GOP willingness to swallow defense cuts is historic

True, Jay. But this got my attention even more:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/03/obama-worked-the-phones-saturday-on-spending-cuts-adviser-says/?hpt=hp_t2

“He’s reaching out to Democrats who understand we have to make serious progress on long-term entitlement reform, and Republicans who realize if we have that type of entitlement reform, they’d be willing to have tax reform that raises revenues to lower the deficit,” Sperling said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

We’ll see what happens.

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Perhaps we need to concentrate on some more military cuts rather than the misdirection of entitlement cuts. Infrastructure is where we should be spending.

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But we need those battleships and fighter planes to win against the terrorists!!!

And what about those military jobs!?

Obarma don’t care about military warriors.

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Amazing, isn’t it, that Obama’s Republican negotiating partners have simply refused to take “Yes” for an answer from an Obama who has been just bending over backwards to put social programs on the chopping block as part of a “grand bargain”.

Eventually the GOP will magically come around and join with this austerity president, who is a natural partner for them, in taking the meat cleaver to the social programs and gains for working people of the 20th Century. That’s just a matter of time, and all of this is a really just so much theater.

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Who is even proposing “cuts” to SS and medicare, Jay? Hell, I don’t even support that. However, in it’s current state, the programs are unsustainable and they need to be modified so future generations have a chance at collecting something at all.

You may as well phrase the question “Do you prefer cuts to SS/Medicare or free beer?” and go with that answer as statistically valid.

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Peadawg – yes, Obama has to convince Senate Democrats to reform entitlements. If he doesn’t, the sequester will stay in effect indefinitely.

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The DoD throws money away with both hands.

Maybe they’ll learn to spend more wisely.

Maybe a Civil Service job for the DoD won’t be a guaranteed money train until a fat retirement.

Maybe we’ll look at combining some branches of our military.

In my area, the Holy Grail of employment has always been to “Get on at the base.” Great pay, lots of holidays, total job security. Needs to change.

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if even Republicans no longer see the Pentagon as invulnerable, that’s historic.

It’s “historic” that one of two national parties took more than 20 years to acknowledge a peace dividend after fighting the Cold War all those years?

Well, that’s one word you could use, I guess.

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Dear John Boehner,

Thank you for standing up to President Obama . My new contract is $52 million guaronteeeed. And that new tax rate of 39.6%. LOL!! With all of my new loopholes you preserved, my tax rate will be two times less that. Heck, our ball boy will be paying more in taxes than i will. LOL!!! Anyway, thank you again. Now, i’ll expect to recieve that invitiation to meet my man, Mitt Romney. You know, the one that came up with that bone head idea to close loopholes to us millionaires and billionaires in the first place. I know now that he knows the error of his idea!!!

Thank You

Joe Flacco

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The Vent Guy has confirmed that a statement attributed to Churchill pointing out the fundamental differences in the whole lib/con mindset
is in fact accurate.

I definately trust the VG over Granny Sam everyday.

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RB from Gwinnett: “Who is even proposing “cuts” to SS and medicare, Jay? Hell, I don’t even support that”

Uh, Obama! C’mon.

Oh, and also a guy named Ryan who you may have heard of. He has quite a reputation as an up-and-comer in GOP policy circles.

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I’m still ambivalent about the Military cuts. The Military Industrial Complex has bled us dry, but I really would like to see more cuts on oil and Agriculture monies. We could just about balance the budget on those alone, I’m thinking…

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I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll ever reach a compromise where the filthy rich will start to pay taxes on their corporate jets so we can then take more food away from poor children and the elderly.

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Total cost of wars since 2001:

$1,429,000,000,000+

think about that for a minute.

http://costofwar.com/

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Are you kidding??? The defense contractors well never allow the cuts to be made. Their lobbyists are swarming DC as we speak. This is just a negotiating ploy by the Republicans, they know who their masters are, they have no intention of allowing these cuts to be made.

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JAY

I’m thinking that the sequestermaggedon hysteria employed by McCain is akin to that of BO. Both using scare tactics to generate public opinion to keep sacred pet or otherwise ideological (often illogical) characteristic(s).

I’m not sure there exists a disingenous comparison between cutting the military and the numbers offered on altering entitlements. The word “cuts” as opposed to eliminating waste, slowing medical cost increases, or simply minor restructuring in order to be better prepared for historic draws on these programs in the coming decades are more appropriate questions. If course nobody wants their share of the entitlement pie “cut”..of course “cut” is not defined in the question…

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“The House passed two bills to prevent this but Barry and Harry would not take them up.”

“I got 98% of what I wanted.”
-John Noehner

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Truth is, there have not been any tax increases. The Bush tax rate simply expired. This is not new revenue. It’s simply existing revenue Bush gave away in his budget busting tax cut binge.

New revenue should come from eliminating the ridiculous tax loopholes.

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“A question that made it clear older people’s SS would not be touched and only younger workers would be transitioned to a different program would have produced an entirely different result.”

And better represent the proposals actually being discussed. But we wouldn’t want the low information liberals to get any deeper into issues than the headlines on “Weekend Update” would we?!!

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If by “entitlement reform” we mean freeing up Medicare to negotiate pricing with drug companies and device manufacturers, and putting rules in place that when given a choice between competing products with the same results, Medicare doctors must use the less expensive device… then I’m all for it! Oh, and also reduce the eligibility age to “buy in” to Medicare, to add more healthy people to the system at normal health insurance premium prices.

Oh, you mean by “entitlement reform” that we just screw more people who can’t afford it? Well, then… no.

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RB & JReb

Just what do you think Ryan’s plan does to SS? If you’re 55 then you’re ok. People in my age bracket are getting f**ked over and nobody gives a sh*t. Well, I say screw that because I’ve been paying into the system for more than twenty years, and if I get hosed, then there had better be enough hose to get everybody.

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How do lower income “conservatives” justify the income disparity now, where the wealthy are richer than ever? Where the wealthy have tax breaks but we cut programs for everyone else?

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M

March 4th, 2013
8:36 am
Our smallest military in years is still more than the next 10 or 15 countries combined.
++++++++++
Our current defense spending is 4.7% of GDP. Under Bush defense spending was never over 4.3% of GDP.

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Effects of the sequester: Obama gives 250 million dollars to the Muslim Brotherhood Egyptian government plus another 50 million to the Al Quaeda backed Syrian rebels. Meanwhile he buys 2700 tanks for our Department of Homeland Security for use against American citizens. So far, and this is just the beginning, Using money borrowed from China, Obama has purchased billions of bullets many of which are hollow point which are not suitable for the stated purpose of “target” practice, and has purchased drones and now 2700 armored tanks while demanding we the people be disarmed. All of the above is for use by civilian government agencies, primairily Homeland Security while simultaneously reducing our military budget. Now what could possibly be Obama’s motive in doing this? Remember his campaign statement of wanting a civilian force at least as big and as strong as our armed forces? Looks like that is what he is doing while Congress and the Media fidels.

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Occupation
“Amazing, isn’t it, that Obama’s Republican negotiating partners have simply refused to take “Yes” for an answer from an Obama who has been just bending over backwards to put social programs on the chopping block as part of a “grand bargain”. ”

Thats news, what social programs would be spending less today than they did before after Obama putting them on a chopping block ?

