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Subscribe to RSSBoth sides declare a budget truce -- for now… How a Grand Bargain could still take place… And why achieving a Grand Bargain has been so difficult… NYT on a GOP that’s united on just one issue right now: taxes and spending… Obama to tap Wal-Mart Foundation’s Sylvia Mathews Burwell to head OMB, as well as his Energy and EPA picks… The Romney interview -- unable to move on… And Jeb Bush keeps the 2016 door open.
*** A truce -- for now: After their fifth budget battle in the past two years and after the sequester cuts went into effect on Friday, both sides seemed to wave the white flag and declare a political truce -- for now. President Obama, during his press conference on Friday, suggested little appetite for a showdown over government operations, which will expire later this month. “If the bill that arrives on my desk is reflective of the commitments that we’ve previously made, then obviously I would sign it because I want to make sure that we keep on doing what we need to do for the American people.” And in interview on “Meet the Press,” House Speaker John Boehner did the same. “We, the House next week will act to extend the continuing resolution through the end of the fiscal year, September 30th,” he said. “The president this morning agreed that we should not have any talk of a government shutdown. So I'm hopeful that the House and Senate will be able to work through this.” What does this mean? Frankly, both sides have to be politically exhausted. Obama wants to move on to other issues like immigration reform and guns, as he said on Friday. (And it’s no coincidence that Obama’s job-approval numbers seem to decline during these budget battles.) Republicans, meanwhile, want to pass their budget and move on to the appropriations process. Bottom line: Everyone wants a timeout.
Mark Wilson / Getty Images
President Barack Obama speaks to the media after meeting with House Speaker John Boehner at the White House, March 1, 2013.
*** How a Grand Bargain could still take place: And if everyone gets a break and if the sequester cuts do have impact in the next few months, count us as ones who are a bit optimistic that a Grand Bargain on the budget could be reached in September. Yes, we know that a Grand Bargain has been harder to find than the Loch Ness Monster. But here’s how it could happen: After some breathing room, after both parties let their budget processes play out, and after evidence that the U.S. economy has been negatively impacted by the sequester, both sides could determine that a Grand Bargain is in their interest -- Republicans decide they really, really want entitlement reforms and are willing to put up some additional revenue; Democrats decide they really, really want additional revenue and are willing to put up additional entitlement reform. And in September, the president and Democrats will have this response when Boehner and Republicans say, “The president got his tax increases.” They’ll be able to say, “The Republicans got their spending cuts.”
*** Why achieving a Grand Bargain has been so hard: But here’s the simple reason why reaching a Grand Bargain has been so hard to obtain: Republicans have been unable to say “yes” to Obama, and they have no political incentive to do so because it could cost them their jobs in a GOP primary. (This isn’t an “it could happen” kind of thing for these Republican leaders; it’s a “it WOULD happen” to a Mitch McConnell or John Cornyn.) The president reflected on that dynamic during his news conference on Friday: “I am prepared to do hard things and to push my Democratic friends to do hard things.” But he added, “I recognize that Speaker Boehner has got challenges in his caucus. I recognize that it's very hard for Republican leaders to be perceived as making concessions to me.” So forget the constant calls from pundits for more leadership. Forget Boehner’s demand that the Senate vote on Obama’s deficit-reduction plans. And forget Democrats highlighting that Republicans once favored putting revenue on the table and are now refusing to do so. As long as this dynamic continues to take place -- a GOP inability to say “yes” because it could cost them their jobs -- achieving a Grand Bargain will be hard to do.
*** A GOP that’s united on just one issue -- taxes and spending: And as the New York Times’ Stevenson notes, spending cuts remain the one issue where Republicans are now united. “Conservative governors are signing on to provisions of what they once derisively dismissed as Obamacare. Prominent Senate Republicans are taking positions on immigration that would have gotten the party’s presidential candidates hooted off the debate stage during last year’s primaries. Same-sex marriage has gone from being a reliable motivator for the conservative base to gaining broad acceptance,” Stevenson observes. “All of which helps explain why Speaker John A. Boehner and Congressional Republicans have been so intent on facing down President Obama in their budget dispute.” More: “Four months after Mr. Obama won a second term, the only issue that truly unites Republicans is a commitment to shrinking the federal government through spending cuts, low taxes and less regulation. To have compromised again and agreed to further increase taxes or roll back spending cuts would have left Republicans deeply split and, many of them say, at risk of losing the core of the party’s identity.” The party has to start somewhere, and this is that place.
*** OMB, yeah you know me: Per NBC’s Peter Alexander, Obama today will announce he’s nominating Wal-Mart Foundation head Sylvia Mathews Burwell to be his next OMB director. Burwell served as deputy OMB director and Treasury Department chief of staff during the Clinton administration. Reuters: “She brings a certain outsider status to Obama's inner circle and may offer a fresh perspective from the business world far away from Washington. Burwell would also bring gender diversity to the top echelons of the Obama White House after the president drew fire from critics for picking men for many top jobs.” Obama also will nominate his picks to lead the Energy Department (MIT scientist Ernest Moniz) and EPA (current assistant administrator Gina McCarthy). Obama also holds a cabinet meeting at 1:00 pm ET.
*** Unable to move on: In his first interview since losing last year’s presidential election, Mitt Romney made it pretty clear through his words and tone that he hasn’t moved on from his loss. “I look at what's happening right now, I wish I were there. It kills me not to be there, not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done.” Ditto his wife, Ann. “It was a crushing disappointment. Not for us. Our lives are going to be fine. It's for the country.” Given that the Romneys haven’t moved on, it raises this question: Why did they do the interview? In fairness to Romney, he’s not the first losing presidential candidate to have a hard time getting over a loss -- George McGovern, John McCain and Al Gore all come to mind. Not everyone ends up like Mondale or Dole and moves immediately to elder statesman status. By the way, don’t miss what Romney said about his infamous “47%” comment: “What I said is not what I believe.” Folks, that one sentence sums up Romney’s two failed presidential bids.
*** Jeb Bush keeps the 2016 door open: Moving from 2012 to 2016, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was asked on “TODAY” about any future presidential plans. Bottom line: He didn’t rule them out. “That’s way off into the future,” Bush told NBC’s Matt Lauer, adding that he wants to share his voice after his party’s losses in the ’12 election. “We have lost our way,” Bush said. When Lauer once again asked Bush if he was ruling out a presidential bid in 2016, he answered and joked: “I won’t, but I won’t declare it today, either.” This is the clearest Jeb has EVER been on the presidential question. He would never even entertain the idea of running during the run-up to 2012. Clearly, his mindset has shifted to a degree.
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Welcome to Sequester Monday. It looks like the sequester would remain in effect until the end of the fiscal year.
The sequester's longer-term negative effects are as follows:
The sequester cuts, if left in place, would restrain funding across affected agencies for 10 years. Some effects on ordinary Americans would appear slowly and perhaps in less-visible ways, some economists say. Cuts to investments in scientific research, for example, could dampen economic growth. Similarly, the Pentagon says the cuts come at a cost to military readiness, and the State Department has warned that the reductions would affect many efforts it takes to "advance peace, security, and stability around the world."
Gop leaders and the elite class they represent are trying to force us into their Death Wish World.
A world where regular folks are enslaved to the past,
the needle
stuck
somewhere decades ago.
Don't we want to live MORE - not just hope to survive this predatory Republican Party?
GOP seems to be warring on ordinary Americans.
IS IT OK to cut a million jobs - in order to protect tax expenditures, special loopholes & deductions for the very wealthy?
We can do better than that.
NO to $85.3 billion immediate & indiscrimate cuts to our hard-won economic recovery!
...Or let GOP congressional jobs be the 1st to go.
Not according to his son, Tagg! lol
Remember when he told the Boston Globe his father didn't really want the job?
Even after the shellacking Willard took in November, the family remains incapable to telling the TRUTH!
No Annie, it wasn't YOUR TURN after all, stop pointing that crooked little finger at everyone but yourself!
WHAT IS AFFECTED BY CUTS in the sequester
Schools. Some 70,000 students
enrolled in prekindergarten Head Start would be cut from the program and 14,000
teachers would lose their jobs, according to Obama administration estimates.
For students with special needs, the cuts would eliminate some 7,200 teachers
and aides.
College. The Education Department
has warned that the cuts could affect as many as 29 million student loan
borrowers.
Food safety. Federal food inspections
will be fewer, but Food
and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says most of the
effects won't be felt for a while, and the agency won't have to furlough
workers.
Medicare. Hospitals, doctors, and
other Medicare providers will see a 2 percent cut in government reimbursements
under the cuts.
Good Monday, my liberal friends, Isn't it a dream waking up knowing we have an intelligent, capable president who has slowly but surely turned America around and has us moving in the right direction, I cannot imagine how much more prosperous this country would be if those in the house of representatives would cooperate instead of obstructing your agenda. We would be well on the way to full employment and paying down the debt. Hopefully the house can be corrected in 2014 and return the Democrats to all the power. Then we will have two years to fix the mess made by George W. Bush and return us to the glory days of Bill Clinton.
Jared Bernstein:
"IF GOP wants to tax spending - and they say they do - ending tax expenditures is the solution."
WHAT IS TAX EXPENDITURE? Revenue a government foregoes through the provisions of tax laws that allow:
(1) deductions, exclusions, or exemptions from the taxpayers' taxable expenditure, income, or investment,
(2) deferral of tax liability, or (3) preferential tax rates.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/tax-expenditure.html
So Boehner called the Presidents bluff and now the Administration is scrambling, crab walking back all their doomsday predictions.
You all need to put your scare tactics back in the drawer. Nothing but your daily DNC talking points.
The sequester came and went and nobody even noticed.
Now what lies will this Administration come up with to try to stick on the Republican party?
Destroying the party seems to be their only agenda at the cost of the well being of this country.
Maybe they should try governing for a change.
Well, the sequester cuts kicked in and the Earth didn’t go spinning off its axis and crash into the sun yet. LMFAO!!!!!
I have to take a business trip later this week. I sure do hope the plane doesn’t just fall out of the sky because of the sequester. This trip did get me thinking about a free market capitalism idea to prevent the hours’ long security lines Barry is threatening to unleash to punish the American people because he didn’t get his way on raising taxes yet again.
TSA should start what I call “concierge security lines”. For anyone willing to pay a fee of $50-100 per person, they would be allowed to use a special security line staffed by the best TSA employees who have been specially trained in customer service. The price would be flexible based on demand. It would be lower at slack travel times and highest at peak travel times. The funds generated by this program would be used to cover the costs of not putting TSA security staff on furloughs for the “huddled masses” security lines. I would certainly be willing to pay such a fee to get through the security lines quickly and avoid having to stand in lines with the “huddled masses” like Nasty DumbFux and David Wanker. And the best part is it would be mostly business travelers using the concierge security lines, so they could write off the fee on their taxes.
Problem solved.
BTW, I sure do wish I had the contract to supply the WaPo Fact Checker with Pinocchios. The way they have been handing them out to the Barry Admin for their sequester claims of gloom and doom and despair, It’s got to be a very lucrative contract.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOPTP Lying While Whining. Congress returns to work again this week after another long weekend after a 10-day vacation. They'll probably work another 3 days then head home. Republicans said the sequester will hurt the economy, cost jobs but....oh, well, it's the democrats fault because we refuse to consider closing tax loopholes that we said needed closing.
McCain told Face the Nation that President Obama should have been in Washington instead of "campaigning". Talking to the people about the seriousness of Sequestration is not compaigning. Hypocrisy, Senator McCain--Congress should have been in Washington instead of taking vacations and long weekends at home campaigning for 2014. President Obama cannot negotiate with himself.
If McCain wants action, I suggest he start by advocating that his fellow GOPTPers stop filibustering the legislation in the Senate as they did last week; legislation that would have prevented the sequester. It would have been sent to the House just as Boehner demanded....where likely, the Speaker would need to find another excuse for failing to lead the House.
Wow, a truce; but no solution!! No matter what the deal the Republicans and the Boner are to blame. The President put chained CPI on the table. The rebupublicans are still relentless, they do don't want to pay their taxes.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/04/wonkbook-into-the-sequester-onto-the-shutdown/?hpid=z3
Joe in Albany-1902257
Well, the sequester cuts kicked in and the Earth didn’t go spinning off its axis and crash into the sun yet. LMFAO!!!!!
You, on the other hand....
A myth has finally been destroyed the GOP itself with this sequestration.
The GOP has always pretended to be the party for a strong national defense. But this sequester - caused by GOP unwillingness to compromise - will hurt our military readiness, will result in more job losses in the military and military-related services, and will probably have the unfortunate effect of encouraging our enemies around the world (according the top military brasses).
Ha...
First Read says:
C'mon...tell me I'm not the only child of the 90's that got that!! LOL!! Nothing like starting a Monday morning with a Naughty by Nature reference. Well done!! :-)
On Thursday alone leading into the scarequester, we went another $85B in debt. And now that $85B is the end of the world?
"...both sides could determine that a Grand Bargain is in their interest -- Republicans decide they really, really want entitlement reforms and are willing to put up some additional revenue; Democrats decide they really, really want additional revenue and are willing to put up additional entitlement reform."
==============
Too much of the Republican caucus is made of up of individuals who could give 2 craps about anything dealing with governing. They simply look at numbers in absolute, detrimental terms. They look at -$20.00 dollars as -$20.00 dollars, which may not sound like an unreasonable assessment, but it does when there is no zero acknowledgement and context as to the ROI of that $20.00.
These people want zero money coming into the Federal Government...and their rhetoric and voting records reflect that. Any act of reduction is not enough. By their actions, they want the Federal Government not to exist. They don't want a medium sized Federal Government...not a small sized Federal government...these folks simply want no Federal Government.
You can use terms like "sides" all you want to try and paint the largest political circles you can, but too many in the GOP aren't looking for anything in terms of a grand bargain. They are simply looking at the complete destruction of the Federal Government and their rhetoric and their actions or lack of, do nothing but enforce that perception.
NO!!!
OMG!
