The Only Adult In The Room

[stephanie]

Ms M when I have more time tonight I will read your links [[thanks keep them coming). In response to your posting about Sarah Palin. I dont like the way the media has laid blame on her as well I think the Dems were looking for a scapegoat and it makes sense that they would use her as a target. Now we all know that Beck, Oreilly, Hannity and the rest of them will always distort the facts and try to shame Obama [[except for in this recent speech they know better you just cant find fault with it). Here are some reasons I dont think Palin will be a respected candidate for anything at this point

1) Have you noticed ever since she came out in 2008 this chick runs from the press OR she always has a rebuttle placing herself as the victim in any situation she is in.
2) Big mistake by not finishing her term as a Governor. If she couldnt to that what makes people think she has the balls to be a president or VP.
3) When the campaign was over she complained about what the McCain press machine wanted her to do on Oprah and in her memoirs. Revelations like this should have come out years later not so soon she appears not to be a team player.
4) Troopergate and misappropriation of funds will come back to haunt her if she decides to run
5) She is not very internet friendly instead of using Sarahpac and her Facebook to raise republican awareness she uses it to tell people not to listen to the media and defend her daughter instead of bringing her party together.
6) Because of her Miss America type background she is a hound for publicity and money and frankly Im glad because this type of attitude dwindles with the public pretty soon and she may have millions in the bank but people are beginning to see her for what she is a cute Republican who wants to make money and not take a political office seriously.
7) Unfortunately she will have her believers in redneck states who will stick by her rhetoric but there are not enough of them to make a major dent in the voting booth IMO I think Team Sarah will always exist but it will be in the form of having a cute face for fundraisers nothing more nothing less. She will wind up like her daughters boyfriend Levi but with more money in the bank and a decent job behind the scenes or on tv a la fox news.

[ms_m]

Can't argue with much of what you say Stephanie although I do have two things,

1. It's not only the Dems that laid the blame at her feet and again, I think it's completely fair to blame her for contributing to the hateful rhetoric and tone in politics these days.

2. I disagree about her being internet friendly, she has mastered networking in a way no politician today has. Can it carry her through a presidential nomination and presidential bid....I doubt it but she has used it quite effectively to the chagrin of her critics and the media.

I really believe she suffers from a narcissistic personality and that alone may propel her to try for the top spot and to that I say

run Sarah, run!!!!!!!!!

I would love to see her be the Republican nominee in 2012.

[MotownSteve]

I think she wants everyone to wonder of she is going to run that keeps her in the public eye and the money rolls in. That is it, in a nut shell.

Also, I think the Dems would love it if she ran.

[ms_m]

McCain lauds Obama as a 'patriot'
By Jordan Fabian - 01/14/11 02:52 PM ET

Sen. John McCain [[R-Ariz.) — one of President Obama's most strident critics — praised the president's speech in Arizona at a memorial service for the victims of the Tucson shooting spree.

The Arizona senator and Obama's 2008 opponent penned an op-ed in the Washington Post, saying Obama "comforted and inspired the country" by calling for greater civility in the nation's political discourse.

"I disagree with many of the president's policies, but I believe he is a patriot sincerely intent on using his time in office to advance our country's cause," McCain wrote. "I reject accusations that his policies and beliefs make him unworthy to lead America or opposed to its founding ideals. And I reject accusations that Americans who vigorously oppose his policies are less intelligent, compassionate or just than those who support them."

Full Article

[ms_m]

Gov. to critics of MLK no-shows: 'Kiss my butt'

PORTLAND, Maine [[AP) — Maine's governor told critics Friday to "kiss my butt" over his decision not to attend the state NAACP's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations over the holiday weekend. Gov. Paul LePage declined the organization's invitations to a dinner in Portland on Sunday night and a breakfast in Orono on Monday because of prior commitments. The NAACP's state director said the group felt it was being neglected by the new governor, who was elected in November. The head of a Portland immigration group said it would have been nice if he'd at least send a representative from his office to attend. When asked by a reporter Friday to respond, LePage said: "Tell them to kiss my butt."

"If they want to play the race card, come to dinner and my son will talk to them," LePage said, referring to Devon Richard, a 25-year-old black Jamaican whom LePage took into his home at the age of 17.

After LePage declined the invitations, NAACP state director Rachel Talbot Ross told the Portland Press Herald the group was beginning to feel "we're not welcome, we're not part of the Maine he's preparing to lead for the next four years." A phone call to Ross was from The Associated Press was not immediately returned.

Beth Stickney, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project in Portland, said LePage's remarks are discouraging given that the NAACP events are about unity.

Read More



Things that make you go, hmmmmmmmmm

This guy’s campaign slogan was “People Before Politics”
I guess that doesn’t apply to his own family???????

There is so much more about this guy that is ignorant and over the top but I refuse to waste any more space on him ....for now.

[ms_m]

Thank you ms_m! These sites will come in handy the next time I enter into a debate the the Teabaggers or with one of their sympathizers.

