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I think house term limits should be lengthened to four years. Really. Right now all we get is one idiot after another, and the work of actual legislating never gets any attention. They are too concerned with running for re-election 24/7.
We'll have only the dregs in office. Office will serve only as an internship, few quality candidates will want to put themselves through the ringer for a temporary job.
Term limits isn't the answer. Changing our politics - we need a Constitutional Registration Rights Amendment - to get more people involved is the way to go.
Instead of reducing our leadership to the least possible denominator, we should work on increasing our political cultural into a more widespread, universal place.
*eyerolls*
Why does this never change? WHY ARE YOU LETTING THE REPUBLICANS CONTROL THE MESSAGE!??!?!?!?!?! HAVE YOU LEARNED F#CKING NOTHING OVER THE LAST DECADE!?!!?1
Sorry for my rampant overuse of punctuation, but Jesus Christ on a Crutch with Crab juice, you would think someone over there would clue the fuck in
I have absolute confidence that Obama knows exactly what he is doing. And that he is VERY clued in, and that the Democrats in the House and Senate have been informed of the game plan.
Know hope.
They ARE letting the rethugs control the message. There's no counterpoint to the "GOP stood against massive overspending by Dem gov" meme that they're pushing.
Nobody is pushing back on the Dem side. They're just doing the usual "well the public will see through gthe GOP games" crap, which is ridiculous. People are STUPID. That's why you need to control the message. It's basic politics!
I am holding the space for people NOT being stupid, and for the conversation changing in a fundamental way.
I hear what you are saying, and I feel your frustration. The pushback will come from US, it won't have to come from the Dem leadership. Look at the People United for Change ad. ......
I am finally choosing to "flip my switch" from frustration and pessimism to optimism, action and service in my life here in Santa Fe, and in the way I look at the world.
Their strident tone is resonating because they've been harping this way since Reagan. It is often referred to as 'free market' capitalism - of course the 'market' is free for only as long as the wealthy make their money - and we're taught to accept home, job and life loss as the 'cost of being free.'
The GOP has nothing left to bank on but its extreme positions, even moderate members are few and sidelined.
If the GOP 'controls the message' yet continues to lose on bills, elections, appointments, and executive orders, then it fully shows itself to be a regional, or merely oppositional party.
Things will get much worse and I think the republicans will not look too bad soon, unfortunately. If they could get off the tax rebate kick and more into fiscal conservatism people would be behind them and I feel they will retake the senate at least.
A neo-conservative is just as bad as a neo-liberal. They are into war, corporate greed and overspending. And they have a bad world view.
The future is for those who divest from the neo-values.
"...the GOP position [is not] a simple difference of opinion."
Good point. This isn't simple stupidity on their part. It's an orchestrated obstructionism on the GOP's part. The Republicans have no good ideas for our country.
...CNN being one of the worst lately.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/the_in...
There are a lot pills (candy??) next to him. Does anyone with a good art program know how to blow that up and see the name on the Rx box?
the GOP is dead
Reminds me of something: "Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate." Andrew Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury in the 1920s, said that. He continued:
"It will purge the rottenness out of the system. High costs of living and high living will come down. People will work harder, live a more moral life. Values will be adjusted, and enterprising people will pick up from less competent people.”
So answer this. Where does the money come from to fund the stimulus? Where is the government getting the money to build all these roads? I'm interested to see where you think it comes from. Simple question.
"What person in their right mind would spend money to get out of debt."
It's basic Keynesian economics. Every dollar won't succeed fabulously, but targeted expenditures are the way for us to get going again.
Note that President Obama has inherited a terrific set of problems and debt. Of course we look back for the origins, but we must also look forward for our solutions and for our people.
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
Seriously, to be a Republican, you have to be a fucking moron.
1. the Republicans will work "bipartisan" to get their way on the bills: increase the tax cuts, eliminate "odious" (to them) programs
2. then vote down the bills, while knowing that they don't have enough votes to derail the stimulus packages
So they get to have it both ways. They get to have a disproportionate voice in the drafting of the plans AND they get to show their constituents that they're true to their core values. The Nero's of our age.
Would they be so clandestine. If the GOP is organized as you suggest, the Democrats' (Congress/WH) response will be to stop playing ball.
