Representatives Dave Reichert and Jay Inslee both spoke briefly on the floor of the House during yesterday’s health care reform debate; not surprisingly, Reichert spoke out in opposition to the bill, while Inslee spoke in its support.
But it was interesting to see both Republican Reichert and Democrat Inslee make freedom of choice a lynchpin of their divergent arguments:
Putting aside the obvious irony of Reichert making a pro-choice appeal, the fact that opposing sides could make the same basic argument in service of competing causes, shows just how muddled, confusing and hopeless this debate really is. If Democrats and Republicans can’t even agree on the meaning of the word “choice,” how can they possibly agree on something as complex as health care reform?
Of course, they can’t, which is why the mythical beast known as bipartisanship was never going to rear its head in this debate.
For the past few years Democrats campaigned vigorously on health care reform, and the American people rewarded them with control of both Congress and the White House. As a result, the American people were going to get a Democratic health care plan if they were going to get anything at all, whether the Republicans chose to constructively participate in the process or not.
The Republicans lost this debate not yesterday, not last week or last month, or even during the long year in which this bill has made its torturous way through Congress. No, the Republicans lost this debate in 2006 and 2008, when voters resoundingly decided to place their confidence in Democrats, not Republicans, to solve our nation’s most pressing problems.
These are the voters to whom Congress fulfilled a promise yesterday, and if voters in 2010 and 2012 aren’t happy about it, they will be free to toss the Democrats out. And that is a definition of “choice” on which I hope both sides can agree.
Jay Inslee for governor- 2012!
There didn’t even need to be a debate. Anyone who thinks Congress could possibly do worse than our existing ad hoc health care mess has his head up his ass.
I’m not so sure that the republicans ‘lost’ this debate. My take is that the dems passed a very pro-corporation bill which strengthens the very world-view that the republicans champion (i.e. that private, for-profit companies should have monopolistic control over the basic services and functions of society). All the dems did was cut out the middleman – instead of being taxed to have our government provide a basic service (i.e access to affordable health care), we’re required to pay directly to corporations in the form of an IRS enforced corporate tithe. The voters have effectively been disenfranchised, and no longer have representation in how that money will be spent. Sounds very republican to me. The only reason that the republicans opposed this bill is because the president is a democrat, not a republican.
If we can commandeer the conversation, we should be able to make it clear that we still need more and better Democrats at every level to keep going in this right direction.
@1 I don’t know if Gregoire is contemplating a third term, but I would think she’s worn out her welcome with the unions, and they’re going to let her know that.
Gregoire has several options. Higher office isn’t one of them, because there’s no open Senate seat to run for. If there were, the grassroots of her party, despite their waning affection for her, might be willing to kick her upstairs. But that would require a Murray or Cantwell retirement, which I don’t see happening.
She could follow the Gary Locke path into private practice, make a shitload of money, and maybe eventually segue into a D.C. job or lobbying gig.
She could retire on a state pension and social security. Hell, she doesn’t need money. Her pension will be close to $100K a year, not counting the state pension her hubby will get — they’re both career state employees. That’s what I would do if I were her. Why work if you don’t have to?
I was an enthusiastic supporter of Gregoire when she first ran for governor. But then, she was running against the greasy little real estate salesman, and anyone was better than him. Now, my enthusiasm for her isn’t what it once was. She has burned some bridges, and that bridge-burning has me looking for an alternative to a Gregoire third term. Its name is Inslee, and if there’s a primary fight, I’ll likely back Inslee.
Gregoire has an inspiring story, and I respect her accomplishments as a lawyer, but she was never a great leader or executive, and she hasn’t delivered on some things that matter — tax reform, labor support, to name two. Worst of all, when crunch time came, she was just another politician willing to sell her supporters down the river for expediency. In my book, that doesn’t earn her a third term.
Not a hair on DimDavey’s head was out of place. Way to go, DimDavey!
@3 “My take is that the dems passed a very pro-corporation bill”
Until we purge corporate money from politics, that’s the only kind of bill you can get, regardless of who’s in power.
