A few news comments - updated

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Friday, February 13. 2009

A few news comments - updated

One month into a failed Presidency. I did think it was odd that the Admin. had no economic plan, and ceded it all to the Dem House sandbox. Why was there no realistic plan, and just a mix of every Dem Congressman's junk pile?

Big stimulus money for warmists only. The warming biz is hot. No doubt there is plenty of pressure and incentive to come up with the wanted results. Even absent-minded professors know on what side their bread is buttered. They like to eat too, and the grant money they can bring in is their bread and butter. The grants pay their salaries.

Sullivan declares that the GOP has declared war on Obama. I think it is the other way around. When you say "F-you, we won," you aren't being collegial. When you grab the Census, you aren't even being civilized: it's a Chavez-like, Chicago-style power grab. I think the WH is planning to crush the GOP for the next 10 years. Who is using projection here? Me or Sullivan? We viewed the Dem handling of the pork and federal power-grab of the so-called stimulus as a declaration of war.

Read Ray Dalio's 4-page piece in Barron's, if you haven't (we linked a couple of days ago). His macro view, while depressing, makes a lot of sense: It's a D-process. He likes gold right now.

Re the national debt chart we posted this morning: If China is buying all of our federal paper, does that mean that they will own us?

General reminder: When you have the time, it's always worthwhile to see what TimesWatch has to say.

Reagan said "The closest thing we will ever see to eternal life on this earth is a government program." The gummint ~~racket~~ ratchet has no reverse setting. Why the cost estimates of the stimulus are way off. Does anybody imagine that any of these hundreds of new "programs" will ever be cut or dropped when things settle down? I think we taxpayers are being rolled and scammed within an inch of our lives - if not more.

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 08:28 | Comments (36) | Trackbacks (0)

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You missed Sullivan's claim about the Gregg withdrawal.

This issue was championed by Republicans for the usual "the-darkies-are-taking-over!" reasons.

I think that, like most of Sullivan's analysis of Republicans, tells you more about where Sullivan's mind is than where the Republicans' mind is.

#1 AL Maviva on 2009-02-13 08:50 (Reply)

Re GOP has declared war on dems: I think you are right, BD. It is the other way around. Pelosi won't even let the repubs see a final version of the Stimulus Bill until AFTER they have voted on it. That is hardly a friendly gesture.

#2 feeblemind on 2009-02-13 09:18 (Reply)

I deleted an obnoxious comment.

#3 Bird Dog on 2009-02-13 10:43 (Reply)

Thanks, BD. I did not think it was odd that the Admin. had no economic plan - he never gave any indication of understanding how our economy works. Even abstractly. Redistribution is all he knows, seemingly.

#4 Skookumchuk on 2009-02-13 10:51 (Reply)

Yeah, so who is supposed to make the money that gets taxed?

#5 Bird Dog on 2009-02-13 10:56 (Reply)

Well, see, taxes are to be paid by the mysterious "they" who actually produce stuff. Now, production and consumption of this stuff produced by the mysterious "they" can be described by our betters as being either very good or very bad, depending on... well, how Gaia is feeling that day and so forth. Or sumpthin'. Suffice it to say that the producers will have less and less of a voice.

I'm wondering about the long range plans of our Chinese friends. Do they see us as growing or as stagnating over the next decade or so?

#6 Skookumchuk on 2009-02-13 11:08 (Reply)

It's obvious that Sullivan speaks the truth. I thought I had fallen into a parllel universe when scads of GOPers denigrated Roosevelt's New Deal in an effort to tar Obama's strategy. World War II wasn't the only thing that saved us - FDR's "stimulus package" had a great deal to do with it. And, your "failed administration" talk speaks a lot more about you than it does the rest of the country - the South excepted. Unlike you, we've seen what the GOP has done to this nation and I am damn proud that we've got someone honest, intelligent and insightful to fix "your" mess. Your protestations that "the details aren't there" display an ignorance of the forces in need of being tamed. Buying up bad debt; limiting CEO compensation (minor, but symbolic); ensuring transparency; loosening up consumer credit particularly for small business... and on and on. I've read this. Are your news sources leaving you in the dark?

#7 Jae on 2009-02-13 11:26 (Reply)

Thank you. Finally someone with some common sense. Lets remember that it was the Bush admin that started this whole 'stimulus' and gov't stepping in.. the supposed small gov GOP "unregulating" every market so they can minupulate who gets rich.. and speaking of the first stimulus.. Funny how that money STILL hasnt been divided and there was NO transparency in that package.. yet its never mentioned by the repugs.. I didnt see Bush saying he was going to make sure this money didnt just get put in the pockets of CEO's and execs.. cant really say that when it was the plan all along.. one last horrah for the financial constituents.. Bush couldnt let only the gas and oil companies get all the love.. OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE.. THE GOP DOESNT CARE ABOUT YOU. I feel like I am taking crazy pills!

