Morning Must Reads: Back to Work

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/tho-much-is-taken-much-abides/

“Nate Silver chews over Tip O’Neill’s most famous aphorism.”

Minor quibble: Though the posting is on Nate Silver’s NYT blog, it is written by Andrew Gelman.

“Do you oppose that legislation because you think its approach toward health care is too liberal, or because you think it is not liberal enough?”

Favor 43%

Oppose, too liberal 37%

Oppose, not liberal enough 13%

No opinion 7%
Or to put it another way, 56 percent of Americans either like the law or would prefer that it was more robust.
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http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2010/12/29/majority-either-like-healthcare-law-or-want-it-more-liberal.html
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Please stop repeating that HCR was unpopular. For sometime, when combined with wishing it more liberal, there has been majority support.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/brian-williams-claims-media-quit-covering
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On Morning Joe Thursday morning, NBC anchor Brian Williams stopped by to discuss the different stories that the media covered during 2010 and he had the temerity to blame the media’s lack of coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster once the gusher was capped in the Gulf on the public losing interest in the topic.

Everything that’s happened since 2007 leads to only one conclusion: Wall Street needs to be pushed out of politics. Why can’t Obama grasp this?

He will grasp what he’s told to.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/03/holly-petraeus-to-be-eliz_n_803995.html
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Why I like Elizabeth Warren.
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Elizabeth Warren, the Obama administration appointee now establishing a consumer financial protection agency, plans to name the wife of General David Petraeus–the top American general in Afghanistan–to a new position tasked with protecting military families from predatory lenders, according to sources familiar with the planning.

As usual, apr2563 continues to distort the polling.
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Try again april
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http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_and_democrats_health_care_plan-1130.html
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Oppose averages: 52.8 %
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Approve average: 40.5 %
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Nothing less, nothing more. The people do not want this type of so-called “reform”.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20027090-503544.html
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National Debt Tops $14 Trillion

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While many on the left are concerned about who is going to pay for their healthcare insurance, how much an impact Global Warming or Climate Change will have on their lives in the next 50 or more years, if any.
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We have a Federal Government which has exploded the National Debt as never before in our country’s history.
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We must stop them in Washington. It is not about global warming, healthcare or anything else you libtards shout out about. This is the critical situation confronting us all today.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-03/illinois-must-plug-13-billion-deficit-in-days-that-took-years-to-produce.html
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Will Barry save his old State of residency?
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“Illinois Has Days to Plug $13 Billion Deficit That Took Years to Produce”

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Adam-Smith-Institute-Blog/2011/0102/European-nations-begin-seizing-private-pensions
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How soon will redistribution of wealth such as seizing private pension funds begin in America as well?
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Stay tuned. George Soros and his gaggle of cronies are coming for your retirement.
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European nations begin seizing private pensions

Is that the same libtarded left that wanted to let all tax cuts expire – tax cuts that are the major reason why we have a 14 trillion dollar national debts – 9 I think from Bush years?
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Your selective amnesia is amusing but it’s interested that you push so hard for this considering you were also in favor of letting the tax cuts expire.

We’re not Europe. You scare to easily

More dead birds. This time in Louisiana.
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http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/112843019.html
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“Mass La. bird deaths puzzle investigators”

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Do you think it is time to figure out what is causing the problem other than guessing what may be the problem?
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Your American Government at work. Ha!

Our crack, TIME.com reporters are as usual onto this puzzling event. They cite the reason as …
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“Lab Report: Blackbirds Died Of Blunt Trauma In Midair”

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But, the report itself says there wasn’t any severe weather in the area at the time the birds died in mass.
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Want to try again Adam, maybe do a little research and see why 100′s of miles south, we have the same occurrence?

How ’bout that deficit in good ol’ Texas?

So why haven’t we heard more about Texas, one of the most important economys in America? Well, it’s because it doesn’t fit the script. It’s a pro-business, lean-spending, no-union state. You can’t fit it into a nice storyline, so it’s ignored.

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/why-wont-republicans-attack-texas-the

Yes hippo, Bush II allowed two unfunded wars cause the vast majority of the debt incurred under his Administration. Why don’t you enlighten us as to the cause of the current 5 TRILLION of debt since those Bush years. Can you?
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Let me help you a little. I guess the reason we are seeing this explosion in our debt isn’t the fact Obama has increased the size of his favorite Government departments with budgets that have increase by more than 80% in the past 2 years, right?
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Yes I was against extending the Bush tax cuts, simply because I could see no other direction for the debt to go but up. But, where I differ is that I am also calling for drastic cuts in our Federal Budget, not just entitlements but also to Defense as well.
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I am guessing when Obama is sent the cuts the majority controlled Republican House will call for, he will veto, veto, veto.

I read an article this morning where the Arkansas bird deaths may be related to New Year’s Eve fireworks. The trauma exhibited on many of the birds may have been caused by flocks flying into the blasts.

“And the banks — hard to believe in a time when we’re facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created — are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place,” -link
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

I think that re-election finance and lobby /corporate influence in general are the most important issues, and first priority, when considering how to address our nation’s problems. Of course, they should be able to advocate and “make their case”, like anyone else– but it has gone well beyond that. Until this power is limited, we are doomed to compromised, confused and less-than-effective laws and policy, at best.

