We must allow people their 2nd Amendment rights without creating a climate that resemble Somalia or some other place where such violence is so common it doesn't even make the news any more.

Good afternoon Jack. Exactly.

Happy Friday to you!

I hope Hagel gets confirmed. About time we have a peacenik in Pentagon. These chickenhawks have been killing us for decades! (literally killing us)

Sally Rocks, seriously, we're all socialists; the difference is knowing good socialism from bad--you should study up on it. You might also ask those republican legislators why they keep sabotaging the economy by insisting on austerity--it worked so well in Great Britain that they're in a triple-dip recession.

That's right Jody drinking the Kool-Aid. Can I ask you what exactly austerity was in the UK. I mean exactly how much has the government there cut spending?

The trouble is that it isn’t. Earlier this week, the City bond trading firm Tullett Prebon produced a report that confirmed what some of us have been saying for months. To all intents and purposes, there hasn’t been any overall cut in public expenditure in the two years since the Coalition came to power.

Spending rose 0.3 per cent in the first year and fell by 1.5 per cent in the second. That makes a tiny overall decrease of just more than 1 per cent over two years. To put it another way, the supposedly ‘savage cuts’ delivered by the Government amount to only fractionally more than £1 in every £100.

Using figures produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the Tullett Prebon report shows that Government expenditure in 2011-12 was still £22.6 billion, or 3.4 per cent, higher than it was in 2008-09 after nearly a decade of bingeing by the Labour government. That’s how far we have got!

And while it is true that the deficit has been reduced — from £140 billion in the first year of the Coalition to £120 billion in the second — this has been achieved almost entirely as a result of higher taxes rather than cuts.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2146571/Cuts-What-cuts-Ignore-BBC-Left-public-spending-HIGHER-Labour.html#ixzz2JgLoj67V
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

So basically the UK government did not cut spending they raised taxes; exactly what has been advocated by most posters on this site.

Alan, growth remains tepid because, with the exception of part of the first stimulus (it had too many tax cuts but that was the only way to break the GOP Senate filibuster), the only stimulus republicans would agree to after 2010 was tax cuts. Tax cuts are the least effective stimulating dollars.

As to your second point the stimulus failed because it was not a stimulus. It was an anti-poverty package with financing for the states. It did what it was designed to do, save union jobs at the state level and increase benefits for the poor and working poor.

In his book The Promise, left-wing writer Jonathan Alter recounts the following incident from President Obama’s first year in office:

A congressman approached the first lady at a White House reception after the [stimulus] bill’s passage and told her the stimulus was the best anti-poverty bill in a generation. Her reaction was “Shhhh!” The White House didn’t want the public thinking that Obama had achieved long-sought public policy objectives under the guise of merely stimulating the economy, even though that’s exactly what had happened.

Stanley Kurtz picks up on this theme in his brilliant, must-read book Spreading The Wealth: How Obama Is Robbing The Suburbs To Pay For the Cites. Kurtz shows that spreading the wealth is the central organizing principle of Obama’s ideology, and his deepest aspiration as president.

So far, Obama has worked toward his wealth-spreading agenda very cautiously, as Michelle Obama’s “Shhhh” moment suggests. However, the stimulus bill was redistributionist, as the congressman referred to by Alter said. Obamacare is highly redistributionist, as well.

So, keep believing that Republicans are obstructing the President's agenda but the stimulus did what it intended to do, redistribute wealth to the poor. Now that may be a laudable goal but it is not what the stimulus was sold as.

Alan, NJ, you're pontificating like an idiot. No one else will say it, but I will: you really are a right wing fool. You're clueless about economics, and cite extreme right wing commentators who misrepresent the left to baselessly 'prove' their factless points. The sad part is that you seem to be well spoken, and capable of much more, intellectually. What a waste of your talents.

Alan -- Yet, the United States is doing better than most countries. Why is that?

You wrote:

UK government did not cut spending they raised taxes

The preponderance of which are very regressive taxes, such as the VAT.

Alan, NJ, you're pontificating like an idiot. No one else will say it, but I will: you really are a right wing fool. You're clueless about economics, and cite extreme right wing commentators who misrepresent the left to baselessly 'prove' their factless points. The sad part is that you seem to be well spoken, and capable of much more, intellectually. What a waste of your talents.

Jonathan Alter is right-wing? ROFLMAO!

Right wing? How do you come to that conclusion? I call out both parties for their fiscal recklessness. If you want entitlements and welfare fine. Propose enough taxes to pay for them and see if the people elect you. Both parties love this spending and the voters who will suffer for this won't be around for 20 years so why should today's politicians care?

Alan -- Yet, the United States is doing better than most countries. Why is that?

Because we are borrowing $1T per year and printing about the same.

Alan -- So the alternative is? Look to Ireland, Spain etc. They implemented austerity. Unemployment is through the roof, that impacted GDP etc. They are in a vicious cycle. Not pretty.

