GOP strategy premised on non-existent support
Another day, another poll showing that the House GOP, while in line with its base, is badly out of touch with the American mainstream.
The latest is from NBC/Wall Street Journal, and as the National Journal describes it:
“Asked to choose between Obama’s proposal, “which would reduce the federal deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade by cutting federal spending, increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy, and reducing the level of spending on Medicare,” or the Republicans’ proposal to “reduce the federal deficit by $2.5 trillion over the next decade by cutting federal spending and would not raise taxes on corporations or the wealthy,” respondents choose Obama’s plan by a 58-to-36-percent margin.
Asked whether Democrats should accept cuts to Medicare and Social Security in order to forge a deal, just 38 percent of Americans want them to agree to those conditions. But asked whether Republicans should accept higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy if that was the only way to strike a deal, 62 percent of Americans say the GOP should accept that.”
To be more precise, 38 percent believe the Democrats should compromise by allowing cuts to Medicare and Social Security. However, 52 percent oppose such a compromise.
Only 27 percent say the Republicans should continue to refuse to compromise on higher taxes, while 62 percent support such a compromise.
The GOP strategy, in other words, is premised on public support that does not exist.
– Jay Bookman
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496 comments Add your comment
ty webb
July 20th, 2011
3:54 pm
Mrs. Murdoch’s action wasn’t yesterday’s only bit of awesomeness…
From: Z112 West, Allen
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 04:48 PM
To: Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Cc: McCarthy, Kevin; Blyth, Jonathan; Pelosi, Nancy; Cantor, Eric
Subject: Unprofessional and Inappropriate Sophomoric Behavior from Wasserman-Schultz
Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. You are the most vile, unprofessional ,and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!
I am bringing your actions today to our Majority Leader and Majority Whip and from this time forward, understand that I shall defend myself forthright against your heinous characterless behavior……which dates back to the disgusting protest you ordered at my campaign hqs, October 2010 in Deerfield Beach.
You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!
Steadfast and Loyal
Congressman Allen B West (R-FL)
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
3:54 pm
Mike
It might be of little consequence to your overall post, but I don’t think Countrywide was ever a bank. It was a mortgage lender, but not a bank. All they did was mortgages.
Midori
July 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
and every single one of those that comprise the 14 percent is democrats?
how much you think I can get for your stupidity alone?
Mighty Righty
July 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
josef
July 20th, 2011
3:49 pm
mighty
Don’t you just love it when that happens?
Yes,Yes,Yes. My favorite is when the talking heads become experts on any subject and thne interview each other. Nothing is funnier than real life.
williebkind
July 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
Kamchak
July 20th, 2011
3:51 pm
“I have found that those who complain the most about having something forced down their throats are the same ones who will swallow just about anything.”
You should keep different company and discover a whole new world.
“
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
3:56 pm
Kam,
You’re right. Lottsa folks swallowed a big load. A gargantuan load that said that you could insure more people and bring down health care costs while doing so which is basically a mathematical impossibility. The people doing the swallowing weren’t the republicans either.
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
3:57 pm
ty
I don’t see how a man belittling a woman is awesome. Did the Right not go ape shiite crazy about the Left disparaging Palin and Bachmann?? A true man would have not said a word and just let her look stupid if he thought she looked that way IMHO.
Chuck
July 20th, 2011
3:57 pm
I think it is Mr. Bookman who out of touch.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
3:57 pm
Mighty,
What was it on? I want to see if I can catch it on youtube or on hulu.
AmVet
July 20th, 2011
3:58 pm
How old is Allen West?
He reads like some petulant 14 year old brat. “I’m gonna tell on you!”
WOODSTOCK MIKE
July 20th, 2011
3:59 pm
“A gargantuan load that said that you could insure more people and bring down health care costs while doing so which is basically a mathematical impossibility.”
When’s this health care change taking place??
TaxPayer
July 20th, 2011
3:59 pm
A gargantuan load that said that you could insure more people and bring down health care costs while doing so which is basically a mathematical impossibility.
I’d love to see the math to support that claim.
