Monday Morning Open Thread
July 28th, 2008 at 09:37am Mark Noonan
Obama is back home and he got a bounce from is campaign to be President of the World - but will it really help him in the long run? Or is this yet another Obama flash in the pan doomed to fizzle out as soon as the pizzaz fades away and people, once again, realise that Obama is just a very junior Senator with no life experience which indicates an ability to be President?
Oil prices fell sharply last week, and have been followed by lower gasoline prices - are we about to see the oil bubble pop, or are we just catching our breath before another rise in oil prices?
President Bush touted the turn-around in AIDS treatment in Africa over the past five years or so - just how did Chimpy McSmirk BusHilter manage to be this great a humanitarian for Africa? Shouldn’t he be evil to them, too? Or, is it that the EEEVIL!!! Bush meme is a bit overdrawn?
Team McCain welcomes Obama’s flip flop on surrender in Iraq - congratulating the Senator on finally seeing that a withdrawal from Iraq must be based on conditions, not rigid timetables. Will this flip harm Obama with his kook left base? Help Obama with non-kook voters?
Discuss these and any other issues you wish.
Entry Filed under: Announcements
70 Comments
1. Sarah Bloch | July 28th, 2008 at 9:57 am
“Obama is just a very junior Senator with no life experience which indicates an ability to be President?”
For argument if a one term black senator from the Midwest that was pro life, anti-illegal immigration, anti-gay marriage, pro prayer in schools and pro-war on terror would he too not have enough “life experience” to be President?
2. Rana Quijotesca | July 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Any thoughts on this, from the Jerusalem Post concerning the foreign policy expertise of McCain vs. Obama?
3. Rana Quijotesca | July 28th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Apparently I cut the first “I” out of the quote… Lo Siento…
4. Sarah Bloch | July 28th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Justice report faults illegal use of politics in hiring federal prosecutors, judges.
Ouch!
5. Macker | July 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
A new search engine is available, started by Google alumni, at cuil.com. It’s pronounced “cool.”
Hopefully, these folks will be more friendly to American holidays than Google is.
6. CanadianObserver | July 28th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Mark…..”Obama is back home and he got a bounce from is campaign to be President of the World - but will it really help him in the long run?”
———————————–
Well, Mark, it sure as heck not going to hurt him. The world got to see a man who could represent your country with dignity and class; not as an international joke.
Americans should welcome the chance to once again being taken seriously.
7. SEW | July 28th, 2008 at 11:19 am
“Americans should welcome the chance to once again being taken seriously.”
Al Qaeda, those still alive, take us very seriously. As for Canadian socialists, I could care less. Obama will be taken seriously by Marxists and socialists and EurArabians.
Ajmadman, Castro and Chavez are ecstatic.
8. Tractatus | July 28th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Any thoughts on this, from the Jerusalem Post concerning the foreign policy expertise of McCain vs. Obama?
“Librul media bias! The Jerusalem Post hates America! Uhhh…librul media bias!”
9. Old European | July 28th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Concerning the Jerusalem Post - it is in fact a rather conservative, not to say rightwing newspaper. No libruls on their payroll.
10. Casper | July 28th, 2008 at 11:31 am
This is what happens when hate is allowed to fester.
“Police: Man shot churchgoers over liberal views
By DUNCAN MANSFIELD – 24 minutes ago
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Knoxville’s police chief says the man accused of a shooting that killed two people at a Tennessee church targeted the congregation because of its liberal social stance.
Chief Sterling Owen IV said Monday that police found a letter in Jim D. Adkisson’s car. Owen said Adkisson was apparently frustrated over being out of work and had a “stated hatred of the liberal movement.”
Adkisson is charged with first-degree murder. Police say a gunman entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church during a children’s performance Sunday. No children were hurt.
The church is known for advocating women’s and gay rights and founding an American Civil Liberties Union chapter.”
Don’t get me wrong. It could have just as easily been someone shooting people for their conservative views.
11. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Looks like the Sunni suicide bombers that killed 70 Kurds and Shia in Iraq today didn’t get the Bush/McCain message that the civil war is over.