@3: BS – no pre-existing conditions is not pro-coporate. Taxes on people making more than 250K is not pro-corporate. Coierage of kids up to age 26 – not corporate.
Yes, there are some bad provisions in the bill- hopefully some of the Senate provisions will come out. But democrats did not have enough progressive votes, had to deal with the abortion issue and DINOs and still got A bill passed. Kudos are in store for the dems…and republicans showed their true colors…status quo.
Reichert is an idiot. What a fatuous, ignorant speech…start over is republican-speak for 30-50% increases per year and more of the same insurance company kowtowing.
BS Reichert – I hope you lose because of this in the next election. You are going down you blowhard.
Is this a great bill? No
Is this a start? yes
There is no public option – but even Kucinich ended up supporting this bill. If the republicans were in charge we would have the same lousy plan we have now…nothing.
@8 er, ok, let’s see how those rules are going to be enforced. There are no mechanisms to enforce the rules on a national level. Instead it is left to the states, many of which have very pro-industry insurance commissions.
And the dems did have enough progressive votes, but Barack Obama did not want a progressive bill, he wanted a corporate friendly bill, and that is what he got. The president lied to us about the public option. See what happens when the president really wants something? Look what happened to Dennis Kucinich. Imagine if the president had applied that kind of pressure on the hold-outs against the PO? Look at the treatment Joe Lieberman and Blanche Lincoln got versus Dennis Kucinich.
Is this a start? I’m sure it is, but to where, I’m not sure I want to know. Look at where NAFTA has taken us. Still waiting for the dems to fix that too. And the drug re-importation bill. Oh yea, there were votes for that ‘fix’ until the president fought against it. Too many progressives have their heads in the sand when it comes to real agenda of the president. FYI – it is very pro-corporation, and not particularly progressive. Economically the agenda is kinda warmed over republicanism, circa 1980.
Bart Stupak —> David Reichert
It is hypocritical to claim to support life for the unborn and then oppose maternal and newborn health care.
@9: Screed: Obama had plenty of support….umm, no these barely passed. Have you not been paying attention?
I want a public option or single payer…but there was definitely NOT enough support for those. Obama would have pushed those if he thought they would have passed – but they would NOT have passed and then we would be left with NOTHING to build on.
Get real and pay attention. It is easy to sit back and criticize but hard to get actual legislation passed. The support was just not there, just look at how many signed on to single payer….not nearly a majority and definitely not filibuster proof.
@10: I agree SJ – very hypocritical to support unborn but not born children.
First, this bill did nothing to change the federal status quo on abortion in any way. Heck, the RNC provides insurance that covers abortions for its employees! But federal funding for abortion does not exist. Abortion as an “issue’ in this debate was brought up by Republicans as FUD.
Second, I hope hope hope that the GOP runs on repeal. I’m sure not worried at all about ACTUAL repeal, which would take at least 60 votes in the Senate and a Republican president, neither of which we’ll see any time soon. I mean, really, Mitt Romney? 2012 will not be happy for the GOP.
And in the meantime, when they campaign on repeal we’ll tell America that they want them to go back to when they could be turned down for pre-existing conditions. They the GOP wants seniors to have to pay “donut hole” charges again for prescriptions. That the Republican party thinks that your children should not be able to be on your insurance until 26 if they need it.
Yes, it will be fun.
Well, the campaign advertisements for WA-8th in 2010 just write themselves:
Reichart voted against making health insurance available to more of his constituents. He voted in favor of having the State of Washington, already struggling with a budget deficit, pick up the slack of caring for the uninsured. He voted against the wishes of the majority of the people in his district. He continues to be, after almost three full terms in the House, to be rated among the least influential members of that body.
Why would anybody ever vote for him again?
Reichart should have lots of challenges to his seat this November, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he will lose a primary challenge along the way. Why should the Republicans continue to support him, when after three terms in Congress he keeps having to go back to the national organization to plead for more money and support from big-name Republicans, when the best he can do is squeek by a narrow victory against a challenger who has never held public office before? Even the Republicans must be sick of him at this point.
