Hmmmmm

Addressing what appears to be a political stalemate over the nomination of Jacob Lew to the post, Gibbs offered unusually blunt criticism of a congressional Democrat.


"The budget-planning process is underway," Gibbs said. "And should be underway with a director with the type of bipartisan support that Jack has gotten through two committees. I think it is a sad day when somebody is held up with such bipartisan support with the type of experience that's necessary in an environment where we have to improve our fiscal picture that that person is held up for something that is completely unrelated to them. I think it is sad and I think it's outrageous."


"The president -- well, Secretary Salazar met with Senator Landrieu to update her on where we are with the situation," Gibbs added. "They have met in the last couple of days to get an update on where we are. We are not bargaining the safety of oil drilling away for an appointment that shouldn't be the cause of the type of gridlock that we are used to seeing in Washington. And I would think people who are concerned about our fiscal picture, who are concerned about where we are heading in the deficit, at the time of crisis would not do the type of things that Senator Landrieu is doing."

HuffPo

If there is one thing that has pissed off progressives like me, it isn't the so called "hippie punching" by the Obama administration, but rather the kid gloves they have been treating the ConservaDems in their own party with even though they keep giving them their ass to kiss. On every major piece of legislation some ConservaDem like Mary Landrieu has held up the process only to make it worse and more corporate friendly. Now this dumbass is holding up the OMB nomination because she is that beholden to the drill baby drill crowd.

I really hope this isn't a one off and that the White House has finally realized that letting people in your own party get away with this kind of shit doesn't help at all, especially with the base of the party. As much as I like to hear President Obama call out John Boehner, I would much rather hear him call out Evan Bayh or Joe LIEberman.

Obama Tax Cuts For Dummies

Time To Start Lobbing Grendades

I think at this point just a month away from election day its time for the Kendrick Meek campaign to turn their sights totally on Marco Rubio and act as if Charlie Crist doesn't even exist. I don't know if they have done enough to get Democrats off of Crist's bandwagon but the time for that has essentially run out.

Right now what Democrats and most voters want to see is a fighter. Someone who is going to stand up for their core beliefs. Its a lie that voters want to see more bipartisanship and bridge building, especially when it comes to the base of both parties. I guarantee you Marco Rubio will make no such pledges about working with the other side and neither should Meek. If he wants to get the rest of the base behind him and start chipping away at Rubios lead now is the time to start going negative heavy on him.

Make it a sincere contrast on the vision Rubio sees for American and the vision candidate Meek and most Democrats see for America. Use the Tea Party platform to destroy him. Use his pledges to help repeal health care reform and financial reform to portray him as someone in the pocket of special interests, someone who wants to privatize social security, someone who wants to take away MediCare as we all know it, someone who wants to allow credit card companies to jack up people's rates on a whim, someone who wants to allow Wall Street banksters to write their own rules and someone who wants to take everyone's right to vote for their Senators away from them.

Portray him as personally radical but in the main stream of the GOP. Link him to Jim Demint and Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Michele Bachmann as well as to the racists over the top images at Tea Party rallies. Talk about how the GOP wants to shut down the government rather than help people who are hurting. Use wedge issues in the same way that the GOP has traditionally used them.

Come out full bore and let people know that if you have the honor to go and represent them in the Senate you will not allow extremism to rule the day. That you will go out and fight against corporate interests and the status quo. That you will FIGHT to keep all of the legislation we passed the last two years in tact even if they are tweaked along the way to make them better. Run on your record and empahsize the fact that you will FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT when you get in the Senate.

There really is no other path to victory at this point. Right now so many people are looking for a hero or at least what looks like one. They are looking for strength and someone whom they can follow even if that person is wrong on a lot of issues. So far Marco Rubio has been the only person in the race to make an affirmative case that he is going to battle for his party's principles. Charlie Crist can stay in the mushy middle all he wants, he can't lob grenades from there by virtue of the fact that he is trying to portray himself as a deal maker when he is really just a political opportunist. Right now what will get the most attention isn't a timid voice in the wilderness. Right now what people need to hear is a booming voice on a bull horn saying asses need to be kicked and Kendrick Meek has his steel toe boots on!!!

I know that our own party members in state have and continue to sell Kendrick Meek out. I know that progressives have been hesitant to get involved. I know some people have bought Crist's bullshit. But here's what I also know. Right now Marco Rubio is starting to run away with the race. And Crist is starting to look a lot less appealing to people who thought that a vote for him would keep Rubio out of office. He also is running one of the most milque toast campaigns in recent history. If there was every a time to make a dramatic move in the polls by taking on Rubio its now. If not I'm afraid by the time November 2nd comes around it will be to late.

The time to FIGHT is now!!!

If you need some ideas or motivation her is Rachel Maddow showing just how a handful of Democrats are campaigning and winning by standing on Democratic principles and the Democratic achievements.

Florida Democrats, Take The Man At His Word!!!

Yall can keep on thinking Crist is going to be a Democrat if he wins the election but the man came out and told you that was a lie right on national TV.



I can't make Democrats not vote for this clown but at the very least admit to yourself that you are voting Republican if you vote for Crist.