Our elected are unwilling to make changes because the system provides such substantial and immediate gains directly to them. And we can’t count on major media to help because they benefit from the same institutions. It’s up to us to make them change.

Bill Daley, former commerce secretary and current J.P. Morgan bigwig…taken with the possible arrival of Gene Sperling…marks a notable infusion of Wall Street blood.

Wow, is the fix in or what?

“Post Wrongly Calls William Daley a ‘Free-Trade Stalwart’”

The Post used this term in a piece reporting that the J.P. Morgan executive may become President Obama’s next chief of staff. in fact, NAFTA, which Daley helped push through Congress, and other trade deals that he has supported included many protectionist provisions, most importantly increasing intellectual property protections. These deals also did little or nothing to free up trade in highly paid professional services like those provided by doctors and lawyers.

The trade deals supported by Daley were primarily about subjecting manufacturing workers to increased competition with low-paid workers in the developing world, thereby driving down their wages. They had little to do with free trade.

“Bill Daley vs. health-care reform”

The health-care law the president signed was modeled off of the health-care law the Republican governor of Massachusetts had signed, which was in turn modeled off of the health-care law the Republicans in Congress had proposed in 1993. That’s “left”? And meanwhile, Daley thinks the country had moved substantially leftward over that period — “after 30 years of center-right governing, we had moved to center left” — but that even a compromise bill based on Republican ideas was too far left for the country, which would imply that the administration he served in the early-’90s, which pushed a more ambitious health-care bill when the country was further to the right, bordered on communist.

It’s all a bit confusing, as most sweeping pronouncements about 30-year cycles of American political history are. Being a bad pundit does not disqualify someone from being a good chief of staff, but it’s not a promising sign. Moreover, President Obama has repeatedly expressed pride in the accomplishments of his first two years, and frustration that a bad economy and poor messaging undermined public support for them. That theory may be right or may be wrong, but it sounds like if Daley had had his way over the past two years, there would be less for Obama to be proud of.

More dead fish too. This time in the Chesapeake Bay.
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http://www.wbaltv.com/r/26357581/detail.html
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This one looks like our Climate and Global Warming friends may have their hands full in trying to continue to justify why climate change or global warming is nothing but a big farce.
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These fish apparently died because it just got to cold too early for them.
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Imagine that!!

And don’t forget about Sperling…
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["He Worked for Goldman Sachs -- But He Didn't Inhale"]
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“I might need to see an optometrist to undo the damage from rolling my eyes so hard at this one, as reported in The Washington Post yesterday:

One of the leading contenders [to succeed Larry Summers as NEC director] is Gene Sperling, a longtime Democratic policy guru and veteran of the Bill Clinton White House who has spent two years advising Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner. But some liberals say Sperling is too close to Wall Street after being paid $887,727 in 2008 by Goldman Sachs, one of several part-time jobs he held that year. Administration officials say Sperling was paid to develop a charity that has taught business skills to women in developing countries and did no commercial work.

Score one for the liberals on this point.”

Newfree, do you think that the newly-elected Republicans share your desire to cut defense? Also, will the TP movement in general demand these cuts and perhaps an end to the wars? (serious questions)

“Mass La. bird deaths puzzle investigators”
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“National Debt Tops $14 Trillion”
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“European nations begin seizing private pensions”
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“It’s All Obama’s Fault”
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In RustFreepWorld, the last headline justifies the first three.

The whole budget is basically education and healthcare spending. Cutting everything else wouldn’t do the trick. And though raising this kind of money would be easy on an economy of $1.2 trillion, the new GOP mega-majority in Congress is firmly against raising any revenue.

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Perhaps the reason you do not hear Republicans saying anything about the budget shortfalls in Texas is because we would only say…..“We tried to tell you this is what will happen”

So far as the Tea Party is concerned, yes we have already called for in a letter to those elected and supported in the last election to look at major cuts in Defense spending.
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Next question?

If you break down the debt it’s mostly from unfunded wars, bad trade policies and very little entitlement. The issue comes from a poor revenue stand point; tax cuts.
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I don’t mind balancing the budget but it has to be with an analysis of what got us there. The right hand side seems to want to use it to cut long standing programs that are not the primary culprits for the issue. Wonder why?

Good. Thanks.
Has there been any response to the letter?

The Poll of Polls doesn’t measure the reasons behind support or opposition of HCR, only whether those polled in said polls support or oppose the measure. Your point is meaningless.

The temperatures have been getting above 30 degrees here for the last few days. I can use the heat pump instead of the emergency heat setting. It cuts my electric bill significantly. Thanks Barack.

James K. Galbraith: “Actually, The Retirement Age is Too High”

“The most dangerous conventional wisdom in the world today is the idea that with an older population, people must work longer and retire with less.

This idea is being used to rationalize cuts in old-age benefits in numerous advanced countries — most recently in France, and soon in the United States. The cuts are disguised as increases in the minimum retirement age or as increases in the age at which full pensions will be paid.[...]

In the United States, the financial crisis has left the country with 11 million fewer jobs than Americans need now. No matter how aggressive the policy, we are not going to find 11 million new jobs soon. So common sense suggests we should make some decisions about who should have the first crack: older people, who have already worked three or four decades at hard jobs? Or younger people, many just out of school, with fresh skills and ambitions?