The UK's GDP growth is in negative territory and they are in a recession. You claim it's because they haven't cut enough spending. As if doing that wouldn't sink them deeper.

Don't,

they cut too late. We still have a short window to start the whacking away at spending. It needs to be done.

Blaming anything but the perpetrator, the gun. Guns don't shoot people. People with guns shoot people.

Hey Johntho - If America had not let people buy assault rifles, most, if not all of the children in Sandy Hook would be at school today. Morons, such as you, attempt to obfuscate the problem, by deflecting the blame. While it is true the shooters are at fault, they wouldn't be near as likely or as able, to commit the type of carnage as we saw at Sandy Hook with a pistol or even a rifle.

People with assault weapons shoot lots of people.

Hey there RalphH maybe you want to lighten up there a little bit or Kind of review your post a little. Johntho don't mean what you apparently think he did there Sport.

Other then calling me a moron, I agree with you Ralph, the gun is the problem. Or rather the promiscuity of anyone being able to put their hands on such a weapon is the problem. We must ban this rifle, with its extended magazine, and get it off the streets, it has no place in civilian hands. We are one of the most violent countries on earth, and we also lead the way in gun ownership. Correlation, in the words of Sarah Palin. "you betcha" that is about the only intelligent thing she ever said.

Thanks IR. I am sure he just misread my intention. We agree about that gun. That is what is important. I think most reasonable gun owners agree. I own guns, and have hunted since my early teens. I am 67 now ans still enjoy the outdoors. I certainly don't want the government to remove all guns from everyone. However this particular rifle has only one purpose and that is to kill humans and that is the problem.

Ralph: you missed Johntho's point.

You both share an anger for the access to assault weapons.

No Problem Johntho. Just didn't want anybody to go off half cocked. You keep it it up. Your posts and perspective are a welcome addition to the community

RalphH, just so you know, Johntho's on your side. He was mocking the right-wing, NRA, militia huggers worn-out defense of guns and more guns. That said, I agree with the rest of your statement because we don't need to own assault weapons and super-sized magazine clips. Many of those who died at Sandy Hook would be alive today IF the shooter didn't have the ability to wage a one-man military assault on a first grade class.

RalphH was evidently thinking of the idiotic NRA slogan: "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." And as anyone with a functioning brain should know, people with guns kill a lot MORE people.

Houston - You areabsolutely correct. My apologies to Johntho.

As always IR, thanks for keeping a bright light on this disgraceful problem we have with firearms. By the way, I missed LaPierre's bio. Did it mention how he demonstrated his patriotism by being a draft-dodger? If so, is he in the same pants-crapping league with Ted Nugent, another patriotic draft-dodger?

Thanks IR!

Owning and using a gun should be like owning and driving a car. Regulate training, register and license. Had these steps been in place 25 to 50 years ago, we most likely would not be having this debate.

Guess what, the second amendment would have still been in place, and the Nations People would be seeing a lot less gun deaths.

I don’t support the NRA because all they are trying to do is gin up their base of “gun bubbas” with fear. So what if every proposal made by the President became law. It would not affect my second amendment rights.

It's sad that the children and teachers from Sandy Hook like thousands of others have every year have been denied, Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, because we allow guns into the hands of people that should not have them.

However, the NRA makes a lot of money from the gun manufactures, and that blood money is more important to them than the lives of our citizens.

Like I said David maybe the Nuge and 'Ol Pepe can have a crap-off for who is the Bigger Legend in His Own Mind. Both of 'em are a sad sick Joke brought to you by a bunch of folks that can't do any better.

I was disappointed at Pepe's testimony but at least some of the Senators tried to shine a light on the NRAs inconsistencies and hypocrisy. More disappointing was the fact that no one related to the Sandy Hook tragedy testified.

Job1, that is what the NRA is all about. Fear, even my sis in law feels she is safer because she has a gun, because some gun shop owner needed to sell another one and sold her on how safe she is with it. Now I am not really worried about her because she is mentally sound, and I have got to give her credit, she has done the training thing, and takes gun ownership seriously. However, the next person might not be and this joker will sell him a gun without conscious. That is the the work of the NRA. I think the statistic is a person is 22 more times likely to shoot themselves or someone they know then they are to be a victim of a violent crime.

Ted Nugent, another patriotic draft-dodger?

The only thing we can count on from Ted Nugent is if the government told him he had to own a gun, he would be at the head of the anti-gun movement.

Red -- You may be on to something there.

IR -- Good morning. Thanks for all the postings on this matter. Much appreciated. You bring a reasoned perspective to the table.

IR, thanks for another fine one.

Ironic, the NRA ran an ad talking about our President's children having secret service protection meanwhile Wayne LaPierre needs body guards just to enter the Capitol to present his defense of why more and bigger guns and ammunition should be the new normal. I don't know, seems to defy logic that all the guns and more guns he's been pushing have LaPierre feeling the need to protect himself from...maybe those camera people and journalists.....or perhaps from the very people LaPierre insists should own more and bigger guns but knows shouldn't own any.

