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Lol CNN breaking:
Rubio's convention spot might get bumped for Ann Romney.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...n-contemplating-bumping-rubio-for-ann-romney/

They really don't care about anything but satisfying their base. I mean this isn't really going to affect any votes but it just looks bad.

 

[pigeon]

He basically just trolled the GOP while finding another excuse to solicit donations. :lol

At this point, he has no reason to drop out. He's finished in non-crazy-person politics, and crazy-person politics will kill him if he backs down now. His best strategy in terms of success is to double down and hope for a slot on Fox News next year.

I agree on your takeaway, though I'd also add that the other takeaway is that there's a lot of value in actually studying these programs and examining their effectiveness vs their cost. The value of information here is very high.

Oh, yeah, definitely. The fact that there are so many areas where we don't already do evidence-based planning is somewhat mind-boggling to me. When it comes to social programs, apparently we are all Austrian economists.

 

[ErasureAcer]

The whole Romney against wind power story as wind almost takes down his graph prop is some funny shit.

 

[adamsappel]

Churches are generally the easiest way for people to give to a local charity that they can see making a difference. Personally I pretty much only give to the area VFD's.

Every charity that calls me, I tell them I will donate $5 if they send me an envelope. They will not accept anything less than $15. The only one that has ever agreed was a Jewish charity (insert joke here), and I got a subscription to a Jewish newspaper. I regularly donate physical goods to Goodwill, AmVets, Purple Heart, etc.

I'm having a hard time convincing my brain that this is simply asking for an opinion.

I think he was referencing Kosmo, who always calls his attack-links "interesting."

Why did they leak the name?

His name was probably leaked because his book wasn't vetted by the military. You have to get official clearance so you don't disclose secrets, etc., so it's possible he's committed a crime.

 

[speculawyer]

I thought this was awesome and adorable. Thought I'd share.

That serious look on the kid's face is great.

 

[mckmas8808]

What does this say about Biden's morals? What he is doing may be legal, but can we really trust someone who makes so much but gives so little?

I know you are joking, but why is someone that makes say $290,000 a year and gives $8,000 a year to charity a bad thing in some people's eyes?

To me that's a lot of money in nominal dollars (obviously not percentage). And it's not like he made $290k net. Obviously that's gross. He might have really made $180k after taxes.

 

[Black Mamba]

That's my problem with the buffet rule. It's just AMT 2: Electric Boogaloo

I used to think taxing capital gains directly as income was the best answer (and indeed the simplest), but now I am moving towards the idea that capital gains should be taxed separately from income, but with the exact same brackets. That gets rid of the CEOs getting 1 dollar because there is a tax advantage over stock for the first few hundred thousand in wages. A millionaire would ideally half a million in wages and in capital gains.

EDIT: this is really to tie income to the actual state of residence to reduce local tax avoidance and to tie more people into payroll taxes.

The simplest solution is still simply to abolish the payroll tax and tax all earned and unearned money as income.

http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/gale/200510.pdf

You probably will enjoy reading this.

 

[BotoxAgent]

I thought this was awesome and adorable. Thought I'd share.

here's a better pic, from Obama's facebook...

 

[The Technomancer]

Better pic of the kid, but it loses Obama saluting back. I think they're both cool images.

 

[Clevinger]

Sounds like Romney is about to rush back to the center to make himself more palatable

Mitt Romney has recently changed how he is presenting his economic plan, and the new story is likely to be far more persuasive to mainstream Americans than the old one.

Importantly, Romney's new message also makes it sound as though he may be changing his economic plan in some key ways--ways that could have a more positive economic impact in the near term.

Specifically, it sounds as though Romney may now support:

- taking a more gradual approach to deficit reduction,
- postponing government spending cuts, and
- giving his tax cut to everyone in the country, instead of making it "revenue neutral" by eliminating tax deductions that disproportionately help poor and middle-income Americans.

Here are the key points:

There is no longer any mention of tax cuts for the richest Americans (previously described as "job creators") and huge corporations. Rather, the emphasis is on tax cuts for the middle class. This is smart for two reasons: First, the richest Americans actually don't "create the jobs"--a healthy economic ecosystem creates the jobs. Second, most Americans understand that the richest Americans and companies already have plenty of cash, while the vast majority of Americans do not. Importantly, this new message is very close to Obama's plan, which also calls for extending the middle-class tax cuts.

 

[TacticalFox88]

Better pic of the kid, but it loses Obama saluting back. I think they're both cool images.

Obama is saluting him, you can only barely tell in the larger pic though.

 

[BotoxAgent]

Better pic of the kid, but it loses Obama saluting back. I think they're both cool images.

oh, I didn't even notice it at first. Yes you are right then

 

[speculawyer]

here's a better pic, from Obama's facebook...

