Saturday, July 31, 2010
Plumbing Ad Makes Unsettling Comparison with Parachuting!
This is a weird commercial for plumbing, comparing your parachute malfunctioning to an over flowing toilet. I'm still feeling a little traumatized by the whole idea.
Proof: Republicans to Hold Off Recovery, to Anger Voters and Win Elections. It's Working...
Example 1: Rejecting the small business tax cuts offered by the Democrats. Only their "magical" policies will work.
Example 2: Rejecting medical help to 9/11 volunteers. All the Republican talk of idolizing those 9/11 heroes turns out to be just that, talk. It's almost unthinkable during an election year to be so hostile to our fellow Americans. Still, it's working for them.
Example 2: Rejecting medical help to 9/11 volunteers. All the Republican talk of idolizing those 9/11 heroes turns out to be just that, talk. It's almost unthinkable during an election year to be so hostile to our fellow Americans. Still, it's working for them.
Schlafly Picks on Unmarried Women with Children. Conservatives giving everyone the impression they're Hideous People.
Conservatives hate helping people so much, they hate and distrust everyone. For instance, what's there to like about unmarried women with kids. They knew Obama would take care of them with other peoples money so they could live the life of ease without a man around. My head is hurting now...
Phyllis Schlafly: One of the things Obama’s been doing is deliberately trying to increase the percentage of our population that is dependent on government for your living.
For example, do you know what was the second biggest demographic group that voted for Obama? Obviously the blacks were the biggest demographic, you all know what was the second biggest? Unmarried women. 70% of unmarried women voted for Obama. And this is because when you kick your husband out, you’ve got to have Big Brother Government to be your provider. And they know that. They’ve admitted it. And they have all kinds of bills to continue to subsidize illegitimacy…
The Obama administration wants to continue to subsidize this group because they know they are Democratic votes.
Phyllis Schlafly: One of the things Obama’s been doing is deliberately trying to increase the percentage of our population that is dependent on government for your living.
For example, do you know what was the second biggest demographic group that voted for Obama? Obviously the blacks were the biggest demographic, you all know what was the second biggest? Unmarried women. 70% of unmarried women voted for Obama. And this is because when you kick your husband out, you’ve got to have Big Brother Government to be your provider. And they know that. They’ve admitted it. And they have all kinds of bills to continue to subsidize illegitimacy…
The Obama administration wants to continue to subsidize this group because they know they are Democratic votes.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tapping into the mythical excuse for Trickle Downs Failure, Economic "Uncertainty," Ryan Claims Republican Reform is Immediate, Certain.
In this interview with Ezra Klein, Paul Ryan is revealed to be living in some alternate universe where persistent Republicans can simply get what they want by complaining, without ever compromising.
Paul Ryan: I would advance different solutions with an eye toward international competitiveness and … encouraging certainty.
Klein: The National Federation of Independent Business’s surveys have shown the main concern of their member businesses is that they’re not going to have customers for their products. So do Republicans have any demand-side solutions, even if they’re just tax cuts? Is there talk of a payroll tax holiday, or anything similar?
Ryan: There are some who do. Where I come from, I think certainty and long-term solutions are better. Temporary stuff doesn’t work.
Klein: But to just push you on this one more time, even under the best circumstances, that will take a long time. What Congress produces won’t be what’s in your white papers. So best-case scenario: Replacing them takes awhile, and there’s going to be natural uncertainty as banks, for instance, now have to wait to see what the new rules will be on them. And so what do you do in the interim to unlock this capital?
Ryan: If Nancy Pelosi came to me and said I’ve been wrong, you’re right, what do you want to do immediately, we could put caps on spending, maybe make a good dent on future spending through the [fiscal] commission, and extend the tax cuts two years. That, in and of itself, would really help the economy.
How easy was that? He's so smart.Klein: A report released by the National League of Cities, the National Association
of Counties and United States Conference of Mayors said they’ll have to lay off
500,000 people in the next few years if they don’t get some fiscal relief.
That’s 500,000 people on the unemployment rolls.Ryan: I’ve always believed we need automatic stabilizers. We need a safety net. But … I also think it’s a bad idea to bail out states from making the necessary decisions they need to make to increase and fix their structural deficit problems. All you’re doing then is putting their liabilities on the federal books.
Public Beginning to Forget Lies and distortions about Health Care Reform. Suddenly, they like it.
It looks like more Americans are getting a better idea of what health care reform will mean to them, and liking it. Kaiser Foundation poll above.
Thank you E.J. for writing what I haven’t had the time post myself over the insanity of the “debate” on economics.
We can blame the media for allowing the party of NO to get away with policies that don't make factual sense. The "fair" thing to do is have a debate.
E.J. Dionne Jr.: The simple truth is that the wealthy in the United States -- the people who have made almost all the income gains in recent years -- are undertaxed compared with everyone else.
Consider two reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. One, issued last month, highlighted findings from the Congressional Budget Office showing that "the gaps in after-tax income between the richest 1 percent of Americans and the middle and poorest fifths of the country more than tripled between 1979 and 2007."
The other, from February, used Internal Revenue Service data to show that the effective federal income tax rate for the 400 taxpayers with the very highest incomes declined by nearly half in just over a decade, even as their pre-tax incomes have grown five times larger.
The study found that the top 400 households "paid 16.6 percent of their income in federal individual income taxes in 2007, down from 30 percent in 1995." We are talking here about truly rich people. Using 2007 dollars, it took an adjusted gross income of at least $35 million to make the top 400 in 1992, and $139 million in 2007.