That's the least you can do.

On Charlie Crist's Wink And Nod Campaign

This is a very important post about how Charlie Crist is getting help from some Democrats to try to cover up for his hard right Republican past in return for some political favors. It also points out that the national Democratic Party isn't doing a got damn thing to help win this seat by backing the only actual Democrat in the fucking race.

Here's my thing, every single Democrat in the state of Florida that backs Crist will no longer get any support from me whatsoever. I don't give a damn if its a race for dog catcher I will help elect whomever runs against them no matter what party they belong to. This kind of disloyal bullshit is exactly why we are behind in a race we could be easily winning. Stupid fucks are going to end up giving the race to either one of the two Republicans running and then bitch and moan later on when nothing can pass in the Senate because they keep joining filibusters.

Its a got damn disgrace is what it is.

President Obama In Wisconsin

He brought it last night...

James O'Keefe Attempted to Sexually Harrass A CNN Reporter

I wonder how long it will take for the NYTimes and WaPo to come to O'Keefe's defense over this like they did after his bullshit ACORN videos.

I'll bet it won't happen this time though. After all he wasn't attacking people just trying to help the less fortunate. This time he was messing WITH THEIR FRIENDS!

smdh

In His Own Words

Are you going to believe Charlie Crist or your lying eyes?

Get Off Your Ass And Vote!!!

This Rolling Stone interview with President Obama is really good reading. Not a lot of strawmen but some real straight forward and somewhat tough questions. Some answers were great some not as much so in my opinion but at least President Obama didn't really run from anything that was asked. But its the ending of the piece that really grabbed my attention. Im sure you will see some firebaggers in the blogosperhe use it as "just another example of hippie punching" but they couldn't be more wrong. Its President Obama speaking to people like they are adults and putting the midterm elections in perspective for the Democrats who are talking about staying home. Here is the whole thing in context. I think it should be emailed, tweeted, facebooked, and hell telegramed if necessary to every Democrat in the country.

[Signaled by his aides, the president brings the interview to a close and leaves the Oval Office. A moment later, however, he returns to the office and says that he has one more thing to add. He speaks with intensity and passion, repeatedly stabbing the air with his finger.]


One closing remark that I want to make: It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election. There may be complaints about us not having gotten certain things done, not fast enough, making certain legislative compromises. But right now, we've got a choice between a Republican Party that has moved to the right of George Bush and is looking to lock in the same policies that got us into these disasters in the first place, versus an administration that, with some admitted warts, has been the most successful administration in a generation in moving progressive agendas forward.


The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible.


Everybody out there has to be thinking about what's at stake in this election and if they want to move forward over the next two years or six years or 10 years on key issues like climate change, key issues like how we restore a sense of equity and optimism to middle-class families who have seen their incomes decline by five percent over the last decade. If we want the kind of country that respects civil rights and civil liberties, we'd better fight in this election. And right now, we are getting outspent eight to one by these 527s that the Roberts court says can spend with impunity without disclosing where their money's coming from. In every single one of these congressional districts, you are seeing these independent organizations outspend political parties and the candidates by, as I said, factors of four to one, five to one, eight to one, 10 to one.


We have to get folks off the sidelines. People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up. Bringing about change is hard — that's what I said during the campaign. It has been hard, and we've got some lumps to show for it. But if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place.


If you're serious, now's exactly the time that people have to step up.

I have blogged before about why I vote and nothing has changed. My ancestors fought too damn hard for me to have the right for me not to use it and honor them. Even if I thought every person running sucked I would write in a name on my ballot.

But in this election I am happy to vote because the stakes are just too damn high. People laugh and point at the Tea Baggers but if Democrats stay home guess who the hell will be running this country. And you can try to pretend that a handful of Senators won't make that big of a deal but then I will point you in the direction of President DeMint who has now granted himself de facto veto authority over any and all legislation set to come to the floor before they recess for the midterms. I will be got damned if I stay home and not do all I can to prevent any more of these jackasses from taking office.

And I don't really care if people are offended by what President Obama said. If you are willing to take your ball and go home even in the face that all he has done because of some of the things he and the Democratic Congress didn't do then you are a got damn fool and you were never serious about change to begin with. It seems impossible but moreso than Republicans or Independents having amnesia about what life was like with Bush and a Republican Congress it seems to be some liberals and progressives who have forgotten. Well I haven't and I never will. I am not going to allow the country to be dragged back in that direction because some of yall's feelings are hurt if I have anything to say about it.

Its time to grow up and get over yourselves and get back in the damn game. You can be pissed that you only got 60 or 70 percent of what you wanted and vote in hopes of getting the rest, or you can whine and bitch and moan and not vote and not only NOT get any of what you do want, but also get 100% of the shit you don't.

Your choice.

If You Want To Go To War, He'll Take You To War!!!

I gotta say I absolutely LOVE this attack ad. If more Democrats put Republicans on the defense the way they do us, we wouldn't be talking about an enthusiasm gap!!!

By a 2 To 1 Margin!

A new AP poll finds that Americans who think the law should have done more outnumber those who think the government should stay out of health care by 2-to-1.