WTF!? HA, nearly troll free? Seems like a couple days now.
They must be reloading at RedState, Freeperland, etc. after the repudiation they got yesterday.
And has anyone seen if Limpdick-childfucker-so-he-needs-Viagra is headed to Costa Rica like he promised?
In other news: KO is back tonite on Countdown.
Waterloo, baby!
The “covereage for dependents until age 26” is something which hasn’t received enough attention to date. But it affects lots of parents who vote.
Before, parents assumed that their children would be covered by insurance, either as “students” under their parent’s policy while they were in college, or under their own policies when they started working. But a lot of parents are discovering it’s no longer that easy.
A lot of parents are suprised that their children are graduating from high school and college and can’t get a job at all. Others are finding that even if they get a job, it often is classified as a “temp/contract” job, which offers no insurance coverage.
And the dark side to medical advances over the past couple of decades is that if you receive regular physical exams and testing, they are bound to find something which will result in a notation in your chart – thereby creating a pre-existing condition which would be excluded from coverage, if not putting the insurance applicant into a “high risk” category creating enourmous premiums.
For some, the alternative to taking out expensive individual coverage is to keep the kids in college. Those that graduate are competing for graduate-school positions in record numbers, and many are simply delaying graduation as long as possible. This is obviously very expensive – but not quite as expensive as some of the health insurance alternatives.
My daughter knows one gal, a friend from high school, who has had a medical condition since she was a child, and is essentially un-insurable. She stayed in college until she was 26, but now is unemployed and uninsured.
Don’t you think some of these folks are going to resist any attempt to roll back this reform?
I’m sure the KLOWN would want you to know that President Obama’s approval soared today in the Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll. He’d tell you himself but his head recently exploded.
@12:
Romney is fucked if HCR is still (I doubt it) an issue in ’12: We basically got RomneyCare out of this congress. Very inconvenient for Mittens.
Also good for us: Romney is their “best” (not particularly good) general election candidate. He won’t get past the R primary as long as the Tea Klux Klan have anything to say about it.
@17: Well done!
When the focus turns to immigration reform the teabagging crazies will really get the hate on. It’d be funny if it weren’t so damned ugly.
Where, oh where, might our trolls be? I kind of miss the little dears.
I have a hunch that what’s left of the KLOWN’s head is all over the walls, ceilings and floors of the BIAW offices in Olympia.
They are all fucking their goats, except for the psychotic MrC, who is out fucking his neighbors’ sheep.
For everything, absolutely everything, GBS and Roger Maggot will
Hey, Maggots, check out the current Atlantic Monthly:
Now that we can finally let The Atlantic’s Joshua Green tell the story about deregulating Democrats, can we tell the truth about Democrat Obamacare?
Oh, wait. Puddy already did that. If we accept your Democrat Harvard study about excess deaths in America from lack of health insurance, then ~180,000 Americans will die before Obamacare enforces the insuring of 31 million uninsured Americans in 2014.
It’s death by Democrat, and we hope John Edwards gears up the mother of all class actions against you and you and you.
But not to worry, Cartercrats. By 2014 your credit cards will be beyond maxed out. Your Social Security seemed to work as long as there was a demographic bubble of makers and payers to pay for the takers. Now Social Security is upside down.
Medicare and Medicaid seemed to work with credit-card accounting and generational theft. But now the demographic bubble of takers is scaring our creditors and making our triple-A look unsustainable.
That’s because it is unsustainable. We’re at the tipping point, and Obamacare tips us over the edge even with the accounting trick of gouging us and killing us for 4-5 years before the putative benefits kick in.
Fooled again and kicked again. Thanks, Cartercrats. But when you swirlie us down the tank you’ll lie like GBS and Roger Maggot, and blame everthing on Reagan and Bush.
@24 Finished with your goat already? How was he?
We were told without proof that a bagger or two said naughty words to John Lewis and Barney Frank. When all else fails, use unsubstatiated rumor to silence or sideline inconvenient truths.
