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Subscribe to RSSWith only a few weeks before several deadlines approach, including payroll tax cut extensions, unemployment benefits, and the Medicare document fix, there is a lot to be decided on in Congress. NBC's Luke Russert reports.
- Updated at 11:45a.m. ET
President Barack Obama's Democratic allies in the Senate are using a critical year-end spending bill as political leverage to try to force Republicans to negotiate bipartisan legislation to extend payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits due to expire at the end of the year.
An administration official said the president called Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., over the weekend and urged him to hold up the massive $1 trillion-plus spending package until an agreement is reached on the tax cuts and the unemployment benefits.
Republicans controlling the House have instead charted their own course on the payroll tax, rolling it together with a provision to speed permitting of the controversial proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline and other provisions favored by Republicans.
The White House is concerned that if the spending bill were to pass, House GOP leaders could orchestrate House passage of a GOP-tilting version of the payroll tax and jobless benefits legislation that would be unacceptable to Obama and Senate Democrats — but leave them in a political pickle — and then leave Washington. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal administration strategy.
"What Congress can't do is make vague promises, Republicans in Congress make vague promises about a payroll tax cut and then finish its business, the business it has to get done — the spending bill — and then leave town and leave the American middle class holding the bag," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday. "We're just not going to let that happen."
"They're wasting time catering to the tea party folks over there when they should be working with us on a bipartisan package that can pass both Houses," Reid said of the House GOP.
The spending bill had been gaining bipartisan support in a combative Congress. But Reid's White House-backed maneuvering could jeopardize efforts to approve new spending before the current government funding runs out this weekend. That means lawmakers could be faced with the prospect of passing a stopgap measure to keep the federal government operating — or risk a partial government shutdown on Saturday.
Carney said that Congress has already passed a number of stopgap spending bills and passing another one wouldn't be a problem. "This isn't about a shutdown," he said.
But Carney labored to avoid directly saying that Obama and Reid linked the massive year-end spending bill to the payroll tax holiday. Pushed repeatedly on that Washington tactic, Carney ultimately said Obama will "do what he needs to do" to get the tax cut and unemployment insurance extended.
Lawmakers had by Monday reached agreement on most issues on the $1 trillion spending bill, which cuts agency budgets but drops many policy provisions sought by GOP conservatives. It chips away at the Pentagon budget, foreign aid and environmental spending but boosts funding for veterans programs and modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
"I am hopeful that the Senate leaders will come to their senses, allow members to sign this report and move forward. There is no reason to hold this bill," said Republican House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio.
But Democrats said a claim by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., that a pact had been sealed were incorrect, citing remaining disputes over policy towards Cuba, abortions in Washington, D.C., and Energy Department rules requiring new light bulbs to use 25 to 30 percent less energy beginning in 2012.
The measure generally pleases environmentalists, who succeeded in stopping industry forces from blocking new clean air rules and a new clean water regulation opposed by mountaintop removal mining interests. House Republicans were pressing hard against a White House veto threat over a provision that would roll back administration efforts to ease restrictions on Cuban immigrants on traveling to the island and sending cash back to family members there.
On spending, the measure implements this summer's hard-fought budget pact between the president and Republican leaders. That deal essentially freezes agency budgets, on average, at levels for the recently completed budget year that were approved back in April.
Drafted behind closed doors, the proposed bill would provide $115 billion for overseas security operations in Afghanistan and Iraq but give the Pentagon just a 1 percent boost in annual spending not directly related to the wars. The Environmental Protection Agency's budget would be cut by 3.5 percent. Foreign aid spending would drop and House lawmakers would absorb a 6 percent cut to their office budgets.
The bill also covers money for combating AIDS and famine in Africa, patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border, operating national parks and boosting veterans' health care.
Rogers said bargainers had struck an agreement that he hoped to unveil Tuesday. But other lawmakers insisted a handful of issues remain to be finalized.
A House vote is expected Thursday and the Senate is likely to follow in time to meet a midnight Friday deadline before a stopgap funding measure expires.
Negotiations on the omnibus had largely been smooth and businesslike, a sharp contrast with the ongoing partisan brawl over Obama's demand that Congress extend jobless benefits and a cut in the Social Security payroll tax. The House is slated to vote on a GOP-friendly version of the payroll tax cut Tuesday, and negotiations with the Democratic-controlled Senate on a compromise measure have yet to begin.
Rogers was pushing until the end to block clean water rules opposed by mining companies that blast the tops off mountains, to no avail. Top Appropriations Committee Democrat Norm Dicks of Washington, when asked if the mountaintop mining rider was still a concern, said, "It would be if it were in" the final legislation.
Dicks also predicted failure for several GOP attempts to block the EPA's authority to issue greenhouse gas regulations and new limits on hazardous emissions under the Clean Air Act.
House GOP leaders pressed riders to block the administration's 2009 policy lifting restrictions on travel and money transfers by Cuban-Americans to families remaining in Cuba, and some Democrats backing the administration policy seemed resigned to defeat.
On spending, the measure generally consists of relatively small adjustments to thousands of individual programs. Agencies like the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement would get a boost within the Homeland Security Department, while GOP defense hawks won additional funding to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The troubled, over-budget, next-generation F-35 fighter plane program would be largely protected.
Democrats won a modest increase in funding for schools with large numbers of disadvantaged students.
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a trillion here, a trillion there, what's the big deal. Who cares if we already spend 8 billion a week to cover the INTEREST on our debt. No doubt we shouldn't pay down the debt. No doubt we should keep adding on to it. No doubt we should keep sending foreign aid to a bunch of countries, many of whom have much less debt/gdp ratios than us. RON PAUL is our only hope...sadly most republicans want to put in Newt who has already publicly stated he wants to start ANOTHER war with Iran. My God are my fellow Americans ignorant.
To little to late Obama. Where was my shovel ready job you promised 3 years ago?
Obama we trusted, Now were Busted
Americans need to learn how to vote. Only 8% voted in the last primary. How is that taking our country back?
Dave, you have the liberals to blame for that.
(although, they love to blame the conservatives who want the cuts)
The tone of this argument seems healthier than the debt-ceiling fiasco of last Summer.
Maybe the sane Republicans have figured out how to avoid stepping in the Tea Party poo.
If so, good for them. We need action, cooperation and debate.
And comprimise.
We don't need anymore of the Tea Party obstructionism.
Just fire up the printing presses and print off some more bills- no big deal!
@Dave434 amazing huh. I can remember my history teacher warning us we would see a trillion in debt during our lifetimes if Americans did not start voting for change. pffff
14 trillion in BILLS that you have to pay back. Sounds small. It all fits here no problem. 14 trillion in BILLS. How big is that pile. A bill is 6" long so thats 1,325,757,575 miles long. LOL. The moon is 240,000 miles away so our debt goes to the moon 5524 times. If we add in unfunded liabilitys that money goes past the last planet and out of our solar system. Sure glad they don't have to print it because there are not enough trees, even if they were 100 dollar bills.
Hmm.... maybe this is the problem. Everybody wants to pass the blame, but nobody wants to fix @!$%#. Give me one person, be it black, white, yellow, brown, purple, green, liberal, conservative who will grow a backbone and do something. This is simply another mindless trillion dollars that both sides will blame the other for, one way or another. We are stuck in a cycle of curricular politics, politics that has gotten us into this mess and politics that will keep us there.
We need to fix, unite, bury the hatchet, forgive and forget. Also, let's not just put the blame solely on politicians and Wall Streeters, but on ourselves too. Why have we accepted these two groups becoming so off the wall bonkers and detached from the rest of us and do nothing for so long? Because they tell us the status quo is good? The status @!$%#ing quo is what got us in this mess. And it is sure not going to get us out of it.
a trillion here and a trillion there, yes, it takes a lot of money to run a country like ours. A country is not a household. Households dont make war, or deplomocy or try to effect the business deals of other households. A nation needs to spend money, often when it doesnt have it, in order to set itself up to do things. Things like making war, or preparing itself to do business by building, or maintaining its infrastructure. A nation that stops spending money, means its ocean of capital shrinks, the fish in the ocean have to swim in less water, the fish dont stop increasing in population. If the ocean of capital doesnt increase with the pace of the increase in fish, the fish dont live very well.