Independent Redneck Va.

"At Hill hearing, Wayne LaPierre tries to manhandle facts and logic"

It was more like he was pistol-whipping facts and logic.

Jody,

Ironic, the NRA ran an ad talking about our President's children having secret service protection meanwhile Wayne LaPierre needs body guards just to enter the Capitol to present his defense

Excellent observation, Jody!

From beginning to end, LaPierre’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee was a study in vainglory. The written testimony he submitted to Congress came with a biography describing him as a “Renaissance man,”

Maybe LaPierre meant "Rhodesia Man". From Wikipedia: ". . . Rhodesian Man (Homo rhodesiensis) . . . existed long before any classic European Neanderthals, but had a more modern set of teeth . . . ."

Jack, thanks.

Lawrence O'Donnell has been shining a bright light on the testimony in CT from the victims' families, the doctors, the officials who responded, etc. Every member of the Senate and House should be required to watch those hearings together. It would be approproriate if, like students in a class, they all were required to write an essay on why they oppose or support sensible gun regulation; stand in front of the room and read their report, allow the others to debate and discuss. I think, too often, our legislators get caught up in the rhetoric and ideological political stances without ever considering or listening to the other side.

Great post IR ....

LaPierre forgot to include "flip flopper" in his biography. The "vainglory" comment was Spot On! Loved this quote from HuffPost . . .

Back in 1999, LaPierre called universal background checks "reasonable," but in recent years he's backed off this stance as he's moved further and further to the extreme right. In his Senate testimony on Wednesday LaPierre voiced a much harder line, opposing background checks as well as any other limits on the ability to purchase guns and ammo, including military-style assault weapons.

In other words, LaPierre is totally out of touch and out of sync with America's gun owners and the vast majority of his own organization's members. Yet there he is, the public face of the NRA, plastered all over the front pages of newspapers and invited to testify before the Senate, as though he was anything other than a corporate lobbyist and a right-wing extremist.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/wayne-lapierre-nra-background-checks_b_2590836.html

Happy Friday, all!

Jody, post 3.8 is excellent. Not sure I agree with "think, too often, our legislators get caught up in the rhetoric and ideological political stances without ever considering or listening to the other side."

I honestly think, and realize this is only one opinion and its mine that the congress at least many in congress are for sale and are bought and paid for by those that lobby from the strength of money. Sometimes I really think our congress has become so dysfunctional because of the money. Funny thing is, these people at least many of them have plenty of money on their own already, and they have every advantage to make even more. There are very few like Obama whose agenda is the American people. That is a shame.

Jody, wasn't it something to see the ER doctor give his testimony on LOD clip last night?

His words, through emotion, left me feeling so sad. In all his 20 od years in ER he never saw anything like, saying 'we tried our best, we tried our best'. Below is an account of than testimony:

On Wednesday night at Newtown High School, Dr. William Begg testified during the final hearing of the Connecticut legislature’s Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety. Dr. Begg was working the emergency room on December 14, when the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary happened.

In his latest Rewrite segment, Lawrence O’Donnell shared Begg’s testimony in which he pleaded with state lawmakers to help lower gun violence and allow him to caution patients about firearms:

“… what I’m asking for is (that) you consider a stronger assault weapons ban, elimination of the sale of semi-automatic weapons, restrictions on the size of magazine clips, number of rounds, extend background checks and also please let us do some gun research that’s real… Allow me as a medical doctor, when I see a patient or when my colleagues see a patient, when I educate them on the effects of alcohol or tobacco, safe sex, motor vehicle accidents, can I please talk to them about the risks of gun violence? Please?”

An emotional Begg also told the families of those who were killed in the massacre, “On behalf of the ER, we tried our best. We tried our best.”

During his testimony, Dr. Begg mentioned that he disagreed with another of the panel’s witnesses, Mike Collins. Collins, who testified immediately before Begg, is a hunter and NRA instructor who told the task force that gun control only puts more restrictions on law-abiding citizens and “the people responsible for the outrage to begin with totally ignore the rules.”

Gingerbread Mamma

Jody, wasn't it something to see the ER doctor give his testimony on LOD clip last night?

I flipped the channel just in time to see that.

Passionate and compelling testimony.

Beautifully done.

Salud

Let me see if I understand LaPierre's position properly:

He is against universal background checks that may at least slow the massive amounts of guns being sold to criminals because criminals won't go through background checks and will get their weapons illegally.

Why is there such a large availability of illegal weapons? The lack of reasonable quantity limits on firearm purchases have allowed "straw man" buyers to provide criminals with easy acces to any weapon they desire.

Who has fought agaisnt ANY limits on the quantity and types of guns allowed to be purchased by an individual? Why the NRA of course - it increases the market for the gun manufacturers.

