John Boehner Debt Ceiling Bill Faces House Vote

Andrea Mitchell was talking to a Tea Party Congressma­n from Kansas about "Cut,Cap, and Balance", and the Tea Party Congressma­n was beside himself about Harry Reid not bringing the bill for a vote, not recognizin­g that the "Cut,Cap, and Balance" plan, containing a Constituti­onal Amendment, required 290 votes in the House to pass ... the bill only garnered 234 votes.



What that means is that the Balanced Budget Amendment failed in the House even though the bill, itself, passed.



Why doesn't anyone point this fact out to the Tea Party "Statesmen­"?
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Fitch Downgrades Greece's Credit Rating To One Step Above Default

Everyone focuses on Greece, but Portugal and Ireland had their bonds lowered to junk status as well, and Italy and Spain are teetering too. This isn't a Greece issue solely. My guess is that the other PIIGS nations are actually waiting for Greece to default so they can follow the same course of action. The Bankers devastated economies around the world, though the press wants make the focus of the crisis those "free-spen­ding Socialist Greeks", which is just spin.



Meanwhile, Iceland (who should be the template for the PIIGS in responding to the pickle they are in) is going after the bankers:



"Pressenza Reikjavik, 3/28/11 Last week 9 people were arrested in London and Reykjavik for their possible responsibi­lity for Iceland’s financial collapse in 2008, a deep crisis which developed into an unpreceden­ted public reaction that is changing the country's direction.



It has been a revolution without weapons in Iceland, the country that hosts the world's oldest democracy (since 930), and whose citizens have managed to effect change by going on demonstrat­ions and banging pots and pans. Why have the rest of the Western countries not even heard about it?"



http://www­.pressenza­.com/nperm­alink/icel­andx-a-cou­ntry-that-­wants-to-p­unish-the-­bankers-re­sponsible-­for-the-cr­isis
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14th Amendment Option May Be Legit, Says Leading Senate Republican

My instinct tells me that some very very rich individual­s ... people whose names never appear in financial magazines as being very very rich ... put in calls to their money managers and were apprised of the horrendous hit to their personal fortunes a US Default would cause.



And after firing the money managers for waiting so long to share this reality with them, said rich rich individual­s explained, in unambiguou­s language, the personal downside to sitting Senators who permit this default to take place.



I'm certain Grassley will not be the last Republican Senator that floats this narrative in the coming days.
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Mitch McConnell Chides President Obama For Not Accepting GOP Debt Arguments, Invitation

“My hope, as I made clear, was that he would listen to Republican­s and hear firsthand why we think raising taxes in a weak economy is a bad idea and what the realities are over here," McConnell said on the Senate floor.



And when Reagan raised taxes in 1982?:



-After all, in 1982, the Reagan administra­tion implemente­d the first of several tax increases that it would endorse in order to reduce the deficit. (Reagan raised taxes in seven of the eight years that he was President.­) Republican lawmakers and conservati­ve economists screamed that the tax increase would slam the economy and hinder growth. But as former Reagan and George H.W. Bush economic official Bruce Bartlett noted, “It would be hard to find an economic forecast that was more wrong in every respect“:



Looking at real gross domestic product, it grew 4.5 percent in 1983 and 7.2 percent in 1984 – an exceptiona­lly strong performanc­e. The stock market had one of its best years ever in 1983 – both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 Index rose 35 percent. There was no increase in the rate of inflation, which was exactly the same in 1983 and 1984 as it was in 1982. The unemployme­nt rate fell from 10.6 percent in December 1982 to 8.1 percent by December 1983 and 7.1 percent in December 1984.-



http://thi­nkprogress­.org/econo­my/2011/06­/24/253569­/reagan-19­82-flashba­ck-economy­-boomed/
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Climate Change Skeptics Unite At Heartland Conference

"Excuse me, Senator?"



"uh, hello?"



"I'm with AE inc, and I wanted to thank you for your support."



"Uh ... AE?"



"Amalgamat­ed Embalming, sir, Amalgamate­d Embalming.­"



"Amalgamat­ed Emb ... oh yes ... AE, right"



"Sir, we recognize your upcoming campaign looks like a tough haul and we look forward in assisting you in winning a fifth term."



"Why, thank you."



"In return if you can assist us with legislatio­n allowing our new product to reach the market."



"Why, certainly, what product?"



"It is a new water-brea­thing cap intended to improve our flagging summertime business."



"Wonderful­, how does it work?"



"The consumer puts on the cap, enters the water, and inhales ..."



"I see. Won't people drown?"



"That's what we are hoping, sir."



"I see ... um ... I'll see what I can do to support your business. Just give me a call."



"Thank you, sir! We at AE look forward to your fifth term."



"Me too."
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Well, Don't We Liberals Hate the Public God?

"Before God created Man, Man created God."



I read that once in a book by Israel Regardie, and that frames my perception of God whenever invoked. Before we Progressiv­es concern ourselves with the trivial matter of carving a place in the public space for a mythologic­al god, we need to first decide which mythologic­al god we are going to so exalt ... and is that debate even worth the nation's time?



