Just to get people to think about just how damn difficult this tax and budget business is going to get, I'd like to propose this:
Getting the GOP to agree to tax increases on the rich and not gutting social security and medicaid/medicare is like trying to get a Fundamentalist Christian to acknowledge Evolution or one of you to become an entirely different religion.
You are not dealing with facts and numbers here, you're dealing with a religion. You can't go so far as to call it an ideology because of the faith backed nature of it. Listen up, the Earth was not created six thousand years ago and supply side economics does not work. Neither of them works because they ignore reality and facts in favor of faith. Now why in the hell supply side has become a religion is way beyond me, but then Creationism is also. Now I suppose that since there have been a couple books around for thousands of years that talked about the Garden there is some damned excuse for Creationism still being around, but for Cripes Sake this supply side nonsense only has St Ronnie, not God on its side.
None of that matters because it still is a religion and pushing the GOPers out of it is going to take a hell of a lot more than being nice to them. What it is going to take is a choice between damnation and survival - most of them are way too big of cowards to chose martyrdom. Now, you figure out what that is going to take. Mr President and fellow Dems?
Showing posts with label Conservatives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conservatives. Show all posts
Saturday, December 01, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
How To Ruin The Job Creators
The President-elect ran a campaign determined to mine enthusiasm for raising the top marginal tax rate from 35% to 39%. The GOP has assured us that such behavior will mean economic Armageddon through the ruination of the people who "create" jobs. Some sort of magic occurs at 35%.
I do not and no one I know hires a fourth person to do three people's work, that is just stupid. Everyone I know of that hires people hires someone because three people can't do four people's work, which means that there is that much demand for the product. If you're going to follow along on this "job creators" theme you're either telling people that rich people having some more money means they will gratuitously hire or that they spend enough money in the market place to drive that kind of demand. I think we've dealt with the gratuitous hiring part but the demand part is ought to be as easy, 2% of the taxpayers do not buy all that much of anything (well, most yachts).
So what is the real impact? Let's start with what marginal rate means - anything above an amount. So, $250,000, after deductions, is taxed at the previous rates and anything above gets hit. This would mean that of $260,000 after deductions $10,000 would be taxed at 39%. Follow along, 10,000 x 0.39 is 3,900 and 10,000 x 0.35 is 3500 which is a grand total of another $400. Holy shit, your taxes on Adjusted Gross Income of $260,000 will go up $400 and with that you will buy... what? OK, sure we all know this is more about millionaires than than that 250K bunch so here's that number (assuming - ridiculously - that you somehow have $1M in ordinary income) $750,000. Alrighty, more simple damn math: 750,000 x 0.39 is 292,500 and 750,000 x 0.35 is 262,500 so your 750K costs you $30,000 more. That will buy one car that these people won't be seen driving or at the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25 earning you $1580 at 40 hours for 52 weeks a whole $15,080, just less than two jobs washing the cars they actually would buy. (no, we're not talking take-home pay) Why does that millionaire need two additional minimum workers? Nobody will tell you, they just squeal "job creators."
If people don't have goddam money they don't spend it on products and services. Those people are called consumers and they produce jobs by consuming. If 80% of the consumers are competing for 7% of the wealth there isn't going to be a lot of consuming going on out of that share. What is actually the case is that the "job creators" are destroying jobs by sucking every last cent out of the economy. It isn't the conservatives' bug-a-boo government that is sucking the life out of the economy, it is their protected class that is doing it. It is real damn simple - the money is not moving around in the economy.
You can feel free to call it socialism, communism, or "punishing success" to advocate using the one tool the governement has at hand to change economic behavior, taxation, to address this concentration of wealth - but real simply, capitalism can't survive under the current conditions. Most of the country can do pretty well under capitalism, those who can't can be addressed with an adequate safety-net, but we have today the Reaganism version of capitalism to live with and it ain't working. Welcome to The Gilded Age aka Robber Baron Era.
People have serious doubts that the President can stick to his 39% rate which will do spit to address the problem and are worried about the safety-net... Christ on a pogo stick. Liberals seem to think this recent election did more than stave off absolute disaster. Can this nation get any stupider about its plutocrat enabling?
The short answer, of course, is - Yes.
I do not and no one I know hires a fourth person to do three people's work, that is just stupid. Everyone I know of that hires people hires someone because three people can't do four people's work, which means that there is that much demand for the product. If you're going to follow along on this "job creators" theme you're either telling people that rich people having some more money means they will gratuitously hire or that they spend enough money in the market place to drive that kind of demand. I think we've dealt with the gratuitous hiring part but the demand part is ought to be as easy, 2% of the taxpayers do not buy all that much of anything (well, most yachts).
So what is the real impact? Let's start with what marginal rate means - anything above an amount. So, $250,000, after deductions, is taxed at the previous rates and anything above gets hit. This would mean that of $260,000 after deductions $10,000 would be taxed at 39%. Follow along, 10,000 x 0.39 is 3,900 and 10,000 x 0.35 is 3500 which is a grand total of another $400. Holy shit, your taxes on Adjusted Gross Income of $260,000 will go up $400 and with that you will buy... what? OK, sure we all know this is more about millionaires than than that 250K bunch so here's that number (assuming - ridiculously - that you somehow have $1M in ordinary income) $750,000. Alrighty, more simple damn math: 750,000 x 0.39 is 292,500 and 750,000 x 0.35 is 262,500 so your 750K costs you $30,000 more. That will buy one car that these people won't be seen driving or at the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25 earning you $1580 at 40 hours for 52 weeks a whole $15,080, just less than two jobs washing the cars they actually would buy. (no, we're not talking take-home pay) Why does that millionaire need two additional minimum workers? Nobody will tell you, they just squeal "job creators."
If people don't have goddam money they don't spend it on products and services. Those people are called consumers and they produce jobs by consuming. If 80% of the consumers are competing for 7% of the wealth there isn't going to be a lot of consuming going on out of that share. What is actually the case is that the "job creators" are destroying jobs by sucking every last cent out of the economy. It isn't the conservatives' bug-a-boo government that is sucking the life out of the economy, it is their protected class that is doing it. It is real damn simple - the money is not moving around in the economy.
You can feel free to call it socialism, communism, or "punishing success" to advocate using the one tool the governement has at hand to change economic behavior, taxation, to address this concentration of wealth - but real simply, capitalism can't survive under the current conditions. Most of the country can do pretty well under capitalism, those who can't can be addressed with an adequate safety-net, but we have today the Reaganism version of capitalism to live with and it ain't working. Welcome to The Gilded Age aka Robber Baron Era.
People have serious doubts that the President can stick to his 39% rate which will do spit to address the problem and are worried about the safety-net... Christ on a pogo stick. Liberals seem to think this recent election did more than stave off absolute disaster. Can this nation get any stupider about its plutocrat enabling?
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
A New GOP?
The media seems all a-flutter with the theme of a GOP civil war and how the GOP is going to address the President running the table on the so-called swing states and a pretty clear majority vote. The first things to look at are the numbers in Congress. The Senate gains by Democrats were unexpected by most a year ago but it falls far short of stopping filibusters and the House is still... well, I can't think of a polite adjective - Republican. Then there is the electorate, that infamous 27% number makes up over half of the GOP and if this election cycle didn't make their point of view clear, I'm unsure just how big a hammer it takes to get your attention.
Regarding the Senate elections, the Democrats picked up seats (sort of - considering who some of them are) thanks mostly to the GOP Primary results. If you think there is a lesson for them in that, I'd like to point you back two years and the results of GOP Primary voting that time and the balance in the Senate. New Senate rules could have some effect on pure obstructionism, but don't hold your breath on that happening.
At one time the Senate was the much more stable entity and the House the volatile one, thanks to gerrymandering that is no longer true with Senators facing a state wide popular vote threshold that includes sufficient mixes of Party loyalties and other sensibilities to elect something other than lunacy in enough states and the House candidates getting their predetermined mixes. When people like Bachmann are able to hang on for cycle after cycle you know that something is seriously amiss. The House GOP lunatic caucus has proven safe and whatever sort of pragmatism John Boehner might like to practice, they'll have no more part of that this time around than they did the last two years and their numbers are not inconsiderable for Boehner. I don't like Boehner and I think his politics stink but they're less egregious assholery than his colleagues' idiotology but he has essentially no levers to move them with and is scared spitless of them. Any House GOPer to the left of wingnuttery knows their wing will Primary them into extinction if the break rank.
