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We know that the legendary five Supreme Court justices are running this country but the question is, “Are these five justices also ruining this country???"
Well, Thom, to quote you, I hope that Obama grows a pair, and tells the republicans what's going to happen to them, and I hope he tells Geithner that if he doesn't want to play ball with progressives and democrats,he can find another job.
We need to win the language war:
Choice of words determines how messages are received. People have tax deductions. People like their deductions. Thus arguing to take away some corporate" tax deductions" is not a strong argument.
Please call them what they are. They are GIFTS from our treasury to selected corporations.
If we frame the argument in terms of "eliminating corporate tax gifts" we will have stronger support for what needs to be done. And people will finally begin to see the gifts for what they really are.
If there has ever been a bucket of cold water for a politically asleep populace, by god the debt ceiling issue is it. This is President Obama's pivotal moment, he must stand firm and not back down. Putting the red states on the chopping block first is a fantastic idea. Not only would this hold the REPUBLICAN hostage takers accountable, it would also make it very difficult for the right wing mass media to spin it away from those who are trying to carry out the economic terrorism. The general public will have to finally take notice of the two options the REPUBLICANS are offering, global depression or severe domestic cuts which would greatly increase unemployment and totally crap out our economy. Last I knew the Democrats wanted the same thing the vast majority wants, tax cuts for the super rich eliminated......not the Waterloo old Mitchey boy was hoping for!
I also think the public option could have been handled in a similar fashion, during the health insurance reform debates. The blue states that wanted the option should have got it while the red states went right along dumping multi millions on amateur golfers...I mean health insurance company CEO's.
Try this one from April:
http://www.politicususa.com/en/medicare-vouchers-campaigns
I would like to know if Republican members of Congress, or other members of Congress currently holding the nation hostage are holding large amounts of foreign currency or gold or some hedge for themselves against the dollar falling and not being the international standard currency. How can they possibly be voting to default unless they themselves stand to benefit, not just politically but financially? Or are their sponsors holding positions in other currencies? Transparency about this could clear up a few questions of the "are they crazy?" sort.
The strategy of hitting red states, military contractors, etc., is the kind of hardball Republicans understand. And it would be about time! Give them a taste of their own medicine.
So, let's see....if we default on the debt (don't raise the debt ceiling) Tim Geithner warns that taxes will go up on everyone.....that interest rates will go up....so like, I'm sure he really is worried about taxes going up on the little people...he is really worried that the rich will have to pay their fair share....like, the rich people will no longer be able to borrow huge sums at rock bottom interest rates and continue to buy up foreign currencies and assets making a killing in profits. Do you really think the Republicans are going to let this happen? Stay in there Obama! The Republicans are idiots!
Me?..I'm burning all my credit cards and taking my money out of the bank...we don't need no stinking credit or overlord to guard our money...who will eventually find a way to screw us out of it anyway!!..the banks are very likely to be robbed anyway because they are laying off most of the police....the way things are going, the FDIC won't be able to make good on any of the many bank failures that are likely to happen. But, of course, they could just print up more money (correction, they don't really have to "print" more money now-a-days...they just create it on the keyboards like they did when they bailed out the criminal banksters...there was no talk of debt ceilings then, was there?) and pay off everyone with little pieces of paper called cashiers checks...good luck getting them cashed.
In August 2009, Bruce Bartlett wrote a piece for the Daily Beast in which he attributed the recession of 2009 to George Bush and Republicans, whose policies he claimed resulted in an inferior record of economic performance to those of President Clinton.
In Bartlett's latest book, The New American Economy: The Failure of Reaganomics and a New Way Forward, he embraces Keynesian ideas, stating that while supply-side economics was appropriate for the 1970s and 1980s, supply side arguments do not fit contemporary conditions.
You always have a choice (besides not flying.) In this case you can opt for either the cancer causing porno scanners (check out flyingpasties.com) or the homo grope.
The POTUS will cave, just as he always does!
gerald: I may end up voting for Obama just because I hate Republicans so much...not that I think Obama is much different than Republicans. If Bernie Sanders were running or even if Thom Hartmann were running I'd vote for them instead. How about it, Thom, are you up for being our next President?
According to the CRS (Congressional Research Service) Report for Congress-Prepared for Member and Committees of Congress dated Jan. 28, 2010 and entitled: The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases:
"Congress has raised the debt limit eight times since 2001."
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL31967_20100128.pdf
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From an article written by Bruce Bartlett in the Financial Times on Oct 22, 2009:
"Since the debt limit is “must pass” legislation, it often becomes a vehicle for extraneous measures that would be vetoed by the president if presented to him as a stand-alone bill. More importantly, it is always an opportunity for the party not in power to stir up debate about debt.
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure,” then-Senator Barack Obama thundered on March 16, 2006. “Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here’. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today on to the backs of our children and grandchildren.”
Mr Obama voted against raising the debt limit that day and will, no doubt, be reminded of this fact by Republicans in coming weeks. (or years...my comments)But everyone knows the debt limit will be increased after Republicans extract their pound of flesh by making the administration – and financial markets – sweat a bit.
