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Research admits errors in ‘human skin to embryonic stem cells’ study
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A blockbuster study in which US researchers reported that they had turned
human skin cells into embryonic stem cells contained errors, its lead
author has ...
Economy Slows Dramatically Since GOP Takeover of House
Since Republicans took over the House of Representatives in January this year, the U.S. economy as slowed to an extremely anemic growth rate of 0.85%, the worst since the recession ended. Stifling Obama's stimulus recovery has proved costly for America. The next plan from the GOP book of destroying America is for default for the first time in history.
Perpetual Victims
I don't even know where I got it from. I'm sure I stole it from somewhere. And if I could remember I would give them credit for it. But I've been calling Republicans perpetual victims for at least two years, possibly longer.
They are always talking about how they are mistreated either by the media or by the public at large. They are always talking about how they are waging battles for freedom and are doing it alone. They are always the downtrodden; always scapegoated by liberals. They are, without a doubt, Perpetual Victims. One of my favorite summations of their perpetual victimization is from the comments section on this blog. Unless we agree with everything they say and want, they're victims.
Alas, Jon Stewart has an epic segment where he catches their self victimization and wraps it right around their necks. Stewart might owe me some royalties on this one. Considering I stole it from somewhere, I'll just call it even.
They are always talking about how they are mistreated either by the media or by the public at large. They are always talking about how they are waging battles for freedom and are doing it alone. They are always the downtrodden; always scapegoated by liberals. They are, without a doubt, Perpetual Victims. One of my favorite summations of their perpetual victimization is from the comments section on this blog. Unless we agree with everything they say and want, they're victims.
Alas, Jon Stewart has an epic segment where he catches their self victimization and wraps it right around their necks. Stewart might owe me some royalties on this one. Considering I stole it from somewhere, I'll just call it even.
Still Not a Maverick
Maybe before we start referring to him as the Maverick again we should really listen to what he's saying. Sure he's mad at the Tea Baggers, but the Tea Baggers never liked him in the first place. What he's saying is not that the whole GOP is crazy, which they are. But that the Boehner bill should be passed. That's not Mavericky. That's delusion.
It's Really Time To Combat the Lies
The past few weeks I've spent an incredible amount of time trying to get Republicans to understand that President Obama has not spent as much money as you may think.
Sure he has spent a lot. No one is denying that. But he hasn't spent more than every president combined like the nut job GOP keeps saying. Neither has he spent more than Bush did in 8 years. What is frustrating about this stupid argument is that it's so easy to just go and check for yourself who has spent what. A very easy Wikipedia search clearly shows total outlays by president.
The United States has operated under two budgets submitted by Obama, 2010 & 2011 respectively. Total outlays for those budgets were $7.4 trillion. That's a lot of dang money no doubt. But more than every president combined and more than Bush did in 8 years? Not even close.
As Wiki clearly outlines, Bush submitted 8 budgets totaling $20.4 trillion. Continuing his pace, Obama will surely outspend Bush by year six. But that's always the case with every president. George W. outspent Clinton. Clinton outspent the first Bush and Reagan. Every president has always outspent his predecessor going all the way back to WWII.
This is easy, easy stuff. But to Republicans it's liberal propaganda. They really believe Obama created the debt mess we are in today. They really believe he has outspent every president combined. They really believe everything is his fault. So how could something so easy to figure out on your own be so confusing to Republicans. Here's your answer:
They are lied to daily. Even worse, the lies become engrained in them and it creates the situation we have today with the debt ceiling fiasco.
Sure he has spent a lot. No one is denying that. But he hasn't spent more than every president combined like the nut job GOP keeps saying. Neither has he spent more than Bush did in 8 years. What is frustrating about this stupid argument is that it's so easy to just go and check for yourself who has spent what. A very easy Wikipedia search clearly shows total outlays by president.
The United States has operated under two budgets submitted by Obama, 2010 & 2011 respectively. Total outlays for those budgets were $7.4 trillion. That's a lot of dang money no doubt. But more than every president combined and more than Bush did in 8 years? Not even close.
As Wiki clearly outlines, Bush submitted 8 budgets totaling $20.4 trillion. Continuing his pace, Obama will surely outspend Bush by year six. But that's always the case with every president. George W. outspent Clinton. Clinton outspent the first Bush and Reagan. Every president has always outspent his predecessor going all the way back to WWII.
This is easy, easy stuff. But to Republicans it's liberal propaganda. They really believe Obama created the debt mess we are in today. They really believe he has outspent every president combined. They really believe everything is his fault. So how could something so easy to figure out on your own be so confusing to Republicans. Here's your answer:
There you go people. Right there. They watch Fox News and don't bother to check it for themselves. They believe every word they are told and then run into the public repeating their lies. When you confront them with real facts like I have these last few weeks, they run and hide or come up with even more completely untrue lies about the current president.Tonight on Fox Business' Freedom Watch, host Andrew Napolitano made the startling claim that "the government [is] now spending 65 percent of the gross domestic product":This is false. This year, the federal government will spend about $3.7 trilliion, which is around 25 percent of the current U.S. GDP of roughly $15 trillion. State and local spending is an additional $2.1 trillion, but adding that to federal spending gets you to just below 40 percent of GDP. That's still quite a bit less than Napolitano's 65 percent.For those thinking "Hey, maybe he just misspoke," a huge graphic that appeared behind Napolitano as he said it made things all too clear:
They are lied to daily. Even worse, the lies become engrained in them and it creates the situation we have today with the debt ceiling fiasco.
Facebook Discussion Enters Blog
Occasionally I like to bring my Facebook page to the blog. This is one of those occasions.
A friend left a comment which I hope to address here. I'll post it below and then my reply thereafter.
Ad FB Comment
My reply after the fold...
A friend left a comment which I hope to address here. I'll post it below and then my reply thereafter.
Ad FB Comment
My reply after the fold...
Bush Policies Account for $7 Trillion of National Debt
Read it and weep Repubs. Oh wait, I forgot, none of this ever happened. Or if it did we are never supposed to ever bring it up. Barack Obama is the cause of all the debt and he alone should be forced to sell off his children to pay for it or go back to Kenya.
In all honesty, there is no way any Republican will believe Bush (the guy they gleefully voted for twice) added $7 trillion to the debt. Not only will they not believe it, they'll probably never see it because there is no way this graph is ever going to be on Fox News or mentioned by their Great Leader and drug addict Rush Limbaugh. What they want to focus on is the now, the moment. Because that's the only way they can be accredited as True Fiscal Conservatives who are trying to stop Obama's evil spending binge. Any acknowledgement outside of this very moment shreds to pieces their Fantasy World.
Saudi Royal Says Fox News' Parent Company Doesn't Need Restructuring
No need to worry about a restructuring at Fox News' parent company, News Corp, says its largest shareholder, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Tala.
In addition to being the world's largest sponsor of Islamic terrorism--and home of 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11, the Saudi Royal Family is also the largest shareholders of Fox News' sugar daddy News Corp. His Highness owns 12% stock, the same amount as Rupert Murdoch who is currently up to his eyeballs in a phone hacking scandal that is about to bring his empire crumbling down.
In addition to being the world's largest sponsor of Islamic terrorism--and home of 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11, the Saudi Royal Family is also the largest shareholders of Fox News' sugar daddy News Corp. His Highness owns 12% stock, the same amount as Rupert Murdoch who is currently up to his eyeballs in a phone hacking scandal that is about to bring his empire crumbling down.
Things You're Not Supposed to Say When Talking About the Debt Crisis
There's certain rules you have to follow when talking about politics and current events in America, especially when talking about the debt crisis. You cannot mention the past. And you most certainly can't mention hypocrisy. If you do either of those two things the conversation nosedives into some sort of tailspin about who has the bigger penis.