It may be a fact that if the GOP wants to win statewide and national elections outside the Confederacy and Confederate sympathisers it has to change directions, but that does not mean there is any Primary impetus to do so. That 27% is not subject to the reasoned discourse that involves something outside their ideology and compromise means doing that and winning those big elections means doing it. They do not want to win at the cost of betraying that hard core ideology and believe in their hearts that they'll start winning by sticking to it and even going harder in that direction. Their Conservatism cannot fail, it can only be failed. While all the long term developements look for the GOP just about like they did for the Confederacy versus the Union that war didn't end before the almost utter destruction of their ability to function, either. Faith is a peculiar thing and not particularly subject to reality's intrusions.
UPDATE
This also includes the idea of making the GOP something other than the Confederate Party of Republicanism ie: Racism.
All this is a pretty long way of looking at this GOP civil war idea and saying, "Please pick my laughing my ass off self off the floor."
Regarding the Senate elections, the Democrats picked up seats (sort of - considering who some of them are) thanks mostly to the GOP Primary results. If you think there is a lesson for them in that, I'd like to point you back two years and the results of GOP Primary voting that time and the balance in the Senate. New Senate rules could have some effect on pure obstructionism, but don't hold your breath on that happening.
At one time the Senate was the much more stable entity and the House the volatile one, thanks to gerrymandering that is no longer true with Senators facing a state wide popular vote threshold that includes sufficient mixes of Party loyalties and other sensibilities to elect something other than lunacy in enough states and the House candidates getting their predetermined mixes. When people like Bachmann are able to hang on for cycle after cycle you know that something is seriously amiss. The House GOP lunatic caucus has proven safe and whatever sort of pragmatism John Boehner might like to practice, they'll have no more part of that this time around than they did the last two years and their numbers are not inconsiderable for Boehner. I don't like Boehner and I think his politics stink but they're less egregious assholery than his colleagues' idiotology but he has essentially no levers to move them with and is scared spitless of them. Any House GOPer to the left of wingnuttery knows their wing will Primary them into extinction if the break rank.
It may be a fact that if the GOP wants to win statewide and national elections outside the Confederacy and Confederate sympathisers it has to change directions, but that does not mean there is any Primary impetus to do so. That 27% is not subject to the reasoned discourse that involves something outside their ideology and compromise means doing that and winning those big elections means doing it. They do not want to win at the cost of betraying that hard core ideology and believe in their hearts that they'll start winning by sticking to it and even going harder in that direction. Their Conservatism cannot fail, it can only be failed. While all the long term developements look for the GOP just about like they did for the Confederacy versus the Union that war didn't end before the almost utter destruction of their ability to function, either. Faith is a peculiar thing and not particularly subject to reality's intrusions.
UPDATE
This also includes the idea of making the GOP something other than the Confederate Party of Republicanism ie: Racism.
All this is a pretty long way of looking at this GOP civil war idea and saying, "Please pick my laughing my ass off self off the floor."
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Really Mr Rather? Paul Ryan Isn't Who You Thought He Was?
I watched with a certain amount of disbelief as Dan Rather blurted out something I considered rather unobservant on Rachel Maddow's 9/10 Show... words to the effect that he was astonished that Paul Ryan has done so poorly in television and other interviews. Rachel in a rather nice way tuned Dan up. She pointed out to him some of what I'm about to go off on.
Paul Ryan is exactly as much of an intellect as you could expect from someone who takes Ayn Rand seriously once out of puberty... or high school, anyhow. This ought to be a starting point for anyone talking about Ryan's abilities. Ayn Rand's writings are about stoking the testosterone fueled imaginings of superiority over 'the other' - the ones who don't run things and just do. You are aware of 'just do' - they cook your food, they build your house, they clean your house or others houses, they don't get the big bucks and they don't get their pictures in the 'nice' magazines. Worker bees. Not one goddam cent the Ayn Rand Superiors have is generated by their own sweat and blood - some pissant worker bee makes the things and gets them their income and those folks are disposable, they are "the takers." They're takers because they make the shit and buy the shit and want to get paid something for it and they're not grateful to the great men who'd as soon they starved while they work. If they don't work thanks to the decisions of their betters then they can just starve, or if they can't work because they got dealt a real shitty hand - they should have found a better dealer - like running mate Mitt did. It is a simplistic world where force and influence are all that matters and where the only consequences are when the truly great are inconvenienced - only a very limited intellect would be impressed. That is for starters.
Paul Ryan has "shone" within the simplified world of the conservative media and amongst his similarly minded and within a pissant CD in the same state where Michelle Bachman has prospered in a similar venue. Results are quite understandably different when the surroundings aren't composed of his friends and sycophants and include people who are willing to look at a record and analyze talking points policy. Wanting something to be so does not make a four hour plus marathon into a sub-three hour one and it does not make the fevered imaginings of Ayn into workable policy and it doesn't make ideology into goddam mathematics. The real rules of the world say that you can't make money in to match money out without actually doing it - ideology be damned. The real world says that you can't make rape into several other things without really pissing off anyone who gives a damn about women and after you've tried to do it you don't get to claim it is all a misunderstanding. Some people pay attention to these things and will question it outside Janesville WI and the GOP House Caucus.
Why the hell Dan Rather is surprised that a pip-squeak ideologue doesn't do well when challenged on his bullshit is way beyond me. Paul Ryan's ideas have been in full view for some time and they've not been misrepresented and they stink in practical terms. To put it simply - they are in practice stupid, if ideologically sound. Paul Ryan has to deny that a vote for Sequestration was a vote for Sequestration and do it in front of people who say, "What the hell?" This is from the Party that accused John Kerry of flip-flopping for voting differently on two different variations of a Bill. Paul says he did it to force a better deal... he voted for what he voted for outcomes be damned and wants to pass that off as principled action. Yes, he thought he was playing hostage taker just as those GOPers thought the rest of their Debt Ceiling hostage taking was a good idea - real world outcomes be damned.
The unexplainable doesn't get explained by Paul Ryan and Dan Rather is surprised. When you try to do things that make no damned sense at all it is real hard to make it sensible, or even make sensible responses to questions about them. The measure of an intellect is not the ability to parrot stupidity and pass it off as policy, the measure of intellect is an ability to face reality and do a somewhat good job of matching your desires to it and working within its constraints. Buying the idiotic punditry that making stupid policy involves nerve and out-of-the-box-thinking is asking to be disappointed or astonished that its object can't live up to its billing. An actual intellect knows how to adapt and innovate and improvise in the face of conditions, not hew to wishful thinking that things will just work because it wants them to.
Paul Ryan is a chimera of the right and the teabaggers, not anything more and his resolute stupidity is going to cost the GOPers for uplifting it into something is doesn't in the least resemble. And yes, they deserve anything they get for it... and if the electorate buys into it, well hell, then we'll get what we as a nation deserve and too bad for those who knew better...
Paul Ryan is exactly as much of an intellect as you could expect from someone who takes Ayn Rand seriously once out of puberty... or high school, anyhow. This ought to be a starting point for anyone talking about Ryan's abilities. Ayn Rand's writings are about stoking the testosterone fueled imaginings of superiority over 'the other' - the ones who don't run things and just do. You are aware of 'just do' - they cook your food, they build your house, they clean your house or others houses, they don't get the big bucks and they don't get their pictures in the 'nice' magazines. Worker bees. Not one goddam cent the Ayn Rand Superiors have is generated by their own sweat and blood - some pissant worker bee makes the things and gets them their income and those folks are disposable, they are "the takers." They're takers because they make the shit and buy the shit and want to get paid something for it and they're not grateful to the great men who'd as soon they starved while they work. If they don't work thanks to the decisions of their betters then they can just starve, or if they can't work because they got dealt a real shitty hand - they should have found a better dealer - like running mate Mitt did. It is a simplistic world where force and influence are all that matters and where the only consequences are when the truly great are inconvenienced - only a very limited intellect would be impressed. That is for starters.