The notion that when we are fighting two wars, we're not supposed to consider raising taxes on such Americans is one sign of a country that's no longer serious ... studies showing that the stimulus created or saved as many as 3 million jobs are very hard to refute. It's much easier to pretend that all this money was wasted, although the evidence is overwhelming that we should have stimulated more.
When our republic was created, the population ratio between the largest and smallest state was 13 to 1. Now, it's 68 to 1. Because of the abuse of the filibuster, 41 senators representing less than 11 percent of the nation's population can, in principle, block action supported by 59 senators representing more than 89 percent of our population. And you wonder why it's so hard to get anything done in Washington?
I'm a chronic optimist about America. But we are letting stupid politics, irrational ideas on fiscal policy and an antiquated political structure undermine our power.
E.J. Dionne Jr.: The simple truth is that the wealthy in the United States -- the people who have made almost all the income gains in recent years -- are undertaxed compared with everyone else.
Consider two reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. One, issued last month, highlighted findings from the Congressional Budget Office showing that "the gaps in after-tax income between the richest 1 percent of Americans and the middle and poorest fifths of the country more than tripled between 1979 and 2007."
The other, from February, used Internal Revenue Service data to show that the effective federal income tax rate for the 400 taxpayers with the very highest incomes declined by nearly half in just over a decade, even as their pre-tax incomes have grown five times larger.
The study found that the top 400 households "paid 16.6 percent of their income in federal individual income taxes in 2007, down from 30 percent in 1995." We are talking here about truly rich people. Using 2007 dollars, it took an adjusted gross income of at least $35 million to make the top 400 in 1992, and $139 million in 2007.
The notion that when we are fighting two wars, we're not supposed to consider raising taxes on such Americans is one sign of a country that's no longer serious ... studies showing that the stimulus created or saved as many as 3 million jobs are very hard to refute. It's much easier to pretend that all this money was wasted, although the evidence is overwhelming that we should have stimulated more.
When our republic was created, the population ratio between the largest and smallest state was 13 to 1. Now, it's 68 to 1. Because of the abuse of the filibuster, 41 senators representing less than 11 percent of the nation's population can, in principle, block action supported by 59 senators representing more than 89 percent of our population. And you wonder why it's so hard to get anything done in Washington?
I'm a chronic optimist about America. But we are letting stupid politics, irrational ideas on fiscal policy and an antiquated political structure undermine our power.
House Republicans to 9/11 Heroes suffering lasting Health Complications: Pay for your own Doctor Bills, Freeloaders! Rep. Weiner Pissed.
If only every Democrat had Rep. Anthony Weiner's fire when it came to believing in their own ideals.
Weiner: "This is not something that got rushed through. This is nine years in the making. Nine years worth of people getting sick and dying when the only thing they did wrong, so to speak, was to come to Ground Zero and helping dig out neighbors." "Stop whining and the get bill passed," Weiner said.
Washington Post: Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) literally lost it on the House floor Thursday over his Republican colleagues' procedural objection to an amendment to the Public Health Services Act. The amendment would extend and improve health care benefits for 9/11 victims suffering from lasting health complications.
Weiner is given to House floor drama. The New York Democrat is known for his often passionate and attention-grabbing remarks. He screamed for more than a minute Thursday, calling on Republican colleagues to vote 'no' against the bill, rather than object on procedural grounds.
Weiner: "This is not something that got rushed through. This is nine years in the making. Nine years worth of people getting sick and dying when the only thing they did wrong, so to speak, was to come to Ground Zero and helping dig out neighbors." "Stop whining and the get bill passed," Weiner said.
King: "They wanted to make a chief political point."
Weiner: "We made the point," interrupting King. "We support it, Your guys don't. That's outrageous."
Running for Governor, and Running from a Flood, that's our Scott Walker.
Looks matter most for Republicans. Wearing flag pins, waving flags, carrying a pocket constitution, standing for the pledge, being seen praying in public, having fireworks, looking tough on crime and terrorism, not wearing a helmet or seat belt, smoking around people that don’t, carrying guns, dressing like the founding fathers, complaining a president doesn’t appear and a boy scout event or national cemetery…you get the idea.
So it is a BIG DEAL when a Republican blows a chance to “LOOK” concerned.
So it is a BIG DEAL when a Republican blows a chance to “LOOK” concerned.
In a horribly concocted response, "refudiated" by local news:Wisconsin State Journal: After heavy rainfall and flooding caused millions of dollars in damages to Wisconsin - even triggering a sinkhole in Milwaukee big enough to swallow a Cadillac Escalade - Democratic candidate for governor and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett toured areas damaged by the rains over the weekend. And Republican candidate Scott Walker, the Milwaukee County executive, made campaign stops in places like Wausau, Eau Claire, and Pulaski.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin was quick to point out the difference, releasing a video about the two candidates and their weekend activities. "Tell Scott Walker that a real leader is there for his constituents, not his own career," the Dem's ad reads.
Walker's campaign promptly accused Democrats of trying to use the storms to boost Barrett's campaign. "Scott spent all Friday touring flood damage, visiting with victims, issuing a disaster declaration, actively seeking state and federal assistance, and is receiving constant updates on flood relief efforts," Walker campaign manager Keith Gilkes said.Yes, he was right there, as the video clearly reveals, from BagScottWalker?
Green Bay has No Chance of Hosting Super Bowl, says Goodell. Try and find a hotel...
The sad part of this story is that many will never see or be a part of the Lambeau experience. It really is a great community (a few too many conservatives, but they have a nice brew pub).