It's one thing to accept GOP wants initially, but there won't be much taste for this to continue. The GOP House has already spent its wad, stupidly threatening a more powerful foe. The Senate won't be as reactionary, but it'll be next to impossible for the GOP to regain what capital it held until recently.
As to the Senate, you got me. I've never been able to determine what drives these guys. Incumbency alone doesn't begin to get at it.
Senate is a different story. There are several Senators representing moderate or even progressive states.
Limpballs/Bible Spice 2012!
We can make the US a better country, electing representatives with a goal of caring and improving our selves can be a major step.
Americans are suffering to an extent not seen since the great depression, and they don't give a damn.
They'd rather find a way to benefit from that suffering and play politics instead.
I wish there really was a God so at least I could sleep at night knowing that one day they'll all burn in hell.
The only victory the GOP displayed is by showing some chutzpah, there are no good reasons to object so strenuously to this stimulus. This vote will forever be the GOP's defining opposition vote.
Funny, the GOP is still being held hostage by the same angry old white men. The ignorant, bigoted and mean spirited, led by the old and angry.
I can only pray they continue to follow the likes of Rush, the ultimate bigot, mean spirited, old angry white man. I can only hope to one day support the rise of Sarah Palin and Saltman in their ranks.
TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS = FRESH IDEAS
Except Feingold, he can stay.
Seniority is important; if we have limited Congresspeople then we will have a revolving door of participants, extremely rarely will we have someone competent even to run.
Instead, concentrate on registration. Make the 18-year-old minimum a goal to aim for. Drivers' licenses are held as goals, so should the voting right. As it is we have occasionally new voters, not educated generations of citizens voting.
True colors getting more obvious by the day
Funny, the GOP is still being held hostage by the same angry old white men. The ignorant, bigoted and mean spirited, led by the old and angry.
Are the Republicans really deluded that their actions will have no repercussions? They've been able to rely on the media not to cover their actions or to spin them to great effect. Why won't the media do the same this time and why won't the Republican base believe it this time?
The Sunday talking-heads certainly haven't changed their tune of late.
-S
Trust me on this. If the current plan goes through, you will not see a dollar of it except in higher taxes. The plan is not a stimulus but simply a budget with interest groups in mind.
It is beyond all odds that at least one of 177 doesn't at least believe this bill is better than nothing.
They knew it would pass. No one should ever vote for people like this, regardless of party!!
greyboy31
Think about it this way:
What if the "Economic Recovery" plan is a sham labeled as such to benefit key stakeholders? Than to go along with it would benefit the Stakeholders and not the people... and at a cost of $800,000,000,000.00. So when the time comes to actually help the people, we are now in the hole almost all of the $800,000,000,000.00.
Would it not be better to say no to a plan that is failing to create jobs and push to have a real plan that benefits all?
I am glad both Democrats (I think 11 of them) and Republicans have done the homework and are standing up for what is right.
Regardless of party, we do not want our representatives to blindly follow simply because of popularity.
GW and Cheney are the captains of the titanic. They run into the iceburg and then decide to backup and hit it again two or three more times thinking that the water wouldn't reach the 1 level.
I saw that on another site.
We all know what happen to Marie Antoinette maybe the same will happen to the GOP. Boycott all big corporations. Bank of America, City group, Home Depot to name 3 of the most disgusting ones.
Obama won and that is what is important.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/unanticipated.html
Maybe if the money being spent was not going to any of their districts they'd play a different song.
When will the dems play hardball? Those guys played for keeps, no mercy.
Do the dems realize yet they're the ones put in charge now? The American public wanted it that way. They need to do the work of the people.
Look who they put up to lead their party, can't wait to see the new leader!
Remember " WE THE PEOPLE"
St. George of Carlin said it best -
"The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They've long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear."
I have read through the 13 page summary (soon to start on the rest) of the "Economic Recovery" package and it does not sound like a stimulus at all. It sounds more like a budget to me.
Does anyone else see this? I believe we were told this would be a serious effort to directly create jobs.
Does anyone else see that this is going to place an unprecidented burden on our future without creating real jobs? I can not be alone on this.