OMB ... will be directed by Sylvia Mathews Burwell, a Mountain Momma from West Virginia, a Harvard Graduate. I hope those male chauvinist oinkers will take it easy on her during the confirmation.
More Girl Power...yeah!!
It's clear Albany Joe and WCA don't read much.
It takes time for the various departments to implement those cuts the sequester demands.
These two guys cheer bad news like layoffs and slow growth. Sickening, isn't it?
Auntie Fascist
Auntie Fascist, Joey can't help himself. He like the Boner constantly LIES.
The President said it would take a few weeks for the effect of the sequester to be felt. I repeat...President said it would take a few weeks for all the scary things the Tea suckers and GOP would love to happen
Backhouse, the idiocy of the GOP's refusal to close tax loopholes, etc., is that they also claim to support Simpson/Bowles recommendations which indicated that tax code reform, closing loopholes, eliminating off-shore money stashing could ultimately lead to lower tax levels for everyone. The GOPTP cuts Americans' noses off to spite our facec while standing on Quick Sand of their own making. Worse, this is part of the GOPTP's grand anti-government plan--kill government by death from a thousand cuts.
Income down to a 20 year low. Congratulation Obama, destruction of the middle class continues!
Let's just hope some of the effects of the sequester will include Pigotry and Feisty having to get jobs.
Pigotry, if Obama doesn't like sequestration or WANT cuts to education, simply cut welfare, social security and medicare. The education budget is one third that of welfare. If you want to talk about INVESTING in the country, get rid of welfare and put it all into education. People of welfare add one-third of the value of our children (the future) of our nation. Why is the budget 3x that of education???
Cut taxes, create jobs, don't need welfare. Personal responsibility. Personal achievement. I know it is a difficult concept to grasp for people that have been coddled by the government their entire lives. But it is time you had a taste of life the way it was intended. Cut the umbilical cord.
Mitt Robme was in the news, saying that he wanted to help during sequstration (tongue-in-cheek?)
Hahahaha...Mitt, the voters already said, 'No, Thanks."
The best help Mitt can do is to just shut up and sequeseter himself, and enjoy all his money in Cayman and Bermuda Islands, or even move there. Hope the hurriCanes don't hit.
.
Signed: the 47%.
So now the Republicans are talking about striking a "Grand Bargain" over the Sequester with our President. Hummm! Old saying, "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." (especially if their Republicans)' And now we hear Romney crying sour grapes. " It was my turn." Loser.
geo -- You're confused, little one. REPUBLICANS have worked hard to see that the middle class is destroyed.
Who champions such things as the "Right to Work" laws, union busting and REFUSING to raise the minimum wage?
So, the Albanian idiot, who loves to regale us with his financial acumen, is ever so right because the effects of sequester didn't smack the economy in the face at the stroke of midnight. The beloved market gets it AI. You don't.
WCA doesn't get it either. Your white-collar job; that wasn't in long-range planning was it?
About those talking points. How about explaining those tax increases that Boehner and McConnell say the President got in negotiations. How about it, financial gurus.
I don't expect anything less from those two!
Same sh*t different day...
Notice how the tea baggers NEVER write anything positive? It's all doom & gloom coming from their keyboards smoking with hatred! lol
How pathetic to never take off your permission *goggles*
h/t TODiary:
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced the release of the 2013 congressional calendar in November, and it looks like laziness is in vogue. That’s right, even as House Republicans portray the average American as lazy bottom feeders sucking off the government teat, they have given themselves an astonishing 239 days off this year. That means they will only work 126 days during a year when the nation has a multitude of issues to deal with.
According to a CNN report, American workers are currently receiving less vacation time than previously, only 12 days per year. Perhaps more interestingly, they are only taking 10 of those 12 days. Considering that many American companies don’t honor national holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving like they used to, and that even weekends have become work days, Americans could potentially work over 300 days a year. This is burdensome all by itself until you realize that members of Congress make $174,000 a year for working less than half that number of days. House Speaker John Boehner makes even more, pulling in $223,500. The average American, meanwhile, makes far less for working far more.
addictinginfo.org
_______________
Where is the uproar in this country?!?
Nope DCIA, none of these supposed dire consequences are ever going to be realized. This Administration has made it's living scaring the American public into thinking something wbad was going to happen, then moving on to the next project.
Never being held accountable for their lies.
That's all this was from the President a sackful of lies.
Backhouse@
You win. We'll only cut $42B this year? OK?
Melaney Arnold of the Illinois Department of Public Health recieved Talking Point Memo's from the Obama Administration, according to the March 1st Chicago Tribune. But being confused on those numbers she wasn't sure what to do. You know she didn't want to lie like Arne Duncan. Obama in those memo's stated that Illinois will lose 36.4 million towards Education, well everybody in Illinois knows thats a drop in the bucket compared to what the Democrats did. 400 MILLION cut this year alone to Education and are closing over a 100 schools. So The Panderer in Chief is worried about 36.4 million but not the 400 MILLION the Democrats stole from the Education budget to pay of the unions. Dumbass Panderering Democrats!
WCA -- Keep your head in the sand.
Here's how Republicans move the goal posts:
Allen, Omaha. My guess is we'll hear a lot of posturing, loud objections, noisy refusals from the GOP, from Boehner, Cantor, the Young Gunz and Gunettes, then quietly Boehner will allow legislation to the floor for debate, amendment and a vote. Despite all the noise from the Raucus Caucus TPers, the moderate republicans (I use that term loosely since moderate these days is middle far right) understand that the Sequestration cuts will cause great harm to their own districts and states.
I'm inclined to think that even the GOPTP's failed leader, John Boehner, and Senate minority leader McConnell realize that holding Americans hostage has run its effective course. The American people want action and the republicans recognize the high price for inaction arrives in November 2014.
Johntho, good point. It isn't hard to imagine that economic recovery would be far greater if the GOPTPers had cooperated just half the time.
I Am Happy to Blame the Media’: Ann Romney Says Mitt ‘Was Not Given a Fair Shake’
Mar. 3, 2013 1:09pm Madeleine Morgenstern
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/03/i-am-happy-to-blame-the-media-ann-romney-says-mitt-was-not-given-a-fair-shake/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMDH,
Queen Ann , you people had numerous times to show your tax returns, stop the plant in IL from going over seas; prove your husband didn't illegally vote; and so many other issues to proceed on getting to know you two privileged scoundrels.
We saw you two tax cheats and embezzlers for whom you were and still, are and we said "NO"!!!
We are thrilled you are NOT in the WH. y
WCA ... I am sure that Dems would love to take credit for helping to destroy the Republican Party, but let's give the credit to where it is due ... in the laps of the Republicans. Talk about taking responsibility!
Hey, Beverly in Chicago (#1.33):
Well, then Queen Ann Robme should just take Mitt to the McDonald's and buy him a Milk Shake with a fair price, telling Mitt it's a 'Fair Shake.'
LOL...a multimillionaire cries about not getting a fair shake?
How about the government losing tax revenues because of Robme's overseas bank accounts when the nation's fiscal health partly depends on such revenues. Fairness?
“I am prepared to do hard things and to push my Democratic friends to do hard things.” Obama
The problem is that the Republicans have heard this so many times in the past, only to see Obama undercut them for partisan political gain, that they will no longer take Obama at his word.
The Republican are now taking the 'put up or shut up' attitude whenever Obama makes a semi-serious proposal. They are tired of making great efforts to pass legislation, only to see it ignored and criticized by Obama and the Democrats in the Senate - so now it's "Since you don't like OUR bills, let's see what YOU can do"
Looks like the loonies are at it again. Chuck Todd and Co. are smoking what? We'd probably have a deal by now if Obama could tell the truth. The only reason that a tax deal was reached was because that was giving Obama what he wanted and now we could focus on spending cuts. If Obama had said, you know what, let's raise these taxes now and then we'll decide what other taxes we'll raise later, there never would have been a deal. The good news is that all the libs don't have to wait for more taxes to be imposed, just send your money to the government now! That should take care of that problem.
I get a boot out of libs thinking that Obama is for the middle class. He's been raising taxes on the middle class since he took office and they either don't notice or don't care, as long as it was done by Obama. On the other hand, if it had been Bush, well..........
Libs still don't seem to understand that the "middle class" as an entity is a myth. The middle class only does well when the economy does well. If business is booming then the middle class is also booming. If businesses are hurting, then the middle class is hurting. And, for the last 4 plus years, Obama has done nothing to spur businesses. In fact, he's attacked them constantly. He can't stand the idea of capitalism, free markets, freedom, etc. And, yes, he's said that a lot too. Every time he tries to sock it to the rich, ie: the employers, he's socking to the middle class too. It's just that there are so many ignorant people out there who don't understand economics or politics.
on a positive note let's look at some of the recent nominees:
brennan -- aware of and sanctioned the so-called torture during the bush days
lew -- fat cat wall street banker with investments in the caymans
hagel -- republican for defense because there weren't any qualified democrats
burwell -- from the evil wal-mart corporation
kerry -- giving money to foreign countries while his boss threatens domestic air safety
gotta give it to the president, regardless of his hypocrisy -- wall street, torture, evil republicans and a true 1%er -- the obamabots at sites like this cheer everything he does -- just what would it take for these obamabots to question him -- maybe a drone kill in the southwest?
Pigatory, Everything has gone up, I have a budget and had to increse its dollar amount over the years, but my pay has gone up to. going back to the 67 budget caps, crazy, maybe. I'm still trying to fantham how I could buy a $700 television that would have cost me say $450 back than on my 1967 budget. It would be very tuff, but not impossible. I have never been a Keep Up With The Jones type person back than. I am certainly not the I got to have now type person that we have become. I guess that sociaity is going to have to become a Patiant Type sociaity.
White Collar: Tell the truth. Boehner himself said the cuts would be devastating.
Roy Wilson - Chimes in with the usual Right Wing BS, Republicans have NOTHING else. When they are called out they move the goal posts. Read the article in my 1.31 to see the pattern of people like Roy. They must THINK they actually WON the election. Delusion is not pretty.
(03/01/13) OMB to John Boehner (Sequester)
Dollars (000,000,000)
$1,200 = Joint Committee required savings as defined by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (cut $1.2 Trillion)
-$216 = Deduct debt service savings (18%)
$984 = Net programmatic reductions
$109 = Divide by 9 to calculate annual reduction
-$24 = Reduction for FY 13 pursuant to section 901(a) of ATRA
$85 = Net remaining programmatic reduction for FY 2013
$42.5 = Split 50/50 between defense and nondefense (Discretionary) functions
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/document-ombs-88322.html
Would that be the Head Start program that was found to be ineffective by the Federal Government?
Of course that doesn't mean we should get rid of it, it simply means we should have more studies until we get the result we want.
Once the dems come up with a plan that would actually work then maybe we wouldn't have any sequester to worry about! With four prior years of ineptitude we're likely to see a continuation of the same from those who are in charge, blaming others who are not.
National debt today: $16.659 trillion and growing. Go party of spend spend spend!!
(Aug 01, 2011) President Obama signed the bill (Budget Control Act of 2011) shortly after it was passed by the Senate. In doing so, the president said, "Is this the deal I would have preferred? No. But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year." This is what the President said after signing the Budget Control Act which included the “sequester” agreement.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60344.html
Ann Romney
Mitt spoke, the "Media" reported it.
The people voted and we said "NO."
I, too, love this great country.
Michael Grunwald:
This is what makes all the Beltway back-and-forth who came up with the sequester, and who moved which goalposts, and what Gene Sperling said to Bob Woodward, so annoying.
The origin of this mess is absolutely clear. It was created by the Budget Control Act of 2011, the ransom Republican leaders received for agreeing to let the U.S. government pay its bills.
Then we will have two years to fix the mess made by George W. Bush and return us to the glory days of Bill Clinton.
NO!!!
Kinda funny because shrinking the government, lower taxes and less regulations were exactly how Clinton got the surplus. So you libs want the clinton years without doing what clinton had to do. What I really miss is the old school liberals who actually had a brain. You liberals these days are making the older democrats roll over in their graves.
When it comes down to it, the sequester is the fault of the democrats. They want revenue increases (even though the government is now bringing in more revenue than it ever has) without real spending cuts. The democrats are fiscally irresponsible, but what do you expect from libs like pelosi who doesn't think we have a spending problem and bloomberg who thinks we have unlimited cash.
What is the definition of the problem? We spend 3.5 trillion a year and bring in 2.5 trillion a year in taxes.
What are the possible solutions to this problem? There are four.
Solution #1 - Raise taxes - you would have to double the effective tax rates on individuals and
corporations to generate the 1 trillion needed. Doubling of the rates would not double the taxes received, because doubling the rates would starve the economy of capital and discretionary income. Since discretionary income is the only true source of demand, doubling the rates on everyone would cause mass closings of retail stores, restaurants, and service businesses, along with closing or exporting of our manufacturing businesses. No demand, no need to make anything. Anyone that thinks you can take another trillion dollars a year out of the discretionary incomes of this economy, and not destroy it, probably also believes that sequester will make it necessary to release prisoners from jail.
Solution #2 - Cut spending. Just how you cut 1 trillion a year to close the deficit gap is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Sequester is trying to eliminate just 45 billion from a 3.5 trillion dollar economy, which is 1.2%, or 1.2 cents out of every dollar. Meaning, that sequester is trying to leave in place 98.8 cents of all spending that was previously planned. The president and congress are even fighting making those paltry cuts, so just how do you think they will work together to cut 1 trillion dollars of spending? Quick answer. They won’t. They could not even work together to cut 45 billion in 2013, so the penalty of sequester was activated. Now think about this. Congress and the president had 16 months to cut 45 billion and failed. Now this automatic 1.2% cut is causing the Washington establishment to foam at the mouth with lies and distortions . Why? Because every one of them is owned by some special interest group and the citizens of this country are not ever that group. Anyone that thinks you can cut 1 trillion dollars from the spending to fix the deficit problem is simply not paying attention and is not based in reality.
