*Except when it's not.
**The Senate is gone but remains in session. The reason is that GOP Senators fear President Obama will make a recess appointment of a singularly dangerous person, a genuine threat to the nation and our well-being. The previous week this person was called a liar by House Republicans. The person, of course, is my Sweetheart of the Rodeo--America's Own Heroine and Decent Person--the great Elizabeth Warren.
Literally the GOP is so scared of Elizabeth Warren that they keep the Senate in session to prevent her appointment. 44 Republican Senators have actually signed a letter that they would not confirmed her as head of the new Consumer Protection Agency.
In my opinion, if you wanted only one person to be given a post--any post--in Washington, it would be Elizabeth Warren. She has been one of the most articulate spokespersons for the interests of the Middle Class in the country. She has been pioneering in her work on credit card and mortgage issues facing the country. Even her initial critics--the small town banks--have now openly urged her appointment and sing her praises. She talks to any audience and will answer any question of her.
Her basic problem is that she's not corrupt. In olden days, that was the type of person you wanted as the head of an agency to protect consumers. But not now.
I hoped that there would have been a large television audience for the way the House treated Elizabeth Warren the other day. Not to wish it on anyone, but the sharp contrast between her and her inquisitors would have made everything perfectly clear about what the stakes are in today's debate.
** In case, you've have forgotten some of Glenn Beck's conspiracy theories, you should be reminded that the most powerful man in America is Cass Sunstein, also known as the husband of Samantha Powers. Now the House GOP wants to investigate Cass Sustein--not that he's done anything wrong. It's just that he's in charge of Obama's efforts to reform regulations. Previous to being smeared by being associated with President Obama, Republicans used to think highly of him believing he was a pseudo-libertarian. But now ,according to Beck, he is a raving socialist.
**Steve Benen over at Washington Monthly wants you to know that Tan Man Boehner's excuses over the House eliminating Medicare are lame. Boehner argues that the Democrats cut $500 billion from Medicare (the old GOP ads in 2010) and the GOP is saving it. Benen is right, of course, but I'm not so sure that the GOP can't pull that line off. Paul Ryan picked up this new line when he argued that his budget restored the Obama cuts. Absolutely, utterly false. but repeated enough, people might buy it.
**Karl Rove just thinks the killing off Medicare issue is really just a messaging problem. He suggests creating a little "college" where newly elected Republicans can learn how to explain it. What about, we killed it, Karl. Or Americans love clipping coupons. Call it Coupon Care. or Better yet something like Kevorkian Care.
**I deeply regret Goodwin Liu withdrawing his name as the nominee to fill the vacancy on the 9th Circuit Court. He was obviously forced to because Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans filibustered his nomination. He has only been hanging around for about two years to be confirmed. He would have been the first Asian-American on the 9th Circuit Court. He received the highest ABA rating and even netted the endorsement of people like Ken Starr. But, some Republicans from the Deep South felt that he was too "sympathetic to Red China." Whatever that means. Basically, he was blackballed because of racism and that he was the most liberal nominee put forth by the Obama Administration. Of course, there was no relationship with Communist China.
**To celebrate Mariano Rivera's record-breaking 1,000 appearance as a Yankee Pitcher, Rudy Guiliani has taken the lead in the CNN poll for the Republican nomination ( yes, a 2011 poll). Rudy gains 16%, Romney 15%, Palin 13%, Ron Paul 12%, Cain 10%, Gingrich 8%, Bachmann 7%.
Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!
**Newt, who opposed Coupon Care because it was radical social engineering, now wants your donation so he can support the Paul Ryan Plan.
**Pizza Man Herman Cain thinks the GOP should stop hiding and called their Medicare idea a "voucher program." Instead, it's like a frequent flyer promo--"Premium Plus".
**Sister Sarah is in town today with the Rolling Thunder motorcycle parade for the MIA. She will be taking her Magic Bus throughout the East. Observers say this a preclude for her run for the Gold.
**Karl Rove did get something right. He said that Sister Sarah doesn't believe the rules apply to her. That's true. He was referring to her lack of organization in Iowa and South Carolina and her lack of recent fundraising activities. Her supporters believe--and I tend to agree--that if the minute she runs, she absorbs all the attention and that the Palinbots will desert other candidates and that she can win both Iowa and South Carolina without too much effort.
**Frothy Mix Santorum will be declaring next week, making Dan Savage proud. He's supposed to do it in the coal-mining region of Pennsylvania--no jokes please about chutes or other things.
**Rick Perry, the secessionist Governor of Texas,believes he's under the Gaydar so he is thinking about running for President--despite his pledge when he ran for an unprecedented third term for Governor.