This spending bill they came up with cuts in plenty of places the GOP would like it cut, it also saves some things the Dems wanted to save. According to the article it sounds rather fair.
If you don't pay it back...you can build allot of bridges...and roads...and schools...and tax breaks.
Did I mention I love roller coasters
INDEED. Look at Rons history. There a thousands of videos on youtube going back 40 years. He is the one you speak of. The one who will not barter nor bargain for the Presidency. So your going to have to find him on your own without the bankers and media.
The unhonorable republicans coming to the middle? Phony bastards have held america hostage long enough. Their dishonor will continue when they return next year though, that is a sure bet. Nothing more phony and unhonorable in modern american political history has walked american soil than a corporate sponsored republican. Should all be hung. If space aliens landed in McConnell"s backyard and they asked to be taken to his leader, he would take them to the koch stains.
We should have thought about the debt..."yesterday"...that's a Beatles song...you can't get it back
Vote republican if you really want the shaft.
If you think its bad now, the party of NO will put you in your place, in the back of the bus.
Unfortunately, Dave, concerning ignorance, the answer to your question is yes...that is how America got into this economic mess.
"...anti-Castro lawmakers appeared likely to win concessions that weaken administration efforts to ease restrictions on Cuban immigrants on travel to the island and sending cash back to family members there."
I think we should open the door to relations with Cuba. Think about what China would do -- they would probably build a soccer stadium in Havana, like they did in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Cuba can't hurt us. They are not a threat.
Let's put a pragmatic policy into effect. This is an easy win-win.
I am leery of any "compromise" with the Democrats. They have done well reneging on these deals in the past. Reagan's "amnesty" compromise came with a stipulation that the Democrat congress seal the borders. Did they? Nope.
HW Bush pledged no new taxes that got him elected in 1988. Democrats in control of Congress convinced him to raise taxes in exchange to deep budget cuts. Did they? Nope. He lost the election.
Just this past year the Democrats reached a "deal" with Republicans on budget cuts of $100 billion? $60 billion? No, try $38 billion. Then we find out the accounting gimmicks used by the Democrats to achieve this number really only amounted to a few hundred million.
I believe nothing when it comes to so-called "compromises" with Democrats.
Chris D
That sounds like reverse psychology (syco..ology)
The Republicans aren't cutting a thing. They are still all growing the government, not making cuts.
Drafted behind closed doors, the proposed bill would pay for the war in Afghanistan but give the Pentagon just a 1 percent boost in annual spending, while the Environmental Protection Agency's budget would be cut by 3.5 percent.
Defense gets a fu**ing increase and we continue to fund the war in Afghanistan---yes, done behind closed doors. What do you GOPers want--to spend the country in the ground? Defense was supposed to take a hit, yet now they sneak it by with the Pentagon getting an increase. Don't tax appropriately and spend on military toys.
I hope the Senate kicks it right back to the House.
I love when the liberals refer to the Republicans as the Party of No when there are 18 bills to create jobs and help grow the economy sitting on Harry Reid's desk. King Harry doesn't even bring these bills to the floor. I dont know about you, but this is a little too much power for one man to have in the Senate. Every bill coming from the House should come to the floor for a vote.
Democrats are the real Party of No as in do nothing since they didn't even bother to pass a budget the first 800 days after they had total control of all chambers.
Sad to say but there are no more holes left to crawl in and hide. We are going to spend and spend until we collapse, our politicians will not fix this problem because they are all corrupt.
re Viewer Ready... the conservatives ONLY want cuts when they're not in power. Blaming the GOP is EASY since EVERY GOP ADMINISTRATION since Eisenhower has spent FAR MORE than they took in in taxes.. EVERY SINGLE ONE... that's Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush sr AND Bush jr. And not just by little amounts, but in LARGE MEASURE. Nixon started by inheriting a $4.4 Billion SURPLUS from Johnson which he squandered twice over in less than 2 years (he was at a $4.4 Billion DEFICIT within 2 years of taking office), Ford did little better, Reagan was FAR WORSE, Bush Sr was moderately bad and Bush JR was ATROCIOUS in his spending vs income gap and the DEFICIT he left us. He took a $236 Billion SURPLUS and turned it into a $250 Billion DEFICIT in less than 2 years, 9/11 not included. So if you wonder why "Liberals" (and others with observant eyes and brains to analyze, not people who get their unchecked "facts" from GOP HATE RADIO and Faux News) blame the GOP it's because the FACTS and the RECORD PROVE IT CONCLUSIVELY!!!
Conservatives listen to CRAP radio and TV broadcasts and accept everything they hear as truth without checking any of it out for factualness or truth. And they wonder why real people laugh at them and think they're ignorant. Hitler and his cronies said lots of things about Liberals and "Excess Government" too, and the Conservatives listened to him without checking his statements too. And look what that got Germany AND THE WORLD!!! So continue being moronic if you must, but maybe you should pull your head out of your backside for just once and check to see if the garbage you're being fed has any truth or merit to it before you swallow it like addictive candy.
The EPA is a joke. Here in Phoenix, they want to regulate dust from dust storms. There is no common sense coming from this agency whatsoever. EPA = Employment Prevention Agency
Too many brainless Obama toe lickers out there.
Congratulations America, our Debt/GDP ratio has just reached 109%. We will have spent $1.7 Trillion dollars of the $2.4 Trillion dollar Debt Ceiling increase passed just over 4 months ago.
I'll bet anyone $10,000 dollars that we will be raising the debt ceiling again right after the elections in 2012.
America meet Greece. Greece meet America.
And of course let's not forget the tens of billions of dollars in earmarks that will necessarily be snuck into the thousands of pages of this edition of the Porkulus Bill that has become customary.
Cut? Nope.
Cap? Yes at current elevated levels.
Balance? ROTFLMAO!
I'm sure S&P, Moody's and Fitch will be thrilled with our Draconian austerity measures.
Once again our government proves it is incapable of any fiscal responsibility.
But, but, but, I thought Barrack promised the buffoon Bart Stupak (D-MI), during the Health Care Redistribution of Wealth hoax, that no Federal money would be used to fund abortions. I mean he even promised with an "Executive Order" that it would never happen. Didn't he?
Another broken promise?
Oh yeah, let's not forget we need to sneak the $300 BILLION Dollar doctor fix in this monstrosity somehow also. That is of course unless you want all Medicare patients to be scrambling to find the one doctor within 50 miles that is stupid enough to accept a 27.4% cut in payments. Just an FYI.
FRL.
Um...city of Washington D.C....
LOL!!!
You are angry. Calm down. Think.
AZC....
LOL!!!
I suppose you are talking about the ideological wish lists the GOP repackaged and called jobs bills.
Ya know. The ones none of the economic analysis shows will actually create jobs?
Study up, jr.
Ron Paul.
A principled man.
Remember....
A principled fool is still a fool.
Everyone bickrting about how you can't trust republicans: Why do you think the democrats are any better? Everyone bickering about how you can't trust democrats: What makes you think the republicans are any better?
Wake up people! Both parties are filled with liars and thieves, and as long as you are buying into one of the parties' propoganda, you are just perpetuating this unsustainable system. Seriously, at some point you have to get a clue.
Repulicants
Then why is it a concern regarding a FEDERAL Omnibus bill?
GOP - We need these corrupt republicans out of office, they are puppets to Norquist and the Koch brothers and have no interest in the majority of the American people. They are worst than the unemployed, and homeless, they have a job but they do not do! They should be fired and kicked to the curb!
Boehner & O'Connell - worthless; accomplished nothing; worst excuse for leaders ever, in the history of America!! They bask in their worthless existance, bravo and the dem's win to come.
just an idea
Good question.
Why is the GOP including such non-sense?
(syco..ology) is the republican.
Who else cuts off their nose to spite their face?
Who else vote for someone who has a barrel ready and waiting for their vote, and doesn't even bring any Vaseline?
Because they don't understand what it is! They are very under-educated as a whole it is why they want to destroy public education so they will have someone they can talk to and have understand - them.
GOP the new Morons!
AZChzhd
They call you the myth maker.
Party of No when there are 18 bills to create jobs
However the middle class doesn't want to sponsor jobs for the top 1%. and pay for it too.