For example, if I say the top 3 current Republicans in the country (Boehner, McConnell and Cantor) just a few short years ago voted in favor of legislation that increased the federal debt by $3.4 trillion the result would lead to total disarray. It would be like going back in time to the 15th century and telling the Catholic church the world is round. The calls of blasphemy would be too numerous to sustain.
We can't say such things because doing so implies Republicans are not real conservatives and are not really all that fiscally responsible. This flies in the face of everything the media and the GOP tell us daily. Even though Republicans have no track record of ever cutting spending, shrinking government or reining in the deficit, it's taboo non grata to ever mention it.
Saying something like, oh I don't know, how Republicans are responsible for 75% of the total federal debt, or that when George Bush was president they never once made him cut spending before voting to raise the debt ceiling, is simply not allowed. In order to advance the conversation, to keep the rhetoric flowing, we have to pretend none of that ever happened and that now, all of a sudden, Republicans are very concerned about the nation's fiscal situation. Bringing up the past and the complete hypocrisy of the Republican Party only means we are not Serious or fiscally responsible enough to partake in the conversation.
So this article in Businessweek today is simply laughed off as islamofascistliberal tripe. The author of it is no better than the terrorists that want to destroy us. Welcome to America, circa 2011.
For example, if I say the top 3 current Republicans in the country (Boehner, McConnell and Cantor) just a few short years ago voted in favor of legislation that increased the federal debt by $3.4 trillion the result would lead to total disarray. It would be like going back in time to the 15th century and telling the Catholic church the world is round. The calls of blasphemy would be too numerous to sustain.
We can't say such things because doing so implies Republicans are not real conservatives and are not really all that fiscally responsible. This flies in the face of everything the media and the GOP tell us daily. Even though Republicans have no track record of ever cutting spending, shrinking government or reining in the deficit, it's taboo non grata to ever mention it.
Saying something like, oh I don't know, how Republicans are responsible for 75% of the total federal debt, or that when George Bush was president they never once made him cut spending before voting to raise the debt ceiling, is simply not allowed. In order to advance the conversation, to keep the rhetoric flowing, we have to pretend none of that ever happened and that now, all of a sudden, Republicans are very concerned about the nation's fiscal situation. Bringing up the past and the complete hypocrisy of the Republican Party only means we are not Serious or fiscally responsible enough to partake in the conversation.
So this article in Businessweek today is simply laughed off as islamofascistliberal tripe. The author of it is no better than the terrorists that want to destroy us. Welcome to America, circa 2011.
Way to Make Yourself Too Important
Embattled sex crime subject, David Wu of Oregon (D-OR) says he will resign from Congress but not until after a vote on the debt ceiling and its resolution.
Boehner Briefed Limbaugh
The Hill reported yesterday that Speaker Boehner Boner briefed the drug-addicted Rush Limbaugh on his debt plan before delivering it to his caucus. This should come as no surprise given Fat Boy Limbaugh is the Leader of the Republican Party. Without his stamp of approval nothing takes place.
Speech Reaction
The only thing I can really say about the president's speech last night is that it's something he should have done 6 months ago.
Why wait around for months letting Republicans run crazy with lies only to find himself playing defense on what is entirely a Republican created mess.
Why wait around for months letting Republicans run crazy with lies only to find himself playing defense on what is entirely a Republican created mess.
Deep Thought
Watching Boehner give the response and talk about fiscal responsibility is like watching Dahmer say he cared for his victims.
Gun Laws Don't Work
Norway has very strict gun laws yet someone was able to systematically murder scores of people in broad daylight with a gun.
If someone is going to shoot someone, no law in the world will prevent them from doing it.
If someone is going to shoot someone, no law in the world will prevent them from doing it.
If It's Big Government, It Has To Be Obama's Fault
They hate him. There's no denying people who voted for George Bush twice hate Barack Obama. They hate him so much they are perfectly willing to forego reality and replace it with some sort of make-believe world where the past never happened and where they are Super Patriots defending America from the evil occupying the White House.
Therefore, anything closely related to government taking away people's God-given right to choose is from Obama's government.
Except for the fact President Obama has nothing to do with the ban on certain inhalers and the law was signed by George Bush and passed by a completely Republican-controlled Congress. Oh and the treaty that made it all necessary was signed by Ronald Reagan!! Wheeeee...
Therefore, anything closely related to government taking away people's God-given right to choose is from Obama's government.
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| Fox Nation Headline |
This is How Republicans Exempt Themselves From Responsibility
Republican Erick Erickson, who is normally considered a highly influential Republican "thinker", says that he might have been wrong to jump to the conclusion that the Oslo terrorism was from Muslims, but that's okay because God is with the Righteous Republicans and people who claim otherwise are no different than the Islamists.
*Update:
As many people will recall, Erick Erickson is such a great and faithful "Christian" that he refers to people who don't vote like he does as "goat fucking child molesters."
When he says he's not of this world, he's not entirely lying. It's called the Republican Fantasy World.
Secular leftists and Islamists are both of this world. Christians may be traveling through, but we are most definitely not of the world. In fact, Christ commands us to throw off our ties to this world. But the things of this world love this world and hate the things of God. That’s why secular leftism can embrace both activist homosexuals and activist muslims when the latter would, when true to their faith, be happy to kill the former.I honestly can't make this stuff up.
All of them can pile on and condemn the Christian because the Christian is just passing through, a stranger in a strange land.
Over the next week, assuming the budget fight in Washington doesn’t over shadow it, you can expect lots more gloating that the guy in Norway described himself as a conservative Christian. Never mind that a conservative Christian would not do what the guy did. The left, however, will not be persuaded otherwise. They are of this world and this world is all that matters until the last day.
*Update:
As many people will recall, Erick Erickson is such a great and faithful "Christian" that he refers to people who don't vote like he does as "goat fucking child molesters."
When he says he's not of this world, he's not entirely lying. It's called the Republican Fantasy World.
GOP's World Jihad
The Norway terrorist whose name I can't even begin to spell off the top of my head, described himself as a Christian conservative who used many American Republican "thinkers" to guide his world view and criticism of President Obama. In other words, he's a Republican. This, however, can only mean one thing in the Republican Fantasy World: He was a Muslim.
Republicans: Norway Proves We Can't Make Cuts to Defense Budget
Possibly the stupidest person alive today.
Jennifer Rubin (R-America)
The AP among other media report the person arrested for the gruesome attacks in Norway was not a Muslim and had no connections to al Qaeda. Instead the person is a white Christian male who identified himself on his Facebook page as a conservative. Not in the Republican Fantasy World, though. It was al Qaeda proving that Obama isn't serious about national security and that we can't make defense cuts.
Jennifer Rubin (R-America)
Moreover, there is a specific jihadist connection here: “Just nine days ago, Norwegian authorities filed charges against Mullah Krekar, an infamous al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist who, with help from Osama bin Laden, founded Ansar al Islam – a branch of al Qaeda in northern Iraq – in late 2001.”
This is a sobering reminder for those who think it’s too expensive to wage a war against jihadists. I spoke to Gary Schmitt of the American Enterprise Institute, who has been critical of proposed cuts in defense and of President Obama’s Afghanistan withdrawal plan. “There has been a lot of talk over the past few months on how we’ve got al-Qaeda on the run and, compared with what it once was, it’s become a rump organization. But as the attack in Oslo reminds us, there are plenty of al-Qaeda allies still operating. No doubt cutting the head off a snake is important; the problem is, we’re dealing with global nest of snakes.”
The AP among other media report the person arrested for the gruesome attacks in Norway was not a Muslim and had no connections to al Qaeda. Instead the person is a white Christian male who identified himself on his Facebook page as a conservative. Not in the Republican Fantasy World, though. It was al Qaeda proving that Obama isn't serious about national security and that we can't make defense cuts.