Solution #3 - Cut spending and raise taxes – Again, if you decided to do half and half, which is the most likely manner in which you could do this, do you really think you can cut 500,000,000 (500 billion) in spending when you can’t get agreement to cut 45 billion which is less than one tenth of what would be needed? Therefore, even this solution will not happen.
This nation is on a course to financial ruin and the train is out of control and accelerating. No one can stop it. This train will now only stop by two methods. Economic collapse, or social upheaval. In the near future, we will begin to see clearly what happens when states and cities spend beyond their means. There is a day of reckoning. And when a state has to step in and rescue a large city, that state will be that much worse off. All across the country there exists insufficient savings to cover future costs, and in the place of savings, we see debt, which is in essence negative savings.
Economic collapse will come from the exploding debt caused by out of control interest payments caused by out of control and upward spiraling deficits. The deficits that are now growing by over a trillion per year, will soon be growing at nearly twice that rate due to interest payments. The bond vigilantes will insist on higher rates to offset the greater risk of default. There will be no economic union to step in and bail out America. America is simply too big to bail out. In fact, America is so big that it has to fail because the size dictates that it cannot be to big to fail. That implies a white knight riding in to the rescue. Those knights do not exist for America.
We will probably have around 25 trillion of debt at that time, and I think that time will be around 2018, about five years from now. So let’s just say the bond rates jump to 8% (far less than what they were in the mid 1980’s). At 8% interest, the interest alone would lay claim to $2 trillion dollars per year. We
spend 3.5 trillion per year now, and take in 2.5 trillion in taxes. Add this interest payment to the spending and subtract out the ¼ trillion of today’s interest payments, and you would be spending 5.25 trillion per year and bringing in 2.5 trillion in taxes if everything stays the same, meaning the deficit would then be growing be 2.75 trillion per year and growing rapidly.
This is what is meant by “exploding” debt. The interest on the debt will lay claim to nearly all discretionary income. The economy will stop. You will have nearly total unemployment, a barter economy, and the lights will literally go out. I think that will happen around 2018, when we will be approaching 25 trillion in debt. By then, with well over 100 trillion in unfunded liabilities, and over 25 trillion of debt, the dollar crumbles.
A new reserve currency will try to be erected, but most other nations by then will be having the same problems except for those that are small and developing and lack the economic power to be a reserve currency. Hence, the world's reserve currency is on a path to failure. A total and global depression will set in until the debt is restructured, meaning, there will have to be broad and across the board defaults on the bonds, and on social programs like social security, and Medicare. What money will still be in circulation will be worthless because the only entity at that time willing to buy the treasury bonds will be the federal reserve and it will be buying the bonds with money it manufactures as it is today, which is jsut a hidden tax.
The largest holder of our debt at this moment is the federal reserve. When the federal reserve buys treasury debt, in essence the trade is this. The treasury issues debt becasue congress has spent money it does not have to spend, the federal reserve buys the treasury debt with manufactured currency, and that currency itself is debt (look at a dollar bill – see the words federal reserve note ). So in essence, what we have been doing is buying our own debt with our own debt. This currency debt to ourselves is paid for by reducing the value of our currency. This reduces demand because it takes more dollars to buy what you could have purchased earlier before the debasement occurred. It reduces the buying power of your discretionary dollars. This is the same effect as higher taxes where higher taxes reduces the number of discretionary dollars. Both destroy demand and cause unemployment.
The really bad thing is the def can destroy discretionary income without congress voting on it. Congress has to vote to raise taxes, but the fed destroys discretionary income at will and has been doing so for many years, but more so lately than ever.
The unelected people at the Federal reserve have been in effect raising your taxes for years, while members of congress have been saying they will not raise taxes. A pox on on all their houses. This is why a dollar in the 1960’s had the buying power of about 30 of today’s dollars. Nice. Is this a great monetary policy or what? You have to earn more to keep the same living standard, but if you earn more, you have to pay more taxes. Just great. Currency debasement is the cruelest form of taxation.
Solution #4 - social upheaval. This can take two forms. One nonviolent, one violent. Hopefully, the nonviolent form will be what is used, but since there will be no one in charge, that will be totally up to
masses at the time that a sufficient spark - unknown today - will ignite the final soultion.
The government today is stockpiling vast amounts of ammunition in Homeland security and other places. Could this be why? I don’t know. But I do believe this. Congress and the president will not head of this catastrophe. Their actions to date have shown that since president Obama entered office, this country has not even had a budget. They can’t shake hands with a dollar and put it in the government’s pocket. Their sickness forces them to spend every dollar they can confiscate (taxation), borrow (more debt and unfunded promises) , or steal (when you in-debt future generations you are stealing from them). So it has become pure folly to expect Congress or the president or both to do anything that resembles doing something mathematically logical.
So nonviolent social upheaval is the last hope for the American experiment. How? Resolve and work to Fire Them All. Never re-elect a single person to any government position. Bring in new blood at every possible election. This will neuter the special interests.
Then, do these few things:
Eliminate political action committees and prosecute for bribery any member of congress voting for legislation for which he receives campaign contributions from any special interest. Kick his ass out of congress and confiscate all his personal welath and apply it to the debt. The only special interest should be the citizens.
Create and follow a budget
Outlaw government fund based accounting and move all government accounting to accrual accounting so built up debts and liabilities are more visible. Estimate every year the present value of all future promises made and book that value to debt, because that is what it is.
Put in place a minimum interest rate on saving of 4% and stop this idiocy of the Fed loaning money to banks at 0% interest and the banks therefore not paying interest to savers. This causes people to spend and not save, which only makes the future crash worse. Also, by not paying interest on saved money, the fed has in effect removed nearly 600 billion a year from interest no longer received by the savers. Interest income is additional discretionary income. Discretionary income is the source of demand. Therefore the fed’s own policy has intentionally destroyed demand and eliminated jobs. Just
think what 600 billion of additional demand would do for this economy. And realize that the fed has a dual mandate from congress of employment and inflation. They have taken inflation to near zero with a monetary policy that has been allowed to ignore the employment ramifications of a zero % interest rate for the banks and caused untold job loss in the process.
They Fed has just been protecting banks that will fail in the end due to a lack of demand in the
economy. Their solution as usual, is to solve the wrong problem, is too late, and is ridiculous.
If the voters do not soon react decisively, this nation will fall.
I always find that some people innocently use family analogy in talking about the national debt and fiscal health. I can't imagine how you can compare your family's fiscal strength to the strength of the US government - the most powerful and most stable in the world - with the best weapons systems, the democratic system, and the largest economy in the world.
I am sure that large & long-term deficits are not healthy, for sure. In long term, it has to go down. But in this short term, when the economy is still recovering, it really hurts to cut spending in the name of fiscal health. A double-dip recession is going to be blamed on the GOP ...by voters...starting in November 2014.
@Jody
Maybe we're fed up holding hostage those that can't vote yet hostage to our reckless spending.
Now I don't know if this board is Republican, Democrat or in-between. I think they got fleeced by their investment advisers. However, to sign up for this type of loan, where the liabilities are pushed on to the future taxpayers, is just too endemic at all levels of government and by both parties.
I watched the interview with Romney and thought they were very gracious.
The venom from the left never stops.
Joe HAHAHAHAHA
Hasn't anyone explained to you that effects of the cuts aren't going to hit all at once? None of the furloughs of government employees will begin until around April Fool's Day, which is appropriate considering it was McConnell, Boehner, Cantor and the other Fools on the Hill who've brought this down on us.
The wingnuts are acting like the allegorical boiling frog: they won't notice that the temperature is being gradually turned up and will get boiled before they jump out of the water. Of course, that story about frogs is a myth. Frogs aren't that stupid. But right wingnuts are.
Obama has the nation mired in the worst recovery in US history, and yet all he is concerned with is blaming everyone else. It is the Republicans fault that the Obama sequester went into affect. Never has a president been so devoid of any responsibility then Obama. So far the endless blame, excuses, and gross exaggerations have solved nothing, and they never will. Hopefully this country can survive Obama, and then be smart enough to elect a true leader.
Roy, no they weren't gracious.
When you take a foreign trip and make one misstep after another; when you are caught on video degrading 47% of the country; when you diss immigration reform; when you hide your income in other countries; when you refuse to be upfront about your tax returns ...
and are left with "blaming the media" instead of your own deplorable policies, then it's time to just be quiet.
@Glenn-974637
Your analysis just scared the @!$%# out of me. And it doesn't even cover the state pension time bomb.
Think Progress:
Corporate profits hit record highs in the second half of 2012, but that prosperity hasn’t led to the creation of jobs, since America’s biggest firms are sitting on stocks of cash instead of investing them back into the economy.
Let's face it folks the conservatives do not want to do anything that will move this country forward. They are not interested in moving forward, their interest is in shrinking government. Their corporate masters have paid them well to push the agenda of reducing government's role in the lives of its citizens.
Along with the likes of Grover Norquist and ALEC, this has been a plan in the making since Ronald Reagan was in office it has been a slow quiet for the most part, eroding of Government's role in the running of the nation. Placing strangleholds on the sources of revenue is an excellent way to achieve that objective and the sequester will help too. The President wants tax loopholes closed and will put cuts on the table that are near and dear to Democrats, the Republicans do not want any loopholes closed as they, are to them tax increases and it wont matter how many spending cuts the President offers they will never comprise. So we are at an impasse, it will be several months before effects from it are felt in any significant way.
You can place a reliable bet on this: IF Congress's budget had been cut as part of the sequester, if they took a pay cut, the Sequester would have been resolved last year. It's the old tax scenario, don't tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree. Unless the cuts hurt those legislators forcing the automatic hatchet cuts to those other people and agencies, they have no problem with the harm because it's that fellow over there behind the tree who is harmed.
85 billion per year sequester, 42.6 billion DoD and 42.4 spread across the rest of the govenrment programs, or Obama gets 55 billion increase in taxes that he will spend to create new programs that can never be cut, and 55 billion in cuts divided as 27.5 billion DoD and 27.5 billion Agricultural, in other words no cuts to anything important to Obama, and all the additional taxes on the wealthy and businesses would just have been passed on to the middle class. Sequester was the only option with Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Obama.
The FR also spoke of the 55 billion as additional taxes, and the 55 billion in cuts as "additional" cuts to entitlements, cannot have additional until you have initial cuts.
Yet Obama said he would veto any bill that gave him more flexibility in cuts. I think someone wants sequester to be more painful than it need be.
BTW, how great is is that the head of food inspection is named Margaret Hamburg!
Those agencies have enjoyed a 17% increase since Obama took office. Somehow I think a paltry 2.4% cut isn't going to be the end of the world.
The Obama administration is a reflection of the person that leads it.Narrcissistic personality disorder. Does any of the following seem familiar, especially the defining characteristic discussed in the next to last sentence?
I reject the notion that "moving forward" involves saddling us with the largest government possible and mortgaging our grandkids' future.
Q22,
The $85 Billion in cuts is 2.4% of the entire budget however since the cuts only apply to 36% of the budget (Defense & Discretionary) the $85 Billion becomes a 6.6+% cut to those areas. In addition, just like any company there are fixed costs that cannot be cut. The focus will then be on the labor portion of the budget that will result in layoffs, furloughs and reduced services.
"Cliff Fatigue".......both sides have it, and most Americans have it.......or should I say "have had it"......with both sides.
Republicans can worry about losing their posts if they say yes to Obama, but they should also worry about losing the house in 2014 if they don't come up with a grand bargain.
Let's face it, with Obama in office and Americans tired of gridlock, they may choose not to have divided government in 2014 so things get done.
On the one hand Obama says he is not a dictator, which is true, but on the other hand he wishes he could do a mind meld on all the Repubs, so they would think exactly the way he does. And isn't that what all dictators want, for every one to think exactly like they do? No questions asked, no compromise, just mind numbing adherence to their point of view?
Mr. Obama, a slot my soon be opening in Venezuela.
Jody, Iowa
GOPTP Lying While Whining. .
Jody, Iowa
What a fantastic point to illustrate. . that is all the GOPhers so is LIE & WHINE. No, the President can't negotiate with himself.
I'd also like to point out McCain didn't show up after all the whining about Hazing John McCain Was Too Busy Complaining About Benghazi to Attend a Senate Hearing on Benghazi.
Similarly, where is the Republican Congress? Republican Congress will not convene not until after the they've done damage on squestation. They are MIA
Q22
My Rep. brags every time she adds money to the DOD budget.
She has two bases in our area.
Want to guess what precentage increase the GOP has added to the DOD budget?
May 18, 2012 The house passed the defense bill.
$8 billion above the spending caps in last years
Budget Control Act.
Alan, NJ, I have no empathy for those republicans who whine about government spending today who were part of the government spending spree on the US credit card during the Bush/Cheney years. Ronald Reagan's fiscal irresponsibility sent me fleeing from the GOP and I have never looked back. Those who continue to believe the GOP is the "fiscally responsible" party never bother to look at what they did.
Sure, democrats spend money, too, but they--except in economic crisis--pay for what they legislate. Why do you think the GOPTPers call democrats "tax and spenders"? When was the last time the GOP actually PAID for legislation they passed? Who was the last republican president who paid down the debt? Think hard, you have to go back a lot of years.
But as the cuts for this year are $42B then it is reduced to 3.3%.
Alan,
Not true … Check my comment @ 1.42
(03/01/13) General Ray Odierno on "Morning Joe" and "CBS This Morning" said that under sequestration he is not allowed to move funds around in FY13 however he will probably be able to in FY14 but only if there is an approved budget. Odierno said that for the remainder of FY13 the cuts to the Defense budget are estimated to be between 8% and 10%. "The money is fenced in" as part of a stopgap spending bill, he said.
Take your head out of your partisan ass and understand that politicians of both parties are mortgaging our kids future. As to your point on Administration's spending you continuously claim that spending is congresses fault and over the last 50 years congress has been Republican and Democratic and the only time the debt has been paid down was during a Republican congress. So they are both responsible and both to blame.
Jody,
I'll take being a tax & spend Democrat over a borrow & spend Republican any day and twice on Sundays! ;o)
Who pissed in Braveheart's Wheaties this morning?