Atlantan
July 20th, 2011
3:59 pm
There will be no deficit reduction until we hit the brakes a la Greece. Too many politicians trying to get re-elected…. To0 many selfish voters who want theirs… and a willing MSM to not tell the actual truth.
Kamchak
July 20th, 2011
4:00 pm
You should keep different company and discover a whole new world.
If we’re offering unsolicited advice here, you should be less of a WATB.
RogersParkRob
July 20th, 2011
4:00 pm
Didn’t realize Obama had a proposal.
ty webb
July 20th, 2011
4:01 pm
Brosephus,
he didn’t do it on the house floor…or through the media…this was a personal e-mail in which he’s defending himself…and please spare us the “belittling of a woman” talk.
Paulo977
July 20th, 2011
4:02 pm
Josef
“but all a DEPARTMENT does is put another layer of bureaucrats and another sheaf of paperwork…we got along just fine without it…”
Of course…
Teachers are what hold the kids together!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiHjLu975z0
A dad
July 20th, 2011
4:02 pm
NBS/WSJ poll. Nah, no possible bias there. Funny, everyone I talk to about the current budget shenanigans (and it’s wuite the popular topic in the building) favors reigning in Washington spending first, then looking at raising taxes, etc. as the right means to decrease/balance the budget. Washington spending is, and has been, out of control for a long time, and if we start raising taxes to gather more revenue without a set reductin in expenditures, DC politicos will find ways to spend it without ever addressing budget reduction.
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:05 pm
ty
I believe the character of a person is determined by the things they do when nobody’s watching or they think nobody’s watching. Add the fact that he’s a retired military officer, and you’d think he would have much thicker skin than that.
As far as “belittling women”, I’ll remind you to do likewise if I hear you crying about liberal bias against Palin, Bachmann, or any other conservative woman.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:06 pm
Taxpayer,
And I’ld like to see the math that made them say we could insure millions more people at an overall lower cost for all. Wouldn’t that be a hoot.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:07 pm
Liberalism definition- an orthodoxy that supposes that one can indeed pick up a turd by the clean end.
Midori
July 20th, 2011
4:09 pm
lol — all these walking, talking , TYPING thesauruses around here with their very own bumper sticker ideas of what liberalism is.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
July 20th, 2011
4:09 pm
“And I’ld like to see the math that made them say we could insure millions more people at an overall lower cost for all”
Hey, it’s possible if we start paying the surgeons minimum wage, in fact why dont we just let the government tell us how much we should make? That’s where we’re headed anyway…
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:09 pm
Doom
Does that mean that conservatism is the study of people picking up sh*t?
couldn’t resist that one….
ty webb
July 20th, 2011
4:10 pm
Brosephus,
I don’t “cry” for Bachmann or palin…and again, this isn’t a case of media bias directed at Wasserman schultz…There’s a big difference.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:10 pm
WATB? I see that Kamchak is speaking in ebonics again- the language of the astute and the informed, the learned and the scholar.
Is it 2012 yet
July 20th, 2011
4:10 pm
Whatever happened to all the cuts (due to duplication) that POTUS stated in his State of the Union Address?.
Has anyone seen the cuts he is talking about now, and when they take effect? Don’t we need help now and not in 12 years?
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:12 pm
Brosephus,
Otay. I laughed.
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:12 pm
Orrrr…
Is conservatism the act of taking a dump, leaving a pile of sh*t everywhere, and watching others pick it up to see which end they grab?
ok. I’ll stop now before I make someone mad…
Stupid, Greedy Folk
July 20th, 2011
4:13 pm
If EVERYTHING in the world has gone up, then why not taxes. Tax breaks were given to oil companies and banks and they have helped to destroy the middle class; couple that with those who took jobs overseas for a higher profit, leaving millions at home unemployed. They got the tax breaks and put the money right in their financial portfolios. Record profits for these corporations and record number of people out of work . . . profits were not good enough; they wanted mega profits; and built their entire businesses on credit . . .
Y’all better get it together; to have everything go up except taxes is right on the right track from the Reagan years, when after Carter, they REFUSED TO APOLOGIZE FOR BEING WEALTHY.
