How The GOP Purged Me

[BUIZILLA]

one party seems only intent on trying to block any attempts of the other for progress.

isn't that what the Dem's in 2006-2008... did they not before they took over Congress in Nov 2008? absolutely NOTHING got done.. and everybody blamed GWB for that...

or did that not happen? yup, it sure did...

so the Rep's do/did the same thing, and now you perk up...

not saying either side is right here, but, as you said, einstein, just stating the facts

why did the majority here make a killing when Clinton was Prez?

maybe, as was stated before, he was more right than left?

food for thought..

[Chris]

Unions are gaining political strength

T2x

Interestingly enough, more unionized American workers are employed by government agencies than by private industry.

We have roughly 110 million employees in private business and about 8 million of them unionized. Out of the 20 million government workers, half of them are unionized- and that doesn't include the educational sectors. And there are alot of teachers and college professors out there. Not to mention support staff.

[fund razor]

Interestingly enough, more unionized American workers are employed by government agencies than by private industry.

We have roughly 110 million employees in private business and about 8 million of them unionized. Out of the 20 million government workers, half of them are unionized- and that doesn't include the educational sectors. And there are alot of teachers and college professors out there. Not to mention support staff.

Our county sheriff deputies are UAW members. WTF?

[Tommy Gun]

This is about the very fabric of our society. Our (Alleged)President wants to "equalize" the world....not by bringing the have nots up to our level....but by dragging us down to theirs.

T2x

Excellent comment.

Since we were on the topic of who actually wrote that piece Jay posted, has anybody actually seen any footage or heard a soundbite proving members of the Tea Party spat and hurled racial insults at Democratic congressmen prior to the health care vote as many Democrats have stated and MSM has reported? The police on duty have commented that they saw/heard no such thing. Would it be unreasonable to assume that it did happen and if so were those involved planted by the Democrats so they could use it to dis the Tea Party? Why are those who preach consitutionality demonized by the Democrats? What is wrong with being a patriot?

[T2x]

What is wrong with being a patriot?

Nothing...as long as you're from Guatamala

[Big Time]

Our (Alleged)President wants to "equalize" the world....not by bringing the have nots up to our level....but by dragging us down to theirs.

T2x

This philosophy can easily be explained in the Declaration of Independence, specifically where all men are granted Rights, and among those Rights are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. You do the “pursuing” so that other people can be happy. I’m pretty sure that’s what our founding fathers meant….

[hotjava66]

Totally agree on your take on the media. They are a huge part of the problem.

Our political system is broken. Government can't govern and one party seems only intent on trying to block any attempts of the other for progress. You call it blind screaming, I call it stating the facts.

Please define progress, and why must we have it? For government to constantly pass laws, add new services, spend tax money, tax people more, etc. doesnt equate to progress in my book. To safeguard or base constitutional freedoms would be more important, and to pass a few well thought out laws here and there as needed.

[Coastie]

Please define progress, and why must we have it? For government to constantly pass laws, add new services, spend tax money, tax people more, etc. doesnt equate to progress in my book. To safeguard or base constitutional freedoms would be more important, and to pass a few well thought out laws here and there as needed.

Your post has to be one of the most lucid thoughts I've seen in a political thread!

Now how do we make it actually happen?

[jayboat]

Please define progress, and why must we have it? For government to constantly pass laws, add new services, spend tax money, tax people more, etc. doesnt equate to progress in my book. To safeguard or base constitutional freedoms would be more important, and to pass a few well thought out laws here and there as needed.

As much as wingers and glenn beck think otherwise, our base constitutional freedoms are in no danger, but our empire is crumbling around them.

Your post has to be one of the most lucid thoughts I've seen in a political thread!

Now how do we make it actually happen?

Real regulation of the financial industry, tort reform and term limits would be at the top of my list.

[Tommy Gun]

As much as wingers and glenn beck think otherwise, our base constitutional freedoms are in no danger, but our empire is crumbling around them.

Real regulation of the financial industry, tort reform and term limits would be at the top of my list.

A Democrat passing real tort reform legislation...blasphemy!

[fund razor]

Jay typed this:

As much as wingers and glenn beck think otherwise, our base constitutional freedoms are in no danger, but our empire is crumbling around them.

Then somebody broke in and kidnapped him and typed this:

Real regulation of the financial industry, tort reform and term limits would be at the top of my list.

I hope that he was able to escape.

[jayboat]

Enough about me. Let's talk about your presidential nominee in 2012.

Here's a great reader email from my favorite gay, British pot-smoking blogger.

*

I read your latest post about Palin's authenticity with interest. And that little alarm bell that always goes off in my head.

Andrew, whether the Republican party realizes it or not - she is their test. It is with Palin and her political aspirations that we are going to find out whether the tottering GOP is merely desperate, or depraved.

Palin is who she is. She's a deeply disturbed creature and she's spent her whole life banking on her looks and her chutzpah to see her through. She never bothered to excel because she figured, and was rewarded for, faking it. If she can appear to be something and people buy it (literally and figuratively) then she figures that's sufficient. Even worthy of being handed the controls for the United States of America and, for that matter, the world entire. That's how deranged she is.