The answer is obvious. Older people who would like to retire and would do so if they could afford it should get some help. The right step is to reduce, not increase, the full-benefits retirement age. As a rough cut, why not enact a three-year window during which the age for receiving full Social Security benefits would drop to 62 — providing a voluntary, one-time, grab-it-now bonus for leaving work? Let them go home! With a secure pension and medical care, they will be happier. Young people who need work will be happier. And there will also be more jobs…

A proposal like this could transform a miserable jobs picture into a tolerable one, at a single stroke.”

Obama displays an overwhelming ignorance of economics. But it fits right along with liberal thinking:

tax cuts = spending
entitlements = investments
unemployment checks = work

Underlyng theme of it all –wealth redistributuion

Thought this was amusing

How to
Q. How do you starve an Obama supporter?

A. Hide his food stamps beneath his work boots.

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Until I read this….

In his recently released book Leadership and Crisis, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal recounts an exchange with President Obama during the Gulf oil drilling moratorium. (Full disclosure: I co-wrote the book with Jindal.) After telling Obama that the moratorium would potentially cost tens of thousands of jobs, “The president went on to assure me that anyone who lost their job would get a check from BP. When I explained that BP might not write them checks because it was the federal government that imposed the moratorium the president said, ‘Well, if BP won’t pay the claim, they can file for unemployment.’ I was amazed by the level of disconnect. The people of Louisiana want to work, not collect unemployment or BP checks.”

For Obama, getting an unemployment check is about the same as getting paycheck.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/01/028056.php

Tell me what you want me to do | My love is always here for you

“Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) wants the oil industry, drug manufacturers and other trade groups and companies to tell him which Obama administration regulations to target this year.

The incoming chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee – in letters sent to more than 150 trade associations, companies and think tanks last month – requested a list of existing and proposed regulations that would harm job growth.[...]

…a partial list obtained by POLITICO includes ones sent Dec. 13 to Duke Energy, the Association of American Railroads, FMC Corp., Toyota and Bayer. Others receiving inquiries from Issa over the course of the month included the American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) and entities representing health care and telecommunication providers.”

I would think that heat pumps in cold climates really don’t help much b/c as you said once the emergency heat (“strip heat”) kicks in @ 32 it’s like using a gigantic toaster to heat your house. Radiant heat is very inefficient.

I smell donations.

newfreedom: Apparently you think that “global warming” means it will never be cold anywhere on the planet ever again. This may explain why you are skeptical about it. However, that is not actually what the models predict.

Don’t know much about history | don’t know much biology

“The ten-minute video of Bachmann’s self-justifying speech reveals more than her politically naive logic or her inflexible mind. It exposes a central lie in the autobiography she is selling. She wants the public to believe that she experienced a conversion moment and that “Burr” caused her to see the light — to understand that “the Democrat Party” failed to appreciate America’s greatness. This was when she supposedly distanced herself from the critical pseudo-intellectuals…[...]

The historical Burr was actually a skilled New York attorney (and state attorney general) who introduced democratic reforms and expanded credit beyond the moneyed elite…As a Revolutionary War hero who planned a private military expedition into Mexico, Burr was of a mindset that Republicans today would applaud: He stood up for America’s continental destiny. He was not guilty of treason, nor was he ever convicted, because there was no evidence, not one credible piece of testimony, and the star witness for the prosecution had to admit that he had doctored a letter implicating Burr.

But such facts inevitably elude the careless student of history who sees texts as malleable artifacts that don’t have to be read in context to be applicable to any hot-button issue. Thus, conservative claims about the Constitution tend to be more symbolic and self-affirming rather than historically drawn. What Bachmann probably could not stomach about Gore Vidal’s ‘Burr’ is its literary irreverence. But, let us remember, it is fiction. As is Bachmann’s hijacking of the founders.”

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/demon-pass-how-the-new-house-rules-are-like-the-slaughter-solution.php?ref=fpa
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That “demon” pass the Republicans claimed would bring down the country last year is now their best friend. No end of hypocrisy.
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Emphasis added. Back in March 2010, House Democrats were toying with using a similar process to pass health care reform. They were considering the Senate health care package, which they hated, and a package of amendments to that bill, which they liked. To square those views, they wanted to set up a procedural vote, which, if agreed to, would “deem” both bills passed at once. “Deem” and “pass.”

This quickly became known as “Demon Pass,” or the “Slaughter Solution,” named after House Rules Chair Louise Slaughter. Republicans rebelled, and conservatives went off the deep end. Radio talk show host Mark Levin called it “100 times worse than Watergate.”

“The Poll of Polls doesn’t measure the reasons behind support or opposition of HCR, only whether those polled in said polls support or oppose the measure. Your point is meaningless.”

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Yea the “Poll of Polls” is not that great unless you also CLICK on the red names of the various polls themselves to get the true description of the polls.
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The “poll of polls” is just an average of all polls taken. Whereas April just cited one poll to indicate her desire to distort and lay claim there is actually some positive support for ObamaCare. Which each of the polls plus the Real Clear average of all polls says there is not.
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Is it too difficult to click, foggy? Or don’t you have the intelligence to even click these days?

“Chewing Gum for Terrorists”

“Did former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Tom Ridge, a former homeland security secretary, and Frances Townsend, a former national security adviser, all commit a federal crime last month in Paris when they spoke in support of the Mujahedeen Khalq at a conference organized by the Iranian opposition group’s advocates?Free speech, right? Not necessarily.

