Republicans Are All Talk...Again!
 

So much for Paul Ryan. Time to throw every damn incumbent Republican out. I hate Boehner! :mad:
http://www.businessinsider.com/repub...billion-2011-2

Does this surprise you at all? If so, you didn't read my predictions. Exactly what I said was going to happen. Thing is, it's not that they don't want to. It's that there's nothing to cut. Touch the untouchable and you'll never get elected. We want the programs, we just don't want to pay for them. Republicans are in a tight spot because they've been promising for 30 years that you can have it both ways. Look where it's gotten us.

But, if anyone mentions taxes, they can't get elected either. Cut the budget, just don't cut any of the programs *I* want. What? You want to raise taxes!?!?

It's not their fault. It's your fault.

I'll be surprised if the cuts even amount to $32 billion. Unless and until they cut Medicare, Social Security and Defense, it's all nibbling very lightly around the edges. And for each dollar they cut from the precious three, the should raise taxes an equivalent amount.

It's time for us to take our bitter medicine.

They promised $100 Billion in cuts. They won in a landslide and they pull this. I don't get it. I think the country is ready for a little pain...but not this much. The Tea Party will start to exterminate these frauds today.

I hate to break the news to you, but I don't think your Tea Party compatriots will have either the common sense or the energy to do anything. You've been played IMHO.

http://images1.memegenerator.net/Ima...a-Party-Advice

It's because they're full of shit, dj. Always have been. And the Tea Party would be no different once they have to face the same mess. Have you forgotten how many of your TP candidates are now in office (As Republicans)? And what has come of it? Zip. Nada. Zero. The Tea Party is BS too. They won a bunch of elections for the GOP and were then promptly tossed back into the tool box. Sorry, but I believe this is the sad truth. I could be wrong, but I really don't think so.

Dave

That was a landslide by American terms??? How many incumbents got kicked out?

I love it. There were plenty of posts on this forum chiding the right for having expectations of Obama that were too high after he was in office for 2 years, while he had majorities in the house and the senate. The Republicans have had control of a single house for 5 weeks, and its time to pronounce failure?

Let's see. The new Repubs weren't even seated in the House yet, but they got the Prez to blink on extending the Bush era tax cuts, while also dopping SS taxes 2% for a year. They got the Prez to come off of the stupid idea that we could somehow repatriate the inmates at Gitmo so they could be processed through their home countries legal system, since their own governments either don't want them, or release them so they can return to the jihadist battlefield. The Dems were still clinging to the idiotic 1099 provisions in Health Care Reform, but by election time they were starting to change their tune on that because of pressure from the right. Finally the Prez reversed field on that issue in the State of the Union address because the Dems wanted to throw a bone to the Repubs to forestall Boehner and company from sending up bills that will attempt to dismantle Health Care Reform one brick at a time.

If that's "Zip Zero Nada", I'm wondering what your definition of progress is?

Regarding the budget, its funny that in prior sessions of Congress where the left's objective was to push back against budget reductions, if a government budget line item were slated to grow at 10%, and was then reduced to 5%, the Dems referred to this as a "budget cut". The article linked above suggests that budgeted dollars slated to be spent were left unfunded, and will remain so in the new Congress, but in this Congress, that's not a budget cut. Do the rules on the left change based on spin requirements?

I'm certainly glad the 1099 provision is gone. While I'm not positive that the Repulicans can take 100% credit for this, I suspect that if the Democrats had maintained their status during the last election it would still be policy.

Chas

Sort of like the Republican use of the term "reform" when they plan to eliminate something.:D

Ha, okay. We'll see. The Tea Party is different from all the rest how exactly? They have some magic plan to cut programs people want yet get them to still vote for them? We'll see.

I agree with you here. We won't be able to call them a failure for a bit yet. But I've yet to see the magic idea they've presented that will change the fundamental issue.

It seems the Teapublicans are falling into the age old trap. People voted for them for the same reason they voted for the Democrats last inning. They wanted to see progress. They wanted to parties to work together. No such luck. The Teapublicans know they can't get what they want, so rather than find a middle ground, they're rally cry is "March boldly backward! Return to the past!"

Super. Thanks. That'll work.

How 'bout you STFU about the Health Care bill you C A N N O T R E P E A L and try to move something forward?

We have a pretty strong recent history of pronouncing ideas and newly elected, heck, not yet elected leaders in this country as total failures, don't we?

And, one can only call these things that the right has "acheived" if one sees them as "progress". I would tend to think of them as "regress". A bold and intrepid march backwards.

Dave

Of, if its "regress" in your view, should I put assume that you're:

- in favor of the burdensome 1099 requirement, and would prefer that it be reinstated?
- in favor of closing Gitmo, assuming we can find someplace or someone to take ownership of these bastards, so that they can ultimately return to their merry ways of killing and destroying?
- rescind the 2% reduction for one year of employee FICA tax?
- roll back the Bush - era tax cuts so that you, me and everyone else faces a sharp tax increase while we're still in the midst of a recession?
- in favor of sparing no effort to maintain the size, scope and expense of the Federal government?

