I have to say, I'm not sure how to feel about the so-called "fiscal cliff" agreement. As someone pretty far to the left, I have to drag my pragmatic side out of the moth balls once in a while. Here's what's been rolling through my brain:
I'm not particularly concerned that the agreement went from income above $250K to $400K on individuals. Would I have preferred the $250K?. Sure. However, we got personal exemptions knocked back to those making above $250K. The estate tax was a joke. Republicans won. Their top rate went from 35% to 40%, after the first $5M. Big whoop. Capital gains and dividends went from 15% to 20%. Another GOP win. They were set to go back to 39.6% The alternative minimum tax was a Democratic win. The middle class is protected from getting jacked on it moving forward. It was originally designed to ensure that the wealthy did not avoid owing taxes by using loopholes. We do have a five year extension on expansions of the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit, and an up-to-$2,500 tax credit for college tuition. Also extended for one year is the accelerated "bonus" depreciation of business investments in new property and equipment, a tax credit for research and development costs and a tax credit for renewable energy such as wind-generated electricity. Long term unemployed got a one year extension, which was one I was concerned about. I guess it's a win for Democrats, but not a strong one as we'll still have a GOP led House a year from now. I'm not unemployed, however if you can't find a job, you end up on the street. The GOP thinks someone who lost a $75K per year job should just pick up a couple shifts at Walmart or McDonalds and all their problems will be solved. Well, not if you have a mortgage. The Social Security payroll tax cut is a short term loss for workers, but at the same time, if we're not paying in now, it won't be there when we retire. And no, I don't believe for a minite Social Security is in trouble. It's biggest problem is that's where most of our borrowing has come from and the DC politicians do not want to pay it back...excluding Bernie Sanders.
Here's what I really don't like. Democrats did not get the debt ceiling raised in this deal...for at least two years. We are going to be going through all this baloney again in 2 or 3 months. President Obama says he will not negotiate with the hostage takers again, but his track record says otherwise. We'll see soon enough. I was actually ok with going over the cliff as it was the only way to cut the damn over-bloated military budget. Now we're going to have to listen to Republicans, led by John McCain and Lindsay Graham insist that the military can not be touched , but we need to decimate Social security and Medicare. I'm worried about wobbly kneed Democrats buying into it.
Showing posts with label john mccain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john mccain. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Schultz Gives Bush The Credit He Deserves
Since the right wing is still claiming Bush is actually responsible for bringing OBL to justice, I thought I'd share these videos. I'd also like to add that Senator John McCain (video here) seems to have regained some sense of integrity by standing against his own party and debunking the myth that torture lead to OBL's whereabouts. This important development, at a time when 43% of Americans say torture is sometimes justified, further discredits Bush apologists who claim torture was an effective tactic. Not only did those methods fail, but the idea that GWB deserves recognition for the recent victory is absurd. The first video by Think Progress, is a montage which does a great job of recounting how Bush let bin Laden slip away while also revealing his true concern for finding America's most wanted man. In the second video, Ed Schultz gives credit where credit is do and is even joined by awesome firebrand Alan Grayson, the former Congressman from Florida. Remember how upset the right wing was when he said of the Republicans during the health care debate, "Don't get sick. If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly?" And here we are 2 years later with a plan to kill Medicare. I think if he chooses to run again in 2012, he's got a shot at getting his seat back in senior heavy Florida. But I digress, this time around he joins Big Eddie calling GWB the worst president of his lifetime, while also crediting him for other failures.
Monday, March 21, 2011
It Was a Wild Weekend!
Here's a few items that caught my eye today...
In an interview with India Today's Editor-in-Chief, Aroon Purie, on Saturday, Politico reports that Palin suggested then-candidate Barack Obama effectively executed his campaign message as running on the platform of "change." After it was pointed out to the serial quitter that she too could have constructed her public image in a similar way, she replied, "I wasn't at the top of the ticket, remember?"