#7.1 nomoreGOP on 2009-02-13 12:24 (Reply)

If' yall got someone honest, intelligent and insightful, please stop hiding the critter.

But me thinks yall talkin' bout Hussein the LIAR.

How is it that yankee's can get so mesmerized to mistake a liar with honesty?

#7.2 Leag on 2009-02-14 14:13 (Reply)

Sullivan is right, GOP has declared war on Obama. They do not want the new administration to act. They want them and USA to fail. The next election is all they care about along with tax reductions. Obama want Rich companies to do well. And that is basically the power of the GOP. How can anyone say that Obama is AT WAR with the minority?

#8 red stendel on 2009-02-13 12:21 (Reply)

Who is using projection here? Me or Sullivan?

They are not mutually exclusive possibilities.

#9 Dr X on 2009-02-13 12:31 (Reply)

I did think it was odd that the Admin. had no economic plan, and ceded it all to the Dem House sandbox.

You have this backwards. The White House dictated terms of the package to the House. That's how it moved through so quickly and without earmarks. This is Obama's bill. Understand that before moving forward with the Obama criticism.

#10 Noonan (Link) on 2009-02-13 12:33 (Reply)

No Earmarks? You are the one on crazy pills my friend. The ENTIRE bill is an earmark. Dems have been busy gettin their piece of the pie while Reps are left with zero input.

The Socialist party, ignorant of how a free market and how our economy works, wrote a pork stimulus bill with no input from the Capitalist party.

And you feel good about that?

That woudl be like me, a male, writing a book about womens gynocological health? Its absolutely absurd.

Sorry people, but taxing from the haves and giving it to the have nots DOES NOT build a strong economy. Take a college Economics course for crying out loud!

Oh thats right, libs dont take business courses cuz creating wealth and jobs is apparently evil.

An economy improves when people with extra money, you know after the bills are paid, etc. Take that money and INVEST it! Investment in businesses, project, ideas, products, etc, is what builds a strong economy. NOT "spreading the wealth" from one group of people to another. That only moves wealth, it DOESNT create any new wealth. Taxes make it so there is less money to invest

This bill wont work cuz it doesnt change the fundamental problems with our economy. Which is that high taxes are killing us (2nd highest corporate tax rate in the world)

And the debt, in one fell swoop Congress levied as much, if not more debt than the entire Iraq War.

Please stop drinking the Obama Kool-Aid. The fact that the White House didnt write the bill is obvious that our president is in over his head.

All the rhetoric in the world wont CHANGE that.

#10.1 Jesse Valcore on 2009-02-13 14:27 (Reply)

Ah, we have views and opinions. Good!

#11 Bird Dog on 2009-02-13 12:35 (Reply)

Sullivan said the GOP has declared war on obama. I think that's correct because Obama and the congressional Democrats have declared war on America.

#12 Stephen on 2009-02-13 14:02 (Reply)

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who were able to gull me (who really is sure he really is pretty intelligent and is scared sh*tless over the mounting evidence that he is easily gulled) into thinking that they are intelligent, aware and informed.

Nobody who thinks Andi Sullivan has anything important or note-worthy to say can possibly fit that description.

I can not imagine voluntarily reding her ever again.

Guled into it? That does seem to be a distressingly easy task.

#13 Larry Sheldon on 2009-02-13 14:20 (Reply)

Dear Mr. [or Ms.] NoMoreGOP ... You apparently haven't studied, or haven't remembered, your American political history. Bush is not to blame for the economic meltdown which has precipitated the recession. The Democrats own this crisis. Can you recall the Community Reinvestment Act, passed into law in 1977 during Jimmy Carter's administration? Among other details, it eliminated the banks' right to research the financial backgrounds of folks seeking a mortgage on a house or other building, because the people drafting this act thought it would be nice if folks earning $40,000 a year could own a $240,000 house. This elimination of common-sense protection for those loaning money meant that any dead-beat, multiple-bankruptcy person could claim the right to borrow money for a house he couldn't afford. This foolish, ego-stroking act made banks with any sense get rid of these 'bad-news bears' by bundling these loans and selling them off at a discount.

