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Memo Pad

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Fiscal Deal Passes As House GOP Clown Car Crashes, Again

January 2nd, 2013 12:25 am Joe Conason

Observing the Congressional Republicans repeatedly stumble in and out of their caucus clown car, blowing loud kazoos and muttering angry threats, should be painful, embarrassing, and highly instructive to any American voter with the patience to watch.  When their latest performance concluded late Tuesday night with a 257 to 187 vote passing the stopgap fiscal deal negotiated by the Senate and the White House, an unavoidable question lingered: What is wrong with those people?

The simple explanation is that the House of Representatives has increasingly been dominated over the past two decades by a coterie of tantrum-prone extremists, who lack the probity and steadiness required for democratic self-government. Their diminished capacity is reflected in the low quality of leadership they have chosen during this long twilight, from Newt Gingrich, Dennis Hastert and Tom DeLay to John Boehner and Eric Cantor, even as their politics have grown more and more extreme.

Under the stress of their incoherence, the Republican caucus is unable to escape one humiliating mess after another. The damage they routinely inflict on the country’s economy and future is reaching incalculable levels – and is almost certain to grow worse when they again hold the debt ceiling hostage next month.

By the end of the current episode – which is only an interlude rather than a true resolution – the top Republicans in the House had split, with Boehner casting a rare vote in favor, and House Budget Committee chair and former vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan (R-WI) voting yes, along with 84 fellow Republicans and almost all of the House Democrats, while House Majority Leader and would-be Speaker Eric Cantor (R-VA) voted no. On the floor, House Ways and Means chair Dave Camp (R-MI) tried to claim that this bill is “the largest tax cut in history,” although he might have difficulty explaining why more than 150 Republicans voted against it.

The Republicans’ incompetence in government is inextricably connected with their ideological extremism, as the latest events demonstrate. Hogtied by the craziness of the ultra-right Tea Party faction, the House GOP leadership cannot even cooperate with other Republicans in the Senate – who overwhelmingly voted for the “cliff” deal negotiated with Vice President Joe Biden – let alone conduct serious discussions with the White House.

Having refused to support the leadership’s “Plan B” scheme to raise taxes only on households making $1 million or more annually – despite confident claims by Boehner and Cantor that they had counted the necessary votes — the Republican caucus made both themselves and their leaders look ridiculous. It was a dreadful right-wing plan, but still much too liberal for too many of them. Tacitly acknowledging that he could no longer manage his restless wingnuts, Boehner insisted that the Senate and White House should come up with an emergency measure on their own.

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  • old_blu

    I hope the Republicans even took note on what lazy SOB’s the Republicans are, and how they like to hold us all hostage for no real gain in anything they want.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      The biggest thing Oboma did for America was allow Biden to negotiate for the Administration. A demend McConnel made so he did not have to go home to Kentucky and explain why he was negaotiating with a BLACK MAN as an equal!

      • jarheadgene

        You may have a very good point there ED….the people of Kentucky, includes Mr. McConnel still seem to make that inaccurate dismal cry, “The south will rise again”. They fail to realize the Civil War ended almost 150 years ago. And the Civil Rights laws have been in place for almost 50 years.

        • idamag

          Jarhead, they still haven’t accepted it.

      • old_blu

        I think you may be right, everytime I go down there it never fails someone calls me a Yankee, and I don’t think it is a term of endearment. (some think they are still fighting the civil war)

        Vice President Biden is awesome, and he rocks.

        • idamag

          I have found the same thing when I visit the South. I think their motto is, “Save your confederate money, the south shall rise again.”

        • ralphkr

          Correction, old_blu: They are still fighting the War Against Northern Aggression.

          • idamag

            ralph, what you call fighting Northern Agression was treason against the United States of America. Remember the south attacked fort Sumpter and started the war.

          • ralphkr

            Sorry, idamag, but the citizens of the former Confederate States of America call what we learned as the Civil War still call it the War Against Northern Aggression.

          • idamag

            They are against The United States of America with their hands out for welfare.

      • idamag

        Ed, I would like to see your post shared with every southern legislator.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Jones/827014412 Daniel Jones

    House UnRepresentative is the problem. They are so out of touch with their constituencies at this point that I really see the President having to take extraordinary measures to allow government to function.

  • http://twitter.com/SAJP Sa Janes

    It’s time to end Gooberism in this country.

    Further allowing these wingnut bozos to inflict their drama-queen hysterics on the rest of the country is no longer acceptable.

    Giving a baboon like Eric Cantor the ability to push legislation that adversely effects, not only me, but my children and the future of the USA, is just plain sickening.

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

    The last minute theatrics by Cantor, Ryan, Paul, Rubio and a few others were designed to please their respective constituencies. It was political posturing so transparent that I doubt it would impress the most ardent Tea Party zealot.
    The decision to spend Christmas at home denied them the time to introduce changes to the Senate bill and send it back to the upper chamber for reconciliation. They shot themselves in the foot and paid a heavy ideological price for it. The only Republican that is likely to benefit from this ridiculous last minute exercise may be Speaker Boehner, who managed to prevent a revolt within his own party, and who managed to explain to the most radical members of his party the consequences of going over the fiscal cliff and who would be held responsible for it.
    The Senate bill is far from perfect, but it is a good compromise that will allow us to move forward and avoid impacting the economy and the government programs millions of Americans depend upon for substenance.
    The biggest danger, and the likely reason TP members in the House caved in is the national debt ceiling debate that will start in a month or so. I suspect that most TP members concluded the debt ceiling exercise will give them a lot more leverage to push extensive spending reductions compared to their tenuous position on the fiscal cliff issue. The debt ceiling debate is bound to be very nasty and its consequences may be far reaching, not only because of the likely impact on our well being, but because of its impact on our international credibility.

    • old_blu

      From the sound of things the President say’s he won’t let them hold us hostage on the debt ceiling, but I’m sure they are going to.

      You are right I think the whole last minute posturing was just so they could look good for the tea party, and they could have got off their lazy butt’s and started on this ‘oh, lets say the end of November, instead of the last day, then they may have got more of what they wanted now.

      • idamag

        Old-Blu, you are absolutely on the money.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/ZGYX7ZNZLPF3YIFWAWS3WKFE5M RonaldS

      Dominic – well said (again). I particularly agree with the fact that the extremists are throwing their own constituencies under the proverbial bus as they believe them to be stupid which by the way they are for voting these jackasses in to begin with.

      The looming ugly contest over the debt ceiling may be a final blow to the extremists. A lowering of the USA’s credit rating will hit everyones’ pocket book.

      So, I hope these voters come to their senses and vote more sensibly in 2014 even if it means they continue to vote Republican but with center-right candidates. I fervently hope we will see a more sane congress by 2014. One can always hope.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/GGHNYPK4GNCRYZLXWVZ447WHJM Plznnn

        If you want center-right candates from the Republican Party RonaldS, how will that help whrn there are very few center-right Democrats? The Democrat Party has many leftist extremists, more than on the Right.

        • charleo1

          If it’s true there are many more Leftist Extremists, than Right Wing Goobers, what has the Country done in the last 30 years for Lefties? Healthcare? No. A Heritage Foundation, Republican plan. Trade policies that don’t put American labor in direct competition with cheap foreign labor? No. A gradual raise in average pay, as corporate profits soared. No. Wages have fallen. People make on average less than in 1972. But, the left has made Social progress right? The Supreme Court has equated money with speech, in the Citizens United case. Agreeing with a Right Wing political organization. Corporations are now people with Constitutional Rights. If a person is discriminated aganist, they must find out about it, and file suit right away. Or else they have no case. That don’t sound like
          radical Left Wing extremism, running a muck to me. But, with the radical
          Che Guevara types in charge, the Second Amendment has been torn
          to shreds, and now Americans are defenseless aganist a radical Left’s
          redistribution policy, that has the top 1% standing in long soup lines,
          due to the outrageous 0% cost of capital loaned to the big banks, and job killing tax rates, of which only 1 in 4 corporations ever pay a dime,
          The food stamp program is working overtime, so Americans don’t starve
          while third world slave labor is handed their jobs.
          Yep, sounds like the Liberal Loonies are really ruining the Country!

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/YDGRKS5L2M2G2J6DTM4ZI25C2A John Griggs

            Charle01, do you shop at Wal-mart? If you do, you are allowing the cheap foreign labor to win out against our American labor. Or are you like the majority of Americans, and want to stretch their dollars and buy as cheap as they can get by with, thereby giving them a better standard of living? If you raise import taxes to allow our unions to make the same merchandise that is being shipped in here now, at a competitive price, the standard of living of all Americans except some of the Union Bosses will be eroded.

          • neeceoooo

            We should all stop shopping at Wal-Mart, I have. I even gave up my Sam’s card and now shop at Costco.

          • sigrid28

            I agree. We need to act differently, big time. Whenever possible, I “shop” at Good Will, and supply this retailer with good things I no longer need or never needed so other people can shop there, too. Shop locally at mom-and-pop stores at least once a week. Consume wisely when you must get new stuff. Go shopping in your closets and cupboards.

            We also must switch the terms of political discourse to jobs, a living wage, and economic stimulus to raise revenues by putting Americans back to work with salaries that will support consumers and increase revenues that way. By making us talk incessantly and fruitlessly about the debt, the deficit, and encouraging job creators, the far-right has only protected the top 2%, who are their campaign contributors. They must be disabused of the idea that they will continue to dominate with this failed argument.

            How to move the conversation in the right direction? Just turn off the media with its craven impulse to hype false equivalencies. Think for ourselves and let our representatives know what we are thinking. Make calls via the Democratic campaign’s online phone system whenever elections can be influenced, wherever they may be, so better candidates win elections. Fill up the virtual and actual mail boxes of elected representatives until they get off the dime and do the right thing.

          • neeceoooo

            These are some great points, thank you.

          • idamag

            I wish we had a costco store in our comunity.

          • idamag

            John, I was watching a judge reality show and the judge says, “You are either part of the problem or you are part of the solution.” Sense of community and loyalty to one-another is lost with the new loner mentality. They cannot see down the road to what their loyalty to bloated corporate America is doing to this country. I don’t shop at Walmart on principle. There are too many people who don’t understand principle.

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/RFEPMKNCBVGJYV2X7LBNDGRUEY William

            Seams the GOP can justify anything they support with lies about unions, when unions are gone labor, the middle class and the poor will be next.

          • idamag

            William, one of the first things hitler banned was unions.

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_B6RROC4IUESHT322QS5VJVPYRM Lynda

            Exactly the point.

          • InsideEye

            Guns and then the offenders

          • charleo1

            Do I shop at Wal-Mart? Sure. But here’s the deal I think you’re missing in the better
            standard of living equation. The average hourly wage at Wal-Mart is $8.18. They
            are the largest employer in the Country. And nearly half of their workforce is considered
            part time, so they don’t qualify for the company health plan. The average workweek
            for the part time employees is 30 hours, or about $981.00 per month. And, they also
            require these employees to be available for weekends, days, or night time. So getting
            a second job is not possible. This is by design. We can’t afford tired employees. So,
            what happens when this employee, or their child gets sick? They go to the emergency
            room. Who usually pays is you, and me. Since 981.00 a month for a family of 3 is
            at or below the poverty level, our young Mother also qualifies for food stamps, free
            school lunches, section 8 housing, and assisted child care. Who do we suppose pays
            for that? It’s not Wal-Mart. But since they are the number one employer, as goes Wal-
            Mart, so goes the retail, and service industry. I hear lot of so called Conservatives say
            the Government, meaning the Federal Government, doesn’t have a taxing problem, it
            has a spending problem. You probably agree with that. So, outside of the military,
            what does this big bloated Federal Government spend most of that money on? Look no
            further than our young Wal-Mart employee. What she earns, what Wal-Mart pays
            her, is about half of what it takes to keep her, and her two children fed, clothed,
            sheltered, and medically attended. But our taxpayer subsidy to the Nation’s largest,
            and most profitable employer never shows up on the price tags in their store. It shows
            up on our tax bills. And in the deficit spending everybody seems very concerned about,
            but not concerned enough to investigate, and find the real reasons behind the spending.
            I had one fellow tell me the other day, the reason American’s wages have been flat, or
            going down the last 30 years, is poor people. Really, I ask? Absolutely, he said.
            The poor people all shop at Wal-Mart, and they, (Wal-Mart,) can’t afford to sell their stuff that cheap, and pay the help a lot of money. He has a point. But, the U.S.A. has the
            problem.

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

            What an effective business model- privatize the profits and pass the externalities/losses to the tax payer (corporate welfare?). Must be effective- Wal Mart is the largest private sector employer in the U.S. But corporations are people and the republican party needs a constituency.

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/PASUKBKFRYDL62QPYTQDVWYM7A Bruce Brown

            The liberals answer to everythng RAISE TAXES, but that doesn”t make the USA more competive in the WORLD, don’t forget about the world economy.

