Obama holds upper hand in budget confrontation
The reputations of pollsters Rasmussen and Gallup took a deserved beating in the 2012 election, but if nothing else they are still valuable when judged relative to themselves. Rasmussen, for example, now reports that President Obama’s job approval rating among likely voters is at 55 percent, his highest level in a Rasmussen poll since June 2009.
Gallup reports similar numbers:
That would seem to suggest that Republican denials notwithstanding, President Obama comes into negotiations on the so-called fiscal cliff with a considerable amount of leverage. Newly released numbers from a Washington Post/Pew Center poll confirm that assessment:
Given that reality, it’ll be interesting to see the outcome of today’s secret ballot among House Republicans, who will be asked to elect a new chairman of the House Republican Conference. As we reported Monday, House Speaker John Boehner has thrown his support behind Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who qualifies as a moderate, if only within the very narrowly conservative House GOP caucus. If elected, she would also become the only woman in the House GOP leadership, which currently has no women holding any of the 21 House committee chairmanships.
However, those on the more conservative end of the very conservative GOP caucus are rallying behind Georgia’s own Tom Price. That includes House Budget chair Paul Ryan, fresh off his experience on the losing end of the presidential race.
A Price victory would constitute a pretty serious setback for Boehner and would indicate that when the time comes, the speaker would not be able to deliver GOP votes for the budget compromise that will be needed. It would also suggest that House Republicans have not yet learned the necessary lessons of the 2012 election, including the dangers of extremism and the wisdom of outreach to female voters.
If so, they are courting yet another reminder.
– Jay Bookman
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642 comments Add your comment
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
2:55 pm
B. Shockley — “Really Joe? enlighten the group and tell me what events will transpire to deny me my social security entitlement.”
Sorry, Ben. You have your orders.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/08/28/as-gop-convention-kicks-off-obama-still-favorite/?cp=14#comment-1052486
stands for decibels
November 14th, 2012
2:55 pm
Grumpy-Gramps SHEETZ.
Ben Shockley
November 14th, 2012
2:55 pm
Still waiting for JHM to tell me what must happen (other than death) to deny me my social security entitlement benefits.
F. Sinkwich
November 14th, 2012
2:56 pm
“Did you cons even bother to listen to him?”
What for? He always says the same thing. And the press only lobs up softballs.
Stevie Ray
November 14th, 2012
2:56 pm
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
2:44 pm
Actually, if Ben dies his survivors will still collect on his behalf:-)
Whether SS is actually solvent is subject to debate…it’s a ponzi scheme…first out is financed by last in…this was originally a safety net and never meant to be primary retirement vehicle. From an assets to future obligations perspective, it is not liquid by any measure..say like a true insurance company…the assets are the ability of our kids and so on to keep paying in…when the baby boomers flush through as the average age is less in favor of youth, the ponzi will have a cash flow problem regardless of what CBO and the like say…
SS is similar to an insurance product in that we pay with our employers, tax that is set aside to fund a defined benefit at a future date..it’s only an entitlement IMO if you don’t contribute toward the benefit. It’s not an entitlement…except in the event someone who didn’t pay in figures out a way to benefit.
alex
November 14th, 2012
2:56 pm
we have jobs……
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
2:57 pm
B. Shockley — “Sorry Joe. Calling me names doesn’t change the fact that i have exposed you as a smoke-blower of Clinton-esque proportions.”
Afraid you’ve exposed yourself as that quite some time ago, Ben. But don’t let go of the dream! (giggling)
Fred ™
November 14th, 2012
2:57 pm
AMERICA SHRUGGED:
I was disappointed when the President caved and extended the Bush tax cuts (thereby in MY mind making them the Obama tax cuts). I wanted him to get what he said he was going after or let the sun set on that “sunset” tax.
Let’s bite the bullet. Deal the cards and lets see where we wind up. Fish or cut bait…… lol I know a brazillion quaint little phrases that all say the same thing……….. trot her around the corral and we’ll see what the brand reads……..
Brosephus™
November 14th, 2012
2:57 pm
Keep @ 2:51
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/channel-2-discovers-potentially-dangerous-overtime/nS4qz/
[Aaron] Diamant spent weeks crunching the numbers from MARTA payroll records he got through open records requests.
Between January 2010 and September 2012, MARTA paid its top earning driver $252,807.49, $108,997.24 of that was base salary. The rest came from overtime 4,269 hours of overtime — as much as 82 hours in a single pay period.
Diamant found at least 10 drivers who doubled their salaries or better by racking up thousands of hours in overtime each.
Jay
November 14th, 2012
2:57 pm
Sheets.
southpaw
November 14th, 2012
2:58 pm
JHM
Had to leave for a while. To answer your question, I remember one year–1988, I think–only 2 tax rates were in effect, 15% and 28%. Although I though that the simplicity was better, that setup will probably never happen again. When George Bush ate his lips, er, his words, the top rate went up to 31%. That, or possibly the 35% that showed up a few years later, sounds like a good top rate to me.