But here are some substantiated naughty words from the golden age of hate: In the summer of 2001 KIRO’s dead Mike Webb referred to Condi Rice, the president’s national security advisor, as Jemima Rice.
Then Webb pumped up the volume. Three years later he called for the execution of Bush.
Then Randi Rhodes of the late great DeadAir America (that was before AA gave her the boot for saying a naughty word about Hillary … dissing Crats will not be tolerated) advocated the Fredo Option for GWB.
And then …
Saddam Hussein hanged
by Goldy, 12/29/2006, 8:41 PM
Hmm. One war criminal down.
12. Roger Rabbit says:
8 At least Goldy has a dick and pair of balls, which is mroe than any of you wingnut eunuchs have.
12/29/2006 at 9:29 pm
13. Goldy says:
Auntie Liberal @8,
You are an America hating f–ker, goldstien.
Huh? What did I say? All I did was post a picture of a dead dictator and comment “one war criminal down.”
If you’re reading something else into this post, well… that’s your own problem.
12/29/2006 at 9:35 pmby Goldy, 01/15/2007, 4:41 PM
Whoops…
As Tikriti fell to the gallows, his head was taken off by the rope noose, and the body and the head fall to the floor while Bandar swings on the rope.
My only hope is that when Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney are held accountable for their war crimes, that they be punished more humanely.
==========
Roger Maggot Commentary: At least Goldy is a humane hater, unlike dead Mike Webb and loud Randi Rhodes. And at least, as Roger said, Goldy had (has?) a dick and a pair of balls which is “mroe” than we can say for the rest of you kleptocrat Goldycrats.
24 Pud
Democrats won’t be killing millions. Many people will he helped immediately, notably children of insuranceholders under 26 and elderly prescription-drug users. They will be quite a bit better off, and (again) will be helped immediately.
As for others for whom benefits do not begin right away, hey, we passed what we could pass in the face of absolute political opposition, and the coverage will begin as soon as it can. The alternative was that NO ONE would receive benefits either now or in 2014, which is what Republicans want. We don’t.
Oh, and this bill extends the solvency of Medicare by nine years.
Neither Medicare nor Medicaid are “generational theft.” Medicaid is a state-funded program that provides benefits for the poor and the disabled, including many children. You just sound stupid when you call it “generational theft.”
But your whole premise is shoddy. Is it “generational theft” to take care of your parents, or to take care of your children? I’m sure they’d be happy to hear that you feel that way. Bring your parents and your children into the thread and we can tell them that you think they are thieves.
Still screwing maggots, Ekim? How was he? How’s your teeny-tiny micro weewee? Your insurance cover E-D problems for an E that’s too little to see? No? Well, Dr. Obama and Dr. Barney Frank will give you a good time and a good-time gerbil you will never forget.
Shorter “Sophie’s ‘Choice’ and Wellington’s Waterloo” @ 26:
Hey, look over there!
Kill millions? Read again, old man. Using numbers that Harvard threw at us, numbers that you increducrats threw at us two weeks ago, you’re killing only ~180,000 of us.
The whole Ponzi pyramid is generational theft. Waffen Social Security, Medi, Medi, GWB’s Medi drugs, all finally unsustainable.
Artfart, one of the few honest Democrats, wrote that we malcontents have been saying since the beginning that you liberals who measure your liberality and generosity by the degree to which you take other people’s stuff, are building a house of cards on a foundation of sand in a fools’ paradise. Well congratulations on running a successful con that seemed to keep the playing-card house standing for 70 years.
But no bubble lasts forever. When comptroller David Walker told you years ago that your house of entitlements is built on tens of trillions of dollars of unfunded liabilities, theft from future generations, he told the truth.
But since you preen and pretend to know more than Walker, why don’t you spell it out right here, right now: Tell us why he’s wrong.
Don’t subside into your LoveDaddy bullshit. Give us facts for a change.
