NOW you're trumpeting fiscal conservancy?

So, where were these so-called "fiscal conservatives" DURING the Bush Administration? During the Bush years, some of us were pointing out that racking up long-term debt, massive unfunded mandates and unprecedented borrowing was a bad idea. For this, we were labeled as "America hating terrorists lovers".

Now that fiscal responsibility is returning to America, conservatives who once applauded Reaganomics and it's continuation, Dubyanomics, are now trying to distance themselves from their effects.

finance.yahoo.com

From an economic standpoint, the current Obama Administration is on the right track. The Clinton Administration was an incredible success, and the Reagan and 2 Bush Administrations were unmitigated disasters, especially when their long-term effects are taken into account.

Understanding the outrage

One of the reasons for the outcry against the recently passed health insurance reform bill:

The health care reform law provides $700 million over the next decade in new funds to fight fraud and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that every $1 invested to fight fraud yields approximately $1.75 in savings.

That would be over a BILLION dollars in fraud that will be prevented. The recipients of that fraud are a very powerful special interest, and were keenly interested in killing the bill. Thankfully, they failed.

Change!

"The Obama administration is making final preparations to sell its stake in the New York [Citi] bank, according to industry and federal sources. At today's prices, the sale would net more than $8 billion, by far the largest profit returned from any firm that accepted bailout funds, and the transaction would be the second-largest stock sale in history."

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR2010032604938.html

Let this sink in for a minute. When the Great Bush Recession hit in full force, economists were warning that a complete collapse of the US economy was quite possible, and extreme action was needed. That extreme action, as described by the Bush Administration, was to pick a sufficiently large number, $700 BILLION, and dole it out to private financial institutions WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED. The compromise was to allow the Bush Administration to give out the first $350B, and the incoming Obama Administration would give out the remaining $350B.

After the change in Administrations, a very important string got attached to the big bank bailout. All of a sudden, banks were expected to repay the $700B, or else executive pay had to be capped. The banks complied, and the bailout funds, originally meant as a giveaway, started getting returned WITH INTEREST.

And now the Obama Administration is poised not only to get back the taxpayers' money from the Citi bailout, but make $8B in PROFIT for the taxpayers.

THAT is outstanding change that we can believe in!

No You Can't (Featuring John Boehner)

The Conservative Health Insurance Reform

So, in 1993, President Clinton embarked on an attempt to improve healthcare in the United States to better serve the citizenry. He was relentlessly attacked and mischaracterized by conservatives, and ultimately failed to pass reform. One of the weapons in the conservative arsenal was a plan that they put forward to mandate that every US citizen purchase private insurance. They went so far as to have ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justice Scalia make a case for the Constitutionality of their insurance mandate.

belowthebeltway.com/2010/03/30/justice-scalia-may-have-already-made-the-constitutional-case-for-insurance-mandates

Now that Congress has passed, and President Obama has signed, a health insurance reform bill that contains the exact same insurance plan, those same conservatives are now saying that their original plan, the one that they had Justice Scalia deem Constitutional, is now somehow unConstitutional which makes the law invalid and the President a Socialist (or Marxist, or Communist, or Nazi - their hate-words keep changing)

Funny, that.

Results of Republican Economics

Putting things in perspective.

The Federal Reserve gives Congress a report on the entire wealth of the United States. Every house, small business, large business, stock ownership, 401(k), etc.

In the last 18-months of the Bush Administration, from June 2007 to December 2008, this total wealth dropped from $62T to $50T. In other words, the accumulated value of the United States that was built up over the past 200+ years lost 20% of its value.

That equates to over $40,000 for every man, woman and child in the country. These are facts.

Over two centuries of building saw 20% simply wiped out in just 18 months, thanks to Republican economic policies. Now the very architects of this massive loss of wealth are claiming to be the only one who should be, once again, trusted with control of the US economy. Elections have consequences. Do right by America, and keep Republicans away from the national checkbook until they learn to be responsible with it. Until then, don't be fooled again.

Well put, Rosie

www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/28/851912/-We-had-eight-years-of-Bush-and-Cheney,-Now-you-get-mad!