Sorry I missed this post MissLish and you're welcome. Hope they help. Debating a TP can make you feel as if you've fallen down a rabbit hole.

Good Luck

[ms_m]

Obama administration readying education overhaul push ahead of State of the Union

By Erica Werner [[CP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is putting education overhaul at the forefront of his agenda as he prepares for his annual State of the Union address and adjusts to the new reality of a divided government. But trouble signs are already emerging.

Despite a bipartisan consensus in favour of reforming requirements for students and teachers, political pressures from the coming 2012 presidential campaign and disputes over timing, money and scope loom over a debate affecting millions of Americans — the overdue renewal of the federal education law known as No Child Left Behind.

For all the talk in Washington that education might offer the best chance for the White House to work with Republicans, any consensus could swiftly evaporate in the capital's pitiless political crosscurrents, leaving the debate for another day, perhaps even another presidency.

Full Article

[ms_m]

The Plum Line


Conservatives and Obama's speech

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Tucson speech may go down as one of the most important of Barack Obama's presidency, so it's worth nailing down its most important accomplishment: He finally got conservatives to listen to what he had to say - about them.
Conservatives have widely hailed Obama's speech, primarily because they think he "rebuked" the left when he said that our overheated discourse didn't cause the Arizona shootings. This line was important but not for the reasons conservatives think it was. By absolving the right from blame, he made it impossible for them to shut out his larger message.

Obama's statement that rhetoric didn't cause the massacre is best understood as a set-up to the larger point that followed: that the bloodshed confers a moral obligation upon all of us to improve the tone and integrity of our discourse. If Obama had delivered this latter message without the set-up, conservatives would have had an opening to reject it as political.

Read Full Article

[ms_m]

Exports Boost Offers Economic Bright Spot
by Marilyn Geewax

January 16, 2011

While the housing sector's troubles continue to drag down the U.S. economy, manufacturing is doing well, largely because of strong sales overseas.

The exports boom has helped the manufacturing sector grow at a pace three times faster than the rest of the economy. According to federal data released last week, exports rose for the third straight month in November to nearly $160 billion.

Overseas customers are buying more U.S. airplanes, pharmaceuticals, foods, industrial supplies, cotton, computers and more.

Read More


or listen to the story

[ms_m]

Economic View

What Obama Should Say About the Deficit

By CHRISTINA D. ROMER
Published: January 15, 201

BY the time President Obama gave his State of the Union address last year, the speech felt like an old friend. It had been part of my life — from the brainstorming sessions in late November 2009 to the last minute fact-checking. I knew when all of my favorite lines were coming. That led to an awkward moment during the address when I sprang to my feet, applauding the president’s tacit endorsement of the free-trade agreement with South Korea, before noticing that the only other person cheering seemed to be Ron Kirk, the special trade representative.

This year, instead of being on the floor of Congress with the rest of the cabinet, I will be watching on television with the rest of the country. Instead of knowing what is coming, I can write about what I hope the president will say. My hope is that the centerpiece of the speech will be a comprehensive plan for dealing with the long-run budget deficit.
I am not talking about two paragraphs lamenting the problem and vowing to fix it. I am looking for pages and pages of concrete proposals that the administration is ready to fight for. The recommendations of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform that the president created are a very good place to start.

The need for such a bold plan is urgent — both politically and economically. Voters made it clear last November that they were fed up with red ink. President Obama should embrace the reality that his re-election may depend on facing up to the budget problem.

Full Article

[ms_m]

Editorial

The Truth and Consequences of Repeal

Published: January 15, 2011

Get ready for more theater on Capitol Hill. House Republicans plan to push through legislation this week to repeal the health care reform law.

In deference to the new vows of civility, the tone of the debate may be a bit more restrained. But Republicans have already said that they will not strip the word “killing” from the bill — which is titled, “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.” Civility apparently goes only so far.

While repeal will certainly pass the House, it has no chance in the Senate. So House Republicans are already planning other ways to undermine the reforms, like denying agencies enough money to hire personnel to carry out the program.

Americans will pay a high price if opponents get their way. Reform means that tens of millions of uninsured people will get a chance at security; and many millions more who have coverage can be sure they can keep or replace it, even if they get sick or lose their jobs.

Full Article

[MotownSteve]

I'm really getting fed up with the republicans. They are showing less maturity, as a group, than first graders playing football. Their idea of what to do if they don't like the way things are going is take the ball and then somehow fix the field so you can't play there. I can't remember the last time they had a constructive idea; not including tax cuts for the rich. From where I sit when Mitch McConnell said he is not going to to anything, he should have resigned and gone home. As for Sarah, that comment that the targets on her map were surveyors targets, sure. I spent 28 years listening to criminals telling lies. That one is so weak could not hold a q-tip. They can't even admit their mistakes. Oh, wait a second, they don't make any.