Jsonline: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn't come right out and say it, but if you do the math he presented, it's clear Lambeau Field has almost no shot at hosting a Super Bowl. Goodell was in town to attend the Green Bay Packers annual shareholders meetings … said it would be inaccurate to characterize the cold as the biggest deterrent, especially given the decision to play in New York in 2014. "It's not about weather as much as it is infrastructure," Goodell said. "You need 25,000 hotel rooms within 60 miles. It's an extraordinary undertaking."
Given there only about 3,000 hotel rooms in the greater Green Bay area, odds probably aren't good the big game will ever be played here. He would not categorically dismiss the idea of a Super Bowl at Lambeau, but you get the picture.
Crime Continues to Go Down in Milwaukee, Where No One can Carry a Concealed Weapon. Defies Logic?
Guns deter criminals! So what would explain the lower crime rates in Milwaukee, where no one is allowed to carry concealed weapons and we don't have broad crazy "Castle" laws allowing you to shoot anyone you think might harm anywhere outside your home? I guess the answer is there is no relation at all between carry laws in states that allow it, and states that don't, like Wisconsin and Illinois. Huh oh:
Reported crime in Milwaukee has decreased for 10 consecutive quarters … Milwaukee has continued to mirror a national trend that has seen crime decrease across the country for three consecutive years, according to statistics released by the Police Department. Reported crime in the eight major categories tracked by the FBI is down 7.6% in Milwaukee through the first half of this year … Violent crime - homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault - is down 12.3%Statistics don’t support the idea that carrying guns, concealed or not, contributes one bit to the downward national trend of crime. Yet, in-home gun ownership hasn’t statistically reduced burglary:
Burglary is the only crime among the eight major offenses tracked by the FBI that has increased, jumping 3.7% compared with the first half of 2007 and 1.4% compared with the first half of last year, according to the department's statistics.Again, home gun protection doesn’t seem to deter someone from breaking in…how curious. Will any brave gun crazy advocate please explain how that is possible.
Essence Attacked for Hiring White Editor. How odd is this Protest?
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
So Much for Palin's Bizarre "Mama Grizzly" Campaign!!
Can Sarah Palin do anything right? Anyone want to be a "Mama Grizzly" now?
AP: The bears that attacked and killed a man and injured two others at a campground in Yellowstone National Park have been captured … A 300- to 400-pound mother grizzly and two of her three cubs were lured into a trap made from the dead man's tent. The bear tore town the trap and was captured. Kevin Kammer, a 48-year-old man from Grand Rapids, Michigan … was pulled from his tent and dragged 25 feet to his death.But still her campaign carnage continues...
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has endorsed Wyoming State Auditor Rita Meyer's campaign for governor … "Voters know that Rita has a unique blend of steel magnolia and mama grizzly," Palin wrote on her Facebook page.
Hooray for Freedom and Liberty Loving Parents: Wisconsin in Top 5 States Exposing Kids to Second Hand Smoke.
No one wants the government poking its nose into our lives, telling us this and that, taking our God given rights away as spelled out in the constitution. Parents know what’s best for their kids…
Wisconsin's youth are struggling for breath, as the state was among the top five in the nation with high levels of secondhand smoke exposure for children 17 and younger … tied MissouriOverall … the state's secondhand smoke exposure for youngsters in 2007 was 40 percent higher than the national average.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Republicans can’t stop Spending Taxpayer money on Phantoms from their own Mythology: VOTER FRAUD!!!
Remember the high cost of appearing tough on crime with truth and sentencing? Wow.
How about terrorism? And then there’s that border fence? Pre-emptive wars anyone? Gay marriage banning efforts? Pushing to expand the private health care system that’s already completely unaffordable? And one of the most imaginary efforts of all, VOTER FRAUD.
Wisconsin's attorney general launched an effort to help local prosecutors investigate voter fraud, which he called a widespread problem that taints elections. J.B. Van Hollen said his office will join with 11 district attorneys to expand a task force that has investigated hundreds of complaints of irregularities from the 2008 presidential election in Milwaukee County.
Everyone who is liberal (felons) is doing it, in unheard of large numbers...17?:
Prosecutors have charged 17 individuals with counts that include voting illegally as a felon, voting twice and committing voter registration fraud.
Oh yeah, JB was sure to make sure Democrats were listening, because after all, only liberals commit voter fraud:
But he said the bipartisan effort also would deter fraud by sending a message that enforcement was a priority.
Notice the following ridiculous way the press handled the whole idea of “voter fraud,” by simply treating the idea as if it has merit:
The announcement comes amid a raging partisan debate over how widespread voter fraud really is in Wisconsin. Republicans have long made the case, without much proof, that voter fraud is rampant ... Democrats accuse Republicans of hyping a bogus issue and trying to suppress minority voters. The Government Accountability Board, which runs elections, said recently that it had found no evidence of "any widespread, organized or systemic cases" of voter fraud in the 2008 election. But the board acknowledged a growing perception that it is a problem.
GAB Director Kevin Kennedy said the board handles less than 100 such cases in any given election cycle.
Sure it's a ploy to take attention away from GOP "ELECTION FRAUD," but they've got taxpayer money to burn on pure liberal baiting PARANOIA.
Van Hollen, for his part, said: "I personally believe that we do, and have had, widespread voter fraud."
Funny thing, Democrats aren't falling for the sucker punch.
Van Hollen's Democratic opponent, Scott Hassett, called any problems isolated and the task force "a waste of resources.""That does not exist," he said. "I think he's just playing to his base."