Fiscal Conservatives
Tea Bagger Nation headquartered in Tennessee owes the Venetian Casino Resort in Las Vegas over $600,000. The Resort is now suing the Republican front group for the unpaid tab. This is definitely the Reagan/Bush mold of fiscal conservancy. Run up huge amounts of debt and let others pay it off. And then of course, call them socialists and enemies for not paying off your debt fast enough.
What is it the Tea Baggers claim as their mantle? OH YEAH:
What is it the Tea Baggers claim as their mantle? OH YEAH:
More Google Woes
So now apparently I have like 42 Google accounts. Why can't Google just let me sign in with one username and password and access everything? There are Google services I pay for and those like Gmail I use for free. So maybe have one username/password for each type. I'd be fine with that. For some reason Google wants me to log into each service with a new username/password. It's getting ridiculous. Google used to be so clean and neat. What happened????
Congress Raised the Debt Ceiling 18 Times For Reagan, 19 Times For Bush
It's hard to imagine Ronald Reagan being told that raising the debt ceiling was because of his socialist, America destroying policies isn't it? After all, the ceiling only has to be raised because of the president right? That's what the modern GOP wants everyone to believe at least.
Truth is Congress raised the debt ceiling 18 different times for Reagan because he tripled the national debt. And then raised it another 19 times for George Bush because he doubled the national debt. Those two Republican presidents added nearly $11 trillion to today's federal debt and account for the debt ceiling being raised at least 37 times. Seventy-five percent of the federal debt comes from fiscally conservative Republicans.
None of this matters today because the White House is being run by a Democrat. And Democrats aren't offered the same legitimacy as Republican presidents. It's only now that a Democrat is in charge does the debt ceiling being raised equate to a socialist overtaken of America.
*Update:
Where oh where could Republicans possibly be getting the idea that this decision to raise the debt ceiling is strictly because of this president's policies?
Yesterday on Fox News, Sean Hannity: "We're going to lose our AAA bond rating because he spent us into oblivion."
No president spent more money than George W. Bush. To date, no president added more to the national debt than George W. Bush. Not one time did Hannity ever complain about Congress having to raise the debt ceiling for George Bush's spending, which they did 19 times. The only thing different now than then is Obama is a Democrat. Because of that, Hannity and his Republicans are suddenly concerned about the country's fiscal matters.
Truth is Congress raised the debt ceiling 18 different times for Reagan because he tripled the national debt. And then raised it another 19 times for George Bush because he doubled the national debt. Those two Republican presidents added nearly $11 trillion to today's federal debt and account for the debt ceiling being raised at least 37 times. Seventy-five percent of the federal debt comes from fiscally conservative Republicans.
None of this matters today because the White House is being run by a Democrat. And Democrats aren't offered the same legitimacy as Republican presidents. It's only now that a Democrat is in charge does the debt ceiling being raised equate to a socialist overtaken of America.
*Update:
Where oh where could Republicans possibly be getting the idea that this decision to raise the debt ceiling is strictly because of this president's policies?
Yesterday on Fox News, Sean Hannity: "We're going to lose our AAA bond rating because he spent us into oblivion."
No president spent more money than George W. Bush. To date, no president added more to the national debt than George W. Bush. Not one time did Hannity ever complain about Congress having to raise the debt ceiling for George Bush's spending, which they did 19 times. The only thing different now than then is Obama is a Democrat. Because of that, Hannity and his Republicans are suddenly concerned about the country's fiscal matters.
A Pattern...Yes I Believe It Is
I'm sure we all remember the lady who was curb stomped in Kentucky by tea bagger Republican Sir Rand Paul's street toughs last year. In addition to not voting for George Bush she was carrying signage that didn't favor Randy. She's lucky she was only curb stomped and merely suffered a concussion. Not voting for Bush and thinking Randy is an idiot could lead to a lot worse.
How about last year when Republican Tea Bagger candidate Joe Miller's active duty military guards detained and handcuffed a reporter for attempting to ask him a question which he did not want to answer? Not as highly publicized since it was in the third least populated state that isn't even connected to the continental U.S., but it happened nonetheless.
And now we have Tea Bagger and Republican Presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann's guards roughing up Brian Ross of ABC News for trying to ask her about her migraine headaches she is known to suffer from which she, again, didn't want to answer.
Remember, we aren't supposed to ask them questions. Only obey. Heck we aren't even supposed to remember. Just obey.
The Slow Painful Truth of the Death of the Conservative Blogosphere
Right winger John Hawkins makes some really good points in his short essay about the coming death of conservative blogs. There isn't much in his 5 points I can disagree with but I feel like something is missing.
I think the answer still somewhat lies in point number one, however.
1) The Right is structured differently than the Left. We have a large, effective talk radio presence and Tea Parties for new conservatives to sink their energy into. So conservatives have more viable ways to get involved in the movement outside of blogging than the Left did when George W. Bush came into office.
Considering the tea bagger movement really isn't that popular or very organized for right wingers to utilize, that leaves us with talk radio. I'll add Republican television media as an equal function of effective Republican punditry to that and we get a very powerful right wing media force.
So why is talk radio and Republican television media (Fox News) so viable for right wing thoughts, opinions and rhetoric and not blogging? The short answer is talk radio and talk television can't be fact checked as easily or as visibly as blogging can.
For example, when Politifact or FactCheck do a rundown of the facts or non-facts contained in a story on Fox News or on the drug addicted Limbaugh's radio show, the people who watch and listen to such programs never see the fact check. They never see the fact that Sean Hannity is lying through his teeth when he repeatedly claims George Bush created 10 million new jobs. Rush Slimbaugh doesn't go on his show the next morning and tell his listeners about how Rachel Maddow proved he's a lying imbecile. The people consuming those programs, whether it be radio or teevee, are never made aware that what they are receiving isn't The Truth. They are made to believe that what they are hearing and seeing is The Truth and that's that.
Blogging is the polar opposite. On the internet there are an infinite number of ways consumers of media can gain reaction to articles or even see in real time in the comments section just how accurate or lack thereof a post is. Other bloggers can pick you up and rampage your false hoods only to send it on to other bloggers with more visitors until eventually you have to admit you were wrong or just give up blogging. The Right has chosen the latter.
It's not that the Right already has this effective talk radio/teevee apparatus with which to reach its masses. It's just that you can't possibly have a world wide public showcase where you write daily that tax cuts increase revenue and not be laughed off the scene after a certain amount of time. Thus, you get frustrated with the allusion of reality that is caused by not enough Fox News and you go cuddle up back in your cubby hole.
- The Right is structured differently, true.
- Right wingers now spend most of their time on social networks like Facebook and Twitter rather than trolling blogs. Agreed. Agree doubly cause my Facebook feed looks like it's been hacked by the John Birch Society on most days.
- The market has changed (matured is what Hawkins calls it). Agreed.
- The market is more professional, meaning big names draw the hits. As a blogger myself I totally agree with this. Regular visitors are much harder to come by nowadays than they were just 5 years ago.
- Most bloggers just aren't that good. Very true.
I think the answer still somewhat lies in point number one, however.
1) The Right is structured differently than the Left. We have a large, effective talk radio presence and Tea Parties for new conservatives to sink their energy into. So conservatives have more viable ways to get involved in the movement outside of blogging than the Left did when George W. Bush came into office.
Considering the tea bagger movement really isn't that popular or very organized for right wingers to utilize, that leaves us with talk radio. I'll add Republican television media as an equal function of effective Republican punditry to that and we get a very powerful right wing media force.
So why is talk radio and Republican television media (Fox News) so viable for right wing thoughts, opinions and rhetoric and not blogging? The short answer is talk radio and talk television can't be fact checked as easily or as visibly as blogging can.