** 25% of Minnesota citizens think Michelle Bachmann is qualified to be President. Well, that seems enough for her to travel to Iowa to make her announcement. She warned people that she and Palin are not interchangeable.
**Mitt Romney will announce formally this coming week. I guess the first time didn't take on Youtube.
**I know Tim Pawlenty is running because he said he wasn't like President Obama on a pub crawl. Also, Tim is running on his foreign policy expertise. He thinks the United States is occupying Iran.
**This is something you won't read about in the news. President Obama will make an official Presidential visit to Puerto Rico. He will only be the second President to ever do so. The first was John F. Kennedy. Stranger yet--his task force on the status of Puerto Rico has completed its work and President Obama wants to resolve the island's status before the 2012 elections. That won't happen. But the proposal from his task force is interesting. First, Puerto Rico must determined whether it wants to be part of the United States or independent. Second, if they decide to be part of the United States, then they vote on whether to become a state or remain a commonwealth.
** Another thing you won't read in the newspapers. President Abbas of Palestine is actually trying to get his fusion government to make a proposal on the peace talks which will be in line with the Quartet's requirements. Both Hamas and Fatah would accept the right of Israel to exist and pledge to a non-violent solution. This would take away Bibi's resistance to negotiate with the Palestinians. Abbas also said that the Palestinians had no intent to isolate Israel.
** The G-8 backed the Quartet's plan for the Middle East peace talks but the Canadian Prime Minister insisted that the language about the 1967 borders be dropped from the text. fromer American envoy George Mitchell told liberal Israelis that President Obama was trying to avoid a train wreck this September. Mitchell said that a UN vote would not be good for Israel, not be good for the United States and not be good for the peace process.
**War crimes are forever. Ratko Mladic was finally arrested. Now he will be extradited for trial at the Hague.
**Louisiana and Tennesse actually did outlaw abortion this week. Luckily, both states struck down prison sentences for the women who have them but doctors will face upwards to ten years in prison.
Showing posts with label Michelle Bachman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michelle Bachman. Show all posts
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Before The Speech
Leave it to the Beltway to have a few circuses before the State of the Union Speech.
Michelle Bachmann's answer to Obama's speech has leaked. She calls for Obama to support a balanced budget amendment, something which would be disasterous, and to cut back the vast expansion of government of the past two years to the 2008 level, when it was OK because Bush was president. Shep Smith had a great line that Bachmann was "Out there where the trains don't run."
The gag here is that Obama is sooo bad that it takes two Republicans to respond to the SOTU speech--Bachmann and Ryan. Both parties are pissed that CNN ran Bachmann's speech.
Obama is going to call this "Our generation's Sputnik Moment", perhaps invoking that JFK made the speech fifty years ago. He will call for end to earmarks, which Harry Reid laughed at already. He calls for a five year moratorium on domestic and defense spending and adds some significant cuts to defense, saving about $400 billion through 2021. Obama will call this a downpayment on the national debt. Only yesterday, the Administration regained $5 billion in Medicare fraud. This socialist sure knows how to make money.
Not to be outdone by the President's efforts to cut the deficit, Rand Paul unveiled his plan to cut $500 billion in just 8 months. Meanwhile his father is over at the House rounding up the neo-isolationist Republicans to mount an effort to stop the Afghanistan war.
House Republicans today called for cutting off funding to the United Nations. It was deja vu all over again. But instead of any job legislation, the GOP has led out of the box with repealing healthcare,outlawing federally funded abortions even though they already are,ending taxbreaks for any businesses who purchase private health insurance, which funds abortion even though the policy holder doesn't get or want one. The next law up is an effort to ban same-sex marriage. Duncan Hunter wants to put spokes in the wheel to slow down the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell by making more service chiefs sign off on it.
Senate Republicans want a vote on tax provisions in the new healthcare bill. Remember they already voted on this last year. But Ezra Klein points out that these elements of the bill are actually fiscally important. The Democrats have polled each specific part of the healthcare bill and find only 16% are against any single part and only 18% are against the repeal of the whole bill. So they want to get Republicans to vote against the pre-existing condition clauses, no recessions, no lifetime caps on coverage, covering your child up to the age of 26 so that they are on record.
The President comes in tonight with the 43% of Americans believing the country is on the right track and 56% on the wrong track. Incredibly these are the best numbers on that question since 2007.
Should the Government rein in corporate greed? 59% say yes; 33% no. 67% of women say yes; only 51% of men. 80% of Democrats yes; only 35% of Republicans.
