Month: August 2011

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Politics

Republican Math – Lose Billions To Save Millions

This is the wisdom of a Republican controlled House of Representatives. About two weeks ago, House Republicans voted to deny the $200 million from a subsidy to the Federal Aviation Administration, because the Democratic controlled Senate did not yield to their demand to cut $16 million from the subsidy. Because of the Republican’s action, projects that this money funded came to a grinding halt, causing thousands to be out of work.

But not only did these people lose their income, the federal government is also seeing revenue fly out the window. A ticket tax added to each purchase was also terminated when Republicans decided not to approve the subsidies, and according to reports, over $1 billion in revenues will be lost.

Lawmakers risk losing more than $1 billion in revenue from ticket taxes that the airline collects. The authority to collect those taxes has expired. House Republicans say the sticking point is their demand that the Senate cut $16.5 million from a $200 million budget for rural air service subsidies.

The shutdown is less than two weeks old and already the government has lost more than $250 million in revenue.

After voting down the subsidy, House Republicans left Washington and went home to their districts on a 5 week vacation. It should also be noted that since 2007, congress passed this same bill 20 times. This time however, something changed and Republicans have now decided not to issue the 21st approval.

This is simply more proof that Republicans really don’t have America’s economic recovery at heart. Anything they can do to create instability and add to the worries and fears of middle class America, they are willing to do. Their goal is simple: feed off the worries and fears they’ve contributed to, then blame the Obama administration for a terrible economy. This, they believe, is their ticket back into White House in the 2012 elections.

 

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Politics White House

White House Security Breached. Man Arrested – Video

While the freaks come out at night, the crazies apparently come out in the daytime. Today, the White House got another dose of the crazies, as a man jumped the fence and began shouting in the general direction of the home of the President and his family.

Two Secret Service agents cautiously approached the dark-skinned man, who could not immediately be identified, their rifles pointed at him as he lay face down on the lawn, AFP reported. He was swiftly arrested.

Several police vehicles were parked outside the White House gates with their lights flashing, and security personnel could be seen patrolling the compound, including two with body armor and automatic weapons.

Reporters were asked to leave the White House lawn and the platform where television journalists stand for their live shots.

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Barack Obama MSNBC Pat Buchanan Politics racist Republican

Pat Buchanan Refers To President Obama As “your boy!”

Why is this guy on MSNBC?

Republican Pat Buchanan went on the wrong show tonight and chose the wrong words to describe the President of the United States. Speaking about the debt ceiling deal and whether or not the President would allow tax revenue to go up on the rich, Buchanan said to the Rev. Al Sharpton;

… and let me tell you something, your boy Barack Obama caved in 2010, and he will cave in again and again!

Al Sharpton, who marched and fought in many civil rights battles became livid. “My what?!? My President Barack Obama… what did you say?”

Buchanan, thinking what he just said was funny, continued laughing and repeated what he said, “he’s your boy in the ring!”

“No, he’s nobody’s boy!” Al Sharpton shot back at the laughing Buchanan. Mr. Sharpton then continued to put Buchanan in his place.

Twitter and other social networks immediately began calling for Pat Buchanan’s job, demanding that MSNBC end his contract. This will be a good test for the network. They suspended Keith Olbermann for making a donation. Let’s see if they will make Buchanan apologize for his insensitive and racist remarks.

Watch the unbelievable video below.

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Barack Obama Politics Racism Republican

Republican Racism At Its Worst

There have been a lot of racist things said about this President, but one of the most vile and despicable comments made so far, must be attributed to Doug Lamborn, a Republican Representative from Colorado

While discussing the debt ceiling debate on a local radio show, the Republican congressman said this:

“Even if some people say, ‘Well the Republicans should have done this or they should have done that,’ they will hold the President responsible. Now, I don’t even want to have to be associated with him. It’s like touching a tar baby and you get it, you’re stuck, and you’re a part of the problem now and you can’t get away.”

Since his statement made news on the main stream media, the congressman issued a letter to the president, offering his “apology.” A statement on his website said, “Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) today sent a personal letter to President Barack Obama apologizing for using a term  some find insensitive.”

He apologize for using a term “some” find insensitive?

Some history from the Huffington Post.

The term “tar baby,” with origins that stretch back to an 1881 Uncle Remus story from writer Joel Chandler Harris, can be used to imply that a situation is difficult to solve. But in more recent history, the term has developed more derogatory connotations related to describing African-Americans.

