Official Republicans In Congress Are Idiots Thread

[hblask 1]

A bad deal will lead to a downgrade of credit rating, too. Isn't it interesting how the media is only covering half the scenarios.Why aren't the headlines: "Credit agencies to downgrade US if current debt trajectory is maintained"?Oh wait, I guess that story is a couple months old already, they need a new way to scare people.

[CaneBrain 95]

A bad deal will lead to a downgrade of credit rating, too. Isn't it interesting how the media is only covering half the scenarios.Why aren't the headlines: "Credit agencies to downgrade US if current debt trajectory is maintained"?Oh wait, I guess that story is a couple months old already, they need a new way to scare people.

Because even the Democrats are not talking about maintaining the current debt trajectory. They are talking about massive spending cuts paired with tax increases----which makes the burden of bringing down the debt shared.If there was someone in politics completely ignoring the debt issue those headlines would make sense. But that someone does not exist so those headlines would be nonsensical.

[BaseJester 1]

The simple fact is, if there is a shutdown, the most beloved programs can be continued without interruption. If the shutdown continues, and a significant number of people miss a specific program, then congress could easily pass a resolution for that specific program, saying we'll raise the debt ceiling by $5M to keep X running for 3 months.

The way I interpret the situation is that they could do that, but they aren't. Since they can't come to an agreement on which programs are best-beloved, the treasury will be left to guess who to pay (which is not their job) or bounce checks. Am I missing something?I think it's a good thing that Congress isn't treating the debt ceiling as a mere technicality and is taking a hard look at this. It could be pretty messy, though, and I imagine that they will "miraculously" come to some agreement at the midnight hour to avoid a shutdown.

[BaseJester 1]

Because even the Democrats are not talking about maintaining the current debt trajectory. They are talking about massive spending cuts paired with tax increases----which makes the burden of bringing down the debt shared.If there was someone in politics completely ignoring the debt issue those headlines would make sense. But that someone does not exist so those headlines would be nonsensical.

Politicians have been talking about balanced budgets for decades. But they vote for increasing the debt. Which one matters?

[Zealous Donkey 0]

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/272...rk-steyn?page=2 "Obama has done his best to pretend to take them seriously. He claimed to have a $4 trillion deficit-reduction plan. The court eunuchs of the press corps were impressed, and went off to file pieces hailing the president as “the grown-up in the room.” There is, in fact, no plan. No plan at all. No plan whatsoever, either for a deficit reduction of $4 trillion or $4.73. As is the way in Washington, merely announcing that he had a plan absolved him of the need to have one. So the president’s staff got out the extra-wide teleprompter and wrote a really large number on it, and simply by reading out the really large number the president was deemed to have produced a serious blueprint for trillions of dollars in savings. For his next trick, he’ll walk out on to the stage of Carnegie Hall, announce that he’s going to play Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2, and, even though there’s no cello in sight and Obama immediately climbs back in his golf cart to head for the links, music critics will hail it as one of the most moving performances they’ve ever heard."

[Balloon guy 158]

Question for the 'pubs in here. If you went in to work on payday, and you didn't get paid, and you couldn't be sure you would get paid tomorrow...would you go back to work the next day? I bet a lot of people don't. And I'm prettay sure that doesn't just mean a few teachers and postal workers don't show up.

Historically when the government shuts down the federal workers who are told to not come to work are reimbursed for all the time off they received, even though they don't come in to work. 100% reimbursed. Even for the days they stayed home.Of course that's only what's been done by the democrats when they are in power and the government gets shut down...

[CaneBrain 95]

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/272...rk-steyn?page=2

thanks for a chuckle. I zoned out at leftie deadbeats though.

[hblask 1]

Because even the Democrats are not talking about maintaining the current debt trajectory. They are talking about massive spending cuts paired with tax increases----which makes the burden of bringing down the debt shared.If there was someone in politics completely ignoring the debt issue those headlines would make sense. But that someone does not exist so those headlines would be nonsensical.