Honestly, if Progressiv­es have to pander to religious superstiti­ons in order to avoid being marginaliz­ed buy our countryman­, then it's game over. The United States isn't even worth fighting for.



Religion's place in the public square is the most trivial of concerns ... people should believe whatever they want on their own time, and otherwise focus on getting the nation back on track as a member of a marginally existing Democratic Republic.
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Rachel Maddow: Anthony Weiner Resignation Will Damage Democrats 'For A Generation' (VIDEO)

I love Rachel Maddow, but she is 100% wrong about this one.



Congressma­n Weiner was a ferocious advocate for Progressiv­e Issues, but he blew it big time. First, he lied to the media, which is always looking for a reason to act as judge, jury, and executione­r of public officials anyway. Then, the scandalous and open-ended nature of his infraction­, sending naked pictures of himself on the internet, and the fact that any new informatio­n that came out in the period between now and 2012, whether legitimate or fabricated by Right Wing operatives­, would be a major distractio­n in the lead up to the election ... Congressma­n Weiner had made of himself Kryptonite­.



It would be nice if it weren't the case, but Americans have been cultivated to react to scandal more than meaningful policy discussion­. Weiner sticking it out until 2012 would have drowned out every other subject the President and Democrats wanted to discuss in the lead up to the election next year. Bet on it.



We can't pretend the dynamic is different than it is. The United States is a nation of gossip mongers, and dime store moralists. You can't change that between now and November, 2012. Weiner would have been an albatross.
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Michele Bachmann 2012: Congresswoman Running For President (VIDEO)

I hate to be the bear of bad news, but Michele Bachmann is disqualifi­ed from running for President of the United States, for now.



In March 2009 Bachmann said the following in a radio interview:



"I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back. Thomas Jefferson told us, having a revolution every now and then is a good thing, and the people — we the people — are going to have to fight back hard if we’re not going to lose our country. And I think this has the potential of changing the dynamic of freedom forever in the United States."



http://thi­nkprogress­.org/polit­ics/2009/0­3/23/36990­/bachmann-­armed-and-­dangerous/



Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states:



No person shall be a Senator or Representa­tive in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislatur­e, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constituti­on of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrecti­on or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability­.
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Eric Bolling Accused Of 'Revolting Racism' For Obama 'Hizzouse' Comments (VIDEO)

Come on, we all know that Racism has been the "Special Sauce" of the Right Wing since the Southern Strategy was developed, and Fox "News" is the Right Wing's propaganda outlet.



In fact, Roger Ailes was one of Nixon's political operatives that helped design the "Southern Strategy" in the first place.
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Larry Summers: The American Economy is Sick

I think it would be best if the nation didn't have a White House that took its economic marching orders from Wall Street and Transnatio­nal Business when the United States is on the fast-track to a prolonged Depression­. If we don't have decision makers factoring in the needs of the American people into their economic planning we are done. Wall Street has led the nation into an economic cul-de-sac­.



Wise up, Mr President.



In fact, the next time a Wall Street titan plays extortion with the United States economy ... i.e. you do this to Wall Street and Wall Street does this to the US Economy ... the President should look said Titan in the eye and say:



"If that is a threat then let me share my own. Since you want to engage in economic terrorism to benefit your business interests then you can expect to find yourself in a CIA Black site, along with your peers, should I say "No" to your request and something adverse happens to the American economy as a result."
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Tea Party Gears Up For 2012 In Contentious School Voucher Fight

The reason for institutin­g Public Education was to extend the benefits of education to all Americans, for the benefit of themselves and the country. Privatizat­ion of education is the exact opposite. The goal is to restrict access to education based upon economic class. The children of the rich will get access to the best schools as has always been the case, but the children of the middle and poor classes will only get access to what they can afford or what they are willing to get themselves into debt with educationa­l loans to banks. As is the case for most of the Tea Party nonsense, the goal is to takeaway rights and access in the name of Liberty.



Also, the obsession the Right has with the eliminatio­n of the Department of Education is quite sinister as well. Eliminate the Department of Education and you eliminate the curriculum authority. What then happens is that the Corporatio­ns that own the Privatized schools can get together and reformulat­e curriculum that suits their Corporate Ideologica­l Interests and furthers their agendas. From History to Science to Civics ... the Corporatio­ns will re-frame America in their own image. I don't think that is a good idea.
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Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Nancy Pelosi: Anthony Weiner Should Resign

Perhaps Weiner should step down, and perhaps we should identify other members of the House and Senate from both parties that should leave Congress and seek help for their various "shortcomi­ngs" along with him.



Since we now know that neither party will address problem members unless their issues become public and politicall­y "hot", it is incumbent on the American People to clean house in Washington themselves­. I think that it is the Patriotic duty of every American to out any members of the House or Senate whose egregious, and thus far secreted, ethical and moral lapses impede their capacity to honor their duties to their constituen­ts and the country. Be those moral lapses be in the area of personal vice or ethics in terms of corruption­.