Democrats plans include the middle class in Job creation, the party of NO said NO to that 18 times.
Repulicants
Really? Can you shoot me the links to those "economic analysis"?
Of course you can't, because they don't exist.
BTW, uncle Hairy Reed stating they are "Dead on arrival" or "Table it" does NOT confer "economic analysis".
Just in case you have a hard time remebering which resolutions they are here's a list:
H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act
H.R. 910, the Energy Tax Prevention Act
H. J. Res. 37, Disapproval of FCC’s Net Neutrality Act
H.R. 2018, the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act
H.R. 1315, Consumer Financial Protection & Soundness Improvement Act
H.R. 2587, Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act
H.R. 2401, Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN ACT)
H.R. 2681, Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act
H.R. 2250, EPA Regulatory Relief Act
H.R. 2273, Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act
H.R. 1230, Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act
H.R. 1229, Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act
H.R. 1231, Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act
H.R. 2021, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011
H.R. 1938, North American-Made Energy Security Act
Can we expect the "economic analysis" links anytime soon?
Liberals, so easy.
reading the responses on this post is some of the funniest stuff... especially coming from conservatives.
Hey, all you whiners who want to CUT, CUT, CUT! I don't hear YOU saying what you're ready to GIVE UP!!!! Deficit and national debt too high for ya? Let's cut that MORTGAGE DEDUCTION!!! Yipeee! Oh, wait, can't do that, it'll hurt YOU too much. Well then, let's whack some more money away from poor people! Its their fault they're poor, or unemployed, so f*ck 'em. Oh, that's only a couple billion out of a 1Trillion dollar deficit? OK, then, let's cut back YOUR PARENTS MEDICARE! Whoo Hoo! Oh, wait, now YOU have to fund your parents health care and assisted living! That's no good. Wait, let's cut the EPA budget; not much money there, but it'll mean JOBS, right? Oh, that sh*t you're breathing? Used to be called "AIR". And that oil on the beaches between your toes, that killed the ecosystem? Well, who gives a sh*t anyway, right? Oh, the FISH THAT EAT those lower forms of life care? And now all the fish are GONE? Hated fish anyway! Oh, the algae blooms now sucked all the oxygen out of the water, killing anything that's left?
GET YOUR HEAD'S OUT OF YER AZZEZ PEOPLES! GOVERNMENT IS US, THE STUFF WE WANTED AND ASKED FOR. QUIT BLAMING POLITICIANS FOR YOUR SPOILED WAYS, AND TAKE YOUR SHARE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHERE AMERICA FINDS ITSELF AT THIS POINT IN HISTORY.
AND BEFORE YOU TALK ABOUT CUTTING SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROGRAMS OR MONEY, WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO GIVE UP??????????
FRL
LOL!!!!
I cannot supply the independent economic analysis showing the GOP jobs plans actually create jobs.
They doesn't exist.
That is what I was saying.
Can you? LOL!!!!
Dumb, dee, dee, dumb, dumb, dumb....
FRL
I know.
That is why I called the bills from the GOP ideological wish lists that do nothing to create jobs.
FRL
I don't know. Can we?
I am not claiming these bills will create jobs, jr. You are.
So....it is YOUR responsibility to show the independent economic analysis that shows they actually will
Good luck, kid.
LOL!!!!!
Dumb, dee, dee, dumb, dumb, dumb....
Repulicants
LOL!!!!!
Nice try on backing out of your ridiculous claim there were economic analysis done.
Try to keep up Spanky.
As you would say, Dumb, dee, dee, dumb, dumb, dumb....
So easy.
FRL
Backing out?
You made the claim that the GOP had jobs bills, jr.
Now, show that they will actually claim jobs.
Or continue on, blindly repeating the delusion you were spoon fed.
America is broke. Yet the monopoly money printing press is running at full speed.
What will happen when other countries no longer accept this useless paper?
It happened to England and it was not pleasant for them. Look it up for yourself.
LOL! So its not Bush's fault he raised taxes? Its the dem's fault for convincing him too? ROFL You people are ridiculous.
The issue with excess spending really stems from our elected officials constant need to seek reelection coupled with their need to cater to the parties they represent and the few large organizations that give them campaign funding. We won't be able to fix anything until we correct these underlying systemic deficiencies.
The American Overhaul Act (www.americanoverhaulact.org) conatins a set of proposed amendments designed to fix these problems so that we can get our government moving again:
These are the types of changes that are needed to return our government to its intended purpose: having representatives that are focused on the needs and desires of American citizens and who take actions that are in the best interest if the country for the long-term. I encourage everyone to go to the American Overhaul Act website at www.americanoverhaulact.org. And, if you agree with these proposals, please support this Act and share it with your friends, family, and elected officials – it will take a lot of continued support to get these amendments passed so that we can make a positive impact on the future of this great nation!
We have fought 2 wars....never funded....ever. Who wanted to go to war back in 2003??? 75% of Americans did....and the Repubs didn't want to pay for it... but we went to war anyway. We have an over bloated welfare system.... that is being taken advantage of....it needs to be trimmed down. We have corporations making BILLIONS in profits on the backs of American workers and because they have an office overseas...they shelter their profits. I am a Democrat...I believe we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. I pay my bills on time...I believe in strong family values....I believe its time the bills have come due..... I am sorry, I have paying taxes like a lot of people.....but we have come to this where we need to reduce our spending.... militarily....over seas....and socially. It is time to pay the piper.... Repubs...we need to be grown up about this and pay up....Dems...we need to call out those that abuse our social systems...refine them...and help those that truly need our help.
We are the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA....i have friends who are Republicans...I love them... we enjoy each others company...I am not gonna turn my back on them...or call them names... because they have a different political view than myself....If all you want to do is say NO....NO....NO....CAN'T DO IT(both sides)...then we are truly a lost country.
Its time to stop worrying about being re-elected and start worrying about OUR COUNTRY!! get our deficit down....get a good bill the puts people back to work....
-Shawn-
Merry Christmas
@ Shawn-1862358: I totlally agree! Partisan bickering and each political party simply trying to stop the other party from doing what it wants so that their political "team" wins is one of the major problems in our government today. Politicians treat our government as if it is a sporting event with the two political teams fighting against each other to see who is better and will come out the winner. The problem is that politics is not a sport. Instead, we need our elected representatives to work together to try to come to a resolution that is good for the country and is in the best interests of the majority of Amercans. I submit that this issue is caused in large part by our current two party system. The fact is that this country was never intended to be a two party system. in fact, our founding fathers did not want politicval parties at all. Because these parties have become so powerful and entrenched, they have cretaed a system in which only Reps and Dems can get elected, and, once elected, the elected representatives must do what the party wants them to do. Because of that, they are not acting in the best interests of the country, but rather in the best interests of the party. Check out the American Overhaul Act at www.americanoverhaulact.org. It tackles this problem by proposing to make rules that favor these two political parties illegal, and also by changing the way campaigns are financed so that the parety cannot control elected representatives by holding the purse strings for the campaigns. It also proposes term limits and changes to Congressional compensation to try to return our Congress to its original state where there was a healthy rotation of Congress members. Further, it proposes a Federeal Budget-Deficit Reform amendment to try to correct the current deficit spending problem that we have. I encourage you to check it out and, if you agree with the proposals, share it with your family, friends, and state and federal elected representatives!
When the final tab is totaled I want to see how many earmarks and to which state.
The simple fact of the matter is that our government is out of control. They (BOTH parties) are constantly kicking "the can" down the road on spending (because neither party can stand the prospects of loosing power), blaming each other as much as possible, and completely fleecing the American public while doing it (insider trading/deals, wasting taxdollars on their political larks, and feeling free to spend tax dollars on their lifestyles- travel, expenses, etc.).
Here's how I percieve how Washington DC (Congress and the President) spend their time:
33% towards lobbying, fundraising, deal brokering (for themselves, family, friends, occasionally their constituents)
33% towards spending more ("saving" money through "cutting" already agreed upon spending increases in government programs. That's still spending more....)
