Week In The News: Gingrich And Freddie, Syria On Edge, Healthcare To Court

William Powe

NPR and Ashbrook do not cover the most important movement in America
since the Vietnam war, the silence and poor coverage as hundreds are beaten up and arrested in the streets show how Hedge Fund Radio really works. Do what you told Tommy or else they will pull the plug and send you back to hinderlands. Why cover mayham in the streets when you can talk about the lurid sex scandals at Penn Street. Remember who
your hedge fund Masters are be a good little boy….

TakeOverTheFed

The voice of the OWS youth are the consciousness of the people.

Anonymous

1% of Americans control 40% of the wealth, unemployment is at 9%, taxes are the lowest they’ve been since 1950, our infrastructure is crumbling while borrowing has never been cheaper. Still, the GOP insists on cutting taxes for the rich and corporations and refuses to pass a jobs bill while brain dead pundits shake their empty heads and complain that OWS lacks an agenda.

The best answer I’ve seen came when a crowd of demonstrators marched on the Charlestown Bridge chanting “We want jobs!” and “We want to get back to work!”

“We have unemployed people who can fix this bridge and make it safe so that one day all of us might actually be able to stand on it,” Rob Birmingham, 22, a student organizer at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, told the crowd before the marchers set off.

They were turned away by police who said the bridge could not support their weight.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12005926870619/occupy-boston-marches-to-charlestown-bridge/#ixzz1e1tT5yoE
Still confused about the OWS agenda?
Are you blind?

Rebuild this bridge.
Rebuild this tunnel.
Rebuild this road.
Rebuild this school.
Rebuild the middle class.
Rebuild our dreams.

Rebuild America.

Rebuild.

TakeOverTheFed

And let’s do it with the money the US Treasury issues instead of the notes the banksters at the Federal Reserve issue.

Take over the Federal Reserve System.

Tell congress to mandate that the US government issue notes.

We’ll put value back into our money, lower taxes for everyone and get out of debt faster than thought possible.

Put the banksters out of business.

Check out the books about the Fed by Murray Rothbard on Amazon.
- Bruce
  
  “lower taxes for everybody”=more painless, cost-free paths to prosperity=right-wing version of free-lunch=useless rhetoric to win elections=the great illusion.
  
  We heard this in the ’80′s and it was Reaganomics which caused a threefold increase in the national debt and still could not avoid draconian cuts to vital govt. programs and services…while at the same time exacerbating income inequality.
  
  The Fed. as the bogey man=Right-wing obsession.
  
  .1%=conspiracy theory on steroids
  
  99%=fairness in tax code, shared sacrifice, accountablility for Wall Street, end to govt. gridlock and social investment (yes, spending) to create/promote jobs and enhance our competitiveness in the global economy.
  - TakeOverTheFed
    
    The system is not the problem. It’s who is in control of the system.
    
    The Federal Reserve System has no over sight, no real accountability.
    
    No one forced the Fed to not regulate the derivative market.
    
    No one forced the Fed to save the banksters in Europe or in the US.
    
    No one forced the Fed to allow 4 or 5 boom/bust cycles to occur in the last two decades.
    
    No one forced the Fed to backstop the 75 Trillion of BofA’s notional derivatives or JP Morgan’s 79 Trillion and put taxpayers at risk.
    
    No one stopped the Fed’s ‘Helicopter Ben’ from issuing all this debt.
    
    “The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government of the U.S. since the days of Andrew Jackson.”
    �
    - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Gregg

Before anything can be rebuilt the money must be printed, borrowed or confiscated. Just keep that in mind.
- Bruce
  
  I know taxation=confiscation=more Ayn Rand inspired nonsense
  - Gregg
    
    So where does the money come from? Which option did I neglect to mention?
    - Bruce
      
      You conflate taxes with “confiscation” which is how Rand characterized them. Wealth in her lexicon always conferred virtue, no matter how the gains are gotten (a notion I thought we had gotten beyond since we’ve all seen/felt the consequences of the wild speculation and gambling that enriched the investment bankers on Wall St.)
      
      Rand viewed taxes and any other form of redistribution as “confiscation” or penalizing virtue and rewarding sloth. While I don’t look forward with glee to paying them and I’ve worked for a living for about 35 years, I see taxes as the necessary price to pay for civilization.
      
      Maybe I misintrepeted your use of “confiscation.”
    - Gregg
      
      No, you actually nailed it although I’m not referring to Rand. Thanks though. IMHO “redistribution” cannot happen without “confiscating”.
      
      I would also quibble with your statement, “I see taxes as the necessary price to pay for civilization”. It’s too broad. I can agree with the sentiment but there is a limit to the “price” and the matter of who is spending it on exactly what.
    - Bruce
      
      I agree there should be limits and accountability.
      
      In that vein, (hope I’m not wandering too far here) the problem I have with those advocating “sequester” (as I understand the term) or across-the-board budget cuts and arbitrary caps, is that such an approach amounts to a cop-out.
      
      We elect leaders to decide where the “limit” should be placed on taxation (rates, loopholes, base broadening) and spending (what programs, services, investments to fund).
      
      Across-the-board cuts without regard to the merit, value or efficacy of any of the programs being cut is wrongheaded–an abdication and a way for spineless politicians to avoid their responsiblity to govern, hiding behind No Tax Pledges and other ideological straitjackets.
      
      Maybe for another day/topic there will be an opportunity to have a conversation about what it means to pay for civilization. In a sense, I think that’s what’s happening in the streets right now.
- Anonymous
  
  When I hand over money in return for a good or service that I demand or expect, I don’t consider it confiscation. It’s the price you pay for what you want. What are you willing to return for a refund?
- Fredlinskip
  
  W printed & borrowed with reckless abandoned so as to fund such things as unecessary Wars, no-bid contracts, & tax cuts for the rich.
  At least Dems either make some pretense of spending $ on rebuilding on our own country, or trying to plug the gaping holes in the leaky boat GOP handed Dems in “08
TakeOverTheFed

Great idea, but it has to be done with new currency issued by the US government, not with Fed money.

Rebuild with our money. Get out of debt with our money.

That’s how our country can create value in our currency again -

by using new ‘greenbacks’ that US Treasury issues.

Not the debt laden dollars the Federal Reserve makes us choke on.

Check out the books about the Fed by Murray Rothbard on Amazon.

Michiganjf

One more worthless Republican being set up for the fall… just wait until the media puts even a little bit of a spotlight on the endless stream of Gingrich stupidities.

… when are you Republicans going to admit that your eternal dumping bag, Romney, is going to end up as your candidate of inevitable, albeit last, choice?

What a dung heap your party has produced for you.

Good luck in 2012!

Tina

Try to check out the article about Romney when he worked in a private equity firm before going off to the Olympics. The article was on the front page of the New York Times this past Sunday, Nov. 13. The article shows the cons and pros of this pef’s shenanigans, but, in my view, the “pros” came at great cost to regular middle class people, and Romney went along with those measures — chilling! I usually thought of him as an opportunistic flip-flopper, but now I find him to be far more frightening, because he chooses business “logic” over creative ways, or maybe even traditional ways, of supporting the efforts of people (in this case, American middle class citizens) to support themselves. Chilling.

Michiganjf

Loved yesterday’s show on “Dirty Politics and Big Money.”

… Politicians, once elected, are allowed into the “Club for the Rich,” where they get to trade on insider information and are bought and sold for “first-grab” access to IPOs… any dishonest and subversive cheat that will let them make millions the same way the uber-wealthy make THEIR millions or billions…

… so the wealthy cheat their wealth into ever more money and buy and sell politicians to make sure thier “club rules” and exclusivity reamin intact…

BUT LET”S MAKE SURE THEIR ILL-GOTTEN GAINS REMAIN PROTECTED AND TAX FREE… RIGHT REPUBLICANS???!!!

after all, the last 15 years of unprecedented gain for their portfolios have ensured jobs for all Americans… RIGHT REPUBLICANS??!!!

Michiganjf

Ha Ha! “…reamin…”

… an obvious Freudian slip!

I meant “remain,” of course!
Anonymous

@2003f7637c3992e3d33a26f5736c3add:disqus Also watch Lawrence Lessig on You Tube, particularly his “Lost Republic, my favorite version”:

http://www.youtube.com/user/lessig

Here the (not yet illegal) “corruption” of Congress is explained and at least one approach is outlined on how to fix a lot of it.

TakeOverTheFed

A coordinated effort around America to oust OWS protesters and all that NPR can do is show a photograph of a demonstrator in NYC and not put a headline up as one of the three main topics under the ‘Week in the News’ (as of Friday, 1:45AM)

Shows you what kind of power is in charge. Shame on NPR.

Who is your paymaster?

TakeOverTheFed

“Austerity” for: Iceland, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France…

Who do you think is next?

Let’s take over the Federal Reserve System and bring the power of money back to the US Government and back to the people it serves.

Check out the books on the Fed, money and our banking system by Murray Rothbard on Amazon.

Read it and weep.

TakeOverTheFed

It’s not the 1% we have to worry about, it’s the 0.1%.

That makes us the 99.9% solution.

They are worried about us rising up.

Take over the Fed. Have all country’s take over their own Central Banks and start re-issuing their own currencies again.

Take the power of issuing and controlling the supply of money away from the banksters and put it into the hands of the governments that serve their people.

Our economic world would be a better place.

TakeOverTheFed

Vote the carpetbaggers out of office until campaign finance reform is passed, until banking regulations are passed, until corporations lose their grip on our Republic, and until the US Treasury replaces the privatized Federal Reserve System.

Put the power of money back in the people’s hands.

Take over the Federal Reserve System and watch the world change.

Anonymous

@e40595c7538503bf045d01474dd9030d:disqus The road to fixing the economy is within the reach of the public if they will vote out the “austerity now” coterie, mostly Tea Party Republicans. There is enough money (corporations are sitting on some $2 trillion) but it is not in circulation, because people that would spend (unemployed, under employed and those afraid of losing their jobs plus those in debt with underwater mortgages and healthcare bills, etc.) cannot. So those with money hold it waiting for the spenders to arrive.

The government CAN spend by borrowing today and paying it back with the increased revenue from a rapidly growing economy that would create.

It is true that the FED could do more, which would be good, but that would take the pressure off the Congress to do what is necessary and also the best way to revive the economy.

BanksterCoup

Indeed both Papandreou and Berlusconi had been respectively berated and
belittled by Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy of France. It
is almost as if Franco-German displeasure combined with the disapproval
of the markets was enough to bring about regime-change.

http://www.time.com/time/world…

The
conclusion of his interview subjects, and indeed a large portion of the
Greek population, is that Goldman Sachs, perhaps the most powerful
financial firm in the world, has engaged in an economic coup against
the nation, taking advantage of rife tax fraud to force Greek lawmakers
to hand over the country’s public assets.

http://www.rawstory.com/rawrep…

What
is taking place is nothing less than a financial coup d’etat by the
Eurozone’s rentier class. And it is one of history’s sad ironies that,
at least in the case of Italy, this is all being engineered by an
ex-Communist, who likely would have been chased out of the Italian
Government (a la Juan Berlinguer) by a Cold War-driven CIA had this
taken place but 30 years earlier.

http://wallstreetpit.com/85811…

BanksterCoup

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.” – Thomas Jefferson

History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance. – James Madison

The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity. – Abraham Lincoln

Issue of currency should be lodged with the government and be protected from domination by Wall Street. We are opposed to…provisions [which] would place our currency and credit system in private hands. – Theodore Roosevelt

TakeOverTheFed

Our taxes are going to the interest on the debt, not the principal.

If you want to pay the principal down – then takeover the Federal Reserve System and have the US Treasury Department issue our notes.

Throw out the carpetbaggers in the house and the senate every election cycle until this is done.

It’s that simple. No revolution necessary.

Zing

No revolution coming. It’s that simple.
- Anonymous
  
  We already had one: the “Reagan revolution.” And our current situation is the result.

BanksterCoup

Despite these warnings, Woodrow Wilson signed the 1913 Federal Reserve Act.

A few years later he wrote:

I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country.
�
A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated.
�
The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men.
�
We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated
�
Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men.

Our 28th President – Woodrow Wilson (from 1913 to 1921)

ArnoldWalker

Fleabaggers have gone violent, apparently this was the point of this movement. Meanwhile, the rest of America moves on.

Anonymous

troll.
- ArnoldWalker
  
  wanker, we’ve proven you know nothing
  - Anonymous
    
    Ahh hit a nerve have I.
    - Gregg
      
      Troll.
    - Anonymous
      
      No I’m not a troll I’m just calling out dung heaps when I smell them.
AllOfTheBelow

J. Edgar –

I can’t figure out why your such a nasty narcissist.

Growing up, did your Mommy not pay enough attention to you or did your Daddy beat you for not living up to his expectations?

Maybe your just an angry alcoholic.

Maybe all of the above.

Tina

In case you didn’t see my previous note, BEST WISHES to you Tom! Hope all is going well for you!

Hidan

I too hope tom gets better, but Mike Pesca hasn’t been too bad and on some of the shows were on top of it and the guest. Jane Clayson on the other hand………………….
- Tina
  
  Yes, Mike’s work is great (I complimented him yesterday thru a post), and I always enjoy Jackie Leyden!

Winston Smith

I think that all of the Occupy Wall Streeters should chill out and sing a few stanzas of “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” for a while.

Anonymous

I think you tea party folks should just take a hike.
- Hidan
  
  Totally
  Earned
  Animosity
  Partly
  Authoritarian
  Regarding
  The
  Youth
  
  The Teabaggers earn people animosity when they came out ignorant and rocking a tons of racist crap. On top many in the group support authoritarian actions by the government against other citizens as long as it’s not them.
  - Bruce
    
    I’ve got another acronym for the Tea Party that came to me after the debt ceiling debacle and Tea Party-inspired credit downgrade:
    
    Trashing the
    Economy of
    America by
    
    Paranoid
    Anti-Government
    Right-Wing
    Thugs and
    Yahoos
- Gregg
  
  No one want to squelch First amendment rights but these people are animals.
  - ArnoldWalker
    
    Worse than animals, they’re ignorant parasites.
    - Anonymous
      
      And the teabaggers who want to “keep the government out of my Medicare” aren’t?
    - Gregg
      
      No.
    - Anonymous
      
      Takes one to know one.
    - Anonymous
      
      @b5961e734a50f4cdc71a687b366321b6:disqus @327b60c55221432e499267aebfb70c09:disqus The Occupy groups have encompassed the whole political spectrum; maybe that is why they haven’t come out with as many demands as some would want. But most of the “ignorance” coming from them is from interlopers or those with right-wing ideas. Whether these last are trolls or not, I leave to others.
      
      But most of them are learning from each other in democratic, non-authoritarian ways. Not guaranteed, but they could become a real force in the near future.
    - Gregg
      
      Fair enough but they are not helping themselves and it has escalated to dangerous levels.
    - Terry Tree Tree
      
      Many of them claim to have productive jobs. Parasites? What about the criminal Banksters, Hedge-Funds, Mortgage Brokers, and others that sucked the monetary life from the economy, for NEGATIVE value to society! They’re PARASITES!!
  - Anonymous
    
    All those tea party people are fascist. Don’t like it? Tough.
    - Gregg
      
      I’ll tell you what, riddle me this: How many people died or were raped at Tea party protest? How many sexual assaults? How much property was damaged? How many arrest? Last I read it was 2,511 to 0.
      
      http://ireporters.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/ows-arrests-2511-vs-tea-party-arrests-0-where-is-the-media-on-this/
    - Modavations
      
      General,don’t forget the Tea Partyers actually went out and got the permits.The Tea Party just wants smaller,efficient government.They think they are Taxed Enough Already(TEA)After an OWS protest,it looks like the Tsunami has hit
    - Anonymous
      
      You have to be kidding. That’s the kind of site you use as a news reference? I’ll tell you what. I wont respond to your right wing asinine comments and you just leave me alone. OK?
    - Gregg
      
      Don’t reply if you like but don’t expect me to buy into your blindness. If I were ulTRAX I’d say, you ACTUALLY CLAIMED there were no arrest, rapes or sexual assaults at the OWS movement and there were at Tea Parties. But you didn’t say that. You can’t and won’t. You instead made a worthless, irrelevant dismissal of documented hate with the lamest of all rebuttals. In front of God and everybody.
      
      Which messenger is safe from your embarrassing snark gun display?http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=142441078http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141787550http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/11/17/142462116/arrests-being-made-at-occupy-portland-protest-scene-is-orderlyhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=142472914
    - Gregg
      
      It looks like the link didn’t work but just check NPR for stories of arrest, death and rape. Then get back with anything approaching it fro any tea party.
    - Anonymous
      
      It’s the difference between a protest and carefully manipulated pawns. As Donald Rumsfeld once said to explain hundreds of decapitated bodies in the street, “democracy is messy”.
    - Alabamapostalworker
      
      You are confusing OWS protests with Herman Cain’s night out with his female employees!
    - TFRX
      
      Not all of them are fascist and racist. But that is the critical mass. And nobody in there is getting anywhere without either being a true believer or convincing fake.
      
      There is nothing they can do to lose the respect of the mainstream press. Rick Perry wasn’t drummed out of the “respectable” wing of the GOP for fomenting secession.
      
      And just this week we learned that it’s okay for privileged white college Texans to joke about assassinating the President of the United States.
- pete
  
  They’re free to speak. They’re not free to block traffic, destroy private property, harass and assault people, camp where ever they want for as long as they want or prevent other people from using public spaces. This is not a serious movement. When they come up with a clear purpose and organize themselves to influence public opinion towards a constructive goal, they might be deserving of respect. Right now they are just a mob.
  - Anonymous
    
    That’s your opinion. I do agree about the camping thing and that they need a better message. Hows this: We are not going to be ruled by oligarchs and right wing ideology.
    - pete
      
      “Hows this: We are not going to be ruled by oligarchs and right wing ideology.”
      
      That’s a pretty vague goal. What would be the specific objectives that would have to be achieved in order to reach that goal? How would this take place in political terms? Re-electing Obama, starting a third party, changing the Constitution, specific changes to banking or tax laws, complete anarchy?
    - Anonymous
      
      How about making it illegal for of our legislators to profit form insider trading. How about bringing back Glass-Steagall. Make the taxes more progressive. Make regulations have teeth so that wall street and banks can’t ruin the economy by gambling with it.
      How about some good usury laws so that credit card companies and banks can’t gouge people with rates that make loan-sharks weep.
      
      There’s a few for starters.
    - pete
      
      I think stopping Congress from benefiting from insider trading is a good goal. I believe it’s already illegal but the problem is no one enforces those laws. Taxes are already radically progressive, the top 10 % of earners pay 70% of tax burden while the bottom 50% pay 2.3%.
      �
      http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html
      �
      How much more progressive should it be?
      �
      Certain banking regulations might be useful but your missing the government’s dominate role in causing the economic crisis by pushing guaranteed housing loans through Franny and Freddie to completely unqualified borrowers. That was the faulty architecture that caused everything to crumble. Will the occupiers be taking that up?
      �
      You don’t need usury laws on credit cards and banks if you have a competitive market. That would actually make money less available to borrowers.
      �
      If the occupiers put together a list of specifics like you mentioned and started organizing politically, instead of camping, I’d consider them serious and respectable, even if they were pushing things I disagreed with. Right now, they are acting like confused, self-entitled brats who are looking for a cause and a fight rather than trying to improve things.
    - Anonymous
      
      Fannie and Freddie were and are designed to backstop outrageous, if not criminal, risk taking by lenders. Not to protect borrowers. As they say, follow the money. You can also follow the misery. Doing so will tell you who is the real beneficiary of government involvement, and it ain’t the little guy.
      
      With regard to credit cards, thank you for acknowledging we don’t have free market for credit. Usury laws have been around since the beginning of human financial interaction, even being addressed in the Bible. Because true students of human nature know what always happens when the so-called but never-real free market is left to its own devices.
    - Anonymous
      
      @56b54278ca7bb18fb503333b06d515c8:disqus The GSE (Fannie and Freddie) libel is one of those zombie falsehoods that proponents of deregulation do not dare to let go of, because then the focus will turn to them and they have no defense against the heat. For the full story (if you are a troll for deregulation, you will suffer cognitive dissonance) see:
      
      http://rortybomb.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/bloombergs-awful-comment-what-can-we-say-for-certain-regarding-the-gses/
    - Anonymous
      
      @56b54278ca7bb18fb503333b06d515c8:disqus If the Occupiers stop camping, they will no longer be in the news and you will ignore them.
    - pete
      
      If they keep camping they will become so unpopular and irrelevant
      that any credible idea that may be swirling around in their lice infested heads will die an ignoble death on the rusty Coleman stoves cluttering up the walkways.
      
      Protesting is relatively easy and without responsibilities
      
      or consequences. Organizing, developing coherent arguments, selling your ideas and campaigning is very difficult work and means you may actually suffer a defeat. Protesting has its place but if doesn’t move on to something more constructive it becomes nothing but political masturbation.
  - TFRX
    
    Who’s a mob? The Occupy people, or, say, the Oakland police?
- Winston Smith
  
  I am all for first amendment rights, even rather uncivil comments such as yours. But a quest for “economic justice” is a rather nebulous term. If economic justice means forgiving student loans for people who voluntarily took on debt in order to pursue degrees for which there are few jobs instead of science/engineering/nursing/other related topics where we really need people in order to assume leadership in a technological world, then that is not economic justice in my book…I called it defaulting on one’s obligations and sticking ME the taxpayer with the bill. And there are issues of health, sanitation, and even loss of life which is making the sites untenable. And a number of OWSers are anarchists, which doesn’t fix anything. And it seems like the police have been pretty restrained and accommodating for the most part. If a significant number of OWSers have the same courtesy as you do based on your post, then it’s no wonder that people are becoming turned off to the movement.
  - Anonymous
    
    Ahh poor you the tax payer. You know what if you don’t like paying taxes move to a country where they don’t have any. I don’t like paying taxes for wars and corporate welfare but I do. Why because I live in what remains of our democracy. Taxes are the price on pays for a civilized society. Something you seem to think only is about your ideology. Sorry, it’s not.
    
    Don’t like my opinions? To bad.
  - Tina
    
    Some people’s brilliance does not reside in the fields of science/engineering/nursing, etc. Trying, nevertheless, to major in those fields when they are not your strong suit can result in your flunking out of college. Are in interested in discussing the economics of that situation? I just heard about The High Line in Manhattan! WoW! It is already the second-most visited tourist attraction in NYC and has brought on great economic activity. Lots of science and engineering were involved, but the project was as much propelled by artistic vision, and now it is supported by links out to educators and sculptors, gardeners, etc. Electronic devices have given many young people the ability to learn technical expertise while learning to apply that expertise artistically or literarily, but not all kids get to make those connections and leaps. Maybe we could help the economy the most by making sure that every community have good internet connectivity and that every school child in the country starting in Kindergarten or First Grade (NOT earlier, per much pediatric research!) have ownership of a laptop, provided by public funds if necessary. THAT would be a true investment in our nation’s future! Adding classes, also publicly funded when necessary, for the students’ parents so that they, too, could become computer savvy, and thus help their children as well as themselves, would also help our economic outlook! Thanks!
    - Tina
      
      I should have said, “the project was propelled by artistic vision”
  - Anonymous
    
    @92335a75f7072bb4d4f8aadb348ff179:disqus Steve Jobs studied art at Reed College; he never was an engineer. But every art student doesn’t have a brilliant engineer for a best friend. This shows that majors are not requirement for performing good work. And a lot of the subjects help a student develop that “well-rounded” thought process that helps in understanding people which helps in running a business.
    
    So learning philosophy, literature, psychology, arts, etc. can give a basic understanding of life that enables a person to make great contributions to society. The Occupiers are without jobs more because there are not enough jobs (lack of hiring) than because of their “majors.” Certainly some majors have an easier path to a job, but in today’s circumstances nobody is certain to get a job.
  - Anonymous
    
    Newt is an inspiration to all history majors. I’m still waiting for my $1.6 million from Freddie Mac though.