          • dmkm

            You are so right! Now we need to remember these things and start voting into office the people who care about the USA and its citizens and put into practice bills and laws that work to better the USA ..ie Some intelligent, educated people not people who sign pledges and are bought by lobbyists. They only care about their pay, their healthcare, their pensions,
            and getting re-elected…pay attention to what they do and how they vote and hold them accountable by putting them out of office.

          • charleo1

            It seems people are pretty good about keeping up with headlines, and coming to
            sensible conclusions. But we don’t vote often enough. When a lot of folks show
            up, it seems like some very positive things happen. When they don’t, like 2010.
            Some very bad things happen. At least that’s my take on it.

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UDUIOP3HEXZC5WR67NBDIFWDMI Russell W Pope

            HOW RIGHT YOU ARE. Or should I say “left”. In any event I agree with your stance on such issues.

        • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UDUIOP3HEXZC5WR67NBDIFWDMI Russell W Pope

          Leftist extemists?? Tell me what is extreme about their programs…equal rights for women, support for worker’s right to organize, sane gun-control laws, a fair minimum wage, elimination of tax loopholes which allow many major corporations to avoid paying any federal taxes, equal rights for gay and lesbians….. I hardly consider such policies extreme, but rather fair and just.

      • TheOldNorthChurch

        The looming ugly reality is that the USA credit rating will be lowered do to our inability to lower our National Debt. It is not do to increasing the Debt Ceiling. If interest rates increase on our Debt fro the current all time low of 1.9% to even a low 4.0% we are in very big trouble. Payment for the National Debt will increase from $ 275,000,000,000 to $550,000,000,000 in just a few short years. This will equal the amount paid for Medicare today.

        Do you really think the USA can manage this? What entire Departments will be eliminated to pay for it?

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

          Which Departments should be eliminated now to prevent the accumulation of debt caused by our refusal to pay for what we need?
          Yes, since we are unwilling to pay for all the programs and services we get, there is no choice but to reduce spending. Republicans, the champions of “charge it” talk a good game when it comes to the debt. Please tell us how you would reduce the deficit to the point that borrowing is no longer necessary without raising revenues.
          The only increases in spending in the fiscal cliff compromise are an extension of unemployment benefits and $27B to help Americans affected by hurricane Sandy rebuild their lives.
          How did you feel when George W. Bush spent $1.5T destroying and then rebuilding Iraq? Did you voice your outrage then, or should we assume you only oppose initiative to help our fellow citizens? Again, please provide specifics on how to achieve meaningful deficit reduction. I have done it on numerous occasions and would happily do it again.

          • TheOldNorthChurch

            Bush was an idiot. I will highlight what I think can be done and will start with OASDI, Medicare, Defense, Medicaid and the National Debt. It might surprise you all.

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/H2QV4OEMGZNQPFSKOIFKSSACUU Samuel

            I agree with the defense, even though majority of Republicans already have criticized the President for putting the country in harms way for suggesting such cuts. What do you do though with the baby-boomers who will soon need assistance?

          • TheOldNorthChurch

            Samuel we need to make these changes now or the system will simply not survive, I will present my ideas

        • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_B6RROC4IUESHT322QS5VJVPYRM Lynda

          In 2011 interest on out debt made up 6% of total Federal Spending. Breakdown was 56% for mandatory spending, 38% of discretionary spending and the 6% already mentioned.

          In the administrations requested 2013 budget the amount of Federal Spending for interest on the debt was projected at 7%. Medicare and other heath care issues projected to be 24%, with Social Security/Unemployment/Labor projected to be 34%. The Federal Government can borrow money today at nearly historic low rates of interest, so we clearly have time to address all of our issues without panic. At least for now.

          • http://www.facebook.com/deborah.lazaroff Deborah Lazaroff

            May I remind everyone that with a tax rate of 39% on incomes of $250+ under Clinton, we were able to pay for everything AND ended the nineties with the first budget SURPLUS in over 40 years?

            We don’t need to cut a bloody cent in anything but defense, and we shouldn’t. Instead of wasting time talking about what should be cut, we should look at history and the times when the economy was booming, and RAISE TAXES HIGHER ON THE WEALTHY. For Christ’s sakes, people, the tax rate on incomes $300K+ was as high as 91% in the fifties, and our economy was never stronger. In fact, it didn’t go below 69% until 1987 (yes, not until Reagan’s second term)–and that’s when our problems began.

            Stop talking about the debt, which could be wiped out if we just went back to higher tax rates on incomes of $300K+. We did it before, we can do it again.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Joan-Maurer/100000910841619 Joan Maurer

          Our National Debt as a per cent of GNP is not at a historic high. The only thing that will reduce our credit rating (for only the second time) is the Republicans again being foolish with our debt ceiling.

          The Republicans only talk a good game on debt reduction (makes sense when you think who got our debt to the current level). They are only willing to reduce Sociol Security and Medicare funding but unwilling to even discuss oil subsidies.

          This crisis was not caused by the poor and elderly and they should not be the only ones asked to sacrifice. Why do you suggest eliminating Entire Departments? What happened to balance? fairness?

        • Gammaanya

          Bush started 2 wars on CC and did not included in a budget – do your math and be true. Obama had to include all the expenses and cutthe cut taxes for the rich to his budget. As long as Obama is President NOTHING will be done in timely matter and in the good of the country. They failed at denying him 2nd term now they will do everything in their power not to do anything to help him and the Country. Hate is a powerful tool of obstruction and unfortunately no CURE. This would NEVER happened if the President were white and Republican. They would crucify Jesus for his liberalism.

          • idamag

            Gamm, you are right. Can you imagine the political rhetoric if Jesus had been running?

          • InsideEye

            DOMINUS VOBISCUM, IDAMAG of course

        • William Quigley

          Please replace your “do with due”.

        • charleo1

          There is simply no logic in the conclusion we must lower our National
          debt ASAP, because not to do so will result in higher interest rates. That
          is the amount of return the U.S. Government must offer in order to entice
          investment in T-Bills. The reason we can borrow so cheaply is the relative
          safety, or trust the investor at large has in the U.S. bond. The real danger
          of higher interest is created when, or if, it appears to these investors the
          U.S. might actually, over our politics, intentionally go into default. This
          has nothing to do whatsoever with market conditions, the ratio of GNP
          to debt, unfunded liabilities, or absolutely none of the market driven reasons that would justify such irresponsible, and irrational behavior
          Indeed, it is that very threat, and the apparent inability of our political
          system to deal with such a threat, that caused the shot across our bow,
          by a major bond rater the last time. And don’t kid yourself. These people
          know precisely what they are doing.
          It is beyond incredulous we would have men so ideologically extreme
          in their thinking, they would calculate a default could be anything but
          disastrous for the financial health of the Country. Don’t believe me?
          Bring it up with your local banker.

          • TheOldNorthChurch

            The only reason interest is low on T-Bills is that the Fed has set it so. They are inflating the money supply to keep it this way. We only default if we do not pay the interest payment on the Debt not if we increase the Debt ceiling. We can stop paying any number of items to do this. Borrowing a Trillion Dollars a year is not the solution.

            The Banker would be concerned because we would stop baling him out when he made ridiculously poor decisions to feather his own nest.

          • charleo1

            I can see the reason the T-Party is allowed to threaten to threaten, not only the U.S.
            economy, but the world economy as well. That is ridiculous what you said. You
            must know that at some level. I said talk to your banker, not to Jamie Diamond.
            If he has time he will explain why Spain’s interest rate is 20%, and has few takers,
            and the U.S. can sell all the T-Bills we want to offer for 1%. It’s called full faith, and
            credit of the largest, richest Country in the world. And these traitors, and that’s exactly
            what they are, are threatening to muck around with reputation of The United States.
            The country that backs the world’s reserve currency. The U.S. dollar. You are a great
            example of why a whole group of people better wise up in this Country. Or all of us are
            going to be very very sorry one of these days.

          • idamag

            charle, I feel the tea party is a threat to our democracy. They have already came out as anti-government, why would anyone send anti-government nuts to Washington?

          • charleo1

            They are being played for fools. I don’t worry as much as I did a couple of years ago.
            They threw everything they had at President Obama, and cussed progressives like
            they were dogs. Money, lies, propaganda, tried to turn American aganist American.
            Using race, wealth, religion, and fear. Even went to extraordinary lengths to suppress
            the vote! Americans proved it is no accident we have preserved our democracy through
            Civil War, two World Wars, a Great Depression, several attempts by an assortment
            of railroad, steel, and oil barons to purchase our government, steal our inheritance,
            and enslave our children. They have all failed. I have great faith in the collective
            wisdom of a free people. The T-Party does not. And they will pass. I’m sure of it!

    • TheOldNorthChurch

      The Senate Bill is not only far from perfect it should serve as a Banner of what is wrong with Our Federal Government. It now brings $1,650,000,000,000 in new taxes for 2013 and only provides $150,000,000,000 in spending cuts to an already blotted Federal Government. It illustrates clearly that the Federal Government can not be trusted to keep their word. The Sequestration was as a result of the 2011, Debt ceiling increase. It to has now been a lie to the American People.

      Next Battle is the 2013 Debt Ceiling, it will be time to Double Down that result in lowering the National Debt. Can we expect a coherent responsible bill from this Government? Very Doubtful. The phrase “Fiscally Responsible” is an oxymoron when it comes to this generations response to a big problem.

    • jebediah123

      Did anyone ever really sit down and figure out why this country has reached the debt “crisis” it has? Is it really all about the “takers” bleeding the country dry with constant demands for more “freebies”? Looking back over the past 25 years one has to ask, “How did we end up like this”?

      I may be wrong, but I believe that there is a fundamental flaw in the governance of this country, that flaw being the way spending and appropreation bills are allowed to pass.

      ANY BILL that reaches both houses of congress is not considered for passage solely on its own merit or intent. Almost always it is loaded up with other spending requests or demands which leaves each legislator with the decision—–Want your bill passed? Then you’ll have to include my demands.

      This is not the desired “compromise” that everyone wants. IT IS BLACKMAIL.

      Want that $235 billion military budget passed—then you’ll have to accept my $97 billion farm budget in the same bill—–then throw in $400 million for a bridge to nowhere in Alaska, $35 million to study the sex life of the dung beetle, and so on. Maybe you get the picture.

      There will be no “sane” government spending until each bill (or law, for that matter) can be considered for passage solely on its own merits without any other considerations added.

      Just look back 25 years and visualize how all these spending “requests” suddenly ??add up to a $16 trillion deficit.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_B6RROC4IUESHT322QS5VJVPYRM Lynda

        Here a little hint for you. Our Federal Budget consists of three parts. Mandatory Spending, Discretionary Spending and Interest of the Debt. Congress deals for the most part with Discretionary Spending. Mandatory Spending is taken out the day to day operations of Congress by law. Programs protected from interference such as Social Security. Congress deals each year with Discretionary Spending.

        Here is the breakdown of the ‘takers’ you are harping about. This is from the Discretionary Spending budget.

        Military 53%, Science 2%, Labor 2%, Transportation 7%, Veterans Benefits 4%, Education 7%, Energy/Environment 4%. Food/Agriculture 1%, International Affairs (not wars) 3%, other Health programs 5%.

        Do you see where most of that Discretionary Spending is ending up? Where would you start cutting to make a major change?

        • neeceoooo

          Thank you for this excellent post Lynda, we do not need to reduce on any of these.

        • idamag

          Lynda, excellent research.

      • idamag

        Do some research on corporate spending. They are “people” but they shouldn’t pay taxes. Exxon Mobile gets subsidies while paying no taxes and taking in record profits.

      • InsideEye

        Agreed, politicians think they have to keep bringing money back home. Probably to pay off friends with fake contracts……follow the money. STOP SPENDING.

    • joeham1

      Dominick, only an extremist like you would be ok with a deficit reduction plan that increases taxes and increases the deficit by trillions!

      Our President campaigned on a balanced approach to handling the deficit. As long as he has absolute morons like you who will only blame the GOP. He wins and the country loses!

      But don’t worry keep your blinders on. Keep spouting your hate for the right!

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/XPL7LVHHKZXB3BKEJZNTKRMBYY Susan

        Sorry, Joe, but you are the one who consistently spouts hatred. Dominic’s posts are always clear, reasoned, and civil. You would do well to imitate him.

        • idamag

          Susan, and, like Dominick, he should learn to use real facts.

          • InsideEye

            You must be a teacher.

        • joeham1

          Susan thanks for chiming in! Dominick’s post are usually never clear, and very seldom are the reasoned. I will agree however they are usually civil!

          Thanks for supporting Dominick!

          • BDC_57

            That means you need go back to school and learn how to read.
            His points are always clear.

          • joeham1

            Who asked you?

          • idamag

            Joe, hit a nerve did he or she? This is a public board and anyone on it can respond to anyone else on it. You should learn to read.

          • idamag

            Hmmm, joe, my suggestion to you is to start reading material that stretches your mind so you can understand people like Dominick. I always understant what he says. He is well read, educated and uses facts.

