Categories
failed Politics

Republicans Failed The Middle Class Again. No Payroll Tax Cuts For You

For the majority of people reading this post be prepared. Starting in January of 2012, your family will pay $1000.00 more a year because of what happened in Washington yesterday. Yesterday, the American people watched in amazement as two separate plans designed to help the middle class got defeated in the Senate.

Plan 1 was proposed by the Democrats. It required an extension of the payroll tax cuts that working families currently benefit from, but which is set to expire on December 31st. The plan was defeated by Republicans who objected to the way Democrats wanted to pay for the tax cuts – by slightly increasing the taxes on people making over 1 million dollars. Republican’s reasoning for defeating the plan was a claim that people making over $1 million were job creators, and they didn’t want to raise taxes on these people.

With the Democratic plan defeated, Republicans got a chance to offer their own plan to extend the payroll tax cuts. But the way they wanted to pay for the cuts was to continue a pay freeze on federal workers until 2015, and to eventually eliminate 10% of the federal work force.

With the economic benefits for the working middle class to have these payroll tax cuts extended past December 31st, the Republican plan was voted on and that too went down in defeat. The Republican proposal wasn’t defeated by Democrats, but by the very people who introduced the plan… Republicans!

The President, who has pushed Congress to approve the payroll tax cut extension called the vote “unacceptable,” and asked Republicans to “stop playing politics” with the American people.

Tonight, Senate Republicans chose to raise taxes on nearly 160 million hardworking Americans because they refused to ask a few hundred thousand millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. They voted against a bill that would have not only extended the $1,000 tax cut for a typical family, but expanded that tax cut to put an extra $1,500 in their pockets next year, and given nearly six million small business owners new incentives to expand and hire. That is unacceptable. It makes absolutely no sense to raise taxes on the middle class at a time when so many are still trying to get back on their feet.

Now is not the time to put the economy and the security of the middle class at risk. Now is the time to rebuild an economy where hard work and responsibility pay off, and everybody has a chance to succeed. Now is the time to put country before party and work together on behalf of the American people. And I will continue to urge Congress to stop playing politics with the security of millions of American families and small business owners and get this done.

And the American people watch in amazement, as the Republicans in Congress continue to put the middle class on the chopping block, while they infinitely protect the top 1%, even when the 1% are asking, no, begging to pay more in taxes.

The American people currently pay 4.2% in payroll taxes. Because of Republican’s actions yesterday, the taxes will go up to 6.2% in January, which will cost the average family another $1000.00 a year.

Categories
jewish Politics Republican

Ron Paul Snubbed From Next Jewish Hosted Republican Debate

They say Mr. Paul is too extreme in his thinking, so his invite to the next Republican debate on December 7th wasn’t even considered. “He’s just so far outside of the mainstream of the Republican party and this organization,” said Matt Brooks, Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition. Brooks also said that inviting Paul to attend would be “like inviting Barack Obama to speak.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition is hosting a forum for our merry band of Republican presidential candidates next week. The contenders are expected to flesh out a broad range of opinions about Israel, its future, and its relationship with the United States. Oh, except for Ron Paul, who was not invited. It seems his “extreme views”—like how he would stop giving Israel a few billion dollars each year to purchase weapons from the American defense industry—would be too controversial even within the context of a debate of ideas.

Categories
Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich Politics republican candidate

Ron Paul Shows Newt Gingrich’s Speciality – The Flip Flop

We take pleasure in bringing you an ad from Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. The ad puts Newt Gingrich, the present leader in the Republican nomination race, into the spotlight, and, we believe, is meant to show Mitt Romney how the real flip-floppers, flip flop.

The 150-second ad showcases some questionable conservative stances made by the former speaker of the House, such as his agreement with Nancy Pelosi that “our country must take action to address climate change” and labeling Representative Paul Ryan’s proposed Medicare overhaul as “right-wing social engineering.”

The ad uses gritty black and white news clips to slam Gingrich’s work since leaving public office 13 years ago as a lobbyist for the health care industry and for mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

Categories
Politics

Something Happened On The Way To The Eviction

Over the last few months, we have reported on stories of police brutality and the obvious violation of the constitutional rights of American citizens. The right to peacefully assemble and protest was vigorously attacked by the very folks who took an oath to protect that right.

So allow us this moment to luxuriate in the pleasantries of this story – law enforcement officers who put their morals, honor and dignity ahead of the mindless “just following orders” mentality of today’s police department.

