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PoliGAF 2011: Of Weiners, Boehners, Santorum, and Teabags

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Averon

Member
Dems cave...again

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/reid-could-accept-gop-terms-on-faa-shutdown.php?ref=fpblg

Reid Could Accept GOP Terms On FAA Shutdown
With the debt-ceiling crisis now averted (for now), Congress still hasn't settled a lesser, but still quite important, problem: A partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, which has furloughed thousands of employees and hit the pause button on construction projects.

But fear not, Democrats could be on the verge of resolving the situation in a similar manner as they did the debt ceiling: By accepting Republican conditions.

The issue here is that the Republican-led House, which previously passed an FAA funding bill, is about to go on break again, and thus won't respond to counter-offers from the Democratic Senate. Now, Fox News reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is signaling a willingness to accept the House version of the reauthorization, which includes the elimination of millions in subsidies for rural airline services.

Do the GOP even need to win elections with this kind of "opposition"?
 
Batman can't beat the Joker because the Joker isn't bound by the same rules that Batman adheres to. Some thing with Republicans and Democrats.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Pelosi: My Deficit Committee Members Will Oppose All Entitlement Benefit Cuts
Brian Beutler | August 2, 2011, 2:32PM


pelosi-running-cropped-proto-custom_2.jpg




The debt limit fight is over, but the fight over entitlement programs will continue for months. In the weeks ahead, the leaders of both parties in both the House and Senate will name three members each to a new committee tasked with reducing the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion.

The ultimate makeup of that committee is key. It will determine whether this Congress will pass further fiscal legislation, and, thus, what the major themes of the 2012 election will be.

At a pre-recess press conference Tuesday afternoon, TPM asked House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) whether the people she appoints to the committee will make the same stand she made during the debt limit fight -- that entitlement benefits -- as opposed to provider payments, waste and other Medicare spending -- should be off limits.

In short, yes
.

"That is a priority for us," Pelosi said. "But let me say it is more than a priority - it is a value... it's an ethic for the American people. It is one that all of the members of our caucus share. So that I know that whoever's at that table will be someone who will fight to protect those benefits."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will also appoint three members to the committee. And if even a single one of them is willing to cut into Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits, then this doesn't really matter -- the committee's report can be approved by a bare majority of its 12 members.

But this is an important part of any potential firewall. And that's especially true if Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appoint people to the committee who pledge not to allow net revenue increases.

So far Republican leaders have not responded to inquiries about whether that will be a requirement.

################

328265-shaq-fu-game-boy-screenshot-so-it-begins-s.jpg


Lets get it started in here!
 

JavyOO7

Member
I don't know what is with democrats but all these battles will end with them caving in and letting their principles dwindle one by one. That's how I see that "super" committee or whatever occurring. Pelosi can say that entitlements won't be on the table or Reid can say that revenues has to be there or else defense gets the axe... but honestly, democrats don't fight for their principles as hard as republicans do. So I see the same thing repeating again a few months from now.
 
Did anyone see The Daily Show last night where they showed an excerpt from December where during a press conference in the White House with President Obama one of those in attendance warned him about the leverage the GOP would have when it came to the debt debate?
 

SoulPlaya

more money than God
mckmas8808 said:
Pelosi: My Deficit Committee Members Will Oppose All Entitlement Benefit Cuts
Brian Beutler | August 2, 2011, 2:32PM


pelosi-running-cropped-proto-custom_2.jpg




The debt limit fight is over, but the fight over entitlement programs will continue for months. In the weeks ahead, the leaders of both parties in both the House and Senate will name three members each to a new committee tasked with reducing the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion.

The ultimate makeup of that committee is key. It will determine whether this Congress will pass further fiscal legislation, and, thus, what the major themes of the 2012 election will be.

At a pre-recess press conference Tuesday afternoon, TPM asked House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) whether the people she appoints to the committee will make the same stand she made during the debt limit fight -- that entitlement benefits -- as opposed to provider payments, waste and other Medicare spending -- should be off limits.

In short, yes
.

"That is a priority for us," Pelosi said. "But let me say it is more than a priority - it is a value... it's an ethic for the American people. It is one that all of the members of our caucus share. So that I know that whoever's at that table will be someone who will fight to protect those benefits."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will also appoint three members to the committee. And if even a single one of them is willing to cut into Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits, then this doesn't really matter -- the committee's report can be approved by a bare majority of its 12 members.