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While so many Americans are subsisting on food stamps, losing their homes, and accumulating credit card debt they will never be able to pay off, the US is giving Israel $3 billion in direct foreign aid every year and, according to Congressman James Traficant, another $12-17 billion in indirect aid such as valuable military equipment deemed “scrapped,” loan guarantees, and preferential contracts. Israel is an affluent country with more than 10,000 millionaires and, according to the International Monetary Fund, was one of the few economies that weathered the 2008 financial storm nearly unscathed.

http://thebilzerianreport.com/how-much-does-israel-cost-the-average-american/

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At this point, we’ll take ANY spending cuts we can get as Nobama drives us slowly but surely to bankruptcy. Bite me Jayboy !

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Now that we’ve gotten the mental-patient Republicans to stop playing with the scissors, what’s next, teach them to love others? Hey, we can only try, Jay, and God knows they need it, but this may take us quite awhile for sure!

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Find Muck

March 4th, 2013
8:55 am

The Vent Guy has confirmed that a statement attributed to Churchill pointing out the fundamental differences in the whole lib/con mindset
is in fact accurate.

I definately trust the VG over Granny Sam everyday.
.
.
.
.
silly silly silly

http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/quotations/quotes-falsely-attributed

silly silly silly

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axPayer

March 4th, 2013
9:05 am

Bush’s wars should have been funded with new tax revenues from day one. Given that Republicans refuse to pay for their wars, or anything else, we have no choice but to cut the DoD budget and cut it we will.

Bush’s wars cost the tax payers less then Obama’s payoff to unions and government employees. Paying for health insurance for the people unwilling to pay for it themselves or who make bad choices in life cost more per year then the wars.

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Bosch

March 4th, 2013
9:20 am

So I hear you to be suggesting that simply finding waste and eliminating it isn’t enough to meet this goal of $85 billion? IMO they need to spread across boards if only to include cutting waste already identified by BO previously.

Several of the hysterical tactics employed by BO et al are already proven BS…Department heads know where the waste is..

Deep down we all know that the goal will be accomplished mostly via accounting gimicks similar to much of previous alledged “cuts”..

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Bosch is right – the Republicans, in about 6 months, will point to the declining economy (caused by this foolish “sequester”) and the Confederate old white men in here will be wailing about how Obozo is wrecking the economy.

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If our outflows continue to exceed our inflows out upkeep will be our downfall…

Just get rid of the SS cap ……….

And if need be, raise the SS tax rate from 6.6 to 6.8. It hasnt been raised since 1982.

See, it’s simple.

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To steal a line from Nathan Forrest,
It’s no longer “be there the firstest with the mostest.”

Now it’s “be there firstest with the smartest.”

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Bosch is right – the Republicans, in about 6 months, will point to the declining economy (caused by this foolish “sequester”) and the Confederate old white men in here will be wailing about how Obozo is wrecking the economy.

Probably somewhat closer to 6 weeks, but otherwise, yep.

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JohhnyReb: “This particular moment in time is an abberation to get spending cuts in place since Obama won’t do any cuts”

Have you been under a rock for 2 years?

Your stupidity is mind-numbing. Really.

I know slow-witted resentful types are perfect targets for propaganda, but man you take the cake. Goebbels would have licked his lips at the idea of having a target audience of people like you to work with.

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That’s right – it’s Obama’s.

boy the Cons have been pounding this home. It’s a 2-way street and lucky for us, most Americans don’t watch Fox News or listen to the HannityLimbaughs of the world.

By the way, has anyone listened to Cain lately? He’s not even remotely the sharpest tool in the shed. He make Boortz sound like a scholar.

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Why do we need such a monsterous ground force? Under what circumstances do we need more than 230 warships? Just in case? If we were more judicious in the way we employ these assets (allowing others to become world police….I think BO is doing us a favor by policies geared toward more judicious employment), no way we need this much brute force.

The next big “war” will be economical/cyber event. Not anything that will ever require invasion of individual troops.

Cuts need to be made…much deeper than a paltry $85 billion….surprise, our government fails us again.

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Jay, btw, I feel that Obama is really happy about the defense cuts, along with most liberals. There may be disagreement on where they came from in the defense budget but overall, I believe this is exactly what liberals wanted.

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Time to close down bases in Europe. Why do we need so many bases on foreign soil that are solid allies?

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Stevie Ray,

They are being spread across the board, in every agency. And no I certainly don’t think cuts like this can be fixed with accounting magic. I’m sure each dept head can find waste, but these will also include people losing their jobs.

As to the economy, let’s see if the panacea of all right wingers, the free market, will step up.

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Keep up the good fight, you can have all the tax increases your generous heart wants to give to the federal gov’t. I don’t want them! We don’t need them. Real tax reform that cuts rates along with deductions and loopholes to make the code easier for the average American. I can except that. What I can’t except is a tax code that manipulates behavior.

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Wahoo

Those liabilities only exist because the people who benefit most from these programs have little to no control over them.

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“Obama’s 6 trillion deficit in only 4 years is historic”

Fixed your headline

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Mr. Snarky , “Another debt owed by the GOP to W and his wars of choice”
Hey Snarky, what about the debt from the democrat wars of choice ? Did the dem party prepay the costs associated with being in Korea after invading them ? Did the dem party pay back all the money wasted on their war of choice in Vietnam ? Johnson and dems passed the unified budget act to hide the money spent on that war against a country that never attacked us. It was also the dem party that funded the pentagon so heavily that a repub president warned us of the military industrial complex. That was built during a dem lock on congress. It was also the dem party that put our troops in Germany, Japan and any other place that would accept them. For those that want to ignore history you can disagree but money built the pentagon and that money was spent by dems prior to Reagan or Bush.

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stands for decibels

March 4th, 2013
9:31 am

I’m no nothing about chess levels of achievement but sounds like nobody on this board could hold their own…cool.

As respects the alledged 2.4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years, the numbers are horrifically decieving…For example, no small amount are cuts that already occured. Additionally the assumptions about reduced interest expense and healthcare reductions will prove to be bogus…I can back into any number you like by simply adjusting my assumptions.

“It’s important to note that the bulk of these “cuts” have yet to materialize. The Budget Control Act imposed “caps” on discretionary spending that Congress is supposed to comply with in future appropriations bills. The White House’s projections of $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction include budgets through fiscal year 2022, and, of course, it remains to be seen what specific cuts to federal programs those future Congresses will actually make.”

Promises promises..

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Brosephus:

I respectfully disagree. Those liabilities exist because the programs themselves have created promises of future performance by the Federal. In today’s environment those promises appear incapable of being kept by the Federal. But whether I agree with you or not on why those liabilities exist is irrelevant. They do exist and they must be dealt with. We simply cannot stay on the same path we are on today.

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Stevie Ray,

I agree with you on why the need for monstrous ground forces, war ships, etc., but those equate to jobs. Reduce those, reduce jobs. In my opinion, you need to re-train, re-think strategy, but that takes time and money. Same with energy, Obama is for that, but since he’s for it, the GOP is against it, and stripping our education system in the process.

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Moderate Line @9.26
Projected spending for defense according to OMB was suppose to shrink to 2.9%. Even with a decrease from the 2011(most recent data) of 4.7% total government spending in 2017 is projected to be 22.2 which is well above the 19.7% under both Bush and Clinton. Defense spending averaged 3.6 in this period.

This is a 3.2% of GDP increase in spending projected in 2017 over the average spending of Bush-Clinton era.

Adding further where does the 3.2% increase come from.
Social Sercurity ave(Bush-Clinton) 4.35 Projected 2017 5.06 Increase of .71% of GDP
Medicare ave(Bush-Clinton) 2.27% Project 2017 3.14% which is a .87% increase of GDP

Of the 3.2% increase 48% of the increase is medicare and social security.
According to OMB 1/3 of the increase in non-defense spending is for net interest. This accounts for 80% of the increase in spending.