"I was disappointed that it didn't provide universal coverage," said Bronwyn Bleakley, 35, a biology professor from Easton, Mass.


More than 30 million people would gain coverage in 2019 when the law is fully phased in, but another 20 million or so would remain uninsured. Bleakley, who was uninsured early in her career, views the overhaul as a work in progress.


The poll found that about four in 10 adults think the new law did not go far enough to change the health care system, regardless of whether they support the law, oppose it or remain neutral. On the other side, about one in five say they oppose the law because they think the federal government should not be involved in health care at all.

Boston.com

This is why not only should Democrats be running on health care reform, they should be pledging to fix the system even further. That's really what people want to hear, not these weaksauce half assed defenses of the bill.

And as for the GOPers planning on running on repeal, yeah...good luck with that.

"I Pledge To You, I Promise You I Will Still Try To F#ck Your Sister Every Chance I Get!"

Talk about the same old recycled bullshit. Every voter should see this before November!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Postcards From the Pledge
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

ONE MILLION FACEPALMS

ALSO BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST THE DESK...

"Absent a stunning turn of events, we're not going to do tax cuts before the election," the aide told TPM.


The aide said it's already a winning message without a vote since Obama and Democrats have framed the debate as the Republicans being for the rich and Democrats wanting to help the middle class. Others have made similar arguments, but several lawmakers have said they think a vote is the only way to score a political victory. The senior aide doesn't think so.


"We have a winning message now, why muddy it up with a failed vote, because, of course, Republicans are going to block everything,"

What order of hyproponic enhanced reefer are these stupid muthafuckas smoking???!!!???

Its a winning message? Oh well that must be why Democrats are doing SOOOOOOO great in polling.

Got dammit man how hard is it just to take the damn vote. FUCK IF IT FAILS! Hell in reality maybe its BETTER if it fails because then you can actually say "We wanted to do X but those assholes over there blocked it". Now what exactly can you say? That you thought it was a great idea but you decide since you couldn't pass it you acted like a pussy and never brought it up for a vote?

Yeah, that's GREAT FUCKING MESSAGING THERE DEMS!

Days like this make it really really REALLY hard to be a Democrat.

Ugh...

Bill O'Reilly Admits The Right Houses The American Taliban

And Jon Stewart catches him doing it and calls him out.



Very ironic considering there are some liberals and progressives who think its "beyond the pale" to make the same assertion since Markos' book "American Taliban" came out. Go figure.

As a side note its hilarious that some in the audience evidently didn't want to laugh but couldn't help themselves.

Rachel Maddow Answers Her Own Question

Rachel Maddow had a really great segment on President Obama's rollout of some of the provisions in the Affordable Care Act which are going to effect today, last night. I'll let you watch it first and then make my comment aftewards.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

That really was a great segment but here's what I take issue with. Rachel seems perplexed as to why Democrats haven't been running on health care reform till now. Now aside from the fact that its actually perfect timing since some of the provisions come online right before the midterm elections, there is another very obvious answer as to why they haven't and Rachel herself answered her own question in the very next clip.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Saying that health care reform "makes health care suck a little less" and to keep pressing the point is EXACTLY why Democrats haven't been running on the issue along with the fact that many of them are spineless. But when your supposed allies who have microphones and ink don't really have your back about the legislation how are you supposed to run on it to a skeptical crowd??

Don't get me wrong, its not Rachel's "job" to promote the ACA, but at the same time if she is going to continue to make it seem inconsequential or worse then she shouldn't be surprised that Democrats aren't taking "victory laps" etc. Its because the people who could help turn around the national perception of health care reform for the better are still crying about the things we didn't get in the bill instead of constantly pointing out the things we did get in there.

Its really as simple as that.

Today Should Be National Talk To Your Friends And Family About Health Care Reform Day!

I think one of the reasons people are down on the Affordable Care Act other than the actual demonization that took place, is that they don't think anything happens for them until 2014 and in that case there's a chance that by then it will have been repealed or defunded if the GOP has its way and takes back over Congress. But there ARE ways that the ACA helps people starting today (well actually starting back in July) that you can work into a conversation.

If you have a skeptical family member who has kids remind them that now as of today their children can not be denied coverage for preexisting conditions. If you know of a friend with a child close to graduating college remind them that now their son or daughter can stay on their health care until the age of 26.

If you have an adult friend who has been looking for health insurance for more than six months but nobody will offer them a policy tell them about the high risk pools that have been set up since July. If you don't want to be so direct then just post this video to your facebook page or link it on your twitter and send it out. And maybe just maybe the more people hear about it the more they will understand what is in there for them.

If you know any older people on Medicare ask them about the donut hole and if they have gotten their $250 check this year to help cover up for the flaw that the Republicans instituted when THEY had the Congress and the presidency.

And as that word spreads around its very likely people will start to actually change their perceptions of health care reform. And once that happens the national mood could turn quick on those (Republicans) who would repeal so many good to great provisions.