But this is an important part of any potential firewall. And that's especially true if Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appoint people to the committee who pledge not to allow net revenue increases.

So far Republican leaders have not responded to inquiries about whether that will be a requirement.

################

328265-shaq-fu-game-boy-screenshot-so-it-begins-s.jpg


Lets get it started in here!
This isn't a "challenge" at all. The repubs will have no problem with cutting provider benefits too. There's going to come a day when taking on Medicare patients just won't be feasible for doctors anymore.
 

Averon

Member
Pelosi and Reid can say this or that, but when push comes to shove, Dems have proven time and again to fold under GOP pressure. What makes them think this will be any different? Hell, with the prospect of deep entitlement cuts, Dems are even more likely to cave into GOP demands, not less.
 

Chichikov

Member
SoulPlaya said:
This isn't a "challenge" at all. The repubs will have no problem with cutting provider benefits too. There's going to come a day when taking on Medicare patients just won't be feasible for doctors anymore.
Rand Paul will never let that happen!
He's disciplined, serious and stuff.

ToxicAdam said:
http://dailydish.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451c45669e20153905f7725970b-800wi
Damn, we really must cut social security.
 
Meus Renaissance said:
Did anyone see The Daily Show last night where they showed an excerpt from December where during a press conference in the White House with President Obama one of those in attendance warned him about the leverage the GOP would have when it came to the debt debate?
Lawrence O'Donnell predicted it on election night. Lots of other people did too.
 

ToxicAdam

Member
Chichikov said:
Damn, we really must cut social security.


I think sane people should be thrilled that this debt ceiling charade has forced military cuts to be 'on the table'. Something politicians wouldn't even mention just a few months ago.
 
SoulPlaya said:
This isn't a "challenge" at all. The repubs will have no problem with cutting provider benefits too. There's going to come a day when taking on Medicare patients just won't be feasible for doctors anymore.

That is why, while Medicare helps keeps costs down, a monopsony is essential to rein in health care costs. Give them no choice, and they will submit. (By the same token, we should also subsidize medical school.)

Being a near-monopsony is the very thing that earns WalMart so much praise for "keeping prices low." Of course, a corporation should not have such power (it's anti-competitive), but democratic governments are ideal and intended for such things.
 

SoulPlaya

more money than God
Chichikov said:
Rand Paul will never let that happen!
He's disciplined, serious and stuff.
That was an article more than a year old. I'll admit that I'm hoping to one day be a doctor, but we already have a system in place that cuts provider payments, in addition to the ones put in place by the Healthcare act. It's shown that it doesn't actually cut healthcare costs, because it doesn't address underlying costs. Things like medical school cost, malpractice (which leads to billions in unnecessary tests, just so that doctors can "cover all of their bases" in case of a lawsuit), America's addiction to medication, patients not seeking treatment until things require expensive care. These things drive costs, and cutting provider payments will just mean that doctors will stop taking in Medicare patients, because they can't afford it.
 

SoulPlaya

more money than God
I should mention that if I had things my way, we would have universal healthcare that regulates medical school costs, cuts malpractice costs drastically, and encourages people to seek preventative care. That will solve costs.
 
Meus Renaissance said:
Did anyone see The Daily Show last night where they showed an excerpt from December where during a press conference in the White House with President Obama one of those in attendance warned him about the leverage the GOP would have when it came to the debt debate?

Yeo, and it just shows how inept or naive Obama is. The fact that he said "oh that'll never happen, pshaw" was hilarious. And depressing.
 

StevieP

Banned
mckmas8808 said:
Pelosi: My Deficit Committee Members Will Oppose All Entitlement Benefit Cuts
Brian Beutler | August 2, 2011, 2:32PM


pelosi-running-cropped-proto-custom_2.jpg




The debt limit fight is over, but the fight over entitlement programs will continue for months. In the weeks ahead, the leaders of both parties in both the House and Senate will name three members each to a new committee tasked with reducing the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion.

The ultimate makeup of that committee is key. It will determine whether this Congress will pass further fiscal legislation, and, thus, what the major themes of the 2012 election will be.

At a pre-recess press conference Tuesday afternoon, TPM asked House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) whether the people she appoints to the committee will make the same stand she made during the debt limit fight -- that entitlement benefits -- as opposed to provider payments, waste and other Medicare spending -- should be off limits.