Q22, of course, President Obama would veto legislation giving him all the cutting power. This must be a joint effort by both sides. Why should President Obama be the only person in the federal government making the decisions about what to cut? Your side can't have it both ways. On one hand you call him a dictator, emperor, king because he uses constitutionally given excecutive authority and on the other hand, your side wants to give President Obama all the executive authority to cut what he wants. No doubt the GOP would have a giant temper tantrum, be screaming IMPEACHEMENT if Obama cut only the programs the GOPers love and none the democrats favor.
Defense is obviously going to be hardest hit - primarily since Obama has already cut it's funding quite a bit already. But like I said - the departments being affected have gotten much fatter since Obama took office.
Yet we still seem to have enough extra money to give to Egypt - run by people who detest us.
Alex, Clinton took a scalpel to the government and cut unnecessary programs and expenditures, HE ALSO RAISED TAXES, but don't let the truth bother you.
Bush expanded government and cut taxes and created the greatest recession since the great depression. Again don't let the truth bother you. Just make stuff up like the rest of your right wing up the scrumps do.
Feisty -- You write:
Me too! People like ProFreedom ignore that 11 trillion of the debt is because REPUBLICANS forgot to PAY for EVERYTHING they charged!
glenn -- very thought provoking. i doubt anyone will challenge your comments but it will be interesting to see.
dennis -- is at it again. "figures lie and liars figure" -- not sure the percentage is relevant but the total number of dollars surely is.
napolitano said this morning that delays in chicago are due to sequester, last week her department released criminals into society -- she must have missed the memo where obama said the scare tactics are working so backoff
maybe she should see if john kerry can loan her some money -- he is giving hundreds of millions away to foreign countries -- if he gave it to janet our skies would be safer and the criminals would be back in jail. i think the administration has their priorities screwed up.
Alan, NJ
Take your head out of your own butt and stop pretending that the only reason the Republicans are making a big stink for immediate cuts NOW rather than any reasonable plan to address deficits in the long term is because they want to kill all "entitlements," including Medicare, which Saint Ronnie of Reagan warned would result in Americans becoming slave to government when he was the leading mouthpiece for the anti-Medicare lobby in the 1960s. And now that they can't use the economic damage they create make Obama a "one term president," as Mitch McConnell desired, they still want to wreck the economy to muddy up Obama's legacy.
Glenn-974637 did. Scared the @!$%# out of me.
Feisty, me, too; I mush prefer those who pay for what they legislate! I think it was MSNBC last week which pointed out that repubicans know that sooner or later a democrat will be elected President, democrats will win Congress and fix the fiscal mess they left.
As for Braveheart, he really hates when he's on the losing side of an argument and knows it--makes him all huffy.
Beverly, thanks. I honestly wonder if McCain ever considers just how ignorant he sounds to the 88% of the people who aren't repubicans.
Q22,
The Defense budget during the Obama administration has increased every year.
Presidents can neither spend or cut … that is the job of Congress.
Not power - since the cuts will be made - just discretion over how the cuts will be made.
Q22
See my post #1.69
billybob,
Still can’t get the quote correct … sad
And Congress can't do their job if the Senate is where budget legislation goes to die.
Elitism at its finest, eh Joey. Preferential treatment for the wealthy. A fine example of class warfare, the wealthy against the 99%. As Queen Ann Romney would say, let them eat cake.
1.82, that's "much prefer". Mush, however, describes GOPTP fiscal policy.
Q22, and if President Obama cut only defense and GOP-favored programs, your side would be yelling like banchees. These cuts require both sides to participate. The GOP plan/idea is to put all the cuts on President Obama then use it against him and democrats in 2014. That's the GOPTP Game Plan.
Q22,
[how cuts will be made]
So Republicans can point at him when people complain, saying he decided where and what to cut … it’s his fault
He didn’t fall for it
Alan and Q22
Stymied by a GOP House, Obama looks ahead to 2014 to cement his legacy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/stymied-by-a-gop-house-obama-looks-ahead-to-2014-to-cement-his-legacy/2013/03/02/5f6f8b94-827d-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go ahead keep lyin. You two are right wing numb nuts. Your friend the laughing hyena in Albany constantly laughs. It's okay everyone knows he is another CRRAAAZZY right wing nut job.
Come 2014 your lies won't matter; now will they?
What's this the slippery slope argument? Medicare as a program will not be killed but it will not survive either in it's current form. How about the real solution is that Medicare becomes Obamacare? A means tested premium support program? Ooops can't use the words Premium Support because that's what Paul Ryan calls it.
As to the one-term insult, what exactly is the President attempting to do right now to the House Republicans? That's right! Set up a set of political battles so that they lose their majority in 2014.
I still don't understand why you try and portray Obama as anything other than a politician.
Thanks for making my point Bev
TAx reform will be interesting in that one of the big items the republicans talked about before was closing loopholes in the tax code...not too sure just how well that will play with all their weathly friends..nor themselves since they are big receivers of those tax code breaks.
Joe in Albany-1902257......said
Apparently, this is a rare "business trip" for Joe in Albany-1902257.
Otherwise, he might know that "his idea" has long been operational . See--> "airlines are offering their biggest spenders additional V.I.P. benefits that include expedited access to security. And the T.S.A. is now allowing some to pass through security checkpoints without the indignity of a pat-down or of having to remove shoes and belts or laptops from their cases." http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/business/tsas-precheck-program-gives-vip-treatment-through-security.html?pagewanted=all
But, Joe in Albany-1902257 is even more out of touch than that. Not only has "his idea" come, it may be about to go. See--> "No More Elite and First Class Airport Security Lanes http://www.cnbc.com/id/46954775/No_More_Elite_and_First_Class_Airport_Security_Lanes
Joe, do you really think folks don't realize what a fraud you are? If only us "little people" could be more like you (pretend you are).
Nice to see partisan politics trumps any form of common sense. You CANNOT make up the deficit gap with tax increases alone, it'll strangle the economy. Nor can you cut your way to success, it's a false economy. Every cut you make to things other than actual waste means the average person (consumer and worker) has less to spend, less to invest, more to lose.
The B.S. false equivalency of "My household runs etc etc, " is beyond laughable. Now many years into this administration, and the constant fighting is clearly taking it's toll. But the ones suffering are the voters. Congress doesn't care, their personal fortunes mean they're less invested in this. Nor does it really matter to the President, aside from an issue of legacy. All both sides are doing is keeping people preoccupied with other things, hoping nobody thinks 'Wait, maybe a structured budget with sacrifices on both sides beyond idealistic considerations may be the best course for us all (aside from those leaching from the economy, and wealthy as a result).'
All I see with both parties are two children, covered in paint looking guilty. When asked who defaced the walls in the house, they both in unison point at each other.
KingK - if you want an example of dictatorship, look no further than that GOPer Rick Snyder. He has unseated almost every elected city official in the state and installed min-me dictators in cities all over the state. That is a dictatorship, that is fascism, that is communism. You freaks love to rant and rave Obama the dictator, but can't see the glaring examples practiced by your own party. Get back to me when you can come up with even one example of Obama acting in the role of dictator.
Ginger Mama
and primarily the doings of the corporations.
Glenn....
I think solution #4 is the only viable one at this point.
Alex, Clinton took a scalpel to the government and cut unnecessary programs and expenditures, HE ALSO RAISED TAXES, but don't let the truth bother you.
Democrats already have their tax increases, obama isn't cutting unnecessary programs (i.e. headstart) or expenditures. In fact with ACA he dramatically expanded useless government bureaucracies, but don't let reading comprehension bother you.
Bush expanded government and cut taxes and created the greatest recession since the great depression. Again don't let the truth bother you. Just make stuff up like the rest of your right wing up the scrumps do.
My voting record on bush is the same it is on obama, yes the first time, no the second. I not a bush supporter for the same reason I'm not an obama supporter. I'm a conservative independent, I'm not a republican. All of which I've stated many times on these forums. But don't let the liberal tunnel vision bother ya.
RedDevBS - Elitism, like Michelle Obama stuffing her fat ass with a deep dish pizza while telling the kids to eat thier veggies. Yeah, I get it! Ck out page 21 of the Chicago Sun Times.
Well, how do you like obama now. Whine, whine and whine about Bush. Bush didn't do this to the country. You could still call america a free country, but with your president and the dems, this country is turning to be communism. Within the next couple of years, you will have no life at all except for what this government wants you to have. Obamacare is a rip off and you fools let this happen. You are getting what you voted for. You people make me sick. Fines for smoking, fines for fat people, being told how much soda you can drink and soon there will be fines for getting old. You have let government into your life and now they are taking it over. I hope the next president which I hope will be sooner than later will not be the sneaky, lying piece of crap you people elected. You did not learn from his first 4 years. Stupid americans.
With this budget bull and that is what it is 'BULL'. Both sides of the fence are fighting for what they want, not what is good for the country, for americans. You people are worried about preschool. Well, screw that! You want kids, take care of them like the older americans did! You can not afford kids, don't have them! Why should I pay for your kids?
And again, I say get rid of foreign aide. No one helps us. In some of the poor countries, they don't try to help themselves. They just keep on breeding, then their kids die. How stupid are they. When they know they don't have the food to feed what they have, they have more kids. And when it comes to these countries at war, we send food and money to them. Let them kill each other and the winner takes over the country.
This government is so worried about every other country but this one. We need to start over and put our priorities in order. Enough is enough!!!
Governement - liars and crooks
American people - STUPID
elayne-675382.......
Your insulting comments about our nation and its people are no more true than your dire predictions.
It gives us (Democrats) comfort that we are opposed by those such as you.
Lookie there, WCA forging ahead pulling out the victim card. Unlike the GOP, who vowed to destroy Obama and make him a one-term president, the democrats have no agenda to destroy the GOP, much less, at a cost to the country. The GOP is doing a bang-up job all on their own. And even as the GOP implodes internally, WCA is out their trying to blame everyone but the actual culprits. Poor WCA - when he is in a bad mood, it is the fault of everybody else. In his view, it is the responsibility of everyone else on the planet to make his day happy.
Elayne...
What about all the CEOs and other company executives who have shipped jobs and factories to China, a Communist country?
Well of course you do, you VOTED for Romney. We all know how that turned out..
dennis -- why not do a search on "figures lie and liars figure" and you will see that it is a common phrase often used in economic conversations as i am doing here.
i accept your apology in advance.
have a nice day
Gosh Geo-de .. I see you are still as dumb as a box of rocks. Your understanding and illustration of the term elitism misses the mark. Try again. I'll give you assist, since you seem to be so challenged - and I apologize in advance for finding a definition using words of more than two syllables - unfortunately, a single syllable definition just doesn't exist.
billybob,
The quote is …
Figures Don’t Lie, But Liars Do Figure
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/11/15/liars-figure/
http://sarcozona.org/2011/04/13/figures-dont-lie-but-liars-figure/
RedDevBS - So having a pizza delivered to your plane is what the regular folk do? Please have mercy on me.
Here's another sign of just how badly Conservatives have botched the sequester issue. Parts of the government could start shutting down, beyond a certain point tax refunds will be delayed, but the REAL story here is that the First Lady ate some pizza.
How about if Boehner and his crew pool their pocket change to by themselves some pizza and solve this sequester issue that's so vexing for the Speaker?
Oops, can't do that BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN SESSION TODAY!
dennis - you are right, that is one form of the phrase. here are others:
Liars Figure and Figures Lie -- Why you ave to be careful when it comes to statistics
Figures Lie, Liars Figure, the math of mainstream economists
so there are variations.
Ian - you see, this is where Little Joey is an epic fail. He wants one set of government rules to apply to the masses, and a separate government where, using a few bribery dollars, buys him a preferred status. Much like big oil, and all those corporate entities and their lobbies. Of course, he and his RWNJ minions also believe government should be run like a corporation, so it should come as no surprise. Government for profit, government catering to the elite are bad ideas. But in Joey's book it is a win-win. Romney and Little Joey believe in the same principles, fortunately, the masses don't buy it and delivered Romney a defeat. Of course, much like Queen Anne, Little Joey will never get over the fact that the commoners feel they should have equal representation and access to government enjoyed by the wealthy, elite, overprivileged, sniveling, whining 1%.
If Joey doesn't like the TSA we all dislike, then he should pay out the extra bucks and charter a jet, and then let him rant on about the privileges of wealth.
Yes Geo-de, that is what regular folks do when flying on a plane. If hungry, they order food, and it is delivered to them in their seat, of all the crazy, wild, things. They even give you one free soda/juice.
Oh, and I don't think their will be any mercy coming your way until a process is found that reverses petrification.
No he can't govern and doesn't want his name on nor responsibility for any of it. That is what his whole campaigning trips the last couple of weeks has been about. He is trying to show people he is doing all he can (while he is not) and it is someone elses fault. He is staying as far away from actually leading and being the adult in the room as he can as he sees there is no magic wand like he has convinced his sheep there is in his hands. He knows he can't lead out of it. He doesn't have it in him but as long as he can distance himself from the actual meetings and solutions, he still looks like the hero those who blindly voted for him thinks he is.
Ian, of course you will disagree with me since you dems are a big part of the problem. The predictions as you call it are true. Also, you are blind if you can not see what is going on.
Stupid loans that are subject to being deleted. Most go unpaid. You can not afford college, go to a trade school. Trade school has worked for millions of people and they turned out just fine.
Welfare for breeders should stop. And when they had a chance, like everyone else to learn something in school, lying on your back wasn't one of them, they didn't bother to learn. So, they breed and try and make a career out of that. Then everyone else is suppose to support them. I raised my children without support from you or anyone else. All this preschool crap is just that. You wanted a kid to send of to others to raise. You want preschool, pay for it yourself.
I have already posted about foreign aide and such above.
My comments are negative about this country. Well, they are true. Can not see too much positive. I would not put it pass obama to try and for a third term. He is a liar and sneaky and will probably try and get congress to cancel the two term only. He is always campaigning. He and his dems are just always trying to screw us. Oh, the repubs are also, but not like the dems.
This government is trying and succeeding in to making this country into two classes. Rich and poor. They will want us to go to them for everything. This is a big brother country. What is obama's middle name? Hitler or Stalin?