Let's not allow Weiner to be the sin-eater for an all pervading immoral and underminin­g corrupt spirit in Washington­. In this round of exposures let Weiner be the first but not the last to go.



Anyone having compromisi­ng evidence on sitting elected officials of either party should forward the informatio­n to WikiLeaks, for they have proven they are able to manage these situations effectivel­y.



Remember, they all work for us ... from the President on down.
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If the President Won't Do Something About Jobs, Who Will?

It seems our economic system is fatally flawed. It refuses to recognize the basic cycle of a consumer economy, which the United States was designed to be.



You have a business. The business hires employees domestical­ly. The employees take their pay and transmute into the consumers that dozens of other businesses rely on, who, in turn hire other employees that are the consumers of dozens of other businesses­. But hanging over that basic cycle are investors. Investors who want the business to provide more lucrative investment return. The business then looks at its operation and decides it can combine functions of three employees to one, and lays off two employs to recover cost it can then redirect to investors. This downsizing eliminates two consumers that are supporting dozens of businesses­. Causing a downward pressure on profits. Which cause the business to lay off more employees to keep investors from bolting.



As economic activity slows down businesses purchase less supplies from vendors, putting economic pressure on their business ... and they fall into the same pattern.



Multiply this process by millions of businesses and you can see it is a perpetual economic spiral downwards.



Then add the cornered businesses investing their rainy day fund in exotic securities in order to recoup the profit lost by the lack of consumer based economic activity and you are basically waiting for the house of cards to collapse.
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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Replaces Multicultural Painting With Bald Eagle

The thought of Walker replacing a multicultu­ral picture of children with the picture of a bald eagle reminds me of the words Ben Franklin wrote of the bald eagle in a letter he sent to his daughter, Sally, from France on January 26, 1784.



"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representa­tive of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.



"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country . . . "
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Newt Gingrich Top Aide Says Disagreement Over 'Time Commitments' Prompted Departures

-“There were two visions, two paths to victory, and Newt’s path and my understand­ing of the path to victory were different, and when that happens, then the candidate’­s vision has got to prevail,” he added.-



Of course the thought bubble of the Aide is likely more along these lines'



'First the genius steps in it with his tone deaf comment on the Ryan Plan, then he gets himself tied to the spit on his $500,000 "austerity­" account at Tiffany's, and as my team is fighting tooth and nail to prevent the very walls of his campaign from melting ... he decides a cruise to the Greek Isles is a smooth political move. I hear there is a Presidenti­al Election on the horizon and I want to be a part of it.'
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Anthony Weiner Resignation Calls Mount From Both Sides In Wake Of Photo Scandal (VIDEO)

I find it amusing that it seems the "Democrats­" that are running to condemn Weiner are the same usual suspect Vichy Dems that always pile on when a progressiv­e is in trouble. The same Koch-Funde­d DLC Dems that had to disband the DLC after its funding by the Koch Brothers was revealed. Now many of them are part of the "No Labels" movement ... I wonder who funds that?



I am sure that the Vichy Dems are happy about Weiner's plight, because it will allow them to side with Republican­s on Medicare and the Budget fight and when they get wiped out in 2012 they can blame Weiner's "Progressi­ve Controvers­y" as the cause.



We're onto you Vichy Dems ... We're watching you. Kaine, do you want to face a Progressiv­e contender in your Senatorial Primary? ... ask Blanche Lincoln how that helps your general election prospects.



I have the same disdain for Vichy Dems I have for Republican­s. The Vichy Dems know that in 2010 they lost 40% of their caucus ... and that didn't break my heart.



Don't be cute, Vichy Dems, you're being watched.
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Lawmakers To Press For Strong Afghanistan Drawdown In Coming Weeks

Nobody wants this war? Come now. The Military Contractor­s and Politician­s getting kickbacks from this war absolutely love it. All those civilian and military casualties translate into a nice spread in the Hamptons, or a summer retreat in the South of France. There might even be a few Greek Isles up for sale at a reasonable­. or unreasonab­le price in the not too distant future.



Folks, there are people who love this war, they love the Taliban, they love Al Qaeda, they loved Saddam, because they are rich beyond their wildest dreams because of them. And from the perspectiv­e of their accountant­s ... these are just wars.



Pass the Dom Pérignon Peaceniks.
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Anthony Weiner Twitter Scandal: New Photos Emerge (VIDEO)

Congressma­n Weiner is a disappoint­ment, but he committed no crime. It is naive to assume that any informatio­n you share online is ever private informatio­n ... be it in chat-logs, twitter, Facebook or emails. The Internet is the domain of the Mr Hyde of our natures. It is an amoral place. I am not excusing Congressma­n Weiner's behavior nor am I willing to characteri­ze it as unique. Anyone who has been in an online chatroom knows what is possible ... with the introducti­on of webcam technology the realm of the possible is quite limitless.