In short, yes
.

"That is a priority for us," Pelosi said. "But let me say it is more than a priority - it is a value... it's an ethic for the American people. It is one that all of the members of our caucus share. So that I know that whoever's at that table will be someone who will fight to protect those benefits."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will also appoint three members to the committee. And if even a single one of them is willing to cut into Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits, then this doesn't really matter -- the committee's report can be approved by a bare majority of its 12 members.

But this is an important part of any potential firewall. And that's especially true if Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appoint people to the committee who pledge not to allow net revenue increases.

So far Republican leaders have not responded to inquiries about whether that will be a requirement.

################

328265-shaq-fu-game-boy-screenshot-so-it-begins-s.jpg


Lets get it started in here!

Yeah, dude, the dems will never cave! Not like they've caved recently. For anything. Keep fighting the good fight.

He didn't say it wouldn't happen, he said the Republicans shouldn't do it and listed the reasons why. It was a preemptive way to posture on the position.

Worked great.
 

ToxicAdam

Member
timetokill said:
Yeo, and it just shows how inept or naive Obama is. The fact that he said "oh that'll never happen, pshaw" was hilarious. And depressing.

He didn't say it wouldn't happen, he said the Republicans shouldn't do it and listed the reasons why. It was a preemptive way to posture on the position.
 

Jackson50

Member
Oh, surprise. Iraq is gradually moving towards a renewed pact that permits American troops to remain past 2011. Apparently, prominent political leaders permitted the government to negotiate a new SOFA. Granted, the Iraqi Parliament could reject a pact. Yet that is unlikely since the government has already been permitted to negotiate a new agreement. I surmise the Sadrist List and its coalition partners assented. Otherwise, the negotiations would be a great political risk.
 
aronnov reborn said:
sweet... especially since law and order and the protection of citizens is the ONLY responsibility of the government...

oh wait.. Harry Reid said creating jobs was today...

What is this.. I don't even..
 
Jackson50 said:
Oh, surprise. Iraq is gradually moving towards a renewed pact that permits American troops to remain past 2011. Apparently, prominent political leaders permitted the government to negotiate a new SOFA. Granted, the Iraqi Parliament could reject a pact. Yet that is unlikely since the government has already been permitted to negotiate a new agreement. I surmise the Sadrist List and its coalition partners assented. Otherwise, the negotiations would be a great political risk.
Son of BITCH!
 

Oblivion

Fetishing muscular manly men in skintight hosery
Jon Stewart and Colbert killed it yesterday. Especially Colbert with his 3 billy goat gruff segment. :lol
 

besada

Banned
quadriplegicjon said:
and I never implied anyone was a closeted republican. where the fuck sis that come from?
Read your own post. You accused Dude of wanting to reward Republicans, because he was making a complaint. It's nowhere near the first time you've done it. Give me post history back and I'll give you a wall of similar responses.

Maybe you're just generalizing about some mythical person who is going to go vote for Republicans, but you made the comment in direct response, and named Dude by name. Either you aren't aware of what you're writing, or you're just being dishonest.

Let me quote the post I already quoted and that you're responding to:
quadriplegicjon said:
Exactly.. I don't get that sentiment. The republicans are the ones doing this shit, but people like the Dude seem to want to reward them even more for this crap.

Can you show me where DudeAbides said he wanted to reward Republicans? Again, fight for your viewpoint all you want, but quit putting motivations and words in other people's mouths. You're certainly not the only one who does it, but you definitely do it frequently.
 

Averon

Member
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...outworked-democrats-in-debt-fight.php?ref=fpa

Study: Tea Partiers Outworked Democrats In Debt Fight

A telephone poll by the Pew Research Center for People and Press found that Republicans and Tea Party-affiliated respondents both paid more attention to the debt negotiations and were more likely to take action to influence the outcome.

Some 66% of the two groups followed news on the issue closely versus only 34% of those who had different views or did not offer a political opinion. Nor were they passive observers: some 66% of Republicans and Tea Partiers contacted an elected official during the standoff while only 5% of the rest did the same. This despite a direct appeal from President Obama to do exactly that.

As was the case in the midterm election, age was a crucial factor. Only 19% of 18-29 year-olds followed the story closely and 1% contacted an official versus 54% of those over 50 who followed the debate and 16% who contacted an official.
 