Thank God for Wyoming. They are now the bulwark against sharia law. The state legislature will outlaw sharia law to safeguard against the threat posed by their massive--OK, only 260 people--Muslim population. Maybe Wyoming wanted to one up the Montana Republican Party which wants to outlaw sodomy. No Brokeback Mountain in Butte.
Turns out that the National State Legislature Association--there is such a thing--found that secessionist wannabe Rick Perry used the federal stimulus funding to make up for more than 97% of Texas' shortfall this fiscal year. Texas was the largest recipient of stimulus money.
Little Ricky Cantor actually said that he would favor the Government taking back the stimulus money going to infrastructure projects in his district. But while campaigning, he made sure voters saw him giving out huge, blow-ups of federal checks. I'm sure the voters will appreciate it when the roads aren't paved.
Mitt Romney managed to dodge a bullet--maybe--when Marriott Hotels dropped porn from their hotels. Romney faced questions last go-around about how he remained on the board and knew that the hotel chain made over $100 million profits from porn alone. It's bad enough Mitt believes Jesus is the brother of Lucifer but this goes too far. Romney also began a firesale of his fifteen homes after he saw the criticism McCain endured in 2008.So he no longer has to be called The Porn King.
What's the difference between Tim Pawlenty and Dannon Yogurt. Dannon has a live culture.
It looks like David Riveria may be the first Republican freshman to resign. The FBI has begun investigations into his dubious campaign contributions and his statements on campaign finance laws.
The Illinois Supreme Court issued a stay on the Superior Court's decision to boot Rahm Emmanuel from Chicago's mayoral race.
If you root for non-profits or community owned businesses, it's the Green Bay Packers for the Super Bowl.
AND NOW THE SURPRISE OF THE EVENING--The speech won't really count. Enjoy it though. It might be the last time you see Obama before he retreats into the White House to deal with the collapse of governments throughout the Middle East. The real Big Enchilada--Egypt--looks shaky tonight as Cairo is now a War Zone. Riots have broken out through Jordan and Algeria. All because of the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia. Through it hezbollah forming the government in Lebanon and you know what will preoccupy President Obama for the next year.
Michelle Bachmann's answer to Obama's speech has leaked. She calls for Obama to support a balanced budget amendment, something which would be disasterous, and to cut back the vast expansion of government of the past two years to the 2008 level, when it was OK because Bush was president. Shep Smith had a great line that Bachmann was "Out there where the trains don't run."
The gag here is that Obama is sooo bad that it takes two Republicans to respond to the SOTU speech--Bachmann and Ryan. Both parties are pissed that CNN ran Bachmann's speech.
Obama is going to call this "Our generation's Sputnik Moment", perhaps invoking that JFK made the speech fifty years ago. He will call for end to earmarks, which Harry Reid laughed at already. He calls for a five year moratorium on domestic and defense spending and adds some significant cuts to defense, saving about $400 billion through 2021. Obama will call this a downpayment on the national debt. Only yesterday, the Administration regained $5 billion in Medicare fraud. This socialist sure knows how to make money.
Not to be outdone by the President's efforts to cut the deficit, Rand Paul unveiled his plan to cut $500 billion in just 8 months. Meanwhile his father is over at the House rounding up the neo-isolationist Republicans to mount an effort to stop the Afghanistan war.
House Republicans today called for cutting off funding to the United Nations. It was deja vu all over again. But instead of any job legislation, the GOP has led out of the box with repealing healthcare,outlawing federally funded abortions even though they already are,ending taxbreaks for any businesses who purchase private health insurance, which funds abortion even though the policy holder doesn't get or want one. The next law up is an effort to ban same-sex marriage. Duncan Hunter wants to put spokes in the wheel to slow down the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell by making more service chiefs sign off on it.
Senate Republicans want a vote on tax provisions in the new healthcare bill. Remember they already voted on this last year. But Ezra Klein points out that these elements of the bill are actually fiscally important. The Democrats have polled each specific part of the healthcare bill and find only 16% are against any single part and only 18% are against the repeal of the whole bill. So they want to get Republicans to vote against the pre-existing condition clauses, no recessions, no lifetime caps on coverage, covering your child up to the age of 26 so that they are on record.
The President comes in tonight with the 43% of Americans believing the country is on the right track and 56% on the wrong track. Incredibly these are the best numbers on that question since 2007.
Should the Government rein in corporate greed? 59% say yes; 33% no. 67% of women say yes; only 51% of men. 80% of Democrats yes; only 35% of Republicans.
Thank God for Wyoming. They are now the bulwark against sharia law. The state legislature will outlaw sharia law to safeguard against the threat posed by their massive--OK, only 260 people--Muslim population. Maybe Wyoming wanted to one up the Montana Republican Party which wants to outlaw sodomy. No Brokeback Mountain in Butte.