          • joeham1

            idamag…repeating what The National Memo says isn’t facts.

          • idamag

            Joe, go stretch your mind.

          • InsideEye

            I challenge you to take on joeham1 comments , instead of being felinely dismissive.

      • neeceoooo

        You need to take your blinders off, sir!

        • joeham1

          I took my blinders off! Your turn!

          Do you agree that a bill that raises taxes 620 Billion over 10 years and increases the deficit 4 trillion in the same time span is a balanced approach?

          How much more can our country take? In 2009 when the President said raising taxes in a slow economy is wrong, but now insists on raising taxes in a slow economy. Is that Ok?

          Do you think that 4 people murdered in Libya, and 2 weeks of blaming it on a video is ok?

          Do you think that a healthcare bill that raises costs and reduces services, but was promised to lower costs and increase services is ok?

          Do you think 5.5 trillion is deficit spending over 4 years is ok?

          Do you think telling the prime minister of Russia not to worry, that after the President is re-elected he can be more flexible is ok?

          Do you think that selling 1,500 guns to the Mexican drug cartel and then covering up and claiming exectutive privilege is OK?

          Do you think giving millions of Governement cell phones to people just they they will vote for you is OK?

          If your job is to uphold the law and not MAKE laws. Is it ok to tell 1.7 million ilegal aliens that your not going to uphold the law?

          Do you think it’s ok to increase poverty 6% in 4 years is ok?

          YOU NEED TO WAKE UP!

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

            Joe, instead of criticizing why don’t you offer solutions? Why don’t you tell us how you would reduce the deficit, eliminate the need to borrow, and stop accumulating debt? We are all ears.

          • idamag

            Dominick, as I said above, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

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

            Let me tell you what I would do, if it was up to me:
            1. 5% across the board budget cut for all Federal government departments and agencies.
            2. Withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of this year.
            3. Limit foreign aid to humanitarian aid, and stop all military aid.
            4. Merge agencies with similar charters. Such as NASA/NOAA and the CIA/FBI to reduce overhead costs and improve efficiency.
            5. Reduce the civil servant/contractor ratio.
            6. Reduce government travel and freeze salaries at the curret GS and SES level.
            7. Repeal the Congress/Supreme Court pay raises.
            8. Penalize companies that outsource jobs and reward those that invest and create jobs in the USA.
            9. Increase tariffs on foreign goods, and extend credit at low interest rates for domestic investment.
            10. Close military bases rendered obsolete by technology and current circumstances.
            11. Dissolve NATO
            I could add a few more things, but I have to do some yard work. :-(

          • joeham1

            Wow! I can’t argue with any of those ideas! The one I’m not sure of is increasing tariffs…That means they could do the same to us! I’m sure however there is a way to do it.

            Also, we need to reform entitlements. Obamacare creates a system that will make many doctors and hospitals incapable of taking medicare patients!

          • InsideEye

            I now also love Dominick , Dominus vobiscum, and Joeham1, now if we can only convert Idamag to reason properly. Blinded by o’Bama itis.

          • old_blu

            I’m sorry the people you voted to represent you did such a crappy job, next time vote them out that will teach em.

            (you’ll notice I did that without calling you any names)

          • joeham1

            Did you read what I wrote? You don’t have a comment ?

          • neeceoooo

            I do understand your note and I appreciate your thoughts however, I do believe that your facts are based on the view of Fox news.

          • idamag

            joe, try researching without using hate blogs or faux news. Get your facts before you speak.

          • joeham1

            What are you 8 years old? Calling Fox, Faux is cute! Research what I said. They are the facts…I realize radicals like you don’t want to hear anything bad about your savior. But what I wrote is researched and is the truth! live with it!

          • idamag

            Joe, I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am an American. It is you that only wants to hear bad about the President. Now for a few facts:

            The debt inherited by President Obama was the highest in history. It didn’t drop to 0 when he took office. It was still there and the problems that caused it were still there.From 2001 – 2009 Bush’s spending was greater 5 to 1 than Obama’s.

            Bush:

            Deficit raised $1,812 trillion in tax cuts.
            853 trillion for wars in Iraq and afghanistan
            224 billion Troubled Assets Relief (TARP).
            983 billion prescription drug program.

            Obama:

            620 billion extension Bush Tax Cuts
            874 Billion stimulus package
            324 billion mandatory spending
            113 billion discretionary spending
            From that subtract
            271 billion reduction in defense budget
            502 billion automatic spending cuts
            123 billion reduced health care spending
            51 billion discretionary spending cuts

          • InsideEye

            Well said, hope idamag can see through her foggy Demo glasses.

          • idamag

            Inside, I am not a Democrat. I am not a Republican. Like, James Madison, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, I am against political parties. They cause division and chaos as Madison said. I know Washington and Jefferson joined political parties, but they did not believe in them. We have the division and chaos that parties have done. However, when I listened to Bauchmann, Palin, Akers, and others, like them, I voted straight Democrat.

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

        Joe, this “extremist” believes we should pay for what we need and benefit from. Since I believe Social Security, MEDICARE, MEDICAID, our intelligence agencies, diplomatic corps, air control system, the CDC, border patrol, customs agents, food and drug inspectors, NASA, NOAA, the EPA and most Federal government departments and agencies are an absolute necessity to defend our sovereignty and maintain our standard of living I don’t mind paying my fair share to fund them.
        The compromise agree upon by the Senate and the House does not include trillions in new spending. It does include an extension of unemployment benefits and $27B to help victims of hurricane Sandy rebuild.
        I realize that for Republicans like yourself, helping fellow Americans is a horrible concept, especially when there are so many nation-building projects that would allow the likes of Halliburton, Brown & Root, Bechtel and other corporations to get sole source contracts and make billions for projects they seldom complete in countries where people hate our guts, but hey that’s the Tea Party way.
        In any case, I apologize for having the audacity of favoring paying for the things we get, instead of just charging it and letting a President refer to the debt as “just IOUs…pieces of paper”.

        • idamag

          Dominick, you notice these extremists do use what the government (we the people are the government) provides.

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

            Republicans, especially Tea Party advocates, only object to spending when a Democrat is in the White House. They enthusiastically supported W’s and Reagan’s largesse, deficit spending, borrowing, accumulation of debt, and raising the national debt ceiling (18 times when RR was in office and 7 times when W was president).
            The only consistency in their rhetoric, besides the double standard, is that they never offer solutions on how to reduce the deficit, stop borrowing, and reduce the national debt. That fact is not an accident, they know what they want to get rid of, they don’t want to say it because they know that even voters in red states will vote them out of office if they did. Their long term goal is to privatize SS, dismantle MEDICARE and MEDICAID, deregulate, and eliminate all programs/services that help the poor. Interestingly, the only people I know that have used, or use, MEDICAID, receive food stamps, use WIC, and go to Emergency Rooms when they are ill to get free care are Republicans!

          • Bob Williams

            Really, Dominick? I’m 72 years old and have been a Conservative all of my life, and never used Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, etc. And when I used an Emergency Room, if I didn’t have a job, I paid for it myself. If anyone finds themselves out of a job, then they have the right to use these benefits if necessary. For those folks who have been using them regularly for generations instead of working, however, they are abusing the system. I routinely see folks using WIC at the grocery store, and when I follow them to the parking lot, they are almost always driving a nicer car than I am. You can’t continue to spend more than you take in, and a country can’t either.

            As far as GWB and GHWB are concerned, they caved to the Democrats, and ended up taking it in the shorts, and to a certain degree, the country with them.

            We are rapidly reaching the point of no return on the National Debt, where we will have no way to pay it back. Those that think that the country can just “Tax The Rich” are hopelessly misguided. The rich didn’t get rich by being stupid, so they can either cut back on their investments, or do them off-shore and avoid the taxes. Then they can retire to the Bahamas and enjoy their money.

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

            The Republicans I know that have used MEDICAID, get food stamps, and WIC live in nicer houses and own better and newer cars than my 10 year old car. They also go on nice vacations that I cannot afford. I am not suggesting some Democrats don’t do the same, they do, I am simply pointing out that the stereotyping suggesting Dems are the only ones that benefit from government aid is wrong.
            GWB did not cave in to Democrats, Democrats caved in to Bush and shamelessly supported most of his policies, including the invasion of Iraq and not raising taxes to pay for it.
            Yes, the national debt is out of control and something has to be done to turn that around. Bill Clinton did it when he raised taxes. Admittedly, he benefitted from the dot com boom and other economic trends, but the additional revenues were critical in generating a surplus. The Bush tax cuts did not encourage private sector investment or job creation in the USA. It did wonders in China, India, Bangladesh and other countries, but not here. In fact, private sector investment and job creation were at record lows, when we exclude the fraudulent activities that brought our financial institutions and our economy to its knees.
            I believe we don’t use the term “conservative” properly. In my book, a conservative pays for everything he/she buys. Republicans love our military, most use our social programs, they benefit from the best air traffic control system in the world, they rely on our security agencies for our security, they benefit from the vaccines developed at the CDC, they want more border patrol, they benefit from food and drug inspectors, we all benefit from the work our diplomats do and from everything else we get from our government. Unfortunately, our “conservatives” don’t want to pay for what we need and benefit from and consider taxation an evil practice. Meaning they prefer freebies. They are not conservatives, they are fiscal liberals on steroids. The irony is that when it comes to fiscal matters Democrats are more conservative than the Republicans!

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

            The last real conservative I can think of was Teddy Roosevelt who instituted the national parks system, the progressive federal tax system and ran up San Juan Hill, in the Spanish American War (unlike present “chicken hawks” today).

          • idamag

            Roger, one of my heroes.

          • InsideEye

            Me too, idamag, finally we agree, a personal goal that I was trying to achieve.

          • idamag

            Let’s stop taxing anybody. Privatize everything, including fire, police, prisons, schools , streets, utitilities. Take all the regulations off and if you house catches fire, pay whatever they demand. Pay a private cement company to pour your sidewalks. Pay for your own streets and any streets you travel on. We can do this with toll booths on every corner.

            We have a privatized prison system in our state and there is one scandal after another.

          • InsideEye

            I live in rural area and that is how we live, local taxes take care of police, roads, fire is volunteer. But it is well funded thrugh donations, no toll booths, we have take no prisoners, they never arrive at court, we send them to ever welcoming NYC.lol….schools by the way would be better if done at home, safer, all from videos and on line teachers viewed over the iPad, no more department of education. If we can fight wars in virtual mode we can save some more money. Technology is already DRONING away to that reality.

          • idamag

            private schooling has one drawback, kids don’t learn a sense of community. They don’t socialize and learn to distrust. We have too much of that now.

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

            … who live in “red”, “right to work states”.

          • idamag

            I live in a red rtw state and believe me, it is a backward state.

        • joeham1

          Dominick, again you type a lot of things and say a lot of things are are either wrong or completely misguided…

          The CBO said this deal just signed (look it up!) raises the deficit 4 trillion. Our President said he wants a balanced approach…We didn’t get anything close to that. When he was in the Senate he said raising the debt ceiling was unpatriotic. Now he is spending so much so fast he wants to control the debt limit!

          You need to wake up! paying for things is a noble statement to make, however our Government is so out of control that we are paying for greed, fraud, and waste at a whole new level!

          Until people like you see what the President’s agenda is, the problem will only get worse!

          620 Billion in tax increases and 15 Billion in cuts! It’s hard to believe that even an extremist like you would be ok with that!

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

            The CBO estimates the compromise will raise the deficit $4T over the next ten years because the Bush tax cuts were made permanent for most Americans. Isn’t that what the GOP wanted, or are you suggesting the GOP was actually in favor of fiscal responsibility and championed raising tax rates to ensure revenues cover outlays?

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

            Regarding the spending reduction issue. The compromise tasks Congress with finding ways to reduce spending during the next two months. It is up to them to find ways to reduce the Federal government budget deficits. If they neglect to do so, like they did this past year, they should stop clamoring for spending reductions without ever offering a plan on how to achieve that.
            BTW, I support both, raising revenues and eliminating unnecessary or wasteful spending. I also believe our fiscal problem is not limited to government, and it includes personal debt caused by a tendency to live beyond our means and “charge” for things we can’t afford. We have acted irresponsibly for decades and it is now time to pay the piper.

        • InsideEye

          The Bill for Sandy is laden with much additional pork barrel spending, cars for other agencies and the like. That is why the Repubs are “holding it hostage “. All bille shopuld live and die by its own merit.

          • idamag

            Inside, have you read it?

          • InsideEye

            Yes, list is posted elsewhere

      • mavilasr

        Hi Joe, your extremist ideas are misplaced. How can anyone negotiate with a Just Say No Tea Party Republican? Even their leader, Boehner, failed in his negotiation with them. If their leader cannot garner support who can? I have not heard any rational argument from you or the Tea Party Republicans. All I’ve heard is BLAME, BLAME, BLAME, NO, NO, NO, OUR GOAL IS TO DEFEAT THE PRESIDENT, ETC ETC. Where’s the rational solution to our county’s fiscal problems? How about our hurricane victims? Why did the majority Republicans block much needed urgent help? How about Romney talking about the 47% of Americans in a degrading manner? How do you interpret his perception? Who won the election in November? Why did the GOP loose with the majority of Americans?