ToxicAdam

Member
uvtsq98yp0apxviuxi-wla.gif



A much higher proportion of Republicans call themselves "very conservative" or "conservative" (71%) than Democrats call themselves "very liberal" or "liberal" (38%). Democrats are as likely to call themselves moderates as liberals.
 
SoulPlaya said:
Did this guy on Colebert just call Medicare the reason for the "vast majority of our deficit", when everything I've seen has indicated that defense is? http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/#usgs302a

The reasons for the vast majority of our deficit (i.e., our current yearly excess of spending over revenue) are the Bush tax cuts, two wars, and Wall Street's crashing of the economy. The main culprit, however, is simply insufficient taxation of income and corporations (exacerbated by the Bush tax cuts, which reduced revenue to still further unsustainable levels).

The rise in health care costs will cause federal spending on Medicare to increase in the long-term, but it's got nothing to do with either Medicare or the deficit per se. Military spending is too high, but has been for decades.
 

Wall

Member
ToxicAdam said:

Liberals don't even call themselves liberals anymore. I don't really blame them for it either. Aside from being a rather tainted term, it is a somewhat inaccurate label anyway.
 

besada

Banned
Wall said:
Liberals don't even call themselves liberals anymore. I don't really blame them for it either. Aside from being a rather tainted term, it is a somewhat inaccurate label anyway.
Well, about 20% of us do, actually. That could mean that others don't like the tag, but it could also just mean that they aren't liberal. Personally, I like progressive more than liberal, but I don't shy away from the liberal tag.
 

Wall

Member
besada said:
Well, about 20% of us do, actually. That could mean that others don't like the tag, but it could also just mean that they aren't liberal. Personally, I like progressive more than liberal, but I don't shy away from the liberal tag.

True. I was more referring to my observation that most of the people and groups who push ideas traditionally associated with liberalism in the news usually refer to themselves, and are referred to as, progressives, rather than liberals. There is a "progressive caucus" in congress, after all, but I don't know of any "liberal caucus". I guess you could make the same argument about the word "conservative" as it applies to groups like the Tea Party, but it still seems like organizations like that are much more attached to the conservative label than progressive groups are attached to the liberal label. I've even seen individuals commenting on progressive blogs derisively refer to policies that they don't like as "neo-liberal".

I realize that there is a whole history behind those labels, in other words there is a reason why liberals in the post-war era claimed the mantle of classical liberalism when conservatives and libertarians, at least when it comes to economic issues, advocated policies much closer to those of classical liberalism. I just think that, if you started to pay attention to politics past a certain point, say the mid nineties, it is a debate that is somewhat lost to history.
 

Particle Physicist

between a quark and a baryon
besada said:
Read your own post. You accused Dude of wanting to reward Republicans, because he was making a complaint. It's nowhere near the first time you've done it. Give me post history back and I'll give you a wall of similar responses.


Uh, that doesn't mean he is a closeted Republican. I meant that his actions, or inactions would reward republicans.

besada said:
Maybe you're just generalizing about some mythical person who is going to go vote for Republicans, but you made the comment in direct response, and named Dude by name. Either you aren't aware of what you're writing, or you're just being dishonest.

Let me quote the post I already quoted and that you're responding to:


Can you show me where DudeAbides said he wanted to reward Republicans? Again, fight for your viewpoint all you want, but quit putting motivations and words in other people's mouths. You're certainly not the only one who does it, but you definitely do it frequently.

I'm not going to go through DudeAbides post history, but he was basically laying down an argument as to why Liberals should not vote for Democrats.. that is basically what Republicans want, and thus would reward them for their shittastic behavior.
 

Puddles

Banned
Letter from the RNC chair. My head hurts:

Subject:

YOU Stopped the Obama Tax & Borrow Bailout

Dear xxxxxxx,

Do you remember where America was just one year ago?

The Pelosi-Reid-Obama agenda was doing a daily dose of damage to our American economy, destroying jobs with crippling regulations, oppressive spending and brand new taxes.

If that wasn't enough, the Democrats passed a government takeover of healthcare, spending record amounts of money we didn't have on a program we didn't want.

And to top it off, they raised taxes on hardworking taxpayers to pay for an $800 billion dollar stimulus - claiming that they should have spent even more.

Maybe they thought they could get away with it. For two years, they did.