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DANNY

The failed stimulus is one program. PelosiCare is the one that is absolutely going to bring further, unsustainable obligations…trillions…No real reduction in growing costs will materialize for a variety of reasons…..

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“The failed stimulus is one program.”

Stevie, answer the question, what new programs has Obama proposed?

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“refusal to come up with a Senate budget”

Area man passionately defends what he imagines the Constitution to be.

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It is a good thing that Obama was able to find $250 Million for his “Arab Spring” brothers in Egypt.

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The Senate plan in February to replace the sequester with a combination of revenue increases and spending cuts was filibustered.

Has the current House passed their plan?

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Bosch

March 4th, 2013
9:45 am

I hear you but first, I see no means to re-tool those folks in fashion that will meet existing employment needs…engineering etcetera. I think we can easily find $85 billion in waste the apparent assumption that we can get back on some financial footing without job loss is not reality.

I’m not of the opinion that our education department does anything to impact learning at the student level. I also think comparisons of our education system to other, smaller and less demographically vast countries is absurd. Everyone on who wants to get elected promise better education but none have actually delivered….Seems we should be using different metrics and include a push toward a two tiered approach….one college prep and the other trade/vocational….

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DannyX

March 4th, 2013
9:41 am

“In spite of the government having the most revenue in the history of our country the Obamanistas appetite for even more government programs cannot be satisfied.”

What new government programs has Obama proposed?

Obamacare?
Cap and trade?

Not to mention the add ons to existing programs.
FS spending up
Medicaid spending up

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donovan

Looters gone wild? Like maybe the republican looters who put us in this mess with all that reckless spending in the first decade of this milennium. Where the hell were you back then? Were you up in arms about the rubber stamp congress???

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As for the military China will takeover any place we depart.

Thanks for the early morning belly laugh. I can’t wait to see the Chinese soldiers in Berlin or Nuremberg. Walking the streets of Bamberg.

Holy crap, just when I think I’ve seen the rock bottom of stupidity someone digs a deeper hole.

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Who on earth listens to him anymore?

I’d say his constituency

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Stevie Ray,

I agree, but we already do the college prep/ vocational thing, we just strip funding from it all and then complain when it doesn’t work.

Td,

Obamacare isn’t a new program, it’s an adjustment to our already existing one. Cap and trade? Has that passed? The question is, new program, like Medicare Part D, has Obama been behind -something the govt did not pay for before, now does?

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“Obamacare is a proposal, td? Maybe you didn’t understand the very simple question, what new spending programs has Obama proposed. Cap and trade has been dead for years.

Common sense @ 9:38- “I In spite of the government having the most revenue in the history of our country the Obamanistas appetite for even more government programs cannot be satisfied. Just as in the commercial, where little girl cries, More, more, we want more” the Obama moochers demand more or other peoples money.”

What are all these new spending programs?

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Historic also is Democratic willingness to cut entitlements, perhaps
even more than the GOP attitude toward defense. When Obama
announced the cut in the increase in food stamps to help fund ACA
I said this is not the Democratic Party that I know. Perhaps the reality
is that both parties are accepting that jobs are not coming back which
is the best solution to our financial problems. You can’t starve the
grandchildren to care for grandma is now the mutual meme.

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Perhaps one thing on the horizon could be the Equalization of Opportunity Act..or perhaps the Anti-Dog Eat Dog Act…seems we are heading in that direction….at least the seeds seem more firmly planted..

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Brosephus™ – Mobile and Multitasking

March 4th, 2013
9:50 am
Moderate Line @ 9:28

I honestly don’t expect to see a dime of SS or my “defined” pittance err pension when I retire. People in this country have been suckered into entrusting their entire retirement fund with a group of people who’s only concern is them making money. I didn’t have any say in those decisions back then, but I have some now.
++++
I am not sure I understand the premise on this one either. I don’t think Social Security is in the position it is in because people are only concerned with making money. They are in the position there in because any attempt to fix the programs to ensure the continued into perpetuity is fought tooth and nail.

The reason this system is in danger is benefits were never tied to what people paid. I am not sure how people concerned about making money have anything to do with it.

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Jefferson

March 4th, 2013
9:53 am

Suffice it to say that those who lose those military jobs will result in heated competition for that particular voting group….when should we expect the TV ads to commence?

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stands for decibels

March 4th, 2013
10:03 am

I’m not sure what “looters” means in this context but it may be helpful to remember that the majority of safety net recipients are white…proportionately measured is there people get hung up..

Does it really matter? We are all pink on the inside eh?

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I honestly don’t expect to see a dime of SS or my “defined” pittance err pension when I retire

Seriously, Bros–that’s the sort of expression of attitude, while understandable, becomes self-prophecy. The Pete Petersons of this world have been working for decades, cultivating this notion of despair among workers, who become convinced that our nation won’t maintain its obligations in a manner that any self-respecting industrialized country does as a matter of course.

I know that you will fight to see that such a thing doesn’t happen, and I’m not criticizing your *attitude*, but expressing it quite like that in public? not helpful, I don’t think.

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Too early to tell if Obama miscalculated. Wait a couple of months.

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stands for decibels:

“The Pete Petersons of this world have been working for decades, cultivating this notion of despair among workers, who become convinced that our nation won’t maintain its obligations in a manner that any self-respecting industrialized country does as a matter of course.”

Absent any change in the programs, do you believe the Federal is capable of keeping these promises even if they wanted to?

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We are all pink on the inside eh?

I’m a long long way from
New York City now
We’re all naked – if you
turn us inside out
-David Byrne-

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@Martin the Calvanist

Wow..I have read your posts and really trying to follow your logic…So you admit that “we shouldnt tax small businesses with 2million in sales the same as CEO’s/athletes (hmmm..why athletes, i wonder)” yet you spout off about needing a simpler tax code…

You do realize there are NO high priced lobbyists in Washington advocating for everyday people, right? You do realize the tax code, that as written, stands almost 3 feet tall, was not written for you and I or any of those “47% that don’t pay any taxes”???

Sorry, but no matter how you try to “assign” blame to our financial mess, there is blood on the hands of both parties. And this mess, for those with short-term memories, occurred when we allowed “banks” to operate like casinos and we all got f**ked!!!!!!!!!!! Not because of some “scary black man” in the White House…not because of some previous President…Nope. Because we continue to let the foxes guard the henhouse!!!

So no matter how fashionable it is to blame one party over the other, trust me when I say that there are billionaire bankers laughing their butts off that we are on here arguing who is to blame….

Just remember, “Pay no attention to the Man behind the curtain!”….Wizard of Oz!!!!!

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Hey Dumb ass Fred Im speaking of enemies not allies.Find Wilma and crawl back under your mushroom cloud.

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And Gitmo.

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Absent any change in the programs, do you believe the Federal [sic] is capable of keeping these promises even if they wanted to?

What kind of a weird question is that?

Obviously changes in funding and spending have to be made to programs year in, year out. And they are, generally.

That’s nothing to do with fulfilling a promise to maintain old-age pension and medical benefits to American citizens. If as part of the program modifications, you find a more efficient way to train and employ doctors (say) or negotiate better prices for pharmaceuticals, you do that. If you do, as we did in the 80s, take the unprecedented step and tell workers “you’ve got a massive demographic bulge retiring in about thirty years, so we’re going to actually bank some of the revenue into a trust fund to be spent later,” you legislate that. all that’s ok, I guess.

and if you decide going forward that the cap on incomes has to rise so yes, you’re collecting more from wealthier Americans (I’d propose a doughnut hole, actually, leaving [say] the income between 110K-200K alone and then gradually taking a bigger bite out of incomes above that–or at least I’d run some numbers through some models to see where that got us), maybe you do that.