Anonymous

Interesting editorial choice for your photo, On Point.

You went with:

“A demonstrator affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement yells at a New York City police officer”.

The Washington Post went with:
�
“Occupy’s 84-year-old pepper spray victim: Is this the most iconic image of the movement?”

Every picture tells a story.
Now we know which story you want to tell.

Gregg

Ever since the riot at a Led Zeppelin concert in Tampa (1977), I have been horrified at the brutality the police can inflict. I don’t endorse it. But I believe your picture is just as much propaganda as the On Point picture. I am reminded of Cindy Sheehan and Max Cleeland. As a mother of a slain soldier and an veteran amputee they were not fair game to criticize so their hateful vitriol was trumpeted. Ann Coulter made that point well at the time. The emotional picture of an 84 year old is not the face of OWS. Nor does it describe the intent and practices of the entire police force. Yet that seems to be your implication.

The woman’s face is not dripping with pepper spray as the caption suggest, it’s the treatment liquid. Also, we don’t know what was going on and just because she is elderly does not mean she’s a shrinking violet granny caught up in an innocent romp. What’s she doing there anyway? She’s a long time, well known Seattle leftist activist who even ran for Mayor.
- Brett
  
  You’re correct that how we respond to the way a story is spun depends on our perspective and how we want our narrative to be reinforced. Ann Coulter, to use one of your examples, engages in spin in most of her comments; she seems torn between spin and sensationalization for the sake of shock and offense to bolster limelight time, but it’s spin nevertheless.
  
  The truth, as you’ve said in different language, is usually somewhere in the middle of two extreme sides. It is good, albeit obvious, that you recognize the OWS movement is neither made up solely of ne’er-do-wells looking for mischief and a free lunch, nor completely of benevolent grannies simply trying to make their voices heard. However, to re-spin the photo of the elderly woman, just after she was pepper sprayed, saying some variation of “we don’t who started it,” is a little off the mark. She might very well be the next Emma Goldman, but the point is that the police did not have to use such riot-stopping techniques in subduing an 84 year-old woman.
  - Gregg
    
    I am not trying to spin but I do not believe you can say with certainty “the police did not have to use such riot-stopping techniques in subduing an 84 year-old woman”. We just don’t know and that’s the point.
    
    Anywho, they changed to picture to a dapper Newt.
    - Brett
      
      Yes, but in another post today, you characterized the OWS’rs as “these people are animals.” Is that an effort to get at some balanced truth? No, it’s not. It seems that if the news story goes against your narrative you’re all, “we don’t know what the truth is…” …so, yeah, you’re spinning…
    - Gregg
      
      My point with Mr. Whale was there are two sides to the coin. My opinions on a blog are just that.
    - TruthSquad
      
      but there may be many sides to an issue.
    - Anonymous
      
      It’s an example of right wing cowardice. When confronted with people with divergent opinions and who are protesting a set a grievances they start calling people animals and mobs. Meanwhile they cheer on extremist tea party members who use strong arm tactics to destroy town hall meetings. They boo at an openly gay war hero. They want to destroy the unions and the very idea of workers rights and they do so with glee. With the republicans its not about compromise it’s all about getting their way, period.
    - Anonymous
      
      We do know that the police used excessive force at this protest. The 84 year old woman, who is someones mother and grandmother, (think about that for a minute before you answer) was pepper sprayed. The police have been pretty out of control in some of the cities where the OWS is in action. But hey they are only doing their jobs.
    - Gregg
      
      Possibly. And she may be a mother/grandmother, I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Was she targeted or standing next to someone who was? Was she packing? Was she belligerent? Was she baking brownies for the police? We don’t know. All we know is she is a long time leftist activist who has a history.
    - Anonymous
      
      Oh I see because her politics are not in tune with yours she deserves to be pepper sprayed. Right wing ideology at it’s best: justifying the gassing of an 84 year old woman who was exercising her first amendment rights.
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      Do you exclusively pontificate on things you know nothing about? I read she had a knife or sharp instrument and was making threatening gestures, she should have been tasered or worse. She crossed way over the line of civility.
    - DeModavations
      
      J. Edgar – Commenting on things you know nothing about is your specialty. You should be tasered for all of your rapacious replies.
    - Gregg
      
      “Oh I see because her politics are not in tune with yours she deserves to be pepper sprayed.”
      
      That’s crazy. What is it with you liberals and the Evel Knieval leaps in logic? You are making me generalize.
      
      I am justifying nothing, you are the one with the kneejerk response against the police. For all I know she was entirely innocent and will enjoy a nice settlement. God Bless her, maybe it will put her in the top 1%. Or maybe she had a dirty bomb in her purse. I don’t know. Evidently you think you do.
- nj
  
  Ha ha. Greggg invokes Ann Culter in an appeal for objectivity.
  
  Greggg now borders of self-parody.
  - Gregg
    
    So you disagree with her point? Or did you get it?
- Fredlinskip
  
  Framing the views of Cindy Sheehan and Max Cleland as “hateful vitriol” clearly how deeply you have your head in the sand of “Fox “News” and Rush.
  Sheehan and Cleland had the courage to speak out against the War at a time when GOP was framing the conversation, ” If you’re not with us (on an idiotic occupation of Iraq), you’re with the terrorists.” She took a courageuos stand and her language was not “vitriolic”.
  
  Coulter, on the other hand, is vitriolic.
  
  Were you at the Zep concert?
  - Gregg
    
    Please get off the Fox/Rush thing. It’s so irrelevant. I support Cleland and Sheehan being able to spew hate (and they did) but they cannot be challenged or honestly debated because of their victim status. If Ann Coulter says something Democrats get in her face and go nuts, cool.
    
    Yea, I was at the Zep concert, they played 3 songs then it rained, then they canceled the show and said they’d be back the next day, then people wouldn’t leave, then the cops started swinging billy clubs, then a riot, then Zep was banned from Tampa. No show the next day.
- Terry Tree Tree
  
  Cindy Sheehan had NO right to ask WHY her son was sacrificed, when ‘W’ was a coward, and didn’t even send ONE of his daughters to war?
  ‘W’ tried to claim the honor of FDR, who’s FIVE sons fought in WWII!! One of them was in Carlson’s Raiders, USMC commandos that raided behind enemy lines! What did ‘W’ do to claim ANY of that honor? Cowardly get drunk, instead of show up for DUTY that he took an oath to do? Desert, even after he got the transfer that he requested, for political purposes, which is against millitary policy!
  He should STILL have to answer her!!
TFRX

You can’t spell “NPR” without Nice Polite Republicans.

Hidan

I like to point out since onpoint prob wouldn’t. Since 2009 Terrorism and attacks on Palestinians in the west bank has triple threefold all under the Likud government. Onpoint should atleast mention this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15769932

Also

Palestinian ‘freedom riders’ board settlers’ bus

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15744576

The protesters say that by only serving Jewish settlements and not
Palestinian areas in the West Bank, Israeli bus companies discriminate
against them.

“These buses and this whole system is discriminatory to Palestinians,” said activist Fadi Quran, as he waited at the bus stop.

The West Bank Freedom Riders punched above their weight,
drawing a lot of publicity for what was a relatively small event,
reports the BBC’s Jon Donnison in the West Bank.

The comparison to the Freedom Riders of 1960s America seemed
to capture the imagination as dozens of journalists gathered to see the
small group board the bus, our correspondent says.

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/18/142186667/attacks-target-palestinians-in-israeli-towns

Helewa stands in front of the once popular restaurant Abu Elabed, set
ablaze earlier this month and spray-painted with graffiti calling for
death to Arabs.
She says the attack made her feel unwelcome in her own hometown.
“Arab
people, they already live with the Jews. We’re living with them years
by years,” she says. “It’s just that Zionism made the settlers more and
more racist.”

Ed

This week the pope is going the Benin to mark their 150th anniversary in the faith, Christianity is growing rapidly in Africa. He will outline his plans for Catholicism in Africa while there.

The series ‘Catholicism’ with Fr. Barron is playing on some PBS stations (tomorrow in NY) and on EWTN.

Hidan

Didn’t the Pope go to africa and claim condoms make AIDS worst? Of course he later backtracked on it. I guess his God radar was off.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/17/pope-africa-condoms-aids

“The pontiff said condoms were not the answer to the continent’s fight against HIV and Aids and could make the problem worse.”
Brett

Religious colonialism?!?!
Anonymous

May the force be with you…
Anonymous

Doesn’t Africa have enough problems? Is he going to advise them to not use condoms to stop AIDS?
- Modavations
  
  Spent for years in Joburg.Half the country boys don’t even have watches

Hidan

On Iran

U.S. Defense Secretary: Iran strike will hurt world economy

Panetta speaks on eve of talks with Defense
Minister Ehud Barak in Canada; says world should focus on diplomatic
pressure, sanctions over Iran nuclear program.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-defense-secretary-iran-strike-will-hurt-world-economy-1.396316

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/julian-borger-global-security-blog/2011/nov/09/iaea-nuclear-iran-israel1

There is something a little phoney about all the sound and fury.
There is nothing in the report that was not previously known by the
major powers. The West and Israel supplied most of the original tip-offs
for the annex on weapons development, while Russia was briefed and no
doubt knew one of its own scientists had been lecturing the Iranians on
how to make explosive implosion devices (ostensibly for making tiny
diamonds).
Furthermore, the bulk of the report is historical,
referring to the years leading up to 2003. Its interpretation depends
largely on whether you are a glass half-full or half-empty sort of
person. On the one hand, the IAEA is confirming beyond reasonable doubt
that there was a centralised, heavily funded, programme (codenamed Amad
and run by a man called Mohsen Fahkrizadeh from his daintily titled
“orchid office”). On the other hand, the report is also adamant that
Amad was halted in 2003.

Tim

Also newsworthy this week was the discovery that the Romney administration wiped away all of its emails from government servers in 2006. Also strange was that Romney officials purchased their government issued hard drives?

Worried for the country(MA)

Your the guy who still reads the Globe. Glad to know you.

Worried for the country(MA)

Newt: “I’ve never lobbied”….
and of course there’s no gambling in Casablanca? I’m shocked.

Once Newt had power he shredded his contract with America and traded his political power for $$$$$.

Anonymous

What is Romney hiding by destroying the hard drives from his time as governor?

Worried for the country(MA)

Maybe it was those Solyndra emails he refused to release.

Oops!
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

If true, and you’ve presented no proof… it would be all the evidence that he did something good for the People of Massachusetts by creating a health care program. We KNOW the rabid right base of the GOP would never stand for government being a positive force in people’s lives. It’s there to enrich the already rich.

Brett

…If Newt ever made it into the White House, you could bet we certainly wouldn’t be cutting anything from the W.H. food budget!

Worried for the country(MA)

Hate crime alert.

Don’t you know the obese are a protected class?
- Brett
  
  Unless one is of the super rich, then he is just another “fat cat.”
Winston Smith

That comment is really out of line. It is a hate crime to make such derogatory comments about groups, even if you don’t like them. I’ll bet you would be screaming the loudest if someone made a comparable comment regarding another group such as GLBT, a racial slur, etc. Or do you believe that some hate speech is acceptable, as long as it is against the correct group?
- Anonymous
  
  Oh please. Get a life.
  - Winston Smith
    
    Just trying to mimic a super sensitive, politically correct, properly biased liberal.
    - Anonymous
      
      I’m not that type. I own a gun. I’m conservative on some things and very left wing on others. I find that your comments have given me a good picture of your extremist right wing ideology. I’m very opposed to your belief system. I’m not sensitive at all, I’m just giving you what you deserve, contempt.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Hey jeffe, you’re a gun owner too? So much for painting all liberals/progressives with a broad brush.
- Dennis
  
  It’s hate speech to point out he’s fat? That’s a bit of a stretch.
- Brett
  
  There’s old Winston, with his opportunistic way of feigning self-righteous indignation! I wasn’t saying anything about groups, just that Newt looks like he’s been living too high on the hog for too long. After all, Newt isn’t just a little overweight, for which the term “heavyset” might be appropriate, he’s morbidly obese (forty pounds, at least, overweight). A person’s health and eating habits (and attitudes about excessiveness, etc.) are part of making a judgement about their ability to serve in the White House…Barney Frank is gay! There, is that hate speech? You think of saying someone is gay as being hate speech because you see that term as derogatory to begin with…
TFRX

I don’t think this joke quite passes the Rule of Funny.

But I love the fake “hate crime” overreacting from people who, I’m guessing, have never needed the rule of law to keep a mob from singling them out and attacking them.

(My preferred Newt joke is: “Mr. Speaker, have you met your next wife yet?”)
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

I think you’re guilty of glutton-ism LOL

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68

Newt is not going to win. Romney will. period

Gregg

I’m voting for Newt.
- Anonymous
  
  Good for you. It’s your right even if it’s a vote for a divisive demagogue.
  
  He wont get the nomination by the way. If you don’t know why you’re not paying attention.
  - Gregg
    
    I assume you’re in the Bachmann camp.
    - Anonymous
      
      Very funny. Well yes I do hope she wins the nomination.
      That would give Obama another term.
- Modavations
  
  I can’t vote for a guy who threw rocks at Pres.Bill,while he was having his own affair.With this I have to differ.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    My God… Moda is finally showing a smidgen of independence in standing up to hypocrisy the Right?
    I might give him my first “like”!
    
    Now if he can finally come to grips with their fiscal hypocrisy.
    - Modavations
      
      Dude,I’m a free man.My party is the Wolverines,we vote Perot
  - Gregg
    
    That’s cool, it’s not a popular position. I don’t like the personal baggage but I don’t know the situation. I really, really, really don’t like equating the Clinton saga (serial abuser of women, grotesque abuse of power) with the Newt affair as if it had any relevance to impeaching Clinton. I can’t agree it was merely throwing rocks, IMHO it was a sacred duty. That’s my thing. Plus I got sick of agreeing with him and being told (by mostly liberals) he has no chance. It’s my vote, BTW yours is groovy too.
    
    Whatever went on with Newt’s wife, it doesn’t out weigh his record on Governance and Legislation… or his vision… in my opinion.
    
    I’m walking the creeks and sifting the rocks for emeralds (no analogy intended). I think I need a backhoe.
    - Anonymous
      
      I don’t care about Newt’s personal life but is was hypocritical to go after Clinton for it. And he pontificates about family values.
    - TFRX
      
      I’d love it if Newt and his fellow righties only pontificated on “fambily values”. That I could live with.
      
      I call them Valuistas because they feel ordained by God to legislate on them.
    - Modavations
      
      That’s why I couldn’t vote for him.How ’bout Bill Bennett and his gambling jones.What hypocrisy
    - Modavations
      
      I do.It is a mark of character
    - Gregg
      
      I can’t argue with that but I’m not sure about any of them and won’t be in that regard.
- mary elizabeth.
  
  Why? so that he can bring his narcissism into full bloom on the world stage? This man is power hungry, not for any good he might do, but to prove his superiority and execute his deliberately bizarre, attention getting solutions to critical issues.
  - Gregg
    
    If you’d really like, I’m happy to go through the issues but we won’t agree. I have been a fan since the ’94 revolution and followed him closely ever since. I think he has the best ideas and vision. I really do.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  As has been noted in the past, your support for any GOP candidate is in direct proportion to how nutty or flawed they are.
  
  While YOU might deserve a Newt, the nation certainly doesn’t.
Modavations

Way to early,but probably right.During his run against Kennedy,they ran a devasting advert.It interviewed,casualties from Bain’s “take overs”.If he can mount a defense to the charge,he could win.I could cetainly live with him.In my opinion,Pres.Obama is anti-business.The “business of America is business”

Patrick

A local right-wing talk radio host (Mark Belling) actually said something that I agree with:

“to know Newt Gingrich is to despise Newt Gingrich”

Apparently, Republican ideologues can pretty much convince themselves that anyone who pays lip service to cutting taxes would be a good candidate for President.

But Newt Gingrich? Are you serious? That petulant, condescending toad? The guy’s name is NEWT GINGRICH.

If there was any consistency on the right regarding their beloved “family values,” this guy would be run out of town on a rail. He’s at least as bad as John Edwards – what kind of person cheats on his wife? What kind of person cheats on his wife when she has CANCER?

I’m sorry, but compared to the happy, wholesome Obama family, Newt Gingrich is just a cranky slimeball. I can’t wait to watch apparatchiks like Hannity performing the mental contortions necessary to support Gingrich.

TFRX

I’m waiting for the inevitable media turn when Roger Ailes decides Newt is it. Fox and Rush and sorts will be forced to tell us all that this petulant, condescending toad is acutally the Happy Warrior type, the sunny Reaganesque fellow who (we are endlessly preinformed) makes viewers smile inside when his visage is onscreen.

Or I could just cue up that Simpsons’ episode where Mr. Burns ran for governor.
Gregg

I like Belling a lot when he subs for Rush. You must be in Wisconsin. But I think Newt is the best choice, sue me.
- Patrick
  
  I wondered if anyone would pick up on that. And more power to you; I voted for Nader in 2000, so I know the appeal of a protest vote for a candidate with zero chance of winning office. I regret it to this day, but it felt good at the time.
  - Gregg
    
    I felt exactly the same way with Perot in ’92.
- Modavations
  
  I love Mark Stein,the illegal alien
  - Gregg
    
    Walter Williams is my favorite but Stein’s great.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Newt would be a formidable candidate because he’s a excellent debater and of his ability to spin his negatives into positives. But Gringich has soooooo much baggage he has to scare the Big Money interests in the GOP. They have to be scared he’s going to go down in the flames of his own hypocrisy.

Michiganjf

Continetti is such a super-partisan hack… why do you keep inviting him on for commentary?

You might as well invite Michael Steele for his rambling RNC-advertisement perspective.

… or maybe change the show’s name to “What’s the Point.”

TFRX

I don’t even know if I trust his political compass. In an age where Reagan is the right-wing’s polestar, he’s saying Republicans are all hept up about Newt because he can go into the arena and win a “debate” with Obama.

First, everything that’s been called a debate this year is just a pep rally.

Second, it takes a lot of something to totally ignore Gingrich’s personality. He’s not the second coming of Will Rogers, fergawdsakes.
- Freedlinskip
  
  Now that Gingrich is more in the limelight, his inconsistencies and checkered past will gain more attention and he’ll go down in a ball of fire like the rest of the goofy Republican field.
  
  HEY how bout the media focus on Romney for a little- Just for a change of pace??
Drew You Too

NICE!

:’)
Anonymous

Please have Herman Cain as a conservative panelist after his candidacy ends. He’d be much more entertaining.
- TFRX
  
  But on radio, an open mic sounds like dead air without the entertainment of watching someone grasping for an answer for 60 seconds.
  
  Are we willing to bet that Libya isn’t the only subject he can’t speak on extemporaneously?
  - Anonymous
    
    I’m waiting for him to comment on whether pizza should count as a vegetable or not for school lunches.
    - TFRX
      
      Love the “long game”–I didn’t think about that!
      
      How do we know he isn’t playing “deep cover” for Godfather’s still?

We Love Jack!

Jackie,

I always thought it was pronounced Jack Bead-ie not Jack Bat-ey, we love when Jacks on and would hate for him to run north for NH upset if his name was pronounced wrong, haha. Happy Friday!

We Love Jack!

Oh no we lost Jack! Haha, I was right!
- Drew You Too
  
  Guess it was just a coincidence he got dropped right when he was about to rip into Good Ol’ Gingrich. Please come back to work Tom.

Anonymous

No Republicans want Newt. He’s just the latest Romney alternative as about 80% of the Republicans prefer another candidate to the inevitable Romney. They are running out of options though as all of the candidates are flawed.

Bruce

It is quite a spectacle watching the GOP dredging for bottom feeders as an alternative to Romney the Chameleon.

Tina

Please don’t ignore the contribution that many realty firms made to increasing house prices. They often had family members sit on houses with radically higher asking prices than the price of houses in that market until someone (usually from away) bought at that high price, thus raising the “comps” (comparables) on all the houses in that neighborhood. They had other tactics they used, as well, including often aiding developers in finding “tear downs” which were usually replaced by McMansions.

Anonymous

Newt is a futurist in the same way the Islamists use modern technology to spread their backwards ideas.

TFRX

Hey, at least Arabian Islamists gave us algebra, which was futuristic at the time. What futuristics did Newt ever provide which wasn’t in one of his awful novels?
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  Hey, I actually read one of those awful novels!
  - TFRX
    
    I hope it wasn’t one with a sex scene. Thanks for “taking one for the team”.

Anonymous

Newt’s second wife, Marianne blew the whistle
on Newt in this interview, where she talks about learning of his affair with
staffer, now wife #3 Callista::

He asked her to just tolerate the affair, an
offer she refused.

He’d just returned from Erie, Pennsylvania,
where he’d given a speech full of high sentiments about compassion and family
values.

The next night, they sat talking out on their
back patio in Georgia. She said, “How do you give that speech and do what
you’re doing?”

“It doesn’t matter what I do,” he
answered. “People need to hear what I have to say. There’s no one else who
can say what I can say. It doesn’t matter what I live.”

“He believes that what he says in public
and how he lives don’t have to be connected,” she says. “If you
believe that, then yeah, you can run for president.”

http://www.esquire.com/print-this/newt-gingrich-0910?page=all

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

The picture painted in that article is Newt is a classic sociopath.
- Drew You Too
  
  If the straight jacket fits…

EricA

Continetti shouldn’t get away with perpetrating the myth that Fannie and Freddie caused the housing meltdown. To the extent that lending practices were responsible, it was the subprime liars’ loans bundled into securities by big wall street banks, that caused it. Fannie and Freddie were not permitted to purchase the worst subprime mortgages.

Fannie and Freddie were overleveraged and faked their accounting, and failed when the meltdown occurred, but were not responsible for the housing bubble that caused it.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

The Orwellian Right NEEDS to blame Fannie and Freddie, and minorities getting “liar loans” because they are desperate to keep the spotlight off THEIR contributions: banking/commodity deregulation and Bush’s own Ownership Society promotion of loose lending. If there were problems with Fannie and Freddie, Bush had SEVEN YEARS to bring them to heal. But it was the GOP in Congress that thwarted reforms that clearly Bush didn’t want that badly. That has to be swept under the rug and Barney Frank was made to be uber-powerful bogyman. �
�
The Right shows NO second thoughts or remorse over THEIR roll in the Crash of 08… which means if allowed to again have power, they’ll do it all again… only next time it’ll be on steroids.
- Modavations
  
  Mr Ultrax,Orwell is the Right.Orwellian right, is a redundency.Just say Orwellian.
  George Orwell::::
  England is the only great country whose Intelligentsia are ashamed of their own nationality.They get their cuisine from Paris and their politics from Moscow”.
  
  Switch the words Intelligentsia,with Progressive.This is the way he would feel.
  - fredlinskip
    
    Must admit Mr Moda, I have not researched or am thoroughly familiar with meaning of “Orwellian Right” although I think intuitively get the gist.
    To me this is in reference to such things as when certain media outlets confidently report untruth as truth (ever watch Fox or listen to rush). “Doublespeak” (from 1984) is language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses the meanings of words.
    GOP seems to have mastered the practice of catchy phrases. “War on Terror”, “Patriot Act”, “Clean Air Act” (which means lowering pollution standards). You’re “socialist” if you support anything that might be the benefit of “we the people” as opposed “we the wealthy corporate interest”.
    Animal farm quote ” All animals (humans) are equal, but some are more equal then others” has some relevence as well.
    But I don’t want to get to philosophical on y’all.
    Perhaps Ultrax (or someone else) will put 2 cents in and offer a brief expleenation at some point.
- Frendlinskip
  
  I sort of thought “it” was on steroids the first time around.
mary elizabeth.

Thanks for putting forth a truth that has been well documented, yet still goes unchallanged in some of the media, thus hindering the public from getting behind reform of the most guilty players.

mary elizabeth.

