Fiscal Cliff Talks Go Through Night With Deal Still Uncertain

What the "deal" or "compromise" will underscore is that the Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin, lovingly nestled in the pocket of the same wealthy benefactors, who flip the coin in an endless "Heads I win, Tails you lose" game with the 310 million beleaguered, disenfranchised citizens who call the United States home.
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Fiscal Cliff: Senate Remains Deadlocked, Mitch McConnell And Harry Reid Say (UPDATE)

Me thinks the Democrats might be treating the Republicans the way Gollum treats fish at this point.
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Shark Eats Shark: Picture Captures Fisherman's Amazing Catch Near Kaiteriteri, New Zealand (PHOTO)

Thought bubble for "small" shark: "I should've listened to my horoscope and put aside the day for needlecraft."
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Fiscal Cliff Deal Not Reached, Leaders Agree To Continue Talks

The American people have learned a powerful lesson about the need for Public Financing of Elections through all this mayhem we have experienced with Congress. Our elected officials wind up working for their campaign benefactors ahead of the constituents that elect them to office. We would have had a far more productive Congress if the members weren't so focused on campaign financing. We would have the passage of reasonable bills beneficial to the American people if we just amputate the influence of the 1% and their corporations over our elected representatives.



To say we aren't in the situation we are in now because of the influence of special interest money in Washington DC is delusional. The ideology of those who can finance elections is what wins the day in DC, and that leaves out the interests of probably 310 million Americans.
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John Boehner's Failure

Boehner has no power as Speaker because of a tremendous error he went along with at the beginning of the 112th Congress ... the elimination of earmarks. With earmarks a Speaker can barter votes with members of Congress. Earmarks are the grease of the political gears, for they impact each member of Congress directly in their districts and translate into votes from their constituents. Dispense with the idea that members of Congress are somehow the United State's best and brightest ... most are self-serving shlums who simply wish to keep their jobs come next election cycle. With earmarks, the Speaker of the House builds consensus, it's not by deep intellectual discourse. Remember some of the people sitting in Congress, to call them intelelctuals is laughable.



When Speaker Boehner agreed to the elimination of earmarks he disarmed himself, and empowered outside interests who became the guarantors of re-election for the Republican caucus. Speaker Boehner surrendered his carrot and stick with the elimination of earmarks and turned control of his caucus over to the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove, and Grover Norquist.



If eliminating earmarks was a virtue, that one act assured Boehner's term as Speaker would resolve as an impotent failure.
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Legislation Constipation

I really believe the cause of the legislative strife was the banning of earmarks at the beginning of the 112th Congress. That one act emasculated Boehner as Speaker, for without pork to ladle out or withhold he had no leverage over his caucus, or, even, House Democrats. Without earmarks readily available the elected members of Congress were more beholden to outside entities to help them retaining their seats than the largess a congressperson could bestow on his or her district and constituents via the support of the Speaker. My guess is the one thing that could get the House working again is restoring earmarks, which would make Boehner's ring a necessity to kiss.
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Norman Schwarzkopf Dead: Retired General Dies At 78

I worked with a guy who was part of the Berlin Airlift and was stationed in Berlin during the Cold War prior to seeing service in Vietnam as one of the first Green Berets. He had a story about General Schwarzkopf when he was in Berlin. Seems a British officer was dressing down some American troops that were manning a checkpoint. If I recall the story correctly, Schwarzkopf tried to intervene, and then the British Officer started to yell at him. Schwarzkopf went down on one knee and pretended to tie his shoe, as the British Officer leaned over him still yelling. Schwarzkopf didn't say a word. He just made a fist and lurched to his feet. striking the British Officer on the chin and knocking him out cold. Schwarzkopf was attached to some big shot in Berlin and he didn't suffer any punishment for his action.



I always appreciated that story.
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Ron Paul Slams NRA Plan Recommending Armed Officers In Schools

The question of armed guards in the schools aside, the anti federal thought process of Ron Paul and folks of his ilk is delusional. The necessity of the Federal Government is fully integrated in American life and has been since the formation of the country. Americans benefit everyday from the Federal Government's "intrusion" into their lives, whether they are willing to acknowledge that fact or not. Red States benefit most of all from the Federal Government's redistribution of wealth. but their strident ideological belief system blinds them to that fact.



Paul's right that we don't need armed guards in schools, but the constituents in his own district that benefit from Federal Government programs everyday prove him wrong on pretty much everything else.
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Kam Chancellor Crushes Vernon Davis, Gets Called For Personal Foul (VIDEO)

It was a legal hit, but the concussion issue is something that can't be taken lightly, and the result of this play was Davis leaving the game with a concussion.



