When the bluster fades, this is Newt Gingrich

ap_newt_gingrich_mitt_romney_ll_120126_wg

I didn’t watch last night’s umpteenth Republican presidential debate. I had a prior commitment with some poker-playing friends, although given the night’s outcome, watching the debate would have been a smarter financial option on my part.

By all accounts, Mitt Romney again took on the role of aggressor against Newt Gingrich, and Gingrich again shrank from the confrontation.

As Politico describes it
, Gingrich “simply seemed worn out and off point. Gone was the brawler who could whip up the crowd. And it’s not quite clear where he went… he did not seem to be enjoying the heat of battle as in past debates.”

At one point, Gingrich reportedly tried to rebut a Romney attack by complaining to Mitt that “you’re very quick to draw the widest possible exaggeration,” which is truly priceless considering the source. I’m sorry I missed that moment.

The Washington Post was no more kind in its after-action report, concluding that “Gingrich was just plain off his game … looked less prepared and never really recovered.“

None of that surprises me. A strong showing in this last Florida debate was crucial to Gingrich, whose post-South Carolina momentum has faded in recent days. He needed another strong, aggressive showing and did not produce it, but that is consistent with his history.

At heart, Gingrich is a bully who backs down when confronted. He likes to challenge members of the media in public, safe in the knowledge that their profession does not allow them to return fire. He is well-skilled at creating and then dismantling strawmen. And he is supremely confident when he senses that he has succeeded in intimidating his target.

But when the critical moment comes, he deflates. As speaker, he shrunk from Bill Clinton, to the point that his aides and lieutenants didn’t want to have them in the same room lest a passive Gingrich agree to too much. In these debates, once Romney decided to fight back aggressively, Newt has repeatedly retreated. In the previous debate, he was left speechless and flustered by a pressing Romney, and apparently he still hasn’t recovered his bluster.

When asked last night to discuss his campaign-trail attacks on Romney’s bank accounts in Switzerland and the Caymans, Newt pulled a Pawlenty, explaining that “I’m perfectly happy to say that in an interview on some TV show, but this is a national debate where you have a chance to get the four of us to talk about a whole range of issues.”

To which Romney responded:

“Wouldn’t it be nice if people didn’t make accusations somewhere else that they weren’t willing to defend here?”

If and when the time came, Gingrich would have done the same when pitted against Barack Obama. In baseball, they say that a player is what his numbers say he is.

This is who Gingrich is.

– Jay Bookman

674 comments Add your comment

Normal

January 27th, 2012
9:21 am

“Gingrich is a bully who backs down when confronted”

Priceless!!

Adam

January 27th, 2012
9:23 am

I didn’t watch last night’s umpteenth Republican presidential debate.

But if you MUST torture yourself….:

http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-debate-schedule/2011-2012-primary-debate-schedule/

Videos of each and every previous debate. Oh lordie….

James

January 27th, 2012
9:23 am

lets hope FL puts an end to this Newt-as-front-runner business. What a disgrace.

jconservative

January 27th, 2012
9:24 am

The myth that only Newt can stand up to Obama in a debate is gone. Gone forever.

Newt finished 3 in two straight 4 man debates.

Obama will have Newt skinned and gutted in 30 minutes.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
9:26 am

Seriously, I am actually a little annoyed. Gingrich would have been an AWESOME candidate to run against in the general.

I guess we get Mint RawMoney instead. Which, as I have said before, the base will vote for ANYWAY, no matter how much they don’t like him now. And not because of ObamaHate primarily, but because of party loyalty.

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
9:29 am

I made the mistake of turning to that crap. I would have been better off running full speed into a brick wall head first.

Aquagirl

January 27th, 2012
9:30 am

But when the critical moment comes, he deflates.

Nah, still looks like a beached whale to me.

Actually Newt’s gross obesity may account for his fade. Campaigning is grueling work and being in shape provides more advantage than a good photo op. Fat kids simply can’t keep up.

Paul

January 27th, 2012
9:31 am

“Gingrich again shrank from the confrontation.”

He was repeatedly called out on his distortions and innuendo.

It did seem to me that more than once, when Romney was lashing him, that Newt had the smirk of a guilty boy who got caught. When Newt accused Romney of profiting off Fannie/Freddie, Romney explained blind trust arrangements, how mutual funds are comprised of many investments, how he loaned money to Fannie/Freddie while Newt took money, and finally, he asked ‘have you looked at your own investment?”

Newt: ‘oops, he caught me” smirk, followed by Romney saying “you bought funds invested in Fannie and Freddie.”

When it came to bullying reporters, Wolf was prepped. Newt should know when you attack the same way time after time, the opposition will adjust. Newt complained about what Blitzer asked and Blitzer said “you are the one who made it an issue this week, Mr. Speaker.”

Newt is revealed for what he is. And it ain’t presidential.

Goldie

January 27th, 2012
9:31 am

Who looked like presidential material on that GOP debate stage? None of the above. Thank God we have President Obama guiding America thru the Great Recession after the worst 8 years of Repub policy disasters!

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
9:32 am

I loved the look on Newts face when Romney countered on the whole Fannie/Freddie investment charge. I think we’ve found Newts weakness – FACTS

Gman

January 27th, 2012
9:34 am

The beached whale is fading fast!

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
9:34 am

Romney finally took it to Gingrich…It was by far romney’s strongest performance. After the “investments” question, newt practically waved the white flag.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
9:35 am

The nomination was effectively wrapped up last night.

Obama/Romney it is.

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
9:35 am

“I made the mistake of turning to that crap.”

synopsis: democrat voter not likey GOP debate.

Paul

January 27th, 2012
9:35 am

The “Newt is the smartest guy ever who’s going to dismantle Obama one-on-one” contingent are a little late arriving today.

Or maybe they simply realize discretion is the better part of valor.

mm

January 27th, 2012
9:37 am

“Thursday afternoon, the LA Times reported that Romney’s tax returns listed 23 funds and partnerships that did not appear on Mitt Romney’s personal financial statements — the disclosure forms candidates are required by federal law to file with the Federal Elections Commission.”

Why are republicans so dishonest?

Robert Lee

January 27th, 2012
9:38 am

I think they are all still on Jay’s Birther Blog Part 2 like I was until I saw that he had posted a new blog

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
9:38 am

I didn’t watch long enough to see all that. When I heard the candidates ripping Obama for not creating any jobs in this economy, I knew the jackassery was in full swing for all the saps to suck it up. How could Obama be responsible for not creating any jobs when, according to GOP rhetoric, the government can not create jobs? That’s like holding me responsible for not winning the Daytona 500 when I don’t even drive a racecar. Yet, the GOP faithful eat that sh*t up without even blinking at the obvious disconnect.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
9:38 am

Or maybe they simply realize discretion is the better part of valor.

Dave R playbook. In addition to insults as “I win!” and changing the subject. Throw in a helping of “Bookman, why aren’t you writing about _____?” and you have many conservative bloggers here.

saywhat?

January 27th, 2012
9:39 am

I soooooooooo wanted to see an Obama-Gingrich debate though.Sigh.

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
9:39 am

“I made the mistake of turning to that crap.”

synopsis: democrat voter not likey GOP debate.

Analysis is not your strong point. I’m looking for a reason to not vote for Obama. The GOP has not presented much of a case at this point. I’d rather go with known jackassery as opposed to going with the unknown.

Aquagirl

January 27th, 2012
9:40 am

The “Newt is the smartest guy ever who’s going to dismantle Obama one-on-one” contingent are a little late arriving today.

They’re still drinking heavily after seeing that debate.

Recon 2533 1811

January 27th, 2012
9:40 am

Romney did do well in both debates. If he wins Florida it should carry him through to the nomination.

JohnnyReb

January 27th, 2012
9:41 am

It appears voters may come to the conclusion that both Mitt and Newt have too many liabilities. Santorum is the most non-compromised candidate but without funding will not be able to win the nominationn. However the continued split in state outcomes could produce a brokered convention. We could have a nominee not currently in the running.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
9:43 am

Brosephus: The biggest problem with the right wing Obama the Job Killer rhetoric is that facts show consistent private sector job growth. While a legitimate case could be made that the President doesn’t create those jobs, the argument from the right is he is PREVENTING those jobs from being created.

Really? 22 months of job creation and he is PREVENTING job creation?

Go ahead, use the proving a negative argument. You know, the same kind you always say is stupid when it’s used to describe the world without the stimulus.

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
9:44 am

“I’m looking for a reason to not vote for Obama.”

yeah, sure you are…let me guess, you’re also “dating morgan fairchild…yeah, that’s the ticket”

Adam

January 27th, 2012
9:44 am

JohnnyReb: However the continued split in state outcomes could produce a brokered convention. We could have a nominee not currently in the running.

Still waiting for Superman….

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
9:44 am

Romney even scored a few points in an unexpected direction last night — he actually proved he could think on his feet somewhat. At one point when beginning to talk about his wife as possible first lady he appeared to step on Ron Paul’s toes, but just in time he realized and apologized for sounding rude. It was one of the first times I’ve ever seen him be genuinely spontaneous without fumbling which scored him a few points I think.

mm

January 27th, 2012
9:45 am

“We could have a nominee not currently in the running.”

There’s no way to get on the ballots. You think someone could win with “write-ins”?

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
9:47 am

JohnnyReb: “We could have a nominee not currently in the running.”

I don’t know about that. It appears the GOP establishment is perfectly fine with Romney at the end of the day. Do you not think the Tea Party faction will come around?

ByteMe

January 27th, 2012
9:48 am

It was the pre-show that was really the priceless moment.

Erin Burnett interviewed John King about “the moment” from the SC debate and how Gingrich claimed he had a bunch of people ready to talk with ABC about his ex-wife’s lies… and he repeated that same claim on CNN later in an interview. So CNN checked. Complete fabrication, admitted Gingrich’s press secretary after several days of trying to not address it.

Five minutes before the start of the debate they reported this. BAM!

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
9:48 am

There was another debate! What did they talk about this time. Did they all agree that catsup is a vegetable and that the debt can be paid off onced we eliminate all taxes on the job creators and fully deregulate them so they can legally trickle down in our drinking water and blow smoke up our atmosphere, etc.

Recon 2533 1811

January 27th, 2012
9:49 am

“Really? 22 months of job creation and he is PREVENTING job creation?”

Adam, unfortunately for the Democrats that argument doesn’t resonate because it’s been anemic job creation and unemployment is still a significant problem. Unemployment filings just took a big leap when the latest results were reported yesterday.

Granny Godzilla

January 27th, 2012
9:49 am

I seem to have asked the wrong question the last few days…

It’s not Did Romney pay ANY taxes in 2008….it should be

Did Romney pay ANY taxes in 2009?

mmmm

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
9:50 am

Really? 22 months of job creation and he is PREVENTING job creation?

And I see your reading comprehension skills are not 100% today. Where did I state that? What I said was I don’t see how Obama can be accused of not creating any jobs when their ideology states that he can’t do it anyway. For example, if my beliefs are that you can’t give birth to a baby, how can I complain about you not having any children?

I don’t think that Obama can create jobs, outside of government hiring and/or spending, but I never stated that he has not created any jobs. Go back and read what I posted.

yeah, sure you are…let me guess, you’re also “dating morgan fairchild…yeah, that’s the ticket”

Nope, and I never had an urge to want to date her. I’ve made my view of Obama pretty clear here. You just choose to see what you want to see as opposed to what’s there.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
9:53 am

Recon: My point was that the idea that Obama is killing jobs with his policies is nonsense, if jobs keep getting created. “It’s too slow, we would do better” is also an argument that doesn’t work from the right.

And also, let’s not kid ourselves – 22 months is longer than the House Republicans have been in office or even started significantly running for office. They also cannot pass anything without the Senate also passing it and the President signing it. So they are not responsible.

Normal

January 27th, 2012
9:53 am

Adam

January 27th, 2012
9:54 am

Brosephus: Where did I state that?

You didn’t. Others have. Sorry, didn’t mean to make it seem like I was saying you said that.

sam

January 27th, 2012
9:54 am

i heard an Obama Super Pac is putting pro-Gingrich adds on TV in Florida…

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
9:56 am

I’m going to try to watch it over the weekend, but I just couldn’t watch it last night due to an emergency at work. That being said, I probably wouldn’t have watched it last evening anyhow, because I was bushed to start with. But it sounds like I missed quite a show.

Jay — ““Gingrich is a bully who backs down when confronted”

True, and has been so for years. I just didn’t recognize it when I moved here and subsequently voted for him. If you bloody a bully’s nose, he usually gets the message and backs the eff off.

Road Scholar

January 27th, 2012
9:56 am

Aquagirl: You are above comments like you made earlier.

Ty Webb: Since when did you start reading minds? While I admire President Obama, I’d like to know where all the candidates stand, and, if there is a better one, than I would consider voting for him/her. The vice presidential choice is important also, but we’ll have to wait for the end of the R convention to find that out.

Cosby

January 27th, 2012
9:57 am

Just re-elect Barry Soetoro, the annoited one and then we can all go pick cotton on the south White House Lawn….how about sone real indepth look at Barry and crowd..he was never vetted and this racist country voted for him due to his dark complextion…shame on all of you. Check out who [paid for his expensive college, wgo paid for his trips overseas while in the expensive college, check out his youth between Indonesia, Kennya, and Hawaii, how did he really win his first election after digging up and broadcasting rumored dirt on his appointent, check out his relationship with Sinclair, and the rest of his buddies. Ask why he has ignored the Constitution whil in office or why he never voted but present when in the Senate. Ask why the FBI purchased two million dollar busses from Canada for his use that have seemed to have been used one time..no Jay, lets beat up on the republicans but not the annoited one…time to vet all the candidates and request the electorial college to find someone who is worthy.

Recon 2533 1811

January 27th, 2012
9:58 am

Adam, I don’t know but it appears that job creation or lack thereof remains a very concerning issue for the majority of Americans according to the polls.

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
9:58 am

“My point was that the idea that Obama is killing jobs with his policies is nonsense, if jobs keep getting created”

They know this, but the talking heads feel that the repetition of such will lead them to victory. I actually respect the CONs that do speak on the growth of jobs and the growth of the economy, They will still say “it’s not enough” etc, but at least being honest in the facts goes a long way in my book.

ByteMe

January 27th, 2012
9:59 am

how about sone real indepth look at Barry and crowd..he was never vetted

So you admit that FOX News and the rightwing blogosphere is incompetent and untrustworthy.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
9:59 am

Newt’s best moment was in describing Callista’s qualifications
for first lady. I thought he was going to cry. He should have
been a lawyer. He could give Johnny Cochran a run for his
money. With money he will hammer Romney for a while
and rehabilatate himself into a large slice of the Republican
Party.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:00 am

Recon: I hope it remains so even after the problem is “solved.”

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
10:00 am

Republicans are beginning to think that maybe Herman Cain was there best candidate. :lol:

Mick

January 27th, 2012
10:00 am

I really don’t care for him but I thought santorum was pretty strong in his answers. Of course, ron paul is the coolest man on the stage and answers truthfully. Loved his take on cuba and castro – the only man standing on that stage with common sense.

sam

January 27th, 2012
10:00 am

well done Cosby, you got all the loony talking points in to paragraph

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
10:01 am

Adam

Ok, thought that I was gonna have to take you to the woodshed for a minute there. ;)

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
10:01 am

Cosby – “….how about sone real indepth look at Barry and crowd..he was never vetted”

Have you written to the GOP and voiced your concerns for their apparent lack of research PRIOR to Obama being elected?

ByteMe

January 27th, 2012
10:01 am

but the talking heads feel that the repetition of such will lead them to victory

I have a cousin who works on wall street and earlier this year complatined to me that Obama hated business because he never met with business leaders. Usually he’s smarter than that, but that’s what everyone around him was saying. I pointed out where Obama was a dyed-in-the-wool corporatist and it still didn’t matter to him and what he believed. Sad.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
10:01 am

Okay, who’s going to be Romney’s running mate?

I’ve been saying for months that *if* Romney wins the nomination — and it looks increasingly likely that he will, in fact, win it — then I think he’s got to pick someone with some fundie *and* wingnut cred in order to shore up support from evangelicals and from the wackadoo side of the party (to ensure that they don’t try to do a Paul or Palin write-in campaign).

With that in mind, I think that people like Bachmann, Santorum and Jindal are all possibilities. But there may be other Congressmen, Senators and Governors who might get considered. Maybe someone like Tom Price or Phil Gingrey from here in the metro. Or another player on the national stage, like Sam Brownback or Tom Coburn.

What do you think? Who’s Romney considering?

Road Scholar

January 27th, 2012
10:01 am

mm: While th primary ballots are pretty much set, if the convention goes to s “brokered” candidate, then that candidate will be on the ballot.

Granny: Good morning! I agree with you, but I want to see the last 5 years tax returns…before he started his campaign, and to see how they have changed over time in a changing economy.

St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne

January 27th, 2012
10:01 am

C’mon Newwwwt
He’s brilliant
He’s a perfessor or something
He would smoke Hopey in a debate
He’s the only conservative!
He’s the family values candidate!

Let’s don’t abandon our principles, assuming we have any.

Talking Head

January 27th, 2012
10:01 am

Romney did much much better last night than the last few debates. He was more on the offense, answered more with confiction, and was able to defend his positions. With that debate performance last night, I expect Romney to win FL.

Jack

January 27th, 2012
10:02 am

The figurehead in the White House hasn’t produced anything other than confusion. He promises more than he can deliver and is an expert at selling snake oil.

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
10:03 am

So you admit that FOX News and the rightwing blogosphere is incompetent and untrustworthy.

Roughing the poster!!!! Automatic first down. :)

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
10:03 am

Jack – “The figurehead in the White House hasn’t produced anything other than confusion. He promises more than he can deliver and is an expert at selling snake oil.”

Well then you better rub your magic beads or call Orly Taitz so you two can support each other when Obama wins another 4 years.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

January 27th, 2012
10:04 am

So you admit that FOX News and the rightwing blogosphere is incompetent and untrustworthy

Now now ByteMe…. we know that Fox clearly does not have investigative reporters or even reporters who can follow up with Trump’s great investigators when Trump told the world that “you won’t believe what my investigator’s are finding”. They are understaffed not incompetent. :D

Mick

January 27th, 2012
10:04 am

When it comes to snake oil, I vote romney…

Stonethrower

January 27th, 2012
10:04 am

Just face it folks. Romney is a real life elite and will be our next president. The common man was not meant to run this country.

Recon 2533 1811

January 27th, 2012
10:05 am

Adam, I’ll second that. It would be great to see zero unemployment but of course that would be impossible.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
10:05 am

Jack — “The figurehead in the White House hasn’t produced anything other than confusion. He promises more than he can deliver and is an expert at selling snake oil.”

Wow, Jack, your post has been stuck in the intert00bz since 2005! :D

harvey

January 27th, 2012
10:05 am

It is a shame Romney wasn’t the candidate last time, and I intend to do what I can to make sure he is this time, and that he gives Obama the whipping he deserves. We have a pathetic economy, no budget at all, for years, insignificant “growth”, and a debt that is escalating beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Obama’s platitudes and just plain bs just don’t cut it anymore.

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
10:05 am

I don’t know but it appears that job creation or lack thereof remains a very concerning issue for the majority of Americans according to the polls.

It’s been that way since 2008. Each party rode the jobs train to election victories in 2008 and 2010. I don’t think the voting public will tolerate much more bs after 2012. Neither party has put their focus on jobs. The Dem’s spent major time on healthcare, and the Repubs did the same with the debt. Both may seem important to the party loyalists, but neither party has appeared to grasp the idea that putting more Americans to work will help solve both of those problems and many others.

Peadawg

January 27th, 2012
10:06 am

“Gingrich is a bully who backs down when confronted”

So he’s one of those “he can dish it out but can’t take it” types. I hate those types of people.

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
10:06 am

You know what the new CONs talking point is now, discussing numbers and putting out data from the date Prez O was “elected”, not inaugurated, but ELECTED. So deceitful.

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
10:06 am

Romney should pick Paul Broun so he can ward off the evil and guarantee an easy victory. Give me a H. Give me a A. Give me a I. Give me a L. Give me a M-A-R-Y. Don’t leave home without it. After all, McCain has set a precedent.

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
10:06 am

We’ll now have a long period before the next debate. Hopefully, the debates will take on a more substantive feel. Let’s do away with the crowds(atleast the cheering and booing). The questions need to be about particular issues, and not be framed in a way that pits candidate vs. candidate. A great deal of the debate questions in the last few debates have simply been framed in a way for one candidate to address another’s candidates position. This makes for great soundbites, but we need to go deeper into the issues.

St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne

January 27th, 2012
10:07 am

Joe – “Okay, who’s going to be Romney’s running mate?”

Yes, I too believe it will have to be “He” and a fat white Southern
snake-handler with that Mrs Dash touch of latent racism.

It will be Haley Barbour

sam

January 27th, 2012
10:07 am

jack, he passed healthcare bill, financial reform, ended iraq war, saved GM, etc. show me one politician who doesnt promise more than they can deliver and i’ll show you an unelectable politician..its what they do for crissakes!

Paul

January 27th, 2012
10:07 am

Granny

The taxes issue. Mr. Strategic Thinker was rather muddled – walked into it, again, when he derided Romney for his 15% tax rate and – was it Blitzer? – who noted “Mr. Speaker, under your tax reform plan Gov Romney would pay zero taxes.”

Newt gave a short, mealy-mouthed reply that was along the lines of “that depends on how you define capital gains” (channeling “that depends on the definition of ‘is’ – too funny!)

ByteMe

January 27th, 2012
10:08 am

Roughing the poster!!!! Automatic first down

I wonder if cosby and his ilk actually think about the things that they hear and read.

mike

January 27th, 2012
10:08 am

I am sure he paid exactly what the law requires him to pay. Why do we have to make this personal. I wonder if Obama paid his fair share?

ByteMe

January 27th, 2012
10:09 am

I am sure he paid exactly what the law requires him to pay. Why do we have to make this personal. I wonder if Obama paid his fair share?

You are confusing “legal share” with “fair share”. Not the same thing.

Paul

January 27th, 2012
10:09 am

Jack

“The figurehead in the White House hasn’t produced anything other than confusion. He promises more than he can deliver and is an expert at selling snake oil.”

What, you’d be happier if we still had our servicemen and women still getting their legs blown off and killed in Iraq?

ByteMe

January 27th, 2012
10:10 am

What, you’d be happier if we still had our servicemen and women still getting their legs blown off and killed in Iraq?

As long as they were all “straight”….

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
10:10 am

Byteme

I doubt it. Some people are gonna believe what they want to and ignore the rest, regardless of what the truth states.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
10:11 am

When asked about a VP, Santorum, Gingrich, and Romney
all mentioned Rubio..

carlosgvv

January 27th, 2012
10:12 am

The fact that Gingrich has managed to come this far and get this many votes speaks to the general decline of the Republican Party. When you combine this with a large mentally warped Tea Party base, you either have a Party definitely going downhill and/or an electorate that has reached an all-time low in dumbing down. A third party is looking more and more like a certainty.

Doggone/GA

January 27th, 2012
10:13 am

“I am sure he paid exactly what the law requires him to pay”

Who said he didn’t?

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
10:13 am

I would rather have every hair on my body plucked by Jocelyn Wildenstein who was wearing nothing but pasties and a thong while listening to Chumbawamba’s “Tub Thumping” than watch a Republican primary debate, but I did find this exchange in an article from the NY Times:

“When Mr. Gingrich pressed Mr. Romney for having investments in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and with Goldman Sachs, “which is today foreclosing on Floridians,” Mr. Romney was ready with an attack of his own.

“Mr. Speaker, I know that sounds like an enormous revelation, but have you checked your own investments?” he asked. “You also have investments for mutual funds that also invest in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”

Effectively shut down, Mr. Gingrich turned grim and said meekly, “All right.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/us/politics/a-grueling-day-on-the-stump-then-a-debate.html?_r=1&ref=politics

That made me giggle.

Granny Godzilla

January 27th, 2012
10:13 am

Paul

There seems to be some discussion about his handling of the 45 million
he donated/loaned to his last presidential race….

He had to have taken a big hit…..How did he deal with it taxwise?

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
10:15 am

I did like the way Santourm handled Mitt on his RomneyCare program. Mitt found himself in a box where he applauded RomneyCare on a state level and bashed ObamaCare on a fed level. I went hard on him about the exact same mandate and Mitt couldnt go anything but give that fake lil smile he does.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
10:16 am

frog

Of course they are going to suk up for rubio, it’s florida, where cuban pandering is required politics, except most of the non hispanics are sick of it…

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
10:16 am

my opinion is that a VP choice will most probably be a Governor or Congressman(Rep. or Sen.) from a swing state.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
10:17 am

Why shouldn’t Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be foreclosing on Floridians?