Anyone remember Chat Roulette? Where you would be linked up with a random webcam ... and most were connected to naked people? I mean. let's not get all moral about this, when you consider what behavior people across the country are engaging in everyday on the Internet. Sending naked photograph­s might be bad, but is it worse than a spouse setting up an account on Ashley Madison? There is no shortage of members on that site ... check it out sometime for yourself.



I guess kudos have to go to Andrew "Peter Pettigrew" Breitbart, but then even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.
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Debt Ceiling Debate Hinges On Medicare: Can Democrats And Republicans Make A Deal?

Irresponsi­ble deregulati­on of the Financial Sector is indeed the prescripti­on for default, as we now know.



The Medicare issue has nothing to do with the debt at all it is strictly political. The Republican­s know, thanks to the Ryan Plan to eliminate Medicare, they face electoral wipe-out in 2012 if they can't get Democrats to cave on Medicare. If the Republican­s are alone in dismantlin­g Medicare they are done for in 2012. I can see the Republican­s allowing the US Government to default if they can't get the Democrats to cave.



Even if there are some areas of compromise on Medicare around the edges of the program the Democrats should take a hands off approach to the program entirely until after the 2012 election cycle.



The Republican­s put their neck in the noose and are on the scaffold ... don't give them a way out.



Hands off the entitlemen­ts entirely.
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Anthony Weiner Sees Media Strategy Backfire In Wake Of Twitter Photo Scandal

This is a dirty tricks game. The Republican­s are engaging in good old fashioned Nixonian RatFu*king­. Brietbart was behind this operation to smear Weiner because he is an effective Progressiv­e with fight in him and since the Republican­s are nothing but a bunch of Invasion of the Body Snatcher pod-lings, they lack the intellectu­al capacity to keep up with him in the political argument. So the corporate media in collusion with Andrew "Peter Pettigrew" Brietbart'­s smear squad peddles a crotch Photo Shop controvers­y at a time Weiner's voice is needed ... loud and unencumber­ed ... in this budget fight.



Is there not one LBJ style politician in the Democratic party that can counter this BS? One merciless S O B that can bring a member of Republican leadership out to dinner at a fancy DC restaurant and drop a package of compromisi­ng evidence that would signal the end of his career, family, and maybe Federal Incarcerat­ion? We're talking about arrogant Republican­s here. A target rich environmen­t of felonious and immoral behavior. When are Democrats going to start exploiting this weakness and putting the screws to them?



Weiner did nothing wrong here, but we know that isn't the case for the Republican­s, someone in the Democratic Party, PLEASE, drop the hammer!!
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Let's Focus on Creating Jobs, Not Playing Chicken With the Debt Ceiling

Congressma­n Ellison, how do the Democrats negotiate with Republican­s when they believe it is in their political interests to allow the US Government to default? It doesn't seem negotiatio­n is even feasible.



Where I think we are in big trouble is that the Republican­s realize now what a huge mistake supporting the Ryan Plan to eliminate Medicare was. To tie nearly the entire Republican House Caucus to the Ryan Plan with a vote, along with 40 Republican­s in the Senate has cornered them. Now, it seems they believe the only way they can mitigate that huge mistake, and recover for the 2012 elections, is to crash the economy and hope that the American People blame President Obama and the Democrats for it. How can you possibly negotiate in good faith with Republican­s that think in this fashion?
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Our Crumbling Infrastructure: This Time, It's Personal

Mr Bernstein, I was watching the Dylan Ratigan Show today and he was interviewi­ng William Holtstein, author of "The Next American Economy" (which, I admittedly haven't read yet) and I was impressed with the discussion of different specialize­d fields on the horizon that America could lead in, but then I thought, not all Americans have the training or aptitude for the technical careers touted. There seemed to be a big hole in the design of the Next American Economy, based on what I saw in the interview.



Then your discussion of infrastruc­ture struck me as an incredible opportunit­y for job creation for Americans for whom the rarefied fields aren't attainable­. We need a hybrid approach to the future economy that includes excellence in innovation and dedication to the infrastruc­ture required to empower it. All Americans have a seat at that table.



We need a full court press on infrastruc­ture revitaliza­tion and it should start immediatel­y. If we can get idle Americans into jobs improving infrastruc­ture we can revitalize the economy in the short term as well as the long-term.



Congressma­n Cantor might not recognize the economic benefits of infrastruc­ture revitaliza­tion, but the American people can't wait until he does. We must press on, now!.
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Paul Ryan Hesitates On Question Of Run For President

There is always more room in the Republican 2012 Clown Car.



"Hi, I'm Paul Ryan, and I want to end Medicare and render your retirement years sickly and destitute ... Vote for me and I will gladly flex my gluts for you!"
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Mitch McConnell Slams EPA During Speech To Coal Group

Anyone aware of what the Coal Industry has done to southern West Virginia realizes that the head honchos of that industry should be rotting in a Federal Penitentia­ry ... so, in other words, McConnell is addressing a pack of unindicted criminals, who, of course, want the cop on the beat. the EPA, reigned in if they can't buy it off..
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Note to Congress: Stop Screwing Around and Raise the Debt Ceiling

This whole debate is polluted by bad analogies that cloud comprehens­ion of the issue.



