GOP stocking up on not-ready-for-primetime players
“Top Democrats are growing markedly more pessimistic about holding the House, privately conceding that the summertime economic and political recovery they were banking on will not likely materialize by Election Day.
In conversations with more than two dozen party insiders, most of whom requested anonymity to speak candidly about the state of play, Democrats in and out of Washington say they are increasingly alarmed about the economic and polling data they have seen in recent weeks….
A Democratic pollster working on several key races said, “The reality is that [the House majority] is probably gone.” His data show the Democrats’ problems are only getting worse. “It’s spreading,” the pollster said.
Not all Democrats — or Republicans, for that matter — share this pessimistic assessment 68 days before the election. Republicans need to pick up 39 seats, and polls show most voters still have a downbeat view of the GOP’s ability to govern any better than Democrats. Republicans have been out-raised and outspent at the national level and in many of the key races.
I agree: There’s a decent chance that the Dems could indeed lose the House. And I think the consequences of that would be dire both for the country and, perhaps surprisingly, for the Republican Party. Here’s why:
The results of the primary season have made it clear that the GOP base will reject any candidate who in any way suggests it is possible to compromise with or cooperate with Democrats. John McCain got that message early and survived. Lisa Murkowski, Bob Bennett, Bob Inglis and Charlie Crist did not, and were rejected by their fellow Republicans. The GOP resurgence is being driven not by program or policy but by a primal scream of “NO!”
Republicans both veteran and newcomer will go to Washington in January with that message tattooed onto their brains, and will act accordingly. No cooperation, no compromise, only all-out warfare. Their base has given them no room whatsoever in which to manuever, and they know it. Under such circumstances, reaching accommodation on issues such as the budget will be impossible. The situation will make the Gingrich-Clinton standoff seem calm placid by comparison.
And in that kind of environment, Barack Obama will thrive. He may not get much done, but he will come off looking reasonable and mainstream while the Republicans make themselves look petty and extreme, setting the stage for Democratic successes in 2012.
Time will tell, of course. But at the moment, the GOP is looking like a dog that’s about to catch the car, with no idea whatsoever about what it ought to do next.
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380 comments Add your comment
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:42 pm
Blog God! Damn!
“And conservatives/tea party people want nothing from government”
OK, I’m calling bullshyt on that. You take Medicare and SS away from retirees and you’d have a damn revolt on your hand — complete with pitchforks and molotov c o c k tails.
You want nothing from the government? Fine. Educate your own kids, don’t drive on any roads, put out any fires at your own damn house, and if someone breaks in, don’t bother calling the cops, and if someone needs medical assistance — I suggest you fly down to (because you can’t drive on those government maintained roads now) the nearest hospital, strap a doctor to your back and fly them back to your house — because you sure as hell can’t take your loved one to the hospital because they all are subsidized somehow by, you guessed it, the big bad government.
So good luck.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:45 pm
Harry,
And “wealthy and educated” folks can still be dumb as crap. The tea partiers are hypocrites — plain and simple. They only gripe and bitch about the government spending they don’t particularly like giving absolutely no consideration to anyone but themselves.
Paul
August 26th, 2010
3:46 pm
Harry
Not sure what the point is – fairness, proportionality, whatever – but for married couples the rate begins at 10% of the amount (after deductions) over $17000 and 35 percent of the amount over $374,000. It’ll go up a few points if the cuts aren’t extended.
Anyhow, that’s a spread of $350,000. Or, from the low end of 17k it’s about 22 times that amount to get to 374k.
That strikes me as a pretty tight range, especially given we have people making several million, several tens of millions, several hundreds of billions, and in the cases of some hedge funds, several billion dollars a year.
Do you think it right for a household to pay the same marginal tax rate as a household making 200 times less?
Maybe we should greatly reduce the rates we now have, then establish new brackets for people making over a million, 10 million, 100 million, or a billion a year?
Or do you think we should keep it the way it is, but reduce the rates for everybody while still maintaining the same rate for multimillion dollar earners as for a few hundred thousand dollar earners?
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:49 pm
@@,
From a previous post, it might do you some good to realize that if you want me to ignore you, you might want to not start a conversation with me.
Paul
August 26th, 2010
3:49 pm
What Bosch said at 3:42!!!!
Yeah!!!!
