Week In The News: Newt Still On Top, Blago To Prison, Obama Channels Teddy

http://freeourfreemarkets.org Steve Banicki

Yesterday Rob Blagojevich , former Governor of Illinois, was sntanced to 14-years in prison for trying to “sell” Barack Obama’s former senate seat for personal gain. In the 1972 movie classic, The GodFather, the head of the Mafia, played by Marlin Brando, would help an acquaintance needing a favor and say, “some day, and the day may never come, I will call upon you to do a favor for me.”

This is exactly what the oligopolies, both corporations and unions, do with our representatives in Washington. They give them campaign bribes and in return expect, and receive, favors in the future. When the Godfather asked for a favor, no one refused.Until this is changed in Washington, nothing else will cgange. Here is what needs to be done. http://bit.ly/qTIUyF

http://freeourfreemarkets.org Steve Banicki

Yesterday Rob Blagojevich , former Governor of Illinois, was sntanced to 14-years in prison for trying to “sell” Barack Obama’s former senate seat for personal gain. In the 1972 movie classic, The GodFather, the head of the Mafia, played by Marlin Brando, would help an acquaintance needing a favor and say, “some day, and the day may never come, I will call upon you to do a favor for me.” More: http://bit.ly/tE3DRq

Tina

So many of us are broken hearted for the families of American men and women who felt their way to serve our country, to mature, to learn needed skills, to learn to work within a disciplined community was thru military service, only to be injured or die. Can it get any sadder than that? We found out it can when most of us learned this week that additional remains belonging to at least 274 of these veterans were mixed with medical waste and taken to a Virginia landfill between 2004 and 2008 (and maybe earlier). How could this ever have been condoned by anyone … ever?

JustSayin

Death is a profit based business, even for veteran remains. The same thing happened to my father. But working with the VA I forced the funeral home to place a marker in the cemetery, even though there is nothing under it.
- Tina
  
  JustSayin, I’m so sorry to hear what happened to your father. I’m stunned that this has and does happen! There is a veteran who visits the cemetery where my father is buried to put markers by the appropriate grave sites when someone is newly buried. I knew that a marker would appear at some point. I was amazed at how moving it was the first time I saw the marker with the flag in it — and it still is. The 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor reminded me (as each anniv. does each year) that my dad told my mom right after the attack, that some night he would just not come home from work because he would get the word to go to war. He had had athletic scholarships and gone to a cooperative college, so I think he felt very grateful to his country and had joined ROTC in college, so he knew this would happen. My mom had either just had a miscarriage, as she said, or a stillborn, as the death certificate said when I found it years after she passed away, and she was either still in the hospital or had just gotten out of the hospital (a hospital of the 1940′s!) when he did not show up that night. Happily, he did show up 4 1/2 years later, tho he did have to get hospitalized stateside because the malaria meds weren’t still given out when the soldiers came back home, but the disease was in my Dad’s system, so he got the malaria here instead of in the South Pacific. I think about my mom’s having her husband in the Pacific theater while her brother was a bomber pilot who did 52 missions (only 25 were required) in the European theater, and my heart goes out to those families today who have loved ones in war zones, including, in some cases, fathers and mothers! Truly, the landfill is an unconscionable decision to have made. My father, like so many vets, told us very little about his wartime experiences, even when we begged to know. My uncle had nightmares at least as late as his seventies, when I saw him have one when he fell asleep in my mom’s lap on the sofa. Many, many soldiers suffer much worse versions of PTSD, as we know; many have traumatic brain injuries, amputations, spinal cord injuries, and so many other conditions, and some soldiers don’t make it. So, don’t decision-makers have any sense of the human dramas that war and service puts people through? ! I don’t get it! Even without stories being told, even as a kid, even in my younger days when tv was not much a part of our lives and there was certainly no internet, I think I understood the respect that was due. I do not understand these decision-makers! My heart goes out to the spirit, the soul, the memory, whichever word you’d like me to use, of your father.
  - Anonymous
    
    to Tina and JustSayin, thank you for sharing these stories. I was dumbstruck when I heard this story about the remains in the landfill.
    - Tina
      
      You’re welcome!
  - JustSayin
    
    Thank you for your empathy. I believe this is more commonplace than people are willing to contemplate.
    
    At least I have a marker to visit, but if I really want to visit him I have to purchase a landfill pass, and I’m not certain which one he was dumped into.
    
    I now believe that landfills that contain human remains should have markers at the gate displaying each name… Just a reminder to everyone of the very large gap between what we pledge and honor, and what we actually neglect and do.

Tina

Can you please discuss: 1) HOW Faux News discussed the issue of the confirmation of Richard Cordray for head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau BEFORE the vote? I personally cannot stand to listen to their news, although I SHOULD to understand their tactics. 2) Can you remind us WHY the confirmation vote required 60 votes instead of the 53/45 vote majority, especially when the Senate’s role is “to advise and consent” Presidential appointments. �
Thanks!

Hidan

The funny thing is Cordray was picked cause he wouldn’t be that hard on the Banks and WS and still the republicans are blocking him.
- TFRX
  
  Yeah, I guess that WATB Republicans have mesmerized “60 is the new 51″ into our press’ collective consciousness so throroughly that filibustering is just not newsworthy any longer.
CommonSense

How many votes did Fox News get? Tell me some of your other conspiracy theories.

Keen Observer

The goverment of Iran is proudly displaying a U.S. drone that they shot down over their air space.

Why are U.S. drones flying over Iranian air space?

There can be no doubt now that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are working to start a U.S. war with Iran sometime in 2012.

If there is a U.S. war with Iran (and there will be), then the first U.S. troops that land on Iranian soil need to Sasha, Malia and Chelsea.

Hidan

First the Obama Admin claimed they found a secret facility. Turns out Iran reported to the IAEA months before. Than claimed Iran was refusing to transfer it’s low enriched stockpile. Both Turkey and Brazil had Iran agree to the near same deal a few months latter and the U.S. rejected it. Than we had the Used car salesmen story pushed by the Obama Admin which no many of the experts on the subject made no sense, yet the Obama Admin called for more sanctions, than we had massive so called leaks about the new IAEA report claiming once and for all Iran is seeking a WMD. Turns out most of the inform is pre 2003 as well as known by all the parties. On top the new information was provided to the IAEA by western powers and such source has refused to prove it’s true. On top of that per the Wiki Leaks Cabel the new head of the IAEA is clearly in bias and in the U.S. camp. ISIS and other such groups are now poping out the supposed pictures of WMD sites like they did in Iraq. Israel still against International law threatens Iran.the RJC blocks Ron Paul from speaking for his extreme views. Like opposing military action against Iran, the U.S. shouldn’t blindly support Israel,drawn attention to Israel’s weapons program. Believes borrowing money from China to give to Israel,Jordan, and Egypt is dumb.

How extreme right?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/05/republican-jewish-coalition-bans-ron-paul?newsfeed=true
CommonSense

I’d guess the war starts right before the election! Lots of shock and awe, an apparent easy US victory, then it’s election-time; however it takes us a decade or more to clean it up.
mary elizabeth.

I have never heard President Obama or Hilary Clinton mention war with Iran.�
I have heard Repubs McCain, Gingrich, Bolton bring it up.

Please be specific about “there can be no doubt” .
Has this administration shown any tendancy toward starting a war? Please reference you remark.
Anonymous

All countries that can, do spy on other countries. We have Israeli spies in our prisons but I don’t think they plan to invade us anytime soon. And I think you’re wrong about invasion plans by us and Iran.

I’ll take the cold over a hot war any day.

Anonymous

What I find amazing about Newt Gingrich is how he is able to sweep under the table is ethics violations when he was speaker of the House. 395 members of the House voted against him with 196 of them from the GOP. He was also fined $300,000.

I don’t know for me a man accused and sanctioned for violating tax laws and Congressional rules is just not presidential material.

Hidan

Serial Hypocrisy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWKTOCP45zY
CommonSense

Sweep under the table … it’s on his permanent record for all to see and for people to reference.
Modavations

Nancy P.threw 500 charges at him and one stuck.It was about an educational program.One year later ,the IRS said Newt is right.
- Anonymous
  
  So. Also your wrong as the GOP was in the majority and it was Newts own party that took him down. Pelosi as shown in an above comment was on the subcommittee that was investigating Gingrich. I know this is to much to ask as you seem to be in love with playing the fool, but can you at least try to make some sense.
Gregg

Eighty four politically motivated ethics charges were filed against Newt
when he was Speaker of the House regarding the use of tax exempt funds
for a college course he taught titled “Renewing American Civilization.”�
Eighty-three of the eighty-four charges were found to be without merit
and dropped. The remaining charge had to do with contradictory
documents prepared by Newt’s lawyer supplied during the course of the
investigation. Newt took responsibility for the error and agreed to
reimburse the committee the cost of the investigation into that
discrepancy. In 1999, after a 3 ½ year investigation, the Internal
Revenue Service (under President Bill Clinton, nonetheless) concluded
that Gingrich did not violate any tax laws, leading renowned CNN
Investigative Reporter Brooks Jackson to remark on air “it turns out
[Gingrich] was right and those who accused him of tax fraud were
wrong.”

http://www.newt.org/answers#Ethics
- Anonymous
  
  So in your view it’s a matter of how many things he was sanctioned for not the fact that he did break house rules. Amazing. Gingrich violated the rules, period.
  The House ethics committee recommended last night that House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) face an unprecedented reprimand from his colleagues and pay $300,000 in additional sanctions after concluding that his use of tax-deductible money for political purposes and
  inaccurate information supplied to investigators represented “intentional or . . . reckless” disregard of House rules.
  From the Washington Post.
  
  He was extremely disliked by his fellow republicans as well. He was told by the new House Majority leader Dick Armey, House Majority Whip Tom Delay, and Boehner to resign from congress or be voted out of his leadership position. In the end he was voted out. To think this mans baggage is not going to be an issue is just lame.
  - Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4
    
    In 2008 Americans displayed a remarkable ability to look past a man’s baggage and general lack of substance. Do not underestimate Americans!
    - Drew You Too
      
      and in 2000, and in 2004, and come to think of it throughout most of our Nations History. We always seem to see only what we wish to see. I hit the Like button on accident. Meant to hit reply. I didn’t “like” your comment.
    - Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4
      
      Yes you did.
  - Gregg
    
    Sanctions are not dismissed if house rules are proven to be broken. I know he was disliked by fellow Republicans, that’s my point. Nowadays, not so much.
- Newton Whale
  
  From FactCheck.org:
  
  “Newt Gingrich falsely claimed the House ethics panel that voted to reprimand him in 1997 was “a very partisan political committee.” He was also off base when he said the inquiry was “a Pelosi-driven effort.”
  
  “The Republicans controlled the House at the time of the investigation; Gingrich had just become the first Republican speaker since 1955. As a result, the Committee on Ethics was chaired by a Republican: Rep. Nancy Johnson of Connecticut. On the day the committee issued its report, Johnson commended the subcommittee that investigated Gingrich. That panel, as we said, included Pelosi.
  Johnson, Jan. 18, 1997: I want to commend Representative Porter Goss and the other members of the subcommittee, Representatives Ben Cardin, Steve Schiff and Nancy Pelosi, for their extraordinary dedication and endurance throughout this process. I particularly want to commend the members of the subcommittee for their ability to carry out their responsibilities in a collegial, nonpartisan manner in a difficult environment.”Gingrich fared no better in the full House, where Republicans enjoyed a 22-seat majority. The House voted 395 to 28 in favor of the punishment. It was the first time in the House’s 208-year history it had disciplined a speaker for ethical wrongdoing.”
  http://factcheck.org/2011/12/newts-erroneous-ethics-alibi/
  - Gregg
    
    Did you have a dispute with my facts?
    - Newton Whale
      
      Do you have a dispute with mine?

Ed

Hilary Clinton has announced that it is a top concern for US foreign policy how governments treat homosexual people in their country, and that the US would tie aid to this treatment. And that this is the main human rights issue of our time.

Of course homosexual people can’t be descriminated against, hurt, killed, etc. But they’re missing, and they’re on the wrong side of, the real human rights issue of our time, which is abortion. And we saw this in the morning after pill discussion, which causes a chemical abortion.

Fgraham

In which scenario would the world be better off? A) Less abortions with more discrimination/persecution of gays, or B) More abortions with less discrimination/persecution.
Anonymous

Homosexuals have far lower numbers of abortions than heterosexuals. They must be morally superior.
mary elizabeth.

The MAP does not cause a chemical abortion as there is no fertilized egg to abort.

Yar

Can you spend some time talking about the Senate bill that allows the indefinite detention of US Citizens without trial. John Stewart did a piece on it. �
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-december-7-2011/arrested-development
My question is, what would Richard Nixon have done with his enemies lists if he had these powers? It might seem like a good idea to some now, but just think how they might be abused. I don’t agree with my Senator Rand Paul on much, but on this is one he hit the nail on the head.

Hidan

Word from above says no. Just like the internet bill one has to go outside the MSM to learn about it.

I don’t really agree with Rand Paul on anything but this I give him credit for being one of the few to stand up to this undemocratic bill. Supposedly the war on terror is getting harder to keep, since OBL is dead, Al Q is few yet our Senate wants to bring it home.

Also to note Obama plans to veto this bill, at first I was thrilled that he saw such as undemocratic as well but it turns out the reason he’s doing so is it requires the Ex Branch to do more paperwork and is believed to infringe on Presidential powers.
Modavations

The party of big government is complaining about Big Brother.
- nj
  
  What party would that be?
  
  Largest expansion of federal government since FDR was under Shrub.

Newton Whale

Newt tells you all you need to know about
Newt, right out of Newt’s own orifice:

“There’s
somebody else, isn’t there?”

She
kind of guessed it, of course. Women usually do. But did she know the woman was
in her apartment, eating off her plates, sleeping in her bed?

She
called a minister they both trusted. He came over to the house the next day and
worked with them the whole weekend, but Gingrich just kept saying she was a
Jaguar and all he wanted was a Chevrolet. ” ‘I can’t handle a Jaguar right
now.’ He said that many times. ‘All I want is a Chevrolet.’ ”

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.”

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

Hidan

Will Onpoint talk about the 93-7 vote in the senate that would allow the U.S. to arrest American citizens without due process? I understand it’s not as juicy as the whole Blagojevich thing but seem pretty darn important.

