Ending The Permanent Crisis

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Ending The Permanent Crisis

February 27th, 2013 3:38 pm E. J. Dionne

This has to stop.

Ever since they took control of the House of Representatives in 2011, Republicans have made journeys to the fiscal brink as commonplace as summertime visits to the beach or the ballpark. The country has been put through a series of destructive showdowns over budget issues we once resolved through the normal give-and-take of negotiations.

The old formula held that when government was divided between the parties, the contending sides should try to “meet in the middle.” But the current Republican leadership doesn’t know the meaning of the word “middle,” so intimidated has it become by the Tea Party.

Here is a way out of permanent crisis: President Obama should demand the repeal of all artificial deadlines and tell both houses of Congress that he won’t make further proposals until each actually passes a replacement to the sequester — not a gimmick or something that looks like an alternative, but the real thing.

With everyone on the record, normal discussions could begin and Washington would no longer look like the set of a horror movie in which a new catastrophe lurks around every corner.

The solution to the problems of democracy is more democracy, so let both houses hold votes on all the potential remedies — on Obama’s own proposal, on packages put forward by Democrats Chris Van Hollen in the House and Patty Murray in the Senate, and on anything the Republicans care to proffer, including the sequester itself.

Let the House Republican majority show it can come up with a substantial alternative or, failing that, allow a plan to pass with a mix of Republican and Democratic votes.

In the Senate, ditch the unconstitutional abuse of the filibuster and let a plan pass by simple majority vote. Misuse of the filibuster is a central cause of Washington’s contorted policymaking. Let’s end the permanent budget crisis by governing ourselves though the majorities that every sane democracy uses.

The air of establishment Washington is filled with talk that Obama must “lead.” But Obama cannot force the House Republican majority to act if it doesn’t want to. He is (fortunately) not a dictator. What Obama can do is expose the cause of this madness, which is the dysfunction of the Republican Party.

Journalists don’t like saying this because it sounds partisan. But the truth is the truth, whether it sounds partisan or not.

Continue Reading >> 1 2

Tags: House GOP, House Republicans, permanent crisis, sequester, sequestration, Speaker Boehner, Tea Party

charleo1

Remember Grover Norquist? Grover who represents a consortium of corporate entities that have
been very successful in creating a tax code, that has in no small part contributed to the disparity
of wealth, and incomes, that lie at the heart of the vast majority of the Country’s fiscal problems.
And, I would argue, it is organizations like Norquist’s Citizens for tax reform, and their ability
to contribute heavily to Republican primary candidates, who agree to sign their pledge to Grover,
has resulted in creating an extreme, ultra conservative, and largely dysfunctional Republican
Party. Who now find it necessary to first get Grover’s permission before agreeing to close
loopholes, or to make other changes that would result in a net increase to the treasury. So, by
Grover’s rules, any program that would necessarily require additional funding, such as the
baby boomers becoming eligible for Social Security, and Medicare, must find so called, “offsets,”
to pay for the increases. Republicans often pass budgets that take monies from nutrition programs
for the poor, and working poor, like school lunches, and meals on wheels for Seniors. But,
to show Grover is not all controlling, monies may also be taken from unemployment benefits,
job training, head start, or subsidized child care. Cuts to research, and development on renewable
energy, is a suggestion from the coal, big oil, and natural gas interests. The trick is to create
what Grover calls pressure points. These are engineered situations, much like the sequester. Where
the opposition may be motivated to go along with policies they don’t agree with, to prevent harmful things from happening within the economy. In other words, the same kind of bare knuckled
politics Grover, and others like him have used to take control of the Republican Party.

TZToronto

Get ready for some Republican to declare that ketchup is a vegetable (like Reagan tried to do).

rustacus21

Voters & the broader citizenry must enlarge their self-enlightenment options & opportunities if they ever hope to take down the ‘red state governors/blue state resident’ crisis. How a Republican governors & state legislators can abuse & mistreat their citizens (such as here in MI) is well beyond comprehension. Rick Snyder was CEO of a computer company, which he downsized & eventually sold, in the Romney/Bain model. Turns around, misrepresents himself to voters & gets a sizable portion of their support enuff to win (in a Mid Term year where lazy citizens allowed it to go uncontested). Then, turns around & savagely abuses the whole of the citizenry – xcept the very richest amongst them… oh yeah & the pampered, ‘entitled’ corporate persons. After the last 19 years, including the inquisition of President Clinton, twin wars & a surgically engineered national Depression, isn’t it time American truly said ‘enuff is enuff’ & mean it… this 2014 Mid Term… if not sooner (recall is, afterall, an option Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Alaska, Arizona, etc., etc…)…

charleo1

It seems the Democratic Progressives are experiencing an awakening, after the disastrous
2010 mid-terms. For which the Country continues to pay in missed opportunities, and
political gridlock. But, your posted comment is a great example of the positive attitude
being displayed by President Obama, and determined Democrats all across the Country.
To be the antidote, and clear alternative to the cynical, dysfunction, and apocalyptic vision, offered by the Right. We are the Party of the future. The youth of the Country are with us.
How can we fail?

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

It’s coming to America first,the cradle of the best of the worst. It’s here they have the range and the machinery for change and it’s here they’ve got the spiritual thirst. It’s coming like the tidal flood beneath the lunar sway,Imperial,Mysterious,in Amorous array,Democracy Is Coming To The U.S.A. L.Cohen

Michael Kollmorgen

With Republicans basically taking control of voter rights, access to the polls and the effects of gerrymandering in many states, 2014 is going to be a real bitch of a year to boot some of these Republicans out of office.

Democrats are going to need to show up at the polls in even more record numbers than we did in 2012.

lana ward

Maybe this time voters won’t vote twice, the dead won’t vote, animals won’t vote, illegals won’t vote. Yea, the dems might have a hard time without these voting!!!!