Aww man. I'm such a sucker for those kinds of photos. Cute little kid with his serious salute, the president saluting back, and a rainbow of different ethnicities all around. It is like the combination of a Norman Rockwell painting and a Benetton advertisement.

 

[jamesinclair]

Another greedy millionaire in line for a handout

Nationals officials are asking the District to pay to keep the Metro system open late should the team make it to the playoffs.
...
Metro requires organizations, like sports teams and event promoters, to provide a refundable deposit of $29,500 per hour of operation to keep the system running beyond normal operating hours. Most organizations, like the Capitals and the Redskins, have agreements with the transit agency in place. The Nationals do not.
...
Lew says it's unlikely the District will go back to paying that cost.

"In the past two years, the past two seasons, a letter was issued by me that the city would not cover that additional cost," Lew says. "Right now that's our position."

The team is also asking permission to add more concession stands on the streets around the stadium, Lew says.

"They're asking for, on Half Street, placing more of their own concession stands and fan experience things along that street," he says.

In addition to keeping Metro open, the team asked the District to help with additional safety and traffic control, counterfeit merchandise and scalping enforcement, modified hours for street closures and vending, staging of buses and media trucks, additional banners and signage, according to Lew's office.

http://www.wtop.com/41/3004988/Nationals-ask-District-to-pay-to-keep-Metro-open-late-for-fans

Its never enough with these millionaires. A tax-payer funded stadium wasnt enough, they always want more.

 

[War Peaceman]

Sounds like Romney is about to rush back to the center to make himself more palatable

This is a sensible move but he really is completely inconsistent - doing this while concurrently embroiling himself in cultural comments that elicit a more immediate reaction than explained economic points. His campaign has been poor which clearly is a staff problem but the crux seems to be that he is a terrible candidate who lacks discipline or the diplomatic skills to appear disciplined and coherent.

 

[markatisu]

Sounds like Romney is about to rush back to the center to make himself more palatable

Why not his VP pick did nothing for him, and the GOP Convention is basically going to go Extreme Wing front and center. He needs to do something after Akin torpedo'd the party

 

[speculawyer]

Sounds like Romney is about to rush back to the center to make himself more palatable

Flip-Flop. Etch-a-sketch shaken. Completely rebukes the Ryan budget plan.


At this point . . . are we supposed to trust him that it is his real plan?

 

[mckmas8808]

Another greedy millionaire in line for a handout





http://www.wtop.com/41/3004988/Nationals-ask-District-to-pay-to-keep-Metro-open-late-for-fans

Its never enough with these millionaires. A tax-payer funded stadium wasnt enough, they always want more.

This is why corporations in general piss me off. They want the district to allow them to make more money by putting more concession stands on the streets, but they want the government to pay for the extra Metro train runs, security, and traffic police. LOL got damn they are so ridicules. Almost as bad as shutting down your best player right before the playoffs even when he's not injured.

This is a sensible move but he really is completely inconsistent - doing this while concurrently embroiling himself in cultural comments that elicit a more immediate reaction than an explained economic points. His campaign has been poor which clearly is a staff problem but the crux seems to be that he is a terrible candidate who lacks discipline or the diplomatic skills to appear disciplined and coherent.

This will be completely up the the Obama administration to point out these inconsistencies. They shouldn't rely on the media to point them out. It's totally up to them. If they can't do a good job pointing it out to the American people, then they deserve to lose.

 

[Black Mamba]

Sounds like Romney is about to rush back to the center to make himself more palatable

How can they argue deficits reductions, now?

He wants to cut taxes on everyone without cutting spending. This will drive up deficits.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Flip-Flop. Etch-a-sketch shaken. Completely rebukes the Ryan budget plan.


At this point . . . are we supposed to trust him that it is his real plan?

Probably...closer to his MA policy than his rhetoric. Won't matter, since he won't be elected.

Something I have been wondering:

Obama is hitting the "trickle down economics doesn't work" thing the past few days, but will he have the balls to raise taxes as they need to be raised, not merely on those making 250k and above, but those from the middle class on up? Does he have the balls to veto garbage bills that might come to his desk?

Because the dems could have passed a shit ton of stimulus coupled with tax increases when dems controlled congress, but instead, they passed and retained further tax cuts, along with a deflated stimulus.

 

[XenodudeX]

Sounds like Romney is about to rush back to the center to make himself more palatable

Mitt Romney has to be the most inconsistent candidate in recent history.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Mitt Romney has to be the most inconsistent candidate in recent history.

That is the going thought. He was seen as a flip-flopper from even 2008, his first big scene on the national stage, but he has doubled down on the flopping and now nobody knows any of his true positions. He has become godlike in the sense that can be all things at all times.