If onpoint is unaware of this (S. 1867)
http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/congress_endorsing_military_detention_a_new_aumf/singleton/

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/03/the_we_are_at_war_mentality/singleton

Drew You Too

The Military Commissions Act already made it possible to arrest American Citizens without due process. Can you say Enemy Combatant? I knew you could…
nj

Nope. Gotta cover the important stuff like Newt and talking phones.

CommonSense

Former Democratic Senator Corzine says he didn’t intend to break the rules. That’s exactly what Blago said before they sentenced him to 14 years…

Newton Whale

Newtpocalypse Now.
Bruce Bartlett, former Reagan adviser:
“Basically we’re still stuck in the situation we were three years ago and we haven’t made any progress at all except that our problems are much worse because of political reasons, because we now have a crazy party in charge of one of the Houses of our Congress and they won’t allow anything to happen because it’s in their vested interest to make things worse,” Bartlett explained in his typically exasperated way. “Plus they have a theory that is completely nuts…. I’m very depressed. I’d love to see some program like this [paper] enacted. I see zero chance of it happening. The most we can hope for is that a complete crazy person like Newt Gingrich gets the Republican nomination, the Republicans lose so badly that they lose control of the House and don’t get control of the Senate and then maybe in a year we can finally talk about doing something rational”
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/economic-experts-gather-in-dc-to-explain-why-politics-has-doomed-us.php?ref=fpblg

nj

Every member of the clown posse has lead the Recon polls at some point, but it’s telling and a really sad comment on the state of what passes for conservatism that the most sober, rational person (Huntsman) in their stable gets the least attention and regard from the party herd and string pullers.

Hidan

Hillary Clinton and Internet Freedom

Clinton goes on to btch and complain about other countries blocking internet freedom in the name of security while behind close doors the U.S. is doing just that.

What Hillary Clinton is condemning here is exactly that which not
only the administration in which she serves, but also she herself, has
done in one of the most important Internet freedom cases of the last
decade: WikiLeaks. And beyond that case, both Clinton specifically and
the Obama administration generally have waged a multi-front war on
Internet freedom.
First, let us recall that many of WikiLeaks’
disclosures over the last 18 months have directly involved
improprieties, bad acts and even illegalities on the part of Clinton’s
own State Department.

Beyond WikiLeaks, the Obama administration (following in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia) is seeking
“a new federal law forcing Internet e-mail, instant-messaging, and
other communication providers offering encryption to build in backdoors
for law enforcement surveillance.” The Obama DOJ has insisted that
it has the right to read opened emails with no warrants from a
court. The Chairwoman of the Democratic Party, Rep. Debbie
Wasserman-Schultz, is sponsoring a bill under which “Internet providers would be forced to keep logs of their customers’ activities for one year.” The Washington Post‘s Dana Priest and William Arkin reported in their “Top Secret America” series last year: “Every day, collection systems at the National Security Agency intercept and store 1.7 billion e-mails, phone calls and other types of http://www.salon.com/writer/glenn_greenwald/

Modavations

Remember the big National Warning test,last month.That was the “kill switch”
- Anonymous
  
  oh dear the sky is falling.
  You should change your name to Chicken Little.
  - Modavations
    
    I have never used a alias

Modavations

Teneo Co. was paid $50,000 per month by Mr.Corzine,for financial advice.Teneo is run by Bill Clinton.Terry Tree Tree this is the Crony-capitalism that has destroyed America.Small business guys are honest and the back bone of America.We are not the greedy rich

Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4

So it looks like our choice is going to be between a guy who’s proven he can’t do the job and another guy who scares the crap out of us. Could we get a third party now please?

Modavations

Paul-Nader

Anonymous

Dan Quayle endorsed Mitt Romnee.

Modavations

Newt,not Pres.Clinton gave us the 4 balanced budgets.When the Reps .wrested power after 40 years,they dropped the Cap.Cains tax and off we went.Newt wants ghetto kids to be able to work in libraries,or serve as janitors, so theycan learn a work ethic.They have no daddies,they have no future.The hell with the child labor laws.

Anonymous

Mitt switches his positions more than Newt switches wives.

Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4

Judging by the guy in the seat now, broken promises is very presidential.
Worried for the country(MA)

Newt has switched at least as many positions as Mitt AND most of them this year.
- TFRX
  
  Get Fox News and Rush Limbaugh to acknowlege that. (The other shoe: Get GOP voters to acknowledge that.)
  
  Newt is the “appointed heir” (of the week) and Romney is simply to be treated as they would a Democrat. Baier’s and Hannity’s regular video valentines (as to George W. Bush, for one) are out the window.
  - Modavations
    
    Hannity and Rush take their marching orders from me.

Modavations

Newt did not seek Pres.Bills impeachment over sex.Pres.Bill lied before the grand jury

WillRomberger

Yes, this got him disbarred. Unable to practice his chosen profession, he was forced into a life of poverty. Very sad.
- Modavations
  
  Newt’s made about 55million,C.Powell about 25 million,what a racket!!!

Modavations

Our Solons don’t get rich while in office,it’s when they get out.What a racket!!!!Beat you guys to it!!!

JP

Can America be SAVED by the “formidable” GINGRICH/TRUMP partnership?

… stay tuned to FOX to learn how these “great americans” will lead our country back to full employment and a new Golden Age of prosperity!

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

I will never vote for Newt Gingrich. I really don’t trust him, I don’t want him to rule America. The way he handled his personal life and past politcal flip flops doesn’t constitute to be a President.

For those people who believe in him are the people who don’t believe in themselves.

Anonymous

Last time I looked presidents did not rule our nation they are elected or at least the idea is that they are.

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

Donald Trump is part of the 1%. He never created jobs. where?
“The Apprentice Show” or “Miss Universe”?!!! PLEASE!!!! He never helped the American Middle class and the poor.

When was the last time you heard Donald Trump helped the people on foreclosure? of course the answer yes NO!!! except his other rich famous friend who almost lost his Mansion for late mortgage payments.

The Republican presidential campaign is dominated by Looney Tunes

Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4

Trump has vast real estate, casino and licensing operations. His enterprises employ a lot of people directly and support the employment of others. Not that that makes him presidential material. But, by your standard, I’m not sure who is.
- Modavations
  
  Fidel
Anonymous

I dislike Trump, a lot. But you are wrong about him not creating jobs. He has built a lot of real estate and employs a lot of people. Not to mention all the tabloid hacks he keeps of the streets.

What’s the point of your comment?
- TFRX
  
  Someone who’s been in receivership like that creates a lot of court business for lawyers, too.
  
  I also wonder if having Donald Trump emcee a pep rally is just a “let’s see what we can get away with before the mainstream press has the nerve to call us crazy or just ignore it” move.

TweedleDumDee

Newt and Obama both claiming Teddy.

More of the same!

Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4

Corn-based ethanol and now Plan B, what happened to the promise of science-based decision making in this administration? Is this an effort to secure the Hispanic and evangelic vote next fall?

Anonymous

Interesting OpEd by David Brooks on Gingrich.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/opinion/brooks-the-gingrich-tragedy.html?ref=opinion

I did not know that Newt Gingrich once endorsed universal health coverage.

Chris B

Newt. This is a guy who’s character is so defective at such a fundamental level he had no problem handing his wife divorce papers while she was in a hospital bed being treated for cancer. His wife, who he had promised to love and cherish above all others. Does anyone believe he’d treat the country any better?

Worried for the country(MA)

Newt is smart, feisty and has great political skills. Most importantly he has rino sized gonads. How else can you collect $1.6M from Freddie MAC during the period leading up to the great housing collapse as a “historian” and claim you’ve never lobbied?

Modavations

Fannie was a playhouse for Dems.Jamie Gorelik,Frankie Raines,Mr Morse took over 100million for commissions.They were pushing Bogus Mortgages as fast as they could get them.Then Barney Frank stonewalled and stalled and here we are.All of the said scalliwags were Dems.Newt snatched 1.6million.I’d say he’d been robbed!!!

Modavations

Early shift for me kids. I love Democrats telling Republicans who they should vote for.

Anonymous

They should vote for Newt. Romney will make for months of boring campaign coverage while Newt is entertaining and will implode at some point (one hopes after he has the GOP nomination).

Nancy

Newt.

There has never been a more clear cut case of Napolean Complex.

“Little Napolean.”

Very little Napolean.

Betty Dee

It’s “on” but they must not have taught that at psychologist-school.
- Nancy
  
  Thanks! I knew that looked wrong!
Anonymous

I guess he’s the mini-“me” Napoleon.

http://freeourfreemarkets.org Steve Banicki

Yesterday Rob Blagojevich , former Governor of Illinois, was sntanced to 14-years in prison for trying to “sell” Barack Obama’s former senate seat for personal gain. In the 1972 movie classic, The GodFather, the head of the Mafia, played by Marlin Brando, would help an acquaintance needing a favor and say, “some day, and the day may never come, I will call upon you to do a favor for me.” More: More: http://bit.ly/tE3DRq

http://freeourfreemarkets.org Steve Banicki

“Obama will not take money from registered lobbyists like me,” the lobbyist said with some bitterness, “but that doesn’t mean that he won’t take money from people who are lobbying. There’s a big difference.” Obama Backers Tied to Lobbies Raise Millions, By ERIC LICHTBLAU, New York Times, October 28,2011This is what makes it so hard for many voters to throw their heart and soul into supporting Obama. He made several blunders in his first term as a result of lacking experience. We can now, however, rationalize he has the needed experience. I suspect that if asked, behind closed doors with no microphones, about accepting campaign contributions from lobbyist, he would say that he cannot do any good for the country if not re-elected and he must accept money from lobbyist in order to remain in office. What a tragedy.

Here are other examples of the problem.
Read More http://bit.ly/sry728
at 8:38 AM

Gene

It is amazing that Republicans have no problems raising taxes on the middle class and calling it “reform” but will fight a death match to protect themselves and their rich friends. Are they afraid to the dirty looks from their country club friends?

CommonSense

Moving forward on Keystone XL sounds like a job creator to me, and it’s all privately funded which is even better.

Charles A. Bowsher

Actually the Keystone XL is a terrible idea. The oil is among the diritest around, while the “extraction method” is amongt he dirtiest and most damaging to the environment..WIf the tar sands oil must be brought south, they should be transported on a new rail line form north to south. that way we have a neew transport line. These commetn boxes suck!
- CommonSense
  
  That’s Canada’s decision, not ours. Rail makes no sense from a cost standpoint.
  - Charles A. Bowsher
    
    I guess you like fracking for gas as well.
    - CommonSense
      
      When the benefits exceed the costs.
    - Anonymous
      
      If all the costs are not included in the equation, your formula does not work.
    - CommonSense
      
      Same with the benefits.
  - Anonymous
    
    Wouldn’t it create a lot more long-term jobs, which seems to be the loudest argument being made in support of the pipeline. Or is creating jobs not the real issue?
    - CommonSense
      
      Same question for you, are you discriminating between the kind or duration of jobs that would be created?
    - Anonymous
      
      I’m simply saying that if “jobs! jobs! jobs!” is you point, and it is your point, that you should be for the process that creates the most jobs that can only be done by people here in the US. So are you?

Worried for the country(MA)

Why does it seem like Obama is either campaigning or going to fund raisers? What are we paying him for?

I guess he has a busy schedule before his 17 day golfing vacation in Hawaii.

TFRX

Not this crap canard again.

Can’t you steal any funnier material, or is this really your idea of satire?
- Worried for the country(MA)
  
  Oh, you like Chris Christie too? Good to see you defending Chris Christie.
  - TFRX
    
    Pfft.
    
    Didn’t Christie get in a limo for a 200 yard ride to a helicopter at his kid’s ballgame?
    
    That’s the kind of optics you really want to be reminding people of?
    
    Along with George W. “I’m at my peak as President when I’m clearing brush” Bush?
    
    Go ahead.
Anonymous

He isn’t leading when he is in the office, so he might as well take a longer vacation… Nothing will change while he is in office.
- Anonymous
  
  So your main complaint is that he’s not doing enough. Gee, and I always interpreted your comments as complaints about doing too much and being too active. Thanks for clarifying things.
  - Anonymous
    
    Obama works like a thief; He does most of his work behind walls and shielded from the view of the world.
    - Anonymous
      
      You mean he works indoors and not in a glass house? Now that sounds suspicious. To a buffoon.
Anonymous

You would probably be content if he was clearing brush or splitting rails, right? People who think like you make ME worried for our country.

SgtSnider

Economic Justice is a chimera. We have equality in America…it is called equal “opportunity”. Give every American in the country $100,000 and in a few years some will have $200,000, some will have millions, and others will have none. The Presidents approach seems to be middle class welfare…and more government dependency.

http://abellia.myopenid.com/ Andrew

Are we giving every American in the country $100,000 when they graduate from high school? Did I miss something?
- Modavations
  
  sign me up
Steve

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
�
Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand.”

TFRX

“If the issue is food stamps versus paychecks”? per Newt.

What does an idiot have to do for an NPRer to laugh at them?

Anonymous

What is for sure is Newt vs Obama would be a WIN for the progressives since they both share portions of the progressive agenda!

Justjack

A guy at work told me there this is some incredible statistic about how many people find work once their unemployment benefits run out. Can anybody document this? Thanks.

Anonymous

I would like to remind the caller Mike that the Obama budget got 0 votes even from democrats. This is a good example of his leadership.

http://abellia.myopenid.com/ Andrew

Tom,

One doesn’t need to “pay” for any tax cut. One simply makes some more treasury securities. There is an infinite supply of treasury securities. Please learn how the monetary system works.

Justjack

There’s always the option, often ignored or not considered, to only spend what you’ve got; but as you point out, Treasuries are easy.

Worried for the country(MA)

Debt transfer == borrow from China.

TFRX

Can we get an economist to say to the panel, “Maybe at this point in the business cycle it’s not the biggest worry in the world to offset this payroll tax cut rightthisverysecond. We didn’t give a crap for eight years about deficits.”

And I may need a historian, but didn’t Republicans used to not worry about how to “pay” for tax cuts until Obama wanted one that was popular with voters?

