Thursday, February 26, 2009
FoxNews: The Conservative Revival
Just read this garbage from our friends at FoxNews and I have to say even better than the twisted rewriting of history that is the story itself, are the comments by these hill-billy head in the sand Republicans who are still lobbing the same lame arguments about deficits and spending, after supporting W who took us deeper into debt and returned us to deficit spending faster than a Palin gets pregnant.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Dean for H&HS
Thanks go out to Chris Matthews for continuing to push for Howard Dean to be nominated to the now vacant Secretary of Health & Human Services. In his Tuesday night interview with the former Governor and former DNC chairman Chris Matthews made another appeal to the Obama administration to pick Dr. Dean to head up H&HS.
It's story time
So imagine for a moment that there's a house down the street. It's been a pretty nice house for the last few years; the lawns have been well taken care of, the paint is fresh and the roof is in good shape. But then some new owners move in. They get a little cold in the winter so they start ripping out boards from the wall and burning them in the stove. They don't mow the lawns and the paint starts to peel. Pretty soon there're holes in the roof and broken windows all over. Then a fire starts. For a while it seems like they're trying to put the fire out, but you notice that they're dumping gasoline on the flames instead of water. By the time the house is almost completely burned to ground they've moved out and a new family has come in. Within days of the new family taking over this burned out condemned structure, the neighborhood association comes by and complains that there's fire damage in the house and the lawns have too many weeds. This collection of concerned neighbors had been deathly quiet while the house burned, telling everyone that it wasn't the owner's fault the house was burning.
This story may sound familiar, not because you've seen this in your neighborhood, but because it is exactly what has been playing out on Foxnews (the neighborhood association) as the new Obama administration takes the reins of power. While I have never believed that President Obama was the solution to all of America's problems, or even most of them, I do believe that they are doing what they can to try and patch up this burned out house that we all live in. I would love to see them go even further, but given how much difficulty they had passing the stimulus bill, one third of which was entirely made up of tax cuts, I shudder to think what opposition to it would have looked like if they had pushed for even greater progressive policies. Lately, the likes of Sean Hannity and the rest of the loud mouthed pundits at FoxNews have been criticizing Obama for "spending our children's future" but that began when their Presidential choice decided to push through tax cuts for the wealthy at the same time that he launched two wars of aggression. President Bush turned President Clinton's surpluses into massive deficits before Barack Obama was even a US Senator.
If we had taken all those billions of dollars that went into Halliburton's coffers and Warren Buffet's tax refund and put them into innovative new technologies or funding education then most of the country would at least have something to show for all those billions, instead of a few extra broken appliances from Wal-Mart. We need to stop letting the notion of tax cuts drive our domestic policy because as much as the conservatives shout about how they're against "entitlement programs" what they really mean is they are against entitlement programs for the poorest among us and that they would prefer to give more entitlements to the rich.
It is an undeniable fact, voiced strongly by one of our nation's wealthiest individuals, Mr. Buffet himself, that the rich actually pay less of a percentage of their income in taxes than do the poor because the richer you are, the more likely you are to qualify for a slew of tax credits and rebates that have been padded into our country's legislation since taxes were invented. I have always held the belief that a progressive tax system (where the richer you are the higher your percentage of taxes should be) makes the most sense because the richer you are the more you benefit from the wealth and power of this country. When the state and defense department dole out no-bid contracts it is the richest among us who benefit the most.
So the next time you hear someone bitch and moan about entitlement programs like welfare, food stamps or medicaid, just remember that the real entitlement programs are costing the tax payers many times what those underfunded attempts to keep our fellow citizens out of abject poverty could ever cost.
This story may sound familiar, not because you've seen this in your neighborhood, but because it is exactly what has been playing out on Foxnews (the neighborhood association) as the new Obama administration takes the reins of power. While I have never believed that President Obama was the solution to all of America's problems, or even most of them, I do believe that they are doing what they can to try and patch up this burned out house that we all live in. I would love to see them go even further, but given how much difficulty they had passing the stimulus bill, one third of which was entirely made up of tax cuts, I shudder to think what opposition to it would have looked like if they had pushed for even greater progressive policies. Lately, the likes of Sean Hannity and the rest of the loud mouthed pundits at FoxNews have been criticizing Obama for "spending our children's future" but that began when their Presidential choice decided to push through tax cuts for the wealthy at the same time that he launched two wars of aggression. President Bush turned President Clinton's surpluses into massive deficits before Barack Obama was even a US Senator.
If we had taken all those billions of dollars that went into Halliburton's coffers and Warren Buffet's tax refund and put them into innovative new technologies or funding education then most of the country would at least have something to show for all those billions, instead of a few extra broken appliances from Wal-Mart. We need to stop letting the notion of tax cuts drive our domestic policy because as much as the conservatives shout about how they're against "entitlement programs" what they really mean is they are against entitlement programs for the poorest among us and that they would prefer to give more entitlements to the rich.