And Ian, name one good thing obama has done? Nothing!
billybob,
Please do as I did and provide a source (link).
No link means there isn't any variation.
Thanks
Talk,
He didn’t fall for the Republican games {period}
If it was such a great idea/plan why did 9 Republican Senators vote against it ?
Pigotry....."Similarly, the Pentagon says the cuts come at a cost to military readiness, and the State Department has warned that the reductions would affect many efforts it takes to "advance peace, security, and stability around the world.""
Yep Piggy.....the "sequester" really has dampened Mr. Obama's ability to continue to use American taxpayer money to be thrown down the toilet.
Flashback to YESTERDAY when Mr. Kerry gave, and promised more $$$, to Morsi (the President of a "Democratically voted" Muslim Brotherhood country).
Further, the decimation of our military is rejoiced by the Progressives.
Time for you to get out from under that Progressive mushroom.
Dennis, Columbus, Ohio.....Yep, wonder why most Democrats have voted against Mr. Obama's National Budgets for the past FOUR YEARS. The budgets were such good budgets....they were for it before they were against it.
What utter K-rap. This won't stop 1 dam cent in foreign aid. Billions stolen from the American tax payer in forced donations to foreign countries. A hidden slush fund for the super rich.
ldo,
Democrats disputed that it was actually the president’s plan, arguing that the slim amendment didn’t actually match Mr. Obama’s budget document, which ran thousands of pages. But Republicans said they used all of the president’s numbers in the proposal, so it faithfully represented his plan. Numbers with no verbiage to support areas of spending … no one would vote for such a budget.
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/16/99-0-senate-votes-down-obamas-budget-unanimously-again/
Pigotry
Welcome to Sequester Monday
Secretary of Education Duncan is personally giving pink slips to teachers, J Napolitano at the borders, allowing illegals cross the border, and the Secretary of Transportation, sending home , tower controllers, to make sure we suffer more than what we should, in order to win political points. Blaming Republicans for the lack of leadership of this administration.
Sequestration in SNL . Hilarious like it is , is precisely what this administration is doing, dumb things.
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/03/saturday_night_live_skewers_ob.html
What games? They gave him more power than he deserves or can handle. He has no clue what to do and wants no part of it as he knows it will be a huge mess and he can't please those he thinks he needs to. HE DOESN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT OR BE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. PERIOD!!
A true leader would have taken the challenge (especially if he truly believes his own narcissistic agenda) and run with it to hell with opinion. He values opinion and his legacy only and cannot and will not take the reigns and be responsible for the pain it may cause as well as his perceived "solution". He is smart enough to know that he doesn't know. Again, PERIOD!
Anyone have a problem with the budget, go take to the crazy Tea people in Congress, they seem to thing they are running the Country !!!
I agree with what you say above but it does not answer the question why the Democrats did not present the President's budget with the details. Why did Harry Reid not bring the President's budget up for a vote? Why has the Senate never passed their own Budget document and went to reconciliation with the House? From what I understand the Budget resolution requires a simple majority and is not subject to the filibuster.
WHY is Fisty SO fixated on Mitt Romney?
What gives?
Is she THAT full of hatred for the 'rich' that she simply cannot move on?
Hey Fisty.. what's that you and yours love to scream at the adults in the room?
Oh yeah..."We won so get over it!"
Seems to me you need to get over it... remember... you won! (hahaha if that's what you want to call it)
"Talk", F-up, Hope a can sleep this off !!!
#1.123, up and away !!!
elayne -- You are quite ignorant on what loans are going UNPAID. It's the for profits - not education schools that Republicans and people like Romney advocate for that RIP-OFF the student and tax payer.
Who REALLY CARES about this HUGE PROBLEM - Democrats NOT Republicans:
Talk,
Competing Sequester replacement bills in the Senate …
Republicans joined Democrats to vote against the Republican sponsored bill then turned around and filibustered the Democrat bill
Then John Boehner goes on TV and says he is waiting for the Senate to pass a bill
And you say there are no games !! Your opinion ... I see it differently
Alan,
It is rare for a President's budget to ever get a vote in either chamber but … Harry didn't have the 50 votes needed to pass thanks to Dems from Red states.
With the radical left/Democrats controlling the White Hose and the Senate, The Tea people control the country. You are so full of........Where is the lidership of the Democrats. Where is the President, where is Reid Democrat Head of the Senate. It s a shame , there is no more Blue Dog Democrats anymore, the radical left kick them all out.
Even if it got pass, Obama said he will veto it, he don't want smart cuts, he want more taxes, his way or the highway. The intention of the radical left is inflict more damages possible for political gain.
Who is fixated on who, Talk? Explain why 8 of 10 posts you make focus on Feisty Redhead.
What did he say?
It seems to me that California really needs to invest more in its education system...
Hey Tom... the word you should have used is they're (as in They Are - a simple contraction my friend)
Every time you goof-up the use of there, their and they're... or to, too, and two... you reinforce our (not are - as some libbies post) belief that you really don't know what you're (notice... another contraction for You Are) talking about.
Haahahhahaha..... this is way TOO easy!
:OP
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/16/99-0-senate-votes-down-obamas-budget-unanimously-again/
Well Dennis, Republicans produced a "budget" with no numbers, why wouldn't they also think that writing "Obama's budget" on the cover of a document would make it his?
Red,
The funniest part is, I have the little leg-humping troll on ignore, so it's talking to a wall! lol
I can't wait for the president to finally sing "Sofa #2" lmao
red VA,
[Even if it got pass, Obama said he will veto it]
It was the Republican bill that even 9 Republicans voted against that he said he would veto. I guess even Republicans agreed with our President, that it was a bad bill.
No Alan, it's not "what I understand", it's what you want people to think. How do I know? Because we've debunked this REPEATEDLY over a period of MONTHS, that's how I know. So here we go again;
http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2012/02/parliamentary-procedure
So in short a budget passed with 51 votes is only free from the threat of filibuster if it's IDENTICAL IN EVERY DETAIL to one passed by the House. Since the House is only willing to pass the Ryan budget instead of a bill that has some basis in reality there's no chance of that.
Go ahead Jeb...Talk about running for President.
I can't wait to dig up all the dirt that is known about the Bush empire from old man Nazi Banker to the fact that your family has bought the rights to water in South America and are charging poor people to live.
Go ahead...can't wait to open the 911 issues all over again.
Your whole family is corrupt.
@John
Thanks for information. Still doesn't explain why a Senate Budget has never been introduced.
elayne-675382........
You've made a lot of predictions. Some will be tested fairly shortly. Since you have been posting on Newsvine since 2008, it is very possible you will be around for your results. We shall see.....won't we?
In any case, since you think so poorly of the United States, its people, and its prospects, perhaps you should consider self-deportation. The Maldives come to mind.
And here I thought it was only the first three words of the Constitution that Conservatives would choose to ignore...turns out it's bits and pieces throughout. From Article I, Section 7;
Which in the interpretation of 230 years of Constitutional law and established practice means;
Which has ALSO been stated here repeatedly over time. You should really get checked for Alzheimer's, pal.
@John
So in the 230 year history of the congress the Senate has ALWAYS agreed with the House version of the Budget? They've NEVER once put up their own version for consideration?
This of course is patently false because the Senate did propose a budget based on the President's top line numbers (as you yourself noted). It was voted down. What has not happened is that the Senate Democrats, for political reasons, did not commit themselves to any kind of budget because it would reveal the size of the deficit they would be willing to run or the amount taxes would have to be raised on the middle class to pay for their spending. They are perfectly happy with the status quo, where they can attack the Ryan budget because of the sacrifice it calls for, but produce no plan of their own and leave themselves open to criticism. A perfect case of party before country.
Now you're just being purposely evasive. It's clear to any thinking person I didn't say that, so let's lay it out in terms you can understand;
You already know that. You choose to pretend otherwise. For that reason now that I've thoroughly explained the subject that's the last I'll say about it until another day, when you'll inevitably bring it up once gain. You'll feign ignorance as always, will have it explained again as always, and get all indignant about it as you have here. Good day.
I'm being evasive? You admit that the Republicans in the Senate can introduce a budget based on the President's top line figures, obviously having no resemblance to Ryan's budget, but the Senate Democrats, who are in the majority, cannot introduce the President's budget with the correct figures for each department, nor their own budget? You fall back on the filibuster as always. We all know that Harry Reid does not want a budget on the record because it would give the Republicans something to run against. He knows it's much better to borrow and spend because he and his peers will not be in office when the bill is due. But keep believing it's parliamentary procedure that is blocking the Senate budget.
Your logic is laughable.
figure it out folks!
Every time a cut must be made the democrats always cut that most and blame it on the republicans. It is a time honored method that always produces more democrats in office and the outrageous taxes they pass.
No, I said Republicans wrote the words "Obama's Budget" on a document of their own creation and have used it as a talking point ever since. Now you've crossed the line from evasion to lying and I've completed my task of showing just how dishonest you really are. Beyond that engagement with trolls just isn't my thing. Cya.
m
Good morning BACKHOUSE:
Mmmmmmmmmmmm...
The pain of the across-the-board spending reductions will make itself felt over the next few months and could cause Republicans to rethink their opposition to new tax revenue as part of a debt deal.
Obama remains open to the kind of deal he last discussed with Boehner in December, in which Democrats would trade cuts to entitlement programs for closing tax loopholes and ending some deductions, resulting in higher tax revenue.
Obama spent part of Saturday making phone calls to rank-and-file senators in both parties who had expressed interest in that kind of "grand bargain."
Arrogant, much, Ann?
It's sad that the republicans can't say yes to Obama, because of the domestic terrorists within their party who are holding the Nation as hostage.
It's long past due that this tea bag terrorist group be weeded out.
That is just Ann living in LA LA land. My God she is married to Willard, a slick white collar slickter who lies so much, it's hard to imagine how anyone voted for him and dismissed all of his repeated lies on every position.
It was sad that this lying buffoon, fooled the 47% into voting for him. Oh well, that night mare is over!
So Congress needs a timeout?
Are you serious?
They have had more time outs, vacations days , travel days than they deserve.
Twelve days of work is ahead of them this month.... meanwhile, if they got paid by the day their salary would be about $69,000 instead of $174,000.
Oh by the way ,the average salary in the US is not near$ 69,000 per year for a forty hour work week or more!!!!
Michelle the Hippocrit, in today's Chicago Suntimes, Sneed points out Michelle ordered a Geno's deepdish for the plane ride home. Of course this was after she was plastered (wide angle) all over the papers for her bogus eat right campain. Liberals, do as I say not as I do.
Coming from a Rush Nut!
Romney continues to be pathetic. "I wish I was there"....like he could make a difference.
The only difference I see is that since Romney ran on closing loopholes he would have little cover with Democrats saying, "fine....let's close the loopholes".
Why is it that Republicans run on things like "jobs", and then "closing loopholes" and never DO IT!!
A politician once explained governments and money to me.
Static money is no good for politicians because it is an unchanging amount. It is obvious when some of it disappears.
Money in motion is good for politicians because it is a changing amount and some of it can fall into their pockets with out being noticed.
geo#'s, petty much? Anyone who is away from their home, the foods they enjoyed and restaurants they went to occasionally is going to take the opportunity to enjoy one of their favorite treats. When I lived in San Diego and came home on vacation, could not wait to enjoy an Iowa breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and another day, a Maid-Rite. It's what people do. Gad you conservatives are shallow.
geo-1957883
geo-195788
Just like the Boner getting 98% of what he what he wanted and then turns around and doesn't do what he says.
BTW: the Boner does the opposite of what he says all the time. He really needs to get off his ass and do some work.
Of course he wishes he was there! So do the folks that ponied up around a Billion bucks to buy the White House. But he isn't and unlike most who did not win the presidency he does not put the election behind him and give his support to the man who was elected by the American people.
It amazes me that individuals vying for their parties nomination will pledge support for who ever is their eventual nominee no matter what but these same individuals refuse to give support to the person who actually won the votes of the majority of Americans.
because of the domestic terrorists within their party who are holding the Nation as hostage.
Weather Underground, EPA, La Raza, etc nuff said.
The democrats practice inhumanity to man.
The republicans are slightly less harmful.
The independents lack conviction.
Did I miss anyone?
The democrats practice inhumanity to man.
The republicans are slightly less harmful.
The independents lack conviction.
Did I miss anyone?
Independents don't lack conviction, we lack a party to represent us, and in turn lack the money to get a party to represent us. Don't mistaken lack of party of lack of conviction.
or devote himself to good causes like Habitat for Humanity, eradicating disease in Africa, or battling climate change. You know, stuff that would make us think he was an exceptional individual devoted to something beyond his own ambitions.
$85B isn't a huge amount of money when you consider our Federal Budget, and especially our debt. In stagnant economic conditions many businesses are tasked with operating on less than ideal resources to ensure a profit and ensure that they can pay their employees. Why shouldn't the Fed Gov't be tasked with the same? Public unions drain the system and offer misaligned incentives comparatively with private market jobs. Complaining about education funding, for instance, is completely unfounded when you consider the amount of waste and unnecessary overhead created by public teachers unions. If the Fed was operating under the most efficient means possible, I would think we could entertain the idea of additional revenue through tax increases. But that isn't the case. A lot of military personal will tell you about the waste in Defense as well.
Logic WOULD be useful, if only you'd use it. EXACTLY how much federal waste owes to unionized teachers, considering the fact that school budgets are determined by state, county, and munincipal governments?
When you factor in that teaching has the lowest initial salary of ANY college degree it can't be much. http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2012/06/22/5-college-degrees-that-arent-worth-the-cost
I realize those facts conflict with Conservative messaging designed to destroy our system of public education, but that's how it is.
Um alex, independents comprise over 30% of the voters, not even 3% voted independent? I did, did you? If that does not show a lack of conviction, what then?
So far as lack of a party, do you think that all the ones who vote for democrats, are pleased with the party, republicans?