It doesn't make any sense for Democrats to not be able to run on such a historic accomplishment as the ACA and we the rank and file have to be the ones to help carry the message out to the masses! This legislation is already LITERALLY saving lives. But it doesn't matter if people don't realize that!

Christine O'Donnell, This Is Your Life!

Think Progress put together a very impressive dossier on Delaware GOP Tea Bagging Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell. I swear this thing could have you laughing your ass off for days. Make sure you pass the info around to all your friends so they can see what the GOP of 2010 is all about lol

"Exhausted" Town Hall Questioner Still Supports President Obama

A lot of folks on the right and even a few on the left have made a big fuss over a black woman by the name of Velma Hart telling President Obama that she was "exhausted" from defending him during his town hall meeting hosted on CNBC. Mind you it was going to be a hostile audience as the CNBC crowd has a lot of crossover with the FoxNews crowd. But some made it seem like Mrs Hart was some how a major blow to President Obama because here was somebody who was presumably a big supporter of his in 2008 now seemingly saying she had lost faith in him.



Of course most of these stories only included her asking the question, they left out President Obama's answer.

Since I can't find an embed here is actually the full exchange.

Q Thank you very much and, quite frankly, good afternoon, President Obama. I am deeply honored to finally be in this forum, and so grateful for CNBC making the forum available so that you can speak to American citizens just like myself.


THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you.


Q I am a chief financial officer for a veterans service organization, AmVets here in Washington. I’m also a mother, I’m a wife, I’m an American veteran, and I’m one of your middle-class Americans. And quite frankly, I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for --


THE PRESIDENT: Right.


Q -- and deeply disappointed with where we are right now.


I have been told that I voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. I’m one of those people, and I’m waiting, sir. I’m waiting. I don't feel it yet. And I thought, while it wouldn’t be in great measure, I would feel it in some small measure.


I have two children in private school. And the financial recession has taken an enormous toll on my family. My husband and I joked for years that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives.


THE PRESIDENT: Right.


Q But quite frankly, it’s starting to knock on our door and ring true that that might be where we’re headed again. And quite frankly, Mr. President, I need you to answer this honestly, is this my new reality?


THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I think that you describe exactly what is the bedrock of America -- a veteran who’s working for veterans, somebody who is a CFO and I am sure knows how to manage their money, have made good decisions.


Q Sometimes. (Laughter.)


THE PRESIDENT: I’m not saying once in a while you don't want to get a new pair of shoes. (Laughter.)


Q Today. (Laughter.)


THE PRESIDENT: So the life you describe -- one of responsibility, looking after your family, contributing back to your community -- that's what we want to reward.


Now, as I said before, times are tough for everybody right now, so I understand your frustration. But I would just -- when you say there are things that you’d like to see happen or you’re hoping to see happen that haven’t happened yet, let me just give you a couple of examples.


I right now have two children -- it sounds like you’ve got kids, as well.


Q Two girls.


THE PRESIDENT: Two girls. You’re going to be thinking about college soon.


Q Next year.


THE PRESIDENT: Okay. Now part of what we did over the last year and a half is to make sure that billions of dollars that were going to subsidize financial service industries under the federal student loan programs are now going to be going directly to students so that millions more students are going to be able to get loans and grants and scholarships to go to college. Now, that's going to have an impact on a whole bunch of kids out there, including maybe yours.


If you have a credit card, which I assume, you do --


Q No.


THE PRESIDENT: Well, see, now you’re really -- now you’ve shown how responsible you are. (Laughter.) But if you have a mortgage or a credit card or any kind of financial dealings out there, as a consequence of the changes we made, the credit card companies can’t increase your interest rate without notifying you, and they can’t increase your interest rate on your previous balances. In terms of getting a mortgage, they -- you can’t have a mortgage broker steer you to a mortgage that ultimately is going to cost you more money, because maybe they’re getting a financial incentive to do so. Those things are now against the law. So there are a whole host of protections in there.


You are a parent who has children -- if your child, heaven forbid, had a preexisting condition, before I took office, you were out of luck in terms of being able to get health insurance for that child. Now, insurance companies have to give you health insurance for that child, and by the way, that health insurance can’t drop you if you get sick.


So there are a whole host of things that we’ve put in place that do make your life better. But the bottom line is if your 401(K) is still down substantially from where it was a while back, if you haven’t seen a raise in a long time, if your home value went down --


Q Keep going. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: -- depending on where you live, all those things still make you feel like, gosh, I’m treading water.

Q Still struggling -- that's right.

THE PRESIDENT: And so my goal here is not to try to convince you that everything is where it needs to be. It’s not. That's why I ran for President. But what I am saying is, is that we’re moving in the right direction. And if we are able to keep our eye on our long-term goal -- which is making sure that every family out there, if they’re middle class, that they can pay their bills, have the security of health insurance, retire with dignity and respect, send their kids to college; if they’re not yet in the middle class, that there are ladders there to get into the middle class, if people work hard and get an education to apply themselves -- that's our goal. That's the America we believe in. And I think that we are on track to be able to do that.