If you’re trying to get me to say “well yeah, we should at least recalculate the way we index inflation so that those horrible Olds don’t get as much down the road,” sorry, I won’t say that, because it’s effed up and bullsh-t.

Does that answer your question?

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The success of SS is that private companies can’t steal the money like they do with medicare. Follow the money, you will find the theif.

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the 999 problems we have

Is that like the 57 known communists in the State Department?

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They call me MISTER JamVet.

March 4th, 2013
10:24 am

Defense spending = 4% of GDP.

Why in the world would you use that figure as the important one?

Military spending takes up about 20% of our annul budget.

Close to one billion, three hundred million dollars per year…

I think your number are a little low Jam.

Now the number one job, under our Constitution, for the Federal government is the defense of the nation and we only spend one in five dollars sent to Washington for its highest priority. Seems like our priorities are a little skewed.

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Bottom line and then I am out for the day:

Until I see a complete, accurate and specific audit of our Defense Budget …………. CUT !

Everyone be nice.

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O’bozo gave Iraq to Iran and is in the process of doing the same with Afghanistan.

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the 999 problems we have

I’ve heard only good things about the 999
http://www.999motorsports.com/

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“O’bozo gave Iraq to Iran and is in the process of doing the same with Afghanistan.”

Wow, cons truly have blocked George W Bush from their memories! Must have been very traumatic thing to go through.

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Although the U.S. government has spent more than $940 billion on the conflict in Afghanistan since 2001, a treasure trove of mineral deposits, including vast quantities of industrial metals such as lithium, gold, cobalt, copper and iron, are likely to wind up going to Russia and China instead of American firms.

It’s a good thing President Bush got us over there and then let Bin Laden slip away fro Bora Bora isn’t it?

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) — Chinese national oil companies are now the biggest beneficiary of Iraq’s oil resources, beating the oil majors, according to analysts.

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Now the number one job, under our Constitution, for the Federal government is the defense of the nation…

Incorrect. They are not listed in order of importance. And as proof, I suggest that you read Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution a little closer. (And by way of a rhetorical question, why do you permanent war types always leave out the general welfare part of that clause?)

Seems like our priorities are a little skewed.

Personally, I would add the letter y to the beginning of that pronoun!

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No big surprise. I think most of us knew that the Republicans yelling about a STRONG DEFENSE was just a cover for funneling some extra to their defense contractor supporters. Most of the current crop avoided the draft and have little respect for active duty service members. In actuality, when push comes to shove, they are really only interested in their own stash. It should be clear to most by now that the corporations have won the money battle long ago, using political purchases as needed to assure voting support. The real anti-tax sentiment, and those who have the most to lose, are the corporate staff, stock holders, and board members. Too much spending? Obviously not if we have to start mugging the elderly, the disabled, and children, grabbing a few dollars out of their hands when there are trillions sitting idle in corporate accounts. We made these corporations and it is time for them to support the system equitably.

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talking about this at work.. the attitude seems to be.. “it doesnt affect me, so why should i care”

this is something obama himself has caused.. the attitude of people is move shattered than it seems to have ever been. when obama stands before the people and talks about how the taxes on the “rich” will help everyone.. then reaching into everyones pockets..

funny thing.. since the sky has not fallen as obama said it would.. more and more people are saying that these cuts are more on future spending than current spending… much like a decrease on an increase..

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td– Bush’s wars cost the tax payers less then Obama’s payoff to unions and government employees. Paying for health insurance for the people unwilling to pay for it themselves or who make bad choices in life cost more per year then the wars.

What an idiotic statement!

This misinformed thinking is the majority of the problem causing republicans to act stupidily.
First, the assertment is wrong. More importantly, the cost of lives of our couragous service men and women is a price we did not need to pay. The ongoing costs of medical and mental care to those wounded in action is also a driver to the cost of the economy the obama haters fail to accept.

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Do you believe people who did not pay into ss should receive a social security check. Oh my back hurts! Give me SSI! My child needs glasses I need a SSI check. Oh I need a quadruple bypass and SSI after the free surgery. Is this what you want?

My father died, I got a SS benefits check. — Paul Ryan

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F. Shintkwich is full

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I am skeptical that the global capital markets are able to swallow the amount of US debt necessary to finance the future expenditures. Even if we could finance it, I am even more skeptical it could be at rates approaching what we enjoy today.

Those are fair points. I lean toward seeing what we can do, in terms of (to put it VERY simply) spending more for stuff we need to get more people to work for higher pay, and seeing what actually happens to interest rates, rather than being afraid of what might happen to them.

I think a lot of these future issues that people do justifiably fret about become less of a problem if you get more people to work. That’s what we should be focused on now.

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Well, as I have fat finger syndrome this morning, just look at the pretty picture and you’ll see what I mean!

http://tinyurl.com/bum9r4x

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I hate this sequestration, I have to get up an hour early just to put on my Obozo the sky is falling protective headgear and body armor.

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[...] GOP Delays – The …Huffington PostThe New Normal (The Note)ABC News (blog)Blue MauMau -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -CNN Internationalall 258 news [...]

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Just like the liberals on the north east and west coast and the so called northern states. I agree they are morons.

You gotta admit willieb, stupid politicians isn’t exclusive to either party. For every Maxine Waters you have a Paul Broun………… For every John McCain you have a Harry Reid……….

I’m trying to think who to compare to Nancy Pelosi lol…………

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Stands:

What I sense you are expressing, and I don’t completely disagree, is that we have a short term problem of getting people back to work. However, we also have a long term problem related to the transfer programs. The dollars involved with the long term problem are so large that even the short term improvements of getting people back to work isn’t going to solve it, sadly. This is why I would want to get the deficit down today, so that the debt capacity is there in the future, as I mentioned to you last week. But putting people back to work needs to be done intelligently, with stimulus that is deficit neutral or deficit reducing. I am not in favor of borrowing large sums to put people back to work in light of the future problems we know are coming. Let me know if I’ve mis-read your position.

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I’m trying to think who to compare to Nancy Pelosi lol…………

Mitch McConnell?

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mr. jamvet.. not even close.. they dont call her princess pelosi for nothing out in california

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Let me know if I’ve mis-read your position.

nope, you’ve read me right.

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Union, the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loving McConnell both looks like her and is equally incompetent and spineless, wouldn’t you say?

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[...] Delays – The …Huffington PostThe New Normal (The Note)ABC News (blog)Blue MauMau -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -CNN Internationalall 258 news [...]

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We’ve been talking peace but waging war or preparing to wage war for 150 years in this country — I hope this is a sign that we’re finally going to put our money where our mouth is. Peace and love.

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mr jamvet.. http://media.salon.com/2012/11/obama-fiscal-cliff.jpeg1-1280×960.jpg

look at your own risk.. not responsible for eye, brain or otherwise any other self induced trauma that may occur from viewing that picture..

(btw.. who would have thought george hamilton could have gotten so far in politics)

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Now if we can just stop believing that government has the exclusive ability to give people something at no cost.

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” Until the Republicans acknowledge the mistakes and stop trying to shift the blame to the current President they’ll remain the minority party.”

Now that is an uninformed person.