John B, Des Moines, IA - I wonder, do you think taking 400 MILLION out of a states budget for Education like the Democrats did ths year alone in Illinois will have an effect. Or the Billion dollar debt the Chicago Public Schools are in will effect Education? Liberalism is a wonderful thing, don't you agree? What state has destroyed it's public Education more than Democratic Illinois? Please help me with some LOGIC!
it seems as though some have forgotten algore. he has devoted himself to becoming a billionaire, selling a media outlet to arab interests(to line his pockets with profits) and scamming everyone with his award-winning (in spite of the documented lies).
i believe that romney over the years has contributed much to society and does not need a forum such as habitat to voice his opinions.
you cannot believe that carter has simply disappeared do you? he has been a big thorn in the side of the democrat party now for decades.
amy -- so how do all and mitt differ in you opinion?
billybob -- I suggest you look into who's paying for some of the charter schools Republicans champion. Foreigners - that way they can buy their citizenship.
dcia -- your point? so this is another program written by republicans for republicans? democrats as you portray them must be quite stupid to let the republicans keep doing this. it is as though democrats in congress and the white house are powerless -- granted, the president does keep telling us why he cannot do his job -- an admission which would likely result in dismissal in the private sector where people want innovative, problem solving leaders.
@ Amy
How about eradicating disease here? You know, like that flu vaccine that was about 35% effective for seniors here in the USA. And how much did George take with him? 1/2 a billion? Isn't that special
Again, show me where the federal government took money from the state of Illinois. Lies with numbers are still lies.
Republican Alabama
Republican Oklahoma
Republican Kansas
Republican Utah
Republican Arizona
Republican Montana
Republican Nebraska
Republican Alaska
Republican Mississippi
Republican Idaho
Republican South Dakota
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/10/16sos.h32.html?tkn=RLRF%2B4mUV1fjxGZAPk7Od%2FfW1p2K2SFHTAx9&cmp=clp-edweek&intc=EW-QC13-EWH
Thanks for playing.
Tom Luna doesn't need any help effin up our education sytem here in Idaho. He's done plenty
Well now, let's see, since george left no child behind, how is education doing? Shows how much the federal government helps, doesn't it? So what's the answer, throw more money at it, right?
Well amy, if you're talking about romney, he was not smart enough to realize that he could not get majorities in his own party in the state nominating elections. Why would you run for office when your own party dislikes you?
Since Republicans messed up education there's no point in trying to fix it?
Another angle Conservatives use in their war on education.
And what's your solution john b, throw more federal money at it? Since that has already proven to be a failure, why not? Sheesh, never learn!
It never occurs to you to take a look at the states that are doing poorly, does it? What do most of them have in common, huh? Could it be large minorities? Could it be that most of these minorities don't speak English? Nah, surely not?
Taking money away certainly isn't a solution...ask any of the Defense Keynesian Republicans who are up in arms about Defense cuts in the sequester.
President Obama said he is committed to working with the GOP leaders..But...
At the leadership level, Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offered no indication Sunday that they had any interest in budging on taxes.
And McConnell said he doubted that calls from Obama to Republican senators would result in any deal that would replace even part of the sequester with higher taxes.
Yesterday on Meet the Press John Boehner admitted he has no idea how to solve the sequester crisis in which he's getting "98% of what we wanted."
http://www.politicususa.com/john-boehner-admits-republican-sequester.html
Boehner is more full of it than ever, as amazing as that sounds. This is actually EASY to resolve...Republicans need to stop pretending that losing the election gives them a mandate for enactment of their full economic portfolio. That's what is happening here, that is where the block comes from. Republicans are demanding full implementation of the LOSER'S platform.
So GET. OFF. IT.
STOP pretending that losing 3 of the last 4 elections makes you a majority. STOP pretending that controlling half of half of Congress and losing the Presidential contest gives you a mandate. STOP pretending that reducing revenue helps balance the budget. STOP leaving in a world that's entirely free of facts. JUST. STOP.
Why can't they stop? That's easy too. They're not interest in doing what's in the best interest of average Americans. They're busy being the party of the Oligarchs, the John Birch Society, and ALEC.
Which brings me back around to Boehner and his party being full of it. How do I know? Well, that's pretty simple too, and it's epitomized in the Conservative messaging on this topic, which pretty well consists of "nothing bad will happen from the sequester, it's a great idea to cut federal spending massively during a weak economy and President Obama will be to blame for the devastating effects that will come from this." Talking out both sides of your mouth barely does such a message justice.
But why undertake such a complex and obviously nonsensical argument? Again, it's simple...they're in this thing up to their necks and have been for years. That's right YEARS, going back at least as far as Paul Ryan in 2004. http://www.politicususa.com/paul-ryan-fought-sequester-2004-bragged-2011-likey-anymore.html
A friend of mine suggested "Never back a mad dog or a crazy man into a corner." That should be the simplest thing to understand about this mess. Conservatives are once again being proven wrong, and once again are struggling blame for their bad ideas. They're biting the middle class HARD to get out of that corner, and and their proposed solution is to bite us again. It's that simple.
Watching the Sunday talk shows, I tried to divine what Republicans hope to accomplish by risking our national security, and endangering the economic recovery, and, as near as I can tell, it is to keep taxes low for private equity managers. That's it in a nutshell. I do believe the House of Representatives is now merely a lobbying firm for Wall Street, working to increase the profits of the 1%, at the expense of the nation as a whole. Pretty shocking, really, but what other conclusion can one draw?
Yes, John B, Des Moines, IA (#3.1)
I commented on this quote of Boehner's yesterday... and I said:
Right there Speaker Boner almost seems proud to admit to his impotence...And if he doesn't know a thing or two about leadership...just get the f*uck out and don't be the Speaker.
The whole thing is only about $800 billion anyway. With congress working into the Trillions of $s. $800 billion is chunk change and they can't figure out that they have to shake the piggy bank? BS!!!
.
Guilty of copying and pasting from comment #1.50
Obama could indeed make a legacy for himself by proposing reforms to entitlements now. It would force Republicans to really look at how long they will refuse more revenue.
Eric, chained CPI is already on the table as a means of controlling cost of living adjustments to entitlement programs, with an offer to discuss further changes in these programs.
The Republican position is that they refuse to compromise...it's all or nothing. Since they've lost 3 of the last 4 elections, losing seats in both the House and Senate, and holding the House while only gaining a minority of votes for House seats their refusal to compromise is siginificantly at odds with both political practice and reality.
John B, terrific post. The GOPTPers, mad dogs or crazy person, backed themselves into this corner and aren't smart enough to find a solution.
Here's a really easy one I mentioned a couple weeks ago discussed by Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes, a one line piece of legislation: The sequester is hereby repealed.
I'll add that Congress and the White House should then establish target deadlines for reaching concensus. Select delegates to a Committee and let them sit down and find a solution. There is a sensible solution but the first priority must be: First Do No Harm.
amy -- i think the lobbying firm that wall street is using continues to be the office of the secretary of the treasury. lew is a classic member of their fat-cat club. you continue to talk about the equity manager (hedge fund guys) but remember last week that the figure used by folks says nearly $20B in new taxes would be collected -- over the next decade!!
if obama had not agreed to all of the new loopholes and pork in the fiscal deal we would have been better off .
Yeah, Lew is a rich guy...a rich guy on board with an administration trying to raise taxes on rich people.
Given that it's hard to work out what point you might being to make in your comment.
Meanwhile here's Eric Cantor claiming credit for the sequester;
Eric Cantor has confirmed that he and Paul Ryan talked John Boehner out of accepting a “Grand Bargain” with Obama in 2011. It was this rejection that led to the sequester.
In an interview with Ryan Lizza, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) confirmed that he and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) talked Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) out of accepting a “Grand Bargain” with President Obama.
Transcript from The New Yorker,
http://www.politicususa.com/eric-cantor-admits-paul-ryan-driving-force-sequester.html
Hey look, the fingerprints of "fiscal policy expert" Paul Ryan are all over this thing as well. Yeah, if only we could have a Romney Administration dealing with the budget...talk about foxes guarding the hen house.
Pretty interesting that there appears to be a future housing bubble closing in on us. AGAIN? Whatever we did to make sure this would not happen again, sure appears not to be working. With these cuts and this bubble possible looming over us, sooner than later, let me say, FORWARD
"O say can you see by the dawn's early light?"
I'm sure that as dawn's early light broke this Monday morning, the same tired questions as always were already being warmed up. Who's really to blame for the sequester? Who's right and who's wrong? Who's winning and who's losing? To all of which I can only respond.....who really cares? The only question on my mind this morning is the one above.
A year ago this past weekend I was experiencing a solitary communion with the ghosts of the gallant heroes on both sides as I wandered the fields of Gettysburg and tried in vain to fathom the unfathomable. Still, two days there did more for my soul than 1000 days of the endless battles that rage here every day, so this year I decided to spend the same weekend on another solo exploration of a different thread of our history, first staying overnight in Havre de Grace, MD - did you know that only the vote of the Speaker of the House once broke the tie between it and Washington as being the choice for our permanent capital? - and the next day heading down to a place I'd driven past a hundred times over the years and somehow never stopped at - Fort McHenry. As I watched the short film at the visitor center, I was immediately caught up in the story of "the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air". For many of us, almost 200 years later, those are too often just words that we fidget through as they're badly sung before a baseball or hockey game. But for the citizens of Baltimore who huddled on their rooftops in dread and the pouring rain watching them all through that night, they were a stark and terrifying reality. For their fellow citizens across the still young and fragile nation who wouldn't know the outcome for days, it must have been an agonizing wait. And for Francis Scott Key, spending that night on the deck of an enemy ship in the harbor and searching incessantly for that first glimpse through the smoke and the fog "that proved through the night" that our flag was indeed still there - it had to be an incredibly heartfelt burst of pride and patriotism and sheer joy to inspire him to write the words he immediately did - one that we today can hardly imagine.
Or......we could actually experience it ourselves. As the film came to its surprise ending (I won't give it away for those who have never been there, but obviously it includes the anthem being sung) I found myself on my feet, hand on my heart and tears streaming down my face as I tried to sing along, even as my lips literally quivered uncontrollably with raw emotion, something even a world-class crybaby like me had never experienced in all my 61 years. In fact, I'd always thought that was something just dreamed up by overwrought novelists and film directors. For a few wondrous moments, there were no Republicans or Democrats, no conservatives or liberals, there was just America, in all her glory, and a flag that waves for ALL of us. It left me shaken for the rest of the day - but in a really good way.
The park ranger who spoke afterwards mentioned the well-known "flight or fight" response, which I've heard described as "our body's primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to "fight" or "flee" from perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival." I freely admit that I normally tend to be the the type that flees - just as I've fled recently from some personal demons and from the battle that wages here on a daily basis. All war is ugly (the term "civil war" is, in my book, the ultimate oxymoron) but the war here seems to be increasingly, deliberately, and with malice aforethought getting uglier by the day. And it's all over "issues"
that are not even remotely threats to our survival. The only bombs bursting here are f-bombs and crude, vulgar references to our President, to our Congress, to our respective parties, and to our fellow posters. And the only thing illuminated by the red glare of the verbal rockets we launch at each other is how little respect so many of us on both sides seem to have for the freedoms and rights we so take for granted. Oh, what so proudly we hail today.....
I don't really know if I'm ready yet to continue this particular fight. If I'm being honest, my gut instinct is still to flee. But after being there on Saturday and having the incredible experience I did, I'm not about to cede this little battleground to the land of the cheap insult and the home of the keyboard cowards, at least not without one last stand.
No.This is STILL the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. It's not your star-spangled banner, it's not mine - it's OURS. None of us will ever write as well as Francis Scott Key. Or Katherine Lee Bates, or Julia Ward Howe, for that matter.
But don't we owe it to them to at least try? Next time you hear the anthem sung, try to really think about what it means. And try to think of it again before the next time you post. If what that flag represents means anything at all to you, you'll be glad you did.
And that right there is why you will always be my Pennsyvania Ace. Welcome home Ace
Welcome back and a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!
{{{hugs & balloons}}}
JoAnne, I remember oh so well you writing about your trip to Gettysburg and whenever I see your name here, my first thought always is - I just have to make plans to visit Gettysburg.
I think it's one of the most important things here on First Read - how we inspire each other whether it be trips, books, experiences ... and sometimes we don't realize the effect we have on others.
I don't really know if I'm ready yet to continue this particular fight. If I'm being honest, my gut instinct is still to flee.
It's so important that you continue bringing and sharing information here. It is so important that we keep going right on through the next election.
I do think putting others on "ignore" is a good way to keep us on message instead of getting caught up in the back & forth slug fests. Those aren't important unless you're trying to fight for what you believe is the truth. Which is something you do so well.
Hi JoAnne,
Wonderful! Thanks
Now, you've got tears streaming down MY face, I'm a cry baby too. Very inspiring, JoAnne, welcome back to First Read.
I would expand on Pat's suggestion that those you don't have/put on ignore, you just scroll past comments that start off the Obummber, fascist, libtard, marxist, Oblamo and so on...
These people are NOT capable of having a reasonable conversation! ☺
A very happy birthday to you JoAnne, the person who best reminds us that we are all in this together, with a sense of grace and a great sense of humor that never fails to leave me laughing.
JoAnne -- Happy Birthday! Awesome post and welcome back. Keep on keeping on.
"Let the praise, then - if any be due - be given not to me, who only did what I could not help doing - but to the inspirers of the song!"
- Francis Scott Key (1779 - 1843)
Thanks for the birthday wishes. It was good to get away, though I wish I could have stayed away. From reading some of the stuff above and below here, looks like I might just as well have done so. Preaching to you guys in the choir is easy......trying to reach anyone else hardly seems worth the effort any more......
JoAnne, beautiful post. Welcome back and happy birthday! By the way, you don't always have to fight; reminders such as this post provide everyone on FR time to reflect. That is just as important.
Beautiful JoAnne, simply beautiful.
And Happy Birthday.
JoAnne, none of us will ever reach the posters you refer to, it's the silent readers who never or rarely post who hear us.
Kudos JoAnne Very heartfelt.