When Theodore Roosevelt was President he threatened to ban collegiate football due to the violence and injuries it caused. Because of TR's veiled threat the static offensive line and the quarterback position were born, and the introduction of the passing game followed shortly thereafter.



Football is an inherently violent sport, but hits that can cause concussions should be on the radar, if this hit was legal now, look to that changing in the future.
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John Barrasso On Fiscal Cliff: Obama Wants To Go Over The Edge (VIDEO)

Beginning, middle, and end .... the Republicans agreed to every aspect of the "Fiscal Cliff" about to take place and their recorded votes support that. President Obama isn't inflicting the political outcome of the "Fiscal Cliff" on the Republicans, no, the political damage was inflicted on the GOP by its own actions.



The Republicans are Thelma AND Louise in this drama.
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Wayne LaPierre: Schools With Armed Guards 'The One Thing That Would Keep People Safe' (VIDEO)

An armed guard would have done nothing to stop what occurred at Sand Hook Elementary School. Nothing. If the guard didn't run and hide he would have been the first casualty. LaPierre is talking nonsense.
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Obama State Of The Union Address: President Reportedly Threatened To Blame Republicans

The Republican Party ... run by bunch of reactionary, right wing, geriatric billionaires ... has done everything possible to undermine the United States since President Obama's inauguration in January 2009. It is not unreasonable to say the Right Wingers wanted to punish the American people for rejecting them and have done everything possible to damage the economy in an attempt to harm the American people, costing them jobs, homes, retirement, and peace of mind.



If I were the President of the United States I would use the State of the Union Address to say:



"You may not like the fact that an African American from the Democratic Party won the presidency, but if you feel you have the right to punish the American people for their choice of President, then the American people have the right to relegate the Republican Party to the dustbin of history like the Whigs. The Republicans need to prove themselves an asset to the United States, end their tantrum, and work with the Democrats to improve conditions for the American people, or the American voters should pink slip all of you, as your obstruction has caused millions of our citizens to receive pink slips themselves."



That's what I would say.
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Pope Benedict Takes Anti-Gay Marriage To New Level In Christmas Speech On Family Values

"When freedom to be creative becomes the freedom to create oneself, then necessarily the Maker himself is denied and ultimately man too is stripped of his dignity as a creature of God," Benedict said.



Hmm, remind me how many cultures are no longer procreating because the Catholic Church exterminated them.
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NRA Leader Wayne LaPierre's Much-Criticized Sandy Hook Speech Was Actually Quite Effective

The sad thing is those lost in Newtown will never get any justice. We know it. The gun industry is worth billions of dollars a year. The United States has no true morality beyond making money. Making money is all that binds the aggregates of cultures and peoples in the United States of America, and because of that the gun industry is an apex industry and untouchable.



LaPierre, the NRA and the US Gun Manufacturers won this argument before they even opened their mouths. This industry owns politicians at every level of American society ... both parties ... they also own the Justice system, up to the Supreme Court, that gifted them with a tortured interpretation of the 2nd Amendment that invigorates, supports and protects their business model.



LaPierre, the NRA and the US Gun Manufactures are free to kill all the 6 year olds they wish ... and they know it.
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NRA Press Conference: Wayne LaPierre Calls For Armed Police Officers At Every School

I hope that nations around the world are paying close attention to the US Gun crisis, and are advising their citizens considering the United States as a tourist destination of the danger of a US Vacation. It probably would be best if foreign tourists were told which of the US States are "Stand Your Ground" Law states, like Florida, where foreign tourists could be shot for simply making a resident nervous. There are many fine places around the world where a tourist can enjoy themselves and not worry about being shot by a local ... unfortunately the US isn't one of them.
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NRA Press Conference: Wayne LaPierre Calls For Armed Police Officers At Every School

Let's adopt an annual 2nd Amendment tax on every weapon in the United States. If you don't want the guns registered, fine, but if an officer can request proof that you have paid your tax on the weapon, and if you haven't alert the IRS.



There's an idea. Nothing in the 2nd Amendment prohibits taxation of firearms.
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Boehner Budget Failure Followed Pressure From Conservative Groups

The defense sequestration will be a good thing ... the less money going to the Defense Department the less frivolous elective wars the government will engage in and the fewer American soldiers and foreign civilians will have their lives needlessly destroyed.
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'Plan B' Vote Postponed In House In Major Setback For Boehner

The Koch Brothers spent a lot of money scraping cesspools across America to create the Tea Party Congress of 2010, and the irony is their inability to govern is going to cost the Brother's Koch more money than 4 cents on the dollar taxation ever would, by crashing the US Economy and destroying global confidence in US Markets. Quite a feat.
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Winter Solstice 2012: Shortest Day Of The Year Marked By Pagan Celebrations (PHOTOS)

Pagan and Proud.
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'Plan B' Vote Postponed In House

"Merry Christmas," said Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) "There is a lump of coal in the president's box."