Perhaps I missed it, but there should be an entire show about the influence of unelected Grover Norquist and the strange allegiance elected members of Congress have to his demands.
This week a group representing two hundred multimillionaires went before Congress and the Super Committee demanding that their taxes be raised to before the Bush tax cuts. One commented that the amount would be like a fly to them. It would be hardly noticed.
Norquists reply was that they are free to cut their own check to the government. One of the group remanded that a government cannot be run on voluntary contributions.
It is mindboggling that one citizen has so much influence and this influence is so far reaching and intractable.�
Members of Congress that have signed his pledge should be made ineligible for public office and voted out.
It renders them beholden to something other than the American people.L
It should be major issue in the Presidental campaign

Gregg

Unless I’m missing something, Norquist is a lobbyist with a constituency and a widely accepted view on taxes. What’s to stop Warren Buffett from getting Democrats to sign a pledge to raise taxes? I mean besides a lack of support. It wouldn’t bother me even if those 200 multimillionaires you mention were behind it. It’s Democracy in action.

What do you suspect? Spell it out and connect the dots for my feeble mind.
- TFRX
  
  Love the false equivalence.
  
  Feeble mind, indeed.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Everyone has to specialize in something!
- mary elizabeth.
  
  But Warren Buffet has not asked Democrats to sign a pledge. Nor would he ever; nor would Dems hopefully sign on to something so
  soul and mind binding. If so, they should be inelligible for public office.
  - Gregg
    
    But isn’t it just a good idea with support? Was the “Contract with America” any different? Are you saying the pledge crosses some line. Where is it? I guess I see where you are coming from but I still don’t understand where you are going. What is the dastardly scheme behind Mr. Norquist’ influence and how is it manifested?
    - mary elizabeth.
      
      “The guy that shot at the White House is supposed to be as OWSER”
      Since when was part of the OWS plea a desire to see President Obama killed? The person thinks he is Jesus Christ and Obama the anti christ. He seemed to care little about the decline of the USA.
    - Gregg
      
      He was a certified bozo and not typical of ANY group.
    - mary elizabeth.
      
      It crosses the line in that it makes Congress, elected by the people, beholden to an ideologue, not the ever changing needs of a democratic society It binds them to an impossible dream. It does not allow for honest deliberation and sometimes rational compromise for the common good. It is not much different than being under the thumb of a tyrant. Just for starters.
    - Gregg
      
      Well, thanx for the discussion but I think it’s a stretch. I don’t understand why the pledge is all that binding. The only price to pay would be in the currency public opinion and that can swing both ways. I don’t think Mr. Norquist has all that much influence. I believe the signers were willingly exploiting his constituency and didn’t need their arms twisted.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  You’re ignoring the issue of why should ANY pledge to a third party be more important than a canidate’s oath of office? If GOP politicians swear allegiance to the Constitution then they are swearing to uphold Congress’s freedom/responsibility to raise taxes for defense and the general welfare. ARTICLE 1, sec 8 states:The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States;
- Anonymous
  
  The problem is that it directly conflicts with their constitutional duties regarding taxation. Anyone who signs the Norquist pledge has clearly stated their repudiation of their sworn duty to our country. That’s called traitorous in my book.
  - Gregg
    
    Maybe I stand corrected. What exactly are the “Constitutional duties regarding taxation”?
    - Anonymous
      
      I’m referring to Article 8 of the US Constitution which sets forth Congress’ duty to tax, borrow, spend for the general welfare of the country. One can parse the words, but swearing you will never raise taxes certainly limits your ability to meet these obligations.
    - Gregg
      
      I will check it out but I’m skeptical. If you are going for the welfare clause, it’s shakey. I’m also not sure about the word “duty” and “Promote” is a different concept than “Provide”. I may be jumping the gun I don’t want to put words in your mouth but I’m on it. Thanks.
    - Gregg
      
      There is no “duty” to tax in the Constitution.

Anonymous

Matt Continetti, you forgot to mention that the mandate was originally a Republican idea and that Mitt Romney’s Romneycare was the model for Obama’s plan.

Wes, Cambridge, MA

The Supercommittee has the wrong mission. The elite, the 1%, is dictating to the majority of Americans, the 99%, against the better judgement of most economists, to cut federal spending at a time when we need the government to step in and invest in creating jobs for 25 million unemployed Americans. Having people working is good for balancing the federal budget. Taxing the wealthy is good for balancing the federal budget. Ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is good for balancing the federal budget.

Anonymous

Soon the GOP will be bringing back Palin for her 15 minutes.

Glenn Koenig

The medical services industry is unsustainable. How can an industry with costs that rise at 2 or 3 times the rate of inflation continue? Forcing the public to continue funding it is sheer foolishness and will turn out to be an economic disaster. Those costs are not just because of inefficiency or uninsured people being treated for free, they are because millions of unnecessary medical services are performed or delivered every year. If you think it’s because of ‘defensive medicine’ or ‘unreasonable jury awards’ that’s wrong, again. It’s because the basic economics of our “fee for service” system means that the industry is inherently rigged to provide more and more services, even if they are not really necessary. It is rigged to actually convince relatively healthy people that they are sicker than they really are, just so that more drugs and services can be sold to them. What we’re looking at here is a vast cultural issue that will never be solved with federal legislation, no matter how ‘earthbreaking’ it may seem.

Glenn Koenig

That occupy wall street sound bite is a terrible example! Most of the people there are non-violent.

Djohnson1

Natalie Wood did not sing “I feel pretty” it was Marni Nixon

TFRX

…and for much of “My Fair Lady” (when we watched Audrey Hepburn) and “The King and I” (when we watched Deborah Kerr).

Glad that she lived long enough to be publicly acknowledged for her works.
WagnerendWood

Something when wrong on that boat

Jsmart

Why are the Repubs/Tea Partiers upset re. requirements for individual purchase of govt health ins when I don’t hear them complain re govt requirement to buy car liability insurance? Also, if Supreme Court says health care requirement is illegal, can I also legally drop my car insurance? Not sure if car ins. is Iowa or federal law.

jo

You are not forced to by a car Einstein.
- Anonymous
  
  I thought the government required you to buy insurance not the cars.
- Anonymous
  
  You don’t have to go to the doctor either.
- Brett
  
  If you’re going to use sarcasm to insult someone about his/her intelligence, at least you ought to use the correct word “buy.” …There’s “by,” “buy” and “bye” and they each mean something different.
- Jsmart
  
  Depends on where you live, where you work, and what public transportation is available.

Katherine Jackson

Bravo Jack and Matt Cooper! As one who was at Foley Square last night, I can tell you it was HUGE!! Estimates range from 20,000 – 30,000! This is not a small group of anything, this is a groundswell that the actual, physical Occupiers, who stayed in Zuccotti Park for 2 months, sparked with their determination. It’s only going to grow! Stay tuned!!!

Markus

I like what the tea party stands for, but also what I think is core to OWS. Hard to see these groups ever getting together because both sides are so polarized against the other. A shame as I don’t think they’re that far apart.

TFRX

The Tea Party, which put up with a lot of stuff about government’s powers, and banksterism, and authority, under GWB all of a sudden decided that so many things were un-put-uppable with once a black Democrat was elected President in 2008.

Fast forward to three years later, and basically the crazies in the Tea Party have driven out the centrists and Blue Dog Democrats. We’re looking at <a href="http://americangrace.org/blog/?p=1649"80% social conservatives. They hate all the groups that far-right-wingers hate.

They are that far apart.

Tina

It is SO disingenuous to mention the Founding Fathers when discussing issues of Equality — they enshrined their horrific concepts about race and slavery in the Constitution! Please! They are an albatross around our national neck! The Founders would not even allow that African-Americans, who built the country!, were human. Please! WHY would the guest try to take his abstract concept to us within this context?!?

Tina

P.S. We need to think for ourselves while HAVING this albatross around our national neck, not genuflect in front of the Founders!
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  Without a doubt the Constitution had some elements of the Enlightenment, but it also set the dysfunctional politics of 1787 in cement, creating a virtually reform proof system which demographic trends are making more and more anti-democratic. We developed a secular religion that makes it sacrilege to critique those politics and the system it created. We sweep under the rug all the dysfunctionalities of the system at our own peril.
  - Tina
    
    Thanks, ulTRAX!
Anonymous

You have hit the nail on the head with the so-called “original intent” fools, led by justices who, if our founders intent was actually honored, probably wouldn’t even be citizens let alone Supreme Court Justices.

Thomas P

Well, we see what side Jacki Lyden is on now, don’t we? Where is Tom?

Tina

Tom announced that he would be out for awhile. I think he said it was a squeaky joint; I might have heard that part wrong, though. I’ll go ahead and wish his All The Best again!!!
- Tina
  
  “him”, not “his”
- Tina
  
  ooops: “him” not “his”

Frickinducky

I have been waiting for The occupy movement since the 80s. Access to resources is a human rights issue. Human rights may not have been on the mind of the framers, but neither was women’s lib.

Tina

“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. I ought to look up whether that phrase is from the Declaration of Independence or from the Constitution (I always forget), but I’m rushing right now. Anyway, doesn’t LIFE include access to health care, to a healthy environment, etc.? I sure think it does! Even in the Eighteenth Century, it could have meant these things, within the context of their contemporary medical and environmental understanding. There IS another phrase within the Constitution (altho I forget it) that suggests the same thing (sorry to be so vague: rushing, as I said). I HOPE that this will be argued as the new health care system goes before the Supreme Court!!

David from Lowell

the main thrust of the Occupy protests are not to ensure economic re-distribution as your guest claims, but to end the massive crony corruption in Wall Street, which actually thwarts true capitalism.

Drew You Too

Please get better soon Mr. Ashbrook and return to work as soon as possible.

Noah

On the point of money equality and human equality. Please don’t forget that yesterday’s show revealed just how much power is coupled with money in Washington D.C. According to comments on today’s show our founding fathers put the government in place to ensure the equality of people within our great nation. However, if big business, and large corporations have access to tremendous amounts of money (the the 99% don’t have) and there is no limit to their spending on politics (or transparency), and (going back again to yesterday’s show) this buys them a tremendous amount of influence in Washington, then it is valid to craddle the discussion in terms of the economic disparity, because that equates to disparities in political power, which winds up being inequality for citizens. If you fix that relationship, then you don’t have to couch the discussion in economic terms.

Tina

I didn’t look it up until after the show, but that guest’s paper is in the Rupert Murdoch stable of enterprises, according to Wikipedia. So….

Janice

Wow, Jackie, stop beating up the people who are calling in to disagree and why defend your guests so vociferously. Not cool. Thanks to those who called in to set the record straight on Occupy.

Larry

You took the words out of my mouth. Continetti is entitled to his opinions without Lyden defending him AGAINST callers with different points of view. VERY disappointed in the show. Bring back Ashbrook with a willingness to hear all sides!

Wes, Cambridge, MA

When money is defined as a form of free speech in a democracy, only when people have equal money, can people truly have free speech and democracy flourish. In the absence of equal money, the people must take extraordinary means to truly express themselves in a visible way. Therefore tents and sleeping bags are now also a form of free speech.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Democracy is NOT the market. In the market, property called money rules. In a democracy, the voice of every citizen rules. To allow those with money to buy influence in a democracy is to destroy the integrity of that democracy.
- Wes, Cambridge, MA
  
  I think you misunderstand me. I am not advocating that money be a form of free speech. It is the Supreme Court that defined money as a form of free speech. I agree with you. Money should be taken out of the picture. Unfortunately, at the moment, money is very influential. Some people, the 1%, literally are buying the marketplace of ideas by buying the media and buying influence through lobbyists. Therefore anyone who cannot afford to buy airtime must take extraordinary means to be heard. Hence, sleeping bags and tents in Occupy Wall Street, are expressions of free speech.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    What did I write that made you believe I was disagreeing with you? I just stated the case in a different way.
    - Wes, Cambridge, MA
      
      When you said “Democracy is NOT the market,” I thought you disagreeing with me with the word “NOT”, in all caps, like yelling. Thanks for clarifying it for me.
    - TruthSquad
      
      isn’t “yelling” only when an entire post is in caps?

Robert Riversong

If Matt Continetti believes that the Founders advocated only generic equality and not income redistribution, he clearly hasn’t finished his research (or has cherry-picked his sources).
Thomas Paine, in his final pamphlet Agrarian Justice, advocated an inheritance tax to fund a stipend for every youth entering adulthood, a pension for the elderly and support for the blind and the lame. He proposed America’s first comprehensive social security program.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

We can’t go by what some of the Framers believed in just what was written into the Constitution. Otherwise we’d have to give credence to all those who claim the US was founded as a Christian nation even if the Constitution is entirely secular. So more interesting is Madison’s attempt in the First Congress to pass a tax on shipping tonnage to fund light houses and hospitals for disabled seamen… or Hamilton’s 1791 plan to use tariffs on imports to subsidize American industry. That failed but NOT because it was thought unconstitutional.. but because of regional north/south antagonisms.
- Modavations
  
  The Constitution is an evolving document!!!!
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Name ONE of the core anti-democratic features of the Constitution that has EVER been reformed in the past 220 years.
    
    Even expanding voting rights to ex-slaves, women, and 18 year olds didn’t change the anti-democratic nature of the Constitution.
    
    Just one example: the amendment forumula allows a mere 3.8% of the population in the 12 smallest states to block ANY reform. THIS S INSANE.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Four days and all I hear is crickets.
      
      The answer to the question: “Name ONE of the core anti-democratic features of the Constitution that has EVER been reformed in the past 220 years.” is, of course, NONE have been reformed.
  - Fredlinskip
    
    Yeah, and it “evolved” a whole lot in the wrong direction under W!
    - BestWquote
      
      Don’t forget – ‘It’s just a piece of paper.’
- Fredlinskip
  
  I believe researching and discussing the founders beliefs, before and after the constitution’s ratification IS a relevent discussion. Just so long as you just don’t cherry pick from your favorite “founder”, but try and get a feel for some of their often divergent views.

Scott B., Jamestown NY

On OWS: It’s not capitalism they’re protesting, it’s **bad capitalism**. When lobbyists and business are so interwoven it’s far beyond just the foxes guarding the hen house, but building the hen house, providing the materials, and selecting the juiciest chickens and best laying hens.�
The OWS movement isn’t that far off from the original Tea Party idea in that the Tea Party saw it as a failure of government, whereas the OWS movement sees it as a failure of fair capitalism, and the missing leg or the “truth triangle” is that they’re both right.�
The problem with the OWS movement, as I see it, is that while I admire their want for a peoples’ democracy, without a leadership and aganeda or some kind, it is a form or anarchy; and those that would pooh-pooh it will focus on the fringe elements such as those causing destruction and near riots on Oakland, the incessant drum circles and “hippies”, and every crackpot and far, far left agenda such as elimination of males.
It’s time they get beyond jazz-fingers and cardboard signs and pick an agenda; and to do so without getting co-opted like the Tea Party did.

Scott B, Jamestown NY

My apologies for the many typos in my statements today, but I’m trying to get my thoughts down while, at the same time, being nurse and waiter to my 4 year old who has a cold.

Sam A.

Occupy NPR!

Modavations

righteous.
Is Tom A. a 1%er?
- Tina
  
  Tom is one of the best journalists out there. We’ve heard him be incredibly compassionate as well as completely fair-minded. He can be serious or enlivened by humor. What causes you to ask if he is a 1%er?
  - Sorrytina
    
    His income over $350,000 per year perhaps?

Brett

So, two sound bites from Occupiers, one on air, one from FB, and Lyden uses two that have “smash it” in their message…Anthony Burgess is delighting from his grave. Between those and the original photo up this morning, On Point has decided to make OWS’rs out to be like ‘Little Alex’ in A Clockwork Orange.

Modavations

Brother Brett,they are rather rag-tag.Did you see the photos of all the syringes, the clean up crew found ,after cleaning Zucotti(?).The guy who shot at the White House is supposed to be a OWSer.The mayor of Oakland(?) said there were murders.I’m an old hand at rioting,and these guys are much more virulent, then us”old timers”.
- Anonymous
  
  1. There was a report that he was near the Occupy DC protest, not that he was part of the group. I know it’s hard, but try at least to use, you know, facts.
  
  2. Even if he had been camping out with OWS, to my knowledge they don’t screen people for ideological purity before allowing them in. It doesn’t say anything about OWS if some of the people who latch on are nutjobs. Shall we characterize all of the Tea Party by its absolute worst elements?
  - Leatherstocking
    
    “Shall we characterize all of the Tea Party by its absolute worst elements?”
    I thought that was a given here.
- Anonymous
  
  He was dressed entirely in Koch Industries made clothing. Seems suspicious.
GoodCall

Way to go Brett – I noticed the ‘smash it’ too. Isolating the message ‘propaganda style’.

NPR keeping it – “National Polite Republican”

Ozzie1313

Jacki, I felt exasperated with your anger-edged defense of Continetti. Obviously, he represents a conservative purview, that is how he gets paid. Callers stating we need a different paradigm should not be rudely dismissed by you: You are a moderator, not a defender of a poltical skew. You seem much better suited to present topics such as in today’s 2nd hour. You allowed a gentleman to complete an illogical, inchoate argument blaming the government for income disparity without interruption. NPR/PBS are a lifeblood for me, increasing elitist encroachment is dissafecting.

Modavations

There were 3 Lefties and Mr.Continetti.With half his brain tied behind his back,comported himself,admirably.
- Anonymous
  
  He’s got both the ignorance and anger components of right wing speechifying down pat. And your ears hear the proverbial dog whistle.
- DeModavations
  
  J. Edgar – Too bad you don’t have half-a-brain.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Modavations 8 minutes ago in reply to FAX68 When I was a kid, we used to knaw on the window sills.They were all lead and we all turned out just fine.I’ve been to Cebu three times.As Paul Harvey used to say, and that’s the REST of the story!
Heaviest Cat

Thank you for this, Ozzie. I sense that I was the caller ,she “took issue” with. When I said “we know who he serves” the Weekly Standard is just what I had in mind. I also feel that since even before 9/11 nPR has been lurching towards Wall St. , madison ave and the Pentagon it’s claims of “indpendnet journalism ” notwithstanding. Jacki proved a prime example of that today.
- Ozzie1313
  
  Glad for your response. Elitists tend to co-opt liberal causes, sort of an excuse mechanism for their “better than,” comfy lives. They do all the right things and have all the right opinions, but never get dirty. I agree with you that this permeates NPR, not PBS so much. The 99% is about blood and guts, it is very real. I am 60 and feel proud of the millennials who are standing up. I have gone to Boston to participate and hope the movement does not fade. Larch marches might be a way of getting more people invovled versus camping. And I love the world citizen mentality that I find in the Occupy movement. This is about disenfrachised people everywhere.
  - Heaviest Cat
    
    I’m 60 ,too Ozzie .and I went to Boston for the Occuaption also. There is hope.
- Tina
  
  RE: “npr has been lurching towards Wall Street”: To my ears, not always by a long shot, but way too often. What I dislike the most is when guests on the Right spout complete falsehoods, and NPR hosts don’t challenge the falsehoods and/or misrepresentations. A different opinion CAN be challenged under these circumstances while still providing equal time.
Anonymous

Jacki can’t expect to be taken seriuously a serious moderator when she first lets The Affordable Health Care Act be referred to as “Obamacare” without correction, and then getting miffed when someone points out that a guest has rightwing views.

Maybe she should stick with such riveting topics as Slam Poetry and Foraging. I won’t be listening to any more programs with her as moderator, that’s for sure.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68

The OWS protestors is mixture of Malay, Madrid and Madison Avenue.

Modavations

I do feel however,that it is orchestrated by the Socialist-Communists and I smell the White House(Andy Stern)
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
  
  I asked a OWS protestors last that she’s fighting for her pet’s food from contamination from lead and other protestors is fighting for rights about gay marriage and the list goes on.
  - Modavations
    
    When I was a kid, we used to knaw on the window sills.They were all lead and we all turned out just fine.I’ve been to Cebu three times.
    - Anonymous
      
      “we all turned out just fine”
      
      I’m going to ignore this beautifully teed-up ball. Cheers!
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      So THAT’S what happened to you. We’ve all been wondering.

Scott B, Jamestown NY

Health care:

The Right keeps talking about how most people choose not to have insurance, and while it’s true that many are healthy young people that don’t think they need it, many (if not most) simply can’t afford it, especially not when premiums raise by 2 and 3 times the rate of the cost of ling. Wellpoint jacked up premiums by +60%, sometimes as much at 75%, for many people in California. How does someone working way too hard for minimum wage pay that and pay the rent or mortgage, feed their family, or provide any other necessities?
The unemployed can buy COBRA insurance, but the rates for the, even after the adjustments made, as still prohibitive for someone that’s getting a fraction or what they were earning, and COBRAS would take a significant chunk of that unemployment check. I can attest to that personally in that my wife and I were unemployed and she had the only job that would let us buy into COBRA. In the little over $800 a month she received, COBRA would have taken well over $600 a month.

Currently I’m on Medicaid, and thankful for that as without it I’d be in, at best poor shape, and at worst dead, from the cancer I had. If I find a job I’d be very happy to pay Medicaid to let me stay on it. Why the right can’t grasp the word “option” in “public option” I don’t know? But I would suggest they look it up. Or better, make them live like the 99% and see how far that paycheck goes to affordable insurance.

TFRX

Remember the GOP debate question from the “mainstream press” guy? He asked what to do about a 30 year old in a good job who had a stroke, and no health insurance.

Think of that: Millions of people who dare not switch jobs because the health insurance is the least worst right now, and the GOP gets some unicorn and elves fantasy “question” about a “healthy 30-y.o. with a good job which doesn’t come with health insurance”.

Talk about detached from reality.

Somehow I don’t think any GOP debate organizers will be beating a path to your door for your questions.
Drew You Too

Great comment. Ah yes, good old COBRA. Forget the anagram and just go with your gut instinct on how this short term gap filler got it’s name. Live in a Right To Work (which actually translates into Right To Fire) State and find yourself unemployed and unable to draw unemployment benefits and watch what one bite from COBRA can do to your life. Everything will wind up as Pre-Existing and you’ll never know Health Care again.
Tina

And WHY in the world are for-profit companies in the mix?! CVS/Caremark just made a profit that was announced on the radio. They manage the distribution of workers’ prescription benefits, including for some public sector workers. WHY are already stressed municipalities aligning with FOR-PROFIT health care management companies? I worked in non-profit organizations for decades (not in health care, tho): we made our wages or salaries and the rest of any monies went back into the organization. Why is THAT not the paradigm for health care management? I personally believe that a single-payer system within the government could best contain the costs of MANAGEMENT: but, now the cost goes to high salaries for private corporation CEOs AND for profits that GIVE money to dividend holders!!!! I truly don’t get it, and I truly do NOT think that President Obama sold single-payer in clear economic terms like my points here.
- Scott B, Jamestown NY
  
  I don’t have a problem with profit if they can provide actual health care at a decent rate, and encourage competition. But they don’t.
  
  Wellpoint’s CEO got hauled in front of Congress and she made her case that they had to raise rates because of increasing costs, to which some on the panel asked if that increased cost was for her $7 MILLION per year salary increase (on top of what she was already making, as well as the salary increases for other top execs that added additional millions)? If memory serves me right, she mumbled and stumbled over her answer.
  
  Those on the right would have people believe the US has the best health care in the world. We do if you have trauma or need a transplant. But the WHO lists us in high 20′s for overall health care.
  
  Those on the right would also have people believe that your healthcare is between you and your doctor. It’s not. All those extra test every agrees just add to costs are because the doctors are afraid NOT to do them for fear that they’ll be sued. In the same turn, they can only run the tests, and treatments, those same insurance companies approve of, and those insurance companies don’t have kindly old doctors doling out approvals. They have bean counters looking at bottom lines. So who’s the real “death panel”: The doctor with the M.D., trained to make a medical decision whether a test or treatment is unnecessary? Or is it the bean counter with the M.B.A. that sees dollar signs flying out the window and who’s medical knowledge consists of knowing the the difference between and oral thermometer and a rectal one is the taste?
  - Tina
    
    One CVS Caremark booklet actually says, “we provide education to doctors”!!!
    