The Clinton administration enlarged the scope of the CRA further. The result has been that people who had no intention of paying off what they owe bought into the "American Dream" of home ownership and then walked away from their debt responsibilities when the paying back of the loans became onerous.

The whole house of cards finally collapsed when more and more people walked away from their debts, and that's how the economy tanked, for awhile at least.

The moral of this unpleasant tale is: do your research.

Marianne

#14 Marianne Matthews on 2009-02-13 14:43 (Reply)

Unfortunately, we should not be talking about a parties failure or the wish that they will fail. It is time to take off the red and blue hats and work together for the United States to succeed. Only through bipartisanship will we achieve this. The real question is which politicians will suck it up and break party lines.

In the 1860s we had a similar problem.We are no longer divided along skin color but by political party. To paraphrase Lincoln (with my changes in bold):

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half blue and half red.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided.

Failure is not, and can not, be an option. We have a great team in Washington, both in the White House as well as the legislature. If they would work together for a common good there is no telling what they could achieve.

#15 MDH on 2009-02-13 14:47 (Reply)

Oh My God !

#15.1 jester~ on 2009-02-13 15:02 (Reply)

Crap like that is almost enough to make you wonder if there is a God.

Or if my sarcasm detector is seriously fried.

#15.1.1 Larry Sheldon on 2009-02-13 15:07 (Reply)

MDH: there is no telling what they could achieve
I'll grant you that. But let your darkest imagination be your guide - the worst-case scenario is most likely.

Re: Sullivan's assertion - As a one-time political insider for the GOP, I can tell you that that Republicans are not really capable of declaring war on much of anything. Sullivan has it bass-ackwards. The DemocRats have declared war on America and are pretending to be smart, gracious and genuinely concerned about the economy in the process.

They are concerned with one thing and one thing only - winning the political mudwrestling match. They will play the victim card even in the majority because the only decks of cards they own are filled with race and victim cards.

Saul Alinsky is their Founding Father.

#15.2 The Distributist (Link) on 2009-02-13 15:42 (Reply)

"If China is buying all of our federal paper, does that mean that they will own us?"

It means that we own China, who will feel a need to act nicey-nicey to ensure they get repaid. Actually, it means that they trust us NOT to play games. Doesn't get much better than that for world peace.

#16 Kondratieff on 2009-02-13 16:35 (Reply)

Are we moving toward Fort Sumter? Something's gotta give, the country can't face four more years of mud wrestling. I haven't heard any mention of recall petitions for Congress. I assume such recall petitions are provided for in the various state constitutions and/or state election laws? When I see a new website named Recall. Com I will begin to have hope once again.

#17 greenmtnpunter on 2009-02-13 17:35 (Reply)

Wow. It sure doesn't take long to find ignorance in this country.

President Obama met with Congressional Republicans more than he met with Democrats, so to say that Republicans had no input in the bill is patently false.
Also, the reference to "a federal power grab" is a favorite Republican whining point.

America had an election on Nov. 4 and We the People decided that we wanted to change from the policies of failure that over the last 8 years have led us into one of the worst economic crisis in our history.
So don't tell me that President Obama said"F_you, I won."

Now it is the Republican party and conservatives that want to see the country burn just so they have a chance at regaining power.
The New Deal worked and so will this very useful bill that will help build up the nation's infrastructure that Republicans would rather neglect in favor of starting unnecessary wars.

Oh, and blaming the Carter Administration for the deregulation of our finacial markets is another cheap cop out.
Republicans would like to be able to deny the entire Bush presidency.
It's a good thing that America won't let them.

#18 B. Lawrence on 2009-02-13 17:44 (Reply)

"President Obama met with Congressional Republicans more than he met with Democrats, so to say that Republicans had no input in the bill is patently false."

Right. Were you present in those "I'll show my bipartisan side to the nation" ploy? The dems don't even know what's in the bill. For you to say republicans had input is laughable. The dems didn't even have input.
`

#18.1 Meta on 2009-02-13 18:10 (Reply)

>>>President Obama met with Congressional Republicans more than he met with Democrats, so to say that Republicans had no input in the bill is patently false.

Hah. And I walk the dog four times a day, so to say that my accountant has more input on my taxes than my dog is patently false too. I spend a lot more of my waking hours in my office where there are women, than I spend waking hours with my wife. So to say that my wife has more input on what I do than, say, my paralegal, is patently false. I spend more time in my car commuting than I do out fishing, so to say I'd rather be fishing than stuck in traffic commuting is obviously patently false.

Gee, do you get the idea I'm rather fond of that little logical error?