I got a email from some nut who used the Newsvine to get my address. He stated, "80 year-old veteran, really?" which I had stated in one of my comments on a thread. I took umbrage because he went on to state all sorts of fantastic accomplishments under his belt, including time travel with Flash Gordon. Well I replied to his email with the facts but have not heard from him yet. Maybe it was my suggestion that he add to his accomplishments by doing an imitation of the Man from Nantucket. I hope he tried it a broke his neck.
Louie Bee, I never respond to the emails I receive via NV from various assorted nuts because doing so provides them with your personal email address unless you take the same NV route.
JoAnne, welcome, welcome back and thank you for this beautiful piece written from the heart.
I would venture to guess you speak for many, you write as I wish to write, and what keeps me coming back almost everyday is, I don't put my two cents in for myself, but for those who come after me. As you know I am a naturalized citizen, I came here willingly and stayed willingly and legally, because I saw so much in the people I met and the places I visited, the endless possibilities to be whatever your drive makes you. The beauty of the land, the vastness of its geography and yes its history. The sacrifices made by so many in those early times by those whose vision was remarkable. Yes, there have been sad and violent periods, but we overcame some of them, and the others we must continue the work to make a more perfect union. I appreciate all that has been made available to me, I only wish those who consider themselves 'real' Americans, would take the time to really understand what we have here in this great country, where there is room for all. Working together under that beautiful flag, we should embrace and respect our differences, which are really our strengths that help to make the country stronger and then pass on these accomplishments to the coming generations.
Glad you had a good time and your spirit is replenished.
Jody.. Thanks for the info. How do I go about doing the same?
I'd never put some on ignore, I rather enjoy reading some of their posts. I often wonder from which end do these comments resonate from? From some, I already know.
JoAnne......Happy Birthday, enjoy your special day and all good wishes for the coming year.
Louie Bee, you're welcome. In the new NV format, I'm not too sure but I think if you go into your personal account, there's a spot for contacting other NV members. I haven't used NV much since its big switch. If all else fails, use the HELP block on NV. I think it's still there.
Feisty, I have a couple people on ignore for the simple reason that reading their nonsense puts my FR posting better angels in jeopardy. Mostly though, as you say, I just skip right by the ones which start out disrespectfully or the ones I know as trolls.
Thanks Jody, I'll give it a try.
feisty said -- "I would expand on Pat's suggestion that those you don't have/put on ignore, you just scroll past comments that start off the Obummber, fascist, libtard, marxist, Oblamo and so on..."
and so on could include otis, eddie, turtle, pukes, republiCONS, idiots, morons, boner, GOPTP, baggers, rwnj, and so on...
if either side could engage in a frequent honest, civil and respectful discourse where in the end an agreement to disagree was acceptable then many of these names and accusations would just disappear.
Just had such a conversation with someone on the right. Very involved, and I enjoyed it very much. Wish there was more of that on FR. Neither one of us changed our minds, but I think we both came away with a better understanding.
added below -- "lying buffoon" -- to the list of childish and insulting names begun above
Old Country Saying:
Never back a Mad Dog or a Crazy Feller into a corner. It’s a sure bet that either one is going to bite somebody getting out”.
So a Bunch of you’ll Crazy Yahoo’s can’t figure a way out of the corner you’ve got yourselves into and either in your Ignorance or Willfulness just can’t help biting We the People in an attempt to escape you’re self-imposed Madness.
Let me give you a place to start;
Show up and do your Job.
Maybe we ought to put this lady in charge of the care and feeding of Congress Critters.
Yahoo's Mayer Bans Telecommuting
http://www.datamation.com/news/yahoos-mayer-bans-telecommuting.html
‘Course I’ve been married to the RH-ex-St for so many moons now that I’m used to somebody keeping me at it till I get it right
That'd be a great place to start, wouldn't it IR? Instead we have a widely recognized, major problem developing and the House can't even be troubled to show up for work today.
All part of the ongoing war by Conservatives against the government of We the People.
Simply stated and deserves applause, IR.
My view of these yahoo republican legislators is that We the People really don't give a rat's backside whether they get primaried or win the next election. They are elected to serve the people of their district and their state but serving also includes doing what is BEST and RIGHT for all the country. If compromising is what it takes, then just do it and inform the constituents why it was necessary. This next election mentality is hurting the country. Except for the radical right or far left, most citizens understand that sometimes personal ideology must be set aside for Country First. The Sequester isn't about Boehner or Cantor or Pelosi or Hoyer's home districts--it has impact on ALL the country.
It'd be killing me and many others if Romney had won. "It kills me not to be there, not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done.” Which was what? You weren't very specific during the campaign and you're still not saying much.
As I review the $31,000 in January medical bills for my daughter's chronic illness and contemplate how they wouldn't be covered after her 22nd birthday and how Romney ran away from the health care acts that he'd signed in Massachussetts, all I can say is, don't let the door hit ya in your pompous, entitled @$$ on the way out!
It was amazing that Willard Romney the talking lying buffoon, was the Republican choice for President.
You people really sit your bar low. Thank God he is done!!!
Auntie..
On day one Romney was going to accomplish so many objectives it would have had to been a 9,000+ hour day.
So how are those 7500 hour days working now? LOL
"But here’s the simple reason why reaching a Grand Bargain has been so hard to obtain: Republicans have been unable to say “yes” to Obama"
Really? It is always the Republicans fault to state run media First Read, Obama's cheerleaders.
First Read always say "yes" to spewing David Axelrod-provided leftist talking points.
And yet, HERE YOU ARE!! I know a lot of Republicans have trouble with polls (because, they can't believe anything that contradicts their opinions), but go look it up and see who the public (you remember them - the politicians' bosses) are backing.
Oh yes, because some Rush Nut told you so.
Auntie,
GOP Comeback is a re-reg of Bob in Virginia who had promised to stay off FR for 6 months if President Obama won re-election.
As you can see, he hedged on his own bet!
H'mm. Clues for $200, Alex!
It's going to cost a hell of a lot more than $200 to buy our dear friend "vaginal probe" Bob a clue!
Remember the weeks on end when he swore to us, Bob McDonnell was going to be Willard's VP? lmao
So Bob in Virginia didn't honor his bet. That is a shame he could not wait until May 6.
The good new is ..."Ignore this author" still works!
Without a boogie man in the picture our President may finally......FINALLY have to do some work; perish the thought.
My gut tells me he will be heading to Vegas for something or other very soon.
and how bout that...planes r flying, nobody died of e-coli over the weekend....the world didn't end
too damn funny
Oh yes, because some Rush Nut told you so.
Libs cant get off the lets divert and look for someone to blame. The blame is the reflection you see in the mirror. The idea of Obama has failed and was clear to anyone that would actually look straight at it without rose tinted glasses on.
Now in his second term, his only hope to ram rod something is to blame. His Econ Chairman said it best yesterday on Meet The Press. So if Libs are looking for someone to blame, all they need to understand is Obama wanted this and is gambling that people will have short memories if something actually hurts Mr and Mrs Middle America and he hopes they will then just lash out and worry ONLY about the second vs what comes after the hour. The same mentaility holds true for those that live from credit card to credit card and make min. payments as they continue to charge till they max out
I thought the right's talking points were that it wasn't a big deal. That all the doom and gloom over 84 billion was blown out of proportion. Which is it?!?!
Oh yes, because some Rush Nut told you so.
Pragmatic-3918582
There is no doom and gloom. How can anyone except DC believe that NOT being able to spend as much as they wanted, yet still spend more then the year prior will cause harm? What do you do when you have less to spend then you hoped for? I would hope you would have re-thought WANTS vs NEEDS vs WISH LIST and rebudget accordinly.
DC never had to do that because they pushed the actual cost down the road to garner short time votes. Each side in this got EXACTLY a little bit of what they always wanted.
Job1
ODD, I thought President Panic was the elected leader and Rush a entertainer. You can always tune Rush off the radio, but Obama cant be tuned out as much as half the country would love too. When he won re-election, I gave him a clean slate and hoped I was wrong an he would change and start to turn things around. But he the man, may have a personality that is likeable to the other half of the country, but just because he is ELECTED, that didnt give him or any other politician magical pixie dust to know how to lead for the masses and a very complex thought process needed to overcome years of reluctance from both sides to actually adress the problem. Obama is over his head then and even now after 4 years.
But they can't do that with the sequester. It is more like getting a pay cut, then somebody comes in and mandates I spend less on my mortgage, on my food, on my candy, on my car, on my stamp collection, on my medications, on my 2 iPads a month habit, on my heat, on my champagne of the week club, etc. In a real situation, I'd drop the superfluous junk. But government doesn't work like a household budget (or a business for that matter). Congress dictated across the board cuts, partly so that the government agencies don't do what they usually do when their budgets get cut: Make the pain felt most on the public facing services while preserving the bloated hierarchies that are the problem.
No you didn't. You people just fall in line with the Rush Nuts, and believe anything these DA tell you.
Pragmatic-3918582
Respectfully, the ONLY "cuts," are not real cuts, but "cuts," to requested " increases of money they wanted and NONE of those requests where actually in a Budget provided by the Prez, only section heads in goverment. In goverment, if you have 10 bucks in your budget an you spend only $9 bucks, then you will only get 9 next year. You saved a buck because you where efficentand not wastefull. But if you have 10 budgeted to you and you spend more, then some moron will give you and increase the following year because you have "shown," you cant get by on 10. Dosnt matter if you went over because you are wastefull or cant run a budget......
The budget they had planned included the increases they sought. So now they have decrease what is NOT essential or on the Wish List and allocate the resources to the Needs. If there is surplus, then budget that to the Wants..Or better yet give it back, but they wont and cant because that is not the way its set up.
Lastly, let me get this straight, Libs cried out about TWO unfunded wars, yet now that is gone, no LIB cries out about a unfunded budget for not actual cost to provide services but increases in the WISH list to provide. Both are the same, UNFUNDED........
Job1
Really???? funny I posted that I would give him a clean slate an hoped I would rather be wrong about the guy and him prove me wrong soon after the election Obama won re-election. Be a detective and you will find it on my posting history....
Rush; who I dont listen to has nothing to do with Obama's failed and lack of leadership just as the Rev Al and the political commentators on MSNBC have ANYthing to do with the failures or accomplishments of those in office. Both sides "job," is to cheer lead for there side and thats what each side does. Those that only agree with the Lib point of view are NO different from the name calling they claim the other side is...... Those like me, as I like to call TRUE Indepemndents will vote for who ever is best for that job and not because of party belief. Its party belief that allows both sides to only play to the base and not for our country as a whole.
You proved my point that government isn't run like a household budget and that any reduction in budget (whether it is to be requested or whatever) affects public facing services first.
You can see my feelings about this in comment #17.4
Just for the record the Conservative talking point is that the sequester isn't a big deal AND the catastrophic results will be the fault of President Obama.
Pragmatic-3918582
The Prez didnt request them because HE HAS NOT made a BUDGET period. I would hazard a guess he has not so he cant take any blame. If he was more interested in results then politics, then he would have done so.
Public Services needed cant continue at higher rate and will continue to decline because they over spend because they dont BUDGET. How in the world can one expect to have funds for one project when you spend more than you should on another.
No my friend, blame game on who is the lesser of two evils only stirs up the far left loons an the crazy right fringes,,,They both suck and people need to vote who is best and not who has a D or R next to the name for political party.
Kamo, the crack economist. Tell us oh wise one, did you really graduate beyond Bookkeeping 101? Two-hundred economists say sequester is a bad idea - yet here you are out on your own little limb promoting austerity, the very type of government cuts that have driven Europe into a recession. Enjoy your GOP/TP induced recession.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/economists-rare-consensus-sequester-really-bad-idea-1C8655843
You can't prove that. And you will be wrong when the budget is delivered. All you can say is that the deadline was blown, as it has been a few times.
Then he opens himself up to legal action by congress. A smarter guess is that it just hasn't been delivered.
Often times the bidding process on external contracts goes to the lowest bidder. And sometimes that means you get what you pay for.
I haven't been playing the game here. I'm pointing out the inconsistencies and calling people to task.
RedDevPS
Sorry guys the tide shifted and went out a little surf. Now back to this stuff:
You need a degree in book keeping to know if you spend more then you take in and half of what you spend is borrowed uh? Economist are a funny bunch. Kinda like Defense Experts or Experts for the prosecution. The answer you will get depends on which side of the line they are on.
The main difference between a conservative and a Lib when it comes to money an forecasting is very simple. A conservative with a dollar will put aside money for a rainy day. A Lib will spend 90 cents of that dollar, get 10 cents back in change, then look around on what else they can buy and borrow a few cents more above what they can afford or had left to spend.
Their is no diferrence between a Repub or Dem politician, but their is a huge difference between a conservative an a Lib politician.
Pragmatic-3918582
Proof can be measured in a persons actions or in-actions and can be direct or indirect.
Legal action? What? The failure to deliver a budget itself is against the law. Waste of time of "legal action," when we have bigger problems then his failure to "Not deliver," as you put it.
Bids go to the lowest bidder and some minority owned or disenfranchised Vet status get first crack or solely can bid on certain projects. I have no problem with that. But in that same vain, the dirty little secret is that minority owned can then sub-contract it to anyone if that cant provide the actual service they bid on and thus are only the middle man for the project.
Axelrod is a punk
And what are you?
Screw a truce emperor Obama has been shown for what he truly is an unqualified muck raking Chicagoland political hustler who took advantage of a situation.
Get off the stump park the jet and get to work.
You Leftist simpletons have been duped and are taking the rest of the country down the tubes with your ignorance.
Because a right wing DA told you so!
They said the sequester wouldn't happen either. And it did. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, nothing will get done as usual.
I still don't understand why the Republicans didn't compromise on closing tax loopholes, to avoid the cuts to Defense, then run on the promise to cut taxes in 2014/2016. Three quarters of the American people wanted to see a compromise. Republicans would have looked like heroes, AND had a winning issue to run on in elections down the road. They couldn't tolerate two years of higher revenues? I wonder if it isn't the Koch Brothers who aren't dictating what the Republicans do these days, not the American voters as a whole. It scares me, frankly, that Republicans are so unconcerned about their plummeting approval rates. It's as if they only care what the 1% wants.