[ms_m]

[ms_m]

Weekly Address: President Obama: Before We are Democrats or Republicans, We are Americans

It’s been one week since tragedy visited Tucson, Arizona.

We properly spent much of the week mourning the victims and remembering their lives. We also discovered stories that serve to lift us up – stories of heroism and bravery, of courage and community – stories that remind us that we are one American family, 300 million strong.

One of the places we saw that sense of community on display was on the floor of Congress, where Gabby Giffords, who inspires us with her recovery, is deeply missed by her colleagues. One by one, Representatives from all parts of the country and all points of view rose in common cause to honor Gabby and the other victims, and to reflect on our shared hopes for this country.

As shrill and discordant as our politics can be at times, it was a moment that reminded us of who we really are – and how much we depend on one another.

While we can’t escape our grief for those we’ve lost, we carry on now, mindful of those truths.

We carry on because we have to. After all, this is still a time of great challenges for us to solve. We’ve got to grow jobs faster, and forge a stronger, more competitive economy. We’ve got to shore up our budget, and bring down our deficits. We’ve got to keep our people safe, and see to it that the American Dream remains vibrant and alive for our children and grandchildren.

These are challenges I believe we can meet. And I believe we can do it in a way worthy of those who sent us here to serve. So as business resumes, I look forward to working together in that same spirit of common cause with members of Congress from both parties – because before we are Democrats or Republicans, we are Americans.

And as we perform the work of this nation, my prayer is that we stay true to our words, and turn to those examples of heroism, and courage, and perseverance, to bring out the better in all of us.

Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend.

[ms_m]

MotownSteve
...based on your last comment I thought you would find this diary/essay interesting, enjoy.

Thoughts on Anger and Washington’s Toxic Atmosphere

Everyone gets angry. It’s a universal human emotion. Newborns express frustration and anger. Three-year old children express anger, as do teenagers and fully-grown adults.

Psychology and child development studies show that each age and developmental stage has is own characteristic way of expressing anger. We even know what these behaviors look like, because they’ve been described in countless psychology, child development, and education books and periodicals. Dr. Spock and Jean Piaget are often quoted in this regard.

If we take a close look at the way some members of the present Congress have expressed their anger, we will see that their behavior, that is to say the manner in which they express their anger, does not match the adult behavioral model. There it is! The toxic and hostile atmosphere in Washington is the direct result of the inability of some members of Congress to express their anger and frustration as a normal, healthy adult. So . . . .

Full Essay

[MotownSteve]

Hi ms_m,

Thanks. Seems to say what I said in a more appropriate manner. :-D

[ms_m]

LOL

The way you expressed it worked for me Steve but when I saw this I thought of your comment. Glad you liked it.

[stephanie]

Ms M and all I hope that the Arizona tragedy will not be forgotten in the sense that it brought politicians together for a moment and hopefully will keep them together. I dont like to see tragedies like this harped on everyday but if it keeps the congress civil I am all for it. Oh happy MLK day.

[ms_m]

I dont like to see tragedies like this harped on everyday but if it keeps the congress civil I am all for it.

Stephanie, there isn't any doubt in my mind whatsoever you didn't mean this the way it came out but sweetie, seeing people die and injured is NOT the way I want this country to come together. That's too high of a price for anyone to have to pay for civility.

[stephanie]

Ms M you are right that didnt come out the right way. What I meant to say was [[and 9-11) is a good example of this. I dont like to see tragedies harped on add I dont think its a good thing to see people die or even become matrys over things like this. If one must be reminded of past tragedies to get things right I am all for it. If I had the power to make things like this stop believe me I would. The only way I can describe it is like a Scared Straight situation [[remember those). We should not have to have those moments as adults but we have children in some of these political positions. Most of them need to be reminded of the past.

[MotownSteve]

Hi Stephanie,
If you did not look at the article ms_m posted above, Thoughts on Anger and Washington’s Toxic Atmosphere, I suggest you do. It is a very worthwhile read.

[ms_m]

I think what you mean Stephanie is we should look at tragedies such as these as teachable moments and I agree but people have to be open to that idea. They have to own up to their insecurities and let go of the defensive posturing. They have to accept responsibility for the words and rhetoric they use that create toxic environments and more than anything as far as I'm concern, they have to learn to separate their political ideology from their authentic selves.

Politics doesn't make us who we are, what's in our hearts and minds determines that, our actions and reaction determine that. We need to put aside that us against them mindset and understand we are all in this together and if you must think in terms of a them....it's not your political opposite that's harming you but the top tier 1% that are causing you the real problems in this country.

Understand that's not to say all rich people are evil but there is more a class war going on than anything else and we need to recognize our personal agendas, no matter how right and noble they are, are the things these people use to keep us divided.

This is also [[IMO) a call to alms to start paying more attention to mental health issues. Something that has been sadly neglected over the years. The large percentage of people diagnosed with mental health issues are not violent, their issues are also treatable if they stay on their meds but that small percentage that don't fit in that category, are the ones that commit these types of acts.