I guess where Mr. Lamborn is from, a reference to a black person as “tar baby” is a normal, everyday occurrence. This is what ‘some’ Americans  mean when they say, “I want my country back.” Welcome to Doug Lamborn’s 1811 America.

 

Categories
Politics

Gabrielle Giffords Goes To Washington

Just seven months after being shot in her head in a failed assassination attempt, Arizona Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords returned to the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday to thunderous applause from the entire congregation.

With less than five minutes remaining in the vote to approve a bill to raise the debt ceiling, the applause started as Mrs. Giffords made her way into the chamber. Some house members indicated that they initially thought the President himself entered the room.

Mrs. Giffords said that she “closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling,”  and has been deeply disappointed at what’s going on in Washington.

“After weeks of failed debate in Washington, I was pleased to see a solution to this crisis emerge. I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics. I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.”

An inspiration to us all!

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Barack Obama Democrat Politics Republican

The Deal – Is The Cup Half Empty or Half Full?

I just don’t get what all the fuss is about. I have criticized this president on many occasions, but listening to the backlash from liberal radio and television personalities about the proposed deal, you’d think the world as we know it was coming to an end.

Based on the framework of the deal worked out between Democrats and Republicans, I lean towards agreeing with the President on this one. Yes, Mr. Obama did say that he preferred “a balanced approach” to reducing the debt, and he called for revenue through closing of the tax loopholes that benefit the rich. And although that didn’t happen up front, as far as I can tell, revenues are part of the deal.

Let’s break it down;

The first thing we must acknowledge is, this deal avoids a catastrophe. Although this so-called crisis was totally manufactured by Republicans, the fact remains the same – if America goes into default and is not able to pay on it’s financial obligations, there would be a worldwide negative effect. The potential was there to cause irreparable damage. Ours and many of the world’s economies would have suffered. So yes, avoiding this default is a good thing.

With that said, many would think that avoiding default does not mean we settle for anything, and that too would be correct. But that way of thinking is more about politics than sound reasoning. Democratic pundits on radio and television are harping on one fact; that this deal cuts too much from spending.

Again, this is true, but look at the bigger picture – according to the structure of the deal, about $1 trillion dollars would be cut this year. The agreement was to then put into place a “super congress” whose job will be to propose another $1.5 trillion in cuts to begin in 2013, and phase in over a 10 year period. But that’s not all – this “super congress” will also find revenue through taxes.

Again, from the framework:

 The deal is designed to achieve bal­anced deficit reduc­tion, con­sis­tent with the val­ues the Pres­i­dent artic­u­lated in his April Fis­cal Frame­work. The dis­cre­tionary sav­ings are spread between both domes­tic and defense spend­ing. And the Pres­i­dent will demand that the Com­mit­tee pur­sue a bal­anced deficit reduc­tion pack­age, where any enti­tle­ment reforms are cou­pled with revenue-raising tax reform that asks for the most for­tu­nate Amer­i­cans to sacrifice.

So entitlement reforms would be on the table, but so would raising revenue through taxes. From the framework:

 The Pres­i­dent did not agree to any enti­tle­ment reforms out­side of the con­text of a bipar­ti­san com­mit­tee process where tax reform will be on the table and the Pres­i­dent will insist on shared sac­ri­fice from the most well-off and those with the most inde­fen­si­ble tax breaks.

Okay. Now I’m hearing some of you say that the President could have raised the debt ceiling through the 14th amendment, thus avoiding spending cuts all together. Yes, that could have happened, but keep in mind that Republicans in Congress would impeach this particular President just for being the president if they could. They are looking for every and any chance to signal impeachment.

Also keep in mind that the Supreme Court, which is where this case would end up, consists of a conservative majority. In the middle of a re-election campaign, do you really want Mr. Obama spending his time defending his decision to invoke the 14th amendment?

The overall picture is this: This country has really gotten off the beaten track. Regardless of your political affiliation, you have to admit that our debt and deficit cannot amount to anything good if we continue on the trajectory we’re presently on. Something must change, and we must figure out a way to both, cut spending and increase taxes on the rich. If we sit back and really look at this framework, we must admit that a balance approach is on the table.

And based on all the dissension still going on now, the 14th amendment may still be a last resort. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are suggesting that they will not vote for the deal. The deal must pass both the House of Representatives and the Congress, then signed into law by the president before August 2nd.

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