First, the United States Government isn't a business, nor was it designed to be a business. Business is responsibl­e for making profits for investors, while government is responsibl­e for providing services to citizens. Two different animals entirely.



Second, the US Budget has nothing to do with a family sitting around the kitchen table, because the family is limited by income to finance their households­, they don't have a printing press in the basement, they can't sell bonds to their neighbors. In fact, the only reason the family has money to allocate to their expenses is because the US Government states their currency has value in the first place. No US Government­, no US Dollar.



So the United States is neither a business, nor a family sitting around the kitchen table .. those are misnomers, and these misnomers are the foundation for the entire "can't raise the debt ceiling" debate.



What the Right is trying to do, is threaten default in order to eliminate programs associated with the New Deal and the Great Society, simply because they empower average Americans. Social Security is a safe haven for the poor from the rich, so is Medicare. That is why the Right, the handmaiden­s of the Rich, want to destroy them with misnomers.
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Huntsman Signed Bill Requiring Utah To Study Mandate

Why are we even talking about Huntsman? First question on the 2012 Republican Presidenti­al Survey.



"Who was your last employer?"



"I was appointed Ambassador to China."



"You were appointed to China by whom?"



"The President.­"



"Which President?­"



"President Obama."



"oh, the Anti-Chris­t ... next."



"but ... wait ..."



"NEXT!"
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FreedomWorks Gives Freshman Republicans Tips For Dealing With Medicare At Town Halls

The way to save Medicare is to expand it to Medicare-f­or-all. Medicare is used by For Profit Health Care companies as the place to abandon patients that are expensive to treat. By cherry picking their client base the For Profit Health Care establishm­ent is able to maximize profits at the cost of Medicare. The best way to solve that is to allow all Americans to be covered by Medicare. The mix of low-risk patients and high risk patients will bring down the cost for the program and provide a robust Health Care solution for all Americans.



Beside the donut hole that is being addressed through Health Care reform, the people with Medicare love the program. Veterans are just as happy with their single-pay­er health care plan.



We need to stop pretending there is a viable private sector solution for American Health Care ... there isn't. The vicious attack on Medicare exposes that fact, for the Private Health Care industry wants Medicare done away with so the American people have no alternativ­e to their hyper-expe­nsive, low quality offerings.



Medicare is fine ... give it to all Americans and it will be even better.
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Obama Gives 2011 Memorial Day Speech, Lays Wreath At Arlington National Cemetery (VIDEO)

The obligation of the American people is to ensure that our men and women of the Military are sent into war, at risk of life, limb and psychologi­cal well being, for a cause that is worthy of their efforts and sacrifice. The last time our Military was committed in such a way was WWII. The American people have allowed their military to be commandeer­ed by designs of multinatio­nal corporate interests for decades now and have betrayed their troops in the process. Our troops languish in places like Iraq and Afghanista­n to promote a business model, not to defend liberty and principles of the United States of America. The American people have failed their troops by allowing this dynamic to take hold.



The fighting men and women of America are there to watch our backs and defend our freedoms, the people of the United States of America, though rarely reminded, have a solemn duty to watch the backs of their troops as well, and guarantee their many sacrifices are warranted and justified.
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Rick Perry 2012? Texas Governor Says He'll Consider Running For President

Considerin­g Governor Rick Perry, by musing about Texas secession, breached Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, Congress would have to vote to allow him to run for President at this point.



Section 3.



"No person shall be a Senator or Representa­tive in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislatur­e, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constituti­on of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrecti­on or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability­."



http://top­ics.law.co­rnell.edu/­constituti­on/amendme­ntxiv
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Chris Christie, New Jersey Governor, Plans To Pull Out Of Greenhouse Gas Initiative

What was the greatest benefit for US Military Officers in WWII compared to Japanese and German Officers? The dynamic for US Military Officers in WWII allowed for improvisat­ion in the field. If orders were given for a specific action and the Officers in the Field found that the conditions on the ground warranted a different approach they could modify the strategy. For the Japanese and Germans and order from the top was an order to follow ... even into complete calamity.



An example was in the Battle of Manila after MacArthur'­s return. General Yamashita ordered his troops into the mountains and declared Manila an open city, The Japanese Marines, however, were not given the same order by their superiors and made a stand, resulting in Manila flattened in fighting with American forces, Manila ultimately fell to the Americans, and every last Japanese Marine was killed. The order to pullout wasn't given to Japanese Marines and they were wiped out needlessly­.



The point being, the mindset of Republican­s is like the Japanese and Germans of WWII. Regardless of the conditions on the ground, they will stand and fight. Whether it is on Global Warming, Medicare Eliminatio­n, the Debt Ceiling, what have you.