12. \'08ama | July 28th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Casper:
Looks like Rush’s new $400 Million dollar contract was all worth it. Dittoheads are shooting libruls (in CHURCH no less!).
The shooter was likely a closeted gay conservative, unable to live the lie that the GOP is forcing him to live.
sad.
13. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Bob Novak, Neocon propagandist extraordinaire has a brain tumor. I wish him well. As typical of his kind we can expect a cleansing of the heart. I predict he will vindicate the Wilsons shortly.
14. Eric T | July 28th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Sarah- #1
You left out pro-gun, that is crucial!!!!
I was a Keith Butler supporter 2006 election ( a Black Republican)
It was weird because the blacks did’nt show up to support him because he was GOP
15. CanadianObserver | July 28th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
7. SEW | July 28th, 2008 at 11:19 am
———————————-
In addition to those you mention, SEW, throw in most of the globe.
The twice ‘elected’ Bush took the office of the Presidency and made it look like a running gag, one fiasco after another. He committed a grave disservice to the American people and with a few exceptions the voters will show their ‘appreciation’ in November.
SEW, you will then be living in a new America; one that is led by a competent, well respected individual, not some joker.
16. bagni | July 28th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
markoleum
don’t be selling those oil stocks just yet
despite your earthly desires for a petroleum bubble
this is just a martian minor adjustment
opec, the oil giants and the current admin
have successfully tested the price elasticity window
and have fingered out for this 5min of your life
they can’t go above $140-$150 without a further drop in usage and economy
the window will rise after supply squeezes once more
and that’s just a matter of time
17. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
12. \’08ama | July 28th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I don’t listen to a lot of Limbaugh, Hannity or Savage. I don’t think they advocate the shooting libs and those with debilitating diseases. Maybe ditto heads can clarify.
What I do know they preach a sense of hopelessness in order to scare people into listening and therefore fatten their paychecks. Oh America is going to turn into a Russia lite if Obama is elect; completely ignoring the fact we have a Constitution, Supreme Court and Congress. It is sad what this unbalanced hate radio does to a large group of Americans’ psyche
18. Dennis | July 28th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Sarah Bloch: “For argument if a one term black senator from the Midwest that was pro life, anti-illegal immigration, anti-gay marriage, pro prayer in schools and pro-war on terror would he too not have enough “life experience” to be President?”
Any one-term senator of any color who had enough life experience to be president would probably not be in favor of criminalizing abortion, discriminating against undocumented workers, diminishing gay rights, advancing religion in public schools and be paranoid about foreign terror.
Of course it is telling how one phrases such positions. What exactly does it mean to be “pro-life”? This usually tends have nothing to do with actually being pro life (i.e. respecting the sanctity of human life), but means making abortion illegal, which means being willing to criminalize personal behavior. “Anti-illegal immigration” is good policy, strictly defined, but the term often denotes a hard line on immigration and a soft position on things like racial profiling. “Pro prayer is schools” usually denotes an attitude congenial to mixing church and state, which ultimately opens the door to legislation on matters of religion. And so forth.
Any person combining all the hot button traits collected in Sarah’s post would likely be a fairly provincial individual with hardened and somewhat intolerant attitudes, someone who has not willingly challenged his own thinking by exposure to a wide variety of cultures and experiences. There will always be exceptions - Bobby Jindal comes immediately to mind as a young conservative with a lively intellect and a more diverse resume than most. Nevertheless I believe the rule holds - something about broad “life experience” tends to temper prejudice with tolerance and cause a person to back away from extremely conservative positions.
19. David B. Schmidt | July 28th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Obama would legislate a 60 percent tax bracket for upper-income Americans, killing all initiative and innovation. He’d raise the top bracket to 40 percent. He’d apply FICA taxes to all income, not just that under $100,000 as at present. So add 40 percent plus FICA’s 12.5 percent plus Medicare’s 2 percent plus state and local taxes averaging, after deduction, at 5-6 percent, and you have a 60 percent bracket. Say goodbye to small business.
Double the capital gains tax, saddling the 50 percent of Americans who own stock with dramatically higher taxes and double the dividend tax, hitting elderly coupon-clippers now retired and depending on fixed incomes.