The Milwaukee cases filed so far include voter registration workers who turned in fake and duplicate names, a husband and wife who voted absentee and again at the polls, a man who voted under his dead wife's name and felons who voted illegally.
Hassett would not say whether he would disband the group if elected, but added, "I suspect I'll have much greater priorities than this."
To Save Health Care Money, Cut the Board in charge of controlling cost? You still Don’t get why We Had a Great Recession.
The title says it all, almost. Here’s the mind numbing thought process behind the Republican plan to control health care costs, as written by Roll Call:
Could it be Republicans would love to make sure health care reform doesn’t work by getting rid of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, and the cost controls that go with them? Beautiful.
So Cornyn would not want to control health care costs, because unelected bureaucrats APPOINTED BY POLITICIANS aren’t accountable. But elected POLITICIANS appointed the bureaucrats, right, which would make them accountable to their constituents.
They really do think we’re as dumb as their core voters.
Good God!On Tuesday afternoon, a handful of Republican Senators answered that question, introducing a bill to scrap the Independent Payment Advisory Board created by the new health care law. The board is charged with helping to control health care costs, and GOP critics say it will lead to the rationing of care.
“America’s seniors deserve the ability to hold elected officials accountable for the decisions that affect their Medicare, but IPAB would take that away from seniors and put power in the hands of politically appointed Washington bureaucrats,” said the bill’s author, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas). “This bill to repeal IPAB is just one step toward starting over with real health care reform.”
Could it be Republicans would love to make sure health care reform doesn’t work by getting rid of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, and the cost controls that go with them? Beautiful.
So Cornyn would not want to control health care costs, because unelected bureaucrats APPOINTED BY POLITICIANS aren’t accountable. But elected POLITICIANS appointed the bureaucrats, right, which would make them accountable to their constituents.
They really do think we’re as dumb as their core voters.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz says end the war.
Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz joined a larger number of Democrats in opposition to continued war funding. Putting it simply and logically, Chaffetz's arguments for finally ending the nation building efforts in Afghanistan, could have come from the most ardent liberal.
Hats off to a gutsy, clear thinking conservative. MSNBC's Chris Hayes:
Hats off to a gutsy, clear thinking conservative. MSNBC's Chris Hayes:
Make the Tea Party and Rupublican Party Support INCREASING the Deficit by Defending the Bush Tax Cuts.
The Nations Chris Hayes, filling in for Rachel Maddow, neatly breaks down the cost of repealing the Bush tax cuts.
The Breitbart hero! So is racism really just a strawman?
Dumb ass conservative radio host, aren't they all, chose to defend Breitbart as "a bit of a hero." Manipulating video clips for character assassination is so conservatively noble.
Extending the Bush Tax Cuts Won't Create Jobs!- Heritage Foundation.
Finally something coherent and revealing from the Ed Show. Because a lot of Ed Schultz's idea's are spread out, with so many side comments it makes my head spin, it's hard to edit and make a solid point. Not this time on the debate over the Bush tax cuts.
The video below is a mix of statistics and interviews, with the Heritage Foundation's Curtis Dubay, Bob Shrum, Fox News, and Joan Walsh. It's all here. Now if Democrats gets repeat this message over and over, and not let the one or two conservadems control the topic, we might have a real race this election season. Maddow, O'Donnell, Schultz, Olbermann and Hayes have set the table and fine tuned the message, now it's time for the Democratic Party control the debate.
The video below is a mix of statistics and interviews, with the Heritage Foundation's Curtis Dubay, Bob Shrum, Fox News, and Joan Walsh. It's all here. Now if Democrats gets repeat this message over and over, and not let the one or two conservadems control the topic, we might have a real race this election season. Maddow, O'Donnell, Schultz, Olbermann and Hayes have set the table and fine tuned the message, now it's time for the Democratic Party control the debate.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
One of the Best, Nicest, Complementary Non-Endorsements for Elizabeth Warren I've Ever Seen
Just a refresher on the who, what, where, when, why of the story:
Elizabeth Warren’s supporters want President Obama to nominate her as the first head of a new consumer financial protection bureau created by the legislation he signed into law last week. They say that Ms. Warren, who conceived the idea and helped shepherd its passage into law, is the only acceptable choice to finish the project.
Bankers oppose her nomination for exactly that reason. Roger M. Beverage, head of the Oklahoma Bankers Association, said that Ms. Warren was widely respected in Oklahoma, where she was raised and is still remembered as a high school debate champion. But he said that his members did not believe she would understand the needs and concerns of community banks.
Here's what fascinated me so much to blog this oddity:
“Not that she’s not competent. Goodness gracious, I would never say that. She’s exceptionally bright. We just fear what she might come up with,” Mr. Beverage said. “She’s a partisan and she’s bull-headed and she’s opinionated. And she’s terrific. She’s a great advocate. We just respectfully disagree with her view of the world.”
Ryan Voted Against his Districts Federal Flood Insurance.
Paul Ryan may not feel too threatened by his Democratic challenger, John Heckenlively, but there is a chance the district voters will finally be exposed to the shocking reality of their stone cold absentee representative. Ryan probably never expected devastating floods along the Root River to expose his brutal approach to cutting government services. I wonder how many supporters are still glad he tried to save some government money?
Heckenlively Campaign: Paul Ryan votes to let flooded residents sink
[RACINE] – Residents who live along the Root River have returned to their homes after recent floods to begin the task of restoring order and assessing damage. For the last forty years, FEMA has offered low cost flood insurance to residents who live along flood plains so when disaster strikes, there is a safety net for families to repair and heal their most important asset: their home.