        • joeham1

          Mavilasr…The only thing you said that was accurate is the Romney 47% thing. The only extremist is Obama which is proven by the deal that was made..Where is your outrage at the fact that the so-called Balanced approach adds 4 trillion to the deficit? Is that exceptable to you? The Tea party republicans want to reduce the deficit…is that extreme? I want that don’t you? None of this has anything to do with the election…it has to do with our future! The reason I believe the GOP lost is because people like you will let the far left get away with anything….

          It’s funny because the right gave in and raised taxes on the rich. The left has no interest in reducing spending and your ok with it. As a matter of fact not one person who I’ve talked to on the National Memo will make Obama or Reed accountable for anything!

          For instance: 1/2 Billion to solyndra and 12 months later they go out of Business, 1,500 Guns to the Mexican Drug cartel, The Dodd/Frank Bill, 4 people dead in Libya because they had no security, 6% increase in Poverty in the last 4 years, Obama saying no to the pipeline and therefore killing 20,000+ jobs, and finally, increasing the deficit 5.5 trillion while not getting a budget passed for 4 years!

          Unless people like you really look and see what’s actually going on and stop just blaming one side…were all finished!

          • idamag

            Solyndra went out of business in 2008.

          • joeham1

            Solyndra went our of Business september 2010…Look IT UP!!

    • bckrd1

      The last debt ceiling debacle cost the US 230Billion in interest because of the rating downgrade. I wonder if these idiots realize what they are costing this country when they play these dangerous games. How much could have been done with 230 billion dollars? A lot.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

        bckrd1, It seems to me that the “real idiots” are the ones who put these same people back in office.

    • daniel bostdorf

      The heart of the matter when the “clown car crashed” is what Conason stated:

      “…when the Senate leadership, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, offered a bill negotiated with Vice President Joe Biden — just as Boehner had urged — the House Republicans descended into crisis. Their leaders couldn’t endorse the bill, fearing that the GOP caucus crazies would defenestrate them. But they could hardly employ their usual partisan tactics to keep the bill off the House floor, after the Senate had passed it by a vote of 89-8, with only five Republican defections. They might have noticed as well their declining numbers in every public poll, with the latest Republican-leaning Rasmussen survey showing a Democratic lead in the generic congressional contest of 11 points and climbing.”

      The American people are starting to realize that this country was founded on the Constitutional rinciple of “Of the people, by the people and FOR the people…” It is the UNITED STATES of AMERICA!

      It is NOT individual red or blue or any other color states.

      The TEAPARTY/GOP and it’s proaganda machine of Rove paid by Koch and othet billionaires tried to create another civil war. This time built upon socio-economic right wing ideaology. Greeed, avarice and un-American values pitted poor and middle class against each other.

      Obama and clear thinking Senators and House memebers have saved the Union from this “economic civil war.”

      Finally—PLEASE—shut off right wing propaganda Fox News, Limbaugh, O’Reilly and their lying ilk once and for all.

      History teaches us to be vigilant about this kind of fascistic propaganda:

      “Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels said it best:

      “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

      The truth has finally been seen by the American people.

      Obama was re-elected. GOP/TEAPARTY lost.

      Next up: 2014: Sweep of House of GOP/TEAPARTY.

      • charleo1

        Amen Daniel. Hey! you run, and I’ll vote for you. You don’t even have to pay me!

        • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

          charle01- I second that! If you and Daniel run on the same ticket, I’ll vote for you both!

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

        Today you would see Joseph Goebbels on the Fox ( Fascist, Obfuscation, Xenophobia) “news” network.

    • pipestone

      Two thirds of the taxes raised by this deal will be devoured by pork for Obama cronies,green energy rat holes etc. etc. ,but I’m sure they all quallify as those ”hard working middle class americans” he cares so much about.

  • nobsartist

    My concern regards the jackass Dems that voted against this. They need to be severely reprimanded and kicked out of office.

    They need to be put in the front seat of the republiCON clown car because it appears that they are traitors and need to ride with the rest of them.

    I predict that in 2014, the republiCONs will lose the majority in the House and will be relegated to NO status.

    • davidfishman2001

      I disagree with your concerns over the jackass democrats who voted against it. There are several things about that bill that were not all that good.

    • ronald sheridan

      I would love to see your prediction come true. However, with the gerrymandering and redistricting that has taken place over the past few years, it almost insures house Repugnants will maintain a substaintial number of seats, if not the majority itself. But my fingers are crossed my friend.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/WXAQEVOSVCMLVOA66YIGQ7LGGA manfred

      ‘No’ is their favorite word, except to their automatic raises.

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

      Replying to nobsartist -

      Regarding your prediction about the Republicans loosing a majority in the House in 2014, I think you give to much credit for the voters in those Red States.

      There is no intelligent life form there.

      • nobsartist

        Once they are starving because republiCONs cut their welfare they will start throwing the CONs out of office for food.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/PR22OLBM4PVNWKCOJ34RSRLZLU Thomas

    Disagree. Republican party IS in touch with its majority constituency, which is peopled with simplistic stupids who glue their ears to the ol’ console to get the word from the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, et al. Perhaps in 30-40 years the Partyy will get over it and become responsible rather than responsive . . . and even have another crack at steering the country. I know–I have some stupids in my family.

  • montanabill

    Let’s see if I have this right? You are all celebrating making permanent for 98% of the income earners, the very tax cuts you demonized for eight years. You are celebrating increasing taxes on the very people you expect to create jobs in the future. You are celebrating, not only raising a paltry amount of tax revenue, but also the spending of even more money that will have to be borrowed. Of course, since the additional spending was for unemployment comp, there must be someone who understood what the tax increases were really going to accomplish.
    One can only assume that most of you don’t have grandchildren or expect to, since your greed and laziness is dooming them to be wards of a failed government in a third rate country. I guess as long as living on welfare and food stamps is good enough for you, it is good enough for them.

    • old_blu

      Don’t blame us bill, you should blame the lazy people you voted for to look out for you.

      • Lefsa123

        Unfortunately, 1/1/13 showed us that there are certain Republicans who are more interested in bringing attention to themselves rather than working together. Romney was able to work with the opposite Party for the good of the people; Palin was not and quit when the going got tough and it wasn’t all about her. The Republicans need to realize that those elected to Congress are there to do what is best for the MAJORITY of the people. There was a lot of wasted time on Tuesday with certain people fighting to get attention and to be in the clown car with extremists like Donald Trump, Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin and hoping to get jobs with FOX News. It is time for the Republicans to kick these attention whores and money grifters to the curb and get their Party going in the direction toward the middle.

      • montanabill

        I can’t quibble with that. I’m having lunch in a couple of days with my Congressman, one those who voted against the tax bill. My message to him will be, under no circumstances negotiate with the President on raising the debt ceiling. The President has said he won’t negotiate, so take him at his word and simply vote against approving a new limit and force him to cut spending to meet the existing limit.

        • old_blu

          Good luck with that I don’t think Obama will introduce the platinum coins, maybe you could use all your pull and clout and get them to start working on it now, cuz you know they are going to cave again, they might as well do it now.

          Then you can vote them in again in 2014.

          • montanabill

            You are probably right, but just think how much fun it would be and good for the country, if they didn’t.

    • http://www.facebook.com/kenneth.stevens.3152 Kenneth Stevens

      Montana Bill,
      We (meaning progressives/liberals), disagree with you about what the root causes of the country’s economic problems are. Be it by increased loopholes or lowered marginal tax rates on the top tiers of personal and corporate income, revenue coming into the governments coffers has been greatly reduced. Defense spending has ballooned to levels way above those necessary to protect the country. The working class has truly been under attack for 30 years. The government did little to prevent millions of jobs from being shipped overseas and made little investment in the nation’s infrastructure. Terms which used to help define the American Dream such as a secure pension and quality affordable health insurance became dirty words. Minimum wage jobs with weak benefits became the new target norm for the right wing. A major unnecessary war was started and its huge costs were largely left off the books and left for the Democrats to deal with. Wall Street and other financial institutions, as well as health insurance companies, were allowed the freedom to use and abuse the American people on an ever increasing scale year after year. Your attempt to scapegoat the people who need a safety net to get by because of all of these negative trends is pretty pitiful.

      • BDC_57

        You got to remeber montanabill is part of the 1% that don’t care about the working people all he cares about is his tax breaks.

      • montanabill

        I’m sorry. My definition of the ‘American Dream’ from childhood on, did not include ‘a secure pension’ or ‘quality affordable healthcare’ or ‘minimum wage jobs’. My definition said, learn to work, get the best education you can and don’t stop, make yourself valuable, save for your own future, pay attention to your own health. Basically, it is what was promised to me by the Constitution when the government was admonished to ‘promote the general welfare’. “General welfare” is one of the ostensible results of our system of governance. Turning the tables around and saying that “general welfare” is a legislative goal is entirely corrupt and against what the founders were saying.

        Your ‘unnecessary war’ was approved by both parties. By itself, it cost less than Obama’s first ‘stimulus’. Incidently, Democrats were in charge of the Congress, the budget and the purse strings during the last two years of the Bush Presidency. So stop telling yourself the fairy tale that the economy is all the GOP fault.

        As usual, you cannot separate people who deserve a helping hand from those simply taking a hand-out. No one is scapegoating anyone who deserves a helping hand, but that is truly a tiny fraction of those on the dole.

    • charleo1

      That’s right, Bill. That’s all we’re interested in is our government checks.
      That, or the financial geniuses that run the economy in the ground, and created
      this mess, are in effect saying, we’re not gonna pay for this. Who made this Country
      the economic marvel of the world? Sure, Ford invented the assembly line. But who
      bought the product? A lot of his employees did, because he had the good sense to pay
      them a decent enough wage, so they could afford to buy one of the cars they helped build.
      Where has the job creator gone that thinks paying a living wage is the right thing to do?
      That’s why this Country is circling the economic drain. Nobody except the top 2% have
      any money anymore. And why do you think that is, Bill? Everyone just decided since
      we managed to elect a Black President, half the Country could get on welfare, and
      make the rich pay for it? Is that what this makers versus takers shit is all about?
      No welfare Queen ever created a job. Right? Fine. She didn’t bankrupt Lehman Bros.
      either. Now did she? And really Bill, I blame you. Because, I’ll bet she had the good
      sense not to vote for a lying Republican, who never met a greasy Wall Street crook,
      they didn’t want to crawl in bed with. And, at the end of the day, that is what this is
      all about. If I have my head up my ass, and run down a group of people just minding
      their own business, going about their daily chores, and they can’t work, and lose their
      home. Who is suppose to pay for that? Them, according to the Right Wing nit wits.
      Why? Damed if I know. You vote for ‘em. You tell me why the people just minding
      their own business should pay for my stupidity with their livelihoods?

      • neeceoooo

        If it helps, good ol montanabill is one of the top 2% so of course he is screaming about his taxes

        • idamag

          Neeceoo, he must have the money to get his congressman’s ear at lunch. All I get is “thank you very much for your input, I always want to know what my constituents think.”

      • montanabill

        I’m in the class you are demonizing and you, like the President, are smearing every business owner. Did people on Wall St. take advantage of a situation? Yes, but they were given the opportunity and the motive by Congress. Do they represent the majority of the ‘rich’? Not even close. Do most of us pay living wages? Of course we do. We want good employees and we pay them. Are small businesses struggling? Absolutely. The massive, ever growing pile of new regulations and Obamacare is smothering them. The new tax increase, coupled with Obamacare taxes and new state taxes means that many of us will be paying over 10% more in taxes. That is money we normally use to grow our businesses. That is money I can guarantee you, government will not put to good use.

        It would be a very good idea not to call Republicans liars, especially when the man you elected would not fair very well with a truth meter either.

    • lexi001

      Are you really stupid enough to believe all these comments are coming from welfare recipient’s? As much as the fraud in welfare needs to be fixed, there will always be those who need a hand up, children who need nutritious meals, heat, shelter and sadly many are unable to provide this without help. Let’s separate the moocher’s from the hard-working people (think minimum wage!) struggling to provide the bare necessities

      • idamag

        lex, I have never been on welfare in my life.

        • lexi001

          I’m not quite sure why you responded as you did, as I was responding to Montana Bill? I see from your posts that you are not the extreme right, so were you just making a statement, or did you think I was referring to you and other’s in some nefarious way?

      • montanabill

        That is certainly a reasonable request. The problem is that only a small fraction of those getting government assistance actually deserve it. Until the Democrat party stops looking at virtually everyone as a ‘victim’ who should get government assistance, good luck separating the moochers from those who are simply looking for a hand-up.