Fred ™
November 14th, 2012
2:59 pm
Nunna Yobinnes
November 14th, 2012
2:53 pm
No Fred, I just think we should gather around the campfire and sing “Kum ba yah”.
++++++++++++++++++++++
So in YOUR opinion, we should all call the President disrespectful names, call him a traitor, tell lies about him, or sing Kum Bah Ya? Really?
You can’t disagree with him without lying or calling him names?
Mama Says
November 14th, 2012
3:01 pm
Getalife I watched it.
But you confuse me by slamming RW media and then telling me to listen to the leader of the LW ideals.
By the way Debbie, republican governors have maintained the platforms they ran on. Matter of fact if you studied your own state you would know that most of today’s Georgia Republican Party are democratic converts brought to us by Sonny Perdue when he converted.
Get it, the dems turned con
John Konop
November 14th, 2012
3:01 pm
Mick,
You said
…….. A lot of words but I do not know of anyone denied their social security benefits that paid in, so why go there???……….
Ben said
… Still waiting for JHM to tell me what must happen (other than death) to deny me my social security entitlement benefits…
I said:
…….Ben, Joe is right under our laws SS is not guaranteed. I do think if the safety net ended you would see riots, but clearly if this or Medicare runs out of money the government does not owe it. That is why we must all put the ideologically BS away and solve the problem…….
Do you get the point, the entitlement system is running out of money and it is not guaranteed?
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
3:02 pm
B. Shockley — “Point out a lie I’ve told.”
Done.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/08/28/as-gop-convention-kicks-off-obama-still-favorite/?cp=6#comment-1052372
For added fun, keep reading that thread to watch Benny get red-carded.
Redcoat
November 14th, 2012
3:03 pm
JamVet…..I’m just a stupid, middle class(whatever that is) taxpayer asking questions in various ways trying to get answers from some of the regulars on here of what they really think…..but Since I’m just an ordinary guy, in a ordinary job, with an ordinary life, and see myself as conservative, sarcasm seems to be what everyone revels in on this blog. Thanks for taking your precious time in recognizing peons such as myself. This country is in a mess and I’m very concerned, concerned for my family and concerned for their future.
Is the government the answer for everything? and are there limits and if so what are they……in your opinion?…….
Stevie Ray
November 14th, 2012
3:04 pm
BRO
The only ones I know that are sitting on piles of dough are the top corporations who have legitimate concerns and obligations first to shareholders to make best use of retained earnings..investing domestically in jobs or capital improvements or the like is very risky…the shareholders don’t give a flip about how many US jobs they create or maintain…
Did you see the Zionist and Arabs are on an obligatory killing spree again? As predictable as the the left sucks right sucks dialogue here..
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
3:06 pm
And the press only lobs up softballs.
That is unquestionably true. Just like they do for ALL of our politicians.
The owners of the corporate owned MSM are NOT gonna allow their “news” flunkies much wiggle room.
Toe the Dem/Repub PR line or else…
gtt
November 14th, 2012
3:06 pm
Wingfield says different.
Mama Says
November 14th, 2012
3:06 pm
Red,
Stay here long enough and the real loons, like Auqagirl will tell you how racist and stupid you are. Jam Vet is just warming you up to it.
Stay the course, I have seen their true colors and lived through it
josef
November 14th, 2012
3:07 pm
FRED
“I’m speaking English. What language would you prefer i use? I know several”
Donc,certainement et sans aucun doute tu es le snob de la véranda ici à la grande maison e la Plantation Libéral!
Ja? Ja wolę polską. Wygląda naprawdę obcy!
Mama Says
November 14th, 2012
3:09 pm
josef
Speak redneck so I can keep up
Brosephus™
November 14th, 2012
3:09 pm
Did you see the Zionist and Arabs are on an obligatory killing spree again? As predictable as the the left sucks right sucks dialogue here..
Yeah, I just heard reports on that. Seems like those Mayans knew what the hell they were talking about after all, huh?
Mama Says
November 14th, 2012
3:12 pm
I don’t guess Jay wants to take the challenge.
No middle ground Jay ? Not even for a week ?
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
3:13 pm
J. Konop — “Do you get the point, the entitlement system is running out of money and it is not guaranteed?”
John, Ben’s a well-known troll around these parts. He rarely contributes anything of value to the discussion and seems more interested in slinging insults and stirring up discord. AFAIK, he’s been red-carded (banned) twice since summer, but each time he comes back, it quickly becomes clear that he hasn’t changed his act a bit.
Stevie Ray
November 14th, 2012
3:14 pm
REDCOAT
The government is the problem as respects the bipartisan (one of the only) action of disrespecting our money..they spend 30% more than we take in and all these folks want to discuss is whether to dress this pig in red or blue…
30% more than we take in….everyone should start their day saying this 5 times….the problem folks have with paying more taxes is simple…it gets wasted trying to have a government that wants to be everything to everybody…They can increase taxes on the wealthy or all of us for that matter..the deficits and debt will not materially be impacted…that will just give us more leverage to borrow more..