But the GOP, while they may be a sordid lot these days, drunk on desperation, are not all stupid. Many of them are very bright, just trapped.

And they know that the prospect of Sarah Palin in power is horrifying. And at any point they could have, and still could, bring to a halt her delusions of grandeur, for that's what's the Republicans are known for. An entire machine whose modus operandi is dismantling people and careers. That's true and they actually are rather proud of it. So don't tell me that with all the material she's given them from associations with secessionists, to whacked out religious practices, to her questionable ethics, personal and family scandals and her abject stupidity that they can't put a stop to the lunging aspirations of this con artist from Mayberry, Alaska.

However, should they decide to run her for office that is how America will know, beyond doubt, that the Republicans are no longer a political party, but a mob and a threat to this country. Romney is a cheese and an opportunist but he's somehow almost quaint in his old hack political posturing. Pawlenty is old school boring. The list goes on. None a sign of a party that's gone completely to hell. We've see their type before and sometimes they win and sometimes not. But a Palin is a once in a generation joke, and a really bad one, that the Republicans could take too far. I wonder what they'll do.

She is their litmus test.

[BBB725]

The Left must personalize every policy disagreement or election by denigrating their opposition, thus steering all conversation away from what is most important: the future of the United States as either a capitalist or socialist country.

[Ted]

Yeah, he needs to put down the pipe. She is a celeb now, she will burn that candle as long as she can and make some long green. If that fades or she makes enough cash, she may run for office, but by that time who knows where the country will be. And it must piss him off to no end that a "serious journalist" like him can barely make it off the blogosphere, but a MILFY housewife can draw thousands of people to rallies, sell thousands of books and be seen by millions on TV. Sucks to be him.....

[Chris]

Real regulation of the financial industry, tort reform and term limits would be at the top of my list.

Regulation of the "financial industry" is a slippery slope. If you mean protecting morons from getting hammered by overdraft fees, credit card late fees and payday loans, all you're going to do is force the sharks to feed on their prey in a different way. Now if what you want to do is to fix the tax code and remove the disincentives to personal savings, prevent speculators from falsely manipulating commodities markets for gain and reigning in the people like Goldman Sachs, then we have something to talk about.

Term limits? What an embarrassment. We have them now- it's called vote for someone else.

And tort reform is going to be about like getting the churches to help you fight to keep prayer out of schools.

[jayboat]

The Left must personalize every policy disagreement or election by denigrating their opposition, thus steering all conversation away from what is most important: the future of the United States as either a capitalist or socialist country.

Well, there are plenty of easy targets. And I'm sure that Beck, rushbo, hannity, coulter et al would NEVER engage in such tactics. noooooo.

Now if what you want to do is to fix the tax code and remove the disincentives to personal savings, prevent speculators from falsely manipulating commodities markets for gain and reigning in the people like Goldman Sachs, then we have something to talk about.

That would be a good start. Here's another area that could use some attention:

[Tommy Gun]

Well, there are plenty of easy targets. And I'm sure that Beck, rushbo, hannity, coulter et al would NEVER engage in such tactics. noooooo.

It's obvious you never watch / listen to Beck or Hannity and that all you info is filtered thru your progressive blogs because capitialism vs socialism is the crux of their subject matter.

[Ted]

As our Dem governor found out, if you raise taxes on the wealthy, the wealthy move their money, who would have thought? So tax returns from the "rich" in this state are down 33 % and so is revenue. That is why the Dem idea of "Tax the Rich" is a joke. The rich will always find a way around it, instead the burden falls on the middle class guy that is just making a living and cannot afford a high priced accountant. Exxon simply worked the system to the benefit of their stockholders (who will pay capital gains on the profits....in some cases).

[Boss460]

Exxon didn't owe any taxes on April 15th. They aren't required to show their actual tax liability. They pay quarterly estimates (like I do) and probably overpaid. How about getting the other side of the story.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/6313...ill-30-billion

Quote from Exxon:

"It is incorrect to say that ExxonMobil did not pay any U.S. income tax in 2009. In fact, we expect a significant U.S. federal income tax liability for 2009, although our tax return will not be filed until later this year. Our tax installments overpaid our 2008 U.S. federal income taxes and we used that excess in part to pay our 2009 estimated taxes. The amount stated in our 10-K filing with the SEC, which Chris [Christopher Helman, who originally reported on this story for Forbes] told me he based his story on, includes expenses or credits recorded during 2009, and can represent items from previous years or expectations for subsequent years. It is not our actual tax bill."

[sledge]

Jay, do you know what the tax rate is on corporations in the US (hint: two-part answer)? Do you understand how those rates compare to other tax jurisdictions around the world? Do you understand the concept of "comparative advantage?"

Jay, do you report a profit for tax purposes in your business? I'm willing to bet you report your income such that you aren't subject to corporate tax rates. Other than "to pay less taxes," do you really understand WHY you pay less taxes that way?