Chase Bank wanted to put this family out on the street. The order was given and the marshal with their moving trucks drove up to the door of foreclosure victim. With eviction notice in hand and Chase eagerly awaiting word that their orders were mindlessly followed, the law enforcement officers and the moving company opened the door to the home and met the residents. Then something miraculous happened, law enforcement found their heart.

[cincopa AUHAszavfpIl]

Categories
Wisconsin Wisconsin Union Bashing

Scott Walker “Looks Forward” To Defending His Non-Existent Accomplishments

The efforts to recall Wisconsin’s Union busting Republican governor Scott Walker is in full swing, with organizers saying last week that they already collected over 300,000 signatures in the first 12 days since starting the recall process. A total of 540,200 signatures are needed by January 17th to force the recall election in the spring of 2012.

But even with this apparent success by the recall organizers so far, Scott Walker is not at all concerned. In fact, he is looking forward to the whole process. Walker told CNBC today that he will gladly use this time to showcase the achievements Wisconsin made under his leadership.

“If come next May or maybe early June, if they actually have the signatures and it forces a new election, all of those issues will be up on the ballot. But I look forward to that,” he said. “I’d love to have the chance to talk to the voters of Wisconsin again to tell that story.”

Asked whether he believes he will win reelection, the governor predicted that his accomplishments will trump the attacks made against him.

“I think if voters hear the facts, every week, every day, every week, every month that goes by, our numbers get better because our story gets out and people see the positive impact of the results,” Walker said.

He added, “The facts, I think, ultimately trump all the attacks. If you see that the schools are the same or better and that our governments are doing well and in the end our taxes are going down, people want to hear that, and I think the results will trump everything else.”

We’re not sure what story Walker is so glad to tell, because under his leadership, Wisconsin’s economy is in a steep decline. Reports have shown that although Walker campaigned on creating over 250,000 jobs for Wisconsin residents, “Walker has consistently proved himself incapable of understanding the economic challenges facing Wisconsinites,” and his policies have caused unemployment in the state to balloon to 7.9%

Maybe Walker is a little confused. According to the Associated Press, Walker has listed about 6000 jobs on the state’s website, claiming credit for these jobs. Only problem is, these jobs were created outside of Wisconsin.

Hearing Scott Walker brag about non-existent economic successes in Wisconsin? – a dime a dozen. Watching him pack up and leave the office of the Governor after the recall election is held? – Priceless!

Categories
Abortions Newt Gingrich Politics presidential Republican

A Stroll Down Memory Lane – Gingrich On Abortion

As Herman Cain falls off the leader-board for the Republican nomination, we now turn our attention to the new flavor of the month, Newt Gingrich – a man who has perfected the art of the flip-flop,  and who has paved the way for other indecisive Republican “leaders” like Mitt Romney.

One well documented issue that is now causing Gingrich a major headache among his base, is his support for abortion. Of course, he has already flipped on this issue, but this is a vetting process, so let’s take a stroll down memory lane…

TAXPAYER-FUNDED ABORTION

The New York Times on April 10, 1995, reported, “House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Sunday supported the availability of federally financed abortions for poor women who are victims of rape or incest and expressed opposition to organized school prayer, positions that are at odds with many conservatives in his party.”

Also asked that year on CBS’s “Face the Nation” whether he agrees with Republicans who oppose federal abortion payments in cases of rape or incest or to protect the life of the mother, Gingrich answered: “No. First of all, I think you should have funding in the case of rape or incest or life of the mother, which is the first step.”

Later that year, Gingrich urged his colleagues in the U.S. House to accept language in an abortion bill that would not completely ban abortions under federal employee health plans, leaving in place exemptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother, the Washington Times reported on Aug. 7, 1995.

TAXPAYER-FUNDED EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

Bill O’Reilly on “The O’Reilly Factor” asked Gingrich on July 19, 2001: “Stem cell research, should President Bush approve some federal funding for that?”

Gingrich answered: “Well, I agree with Senator Bill Frist, as the only medical doctor in the Senate and as a world-class heart surgeon. I think that there are ways to have appreciation for life, to recognize the sanctity of life, but nonetheless to look at fertility clinics where there are cells that are sitting there that are not going to be used to create life. They literally today, they’re unregulated, they can be thrown away. And I think the president, I hope the president, will find a way to agree that there ought to be federally funded research.”

On ABC News’ “This Week” on July 8, 2001, Sam Donaldson asked: “So he should approve stem cell research on embryos?”