How about apologizing for what conservative economics have done to our country. From the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson where everyone had a shot at the american dream to the bottom line and it’s only working out for those who got the tax breaks.
We became a country solely interested in acquiring wealth and here we are, on the way to hell in a handbasket. Bottom line? These corporations have stolen from the American people; not paid their fair share of taxes and now telling America everybody has to give in, but they get to keep their tax breaks?
America, are you paying attention? Where are the jobs the job-creators get tax breaks for? Anybody? To the Republicans remember this: PRIDE COMES BEFORE THE FALL.
This is why I wish there was a consumer tax; the more you consume, the more you buy, the more you own, the more you need to pay. Imagine if all the money given in tax breaks were added to our economy; there’d still be a Clinton surplus, then some . . .
larry
July 20th, 2011
4:13 pm
After looking at what Ms.Schultz said about Mr. West, it seems to me that Mr.West can not handle criticism about his position with ” Cut , Cap, and Balance. She didnt say anything personal about Mr. West , just his position on the budget. If anything , Mr. West over reacted. What he said was personal.
Neon Frog
July 20th, 2011
4:13 pm
godless heathen
July 20th, 2011
3:39 pm
Nice rebuttal godless. A diatribe on these crazy military dogs with titanium teeth. Ha!
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:14 pm
is it 2012 yet
Did anyone really believe Obama when he said he was going to make cuts due to all the duplication?
Mighty Righty
July 20th, 2011
4:15 pm
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
3:57 pm
It was on Politico and Drudge.
Disgusted
July 20th, 2011
4:15 pm
And I’ld like to see the math that made them say we could insure millions more people at an overall lower cost for all. Wouldn’t that be a hoot.
All those millions of healthy people who studiously avoid buying health insurance and now complain mightily about the ACA’s “forcing” them to do so? It ain’t just the unhealthy ones who now get excluded from the insurable pool, Thulsa.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:16 pm
Mighty,
I’ve never looked up either of them. But I will now!
Peter
July 20th, 2011
4:16 pm
Hey Thulsa Doom ..How many times did Bush raise the debt limit ?
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:17 pm
ty
It may not be media bias, but you’re giddy about the fact that a man decided to lower his standards to denigrate somebody whom he thought had told lies about him. It says a whole lot about the character of the both of you in my book. Others may not see it like that, but I never claim to see things as others do.
larry
July 20th, 2011
4:17 pm
If Mr. West can not handle criticism , then he needs not to run again. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Bruno
July 20th, 2011
4:18 pm
They just started clearing the parking lot for the Governor’s entourage. Too bad Brosephus isn’t part of the security detail, would have enjoyed treating him to some good BBQ. I’ll let you guys know later how it went.
Mick
July 20th, 2011
4:19 pm
**In case you haven’t noticed it China didn’t begin to prosper until the govt opened up free market reforms**
Pretty naive coming from you. It helps that they have a gigantic labor pool which will work for pennies on the dollar, is that what you’re advocating for here? Walmart wages – the america of the future and a right wingers wet dream…
AmVet
July 20th, 2011
4:19 pm
Stupid, Greedy Folk, VERY well said.
Welcome to the United Corporations of America.
A government of the General Motors, by the General Dynamics and for the General Electrics.
bookman parrot
July 20th, 2011
4:19 pm
You are so right on JayMan. The House GOP is out of touch with the lib notion of spend more than you make.
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:21 pm
Bruno
Hold his feet to the fire!!!!!! Not literally though. I don’t want you to get tackled or anything.
ty webb
July 20th, 2011
4:21 pm
Brosephus,
fine by me, and a good day to you.
From the Miami Herald....
July 20th, 2011
4:23 pm
“But what finally set West off was the fact that Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic National Committee chair from Weston, said on the House floor that it was “unbelievable from a Member from South Florida” to support a plan that slashes Medicaid and Medicare “in favor of protecting tax breaks for Big Oil, millionaires, and companies who ship American jobs overseas.” She never identified West by name.”
Keep Up the Good Fight!
July 20th, 2011
4:24 pm
Am….. I think we need to update your references. Hows this?
Welcome to the United Corporations of America
A government of Banks of America, by the lobbyists of Exxon and for the Koch Brothers.
