Posted by Tina
We have arrived at the start of the most bizarre election cycle this nation has seen in years. Just look at some of today’s stories:
The growing rift between labor and their Democratic allies was on full display Thursday, as AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told reporters that labor groups are planning to scale back their involvement with the Democratic Party in advance of the 2012 elections.
Going forward, Trumka said, the labor movement will build up its own political structures and organizations rather than contribute to and depend on the Democratic Party’s political operation.
“We’re going to use a lot of our money to build structures that work for working people” Trumka said. “You’re going to see us give less money to build structures for others, and more of our money will be used to build our own structure.”
How this plays out we have yet to see but it sounds like they are going to try to pressure the Democrat Party in much the same way that the Tea Party has pressured the Republicans.
Think the Tea Party hasn’t had an effect on politics…think again. Here’s another story of interest:
More than 100 business leaders have signed on to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s pledge to stop making donations to incumbents until Washington gridlock eases, sending a message to lawmakers that they must make real progress in reining in deficit spending.
“As many of our political leaders campaign and vacation, the U.S. economy remains in a cycle of fear and uncertainty,” Schultz wrote in a Wednesday letter addressed to “fellow leaders.” And his initiative, he said, has “triggered a national dialogue and a groundswell of support” since he launched it last week.
Barack Obama has transformed America all right…he’s managed to make just about everyone angry and loaded for bear. Failure of leadership may just lead to the most interesting election we’ve seen in years. Let’s hope Ron Paul’s crystal ball is a fake:
GOP candidate Ron Paul appeared on Fox Business Network last night to discuss the state of politics, in particular, frustrations that many are feeling with a stagnant economy, and what he deems to be an ever-expanding role of the government. When host Lou Dobbs asked about evidence of fiscal prudence of late, Paul seemed to focus on brewing exasperation among the U.S. citizenry, seeing the possibility of Europe-style riots coming to our shores.
Paul said: “I see the anger building and problems getting worse,” adding “There’s going to be an inflation tax to hit us and I am just afraid there will be people in the streets when they don’t get what they want.”
Let’s try to keep our heads people but let us also participate with vigor!
Sad to say I think Ron Paul may be right, and it will start at the local level. Cities, counties and school districts are going to have to make major cuts and the unions are going to fight it with all their might and funding.
Here is an article about just one city in Calif. that had to disclose the total employee cost, and the residents are outraged.
http://calconservatives.com/u-s-cities-strangled-by-cost-of-ballooning-pensions/
“When Beverly Hills residents found out that many of their citys 950 municipal and public safety employees were earning stunning salaries, 13 weeks of paid vacation, unlimited overtime and other tax-free retirement benefits, taxpayers were outraged and city officials rushed into closed-door sessions to figure out what to do.
A former statistician for the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS), the states pension fund, warned that by 2014, local governments could be paying 50 percent of a police officers salary, 40 percent of a firefighters salary and 25 percent of an employees salary for their pensions, according to a recent report by the California League of Cities, a statewide advocacy group.
Many cities will face 25 percent or more increases in pension contribution costs in the next three years and those rates are likely to remain high for the next 10 years or more, the report said.”
When you stand way back from it you can see that government involvement is at the root of the problems all these groups are angry about. Even the unionjs have dug their own graves by being greedy and aligning with government to force their greedy agenda.
When government shoves to the front of the line to pick winners and losers we lose a national identity and become a fractured and divided people. We become motivated to fight for and retain handouts rather than to plan better, work harder, or just be more responsible about our own futures and lives. Instead of people making choices that work for them we have people aligning in groups to force advantages through the political process. This is a prescription that can only lead to disaster as we are now seeing.
Smaller government and phasing out or reforming what we have already stupidly put in place will help. It’s time for every group, faction, and franchise to realize we just can’t make big government work or pencil out. But it will take the will of the people. This election will decide which direction we will take for the foreseeable future…will we choose more big government or a free and prosperous America inspired and supported by free people working and providing for themselves and creating opportunity and/or a helping hand for others.
Fear and Loathing Hounds the Perry Campaign Trail
I am beginning to really like Perry. Why? Because Liberals hate and fear him with a passion. Liberal “intellectual” pundits have already gone apoplectic ravaging him. Works for me. Pour it on Libs! Release the hounds!