Not speaking for Dave here, but thought I'd chime in.

I don't know how "burdensome" 1099 would have been. I know Republicans are crowing about it. Since they can't actually repeal the law, they're making out like this is a big deal. I don't know. Obama mentioned it in the State of the Union, so I think the writing was on the wall that this was some token they could offer to give Republicans something to say to their base.

Whatever. If they are happy with that and want to call it a victory, fine.

But the tax cuts- I'll say it- I'm not in favor of ANY tax cuts for ANYONE until we start to pay our bills. We owe the money. We need to make some payments. Wanna cut spending? Knock yourself out. But until you actually cut something, we have bills piling up and it's time to pay them.

That last one you just made up, so I'm not going to address it. That's silly. That's like saying Republicans are willing to take any measure even if it means destroying the country to eliminate all taxes. Okay, that wasn't a good example because that *is* what Republicans want. But you see what I mean.

Don't take us so lightly. The Republican party has pretty much been burned to the ground by us. We, like you Dems are not happy (putting it lightly:D) with the Bush era Republicans. See where I'm going...

No, not really. But that's why we keep talking. ;)

Boy, old Boner must be weeping his head off, they blew another vote yesterday. I guess Cantor needs some remedial math as he obviously can't count.:p

Dittos, Eddie..................Did I really say that? "Dittos"?. Eek!

No, I don't see where you're going, and I really don't think y'all do either.

I think the Republicans are frightened of you because they're a bunch of pussies and the TP is full of enraged lunatics. It would be interesting to see what an America run by TPers would look like. Something tells me Canada would end up full of refugees as America joins Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union on the worlds "Wall of Shame".:rolleyes:

Dave

:D

You lefties may be enjoying this, but counting out the influence of the tea party is premature imo, and the cuts run counter to the entire left philosophy.

When it happens, it's gonna hurt.

Pete

the tea party is nothing more than the religious right under a new moniker and they did indeed make the boy king's numbers strong enough that the supreme court was able to appoint him.

indeed I have respect for the political might these imbeciles hold

I only know a couple of them, and they ain't imbeesyles. Although they're not slick politico types.

As a matter of fact their foreign policy particularly is close to the lefts'. You almost surely have much in common with them on that one :)

Pete

Which ones would those be, Pete?

They have a foreign policy? I thought they had one policy. No taxation, representation or not.

Cuts will be made, across the board but social programs will get hardest hit. Of course.

Isolationist Eddie. At least from where I'm sitting. But I'd like to hear from a TPer :)

Pete

No real cuts will be made, other than in tax rates. They'll make token cuts in programs they don't like. Heard they're after PBS now. Yeah. That's the problem. Massive PBS spending. We're in a hole- a hole they dug- and their plan is to dig faster.

Well, if you mean "Isolationist" as being against the continuance of the so-called "empire" then, I would have to say the TP and I have common ground.

But when you say "social programs", I guess my question would then shift to "whom" the cuts will "hurt" and what is the nature of the "hurt" you predict? In otherwords, what precisely should we expect will be the repercussions of these cuts? What do we have to look forward to?

What sort of "improvements" will ultimately be seen by the average citizen as a result of all of this?

Let's take the long view, shall we?

Dave

The size of the disparity is massive. Massive cuts are coming a la Europe soon to a country near you ;)

You're asking me for details? Even those at the top don't know. Heck they don't WANT to, won't happen until it's forced.

The improvement comes when we're back to reality. Till then, pain.

If they cut welfare to nothing we can always send the needy to a good libs house :p

Pete

Certainly be no point in sending them to a repub's house.

Ah ah ah, my church is constantly in the red, supporting charities.

Of course, a GOPer would be sure they were deserving and not just lazy...

Pete

I won't rehash it again, because it's clearly not going to help. But you could eliminate welfare and it won't begin to put a dent in the problem. Eleminate the ENTIRE budget for EVERYTHING other than SS, Medicade, Medicare and the Military and we STILL don't balance the budget. Sooo. What 'cha gonna cut, Tea folk?

Horse hockey, near as I recall it was Clinton who straightened out welfare. But as Eddie has pointed out, killing all the programs GOOPers don't like is not going to balane SFA. Now if we were to close all foreign bases and get out of Afghanistan and Iraq, that might balance things, hell there might even be enough left over to fix our rosds, bridges, and power grid.:rolleyes:

Congressionmal salaries? Maybe that way they could not afford broadband access and would have to settle for their wives.:p

lol - Classic.

