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The Big Dog speaks

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In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president’s re-election was actually pretty simple—pretty snappy. It went something like this: We left him a total mess. He hasn’t cleaned it up fast enough. So fire him and put us back in.

Now, there were two other attacks on the president in Tampa I think deserve an answer. First, both Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan attacked the president for allegedly robbing Medicare of $716 billion. That’s the same attack they leveled against the Congress in 2010, and they got a lot of votes on it. But it’s not true.

Here’s what really happened. There were no cuts to benefits at all. None. What the president did was to save money by taking the recommendations of a commission of professionals to cut unwarranted subsidies to providers and insurance companies that were not making people healthier and were not necessary to get the providers to provide the service.

And instead of raiding Medicare, he used the savings to close the doughnut hole in the Medicare drug program and—you all got to listen carefully to this; this is really important—and to add eight years to the life of the Medicare trust fund so it is solvent till 2024.

So President Obama and the Democrats didn’t weaken Medicare; they strengthened Medicare. Now, when Congressman Ryan looked into that TV camera and attacked President Obama’s Medicare savings as, quote, the biggest, coldest power play, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry because that $716 billion is exactly, to the dollar, the same amount of Medicare savings that he has in his own budget. You got to get one thing—it takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did.

(Full text).

Comments

  2. 2

    What’s really funny is that NEITHER party is actually going to stick providers – ie, DOCTORS – with that $716B cut. It’ll be rescinded faster than you can say “President Romney” or “Loser Romney” as soon as this election is over. It’s a farce. A pox on both houses.

  4. 4

    Although Clinton delivered a barnburner, it’ll probably have limited impact in the polls, for two reasons. First, most voters’ minds are already made up. Second, he was preaching to the choir; most of the people who need to be persuaded probably weren’t watching. It’s still useful, though, to help counter GOP progaganda. However, at the end of the day, the parties’ ground games will matter far more than their convention rhetoric.

  6. 6

    greg @ 3,

    Very interesting. It’s a fun “flaw” from having two independent markets with non-exchangeable, but nearly identical commodities.

    If it is correct (I haven’t read the market rules carefully enough to say), then the markets themselves will probably have changed by now.

    Note that there is a non-trivial chance (perhaps 5%) that Obama will lose the popular vote and be reelected. As the article points out, that would be a huge return on investment. My hunch is that an Obama popular vote win with an electoral college loss is less likely, but not completely out of the question, so there is a bit of risk.

    If you have funds to play with and it intrigues you, go for it!

  7. 7

    I didn’t see the speach on TV, but heard parts of it being replayed on the radio this morning, while I was commuting to work. The general concensus is that he hit it out of the ballpark. The only naysayers were Republicans who were paid to say otherwise, but even some of the usual commentators had to admit he did a great job.

    Here’s a link to the full text:

    Bill Clinton’s Speach at 2012 Democratic Convention

    My favorite line:

    “People ask me all the time how we delivered four surplus budgets. What new ideas did we bring? I always give a one-word answer: arithmetic.”

    But a lot is lost in the transcript. In his actual delivery, Clinton pronounced the word slowly, sounding out each sylable, as if he were explaining it to a small child. Which is appropriate, given the need to explain it to the Republicans.

  8. 8

    “speach”

    Aarrgh!!! I can’t take it anymore!!!

    Sigh! I love ya, RHP, but I haven’t seen you spell that word correctly in the five years I’ve been here!

  9. 9

    It looks like Romney & Ryan’s plan to use the “are you better off than four years ago” gimmick isn’t working. A recent Bloomberg survey shows that 45% consider themselves better off than four years, ago, and only 36% consider themselves worse off. Although personal bank accounts may have suffered over the past four years, most Americans take into account the fear they had of another Great Depression in October 2008, and realize that it’s gotten much better since then.

    Most Americans Believe they are Better Off with Obama

  11. 11

    In my professional experience, I’ve talked with business owners from across the country, all of whom deal in the high-value and high-technology aerospace business. The consensus is that most are in a holding pattern with regard to hiring and significant expansion, waiting to see if the automatic defense cuts go into effect of the Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on a budget compromise. Most aerospace companies seek to have a mix of civilian and military work, in order to allow them to survive if one or the other side of the market should suffer for external reasons.