TZToronto

Hey, at least they all got to vote! Once the Republicans get finished with their nefarious schemes, even those fully entitled to vote won’t be able to–unless they’re Republicans, of course. (By the way, can you present evidence for these electoral frauds? Might it be possible that some of these alleged (and unsupported) transgressions resulted in Republican votes being cast? I would guess that if any of these things actually happened, it was Republicans who were behind them. After all, they tried everything else to keep Democrats from voting.)

english_teacher

Of course she can’t provide evidence for the electoral frauds she mentioned because she doesn’t have any. They’re all figments of a demented imagination.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

You wouldn’t think that there’d be that much shit in such a shallow well,would you?

WhutHeSaid

Yes, yes .. and we shouldn’t let Satan’s imps vote either — that leaves you out. At any rate, you can’t vote from Hell, and that’s where you are headed for all the evil lies you tell. I hope you like warm weather — I mean, REALLY warm.

lana ward

Hi, WhutHeSaid. Yes, I understand you perfectly

TheSkalawag929

It seems to me that the only ones in recent history that have been charged with and or convicted of voter fraud have been, wait for it, REPUBLICANS.
Michael Kollmorgen

There ya go, spouting crap again…………………..

One would think someone like you would “smell themselves” right out of your own home.

But, I guess you’ve gotten used to your own stench.

lana ward

Flies LOVE Omuslim, he can’t keep them away- flies love shit

Dmullins84

Lana, you just gave me an idea, I reside not far from a couple of cemeteries and maybe, I will go out just before the polls close election day and wake up the dead and bring them with me to the polling place. Every vote counts and we will need them with all the voter fraud going on by the lost Party.

nobsartist

It takes 2 to tango. I just dont see the dems getting very upset with anything. After all, they are still going to get paid, get their million dollar salaries for their staffs, 5 offices in the state they represent, use of government jets to go gallivanting around the world and the best security in the world.

Then they can put on their crybaby act for the chumps that wasted their votes on them.

Eleanore Whitaker

The only cry babies are the GOP. They are the ones in the House of Reps. playing dictator over OUR tax dollars. They don’t have the right to override the voice of the people who elected them. Their only real agenda is to mark this president as a failure any way they can achieve that. That’s more BS than all the long horns in TX manufacture in a lifetime.

lana ward

Whitaker, you are so whitty. The only babies that cry, are those as they are being murdered in the womb!!!

Michael Kollmorgen

I bet your parents, especially your mother, kicks herself in her behind secretly wishing YOU had been aborted.

Who knows, maybe you might have been born somewhere else, maybe Iran.

Such a NICE thought…………..
jmprint

And you know this because you have had an abortion?

nobsartist

Sorry but the dems have proven without a doubt, that they have no back bone or balls, hence, they are nothing but cry babies.

Too stupid to be able to figure out how to out wit the witless republiCONs or in bed with them.

That is the image they created for themselves by being walked over for the last 40 years.

Michael Kollmorgen

You are soooo right about this.

http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

With one of the most fundamental tenets of Democracy – Voter’s Rights – at stake, a concerted effort to change the way Electoral College votes are allotted, a well coordinated – and financed – effort to obstruct legislation designed to improve the standard of living of middle class Americans, and constant attacks against anything that would promote economic growth and a robust economy, I think it is fair that what is at stake is a lot more than our right to vote. The future of our country is in jeopardy as a result of people more interested in achieving their personal and political goals than doing what most Americans expect them to do.
Unfortunately, most Americans seem to be distracted with esoteric issues brought up time and again by our special interests, so that the latter can act with impunity. I hope mainstream Americans wake up before it is too late.
Eleanore Whitaker

There’s a dirty reason the GOP won’t settle the sequestration issue. It would mean voting for taxing those earning $5 million or more a year at 30% of their incomes and getting rid of tax breaks to Corporations and the wealthy that are patently increasing their wealth and profits by taking from the Middle Class.

This is slime ball politics from the GOP and it has to stop. House Majority Republicans are not gatekeepers of the taxes we all pay. They have no right to inflict hardship on the majority to save the 1% and Corporate Welfare state from having to own up to its obligations as Americans. This is really what it comes down to.

The GOP is now a tyrannical, despotic faction that intends to inflict more hardship on the Middle Class if it means they can amass another surplus to hand out Tax Cut No. 4 to the 1% and to insure that Corporations that are reporting record profits year after year continue to live off our tax dollars.

lana ward

The sequester is Omuslims, he owns it!! Bob Woodward is now being threatened for exposing Omuslim as a liar. He didn’t tow the line, now watch him end up dead!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/2BK4GN6CDVOOBMXWHI3KXFAFNE douglas

You are full of it. The Congress (Democrat and Republican) and the President
agreed on the sequester. None of them thought it would happen. The President
does not have the power to put this sequester in place — it takes the Congress.

http://www.facebook.com/seangcook Sean Cook

Poor Lana. There really are people this dumb. Let’s all take a moment to reflect on this poor womans misfortune. This isn’t an opinion, she was born this way.

lana ward

The sequester is Omuslims!! Now the WH is furious with liberal Bob Woodward for saying so . May be more will start failing out of Omuslims lying line!!

http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

You are right, both parties agreed to the sequester to solve the Debt Ceiling impasse in 2011, and the distinct possibility of the USA defaulting on its debt for the first time in history.
When the GOP remained unconvinced that Democrats were serious about spending reductions equal to increases in revenue, and raising the ceiling of the national debt, a mandatory spending reduction mechanism was put in place, with approval from both parties, to aveert catastrophe. Both parties did not think it would come to this and they thought, naively, that serious efforts were going to be made to reduce the debt by $85B. The latter did not happen and we are now facing the implementation of mandatory cuts that, because of the timing of the sequestration, is likely to have devastating effects on the economy.
A 5% cut in October, the start of the next fiscal year, would not have had a major impact on the economy, doing it half way though FY13 will. The economy cannot sustain a 10% cut, and major layoffs, furloughs, and an impact on government services is very likely. The problem is not so much the fact that a mandatory spending reduction was legislated in 2011, but that nothing was done to reduce spending sufficiently to avert its implementation.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IZFSQ4C6NDOC3O5PGAIZYYKX2M Marc S

Lana, like a typical not-so-well educated Republican, does not have a very good command of the language, either.
The expression is “toe the line”, not “tow the line”.

