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Subscribe to RSSTenth anniversary of the Iraq war is a reminder how consequential of a political event it was… RNC releases its “autopsy” on the 2012 election… But what if the policies -- and not the messaging -- are contributing to the GOP’s brand problems?... Cook: GOP redistricting might have been short-term winner, but long-term loser… Obama to pick Tom Perez for Labor secretary… Recapping CPAC… And Mark Sanford’s first (and easier) test.
*** A consequential anniversary: It's another busy week in American politics. At an event this morning beginning at 8:00 am ET, the Republican National Committee is releasing its “autopsy” on the 2012 elections and its recommendations going forward. Tomorrow, President Obama departs for his four-day trip to Israel and the Middle East, and South Carolina holds its primaries (featuring Mark Sanford and Elizabeth Colbert Busch) to fill the state’s vacant congressional seat. But in our eyes, the biggest story this week is Tuesday’s 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war. Why? Because when you look back on it, the Iraq war is the most consequential political event of the past 10 years -- and probably beyond. The war (and especially its growing unpopularity) is one of the chief reasons why Barack Obama is in the White House; it explains how Democrats took control of Congress in 2006 and how they expanded their gains two years later; and it was the issue that damaged George W. Bush’s second term and post-presidential legacy (at least so far). And the damage the war did to the Republican brand is something from which the GOP still hasn’t fully recovered. Indeed, a Jan. 2013 NBC/WSJ poll found that 59% of Americans don’t believe the Iraq war was worth it -- a percentage that has continued to grow since 2003. And a new Gallup poll finds 53% of Americans saying it was a mistake.
Maya Alleruzzo / AP
In this July 9, 2008 file photo, U.S. Army soldiers from Charlie Battery, Fires Squadron, Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment prepare to search a classroom as they occupy a school during Operation Fires Festung in Qubah, north of Baghdad in Iraq's volatile Diyala province.
*** And a big political story: Of course, Iraq is much more than a political story. It’s a story about lives lost and money spent, about the change in the balance of power in the Middle East (there is no doubt that Iran is stronger post-Saddam Hussein than it was before), about whether the Bush administration was honest with the American people why the country went to war, and about how the U.S. is now much more hesitant to intervene abroad (see Libya and Syria). But its effect on American politics can’t be understated, even 10 years later. Without Iraq, there would be no President Obama. He rode Iraq to the nomination, making it the most important distinction he had with Hillary Clinton. Shoot, John Kerry isn’t the nominee in 2004 were it not for Iraq and the Democrats’ urgency at the time to find someone with war credentials as their standard-bearer. Iraq changed a lot in American politics. And that’s why the anniversary is important.
While speaking Monday at a National Press Club breakfast, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus reflects on what may have gone wrong for the GOP during the 2012 presidential campaign.
*** RNC releases its “autopsy” on the 2012 election: The discussion of Iraq is instructive as the RNC releases its recommendations after the party’s electoral losses in 2012. The reason: The policies a party pursues still matter -- a lot. The RNC’s “Growth and Opportunity Project” proposes plenty of intriguing reforms such as spending $10 million hiring paid staff to do better outreach to minority communities; cutting down on the number of presidential debates; recommending to hold its convention before August (so the nominee can tap into general-election funds earlier); and hiring a chief digital and technology officer to close the GOP’s technology gap. What’s more, the report recommends that GOP candidates do a better job of communicating. "To be clear, our principles are sound," RNC Chair Reince Priebus is expected to say in his remarks. "But the report notes the way we communicate our principles isn't resonating widely enough. Focus groups described our party as 'narrow minded,' 'out of touch,' and 'stuffy old men.' The perception that we're the party of the rich continues to grow."
*** But what if it’s the policies -- and not the messaging? Yet here’s the question to chew on: What if the policies are also contributing to the GOP’s brand problems? The party wants to spend millions on minority outreach. But you could also argue that the GOP’s past opposition to Obamacare and immigration reform, as well as its pursuit of voting laws that impact minority communities, has been just as significant to its performance with these voters. The party wants to limit the number of debates. But was the number the problem in 2012, or was it more the substance and policies being discussed (for example, all the candidates rejecting a 10-to-1 deal on cuts to revenues)? And the party wants to change the perception that it’s the party of the rich. But just this week, the GOP-controlled House is expected to vote on the Ryan budget plan, which gives the wealthy a significant tax cut while cutting programs that benefit the poor. After all, don’t forget these exit-poll results from the 2012 presidential election: A combined 60% of voters said tax rates should go up either for all Americans or for those making more than $250,000, and 59% said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. And we have one final question: How much of this is fighting the last war? Sure, limiting the number of debates and holding a convention in July seems smart after what happened in 2012. But don’t forget, John Kerry and the Democrats in ’04 still lost after holding few debates and a July convention.
The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson and Bloomberg View's Margaret Carlson join Morning Joe to talk about President Barack Obama's charm offensive on the Hill, the budget battle and CPAC. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough comments on the budget battle and says, "we have to stop this generational theft." The panel also talks about Reince Priebus' plan to help makeover the GOP including a promise of $10 million in community outreach.
*** GOP’s redistricting was a short-term winner, but what about the long term? As the RNC says it will spend $10 million to do better outreach with minority and younger-vote communities, Charlie Cook made a striking observation over the weekend: Republicans, through redistricting, protected their members in 2012 but boxed themselves into mostly white congressional districts. “[Republicans] clearly did everything they could to purge Democratic voters from their districts ahead of 2012, no matter whether those voters were white, black, Hispanic, left-handed, or right-minded—just as Democrats would have done had the roles been reversed. But in the process of quarantining Democrats, Republicans effectively purged millions of minority voters from their own districts, and that should raise a warning flag. By drawing themselves into safe, lily-white strongholds, have Republicans inadvertently boxed themselves into an alternate universe that bears little resemblance to the rest of the country?” Just where is the RNC going to be able to test run this new outreach? A handful of gubernatorial races perhaps? Maybe a Senate race or two? Having the ability to test run in House districts would get them farther, faster, but that isn’t going to happen.
*** Obama picks Perez for Labor: President Obama today will announce he’s nominating Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez to be his next Labor secretary, replacing Hilda Solis. Politico has more: “Perez’s confirmation hearings are expected to feature more questions about a scathing inspector general’s report released last week that revealed internal racial hostilities in the Civil Rights Division and found Perez gave misleading public testimony when he said in 2010 that political appointees did not make the decisions to drop prosecution of New Black Panther Party members. Senate Republicans will also likely question Perez about his decision not to join a False Claims Act case against the city of St. Paul, Minn. Republicans have claimed the lawsuit could have won up to $180 million for the federal government.”
*** Recapping CPAC: As we reported over the weekend, Rand Paul narrowly won the CPAC presidential straw poll, getting 25% of the vote to Marco Rubio’s 23%. Following them were Rick Santorum at 8%, Chris Christie (who wasn’t invited to speak) at 7%, Paul Ryan at 6%, and Scott Walker at 5%. And don’t miss Kasie Hunt’s eight takeaways from the CPAC confab
*** Sanford’s first (and easier) test: Due to his name ID, former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is expected to finish first in tomorrow’s GOP primary to fill the state’s vacant congressional seat. But that will be the easy part for him. Roll Call: “Sanford … faces 15 other Republicans on the primary ballot for the special election to represent the coastal, GOP-leaning seat. He is all but certain to come in first, but taking less than 50 percent of votes cast. That will send Sanford, a former three-term congressman, to an April runoff with another Republican. GOP insiders see the top contenders for nabbing that second-place slot as: attorney Curtis Bostic, state Sen. Larry Grooms, former state Sen. John Kuhn, state Rep. Chip Limehouse and economics teacher Teddy Turner, the son of media mogul Ted Turner. But with so many candidates in the race, the margin for coming in second is small. Voter turnout predictions range from 30,000 to 35,000, which means anything is possible.”
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CPAC is finally over...what have we learned?
As long as Sarah Palin is still relevant, the GOP will remain largely irrelevant...that much we know.
But gladly CPAC - the show about nothing - has finally folded.
CPAC
I see Rand Paul won the straw poll at CPAC. So previously did his father, Ron. But the straw poll did not get Ron and will not get Rand to the promised land of a Republican nomination. First one needs to look at Senator Paul's competition: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Mark Rubio, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Michele Bachman, Paul Ryan, Wayne LaPierre, Adam West, Rick Perry, Ann Coulter and Grover Norquest. What a bunch of losers and misfits! Last Saturday night Rand Paul won nothing.
Chris Christie has to be glad he wasn't invited. I read that Ann Coulter threw him under the bus, but Christie was too large and wrecked the bus. I also heard that Jeb Bush gave a pretty good speech telling CPAC they should be more inclusive, and the audience only politely clapped. The truth is CPAC does not want to be more inclusive as that would water down the pure conservative ideology. So scratch off Chris and Jeb as CPAC favorites, but keep at the top of the list of favorites: Rand Paul.
These conservatives, all members of the flat-earth society, will not change because they cannot change. They cannot give-up their policies as their policies reflect their values and their values reflect who they are. Their ideas are unacceptable to the mainstream of American beliefs and therefore conservative Republicans will not win another election. Their only option is to change the rules and engage in the un-American activity of voter suppression. When that option fails, it wouldn't surprise me if they seek another un-American tactic—secession. That tactic failed 160 years ago, costing thousands of American lives and is a price that is much too high to pay.
Republicans, or rather conservatives held a little party over the weekend that didn't seem to include a lot of republicans. It was a collection of wackos and wannabees but nothing of substance has been decided and what came out of it was simply. Obama bad, rich guys good. Samo, samo and a sure loss for republicans in the future. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisenhower has become irrelevant to a majority of American people, and CPAC just continues the demise. I feel this is a good thing, republicans since Reagan have hurt this country, a shrinking of the middle class, and an expansion of those in poverty have cause America to decline and have put it in a position that is behind many other country in a lot of things. Including education. The republican party needs to change, not just put on lipstick.
The economy is on the mend. Amazingly federal deficit has come down. The deficit is projected to fall to $845 billion this year, the first time it has come in under $1 trillion since 2008.
Last week, President Obama told George Stephanopoulos a simple fact: "We don't have an immediate crisis."
For reasons unclear, the comment was not well received by Republicans and many in the media. But then a funny thing happened. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) unveiled his budget plan, and it also conceded there is no immediate debt crisis. Yesterday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) made the same concession to Martha Raddatz.
But then there are riots started by Cypriots, the market is down across the world. Let’s hope it’s brief. Time to read these Cypriots a riot act.
You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried!!!
The resemblance is amazing!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why does the devil in
'The Bible' look exactly like President Obama?
By James Nye
PUBLISHED:02:08 EST, 18 March 2013| UPDATED:05:50
EST, 18 March 2013
Sunday
evening's episode of the History Channel's hit series 'The Bible' threw up an
awkward coincidence when viewers noticed that Satan bore a remarkable
resemblance to President Obama.
Twitter
exploded into life during the airing of the latest edition of the Mark
Burnett-produced series with most noting the striking similarities between the
44th President and the devil played by actor Mehdi Ouzaani.