Turns out that the National State Legislature Association--there is such a thing--found that secessionist wannabe Rick Perry used the federal stimulus funding to make up for more than 97% of Texas' shortfall this fiscal year. Texas was the largest recipient of stimulus money.
Little Ricky Cantor actually said that he would favor the Government taking back the stimulus money going to infrastructure projects in his district. But while campaigning, he made sure voters saw him giving out huge, blow-ups of federal checks. I'm sure the voters will appreciate it when the roads aren't paved.
Mitt Romney managed to dodge a bullet--maybe--when Marriott Hotels dropped porn from their hotels. Romney faced questions last go-around about how he remained on the board and knew that the hotel chain made over $100 million profits from porn alone. It's bad enough Mitt believes Jesus is the brother of Lucifer but this goes too far. Romney also began a firesale of his fifteen homes after he saw the criticism McCain endured in 2008.So he no longer has to be called The Porn King.
What's the difference between Tim Pawlenty and Dannon Yogurt. Dannon has a live culture.
It looks like David Riveria may be the first Republican freshman to resign. The FBI has begun investigations into his dubious campaign contributions and his statements on campaign finance laws.
The Illinois Supreme Court issued a stay on the Superior Court's decision to boot Rahm Emmanuel from Chicago's mayoral race.
If you root for non-profits or community owned businesses, it's the Green Bay Packers for the Super Bowl.
AND NOW THE SURPRISE OF THE EVENING--The speech won't really count. Enjoy it though. It might be the last time you see Obama before he retreats into the White House to deal with the collapse of governments throughout the Middle East. The real Big Enchilada--Egypt--looks shaky tonight as Cairo is now a War Zone. Riots have broken out through Jordan and Algeria. All because of the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia. Through it hezbollah forming the government in Lebanon and you know what will preoccupy President Obama for the next year.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Afternoon at the Last Manatee
The major news from the China-U.S. Summit is that the pandas can stay at the Washington zoo for five years more.
Freepers are upset that Sasha Obama tried out her Mandarin on Hu Jingtao. Sasha Obama is learning Chinese at her grammar school.
Michelle Obama is being blamed for causing more pedestrian deaths because of her campaign to get more adults to exercise. Oscar de la Renta also criticized the First Lady's Red dress at the White House dinner for Hu.
165 Republican congressman have signed on to eliminating all funds for USAID. I would make it conditional on finding out who killed Vince Foster. The strategy for the administration in its wars is to transfer more of the responsibility to our development programs in order to build up civilian power. To make this transition work, you have to have an increase, not a decrease in aid funding. But the Hate America Firsters actually believe that foreign aid is a critical part of a national debt, which it is not. The only problem is that the American people actually believe this and the teabaggers and conservatives have been exploiting this. The new freshman Republicans have brought back the isolationism from the Lindbergh period and the American Firsters.
Dick Armey, creator of the corporate, Koch-funded teabaggers, went on the Hill today to lecture the freshmen Republicans not to shut down the government, something they have been threatening to do. Armey knew that it was a disaster for Republicans under Newt but also that it would be an economic disaster today.
Gentleman John Boehner, Old Swizzle Stick, has run up against his first challenge from the teabaggers. Boehner and Ryan were trying to avoid meeting their pledge to cut $100 billion from the Federal Government this fiscal year. The Republican Study Group actually sent a letter to Boehner demanding that this goal be met. Since half the fiscal year is over, this would entail crippling budget cuts for the remainder of the year. Boehner is aware that the cuts proposed by the Republican Study Group would have catastrophic effects on the economy and the ability of the federal government to function. It's not clear whether Boehner can triumph over his new flock.
We are seeing the divide appear between the corporate Republican Party and the teabaggers. While Rep. Ryan has been designated to respond to President Obama's State of the Union speech, Michelle Bachmann has decided all on her lonesome to hold her own response, which she will pre-record for the Tea Bag Express. Having heard her speech about destroying socialism by repealing the health care bill, we can expect some rhetorical fireworks.
Wouldn't you want to be at a White House meeting to discuss strategy about how to deal with the fact that one part of Congress is now controlled by people who fundamentally don't understand anything about government. What would you advise? All Obama needs now is an infrastructure bill. He doesn't need a budget. They should aim at continuing resolutions for the next two years. Then maybe you let the House fire as much fireworks as they want. But it is unsettling. Do you call Boehner in and tell him he's responsible for his nutjobs?
Mike Huckabee admitted today that budget cuts at any level will results in the loss of jobs. That's why I'm less than gung-ho that we have a recovery that will strengthen. I think we can expect some slips because of the financial crises in the states and also from federal budget cuts ,which Obama will institute.