Omuslim?
Sad.

Mikey7a

TOE the LINE
The phrase itself is derived from sailing terminology, in which a ‘line’ refers to a rope or similar that is used to adjust the vessel’s sails. Thus, ‘toeing the line’ means using the toe on one’s foot to find the relevant line and thereby aligning oneself with what needs to be done.

Although, in modern usage the phrase has come to mean “going along”, conforming to an idea, or a rule.

See Lana, what you could learn, if only you would READ, instead of listening to FAUX NEWS, which is certainly rotting what brain you have left dear.

lana ward

The sequester was Obamas idea, he owns it. Check out, ” Obamas sequester, the grand bargain ” He says it’s his”"

TZToronto

That should be toe the line. Don’t use expressions you don’t understand.

highpckts

Obviously there are a lot of things Lana doesn’t understand! Poor thing! Oh well they say ignorance is bliss! She shoul;d be very blissful!!

TheSkalawag929

Her symptoms seem to resemble catatonia more so than bliss.

lana ward

Omuslim beheaded a boy in his class in Indonesia. They wew both 9 years old

highpckts

Seriously??? You are totally whacko!!!
TheSkalawag929

Still doing Testors I see.
Sand_Cat

Hey, did you hear? Lana’s a serial killer!
TheSkalawag929

Not surprising.

highpckts

If you checked your facts Woodward is totally lying and making a mountain out of a mole hill and the sequester was voted on by both parties to get the results of the last “crisis” so button your lip until you can say somethin truthful!

lana ward

And Omuslim hasn’t released thousands of criminal illegals. Communist traitor!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Released criminal illegals?? I doubt it! His administration has deported more than 400,000 illegals over the past 4 years – far more than several of the last presidents combined.
lana ward

Omuslim just released thousands of illegals and says it’s not his fault they were released

stcroixcarp

Take you meds!
grandbaby1

In case you forgot Lana 218 republicans from the house voted to pass the sequester Bill first one being Boehner then cantor. It seemed back then they agreed with it. Not one democrat in the house voted for it. Review your facts.

lana ward

The sequester is Omuslims. He was for it before he was against it. Check clips of him for it

grandbaby1

Boehner, cannot, and Ryan were for it too before they decided to be against it

rpg1408

First,your characterization of President Obama tells us how seriously we should take anything you have to say. If you want to present reasoned arguments we may listen. Otherwise, you should keep your paranoid theories to yourself. By the way, its “toe” the line.

Sand_Cat

Lana is incapable of reasoned arguments, at least in her(?) persona on this site. Is she actually a smart person feeding us BS for her amusement? Who knows? It’s hard to believe a real person is that nasty, ignorant, and oblivious to how stupid her ranting is.

countrybumpkin44

She probably lives in a Red State on a faked, Social Security Disability Income, plus any other pilfered aid programs, like so many of my” neighbors”.
Around here we call them “white trailer trash” and all them belong to the Repug party, with Limbaugh blaring out of their cars and Fox out of their homes. They just barely make it to 8th grade without ever learning to think or reason, generation after generation.

elw

A perfect example of how the crazy right’s made up stories get started. Who do exactly think is going to kill Mr. Woodward?

lana ward

Type in,–”Crossing Obama can be deadly, we the people of the United States”– there is a picture of Os’ double there too!

TheSkalawag929

The only time Bob Woodward was of any consequence is when he was teamed up with Carl Bernstein.

StanW

TRANSLATION: When Woodward was attacking a Republican, we all loved him. But now that he DARES to address Obama, he must be destroyed!

TheSkalawag929

I see why you’re wrong so much of the time. Your universal translator is out of whack.
StanW

That may be the case, Skag. I have always had an issue understanding the abject garbage that Liberal like you speak.

For instance, Woodward is a saint when he goes after a Republican President, but a senile old fool when he goes after a Democrat President.

And I suppose you think that makes sense. Perhaps it is YOU that has a problem with perception!
TheSkalawag929

Your problem is that what you think you hear is not what is actually being said.

I didn’t say what you are accusing me of saying.
StanW

Spare me Skag, with your mindless comments and hypocrisy.
TheSkalawag929

The solution is simple.

Don’t reply to my posts or comments.

Problem solved.
StanW

Or better yet, you can stop replying to mine, SKAG!
TheSkalawag929

Too simple for you eh?

Well thanks Chuckles. I just won 10 bucks. I bet a friend that you couldn’t resist.

Life must be terrible for you. You being anal compulsive and all.

Since you can’t do it alone I’ll help you out. I won’t be responding to anymore of your comments or posts.

You’re welcome.
StanW

Sure you won’t, SKAG. If that were the case, you would have already stopped. But keep demanding that other do what you are too weak to do yourself. That is the essence of Liberalism.
http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

I am a Democrat and I am not interested in destroying Woodward or anyone else for expressing his views. I think he took the e-mail out of context and too personal. The fact that someone told him that he was betting on the wrong coin does not mean he was threatened. Well, at least, I would not have interpreted the way he did.
StanW

Fair enough, but some facts remain…
1) Woodward took it as a threat.
2) Liberals in the media ARE trying to destroy him for speaking ill against Obama.
3) Other journalists (from the Right and the Left) are speaking out on threats they have received from this Administration.