After Hurricane Katrina, FEMA was overwhelmed with nearly $17 billion in claims, requiring a massive restructuring of the flood insurance program … Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced Flood Insurance Reform Priorities Act (HR 5114) to guarantee flood insurance would continue … 85 Republicans in the House voted in favor of Waters’ bill. However, Congressman Paul Ryan of the recently flooded First Congressional District voted against it.Mr. Ryan’s vote against flood victims demonstrates a continued disdain for his constituents in times of crisis and disaster.
Republican Ron Johnson Admits saving Insurers Money by shifting cost to Families.
This headline popped out at me the other day:
For instance, the $2,000 to $5,000 deductible mentioned by Johnson is LOW if you're trying to lower your monthly premium. Try $8,000 to $10,000 deductibles. Since I had a health savings account for 8 years, I know what I'm talking about. Additionally, the insurance company will "encourage" you to pay a higher deductible, or else. You'll love the $700 to $900 prescription drug benefit EACH YEAR, even if you don't buy one single drug. And if you cancel your drug coverage, you can never sign up for it again. Nice squeeze play?
Johnson even denies the reality of the countless uninsured families:
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson defends suggestion that Americans should get some of their health care at Wal-Mart, Walgreens.Most candidates for congress would never ask voters to pay more of their hard earned money for health care, so insurers can save money, but Ron Johnson is not your ordinary millionaire candidate. Not only will you get high quality health care from Wal-Mart and Walgreens, but prices will plummet too:
The effect would be to pull down prices in the whole medical system, the Oshkosh business owner said in an interview Friday. (When it comes to health savings accounts) "You also then remove the insurance third party in the first $2,000, $3,000, $4,000 or $5000 of everybody's health care spending every year," Johnson said.Yes, Johnson is boldly praising a plan that shifts the cost of health care to families and individuals, saving insurance companies lots of money. Now that's freedom. But he's leaving out a lot.
For instance, the $2,000 to $5,000 deductible mentioned by Johnson is LOW if you're trying to lower your monthly premium. Try $8,000 to $10,000 deductibles. Since I had a health savings account for 8 years, I know what I'm talking about. Additionally, the insurance company will "encourage" you to pay a higher deductible, or else. You'll love the $700 to $900 prescription drug benefit EACH YEAR, even if you don't buy one single drug. And if you cancel your drug coverage, you can never sign up for it again. Nice squeeze play?
Johnson even denies the reality of the countless uninsured families:
He said the number of people without access to health care is somewhat overblown and that in Wisconsin, BadgerCare covers many people who fall through the cracks. Asked if he supports BadgerCare, Johnson said: "We have it."For now, right Ron?
Advice from Ron Johnson: You better hope you're not on the losing side of "Creative Destruction."
Job losses in Wisconsin due to free trade and the global economy produce what Republican Senate candidate Ron Johnson calls "Creative Destruction," a Schumpetarian business model. How will this help Wisconsin is anybody's guess. Wispolitics:
Maybe Ron Johnson can explain "creative destruction" to the former employees of the disappearing paper manufacturing industry here, where "creative" had nothing to do with the availability of slave wages and loose environmental controls. It's also heavily subsidized by the Chinese government. How is that "free" and "fair" trade?
It must be comforting for workers in Wisconsin to know that their next senator off handily believes "There are winners and losers," and that at any moment, they might be losers. That's capitalism. Deal with it.
Schumpeterian? What the hell is that, and who is Joseph Schumpeter? I gathered the following information. Interesting note: From what I understand, Schumpeter borrow the term "creative destruction" from Karl Marx.
Schumpeter's theory is that the success of capitalism will lead to a form of corporatism and a fostering of values hostile to capitalism, especially among intellectuals. The intellectual and social climate needed to allow entrepreneurship to thrive will not exist in advanced capitalism; it will be replaced by socialism in some form.
He disputed the idea that democracy was a process by which the electorate identified the common good, and politicians carried this out for them. He argued this was unrealistic, and that people's ignorance and superficiality meant that in fact they were largely manipulated by politicians, who set the agenda. This made a 'rule by the people' concept both unlikely and undesirable. Instead he advocated a minimalist model, much influenced by Max Weber, whereby democracy is the mechanism for competition between leaders, much like a market structure.
Although periodic votes by the general public legitimize governments and keep them accountable, the policy program is very much seen as their own and not that of the people, and the participatory role for individuals is usually severely limited. Today, Schumpeter has a following outside
Maybe Ron Johnson can explain "creative destruction" to the former employees of the disappearing paper manufacturing industry here, where "creative" had nothing to do with the availability of slave wages and loose environmental controls. It's also heavily subsidized by the Chinese government. How is that "free" and "fair" trade?
It must be comforting for workers in Wisconsin to know that their next senator off handily believes "There are winners and losers," and that at any moment, they might be losers. That's capitalism. Deal with it.
Schumpeterian? What the hell is that, and who is Joseph Schumpeter? I gathered the following information. Interesting note: From what I understand, Schumpeter borrow the term "creative destruction" from Karl Marx.
Capitalism, then, is by nature a form or method of economic change and not only never is but never can be stationary. Nor is this evolutionary character due to a quasi-automatic increase in population and capital … The fundamental impulse that sets and keeps the capitalist engine in motion comes from the new consumers, goods, the new methods of production or transportation, the new markets, the new forms of industrial organization that capitalist enterprise creates.He popularized the term "creative destruction" in economics. Schumpeter's most popular book in English is probably Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. This book opens with a treatment of Karl Marx. While he is sympathetic to Marx's theory that capitalism will collapse and will be replaced by socialism, Schumpeter concludes that this will not come about in the way Marx predicted. To describe it he borrowed the phrase "
Schumpeter's theory is that the success of capitalism will lead to a form of corporatism and a fostering of values hostile to capitalism, especially among intellectuals. The intellectual and social climate needed to allow entrepreneurship to thrive will not exist in advanced capitalism; it will be replaced by socialism in some form.