33% finding ways to blame everyone other then themselves for our problems
1% telling the truth
It's about time we save our country and get rid of all of these idiots. Our country is tanking and all we hear in the media is political slights..... and more spending. Blame the Republicans, they want to save money. Blame the Republicans, they want an oil pipeline from Canada to our ports. Blame the Republicans, they want the Bush tax cuts. Blame the Republicans, they want more military spending. Etc. Etc. etc. Yeah, I get it- MSNBC has picked a side, HOWEVER they continue to fail to note that our entire government is screwing us with overspending on government (over $1.5 TRILLION overspent per year as compared to our tax income), our debt ratio (our debt load is now over our GDP. That = Bad), our government is offering to prop up other governments and currencies with more debt to us, they fail to note that Putin is about to take over Russia (sure there is another candidate in their election, but he needs Putin to allow him to get his money out.... so he's going to take votes away from Putin's opponants and insure Putin's victory), China is getting more militant (and pulling out of the US debt market), Iran is getting the bomb (eventhough there have been some curious "accidents" lately), the EU and the UN are continuing down their merry path to penalize the US through trade and regulations... This all adds up to our country going down.
If you want to argue about whom to blame, fine. Once you've got that out of your system, please feel free to start thinking about the bigger picture problems we are facing. We easily could jump into a WW3 because of the global financial collapse that's happening (yes, the EU, IMF, etc. are kicking the can down the road with little bailouts- with more debt) but it's coming. Just get ready.
I'm not sure why we're funding a new Fighter plane (F-35), when the capability of unmanned fighter aircraft would be far greater then that of manned aircraft. Of course, the issue of 'control' of the aircraft during operations is a critical issue, since you wouldn't want the enemy to take over control of one of our planes and use it against us.
It could be a bit of a quandary, since any manned aircraft could be easily downed by a pilotless fighter, but if control is not absolute, then we might need piloted aircraft as a backup.
You all are forgetting one thing. There has been no budget written in, what about 3 years now. One would have to ask why? Would this be happening if there was a budget? With this admin it is a good guess to say yes. From what 2006(? not sure) up until last year, 2010, the dems controlled congress, did they not. So why no budget? I bet is was so they could spend with no restrictions. Here it is an election year, 2012, and still no budget and they have to get congress to pass stop gap bills to keep the government running, some admin we got. Accounting gimmicks and etc just a game to play with the numbers another unemployment thing to make us believe they are doing something. All I see is a GREAT COUNTRY going down the tubes. As always just my opinion.
Ron Paul gets it because he doesn't follow the idiology that the idiot Keynesians follow. Spending your way out of trouble just gets you in a bigger problem.
Sheeeesh, the Party of NO (Reid) has now gone all the way to the President of the U.S.
2012 cannot come soon enough.....Even Mrs. Pelosi or Mr. Frankie would probably be a better lip swagger President.
F your president OBAMA, he doesn't represent me !!
Think there's enough rich people out there to cover a trillion dollars? How many billion in a trillion? Who do we borrow the money from this time? How do they propose to pay for this budget? Note to the republican bashers, it was the democrats in control of congress who refused to pass the congressionally mandate budget almost three years ago. I know, you want to blame the republicans and Bush for EVERYTHING but the fact remains, the little democratic liberals didn't pass anything resembling a budget. Probably for several reasons. First, they don't understand the concept of budget or savings and second: they don't have a clue so they passed the hot potato to the republicans who also don't have a clue but at least, in their favor, they're making an attempt.
"Making an attempt" at what? Setting new records for filibusters? It is sort of like marriage counseling..... it works better if both people go to the session trying to mend the fence.
Remember the 2010 elections? Republicans in record numbers. Wonder why? When you have a speaker of the House telling the folks that they 'have to wait til the bill is passed to see what's in it' you have a problem of trust. Note that the same Pelosi stated that she wouldn't consider the budget until after the elections, wonder why? Because she knew it was a poltical hot potato and decided to let the stupid republicans pick it up. That way the democrats would have the opportunity to demogogue while offering nothing of substance, counting on the fact that their loyal supporters weren't savvy enough to understand how she dropped the ball, intentionally. Then you have Obama's budget which was so absurd that it was voted down 97-0 in the Senate. Why did Obama appoint a budget commission and then ignore what they said, BTW?
I think this frames the differences between the Dems and Repub funding priorities:
GOP defense hawks won additional funding to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The troubled, over-budget, next-generation F-35 fighter plane program would be largely protected.
Democrats won a modest increase in funding for schools with large numbers of disadvantaged students.
@ mygirl1: yes, indeed I DO remember the 2010 elections. I recall repubs saying...it's all about JOBS! JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!!!
so um...any idea when that's suppose to start? The Party of Noooo won and claimed their 'MANDATE' was to get America back to work. So, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN?
Hey, It's MEEEEE " yes, indeed I DO remember the 2010 elections. I recall repubs saying...it's all about JOBS! JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!!!so um...any idea when that's suppose to start? The Party of Noooo won and claimed their 'MANDATE' was to get America back to work. So, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN?"
When Harry Reid gets around to considering the 20 +- Jobs bills already passed by the Republican House instead of hiding them in his pockets.
The House could pass a hundred jobs bills, but if Harry refuses to even allow debate on them in the Senate, what else can be done? Why don't you pose your question to Harry Reid?
The IDIOT lefties don't pass a budget for 800+ days and they bleat about Republicans? And then there is the little bigot Harry Reid, who says "They're wasting time catering to the tea party folks over there when they should be working with us on a bipartisan package that can pass both Houses," Reid said of the House GOP. Can you just imagine if a conservative said the same about Democrats "wasting their time catering to blacks, illegal aliens, homosexuals"... believe it or not HARRY, Tea Party members are CITIZENS. TAX PAYERS. Folks that pay your damn salary. The LEAST you can do is not disrespect the people who pay your salary, knowing it is wasted money down a rathole. There is not only nothing wrong with representing Americans no matter their interests, it is their job to do so. Few people would criticize Harry for representing his constituents, as wrong headed as Harry is. The disrespect from these elected liberals is astonishing. Not only do they enrich themselves with our money, they insult us on top of it all.
calling half of America Idiots doesn't do anything to come TOGETHER.... as a NATION....A UNITED STATES...or are we just BLUE AND RED...if we are, we will crumble because of our own egos and selfishness. We need to cut a bloated defense....we need to cut a bloated welfare system....we need to streamline the Post Office, We need to ensure great educational facilities for all our children....we need to PAY FOR THE WARS...that we seemed to endorse back in 2003.... THE BILL IS PAST DUE....TIME TO PAY UP. I'm sorry we need to bite to bullet on this....BOTH PARTIES HAVE GOTTEN US WERE WE ARE....we need spending cuts as well as a repeal of the BUSH tax cuts. We NEED to come together on this.
@ Roy and Paul...just sayin, we're all still waiting for this 'incredible overwhelming mandate' that the repub's claimed...but not only haven't delivered, but don't even talk about it lol
Merry Christmas!
Account is overdrawn and like Greece, all I see is one party blaming the others..... is this America's greatness??
It was predicted that when a government gives "things" to the people (however noble), you will create a culture of expectation and if the number of those who "expect" the government to "take care" of them, you will get to a point of unaffordability. This is never the intent, only the result. Are we there yet??
A collapse may be the only solution. Preceding any collapse is a time of intense blame at the expense of really looking at the issue. For those who do not know what the issue is: Our U$ account is overdrawn, broke. It is a matter of time, and then the the world will realize most currencies are worthless and we will experience a period of hyper-inflation.
Can we stop this, yes. Will Americans be willing to make sacrifices, I have my doubt. It takes an adequate % of the population for that to happen and we not have that until we experience extream pain.
Those who have eyes, see; those who have ears, listen and you can be prepared.
God help us........... in You alone do I trust.
We need to throw all the bums out. In this piece of CRAP 6715 EARMARKS worth 8 Billion of tax payers dollars. Mitch says he will fight this but he has earmarks in it. Senator Couburn has a spreadsheet for all to see.
It's really not all that complicated ... we need REAL LEADERSHIP in the White House ! Right now, we do not have it. From his early days in the office, Obama set the tone by saying "we won" and the Republicans would have "to sit at the back of the bus".
Instead of working to find common ground, build upon what could be agreed upon by both sides, Obama has instead chosen to attack, and belittle Republicans while campaigning for his re-election non-stop.