        • lexi001

          I don’t want to get into an online back and forth with you, but really how is it you know that “only a small fraction” are those receiving government assistance, or welfare if you prefer? Have you not paid attention to all the job losses in the last five years? For those lucky enough to have found work, for many, if not most they are now working in minimum wage jobs and/or part-time employment! As far as I’m concerned, thank God there is one party out there that wants to protect them from a worse fate than they are already living! A lot of these people are the one’s that have caused the number’s to have risen to such high numbers. I volunteer at a soup kitchen and I can assure you, I’ve seen people, families in there that I know. That has blown me away. There humiliated to see someone they know doing the serving and I’m humiliated to have to let it be a neighbor that is serving them. I don’t know if some of you people simply don’t use critical thinking before speaking, or really believe everything you utter, but I’m here to say you seem to have no idea what you’re talking about, or better yet, who you’re talking about. I am disgusted with the lack of oversight of the waste in welfare and SSI, but I’m not about to slam those that realize you can’t just cut away these programs. If you think we’re bad off now, I am going to suppose you have no idea how bad off we will be then. This is not some third world country. We are supposed to take care of the less fortunate. I am not looking for you to agree with me. I already know from reading so many mean-spirited, even hateful posts about those less fortunate that that is an exercise in futility. Thank you for at the least not responding with the anger and hatred I have seen on here.

          • montanabill

            We are well on our way to being a third world country. I, too, have anecdotal stories concerning the out of work. My former son-in-law was laid off several years ago at the start of the downturn. He was on unemployment for nearly three years. Why? Because he wouldn’t take a job he thought was beneath his dignity and he had no more than a GED so the jobs that were open were either minimum wage or demanded skills. There is no paper in the country that is not listing ‘help wanted’ jobs. Those may not be the ‘jobs’ some person wants, but if you are unemployed and hungry and not getting a hand-out, you will take that job. Been there, done that.

          • idamag

            Lex, at least Montana Bill is civilized and not rabid.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

      Oh, please! Where was all your outrage when GW Bush got us into two unfunded wars? GW Bush was a big spender. I didn’t see or hear this anger when he was at the helm. The GOP got us into this mess! Go rant at them! And yes, we do care about our grandchildren – that’s why we voted for Obama again.

      • idamag

        Stella, we are still paying for those unfunded wars.

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

          Replying to idamag -

          And unfortunately, we will still be paying for them for decades to come.

      • montanabill

        If you were listening to conservatives, you were hearing us rail against Bush’s and the Democrat Congress’s spending. If you were listening, you even heard Obama call him ‘unpatriotic’ for his spending, which actually has turned out to be a fraction of what Obama himself has and is spending. How did the GOP get us into this mess, with Democrats in control of the Congress? You very conveniently overlook the facts with ideology.

    • WhutHeSaid

      After 10 years of tax cuts, just when do you think those ‘righteous job creators’ were going to go ahead and create jobs? Even you must have lucid moments when you realize how ridiculous that particular argument is.

      Since Republicans created the economic mess that caused the need for so many to sign up for the assistance you so despise, I’m guessing that you would encourage people to vote Democrat, yes? Perhaps you can at least convince your fellow Montanans, who slurp up so many federal tax dollars from the Democratic ‘blue states’, to vote out the fiscally irresponsible champions of runaway spending — Republicans.

      • montanabill

        Since I’m one of those hated ‘rich’ and have been creating jobs for the past 4 years (actually 40) and you are not. Can it.

        • WhutHeSaid

          I get the feeling that a soft labor market impresses you because it allows you to pay less than the norm for a given skill, and enables you to demand higher productivity from existing employees by threatening them with termination at a time when they (and their families) are most vulnerable. This would explain why you are so enamored of the Republicans’ disastrous economic policies. If squeezing the most out of your employees while paying them as little as possible was a remarkable achievement in itself, no doubt you’d be some kind of a hero.

          Aside from an admirable Scrooge impersonation, you seem to have a problem with your short term memory and information retention. Nobody ‘hates’ somebody just because they are wealthy. For example, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are both highly respected and even liked, yet neither one would even notice if your entire net worth suddenly went missing from their books. What people DO have a problem with is when greedy people tell self-serving whoppers, and try to cheat the system. This would include sucking up public benefits from other people while complaining about the very people from whom they get said benefits. This pretty much describes a large part of the Montana population, yes?

          Fortunately, our little disagreements don’t mean that much now since both of our taxes will be going up, and that’s OK by me since I understand why it needs to be done. So there’s no reason why we can’t still be pals, right?

          • montanabill

            I find it truly amazing that you can be so dead wrong every time.
            BTW, did you notice that the tax bill also had big benefits for railroads? Guess which of your favorite people owns railroads?
            Increased taxes will simply reduce my available expansion capital. Fewer new jobs next year. Fewer jobs, another $4 trillion more added to the debt. What could go wrong? Another win for the American people.

    • idamag

      Montana, if you are so concerned about our children and grandchildren, then protect our democracy from right wingnuts.

      • BDC_57

        Montana not concerned about our children and grandchildren all he cares about is his tax breaks.

      • montanabill

        It is the left wingnuts that are spending the country into poverty while creating law and regulation to strip the country of individual freedoms.

        • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

          Dear Montana, your George II waged two credit card wars at the cost of 1.6T and passed the Patriot Act… who is to talk about spending the country into poverty and reducing individual freedom.

          • montanabill

            Both approved by Democrats. Obama just last week renewed the Patriot Act. Wise up.

  • nhirsch

    Wow. An article I agree with and the comments too. It truly is starting out to be a good new year! Happy New Year!

  • 5PEACE9

    THE REPUBLICANS ARE NOT IN CONTROL. ONLY GOD CAN CONTROL AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. THIS IS WHY GOD PUT PRESIDENT OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT BY THE PEOPLE. GOD IS REALLY ABOUT TO MOVE IN THE WHITE HOUSE THIS 2013, HE REALLY TIRED OF FOOLISH PEOPLE. PLEASE LET ALL AMERICANS PRAY EVERY DAY FOR PEACE. IT REALLY WORKS, MARK MY WORD. I HAVE SEEN LIFE AFTER DEATH IN 1991. DJ

    • neeceoooo

      If your solution to every problem is “pray about it” then things will never change.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

        Works for him…

  • charleo1

    Republicans remind me of the old Saturday Night Live stick with John Belushi as a short order
    cook. Remember? No matter what the customer ordered, Belushi called, Chee-burger! Chee-burger!
    No matter what the American public says, Republicans keep saying, Chee-burger, Chee-burger!
    No tax! No tax! Cut, Cut Cut!!!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/RGOUPZ3JYNMPBVOHLZRCRVRD6Q ivory69690

    so when are the even the 98% of the ppl. see just where the GOP wants and are taking this country ? (again mind ya :::: after the dirty Bush era ) the problem with the country 1ST is there’s too many haters in the GOP

  • orflaw

    The institutional problem is not electing new representatives. The institutional problem is redistricting in a nonpartisan manner so that we don’t have gerrymandered districts that reelect represntatives at a rate higher than the Eastern European bloc countries during the heighth of the Cold War.

    • idamag

      gerrymandering is a way of life with the Republicans in Idaho.

      • orflaw

        They would change the state lines if they could

  • William Deutschlander

    The Republican Cartel is not capable of governing a Democracy.

    The 21st century Republicans are ignorant and irresponsible, the country must establish another political party to replace the extremists.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      Who said they wanted a democracy?

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/RGOUPZ3JYNMPBVOHLZRCRVRD6Q ivory69690

    2nd is the same GOP party of no seem to hate women also . out right thy want nothing the ppl. that voted them in to office want . the country and the ppl. voted the Pres. in for the 2nd term on the grounds he ran his campaign on that’s a fact . at what point will the ppl. of this country see just how much the GOP isnt doing what we want . why not just vote out all the GOP party of no out of office ? worse thing that can happen is the country could fall in 4 to 8 years cant fall no more then the GOP and the dirty Bush era made us fall . PEOPLE of the country give us a chance as long as the GOP party of no is in office thing will keep being the same at a stand still .(and if the GOP has their way going backwards ) what thy do in their sits show nothing but argue and fight against every thing thy can . vote them out and let that GOP ding-dong party fight outside and fight with each other about witch one messed up the most .PEOPLE THINK of this how would you like 3 things in the next 4 to 12 years ? ONE : 23,000,000 jobs made two: every one paying a fair share of taxes and every one making more money (even the rich getting richer ) and three: the country not owing no-body nothing . this means that the country dosent owe no one trillion of $$$. heck with grounds like that heck the country could even upgrade our learning and teaching the children of this country . bring us up from 25-th of the world . how good that would be to be in at least the top 10 . that would only help the USA in all ways of moving forward .

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      “the country could fall in 4 to 8 years”! Well the Republicans want it faster than that. They have been working toward eliminating the government and turning it over to the multinationals for the last 30 years!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/GGHNYPK4GNCRYZLXWVZ447WHJM Plznnn

    OK, now that the responsible Republicans went against their principles because Obama forced them into a bad situation, what will you suggest we do to keep our exploding debt from ruining our lives & children’s future? What Spending do you propose now that Republicans did their part and raised taxes that will do nothing to solve our growing problems?

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      Well, it would be very very nice if Americans actually paid attention to what they were paying for and decided what things were worth while and what were not. For instance, our “defense” budget (which by the way does not include the CIA, the sattelite observation department, the National Security Agency and others) has lots of spece for reduction, if only we could admit that there is no country strong enough to overwhelm us and that we should not have troops in every country on earth to protect the multinationals. Unfortunately after 50 years of cold war drawing down much of this colosus will result in much unemployment. However, these are not “day laborer” or “factory hands”. These are skilled craftsmen and artisians who can add much to america if we decide to use their skills for the betterment of our nation instead of planning destruction.
      This comment is already too long so I will not go into subsideis to big oil, the farm aggregates and the many who suck off the hog in 300.00 suits.

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

        Replying to Ed -

        I think you meant $3,000.00 suits.

        • http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

          Thank you for that correction.

    • old_blu

      President Obama never forced them into anything, they had a year to work on this and chose to to do it in one and half days instead. That’s their own damn fault.

      • idamag

        Old-blu, they have had four years to work on solutions and have done nothing but obstruct.

    • WhutHeSaid

      Yes, Obama did indeed ‘spank’ the Republicans once again. They didn’t “do their part” — they just failed to accomplish what they wanted because of their incompetence and disorganization.

      But to answer your question, the very best insurance we have against runaway spending is to vote Republicans out of office. Republicans are the true champions of runaway federal spending and fiscal irresponsibility.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

      I’m assuming that you did not care about your children until Obama was elected president. Everything is now about our kids and grandkids. What a bunch of hypocrites.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/FGHPC2HLZGXEIRXNZDUSCVM7PI cargirl

    Dominick, I really enjoy what you have to say

  • jstsyn

    republicans are unfit to govern. There should be a way to go around them before they do even more damage. And taxes? What if the wealthy refused to pay taxes after WWII? They would have been either deported or jailed. This is nonsense and needs to be turned around before every man, woman, and child in America, excluding the rich, are in the street. How can the wealthy justify living in America, using America’s benefits while refusing to pay taxes to support America?

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      Actually the rich were happily paying 90 % taxes.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/WWMXSXSICDJ5OPOYGTQTSC6Q6E nancy

        When?

        • idamag

          During WWII.

      • http://twitter.com/jmprint Mary Martinez

        Dream on

    • idamag

      jst, the wealthy were paying 90% taxes to finance that war. Because we were attacked there was no reason to believe we were in a war for financial gain so the people also helped finance the war.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2CZCX5PSWQAUXA2D7GBTFLSI3U Richard

      Do you honestly think that they live in the US year round??

  • jnsgraphic

    The GOP wants to pretend the ‘deficit’ is ALL Obama’s fault, when Congress has been irresponsible to pay the bills they had already racked up. George “W” oversaw a large increase in government spending, almost twice as Clinton at over 104 percent; entitlement programs were growing more then, than they are now. The bill only raising $620 billion vs $1.60 trillion in revenue over 10 years, will be like paying LESS than your minimum payment on a credit card. Revenue will now take longer than 10 years to raise without making higher cuts from entitlement programs. A reduction of defense/military spending will greatly reduce the deficit, and less with special interest groups. We’ll need to find savings elsewhere in the budget without jeopardizing Social Security and Medicare; implement fundamental spending, tax reform and put the ‘public interest’ before the Greedy Obstructionist Politicians pro-corporate agenda. Congress will just need to learn to pay these bills on time, this time with NO concessions.

    As for Cantor and Ryan, they probably both have their eyes on Boehners ‘speakers seat’…

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      Of course it would be nice if the Government would pay back the millions they “borrowed” from the Social Security TRUST FUND!

      • johninPCFL

        With the current tax revenue situation, they’re borrowing the money to do just that.

        The other option would have been to bury it in the yard and dig it up as necessary (i.e. no interest on the money), right? Of course, that money would have run out in the early 2000s…

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

        Replying to Ed -

        Actually, it was Trillions, not Millions.