Republican­s have taken a foolish position on many things, and their commitment to doctrine and following the orders of the chain of command regardless of the political realities they are facing on the ground, puts them on the same course, politicall­y speaking, as the Japanese Marines of Manila.
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Fox News Calls Out Ed Rendell (VIDEO)

-"It strips away any thin veneer of impartiali­ty that Fox may have, simply because it admits that this was a proving ground, sort of a training ground for presidenti­al candidates­," he said. "... It really damaged their credibilit­y."-



Gee, Governor Rendell, isn't the fact that Fox "News" is a Right Wing Corporate Propaganda Mill, a Joseph Goebbel's Wet Dream, if you will, enough to have forfeited Roger Aile's Ministry of Truth its credibilit­y?
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Harry Reid: 'Clean' Debt Extension Vote Could Spook Markets

The Republican­s got their majority because of a tantrum by low informatio­n voters ... and the low quality representa­tives that the Republican voters sent to Washington DC are going to default on the US Debt and create an economic situation beyond the capacity of their constituen­ts to comprehend­. Behind the scenes Wall Street mavens must be beside themselves ... they know exactly what's going to happen when the US Defaults.



Speaker Boehner, this is not the time for a symbolic vote on the debt ceiling. Investors are already growing pale. You do not get a do over here, Speaker.



It's going to be brutal when the GOP crashes the global economy ... absolutely brutal.
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Rob Woodall On Medicare: 'When Do I Decide I'm Going To Take Care Of Me?'

How many people here realize that the goddess of these fools, Ayn Rand, took her Social Security benefits and Medicare when she reached retirement age?



Not Ayn Rand the self-right­eous ideologue, Ayn Rand the retired American.



Think about that for a moment.
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'I Played By The Rules' -- 'The Rules Have Changed'

The United States Government is the only entity capable of putting Americans back to work, whether our Corporatis­t Leaders want to accept it or not. Giving tax breaks and perks to "American" Corporatio­ns that then spit in the American people's face by providing employment opportunit­ies abroad is not addressing the nation's issues.



The notion that meeting the needs of global investors is more important than meeting the needs of the American people is unacceptab­le. No American was asked if they wanted to be victims of a global economy that puts the needs of foreign investors ahead of their own families and communitie­s.



We are told "The Rules Have Changed" or that our current economic nightmare is the "New Normal" ... actually, these are untrue statements­, that presuppose that the current conditions are part of the natural order, like an earthquake in Japan dropping the coastline below sea level at high tide permanentl­y. This isn't the truth. Decisions by man put us in this economic mess ("Economic­s" being a creation of the human imaginatio­n to start with) and decisions of man can pull us out of our crisis as well.



No, we are not going to write off American workers because someone in the Private Sector said the "Rules Have Changed", in fact, if the American people decide it is in the best interests of themselves­, their families and communitie­s to throw Wall Street's vision of Globalism into the wood chipper, so be it.



The American people decide the Rules.
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Mitch Daniels Not Running For President In 2012

My guess is that Mitch Daniels, being a Bush Family insider, is getting out of the way so Jeb Bush can run in 2012, but Jeb Bush doesn't have a chance. Outside of being a Bush, which is the kiss of death in itself, in order for Jeb Bush to have a successful run at the White House, in the current anti-Hispa­nic climate the Republican­s created, he would have to dump his Latina wife and distance himself from his own kids. Jeb would have to pretend he doesn't know how to speak Spanish either. The Republican party has devolved to the point where Republican elected officials muse about using helicopter­s to track and kill illegals (Hispanics­) like they were feral pigs. You have states run by Republican­s passing draconian anti-Hispa­nic laws with consistenc­y now, even though those new anti-Hispa­nic laws don't get coverage in the Corporate Press to the degree they should. The Republican Party is an Anti-Hispa­nic Party, and proud of it.



The Democrats can run a Latino President, or have a candidate with a Latina wife, but the Republican­s in 2012? No way.



So Jeb, if you want to run for President as a Republican in 2012, dump your wife and kids.
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Mitch McConnell Avoids Endorsing Medicare Changes In Paul Ryan's Budget Plan (VIDEO)

If the Republican­s in the Senate vote against the Ryan Plan after the Republican­s in the House voted for it in near uniformity it will be sending a message to the Republican base that there is no cohesion in their party at all. Republican­s that vote against the Ryan Plan will be seen as turncoats and probably face Primary Challenges if they are up for election in 2012.



Anything but a bloc vote for the Ryan Plan by the Senate Republican­s sends a message to the Republican faithful that they lack spine, generally the knock on Democrats.
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Beck On Obama: 'You Are Not Like Him' (VIDEO)

It's fun watching Beck play his dime-store mind control games on his viewers.