Paul Ryan has "shone" within the simplified world of the conservative media and amongst his similarly minded and within a pissant CD in the same state where Michelle Bachman has prospered in a similar venue. Results are quite understandably different when the surroundings aren't composed of his friends and sycophants and include people who are willing to look at a record and analyze talking points policy. Wanting something to be so does not make a four hour plus marathon into a sub-three hour one and it does not make the fevered imaginings of Ayn into workable policy and it doesn't make ideology into goddam mathematics. The real rules of the world say that you can't make money in to match money out without actually doing it - ideology be damned. The real world says that you can't make rape into several other things without really pissing off anyone who gives a damn about women and after you've tried to do it you don't get to claim it is all a misunderstanding. Some people pay attention to these things and will question it outside Janesville WI and the GOP House Caucus.
Why the hell Dan Rather is surprised that a pip-squeak ideologue doesn't do well when challenged on his bullshit is way beyond me. Paul Ryan's ideas have been in full view for some time and they've not been misrepresented and they stink in practical terms. To put it simply - they are in practice stupid, if ideologically sound. Paul Ryan has to deny that a vote for Sequestration was a vote for Sequestration and do it in front of people who say, "What the hell?" This is from the Party that accused John Kerry of flip-flopping for voting differently on two different variations of a Bill. Paul says he did it to force a better deal... he voted for what he voted for outcomes be damned and wants to pass that off as principled action. Yes, he thought he was playing hostage taker just as those GOPers thought the rest of their Debt Ceiling hostage taking was a good idea - real world outcomes be damned.
The unexplainable doesn't get explained by Paul Ryan and Dan Rather is surprised. When you try to do things that make no damned sense at all it is real hard to make it sensible, or even make sensible responses to questions about them. The measure of an intellect is not the ability to parrot stupidity and pass it off as policy, the measure of intellect is an ability to face reality and do a somewhat good job of matching your desires to it and working within its constraints. Buying the idiotic punditry that making stupid policy involves nerve and out-of-the-box-thinking is asking to be disappointed or astonished that its object can't live up to its billing. An actual intellect knows how to adapt and innovate and improvise in the face of conditions, not hew to wishful thinking that things will just work because it wants them to.
Paul Ryan is a chimera of the right and the teabaggers, not anything more and his resolute stupidity is going to cost the GOPers for uplifting it into something is doesn't in the least resemble. And yes, they deserve anything they get for it... and if the electorate buys into it, well hell, then we'll get what we as a nation deserve and too bad for those who knew better...
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
GOP Rape
I'd very much appreciate it if you'd take a moment to reflect just who it is that is trying to get Todd Akin out of the MO Senate race. I'd further appreciate it if you would reflect for a moment that Akin and Ryan are joined at the hip on the very issues that has the media and GOPers head-hunting Akin. Now I know just how tedious Prince Rebus is to listen to, it is only a few minutes long and I have no ability to edit out the junk and get just the meat. Sorry, this blog does not come equipped with brain bleach.
Now that you've had a chance to listen to the RNC Chair and you've shook off the effects we can discuss what you've just endured. Oh hell, click the song and consider your brain cleansed...
OK where the hell to start? Before we go on, lets be real clear on something, Ryan and Akin both co-sponsored a bill to re-define "rape" in the Federal Exception for funding to cover "Forcible Rape" and the consequences of such a thing I can easily leave to you imagination beyond noting that unlike Mitt, a raped woman has no access to retroactively un-deliver after the rape trial. Both of those characters co-sponsored the Personhood bill that every House GOPer voted for.
Goddam, you can't even get 30 seconds in without a damn lie, Mitt Romney has stated publicly that he would gladly sign a Personhood amendment - that means NO GODDAM EXCEPTIONS! What the hell? "We're a Pro-life Party" is such a load of hooey, first they'll cut pre-natal care which is about the FETUS they're so concerned with and after that fetus delivers all bets are off. All bets. Almost a minute gone...
Holy shit by 1:42 we get informed that this is the Platform of the GOP not the Platform of Romney. Ummm huh? Depending on what campaign? Not to mention that inconvenient (R) after Romney and all those downticket cretins. Oh well...
By 2:40 we're getting an argument about gender gap and GOP Chair is asserting that most women are Pro-life and it's not a big deal and that Pro-woman isn't the same thing as not telling them they have to deliver their rapist's child. I hope the music is helping...
Uhoh, 4;11 involves "leadership" and did Mitt miss an opportunity to kick Akin really hard? Somehow what Mitt did was to lead the charge... Okeedokey. They all fell into lie...er... line. Well, I have talked a bit about why Akin is inconvenient and that would point to a reason why the national GOP is concerned about... well, how stupid and hateful they look with absolute zero regard for how stupid and hateful they actually are. For the Presidency Akin makes a convenient scapegoat, even if they totally agree with him - the media optics make this work ... unless...
Contrary to the monkey's assertion, I do think evolution is real but this kind of shit makes me feel a bit doubtful that it has been beneficial. Look, ladies (and anybody who cares about them) this is the kind of word that has to be spread to anybody who might care a bit about the kind of things Akin made the mistake of blabbing about in public. It is fine with me if the Obama Administration has left you feeling a bit disappointed - but there really is this other...
Now that you've had a chance to listen to the RNC Chair and you've shook off the effects we can discuss what you've just endured. Oh hell, click the song and consider your brain cleansed...
OK where the hell to start? Before we go on, lets be real clear on something, Ryan and Akin both co-sponsored a bill to re-define "rape" in the Federal Exception for funding to cover "Forcible Rape" and the consequences of such a thing I can easily leave to you imagination beyond noting that unlike Mitt, a raped woman has no access to retroactively un-deliver after the rape trial. Both of those characters co-sponsored the Personhood bill that every House GOPer voted for.
Goddam, you can't even get 30 seconds in without a damn lie, Mitt Romney has stated publicly that he would gladly sign a Personhood amendment - that means NO GODDAM EXCEPTIONS! What the hell? "We're a Pro-life Party" is such a load of hooey, first they'll cut pre-natal care which is about the FETUS they're so concerned with and after that fetus delivers all bets are off. All bets. Almost a minute gone...
Holy shit by 1:42 we get informed that this is the Platform of the GOP not the Platform of Romney. Ummm huh? Depending on what campaign? Not to mention that inconvenient (R) after Romney and all those downticket cretins. Oh well...
By 2:40 we're getting an argument about gender gap and GOP Chair is asserting that most women are Pro-life and it's not a big deal and that Pro-woman isn't the same thing as not telling them they have to deliver their rapist's child. I hope the music is helping...
Uhoh, 4;11 involves "leadership" and did Mitt miss an opportunity to kick Akin really hard? Somehow what Mitt did was to lead the charge... Okeedokey. They all fell into lie...er... line. Well, I have talked a bit about why Akin is inconvenient and that would point to a reason why the national GOP is concerned about... well, how stupid and hateful they look with absolute zero regard for how stupid and hateful they actually are. For the Presidency Akin makes a convenient scapegoat, even if they totally agree with him - the media optics make this work ... unless...
Contrary to the monkey's assertion, I do think evolution is real but this kind of shit makes me feel a bit doubtful that it has been beneficial. Look, ladies (and anybody who cares about them) this is the kind of word that has to be spread to anybody who might care a bit about the kind of things Akin made the mistake of blabbing about in public. It is fine with me if the Obama Administration has left you feeling a bit disappointed - but there really is this other...
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Mommy, They're Being Mean To Me...
Cripes, after a parade of other GOPers dragging their Mommies out with them to keep Medicare off their backs - the latest to whine to the old bag about their treatment and drag her out to shame the mean people is tough serious guy Paul Ryan.
Jayzus, for a bunch of tough talking kick the poor and powerless badasses they sure are babies. Suppose they've gotten past breast feeding yet?
"Mommie, Mommie, Barack's being mean to me..."
You have got to be kidding me. No?