ZING!!! - Take that John McCain and by the way, thanks again for unleashing the Abominable Snowbitch on the other 49 states.
In another cut designed to eradicate the poor, the GOP's 2011 budget would chop $156 million from the Centers for Disease Control's funding for immunization and respiratory diseases. The GOP reductions will hit the CDC's support for state and local immunization programs, the agency's ability to evaluate which vaccines are working, and its work to educate the public about recommended vaccines for children, teenagers, and other susceptible populations. The CDC especially focuses on serving lower-income families who receive vaccines at state and local health offices and community health clinics, rather than a private doctor's office.
How is it this party has hijacked and effectively sold terms like "real" America, compassion, values, etc... to millions of people? These people have none of that. AND Jesus was a liberal. He believed in social justice, helping the poor, taking care of the sick and preached that rich men would not go to heaven --- I'm just sayin'...
With the Libya strike to knock out Gaddafi's surface to air ability Saturday, the Republicans didn't have time to get together to get their stories straight on the line of attack. The party that just LOVES military aggression as long as a white Republican is making the decisions are all of a sudden confused. Heck, they love military might, but they hate the idea of backing the exotic dark guy. So many of them pulled out the tried and true right wing playbook...code words with mixed messages. He dithered, he didn't try negotiation long enough, he looks weak, he looks like a bully, he should conduct business as usual, he's on vacation (he's not), etc... No matter what he does, they attack, whether they agree or not. The Republicans care nothing about the country, they're power hungry animals playing politics 24/7. Maybe they want us to to forget this little gem that Senator McCain uttered in 2009:
John McCain Praises Libyan Leader Gaddafi
On a personal level, I'm uneasy about this latest U.S. military action. However, I think trying to stop a dictator from performing genocide on civilians is at least moral thinking. That said, given our already senseless involvement in other middle east countries, I don't see how this ends well for us.
When Florida Governor Rick Scott took to the mound on Saturday at a pre-season game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, many in the crowd made clear they were no fans of the Republican lawmaker.
When a state votes for someone with his record, their collective IQ really must be questioned. Scott "was forced to resign as the head of Columbia/HCA, a health care company, that pled guilty to massive amounts of systematic fraud, including 14 felonies, leading to a historic $1.7 billion fine." He only won the governorship by a paltry 1.2%, but he's behaving as though he has a mandate, all these new Republican governors are. I think the strategy is, they know their radical agenda won't get them re-elected, but they'll do as much damage as possible meanwhile. They'll then move on to lucrative lobbying jobs.
In brighter Florida baseball news...Rays manager Joe Maddon summoned security to remove a fan – wearing an Orioles jersey – who he said was yelling racist comments at CF B.J. Upton in the dugout during Sunday’s game at Charlotte Sports Park. “He said something racial and I didn’t like it,’’ Maddon said. “He can say whatever he wants, but don’t go there. And I didn’t want B.J. to go up into the stands or do anything at that point. So I just wanted to make sure he was taken out of there. There is no room for that at all.’’ Very nice Joe. That's the way to handle these buffoons. Although Rush Limpballs probably went on a rant today as to how this action infringed on the racist loudmouth's First Amendment Rights. birds-of-a-feather, y'know...
In an interview with India Today's Editor-in-Chief, Aroon Purie, on Saturday, Politico reports that Palin suggested then-candidate Barack Obama effectively executed his campaign message as running on the platform of "change." After it was pointed out to the serial quitter that she too could have constructed her public image in a similar way, she replied, "I wasn't at the top of the ticket, remember?"
ZING!!! - Take that John McCain and by the way, thanks again for unleashing the Abominable Snowbitch on the other 49 states.
In another cut designed to eradicate the poor, the GOP's 2011 budget would chop $156 million from the Centers for Disease Control's funding for immunization and respiratory diseases. The GOP reductions will hit the CDC's support for state and local immunization programs, the agency's ability to evaluate which vaccines are working, and its work to educate the public about recommended vaccines for children, teenagers, and other susceptible populations. The CDC especially focuses on serving lower-income families who receive vaccines at state and local health offices and community health clinics, rather than a private doctor's office.