Mick
August 26th, 2010
3:50 pm
Harry
Remember the 50’s? Leave it to beaver and all that? The tax rates were much, much higher and our society had a strong, vibrant middle class. Fast forward to now and the very wealthy moan and groan because their taxes will go up 3%, thats three percent! Sure didn’t affect them in the 90’s, did it?
Paul
August 26th, 2010
3:50 pm
Bosch
I checked the calendar. It’s not conservative day. It’s not liberal day. It’s not dingbat liberal day or libertarian day. It’s anarchist’s day!
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:51 pm
Paul,
Are you mocking me?
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:51 pm
“It’s anarchist’s day!”
SWEET! Me love me some anarchy.
Side note: have you ever had a wart burned off your finger? Damn. That hurts!
landry
August 26th, 2010
3:52 pm
We’d like our freedoms mutual, put the “tit” in constitutional-time for sexual equality-I should be allowed to let my puppies feel the ocean breeze….
Gator Joe
August 26th, 2010
3:53 pm
For Conservatives, Republicans, and the Right Wing who are prematurely celebrating their dream and, our nightmare, of a Republican take over of the House or Senate coming true, consider the following. Do you really believe Democrats will just sit by idylly while they [Republicans] once again attempt to destroy our country? What makes you think Democrats will cooperate with your representatives and senators after their behavior during these difficult times for our country? Democrats can be also be obstructionist, just watch.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
3:53 pm
Bosch…
“OK, I’m calling bullshyt on that. You take Medicare and SS away from retirees and you’d have a damn revolt on your hand — complete with pitchforks and molotov c o c k tails.”
They paid in all their life, in most cases against their will. So they shouldn’t get anything back? Right…
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:54 pm
Harry,
Do you honestly think for one frakkin’ second that they pay as much as they get out?
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
3:54 pm
Mick…
“Remember the 50’s? Leave it to beaver and all that? The tax rates were much, much higher and our society had a strong, vibrant middle class. Fast forward to now and the very wealthy moan and groan because their taxes will go up 3%, thats three percent! Sure didn’t affect them in the 90’s, did it?”
The top rates only applied to the extreme top tiny percentage of taxpayers. Google “bracket ccreep” and get back to us.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:56 pm
Actually, my mom sure as hell paid for more SS and Medicare than she got out — retired for one year then dies of a heat stroke six weeks ago watering her herb garden…..yeah, she paid for all those wingnuts who live to be 100 bitching about how the government is screwing them.
Great.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 26th, 2010
3:56 pm
I just got here and am sort of browsing through the columns and posts. Damn, I hope we aren’t about to be subjected to a string of columns on Ann Coulter.
Paul
August 26th, 2010
3:58 pm
Bosch
Mocking you? Not at all.
Now, if I’d written “whenever I read “Bosch” I think “Bolshevik” that’d be mocking.
I really, really liked that 3:42
Yes, I have. Frozen off. Not so bad. Your doc must be a pervert!
Harry
“They paid in all their life, in most cases against their will. So they shouldn’t get anything back? Right…”
I believe the way the system is set up, by working and contributing they qualify to receive benefits when they retire. Their contributions go to support current retirees.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
3:58 pm
Bosch…
“You want nothing from the government? Fine. Educate your own kids, don’t drive on any roads, put out any fires at your own damn house, and if someone breaks in, don’t bother calling the cops, and if someone needs medical assistance — I suggest you fly down to (because you can’t drive on those government maintained roads now) the nearest hospital, strap a doctor to your back and fly them back to your house — because you sure as hell can’t take your loved one to the hospital because they all are subsidized somehow by, you guessed it, the big bad government.”
Nince rant…but total nonsense. Why don’t you tell us what percentage of the federal budget goes to roads,schools, police, firefighting, etc” Less than 1%. That stuff is all paid for by state and local. Nice try libbie, but no dice.
JohnnyReb
August 26th, 2010
3:59 pm
Those that think companies took jobs overseas because they “just wanted to” need to rethink. Jobs went overseas because Unions and/or Government regulations made manufacturing in the USA either impossible or unprofitable. There is talk of some type value added tax where, for example, a widget made in China would be taxed at import to put its price on par with the USA manufactured widget. That would drive up consumer pricing. In effect, the consumer would be paying to sustain lifestyles of Union employees and perpetuation of unnecessary or burdensome regulations.