    I shared a chemo treatment room this week with a woman who has Stage 4 (the final stage) cancer that has spread to her bones. She has no health insurance. I believe that our State will help her with the expense of her cancer fighting medications, but will it help her with her pain meds? IF she is lucky enough to respond well to the cancer fighting meds, Stage 4 is still this: treatable, but not curable. Will she possibly wind up alive but unable to afford her pain control prescriptions? This must also be a troubling prospect for thousands of other Americans.

Brett

How ’bout a Gingrich-Cain presidency? Cain could make the pizzas, and Newt could chomp ‘em on down! …[player piano] ‘Mister we could use a man like William Taft again…’

Ron

While Jacki Lyden was so busy defending Matt Continetti from being mis-characterized, she missed challenging him on a variety of issues, including his assertion that the Occupy movements’ focus on income inequality is missing the more important foundational point about our equality based on being human. He also implied that the Founders never meant to determine outcomes by social engineering, etc., while ignoring that the Founders never envisioned the outsized role and influence of bankers and the finance industry (who have such an impact on our public life and well-being.) The Founders were also chary of corporations, and suspicious of vast accumulations of wealth which could lead to entrenched aristocratic privilege. The new awareness being promoted by the Occupy movements pertains to our democratic system being corroded, and rigged by the role of money in politics. It highlights the disproportionate influence of wealth and connection on public policy; i.e., the continual deference to policies that favor the top .01%. It refreshes issues such as the revolving door between Congress and the lobbying industry, other factors which have enriched our elected representatives and made them much more simpatico with the super-wealthy, and the tax codes written to favor such people and corporations by those representatives. Matt Continetti is dismissive of the Occupy movement, which challenges the misguided view that corporations are people, and the outsized empowering of their freedom of speech. The ability of the super-wealthy to access media and otherwise influence public opinion is well beyond that of us ordinary, equal, human beings. I believe that Tom Ashbrook may have been more willing to raise these kind of challenges.

Anonymous

Matt Continetti’s lack of historical knowledge demonstrates why Newt clearly deserved $1.6 million to be an historian for Freddie Mac.
Michiganjf

Nicely put, Ron.

The most obvious problem with corporations being considered as equivalent to people in terms of speech (and thus influence), is that CORPORATIONS DON”T DIE… their influence is thus unlimited, even by natural demise, which means corporations influence, power, and wealth can simply continue to grow indefinitely.

… no individual person has the advantage of immortality, impressing their interests on the world multigenerationally… the only equivalent I can draw to that kind of influence and power, as pertains to real people, is dynastic rule!!!

Is that the privelege corporations deserve??!!!
The influence and power once enjoyed by kings or emperors, handed down from father to son and kept perennially in the “family,” to impose their interests on the public generationally??!!!

Well, that dynastic uber-status is EXACTLY what the conservative Roberts Court has bestowed upon corporations!

Modavations

Today I will count the amount of names and or,snarkisms” Mr.Ultrax dispenses.They just did a blurb on NPR news ,about the rampant Bullying ,on the internet.I have always considered it a mark of the intellectually challenged

Patrick

Wow. What would it be like to have so little self-awareness?

It’s a fascinating thought experiment, like wondering what it would be like to be a bat. Not the flying mammal with the echolocation, mind you, but a blunt wooden tool.
- Modavations
  
  Rarely,I repeat rarely,will I call the person I am anwering ,a name.A personal slight
  - Patrick
    
    I’m sorry, I thought you were objecting to snark. That really blew my mind.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Moda, you are SO unaware of your own hypocrisy there have been forums where you’re protesting name calling even as you’re doing it. But then what can we expect from someone who protests the national debt even as he APPROVES of Bush’s tax cuts which sabotged debt paydown.
    - Gregg
      
      I also try never to call commenters names when debating but replying to you falls into a different category, pickles.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Greggy, Greggy, Greggy… didn’t you learn ANYTHING in school? Or were you absent that decade?
      
      Proper nicknames begin with capital letters.
      
      We won’t ask just what the association is for you.
Constapations

Your obvious obliviousness of your own acerbic treatment and general animosity towards other commentators is astounding and further confirms a personality disorder.

Anonymous

Am I the only one struck by the incongruity of beefing up our military presence in response to a fear of China one week before we celebrate what has become a national holiday of lining up to buy crap from China, much of it by Americans whose jobs have been outsourced to China, to fund China’s ability to strengthen itself economically and militarily?

FrackinAusies

We are not there because of just China, that’s the diversion.

We are there for the frackin’ and training the Ausies and their 8 ports how to protect themselves from their natives and the people protesting it. (It’s too expensive to be using private armies.)

You see, it seems the government stole the peoples land and now will ruin the water table of multiple pristine regions.

Sound familiar?

Yes, and of course to keep an eye on China while they do their own under sea exploration for their own frackin’.

Modavations

We are paying 457billion in interest on the debt.I’m , is guard the gates and create a business environment.They are referees.I will go for a tax hike,if and only if,it is used exclusively to reduce the debt.The P.Office is going broke over 6 Billion bucks.NASA went out over 15 Billion.The debt is ghastly and will grow.

Modavations

Should read::
We are paying 457 billion interest on the debt(this year alone). I’m for the sequester.I’m for sequestration for the next 5 years,or until the debt, is 3% of GDP.The job of govt.is to guard the gates.They are referees…….
- nj
  
  It should read $454.4 billion. Still wrong, but at least your close this time.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Actually Moda was making a claim about THIS year’s interest… and we’re only 1.5 months into the new fiscal year.
    
    But then if he doesn’t know the difference between deficit and debt, why should he know anything about fiscal vs calendar years.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  I won’t hold my breath. Nutty Right wingers always think the solution to the terrible mess the Right made is letting the Right have more of its way.
  
  But then the Right encourages that destructive thinking. If they undercut the working class with free trade while targeting unions, and wages predictably fall… the Right will never say, oops, sorry about that… we’ll reverse course. Instead they’ll target public employees as being some privileged class of workers sucking the life out of taxpayers.
  
  It’s the perfect race to the bottom… and the Right has to be looking at itself in amazement that they pulled it off, and realizing how utterly stupid Americans are.
  - William
    
    Well…the facts indicate that the public sector unions are sucking the life out of the taxpayers. The left is unable to come to the table and recognize that times have changed and drastic spending cuts need to be made now.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Public sector benefits should be actuarially sound. If they are not, they need to be brought in line.
      
      But the public sector was always paid less for job security and benefits. What’s happened the last 30 years is the bottom has dropped out from beneath the private sector.
      
      There are two solutions. 1: to bring back up the private sector, 2: to drag down the public sector.
      
      It’s clear your prefer the politics of resentment to the politics of prosperity and are willing to chop off your nose to spite your face. In the mean time your Right wing overlords are laughing all the way to the bank… they conned another dimwit with a phony wedge issue.
    - William
      
      Of course, push the private sector into many public sector union jobs. Why not? Many if not all jobs could be done by the private sector in a more efficient and cost efficient manner. Your desire to live in the past and support failed and corrupt public sector unions is amazing.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Yet you SUPPORTED the irresponsible Bush tax cuts WHICH SABOTAGED DEBT PAYDOWN!!!

Are there any intelligent right wingers out there?
- Modavations
  
  Move into the future lad.We all agree he was a disaster
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Pathetic deflection. As we know the irresponsible Bush tax cuts are still with us as is that $5 TRILLION in Bush debt. If not for that Bush debt, where would the GOP’s fiscal case against Obama be if we were at 10 trillion in debt instead of 15?
  - Constapations
    
    Agreed? Must of missed that post. More revisionism.
- Modavations
  
  Incorrect sir.You take too much for granted.This is known as Parochialism
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    OK Moda… here’s your chance: go on record NOW saying that the Bush tax cuts… made while we were SIX TRILLION in debt, were a mistake… and if they were a mistake, why should we not try to recoup that lost revenue?
    - WI Liberal
      
      In a perfect world, we’d be looking at the Reagan era tax cuts and credits and moving forward from their in correcting the imbalance of wealth in our nation.
    - LookingBack
      
      Don’t forget the great usurping of our regulatory agencies by the cronies who controlled Ronny.
      
      De-regulation is what allows corporations to run roughshod over our Republic.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Actually I’m all in favor of going back to the 1981 Reagan ERTA tax levels for 10-15 years to recoup revenue that should never have been lost to the irresponsible Bush tax cuts. Just letting them isn’t enough.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Moda finds even NEWER ways to demonstrate his ignorance. You might want to look up what parochialism means before venturing a definition.
- Anonymous
  
  No apparently there are none. Well David Stockman is one.
  The late Bob Dole was another.
  - Gregg
    
    Did Bob Dole die? How did I miss that?
  - Anonymous
    
    Dole isn’t dead.
Constapations

Essential public services and government sponsored research – sounds more like an asset to me. Take your finger out.

Modavations

How many years have we been waiting for the Maxine Waters ethics trial(2 yrs.?)

Modavations

I was listening to Howie Carr yesterday and his regular,Steve from Montreal,used the word Troll.I opened my dictionary of “Leftist” Gobble de Gook” and there are 4 pgs. devoted to the word Troll.What’s the fascination guys.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Want a more concise definition of the term troll?

Look in the mirror Moda!
Anonymous

That you’re a prime example of one. A troll by any other name is but a troll.

Modavations

Short shift for me today,kids.I’m off to Manhattan,the “Center of the Universe”,to see DeKooning.Who is De Kooning(no cheating now)?

Tina

An Abstract Expressionist. One of his paintings just slid off the canvas because of his radical use of the paint (i.e., probably not fat over lean), even though the painting had been purchased for millions of dollars. Check out The High Line while you’re in Manhattan! Charlie Rose did a piece on it last night!
- Gregg
  
  Nice.
Brett

Mo-D,
I think Tina wins your contest! And, by the sounds of things, she didn’t cheat…what does she win? …Oh, and bon voyage! Now, stay away from the weed and the chicks at OWS while you’re there…
Constapations

Taking advantage of the Target Free Friday afternoons – I thought you were a wealthy wheeler-dealer?

Your patronizing question is another example of your narcissism.
Anonymous

Obnoxious troll.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

This isn’t a Twitter account Moda. No one cares when you go to the gym, an art show, or about your pathetic business. It’s pretty clear if business was good, you wouldn’t have the time to spend here… unless you’re like me who works with PCs and clients on-line.

Modavations

A lady from the New Yorker was on talking about eating wild forage.I used to eat bolied,”Stinging Nettles”.They taste like sh-t, unless you add honey.Why is it that whenever I read the New Yorker,I pass out.Mr.Ultrax,you should apply for a job.They love endless,mind numbing tomes

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

TRANSLATION: Moda refuses to read anything longer than a few sentences and considers his refusal to read what others write as a mark of his superior intellect.

Why he spends so much time in a forum which REQUIRES reading, goes unanswered.
- Modavations
  
  I’m interested in how the enemy thinks.Why should I listen to Rush,I control Rush.Like I said,read the WSJ,then the NYT,then decide
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    I can’t believe you actually READ anything. If so you’d not protest any post here longer than a few lines.
  - Constapations
    
    Great propaganda choices and displaying your obvious narcissism.
  - Anonymous
    
    troll.
  - TruthSquad
    
    yes obvious narcissism. first he claims he taught physics to einstein, now he controls what limbaugh says.
    
    still not back on your meds yet moda?
Anonymous

Forget the nettles, try the toadstools.
Constapations

Maybe you forget to wash your hands after wiping.
Anonymous

This really speaks more to your lack of intellectual prowess than the content of the New Yorker.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

As we look at Newt’s amorality, narcissism, arrogance, and hypocrisy, there’s a larger question about Newt that’s going unexamined: is he a malignant narcissist or a functional psychopath? This article shows some troubling aspects of his personality…This article shows some troubling aspects of his personality…
http://www.esquire.com/print-this/newt-gingrich-0910?page=all

William

What about say, JFK?…he was of “sound mind and body?”….
- TruthSquad
  
  did I miss something? is JFK running?
  
  so typical of a political hack. they are blind to the sociopaths on their own side.
  - William
    
    JFK is the Democratic standard. So typical of a liberal hack.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Gee Billy, YOU have a chance to denounce a real sociopath who’s alive and running for office, and instead you rail against perceived liberal hypocracy while proving your own.
      
      Are there ANY intelligent right wingers out there?

Modavations

Laffer(laffer curve)likes the new Italian guy,Monti

Constapations

Monti is an ex-Communist, that usually strikes your match.
Worried for the country(MA)

Monti is also ex- Goldman Sachs like Jon Corzine.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68

BUDGET WILL BE BALANCE FOR NEXT YEAR. 1.3 Trillion needed for the deadline on Wednesday. Where will they get that money!!!!

75,000 Wall Street employees will be laid off soon. goodluck to us and to our country.

ArnoldWalker

I thought Buffett had this one covered.

Dan Cooper

Although Tom Ashbrook hasn’t seemed to be at maybe his absolute best lately this show demonstrates his value. Ms. Lyden is no doubt a capable host but she just isn’t able to work the callers’ points into the conversation while respecting them in the same way Mr. Ashbrook does.

Louisewoelkers

Exactly my feeling. Tom Ashbrook’s shoes are not easy to fill. I was disappointed with Jacki’s handling of the points callers were making.

Sue

Matt Continetti seems to think OWS is about socialism. It’s not – we don’t want forced income equality, but equality of access and influence over our public officials. They should be working for citizens, not corporations.

ArnoldWalker

Fleabaggers are a nasty mix of communists, anarchists, lackabouts, rapists and other criminals.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68

NEWT will never win the Presidency. it will be Mitt Romney against Obama. Wanna bet?

Gregg

Around this time frame in the 2008 cycle it was a given, Giuliani vs. Hillary.
- PollsLie
  
  Only for the gullible who believe pollsters.
  
  It’s called ‘manufacturing consent’.
WI Liberal

This is my thought as well. In time, the GOP will have to come to stomach the thought of Romney as their candidate because none of the other candidates in this quite “interesting” field would be able to make a credible run against Obama. Newt has little in the way of a ground game, Perry can not express himself well and TX is a mess, Paul is not a true Republican (historically, speaking), Cain is flaming out and Bachmann and Santorum or too extreme in their views. If Romney can just keep himself from making any major gafes, even with his health care reform record, he’ll easily win the nomination.
Fredlinskip

From day 1, GOP race has been between Romney, perhaps Huntsman, and a bunch of goofballs. That should have been obvious.
�
There’s a lot of bluster and some catchy phrases behind many of the candidates- not a heck of a lot of substance.

WI Liberal

Very lame to hear Natalie Wood’s character singing from West Side Story – it wasn’t Wood, it was a singer dubbed to Wood lip syncing.

Alabamapostalworker

Newt is the thinking man’s W.

YouAreRight

And, just as relevant.
ArnoldWalker

When Democrats start thinking, wake me up.
- TruthSquad
  
  ahh, that explains everything. you’ve been posting in your sleep!
  
  maybe you’ll finally make sense when you do wake up.

GMG

As Robert Reich pointed out, income inequality peaked in 1928 and 2007, and the timing of the subsequent crashes is not coincidental:
http://robertreich.org/post/9789891366

Thinking of income inequality as only only a matter of social justice misses a bigger point. Income inequality also causes financial instability.

The reason for a redistributive tax system is not just to be fair, it’s also to help ensure long term prosperity for everyone.

William

But who decides the amount of money to be taken from one person and given to another?
- Fredlinskip
  
  Perhaps researching under what periods in American history seemed to coincide with a strong middle class, healthy infrastructure, quality education available to majority of Americans, low national debt, etc. and then observe what tax policies were in place then might help?? No?
  
  How imbalanced and out of whack does our economy and society have to get before folks realize something ain’t workin’ and we’ve got to try something different.
  We tried deregulation, funding the wealthy, subsidizing wealthy corps. It hasn’t worked.
  Wake up.
  - William
    
    So if we raised taxes back to say, 90 percent, that would bring all the “good times” back? Not likely. You want to get less of something, raise taxes.
    
    This so called “wealth gap” is caused by low taxes or a lack of knowledge by those that are not successful in life. There has been warning from the education system for decades to Americans to get a degree or job skill that is in demand. But, like many other things in life, too many Americans ignore the warning and get a degree in something that just not have any demand or don’t pursue getting a marketable job skill that they can use to get a decent job.
    
    The “system” works fairly well and quickly to weed out the weak and reward the strong.
    
    How does a society survive by punishing success and rewarding failure?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      So in your B&W world there’s only 35% and 90% and nothing in between?
      
      Are there any intelligent right wingers out there?
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  You’re question is a loaded one. Do you mean to do as James Madison proposed back in 1791 to tax shipping tonnage and use some of that money for hospitals for disabled seamen? How about the interstate highway system where the nation subsidized states like Wyoming? Or do you mean Food Stamps? Or are you asking about an outright handout?
  - William
    
    Who makes the choices about taxes? Someone that would be fair or someone that will take “their special interest” into consideration and tax groups or individuals that they think are “too rich”?. Is it fair to have 47 percent of working Americans not paying any federal income tax? Is it fair to have people actually receiving a welfare check in the form of EIC? Do these type of taxing plans create a huge fairness gap? We see the economic disaster in the EU and choose to go down the same path? High taxes, big government just brings on more corruption and economic failure.
- ArnoldWalker
  
  Apparently they want it all so as to feather the social hammock.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Pay no attention to Billy. Even in a rigged market in a crony capitalist system, he’d say it’s a fair arbiter of wealth.

Tompalaska

Jackie Lyden has no business being host of this program. She was nothing but an apologist and defender of Matt Continetti for the entire program today, in the process cutting off callers, mischaracterizing their comments, and being downright rude. She did not allow supporters of OWS an opportunity to counter Continetti’s view of them. Instead of hosting she should be one of your panelists speaking for the right-wing. I tune in to NPR for balanced discussions and not ones manipulated to make the conservative point of view prevail. And while you are at it, find some supporters of the liberal point of view to balance your phalanx of conservatives. The ones on today are pure milquetoast. How could they let Continetti’s claim that the founders were interested in personal equality not social equality go without challenge? For decades government has been in the business of social engineering…engineering inequality by giving the wealthy and corporations advantages that common people don’t get. When people dare to call attention to that like the OWS folks, they are denigrated as riff raff and people without a clear focus. Nowhere on NPR or other media have I heard it discussed that the reason OWS has taken to the parks and streets in such an unconventional, “shocking” manner is that in a political system such as ours that is controlled by big money, there is no other way for those without big money to get their voices heard. Also to deny that your conservative commentator “serves” any faction or point of view like Ms. Lyden did when putting down a caller is disingenuous. You need to be more forthcoming about your commentator’s biases not less. That way listeners can better judge the statements and what motives may be behind them. All in all a very disappointing program but sadly showing a new trend at NPR, pumping up the conservatives to avoid the charge of being liberal. Why not just be even-handed like you used to be?

Scott B, Jamestown NY

People with your point of view are the other side of the coin to those
that feel anything remotely to the left of Fox News is the “liberal
media”, seeing anything to the right of MSNBC as being too far right.

Jackie defended the panel conservative for being conservative and not “in the pocket”, and other terms, used to describe Matt C. by those on the left (far left, IMO), which is her job as a host, and effectively a moderator. Matt is entitled to his opinion, and NPR should be praised for having credible people on both sides of a discussion, unlike, say Fox or MSNBC, and on a regular basis.

There have been many shows on NPR where a person from either side is clearly shilling and repeating talking points ad nauseum, and the hosts are usually very good about shutting them down ASAP.

I’m fairly liberal, btw, and while I didn’t agree with virtually any of the things Matt had to say, I was glad to hear them so that I can better strengthen my view and make better arguments against such views as his.
- Roy Mac
  
  Continetti has been a frequent panelist, as an obnoxious conservative apoligist. There are many conservative observers who would represent that aspect better and more honestly. Why do we never hear from George Will or Christoper Hitchins on On Point? There are surely better representatives than Continetti, who sucks up to Sarah Palin, for God’s sake!
  - Scott B, Jamestown NY
    
    And I believe you two just made my point. If you want to only get your opinions reinforced 24/7 go watch MSNBC.
    
    I used to think that George Will was a smart guy until he started drinking the same “Don’t tax the ‘job creators’, there’s no global warming…” KoolAid the rest of the far right is.
- Zing
  
  Until you get a column or opinion spot on PBS, you’re boring.
  - Zingnut
    
    Zing who are you trying to fool?
    
    Most of us can read the Modavations in every reply of yours.
    
    Why don’t you throw in a few posts as ArnoldWalker to mix it up?
    
    Really enjoyable when you compliment yourself.
  - Alabamapostalworker
    
    You’re boring now!
- libra
  
  agree with your point generally. i’m in the same camp as you describe yourself. still, this eve was not a good example of an evenhanded segment. thank you nevertheless for your manner of contribution.
- Heaviest Cat
  
  ‘both sides”? really? Just where were the progressive left voices today? Don’t worry about conservatives being slighted on “public” radio. the Heritage Foundation, the weekly standard, the American Enterprise institute and other conservtive think tanks have enjoyed far more exposure on “liberal” NPR than any genuinely progressive think tank. Yet it still works for the conservatives to pan NPR as “liberal”.
Yoginiknitting

I found Matt Continetti condescending and rude even to his host on today’s show, and was surprised when Jackie Lyden rudely cut off the caller who wanted to comment on Occupy in order to defend him. I would even posit that defending him was inappropriate, given the nature of the show is generally to provide a forum for debate on the issues of the day. The caller simply stated an opinion, which was no different from what Mr. Continetti was doing repeatedly throughout the show with his guffaws and snorts when genuine questions were raised to him.

Leatherstocking

Obama ♥ the Big Guyshttp://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/obama-big-guys_608006.htmlread and debate…or shoot the messenger…

Leatherstocking

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/obama-big-guys_608006.html

I thought all progressives read and appreciated Small Is Beautiful, Schumacher.

Think Globally, Act Locally?

Artisan, tradesperson economy?

The problem with a true Small and Local Economy, is that it doesn’t allow for big, centralized control of all our lives.

Doesn’t fit the 2-party Corporatist, State Capitalism goals.

I can’t believe OWS isn’t saying Dump Obama and talking 3rd party.

Tsross 07

I found Jackie Lyden’s hosting performance to be distracting from the subject matter.

Janisfalk

I thought she did a very good job.

LAVALLEEK

PLEASE TOM PLEASE COME BACK

Janisfalk

Thank you, Jackie, for defending your guest when a caller was rude.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O7C5ZLQ2GANQ5HVBOUZXHKB6XY kelly

Are you threatened by someone expressing their opinion? Even if it differs from the accepted status quo? What about when the guest is rude to many of the listeners?
Personally, I was offended by Mr. Continetti’s lying, but I guess I am old fashioned that way…

david

How do judge the quality of a movement??

The OWS morphs into, OCCUTARDS!

Fredlinskip

What do you think of the quality of the American Revoution “movement”? Anything that OWS’ers are doing pale in comparison to the infractions that occurred back then.
When OWS’ers start dragging wealthy conservatives from their mansions and tar and feather them in public, will you then be of greater approval of OWS’ers “movement”?

OWS’ers are encouraging a national discussion that should have been going on for a long time.
- david
  
  The occutards are showing America that a national discussion needs to be addressed on the foolishness of our youth!!
  So, you approve of the violence that these misguided youths are engaging in???
  They have the freedom to protest, but! they have no right to destroy property and harm others!
  What about the liberal rich people???
  - Remember1968
    
    That’s what the establishment thought about the ‘long-haired-hippie-freaks-pinko-commie-fags’ in the 60′s who protested against the Vietnam war.
    
    Remember Paris, remember Prague, remember Mexico City, remember Columbia University?
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      Some great music and art, not much else worthwhile.
    - Fredlinskip
      
      Were you at that Zep concert with Moda that he mentioned yesterday?
  - Fredlinskip
    
    Youth seem to have a little more free time and energy than some of “liberal rich”. I admire them for their sacrifice and willingness to challenge an economic system obviously way out of whack. I’m sure it’s not a bed of roses out there on the streets.
    Some are going to be offended- if they don’t challenge anyone, they’re not doing anything.
    It has been largely peaceful.
    