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
10:17 am

“Santorum is the most non-compromised candidate”

Ask Google how “compromised” Santorum is…

sam

January 27th, 2012
10:18 am

i honestly dont care what Romney paid in taxes, he paid what the current tax laws require, played the offshore game with fancy accountants, etc..exactly as any of us would do if we were multi-millionaires…what i do care about is the fact that lives and comes from a different world than 99% of us. as much as he’d like to try and make us believe (pink slip comment), he has no clue what its like outside that bubble and I dont think he has the sack to govern against his and families self-interest.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
10:19 am

Our President will need a new Secretary of State and Treasurer in his second term.

Brosephus Lite™ - All the sarcasm, half the words

January 27th, 2012
10:21 am

Y’all have fun… I’m gonna escape the time suck before the full onset of numptiness.

Catch y’all later.

Paul

January 27th, 2012
10:22 am

Granny

“He had to have taken a big hit…..How did he deal with it taxwise?”

For an amount that size, I think it a safe bet the elections commission and the IRS took more than a passing glance at what his tax accountants did -

godless heathen

January 27th, 2012
10:24 am

Just checking in for my daily dose of Newt bashing. Same song, 50th verse.
Bye

Granny Godzilla

January 27th, 2012
10:24 am

Paul

I’m quite sure what he did was legal….

It’s the fairness thing.

We all took some hits in 2008 and 2009.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
10:27 am

Mick,

“Of course, ron paul is the coolest man on the stage and answers truthfully.”

From last night:
“Asked whether his health was strong enough for him to serve as president, considering that at age 76 he would be the oldest president of the United States, he (Ron Paul) did not hesitate.

“I’m willing to challenge any of these gentlemen up here to a 25-mile bike ride any time of the day in the heat of Texas,” Mr. Paul said, pausing as the crowd erupted in laughter. “You know there are laws against age discrimination, so if you push this too much, you better be careful.”

Which is kind of ironic since he said he would not have voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 was born out of the CRA.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
10:27 am

Mick, my point exactly and will carry into the VP decision of
the final nominee..

philman

January 27th, 2012
10:29 am

With Newt our country will regress!! The rest of the world is laughing at the GOP clowns that are debating. Newt is a dangerous clown for our society!!!

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:31 am

jewcowboy: “You know there are laws against age discrimination, so if you push this too much, you better be careful.”

Which is kind of ironic since he said he would not have voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 was born out of the CRA.

EXACTLY what I was thinking.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
10:31 am

jc

My point is that when ron paul answers a question, he is so completely non poltical and folksy, you just have to laugh. I grade his foregn policy views A+ but on so many other issues, he makes me cringe…

Paul

January 27th, 2012
10:31 am

Granny

That’s about the only way I see to make an issue out of it. But… the block to all this tax reform simplification is, for generations Congress has used the tax code to further political goals, pay back supporters and gain support from key groups. Much of this reform would greatly, greatly reduce all that.

And if there are two things that motivate our Congress, it’s Money and Power.

Road Scholar

January 27th, 2012
10:32 am

Can Senator Rubio be VP? Was he born in this country? Seriously. I had read that he was born elsewhere. Does the VP have to be born in the US also?

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
10:33 am

so if one concedes this “unfairness” cockamamey nonsense, then mitt romney paying what is legally required of him by a tax code which he had nothing to do with crafting, should be held against him?

getalife

January 27th, 2012
10:34 am

Don’t you know by now the liberal media lies about the newt?

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:35 am

Road Scholar: Apparently the criteria for VP is that you could also qualify for President. That means no previous terms as President, over age 35, and natural born citizen. I happen to think he was born in the US but it would be interesting to see how the right handles birther claims lobbed in THEIR direction.

Road Scholar

January 27th, 2012
10:35 am

getalife: I thought Newt lied enough by himself!

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
10:35 am

Road Scholar, the president must be a natural born citizen, the VP must
qualify to be President. Rubio was born here.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:36 am

ty: mitt romney paying what is legally required of him by a tax code which he had nothing to do with crafting, should be held against him?

FLAG!

He and other people in lobbying groups dealing with private equity had EVERYTHING to do with crafting the tax code he currently takes advantage of.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
10:37 am

Road Scholar,

Oh no, it is that danged liberal media bias.

In the mind of a con …………..

Road Scholar

January 27th, 2012
10:37 am

Adam: It was not intended to be a birther question, but an honest question. I wish I could remember where I saw the info.

willie lynch

January 27th, 2012
10:38 am

Newton looked so pitiful I almost felt bad for him but…nahhh.

ByteMe

January 27th, 2012
10:38 am

Adam, Jon Stewart did a whole thing on the whole “we’re just paying what the law says we should pay” a few nights ago, pointing out that Bain Capital lobbied to keep the rules in place a few years ago and Romney was running it and Romney then came out on TV and said he didn’t want to see the rules changed.

Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)

January 27th, 2012
10:38 am

Caustic, bitter, grumpy man.

Sad. Ego can take a person a long long way.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
10:40 am

I agree with ron paul about Cuba because of me.

I want to buy Cuban cigars legally.

It is all about me.

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
10:41 am

so, mitt romney is responsible for congressman of both parties not being able to refuse lobbyist’s influence while crafting/extending the tax code?

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
10:42 am

Road Scholar

January 27th, 2012
10:32 am

He could be VP just like Prez O and be Prez. Now the one issue comes up just like the birther issue, which is this Natural Born mess because from my understanding, his parents werent citizens at the time of his birth.

Mitt + Newt = MEWT

January 27th, 2012
10:42 am

When bullies grow old and frail their only victims are themselves. Fear and vulnerability paints warped haggardness upon their skin, and they become as ugly on the outside, as they are within.

willie lynch

January 27th, 2012
10:46 am

I thought Newts comments on his wife would bring to the position of First Lady were quite interesting. He listed all of her artistic accomplishments but mentioned nothing of her warmth or kindness. From the look on her face I imagine she was thinking he would have.

Mitt + Newt = MEWT

January 27th, 2012
10:48 am

Bullying is the manifestation of an infantile and primitive need to become the leader of the pack.

Newt the modern day bully believes he is a human being, but he is an animal.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
10:48 am

Rubio has some other problems like his house mortgage is underwater by about 100k and he has an equity line of 130k. This is a guy who is a fiscal conservative and preaches that gospel but personally?? No need to worry because he is writing a book, his con brethren will make sure he is rescued…

St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne

January 27th, 2012
10:49 am

Don’t give up on your man Newt, cons
don’t believe the lamestream media
he’s transformational
and besides, we’re skeered of Newt, yall said so
don’t run out on Newt, cons

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:54 am

ty: so, mitt romney is responsible for congressman of both parties not being able to refuse lobbyist’s influence while crafting/extending the tax code?

Mitt Romney lobbied. Congressmen accepted campaign donations and gifts. In return, they did Mitt Romney and buddies a solid. It’s a perfectly legitimate business relationship, nothing sinister there, right?

WOODSTOCK MIKE

January 27th, 2012
10:54 am

Sad that Democrats focus on Mitt Romneys tax returns when this administration pisses away hundreds of millions on bogus companies… Here’s another Solyndra, we are at almost a cool billion dollars now in wasted money… You won’t hear a Democrat say a word about this, they would rather focus on rich people paying a higher tax rate…

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/electric-car-firm-received-biden-visit-and-118m-stimulus-funds-files-bankruptcy

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
10:55 am

Mick,

Was Rubio underwater when he took the loan out? I guess you don’t know much about home prices in Florida.

Seems to me that if he is making his payments there isn’t a problem.

Normal

January 27th, 2012
10:55 am

USinUK,
I guess this is going on right now, but if you hear of it, please let me know…

Patriotic Millionaire Eric Schoenberg will be on BBC’s ‘World Have Your Say’ Program TV Broadcast tomorrow, Friday at 10 a.m. EST. Eric will be talking about how the world’s wealthiest people can give back to the rest of their society. Bill Gates was featured on the program yesterday along with Chris Kirubi, Kenya’s second richest man, Dr. Robert Kuhn, a wealthy investment banker from New York, and Steven Bell, a hedge fund manager from the UK — reaching an audience of over 300 million people! We are very excited to be a part of this — and I really hope you’ll tune in!

Mitt + Newt = MEWT

January 27th, 2012
10:55 am

The most effective way of dealing with a bully like Newt is to expose him to public ridicule.

Bullies can rebuff rebuke, but they cannot bear being laughed at.

WOODSTOCK MIKE

January 27th, 2012
10:56 am

“Mitt Romney lobbied. Congressmen accepted campaign donations and gifts. In return, they did Mitt Romney and buddies a solid. It’s a perfectly legitimate business relationship, nothing sinister there, right?”

Typical Democrat dillusion…

As if Obama hasn’t done the exact same thing, exactly the same thing…

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
10:56 am

Mick – You’re right, cause NO ONE else in America has a mortgage that is upside down. Yep, that is a REAL issue to beat someone with for political office. Or was he supposed to be clairvoyant when he bought his house and know that the market was going to take a dump on him?

Also, do I detect a hint of derision that someone would try and make money by writing a book? But, isn’t that how Obama made his money? Surely not, cause only a “con” would try and make money by telling their life story.

JOE Cool – To be a natural born citizen, you just have to be born here, no matter where your parents are citizens, unless they’re working for a foreign government here at the time you’re born.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:56 am

WOODSTOCK: You won’t hear a Democrat say a word about this

From the SOTU:

Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not walk away from workers like Bryan. (Applause.) I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
10:56 am

“He likes to challenge members of the media in public, safe in the knowledge that their profession does not allow them to return fire.”

Is this why you despise the man so much Jay? And for the record you count as a partisan member of the media, kinda like a Sean Hannity, so no one has a problem if you challenge him and go round and round. I’m just curious as to why you hate the man so much to the point of cheerleading his competition Romney who would absolutely defeat Obama in a general election.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:57 am

WOODSTOCK: As if Obama hasn’t done the exact same thing, exactly the same thing

Tu quoque fallacies will not help you here.

ragnar danneskjold

January 27th, 2012
10:58 am

My greatest concern about Mitt was not the genuineness of his conservatism – he has seemingly flipped the right way on every issue where he has changed his mind – but his willingness/capacity to point out the consistent errors of the Obama administration over the past three years. (Really, has he done anything right? Maybe the surge in Afghanistan, but that took him three months of dithering, same with the rebellion in Libya. Every other initiative was poorly considered, and has inflicted massive injury on the country.)

The coordinated attacks on Gingrich ease my mind on Romney – I now perceive his willingness to crush Obama with the truth (as he did with Gingrich) and to do so in a way that leaves no fingerprints. Mark of a genius-operator, which is consistent with his profile. I now declare myself a Romney-ite.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:58 am

(ir)Rational: Or was he supposed to be clairvoyant when he bought his house and know that the market was going to take a dump on him?

Did you see md’s take on this?

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
10:58 am

“I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China”

I see lots and lots and lots a them wind farms in China! Hell they got so many of them they’re parked right next to the Great Wall.

David Granger

January 27th, 2012
11:00 am

For the second time in his political career, it looks like Newt Gingrich is going to single-handedly revive the re-election prospects of a floundering Democratic president.
If Newt gets the Republican nomination, it’s all over…President Obama will coast to another fours years.

Mitt + Newt = MEWT

January 27th, 2012
11:00 am

Newt The Machiavellian bully misuses his intelligence to gain success, to tame his grandiosity and to charm his victims.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:01 am

Doom: I see lots and lots and lots a them wind farms in China!

Someone have a problem with the word “or”? Perhaps instead, you just don’t like the messenger and will say anything you think will get you ZING points?

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
11:01 am

“Mark of a genius-operator, which is consistent with his profile. I now declare myself a Romney-ite.”

He’s a smooth operator. Smooooooth operator.
Coast to coast LA to Chicago…. He’s a smooth operator.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:01 am

Adam – Nope, just got here. Can’t find it either. Was it today?

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
11:02 am

W. Lynch — “I thought Newts comments on his wife would bring to the position of First Lady were quite interesting. He listed all of her artistic accomplishments but mentioned nothing of her warmth or kindness. From the look on her face I imagine she was thinking he would have.”

That skank ought to be grateful for anything kind that anyone says about her.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
11:03 am

Guys – I merely mention that mr. fiscal conservative is not a shining example of his politics. Also, he has missed a few payments, maybe all of us should be writing books…

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:03 am

“Newton looked so pitiful I almost felt bad for him but…nahhh.”

On a conference call for Religious Right supporters Wednesday, Newt compared gay marriage to paganism.

“The effort to create alternatives to marriage between a man and a woman are perfectly natural pagan behaviors, but they are a fundamental violation of our civilization.”

The man can fester in the neck deep shyte of his own hypocrisy, affectation and pretentiousness and I will never feel an ounce of pity for him.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
11:04 am

C’mon Adam, You are the Zingmeister. :)

Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)

January 27th, 2012
11:04 am

Nice. Krugman at NYTimes lays out the case why Conservatives are economics challenged. Excellent op/ed piece.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/opinion/krugman-jobs-jobs-and-cars.html?_r=1&hp

Mitt + Newt = MEWT

January 27th, 2012
11:04 am

@David Granger

January 27th, 2012
11:00 am
For the second time in his political career, it looks like Newt Gingrich is going to single-handedly revive the re-election prospects of a floundering Democratic president.
If Newt gets the Republican nomination, it’s all over…President Obama will coast to another fours years.
*************************************************************

That’s RICH.

So Newt will be the reason Obama wins re-election?

What about……..Obama is the best candidate and he has people who still believe in him.

Duh!

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
11:05 am

“Also, he has missed a few payments”

Source? Thank you.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
11:05 am

Adam,

Lighten up. I’m just messin with ya and really I’m messing with Obama and his sotu and not really you. I don’t know that China has built a single wind farm. And the reality is that for all his mindless and illogical rhetoric China can produce just about anything cheaper than we can- especially solar panels. Solyndra proves that. We might have better technology but they can reverse engineer very well and when it comes to manufacturing components for wind farms or solar panels quite frankly I don’t see how we can compete with them. With that in mind that part of his speech is just blather.

MiltonMan

January 27th, 2012
11:05 am

Libs infected with Mad Cow Disease this morning??? They are all over themselves about the poor showing that Newtie had last night???

You would think that the clowns would want Newt running vs. their guy. Mitt will give Obozo a better fight than Newt.

Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)

January 27th, 2012
11:06 am

Thulsa, easy cowboy! Simmer down.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:07 am

Mick – So you’re just trying to make something out of nothing? Got it. Thanks for playing though.

Nope

January 27th, 2012
11:08 am

MiltonMan… “Obozo”? Morons like you never cease to amaze me. And I bet you think you are clever. Please. Crawl back under your rock.

md

January 27th, 2012
11:08 am

Romney running mate?

If he wants to hold true to his “outsider” meme, it won’t be anyone from DC…….my guess would be a governor……..

ty webb

January 27th, 2012
11:09 am

no,it’s not “sinister”, but for arguement’s sake, if it is, then those bought by the lobbyists are just as “sinister”…this includes both parties, and our President Obama…so if the “unfair” tax code and it’s extension, is a disqualifier for romney as a candidate, then it’s also a disqualifier for candidate Obama…I’m not saying you(adam) subscribe to that theory. My original comment on this issue was directed at those that do.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:09 am

Thulsa Doom,

“I see lots and lots and lots a them wind farms in China!”

Hopefully you are not be sarcastic:

“China, which added 6.3GW, now has 12.2GW of capacity and the country has identified wind energy as a key growth component in its economic stimulus package. Li Junfeng, the head of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Association, said new capacity would almost double again this year.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/03/wind-power-eu

“The country aims to have 100 gigawatts (GW) of on-grid wind power generating capacity by the end of 2015 and to generate 190 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of wind power annually, the China Securities Journal reported, citing a government plan.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/30/us-china-energy-renewable-idUSTRE77T0CM20110830

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:10 am

“Hopefully you are not be sarcastic”

be=being

Doing too many things at once. Multi-tasking=doing many things poorly.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
11:11 am

Mick,

Found some sources on my own. Not paying down the principal doesn’t mean he missed his payments unless he made partial payments.

The not paying his student loan at all is problematic for his political future.

Newtpewt

January 27th, 2012
11:11 am

If “Stinkrich” was on any sports team, the number on his jersey would be “0000.”

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:11 am

md – You may be right, but I’m personally more interested in him picking the best candidate, not just the one from outside Washington.

Gator Joe

January 27th, 2012
11:12 am

Jay:
Some of your contributors persist in bringing up Solyndra. I’ll see their Solyndra and raise them one Bush/Cheney-Iraq.

Mitt + Newt = MEWT

January 27th, 2012
11:12 am

@Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
11:02 am
W. Lynch — “I thought Newts comments on his wife would bring to the position of First Lady were quite interesting. He listed all of her artistic accomplishments but mentioned nothing of her warmth or kindness. From the look on her face I imagine she was thinking he would have.”

That skank ought to be grateful for anything kind that anyone says about her.
********************************************************************************************

Skank ……………………………That’s funnnnnny!

I goggled the word and it says a skank is (usually younger) female, implying trashiness or tackiness, lower-class …

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:13 am

The Dabancheng wind farm in China’s Xinjiang province:
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/07/25/460dab.jpg

“It’s clear that China is taking on renewable energy projects at a fast pace. The country has doubled its installed wind power every year for the past five years and a new study shows the country should keep it up.”
http://ecogeek.org/wind-power/2948-china-could-replace-coal-with-wind

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
11:14 am

Just keep those wind farms away from the Kennedy compound. :)

BTW – I find one wind turbine pretty cool, I find hundreds to look pretty ugly.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
11:14 am

It’s great we are talking about and investing in green energy.

Thank you President Obama.

Change.

md

January 27th, 2012
11:14 am

“Rubio has some other problems like his house mortgage is underwater by about 100k and he has an equity line of 130k. This is a guy who is a fiscal conservative and preaches that gospel but personally?? No need to worry because he is writing a book, his con brethren will make sure he is rescued…”

The question is “is he paying the bill?”……if the answer is yes, then what difference does it make?

And for Adam…….md is also upside down on his mortgage…….and paying the bill.

Unlike others here, I know what the risks are/were……and I CHOSE to play.

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
11:17 am

Mitt and Newt vied for the Pinball Wizard championship once again last night. I think they’re both violating the Fair Use rules. — The Who

Tom G

January 27th, 2012
11:19 am

Jay, apparently you do not care much for Newt, that is obvious. But you really do not like anyone who opposes your hero, the annointed one(Barrack Hussein Obama), right?

Gator Joe

January 27th, 2012
11:20 am

Jewishcowboy @ 11:13:
You’re wasting your time trying to educate the group your posts are aimed at. If it isn’t coming from Fox then they won’t accept it. Facts and the truth are “foreign” for these bigoted, narrow minded, brain-washed people.

md

January 27th, 2012
11:20 am

Calling BS on Adam’s lobbying claims……..did I miss the tax reform bill proposed by the dems when they had all the numbers during the first 2 years??

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:20 am

“I find hundreds to look pretty ugly.”

I find the shortening of 24,000 lives annually, fly ash spills, coal seam fires, mercury exposure and topsoil destruction a lot more ugly.

http://www.lungusa.org/assets/documents/healthy-air/toxic-air-report.pdf

getalife

January 27th, 2012
11:20 am

He shifted away from solar because we got our azzes kicked by China and India and moved to natural gas because the gop are on board.

This is a investment opportunity for those with money.

Quagmire

January 27th, 2012
11:20 am

@Thulsa Doom – Don’t quote the Beautiful Sade. She doesn’t like Neo-Cons. Plus, she wasn’t born in this country……………..according to the applesauce possee(birthers)

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:21 am

GATORJOE,

You are correct to point out Bush/Cheney which can’t be denied. However, the record will reflect that BO is just as guilty in the cronyism department….you know, using our tax dollars to repay key financial donors. Do your really think one party has it over the other in the corruption respect? Suggest you look into where exactly $16 billion of stimulus cash for green tech crap went in terms of BO bundlers, former colleagues, and others aware of the value of these grants and loans…tip of the iceberg.

They are all the same….will say anything to get our votes but they all spend 30% of their time raising money that is repaid at our expense…

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
11:21 am

Aren’t the Republicans also looking at eliminating that mortgage interest deduction on primary residences as well as other residences in order to help fund their tax cuts. May as well. It’s not like that home ownership idea is working out for a lot of people anyway.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
11:21 am

I am all for Solar energy but it is just not viable at the moment. I think the discussion should be whether these loans should be given to Solar Companies that are essentially just manufacturing solar panels when there really isn’t any demand at the moment.

The only people who can get Solar are well off people using those terrible tax credits that everyone thinks is so unfair.

The money might be better served going toward R&D making Solar more cost efficient. Perhaps through college grants or NASA?

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:22 am

md and Adam – I’m upside down on mine, although, if I were $100,000 upside down, I might just walk away. But only because the mortgage is only for about $120,000. Yeah, I’m paying it. Every month. I was late once, but then Mrs. (ir)Rational (actually then she was just my fiance) took over organizing the bills and I haven’t been late since. I pay it no matter what else I don’t pay that month (which usually means no fun, no gas to go see the family, and cheap food).

As far as Rubio goes, everybody has financial problems at some point in their life. The way I see it, the left would have a much harder time attacking Romney for being out of touch if he had Rubio (or someone like him) at his side. He is the son of immigrants. Worked his way up in life. And is going through the same type of financial problems that the rest of us are going through. Seems to me, he connects with a large part of the American public.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
11:23 am

Newt’s moon colony may be where he intends to take his
portion of the Republican Party.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
11:25 am

Our economy is trending in the RIGHT direction so the cons lie about heading off the cliff.

That was w.

willard spews this lie and says our President did noit address our deficit.

Another lie.

Basically, willard has a major problem with the truth.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
11:26 am

Ron Paul seems so organized, honest, and factual and
then..KABOOM..idiocy from nowhere.

Granny Godzilla

January 27th, 2012
11:26 am

Ener1 hearts them some Mitch Daniels……Read and learn.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
11:27 am

A little poetic interlude for this Friday morning.

Which current American political party/candidate for the presidency do you think this poem might best apply to?

Step forward: we hear
That you are a good man.

You cannot be bought, but the lightning
Which strikes the house, also
Cannot be bought.
You hold to what you said.
But what did you say?
You are honest, you say your opinion.
Which opinion?
You are brave.
Against whom?
You are wise.
For whom?
You do not consider your personal advantages.
Whose advantages do you consider then?
You are a good friend.
Are you also a good friend of the good people?

Hear us then: we know.
You are our enemy. This is why we shall
Now put you in front of a wall. But in consideration
of your merits and good qualities
We shall put you in front of a good wall and shoot you
With a good bullet from a good gun and bury you
With a good shovel in the good earth.

Brecht

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
11:27 am

Finn McCool,

Let me help out Mr. Krugman aka he who continues to defend Obama’s failed Keynesian policies

“The Times last Sunday laid out the facts. Although Apple is now America’s biggest U.S. corporation as measured by market value, it employs only 43,000 people in the United States, a tenth as many as General Motors employed when it was the largest American firm.”

43,000 jobs is 43,000 jobs Mr. Krugman.

“Apple does, however, indirectly employ around 700,000 people in its various suppliers. Unfortunately, almost none of those people are in America.”

Well of course Mr. Krugman. Or Apple could make the entire I-phone here instead of overseas and the cost would only be something crazy like $1600. And if they did that nobody would be employed for them- not the 700,000 overseas or the 43,000 here.

Then Mr. Krugman talks about clustering, the success of German exporting, etc. Lemme help you out there Mr. Krugman. In economics we are in fact familiar with clustering. Kinda like the clustering we see in Silicon valley, or closer to home the carpet industry in dalton, ga. or the historic mfg base of the U.S. in the midwestern cities. And China clusters also with the industrial heartland of Manchuria.

Mr. Krugman than goes on to extoll Germany’s great export economy some more. Mr. Krugman sir did you forget that Germany is the world’s leader in solar and wind power technology? And that it is heavily “subsidized” which is a point of great debate right now in Germany. Forgot about subsidized German steel too did you???

Its a shame when a former Nobel prize winner in economics has reduced himself to such drivel that someone with a mere bachelor’s degree can destroy his simpleton points in a matter of moments.

WOODSTOCK MIKE

January 27th, 2012
11:27 am

@ADAM

“WOODSTOCK: As if Obama hasn’t done the exact same thing, exactly the same thing

Tu quoque fallacies will not help you here.”

Are you really implying that Obama hasn’t taken care of people who took care of him? Wow…

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:27 am

ADAM,

Perhaps I misunderstood. Are you suggesting that BO and democrats in particular have less culpability taking advantage of the corrupt system to their benefit? BO’s cronyism, bulls&iting for votes and the insider trading are the only bi-partisan events on the DC scene today…Why do you suppose your pal hasn’t delivered on say…for example an encompassing immigration policy as promised? Did you know he didn’t invite a single border governor to his “summitt”? He did however invite Eva Longoria….Look into Goldman Sachs and the comings and goings of appointees between BO’s watch….Look up where most of the stimulus for green crap was doled out to….Be real.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
11:28 am

Lets fact check every willard lie last night in the debate.

willard just can’t tell the truth. Period.