For example, when Politifact or FactCheck do a rundown of the facts or non-facts contained in a story on Fox News or on the drug addicted Limbaugh's radio show, the people who watch and listen to such programs never see the fact check. They never see the fact that Sean Hannity is lying through his teeth when he repeatedly claims George Bush created 10 million new jobs. Rush Slimbaugh doesn't go on his show the next morning and tell his listeners about how Rachel Maddow proved he's a lying imbecile. The people consuming those programs, whether it be radio or teevee, are never made aware that what they are receiving isn't The Truth. They are made to believe that what they are hearing and seeing is The Truth and that's that.
Blogging is the polar opposite. On the internet there are an infinite number of ways consumers of media can gain reaction to articles or even see in real time in the comments section just how accurate or lack thereof a post is. Other bloggers can pick you up and rampage your false hoods only to send it on to other bloggers with more visitors until eventually you have to admit you were wrong or just give up blogging. The Right has chosen the latter.
It's not that the Right already has this effective talk radio/teevee apparatus with which to reach its masses. It's just that you can't possibly have a world wide public showcase where you write daily that tax cuts increase revenue and not be laughed off the scene after a certain amount of time. Thus, you get frustrated with the allusion of reality that is caused by not enough Fox News and you go cuddle up back in your cubby hole.
We Are All to Blame
I've only recently started reading George Packer. I find his past in terms of politics and ideology similar to mine. He was once an ardent Bush war enabler. Even arguing for the moral conviction behind invading Iraq. I was there too. Except I think I've been much more blunt than Packer about denouncing how wrong I was circa 2001-2003.
Packer's latest New Yorker column on just how insane the debt ceiling debate is has many sentences worthy of reposting. To me, the article is not just about how immature our most current debate is but about the era as a whole. We find ourselves divided between people who refuse reality and have no concern for anyone but the rich and those who are too scared to ruffle feathers to do what is right.
Packer's latest New Yorker column on just how insane the debt ceiling debate is has many sentences worthy of reposting. To me, the article is not just about how immature our most current debate is but about the era as a whole. We find ourselves divided between people who refuse reality and have no concern for anyone but the rich and those who are too scared to ruffle feathers to do what is right.
Representative Paul Ryan’s ten-year budget plan, which remains his party’s blueprint for the future, would impose a fifty-per-cent cut on programs like food stamps and Supplemental Security Income, which, as long as Danny Hartzell remains jobless, represent the Hartzells’ only income. By the last day of June, the Hartzells had twenty-nine dollars to their name. The Republicans in Congress won’t be satisfied until the family is out on the street.
Why Internet Was Invented
Since on I'm on my 5th day of having trouble getting into my account, this is obviously the only thing Google intended their services for. Not that we're complaining...
(H/T Our buddy FitsNews)
(H/T Our buddy FitsNews)
Now It's a Story
UK's Guardian is reporting the Rupert Murdoch phone hacking whistleblower (you know the story Fox News refuses to cover) has been found dead.
Fox News Host Declares Romney "Not a Christian"
Finally something me and Fox News agree on:
“Well the Christian coalition, I think he could get a lot of money from that,” host Ainsley Earhardt predicted. “Because Romney, obviously not being a Christian — Rick Perry, he’s always on talk shows — on Christian talk shows. He has days of prayer in Texas.”To be sure, Romney believes Joseph Smith is an apostle and that God lives on planet Kolob. Sorry, but I don't consider that Christianity either.
Sarah Palin Has No Concept of American Government
Given that it took her going to 6 different colleges to get a four-year degree, and that she quit as governor of the third least populated state in the country after just two years, it's not startling to realize Sarah Palin has no understanding of American government.
“If I were in Congress, I would not vote to incur more debt,” she asserted. But she also said, “We cannot default.” But then she also said: “We cannot afford to retreat right now.” Of which she finally added that Republicans have to reload when it comes to the debt debate. Sounds like she needs to reload her brain cause I'm not sure it's possible to have any less understanding of government and still be considered a top-tier presidential hopeful. Thank you GOP for making all of America just that much dumber.
First off, we all should be thankful she isn't a Member of Congress. Secondly, a vote by Congress to raise the debt ceiling is not a vote to "incur more debt." It's a vote to allow Congress to keep paying the debt. Here's what the Government Accountability Office tells us about the debt ceiling:
“The debt limit does not control or limit the ability of the federal government to run deficits or incur obligations. Rather, it is a limit on the ability to pay obligations already incurred."
They even use the word incur so maybe Republicans will believe it since their Fearless Patriot Leader Palin did too. As we've discussed on this blog a million times, not voting to raise the ceiling will cause the debt to rise faster than it would if Congress just raised the ceiling like it has numerous times over the last couple decades.
Not raising the limit means we can't pay our debt. That means we will have higher interest rates and accumulate more debt much quicker than before. There's a reason why we have never defaulted on our debt-- it would be insane. But that's just what Palin is saying Congress should do. In fact, she's saying that's what she would do. She would cause us to default on our debt and force the federal debt to explode. She is a fiscal conservative after all.
That's the gist of the debate. Republicans are purposely skewing the debate to make people think raising the debt limit means we are agreeing to spend more money and raise the debt. That's dishonest and pathetic. Raising the debt limit simply allows us to pay our bills. We'll incur debt whether we raise it or not.
“If I were in Congress, I would not vote to incur more debt,” she asserted. But she also said, “We cannot default.” But then she also said: “We cannot afford to retreat right now.” Of which she finally added that Republicans have to reload when it comes to the debt debate. Sounds like she needs to reload her brain cause I'm not sure it's possible to have any less understanding of government and still be considered a top-tier presidential hopeful. Thank you GOP for making all of America just that much dumber.
First off, we all should be thankful she isn't a Member of Congress. Secondly, a vote by Congress to raise the debt ceiling is not a vote to "incur more debt." It's a vote to allow Congress to keep paying the debt. Here's what the Government Accountability Office tells us about the debt ceiling:
“The debt limit does not control or limit the ability of the federal government to run deficits or incur obligations. Rather, it is a limit on the ability to pay obligations already incurred."
They even use the word incur so maybe Republicans will believe it since their Fearless Patriot Leader Palin did too. As we've discussed on this blog a million times, not voting to raise the ceiling will cause the debt to rise faster than it would if Congress just raised the ceiling like it has numerous times over the last couple decades.
Not raising the limit means we can't pay our debt. That means we will have higher interest rates and accumulate more debt much quicker than before. There's a reason why we have never defaulted on our debt-- it would be insane. But that's just what Palin is saying Congress should do. In fact, she's saying that's what she would do. She would cause us to default on our debt and force the federal debt to explode. She is a fiscal conservative after all.
That's the gist of the debate. Republicans are purposely skewing the debate to make people think raising the debt limit means we are agreeing to spend more money and raise the debt. That's dishonest and pathetic. Raising the debt limit simply allows us to pay our bills. We'll incur debt whether we raise it or not.
More Perfectly Sane Right Wing Extremist Talk
Half-term governor of the third least populated state in the country, Sarah Palin says Republicans need to "reload" on their plans for debt ceiling.
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| GOP Tea Bagger Rally Attendee |
Quickies-- Debt Ceiling Fraud Edition
- You know it's all over when Republicans start using Democratic talking points to define the debate.
- "President Obama is holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage so he can continue his spending spree," said Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
- Hostage has long been a keyword of Democrats to describe the current GOP play on the debt ceiling.
- Their use of the word hostage reminds me how they also tried to say McCain was the real change candidate in 2008. Yes the crusty old white man was the candidate of change is what they wanted everyone to believe. It's what they do, they steal.
- Texas-- land of the so-called conservative Republican economic model-- has seen its debt grow 281% in less than 10 years.