How is it this party has hijacked and effectively sold terms like "real" America, compassion, values, etc... to millions of people? These people have none of that. AND Jesus was a liberal. He believed in social justice, helping the poor, taking care of the sick and preached that rich men would not go to heaven --- I'm just sayin'...
With the Libya strike to knock out Gaddafi's surface to air ability Saturday, the Republicans didn't have time to get together to get their stories straight on the line of attack. The party that just LOVES military aggression as long as a white Republican is making the decisions are all of a sudden confused. Heck, they love military might, but they hate the idea of backing the exotic dark guy. So many of them pulled out the tried and true right wing playbook...code words with mixed messages. He dithered, he didn't try negotiation long enough, he looks weak, he looks like a bully, he should conduct business as usual, he's on vacation (he's not), etc... No matter what he does, they attack, whether they agree or not. The Republicans care nothing about the country, they're power hungry animals playing politics 24/7. Maybe they want us to to forget this little gem that Senator McCain uttered in 2009:
John McCain Praises Libyan Leader Gaddafi
On a personal level, I'm uneasy about this latest U.S. military action. However, I think trying to stop a dictator from performing genocide on civilians is at least moral thinking. That said, given our already senseless involvement in other middle east countries, I don't see how this ends well for us.
When Florida Governor Rick Scott took to the mound on Saturday at a pre-season game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, many in the crowd made clear they were no fans of the Republican lawmaker.
When a state votes for someone with his record, their collective IQ really must be questioned. Scott "was forced to resign as the head of Columbia/HCA, a health care company, that pled guilty to massive amounts of systematic fraud, including 14 felonies, leading to a historic $1.7 billion fine." He only won the governorship by a paltry 1.2%, but he's behaving as though he has a mandate, all these new Republican governors are. I think the strategy is, they know their radical agenda won't get them re-elected, but they'll do as much damage as possible meanwhile. They'll then move on to lucrative lobbying jobs.
In brighter Florida baseball news...Rays manager Joe Maddon summoned security to remove a fan – wearing an Orioles jersey – who he said was yelling racist comments at CF B.J. Upton in the dugout during Sunday’s game at Charlotte Sports Park. “He said something racial and I didn’t like it,’’ Maddon said. “He can say whatever he wants, but don’t go there. And I didn’t want B.J. to go up into the stands or do anything at that point. So I just wanted to make sure he was taken out of there. There is no room for that at all.’’ Very nice Joe. That's the way to handle these buffoons. Although Rush Limpballs probably went on a rant today as to how this action infringed on the racist loudmouth's First Amendment Rights. birds-of-a-feather, y'know...
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Today in Fright Wing World!
I just don't get it. Why is helping out fellow Americans who may have lost a job or were stricken with catastrophic illness such a terrible thing? It could happen to any of us. Why is trying to make insurance companies do the right thing a bad thing? I will never understand the dismantling of basic human decency since Ronald Reagan started destroying social policies and ramping up the military. Here are the 10 most awesomely certifiably insane comments from the fright wing airwaves upon today's historic signing of health care reform.
Rush Limbaugh claimed at the end of the day, our freedom has been assaulted. This is the kind of change that people did not think they were going to get when they voted for Barack Obama. Freedom must win the day.
We didn't expect this? Gee Rush, that was his main campaign promise.
Glenn Beck warned that we're on the cusp of a socialist/fascist takeover on a daily basis comparing HCR to the attack on Pearl Harbor; the St. Valentines massacre ("when the mob stepped in and cleaned things up"); Chamberlain's meeting with Hitler; and the Hindenburg.
Is this guy bi-polar or what? How anyone can take him seriously! He makes no sense!