That is not leadership. That is the raw abuse of power.
yea jimmy, lets have leadership, like this...
To paraphrase what he's saying....We repubs don't care about the economy, or jobs or America. We just want Barack out. Everything else is unimportant to us.
ooooo real leadership, there! lol
Mitch McConnell is but one elected Senator. His personal opinion has been burned into the BUTTS of liberals to the point they are totally unable to see the efforts of other Republicans in the Senate.
Obama is the President. He totally skipped-out on any meaningful accomplishments during his "pit-stop" in the Senate, mostly voting "present".
Still, I do believe that Obama PROMISED to work with both sides. You would expect the guy "at the top" to exhibit "SOME" leadership skills... but he has not. He is only concerned with HIS power. For everything else, certainly "Paying for Things", there is Mastercard. No budgets passed while Obama has been at the helm and our national debt increases are on steroids.
Try to remember WHO is supposed to be leading our country ... you know, the guy in the White House.
Markle: First, I really like your little hamster avatar. Now, I agree that the republicans are way off the mark with ignoring children while tossing billions at a useless fighter plane and more nukes. The ideological differences of the parties is painfully apparent. The need is for intelligent compromise, sadly, there don't seem to be many intelligent politicans in DC.
yea, yea, Jim, I know who are leader is. But ya might wanna tell your repub politicians, just to make sure they know too. errr, do they only listen to the 1%'ers? Ops sorry.
But instead of working against Obama, to make him a one-termer....why not work WITH him and for the American people? He leads....all they gotta do is follow, in lieu of running in whatever the opposite direction is. But nooo, the Party of NOoo is more intent on making their President look bad.
"The need is for intelligent compromise, sadly, there don't seem to be many intelligent politicans in DC."~mygirl1,
You can say that twice!!
BTW....it is a rabbitt with a few pancakes.................cuz I like pancakes! I like your longhorn too! Have a Merry Christmas my friend hopefully we'll talk more this coming year.
The bill also covers money for combating AIDS and famine in Africa, patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border, operating national parks and boosting veterans' health care." this statement I find interesting...ourleaders as it seems are willing to help Africans but not US citizens. WE have 46 million and counting that are below the poverty level or on their way.....many of these are working family's working at 2 jobs..of course..our wealthy politicans could care less....and they all show it.
Markle: A rabbit, ok, the pic is tiny and I did hit on the rodent aspect of things. As to the pancakes, blueberry and/or buckwheat. The longhorn is a steer belonging to a friend of mine, I've used him as a model for several paintings.
I have had enough of politics, I want to enjoy my Christmas, devoid of upsets and silliness, to you and all the other folks out there...Merry Christmas and a politics free-and Happy New Year.
What we really need is a federal budget for 2012 with a deficit that does not exceed 229.27 billion dollars as has been promised by our President. The congress needs to help the President keep his promise to the American people.
I will be so glad when liberals are relived of the tiller.
This ship needs to be put back on track and on course.
Only conservatives can do this.
I guess we need to look at the history books to determine what a true fiscal conservative is. Neither party has shown any ability to be frugal.
To..Viewer""
The conservatives caused this mess ...the mess came when repubs controlled all three branches Jan 2003 -Jan 2007...and made all those back room deals with lobbyists with the job killing tax cuts ..
We have a government that is completely ill-managed, fraught with fraud, abuse and criminality, overspends, under-performs, and wastes billions every month...Anyone who doesn't understand that the root problem is SPENDING and not revenue has no idea how badly our government operates with OUR money.
I don't want your party in control again...you can't steer a ship either...for 8 years you steered this ship right into the iceberg...that's where it's been. You had your chance for 8 frickin years...and 2 wars and unpaid for tax breaks...and you want to steer it again...hell no!
Conservatives passed a surplus off to Bill Clinton.
(who took credit where it was not due)
THEN he imposed the "house for every American plan" which started the entire housing crisis.
Hey, let's give em' all credit, even though we know their credit is sh!t.
See who that worked?
And yes we had wars that cost money, but the initial blame lays on the liberals.
Look at Ron Paul if you want to cut wasteful spending. 40 solid record of doing what he promises.
And he knows the OATH.
I seem to remember this recession beginning BEFORE the current President took office....
Here we go again ...
White House, Office of the Press Secretary
October 15, 2002
President Hosts Conference on Minority Homeownership
President George W. Bush hosted the White House Conference on Minority Homeownership to discuss public and private sector efforts to address the homeownership gap and increase the number of minority homeowners in America.
In June, President Bush announced the national goal of increasing the number of minority homeowners by at least 5.5 million by the end of this decade. Meeting the President's goal will not only help more Americans enjoy the benefits of owning their own homes it will also help strengthen America's economy. According to a study released today by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, meeting the President's goal will involve $256 billion in economic activity in the form of construction and remodeling jobs, spending on household goods, and other benefits.
Background on Today's Presidential Action
In June, President Bush announced an aggressive homeownership agenda to dismantle barriers to homeownership by providing down payment assistance, increasing the supply of affordable homes, increasing support for self-help homeownership programs, and simplifying the homebuying process and increasing education. The President also issued "America's Homeownership Challenge" to the real estate and mortgage finance industries to join in his effort to increase the number of minority homeowners by taking concrete steps to tear down the barriers to homeownership that face minority families.
The Bush Administration is working to increase homeownership among minority Americans through a number of new and expanded initiatives, as well as through ongoing programs administered by HUD and other federal departments, including
....
@RealAmericanValues -- Take an economics class or read the real numbers at the government (.gov) site.
Obama had control of both houses of Congress for two years and accomplished nothing but putting this country deeper in debt. If anyone made it a living hell for Obama it was his democratic Congress people. They saw he wasn't a leader and didn't support him for two years.
The old rhetoric about Bush won't work.. he was punished in 06 when both houses were taken over by the Dems..which brings me to my main point.. HOW IS IT THAT IT IS ALL THE REPUBLICANS FAULT, WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE 6 MONTHS, AND YET THE DEMS HAD CONTROL FOR 3 YEARS BUT IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT?
Here we go again.
Yes, all Bush did was follow a popular plan that Clinton initiated.
By the time he took office it was all made to look like peaches and cream.
Besides, the snowball had already started rolling.
You can blame Bush for carrying on Clinton's mistake.
But the fact is, CLINTON started it.
Tax cuts do NOT kill jobs.
Taxes DO.
You have to understand there is quite a bit of wealth just waiting for the right time to invest.
And you can bet your ass they will not invest while under the guidance of liberals.
They have enough money saved up to wait till the climate is right.
And I can't say that I blame them.
Amunaka - that was done at the behest of Barney Frank and other liberals.
It's true that Clinton is responsible for the SS IOU mess. But Republicans had the Congress as well.
But the bottom line is this: when Clinton came into office, 35% of the US budget was spent servicing the debt. Currently, debt servicing is at 12%. So, even though the amount of debt is much higher, that debt in the early nineties, some of it was acquired at a 10% or higher interest rate. For example, if you look back at the early 1980's the US gov't was selling $1000 30 yr treasuries at $7. Imagine that for a moment. For every $7 dollars that we received we were responsible for paying back $1000. Someone got a good deal on that one!!
Blame, blame, blame, blame. It's all I ever hear out of anybody anymore. Maybe I'm just tired, maybe I'm just sick that people can't grow up. Viewer_Ready, your blaming Clinton, that might have been okay about 10 years ago, but that is a long dead horse, give it a rest. Amunaka, not that I really ever cared for Bush, even less with how he came to power, but the Democrats did have control of Congress when @!$%# hit the fan.
Could it really be that both parties are at fault and we need to drop the charade that one is better than the other?
Viewer ReadY:
You are a veritable talking point machine. If what you say is true, budgets go to hell when liberals are in control, but they are just freaking excellent when conservatives are in control, would you explain what has happened over the last 30 years as the debt has accumulated year after year after year. Please explain how budgets have stayed in the red year after year after year. Please explain how spending has increased year after year after year - 189% under that flaming liberal St. Ronald of Reagan.
I hate this partisan sniping, but I hate even more people like you who continue to spew the nonsense that creates the conditions for the sniping. You are manifestly dishonest.