- Gallup says only 1 in 5 Americans agree with the GOP on the debt ceiling negotiations. In fact, Gallup says 74% of Republicans don't even agree with the GOP's stance that deficit reduction should only come from spending cuts. In plain English that means Americans overwhelmingly support raising taxes and spending cuts for deficit reduction.
- Last but not least, President Obama is reported to have had enough and says he will not yield and for lawmakers to have a deal put together by Friday. In plain English, WINNING!
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| Winning! |
McConnell Says It, Keeps Proving Me Right
(Reuters) - The top Republican in the Senate said on Tuesday that a "real solution" to the country's mounting debt is probably not possible as long as President Barack Obama remains in office.
"After years of discussions and months of negotiations, I have little question that as long as this president is in the Oval Office a real solution is probably unattainable," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor.
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Not sure it can get any clearer than that. McConnell has said many times that the goal of the GOP is to make sure Obama is a one-term president. They have no desire to negotiate with him. They have no plans to raise the debt ceiling. They just as soon America default and Obama get the blame. That's what they want.
That's why when Eric Cantor says talking to the president in the first place is a concession he really meant it. Just sitting down with the president ticks off their base and can cause huge repercussions.
It all boils down to this: President Obama is not just an ideological different. Or simply just a member of the opposition party. They really believe he's an enemy of the state who is trying to destroy America from within. Would you vote for someone's policies if you thought they were destroying your country? Of course you wouldn't. In order for this country to survive, Obama has to go. It's that clear. That's their message. Republicans are simply Freedom Fighting fiscal conservative trying desperately to keep this country together until we get Obama out of here. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting back with wonkish talking points and cries that the president isn't doing enough to secure their goals. Fighting two totally different battles.
"After years of discussions and months of negotiations, I have little question that as long as this president is in the Oval Office a real solution is probably unattainable," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor.
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Not sure it can get any clearer than that. McConnell has said many times that the goal of the GOP is to make sure Obama is a one-term president. They have no desire to negotiate with him. They have no plans to raise the debt ceiling. They just as soon America default and Obama get the blame. That's what they want.
That's why when Eric Cantor says talking to the president in the first place is a concession he really meant it. Just sitting down with the president ticks off their base and can cause huge repercussions.
It all boils down to this: President Obama is not just an ideological different. Or simply just a member of the opposition party. They really believe he's an enemy of the state who is trying to destroy America from within. Would you vote for someone's policies if you thought they were destroying your country? Of course you wouldn't. In order for this country to survive, Obama has to go. It's that clear. That's their message. Republicans are simply Freedom Fighting fiscal conservative trying desperately to keep this country together until we get Obama out of here. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting back with wonkish talking points and cries that the president isn't doing enough to secure their goals. Fighting two totally different battles.
Not Sure Our Discourse Can Go Any Lower
Newt Gingrich tells me there is no Supreme Court in the Constitution. Is it really 2011? Are we really in the 21st century? Has something happened and we've veered off into an alternative reality where mindless zombies are cohabiting with us?
I am right, I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along
Republicans have themselves in a dandy of a mess on the debt ceiling negotiations. I know, Fox News is portraying this as President Obama's final undoing. Just like they did with his relationship to Rev. Wright, and his relationship with Rezko and Bill Ayers. And just like they did with his health care reform fight and his war on terror. They are as wrong now as they were then.
Since before his landslide election, Republicans sought to portray Barack Obama as an outsider. As someone who is inherently un-American even foreign born with a Muslim father and a upbringing of Marxism and anti-Western colonialism. Actual elected members of the GOP have held protests on the Capitol steps. Have organized and attended anti-government rallies where they called for the overthrow of the government-- and for blood. Others have called for their state to secede rather than be forced to live in a country governed by Democrats and Obama. Republican voters have called for the president's death. Have showed up to numerous rallies with weapons. Even declared themselves sovereign citizens so they could pretend they were not subjects of the federal government, or at least one not controlled by the GOP.
Suffice to say Republicans have went to great lengths to discredit this president and force a perception upon a large number of Americans that he is an enemy of the state trying to destroy the country from within.
So now they find themselves face to face with the enemy embarked upon negotiating something to them that is unthinkable, raising the debt limit so Obama can spend more. Like Imperial Japan where there was no concept of surrender, too in the modern GOP there is no concept of compromise with a president you have long thought to be an enemy waging war against your country. Think I'm wrong? Majority Leader Eric Cantor doesn't think so.
No, this isn't about sticking to their core principles. That's all make-believe. This is about talking to the president in the first place. Why can't the White House just understand that talking about raising the debt ceiling is a concession??? Tough guys don't negotiate with the enemy remember?
Their base is appalled that they are even wasting their time with this enemy. They are impatient with Boehner that he is rumored to concede way too much to the socialist takeover of America. They want it shutdown and they want it now.
If, as they say, these fiscal conservatives are worried about the debt going up the first thing they would do is raise the debt limit. By not raising the limit, they will force the federal debt to raise even faster. Anyone claiming the slightest bit of fiscal responsibility wouldn't want that to happen. But they do. They want it to happen. And when it does they want Obama blamed for it. Indeed they are that delusional. They have no qualms forcing the government into default and then blaming it on someone else. Remember these are the people who are proud to let everyone believe Obama created the budget deficit in the first place and routinely tell anyone who will listen that he has spent more money than all presidents combined. These are the people who voted for George Bush twice and now want to pretend those 8 years never happened. They are that delusional. Worse yet, we just let them do it.
Trust me, I'm right about this. Like I've been saying, after more than two years of calling the president an enemy, a socialist, a foreign born Marxist who attended madrassas in Indonesia, Republicans are forced to sit at a table with him and compromise the future of this nation as if he is a legitimate leader or something. To them that's a concession in and of itself. One that could possibly force them into primaries.
Since before his landslide election, Republicans sought to portray Barack Obama as an outsider. As someone who is inherently un-American even foreign born with a Muslim father and a upbringing of Marxism and anti-Western colonialism. Actual elected members of the GOP have held protests on the Capitol steps. Have organized and attended anti-government rallies where they called for the overthrow of the government-- and for blood. Others have called for their state to secede rather than be forced to live in a country governed by Democrats and Obama. Republican voters have called for the president's death. Have showed up to numerous rallies with weapons. Even declared themselves sovereign citizens so they could pretend they were not subjects of the federal government, or at least one not controlled by the GOP.
Suffice to say Republicans have went to great lengths to discredit this president and force a perception upon a large number of Americans that he is an enemy of the state trying to destroy the country from within.
So now they find themselves face to face with the enemy embarked upon negotiating something to them that is unthinkable, raising the debt limit so Obama can spend more. Like Imperial Japan where there was no concept of surrender, too in the modern GOP there is no concept of compromise with a president you have long thought to be an enemy waging war against your country. Think I'm wrong? Majority Leader Eric Cantor doesn't think so.
At his weekly press availability House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said the key Republican concession is "the fact that we are voting -- the fact that we are even discussing voting for a debt ceiling increase." He claimed this was a significant move. "What I don't think the White House understands is how difficult it is for fiscal conservatives to say they're going to vote to pay for a debt ceiling increase."You don't say? There's not a person in this world with a half a brain who believes Republicans are fiscal conservatives. This is the party of George W. Bush, the guy who doubled the national debt and created trillion dollar deficits. But that's kind of harsh really. Bush came about it honestly. He learned it from Reagan who tripled the national debt and enormously grew government. There is nothing in their history with the slightest smidgen of fiscal conservatism.
No, this isn't about sticking to their core principles. That's all make-believe. This is about talking to the president in the first place. Why can't the White House just understand that talking about raising the debt ceiling is a concession??? Tough guys don't negotiate with the enemy remember?