Keeping the record straight: Artfart took the liberty of trying to state our malcontent stance across the decades. Then he knocked down our alleged stance. Sort of like knocking down a straw man. But at least Art was attempting honesty.
Still, reading his posts here and seeing his public art at the dump, I’m convinced that GBS and Thomas Jefferson got it right: There must be an inviolable wall of separation between Art and state.
Where have you been, “Sophie”? Obviously not anywhere where there exists logic and reality…
GOP lawmaker apologizes to Stupak for ‘baby killer’ outburst
@5
Gregoire was a really good AG and did good work at the Department of Ecology. In 2004 we needed another wonkish, Gary Locke-ish, governor and Gregoire was a good choice. But, things changed and changed in a hurry. By 2006 we needed someone with leadership and vision and that’s something Gregoire just can’t provide. It’s not really a knock at her, it’s just that the times changed and a different skill set was/is needed.
I think Jay Inslee has what we need for 2012-16.
Unintended irony lives in Dave Reichert’s (R-“I spoke to the Green River Killer Once”) district.
A mailer came today from the Congressman.
“Make Health Care more affordable” (Bwaa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa)
a few others (snark for free)
Eliminate Capital gains taxes to encourage investment. Cause investment totally creates jobs and stuff. It’s like, totally rad and obvious and stuff.
Enact energy efficiency tax incentives for families and businesses. Unless of course Obama endorses a tax write-down for businesses installing solar. That would be Socialism. Unless Obama proposes families get a credit for installing high efficiency windows or on demand hot water heaters. That would be the Devil’s work and he’s got a hot poker waiting for any Democrat who votes in favor of such a scheme.
Invest wisely in transportation and infrastructure to reduce congestion and get people and goods moving. Unless that transportation brings “unwelcome” consumers to Kemper Freeman’s door. Or God forbid we accept Obama’s handout of federal dollars for the 520 bridge. Why that’s just the kind of thing Lenin would have proposed. Why is Obama the reincarnation of Karl Marx?
(BTW…Reichert’s on Twitter. He’s, like, down with the tech guys in his district.)
I love the “There’s no proof!” retort to this incident that has a bunch of eyewitnesses who are respected members of our Congress.
You guys are pretty lame.
The capacity of wingnuts to mindlessly believe the worst about Obama appears boundless–they even went bonkers accusing him of planning to ban sportfishing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92fTPk9E3iY
Amazing. Where do these people come from?
30. Love Daddy spews:
And that’s your argument? Ponzi, Nazis, no numbers, apples and oranges in the same basket?
I don’t know this Walker, but I know more than you. And I could put up a better argument in my sleep than you handing us your unsupported opinion above. You see, this is the problem with an entire generation brought up on right-wing hate radio. You don’t even know what an argument IS. You think that saying “Ponzi” and “Waffen” makes you right.
Update: Looked Walker up. Funny that he wasn’t your hero from 2001-2008 when he was complaining about the “fiscal deficits” and “overseas military commitments” that added $5 trillion to our national debt under Bush/Republicans. I am also sure he wasn’t your hero when he said that the solution is to raise taxes. Simple but repugnant to your kind.
But to really address your point:
A) Everyone know that an unchanged status quo is unsustainable. That’s why Democrats are doing something about slowing down the rise in medical costs and raising revenue. You guys can stick to “don’t get sick or die quickly” but that won’t bend the cost curve. It’s also why Democrats suggest raising the FICA cap.
B) Walker’s figures were based on the laughable Bush-era accounting trick (to make things sound as dire as possible) of the “infinite time horizon.” Just how worried are we supposed to be about a projection of the state of SS 100,000 years from now? Hey, what’s the growth rate of GDP in the year 23,097? How are payroll taxes looking in 10K years?
FactCheck.org says that “two-thirds of that colossal bill [my note: the SS infinite time horizon liability] doesn’t come due until after the year 2078.” Indded, the SS Trustees erport says that “it needs to be seen in the context of the present value of taxable payroll over the infinite horizon, which is on the order of $275 trillion.”