He wants to cover 12 million illegal immigrants with federally subsidized health insurance, dramatically driving up costs and forcing federal rationing of healthcare. As in the U.K. and Canada, you will not be permitted certain medical procedures if the bureaucrats decide you are not worth it.
He proposes requiring Homeland Security operatives to notify terror suspects that they are under investigation within seven days of starting the investigation. He says that unless they can establish that there is “probable cause to believe that a certain individual is linked to a specific terrorist group,” Homeland Security cannot seize his documents and search his business. The current standard is only that the search be “relevant” to a terror investigation. Back to the “law enforcement” attitude that got us into this mess.
And let’s not forget that Obama is just fine with higher gas prices and opposes all new coal, petroleum and nuclear energy.
Add in his measure to restrict gun shops to outside of 5000ft of a school, park or playground there by usurping the 2nd amendment.
Plus, his opposition to getting rid of affirmative action that his wife needed to make it into college and if his reporting of a C+ average–he required as well.
Bring back the misery index — “Anywhere, Anytime (as long as I get a teleprompter and no questions)” Obama 08
Cut & Run loser…
20. jayhay | July 28th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Mark has often suggested he was running out of patience with liberals, saying he would only stand for so much before… well before he does something he never defines - but his veiled threats have been numerous. Mark’s made his stance clear that he is the rightful protector of what it means to be an American, and has made it clear he will only take so much. I guess this guy in Tennessee is on the same page, so take heart Mark! Someone is listening!
21. Dennis | July 28th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Former Justice Department counselor Monica M. Goodling and former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson routinely broke the law by conducting political litmus tests on candidates for jobs as immigration judges and line prosecutors, according to an inspector general’s report released today.
Goodling passed over hundreds of qualified applicants and squashed the promotions of others after deeming candidates insufficiently loyal to the Republican party, said investigators, who interviewed 85 people and received information from 300 other job seekers at Justice…
The improper personnel moves deprived worthy candidates of promotions and damaged the credibility of the Justice Department, investigators wrote. An experienced counterterrorism prosecutor, for example, was kept from advancing in favor of a more junior lawyer who lacked a background in terrorism.
The procedures imposed on immigration judge candidates caused serious delays in appointing judges at a time when the courts suffered under a heavy workload, the report said…
The extensive report confirms the long-held suspicions of congressional Democrats and underscores the challenge the next president will face in restoring public confidence in the nation’s premiere law enforcement operation…
Today’s study marks the second of four lengthy dissections of the role that partisan political considerations played in Justice Department employment decisions during the Bush administration. Reports on hiring problems in the Civil Rights Division and the firing of nine U.S. attorneys have yet to be released…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/28/ST2008072801270.html
22. Casper | July 28th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
\’08ama,
You didn’t read my whole post. I said it could have gone either way. This is what happens when someone spends his time wallowing in hate, whether it be from the right or the left. The fact is, both sides push this crap and it can be just as bad on the Daily Kos as it gets here.
Mark and Matt,
One of my first thoughts when I read the story about the killings in Knoxville was, could it have been someone from BFV. There were three or four names that came to mind. The hate you push has an effect.
23. Rana Quijotesca | July 28th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Casper-
While I don’t dispute that hate comes from both sides of the political spectrum, I don’t remember the last time an extreme liberal murdered indiscriminately like this (in this country). Correct me if I’m wrong, but when it comes to home grown terrorism in the US, the Extreme Right has been much more prolific…
24. Sunny | July 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
“Plus, his opposition to getting rid of affirmative action that his wife needed to make it into college and if his reporting of a C+ average–he required as well.” David B. Schmidt | July 28th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Interesting, I didn’t realize that Harvard would graduate anyone “magna cum laud” with a C+ average.
25. Marty13 | July 28th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Interesting, I didn’t realize that Harvard would graduate anyone “magna cum laud” with a C+ average.
No but they do accept C average students into their graduate school of business. When U Texas turns you down and you’re able to turn to Cambridge, MA for academic comfort and succor………..it’s just a sad commentary. Rumor has it, W used to love to walk around Harvard square with his TANG jacket on talking like a real warrior. I got your ver ri tas right here!!!