None of the proposals that have even a shred of Democratic support do anything to address the long-term issues. Unless defense, SS, and Medicare are cut, they are just playing politics with the future. So far, no Democrats are willing to address those things, and only a tiny fraction of the Republicans. As of the latest round of negotiations, the long term threat is way, way bigger than any short term pain.

[phlegm 6]

In this situation I think the repubs should let obama have what he wants, provided he makes a video taking full blame if his tax increases causes unemployment to raise.And even take credit if his plan works.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

Has this already been posted...?

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.

Am I being taken for an Internet ride on this?

[hblask 1]

Has this already been posted...?Am I being taken for an Internet ride on this?

I can't remember if it's been posted in this thread, but it is real.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

I can't remember if it's been posted in this thread, but it is real.

Amazing.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Has this already been posted...?Am I being taken for an Internet ride on this?

I can't remember if it's been posted in this thread, but it is real.

Amazing.

Obama is a politician and he played a political game back in 2006. It's easy to make a symbolic statement for a politician when they know that their vote is meaningless on an issue since it's going to pass like the debt ceiling being increased in 2006 was.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

Obama is a politician and he played a political game back in 2006. It's easy to make a symbolic statement for a politician when they know that their vote is meaningless on an issue since it's going to pass like the debt ceiling being increased in 2006 was.

So clearly we need to give him a free pass for being a complete hypocrite today. Republicans are being criticized for actually doing what he never had the guts to do as a Senator.This World and people's acceptance of Politics AMAZES me sometimes.

[BaseJester 1]

Obama is a politician and he played a political game back in 2006. It's easy to make a symbolic statement for a politician when they know that their vote is meaningless on an issue since it's going to pass like the debt ceiling being increased in 2006 was.

And now he's getting call on it. I'm with Pot Odds here; I don't know what your point is.When rapists rape, we don't shrug, smile, and say, "Well, rapists will be rapists." Voters should demand statesmen, not politicians.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

So clearly we need to give him a free pass for being a complete hypocrite today. Republicans are being criticized for actually doing what he never had the guts to do as a Senator.This World and people's acceptance of Politics AMAZES me sometimes.

No, he voted against raising the debt ceiling but he did it knowing that his vote was meaningless since there was enough support to raise it. It was a meaningless vote that he made to make a political point without risking any consequences. I'm sure that if there was an actual chance of not raising the debt ceiling back then he wouldn't have risked it and he would have voted to increase it if his vote mattered.Obama is a politician just like they all are.Not really related to this issue but I have far more respect for politicians who change their positions based on new information or experiences rather than cling to some uniform view of things. A politician who changes their position isn't always being a hypocrite.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

And now he's getting call on it. I'm with Pot Odds here; I don't know what your point is.When rapists rape, we don't shrug, smile, and say, "Well, rapists will be rapists." Voters should demand statesmen, not politicians.

I'm explaining why he did it not saying that it was right.They're all basically scumbags who tell people what they want to hear to get elected or to keep the money flowing to them.And good luck with getting people who are actually statesmen elected today.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

...I'm with Pot Odds here...

You realize how rare and dangerous that phrase is around here?

No, he voted against raising the debt ceiling but he did it knowing that his vote was meaningless since there was enough support to raise it. It was a meaningless vote that he made to make a political point without risking any consequences. I'm sure that if there was an actual chance of not raising the debt ceiling back then he wouldn't have risked it and he would have voted to increase it if his vote mattered.Obama is a politician just like they all are.Not really related to this issue but I have far more respect for politicians who change their positions based on new information or experiences rather than cling to some uniform view of things. A politician who changes their position isn't always being a hypocrite.

So he does get a free ride for being against raising the Debt before he was for it?I'm too lazy to see if you ever criticized Ms Palin for her change on the Bridge to Nowhere.You're actually saying that it is OK for a Politician to take a position that he doesn't really agree with if he knows it won't pass a vote anyway?Again, you've started an entire thread based on the premise that Republicans are Idiots for doing what Obama said was the right thing for the Country just 5 years ago. You find his changing position honorable, and I find it vile. This isn't a matter of changing position when someone has new facts or experiences to consider.

