Thom's blog - Monday December 13th, 2010
By shawnt56
You need to know this. The GOP elected their new Committee Chairmen last week. They will be the primary lawmakers in charge of crafting legislation and holding hearings when the House of Representatives reconvenes for the 112th session of Congress next year. And the new roster of leaders could spell trouble for the country moving forward. Heading up the Appropriation Committee – Kentucky Rep Hal Rogers. Don’t anticipate any reduction in pork spending and pet projects under the new Republican Congress – as Rogers is known as the “King of Pork” on Capitol Hill. So let the wasteful spending continue. The new head of the Budget Committee is Paul Ryan from Wisconsin. Ryan has already declared war on seniors and now has the purse strings to enforce it. His “long-term budget roadmap” includes privatizing Social Security and drastically cutting Medicare. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will be the Chairwoman of the Foreign Relations Committee – and she’s not exactly a fan of diplomacy. Back in 2006 – videotape surfaced of her advocating for the assassination of Fidel Castro. So much for restoring America’s image around the world. The Homeland Security Committee will be now be headed by New York Congressman Peter King. He recently has declared wikileaks a terrorist organization. And – when Attorney General Eric Holder said he would be investigating CIA interrogation tactics – or torture – King quickly expressed his discontent calling the oversight “bull – ‘crap’”. And finally – to make sure nothing gets done in Congress next year – Republicans elected Darryl Issa to head the Government Oversight Committee. Issa has already pledged to investigate President Obama on a variety of issue from a Joe Sestak job offer to ACORN. Curiously though – back in 2007 – Issa was opposed to investigating Blackwater after the mercenary group killed countless Iraqi civilians in a massacre. Looks like Issa isn’t motivated by justice – he’s motivated by politics. Also – looks like there is plenty of corporate cash behind the new roster of Committee Chairs. USA Today is reporting that nearly 1.2 million dollars was donated to 7 new Chairmen by special interest PACs. Oh – and the majority of their new staffers are former lobbyists. There you have it – the Republican Committee leadership of the 112th Congress. Bought and paid for by corporations to do the bidding of the rich and legislating of the irrational.
Comments
#2
we need to remember the slogan NO MORE WAR.....we need to remember that the fight for true freedom is about being less comfortable and not more. we need to remember that our value together can speak volumes above the echo of slanted media, the echo of our demise!
#3
it is not the federal reserve it is the federal deserve. a printing press for the war machine for the new world ruling class for the wall street blood feast to worship like a alter of ice cream for their children to inherit for their club to devour.
#4
thanks tom you are loved as you know
#5
#35 DYLANESQUE wrote 1 hour 34 min ago THOM HARTMANN IS WISHY
THOM HARTMANN IS WISHY WASHY!
ALL OVER THE PLACE!
DEAD WRONG!
AND AN APOLOGIST FOR RATS!!
Especially because two (2) solutions exist to block the OBAMA TAX CUTS.
Before I explain the two (2) solutions, PLEASE NOTE and allow me to state that I prefer much more a Bernie Sanders/Nancy Pelosi ticket in 2012!! Sanders and Pelosi are far more effective Populists than traitorous Obama!
First, Senator Sanders can still filibuster the bill in the Senate!!
Secondly,
(1) Let the BUSH TAX CUTS expire.
(2) In January, 2011, attach the Middle Class Tax Cuts and the Emergency Unemployment Insurance Extension to a Government funding or Military spending bill.
(3) Let the Republicans veto it and shut down the government, as they did during the Clinton administration.
(4) After a few days or a week, the Republicans will capitulate --- as they did under Clinton --- because the public and Obama will excoriate the Republicans, IF OBAMA HAS THE BACKBONE, THE SPINE, TO STAND UP TO THE REPUBLICANS, instead of berating and scolding his LOST BASE!! (Obama is a wimp, a traitor, a loser, whom I don't respect!)
(5) Then make the Middle Class Tax Cuts and Emergency Unemployment Insurance Extension retroactive to the first of the year. QED (Theorem proved!).
PSP [POSTSCRIPT PLUS]::---
PLEASE ADD these two words to your vocabulary::---
PSY-'CHOP-ATHY, I define in this context to be, THE TAKEOVER AND CONTROL OF ALL MODERN INSTITUTIONS BY PSYCHOPATHS.