    Truly grass roots Democracy isn’t always pretty- but perhaps you prefer some other system?
  - nj
    
    Why are right wingers so clueless? Or are they just blatant liars?
    
    Here’s some of your misguided youth:
    
    http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Frances-Goldin-Elderly-Protester-Tries-Arrested-Activist-134095788.html
    Frances Goldin:87-Year-Old Protester and Proud of It
    
    https://twitter.com/?photo_id=1#!/AdamGabbatt/status/136529537851858946/photo/1
    Captain Ray Lewis, Philadelphia police (retired) has joined the protest at Zuccotti Park
  - Fredlinskip
    
    I referred to tar and feather of wealthy conservatives (as opposed to wealthy folks of all stripes) for a couple of reasons:
       1) there are many wealthy progressives who seem to favor raising taxes on the wealthy- I don’t hear about wealthy conservatives making that claim.
        2) When referencing Conservatives during Revolutionary War, Conservatives were on the wrong side of history- they were wtith King George. Just as conservatives were on the wrong side concerning slavery, women’s rights, Viet Nam War, worker’s rights and on and on.
    
        By definition Conservatives are always on the side of status quo- no matter how screwed up that status quo obviously is.
  - d-isanalabamapostalworkertard
    
    “occutards”?? Is that anything like Alabamapostalworkertards? How ’bout an EMTtard? Or an R.F.D.tard? What about an Alabamapostalworkerturd? …Are you one of those TeaTards? Southern White Bigotard!
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

You keep repeating that post as if it’s insightful or clever.
�
It’s neither.
ArnoldWalker

The fleabaggers have a sense of entitlement that demonstrates why America is losing the competitive battle with China. I’ve noticed that since the new Call of Duty came out, fleabagger numbers have declined. So typical for these parasitic slackers.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  It was largely the US investments and technology transfers from right wing free trade agreements that built up China into the economic power house it is today. Now we have to compete against it? Worst, we have to increase defense spending against a new rival WE were instrumental in developing????
  
  Why?
  
  We really don’t have to “compete” with anyone. Our entire national mission should not be defined by trying to out-compete a nation that has low wages, few worked protections, few benefits, no pollution controls, etc. It’s a false choice. But then those on the Right LOVE false choices and half truths.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    BTW, despite the fact that Clinton championed free trade against the better judgement of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, free trade was a RIGHT WING idea. Sometimes trying to blame parties makes no sense when some of their positions are split. It’s more useful to look at the ORIGINS of ideas.
  - Leatherstocking
    
    That’s what Donald Trump is saying too. Seriously.
    
    Time to swallow pride and start building consensus around core ideas we can agree with and that are self-evident across party line hatreds.
Alabamapostalworker

DAVIDTARD!

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

A new “progressive” group has formed called Constitutional Progressives. http://www.constitutionalprogressives.orgThey hope to “take back” the Constitution from misuse/abuse by the Right and are encouraging members to sign a “whole Constitution” pledge. I won’t be joining them.The problem in fighting for the mantle of the Framers is you join the Right in glorifying the politics of 1787 and sweeping all the defects of the Constitution under the rug. It’s NOT something Progressives should be doing. CP is letting their too-clever by half political tactics get in the way of their judgment. Progressives must be advocating reforms to finally make the Constitution democratic instead of embracing a deeply anti-democratic, and virtually reform-proof document.

Zing

uh…whatever
- Zingnut
  
  Zing – I mean, Modavations – I mean, ArnoldWalker -
  
  uh… whatever
  
  Is that easy enough for you to understand?

Zing

Advanced algebra: OWS + bs + DOA

I was hoping for more bloodshed.

Zingnut

Simple subtraction:

Zing – Modavations – ArnoldWalker = A better comment board.
nj

Basic math: Zing = 0
Terry Tree Tree

You were hoping for MORE bloodshed? SHED some!!

Janisfalk

I thought it was obvious that the host was asking what the conservative point of view on the issues was. It was a refreshing program, and Jackie is to be commended for defending her guest. By the way, she cut off the conservative callers as well as the liberal, and she needed to to keep the show moving.

Roy Mac

Well, no–it was neither obvious nor refreshing. Jackie is either biased toward the wingnut edge or she is poorly-skilled in moderating a call-in show.
- Zing
  
  Roy…I can’t find your name on PBS or BUR…what gives?
  - Zingnut
    
    Zing, et al. – The grinch that ruins On Point’s comment board.
libra

indeed she interrupted others as well. the problem i found with her tonight (maybe only tonight as she was much better filling in for Brian Lehrer in the past) that she didn’t listen or understood the caller’s point. indeed, i see a concerted attack on NPR by the right, and unfortunately NPR and WNYC are giving in. they don’t understand that giving in won’t stop the attack. it is ‘almost’ a religious ideology that will never stop.

Joanne Brown

Wow, WAY too much Matt Continetti. Jackie Lyden calls on Jack Beatty to comment on college sports, but lets Continetti off with “I don’t think I’m condescending about OWS.” God grief!

Zing

You’re sharp.
- Zingnut
  
  Gee whiz – you scared her off.
  
  Smooth rap for a troll.
Heaviest Cat

Unfortunately, Joanne ,Jacki ‘s performance on thwe show today was but a mere symptom of where NPR has been going for a long time.

Jim In Brooklyn

Solyndra as the Halliburton of the left? Excuse me? Joe Biden wasn’t CEO of Solyndra. And as far as I know, Solyndra didn’t do business with Iran.

Gregg

How does it work? Cheney, after leaving Haliburton (not so amicably) had no vested interest. Or is your theory, “wink wink nod nod, everybody knows Cheney was in violation of Federal law and looking out for his buddies who hated him”?

I can tell you how Solyndra worked. Obama sold America a bill of goods with the “green jobs” lie which was a subset of the “stimulus” lie. Big campaign donors got big fat loans for big fat failing pipe dreams. Everybody actually did know it. We’ve got he emails.
- Fredlinskip
  
  If your implying that Cheney was not a champion of Corporate interest and no-bid contracts, I think you’re mistaken.
  - Haliburtonhomecoming
    
    Don’t forget – his secret -
    
    ‘Energy (How can we make the most profits) Task Force’
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      damn, so secret you knew about it! how much you putting down on the dancing with the stars?
  - Gregg
    
    No, I’m not implying anything, that’s the point. Jim in Brooklyn made the implication. You follow suit. I’m asking the implication be fleshed out.
    - Gregg
      
      No, really I mean it. How does it work? Details. What did Cheney do for Haliburton and why?
ArnoldWalker

Apparently Solyndra didn’t do business with anybody, except the DNC and Obama’s super PAC.

Halliburton’s a great company and stock!

libra

I was truly surprised and saddened by Jackie Lyden’s way of handling tonight’s program. when she was a guest on Brian Lehrer, she was way better and more even handed. wondering why?

Jackie – i found you not-listening to the caller from Boston. he repeated himself twice and you still didn’t hear. and worse, you then dismissed the caller as if he misunderstood Mr. Continetti, when in fact, to my understanding, you didn’t understand Mr. Continetti. you couldn’t listen to the ‘other.’ you exemplify exactly what many of us (not OWS movement necessarily) are complaining about: self centered, closed mind and lack of compassion society. I would love to hear your response and possibly to get into a more balanced and open discussion.

louise

I agree. Ms. Lyden seemed also not to notice that Mr. Continetti’s tone was dismissive of her and her questions. Moreover, even when he humbled himself enough to provide a definitive answer to the caller’s question it is unmitigated nonsense to say that the Founding Fathers argued for a kind of “natural” equality based on membership in the human race. Within such parameters I guess non-Whites were judged as non-human.
- Heaviest Cat
  
  Louise if ther eis any merit to Continetti’s statement @ the Founding Fathers it only shows that whatever rights we as average citizens enjoy today were not bestowed upon us from on high by wise old fathers. History shows that minorities ,women workers and others had to fight for them. IS Mr. Continetti willing to admit that social prgress has hstorically risen from the bottom up?

Gregg

I’ve been perusing this blog long enough to have a sense of the collective mindset, which is admittedly different from the actual radio show. I appreciate “On Point” (the radio show) having one Conservative along with two Liberals, three if you count Mr. Ashbrook. I consider Mr. Continetti or for that matter Major Garrett, Byron York and a couple of others to be fine journalist. One can be a good journalist and a Conservative ya’ know. The inverse is also true.

To my unsurprise, I’ve noticed every time a (quasi) Conservative is on, this blog (generally speaking) goes nuts. This blog wants them gone, no room for that view. This week is but one example.

Then, look at some of the commenters reactions to a few well mannered Conservatives around here. OMG! Someone moderate! “That’s bunk, period”. The elitist, empty dismissals are common and the juvenile name-calling, pervasive. So much for tolerant nuanced liberals.

Is honest debate that distasteful?

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Spouting right wing talking points, as you do here 24/7, is NOT an honest debate. It does nothing to uncover or shed light on the hidden agenda of the Right. All it does is serve to mask that agenda. Yet that’s the intellectual level you operate on and that’s what you want from a show. I don’t expect complete honestly from either party so what’s the point of dueling talking points? What I’d prefer instead is considered analysis of the hidden agendas of both major parties. Why is the GOP wed to a strategy of fiscal responsibility? Why didn’t the Dems pass Card Check or repeal Taft Hartley when they had the chance?
- ArnoldWalker
  
  Spouting radical leftwing talking points is of no value to anyone.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Let me see if I understand your “logic” such as it is.
    
    Common sense tells us budgets have TWO variables, revenue and spending. We should have learned that in 4th grade.
    
    For POLITICAL REASONS, the Right’s position is it can pass ALL the irresponsible tax cuts it wants… then if there are any deficit/debt problems, don’t blame them… the problems are caused by over spending. The Right is using an Orwellian argument that it can be as fiscally irresponsible as it wants, and thinks low-IQ types like yourself will actually believe you’ll believe they are not in the least responsibile.
    
    Sorry Arnie, there is NO left-wing talking point here. The ONLY conflict is between common sense and the RIGHT WING talking point which claims in a budget revenue doesn’t matter.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Gee, our Orwellian Right friends flee from common sense.
      
      What a surprise!
david

It is hard for liberals to have a honest, well mannered and fair conversation when they are in a socialist mood!
Maybe they have PMS,
By the way, the big debt clock hit $15 Trillion yesterday!
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  The Debt Clock hit about $15 trillion recently. Ouch. Where did that debt come from?
  
  About 1 trillion of the 15 trillion debt existed before 1981.
  
  Reagan added close to 2 trillion. Bush1 tried to reverse some of the Reagan tax cuts but added about 1 trillion. It was 4.1 trillion when Clinton took office. It took some time to finally reverse the deficit and Bush2 comes in with a SURPLUS but about 6 trillion in debt. Bush2 pisses it all away with irresponsible tax cuts and adds close to 5 trillion more in debt… plus an imploded economy.
  
  OK, it’s not a perfect exercise, but it does show that close to 50% of the existing debt is because of irresponsible Reagan/Bush2 tax cuts… or an attempt to repair the damage from those tax cuts.
  
  Yet the Orwellian Right has convinced the braindead dittoheads that they are not responsible, it’s all Obama’s spending.
  - William
    
    Tax cuts don’t raise debt. The problem is overspending.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      I’ve been laughing at that claim since Rush first floated it about 6-8 years ago.
      
      Either way we have 15 TRILLION in EXISTING debt. You can try your Orwellian fiscal theory out once we pay down our debt.
    - Gregg
      
      Rush? Please man don’t be gratuitously lame. The idea has been around a lot longer than Rush. Did you miss all those JFK quotes from the other thread?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Not ALL tax cuts create debt. For example if there is no debt and the budget will still be in balance.
      
      Where tax cuts create debt is when there are spending obligations and those tax cuts are a political weapon designed to undermine those programs. Of if there’s a tax cut with NO intent to later recoup lost revenue. It’s these LATTER cases Rush was referring to.
      
      As for JFK, if he agrees with Rush, then I’d disagree with him too. You’ll have to make the case since I don’t care.
      
      Which reminds me, have you EVER fessed up to the post JFK/LBJ revenue numbers that do NOT show any real increase in revenues once those 3 rounds of tax HIKES are removed? To compound that NBER also dubbed the mid-60′s as a wartime economic expansion… so those revenues also have to be dealt with.
      
      So with THREE tax cut failures in a row, when will the Right ever stop making false claims for them?
    - William
      
      You can’t argue with tax cuts since the money does not belong to the government. If the government decides to puruse a policy of bigger spending plans, well, that is not the taxpayers fault.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      I didn’t realize that INDIVIDUALS printed money. Yikes, the things I miss not listening to Rush or Fox.
      
      Money is a CREATION of government. Where the hell did you think it came from??? All we as individuals own is its VALUE as a medium of exchange.
      
      Either way, what do you intend to do about OUR $15 trillion debt?
      
      Oh, that’s right… we should pretend we’re not responsible and find some sleazy way to pass the bill for our irresponsibility on to our kids.
      
      So goddamn noble.
    - William
      
      You fail to understand how the economy works because you are blinded by some misguided ideas that government is great and never fails. Just give it more money and power and all your problems will be solved. But, as we can see now, that solution has not worked and will never work.
    - TruthSquad
      
      so cutting spending while raising taxes to you is proof we should feed the pig?
      
      it seems what has failed is the looney repubthugian idea we can slash taxes and arrive at nirvana.
      
      oh ya, that’s worked out just fine.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Where have I EVER said some government initiatives haven’t faltered, failed, or are not foolish?
      
      What I’ve CONSISTENTLY said is a well run public sector is ESSENTIAL to bootstrap the private sector and vice versa. I’ve asked this before and I’ll keep asking: what is a killer idea worth in an impoverished 3ed or 4th world nation without the necessary infrastructure to exploit that idea?
      
      What infrastructure? How about a literate and educated workforce? A legal system that allows for the existence of limited liability corporations, intellectual patent rights, and contract law? A judicial system to oversee such laws? What about stable monetary and banking systems from which to get credit? What about systems for national defense and law enforcement? What about a system to insure public health… from clean water to vaccination programs? What of publicly financed basic research?
      
      Without such infrastructures, that killer idea would be worth nothing.
      
      A well developed and well run PUBLIC sector is crucial in making that wealth possible. THIS is the moral basis for a strongly progressive tax code. Perhaps the income tax should be renamed the Opportunity Tax.
    - William
      
      You fail to understand how the economy works because you are blinded by some misguided ideas that government is great and never fails. Just give it more money and power and all your problems will be solved. But, as we can see now, that solution has not worked and will never work.
    - William
      
      You can bury your head in the sand, but overspending has always been the problem.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      I can imagine if you lived 1000 years ago you’d also believe that the entire universe could be explained in terms of a war between Good and Evil. Hey, it covers all the bases! If someone dared questioned that nonsense, it was “proof” they were under the influence of “evil”. I can see you as an Inquisitor imposing your psychotic logic on them.
      
      It’s time to remember you’re now in the 21st century and such irrationality is a thing of the past.
      
      That is unless the Orwellian Right still has a use for such insanity.
    - William
      
      You need to get off the government dime and try to build a life on your own work and merits. Like it or not, our government has failed due to overspending and corruption. The larger it becomes, the more we suffer.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Pray tell Einstein… if we’ve spent now some $14 TRILLION on ourselves the past 30 years AND REFUSED TO TAX OURSELVES FOR THAT SPENDING… just how have you “suffered” after this $14 TRILLION free lunch?
      
      As I keep saying, the Tea Crackpots are the spoiled rotten wing of the Free Lunch GOP.
    - William
      
      You need to get off the government dime and try to build a life on your own work and merits. Like it or not, our government has failed due to overspending and corruption. The larger it becomes, the more we suffer.
    - Anonymous
      
      Wrong. Tax cuts do raise the debt. Why? Because they shrink the revenue that is needed to pay for what we owe compounded to the daily expense of running the government. It’s pretty simple math Will. All governments run deficits. The Romans ran deficits.
      It’s the way governments work. If the ratio of gets out of proportion to GDP that’s were a government runs into trouble.
      
      The thing you right wing folks seem to forget is the whole world is still investing our Treasury Bonds. Why is that?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      “If the ratio of gets out of proportion to GDP that’s were a government runs into trouble.”
      
      I have to disagree with you on this one Jeffe. The issue isn’t debt to GDP… it’s also one of interest on the debt. During the 8 year Bush Junta, we pissed away some 2.9 TRILLION just on interest. If NASA costs 20 billion a year, that equals about 145 YEARS of NASA funding.
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      don’t spend money you don’t have; pretty simple
      buying our t-bonds will work, until it doesn’t and then the social hammock will rot as it should and parasites will scatter
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Hey Arnie about a year or two ago there was a pledge offered to Tea Crackpots to sign… that they would NEVER accept Social Security or Medicare… lifeline programs you consider the “social hammock”.
      
      If you can’t find it… please write your own and publically pledge here.
    - William
      
      Tax cuts don’t raise the debt because it is not the “governments” money. The idea that the taxpayers are just here to support big government spending programs is not a good way for a society to propser. The problem with you left wing people is you don’t want to let people keep the money they earn.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      It’s not the government’s money. Interesting fantasy except that without the government THERE’D BE NO MONEY.
      
      It’s a stretch but I suspect the government owns the money, we just hold, for a time, its value as a medium of exchange.
      
      Either way, We The People are responsible for OUR $15 Trillion debt. Put another way, we pissed away some $15 trillion on ourselves that we REFUSED to pay for.
    - William
      
      Not likely. We are not responsible for the massive debt and should not be punished for a failed government.
    - TruthSquad
      
      free lunch! free lunch!!!
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Yes, the Tea Crack Pots are the spoiled rotten wing of the Free Lunch GOP.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      And guess what Einstein, if We The People owe now $15 TRILLION, then it’s hard to make the case that all our paycheck is OUR money any more than if we owe on a house or car.
      
      Our share of the debt is our CREDITORS’ money.
      
      The problem here is the GOP has learned it can steal from future taxpayers to buy votes today… and as a double bonus, it can use that debt to sabotage Democratic programs it’s always loathed.
    - William
      
      Seldom have I met a person that demands more spending from the people in Washington. It is more about “we” v “them”. “Them” being the corrupt and inept people running our government. Why should I be punished with higher taxes for programs that I want or need?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Sorry Braniac, you’re ORIGINAL claim was “Tax cuts don’t raise the debt because it is not the “governments” money.”
      
      You post did NOT address my rebuttal.
      
      As for your last response… this is NOT an argument about what we want to spend in the future. It’s about how we pay for WHAT WE ALREADY SPENT.
      
      And I assume this was a Freudian slip: “Why should I be punished with higher taxes for programs that I want or need?”
      
      Yes, you might THINK you never need some of what government spending goes towards. But then you remind me of the parable of Joe The Republican who goes though his day oblivious to all that the public sector does:
      
      http://tvnewslies.org/Day_in_The_Life_Of_Joe_Middle1.pdf
  - ArnoldWalker
    
    Radical leftwing nitwits like yourself think taxes are the solution to everything, you can’t get enough of wasteful government spending. It has to stop.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Arnie, Arnie, Arnie… if you can’t make a point without lies or gross distortions, you haven’t made a point, have you Fluffy? I have REPEATEDLY said I was for BOTH spending cuts AND tax hikes. For you to come here day after day misstating my position is proof you’re intellectually incapable of acknowledging even the most straightforward realities. Which brings up the larger question… if you can’t even get that simple fact straight, and lack the intellectual integrity to even notice your constant error, why do you think you have anything intelligent to say on ANY topic?
    - Anonymous
      
      OK prove it. Can you prove what you are saying is true.
  - Bruce
    
    Yes, I think that sounds about right. I believe Reagan quadrupled the debt. I’ve seen stats somewhere that show the debt below a trillion dollars when he entered office and at around 3 trillion when he left. That would give him the dinstinction of being the first president to preside over the national debt when it crossed the trillion dollar threshhold.
    
    Bush (“read my lips no new taxes”) raised taxes only slightly and was crucified for it by the mindless reactionary Right. And I think most historians have concluded that act alone probably cost him re-election.
    
    Bush II, following in the steps of the revered Reagan, I believe, doubled the debt. While leading the nation in the War on Terror, he failed to call for real sacrifice except to exhort us to “go shopping” and run up more credit card debt.
    
    Also, don’t forget the prescription drug program added to the two wars that he refused to pay for.
- Alabamapostalworker
  
  That’s so cute (PMS), in a chauvinistic, bigoted kind of way…Don’t y’all say, “tard” when you’re tired? Just asking, davidtard
nj

Says Greggg who invokes Ann Coulter as a voice of responsibility and bows to drug-addled gasbag Flush.
- Gregg
  
  O yea, that’s me. I study viewpoints. I like get a wide variety of them. You wouldn’t understand.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Coulter writings aren’t a legitimate “viewpoint”. It’s hate speach.
    
    It comes as no surprise that you put “her” writings on an equal par as less rabid, even thoughtful, Right wingers.
Anonymous

This is rich coming from a guy who has been dishonest and shown the same disdain he is disparaging. You have engaged in juvenile name calling as well as the empty dismissals you have noted here. You have shown nothing but contempt for people with different view points than yours. My contempt has been born from reading and reacting to this kind of self-righteous act that you are presenting here. If you had posted along the lines of a William Buckley or used critical thinking to disagree with people that would be one thing.
But no you post a link to a right wing blog that has nothing but hate and propaganda on it and seem to think this is fine. I’m not going to sit here and read this an let you get away with this. I’m sorry it’s not on. You could say I engage in the same mindless crap that I’m accusing you of. I would agree with you, but then I think I’m just throwing out the same kind of dirty pitches you are. I’m not going to hide behind and self-righteousness. I am open to saying I don’t think people like you and me will ever come to a consensus. Which is OK.
I do have a lot of contempt for the republican party which I find to be a party of greed and seems more interested in power than what is good for the nation. I also have a fair amount of contempt for the democrats who are just as corrupt and seem bent on doing nothing for the nation as well. I will say this, at least the GOP sands for something, even though I disparage it.

However I do agree with you. I disagreed with Mr. Continetti but I would not want him banned from this show. In fact I would like to see more conservative journalist on how would be open to debating people on the left.
- Gregg
  
  No, I don’t call names as a general practice. That’s you. I’m sorry you don’t appreciate my honesty and critical thinking. I;m a big fan of both and and unable to engage with platitudes and elitism. For instance, I’m very familiar with the record and positions of Newt while your position is “Newt Gingrich, enough said”. Or how many times do you reply with “That’s bunk, period”? Do you think that’s deep? Plus, I don’t even know what link you are talking about. I post Huffington Post and NPR when I can. If you have a dispute with any facts fine but If the point is thousands of arrest at OWS rallies and 0 at Tea Party rallies, you’ve lost your argument by ignoring that fact and whining about some website. How ’bout a little outrage at rape, sexual assault and vandalism?
  
  IMHO you’re a bitter person and I don’t know why. My unsolicited advice is to lighten up and expand your horizons. My views are well thought out and a big big part of the Country is with me. That gets lost around here. Sticking your nose in the air and assuming the majority thinking is beneath you solves nothing.
  
  One last thing. I don’t give others the power to offend me. So your claim of dishonesty from me indeed does not offend me but I resent and reject it. I’m as honest as the day is long and if you ever question my honesty again have the guts to cite an example and call me on it. I don’t want to be wrong.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Hoping to be taken seriously, G writes: “I’m sorry you don’t appreciate my honesty and critical thinking.”
    
    And let me guess, you’re just here for honest, intelligent discussion, right?
    
    Well G, you’re certainly not emcumbered by either facts OR self awareness.
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      yawn, dude, you want a definition of boring… wait for it… look in the mirror
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      OMG, Arnie… how the hell did you get there????
  - Terry Tree Tree
    
    $300 worth of your dishonesty!! ANY one can go back and see it!
ReverendG

Collective mindset? Well mannered Conservatives?