Justjack

8 years ago is like a lifetime, plus the environment has changed: political, economic, etc. It’d be easier to offset a tax cut with reduced spending, but government has a hard time not growing when everybody’s trying to bring home the bacon.
- TFRX
  
  When the GOP wants to cut taxes they handwave away the cost and the press is powerless to say “boo”.
  
  At this point in the business cycle many economists are saying that the government should keep from reenacting the slump of 1937, and if that means having (after every other expenditure this last decade which wasn’t accounted for) this payroll tax cut now, then so be it.
  
  We’ve seen coroporations and the wealthy get their cuts and their growth–the recession was over many months ago for them–and the result is that demand is still not where it needs to be.
  
  And “the government’s budget is just like the one that an American family draws up around the kitchen table” is bunk.

Bgreeley

Obama should take a page from Truman’s play book — Run against Congress. Ask voters to deliver a Congress that will act to move the country forward.

Justjack

That’s what happened in the 2010 elections.
mary elizabeth.

Even if President Obama is re-elected or athird party candidate emerges, without a functioning Congress what does it matter?
The country is so deeply divided, including the citizenry, how can we ever move forward?
It has been proven for instance that tax cuts for the wealthy do not produce more jobs, yet so many cling to the notion that it does and continue to re-elect those who would continue the Bush tax cuts. The people must make choices in the country’s interest by seeking facts and voting accordingly.
It is the Congress and thereby the people that determine the fate of the nation as well as the President.
- Charles A. Bowsher
  
  Tax cuts for the wealthy do deliver jobs, the Republicans told me so, over and over. Only problem is they are invisible jobs for invisible people. Maybe we should ask for actual jobs next time.

Newton Whale

Major Garrett ignores the fact that the Bush tax cuts were paid for by raiding the Social Security tax fund.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-don-riegle/post_1901_b_845106.html

Anonymous

Bingo!! THIS should have been the biggest story of the last decade but our brainwashed masses are too ignorant to follow the bouncing ball. Hey, didja’ see the sneak preview of the Lindsay Lohan Playboy cover?

Worried for the country(MA)

Did you see the clip of Biden saying “the first person Barack and I called for advice on the economy was John Corzine”?

He must have given them some great advice. Right! Now Corzine ‘lost’ $1.2B.

Justjack

Hopefully he can take calls in prison or else who’s BHO going to call?

Nancy

I don’t believe for a second that President Obama “owns unemployment and the economy…”

… as far as I’m concerned, and as far as anyone with a brain and memory should be concerned, THE REPUBLICANS OWN ANY AND ALL NEGATIVES REGARDING UNEMPLOYMENT, AND THE ECONOMY, and the President can legitimately take credit for any and all positives regarding unemployment and the economy!!!

Thank you, Presdient Obama, for continuing to bail water and put out fires while Republicans keep torpedoing the ship!!!

Betty Dee

I guess we know where you’re coming from, please pass the Kool Aid.
William

Where is the budget?
Anonymous

He’s done way too little to advance a constructive agenda in the face of a well financed and selfish opposition preying on the ignorance of their lemming-like followers.
- Betty Dee
  
  I disagree, I believe Newt has a constructive agenda; but I will agree that Obama’s followers are lemming-like.

Newton Whale

Tom:

Please bring back the ‘edit’ feature on Comments.
It makes them much more readable.

Guest in Cambridge

Why don’t those drones self-destruct when the pilot knows it’s crashing?

Worried for the country(MA)

It’s a little late. Be sure China and Russia will get it (for a fee of course).

Christa

If the republicans want to nominate Newt, I say bring it on. He will mobilize the Democrats (and probably independents) in favor of Obama. Mitt, on the other hand, appeals to independents and even some Democrats. As an Obama supporter, I would be much more worried about Mitt as an opponent.

Charles A. Bowsher

To hell with Obama learning to play billiards with Newt, he doesn’t even understand basic poker rules. He continuously reveals his hole cards everytime there is the threat of a challenge to any kind of progress being made it sickens me. He can’t even say “Veto” let alone exercise one. The Veto pen should have been used a half a dozen times or more, then he would have been in control. Instead, he let’s the Republicans continuously set the agenda, limit the accomplishiments (ho hum) and bury us further and further under the “Temporary” Bush tax cuts. Fish or cut bait Mr President, Fish or cut bait!

Sawyerfarm2006

Which is it tax cuts are good for the economy or only if the Republicans offer them! And for the people who say we just want to make sure we pay for them why was that not an issue for extending the Bush tax cuts?? What ever happened to tax cuts pay for themself Republicans.

Justjack

All tax cuts are good, period; but even better when paired with a spending cut.

Dennis Damon Moore

Regarding Newt’s candidacy: it strikes me that it resembles the candidacy of Eugene McCarthy, or the later career of Orson Welles. Very brainy, not disciplined, money a problem.

TFRX

I would like someone on the panel to acknowledge the change in the mediascape. The chant “UpOrDownVoteUpOrDownVote” the just seemed to echo from my TV during the middle of the last decade.

Justjack

I’m hoping your tv was turned on at the time.

BHA in Vermont

Yesterday is NOT yesterday, not with Gingrich. His history is a huge rock tied around his, and America’s, neck.

Anonymous

He’s more responsible than anyone else for the infantile, us v. them, monolithically moronic state of our politics. As Carl Spangler would say: “At least he’s got that going for him.”

Charles A. Bowsher

To the recent caller. The way the Republicans can block the programs they used to be in favor of is because they are “Schizophrenic Hypocrites”.

Rick

Unemployment, economy in Obama’s lap? That’s like saying Pres. Lincoln invented slavery.

Justjack

Lincoln did something, at great political and personal cost, Obama nothing.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
  
  Please here we go again.
- Anonymous
  
  What should he have done?

Worried for the country(MA)

Sure seems like Jack is rooting for Newt.

Newt’s rise is more about Mitt’s failure to connect with about 50% of the GOP voters. Every ‘flavor’ of the month has risen and then couldn’t survive the scrutiny. Newt will not survive either.

However, Mitt can’t do win it with negative attacks. He will have to earn it.

nj

Nearly half the show about the Newtinator and lame campaign machinations. Ugh. How many more weeks of this will we have to endure?

Today’s sampling of news ignored, underplayed, or suppressed by On Point and most of the lamestream media:

Fox So-called News uses video of Greece in report on Russia demonstrations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHGUpxtfcoc&feature=player_embedded

Bernie calls for constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and regulate campaign spending:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/12/08-6

$52 billion damage in U.S. this year from weather disasters:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/toll-from-weather-disasters-in-u-s-this-year-hits/article_7f03b9cf-30ce-5d4c-9df1-5b86de274a02.html

Preliminary EPA study results: fracking compounds found in Wyoming drinking water:

http://ecowatch.org/2011/fracking-compounds-found-in-drinking-water/

Modavations

Before your partisan eyes,NPR is being liberated
- Anonymous
  
  And we are greeting you as liberators.
  - Modavations
    
    Vila La Revolucion

mg/omaha

I am very pro choice but feel 7- 14 yr old’s need more study and medical protection. behind the counter w/o prescription for 17 an older would be appropriate.

Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4

But it’s ok for 7 year olds to buy mass quantities of Pepcid, denture cleaner, Windex, paint thinner, rubber cement, Draino … Come on. Obama’s playing politics.
- mary elizabeth.
  
  The day that 7 year olds start buying and ingesting mass quantities of Windex et al is the day that these items will be placed behind the counter. So far there has been no need to.
  The dangers of 11 to 16 year olds self treating for unprotected sex go beyond pregnancy.
  I believe even in Briton where MAP available for years is behind the counter.
  - Stillhaventfoundwhatimlooking4
    
    But for some reason we’re not going to trust young women when it comes to Plan B, and so we’re going to assume they’re too stupid to know how to use the product correctly. This is politics, pure and simple.
- Anonymous
  
  How are they going to be janitors under Newt if they can’t buy Windex?

Modavations

I’m driving back from a “run along the Charles” and M.Garret starts with this “Voyage Stuff”.My wrists go limp,I have to drive with my elbows and I’m typing with my nose.Then I hear the name David Brookes and my hands are now looking like wilted flowers.Then the guy starts with “Commentarian” and I convulse.My Dr. says I should regain use of my hands by dinner.

Anonymous

“calendaring” — I hope Siri can grammarize.

Modavations

If they’d taken TARP,Stimulus 1 and Stimulus 2,they could have cut all us “working stiffs”a check for $13,500.Don’t give me the stuff about the banks paying Tarp back with interest.Pres.Obama et al. blew all those bucks “toute de suite” and more

Modavations

When the fellow talked about Inequality,he means Class Warfare.This is not England.Comrad Chris has been going on for days about “hateful Republicans,Hateful Republicans”>When Pres.Obama’s #’s go below 40%,he’ll start with”Rascist Republicans,Racist Republicans”

Gregg

Two devastating Friday night document dumps and now a real possibility of Holder being impeached… zip from on point. Americans are dead because of “Fast and Furious” and you guys are worried over Newt while you can’t even articulate what he did wrong. It’s a crazy world.

Worried for the country(MA)

For me, Newt has a lot of positives. He has the skills to take it to Obama. But here are the negatives ranks him lower than Romney, for me, for now.

1) Electability. Many of the things that I can overlook will be problems for Newt in the general (lighting rod, ethics violation, lobbyist, Washington insider, serial cheater). The women I’ve personally surveyed will have a real problem voting for Newt. You can’t alienate 50% of the electorate and win.

2) Governing. Newt is loaded with ideas. Unfortunately, more than half his ideas include big government solutions and this includes this election cycle.

3) Leadership. Senator Tom Coburn, a trustworthy source, came out with a scathing criticism of Newt as a leader. He is not alone in the criticism of Newt as an unstable leader. There is more evidence that Newt still has this problem. The latest was with the mass defection of his staff during the summer.
- Worried for the country(MA)
  
  You should check out Peggy Noonan in today’s WSJ. She had an essay about the dichotomy of the Good Newt/Bad Newt.
  - Gregg
    
    Thanks, I will.
- Gregg
  
  Fair points but I have a different view. I throw out #1 for two reasons. These are unique times thanks to Obama’s disastrous Presidency and no one can say who is electable with certainty. The 2010 elections proved that. #2 is a worry but I think Newt understands we have no money and government is too big. I have the same concerns with Romney, even more so. They both have supported the mandate in health care. #3, I don’t think it can be argued that Newt was a successful leader as far as policy goes. Aggressive leadership that moves legislation as far as it was moved tends to rub people the wrong way. Also it was a long time ago and lessons were learned. I like Coburn a lot but it doesn’t move me. The deflection is interesting. The same thing happened to McCain early on and it worked out fine for him in the nomination. Also remember, most of the deflectors went to the Perry campaign, that did not work out to well. Who knows what goes on in these situations? I don’t.
  
  We’ll see how Newt holds up to the inevitable barrage of attacks from Democrats and establishment Republicans but I don’t think there will be anything new. In other words, his support already has these problems factored in.
  - Worried for the country(MA)
    
    Regarding electability, we only have polls to go by. The polls are only a snapshot and could be flawed.
    
    We have to disagree on who is more likely to give us big government solutions. However, Mitt needs to market is smaller government vision better than he has. The 59 point plan isn’t going to cut in this world of 30 second sound bites.
    
    I really don’t like these attacks on Newt. However, I suppose these attacks will continue in the general and if Newt prevails he might be stronger.
    - Gregg
      
      I eagerly await the opportunity to vote for Newt or Romney. I live in NC and our primary doesn’t even happen most of the time because it’s so late. In 2008 McCain was already the nominee by the time it got here. I voted for Hillary in the primary. So, unfortunately for me this discussion is rhetorical.
Anonymous

What does one thing have to with the other.
If you want to go down this avenue then I could bring up everything the GW Bush administration did during it’s 8 years in office. I posted specifics about Gingrich’s complete lack of ethics while he was in congress.
That you chose to ignore them is your busniess.
However facts are facts. The man is not fit to be in public office.
- Gregg
  
  Actually, I did respond unless I missed something. My comment is on the selected outrage. Nothing is new about Newt, everyone knows all about it. If the people elect him, it’s their choice and right. It’s not like he won’t be vetted like Obama. “Fast and Furious” is current, topical, news worthy and outrage worthy, yet zip from on point.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68

We worried about Newt because he is running for President next time you reply in a comment use your heart Not always your brain. it helps you know and thank god you are not talking ABOUT TAXES AGAIN.
- Gregg
  
  Worry about Newt, you should. Everyone should. Fine, I agree. Why no attention to “Fast and Furious”? Do you think it insignificant? It’s certainly more significant than the 1 of 85 charges that stuck and no one can even articulate what it was. There are people dead and a concerted effort to discredit the 2nd amendment by our very own justice department. Maybe after Holder resigns or is impeached the left will notice… but they still won’t care.
  - Anonymous
    
    …and the Iraq war was nothing I guess.
  - TomTomt
    
    Somehow Gregg responding to Fax is like others responding to Gregg.
    There is justice in the world.
    tahk u g sus

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

Why I don’t Like Donald Trump. I don’t like a person who push the American people around like rag dolls, extreme persistant on birth certificate issue, the ability to bully a black president and the arrogance of having a billion dollar empire that he can do whatever he wants to do. YES!!! He created jobs for his on sake not for the sake of the American people but to make his greedy empire bigger.

If you don’t like him but you defend him is for me is out of touch from reality. Worship Trump if you think he will make this country better.

For me I just want him to SHUT UP.

Gregg

Why inject race?
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
  
  It is a factor.
  - Gregg
    
    I disagree. Was Cain railroaded because he was black? He may be a perv but there really wasn’t the evidence to support it. There was certainly much much more evidence in John Edwards case and the press ignored it. Was that because he is white? Is Clarence Thomas vilified by liberals because he’s black? Condi?
    
    No it’s not a factor, it’s ideological as well as policy based.
    - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
      
      Your arguement are about sex scandal and ethical Lapses. My arguement is plain old racism.
    - Gregg
      
      You gave squat. All you did is level a charge.
    - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
      
      I never level a charge because it is true.
    - Gregg
      
      Don’t beat yourself up, but this one was baseless, you’ve given nothing.
  - Modavations
    
    only to a rascist lad,only to a rascist
    - Anonymous
      
      Modavations is so free from prejudice that he can’t even spell racist.
    - Gregg
      
      Good point! I’m not a rasist either.
    - Belem2
      
      I am Rasist!
      