This man is so clueless it's like watching a soccer player score a goal against his own team.
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John Boehner To Obama On Fiscal Cliff: Act On Plan B Or Get 'Serious'

The President and Democrats likely understand if they tamper with Earned Benefits the 2014 and 2016 elections will be lonely times for them, so heeding the grumbling of their base is wise. The President and Democrats already have 2010 as their teaching moment.
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December 21 Mayan Apocalypse Observances Fueled By Mysticism And Internet

I've got good news and bad news for people, depending on which side of the Mayan Apocalypse hysteria you fall into.



The first good or bad news is that the world will not end on 12/21/2012.



The second good or bad news is that, indeed, one day Earth and everything on it will be swallowed by the sun and destroyed.



The third good or bad news is that by the time that happens man will have been extinct for billions of years and every trace of his existence erased.



There ... feel better now?
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Rachel Maddow Rails Against 'Atrophied' Gun Regulation: The Gun Lobby Has 'Gotten Their Wish' (VIDEO)

We are told it is impossible to change gun policies in the United States. That the 2nd Amendment is sacrosanct and will remain so until the end of the United State's days.



Fine.



Based on that premise, the rest of the world would be wise to abandon the United States as a leader. The American people chose to protect the means of senseless brutality and exalt in bloodshed. The American people are revealing themselves to be primitive, addicted to violence, and delusional. These are not qualities anyone seeks in a wise council, nor a shepherd of peoples longing for a peaceful and humane future.



If the United States refuses to evolve on the issue of guns, it should be forsaken, for as an advanced nation it is a fraud.
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Gun Control Groups Reignited, Becoming Political Threat After Long Dormant Period

The NRA is a symptom of a greater problem. The problem is US Gun Manufacturers, who like the Tobacco Industry, have no problem selling a product in the United States that they know is killing people every day.
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When Children Are Slaughtered

I'm not sure how you would classify it, but the core problem is we have a very powerful gun manufacturing industry that is making obscene amounts of money off the proliferation of military grade weapons in the United States even in light of the unmitigated mayhem that causes to American society every day. I put it is the same category as tobacco companies who sell products to the public they know are killing them slowly. If it was a human being performing these actions we would call them sociopathic, but what do you call Industries that do it, and do it with the aid of elected officials?
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Nancy Pelosi Says Social Security Cut Proposed By Obama Would 'Strengthen' Program

I'd like to hear my Representative from San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi, suggest eliminating the contribution cap on Social Security ... a move that would secure the programs solvency for decades ... instead of this Chained CPI gimmick to placate Republicans.
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Nancy Pelosi Says Social Security Cut Proposed By Obama Would 'Strengthen' Program

Wall Street, the lobbyist with the deepest pockets, owns Washington DC ... both parties ... all three branches of government.



From Wall Street's perspective Social Security needs to be privatized for a number of reasons.



1) Wall Street is a Ponzi. Ponzi's need fresh Capital to keep them from collapsing. Privatizing SSI would mean money coming out from paychecks and employers would go directly into Wall Street on a constant basis to prop up its Ponzi.



2) While Social Security guarantees payment to Americans who reach retirement age, Wall Street would provide no such guarantee. Anyone with a 401k knows what happened to it with the crash of 2008. A Wall Street managed retirement plan would be susceptible to the same caprice of the boom/bust cycle.



3) Privatized Social Security would create a Wall Street that was "Too Big To Fail". With the American people's retirements tied up with Wall Street the US Government would be obligated to intervene every time Wall Street's fraud crashed the economy.



Wall Street hungers for the SSI Trust fund and the constant payroll contributions for it knows there are no meaningful regulations in place to prevent a crash like 2008. If they haven't captured Social Security before the next crash they might never be able to.
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Norm Stamper, Former Seattle Police Chief: Repeal The 2nd Amendment (VIDEO)

He's correct, in the 1700s and 1800s the 2nd Amendment made sense ... especially when you consider the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the anarchy that characterized the settling of the West. Right now the 2nd Amendment is little more than a Mayhem Loophole.



If the 2nd Amendment were repealed, then new legislation could be written that protected sportsman, and hunters, but protected the general public as well.
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Nancy Pelosi Predicts 'Democrats Will Stick With The President' On Fiscal Cliff Deal

Gee, I can think of a few things that would generate revenue and leave Earned Benefits unscathed:



70% Capital Gains Tax



90% Top Marginal Tax Rate



90% Inheritance tax



Elimination of Carried Interest



Cut the "Defense" Budget by 85% (We haven't won a war since 1945 anyway)



I believe these would all help with our economic problems, and help to recalibrate the United States' Economic Inequality a bit.