POLITICAL PONEROLOGY::--- THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE UTILIZATION, ADJUSTMENT, AND ADAPTATION OF EVIL FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
PLEASE CONSULT::---
1. Andrze M. Lobaczewski and Laura Knight-Jadczyk, Political Ponerology: A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes, 2007.
2. Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarians, 2007.
3. Dr. Paul Babiak and Dr. Robert D. Hale, Professor Emeritus and Industrial Psychologist, respectively, Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work, 2007.
4. asb2525, Snakes in Suits, Skirts, and Military Garb: When Anal-Fixated Psychopaths Go to Work and RAW WAR!!, 2010 (to be e-mailed).
**5.
“Ponerology”: n. division of theology dealing with evil; theological doctrine of wickedness or evil; from the Greek: poneros -> evil'.
We are not proposing a “theological” study, but rather a scientific study of what we can plainly call Evil. The problem is, our materialist scientific culture does not readily admit that evil actually exists, per se. The lack of such a science has cost humanity millions of lives and untold suffering.
22 August 2010 Time for Change: Why the Corrupt Few Wreak So Much Death, Destruction, and Suffering on the Rest of us
by Time for Change Democratic Underground
#6
For those interested in learning more about Issa's public record and to follow his current shenanigans, Courage Campaign has an excellent blog devoted these subjects, "Issa Exposed":
#7
Tom,
YOu asked why republicans are allowing people with opposing views to take over GOP leadership. It is simple. It doesn't matter. It has become a game played primarily by those at the very top of power who realize,that the more confusing and complicated and controversial the governance process becomes, the more autonomy they have with the less potential for significant rebellion by the crowds of relatively emotionally driven and unaware masses. In the same way Fox News has now been the first to offer a legitimate hearing to the 9/11 truth movement, "switching sides" and divide and conquer remains a strategy for power politics.
#8
With these appointments, do you now see why it's so important to get help to middle class and the economy right now? Those opposed to the tax deal would be willing to risk other people's wellbeing on a bet that the Republicans would e v e n t u a l l y restore unemployment benefits and restore tax cuts for the middle class. Not gonna happen. We have to move on what we can get now, then deal with tax cuts for the rich through the deficit control process.
#9
Since you asked, I'll respond. Republicans chose these people as leaders because they will dependably pursue following through on Reagan's advice, "Government is the problem." These people will be sure to work to dismantle the federal government and siphon as much of the treasury as they can on their way out the door.
It's the one area of intellectual honesty we can find among the Repubs. They claim that government is broken, and so they do everything they can to prove themselves right.
#10
You do a great job, Thom. Keep up the good work !
I believe we all must realize that the "rich" control the entire political process: BOTH Republicans and Democrats, and even the Judiciary with the Roberrs Court. The new Republican members of the House of Represntatives must "deliver" tax cuts and pork to the "rich", or they will be gone, smeared away in a barrage of negative advertising. I think it is time for a NEW political party; one for the working people of America. Nancy Pelosi should be the candidate for President.
Even the Obama Administration has been "bought" by the rich. The latest "bipartisan deal" smacks of "trickle down Reagan style tax policy"; which has been shown repeatedly to do NOTHING for working people. America is as "stuck" today for tax and economic policy as it was in the 1920s...we are heading for another Depression. And NO ONE in Washington in either party has the GUTS to stand up to the wealthy and tell them "Here is the new tax policy, now it is a new game in America."
We NEED another Franklin Roosevelt. Instead we have Obama. His administration acts like those of either James Buchanan or Martin Van Buren, both of whom wanted to solve hard issues through compromise. They ended up doing nothing to really help the American people comes to grips with brutal reality.
#11
As a former Montana resident, we had to fight Republican Sen Conrad Burns on logging and wilderness issues, and were able to win or have a stalemate on most everything. We were organzied and energetic.
Democrat Jon Tester defeated Burns in 2006. "Democrat" Tester is not pushing forward with "Republican" Burns' core issues. It is much, much harder to fight Tester than Burns, because Tester is a Democrat and when Democrats are in office, Democrats fall asleep at the wheel. Tester is far more likely to pass bad wilderness and logging bills than Burns.
And that's my point - we do not need to save the Obama presidency. No matter which party is in power, we have a huge fight with the odds stacked heavily against us. We have a better chance of winning with Republicans in power than Democrats, because Democrats stay awake and help in the fight.
