My stomach churns.
You can take that to the bank.
Certainly can. Feeling a little jaded right now. Though news that President Obama has pulled out of the talks with Boner has brightened my day. I'll support him when he does the right thing and scream ever louder when he needs to move in the direction of humanity, progress, and common sense.
At this point I believe the president should barter no deal that allows our social safety net to be cut. Not n any way - No adjustments to the COLA - not by raising the age of retirement/social security benefits from 65 - 67. Not in any fucking way. There is no rational for taking this course. Let's ask Kathy Hochul if cutting social security, medicare, and medicaid are the way to re-election and our path to prosperity.
The president should not negotiate with terrorists. The current inception of the Republican party is insane. This is not the party of 1992, nor is it the party of 1854. It is the party of the 1870's and 1880's of the gilded age. When greedy trusts or corporations held huge monopolies over workers rights, wages, and subjected the economy to a cyclical cycle of booms and busts. It wasn't until the heavy hand of the gov subjected the banking industry to more scrutiny, regulation and dragged them kicking and screaming to separating commercial banking/investment from private banking that the cyclical nature of our booms and busts stopped.
We can't wait 50 years for that to happen again.
Let's ask Krugman if he thinks making any type of cuts in spending would be a prudent course of action for the United States to take. He's only a noble prize winning economist and has been right about virtually everything concerning the housing bubble collapse and has rightfully asked why the president Obama has only engaged in failed supply side economics when the reality of the depression we are in calls for keynesian economics to help solve our problems.
Social security did not contribute one cent to the deficit.
What?
NOT ONE CENT TO THE DEFICIT.
I'm sorry - I think the president has a deaf left ear so I had to shout.
At a time when corporations are now considered people and pay little or no taxes and the rich are paying historically low income/investment taxes we are talking about cutting them further and placing the burden on America's poor, working poor, lower middle class, middle class, upper middle class, and lower upper class.
That's not fair. Before we even think about asking those people to sacrifice ONE more thing let's do the following actions. How about we end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Allow the Bush Tax cuts to expire as they should have done with there original sunset clause in 2010. Reinstate the Glass- Steagal act - Increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans to around 45%. I mean how many private jets do you need?
Frankly this is what I would do in President Obama's place -
Hello Insane GOP congress people!
I'd like to introduce you to something.
It's called The Peoples Budget.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
This is where the middle of America is at. If you wish any bill to pass both the senate and avoid my veto pen then this bill must contain 80% of it's language as it is written currently. You should feel lucky that the house progressives have given you a chance to claim victory when we finally get this nation back on it's feet!
What was that? You're willing to force America to default on it's financial obligations on money that YOU already spent by not raising our debt limit? I'm sorry - President Regan raised it around 14 times, as did President Bush about 7 times with little of no fanfare. From what I remember about the elections of 2010 - You guys ran on a job creating platform. You can ether choose to endorse this budget and do some good for the world or you can continue to throw a temper tantrum that will cause economic destruction and plunge the world into a deep depression. It's time you hear the words No.
That is the end of my delving into the realm of fantasy.
I'm tired of hearing that forcing the president to adopt progressive stances on just about well gosh - everything is akin to political suicide. I'm not afraid of the Palin/Bachman line of reasoning anymore. I'm tired of hearing that
"If you were paying attention to the 2008 elections you would have known that Barack Obama was not a progressive."
Well you know what? He might not have ran completely as a Progressive.
But he sure as hell ran as a Liberal.
This man appealed to my hope, aspirations, and belief that government can do great things for it's people.
He did not run as a 1996 third way democrat with a mandate to govern as a 1996 Republican. I do not lay all the blame at President Obama's feet. He is dealing with manics. One of his biggest problems is that he continues to deal with manics and grant them legitimacy in our public debate by acting as if their positions are not insane. This is not the president I envisioned. I'm not sure if my expectations were raised when Candidate Obama talked about not giving the car keys back to the drunk drivers who drove it into a ditch or watching that campaign health care special on ABC. It makes no sense.
At some point you have to ask the question: Well are you going to vote for him?
I will vote for him in 2012 if:
1. There are no cuts to SS, medicare, and medicaid.
I might stay home in 2012 if:
1. There are cuts to SS, medicare, and medicaid.
(I live in NYC so I'm not that concerned about him losing my deep blue district)
That's my line in the sand. Like it or not it's the only power I've got. Well maybe campaigning and making small donations here and there - Umm but who am I kidding.
All I've been sold is capitulation, faux crisis, and adopting policies that are farther to the right of most of the American public.
Alright End Rant - Long week.