The Democrat Thread

[lostfan]

Then they need to fix the system. In the meantime, how pissed can you get about people doing exactly what is available to do. People do it all of the time. Heck our own President was going to take the government funding for his Presidential race, but as soon as he saw he would have a significant advantage by not doing so. He went back on his word, and something according to him, felt was broken about the system, and did it anyway.

Fine and dandy but like I said earlier, when he whined his way back into this seat in 2006 he pretended to be in favor of healthcare reform and now he's against it for no apparent reason. In fact this is probably a clever ploy to draw some campaign financing for when he has to go up for re-election, since he knows he's probably going to lose for real this time otherwise.

[Cknolls]

The difference is technical only, really it is much worse, because he is putting the bill into a situation where he knows it will pass. At the end of the day, everyone is saying that Lieberman's duty as a Democrat is more important than his job as a Representative, which is insane. If he doesn't believe in a bill he knows he is going to vote against, why should he cast a vote that he knows will lead to its passage?

 

 

He is voting against the bill because it will kill the insurers in Hartford, no? At least that is what I would think he is thinking.

[bmags]

because last I saw, no one was calling for Snowe to be stripped of everything she has earned.

 

and there's a difference between doing what she is doing, possibly voting and at least working with the opposing party, as opposed to actively denying your own caucus the ability to vote on their biggest legislation in 60 years. That's quite a difference. But, obviously, i forgot, everything is equal blah blah blah...

 

If a Republican threatened to filibuster against tax cuts, filibuster against defense spending, filibuster, etc. you see how far they get. Honestly. It's not even in the same realm.

[jasonxctf]

again, Joe should be doing this in private, not public.

[kapkomet]

and there's a difference between doing what she is doing, possibly voting and at least working with the opposing party, as opposed to actively denying your own caucus the ability to vote on their biggest legislation in 60 years. That's quite a difference. But, obviously, i forgot, everything is equal blah blah blah...

 

If a Republican threatened to filibuster against tax cuts, filibuster against defense spending, filibuster, etc. you see how far they get. Honestly. It's not even in the same realm.

John McLame says hi.

[Rex Kickass]

John McLame says hi.

When did he vote against cloture for a tax cut bill? Voting no on a bill and voting no on a vote to vote are two different things.

[southsider2k5]

Other than being the party of No right now, how are they offering solutions?

 

And just because I had no idea (and how I missed it with the conservatives controlling the media is beyond me), but they have introduced SIX health care reform bills.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion...0,3170155.story

 

RepublicansDemocrats in the U.S. House and Senate have spent the spring, summer and fall grappling with how to fix the health care system. They're still trying to craft a bill they can sell to Americans -- or even explain in plain English. And the Republicans? Well, as the minority party, they're mainly on the sidelines. They've become the party of "no," sniping at every Democratic health care reform idea without promoting any of their own. Right?

 

Not entirely.

 

Over the summer and fall, Republicans in the House and Senate have introduced six -- yes, six -- health care reform proposals. You didn't hear? Well, those plans didn't produce much of a ripple because Democrats dominate the Congress.

 

But now Republicans are weighing a shift in strategy. Instead of taking more potshots, some Republicans say their party should present a coherent alternative to whatever final Democratic plans emerge in the House and Senate. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee reportedly are drafting legislation the GOP could introduce when Democrats bring their proposals to the floor.

 

Here's hoping they do. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who sponsored a health reform bill, said recently: "The job of the opposition is not just to point out all the flaws in legislation coming to the floor, but to offer ideas for how you would fix it."

 

He's right. Others offering proposals: Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona and Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina.

 

We don't agree with everything in these bills. But the GOP proposals contain smart ideas to increase choice and competition in the health insurance market -- a powerful Republican counterpoint to the Democrats' expensive plans. The ideas include:

 

--Let insurers sell policies across state lines. That would loosen the strangling state-by-state regulations and unleash competition to drive premium prices down.

 

--Give people who buy insurance in the private market the same tax breaks as those who get it through employers. Now, employers that offer coverage get a tax break on the premiums they pay for employees. And employees don't pay taxes on the value of the coverage they receive. People who want to buy insurance in the individual market should get the same tax breaks. That would help millions of people acquire coverage.

 

--Expand the ability of small businesses, trade associations and other groups to set up insurance pools to offer coverage at more attractive rates.