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I love how the stock markets are fine during this sequester but the employment is predicted to lose 700,000 jobs. We need a grass root economy, not one too big to fail, but one that is competitive. If business is not that labor intensive it should be smaller and more citizens should be able to participate, one or the other. The bar should be lower like junk bonds if the cost is cheaper to get in.

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Union, here is my recommendation for those three and their 532 other comrades.

Effective immediately, pay them the minimum wage. (Not sure if they are even worth that, but I’m a compassionate conservative, LOL!)

Rescind their gold plated health insurance plan and make them spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a month for “coverage” that still includes gargantuan co-pays, deductibles and other out of pocket costs.

Put them on 90 day probation at which time their performance is reviewed (by plumbers, LOL!) to see if they have done anything to warrant them retaining their jobs.

It would be a good start…

Until the Republicans acknowledge the mistakes and stop trying to shift the blame to the current President they’ll remain the minority party.

Or face losing three out of every four national elections going forward as they have since 2006…

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Stands@ 10:24, totally agree. We’ve known for years that the Baby Boomers were going to retire and have been making adjustments for decades, and SS is stil the most efficiently retirement program around. I remember my dad saying he’d never see a dime of his SS and people ranting about the economic apocalypse of their children and grandchildren when Reagan expanded the government.

Guess what? We still remain the biggest economic generator on Earth, and will continue to do so. I don’t know if you notice, but everyone talks about cuts and spending over TIME. It’s because we just don’t know what our exponentially exploding world will be like 10 years from now. Hell, if you’d have told me 20 years ago, this Internet thing would catch on, I’d have said, meh, we will see.

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I love how the stock markets are fine during this sequester but the employment is predicted to lose 700,000 jobs.

The stock market has no bearing on our economy. Stocks do fine because companies are global and don’t depend on us as their main customer base anymore.

As to losing jobs, those predictions are based upon the downward economic cycle. As people have less money to spend, demand decreases. As demand decreases, people lose jobs meaning even less money is being spent. That further dampens demand and you keep feeding that downward spiral.

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Bro, “Just what do you think Ryan’s plan does to SS? If you’re 55 then you’re ok. People in my age bracket are getting f**ked over and nobody gives a sh*t. Well, I say screw that because I’ve been paying into the system for more than twenty years, and if I get hosed, then there had better be enough hose to get everybody.”

So, when it’s convenient for Bro, “we’re all in this together”, but when it actually affects Bro it’s “I want mine and screw everybody else”. Typical liberal.

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“My belief is that as this pain starts to gradually spread to communities affected by military spending, to children who need mental-health services, to people who care about our border security,” Republicans will agree to a bipartisan compromise that includes more tax increases, White House economic adviser Gene Sperling said in an interview on ABC.”

Republicans allowing defense spending cuts and Democrats pushing to maintain defense spending levels. The world has turned upsidedown.

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The teabags have got ‘em by the balls.

I think not.

The astro-turfed movement was certainly responsible for several recent Democratic victories, and the Rove wing will not play nice with the TPers anymore. He and the GOP power brokers are going to try and effectively emasculate them. There will be some fatalities along the way, on both sides, but the TP’s salad days are likely behind them…

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jms,

The Dems are the new militarists and the GOP have become the cut and runners…

Crazy huh?

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The cost of the 2 wars since 2001 is more like $4 trillion and rising. http://costsofwar.org/

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Now if we can just stop believing that government has the exclusive ability to give people something at no cost.

Only you talk radio FOXBOTS think that. The rest of us sane folks know there is no frree lunch.

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Brosephus™ the huge job loss is predicted by the government as a result of this sequester. My thoughts continue to be on the theme of the right. Cut back expenditures and the economy will cure itself. They call it austerity in some corners. My point is the only ones benefiting from the austerity is the stock exchange. The playing field is unlevel for entry players as it is, now we have strengthened a system that at best is dysfunctional. Very similar to our oil efforts, we sacrifice our usage of fuel and what we don’t used is ship out to foreign countries like China that quickly lap it up, so that we are suckers. The local Texas oilman takes home the money mailed to his mailbox, no real added employment in the states and China adds all the new jobs. Tell me where I am wrong.

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Republicans allowing defense spending cuts and Democrats pushing to maintain defense spending levels. The world has turned upsidedown.
………………………………………………………………………………..
My work is nearly done…

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Jamvet 11:38

some liberal posted it on page 1. take it up with him.

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And then quit whining about the cost of the wars.
Social Security, Welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid help Americans you silly little boy. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq don’t.

Why do you hate America and Americans so much?

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“Social Security, Welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid help Americans you silly little boy. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq don’t.”

Is that right? Where did those pesky terrorists come from that killed 3000 americans and destroyed the two largest buildings in lower manhattan, plus a wing of the pentagon?

Apparently you place a low value on economic and physical safety.

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Where did those pesky terrorists come from that killed 3000 americans and destroyed the two largest buildings in lower manhattan, plus a wing of the pentagon?

Not Iraq.

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I’m calling BS on that one. The primary talking point for Democrats for a few election cycles has been “vote for us and we’ll make all the evil rich people pay for everything”. You can kid yourself that the 47% don’t know they’re not paying and would gladly pay their “fair share”, but you’re not kidding anybody else.

You call BS and then follow it up with a pack of lies? This from the man who admitted a few days ago he was incapable of running his business? How funny.

Why do you hate Soldiers, wounded vets, and retirees so much? You need to stop with that stupid assed 47% BS because the truth of the matter is the clueless 47% were you sad sacks that voted for the loser Romney lol.

The ONLY idiots talking about free stuff IS like I said, your talk radio hosts, your FOX puppet masters, and FOXBOTS like you.

What is really stupid is those lies cost you the last Presidential elections so now you seem to think if you scream them louder it’s going to help you. How dumb is that?

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“The same as the funding source for Medicaid and all the other welfare benefits.”

Jm, Why did you leave out Social Security and Medicare?

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Brosephus:

My first quote that you’re pulling was in response to your statement: “And, if we had the continuous job growth at HOME, there wouldn’t be any issues”. That is clearly false, as you even admit in your response. I agree that these problems didn’t pop up overnight and agree that they are a sh sandwich. I don’t think they NEED to take 40 years to resolve, although it could take that long. But every day we delay reforming the transfer programs is another day of wasted opportunity.

My second quote you are taking somewhat out of context, unfortunately. It is meant to address the need of the Federal to maintain sustainable transfer programs, which I think is rather obvious (although others may disagree). However, since you’re somewhat shifting the discussion to the Federal as the consumption driver of last resort, I will tell you that I’m not a big believer in the efficacy of that approach. The US economy went through a period of deleveraging after the credit bubble. A re-alignment of consumption relative to income was necessary (alarm bells should go off when the savings rate is negative). That re-alignment is still occurring today, and needs to finish running its course. Sovereign spending was never going to change the need for the American consumer to delever. The Federal has levered itself substantially the last five years with little to show for it: we are in the fourth year of what can only be described as a tepid recovery and appear to be settling into a long-term trend of underwhelming growth. Knowing what I know about the solvency of the transfer programs and the need for future debt financing to support them, I would not have been in favor of the ramp up in leverage of the Federal to get the recovery we have today. The Federal could have and should have been much more intelligent with our collective capital.

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Just curious where it came from and why you would repeat and use it to make your point is all, jm.

Sounds like you don’t even believe it is accurate now…

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North Fulton = anything but stupid.

I’m fairly certain that this North Fultonian couldn’t find his own ass with a guide dog, GPS and Dora the Explorer lending assistance.