The problem is that the United States government has labeled the Mujahedeen Khalq a “foreign terrorist organization,” making it a crime to provide it, directly or indirectly, with any material support.[...]

…in June, the Supreme Court ruled…that all such speech could be prohibited, because it might indirectly support the group’s terrorist activity. Chief Justice John Roberts reasoned that a terrorist group might use human rights advocacy training to file harassing claims, that it might use peacemaking assistance as a cover while re-arming itself, and that such speech could contribute to the group’s ‘legitimacy,’ and thus increase its ability to obtain support elsewhere that could be turned to terrorist ends. Under the court’s decision, former President Jimmy Carter’s election monitoring team could be prosecuted for meeting with and advising Hezbollah during the 2009 Lebanese elections.

The government has similarly argued that providing legitimate humanitarian aid to victims of war or natural disasters is a crime if provided to or coordinated with a group labeled as a ‘foreign terrorist organization’ — even if there is no other way to get the aid to the region in need. Yet The Times recently reported that the Treasury Department, under a provision ostensibly intended for humanitarian aid, was secretly granting licenses to American businesses to sell billions of dollars worth of food and goods to the very countries we have blockaded for their support of terrorism. Some of the ‘humanitarian aid’ exempted? Cigarettes, popcorn and chewing gum.

Under current law, it seems, the right to make profits is more sacrosanct than the right to petition for peace, and the need to placate American businesses more compelling than the need to provide food and shelter to earthquake victims and war refugees.”

Bad linky. Try this:
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/opinion/03cole.html

And another linky issue. Try this:
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http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/01/04/burstein_isenberg_bachmann_bur/index.html

nfl, before we switched to all electric heat, we heated with fuel oil. It cost us between $2500-2700 on top of our electric bill per year. Last year was colder than hell here and our electric bill for the year was less than $1100 more than before we switched. We saved more than half. The heat pump in the summer (whole house AC) saved us a ton and we keep the house at 68 year round. It also made every room in the house very comfortable. We have a large house (3000 sq. feet, 10 rooms and two bathrooms). Our bills for January and February are a b!tch ($600 plus) but overall, I’m happier than hell with the savings. Our January bill also reflects the 6000+ lights on the Christmas trees that are usually on 16 hours a day and 10 100 watt red and green floodlights that light up the exterior of the house for 8 hours a day from Thanksgiving to January 2nd.

Dessert:

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/letterman-boehner-will-cry-like-hes-on-drugs-video.php?ref=fpb
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David Letterman expresses concern for John Boehner and his emotional displays to Brian Williams.
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There’s no crying in the House.

“Has there been any response to the letter?”

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Two of the Senators recently elected with major Tea Party support, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mile Lee of Utah have both said they will not allow any further extension of the debt ceiling unless there are also amendments which will once and for all create a balanced budget amendment for the Federal Government. If not, they shall either filibuster any bills attempting to extend the debt or vote against such.
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I do believe it would only take one of them to stop the bill entirely. Time will be the real judge as to what they will do. But, I am confident the pressure from the Tea Party will be fully brought to their attention if they attempt to pass an extension without either major cuts, or passing a balanced budget amendment.
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I personally think what you shall see is a budget which is brought back to 2006 levels. Obama himself voted no to extend the debt ceiling back in 2006. Perhaps he would sign such a bill or implement a budget like that as well. Hopefully he does, any fool knows we cannot continue on the same path we have been on now for the past 2 years.

“The right step is to reduce, not increase, the full-benefits retirement age. As a rough cut, why not enact a three-year window during which the age for receiving full Social Security benefits would drop to 62 — providing a voluntary, one-time, grab-it-now bonus for leaving work?”
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Less (and usually higher paid) workers paying into a SS & Medicare system that is already in danger of evaporating who then in turn take out larger amounts earlier and longer sounds like Nobel Prize work

Levin…the voice behind Fire Marshall Bill. Ridiculously grating, not nearly as much fun.

The ONE poll apr referred to talks about WHY people support or oppose something. You think because somebody opposes something that it’s all for the same reason. It’s not. Use more than the black and white colors of your paint kit.

This is why you don’t want to lose elections, april. What you used as a ploy can and will be used against you at another time.
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In other words, what’s good for the goose is equally as good for the gander. Or, vice versus.
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Enjoy the next two year, april!!

More good news from the most ethical Congress ever

Another Demo criminal walks away with a tax payer funded pension

On December 20, 2010, the Committee mailed us a letter dismissing a Judicial Watch ethics complaint filed against outgoing Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT). (Our “efficient” government postal service took seven days to deliver the first-class letter sent from eight blocks away!) Our complaint alleges Dodd assisted a longtime friend and associate to obtain a reduced sentence and ultimately a full presidential pardon from President Clinton for tax and securities crimes, in exchange for gifts, including a sweetheart mortgage deal that he failed to properly disclose on his Senate Financial Disclosure forms.

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In 2002, Dodd allegedly received a significantly reduced, below-market sales price, for a two-thirds interest in a property located in County Galway, Ireland, from Downe’s associate William Kessinger. (Dodd already owned a one-third interest in the property.) Downe’s signature appears on the property transfer documents. He is listed as a witness.