He will lose.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
11:28 am

MEWT — “I goggled the word and it says a skank is (usually younger) female, implying trashiness or tackiness, lower-class …”

Well, Callista is significantly younger than Newt. And as far as trashy or tacky goes, she’s certainly got that wrapped up, seeing how she hopped in the sack with married-guy Newt, got him to dump his wife, convert to Catholicism and now apparently expects to become First Lady.

Calling her a skank is mild criticism, IMO.

WOODSTOCK MIKE

January 27th, 2012
11:29 am

“Our economy is trending in the RIGHT direction so the cons lie about heading off the cliff.”

GDP numbers came out today worse than expected but this guy above lives in the Democrat fantasy world where everything is just find and dandy!! LOL

yuzeyurbrane

January 27th, 2012
11:29 am

On point. I am an Obama supporter and understand that some hope Newt wins the Repub nomination because he would be easier to defeat. But Newt is such a dangerous demagogue that I prefer, for the sake of the country, that Romney dispatch him quickly. Let’s not take chances with his sort.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
11:29 am

Quagmire,

Oh lawdy. I would just hate it if the birthers came after Sade next.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:29 am

barking frog – I proposed yesterday that we could possibly save a good deal of money by sending all politicians to that colony. Unfortunately, considering how good they are at screwing people, they would probably reproduce so quickly we would have to expand the colony to encapsulate the entire moon. So I guess it could be economically unfeasible…oh well, nice to dream.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
11:30 am

You know I’ve been struck by something eerie in my recollection of Mitch Daniels’s face speaking to us in the TV after the SOTU the other night, which has hung in my mind for some reason. I think I know what it was:

it was the makeup. It was all wrong and made him look too powdered up, like in an old movie. Like if you’d stuck plastic fangs in his mouth and gave him a long collar he could have risen up and started speaking in a Dracula accent as part of some late-night farce. He looked strange.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:30 am

Doom: And the reality is that for all his mindless and illogical rhetoric China can produce just about anything cheaper than we can- especially solar panels.

We know why that is. It’s because they use slave labor. The fact that they get paid means little if they live in a walled city just to work their whole lives. We CAN compete with that without stooping to that same level. We just need some good old fashioned American innovation to figure it out.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
11:31 am

Moving corrupt congress to the moon sounds good but way too expensive.

willard got that one right.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
11:31 am

(ir)Rational, Ron Paul echoed your sentiments last night
but doesn’t seem to include himself.

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
11:31 am

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:31 am

(ir)Rational: It was a few days ago I think. He said stuff about how people need to have 6 months of salary saved up before making a commitment to get a loan of any kind, including a 30 year mortgage. Something about how choices determine everything….

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
11:32 am

getalife, we could afford Arizona and the fence around it.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
11:33 am

I’m just curious as to how President Newt was planning to get funding for a moon base out of a GOP Congress that DEMANDS fiscal responsibility. Las time I checked, building on the moon fell kind of on the “pricey” side.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:33 am

ty: It’s not the paying of legal taxes that people on the left object to, it’s the idea that it should be legal. The right thinks those at the top should have less of a tax rate (effective) because they “produce” more. The left thinks this is not right because more of the burden ultimately ends up on those who can least afford it and hampers any upward mobility.

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:33 am

Did anyone see the last question relative to who’s wife would make best first lady?

I’m glad I wasn’t that dope Newt at that particular time….I’m scratching my head over whether any first lady had been soiled by prior husbands ???

Quagmire

January 27th, 2012
11:34 am

The applesauce gang(birthers) were getting a little disorganized yesterday in the courtroom. I told them to “STAY THE COURSE”

Then I gave them a break and we played bingo

Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)

January 27th, 2012
11:34 am

Well howdy Bookmaniacs. I’m out here hauling and lugging and humping to get you ready for FNM tonight.

But I got a question right now. Last night at Billy Bob’s we got to talking and after 8 or 9 PBRs somebody asked, Does England have rednecks? Well, Joe Bill said they couldn’t have because the sun don’t hardly shine over there, at least not enough to turn a neck red. But Jim Earl says there’s got to be rednecks in England, seeing as how there’s so many of Those People that have moved in there and seeing Those People without rednecks is sorta like seeing a pepper shaker without a salt shaker in a restaurant.

Anyhow, I just thought I’d throw the question out there to see if USinUK or somebody that has traveled to England could answer it. See you tonight everybody. Well, not see you. I guess I mean I’ll read you tonight.

Jm

January 27th, 2012
11:34 am

Road scholar 9:56

No she’s not. The quality of commentary on here is generally pathetic.

You (RS) are the exception rather than the rule here.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
11:34 am

frog,

Well, it use to be in New York City so we can move it again.

I am thinking Kansas because they live in Alice in Wonderland, or la la land if you will..

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:36 am

Adam – Yeah, I saw that. But that has nothing (in my opinion) to do with being upside down on your mortgage. I had that amount saved up, or nearly that, and my wife got laid off (it may not have been the smartest idea to have both members of the family working in the construction industry) and we were able to survive until she got a new job. I understand the idea, and it does make smart financial sense to have a safety net. That way you don’t have to worry (as much) about losing your job.

Jm

January 27th, 2012
11:36 am

Mitt still heading upwards :)

Yeah

O is toast

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
11:36 am

Stevie Ray – “Did anyone see the last question relative to who’s wife would make best first lady?”

I did, I was expecting Gingrich to reply with ” Well, it depends on who I’m married when I’m elected President. :)

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:37 am

Stevie Ray – So you look down on someone who felt their marriage wasn’t working and got out? Or is it just that you look down on women that have done that?

pat

January 27th, 2012
11:39 am

I don’t think ol’ Newt’s gonna win. He’s got the brains and he’s got the bravado, but he’s to polarizing. Mitt is going to win the nomintion and will lose in November. That’s my prediction.

Americans have the shortest memory in all of history so unless something comes undone in the next 9 months I see obama for 4 more years of misery.

pat

January 27th, 2012
11:39 am

I don’t think ol’ Newt’s gonna win. He’s got the brains and he’s got the bravado, but he’s to polarizing. Mitt is going to win the nomintion and will lose in November. That’s my prediction.

Americans have the shortest memory in all of history so unless something comes undone in the next 9 months I see obama for 4 more years of misery.

Quagmire

January 27th, 2012
11:39 am

Butch Cassidy – you’re right, the Moon Project from Newt. I remember something similar to that in the 80’s when I was a kid. President Reagan and the Star Wars project.

The first company to open a store on the moon would be Tiffany’s so they can say, we have out of this world diamonds at universe prices

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
11:40 am

(ir)Rational – ” So you look down on someone who felt their marriage wasn’t working and got out?”

Only when said person rails against a former President for infidelity while engaging in the practice himself. Oh, and the fact that said person was also part of the party that vomits “family values” like Jeff Goldblum in the The Fly is just an added bonus. :)

TBone

January 27th, 2012
11:40 am

You know if we can keep our eye on the republican primaries say through the summer maybe Americans won’t know that our teleprompter in chief is screwing the pooch and our economy is actually worsening despite all of the faulty data we use to prop his sorry a$$ up. NOBAMA 2012!

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
11:40 am

Adam: “We know why that is. It’s because they use slave labor. ”

And we’re headed in that direction too, you know.

“The fact that they get paid means little if they live in a walled city just to work their whole lives. We CAN compete with that without stooping to that same level. We just need some good old fashioned American innovation to figure it out.”

Did you read the much-discussed NY Times story from last Sunday about how Apple moved most of its production operations to China? I posted the link yesterday.

How exactly can American innovation save the working class here from plunging into serfdom, with the complete destruction of the way of life we knew in the post war period?

Innovation and ingenuity has been in plentiful supply and all that has done is gone into making supply chains and production line technology even more lean and efficient — which means, human-free.

How does innovation, understood technologically, help create well-paying jobs and living conditions for Americans?

Jm

January 27th, 2012
11:40 am

Halftrack

January 27th, 2012
11:40 am

All the candidates will have a good or bad debate. One has to look at who is asking the questions and why? As we saw in SC questioners try to assassinate a candidate. There should be a disclaimer at the start of each show telling how they arrived at the questions and should have a random scheme for asking individual questions vs. to all candidates. If one just views one debate to base his vote on; they are poorly informed. It is still early to arrive at a candidate. Crossover voters in Primaries help and hinder who the final candidate will be. There is still a lot of issues that needs to be discussed. On with the game of Politics. Remember Obummer has not been real vetted yet !!!

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:41 am

Stevie: Perhaps I misunderstood. Are you suggesting that BO and democrats in particular have less culpability taking advantage of the corrupt system to their benefit?

No, what I am saying is the right wants to make the system more corrupt, and the left wants to remove that corruption. Both do what is legal, one side wants it to not be legal and one side wants MORE of that kind of thing to be legal.

Why do you suppose your pal hasn’t delivered on say…for example an encompassing immigration policy as promised?

He has delivered on that, but not in the way I find comofrtable. Record deportations. At least he stopped deporting otherwise law-abiding people. Any other non-executive efforts require a congressional bill. And I don’t need to go into why Obama, the Chief Executive, has not delivered on passing a legislative bill.

As for your other arguments, you seem to be suggesting I should not support Obama for his attachments to business and banks and so on, and yet that attachment is at THE HIP for anyone on the right. So why should it matter if, in that particular case, both parties are culpable? I am looking at who is better at advancing the country PAST that crap, or paving the way for the next person to do so. The right will take us backwards in that regard.

Whether I or you like it or not, the game is played with money. The person with the most money wins. And to borrow a phrase, you don’t bring a knife to a gun fight. Pioneers for women’s suffrage catered to racists to get more votes. This type of game is played all the time to advance society.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
11:42 am

Adam,

I don’t think I would call it slave labor in China. They simply have lower labor costs.

And sooner or later someone else will have even lower labor costs as the cost of labor rises in China. As it stands now some even lower labor cost nations such as Vietnam are undercutting Chinese manufacturers and textile makers to a small degree. That is a trend that I expect to grow as China becomes more prosperous and wages rise. People feard the Japanese menace in the 80s and it subsided. Same will happen with China. As they become more prosperous and wages rise they will in turn lose their mfg base to countries with a greater absolute advantage. We’re seeing it to a small degree now.

Chinese workers are starting to strike for higher pay. Its kinda funny to watch that happen now whether you’re a con or a lib. Get the popcorn ready. We both could enjoy watching more of this in the years to come.

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:42 am

IIRATIONAL,

Not whatsoever…just I think the question was very difficult for NEWT since his past in this arena is subject to extreme rightwingnut (that’s where the big money is) scrutiny and the fact that I think he would be the first to bring a 3rd wife into the whitehouse. Not a good selling point if you know what I mean. Wouldn’t bother me but the same can’t be said for those who provide the big money.

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
11:43 am

I was under water on a mortgage once, but that was so long ago they didn’t call it “being under water,” they called it “you stupid loser, why’d you buy that POS, what were you thinking?”

Only it wasn’t “they” saying that, but me, to myself. Usually while lying awake at night. Good times.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
11:43 am

(ir)Rational — “Stevie Ray – So you look down on someone who felt their marriage wasn’t working and got out?”

Newt didn’t do that. In fact, he didn’t do that TWICE.

He cheated on his spouses while still *in* the marriages in question. If he had had the character to GTFO of those marriages BEFORE cheating on his spouses, that would make all the difference. But he didn’t. So he’s a hypocrite, and no better than Bill Clinton when he wagged his finger at the cameras.

If you can’t be faithful to your spouse, then man up and get a divorce.

FIRST.

BEFORE you go out looking for strange.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:43 am

“The quality of commentary on here is generally pathetic.”

The irony is in the source.

sam

January 27th, 2012
11:44 am

Thulsa, its slave labor. they just keep prices on everything artificially low (including currency) that noone knows or cares…everything except american goods that is.. the chinese government sucks!

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:44 am

Butch – That wasn’t really the question I was asking. I was asking because of this:

I’m glad I wasn’t that dope Newt at that particular time….I’m scratching my head over whether any first lady had been soiled by prior husbands ???

Exactly what does she have to do with her husbands positions, and why would she be a poor First Lady simply because she may have been married before as Stevie Ray suggested. Although, I can’t find anything that suggests that any of their wives were, so I’m not exactly sure what the point of his comment was.

Jm

January 27th, 2012
11:45 am

“All the candidates will have a good or bad debate”

Valid point when you have 30+ debates

Still. Perry failed big time and newt is withering.

Mighty Righty

January 27th, 2012
11:46 am

The Obama regime policies have forced over a million jobs to move from the United States to China. Many of these jobs are green related and most of those were by Obama’s friends, some with the help of “stimulous” money confiscated from the american tax payer. You lefties need to wake up to what this regime is doing to this country and why there are more than two million jobs less than when the regime took over. The head of our “jobs programs” Jeff Immelt has personaly moved tens of thousands of jobs over seas and is still doing it.

mm

January 27th, 2012
11:46 am

“. Or Apple could make the entire I-phone here instead of overseas and the cost would only be something crazy like $1600.”

I call BS. These companies are not using cheap labor to make their products cheaper. They are using it to increase their profits.

Maybe if you wingnuts weren’t trying to make salaries in the US the same as they are in China, people could probably afford a phone made in the US. The market drives the price.

“this guy above lives in the Democrat fantasy world where everything is just find and dandy!! LOL”

And you live in the Repug fantasy world where everything is falling apart.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:47 am

(ir)Rational: I think we are of the same mind on the mortgage and 6 months saved thing. My opinion is it’’s ridiculous to make the assertion that one should already have saved up 6 months of salary prior to making a 30 year commitment for two reasons: 1) 6 months is 1/60th of 30 years, meaning that if that 6 months is exhausted while looking for a job, the person is still going to get foreclosed on and 2) in order to save up that much, the person making the commitment would have to save up over the course of several years if he or she also wants to continue to take care of their family and themselves at the same time as saving, meaning that in order to buy the house that person must spend 5-10 years saving money just to get 6 months of breathing room if their job is lost… which is absurd considering how quickly one can lose their job. One is more likely to lose a job in that time frame and be looking for work for longer than the salary they saved up within that time frame, wiping out the savings and starting from square one. The logistics don’t match up. Only those who make WELL OVER what they need to take care of themselves and their families could hope to accomplish this.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:48 am

Doom: I don’t think I would call it slave labor in China. They simply have lower labor costs

They have and use the ability to force their people to work. That is why they feel the only way out is to jump off the roof. They can’t just quit.

DawgDad

January 27th, 2012
11:48 am

I came away assured we’ll be FAR better off with ANY of these candidates in the White House. They have some policy differences, but at the core they each embrace the values we are looking to reassert in government. It’s also clear we need all four engaged in the campaign to win back the White House. They need to bury the negative attacks and one-upsmanship, stay on message, and let the voters decide. The Gingrich-Romney spats at this point are propping up Santorum and Paul.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:48 am

mm: I call BS. These companies are not using cheap labor to make their products cheaper. They are using it to increase their profits

EXACTLY

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
11:48 am

I would rather have every hair on my body plucked by Jocelyn Wildenstein who was wearing nothing but pasties and a thong while listening to Chumbawamba’s “Tub Thumping” than watch a Republican primary debate…

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:49 am

WTTO: I meant innovation as in creative solutions to problems, not strictly technological breakthroughs.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:50 am

(ir)Rational,

“So you look down on someone who felt their marriage wasn’t working and got out?”

I look down on people who bloviate about how “gays” would ruin “traditional” marriage and then conveniently ignore their own 2 divorces and 3 marriages. It would seem to me if you wanted to “save” traditional marriage you would outlaw divorce first. And punish those who break their vows.

But I guess you aren’t going to get a sanctimonious charlatan like Newt to back something like that.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:50 am

(ir)Rational: Exactly what does she have to do with her husbands positions

Well she COULD encourage him to get more fit and lose some weight so that more positions are possible for him to perform…. :D

Quagmire

January 27th, 2012
11:51 am

Pretty soon, Newt will get back in his white cadillac and go back to hazzard county

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:51 am

ADAM,

I’m not sure BO is the one to push the campaign reform ball forward…in fact, what incentive do any of our smarmy electorate have to do the same. Cantor held up a bill that was rushed into play by a DEM Bachus I think, who was rushing to get his name on this item since he was singled out by 60 minutes as well as in a couple books at one of those benefiting in this arena.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
11:52 am

M Righty — “The Obama regime policies have forced over a million jobs to move from the United States to China.”

Catch up with the rest of the class, pal. Your idols have been doing the same thing for *decades.*

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
11:52 am

Quagmire – “Pretty soon, Newt will get back in his white cadillac and go back to hazzard county”

I have an image of Rick Perry dressed in Roscoes uniform at the wheel. :)

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
11:52 am

Quagmire, If he had a cigar he would be Boss Hog, excellent.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:53 am

Stevie Ray – So it was just a stupidly worded comment then.

JHM – See my 11:44. The comment wasn’t made about Newt’s character, but about the wife’s. Implying she wouldn’t make a good First Lady because she had been “spoiled by past husbands.” Can’t find any evidence of that, so I guess Stevie Ray just has a problem with women who have been married more than once, or the English language and facts.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:53 am

jewcowboy: One of my favorite lines of logic is about how in trying to save marriage (and divorce) conservatives don’t want gay people to have the same opportunity to have a sham marriage that ends in divorce. Which is a bit odd since I would think they would love it if gay people became more miserable in other ways and contributed to the legal occupations.

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:53 am

ADAM,

Agreed on NEWT. He’s like Ron Paul…not purdy enough to get elected. He had his 15 minutes by shouting down CNN in SC…he was really evading the question…time is up

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
11:54 am

Butch, shooting the gun in the air is also brought to mind..

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:54 am

mm,

” I call BS. These companies are not using cheap labor to make their products cheaper. They are using it to increase their profits.”

BINGO!

“iSuppli has taken apart a 16 GB iPhone 4 and concluded that the bill of materials of the phone, that is generally believed to cost AT&T $600 a piece, is $187.51.”
http://www.conceivablytech.com/1570/business/apple-maintains-huge-profit-margin-with-iphone-4

“But perhaps the most exciting feature for Apple is the 71 percent to 73 percent profit margin on each handset sold – and there should be millions, one analyst said.”
http://www.cultofmac.com/122497/apple-iphone-4s-best-feature-nearly-75-percent-profit-margin/

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:54 am

Joe: M Righty — “The Obama regime policies have forced over a million jobs to move from the United States to China.”

Catch up with the rest of the class, pal. Your idols have been doing the same thing for *decades.*

It’s also not true that Obama’s policies have anything to do with that.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
11:54 am

Adam: “I meant innovation as in creative solutions to problems, not strictly technological breakthroughs.”

I know, but what if innovation doesn’t move naturally in that direction, towards solutions of that type? What if the highest paid innovations are the ones that allow the capitalists (whether in China or here) to shave off even more labor from the production and supply process?

For that innovation to exist, there has to be an incentive, probably through some kind of government policy. And that’s no where in sight here.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:55 am

Kamchak,

I like to produce vivid mental imagery. :)

Adam

January 27th, 2012
11:55 am

Stevie: He had his 15 minutes by shouting down CNN in SC…he was really evading the question…

It did seem like he took 15 minutes to do that :lol:

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:56 am

IRATIONAL,

“Stupid” really…that’s classy debate style…guess you concede. Putz is not just another four-letter word wouldn’t you agree? Not judging you to be clear, just your debate ineptness…

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
11:56 am

Apple currently has nearly 100 billion dollars in CASH.

md

January 27th, 2012
11:56 am

“ir)Rational: It was a few days ago I think. He said stuff about how people need to have 6 months of salary saved up before making a commitment to get a loan of any kind, including a 30 year mortgage. Something about how choices determine everything….”

Geez Adam…..if you are going to quote me, at least get it right……he(me) said financial advisers recommend a 6 month emergency fund…………..just smart planning.

As for the commitment part…….associated with the risk, I’ll see if I can explain it to someone that seems to be quite dense……

Renting a home = the least amount of risk
5-10k house = a bit more risk
10-20k house = even more risk
50-100k = even more risk
100k and up = a lot more risk

And guess what Adam……..each of the above is a CHOICE………………….

Now go out and play the game and quit making excuses………you would do well righting your own book……..I don’t think the best book of excuses has has many as you seem to have.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
11:57 am

Adam: “It’s also not true that Obama’s policies have anything to do with that.”

Actually that’s not strictly speaking true. The trade policies that have greatly accelerated that were originally pushed through by the Clinton administration and Obama is most definitely a “Clintonite” in this regard (see his recent NAFTA-style trade policies in S America and Asia for ex.).

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
11:57 am

jewcowboy – Your position is as ridiculous as the one you ridicule. Congrats. See my other comments explaining what I was referring to. I think Newt is just as big a slimeball as the rest of you do.

Adam – Trying to save up 6 months salary before buying a house may not be practical, but I do think more people need to save up a decent down payment. Having said that, yeah, I think we pretty much agree. Oh, and I’m not a big fan of yours for putting the image of Newt in “positions” in my head. I shouldn’t have set you up, but you didn’t HAVE to take that bait. :(

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
11:57 am

Adam,

“Well she COULD encourage him to get more fit and lose some weight so that more positions are possible for him to perform…”

Callista would be yanking out Michelle’s garden and installing a peroxide distillery.

Mighty Righty

January 27th, 2012
11:57 am

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
11:52 am

So anything the Republicans did is okay with you? I thought the whole attraction of Obama was that he was diferent and was going to change things for the better. I guess you gave up on that. Can’t blame you. Every single economic category is worse under Obama which is why he became the first president to give a state of the union speech without mentioning any accomplisments.

Stevie Ray

January 27th, 2012
11:59 am

IIRATIONAL,

BTW, your assumptions and put down relative to what you think you know about me and my personal life and feelings toward divorce would be interesting for you to know. Seems like you twisted my words so to defend whatever vein I happen to have invaded.

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
11:59 am

MightyRighty

Turn off Fox and the radio pundits and check out the Dow and S&P

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
12:00 pm

Stevie Ray – I concede nothing. Also, I didn’t say you were stupid – just that your comment was stupidly worded. And that if you were trying to say something other than what you said, you had a problem with the English language and facts. Also, calling me Putz doesn’t do anything but make you sound old, doesn’t bother me a bit.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
12:00 pm

I like to produce vivid mental imagery.

If you were conscientious, you would also produce the corresponding requisite brain-bleach. But that’s OK. You provided me with the Thomas Jefferson quote for downstairs.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
12:01 pm

Adam,

“Which is a bit odd since I would think they would love it if gay people became more miserable in other ways and contributed to the legal occupations.”

They are too busy being supercilious and thinking marriage right’s only belong to people like themselves to actually use any logic.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
12:01 pm

Stevie Ray – I twisted nothing. I simply read your comment, quoted you, and responded to what you said. Or did you not say “I’m scratching my head over whether any first lady had been soiled by prior husbands ???”

Adam

January 27th, 2012
12:02 pm

(ir)Rational: I shouldn’t have set you up, but you didn’t HAVE to take that bait. :(

I really shouldn’t laugh, but I do. Sorry.

It’s not a pleasant image, I admit.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:02 pm

The Republican Right theory that ’steel sharpens steel’ meaning
a long hard fought primary will develop a better nominee is sure
getting tested in this primary.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
12:02 pm

Welcome,

I honestly don’t follow where you want this country to go? I am a lot more interested to hear in what you DO want instead of what you DON’T want to do. If you a plan my mind is open.

mystified

January 27th, 2012
12:02 pm

Newt had a bad night. But Jay is wrong about one thing. It’s the journalists who are cowards. Easily spouting derogatory remarks and hiding behind “unnamed sources” or “reported by someone else”. It just so happened that Blitzer isn’t a pansy. He did well.

The worst damage came from Paul who explained the “balanced budget” claims by Newt. I have to admit, that caught me off guard. I hadn’t heard that before and we will probably hear much more about it.

The second worst was the introduction of the wives. Three noble ladies and then Newt’s third wife who was the other woman in an affair with an older man.. Of all the pols in DC, she picked Newt. Really?

Probably a death nail for the speaker.

SAntorum looked great. But it was probably too little too late.

Jm

January 27th, 2012
12:03 pm

The 321 on newt

3 marriages
2 mistresses
1 self absorbed megalomaniac who will say anything and do nothing

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
12:04 pm

Adam – You owe me some brain bleach. Probably anyone else here that read that too. That is quite possibly worse than the image presented by jewcowboy (I think, sorry if I’m wrong) about Newt getting it on with Nancy Pelosi.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:04 pm

Andrew Jackson’s wife had a prior marriage and
there were accusations that she had not been divorced.