I think it's tacky that both Harry Reid and Gentleman John Boehner turned down the White House's invitation to the dinner honoring Hu Jingtao. But you know Hu is going to hug Obama for the next two years because he's afraid of the other barbarian Americans. You want to deal with the know-nothings.
James Fellow at the Atlantic wrote a nice appreciation of the summit and thought the musical program of jazz performed by jazz greats was a typical American moment. He should be aware that China now has become the primary consumer of American jazz and that American jazz artists are in high demand at the clubs in Shanghai. But he was right, it was a nice touch and Herbie Hancock playing with Lang-Lang was a nice moment, and a nice piece.
It really is great that the Supreme Court recognizes corporate rights over individual rights. Today Verizon announced it was suing the FCC over its net neutrality policy saying its constitutional rights were being violated. Cool! William Douglas used to say that if corporations had civil rights than so did trees.Red Woods Versus Weyhauser. An idea whose time is come.
We haven't heard the last from the Tucson shooting days. Orange County police are now searching for the people who are threatening to kill Jerry Brown on Valentine's Day. The police have linked the culprits with spray-painting graffiti that urges the killing of Catholics.
Mark Steyn writing in the New Criterion made a full-throated defense of U.K. and American exceptionalism. He warns that the socialist President, who doesn't acknowledge the exceptional nature of America, is allowing China to seize Taiwan and that because of the American national debt, which he projects to cost 20% of the GDP in 15-odd years, we will not be able to compete with the world's largest corporation, The People's Liberation Army of China.
Let's roll this one back. Mark Steyn used to write for the tabloids in London. He and Niall Ferguson, another Brit neocon, have warned that America's debt and its entitlement programs will cut into its ability to spend for defense. And both take the Malthusian curve of debt as inevitable and nothing will be down to bring it down. They also don't give a squat whether Americans have a pot to piss in as long as American maintains its empire and total military supremacy above everyone and every threat. In other words, the Brits and new Brit-Americans will fight the world to the last American. Sort of like the Saudi attitude toward Iran--will fight Tehran to the "last American."
I humbly disagree with this viewpoint. And I also don't believe we will see the People's Liberation Army flooding across Asia and sweeping into Europe any time soon. I also don't want an Empire. Beijing is well aware of Taiwan's economic development and will not jeopardize that any time soon.
Some blogger wrote that the negative effect of the GOP's proposed budget cuts will give the Democrats a political gift. Not so fast. The polls going in the election, the polls going out after the election, all indicate Americans are sensible in their approaches to the economy. BUT and it is a big BUT they did elect these characters. Will there be a backlash or will the spinmeisters manage to blame Obama for these cuts. Besides, the cost of average people will be enormous.
Freepers are upset that Sasha Obama tried out her Mandarin on Hu Jingtao. Sasha Obama is learning Chinese at her grammar school.
Michelle Obama is being blamed for causing more pedestrian deaths because of her campaign to get more adults to exercise. Oscar de la Renta also criticized the First Lady's Red dress at the White House dinner for Hu.
165 Republican congressman have signed on to eliminating all funds for USAID. I would make it conditional on finding out who killed Vince Foster. The strategy for the administration in its wars is to transfer more of the responsibility to our development programs in order to build up civilian power. To make this transition work, you have to have an increase, not a decrease in aid funding. But the Hate America Firsters actually believe that foreign aid is a critical part of a national debt, which it is not. The only problem is that the American people actually believe this and the teabaggers and conservatives have been exploiting this. The new freshman Republicans have brought back the isolationism from the Lindbergh period and the American Firsters.
Dick Armey, creator of the corporate, Koch-funded teabaggers, went on the Hill today to lecture the freshmen Republicans not to shut down the government, something they have been threatening to do. Armey knew that it was a disaster for Republicans under Newt but also that it would be an economic disaster today.
Gentleman John Boehner, Old Swizzle Stick, has run up against his first challenge from the teabaggers. Boehner and Ryan were trying to avoid meeting their pledge to cut $100 billion from the Federal Government this fiscal year. The Republican Study Group actually sent a letter to Boehner demanding that this goal be met. Since half the fiscal year is over, this would entail crippling budget cuts for the remainder of the year. Boehner is aware that the cuts proposed by the Republican Study Group would have catastrophic effects on the economy and the ability of the federal government to function. It's not clear whether Boehner can triumph over his new flock.