Here are some reasons why —
Rick Perry: The God-Fearing, Know-Nothing, Pistol-Packing Embodiment of Liberals Worst Nightmares
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/94113/rick-perry-republican-nomination-liberal-nightmare
How the democrats, liberals and MSM react to a republican candidate is one of the first things I look at in picking who I will vote for and who I wont.
The Iowa straw poll was a total joke, I’m stunned. How undignified, embarrassing and pointless – our people shouldn’t have participated. It was a big 3 ring circus literally – and the idea of paying people $30 to cast a vote, whats up with that? That’s just shameful; we’ve got to do better than this carnival sideshow.
Obama is by no means an easy target. As low as his numbers are he is still rated 4 times higher than all of Congress. Sure hope we get a great candidate to go against him – it’s going to take a huge effort to beat this guy.
Toby, you and Pie and most conservatives are missing the point on this. When a liberal fears a certain republican it’s not because he might be a better candidate than their dem guy, it’s because we fear another accident like Goerge W Bush. I understand that the rich conservatives loved him because his policies helped to make them richer, and the ignorant conservatives loved him because he was somebody they would like to barbecue and drink beer with, but reality is GW was a disaster for our country and we just don’t want to see another disaster like that. Show me a fiscally conservative republican who isn’t owned by big money interests, doesn’t subscribe to creationism or biblical doomsday, and has no interest in telling other people how to live their lives, and he would probably get my vote. But there isn’t such a man/woman running in the republican party.
I see Obama’s talking heads are already blaming the hurricane for our economic problems. They have also granted the earth quake retro active blame for our economic problems.
As far as Obama not being an easy target. He is a very easy target if the people voting have been paying attention. Everything this guy sets out to do turns to shit.
Joe you have the perfect media designed view of both Bush and Chritians, creationists, etc…a few people might fit your extreme description or might want to tell you what to do (we are talking about people) but most are just tired of being denied a public voice, demeaned, and made fun of. Most have a live and let live philosophy and beleive personal beliefs are just that…personal. Most prefer small government, low txes, and regulation that is clear and reasonable. Most of the issues that Christians are vocal about have been made public by leftists activists. If they were not pushing so hard, expecially through the courts, none of these would be political issues.
Since you do hold the positions you hold I’d really like to know and would appreciate if you’d tell us:
1. In what way did President Bush’s policies hurt you (personally) financially? (He lowered everyones taxes so I know it wasn’t higher taxes).
2. You said, “Show me a fiscally conservative republican who isn’t owned by big money interests…” What companies or monied interests “owned” Bush? All politicians raise big money from big donors but I’d like to know which ones received special favors for their donations in your mind.
3. Which of your concerns makes Ron Paul a candidate who wouldn’t get your vote?
Thanks in advance…your answers would help to clarify a few things.
One more thing, Joe if you don’t mind;
Is President Obama an accident in your mind?
He certainly was unqualified and was ushered in with flash and hype, zero substance, and a traditional media that refused to properly vet him but instead might as well have been paid staff.
Re…consideration about Perry from the link Pie gave above:
Oh brother…any fool knows he gave that speech because their were considerations that his Catholic faith might put the Pope in the White House. Don’t you love the way the extreme progressive left has taken the Democrat Party and squeezed all of the God out of it?
Here’s Kennedy from his 1961 Inauguration Address (all emphasis mine):
Reagan was right…the Democrat Party left him. Our country is religious…like 80% religious. The e3xtremists are the godless extreme left and their yammering about seperation of church and state is nothing more than another smear. Christians appreciate the fact that our founding principles are aligned with Biblical principles. We have no desire to impose our religion on anyone…but we do expect to be allowed the right of religious expression: It’s right there in the first amendment:
The extreme left has been attempting to shut Cchristians up for decades by intimidation and smear campaign. we just are not having any of it…not anymore!
Toby: “How the democrats, liberals and MSM react to a republican candidate is one of the first things I look at in picking who I will vote for and who I wont.”
I especially dismiss the ones they prefer. Hopefully we have smartened up and they won’t have the opportunity to pick our candidate again…so far what we’re doing seems to be working.
A country that elects this economic mega disaster again deserves the country they are left…which reminds me…
Did anyone else see the story about the Pay Pal founder who has planned floating “John Galt” cities? No minimum wage, no restrictions on guns…the perfect getaway?