      Sorry I couldn’t rasist.
Modavations

Fidel for president.Viva Fidel
- Justjack
  
  Would spare us the headache of elections and voting!
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
  
  Very Funny Mod.
Worried for the country(MA)

Trump might have had a good debate. He certainly could have asked better questions than the pin heads whose only goal is to tear down GOP candidates.

Trump had two major problems. He threatened to run as independent if he didn’t like the GOP candidate. He also promised to anoint a winner via an endorsement. This injected Trump, as he is wont to do, a tad too much.

The voters can make up their own minds they don’t need The Donald’s blessing.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
  
  If the voters think like you but what if they don’t and listen to him.
Anonymous

You have a problem. You seem to think in these absolute terms. Such as if you don’t like him but defend him one is out of touch with reality. Really? You made a comment that was wrong and you were corrected. Now, because you don’t like it you make these weird claims that really show me that you seem to be the one with reality issues.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
  
  Why are you against me. What I did to you to deserve this treatment. Perhaps in real life that’s how you treat people it reflects on your reply. Did you ever stop and open your car window to a poor person out in the streets begging for some change hidden under your cup holder? A penny or a dime can help and it counts. but if you never do that in your life. You have no right to argue with me because you are nothing
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
    
    “You made a comment that was wrong and you were corrected” Excuse me!!! you sound like a school teacher trying to correct a student who has moral vlaues than you. Yes GO AHEAD LOVE THY TRUMP LOVE HIM ADORE HIM because he did something for you and your family. embraced his billion dollar industries. yes he is something to you because he has the money and a television show. yes I think different because I was radical student during the Marcos regime and I marched in the streets when I see there is something wrong with the government.
    
    I never respecred the rich because they never respected the poor. I grew up with A SILVER SPOON IN MY MOUTH ATE GOOD STEAKS AT 5 STAR HOTEL but I never forget the unfortunate. I wrapped the steak and hand it over to a child in Manila.
    
    That’s why I hate your hero Trump.
    - Anonymous
      
      You’re out to lunch, and make no sense whatsoever.�
      School teacher? Moral values? What are you talking about.
      
      Are you like this in real life?
      I hope not, if so you sound like a time bomb ready to go off.
  - Anonymous
    
    I expected this response. I’m not against you as a person just the comment you made towards me when I pointed your mistake in the diatribe against Trump. How you get from that to me not giving money to people begging on the streets is a bit of a stretch.
    But wait, it get’s better. You then say I have no right to argue with you because I’m nothing. Do you have any idea how you come across with this kind of diatribe?
    It really is quite amazing, really astonishing how disturbing you come across.
    Do you ever stop to think that maybe you could be wrong about some things?
    
    Boy oh boy you must be load of fun at parties.
    - Anonymous
      
      You must have been a Marcos supporter. You would rather buy lots of shoes instead of giving pennies to the poor.
    - Anonymous
      
      Yeah you found me out. I buy shoes by the truck load…
    - Anonymous
      
      You have to look your best when you are socializing with your friend Donald.
    - Anonymous
      
      He beats me every-time on the golf course I just get so distracted by his hair. I now know why he has it this way.
      It’s all about his golf game.
      He has nice shoes too.
    - Conner44
      
      Listen Jeffe we all know you are a soft touch. Me too

Sandra

People laughed when my husband and I (self-employed) bought our Apple SE30 years ago; a business consultant and graphic designer. Apple products have made it possible for people like us to work from home—from its intuitive icons, mouse, consistently reliable upgrades to operating software, applications and now this voice interface. Sirie makes it possible for us to make appointments and send messages safely while driving. It is like have a secretary and reference librarian at our fingertips.

Justjack

Very cool, thanks for sharing.
CPUhead

90% of all software is written for Windows. Anything a Mac can do a custom built pc can do better for 30% less money and employ Americans not people in sq mile Foxconn factories who commit suicide because of work conditions. Apple could build their stuff in the US and still make over a hundred percent profit, but their stock value is the most important thing to that company — which is way over rated both for design and function. If you haven’t used Windows 7 you don’t know how good it has gotten and if you really want to you can run Mac os on a PC.
- Ummm2
  
  I can tell you that facts won’t help you with this argument. People who bought into one system then attributes all the advances that Intel and Nvidia and similar companies have made and to the company who puts their name on the box. They don’t understand that what Microsoft does with window is way beyond what Mac does with it’s present rendition of BSD which is the operating system that thier funny cat named operating systems are based on and it is still free, and which only has to work on it’s line of machines. They generally are not people who know much about how to build a computer or how to upgrade one and they don’t want to be bothered with understanding any of it. What they don’t understand is you don’t have to, it’s not like the last time they tried windows back in 95. But if you want a deal on a real power machine a mac is not the way to go.
  - CPUhead
    
    I know, you can’t even talk to people who use apple about computing because the company makes up it’s own language. For instance, I learned in a course on internet technology that the “cloud” is composed of all the undeterminable connections that a packet will take through various relay, routers, and DNS, from it’s origin to it’s destination address. It is called the cloud, because it is not clear, it cannot be determined what route or routes a message may take. But no, talk to a mac person and they think the cloud is keeping their software on someone else’s hard drive. They don’t know that’s what they think it is, but it is. So why do they have to confuse the issue for sales? It’s just stupid.

Keen Observer

Look for Obama and Hillary Clinton to start a U.S. war with Iran in Spring 2012.

Obama is well aware of the fact that no U.S. president has ever been voted out of office during a war, and Spring 2012 is close enough to the Presidential election that the lap dog media won’t accuse Obama of starting a war for obvious political reasons.

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

You mean Economic war with China?

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

Look at the pics of Newt and Mitt? who do you think is more trust worthy looking for a President.

JustSayin

Congress doing what it does best. Nothing on matters of reality, and acting with unrelenting determination on the imaginary.

WASHINGTON — A bill to ban
a farm dust regulation that the federal government has never proposed
passed the House Thursday, sailing through easily on a party-line vote
of 268 to 150.

The measure, dubbed the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011,
was purported by its lead sponsor, Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), to stop
the Environmental Protection Agency from writing a rule that would
require farmers to take onerous steps to control dust from their land.

But EPA administrator Lisa Jackson has said repeatedly that no such rule
is in the works. What the EPA does do is review ambient air pollution
standards every five years, as required by law, and make recommendations
on whether or not to tighten standards.

“We have spent an entire day debating about a bill that does not
address an existing problem,” said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.).

Roy Mac

Members of Congress are good at only one thing: diverting tax money to their constituents. Members of Congress have no budgetary discipline or ethics or leadership skills–they are more sheep-like than the people they presumably represent. To expect anything more from them is wishful thinking.
- TweedleDumDee
  
  That’s what the limited government folks are saying.

Hennorama

It was nice to finally see a Republican (John Sununu in this case) FINALLY call Gingrich out in public. Gingrich is a self-aggrandizing self-interested blowharded hypocrite.

Every time I see Gingrich’s image, I immediately think of the TV Character Boss Hogg, the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County on The Dukes of Hazzard.

The Republicans will self-destruct even further if they nominate this fraud in 2012.

notafeminista

Since the Democrats already have….you can always hope.

Dee

Climate change and Deep Water Fracking

Tom, I really don’t care who is surging in the polls on the Republican side. They are all a bunch of Yahoos to me with
their Freedom to rip off the Middle Man, Get rich off US
tax payers monies and create jobs by “shrinking govern-
ment “as Romney outlined in a Boston Globe Op-ed last yr.

Yet, I have been tuning in to climate talks in Africa all week.

And I was disappointed you didn’t do a segment on this during the week. This may not be high on Republican lawmakers list but it is important to most people I know…..

Here is a video conference held by Common Cause did on�
Deep Drilling and fracking and how corporations are getting�
away with abiding by the Clear Air Act and Clean Water Act�
doing these risk operations–thanks to their Republican apologists in the US Congress…Shameful Isn’t it? Dee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT8XuEHezdE.

Anonymous

This fraud of massive scope and consequence has served as the basis for arguably the greatest regulatory overreach of all time.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2011/11/29/climategate-ii-more-smoking-guns-from-the-global-warming-establishment/

Modavation

Well we finally got it. We finally took over this blog. Everyone of any intelligence is gone and it’s just us right-wing paid propagandists that are left here in the barrel playing with each other. I told them I would bring the free market of disinformation to this newsgroup and I have. We are victorious.

Michiganjf

An army of one, with a dozen different names!
- Michiganjf
  
  Do you think?
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C2STBLZJK4VKQBV27DVQX3I6CU FAX68
    
    Yes we think!!! that’s why we are out in the streets instead of watching FoxNews and eating popcorn. Is it hard bad to show our frustrations against the government. We are doing something done doing nothing while the American economy is collapsing.
    - JJJimmmanyC
      
      Bravo — me too

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

I Just to say THANK YOU to the Occupy Boston for doing a Great Job for cleaning the parks and streets of Boston last night.
The only Occupy movement that is very responsible in cleanliness,

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

I wonder what kind of bad mouth the guest wrote. too bad I didn’t see it. For the guest who wrote something. where you against the Civil rights movement of 1955 to 1968? It took awhile for the movement to succeed and ended in 1968 when MLK was murdered. If you don’t believe in the Occupy Movement I don’t blame you because during the Civil Rights movement Americans were against it. you know I was not born in America but I am glad that the Americans people are now taking the streets to Show Their Frustrations against the Federal government and the Banks. If you want people to respect you, Respect the rights of Americans who just tired of being sell out by the banks. Is that HARD FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND? did our movement hurt you while you sit on your ass at home doing nothing for America.
- Anonymous
  
  Rant away…
  - Gregg
    
    Of course that’s not the one and only but I am encourage some comments have been removed.
    - GregsNotHonest
      
      And which comments should be removed? Those that support you or those that expose you as a fraud?
- Modavations
  
  Here is what I wrote pal:
  
  Well we finally got it. We finally took over this blog. Everyone of any intelligence is gone and it’s just us right-wing paid propagandists that are left here in the barrel playing with each other. I told them I would bring the free market of disinformation to this newsgroup and I have. We are victorious.
  - Modavations
    
    Just Ultrax and his sicko games

Keen Observer

Risk of Israel/U.S. strike on Iran has tripled: Barclays Capitalhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/08/us-barcap-iran-oil-idUSTRE7B72GO20111208

Modavations

Here’s another of my gems that you probably missed you pinko bed wetting perv, you are probably sitting home and trying to look up the skirt of the bimbo on Fox News so you have no excuse for missing any of my wisdom:

I am a troll. And in my lucid moments just after I take my antipsychotic medications, I am perfectly capable of seeing what an idiot I am. So there. My doctor told me to as you guys to please not encourage me. It is not good for my ongoing therapy for me to believe that other people take my word-salad seriously. Thank you for your cooperation and don’t feed the troll.

at

Ok just for the info of my friends here I am gonna comment on this ongoing situation.

It would be an easy matter for the people who run this blog to allow us all to see the ip addresses of the people who post. Then no matter what moniker they use we would know if it was only one person making harassing comments or if it was indeed a “Spartacus” kind of thing.

Unless they kept shutting off their modem and then reconnecting to an isp that assigned them a dynamic ip, but that is a lot of trouble.

I personally sort of feel these guys brought this on themselves, but really they have stopped their own rude responses to a large degree. I don’t read most of them so I could be wrong there, but from a quick scan, it seems they have.

Just because some people you like have left (me too on that count) doesn’t mean that they chased them away.

It would be an easy matter for you to just not read the posts of people who you think are not worth reading — really.

In the old use groups of yesteryear they usually had the option that you could ignore certain posters, which would hide their posts from you. That would be nice.

Anyhow this site loads a kind of cookie onto your hard drive that cannot be erased by normal methods, so the moderators should be able to tell who is who, unless this person also uses a Firefox browser and is using the Better Privacy add-on then he can erase them.

I really know very little about the internet but I know that if they wanted to they could let us all see the ip of anyone who posts here just like you could by looking at the entire header of any email. I am personally curious as to if it is only one person, and I do not believe at all that it is/was Ultrax and that accusation is on the same level as that of Gregg and Gretchen being the same person — just wishful thinking on the part of someone who wants to believe it.�
So mister impersonator I think your job here is done. Really don’t you?

At

Not only have I picked the stupidest moniker of all time, I am also so naive that I think taking the high-road with swine is a route to victory. Even though my name is an article I am not the real article, and know nothing outside the realm of half-baked metaphysics. Which means I know a lot about nothing. Please ignore me
- at
  
  lol thanks for the laugh. That was perfect really. My wife will love this. You are Sparticus

Potter

Leaving the climate change issue to the end as an oh-by-the-way to tuck in when Blogo even gets more noise is unacceptable and maybe becoming part of the problem of “drip drip drip”.. another program????? at least?

Roy Mac

I can’t agree with Major Garrett, but his intellectual contribution is such a contrast with that Continetti nitwit. Thank you for featuring a thinker.

at

Ya gotta love Bernie — I do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9qZZVqSQdo&feature=player_embedded#

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

My apologies to this forum for this off topic post. I find a need to defend my reputation.

Gregggg, you’re a despicable SOB. I’ve just been strolling though your comments in the Medicare forum and I find no end to the false allegations you made against me that I was impersonating other users when in reality I’d left the forum. Without proof, you claimed some posts in the “profile”, including some racists and sexists one, were written by me. I’ve proven this need not be true. Disqus admits http://docs.disqus.com/help/108/that if some generic email address is used… like x@gmail.com, it will merge ALL the comments together in one profile even if written by different users who don’t know each other. That phony x@gmail.com address that I randomly picked and used for the first time, had previous connections to Italian iPhone users forums etc. The only person here I know has bragged about speaking multiple languages is Moda.

I know from debating your politically that you have no real respect for facts and you often confuse your fantasies with reality. You bring to your personal accusations the same low standards of proof you use in making all your Orwellian Right claims. That’s bad enough.

If you had ANY decency, you’d have retracted your scurrilous accusations by now instead of just saying… “So sad this happens to you and no one else. You’re using phony email addresses that happen to be used by others, how convenient.”