The
show has been a surprise hit in the ratings, with the religious mini-series
attracting 13.1 million viewers on Wednesday - topping television leviathan
American Idol's 12.8 million viewers on Wednesday.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295082/Why-does-devil-The-Bible-look-exactly-like-President-Obama.html#ixzz2NtGwxY1F
Now I wonder why that would be...?
The offical cause of death has been ruled terminal stupidity...
It gets them everytime! ;o)
Joeinalbany-WHAT THE HELL HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH THE IRAQ WAR? Why can't you Repukes stay on the subject? Don't care about watching the Bible, many movies have been made about it and why can't you just read the BIBLE?
You do realize that this is a TV show? I recall how President Reagan had the old 666 linked over and over to him!!!
War in Iraq - 10 years later
The war was started on the false WMD claim by George Wmd Bush who is still looking for his middle name (Wmd) in Iraq as of this moment.
But Now Iraq is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, a democracy with promises and challenges, such as a massive suicide attack last couple of days.
Our soldiers have gained valuable combat experiences that can be put to use soon if Jebbrish Bush becomes President in 2016 and starts another war as President.
The Republican party is indeed a house divided.
Here in MN, the GOP state party is deeply in debt, they lost the state legislature, and none are stepping forward to say they will run against Senator Al Franken.
It is a in fight between the libertarian followers of Ron Paul and the tea party folks, and the old guard is shaking their head.
Both groups have said to Karl Rove and his political action committee, stay away.
Meanwhile, both Rep John Kline and Michele Bachmann are NOT talking about making a run for the Senate.
Senator Franken has done a outstanding job as our Senator and will win reelection.
Joe in Albany
Idiot in Albany
♥ ed Donald Chump's Clint Eastwood's impression of talking to empty chairs
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
The Republican Clown Politicians Action Conference (CPAC)he Republican Clown Politicians Action Conference (CPAC) has a trade mark on empty heads
Why do you and Chump have such empty heads?
What a freak show CPAC turned out to be. I can't believe these has beens are the best the Republican Party has to offer. Even the young "Newbies" (Paul and Rubio) had nothing to offer. Same old Repug talk we've heard for years. Nothing new here. And the only potential candidate they have with any chance of getting elected (Christie) isn't even invited. What does that tell you? Go figure.
The RNC's 100-page report, the "Growth and Opportunity Project," is the election autopsy ordered by Chairman Reince Priebus last fall.
-------------------------
More babble coming from the Republican Clown Politicians Action Conference (CPAC)
An autopsy is a post-mortem examination done on dead people. Is that what these clowns mean when they talk about being pale males?
10 million to lively up a bunch of pale male corpse???
JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY!!!
TeaPAC Tea Party
From the article above:
Well it looks like Rand Paul is the perennial sweetheart of the TeaPAC faithful congregation.
Before I give “kudos”, let’s look back at the lowlights from this weekend’s Obama-Bash 2013.
The former Alaska half-governor Momma Bear Palin wowed the chamomile crowd with red meat zingers like "Dandy idea, Mr. President — should've started with yours!", Palin said of the proposed expansion of background checks for gun purchases…
She offered her “folksy” advice on the GOP’s current identity crisis with this narcissistic quip; "Now is the time to furlough the consultants, and tune out the pollsters, send the focus groups home, and toss the political scripts," Palin said, "because if we truly know what we believe, we don't need professionals to tell us."
Apparently, Republican’s don’t need good sound advice. Nor do they need reliable polls either.
(I know some of you out there can’t help but think, “We don’t need no stinking’ professionals”.)
Anyways, to make a long, break-winded story short; The Donald talked about how great he looks in any reflecting surface; Romney passed the torch (while attendees passed their lunch); Santorum was his usual, creepy Ned Flanders self; and everyone blamed President Obama for everything bad that has happened since the fall of the Roman Empire.
And now, back to Rand.
Mr. Paul (not to be confused with the great fish stick mogul Mrs. Paul’s husband) edged out Senator Rubio 25 percent to 23 for “Best in Show”. Most of the votes came from the Single, Libertarian, Activist, Voter, Enthusiasts, or S.L.A.V.E. for short (ok, I made that one up), as Mr. Paul continues to enjoy a large, grass-roots following amongst the younger Libertarian crowd that have stood by him since he became the Kentucky Blue-Grass Senator.
Included in the final tally were write-in votes for (I kid you not) Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. So, a big-fat-kudos shout-out goes to the Filibustering Phenom for winning a straw poll for a political party that has perfected the art of the straw-man argument.
Which begs to ask the question; did anything of significance come out of this TeaPAC Tea Party?
The answer is a resounding yes; Governor Chris Christie, who wasn’t invited to the festivities.
We now interrupt this program to bring you the following message:
"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."
Stuart Smalley, a.k.a., Senator Al Franken (Saturday Night Live, 1991)
Salud
CPAC was a disaster. There were more jokes on stage than Ann Coulter delivered. She was dying to get off.
CA Tom,
I can't believe these idiots believe it's a good idea to host a "crazy parade" every year to promote their insanity!
The Altar of The GOP/Tea Party Or Is It Alter?
I'll say it's both. The GOP/Tea Party wants to pay homage to its insane, personal, policies that effects the destruction of American. Their mantra of not raising taxes is too old, too stale, and so provokingly false.
In fact, the rich are not the kill the geese that lay golden eggs job creators.They are not job creators at all. The consumes and their employees are the job creators. What if their employees produced no goods and services? Of course there would be no consumers to enhance the rich's wealth.
More rich people exist today than ever before, not to mention they are richer than ever before as opposed to the middle and poor classes who have not increased their earnings.
Rich people put their money in offshore accounts like Ugland House in the Cayman Islands.
Yes the GOP/Tea Party is "Altered" because the wants to take America back to pre-slavery and Jim Crow days. What else could it be if not an "Altered" state of mind??
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc
Reince Preibus just doesn't get it. And he can't get it, it would take too much insight to understand why people will not vote Republican.
It isn't when the convention takes place, it isn't getting those primaries done so you can hold your hand out and demand money to run on, it isn't any of those things.
It IS the candidates themselves and their adherence to "teabagger" principles. When you accuse the majority of Americans of being on the dole, when you try to make it more difficult for people to vote, when you accuse gay citizens of somehow being a threat to your marriage, and when you treat women like they just aren't very bright and able to make their own reproductive choices, why, people just don't vote for your candidates.
We see it here on First Read every day. The only mantra of the right wing nutjobs that post here is "you liberals don't have jobs, you are sucking off the government teat, WE support YOU." They can't deal with fact, only emotion.
The fact is that liberals want ALL to have a chance at the American dream, not just the top 1%. We believe that ALL should pay reasonable taxes to support the infrastructure and military of this country.
The parasites are on the right. And we are tired of it.
The Altar of The GOP/Tea Party Or Is It Alter?
I'll say it's both. The GOP/Tea Party wants to pay homage to its insane, personal, policies that effects the destruction of American. Their mantra of not raising taxes is too old, too stale, and so provokingly false.
In fact, the rich are not the kill the geese that lay golden eggs job creators.They are not job creators at all. The consumes and their employees are the job creators. What if their employees produced no goods and services? Of course there would be no consumers to enhance the rich's wealth.
More rich people exist today than ever before, not to mention they are richer than ever before as opposed to the middle and poor classes who have not increased their earnings.
Rich people put their money in offshore accounts like Ugland House in the Cayman Islands.
Yes the GOP/Tea Party is "Altered" because the wants to take America back to pre-slavery and Jim Crow days. What else could it be if not an "Altered" state of mind??
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc
Well, color me shocked. The devil is a Black man in the White House. While most of us already knew little Joe was a racist, he finally found a venue to proclaim it on First Read and quotes an article from the ever trustworthy, dailymail website.
Apparently, the right winger CPAC freaks are quaking in their boots. They are finally admitting they lost the last presidential election, and one of their first action points (gleaned from an autopsy report of the dead GOP party) is to become more inclusive. And on the eve of the reformation talking point memo, what do we get - the devil, played by an actor in some TV show, looks like the US President. Nice work there Joe!! Did you clear this with Rince before rushing your post to market - because apparently, you didn't get the memo!!
FR's famous (or it should be) "Is it the pizza or the box" question is clearly the heart of the Conservative Republican agenda. Anyone who's really paying attention can see that it's clearly the content, but the GOPTP can't get beyond new gift wrap on the same old...policies. Perhaps they can polish them, but rumor has it you can't do that either.
from the article:
This tells you just about everything you need to know about what is wrong with America. ONLY 59% "don't believe the Iraq War was worth it."
Are you F'ing serious? That number should be 95%!! It should be obvious to ALL that the Iraq War was not worth it. $2T (to date) and counting (expected to come in about $6T when it's all said and done) and just what the @!$%# do we have to show for it?
How could this happen? I could have sworn the GOP keep trying to beat us over the head, telling us they are the party of 'fiscal responsibility'. Oh, silly me, I forget, it is Obama's fault. If he hadn't run for president, they wouldn't be deeply in debt.
Ron Indiana
I apologize for 'The Altar of The GOP/Tea Party Or Is It Alter"? post. I got the bubblegum.
Duh!
I think what bothered me the most was the racist comment from the people off stage AND NOT ONE of the speakers condemd it , almost like they agreed .
Just hoping First Read covers the Black Democratic Caucus with such vigor. Will they use derogatory terms like lily-white to describe the racist in the black caucus, doubt it. Liberals, hypocrisy at it's finest. But they will use words like Big-Tent to describe the racists, won't they?
Anyone seen the usual
suspectschicken hawks this morning?The silence from the right wingers is deafening... lol
Red Dev,
The MN GOP ran up a big debt: recount of the Senate race between Coleman and Franken, big debt from Emmer, the GOPTP candidate who ran against Dayton for governor, and the GOP woman who was head of the Senate who had a affair with one of the Senate staffers, and her legal billls.
They do love to yell about being fiscally responsible, but in realty they spend money on themsleves like there is no tomorrow.
To Albany Joe,
When I want to see the true face of evil, all I have to do is to look at the mug shop of VP Cheney on my dart board.
I doubt that he ever had a heart, much less a real mind. He was a haliburton, give me more money VP, who would prefer to walk over and spit on the grave sites at Arlington.
The man can't leave the US because he and Bush would be sent to the war crimes court.
Also, I want Pres. Obama to put the drone program totally under the control of the military.
I wouldn't be too fast in proclaiming the economy on the mend. That does a cruel disservice to those people who are largely unemployed--black un- and underemployment is at depression levels--and who are still struggling with severe housing issues. And Banks remain un-prosecuted for their criminal acts because now Holder complains that they are too big to prosecute--at least that's progress since the administration initially said they didn't break the law!
And I for one have not dropped my anger over the Iraq War and wish Obama had prosecuted Bush & cheney for war crimes...and well as just general malpractice. We're in this mess because of them.
FR:
But of course it IS the messaging! The Republicans just have to find a more high-tech way of telling minorities that they are moochers who need to get over their desire for "free stuff" like education for their children, breathable air, and drinkable water.
What do you call a circus attended by the KKK and Neo-Nazis - Big-Tent Racists.