Read the "Recovery Package". It is nothing of the sort, and I am glad Democrats and Republicans are both taking the stand against a taxation without the representation of the people. Thank you for representing. Please keep standing for the good of the people.
What if those AGAINST the plan have already come to their senses and are refusing to listen to the mass media?
Read the "Economic Recovery'. It does not do what everyone is saying it will do.
We should not rely on mass media for our knowledge of these matters. We need to do some independent research so that when it is time to go to the polls again we will be educated and send people to Washington that will look our for all of us.
No one is reporting that not all Democrats are behind this.
Could it be that the "Economic Recovery' plan is nothing of the sort?
They are using this economic fear to pass every spending agenda they could ever think of.
You partisan Democrats must have quickly forgotten what heavy taxes and regulation did for America in the 70s.
Extend unemployment, help the elderly, get a handle on out-of-control spending, and help improve America's standing in the world community.
That is what we (myself included) elected Obama for.
They will have no trouble getting re-elected based on this vote.
Very whitty... Bravo.
To say that the Republicans brought down the world economy in 8 years might not be all together true. Don't you feel that is attributing a little to much power to people some agree to be inept?
I think what we are seeing is the payout for uncontrolled spending, i.e. greed. Remember that greed never brings long lasting positive results... only destruction.
And it was the greed of far too many, many of which live right next door or down the street.
Also remember that this country was founded on the principle that federal government should be restrained, state and local government empowered, and personal government essential. We must govern our own actions first.
Well who the hell would you say is responsible, Charlie M? After 8 years of a Republican executive and 12 of the last 14 years spent under a Republican legislature, you want to blame what, the weather? It was the Republicans who insisted on tax-cut, trickle-down largess to keep the economy moving. You know what the rich did? Trickled down just enough to line their pockets most effectively and not a penny more, using the rest buy themselves corporate jets, gold shitters and a place in line for the government bailout. Now, the Republicans want more of the same. BS, to the wilderness with you!
Hey CDS2, ever heard of a Presidential Veto? Guess who used it all the time during those two years? Having trouble? Let me help you. Your retarded ex-President BUSH!!
Wall street run amok. Actually , Allen Greenspan can take some blame also. Right, he was suprised the markets didn't regulate themselves. Get real!!
Fannie and Freddie was the last straw. This wasn't the Republicans fault. It wasn't the Democrats fault. It was the Americans fault.
Our buy now - pay later attitude has caught up with us. We wined and dines and bought fancy cars. Well now the real estate market fell. The Chineese called and they want their money back.
You can't even acknowledge that greedy Americans (irrespective of their party) caused MUCH of this. You expect that the Government could have and should have a role in preventing people from being greedy and stupid.
If one million or so Americans would have actually thought about the home they were buying, we probably wouldn't be in this mess. Greedy mortgage companies offering predatory loans. Stupid buyers making such a HUGE decision as buying a home and claiming ignorance.
How many of you had banks and financial services companies in their 401ks. How many of you had Exxon and Halliburton? I did.
This is our fault. All of us. Both Democrat and Republican.
We need a list of these representatives who apparently don't want to do anything about the economy.
Condoms for EVERYONE!!!
How about beefing up urban, regional and high speed rail?...almost anything infrastructure will work or even Healthcare (as per Krugman in today's NYT)
"You have enough votes to pass it."
"If it doesn't pass then the Dems killed it."
Reading some of your other comments also support this theory. Or have you changed registration to Republican and not your screen name?
Companies where making the largest profits in their history a few short years ago, and all they did was outsource/offshore millions upon millions of jobs-after paying the CEO class thier billions in bonuses.
You are either a complete fool, have been in a coma for the last eight years, or must think you are on a Rush Limbaugh website.
Secondly, corporations used to pay 34% of our national budget, they now pay 7%. That means that working class people, the ever shrinking middle-class, is footing the bill for it. This is why we now have an income disparity greater than what is seen in Russia and something we haven't seen since the 1920's.
Ignorance must be bliss.
Also, you couldn't pay me enough to live in Texas.
Also, when the repukes give you a few measley bucks in tax cuts, (while the millionaires get millions in tax cuts), those few measley bucks end up costing you much more in the long run. People lose their jobs, (privatization is nothing but another front in the war on working people), by eliminating working class jobs that pay a liveable wage.