26. Nate | July 28th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
From today’s NYTimes:
“The White House predicted on Monday that the Bush administration would bequeath a record deficit of $482 billion to the next president — a sobering turnabout in the nation’s fiscal condition from 2001 when President Bush took office and inherited three consecutive years of budget surpluses.”
Wow, isn’t the Bush administration simply hideous when it comes to finances …. amongst many things at which they are hideous.
27. Nate | July 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
“Obama would legislate a 60 percent tax bracket for upper-income Americans, killing all initiative and innovation. He’d raise the top bracket to 40 percent.”
The president can legislate??!!
28. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
It was weird because the blacks did’nt show up to support him because he was GOP14. Eric T | July 28th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Thank you a typical Repug would state blacks vote for blacks because of race rather than ideology.
29. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
27. Nate | July 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
White House talking point to Fox or do you have an Obama quote on this?
30. Carl Gordon | July 28th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I try notto give the Boosh catastrophe much mental leeway, as I have been unfairly distracted and set upon by dark forces intent on causing maximum levels of ennui and torpor. I just recite the mantra “Get the behind me pinhead” whilst twirling above my head, the footrest of the soul, the sacred beet the gypsy woman gave me in appreciation for services rendered, and hope for absolution and maybe four out of five lottery numbers.
Adding to the predicament has no doubt been made cognizant of the fact that I had to perform sacred corporate rites and unholy functions within the confines of the hallowed halls of Congress for a potential client wishing to purchase our special brand of organized confusion, right? I was unable to convince him, neither with a Mojo hand, or a John the Conqueror root, but managed to not bring any of my tight, tight fitting pants, which was fortuitous, as I was unaware that the donning of such garments deep within the moldy lairs of liars and cheats labels one as a liberal of the worst ilk, the ACLU genus, and it’s a little more than difficult as it is to just coexist with the local denizens as is with them knowing you come from that pit of perdition known as California, where everybody thinks they’re superior to everybody else and we live with liberals. So I had to leave my exquisite cynicism at home in order to function like a mindless Capitalist corporate cancer with any sense of authenticity.
31. Nate | July 28th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
i quoted post #19 if it’s the legislation suggestion you are interested in.
32. bongoman | July 28th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Yeah, ’cause it’s important that the search engine I use wears a fricken lapel pin.
33. ViralNexus | July 28th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Carl… that made no sense at all. You could have simply typed two paragraphs of “blah, blah, blah” however your use of uncommon grammer was interesting. Now on to David’s insidious and unfounded lies about what “Obama will legislate”. As it was already stated POTUS cannot legislate. None of what you have said is true. However for my perspective on taxes, the Bush tax cuts need to be repealed. Not only did they drain the budget surplus faster than otherwise but our horrible deficit will never be wiped away with slightly higher taxes and a massive cut in spending. Better yet lets put a flat tax in place and BE DONE WITH THIS CRAP ALREADY. And there’s my pointless two cents… oh except that McCain told Wolf Blitzer that 16 months is a good time table (yes that is Obama’s plan) as did al Maliki. Have a great day.
34. Eric T | July 28th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
BlackandWhite
Keith Butler could have been a much better Senator than Debbie Stabenow. I went to his church several times and listened to his sermons, he was very wise man.
I remember the black guys at my job did’nt like the fact he was a conservative Christian. I wanted to hang some campaign material, they did’nt want it on the property.
35. Nevada Pundit | July 28th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Come on Nate, with both houses of Congress in control of the Democrates there is no way that Obama’s tax increases wont, at the very least, be attempted.
Also, if your going to quote an article give the good decency to tell the entire truth…first off both parties knew of and overwhelmingly approved the stimulus package which was known to increase the deficit. Second, while the deficit is huge and going the wrong direction it is still 3% of the GDP. Last but not least, as you yourself stated in post #27 it is congress that actually passes the spending bills….I forget…who has the majority there?