According to Judicial Watch’s complaint, Senator Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, allegedly failed to report the gift in 2002 and may have filed inaccurate Senate Financial Disclosure forms related to the property in subsequent years in violation of the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. The penalty for filing false financial disclosure forms is $50,000 and up to one year in prison. Dodd received no punishment. (After Judicial Watch filed its Senate Ethics complaint, Dodd did amend his Senate financial disclosure forms. However, the property may yet remain undervalued.)

Keep in mind RCP sees the normally-discredited-as-biased Rassmussen as an equal polling source.

Using RCP as a base, the average oppose/support margin is now +10. And shrinking.

Hippo,
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“We’re not Europe. You scare to easily”
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But all you Liberal/Progressives want us to be Europe.
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You love the European brand of Socialism so much and your ultimate goal is to impose the European system on the USA whether our citizens want it or not. That is your closet goal. You just don’t want to openly admit it because you know the American public would run you out of town if they knew what you want to do to our country.

Even jobs in the DNC are not safe.
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http://www.theblaze.com/stories/job-layoffs-hit-obamas-organizing-for-america/
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“JOB LAYOFFS HIT OBAMA’S ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA

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Isn’t this a shame. ALMOST makes me want to give them a donation. NOT

Glad it’s working out. Hopefully your emergency heat isn’t killing you in the wallet. Xmas lights don’t really add a whole lot to your bill though. And those new LED lights use even less.

“Why don’t you enlighten us as to the cause of the current 5 TRILLION of debt since those Bush years. Can you?”
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Here it is again, you lying @sshole, in a nice, easily read (even for a child or a moron) colored chart:
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http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3036
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Make the claim that the Obama Administration is responsible for the debt or deficits again and you are a liar or an idiot, plain and simple.

As rats jump sinking ships.
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http://www.theblaze.com/stories/cnn-anchor-roberts-leaves-cnn-joining-fox/
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CNN ANCHOR ROBERTS LEAVES CNN, JOINS FOX

“As rats jump sinking ships”
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That’s funny. Another rat joins Fox. Should feel right at home.

Here you go my a$$wipe friend. A disclaimer from your own source.
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“Baseline projections depict the likely path of the federal budget if current policies remain unchanged. We base our estimates on CBO’s latest ten-year projections, published in March 2010, with several adjustments to reflect what will happen if we continue current tax and spending policies.

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You are such a dweeb as usual. I said with major cuts. I also said the unfunded 2 Bush Wars, which also includes I might add Obama’s unfunded war he is now conducting or continuing in Afghanistan as well.
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Go blow it out your A$$. TROLL!

nfl, we have been switching to LED lights. Probably 2000 of them are LEDs. I put away a little extra each month to cover the higher winter bills so that it doesn’t strain the budget. On a totally unrelated note, I’ve already started Christmas shopping for next year. Whenever I see dvd box sets, books that I know friends will like or collectibles that friends and family would like, I get them when they’re on sale and put them away. Of course remembering where I hid them is a problem.

What pintortwo said.

Gotta agree with Shep, to argue that we’ve been fiscally irresponsible for 2 years only is BS.
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Back to my question, have any of the newly elected (TP supported) expressed a willingness to make cuts in defense spending? -because I’d imagine that a balanced budget amendment is only talk (a campaign promise waiting to be broken) and unachievable without significant cuts to defense.

Tea Party endorsed candidates have said that the Defense Department budget IS on the table.
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“PAUL: I think the issues are more important than the party. I think often we get too distracted by getting too partisan. I don’t see people who are Democrats as always being wrong or Republicans as always being wrong. I think there has to be a compromise on the budget. In order to address the deficit the only compromise that I think we can have is you have to look at the whole budget. We’ve always excluded the military and said we’re not gonna look at the military. Or the Democrats exclude the social and domestic welfare spending. Everything has to be on the table. We have to do this intelligently.”

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While I hesitate to quote anything TPM has in their far left liberal online rag, they did report on this statement from Paul.
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http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/08/contradicting-pledge-paul-defense/
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Does that satisfy your need to know?

While I believe that Defense cannot be kept off the table, I would personally prefer we look at all of the entitlement, Democrat sacred cows being funded first. Look for all of the waste, fraud and abuse in the current set up. Places like ACORN would be a great 1st step. Cut as much of the fat as possible.
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Then go for Defense.
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One way libtards can get defense cuts is to go to the streets and protest the Afghanistan War. Call for Obama to bring our troops home. This is a signature issue of the past libtards continue to now ignore. What better way to cut Defense than to stop the stupid war in Afghanistan, right?

Heck, he didn’t even get a glorious sendoff like Bill Hemmer. And apparently he gave female co-workers @ CNN the Ron Franklin treatment.

Now more dead fish, 100 TONS of them on the coast of Brasil.
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http://www.parana-online.com.br/editoria/cidades/news/502434/?noticia=MORTANDADE+MISTERIOSA+DE+PEIXES+NO+LITORAL
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I’m thinking something is going on now.

Will Harry make a rule change and implement the “nuclear option”?
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http://www.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2011/01/04/republicans-charge-harry-reid-power-grab-on-filibuster.html
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I for one say go for it Harry. In two years we can use that against the libtards as well.