@@
August 26th, 2010
3:59 pm
Bosch:
Don’t respond to the subject matter within posts with my name omitted. Sneaky is as sneaky does.
If you wanna engage then do so directly. I would, however, advise you against it.
Honestly, you and I have nothing in common, so what’s the point?
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:00 pm
Bosch…when your mom started working the SSI tax rate was about 1%, and you only paid on like the first $5,000 you earned each year. Current retirees on average get out everything they paid in, with interest, in the first 4 years. Look it up.
JohnnyReb
August 26th, 2010
4:02 pm
Here’s a big flaw in Social Security, you can check it out next time you get your SS statement. That is, someone who retires on a disability gets more money each month than someone who works until the full retirement age. That promotes fraud and is just wrong.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:02 pm
Harry,
No, it’s not total nonsense — you said that conservatives want nothing from the government — so good luck without that assistance. And oh yeah — good luck with that whole indoor plumbing/toilet thing — because without the government, you can’t flush your toilet.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:04 pm
Bosch @ 3:45…
“And “wealthy and educated” folks can still be dumb as crap. The tea partiers are hypocrites — plain and simple. They only gripe and bitch about the government spending they don’t particularly like giving absolutely no consideration to anyone but themselves.”
Let me ask you something sport…which is more selfish…
1) Wanting to keep your own money, and spending it yourwself, or;
2) Wanting to help yourself to OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY to spend on yourself
Do the people wanting to raise taxes on families making over $250K give a crap about ME? I’m thinking not…
As always, thanks in advance.
landry
August 26th, 2010
4:04 pm
Blacks with a shorter life expectancy then whites certainly get short-changed by medicare and social security, I await your racist retorts…
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:04 pm
Harry,
And no pharmaceuticals for you — paid for by federal money in research and development, and no food inspections, and you’ll need to pay the military for protecting your ass against terrorists.
Mick
August 26th, 2010
4:04 pm
Harry
Do us all a favor and don’t pay into social security and medicare, If by chance, you make it to old age and the market crashes or you get sued and lose your fortune, there will be nothing for you. Don’t think it can’t happen – I’ve seen it up close and personal..
Curious Observer
August 26th, 2010
4:04 pm
Fast forward to now and the very wealthy moan and groan because their taxes will go up 3%, thats three percent! Sure didn’t affect them in the 90’s, did it?
But . . . but . . . but that was all before we decided we hate government so much and it needs to be starved till it’s small enough to drown in a bathtub and . . .
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:05 pm
Bosch, once again, we’re talking federal governnment here…Jay started the blog about who would control the House of Representatives. I didn’t know that the feds did the sewer. Oh wait, I know mayor Shirley asked them for money to fix the crappers in Atlanta, but out in Cobb where I live, we pay our own way.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:07 pm
Mick, I live totally debt free and have substantial holdings, but thanks for your concern. It’s all good, I can imagine how it must be for people like you who cannot provide for themselves. I was the same way up until about age 15.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:08 pm
Reb @ 3:59 —
When did our country start caring more about those who run corporations who are responsible for shifting the wealth of our citizens to the upper 10% instead of being more concerned for the other 90%?
There is nothing quite like the fight for your right to get poorer and poorer.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:09 pm
Bosch,
1) I have insurance to pay for prescription drugs
2) If the terrorists come to my house, i have a .45 caliber surprise on the nightstand for them
3) I thought you libbies were opposed to the war on terror, Patriot act, etc?
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:09 pm
Harry,
You said GOVERNMENT — you didn’t specify. You don’t want help from the government, then fine — good luck with that — honestly.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 26th, 2010
4:10 pm
Off-topic
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/phantom-of-the-fox-600262.html
I'm Here From The Government And I'm Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:10 pm
What? No Parade? Obama Pulls Out Before the Job is Completed.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2010 – Even after Operation New Dawn begins next week, U.S. military trainers will continue to help Iraqi security forces build the capabilities to maintain internal security and increasingly, to bolster their defenses against external threats as well, senior military officials in Iraq reported.
Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza called yesterday’s rash of violence that largely targeted Iraqi security forces the enemy’s attempt to intimidate the Iraqi police and military and shake public confidence in their capabilities.
Lanza emphasized during an interview yesterday with American Forces Press Service the need for Iraqi security forces to remain vigilant against the al-Qaida network and others trying to derail progress, and cited U.S. support to ensure they’re up to the task.