Funny the Democrats didn't suggest any of these ideas.



On second thought, not really.
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Nancy Pelosi Predicts 'Democrats Will Stick With The President' On Fiscal Cliff Deal

I don't like thinking this way, but sometimes I feel we actually have a one party system with Democrats and Republicans playing "good cop/bad cop" while furthering the same agenda. An agenda that is both bad for the country and the American People.
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Don Lemon: 'We Need To Get Guns And Bullets And Automatic Weapons Off The Streets' (VIDEO)

It's clear that with US Gun permissiveness Al Qeada could shut the nation down and crash our economy just by emulating the Beltway Sniper attacks. They don't need a car bomb, or to hijack any planes when they can simply pick up a semi automatic at a swap meet and shoot random people from a moving car ... it took law enforcement months to capture the assailants.



Let's be clear, terrorists can come into the United States right now and use our gun laws against us and there would be no way for US Law Enforcement or Homeland Security to even see it coming.
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Soledad O'Brien To Gun Advocate John Lott: 'Your Position Boggles My Mind' (VIDEO)

Soledad should focus on the amount of money Gun Manufacturers make off this murderous crap because that is what Gun Advocates are really defending ... the 2nd Amendment's just a money making opportunity for US Gun Manufacturers and their investors, that's it.
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Joe Scarborough On Gun Control: GOP 'Will Lose' If It Doesn't Change Stance (VIDEO)

What are the names of the 31 Silent Senators who support the NRA's right to assassinate first graders? Do we have that list?
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Obama Hits Social Security In Fiscal Cliff Offer Friendlier To The Wealthy

President Obama needs to adopt the negotiating approach of Harry Truman with the Japanese during WWII when dealing with the Republicans:



"Give up!' Truman



"We won't give up!" Hirohito



BOOM!



"We give up!" Hirohito



BOOM!



"You give up?" Truman.



"Yes" Hirohito
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Daniel Inouye Dead: Hawaii Senator Dies After Fight With Respiratory Complications

An American hero and irreplaceable statesman of the Senate. Condolences to his family and the people of Hawaii.
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Chuck Schumer: Left Must 'Admit There Is Second Amendment' (VIDEO)

The 4th Amendment was eviscerated by the Patriot Act, and the Citizens United ruling overturned 100 years of Court precedent on Campaign Finance ... what prevents the 2nd Amendment's interpretation from being reconsidered? Honestly? Nothing.
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Gun Sales In 2012 Set Record, FBI Data Indicates

Guns are an Adult Toy, like a Vibrator. A Vibrator simulates a penis, while a Gun simulates a backbone.
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White House On Newtown School Shooting: Today Not The Day For Gun Control Debate

Let's be clear, the blood of these children is on the hands of the President and every member of Congress for not enacting responsible gun legislation to prevent these massacres. We know we have a problem but the US Government chooses to allow innocent people to die rather than stand up to the NRA and the US Gun Manufacturers it fronts for.
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Steven Crowder Punched: Man Claims Fox News Contributor Goaded Other Union Protesters

Crowder's just your run-of-the-mill, right wing, lowlife, agent provocateur looking for trouble and he found it ... then he hits the airwaves crying like a two year-old.
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Fact-checkers Sputter And Flop Attempting To Explain How Social Security Works, Affects Deficit

Okay, so now we know Social Security brings in more than it pays out. Nice to know that. Now consider how much more solvent it will be once the contribution cap is eliminated!



Social Security is now officially off the table. Not a Ponzi. Not Bankrupt. Next Right Wing Lie, Please!. You're up!
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We Have a Right to Fight Back Against Right-to-Work Laws

Reverend Al, what this situation calls for is a flanking maneuver. We need to provide support to the Unions by leveraging the resources of Social Media to create a Labor Party. We need to have Worker Representatives elected directly to office at the local, state and national level. Never has it been easier to organize Americans into such an endeavor, and, let's be frank, because of the DLC, Blue Dog, and New Democrats the Democratic Party is conflicted when it comes to the Labor Movement, even though they rely heavily on boots on the ground from Unions to win elections for them. I think the rise of a Labor Party Movement would force the Democrats off the fence, and make them commit to Workers Rights, or reveal their Corporatist ways to the American people.



It isn't a far fetched idea to create a Labor Party, I think there are tens of millions of disaffected working Americans who would gravitate to a Labor Party if they felt it really had fire in its belly to get things done.