In other words, either we have nothing to worry about because it’s all paid for, or all of this is rank speculation about unknowns on top of unknowns, extended so far out in the future that it makes no sense.
Of course, we should be fiscally responsible. This HCR bill bends the cost curve downward, which is the right thing to do. Obama’s plan it so move us toward balanced budgets, but just not right in the middle of the second-deepest recession in any of our lifetimes.
Hmmm, my post didn’t post.
I’ll do it in pieces.
Part I
0. Love Daddy spews:
And that’s your argument? Ponzi, Nazis, no numbers, apples and oranges in the same basket?
I don’t know this Walker, but I know more than you. And I could put up a better argument in my sleep than you handing us your unsupported opinion above. You see, this is the problem with an entire generation brought up on right-wing hate radio. You don’t even know what an argument IS. You think that saying “Ponzi” and “Waffen” makes you right.
Update: Looked Walker up. Funny that he wasn’t your hero from 2001-2008 when he was complaining about the “fiscal deficits” and “overseas military commitments” that added $5 trillion to our national debt under Bush/Republicans. I am also sure he wasn’t your hero when he said that the solution is to raise taxes. Simple but repugnant to your kind.
Part II
But to really address your point:
A) Everyone know that an unchanged status quo is unsustainable. That’s why Democrats are doing something about slowing down the rise in medical costs and raising revenue. You guys can stick to “don’t get sick or die quickly” but that won’t bend the cost curve. It’s also why Democrats suggest raising the FICA cap.
B) Walker’s figures were based on the laughable Bush-era accounting trick (to make things sound as dire as possible) of the “infinite time horizon.” Just how worried are we supposed to be about a projection of the state of SS 100,000 years from now? Hey, what’s the growth rate of GDP in the year 23,097? How are payroll taxes looking in 10K years?
Part III
FactCheck . org says that “two-thirds of that colossal bill [my note: the SS infinite time horizon liability] doesn’t come due until after the year 2078.” Indded, the SS Trustees erport says that “it needs to be seen in the context of the present value of taxable payroll over the infinite horizon, which is on the order of $275 trillion.”
In other words, either we have nothing to worry about because it’s all paid for, or all of this is rank speculation about unknowns on top of unknowns, extended so far out in the future that it makes no sense.
Of course, we should be fiscally responsible. This HCR bill bends the cost curve downward, which is the right thing to do. Obama’s plan it so move us toward balanced budgets, but just not right in the middle of the second-deepest recession in any of our lifetimes.
Part III
FactCheck . org says that “two-thirds of that colossal bill {my note: the SS infinite time horizon liability} doesn’t come due until after the year 2078.” Indded, the SS Trustees erport says that “it needs to be seen in the context of the present value of taxable payroll over the infinite horizon, which is on the order of $275 trillion.”
In other words, either we have nothing to worry about because it’s all paid for, or all of this is rank speculation about unknowns on top of unknowns, extended so far out in the future that it makes no sense.
Of course, we should be fiscally responsible. This HCR bill bends the cost curve downward, which is the right thing to do. Obama’s plan it so move us toward balanced budgets, but just not right in the middle of the second-deepest recession in any of our lifetimes.
Link to factcheck:
http://www.factcheck.org/article302.html
fact check link
http://tinyurl.com/ylmbqs4
Maggots. Plural. How were they? Of course they were screwing Ekim because Ekim, even if he wanted to (and hell yes he wanted to!) couldn’t screw them.
That’s because he’s like Lyndon Johnson’s idiot who couldn’t pour shit out of a boot even if instructions were written on the heel. Ekim couldn’t get it up even if he had a magnifier and tweezers.
GOP Lawmaker is not necessarily a bagger. Stupak the Stupe is certainly not John Lewis or Barney Frank.
Different shit, different day.
Was totally with Michael about “Governor” G’s lack of vision, leadership, ability, integrity, sanity, salinity, sublimity, sublimated virginity …
And then he spoiled everything with Inslee.
‘Tweets’ Reichert for governor.