Yes, it's a long shot. Yes, victories are few. But no, Mr. Hartmann, our salvation is not in "taking over" the Democratic Party. Money will not allow that. It's a quixotic mission.
#12
Bush dug the hole and Obama climbed in.
Or, as a recent cartoon in the St. Paul Pioneer Press put it, Obama is Charley Brown and the Republican Party is Lucy...holding a football she's inviting him to try and kick. Again.
#13
When bush senior said ("it's a new world order") the only thing he left out were the names of say, the top 10/20 people that run the world. He was probably chastised a bit for making that (honest) comment by his piers. We are no longer America, with control over our own destiny. The new order looks like this, America--The police department, China-- Currency controller and cheap labor, Saudi's oil and banking manipulation etc etc. I can't give you the complete break down because only those top 20 know what that break down is. Americas supreme court is acutely aware of the new order, that is why they could pass such an obvious laugher like the Corporation can buy any politician act. Thom gives people to much credit, that they are intelligent, I've heard him say so a few times. I don't see it, the writing of Americas demise is being written right in front of our eyes and yet virtually nobody see's it. I wish it were not true, but for me it is blindingly obvious and un-stoppable!
#14
great comparison! did obama climb into the same spider hole saddam climbed into?
#15
Agreed, the bureaucrats, the military, the media, the banks, the other big players just use the government as their tool, throwing money to get their way. I don't know what you can call this, Thom's "neofeudalism" is pretty good. In some ways this parallels the gangster capitalism that's going on in China and Russia now. Or fascism with a human face, I guess. Back in the early 1950s a science-fiction book called "The Space Merchants" imagined a future America where the senators were from big corporations and the president just a figurehead kept on for nostalgia. Maybe we're getting there now.
#16
I will have to check it out, have not heard of that book, which do you recommend the 1958 version or venus inc, 1984? I hate to sound to pessimistic, but our choices in the last election, A black man or a white women, (the Dem's) or the oldest guy ever (that likely would not live his full presidency) and a quitter women, (the repub's). I am not mocking any of the above 4 food groups, just simply making an observation or comparative analogy. The equivalent in sports being a pro hockey team like the Chicago blackhawks against a high school team, but the the high school team did not think they would be good enough so they through the jr. high team in to play instead and so on. Simply put both parties through their worst team on the field and those that control installed their pick! (which of course was pre-ordained) it was the Dem's turn to play their roll in the good cop bad cop game that has been played on we the idiots since they killed you know who! "maybe were getting there now" No were there!
#17
It is the 2 Santa approach
The Corporatists (Republicans) when in power give as much money and tax breaks as possible to those who gave them money and any other special interest group to develop a positive valence (and break the bank to bring down government). Then when not in power the huge deficits they have created give them a lethal attack point against Democrats (Whimp-a-sauruses). It is all about the endgame with no concern about integrity or doing what is in the best interest of the country. Wasnt there about 16 years of FDR leadership that laid the foundation for much of the programs that helped make this country great? We may need 4 terms of non-republican leadership (emphasis on leadership) to overcome the damage done to this country. Unfortunately elections can be stolen and we need international monitoring to be sure elections in this Banana Republic (USA) are not rigged.
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CAPITULATION = BAD POLICY = BAD POLITICAL STRATEGY
In two years Obama will say there's nothing he can do to reverse the Bush taxcuts because of the Republican House. Then the 700BN$ hole blown in the budget as a result of the Bush /Obama Taxcuts will be used to implement the draconian recommendations of Obama's deficit commission.
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's approval ratings have sunk to the lowest level of his presidency, so low that he'd lose the White House to Republican Mitt Romney if the election were held today, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.
The biggest reason for Obama's fall: a sharp drop in approval among Democrats and liberals, apparently unhappy with his moves toward the center since he led the party to landslide losses in November's midterm elections. At the same time, he's gained nothing among independents.
"He's having the worst of both worlds right now," said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College in New York, which conducted the national survey.
"As he moves to the center, he's not picking up support among independents and he's having some fall-off among his base. If his strategy is to gain independents and keep the Democrats in tow, it isn't working so far."
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/12/10/105105/poll-obamas-losing-support-romney.html#ixzz17o9nevCt