@Viewer_Ready
You talk away about Clinton starting the homeownership idea. If that is so, then all of those home owners would have at least a minimum of 6 to 10 years equity in their homes prior to the housing bubble collapse (2006, I believe). If those homeowners used their homes as a cash-cow prior to the bubble burst, how can that even remotely be Clinton's albatross? The bubble burst in the 2nd term of Dubya's presidency.
"Obama had control of both houses of Congress for two years."
False. How many times do we have to go over this? The Democrats did NOT have control of the Senate for two years. Republicans had filibusting power for the majority of the 111th Congress.
The fault lies on both sides. Stop the finger-pointing.
Viewer.
It's the fantasy economic policies over the last thirty years of the conservatives that slowly put us in this mess. Policies that were pushed by both parties, but policies that originated on the right, none the less.
Now, they want to turn to the same delusional policies to get us out.
LOL!!! Brilliant.
Viewer Ready.
LOL!!!
The problem is not that there is no money to invest, jr.
The problem is there is no demand.
Demand.
The #1 reason given by businesses.
Turn off the cable news.
The only person who really makes any sense here is In Michigan-90
Con-servatives says is all.
Wool, sand, barrel with out Vaseline any one?
That would mean that during the 90's when Clinton raised taxes - our unemployment would soar. It didnt. And you're wrong.
What a wonderful upside down world we live in. In cases where the government is handing out tax breaks and corporate welfare - it actually is in their best interests to NOT create jobs in America, and create them overseas. Amazingly, people make this argument all the time about people on welfare - why should they work if they can get a check. So it follows - why would they produce jobs if they can just get a check?
It's called using taxes to encourage jobs and productivity. Taxes and Tax breaks are not inherently bad, it's the environment they are used in and the result that is good or bad. That's why after 40 years of tax breaks, we are now in an environment where tax breaks no longer stimulate jobs or productivity. It's also why corporate interests shell out hundreds of millions to congressmen to keep from being cut off from the (udder) of government.
At first I would say what's good for the goose is good for the gander, but there is a difference. At least Dems are bundling related matters, while Teapubicans are trying to add unrelated things like the pipeline.
Sounds good to me.
There haven't been 10 conservatives in DC in the past 40 years. Conservatives did nothing to create this mess. milk-toast Republicans and Democrats created the disaster that is DC and the Federal budget & debt.
If you are going to make claims, at least get your facts straight.
That, and Pelosi and Reid took over the House and Senate and ran our nation into the ground beginning in 2007. So Bush had a Republican Congress for 6 years - never a filibuster proof majority like Obama did for more than a Year.
As for spending, the liberal republicans and DEMOCRATS spent our money. Liberal republicans and DEMOCRATS did the same thing to Ronald Reagan.
So before you all try and make your lies sound true, go back and look at the congresses that spent the money, who was in charge. Good luck finding 10 CONSERVATIVES let alone a majority.
To be accurate, the Democrats only had 59 votes, 1 vote short of a filibuster. Look at this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2008
i have two words...ron paul
Yeah but... the man is pretty darn idealistic. To Ron Paul, it's kinda like, architectural purity is the best path.
Engineers know from experience that the best path is usually a compromise between purity and practicality.
Ron Paul lacks the practicality gene.
Is that what you would have said to Thomas Jefferson because when we study both those men their actions are identical. When I think constitution, I think Ron Paul. When I think gentleman, I think Gentle Ben Franklin and Ron Paul. When I think the constitutionalist who killed the central bank and paid the country's debt off for the only time in our history, I think Andrew Jackson and hopefully Ron Paul.
I fully agree with Cautiously Optimistic.
Ron Paul is an ideal candidate for an ideal country where there are no social problems, no debt problems, no need for the government to collect revenue, no nothing. In a small, homogeneous, tradition-driven, and trouble-free society, Ron Paul would be exactly the Messiah some make him out to be.
But this country is far from perfect and, whether we like it or not, the government needs to collect revenue to pay off its debt without stripping the poor and the elderly of what little they have. The Constitution, magnificent a document as it is, is more than two-hundred years old. Just because it doesn't explicitly say, "give a glass of water to the thirsty" doesn't mean we can't. Ron Paul's interpretation of the Constitution, of how the government works, of how anything can be done, is an idealistic one, not a practical one. And he would rather cut the deficit by $20 than by $100, if the $20 is clean program cuts but the $100 is 80% program cuts and 20% revenue increases. That's not the man that's going to get us out of the whole, I'm sorry to say.
I have a few about Ron Paul...butcher from Texas.
Sounds good until you understand what he wants to destroy in America.
Your on you own with this clown should he get elected.
Wrong. Thomas Jefferson would not have agreed with the government telling a woman what she can or cant do with her own body.
This from a e-mail
Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC,offers the following about the debt ceiling: "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election." The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.
1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It
may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS.
Reality in Government office?
Right after pigs can fly.
On any ballot paper we need a last option box for those who want to check it.
It reads "none of the above" and if its the winner in the voting contest, start over because a greater number of the people said no to all of you bums trying out.
"a rider that blocks the city of Washington, D.C., from funding abortions for poor women."
"GOP defense hawks won additional funding to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The troubled, over-budget next generation F-35 fighter plane program would be largely protected."
No money for schoolkids and poor women, but more money for fighter jets! Budget and debt be damned = let's bomb more brown people!
How about abortion + tubal ligation.
The F-35 beats out food stamps and welfare anyday.
At least that will create jobs.
(but you have to be willing to get off your ass, get an education and go to work).
Ron Paul. The one who has never bartered or bargained for office. Solid record, Solid morals.
How about not doing what gets you pregnant in the first place or at least using some type of protection, you just can't keep expecting the American workers to keep paying for other's bad decision's. Personally I think if your if can't afford to take care of yourself you should not be having kids that have to be brought up in poverty and someone else footing the bill for it, We have 6 grown children and we paid for all of it on our own, No tax payer anything.
"The F-35 beats out food stamps and welfare anyday." Translation: "Making war beats helping poor people anyday."
The problem with JSF F35 is that the gov't has to spend a few million per job created. I used to work at Lockheed on the H-60 program and for our division, it would take 1.25 M to 2.5 M to create one job. That's based on sales per employee. And that's the problem. RDT&E defense spending on new systems create awesome systems like the F35 (I definitely think that is the one platform they should save at all costs!!). Yet, if we start a war it won't pull us out of the economic doldrums link WWII did, because WWII jobs were low paying and low sales to worker ratios. That's not the case today. WWIII won't help the economy, just like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan created the worst decade of growth EVER!!!
Viewer_Ready
Too bad the education system is a worthless out dated peace of trash and politicians are more concerned with a new toy than trying to educate people.
If we are going to waste a trillion dollars, lets put most of it into something that will ensure greatness in future generations. But, a million dollar plane that's only purpose is to kill things? Real helpful to the future ya think?
Grow up. Think about the future you are handing American children. Is that really something you want to leave behind?
The F-35 will never fly, too much Nomex in the wrong places.
@Viewer_Ready = Big Time Troll
Spews BS, no facts!
I think the abortion would be a whole lot cheaper in the long run... rather than paying welfare to this mother for this child for the rest of her life! It is a vicious cycle. Parents forced to have children they obviously don't want... what can we expect from these children as they become adults? Not to mention, all of these poor women are getting free medical care at clinics for "high risk" pregnancies. You want to pay for all of that instead of the abortion??? Doesn't sound to "fiscally responsible" to me. I don't even think the government will pay for birth control pills for women on welfare... could this also be part of the problem???? Gosh, I wish I had the answers! Getting a headache just thinking about the mess we are in in this country....
care4mycountry,mychildren,myparents
Ron Paul. The one who has never bartered or bargained for office. Solid record, Solid morals.
Sounds good until you understand what he wants to destroy in America.
Your on you own with this clown should he get elected.
I would hate to see Ron Paul elected for many reasons, but one I have not heard anyone mention is the way he speaks. During these debates he sounds like he thinks he's so superior, his tone of voice and the way he laughs as he speaks as a put-down to his opponents is a real deal breaker for me. Imagine him in some important talks with foreign leaders and there is a disagreement. I doubt he would score any points with his opponent with that kind of speech. I find it very disgusting. If he should win, I hope someone teaches him how to talk to people that disagree with him so that they aren't insulted by his attitude and speech patterns. If he were my child I would have straightened him out on that score long ago.