There's a new kind of warrior for you - I'll bet that kind would be glad to send other people's kids off to war while they hid out in a French mansion... oh wait, that's the top of the ticket.
.
.
.
....he sends out his wifey...
Jayzus, for a bunch of tough talking kick the poor and powerless badasses they sure are babies. Suppose they've gotten past breast feeding yet?
"Mommie, Mommie, Barack's being mean to me..."
You have got to be kidding me. No?
There's a new kind of warrior for you - I'll bet that kind would be glad to send other people's kids off to war while they hid out in a French mansion... oh wait, that's the top of the ticket.
.
.
.
....he sends out his wifey...
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Newt No Longer The GOP Idea Guy?
I'll be go-to-hell if I ever understood the theme about Newt that he was Idea Guy. Now not that he's short of Ideas, it is just that I don't know of any that held any water other than as buzz words. The (something) media went right along with this theme of Idea Guy. It seems that Newt went onto Meet the Press and didn't understand that answering questions on TV (despite multiple appearances on said show) means that your answers exist on tape and somebody might notice that you did such a thing.
Newt has had lots of Ideas about how to be nasty and insulting, but now he gets to find out how his Party will use that on him. This ought to be the end of Newt in this GOP Primary, and it really is a shame because he always provides such fodder for people like me.
Really, I'll miss a guy like this.
Newt has had lots of Ideas about how to be nasty and insulting, but now he gets to find out how his Party will use that on him. This ought to be the end of Newt in this GOP Primary, and it really is a shame because he always provides such fodder for people like me.
Really, I'll miss a guy like this.
A Love Letter From Greg Walden ... ugh
"You deserve a fact-based conversation on the budget"
That is the opening line so one could almost have hopes ... er maybe not considering the source of the use of this franking privilege.
"Every year proponents of borrow - and - spend policies in Washington use gimmicks and" ... blah, blah ... "borrowing 40 cents on every dollar"...
This is the guy who stood shoulder to shoulder with BushCo as they ... well economic debacle and all. But -
"On April 15th, House Republicans passed a budget that takes the first steps on a path to prosperity"...
"Prosperity" for somebody un-named.
"Before going farther, I want to make one point very clear: If you are in or approaching retirement, you have earned" ... blah, blah
(format bold underlined):
Our budget does not propose any changes to the Medicare or Social Security programs for those 55 or older.
(end format)
(Lots of snip of lots of boiler plate demonstrably false crappolla...)
"I understand fairness. That is why our budget does not propose any changes ... for those 55 and older."
Now I'm just damned ecstatic that Greg understands "fairness" at least in regard to throwing those 54 1/2 years old on to the tender mercies of the for profit insurance companies because they haven't paid SS/FICA until 55 or some such thing which means their benefits are ... I don't know - disposable(?). This "fairness" wouldn't have anything to do with the voting percentages of those 55 and over would it? It wouldn't be a case of kicking the can of consequences far enough down the road to be meaningless to someone like Greg Walden's electoral chances?
This "moderate" Republican always keeps his head down unless it is a matter of screwing up the RNC's campaign finances by exercising no oversight or standing on a dam to provoke the US' worst fish kill. He gets re-elected in this OR2 CD because he doesn't stick his head up while he consistently votes against the District's inhabitants economic interests. Even with this abjectly stupid political move of sending out this letter he'll get re-elected if he wants to be. Why that is ... well it's because he's not one of them (you know - Democrats).
A monkey at a typewriter ought to be able to come up with policy prescriptions that would beat ole Greg but ... nooooope. If you wonder why I sometimes despair of the electorate ...
oh hell
That is the opening line so one could almost have hopes ... er maybe not considering the source of the use of this franking privilege.
"Every year proponents of borrow - and - spend policies in Washington use gimmicks and" ... blah, blah ... "borrowing 40 cents on every dollar"...
This is the guy who stood shoulder to shoulder with BushCo as they ... well economic debacle and all. But -
"On April 15th, House Republicans passed a budget that takes the first steps on a path to prosperity"...
"Prosperity" for somebody un-named.
"Before going farther, I want to make one point very clear: If you are in or approaching retirement, you have earned" ... blah, blah
(format bold underlined):
Our budget does not propose any changes to the Medicare or Social Security programs for those 55 or older.
(end format)
(Lots of snip of lots of boiler plate demonstrably false crappolla...)
"I understand fairness. That is why our budget does not propose any changes ... for those 55 and older."
Now I'm just damned ecstatic that Greg understands "fairness" at least in regard to throwing those 54 1/2 years old on to the tender mercies of the for profit insurance companies because they haven't paid SS/FICA until 55 or some such thing which means their benefits are ... I don't know - disposable(?). This "fairness" wouldn't have anything to do with the voting percentages of those 55 and over would it? It wouldn't be a case of kicking the can of consequences far enough down the road to be meaningless to someone like Greg Walden's electoral chances?
This "moderate" Republican always keeps his head down unless it is a matter of screwing up the RNC's campaign finances by exercising no oversight or standing on a dam to provoke the US' worst fish kill. He gets re-elected in this OR2 CD because he doesn't stick his head up while he consistently votes against the District's inhabitants economic interests. Even with this abjectly stupid political move of sending out this letter he'll get re-elected if he wants to be. Why that is ... well it's because he's not one of them (you know - Democrats).
A monkey at a typewriter ought to be able to come up with policy prescriptions that would beat ole Greg but ... nooooope. If you wonder why I sometimes despair of the electorate ...
oh hell
M-O-N-E-Y Spells Respect, ummm
Last night I admitted to left wing Democratic tendencies to a couple people I knew perfectly good and well wouldn't like anything about that. This resulted in the usual stupid and false GOP/Libertarian talking points. I've certainly heard all that stuff better phrased and better presented but I went ahead and poked the bull just for giggles. It was an exercise in pointlessness because whatever fact I presented was going to be ignored in pursuit of the stupid emotional appeals crafted by their ... 'betters.'
Neither of these individuals is ever going to make enough money to matter in the scheme of wealth, taxation, or power. Not ever, not going to happen and not even in their dreams. Their concerns were all theoretical, entirely outside their experiences or possible experiences and somehow addressed 'fairness.' The mantras were familiar to anyone acquainted with Libertarianism, high marginal tax brackets/tax rates punishing success, no civilization has ever taxed its way to success, the left trusts government, and on and on.
Neither person was stupid, they were quite capable of speaking in complete sentences and being, frankly, more lucid (even with alcohol involved) than Sarah Palin. No, that is not some joke, they were. Their points were not their own, they are manufactured by people with something to gain from selling them. Much of their birth as public discourse can be tracked to the economic abortion that was the St Ronnie Administration. Trickle down economics may be one of the most stupid commonly held beliefs in currency today and then and despite all evidence to the contrary it vampirically refuses to die. It is the corner stone of all the other horse ... pucky.
The real problem with trying to rebut this 'stuff' is that there is always the excuse that the failures are the result of insufficient application - ie Democrats messed it up. (h/t Michael B) You can point out to them the nearly steady decrease in top marginal rates from St Ronnie on to this historical low and it just simply doesn't matter. The dislocation of wealth simply is not of any concern - the fact that economic improvement, as economics is presently practiced in the US, is strictly a one way street upward demonstrates nothing. Well, it does represent the theft of their money by supporting the impoverished and disabled with their SS/FICA taxes... No matter that the Capital Gains rate is effectively lower, that one applies to everyone. Not that hardly anyone is actually concerned actually paying it...
There is one hope in this kind of discussion. The hope is that the GOP will continue to overstep the bounds of sense and insult the supposedly important and informed "middle."
As though the media would collude in any such informing
Neither of these individuals is ever going to make enough money to matter in the scheme of wealth, taxation, or power. Not ever, not going to happen and not even in their dreams. Their concerns were all theoretical, entirely outside their experiences or possible experiences and somehow addressed 'fairness.' The mantras were familiar to anyone acquainted with Libertarianism, high marginal tax brackets/tax rates punishing success, no civilization has ever taxed its way to success, the left trusts government, and on and on.