It is an undeniable fact, voiced strongly by one of our nation's wealthiest individuals, Mr. Buffet himself, that the rich actually pay less of a percentage of their income in taxes than do the poor because the richer you are, the more likely you are to qualify for a slew of tax credits and rebates that have been padded into our country's legislation since taxes were invented. I have always held the belief that a progressive tax system (where the richer you are the higher your percentage of taxes should be) makes the most sense because the richer you are the more you benefit from the wealth and power of this country. When the state and defense department dole out no-bid contracts it is the richest among us who benefit the most.
So the next time you hear someone bitch and moan about entitlement programs like welfare, food stamps or medicaid, just remember that the real entitlement programs are costing the tax payers many times what those underfunded attempts to keep our fellow citizens out of abject poverty could ever cost.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sean's the gift that keeps on giving
This was really fantastic. Sean has now blamed President Obama for the lack of rebuilding in Katrina devastated New Orleans. This is great because maybe, just maybe, Foxnews will begin being a strong advocate for the people of New Orleans who they abandoned with their President after the storm. What he is referring to is the fact that the current stimulus bill, which he has night after night said is too costly already, doesn't contain any extra money for Hurricane Katrina recovery. Well guess what Sean, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. That was 3 years in which your idol in chief could have fixed that mess but floundered again and again to the point where it is an even bigger mess, in many ways, than it was shortly after Katrina. In all fairness to the stimulus bill, had it included such measures you, Rush and Bill (O'Reilly) would probably have attacked it on those grounds.
Now, while I hate to increase their viewership by adding the video below, it is a great example of how easy it is to produce clip segments so long as you use O Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
Now, while I hate to increase their viewership by adding the video below, it is a great example of how easy it is to produce clip segments so long as you use O Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.
Thanks Sean
I wanted to write a new post but I didn't watch any cable news over the weekend so I was sort of at a loss for what knucklehead to write about. That's where Sean Hannity rode in on a white horse to save the day. All I had to do was log on to http://www.foxnews.com/hannity/ and I knew I would find something that would anger me to the point that I needed to write.
His featured video is about the evils of FDR's new deal and the "lasting damange" it did to the economy. Rabid conservatives like Sean Hannity (who have no problem throwing hundreds of billions of borrowed dollars to firms like Halliburton for oil and food not supplied) are constantly trying to re-write history and attack social spending programs like the new deal. Their argument is that it didn't work, that unemployment did not drop enough during the new deal. What they ignore is what would have happened without the new deal. We wouldn't have the roads, bridges, dams and other public works projects and Sean, in all of his Limbaugh infused wisdom ignores the facts of the day, and that was massive poverty. While today's victims of the financial crisis are hurting, we have yet to see the shocking poverty that existed during the great depression. To criticize the spending that took place and to make comments as Governor Huckabee did that FDR should have let the free market correct itself, is basically saying that millions of Americans should have been left to starve...to DEATH. Sorry Sean, but sometimes you need to actually act on all those bumper stickers that say "united we stand" and stand united as a people those around you are suffering. This notion that the market will correct itself is like hoping the driver who plowed the bus into the ditch will be able to get it out. Frankly, I'd rather rely on a tow truck than that bus driver.
His featured video is about the evils of FDR's new deal and the "lasting damange" it did to the economy. Rabid conservatives like Sean Hannity (who have no problem throwing hundreds of billions of borrowed dollars to firms like Halliburton for oil and food not supplied) are constantly trying to re-write history and attack social spending programs like the new deal. Their argument is that it didn't work, that unemployment did not drop enough during the new deal. What they ignore is what would have happened without the new deal. We wouldn't have the roads, bridges, dams and other public works projects and Sean, in all of his Limbaugh infused wisdom ignores the facts of the day, and that was massive poverty. While today's victims of the financial crisis are hurting, we have yet to see the shocking poverty that existed during the great depression. To criticize the spending that took place and to make comments as Governor Huckabee did that FDR should have let the free market correct itself, is basically saying that millions of Americans should have been left to starve...to DEATH. Sorry Sean, but sometimes you need to actually act on all those bumper stickers that say "united we stand" and stand united as a people those around you are suffering. This notion that the market will correct itself is like hoping the driver who plowed the bus into the ditch will be able to get it out. Frankly, I'd rather rely on a tow truck than that bus driver.
Friday, February 20, 2009
The Reverend Al
So I've been following this Chimpanzee cartoon controversy for a day or so now and I saw the Reverend say this on CNN tonight:
"I guess they thought we were chimpanzees, they will find out we are lions."
I don't mean to needle the Reverend (though I do still bare a bit of anger at the way he went after Howard Dean in 2004) but if you're going to get outraged that someone is depicting you as one kind of animal, does it really make a whole lot of sense to call yourself another kind of animal? Can't they think you're a chimpanzee and find out that you are a human being? Why must they find out you are another animal of the African plains (lions live on the plains right?).
Sorry reverend, but as a History teacher once taught me, even if a mixed metaphor has feathers, it should be derailed.