The ideological goal is to shrink the size and scope of government. Any revenue gives government room to breathe. Coupled with a lot of new ideologues that have been elected and there's your problem. These green ideologues will adapt or be replaced. It's obvious that America isn't going to adapt to them.
This is the perception issue they face. What they think is that the last election wasn't a problem of core values, it was a problem of message. And given the egregious and wrong-headed comments expressed by some of their candidates in 2012, they might be right. Though there is a strong part of the party that believes it wasn't the values or the message that was wrong, it was the voters. And blaming the voters is never a good strategy to win elections.
amy -- and likewise if obama and the senate democrats wanted to solve problems they could have done something in the intervening 18 months.
this is not a single party issue -- it is an economic issue. at some point those buying our debt can either no longer print money to cover it or china says pay up.
Americans lose more every day. we need leaders to lead but unfortunately we are stuck with those we have for anywhere from 2 - 5 years.
Hey Doofus, yes that's YOU Obama, you proposed it , you signed it and now it's kicking you in your incompetent butt....
BTW, the Government is buried in fat, waist and fraud... Just pick up any book on this subject and you will be pissed, unless you're a dumbasssss liberal. (Martin Gross years ago had a great book on this)
Nobody held a gun to your representatives' heads and made them pass the legislation he signed. Did you re-elect them in 2012? Will you do it again in 2014?
Oh yes, because some Rush Nut told you so.
Sequester Vote
House Vote: 269-161 with 174 of 240 (73%) Republicans voting for sequester. 50% (95) of the Democrats voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011 which included the sequester plan if the “super committee” couldn’t reach a $1.5 Trillion deficit reduction plan by 11/23/2011.
Senate Vote: 74-26 with 28 of 47 Republicans voting for the Budget Control Act of 2011.
(Aug 01, 2011) President Obama signed the bill (Budget Control Act of 2011) shortly after it was passed by the Senate. In doing so, the president said, "Is this the deal I would have preferred? No. But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year." This is what the President said after signing the Budget Control Act which included the “sequester” agreement.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60344.html
Hi Dennis,
You would think that the Republicans would put the Nation first and stop worrying about the Tea Bag Terrorists.
Make up your mind. President Obama proposed the sequester cuts, which threaten our economy and defense, and thus demonstrate his incompetence, or the sequester cuts are a good thing because they shrink the government, and President looks incompetent because he doesn't want them. You really can't have it both ways, at least, in the eyes of rational people.
Where do you get Rush Nuts? I like Brazil nuts myself.
End the Fed
Now, that is a smart idea!!! Right!
alan, and replace it with what....static?
Does anyone remember last week Janet Napamatono going on about how the US would be more vulnerable to terrorists if the sequestor happened. One congresswomen even said 100 million jobs could be lost, and that all the advances made for children's and women's rights were in jeopardy. Mayor Bloomberg said it could be disasterous for the economy. Anybody remember that?
@ Allen #15
Actually that member of Congress was none other than Maxine Waters.
Her comment was actually that "170 million workers will lose their jobs", indicating simultaneously a total lack of any conception of the population of this country, the size of the economy, and basic knowledge of numbers in general. When Maxine speaks, people change the channel, for good reason.
She is the best selection her voters could make for someone to send to Washington to represent them.
Oh the horror of it all...the cuts are taking place and the only ones who care are the ones dependent on the guvment for something...can we stop bitching about the defense cuts...I could take 25% out of that budget without breaking a sweat...
Any single person could with ear plugs to drown out the whining. But it doesn't work that way in a democracy. You and I didn't vote for 99.5% of the people who got us into this mess, even if every single one of our candidates has held office throughout our adulthood. This is why Congress as a body has a pathetic approval rating, but a very high re-election rate.
So... Who is really to blame for the situation we as a nation find ourselves in? The answer is very simple.
Look in the mirror. The reflection you see is the one responsible. And that is all of us collectively.
WE allowed the people we elect to use our resources and more to titillate (a polite way to say bribe) "constituents" into re-electing them. WE allowed the people we elect to continually expand "government" in the altruistic belief that it is in the "common good". WE allowed the people we elect to lie to us and never hold them accountable.
WE THE PEOPLE.... have become WE THE FOOLS.
So who is really responsible? Every one of us is responsible. No matter how much one tries to blame another party or person, we have done this to ourselves. Now we only need to decide if we really want to fix the problem, or continue on a path of destruction. We need to recognize that we can't spend our way out of debt. We only accumulate more debt that our heirs will be responsible for.
Handouts and welfare are always the best way to buy votes.
...so are fear, hate and paranoia.
So, we can expect you to send back your social security checks?
It is far more simple than that. You just throw in a lot of hyperbole. The other guys are going to do terrible things. We can't let them do that. Then you do whatever you want, because you'll be excused.
If you're a conservative, it was okay when Bush was doing drone strikes. He was defending the nation from terrorists. But now Obama is doing it, and doing it more, now it isn't okay. If you're a liberal, Bush was a war criminal for his drone strikes. But Obama is doing it now, it's okay. We're safer now.
If you're a conservative, it's okay that government spending increased 200% from 2001 to 2005, because it was conservatives that did it. It's okay that government added a new department, the single largest expansion of government since WWII. But government spending and the size of government only matters when it is the other guys are in power.
If you're a liberal, Clinton was right, Iraq was out to get WMD. Except when Bush was in office and that was all a pack of lies. If you're a conservative, Clinton was a lying fool, and he was trying to wag the dog and distract attention away from his impeachment. 3 years later it was essential to our national survival to get Saddam before he got us!
You can play the game of blaming welfare and handouts, a favorite of the conservatives. Or you can open your eyes and see that everybody's doing it and you're just excusing your guys instead of holding them accountable.
Because some DA told you so!
@Pragmatic-3918582
Damn.... you sound as cynical as me!!!
However, I WAS against Bush going into Iraq. Saddam was boxed in with no where to go. Kurds to the north, Iran to the east and we controlled the south through the no fly zone.
Drones are fine with me... as long as they keep them OUT of the skies over the United States.
And I've been personally waging a crusade with our "elected" thieves about spending money my grandchildren (and that was even before I had any kids of my own) would have to pay off.
Until there are truly viable alternatives to Republicans and Democrats, we are, well, screwed.
I'm for limited handouts, no bailouts, no undeclared wars, I don't care if the president is republican or democrat.
I'm with you. My reps tend to vote the way I want them to. I just don't elect the other 99.5% of congress and the stupidity they bring with them.
I was also against going into Iraq, because the spin was trying to tie Saddam with terrorists and I wasn't buying it.
alan,
Hey you're alright!
Actually, there was no foundation for that at all. AlQuaida was an enemy to the Hussien regime. They wanted to overthrow them as a means to establish what they lost in Afghanistan with the Taliban. But everyone in "congress" jumped on the band wagon, and then allowed Rumsfield to try to go to war on the cheap.
They screwed up seriously when they disbanded the Iraq military, and tried to establish a "democracy" in a country that does not understand the tenets of democracy. It was never done like that before in any conflict. The "military" had always been disarmed of heavy weapons, but were often used as a local force to maintain civil order.
"A Grand Bargain has been harder to find than the Loch Ness Monster" . . . and they know this because they've found the Loch Ness Monster?
Dennis Rodman...ambassador to North Korea?
My biggest question...since he seems to love Kim Jong Un so much, couldn't they have found some way to...you know...keep him?
My thought exactly.
However, I realized they know they have enough embarrassments of their own without importing some from us.
Let's tell North Korea that we sent The Worm over to spy. Problem solved.
No Truce! Government spending must be cut until a balanced budget is reached and the debt people in government created payed off.
NO!!! No more spending cuts until the loop holes are closed.
You got you tax increase. Its now time to cut government spending.
Job1 - please note - THERE HAVE BEEN NO CUTS. This is a reduction in growth.
"I want to use a scalpel where my opponent will us a hatchet" Candidate Obama in a 2008 debate. Okay Mr President where is that scalpel - you said you are firing 14,000 teachers and how many TSA people? Is that what you meant when you said using a scalpel? WHERE ARE THE CUTS?
"I want a balanced approach" - President Obama has said this over and over and over. EVERYONE's taxes went up this year as the Bush era taxes and SS rates expired - Taxes increased so where is the balance?
Go here to see just how much the US Gov't is hiring and see how much they pay - ask yourself, ARE THESE NECESSARY???
I wonder what an HIV Associate Administrator does at the Dept of Health... Why do they need to make $179,000.00 per year?
CAN ANYBODY TELL ME WHAT THEY DO? Does this mean President Obama will NOT use a scalpel?
There are thousands of jobs at the gov't - check them out - get a job here and be set for life!
https://www.usajobs.gov/JobSearch/Search/GetResults?Keyword=&Location=Washington+DC%2C+District+of+Columbia&search.x=36&search.y=12&AutoCompleteSelected=true
No we did not. That was a tax break that expired. We as a Nation need the Loop Holes closed. No more spending cuts until this action is complete.
Spending under President Obama has been the lowest since IKE. So, No more cuts until we raise revenue.
Actually 94% of the national debt belongs to just 3 people, Reagan, Bush and Bush-Cheney
Obama has been pretty stingy about creating new debt. Now is not the time to cut spending.
http://reaganbushdebt.org/CalculationDetails.aspx
job-we'll excuse your listing 4 people.
do you want all loopholes closed? no exceptions? i believe that would be best.
i also believe everyone should pay federal income tax in some form or fashion -- maybe in trade for labor.
@ Job1
Too bad you left Carter & Clinton off your rant
Let's. Do a grand bargin,and put this,issue to rest,already.
Mitt lie Robme,,always nice to hear his wife and mitt cry,,,
You bring up an interesting point. Most presidential candidates that are defeated quietly slink away. Mitt isn't used to defeat and isn't handling it in a very professional way.
If this is how Ann handles losing an election, I can't imagine how she would have handled the stress of actually performing the job. Barack and Michelle fill their roles with grace, they always voice their gratitude for their position, never whining about how hard they have it. I admire them both.
Unfortunately the guy who won the election isn't handling it in a professional way either. Divide, Conquer, tax and spend.
Darn right, it's called fighting back for our Nation.
amy -- i believe you are sincere regarding your comments about obamas but do not understand why you continue to hate the romneys.
i am equally sincere when i say that all i hear from the president is whining -- it is the republican's fault, i am president but they won't cooperate so i will just spend a couple million taxpayer dollars and go play golf with tiger while michelle spends a bit less to go the the oscars.
no, i do not think they are handling things gracefully at all.
Simple answer billybob, the Romney's continue to give the public reasons to despise them. If they posessed the ability to shut their whining pie-holes and actually DO something of value (no whining to the press is not anything of value) they might not be viewed as the jackasses they are.
@ Amy
You better report them to DOJ so they can check on the Romney's to see if they own any guns
shellie -- pretty disturbing your hate for the romneys. you may want to get some help. nothing they have done affects your life in the least i suspect -- are you that jealous of there strong financial and family situations?
He is after something,I don't trust this 1percenter
Do you mean Obama as well, because he is in the same league as the 1%er "Romney", hypocrite.
little miss piggy, it's a whopping 1cent cut for every dollar spent for the rest of this fiscal year. You mean to tell me you CANNOT figure out how to cut 1 cent. We have a supposed budget for this year of 3.55 trillion & a GDP on 16 trillion & YOU CANNOT cut a lousy 1 cent.
That's what it is folks: CUT 1 cent for every dollar spent. Oh by the way we already borrow over 40cents on that dollar now!
For those that really care about America and it’s future for them and their children….
Lesson # 1:
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
* Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
* New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
* National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
* Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000
Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
* Annual family income: $21,700
* Money the family spent: $38,200
* New debt on the credit card: $16,500
* Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
* Total budget cuts so far: $38.50
Got It ?????
OK now Lesson # 2: Here's another way to look at the Debt Ceiling:
Let's say, You come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood....and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.
What do you think you should do ......
Raise the ceilings, or pump out the crap?
Unfortunately the ignorant have chosen to keep the radical empty suit president and a congress that's filled with liberals so the crap is still there...
Lesson #1 should be: The microeconomy doesn't work like the macroeconomy.
@ jblast,
Let's stop fantasizing and look at the actual Federal deficit (debt still owed by US Gov't after spending) .
These are Federal deficit numbers from the official US National debt web site.
FY 2000 (july 1999-july 2000) Federal deficit........$170 billion surplus.
After Clinton issues line item veto of Newt's HR 2014 (Balanced Budget Act) provisions 15-34 unfunded Coporate tax cuts on 8-11-97.
Bush implements unfunded Coporate tax cuts and two unfunded wars.
FY 2009 (July 2008-July 2009) Federal deficit.......$1.4 trillion.
Bush left the WH in Jan. 2009
FY 2013 (july 2012-july 2013) Federal deficit (before $85 billion sequester cuts)........$901 billion.
Spending or actual US Gov't debt has decreased under Obama by $499 billion prior to sequestration.
Care to answer a response that?
Obama gives lip service to the "balanced approach" so Obama, where are YOU'RE cuts??? Huh??? Hey Democrats, where is YOU'RE budget??? (none in over 3 years....Arrogance and Irresponsibility )...
Obama is the incompetent liar in chief..... we should have been out this mess 2 years ago...
I hear you give good lip service,,,
YOU'RE cuts???????? Poor spelling = no credibility.
@ jblast,
Obama did implement entitlement cuts of $716 billion from Medicare Advantage by eliminating fraud/waste. Just because the cuts were not a cut in benefits to beneficiaries (seniors). Those savings are still a cut in Medicare expenditures.....period. Republicans have trouble wrapping their heads around the idea of a cut in fraud and waste. They prefer to look the other way and let Coporations pocket the waste. This is why Republican Paul Ryan listed a $716 billion savings in his rejected budget from Obama's elimination of fraud and waste within the expenditure. Have any other bright ideas to misconstrue by virtue of your stupidity within the world of politics?