Beverly Hills ??? Is in some way representative of ???
***
“Did anyone else see the story about the Pay Pal founder who has planned floating “John Galt” cities? No minimum wage, no restrictions on guns…the perfect getaway?”
By all means … you just take yourselves off.
Ok Tina, I’ll give it my best shot. Mind you, this is without googleing any details, just the way I see/remember it. #1. How did GW affect me presonally? He started an expensive war while lowering taxes, unheard of in history. During the years the republicans controlled congress he never vetoed one of their spending bills. He was hell bent on deregulation, a good thing possibly if it creates jobs, but it didn’t/doesn’t, it just allows big money to pillage and plunder our resources. I know you folks blame Barney Frank for the housing crunch and maybe he is partially to blame but Gw and the republicans had at least as much to do with it. It is not Obama’s recession, it started before he came into power and I believe the republicans under Bush deserve much of the credit for the reasons I explained above. You can’t rewrite history! And this recession has hurt me plenty….bankruptcy and loosing my house for starters. #2. You are right….all politicians, at least most, are beholding to money interest’s. Thats why I voted for Arnold because I thought he would be different….and he wasn’t that bad, he just got in over his head because he didn’t realize how much you have to compromise to get anything done. #3. If I had to pick the best conservative running I would say it’s Ron Paul. I need to explore him further. And Obama, is he an accident? You bet! He decived us all. The difference is though, you see him as being to liberal and I see him as being too conservative. His whole health care fiasco to me is one big give away for the insurance companies. I wanted at least to have a public option in the mix. But as I have blogged before, we Americans will never have socialized health care because of our military. We spend more on our military than the rest of the world spends on theirs combined. Canada can have socialized health care basically because they have us to protect them. You cant spend 40% of the GDP on military, 40% 0n interest payments, 20% on everything else and expect to have another 40% for national health care, so it’s never going to happen. But I’m getting off course here. In defense of Obama, it does irk me that repubs say he hasn’t done anything while blocking everything he’s tried to do!
Thanks Joe. I really appreciate your honest answers. I’ll do my best to respond tomorrow morning.
In the meantime Heritage has a page with very informative facts and charts on budgets and spending over the years. The information comes from official government records. I thought you and our readers might find it intersting:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/06/Federal-Spending-by-the-Numbers-2010
“You can’t rewrite history!”
But they try, they try hard, and unhappily this is a nation full of people with REALLY short memories.
Joe: “#1. How did GW affect me presonally? He started an expensive war while lowering taxes, unheard of in history.”
A reasobnable argument can be made that George Bush did not start a war. Bush responded to a devistating and horrendous attack of Americans, and persons from many other countries, on American soil which constituted an act of war. As part of the strategy against a nationless extremist religious/political force he devised a plan to also address parallel threat against Saddam’s Iraq to liberate the people and establish a democracy in the heart of the ME. He believed he was justified, and indeed the Congress agreed, because Saddam was in violation of a peace treaty signed by the US and in violation of seventeen UN resolutions to disclose fully his WMD. My recolection is that he believed he could wage this war abroad inexpensively (by previous standards) by outsourcing some of the costs to the private sector. At least one of the charts at the link above show that defense spending under Bush was not that far out of line from previous years…remarkable given the size and ultimate success of this operation. His mistake was allowing the Homeland Security portion of America’s defense get out of control.
” During the years the republicans controlled congress he never vetoed one of their spending bills.”
Absolutely correct and republicans paid for it at the polls. Unfortunately they put democrats in total control with a super majority and they began spending like crazy pushing the deficit through the roof…Bush’s veto pen wasn’t inky enough to work any magic there…the damage yet to come was already cooked into the pie. Except for the housing and banking mess (and you bet democrats are responsible for setting the table…we were bound to crash) Bush’s debt to ratio numbers would not have been much different than any other president in recent years.
“He was hell bent on deregulation, a good thing possibly if it creates jobs, but it didn’t/doesn’t, it just allows big money to pillage and plunder our resources.”
How? By what do you measure this accusation?