John Birch

January 27th, 2012
12:04 pm

Newt stock deflating is bad for Dems. Pretty soon the Reps will unite behind Romney and he looks to be almost Reaganesque in his potential to steal back the center from the socialist.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
12:04 pm

(ir)Rational,

“Your position is as ridiculous as the one you ridicule.”
That was the point.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
12:05 pm

md: Your insistence that I only make excuses is what is actually a choice. Saving up a 6 month emergency fund is not a choice for most people, especially considering how long that would take to accomplish and still remain in budget, and that’s ALL assuming one can keep their same wage or greater for the period of time it would require. This is why I say it is nonsense to say “if only” and use that.

Sure, different housing prices are a choice, as is the choice to sign a lease or a loan agreement. I am not defending people who overborrow KNOWING they can’t afford it or would have a really hard time affording it. What I AM saying is that people who make the choice to get a mortgage on a house that they are MORE than capable of paying every month do not deserve to be judged as making the wrong choice when the entire economy collapses and their job gets caught in the meltdown.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
12:05 pm

jewcowboy – I assumed as much.

midtownguy

January 27th, 2012
12:05 pm

I was, and remain, a strong supporter of Hillary. I entered the primary season with a somewhat open mind hoping the GOP would give me a rational moderate that I could support. Hasn’t happened. All I have seen so far is the GOP candidates writing President Obama’s campaign ads for him. I guess we get four more years of Obama then it will be Hillary’s turn.

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
12:06 pm

barking frog

That was Andrew Jackson. We are talking about Newt and he will not be the POTUS…………..

Mighty Righty

January 27th, 2012
12:06 pm

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
11:59 am

The Dow and the S and P are functions of speculation much of which is based on inflation and earnings. Earnings are for the most part good because of the very management that you on the left so hate. Good management has nothing to do with with our shirker in chief.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:07 pm

My only admiration for Ronald Reagan was when he
said government was like a baby, one long alimentary
canal with no control at either end.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
12:07 pm

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
12:07 pm

John Birch,

“Pretty soon the Reps will unite behind Romney”
And Newt has provided Obama with all the fodder he needs to defeat Romney.

“almost Reaganesque”
Except Reagan would barely recognize the GOP today.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
12:07 pm

I guess we get four more years of Obama then it will be Hillary’s turn.

I understand that she just announced her intentions to retire from politics.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
12:08 pm

(ir)Rational — “The comment wasn’t made about Newt’s character, but about the wife’s. Implying she wouldn’t make a good First Lady because she had been “spoiled by past husbands.” Can’t find any evidence of that, so I guess Stevie Ray just has a problem with women who have been married more than once, or the English language and facts.”

Or maybe he has a problem with the crapweasel she’s married to, as I do.

md

January 27th, 2012
12:09 pm

“My opinion is it’’s ridiculous to make the assertion that one should already have saved up 6 months of salary prior to making a 30 year commitment for two reasons: 1) 6 months is 1/60th of 30 years, meaning that if that 6 months is exhausted while looking for a job, the person is still going to get foreclosed on and 2) in order to save up that much, the person making the commitment would have to save up over the course of several years if he or she also wants to continue to take care of their family and themselves at the same time as saving, meaning that in order to buy the house that person must spend 5-10 years saving money just to get 6 months of breathing room if their job is lost… which is absurd considering how quickly one can lose their job. One is more likely to lose a job in that time frame and be looking for work for longer than the salary they saved up within that time frame, wiping out the savings and starting from square one. The logistics don’t match up. Only those who make WELL OVER what they need to take care of themselves and their families could hope to accomplish this.”

Gee Adam……now THAT is a whopper of an excuse……might want to make that one chapter 1 in your book of excuses.

And not having an emergency fund is just stupid………….shows poor planning.

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
12:09 pm

MightyRighty

It was YOU, not me, that stated “ALL economic categories”…….

You were either lying, ignorant or just being grandiose. However your last post doesn’t clarify or justify the post I responded too. If it was a Repub in office, most on the right would be pointing directly to the numbers I mentioned, sort of like they did from around 2002 to early 2007.
Thanks for trying and have a great Friday.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:09 pm

They Both Suck, keep up, i was answering Stevie Ray’s
query, had any first lady been soiled by a former husband..

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
12:10 pm

(ir)Rational,

I assumed as much.”

http://rescuemarriage.org/

“You said ’till death did us part. You’re not dead yet.”

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
12:10 pm

JHM – I do also, but that isn’t what he said. You seem to be missing the critical part where I quoted him. “…spoiled by past husbands” doesn’t imply a problem with the husband, it implies a problem with the wife.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
12:12 pm

jewcowboy – If that was my wife it would be written “you’re not dead…yet.” Then her dad would find out and I would be WISHING I was dead.

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
12:12 pm

barking frog

My apologies

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
12:12 pm

M. Righty — “So anything the Republicans did is okay with you?”

Did I say that? Or are you just making crap up again and trying to attribute it to me?

“I thought the whole attraction of Obama was that he was diferent and was going to change things for the better.”

When have I ever told you why I voted for Obama?

“I guess you gave up on that.”

Once again, when have I ever told you why I voted for Obama?

“Can’t blame you.”

No, not at all, especially when I didn’t say or think that at all. You certainly can’t blame me for not hewing to your fantabulist construction that bears no resemblance to what I actually think. :eyeroll:

“Every single economic category is worse under Obama which is why he became the first president to give a state of the union speech without mentioning any accomplisments.”

Cry, Debbie, cry. (laughing) :D

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
12:13 pm

Steve USA: “I honestly don’t follow where you want this country to go? I am a lot more interested to hear in what you DO want instead of what you DON’T want to do.”

I can try to reformulate everything I’ve said as positive assertions rather than negative, but it will still remain somewhat vague until we have a political awakening and a reorientation of our entire political dialog away from the sham alternatives represented by the Republican and Democratic parties. The Occupy movement perhaps represents the very first signs of such an awakening.

I want a world in which the risks are not socialized while the profits are increasingly funneled to a tiny elite. I want a world in which practices such as health care, which should have nothing to do with the profit motive, are not strangled by profiteering. I want a world in which people are not forced to live in dormitories, working 12 hr shifts for peanuts and without labor regulation or benefits, just to allow western capitalists to pocket even mightier profits.

Notice I said ‘world’, not country here. The solutions we’re looking for will have to be world-wide in scope. Globalization is an irreversible process.

midtownguy

January 27th, 2012
12:14 pm

Kamchak: I read that as well. But Hillary is a Clinton. If the polls show she has a god shot, I think she will run. But that is for another day.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
12:14 pm

midtownguy,

“I guess we get four more years of Obama then it will be Hillary’s turn.”

I’m all for Hillary too, but it seems we are destined for disappointment.

“I have made it clear that I will certainly stay on until the president nominates someone and that transition can occur” if Obama wins re-election, she told a town hall meeting. “But I think after 20 years, and it will be 20 years, of being on the high wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am.”

Though: “But, she appeared to leave the door open for a possible eventual return, adding to laughter from the crowd that “everyone always says that when they leave these jobs.”"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=145909698

getalife

January 27th, 2012
12:14 pm

I told you facts don’t matter this cycle.

Just look at all the lies willard spews.

Fact check his facts to see he is lying.

He has a truthiness problem.

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
12:14 pm

MightyRighty (Birther Lite)

From the last article

Keep pondering on that birther issue. It is getting as much traction as it did before the last election….. yeah that was just what you need to get over the hump

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
12:15 pm

(ir)Rational — I hear what you’re saying, but frankly, I think you two are just talking past each other. May I suggest a break for lunch, and then a truce and restart of the conversation afterwards?

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
12:15 pm

“I understand that she just announced her intentions to retire from politics.”

I guess that means we will miss out on all those clever appearance jokes like they make about NG.

midtownguy

January 27th, 2012
12:15 pm

I do believe Haley Barbour of Mississippi when he said he was leaving politics. He pardoned hundreds of criminals, some dangerous ones, most of whom are white. He is never running for anything again.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:15 pm

TBS, accepted.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
12:15 pm

(ir)Rational,

“Then her dad would find out and I would be WISHING I was dead.”

:lol:

getalife

January 27th, 2012
12:16 pm

Hillary is done with politics.

She did not lie like willard.

Bruno (Am I the only one who thinks 50 word blog names are stupid??)

January 27th, 2012
12:16 pm

I missed last night’s debate, but apparently the Newster didn’t do so well. Whether this represents an off night, or signals the beginning of the end of his campaign, only time will tell. I’m more than reluctant to accept Jay’s analysis here due to the fact that his intense personal hatred for Newt has clouded any objectivity in his reporting thus far. Ditto for most of the Libs here.

Though he would definitely be my second choice, I strongly believe that Romney would be a vast improvement over Obama in every way. Just having an adult in charge would be a major plus. Obama’s public confrontation of Gov. Brewer earlier this week proves that. Obama is many things, but a statesman definitely isn’t one of them.

Orange12

January 27th, 2012
12:18 pm

I seem to have asked the wrong question the last few days…

It’s not Did Romney pay ANY taxes in 2008….it should be

Did Romney pay ANY taxes in 2009?

Gee Granny, I bet he paid a little more than you did.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
12:18 pm

Welcome,

I sincerely thank you for your response. Don’t take this the wrong way because perhaps I am to cynical but do you have a plan “B”?

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
12:19 pm

md,

“And not having an emergency fund is just stupid………….shows poor planning.”

And/or a growing reality for the majority of Americans.

http://www.creditloan.com/infographics/how-the-average-consumer-spends-their-paycheck/

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
12:19 pm

Callista would be yanking out Michelle’s garden

is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?

Bruno

January 27th, 2012
12:19 pm

Quick straw poll: Who do you guys think will win the next election?? Assuming that Mitt goes on to win the nomination, I see him as the odds-on favorite, in the same way that I saw Obama as the odds-on favorite given Bush’s unpopularity.

1 vote for Mitt.

md

January 27th, 2012
12:20 pm

“Your insistence that I only make excuses is what is actually a choice.”

Yes it is….you choose to make excuses……..

“Saving up a 6 month emergency fund is not a choice for most people”

Yes it is…….as I said before, it can be done in small increments……but a choice none the less. (Had you said “some” people, you might have a point, but you chose to use “most”)

“Sure, different housing prices are a choice, as is the choice to sign a lease or a loan agreement. I am not defending people who overborrow KNOWING they can’t afford it or would have a really hard time affording it. What I AM saying is that people who make the choice to get a mortgage on a house that they are MORE than capable of paying every month do not deserve to be judged as making the wrong choice when the entire economy collapses and their job gets caught in the meltdown.”

A house is a commodity, no different than a stock……….there are no guarantees……ever. So, if one doesn’t want the risk, make the corresponding choice…….otherwise, one can make excuses like you do.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
12:20 pm

midtownguy

As I have stated before, I think Ms. Clinton has the sharpest political mind of a generation, so the fact the she is the most polarizing figure on the U.S. political landscape cannot have escaped her attention. I still maintain that the 2008 race was a carefully coordinated effort to insure that the most electable Democrat made it to the Oval Office.

Assuming that Obama is reelected, I think we would be better served by Elizabeth Warren in 2016.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
12:21 pm

That witch from Arizona was begging our President to bailout her state but our President told he to get back on her broom .

Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)

January 27th, 2012
12:21 pm

Oh, this doesn’t bode well for Conservatives:

U.S. Recovery Slowly Gained Speed in Late ’11</i?
nytimes.com

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
12:22 pm

jewcowboy – Yeah, her dad is a scary man. He is the reason I didn’t even consider trying to kiss her until about the 5th date. And that was in high school.

JHM – I’m sure that is part of the problem, that we’re talking past each other, and I’m honestly having fun doing it. Great Friday sport if you ask me. I always forget how dangerous it can be to imply that I might be defending Newt’s record on marriage here. Your suggestion of lunch is a good one, think I’ll take that now.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
12:22 pm

Steve USA: “Don’t take this the wrong way because perhaps I am to cynical but do you have a plan “B”?”

Do I have a plan B for what?

Looks like what we have is already a plan B. And what that is is clear as day: increasing instability and economic injustice, outbursts of violence, war, and poverty.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:23 pm

stands, 12:19, don’t know about the kids but when
michelle planted her garden i think she pulled out
Laura’s bush..

md

January 27th, 2012
12:23 pm

“in order to save up that much, the person making the commitment would have to save up over the course of several years if he or she also wants to continue to take care of their family and themselves at the same time as saving”

Interesting that you can see what it might take to get there but find it easier to make an excuse to dismiss the idea altogether…………..

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
12:23 pm

“Quick straw poll: Who do you guys think will win the next election??”

I think Obama will. I don’t like his views but if he loses it is because the economy weakens over this year and I really, really don’t want that to happen. He was beatable but you have to have someone better that what the Republicans came up with.

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
12:23 pm

And/or a growing reality for the majority of Americans.

And that may be a somewhat rosy picture, given that it’s average, and not median. But illuminating nevertheless. The transportation figure didn’t surprise me, but I bet most would not guess that the average family spends ~3x more on transportation than they do on entertainment, given that we’re constantly being told what irresponsible spendthrifts we are.

Bruno

January 27th, 2012
12:24 pm

That witch from Arizona was begging our President to bailout her state but our President told he to get back on her broom .

Obama didn’t like the way that Brewer characterized a meeting they had last year in her new book. Obama, the immature one, decided that the airport tarmac was the most appropriate venue to hash it out.

Sorry the guy has turned out to be such an embarrassment for y’all……

Grace Howard

January 27th, 2012
12:24 pm

My choice is Romney. My late father said “Always try to elect the richest man possible; they have more of a stake in the success and prosperity of the country.”

midtownguy

January 27th, 2012
12:26 pm

I believe Obama will win if the economy continues to improve and Romney will win if it doesn’t. The majority vote their pocketbooks. Unemployed or underemployed citizens do not vote for the sitting president. A large number of these will be recent college graduates who voted for Obama last time who now can’t get a job in profession.

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
12:26 pm

for bf @ 12.23…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNQNF6rKnDk

Crouching in your pea patch
Plowing through your bean field
Planting my seed

getalife

January 27th, 2012
12:27 pm

bruno,

You bought her story like a good ole gullible con.

If you check her State finances you will find the truth.

She begged for help and our President said no.

You don’t disrespect our President then beg for help.

Stonethrower

January 27th, 2012
12:28 pm

My choice is President Obama but Mitt will win. Elite!

Bruno

January 27th, 2012
12:28 pm

I don’t like his views but if he loses it is because the economy weakens over this year and I really, really don’t want that to happen.

Steve–The main issue for me is Obamacare. As a healthcare provider/actuary, I can explain to you in great detail as to why a forced insurance mandate is the worst possible solution to our overpriced system. Only the die-hard Obama supporters are defending it.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
12:28 pm

Sorry the guy has turned out to be such an embarrassment for y’all……

Perhaps you could point out where any of, “y’all” have explicitly stated they were embarrassed?

md

January 27th, 2012
12:30 pm

Jewco……from your link, it seems that average consumer unit also has about 20% of expenditures that are not necessities…….meaning choices?

Bruno

January 27th, 2012
12:30 pm

My choice is Romney. My late father said “Always try to elect the richest man possible; they have more of a stake in the success and prosperity of the country.”

Grace–you raise an interesting point, one I’ve been thinking about lately. Do you want the strongest guy in the room, or the weakest guy in the room in charge. We’ve tried the “Governance by the weak” system for the past 3 + years, and I don’t see it working at all.

BOB FROM ACCOUNT TEMPS

January 27th, 2012
12:30 pm

they don’t call him “NEWTER” for nothing

getalife

January 27th, 2012
12:31 pm

Hardly embarrassed bruno.

We have a competent President accomplishing more than most Presidents.

All willard does is lie and flip flop.

This is a very easy choice.

Four more years.

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
12:31 pm

How many Gingrich bashing posts is this in the past 30 days now, Jay? 60? 70? Geez…

How about posting the bill Obama is pushing to raise the capital gains tax so Buffett pays more than his help? Could you do that for us? I havne’t been able to find it. All I seem to find is whining.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
12:31 pm

Bruno: “Obama didn’t like the way that Brewer characterized a meeting they had last year in her new book. Obama, the immature one, decided that the airport tarmac was the most appropriate venue to hash it out.”

Have to say I do agree with this in part.

Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)

January 27th, 2012
12:31 pm

Well, seeing as how Bruno is on here and it being awful on a Friday to be single, lonesome, and dumped like a load of horse manure , I thought I’d get a early start on FNM. Good think most of us ain’t dumb enough to let our girl know where we hang out to blog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrojFR7jM9E

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:32 pm

Marry a woman who owns a beer company,when the
economy goes down beer sales go up -John McCain

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
12:33 pm

“Quick straw poll: Who do you guys think will win the next election??”

Obama will win as long as the economy continues to trend the way it has over the past year.
Not to mention the candidates the Rep, have up are not what the Repub really want.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
12:33 pm

“All I seem to find is whining.”

Ye old pot to kettle.

joe the plumber

January 27th, 2012
12:33 pm

not only am i greatly disappointed with the current occupant of the white house, but also the four repubs trying to get there.

Normal

January 27th, 2012
12:33 pm

Brother Bruno,
“Governance by the weak”

I think he has an excellently strong foreign policy…just ask OBL…

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
12:33 pm

Bruno — “Obama, the immature one, decided that the airport tarmac was the most appropriate venue to hash it out.

I’ll see your accusation and raise you some gubernatorial finger-wagging and head-bobbing. If anyone was being immature, it was the Governor. Even if Obama initiated the exchange, she should be mature enough to calmly say something on the order of ‘we’re not going to have this conversation right here, right now, Mr. President, but I look forward to having it with you in private at our earliest mutual convenience.’

IMO, the fact that she was pointing fingers and he just walked away says it all to me. That’s exactly what I’d do if someone presumed to speak to me like that in public, and I’d hope you’d do the sam if someone spoke to *you* like that in public.

“Sorry the guy has turned out to be such an embarrassment for y’all……”

Embarrassment for *you,* perhaps.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
12:34 pm

Bruno,

I am to first to admit that I am not an expert on everything and that includes how pricing works in the healthcare industry.

….but are you saying you don’t think Obama will win or you just don’t want him to?

magic 8 ball

January 27th, 2012
12:35 pm

the repubs are not trying to win the wh this year. this is a show to purge the system of all the old guard and get fresh faces for 2016

John Birch

January 27th, 2012
12:36 pm

midtown – Pretty safe read and probably accurate. The mess in the ME is rarely front page news anymore so it’s all about the economy. I think we’re doomed to long slow recovery at best unless we get one more bubble, maybe a nanotechnology bubble when they creat cancer eaters.

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
12:37 pm

Bruno

If economy keeps heading in the right direction: Obama in a close one.

Close like Bush Kerry close

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
12:37 pm

“Unemployed or underemployed citizens do not vote for the sitting president.”

Thats not necessarily true…If you’re a recently unemployed person, you have to ask yourself, do you vote for the man that would like to at least keep unemployment benefits around to at least in some way or the man that says cut, cut cut.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
12:38 pm

“Obama didn’t like the way that Brewer characterized a meeting they had last year in her new book. Obama, the immature one, decided that the airport tarmac was the most appropriate venue to hash it out.”

The guy does seem pretty thin skinned.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
12:38 pm

Bruno – “Obama, the immature one, decided that the airport tarmac was the most appropriate venue to hash it out.

Sorry the guy has turned out to be such an embarrassment for y’all……”

As opposed to Gingrich scolding John King on National television. Embarrasing like that?

getalife

January 27th, 2012
12:38 pm

“GINGRICH CRIES FOUL: DEBATE AUDIENCE WAS STACKED FOR ROMNEY…”drudgey.

Does that embarrass you bruno?

Shawny

January 27th, 2012
12:40 pm

Romney ruled last night. Santorum had the best line when he said that they should talk about the issues and not bark back and forth about someone’s tax returns or income (which is refreshing to hear).
Jay, I am playing poker next Sat night and based on your performance, you are invited.

Bruno

January 27th, 2012
12:40 pm

….but are you saying you don’t think Obama will win or you just don’t want him to?

Steve, my gambler’s instinct says that Obama will be a one-termer for several reasons. I perceive him as a “rebound” relationship. After our “messy divorce” with Bush, he was the first guy to come along. The fact that he was a “blank slate” by comparison helped him tremendously. Now that the bitterness of the Bush divorce has worn off somewhat, the new guy ain’t looking so good in his own right.

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
12:41 pm

Boehner has not stopped crying ever since Newt outed Mitt for his low tax rate.

midtownguy

January 27th, 2012
12:44 pm

Good point, JOE.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:46 pm

Bruno, My day used to tell a story about a man looking to
buy a farm and only two were for sale. He looked at the
first one and said I will take the other one. The agent said
but you haven’t seen the other one. The man said I have to
have a farm and I sure don’t want this one. the President
has no defense to this attitude.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
12:46 pm

Jan Brewer, describing her requested meeting with Obama in 2010: “very cordial conversation.”

Jan Brewer describing that same meeting in her book: “It wasn’t long before I realized I was hearing the president’s stump speech,” she wrote. “Only I was supposed to listen without talking.”

She called him “patronizing.”

“Then it dawned on me: He’s treating me like the cop he had over for a beer after he badmouthed the Cambridge police, I thought,” Brewer continued. “He thinks he can humor me and then get rid of me.”

Maybe the meeting on the tarmac was about how big of a lying scumbag she is.

Just speculatin’.

Regina

January 27th, 2012
12:46 pm

When the bluster fades, this is Barrack Obama.

Bruno

January 27th, 2012
12:47 pm

As opposed to Gingrich scolding John King on National television. Embarrasing like that?

John King deserved to be scolded. If he wanted to raise up questions about Newt’s affairs and how that impacted his trustworthiness as a political candidate, that’s fine. But, instead, he went straight for the gutter with some “he said-she said” BS about a supposed open marriage request.

I’m sure the difference will be lost on you, but that’s my take on things.

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
12:47 pm

It’s not fair that Mitt pays a lower tax rate than memememe! — Newt

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
12:47 pm

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
12:49 pm

I did not lose my TEMPER! I said, “Look HERE, at the booboo on my FINGER! — Jan Brewer

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
12:50 pm

Bruno — “John King deserved to be scolded. If he wanted to raise up questions about Newt’s affairs and how that impacted his trustworthiness as a political candidate, that’s fine.”

I’ll be holding you to this statement when the time comes, as I’m sure it will.

Bookmarked.

mm

January 27th, 2012
12:52 pm

Bruno,

“Only the die-hard Obama supporters are defending it.”

I don’t think anybody defends the insurance mandate. The only reason it was added was to get the insurance companies onboard. This would give them 30 million new paying customers. Without it, they stand to lose a fortune. So you folks that don’t like the mandate are the ones screwing your beloved insurance companies. Without the new customers, the insurers are just going to charge more to the folks that have insurance.

DawgDad

January 27th, 2012
12:55 pm

“Boehner has not stopped crying ever since Newt outed Mitt for his low tax rate.”

Mitt does NOT have a “low tax rate” in any unfair sense. He pays to the same rate schedule, based on his income and capital gains, as anyone else would.

Disgusted

January 27th, 2012
12:57 pm

Iranian courts have sentenced two bloggers to death for “spreading corruption.”

Those bloggers—a dangerous lot.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
12:57 pm

Romney said he will repeal Obamacare if he is elected
President. This is the first flat lie I have heard him expound.
Even with a Republican Congress he will not, modify maybe,
but not repeal. Too many benefits to many corporations and
the medical profession and voters.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
1:01 pm

He pays to the same rate schedule, based on his income and capital gains, as anyone else would.

“Anyone else” isn’t trying to win a popularity contest.

TaxPayer

January 27th, 2012
1:04 pm

Mitt does NOT have a “low tax rate” in any unfair sense.

That’s not exactly what Boehner, or any other Republican, thought was “unfair”. The attack on lower taxes and on a job creator to boot by another Republican was hitting below the belt and that was unfair. Of course it made Boehner cry. FOUL!!!!!! Only non-Republicans would see anything unfair about conducting two wars and handing out two big tax cuts and doling out a prescription drug company benefit and charging it all only to come back later and point the finger at the poor and middle class for not carrying their weight. :roll:

Disgusted

January 27th, 2012
1:06 pm

I don’t think anybody defends the insurance mandate. The only reason it was added was to get the insurance companies onboard. This would give them 30 million new paying customers.

Maybe that’s one reason. The primary reason is that without adding younger, healthier people to the insurance pool, the cost of insuring people with preexisting conditions at standard rates becomes prohibitive. There’s a reason many of those in need are without coverage, and it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with poverty. Take away the mandate and we’ll all see our health insurance premiums blast into the stratosphere, while we continue to give millions a free ride through higher premiums and taxes to cover those emergency room visits. At the very least, if ACA stands without the mandate, we ought to remove the law that requires hospitals to render care regardless of ability to pay.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:08 pm

TaxPayer – ” only to come back later and point the finger at the poor and middle class for not carrying their weight.”

Hey, if anyone from the GOP really wants to get “hands on” for their party, next time you’re in a Wal Mart, be sure to bitch slap the greeter on your way out. After all, chances are pretty good that he/she falls into that 47% category that you hate so much.