    • idamag

      Esspecially Cantor. You can almost see it in his eyes.

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

    After the will of the people has been displayed in a National election,why must we be forced to endure so much obstructionism.The people have spoken.Is there no recourse to smash and remove these bastards? They seem hell bent on destroying this country and our government.How do you get rid of the money and the crooks when every effort is made to ignore and disenfranchise every American who votes.I’m hardly the only one who is thoroughly sick of it.Sometimes I think those sons of bitches won’t be satisfied until things devolve to violence.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

      The repubs do not believe in majority rule, or in being the “loyal opposition”. Oh, BTW you are right about being hell bent to destroying this coungtry and our government. And I fear you may be right about things devolving to violence. Notic how many on the right are talking about civil war. and secession?

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

      Mark, Hate is a terrible thing. It destroys one’s ability to be resonable. The President is hated because God made him black. Someone was right on with their assessment of why McConnell wanted to negotiate with Joe Biden. I’m 71 one years old and I’ve never read so many negative comments about our President. For example people are complaining about him sending his kids to private schools as though he created the private school systems in this nation, about his vacations, secret service protection, he is not my commander-in-chief etc. I think you get the picture.

  • Catskinner

    Joe Canason is a real slime-ball!

    • daniel bostdorf

      Once again folks, we have 7 letter “bumper sticker mentality” of a purely inane, stuptifying response to a well crafted artcle by Conason.

      Inane: “silly: irritatingly silly or time-wasting, insubstantial: empty, or void”

      I know some 7 year olds who can carry on a better thought process than this “catskinner.”

      Now–what about Conason makes him a slime ball? Can you enetertai us with some eloquent prose.

      • Catskinner

        “Now–what about Conason makes him a slime ball?”

        Conason makes himself a slime ball. He must be born to it.

        • daniel bostdorf

          still no factuall answer.

          • Catskinner

            I can’t find enetertai in my dictionary, so it’s hard to answer.

      • idamag

        bos, just imagine a big red X on any of his posts. He is not worth anyone’s efforts to respond and is one of those people who thinks ignorance is a virtue.

  • grandbaby1

    Dom can you tell me why gingrich’s comments and pictures are everywhere on this. His opinion matters almost as little as Trump’s. Americans made it very clear they do not want him in govn. The press seems to spend alot of time discussing the concerns of people who the rest of america doesnt care what they think. He is not a key player in any of this, and he doesn’t speak for the GOP.

  • daniel bostdorf

    Goo away Mr. neo-fascist right wing GOP Teaprty propagandists….went through month after month of your Rove inspired lies.

  • daniel bostdorf

    The heart of the matter when the “clown car crashed” is what Conason stated:

    “…when the Senate leadership, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, offered a bill negotiated with Vice President Joe Biden — just as Boehner had urged — the House Republicans descended into crisis. Their leaders couldn’t endorse the bill, fearing that the GOP caucus crazies would defenestrate them. But they could hardly employ their usual partisan tactics to keep the bill off the House floor, after the Senate had passed it by a vote of 89-8, with only five Republican defections. They might have noticed as well their declining numbers in every public poll, with the latest Republican-leaning Rasmussen survey showing a Democratic lead in the generic congressional contest of 11 points and climbing.”

    The American people are starting to realize that this country was founded on the Constitutional rinciple of “Of the people, by the people and FOR the people…” It is the UNITED STATES of AMERICA!

    It is NOT individual red or blue or any other color states.

    The TEAPARTY/GOP and it’s proaganda machine of Rove paid by Koch and othet billionaires tried to create another civil war. This time built upon socio-economic right wing ideaology. Greeed, avarice and un-American values pitted poor and middle class against each other.

    Obama and clear thinking Senators and House memebers have saved the Union from this “economic civil war.”

    Finally—PLEASE—shut off right wing propaganda Fox News, Limbaugh, O’Reilly and their lying ilk once and for all.

    History teaches us to be vigilant about this kind of fascistic propaganda:

    “Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels said it best:

    “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

    The truth has finally been seen by the American people.

    Obama was re-elected. GOP/TEAPARTY lost.

    Next up: 2014: Sweep of House of GOP/TEAPARTY.

    • idamag

      Yes, Daniel, I consider them dangerous to democracy.

  • daniel bostdorf

    Agreed…

    Lets slash 20% off defense budget earmarks for Halliburton type contractors. We could save 500 Billion alone just with slashing UNNECESSARY federal contractors of inflate costs and steal it out of taxpayers pockets.

    Dwight Eisenhower back in 1959 WARNED the American people of the dangers of the “military industrial complex” of inter connected defense contractors who need to keep us perpetually at war to maintain their profits.

    How about a “war on poverty” instead?

    Keep tax dollars here in USA!

    • idamag

      daniel, during WWII, war profiteering was considered treason.

    • jointerjohn

      It was under President Reagan during the first wave of this right wing decendency our country has been on, that aid for college education was cut and the all volunteer army instituted. This pushed middle class kids into the military brainwash machine instead institutions of higher learning. All part of the right wing and the military/industrial complex conspiracy to replace the working class’s independent thinking with flag-waiving militarism. It’s working and we are allowing it.

  • daniel bostdorf

    They were trying to install a military industrial complex police state called fascism.

    Read William Shirers RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH and you will see how close we got.

    It’s not over yet.

    We need to get rid of these right wing fanatics and their proagandists at Fox New courtesy Karl Rove and Rupert Murdock.

    • idamag

      daniel, that is a book I have been trying to get posters, on this board, to read for a long time. They might see where the tea party is going.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/C22AJV5GXSF4QE3YJY5IGBTULU TSB

    Bring in the CLOWNS, that’s all we’ve got! Have a few more unfunded wars with a billionaire tax cut to expand their profits, then blame Social Security, etc.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/YDGRKS5L2M2G2J6DTM4ZI25C2A John Griggs

    All I hear is raising taxes, lowering taxes, anything to do with taxes. Doesn’t anyone think we should focus on lowering our spending and living in our means. Or are we like the spoiled rich kids, and want to just have our parents raise our allowance? The only problem with that is, it’s either borrowed money, or just keep on taxing the mean ole rich guy until he goes broke or decides to quit also.

    • johninPCFL

      Sure. Lets shut down the military and all government functions. That is the magnitude of spending cuts required.

      Or maybe just not pay any social security anymore. Let’s just keep the money paid in over the decades.

      Or just eliminate Medicare and medicaid now. That would let the budget be balanced.

      Since Washington spoke out eloquently against a standing army, and since the Constitution allows funding one for only two years, I say we cut military spending to zero as the first cut.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/ECCL7BDPIAPI6OK4K3SHPZNCUY Nicky P

    Recall Boehner and Cantor!

    • neeceoooo

      I really wish we could but there are still some people who think these two are the best thing since sliced bread.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QCU6BRAGVDIKJGRSGD5X25GPC4 Muriel D

    The Republicans realize that when they come up for re-election, most Americans are going to make sure they do not get back in office. The country is tired of their stupidity, selfish, greedy ways with no regard for the non-wealthy which are hard working people who are the real backbone of this country. It’s obvious that we need to get rid of this incompetent Republican leadership which are the leftovers from the Bush Administration.

    • idamag

      Muriel, unfortunately that will not happen. I live in one of those backwoods states and they would have voted for Arafat if he had been running on the Republican ticket.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/UACYCMKUZJ3TPDOMHLWYO4BF7I Roger

        idamag, the backwoods state in which you live, is just a little less backwoods because you live there… I’m sure there are more progressive people there, just like you.

        • idamag

          Roger, like a child that sees another child and knows that is a friend in the making, we sense and seek each other out.

          • InsideEye

            Titanic and Icebergs

  • Gambler2

    Maybe the voters will be fed up with these far-right Republican House members and vote them out in 2014. Otherwise, obstructionism and dis functional government will be with us for quite awhile.

  • idamag

    This is what we got when the backwoods places sent not-so-smart tea party people to the House of Representatives. They have made a mockery of our government.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/WXAQEVOSVCMLVOA66YIGQ7LGGA manfred

      Yeah, Paul Ryan didn’t even get his lies straight!

  • Michael

    I have to agree with Dominick’s comments also. With a proviso, IMHO. I would have left the tax cuts for those under 250k, the way it was originally proposed.
    A liberal democrat for decades, and now a left-leaning independent, I would have no problem with a series of rational spending cuts (including, foremost, the defense department). The key word here is rational. What those on the right are now proposing are far from rational. I would also agree with rational reforms of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But I will never agree with any efforts to privatize these programs, or to do block grants to the states, as many of the states would divert the funds to other, less necessary, uses.
    I am sick and tired of all radical politicians. I am even more sick of an ignorant section of the voting populace, who consistently vote these people back into office. And of gerrymandering. The Republicans would have lost the House had it not been for gerrymandering. I will stop now. I have vented enough of my frustrations to get through the rest of the day.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/WXAQEVOSVCMLVOA66YIGQ7LGGA manfred

      I totally agree!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/WXAQEVOSVCMLVOA66YIGQ7LGGA manfred

    Looks to me that the republican party is being hijacked by a bunch of crazies. There are some moderate members that are just rolled over by loudmouths who sold their soul and vote to their chief nonelected Norquist who knows nothing but spending problems. The biggest spending problem of all was the waging of two wars they all endorsed but left conveniently off of the budget, along with two tax cuts that never paid for themselves, to come up later when they expect to pay with money out of a FUND that is called Social Security, hence their claim and pathetic empathy for their grand children who most likely will do very well on low tax rates levied on Capital Gains and Dividends. These nut cases need to go and burn those pledges to their master. They are supposed to take the oath to support the United States, not somebody’s interest. That old adage “what’s good for GE is good for the country” just doesn’t fly!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/JMT6C3LHLJDD4RX4NB4KY5ICAE gargray

    The fight is not over yet, deficit spending will be the next issue. My thoughts on this enigma is to reduce all government’s wages by a third including the presidents salery. Then reduce bankers, CEO’s bonuses, and make the stock market exchanges pay fair income tax on their gains. We have military personnel in every country in the world, let us bring them home and stop the wars and stop spend billions on military things we don’t need, make the doctors responsible. Stop all government waste.

  • Bob Williams

    What is wrong with these guys? A $16 trillion debt and rising should be no problem. After all, it didn’t hurt Greece, did it?

    Oh – it did?

    Never mind.

  • clarenceswinney

    IMAGINE
    No Bush Administration
    4 of Gore
    4 of Hillary
    No Two Wars
    No Tax Cuts
    No Deficits
    Debt paid down
    Balanced Budgets
    Universal Health Care
    Realistic Minimum Wage
    Happiness in America

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/WXAQEVOSVCMLVOA66YIGQ7LGGA manfred

      that goes against everything the crazies in the House propose! You left No Teaparty out.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/X2KKGDYW2F5T5XUT6233KBNWSI robert

      clarenceswinney, what a wonderful world that could have been!

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

    When the debate over the Debt ceiling comes up, the President and ALL of the Democrats should lock forces and demand that the status quo remain in place for all Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes as a condition of their support for debt ceiling debates.

    If the hard right wingers balk at that, then the Democrats should fight tooth and nail to have the cap taken off for ALL Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes as well.

    Since the $110,000 limit on income that is presently in place for these taxes, eliminating the ceiling will provide a large revenue increase without hurting anyone making less than $110,000 per year.

    All the pain cannot be expected for the lowest wage earners without some pain for the upper level earners.

    And besides, Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes collected are tossed in with the general revenue funds anyway.

    Since the Right Wingers are so quick to complain about these “Entitlements”, shouldn’t all taxpayers pay the same amount anyway?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Rei/100001727442607 Andrew Rei

    Ok….now that wealthy people, for the most part, are going to have to pay more taxes rather than hoard tax cuts to drive their wealth higher, the next step in dealing with the deficit is ending the tax breaks for the other group of “Welfare Queens”: the big corporations. While it’s true that the tax increase that’s now law will “only” net anywhere from $60-$80 billion per year, the taxes not paid and corporate welfare given out exceeds that amount greatly. By how much, you ask? Try $720 billion….PER YEAR! What people have failed to understand and the GOP definitely don’t want to talk about is that big corporations have driven their wealth significantly higher due to the Bush 43 tax cuts. And, it’s not just the percentage of taxes paid, either. There are all kinds of loopholes that allow big corporations to shelter their income to avoid paying taxes on it. Essentially, the hugest loophole is “offshoring”. Since 2001, wealthy Americans and big American corporations have offshored $32 trillion (no, that’s not a mistype) to avoid paying taxes on it. If you tax that at 39.6%, that’s $12.67 trillion dollars. The amount added to the national debt since 2001? Try more than $11 trillion. And, Obama’s “share” is actually on Bush 43′s credit card because the GOP manipulated things to keep the Bush 43 tax cuts going, in addition to the two wars that Obama inherited. All of that goes onto Bush 43. In fact, of the $16+ trillion national debt currently, the last 3 GOP Presidents are responsible for 90% of it due to the Reverse Robin Hood fiscal policies of the party. Fiscal conservatives my pasty white a$$! Also remember “Starve the Beast” and the treasonous Norquist Pledge’s parts in this, too.
    Regarding the sequester and debt ceiling fight, just a mere two months away: If President Obama does one thing, the GOP loses and loses badly: he invokes the 14th Amendment, which, in part, renders the debt limit unconstitutional. If he does that, the GOP might as well go home and twiddle their thumbs…they’ll have no power whatsoever. And, by the way, I don’t have much confidence that the incoming 113th Congress will be any better or get as much done as the 112th. The GOP still have the House majority thanks to gerrymandering and, if the talking filibuster isn’t re-instituted, the GOP have enough seats in the Senate to continue their policy of childish overuse of the silent filibuster :( ssmdh

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/BXRTZG5B6TIGN73UND7XAR4R3M RR3

    These are not news…the american public already knows exactly what’s going on within the GOP….they only talk to and care for their shrinking base…..is a feud for the House of Representatives speakership….Cantor and Ryan want to be Speaker of the House, at least till 2014…when in the midterm election the GOP will lose control….