    So far, this has been just fine with the Republicans. Companies standing on the sidelines, rather than expanding and hiring, works towards their strategy of keeping Americans unemployed and hungry, and the Republicans hope to turn their frustrations on the President.

    But so far, it hasn’t worked. And the closer we get to mid-August, the more reminders there will be of how bad things really were when Wall Street collapsed.

  12. 12

    # 10: Yea, funny thing. Hillary Clinton was pilloried for talking about the problems caused by the “vast right-wing conspiracy”. Turns out she was right, in spades. But it’s much more open now – we have left-wing websights to counter-balance the right-wing sites and AM Talk Radio. We even have journalists who are talented enough to discover and document that the influential Republicans met on the night of Obama’s inaugeration, while the rest of the country was celebrating, to prepare a plan for keeping millions of Americans out of work with the avowed purpose of limiting the President to a single turn.

    That really is treasonous behavior, I have nothing left but disgust towards them.

  13. 13

    We all have our little dreams, and I have one of mine own. It involves any of the Republicans who have orchastrated and participated in this attack on our country being forced to sit next to me on an airplane.

    I’ve thought about what I would do, if unexpectantly I was found in that position. I’d resist the impulse to beat them into a bloody pulp. Heck, I’ve even ruled out shouting at them. I would try a different approach.

    “Mr. Ryan, it’s a pleasure to meet you” (while shaking his hand). “I’ve so admired your work, especially recently. Could you give me some advice? How does one stand in front of a camera, look straight at it, and tell one outright lie after another, without having a moment of guilt? do they send you to school or something for that?” I’d keep smiling and shaking his hand, and watching his face as he suddenly realizes he’s been set up, and tries to retreave his hand and run back towards the nearest flight attendant, begging for another seat.

  15. 15

    Suggested theme song for Romney campaign:

    “She’s so sweet when she yanks on my meat. But down on the street, you know she can’t be beat.
    What the hell.
    Wang dang, sweet poontang.”

    Ted Nugent

  16. 16

    Clinton’s speech goes a little ways toward balancing the general fucking we got with his actions and signatures: NAFTA, 96 telecom, Glass Steagall, etc.

    The language and delivery was something to see, though. Masterful. Expect to hear a lot of it from down ballot folks.

  17. 17

    @11 Some aerospace companies might not be waiting to see what happens next–note the article in today’s Fairview Fishwrap about Boeing’s full-on attempt to bust SPEEA’s chops.

  18. 18

    @9 An even more relevant question at this point would be “How much better off are you now than you might have been had the Republicans taken the White House four years ago?”

  19. 19

    Another suggested theme song for Romney campaign:

    THIS LAND IS YOUR MY LAND

    This land is my land, this land is my land
    From California, to the New York Island
    From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
    This land was made for me and mine

    Words stolen from Woody Guthrie, but he’s dead so it doesn’t matter.

  20. 20

    Me and all of the other brothers at the Mystic Knights of the Sea Lodge will be sipping on a cold Kirkland craft brewski and watching for President Obama’s speech today.

  22. 22

    Usual suspects I have a question concerning the Democrat’s convention platform. What’s all the kerfuffle about decalrinf Jerusalem the capital of Israel? Why is this even brought up in a national convention? Who cares if we declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel when it’s the perogative of the Israelis to declare their own capital. Americans have no say-so in the matter.

  23. 23

    Rep. John Lewis delivered a stunning speech. Lewis, a hero of the 1960s civil rights movement, was one of the 13 original Freedom Riders. He recounted being beaten in a bus station, and how years later a man came to his Washington D.C. office, identified himself as one of those who beat him and asked for forgiveness. Lewis then talked about the schemes used to keep southern blacks from voting, such as “literacy” tests that required black votes to answer questions such as “how many bubbles are in a bar of soap,” and excoriated the GOP’s voter suppression efforts. It was quite likely the most emotional speech of the convention and drew thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

  24. 24

    A jury has convicted former Chicago police sergeant Drew Peterson of murdering his third wife. His fourth wife is missing.