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
1:08 pm

Dawg – “Mitt does NOT have a “low tax rate” in any unfair sense. He pays to the same rate schedule, based on his income and capital gains, as anyone else would.”

Keep in mind you’re arguing with the morons who believe Obama when he says Buffet’s secretary pays higher taxes than Buffet. They can’t even figure out Obama keeps whining about effective tax rates while threatening to raise INCOME taxes which will do absolutely nothing to change the situation he’s whining about. They can’t get past that tingle up their leg feeling for thinking they’re going to get some rich people’s money long engouh to figure that out.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:11 pm

RB from Gwinnett – “They can’t get past that tingle up their leg feeling for thinking they’re going to get some rich people’s money”

Exactly, why do you think Obama wants to take away their guns? So that the rich will be defenseless when the “libs” come to storm the castle and take away all their money.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:11 pm

mm,

You’re calling bs? And as usual you would be wrong. China has enormous built in advantages, scale, speed of assembly, the ability to hire thousands of people in a single day. $17 a day to a worker working on an assembly line making I-phones. How much would the average American worker cost on the same type of assembly line??? Do the math mm. $17 an hour American worker vs 17$ a day Chinese worker?

Now there are some technology experts who believe that here in America that we could in fact make the I-phone with only an extra $65 in labor costs if you believe that. But labor isn’t the only reason why its substantially cheaper to make the I-phone in China.

Oh. And one other thing. In a typical $500 I-phone only $180 of the actual mfg component cost is spent overseas making it. The other $320 is spent here in America on the engineering design, software, transporting, etc.

This is an interesting article on why they are kicking our tails.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option. One former executive described how the company relied upon a Chinese factory to revamp iPhone manufacturing just weeks before the device was due on shelves. Apple had redesigned the iPhone’s screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight.

A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day.

“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.”

It goes on to say in the article that 8700 engineers were hired to oversee production in one facility. To hire those same 8700 engineers in the U.S. would have taken almost a year.

Bruno

January 27th, 2012
1:13 pm

Later gators and taters.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:15 pm

Disgusted

January 27th, 2012
12:57 pm
Iranian courts have sentenced two bloggers to death for “spreading corruption.”

No surprise there. They regularly hang gays for gasp… being gay. Such nice benevolent folks there in the religion of Islam.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:15 pm

Thulsa Doom – ““The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.”

I’m sure we could if Americans were willing to live in company dorms and be “roused” for a twleve hour workday after a hearty breakfast of a biscuit and some tea. But alas, those damn labor laws prohibit such activities for the sake of profit.

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
1:18 pm

Doomy – They also don’t seem to get that the US is not the only market Chinese made iPhones are shipped into. Likely a larger percentage than elsewhere in the world, but not the only market. If you look at your market globally, as Apple is doing, it makes more sense. Not sure most of these liberals have the mental capacity to get that.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
1:20 pm

Cosby
January 27th, 2012
9:57 am

Breathe son….Breathe

Feel better?

Good :lol:

Now STFU!

Mick

January 27th, 2012
1:20 pm

rb

You are not exactly a mental giant yourself, so cool out and get off the high horse, unless you happen to be a closet communist…

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:21 pm

RB from Gwinnett – “Not sure most of these liberals have the mental capacity to get that.”

Get what, that you would prefer the Unioted States go back to the good old days of sweat shops, no safety regulations, company store, 7 day work weeks and 5 year olds shoveling coal into boilers?

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
1:23 pm

barking frog
January 27th, 2012
9:59 am
He could give Johnny Cochran a run for his money.

Only if he diggs him up and hooks up with Dr. Frakenstein.

sam

January 27th, 2012
1:23 pm

i like that obama told that lady off..she trashes him in a book, tells a bunch of lies and expects him to be all smiles and hugs when she greets him at the airport? F that ho

mm

January 27th, 2012
1:24 pm

RB,

“They can’t get past that tingle up their leg feeling for thinking they’re going to get some rich people’s money long engouh to figure that out.”

Still singing the “poor folks want our money” song?

Thulsa @ 1:11,

You just the ideology that’s going to get your party crushed in November. America has had it with corporations caring more about profit than the citizens that buy it’s products.

moonbat betty

January 27th, 2012
1:26 pm

“F that ho”

~that’s what he said

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
1:26 pm

Butch – “I’m sure we could if Americans were willing to live in company dorms and be “roused” for a twleve hour workday after a hearty breakfast of a biscuit and some tea. But alas, those damn labor laws prohibit such activities for the sake of profit.”

Our problem is the work ethic doesn’t match the education level/job skills in our labor pool. People who’s job skills are worth $9/hr won’t work for $9/hr. That’s why there are 10MM mexicans here doing the work for them.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:26 pm

sam – “she trashes him in a book, tells a bunch of lies and expects him to be all smiles and hugs when she greets him at the airport?”

Of course, if it was Gingrich doing the same thing, he would get a 5 minute standing ovation from the minions in the audience and an immediate 5 point lead over Romney. :)

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
1:29 pm

“Get what, that you would prefer the Unioted States go back to the good old days of sweat shops, no safety regulations, company store, 7 day work weeks and 5 year olds shoveling coal into boilers?”

Of course not, but we have to admit that those activities built this country. The world is not maturing at the same rate. It kind of reminds me of my neighbors who don’t want any new construction in our area. Since their house is already built, they don’t want any more.

China is going to do what they want and there is not a darn thing we can do about it. Perhaps some more of blame should go to the Corporations going there and people buying those products.

Who is worse the hookers or the Johns?

sheepdawg

January 27th, 2012
1:31 pm

lets hope newt holds on and wins the nomination. he’s very funny to watch, and i really want to see him debate our president

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
1:32 pm

People who’s job skills are worth $9/hr won’t work for $9/hr. That’s why there are 10MM mexicans here doing the work for them.

Not intended to be a factual statement.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:34 pm

“You just the ideology that’s going to get your party crushed in November. America has had it with corporations caring more about profit than the citizens that buy it’s products.”

mm,

You’re right sir. Let’s just outlaw corporations and we can all go work for the govt. It worked real well in the former Soviet Union and it works real well in North Korea today after all.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
1:35 pm

Paul

January 27th, 2012
10:09 am
What, you’d be happier if we still had our servicemen and women still getting their legs blown off and killed in Iraq?

Since the withdrawl date was settled BEFORE Obama took office, how could they STILL be getting killed and blown up in Iraq?

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:35 pm

People who’s job skills are worth $9/hr won’t work for $9/hr. That’s why there are 10MM mexicans here doing the work for them.

Not intended to be a factual statement.

True dat. There are at least 12mm illegal aliens here.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
1:37 pm

doom

Seems to be working real well in china according to rb and other assorted cons…

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
1:37 pm

Butch – “Get what, that you would prefer the Unioted States go back to the good old days of sweat shops, no safety regulations, company store, 7 day work weeks and 5 year olds shoveling coal into boilers?”

Nope, just with people would get up in the morning, go to work, achieve what they’re able and willing to work for, and be happy about it. None of those things you’ve mentioned are what’s keeping us from making stuff in this country any more.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:38 pm

“Since their house is already built, they don’t want any more.’

The got mine mentality. A condition permeating many people but particularly afflicting the limousine liberal crowd.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
1:40 pm

DawgDad: “Mitt does NOT have a “low tax rate” in any unfair sense. ”

Unfair is a relative term here. Unfair from whose perspective? For the capitalist who considers it “unfair” if he can’t use his capital to reap more and more capital with no capital restrictions? Or to the vast number of Americans who suffer when social programs are slashed because these capitalists refuse even the slightest setting of limits on their earnings?

“He pays to the same rate schedule, based on his income and capital gains, as anyone else would.”

But that’s just it. Not just ‘anyone’ will ever, or can ever reach the privileged position of not having to live on their wage labor.

You’re buying into a kool aid version of economic justice that is not in my interests. That’s why I fight it.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:40 pm

My point being that there have alwayws been and there always will be ways to make profits on the backs of those that can’t protect themselves. Just becauce an abundance of cheap labor exists, doesn’t mean that we have to exploit it.

I liken the statement by the Apple exec to someone looking over a Southern Slave Plantation in the 1800,s and saying “Wow, this is amazing. We just couldn’t get this kind of productivity out of our white workers.”

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:40 pm

“Get what, that you would prefer the Unioted States go back to the good old days of sweat shops, no safety regulations, company store, 7 day work weeks and 5 year olds shoveling coal into boilers?”

Liberals do loves themselves those knee jerk, extreme examples they do.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:42 pm

Thulsa Doom – “Liberals do loves themselves those knee jerk, extreme examples they do”

I’ve established many times that I’m neither a “lib” or a “con”. I’m simply a realist. Something that seems to escape members of both parties.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:44 pm

“Just becauce an abundance of cheap labor exists, doesn’t mean that we have to exploit it.”

I’m with ya. I’m all for putting those Chinese workers out of work to where they don’t even make a dime that day. Let them go to work for the govt like they do in neighboring North Korea. Then they can dine on grass and tree bark.

Or what we could do is pay them $17 an hour instead of $17 a day and pay $1600 for our I-phones. Show of hands please! How many liberals on here want to pay $1600 for their I-phone???

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
1:45 pm

Butch – “I’ve established many times that I’m neither a “lib” or a “con”. I’m simply a realist. Something that seems to escape members of both parties.”

Ditto! :)

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
1:45 pm

Welcome – Why exactly would we limit what someone is able to earn? I mean, by your own admission they’re earnings, so it isn’t given to them. Do you prescribe to the notion that all my work is for the government and I should be happy with what they allow me to keep?

Mick

January 27th, 2012
1:46 pm

**Liberals do loves themselves those knee jerk, extreme examples they do**

I could easily apply that to you and half the mush you churn out…

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:46 pm

Butch,

I’ve never seen you take a conservative position. Not once. I’ve seen that claim numerous times by people claiming to be neither con or lib. But oddly enough every position they seem to have on a variety of issues seems to be a liberal position.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:47 pm

Thulsa Doom – “I’m all for putting those Chinese workers out of work to where they don’t even make a dime that day. ”

So you prefer that Americans are put out of work to where they don’t even make a dime that day instead?

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:47 pm

Mick,

Example?

Boris Badnoff

January 27th, 2012
1:49 pm

Those of you who snickered when Newt warned us of the perils of Gay Marriage need to realize that it leads to this

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/138158504.html

Next someone will try to marry the Downtown Connector.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:50 pm

Thulsa Doom – “I’ve never seen you take a conservative position. Not once”

So you missed the times when I advocated the repeal of the Bush tax cuts for everyone, or the the elimination of the EITC, or that I didn’t vote for Obama or particularly like him.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:50 pm

Butch,

Nope. We can give those jobs to Americans at $17 an hour and pay $1600 for our I-phones. And of course no one is going to buy them and apple goes out of business and in addition to laying off those newly hired American workers it would have to lay off the 43,000 American workers they already have in the U.S. Back to square 1.

Peadawg

January 27th, 2012
1:50 pm

“I’m all for putting those Chinese workers out of work to where they don’t even make a dime that day. ”

Why are you worried about Chinese workers and not AMERICAN workers?

Jim Pierce

January 27th, 2012
1:51 pm

Let me guess, Bookman. You are another liberal right?

Adam

January 27th, 2012
1:51 pm

md: Your excuses argument is just as fallacious as your choices argument. Except that you’re only using the excuses thing to make yourself feel like you have a point on the choices thing.

You don’t.

People can’t create an emergency fund without leftover money. Some people don’t have that and won’t have that. Some people who are making a good salary don’t have that and won’t have that (unless their entire family dies horribly). No amount of choices available to people like that will get them out of it without violating one of your many rules about what a good choice is. Most of the ones that have a good chance of working historically, such as student loans, both no longer work and also carry the extra burden of people judging that person for even trying – people like you.

Your answer is to not even try unless you can already afford it. THAT is an excuse. An excuse to stay in your situation.

It’s certainly safer and smarter, after all, to never get a loan of any kind until you can somehow afford to sock away 6 months of salary, and even then you better hope you never have to use it… again with the risk. And yet your hypocritical response is to not take these risks to try to make your life better because you should have known it had a chance of failure. You shouldn’t take out a loan to get a house to make you and your family’s life better unless you already have saved up enough to weather any possible outcome that is beyond your control – like a global economic collapse. You say people should EXPECT that, and make sure they do not make choices that will be certain to be deemed bad ones by people who judge – you – if they are met with circumstances beyond their control.

I understand that you made your own life better with similar risks. Had the global economic collapse come around at the wrong time for you, you would not be singing this same tune. And it takes a special kind of intellectual dishonesty to think this way just because you are ok now.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
1:52 pm

Butch – Since when did repealing the tax cuts become a conservative position? And by conservative position, I mean one held by those calling themselves conservatives?

Peadawg

January 27th, 2012
1:53 pm

“Let me guess, Bookman. You are another liberal right?”

You must be new here….

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
1:53 pm

Mick
January 27th, 2012
10:48 am
Rubio has some other problems like his house mortgage is underwater by about 100k and he has an equity line of 130k.

Mick, have you checked that Rueters story for all the retractions they had to issue relating to this story?

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
1:53 pm

Thulsa Doom – “We can give those jobs to Americans at $17 an hour and pay $1600 for our I-phones. And of course no one is going to buy them and apple goes out of business”

Apple has been making products since the late 70’s. My family had one of the first Macs in 1985. I don’t recall hearing of Apple teetering on the brink of diaster prior to them engaging the Chinese.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:54 pm

Butch

I didn’t know repealing the W tax cuts was a con position. I didn’t say that you’ve never had a con position. Just that I’ve never seen it. I now stand corrected that you do in fact have 2 con positions the EITC credit and perhaps no pro Obama preference.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
1:54 pm

md,

“it seems that average consumer unit also has about 20% of expenditures that are not necessities…….meaning choices?”

Apologies…I was in a meeting. Please breakdown the 20% you do not consider “necessities”.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
1:54 pm

Butch

I didn’t know repealing the W tax cuts was a con position. I didn’t say that you’ve never had a con position. Just that I’ve never seen it. I now stand corrected that you do in fact have 2 con positions the EITC credit and perhaps no pro Obama preference.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
1:55 pm

Your party sucks, 1:23, if you prefer could have given to give, have at it.

Paul

January 27th, 2012
1:55 pm

Sucks 1:35

“Since the withdrawl date was settled BEFORE Obama took office, how could they STILL be getting killed and blown up in Iraq?”

Jack’s comment was Pres Obama hadn’t produced “anything other than confusion.”

My answer was directed at that.

BTW – so now the Right is saying that Pres Obama was bound by a withdrawal date settled before he took the oath of office?

Just a couple months ago the line was we had to leave because he blew the negotiations.

Rule of Thumb: invent whatever history is necessary to make the Pres look bad.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
1:55 pm

md: Yes it is…….as I said before, it can be done in small increments……but a choice none the less. (Had you said “some” people, you might have a point, but you chose to use “most”)

I already illustrated how stupid this is using your Mars bars and pennies argument. In the context of your argument – which you seem to forget – is how one should anticipate that their whole world could be turned upside down TOMORROW, and therefore they should save 6 months of salary TODAY. Even if the next collapse happens two years from now, 6 months of salary in two years is 1/4 of that person’s paycheck. No one can do that unless they are already spending 1/4 of their paycheck frivolously, which, contrary to popular belief, is not what is happening with most families.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
1:56 pm

Thulsa Doom: “We can give those jobs to Americans at $17 an hour and pay $1600 for our I-phones. And of course no one is going to buy them and apple goes out of business …”

That’s incorrect. According to the story we’re discussing, it was determined that were the phones being made in the US with appropriate wages it would translate into a price increase per unit of $65 for an iPhone. Hardly a dealbraker and would still allow for lavish profits to be realized.

But in the end, it’s a moot point because we’re not yet at a point where Americans are willing to live in barracks in faraway cities with no family connections and work 12 hr shifts for no benefits.

THOSE are the conditions that are the face of your new global capitalism.

Workers hurling themselves off the top of Foxconn’s buildings in desperation at their life conditions.

Are you on board with that? Does that kind of world get your thumbs up?

Adam

January 27th, 2012
1:56 pm

md: I also see you felt the need to respond to me three different times so far that I have read, in three separate posts. Getting under your skin, am I?

You are wrong about your excuses argument. :D

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
1:57 pm

Steve – USA,

“The guy does seem pretty thin skinned.”

Really? With all the lies and vitriol pouring from the right for years, he seems incredibly thick skinned to me.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
1:58 pm

doomy

My good man, I said half, do you really think I need to cite your eloquent waxations? No, the other half you can be a real hoot! So, don’t go spineless jellyfish on me and man up…

Adam

January 27th, 2012
1:59 pm

Butch: Get what, that you would prefer the Unioted States go back to the good old days of sweat shops, no safety regulations, company store, 7 day work weeks and 5 year olds shoveling coal into boilers?

After all, that would surely fix the problem of “people not showing up for work” because they are “satisfied” with food stamps.

Peadawg

January 27th, 2012
1:59 pm

“The guy does seem pretty thin skinned.”

You mean Newt? Yes, we saw that last night.

williebkind

January 27th, 2012
2:01 pm

I hope you liberals get what you want. Romney will be the next president. There will be a conservative senate and a conservative house. Next, is to appoint conservative judges and school teachers.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
2:01 pm

willie

You be trippin…

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
2:02 pm

Romney said he will repeal Obamacare if he is elected
President. This is the first flat lie I have heard him expound.

I’ve got another one for you (emphasis mine).

“[A]s president, I will support efforts to prohibit federal funding for any organization like Planned Parenthood, which primarily performs abortions or offers abortion-related services.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:02 pm

Doom: Let’s just outlaw corporations and we can all go work for the govt.

Straw man extreme response. No one is suggesting that as an answer to the argument of eliminating laws.

Hint: Some candidates actually are proposing eliminating nearly all laws and regulations for businesses, claiming they hamper business.

Not a single rational human being buys that. And no one is suggesting “oh yeah, well how about you don’t get CORPORATIONS anymore. NYYYYAAAAAHHHH!” That would be just as childish and foolish as trying to turn this society into a libertarian utopia.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:02 pm

“Really?” Yes, extremely so.

BTW – that reminds me, good to see “Really” is no longer around. Woo Hoo

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
2:02 pm

Thulsa Doom,

“Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option.”

Left unsaid is it is their only option in order to maintain a 71-75% profit margin on the iPhone 4.

$1,000,000,000 in cash.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:03 pm

RB: Nope, just with people would get up in the morning, go to work, achieve what they’re able and willing to work for, and be happy about it.

“You TAKE me being a d*ck to you when you work for me. You TAKE it and you LIKE it!”

Pizza

January 27th, 2012
2:04 pm

This Obama supporter will vote Newt on Super Tuesday. Haw – Haw – Haw !

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:05 pm

“$1,000,000,000 in cash.”

They have more than $1 Billion. :)

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
2:06 pm

Mick,

I just asked for one example. Clearly I make facetious exagerations that are meant as a joke but when I see exaggerations such as mentioning going back to 5 year old labor in the mines it looks to me like that person actually believes that. Maybe Butch was being facetious but it just didn’t appear that way.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:06 pm

Doom: Liberals do loves themselves those knee jerk, extreme examples they do.

Pot.
Kettle.
Black.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:08 pm

jewcowboy: Really? With all the lies and vitriol pouring from the right for years, he seems incredibly thick skinned to me.

Word

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
2:08 pm

“According to the story we’re discussing, it was determined that were the phones being made in the US with appropriate wages it would translate into a price increase per unit of $65 for an iPhone.”

Occupation,

Yes. I mentioned that. But it doesn’t say that we are or can do that. And for that matter that was the opinion of several experts who think it can be done. Not that it has been done. Furthermore what you miss is the speed and ramp up of putting an assembly into immediately into operation in China. It can’t be done that quickly or easily here in the U.S. which adds enormously to cost. You’re not factoring ease of doing business, nor scale or ramp up time into cost.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
2:08 pm

Oooh, the overplayed, “I was just joking” card.

Show of hands who didn’t see that one coming.

williebkind

January 27th, 2012
2:09 pm

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
1:56 pm
It’s the OWS group that destroys property and kills people not capitalism. You know you dont have to work for that corporation. You can get a liberal education and teach college somewhere and indoctrinate the students to become more like Europe. Then you will have your live in barracks in faraway cities with no family connections and work for everybodies benefits.

Dr. Pangloss

January 27th, 2012
2:09 pm

We’d like to set the record straight by singing of the newt
For newts are open-minded; they are flexible and cute
A newt can breathe in water and a newt can breathe on land
And if you are a different critter newts will understand
Newts are not mean-spirited; they never are unfair
Newts are not underhanded and are not afraid to share
Newts do not have bad haircuts because newts are lacking hair
But the newt called Gingrich drives all true newts to despair
Gingrich the Newt’s a disgrace to the name
When true newts see him they feel so ashamed
He’s the black sheep of the newt family
The one rotten fruit on the newt family tree
Newts don’t prey on other newts; in that they don’t believe
And you will never catch a newt with something up his sleeve
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/austin-lounge-lizards-lyrics/gingrich-the-newt-lyrics.html ]
They’re tolerant to different environments and so
They don’t sen little newties to the orphanage to grow
What kind of newt wears a suit and a tie
And frightens small children as he rushes by?
But we admit that his suit suits him good
Much more discreet than a sheet and a hood
A newt may be cold-blooded but he won’t go to extremes
And you can trust a newt to be exactly what he seems
Newts are sorry if you’re sad; they’re happy if you’re gay
But Gingrich is perverse, and worse
He’s proud to be that way
Gingrich the Newt is puffed up like a toad
So full of himself that he’s bound to explode
And then we’ll raise up our tails in salute
A fitting tribute
To that horse’s patoot
Gingrich the Newt
— The Austin Lounge Lizards

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
2:10 pm

Typical lib. Wouldn’t know facetiousness or dry humor from their own butt. Speaking of that gotta go feed the 2 goats- Karl and Kurt.

philosopher

January 27th, 2012
2:11 pm

I am always amazed and amused at the myriad ways folks unashamedly present “facts” to suit whatever it is they want to sell people they think are too stupid to question them. Would someone- OK-Bruno-you’re it-tell us where the facts are that support your assertion that PRESIDENT Obama initiated that childish rant by the governor of Arizona?
What I saw and read said nothing of the sort. What I saw was a childish, immature, finger-shaking attack that in many places (God bless America) would have gotten her shot.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
2:13 pm

Adam,

You may need some help along with Kam in understanding tone, the difference between when someone is being serious or facetious. Facetiousness and dry humor is usually reserved for people of higher IQ. That may explain a lot as to why you, kam, and keep never seem to grasp it.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
2:13 pm

Steve – USA,

“They have more than $1 Billion”

Opps! :oops:

Meant $100,000,000,000

http://business.time.com/2012/01/26/100-billion-question-what-should-apple-do-with-its-cash/

Finn McCool (Class Warfare = Stopping Rich People from TAKING MORE of OUR MONEY)

January 27th, 2012
2:13 pm

The entire Star Wars: New Hope movie shot by amateurs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7ezeYJUz-84#!

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:14 pm

Doom: You may need some help along with Kam in understanding tone, the difference between when someone is being serious or facetious.

Oh come on man….

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:15 pm

Attacker: (Insert insult here)

Attackee: “WTF dude, you do the same thing.”

Attacker: “Lighten up, I was ONLY JOKING.”

Stop gaslighting.

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
2:16 pm

“I’ve never seen you take a conservative position. Not once. ”

Nailed it. You’ll be known by what you post here, Butch, and by what you post, you’re the definition of a liberal.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:16 pm

“Opps” – I figured that, easy mistake with all those 0’s.

I am the King of typo’s here. I have to learn to proof read.

md

January 27th, 2012
2:17 pm

“So you prefer that Americans are put out of work to where they don’t even make a dime that day instead?”

They are doing a darn good job of doing that themselves……who exactly do you think is buying all the stuff made with cheap labor??

it’s a simple concept…….don’t buy the cheap crap and it won’t be shipped in……….good ole supply and demand………or in this case, demand and supply.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:17 pm

RB: you’re the definition of a liberal.

liberal – what a conservative calls anyone who says anything that is in disagreement with the drudge report talking points.

Mick

January 27th, 2012
2:20 pm

doom

It’s friday, rb is as cantankerous and miserable as usual, the eagle is flying, and I’m going to live some great life this weekend! Till later, roger out…

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:21 pm

rb is as cantankerous and miserable as usual,

nailed it :D

md

January 27th, 2012
2:22 pm

“Apologies…I was in a meeting. Please breakdown the 20% you do not consider “necessities”.”