Fiesty -
I can't believe it either. Will their "Light" ever go on? I doubt it.
They are and will remain the Party of Herbert Hoover.
Still recovering from their Big Gulp sugar high, and visions of Sarah-plumbs (aka racks) dancing in their heads.
According to City of Chicago stats. 4,795 murders from 2003 - 2012. How many of these people volunteered to get killed by policies of the Democrats? We lost 4,487 brave volunteers in Iraq. Sad.
Republicans need to push a reset button ... odds are it will be the one marked STUPID.
SOS different day. The usual Libbie Circle Jerk.
Surprised you drunks made it out of bed today. Especially you Feisty. You and your daughter tie one on yesterday?
Nothing positive to say about their party. Just day after day of ragging on the GOP.
Nice to see you take your lead from Satan....errrr The President.
At least 35 of the remaining 41% simply lied. Admitting that the Iraq war was a mistake would make them partially responsible. We can't have that from the party that constantly touts personal responsibility. 6 of the remaining 41% would gladly do it all over again. They made out like fat rats and could give a damn about the cost in American lives and treasure.
STTS.
Their little "heads" of course... ;o)
Hey Joe, Good Job! You got 60's vet all uppity, even has an Avatar of of John Wayne...wonder if 60's vet realizes he was a staunch CONSERVATIVE...wonder if he realizes Fisty's alter ego Pig led off with irrelevance followed by more lefty commie irrelevance...
With that said, Iraq was a stupid war over stupid WMD's...Oh yeah i have no Doubts Hussein (not Obama) had them...however Dubya went about it all wrong..He probably would have had better luck under Humanitarian premices then WMD's....So if Bush lied, Congress swore to it..including the current and former S.o.S. So thanks to Dubya, it gave rise to the Lefty weasling of 'evolution' in politics...'We were for it before we were against it'. Millions of Americans were dumb enough to believe that tripe...WTG.
I do believe the blame for the Iraqi war should be placed on both parties. The republicans for pushing it, and supplying false intelligence to sell it. The democrats for being complacent and not doing research on their own. Since the republicans held a majority in all three branches the war would have taken place anyway, however the democrats would have a much stronger posistion in the debate on whether it was necessary in the first place. But that is not the problem the republican party faces today, the problem is, it has become the party of the kook. People that have their own definition of the constitution and a constitution that has lost its meaning because of it. For example, the 2nd amendment was written at a time when guns were single shot and reload took a few minutes. With today's powerful weapons a regulation is required to see that these guns are not in the wrong hands. As with machine guns, rocket launchers and tanks, military style weapons whose only purpose is to kill as many humans in as short of a time as possible is not required in civilian hands, and yet the kooks seem to prevail with the aid of the NRA whose only interest is selling more of these guns. Not in invoking the rights for all of us to live a peaceful, productive like, without the fear associated with these weapons.
She drunk types straight from bed, courtesy of iPad
A few minutes? Now we know youre a limp wristed lefty commie..boy are you a Class A DumbASS
Caesar Disgustus, white collar auto, and joe, geo = the kooks I am talking about.
So, the questions "whether Dubya was honest about Iraq and WMD'?
That has to be a rhetorical question?
Dubya Lied.......That we all know!
A recent Watson Institute study found that the Iraq war cost this Nation $2 trillion dollars, and that price tag will balloon to over $6 trillion over the next decade with interest accumulated due to the fact that the war was never figured into George Bush's budget, he left it for future generations to pay for. For the Iraqi people who did nothing to deserve being attacked by the bully of the world, the financial cost is nothing compared to the emotional cost due to the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children.
We wonder why terrorists taget us, we wonder why we are the most hated nation on the face of the earth. The propaganda machine claims they hate us for our freedom, they hate us for our way of life. Well that is half true, we are hated for our way of life because our way of life involves attacking defenseless countries to pave the way for our corporate overlords to plunder their natural resources and enslave their people. Our way of life involves committing cultural genocide by forcing our flawed socio-economic model down the throats of everyone else on the planet. Our way of life involves the destruction of the environment for profit.
The conservatives who support our current way of life worship all that is violent, toxic and evil while pretending to be patriots. But their patriotism is a false patriotism, a "plastic patriotism". They do not love America, they love what their right wing propaganda has brainwashed them into believing America once was, they love the 1950's TV version of America which never really happened, which was nothing more than propaganda. I truly want to be patriotic, I honestly want to love this country but the shame I feel for the horrible crimes we have committed around the world in our mad rush to force our way of life on every living soul on the planet makes it impossible for me to see America for anything other than what she is, a greedy, mean spirited, thug who lacks even the slightest bit of empathy for those she murders and steals from. I take part of the blame for what this nation has evolved into because I saw it coming very early on and even though I threw every drop of energy I had into stopping the Conservatives I was unable to stem the tide of their rise to power and ultimate destruction of all America once was in the eyes of the world. I never stopped fighting them, and it seems as though many of our young people are beginning to awaken from the propaganda induced trance that the idiot box had them under, but I fear it is too little, too late. We will never be able to repair the damage the conservatives have done to our reputation around the world, nor will we be able to repair the damage our corporations have done to the planet in time to turn back the clock on climate change. We will never be forgiven for the crimes we have committed around the world and we raped, looted and plundered in the name of making the world safe for
capitalismDemocracy. We truly have no choice but to pour ever dime into our military now because those we have wronged will never forget then pain and suffering we inflicted upon them, and they will fight until their last breath to see this evil empire brought to her knees.CA -- Even IF there were WMD's in Iraq or IF there was a humanitarian crisis over there, what would that have to do with the attack here, on American soil?
Simply following the lead from that Circle Jerk that was the CPAC conference. Didn't ya get the memo - even CPAC found fault with the GOP - severe enough to require an autopsy and a new set of talking points. Check in with FemBot Sarah - I hear she has a rack that is more than willing to park your rifle - provided it is a 12-gauge or larger.
But what if the policies -- and not the messaging -- are contributing to the GOP’s brand problems?
=============
That this is still even written this way shows nothing but a willful ignorance by the MSM.
i never said it did or implied it, so what does your question have to do with the price of fish again?
Hey, ASSWIPE, what's a gun nut again...?? Please elaborate...i know how you'll answer..predicatable...Deaf dumb and blind Jethro...W
LOL @ YOU MORON
WCA,
We don't have to rag on the GOP--they do a pretty good job of it all by themselves--we're just piling on behind them.
geo,
I've been keeping count--this is the 5,879 time you have said this.
Small minds keep saying the same thing over and over in the hope that someone, somewhere will hear their pathetic little cry.
"The policies a party pursues still matter -- a lot. The RNC’s “Growth and Opportunity Project” proposes plenty of intriguing reforms such as spending $10 million hiring paid staff to do better outreach to minority communities"
=================================
Nice...gotta pay a few folks $10 million dollars to act like they got some f'n sense to people with varying shades of brown skin...and this is the fiscally conservative gang?!!?
CA -- Why did we go to war?
Feisty said:
Hey now...I'm busy filling out my NCAA tournament brackets!! Priorities darnit!!! ;-)
Speaking of which...anyone wanna put out there Final 4?
I'm going Duke, Ohio State, Indiana, Kansas.
First round upsets? Belmont over Arizona, Bucknell over Butler
(Hey Domenico and Mark...you guys ever think of setting up a First Read bracket pool somewhere for fun?)
We could spend the next ten years debating whether the Iraq War was worth it or not, and whether Bush/Cheney deliberately mislead the American people or simply ignored any facts that didn't support their position.
Either way, in my mind the greatest tragedy of the Iraq War was the completely inept way it was executed. Donald Rumsfeld sent troops that were ill-equipped for the challenges they would face in insufficient numbers to accomplish their mission successfully.
Rumsfeld sent troops into combat without proper body armour in vehicles that were also insufficiently armoured. Who can forget local communities holding fundraisers to buy body armour to send to their soldiers.
Rumsfeld did not commit enough troops to secure or destroy Iraqi weapons and munitions, most of which ended up being used against our tropps. In fact, a significant percentage of the deadly IUDs were built using munitions left unguarded at conquered Iraqi military facilities.
Bush/Cheney totally misread the political situation in Iraq. Remember Cheney's famous line about how we would be greeted with flowers as heros?
I can forgive errors in judgement or making mistakes in reading intelligence, what I can't forgive is Bush/Cheny/Rumsfeld sending our troops into harms way without adequate preparation, planning, and equipment.
The greatest tragedy of the Iraq War is the deaths that could have been avoided if there would have been better leadership at the White House.
Jack - America lost more citizens in 1 Democratic city than we did in a war. Which is more pathetic Jack? Americans losing there lives just for voting for Democrats. Gotta love your party!
geo-1957883
Just hoping First Read covers the Black Democratic Caucus with such vigor. Will they use derogatory terms like lily-white to describe the racist in the black caucus, doubt it. Liberals, hypocrisy at it's finest. But they will use words like Big-Tent to describe the racists, won't they?
=======
Ah yes...the good ole let's talk about what we want to happen vs talk about what did happen approach. Nice.
American's have lost more citizens to gun deaths that we lost in WWII, thanks to the NRA owned GOP gun policies. But heck, I love the irrational mind of a dumb as a rock Geo-de. Rather mirrors that irrational claim that when democrats cut education by $675m=bad; but GOP cuts education by $2.6b=Good.
for fun...again what are you trolling for?
well Geo, since we know you havent said that 5000+ times, this is the extent liberals will lie and make up numbers to support their misguided effed up agenda...Jackoff will respond with 'you wing nuts are more pathetic'...
Go CHICAGO!
Proof?
What a gloriously colorful monday. Good to see the posts of harmony, and caring today. lol
"Hey, ASSWIPE, what's a gun nut again...?? Please elaborate...i know how you'll answer..predicatable...Deaf dumb and blind Jethro...W"
I can answer that C.D. go look in the mirror, the guy in it is not only a gun nut but an unacceptible POS.
reading Augustus' typical reichwingnutreligionazi comments, I am reminded that they must have used a SEMI as a clown car at CPAC in order to fit that many fuc king CRAZIES so that they could all tumble out....
Now as to IRAQ - SIX TRILLION DOLLARS - do you diehard RETHUGS like that PRICE TAG? ALL FOR SHRUB'S LIE...
Where do you fuc king IDIOTS think that jump in the DEBT CAME FROM? Obama pulled it out of a HAT?
Time to chop the budget of the Dept of OFFENSE - 10% year over year for 4 years (and THEN we still spend more than the next 5 countries combined) NO MORE NEW TOYS
ZappasUtopia, if you haven't got anything derogatory to say, STFU. ( - ;
Tnsevol, so to you, the greatest tragedy was not the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children, but rather the way we went about murdering them?
You act as if this war was a video game where all the death and destruction was simply erased when you turned your PS3 off for the night.
I wonder what the Iraqi people think the greatest tragedy of the war was? The way Donald Rumsfeld executed it? The fact that our troops had inadequate body armor as they kicked their doors in and dragged them into the street like dogs? Perhaps it was the fact that some restaurants ran out of "freedom fries" here in the states?