  25. 25

    @24,

    Well, Drew’s gonna find out how much fun it is to be somebody’s “girlfriend” one he “goes long” at Joliett!

  27. 27

    @25 He has those pesky liberals to thank for getting rid of Illinois’ death penalty.

  28. 28

    @27,

    Death penalty of havin’ to be a prison bitch for the rest of your life…hmmmmmm????

    There are things that are worse than dyin’!

  34. 34

    The Democrats are putting on a much more inspiring convention than the Goobers did. “Fired up! Ready to go!”

  36. 36

    @32, 35
    Yup. Notice the scarcity of bob and puddle.

    ‘bob’ of course had a ‘problem’ at work…heh heh… couldn’t spend too much time posting…but when he did he got SPANKED by Darryl.

  37. 37

    I just love paid-for wing nuts that insist that there really are two separate political parties with two separate agendas and separate financiers guiding them.

    LOL… grow up and get a real job, please. Being paid to be a loser is worse than just being a loser.

    And by the way, Communitarians suck big time. Lucifer-humpers have a screw loose.

  38. 38

    Got to love it..

    Mr impeached shilling for the worst president ever.

    The math is easy. There are 5 Trillion reasons to remove President Obama from office.
    He is responsible, in 4 years, for nealy 33% of our national debt. What did that 5 Trillion (it took 232 years to amass 11 Trillion debt)buy us?
    -300k net jobs, REAL unemployment ~15% and nearly 20% of americans on food stamps….

    Good job!
    a
    n
    d

    Good bye Mr. President, the American people have had enough and just like 2010, this election will be a landslide.

  40. 40

    @38 Right Wingnut,

    Today there are 4 Republicans from WA in Congress and 6 Democrats.
    After your “landslide” how many WA Republicans will there be?

    ps. We won’t talk about the US Senate, because not even Republicans know the name of the person running against Senator Cantwell.

  45. 45

    Pretty sure he would have been an overwhelming choice for a third term. Hell, I probably would have pulled the lever for him.

    The most noteworthy thing about the Lewinsky scandal, in my opinion, is that it left him determined to ensure his legacy would be viewed with favor. He has, and he will until death, spent his life in service. He’s been amazing and will continue to be so.

    I hope I’m not back to hating his guts in 2017.

  46. 46

    As I recall the Kornflake Konservative was eagerly anticipating what the employment numbers would show as the President makes his acceptance speech.

    I don’t think our prolifically serially confused troll got his answer.
    String of reports boosts hopes of strong August job gains

    Businesses added 201,000 jobs in August, the most in five months, according to a survey of the private sector, stirring hopes that the government’s employment report Friday could show stronger-than-expected gains.

    Any other good news for John McCain?

  47. 47

    @ 46

    Employment numbers come out tomorrow. ADP is consistently high – one correction factor I read was 60,000.

    Look at what Gallup had to say. There isn’t supposed to be a seasonal adjustment on the August data. BTW the adjustment last month was ten-fold the adjustment in previous years.

    Good luck with that cheer you’re planning to lead tomorrow morning. You might be the only one.

  49. 49

    @48 Kornflake,
    The figures are released by the Dept of Labor to the public on Friday. When does the Prez get them?

  50. 50

    @ 49

    Don’t know when he gets them but they’re embargoed until, um, 8:30 a.m. EST, I think. Not sure on that but that’s the time the Thursday new jobs claims data come out.

    I don’t think he’ll break that embargo. There’s trading going on off-hours.

  51. 51

    Goolsbee isn’t cheerleading.

    “It was a better-than-expected ADP number,” Goolsbee, formerly chair of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, told MarketWatch in Charlotte, N.C., at the Democratic National Convention. But he noted that the ADP numbers are quite variable and said that most signs point to a “middling sort of jobs number” when the government reports nonfarm payrolls on Friday.

    Slow growth in the U.S. job market is one of Obama’s key challenges as he seeks to convince voters he deserves a second term. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expect that the U.S. added 120,000 jobs in August and that the jobless rate held at 8.3%.

    http://blogs.marketwatch.com/e.....er-friday/

  52. 52

    The Democratic party is proud of its most recent ex-President.
    The Republicans are hiding theirs.
    That fact speaks for itself.