  • one_veteran

    We should start the “Debit celing debate” with cutting or better yet eliminating pork budgiting for defense that Defense doesn’t want or need just for the sole purpose of protecting special interests (mostly in Republicans home states) because they contribute to them getting re elected. While we are at it lets have a law that NO PRESIDENT can start a conflict or war, or send any troups in harms way with out funding for that purpose that doesn’t add to our debit.

  • Michael Kollmorgen

    2014 is LOOMING folks!

    This is the year when we all find out if what we believe is actually put into practice and that is; by voting against these Republicans that stand to keep their heads once again, loose them this time around.

    Voting these Extremist Far-Right Republicans out of office while retaining the Moderates is the only way we are going to restore our progressive democracy this country has always stood for.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/X2KKGDYW2F5T5XUT6233KBNWSI robert

    2014, we need to fire any Republican/Tea Bag and any Yellow Dog Democrat sympathizer of the Republican/Tea Bags who worked against American progress. The fiscal cliff debacle has exposed who the terrorists are among us, and we should be on a mission to get them out so that America can move forward. One thing can be said about old style Republicans before Tea Bag wingnuts infiltrated the party, the rich did get richer, but they worked in behalf of America. Now, with the crazies/white supremacists of the Tea Bags intermingling with Republicans, it’s not the Republican Party anymore, it’s the Republican/Tea Bag Pah-tay!

  • dalnb

    Our political system will flounder as long as the Tea Party has any influence over any representative in Congress or the Senate! As long as we have elected officials who put party above America, special interest groups above America, and accept extreme financing of campaigns above the best interests of America our nation will flounder.

    Far too many elected officials have spent too long in Congress and the Senate doing nothing but drawing a pay check!

    It is essential the American voter make each and every person in public office totally aware that as an elected official they work for the American people and of everything they may fear it is and will be the American voter! We should not have to wait for the next election; if these lazy, shiftless, phony representatives continue as they have they need to be recalled NOW!

  • http://www.facebook.com/cbarnhisel Claresa K Barnhisel

    tea party = special interest . (period)

  • joeham1

    Are you freakin Serious? The President and the GOP wanted the Bush tax cuts for the middle class to be permanent!

    The President said he wanted a balanced approach! Is this Balanced you freakin idiot?

  • joeham1

    The Democrats don’t want to readuce spending! Don’t you get that?

  • Merrick Spiers

    The Tea Partiers in the House were the last to realize they had been beaten, and they may well in their idiocy try to crash the nation’s credit again over the debt ceiling.

    I have a theory that this one act could finally crack the GOP. I don’t see how businesspeople can possibly support this FUD strategy any longer. What I would expect, then, is some kind of attempt by party leaders to drag the party back toward the center, even if it costs them some votes. Are wingnuts going to go out and vote Dem in response?

    Or they could elect Ryan speaker, put up a Palin-Limbaugh (or Trump) ticket in 2016, and go out in a blaze of gory. (sorry)

    • idamag

      Merrick, I don’t have much hope for getting rid of them. The type of people who could put Bauchmann in office twice is not going to wise up anytime soon.

  • pukcip

    testing

  • prosenwald

    Thanks for another good piece Joe. We all must share your frustration with these aptly described ‘clowns’. The trouble is that they are anything but funny.
    This is, to bend the metaphor, no way to run a circus.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_N66JKFRHFLOEIUUAUTAJ2MJW3U Nina

    I kind of feel sorry for Boehner; he has a rebellious crew working for him. The problem is all those teaparty people that gained seats two years ago, they promised jobs, jobs, jobs. Where are those jobs?? The Republican Party is badly fractured with too many factions fighting each other. Reminds me of the middle east countries! The party is a disaster and cannot work within itself, how in the heck can we expect them to accomplish anything???

    • idamag

      Nina, I do, too. Whenever he gets up I almost hear the hammer click in the background and Cantor stands awfully close to him.

  • pukcip

    I would like to see a group of intelligent , average Americans , write up a contract for all four party’s ( Rep., Dem., Ind.,& Tea.).
    A contract along the lines of the Norquist contract.
    A contract that would spell out what We The People demand from them all.
    There must be lawyers in this country that would volunteer their expertise as a non-partisan group, willing to attempt to write a contract that would require our D.C. clowns to stop the
    self serving games that they play every day.
    To do their job in a non-partisan way, represent the People and not their own best interests.

    Publish the contract on the free internet, the crazy media will make sure every person on earth gets to see it.

    Then have a nationwide quest for American voter signatures on the contract for three months or so.
    Then have our intelligent, average American spokespeople present the contract with the Millions of signatures, to our so called leaders in the most public way possible.

    The steps of the Lincoln Memorial come to my mind.
    Every TV station on earth would be fighting for space.
    (ehh, maybe not fox,)

    A lot of people that took time to read this were probably thinking,
    Your asking for a contract that mimic’s the Constitution of The United States.
    YES!
    But unless we either threaten the current office holders who’ve forgotten about the Constitution,
    to comply with a pledge to do what they were elected to do with a seperate ‘Contract’ , signed by MILLIONS of Americans, the Washington fiasco will continue.

  • http://www.facebook.com/constance.wilds Constance Wilds

    The wealthiest Americans do not have to make decisions such as whether to pay a bill or buy food. An increase in the tax rate for the wealthiest among us will not put them in soup kitchen lines. The Republicans need to figure out how to operate in a democracy, and stop catering to a few to the detriment of many.

  • ayayaboy

    Republican party should move from America to Gingrich’s cubicle in Mars and Eric Cantor’s fairyland. Republicans do not belong to this earth.

    • daniel bostdorf

      They already ARE troglodytes per Conason.

      Meaning:

      1.
      a prehistoric cave dweller.
      2.
      a person of degraded, primitive, or brutal character.
      3.
      a person living in seclusion.
      4.
      a person unacquainted with affairs of the world.
      5.
      an animal living underground.

      • ayayaboy

        Gov. Christie finally realizes who Boehner and Cantor work for … only rich people and corporations

  • http://www.facebook.com/sreynoldssmith Sheila Smith

    Obama has been criticized for not negotiating appropriately. What would appropriate look like -1st apologizing for being a Black man who has steadfastly held to his position and policy upon which he was RE-ELECTED, then capitulating to all persons who did not want their taxes rise back to the level before the Bush tax cuts and tax give away of a surplus that had been built up over years of many years of deficit spending. A strong defense costs money, roads and infra- structure cost money, a strong economy cost money to build, research and development to find a cure for cancer costs money. Where do you think the money comes from the tooth fairy. Since poor people don’t have money to pay for lobbyists, I will assume that only those who could pay for lobbyists were working extra hard to discredit those members of Congress who tried in every way they could to scare the uneducated public into thinking the “Fiscal Cliff” was the end of the world the Mayans predicted. Interestingly the taxes on the wealthy went up higher after the negotiated last minute deal. That must really hurt after all the money you spent on lobbyists

  • howa4x

    The republicans created the soup they are in by dancing with glee as the tea party got off the ground. Finally they got a grass roots foil to use against Obama, and along with Fox employed them right away to try and sabatoge health care reform. Then they rode their tails to take the House back from the democrats,and all seemed poised for the 1000 yr Reich to begin. The dreaded Obama would now be made to go to the back of the bus, but wait, not so fast since things were starting to come apart. The tealiban ran some real loosers in the next election and lost a sure bet to take over the senate. Seems their veiws don’t play well to the masses. Then in the last presidential cycle the GOP realized that the tealiban took over the nominating process and was dragging the primary very far to the right, and took a weak president on the economy and turned him into a landslide winner with their obscession on social issues, and an anti immigrant retoric. Now the mainstream GOP woke up from their dreams of grandure and realized that they have a caucus that is all over the place on issues, and cannot be counted on to understand the theatrics of it all and take their ideology way too serious. Someone forgot to tell the tealiban it is just a game that they play, sorta like poker and you gotta know when to hold them and when to fold them. As polls show the house popularity plumeting to single digits under Boehner’s leadership, the job he has waited all his political life for is closer to the whirlpool that happens when you flush the toilet. He and the rest of the republican waste are swimming frantically but will be swallowed by the swirling water, and being pulled to the bottom by the Frankenstein they created.

  • DoctorFaustroll

    Forty years ago, a Curb family Republican told me only idiots would vote Republican unless they were earning 100 grand a year. Now it looks like we have more idiots than ever. Including many Democrats.

  • bchrista

    Once again Obama got snookered and the Republicans have him behind the Eight Ball, He bought their bull shit about not wanting to raise Taxes on the 1% and he gave away the Strong position in dealing with the Republicans, they gave him some scraps, but the important things like Social Security. Medicare, Medicaid and other important issues that will be coming up in the months ahead and he’s lost the most important point that he had to negotate with. they gve him some raises but he left a lot on the table and the smart ass Republicans gave him enough so that they wouldn’t be accused of not compromising with the White House he got his taxes he wanted but now he’s lost his major leverage for the next meetings lord help the people when the Republicans get through putting Obama throug the wringer

    • charleo1

      Obama lose his leverage on Medicare, or Social Security? Don’t you believe it.
      The true leverage resides with the people. They will not stand for drastic cuts
      in these very popular programs. Military vs. Medicare/SS. Not even close.
      And the Republicans know it. Of course, they want Obama to do the cutting.
      So far, he has always given them just enough rope to hang themselves.
      I don’t expect that to change.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joel.amsterdam.3 Joel Amsterdam

    Memo to the GOP: Please proceed….

  • bchrista

    I disagree with neeceoooo about reducing the military budget they are over 50% of our budget the only people out there to fight are the ones we pick a fight with and the radicals and Al Qaida and we chose to get involved with other peoples problems who the hell appointed us the policemen of the world, what better way to be able to scim money than to have a bloated military. We should only have a military large enough to protect our country with al the sofiscated weapons we posess who needs a large military the amount of pork that budget would serender is unbelieveable Billions, however, you would have one hellava fight because these bases are mostly located in the Red States and in countries that we call friends and support monetarily if we kept our asses and noses where it didn’t belong we wouldn’t have that large an expense and could apply those monies to our national Debt but you would have to virtually fight the Republicans physically t get this done think of the money they would lose.

  • bchrista

    What we the people must do is tell our leaders that we are tired of defending other governments that they must learn to defend themselves maybe set up schools manned by a hand full of teachers and penalize anyone that tries to harm them, let those countries supplythe materials needed for their education we will supply the teachers, if need let them send people they want taught otherwise keep our noses out of their business and start by closing outdated bases overseas the money saved can be used to put them military that were manning those bases. the real kick in the ass we are constantly talking about our over bloated military and here are the teapartiers and other Republicans asking for a bigger budget for the military when they should be figuring how to reduce it, I already know why they want more money in that budget you figure it out, more funds to disappear, if I remember it well several billions of dollars disappeared during the Bush-Cheney-Haliburton years and nothing was done to find it score one for the Republicans no investigation.

  • bchrista

    In answer to Bob Williams I am 83 years and he must have been living in a different country than I was because the only people that really benefited from the Bush tax cuts were millionaires because while I was still able to work I paid more taxes than any millionaire because the taxes were skewed so that porpotionally my taxes worked out at a higher level than theirs any car I bought was a used car I ate at driveins because fancy resturant were not in my budget in fact my style of living you may call regular I wish I had lived in Bob’s America so I could have enjoyed some of the finer things in this country if I boughtt a home my mortgage would almost put me in the poor house for 30 years how many one percenters would have had that problem and then we come to Mr. Bush again, between him Cheney and Haliburton they put a hurting on this country besides the billions they charged to supply the military and the billions that got lost during that never investigated because how do you investigate yourself, then there’s the two unfunded wars that were never accounted for in the budget now we get to the people with WIC I bet they were in Red State and everybody knows who controls those States (Repubs) ,as for Democrats they were conned by Old Bushy Boy into supporting Bushes WMD because they listened to Ambassador John Bolton and went along with Bush to attack Iraq when all along Bush just wanted to get even Gadafi for making a fool of Bush

  • http://twitter.com/RrjgenRachel Rachel Johnson

    Finally. The Teapubs are really beginning to sweat. (literally) It is about time they realized they aren’t the only ones in town.