Neither person was stupid, they were quite capable of speaking in complete sentences and being, frankly, more lucid (even with alcohol involved) than Sarah Palin. No, that is not some joke, they were. Their points were not their own, they are manufactured by people with something to gain from selling them. Much of their birth as public discourse can be tracked to the economic abortion that was the St Ronnie Administration. Trickle down economics may be one of the most stupid commonly held beliefs in currency today and then and despite all evidence to the contrary it vampirically refuses to die. It is the corner stone of all the other horse ... pucky.
The real problem with trying to rebut this 'stuff' is that there is always the excuse that the failures are the result of insufficient application - ie Democrats messed it up. (h/t Michael B) You can point out to them the nearly steady decrease in top marginal rates from St Ronnie on to this historical low and it just simply doesn't matter. The dislocation of wealth simply is not of any concern - the fact that economic improvement, as economics is presently practiced in the US, is strictly a one way street upward demonstrates nothing. Well, it does represent the theft of their money by supporting the impoverished and disabled with their SS/FICA taxes... No matter that the Capital Gains rate is effectively lower, that one applies to everyone. Not that hardly anyone is actually concerned actually paying it...
There is one hope in this kind of discussion. The hope is that the GOP will continue to overstep the bounds of sense and insult the supposedly important and informed "middle."
As though the media would collude in any such informing
Bachman/Plalin Overdrive 2012 *
*stolen from somebody, frequently seen at Balloon Juice comments.
You have to stop and think about the fact that this concept isn't complete fictional satire as a title. As Pres/VP it is satire and, really, silly satire but as nominees it isn't quite as silly a statement. What this says about the state of the nation is one thing, what it says about the GOP and the field is another. I'll be damned if I'll do the sociology of 'WTF?' I will talk a bit about the GOP and why this kind of thing is happening.
This young black President beat an old white POW Senator (did I mention POW?) and the previous President still polls as to blame for the economy. Coupled with the advantages of incumbency this makes President Obama a rather daunting challenge. You can talk all day to me about the supposed sanity of Mittens or Pawlenty and all you'll get is raised eyebrows. Mittens is a Mormon empty suit with no discernible policy continuity (flipper-flopper?) and Pawlenty is both about as exciting as oatmeal and has a record (bridge?). Pawlenty is not going to be able to sell the "really pissed off white guy" theme that will work with the nation's reliable 27%ers who make up the GOP base. Mittens can read and do some math, at some point religion and former stances will result in polls that dissuade him unless ego wins. Pawlenty may not be bright enough to see what a buzz saw he's walked into, but real money will (outside Koch). Don't take this to mean that real wealth and plutocratic power will be enamored of BPO, they aren't their kind. No, I don't really expect BPO to be the nominees, but the lack of sacrificial lambs is interesting. Barring catastrophe President Obama has little to worry about in the General Election.
The GOP has to look toward 2016 and not having 2012 make them look like, well, what they are. Remember that what the GOP is, is exactly what PBO looks like and that will scare the ever loving hell out of 'independents.' WI, OH, FL, & etc are what the GOP is, along with Paul Ryan, and the GOP is finding out that having the public see that isn't good for polling. Newt seemed to forget what polls in GOP circles and so he's a dead issue, you just cannot say individual mandates and right wing social engineering anywhere, ever. So one nut-job imploded. That doesn't begin to address what Bachman would get up to with the public forum provided by a Primary run. If the GOP field winds up trying to please the circle that finds/found Gingrich, Bachman, and Palin attractive the public is going to see it and find it a clown car.
The GOP is a clown car, their problem is to not abjectly look like it. Heh.
Edit***
I just heard Lawrence O'Donnell state that 'thinking Republicans are now surrounding Pawlenty.' The first problem with that is the connection of the words "thinking" and "Republicans" after that you run into whether money thinks he can do spit without making the 27%ers happy - electoral suicide.
You have to stop and think about the fact that this concept isn't complete fictional satire as a title. As Pres/VP it is satire and, really, silly satire but as nominees it isn't quite as silly a statement. What this says about the state of the nation is one thing, what it says about the GOP and the field is another. I'll be damned if I'll do the sociology of 'WTF?' I will talk a bit about the GOP and why this kind of thing is happening.
This young black President beat an old white POW Senator (did I mention POW?) and the previous President still polls as to blame for the economy. Coupled with the advantages of incumbency this makes President Obama a rather daunting challenge. You can talk all day to me about the supposed sanity of Mittens or Pawlenty and all you'll get is raised eyebrows. Mittens is a Mormon empty suit with no discernible policy continuity (flipper-flopper?) and Pawlenty is both about as exciting as oatmeal and has a record (bridge?). Pawlenty is not going to be able to sell the "really pissed off white guy" theme that will work with the nation's reliable 27%ers who make up the GOP base. Mittens can read and do some math, at some point religion and former stances will result in polls that dissuade him unless ego wins. Pawlenty may not be bright enough to see what a buzz saw he's walked into, but real money will (outside Koch). Don't take this to mean that real wealth and plutocratic power will be enamored of BPO, they aren't their kind. No, I don't really expect BPO to be the nominees, but the lack of sacrificial lambs is interesting. Barring catastrophe President Obama has little to worry about in the General Election.
The GOP has to look toward 2016 and not having 2012 make them look like, well, what they are. Remember that what the GOP is, is exactly what PBO looks like and that will scare the ever loving hell out of 'independents.' WI, OH, FL, & etc are what the GOP is, along with Paul Ryan, and the GOP is finding out that having the public see that isn't good for polling. Newt seemed to forget what polls in GOP circles and so he's a dead issue, you just cannot say individual mandates and right wing social engineering anywhere, ever. So one nut-job imploded. That doesn't begin to address what Bachman would get up to with the public forum provided by a Primary run. If the GOP field winds up trying to please the circle that finds/found Gingrich, Bachman, and Palin attractive the public is going to see it and find it a clown car.
The GOP is a clown car, their problem is to not abjectly look like it. Heh.
Edit***
I just heard Lawrence O'Donnell state that 'thinking Republicans are now surrounding Pawlenty.' The first problem with that is the connection of the words "thinking" and "Republicans" after that you run into whether money thinks he can do spit without making the 27%ers happy - electoral suicide.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
CPAC Straw Poll
I can't think of anything much more meaningless than a poll that repeatedly endorses Ron Paul. Or maybe one that puts Ron Paul on top and Mitt in second. Maybe a bunch that goes crazy for Limbaugh should be a clue to the meaningfulness of their polling.
The most telling thing is that they don't figure doing well ought to scare away most of the public.
It ought to, shouldn't it?
It doesn't?
Oh, no...
The most telling thing is that they don't figure doing well ought to scare away most of the public.
It ought to, shouldn't it?
It doesn't?
Oh, no...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Dear Mr President & Assorted Democrats - They Lie
I'm not sure how to break this to you: the Right lies. Yes, Rupert Murdoch's crap-tastic propaganda Faux News network lies, repeats the lies, and then blames you if you fall for it. They start with the assumption that Liberalism is guilty of some crime against America and uncritically repeat any such accusation. The Right view themselves as at war with a somehow evil foe and any means is justified.
It would seem that that the lies propagated about Van Jones, burying his actual problem, would have given you a clue. No, a perfectly useful organizantion like Acorn gets destroyed because you fall for concept that accusation is fact - you do understand that video can be used to lie? Then comes Shirley Sherrod making a speach before a reputable organization like NAACP and you assume racism because a Right-wing blogger with zero goddam credibility feeds his shit to Fox. In the face of the reputations of the conflicting organizations you buy into the demonstrably crappy ones?
This isn't an example of an exercise where compromise will serve the interests of the nation - they are at war with you and your destruction is the aim. There isn't a middle ground in that, their lies won't cease because you're partially wrecked. Surely some of you watched the health care "debate" and their actions. You know what was proposed or in the Bill and you know what they had to say about it. And you keep letting them set the dialogue?
I know you expect Democrats to get out and work for you in the upcoming elections and you'd like to be touted and defended. What exactly are we to say? Do you expect us to point out the lies that you fall for and thus justify and encourage? You may not want to be at war with your fellow citizens, but they do want to and you'd best get used to the idea. You are allowed to call people who lie, liars.