Six U.S. “advise and assist” brigades fanned out across Iraq have embedded with their Iraqi counterparts to accelerate training and more quickly build both capability and capacity, he said.
“What we are expanding right now is not just building internal capability, but also an external capability to defend the borders,” Lanza said.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:10 pm
Mick, how old are you, 19?
Bosch, same question…
@@
August 26th, 2010
4:10 pm
Alright, I’ve just gotta mention this one. My Cajun neighbor has had to install three separate septic tanks. Why? Because the county inspectors assured them they were not in a flood plain.
Good thing they’re sitting on 11 acres. They’ll be needing every one of ‘em. The last septic tank was put in about 125 feet from their house…it’s up on a hill and required some kind of elaborate pumping system. When he contacted the county, their response was…
“Sorry, not our problem.”
Disgusted
August 26th, 2010
4:10 pm
Current retirees on average get out everything they paid in, with interest, in the first 4 years. Look it up.
I’m calling BS on your generalization, Harry. I’m old enough to draw Social Security. My Social Security statement shows that my employers and I paid in a total of $230,000, and since I’m still working, I’m still paying in. My wife and her employers paid in a total of a little over $70,000. We’re drawing a little under $36,000 a year in Social Security benefits. Do the math and tell me how I’m going to get our contributions out in four years.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:11 pm
Harry,
But those prescription drugs went through drug trials paid for by the federal government and approved by the FDA — so no drugs for you.
So, Harry is going to fight off a band of al-Qaida forces that show up to his house all alone. Again, good luck with that.
“I thought you libbies were opposed to the war on terror, Patriot act, etc”
Assume much? That’s your first problem.
Granny Godzilla
August 26th, 2010
4:12 pm
but the billets is in your pocket!
won’t abu bin terrorist laugh
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:12 pm
Harry,
42.
Granny Godzilla
August 26th, 2010
4:12 pm
damn…bullet bullet bullet
Mick
August 26th, 2010
4:14 pm
Harry
You are a fool. Social Security is not a complete retirement plan. It is the safety net of last resort so that people in old age can survive. Yeah, you’ve made the point about taking that money and investing in a mutual fund but remember sept. 08? Social security is one of the great innovations and the envy of many nations. Good for you and your fortune. I own properties, have a 401k and and retirement fund. I will be damn glad to collect my soc. sec. which I’ve paid into all my life. By the way, you have mocked $1500 a month from soc. sec. but check this out, you can go to belize and live like a king on that stipend – to each his own.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:14 pm
Disgusted…if you and your wife had put in your combined $300K over your life into a private account, evan at a very modest interest rate it would have more than doubled by now. Then, you could withdraw the same $36K per year as SSI will pay you, without ever touching the principal, and you could leave the $600K to your kids or grandkids. Which sounds like a better deal to you?
I'm Here From The Government And I'm Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:14 pm
HDB
August 26th, 2010
3:30 pm
Companies are in business to make “A PROFIT”. They can not make the rules/laws or print the money to make “A PROFIT”. If any company see’s the need to take jobs overseas to make “A PROFIT” that alone should WAKE YOU UP as to why they made that decision. ECON 101, man!
I'm Here From The Government And I'm Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:16 pm
Intown
August 26th, 2010
3:36 pm
” the GOP is looking like a dog that’s about to catch the car, with no idea whatsoever about what it ought to do next.”
I agree 100%. I also agreed with this sentiment when the Republicans took office at the State level in 2002. They still haven’t quite figured it out
We’ll take our chances. Since the current monkey administration is killing the Republic!
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:16 pm
Mick…google “portfolio diversification” and get back to us. I lost very little in Sep 08, and have already made most of it up. The closer you get to retirement age, the more you move your investments away from volatile instruments like stocks. I need to start charging you guys for all this financial advice.
JohnnyReb
August 26th, 2010
4:17 pm
Bosch – the Unions and/or government did not intentionally run corporations overseas. The elimination of US jobs was/is collateral damage from over-the-top Union demands and government regulation. I have seen it time and time again over years. For example, California was the first state to rigidly enforce EPA regulations, even passing laws more stringent than Federal. End result? Corporations/manufacturing moved out of California to neighboring states. The taxes to the state of California declined. Expand that scenario to the whole USA and you have the current situation.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:18 pm
Bosch, why don’t you tell us what percentage of pharmaceutical R&D is government subsidized. I think the number is not as large as you think. But I know you’ve been trained like a hamster to understand that large corporations = boogeyman…
I'm Here From The Government And I'm Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:18 pm
landry
Is being GAY a political issue? Not talking marriage!