Lordy, lordy – Greggg’s getting kind of preachy.
- ArnoldWalker
  
  what’s clear is you spend more time and thought coming up with your name than content; can i have an amen?
  - Gregg
    
    Amen!

Fredlinskip

Is it me, or does it seem like most of recent “On Point” comment pages are half filled with either somewhat mindless comments from Moda and the responses invoked by these comments??

Seems like this is a lot of wasted time and energy when you consider that relevant discussion concerning the show and important issues facing the nation could be occurring instead.

No?

(Sorry Gregg, I’m still working on disagreeing more agreeably with folks of different opinion)

ArnoldWalker

You should consider the bounty of your own mindless comments including this one.
- Constapations
  
  Typical ArnoldWalker. I mean, Modavations, I mean, Zing:
  
  Instead of responding to the accusations make your own.
  - ArnoldWalker
    
    ditto miss constipated
Anonymous

That would be all well and good. Except the right do not want a discussion. The want it their way or nothing. The left is the same.
It’s a matter of what kind of society one wants to live in.
I personally want to live a well run society of order and have good roads and schools. To have decent affordable health care that does not make me bankrupt is I get a serious illness. I want people to be able to get good educations without incurring huge amounts of debt.
I would like to have a society in which the wealthy pay taxes and don’t get away with paying less than half than the majority of people.
I would like to live in a nation that does not have an infant mortality rate on par with third world nations.

Alas I’m sure to get comments such as the one below from Arnold Walker, which dismiss you like a piece of dirt. These folks are not interested in dialog, they want to beat to a pulp.
- ArnoldWalker
  
  please keep the dribble for your twitter feed; obviously somebody already got to you, nothing but pulp

Fredlinskip

Over 75% of Americans approve of eliminating Bush tax cuts and in general greater taxes on the wealthy.

If congress pulled head out of butt long enough to pass these simple measures, their approval rating would go up considerably.

No?

ArnoldWalker

Show me a poll that doesn’t show people want something for nothing. Congress needs to focus on their spending problem, that’s what Americans want.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  You keep ignoring this point because it cuts to the heart of your hypocrisy.
  
  We have pissed away some $14 trillion on ourselves the past 30 years AND REFUSED TO TAX OURSELVES TO PAY FOR IT and are passing the costs for our irresponsibility on to future taxpayers who have no say in the matter. When the House GOP endorsed the Ryan plan it became the Free Lunch party, hoping to set this theft in cement leaving our generation free from paying our bills.
  
  But even more despicable than that is the Spoiled Rotten wing of the Free Lunch Party… people like you who even after that $14 trillion free lunch actually come here every day claiming they’re over-taxed. You’re so desperate to avoid paying your bills or confronting the moral bankrupcy of the GOP that you actually buy into the half-truth that all our problems can be dealt with by spending cuts alone when it’s clear perhaps 2-3 trillion in revenue was lost just to the Bush tax cuts… tax cuts we NEVER could afford because we then were SIX TRILLION in debt.
  
  It’s no wonder the US is in trouble with such a large segment of the population as irrational as you.
  - ArnoldWalker
    
    My income statement’s in surplus and my balance sheet, asset overloaded; fully prepared for when the eventual Obama depression hits.
    
    Denying our generation wasteful spending through spending cuts is a harsh but necessary remedy and it will protect our grandchildren from the likes of you who would spend is into depression and worse.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Thanks for proving my point.. It’s not often an idiot prides himself so much in his own idiocy. It seems your BEST argument is to again claim I’m oblivious to our generation’s fiscal irresponsibility even though I post REPEATEDLY that we must pay our own bills and not pass on our debt to our kids while you claim we need not pay our bills. That you’re intellectually incapable of dealing with that simple reality is proof you’re intellectually incapable of proposing ANY rational fiscal “solutions”. Your contempt of reality simply gets in the way.
- Anonymous
  
  That would end with the tax increases. That’s why so many favor them.
  - Leatherstocking
    
    It would not end with the tax increases. It would help going forward with new annual deficit spending, but would be spittle in the wind toward our overall debt.
    
    As Ultrax points out, both parties are to blame for getting us here, with the Big Government GOP having talked out both sides of its mouth, co-opting limited government rhetoric and liberty talk for decades, but in fact being massive deficit spenders on military advernturism and the usual free lunch electoral gimmicks.
    
    But when discussions get to “That would end with the tax increases.”, and we think we have solved it, and the other side is just evil and obstructing an easy answer, its naive, false, and counterproductive.
    
    We don’t like the establishment GOP. Check. Next. WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THE DEBT. I really feel like just because people can feel justified disliking and mistrusting the GOP, they then feel the DEBT can be ignored or doesn’t matter.
    
    If it took decades to incrementally give ourselves a free lunch (that yes, military adventure, or government playing venture capitalist or Money tree-housing lender) it would take decades to walk it back incrementally.
    
    THE MATH ON THE DEBT/INTEREST WILL NOT GIVE US DECADES TO WALK IT BACK
    
    So disdain the Republicans for their hypocrisy in getting us here, but for goodness sake, do we have to even make the case against the Democrats too? The Democratic party is our vehicle for giving ourselves everything we want and think we deserve in a perfect world, which we don’t live in.
    
    So, the 2 party status quo sucks. Back to square 1.
    
    My main question is, why do so many think the debt doesn’t matter?
    
    The blame game doesn’t make it go away.
    
    Print money/inflation, take on more debt, or reduce spending.
    
    What I really think is that the Utopians really don’t care about the money, the debt and just think/hope that the collapse of the economy and the dollar will usher in their Utopian fantasy, imposed by the enlightened, well-meaning elites.
    
    Do any of you think that has a snowball’s chance of happening? That in the systemic chaos and fear of such a situation, Good things are going to come out, because the same forces that have taken us here, are suddenly going to want to do the right thing? I think they will cement their grip.
    
    Our Constitutional Democracy that has a notion of respecting and celebrating the liberty and rights of the individual, and the local, over centralized power, seems the only way to prevent it.
    
    Either we have to re-fight for that in the chaos, which I doubt we would win- as so many don’t even care/think anymore, or we have to get a handle on our debt and get out from under the boot of our creditors and stand up for ourselves again.
    
    Ignoring the debt for partisan self-righteousness will not help us.
    - Leatherstocking
      
      and its obvious that the financial class who profited so mightily from all this profligacy and free money supplied by the fed should be hit very hard, and jailed, as we pick up the pieces.
      
      The point is even though that will feel good, it won’t make our problems and self-government challenges disappear.
    - Anonymous
      
      Again, more pestering that does not deal with facts. You forgot the past when we had high taxes and low deficits and debt. Also Clinton left office with a surplus. So to say the democrats just want to tax and spend is nonsense. The Republicans use to stand for fiscal responsibility, remember Bob Dole. Reagen raised taxes 11 times while he was in office. Why? Because he believed that the bills had to be paid. The Republican party of today is run by extremist who are bent on destroying the federal government. You still need to have decent roads and bridges and infrastructure to have a strong economy.
      
      What we need is a well run efficient government at all levels that is not wasteful. Transparency would be a good thing too.
      
      What you have posted here sounds a lot like libertarian ideology which sounds fine in theory but in reality would be a nightmare for this nation.
    - Leatherstocking
      
      “You forgot the past when we had high taxes and low deficits and debt. Also Clinton left office with a surplus. ”
      
      Difference between debt and annual deficit/surpluses.
      
      When did we have low Debt?
      
      And while its not event the point, when did we try “libertarian ideology” instead of the hybrids of GOP and DNC Big government, Big Military, Big business, Big Debt, Big Fed and Big Cronyism?
      
      Answer: Never.
      
      The main point here though, regardless of how right you may be in the perpetual 2 party side show blame game, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT OUR DEBT?
      
      ONLY NEW TAXES AREN’T ENOUGH ANYMORE. ITS MATH.
      
      That doesn’t mean alot of GOPers aren’t scumbags or that we shouldn’t slam the financial wizard class, it just means we have a real problem on our hands that righteousness won’t solve.
    - Anonymous
      
      We have always had debt. That’s how governments work. They have done so for eons. I never said we tried a libertarian type of government. As I said libertarianism would be a disaster for this nation. It’s about social Darwinism and that would be an awful way to run a country in my view.
      
      The debt is what we owe, the deficit is what we borrow.
    - Leatherstocking
      
      So again, you ignore the question of what do we do about our debt problem.
      
      Your answer is, it is not a problem.
      
      Unless, as I said above, you want financial collapse for larger revolutionary goals, such ignoring of the problem is insane.
    - Anonymous
      
      Government debts are always there and one can’t run a government without them. This fetish with debt and how it’s going to ruin the nation is kind of weird in context to the reality that the US government has pretty much always had some debt in modern history. By the way so does Germany, France, Denmark, and every other large nation.
      
      Your rhetoric is not making any sense. Financial collapse form the debt we have is pretty unlikely.
      We almost had a financial collapse from caused by the gambling on wall street. Not the federal debt.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Jeffe wrote: “11 times while he was in office. Why? Because he believed that the bills had to be paid.”
      
      Uh? What Reagan are you talking about? Certainly not president Reagan. He remade the tax system to shift the tax burden downward. The rich had the top tax rate cut from 70% to 28% but Reagan started taxing unemployment and Social Security. And even then he put close to $2 TRILLION on the national credit card.
      
      I can hear Reagan saying, “In my heart I know we balanced the budget, even if the numbers say otherwise.”
      
      Sorry, that was from Iran-Contra.
    - Anonymous
      
      Sorry to bust your bubble, but Reagen did say that about paying bills.
      I’m not a supporter of Reagan, far from it. My point was that he raised taxes and he did so 11 times. He did not balance the budget, this is true but neither did many other presidents.
      
      You then go on about Iran-Contra which has nothing to do with Reagan’s tax policies. I have to say you’re just shooting darts and hoping to find the bulls-eye and seem to be hitting the wall.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Reagan may have said it… and he may have even said it as president, as opposed to governor of California where he DID pay his bills.
      
      http://capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/bruce-bartlett/2154/reagans-forgotten-tax-record
      
      What’s more relevant is that a president he did NOT pay his bills. Even if taxes were raised 11 times, his 1981 ERTA cut was simply too deep to fully reverse even with his biggest tax hike in 82… TEFRA.
      
      My comment about Iran Contra was simply a parody of Reagan’s ability to believe something that was not true. Sorry it was lost on you.
      
      REAGAN 3-4-87: “A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.”
    - Anonymous
      
      First off your comment on Iran Contra was not lost on me it has no baring on what I was talking about. Being a smart a$$ is not helping anyone.
      
      It’s not about Reagan, it’s how the republican party has changed into this extremist view about never raising taxes or taking the budget seriously. The mere fact that 98% of republican legislators and governors have signed Grover Norquist’ no to taxes pledge shows me that they are not fit to govern.Second: I never said Reagan said he paid his bills but he did believe that when deficit was sprinkling out of control one had to raise taxes.
      For the record I have a huge dislike of Reagan’s tenure in the presidency. He was OK in Knute Rockne, All American and Bed Time for Bonzo was a so bad it’s now a classic.
    - Justwondering
      
      Dave in CT -
      
      What’s up with the new ‘Leatherstocking’ moniker?
      
      Is that what your wearing now-a-days?
      
      Kind of kinky for a Libertarian don’t you think?
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Arnie exhibits typical Orwellian Right thinking… if some want to tax themselves at a higher rate… perhaps because they realize we’re $15 trillion in debt and in constant dollars revenues have been virtually FLAT for a decade… it’s proof “people want something for nothing”.
    
    However, the Right that does NOT want to pay the bill for the $15 trillion we spent on ourselves and refused to tax ourselves for… they are NOT out to get something for nothing.
    
    Are there ANY intelligent Right wingers out there?
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      You keep posting the same garbage, it’s neither true nor insightful.
      
      Are all leftwing nutjobs so dim?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Empty words from an empty mind.
      
      The world is waiting for more than your empty assertions Arnie. How about some HARD NUMBERS for specific cuts, and your debt paydown schedule.
  - ArnoldWalker
    
    spending cuts would cut off the people getting something for nothing; raising taxes on those who already pay more than their fair share is not favored by those who would be affected
    - Roy Mac
      
      You’re right What spending cuts would you like to see?
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      Defense, Pensions, Medicare, Medicaid, to start
    - Roy Mac
      
      In other words, Waste, Fraud, and Abuse?
    - Fredlinskip
      
      How bout cuts in subsidies to large oil cos. that have been making $ hand over fist while gas prices rise several hundred % (gas averaged under a buck in Clinton’s last year).
    - ArnoldWalker
      
      They already pay taxes on their profits to the extent that they are earned here.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Hey Einstein, the question was about SUBSIDIES.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      The BEST way to cut overall health care spending is to go Single Payer… but I’m sure Arnie would oppose that.
      
      I’d also suggest pharmaceutical research be coordinated and funded by NIH. We would hire the private sector to do this research. When new drugs were created We The People would own the patents then we could allow the private sector to compete to LOWER the price of production instead of what happens now… companies have a vested interest in protecting cash cow monopolies on “me-too” drugs. All education of doctors and the public would be streamlined so they get objective info. We could dismantle the entire pharmaceutical propaganda industry. In 2008 that expense was about $20 BILLION alone… and it’s not as if these efforts are designed to provide objective information. Just another example of how the market is NOT efficient.
      
      http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/105xx/doc10522/12-02-DrugPromo_Brief.pdf
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      According to this CBO report the drug companies spent only $38 billion on R&D.
      
      20 billion for promotion…. 38 for R&D? And how much of that was for me-too drugs already on the market or tweaking an existing drug to extend the patent?
      
      Wouldn’t we ALL rather see 68 billion go towards research into truly NEW drugs? What about high CEO pay and profits?
      
      Probably not those on the rabid Right… at least not until they or someone they love suffers or dies because money that COULD have gone to reseach went instead to pay for TV ads.
    - Constapations
      
      How about a 25% tax on luxury goods, that should help your livelihood.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      I KNOW you’re going to evade this, but I’ll ask AGAIN… what’s the “fair share” of taxation for ANY citizen when We The People are now 15 TRILLION in debt? What’s the “fair share” we need to pay so our kids and grandkids don’t have to pay for out irresponsibility? It’s really too late to debate whether that money was wisely spent or not. IT’S GONE. And you can delude yourself all you want, that debt is NOT going to get paid down with spending cuts alone.
    - Constapations
      
      You have the humanity of a turd.
- Anonymous
  
  This kind of statement is misleading and a typical republican or should I say tea party divisive response to taxes and social programs.
  Taxes are the price we pay for civilization. This kind of dribble is pointless and it does not deal with reality.
  - ArnoldWalker
    
    a social hammock is not civilization; civilization suggests unity of purpose and repsonsibility. me supporting your laziness and ignorance is not civil.
    - Anonymous
      
      Your not supporting my lifestyle or my mindset and your perception of it has nothing to do with taxes. I will tell you what is not civil.
      Your comments are disgusting, vile and bigoted. You seem to think the world revolves around you. It does not. If you have issues with paying taxes and not agree with the other people in society who do not have the same warped values as you do why don’t you buy an island and start your own country.
    - Guest
      
      Arnold, you’re not bright enough pay enough taxes to “support” anyone.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Seems someone pretty chipper after their stay at the Hitler Youth day camp.
      
      Fortunately the nation was NOT set up on your model of what a civilization “should” be. Central to the Constitution is the goal of promoting the General Welfare… and it’s left up to us to decide what that means. No society should promote sloth, but it’s entirely proper to create a safety net.
      
      I’m reminded of that old parable about Joe The Republican who actually goes through life oblivious to all the ways he depends on government… and convinced he’s a self made man.
      
      http://tvnewslies.org/html/day_in_the_life_of_joe_middle-.html
    - Constapations
      
      Social hammock? People like you are a social pariah.
- Constapations
  
  What Americans want is less J.Edgar and more banking regulations.
  - ArnoldWalker
    
    no matter how many regs you’ve got, you can’t help stupid people from doing stupid stuff like signing up for loans they don’t read; you can’t make people take responsibility for their own stupidity.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      In Arnie’s Right Wing World, everyone’s to blame for the housing crash EXCEPT Bush and his Opportunity Society, and those making loans… who you might think would be diligent in protecting the investment the bank or loan company made. No responsible lender would push loans they knew an applicant might not be able to afford. But irresponsible lenders would. But that was so 1990s. By the 2000′s the traditional safeguards broke down. I remember the ads for interest only loans. People weren’t encouraged to modest homes but to buy as big as the monthly payment they could afford. Lenders had incentives NOT to investigate a person’s background. Lenders in outfits like Countrywide didn’t care about a person’s ability to pay back because they bore no risk. First there were big commissions to be made from subprime loans, and those loans got bundled off to Wall Street which had some new investment scams in which to hide those risky loans. Then those adjustable teaser rates ballooned in 5 years.So it’s amusing when the Right blames the housing crisis on mortgage applicants. If we FAIL to understand what really happened, we’re doomed to repeat it… and that’s what the Rigth is doing by rewriting history.
    - William
      
      So at the core of the failure by both sides is government is too big and inept.
    - TruthSquad
      
      inept in that government can’t resist being bought off by the private sector?
      
      so in your mind that makes the private sector innocent?
      
      ya, right!
    - Fredlinskip
      
      If predatory lenders who use such prsctices as delibrately falsifying mortgage paperwork are thrown in jail. If financial institution execs that sold stock to it’s investors while all the while betting they would fail were thrown into a cell with Bubba (the guy in there because he refused to leave his house after he couldn’t make his mortgage payments). If big banks were allowed to fail, while we supported smaller banks to shore up economy. If large corps weren’t allowed to pay execs massive bonuses while ordinary workers at these same companies made so little they were forced into predatory mortgage situations while being told by Greenspan that housing prices were going to rise indefinitel.., if W administration bothered to pay slightest attention to looming mortgage crisis- this country would be in a much better place right now.
      
      If you want less regs, you’re obviously itchin’ for another Depression. They deregulated in large way before that event as well.
    - Anonymous
      
      Like you making comments.
    - Constapations
      
      Or ‘stupid’ countries like greece and italy doing what ever their masters tell them to do to get into the eurozone and agree to currency swaps that will make their balance sheet look peachy.
      
      I heard that bull crap before – ‘it was the people’s fault who bought those mortgages with those ‘liars loans’, not the banksters who offered it to them…’
      
      Modavations posing as Zing and as ArnoldWalker is such a sham.
- Fredlinskip
  
  We know over 75% of Americans think that taxes should be increased on the wealthy to help relieve America’s fiscal problems.
  If there was one king who controlled majority of America’s resources and the country needed some of those resources to pay for that country’s policy choices, would it be out of line to expect that King to contribute more?
  How is this different than what we have in America today, except that instead of one king, we have the top 1%.
  
  Is this a counrtry of “we the people” or of “we the top 1%”?
  Class warfare has been going on for 30+ years-
  our country’s current dilemma is a result of it.

Taher Shafie

Almost every day I down load, as pod cast,
“On Point.” Today I heard Matt Continetti obnoxious, stupid and Neanderthal
comments. I simply stopped listing. I’ve decided to have a brake from “On Point” and much of NPR.
I am really tired of listing to right
wing reactionaries on NPR.

Leatherstocking

God Save the Echo Chamber!
- ArnoldWalker
  
  I agree with you and so does everyone else.
  - Gregg
    
    That’s deep.

odchere

This weeks New in Review was particularly off point.
The issue symbolized by Occupy Wall Street is the failure of Congress to address runaway Capitalism, an economic system that has undermined our democratic principles. The issue symbolized by the latest spate of sexual abuse of minors is the belief system of male dominance, over women and children; rape and molestation of children is also reflected in the widespread violence manifest in our warrior culture’s language, sports/games and wars.

Pmccandless

Hello – i’ve been listening to this podcast for several years. I love Tom Ashbrook and never miss a friday reporters roundtable!

Jackie was a disappointing substitute host. While I didn’t necessarily find Mr. Continetti’s comments as condescending as many of the other commenters on this board, i found Ms. Lyden’s defending him against 2 callers unprofessional and offensive. If you’re going to have a call in show, you should show respect for the people who are calling in.

Anyway, I think this journalist was off her game yesterday. There were several highly awkward moments when she asked incoherent questions or asked a question but didn’t direct it to anyone in particular leading to dead air.

ES

One thing I truly admire about Tom Ashbrook is that, no matter what a caller’s comment, he thanks them for weighing in and leaves it at that. No judgments. I have heard Jackie Lyden do some fine journalism, but not in the forum of On Point, i’m sorry to say. More listening, Jackie. And you need not apologize for Matt Continetti or anyone else, liberal or conservative. Not your job.

Doon91

Tom Ashbrook is the best. Jackie/Jane are not match. I am sure they may be fine journalist. But with Tom the whole flow of the program is amazing. He has a way with words.

Frank N. Blunt

Merely showing that scum and effluent keeps rising to the top in ScAmerica. Recall the global response when GWB received a second term, announced on the The Daily Mirror cover? One of the clearest cues that prestige was in decline. Our nation must and can do much better.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O7C5ZLQ2GANQ5HVBOUZXHKB6XY kelly

I was listening to the podcast early this morning, as I missed it yesterday, and feel compelled to comment as well. I was shocked at how disrespectfully Jackie behaved towards several callers. I have read several things Mr.Continetti wrote, and I imagine several of the callers who called in regarding Mr. Continetti were responding, in part, to some of the junk he has written, including:
Anarchy in the U.S.A.
The roots of American disorder
Nov 28, 2011, Vol. 17, No. 11 • By MATTHEW CONTINETTI
‘Ever since September, when activists heeded Adbusters editor
Kalle Lasn’s call to Occupy Wall Street, it’s become a rite of passage
for reporters, bloggers, and video trackers to go to the occupiers’ tent
cities and comment on what they see. Last week, the day after New York
mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the NYPD to dismantle the tent city in
Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, the New York Times carried no
fewer than half a dozen articles on the subject. Never in living memory
has such a small political movement received such disproportionate
attention from the press. Never in living memory has a movement been so
widely scrutinized and yet so deeply misunderstood.’
and another article trying to create a solyndra scandal that no real investigative journalist has been able to find evidence for:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/solyndracracy_594668.html
and another regarding the debt:
‘What was needed was a course correction. The public must be weaned away
from the entitlement mentality. But even as an earlier, more limited
understanding of government’s purpose was recovered, it was also
necessary to recognize a role for prudential and reasonable
government—as well as a role for a responsible citizenry. Paul Ryan’s
House Republican budget moved in this direction. Yet partisan Democrats,
the defenders of the old order, predictably responded with the lie that
Ryan would have “ended Medicare,” while many in the Tea Party opposed
Ryan for not going far enough.’
Actually, sir, I am 31 and the Ryan plan does indeed ‘END’ Medicare as I know it, as medicare is NOT a voucher! So please, stop LYING!!!
If Mr. Continetti spreads lies and propaganda and NPR chooses to unnecessarily ‘defend’ him from himself while disrespecting their callers, well, I am liking
http://www.democracynow.org
more and more and refuse to listen to another program hosted by Jackie unless she makes an on-air apology to the listeners she disrespected….
Jackie, your job should be to get at the truth, not ‘protect’ your guests from callers who are not in any way acting threatening, they are simply also airing their views and dislike that NPR is promoting a Koch-funded shill who spreads lies about what is really occurring.

Perhaps NPR should listen, many of the American people know we are bring inundated with lies and propaganda and it is ruining our country. It may have been possible to sustain this before, but when the proof is staring us in the face, what will you tell us next NPR? Not to believe our lying eyes?

Anonymous

You might like this article.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/this_is_what_revolution_looks_like_20111115/

Anonymous

…

Gregg

Jimino, way way down the page you replied to me: “When I hand over money in return for a good or service that I demand or
expect, I don’t consider it confiscation. It’s the price you pay for
what you want. What are you willing to return for a refund?”