TNSEVOL

He is against universal background checks that may at least slow the massive amounts of guns being sold to criminals because criminals won't go through background checks and will get their weapons illegally

Check out The Daily Show from last night to see Pepe Le Pew's endorcement of background checks.

Ooops, he did it again.

Salud

Independent Redneck, Va-

If I could, I'd buy you a beer.

Enjoy your weekend, amigo.

Salud

Tomas and if you could I damn sure would drink it with you. And then you and I could buy a round for our many Friends and Neighbors here and spit in the eye of our detractors. Salud to you to amigo.

GBM, Dr. Begg's testimony was moving. Thanks for posting that last portion of his testimony. You could see he struggled to maintain his composure. I can't imagine what it must have been like to deal with such mass carnage, see so many tiny little ones. Broke my heart to hear Dr. Begg's words about doing their best.

Johntho, thanks. I should have left off the "I think" but I do feel they rarely take the time to actually stop and listen to the people or the other side's views. I agree, you are right that the special interest and influence of money if the biggest deterrent to Congress doing what is right. It adds to the dysfunction. There really is truth to the old saying that "money is the root of all evil."

Well done, Jody!"

"West Fargo is auctioning off 200 firearms to whomever wants to bid--it's a youth hockey fundraiser!"

Raffling off things that KILL young people is BEYOND inappropriate.

Don't raffles usually involve quilts - or something benign. ANYTHING BUT guns?

"Judging from the level of ignorance and disrespect shown to Chuck Hagel, if you pulled McCain, Graham, Inhofe and Cruz out of a bag of peanuts, all you'd find are empty shells!"

"How dare John McCain question the judgement of Chuck Hagel. The guy who picked Sarah Palin as his VP and sang "bomb, bomb, bomb...bomb, bomb Iran" dares to challenge the judgement of a far better man that McCain will ever be because that man dared to disagree with the almighty" McCain. Pathetic display."

Good morning Jody,

I have to question the judgement of anyone who voted for Palin. It was like voting to give a kid a loaded gun.

Jody,

I always know it is Friday when I see your great wrap up.

Cannot believe the line about the youth hockey fundraiser!! What are they thinking???

Jody -- Although I haven't been posting much I'm reading. As always, I look forward to your Friday post. Never fails, I miss some of the antics from the right so thank you for keeping some of us up-to-date. Appreciate it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jody, Iowa

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

Iowa's GOP Senate Minority Leader, Bill Dix, plans to introduce another voter ID bill. Dix said, "I think it gives everyone voting full confidence their vote is going to count and that people who are voting are not doing it legally." Huh? And we pay him?

Wow! That took three reads. Thanks for your comment at the end of the quote.

Love your post at the end of the week.

You're on FIRE Jody!

Thanks for providing us some giggles every Friday!

You just can't make this @!$%# up! lmao

Jody, as always, a great wrap. Thanks for taking the time to put that together. You actually let McCain off easy, though.

Before he was shot down, he was a below average pilot. Had it not been for his lineage he would not have been flying at all. However, this is a man who has, in truth, benefited from being shot down, captured, and serving five years as a POW. Being a POW is certainly a horror, but it does not magically confer foreign policy expertise on the captive.

If McCain is going to trade on his POW experience, then perhaps we should be looking at his marital history. Perhaps we should be looking at his involvement with the Keating Five. Maybe it explains why he was happy to be associated with Jack Abramoff.

If McCain has any value for the American public it is to serve as an example why war is so terrible. His indefensible attack - and that's what it was - on Senator Hagel is the result of either PTSD or senility. It is also proof that being a POW is not necessarily conducive to learning from experience.

McCain is a warmonger. Period. His time to step down is long past.

NRA held a fund raiser within a week after the Gabby Giffords shooting - raffling a gun - same kind of gun used in the shooting. how low is low - is there a measurement

How dare John McCain question the judgement of Chuck Hagel. The guy who picked Sarah Palin as his VP and sang "bomb, bomb, bomb...bomb, bomb Iran" dares to challenge the judgement of a far better man that McCain will ever be because that man dared to disagree with the almighty McCain. Pathetic display.

Judging from the level of ignorance and disrespect shown to Chuck Hagel, if you pulled McCain, Graham, Inhofe and Cruz out of a bag of peanuts, all you'd find are empty shells!

Thank you Jody for this. It's posts like this that makes me confident going forward that we can go around the msm and see things they way they really are. I didn't see the entire hearing but what I saw was so off the charts that I could only feel shame, yet again for our Senate.

Thanks for another great wrap up, Jody. I was afraid after the election was over you wouldn't have enough material but I should have known better.

I used to like John McCain and I always felt bad that his own party gave him such a raw deal in 2000 but his anger and bitterness are so painful to watch. And I agree--the man whose judgment saw fit to participate in the Keating 5 scandal and see Sarah Palin as fit to be VP is in no position to question anyone else's judgment.