=======================
Party differences?
Here are current screenshots of gop.com and democrats.org. They're a microcosm to see why it's easy to respect Democrats and hard to take Republicans seriously.
i.imgur.com/P7uNU.jpg

Money in Elections

For the 2010 mid-term elections, there's going to be an unprecedented amount of money spent by Conservatives.

tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/chamber_gearing_up_to_spend_like_never_before_on_m.php

This is due largely by the highly activist and political decision by the US Supreme Court that corporations - including foreign governments via US subsidiaries of their state-run corporations - can pour unlimited amounts of money into US political campaigns.

As a reminder - here's the result of 6 years of one-party conservative rule, followed by 2 more years of a conservative White House:

www.americanmanufacturing.org/china-job-loss

Don't be influenced by the big money you're about to be walloped with. Vote for the candidates of your choice based on your values and their track record.

Progressive vs. Liberal

The Key Differences Between Progressive and Liberal, and how "Liberal" Thinking Can be Part of the Problem

www.alternet.org/story/146207/how_liberalism_almost_killed_the_chance_for_real%2C_progressive_change

Scorched Earth

In their continuing temper tantrum against improving healthcare insurance in this country, the Republicans have found a new group to hit with their frustrations - the unemployed.

Are you out of a job? Were you counting on an unemployment check just because you and your employer have been paying into that fund for years? Well, Republicans say "NO"!

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other members of the Republican caucus have joined with Sen Tom Coburn, promising to block billions in unemployment benefits just as the Senate is set to leave on a two-week recess.

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/coburn-pulls-the-trigger-jobless-benefits-extention-blocked-by-gop.php

You might wish to remember this in future elections...

A good sign from the GOP

A sure sign that the healthcare bill is a success?

Republican ex-critics who waged a long and hard smear campaign of disinformation against it and voted against it are now taking credit for passage of the bill and its reforms.

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/grassley-look-how-great-this-health-care-bill-is.php

================================
3/29
Speaking of the GOPpers, what's important to the Republican National Committee when
traveling? Apparently, bondage-themed nightclubs.

blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2010/03/29/has-michael-steele-just-run-out-of-lives-as-rnc-chair/?cxntfid=blogs_jay_bookman_blog

This is how party leaders decide to keep Republican leadership happy. In their defense, however, people donate to the RNC freely, and it's their money to spend as they wish. There is nothing inherently wrong with spending RNC money on this, it just seems hypocritical considering how strongly those same people preach their superior "family values" and morality.

I'm taking my ball and going home

The jobs bill is trying to get people back to work. There's a smallpox outbreak in Uganda that could spread into a global catastrophe if not contained. The US and Russia are working to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world. Financial reform is trying to prevent another meltdown like the Bush Recession.

But Republicans are holding up the entire Senate by providing amendment after amendment to the already passed health insurance reform bill. Mind you, not useful things, just time-wasting things. They have scores of amendments just to change dates in the bill back and forth. Oh yea, and this element of health insurance reform that is now topping the GOP wish-list: Brownback 3690 -- “To provide for the relocation of the United State Embassy to Jerusalem.”

Sadly, it doesn't stop there. Republicans to veterans: screw you! We're going to throw a temper tantrum and don't care if you get hurt. We're also shutting down national security committees, and hearings on training Afghan police to take over security of Afghanistan, so don't think you rate as important in our eyes.

www.hawaii247.org

These would be the same people that unanimously approved of GWB extensively using recess appointments, including for the National Labor Relations Board, but now yell that President Obama doing the exact same thing "would disregard the Senate's constitutional responsibility of advice and consent".

thehill.com

And the “stunning assault on liberty” that Democrats have "forced" on America by following the will of the people? The irony is that Republican leaders Richard Nixon,
Bob Dole, and Bill Frist all embraced the idea before this.

www.thedailybeast.com

What a bunch of whiny, bratty, spoiled children now that they're not getting their way completely. I'd be embarrassed if my representatives behaved that way.

Harry states facts.
www.dailykos.com/tv/w/002632/

=====================
Just a hissy fit...
www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/26/martin.republicans.cooperation/index.html

=====================
Republican leadership commenting on the temper tantrum

www.michaelmoore.com/words/latest-news/mccain-dont-expect-gop-cooperation-legislation-rest-year

So, in other words John, you will continue to "stay the course" and continue to do absolutely nothing to benefit your constituents. Since this has been the case since Bill Clinton was first elected, how is this a revelation?

Your continued irrelevance has been duly noted, Senator.