Well, look at each category, 100% of entertainment is a want, 10+% is “all other”…..not sure how that one breaks down…..and the jump to transportation which states all households with 2 cars……then factor in housing as a choice vs a need and what percentage is necessities? I get roughly 20%.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:23 pm

jewcowboy – Why are people so obsessed with what others/companies make? I really don’t understand the obsession.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
2:25 pm

“You don’t understand I could’ve had class, I coulda been a contender, I could’ve been somebody… instead of a bum which is what I am.”
–Thomas Jefferson

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
2:25 pm

RB From Gwinnett – “Nailed it. You’ll be known by what you post here, Butch, and by what you post, you’re the definition of a liberal.”

Really, wanting to repeal the Bush tax cuts across the board, eliminating the EITC, bringing jobs back to America so that we can reduce the unemployment rate even if it costs the company a couple of bucks, and wanting clean air and water makes me a liberal? I’m almost afraid to ask what defines a “con”.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
2:25 pm

“Facetiousness and dry humor is usually reserved for people of higher IQ.”

And so easily translated into written word, without vocal tone and pitch. ;)

md

January 27th, 2012
2:27 pm

Adam……..geez guy, even more excuses. I’ve seen my share of excuse makers in my day, but you get the crown.

That 6 months number is a goal……a recommendation by smart money people……and yes, some will never be able to achieve that number…….but don’t discount the others than can do it if they so choose based on what “some” may not be able to do…….

The point is, the smart money people recommend folks save money…….ANYTHING saved towards that 6 month supply is better than NOTHING saved……..but you are more than welcome to live under the assumption that it’s a stupid idea…….should serve you well in the future, along with the other xxx number of people that will come up with some excuse to NOT save……….

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
2:28 pm

the OWS group that destroys property and kills people

not intended as a factual statement

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:28 pm

sfd – Maybe not the killing people part (I quit paying close enough attention that I don’t know if anyone died or not), but the destruction of property part is most definitely a factual statement.

TomJeff

January 27th, 2012
2:29 pm

RB from Gwinnett@2:16 pm

‘You’ll be known by what you post here’

—————————–

And you RB will be known the same way. An A$$hat

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:29 pm

md: Adam……..geez guy, even more excuses.

You’re only proving you don’t know what that word means. I hope you feel real good about making the accusation, because that’s about all you’re getting out of it. Everyone else is scratching their heads wondering why you’re screwing with the English language.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:29 pm

jewcowboy @ 2:25 – That is something I struggle with daily. There needs to be a sarcastic font we can use on here.

Butch Cassidy

January 27th, 2012
2:31 pm

I was thinking, if President Newt did get the approval for the moon base project, he could combine two programs into one. Afterall, since things are weightless in zero grav, he could send the 9 year olds to the moon for the construction of the new station. Brilliant! :)

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
2:32 pm

williebkind: “It’s the OWS group that destroys property and kills people not capitalism. You know you dont have to work for that corporation. You can get a liberal education and teach college somewhere and indoctrinate the students to become more like Europe. Then you will have your live in barracks in faraway cities with no family connections and work for everybodies benefits”

Lol. That’s actually a pretty funny parody of the actual conditions of academia currently.

But, seriously, you simply sidestepped my challenge. Do you or do you not accept the brutality of the face of global capitalism.

Mr. Jobs gets his no-scratch glass panes for his phones turned around in just 6 weeks time. But meanwhile employees are hurling themselves from the rooftops at his affiliate Foxconn over desperate living conditions.

Is that a good trade off in your view? To live in a world like that?

Common Sense isn't very Common

January 27th, 2012
2:32 pm

This is the way Newt looked at the end of the debate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UejelYnVI3U

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:33 pm

A house requires money for repairs not just job loss. If you can’t have some cash reserves you shouldn’t own a house.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:33 pm

Adam – To some people, any reason that you’re not doing what they claim they’re doing, or say you should be doing is nothing more than an excuse. Like, when I was growing up, and got in trouble so I was told to paint the window frames (exterior) on my grandparent’s house. It was raining so hard you could barely see outside, and my dad told me that was just an “excuse” as to why I wasn’t painting the windows. I thought it was a pretty good reason, but hey, according to md, maybe I should have planned ahead and had the entire house encapsulated in a bubble or tent or something so I could paint in the rain.

md

January 27th, 2012
2:34 pm

No Adam……everyone else is scratching their heads as to why you must think it isn’t a choice to save money………

361 more days

January 27th, 2012
2:34 pm

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:17 pm

Spoken just like the DNC paid representative that you are

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
2:35 pm

A house requires money for repairs not just job loss. If you can’t have some cash reserves you shouldn’t own a house.

Buy new, as they have warranties.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
2:35 pm

ir – “ewcowboy @ 2:25 – That is something I struggle with daily. There needs to be a sarcastic font we can use on here.”

Agreed

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
2:36 pm

…everyone else is…

Who exactly, granted you the authority to speak for, “everyone else”?

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:36 pm

Steve – What if you don’t have to hire people to fix those things for you? What if the house was inherited? What if rent in the area you’re buying the house is 3 times what the mortgage is? What if you have a house, and had a reserve but spent it? There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ in life, not all situations are the same. Having said that, yeah, I definitely think you should have reserves built up in case of emergencies. Saying you shouldn’t own a house if you don’t have any reserves is a little extreme though.

md

January 27th, 2012
2:36 pm

“in order to save up that much, the person making the commitment would have to save up over the course of several years if he or she also wants to continue to take care of their family and themselves at the same time as saving”

Those are your words Adam………so what exactly are you saying there? That a person can make the CHOICE to make the commitment to save??

Or does that commitment just come out of the blue riding on a pink unicorn??

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
2:37 pm

but the destruction of property part is most definitely a factual statement.

when you consider the massive mobilizations of hundreds of thousands of people across the country who’ve been afffiliated with the OWS movement, and you compare the piddling little reports hither and yon of some vandalizing—and remember, these have been encampments that have been open to literally anyone who wants to join them, self-policed, and there have been reports of police rousting homeless people and telling them to go crash at the OWS encampments?

And you compare this to the calculated terror campaigns launched by the likes of Operation Rescue, targeting clinic workers and their families?

It’s not even close.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:37 pm

Kam – Better yet, come to me, I’ll design you exactly what you want/need, and then you can have it built! :)

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:38 pm

“Buy new, as they have warranties.”

*facepalm*

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
2:38 pm

“Left unsaid is it is their only option in order to maintain a 71-75% profit margin on the iPhone 4.’

Good thing nobody puts a gun to our heads and makes us buy one a them 71% profit margin I-phones.

71% profit margin. I just can’t get over that. Makes you wonder why they don’t demonize Apple the way they do insurance companies with average profit margins of 3-5% or oil companies with average profit margins of 7-9%. Anyone know what google’s profit margin is?

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
2:39 pm

Hey TomJeff. What moniker do you normally post under that you’re hiding behind for that post?

Geez.. Are you 12 or what?

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
2:39 pm

md – agree on the 6 mo stash….don’t understand why more don’t
as to Adam’s point that some don’t make enough to save is pure bologna…one can always squeeze out a buck here and there…my parents and grandparents did it and believe me they didn’t come from money

AmVet

January 27th, 2012
2:41 pm

It would seem that a certain blogger here hates “liberal” education to the point that he swore it off at a very early age.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:41 pm

Erwin,

Exactly.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:43 pm

sfd – Whether they compare to something else or not doesn’t make it factually incorrect. Also, not saying it isn’t out there, but I haven’t found any incidences of Operation Rescue (I’m assuming your referring to the Pro-Life/Anti-Choice group) being violent. Definitely not saying they don’t exist, don’t know much of anything about the group other than what my 2 min Google search taught me. But the fact that they have destroyed property (did you see what happened in Oakland?) makes the destruction of property a factual statement. You don’t have to like it or agree with it, but you can’t refute it with facts.

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
2:44 pm

Adam – How’s that survey of business owners coming along? Looking forward to hearing your report.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:44 pm

Steve @ 2:38 – Flag on the play, only Bro does the facepalm.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
2:44 pm

Adam

January 27th, 2012
10:56 am
WOODSTOCK: You won’t hear a Democrat say a word about this

From the SOTU:

Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away (except for my donors who I put ahead of the taxpayers). Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail (but we will still invest taxpayer money into them, even if they have a CCC rating). But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy (that my bundlers are invested in). I will not walk away from workers like Bryan (who is not a bundler and may lose him job like thousands of others in this industry AFTER we sink taxpayer $$$ into it without verifying that their business model will ACTUALLY work.) . (Applause.) I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here (because these bundlers have given my campaign hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars and they must get a return on their investment, no risk involved).

There, fixed that for ya Obama.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
2:44 pm

“And so easily translated into written word, without vocal tone and pitch.’

That’s some good sarcasm. And it didn’t need the spoken word. A great example of what I’m talking about. Thanks jewcowboy.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:45 pm

(ir)Rational: I thought it was a pretty good reason, but hey, according to md, maybe I should have planned ahead and had the entire house encapsulated in a bubble or tent or something so I could paint in the rain.

It is a little hard not to make fun of someone’s argument like this if all realities are ignored in order to perpetuate this idea that everyone has the same opportunity to make a choice of… whatever it is they are judging should be done by OTHER PEOPLE…. The unfortunate thing being a lack of empathy or sympathy that it would be unreasonable to expect whatever amount being saved to amount to 6 months in anything less than a good portion of that person’s lifetime before they are “allowed” to make other risky choices to better their situation.

Saving $10 a week is what you tell a CHILD to do, because they don’t have to take care of the entire family. Even if one follows that advice, it won’t amount to anything worthwhile. You’ll blow through it and still have to borrow the very moment you have to do any unexpected maintenance on the family car FFS. It’s not reasonable to expect a 6 month salary savings result from most families in anything less than the amount of time it takes for another economic bubble to burst.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:46 pm

“(ir)Rational”,

If you can buy a house and rent it out for 3 times the rent I suggest you buy as many of those homes as you can.

Maybe just charge twice the amount, I wouldn’t want anyone calling you an evil profiteer.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:47 pm

RB: Adam – How’s that survey of business owners coming along?

Slowly. Still trying to get a representative sample. At least I was wrong that NO ONE would answer my questions. But it’s still hard to get a good number of managers to even agree to talk.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
2:47 pm

Adam – “It’s not reasonable to expect a 6 month salary savings result from most families in anything less than the amount of time it takes for another economic bubble to burst.”

LMAO

They BOTH suck

January 27th, 2012
2:48 pm

RB

“Geez.. Are you 12 or what?”

Good afternoon. If you reread some of your own post where you come out the gate calling people names, etc.

You could be asking yourself the same question

Besides that. Hope all is well with you and yours

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:48 pm

Adam – I find it weird, you and I have been agreeing more and more recently. Is it just that you’re getting smarter :) or that the people here are getting crazier?

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:49 pm

Erwin: How long would it take if you saved $20 out of every paycheck for you to have 6 months worth of salary.

You guys are missing the point. It’s not that it’s not possible, it’s that it will take so long that to expect anyone who isn’t already more than comfortable financially to be able to sock away that much money BEFORE getting a mortgage or student loan is absurd. One must wait 10 years to go back to school? In the meantime, hope the economy doesn’t blow up!

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:50 pm

(ir)Rational: I am not sure much has changed for anyone here, you and I included. We’re not talking about the same stuff today as we did when we were disagreeing, I think.

md

January 27th, 2012
2:50 pm

“but hey, according to md, maybe I should have planned ahead and had the entire house encapsulated in a bubble or tent or something so I could paint in the rain.”

Now you are being just as silly as Adam…….makes you look silly, not me. Care to expand on your claim?

Do you also claim that most people how no control over the choice to save money?

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
2:52 pm

(ir)Rational,

“Why are people so obsessed with what others/companies make? I really don’t understand the obsession.”

In this case, I think it may be from Mitch Daniels rebuttal to the SOTU: “The late Steve Jobs — what a fitting name he had — created more of them than all those stimulus dollars the president borrowed and blew.”

If an American corporation is going to shown as a bastion of virtue, then shouldn’t they have some allegiance to America? The are sitting on $100B in profits, make an absolutely stunning 75% profit margin on one of their biggest selling products and achieve that by giving 700k jobs to China and 43k jobs to the US.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:52 pm

Steve – That was meant as an exaggeration, but it is interesting that that is the only part of my comment you have a response to. In reality, when I bought my house, I was saving about $200 a month over rent. The other costs were comparable (utilities). I thought, at the time, it was a good idea. I didn’t have much saved up at the time, and I don’t have anything right now. Between then and now, I managed to save about 4 months salary and then spend it all when my wife lost her job a couple of years back. Guess by your reasoning though, I shouldn’t own a house.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
2:54 pm

(ir)Rational,

“That is something I struggle with daily. There needs to be a sarcastic font we can use on here.”

I tend to be more overt in my snark to make sure it gets through. ;

stands for decibels

January 27th, 2012
2:54 pm

But the fact that they have destroyed property (did you see what happened in Oakland?)

The port occupation is about the only incident of note (although there had been a tremendous amount of provocation on the part of the police prior to it) but I will give you that one.

md

January 27th, 2012
2:54 pm

“How long would it take if you saved $20 out of every paycheck for you to have 6 months worth of salary.”

Hmmm……..does it matter how long it would take??

That is the point……something saved is better than nothing saved……..and THAT my friend is a choice.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
2:55 pm

Adam – “How long would it take if you saved $20 out of every paycheck for you to have 6 months worth of salary”

208 years by your criteria….but i did it in 2

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
2:56 pm

Adam,

No one is missing the point Adam. You simply take what you earn and live within 80 or 90% of what you earn and save the rest. It may mean downgrading and driving a paid off beater of a car instead of that new Infiniti. Or not dining out as much. Or getting a $100 smart phone instead of a $500 I-phone. Or if you’re young you simply get a 2nd part time job working 15-20 hours a week and save that money and live off of the money you earn from your regular job. There is no law against working 60 hours a week although I know people who have it ingrained in their psyche that its somehow imoral, a violation of labor laws, or just plain crazy to have to work over 40 hours a week. And those people aren’t very successful either.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
2:56 pm

Mick

January 27th, 2012
11:03 am
Guys – I merely mention that mr. fiscal conservative is not a shining example of his politics. Also, he has missed a few payments, maybe all of us should be writing books…

Someone has not read the retractions to that story. Kinda get’s in the way of the hate.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/01/reuters-staff-call-rubio-story-fiasco-disgrace-112574.html
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-01-26/politics/30665882_1_home-equity-line-payment-party-credit-card

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:57 pm

md: Hmmm……..does it matter how long it would take??

Yes, because your point is people should do this before they enter into a loan agreement.

St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne

January 27th, 2012
2:57 pm

when the bluster fades, this is the neocon ideology

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
2:58 pm

jewcowboy – Part of me agrees, but the majority of me says the premise is ridiculous. Why shouldn’t the company try and make money? They have a duty to their board and shareholders to do so. Even so, Mitch Daniels has a point. From the numbers I’ve seen, Steve Jobs (FYI, not just responsible for Apple) created more jobs here than the Stimulus did.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
2:59 pm

Doom: It may mean downgrading and driving a paid off beater of a car instead of that new Infiniti. Or not dining out as much. Or getting a $100 smart phone instead of a $500 I-phone. Or if you’re young you simply get a 2nd part time job working 15-20 hours a week and save that money and live off of the money you earn from your regular job.

All of your examples except the last one make an assumption that every single family is splurging somewhere significantly, which is not the kind of family I am talking about. Your last example assumes too much about typical youth, using an upper middle class youngster as an example (because let’s face it, the poor kids have enough trouble getting people to hire them for ONE part time job).

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
3:00 pm

The snark has pretty teeth dear
when it shows them pearly white
but when the snark bites with his teeth dear
you can really feel the bite..(tune of Mack the Knife)

Adam

January 27th, 2012
3:01 pm

Erwin: To save 6 months of salary in two years requires (assuming no other variables) 25% of each paycheck. You are fortunate that you can apply that much of your paycheck towards savings. Most families do not have that same capability.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:02 pm

Thulsa Doom,

“That’s some good sarcasm. And it didn’t need the spoken word. A great example of what I’m talking about. Thanks jewcowboy.”

As I pointed out to (ir)Rational, I try to make my snark overt. If you do it subtlety, you run the risk of being misinterpreted.

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
3:04 pm

Ahh but jcb, misinterpretation often leads to more opportunity
for snarkism…

Adam

January 27th, 2012
3:07 pm

jewcowboy: If you do it subtlety, you run the risk of being misinterpreted.

Or if you later claim you were joking, for whatever reason, when you weren’t….

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:08 pm

(ir)Rational,

“Why shouldn’t the company try and make money?”

They should. But they also have (at least historically) had a responsibility to support the country they call home as a symbiosis. The country that provides them the opportunity to exist and thrive, should also receive the lion’s share of the benefit of their existence.

Many people still think this way: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/news/4249332

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
3:11 pm

jcb, kinda like US taxpayers having to bail out GM while
Georgia taxpayers were paying Kia 40 million to build
a plant for Alabama workers and not trying to help keep
GM in Atlanta.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
3:13 pm

Adam – “To save 6 months of salary in two years requires (assuming no other variables) 25% of each paycheck. You are fortunate that you can apply that much of your paycheck towards savings. Most families do not have that same capability.”

Yes Adam in some ways I am fortunate and Blessed, but lets not forget, it was the choices and sacrifices I’ve made in the past that have put me in the position to do such things today

Common Sense

January 27th, 2012
3:14 pm

I have just a few minutes and want to know how we went from Newt dissappearing to saving 6 mos. salary? Because I know when the bluster fades Newt is gone since he is only bluster, but what does that have to do with my savings? Are the cons trying to get everybody off topic again?

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
3:16 pm

jewcowboy – Not everyone sees it that way, and like I said, Steve Jobs was responsible for much more than just Apple.

Hillary Fan

January 27th, 2012
3:17 pm

I hope she runs in 2012 against Obama.

Obama is a poor choice. If the Democratic party had considered Ted Kennedy instead of Carter, Reagan might never have happened.

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
3:17 pm

barking frog – Everyone who works in the Kia plant is from Alabama? Huh, wasn’t aware. You got a source for that, or is it just hyperbole?

moonbat betty

January 27th, 2012
3:19 pm

Saving 6 mo. salary is a much more worthy topic than b!tching about not liking Newt.

And on sarcasm…

Yesterday, Kamchak wished that tornadoes would come through and kill me!

I cried all night :cry:

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
3:20 pm

sfd – I wasn’t even talking about the port, but that did remind me. I thought they were supposed to be “for the little guy.” When they shut down the port, my brother-in-law missed about a week’s worth of work because they couldn’t get parts to continue building cars at the Honda plant in Alabama.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
3:21 pm

Yesterday, Kamchak wished that tornadoes would come through and kill me!

No, I warned you that inclement weather was headed our way and it wouldn’t bode well for you if a house was to fall upon you.

Hillary Fan

January 27th, 2012
3:21 pm

Hillary has the guts to make tough decisions. Obama doesn’t.

Think about that.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:22 pm

md,

“100% of entertainment is a want, 10+% is “all other”…..not sure how that one breaks down…..and the jump to transportation which states all households with 2 cars……then factor in housing as a choice vs a need and what percentage is necessities?”

First of all, I don’t know what world you live in, but “100% of entertainment: is not a want. I’m not going to get into specific percentages, but unless you want people jumping in front of trains and off of buildings, the human being as a species needs entertain.

“10+% is “all other”…..not sure how that one breaks down” ~ Since it is isn’t broken down, I would say it would probably include things like cc payments, presents, a new sofa, etc. But I really don’t know and the article doesn’t clarify it.

“and the jump to transportation which states all households with 2 cars” ~ For many households, two cars is not a choice, but a need. You can argue that for some it is a choice, but that is not what my original point was.

“then factor in housing as a choice vs a need” ~ I for one need housing. Their average is $1400 a month. The average 3 br apt in Atlanta is $1,592. http://www.mynewplace.com/city/atlanta-apartments-for-rent-georgia

RB from Gwinnett

January 27th, 2012
3:23 pm

You’re entitled to what you’re willing to work for and nothing more.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
3:23 pm

(mostly)Rational,

Thank God you saved and had money when your wife lost your job. That is the whole point of saving, life has ups and downs and you have to survive the downs. You can’t just live on the edge and hope for the best. Of course there are people who struggle to stay ahead their whole life but I just don’t buy this attitude that is the majority.

I guess I feel strongly about this because I changed my attitude about money and I am a little over the top like a reformed smoker. When I was in my second year of marriage I was doing my taxes and it dawned on me that we had made $75,000+ combined and I had like $1.23 in my checking account. My wife came from a family that spent everything they had and never saved anything. Not all of that was by situation, they just spent money on crap and stayed poor their whole life.

My wife and I decided to try and save. Like as Adam says children because we each threw 5 bucks into the box every Saturday. After just getting a couple hundred in there my wife got excited about saving. We got to to point we were each putting in $250 a week into saving. Everyone thought we were crazy, why save money when I could lease a Beamer like they did?

My wife still drives her 2000 Accord because she loves it and it runs great. Adam see’s a world where everyone is a victim and I just don’t see it that way. I see plenty of people in Georgia living way, way over there heads. Did the middle class get wiped out or did it commit suicide by trying to live like millionares. I bought my first investment home before I bought my own home.

When I moved to Georgia I didn’t buy the max house I could buy, I bought a modest one. My wife got very ill and neither of us worked for 4 years while I cared for her. The insurance cost us $1500 a month the last year. Saving and living a debt free life is what got us through until the Dr’s.at Emory did two 9 hour brain surgeries to give her back the life she had before.

I am sick of hearing people claim people they have no control over their own damn situation.

Rant over.

moonbat betty

January 27th, 2012
3:24 pm

Hillary- Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman

barking frog

January 27th, 2012
3:24 pm

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:24 pm

Well, so Jay didn’t watch the debate either, eh? Everybody deserves a day off. I know I was in last night and didn’t say anything about it, but I betcha I had some excitement not many of y’all have had. When’s the last time you were put in neighborhood lock-down stay inside by Homeland Security and all concerned?

359 more days

January 27th, 2012
3:25 pm

Jay and the rest of the blog,,
Why all the hate? Why all the half truths?
Doesn’t your choice for POTUS have a good enough record that would not require the type of hatred that is spewed out on this blog? It is just like negative ads? If you can’t run on your own accomplishments, then don’t run.
I realize the hatred comes from both sides of the aisle, and I for one would like to see it end, but I know that won’t happen, human nature won’t let it.
I was recently advised by an avid liberal that I owed respect to the current POTUS, just becasue of his office, he may be right, but. I also think that respect is something that you earn.

moonbat betty

January 27th, 2012
3:25 pm

I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair!

~Hillary Clinton

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:25 pm

Savings…Granddaddy’s Golden Rule of finance…pay yourself first…

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
3:25 pm

jewcowboy,

I appreciate a good snark. Even one at my expense and your one directed at me about voice and tone had me roaring.

I think you’re right about some of mine. They probably need to be a lot more overt as they go right over the heads of some on here.

Matti

January 27th, 2012
3:26 pm

josef,

Please expound.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
3:28 pm

Adam see’s a world where everyone is a victim…

Why don’t you let Adam describe what he sees, sport rather than attribute views to someone other than yourself.

md

January 27th, 2012
3:28 pm

“Between then and now, I managed to save about 4 months salary and then spend it all when my wife lost her job a couple of years back.”

No, by your and Adam’s reasoning, you shouldn’t have saved the 4 months……..

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:28 pm

Thulsa Doom,

“There is no law against working 60 hours a week although I know people who have it ingrained in their psyche that its somehow imoral, a violation of labor laws, or just plain crazy to have to work over 40 hours a week.”

I can’t remember, but someone posted this before: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/12/1025555/-Open-Letter-to-that-53-Guy

I think this about sums it up for me:

“If a family could live a good life with one wage-earner working a 40-hour job, then the American Dream was realized. If the income from that job could pay the bills, buy a car, pay for the kids’ braces, allow the family to save enough money for a down payment on a house and still leave some money for retirement and maybe for a college fund for the kids, then we were living the American Dream. ”

“We can have a reasonable standard for what level of work qualifies you for the American Dream, and work to build a society that realizes that dream, or we can chew each other to the bone in a nightmare of merciless competition and mutual contempt.”

“Look kid, I don’t want you to “get by” working two jobs and 60 to 70 hours a week. If you’re willing to put in that kind of effort, I want you to get rich. I want you to have a comprehensive healthcare plan. I want you vacationing in the Bahamas every couple of years, with your beautiful wife and healthy, happy kids. I want you rewarded for your hard work, and I want your exceptional effort to reap exceptional rewards. I want you to accumulate wealth and invest it in Wall Street. And I want you to make more money from those investments.”

Hillary Fan

January 27th, 2012
3:29 pm

359

Hillary has earned America’s respect as a good leader.

Obama has been, shall we say, comparatively spineless. He can’t even get the respect of idiotic AZ governor Jan Brewer. Much less the despotic tyrants of the world.

Doggone/GA

January 27th, 2012
3:29 pm

“Please expound”

It’s a basic principle of fiscal soundness. Decide how much you need to save, put that amount in savings FIRST…and then make your spending choices on what you have left.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
3:29 pm

Kamchak,

Why don’t STFU instead of making snarky comments all day. Guess what sport, I am not joking.