From now on when we decide to go to war, those who drag us into the war, those in the media who promote the war, and those arm chair generals like you who support the war should be on the front lines of the war so you can see the true nature of war and not the TV version that makes it feel like a video game that you can turn on and off at will.
I can answer that C.D. go look in the mirror, the guy in it is not only a gun nut but an unacceptible POS.
exactly how i knew you would respond...liberals and 'i know you are but what am i'
sigh, more detritus from the left. So who's alter ego are you? what is a gun nut.. half point for something original
I dont know, 230+ years of existence. Tell me why this debt doesnt come down then with King Husseins great plan? Hows that shovel ready...Typical from the worshippers of Karl Marx...Give me a fish, feed me for lifers
NorthstarDFL -
So how does our brethren on left fix this? Vote themselves a pay raise. Attempt to raise liquor tax 300%. Dems control all three branches here, lets see how well they perform. So far, not so well.
The problems between Koch and her lover should all be paid for out of their pockets. If they want to screw like rabbits, go against policy and get fired we should not be on the hook.
And it's a sign of your [lack of] intelligence, CA, that you don't know the difference between hyperbole and a lie.
This was the war--Dubya said--that Iraquis would pay for out of its "oil revenues." Another lie...or just plain stupidity. Then he drags the Chinese over there to try to work a deal so they can get Oil Direct in exchange for a few points knocked off the Chinese Visa Card.
And, yes, I blame the Dems, too. They kept signing those checks to finance a inept and needless war. They didn't even ask for any receipts!!! But Cheney & Haliburton are set for generations while we the people lose our jobs and savings and then get kicked out of our houses.
And lastly and just as importantly I blame the MEDIA--boosters. Who led the rah-rah club.
amazingly you did both simultaneously...Way to go Jack Off. next up you can chew gum while sitting on your thumb
Red BS - You are referring to the surpluses Republican states Indiana and Wisconsin have due to wise leadership. Illinois 100 Billion in debt and climbing FAST, due to Obama-like policy. Still waiting for the propaganda numbers you gave! Show me the 2.6 Billion! Over how many years? Did it help balance the budget? And what happened to Ed Shultz?
Nice tidbit from Afghan...
Deaths in Afghan under Bush: 575
Deaths in Afghan under Obama: 1521
Johntho
I do believe the blame for the Iraqi war should be placed on both parties. The republicans for pushing it, and supplying false intelligence to sell it. The democrats for being complacent and not doing research on their own. Since the republicans held a majority in all three branches the war would have taken place anyway, however the democrats would have a much stronger posistion in the debate on whether it was necessary in the first place. But that is not the problem the republican party faces today, the problem is, it has become the party of the kook. People that have their own definition of the constitution and a constitution that has lost its meaning because of it. For example, the 2nd amendment was written at a time when guns were single shot and reload took a few minutes. With today's powerful weapons a regulation is required to see that these guns are not in the wrong hands. As with machine guns, rocket launchers and tanks, military style weapons whose only purpose is to kill as many humans in as short of a time as possible is not required in civilian hands, and yet the kooks seem to prevail with the aid of the NRA whose only interest is selling more of these guns. Not in invoking the rights for all of us to live a peaceful, productive like, without the fear associated with these weapons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 2nd Ammendment was written in a time when the Country had just obtained freedom and was included in the Bill of Rights so that the American people had a chance to stand up against a tyrant or a dictatorship.
The colonists, at that time, really didn't have much of weapons to protect themselves with. They had to fight to get their weapons, which is why they included the 2nd ammendment. So that Americans would never have to stand up without anything to defend themselves.
Your argument that "all they had was single shot rifles" is absolutely absurd, that's assuming that anything invented after the 2nd Ammendment was ratified and signed into law shouldn't be protected by the Constitution. That's like arguing that since scientology and Mormonish didn't come around until after 1800, they shouldn't be protected by the 1st Ammendment.
I'm not saying that all American citizens should be able to purchase whatever they want, but I do believe that the 2nd Ammendment is there for a reason (which isn't hunting) and some of the gun control laws that they are pushing would severely destroy the American people's ability to overthrow a tyrant. It has probably already gotten to the point where it is nearly impossible to overthrow a tyrant, but that doesn't mean let's throw the rest of the 2nd ammendment away.
In the US, Gun Ownership has continued to decrease from the 1970s, while violence has rose. As a society, we need to get away from all this advocating against guns and work on correcting the real problem, which is that as a society, we are beginning to lose value in everyone's lives. We are forgetting that life is something that is sacred and should be preserved, but through the various medias we are really losing those values.
In regards to CPAC, I don't think that the Republicans need to change their message or change their principles. The Republican idea is that every man or woman, regardless of race, should have the chance to succeed. Keyword there is "chance". There are so many programs that while they "support the poor", they definitely do create a system of dependence. Look at unemployment...there are plenty of examples of cities where when someone gets cut off of unemployment, they immediately go and get a job and start to be a productive citizen once again. What those programs were made to do was to lift the people up just enough so that they can be self-dependent once again. It's the conservative idea that an individual should be better able to make choices for himself, not that the government should be deciding every factor of that person's life.
Look at New York...trying to tell you that you can't get a larger than 16 oz drink with your meal. I'm sorry, but if you want people to not drink much, don't pass a law that dictates that. Tell people the bad things that can happen over time and then let them decide for themselves. That's what America is founded on. It allows us citizens, to be ourselves.
"Give me Liberty or give me death!"
Gee Morgs - how typical of the GOP - blame the democrats for the indebtedness of the GOP party.
deprogrammer-
Way to twist my words. Part of the failure in planning and leadership was having any kind of plan to minimize civilian casualties.
By the way, I detest those video games that glorify violence and war and I won't allow my teenage son to play them. Killing another person does not qualify as entertainment, even in a video game.
well said stack892. wait for it...the reply will be you're a gun nut and 'what part of well regulated militia do you not understand'...
Jethro, like most libs are predictable
deprogrammer
I think you're being too hard on Tnsevol. The Iraq war was a combination of mass murder and incompetence. Tnsevol was just commenting on the incompetence part of the picture. As for the mass murder part, two separate and independent surveys by health organizations indicated the Iraqi death tool was somewhere between 700,000 and one MILLION people. The Pentagon says the death toll was 100,000. The media seems to be completely disinterested in the enormous discrepancies and accepts the Pentagon's estimate without question.
Well it was Bush's fault, or at least I have been told numerous times from Obama. BTW, I didn't blame anyone, I just displayed how the left would like to go about fixing it. Give themselves a raise and raise taxes that will hit specific businesses. Weird because that don't help anything.
Caesar Augustus.............
The debt you claim was 230 years in the making was paid down by ever President until Ronald Reagan who tripled the debt. Even Nixon during the Vietnam war was able to pay down the debt, but Reagan, during peace time, tripled the debt fighting an imaginary war with an imaginary foe. Bill Clinton was able to reverse the trend and pay the debt down, but when George Bush got into office he doubled the size of the debt and that is without figuring the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars or the cost of his big pharma handout of $800 billion dollars which he left for president Obama to pay for. So lets add this up, the cost of the Iraq war according to the Watson Institute study that just came out last week is $1.7 trillion dollars ($6 trillion with interest), $470 billion for unpaid benefits to the service men and women who fought and died for NOTHING, $800 billion for Bush's perscription drug benefit program, and approximately $1.4 trillion for the ongoing Afghanistan war. If you add that up that comes to about the exact amount you claim President Obama has added to the National Debt.
You can look all these figures up online, it is well known that every democratic president from Roosevelt on has paid down the National debt while every republican president from Reagan up has added to it. Your vain attempts to rewrite history in order to save the conservative legacy from that of inept criminals will not work, only the Texas Board of Education fairytale text books will help you spread your lies, the rest of the free world knows the truth and will not allow you to alter the facts for future generations. The Bush legacy, as well as the entire conservative movements legacy will show them for what they truly are, ruthless, lying, cheating, stealing, murderous CRIMINALS.
I prefer to give credit to the tech bubble which Bill fell backwards into. NAFTA? I will give Bill credit for that one.
Try reading some history and not just repeating Faux News talking points. Adequate taxation did a lot of good during WWII and the postwar 50's. We have reasonable levels of taxation during that period (many times higher for the wealthy then than now) to thank for the postwar boom, including the interstate highway system and the rise of higher education. It was only when Reagan declared us all victims of taxation and preached that selfish was good that things began to fall apart!
Put a fork up it:
***HYPOCRITE LIBERAL ALERT***
Don't worry, I reported it.
Geo, you can see multiple different cities or states that are in severe debt because they are controlled by the liberals. One example of such: The debt in Baltimore, Maryland is so uncontrollable that they are continuing to raise the taxes which will only drive people away from the city.
Taxes and Regulations are destroying so many cities and states around this country and there are so many more liberals who are completely blinded by the fact that those policies are the cause of it.
"The troublee with our Liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
stack892
That's what they say, but their actions speak louder than their lying words. Most of the budget cuts they want are going to deprive people of their chances in life, such as the cuts in the Head Start program. Of course, the Republicans' hearts do bleed for all the poor kiddies deprived of the chance to see old furniture in the White House. The GOP is definitely the party of "values". Too bad their values are so messed up.
Houston!
Let's never forget the MSM deserves a good share of the blame when it comes to incompetence...
The MSM never asked questions while reporting every tidbit of bull@!$%# that was spoon fed to them by the Bush administration!
They are as guilty as anyone else when it comes to having blood on their hands!
except my point was, we've had debt since andrew Jackson...so not quite 230+ years. So explain King Hussein Programmer. why is not only the Deficit which does matter and Debt continue to climb...
Funny, that seems to continue under King Hussein. My despot is better than yours is no EXCUSE..I dont give Bush a free pass, unlike you lefties who think the King Hussein the Merciful is free of fault...The buck stops there
So Johnson paid it down with Vietnam, but you said Nixon..you contradict and chase your own tail in the same sentence
when was the great depression? what about the DECADE leading up to WWII...Sorry Keynesian economics did not help..unfortunately a WW did...so dont tell people to read history and Faux News talking points when you get yours from the ministry of propaganda aka MSDNC/NBC/FR
I couldn't agree more, Feisty. But I don't think it was merely incompetence; it was cowardice.
Sorry Tnsevol, I didn't make it to the last line of your post where you said the greatest tragedy was the loss of life, I got to angry over the first few paragraphs I didn't finish reading it.
C.D. , what a douche, lower then a snakes belly, and can't take a hint. No one is buying your bovine excrement except other douche bags like you. You keep it up though, seal the election of 2014 for the democrats and then we can really see you go into a high speed whine, even worse then you are on now. Losers are what losers expect. You do expect to lose, you get knocked down every day. Got to give you credit, instead of staying down you double down on stupid. Go look in that mirror. Its ugly.
Stack, that is so much B.S. and you will find it out. You say give me liberty or give me death. Death it is. You win.
Jethro, you just can't answer can you...Face it, you got OWNED....and you think your longwinded rant of nonsensical garbage gives you a big Victory...thats the problem with you Libs..most of you have trouble arguing or defending your position, go into asshat mode and claim it as an 'asshanding'.. You lefttards love investing in education so much, perhaps you should start with yourselves.