Their base is appalled that they are even wasting their time with this enemy. They are impatient with Boehner that he is rumored to concede way too much to the socialist takeover of America. They want it shutdown and they want it now.
If, as they say, these fiscal conservatives are worried about the debt going up the first thing they would do is raise the debt limit. By not raising the limit, they will force the federal debt to raise even faster. Anyone claiming the slightest bit of fiscal responsibility wouldn't want that to happen. But they do. They want it to happen. And when it does they want Obama blamed for it. Indeed they are that delusional. They have no qualms forcing the government into default and then blaming it on someone else. Remember these are the people who are proud to let everyone believe Obama created the budget deficit in the first place and routinely tell anyone who will listen that he has spent more money than all presidents combined. These are the people who voted for George Bush twice and now want to pretend those 8 years never happened. They are that delusional. Worse yet, we just let them do it.
Trust me, I'm right about this. Like I've been saying, after more than two years of calling the president an enemy, a socialist, a foreign born Marxist who attended madrassas in Indonesia, Republicans are forced to sit at a table with him and compromise the future of this nation as if he is a legitimate leader or something. To them that's a concession in and of itself. One that could possibly force them into primaries.
Panetta Idiotically Channels Bush on Iraq War
America's newest War Cheerleader in Chief, Leon Panetta, traveled to Iraq today and told a room full of American troops that the reason they are there fighting is because of 9/11.
The whole war was a lie led by a bunch of madmen bent on war profits and chest-thumping innuendo. That a member of the Obama administration is still repeating the same sorry lies of the disasterous Bush administration is both troublesome and illogical.
"The reason you guys are here is because on 9/11 the United States got attacked," said Panetta, according to the Washington Post. "And 3,000 Americans -- 3,000 not just Americans, 3,000 human beings, innocent human beings -- got killed because of al-Qaeda. And we've been fighting as a result of that."No. The reason why they are there, still, after 8 years of war, is because George W. Bush wanted to invade. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and there was no al Qeada presence in Iraq until after the American invasion.
The whole war was a lie led by a bunch of madmen bent on war profits and chest-thumping innuendo. That a member of the Obama administration is still repeating the same sorry lies of the disasterous Bush administration is both troublesome and illogical.
This is About Republicans Delivering to Their Base, Even at the Expense of the Nation
Now is a good time for the president and congress to remind the country that $11 trillion of the nation's debt came from Reagan, George Bush, and George W. Bush. That accounts for roughly 75% of the federal debt.
This is the same federal debt Republicans are now threatening to default on by not wanting to raise the debt ceiling. Somehow, over the last 30 years, they've grown repulsed at running up debt. This is somewhat of a silly move for anyone that claims to care about the nation's debt problem.
Even if we don't raise the debt ceiling, we will still accumulate debt. Actually, we will accumulate it much quicker than we would had we just raised it because not raising the debt limit will force America to default on its bills. Default will cause us to pay much higher interests rates on those bills, adding hundreds of billions to the debt. Not to mention, it will also result in the United States not being allowed to borrow any more money. Like the Republican Treasury Secretary said Sunday, it will be "catastrophic" for America if we don't raise the debt limit.
Someone who might suggest they are concerned about the federal debt surely knows the quickest way to alleviate it is to cut spending, increase revenue by raising taxes and begin paying down the debt. That scenario is a guaranteed solvent to accomplishing debt reduction. If you don't want to, oh I don't know, raise taxes, then you better be prepared to cut trillions from the budget over a number of years to even begin to start paying down the debt. Hence why Speaker Boehner has backed away from a $4 trillion reduction plan because it included new revenue from raising taxes on people who own corporate jets. He now wants the debt reduction side to be roughly $2 trillion and come solely from spending cuts.
But that's not what any of this is about. It's not that Republicans have an aversion to accumulating debt or spending tax money. They have no track record of ever shrinking the federal debt or cutting the budget. What this is about is Republicans know they can't cave on this. They can't give in to the president and make him appear as a winner because their base will annihilate them in 2012.
It's not that the GOP wants to reduce the debt. They don't. And neither does their base. They just want to pass all the blame off on President Obama, hope people don't realize $11 trillion of the debt came from them, and use it as leverage to ensure he's a one-term president. In order to do that, to keep their base happy and show up next year, the GOP has to stand firm on the debt ceiling and not let Obama do what he did last Dec./Jan. when he came out victorious on the extension of the Bush tax cuts and ending DADT.
Yet, even that analysis neglects one important factor. For over two years now, Republicans and their pundits have been calling the president a socialist, an enemy, a foreign born anti-colonialist with Marxist tendencies; a racist that hates white people who wants to lock Christians and Republicans up in concentration camps. As repulsive and untrue as all that is, it's come back around to bite them. How do you negotiate with someone like what they have told their base about Obama? You don't. You can't. If you do, the people you have been telling all that to will think you are crazy for even talking to him. So you have to do what you have to do. Hold out and hope he gets the blame, fails and everyone calls you a Freedom Fighter and you sweep the nation next year.
That's what this is. Republicans can't let their base down again. You can't yell fire in a movie theater and then expect to watch the movie in solitary. But that's exactly what Republicans are trying to do.
Even if we don't raise the debt ceiling, we will still accumulate debt. Actually, we will accumulate it much quicker than we would had we just raised it because not raising the debt limit will force America to default on its bills. Default will cause us to pay much higher interests rates on those bills, adding hundreds of billions to the debt. Not to mention, it will also result in the United States not being allowed to borrow any more money. Like the Republican Treasury Secretary said Sunday, it will be "catastrophic" for America if we don't raise the debt limit.
Someone who might suggest they are concerned about the federal debt surely knows the quickest way to alleviate it is to cut spending, increase revenue by raising taxes and begin paying down the debt. That scenario is a guaranteed solvent to accomplishing debt reduction. If you don't want to, oh I don't know, raise taxes, then you better be prepared to cut trillions from the budget over a number of years to even begin to start paying down the debt. Hence why Speaker Boehner has backed away from a $4 trillion reduction plan because it included new revenue from raising taxes on people who own corporate jets. He now wants the debt reduction side to be roughly $2 trillion and come solely from spending cuts.
But that's not what any of this is about. It's not that Republicans have an aversion to accumulating debt or spending tax money. They have no track record of ever shrinking the federal debt or cutting the budget. What this is about is Republicans know they can't cave on this. They can't give in to the president and make him appear as a winner because their base will annihilate them in 2012.
It's not that the GOP wants to reduce the debt. They don't. And neither does their base. They just want to pass all the blame off on President Obama, hope people don't realize $11 trillion of the debt came from them, and use it as leverage to ensure he's a one-term president. In order to do that, to keep their base happy and show up next year, the GOP has to stand firm on the debt ceiling and not let Obama do what he did last Dec./Jan. when he came out victorious on the extension of the Bush tax cuts and ending DADT.
Yet, even that analysis neglects one important factor. For over two years now, Republicans and their pundits have been calling the president a socialist, an enemy, a foreign born anti-colonialist with Marxist tendencies; a racist that hates white people who wants to lock Christians and Republicans up in concentration camps. As repulsive and untrue as all that is, it's come back around to bite them. How do you negotiate with someone like what they have told their base about Obama? You don't. You can't. If you do, the people you have been telling all that to will think you are crazy for even talking to him. So you have to do what you have to do. Hold out and hope he gets the blame, fails and everyone calls you a Freedom Fighter and you sweep the nation next year.
That's what this is. Republicans can't let their base down again. You can't yell fire in a movie theater and then expect to watch the movie in solitary. But that's exactly what Republicans are trying to do.