Matti

January 27th, 2012
3:30 pm

Um…. I meant about the lock-down thing, but thanks for assuming I don’t have two GD brain cells to rub together.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
3:31 pm

Awww, poor wittle Stevie-poo got his tender feefees all hurted.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:31 pm

(ir)Rational,

“From the numbers I’ve seen, Steve Jobs (FYI, not just responsible for Apple) created more jobs here than the Stimulus did.”

Interesting read:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bretswanson/2012/01/27/steve-jobs-jobs-vs-jobs/

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
3:31 pm

“Hillary has the guts to make tough decisions”

Like which decisions?

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
3:32 pm

Kamchak,

Poor little Kammie is living in poverty and life isn’t fair. Boo hoo

Corey

January 27th, 2012
3:32 pm

Since most of us don’t stay on topic. I need not apologize for starying off topic. But I digress. If you research the Stimulus pie chart you will see that the biggest single slice was for tax cuts- 275 billion, which has been showing up in our pay checks since the passage of the stimulus. The second biggest slice was for an increase in medicaid matching rate- 87 billion, followed by aid to states for fiscal relief 79 billion. What perplexes me is that Republicans always cheer for tax cuts, and while the bigest single portion of the stimuls was tax cuts they deride the stimulus. Notice, the second biggest slice of the stimuls (87 billion) was not even half the size of the tax cut portion of the stimulus (276 billion). Also notice that the third largest portion of the stimulus – aid to state governments – was bemoaned primarily by red state governors in front of the cameras, but they happily fed at stimulus trough when the cameras were not around. Republican voters, do you ever notice the hypocrisy spewed by the people you vote for not even a wee bit?

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:32 pm

irRational

“Adam – I find it weird, you and I have been agreeing more and more recently. Is it just that you’re getting smarter or that the people here are getting crazier?”

Nyanh…our children are just growing up right before our very eyes… :-)

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
3:32 pm

359 — “I was recently advised by an avid liberal that I owed respect to the current POTUS, just becasue of his office, he may be right, but. I also think that respect is something that you earn.”

I was and am right. You owe respect to the President, whether you like him personally or not.

And whether you find it ludicrous and unbelievable or not, yes, I always referred to President Bush as “President Bush,” “the President,” “Mr. Bush” and (in some cases) “President Bush (the younger).”

Serious people who have serious arguments to make and who want to be treated seriously will BEHAVE as if they want to be taken seriously. And that means treating the office of the Presidency with respect, even if you don’t like the guy who happens to be serving in it just then.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:32 pm

barking frog,

“The snark has pretty teeth dear”

:lol:

JOE Cool

January 27th, 2012
3:33 pm

I see “Calender Boy” has showed up…..

Common Sense isn't very Common

January 27th, 2012
3:33 pm

Josef – In lockdown? someone report you to ICE? Did they tell them you were from NEW Mexico :-)

md

January 27th, 2012
3:33 pm

“Yes, because your point is people should do this before they enter into a loan agreement.”

And this is what happens when one assumes or has a bad day with interpretations…….

If you care to go back to the original statement, I merely said financial planners recommend a 6 month emergency fund………..must have been in your head that it was linked to “before entering into a loan agreement”………for I never said any such thing.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
3:34 pm

Corey – do you really think the right has a monopoly on hypocrisy?

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
3:34 pm

“All of your examples except the last one make an assumption that every single family is splurging somewhere significantly, which is not the kind of family I am talking about.”

Adam, I understand that but I’m just saying that I know a lot of families who complain to me that they can’t really afford to save or spend money on cheap term insurance or on health insurance which I do agree is very expensive. But they’ll tell me this with 2 brand new cars sitting in the driveway of a 400k house. To me its about priorities and from what I’ve seen in my everyday experiences a lot of people don’t have the right priorities. Conversely I have seen people cutting expenses to the bone that are barely making it. And those people I really do feel for. And I spend some time trying to find ways to help them. I have a lady I have to call after 7 tonight, a Friday night, because I want her to know about some various charities and options to help her cancer stricken husband get some help with his meds. I’m just saying I see some people who really do struggle but more often I see people just making poor choices.

“Your last example assumes too much about typical youth, using an upper middle class youngster as an example (because let’s face it, the poor kids have enough trouble getting people to hire them for ONE part time job)”.

I don’t know if I agree with that. Seems there are plenty of youngsters who traveled 3,000 miles with little cash and only the clothes on their back, who can’t even speak English, who seem to be able to find jobs here. Why can’t our youngsters?

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:36 pm

MATTI
Neighbor two doors down came home and found a suspicious package from Afghanistan…not to tell his business, but he’s somebody…in a matter of a few minutes this neighborhood was truly shut down…as my next-door-neighbor said, not quite the way I’d like to have been reassured, but they were here and on the job so quick it made your head spin…

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:37 pm

josef,

“When’s the last time you were put in neighborhood lock-down stay inside by Homeland Security and all concerned?”

Yowza! What the heck happened?

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
3:38 pm

md,

Yep. Most recommend a minumum of 3-6 months emergency fund. You should at least have 3 months worth saved up if you can’t get 6 months saved up. And if you have your credit cards paid off as a last resort you can charge some stuff and worry about paying it off later when you get back to work. The problem again is that credit card debt is a norm amongst families not living within their means.

Matti

January 27th, 2012
3:39 pm

josef,

Whoa! That would rattle my nerves for sure! Ack! Is everything okay now?

md

January 27th, 2012
3:39 pm

“First of all, I don’t know what world you live in, but “100% of entertainment: is not a want. I’m not going to get into specific percentages, but unless you want people jumping in front of trains and off of buildings, the human being as a species needs entertain.”

Now you are starting to sound like Adam……..ever heard of a park? or Beach? or hiking in the woods?

All free………won’t cost you a dime.

Choices……..

359 more days

January 27th, 2012
3:40 pm

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
3:32 pm

Thanks for your civil response.
Does the “Respect Thing” also apply to candidates who oppose your leader, or is it right to call them and their familes names………….just wondering

Oh Joe, I see that you are here also, welcome

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:41 pm

Common…
Funny you should say that…one of the neighbors was saying “I thought at first it might be the migra…but they ain’t got them resources!” :-)

Quagmire

January 27th, 2012
3:42 pm

359 and Hillary Fan – actually you are both right

359 days until the re-election of President Barack Obama

Hillary is a great leader, she has done an excellent job for our county and would make a Great President one day. But I think it was President Barack that gave the order to get Osama(remember he said he would during his campaign). How many dictators have falling since he’s been in office puting American soliders or starting a make-believe War.

Peace….going to look at my next wife, Kate Beckinsale

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
3:43 pm

Is … “I respect the office, but not the man”..parallel to “I support the troops, but not the war”?

(ir)Rational

January 27th, 2012
3:44 pm

Steve – I have never said, and you will never hear me say that I have no control over my situation. Having empathy for another’s is something else entirely. I save barely anything if anything at all because I’m living paycheck to paycheck. I bought my house WAY too young (21), but that was a choice I made. Do I have control over my entire situation? No. I can’t find another job (I’ve been looking for the past year and a half), and any jobs I’ve seen open aren’t in Atlanta. Which wouldn’t be a problem except I have responsibilities here, such as my house. Also, my wife is in law school so we can’t really move til she graduates.

As far as my situation, I still drive the car my father-in-law bought my wife when she graduated high school and he didn’t feel comfortable with her driving a ‘89 Camry in Atlanta. I pay for mine and my wife’s insurance out of pocket because I’ve never had a job that offered “benefits.” At least not more than a paycheck. It’s great that you can/could afford to save $250 a week, but I’m doing good to have $5 left over after paying my bills and buying food. If I do have that $5 left over, it goes into the savings account. The choices I’ve made in life have gotten me to where I am, and there aren’t many that I would change. I mean, I guess I could have chosen to not take my wife to the ER when she wouldn’t quit throwing up, and I could still identify what I had cooked two nights prior (including the spices I had used) for dinner in her vomit. Heck, that would have saved me somewhere around $15,000. But what kind of person would I have been if I had done that? I guess what I’m saying is, everyone’s situation is different. You shouldn’t judge people because they can’t save as much as you could.

My rant is over, and I have to leave. Gotta run some errands for work and then I’m heading home for the weekend. May check in later.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:44 pm

Thulsa Doom,

“Why can’t our youngsters?”

Perhaps it’s because for the past several generations, parents have been telling thier children that the path to prosperity is through education, and has used as an illustration of failure images of working at McDonald’s or other such jobs.

With that image of failure ingrained in us since birth, is it any wonder younger generations would rather sponge off Mom and Dad than admit “failure” by working one of these jobs?

Hillary Fan

January 27th, 2012
3:45 pm

Hillary is dealing with the European crisis and keeping Obama from screwing everything up with his rhetoric.

See november comments.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:46 pm

josef,

“but they were here and on the job so quick it made your head spin…”

That is how you know they weren’t APD. ;)

Adam

January 27th, 2012
3:46 pm

md: No, by your and Adam’s reasoning, you shouldn’t have saved the 4 months…

Would you care to go back and tell me where in my posts I said anything even remotely like that?

What Steve did was admirable. But let’s face it, he came from a place where they were spending a lot on things they didn’t need. It is obvious that in that situation if you can stop yourself from buying the non-essentials then you will certainly be able to save a lot faster, especially if non-essentials are a significant portion of your budget.

But you’re all missing the point. A lot of families do NOT have this problem as much as you think they do (and don’t get me started with how personal experience does NOT trump statistics). If families are, say, spending $10 a week more than they should, then they can sock that $10 away. If their wages and bills stay exactly the same, then so does their ability to save. They cannot suddenly jump from $10 to $250 like a family that has been splurging. These numbers are just examples, but hopefully you get the point. Wages for many families have stayed the same while costs have actually gone up. Because of that, the ability to save is less and less.

If you’re going for personal experience, I save every month. But I also do not have a family and have a number of other atypical issues. My personal experience is basically irrelevant except to say I do not consider myself a victim at all. What I AM saying is that some people are not as fortunate as I am. Some people did not have the same opportunities as me, and thus did not have the same set of choices available to them.

It is always good when someone can be the example of the underdog who rises against all odds but the fact is they rose AGAINST ALL ODDS. The odds being against someone in these types of situations cannot be ignored simply to go “well, all you had to do was save (more money than you possibly could in too short a time frame to survive the global economic crisis anyway).” It’s dishonest to say everyone can follow this rule, or even most people. It’s also immoral to judge people that way without knowing their situation. Heck, even if you think you know their situation you shouldn’t be so judgmental.

But I write stuff like that and the people who have gotten lucky IN ADDITION to making SOME good choices judge everyone else unworthy for not being able to do the same, at the same time, even though the circumstances and available choices are very different. It’s treating the rest of the world like children – a common conservative trait.

Stop it and get a reality check.

md

January 27th, 2012
3:46 pm

“Yes Adam in some ways I am fortunate and Blessed, but lets not forget, it was the choices and sacrifices I’ve made in the past that have put me in the position to do such things today”

One actually has to understand how choices compound to understand your comment……and you are really asking for it to introduce a concept such as sacrifices……….

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
3:47 pm

359 — “Thanks for your civil response.”

It’s certainly more civil than your recent intemperate and ragey responses to me.

“Does the “Respect Thing” also apply to candidates who oppose your leader, or is it right to call them and their familes names………….just wondering”

Depends on the circumstances. If Newt Gingrich weren’t such an aggressive, hypocritical gasbag, I’d probably say the same thing about him as I do about President Obama. I’ve criticized Senator Santorum, Congressman Paul and Congresswoman Bachmann, but to the best of my recollection, I haven’t called any of them names.

I have a pretty special place in my heart for Newt. He was doing pretty much the same thing Bill Clinton was at just about the same time Bill Clinton was doing it, but Newt thinks that President Clinton should have been kicked out of office and Newt thinks he deserves to be *in* office. If that’s the kind of respect he wants to show to the Presidency, then I see no reason to show *him* any respect.

Newt’s skank of a wife, of course, is a different story entirely. As far as I’m concerned, she’s cut from the same stained blue cloth as Monica Lewinsky.

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:47 pm

THULSA

Grandaddy…(1) have on hand in checking/cash three months (2) have in quick access savings 6 months (3) have unemcumbered in readily liquidable investments one year…then you can begin long term investments not to be touched barring exhausting of all other reseources

Lesson one…if you can’t pay cash for it, you can’t afford it
Lesson two…if you have more in the red column than the black column, you’re in trouble
Lesson three…don’t talk about what you have with anybody you don’t share bed, blanket and bathroom

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
3:48 pm

(ir)Rational,

Thanks for the input. Good luck with the job hunting.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:49 pm

md,

“All free………won’t cost you a dime.”

As I said, I won’t squabble over percentages, but you are smoking something if you think you can have entertainment (especially with kids) for free 100% of the time. And what you’re smoking will come out of your entertainment budget, unless you are in CA and have glaucoma.

getalife

January 27th, 2012
3:49 pm

“in a matter of a few minutes this neighborhood was truly shut down”.

Black helicopters?

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:50 pm

jewcowboy

Knew it was big time when the APD was put to traffic control at the entries to the neighborhood and the black SUV boys were directing things down this way…

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
3:51 pm

(ir)Rational — “The choices I’ve made in life have gotten me to where I am, and there aren’t many that I would change. I mean, I guess I could have chosen to not take my wife to the ER when she wouldn’t quit throwing up, and I could still identify what I had cooked two nights prior (including the spices I had used) for dinner in her vomit. Heck, that would have saved me somewhere around $15,000. But what kind of person would I have been if I had done that? I guess what I’m saying is, everyone’s situation is different. You shouldn’t judge people because they can’t save as much as you could.”

I sympathize. My first wife was diagnosed with diabetes about a month after we were married. And with me in the Army, that first year was tough.

Stick with it and stick by each other. Even if you hit a rough patch and things don’t last (and I have every hope for you two that they *will* last), you will still feel better about having done the right things along the way.

josef

January 27th, 2012
3:51 pm

getalife

No helicopters…all on the ground…

getalife

January 27th, 2012
3:52 pm

josef,

What was in the package?

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
3:53 pm

josef,

“and the black SUV boys were directing things down this way…”

I remember a couple years ago, being on the Connector, and was passed by 10 black Yukon’s in row. My thought, “That can’t be good.”

md

January 27th, 2012
3:53 pm

“and any jobs I’ve seen open aren’t in Atlanta. Which wouldn’t be a problem except I have responsibilities here, such as my house. Also, my wife is in law school so we can’t really move til she graduates.”

And I would point out that those are choices……not necessarily ones you want to make, but choices none the less.

You actually can move, but you choose not too………that is where the choices come into play.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
3:54 pm

Adam,

I actually think we agree more than we might think, the difference may lie in what percentage of people are in each category.

A. People who can improve their own situation with a little sacrifice.

B. People who have nothing to sacrifice.

Perhaps you estimate the number in “A” and I underestimate the number in “B”.

I have to go meet the Queen and do a little walk in the park, enjoy the weekend.

BTW – I forgot who mentioned it but they added some park usage fee’s in our national forest for 2012.

md

January 27th, 2012
3:55 pm

Gee Adam……nice long list of assumptions………all from the statement that financial planners recommend having a 6 month slush fund.

What part of “recommend” do you not understand??

Matti

January 27th, 2012
3:56 pm

The important thing is that we’ll always have people who have never met us and know nothing about our lives and the obstacles we’ve faced, who are willing to JUDGE us and our choices. Right?

md

January 27th, 2012
4:00 pm

“As I said, I won’t squabble over percentages, but you are smoking something if you think you can have entertainment (especially with kids) for free 100% of the time. And what you’re smoking will come out of your entertainment budget, unless you are in CA and have glaucoma.”

I have, do and will continue to do……as it is my choice.

Not to mention it is much healthier than camping out at the bar……been there, done that.

Go out and explore the many parks all around us that our dollars have already(still) pay for……ride the bike, swim, etc etc……..having to spend money on entertainment IS a choice.

Kamchak

January 27th, 2012
4:01 pm

The important thing is that we’ll always have people who have never met us and know nothing about our lives and the obstacles we’ve faced, who are willing to JUDGE us and our choices. Right?

Matti, I agree 100% with that but I would add to, “are willing to JUDGE us and our choices by the choices they themselves made.

josef

January 27th, 2012
4:01 pm

getalife

Not much being said about that yet…news said it was “not anything” I haven’t had a chance to talk to the neighbor yet…figure he needs his rest!

jewcowboy

Yep, when we saw all the black SUV’s wheeling in one right behind the other, we figured it wasn’t anything good…and then when we saw which neighbor it was, we KNEW it couldn’t be good…

Okay FNM…

md

January 27th, 2012
4:03 pm

“The important thing is that we’ll always have people who have never met us and know nothing about our lives and the obstacles we’ve faced, who are willing to JUDGE us and our choices. Right?”

Most likely…….especially if those choices require others to supplement them…….like the 1/3 that drop out of assistance program #1.

Society has bad apples all across the spectrum…….it isn’t restricted to the “greedy rich”.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
4:04 pm

jewcowboy,

I’ll agree with you on that bit about education and Mcdonalds being a loser dead end job mentally for most people. And that’s a shame cause when I grew up a kid working at McDonalds was viewed by parents simply teaching their kid what its like to work in the real world and giving them an early start on a work ethic.

And I’m not talking about a 25-30 year old. I’m talking about 16-22 or someone just starting out entry level after college delivering pizzas part time. And if you are 40 years old or older and you have to suck it up and get a part time job telemarketing or at the mall or whatever then you just have to suck it up and do what you have to do. I was always taught to never look down on anybody’s work no matter how menial. At least they’re working and not sitting on their ass collecting welfare. I would hope that people have higher aspirations then a life long career in McDonalds but there’s nothing wrong with getting a start there and learning a work ethic. And also if you stay at Mcdonalds or start off as a bagger at Kroger’s you will eventually work your way into management if you have any sense at all. In our instant gratification society that’s just a harder and harder thing for people to focus on.

md

January 27th, 2012
4:05 pm

“Matti, I agree 100% with that but I would add to, “are willing to JUDGE us and our choices by the choices they themselves made.”

Only if those choices actually infringe on others…………otherwise, who cares.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
4:05 pm

Steve – USA: “I am sick of hearing people claim people they have no control over their own damn situation.”

I appreciate your concern for retaining a sense of self-help and responsibility, but I think you may underestimate the way that your ability to even take such virtues for granted is predicated on the solidarity of workers and a social compact won through that solidarity such as the one created in the New Deal era in this country in the past century. Absent such a social compact, you will have fewer and fewer options for the use of those qualities of self-reliance, and increasingly, like the exploited laborers in China, you’ll go where you’re told.

Adam

January 27th, 2012
4:05 pm

md: What part of “recommend” do you not understand??

You did turn it into SHOULD a few times.

Skip

January 27th, 2012
4:07 pm

I put 60% down five years ago, turned out to be the worst financial decision I’ve ever made.

Thulsa Doom

January 27th, 2012
4:08 pm

josef,

That’s some pretty sage advice on finances @ 3:47. I always thought most of that was common sense also but to a lot of people its not. And its certainly not common sense to Congress or the president or the previous potus. And that’s a bigger shame.

359 more days

January 27th, 2012
4:08 pm

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
3:47 pm

359 — “Thanks for your civil response.”

It’s certainly more civil than your recent intemperate and ragey responses to me.

Joe, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings. Sometimes in our attempts to supply the “other side of the story” we react to people rather than problems.
Truce?

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
4:10 pm

md,

“I have, do and will continue to do……as it is my choice.”

Your internet to be entertained on this blog is not free, unless you are doing it a public library or at work. And if you are doing it at work, aren’t you stealing from your employer? ;)

“ride the bike”
Yep..those are free. I’m just not into absolutes as you can see.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
4:10 pm

md: “Society has bad apples all across the spectrum…….it isn’t restricted to the “greedy rich”.”

But only in a klepto-system like the one that we increasingly are becoming do the ‘bad apples’ consolidate themselves as a class and use their power to reap ever greater wealth and advantage.

marc

January 27th, 2012
4:10 pm

I can’t imagine how the GOP must feel……realizing that with each GOP debate how good they make our radical, socialist, muslim, foreign born President look..to make matters worst..the damn economy keeps ticking up….as do the foreign policy / war wins….things really are getting better!….oh! this must be the “disaster” the right wing radio / tv mouths keep talking about…President Obama is turning out to be the right guy at the right time…..Americans really do have a knack for picking the right person….. Next move forward?..finding a gal….I would vote for Pelosi just to see Hannity’s head explode on air…..but I heard she’s a buddhist who was born in Vancouver….darn.

Common Sense isn't very Common

January 27th, 2012
4:11 pm

Matti – I judge you to be sane.

The rest of us here happen to be bat shyte crazy :-)

The Truth

January 27th, 2012
4:12 pm

Republican’ts brag about that Gingrich can out-debate Obama, but if he can’t Romney, how the hell can he out-debate Obama? What morons!

md

January 27th, 2012
4:12 pm

“You did turn it into SHOULD a few times.”

“Should” would seem a given coming from an adviser……….otherwise, why bother, it wouldn’t be advice then.

Recommendations are what one is recommending (should) be done………..

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
4:12 pm

Thulsa Doom,

“I was always taught to never look down on anybody’s work no matter how menial.”

Unfortunately for the majority of American kids raised since the late 1960’s to the present, that has not been the case.

Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")

January 27th, 2012
4:14 pm

Welcome,

Actually when I was 28 I worked for Motorola building pagers wearing the same blue gown as everyone else on an assembly line. People telling me where to go and when I could go to the bathroom changed my life. I have been self-employed for the last 20 years. Thanks Motorola, you tried to break me, but you actually made me.

I am less worried about having to work as an exploited laborer as I am of the government deciding my saving should be taken for the good of the country.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
4:16 pm

“BET GINGRICH’S CURRENT MISTRESS WONDER WHEN SHE GET PROMOTE TO WIFE!” ~ DRUNK HULK

GT

January 27th, 2012
4:17 pm

I think Newt got one of those phone calls, from the powers to be in the Republican Party. Maybe this stuff Nancy Pelosi was talking about was real, maybe she even shared it with the Republican Party. Something happened and it wasn’t just him being off his game. Something last night had him preoccupied.

I thought Wolf Isaac Blitzer made up for the sorry demonstration of how not to moderate a debate, by John King. Night and day difference for CNN, almost as good as Brien Williams which is a supreme complement. Maybe Blitzer looked at the ratings and saw CNNs South Carolina debate was behind NBC, Fox and MNBC in the ratings. I wonder if Wolf was always the moderator for last night or after that last disaster they brought in a new quarterback.

I think the reality of Newt being a marked man no one considers an asset in the party had sunk in not only to him but to the party. I think the Romney haters who know the gig is up and they will have to deal with a moderate to have a prayer, is becoming very evident. The Republicans are at the lull the Democrats were in the early 70s. They are the Washington Senators baseball team in August when all they wanted to do is go home.

I think Newt actually did the country a favor. He actually showed the country and the world ,almost like Joseph McCarthy, how hate and fear can eat a country up. The condition of the Republican Party is so weak they can allow a walk on to make headlines and come close to destroying the party. What I think is next is an improved economy. No Republican has prepare his campaign on good news, they don’t know how to handle it. There may very well be a party change in the House of Representatives as people see how desperate this crowd really is. Of course Georgia will be one of the few hold outs and will be punished as usual for their lack of clear thinking, but maybe that is justice. Maybe instead of attacking the weak we are the weak, along with Alabama, and Arizona. Maybe once and all Christians will not be bullied by this crowd that have taken over their churches and had them hating anything that moved. Maybe for a brief while we can live in peace.

Matti

January 27th, 2012
4:17 pm

Skip @ 4:07,

I know what you mean!! I played by the rules, listened to practical advice. I bought the BeeEss about financial responsibility. I saved up, put a lot down on a house I could afford. Nothing fancy, but something that would put the kids near good schools and offer some stability. Then my whole job site was shut down. Took contract jobs where I could get them, but since UE doesn’t pay much, had to break out the plastic to pay bills like COBRA insurance (being a responsible parent, not wanting to sponge off the taxpayers or risk losing the house), car payment, food, clothing, medicine…. Every time I’d just get caught up, there would be another setback. But I kept going! Re-fi’d when values were way up to pay off high interest debt, then values went crashing down. Been saving via 401K for nearly two decades, and JUST DAMN…. listening to people yammering about how to be financially responsible was a HUGE freaking mistake. Listening to them judge everybody else now makes me stomachly ill.

Wish I were the kind of woman I always hear men whining about… who took them for everything. I never did stoop to that kind of behavior, and always worked for what I have. What did it get me? Not so much. I’m just a sucker, I guess.

md

January 27th, 2012
4:17 pm

“I put 60% down five years ago, turned out to be the worst financial decision I’ve ever made.”