Politicians are backing away from the violent rhetoric and threats but only beacuse it's in the National spotlight right now. It's up to us to make sure they understand we are not going to continue to accept it as status quo, or an acceptable way to express a difference of opinion. That goes for politicians and the media.

I could care less about the views of Beck or anyone like him but when he starts talking about wanting to kill another human being [[ Michael Moore), poisoning Nancy Pelosi or put a bullet through someones head or even his own and he's using a national platform to say all these things, he has crossed the line.

Promoting his CT theories and speaking in dog whistles do nothing but frighten people and make them paranoid and that's irresponsible and dangerous. Doesn't absolve the actual person that commits a crime but it doesn't make the person promoting BS and violence above the criticism either.

We all play a role in this society, we all have to accept and be responsible for the role we play.

[stephanie]

Ok I read the article above and I have to remember although people are adults these attitudes start at home. Bravo about the mental health issues! If we have lingering thoughts that make us the way we are and we are normal I can imagine what is going on in the mind of the mentally ill who for some reason [[lack of judgement, brain dysfunction, schizophrenia, depression) cant control their emotions or put them in check. I have a confession to make when I was in my 20s I didnt believe people who suffered from depression I thought it was over a love affair, losing a job, puberty, etc.......then I found out there were people who really had a chemical imbalance and really suffered from depression no matter how great things were going. I even put it on well they have accomplished so much there is nothing more for them to do [[the rich) but the rich and poor have issues with depression and its just as serious as anything else. Dick Cavett years ago brought it to the forefront for me and also Patty Duke with Dont Call me Anna. I wish I had not been so ignorant in my 20s regarding this but thank god I learned in my 30s.

[MotownSteve]

Let's hope we all keep learning. One thing I have learned is that the more I learn and the more I know, the more I realize how much I don't know.

[ms_m]

What a tangle web we weave when first we practice to deceive…

FACT CHECK: Shaky health care job loss estimate

WASHINGTON — Republicans pushing to repeal President Barack Obama's health care overhaul warn that 650,000 jobs will be lost if the law is allowed to stand.

But the widely cited estimate by House GOP leaders is shaky. It's the latest creative use of statistics in the health care debate, which has seen plenty of examples from both sides.

Republicans are calling their thumbs-down legislation the "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." Postponed after the mass shootings in Tucson, a House vote on the divisive issue is now expected Wednesday, although Democrats promise they'll block repeal in the Senate.
A recent report by House GOP leaders says "independent analyses have determined that the health care law will cause significant job losses for the U.S. economy."

It cites the 650,000 lost jobs as Exhibit A, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office as the source of the original analysis behind that estimate. But the budget office, which referees the costs and consequences of legislation, never produced the number.

What follows is a story of how statistics get used and abused in Washington.

What CBO actually said is that the impact of the health care law on supply and demand for labor would be small. Most of it would come from people who no longer have to work, or can downshift to less demanding employment, because insurance will be available outside the job.

Full Article

CBO ANALYSIS
________________________________________
Preliminary Analysis of H.R. 2, the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act
January 6, 2011

Letter to the Honorable John Boehner

http://www.cbo.gov/publications/coll...cfm?collect=10

[MotownSteve]

As I learned in statistics, figures don't lie. Liars figure.

[ms_m]

LOL...Good one Steve but many people will never take the time to research those lies and "Boner," Cantor and all the Repubs know it. This is how they get over, say a lie, repeat a lie, wash, rinse and repeat...after awhile that lie turns into the truth [[in the minds of folks too busy to bother to find out for themselves)

When you have people like Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Beck, Limbaugh, etc pushing those same lies and more all over talk radio and Fox Fake and BS News the base eats it up....and then their heroes turn on them.


Oh yeah a 3rd political party for the people and by the people will always work for the people…oh wait…
Maybe this article should be called, real Washington politics 101 [[when campaign finance reform is nowhere in sight)


Tea Party Senators Ignore Tea Party Base, Reject Timetable For Withdrawal From Afghanistan


In November, President Obama and NATO proposed a new timetable for the end of combat missions in Afghanistan. The White House has said it will begin a gradual withdrawal starting in in July of this year. According to an Afghanistan Study Group survey, two-thirds of Tea Party voters believe that “Washington should reduce troop levels in Afghanistan or withdraw from the region altogether as soon as possible.” 67 percent of Tea Party supporters worried that the war would hamper deficit reduction.

However, after a weekend trip in Afghanistan to be wooed “away from the Tea Party” by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [[R-KY), Tea Party victors Sens. Pat Toomey [[R-PA), Kelly Ayotte [[R-NH), Ron Johnson [[R-WI), and Marco

Rubio [[R-FL) have all decided to ignore the Tea Party and rebuke the idea of any timetable for withdrawal as “artificial”:

– Toomey: Though a “budget hawk” elected on platform of less wasteful spending, Toomey said that, “despite record budget deficits, a skeptical public and corruption within the Afghanistan’s government, the United States can’t afford to shortchange the war effort.” “This is the country from which al-Qaida launched the most devastating attack on America since World War II. The Taliban wants to take control again. Al-Qaida wants to have a safe haven. And that’s what would happen, I’m afraid, if we had a precipitous withdrawal,” Toomey said in Kabul.