It is possible that the debt limit may be breached temporarily if Congress does not act in a timely manner. The Treasury can temporarily delay buying new bonds by using social security’s excess cash but Republicans will scream that the social security trust fund is being raided. However, in 2002 a Republican administration engaged in a similar manoeuvre.
There may once have been value in forcing Congress to occasionally focus on the debt and think about its implications before raising the debt limit. But in 1974, it enacted a budget law that forces it to deal with the budget as a whole on a yearly basis, rather than limiting its attention to individual appropriations bills. Since then the limit has been superfluous."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eb6f1ea4-bf3d-11de-a696-00144feab49a.html
David Lynch : If it is in fact Obama's ace in the hole, he won't play it. He's had plenty of chances to use leverage against the Republicans, and he has yet to do so, even when 80% of Americans are behind him. He was a corporatist in the Senate, and that didn't change when he became president.
On the other hand, Geithner is getting ready to exit. While he's still SecTreasury; Obama can simply refer the payment schedules to him. Congress already hates Geithner, so no big deal.
If the Republicans want the country to default, then THEIR supporters can shoulder the burden manfully, like the war heroes they make themselves out to be.
Elisdinsb
You've nailed it. I'm a volunteer at SCORE, and a substitute teacher. I try to instill an entrepreneural attitude, show the kids how to start a business, and get out of their way.
There are people who believe the debt ceiling is unconstitutional. Congress would not be one of those people.
My wife made a comment today and she informed me that she is voting for Obama if for no other reason, then to have him be able to select a more progressive justice on the Supreme Court.
Dianhow: No, I am not ignorant of the fact that the GOP has raised the debt ceiling many times...I know that...why do you think I don't know that....did I say something that would indicate that? In fact, I was going to mention that myself but just didn't. I agree that it is very important for everyone to know just how ridiculous and hypocritical it is of the Republican'ts to hold out on raising the debt ceiling now when they did themselves so many times while they were wasting scads of money and committing war crimes. I'm just saying that it seems like the debt ceiling (limit) is just a distraction and a tool that the Republicans are trying to use to deprive us out of our social security and other social services. This is what the Republicans have wanted all along and now they are pretending that the debt limit is so important that we can't raise it again...this time for the people...rather than for the rich war criminals who murder people for profit.
@my response to number 7 and number 15, please keep going for the jugular by revealing how unpatriotic our conservative crazies are.
Whenever I can, I let my conservative relatives know their thoughts are crazy and they need to check into a mental institution for a 72 hour assessment of just how crazy they are!!!
I probably upset them but we are playing for high stakes in our nutty country!!!
Paul: I second that....especially their cozy health care. Let them know how it feels to go without it like many of us have to.
Aside from the topic at hand....has anyone been paying attention to the Omaha nuke plant? I just checked the weather reports for the whole area that feeds the Missouri (N. and S. Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska) and the whole area is forecast for more thunderstorms. They are also undergoing very high temperatures...one weather report I read for Kansas City, Mo was that it was 105.9 degrees with a feels like temperature of 108 degrees. With the typical high humidity and high temperatures...and major flooding...I sure wouldn't want to be without a nice air conditioner and mosquito spray. It might pay to buy a geiger counter and some lead suits as well...and don't drink the water..if you live in Omaha or anyplace south along the Missouri....or downwind. We may very well be having our own Fukishima meltdown soon.
http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=abr&wwa=hazardous%2...
Any Representative or Senator who voted against raising the debt ceiling should be told that "their will be done" and as it was their wish, they will be credited with the honor of being first on the list to balance the budget with cuts to their pay and allowing them to contribute to their medical plans and pensions. This will be followed by the first cuts in assistance being in their states.
Oh if the President only had the guts to propose this, we'd see how quickly the Republican tune would change.
@lhebbard, here is a thought. I look upon going for the jugular with operant conditioning. Please keep attacking the jugular with constant ideas and thoughts in order to condition the conservatives with the fact that they have stinking thinking. Operant conditioning may eventually sink for the progressives to stand up for something. It may not change the conservative crazies' thought processes but the ideas and thoughts of patriotic Americans will help them to feel better in trying to resovle our many problems.
palindrom....You are ignorant of these facts GOP raised debt ceiling 10 and 15 times under Reagan and Bush
US has never refused to raise debt ceiling NOT once
The GOP wants to crash the economy in order to make Obama look bad. They don't care what it takes to get him out.
Great idea Cut off the red states. Thats only fair.since they are the loyal followers who gave us these greed lying Repubs. GOP ran on jobs but have done zero .All they do is stamp their feet - storm out of meetings & demand even more corp tax cuts - OIL subsides and giant loopholes while our kids education, the old on medicaid - disabled, Students all do without . Heaven forbid Corps lose some of their perks GOP WILL NOT ALLOW THAT .GOP chose corps / billionaires over all else !! Just wait till seniors start hollaring about their checks Repubs - COns / Baggers still love their gov't programs like ... Medicare