TaxPayer
July 20th, 2011
4:25 pm
So, Thulsa, you got nothing to support your claim of a mathematical impossibility?
Bruno
July 20th, 2011
4:26 pm
LOL @ Brosephus–He’s on a PR tour, so I plan to be a loyal subject today.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
July 20th, 2011
4:27 pm
@Stupid, Greedy, Folk
And how again does raising taxes on corporations get someone a job? How will taking subsidies away from oil companies get someone a job? I mean I agree, those tax loopholes are being taken advantage of, just curious on how you associate raising taxes on corporations and oil companies to employment? I guess my main question is do you think that their should be any incentives given for someone trying to run a business and employ Americans?
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:28 pm
Bruno
Loyalty is overrated nowadays!!! CARPE DIEM!!!!!!
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:28 pm
Taxpayer,
There’s nothing to prove on something that is self evident.
Bruno
July 20th, 2011
4:28 pm
All those millions of healthy people who studiously avoid buying health insurance and now complain mightily about the ACA’s “forcing” them to do so?
That would be me, Disgusted. If you can come up with a good reason why I should pay for other’s poor health choices, let me know. I’m doing just fine on my own.
Fletch
July 20th, 2011
4:29 pm
Thulsa – “And I’ld like to see the math that made them say we could insure millions more people at an overall lower cost for all. Wouldn’t that be a hoot.”
Yaaaaaaawn….. I belive it was based on the concept that if there were a larger pool of insured paying premiums, then the cost would inherently go down due to volume. Kind of like gas being cheap when everyone buys it, but then gets expensive when only a few do. Can’t really be sure since that part of the HCA doesn’t kick in until 2012. it would be foolish on my part to speculate until the actual provisions take effect.
TaxPayer
July 20th, 2011
4:29 pm
Thulsa,
A simple “no” will suffice.
WOODSTOCK MIKE
July 20th, 2011
4:31 pm
” I belive it was based on the concept that if there were a larger pool of insured paying premiums”
Anyone know what the premiums are based off of?
Fletch
July 20th, 2011
4:31 pm
Bruno – “That would be me, Disgusted. If you can come up with a good reason why I should pay for other’s poor health choices, let me know. I’m doing just fine on my own”
Damn, you actually like paying for other people who get medical care and can’t pay for it because they have no insurance so the provider inherently charges you more along with the insurance company through your yearly premium increase?
Weird.
josef
July 20th, 2011
4:31 pm
Brosephus
Meeting incivility with incivility accomplishes nothing, imho, it may make you feel better and I’ll engage in it myself when pushed, but I’m not in Congress, either…
PAULO
And you know, when one of them comes back and says something along those lines, it makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it?
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:31 pm
Peter,
That’s a valid point. The debt ceiling was raised under both Bush and numerous times under Reagan. But our debt was not at 14 trillion either. We’ve now reached a critical stage where the debt is so crushing that a stand has to be made to get some semblance of fiscal sanity.
Fletch
July 20th, 2011
4:33 pm
WOODSTOCK MIKE – “Anyone know what the premiums are based off of?”
Couldn’t tell ya. I’m still waiting to see if the state exchanges are actually going to come to fruition so that our PT employees will be able to apply for health insurance. As it stands, I’m happy to get the 35% write off on the business expenses.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:33 pm
Taxpayer,
And can you provide proof that adding millions more will reduce the overall cost of health care? A simple no will likewise suffice.
Mighty Righty
July 20th, 2011
4:33 pm
Mighty Righty
July 20th, 2011
3:55 pm
josef
July 20th, 2011
3:49 pm
Watching the arguments this P.M. regarding our education system was entertaining. I know next to nothing about the whys, hows and whats of education but I have been around long enough to understand how each generation thinks it is smarter than any prior generation. It is fun to watch the new people come in with their “new” ideas that all the veterans know have been tried many times by many new people all with the same result. Failure. The serious problems are caused when the new people are in responsible positions that can actually effect change. Each succeeding generation has access to more information, but alas they don’t always take advantage that addiditonal knowledge. Many times, the knowledge of how to avoid repeating mistakes is available among the workers and they could save themselves and everyone else a lot of trouble by just asking a few questions. Kinda reminds me of todays experts beingcritical of our founders. All the founders did was create a nation that has survived for for more than two hundred years while the critics are still trying to figure out how to make a light bulb.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:38 pm
If the idea was based on there being a larger pool of premium payers……
Yes. And if new mandated coverages such as pregnancy, mental health counseling for drug and alcohol abuse, and coverage for pre existing conditions are all covered then of course its impossible to insure more people at a lesser cost.