Darcy Christ Superstar for has-been also-ran.
Oh. So there’s a “bunch” of proof. Silly me for questioning/doubting your bunch.
Until real proof comes along, let’s just agree that some defunct ACORN cons, having nothing else to do, infiltrated the tea party and staged a con.
It’s what the left does best.
(ACORN isn’t quite dead yet, but it’s gasping its last gasp. But then I said something similar about Obamacare in January, dammit.)
Some of us wingnuts take Obama very seriously. Anybody who could beat the Clinton Crime Family at their own crooked game is eminently worthy of respect and distrust.
Hey, what if Jay Inslee runs for Governor?
Buh-bye Rob.
47 ML
And by beating “the Clinton Crime Family at their own crooked game,” you mean, getting more votes.
Why is it that today’s GOP equates “getting more votes” with nefarious doings? Answer: because THEY ARE LOSERS. Hell, if they could actually GET more votes they’d tell us that it’s because Jesus loves them. But they can’t, so He doesn’t.
Oh, and “Ponzi!” “Waffen!” “Generational theft!”
Fucking know-nothing jerks.
Hey, did I “preen” enough in the posts that demolished the infinite time horizon bullshit?
[ ] Yes, you preened enough.
[ ] No, I think you should preen more.
[X] Why do you engage with these ignorant idiots?
Have posted numbers on this rancid blog often. As in often. Walker’s estimate of unfunded liabilities for the basket of entitlements (SS, Medicare, Medicaid) was $50 trillion. That was more than two years ago. Now? Maybe $70 trillion. The “maybe” means we’re talking about a ballpark, but it’s a ballpark landscaped by the left.
Let’s assume the left meant well. Let’s posit that leftist entitlements lifted many more Americans than it let down. That’s why, for 70 years, both left and right have fought their turf battle’s on the left’s turf.
But now we’re at a Gladwell tipping point. Good intentions are now unsustainable because, whether ‘only’ $50 trillion or much more, we cannot afford to continue living in the credit-card universe to which both Democrats and Republicans have become too accustomed. We can’t afford your good intentions.
It’s demographics. We old boomers sustained the Ponzi pyramid, and now we’re taking everything back and much more. Too many of us, not enough youngsters and illegals to pay our way. Thanks to capitalist medicine, we’ll live so long that we’ll take back more than we paid in, and more than the kids can pay, or their kids. It’s generational theft.
Read the rest here.
You’ll find a similar report at last week’s Obamanastic NPR, so this probably isn’t a phantom confected by the half-vast right-wing conspiracy.
Walker: Go back on this blog, asshole. Two years. Two years plus. That’s how long I’ve sounded warnings from the Walker you don’t know about. He and his concerns, including his concerns about the profligate liberal Bush administration, are prominent in a semi-good film called IOUSA.
I first heard Walker on Glenn Beck, by the way. Beck was also concerned that Bush was riding the rods of the flatcar of state off the rails. Or something like that.
(Anybody else rode/ridden freights? Great way to see the Real America.)
46
You mean “real proof” besides the eyewitness statements from United States Congressmen, including the civil rights icon and 12-term Rep. John L. Lewis, Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), and Rep. Lewis spokeswoman Brenda Jones? And if and when that video and audio of the incident becomes available, surely you will not accuse anyone of digitally altering the evidence, right?
AND now that Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger has declared in his official report that in the stunt by Republican wanker child James O’Keefe “no action, illegal or otherwise, was ever taken by any ACORN employee on behalf of the videographers,” you considetr that to be absolute, solid proof, right? Answer this one.
Yeah, just like last time. Oh, wait, that never happened. If you were capable of shame, I’d think you would feel some.
Social Security. Upside down right now. Now. Not in the infinite by’n’by.
Medicare and Medicaid. Unsustainable right now. Now. Because they’re Waffen Ponzi pyramids of generational theft.
U:ber-liberal Adlai Stevenson tried to tell you about “socialized medicine” — his words. Why didn’t you pull your dicklets out of your ears and listen?