Hey Grandma, your children probably already strangled themselves. I've never heard Ron Paul talk down to anyone. He's the classiest, smartest guy in politics. He has morals unlike Newt, he has principles unlike Mitt, he doesn't believe in spending us into bankruptcy unlike Obama. He's been vetoing tax increases for 30 years because he knows taxes take money out of the private sector and hinders job growth. Who here thinks they know why all of our jobs have been going to china? And don't say cause they pay their workers 10 cents a day. Both Germany and Japan have higher average wages then America, and they have trade surpluses! We have very onerous regulations and taxes, thanks to the 2 BIG GOVERNMENT parties. He's also been the loudest critic of the FEDERAL RESERVE for decades. Now I'm sure most of you big government geniuses don't have a clue about how the federal reserve is the root of the majority of our financial problems, so here's a little lesson for ya. The federal reserve lowered interest rates to nearly 0. So banks would borrow and lend out the money to anyone with a pulse to get a return. Hence, the horrendous housing bubble that will have consequences for generations. One last lesson...the US is so in debt, that at some point, maybe very soon, the fed will have to either 1) default or 2) print so much money that they will make the dollar collapse. We can't keep raising taxes because business will go to a more business friendly enviornment. All the democrats just want to add one more tax. The republicans, except for RON PAUL, aren't much better. There's only one candidate that would prevent this catastrophe....RON PAUL. So Grandma, if you think his verbal interraction skills are more important than him saving us from financial armagedon, then you go ahead and not vote for him.
I agree with bizgirl. I have no problem with funding poor women's abortions so long as they ties those tubes while they suck out that future criminal. If she starts to make enough money to afford a kid she can pay to have the procedure reversed if that time comes.
Smart enough to destroy everything this country stands for. And given the choice that's exactly what he has in mind.
destroy what this country stands for? Since when does this country stand for starting wars with countries that pose no threat to us? Since when does this country stand for a federal reserve printing money out of thin air in the trillions, causing the worst taxing of the poor...inflation. Since when does this country stand for cradle to grave entitlements? Since when does this country stand for a government that can hold Americans indefinitely without a hearing when they're "susptected" of having terrorist ties (ie. having less than 10 fingers or storing more than a weeks worth of food). SInce when does this country stand for killing americans with no trial, as we just did in Yemen (actually 2 American citizens).
DOnt make blank statements Chris. If you can back up your claims, write them out. Ron Paul is our only hope.
Blank statements my azz.
You can find out on your own about this putz you drool over and get back to us, and then tell US what a piece of **** he really is.
And denying any of these things he stands for says one of two things, either you believe in his crap and some how it must be good for the country, [12th century Renaissance man] or you have your head in the sand.
Either way, we don’t need you to tell us what a looser he really is.
why why all the riders...can't you all look at a bill, write what needs to be done and pass it? Jesus not everything in DC should be tit for tat! Scary about what the gop thinks is important... They wanted this? Please post their names...I want to make sure I do Not vote for the dopes!
Conservative ire is likely to be magnified once the negotiating outcome regarding dozens of GOP policy "riders" is finalized. House Republicans larded the measures with provisions aimed at rolling back Environmental Protection Agency rules, such as regulations on coal ash, large-scale discharges of hot water and greenhouse gases from electric power plants, and emissions from cement plants and oil refineries.
I can't wait for the final version. It will be interesting to see the bipartisan vote.
There will be no bipartisan vote I guarantee you that. Republicans will play along like they always do and then walk out at the last minute. Then, ironically, they will blame Democrats for not getting anything done. It's a play out of the Republican play-book that has become way to predictable.
there will be both an extension to the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits will go untouched.it is almost an election year.american politicians spend more time running for election than governing.
@ jimsepa: I hadn't thought of it that way; you could easily be right. Unfortunately if your correct, it might trigger another down-grade in our national credit rating....like last summer.
As an independent voter, I am pleased to see that both the Republicans and the Democrats can find some common ground and do what they were sent to Washington to do, represent us, their constituents.
thanks...best comment yet...this is what we want...stop the partisan bickering...tell your Congressman to contiinue to work together. Let's stop the yo yo economics...stop the party fighting
even better. stop the media from inciting the masses.
"GOP defense hawks won additional funding to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The troubled, over-budget next generation F-35 fighter plane program would be largely protected."
No money for schoolkids and poor women, but more money for fighter jets! Budget and debt be damned = let's bomb more brown people!
Time for the MODERATOR of this thread to block CHEESEWITHWHINE from his/her continuous posting of the same material.
Obama we trusted, Now we're BUSTED
I am so tired of ya'll folks accusing the Republicans of taking crumbs out the mouths of po babies and trying to imply it is as a result of racism. How abouts these "po baby" Mamma's stop spitting out all these po ass babies? In addition, it is not the federal government's responsibility to make sure every child has a full belly; though it is its responsibility to defend and protect this country. I am just soooo tired of having to support and take care of others because of stupid choices they make over and over and over again. Let some of you tell it, it is the conservatives fault for hungry children and uneducated/undereducated children. If you are so concerned about this segment of the population why don't you volunteer to go to your state's ghetto and feed and teach these folks! It is the same as the rich who are pleading to pay more taxes. Why not shut the *ell up and cut a check to the IRS and pay what you deem is fair. All you people moaning and groaning and pointing the finger, again I ask what have you done lately to help? For the record, I majored in social work and foolishly thought I could "save the world" or at least a segment. When I started working with this segment of the population, working in a Chicago ghetto, I became enlightened by those I was trying to help. The majority of them (at least 90%) did not want help as far as becoming educated, finding a job, etc. The help they wanted from me was how to get more money from the government, which churches or agencies was giving free stuff away and how to get, get, get while staying on the dole. Indeed, everyone on the dole is not taking advantage of it and truly need it, but many are! Being a social worker left a very, very bitter taste in my mouth. What was even bitter was the fact that after graduating I went back to the neighborhood I grew up in to try and help. My attitude now is screw them!!!!!
Well, so there's going to be a trillion dollar budget. China, we'll be coming to borrow at the money well....again. While I approve of the denials to curbing the Clean Water Act and other environmental issues (sorry, but I am a tree-hugging, pro-choice kinda person) I don't agree that we need to spend money on more nuclear weapons or fighter planes. I also think that people wanting abortions should pay for them out of their own pockets, forcing the taxpayer, especially an anti-abortion taxpayer to fund abortions seems wrong. As to Homeland Security??? Please, more Border Patrol agents available to not enforce immigration laws seems a tad much.
As things are now, they can do whatever, they have kicked the can down the road again...hopefully the printing presses will be up and running so that the government can pay for the budget, most taxpayers are rather tapped out, even the rich aren't nearly as rich as they once were (the uber-rich whom everyone wants to tax more, hell, most of them don't even live here) and the behind closed doors deal makers, well, rest assured that their campaign backers will be compensated.
It would be nice if we could get an executive overview of the plan. Yah know a one or two page concise summary of what it is instead of dismantling it in one vague article at a time over a few weeks....
This is DISGUSTING !!!!
YEP. Vote Ron Paul. He's "The PEOPLES President" not the bankers and corp.ses
sigh! only a trillion?
Heres a spending bill give every person who works for the Feds a 10 percent pay cut... and no more pensions.
I'm not for local, state, or federal employees receiving bloated pensions (nor CEOs for that matter); but to deny federal employees who have worked a good chunk of their careers in gov't compensation upon retirement is just plain mean.
We are talking polticians here not regular workers. congress gets 140k a year. Expense accounts to do their work, full pensions for short term service and a medical plan that is disgusting. They should be pound to social security, contribute to their own 401k's or get long term pension funding only as long as they pass laws requiring pensions for all corporations be funded and not to be included in everybody's cheap corporate bankruptcies while the CEO"S still get their golden parachutes. Congress should not get a dime of pension money or health care until they fix and fully fund Social Security properly and make Medicare a program that can sustain itself and provide proper benefits to keep seniors covered properly at the lever that Congress people get when they retire.
here a spending cut, no more foreign aid!!! no more subsidies!!! no more creating new government departments!!!