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:19 pm
Bosch…
“But those prescription drugs went through drug trials paid for by the federal government and approved by the FDA — so no drugs for you.
So, Harry is going to fight off a band of al-Qaida forces that show up to his house all alone. Again, good luck with that.”
Bosch, simple response…I don’t live in fear like you do.
Paul
August 26th, 2010
4:19 pm
Harry
“roads,schools, police, firefighting, etc” Less than 1%. That stuff is all paid for by state and local. Nice try libbie, but no dice.”
You might want to review the stim program and subsequent passed legislation.
And Bosch was correct – you didn’t specify fed or state government, and you didn’t restrict it to the amount.
I take it you saw Kamchak was out and couldn’t answer your tax concern? Did you see this?:
Harry
Not sure what the point is – fairness, proportionality, whatever – but for married couples the rate begins at 10% of the amount (after deductions) over $17000 and 35 percent of the amount over $374,000. It’ll go up a few points if the cuts aren’t extended.
Anyhow, that’s a spread of about $350,000. Or, from the low end of 17k it’s about 22 times that amount to get to 374k.
That strikes me as a pretty tight range, especially given we have people making several million, several tens of millions, several hundreds of millions, and in the cases of some hedge funds, several billion dollars a year.
Do you think it right for a household to pay the same marginal tax rate as a household making 200 times less?
Maybe we should greatly reduce the rates we now have, then establish new brackets for people making over a million, 10 million, 100 million, or a billion a year?
Or do you think we should keep it the way it is, but reduce the rates for everybody while still maintaining the same rate for multimillion dollar earners as for a few hundred thousand dollar earners?
I'm Here From The Government And I'm Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:19 pm
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
3:45 pm
Did you ever take an ECON class? Did you get pass the 4th grade?
Paul
August 26th, 2010
4:20 pm
Bosch
So sorry about your mom.
Mick
August 26th, 2010
4:20 pm
**The closer you get to retirement age, the more you move your investments away from volatile instruments like stocks**
Harry – what are you a rock head? I’ve done all that PLUS soc. sec – jeez give it a break and realize that if it weren’t for soc. sec. many would have nothing, is that the kind of society you want to live in?
Paul
August 26th, 2010
4:20 pm
out for a while
TGT
August 26th, 2010
4:23 pm
“And in that kind of environment, Barack Obama will thrive. He may not get much done, but he will come off looking reasonable and mainstream while the Republicans make themselves look petty and extreme, setting the stage for Democratic successes in 2012.
Yeah, because he and the Dems have thrived so well these last couple of years–as evidenced by the sorry state of the Union and the sorry political prospects of their party.
“…the GOP is looking like a dog that’s about to catch the car, with no idea whatsoever about what it ought to do next.”
Because the GOP NEVER has any ideas. When the opposition is taking the country off a cliff “NO!” is enough of a strategy.
I have a political speculation of my own: The GOP will almost certainly win the House. They will pick up about 7 Senate seats. (The RCP “no toss-ups” has them gaining 7.) This will put the House in GOP hands and the Dems will hold the Senate at 52-48.
However, in the 2012 Senate elections hold a possibility for even greater Democrat Senate losses. In 2012 the Dems have to defend 23 seats (including 2 Ind.) while the GOP only has to defend 10. The 10 GOP seats are nearly all from states that were conservative strongholds before-during-and-after Obamamania. That is not nearly the case for the Dems. If Obama continues to cling to the extreme left–and there is little indication he won’t–not only will the GOP again win the House, but also likely win the White House and have a near super-majority in the Senate.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:23 pm
Bosch, when you say;
“So, Harry is going to fight off a band of al-Qaida forces that show up to his house all alone. Again, good luck with that.”
Are you hearing that the Democrats and/or Barack plan to increase defense spending and/or continue the war on terror? I hadn’t heard that. I heard Barack was basically going to fold a la Jimmy Carter. Please advise.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:24 pm
Harry,
That number doesn’t matter – it is subsidized by the federal government, and approved for consumption by the federal government, and since you do not want help from the federal government — you get no drugs.