Jody great work.....your samples of republican/teaparty thinking leads me to believe that we'll see little effort at compromise from these stalwarts of stupidity as they really are only interested in their own careers. They play victim very well when things don't go their way. Anyone who takes their efforts at compromise e.g. immigration, are fooling themselves we'll see more on other problems. However, we'll take it so we can get legislation passed.

My feeling is that the Latinos will remember as they vote, 'self deportation' and other insulting words.

Perhaps we should be looking at his involvement with the Keating Five.

One of the rare moments in history when someone served time (as a POW) before committing the crime.

Great wrap as always, Jody.

As someone mentioned yesterday, too bad we can't put McCain in front of a Senate Committee and force him to testify about his involvement with the Keating Five--which he has always refused to talk about.

Jody,

Excellent wrap up and thank you for sharing. I'm not sure if it was you or Backhouse or who started posting this phrase this week . . .

"bomb, bomb, bomb...bomb, bomb Iran"

But that Stupid Beach Boys song is now stuck in my head!!!! ;-) (with new lyrics of course!)

Happy Friday!

Thanks, and thanks for adding more thoughts to mine. McCain is sad to watch; the mean expressions on his face, the bitterness, the refusal to accept that he was or could be wrong. Once in awhile there's a flash of the old McCain before it quickly fades into the ugly person he has become. It really is sad.

Exito, I know, I had to read Dix's comment several times, too.

Jody

Well done! An Education Class as usual.

Ansomah, nice to see you stop by; glad you enjoyed it.

Layton, not sure if I mentioned the bomb, bomb earlier this week or not. I do remember McCain during the 2008 election wearing what looked like a bomber jacket singing those lyrics and then that weird heh-heh-heh chuckle at the end. Now, every summer when I play my BeachBoys Endless Summer CD and hear Barbara Ann--they laugh while singing it--I see and hear McCain threatening more war while we were still fighting two and thinking it was funny.

Jody,Iowa-

Love it!!!

(Hugs)

Salud

I watched most of Hagel's skewering yesterday, to see if I could find my brother, who was there as a guest of some of the more prominent Vietnam Vets.

I noted that John McCain's frustrated & bullying anger is very similar to the anger I've witnessed in people that are dying. I don't think he's long for this world, and is no doubt frustrated that he's so irrelevant. What douche though!

Lindsay Graham's BS aggravates his jock rot, so he's unable to sit still while spewing crap. His whining voice, and artificial outrage are an embarrassment. I encourage anyone from SC to begin the recall for that bozo.

Cruz played an unintelligible voice recording that he didn't provide the transcript for. He's an up and coming douche that we need to keep an eye on.

I was impressed, as was my brother, with some of the newer, younger, Senators that demonstrated flexibility and also some compassion for Hagel, who was on the HOT seat for hours. I think they could save a lot of time by getting their thank-you's and acknowledgements out of the way in a blanket statement at the beginning, and just go straight to ask and answer. And, a couple of the Senators talk VERY slowly. If they don't need all their time, they shouldn't TAKE it!

I'm done watching this crap! I was irritable for the rest of the day.

Da Noid, our Senate needs to pay more attention to our country and not Israel. What the #### is wrong with them? Chuck Hagel is needed to clean up their mess. It's what we do over and over and over. Clean up the GOP and msm's messes.

DaNoid, well said. I share your reaction and your view.

Thanks for remembering BCWC ;-)

also for those that like little facts about today . . .

The Supreme Court was first called to assemble on Feb. 1, 1790, in the Merchants Exchange Building in New York City, then the Nation's Capital.

Happy February 1st!

Yes, it is, BCWC, thanks for the shout out reminder.

Layton, a little history is always worth a mention.

danoid. I agree with you until the last sentence. No background checks should be added where they are not required as of now. Everyone seems to forget about the Second Amendment. Do not amend the Second amendment. Our forefathers had it right. We need our guns and weapons to hold off the Government. Bush and Obama have been taking our rights away slowly, but surely. When I lived in a certain city years ago, a man owned a tank, and drove it to church, grocery store, Etc. The Government tried to shut him down, and he dared them to shut him down. As far as I know, he is still driving his tank Good for him.

Our forefathers had it right. We need our guns and weapons to hold off the Government.

So again...

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

...becomes...

"We need our guns and weapons to hold off the Government."

Fascinating.

You need guns to hold off the government? Maybe you should try voting to change the government? You know like in the constitution you righties love.

Do tell what armed winger group do you know that has fought the government with guns and won?

If you are worried about your rights, the Bible has the answer and that is non-violence. If the blacks in the south has come out with their guns to get the right to vote, think voting would have happened or would a lot of dead or imprisonment happen?

Explain to me how the guns the mother of the shooter in Sandy Hook had kept her safe? Just like in the statistics, she was 22 times more likely to be killed herself than her using the guns for defense.