Keep up your circular logic, its a proven lefty fallacy
no, actuallly it was Patrick Henry. you probably know more about Mother Russia then the United States..probably posting from Kiev as we speak... besides everyone knows Jethro, you wont kill anyone with your purse...PUSSCAKE
we are laughing at you
Red BS - Still waiting for the 2.6 BILLION in education cuts you LIED about!
Seems everyone except the stupid party knows it was their war-mongering Cheney who forced this war on America so his buddies at Halliburton could make a killing, and fatten his retirement.
Not amazingly, Pigotry. And this is very important...It is not amazing at all, or rather, it is amazing if people insist on not understanding how economics works. The reduction of the deficit was the GOAL of the much-derided stimulus. It worked.
Most dangerous WMD in Iraq wasn't Saddam. It was "Bagdad Bob". Gwaddamn! Pack of republicans plotting! What a mess!
Hey disgustus, you should be laughing at yourself. You are so dumb, pitiful. Not one word about the rights of 20 little kids. Its all about your stinking 2nd amendment rights that you try and fail to use to your advantage. The only question now is will enough republicans have the courage to go against you and the NRA and pass meaningful gun legislation that protects the country from cowards like you.
You can also see a large country that is in severe debt due to Conservative policies: the US. The wars and the fiscal crisis did not have to happen.
Texas, for example, is often cited as a shining example of how libertarian-like policies work. Except for the minor fact that Texas has the 3rd highest real estate taxes in the nation. I've owned a house in Texas and I've worked in California. Total it all up and I was paying pretty much the same in taxes. Probably a coincidence that they matched so easily; all dependent on how much you earn and/or how much your house cost. But the idea that somehow Conservative policies made Texas successful is balderbash.
The reason some cities and states are suffering is because of mismanagement. Neither extreme works. Too much handouts, and you will start having non-productive use of resources. Too little handouts and you stifle potential poorer entrepreneurs who are then afraid to take a risk, and you get lesser innovation.
How do you expect to be taken seriously when you have trouble using the full name of the President of the United States?
The debt and the deficit continue to climb because people are unemployed and not paying taxes. The people are unemployed because the Republicans refuse to cooperate with Obama on anything that will help the economy. It's pretty simple and has been explained to you dozens of times already.
Even Boehner understood that this was a problem and campaigned on it, very successfully, in 2010. It was only when it came time to deliver the policies that create good jobs that he suddenly decided that lax abortion laws were a big problem in the country.
All people like are capable of are spewing derision, coupled with a complete insistence on not understanding the real problems facing the country. The biggest threat to the US is not external. It is you.
Still scratching my head wondering what in the world pay raises and tax increases has to do with the amount of money spent by the GOP to run their failed campaigns. Like I said, the GOP love to blame democrats for everything including blaming them for the debt incurred to run failed campaigns.
Geo-de - why would I bother re-posting the link. You didn't read it the first time I posted it, so I doubt you will read a 2nd time. And quite the claim you make - coming from someone who has never backed up your claim with a link - like the infamous $675m cuts, or the 85 school closures. Like everything you post, it exists only in your mind, and therefore, must be true.
I think it's time the the Republicans ponied-up and pay for the Iraq war. I think a 10% tax surcharge on registered Republicans would be appropriate. If it hadn't been for this war, we wouldn't be talking deficits now.
Red BS - Read the both links, and nothing stating 2.6 BILLION! So, again lets see where Wisconsin took 2.6 BILLION out of education. The 687 Million is in either of the Chicago papers, easily found. The school closings have been anywhere between 80 and 125. As soon as they come up with the final number I will be sure to shove it up your A$$. Chicago Tribune Mach 6 2013 Michael Turcha - 287 MILLION in education cuts, 3 years running of Draconian cuts, all to pay of the stolen union pensions. On top of 400 MILLION last year. FACTS A$$lick. I will be waiting for mine.
Great point RedDev, and nice job pointing out the deflection. The MN GOP can't even run their own party without crushing debt load, and somehow there's a connection to central cities and the troubles they face? That's the very definition of the "shiny object."
As if i care that i will be taken seriously by a bunch of leftwing loons that never find fault with King Hussein
oh Ouch, Byron, considering i've seen your leftwing Proletariat garbage spewed daily, funny i find the problem to be you.. THanks for NOT providing one iota of evidence to the contrary. Fact, we have been in debt and will continue to no matter how much you or programmer want to believe its the democrats that are the ones trying to stop it....
ok Seeking Approval...now tell me what law would have prevented that tragedy? tell me how many lives are lost each year to criminals with guns...tell me how disarming the populace makes you safe..Jethro, you're out of league and no matter how you try to spin it, you will lose. Where the @!$%# were you last year or the years previous..how bout those senseless killings in every major city in the US that are carried out by criminals...Abscent per usual and your kneejerk reaction to start a crusade...well like the lionheart, you will lose this one...So the best you have is to call names and claim victory...trust me asswipe, you aint got squat and will continue to get OWNED.....Go back to Mother Russia and remember the answer to 1984 is 1776
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding on lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb disputing the vote"
SUCK IT JETHRO
One of the biggest problems facing the republikans at the moment is that they have that whiny, slimy, guy Priebus as the official face of the party.
Chuck W
I think it's time the the Republicans ponied-up and pay for the Iraq war. I think a 10% tax surcharge on registered Republicans would be appropriate. If it hadn't been for this war, we wouldn't be talking deficits now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm gonna throw some numbers at you and if you truly believe that the Iraq War caused all the Federal debt, well then, I'm sorry.
The Iraq War itself cost the US Government and US Taxpayers approximately $775 Billion, that's going from 2003 through 2011.
The total cost for the Iraq War, Afghanistan and the War on Terrorism has been estimated to be between $3.75-4 Trillion.
The US Government's Federal Budget dating from 2001 going throuogh 2012 has been approximately $31.53 Trillion.
That means, those three wars have consumed approximately 12.68% of the Federal Budget since 2001.
The debt that the Federal Government has paid on the debt since 2001 has been $4.58 Trillion. Meaning, we have spent more money on the interest of the debt since 2001 than we have spent on the Iraqi War, Afghanistan War and the War on Terrorism.
And saying that all Republicans favored the war in Iraq is like saying that all Democrats favor taking guns away from law-abiding citizens.
While I don't agree with the way that we entered war in Iraq, we still helped to free a group of people from their oppressors and gave them a chance at freedom. There are obviously going to be certain details about why we went into Iraq that won't be available to the general public, just as there are probably details about Benghazi that are not being released.
Every single liberal that seems to post on these forums seems to think that all Republicans are rich and favor making the rich richer and then stealing all the money from the poor. That is absolutely absurd. All the Republicans want to do is make sure that we are free, that we don't have to ask 'big brother' permission to live our own lives. When there are businesses, like Subway, who are coming out and saying that in the present situation of government, with regulations as they are, that they wouldn't even exist because they would be so overwhelmed by the regulations, then there is something seriously wrong with the government.
Of course we need certain systems, certain programs to ensure that people aren't just stepping all over each other trying to make it big. No republican wants anarchy, that would be bad for business, bad for society and bad for America, but we don't want the big government that we are getting today.
It's about time to start waking up as a society, start living your own lives and stop relying on the government to live it for you.
CA,
No gun control legislation would work to stop the massacres that occur, like Sandy Hook or Columbine.
Columbine, happened in 1999, right in the middle of the 1994-2004 Assault Weapons ban...
stack #'s -- Business has proven time and again they cannot be trusted to regulate themselves. PERIOD.
Business has no problem relying on GOVERNMENT handouts, in fact they spend millions and millions of dollars to make sure they're the first in line to receive their handouts. They need to start standing on their own two feet!
Geo-de - here ya go, you poor crybaby. Now notice, it doesn't alter my observation that when democrats cut funding for education you scream, cry, stomp your feet, and call them all sorts of names. Yet when republicans cut spending for education, you laud it as the next best thing to sliced bread.
It must be time to put you on ignore, you are after all, the same idiot that tried to say Romney's effective tax rate was 50% by adding two meaningless numbers, 35+15.
And speaking if the rights plastic patriotism, here is a shining example of the hatred the right has for the diversity that made this Nation great! This was in response to a black woman who was a guest on Fox Noise talking about rape
"responses on Twitter and Facebook, including from someone named Michael Shapiro, who describes himself as a “Barry Hussein Obama HATER…. Proud American Patriot, Infidel and Rabid Islamaphobe” and who, after calling Maxwell the n-word, added that he hoped she would “get raped” and have her “throat slit,” adding, “may be [sic] then you understand why white women have to be armed.” Shapiro later deleted the tweet."
This neanderthal has the balls to call himself a "proud American patriot" in the same breath he tells us how he hates the President of the United States, uses a racial slur to demean not only the President but a good portion of the people of this nation, many of which fought and died in every war since this Nations inception to protect this morons right to spew his hatred, and then he says how he hopes the woman gets raped and murdered for speaking out against rape and the way the right blames women for getting raped. People like this have perverted what it means to be a patriot, they know nothing about what a true patriot is.
Red BS - Lies, all four. Democrat propaganda, check Politfact Wisconsin for the real numbers. The education cuts started by Dem. Gov. Boyle. Again LIAR! And the purpose was to get to a balanced budget. What was Illinois purpose? Buying votes! I will take the guy with the stones to stand up and say this is what's best for our state, instead of what's in it for me!
Don't_words,
The government has shown time and time again that they don't deserve to be in half the programs that they are in, and yet there they are. With a real free market, there is going to be failures, but there are also going to be successes. What the government needs to do is to let those businesses that are going to fail, fail. In their place, there will be a new business that will rise that will be stronger and better than the first, that's how it has always been. That's what it means to be American, to strive to succeed through the pain of past failures.
Our society, aided by the government, has built this mindset that no one fails or loses. That as long as you try, you will be awarded. Thus exemplified by the fact that most kids, if you participate in a tournament for anything, you will get a "performance award" or whatever they are called. But seriously, it is the chance of failure that drives us to exceed, that has built this country. What happened with the banks, was that the government told them that if they ever lost money on an investment, the government would pay it right back, so what happened with the banks? They invested everything not caring about what would happen because there was no chance of loss for them. It's the same with your own finances. You really don't care about what happens if there is no loss that could potentionally happen if you were to make a mistake or fail.
He isn't here to be taken seriously, he's here to remove any chance of rational discussion and deflect from the valid points of others...things like an honest appraisal of the Conservative Movement as something akin to the Flat Earth Society. Things like the continued efforts of the GOP to rebrand their image without actually changing the cold, greasy, overpriced pizza in the box. Things like the plain and obvious failure of Conservative economic policies.
Once you see him in those terms the best way of dealing with him becomes clear.
geo, you say RedDev is a liar, yet you make no effort to prove it. Put up some viable numbers from a reliable source and maybe you'll get some traction for your claim that Walker hasn't decimated education in Wisconsin on behalf of his patrons the Koch brothers. Until then you're just ranting against reality, including;
stack #'s -- You write:
And certain BUSINESSES don't deserve to be in business. Think PayDay Loans etc. Not all private enterprise has our best interests at heart. I happen to like clean water, safe food and medicine and expect some protections from predatory business practices such as monopolies, price fixing and price gouging.