Full Article

[ms_m]

Op-Ed Columnist

No One Listened to Gabrielle Giffords

By FRANK RICH
Published: January 15, 2011

OF the many truths in President Obama’s powerful Tucson speech, none was more indisputable than his statement that no one can know what is in a killer’s mind. So why have we spent so much time debating exactly that?

The answer is classic American denial. It was easier to endlessly parse Jared Lee Loughner’s lunatic library — did he favor “The Communist Manifesto” or Ayn Rand? — than confront the larger and harsher snapshot of our current landscape that emerged after his massacre. A week on, that denial is becoming even more entrenched. As soon as the president left the podium Wednesday night, we started shifting into our familiar spin-dry post-tragedy cycle of the modern era — speedy “closure,” followed by a return to business as usual, followed by national amnesia.

If we learn nothing from this tragedy, we are back where we started. And where we started was with two years of accelerating political violence — actual violence, not to be confused with violent language — that struck fear into many, not the least of whom was Gabrielle Giffords.

Read More

[ms_m]

Opinion Column

Moving past right-wing rhetoric

By JOE SCARBOROUGH | 1/18/11 4:45 AM EST Updated: 1/18/11 10:00 AM EST
We get it, Sarah Palin. You’re not morally culpable for the tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz. All of us around the “Morning Joe” table agree, even if we were stunned that you would whine about yourself on Facebook as a shattered family prepared to bury their 9-year-old girl.

The same goes for you, Glenn Beck. You’ve attacked your political opponents with words designed to inspire hatred and mind-bending conspiracy theories from fans. Calling the president a racist, Marxist and fascist may be reprehensible, but it did not lead a mentally disturbed man to take a Glock to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s “Congress on Your Corner” event.
Good on ya, buddy. You weren’t personally responsible for the slaughter at the Safeway. Maybe you can put it on a poster at the next “Talkers” convention.

But before you and the pack of right-wing polemicists who make big bucks spewing rage on a daily basis congratulate yourselves for not being responsible for Jared Lee Loughner’s rampage, I recommend taking a deep breath. Just because the dots between violent rhetoric and violent actions don’t connect in this case doesn’t mean you can afford to ignore the possibility — or, as many fear, the inevitability — that someone else will soon draw the line between them.

Read More

Scarborough mentions Byron Williams in his op-ed. For those that may not be familiar with the story see link below.


"Progressive Hunter"

Jailhouse Confession: How the right-wing media and Glenn Beck's chalkboard drove Byron Williams to plot assassination

[ms_m]

No Fifth Term for Lieberman

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER and RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
Published: January 18, 2011

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in 2000 who later became deeply alienated from his party, will announce on Wednesday that he will not seek a fifth term, according to people he told of the decision.

Mr. Lieberman, 68, whose term is up in January 2013, has chosen to retire rather than face a difficult campaign for re-election, according to aides and others who spoke to the senator on Tuesday.
“He believes that if he were to run for re-election it’d be a tough fight,” said Marshall Wittmann, a member of Mr.

Lieberman’s Senate staff. “He’s confident he could’ve won that fight. He’s had tough fights before. But he wants to have a new chapter in his life.”

Read More

[ms_m]

The President's Photographer: 50 Years in the Oval Office

For 50 years, presidential photographers have covered it all: upheaval, tragedy, joy — often developing friendships with the presidents they serve. Acting as both visual historians and key links between the public and the presidents, for these photographers no day is the same — whether they are aboard Air Force One, backstage at the State of the Union or in the heart of the West Wing.

As the 44th president's chief photographer, Pete Souza is never far behind President Obama. Now in the National Geographic Special, The President's Photographer: 50 Years in the Oval Office, viewers can follow Souza, and those who came before him, for a behind-the-scenes look at the everyday grit of the American presidency. Offering a chance to see what it's like to cover the most powerful man in the world, for history.

The presidential photographer's job is two-fold: one, taking photographs of the president greeting dignitaries, visitors and guests; and two, perhaps more challenging and gratifying: documenting for history every possible aspect of the presidency, both official events, backstage happenings and "off-duty" private moments. "Creating a good photographic archive for history is the most important part of my job, creating this archive that will live on," says Souza. "This is not so much photojournalism as photo-history." Souza and his staff produce up to 20,000 pictures a week.

Video

FYI: This video is almost an hour long but fascinating.
Warning: Video Footage of 9/11 present

[ms_m]

Op-Ed
Yes, repeal health-care reform -- on one condition

By Matt Miller
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Republicans need to pass a law that the Congressional Budget Office certifies will cover the same number of uninsured as the Democratic health reform does - 30 million. And it has to do it at lower cost.
If I were President Obama, this is what I would be saying this week. And in the State of the Union address next week. And every time the question comes up.