We are seeing the divide appear between the corporate Republican Party and the teabaggers. While Rep. Ryan has been designated to respond to President Obama's State of the Union speech, Michelle Bachmann has decided all on her lonesome to hold her own response, which she will pre-record for the Tea Bag Express. Having heard her speech about destroying socialism by repealing the health care bill, we can expect some rhetorical fireworks.
Wouldn't you want to be at a White House meeting to discuss strategy about how to deal with the fact that one part of Congress is now controlled by people who fundamentally don't understand anything about government. What would you advise? All Obama needs now is an infrastructure bill. He doesn't need a budget. They should aim at continuing resolutions for the next two years. Then maybe you let the House fire as much fireworks as they want. But it is unsettling. Do you call Boehner in and tell him he's responsible for his nutjobs?
Mike Huckabee admitted today that budget cuts at any level will results in the loss of jobs. That's why I'm less than gung-ho that we have a recovery that will strengthen. I think we can expect some slips because of the financial crises in the states and also from federal budget cuts ,which Obama will institute.
I think it's tacky that both Harry Reid and Gentleman John Boehner turned down the White House's invitation to the dinner honoring Hu Jingtao. But you know Hu is going to hug Obama for the next two years because he's afraid of the other barbarian Americans. You want to deal with the know-nothings.
James Fellow at the Atlantic wrote a nice appreciation of the summit and thought the musical program of jazz performed by jazz greats was a typical American moment. He should be aware that China now has become the primary consumer of American jazz and that American jazz artists are in high demand at the clubs in Shanghai. But he was right, it was a nice touch and Herbie Hancock playing with Lang-Lang was a nice moment, and a nice piece.
It really is great that the Supreme Court recognizes corporate rights over individual rights. Today Verizon announced it was suing the FCC over its net neutrality policy saying its constitutional rights were being violated. Cool! William Douglas used to say that if corporations had civil rights than so did trees.Red Woods Versus Weyhauser. An idea whose time is come.
We haven't heard the last from the Tucson shooting days. Orange County police are now searching for the people who are threatening to kill Jerry Brown on Valentine's Day. The police have linked the culprits with spray-painting graffiti that urges the killing of Catholics.
Mark Steyn writing in the New Criterion made a full-throated defense of U.K. and American exceptionalism. He warns that the socialist President, who doesn't acknowledge the exceptional nature of America, is allowing China to seize Taiwan and that because of the American national debt, which he projects to cost 20% of the GDP in 15-odd years, we will not be able to compete with the world's largest corporation, The People's Liberation Army of China.
Let's roll this one back. Mark Steyn used to write for the tabloids in London. He and Niall Ferguson, another Brit neocon, have warned that America's debt and its entitlement programs will cut into its ability to spend for defense. And both take the Malthusian curve of debt as inevitable and nothing will be down to bring it down. They also don't give a squat whether Americans have a pot to piss in as long as American maintains its empire and total military supremacy above everyone and every threat. In other words, the Brits and new Brit-Americans will fight the world to the last American. Sort of like the Saudi attitude toward Iran--will fight Tehran to the "last American."
I humbly disagree with this viewpoint. And I also don't believe we will see the People's Liberation Army flooding across Asia and sweeping into Europe any time soon. I also don't want an Empire. Beijing is well aware of Taiwan's economic development and will not jeopardize that any time soon.
Some blogger wrote that the negative effect of the GOP's proposed budget cuts will give the Democrats a political gift. Not so fast. The polls going in the election, the polls going out after the election, all indicate Americans are sensible in their approaches to the economy. BUT and it is a big BUT they did elect these characters. Will there be a backlash or will the spinmeisters manage to blame Obama for these cuts. Besides, the cost of average people will be enormous.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tin Ear in D.C.
First, the Los Angeles Lakers are the 2010 NBA champions, winning their 16th title. But, boy, they won ugly. Or to be charitable, they spotted the Celtics 3 1/2 quarters before showing up. There are reasons for cliches--it did come down to who wanted to win it the most.
Which brings us to our battered President. For weeks, there was a drumroll of criticism that the President had not called or met with BP CEO Tony Hayward. Then he meets with him and the criticism was that it only lasted 20 minutes. The net of the meeting was an escrow fund of $20 billion for the Gulf and another $144 million to compensate oil workers during the period of the moratorium. Clearly, this was the only piece of good news from the whole BP Gulf disaster.
Republicans at the urging of Karl Rove have been planting this idea since the beginning of the Obama administration that the President would be like Jimmy Carter or we'll make him into one. The Gulf disaster for Republican strategists would not be Obama's Katrina, since that reflected on George W, but rather the equivalent of the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. The media would start the old Ted Koppel Day 300 and counting timeclock and Obama would be mired in the mess for the rest of his term.