Is your idea of "real free markets" include NO REGULATIONS? If you're complaining about the bailouts of the "Too-Big-to-Fails" then you need to question why the Republicans are fighting any and all attempts to regulate them.
Dont_words,
"Of course we need certain systems, certain programs to ensure that people aren't just stepping all over each other trying to make it big. No republican wants anarchy, that would be bad for business, bad for society and bad for America, but we don't want the big government that we are getting today."
You don't appear to have read my posts at all. Some Regulations are good, what we have currently is too many regulations. They are restricting business and causing our economy to grow slower than it should.
And I agree that PayDay Loans and those types of businesses shouldn't exist, but they are there because there is obviously a demand for them. Once again, it's a choice for people. If people know the negative sides of their choices and yet they still choose to use those options, than that is there own perogative.
It shouldn't be on the government to dictate people's lives.
And you argument about the "Too-Big-to-Fails" is wrong. If a business is going to go out of business, then let it. Yes, it will cause problems in the immediate future, but in the long run it will cause another business to spring up that will be 10 times stronger and won't require the government to keep pushing the can further and further down the road. Some regulations is good, too many regulations will destroy the free market and will destroy the government. As Ludvig von Mises, a notable Austrian economist, once said "Government cannot make man richer, but it can make him poorer."
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." - Milton Friedman
stack #'s -- Your brand of "free market" isn't so free when Business is allowed to socialize loss while privatizing profit. Nor are subsidies and tax credits FREE.
Did you know Milton Friedman believed that government should expand money in a downturn?
Did you also know Friedman believes in Unions and doesn't believe in Right to Work laws? When it comes to those two things I agree with him.
GWB Rambo Jacka$$ and his lie about WMD killed Thousands & Thousands & Thousands of American Soldiers in Iraq, and hes Mourning his dog back on his Ranch, Now we know George has feelings, poor dog !!!
Dont,
I never said anything about "socialize loss", I believe that the business should bear the burder of losses, not the government and therefore not the taxpayers.
And you were right on 1/3 of the facts about Milton Friedman. Milton Friedman did not believe that the government should spend money in a downturn or recession, he believed the government should be less involved during such times.
And while you are partially correct that he liked unions, he realized that the unions have become corrupt and are doing more harm than good.
“When unions get higher wages for their members by restricting entry into an occupation, those higher wages are at the expense of other workers who find their opportunities reduced. When government pays its employees higher wages, those higher wages are at the expense of the taxpayer. But when workers get higher wages and better working conditions through the free market, when they get raises by firm competing with one another for the best workers, by workers competing with one another for the best jobs, those higher wages are at nobody's expense. They can only come from higher productivity, greater capital investment, more widely diffused skills. The whole pie is bigger - there's more for the worker, but there's also more for the employer, the investor, the consumer, and even the tax collector. That's the way the free market system distributes the fruits of economic progress among all people. That's the secret of the enormous improvements in the conditions of the working person over the past two centuries.”
And his arguments against Right-to-Work laws aren't because he believes that the employers should have to pay union dues. He believed that the Right-to-Work laws would not curb the unions monopoly powers and therefore were not and could not be justified. He felt that Antitrust Enforcement was the way to go about reducing these monopoly powers that the unions held.
So while you were right in that he "believes in Unions", he doesn't believe in the unions of today.
And I think most subsidies need to be done away with. "We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes non-work."
Also, the idea that tax credits are not free is crazy. Tax credits are a way for the taxpayer to keep more money. Meaning, the money that that citizen earns gets to stay with him/her. How does that not make sense? It's not the government's money, it's ours, it's the taxpayer's money that is being taken by the Government.
But, of course, Subway IS in business...
Yes, every one who criticizes regulations then says we need some. OK, which ones?, and why are you bitching about regulations if you say we need them? They are all needed because they all came about from cheating and stealing going on.
stack -- You write:
Explain then why productivity is at its highest and wages are at their lowest right now.
First, Unions are not monopolies but it's funny Friedman seems to advocate for government using its power via antitrust to abridge the peoples freedoms.
What's your view on real monopolies in the world of Business?
Do tell then why are Republicans so outraged over EIC (Earned Income Credit)?
So many contradictions with your particular ideology it's hard to keep up!
Pigotry
Yep, Mr. "Drama" Obama just showed his distain for America. That is more than a SIMPLE FACT.
Yep, those Cypriots should not be concerned that their bank accounts are being raided by the EuroPIIg Progressives. Instead, they should all be stoned to death when they go to the banks to withdraw their money. Ooooops, all banks have been locked. Now the Progressives can use electronic means to pull out the "required" funds to support Merkel and her Progressive friends.
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Ed Matthews ? I meant Ed Schultz. So we now have "Ed Schultz II" on Newsvine.
Typical Progressive rant.
This is just my opinion but I consider Palin to be a Psycho B*@#H From Hell and Cheney to be a Global Sociopath. Just my opinion, mind you. Caesar thinks all of us Progressive, Liberal Democrats are Communists. Caesar is crazy, however. Workers of the World Unite!!!
But you know what? We all know where the buck stops for his actions, don't we?
4/14/2006
Brushing aside an intensifying clamor among retired military commanders for Donald H. Rumsfeld's resignation, President Bush said Friday that his defense secretary enjoys his full support and that Rumsfeld's leadership of the Pentagon was "exactly what is needed at this critical period."
Fact of the matter is, George W. Bush was not only incompetent, he hired incompetents! And then he stood by them no matter how well they demonstrated their incompetence!
C'mon! 10 years to subdue 2 countries smaller than some US states?
We will be paying for Bush/Cheney for a loooong time... and so will the Republican party!
"But in the process of quarantining Democrats, Republicans effectively purged millions of minority voters from their own districts, and that should raise a warning flag. By drawing themselves into safe, lily-white strongholds, have Republicans inadvertently boxed themselves into an alternate universe that bears little resemblance to the rest of the country?”
"We can't grow the party by division and subtraction" -- RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
Palin is still around - can you believe that. The CPAC this year was themed, "America's Future: The Next Generation of Conservatives" - on the face of it an odd venue for the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee whose sensationalistic, polarizing style has been blamed in part for driving a wedge into the Republican Party.
Conservatives still love her. That's the problem with the GOP, due to Palin's penchant for controversial statements, like insinuating President Obama "pals around" with domestic terrorists.
Palin's speech on Saturday was met with hearty reception.
Arguably the most memorable moment of Palin's speech, though, and a calling card to her signature, in-your-face approach: At one point, she casually pulled out from behind the podium a 7-Eleven Big Gulp, and began slurping away - an homage to the sugary drinks that New York City Mayor Bloomberg tried to ban. Palin assured the wildly applauding crowd: "Bloomberg's not around - we're cool."
of course she's still around - she thrives on publicity (even IF she is both clueless AND BRAINLESS.)
Ah yes. What "freedom" has come to mean: the "freedom" to poison oneself with copious amounts of sugary soft drinks!
There were two interesting things about Palin's"performance".
1. She looks "disheveled" - hair poorly parted, looked like it hadn't seen a hair brush in at least 3 days (no, this is not a "fashion" review - it is a reflection of what people start to look like as they become "detached" from the world around them).
2. Her "pressure of speech" is worse - a series one or several "liners" strung together with at times little logical transition.
Bottom line - this woman appears to be "falling apart". Bipolar disorder or methamphetamines come to mind.
Hey, qudrcps (#2.3):
Maybe she had too much rice, Glen Rice, that is, if you know I mean.
It wasn't an autopsy on the election. It was an autopsy on the GOP.
I hope everyone enjoyed the CPAC
Group Therapy SessionConvention. The lasting image for me will be that horrific picture of Sarah Palin with the Big Gulp...that and her juvenile self-misogynist humor..."He's got the rifle, I got the rack."(Pity they aren't brains.)
At least there's one good bit of news coming out of CPAC...Karl Rove vs Sarah Palin!
Pass the popcorn!!!
Hi Da Noid,
A Classic Red Neck Moment!
Who to bet on Da Noid.............Karl even though I don't like him, but he does have a brain all she has is lip..stick.
GBM - according to Reince, they are going to spend a cool $10m on a new shade of lip schtick - RifleRack Red - guaranteed to arouse your inner Conservative Commie detector.
I loved Karl Rove's remark---if he had ever been elected to anything, he would have served out the full term. Ouch!!
I dunno about that - the only word I'd associate with Konservatif is NAZI...find a teabagger, find a nazi sympathizer wannabee...
@Da Noid: Y'know, that whole thing with Palin saying "He's got the rifle, I got the rack" has me thinking... what if that was a cleverly worded (albeit poorly tasting) jab at the LGBT community? "Rifle" in this case referring to a man's jewels while "rack" refers to either a woman's jewels or her melons?
Given Palin's anti-LGBT stance, I wouldn't put it past her to take a swipe at them whilst making it so nobody would ever figure it out (I mean, the GOP would never get it - their minds are on the Purge of Non-White Non-Christian Non-Hetero folk).
The GOP is starting to remind me of the worst parts of the Nazis in their infancy period - hatemongers who, if given the chance, would be quick to butcher all that disagree with them.
What was achieved ? The only thing was causing the downfall of Saddam Hussein and his eventual hanging by the Iraqi's. No it wasn't worth just ONE AMERICAN LIFE. Bush,Cheney,Rumsfedlt got us in a unneeded war and nearly bankrupted us and put us in debt that our grandchildrens -grandchildren will be paying off. Was it worth it? HELL NO!!!!!!!
For the last year I and a number of other Liberals have frequently used the phrase "connect the dots." This last week is a stellar example of why that's important. While House Republicans were pretending for the third year in a row that the budget can be balanced with magical thinking and the annual CPAC Insanity Festival received a lot of attention something happened that made a firm statement about just how little Conservatives really believe their rhetoric about helping the middle class.
Less than five years after the Kings of Wall Street crashed the world economy, only three years after Congress passed the only attempt to prevent a recurrence, Republicans have decided to make a strong statement doubling down on their failed ideology of deregulation and upward redistribution of wealth;
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/03/12/185634/republicans-question-structure.html#storylink=cpy
Republicans here more than anyplace else have decided to express their reverse Robin Hood approach to economics, declaring strongly and loudly that Usury is a good business strategy. They are on the side of those who stole the homes, retirement money, and futures of vast numbers of middle class Americans, standing in the way of efforts to keep the same thing from happening again.
This is particularly ironic given the Conservative claims that they are the only protectors of an American Christian tradition. Ironic mostly because we're nearing the end of the Lenten season, when one of the signature events in the life of Jesus occurred...chasing the money changers out of the Temple. There are good reasons why every major religious tradition has prohibitions against those of means exploiting others by unfair business practices, deceptive terms, and ruinous interest rates. As it turns out those prohibitions aren't simply morally just, they're important to the stability of society.