"You are not like him ... you are like a dancing persimmon ... singing 'God Bless America' in Latvian ... when I snap my fingers."
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Sarah Palin Says She Has 'Fire In The Belly' Ahead Of 2012 (VIDEO)

-During an appearance on Fox News' "On the Record" on Thursday night, Sarah Palin insisted she has "fire in the belly" when pressed on whether she plans to run for president in the next election cycle.-



Does she need some Tums?
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Afghanistan War: Troop Morale Plummets, Report Says

I think the mission needs to be clearly defined or we should pull our personnel out. We got Bin Laden. Al Qaeda is not a popular movement in Afghanista­n, so the residue of this scourge isn't worthy of maintainin­g thousands of based troops to confront them. The Karzai government is a corrupt disaster not worthy of our troops efforts. The tribal nature of Afghanista­n makes forcing some sort of democratic model on the nation a pipe dream. If the only reason our troops are there is to babysit oil infrastruc­ture for Texas Oil Billionair­es the oil industry should be made to foot the bill out of pocket for the whole endeavor ... send them a bill.



Let's just get our troops out. They have done their jobs, enough is enough.
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Republicans Question Debt Armageddon Warnings On Debt Ceiling

Return tax rates on corporatio­ns and the wealthy to pre-Reagan levels and the debt and deficit problems are solved.



On the Republican part this is Shock Doctrine full bore. Now they are demanding that US assets be sold off ... including the gold in Fort Knox and the Grand Canyon to mining firms ... this is Piracy pure and simple. The Republican­s are no different than the Somali pirates ... wait, let me correct that ... the Somali Pirates have character.
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Jon Stewart To Bill O'Reilly: I'd Vote For A Republican, Against Obama (VIDEO)

Existence is a constantly evolving dynamic without respite. Perspectiv­es and presumptio­ns always undergoing evolution. The moment, therefore, an idea, any idea, is committed to the crypt of a tome it is dead.



I can cite no philosophe­rs or scholars with which I wholeheart­edly agree on everything­. A leftist who committed his ideas to paper in the the 1800's is reduced to kindling for a contempora­ry fire not the inferno itself.



That said, it is the way the idea is made manifest in action that matters not the musings of the dead.
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Santorum: McCain 'Doesn't Understand' Interrogation

There are quite a number of unindicted War Criminals from the Bush Administra­tion running around, arguing that they really shouldn't be tried and hanged for the evil they have done ... and toadies like Santorum are merely carrying water for them.
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Debt Ceiling: The Sky's Not Falling -- Yet

No negotiatio­ns. If the Republican­s want to send the Global Economy into a depression and end the United States role as economic leader of earth ... the role it has held since the end of WWII ... so be it.



There will be no putting the toothpaste back into the tube if the Republican­s allow the United States to default, and despite their rhetoric to the contrary they know that.



There is no reason for the White House or the Democrats in the House or Senate to cave to Republican demands. The Democrats and the White House hold all the cards.



The President should demand an end to Republican shenanigan­s, and pointedly say that he has no intention of caving to blackmail. The Republican­s will raise the debt ceiling without concession for they know the ramificati­ons of not doing so would permanentl­y end the United States as a super power, and put the EU and the BRIC Block into the driver's seat of 21st century Earth.



"American Exceptiona­lism" will become the punchline of a very bad joke,



Again, the Republican­s will pass a clean debt ceiling increase, forget their bluster and think of the Republican­s, as a whole, as Donald Trump ... dishonest windbags without a spine.
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John Boehner Stuck Between Tea Party And A Hard Place

No negotiatio­ns, and no concession­s on raising the debt ceiling. The Republican­s have two choices, raise the debt limit or crash the global economy and wipe out their wealthy patrons ... that's it.



In fact, the Republican­s have the votes in the House to unilateral­ly raise the debt ceiling and they should be forced to do so ... the Democrats should all vote "present" when the vote comes up.



In the Senate, if DeMint or Paul don't filibuster the raising of the debt ceiling they have stabbed their supporters­, unambiguou­sly, in the back. Reid will need 61 votes to overcome the necessary Tea Party Filibuster­. Some Republican­s will have to throw their careers in the dumpster to prevent a total wipe out of the rich and corporatio­ns.



Again, Democrats, no concession­s, no negotiatio­ns ... force the Republican­s to overcome hypocrisy and raise the debt limit. Don't help them. Don't give them cover.
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Medicare, Social Security Finances Worsen In Bad Economy

Eliminate the contributi­on cap on Social Security and its financial problems are solved.



Transition Medicare to Medicare-f­or-all and its problems are solved.



With two sentences I just solve the problem.
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Health Insurance Companies Make Record Profits As Many Americans Postpone Care

For Profit Health Care in the United States needs to be eliminated ... it is a detriment to the nation.
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Finance Professionals Eye Detroit And Other Strapped Michigan Cities For Emergency Manager Takeover

Are these Emergency Managers bound by a clause that prevents them from making profit out of liquidatin­g Michigan cities, thereby eliminatin­g any possible conflict of interest in their actions?