It would seem that that the lies propagated about Van Jones, burying his actual problem, would have given you a clue. No, a perfectly useful organizantion like Acorn gets destroyed because you fall for concept that accusation is fact - you do understand that video can be used to lie? Then comes Shirley Sherrod making a speach before a reputable organization like NAACP and you assume racism because a Right-wing blogger with zero goddam credibility feeds his shit to Fox. In the face of the reputations of the conflicting organizations you buy into the demonstrably crappy ones?
This isn't an example of an exercise where compromise will serve the interests of the nation - they are at war with you and your destruction is the aim. There isn't a middle ground in that, their lies won't cease because you're partially wrecked. Surely some of you watched the health care "debate" and their actions. You know what was proposed or in the Bill and you know what they had to say about it. And you keep letting them set the dialogue?
I know you expect Democrats to get out and work for you in the upcoming elections and you'd like to be touted and defended. What exactly are we to say? Do you expect us to point out the lies that you fall for and thus justify and encourage? You may not want to be at war with your fellow citizens, but they do want to and you'd best get used to the idea. You are allowed to call people who lie, liars.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Confederate Party of Republicanism - Virginia
This blog uses the tag "Confederate Party of Republicanism" for posts that reflect that regional domination of the GOP. It isn't an imaginary construct and yes, it is deliberately insulting - or at least was intended that way. It was an intention to snark that was sideswiped by reality.
The reality was VA Gov Bob McDonnell (R) making a Confederate History Month proclamation honoring those who fought to protect their homes and state...and managed to completely ignore "protect their state's right to enslave human beings." OK you say, an oversight which he corrected and it is important to engage tourism and etc. Nope. If this proclamation was about tourism and history it would have been entitled "Civil War History Month."
You are required to be entirely stupid to not get what this proclamation was about. It was about the Confederate States of America today. It was about racism and aristocracy being honored by the government of Virginia. It is about the Confederate Party of Republicanism and a nation that reflects a bit different view. Does it even begin to create a bit of a "hmmm" to note that this guy is freshly elected and can't run for the office again? That this proclamation is important now that there are serious Democratic majorities in Federal seats and a black Democratic President? That the State of Virginia helped elect this President?
If you take this (R) Governor's apology to mean spit you aren't paying any attention to much of anything. The fact that the option of "Civil War History Month" is being ignored as a clear statement of his intent says something about the dialogue in this country - and the media.
The reality was VA Gov Bob McDonnell (R) making a Confederate History Month proclamation honoring those who fought to protect their homes and state...and managed to completely ignore "protect their state's right to enslave human beings." OK you say, an oversight which he corrected and it is important to engage tourism and etc. Nope. If this proclamation was about tourism and history it would have been entitled "Civil War History Month."
You are required to be entirely stupid to not get what this proclamation was about. It was about the Confederate States of America today. It was about racism and aristocracy being honored by the government of Virginia. It is about the Confederate Party of Republicanism and a nation that reflects a bit different view. Does it even begin to create a bit of a "hmmm" to note that this guy is freshly elected and can't run for the office again? That this proclamation is important now that there are serious Democratic majorities in Federal seats and a black Democratic President? That the State of Virginia helped elect this President?
If you take this (R) Governor's apology to mean spit you aren't paying any attention to much of anything. The fact that the option of "Civil War History Month" is being ignored as a clear statement of his intent says something about the dialogue in this country - and the media.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
GOPer Lickspittle Drivel
You get warned twice on this site not to be stupid, this can't be allowed to just lie in the Comments - it deserves much better.
I'm gonna type real slow in hopes you can get this. Look here you knuckle dragging Rushbo buttlicking Confederate Party of Republicanism goober, back in 1865 after getting tens of thousands of you folks who they wouldn't even let on the porch killed; the aristocrats were handed an ass-kicking of historic proportions by the Yanks and this should have been sorted out. A hundred years later after you'd lynched enough people and buried enough kids in dikes; the federal troops had to show up again to make it clear to you that, yes, the niggers get to vote, the niggers get to own guns, and the niggers get to go to your schools and live in your neighborhoods.
The fact that you can be distracted by shiny objects like "states rights", "tax fairness", "gay marriage", and "illegal alien" bashing only speaks to your limitations and ability to be manipulated. You screech about tax fairness in your red state holes as you wallow in the highest rates of divorce, incest, illiteracy, and poverty and you're subsidized by the immoral blue states and you subsidize the wealthy - the same ones who wouldn't let you on their porch. They wave their theocracy at you while they do as they please and spit on the actual words of Christ. The pols you vote for to whack them illegal aliens are paid for by the people who hire illegals to squash your shit wages in your shit job and when they can't bust a union they send the jobs overseas to be done by other people of colors you don't like. They call you brave tea bagger patriots while doing the terrorists jobs for them by being whining mewling cowards and convincing you to give up what America is and support doing things that would have gotten you sent back to George III in tar and feathers.
While the left does its goddamedest to keep you from lying in the dirt with a foot on your neck you call them leftards in support of theocracy and racism. The only mystery about you is that you can afford access to a keyboard and manage the motor skills to operate one. You step outside your circle of stupidity to publicly repeat the idiocy that support for a segregationist's Presidential campaign by a half-stepping KKKer is some how in the same league with a politician supporting the campaign of a black man for President while noting the existence of racism in the electorate? It would take all of five minutes for you to find out that your Confederate Party of Repubicanism massas is lying to you ... again.
Put the limp noodle down and back away slowly, 'cause I'm packin' a damn hand cannon.
Dumbass.
Anonymous said...
Nice to see another leftard with a double standard. Figure it out, Lott's comment wasn't about race but state's rights. Reid's words are purely racist, and most leftards think this way.
1/14/2010 06:50:00 PM
I'm gonna type real slow in hopes you can get this. Look here you knuckle dragging Rushbo buttlicking Confederate Party of Republicanism goober, back in 1865 after getting tens of thousands of you folks who they wouldn't even let on the porch killed; the aristocrats were handed an ass-kicking of historic proportions by the Yanks and this should have been sorted out. A hundred years later after you'd lynched enough people and buried enough kids in dikes; the federal troops had to show up again to make it clear to you that, yes, the niggers get to vote, the niggers get to own guns, and the niggers get to go to your schools and live in your neighborhoods.
The fact that you can be distracted by shiny objects like "states rights", "tax fairness", "gay marriage", and "illegal alien" bashing only speaks to your limitations and ability to be manipulated. You screech about tax fairness in your red state holes as you wallow in the highest rates of divorce, incest, illiteracy, and poverty and you're subsidized by the immoral blue states and you subsidize the wealthy - the same ones who wouldn't let you on their porch. They wave their theocracy at you while they do as they please and spit on the actual words of Christ. The pols you vote for to whack them illegal aliens are paid for by the people who hire illegals to squash your shit wages in your shit job and when they can't bust a union they send the jobs overseas to be done by other people of colors you don't like. They call you brave tea bagger patriots while doing the terrorists jobs for them by being whining mewling cowards and convincing you to give up what America is and support doing things that would have gotten you sent back to George III in tar and feathers.
While the left does its goddamedest to keep you from lying in the dirt with a foot on your neck you call them leftards in support of theocracy and racism. The only mystery about you is that you can afford access to a keyboard and manage the motor skills to operate one. You step outside your circle of stupidity to publicly repeat the idiocy that support for a segregationist's Presidential campaign by a half-stepping KKKer is some how in the same league with a politician supporting the campaign of a black man for President while noting the existence of racism in the electorate? It would take all of five minutes for you to find out that your Confederate Party of Repubicanism massas is lying to you ... again.
Put the limp noodle down and back away slowly, 'cause I'm packin' a damn hand cannon.
Dumbass.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The 1st Amendment And Dickheads
Just so we all know what the heck it is that I'm talking about, here is the text of the 1st Amendment:
Now you may notice first off that the Amendment refers to Government's actions, in particular the Congress. It does not, for example mention Football. This Rush guy and his loon supporters would have you believe that his 1st Amendment free speech or free press rights are somehow being screwed with. Umm, the guy makes gadzillions of dollars spewing crap over the air waves and he's somehow, uh, infringed upon?