  53. 53

    @ 52

    The Democratic party is proud of its most recent ex-President.

    How proud of him was Al Gore in 2000?

    After Al Gore lost the 2000 presidential race to George W. Bush, Clinton told Gore he could have helped his former veep — if he’d only been asked. When Gore replied that Clinton’s sex scandal with intern Monica Lewinsky had doomed his bid, the conversation degenerated into an angry, two-hour shouting match.

    http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/.....20872.html

    Bill Clinton, the most effective fund-raiser the Democrats ever had, the most dynamic speaker, was unutilized by his friend in 2000.

    In all likelihood cost Gore the election. Gave America 8 years of GWB43.

    Thanks, Al!

    Glad you brought it up, Rael?

  54. 54

    @38 “Mr impeached shilling for the worst president ever.”

    Nixon was dead before Dubya came along.

  55. 55

    @38 Why wasn’t borrowing money a problem for you when Republicans were doing it?

  59. 59

    @53 “Gave America 8 years of GWB43.”

    And 8 years of GWB43 gave America the Lilly Ledbetter Act, Obamacare, and a bunch of other stuff. Glad you brought it up, Kornflake?

  60. 60

    @55
    I said it was wrong then as I do now.
    This President however, has taken things to an unprecedented level.
    Don’t get me wrong. Bush, in his 8 years nearly doubled the debt and he was a complete turd in doing so.

  61. 61

    So……like……..romney is crucified for shipping jobs out of the country, yet bill clinton has been responsible for more leaving the usa than ANY other person, and still the lemmings cant get enough of his cock in their mouth.

    And guess who called nafta the way it really is? Good ole ross perot, who told both parties to fuck off and die.

    Goes to prove this country is run by the brain dead party lemmings…nobody to blame but yourselves, assholes.

  62. 62

    @61 No party or president is perfect, but some parties and presidents are better than others.

  64. 64

    This President however, has taken things to an unprecedented level.

    No fool. Not Obama.. The Bush DEPRESSION took things to an unprecedented level..

    The Bush POLICIES of endless wars and a new entitlement charged on the credit card took things to an unprecedented level.

    The stimulus was 30 percent tax cuts and the spending was too modest by half.. Blame it on Specter and the ladies from Maine who wouldn’t vote for a dime more.

    An aging population continues its inexorable demand on the public purse.

    But your party refuses to raise revenues. And its “solution” authored by nutcase Paul Ryan doesn’t fix anything but the already bloated bank accounts of people who are set for life.

  66. 66

    @63 I couldn’t disagree with you more. If we didn’t have political parties, we’d have to invent them. A party provides a framework to organize the intellectual efforts by many people that it takes to develop a coherent set of beliefs and plan for governing; to train and develop the many leaders it takes to cover a large country; and to carry out the actual tasks of governing. Even Republicans, for all their emphasis on individualism, recognize they need an organized party to do these things. And the necessity of political parties can serve as a metaphor for our nationhood and life itself: None of us can get anything done by ourselves without the help of others. At the most basic level, it takes two people for any of us to get here. And beyond that, whatever we achieve, we get there with the help of our parents, teachers, scout leaders, church leaders, mentors, and communities. John Dunne had it right: no man can be island unto himself. Team, team, team — that’s what a political party is, a team. Ask Vince Lombardi what he, or any of us, could ever accompolish without a team.

  69. 69

    @68 Please feel free to dismantle your party. We don’t need it. Ours can do the job.

  70. 70

    @68 & 69,

    I’d like to see anohter party get in office for a while other than the Dems and Reps. They’re just the same shit, year after year after year.

  71. 71

    @70 Who do you suggest? The Constitution Party? Nope. Libertarians? No. Greens? Not really. For a short time, I thought Perot was onto something, but then he went and blew it. Maybe if we had a parliamentary system we’d enjoy Europe’s proliferation of parties. Otoh, we’re doing better than they are, and their political gridlock is even worse than ours. I don’t know what the answer is. Maybe the answer is better Republicans and Democrats. Especially better Republicans.

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