Gingrich answered: “On embryonic cells that, that are pre-fetal.”

PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION

Gingrich helped quash an effort to deny Republican Party funds to candidates who opposed legislation outlawing so-called partial birth abortions, a Jan. 21, 1998, article by the Associated Press said.

The Republican National Committee at its winter meeting that year wanted to deny party campaign funds to Republican candidates who opposed banning most late-term, or partial-birth, abortions.

Gingrich addressed the RNC meeting on Jan. 16, 1998, calling for tolerance of candidates who support partial-birth abortion, saying he would campaign for them: “It’s the voters of America who have a right — in some places they’re going to pick people who are to my right, some places they’re going to pick people who are to my left and in both cases, if they’re the Republican nominee, I am going to actively campaign for them, because when they get to Congress, whether they are a moderate Republican from the northeast, whether they are a very conservative Republican from the south or west, whatever their background.”

With Gingrich leading in the Republican nomination process and about five weeks remaining before primary voters head to the polls, the Gingrich campaign will be in high gear, trying to distance Newt Gingrich ‘Version 2’ from Newt Gingrich 1.0.

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics presidential Wall Street

Huntsman – Romney Is In The Hip Pocket Of Wall Street

Anyone who is in the hip pocket of Wall Street because of all the donations they are picking up, like Mr. Romney, is in these days not going to be the change agent who is going to fix the too-big-to-fail banking system.” Per MSNBC,  Huntsman’s comments were delivered to an audience of about 80 people.

Huntsman went even further in his attack on Romney. Presumably referring in part to endorsements that Romney has received from Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Congressman Charlie Bass (R-N.H.), Huntsman said, “You should be wary of any candidate who carries the endorsements of every member of Congress, because it means they’re going to be a status quo president.”

And I totally agree with you Jon Huntsman. Being in the hip pocket of Wall Street is about the only thing consistent with Mitt Romney.

Categories
failure Politics Republican

Classic Chris Christie – Blame Obama For Republican Failure

The Republican governor of New Jersey and endorser of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is falsely attacking the President. What else is new? “What the hell are we paying you for?,” Christie askedyesterday, implying that the president could have changed the outcome of the failed Super Committee.

“I was angry this weekend, listening to the spin coming out of the administration, about the failure of the supercommittee, and that the president knew it was doomed for failure, so he didn’t get involved. Well then what the hell are we paying you for?” Christie said in Camden, N.J.

“It’s doomed for failure so I’m not getting involved? Well, what have you been doing, exactly?” Christie was contrasting the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements, saying both stemmed from “anger” with government’s inability to respond to the financial crisis.

But while Christie said “both parties deserve blame for what’s going on in Washington, D.C.,” he pointed the finger squarely at Obama for failing to strike a budget deal. “Why the president of the United States refuses to do this is astonishing to me. If he wanted to run for Senate again and just be 1 of a 100, I’m sure he could have gotten reelected over and over again in Illinois,” Christie said. “He’s the one in Washington and he’s got to get something done here. And it’s not good enough just to say, ‘Well, I’ll get it done after the election.’”

Of course, this claim that President Obama could have worked his magic and convince Republicans hellbent on protecting the taxes of millionaires, is false. Republicans would want you to believe that Mr. Obama was missing in action on deficit reduction.

The facts however, are very different.

It was, after all, President Obama who first introduced a proposal to cut the deficit by $4 trillion. And he spent the entire summer trying to work with Republicans to come to some agreement. He even played golf with John Boehner, trying to come to some understanding on what spending cuts to make and at what cost.

But because of Republicans’ secret pledge to make this president fail by tanking the economy, the possibility of a deficit reduction would work against their pledge. They unanimously said “no” to the President’s proposal, and decided to put their faith in the hands of the super committee – a group of 12 people who knew the dire importance of the job at hand, but chose ideological political positions instead.

So, now that the super committee has failed to do their job, it is obviously President Obama’s fault. He should have sat in with the Super Committee everyday, giving his input and recommendations to a group of people who want him to fail.

The failure of the super committee was inevitable. Republicans went into the negotiating process knowing they were going to agree to absolutely nothing thus, causing its failure. And nothing would have been more pleasing to Republicans like Chris Christie, than having President Obama take part in that failure.

If he had played a role in the negotiations, the super-committee’s failure would be his fault. If he didn’t take part, the failure of the super-committee would be his fault.