Mature reactions

With all the violence and threats that Democrats and their families are now receiving from "the base", Minority Whip Eric Cantor reported that his office was also shot at. Being a loyal Republican, he reported the incident just has he's expected to - by completely lying about it.

theplumline.whorunsgov.com
www.nytimes.com

Although, in Cantor's defense, he know that this is what happens to Republicans when they dare to deviate from the party script that they're given:

www.washingtonpost.com

Besides, Cantor got to tell his version of the facts without having to face the actual facts or questions. Standard approach, because this is what happens when a master conservative talking-point pusher attempts to have a discussion with someone who knows the actual facts



O'Reilly looks more foolish than usual. Every time a factual answer is given that isn't in line with a Republican talking point, Bill just pretends that an answer wasn't given. What a freaking idiot.

More change to believe in

What a great change. Not only do we have a President that is working in the best interests - both short and long term - of the US citizenry, but his administration can work on more than one major issue at a time.

www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/24/us/politics/AP-US-Russia-Nuclear.html

The cost savings alone in reducing the number of times we can destroy the planet would make this a landmark agreement. But throw in the fact that we're reducing the number of nuclear weapons, and you have a win of global proportions.

==================
3/26
Instead of provoking Russia in order to look tough, actually talking resulted in reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world.

www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/26/start.treaty/index.html

So, let me get this straight

So, let me get this straight. The following conservative/Republican priorities were INCLUDED in the newly passed health insurance reform bill:
* no public option
* no government takeover of healthcare insurance
* no government takeover of healthcare delivery
* individual mandate to purchase coverage
* an exchange to sell policies in multiple states
* no funding for abortions

But it also included some show-stoppers that they could not swallow:
* long-term reduction in the national debt
* coverage for all Americans (but they wanted the mandate - I don't get it)
* no exclusions for pre-existing conditions
* no rescission, where insurance companies could instantly drop you if you got sick
* no lifetime maximums, where insurance companies could drop you if you stayed very sick

And because of these items, they're acting as if the world is ending and refusing to represent even their own constituents.

news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100324/pl_mcclatchy/3460142

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/gop-senators-refusing-to_n_511639.html

=====================

Republican response to 30M+ Americans finally getting healthcare (plus a host of additional progress): We want to stop the government from working at all - including national security!

thinkprogress.org/2010/03/24/senate-gop-hearings

Really, guys? You'd rather stop fighting terrorism then allow the government to follow the will of the people? Might I remind you that America still has enemies, and they won't take a break because you're throwing temper tantrums. Grow up, already.

Now that it's law...

As the actual contents of the new healthcare bill becomes the new topic of conversation, rather than rhetoric and misinformation, all of a sudden the citizens of the US are becoming quite favorable to it. Too bad we had to waste so much time and energy on the ridiculous "socialism, end of America, death panel, kill grandma" propaganda.

www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-23-health-poll-favorable_N.htm

Sadly, the conservative propaganda machine is turning this out instead
www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-22/scary-new-gop-poll

"Even though you have opposed this health-care bill, we've made sure it is going to cover you, too, in your time of need."
www.thedailybeast.com

Conservative Q&A

Conservative Q&A

Q: Does this mean that the terrorists have now won?
A: Yes. The legislation formally surrenders the United States to al Qaeda.

Q: But I don't want to surrender. Is there anything I can do?
A: The only hope is to get your state to secede from the US, which is the only logical path for a patriot who loves America. 50 independent countries is the true desire of the Founding Fathers.

Q: Is this worse than when we lost the fight against civil rights?
A: Yes. This completely destroys America as we know it.

Q: But we were told that Social Security, banking regulations to prevent another Great Depression, entering WWII, Medicare and civil rights would all destroy America, yet somehow America survived. Are you sure this healthcare reform will really destroy America?
A: Yes. This time we REALLY mean it.

Q: Will this raise my taxes?
A: Yes. George W. Bush made taxation illegal. All taxation would have ended the moment he left office, had President Obama not mandated that we become the highest taxed nation in the history of the planet. Healthcare reform triples this record level. (it was going to quadruple taxation, but polling suggested that not enough people knew what "quadruple" meant)

Q: Are we now a socialism, communism, dictatorship or part of Europe?
A: All of the above. All of those terms polled very negatively, so you can use them interchangeably when talking about anything President Obama does, from healthcare, to creating jobs, to rescuing the economy, to what he has for lunch.