The logic is simple. If Republicans are serious, they have to accept that it's a national priority to make sure that every American has basic health coverage. Thirty million isn't enough, of course, because the ranks of the uninsured still hover around 50 million. But since Democrats could only muster the will to cover 30 million, that's all we can expect the GOP to match as a measure of seriousness. [[Though I'd be happy to see them shame Democrats with a plan to cover more).

Full Article

Or, as the GOP lobbyist and former Minnesota congressman Vin Weber once explained to me: "Do we care? Yeah. But politics trumps that conviction."

My translation, oh sure we care about the American people but we care about winning the game of politics [[and money) more...

[ms_m]

This was such a waste of time. The Repubs criticized the Dems for focusing on the Health Care Bill instead of Jobs and the first thing they do is concentrate on repeal of the heath care bill as a symbolic gesture.

House Repeals Obama Health Care Law in Symbolic Act

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Published: January 19, 2011

WASHINGTON – The House on Wednesday voted to repeal the Democrats’ landmark health care overhaul, in a largely symbolic step that the new Republican majority said marked the beginning of an all-out effort to dismantle President Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement.

Leaders of the Democratic-controlled Senate have said that they will not act on the repeal measure, effectively scuttling it.

The House vote was 245 to 189 to repeal the law, with three Democrats joining all Republicans in the majority.
While conceding the reality that the measure would not advance in the Senate, House Republicans said they would still press ahead with their “repeal and replace” strategy. The next steps, however, will be much more difficult, as they try to forge consensus on alternatives to the new law emphasizing “free market solutions” to control health costs and expand coverage.

Read More

[MotownSteve]

What else would they do. BTW, I heard today that 18% of the population is against the healthcare bill. So it was rammed down their throats. The republicans continue to basically be the party of no and nothing.

[ms_m]

Not sure how anyone would conclude a bill that seem to take a million years to pass was rammed down their throat but ok. LOL

You know Steve, the one thing that has always perplexed me about people who don't like the bill, I don't remember seeing thousands protesting in front of the WH or Capitol. I guess couch potato protesting is the new "it" thing. LOL

There was an article either in the Times or Post that had a survey that many people didn't like the bill but they didn't want to see the entire thing repealed. Then there were those that didn't like it because it didn't go far enough. Sometimes I don't think the American people have a clue what they really want. shrugs

As far as the Repubs, I think that quote above says it all...

Or, as the GOP lobbyist and former Minnesota congressman Vin Weber once explained to me: "Do we care? Yeah. But politics trumps that conviction."

[ms_m]

CRITICAL MISS
Many College Students Failing To Learn Critical Thinking Skills

45% Of Students Don't Learn Much In College

A new study provides disturbing answers to questions about how much students actually learn in college – for many, not much – and has inflamed a debate about the value of an American higher education.

The research of more than 2,300 undergraduates found 45 percent of students show no significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years.

One problem is that students just aren't asked to do much, according to findings in a new book, "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses." Half of students did not take a single course requiring 20 pages of writing during their prior semester, and one-third did not take a single course requiring even 40 pages of reading per week.

Full Article

I'm not sure what's more disturbing, people walking around without critical thinking skills or the need for a study to state the obvious.

[MotownSteve]

Sounds like 'w' succeeded in dumbing down this country.

[ms_m]

It started long before W Steve.

the deliberate dumbing down of america
Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt, former Senior Policy Advisor in the U.S. Department of Education, blew the whistle on government activities.
PDF

[ms_m]

Steve this is a perfect example of lack of critical thinking skills



Mike Lee: Federal Disaster Relief Is Unconstitutional [[VIDEO)

Now he's part of that new crop of politicians that scream about States rights and the Feds getting out of their way.

There are voters out here cheering him on. I wonder how long their state would last without Federal money? How would the states make up for the loss of revenue and who would they look to, to pay more????????? The same fools agreeing with this twit that's who.

When the Feds leave these states alone, who is going to pay for the cost of protecting their water, their food, their environment? Where is the money coming from to maintain their roads and bridges? Who is going to pay for their precious Social Security and [[don't touch my) Medicare?

....and before we get all sanctimonious about these folks, lets not forget about the people that wanted to teach the Dems and President Obama a lesson so they sat on their butts during the midterm and didn't come out to vote....and as a result...welcome to the world of Mike Lee, the new kid on the political block.

[ms_m]

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall More Than Forecast

By REUTERS
Published: January 20, 2011

Economic data released Thursday provided the latest signs that the economy was recovering in fits and starts.

The resale of existing homes jumped more than expected in December despite bad weather as sellers cut prices, but factory activity growth in the mid-Atlantic region fell in January from December’s level.