The Republicans already knew who to blame way before the committee failed. They were just waiting to see which card the President played. It’s classic Republican politics.

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics

Two Different Mitt Romneys. Searching For The Truth – Video

Mitt Romney is a flip flopper, but what else is new. Just about anyone  who’s ever watched and listened to Mitt Romney could come with at least 7 or 8 different situations where the Republican presidential candidate has chosen both sides of any one issue. But for the few who cannot come up with examples of Romney’s different flip-flopping antics, here’s a little video to jog your memory.

Mitt Romney vs. Mitt Romney

Categories
Politics thanksgiving troops weekly address

What Is President Obama Thankful For?

In his weekly address, President Obama wished the American people a Happy Thanksgiving, and he took some time to send a special Thanksgiving wish to the men and women serving our country oversees.

We’re especially grateful for the men and women who defend our country overseas. To all the service members eating Thanksgiving dinner far from your families: the American people are thinking of you today.  And when you come home, we intend to make sure that we serve you as well as you’re serving America.

We’re also grateful for the Americans who are taking time out of their holiday to serve in soup kitchens and shelters, making sure their neighbors have a hot meal and a place to stay. This sense of mutual responsibility – the idea that I am my brother’s keeper; that I am my sister’s keeper – has always been a part of what makes our country special. And it’s one of the reasons the Thanksgiving tradition has endured.

The president spoke about the unnecessary gridlock going on in Washington between Democrats and Republicans and suggested that if politicians can find a way to come together, America’s future will be bright.

With all the partisanship and gridlock here in Washington, it’s easy to wonder if such unity is really possible. But think about what’s happening at this very moment: Americans from all walks of life are coming together as one people, grateful for the blessings of family, community, and country.

If we keep that spirit alive, if we support each other, and look out for each other, and remember that we’re all in this together, then I know that we too will overcome the challenges of our time.

So today, I’m thankful to serve as your President and Commander-and-Chief. I’m thankful that my daughters get to grow up in this great country of ours. And I’m thankful for the chance to do my part, as together, we make tomorrow better than today.

Categories
Politics

Mother Sent To Jail For Lying On Food Stamps Application

We all know that there are some systems that are set up against the poor that benefit the rich.  A good example of this is the following story. A mother of two is sent to jail for lying on her food-stamp application, while bankers largely responsible for our economic downfall and cheating the middle class out of trillions, got bailed out and huge bonuses.

Last week, a federal judge in Mississippi sentenced a mother of two named Anita McLemore to three years in federal prison for lying on a government application in order to obtain food stamps.

Apparently in this country you become ineligible to eat if you have a record of criminal drug offenses. States have the option of opting out of that federal ban, but Mississippi is not one of those states. Since McLemore had four drug convictions in her past, she was ineligible to receive food stamps, so she lied about her past in order to feed her two children.

The total “cost” of her fraud was $4,367. She has paid the money back. But paying the money back was not enough for federal Judge Henry Wingate.

Wingate had the option of sentencing McLemore according to federal guidelines, which would have left her with a term of two months to eight months, followed by probation. Not good enough! Wingate was so outraged by McLemore’s fraud that he decided to serve her up the deluxe vacation, using another federal statute that permitted him to give her up to five years.

He ultimately gave her three years, saying, “The defendant’s criminal record is simply abominable …. She has been the beneficiary of government generosity in state court.”

Any questions?

Categories
Georgia Politics

Georgia Businessman Says No More Hires Until President Is Fired

Although companies have already made trillions in profits under the Obama administration – the fastest accumulation of wealth in decades –  and although companies have already received over 17 tax cuts and subsidies over the last three years, there are still some “businesse owners” out there who buy into the Republican talking-point that businesses are suffering because of Obama.

Bill Looman, owner of U.S. Cranes LLC, said he is fed up with the bad economy and D.C. politicians who do nothing to solve the problem. So until there is a change of leadership, his company trucks will bear the message: “New Company Policy: We Are Not Hiring Until Obama Is Gone.”

“Can’t afford it,” Looman told the local Waco, Ga., television stationWXIA-TV. “I’ve got people that I want to hire now, but I just can’t afford it. And I don’t foresee that I’ll be able to afford it unless some things change in D.C.”

If a climate favorable to businesses cannot influence a businessman to hire, then maybe he should not be in business. Maybe they should shut down their operation and join politics. In Mr. Bill Looman’s case, he’ll fit right in with the do-nothing-to-help-the-economy Republicans.

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