Shock Jock Neal Boortz twittered an equally crazy and offensive comparison; Nancy Pelosi will be grinning and laughing this afternoon. Today will do more damage than 9/11.
Way to stay classy and rile up the ignorant, who would benefit most!
Anti-abortion terrorist Randall Terry is using his influence with the Pope to get Nancy Pelosi excommunicated, because extending health care to more than 30 million uninsured Americans does not obviate her role in unleashing a vast fetus Armageddon.
How do they not understand this bill has made access for poor women more difficult?
Operation Rescue’s Troy Newman says that passing a health care bill in a democratically elected Congress is tantamount to Soviet invasion, and calls for revolution: "March 21 did indeed change life as we knew it ... I won't forget the events of this day and while they heralded a change for the worst, I vow to be part of the revolution to unravel this mess."
OK, you got me...I have no idea how this makes sense to anyone.
Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association also offered a solution: shooting people.
Gotta love those family values.
Sean Hannity wondered if the successful vote was when America turned on the path "completely towards" socialism.
I really want someone to explain to me what's so bad about socialism! In Denmark for instance, every resident has universal health care, a free college education, six weeks paid vacation and women on maternity leave get one year off!
Matt Drudge splashed this headline across his site: “A day that will live in infirmary!"
I'll bet he thinks he's oh, so clever.
FoxNation.com simply claimed American goes under the knife.
Evidently they left their heavy lifting to Fox and Fiends and the evening squawkers to handle everything anti-Obama or anti-Democrat.
John McCain sketched out the most unforseen scenario of all: a lack of GOP cooperation going forward. "There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year,"
Wow, I'm shocked because they have been sooo helpful for the last 14 months. Country First!
Rush Limbaugh claimed at the end of the day, our freedom has been assaulted. This is the kind of change that people did not think they were going to get when they voted for Barack Obama. Freedom must win the day.
We didn't expect this? Gee Rush, that was his main campaign promise.
Glenn Beck warned that we're on the cusp of a socialist/fascist takeover on a daily basis comparing HCR to the attack on Pearl Harbor; the St. Valentines massacre ("when the mob stepped in and cleaned things up"); Chamberlain's meeting with Hitler; and the Hindenburg.
Is this guy bi-polar or what? How anyone can take him seriously! He makes no sense!
Shock Jock Neal Boortz twittered an equally crazy and offensive comparison; Nancy Pelosi will be grinning and laughing this afternoon. Today will do more damage than 9/11.
Way to stay classy and rile up the ignorant, who would benefit most!
Anti-abortion terrorist Randall Terry is using his influence with the Pope to get Nancy Pelosi excommunicated, because extending health care to more than 30 million uninsured Americans does not obviate her role in unleashing a vast fetus Armageddon.
How do they not understand this bill has made access for poor women more difficult?
Operation Rescue’s Troy Newman says that passing a health care bill in a democratically elected Congress is tantamount to Soviet invasion, and calls for revolution: "March 21 did indeed change life as we knew it ... I won't forget the events of this day and while they heralded a change for the worst, I vow to be part of the revolution to unravel this mess."
OK, you got me...I have no idea how this makes sense to anyone.
Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association also offered a solution: shooting people.
Gotta love those family values.
Sean Hannity wondered if the successful vote was when America turned on the path "completely towards" socialism.
I really want someone to explain to me what's so bad about socialism! In Denmark for instance, every resident has universal health care, a free college education, six weeks paid vacation and women on maternity leave get one year off!
Matt Drudge splashed this headline across his site: “A day that will live in infirmary!"
I'll bet he thinks he's oh, so clever.
FoxNation.com simply claimed American goes under the knife.
Evidently they left their heavy lifting to Fox and Fiends and the evening squawkers to handle everything anti-Obama or anti-Democrat.
John McCain sketched out the most unforseen scenario of all: a lack of GOP cooperation going forward. "There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year,"
Wow, I'm shocked because they have been sooo helpful for the last 14 months. Country First!
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