36. Eric T | July 28th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
08ama- #12
Turning That church shooter into a political issue, is kinda in bad taste, I can already hear the libs chanting for pro gay hate crimes bills and more gun control, and calls for allowing government to monitor church sermons and restricting free speech and opinion. They are gearing up to use this tragic event as an excuse to get in there and start takin away peoples guns and creating new protected classes of citzens that need preferential treatment from political parties, (like the democrats). Exploiting the incident for reasons to bash Christians, southerners and somehow tie the GOP to it is pretty clever.
I’d like to return the fire with black on white crime statistics, or something to fire up a real heated debate, but I gotta call it a night.
What this guy did is disgusting and his punishment needs to be severe.
If the state has capital punishment, they need to execute him right away!!!
37. Rana Quijotesca | July 28th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Eric T-
Actually, the church shooter made himself into a political issue when he wrote that the reason that that church was targeted was for its “liberal views.” As for tying it to the GOP, Republican and Conservative leaders have made it a habit of being slightly glib about violence against those they disagree with. Am I saying that all or most Republicans endorse (or are glib) about this type of thing? Of course not, but there are connections to be made.
38. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
31. Nate | July 28th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
i quoted post #19 if it’s the legislation suggestion you are interested in.
My apologies it was Schmiddy who is quoting Fox’s White House talking points.
39. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
$128 billion surplus morphs to giant deficit
And Repugs would have you believe four more years of Bush’s economic policies is exactly what the economy needs. We have not had defecits this large since…..you guessed it the Reagan years.
The question is simple would you prefer the 1998 economy or the 2008 economy? Vote for McCain if you prefer the latter.
40. Nevada Pundit | July 28th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Blackandwhite,
Congress is in charge of the checkbook. The POTUS makes recommendations, it is congress’s choice to pass them or not, it is congress that approves the budget, it is congress that passes spending bills. Congress is controlled by the Dems. If you really enjoy huge government spending then Obama is your man. Without the veto worry things will only get worse.
41. Danish Artist | July 28th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
B&W, Surplus was not real - it was a PROJECTED surplus over time, if everything remained constant. You do know that nothing remains constant in Washington.
Besides the Clinton recession took care of the surplus, as did 9/11 with the massive blow to the economy.
So again, stop with the liberal talking points. You may learn something.
42. James Smithers | July 28th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I like open threads. How about this?
It is not off topic because there is no topic.
Former Chief of Medical Operations for HQ USAFE at Ramstein Air Force Base Responds to Latest McCain Ad
WASHINGTON - The former Chief of Medical Operations for United States Air Force in Europe (USAFE) Headquarters at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany today ripped into Senator John McCain’s latest ad, which attacks Senator Barack Obama for not making a campaign event of a visit to wounded troops.
Dr. Katherine Scheirman, who was Chief of Medical Operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, said in a statement:
“John McCain’s new ad is dishonest and shameful, and I say that as the former Chief of Medical Operations. Senators Hagel and Reed confirmed to Bob Schieffer yesterday that Senator Obama visited the Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad as a part of their CODEL, with no media present.
“In Germany, Senator Obama made the right decision to respect wounded troops, and the doctors and nurses doing crucial and time-sensitive work, by not making a visit that was characterized as a campaign event by the Pentagon. Senator Obama should be thanked for putting our military above politics. And, I would hope that John McCain would think in those same terms, the next time he is put in a similar situation.
“Senator Obama has voted for the troops when John McCain has not, most recently on the new GI Bill. I am happy that Senator Obama puts the welfare of our troops above politics.”
Dr. Katherine Scheirman, MD, MHA, CPE, FACPE, is a Senior Advisor to VoteVets.org, and has twenty years experience in the Department of Defense medical system. She retired from the Air Force in 2006 with the rank of Colonel. During her time in the military, she was assigned to a number of duties where she saw ‘first hand’ the shortcomings of the DOD medical system and its effect on troops. Most recently, she was at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, which saw the majority of those injured during the war in Iraq.
During that assignment as Chief of Medical Operations, she directed four branches responsible for medical operational and legal policy guidance for 10 USAFE medical facilities and an Air Force squadron at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and provided oversight and mentoring for 11 Chiefs of Medical Staff and over 700 medical personnel throughout Europe. She was responsible for all quality of care, patient safety, behavioral health, JCAHO compliance, community health programs and business plan execution there, among her decades of other assignments at home and abroad.