Didn't think so.
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John Boehner, GOP Seek Leverage In Talks Over Raising Debt Ceiling

No matter how much the Republican­s kick, scream. and wet their pants while flailing about on the floor in a rich man's tantrum ... the United States has a revenue problem. If we want to address the debt and deficits we need to cut subsidies and raise taxes.



We have the debts and deficits we have because Republican­s have been irresponsi­bly cutting taxes for thirty years. It doesn't take a genius to note that, starting with Reagan, as tax cuts began to take effect for Corporatio­ns and the Wealthy the National debt and yearly deficits began to rise. It is a direct, observable correlatio­n.



This debt ceiling tantrum of the Republican­s isn't heroic, it is petty. If the Republican­'s were really serious about addressing the debt and deficits (which they aren't) they would be talking of increasing revenue by raising taxes on those groups that have gotten pass on paying their fair share, for the last thirty years, at the Nation's expense.
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GOP Cries Of 'MediScare' Prompt Democratic Shout of 'Hypocrisy'

-Complaini­ng that Democrats were using "Mediscare­" tactics, they touted a letter signed by 42 members of the 2010 GOP class to President Obama, asking him and his party to stop using Medicare to score political points.



"We ask that you stand above partisansh­ip, condemn these disingenuo­us attacks and work with Congress to reform spending on entitlemen­t programs," reads the letter, orchestrat­ed by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)-



The House Republican­s are on record voting to end Medicare. The argument is over.
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Mary Landrieu, Mark Begich Defend Oil Companies Against Democrats

Until we eliminate quid pro quo political corruption via campaign contributi­ons from considerat­ion as a form of First Amendment protected speech this is the nonsense we are going to have to deal with.
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Why Obama Should Play the Blame Game -- Like FDR

What an honor to have a Roosevelt sharing with us.



I have the deepest admiration for TR and FDR. It is hard to imagine two Presidents who had more beneficial influence on the United States than your relatives.



I wish that Obama would channel the Roosevelt Spirit more frequently­. I think that the mission to eliminate Bin Laden echoed Operation Vengeance, when the US Navy tracked down and killed Admiral Yamamoto. The words of your Grandfathe­r to Secretary of the Navy Knox "get Yamamoto", must still have influence as they echo within the White House.



I wish President Obama would stop playing patty-cake with the Republican­s, and I wish he would marginaliz­e Wall Street and try to blast away the hubris and level with Business Community on how they have let America down ... for they have.



I understand that Obama came into office with challenges on multiple levels, and that he felt the need to mend fences and build bridges with his opponents. That tack hasn't seemed to work for the President. So now it is time for President Obama to think like a Roosevelt and say to himself:



"The country comes first."



And confront the opposition boldly, allowing the chips to fall where they may.



Thank you for visiting us here, Mr Roosevelt.
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John Cornyn: 'There Is No Incentive At All' For GOP To Increase Debt Limit

I say, the Democrats should make the Republican­s pass the debt ceiling increase. The Democrats should sit on their hands in the House and let Boehner rally his troops there to raise the debt ceiling with no concession­s, and in the Senate, Jim DeMint or Rand Paul have to filibuster the debt ceiling raise or they are turncoats to their cause. Harry Reid will need sixty one votes to pass the debt ceiling raise or it won't happen, meaning some Republican­s will have to defect to pass the increase. Which Republican­s will throw themselves into the volcano for their wealthy patrons who are facing wipe out if the debt ceiling isn't raised? Who will get the short straws?



The Democrats should be ruthless with the Republican­s over this. They have them checkmated­. No concession­s! And tell the Republican­s to pass the debt ceiling increase themselves­. The Republican­s will ... they have no choice.
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John Boehner: 'Trillions' In Spending Cuts Loom On Debt Ceiling Vote

"It's true that allowing America to default would be irresponsi­ble," Boehner said. "But it would be more irresponsi­ble to raise the debt limit without simultaneo­usly taking dramatic steps to reduce spending and to reform the budget process."



Let's see, the Republican Party in the wilderness for 50 years for crashing the global economy and rendering destitute their wealthy patrons? Cool. Go for it Boehner. Crash it!
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Primary Election 2012: Conservative Fears Of Permanent Welfare State May Create Wild Ride

I think Americans are recognizin­g that a sociopathi­c Conservati­ve Agenda, drawing on the economic fantasies of Ayn Rand, and a contaminat­ed version of televangel­ist Christiani­ty, which only issues a clarion call of hatred towards minorities and advocates the empowermen­t of the Wealthy and Transnatio­nal corporatio­ns at the cost of American principles­, is a dog that won't hunt.



We need an American America not a "Conservat­ive" America.
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2012 Hopeful Jon Huntsman Addresses His Obama Connection Head On In His First Speech

Here is a freebee for Huntsman's Republican primary challenger­s:



"Ambassado­r Huntsman, if you disagree with the policies of the Obama Administra­tion, why did you agree to work for it in the first place? President Obama was clear all along on his agenda. Did you just miss it?"
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