Throughout the last 18 months, I have had doubts about whether the general public understood the commitment of the Republicans to destroy the Obama presidency. Most of the dirty work was done through filibusters and procedural maneuverings few people, except insiders, know or understand. Even progressives howl about why the Democrats with massive majorities can not pass the needed legislation. The net effect is to create the image of ineffective government and an inept administration. Therefore you should long for an authoritarian white father, who wouldn't believe in government but would wave the flag and invoke patriotism.
No Republican I have talked to or any of their public voices have admitted the country was or is in a Depression. The stimulus package was an unnecessary boondoggle of government spending and a vast extension of government's role in the economy. Financial reform is not the restoration of pre-1992 regulations but a government takeover of the economy and stifling of the private sector. Therefore, the mantra became "jobs" and the "deficit". Let's conveniently forget that by the end of this year, the Obama Administration will have created more jobs than the entire George W. Bush Administration.
If you didn't follow the extent of corporate funding of the congressional Republicans and the intent of their actions, you might think their case was plausible.
The President was said to lack emotion, backbone,courage and was too professorial and, according to former Reagan speechwriter Darkness at Noonan, out of touch with the American people.
There are gaffes, there a misstatements but then there are moments when the whole game is laid bare for all to see. Yesterday was one of them. D.C. lawyers had finally wakened up to the fact that they could litigate all their lives and never achieve the $20 billion escrow account for the victims of the Gulf disaster. Seasoned lawyers called it miraculous and noted that it was done without the necessary lawsuits. It was pointed out that the victims of the Valdez had to wait almost a generation of fighting the oil companies to get compensation and even that was severely cut down by the Supreme Court. In this case, the escrow account will be administered by the "special master" who handled all the claims for 9/11 victims, someone who was praised by both parties for his integrity and diligence.
If you are on the other side of the aisle, you might want to remain quiet or shift the subject. But the Heritage Foundation rolled out a position paper criticising the deal as an infringement on the rights of BP shareholders. The Republican Study Group, composed of 100 House members, wrote that the escrow account was a "shakedown" and a "slush fund". Haley Barbour, Governor of an effected state, worried about BP financial health. Michelle Bachman said that the account was Obama's ATM.
This is the type of rhetoric we have been used to for the duration of the administration. But what changed the situation was the nationally broadcast apology to BP's CEO Tony Hayward by Rep. Joe Barton of Texas for his treatment at the White House. Barton was simply repeating the Republican talking points. He was not talking as a single person. He went on to say that BP had been shaken down with Attorney General Eric Holder in the room. The key here is that the Justice Department is actively investigating bringing criminal charges against BP. The implication was that President Obama had intimidated a private corporation into ponying up the money.
The response both in the House and from the television audience was immediate. People were outraged not that Barton attacked President Obama but that he so clearly, as did other Republicans on the Committee, side with a foreign corporations over the people of the United States. John Boehner had to bring Barton into his office and threaten him with taking away his seat on the committee. Then out of Boehner's office came a press release ,ostensibly from Barton, retracting his apology to BP and saying his use of the word" shakedown" was miscontrued.
Then Republican mayhem ensued. Other congressmen did not get the memo and kept reiterating the same talking points; while congressmen from the Gulf States demanded Barton lose his seat. It also didn't help that BP's CEO Tony Hayward came across as lying through his teeth and simply did not generate any sympathetic feelings.
But the damage was done. The Republicans had been exposed as simply shills for the big corporations and nothing else. The plight of the citizens on the Gulf Coast clearly didn't matter. They would walk over their corpses for political gain. And what was startling to everyone was that it was so obvious and clear.
Within two hours, the Democratic fund-raising machine was up and running, exploiting the moment.
There was an interesting poll this morning that showed that 60% of Americans believe that President Obama cared for people like themselves.
This was brought home to me by a letter that was sent to Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Dish, which spoke about this woman's father who was a "marsh rat", who wanted to retire to a small cabin in the marshes and fish all day. This father was a real Arcadian, originally spoke French as his first language. Not an Obama supporter, he listened to the Oval Office speech. The woman wrote that when Obama pivoted on the "blessing of the fleet"section of his speech, her father cried and the President had his support from then on it.
Maybe like the Lakers, President Obama will have to win ugly.
Which brings us to our battered President. For weeks, there was a drumroll of criticism that the President had not called or met with BP CEO Tony Hayward. Then he meets with him and the criticism was that it only lasted 20 minutes. The net of the meeting was an escrow fund of $20 billion for the Gulf and another $144 million to compensate oil workers during the period of the moratorium. Clearly, this was the only piece of good news from the whole BP Gulf disaster.