#18.1.1 Al Maviva on 2009-02-13 22:08 (Reply)

I love you! B. Lawrence You're living proof that there are UFOs, and an alien life force has taken over our country.

#18.2 jappy on 2009-02-13 19:49 (Reply)

"We the People decided that we wanted to change from the policies of failure that over the last 8 years have led us into one of the worst economic crisis in our history"
see #14 above

B.Lawrence...
after viewing obamas Pie video below,
please be advised...
...There is no such thing as someone making you a victim
and denying you your fair share of THE Pie.
The only Pie you or I will receive is the Pie we're willing to work for. If you are indeed a victim, it's of your own doing as a result of your, "You Owe ME from cradle to grave attitude."
Good luck wit dat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5L3M8Pn9KU&feature=related

No one owes us anything...You apparently don't have a clue that you and the other Free-Loaders have been Hood-winked by a bunch of socialist Car Salesmen from Chicago

regards
Duc

#18.3 DucSup on 2009-02-13 19:59 (Reply)

Further to the Recall Drive, think of how an aggressive Recall Drive in every state would become the organizational base for a massive Republican GOTV for 2010 when the job can be finished. This stimulus bill has no real support other than from Democrats and their hacks who will be getting the big payoffs. Time for The People to take back their government, a Recall Drive would be a teriffic, grassroots rallying cry in every village and hamlet around this great nation.

#19 greenmtnpunter on 2009-02-13 17:44 (Reply)

As soon as they need to dip into the "Social Security Trust Fund" surplus, the jig is up. I don't know how this will end, but it will end, and end badly. No Ponzi scheme can outlast the supply of suckers, and we're out of suckers. There isn't much point in producing if the government steals everything, and we're getting there.

Oh, and before any idiots call me a racist, the jig is up is a fishing term: The lure is out of the water, thus no more fish are caught.

#20 MarkD on 2009-02-14 08:51 (Reply)

Checked VT election law and VT Democrats have that rigged, too, as there appears to be no recall provision in VT election law.Shows you how long they have run things here. That, as our embarrassment of a junior Senator is wont to say, is an outage! An outrage! Can we prove negligence/ malfeasance in office, ipso facto, by their blind votes for this stimulus robbery? Without a charge of malfeasance/negligence, etc. we are stuck with a little ol' petition drive in VT. Any election law junkies out there?

#21 greenmtnpunter on 2009-02-14 09:05 (Reply)

Recall, et al.

The Supreme Court will find any recall effort to be unconstitutional.

If they don't the supreme court will be expanded and packed until they get it right.

This prediction is worth not less than what you paid for it,

How come I can just reply to a comment that I got email on? What is a "session hash"?

#22 Larry Sheldon on 2009-02-14 09:25 (Reply)

Bah.

"How come I can just reply to a comment that I got email on? What is a "session hash"?"

Idiot.

I meant to say "How come I can't just reply to a comment that I got email on?"

I came back here on the pointer I got in email, tried to further comment and got some kind of "session hash" error.

And got it again--and I did come in through the top.

There are things about the new sorftware that annoy me. This is at least one of them.

"Your comment did not contain a Session-Hash. Comments can only be made on this blog when having cookies enabled and visiting at least one URL before commenting!
Your comment could not be added because comments for this entry have either been disabled, you entered invalid data, or your comment was caught by anti-spam measures."

#22.1 Larry Sheldon on 2009-02-14 10:03 (Reply)

Larry, and others of us who have been baffled by the Session-Hash crap and other mysterious comments by the blog's spam filter ... I've had this happen several times to me, especially on weekends when the teenie hackers hired by the spam filter guy get busy during a slow period on the Web. I took the long way round the other day, and "Select All'd" my rejected copy, copied it, then went to Word and pasted it on a new document. Went back to this blog and to a new comment doc and pasted it there, then immediately submitted it. It went through that time.

I know that this must seem a dumb way to do it, but what can I say? It worked. Don't scold me.

Marianne

#23 Marianne Matthews on 2009-02-14 14:18 (Reply)

Marianne,

Copy, cut 'n paste the comment that won't go through. Click out of that particular post and open another post. Click out of that and go back to the one you want to leave the comment in and paste it in.. click submit. Works for me.
`

#23.1 Meta on 2009-02-14 20:16 (Reply)

The CA recall of Gray Davis survived all challenges, or am I wrong? That's the one thing those Golden Staters did in the past how many decades that made any sense to me. Is it "California dreamin'...."or "Welcome to the Hotel California..."?

#24 greenmtnpunter on 2009-02-14 16:59 (Reply)

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Friday, February 13. 2009

A few news comments - updated