 

[markatisu]

Probably...closer to his MA policy than his rhetoric. Won't matter, since he won't be elected.

Something I have been wondering:

Obama is hitting the "trickle down economics doesn't work" thing the past few days, but will he have the balls to raise taxes as they need to be raised, not merely on those making 250k and above, but those from the middle class on up? Does he have the balls to veto garbage bills that might come to his desk?

Because the dems could have passed a shit ton of stimulus coupled with tax increases when dems controlled congress, but instead, they passed and retained further tax cuts, along with a deflated stimulus.

But if Obama wins re-election will he give a shit about who he makes happy or angry? He won't be running again and so I would think he would pretty do what he wants and fuck everybody else as he does not need to run again

Isn't that what Clinton and W Bush did in their 2nd terms basically?

 

[Arde5643]

That is the going thought. He was seen as a flip-flopper from even 2008, his first big scene on the national stage, but he has doubled down on the flopping and now nobody knows any of his true positions. He has become godlike in the sense that can be all things at all times.

So he's an omniscient super being now. If we put this forward to his campaign or GOP, they might even campaign on his flip-flopping omniscience.

 

[AlteredBeast]

But if Obama wins re-election will he give a shit about who he makes happy or angry? He won't be running again and so I would think he would pretty do what he wants and fuck everybody else as he does not need to run again

If he raises taxes and eliminates loopholes in the tax code (I know, he must be given the chance) than he will go down as a great president, to be sure. If he continues to puss out, or just go after the rich, he will be relegated to mid-grade status, regardless of what happens.

 

[tranciful]

That is the going thought. He was seen as a flip-flopper from even 2008, his first big scene on the national stage, but he has doubled down on the flopping and now nobody knows any of his true positions. He has become godlike in the sense that can be all things at all times.

Romney's not a mere robot. He's a fucking T1000

 

[Loudninja]

Birthers Plan Their Own Convention Next Month In Arizon

While the Republican Party gears up for its biggest event of the year next week in Florida, the conspiracy theorists among them are already looking forward to another convention of sorts next month in Arizona.

Some of the best known birthers in the nation are scheduled to take the stage at a star-studded event in Phoenix, where they plan to call for Congress to investigate whether President Obama’s birth certificate is real.

Among the stars will be Pat Boone, the 1950s crooner who came out as a birther last year with a videotaped rant captured by the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, a member of the Beverly Hills Tea Party, called the president’s birth certificate “a photo-shopped fraud.” He is scheduled to speak and sing at the event.

Also in attendance will be former Army Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, who was court martialed and sentenced to six months in military prison in 2010 for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan. Lakin disobeyed the deployment orders, he said, because he believed Obama was ineligible to hold office.

Finally, Arpaio and his main birth certificate investigator, Mike Zullo, will provide an update on where their investigation stands. “Show. Us. The. Mircofilm,” Arpaio said back in July. “I said it a while back. Show. Us. The. Microfilm. And we’ll all go back home and forget this.”

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/birtherpalooza_arpaio_rnc.php?ref=fpa

 

[Suikoguy]

awesome, keep digging that hole.

 

[The Chosen One]

That is the going thought. He was seen as a flip-flopper from even 2008, his first big scene on the national stage, but he has doubled down on the flopping and now nobody knows any of his true positions. He has become godlike in the sense that can be all things at all times.

Gotta start calling him Mitt Omni.

 

[B-Dubs]

Birthers Plan Their Own Convention Next Month In Arizon


http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/birtherpalooza_arpaio_rnc.php?ref=fpa

So their bullshit will enter the public conscience just in time for the election.

 

[Captain Pants]

I realize that this is just some random opinion piece, but it was on my google news feed and I couldn't help but laugh...

"If anyone hates women, it isn't Republicans."

 

[Arrowgigantic]

My take on the Joe Biden charitable contributions is that the figures are what he has claimed on his tax returns, not what he has actually donated. GOP folks always claim more because they hate paying taxes, while Joe is more patriotic than that.

So there.

 

[Hitokage]

My take on the Joe Biden charitable contributions is that the figures are what he has claimed on his tax returns, not what he has actually donated. GOP folks always claim more because they hate paying taxes, while Joe is more patriotic than that.

So there.

I really doubt this is the case.

 

[Arrowgigantic]

I really doubt this is the case.

Happens to me all the time. I donate and don't bother getting a receipt. I wouldn't bother a lot more if I had $400K income.

 

[Allard]

Happens to me all the time. I donate and don't bother getting a receipt. I wouldn't bother a lot more if I had $400K income.