In full context not only did President Obama answer her by listing some of the ways the legislation that he has signed into law may help her in one way or ano

Saving...

ther going forward, he also acknowledged that there is a lot of work yet to be done and and showed empathy toward her own personal situation. To me that was a pretty decent if not good exchange. But if you look at the media and right wingers reaction to just her question, not the answer but just the question mind you, you would have thought the woman had said she was voting Republican because President Obama is a fraud.

Turns out she went on several cable shows the next day and it turns out she isn't so exhausted defending President Obama that she minded doing it yet again.

From CNN.com

Kiran Chetry: Velma, when you said you were getting tired of defending the president, it's exhausting. Have you lost faith in the president? Or do you think it's simply the circumstances we're in that he doesn't necessarily have control of.

Velma Hart: It is absolutely the latter. But I don't know that he doesn't have control of it. I still have great faith in this president. I think that he is an amazing leader. I think he is inspirational.

snip

Kiran Chetry: Well, Velma, you said you're exhausted defending him. What do people who have criticisms of the president that talk to you say? What are their biggest beefs?

Velma Hart: That he's all talk and no action, which I absolutely disagree with. I think the health care reform bill is action. I think the student loan legislation is action. I think there are – even, you know, like it or hate it, even the financial reform is action. So I don't get that argument. And I – and I get pretty passionate about it. I can't tell you I stand on top of tables and, you know, bang my head against the wall, but I believe in him. And I – you know, there's something about what he communicates that makes me believe that he's got a plan. I just – I’m tired of having debate – I think this is a moment of poker or something for me, maybe blackjack or 21. I want to have a card on the table that shuts the discussion and I don't have that yet.

Its funny because the wingnuts were all set to call Velma Hart a national hero after her question became a viral video, but now they want to throw her under the bus because it turns out that in spite of her own circumstances she still supports and appreciates President Obama.

Now I think Mrs. Hart was ill advised to ask the question the way she did but that woman is like a lot of people around this country. They are hurting, they are disappointed but they still support President Obama and don't want to see the alternative. But the truth is a helluva lot more was written about her question than has been or will be written about her clarification. See its only news when it appears the black folks no longer support President Obama. Its not news any more when it turns out that isn't true.

Kinda like how big the Gallup generic congressional poll was the one day out of a gazillion that Republicans were up 10 points but hasn't been news at all since then when Democrats have regained the lead.

Just another sign of our screwed up times I guess.

For Adults With Pre Existing Conditions

President Obama is set to do some events today to roll out some provisions of the Affordable Care Act which are going into effect like prohibiting lifetime caps on coverage and prohibiting denial of coverage to kids with preexisting conditions. These are great milestones to be sure but I think an earlier milestone went largely overlooked. As of July of this year adults with preexisting conditions had the ability to purchase insurance coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Now to be sure the coverage isn't cheap and the deductible is high, but for many people who can't get coverage of any kind for any price it could be a god send.

Unfortunately I would bet most people have no idea that this option is even available because as I said before there has been very little written about it. I don't know why the White House hasn't played this up more but I think it would definitely be a good idea if they did. Hell if I were them Id be looking to find a success story from the program of a person who had the money to buy insurance but kept getting denied but now has it.

Regardless here is the link to the explanation of the program. And here is an example of what that coverage would look like in Florida.

To qualify for coverage:

• You must be a citizen or national of the United States or lawfully present in the United States.
• You must have been uninsured for at least the last six months before you apply.
• You must have had a problem getting insurance due to a pre-existing condition.

PCIP will cover a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescription drugs.  All covered benefits are available for you, even if it’s to treat a preexisting condition.

Below are the monthly PCIP premium rates for Florida by the age of an enrollee.

Ages 0 to 34: $363


Ages 35 to 44: $435


Ages 45 to 54: $556


Ages 55+: $773

In addition to your monthly premium, you will pay other costs. You will pay a $2,500 deductible for covered benefits (except for preventive services) before the plan starts to pay. After you pay the deductible, you will pay a $25 copayment for doctor visits, $4 to $30 for most prescription drugs, and 20% of the costs of any other covered benefits you get. Your out-of-pocket costs cannot be more than $5,950 per year. These costs may be higher, if you go outside the plan’s network.

Learn more about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan and apply.

Destroying The Excuses Of Bigots

Rachel Maddow completely abolished the excuses GOP Senators plus Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor used yesterday to justify not voting for cloture on a Defense Authorization bill that included amendments both for comprehensive immigration reform and moving forward with the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

One of the major things that I learned from watching this last night is that the language in the bill didnt even repeal DADT. Instead it just authorized the military to do so when after the report comes out in December and if they feel comfortable with it. Now I follow politics intensely obviously so if I didn't realize that, I'm 100% sure average people who don't really follow politics too much didn't either.

Now that points to a definite messaging fail for the Dems yet again but so be it. Bigger than that at some point we have to call people like Blanche Lincoln out for the same bigotry we call out Republicans on. Im damned tired of headlines about Republicans blocking legislation without pointing out there are some obstructionist paid of Democrats who are doing the same thing. They are getting a free pass and nothing has influenced any of the ConservaDems to get in line with the caucus. That's bullshit and its way past time for the caucus to shun them and put them on the outside looking in if they want to keep pulling this kind of crap.