And, you have to pay $15 a gallon for gas because of the subsidies going to the oil companies. K?
And, don’t plan any vacations in Yellowstone either.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reb,
Dang! Again, everytime I type your name, I capitalize the “e” — I think job outsourcing was a perfect storm of what you describe and globalization. It was kind of unavoidable actually — a perfect storm — and it’s hard to get back. I by no means think unions are perfect, but they have certainly done good things for the American worker, and still do. They are not as powerful as they once were — and it still bothers me for people to have the “you should be thankful that so and so let’s you work” because my gut reaction to that is “so and so should be thankful that I work for him making him money” — it’s just the difference in how we think is all. My finger still hurts!
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:26 pm
Paul…I don’t think the government should take 40% of ANYBODY’S income. I just wasn’t raised to believe that you help yourself to otherpeople’s money. I hope that is not unclear. And we still haven’t heard from Kamchak.
I'm Here From The Government And I'm Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:27 pm
Who here still pays the hospital/doctor’s bill with any discounts? Who here pays for prescription drugs that supposedly has no generic brand?
You boys and girls do realize with ObamaCare, the medical industry is now government controlled and run!
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:28 pm
Thanks Paul — she passed away I think while you were in Ireland. Anywho — the past six weeks or so have really sucked. Have you ever probated a will?
@@
August 26th, 2010
4:28 pm
Hillbilly:
‘Phantom of the Fox’ may lose historic theater apartment
I predict that will never happen.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:28 pm
Bosch…with each post, you make yourself look dumber and dumber. Gas would be $15/gal without the subsidies? Really? Whay don’t you take $15, subtract the current price of gas (round up to $3) multiply that $12 times the number of gallons consumed each year, and tell us what the total federal subsidy is…I bet the number is like Doc’s “jigawatt” from Back to the Future.
And doesn’t it seem backwards to subsidize gasoline, then put a tax back on it? LMAO…oil company subsidies…
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:29 pm
“You boys and girls do realize with ObamaCare, the medical industry is now government controlled and run!”
Actually, no it’s not — doctors and nurses are not going to suddenly become government employees.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:31 pm
Bosch, why don’t you do a little research, and tell us what percent of the federal budget goes to;
1) defense
2) interest on the debt
3) Pharmaceutical subsidies
4) oil subsidies
5) infrastructure (roads, police fire, sewer, etc)
6) transfer payments (i.e. welfare)
7) waste
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:32 pm
HINT FOR BOSCH…#3,4, and 5 dont add up to a total of 3% altogether…
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:33 pm
Harry really? You don’t know that oil companies get subsidies? Um……..
Scout
August 26th, 2010
4:34 pm
I’m gone …………. new fun thread upstairs.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 26th, 2010
4:34 pm
“you should be thankful that so and so let’s you work” because my gut reaction to that is “so and so should be thankful that I work for him making him money”
The employee can’t survive without the employer and the employer can’t survive without the employees. They are interdependent. No matter how smart Henry Ford was in coming up with the Model T, he could have built few, if any, all by his lonesome.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:34 pm
Harry, Harry, Harry, you are totally missing the point. YOU wrote that you don’t want any help from the government. It don’t care what percentage of all that adds up to. You don’t want help, fine — good luck on going back to living in the 1840s.
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:36 pm
Yes, Yes Hillbilly — Yes indeed. I’m going upstairs for a bit until I have to go pick up me precious daughter…..
I'm Here From The Government And I'm Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:37 pm
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:29 pm
“You boys and girls do realize with ObamaCare, the medical industry is now government controlled and run!”
Actually, no it’s not — doctors and nurses are not going to suddenly become government employees.
LOL
Live and Learn!
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:37 pm
Bosch, just document those oil company subsidies and we’ll be done. Also, why don’t you tell us how much the oil companies paid in taxes last year. Again, thanks in advance.
Harry Callahan
August 26th, 2010
4:38 pm
Bosch, when your precious daughter becomes an adult, what do you think the tax rates will be to pay for Obama’s massive deficits? Thanks in advance.