Republicans...the party of the money changers. We have it under good authority and good example that they should be thrown out of public circles. Shame should be their legacy. Connect the dots from there to the Ryan/Ayn Rand/John Birch Society/Koch brothers budget. It's all of a piece.
What I also find to be so objectionable about how the Repubs continue to screw up is that they have no problem hanging all the injured veterans that they helped to create out to dry with their spending cuts. All that phony flag-waving and restoring America tripe pisses me off when they refuse to acknowlege things like sub-standard care for veterans and military families on food stamps while their loved ones serve.
Hi John,
Great post.
The last great year of upward mobility in the US was around 1973-4. In 1983, under Pres. Reagan, and his mantra of welfare moms, the great bargain was passed. That year saw the beginning of the real demise of the middle class. The tax reform began stripping taxes out of the middle class, while protecting the wealthy.
The GOP are still for protecting the wealthy on steroids. Their great plan is to now go after the "entitlements" to take away what is $$ left for the working poor. The high unemployment is due to the republican era of war, war, war with no taxes, or closing of the tax loopholes to pay for it. Then, along comes the likes of Wall Street, which was the icing on the cake. Jamie D and JP Morgan are continuing their nonsense of high risk games on wall street. And the Republicans are blocking any actions to stop wall street greed. The stock market went crazy because of big mergers (more cases for tooooo big to fail).
What continues to shock me is that the Repub. voters keep voting for this party. They sent a huge # of Rep. candidates to Washinton in 2010 who promised jobs,jobs,jobs. When they got there all they did was try to put in antiabortion/antibirthcontrol measures and to kill obamacare. Wow, this is the platform that was to bring jobs??? Now, the platform is for nongrowth/stagnation, enabling the rich to get richer, deregulation of everything, and the cherry on the cake was Paul Ryan's mother coming out and saying something like "my son wouldn't do anything to hurt medicare or social security". I do hope she's 6 feet under because her retirement buddies and Florida must be going nuts if they've read Paul's last 'great budget plan.
Romney referred to 47% of Americans as dependent on government, without acknowledging that it's the Republican war on unions, and the resulting loss of benefits and wages that actually forced people to turn to the government. The decline of unions meant other employers could offer lower wages and fewer benefits which lead to an increase in people looking for assistance in affordable housing. food and medical care. If Romney knew any "real people" he'd know that.
John -- Great post!
Republicans won't be happy until they've succeeded in making a two class society, the rich and poor. Ryan's budget proposal is proof.
I SAID it was a LIE 10 MINUTES after SHRUB'S FOLLY STARTED...
fork, do you work or have you ever worked?
@hjack#4.7: Careful there "hjack". "Fork" works alright, fact, "Fork" works with a sharp knife.
And yet Germany is the strongest economy in Europe and barely felt the Great Recession that put millions out of work here...
Why is that?
BP thinks that Americans giving up their treasure and lives so that they could get the oil contracts Saddam denied them was a very good idea.
well JACK(of) - I'm about ready to retire after working 50 years (which is probably a lot longer than you've been alive)
I got stuck in the ARMY (you are likely too young to remember the DRAFT) - got out in '68 and I'm collecting my SS (taxable as it IS) while I'm still ALIVE. (not the MAX SS, but not that far away from it)
I have 2 sheepskins - 1 is an advanced science degree. What is YOUR PEDIGREE - Winning a competition at some RETHUG election party?
No words are needed, because a picture says it all.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/16/17341491-three-days-two-breakout-stars-and-one-big-gulp-eight-takeaways-from-cpac?lite
'Lock and load' has become 'rack and gulp'.
Job1
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/16/17341491-three-days-two-breakout-stars-and-one-big-gulp-eight-takeaways-from-cpac?lite
Job1,
I can think of two words. It should have been... '' BIG GULF"!!!
Lip-smacking, failing, Palin doesn't have it all where it's supposed to be.
Apparently the republicans learned nothing from the 2008 presidential election. Palin is a huge liability to the party. They pretty much ignored her in the 2012 election. But she keeps showing up. How stupid can the GOP continue to be?
They have NO boundaries... lol
They wear their badge of ignorance with pride!
Einstein once said that only 2 things were considered infinite - the universe and HUMAN STUPIDITY and they were not so sure about the universe. I think we can put a corollary to that and add "teabagger arrogance" as well to the "stupidity"
Not fond of her politics, but I could care less if Sarah was eating crackers or not. milf lol
ZappasUtopia, so many quality woman out there to do and you would take a chance on the Alaskan clap? WOW. 5 kids seems like it would almost be sewn shut by now.
As long as the Republican Party refuses to take responsibility for their many errors in pushing and prosecuting this war, it will continue to hang around their necks like a millstone.. We should never have gone in there, and again they won't admit it was a flawed operation. Their habit of saying NO should have started with this plan.
The terrible toll it has taken on our nation has been devastating. We have lost citizens, we have lost treasure, families have lost loved ones or are living and struggling with a disabled family member who will need constant care for the rest of their lives. The Iraqis have lost thousands of their citizens, many of them young people, their country is damaged and despite the billions spent by us to help them rebuild, it still is not whole again. We have created enemies for generations for the damage and losses we inflicted on innocent civilians and never once has anyone from the Bush administration or from the republican party ever fully admitted it was wrong what they did.
Until their party officials admit it was a mistake and start to work with others in government we can never fully go forward to the future, everything we try to make work for the good of the country is rebuffed and criticize, never any acknowledgement they were wrong......this is a mistake that will have longer lasting effects as responsibility is not offered.
One way we can ensure this never happens again, is to not vote Republican for the foreseeable future.
Well said, GBM,but instead of admitting their mistakes many of the Neocons instead want a war with Syria, Iran, or both!
...and North Korea, and Yemen, and China, and Somalia, and.....
The GOP never met a war it didn't like, even if it has to manufacture it. Of course, a lot of private contractors and military suppliers made a lot of money from the Iraq war, so it was a success as far as the GOP is concerned. It breaks my heart to think of the people whose lives were lost or harmed by this war. Like the poster above, it is hard to believe 53% or 59% of Americans think the war wasn't worth it---it should be 95%. As time goes on I hope we see that number change.
A year after we found Iraq didn't have all those WMD, which Bush and Cheney promised we would find, Republican Congressmen were on television saying they would do it again, because it was the right thing to do.
Now Congressmen like Lindsey Graham are pushing for a war aginst Iran, again using false pretenses about a nuclear weapons program that doesn't exist, according to all 16 US intelligence agencies in the last National Intelligence Estimate, which was released in 2012. Republicans and some Democrats, fawn over Israel as if it were our 51st state. Not once have I ever read of even one of them suggesting we might consider to cutting some of billions in aid we send to Israel.
The Bush Pentagon was fully stocked with Israeli/American citizens, who were responcible for massaging and cherry picking the available intelligence used to sell the war
The Iraq war is expected to end up costing in excess of 3.5 trillion dollars and is one of the big reasons for our huge debt. Thank goodness Romney wasn't elected or we would probably be at war with Iran today. I wonder if he would have financed the war the way Bush did, by putting the cost on a credit card with money from China.
Is piling up debt on a credit card, as Bush did with the Iraq war, considered a conservative philosophy? Perhaps one of you conservative Republicans out there will answer that question for me.
So, what I gather from these few posts is that it will be Republican'ts who will start the war with Iran, N Korea, or? Really?
Hey just because we killed lots of civilians and made the country far, far worse off than under Saddam doesn't mean WE were wrong! I mean, shouldn't those Iraqis bear all the blame for trying to decide what they wanted for themselves AFTER we told them what they should want???
oh, we just did for FREE what IRAN was unable to do THEMSELVES... deliver IRAQ to them on a silver platter. They couldn't have planned it BETTER IF THEY HAD TRIED
Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:
"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "Y...ou just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.
The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.
Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to SHARE this on Facebook or forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2012
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social
Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and
participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.
Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in
Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers
envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their
term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person SHARES this on Facebook or contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!
Interesting ideas, but Congress would have to vote to remove their own perks. How do you see that happening?
Is there any sort of grassroots referendum process that could let the people vote on removing congressional perks? If so, maybe we should get moving on it!
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
Great post HeHMe
How about we set specific dates to deluge both the supreme court and our constituents offices with emails, tweets, etc. with the Buffett idea. I would suggest April 1, to hit all the fools with a movement wave that they could not miss, and repeat it every 7 days, until they are totally clubbed over the head.
Spam, spam, spam, spam,
Spam, spam, spam, spam,
Spammity-spam, wonderful spam,
Spammity-spam, wonderful spam!
Bush lied...tens of thousands died....you were connned...there were no wmds...no yellowcake...no icbm's, no chemicals, no gas, no nothing but a bunch of lies from non serving chickenhawks...
...but what does that have to do with Benghazi?
...and more importantly what does that have to do with what Susan Rice said about Benghazi?
(snark off)
nothing - what fuc king DIFFERENCE does Banghazi make,anyway? You seem to think that it was a set-up and a planned action... This is about RETHUG LIES!
Put a fork up it:
***HYPOCRITE LIBERAL ALERT***
Don't worry, I reported it.
and you think it matters - WHY? I didn't insult you DIRECTLY (BUT I SHOULD HAVE - you were the one making the "oblivious" comments. You, however, in your benign mental incapacitation probably wouldn't have even realized it...oh, I forgot - I shouldn't use 15 cent words when addressing you...)
Albany Joe is a self made mole. Not worthy of a comment.
The "GOP still suffers" but Islam skated free. Sure. If you believe that, you are a shlthead.
47% of the US still think that the Iraq war was still good. good grief, that is why cpac is still relevant. propaganda at its finest.
slowshot, I'm not sure which poll you're looking at but the ones I've seen are more like 58%-42% unfavorable.
hell, I would have thought that the electorate had come to their SENSES (except for die-harder RETHUGS)
from the above article, which I gather you didn't read, but instead when straight to the comment section.
And a new Gallup poll finds 53% of Americans saying it was a mistake.
that sad thing is that 1 out 2 americans think we did the right thing over in Iraq. we destroyed a country for a few war profiteers and 1 out 2 americans think that's just okay. very sad.
Gee, little Joe sure disappeared in a hurry. Guess he found out he's not too popular here, and his political slant is so screwed up they, the GOP and their lap dogs of the low informed base, don't know how to fix it.
Is this comedy hour or what? PASS THE POPCORN.
easy on the little guy. give dummies good books not nasty looks. my friend.
And why would Joe or anyone else on the right hang around after a comment or two when this whole thread is dedicated to the "back patting festival" of the left and their superior intellect? Popcorn and comedy indeed.
Talk ... Joe rarely hangs about after tossing a grenade from the porch rocking chair. I'll give him that he has enough synapses to duck and run whenever he loosens a fused crap bag into the fray.
Good to see you recognize just how superior the Liberal left is Talk.
It does not take superior intellect to know when you are lied to. Most of us have figured out we were lied to the Iraq war by the leaders of the republican party and faux their propanganda machine.
The question is are you smart enough to not listen to proven liars today? Apparently not if you believe any of the lies about our President.
Maybe you hadn't noticed but we just had an election and the majority of the people think just like we do on this thread and re-elected President Obama despite all the lies told by republicans.