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Fred, “This from the man who admitted a few days ago he was incapable of running his business? ”

Question for you Fred. With all the hatred you and your fellow liberals spew on those of us trying to make a business run, the incessant whining about the money we make if it works, and all the useless regulation you pile on and think it’s funny, why in the hell would anybody in their right mind hire your sorry asse?

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So, when it’s convenient for Bro, “we’re all in this together”, but when it actually affects Bro it’s “I want mine and screw everybody else”. Typical liberal.

Bullsh*t!! If anything, that’s a typical Republican/Conservative or whatever the hell y’all call yourselves today. If you paid any attention, I’ve said numerous times that I don’t expect SS to be there for me. Last time I checked, it wasn’t the Liberals who were trying to get rid of it.

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Ah yes, the evil rich.

As defended by someone in the evil middle class.

The numbers don’t lie – in the past thirty years we have seen the greatest income distribution UP the economic ladder in American history.

And why income inequality in the United States has surpassed even that of the Great Depression…

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midtownguy

I’d buy a few of those shirts!!!!!!

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Right now our $16,000,000,000,000.00 debt is manageable because interest rates on U.S. Treasuries is ridiculously low.

What many people don’t realize is that if interest rates went to 6, 7, or 8% virtually every penny of non-Social Security and Medicare taxes that are collected would have to be used to pay the interest on our National Debt leaving essentially nothing for anything else.

To those who think that (interest rates rising) will never happen, you don’t have to go back very far in our recent history to find interest rates at those levels.

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Question for you Fred. With all the hatred you and your fellow liberals spew on those of us trying to make a business run, the incessant whining about the money we make if it works, and all the useless regulation you pile on and think it’s funny, why in the hell would anybody in their right mind hire your sorry asse?

Answer: Since I have owned MY own business for over 20 years and am not looking for a job, that is a REALLY STUPID question. Well it would be a stupid question from anyone else but you. For you it’s about par for the course. THIS is why you can’t run your business. You can’t think OR retain information. Everyone here knows I own my own business lol. Most remember that I retained Keep to help me collect from a dead beat client. (He’s self employed to you silly little man, a lawyer).

You see, unlike you, I CAN handle all the laws that apply to my business. I AM smart enough to retain info. You and your ignorant wide brushing of anyone who isn’t a brainless FOXBOT by calling them ‘a liberal” is just funny to watch. You show with almost every post a complete inability to think and form your own thoughts, you just spew forth some FOXBOT phrase and pretend it’s meaningful.

As the kids these days say……… You just got pwned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXuFuN5KPbw&list=PL4C9D838D5EDC347A

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wahoo: That is clearly false, as you even admit in your response.

Care to point that out for me? You’re misreading my response. Those trillions would likely NOT exist if we didn’t screw ourselves over the past 30-40 years. One of Reagan’s tax hikes was to allow Social Security to get ahead of schedule in order to absorb the baby boomers without collapsing the system. Sustained employment with population growth that has came since then would have taken care of the boomers. I fail to see where I acknowledge anything as you said I have.

I will tell you that I’m not a big believer in the efficacy of that approach.

Well, we’re entitled to believe what we choose, whether it’s factual, truthful, or not. Only time will show who’s right and who’s wrong.

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Where did those pesky terrorists come from that killed 3000 americans and destroyed the two largest buildings in lower manhattan, plus a wing of the pentagon?

Saudi Arabia

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To those who think that (interest rates rising) will never happen

Of course such a thing is possible, and if it were to head in that direction, we’d have to act accordingly.

in the meantime, well–

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/01/28/10-year-treasury-2-percent/1870261/

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Funny how these tax and spend liberals go batty over a measly 2% cut in spending.

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Government will be funded for a year so our President can work on his agenda.

The house will try to undo the military cuts but not sure if the turtle agrees.

Taxes and cuts are done .

You win some you lose some but we are all still Americans.

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National policy and strategy are supposed to drive force structure, which is supposed to drive budgets.

We pretty much have it backwards, now.

So conservatives are on Step 1 of a 121-step program and have admitted we have a problem with defense spending.

What I’m interested in is if there’s the brainpower that is able to construct a national security proposal that will simultaneously not force them to turn in their man cards.

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Social Security, Welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid help Americans you silly little boy. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq don’t.

While I see your point, a lot of those $$ spent on the wars went home in Americans’ paychecks. Not the soldiers’ paychecks, so much, but the people that work in the factories that make the supplies.

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When will this stupidity end?

Hopefully soon, and in Singapore

Saw on 60 minutes last night , there’s plenty of housing.

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Your constant complaints about the government and regulations are simply stupid. If you didn’t know about the regulations required to do business, maybe you are just not a very good business person.

That’s gonna leave a mark….

————–

Why is it the Governments responsibility to care (code word take care of) its citizens?

Seems that you need to go back and read the Constitution.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
–Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America

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“Funny how these tax and spend liberals go batty over a measly 2% cut in spending.”

It’s not the percentage, it’s the “across the board” requirement.

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Fred why don’t you pat yourself on back,boast a little.Tell all how smart your are.He!! man you in love with yourself.

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Fred why don’t you pat yourself on back,boast a little.Tell all how smart your are.He!! man you in love with yourself.

Hmmmmmmm do I have a NEW stalker or is this just one of my regulars using a semi new alt? I’m thinking alt, what do you folks think?

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Why is it the Governments responsibility to care (code word take care of) its citizens?

Why can’t you see that it is in the government’s best interest to have a healthy population?

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Bosch — “Geez, does he think running a business is just showing up and making money hand over fist?”

It’s the same kind of mindset that says ‘well, Mr. Brown was SO successful at running that Arabian show horse organization, SURELY he will be a success if he’s placed in charge of FEMA.’

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Brown

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Although the President does not like it, he is the Commander and Chief of our Armed Forces. It is also his responsibility to defend our Nation (that is see that manpower and materials are available to defend the Nation. Further, he has the power to make the priorities of cuts not to be drastic to leave us vulnerable in many areas. I think the President should do his Constitutional job and with some efficiency. The buck does stop at his desk on this issue.

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Bosch; And what’s funny is that I suspect the reason he was having so much trouble with it was the reason you pointed out. He probably took an attitude with whoever down at the labor board he was dealing with and so they decided to attitude right back lol. We ALL know who wins THAT fight……..

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JamVet – There are fifty tomato plants in this garden.

td – you really should read up more on gardening; there are 27 weeds in this garden. And one of them is huge!

The guy is simply incapable of addressing the original point…

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When a man addresses others as boy, son,he’s talking down to you.Thinks self to be superior.

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“Further, he has the power to make the priorities of cuts not to be drastic to leave us vulnerable in many areas”

Commander IN Chief, not “and”…and no, he doesn’t have the power you think he does. The sequester is not an ordinary bill and it spells out what must be cut…basically EVERYTHING not specifically excluded.

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How is medicaid, foodstamps, section 8 housing, WIC and other means tested programs “promoting the general welfare” of the citizens of this country?

There’s your sign.

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td-I would bet you are one of the deacons in your church. Am I right?

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Four hours in, and nobody made the effort to mine this comedy-gold setup into a punchline?

Deeply disappointed. Shame. Shame.

I was on my radar. Been a busy day at work.

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Kamchak

Well, some people also can’t see how promoting clean air, water, power sources, alternate fuels, etc promotes the general welfare, too -

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Some progress has been made!

Now at least td, is no longer pretending that that clause is not even in the US Constitution.

And Bro, good luck chasing these around!

http://tinyurl.com/bvjbfd3

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Hey Bosch; Forgot to ask? How are the pups? Of course they aren’t pups anymore lol. We are getting a new one on the 18th. Another Mini Badger hound.