We must have a real leader in the White House and that will mean voting out Obama and his minions.
Newt in 2012
Newt in 2012
Obama = 4 more years and we will be 4th class in the world. The man is a clown in a high priced suit.
and your just a plainold GoP scumbag
you want Newt the clown to be president...the two timer adulterer...the one with 84 ethics charges that had to resign from the House...give us a break...how ridiculous. Where are the values.
If I cant trust Newt to preserve the VALUES OF TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE, a hot button issue for your GOP supporters, how can I trust him to lead in the best interest of the country and not for the interests of himself
The Democrat majority on the ethics committee fined Newt $300,000.00 for one paper that erroneously misstated the funding of a class he taught, that the ethics committee approved before he taught it. All other charges were proven wrong, or dismissed because they could not be proven either way.
Do a little research before you spout party propaganda and spin. Go to factcheck.org to learn the truth.
Newt-they guy who cheated on two wives both while they were sick?
Honor is not something he has. Besides, the only thing he has done thus far is repeat conservative talking points and blame Obama.
Mmph I'll pass.
I'd rather vote for mickey mouse than a corupt liar like Newt, even his name is slimmy
I'm not to crazy about a person who cheats on his/her spouse, but it doesn't matter which side you talk about, BOTH PARTIES are guilty of having cheaters. Both parties are guilty of having slime in their party.
Maybe he can be a history teacher instead.
My, my, now the liberals are suddenly concerned about morals? Since when? FDR, JFK, Clinton were less than stunning when it came to keeping it in their pants and the democrats give them all kinds of leeways for infidelity but when it comes to a republican, suddenly they all want to sew scarlet letters on his chest.
Yes I can see Newt now with "letters" sew on his chest "AAA", was he suppose to put a different "A" for each liaison? It seems he is a serial adulterer, I only wonder how long it will take for the other women in his life to show up like they did for Hermie. I'm guessing it could turn out like another Tiger Woods laundry list of "Bimbos-R-Us" affair.
BTW....if you want to go back a few decades to make a comparison then Eisenhower's little secret was overlooked by many at that time.
Powerful men attract women, generally because of the positions of power, certainly not their good looks or charm. Note how Soros, a human warthog, has a laundry list of lovelies, ditto Trump and others of the ilk. Newt's little bride reminds me of something out of a Disney movie, she's as warm and loving as Cruella. I really don't like the idea of her as first lady, I have little problems with Michelle, her hubby however....
mygirl1,
very valid point you make, I couldn't agree more, some people are attracted to power like a moth to flame. Have you noticed she keeps close watch over Newt? If anyone should know the ability for him to "wander" it would certainly be her.
If I hear Trump mentioning being a possible candidate one more time......I think I'll vomit.
Trump is a bi-pedal reality show unto himself...I have decided that either you laugh or you cry when it comes to politics so I opt to look for the humor...
Lets stop sending money to Africa for AIDS treatment. Redirect that same money to US researchers to find a cure and then send the cure to Africa. - where is Sam Kinison when you need him.
Comment # 16 deleted for death trolling. Yuck.
This should put the average Working , tax paying American owing about $47,000 each. With the outsourcing of American jobs we might, and I say might be able to pay this down in another 70 years. My guess is we'll be revisiting this subject again with the next administration and all this bickering will be for nothing.
Personally, I would not trust the American government to manage my fishbowl.
To manage your fishbowl, first the EPA would have to determine the quality of the water. next, an environmental study would have to be done to determine the effect on the environment of dumping the old water down the drain. That would take two years. Then the cleaning agents would have to be studied to determine the impact on the environment if the were to get into the water supply. Two more years. Then the IRS would be called to make sure you did not claim the fish a deductions for tax purposes. one year. The Homeland security would have to determine that the fish were not terrorists in disguise. Two more years. Next, HUD would have to determine you were not making the fish live in substandard conditions. Three years. And , finally, Congress would have to be search to find anyone who knew how to clean anything. Five years.
So, after 15 years, Congress would be able to clean your fish bowl, maybe.
Nice one Old man! The sad thing is that's hitting the nail on the head!
The only real loser on this buget negotiations is the taxpayer. Not repub. or demo's they are the spenders of our treasure.
Like we need another spending bill? What is Congress on these days? Are they addicted to spending. Spend away our problems and issues, but don't address any f them.
Nice post realamericanvalues , if someone doesn;t agree with you wish them or their family death !
We clearly have enough revenue to service our debt. It's the rest of the $306B in our bloated Government we can't afford, but then, that's not defaulting is it? Obama just has to prioritize spending or, in his own words, he has to learn to "eat his peas."
These are serious times, we need serious people, and your time is up Barrack Obama.
So our priority should be to protect billionaires by leaving their tax breaks in place while screwing the middle class?
If I recall according to the GOP everything needs to be paid for...so how are we paying to keep military spending at these levels? We can't bottom line. Yet the GOP wants to continue to fight wars, keep useless embargoes in place and run up the deficit on a ton of other things that will NOT improve our economy.
Here we go again with Republican's wanting to discredit Democrats and Democrats wanting to discredit a Republican. Sounds to me like the Democrats want to stop the Chairman from spending money on fixes we need to better protect the masses from a disaster. What a joke our government is.
One has to wonder if the Democrats would fight so hard to funnel tax payer money to education if there was no teacher's union to send some of that back to fund campaigns....
But one doesn't have to wonder why the "Gaseous Old Pharts" are fighting so hard to keep these Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy on the books now do we?
And it sure as heck isn't over the fact that they are the job creators, because based on that theory we should be rolling in jobs.
No No No , all kinds of pork in this bill. There is about 400 million in buying new cars for government use .
There are coupons of some type for alternative fuel of some other pork. This bill is so that Obama can
say the economy is good at his time of election . Gingrich does not stand a chance or the Rep . has no
chance as the Rep party is bought off by pork . They will not tell you about it , but this is pork for everyone
It is a killer of the American people .
nice post nothing like the truth
Just vote it down lawmakers......Way too much spending . These so called republicans ought to be ashamed for even think about voting for this monster. This is a pork run. We get 1.2 trillion in tax revenue in our budget. Thats all we should be spending come hell or high water. That means cutting defense in half, reforming medicare and doing away with about half the agencies in that god forsaken washing town.
Since they are the gate keeper to our treasure I wonder how many of our congresmen, sentors and the prez are financially broke and borrowing like our gov.? I can think of one since they are the 1% they hate so much.
MARCO: Liberals have never denied that there are many wealthy ones amongst us. The difference is that rich Liberals are not afraid to do their part in paying taxes and not afraid to make the playing field equal for everyone, so the rich don't get every break in the book which is the way the system currently is.
If what you say about Liberal Rich people is true. WHY DON'T WE HEAR ABOUT SO AND SO SENDING IN AN EXTRA CHECK???
slodon,
It's easy, b/c what Ozzie Boy-2719086 posted above is a load of horse manure, that's why. Rich Liberals NEVER send in one penny more than they have to, to the United States Treasury or IRS. And they never will. They always talk about paying their fair share, but what's to stop them from cutting their local schools, local colleges/universities, local county commissions, state government and the U.S. Treasury and/or IRS EXTRA CHECKS FROM THEIR OWN PERSONAL ACCOUNTS, if they (stupidly) feel they're not taxed enough? BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY FULL OF HORSE MANURE AND DON'T REALLY FEEL THAT WAY, THAT'S WHY.
47% of working Americans don't even pay income taxes AT ALL to the Federal Gov't after their yearly tax refunds from the IRS. The top 17% of wage earners in this country, pay 70% - 80% of all the taxes paid to the U.S. Gov't every year. Whoever said that they're not paying their fair share is correct. They're paying MORE THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE and they still hire us, give us jobs with benefits to support ourselves and our families while we mutually help them to earn a profit, by working for them.
THAT'S HOW CAPITALISM WORKS. We pay for our own sh*t including health insurance, not have the federal gov't come in and take our hard-earned money, via taxes and give it to people who don't work, nor never will work for their own stuff. How un-American is that?
But then again, the Leftist, Liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democrat party is the most un-American it's ever been in its history and we have the most un-American, actual America-hating POTUS in the White House in our nation's history too. Even more than BJ Clinton and Jimmy Carter combined!!!