Progressives should ponder this option seriously, because the Unions are only capable if so much at this point and they need backup from America's Workers committed to an American Labor Party.
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Tom Harkin: Conservative Media 'Manufactured' Fiscal Cliff Crisis 'To Scare People' (VIDEO)

I once got a copy of the Manila Bulletin from when the Philippines was occupied during WWII by the Japanese. The Manila Bulletin was a major newspaper like the New York Times and had built a solid reputation for good journalism, but during WWII the Japanese controlled the content. So in this copy I picked up there was a big front page story about how the glorious German Army had successfully repulsed an allied invasion and pushed the invaders back into the sea. This wildly trumpeted victory for the Germans is know as D-Day to us.



Obviously it wasn't quite the victory that the editors led their readers to believe.



The lesson is a media outlet is only as accurate and honest as its ownership allows it to be. So when you read a story it is best to ingest the information with a certain degree of skepticism, because you really never know what you are getting, or why.
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Dawn Wells, 'Gilligan Island' Star, Fires Back At National Enquirer

My feeling on Tabloids is this ... if they want to make up things about people that's fine, but there should be a inch tall yellow band running on the cover with "FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY" emblazon on it. Without that disclaimer the Tabloids should be fair game for libel and slander lawsuits, and front page retractions if they have no evidence to back up their stories. That seems fair to me.
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Walmart CEO Mike Duke: 'We Do Pay Competitive Wages'

General Rule: Management never gives ground, Labor takes it.



Walmart wages will improve when Labor gives Management no other choice
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John Boehner Gives Fiscal Cliff Counteroffer To White House

Senator Sanders pointed out that going after Social Security with Chained CPI, if that is part of the negotiation, would negatively impact the benefits of disabled Veterans as will as SSI recipients, so that really should be nixed as part of the deal. I think disabled Veterans have suffered enough, and it would be unconscionable to harm their economic well being by playing around with Chained CPI.
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Bernie Sanders: Republicans 'Living In Parallel Universe' Because Of Fox News, Conservative Media (VIDEO)

Fox "News" is a lot like Harold Camping, the Preacher that claimed the world was going end in May 2011. His followers went off the deep end running up debt, and selling their homes waiting for Judgement Day and, of course, it never occurred. Fox "News" and Right Wing Media has really developed a Cultist mentality, like that of Camper's followers, in their viewers and listeners and I find it both sad and frightening.
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Obama Administration Stimulus: White House Sees Fiscal Cliff Deal As Last, Best Hope

Now is not the time for President Obama to allow himself to be Shock-Doctrined on Earned Benefits ("Entitlements") ... It is time to go over the "Fiscal Cliff" and put the Republicans on their heels.



Additionally, the minute the Republicans bring up the "Debt Ceiling" the President should make one simple statement:



"The "Debt Ceiling" has nothing to do with the Executive Branch no negotiations are needed."



Then shutdown all lines of communication and leave the Republicans to twist in the wind until they increase the "Debt Ceiling" or they cause the US to default and crash the markets.



The President should take a hands off approach to the "Debt Ceiling" and let the Republicans stew ... my guess is a Civil War will break out between the Tea Party and the rest of the GOP caucus and that is perfectly okay.
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Dick Armey Blames GOP For Congressional Setbacks

I'm not sure who Armey is criticizing here, because the Koch Brother's minion, Reince Prebus, was head of the RNC ... so how can the Tea Party be innocent of screwing the pooch when in both the Republican Party, and in outside groups like Freedom Works, they were running the show?
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Scott Walker's Son Used Same-Day Registration, Accompanied By The Governor

Now, this illustrates an important point. These Right Wing Billionaire backed Tea Partiers, or Birchers if you will, are Classists. They believe, in their hearts, that they are superior to others. They believe it is perfectly acceptable to deprive their fellow citizens of rights and services that they demand for themselves.



This is a PERFECT example of this warped worldview. It is acceptable for Governor Walker to deprive others of that which he insists upon for his own.
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Mohammed Morsi Cancels Controversial Decree, But Pushes Referendum

I am confident that Morsi will retreat further in his demands, because the Muslim Brotherhood may have political position currently but it doesn't control the Egyptian Military, that is financed heavily by the US.
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Chris Christie, Jon Stewart Interview: New Jersey Governor & 'Daily Show' Host Spar Over Republican Philosophy (VIDEO)

Maybe next time "The Boss" and Governor Christie meet, Springsteen could say:



"I'm glad you enjoyed my music enough to see me in concert a hundred times, but I'm curious ... did you ever actually listen to the words of the songs?"
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