Honestly, being a Capitalist, I think we shoud raise their salaries. Might attract a better class of people. Not kidding about that, by the way. Teachers and Police as well. Think about it, do you really want to be represented by anyone who would take the job? I honestly, no kidding, would NOT take the job if they handed it to me. Not for what it pays. Shoot, I don't think most of them make much more than me. For all that brain damage? You'd have to do better than that. I'm already underappreciated right here! And nobody wants to kill me. I mean, except for some of you guys.

But they must have a good gym. I don't look that good with my shirt off.

I've read the newsaper a long time. Clintons' hand was forced by the GOP controlled Congress. How the left howled when he signed that bill! The media was against it too. Now it's 'Clintons' reform bill :rolleyes:

I still remember the hilarity, all these reporters looking for people going hungry. They couldn't find any.

Eddie, your higher pay theory may be put to test in Ohio, our shiney brand new model Fearless Leader has said repeatedly he'll pay what it takes.

I could use a gym or three too :)

Pete

Cutting the budget is only part of the equation.

I liked some of the things that the deficit panel came up with, but it was about as popular as a turd in a punchbowl.

So let's take a comprehensive approach.

Medicare, medicade, and socialist security take up pretty much half of the budget...depending on which liar you listen to.

I'm thinking we shitcan the PPACA and go straight to single payer. I can't run the numbers, but when you consider how much money is spent on healthcare by the government, businesses, and private individuals there has to be a way to bring things in under budget.

And people need to get used to the fact they they're gonna die.

Socialist security, raise the withholding rate, remove the caps, and means test. Hell, if I were actually rich, I'd be embarrassed to draw it.

Now we have another app 1/3 which goes to the military. Tell all of our "buddies" to take care of their own asses and we'll do the same. Ain't our job to save the world.

Shrink the size of the Federal government...my favorite. Last thing we need is another sumbitch telling us how to live our lives...and billing us for the privilege.

Slap tariffs on any country which sells garbage (China) produced by slave labor and/or manipulates their currency to set their prices artificially low.

We didn't take them bastards to raise, besides, I'd like to be able to buy a vacuum actuator for my Blazer that would last longer than 3 weeks...something the Chinamen don't seem capable of producing.

Modify our monetary system so that interest paid on the national debt goes straight into the public coffers without being filtered through the international bankers.

On 2nd thought, maybe we need to hold military spending at it's current levels until we build a bunch more nukes. Seems like the bankers weren't too happy with Napoleon for refusing to to let them finance his adventures.

Face it, the difference between being crazy or eccentric depends on how much shit you have in your britches. And with enough nukes to turn the planet Earth into something that resembles a grapefruit what's been shot with a .30-06...we would be eccentric.

If all of the above doesn't balance the ledger, raise taxes...starting with the one's who can afford it the easiest.

Probably a few other things I could mention, but you get my general drift.

Now my question is, am I rational, a teabagger, or insane? I know I'm too poor to be eccentric.

Chas

Wull, mebee ya kin read ritin', but kin ya rite readin'?

Damm 'publcins always lettin' on 'bout how smart they is.

Chas

Well, Chas, I'd say we're in about 80% agreement. And I'd say you're quite rational. Which, by definition, means you're no Teabagger.

Here's the thing- as you say, people had little appetite for these sorts of cuts. We love to talk about the right and the left, but there's no escaping that we're all Americans. And Americans keep saying over and over "cut the budget but don't touch SS, Medi this, Medi that or the Military. If you do we won't vote for you".

So "we" keep saying we want it all and don't want to pay for it. We need some of those yahoos on both sides to say "sorry, folks. Can't have it. Anyone who tells you you can is lying." Then they need to cut the programs very much as you describe (I have some issues with some of your ideas, but on the whole, close enough I'm sure we could reach a deal). AND raise taxes. Pain on the right. Pain on the left. Fall on our swards and none of us will be here after the next election. But we'll get this fixed, or at least get it started.

But it ain't going to happen. It used to be one side saying it, but more and more, both sides are saying you can have it all and you don't have to pay for it.

I have to be honest. I still run into a world of people who say "they just need to cut taxes - that will raise revenue". And as I've said, I don't take issue with the fact that when Reagan did it, that's what happened. But taxes ARE low. Nobody who knows anything is still saying that. But the myth is still out there, and it's not just a few people who believe it. We need Ross Perot to get his charts and markers out again and explain it.

Was he rational? A teabagger? Insane? Dunno. But the crazy bastard was right. How much does that suck?

Just a couple of points;

SS funds itself, it was the pols who stole the money and left IOUs

Medicare probably comes close to funding itself, I am sure that I am not the only one who pays over $1100 a year for a flu shot. They have raised the level of contribution since I joined. Funny part is that it was a Republican administration that insisted I take SS at 65 although I would have preferred to wait until I retired at 73 simply because they got most all of it back in taxes..

In case no one noticed a goodly number of the countries where we have military bases would just as soon we went home, Okinawa for example. The idea that we are the world's police force is a legend in our own minds.