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[Black Mamba]

I edited it in.

 

[sc0la]

They do know that non extended UI is funded by worker withholdings and the best way to reduce that cost is to get people working again, rather than causing a recession via spending cuts... right?

 

[cartoon_soldier]

They do know that non extended UI is funded by worker withholdings and the best way to reduce that cost is to get people working again, rather than causing a recession via spending cuts... right?

No, apparently spending less money will increase employment is the big mantra.

 

[OmniOne]

Sorry if already posted, but this made me really laugh out loud.

No punch pretty lady.

 

[Oblivion]

Haha, apparently I too learned something new today: Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar.

 

[zero shift]

Its amazing that so many of those people vote against themselves.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Its amazing that so many of those people vote against themselves.

I'm voting for the guy who wants to cut foreign aid! That's probably like, 25% of the budget!

 

[Fuchsdh]

That is where I disagree with a lot of the politicians who want to cut spending. This is definitely not the opportune time.

It seems like this would be the time our reluctance to do anything Europe does would benefit us, yet they don't seem to recognize that austerity has only hurt Europe.

 

[speculawyer]

So there are only 3 areas where people would cut and the total spending in those 3 areas is pretty much tiny. Maybe what . . . 4% of spending? If that much.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

So there are only 3 areas where people would cut and the total spending in those 3 areas is pretty much tiny. Maybe what . . . 4% of spending? If that much.

And they're pretty important

Also why is terrorism its own thing. Isn't that just a combination of Military and Policing?

 

[empty vessel]

So there are only 3 areas where people would cut and the total spending in those 3 areas is pretty much tiny. Maybe what . . . 4% of spending? If that much.

Where do you get 3? I get 0.

 

[ClassyPenguin]

I only see places where we should increase spending except terrorism and defense.

 

[Mike M]

Haha, apparently I too learned something new today: Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar.

The fact you learned that Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar from this piece entirely defeats the point of the article.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Where do you get 3? I get 0.

That's looking at increase vs. decrease. Sort of like when the media shits on Obamacare when polls show higher disapproval than approval, while ignoring that a decent chunk of that disapproval comes from liberals because it doesn't go far enough.

 

[kehs]

Wish Gaborn was around to bicker back and forth about this. =(

Formal Brief by Administration to Further chip away at DOMA Provisions

 

[soul creator]

started reading The New Jim Crow (shoutout to Mumei!), and even though a widespread social movement and legislative/judicial pressure would be the real solution to the issues raised in that book, I started thinking if presidential pardons could theoretically be a stopgap type of approach. Went down a rabbit hole of researching presidential pardons and it seems like in theory, the president would have the power to pardon anyone that has violated any federal drug law.

That said, Obama has actually currently pardoned the fewest percentage of applicants of any president (and is missing some obvious cases of injustice, and has been very inconsistent when it comes to the drug war), though his pardons often seem to be drug-related. I'd be curious to see how this is approached at the end of his second term (since presidents tend to pardon more people at this point)

There is some precedence for this, as Kennedy pardoned a bunch of people in an attempt to "overturn" a drug law he didn't like.

 

[Link]

I was just reading up on David Duke's brief stint as a congressman in the late 80's, and it sounded strikingly similar to a lot of current Tea Party members of the House.

Not surprisingly, the Tea Party urged him to run in the latest presidential election.

 

[speculawyer]

The fact you learned that Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar from this piece entirely defeats the point of the article.

What do you mean? The fact that Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar destroys David Brooks' point. Obviously David Brooks is NOT a man of the people so what the fuck authority does he have to say Obama is not a man of the people.

DAVID BROOKS, “NEW YORK TIMES: Obama‘s problem is he doesn‘t seem like a guy who can go into an Applebee‘s salad bar and people think he fits in naturally there. He has to change to be more like that Applebee‘s guy and as he‘s done that he‘s become much more transactional. Much more, I‘m going to deliver this and this and this to you on policy.

C&Ler Mitzi left this in the comment section:

I called my Applebee’s today to make sure I was correct and they do not have a salad bar. Just goes to show how much these people who make these comments have no idea how “regular people” live their lives.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Where have I heard this before...

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diploma...ment.premium-1.505306?localLinksEnabled=false

John Kerry 'determined' to get Palestinian Authority, Israel to reach peace agreement
Sources close to Kerry report that the new U.S. Secretary of State aims for a peace deal by end of Obama's second term.

 

[speculawyer]

Where have I heard this before...

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diploma...ment.premium-1.505306?localLinksEnabled=false

Good luck with that.

And even if he did succeed . . . the Palestinian Authority only runs the West Bank these days. What about Gaza?