Overtaxed
August 26th, 2010
4:41 pm
I keep hearing comments about tax rates. Fact: total tax revenues vs personal income, averaged over the last two years of Clinton’s regime, were 21.6%. That is, 21.6% of EVERY dollar that ultimately ended up in the hands of an income earner went to the federal government. Bush’s last two years? 20.5%. So we taxed our folks less. Yet federal revenues continued to grow. And the economy up until then? It grew at an even faster rate, hence taxes as a percent of GDP shrank.
Clinton’s era? Taxes started at 19.7%. They went up to 20.6%. And revenues did go up. But the GDP didn’t rise as fast.
Don’t belive me? Go find the data for yourself and plot it out. Total personal income, total GDP and total tax revenues. You can see example after example in the data where lower tax rates cause an increase in GDP and still result in rising tax revenues.
Housing throws all of this into a mess, and caused a complete economic meltdown. But thats another story.
Pogo
August 26th, 2010
4:43 pm
“Not Ready for Primetime Players” Jay?
Yea, but they’re going to whip your beloved democratic partys arse in November. Obama is a loser and the people of this country (and even more significantly his past supporters) know it. Current democratic/ progrssive strategy on the economy has proven to be even more detrimental to us than even that of Carter (or Bush, whichever you prefer) both of whom were losers. Obama and the “spendocrats” in congress have become laughing stock on the streets of this country.
I guess us “proletariat” must laugh at them because we are in misery and we must once again “suffer in quite desperation” until the next election. But the mood of this country is now turning to anger against the progressive tri-fecta of Obama, Pelosi and Reid. Obama and Biden have become even bigger clowns than even their detractors, such as myself, can believe. This country is being run by ideological (and in the case of Biden, mentally deficient) idiots and most everyone knows it except Jay, Cindy, the AJC, the NYT’s and the Washington Post (or so it seems). The people of this country now realize that they made a big mistake when they elected the progressive/socialist democrats to control both houses of Congress in 2006 and Obama to control the Executive branch in 2008. But the American people have always righted their wrongs in one way or the other. At least a piece of this one will be righted very soon.
This election is going to prove that the American people, while they may deviate out of what is rational once in a while (as in the case of the election of the blundering oaf Obama) always come “back to the fold” and the “the fold” is independent/conservative thought. Make no mistake, the majority of the “working class” in this country are conservative and they are independent. They only want what they earn and what is theirs but they damn well don’t like it when the government takes it from them and gives it to someone else who doesn’t. The current crop of socialists/progressives (Obama, Pelosi and Reid) only understand the theory of re-distribution of the working peoples money to those
So in the words of Wings, “Say bye bye” this year and in 2012 to the progressives and to which I say, “good riddance to bad rubbish”. Of course they’ll be back again in 10 or 15 years and the cycle will repeat itself until the country either comes to its senses or it is in ashes.
HDB
August 26th, 2010
4:46 pm
I’m Here From The Government And I’m Here To Help
August 26th, 2010
4:14 pm
HDB
August 26th, 2010
3:30 pm
Companies are in business to make “A PROFIT”. They can not make the rules/laws or print the money to make “A PROFIT”. If any company see’s the need to take jobs overseas to make “A PROFIT” that alone should WAKE YOU UP as to why they made that decision. ECON 101, man!
…and you wonder why the US is in the economic state it’s in?? There’s not a problem with gaining profit…but when it’s at the expense of the American WORKER….who fuels the DEMAND for the product….then it’s shortsighted for a corporation to take jobs offshore!! Look at the IT jobs taken offshore to India…..in many cases, they have to bring those jobs BACK!! If Corporate America would work on KEEPING the jobs here….probably a greater PROFIT MARGIN would happen…..
Jus’ sayin’…………….
Bosch
August 26th, 2010
4:48 pm
Harry,
“http://stephenleahy.net/2009/05/07/massive-subsidies-to-oil-companies-continue-podcast/”
There’s you some info on oil subsidies —
And I remember back in the 80s when everybody was using the same rhetoric “your kids/grandkids are gonna be paying for this” — it really is just a recycled phrase. Since I was a kid back then — I guess that would mean me now….paying for whatever it was they were griping about back then — and ya’ know? I do pretty okay for myself, so if I am paying for anything that was supposed to ruin the country back then, then I guess I don’t notice so much because it certainly hasn’t kept me from having a nice life.
buck@gon
August 27th, 2010
10:50 am
Funny,
The Democrat’s main not-ready-for-primetime player is President.
So much for hope and change.