He disputed the idea that democracy was a process by which the electorate identified the common good, and politicians carried this out for them. He argued this was unrealistic, and that people's ignorance and superficiality meant that in fact they were largely manipulated by politicians, who set the agenda. This made a 'rule by the people' concept both unlikely and undesirable. Instead he advocated a minimalist model, much influenced by Max Weber, whereby democracy is the mechanism for competition between leaders, much like a market structure.
Although periodic votes by the general public legitimize governments and keep them accountable, the policy program is very much seen as their own and not that of the people, and the participatory role for individuals is usually severely limited. Today, Schumpeter has a following outside
Monday, July 26, 2010
Glenn Beck: "Your Republic...is OVER!" And they said Democrats hated America.
Liberals are whiners. They hate America and always complain about it. They're never happy about anything...and then there are the patriot constitutionalists...like Glenn Beck:
Rubio Wants to add to Deficit. What a Tea Partier!
Rachel Maddows ad game with Marco Rubio informs the deficit hawks, but will they listen?
The JournoList forum told the truth, and that's Frowned on by Protective Conservatives for Dullard Palin.
You would have thought the world came to an end, and the right wingnuts favorite village (Facebook) idiot had been disparaged by the liberal press. They would be profoundly wrong.
It's more like the truth hurts. A few quick examples:
It's more like the truth hurts. A few quick examples:
400 top mainstream reporters and their activist buddies conspired in an attack against Palin the minute she entered the presidential race.Nothing untrue here. That truth set Palin free, because everything they talked about above had been written about Palin. This ISN'T SECRET STUFF as suggested above and below. But that would mean it wasn't "cooked up" or created a "false picture" as suggested below.
"What a joke," added Jeffrey Toobin, a staff writer at the New Yorker and a senior analyst at CNN.
Ryan Donmoyer of Bloomberg News warned that Palin's decision against aborting her baby with Down syndrome represented a threat to Obama because it was a "heartwarming" story.
Human Rights Watch's then-chief of operations, Suzanne Nossel, suggested that McCain be called the sexist: "I think it is and can be spun as a profoundly sexist pick. Women should feel umbrage at the idea that their votes can be attracted just by putting a woman, any woman, on the ticket no matter her qualification or views."
"OK, let's get deadly serious, folks," wrote Ed Kilgore, managing editor of the Democratic Strategist. "Grating voice or not, 'inexperienced' or not, Sarah Palin's just been introduced to the country as a brave, above-party, oil-company-bashing, pork-hating maverick 'outsider.' What we can do is expose her ideology?"
And so it went — journalists from the Nation, Mother Jones, Time, Politico, Bloomberg cooking up approaches, arguments, "narratives" and templates to paint a false picture of the candidate.At the same time, and while you read below, Obama cavorted with terrorists, was a Marxist, born in Kenya, was a socialist, wasn't an "executive" (neither was Lincoln) and was an latte sipping softy on defending the country. Let the phony outrage begin….
Nominally competitors, these supposedly impartial media mavens colluded in a way that would put airline or insurance officials in the dock for anti-competitive practices. They engaged in activism instead of fact-finding and mixed incestuously with activists whom they also should have been covering impartially.
Worst of all, they deprived millions of Americans of the information they needed to size up this new face on the political scene and determine if she really was a candidate who represented their interests. That still remains to be done — and the country is poorer for it.The "Facebook candidate" hasn't been sized up yet? Really?
Companies Unsure about Economy NOT the reason for lack of Hiring and Expansion. New Slimmer Business Model.
Top down, voodoo economics has fazed out large workforces for leaner production and higher shareholder profits. Republicans may continue to say the business community is unsure about regulation and health care costs, but the truth is, a new business model has emerged. They've found a way to keep Americans unemployed and still make money. NY Times:
Harley-Davidson … Motorcycle sales are falling in 2010, as they have for each of the last three years. The company does not expect a turnaround anytime soon. But despite that drought, Harley’s profits are rising — soaring, in fact. Last week, Harley reported a $71 million profit in the second quarter, more than triple what it earned a year ago.
This seeming contradiction — falling sales and rising profits … Many companies are focusing on cost-cutting to keep profits growing, but the benefits are mostly going to shareholders instead of the broader economy, as management conserves cash rather than bolstering hiring and production. Harley, for example, has announced plans to cut 1,400 to 1,600 more jobs by the end of next year. That is on top of 2,000 job cuts last year — more than a fifth of its work force.
As companies this month report earnings for the second quarter, news of healthy profits has helped the stock market but the source of those gains raises deep questions about the sustainability of the growth, as well as the fate of more than 14 million unemployed workers hoping to rejoin the work force as the economy recovers.
“Because of high unemployment, management is using its leverage to get more hours out of workers,” said Robert C. Pozen, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and the former president of Fidelity Investments.
And some of those businesses, including Harley-Davidson, are preparing for a future where they can prosper even if sales do not recover. Harley’s goal is to permanently be in a position to generate strong profits on a lower revenue base.