If taxpayer can’t understand that then I just can’t help him. Also adding mandated coverages flat out raises the cost. That is why an individual policy for someone can cost roughly 60% of what the same policy would cost in a group plan- because of the mandated coverages that not all people want but are collectively forced to pay for anyway.
Left wing management
July 20th, 2011
4:39 pm
Thulsa; “I left out China on purpose so that you could bring it up.”
Do Left Wing Management’s posting habits have that much bearing on your arguments?
“In case you haven’t noticed it China didn’t begin to prosper until the govt opened up free market reforms. They are moving toward capitalism- not away from it. ”
But this presupposes that “capitalism” really is at some remove from where they started out from — something that in some ways still remains to be seen.
“The govt will remain communist politically in the name of nepotism and control but the economy will continue to move toward the free market reform.”
Ah, I see. See my previous answer.
So if they remain communist “politically” but capitalist in other respects, which then ARE they really?
I’m not sure that’s so easy to decide as you seem to think.
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:40 pm
josef
So, I’m not the only one who thinks that e-mail was unwarranted? Here I was thinking I had claimed an island all to myself.
Dan
July 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
Two items that indisputedly prove a discussion on budget balancing is either driven by ignorance or deception
1. The cuts proposed are anything less than in the trillions
2. A claim about taxing the rich, or the rich don’t pay there fair share.
Taxing the the top 1% at 100% of their income wouldn’t put a dent in the budget, and any cuts in the billions are laughable.
Schrodinger's cat
July 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
Peter – 7 times
Fletch
July 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
Thulsa – “That is why an individual policy for someone can cost roughly 60% of what the same policy would cost in a group plan- because of the mandated coverages that not all people want but are collectively forced to pay for anyway.”
Yep. Of course BCBS didn’t seem to care when they gave us the 26% increase for our employees annual renewal. Oh well, at least it’s not Socialism.
Chris
July 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
Once again your partisan posting continues. The poll to me is irrelevent because it did not give the option of Paul Ryan’s Plan…Nor did it cite that Obama’s “cuts” are not mandated nor guaranteed to actually occur, and that any cuts that do occur are all in the “out years” of the budgeting. Ryans’ plan HAS ALREADY PASSED THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Ryan’s plan calls for over the next 10 years to cut spending $5.8 Trillion AND actually reduce the National Debt by $4.4 TRILLION. If the poll would have been fair and accurate and included THIS option…How do you think people would have voted. The poll iyou cite is liking asking people “I’m gonna give you $4 or $2.50, which do you want?”
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:41 pm
Brocephus,
Are you still trying to pick up that turd by the clean end? As a conservative I’m ready to commission a study on the methodology of how you’re going to do it.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:43 pm
Fletch,
Premiums are going up for a number of reasons but one of them supposedly is the health plans bracing for the higher costs and impact of Obamacare.
Peter
July 20th, 2011
4:44 pm
Yes to this Thulsa Doom……We’ve now reached a critical stage where the debt is so crushing that a stand has to be made to get some semblance of fiscal sanity.
I agree totally……we need sanity…we are hardly getting it.
Cut the military for starters…..cut the benefits for the senators and congress folks second !
Curious Observer
July 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
Anyone know what the premiums are based off of?
Much like the premiums for life insurance, the premiums for health insurance are based on the experience of insurance companies in insuring a variety of underwriting categories—both historical and in the most recent years. Believe me, the actuarial mathematics are mind-boggling, and that’s why actuaries make pretty good money. I taught in college with an Emory PhD in mathematics. He passed the exams for the Fellow, Society of Actuaries designation in two sittings and practically tripled his former salary when he went to work for a life insurance company.