I’d demand a retraction but I know that takes integrity… so I won’t hold my breath.

at

I know you are not the impersonator and so does everybody else. The same kind of thing is on my profile. First is says I am attla, and I am not I am freefillbill but I use at because I used it before, but my profile shows some other language that I guess attila uses. It’s weird I wish is was a more open system that identified ip addresses.
- Gregg Deal
  
  http://ultrick.tripod.com/
  
  ulTRAX is a hacker and can roam the internet at will.
  - at
    
    I really don’t care. His opinions have been some of the most intelligent that have appeared on this blog, he went to much trouble to refute the approximations of the truth that his apparent nemisi traffic in. I can only go by what I have seen here and it has been almost all good. Ok I guess sometimes he got caught up in the puppet show of the Rep/Dem duality. But that happens to everyone here on occasion because soon as you make a statement about someone — some idiot says, “Yeh, but the Repubicans. . .” or, “Yeh, but the Democrats. . .” and I am just not interested in that kind of kneejerk reaction. Mainly because it is an illusion, an illusion propagated by those who want to keep the people divided. I guess there are still people who haven’t figured out that O’bama is the slickest thing since Willie (Bill, who now gets adulation and standing ovations simply because he was one of the causes of our present situation and not in office when the effects became evident in our banking industry). There is no doubt that if someone has half a brain they will see that the elitist bastards that the US was founded to get away from, are now in control of everything that matters. They are predatory bastards and you are their chattle and they have gutted the country and gotten away with it because we, let them change the laws while we weren’t paying attention or were swallowing their trickle down bull. What are gonna do about it put more millionaires in office and hope we can do their gardening? Actually there is one millionaire I do hope gets in office, but I believe he is only a millionaire because he proved in court that GM was actively trying to destroy his reputation with bimbos and secret operatives, the most scrutinized man in American history and he came up squeeky clean. In the county where I live Ralph Nader got twice as many votes as George Bush. If the American people had been as courageous an intelligent as where I live, we wouldn’t have these problems now. And that is a fact. I don’t even know why I care about you people — go ahead elect your great statesmen — Gingrich, Obama — what a fricking joke. Unfortunately the jokes on us.
    - Gregg
      
      Dude, he makes up his own numbers.
    - at
      
      I have to go to bed. I wish you hadn’t said that. I don’t have the time, but I know that tomorrow I will be taking a sample of his statements with numbers and checking them, and probably posting what I find here.
    - Gregg
      
      His entire premise is based on fantasy. He uses OMB numbers (real) to show historic revenue and projects a rise in a straight line that assumes no tech bubble bursting, no 9/11, no financial scandals (Enron,etc.). He then ridiculously adds up all the revenue that doesn’t meet his fantasy line to say the tax cuts “cost” trillions. He does not point out those numbers are NOT OMB and that no economist is stupid enough to make such assumptions. The simple truth makes his head explode: Revenue went up (1/2 trillion in 4 years) and the unemployment rate went down after the tax cuts. I’m sorry at but “well, it WOULD HAVE been if…” is not a valid argument. None of it matters anyway, it’s history.
      
      I simply stick to what actually happened without making up numbers.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      In Greggy’s fantasy land, even when BUSH said his tax cuts will cost about $1.6 TRILLION, and that was just his first of SIX tax cuts… those estimates MUST be ignored… as must the real revenue numbers which show in constant dollars Bush didn’t match Clinton’s last year until 2006.
      
      By Greggy’s Orwellian Math… lower revenues for 5-6 years = a revenue boom.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      If you have ANY respect for real numbers, Greggy, you’d not cherry pick… ignoring the LOWER Bush revenue for 2001-05, and then pretending that finally matching Clinton’s last year in 06 “proved” tax cuts didn’t cut revenues. You always resort to the sleazy red herring argument that if revenues after tax cuts EVER rise above previous levels, then that “proves” tax cuts don’t reduce revenues. No one said tax cuts would reduced revenue forever. They put back revenue growth for 4-5-6 YEARS but they will rise from natural forces… inflation, population growth etc.
      
      When I put up that “chart” I used the simplest projection… projecting FLAT Clinton revenues into the Bush years. In reality Clinton revenues were INCREASING every year. If we projected that dynamic upward Clinton revenue CURVE into the Bush years, the revenues losses would be GREATER than my simple flat projection.
    - Gregg
      
      BTW at, you made a claim about IP addresses on another thread but did not answer when
      I asked: At, I am not paid, never have been. I don’t work for any conservative
      organization, I am a piano player. I am not even registered Republican.
      My IP address cannot possibly be the same as GretchenMo’s and I would
      happily prove it if I knew how. Do you? Whoever wrote that was either a
      hacker or a liar… or both. Please tell me how you reached that
      conclusion.
      
      I’m dying to know how you look at the IP address. Think about it.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      The only person who should be able to see client IPs of those who post here is the forum Mod.
      
      Profiles here are NOT connected to any user but to an email address… real or not. But since there is no login here, anyone who posts using the same email address will show up in the same profile. That’s what happens to all of us who use shortened email like x@gmail.com
      @gmail:disqus
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      I don’t know why the system created that gmail box in my last post. It leads to a users profile. I assume it must be a registered Disqus user.
    - at
      
      No, I don’t know how, or I would write how to do it right here. That’s
      why I keep asking them to show them. I think I may have confused you
      with another Gregg that said he worked for a conservative organization
      in New Mexico, but you are from South Carolina — right? I guess there
      is one good thing about picking “the stupidest moniker ever” you don’t get confused much with other at’s.
      but Sun1 and company are right about my profile, I never looked at it
      beyond the first couple of posts before. There must be a dozen
      different people in it. So ok you being Gretchen was bogus probably, but ulTRAX being all these other people and the imposter — I don’t believe that either.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      It’s revealing how Greggy is fine with our resident Village Idiot who NEVER cites a verifiable source, pulls numbers from his behind, usually refuses to be corrected once the real numbers are out, and repeatedly makes the same false claims already rebutted… yet with a straight face can accuse someone who always cites sources so others can verify facts… is “inventing numbers”. That’s how Greggy’s proves he’s here for intelligent discussion.
      
      In the case Gregggg’s talking about, the CBO numbers were devastating to his claim that the irresponsible Bush tax cuts created a revenue boom. In fact the numbers proved Bush slashed revenues so much, that in constant dollars they only exceeded Clinton’s last year in 2 of the past TEN years… and even one of those years was by a paltry $14 billion. Gregggg evaded the debate in his usual sleazy style. He accused me of having some “mystery algorithm” to come up with the difference between Clinton and Bush’s revenues. As someone responded… ya, it’s called subtraction.
      
      Gregggg frequently evades discussions on some level he knows he’s going to lose by claiming he’s already made some devastating rebuttal… which, of course, can’t be found. Rather than simply repost this alleged rebuttal, he’ll post 10 times explaining why he doesn’t have to rebut anything… that he already won the argument. Just another example of Gregggg’s dedication to “intelligent debate”.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Really, I can do that?
    
    Can’t we all?
    
    This isn’t N Korea.
- Sun1
  
  Dude, I just checked your profile. It’s worse than you think. I guess you are asleep now, but check it out tomorrow. There has to be at least eight different people who have entries in your profile and some of them don’t sound like their form around here, and by “around here” I mean EARTH. I am serious.. I didn’t even get to the end of it. I kept loading comments and they kept coming and they had less and less to do with anything at all — check it out it’s weird. I mean really weird, I don’t think there is an end to a profile, I think it just fades into the next user name that is related by — I don’t know what, but there wasn’t any apparent order to the — you should just look.
  - TheReal1really
    
    That was weird. I would say he has at least twenty different people in there. AT you are legion. I did get to a point were the little loading wheel kept spinning and no new posts were loading though. But it took a while, and they did keep getting to be less about anything — when they were English. There was one language in there that I have no idea what it could be. Maybe it’s attila.
    - Ummm2
      
      I think you should show up at his yurt unannounced and demand to know what the hell’s going on.
Gregg

I’m retracting nothing, you made your bed lie in it. We know the impostor is a hacker and jacks up the “likes”. You’re a hacker and obsessed with “likes”. Check. We know the impostor has a fixation on me. Check. We know the sexist rant was on your expanded profile and read just like you calling GretchenMo fluffy or pickles or any of your already established sexist labels (Actually Sweets, Private Eyes has it right…). Check. We know the impostor thinks it’s his duty to control every aspect of this blog. Check. We know the ego is out of control. Check. I flat out don’t believe you. You’ve got a reputation alright and that’s what has hung you.
- Ummm2
  
  You are the only one who thinks this (If you really do) and you are accusing him just because he kicked your butt in every argument, and that is apparently evident to everyone except you. And it is really pathetic on your part to keep this up. I wouldn’t be surprised if you bring the imposter back despite AT placating him. You idiot.
  - DannyPa5
    
    yeh gregg, you started posting here at 12:30 yesterday morning and you are still here. Go to bed. Your obsessed and it’s showing. The truth is you are just guessing, you don’t have a clue who is taking pot shots at you and your mentor.
    - Gregg
      
      Since your are obsessed with my post check and notice there wasn’t much in between. I worked last night.
  - Gregg
    
    thanks ulTRAX.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      It wasn’t me, but again, this indicates that you really are clueless about how shallow and devoid of logic most of your posts are. You really seem to believe everyone should believe Orwellian Right talking points YOU subscribe to, and if not, then THEY are the problem. In your deluded state, no matter how beat up you get, YOU believe you never lose a debate. So how can anyone ever agree with what your critics say… unless they are one insecure person posting under different names! Eureka!! Yup, you found a way to keep your delusions of infallibility alive by becoming even more pathological… by sinking into paranoia.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  Thanks for again proving you’re not a clear thinker and have no intellectual or moral integrity. Who says the imposter… who by the way was also impersonating MY name, has to be a “hacker”. Any 4th grader could figure out Disqus permitted posting under fake email addresses and names. And I also proved that user posts can be merged in the “profile” if they used shortened email addresses as I frequently did. Disqus warns this can happen. Disqus lacks the typical safeguards that forum software have. But then it is meant for blogs where a host liek WBUR might want spontaneous comments from the public who don’t want to go through the pain in the ass of registering with a site just to post.
  
  So it comes as no surprise that after getting beat up for 6 months on both facts and logic, you’d leap at some cheap personal attack for revenge. We’ve seen you do this before like accusing me of making up numbers when I presented Bush’s low revenue numbers even though I was clear some numbers were from the CBO and the last set was a simply revenue below Clinton’s last year. The numbers were devastating to your claim that the Bush tax cuts brought in tons of money… so you avoided the numbers and went for the cheap shot.
  
  Yawn.
  
  Like I said Chuckles, I know you better than you do… not because I’m that smart… but because your intellectual dishonesty has been painfully obvious to all… as it is now. Thanks for AGAIN for another demonstration.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  BTW, WTF is your issue with “likes”. You say this is a liberal board so logically liberal or progressive posts will get more “likes” than what some polite, but braindead, dittohead says.
  
  I rememebr that discussion. One of my posts got 18-19 likes and you made it sound like someone had broken into Fort Knox.
  
  18-19 “likes” in a forum perhaps read by hundreds of people is hardly a big deal. But your fixation on this indicates some deep pathology on your part. Are you so convinced of your infallibility and keen intellect that you can’t understand why your posts don’t get more “likes”?
  
  If you want to be “liked”, go to FreeperVille, FoxNation, or TownHall.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Is this our perp”?

I got into a bit of an argument with someone in this forum… it’s still up on the first page:

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2011/11/11/week-in-the-news-paterno

They wrote: “I’ve backed you up on multiple occasions. I’ve battled the trolls here under a hundred different monikers. I’ve contributed hundreds of sources to correct misinformation, expose the propaganda and derail the disinformation agenda.”

I don’t understand the need to change names. ulTRAX is my politics nic and has been for about 15 years. As I’ve said several times, when I’m going after some braindead ditto head, I WANT them to know it’s me.
- Gregg
  
  I still don’t believe you for the reasons already stated and you certainly would not believe me if the situation were reversed but you may be on to something. I missed the comment you referred to and it is damning. Obviously the impostor (not you for the sake of this discussion) is on the same page as you. More evidence. I hate it for you but fairly or not it’s on you to overcome the similarities and prove yourself innocent. Do that and I’ll apologize and buy you dinner. Until then, I’m not budging.
  
  The “likes” I am referring to were not the ones you cite below. Dude, I don’t care who likes you and who doesn’t… at all. You were the one who said they were evidence that you were God or something… whatever. I was talking about the first time the impostor cloned GretchenMo with a highly vile, perverted, homo-erotic and even bestiality laced comment. It gained 24 “likes” in less than an hour while no other comments were posted. As much as I think this blog is mean-spirited and elitist, I can’t believe it’s that bad. It was someone with multiple profiles up and running. I’ve got to believe it otherwise the terrorist win.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Actually the situation IS reversed. Logic tells me you’re either suffering from Braindead Dittohead Infallibility Syndrome or you’re paid to keep posting here even after your arguments are easily rebutted and you get beat up over and over again. BOTH would explain your need to post the same crap here over and over 24/7.
    
    But as I admitted elsewhere, I have NO proof you’re paid, and therefore fairness dictates I can NOT make an actual accusation… even if it may sound as if I have. I know I cannot ever “know” for sure. If I were on the jury and you were charged as being a paid shill, on the evidence I’d have to say you were innocent. There’s a line between suspicion and certainty we must always be aware of.
    
    You on the other hand seem to believe you’re entitled to pass judgment even as the evidence fails you. You tend to place your deluded sense of infallibility above all else. You did it here but also in the past. When I tried to defend myself against Moda’s false allegations I wrote that I honestly wanted him to be careful about posting personal info here… like about the money he bragged about keeping in his basement. You dismissed it all and accused me of being a stalker. You had no evidence. You ran with Moda’s rants and thought you could drag me down a notch.
    
    When push comes to shove in GreggyLand, integrity tends takes a back seat to the cheap shot or the illusion of winning an argument.
    - Gregg
      
      I am a handsomely paid idiot devil. You are a genius and not creepy at all. Believe what ever you want.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Gregggg wrote: “I hate it for you but fairly or not it’s on you to overcome the similarities and prove yourself innocent. Do that and I’ll apologize and buy you dinner. Until then, I’m not budging.”Get off your high horse you presumptuous ass. You’re no judge or executioner. There’s no burden on me to prove my innocence. I know the truth as does the perp. And most know you’re not credible because of your dismal track record of ridiculous posts. I really don’t care what you think or believe. I only care what people I respect think or believe… and clearly you’re not one of them.
- http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
  
  test
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Why was this post nuked? Better question, who would even flag it?

at Yesterday 10:04 PM in reply to ulTRAX 5 Likes F .