That’s a good point but what if it’s a good or a service you don’t want? What if you’ve already paid and they want more? The “demand and expect” part is on the other side. The big difference is you are required by force to hand over your money which is then largely abused, wasted and corrupted? I realize “Confiscate” is a loaded term but I think it fits. I’m okay if they confiscate a little.

I’m not sure I follow your last question but the only way I get a refund is if I paid in too much and I never do. As a self-employed man I pay quarterly and am not matched on my Social Security. IMO if everybody had to do this they would have a better grasp of how much they pay.

Gregg

http://www.verumserum.com/media/2011/11/occupy-bagram.jpg

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O7C5ZLQ2GANQ5HVBOUZXHKB6XY kelly

Why was there no conversation about the amazing police brutality that
has occurred over the past 2 months, increasingly escalating and turning
violent, largely against our young adults, even as these protesters
remain largely peaceful and do not resist or even turn violent as they
are clubbed and pepper sprayed?

Have you not seen the video of the students at UC Davis, sitting on the ground, with their arms linked, protesting in solidarity with others against police brutality?
http://bicyclebarricade.wordpress.com/
or of the 84 year old woman pepper sprayed in the face?
Or the veteran who’s skull was fractured?
and there are literally hundreds more examples…

It makes me sick, and sicker still that the media, including NPR, is not putting this police brutality and militarized response to constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, front and center? Pulling students apart and Opening students mouths to pepper spray down their throat? causing them to cough up blood? I AM HORRIFIED!!!

Why no real discussion of the media blackout that has occurred?

NPR, your job is not to cater to those with power, I think you have forgotten this…you should assess how you view the middle east and the way protesters are treated there, and then try to square that with how your fellow Americans, neighbors, veterans, brothers, and sisters, are being treated before your very eyes! Hypocrisy?

Michiganjf

Want to know about Republicans siding with WallStreet and AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?

HERE, READ THIS:

http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/19/8884405-lobbying-firms-memo-spells-out-plan-to-undermine-occupy-wall-street

It seems OWS has the WallStreet Wealthy scared that the sentiments of Americans might compel Republicans to stop defending WallStreet firms and the rich.

Republicans in the pocket of BIG MONEY? Who knew?!!

Fredlinskip

Arnold Walker,
On Comments page of Thursday’s show “Dirty Politics & Big Money” Awaronyou pointed out (about 20 times) that you said “What’s your point, correlation is not causation; well, it’s still correlation.” Then in another comment Modavations says,”"righteous Eric,but I still stand by my causation.” The inference being that Moda= AW, who had made a “Freudian slip”I dont think on that whole comments page either you or Moda or Modayou disputed this claim.So how does one go about commenting with 2 different names? Is it just a matter of having a couple different computers? I’m not encouraging the practice. I just know the one time I changed into an alias related to that days subject and then made a comment under Fred.. Tom was on to me quick and changed all my comments to one name.”righteous Eric,but I still stand by my causation.” The inference being that Moda= AW, who had made a “Freudian slip”I dont think on that whole comments page either you or Moda or Modayou disputed this claim.So how does one go about commenting with 2 different names? Is it just a matter of having a couple different computers? I’m not encouraging the practice. I just know the one time I changed into an alias related to that days subject and then made a comment under Fred.. Tom was on to me quick and changed all my comments to one name.
“What’s your point, correlation is not causation; well, it’s still correlation.”

Then in another comment Modavations says,”"righteous Eric,but I still stand by my causation.” The inference being that Moda= AW, who had made a “Freudian slip”I dont think on that whole comments page either you or Moda or Modayou disputed this claim.So how does one go about commenting with 2 different names? Is it just a matter of having a couple different computers? I’m not encouraging the practice. I just know the one time I changed into an alias related to that days subject and then made a comment under Fred.. Tom was on to me quick and changed all my comments to one name.
“righteous Eric,but I still stand by my causation.”

The inference being that Moda= AW, who had made a “Freudian slip”

I dont think on that whole comments page either you or Moda or Modayou disputed this claim.

So how does one go about commenting with 2 different names? Is it just a matter of having a couple different computers?

I’m not encouraging the practice. I just know the one time I changed into an alias related to that days subject and then made a comment under Fred.. Tom was on to me quick and changed all my comments to one name.

Fredlinskip

Apologise for the run-on comment. copy and paste doesn’t seem to work so well- at least on my computer.
- Michiganjf
  
  There’s been one guy posting under about fifteen or more different names for almost two years now.
  
  He always makes the same sort of inane comments, and his writing style and content is easily identified, despite all the different aliases.
  
  Since few seem to share his views, it’s probably the only way he thinks his comments can look relevant.
  
  You’ll notice that his posts rarely get more than 1 or 2 “likes,” and there’s little doubt where at least one of those votes comes from.
  
  Misery needs its own company, if it’s loved by no other.

Fredlinskip

Arnold Walker,
On Comments page of Thursday’s show “Dirty Politics & Big Money” Awaronyou pointed out (about 20 times) that you said “What’s your point, correlation is not causation; well, it’s still correlation.” Then in another comment Modavations says,”"righteous Eric,but I still stand by my causation.” The inference being that Moda= AW, who had made a ‘Freudian slip’
I dont think on that whole comments page either you or Moda or Modayou disputed this claim. So how does one go about commenting with 2 different names? Is it just a matter of having a couple different computers?
I’m not encouraging the practice. I just know the one time I changed into an alias related to that days subject and then made a comment under Fred.. Tom was on to me quick and changed all my comments to one name.

(I am hoping this comment will appear more legible- Please ignore first attempt immediately below).

ArnoldWalker

More legible, but still makes no sense.
Gregg

I’ve seen that accusation elsewhere and someone even included Zing. I don’t believe it. IMO they are all different. I think someone even included me.It’s just part of the evolution. Conservative viewpoints are so out of place here it’s hard for some liberals to comprehend. The first reaction is usually an elitist condescending dismissal. Then the out of the blue accusation of monolithic mind control sponsored by Fox/Rush. Then comes the ol’ “You must be a paid hack funded by the Kochs”, argument. Finally, it’s concluded they all must be one. The debate is avoided and the obsession ensues.
- nj
  
  Perhaps i should seek counseling, but i agree with Greggg. The various trolls and snipers aren’t the same person. The styles are all clearly different and the degrees of uselessness, glibness, and vacuity of their posts also vary. And none of them are sharp enough to devise and maintain discrete writing styles.
  
  Not worth spending any more time on.
  - Michiganjf
    
    There’s been one guy posting under about fifteen or more different names for almost two years now.
    
    He always makes the same sort of inane comments, and his writing style and content is easily identified, despite all the different aliases.
    
    Since few seem to share his views, it’s probably the only way he thinks his comments can look relevant.
    
    You’ll notice that his posts rarely get more than 1 or 2 “likes,” and there’s little doubt where at least one of those votes comes from.
    
    Misery needs its own company, if it’s loved by no other.
    - Gregg
      
      I’m pretty sure it’s ulTRAX or at least has been at times.
    - Guest
      
      Maybe we think its you, Greg.
    - Gregg
      
      No, no one thinks I’m smart enough. It’s obviously someone with great intellect.
    - TruthSquad
      
      who said it takes great intellect to present multiple persona?
      
      i have faith, greg, that someone as stupid enough as you can pull that off.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      ROTF !
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      When I’m tearing down your specious right wing talking points, I want you to know it’s me.
    - Hidan
      
      A few weeks back Pluskin(you know the guy who recommends his own comments as plisovski used on onpoint well.see example http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/05/201152512623687256.html#comment-212439958) mistakenly posted as Arnold walker when he made the claim the OWS and blacks OWS were all anti-semite. He also uses SerJew and lanaj. It’s quite funny and sad at the same time if you read plisovski comments on the al jazeera thread than you realize he had created mutiple accounts to like his on comments.
      
      Sadly he holds stalker tendencies and comes off quite angry and violent(much like arnold) and it seems have reached unhealthy levels in his mental state even going so far as to calling me a Jihadie or terrorist and I should be killed, he included dee and Palsco on such list.
      
      Kudos to Gregg for not threatening the death of other poster
  - Gregg
    
    See there, the world won’t come to an end if we agree sometimes. And you still were able to get in your snark. Well played.

Gregg

Now that Newt has some momentum it will be interesting to see how he handles the inevitable onslaught of scrutiny. I think he’ll do better than Bachmann (not enough there there) whose blip was short lived, Perry who did himself in early and Cain who, as a black conservative, had to be taken down at all cost. Part of the reason is it’s all old news. I doubt anything new will come out and some myths (serving divorce papers to his wife on her deathbed) will be put to rest. The other part is he must be ready for it, I’m sure he has a plan. We’ll see.

nj

Yet the facts remain that the Newtster attempted to finalized divorce papers while his wife was recovering from cancer in the hospital, and was cheating on wives 1 and 2, and lamely justified it, in part, because of how “passionately [he] felt about the country.
- Gregg
  
  That’s not what his daughter says.
  - Hidan
    
    ???
    
    Newt Gingrich: ‘Passion for the country’ led to personal indiscretions
    http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/03/newt-gingrich-passion-for-the.html
    
    Video in the link showing Newt saying such.
    
    “There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how
    passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and
    things happened in my life that were not appropriate,” Gingrich said.
    - Gregg
      
      I did not claim Newt never had “personal indiscretions”, I said it was a myth that he served his dying wife (she’s alive) divorce papers on her death bed.

Gregg

The Republicans (Pat Toomey of all people) have proposed revenue increases and the Democrats said no. The liberals won’t take “yes” for an answer.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/11/19/krauthammer-scolds-shields-and-totenberg-what-planet-are-you-guys-liv

nj

While claiming to “study” different points of view, Greggg only seems to post discredited nonsense from the regressive end of the Rethuglicon spectrum.

Toomey’s plan is just more supply-side nonsense disguised with smoke-and-mirrors. Even some conservative economists think it’s nonsense.

Toomey plan thoroughly debunked:

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/2011/11/pat-toomeys-magical-tax-cuts/

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/2011/11/pat-toomeys-magical-tax-cuts/

http://capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/bruce-bartlett/1168/supply-side-economics-rip

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/11/chart-of-the-day-the-regressive-tax-plan-super-committee-dems-rejected.php?ref=fpb_beta

http://www.offthechartsblog.org/why-the-supercommittee-should-reject-“dynamic-scoring”/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-the-supercommittee-should-reject-%25e2%2580%259cdynamic-scoring%25e2%2580%259d
- Gregg
  
  Well, you’re entitled to your opinion. I’ve certainly heard the plans on both sides and the Republicans make more sense to me. Outside the committee there seems to be bipartisan support for closing loopholes as a way of raising revenue. But I will dutifully look at your links. Thanks.
- Gregg
  
  Having perused your links, a coupla’ things. The notion of “net” revenue is analogous to the whole baseline argument. Dems are saying slowing the rate of growth is a cut even if more money is spent. Maybe we can agree on this: The whole super-committee thing is stupid. Nothing substantive will come out of it. I didn’t mean to imply I endorsed Toomey’s plan, I’m pretty sure I didn’t say anything of the sort. The rhetorical argument is interesting to me in that “raising revenue” is meaningless. It’s appears to be cool for Dems to use the phrase to mean what they deem the definition (raise taxes on the wealthy) but Repubs don’t get the same consideration. It’s also interesting how the idea that raising the top rate will equal more revenue is never questioned.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Pretending not to understand Greg posts: “Dems are saying slowing the rate of growth is a cut even if more money is spent.”
    
    Let’s make it simple for the right wingers here. Would it help if it were stated as per-capita spending?
    
    We spend $10 apiece on 100 people with a total budget of $1000. We’d expect the budget to grow to $2000 if the population grew to 200 to keep spending at $10 per-capita.
    
    But the GOP insists we cut that GROWTH of spending by 50%. 50% because spending would have grown by $100 but now it’s only $50.
    
    We now have $1500 for 200 people. Gee, we’ve just INCREASED the budget by 50%. But instead of $10 spent per person, it’s now $7.50 per person… a 25% spending cut per person.
    
    So NOW can you see how increased spending can STILL be a spending cut?
    
    Didn’t think so.
    - Gregg
      
      “So NOW can you see how increased spending can STILL be a spending cut?”
      
      That’s delusional.
      
      I need a new car and was going to buy a Lamborghini. I’m now going to get a used VW instead. I’m rich!
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      So in Gregggggg’s world of Orwellian Math, there’s no such thing as the concept of per-capita spending?
      
      The thinking here is MUCH more clear than your attempt to claim a revenue boom after tax cuts.
    - Gregg
      
      If you were driving down the road at 70 mph, it’s the difference between slowing to 55mph or putting it in reverse. And please don’t tell me what I think. Spending is either increased or decreased, not both at the same time. That’s stupid.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Is playing dumb now your favorite card to play? I EXPLAINED in terms all but an braindead denier could understand how this is, in fact, possible.�

Hidan

VIDEO: Media Pushed Back from Occupy Wall Street Raid

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/133879523.html

Several members of the media reported being blocked
from covering the Occupy Wall Street raid overnight, with police pushing
them back from the action and preventing reporting and photographing.

And on Tuesday, several
more journalists were detained by police, including AP writer Karen
Matthews, AP photographer Seth Wenig and Daily News reporter Matthew
Lysiak, the AP said. Sources told NBC New York they would not be
charged.

At one point during the
overnight raid, journalists who identified themselves as working for the
New York Post and New York Daily News were pushed back by police in
riot gear, along with NBC New York’s Chris Glorioso.

Officers moved media away from the perimeter of Zuccotti Park soon after police began clearing protesters.

Asked for an explanation on
why the press was not being allowed to document the event, an official
with the NYPD’s public information office said “right now this is where
you guys are allowed to be.”

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

OF COURSE THERE’S A REVENUE PROBLEM!!!

The Orwellian Right knows repeating the Big Lie that “Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem”, will stick in the minds of their rabid Right base. They were correct. We see that irrationality and denial of reality in post after post here.

Using numbers from the US Historical Budget Tables… table 1.3—SUMMARY OF RECEIPTS, OUTLAYS, AND SURPLUSES OR DEFICITS (–) IN CURRENT DOLLARS, CONSTANT (FY 2005) DOLLARS

The first number below is the fiscal year. The second number is revenue in CONSTANT DOLLARS… ie inflation adjusted to 2005. The third number is the revenue LOSS for each year below Clinton’s last year. Even the simplist analysis… projecting FLAT revenue growth into the Bush years, the Bush tax cuts were SO draconian that there’s about a $2 TRILLION loss in revenue. In reality, because should have been GROWING from population/economic growth, the REAL revenue loss is perhaps closer to $3 trillion…

2000 = 2,310.0 CLINTON’S LAST FULL YEAR IN OFFICE

2001 = 2,215.3 = -94.7 first Bush tax cuts

2002 = 2,028.6 = -281.4

2003 = 1,901.1 = -408.9

2004 = 1,949.5 = -360.5

2005 = 2,153.6 = -156.4

2006 = 2,324.1 = +14.1

2007 = 2,414.0 = +104

2008 = 2,288.5 = -21.5

2009 = 1,898.3 = -411.7

2010 = 1,919.0 = -391.

We can leave to another time the questions of the utter CONTEMPT the Orwellian Right has for those it hopes to deceive… as well of the gullibility of those on the Right that eat up even the most blatant lies without question.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

That the Right feels compelled to lie about revenues and to take common sense off the table by claiming new revenues play no role in reducing the deficit means that truth and common sense THREATENS the Right somehow.
�
How can that be… unless they WANT a fiscal crisis to exploit for political ends… something they obviously could never admit to.
�
If that’s true, at what point does their deliberate sabotaging of the fiscal health of the nation cross the line from treachery to treason?
- Yomama
  
  You’re boring
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Wow Brainiac, you’re so insightful!
    
    But better boring than stupid. Methinks you took a wrong turn on the way to focusonthefamily.org.
    - TruthSquad
      
      not your best post trax!
  - Constapations
    
    Gee, Modavations, Zing or ArnoldWalker – you made the same comment the other day. Running out unimaginative diatribe?
    
    Gregggg might be dull, but at least he’s not as boring and predictable… well, almost.
- Gregg
  
  Look ma, I can make bold!
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Greg: “Look Ma! I can evade even ANOTHER post. I’m batting 1000 for this this thread.. three posts and I evaded each one.
    
    Can I have my lollipop now?”
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Out of fairness I must add that revenue decreases in 2001 were not just due to Bush’s retroactive tax cut but because of an economic slowdown. Recent GDP data shows there was no real recession in 2001.

Also 2008-2010 revenue was adversely affected by the Great Right Wing Recession of 2008.

Such considerations will affect any “projection” of revenue loss for the Bush tax cuts. But my numbers were only estimates. Bush’s originally projected $1.4 trillion in lost revenue… and that didn’t include the other tax cuts Bush pushed through. And the real baseline isn’t Clinton’s last year, but the Clinton revenue curve. I believe I posted those projections elsewhere on Greg’s request. As I recall, he never responded.
- Gregg
  
  “Out of fairness…” ????
  
  The tax cuts had zip to do with the Clinton Recession. They had more to do with the recovery. The tax cuts were not even passed until June, are you saying the recession didn’t start til then? And no, they were not retroactive (more dishonesty) that was the 2003 bill. Now you’re saying there was no recession at all! What gives?
  
  Your obsession with CBO projections is hilarious. How’d they work out? The economy is not static. Did they project 9/11? These imaginary CBO projections are your holy grail… unless of course the CBO projects $200 billion deficits as far as the eye can see. Then they suck.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Yawn… Greggy, Greggy, Greggy… please don’t play stupid, unless that’s the only card you can play. We’ve been through this before. The first round of the Bush tax cuts, like the Reagan tax cuts, were RETROACTIVE to the beginning of the 2001 calendar year.
    �
    http://edition.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/06/07/bush.taxes/
    �
    You’re just AGAIN desperate remove those tax cuts as one of the big reasons revenues dropped in 2001.
    - Gregg
      
      The only portion of the tax cuts that were retroactive was the lowest rate for the poor. These would be the tax cuts you claimed were designed for the rich. In 2003 the entire bill was retroactive.
    - TruthSquad
      
      so, greg, if some of the bush tax bill was for “the poor” then it didn’t reduce revenues?
      
      do you have any actual numbers showing the poor got so little in rebates it didn’t affect the deficit?
      
      greg, your credibility, oh that’s right, you never had any.
      
      never mind.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Greggy is just going Orwellian again. He says NONE of the tax cuts were retroactive therefore could not account for any lost revenue, then when faced with the evidence, says OF COURSE there were retroactive tax cuts in 2001… but they STILL could not have decreased revenue.
      
      Greg NEEDS to blame all the lost revenue in 2001 on the economic slowdown so he can say HEY! There was less revenue even with the old Clinton tax rates!!! Can’t blame the Bush tax cuts!!!
      
      That’s what passes for clear thinking on the Orwellian Right.
    - Gregg
      
      What are you talking about? Of course the tax credits is 2001 decreased revenue. It was 2003 when the rubber hit the road and 2004 when the happy days returned. You just make up you own little dialog, don’t you?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      GREG VS GREG
      
      And here we see Greggy at his Orwellian worst… first denying the Bush tax cuts were ever retroactive to Jan 01 and therefore could NOT have played any part in reducing 2001 revenue, then as confronted with more and more evidence he changes his position to the exact opposite without EVER RETRACTING or apologizing.
      
      ulTRAX: “Out of fairness I must add that revenue decreases in 2001 were not just due to Bush’s retroactive tax cut but because of an economic slowdown. Recent GDP data shows there was no real recession in 2001.”
      
      Gregggggg: “”Out of fairness…” ???? The tax cuts had zip to do with the Clinton Recession. They had more to do with the recovery. The tax cuts were not even passed until June, are you saying the recession didn’t start til then? And no, they were not retroactive (more dishonesty) that was the 2003 bill.”
      
      ulTRAX: “Yawn… Greggy, Greggy, Greggy… please don’t play stupid, unless that’s the only card you can play. We’ve been through this before. The first round of the Bush tax cuts, like the Reagan tax cuts, were RETROACTIVE to the beginning of the 2001 calendar year. http://edition.cnn.com/2001/AL… You’re just AGAIN desperate remove those tax cuts as one of the big reasons revenues dropped in 2001. ”
      
      Gregg: “The only portion of the tax cuts that were retroactive was the lowest rate for the poor.”
      
      TruthSquad: “so, greg, if some of the bush tax bill was for “the poor” then it didn’t reduce revenues?”
      
      Gregg: “Of course the tax credits is 2001 decreased revenue.”
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    As for CBO, please try reading for comprehension. I did NOT post the CBO’s scoring of the Bush Tax Cuts, now did I Spanky?
    
    I posted HISTORICAL DATA ON ACTUAL REVENUE.
    
    Are there ANY intelligent Right wingers out there?
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Nope, Greggy still has not retracted his false claim the Bush tax cuts were not retroactive to Jan 01.
- Gregg
  
  “Out of fairness…” ????
  
  The tax cuts had zip to do with the Clinton Recession. They had more to do with the recovery. The tax cuts were not even passed until June, are you saying the recession didn’t start til then? And no, they were not retroactive (more dishonesty) that was the 2003 bill. Now you’re saying there was no recession at all! What gives?
  
  Your obsession with CBO projections is hilarious. How’d they work out? The economy is not static. Did they project 9/11? These imaginary CBO projections are your holy grail… unless of course the CBO projects $200 billion deficits as far as the eye can see. Then they suck.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3ETFGMQ3B7VD4AAMILBBEVMCWE JasonA

Every corrupt criminal Republican in Congress should have these stats tatooed on their chests!
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  The Right KNOWS what the revenue stats are. They don’t acknowledge them because they’ve been HOPING these last 30 years to create such a revenue crisis to exploit.
  - http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3ETFGMQ3B7VD4AAMILBBEVMCWE JasonA
    
    Exactly…what we are seening now is a long term strategy by the criminal Republican party and its corporate owners. Treason charges against them all would be my solution.
William

So all the government had to do was cut spending and there would have been no problem right?
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  Here’s a repost of my 2:15 post:
  
  The implicit core argument of the Tax Cut Psychos on the far Right is no matter how much debt we have or how big the deficit, they should be free to slash revenue as much as they want. If there are resulting budget problems, they remain eternally blameless. It all the fault of those who didn’t slash spending to compensate. If they sabotaged debt paydown by slashing revenues, they are blameless there too… and their irresponsible actions must NEVER be reversed. This is the sort of spoiled-brat reasoning you’d expect to find on a kindergarten playground… not in the halls of Congress.
Gregg

To the so far 8 people who “liked” this: Realize ulTRAX is not being honest. The third number he cites is NOT an OMB number and is NOT in the table he references. He deviously represents it as such. They are his numbers based on his fantasy in his cocoon of dementia. It’s Orwellian.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  I’m not being dishonest, and you KNOW it. But you’re certainly being dishonest trying to divert attention away from the LOSS OF REVENUE caused by the Bush tax cuts. The table is clearly listed to the numbers is contains and anyone can go there. I CLEARLY state the 3ed number is a PROJECTION… the SIMPLEST way to show that even a FLAT projection of Clinton revenue into the Bush years shows dramatic revenue losses. Trying to project the Clinton revenue CURVE into the Bush years would show even more dramatic revenue losses.
  - Gregg
    
    “I CLEARLY state the 3ed number is a PROJECTION.”
    
    No, you don’t. Where? What you say is: “Using numbers from the US Historical Budget Tables…”. Cheesy, you should be ashamed.
    - TruthSquad
      
      you are truly pathetic greg. you’re trying to take our attention away from how much money the bush tax cuts cost us.
      
      why?
    - Gregg
      
      Tax cuts don’t cost money, it’s an oxymoron. So, ulTRAX makes up numbers, represents them as being from OMB’s table 1.3 and then says he “clearly” states what he did not state. The post is right there. And you call me pathetic? Get a new moniker, liar.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      It seems Greggy will grasp at any pathetic distraction to EVADE the issue that the Bush tax cuts SLASHED revenues. Which is odd since in other forums he BRAGGED there was a revenue boom created by these tax cuts. Oops, he later denied he ever claimed causation like in this post.
      