The other piece nonsense is that the left is crushing the dreams of conservatives, or more particularly, Rush, by stomping on his free speech. Rather simply, it would seem to be a case of Rush can say what he wants to and nobody gets to call BS. I would kind of think that this is actually an example of free speech in action, Rush says what he does and some other people state that someone who says that is a dickhead and would be bad for a sport. Now I might take that a bit farther, like doubting that his oxygen isn't an entire waste or that the excessive space occupied by his carcass should be condemned once vacated, but it would be unkind, so I won't.
What has his people (and himself) upset is that this argument broke out in public and the side that business people listened to was something other than that one that Rush stands on. The government didn't say anything at all about it or try to do anything about it, business got done. Rush is perfectly free to continue to blather on, he's just learned that free speech doesn't mean consequence-less speech. When enough people don't like your horseshit it has outcomes in a business world that is based on perceptions - like fandom is.
I don't watch much football and I've never paid any attention to the Rams but people do watch and do pay attention to the Rams and a bunch of business people decided that dinging Rush's fans was better than having his money. Hey Rush, when you're too offensive to take your money in this country - buddy you're an asshole.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Now you may notice first off that the Amendment refers to Government's actions, in particular the Congress. It does not, for example mention Football. This Rush guy and his loon supporters would have you believe that his 1st Amendment free speech or free press rights are somehow being screwed with. Umm, the guy makes gadzillions of dollars spewing crap over the air waves and he's somehow, uh, infringed upon?
The other piece nonsense is that the left is crushing the dreams of conservatives, or more particularly, Rush, by stomping on his free speech. Rather simply, it would seem to be a case of Rush can say what he wants to and nobody gets to call BS. I would kind of think that this is actually an example of free speech in action, Rush says what he does and some other people state that someone who says that is a dickhead and would be bad for a sport. Now I might take that a bit farther, like doubting that his oxygen isn't an entire waste or that the excessive space occupied by his carcass should be condemned once vacated, but it would be unkind, so I won't.
What has his people (and himself) upset is that this argument broke out in public and the side that business people listened to was something other than that one that Rush stands on. The government didn't say anything at all about it or try to do anything about it, business got done. Rush is perfectly free to continue to blather on, he's just learned that free speech doesn't mean consequence-less speech. When enough people don't like your horseshit it has outcomes in a business world that is based on perceptions - like fandom is.
I don't watch much football and I've never paid any attention to the Rams but people do watch and do pay attention to the Rams and a bunch of business people decided that dinging Rush's fans was better than having his money. Hey Rush, when you're too offensive to take your money in this country - buddy you're an asshole.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
No Rams - Waaaaaa!!!!
No, I'm not kidding. Rush:
Whether I, as a racist asshole, get to buy the Rams determines the future of the nation?
Who are the Indians in this scenario, you know, the ones here first? Was Sarah wanting to buy a football team .... Also. I really don't know about "attempts to discredit" since the damage was done out of his own mouth and her's.
Somehow his "right" to say any damn thing he pleases on air trumps the "right" of anybody to publicly not like what he said (or she or they or..."conservatives"). This was, of course, intended for his audience so it is really unfair of me to mock it.
"It's not about me..." ahahahahaha, choke, ahahaha
it's not about the St. Louis Rams, it's not about me. This is about the ongoing effort by the left in this country, wherever you find them, in the media, the Democrat Party, or wherever, to destroy conservatism, to prevent the mainstreaming of anyone who is prominent as a conservative. That's what this is about. Therefore, this is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we're going to have.
Whether I, as a racist asshole, get to buy the Rams determines the future of the nation?
This is not about the National Football League. It's not about the St. Louis Rams. That's just a subset. This is the latest in a long line of attempts by the left to discredit any of us who believe what we believe. Sarah Palin, the list is as long as I wanted to make it. And I wanted to make sure that I thank you all for your support, and I wanted to make sure you understood that I know exactly what this is all about, and I want you to also understand, I'm not even thinking of exiting. I'm not even thinking of caving. I am not a caver. None of us are. We have been betrayed by too many who have caved. Pioneers take the arrows. We are pioneers. It's a sad thing that our country over 200 years old now needs pioneers all over again, but we do.
Who are the Indians in this scenario, you know, the ones here first? Was Sarah wanting to buy a football team .... Also. I really don't know about "attempts to discredit" since the damage was done out of his own mouth and her's.
Somehow his "right" to say any damn thing he pleases on air trumps the "right" of anybody to publicly not like what he said (or she or they or..."conservatives"). This was, of course, intended for his audience so it is really unfair of me to mock it.
"It's not about me..." ahahahahaha, choke, ahahaha
Friday, October 03, 2008
What Is The Literacy Level At Camp McPOW?
A hat-tip to Balloon Juice through to Daily Kos for finding this jem. Now if you're wondering who the "Famous Person" is, it seems to be Peggy Noonan at WSJ. Now I'm no real admirer of Peggy, she was and remains a shill for the Republican Party, but what astonishes me is the linkage the McCain campaign makes to this article. Now there are the first two paragraphs:She killed. She had him at "Nice to meet you. Hey, can I call you Joe?" She was the star. He was the second male lead, the good-natured best friend of the leading man. She was not petrified but peppy.
The whole debate was about Sarah Palin. She is not a person of thought but of action. Interviews are about thinking, about reflecting, marshaling data and integrating it into an answer. Debates are more active, more propelled—they are thrust and parry. They are for campaigners. She is a campaigner. Her syntax did not hold, but her magnetism did. At one point she literally winked at the nation.
You'd have to go some to write something that was a more disgustingly drooling example of sycophantism. I'm not proposing that she imploded, she survived and managed to not look incurious, incompetent, and anti-intellect. But for god's sake.
The thing about the article is that the first two paragraphs have one thing to say, something that sounds good for John McCain, then as you read on and get about three paragraphs from the end the wheels come off the POW Express:
We witness here a great political lesson. When you are president, it matters—it really matters—that a majority of the people support and respect you. When you squander that affection, you lose more than mere popularity. You lose the ability to lead when your country is in crisis. This is a terrible loss, and a dangerous one, for the whole world is watching.
***
...presidential popularity is a jewel to be protected, and to be burnished when possible, because without it you can do nothing. Without the support and trust of the people you cannot move, cannot command. You are left, like Mr. Bush, talking to an empty room.
We saw this week, too, a turn in the McCain campaign's response to criticisms of Mrs. Palin. I find obnoxious the political game in which if you expressed doubts about the vice presidential nominee, or criticized her, you were treated as if you were knocking the real America—small towns, sound values. "It's time that normal Joe Six-Pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency," Mrs. Palin told talk-show host Hugh Hewitt. This left me trying to imagine Abe Lincoln saying he represents "backwoods types," or FDR announcing that the fading New York aristocracy deserves another moment in the sun. I'm not sure the McCain campaign is aware of it—it's possible they are—but this is subtly divisive. As for the dismissal of conservative critics of Mrs. Palin as "Georgetown cocktail party types" (that was Mr. McCain), well, my goodness. That is the authentic sound of the aggression, and phony populism, of the Bush White House. Good move. That ended well.
You've been able to tell over time that I do not work for or shill for McCain or Republicans, but that is not an article that I'd link into were I associated with McCain. If you can find something in the last paragraphs I've quoted here that sounds remotely Pro-McCain you're welcome to point it out to me. As a blue collar sort I'd say that was a 2x4 up the side of the head.
I do recognize that this is the outfit that releases ads claiming a win in a debate yet to take place and even put into doubt by the claimant. I understand that these folks didn't see huge drawbacks in Sarah Palin's record and performances. I know their candidate claimed "the fundamentals of the economy are sound" on the day the "Street" tanks on the news of the failure of investment banks and claims a few hours later that in the face of all use of language that the fundamentals of the economy means workers - a lot of words to say 'workers' with. All of that may add up to a failure of massive scale, but either illiteracy or an inability to read more than a few lines resulting in advertising your own failures is stupidity on an unprecedented scale.