In some ways ... a triumph of productivity that makes the United States more globally competitive. The problem is that companies are not investing those earnings, instead letting cash pile up to levels not reached in nearly half a century. Ethan Harris, chief economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch … “But if they’re taking those profits and saving them, rather than buying new equipment, it hurts overall growth. The longer this goes on, the more you worry about income being diverted to a sector that’s not spending.” “There’s no question that there is an income shift going on in the economy,” Mr. Harris added. “Companies are squeezing their labor costs to build profits.”
The difference this time is that companies wrung more savings out of their work forces, said Neal Soss, chief economist for Credit Suisse in New York. In fact, while wages and salaries have barely budged from recession lows, profits have staged a vigorous recovery, jumping 40 percent between late 2008 and the first quarter of 2010.
At Ford, revenue in its North American operations is down by $20 billion since 2005, but instead of a loss like it had that year, the unit is expected to earn more than $5 billion in 2010. In large part, that is because Ford has shrunk its North American work force by nearly 50 percent over the last five years ... the focus remains on keeping profits high, not rebuilding work forces decimated by the recession. When Alcoa reported a turnaround this month in profits and a 22 percent jump in revenue, its chief financial officer, Charles D. McLane Jr., assured investors that it was not eager to recall the 37,000 workers let go since late 2008.
Harley-Davidson … Motorcycle sales are falling in 2010, as they have for each of the last three years. The company does not expect a turnaround anytime soon. But despite that drought, Harley’s profits are rising — soaring, in fact. Last week, Harley reported a $71 million profit in the second quarter, more than triple what it earned a year ago.
This seeming contradiction — falling sales and rising profits … Many companies are focusing on cost-cutting to keep profits growing, but the benefits are mostly going to shareholders instead of the broader economy, as management conserves cash rather than bolstering hiring and production. Harley, for example, has announced plans to cut 1,400 to 1,600 more jobs by the end of next year. That is on top of 2,000 job cuts last year — more than a fifth of its work force.
As companies this month report earnings for the second quarter, news of healthy profits has helped the stock market but the source of those gains raises deep questions about the sustainability of the growth, as well as the fate of more than 14 million unemployed workers hoping to rejoin the work force as the economy recovers.
“Because of high unemployment, management is using its leverage to get more hours out of workers,” said Robert C. Pozen, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and the former president of Fidelity Investments.
And some of those businesses, including Harley-Davidson, are preparing for a future where they can prosper even if sales do not recover. Harley’s goal is to permanently be in a position to generate strong profits on a lower revenue base.
In some ways ... a triumph of productivity that makes the United States more globally competitive. The problem is that companies are not investing those earnings, instead letting cash pile up to levels not reached in nearly half a century. Ethan Harris, chief economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch … “But if they’re taking those profits and saving them, rather than buying new equipment, it hurts overall growth. The longer this goes on, the more you worry about income being diverted to a sector that’s not spending.” “There’s no question that there is an income shift going on in the economy,” Mr. Harris added. “Companies are squeezing their labor costs to build profits.”
The difference this time is that companies wrung more savings out of their work forces, said Neal Soss, chief economist for Credit Suisse in New York. In fact, while wages and salaries have barely budged from recession lows, profits have staged a vigorous recovery, jumping 40 percent between late 2008 and the first quarter of 2010.
At Ford, revenue in its North American operations is down by $20 billion since 2005, but instead of a loss like it had that year, the unit is expected to earn more than $5 billion in 2010. In large part, that is because Ford has shrunk its North American work force by nearly 50 percent over the last five years ... the focus remains on keeping profits high, not rebuilding work forces decimated by the recession. When Alcoa reported a turnaround this month in profits and a 22 percent jump in revenue, its chief financial officer, Charles D. McLane Jr., assured investors that it was not eager to recall the 37,000 workers let go since late 2008.
Don't Try to Debate with Conservative Zealots. Their Unsourced Fantasy Ideology of Failures just more Liberal Spin.
I recently joined in on a conservative Facebook conversation that turned ugly after awhile. It seems political and economic criticisms of the failed free market ideology are considered "insults" and "name calling," and beneath them to take seriously. In fact I was uninvited a number of times because, as you can see from my blog, I have nothing to offer and no proof (in the form of links) to back up my claims.
So as proof there is no possibility that the right wing will ever come to their senses, or even consider and tolerate an opposing viewpoint, I would like to offer up exhibit A below:
Kenneth C*****r commented: "John, we don't want to add to the deficit. We just don't want the government in charge of spending this much money any more. We are talking (you had better sit down, this shocks liberals) MASSIVE CUTS. Eliminate the Federal Reserve. Eliminate the Department of Education. Eliminate the IRS and go with a flat tax or fair tax. 20% cut in all other branches of government. Remove bureaucrats at the federal level and give most power back to the states.A few points a disagreement; "Eliminate" is a costly alternative conservatives never want to bring up, and a choice restructuring that would push the deficit into the stratosphere. On the tired subject of doing away with the Department of Education, with the political objective of destroying the Democratic Party's biggest supporters- the teachers union, that would be like WalMart blowing up their business model and telling each store to do anything they want. There's no way to measure outcome or replicate what works. That's what you would get with privatization.
The tax cuts would not increase the deficit, even the OMB says supply side economics work. With the increased revenue to government from the tax cuts, plus major spending cuts we can turn this fiscal mess around.Kenneth offers no proof the OMB ever supported supply side during the Obama administration, unless he's talking about the presidents appointed Fiscal Commission Republican members pushing the idea. I don't know.
Bush was an idiot his last term. The TARP was WRONG. His illegal immigration policy attempt was wrong. So don't harp about Bush to me. He was a RINO globalist.Kenneth never mentions how conservatives never did lift a finger to complain to their party, but instead, called the opposition "Bush haters."