But on Election Day 2010, you stood up - millions strong - and said enough is enough.

You - and millions of other Americans like you - held them accountable. The Tea Party and millions of Conservatives led the charge from all 50 states right into the heart of Washington.

You didn't just change the debate in Washington. You changed the results . Today's passage of the Budget Control Act shows the impact you've already had... and how important it is to keep the pressure on Washington for the next 15 months.

Without you, Nancy Pelosi would still be Speaker Pelosi. She would have delivered President Obama exactly what he demanded: a blank check for unlimited spending, new taxes on American families, new regulations on job creators, and a debt ceiling increase with no strings attached.

Make no mistake: President Obama wanted hardworking American taxpayers to bail him out once again. He wanted YOU to pay for his failed stimulus and Obamacare, borrowing more money on your back to pay for them. He wanted you to sacrifice so that Washington wouldn't have to.

But because you kept the heat on Washington, Republicans in the House and Senate had the backup they needed to stand up and say NO to the Obama Tax & Borrow Bailout.

While the Budget Control Act is far from perfect, it is a step forward. The bottom line is that until we vote President Obama and his Democratic allies in the Senate out of power, we won't be able to truly change the culture in Washington and deliver the results Americans like you demand.

But think about how far we've come. Rather than trampling on the taxpayers, as the Democrats did when they controlled the House, this bill showed real respect to hardworking taxpayers. The legislation:

*Stopped ALL of the tax increases Obama, Reid, and Pelosi demanded; *Forced the Senate to pass its first budget in two years, delivering Harry Reid a dose of accountability; *Held every politician accountable to vote yes or no on a balanced budget amendment; and *Protected the economy while demonstrating a commitment to reducing the debt.

This isn't the end of bringing spending discipline to Washington. It's just the beginning - and it wouldn't have happened without you.

Just yesterday, Joe Biden called the Tea Party "terrorists."

So today, I am writing to thank you for being a patriot. I have so much respect for you. I respect the work you do day by day, year by year, to defend freedom and promote opportunity. Your dedication to our cause is saving America.

Keep it up. Don't quiet down. Your voice cannot be ignored. Demand more from Washington. Demand more from those who represent you. At the RNC, we hear you - and we want to amplify your voice in Washington.

Over the next 15 months, all conservatives need to come together and focus on the only way to really fix what's wrong with Washington: voting Obama out of office and taking back the Senate. We are ready for battle. Are you?

Usually this is the part where we ask for money. Not today. In the last 24 hours you have given America something much more important than a donation. You have helped America take a step away from servitude and a step closer to freedom. We are proud of you. You are our heroes. You are true patriots.

You are Great Americans.

God bless you.

Reince Priebus

These fucking guys. They state outright that Obama raised taxes... are they talking about on cigarettes and tanning salons? TARP and Cash for Clunkers are "oppressive" spending? They've got their base so riled up with fear of a Communist America that they can get away with saying anything.

As long as they keep the bad people rich and the good people scared, no one will touch them.
 
Puddles said:
Letter from the RNC chair. My head hurts:



These fucking guys. They state outright that Obama raised taxes... are they talking about on cigarettes and tanning salons? TARP and Cash for Clunkers are "oppressive" spending? They've got their base so riled up with fear of a Communist America that they can get away with saying anything.

As long as they keep the bad people rich and the good people scared, no one will touch them.
Holy shit. The amount of misinformation and bold face fucking LIES in that letter boggle my mind. These guys should be rounded up for fucking treason.
 

Puddles

Banned
My father and his father both use "liberal" as a pejorative. I proudly self-identify as a liberal though, and it kind of busts their buttons a little bit.
 
So-called "liberals" need to realize they're not dealing with a "loyal opposition" or anything like that. "Oh, but if I you'd just listen, you'd understand..." Please. Stop and think for a minute.
 

Puddles

Banned
slidewinder said:
So-called "liberals" need to realize they're not dealing with a "loyal opposition" or anything like that. "Oh, but if I you'd just listen, you'd understand..." Please. Stop and think for a minute.

I don't quite understand what you're getting at with this post. Please expand on it.
 

Puddles

Banned
slidewinder said:
Shut the fuck up.

WTF?

I'm a bit drunk and seriously confused right now. I honestly didn't understand your first post. I come in peace. Slide guitar rocks, Dave Hole and Duane Allman for the motherfucking win!
 
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