43. blue eyes | July 28th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
[quote]Candidate Barack Obama visited the Yad Vashem overlooking Jerusalem today, after meeting with Defense Minister Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu. Obama got a brief tour of the Holocaust museum, which displayed some photos of Buchenwald concentration camp - the camp that Obama’s uncle helped liberate in World War II.
At the museum’s Hall of Remembrances, Obama, wearing a white yarmulke, laid a wreath at a the site where some of the ashes from concentration camps were buried, and “enhanced” the eternal flame burning next to the memorial site.
Following the ceremony, Obama signed the museum’s guest book. “At a time of great peril and promise, war and strife we are blessed to have such a powerful reminder of mans potential for great evil but also our capacity to rise from tragedy and remake our world,” he wrote. “Let our children come here and know this history so they can add their voices to proclaim ‘never again.’ And may we remember those who perished, not only as victims but also as individuals who hoped and loved and dreamed like us and who have become symbols of the human spirit.”[/quote]
44. Lilly Taylor | July 28th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
When is the last time a liberal went on a killing rampage? I cannot think of one.
It always seems to be the right wing that is bombing abortion centers, killing doctors, minorities, and sometimes their own children because God told them to.
Has there ever been a case of a liberal murderer?
45. Blackandwhite | July 28th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
40. Nevada Pundit | July 28th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
41. Danish Artist | July 28th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Then both of you prefer the 2008 economy. Vote McCain, he is your best shot to keep Bush’s economic recommendations going.
46. Dotty Wang | July 28th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Blame the economy on Greenspan.
Greenspan created the dot.com bubble.
When the economy was heading for inflation on Bush’s watch, he lowered the interest rates.
It was those lower rates and Gramm’s deregulation of financial institutions that cause the bubble in real estate.
We’ve been in a recession since 2000. The lower interest rates just hid it. Now everything is coming to pass.
47. Tractatus | July 28th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
The White House predicted on Monday that the Bush administration would bequeath a record deficit of $482 billion to the next president
Another tremendous success for supply-side economics! “Works” every time!
48. Nevada Pundit | July 28th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
B&W
you said it perfect…Bush’s recommendations.
It was your wonderful democratic congress that approved those recommendations, and added some of their own. You can yell as loud as you want but that wont change the fact that congress is still the ones that spent the money and nothing will change that fact.
49. Mark Noonan | July 28th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
James,
I’m sure that Dr Scheirman is a fine doctor, but she also a clear and known supporter of Democratic politicians and as the former head of Ramstein’s medical facility, she’s hardly in a position to know all the facts of the case.
Be that as it may, the plain fact of the matter is that There was one place in Europe where Obama passed by where cameras were not allowed, and Obama didn’t go in…you can say what you will, but I think the inference that Obama didn’t want to bother with a non-public event is pretty obvious. I mean, after all, if what Obama was doing was sparing the troops, in what way was he sparing them…he would have visited them privately without an entourage. Obama’s excuse doesn’t just ring false, it rings stupid.
50. Mark Noonan | July 28th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Lilly,
When was the last time an abortuary was bombed?
51. js | July 28th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
half steps and good intentions line the road to failure…at least with mccain we have a person who learns from his mistakes instead of a person who just says anything to be popular….
52. js | July 28th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
i would propose that if you took all the pet projects and pork out of the last 30 years of the US government budget…you would find exactly where the deficit came from…and that lies in the lap of the congress…its those guys who bargain with the devil to get our money for stuff like research projects for studying the swollowing habits of the giraffe….in africa…
53. Thrower | July 28th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
I agree with you completely JS, and it hasn’t mattered if they had a (D) or an (R) after their names.
54. cam | July 29th, 2008 at 1:58 am
“When was the last time an abortuary was bombed?”
Mark,
The right wing nut cases have graduated to churches. They don’t have time for abortuaries.
Or, maybe they haven’t bombed any because we are fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here.