This is working In New Jersey. Gov. Christie is slashing government. It's about time government lived like we do. We do more with less.How long has Christie been governor? Let's wait for the eventual consequences of his dictatorial policies.
No more planes for stretch Pelosi, no more jaunts to the Dominican Republic for Rangle.Here Kenneth throws in the obligatory "scary liberal" name drop, "Rangle," and would choose to expose the house leader to deadly FBI confirmed threats.
The deficit has quadrupled under that jackass on chief. That cannot be questioned.Yes it can be questioned, because it's a flat out lie...but Kenneth sounds so sure of himself, doesn't he?
It is now his government, it is now his responsibility, he cannot (but does) continue to blame Bush for his fiscal woes.It's no longer Bush's recession. How simple is that?
I did not vote for him, but I have always had respect for the president. I will state this clearly.... He is NOT my president. He does not have my respect. I hope he fails. I want his butt impeached, and I want him in jail. I despise what he has done to this country. I would just as soon deport him and those in power who think like him. That is MY personal feeling. I don't care if you approve or not. You can all go as for all I care."Remember when we disagreed with Bush policies and were called Bush haters? They forced many of us to saying we didn't HATE Bush. It appears it's alright to DESPISE Obama though, and hope he fails, so we can all live in poverty and elect Republicans.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Republicans Like the Nuclear Threat by Russia just the way it is Right now. On with the Elections.
Thank God for Mitt Romney!
Tough on terrror! Tough on image and rhetoric!
Financial Times: Obama’s signature arms control achievement – a nuclear weapons treaty with Russia known as “New Start” – requires Republican votes if it is to be ratified by the Senate … But this month the deal was savaged by Mitt Romney … said the treaty gave Russia “a massive nuclear weapon advantage over the US”. He added: “It must not be ratified: the security of the US is at stake."
Whew, dodge a bullet there. Thank you Mitt, thank you for protecting us.
But the overplayed "go slow approach" by Republicans is another sign the Party is controlled by extreme paranoia.
But the overplayed "go slow approach" by Republicans is another sign the Party is controlled by extreme paranoia.
Jon Kyl of Arizona and John Thune of South Dakota … wonder if that the administration might have agreed to things with the Russians it is now trying to hide.
But the Obama administration covered that GOP scar tactic as well:
AP: A copy of the unclassified passages of the State Department report (said this): "The costs and risks of Russian cheating or breakout, on the other hand, would likely be very significant," the report said. Russia would face financial and international political costs if it violated the treaty's provisions, with little to be gained militarily, it said … U.S. nuclear strengths would more than offset any Russian violations … James Miller, the Pentagon's leading authority on nuclear arms, on Tuesday outlined how the administration came to this previously undisclosed conclusion.
But the paranoid fears of the Republican Party, expressed by Sen. John McCain, are first advocating the creation of "a perfect world" before any nuclear treaty can be affective.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who asked in an incredulous tone why the Obama administration bothered to negotiate the treaty if Russian cheating is of no consequence. "Why have a treaty?" McCain boomed.Repeating what was read aloud for McCain and fellow fear mongers on the Senate Armed Services Committee,
"Russia would face financial and international political costs if it violated the treaty's provisions, with little to be gained militarily, it said … U.S. nuclear strengths would more than offset any Russian violations."The message: Obama is weakening the nuclear strength of the U.S. and ceding power to Russia. Oh, but just to be clear….
Late in his second term, however, President George W. Bush did propose a new, more detailed nuclear treaty with Moscow.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Huh oh, Ryan Suffering Delusions of Grandeur: On his "Road Map" to a Dickensian Future: "I've gotten (a) great response from Democrats."
Ever wonder what would happen with a near super majority of Republicans in the Senate when it came to privatizing Medicare and Social Security? A few conservaDems would put an end to a possible filibuster and help the Republicans wipe out The New Deal. On Greta Van Susterin Fox News show, Ryan said this
Paul Ryan can dream, can't he?
The Hill: Rep. Paul Ryan claimed this week that some Democrats are supportive of his sweeping blueprint to balance the budget — just not publicly ... “But I’ve also had Democrats who say, ‘If it weren’t so political I would go for this,’” he said. “When the microphones are turned off, I’ve gotten great response from Democrats,” Ryan said. “The problem is we have this political paralysis.”
Under Ryan’s … Road Map for America’s Future, those younger than 55 today would receive vouchers to purchase private insurance coverage in lieu of having Medicare’s single-payer coverage kick in when they hit 65 … “I don’t want to turn the safety net into a hammock,” he told Fox.
But recently on Fox News: Ryan:
"What I don't want to turn the safety net into a hammock. It ends up draining them of their incentive and will to make the most of their lives. That's the big philosophical difference. On the left they don't like it. On the right, they like it.
I can't help but wonder why.
Angle getting the "Sarah Palin" treatment, or, How Dare you Question a Conservative!
Sherron Angle doesn't feel those troublesome questions from the riff raff, or as the Constitution puts it "the freedom...of the press," is important enough to inform the public. Take this explanation from radio host Scott Hennen, who almost praises victimhood and getting women candidates getting the "Sarah Palin treatment."
Hennen defending Angle:
Hennen defending Angle:
"Sherron Angle was RIGHTLY concerned about getting the Sarah Palin treatment from reporters....liberal journalists were coordinating their attacks of Sarah Palin. Clearly there's a lot of folks in the media trying to play gottcha. She's...is not a Harry Reed slickster."Or maybe she could just answer their questions????