Blanche Lincoln is going down in flames as she was always going to. Anybody who thought a Democrat, any Democrat, was going to win in friggin Arkansas in this cycle was snorting something. The left and unions spent over $10 million dollars in a primary against her for a seat we weren't going to win either way while Kendrick Meek, a true progressive, is down here struggling to get ads up on TV and radio even though he is clearly the best candidate AND Florida went blue in 08. But Lincoln keeps getting passes and I continue to see liberals and progressives refusing to support Meek because....well shit I have yet to hear a legit reason why they aren't sending him money. I guess maybe they figure Charlie Crist would be ok even though he is even further to the right obviously than Lincoln.

I'm sick and tired of this. We are going to have to smarten up and start realizing that we are doing it wrong. Right now Blanche Lincoln rather than the GOP should be catching the full brunt of hell from every liberal and progressive out there. Her fellow colleagues should be forced to shun her or be associated with her bigotry. They should all have to answer questions every day about why she continues to have a gavel when she doesn't support Democrat ideals and policy platforms. Make it uncomfortable not just for her but for the people that support her.

Blanche Lincoln doesn't have one good reason for opposing cloture yesterday yet she did it Im sure because she knew she would largely get a pass. I wonder how she would have voted if the headlines today were all about her instead of about her Republican cohorts. There is one way to find out...

Ever Notice???

I realize I have been bashing the professional left a lot lately.

Aaaaaaaaand I'm not about to stop.

Here's the thing, right now the professional left is the biggest hurdle to GOTV efforts for Democrats in the midterms in my opinion. Its one thing to have Republicans bashing Democrats, hell that's to be expected. But when rank and file Democrats and independents see a handful of progressives who happen to have a big megaphone bashing Democrats it give the GOP attacks more legitimacy. At the very least it gives people the impression it doesn't matter who they vote for because we still won't get the kind of government we need.

And that's bullshit.

And that's what fuels apathy towards Democrats.

I'm not having it.

But here's the thing that trips me out. If you go hard at one of these professional lefties about how they are making it MORE likely that we have a Republican Congress many times they will come back at you and say they either aren't Democrats or that its not their job to promote Democrats. Hell some will even play dumb as if what they say doesn't matter even if it's said on cable news and posted all over the blogosphere.

But then let President Obama or somebody in his administration say or do something these folks don't like. All of a sudden they become the voice or the "conscious" of the base of the.....Democratic Party.

Look, you can't have it both ways. Either you are in or you're out. If you're not a Democrat, that's fine. Kick fucking rocks. If you are a Democrat then get on the got damn train and lets ride. But this fence sitting bullshit is cowardly.

I'm a blogger with a few people who read my blog. I do this mostly for fun and to vent. I consider myself a progressive but I can tell you unequivocally that Jane Hamsher, Cenk Uyger, and Glenn Greenwald do NOT speak for me. And I have been a reliable Democratic vote since I was old enough to exercise the right. So yes I consider myself a part of the base of the party and I'll be damned if people who won't even identify themselves as Democrats will get away with allowing Congress to go back to those blood sucking assholes on the other side of the aisle.

Now maybe we need a reminder as to who the "professional left" really is.

If you refuse to give President Obama credit for any of his accomplishments, if you do not balance your criticism of the stimulus as being too small with the reality that it still helped to stave off a depression, if at the end of the health care reform fight you didn't want the bill to pass, if you complain that the financial regulatory reform bill was a "give away" to Wall Street, if you make broad generalizations like "President Obama has been terrible on gay rights" even though he has already initiated some reforms and is moving to repeal DADT, if you don't think the fact that we are down to 50k troops in Iraq deserves praise, if in any context you have said Obama is just like or worse than Bush, if you have encouraged Democrats to stay at home this November, and last but not least if you have ever teamed up with scumbags on the right like the good folks at the Club For Grow then you my friend are a part of the professional left and need to reevaluate your life.

If you instead have legitimate beefs with the Obama administration and our Democratic led Congress but are still committed to making sure that we stay in control so that we can continue to get the country back on course, then you my friend are a part of the base and I welcome you with open arms.

Its time out for this Mickey Mouse bullshit. Lives are going to be severely effected if Democrats lose Congress next month. All these professional left folks will still have their cable gigs and blogs etc, but regular folks will be hurting big time. I'm not about to sit here and watch this shit unfold without saying something about it. We need every Democrat that is possibly able to vote in these mid term elections I will do every thing I can to motivate them to make that happen.

Time To Call Susan Collins

One of the Maine twins needs to hear from us on DADT repeal.

Call Susan Collins: (202) 224-2523, (207) 622-8414, (207) 945-0417, (207) 283-1101, (207) 493-7873, (207) 784-6969, (207) 780-3575

Be polite but let her know that any moderate support she is looking to shield her from the Tea Party won't be around should she vote against letting the amendment go forward.

PWNED

This is President Obama at his best.



Here's what I would pay good money to see. I'd love to see President Obama debate Jane, Glenzilla and Cenk all at once. It would do my heart some good to see him annhilate their collective asses for all the world to see.