 

[TacticalFox88]

http://nation.time.com/2013/02/21/sequestration-is-for-sissies-6-9-billion-more-for-the-f-22/

lol if you thought the Military industrial complex would give up their hold so easily.

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Good luck with that.

And even if he did succeed . . . the Palestinian Authority only runs the West Bank these days. What about Gaza?

Hamas and the PA are slowly growing towards each other. If Kerry makes progress on the West Bank that's going to speed up that process too. You never know with Hamas, but you would hope that more people within the organization have seen the goodwill towards the Palestinian cause generated by Abbas' UN bid. It only takes a few rockets to fuck shit up though. I'm pleased that Kerry seems to be making this one of his top priorities.

Wish Gaborn was around to bicker back and forth about this. =(

Formal Brief by Administration to Further chip away at DOMA Provisions

Some good stuff in there, but also some weird things towards the end.

http://nation.time.com/2013/02/21/sequestration-is-for-sissies-6-9-billion-more-for-the-f-22/

lol if you thought the Military industrial complex would give up their hold so easily.

Anyone know if the numbers in this image are correct?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/64499_555707427783606_1434117996_n.jpg

 

[Guileless]

Its amazing that so many of those people vote against themselves.

The electorate wants Democratic spending levels with Republican tax levels.

 

[Giant Panda]

http://nation.time.com/2013/02/21/sequestration-is-for-sissies-6-9-billion-more-for-the-f-22/

lol if you thought the Military industrial complex would give up their hold so easily.

To be fair everything I've read on the F-22 indicates that it is pretty incredible stuff. Keeping the F-22 program going is something that's a worthy goal. The F 35 on the other hand is even more of a financial pit and some reports have indicated it isn't even a good plane.

 

[Guileless]

It's likely that the 'military industrial complex' is behaving rationally (like all of the other government agencies) by publicly exaggerating the effects of the sequester for political effect while preparing behinds the scenes like things won't really change much.

 

[FLEABttn]

It's likely that the 'military industrial complex' is behaving rationally (like all of the other government agencies) by publicly exaggerating the effects of the sequester for political effect while preparing behinds the scenes like things won't really change much.

That's not really true, my departments budget was cut 10%, 3 new positions cut and two people let go.

 

[speculawyer]

The electorate wants Democratic spending levels with Republican tax levels.

This has always been the true problem. You have these people that want to cut taxes like crazy but still want 11 carrier battle groups. They just say "Well cut foreign aid & welfare". But foreign aid is already less than 1% of the budget and if you cut welfare then you'll probably end up with increased crime and increased prison costs as people will not just quietly starve. We already imprison more people than any other country on the planet. If anything we, should reverse that so we are not wasting so much money on police, courts, and prison. We need to start doing ankle bracelets or something instead of imprisoning so many non-violent offenders. And we need to eliminate many pointless drug laws that just imprison people for victimless personal vice.

 

[The Librarian]

Most transparent administration ever, yadda, yadda, yadda: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/robert-gibbs-drones-white-house_n_2753183.html?1361718515

 

[Xdrive05]

It's likely that the 'military industrial complex' is behaving rationally (like all of the other government agencies) by publicly exaggerating the effects of the sequester for political effect while preparing behinds the scenes like things won't really change much.

dp.. gaf timeout .. see below.

 

[Xdrive05]

It's likely that the 'military industrial complex' is behaving rationally (like all of the other government agencies) by publicly exaggerating the effects of the sequester for political effect while preparing behinds the scenes like things won't really change much.

Can't speak the extent of exaggeration, if any, but my agency has been at a 100% hiring freeze for weeks now, and contracts are being allowed to expire. People are already losing jobs.

And a little FYI for my liberal brothers in arms who are in favor of deep cuts to the defense budget: take the time to know and understand exactly who gets put on the chopping block. The president has the legal authority to exempt military employees from these cuts, and he has.

So it's the civilian employees--accountants, IT workers, laborers, scientists--who are getting screwed by the sequester, which in turn screws up operations and infrastructure for the military employees anyway. In other words this is not an end-run to getting out of countries where you think we have no business being. No, they will put the squeeze on federal workers on American soil first and foremost. And that's not exactly a good thing for the economy, military included.

 

[Guileless]

But the specifics yall are talking about that have already happened would be as a result of pre-sequester budget actions right? And I have no doubt there are hiring freezes and contracts not being renewed. State governments had to do that starting in 09 when tax receipts went down drastically from expected levels.