Reagan Reinvented 7.0
Next to not raising taxes, cutting spending, shrinking government and raising revenues, in the Republican Fantasy World Reagan also never used ground troops to overthrow governments he didn't like. Well, only if we ignore the fact that he most certainly did.
Fox's Assman Corrects Reality
In the Republican Fantasy World, Reagan only cut taxes. He never raised them. In addition to only cutting taxes, he also cut spending and shrunk government. Any deviation from this ahistorical pattern is met with a gasp then a quick correction back to Make Believe World.
Fox Business' David Assman shows us how it's done.
There's a slight problem with Assman's assertion. It's not true.
Editor's Note: I've been told the Fox Business host's correct name is Asman. I don't care.
Fox Business' David Assman shows us how it's done.
There's a slight problem with Assman's assertion. It's not true.
Editor's Note: I've been told the Fox Business host's correct name is Asman. I don't care.
Not Raising the Debt Ceiling Will Still Raise the Debt
I think there's a bit of confusion-- imagine that-- in the debt ceiling debate/fiasco. The debate is being portrayed in such a way that people think if we don't raise the debt ceiling then we won't incur anymore debt. But that's not true at all. We will keep adding to the national debt just like we have for 40 years. What will happen is we will default on that debt. In other words, we won't be paying our bills. And if we don't pay our bills the national debt will skyrocket much faster than it would otherwise.
So by not raising the debt ceiling we will actually cause the national debt to rise quicker than we would if we just raised it like we always have. Raising the debt limit of the nation is a routine measure of Congress. So common that it happens numerous times throughout multiple presidencies and sessions of Congress.
So by not raising the debt ceiling we will actually cause the national debt to rise quicker than we would if we just raised it like we always have. Raising the debt limit of the nation is a routine measure of Congress. So common that it happens numerous times throughout multiple presidencies and sessions of Congress.
If you hear someone say, which I have numerous times, that we shouldn't raise the debt ceiling because we don't need any new debt, they are stupid. They've been duped by the masquerading politics of the conversation. Not raising the debt ceiling will explode the debt quicker than George Bush could hop a plane to Crawford.
Google Accounts
Google has some crazy things going on today with their accounts. I tried to update my organization account (The Fold Blog) and personal accounts (chris@thefoldblog.com) into the same account as instructed by Google. Weird things then ensued.
I hope I have it worked out. We shall see.
I hope I have it worked out. We shall see.
GOP Rep Argues Giving More People Access to Health Care is Inhumane
Republican representative and presidential hopeful, Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), via Fox News of course, says health care reform plans like Obama's and Mitt Romney's in Massachusetts are "inhumane." He claims his reasoning is because both plans force bureaucrats to make health care decisions for people is completely and utterly false, however.
Remember though, Republicans are the people who claim raising taxes on millionaires is "rather pathetic." Giving 32 million Americans greater access to health care is "inhumane" and making people with private jets pay more to plug the deficit is "rather pathetic." Seems to me there's more than just a disconnect happening here. How are cavemen even part of this discussion in 21st century America?
Remember though, Republicans are the people who claim raising taxes on millionaires is "rather pathetic." Giving 32 million Americans greater access to health care is "inhumane" and making people with private jets pay more to plug the deficit is "rather pathetic." Seems to me there's more than just a disconnect happening here. How are cavemen even part of this discussion in 21st century America?
Incumbent Republican Prays God Frees America from Terrorists and Progressives
Republican Rep. Paul Broun is no stranger to derangement. He is in essence everything that is wrong with American politics and the double standard Republicans enjoy. He has many times called the President of the United States a dictator, a socialist, even went so far as to suggest the president wants to lock Christians and conservatives (Republican voters?) in concentration camps.
In January 2010 he falsely claimed health care reform was the largest takeover of liberty the nation has ever seen. In September 2009 he ridiculously said President Obama was creating an authoritarian government to take away our liberties and guns. And shorty after Barack Obama was elected, Broun went on the airwaves to remind the nation that Hitler came to power through democracy too.
Now he's issuing a public prayer on Independence Day that God will save America from people who want to destroy it like progressives and terrorists.
Those are some huge charges against the president no doubt. But I don't care about any of that. He can call the president whatever he wants. The problem is this is normal every day talk by many elected Republicans. This is their version of partisanship. But it's not partisan at all. It's extremism. Anyone with half a brain knows extremist rhetoric only breeds more extremist rhetoric-- it's an epidemic that is only getting worse.
Just the other day Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) said liberalism means you hate God. That's just not true. But not only is it a lie, just like Broun's hate-filled speech, it's a tolerated if not encouraged form of disagreement for Republicans. Not that a person of a different political party disagrees with you. The person of a different political party is an enemy destroying your country.
Even after we've seen members of congress shot and residents of their districts murdered in the streets, the Republican Party still prefers to communicate in extremist language bent on destroying the boundaries of civil society. If you want to know why Republicans refuse to hold a routine vote to raise the debt ceiling, just look at how they really feel about the president and his Party. They don't just view him as a ideological different. Or even as a member of the opposition party. They really believe he's an enemy of the state who is trying to destroy America from within. Would you vote for someone's policies if you thought they were destroying your country? Of course you wouldn't.
How can you possibly talk policies and specifics designed to move the country forward with people who don't even acknowledge your legitimacy to negotiate on behalf of the country in the first place?
In January 2010 he falsely claimed health care reform was the largest takeover of liberty the nation has ever seen. In September 2009 he ridiculously said President Obama was creating an authoritarian government to take away our liberties and guns. And shorty after Barack Obama was elected, Broun went on the airwaves to remind the nation that Hitler came to power through democracy too.Now he's issuing a public prayer on Independence Day that God will save America from people who want to destroy it like progressives and terrorists.
"We're standing on the precipice, staring down in the deep chasm of socialism and total government control," Broun said. [...]As evidenced, Broun believes the president to be a socialist, a progressive, even foreign born. He truly believes President Obama is an enemy trying to destroy America.
There are those who wish to destroy the U.S., Broun said, citing radical Islam and "progressives."
"Father, there are many who want to destroy us from outside this nation," Broun said. "Folks like al-Qaeda and the radical Islamists. But there are folks that want to destroy us from inside, the progressives and the socialists, who want to make this nation a nation that's no longer under you, under God, but a nation that's ruled by man."
Those are some huge charges against the president no doubt. But I don't care about any of that. He can call the president whatever he wants. The problem is this is normal every day talk by many elected Republicans. This is their version of partisanship. But it's not partisan at all. It's extremism. Anyone with half a brain knows extremist rhetoric only breeds more extremist rhetoric-- it's an epidemic that is only getting worse.
Just the other day Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) said liberalism means you hate God. That's just not true. But not only is it a lie, just like Broun's hate-filled speech, it's a tolerated if not encouraged form of disagreement for Republicans. Not that a person of a different political party disagrees with you. The person of a different political party is an enemy destroying your country.
Even after we've seen members of congress shot and residents of their districts murdered in the streets, the Republican Party still prefers to communicate in extremist language bent on destroying the boundaries of civil society. If you want to know why Republicans refuse to hold a routine vote to raise the debt ceiling, just look at how they really feel about the president and his Party. They don't just view him as a ideological different. Or even as a member of the opposition party. They really believe he's an enemy of the state who is trying to destroy America from within. Would you vote for someone's policies if you thought they were destroying your country? Of course you wouldn't.
How can you possibly talk policies and specifics designed to move the country forward with people who don't even acknowledge your legitimacy to negotiate on behalf of the country in the first place?
Deep Thought
Really says something about our national discourse when more people are shocked at the Casey Anthony verdict then about the fact the Iraq war death toll is the highest it's been in 3 years where we've spent nearly a trillion tax payer dollars in over 8 years of war.