No difference than buying stocks…….homes are also a commodity……folks might want to remember that, and the inherent risk built in. Risk was always a component…….many just didn’t think about it.

md

January 27th, 2012
4:19 pm

“Your internet to be entertained on this blog is not free, unless you are doing it a public library or at work. And if you are doing it at work, aren’t you stealing from your employer?”

I am the employer………so this must be work vs entertainment :)

St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne

January 27th, 2012
4:19 pm

the 3 rules that work for me, whether consulted or personal –

1) If your revenues/balance sheet total = 1.0 or more, you cant lose
2) don’t do something just because Arthur Andersen says to, and
3) If you get too far to the front of the board, u will get a free sand facial

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
4:20 pm

md,

“so this must be work vs entertainment”

:)

md

January 27th, 2012
4:22 pm

“Been saving via 401K for nearly two decades, and JUST DAMN”

Yep, me too…….and now it’s back to where it was…..how bought you?

St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne

January 27th, 2012
4:23 pm

i encourage everybody to budget for entertainment. After all, the whole
reason for getting gettin up & workin your butt off is to Lead, Win, &
Have Fun.

some people don’t need as much encouraging as others

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
4:26 pm

md,

“Yep, me too…….and now it’s back to where it was…..how bought you?”

One of the largest portions of the mutual fund that makes up the largest part of my investments is Toyota. Enough said.

md

January 27th, 2012
4:27 pm

“listening to people yammering about how to be financially responsible was a HUGE freaking mistake. Listening to them judge everybody else now makes me stomachly ill.”

I represent that……..and you know why? Because I’ve been there already……..back in the 70’s and 90’s……lost everything. Now I put it out there so others might not have to do the same…….

But, it has also been my experience that some folks just have to experience the pain vs being told the stove is hot.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
4:27 pm

St Simons

“Lead, Win, & Have Fun.”

I read that initially as “Lead, Wine, & Have Fun.” I’ll still go with that.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
4:27 pm

359 — “Joe, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

Didn’t hurt my feelings a bit. I think I hurt yours, though, given how defensive you got.

“Sometimes in our attempts to supply the “other side of the story” we react to people rather than problems.”

That must be why you went all meltdown then. Yeah. That’s it. You were trying to tell the “other side of the story” and you melted down.

“Truce?”

You can behave however you choose. I’ll treat you accordingly. In other words, I give what I get. If you’re polite and civil to me (even if we disagree), then you’ll get that in return. OTOH, if you choose to be a swingin’ Richard to me, well, I can dish that right back at you.

Your choice.

md

January 27th, 2012
4:30 pm

“i encourage everybody to budget for entertainment. After all, the whole
reason for getting gettin up & workin your butt off is to Lead, Win, &
Have Fun.”

And the point was, that one can grab a chair and sit on the beach in St Simons and it won’t cost them a dime………if they so choose.

“Can” and “choose” being the operative words………..

Matti

January 27th, 2012
4:33 pm

md: “Now I put it out there so others might not have to do the same…….”

I have no idea what you mean by “it” but I would welcome you putting something out here that might actually be useful to me. Simply presuming that people suffer because they made bad choices is shallow indeed. For one thing, we ALL made bad choices somewhere along the way. It’s the character with which we pushed through them and made the best of it that matters, IMO. The trouble is, in America, character doesn’t get you much. Greed, deception, and dishonesty? Taking advantage of the less-informed, or less-capable? These are virtues here, and will get you far, depending on how low you’re willing to go.

The only reward for doing the right thing is being able to face yourself in the mirror, knowing the person looking back isn’t a jerk. Beyond that, not much.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
4:35 pm

Hmm….
“Roughly 100 people are in the courtroom, most of them older white Americans.”

Looking at that video…yep, pretty accurate description. Is that Jay next to the last in pink at :55?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/georgia-birther-hearing-obama_n_1236719.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
4:36 pm

Steve – USA: “I am less worried about having to work as an exploited laborer as I am of the government deciding my saving should be taken for the good of the country.”

That’s interesting in a couple of respects. As I think I mentioned a few days ago, we have now reached a point where the opportunity to be exploited for one’s labor is seen as a privilege. This is a breath-taking development and gives capitalism an almost unprecedented power.

There are great numbers of people nowadays who are rendered virtually structurally unemployable — they would give their arms to be ‘exploited’ for their wage labor.

But the second part of your statement is a little perplexing. Are you saying you deny the existence of the ‘good’ of the country? I think this is an attitude that is only possible in an Anglo-American land where this idea that the atomized individual can somehow take care of himself is rampant. It is going to fail.

359 more days

January 27th, 2012
4:38 pm

Well Joe, I tried.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
4:42 pm

359 — “Well Joe, I tried.”

So did I.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
4:44 pm

Adam – “You did turn it into SHOULD a few times.”

should means optional…you don’t have to do it, but you should
SHALL on the other hand means WILL

at least in the world of standards and standardization

Mama Says

January 27th, 2012
4:45 pm

I had it Romney, Santorum, Paul and Newt, and Newt wasn’t that close.

If it was a boxing match he was counted out in th e1st round.

by the way Aquagirl–nice post show us your liberal concern for the fat people.

Jew Cowboy–since the population of the country is 68% white I would imagine it was mostly white in the room.

not mention that no liberal would ever support the cause –even if it were true

St Simons - the real life Andy Dufresne

January 27th, 2012
4:47 pm

he’s right. There were quite a few early times where we “chose” to sit
in plastic chairs and drink sweet tea, because it didn’t cost a dime.
But we budgeted for savings & entertainment.

And now, this 50-something accountant surfs
mrsstsimons says that’s all the entertainment she needs
then i go sit back down in my plastic chair

md

January 27th, 2012
4:48 pm

“Simply presuming that people suffer because they made bad choices is shallow indeed. For one thing, we ALL made bad choices somewhere along the way.”

Actually, they do…….and yes, we all made bad choices……..and every one of those bad choices come with consequences of some kind.

Not everybody understands that simple concept……..some see an opportunity to make an excuse vs just raising one’s hand and saying “well damn”…..and learn from it.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
4:48 pm

Welcome – “…we have now reached a point where the opportunity to be exploited for one’s labor is seen as a privilege.”

you can turn the tables and exploit them with the proper skill set

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
4:50 pm

md – I remember one thing my father impressed upon me….”the situation doesn’t make you who you are…only YOU can determine that!”

md

January 27th, 2012
4:53 pm

“md – I remember one thing my father impressed upon me….”the situation doesn’t make you who you are…only YOU can determine that!””

Good advice…..mine used to say “no, you can’t control every situation, but you can control how you respond to every situation”

Now time for the ride home……..

GT

January 27th, 2012
4:57 pm

Md you got to live in a good house, better than a lot of Americans. We had a free ride in America for years before the crash. Maybe even some of that money you or Matti put down on that house was from easy credit someone else had and bought what you were selling, that they wouldn’t have bought if the easy credit wasn’t there. Maybe you sold pet rocks and with credit cards some fool bought them, and you got your money for a down payment, that wouldn’t have existed if they person had to count out money from his pocket to your hand instead of a magical swipe of a card. But they let you keep that money and it never dawned on many of us we were making a lot of money for doing nothing. We were playing musical money chairs with cheap money.

You ever wonder where this money you feel you lost went? I mean it just didn’t vaporize it went somewhere. You buy a house from a builder and he takes his profit right there. Years later you can’t afford the house or you can and your neighbors can’t. Do they go back to that builder and demand that money back? No he still has his money. Do they go back to the loan originator or the lawyer and say this thing didn’t work we want our money back? No they get to keep their money right on up to Wall Street. This is how the rich got richer in many cases.

I once had a boss that said I will buy anything you have if you allow me one of two thing, price or terms. We started feeding product to the American public on terms. The producer booked his or her profit on the front end of these terms. What I never hear much of is the talk of retirement playing into this disaster. Easy credit made a lot of early retirees. Early retirees made a lot of pension funds that had to support a lot of non productive people. More dollars were chasing fewer deal since fewer people were producing deals so the quality of the deal got worse, junk bonds come to mind. We the American people lived an allusion we won the lottery and thought we had earned our luck. Go back to the 70s, look at underwriting criteria at that time, big down payments, two year job experience, on and on and then look at what we were doing in the 80s and 90s. We were on drugs. This should have been where conservative had an advantage, they would live conservative lives, but I saw more Rolex watches on the wrist of these types during this time than I had ever seen. Now they are mad they have been cheated. Maybe we all were cheating and hoping no one noticed.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
5:00 pm

md: “Actually, they do…….and yes, we all made bad choices……..and every one of those bad choices come with consequences of some kind.”

But the thing you don’t seem to have an answer for is the question of what to do when a group of powerful interests usurps the ability to buy immunity from those consequences, and then building on that, the ability to pervert it into actually benefiting greater in proportion to how bad their decisions are. This is effectively how things work among certain parts of the CEO class for example.

Erwin: “we have now reached a point where the opportunity to be exploited for one’s labor is seen as a privilege. / you can turn the tables and exploit them with the proper skill set ”

That’s an incredibly utopian and wildly optimistic view to hold.

Needless to say, I don’t share it.

Wish I did, but I don’t.

jewcowboy

January 27th, 2012
5:03 pm

St Simons,

“there were quite a few early times where we “chose” to sit
in plastic chairs and drink sweet tea, because it didn’t cost a dime.”

Except the cost of the chairs, tea bags, water, energy to boil water, sugar, glasses and the costs associated with living in close proximate to a beach.

Perhaps I am being too literal, but NOTHING in life is free. Therefore, there is no way to 100% of your entertainment can be free.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
5:09 pm

I didn’t realize I lived in Utopia…Welcome

Most consultants (with the proper skill set) charge corps in the order of $150/hr…whose exploiting who?

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
5:15 pm

Paul
January 27th, 2012
1:55 pm
BTW – so now the Right is saying that Pres Obama was bound by a withdrawal date settled before he took the oath of office? – Yes, Iraq belongs to Iraq. That date was agreed upon by BOTH gov’ts. Obama wanted to stay longer but the the Iraqi’s said “Nope, a deals a deal”. We had to leave by the agreed upon date.

Just a couple months ago the line was we had to leave because he blew the negotiations. – Not from me.

Rule of Thumb: invent whatever history is necessary to make the Pres look bad – That may be YOUR rule, but it’s not mine. I didn’t do it to Bush (and he sucked) and I won’t do it to Obama (and he’s not so hot either).

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
5:19 pm

Erwin’s Cat: “I didn’t realize I lived in Utopia…Welcome”

You don’t. And that’s the problem.

“Most consultants (with the proper skill set) charge corps in the order of $150/hr…whose exploiting who?”

How many people are realistically in the position to become ‘consultants’ in the first place? Normally they need a very sophisticated set of IT and/or management skills to do that. And as I mentioned above, when technology has taken automation to unprecedented levels, those positions are often uprooted and shipped to other locales around the globe where they are paid at a fraction of the levels as here.

There will be a few who make it, no doubt. But nowhere enough to support a broad and thriving middle class.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
5:21 pm

Welcome to the Occupation
January 27th, 2012
1:56 pm

Welcome, you do realize that you NEVER answer the question: “How do we create the world you envision”? DETAILS.
What type of gov’t would it be?
What would our society look like? i.e. colleges, business, religion, economic classes, ect?
DETAILS

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
5:24 pm

Adam
January 27th, 2012
2:02 pm
Hint: Some candidates actually are proposing eliminating nearly all laws and regulations for businesses, claiming they hamper business.

Cite? Linkee? Who? Details? Wait we shall.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
5:29 pm

Welcome – I never said the entire middle class could pull it off, but more than what you realize could…and the ones I know do not have sophisticated IT or mgmt skills, but have an expertise in a limited area….Everyone has a special skill or talent, the trick is learning to take advantage of it..granted not easy or for the meek of heart..

You choose to complain about the game, I choose to learn how to play it, ’cause you ain’t gonna change it and complaining about it never put money in my account or food on my table

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
5:31 pm

YOUR party SUCKS! “Welcome, you do realize that you NEVER answer the question: “How do we create the world you envision”? DETAILS.”

The burden is not on my to explain what a better world would look like down to the last detail. That requirement would rule out any action and condemn us to the present order forever.

And excuse me but I must have missed when the current global capitalist order won the bidding war for a permanent lease on the world, an open-ended contract as the ordering principle of the world regardless of its performance in perpetuity.

And how has it actually performed? Shall we take a look?

A tiny cabal of some 150 or so companies monopolizes something like 40% of the world’s wealth. You have unprecedented wealth concentrations in this country. Large parts of the world’s largest metropolises gigantic slums. An environment in peril with little or no will to address it.

To paraphrase Mitt Romney: I like being able to fire political-economic systems that fail miserably.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
5:39 pm

stands for decibels
January 27th, 2012
2:37 pm
And you compare this to the calculated terror campaigns launched by the likes of Operation Rescue, targeting clinic workers and their families?

Like posting the names and addresses of police officers, bank workers, CEO’s, politicians that OWS does not agree with?

Not limited to one group.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
5:42 pm

Erwin’s Cat: “You choose to complain about the game, I choose to learn how to play it, ’cause you ain’t gonna change it”

You’re cynicism is touchingly naive, Erwin.

I choose to reject the false opposition between learning to play it and complaining about it. Maybe learning the right way to complain about it is best way to play it. Maybe when OWS came out last fall and put its scalpel up to the present system’s weak spots, that system began shrieking with great ferocity and engaged in a violent counteraction to fend off the slightest attempt to cut into the tissue of the cancer that has metastasized all over its body.

So yeah, I think complaining still has the power to bring the ruling order to its knees yet.

bman

January 27th, 2012
5:43 pm

i’m not a Ron Paul kinda guy, but this is pretty good

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/debbiedowner/news/?a=53551

Welcome to the Occupation

January 27th, 2012
5:43 pm

Sorry Erwin, should read “Your cynicism is touchingly naive” . Guess I write phonologically.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
5:54 pm

Adam
January 27th, 2012
2:59 pm
All of your examples except the last one make an assumption that every single family is splurging somewhere significantly,

Adam, you don’t get it. YOU are the ONLY one saying EVERY SINGLE FAMILY. YOU. AND. ONLY. YOU.

YOUR party SUCKS! But MINE is GRRRRRREAT! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
5:57 pm

Adam
January 27th, 2012
3:01 pm
Most families do not have that same capability.

Hey look everybody, Adam knows MOST families. He must to know what MOST families can or can’t do without.

Your Christmas card list must be ginormous. :shock:

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
6:03 pm

E. Cat — “Most consultants (with the proper skill set) charge corps in the order of $150/hr…whose exploiting who?”

I was routinely billed out at $200/hour for the last 18-24 months that I was doing consulting work. And that was almost 10 years ago.

bman

January 27th, 2012
6:05 pm

well dang (ir)Rational .. .. hang in there.

Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

January 27th, 2012
6:15 pm

Remember, a road dog would make a better president than President Food Stamps, so this is no big deal.

Bill Campbell

January 27th, 2012
6:32 pm

Obama will studder in a debate! The worst American President in history!!

Jay

January 27th, 2012
6:33 pm

Oh Lordy …

MIAMI —Former House speaker Newt Gingrich said Friday that the reason he seemed less combative during Thursday’s televised debate was that he was shocked by what he described as rival Mitt Romney’s “totally dishonest” replies to several questions.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
7:14 pm

Joe -“I was routinely billed out at $200/hour for the last 18-24 months that I was doing consulting work. And that was almost 10 years ago”

I hear ya, but I didn’t want to seem over the top….In one off the charts opportunity I could have billed a client $35k for an afternoons working meeting…it would have been paid out over time if my guidance met certain milestones along the course of a project….sometimes its a simple as know which button to push when….in the end they figured it was cheaper to hire me direct

Doggone/GA

January 27th, 2012
7:14 pm

“what he described as rival Mitt Romney’s “totally dishonest” replies to several questions”

Translation: he can play Gringrich’s game better than Gringrich thought he could

md

January 27th, 2012
7:14 pm

“You ever wonder where this money you feel you lost went? I mean it just didn’t vaporize it went somewhere.”

Actually, it did……..for example stocks, the value one sees in one’s account is merely a paper amount….it is NEVER realized until cashed in…….and whatever it is cashed in for is what is is worth.

Which is why one shouldn’t sell once they’ve lost a big chunk as all that does is lock in the loss.

It goes back to the saying that “everything is worth nothing until a buyer is found”……and the operative word is worth……not value.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
7:20 pm

Welcome – “You’re cynicism is touchingly naive, Erwin. “

then that makes two of us

I like to think of myself as a positive cynic, Welcome :D

md

January 27th, 2012
7:20 pm

As for my “losing everything”, it was literally ervrything…….jobs, cash, cars, furniture, you name it. One situation was during a wonderful 3rd party union negotiation……they demanded all or nothing.

We ALL got NOTHING.

(meanwhile, they (union boys) slithered up north and rejoined their brethren….3rd party unions should be banned in my opinion…..nothing wrong with unionizing within a company though)

Do I have to think of a name? I just want to say something before I run out of time!

January 27th, 2012
7:23 pm

GT@ 4:17pm: I’m thinking that was the best thought out, best spoken comment I’ve ever seen on an open thread anywhere for a long time.

Caveat: I don’t get out a lot anymore.

md

January 27th, 2012
7:24 pm

Occupation……the notion that a small few hold all the chips is naive in and of itself as consumers hold just as much power…….but that power is diminished as most aren’t aware it is there.

Gates wouldn’t be rich today had most folks opted for the Mac instead…….

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
7:26 pm

E. Cat — “….sometimes its a simple as know which button to push when….in the end they figured it was cheaper to hire me direct”

On my final engagement before I came off the road, the client *did* hire one guy permanently, and he and his wife moved to Washington, DC. They kinda hinted that they wanted me too, but I wasn’t keen on moving to the area (costs and traffic are a bear) and my wife wanted me to just stop with the craziness (this was in 2003 and I had worked in DC since right before 9/11) and come home.

She didn’t want me to go back out on the road, but I talked to other consulting firms while I was looking for local work (it took about 2 months to get an appropriate non-travel gig). One of the firms I spoke to wanted me for a major project in the Midwest; they said it would be 18 months minimum and probably longer than that, but they wanted me to relocate at my own expense.

I said no, which turned out to be wise. The client was a state government, the consulting firm effed the project ALL up and the state sued the crap out of them. Glad I didn’t cast my lot in with THEM.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
7:32 pm

md – i get it…been laid off twice and in both instances…i burned thru savings and got behind the 8, but never lost a lot except some prize possessions i sold to make a couple more house payments….things got tough at times, but could’ve got worse…in some ways i was lucky or blessed…in the end they were great life experiences…once you survive…i get my depression era grandparents even better
in both instances I eventually landed in a better place

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
7:40 pm

Joe – Even a blind squirrel….I had a couple good opps I turned down due to location and my commitment to be close to my folks…they’re old and time is short…anyway both got bought out and merged which likely would have put me on the streets….not all if not most of my good fortune is my fault :)

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
7:51 pm

You’ve got to play it safe with IT and consulting gigs, especially with the smaller firms. They get bought out awfully easily, and then you’re out on your butt.

I’ll probably stay where I am until I’m ready to retire. The work can be long hours sometimes, but it’s mostly manageable without high time pressure, which lets me concentrate on quality, not quantity. Plus I’m really close to home, and so’s my wife’s job. That’s a big plus in this city.

md

January 27th, 2012
7:53 pm

EC……exactly.

Like the example of the stove…..one can tell a child not to touch it that it is “hot”, but a child won’t know what “hot” is until s/he touches it….

Your Party SUCKS........But My Party is GRRRRRREAT!!!! (formerly That Black Guy)

January 27th, 2012
7:57 pm

md
January 27th, 2012
3:39 pm
“First of all, I don’t know what world you live in, but “100% of entertainment: is not a want. I’m not going to get into specific percentages, but unless you want people jumping in front of trains and off of buildings, the human being as a species needs entertain.
md

January 27th, 2012
3:39 pm

Now you are starting to sound like Adam……..ever heard of a park? or Beach? or hiking in the woods?

All free………won’t cost you a dime.

Choices……..

Now, speaking for the “Take It To The Extreme Crowd (Adam, TaxPayer, Butch, et al)”

Yeah but you gotta drive to the beach or park and that costs money.

Even if you live at the beach or near the park, you got to buy food to have the energy to go to the park/beach.

Or, My favorite. You gotta pay taxes to drive on the roads to get to the park/beach to have fun for “free”.

Joe Hussein Mama

January 27th, 2012
7:57 pm

Speaking of long hours, I’m out for tonight. Work’s got me all weekend, so it can’t have me any more tonight.

Everyone play nice, be well and drive safely.

Erwin's cat

January 27th, 2012
7:57 pm

Joe and md…cheers…if i could slide a virtual glass (3 fingers) of JW Blue your way, i would…

md

January 27th, 2012
10:10 pm

“Yeah but you gotta drive to the beach or park and that costs money.

Even if you live at the beach or near the park, you got to buy food to have the energy to go to the park/beach.

Or, My favorite. You gotta pay taxes to drive on the roads to get to the park/beach to have fun for “free”.”

We all know “free” is a relative term when it comes to taxes and services, ie parks.

That being said, those parks are “free” to use…….living near one is also a choice….same with the beach…..or the mountains….or the forest.

As for the food for energy, that would fall under a need on a different part of the chart that was being referenced. If you want to jump into the conversation, you might want to bone up on the specifics that were discussed.

md

January 27th, 2012
10:15 pm

yps…..sorry, on quick glance, I thought I saw occupation making that response…..after looking again I see you are actually in agreement…..

independent thinker

January 28th, 2012
5:56 am

Looks like all the gas and hot air leaked out of Newt. Maybe the Republicans need to throw Jan Brewer into the circus lineup. She can do that mean girl routine very well.

Eli Jones

January 28th, 2012
9:13 am

Remember Nancy Pelosi saying, “We Got To Pass It To Know What’s In It”. Well, here’s what’s in it! Obamacare is funding “Obama’s Personal Civilian Army” called the “Ready Reserve Corps”. It is authorized in section 203 & section 5210 on page 1312 in the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)” or “OBAMACARE”. Remember, during his campaign, Obama called for his personal Million Man civilian army to be loyal only to him. Obama also stated that his personal civilian army should be more powerful than our US Military. There is a clip of Obama saying these very words in the video. Watch the idiots applauding as Obama says this. Obama is right now gutting our military and at the same time beefing up his personal thug army. Watch This Short Video And Be Informed Of What The Nazi In The White House Has Planned For You! Please Spread The Word to our fellow Patriots! ALL OF THEM!

“Obama’s Personal Army”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htw7shWR3oU

Please Sign The Petition To Force The Repeal Of Obamacare & call your elected reps, Then Pass The Site On To EVERYONE That You Know.

https://repealhealthcareact.org/invest.aspx

Welcome to the Occupation

January 28th, 2012
10:14 am

md: “the notion that a small few hold all the chips is naive in and of itself as consumers hold just as much power…”

Really? Naive to think that a small few hold all the chips? At a time when our highest levels of government increasingly form a revolving door with Wall St. firms like Goldman Sachs? When managers’ earnings compared to average workers at their firms are at stratospheric, unprecedented levels? I think the real naivete is to think that non politically mobilized consumers have a prayer against such organized interests.

“….but that power is diminished as most aren’t aware it is there.”

Couldn’t agree more, but therein lies the problem. That lack of awareness is hardly accidental (see mass media/entertainment as numbing spectacle, etc.). The very reduction of the political to a form of consumerism is precisely one of the core dysfunctions of our age (and characteristic of both the left and the right by the way).

And by the way, Bill Gates reaped his windfalls not through anything necessarily superior about his Microsoft product (I think most would agree their products have always been anything but superior quality-wise) but through extremely clever maneuvering to capture the market by making his OS the virtual ’standard’ on machines. From that point on, once a critical mass had been reached, Microsoft could then essentially charge the entire world (or 90% of it) ‘rent’ to access and use their machines, a move that has revolutionized not only IT, but capitalism itself in important ways.

Welcome to the Occupation

January 28th, 2012
10:20 am

“Please Sign The Petition To Force The Repeal Of Obamacare & call your elected reps, Then Pass The Site On To EVERYONE That You Know.”

Don’t you Birchers have some sort of retreat to go to this weekend, Eli?

The Nuts In Georgia Are Falling Out Of The Trees (and they ain't pecans)

January 28th, 2012
12:41 pm

It’s hard to guess what the lunatics on this blog will do and say next.

They hate Obama so much that they are all GOING INSANE.

Good…………then we can lock them all away FOEVER.

The Nuts In Georgia Are Falling Out Of The Trees (and they ain't pecans)

January 28th, 2012
12:47 pm

Eli Jones
January 28th, 2012
9:13 am
**************************************************************
YOU sound like a RACIST LUNATIC.

Take your lies and shove them.

You are a lying coward

I bet you would not say those things in person.

The only words we are going to spread to your patriots are SHOVE IT.