When all those jobs are lost, your property teaxes have to go up, and then their are fewer people to buy your house - which loses thousands in value. And all for a grubby $200 tax cut.
Furthermore, who cares what in the hell the tax rate is, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB!
Dubya's left, but I find I'm still disgusted.
SIX MONTHS!!
They're completely delusional.
The Senate finance committee headed by Barney Frank was ordering Fannie and Freddie to increase their holding in sub-prime mortgages. Their intent was to increase home ownership among less forunate Americans. This is a noble effort, but it was wrong.
This same Senate finance committee has oversight over the SEC. You kow, the agency that dropped the ball with lack of oversight?
You people have such narrow minded views as to the REAL casues of our problems.
We did this to ourselves! People were making absolutely stupid financial decisions. Did Bush sign tha mortgage agreement on an adjustable ARM for $500,000 to a guy that works at McDonald's? I don't think so.
None of you were complaining about Wall Street in the 90s when stocks were fliying high. Not even when they surged massively after 9/11 up through 2007.
People were two years from retirement with all of their assets in stocks. They were openingn e-trade accounts with their kids' college funds.
We had a buy now - pay tomorrow attitude as does our Government. We all got drunk on cheap credit and a rising Dow. Now we have a hangover.
There is a HUGE amount of blame for ALL Americans.
I'm sure that ALL Americans aren't to blame. There are plenty of people like me, with no retirement account, no investments and no mortgage. Some of us actually live within our means. My husband and I are laughing at the people who kept insisting we should buy a house. We rent someone else's bad investment - all of the benefits, none of the downside.
You're right, here in Southern California, I can't tell you how many people I have seen making $40k a year and thought they could afford a $700k house.
It's all GREED. Not ALL of us suffer from it, but ALL of us will surely pay for it.
Sure, democrats may have done a few dumb things, but the destruction of America was (and is) the sole responsibility of REPUBLICAN'S!
Don't try to blame it on us. Why is it repukes never ever want to take resposibility for their idiotic, disastrous policies?
Working people were seeing reduced wages under Bush the fascist, while his CEO cronies were making billions in bonuses. Please, get a clue!
The Dems had wider margins in both the house and senate at different times in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s. They even held the White House at times too.
I can tell you that theyre were MANY Republicans who voted for Obama and/or stayed home. Couple that with a HUGE African American turnout and you get what we had in November. Despite this, most of the newly elected Democrats BARELY WON.
One thing is for certain. There won't be droves of African Americans and youth voters in 2010 or even in 2012.
Party fortunes can change on a dime.
Now, after just 12 years of their political lunacy once again, the people have seen more than enough, and the GOPer's will be in the wilderness for two more generations or longer (with the changing demographics in this country).
So long GOP, don't let the door hit ya' on the way out!
I know is may be hard for some of you to believe, but some of us Republicans just think it is a dumb idea.
Most of you poeple actually drink the Kool-aid that the Democrats have been pushing. They are using economic fear just as Bush used fear of terrorism.
There are many of us who believe you don't need to spend gobs of money to solve this. Increased regulation and time will fix much of the economy.
So how much time are we expected to wait. $18bil for Wall Street...? And we're supposed to keep waiting??
Time to make them the "No" party. No soup for them!
If they truly believed that what they incorrectly call "socialism" is a failed idea, theyw ouldn't have to hope it fails. That is just pedestrian and rather dated politics. If the media would grow up they would report the Republicans as childish, meaningless, anachronistic and Rush treasonous. Hoping we fail , he should be fined big time by the FCC for his anti-American bullbleep.
Sure. That's going to end well...
That's the most important issue here at the Court of Versailles.
The thing that they don't seem to get is that the American people have spoken and they lost! Instead of doing what they know is right, they are taking positions that support the red-necks in their home districts. They have cushy jobs in DC and are scared to death of losing them.
They are not supporting the red-necks - They are supporting "the-very-few" that support them.
And can you guess who 'allowed' the "incompetent" theft?
And, so far, still is 'allowing' the theft to continue?
You can't have taxation without representation (I know it's funny but it does sound good). I'd certainly like to be able to decide where my tax dollars are spent.