Cuts will never materialize as promised…government is failing us all and all folks want to talk about is which party is more “stupid” and wrong than the other…or gay rights, abortion right, carbon footprints, and all this other noisy, untimely crap..Let the gays marry, let women continue to make choices for themselves and lets not rushout and increase the cost of doing business further by being hysterical about the sky falling…just my opinion…I could be wrong.
Stevie Ray
November 14th, 2012
3:16 pm
BRO
Classic…I almost forgot none of our handjive is gonna make a difference since it will all be over soon..how exactly are we supposed to perish? death from above, below or what?
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
3:18 pm
Is the government the answer for everything?
Of course not.
But according to the most revered Republican of all time Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.
BTW, when did hating Uncle Sam and blaming him for all of our woes become OK? Hint: It didn’t and this view is finally starting to catch up with those who have relied on for three decades.
…and are there limits and if so what are they……in your opinion?…….
The limits are prescribed in the US Constitution and by 200+ years of case law. I am not a legal scholar but I have been to a few rodeos over the past 50+ years!
I believe that the primary reason that Uncle Sam has had to become so heavy handed is because those in the “free market’ have in way too many cases, wrecked things.
The environment, the banks, the insurance companies, consumer safety issues, consumer rights, the tax code, the labor unions, the middle class and on and on and on.
When they start behaving again, I believe the big bad “public sector” will back off. Corporate crime is at an all time high and they know that they are virtually untouchable. NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON went to prison for the crimes associated with the $10trillion economic plundering of September 2008. NOT ONE.
Many people, including myself are alarmed at this vast shift in power from we the people to “monied interests”. (hat tip Thomas Jefferson)
Washington DC is corporate owned territory.
And this is terrible news for the United States of America…
Brosephus™
November 14th, 2012
3:18 pm
death from above, below or what?
Dunno, and I don’t think I even want to know. Hopefully it will be quick and efficient.
Redcoat
November 14th, 2012
3:19 pm
Mama……Thanks for the heads up…….started out kind of entertaining trying to understand the left and why they think the way they do….but questions that would uncover how they really think go unanswered and usually with a indirect or direct insult.
An example would be…..What is your definition of “fair” or “fair share” in relation to taxes?……never have got an answer to that one only get questions back…or insults.
John Konop
November 14th, 2012
3:19 pm
Joe H M,
I do respect the tone of our debates on this blog. You are obviously a bright guy, and have well thought out points even if we disagree on some issues.
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
3:19 pm
I…lived through it.
Through fourteen different monikers too!
Which is pretty impressive…
josef
November 14th, 2012
3:22 pm
MAMA
“Donc,certainement et sans aucun doute tu es le snob de la véranda ici à la grande maison e la Plantation Libéral!”
Well, shore ain’t no doubt about it you jus the snob herebouts down to the v’rander at the Librul Plantation.
“Ja? Ja wolę polską. Wygląda naprawdę obcy!”
Me? Gimme Polish. It rilly looks ferrin.”
Okay, off upstairs…time to bash old white men and uppity Negresses.
Redcoat
November 14th, 2012
3:24 pm
Stevie Ray………I have a lot of common sentiments and same observations…..maybe I’m not crazy…haha
Redcoat
November 14th, 2012
3:32 pm
JamVet….thanks for your response….read it quickly, and feel I may have some common ground with you……
Do you feel the government is still operating within the Constitution?
alex
November 14th, 2012
3:33 pm
@ red, Jamvet is a bigot, can’t get away from it, aquagirl and he are angry and revengeful and would rather denigrate than discuss. Kamchak is taking a break-lot’s of fun too, Anyway, some people seem to think that sarcasm is the ONLY way to get a point across (not me, just 1 of a myriad of ways). Lots of self importance and of course the ready u tube video, all in all a fun braek from the daily grind….
Joe Hussein Mama
November 14th, 2012
3:35 pm
J. Konop — “I do respect the tone of our debates on this blog. You are obviously a bright guy, and have well thought out points even if we disagree on some issues.”
It’s the political dialectic — the exchange and iterative improvement of ideas — that makes our society better for everyone. I’m always pleased to have a polite discussion, even with someone with whom I might have disagreements.
Redcoat
November 14th, 2012
3:36 pm
JamVet……My time here is up and have to go….work……I’ll check back later….thanks again
Redcoat
November 14th, 2012
3:41 pm
alex……I will see if I come to the same conclusions on JamVet and AquaGirl…..times are changing and these left thinking folks are in charge of our government…..just trying to understand so I can make better future decisions for my family……..Later
Nunna Yobinnes
November 14th, 2012
4:16 pm
Fred – Don’t put words in my mouth. I have not called the President any names. I do not intend to. You’re way out of control, and way out there.
JamVet
November 14th, 2012
4:25 pm
Do you feel the government is still operating within the Constitution?
Marginally.
Both Bush and Obama have pretty much tried to pervert that document whenever it suited them.
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
November 15th, 2012
7:41 pm
The only reason Baracka Claus could have good approval ratings is because his followers believe the gravy train will continue running under his regime. He has done nothing else anybody could approve of.