Woodward may have exaggerated the message he received, but it is a proven fact that President thin-skin does NOT like people that challenge him.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Has it occured to you and many others that it wasn’t the President who has made the comments that some are bringing up now but it was people that work for him who are probaly getting just a little tired and worn by all the lies and distortions that the right has been throwing at them for the past 4 years?? People can only take so much unfounded negative criticism without striking back. Bob Woodward deserved the comment he got back. People like you need to stop criticizing the president for things that he has not done personally.
Sand_Cat

Did anyone say he should be destroyed besides you? Republicans are the ones trying to “destroy” those who dare to disagree.

http://www.facebook.com/gmnotyet Jeff Hall

Obama proposed the sequester so that the teabaggers would not make us default.

You should be thanking President Obama that we don’t have a 25% prime interest rate for borrowing right now, goober.
http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

Lana, the sequester is the last manifestation of the focus on spending reductions that led to the creation of the Tea Party movement, and it was the centerpiece of the Republican campaign strategy during the 2012 campaign. Without it, the GOP would have been devoid of a platform. Suggesting President Obama is responsible for the austerity plans promoted by the GOP during the last four years does not make sense. You may want to look for a more credible criticism of the Obama administration than telling us that what the GOP has been pushing for is just a figment of our imagination, and that the person that has been fighting against is actually the one responsible for the sequester.
grandbaby1

Bob now says he was never threatened. His own words on Hannity and Chris Wallace but the wording he says nicely implied .

lana ward

He says he was threatened. Now Lanny Davis says he was threatened by the WH too!!!

gahoof

For Gosh sake, lana, would you please refer to our president by his correct name; Barack Obama. Your “funny” little name-calling denigrates (look it up, please) you and, by extension, your ideas.

highpckts

It’s not just the middle class that will sufffer! I refuse to be pigeon holed by these idiots! This isn’t about class but about the American people in general! They need to be fired!!!

sunmusing

Sometimes I think we are going after the wrong people here…we are looking at the symptom and not the disease…The GOP are only the meat puppets for the corporate and banking cabal…we should and probably need to go after these corrupting influences instead…the Koch boys are a start…they have done more harm to this country than those who flew into the towers…the Koch boys have used illegal tactics in their quest to destroy our country…and they have succeeded…
Budjob

As I look at John Bonehead with the banner in the background that proclaims “no budget,no pay” I can’t help but wonder if the members of congress think (which I believe they do)that the electorate is either stupid or naive.The banner is right,without a budget congressional members will receive no pay.It will placed in an escrow account gathering interest and will be dispersed to them after the most recent fiasco is settled.Had enough?I certainly have!!
JDavidS

You can’t take the Republican Party seriously. Really, any party that put forward Mitt the Twit, Sarah Palin, Newt the nut et al is pretty much telling the world how inept they really are.

TheSkalawag929

The republicans have to be taken seriously or you might get stabbed in the back.

Remember the 2010 elections they ran on jobs jobs jobs in state and federal elections. Then once elected they started striping unions of rights, voters of rights, women of rights and they began gerrymandering their districts.

They must not be trusted at anytime and watched all the time.

JDavidS

I agree with your assessment. I was, however, talking intellectually. In that vein, they can’t be taken seriously.

TheSkalawag929

Understood.

Michael Kollmorgen

Problem is, these Republicans are the perfect architect of Sneaky. They’ve been pretty good at it all along.

And, Oh how easily the “public” looses their memory astounds me.

Reagan is rolling in his grave right now. I bet Nixon is even getting a kick over what their party has become.

Oh what the hell, what can you expect from Democrats. They’ve never learned to grasp and control power.

So now we’re stuck with two parties. One you know you can’t trust, the Republicans, and the other, the Democrats, you can’t trust them to stick together as one unified voice.

Sometimes I don’t know which one is worse.

TheSkalawag929

Democrats have come to be the inclusive party. So by being willing to listen multiple points of view it is sometimes difficult to come to a consensus. Besides I think that the power belongs to the people not the party.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

It would be easier to just do away with them.They are guilty of treason anyway.

TheSkalawag929

As much as I don’t like or trust the current republican party I would like and trust a one party system even less.

The republican party much like the democratic party of old must heal itself. It can’t be done from the outside.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

I don’t advocate for a single party system at all.But I do happily anticipate the self destruction of the gop and the ascendancy of the Independents.
TheSkalawag929

I can go for that.

plc97477

Maybe we should just stop believing anything they say. Makes the problem go away.

TheSkalawag929

Think about it. Just because you don’t believe that someone will stab you in the back doesn’t mean that they won’t.

It just means that you weren’t paying attention when they DID stab you in the back.

It doesn’t make the problem go away it just makes you more vulnerable to being stabbed in the back.

highpckts

The “right” already says Obama is a dictator so he should reem their A@@@ and call them out! If only wishes could come true
rpg1408

The President should go on TV and say it loud and often. The GOP has been holding us all hostage for far too long . The solution is for the voting public to throw them all out of office in the next congressional election. Even in those gerrymandered districts, if the President and his spokespersons can get the message across, the voters may begin to see which Party truly represents their interests.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jake-Blanton/100001675138371 Jake Blanton

And exactly how is demanding fiscal responsibility of the government “holding us all hostage”?