 

[Mike M]

What do you mean? The fact that Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar destroys David Brooks' point. Obviously David Brooks is NOT a man of the people so what the fuck authority does he have to say Obama is not a man of the people.

Apparently Oblivion isn't a man of the people either, because he didn't know Applebee's didn't have a salad bar. I must not be a man of the people either! Only dirty poors know that Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar!

This isn't to say that David Brooks has any leg to stand on with his comment, but it's a pretty fucking trivial mistake to try and gin up outrage over.

 

[Carpe Libertatem]

But the specifics yall are talking about that have already happened would be as a result of pre-sequester budget actions right? And I have no doubt there are hiring freezes and contracts not being renewed. State governments had to do that starting in 09 when tax receipts went down drastically from expected levels.

Not really. Companies/contractors are anticipating the sequester and - while they surely hope that it doesn't go through - they don't want to be caught with their pants down when it finally does hit.

So it's the civilian employees--accountants, IT workers, laborers, scientists--who are getting screwed by the sequester, which in turn screws up operations and infrastructure for the military employees anyway. In other words this is not an end-run to getting out of countries where you think we have no business being. No, they will put the squeeze on federal workers on American soil first and foremost. And that's not exactly a good thing for the economy, military included.

This, cuts to the defense budget will take a tremendous toll on our economy and it's not going to be in the Middle-East

 

[kehs]

So when the sequester goes through and the bloated government is stripped down I assume there will be a Republican led parade championing Obama for reducing the size of government right?....RIGHT?


Looking through the OMB sequester plan....it might not be a bad thing. I mean, half of the shit that is going to get cut will be run a through congress for funding reinstatement like a porn star getting a train run on. You're not gonna get election style voting from congress this year, where they have to show their face after voting for more spending.

I'm also seeing a lot of special interest funds being exempt from the sequester like farming and coal.

 

[Incognito]

But the specifics yall are talking about that have already happened would be as a result of pre-sequester budget actions right? And I have no doubt there are hiring freezes and contracts not being renewed. State governments had to do that starting in 09 when tax receipts went down drastically from expected levels.

I don't think so. My mother, for example, is a GS-14 and for weeks has complained about how the sequester is forcing her to lay off many people in her department. Just the other day she forwarded us an email from her boss, a Lt. Gen, detailing the implications of the sequester such as wide-scale furloughs, etc. And she will most likely be furloughed, too.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Leadership matters. It's hard to see this playing out so poorly if Obama was serious about ending the sequester. I'm surprised John McCain, Tim Kaine, and others haven't come up with something in the senate because lord knows the WH isn't interested

The economy is going to get hit, hard. The small recovery we had will be stopped in its tracks, business "uncertainty" will increase, etc. I don't understand the logic behind this at all. And I'd imagine Harry Reid is somewhere fuming because this wouldn't be happening if Biden didn't give this to McConnell

 

[Guileless]

I don't think so. My mother, for example, is a GS-14 and for weeks has complained about how the sequester is forcing her to lay off many people in her department. Just the other day she forwarded us an email from her boss, a Lt. Gen, detailing the implications of the sequester such as wide-scale furloughs, etc. And she will most likely be furloughed, too.

That makes sense with the Defense Dept. taking most of the cuts and relying more on outside contractors. And that lines up with Bill Kristol's editorial in The Weekly Standard that I got in the mail yesterday.

 

[Synth_floyd]

Isn't the sequester just cutting the rate of growth in spending rather than actual spending it self?

 

[Snake]

Apparently Oblivion isn't a man of the people either, because he didn't know Applebee's didn't have a salad bar. I must not be a man of the people either! Only dirty poors know that Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar!

This isn't to say that David Brooks has any leg to stand on with his comment, but it's a pretty fucking trivial mistake to try and gin up outrage over.

Yeah it's trivial.

But David Brooks was making claims that President Obama is out of touch based on a silly example, and in doing so Brooks demonstrated that he was out of touch with his own figurative object. The point isn't that we should all know that Applebee's does not have a salad bar, it's that he made a lame argument about "real Americans" while failing to understand them himself by his own rules.

 

[The Librarian]

Isn't the sequester just cutting the rate of growth in spending rather than actual spending it self?

You're still taking $82 billion out of this year.

 

[jamesinclair]

Can't speak the extent of exaggeration, if any, but my agency has been at a 100% hiring freeze for weeks now, and contracts are being allowed to expire. People are already losing jobs.

And a little FYI for my liberal brothers in arms who are in favor of deep cuts to the defense budget: take the time to know and understand exactly who gets put on the chopping block. The president has the legal authority to exempt military employees from these cuts, and he has.