Q: How long does my grandma have?
A: This legislation has already killed her, just like we warned you.

Q: My grandparents are already deceased, so they're safe from the "kill grandma" edict, right?
A: No. Through evil medical research that uses stem cells and a pact with Satan, the new legislation will bring deceased ancestors back to life so they can be immediately killed.

Q: My only concern is opposing abortion, and this reform prevents use of federal funds to support abortion. Therefore, I shouldn't care too much, right?
A: No, do not read the actual bill under any circumstances. You must accept on faith that this legislation mandates that forced abortions will occur on a nationwide scale and will be funded by your 401(k).

Q: We had complete control for 6 years. How come we simply didn't make abortions illegal? After all, it could have been done any day, with a one-page bill.
A: Obama is evil, he is the anti-Christ, he is the reincarnation of Hitler. All Democrats are his demons and are reincarnations of SS officers. Your question has been answered.

Keep your government hands...

The inevitable sequel to "keep your government hands off of my Medicare"


========================

Interesting how some very conservative groups have created their own healthcare solution. They simply embraced socialism to the full extent. If it works for them, then more power to them! Funny how that would be the same kind of folk screaming that one of the reasons that President Obama is evil is because he's somehow a socialist (a claim that offends actual socialists)

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124544505

Also interesting is that these groups operate as non-profit entities, another point that conservatives often say is unAmerican when "liberals" dare bring up the possibility.
========================

While Democrats are working (not well enough, imho) to get medical coverage for all Americans, Republicans are implementing their own solutions where they can.

Arizona's Republican-controlled legislature just voted to cut medical coverage to 47,000 low income kids and many more adults.

www.azcentral.com

It was a two-fer. They're also trying to abolish state parks in the same bill, another "liberal" concept that is a thorn in the side of conservatives.
========================

Simple explanation of Republican "math" (read: propaganda)

www.ourfuture.org

Knowledge and truth are better than political rhetoric.

Historical rhetoric quiz

I assumed I'd do well in this quiz by recognizing the language nuances between the 30's, 60's and today, even though I knew the content was just the same old, same old. At least I got a majority right...

More legacy to repair

One more conservative legacy we need to overcome, the fear of stem cells

www.click2houston.com/news/22798745/detail.html?dsq=39381039#comment-39381039

Although I'm sure there's no lack of "she was meant to be blind" to be found in the anti-science community, I think that if medical research can give a child sight, then it's a good thing.

Meanwhile, in Iraq

For those of you keeping score at home, here's one more way we were lied into a war against Iraq.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_Nayirah

Why are we still there?

Grayson!

H.R. 4789
Holy crap. A simple, straightforward healthcare proposal on the floor of Congress. Whatever it costs, that's what you would pay, if you want in. By definition, it will add ZERO to the debt and deficit. A 4-page solution, no mandate, that gives every American another option.



Lots of chatter has happened about "Medicare Part E", but until now, nobody had the combination of guts and common sense to actually propose it.

The very best part - this is making BOTH sides squirm.

Typical Republican

After Voting Against Jobs Bill, Rep. Broun Criticizes Lack Of A Jobs Bill

mediamattersaction.org/factcheck/201003090005

So, it's better for Americans to be unemployed than for them to have good jobs that are in any way a result of Democratic action. Got it.

We MUST stay the course, no matter how wrong it is

Wow. Just ... wow.
They actually want to campaign on "returning to the status quo".

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com

30-40M Americans without healthcare, illness (despite having insurance) being the leading cause of bankruptcy, 10-40% annual rate increases, rescission, exclusion for pre-existing conditions, ranked 37th globally in overall quality but #1 by far in cost - they want to preserve it all. They are that convinced that "the base" will turn out because they say Obama wants to kill grandma.

Here's their cornerstone of logic:
"Every [GOP] candidate who is running a campaign in November 2010, that will be one of the first questions and the first ads that will want to ask, 'Are your health care costs lower now by virtue of passing this health care bill?' I think the answer to that will be no, they are not."

So, if the first step of healthcare reform passes this year, it will have taken 65 years. But because that first step cannot INSTANTLY fix everything that's wrong with the system, we must return to proven failure?

Just how stupid to they think "the base" is?