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

If you have to ask that question you have no business being on these pages.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Demanding ‘fiscal responsibility”??? From the party whose presidents have spent like drunken sailors since Eisenhower was in power and are now responsible for more than 90% of our debts??? They have no right to demand anything!! Deficits obviously didn’t matter for 8 stright years while Bush was in office running up close to 1/2 trillion in deficits every year (and that wasn’t even counting some monies he was spending outside the budget). When you spend like a drunken sailor for 8 years while your president is in charge and then start demanding fiscal responsibility when you’ve lost the White House – THAT’S HOLDING THE COUNTRY HOSTAGE FOR NO GOOD REASON!! Despite the lies and distortions from the GOP – AMERICA IS NOT BROKE!! NOT EVEN CLOSE TO IT!! Our debt to GDP ratio is around 71%, while virtually every other industrialized nation similar to ours in the world runs a debt to GDP ratio of over 80% – even Canada, our neighbor, has a ratio of around 87%; have you heard every Canadian spouting – Wow!! We’re going broke!! Of course not, because it’s ridiculous. That’s not to say we shouldn’t be concerned that our debt to GDP is getting up there, BUT IT’S NOT THE DISASTER THAT THE GOP WANTS US TO THINK JUST SO THEY CAN GUT EVERY SOCIAL PROGRAM AMERICA HAS!!!

stcroixcarp

Read Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine”. It explains what is going on here. The republicans want a constant crisis so they can do outrageous things and grab power. People tend to do really stupid things and agree to stupid ideas and want strong leadership when there is a crisis or an emergency. It is a fight or flight thing.

Michael Kollmorgen

I’ll be getting that book this weekend. Thanks for the info.

highpckts

Dominick – Not happening! Mainstream Americans don”t care! For instance, a local restaurant in the morning talks between patrons shows that reality shows are far more important than the news! Bring up a political subject and their eyes glaze over! They still vote because they are “Americans” but Lord knows what they are voting for!!
highpckts

Where in the world do you get your facts and numbers?? Do you just make them up for controversy or just pull them out of your A@@! I swear you are certifiable!!
elw

The GOP is a lost Party and will be nothing more than a note in history if it does not change its ways. You would think losing the National vote repeatedly would wake them up, but their Tea Party majority is ethically and mentally challenged and is not capable of making reasonable decisions or learning from mistakes.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jake-Blanton/100001675138371 Jake Blanton

For the Republicans to compromise with the leftists would be like a rape victim trying to compromise with the rapist. Sometimes, you have to stand up for what is RIGHT — a concept that is quite lacking with the leftist scum out there.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

You have blown your cover boy.Right? They are right alright.They are extreme radical fascist asshole right and the can go right on being that way until the are rotted right into the bargain.When you use the word scum,hold up a mirror.
elw

You and people like you are exactly why the GOP is a dying Party. To call people you disagree with scum and compare them to a rapist and then claim that is standing up for what is right makes you as morally corrupt as that rapist. Good people understand that if we are to live together everyone needs to give and compromise – a concept that is totally lacking in people like you.
Michael Kollmorgen

You don’t compromise with people who approve of rape of women and children.

Sorry, but you better check your history of what Republicans have been and are supporting. Romney is a Bishop of the Mormon Church. He, as a result, supports young girls getting married to old men in the secrecy of the Mormon Church. Romney also supports Republican Candidates who support the concept that women openly deserve rape.

No Democrat supports rape of women – Republicans do.

No Democrat supports rape of children – Republicans do.

Now, who’s the Scum……………..

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_REQQEMPOQISA3W6B42SHFMKTEM Andrew

The President needs to expose the dysfunction of the Republican Party?!? Really? Those of us who actually have grey matter between our ears already know this…the problem lies in the GOP voter, who hasn’t seem to have “caught up” to this sad fact….
Regarding the GOP’s Reverse Robin Hood fiscal policies, here are some staggering facts:
The Bush 43 TCLs (tax cuts/loopholes), which are mostly STILL IN EFFECT (all except tax rates on the wealthy, which was repealed in the Fiscal Cliff mess), allowed wealthy US Americans and big US corporations to shelter $42 trillion in income from 2001 to 2012…let that sink in for a bit…$42 trillion…$42 trillion….
Because that $42 trillion was sheltered from taxation, the US Treasury lost $16.6 trillion in tax revenue during that period of time…again, let that sink in…$16.6 trillion…
Our current national debt has risen by $11.5 trillion since 2001 and it’s all on the GOP’s Reverse Robin Hood fiscal policies, even President Obama’s “share” of it…
Our current national debt is about $16.5 trillion…go back to the amount of tax revenue lost because of the Bush 43 TCLs and compare it to our national debt…when you do the math, you come to one inescapable conclusion: the GOP are horrible stewards of our economy and have been since Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, the last good GOP President, left office on 20 January, 1961…The last 3 GOP Presidents are responsible for more than 90% of the national debt. I have no problem with the GOP’s “national debt clock” so long as they admit that they’re responsible for more than 90% of it….otherwise, they need to seriously STFU about it.
ObozoMustGo

EJ Dionne, useful idiot du jour, once again pens a know nothing piece of garbage full of propaganda and Obozo worship. What the heck is wrong with you? You claim that Congress and the President have always had this chummy relationshipe where everyone negotiated in good faith and got along. First off, that’s whole crock of sheet, and you know it. Bitter contention between the Executive branch and Legislative branch has been the rule, not the exception. Secondly, whether it was so chummy and professional is of no consequence. The real issue is that what they have been doing for 100 years is expanding the size of government TOO DAMNED MUCH and spending is out of control. What the hell is wrong with you in wanting more spending to continue growing out of control? What part of going bankrupt don’t you understand, EJ, and all of you other leftist freak idiots? At some point, the SPENDING MUST BE CUT.

BTW…… The sequester was Obozo’s idea. Obozo also pledged in a press conference to veto any attempts by Congress to reverse the sequester. Bob Woodward has even proven it in his piece last weekend and Obozo has been bald-faced lying about it. Now he’s been caught in the lies and is threatening Woodward. Obozo is nothing more than a thug.

BTW2… EJ, and all of you useful idiots, we DO NOT have a democracy. Though we have democratically elected officials, we have a representative REPUBLIC. Democracy is majority rule, and our founders knew that was a bad idea. Instead, our Republic is formed to insure that the rights of the minority cannot be taken awaw. The the minority will always have a voice and say. So while Obozo won election in 2012, so did the Republicans win the House, and while they are a minority in governing, the voice they are representing is a actually a majority of Americans that believe government must cut spending.