“While I believe that Defense cannot be kept off the table, I would personally prefer we look at all of the entitlement, Democrat sacred cows being funded first. Look for all of the waste, fraud and abuse in the current set up. Places like ACORN would be a great 1st step. Cut as much of the fat as possible.
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Then go for Defense.
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One way libtards can get defense cuts is to go to the streets and protest the Afghanistan War. Call for Obama to bring our troops home. This is a signature issue of the past libtards continue to now ignore. What better way to cut Defense than to stop the stupid war in Afghanistan, right?”
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You mention these sacred cows alot but can never point at a specific item.
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Beyond Medicare/medicaid and social security, there are no other places to say unless you include our military spending.
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The issue you avoid however is the fact that the real culprits to our fiscal issues is the unfunded wars, exploding defense budget, tax cuts and moronic trade policies. Those are directly the result of the 14 trillion dollars you’re talking about. Yet you want to nail other red meat targets.
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I’ll be onboard for a good across the board look when realists on the right side also start analysing and looking at the real elephants behind our crisis.

This is the latest poll. I guess I good go back and show by a poll that Dewey was going to beat Truman. Not relevant.

“ I said with major cuts. I also said the unfunded 2 Bush Wars, which also includes I might add Obama’s unfunded war he is now conducting or continuing in Afghanistan as well.”
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Here’s what you said (hint: once you post your lies they are able to be read again by others):

Why don’t you enlighten us as to the cause of the current 5 TRILLION of debt since those Bush years. Can you?…I guess the reason we are seeing this explosion in our debt isn’t the fact Obama has increased the size of his favorite Government departments with budgets that have increase by more than 80% in the past 2 years, right?

Once you start lying about your previous lies, it starts to somewhat undermine your credibility, don’t you think?

3x,
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Maybe you should stop backpadding yourself over your superior wisdom and speculate less about what you think I want. it’s simple – ask. I don’t want us be like Europe. I want us to be better than Europe.
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And I personally don’t care what you think I want. Your batting average when it comes to most of what you write here is pretty sh!tty.

Some of the reactinary right seem to be concerned about President Obama using the veto.
Can they tell me what spending bills Bush vetoed in his first 4 years?

Trick question.

That would mean they’re hypocrites….OHHHHH.

Didn’t you know that vetoing the will of the people is impeachable? Anytime now someone on the right will use we the people as a reason to call democrats traitors for even trying to filibuster one of their bills or for Obama to veto anything they come up with.

@12.2: Gotcha, Sacred.

I’m glad Paul said what he said. Strictly by the quote you gave, not knowing context, I’d say it was one of the smartest things I’ve heard a politician say.
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Not surprising, considering his father. He and the libertarians are the genesis of the TP movement. They planned the first Tea Party events before the election, before we knew there’d be an Obama admin. I think they’d disagree with your priorities. When asked “what is most important on your radar, right now”, Ron says:
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“Well, I don’t think anything is new. I keep talking about the same issues. The bold and the broad issue, of course, is liberty and then I deal, so much, in foreign policy. We don’t talk enough about foreign policy. They are talking about domestic policy and the debt, and that’s very good. That’s what the election seems to be about. But according to the polls, they say that nobody cares about these wars but I have a little trouble believing that, because it shouldn’t take much of a leap for people to understand that running an empire and spending all this money is very detrimental to our economy.”
- link
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Forget sacred’s cows, think bigger.
And yes, it embarrassing that liberals are so muted on the Afghanistan war.

contd..
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Defense makes all the sense. Look, these people say (link) that 54% of our income tax (Fed funds outlay) goes to the military. -they’re an old pacifist group, you can see the methodology- If remotely accurate, how can you go anywhere else first?

The entirety of my quote, not as you cut and pasted it.
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“Yes hippo, Bush II allowed two unfunded wars cause the vast majority of the debt incurred under his Administration. Why don’t you enlighten us as to the cause of the current 5 TRILLION of debt since those Bush years. Can you?”

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Again, you use a source which clearly has a disclaimer which supposes to know why the debt is climbing at alarming if not un-payable amounts each and every month.
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Over 55% of the current debt we incur each day is from entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. ALL Democrat sacred cows. It is not the two unfunded wars Bush II had or Obama’s continuation that is causing us to have major problems today. It is directly linked to the fact that the entitlement programs are out-pacing what we take in each day to pay for those who retire or need government backed medical insurance.
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Not only does defense need to be put on the table, but we will have to also look at all of the entitlement programs and decide if we just simply let them go broke, or do we adjust them so far as age and other factors are concerned.
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Raising the retirement age seems to be the easiest fix. However, if our government does not quit moving money from these trust funds in order to fund other various programs, then we will be raising the retirement age yet again in 20 more years. Do you want to work until you are 80? That is what our children and grandchildren are facing if we do not do something now.
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But no one can tell me that there is not tons of fraud, waste and abuse going on in our entire government system. This is what the people before the last election called for with investigations.
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Once you eliminate nefarious programs and the abuse, then look at realistically cutting. That is the only way to solve this problem. Continuing to raise our taxes just kicks the can down the road further.

If the republicans do manage to take the senate and White House in 2012 expect for them to call for an end to all of this partisan bickering and to focus on moving the country forward.
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Read : Don’t do to us what we did to you. If you do it, it’s un-American.