Gramm-Leach-Bliley’s lead sponsors were Republicans- 34 Democratic senators voted for the bill – 151 Democrats, including future Speaker Nancy Pelosi, voted for the measure in the House. Then-Treasury Secretary (and current Obama adviser) Larry Summers praised the bill saying it would promote financial innovation, lower capital costs, and greater international competitiveness.” Bill Clinton signed the legislation and continues to defend the law
Bush also signed Sarbanes-Oxley saying that free markets must not be “a financial free-for-all guided only by greed”. It contained tough provisions and created a new agency to oversee public accounting firms and auditors. It contained new requirements for financial reporting and corporate audits. He may have been able to see what was coming down the pike. He began to urge congress to do something about Fannie and Freddie in 2002 and after the banking crisis he said that prosecutions would be forthcomingfollow through from the current administration has been slow.
Deregulation under Bush is a myth. If anything he expanded and increased government oversight. For instance
http://www.aei.org/EMStaticPage/100040?page=Summary
As for offshore drilling, a letter written by Erik Milito, Upstream Director- American Petroleum Institute, Washington, D.C. explains that the industry is heavily regulated:
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/oil_industry_already_deregulat.html
“It is not Obama’s recession, it started before he came into power”
This is correct, just as the recession Bush inherited wasn’t his recession. But nothing Obama has done has caused the main street economy to turn around. Wall Street recovered and the banks are doing great but you and I are suffering greatly because this administration doesn’t have any idea what it’s doing in that regard. None of his advisors have any real world business experience…nonbe have ever met a payroll.
“You can’t rewrite history!”
I’m not sure what you mean by this. When I write about history I sight specifics, as I have above regarding regulations, and I try to credit republicans when they disappoint me and go against conservative ideals.
“…this recession has hurt me plenty….bankruptcy and loosing my house for starters.”
God, Joe I’m so sorry. Many Americans are in that boat with you including family members of mine. My business is hanging on by a thread.
“The difference is though, you see him as being to liberal and I see him as being too conservative…His whole health care fiasco to me is one big give away for the insurance companies. I wanted at least to have a public option in the mix.”
He, Pelosi and Reid did get a few insurance companies on board (promising them what?) and now they’re disappointed or angry. Costs are going up…as we said they would. Premiums are going up as we said they would. Obama used deception once again to create a pathway to a complete government takeover. This would be a disaster for all Americans. If you want to see how it will work talk to people who are because of their circumstances forced to live under Medicade….that’s the future under the public option.
“We spend more on our military than the rest of the world spends on theirs combined.”
I agree that other countries need to step up and build their own defenses. Don’t count on it happening too soon…the socialist countries around the world don’t now have the money, or the private sector strength, to pay for their government health care, public union employee vacations, benefits, and pensions or their bloated governments now…getting them to spend on defense would be like trying to get blood from a turnip.
“it does irk me that repubs say he hasn’t done anything while blocking everything he’s tried to do!”
Joe while it’s true that republicans votted against many of the things Obama has tried to do it is also true that for two years he enjoyed a super majority. That means he, Pelosi and Reid didn’t need a single republican vote to pass legislation. the truth is they couldn’t get all of the democrats to vote with them. What is also true is Obama has done a number of things by executive order.
I’m afraid Obama owns the lack of recovery, like it or don’t.
Speaking od the housing debacle I took a walk down memory lane in my reading tonight…it’s always good to recall:
Maxine Waters at a 2004 Congressional hearing: We do not have a crisis at Freddie Mac, and particularly Fannie Mae, under the outstanding leadership of Frank Raines.
That would be the same Franklin Raines who cooked the books at Fannie Mae, reporting fake high earnings, so he could award himself a bonus of $90 Million. Not only did he make a bundle for himself, his reports gave the impression that all was well at Fannie.
With dems like these is there any doubt at all that our government is nothing but a cash and vote cow for most in the Democrat Party?
Accusations have been made about Republicans but I have yet to read about any instance of similar conduct or responsibility in the housing crisis by republicans.
Anyone?
Who was running both houses of the leg in ’04? Let me think.
Had the ruling party actually looked into the books and shut F&F down … but wait! … F&F’s guaranteeing of bad loans, fit right in with Wall Street’s churning of securities based on bad loans, generating a money bubble thrilling to the hearts of Repugs the length and breadth of the this land …
… and so, nothing was done.
Sorry, dude. You’re not stickin’ the poor people with the bill for this one. You and Tina both will eventually have to face the fact that culpability lies at the upper, not lower, end of our economic continuum.