[CaneBrain 95]

So clearly we need to give him a free pass for being a complete hypocrite today. Republicans are being criticized for actually doing what he never had the guts to do as a Senator.

I find your first sentence to be compelling but I find the 2nd sentence to be lacking greatly. Republicans have not actually done anything besides posture and demand a plan of "we get everything we want and you get nothing you want." When a Republican proposes a plan that is not "we are going to cut poor people's health care and NPR while keeping defense, SS and tax cuts for the wealthy the same", then maybe they will be doing something gutsy. A real deficit reduction plan would require universal sacrifice. The GOP has promoted a plan that makes their base happy and has zero chance of being passed.Hell even the "no taxes pledge" guy, Norquist, tried to give the GOP an out by saying letting the Bush tax cuts expire would not be breaking their pledge. Because he knows that they will have to give ground on that to get the spending cuts they want. If they were serious about cutting the deficit, they would risk the wrath of their precious "job creators" and compromise and get a large deal done. Not to mention, none of these long term GOP congressmen and women had any problem raising the debt ceiling the last 10 times. Or that Ronald Reagan himself said that playing politics with the debt ceiling was wrong. I will grant you that Obama is being a hypocrite given his 2006 statement but I find it hypocritical that you are ignoring the hypocrisy and cynicism of everyone else.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

I'm explaining why he did it not saying that it was right.They're all basically scumbags who tell people what they want to hear to get elected or to keep the money flowing to them.And good luck with getting people who are actually statesmen elected today.

Then by all means, lets give them a free pass when they so blatantly expose themselves as posturing liars in one of the more crucial debates affecting the American/World economy now and for years to come.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

You realize how rare and dangerous that phrase is around here?So he does get a free ride for being against raising the Debt before he was for it?I'm too lazy to see if you ever criticized Ms Palin for her change on the Bridge to Nowhere.You're actually saying that it is OK for a Politician to take a position that he doesn't really agree with if he knows it won't pass a vote anyway?Again, you've started an entire thread based on the premise that Republicans are Idiots for doing what Obama said was the right thing for the Country just 5 years ago. You find his changing position honorable, and I find it vile. This isn't a matter of changing position when someone has new facts or experiences to consider.

Obama played politics and voted for something to oppose the President as a symbol because he knew that his vote on the issue was meaningless. I don't say that's okay just politics as usual and it does make him look bad and people will factor this into how they think about him going forward.My problem with a lot of the Republicans is that some of them actually think not raising the debt ceiling at this time is a reasonable position and won't have massively bad consequences. I have zero problem with them using this time as a catalyst or lever to negotiate for things that they want but in the end they must take any "gains" that hey can reasonably get right now and then increase the debt ceiling.And can you please edumacate me on the bridge to nowhere issue ? I'm pretty sure I've never commented on it and have no idea what Palin's position was at any time. My knowledge of it was that it was a typical Ted Stephen's pork for Alaska project and he was the best at getting pork while he was in the Senate.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

I find your first sentence to be compelling but I find the 2nd sentence to be lacking greatly. Republicans have not actually done anything besides posture and demand a plan of "we get everything we want and you get nothing you want." When a Republican proposes a plan that is not "we are going to cut poor people's health care and NPR while keeping defense, SS and tax cuts for the wealthy the same", then maybe they will be doing something gutsy. A real deficit reduction plan would require universal sacrifice. The GOP has promoted a plan that makes their base happy and has zero chance of being passed.Hell even the "no taxes pledge" guy, Norquist, tried to give the GOP an out by saying letting the Bush tax cuts expire would not be breaking their pledge. Because he knows that they will have to give ground on that to get the spending cuts they want. If they were serious about cutting the deficit, they would risk the wrath of their precious "job creators" and compromise and get a large deal done. Not to mention, none of these long term GOP congressmen and women had any problem raising the debt ceiling the last 10 times. Or that Ronald Reagan himself said that playing politics with the debt ceiling was wrong. I will grant you that Obama is being a hypocrite given his 2006 statement but I find it hypocritical that you are ignoring the hypocrisy and cynicism of everyone else.

