Monday Open Thread [11.20.11]
Bill Dunn makes his announcement for NCCo Council President! Did anyone go?
Newt Gingrich thinks that child labor laws should be rolled back so kids can be janitors. This is all kinds of awful, and apparently one feature of a new Contract On America that will try to make over America into some Dickensian debtors prison.
Now here’s a constitutional amendment that we can get behind (listen up, John Carney!):Rep. Deutch Introduces OCCUPIED Constitutional Amendment To Ban Corporate Money In Politics Who’s in?
From The Onion, Libertarian Reluctantly Calls Fire Department:
Tags: Open Thread
Rick Santorum really hates teh gays. Santorum is in full pander bear mode.
The Rick Santorum money shot is this one:
I wonder if a convenient Constitutionalist is like a convenient Christian?
Just like he thinks he can be President.
I guess Santorum is going that second mile. 😉
Super Congress #fail is a good thing. We were lucky to get out of it without a “deal” that left Republicans holding our testicles in a jar and an IOU for our firstborn.
Cassandra and E.J. Dionne are right – do nothing. I’d rather see them vote on it first, but they don’t have the courage. Just turn off the lights and shut the door. The only way to win is not to play.
The only deal that would be acceptable requires Republicans to break their Norquist pledge, and by a wide margin. Not happening.
Last December’s #fail on the Bush tax cuts has everything to do with where we are today. That was our last chance for governing with actual revenue. All the talk about revenue this year is just posturing – ain’t gonna happen, and Democrats knew it last December.
And by the way, the unemployment ransom we paid for the hostages? It’s expired, while the Bush tax cuts have another year to run. Which means – the hostages are available to be recycled.
It is great to hear Democrats have the epiphany that they hold all the cards if they just do nothing – do nothing on the automatic budget cuts, and do nothing on the Bush tax cuts. Especially those Democrats who screwed us so badly last December by telling us “Gotta get something done” – even though “nothing” was the winning play.
Because if we had let all the Bush tax cuts expire in December, maybe – just maybe – investors would get off their asses and hire some people and buy some shit, and some of the unemployed would be working by now instead of reporting for a second tour of hostage duty.
And I would have much rather spent the first part of 2011 fighting Republicans for middle class tax cuts and unemployment extensions, than arguing with my own elected Democrats about how much to cut Medicare.
Come to think of it, how do we know there wasn’t a deal?
“Where is the Ron Paul surge?”
Where indeed. I don’t give a shit about Paul, but I think it is interesting that once the media writes you off as a crackpot, there is no getting back.
The primary voters preferences are inconsequential.
Chris Coons just sent out a letter stating he is working with Marco rubio on a project…lets all wish Chris good luck with that strategy. Rubio a teabagger and Coons! Is he kidding us.