July 19, 2006: Vetoed H.R. 810, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, a bill to ease restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Override attempt failed in House, 235-193 (286 needed).
May 1, 2007: Vetoed H.R. 1591, U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007. Override attempt failed in House, 222-203 (284 needed). A later version of the bill that excluded certain aspects of the initial legislation that the President disapproved of… H.R. 2206, was enacted as Pub.L. 110-28 with the President’s approval.
June 20, 2007: Vetoed S. 5, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. No override attempt made.
October 3, 2007: Vetoed H.R. 976, Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (“SCHIP”). Override attempt failed in House, 273-156 (286 votes needed).
November 2, 2007: Vetoed H.R. 1495, Water Resources Development Act of 2007. Overridden by House, 361-54 (277 votes needed). Overridden by Senate, 79-14 (62 needed), and enacted as Pub.L. 110-114 over President’s veto.
November 13, 2007: Vetoed H.R. 3043, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008. Override attempt failed in House, 277-141 (279 votes needed).
December 12, 2007: Vetoed H.R. 3963, Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007.[25] Override attempt failed in House, 260-152 (275 votes needed).
December 28, 2007: Pocket Vetoed H.R. 1585, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.[26] A later version of the bill that changed a minor provision of which the President disapproved was quickly passed by Congress (H.R. 4986) and was enacted with the President’s approval as Pub.L. 110-181 on 28 January 2008.
March 8, 2008: Vetoed H.R. 2082, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.[27][28] Override attempt failed in House, 225-188.
May 21, 2008: Vetoed H.R. 2419, 2007 U.S. Farm Bill.[29][30] Overridden by House, 316-108 (283 votes needed). Overridden by Senate, 82-13 (64 votes needed). Enacted as Pub.L. 110-234 over the President’s veto. Due to a clerical error, this act was repealed by Pub.L. 110-246.
18 June 2008: Vetoed H.R. 6124, 2007 U.S. Farm Bill, re-passed by Congress to correct a clerical error in HR 2419.[31] Overridden by House, 317-109 (284 votes required). Overridden by Senate, 80-14 (63 votes needed). Enacted as Pub.L. 110-246 over the President’s veto.
July 15, 2008: Vetoed H.R. 6331, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.[32] Overridden by House, 383-41 (283 votes required.) Overridden by Senate, 70-26 (64 votes required). Enacted as Pub.L. 110-275 over the President’s veto.
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But, why do you single out just the first 4 years, april? Is there some significance you would like to point out?
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These are Obama’s TWO vetos so far.
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December 30, 2009: Vetoed H.J.Res. 64, Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes. Override attempt failed in House.[33]
October 7, 2010: Vetoed H.R. 3808, the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010.[34]
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In Obama’s first veto, it was to continue the high level of spending even when his own party saw the hand-writing on the wall. Imagine that!

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0319060220110103?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a49:g43:r3:c0.078746:b40705020:z0
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Wisconsin joins with the other 20+ other States to fight ObamaCare’s unconstitutional “mandates”
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RustFreep spent all that time vindicating your question, and then he gets mad at you for not answering HIS question about spending?! The earth is indeed flat.

Nancy holds her first news conference since being dethroned.
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“Repealing the healthcare law would do serious violence to our National debt”

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Nancy even goes on to say even if people loved their current health insurance, everyone had insurance, and wanted to keep it she would have still asked for the reforms enacted because we simply could not afford it as a nation.
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Un-believable coming from her when the real facts are the costs of healthcare are the problem, and democrats did NOTHING to curb the rising cost of healthcare.
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Thank God she is no more. Prayers do get answered.
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http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nanny-nancy-knows-best-if-every-american-loved-their-healthcare-dems-would-still-take-it-over-repeal-is-violence/

“Over 55% of the current debt we incur each day is from entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”
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Again, you’re either repeating a lie or you don’t understand the issues. Social Security doesn’t add a dime to the deficit. Not. One. Dime. The issue of “entitlement spending” and the deficit is the issue of outsized and rising medical care costs, leading to deficits in Medicare and Medicaid, period. If you claim you’re concerned about deficit spending and name Social Security – which doesn’t add to deficits or the debt – or simply lump it in with “entitlement programs,” without talking about the exploding cost of US medical care, you shouldn’t be taken seriously.

I guess he did start vetoing as soon as the democratic party took back the house in 2006. What took him so long?

“that is not actually what the models predict.”
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Precisely. And what the models predict (which is French for guess) is not what the models in the 1970s predicted either (The New Ice Age). Which is something the left fails to keep in mind.

Roberts was dropped as morning anchor and was being transferred to Atlanta to do straight reporting. Not much of a coup.

For the reading impaired: The question was what spending bills did Bush veto his 1st 4 years. 0

“Thank God she is no more”???
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She’s still a full-fledged member of the House of Representatives.
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And the GOP House is not even masking what they really want: Repeal, with No Replace. And how indeed would THAT curb the rising cost of health care?
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Thank God instead that this act of grandstanding won’t go far.

Hippo,
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“And I personally don’t care what you think I want. Your batting average when it comes to most of what you write here is pretty sh!tty.”
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My batting average is around 800. Yours is a -200.

Who said this? A Tea Party member? Nooooo. Maybe Goolsbee should check with Senator Obama for his thoughts on raising the debt ceiling.

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Obama’s thoughts on the debt limit in 2006, when he voted against increasing the ceiling

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.

“My batting average is around 800. Yours is a -200.”
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I’ll guess I have to take your word for it.