 

--Control health costs in part by reining in the medical malpractice system that raises insurance premiums and forces doctors to order tests to protect themselves from lawsuits. Limiting certain kinds of damage awards would reduce spending on health care by about $11 billion in 2009, or about one-half of 1 percent, the Congressional Budget Office estimates. Think about that in human terms: Reform would save millions of patients the expense and trauma of unnecessary tests and procedures.

 

These excellent ideas could expand coverage for the uninsured without cratering the federal budget or curbing the competition and innovation that drive the U.S. health care system. Republicans should keep pushing them -- and ruling Democrats need to give them a full and fair hearing.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion...0,3170155.story

 

[bmags]

yeah, man, it's been really tough for republicans to get their message out. They have no where to go to, no one lets them on sunday talk shows, theirs no network to pump their point of view, they have no radio programs, no one even knows they are there.

[lostfan]

lol Mitch McConnell was on CNN like an hour ago.

[BigSqwert]

Obama's Declaration Of Swine Flu Emergency Prompts Pro-Swine-Flu Republican Response

 

October 28, 2009

 

WASHINGTON—Claiming that the president was preying on the public's fear of contracting a fatal disease last week when he declared the H1N1 virus a national emergency, Republican leaders announced Wednesday that they were officially endorsing the swine flu. "Thousands of Americans—hardworking ordinary Americans like you and me—already have H1N1," Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said during a press conference. "Now Obama wants to take that away from us. Ask yourself: Do you want the federal government making these kinds of health care decisions for you and your family?" Other prominent Republicans opposing Obama's declaration of emergency include Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, who urged residents of his state to continue not washing their hands, and radio host Rush Limbaugh, who made a point of dying of the virus during his show on Wednesday.

 

LINK

[lostfan]

That almost looked real until the end. It's really not that far off from how they've been acting.

[bmags]

I cannot stop laughing at this...so many funny parts - keeping the sex toys and viagara "just in case", flashing his badge which led them to calling the police officer's coworker wife, the sex spot being the cemetary...I'd put this in general b/c I think it's funny no matter, but I don't want lectures about how "all party members do this" - I don't care, this story is funny politician or not...but way funnier this way...

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/...#more?ref=fpblg

They Know How to Party

Josh Marshall | October 28, 2009, 10:55PM

 

Two things you can say about your South Carolina Republicans: they know how to stand up to federal oppression and they know how to party.

 

Back on Monday, former Republican state representative and now assistant Attorney General Roland Corning was on his lunch break when a police officer found him parked his Ford Explorer at Elmwood Cemetery with an 18 year old stripper from the Platinum Plus Gentlemen's Club, a bag of sex toys and at least one dose of Viagra.

 

Local police were apparently on the look out because the cemetery had become a local hotspot for trysts and illicit drugs.

 

When the Officer Michael Wines came up to see what was shaking, Corning sped off. According to the police report, Corning "attempted to make a hasty retreat, spinning the tires in the driveway and accelerating rapidly." But another cop soon stopped him and Wines caught up with them a few moments later. After Corning and the stripper gave conflicting stories about what they were doing in the cemetery, Wines proceeded to search the SUV and found Corning's stash of sex toys and Viagra. To clear up any misunderstanding, Corning assured Wines he always kept them with him "just in case."

 

In happier days, Corning was an ardent pro-life politician best known for introducing a law in the South Carolina legislature that would have made the subdermal contraceptive device Norplant mandatory for women on welfare. Even then though he was no stranger to controversy. In 1994, during a floor debate with pro-choice state Rep. June Shissias, Corning asked Shissias whether she herself had ever had an abortion. Later he admitted the remark was "probably insensitive" but said he was "sick and tired of the women representatives in this body acting like, just because we're men and male, we don't know anything about women."

 

Corning and the unnamed stripper were eventually released without charges. But another woman -- no, not the stripper -- turned out to be his undoing. As Officer Wines was investigating the sex toy mystery, Corning volunteered that he worked at the Attorney General's office and flashed his badge.

 

Well, it turned out Wines' wife Megan worked there too. And he called her to find out if Corning was legit.

 

But Wines' wife didn't leave it there. She contacted her supervisor, Deputy Attorney General John McIntosh, who passed on the word to Attorney General Henry McMaster. McMaster apparently found out early Wednesday. And by the end of the day Corning's employment at the AG's office had come to an abrupt end.