It is beginning to feel like the republicans are never going to stop being the stupid party. Luckily 60% of the people approve of the job that President Obama is doing and apparently no longer listening to the fear and smear tactics of faux and limpy.

Grow up republicans and join the rest of us (60%) thinking adults.

DaNoid, good point. I see nothing wrong with teaching children gun safety. I do, however, think it is wrong for state or federal government to make it mandatory for first graders to take an NRA class because then we get into the whole parental rights debate; that goes for the teachers and aides as well. The concept of teaching children to not touch a gun, to get an adult could easily be done in the classroom similar to the "just say no" to drugs program.

wascigarman, I honestly try to understand the kind of thinking you and others express but despite those efforts, I simply don't grasp the all-encompassing fear and paranoia that somehow the Government is coming to get you and is taking away your rights. Are you as concerned about the republican party's efforts to restrict voting rights as you are about the 2nd amendment? I do not understand why the false belief that owning an assault weapon and a stockpile of ammunition is any kind of defense against the most powerful military in the world seems logical to some. We still have the same freedoms; we still go about our business every day without any interference. Maybe we have to take off our shoes at the airport and can't carry water or soda through the checkpoints but most people figure public safety is worth the trouble. That's the whole point of gun regulations, public safety. No one claims, including our President and Vice President and law enforcement, that universal background checks, banning military-style weaponry and limiting the size of magazine clips will end all the gun violence--the point is this: reduce the numbers for the good of ALL the people not just those who want to walk around acting like Rambo.

You need to read Justice Anthony Scalia's Heller decision where he states that government can limit certain types of firearms and related items. NO ONE is trying to take away your 2nd amendment rights to own a gun or buy bullets; democrats, liberals, progressives own guns. You do not have a right to own the same weaponry used for military assaults on foreign enemies. Stop buying the anti-government malarkey being pedaled to sell more guns and ammo; if you are a law-abiding citizen, the government isn't coming after you or your 2nd amendment right to own guns but you do not have a right to own a machine gun, a grenade, or carry around dynamite--semi-automatic assault weapons have the same killing capacity as a machine gun when 30, 50, 100-round clips are attached.

Just an amazing lack of questioning of Hagel on the current war America’s involved in, let alone significant questions about the new battles in North Africa.

These hearings are doing nothing to raise the Senate's approval rating in the opinion polls. Perhaps Republicans are so demoralized by their performance during the Bush years, they have given up the very concept of governing.

Poor Phil---imagine having to pay all those taxes on $60 million of earnings. How will he scrape by? It is a wonder that he can pick up a club and tee off.

Indeed Poor Phil...............he has First World problems! Cry me a river.

Funny how you libs are not attacking Tiger Woods ! Isn't Woods on record as leaving California YEARS AGO to escape the parasitic taxes ? Does Tiger now consider Florida as home ?

How will he scrape by?

I guess he won't be trading-up to a new Caddie this year.

jim-if Tiger Woods would be so tone deaf as complain in public about how much he pays in taxes on his income, we would feel the same way.

Phil most likely thinks he is an athlete. However, he and other Golfers are not. He is more of a cry baby that doesn't want to pay his fair share of taxes.

He also needs to push away from the dinner table and walk a little more, because those pants are getting tighter.

Phil should thank the IRS for removing some cash from his wallet. That extra bulge was causing his putting to go to hell.

Funny how you libs are not attacking Tiger Woods ! Isn't Woods on record as leaving California YEARS AGO to escape the parasitic taxes ? Does Tiger now consider Florida as home ?

Yes, Mr. Woods did move from California to Florida. Mr. Mickelson is free to do likewise. Mr. Mickelson is also free to complain about his taxes...though a man who makes over $60 Million per year playing golf complaining about his taxes is not likely to find much sympathy from the masses.

Put it a different way...if Alec Baldwin were to complain about his taxes would Conservatives sympathize with him? I think not.

Job1

Phil most likely thinks he is an athlete. However, he and other Golfers are not.

What is next? Are you going to say; Bowlers are not athletes?

They can Bowl, smoke and drink at the same time.

Not in Michigan Exito, in Michigan they have to call time out and go outdoors to smoke. Yea. But you are right, a 16 pound bowling ball in one hand and a 12 oz beer in the other, thats called balance. I have noticed the same thing about painter, a brush in one hand and a beer in the other. Does that make them athletes?

jim#'s, that's because Tiger Woods didn't publicly whine about having to pay taxes on his multi-millions in earned income.

hagel was attacked for being an idiot!!!

hagel was attacked for being an idiot!!!

"In two terms in the Senate, Chuck has earned the respect of his colleagues and risen to national prominence as a clear voice on foreign policy and national security." - Senator Mitch McConnell, 10/2/2008

www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CDOC-110sdoc24/pdf/CDOC-110sdoc24.pdf

I used to have a wee little respect for McCain, until he picked Sara Palin for his running mate. When that happened, I knew that John had lost his mind. His grilling of another war hero proved that McCain is a bitter old man and he should have no place in making any decisions for the United States. My vote is for Hagel. If the Republicans are against something, I am for it. The Republicans are almost all Bafoons.