I also agree that individuals should get a tax break (no matter what they make - there's that all men created equal sort of thing. Chances are that the guys/gals earning over $250k are working many more hours and taking many more risk.
Spend money on tangible needs but don't waste it on items that should be addressed in regular budgets - and please don't crush us with this debt!!!!
Nancy Pelosi will have to restuff the turkey and take some ornaments off the tree if they want a bi-partisan bill passed
2. How can any one in their right conscience put onto the backs of future Americans, that are not even born yet, the cost of fixing the screw-ups of others?
http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=1072&cid=d01...
Gotta love how these moronic Republicans keep shooting themselves in the feet and propelling themselves ever closer to political obilivion and marginalization.
Republicans - the entire Congressional delegation of them don't have the collective IQ of a sack of rocks.
In a decade from now, there'll be more registered Green Party members in the U.S. than registered Republicans. AND WON'T THAT BE A GLORIOUS DAY FOR AMERICA!
Look at history and the tax cuts during the Great Depression did virtually nothing. Government spending is what got us out of that mess but it took time.
Spending in general, be it on spending for roads and bridges or for Tanks and bullets,
it is spending non-the less, NOT TAXCUT. It was also asking people to sacrifice, The military produced arms almost at cost, thereby stretching what dollar can buy, and also PROSECUTING WAR PROFITEERING!.
What you have today is wasting the dollar with NO BID CONTRACTS, Military industrial complex is ripping off the Govt. Instead of war Tax, he gave TAX CUT that went mostly to RICH.
Dear Dishonorable Representatives:
“You’re either with us or you’re against us.” Isn’t that what your president said when he was talking about fighting against terror? Apparently, in the war against the largest financial crisis since the Great Depression (and perhaps in our country’s history) all 178 Republican members of the House are against us. At least the terrorists that struck this country on 9/11 admitted they are out to destroy America. The Republican members of the House are worse than the 9/11 terrorists in that you cover yourselves in the American flag and then vote against the interests of the country.
You are cowards, have no interest in finding common solutions to problems and still believe in the failed policies of the last eight years. History will surely judge President George W. Bush to be the worst President this country has ever had. History will also surely judge that the Republican members of the 111th Congress have demonstrated the only thing you are interested in is pandering to your base, which seems to consist of Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh.
YOU LOST THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND GOT YOUR BUTTS KICKED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IN NOVEMBER OF 2008!
Are you this stupid? President Obama, unlike his predecessor actually asked for your input and support when he really didn’t have to. In case you still don’t get it, you do not have a majority in the House or Senate. You have demonstrated your willingness to give tax cuts to the rich and let the average working person to figure it our on our own; you have lied to the American public on such issues as torture, the war, the original “bailout” to the banks and Wall Street; and have total and complete disregard for anything that does not pander to the every shrinking “base” of right wing lunatics that you rely upon to be re-elected
I find you people disgusting, your actions reprehensible and can only hope that in 2010, after President Obama’s economic policies have shown that they, in fact, are working, the people of your districts will vote all of you out of office. I hate your divisiveness, your complete and total disregard for anyone that does not march in lock step to your failed policies and your continued efforts to divide this nation. You are completely shameless and traitors.
If I thought for a moment that the reason all of you voted against President Obama’s stimulus package was based on some rational thought process, or that President Obama completely ignored items you wanted in the package, I could understand the vote. However, your vote was based purely on politics, your own self-interests and you don’t give a damn about this country. I would like to point out that tax cuts are not the only solution to this problem. After eight years of supporting record deficit spending on the part of President Bush, all of you are now all up in arms about trying to do anything other than tax cuts because “our children are going to have to pay for it”. This is disingenuous and demonstrates, once again, your complete failure to lead in a time of crisis.
In particular, you Mr. Boehner, are egotistical (for no apparent reason), self-centered and have the leadership abilities of a crow bar. I wrote you last week in an effort to convey my hope that you would be a true leader and I thanked you for your service to this country. I was wrong – you are a disservice to this country.
I realize that none of you care about what I think and probably won’t even see this letter – I don’t care. Having written it and expressed my thoughts to you, I am a significantly better person than any you, because I take the time to let you know how I feel and none of you will have the guts to respond.
With complete and utter repugnance,