Republicans at the urging of Karl Rove have been planting this idea since the beginning of the Obama administration that the President would be like Jimmy Carter or we'll make him into one. The Gulf disaster for Republican strategists would not be Obama's Katrina, since that reflected on George W, but rather the equivalent of the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. The media would start the old Ted Koppel Day 300 and counting timeclock and Obama would be mired in the mess for the rest of his term.
Throughout the last 18 months, I have had doubts about whether the general public understood the commitment of the Republicans to destroy the Obama presidency. Most of the dirty work was done through filibusters and procedural maneuverings few people, except insiders, know or understand. Even progressives howl about why the Democrats with massive majorities can not pass the needed legislation. The net effect is to create the image of ineffective government and an inept administration. Therefore you should long for an authoritarian white father, who wouldn't believe in government but would wave the flag and invoke patriotism.
No Republican I have talked to or any of their public voices have admitted the country was or is in a Depression. The stimulus package was an unnecessary boondoggle of government spending and a vast extension of government's role in the economy. Financial reform is not the restoration of pre-1992 regulations but a government takeover of the economy and stifling of the private sector. Therefore, the mantra became "jobs" and the "deficit". Let's conveniently forget that by the end of this year, the Obama Administration will have created more jobs than the entire George W. Bush Administration.
If you didn't follow the extent of corporate funding of the congressional Republicans and the intent of their actions, you might think their case was plausible.
The President was said to lack emotion, backbone,courage and was too professorial and, according to former Reagan speechwriter Darkness at Noonan, out of touch with the American people.
There are gaffes, there a misstatements but then there are moments when the whole game is laid bare for all to see. Yesterday was one of them. D.C. lawyers had finally wakened up to the fact that they could litigate all their lives and never achieve the $20 billion escrow account for the victims of the Gulf disaster. Seasoned lawyers called it miraculous and noted that it was done without the necessary lawsuits. It was pointed out that the victims of the Valdez had to wait almost a generation of fighting the oil companies to get compensation and even that was severely cut down by the Supreme Court. In this case, the escrow account will be administered by the "special master" who handled all the claims for 9/11 victims, someone who was praised by both parties for his integrity and diligence.
If you are on the other side of the aisle, you might want to remain quiet or shift the subject. But the Heritage Foundation rolled out a position paper criticising the deal as an infringement on the rights of BP shareholders. The Republican Study Group, composed of 100 House members, wrote that the escrow account was a "shakedown" and a "slush fund". Haley Barbour, Governor of an effected state, worried about BP financial health. Michelle Bachman said that the account was Obama's ATM.
This is the type of rhetoric we have been used to for the duration of the administration. But what changed the situation was the nationally broadcast apology to BP's CEO Tony Hayward by Rep. Joe Barton of Texas for his treatment at the White House. Barton was simply repeating the Republican talking points. He was not talking as a single person. He went on to say that BP had been shaken down with Attorney General Eric Holder in the room. The key here is that the Justice Department is actively investigating bringing criminal charges against BP. The implication was that President Obama had intimidated a private corporation into ponying up the money.
The response both in the House and from the television audience was immediate. People were outraged not that Barton attacked President Obama but that he so clearly, as did other Republicans on the Committee, side with a foreign corporations over the people of the United States. John Boehner had to bring Barton into his office and threaten him with taking away his seat on the committee. Then out of Boehner's office came a press release ,ostensibly from Barton, retracting his apology to BP and saying his use of the word" shakedown" was miscontrued.
Then Republican mayhem ensued. Other congressmen did not get the memo and kept reiterating the same talking points; while congressmen from the Gulf States demanded Barton lose his seat. It also didn't help that BP's CEO Tony Hayward came across as lying through his teeth and simply did not generate any sympathetic feelings.
But the damage was done. The Republicans had been exposed as simply shills for the big corporations and nothing else. The plight of the citizens on the Gulf Coast clearly didn't matter. They would walk over their corpses for political gain. And what was startling to everyone was that it was so obvious and clear.
Within two hours, the Democratic fund-raising machine was up and running, exploiting the moment.
There was an interesting poll this morning that showed that 60% of Americans believe that President Obama cared for people like themselves.
This was brought home to me by a letter that was sent to Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Dish, which spoke about this woman's father who was a "marsh rat", who wanted to retire to a small cabin in the marshes and fish all day. This father was a real Arcadian, originally spoke French as his first language. Not an Obama supporter, he listened to the Oval Office speech. The woman wrote that when Obama pivoted on the "blessing of the fleet"section of his speech, her father cried and the President had his support from then on it.
Maybe like the Lakers, President Obama will have to win ugly.
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