So at which point did he become an idiot???

Perhaps the day after he left the senate???

cigarman so now you choose to support, davis, alinski, soros, van jones, wright and and their puppet comrade obama???

hagel was attacked for being an idiot!!!

I guess it takes one to know one???

Ron Brock, well said. McCain deserves respect for his service; too bad he showed none for Chuck Hagel's.

You've got that backward, Gary K, Hagel was attacked by a bitter man yelling at clouds because Mr. Hagel had a different opinion about Iraq than the mighty McCain.

I don't agree, Jody. He deserved respect for his service! I won't let past be prologue when his PRESENT is so VILE!

Here a red, there a red, everywhere a red, red. Old McDonald had a funny farm, e-i-e-i-o.

You caught that too RD...and here I thought today was wear red day to support healthy hearts program.

Gingerbread Mamma . . .

I thought today was wear red day to support healthy hearts program

It is! I'm sure to Gary and his ilk, they'll see all of the ads about red, turn beet red, and hunker a little further in their basements's polishing their guns and getting ready to defend their beer against all those "red wearing-heart-healthy" commies!

He should fit right in with OdumbO keystone cops.

RedD, GBM, good ones.

Meanwhile Gary K is searching under every rock to find those darn red commies, kind of reminds me of Bush's search for Iraq's WMDs--they must be somewhere.

When he gets there, there you'll be.

Hagel sees the world as it is, not as Israel wants it to be seen. Iran is a legitimate government. Hezbollah is a group of "freedom fighter", as is Hamas. There is absolutely no evidence that Iran has ever particpated in terrorism.

McCain and Graham questioning Hagel's judgement is laughable. Hagel sees the war in Iraq as a gigantic mistake and those 2 clowns were all for it and refuse to admit it was a mistake.

Just because Hagel doesn't toe the Israel/AIPAC line, should not disqualify him from any position.

Lindsey Graham and John McCain act as though they are the Senators representing Israel, not America. They are disgraces to their office.

Israel's economy is
thriving in a global economic meltdown. The Jewish state's 2009-12 economic
growth of 14.7 percent leads all the advanced countries of the world, followed
by Australia with 10.7; Canada 4.8; United States 3.2; Germany 2.7; France 0.3;
European Union minus 1.5 percent.

Why are we continuing to send money to these parasites? The answer is Congressmen like the 2 clowns, McCain and Graham.

The extremes, perhaps they see only black and white. Or perhaps they think that their ideaology is the only right one, their exact set of principles, views and opinions are the only ones worthwhile. Any slight difference of opinion or nuanced viewpoint is demonized.

The extremes are those that call Israelis parasites and refuse to acknowledge that Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations.

The extremes are those that fail to see that Israel is not blameless in the middle east crisis. They see no problem with Israeli occupation and treatment of the Palestinians.

The extremes who demonize and attack a nominee simply because he doesn't share all their jingoistic views and is hesitant and thoughtful before going to war.

The extremes those in Congress and in a microcosm here at first read.

Good thing Senator Hagel is not one of the extremes.

If Hagel gets confirmed after that disaster, why even have confirmation hearings?

The Republican idea of a competent leader is Bush/Cheney/Palin/Romney and "heck of a job" Brownie. No thanks, I'll stick with no drama Obama's judgement. He's been right so far.

Heck of a job to Brownie, eh ?

Then of course, we have Obama grandstanding in NJ with Chris Christie about how the U.S. govt would cut all the bureaucratic red tape to speed relief to "Sandy" victims ! Of course, when the shallowness of his promises became apparent and Obama didn't do a "heckuva job" ..... libs then desperately tried to shift all the blame to the Republicans ! LOL !!

Why did Obama stand before all those cameras, with all the bravado, all the show of ...... oh, never mind, it was RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTIONS, wasn't it ?????????????

jim--just last night Gov. Christie again publicly thanked President Obama for his "extraordinary" support.

Oh Jim you may not have noticed, but the House is the one who initially denied to pass a bill helping Sandy victims................here, remember this:

The President can only propose, but only the Congress can dispose!

The President can and did have FEMA and other agencies provide immediate disaster assistance, but only Congress can ok the funds for further help in rebuilding and still there are many in the NJ/NY area who have no home, some are in their damaged homes but have no electricity, that means no heat, hot water or cooking facilities among other discomforts.

Stop blaming every problem on the President....in doing so, all you show is your hatred of the President and your dreadful lack of compassion for your fellow citizens.

Like comrade obama, hagel shouldn't be held accountable for anything he says???

After still believing the party that lied us to war in Iraq, where do you get off judging others accountability. McCain claimed there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that were never found and their main reason for a war of choice.

Over 4000 Americans died for that lied to war that McCain was pushing. I didn't hear you questioning McCain accountability.