This is the disorganization that claims they know how to run a Presidency, to keep us safe and "reform" the system. These are John McCain's hires, the kind of people that he surrounds himself with in the most important endeavor of his career. Phil Gramm is his economic guru, a coterie of lobbyists over a hundred strong runs his campaign and their level of competence is demonstrated by our economy of the last 7+ years, our international standing, and this campaign. It is the campaign of Washington DC inside insiders and this is what they can manage?
I'm a Democrat and I don't like McCain's policy ideas nor his claimed ideology but I find this level of incompetence stunning and frightening. While conservative pundits have been busy kicking the snot out of the Alaskan Barbie Doll for incompetence their lead man, the big Kahuna, has been about as capable a Presidential candidate as a high school freshman would be with a grade school team. This guy makes them look almost competent and here's what it takes at NRO Online:
Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America.I think I'll puke. But here you go, this is what the Conservatives have become, natural selection in operation. The continual purging of intellectuals and actual achievers from the ranks has natural consequences. Whatever you thought of Bill Buckley here's where they're at today and it makes you want to wipe off your computer screen. What is scary is that this election is within 20 points.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Peace and Prosperity, Bush Style
"Prosperity and peace are in the balance," the president said AP reports a pre-release of GeorgeII's speach to the Conservative Political Action Convention. That would be the bunch Romney addressed while he withdrew stating he was saving the country from the success of those who'd surrender to terrorism - Democrats. Now if you ain't a plutocrat you may have missed that prosperity and if you've payed any attention at all, you may have noticed a substantial lack of peace since 2002. "So with confidence in our vision and faith in our values, let us go forward ... fight for victory ... and keep the White House in 2008." That is in itself an obvious recipe for success, after all most people think things are just fine.
At some point after 1/20/09 this guy will be immaterial beyond repairing the wreckage he's made of peace and prosperity.
If you think there aren't numbers, here you go, up posts.
"Our critics had a different view," he said. "They looked at rising violence in Iraq and declared the war was lost. Some concluded the surge had failed before it had even fully begun. ... We stood our ground and we are seeing the results. ... The progress in Iraq is fragile and there are tough days ahead, yet even the enemy recognizes that they are on the wrong side of events."I guess we can take it as blind luck he didn't don a flight suit and ...
At some point after 1/20/09 this guy will be immaterial beyond repairing the wreckage he's made of peace and prosperity.
If you think there aren't numbers, here you go, up posts.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Medicare, Insurance Cos, Liars, Cheats, and Thieves
Congress wrote the Drug bill for Medicare with insurance companies in mind, don't even think seniors had much to do with it. Even given that, it's not enough for insurance companies, the NYT examined 91 audits of Medicare involved private insurance companies and found the improper termination of coverage for people with H.I.V. and AIDS, huge backlogs of claims and complaints, and a failure to answer telephone calls from consumers, doctors and drugstores. Surprisingly enough since March Medicare has imposed fines of $770,000 on 11 companies for infractions from failing to disclose changes in benefits and coverage to marketing violations.
This is not small time stuff, people's health is at stake and the insurance companies despite sweetheart deals are using every nasty trick in the book to increase their edge. When the government privatised this deal they didn't bother to note to interested parties that they putting Medicare recipients into the hands of companies whose sole purpose is to generate profits, not serve those needing medication. Any claim cuts into the profit margin and proper coverage decreased that margin.
The Times article has a list of some of the infractions, suffice to say one private insurer in Florida was cancelled as posing "imminent and serious threat” to its 11,000 members. You bet the privatization of government is a swell idea.
This is not small time stuff, people's health is at stake and the insurance companies despite sweetheart deals are using every nasty trick in the book to increase their edge. When the government privatised this deal they didn't bother to note to interested parties that they putting Medicare recipients into the hands of companies whose sole purpose is to generate profits, not serve those needing medication. Any claim cuts into the profit margin and proper coverage decreased that margin.
The Times article has a list of some of the infractions, suffice to say one private insurer in Florida was cancelled as posing "imminent and serious threat” to its 11,000 members. You bet the privatization of government is a swell idea.
Monday, July 02, 2007
...And With Justice For Some
If you were taking the Pledge of Allegiance seriously, maybe you should re-think. Reflect on your station in life, are you a big political player or maybe rich? If you belong to a political party that makes a big deal out of law and order, and personal responsibility it's OK to perjure yourself and obstruct justice as long as you're a part of a corrupt secretive administration. You see, what counts is who your friends are and who you work for.
Five hours after the appeals court refused to intervene in Scooter's case, the President did, George II said 2 1/2 years was too severe. That Republican prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said, "It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals." For the critics of the sentencing and even prosecution it is worth pointing out that darn near everybody professionally involved - prosecution, judge, appeals were Republican appointees and they agreed he should go to jail. But... Scooter has friends.
I suggest that my readers do not try this course, you are neither important enough nor well connected enough to stay out of jail. Now Scooter will have to pay his fines and do his probation and his reputation is "ruined." The "s are deliberate and meaningful, because his reputation is just exactly as good as the rest of his cohorts and now proven so. Politicians sometimes exaggerate their capabilities but they seldom engage in outright lies and this bunch seldom seems to avoid them.
I'll bet that if you paid any attention to the Paris Hilton junk, the one thing that struck you was that a little rich girl actually got spanked and maybe in the run up to this commutation you thought this might hold. Not in this administration, connections are all, you make fortunes, save corporations, stay out of jail, ad nauseum if you're hooked up. Of course, wealth, power, and connections have always been valuable and of great usefulness, but there was at least a pretense that the rest of us were in the game to some extent.
You had better understand that this is the natural outgrowth of "conservatism" as practised today. The "conservatives" will squeal, "not so," and try to make the point that this isn't conservatism while it actually is. It is the practice of unfettered greed with the government augmenting it while following practices that constrict working wages. It is called keeping the government out of the way, it's called "personal responsibility" (providing it only applies to the powerless), privatization of governmental services (providing you're hooked-up), the abdication of governance because it isn't important. If you follow each and every tenet of the Republican Party as enunciated over the past dozen years you will find its practice in effect today and of benefit to 0.1% of the population, the absolutely incredibly wealthy. Republicans are wont to call these kinds of statements "class warfare," and they'd be right, what they miss is that they are the ones waging it.
Five hours after the appeals court refused to intervene in Scooter's case, the President did, George II said 2 1/2 years was too severe. That Republican prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said, "It is fundamental to the rule of law that all citizens stand before the bar of justice as equals." For the critics of the sentencing and even prosecution it is worth pointing out that darn near everybody professionally involved - prosecution, judge, appeals were Republican appointees and they agreed he should go to jail. But... Scooter has friends.
I suggest that my readers do not try this course, you are neither important enough nor well connected enough to stay out of jail. Now Scooter will have to pay his fines and do his probation and his reputation is "ruined." The "s are deliberate and meaningful, because his reputation is just exactly as good as the rest of his cohorts and now proven so. Politicians sometimes exaggerate their capabilities but they seldom engage in outright lies and this bunch seldom seems to avoid them.
I'll bet that if you paid any attention to the Paris Hilton junk, the one thing that struck you was that a little rich girl actually got spanked and maybe in the run up to this commutation you thought this might hold. Not in this administration, connections are all, you make fortunes, save corporations, stay out of jail, ad nauseum if you're hooked up. Of course, wealth, power, and connections have always been valuable and of great usefulness, but there was at least a pretense that the rest of us were in the game to some extent.
You had better understand that this is the natural outgrowth of "conservatism" as practised today. The "conservatives" will squeal, "not so," and try to make the point that this isn't conservatism while it actually is. It is the practice of unfettered greed with the government augmenting it while following practices that constrict working wages. It is called keeping the government out of the way, it's called "personal responsibility" (providing it only applies to the powerless), privatization of governmental services (providing you're hooked-up), the abdication of governance because it isn't important. If you follow each and every tenet of the Republican Party as enunciated over the past dozen years you will find its practice in effect today and of benefit to 0.1% of the population, the absolutely incredibly wealthy. Republicans are wont to call these kinds of statements "class warfare," and they'd be right, what they miss is that they are the ones waging it.
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