You don't need superior intellect, you just need common sense. You can't start wars and not pay for them and then claim that you only have a spending problem when the republicans clearly created a revenue problem.
I'd say that the 150,000+ people who died in the Iraq War probably thought it was consequential. Of course, they're dead. But their surviving (and maimed) friends and family probably thought it was consequential, too. And a hell of a lot more important than the "political fallout" it may have caused.
The C PAC Comedy Show Event was a Star studded event that we will all remember. And who could forget our featured Closing Guest, the WT Queen herself, Sarah Palin (AKA) The Wasilla Hillbilly.
Gosh darn, we had a Smack Down, Gun Shoot in, Bible Thumping, Liberal Smashing, Women Spanking, Gay Bashing, Voter Suppression, Obama Hating, Civil War within the Republican Party, Old White Stale Male, and Family Values Good Time!!!
Woo WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, it's was so much Fun!!!
right from the lips of Sarah Jethro Bodine...
Oh, one more thing. The voter suppression actions in many Repub. states totally confuses me on one point.
The idea of making voting more restrictive to minorities makes some twisted sense. But perhaps, Mr. PREEEBUS could explain why they are trying to restrict the elderly. I thought that was their voting bloc.
Collateral damage, Jody. They are willing to give up a few elderly voters in order to supress minorities and young people.
You're perfectly fine with anybody that just goes to a polling place & votes. No questions or ID required?
I had to show ID when I registered to vote.
Why would I need special ID again to vote? It is not that the republicans want to see ID, they want a special ID they can restrict you getting. Like in Texas they would let you vote with a gun licence but not your picture college ID. It was all about who they wanted to vote, not if you were a legal voter or not.
I don't know if you vote much zappas, but the last time I went in to vote in California. I had to give my name and my address to match their list to get my ballot. They would look my name up on their list and if my name wasn't there as a registered voter, I wouldn't be able to vote. But of course to a republican that is no questions because I didn't have to get a special ID to vote.
In Washington state it is different. They mail all the ballots to your home. No way to suppress the voters, no wonder we are a liberal state.
You think? In the news:
Republicans vs teachers, firefighters and cops.
A Republican pundit calling a young woman advocating for insurance to cover contraceptives, a "slut."
A Republican presidential nominee bragging about how little he paid in federal taxes. (Taxes that fund the military, schools, infrastructure, etc.)
A Republican "boy wonder" VP nominee who wants to privatize health insurance for the elderly, as a way to save the government money in order to cut taxes for the super-rich.
The privatization/profitization is not meant to save our government money. It's merely a means to transfer public wealth into some very private pockets. The "money-saving" ploy is a lie; these schemes end up costing more and more simply because their greed knows no limits. The scheme is about screwing the people, and using our own government as a collection's agent.
Don't forget, Amy, that they say that anyone who voted for President Obama did so because of the "stuff" they are receiving. Which reminds me, where is my stuff? I voted for the President and don't even have a free cell phone.
S.F. -- If cell phones are free how come mine costs so d@nm much? I thought senior citizens were soppose to get a break.
get pre-paid - no monthly charges but a per minute charge. But YOU might be able to use it - these "kids" NEED to "spend lots of money"
The GOP cannot change. They are servants of some very power-hungry and very rich individuals. They owe allegiance to their corporate cronies and masters. They are entirely corrupt, their corruption making it necessary to denounce any programs or policies or ideology which supports the American people, our government, our economy, or any sort of sustainable future for any of us.
As a consequence of this corruption and destructiveness, the GOP can only manipulate and cheat. We, the people, are on to this now, too. Our most pressing concern is to remove Republicans/right-wingers from power everywhere before they succeed in scuttling our democracy and installing a tyrannical government, answerable not to the American people.
The worst of it is yet to come. Fawning over Rand Paul is an indication of this. His is an easy job: he doesn't have to help solve our national problems; he doesn't have to contribute to the public interest; he doesn't have to make our economy stronger; he doesn't have to make our government better. Indeed, his entire mission is to tear down, to destroy, to dismantle - and it's all based upon some selfish and self-serving, stupid ideology; it's all based in his (crazy) head, rather than in reality. Imagine going to your job and working only to @!$%# things up....this is what our GOP has bought into. We must, if we're to survive as a modern, free, and prosperous nation, rid ourselves of these destructive, selfish, and self-serving people.
well - remembering that CPAC is the Nazi wing of the RETHUG party...
Republicans caused at least 2 decades of upcoming pain for themselves because of redistricting Governors.
1) Republicans will have even more extreme candidates in their districts for at least a decade.
2) Republican districts are now guaranteed not to keep up with population growth.
3) Republican districts are guaranteed to suffocate moderate thoughts.
4) Republicans will control the most hated branch of the US Government known as the House. Most senators have to be somewhat moderate if they want to win. The House on the other hand, throws a temper tantrum and closes National parks. The result is Americans hate the party that controls the House.
That is because King Obama's stategy to deal with sequester is kicking Americans where it hurts the most.
Barack Obama signed sequester, and the idea originated from the White House, now he is choosing to close the National Parks as part of his game.
Yes he did. However, the republicans had a way out and they chose this road. You budget cut people want to cut spending, well you are getting it.
hey mao - IF you grab your ears with your hands and pull firmly, you can cure cranial-anal orifice insertion...
Man, that's ignorant.Obama ignored the recommendations of his own select committee. The GAO has identified 125 billion dollars in wasted tax dollars that Obama could cut all by his lonesome. The GAO has also identified 500 billion dollars in fraud and redundancy that Obama could cut.
Drones are such low information idiots.
What select committee is that? What were the recommendations? Where is your proof? Apparently you are one of the drones, you have presented no actual information...only baseless claims.
i love republicans, they are great for a smile. always nkow when they are around. they talk like they are from the stone age and most still drop the N bomb, hate women and homos hahaha. thats why gop will not be around in i would say about 10 15 more years. freedom will take over no matter what they try to do
I wonder if anyone will ever get statistics on the impact of the Republican move to have their people register Democrat and vote for Obama in the primary. They were scared of Hillary making it in as the candidate and "knew" NO ONE would vote for a black man. It is amusing to think the GOP may have actually been responsible for electing President Obama.
I like to have some semblance of choice when it comes to voting, that is why I am registered independent, but the GOP has not shown me any reason to vote for their candidates. They don't offer any promise of benefit for anyone except the wealthy and corporations. All they talk about is a "candidate to beat the incumbent". I think the 99% of Americans, the 99% who make the 1% wealthy, are going to vote for the candidate who offers some promise of a better life for them.
So let me get this straight. The Dems vote for the wars, most not all. A Dem writes a stupid article and Dems seem to take it as the whole truth. Wow, you freeloader, hands out looking for your free government cheese are very smart! Try WORKING! Bunch of losers.
oreo - Get this straight, Democrats voted to give Bush the authorization to go to war, based on his claims. Bush made the decision to go to war. The claims all turned out to be false.
An investigation should be launched to determine who promoted those false claims. I know it was the neocons, Israel and the media. The Christian Science Monitor had several stories debunking the aluminum tubes, the forged Niger documents and the mobile biological weapons labs, long before Bush used them in his State of the Union message, which he used to help sell the war. Rice used the term "Mushroom clouds over NY" to sell the war.
Judy Miller, of the NY Times, was using leaked stories from unnamed sources (neocons) in the Pentagon, to blame Saddam for the anthrax attacks, which we now know were manufactured in the US.
Oreo is Just another FOX veiwer.....
Poor uninformed Ralph. Maybe he can find time to do some research on the world's view of Hussein and what the Democrats (including their former Messiah Bill Clinton) were championing years prior to the election of Bush.
Oreo is right...the left are liars.
Right Simple Minded, I imagine Fux News is a reliable research venue for you?
Wow Oreo, usual low down right wing speak, vitriol, freeloaders, hand-outers, free cheese--perfect example as to why GOP/Baggers are dancing into oblivion. The RNC still looking like a deer in the headlights, with the huh, what, perceptions are not perceptions they are reality, GOP can not change and become inclusive because of folks like you and the ingrained, right wing mind-set. A true bunch of Losers if there ever was some!
Now put your hand out like a good little Dem and receive your government cheese. Romney was correct, 47% don't matter as they (Dems) are proud to be freeloaders and takers!
I very seldom watch any news on television, but thanks for your idiot point of view anyway, drone.
You should not call the Republicans a bunch of losers. Some of them are nice hard working people. For the rest of them, they will someday get a job.
Yes he was. That 47% voted for him, and the 53% of the working class folks voted for President Obama!
so reichwingnuts defend SHRUB. As Gomer would say "SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!"
brainless cretins, of course have no mind (yeah, I'm talking to the WINGNUTS)
The racist Liar-in-Chief has nominated another racist liar to serve him.
Not a shocker, merely SSDD.
Black Panthers? Really? Hilarious.
Is that your response to the inspector general's report? In your feeble adolescent mind the NBB doesn't really exist?
Perhaps you have him the Office of Inspector General with inspector Gadget.
salsaforever=another mindless cultist drone fascinated by the wonders they pull from their belly button.
Obama is playing the republican party and it is hilarious. That will be must see TV. Old White Guys trying to take down a Hispanic nominee? Should set the republican party back another 4 years with Hispanics. LMFAO!!!!!
The Party of The Modern Day Plantation Masters (aka Jackass Party aka Silent Donkey Party aka Party of Dumb Asses) are the ones currently committing political suicide. Even the lackeys in the press such as Chuck Todd are questioning the "leadership" displayed by the incompetents of the left.
If you paid attention to actual events you would understand that.
still simply BRAINLESS - what can I say - do you need help curing your cranial anal orifice insertion problem?
put a fork in your ass
is that all you can say? same tired insult? Mindless stupid drone.
listen dum fu ck - you don't have a brain - or at least you don't USE IT
LKet the TTeapublicans continue to dig the ex Republican party furher into the pit of irrelevance. They should move up to Sarah's and create a reservation of the ignorant and small minded so the rest of America can move forward. They bring nothing on any use to the political party We need a new modreate conservative party to replace a party that has spit on its founders like Lincoln and Teddy Rooevelt.
Only the GOP huh MSNBC? What about Hillary Clinton or John Kerry? Are they part of the GOP?
Why can't you spell?
Go back to the elementary school. A little bit education can perform magic.
Pigotry,
I am just another victim of a poor education from the unionized crybabies called Teachers.
Your public schools have failed me. I would have chosen a different public school, but the Teacher's Unions are against school choice.
So much for the left being the party of choice eh?
Maobama is playing the victim card. Pathetic.
I can't figure out why so many republicans hate Teachers, Science and Education. Then I see so many of them love the likes of the Wasilla Hillbilly.
If a person didn't pay attention and learn in one school, they most likely would not pay attention and learn in another school.
Job1,
So you are basically giving up on a large amount of kids that are bored? You are only reinforcing this idea that school is daycare more than an educational step towards success.
Why didn't you answer the question pig-drone?
One of the finest minds of our generation said "If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library". He hated Republican'ts
so mao - then you just didn't bother going to school and stayed BRAINLESS, eh? expected RESULT...