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Well let me go help the girls clean the garage for a while. It will give RB and JM a chance to come out of hiding if I’m gone………

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China’s housing bubble popped.

Down goes China.

So after aq, who is the enemy?

There are none.

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Commander IN Chief, not “and”

And no “bottle-washer” at the end, either.

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Bosch

That link I sent you ends after episode 8. Thought you should know before you began watching. So unless hit hit Netflix or Redbox or we buy it, we’re frakked.

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JHM – It’s the same kind of mindset that says ‘well, Mr. Brown was SO successful at running that Arabian show horse organization, SURELY he will be a success if he’s placed in charge of FEMA.’

i read an article a few months back that said basically a car guy should run a car company, a shoe guy a shoe company etc etc…how can you run anything w/o being an expert in the field?

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Paul,

I enjoyed that, thank you. It’s all good though, after they cancelled Caprica, I learned not to get too emotionally attached, plus no spin off can compare….it just can’t, can’t.

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td – And if it has really popped then who is going to continue to lend us that 40 cents on every dollar we are currently spending?

do you have any idea how much of our debt China actually owns?

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td,

We are our own enemy (or something like that).

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“And if it has really popped then who is going to continue to lend us that 40 cents on every dollar we are currently spending?”

China;s government acts quickly because they don’t have a gop so they will be fine.

They raised interests rates, more down payment and stricter mortgages so people have to think twice before buying a house.

Their banks did not go all in like ours.

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Brosephus:

Thank you for your response. Now that you have added that last response, I more clearly understand your position.

For the pre-funding the transfer programs to work, the money can’t be used in other ways, or raided to pay for general expenses, as the SS trust fund was. Under that assumption, I would be much more likely to agree with you.

“Only time will show who’s right and who’s wrong.”

It’s a counterfactual. We’ll never know if my approach would yield a better result than the course the nation selected. What we do know is that a decent chunk of sovereign debt capacity has been consumed and this taxpayer is dismayed at the results that we have for our investment thus far.

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China owns approx. 20% of our debt.

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getalife

March 4th, 2013
12:57 pm

“And if it has really popped then who is going to continue to lend us that 40 cents on every dollar we are currently spending?”

China;s government acts quickly because they don’t have a gop so they will be fine.

They raised interests rates, more down payment and stricter mortgages so people have to think twice before buying a house.

Their banks did not go all in like ours.

You really need to see the story that was on 60 minutes last night about how China really works.

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E. Cat — “i read an article a few months back that said basically a car guy should run a car company, a shoe guy a shoe company etc etc…how can you run anything w/o being an expert in the field?”

You know what? That’s EXACTLY what I said when Delta brought Leo Mullin on as CEO in 1997.

http://www.forbes.com/profile/leo-mullin/

Delta’s problems weren’t all due to Mullin’s crappy management, but he managed to alienate DL employees, passengers AND management all at the same time. Hell, I was a multi-year Delta Platinum Medallion member (back when Platinum was as high as you could go) and I still jumped ship for another airline that actually seemed to want my business.

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They focus on China because they need an enemy.

Japan tried some stimulus.

The EU tried austerity and want to end it.

The Swiss voted to cap executive pay.

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downer,

The fuss is about unemployment is still too high.

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Brosephus™ @11:11 am
Moderate

I don’t think Social Security is in the position it is in because people are only concerned with making money.

I was on my phone so typing was a beeyatch. I was referring to the 401k as opposed to a defined pension. Years ago, people retired and had an idea of what they would have as far as retirement income. Now, the only thing that’s somewhat known is Social Security. Having to base your retirement on your 401k is a gamble that we’re losing, regardless to how much you have in your account.

Over the course of your lifetime, you only get 20% of what YOUR money earns while the financial industry pockets 80% without risking a single penny of their money. That’s what I was referring to about turning your retirement over to people who’s only concern is making money for themselves.

This country has gone from being one that took care of their own to being one that’s “every man, woman, and child for themselves”. How can a country who’s GDP exceeds $15 Trillion claim they can’t afford to take care of their own elderly? What kind of sense does that make, especially considering how many love to trot out the misguided information that this is a Christian society. Christ didn’t dump the poor out in the backyard to fend for themselves.
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I am not sure I understand the 20% of my money vs the 80% of their money.

From my perspective this is the result of the individualist tendencies of our society. Our society wants the government to stay out their business in both the social and economic realm. The left focuses on the social realm which garners the younger voters and the right focuses on the economic realm which gets them vote of people who want to pay fewer taxes. In the meantime we are moving to a society which is more liberal (classical use of the term) in both economics and socially. The rich really want this liberalization in both realms because they are the beneficiary of fewer rules both socially and economically.

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Why would you not want to close a loophole? The term itself means it wasn’t planned to work like that ? Only a water carrier I guess.

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Loopholes are corporate welfare .

When cons force their party to cut it, the deficit will drop.

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td

When I said largest holder, should have been more specific. Largest foreign holder of our debt. Of course as EC pointed out the actual percentage of what they hold, with Japan being right behind them.

Majority of US debt is held here in the US

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RB — ” But if it makes you all feel better to laugh and joke and hope people fail”

Nobody here wants you to fail, RB. We just wish you would stop bleating and whining about that awful gubmint paperwork.

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JohnnyReb:

LOL !

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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says U.S. airports, including Los Angeles International and O’Hare International, are already experiencing delays as a result of automatic federal spending cuts.

IOW, you poor bastards have goaded the beast and now you will suffer.

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getalife- cons need to get real on SS and Medicare is here to stay and stop trying to end them.

obamacare is largely funded by cuts in Medicare. (Did you not read that in the wonderful bill?)

The bridge program to obamacare ran out of funding 60% thru it’s lifespan. I’m sure obamacare will be under budget as he is the smartest man on the planet and would never lie to us.

The CBO is never wrong…

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MY LAZY GUN !

“Today I swung my front door wide open and placed my Stevens 320 right in the doorway. I gave it 6 shells, and noticing that it had no legs, even placed it in my wheelchair to help it get around. I then left it alone and went about my business.

While I was gone, the mailman delivered my mail, the neighbor boy across the street mowed the yard, a girl walked her dog down the street, and quite a few cars stopped at the stop sign right in front of our house.

After about an hour, I checked on the gun. It was still sitting there in the wheelchair, right where I had left it. It hadn’t rolled itself outside. It certainly hadn’t killed anyone, even with the numerous opportunities it had been presented to do so. In fact, it hadn’t even loaded itself. Well you can imagine my surprise, with all the media hype about how dangerous guns are and how they kill people. Either the media is wrong, and it’s the misuse of guns by PEOPLE that kills people, or I’m in possession of the laziest gun in the world.

Alright, well I’m off to check on my spoons. I hear they’re making people fat.”

Author Unknown

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JamVet

Thanks, but I’m not chasing anything he’s dishing out today. If he can’t remain in the real world, then he’ll be chasing by himself today.

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wahoo: It’s a counterfactual. We’ll never know if my approach would yield a better result than the course the nation selected.

Not necessarily your approach in the specific, but we’ll know whether the path taken vs the one not taken will be the right one.

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Moderate Line

It’s 100% of your money, but you’re only getting 20% in the long run. It’s from something that PBS put out long ago in a special on 401ks. That information comes directly from an interview that PBS did with John Bogle, who founded the mutual fund firm Vanguard.

So what do you say to the great mass of people who feel terrific about putting away 6 percent a year, with a 3 percent employer match — that is, 9 percent a year combined starting at around age 35? What do you say to them?