Have a nice day!

“Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state lives at the expense of everyone.” ― Frédéric Bastiat

“The task of weaning various people and groups from the national nipple will not be easy. The sound of whines, bawls, screams and invective will fill the air as the agony of withdrawal pangs finds voice.” — Linda Bowles

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

Yup you sure are right.Every time an effort is made to wean big business off corporate welfare they scream and bitch so loud it can be heard across the country.

Wayne Baughan

Boy what an imaginative interpretation of the truth.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

So Wayne,tell us,would you support or oppose the elimination of oil and gas subsidies that would save us ten billion a year? I mean after all it certainly is an expense we don’t need and with big oil and gas posting record profits,they clearly don’t need to be subsidized.Seems like a good place to start cutting wasteful spending,don’t you agree?

jstsyn

Run the a$$hole republicans out of Washington. They do no good, what use are they? Someone will eventually lose their temper. America is tired of it.
Canistercook

Guess its easy to blame the ‘other side’ and feel smug. What happened to leadership and the rights of 47% of the population who do not support Obama. Are we heading for a bigger MESS!

jmprint

If you (the republicans) would step aside and let the president do his job. The Nation would recover faster and you wouldn’t have to worry about a MESS!

Canistercook

Wish you were right but things are not looking good for anyone. Where’s the budget. Guess you would like to have Obama take as much as he can from the ‘rich’ we we can all be poor together like Mexico. Hitler took the money from the Jews and Bankers and the Germans paid very dearly for it.

jmprint

Hello this is America, not Russia, and there is a lot of rich people in Mexico. It is up to the House to present a bill that the President can pass. He has stipulated over and over that he will not approve one that cuts into the medicaid/Medicare program, and the republican keep pushing Norquist bullshit on paper and call it a budget, the budget that most American disapprove of. One of the biggest reasons President Obama got elected. If the President wasn’t doing his job, we would be in a depression right now, so please stop saying that we want the rich to support the poor. We just want them to stop giving tax breaks to those that can afford to pay their full share, not partial. Our taxes have to cover for those loop holes and tax breaks.

Canistercook

Hello, I had hoped it was America not Russia and there are also a lot of poor in Mexico. What you are saying is it is up to the House to go along with anything the King wants! Four years without a budget! I agree everyone should pay their ‘fair’ share so you should be paying as much as Romney or Buffet but I doubt you do. Every man and woman has an equal responsibility to support their government unless they are in some way disabled or too old. That’s only ‘fair’. Just because someone earns more than another is not a valid reason to say he owes ‘more’ support. If one man plants a field of corn and the able bodied man next door does not it is not incumbent on that first man to split his crop with his next door neighbor. That’s NOT FAIR!
jmprint

Percentage wise I paid more than Romney last year. I was at 14% he was at 12%. And no he did not pay all taxes due, because his money is in another country bank shielded from being taxed. And no it’s not fair for the man with the larger crop to have to give to the poorer one, as long as he didn’t get subsidies for his land and seeds.
Canistercook

How uninformed you are. Anything earned by Romney no matter where is taxable but he is allowed to deduct foreign tax paid on foreign income. But if you paid more in real dollars then Romney to support our government you must be ‘rich’. But I doubt it. I agree on one thing – all subsidies need to be looked into. For example Hollywood actors take royalties on films not big paychecks because they are coded as capital gains by the IRS which is why they love Obama! Only us hard working small business operators taxed at 39%+ don’t approve of him. There are capital gains and capital gains and some should not be capital gains!
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Canistercook, talk about clueless – if you really believe that Romney has even been recording all the monies he’s had in offshore accounts in his U.S. tax returns, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that’s for sale – are you interested?? You have to be pretty niave not to know why Romney so adamantly refused to divulge any tax returns that he hadn’t rigged to show that his tax numbers were above a 10% tax – you can be sure there have been years he’s paid far less tan 10% because of his ‘creative bookkeeping” Maybe even less than 0%. And just because you don’t like it, doesn’t make it wrong, that virtually every industrialized nation on the planet has a progressive tax system where those who have more – PAY MORE!! And there’s a reason for that – people who have more by-in-large utilize much more of everything; Do you have 5 houses that are sucking electricity and burning fuel to keep them warm every winter?? Putting a bigger strain on the planets oil resources and creating much more pollution? Romney does!! Do you have 4 or 5 cars that need to be kept up and groomed in case you want to use them next week?? Romney does!! Do you travel constantly all over the planet utilizing your own plane that chews up more natural resources and spews more pollution into the air than any 100 other normal people?? Romney does!! Do you have a mega yacht that guzzles more gas on a party weekend than any 100 families would use?? Romney Does!! There are exceptions, but people with money generally do more environmental damage both polution and to our infrastructure than a large number of other poorer people who are in the middle class and should pay more taxes!!!!
Michael Kollmorgen

Heads Up!

Many foreign banks these days are not allowing american citizens to deposit large amounts of money in their banks.