Fletch
July 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
Thulsa – “Premiums are going up for a number of reasons but one of them supposedly is the health plans bracing for the higher costs and impact of Obamacare.’
Okay, I’ll buy that as long as you can explain the yearly increases since we started the plan back in 2004. I don’t think the HCA or the Obama administration existed prior to 2008.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
LWM,
Bottom line is that China has freed up their economy substantially and enacted free market reforms in the last decade. Everyone knows this. This isn’t Mao running the show anymore and this isn’t the China of the great leap forward or the cultural revolution.
Brosephus
July 20th, 2011
4:48 pm
Dammit Doom!! I can’t type a response when I’m laughing too hard….
I’ll have to polish one end first to make sure it’s clean.
Mighty Righty
July 20th, 2011
4:48 pm
Left wing management
July 20th, 2011
4:39 pm
China is a hybred between Capitalism and comunism. The economy is being driven by capitalism while the people’s freedoms are restricted by the communist government. Sorta like here.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:50 pm
Fletch,
Lately I believe and from what I read in industry publications and newsletters that the current rises are in anticipation of Obamacare. How much of that is true is anyone’s guess. But you’re right. Premiums have been going up for awhile now. I think that is more symptomatic of an aging population which uses substantially more medical care, innovations and new drugs which not only do not decrease but actually increase the cost of health care, a good deal of defensive medicine being practiced by doctors to avoid lawsuits, etc. In regards to innovations having the opposite effect of raising costs Jay actually had a good blog a few weeks ago about a new cancer drug that will prolong a good quality of life for about 6 months. It will only delay the inevitable though. The cost of the drugs- 50 or 100k for that 6 months and its already been approved by health insurance plans and by Medicare. The truth is that it will have to be paid for in the way of higher premiums for everyone- just a fact of life that we all have to accept.
Kamchak
July 20th, 2011
4:51 pm
My girlfriend’s hairdresser’s boyfriend has an uncle who used to work with a guy who knew an actuary.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:53 pm
Brocephus,
I figured you would like that one since it dovetails with your premise that we cons will study how the clean end of the turd is picked up.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
July 20th, 2011
4:54 pm
Kam…I met them at the Whole Foods yesterday….I think they were looking for a remedy for bloat and gas. Seems to be a lot of that running around. You might have seen some here recently
WOODSTOCK MIKE
July 20th, 2011
4:54 pm
“Much like the premiums for life insurance, the premiums for health insurance are based on the experience of insurance companies in insuring a variety of underwriting categories”
If this statement above is true I don’t see how the change will take care of the problems in healthcare. For instance, I thought the change would help people with pre-existing conditions? If the above statement is true it isn’t going to help anyone if you have diabetes or cancer when your premiums are $1000.00/mth. And what about uninsured people who can’t even make a $50/mth payment on thier credit cards, are you just going to add another $100/mth for insurance, somehow I don’t think they will pay it…
Fletch
July 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
Thulsa – “The truth is that it will have to be paid for in the way of higher premiums for everyone- just a fact of life that we all have to accept.”
Yeah, I know. I actually don’t mind that much since we get a lot more out of providing insurance for our employees than if we didn’t. Taking that perk away from them would never justify the savings.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:58 pm
Peter,
I’m one of the cons on here but I agree with you on cutting the military. I’ve posed the question numerous times- do we really need 12 carrier battle groups? Can we eke by with 8 or 9? Do we really need 36 bases in Germany to protect them against a decrepit Russian military? To hell with Afgh I’m done with that- waste of time, money. and lives. Lets wind down Iraq in the next couple of years also. Its just not realistic to believe we can get there without cutting the military. And just as with domestic cuts I think we have to do these military cuts spread out over time so that the newly unemployed from a scaled down military will be able to gradually adjust and find jobs in the private sector after their service. This can’t be done overnight.