Well, in the long run, it’s 80 percent to the financial system, 20 percent to you. In a given year, it’s about 80 percent to you and 20 percent to the financial system, so if you look at 10 years or 15 years, you’re probably talking about 60 percent to you and 40 percent to the financial system maybe over 20 years, something like that. But the longer the period, the greater the impact of that tyranny of compounding costs is.

The entire series of interviews can be found here.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/retirement/world/401k.html

It goes towards what I was saying about the caste system being put into play here. It’s all going so below the radar that most people don’t see it and won’t see it until it’s too late.

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heathen, going to and through LAX sucks big time as it is!

Though the rates are often (a lot higher), if you can, go though Bob Hope International; it rocks. And it isn’t any farther from where movie stars, like yours truly, hangs out, Hollywood and Beverly Hills. (LOL)

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On the bright side, airport concessionaires and airlines anticipate increased revenue as they take advantage of the situation.

In every cloud, a silver lining.

where movie stars, like yours truly, hangs out,

Jamvet, International man of mystery.

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Moderate Line

If you read that entire interview with Bogle, you’ll probably see that the way to change that part of our retirement system has already been suggested, and it involves social security. When you don’t have a great pitchman to explain things, you’ll never get people to understand what you’re really suggesting.

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JamVet

Did you see the results of the Swiss referendum on CEO pay? I know that if anybody here saw that, it would be you.

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The five year Obama experiment in progressivism has reached its logical conclusion: flat-line economic growth, ever increasing debt, a central bank that can’t cut off the spigot, negative jobs growth, constantly declining disposible income, and an ever dumbed down electorate. The NYT has published a series of critical articals on Obama’s OFA super-pac over the past two weeks. The OFA is not a grass roots organization that elected Obama. It is instead designed to solicit large donations from corporations and lobbyists. The publically advertised price for access to the President is $500k. Obama is setting up this organization to try to gain control of the House in 2014. He is essentially admitting that his first four years have been a failure and that he does not have the leadership skills to accomplish anything in his second term without the ability to strongarm legislation through Congress. Obama is an excellent politician and a talented campaigner, but nevertheless he is a flawed leader because he does not have the ability to foster bipartisanship. The sequester has made him look foolish- tripping over his fabrications from speech to speech. With the GOP willing to accept Defense cuts, it is too bad that Obama is not strong enough to put together the necessary grand bargain the country desperately needs. Someone needs to remind the White House that the election is over and it is time to actually accomplish something rather than move from one self created crisis to another. Unfortunately, it is beyond Obama’s skillset to do much of anything other than campaign for office.

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rightwing- “Iraqi oil will pay for it all”…

Who said that? Cite please.

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This is an uncharacteristic maneuver based on extreme circumstances. The GOP perceives Obama as unwilling to negotiate in good faith. There’s good reason for that perception. Obama’s not a guy who has much patience for dissenting opinion.

How do you negotiate with someone who isn’t willing to compromise? Continued repeating of this bogus sh*t will not make it come true. The GOP has been insistent on cuts with no revenue. They got cuts with no revenue in 2011 in exchange for the sequester to force a negotiation that contained cuts and revenue.

The GOP is still saying cuts only with no revenue while Obama is offering cuts AND revenue. Seems like a standoff to me, which is why the sequester kicked in.

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Half Century Dawg: “This fiscal conservative (not republican) has no problem with closing loop holes to increase revenue as long as the increase goes 100% to paying down the debt.”

Why?

Our debt is not really something that needs to be “paid down”, the way a household’s debt needs to be.

Where do you get this idea that you can jump from a household budget scenario to a national budget when the two really have nothing to do with each other?

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JKL — “Who said that? Cite please.”

Both Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz.

http://watchingthewatchers.org/news/624/iraq-war-cost-little-and-iraq-oil

http://www.factcheck.org/2010/03/rove-vs-brokaw-and-other-sunday-squabbles/

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They call me MISTER JamVet.

March 4th, 2013
1:01 pm

Why is it the Governments responsibility to care (code word take care of) its citizens?

When I read stuff like this I want to throw up.

It seems that the most strident of the far right wingers have actually convinced themselves that the legitimate role – certainly the primary one according to td – of the US government is simply national defense.

And it is this lack of humanity and basic concern for their fellow countrymen that is what I find so disturbing about them.

And i believe it will be their ultimate undoing as a political philosophy…

Before you throw up then you should really walk into the waiting room of your local DFCS office and see what the “great society” has done to the poor souls of generational welfare recipients. If that look of hopelessness does not make you throw up then you have no soul my friend. When a government makes its citizens dependent on it then it deprives them of having a meaning to their lives.

The government is cold, legalized and follows policy to the tee. They do not give people the right message about the meaning of work. The great society has doomed millions of our fellow citizens to meaningless life. How could you support such a system and still say you care?

It is religions responsibility to take care of the poor and if they can not handle the job then the local community and then the state. The Federal government should stay the hell out of it.

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Welcome to the Occupation , because we are paying interest on that debt and if we pay it down, we pay less interest. That money could be better applied to other needs or reduced taxes.

Why in your mind does debt not matter? I am open minded and always willing to learn.

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In a discussion of a different type of entitlement, the NYT offers a story about tax exempt bonds:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/05/business/qualified-private-activity-bonds-come-under-new-scrutiny.html?hp

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What I have found is that Liberals jump to personal attack when the facts don’t support their wishes.

Ann Coulter says, “What?”

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Why not close loopholes?

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“Why not close loopholes?”

Because of unlimited corporate donations.

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it may be years before we truly know if Obama moved the goal posts or if Boehner could not deliver what he and Obama had agreed. Your side blames Boehner, mine Obama.

Wrong again. MY side blames them all as there’s no common sense logic whatsoever that would lead someone to put themselves in such a sh*thole as we’ve done. The facts are there, and Obama has been asking for revenue and cuts the whole time. The GOP has been insistent on cuts and cuts only.

The “balanced” approach, Simpson-Bowles, recommended a mix of revenue and cuts. For some odd reason, the GOP slams Obama for not going with Simpson-Bowles when their own party voted it down in committee and the corporate media doesn’t call out that BS for what it is. Furthermore, the GOP refuses revenues in the mix, so even their own position doesn’t support Simpson-Bowles.

My side wishes there was a way to set a recall election for all 535 in Congress where those currently in office could not run. Only when those jackasses realize their actions have real effect on the country will they leave the pissant partisanship alone and do what’s right for the country.

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Brosephus – what do you think all the stink has been about over Woodward’s remarks? He wrote that Obama agreed to no revenue increases in the sequestor deal. Obama has not lived up to that agreement. Woodward outed him.

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what do you think all the stink has been about over Woodward’s remarks? He wrote that Obama agreed to no revenue increases in the sequestor deal.

Obama agreed to no revenues in that 2011 deal that included the sequester under the premise that the “grand bargain” would contain both. All one has to do is read the news from 2011 to see that point being made over and over in the thousands of speeches he’s made. Woodward can’t change the past.

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” I don’t ascribe to BLT at all, but to try to paint Obama as some boogeyman shows that y’all are some real scaredycats when it’s all said and done.”

C’mon Brosephus. You had to go there? If you don’t like Obama, “y’all”must have issues with black folks. Black folks in power, anyway.

That argument becomes limper with every passing day. The salt peter is introduced by Obama’s actions themselves.

And if you’re counting not proscribing to BLT as a point in your favor, then you have set mighty low standards for yourself.

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