[lostfan]

lol at the Washington Times article with the shocking revelation that the White House gives out perks to people who have given Obama a lot of money. Noooooooooo! Also at some point today it's going to be 3 pm, I wonder if there will be an article on that.

[southsider2k5]

lol at the Washington Times article with the shocking revelation that the White House gives out perks to people who have given Obama a lot of money. Noooooooooo! Also at some point today it's going to be 3 pm, I wonder if there will be an article on that.

 

He might want to update his campaign promises then...

 

 

[lostfan]

He might want to update his campaign promises then...

I wasn't aware that Obama promised to not accept campaign contributions and was going to seek re-election without doing so. Politicians have to raise money. Period. Even Obama said this during the campaign. If you don't raise money you won't stay in office unless you're an extreme anomaly. People need to stop acting surprised about this, yes we have a terrible system and in most European countries a lot of these things would probably count as electoral fraud but we already knew this and it's not about to change. Frankly, pretending to be shocked is f***ing stupid. Changing this fact would require a constitutional amendment.

Edited October 29, 2009 by lostfan

[southsider2k5]

I wasn't aware that Obama promised to not accept campaign contributions and was going to seek re-election without doing so. Politicians have to raise money. Period. Even Obama said this during the campaign. If you don't raise money you won't stay in office unless you're an extreme anomaly. People need to stop acting surprised about this, yes we have a terrible system and in most European countries a lot of these things would probably count as electoral fraud but we already knew this and it's not about to change. Frankly, pretending to be shocked is f***ing stupid. Changing this fact would require a constitutional amendment.

 

The campaign contributions weren't the thing he promised to do away with...

[lostfan]

k, nothing to do with my point though. They watch movies, bowl, and play golf with the president. The horrors of our corrupt system of democracy!

Edited October 29, 2009 by lostfan

[southsider2k5]

k, nothing to do with my point though. They watch movies, bowl, and play golf with the president. The horrors of our corrupt system of democracy!

 

Again, then don't promise differently when you are running for President. Everyone who dared question these type of statements was mocked during the election cycle. Now that these stupid promises are getting broken, we get mocked for mentioning them.

[lostfan]

...

[NorthSideSox72]

Again, then don't promise differently when you are running for President. Everyone who dared question these type of statements was mocked during the election cycle. Now that these stupid promises are getting broken, we get mocked for mentioning them.

This is not a broken promise of any kind. You are directing your ire in the wrong place.

 

Now, Obama HAS broken promises - but he's not doing that here.

 

[Balta1701]

Public financing. Anywho...

[southsider2k5]

This is not a broken promise of any kind. You are directing your ire in the wrong place.

 

Now, Obama HAS broken promises - but he's not doing that here.

 

Am I the only one who remembers that people weren't going to be able to buy access to the White House?

[lostfan]

Am I the only one who remembers that people weren't going to be able to buy access to the White House?

No but you're making up your own definition of what that means and going with your own expectations of what could be reasonably accomplished (which, somewhat predictably, is an impossible standard). There is absolutely no way possible for any politician to completely ignore their donors, and example the article I mentioned brought up is 100% legal. As long as we're not talking about a flat-out quid pro quo, which is probably illegal, there really isn't a problem. I'm not going to waste my time getting indignant about it and I'll save that for when Obama actually does f*** up or tell a bald-faced lie and in the meantime I'm going mock people who contribute to irrelevant arguments.

[NorthSideSox72]

No but you're making up your own definition of what that means and going with your own expectations of what could be reasonably accomplished (which, somewhat predictably, is an impossible standard). There is absolutely no way possible for any politician to completely ignore their donors, and example the article I mentioned brought up is 100% legal. As long as we're not talking about a flat-out quid pro quo, which is probably illegal, there really isn't a problem. I'm not going to waste my time getting indignant about it and I'll save that for when Obama actually does f*** up or tell a bald-faced lie and in the meantime I'm going mock people who contribute to irrelevant arguments.

An example of him truly breaking a promise is on the "no lobbyists in the administration" thing. Another one was the telecom immunity.

 

[lostfan]

An example of him truly breaking a promise is on the "no lobbyists in the administration" thing. Another one was the telecom immunity.

He's been pretty full of s*** on the "transparency" thing too. yes he's made a few token steps but nothing really meaningful.