And then maybe people will see that on many fronts when it pertains to President Obama they are just as fraudulent as the Tea Baggers.

Id pay a bonus if after Obama was done he looked them all in the eye and said "Now tell me how my ass taste" lol

Tell Em How You Really Feel

I know he's a Republican which probably gives him some cover, but I really wish Democratic talking heads reacted like this when this kind of bullshit is thrown around on the cable news shows.

Hey Professional Left, STFU!!!

So I'm chilling on twitter and I happen to see a post by Digby about some remarks President Obama made at a fundraiser. It was one paragraph of maybe the mildest rebuke ever of the assholes on the left that refuse to give him any credit at all for the accomplishments he and the Dem Congress have made over the 2 years. So I did some clicking and its funny but I ended up on Glenzilla's blog (imagine that). After reading the quote in context let me see this: I swear man sometimes I wonder what would happen if we focused our selective editing and fury out on the right wingers. Yes, President Obama did indeed say this:

Democrats, just congenitally, tend to get -- to see the glass as half empty. (Laughter.) If we get an historic health care bill passed -- oh, well, the public option wasn't there. If you get the financial reform bill passed -- then, well, I don't know about this particular derivatives rule, I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with that. And gosh, we haven't yet brought about world peace and -- (laughter.) I thought that was going to happen quicker. (Laughter.) You know who you are. (Laughter.) We have had the most productive, progressive legislative session in at least a generation.

And that's definitely what Glenzilla put up on his blog but thankfully he also linked to the actual speech. Was President Obama just bashing the left for no reason because we weren't clapping louder? Hmmmm

Now, I'm making this point for two reasons. Number one, the changes we've made are ones that will take some time to bear fruit. And folks who are out of work right now, whose homes are underwater right now, who are trying to figure out how to pay the bills or send their kids to college right now -- they don't have five or 10 years to wait. And so we've got to still work very hard in the short term to dig ourselves out of this enormous hole.

Hold on now, so he DID acknowledge that things still aren't great and that there was a lot of work yet to be done? Hmm didn't gather that from the other posts. As a matter of fact most off the first part of the speech focused on all the challenges we still had and how people are still hurting. Wonder what else he said.

And so I want everybody here to -- when you are talking to your friends and your neighbors and your coworkers, I want you to feel good about the support that you've provided, because you didn't send me there to do what was easy; you sent me there to do what was hard. We have tackled some of the hardest problems facing this country and we did so in the midst of crisis -- and we are succeeding.

That's what followed the quote Glenn and just about everyone else put up. Funny thing is if he gave this same speech to the base, those of us who can't afford high faluting dinners at $30k a plate, I don't see where he would have had to change a single word. In context the message is clear, "although we didn't get everything that everybody wanted we still accomplished a lot and people should feel good about that ie sign checks and come out to vote". And that IS the message he should be sending now. If not tell me another one he could use and Im sure he would try it.


At this point focusing on all the ponies and rainbows we didn't get aint gonna close the enthusiasm gap and in the end what we end up with is going to be a helluva lot worse than what we got these last two years. I swear its like people seriously can't remember when Bush was in office and or when we had a Republican led Congress. But hey keep punching Obama because you think he isn't showing enough deference to us. I'm sure that's going to work out great.

Fuck it man, I'm about to be a centrist because its getting to the point where I damn near don't want to be associated with some of the stupid muthafuckas who call themselves liberals or progressives. And I can't wait to see all the progressive shit that gets done when we have a Republican Congress.

Assholes!

The Christine O'Donnell Trap

Christine O' Donnell is a whack job. Now what? There's really no denying that she's a whack job. Even her biggest defenders who normally lie through their teeth to cover for Republicans won't come out and say she isn't a whack job.

But does that mean she can't be elected?

HELL NO

I know I know, its Delaware and its Joe Biden's old seat. Of course many of us on the left thought we could never lose Ted Kennedy's seat either.

Oh you can point out that Martha Coakley was a terrible campaigner and you would be right. But it still doesn't mean that it can't happen again.

If there is one problem I have with my fellow bloggers and opinion makers on the left its that we so often appeal almost solely to reason without generally bothering to even try to appeal to peoples' gut feelings. What ends up happening is we win these high brow debates and we laugh at crazy ass GOP candidates.

But our candidate ends up falling behind in the polls and ultimately losing.

Look around at the midterm polling. O'Donnell is not the only and many would say not even the worst candidate the Republicans are fielding this election season. And yet many of these Tea Bagger whack job candidates are leading their more mainstream and "reasonable" Democratic opponents. And to me that's because loud, strong and wrong will beat soft light and right anyday when it comes to politics.

Yes Christine O'Donnell is a whack job. But we can't sit around and laugh and point at her. Rather we need to be pounding her into oblivion. Using sledge hammers instead of scalpels. Not going for nuance but instead using easy to remember bumper sticker type arguments until she is not even remotely electable.

And that samething we should be doing to GOP candidates all over the country. Hell I look around the blogosphere sometimes and see some of the most biting Democrats from liberals and progressives aimed at Democrats. But when its election time we are having arguments over whehter its "right" to call wingnuts in this country the "American Taliban".