Oh, but lets defend those republicans that has killed over 4000 Americans in Iraq alone and attack Hagel who was against their needless death.

Fortunately 60% of Americans no longer believe the republicans lies.

Could not agree more. McCain is nothing more than an old bitter man. It is unfortunate because now he isn't even a shadow of his former self. I once waited in line for two hours so he could sign my copy of his book and he still is the only candidate I have ever given money to, in 2000. Chuck Hagel bled for this country and he is willing to speak his mind and he will be a good Defense Secretary. As for Lindsey Graham what a gutless wonder, typical lawyer and must be the pool boy for Bibby. We have US troops in Afghanastan and all they can talk about is kissing the behind of Israel. Who is intimidated by the lobby???

TxGran: you nailed it. McCain is only out to settle old scores and his delusions are getting worse. While I respect what he went through in Vietnam, when you peel back the layers, he wasn't a very good flier. Got shot down and then suffered the consequences to the point where he told his captors what they wanted to know. Given the circumstance, I would have done the same thing (at least that's how I felt during survival, escape and evasion training at Ft. Gordon). However, he is totally off the beam. Since he fought a war from 30k feet he has no sense of ground warfare or what it means to be in the muck and mud so he would naturally believe a surge works. Hagel was correct, we lost 1200 soldiers and for what???

Lindsey Graham is so disingenuous with his questioning about the Israeli lobby. Of course it intimidates senators. Hell, I could name 100 who would not dare speak against Israel for fear of being accused of being anti-Semitic. When has our esteemed Congress ever not given Israel $3.5 billion of American taxpayer money, denied weapons (especially cluster bombs used against Palestinians) or not vetoed a UN resolution??? Answer NEVER. In short, our Congress always gives in . Former Israel PM Begin always said he controlled a majority of votes in OUR House and Senate. Strange, our elected officials have more loyalty to a foreign country than to their own citizens. Today, PM Nutty Yahoo gets what he wants even though he interfered in the American election.

In short, the Repubs were dispicable in how they treated Sen Hagel. And, as a fellow Vietnam Vet it's now very clearn that Tea-Publicans care little about the real issues and more about political theater. No wonder Faux News viewers know little of what goes on.

In 2012 we gave over $3 billion in aid to Israel, most of this was in the form of defense supplies, why should we do any more? That is a lot of money and in our financial state would go a ways to helping our problems.

Senator Hagel is absolutely correct when he stated the Jewish Lobby intimidates members of Congress, just check out their efforts in this past Presidential Election. They try to intimidate and influence all members by money and subtle threats that the Jewish voting block will not support a candidate unless they wave the flag for Israel. Israel is a sovereign nation, now all grown up with a hefty defense, and while we can support them and our promises, they should not try to influence our elections in any way. They should concentrate their efforts in working to get along with their neighbors by treating them with respect, not building more settlements that appear to be a breeding ground for more problems.

txgran . . .

I think John McCain and Lindsey Graham are joined at the hip

Those two boys have one of the biggest public bromances going on at present . . . they have overshadowed the love fest we say between Romney and Ryan . . .

jmm-514122.......you said:

Quote.....unprepared, old, tired and confused in need of medical evaluation........EndQuote

It seems you have mistaken McCain for Hagel.

Hagel thought he was being questioned about the position as Sec of Defense. Little did he know the questioning would cover the responsibilities of the Sec of State as well.

Jimm. I think that you are confused. Graham and his not so Great, not so Great Grandad McCain are the ones who need Medical Attention.

If McCain holds his breath until he turns blue, how will anyone notice?

Yes what we need is another war monger to spend us into derficit armegeddon.

Don't believe anyone said it wasn't a legitimate fundraiser, the point is auctioning off guns to support youth programs seems a bit on the tacky side--it's the visual of auctioning guns to support children's programs--and it doesn't matter that guns are a way of life in ND. What, they couldn't auction off a new refrigerator, washer, dryer, and other items of a less potentially lethal nature in to fund youth hockey?

I have been saying the same thing. Why is there a term limit for the President but all the other Govt positions in Washington do not? What we get is old career politicians who year after year develope ideoloistic positions that are more loyal to party than to America. Just look at Mccain for example. Has there been one single issue or decision by President Obama that JohnMccain would agree with. Just one? nope! Isnt that very telling. It doesnt matter what the president says or does the Republicans have taken an oath to oppose it even if its at the detriment of the country.

Is it me or do the Republicans in office hope and pray for this country to fail so they can seem rellevant. ?

Its sickening

C Bado: The senate can not be elected by gerrymandering districts. The senator is voted for in a state wide election.

Strongly worded, sad, but true.

Sad but true. If u think that lowly of mccain. Wonder how u feel about obama during the campaign with his unfounded accusations, lie, cheat, no accountability for the 4 americans killed in libya to win an election now my friend that is a piece of work.