Yeah call me an idiot for it, but it doesn't feel like I am giving to charity if I try to take a tax incentive from it since it indirectly benefits me in a material sense. I basically never put charity work on my Tax forms and I average about $1,200 in misc. charities a year. (give or take some years... had my own trouble with money in 2009 and didn't give very much at all )

 

[titiklabingapat]

That is the going thought. He was seen as a flip-flopper from even 2008, his first big scene on the national stage, but he has doubled down on the flopping and now nobody knows any of his true positions. He has become godlike in the sense that can be all things at all times.

Maybe that is his plan all along? Genius.

 

[Chichikov]

Obama is hitting the "trickle down economics doesn't work" thing the past few days, but will he have the balls to raise taxes as they need to be raised, not merely on those making 250k and above, but those from the middle class on up? Does he have the balls to veto garbage bills that might come to his desk?

Because the dems could have passed a shit ton of stimulus coupled with tax increases when dems controlled congress, but instead, they passed and retained further tax cuts, along with a deflated stimulus.

The White House doesn't raise taxes, congress does.
Obama might have the balls, but he doesn't need to get re-elected.

I don't see a straight up tax increase in the future (maybe outside ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich) .
Politically, we will probably only be able to raise revenue through a re-write of the tax code, but we need to do it anyway.

 

[RDreamer]

So, I pulled up to my parents' house today and...

...yeah

 

[XenodudeX]

Write "No" on the bottom.

 

[ryutaro's mama]

So, I pulled up to my parents' house today and...




...yeah

Read vertically, it says, "O my, T N A" in the center.

 

[Snake]

So, I pulled up to my parents' house today and...

...yeah

"Mom, dad, judging by the 'quality' of your sign I'm going to borrow a line from the RNC and guess that you did build that."

 

[RDreamer]

Also had a small conversation about political hosts. Didn't get into actual politics, just talked about the hosts. My dad greatly dislikes Maddow. He says she lies. He hates Schultz for his crap during the Walker thing. I told him I also dislike Schultz. He can't understand why Chris Matthews is now left wing, since he used to be so far to the right. He still loves Glenn Beck, though he did admit he went a little crazy with end of the world stuff, but apparently he understands why he went in that directions because apparently he's got some sort of eye thing that could kill him (I have no idea what he's talking about there, because I do not follow Beck). He likes Bill O'Reilly's politics, but dislikes his interviewing style. He also said now he can't watch the evening news anymore because he notices bias and lies. He said my mom is now starting to notice this stuff, even though she's never been as fully into politics as him. I kind of laughed to myself on that...

And, yeah, that sign up there he had up with VOTE WALKER during that whole thing. It's right cross the street from a gas station, too, so everyone that's leaving gets to see that big ass sign.

He also told me a story of some guy during the whole Walker recall. He had out of state plates from Michigan and what looked like a company truck but had a recall Walker sign in it, so he was taking a picture and got in an argument with the guy. I guess he ran the plates and got a hold of the contractor he works for. The guy actually does live in town now, too. Well, he drove by and saw him scraping off the recall sticker, because his company forced him to. Crazy that he goes out of his way to do something to someone like that. I mean I realize a company truck shouldn't have political crap on it, but still.

"Mom, dad, judging by the 'quality' of your sign I'm going to borrow a line from the RNC and guess that you did build that."

hahahahaha

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Patton Oswalt
‏@pattonoswalt
Just got told exactly what Donald Trump is going to do Monday at the RNC. Mother of God. We are finally living in IDIOCRACY.

I *think* he's being serious.

 

[el retorno]

All I see are Romney welfare ads on Youtube and Hulu....

I don't watch TV and I'm still stuck with this BS. I think I've seen it 25 times already

 

[MG310]

I *think* he's being serious.

Vote for Romney, get 25 comp dollars to spend on a buffet at one of his fine Atlantic City casinos.

 

[ezekial45]

I *think* he's being serious.

He's doing a schtick with an Obama impersonator, from what I heard.

 

[eznark]

So, I pulled up to my parents' house today and...




...yeah

I love that they put a spotlight on it. Where in WI are you?

Why would Patton Oswald know what Donald Trump is doing?

 

[RDreamer]

I love that they put a spotlight on it. Where in WI are you?

I'm in Cedarburg. Lived in Milwaukee for a few years, then up and out to Brown Deer. Now Cedarburg. My parents live in a very small town around the Lomira/Mayville area.

 

[Hitokage]

He also said now he can't watch the evening news anymore because he notices bias and lies. He said my mom is now starting to notice this stuff, even though she's never been as fully into politics as him. I kind of laughed to myself on that...

Your parents have fallen victim to conspiratorial thought. Must have been a painful laugh.

 

[Aaron Strife]

A more trustworthy pollster (Mason-Dixon) says Claire McCaskill is up by 9 in Missouri.

Her approval/disapproval spread has also narrowed to 39-41, while Akin's has gotten much worse at 17-56.

Thanks for saving the Senate, Todd!