55. cam | July 29th, 2008 at 2:10 am
js,
I beg to differ. While it is true that some of the money is allocated to projects for which there seems to be no justification most of the “pork” projects look good to the constituents who benefit from this kind of spending. When asked about Congress in general most people say unfavorable things about them. But when the same people are asked about their congressman most people say they are satisfied. And this is reflected in the fact that over and over again the majority of congressmen get reelected. So the problem is always in another district. Everything seems to be fine in the home district.
56. congressive | July 29th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Such a busy news day.
Whoops! Looks like Bush is leaving a MUCH bigger deficit than he led us all to believe.
Hey, Republicans: YOU elected him. How ’bout YOU pay the half billion dollar tab?!?!
Like that’ll ever happen… but hey, the stock market is roaring, right? No? Let’s see… a dollar invested in a Dow fund on January 20, 2001 is now worth… $1.03.
How did a Democratic presidency fare by the same yardstick? Let’ see… a dollar invested in January 1993 was worth how much in January 2001? $3.27. Yes, that’s right, a triple plus.
Why do Republicans hate their own money?
57. congressive | July 29th, 2008 at 2:31 am
And how do you righties feel about THIS chicken coming home to roost? Can’t take credit for all the crazies in the world, I s’pose.
58. js | July 29th, 2008 at 7:03 am
cam
all that means is that a congressmans efforts to maintain an image in his own district (ie…pull the wool over his/her constituents eyes”) work..it doesnt mean anything else in reality….or there would be a war going on in congress about truth and justice instead of underhanded dealing with the people tax dollars….
so next time harry reid asks for 1.2 million dollars to study the mormon crickets, remember that your congressman voted on it…
and harry got it….
59. js | July 29th, 2008 at 7:04 am
or…how about congress promoting alchoholism
$460,752 by for hops research requested by two representatives and four senators. Hops is a main ingredient in beer, and according to “Here’s to Beer,” a website designed to increase the image of beer, consumption of beer in 2006 constituted 85 percent of all alcohol consumption and 52 percent of all alcohol sales. In addition, the website states that “nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population are regular beer consumers.”
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008
60. js | July 29th, 2008 at 7:08 am
so tell us congressive….why is bush responsible for the free market….and not congress?
bush can propose a budget…but congress passes spending bills like hot and cold running water…
and face it…if the Democratic controlled congress really wanted to do something about the economy and value of the $$, they just didnt do much of anything….its a farce….you cant blame the POTUS for the failure of congress to act…
61. Nate | July 29th, 2008 at 9:44 am
if you can’t ding the president for economic failures during that person’s governance then you can’t laud the president for economic positives during that time.
it would seem though that after 7 years of W’s leadership (oops, decidership?) could you not link some responsibility for economic positives or downturns to some of the decisions made by that office?
62. Sunny | July 29th, 2008 at 10:52 am
“Be that as it may, the plain fact of the matter is that There was one place in Europe where Obama passed by where cameras were not allowed, and Obama didn’t go in…you can say what you will, but I think the inference that Obama didn’t want to bother with a non-public event is pretty obvious. I mean, after all, if what Obama was doing was sparing the troops, in what way was he sparing them…he would have visited them privately without an entourage. Obama’s excuse doesn’t just ring false, it rings stupid.” Mark Noonan
Mark, before you harshly judge Obama’s decision not to visit the troops, maybe you need to collect a few more facts. It was neve his intent to take a camera crew with him or to take members of his campaign in with him. He had visited injured troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by himself with no “entourage” which is exactly what he intenede to do in Germany. It appears it was a damned if you do - damned if you don’t situation. He would have been critized regardless of what he had done.
Can we now discuss the number of times Senator McCain has voted (or missed the vote) for support of the troops?
63. Sunny | July 29th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Dotty Wang | July 28th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Blame the economy on Greenspan.
Greenspan created the dot.com bubble.
I want to know where was the Bush veto pen during the first six years of his administration?
64. Tractatus | July 29th, 2008 at 11:17 am
he would have visited them privately without an entourage
Of course, he did just that in both the U.S. and Iraq. But by all means, continue with you desperate talking point.