The economy has been growing for over a year, having emerged from its deepest recession in generations in the summer of 2009. Gross domestic product expanded 2.6 percent in the third quarter, not enough to put a significant dent on the nation’s elevated 9.4 percent jobless rate.

More

[ms_m]

Sales of U.S. Existing Homes Jump More Than Estimated to Seven-Month High

By Shobhana Chandra - Jan 20, 2011 10:32 AM ET

Sales of U.S. previously owned homes jumped more than forecast in December as buyers tried to lock in low mortgage rates before the economic recovery pushed borrowing up further.

Purchases of existing houses, which are tabulated when a contract closes, increased 12 percent to a 5.28 million annual rate, the most since May and exceeding the highest estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed today in Washington. The median price dropped 1 percent from a year earlier, and the share of sales represented by foreclosures climbed.

Buyers are returning to the housing market after a government tax credit expired in the middle of 2010, indicating the drop in prices and cheap lending rates are making homes more affordable. At the same time, unemployment in excess of 9 percent and record foreclosures are among concerns that have prompted Federal Reserve policy makers to follow through with a second round of quantitative easing.

Read More

[ms_m]

Leading Indicators Index in U.S. Increases More Than Forecast

By Bob Willis - Jan 20, 2011 10:00 AM ET

The index of U.S. leading economic indicators increased in December more than forecast, a sign the recovery will gather steam in the new year.

The Conference Board’s gauge of the outlook for the next three to six months rose 1.0 percent after a 1.1 percent gain in November, the New York-based group said today. The December reading, the sixth consecutive monthly increase, exceeded the 0.6 percent gain in the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.

Improved consumer expectations, fewer firings and rising stock prices are boosting the outlook for household spending, the biggest part of the economy. Even so, Federal Reserve policy makers have indicated that until faster economic growth fuels bigger job gains, they will stick to their plan to pump $600 billion into the economy through June.

Read More

[Doug-Morgan]

I heard an interesting analysis the other day that it appears that employed people are beginning to open up their wallets because they appear to be less fearful of losing their jobs. With less fear, they are buying more consumer goods. This doesn't help the unemployment picture in the short term [[the percent of people unemployed hasn't budged much, but being a lagging indicator it probably won't for a while), but long term prospects are good.

The current thing that's worrying me a bit is the necessity of cutting government spending. In the little town I'm a councilman in, our revenues have fallen, and although we've managed to come up with a budget that has not grown in 3 years, this year it's $40,000 out of wack. To us, $40,000 is the salary of one of our 4 employees, and had a state initiative passed, we would have lost another $60k in state matching revenue which would have come close to killing our payroll. Thankfully, we've got good reserves.

Alas, the state of Washington does not. They're looking at a $4.6 billion hole in the next 2 year budget. Programs are going to be cut, and when you cut programs, you also cut employees, thus adding to the unemployment roles. I can't for the life of me, figure a way out of that one.....

[ms_m]

Doug when you say government spending are your referring to State or Federal Government spending? I know a lot of states are getting hit hard and cutting back on services. Not to mention there are new breed and crop of govs taking over right now that don't seem to be thinking straight because in their mind, if it's coming from the Feds it's bad.

The other thing that concerns me are the employers that refuse to hire even though their profit margins are rising. I agree it's getting better but the last thing we need is for things to slip backwards.

[ms_m]

Back in 2009 The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement about the rise in rightwing extremist activity and the possibility of domestic terrorist attacks.

I still remember how the Right [[politicians and citizens) went into vapors and were outraged feeling their character was being unfairly demeaned and, they demanded an apology from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano .

Will be interesting to find out who is behind this very recent discovery...


Device Found Along MLK Parade Route Credible Threat
FBI Offers $20K Reward For Information On Attempted Bombing

Rob Kauder | Internet Content Manager, KXLY.com
Posted: 11:45 am PST January 18, 2011Updated: 7:06 am PST January 19, 2011

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Spokane office of the FBI confirmed late Tuesday morning that a suspicious package found along the route of the Unity Parade on Monday morning was a credible threat that had the potential to cause "multiple casualties."

On Tuesday morning the FBI released a statement confirming that following the successful disruption of the device by the Explosives Disposal Unit, “preliminary analysis revealed the backpack contained a potentially deadly destructive device, likely capable of inflicting multiple casualties.”

The backpack, a black Swiss Army pack, was found by a city employee Monday morning at approximately 9:30 a.m. in a parking lot across from the INB Performing Arts Center. After it was reported, authorities shut down several blocks in the vicinity of the intersection of Main Avenue and Washington Street.

Full Article

...and this little diddy was kept under wraps because it was/is an ongoing investigation



April 8, 2010
Bomb found at U.S. Courthouse
Federal officials kept discovery secret

The Spokesman-Review

At a time of heightened concerns over threats to government officials, federal authorities in Spokane kept quiet about the discovery of a bomb found alongside the Thomas S. Foley U.S. Courthouse last week.