"I guess they thought we were chimpanzees, they will find out we are lions."
I don't mean to needle the Reverend (though I do still bare a bit of anger at the way he went after Howard Dean in 2004) but if you're going to get outraged that someone is depicting you as one kind of animal, does it really make a whole lot of sense to call yourself another kind of animal? Can't they think you're a chimpanzee and find out that you are a human being? Why must they find out you are another animal of the African plains (lions live on the plains right?).
Sorry reverend, but as a History teacher once taught me, even if a mixed metaphor has feathers, it should be derailed.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Karl Rove
Now that he has made the giant leap from Republican west wing schemer to Foxnews contributor Karl Rove gets to go on TV and continue to lie to the American people, something he got to practice for more than 6 years working in the White House. Last night he was on Hannity (no longer Hannity and Colmes) and got to spend some quality time with Reaganphilic Sean as they bashed Obama and the stimulus package.
Suddenly, it seems, Mr. Rove believes that deficits are bad for the country and the economy. Suddenly, after saddling my generation with hundreds of billions, perhaps trillions in debt to pay for unnecessary wars and unnecessary tax cuts for his buddies, Mr. Rove is disgusted at spending what we don't have. WTF?! At this point, I don't even mind ideologues. If there were any real ideologues left in the Republican party who actually stood up for some principle of conservatism like fiscal responsibility or balanced budgets I could respect that. I would still disagree when they say we need to balance the budget at the expense of health care and education, but I could respect the stance. When you've spent the last 8 years championing unbridled spending coupled with gratuitous tax cuts for the wealthy and all the while allowed the economy to completely flounder what business do you have to advise anyone on anything?
No less than 3 times did Mr. Rove mention that the discretionary spending by the federal government was going to expand from 300 something billion to 512 billion dollars. Why he felt the need to go over that number so many times is lost on me but perhaps he should have also listed how much we've spent on contractors like Halliburton and Blackwater and the increases in the budget those required between 2000 and now.
My biggest regret about the Obama administration so far is that I doubt he, or the Democrats in Congress will have the courage to haul you, Alberto, Dick, and the rest of your criminal administration before the American people to answer for what you've done.
Suddenly, it seems, Mr. Rove believes that deficits are bad for the country and the economy. Suddenly, after saddling my generation with hundreds of billions, perhaps trillions in debt to pay for unnecessary wars and unnecessary tax cuts for his buddies, Mr. Rove is disgusted at spending what we don't have. WTF?! At this point, I don't even mind ideologues. If there were any real ideologues left in the Republican party who actually stood up for some principle of conservatism like fiscal responsibility or balanced budgets I could respect that. I would still disagree when they say we need to balance the budget at the expense of health care and education, but I could respect the stance. When you've spent the last 8 years championing unbridled spending coupled with gratuitous tax cuts for the wealthy and all the while allowed the economy to completely flounder what business do you have to advise anyone on anything?
No less than 3 times did Mr. Rove mention that the discretionary spending by the federal government was going to expand from 300 something billion to 512 billion dollars. Why he felt the need to go over that number so many times is lost on me but perhaps he should have also listed how much we've spent on contractors like Halliburton and Blackwater and the increases in the budget those required between 2000 and now.
My biggest regret about the Obama administration so far is that I doubt he, or the Democrats in Congress will have the courage to haul you, Alberto, Dick, and the rest of your criminal administration before the American people to answer for what you've done.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Spending doesn't create jobs? Who pays your salary?
I watched close to an hour of C-Span 2 this afternoon as the Senate discussed the stimulus bill before Congress. What I quickly learned was what the number one Republican talking point was going to be. The claim that the bill was too much spending and not enough job creation. Too much spending and not enough job creation? Does that even make any sense? Unless the stimulus bill calls for purchasing $800 billion worth of Chinese made chopsticks I don't understand the argument. Now I haven't read the whole bill, or any of it, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing in there about ordering chopsticks from China. Now what doesn't create jobs is another round of tax cuts for the rich (or anybody, but especially for the rich). In order to create jobs money needs to be spent. When you create jobs you need to spend money to pay the wages. Maybe Mr. Coburn and McConnell need to take some econ lessons.
Better look over those taxes
Well boys and girls, this is a message to anyone who wants to get involved in politics. PAY YOUR TAXES! This is turning out to be an enormous embarrassment not to the nominees, or to President Obama for a lack of vetting, or to the Democratic party of which they are affiliated, but to the whole damn country. What the failures of Tim Geitner, Tom Daschle, Hilda Solis' husband, and Nancy Killefer to pay their taxes clearly signals that these aren't aberrations but, in fact are the norm in DC and among the nation's powerful elite. All of these people could have easily gone on not paying taxes if they had not desired a seat in the spotlight. Remember that the next time you hear Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck spewing on about poor people not paying enough taxes because I'm willing to bet my bank account against Sean's that you won't find too many people on welfare who failed to pay over $100,000 in income taxes.
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