So your argument is that the science is wrong because (a) there is still cold weather, and (b) the cold weather is consistent with the science?
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“And what the models predict (which is French for guess) is not what the models in the 1970s predicted either (The New Ice Age).
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Wrong.
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http://www.skepticalscience.com/ice-age-predictions-in-1970s.htm
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“The fact is that around 1970 there were 6 times as many scientists predicting a warming rather than a cooling planet.”

Stupid asks a question….
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“And the GOP House is not even masking what they really want: Repeal, with No Replace. And how indeed would THAT curb the rising cost of health care?”

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For starters, my insurance may not go up now by 40% because of this insane law.
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Once repealed they can work on a reform plan that DOES address the rising cost of healthcare. I am guessing you believe the current law addresses that right?
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Wrong yet again foggy, as usual.

6 times? You mean all 42 of the them. The study doesn’t seem sourced very well and it’s curious why the time from of the study is 1965-1979? Nor in the “Skeptical Scientist” do they offer any back-up for “95% of all scientists agree”. Does that mean it rose from 42 to 65? I wonder if they saved the original data from their work or did it just disappear as the more recent one has?
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But here is the Headline from Time – The New Ice Age

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980050-3,00.html

“But here is the Headline from Time”
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Well, you can certainly choose believe TIME magazine about climate science before you believe the actual climate scientists.

Obama More Popular Among Some Democrats Than Others
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While President Obama continues to earn sky-high job approval ratings among Democrats, there are significant enthusiasm gaps among various segments of the president’s party.
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Overall, data from the Rasmussen Reports Presidential Tracking Poll during the final week of 2010 showed that 51% of all Democrats Strongly Approve of the president’s performance. When you include those who Somewhat Approve, the president received positive reviews from 82% of those in his party.
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Yet while 75% of Black Democrats Strongly Approve of the job he’s doing as president, only 40% of White Democrats share that level of enthusiasm. That gap is much bigger than it was when Obama first took office in January 2009. During his first week as president, he earned Strong Approval from 88% of Black Democrats and 72% of White Democrats.
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Among White Democratic men, the president now earns Strong Approval from just 33%. That figure is down from 70% during the president’s first week in office.
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From an ideological perspective, 60% of Liberal Democrats Strongly Approve of Obama’s performance. Only 14% of Conservative Democrats agree (down from 49% during Obama’s first week as president).
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Overall, including those who Somewhat Approve, the president’s job approval rating is now at 87% among Liberal Democrats and 42% among Conservative Democrats.
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Among all White voters, including those who are not Democrats, the president’s overall approval rating is at 38%. Among all Black voters, 94% offer their approval.
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Among all voters, the president’s Job Approval remained remarkably in the mid-40 percent range throughout all of 2010. The president’s approval ratings are updated daily. Additionally, longer-term trends can be reviewed on a month-by-month basis.
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http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/december_2010/obama_more_popular_among_some_democrats_than_others

Here are cites for the 95% figure:
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http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-scientific-consensus-intermediate.htm
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About the 70s’ research/consensus, Wikipedia has some good links:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling#cite_note-21
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Obviously one shouldn’t simply believe whatever Wikipedia says, but this article has some good links in the foot notes section.
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1975 NAS report titled “Understanding Climate Change: A Program for Action” did not make predictions, stating in fact that “we do not have a good quantitative understanding of our climate machine and what determines its course. Without the fundamental understanding, it does not seem possible to predict climate.” Its “program for action” consisted simply of a call for further research, because “it is only through the use of adequately calibrated numerical models that we can hope to acquire the information necessary for a quantitative assessment of the climatic impacts.”

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Meanwhile, the state of the science has progressed in the past 35 years, which should not be that surprising, science being what it is.

(I have another reply that is stuck in moderation heck.)

Because Gov. Perry is so vocal in stating how solvent and great his state is when he isn’t suggesting they secede.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/145442/Obama-Job-Approval-Reaches-First-Time-Spring.aspx
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1-3-2011
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Obama Job Approval Reaches 50% for First Time Since SpringReturns to that level for first time since late May/early June 2010by Jeffrey M. JonesPRINCETON, N.J. — Barack Obama’s job approval rating reached the symbolic 50% mark in the latest three-day average from Gallup Daily tracking. Obama’s approval rating has been in the mid-40% range for much of the latter half of 2010. He last hit 50% approval in a three-day average near the end of May/beginning of June.
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Obama’s current approval rating is 80% among Democrats, 47% among independents, and 16% among Republicans in the three most recent days of polling. The figures for independents and Republicans are slightly higher than what Gallup has measured for Obama in recent weeks.

Obama’s current approval rating is 80% among Democrats, 47% among independents, and 16% among Republicans in the three most recent days of polling. The figures for independents and Republicans are slightly higher than what Gallup has measured for Obama in recent weeks.

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Better than Reagan at this time in his Presidency.

Thank you april for providing that link to Gallup. Obama is all but neck and neck with Jimmy Carter’s numbers during the same time period. Even at this very moment, Obama has mirrored exactly what Carter’s numbers were. With the impending increase in oil prices, I wonder if that will just put the nail in the coffin for Obama’s re-election as it did for Carter.
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I think we can expect 31% or perhaps I’ll give Obamao 32% before all is said and done.
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Gee, how history does repeat itself.