So it's the civilian employees--accountants, IT workers, laborers, scientists--who are getting screwed by the sequester, which in turn screws up operations and infrastructure for the military employees anyway. In other words this is not an end-run to getting out of countries where you think we have no business being. No, they will put the squeeze on federal workers on American soil first and foremost. And that's not exactly a good thing for the economy, military included.

Sounds fantastic. I guess this sequester thing isn't so bad after all.

California dealt with three years of cuts and furloughs and now they're making money.

If anyone needs a taste of that medicine it's the department of war.

If anything, the cuts aren't steep anything. If the military wants more funds, then they should prepare a business plan showing how they will generate the money

 

[speculawyer]

Apparently Oblivion isn't a man of the people either, because he didn't know Applebee's didn't have a salad bar. I must not be a man of the people either! Only dirty poors know that Applebee's doesn't have a salad bar!

This isn't to say that David Brooks has any leg to stand on with his comment, but it's a pretty fucking trivial mistake to try and gin up outrage over.

If you are going to bring up Applebee's as the illustration of the joe six-pack, you had damn well better get the reference right. Otherwise you have completely exposed yourself as an elitist that is pandering with no knowledge of the material of which he speaks.


The issue isn't whether you know if Applebee's has a salad bar. The issue is acting like you do when you don't know.

 

[Mike M]

Yeah it's trivial.

But David Brooks was making claims that President Obama is out of touch based on a silly example, and in doing so Brooks demonstrated that he was out of touch with his own figurative object. The point isn't that we should all know that Applebee's does not have a salad bar, it's that he made a lame argument about "real Americans" while failing to understand them himself by his own rules.

I get the point, but this in no way makes the point. Thinking Applebee's had a salad bar doesn't demonstrate unfamiliarity with "real Americans," it just demonstrates unfamiliarity with Applebee's. It was a silly, inconsequential error that doesn't warrant commentary.

If you are going to bring up Applebee's as the illustration of the joe six-pack, you had damn well better get the reference right. Otherwise you have completely exposed yourself as an elitist that is pandering with no knowledge of the material of which he speaks.

Oh what the fuck ever.

We really don't need to belabor this point any further. Brooks is a hack, but not because of something as stupid as this.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Alan Grayson's letter to Digby is one for the ages.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com.br/2...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[The Librarian]

I was watching House of Cards earlier. Anybody wanna become a congressional reporter to have sex with all the congressmen? I'm sure they're nice people.

 

[speculawyer]

I get the point, but this in no way makes the point. Thinking Applebee's had a salad bar doesn't demonstrate unfamiliarity with "real Americans," it just demonstrates unfamiliarity with Applebee's. It was a silly, inconsequential error that doesn't warrant commentary.

He tried to make a point about being a Joe Six Pack. He failed spectacularly BECAUSE HE FAKED IT.

That completely makes the point. How much money does David Brooks make? With his TV appearances, books, column . . . he probably makes much more money than Obama's salary as president. David Brooks has no clue what it is like to live on a median salary and it shows. Thus, when he tries to speak about what it is like for Joe Six Pack then he should be ignored because he has no fucking clue.

This is not a new issue with Brooks:
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/david-brooks-great-restoration-6518155
http://www.phillymag.com/articles/booboos-in-paradise/

 

[Snake]

Thinking Applebee's had a salad bar doesn't demonstrate unfamiliarity with "real Americans," it just demonstrates unfamiliarity with Applebee's.

I agree entirely. The point is that Brooks said Obama is unfamiliar with what's happening at your local Applebee's and is therefore out of touch. So if Brooks is just as unfamiliar with Applebee's (or moreso) it makes his argument look like a joke.

I agree that it's not worth our time, but it's the internet after all.

 

[The Librarian]

Alan Grayson's letter to Digby is one for the ages.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com.br/2...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Saw that when you posted that on Twitter. Hilarious and sad.

 

[Guileless]

If you watched Friday Night Lights you should be familiar with Applebee's. I remember when my hometown got an Applebee's, circa 1993. Waits for a table were long.

I believe Ruby Tuesday has an excellent salad bar.

 

[Diablos]

I was watching House of Cards earlier. Anybody wanna become a congressional reporter to have sex with all the congressmen? I'm sure they're nice people.

Call your father. Tell him how much you love him.

I don't think so. My mother, for example, is a GS-14 and for weeks has complained about how the sequester is forcing her to lay off many people in her department. Just the other day she forwarded us an email from her boss, a Lt. Gen, detailing the implications of the sequester such as wide-scale furloughs, etc. And she will most likely be furloughed, too.

We are fucked.

Recession 2.0 incoming?