They acknowledged the investigation Wednesday, however, after the latest edition of Newsweek magazine disclosed the March 28 discovery as part of an article examining increasing anti-government threats and violence spreading across the nation.

U.S. Attorney Jim McDevitt defended the decision to try keeping the case under wraps.

Read More

[ms_m]

Picture it....

Republican/Tea Party candidates sweep into the House after promising to repeal Health Care, or as they call it, "ObamaCare," and cut back on federal [[non defense) spending. So, they fulfill their promises KNOWING a Democratic controlled Senate will not go for it which makes their gestures nothing more than symbolism....but, they get to tell their constituents they fulfilled their promises and it's the Dems fault the laws were not passed and enacted.

AND....the voters that put them there, will probably be duped by this meaningless gesture, fall for their crap and spin, cheer them on and vote them back in office even though in actuality they didn't do squat?


GOP bloc in House calls for deep cuts

By Lori Montgomery
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 21, 2011

Congressional conservatives on Thursday demanded far more dramatic reductions in government spending than House GOP leaders have recently proposed, in the first sign of a fissure between old-guard Republicans and tea-party-backed newcomers.

Members of the conservative Republican Study Committee said the GOP must keep its campaign pledge to immediately slice at least $100 billion from non-defense programs, an effort that would require lawmakers to reduce funding for most federal agencies by a third over the next seven months. And the group called for even deeper cuts over the next decade to return non-defense spending to 2006 levels.

"One hundred billion dollars is the number the American people heard last fall. And, frankly, when you look at it in the context that there's a $14 trillion debt, it seems to me we should be able to find $100 billion," said Rep. Jim Jordan [[Ohio), chairman of the study committee, a group of economic and social conservatives whose ranks have swelled since the GOP won back control of the House in the November midterm elections.

Read More

[ms_m]

Doug, this could be the answer you’re looking for...

Path Is Sought for States to Escape Debt Burdens

By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH
Published: January 20, 2011

Policy makers are working behind the scenes to come up with a way to let states declare bankruptcy and get out from under crushing debts, including the pensions they have promised to retired public workers.

Unlike cities, the states are barred from seeking protection in federal bankruptcy court. Any effort to change that status would have to clear high constitutional hurdles because the states are considered sovereign.

But proponents say some states are so burdened that the only feasible way out may be bankruptcy, giving Illinois, for example, the opportunity to do what General Motors did with the federal government’s aid.

Full Article

If this starts getting traction, political posturing is about to become quite interesting

[ms_m]

Ok Doug, you're the econ expert

The more I think about this the more fascinating it becomes.

Obviously it's a complex undertaking because of Constitutional laws but how will the House Republicans begin to even approach this while using the raising [[or not raising) of the "debt ceiling" hostage?

I don't buy into the hysterical notion that government will shut down or stiff it's vendors but I can see the bond market getting antsy....if you throw something like State bankruptcy in the mix, wouldn't that make the bond market even more vulnerable, or would one not have any direct affect on the other?

.......or do you think this is nothing more than Gingrich's way of trying to up his political cred, to help with a run for the presidency?

[Doug-Morgan]

Yup. The minute you welch on your debt [[like personal bankruptcy) your ability to get credit goes out the window. I don't deal much with the feds [[except that they're financing our new sewer---it's half done, thank you),s but many states require a balanced budget by law and that's where they're getting into trouble. This is what's tripping up Washington state. When times are good, there is the tendency for spending to rise to use the available money. When revenues are down and you can't pay for the projects, they get cut.

As to re-employment, as I have said before, it's a lagging indicator. In general, companies are not shoveling out profits to their shareholders, they're hanging on to them as reserves, which is a smart move. They're not hiring new employees for a good reason, they don't need them.......yet.

Company X produces widgets, and is running at half capacity and a work force of 1,000. The company feels that they can run as low as 40% without having to lay off anyone, and as high as 60% without having to hire. So the company announces they have a 15% increase in sales and revenues, and the commentators start saying....

".......Company X had a 15% spike in sales, yet they're not hiring anyone!! What the hell is going on? They're scared of [[fill in your excuse here)!! We've got to [[repeal/pass) the [[job killing/job creating pet project of the week) now!"

Bull. Company X isn't hiring because they don't need to yet. A 15% increase in sales for a company that's running at half capacity only brings them up to 57.5% of capacity, or 2.5% lower than the production rate that would make new hires economically viable.

So when you look at numbers, keep in mind lagging and leading indicators. The Dow/S&P indexs tend to be leading, unemployment lagging.

[ms_m]

Yeah for the sewer, I've been meaning to ask you about that.

Wasn't aware of the balanced budget requirement for some states but there suddenly seems to be a certain irony to budgetary laws that are passed [[Fed or States) that seem, and I 'm sure are a great idea at the time but once you face a "perfect storm" scenario, come back to bite you in the rear. At least I hope it's nothing more than irony.

Thanks for the conversation Doug.