Romney: I Never Said Things are Worse, I said Obama Made Them Worse
After months of saying President Obama made the recession worse, last week Big Love Mitt Romney reversed course and said he never said things are worse. Actually, he most certainly did say that.
Mitt Romney June 2, 2011: “Barack Obama has failed America. When he took office, the economy was in recession. He made it worse,” Romney told the crowd in Stratham, N.H.
Again, last week, Big Love Romney told a crowd in New Hampshire, "'Obama did not cause the recession, but worsened it 'through a series of actions which hurt the economy in a time he needed it to be taking off.'”
He added: “The recovery is extraordinarily anemic because of things he did that made the recovery worse.”
Saying things are worse is genuinely insane. Saying the recovery is worse neglects the simple fact there was no recovery to make worse. The recession didn't end until after Obama took office. Thus the recovery didn't begin until then too. Precisely, he could not have made the recovery worse because he didn't inherit a recovery. He inherited a shit pile.
Now if he wants to say had the president done this or that the recovery would have been stronger is a respectable argument. Except doing that would also be kind of hard for Romney since in 2008 he actually called for a Republican Stimulus Plan that is nearly identical to the president's. But that's down the memory hole!!!
*Update:
Steve Benen gets the day's creativity award:
"What we have here, ladies and gentleman, is a true rarity. Behold, Mitt Romney has taken campaign deception to the Inception level — only instead of a dream within a dream with in another dream, we have Romney lying, then lying about the lie, then lying about having lied about the other lie."
Yes, America, the depths the GOP will bring us in the next 16 months will be excruciating.
Mitt Romney June 2, 2011: “Barack Obama has failed America. When he took office, the economy was in recession. He made it worse,” Romney told the crowd in Stratham, N.H.
Again, last week, Big Love Romney told a crowd in New Hampshire, "'Obama did not cause the recession, but worsened it 'through a series of actions which hurt the economy in a time he needed it to be taking off.'”
He added: “The recovery is extraordinarily anemic because of things he did that made the recovery worse.”
Saying things are worse is genuinely insane. Saying the recovery is worse neglects the simple fact there was no recovery to make worse. The recession didn't end until after Obama took office. Thus the recovery didn't begin until then too. Precisely, he could not have made the recovery worse because he didn't inherit a recovery. He inherited a shit pile.
Now if he wants to say had the president done this or that the recovery would have been stronger is a respectable argument. Except doing that would also be kind of hard for Romney since in 2008 he actually called for a Republican Stimulus Plan that is nearly identical to the president's. But that's down the memory hole!!!
*Update:
Steve Benen gets the day's creativity award:
"What we have here, ladies and gentleman, is a true rarity. Behold, Mitt Romney has taken campaign deception to the Inception level — only instead of a dream within a dream with in another dream, we have Romney lying, then lying about the lie, then lying about having lied about the other lie."
Yes, America, the depths the GOP will bring us in the next 16 months will be excruciating.
Why We Just Can't Freeze Things
I'm always slightly engaged, in a perplexed sort of way, in the Republican view of the Constitution. I don't even want to call it a school of thought. It's more of a cultish view of our governing document.
In a 4th of July extravaganza on the Constitution, ABC’s This Week host Christiane Amanpour asked panelist George Will whether he thought the Constitution was “under siege,” as may Republicans have claimed. His response is typical of the Republican establishment. In short, yes it's under siege and has been for over 100 years by liberals and progressives. They (liberals and progressives aka, Democrats) want to undue what the Founders did. He later went on to say viewing the Constitution as a living document is "oxymoronic." That a written constitution is supposed to "freeze things." To me, this is the crusty old white man version of the American Constitution.
To be clear, freezing things is not the same thing as never amending the Constitution. I don't want to give off the appearance Republicans want to bring back slavery or anything like that. But freeze things does restrain the Constitution to an 18th Century mindset. We've never had to amend the Constitution to get everyone to agree when it implies only men can be president that women are now accepted as equals and the term men is universal for humankind.
But the Founders didn't intend it that way. They really meant only men. Only white men. If the Constitution was meant to freeze things then we would have to amend it numerous times to grant non-white males the equality it was written to protect. I find that redundant. It also leads the theory that if we have to amend it that it was, dare I say, an imperfect document, which is akin to treason in Republican circles.
Alas, it was and is an imperfect document. Imperfect mainly because the Founders were not soothsayers and failed to envision 21st century life. They failed to see the weaponry we have today. Had they, I think they would have limited people from owning bazookas. They failed to see the Internet. Had they, I'm willing to bet they would have placed many strident civil protections on electronic mail and other communications. This doesn't mean we have to throw it away. It means we either have to apply it broadly to include minorities and the digital age, or, well, throw it away and start over.
Moreover, Republicans like George Will want people to believe the Founders created a document that prevented Big Government. When in fact the Founders had no concept of the modern Republican label of Big Government. Much like they had no concept of cruise missiles and automatic machine guns, the Founders had no reason to ever think of the Department of Veterans Affairs, No Child Left Behind or Medicare Part D but that doesn't make them unconstitutional. It does, however, make the Constitution a powerful document that is still very applicable to modern society. That should make conservatives and progressives both appreciative.
In a 4th of July extravaganza on the Constitution, ABC’s This Week host Christiane Amanpour asked panelist George Will whether he thought the Constitution was “under siege,” as may Republicans have claimed. His response is typical of the Republican establishment. In short, yes it's under siege and has been for over 100 years by liberals and progressives. They (liberals and progressives aka, Democrats) want to undue what the Founders did. He later went on to say viewing the Constitution as a living document is "oxymoronic." That a written constitution is supposed to "freeze things." To me, this is the crusty old white man version of the American Constitution.To be clear, freezing things is not the same thing as never amending the Constitution. I don't want to give off the appearance Republicans want to bring back slavery or anything like that. But freeze things does restrain the Constitution to an 18th Century mindset. We've never had to amend the Constitution to get everyone to agree when it implies only men can be president that women are now accepted as equals and the term men is universal for humankind.
But the Founders didn't intend it that way. They really meant only men. Only white men. If the Constitution was meant to freeze things then we would have to amend it numerous times to grant non-white males the equality it was written to protect. I find that redundant. It also leads the theory that if we have to amend it that it was, dare I say, an imperfect document, which is akin to treason in Republican circles.
Alas, it was and is an imperfect document. Imperfect mainly because the Founders were not soothsayers and failed to envision 21st century life. They failed to see the weaponry we have today. Had they, I think they would have limited people from owning bazookas. They failed to see the Internet. Had they, I'm willing to bet they would have placed many strident civil protections on electronic mail and other communications. This doesn't mean we have to throw it away. It means we either have to apply it broadly to include minorities and the digital age, or, well, throw it away and start over.
Moreover, Republicans like George Will want people to believe the Founders created a document that prevented Big Government. When in fact the Founders had no concept of the modern Republican label of Big Government. Much like they had no concept of cruise missiles and automatic machine guns, the Founders had no reason to ever think of the Department of Veterans Affairs, No Child Left Behind or Medicare Part D but that doesn't make them unconstitutional. It does, however, make the Constitution a powerful document that is still very applicable to modern society. That should make conservatives and progressives both appreciative.
Quickies- Freedom Weekend Edition
- Marist poll suggests more than a quarter of Americans don't know we declared independence from
liberalsEngland.
- We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -The Declaration of Independence 4 of July, 1776. Yep doesn't say one word about women, blacks, hispanics or Democrats.
- The population of America on July 4, 1776 was approx 2.5 million [not including slaves].
- Harvard study says kids who attend 4th of July parades are more likely to identify as Republican when they get older. Study also found Republicans think they are more patriotic than anyone else.
- The Fold Blog is going to go silent this weekend as we celebrate our nation's birthday by consuming large amounts of patriotic beverages, sit around with friends and make fun of Republicans.