And then there’s Dick Cheney. According to you, if he really cared about the troops, he’d relax his cartoonishly paranoid security requirements and simply visit them…but he doesn’t, and that proves this is all just for show. Right? Or are you going to try to have it both ways?
You’ll try to have it both ways.
65. HeyHey | July 29th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Don’t forget there was a record deficit in 2004(413 Billion) and remind me again who was in control of Congress then….
And the recently released White House deficit figures do not account for 80 billion in war costs. In a break from tradition and in violation of new mandates from Congress, the White House did not include its full estimate of war costs.
66. Sarah Bloch | July 29th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
36. Eric T | July 28th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
The facts are that if you are white you are twice as likely to be a victim of crime at the hands of another white person than a black person, four time more likely to be a victim of an assault by a white person if you are elderly and eight times more likely to be assaulted by someone white if you are elderly and related to the perp.
And this isn’t merely a tragic event it was an attack by a man who sees the world much like Jeremiah did against people that he saw as “not worthy” of being Christian because they supported the gay community and civil rights groups like the ACLU. The man himself wrote that his “hatred of liberals” inspired him to take up a weapon and seek to kill as many people in that church as he could.
And as far as using tragedies as political matters, I could create quite a right wing list starting with September 11, 2001, to that last pitiful McCain political ad where it says that Obama went to shoot hoops instead of visiting troops at Landsthul [the film of Obama shooting threes was taken in Kuwait by an Armed Forces Radio and TV camera man not in Germany by the MSM]. To the political right, everything from an unborn fetus to a person throwing themselves out of a burning skyscraper to the men and women in the armed forces can be utilized as a tool to a political end.
67. Fredrick Schwartz | July 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Dear Senator McCain:
We listened with concern yesterday to your interview with George Stephanopoulos on Social Security. When asked if you would be open to raising the payroll tax, you refused to rule out a tax increase, saying “There is nothing that’s off the table.”
This statement was particularly shocking because you have been adamant in your opposition to raising taxes under any circumstances. In a March 2007 interview with Ramesh Ponnuru of the National Review, you ruled out accepting tax increases as part of a compromise to entitlement reform. And on February 17 of this year, you told George Stephanopoulos, “No new taxes . . . In fact, I could see an argument, if our economy continues to deteriorate, for lower interest rates, lower tax rates, and certainly decreasing corporate tax rates, which are the second highest in the world, giving people the ability to write off depreciation in a year, elimination of the AMT.”
We strongly applaud the above statement and believe further tax cuts would play an important role in stimulating the country’s economy. But your comments yesterday send American taxpayers and businesses a mixed message about where you stand on this issue. Raising the payroll tax or the wage cap on Social Security taxes will increase the tax burden on many Americans and will only exacerbate the key problem with the current Social Security program—the low rate of return workers receive on their contributions into the system. You have long been a strong supporter of personal Social Security accounts, and we hope you will reaffirm you commitment to free-market-based reforms without tax increases so that we can truly empower and enrich workers in their retirement years.
We hope you will clarify where you stand on this important issue and reaffirm your commitment to eschew all tax increases.
Sincerely,
Pat Toomey
President, Club for Growth
68. Danish Artist | July 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
It turns out that 94% of the bills passed by the Senate of the 110th Congress (that would be the one led by Democrats) have been passed without debate or even a roll call vote. A non-partisan study by the Congressional Research Service found that of the 911 bills passed by the Senate, 855 of them have been “streamlined by Democratic Party leadership with a procedural tactic known as Unanimous Consent (UC), which requires no debate or even a vote.” Who can you thank for that? None other than Majority Leader Harry Reid.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=33079
But, it’s all Republican’s fault…….
Keep drinking the Obamade….
B&W, then you are not denying that the “surpluses” were actual PROJECTIONS and not realized surpluses, then ?
Of course, first you need to learn to read and then learn to comprehend. No wonder, you are a good little Obamaton that keeps regurgitating the talking points and ignore the obvious.
69. Fredrick Schwartz | July 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
68. Danish Artist | July 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Where should I send the flowers? You had to have burst into flames after that bucket of pachyderm droppings.
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