Friday Open Thread [11.18.11]
There is hope for us yet. In Arizona, the Arizona Supreme Court overturned Mein Fuhrer Frau Jan Brewer (R) and reinstated the chair of the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission Colleen Mathis. This is an humiliating rebuke to the Republican Party in Arizona, who thought they could just removed the head of an independent agency without cause, or any good reason at all really, and no one would dare question them on it. Good for the Supreme Court to stand up to such bare partisan thievery.
E.J. Dionne Jr. says Congress should do nothing, and he’s right. For once, Congress should nothing.
The prospect of $7.1 trillion in tax increases and some cuts that would begin taking effect in January 2013 … should hearten every deficit foe now prepared to mourn a failure by the supercommittee.
Because the bulk of the $7.1 trillion comes from automatic revenue increases, the power in future negotiations would shift toward those seeking a balance between cuts and taxes. Doing nothing is not an option when it comes to job creation. Congress still needs to act. But on the deficit, inaction now could lead to wiser action later. […]
A balanced deal would be nice but it’s now impossible — and not because of some vague congressional “dysfunction” the media like to talk about. Sane fiscal policies are blocked because one party refuses to accept the need to roll back the excesses of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. If Congress does nothing, those tax cuts go away. That’s why a “failure” by the supercommittee to endorse a deeply flawed deal is actually a victory for sensible deficit reduction.
In an interview with the Des Moines Register’s editorial board, Michele Bachmann defended the practice of waterboarding. Because of course, waterboarding is not torture. But would Michele ever subject herself to the harmless procedure? Of course not.
A new Rasmussen survey in Iowa shows Newt Gingrich leading with likely GOP caucus-goers with 32%. Mitt Romney is at 19%, Herman Cain at 13%, Ron Paul at 10%, Rick Perry at 6% and Michele Bachmann at 6%. I must say, having Gingrich win the nomination is the next best thing to Palin winning it.
Afghanistan – touch down in flight from Augustin Pictures on Vimeo.
Dionne is right: do nothing. Democrats are holding the biggest hostage of all – the Bush tax cuts. Republicans will agree to anything to keep them in place.
Hell, with hindsight I bet in 2009 Obama could have traded a public option for a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts. It would have seriously messed with my head back then, but in two years I’d be feeling a lot better about it.
It is worth taking the hit of the automatic spending cuts from the failure of the commission, as long as Dems hold tight and let the Bush tax cuts expire. It would be worth it just to see Republican heads explode.
Then we could spend our time fighting for middle class tax cuts and increased services for the sick and elderly and for education. You know – like real Democrats again.
The only way to screw it up is with some kind of deal – any deal. Every time we make a deal with Republicans we get screwed.
Here’s a petition asking the Delaware Board of Pardons and Parole and Governor Markell to stop the execution of Robert Gattis:
http://www.change.org/petitions/delaware-board-of-pardons-and-parole-and-governor-jack-markell-stop-the-execution-of-robert-gattis-delaware-death-row-inmate
Please Sign!
one has GOT to laugh at the choice of words here:
http://www.wgmd.com/?p=40540
Former 37th District GOP Committee Chairman Bodenweiser Calls for a “Cease Fire”
A preview of the Delaware election season. The Delaware delegation is apparently set to tell us that they should go back to Congress because of their bipartisan fetish. Not that they got much of anything done towards our larger problems, but they are working on getting along. With a group of people who have no values for getting along or getting anything done unless it is to the letter what they want.
And they’ll get away with this BS too.
Can someone explain to Carney that the Republicans in Washington are NOT clones of Mike Castle. In Washington, the only way to make a deal with a Republican is to give them what they want. You call that bipartisanship. I call it surrendering your principles.
Unless your principles match up with theirs — c.f. the Coons-Rubio Tax Cuts We Were Going to Do Anyway business.
That’s two slaps in the face to Brewer in 2 weeks. She lost Russell Pearce last week. And the new Congressional districts will force Quayle Jr. into a district with another GOP rep and create one more winnable Dem district.
Cassandra, Based on your comment, I didn’t have the heart to click through to your link. Delaware’s bipartisoup is disgusting.
“Unless your principles match up with theirs — c.f. the Coons-Rubio Tax Cuts We Were Going to Do Anyway business.”
Agreed. I believe the earlier thread pretty much established that Coons is a DINO who is carefully looking out for his family’s interests.
Wow, that link to the deldems site is awful. It features a stuffed elephant and John Carney looking like someone just said, “We must sacrifice the life of someone in this room to solve this deficit problem.”
And WTF is this:
Mr. Carney, a moderate from a centrist state, said that during the first few months of his tenure here he “had been trying to find someone on the other side to talk to.” Mr. Renacci, with whom he serves on the financial services committee, was someone “who when he talked made a lot of sense,” Mr. Carney said.
Never mind that there is only a single statewide elected Republican (I’m talking registered Republican, Sen. Carper). Sheesh.
“We must sacrifice the life of someone in this room to solve this deficit problem.”
“Everyone produce a pay stub, and the person with the lowest gross gets it. I think we agree that it is the fairest way to pick.”
Carney sucks ass. I’m voting for “Smooth like Suede Kevin Wade”
The thing is that I don’t exactly mind bipartisanship as long as you are working together and compromising for efforts that make a difference. So that if Carney and Coons and Carper are working with their counterparts on the other side to produce something that puts a serious dent in the 14 million unemployed number, I’m generally going to be OK with that.
Except that’s not what they’re doing. This bipartisanship is largely about being able to sell you on bipartisanship as a goal unto itself — 14 million unemployed be damned.
“In Obama’s Washington, the only way to make a deal with a Republican is to give them what they want. ”
Fixed that.
“had been trying to find someone on the other side to talk to.” Mr. Renacci, with whom he serves on the financial services committee, was someone “who when he talked made a lot of sense,” Mr. Carney said.
Oh man. Carney doesn’t like what his own constituents are saying, so he has to go find some out-of-state Republican to reinforce and justify his 1-percenter policies?
The barrage of bipartisan press coming out of our delegation is not a coincidence; it is a coordinated campaign strategy. It is a big F-U to the 99%.
Remember, the Financial Services Committee was where Mike Castle sat and snoozed as the financial crisis began forming and broke in 2008.
I’m voting for “Smooth like Suede Kevin Wade”
I am seriously thinking about it. At some point we have to lay the wood down on these wayward Dems, and I’m not seeing any alternatives.
How much worse off would we be if we had elected Urq in 2010? Hideous as that thought is, I can’t think of any legislation that would have turned out any differently.
The stakes are lower in the House because you get another election every two years. Maybe if we cut Carney loose, Coons and Carper will get the message.
Anyone reviewed Apple’s new SIRI Technology? NSFW:
http://is.gd/SLlfaX