Still waiting, libtards …
For five points and a gold star on your forehead, who said this in 1985?
[]A. Ronald(6) Wilson(6) Reagan(6)
[]B. Ludwig von Mises
[]C. Ludwig von Drake
[]D. Scrooge McDuck
[]E. Uncle Milton Friedman
[]F. Daddy Warbucks
[]G. Daddy Love
03/19/2010 at 12:56 pm
115. Dummies for Democrats spews:
For an extra-credit trophy (and everybody gets a trophy) who wrote this?
[]A. Ann Coulter
[]B. Ann Coulter
[]C. Ann Coulter
[]D. Roger Rabbit impersonating Ann Coulter
Am very credulous about videotape. Wouldn’t even think of accusing you of molesting it.
But ‘testimony’ for hyper-liberal left-wing partisans? Not so much.
As for defunct ACORN …
15c MDL
Ponzi! Waffen! Generational theft!
First, your personal “estimate” of what Walker’s present day calc might be is absolutely and totally worthless. Because you don’t know shit about it and can’t calculate it yourself. I mean, you could find a recent source and cite it, but that would be bad form. What would Rush say?
But hey, small differences in growth and taxes over an infinite time horizon make big differences. We could, you know, raise taxes in some moderate amont and fix some or all of it. Not that you care, you see it as a political club, not something to take responsible steps to solve.
Here’s one of the common (but weird, in my view) tropes, that, quite predictably, you spew:
OMG! They’re totally worthless! Did you ever think that if you informed the Chinese government about this that they might reward you handsomely for this amazingly not-known-to-them information? Because they seem to think for some reason that these Treasuries, issued by the wealthest country on Earth and backed by the “full faith and credit of the United States Government” might actually be worth something.
Bottom line: the US government will always make good on Treasury bonds, and if you really, fundamentally, sincerely believe otherwise then you are a fool for continuing to live here.
And they, like, you know, know things, while you know nothing that you have been able to adequately show. You make a lot of stock, off-the-shelf RW radio accusations and let them stand alone, completely without support. You have no factual basis for you ravings that I have ever seen you cite, and you are in general just another of the not-worth-listening-to. You could improve your status, but color me not-hopeful.
There are some people, not brought up by RW radio, who would look at a program like Medicaid and say to themselves, “This is a program that takes present-day tax dollars and uses them to pay for present-day medical care for the poor and disabled and their children. There’s nothing ‘generational’ about this at all.”
And then when some idiot lumps it into a screed about “generationl theft,” such a persom might think, “Hmmm…that’s not correct.”
But not our boys. They’re made of dumber stuff.
Yes, we’ll make good by running Killer Karter Inflation again. Check Kinsley on this, current issue of The Atlantic. The point you people miss is that people are running out of full faith in our credit.
Maybe if you climbed out of the liberal faith-based cesspool you swim in and emerged into reality based sunshine, you’d be more cognizant of time horizon that matters: demographic destiny.
55. Waterloo Quiz in the Loo
I know. you’re a troll, and I am not supposed to “feed” you. But you have to admit that I pretty much demolished you ACORN ravings with the MASS AG.
And of course you will instead change the subject again and assume your glorious victory.
And that’s fine with me because at the polls and in the government you guys are big fucking losers.
It’s weird. If ACORN is nearing bankruptcy, and it is because the provable lies and deceit of the Republican party are to blame, and they revel in this “victory,” what does it say about them?
Again, if they could feel shame…well, but that would be a very different world from the one we live in.
59
Except I am the only one providing reality based, you know, “facts.”
Ponzi! Waffen! Generational theft!
Wow (blog cross-post)
THe WA state inurance commissioner thinks that health care is a good thing, even though Republicans think that it is an awful thing:
All of those freeloaders should be shot! In Republican-land, that is.
Waffen! Ponzi! Generational theft!
DL @ 63
But, it can’t be a good thing for Washingtonians because we are Rob McKenna’s client, and he would not take a position adverse to his own client, would he?