I know you are not the impersonator and so does everybody else. The same kind of thing is on my profile. First is says I am attla, and I am not I am freefillbill but I use at because I used it before, but my profile shows some other language that I guess attila uses. It’s weird I wish is was a more open system that identified ip addresses. show more show less
- BeItALessonToYou
  
  That’s what happens when you people clamor for censorship.
  
  That’s what happens when you people start flagging comments you don’t like.
  
  That’s what happens when you people start behaving like children instead of ignoring them.
  
  Occasionally, you get burned with censorship – sometimes at the stake.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    And that’s why archiving posts is an antidote to censorship. My hope is to leave here ASAP. But I can assume you’ll start archiving/reposting censored posts when I leave?
    - Gregg
      
      Nobody cares. If a comment is flagged that doesn’t mean it will be removed. For a short time the message was something like: This comment has been flagged for review by the moderator. Now they are gone. One must assume it was something about the profile… or a hacker having fun at at’s expense.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Here’s another of AT’s posts that was nuked. Again I find nothing in it worthy of censorship:

at 10 comments collapsed Collapse Expand I really don’t care. His opinions have been some of the most intelligent that have appeared on this blog, he went to much trouble to refute the approximations of the truth that his apparent nemisi traffic in. I can only go by what I have seen here and it has been almost all good. Ok I guess sometimes he got caught up in the puppet show of the Rep/Dem duality. But that happens to everyone here on occasion because soon as you make a statement about someone — some idiot says, “Yeh, but the Repubicans. . .” or, “Yeh, but the Democrats. . .” and I am just not interested in that kind of kneejerk reaction. Mainly because it is an illusion, an illusion propagated by those who want to keep the people divided. I guess there are still people who haven’t figured out that O’bama is the slickest thing since Willie (Bill, who now gets adulation and standing ovations simply because he was one of the causes of our present situation and not in office when the effects became evident in our banking industry). There is no doubt that if someone has half a brain they will see that the elitist bastards that the US was founded to get away from, are now in control of everything that matters. They are predatory bastards and you are their chattle and they have gutted the country and gotten away with it because we, let them change the laws while we weren’t paying attention or were swallowing their trickle down bull. What are gonna do about it put more millionaires in office and hope we can do their gardening? Actually there is one millionaire I do hope gets in office, but I believe he is only a millionaire because he proved in court that GM was actively trying to destroy his reputation with bimbos and secret operatives, the most scrutinized man in American history and he came up squeeky clean. In the county where I live Ralph Nader got twice as many votes as George Bush. If the American people had been as courageous an intelligent as where I live, we wouldn’t have these problems now. And that is a fact. I don’t even know why I care about you people — go ahead elect your great statesmen — Gingrich, Obama — what a fricking joke. Unfortunately the jokes on us. show more show less A Liked Reply Today 01:54 AM in reply to Gregg Deal 9 LikesF .
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Here’s even ANOTHER of AT’s posts that was nuked. Again, I find NOTHING offensive in it.

at 7 comments collapsed Collapse Expand I have to go to bed. I wish you hadn’t said that. I don’t have the time, but I know that tomorrow I will be taking a sample of his statements with numbers and checking them, and probably posting what I find here. show more show less A Like Reply Today 04:44 AM in reply to Gregg 0 Like F .

nj

Another item i should have had on my underplayed/underreported stories list:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/09/americans-elect-group-gaining-steam?CMP=twt_gu

Americans Elect: internet-based group gaining steam ahead of electionNew organisation wants to challenge America’s two-party system, but has drawn critical fire over the source of its funding

Dodohead2

Interesting. . . . Is this the only organization doing something like this? Was the young veteran who was on the Daily Show who had received the silver star from this organization or some other one. He was an impressive spokesman.

nj

Add to the Circling-the-Point reading list:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,800850,00.html

The Republicans’ Farcical CandidatesA Club of Liars, Demagogues and IgnoramusesThe US Republican race is dominated by ignorance, lies and scandals. The current crop of candidates have shown such a basic lack of knowledge that they make George W. Bush look like Einstein. The Grand Old Party is ruining the entire country’s reputation.

Dee

The Consumer Protection Agency Chief….

It is simply unacceptable for the Republicans to block Obama’s�
nominee to head the Consumer Protection Agency. This was�
all part of the Dodd-Frank Reform act that won bipartisan sup-port in the Congress following the financial crash of 2008.

We all lost so much money over this and so many American homeowners and workers have since suffered dire consec-
quences as a result–while corporations continue to fill their pockets with profits and show no moral conscience.

At this point, I say people should pull their investments out of
Wall Street or come out and force the Republicans out of office�
now –like Mubarak in Egypt….Dee

P.S. I hope Ralph Nadar and others will come out and join in denouncing this Republican action also…It’s disgraceful……

JonS

Major Garrett is one of the most thoughtful and fair-minded contributors you ever have on your week in review show. Bring him back as often as possible.

Jack Beatty, on the other hand, is clueless. Your comments that Obama’s TR speech was historic was laughable. You fail to ever provide any meaningful critique or analysis of Obama’s programs and policies. Obama has the unique ability to frame a problem without offering any viable solution while blaming his usual Republican strawman.

Nancy

I really love it when politicians use words like “fair” without defining what it means. Of course, everyone is for fairness, but that’s where the rub is. Obama is a complete tool.
- GasBag
  
  And of course everyone’s for “freedom” without defining what it means.
  
  One’s “freedom to” often conflicts with another’s “freedom from”.

TweedleDumDee

What else is there to say?

Looking to corrupt finance Democrats on how to “manage” our economy…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buRO9TSlScQ

TweedleDumDee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm3VMrKqJSA&feature=related

http://www.ragnarok.existencero.com/ragnarok/ragnarokprivateserver.html private ro

It’s been corrupt for a long time its not getting better…

Gregg

Credit to Sen. Joe Manchin (D -WV) for voting no on the payroll tax cut. It’s a silly idea.

GregsGhost

Could not agree with your more Greg. Only tax cuts for billionaires have any economic value. And your theory is again proven true since tax rates have been low these past ten years and the economy is on fire!
- Gregg
  
  I don’t know about “billionaires” but 250K and up is where small business job creators are. The payroll tax is nothing more than the defunding of Social Security.
  
  I don’t see tax cuts as you do. I don’t think they set in motion an infinite straight line of growth despite any other factors. Ditto tax hikes. The question is, what’s needed relative to where we are now. In that regard the Bush tax cuts were a great success.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    �
    FINALLY, after SIX MONTHS of claiming tax cuts were the most important variable in economic growth, Gregggg admits they are just ONE of many. But he still REFUSES to admit that the irresponsible Bush tax cuts have been a disaster despite record LOW revenues. Greg will pretend otherwise claiming if in constant dollars, and six years later, they finally exceeded revenue in Clinton’s last year, that “proves” tax cuts bring in more revenue. Of course nowhere is Greggy’s world of Orwellian Morality is there ANY recognition that Bush ran on paying down debt, then once installed in office did everything he could to create MORE debt. Nowhere in Gregggg’s moral universe is there ANY concern that we have stolen $14 trillion these past 30 years from our kids and grandkids.
    �
    �
    Gregg and others like him are classic Free Lunch Right wingers who want to party at our kid’s expense. They comfort themselves with delusions that all can be made right with spending cuts which “just happen” to allowing our generation to keep what we stole.
    �
    THAT’S what passes for economic morality on the Right.
    �
    How goddamn noble.
    - Gregg
      
      “FINALLY, after SIX MONTHS of claiming tax cuts were the most important
      variable in economic growth, Gregggg admits they are just ONE of many.”
      
      Never said it once. Ever. Quote the “claim”. Every time I try and tell you the tech bubble and 9/11 were factors you ignore it, that’s why your fantasy numbers are so bogus. I’ve described many times the factors influencing the economy including Congress, the White house, GDP, unemployment, natural disasters, Europe, the stock market, bubbles, wars, and on and on. Every time I do you reply I’ve FINALLY admitted something.
      
      Meanwhile, all you’ve got is Bush’s irresponsible tax cuts. Then your write this?! You’re a creepy joke.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Being dishonest AGAIN Greggy? You once demanded I post a quote of you saying there was a direct connection between tax cuts and economic growth. I did, and last I remembered you scampered off. Of course since you’re here 24/7 you could have gone back.
    - Gregg
      
      I remember that. You couldn’t rebut what
      I said so you criticized what you said I meant. That’s the way you roll. It’s the fantasy thing.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      So the CBO constant dollar numbers showing LOWER revenue than FY2000 from FY01 all the way to 2006 are now “fantasy” numbers?
      
      Grow up Brainiac.
    - Gregg
      
      No, the straight line you drew from FY2000 is the fantasy. That’s the part that is myopic in a nuanced economy. It ignores all. Is “would have been” fantasy or not? You look silly denying it.
      
      The 1/2 tril increased revenue (the part that has an actual column) after the lower rates is the real part. I’m not talking to you about it anymore. Think what you will.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Only here looking silly is the person who says BUSH is lying when he said his tax cuts would reduced revenue by about 1.6 TRILLION over 10 years…
      
      Obviously, Gregg, your only position is you can make reality vanish in a puff of Orwellian logic.
      
      You are truly pathetic.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      Your infantile game… and this is a standard Orwellian Right talking point, is to credit tax cuts with everything good, and blame other factors when things aren’t.
    - Gregg
      
      After you get around to quoting my “claim”, go ahead and quote my “blame”.
      
      Is this an example of your superior debating skills?
  - Anonymous
    
    I’m sick of hearing and reading this sound bite on “job creators” and how taxing people gets in the way of hiring. This has been debunked as a false claim. On Point had a show on the other day about this and each one of the small busniess owners said that the taxes they pay has nothing to do with how they hire. It’s all about demand the economy. I say put taxes back to the Reagen era.
    - Gregg
      
      I don’t know about “billionaires” but 250K and up is where small business job creators are.
      
      What I wrote is true and universally accepted. I didn’t comment on the affects of taxing. It’s more complicated than that. Taxes, Obamacare, regulations, the Senate and many other factors need to be addressed to create jobs. When they are created they will come mainly from small businesses.
    - TFRX
      
      I thought we came to places like this for idiotic memes about “job creators” to be laughed at. If I wanted that plop to be taken seriously, I’ve got all the propaganda press and 99% of the mainstream press to pick from.
      
      And, yes, Reagan seems to be too socialisticky for this modern GOP. But don’t try telling them that!
    - Hidan
      
      The real Ronald Reagan may not meet today’s GOP standards
      
      http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/06/nation/la-na-reagan-revisionism-20110907
    - Hidan
      
      How many republicans does this happen to when Reagan’s Name is mention?
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLnWf1sQkjY

Hidan

I like to give a shot out to David Boeri, on his fine reporting and the hard work in getting the tapes of the Worcester police interrogation and freeing a innocent girl.

Would have been nice if Tom or Jake Mention this.

http://radioboston.wbur.org/2011/12/07/worcester-coerced-confession

Gregg

As I watch the beginning 20 minutes of this debate I’m happy with the field.

Greggless

Your comment speaks volumes about your intellect and judgement.
- Gregg
  
  Must you?
  - PoorGregg
    
    Try the Foxnews comment page; over there, they don’t allow any replies.
    
    Unchallenged, you might feel more at home.
    - Anonymous
      
      Careful you might make him cry in his beer.
    - Gregg
      
      I rarely drink and never cry. Really guys, there was nothing challenged here so I don’t get yall’s point. It was just a stalking insult with no substance.
      
      I thought it was a very good debate, that’s all. Kudos to ABC for getting out of the way and freeing things up. For my money it was enlightening and the best yet.

120MillionDollarMan

This is the most important story of the week:

CEO, Jon “I don’t know where it went.” Corzine and MF Global.

This story exemplifies the depth of pervasive corruption in the financial sector, the complete lack of regulatory governance in the exchanges, and the systemic complicity of government sanctioned agencies.

This is as terrible as the Madoff ponzi scheme, except this implicates a former governor of New Jersey, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and a close economic adviser and confidant of the Obama administration.

In other words, seemingly, an untouchable:

“Corzine committed the most egregious financial crime when he comingled client monies with company monies in high-risk investments, without informing clients, literally stealing their money. This occurred while the Chicago Mercantile Exchange [the “Merc” duh] looked on and did nothing.”

http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/4151

Was he played, did he think he could get away with it, or did he not have a choice?

Way to go NPR, just keep wasting our time on “no chance” Newt.

GretchenMo

History has proven time-and-again that capitalism works and socialism does not. Taking money from the rich and redistributing it to the poor does not grow the economy. On the contrary, it reduces the incentives of both parties. It lowers savings, destroys capital, limits economic growth, and lowers living standards. Maybe Obama should take his eyes off the teleprompter long enough to read some American history. In fact, he could start by reading the Constitution that he swore an oath to uphold.

Gregg

… or just look at Europe.
- Anonymous
  
  Which country? Germany is doing better than we are in terms of growth. So are other Northern European nations. Iceland has started to turn itself around and is not doing the bidding of the banks to do so. You people on the right are hilarious in how you seem to be looking for simple cardboard cut out solution’s to serious economic problems.
  It’s clear to anyone with half a brain that progressives are not against capitalism.
  It’s also clear that the lack of regulations and the will to enforce what little there are was the main reason for the economic downturn. To sit around and post lies does nothing for anyone. To sit around as Gretchen does and post bumper sticker slogans for the right is nothing short of idiotic.
  - Gregg
    
    Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal a Portugal are the main ones but the ramifications reach across the entire Eurozone. The Euro may not survive in the end. There is civil unrest all over Europe. People are demanding their goodies. Europe is on the brink and America won’t be the anchor this time.
    
    I don’t know about Iceland but compare Germany’s fiscal policies with other European countries. They have abandoned Keynes and Merkel told Obama to pound sand when he pressured her to tax and spend at the G-20.
    - Gregg
      
      excuse the typo.