  • ridemybroom

    what a poor excuse for a human beings,,,boehner and cantor….

  • joeham1

    I would love to….1) reduce the size of the federal Governemnt..there are now over 2 million federal employees. 2) reduce the corporate tax rate to 20-25% That would bring back a lot of business. 3) Sign a Balanced Budget amendment. (phase it in over the next 5 years)
    4) Sign a tort reform bill and make it legal to buy insurance nationwide. 5) get rid of the lobbyists! all of them especially the union lobbies. 5) Don’t except foreign products that are made with child labor and products that are dumped in the U.S. designed to hurt oour corporations. 6) Attack waste and fraud in food stamps, medicare, and all other governement programs. Term limits on congress.

    I’m not sure how well all this would work. The reason is publications like The National Memo and CBS,NBC, CNN and ABC. These news organizations are left wing rags that only demonize the right. Therefore the people who use them for news only hear one side. The same can be said for Rush, Hannity, levin and so on…you only hear the right propoganda.

    We do however need to Hold the president accountable for the deficit, fast and furious, libya, solyndra, and Obamacare. (for instance..Obama knew that without Tort reform and increased insurance competition the cost of healthcare was not going down)

    I personally read and listen to all sides through the national memo, fox, cnn, newsmax, and cbs. Most people only listen to the side they affiliate with..That’s real bad for the country. Today our President knows he could probably commit murder and his true blue followers would give him a pass!

    • charleo1

      First I don’t think if Obama had lied the country into a useless war, he would be President
      next month. Much less presided over the corporate led destruction of trillions of dollars of wealth. Most of it, from the working people of the world. Signed trillions of dollars of unfunded, unnecessary legislation. Left his Party, and the world reeling. And not one word of contrition from either him, or his Party. Well, we tried it with your people. Don’t you think? Or, do you expect we’re supposed to trust that now, you’ve got it figured out. Now that millions have lost trillions, giving so called, “Conservatives,” their way, that now,
      it’s time to cut the support for the, “takers.” Or previously working Americans. Is that right?
      No, I mean is that even moral? What’s left of the Conservative leadership, I wouldn’t
      trust to run a ice cream shop in Antarctica. It’s painfully obvious they don’t know
      how else to be relevant, but to call for a smaller government, and then demand they be
      handed the knife. If you want a big round of applause, stand up in front of a bunch of
      poor rural Southern people, and talk about the bloated Federal Government, running
      roughshod over State’s Rights. Or cutting off the foreign aid to balance the budget. And
      cut the salaries of Congress while we’re hacking the government to the size the Founders
      envisioned. It’s cheap, pandering pablum. And unworthy of what I consider the greatest
      Country in the world. That’s right. Liberals have not ceded either patriotism, or religion
      to anyone. And we’re not ready to cede the Country back to the other side just yet.
      And you can’t really be honest, and blame us for that.

      • joeham1

        Charlie your hate for the right has made you say things that aren”t true. You for got along with many others how we got here!

        First the vote for the wars was supported by your left wing friends as much as the right. In fact a year after the war started Bush had a 90% approval rating. However it all changed when the next election cycle started…If you recall that’s when the Bush lied people died crap started. Then all of the sudden the people on the left from the House and Senate acted as if they had no idea why we were at war or that their vote for the war would actually have taken us to war.

        Second, and I know these facts will get in you way…It was Barney Frank and Chris Dodd who repeatedly told Bush and the rest of Congress not to worry that Fanny and Freddie are fine! 6 times (it’s a verfiable fact) The administration asked for an investigation into Fannie and Freddie and each time they were told not to worry!

        Your misguided policy of blaming everything on Conservatives can be proven wrong by the policies of Obama! The last 4 years have proven the agenda of Obama is much the same as Bush! The difference is the media and people like you are blinded by ideology. There is equal blame to both parties for selling out. The right is sold out to big corporations and the left is sold out to the Unions and other big Corporations.

        When people like you open your eyes and see that the last 4 years are no better than Bushes 8 years, we might be able to change things. Until then were screwed!

        • charleo1

          Just more weak apologies. And it doesn’t make you sound anymore
          believable to attempt to spread the blame. Or just flat out misstate
          the facts. Like millionaires, and hedge fund managers would have
          gotten their taxes raised, because there is no difference between Bush,
          and Obama. Or, 2 men. Both Democrats of course. 1 rep., and 1 senator,
          caused the economic collapse, with the President begging for a thorough
          investigation. And that’s your story? That, and I’m ideologically
          blind as a bat. So, why didn’t we see George at his Party’s convention?
          Because the Republicans can’t explain how their policies now are any
          different than the ones that caused the mess in the first place.
          You know people are not nearly as stupid as your side of the fence
          makes them out to be. No matter how many times you say it.
          And blaming, “the media,” is getting pretty tired too. If you don’t
          like what they say, their just in the Liberal camp. That’s why they
          backed Bush’s lies, or Cheney’s lies, that Bush believed, that caused
          the outrageous blunder of attacking, and invading Iraq, was the
          Liberal Press? Bush said, I see things I can’t show you, but trust
          me, they are developing WMDs. Look, you bring up Solerdra, Benghazi,
          Fast, and Furious, and attempt to conflate them into a 1.5 trillion
          dollar unnecessary war. In which hundreds of thousands lost their
          lives. 30 thousand of our beautiful young people didn’t make it back
          in one piece. Somebody is responsible for that. I like Obama, but
          when he can’t get it right on the big decisions, I’m done with him.
          But don’t you dare claim there is no difference between the two men,
          and expect to retain any credibility.

    • InsideEye

      We should make thus a national platform, well said, this is the solution . AMEN.

  • joeham1

    My thoughts a verifiable…Are you that loyal to the left that you don’t care what’s happening? Check out my facts! look on youtube and listen to the President! Check the CBO…This has nothing to do with Fox news!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/CUQKAONVFOWIHAZIUONVP6Y2SY Donald

    It is misleading to try and separate clowns from character in congress, they are all about the same; anyone who thinks obama had a noble economic goal rather than destruction of his opposition is naive; the rev increase could easily have been accomplished without raising rates, and even then does nothing to address the debt problem

  • InsideEye

    Dominus vobiscum.

  • InsideEye

    Dominus vobiscum, Ida mag

  • InsideEye

    Yes, I did. Did post a partial list elsewhere

  • joeham1

    Charleo..you wouldn’t know the truth if it punched you in the face! I gave you proof but your such a left wing nut you the truth doesn’ t matter! I’m sure your such wacko that you will still blame Bush in 4 years!

    Everything I said is fact and provable if you wanted the truth…Your an idiot for sure!

  • joeham1

    idamag tried to say that Obama has spent far less than Bush! The sad thing is that most of the puppets that read only National Memo or listen to CBS or CNN really believe the polution their fed!

    Regardless of the ilegal, immoral, or underhanded things Obama has done these puppets believe he really cares! Facts don’t matter to them! Can you say Anti-Christ?

    • charleo1

      I know you right wing types want to continue the old canard about Democrats being
      the big spenders. It has been so since FDR. In fact, it is remarkable how little the
      Republican Party has changed in the 80 years since Roosevelt. As in 1929, it was
      very much the policies of a Party that never says no to big business. Then, when
      the results of those policies cause economic calamity, the Country votes them out.
      Where they proceed to have a conniption over the debt made necessary by their
      own incompetence, and unfailing, proclivity to bend, and pander to monied elite.
      I would ask you, Sir. What part of fixing an economy run into the ground, doesn’t
      cost money? Or, perhaps you believe the government of a President, John
      McCain, would have stood idly by as the markets collapsed by the weight of their
      own credit balances, risking a complete failure of the world financial system?
      If one sets aside the money spent to address shortfalls cause by the recession,
      for which Obama may not be fairly blamed, his record on the budget, like his
      Democratic predecessors has been responsible. Just one of many hard truths,
      Republicans will deny. Not because it’s wrong, but because they have decided as
      a matter of Party policy, not to acknowledge it. Professional deniers. The Right
      dismisses a truth, staring them in the face, better that any humans alive.
      Which of course, they would deny!

      • joeham1

        You left wing crazies have a strange reality..If there is a deficit when a republican is in office it’s because they wasted it on corporations or whatever. If it’s a Democrat and they have deficits, it’s to fix what the Republicans did! You are either really stupid or your just a liar!

        The undeniable truth is that 45 of the last 50 years the Democrats have ran the house and Senate. The last 4 years Obama has spent more money than any other President by far! To be honest, if our economy was doing well or if it even seemed like it was getting better I would not be scared of the 5.5 trillion deficit this President has created! However, the facts are the facts. You can’t lie your way out of the truth that Obama is destroying our economy and he is in way over his head! At the end of his second term, when the deficit is 21 trillion and the economy is in worse shape, crazy left wing nuts like you will still be blaming the republicans.

        Until people like you wake up and face reality that taxing and spending don’t work and have never worked.

        • charleo1

          Hey, don’t think the charm offensive is going to work, or I don’t
          know you guessed on that House/Senate thing. Republicans took
          both chambers in the second year of Clinton’s first term, and held
          both until 2006. So that’s 12 out of the last 16 years, Republican. You
          might be a Democrat, and not know it! And please with the Obama
          is destroying the economy. If you want to have a decent conversation,
          and say Obama is destroying the economy, you must use some measure
          of economic activity to make your point. And, OOPS! When it comes
          to facts, you’re fresh out. Listen, the economy was issue number one
          this past election. Obama beat Romney, which tried to sell the point.
          The Country didn’t buy it, because it’s simply not true. Like the debt.
          The Country doesn’t agree it’s something that warrants letting the
          elderly, and disabled go untended. Or that the cuts in spending must
          be so deep as to cause harm to an economy just getting on it’s feet.
          The public really disagrees with those who would threaten the jobs
          and livelihoods of millions of Americans, because their pride is hurt,
          and people are going to feel their wrath, and plan on using the debt
          as a cudgel. I can tell you right now, when they do that, they are done!

          • joeham1

            I mis-typed—-The dems have controlled congress 36 of the last 50 years! Your wrong when you say the economy is just getting on it’s feet. 5.5 trillion in deficit spending and virtually nothing has changed in his first 4 years. What you don’t get is that spending the way he is will only lead to a collapse of the economy. Every Democrat President since Carter has tried the tax and spend approach. Obama is trying it on a whole new level! In the mean time the same amount of people are looking for jobs that were looking when he took office. Poverty is up 6% and his Balanced approach to solve the deficit turned into a scheme to spend more! Someday when you and the rest of the radicals wake up it will probably be to late!

            You lefties want to keep spending and say we can’t cut spending or seniors will die or starve! In the mean time the federal Governement is more bloated and less efficient as ever! Obama’s Jobs bill was just another stimulas program to pay more of his cronies.

            Obama has one goal…make the Republicans look bad! He lied about the Balanced approach he gave over 100 speeches about. The media and Obama have won and will continue to win. In the mean time blind people cheer him while the rest of us wait for his to kill our country!

          • sleeve

            You have been wrong at least 47% of the time, so you more than mistyped. You are dumb ol GOPer troll and a loser like your boy Romney.

          • joeham1

            Well sleeve..where am I wrong? Calling me a troll is cute. Let’s see what you know lefty!

    • idamag

      No, there are government sites out there where you can find facts.

      • joeham1

        The Obama web site won’t tell you the truth!..

        I have asked over 20 people on this site a question. Not one of you has answered it. So let’s try a far left radical like you..

        For over a year the President campaigned on a Balanced approach to cutting the deficit. He gave over 100 speeches saying we need a Balanced approach. The final deal raises taxes 660 Billion and also raises the deficit 4 trillion.

        1)Are you Ok with that?
        2) did he lie?
        3) does he care about the deficit?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EQ5LTH2XTZCVP7G4FGK6Z2YTJE ignore the facts

    It has to be exhausting for the extreme repugs to keep fighting so hard against our president who works day and night to bring the country to fiscal sanity and to improve the lives of us all. I’d feel sorry for them, except for the damage they continue to do to us. Ignorance is bliss however, and they are the most blissfully incompetent people ever. Not one of them can do math, except when it applies to money going into their own pockets. God forbid they stand for improvement in the lives of average Americans – they know THEY are not average. THEY beieve they are special and exceptional and desrving of every little gift the country can give them. It’s so far past time for them to grow up….why do people keep voting these people into positions of any power? The states they have put repugs in power are working day and night to deny rights to women. Day and night to figure out ways to steal elections. Gerrymandering to assure themselves of NO competition. Disgusting. WHY oh WHY can’t people see it?