They are getting fed up with Americans.
Canistercook

As an individual you cannot ‘shield’ INCOME earned in a foreign country from US taxes if you are a resident of the US. This is a lot of stupid information. All ‘income’ is taxable. There sure are a lot of misinformed people out there. You can deduct any foreign taxes paid on that income.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

You can if you hide it in a place that doesn’t send 1099s to Washington and you don’t report it in your tax returns as Romney and other rich people have obviously done. There was no agreement with Switzerland saying the banks there had to report American people’s incomes to the IRS – that’s one reason UBS is in hot water today. And the same goes for the Cayman Islands – the investment companies there weren’t legally responsible for reporting incomes to the IRS. Why do you think rich folks were putting their money there?? These places didn’t provide any better returns than American banks – they had to have some benefit – like not reporting to the IRS!!! Talk about being clueless!!!
Canistercook

That’s the problem with democracy and voters. There are reciprocal agreements with foreign banks and you are already accusing Romney of deceit with absolutely no proof of it. Sure you can fail to include income on your tax return like becoming a tree cutter or selling goods at flea markets or operating some kind of cash business where they can put a dollar in the till and a dollar in their pocket. But you are assuming that most rich people are cheats. I don’t know how many ‘rich’ people have foreign accounts and I doubt you do. I understand if you make investments in foreign companies, and many do, including American’s pensions funds your dividends come sometimes in foreign currency. I am sure there are people from countries all over the world that have property and bank accounts in their home countries. Whether they cheat with them or not I and I don’t think you know so I do not make accusations about things I have no knowledge of or proof of. Becoming ‘rich’ is not a sin if it was earned the old fashioned way by hard work and saving and the ‘rich’ have contributed much to the benefit of society, including things like Central Park in N.Y. and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Many seem now to have become jealous of the ‘rich’ but America was made successful compared to many other countries by those with ambition, ability and the drive to get ‘rich’. Most poor countries lack the Corporate structure we enjoy because there has not been the incentive to form groups to finance productivity. Instead they still plow fields with oxen.

Canistercook

Heil Hitler!

Wayne Baughan

Just how far in debt, and at what rate of increase in the national debt is acceptable to you lefties?`

What will you do when forced to cut till we have a surplus in budget due to reaching our credit limit, which is what will happen as soon as the fed borrows us all to our collective credit limit.
after all they are borrowing in our name and spinning as if it isn’t so.

The message from DC seems to be, spending never has to be paid for. in the last 4 years the new spending has already ruined the American way of life for at least 2 generations of unborn Americans. Enjoy and Remember when America was Great and Respected throughout the world

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Myers/100001512942781 Jim Myers

Replying to Wayne Baughan -

I do remember.

When George the Second took office, and the tax cuts were proposed in order to AVOID the budget surplus from growing to the point that the National Debt would evaporate.

However, Alan Greenspan proposed a “Trigger” to rein in the tax cuts if the deficits grew too large.

WELL, WE ALL KNOW HOW WELL THAT WORKED OUT.

AND NOW, ALL THE SO CALLED “CONSERVATIVES” BLAME PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR THE MESS WE ARE IN.

It’s time for those on the Right to GROW A PAIR.

The National Debt falls squarely on the Bush Tax Cuts, Unfunded Wars, an attitude of “DEFICITS DON’T MATTER”
and the idea that once WELFARE FOR THE WEALTHY was implemented, those Tax Cuts could NEVER be repealed.

GROW UP ALREADY!!!!

This is all history. No matter how much the Right tries to spin the facts, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THIS MESS RIGHT NOW IF THE “TRIGGER” PROPOSED BY ALAN GREENSPAN HAD BEEN SQUEEZED.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Cutting budgets is not the solution to reducing the deficits – you’ll never get there that way. Obama has already cut spending faster than any president in at least the last 150 years – he’s reduced Bush’s disasterous last budget that included 1.6 trillion in deficits to a budget with 1.1 trillion in deficits within 3 years (1/2 a trillion reduction). But that’s really not going go solve anything – to reduce the 16.4 trillion in deficits, 90% of which are the responsibility of three GOP presidents: Reagan and the two Bushs; we need to rev up the economy by creating new companies and jobs to bring tax revenues back up that are down over 1 trillion /yr since George allowed the economy to trash thousands of companies and 14 million jobs. Basically, the GOP has to stop being obstructionists to the creation of jobs. The House has been sitting on two of Obama’s jobs bills that would create millions of jobs if they would bring his American Jobs Act (see it at whitehouse dot gov) up for a vote and pass it. The GOP is obviously not really concerned about the deficits or they would have already done that.

cpbis

We seem to be talking about 2 different things here! If one looks at “budgets” only your references are accurate as far as I can tell without researching it. Also, the problem with the GOP budgets was that they cut taxes while failing to cut spending, revenue verses expenditures. One cannot cut income and raise expenses without leaving a huge deficit. I believe we are both correct in our assessments, a balanced approach is the only answer. That is what I referred to…….spend on infrastructure whereby you will increase income by having more people working, companies expanding, etc. You sound like you might like to read the book “End This Depression Now” which explains my comments far better than I ever could. Thanks for your “intelligent” response. I always prefer these kinds of comments that are without “name calling”.

Michael Kollmorgen

Funny thing about this is:

When we had inflation, some say to double digit, we nearly had full employment, people were working and making really good money and our government was fully funded.

Now, very little to NO inflation, high unemployment and wages have been brought back to 1090 levels or worse.

Inflation to some degree is good, not bad in most situations.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jake-Blanton/100001675138371 Jake Blanton

To compromise with the tax and spend leftists is to let them win. They will just use that position to further their fiscal destruction of the US. Just like with your family budget during trying times, we need to reduce the federal spending that the leftists and their RINO cohorts have allowed to balloon to the point where we fiscally in peril.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Really, is that why the only presidents who have actually governed by increasing deficit spending over the past 50 plus years are Republicans? Yup! Every GOP president in office after Eisenhower governed with significant deficit spending – and Reagan was the worst – his average 8.7% budget increase every year he was in office are the worst in American history; and follwed right behind him is the 8.3%/yr budget increase of George Bush, jr. His Dad’s 5.3%/yr increases weren’t near as bad, but still rank right up there with many of the other drunken sailor presidents. In contrast, Bill Clinton’s 2.1%/yr avg was better than a lot, and Clinton even managed to govern with surplus budgets his last 3 years – something only one GOP president has done in the past 150 years (only Eisenhower). In contrast to all the excessive spending of the GOP – Obama actually has negative 1.4% budgets as he’s decreased deficit spending faster over the past 3 years of any president in at least the past 150 years – Obama reduced Bush’s budget that he inherited which ran till 9/30/09 from 1.6/yr to 1/1trillion/yr in 3 years with 3 straight years of budget cuts – 1st time that’s been done since Truman cut budgets for 3 years in a row right after WWII. So when you categorize Dems as tax and spend leftists, you’re being nothing but delusional – every Dem president in office starting with Carter, has inherited significant deficit spending and has worked to reduce it. The term you should be using is: “The never tax me but spend like drunken sailors Republicans!!!!”
cpbis