      Ggerg 06/28/2011 01:25 PM Dude, you really ought to stop putting words in my mouth and then disparaging the things you say I think. All I said was the tax cuts dropped the unemployment rate and brought in more revenue. It’s undeniable.
    - Gregg
      
      And I didn’t make up the numbers to back it up. Revenue went up and the unemployment rate went down. I wouldn’t call it a boom (totally your word) just a stabilizing factor after the Clinton Recession and 9/11. You’re the worst kind of deceitful ideologue.
      
      Just say it: “The numbers I used are mine and not part of any rational economic metrix. I apologize for misrepresenting them as such.”
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Such is the life of someone who simply wants to prove the Bush tax cuts were SO irresponsible that revenues in constant dollars have been virtually FLAT for the past decade. They are constantly hounded by little Orwellian Right fleas who are desperate to divert attention to ANY other subject. if Greggy could not jump on this, he’d find some other reason to evade or dismis the hard numbers.
      
      And are you back to your already discredited claim the Bush tax cuts were needed to prevent a recession after the tech bubble popped in spring 2000? We already know THIS IS FALSE. Tax cuts proposed by Bush and the Dems in 2000 were to REFUND SOME OF THE CLINTON SURPLUS. And for all those who know something about calendars, they KNOW, the Bush tax cuts were passed months BEFORE 911… not in response to 911.
      
      BTW, have you yet retracted your claim they were NOT retroactive to Jan 01?

Hidan

GOP’s Amazing Revenue-Reducing Tax ‘Hike

http://www.fair.org/blog/2011/11/16/gops-amazing-revenue-reducing-tax-hike/

“That is big news. In the New York Times (11/9/11):

Republicans, long opposed to tax increases, said Tuesday
that they might allow $250 billion to $300 billion of additional tax
revenue as part of a deal to shave $1.2 trillion from federal deficits
over the next 10 years.

One slight problem: The GOP tax increase is, it turns out, a massive tax cut for wealthy Americans. As Steve Benen noticed (Political Animal, 11/9/11):

Way down in the same article, in the 16th paragraph,
the piece gets around to mentioning that Republican want to trade
nearly $300 billion in new revenue for “permanently extending the
George W. Bush-era tax cuts past their 2012 expiration date, a move that
would increase deficits by about $4 trillion over the next decade.”
That’s the kind of detail that more or less debunks the article’s headline and lede. Think about it: as part of a debt-reduction deal, Republicans want to increase tax revenue by less than $300 billion and cut tax revenue by roughly $4 trillion.”

The general line in corporate media coverage of the so-called
“Supercommittee” tasked with coming up with a long-term budget plan is
that both sides aren’t willing to budge: Republicans won’t agree to
raise taxes, and Democrats want to protect “entitlements” like Social
Security and Medicare.

While some might find the idea of Democrats standing up for Social
Security and Medicare, it’s not really true–Democrats have offered to
make such cuts if there are some tax increases to go along with them.
This insistence that a compromise involve a compromise has been
depicted, oddly enough, as a refusal to compromise.

nj

Will the drooling wingers apologize or even admit they and their Fox So-Called News masters were full of crap?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/white-house-shooting-suspect-arrested-in-pa/2011/11/16/gIQAdK3PSN_story.html

“In trying to determine why he recently traveled to the nation’s capital from the western part of the country, investigators searched the Occupy D.C. campground near the White House but have found no connection between him and the Occupy protesters, according to three law enforcement officials familiar with the case.”

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/11/18/372290/fox-news-occupy-shooter/

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Say the most crazed of our rabid Right friends get their wish to cut spending… and more. We cut federal government spending to ZERO… no social programs, no defense, no ANYTHING. One thing that can’t be cut is interest on the existing debt which at the current rate will be about 4.5 TRILLION over the next 10 years.

OK Righties, now what your game plan? How are you going to pay down that $15 trillion in debt?

Will citizens tolerate paying ANY taxes when they get nothing in return?

Will the Tax Cut Nuts on the Right AGAIN sabotage debt paydown as they did in 2001?

Gregg

No one but no one endorses zero spending, no one.
- Fredlinskip
  
  Don’t believe that was the point of Ultrax’s comment, Gregg.
  - Gregg
    
    Then he has no point. Reductio ad absurdum
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      And there we see one of Greggy’s classic evasion techniques… pretend there’s no issue to respond to.
    - Gregg
      
      Don’t do Latin, do you?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Sad to say I actually did study Latin. What a waste of brain cells.
      
      That doesn’t change the fact that you’re evasive when you have no answers and lack the integrity to admit it. Clearly that’s the case here otherwise you’d address the questions.
    - Greggless
      
      lame, lamo, lamare, lametum
    - Greggless
      
      Cheese whiz, milk toast, lame
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  That’s NOT the point Greggy. The question really is how do you pay down debt with SPENDING cuts alone? I’m just stripping away all the details and getting to the heart of the matter.
  
  At SOME point sending cuts can get us to a annual balanced budget…. THEN WHAT? To pay down debt you need a annual ON-budget surplus, but we know from 2001 the Tax Cut Nuts will claim ANY surplus is “proof” of over-taxation and they rushed to sabotage revenues.
  
  So what’s is YOUR side going to do if we ever get to a balanced budget through spending cuts?
  - Gregg
    
    Well, using your scenario, 7 years. Done.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      I haven’t presented a scenario. Unless you mean cutting spending to ZERO… and all us citizens will be willing to pay ALL the same taxes and get NOTHING in return.
      
      And the chances of that are?
      
      Of course you evaded the 2 key questions:
      
      Will citizens tolerate paying ANY taxes when they get nothing in return? Will the Tax Cut Nuts on the Right AGAIN sabotage debt paydown as they did in 2001?
    - Gregg
      
      One man’s “key question” is another man’s idiocy. I always evade idiocy. But if you insist, in your fantasy scenario (no services, no spending) and revenue at around $2 trillion/year it would take 7 or so years to pay off the debt. In return the citizens would get a debt free nation and all the tentacles thereof. Your second question is built on a stupid false premise.
      
      Now tell me what is the purpose of such a discussion?
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      You KNOW the point, which is why you’re going out of your way to evade it. If you believe “it’s all our money” regardless of the debt, then if we ever get to a surplus… right wing tax cut cultists will AGAIN demand tax cuts over paying down debt. That’s where you logic leads us just as it did back in 2001. It’s just a smokescreen to conceal your THEFT of trillions from future generations.
      
      How goddamn noble.
    - Greggless
      
      Milk toast, reactionary, lame
- Greggless
  
  Wish there was zero meddling by you on this sight.

Fredlinskip

Of course GOP in Superduper committee will make a proposal at last possible instant and Dems will cave and “sell the store” completely (with possible exception PERMANENT extention of W tax cuts- which have caused our country so much added financial distress).

If GOP won’t compromise in any meaningful way, I don’t know why Dems don’t allow the automatic cuts to kick in.- it’s not like congress’s approval rating is going to get any worse.

Fredlinskip

Of course GOP in Superduper committee will make a proposal at last possible instant and Dems will cave and “sell the store” completely (with possible exception PERMANENT extention of W tax cuts- which have caused our country so much added financial distress).

If GOP won’t compromise in any meaningful way, I don’t know why Dems don’t allow the automatic cuts to kick in.- it’s not like congress’s approval rating is going to get any worse.

Modavations

Socialists lose Spain,in the biggest drubbing since the advent of free elections.

Constapations

What gives, last month you said no socialist countries existed?

Modavations

Let the first year of the 10 years of sequeste,r begin.And there are no fingerprints.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

And part of what will happen is the irresponsible Bush tax cuts will finally expire!!! Instant revenue!!!

Didn’t see that coming, did you Einstein!
Constapations

Let the first year of 10 years of no Modavations, et al. begin.

That’s my holiday wish.

Modavations

Bush’s tax cuts weren’t the problem,it was the spending.To quote J.Carville” it’s the spending stupid.”33% of Bush tacx cuts went to the poorest.He cut the rate from 15 to 10%ish and 11%ish were allowed to pay “niente”.The rich had the rates drop from35%-33%ish,I think.That was a 6% cut.

Gregg

The rich went from 39.6% to 35% which is less of a break than the poor got. And with the EIC, 6 million of the poorest saw their tax liability disappear completely. This makes ulTRAX’ head explode. He goes off on an Owellian hypocrisy rant… or something.
- Modavations
  
  General G,leader of the liberated midlle states,”Happy Thanksgiving”
  - Gregg
    
    You’re a hoot Perfessor! Thanx and back atcha’.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Proof that you’re so desperate to prove black = white, you need the help of the resident village idiot.
  - Constapations
    
    A couple of turkeys saluting each other, how unadorable.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  Proving liars can figure.
  
  So if a billionare gets $100,000 tax cut, that’s LESS than someone who gets a $100 tax cut.
  - Gregg
    
    What I wrote is true.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Yawn, you’re playing with numbers trying to find some combination that can “prove” the Bush tax cuts didn’t mostly benefit the wealthy. Any competent number-smith can find SOME numbers that are designed more to deceive than enlighten… and that’s what the Orwellian Right does best. It’s like playing the game what was the biggest tax hike/cut of the past 50 years? One can look at nominal dollars, chained dollars, or % of GDP. There’s bound to be ONE number that will suit one’s purposes. But feel free to play stupid.
    - Gregg
      
      It doesn’t matter how much you favor the poor, they will ALWAYS come out behind in terms of dollars. If you want to overcome that mathematical mountain then I’ll need to see a plan.
      
      Give the poor guy who paid $1000 in taxes a 100% refund. Now give the guy who paid $1 million a 1% refund ($10,000). Follow me, you have just tilted the playing field 100 to 1 in favor of the poor guy. The poor guy paid bupkis and the rich guy paid $990,000. You’re telling me the poor guy got screwed because the rich guy got 10 times the refund? That’s your logic.
      
      Yawn.
    - TruthSquad
      
      so if each poor guy gets next to nothing, and the fat cats get a hundred or two thousand back from the bush tax cuts, then we shouldn’t look at what the fat cats got back.
      
      yep!
      
      i think i’m catchin’ on to your whacko world logic.
    - Gregg
      
      Exactly, what they “got back” is irrelevant. It’s their money. Look at what they paid.
    - Steve__T
      
      No look at what they made.
    - Gregg
      
      And there we hit a dead end.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      It’s not a “dead end” if we remember that if We The People were $6 trillion in debt back in 2001, then ALL those tax cuts were fiscally IRRESPONSIBLE.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      If We The People are now $15 TRILLION in debt… it’s pretty Orwellian to claim money that SHOULD go to debt paydown… should be “refunded” as a tax cut. It’s our CREDITORS money… and we’re just good at sleazing out of paying. And of course the moral dimension that we’re spending money stolen from our kids and grandkids… doesn’t phase you since at heart your amoral. It’s comes as no surprise that you like Newt.
    - Greggless
      
      Boring, lies, fake, drama, dull
    - Greggless
      
      Gregggg – What you write is always true, ‘in your own mind’.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

If back in 2001 we were SIX TRILLION IN DEBT…. then ALL the Bush tax cuts were IRRESPONSIBLE.
- Modavations
  
  JFK-Regan tax cuts led to unprecedented economic growth.Reagan tax cuts doubled treasury revenues.Clinton Pay-Go and cuttin of Cap.Gains, produced another 20mill.jobs.You’re model,Spain,is a basketcase.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    More empty-headed assertions with no proof. And NO Einstein, correlation is NOT causation.BTW, please try to keep up. ALL those topics have been dealt with before and NONE of your claims stand up.
    - Modavations
      
      Your the judge.You have no credibilityYour corrupt.Ask a non-partial jury and I’ll acceed(?)
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      We ALREADY put Reagan on trial and he FAILED to meet his own 1981 economic predictions for his tax cut program. Only the Orwellian Right has turned the Reagan disaster in to an economic miracle by pretending the deep Reagan Recession never happened, including revenue from tax HIKES and crediting them to tax cuts, faking actual revenues to include Clinton and Bush1 years, and phony deficit:GDP numbers…. BOTH of which you posted. So instead of getting pissed off at where ever you got your bogus numbers, you try and call my CBO numbers into question.
      
      Are there ANY intelligent right wingers out there??????
      
      Didn’t think so.
    - Constapations
      
      Lies, boring, blah, drama
  - Constapations
    
    Lies, boring, lies, blah, yuk
Constapations

Blah, blah, blah, boring, lies, boring

Modavations

From the get go we had a 54miilion dollar debt.Madison wanted tarrifs so we could pay off the soldiers, we had stiffed.JFK had debt of 700 billion.Bush 10 trillion.Obama 15trillion and still going.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

• Again NO sources? • • The reason there are threads in forums IS TO KEEP DISCUSSIONS ORGANIZED AND COHERENT. The LEAST you could do is cite the original quote you’re responding to. • • Looks like the effects from munching on all those lead paint window sills is still paying dividends some 50 years later. • • I’m no longer going to respond to your stream of consciousness spew. Grow up Moda.
- Modavations
  
  Can I get that in writing.That guy Eric said the other day,don’t ever respond to me ,don’t ever talk to me.He posted a reply to one of my qiuips,3 hrs,. later.It will take you a half hour.
  - Constapations
    
    You are clueless. You’ve been told more than once never to respond.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

What tariffs are you even talking about?

Madison pushed for shipping tarrifs because under the new Constitution the states could no longer tax shipping to build/maintain lighthouses. So the new Federal government had to do it. This opened up a can of worms with other issues. It was in 1789 not 1791. My mistake. http://www.uscg.mil/history/docs/1789_LH_Act.pdf
�
It was in 1789 not 1791. My mistake.

http://www.uscg.mil/history/docs/1789_LH_Act.pdf
- Modavations
  
  These figures are in my noggin,I don’t scurry for Google every three seconds.You promised you’d never reply to me,ever.It took you 30 minutes to break the pledge.You’re cherry picking CBO #’s is pathetic.You manipulate like an amateur.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    You LOVE to make the claim I’m manipulating or cherry picking numbers…. YET YOU’VE REFUSED TO POST ANY PROOF. I’m still waiting for you to deal with the JFK revenue numbers. But all you did was run away and throw spitballs hiding behind your mommy. Put up or shut up Moda. THAT’S why I post my sources Moda…. so THEY CAN BE VERIFIED. You never post sources and want us all to believe the spittle and spew from your lead-laden brain must be taken as Gospel. Moda, you are a classic idiot and On Point is your Village.
    - Modavations
      
      Dude,you don’t have to prove anything to me.If I think the figure is suspect I’ll check.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      You claimed I was manipulating the JFK/LBJ revenue numbers and when I insisted you PROVE your accusation you scurried like a rat for the hills.
      
      NO ONE CARES what you claim Moda since you STILL don’t have a clue what terms mean even as you discuss them, you STILL don’t know how to cite credible sites, and you STILL don’t know how to have an intelligent, fact-based, discussion.
    - Constapations
      
      Boring, yawn, boring
  - Constapations
    
    Yawn, boring, yawn
Constapations

Yawn, yawn, yawn

Modavations

Grow the economy,tax receipts pour in and the debts get paid off.Problem::::No matter how much comes in ,the Solons will blow it and blow some more.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

The CBO revenue numbers PROVE it’s not a matter of just spending…. REVENUE IN REAL DOLLARS HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY FLAT FOR 10 YEARS!!!!!!!
Constapations

Yawn, yawn, yawn

Modavations

Reagan raised taxes 11 times,but what counts is deficit to GDP.When he left, it was at the “picture perfect”3%.What you guys fail to realize,is that this is the essential #.It’s now 6 to 8%,or more.Way out of kilter

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

TRANSLATION = Moda suddenly favors tax HIKES if they shrink the deficit.

Why didn’t you just say that Einstein! After all, this is also what happened after the so-called JFK tax cut… taxes were INCREASED 3 times to be able to shrink the deficit by nearly 50x by 1969.
- Modavations
  
  Keep the rate at 3% and you can raise ,or drop them.You’re problem is that as a Comm-Socialist,you believe the govt has the right to all money
  - Anonymous
    
    Yawn.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Moda AGAIN proves gnawing on lead paint as a kid leads to adult dementia.
    
    What’s so “picture perfect” about a 3% deficit to GDP ratio? The US GDP was 14.7 Trillion last year. 3% of that is about 440 BILLION. That in your mind running a 440 BILLION deficit is “picture perfect” fiscal responsibility? ANY DEFICIT INCREASES DEBT!!!!
    
    And in your twisted mind, wanting to pay down debt makes me a Commie? YOU said you wanted to pay down debt too… but it’s obvious from your post, you STILL don’t know the difference between deficits and debt.
    
    Are there ANY intelligent, non-braindead Right wingers out there?
    - Modavations
      
      As advertised.It only took you 30 minutes to break your pledge
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      For the sake our uninformed readers who don’t yet know you’re an idiot, I sometimes feel compelled to refute your nonsense. Please feel free to consider that a personal weakness if you’d like.
    - Modavations
      
      If it isn’t lefy wing foolishness ,you’d refute.
    - Constapations
      
      Get some koapectate
    - Constapations
      
      Blah, blah, blah
    - Modavations
      
      one and a half trillion deficit into 15 trllion GDP is what %?How ’bout 10%.Now scurry back to your google please.I have all these #’s in my noggin,by the way
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAID!!!
      �
      I was referring to your 3% deficit to debt number WHICH YOU SAID WAS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE.
      �
      Ya, your number are in your noggin’ and that’s your main problem. Your noggin’ is fried.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Correction:
      
      I was referring to your 3% deficit to GDP number WHICH YOU SAID WAS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE.
    - Modavations
      
      keep spinning.I thought we weren’t talking.
    - Constapations
      
      Blah, blah, blah
    - Constapations
      
      Blah, blah, blah
  - Constapations
    
    Blah, blah, blah
Constapations

When he left, ‘picture perfect’? Ronny’s mind was toast way before

Modavations

Mr Ultrax,with you’re Bush Derangement Syndrome(you bring it to new heights),he inherited the Tech crash and 9/11!!!But he was a chump.It was the out of control spending and Demographics.As if we weren’t warned about retiring Baby Boomers.I’m proud of you though!!!I only counted 2254 slurs and snarkisms,down from 4572.

Gregg

“J”
Anonymous

You have a lot of nerve being that you are the king troll of snarkism.
- Modavations
  
  I don’t personally call people names>Troll has never left my lips.You,howver,are most flagrant.I could retire the U.S. debt if you paid me $1.00, every name you’ve called your fellow posters a name.
  - Modavations
    
    1.00 every time ,I meant to say
    - Constapations
      
      Your input is not worth a cent
Constapations

J. Edgar –

He inherited it? His homey’s created it. He was a ‘smirking chimp’.

Then, his admin. blew up government spending for two terms in a row, employed tax cuts to the rich that crippled revenue, blew trillions on some stupid, illegal wars benefiting insider defense contractors, crippled our constitution – ‘it’s just a piece of paper’, and destroyed our economy, ‘real good’, for his masters.

Made the richer, richer than they have ever been. Of course, until now.

Nice try at your convoluted revisionism.

Lately, oil has been around $100 a barrel with no reasonable market demand at all.

Go figure – oil is the new gold. I wonder who benefits?

Modavations

To the lady with the ti.,we went t0 the high line.It was great

Constapations

J.Edgar – You and G. are really lonely people. Anytime there’s a women on board you guys just can’t help yourself. Pathetic.

David Briola

I was one of the callers on Week In The News for November 18. When I started to comment on what Matt Continetti had said regarding OWS, Ms. Lyden interjected a question concerning what I had stated. She seemed to misunderstand my comment, so I had to repeat my remarks. She then thanked me and I turned on my radio, just in time to hear her defense of Mr. Continetti. At first, I thought I may have confused the two Matts, although I didn’t think so. When I read the comments on the segment the next day, I realized that I was not the one who was confused. I want to thank all the people who clarified the entire matter.

http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

The implicit core argument of the Tax Cut Psychos on the far Right is no matter how much debt we have or how big the deficit, they should be free to slash revenue as much as they want. If there are resulting budget problems, they remain eternally blameless. It all the fault of those who didn’t slash spending to compensate. If they sabotaged debt paydown by slashing revenues, they are blameless there too… and their irresponsible actions must NEVER be reversed.
�
This is the sort of spoiled-brat reasoning you’d expect to find on a kindergarten playground… not in the halls of Congress.

Modavations

If you want to raise revenue to reduce debt,deficit I’m with you.What would you do with extra revenue?Me thinks it would be frittered away,but tell me your plan.I await with bated breath
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  Start your own thread Modaevasion…. this one is about a different topic. You DO know what a topic is, right?
  - Modavations
    
    With bated breath we await your reply
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      We already had this discussion. It’s not my fault you can’t remember. If fact that’s pretty much ALL you do is repeat things already discussed and discredited.
    - Constapations
      
      Many, on this comment board, wish you would bate your own breath forever.
  - Gregg
    
    You really have no idea how`warped your “implicit core argument” is, do you? Such a proclamation does not make a trusty foundation for honest debate.
    
    And really, are you actually that`possessive of “your” threads? I thought it was a joke.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      You’re as disingenuous as always, Greggy. In the end all you and the Right want is total capitulation to your irrational position. It’s YOUR side that doesn’t want an honest debate because an honest debate REQUIRES COMPROMISE and that’s something YOUR side REFUSES to do. We see it in all the posts here from you nutty right wingers. You’re just dupes convinced lies and irrationality make sense… yet you pretend you want an “honest” discussion.
      
      As I wrote before, if the Right feels compelled to LIE about how much the irresponsible Bush tax cuts have slashed revenues and if the Right take common sense solutions off the table by claiming new revenues can play NO role in reducing the deficit means that truth and common sense THREATENS the Right.
      
      How can that be… unless the Right WANT a fiscal crisis to exploit for POLITICAL ends… something they obviously could never admit to.
      
      If that’s true, at what point does the Right’s deliberate sabotaging of the fiscal health of the nation cross the line from treachery to treason?
    - Gregg
      
      That is demented logic, stew in it.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Seem’s only Greggy’s never heard of the Two Santa or Starve the Beast political strategies even if Norquist ADMITS he wants strangle government to the point it can be drowned in a bathtub.

Modavations

So far today,Ultrax has called people names ,73 times with 27 snarkisms.You give immaturity a bad name.

Anonymous

You know I heard if you do to much of this online masturbation you go blind.
- Gregg
  
  He says as he pines for a less juvenile and more civil conversation.
  - Greggless
    
    J.Edgar could not act more juvenile and be less civil.
    
    And, your support of his type of behavior is despicable.
Constapations

J.Edgar –

Should we run a tally on your inexcusable behavior under your multiple monikers?

Arguing with Modavations, et al., and G. is a worthless cause.

You’re like bad songs on the radio that we have to put up with daily.

Your minds are impervious to critical reasoning and logical rhetoric.

At least, ulTRAX is informative, sourced, empathetic and thoughtful.

Anonymous

Newt Gingrich keeps on giving the Democrats ammo.
His latest brilliant talking point: “It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in, first of all, child laws, which are truly stupid,” said the former House speaker, according to CNN.

Just in time for the Christmas Season, Newt seems to be doing his Scrooge impersonation.

Modavations

Me, Bill Cosby and Newt, believe that the business of the Dem.Party is to keep the poor,poor.
- Constapations
  
  J.Edgar –
  
  Naturally, you are part of the over-the-hill-void-of significance-gang.
  
  The business of the republicrats is to make the rich, richer.
  
  Along with the demopublicans, the middle class is toast.

Modavations

Mr Ultrax,when you finally quit stalling and explain what you’d do with extra revenues, I have another query.Please tell the class why the state of Washington rejected their tax the rich ballot?

Constapations

J.Edgar – Simple, the criminals in DC are supported by the wealthy criminals around the country.

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