Modavations

My first encounter with Ultrax was when he said “I know who you are,I know where you live”.I replied,if you ever call me approach me on the street,or damage my property I will call the police.He replied,but Moda I was looking out for you,because you mentioned you had money in your basement.I replied,if you ever call me,approach me ,or damage my property I will call the police

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

More lies and another rewriting of history Moda? You were posting here for MONTHS giving out personal info, bragging about how much money you made, about keeping cash in the basement. I already knew you were an idiot from you political postings. I finally realized you were too stupid to understand what a risk you were taking and warned you what you were doing was unwise. For that you called your lawyer on me.
�
You’re putting your business in jeopardy by making an ass of yourself here… and you’re too damn stupid to realize. For that I get no end of baseless accusations made against me.

Modavations

Towards the end of Nov.Ultrax started going on and on about how I was like a fish in a barrel and how easy it would be to shoot me.This was posted a few times.All these posts are late at night.I speculate Ultrax is drinking.

Modavations

I finally complained to NPR a few days ago when Ultrax(again late at night)wanted to have anal sex with me at a homosexual bar in Bangkok.This crossed the line and I complained.Just call me old fashioned.

Modavations

Sorry,sorry.The graphic anal sex that Ultrax decsribes putting me through,was to take place in a “wooden barrel”.

Modavations

I leave you with this.All the fictitious posters are Ultrax>He has a website at Http://Ultrick.tripod.com?…..This is an site for “hackers”and explains all his tricks.
On 12/01/2011 at !014(please note the time of night)by the Ultrax alias Dead Fish.
“As if Ultrax needs my help.Call me twisted,but I just like shooting dumb and obnoxious fish in a barrel.”

Modavations

should read 10:00 Pm
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

I know it’s too much to ask a braindead dittohead like yourself to prove your accusations. You never could tell fact from fiction. So it will do no good to show me just where in a site about a specific internet box called WebTV off the market now for a decade is there ANY mention of impersonating users on Disqus… which wasn’t even around in 1999. Posting under a fake/invented email address is NOT “hacking”. Disqus admits their system has no safeguards against this.

As for that post, I did not write it. The perp obviously doesn’t like right wing nut jobs, but does the opposite side no favor by being a jerk himself. I’d prefer all the jerks to remain on your side where they belong.

As for your latest vomit of vile posts, I will flag every one.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Which reminds me… so Moda, whatever happened to those security “experts” you claimed NPR was calling in? As I said then it was just your bloviating again. You never could tell fact from your deluded fantasies.
�
�
If WBUR wants to deal with impersonation here the solution is simple: it needs to go back to a system where we have to register our user names.
�
Gee, I just solved their problem for free.
- Modavations
  
  If you haven’t noticed there the one’s who banned you and there the one’s that have finally been cleaning this place up.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    So I was banned because YOU made false allegations against me?
    
    Good thing they changed their minds.

nj

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/06/why_no_ones_investigating_wall_street/Why no one’s investigating Wall StreetThe government finds money to crack down on food stamp “fraud.” If it wanted to go after finance crooks, it couldWhen it comes to our government’s collective refusal to aggressively investigate — much less prosecute — Wall Street crime, one prevailing line of apologism implies that it’s all about resources. As the general fable goes, Wall Street is so sprawling and so lawyered up that public law enforcement agencies simply don’t have the resources to make sure justice is served, especially at a time of budget deficits. In this story, Wall Street is not simply too big to fail; it’s too big to even police.The motivation for such myth-making is obvious: It wholly absolves elected officials for their decisions to let their financial-industry campaign contributors off the hook. Yet thanks to recent events, the whole “Too Big to Police” rationale is being exposed for the farce that it is.—snipped

Modavations

The reason Wall st.is not persecuted is because ,like Corzine,they are all Democrats.Obama has taken more Wall St. money then all of mankind,combined.According to Mayor Bloomberg,Fannie and Freddie are the culprits.Fannie was a play pen for Dem.big money donors.Frankie Raines,Morse and Jamie Gorelik walked with well over 100 million in commission.The more bogus,mortgages written,the bigger their commission.
- Anonymous
  
  Wrong again sparky. Like most folks they are Republicans, Democrats as well as Libertarians and independents. You are not helping your argument on bit. Especially when money is pouring into the GOP from this sector.

Anonymous

I think they should ban both of you guys, Modavations and Ultrax, as it seems both you of can’t seem to play nice in the sand box.

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

Hey, I said was leaving this place and only came back to respond to a snotty post by Gregg… that’s when I found all hell broke loose. I was banned then trying to defend myself. I do believe I have that right. What more curious is why Moda’s never been banned since he’s proven over the past 5 months he’s clearly the most disruptive (and idiotic) poster here.
- Anonymous
  
  I understand your frustration. However while I too sometimes feel like I should take trolls on, such as Moda in the end life is to short. In the end I always feel it’s a waste of time and that they are really looking for is a reaction. Some of the right wing commentators on this forum are only here to brow beat and bloviate.
  
  I’m starting to think this guy works for BUR as he seems to get away with an awful lot.
  Gregg… well enough said there.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Since this is a blog instead of a forum format, the Orwellian Right wingers here know they can just keep moving on to the newest forum where they can repost their lies and distortions all over again. I’d decided last week I’d had enough of trying to rebut their nonsense only to have them claim it was true the next day. You’er correct, there are better uses of our time.
  - Modavations
    
    Talk about shooting the last arrow in a quiver
- Gregg
  
  Maybe he hasn’t been banned because you’re wrong about him. Just a crazy thought, entertain it.
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Gee Greggy, here’s another crazy thought: YOU’VE been banned too! Remember all those posts you wrote telling us how you tried to get around it?
    
    So if you and I were banned and our resident Village Idiot hasn’t… despite being the most disruptive poster here… I’m at a loss to come up with a conclusion… unless the WBUR mod created Moda as a troll to make the Right look like bigger idiots than we know they already are.
    - Gregg
      
      That was a while back and WBUR acknowledged and fixed it. I don’t think Modavations posted back then. Back then the banning seemed to be kind of random. I never knew if it was a glitch, a rogue moderator or what.
      
      This is different. I have to believe the moderators are taking some kind of action as evidenced by deleted comments and apparently, fresh bans. Everybody’s sick of it. We’ve got a real live, dastardly devious, impersonating hacker troll and he’s a lefty. Whoda’ thunk?
      
      I wonder if he’s paid.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      There’s no logic to what’s going on here. Looking at Moda’s history in the Medicare forum there must be 50 posts of his blaming me for X, Y, and Z. They are still there. Yet AT’s posts here have been nuked and it’s clear from my reposting them, there’s NOTHING wrong with them. S/he’s not a registered Disqus user so s/he didn’t nuke them. While the perp’s tactics are reprehensible, so are Moda’s. As expected, as a partisan who thinks he has a monopoly on righteousness, you EXCUSE despicable behavior by another rightist and pretend this somehow “proves” the left is morally bankrupt. How goddamn noble. I just see two idiots.
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      I don’t believe WBUR acknowledged anything. That apology post was soon nuked and I suspect it was a fake.
      
      If it had any effect, it embarassed WBUR to unban people.
    - Modavations
      
      When I called and showed them the multiple posts of Ultrax wanting to shoot me like and fish in a barrel and then wanting to bugger me in a gay bar in Bangkok(he graphically described how pleasurable the deep thrusting would be)they said no mas!!!That’s it in a nutshell
    - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
      
      And your proof I wrote that trash is what? Ah gee… NONE. It’s just like all you political posts. Since any idiot can post under any name, how do we know YOU didn’t post that? There are just too many undercurrents here with you and such topics. Maybe you’re giving off vibes and someone’s pushing your buttons. As for what goes on in Bangkok, I will defer to your obviously superior knowledge on the topic.
      Now, do you EVER intend to stop disrupting this forum with your unsubstantiated allegations?
      Didn’t think so.
- Modavations
  
  Because I’m innocent and they agree
  - Modaclown
    
    Classic signs:
    
    Narcissists usually believe they are innocent and don’t accept responsibility for their own faults meanwhile blaming others.
    
    They often accuse others of the very qualities they detest in themselves, so they project them onto innocent victims.
    
    Narcissists actually hate themselves, but create a false, grandiose identity to protect their fragile egos.
    
    When trying to make others feel badly about themselves, they do so in trying to raise their own low self-esteem.
    
    Paranoid behaviors notwithstanding.
    
    Sound familiar?
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

I see you were able to rewrite your post. I take it you’re a registered user at Disqus?
- Anonymous
  
  Yep.
Modavations

Spoken like a true” Farenheit Book burner”.I don’t agree with the man,so ban him
- Modaclown
  
  In your own paraphrased words on many occasions:
  
  ‘Name calling is the last resort of scoundrels.’
  and ‘I can’t stand bullies.’
  
  You are the delusional, irrational, reactionary, angry, annoying, bullying, snitch, name-calling harasser here.

Anonymous

Newt Gingrich now says that the Palestinians are not a people and that they are all terrorist. Talk about pandering to the religious right.

Gregg

Here it is.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/12/10/newt_gingrich_palestinians_are_terrorists.html
- Hidan
  
  You aware your link is totally full of ? Fatah and Hamas is nothing close to each other and the site relies on ambassador to India for the statement. counter to all truth.
  
  Like always Gregg lies and distorts.
  
  The PLO(Fatah) has recongized Israel has did so in 1993. The textbook claim has been debunked many times over.
  
  See below links debunking gregg crap site claims.
  
  http://www.ipcri.org/files/4&9report.pdf
  
  The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel
  to exist in peace and security.
  
  http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/recogn.html
  
  “Dr. Wolfram Reiss, Professor of Religious History at the University of Rostock:
  
  “Palestinian
  textbooks cannot be considered a ‘war curriculum’… These
  textbooks…convey visions of society in which tolerance to other
  religions, human rights, peace, pluralism, democracy and other values
  are encouraged and fostered… There is no hatred or incitement against
  Israel, the Israeli people or Judaism. The textbooks do not contain
  anti-Semitic language”.
  “Civics education textbooks do not only avoid
  hatred and incitement against the West, but foster very much Western
  values: democracy, human rights, the individual rights, the education
  for peace and tolerance of all religions, the rights of women and
  children, the civil society and the protection of nature… From a Western
  perspective, the civics education textbooks therefore have to be highly
  praised indeed.”
  - Gregg
    
    Why cite a 18 year old failed peace proposal? Look at Fatah’s charter.
    - Hidan
      
      New Fatah charter omits language on Israel’s demise
      
      http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/01/27/1010372/new-fatah-charter-omits-negationist-language
      
      WASHINGTON (JTA) — The new Fatah charter maintains a militant tone
      but emphasizes democratization and omits language in earlier documents
      that called for Israel’s destruction.
      
      The office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence translated
      the document that emerged from Fatah’s council in Bethlehem last summer,
      and Secrecy News, a project of the Federation of American Scientists
      watchdog group, obtained a copy and published it Wednesday.
    - Plushkin
      
      There is not a word in this about Israel, let alone its recognition. What one can find in it however is a call for the “go Palestine free and Arab”.
      Neither “palestinian party” has ever recognized anything but armed struggle against Israel. Their deeds are the best proof of what they are after.
- Hidan
  
  “Gingrich is swimming against the tide of official US policy, which
  advocates a two-state solution. He is also at odds with the opinion of
  all but the most extreme elements of Israeli society.”
  
  Note “extreme elements” guess we see why Gregg likes the guy.
  
  “While the
  Israeli prime minister’s office refused to issue a formal position on
  Gingrich’s comments, which it claims are a matter of internal US politics, Binyamin Netanyahu, who leads a rightwing coalition government, has recognized the Palestinian people.”
  - Gregg
    
    Maybe, but he’s right.
    - Hidan
      
      No he’s not
Modavations

Where in the world did he say that.I’ll await your reply.I’m talking about the “terrorist part”.The problem with the left is their pervasive paranoia
- Hidan
  
  Newt Gingrich condemned for calling Palestinians ‘terrorists
  
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/11/newt-gingrich-palestinian-comments-criticised?newsfeed=true
  
  Also newt to appease the rightwing jewish republicans also said he think about releasing an american who spied on the U.S. government.
  - Gregg
    
    Speaking of appeasement, did you see Santorum school Candy Crowley?
    
    http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/12/11/rick-santorum-schools-candy-crowley-obamas-appeasement
    - Hidan
      
      Santorum response is about the same as the response one gets from Google with they Google Santorum.
      
      Rightwinger think repeating the same thing over and over makes it’s a rebuttal.
      
      His claims are baseless and counterfactual.
      
      But you gotta love how he calls the Dictator in Egypt our ally while labeling all the protesters as Islamist right after he btch about obama not helping to spread democracy in Iran.
      
      So on one hand Santorum says obama is appeasing Iran(Islamist) for not being forceful with saying we will bomb Iran for Israel and not being as forceful with helping the protesters there while in the next breath he says obama is appeasing the Islamist by supporting the protestors in Egypt(mostly secularist) and not forcefully supporting the Despot.(which again is untrue since the WH supported Mubarak until the end)
      
      BTW the MB are not the Salafists. Santorum shows his ignorance by lumping the two together(typical of Right Wing Republicans).
- Anonymous
  
  You’re beyond contempt, period.
  He said at the last GOP debate you nincompoop.
  The problem with the right is that they are full of people without a clue.

JonS

What’s happened to this forum? It seems like it’s gone off the rails.

Anonymous

Maybe people are drinking to much wall street cool-aid.

NotTakingThe5th

“It’s the first time in more than 100 years that Congress has subpoenaed
a former senator to testify, according to Senate historian Don Ritchie.”

And NPR and On Point only publish an AP wire story on 12/8.

Here’s and insightful commentary by Al Lewis at WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203413304577088222885891962.html

Sitting before the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday with a nameplate that titled him, “The Honorable,” Mr. Corzine did little to quash speculation that MF Global simply looted its customers’ accounts out of desperation as the $41 billion firm collapsed in late October.Former MF Global Holdings CEO Jon Corzine:

“I’m not aware …

I’m not an expert …

I may be unable to respond to various questions…

I simply have no personal knowledge…

I don’t have records to confirm…

To the best of my recollection …

If I’m not mistaken…

Um…ah…uh…

I was stunned…

I simply do not know where the money is…

There were many transactions that occurred in those last chaotic days.