Mighty Righty
July 20th, 2011
5:01 pm
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:45 pm
A humorous story. A friend was born in mainland china. Escaped to Formosa and became a Canadian citizen so he could visit relatives on the mainland. This was years ago when the mainland was 100% communist. The chinese were having problems with prostitution. Prostitution was thriving mostly becuase of the frequent visitors of government officials which were of course communist. Their delima was not morality or even that most of the customers were communist officials, it was because the prostitute’s were “Capitalist’s”. CAPITALIST’S! They thought communist officials were contributing to capitalism which was illegal. The message is clear. Capitalism will defeat communism every time.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
5:02 pm
Fletch,
Bruno is a doc and I believe either he or another health professional had spoken about getting the health insurance plans out of the way and going to more of a consumer oriented approach where consumers pay the doc for regular visits and services, checkups, etc. Let the insurance plans pay for what they really should be paying for such as unexpected and catastrophic events like surgeries, car accidents, cancer, etc. Just as car insurance doesn’t pay for tires or oil changes health insurance shouldn’t be involved in the small stuff. JMHO of course.
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
5:05 pm
I’m out for awhile. Ya’ll have fun.
Mighty Righty
July 20th, 2011
5:06 pm
Thulsa Doom
July 20th, 2011
4:58 pm
I couldn’t agree more. Except, I would speed up withdrawal and I would have to make it clear to our enemies that with a small military, our defense would most likely involve nucleur weapons.
Disgusted
July 20th, 2011
5:07 pm
For instance, I thought the change would help people with pre-existing conditions? If the above statement is true it isn’t going to help anyone if you have diabetes or cancer when your premiums are $1000.00/mth. And what about uninsured people who can’t even make a $50/mth payment on thier credit cards, are you just going to add another $100/mth for insurance, somehow I don’t think they will pay it…
Don’t forget, Mike, that if you add 100 healthy people seldom needing health insurance benefits to the pool, their premiums will help cover the cost of the one with diabetes or cancer. That’s the whole premise of the Affordable Care Act. Yes, it’s “socialism,” I know, but that’s the whole rationale behind the requirement that everybody be covered. But then, it’s happening now—thousands of people covered by a plan pay premiums in case one of them develops a dread disease requiring expensive treatment. And those same people are paying higher premiums than they would otherwise because doctors and hospitals find themselves treating uninsured people who ride on the backs of the insured. It’s something like life insurance: you hope you never need to use it.
Steven Hodges
July 20th, 2011
6:01 pm
Kamchak
July 20th, 2011
2:48 pm
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) said he disagreed which prompted the MSNBC host to ask him if he had a degree in economics.
“Yes ma’am, I do. Highest honors,” Rep. Brooks responded.
Phlogiston economics.
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If trashing someone is your comfort zone, I pity you.
Mo Brooks graduated from Duke University with a double major in Political Science and Economics. His Economics degree was conferred with Highest Honors. Mr. Brooks subsequently earned a Law Degree from the University of Alabama in 1978.
Kamchak
July 20th, 2011
6:09 pm
If trashing someone is your comfort zone, I pity you.
Ahhhhh yes, the passive/aggressive ploy. I’m not responsible for your feelings sport, so don’t assign that task to me
BTW, I’m not trashing “someone”, I’m trashing a generation of
economistsalchemists that have been trained that they cancreate complicated algorithms that can predict market trendsturn lead into gold.Karen
July 20th, 2011
6:30 pm
Repulicans have lost their “minds” to the Tea Party idiots. Be nice if they all thew themselves in the Boston Bay.
DBCOOPER
July 20th, 2011
8:10 pm
Role reversal: Latin America taunts US on debt woes
Some Latin American presidents mock U.S. for debt woes
Thanks Obama you make us all look good.
Left wing management
July 20th, 2011
10:03 pm
Thulsa: “This isn’t Mao running the show anymore and this isn’t the China of the great leap forward or the cultural revolution.”
Oh really? So those events just got unhappened?
Left wing management
July 21st, 2011
8:07 am
Good morning people.
Ready to watch a train wreck?
Get ready. looks like there’s about as much chance it’s coming as not..
Adam
July 21st, 2011
8:28 am
I like the “but some cuts are after this current year!” argument, because it doesn’t even work for half of the GOP base, since they don’t seem to be able to look that far into the future anyway. Best to stick with “The SS Trust Fund isn’t real! See! We proved it!”