What you do not want to recognize is based on today’s dollar this administration has spent less than any over 40 years. As most economists and history tells us that this is the time for government to spend more not less. I could try to explain but time and space prevents me from doing so. Have you ever taken an advanced economic class/course? My guess is “no”. Simply put, government spending money on our depleted infrastructure would enable some 2 million new jobs and begin to elevate spending by consumers forcing manufacturers to expand, hire more people and invest in capital. History shows that is what got us out of depressions and recessions since the 1870′s. Also, our dollar’s value has been greater when taxes were higher. What good is it to get a $200 tax break that causes you to spend $1,200 more on essentials (the Bush years are the best example). We do need to cut but in an intelligent way which would indicate our need to cut waste and inefficiencies.
charleo1

Well Jake, I know you won’t believe a word of it. But, the point we were in fiscal peril,
was when Wall Street, and GM were turning to Federal Government, because that was
all they had left to turn to. Like poor people when they are hungry, or get sick. Only more
expensive. We were in fiscal peril, when 800,000 Americans were losing their jobs
every month. When are largest trading partners in Europe were teetering on the brink
of bankruptcy. We were in fiscal peril, when we had 200,000 troops fighting half way
around the world, and the cost to keep them there was running a million dollars per
month, each. But don’t worry, there was no compromising with the Republicans.
It’s hard to compromise with nothing. Which is what they done, when their Country
was in fiscal peril. Well, that’s not quite right. They ran around the Country like a
bunch of idiots, flapping their gums about deficits, and never missing a chance to
tell an anxious Country how bad things were, and how much worse they were going
to get, if we didn’t shut down the government. Seeing as how, if they can’t run things
into the ground, it’s hardly worth showing up. So, they didn’t. And that left only those
damned tax, and spend Liberals, to pull the economy back from the brink. Which,
if you care to look around, they did! And, I think that deserves a little respect. And
some compromise. Not to let us win. But for the good of the Country, and we can all win!

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jake-Blanton/100001675138371 Jake Blanton

The same ones who decided to exterminate the Brand Davidians?

Michael Kollmorgen

At least Spell Correctly.

It isn’t the Brand Davidians. It is the Branch Davidians. DUMMY

And by the way, if was their own faults they wound up in the situation they were in. They believed in David, a self-professed profit, let along believing in a fake god.

They had ILLEGAL Weapons, Dave was mollesting their children (that’s why he didn’t allow those children to be released before the final hour).

It was a Disaster which was created by David, a fake god and a LOT OF STUPID PEOPLE IN THERE.

Maybe the government did use too much force. Maybe the government should have just barricaded the place up and let them all starve to death and with a total news blackout.

Who knows, maybe they would have wound up taking David out and getting out of there on their own, IF the entire complex was barricaded for as long as it was necessary. We’ll never really know.

plc97477

I think right up to the end they were hoping to at least save the children.

Michael Kollmorgen

That I believe was the governments’ main intent, to save the children. After the kids were out of there, let the cards fall where they may.

This is why they finally invaded (more or less) Warren Jeffs Compound, to “save” the children.

The Government honestly needs to come up with a better excuse than “saving the children” though in these types of situations. It’s too easy of an excuse and it is really getting wore out, even though it is a truthful claim.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jake-Blanton/100001675138371 Jake Blanton

That would be because when the Dimocrats do it, they call it “empowering”.

Voter fraud put JFK in office. LBJ was very good at that.

cpbis

How sad we have people like you in our democratic way of life in the greatest country in the world. I suspect you are a Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Coulter and the like fan.

http://profile.yahoo.com/A4FWDOYB2YY4ORNTZ2UW5CSWXQ fidel

They know very well ,when the election happen in 2014 ,they are not be reelected,for that Reason ,they are Blocking everything from the President.What they are sure is THE BONUS CHECK THE CORPORATIONS GIVE TO THE EXTREMIST OF THE GOP. LONG DIE THE GOP.
http://www.facebook.com/victoria.jegede Victoria Jegede

THIS PEOPLE ARE DOING, WHAT THEY ARE DOING BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT IS A BLACK MAN. GOP SHAME ON YOU.
highpckts

/Typical GOP! Even with proof in front of you, you still spout the same lie!
highpckts

Stan – well everyone else must have the same problem with perception because Woodward is a has been and will do anything to get back in ANYONE’S good graces!!
http://www.facebook.com/victoria.jegede Victoria Jegede

THE GOP ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT IS A BLACK MAN. GOP SHAME ON YOU.
highpckts

Andrew – Let me tell you about the GOP voter! We have a little restaurant in town that the locals frequent and of course politics come up. Point being, you would not believe how little they know! I asked if they watch any news and the answer was it interfered with their reality shows! Seriously!! They had absolutely no idea about the sequester unless someone had brought it up in the restaurant! Scarey???

Michael Kollmorgen

Half of them don’t even use cable, don’t use the Internet, aren’t very aware outside of their direct “family” influence.

I’m surprised they even use Electricity.

lana ward

Type in, “”The sequester, Obamas’ grand bargain” ,Obama says the idea is his!!!!!
TheRightisohsoWrong

I have to admit, I’m a liberal, but not in favor of outlawing a lot of the weapons the president it trying to get rid of. My reasoning? I think the time will come when we need to use them against the “upper class!” Of course we will have help when it starts. Remember we have an all volunteer military, and most of them come from the lower economic class. Guess they will side with!!

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