It would be very hard for me to speculate…

I never intended to break any rules…”

Farmers, ranchers, small-business owners and investors who hedged commodities through MF Global only know one thing for sure after Mr. Corzine’s testimony: Their money is still gone…

Modavations

Why do you think Ultrax’s web site for hackers is called “Ultricks”.Go to his posting of 12/03/2011,at 10:01 Pm.Again,PLEASE note the late hour.To summarize, he goes on to appologize for answering every contrarian post(I translate that to mean any and all postings not to his liking)under a psuedonym..

Modulations

You are in love why don’t you admit it. I have never seen anyone call such attention to the fact that they had a crush on someone. You are like a tween age girl who runs up and slaps a boy she is infatuated with. And I am starting to think you might have a shot with Mister Ultraks. You certainly are a great publicist for him, after you kind. I would think he is some kind of wizard or internet god the way you go on about him. And as far as the imposter is concerned you have no idea who it is, and you haven’t had so much fun since your last spontaneous Ul-rection — like last century or whenever that was. Really, it’s nice to see an old red-ass like yourself have so much fun.
And these moderators aren’t as stupid as you think. They know who I am even if you don’t. In fact I am presently banned. Good job moderators. You should at least also clue this jerk to the fact that I am not Ultraks, before he starts showing up beneath his bedroom window serenading him. It is a full moon you know.
- Gregg
  
  Do you know of any right wing real live, dastardly devious, impersonating hacker trolls bent on assassinating honest debate? I don’t.
  - JimSome5
    
    right wing – honest — oxymoron
  - http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX
    
    Gee Greggy, you’re leading the witness and again proving to be intellectually dishonest.
    
    NO ONE needs to be a “hacker” to impersonate someone here in Disqus. Any fool can do it and Disqus admits it. I’m sorry if you’re not that bright to realize the obvious.
    
    Oh, sorry. You DO know the obvious, but just can’t resist another cheap shot.
    
    How goddamn noble.
    
    If you’re so interested in getting to the truth, why are you putting up so many smokescreens?
  - Anonymous
    
    Honest debate? You call what you’re posting debating? What you are posting is more in line with the definition of diatribes and regurgitated Fox news propaganda.

Modavations

Jeffe,
It’s been 3 hrs..Please show the audience where Newt said Palestinians are terrorists.Ideologues suffer dementia.They hear things they wish thier oppenent would say.

Modaclown

Always enjoy when you ask for someone ‘to put up or shut up’ and then proves you wrong.

Too bad, when someone does, it never shuts you up.

Especially gratifying when someone of your own ilk proves you are an imbecile.

Gregg supplied the exact quote earlier today with this link below from Real Clear Politics:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/12/10/newt_gingrich_palestinians_are_terrorists.html

“Hamas does not admit the right of Israel to exist and says publicly not a single Jew will remain. The ambassador to India said last month there is no difference between Fatah and Hamas. Both agree Israel has no right to exist. Somebody ought to have the courage to tell the truth. These people are terrorists. They teach terrorism in their schools. They have textbooks that say ‘if there are 13 Jews and 9 Jews are killed, how many Jews are left?’ We pay for those textbooks through our aid money. Time for somebody to say enough lying about the Middle East,” Newt Gingrich said at the ABC News debate.

Like you said, Newt is an ideologue who suffers dementia.
Gregg

What Jeffe said Newt said he did not say, that’s why I provided the context. I have no idea how Jeffe got that Newt said all Palestinians are terrorist. He was clearly talking about Hamas and Fatah… and he was clearly correct.
- Modaclown
  
  Fatah and Hamas are the two main political parties of Palestine which Newt claimed are terrorists.
  
  That’s like someone from anywhere saying the Republicans and Democrats are terrorists which implies our country is as well.
  
  Or can’t you reason that far.
  - Gregg
    
    Fair enough but Fatah and Hamas are terrorist organizations and Republicans aren’t…okay, Democrats too. Reckon that means something.
    - Modaclown
      
      Tell that to the maybe one million or so Iraqi people, many of them civilians, who have been killed by our political parties funding the regime change, unprovoked, illegal war in their country.
      
      http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/19/iraq
      
      Tell that to the individuals secretly extradited and tortured by the CIA.
      
      http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/31/us-firms-torture-flights-rendition
      
      Tell that to… one could go on and on.
      
      A lot of people in the rest of the world think we are the biggest terrorist nation on the globe.
      
      Quit being such a xenophobe.
      
      Remember Dresden?
    - Modavations
      
      Please Gregg,reply to the real poster “Ultrax”,not Modaclown
    - Gregg
      
      If I had a lick of sense I wouldn’t respond at all.
- Anonymous
  
  I’m sorry he called the Palestinians terrorist, period. He did not mean or use the word Hamas or Fatah, whom by the way are the two main political parties of the Palestinians. Newt also said that they are not a people, quote unquote.
  What amazes me is how you think by posting a comment like this that somehow your vindicated.
  People hear what they want. Newt Gingrich did say that they, meaning the Palestinians, teach their children to be terrorist. This is a false statement meant to placate the right wing Jewish vote and the Evangelical right. You people are really amazing. Nice try at making me the bad guy here.
  It’s really funny how you spin like a top.
  - Anonymous
    
    Here’s what Newt said:
    “Somebody ought to have the courage to tell the truth. These people are terrorists. They teach terrorism in their schools. They have textbooks
    that say there are 13 Jews and nine Jews are killed how many Jews are left? We pay for those textbooks through our aid money. It’s fundamentally time for somebody to have the guts to stand up and say enough lying about the Middle East.”
    
    Note that he did not mention Hamas nor Fatah, he said these people. You can try to spin this anyway you want.
    The real issues here are how Newt has used right wing Israeli propaganda and not one mainstream media outlet has debunked him. Everything in Newts disgusting statement is based on lies.
    It’s also racist.
    You most likely will or change the subject as you always do to try to deflect from the issue at hand.
    Which is why it’s a waste of time even bothering to respond.
    - Gregg
      
      You’re not helping yourself here Jeffe. I gave you the quote and video of a little more than the quote, that’s what I mean by honest debate. I don’t know where you got yours but it’s a perfect example of how you have been manipulated. You are building your position on a false premise that you eagerly ate when fed. Let that sink in.
      
      Here’s the entire quote (emphasis mine):
      
      “Hamas does not admit the right of Israel to exist and says publicly not
      a single Jew will remain. The ambassador to India said last month there
      is no difference between Fatah and Hamas. Both agree Israel has no
      right to exist. Somebody ought to have the courage to tell the truth.
      These people are terrorists. They teach terrorism in their schools. They
      have textbooks that say ‘if there are 13 Jews and 9 Jews are killed,
      how many Jews are left?’ We pay for those textbooks through our aid
      money. Time for somebody to say enough lying about the Middle East,”
      Newt Gingrich said at the ABC News debate.
      
      Thanks for the history lesson but I know who Hamas and Fatah are. It used to be mainly Afafat’s Fatah gig but Abu Mazen is weak and Hamas is on the rise. Fatah and Hama are terrorist organizations.
    - Gregg
      
      The sad part is I volunteered the actual quote in context by Newt and for some reason you had no inclination to even bother. You had already been fed your belief, you didn’t think you needed to see for yourself.
    - Anonymous
      
      Your playing semantic games here. If you do not know what Gingrich meant by his comment, You are not helping yourself in the intelligence department.�
      Gingrich knew what he was doing and it’s clear to me and a host of others what he meant. He meant all the Palestinians, that’s what he meant. You want play games, go ahead. You are not debating you are pontificating.
      
      This is Newts downfall, his big mouth. He’s not as smart as he thinks he is, and neither are you.
    - Gregg
      
      If you don’t think he is right, that’s fine. If you think it’s not a worthwhile conversation, that’s also fine. But he did say what you said he didn’t mention. You did misrepresent what he said as what you thought he meant and you did it without first hand knowledge. That’s not honest debate.
  - Gregg
    
    If you had watched the debate you would not have to rely on whoever it is that is misleading you. I commented during the debate thinking some one might want to bat around what they were saying. I thought it was a very insightful conversation. Too bad you missed it.

MredFanning

Essential tip for all paid shills: be polite. Always appear reasonable. Never risk getting kicked off a board.

Essential tip for creating multiple identities to get back at assholes
that bug you: never use exotic words that will tip off adversaries
you’re the same user. For instance, never use the word “moniker” when
you mean a user name.

Fact: those with the history of most using the term “moniker” here at On Point are GretchenMo, Gregg, and Modavations.

Conclusion: Isn’t it obvious?

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

And this “obvious” conclusion is what exactly????? And just what magical detective skills led you to this “evidence”?
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

One data point doesn’t prove anything. It’s like Greggy trying to prove tax cuts are the single most important factor in an economy. Others have used the term including one who admits to disrupting the forum under different names. Their long history shows him/her to be an anti-rightist. It’s just a word. Come back when you have something interesting to post.
- Gregg
  
  I’ve always maintained there were many factors you say there is but one, the evil Bush tax cuts.
http://reinventing-america.blogspot.com/ ulTRAX

Screw it. I’m sick of these games, the flame and forum wars, and the braindead dittoheads who post here 24/7… and just keep reposting their Orwellian lies and distortions.

My apologies to all for being impatient with such idiots, and for at times sinking into the gutter with them… and in the process, dragging down a respectable forum.

With this post, I’m gone. Let the psychos and trolls have the last word.

Hopefully the mods will clean this place up. �
- Lolabritney
  
  Don’t let the door hit you……
- Anonymous
  
  This is why Robert Reich did away with the comment section of his blog over a year ago.
  It was filled with idiots calling him names and even though at the beginning he tried to engage people with real thoughtful responses it was a complete waste of time.
  
  It’s pretty clear that most of the right wing folks who post here are not interested in facts nor in a dialogue. I’ll be frank, I’m not either with the likes of them. When I read justifications of Newt Gingrich’ anti child law diatribe I’m pretty much done trying to see their point of view.
  
  There is a serious division in this nation between the right and the left, but I dare say the GOP has tacked so far to the right that it’s impossible to find any common ground.
  - Gregg
    
    Who calls the names more than the lefties here in general and you in particular Sparky? I’m not complaining, I think it’s funny. I won’t cry in my beer. In lieu of honest debate we are pitied as rubes brainwashed by Fox. It comes from nowhere. Ditto Rush. Then the ol’ worn out “paid hack” thing followed by, “he’s her and she’s that other guy”. And if we are dignified with a reply it starts with something like: “Obviously you don’t understand…” or “It’s clear you have no grasp…”. Always personal and dismissive. The debate rots as the snotty elitism drips from the collective upturned nose. It’s not my pals who do that, it’s yours.
    
    Can we talk about taxes without using emotional meaningless rhetoric like “fair share” or “greedy corporations”? Can we criticize Obama without being called racist? Can we talk about entitlement reform and not assume Republicans want to throw grandma off the cliff? Can we talk about a smaller government without saying we advocate no government? Can we talk about the environment without the accusation of us wanting dirty air and water? Can you tolerate Christians or black Conservatives without prejudice? Are you curious at all about what the other side thinks?
    
    We just had a dastardly devious, impersonating hacker troll whose sole purpose was to discredit any one with conservative views as perverted and stupid. They posited ideas and agreed with themselves under different monikers. It was one of yours assassinating honest debate.
    
    All that’s fine, it’s just the way you guys roll but don’t try and sell the notion you want a grown up discussion.
    - Anonymous
      
      Oh please stop trying to justify your actions. If Sparky is name calling I’m guilty. But it’s better than calling one an idiot. Which by the way I’ve seen your right wing friends use plenty of times. You’re not debating, you are pontificating. There is a difference, and you are not interested in a debate. Besides are you not aware that you have just done the very thing you accuse others of? Really Sparky, you have to be joking.
    - Modavations
      
      Just go through you’re posts on this story alone and count all the names you’ve called people.You are # 2 offender behind Ultrax.Ideologues are blind to the truth, even when it’s two inches from their noses
    - Anonymous
      
      Oh you poor baby, did I hurt your feelings?
    - Mred Fanning
      
      Idiot, imbecile, and moron aren’t names. There are late 19th century scientific categories for mental deficients.
    - Mred Fanning
      
      Gotta differ with you on this one Gregg. Looking at the porno-impersonator’s targets it wasn’t just you or Modavations. Ultrax was also being mocked.
- Gregg
  
  Finally, do you mean it this time?
- Fredlinskip
  
  Hope you don’t cuss me out for saying this (if’n you’re still with us), but:
  
  I think you take things too personal.
  Don’t be surprised if logic doesn’t win debates.
  Obama has used a fair share of logic and found GOP just cranks up the Right wing talk show nonsense even louder.
  Right-wingers aren’t going to be “born again” on this comments page.
  I don’t know what your goal is.
  A while back you got Moda to admit that he agrees that there should be higher taxes on wealthy IF it went to paying down debt. I think if right wingers could just get that- that’s a great leap forward.
  �
  Make positive contributions to conversations and move on.
  Be courteous to folks- If you get in someone’s face and shout “you’re wrong you idiot”- even if they discover they were wrong, they’d never admit it in that circumstance.
  Or better yet just ignore comments from folks you know will never change- like so many others do.
  Don’t let it raise your blood pressure.
  We’re all Americans.
  Many of us are fighting for what we believe in our own ways.
  Why? Hopefully because we all care about our country.

Mred Fanning

ESSENTIAL TIP FOR PAID FORUM SHILLS: Always be polite. Always “appear”
reasonable even though you know you’re on a mission to disinform. Never
risk getting kicked off a board. Be patient, the check is in the mail.

ESSENTIAL TIP FOR CREATING MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES to get back at others
that bug you: never use exotic words that will tip off adversaries
you’re the same user. For instance, never use the word “moniker” when
you mean a user name.

FACT: those with the history of MOST using the term “moniker” here at On
Point are GretchenMo, Gregg, Modavations, and our porno-impersonator.

CONCLUSION: Isn’t it obvious?

Gregg

The Lincoln/Douglas style debate tonight between Newt and Huntsman was awesome! Big boy discussions. I really hope people are paying attention.

Guests

From Tom’s Reading List