Let me be clear. Both sides are hypocrites. Both sides are to "blame" for Government Overspending. Only one side is showing any desire to use this moment to actually do something about it by focusing on the Spending Side rather than the Revenue Tax side of the equation.To say that the Republicans are to blame because they are taking a "we get everything we want" position ignores that the Democrats haven't exactly come to the table with a proposal that is giving up their sacred cows. The whole point of the Republicans is that the Debt needs to be taken care of by focusing on Spending. To deviate from that principle is to lose not just some of what they want - it is losing the entire battle.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

...And can you please edumacate me on the bridge to nowhere issue ? I'm pretty sure I've never commented on it and have no idea what Palin's position was at any time. My knowledge of it was that it was a typical Ted Stephen's pork for Alaska project and he was the best at getting pork while he was in the Senate.

Good thing I didn't waste a bunch of time trying to see if you'd ever taken a position then!

[Balloon guy 158]

Obama played politics and voted for something to oppose the President as a symbol because he knew that his vote on the issue was meaningless. I don't say that's okay just politics as usual and it does make him look bad and people will factor this into how they think about him going forward.My problem with a lot of the Republicans is that some of them actually think not raising the debt ceiling at this time is a reasonable position and won't have massively bad consequences. I have zero problem with them using this time as a catalyst or lever to negotiate for things that they want but in the end they must take any "gains" that hey can reasonably get right now and then increase the debt ceiling.

The problem with this statement is that you are saying Obama gets a pass for playing politics with the debt ceiling when it didn't matter but this time it matters.And the reason it matters this time is that the government has no wasteful spending to balance their current budget.Both of those do not make sense to me.If we didn't need the money, why is it okay to play politics?And if we are running things that efficiently, well we know that's not true

And can you please edumacate me on the bridge to nowhere issue ? I'm pretty sure I've never commented on it and have no idea what Palin's position was at any time. My knowledge of it was that it was a typical Ted Stephen's pork for Alaska project and he was the best at getting pork while he was in the Senate.

Stevens probably was the inventor of this spending earmark, which was gazillions of dollar to build a massive bridge that is not needed in Alaska that Palin as Governor refused to allow it since it was nothing but a waste of money, sending the money back after using some of it for things she did need.McCain used this example to show her being a 'Maverick'The left used this to show she is stupid to refuse 'free' money.

[Balloon guy 158]

I find your first sentence to be compelling but I find the 2nd sentence to be lacking greatly. Republicans have not actually done anything besides posture and demand a plan of "we get everything we want and you get nothing you want." When a Republican proposes a plan that is not "we are going to cut poor people's health care and NPR while keeping defense, SS and tax cuts for the wealthy the same", then maybe they will be doing something gutsy. A real deficit reduction plan would require universal sacrifice. The GOP has promoted a plan that makes their base happy and has zero chance of being passed.

You are being intentionally difficult here. There is no justification to say that the money spent on defense is equal to the money spent on the EPA is the same as the money being spent on WIC etc.The correct answer would be to cut wasteful spending. I'm sure the larger the spending, the more the waste.Right now no effort is being made to find the waste, only to defend 'their' spending.

Hell even the "no taxes pledge" guy, Norquist, tried to give the GOP an out by saying letting the Bush tax cuts expire would not be breaking their pledge. Because he knows that they will have to give ground on that to get the spending cuts they want. If they were serious about cutting the deficit, they would risk the wrath of their precious "job creators" and compromise and get a large deal done. Not to mention, none of these long term GOP congressmen and women had any problem raising the debt ceiling the last 10 times. Or that Ronald Reagan himself said that playing politics with the debt ceiling was wrong. I will grant you that Obama is being a hypocrite given his 2006 statement but I find it hypocritical that you are ignoring the hypocrisy and cynicism of everyone else.

This is the laziness of the democrats.Problem: We are spending too much moneyAnswer Democrats: Get more money by confiscating it from people we have politically made the scapegoat.Answer Republicans: Ignore the problem and make token cuts while not confiscating more moneyAnswer Tea Party: Find places we are wasting money and cut the spending.I know which one I like.And the answer begins with 'Madam President Sarah Palin'