What

The

Fuck?

This isn't debate club folks, its politics. Its pretty much a zero sum game. Either we will win or lose in a feew short weeks and if we lose the country is even more screwed than it already is. And that's the kind of mindset we have to have going into this fight. Damn all that "well we can't do that because we are better than them" mentality. Ain't gonna be any moral victories in November.

If you care about this country not going down the shitter. If you care about the government not getting shut down by GOP obstruction. If you care about coming down off our war footing. Then we all need to be trying to vaporize candidates like O'Donnell with the hardest hitting attacks we can muster.

So yeah, we can all laugh about "Pinky and The Brain" cartoon analogies when it comes to Christine O'Donnell. But we also better be preparing to go to war to defeat her. Because I can guaran damn tee you that the opposition is doing just that. And they play for keeps!

Its time we responded in kind

Meet Christine O'Donnell

I know people make empty threats like "I'm leaving the country if X gets elected" all the time. But nah, this time I'm pretty sure that if Christine O'Donnell gets elected in Delaware people are actually hauling ass, myself included.

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Jeebus..

The GOP Wants To Add 4 Trillion Dollars To The Deficit

If Senate Democrats and Dem contenders for Senate don't make me tired of hearing this headline over the next few weeks leading up to the mideterms something is turribly wrong.

John Cole's Rant

Seriously, you gotta see it. Not very long but boy is it a thing of beauty!

Doesn't Anyone Know How To Play This Game???

Two seemingly unrelated events have me shaking my head.

First there are reports that instead of going through what might be a tough confirmation process the White House will instead appoint Elizabeth Warren as interim director of

Secondly even though John Boehner gave them the gift of a lifetime buy saying on national television that if the only way to get middle class tax cuts through was to abandon the tax cuts for the wealthy, the House Democratic leadership has decided not to put it up for a vote.

What do both of these events have in common?

They both show the Democrats' profound unwillingness to fight for anything.

And when I say fight I don't mean put something in a campaign speech. I mean making Republicans and yes even some Democrats take tough ass votes to show the real difference between the two parties.

If I had to say what was the single biggest reason for the enthusiasm gap I this cowardly streak would have to be at the top of the list.

There is nothing to be lost and everything to be gained for the party in a fight for middle class tax cuts and a fight over Elizabeth Warren's nomination. Even if we lose those battles we would win the war by getting Democratic voters and yes even many independents to get on board because they see us fighting for what we believe in.

The truth is most people will go for a bully who is dead ass wrong as a leader rather than a coward who is exactly right. That's just how it is but Democrats seem to relish avoiding fights and taking high brow stances while Republicans get in the mud and keep swinging even if they are going down in flames.

The most maddening part of this is that WE ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.

Oh I understand that some folks will say "well we don't want to force Blue Dog Dems to take tough votes before the midterms"

To that I say, ahem, BULLSHIT!

First off, how many Blue Dog Dems have actually voted FOR anything of substance in the last 18 MONTHS? Hell if anything putting up the middle class tax cuts to a vote will serve to help those assholes by giving them something else to use to show that they aren't really like all those bad soshulist Democrats. The punks are already running attack ads against their own leadership with one particularly egregious asshole imagining Speaker Pelosi dead, so why in the fuck are we still protecting them again?!

Why do we give a shit if Ben Nelson joins a filibuster? If anything we should hope that fucker keeps making these kinds of threats. Why? So we can keep bringing up the Cornhusker Kickback. Maybe we can finally get some party discipline in line if he keeps opening his fucking mouth. And the best part? If Dem voters FINALLY see Dem leadership willing to fight even members of their own party for what is right then they will be more inclined to actually go to the polls to support them.

But tell me truthfully, right now and at this moment unless you are a hardcore Democrats like I and many others are why would you vote for a Democrat this fall? We got health care reform but it at least appeared we didn't fight for the best bill we could with a public option. We got financial reform but it, again, appeared that we made concession after concession just to get it passed instead of standing up and fighting to making the bill better. We got a stimulus last year that was too small which is obvious now in hindsight but was obvious at the time also to a lot of prominent liberal economists like Paul Krugman. But because we never fought for a bigger bill and instead let Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman write it now we still have high unemployment and nobody is buying the "well its worse than it would have been" argument.

And lets not forget that this all started with Lieberman by the way. I said at the time that by allowing him to keep his gavel the Democratic leadership and President Obama were giving a clear sign that you could do whatever you want and say whatever you want and not only not get punished but damn near get rewarded if you went against them. Maybe the last 18 months play out the same even if Lieberman is booted out of the party or at least put at the back of the line for seniority but I highly doubt it.

President Obama and every Democrat in Congress can make speeches this election season about fighting for middle class families but until there is actually a, you know, fight nobody is going to be buying that bullshit.

So either start the fight or finish the fight but fight we must before November

It is what it is...

Howard Kurtz Finally Calls Out Hannity

Too bad he had to be practically shamed into it thanks to The Daily Show

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Are You Ready for Some Midterms? - MSNBC's Political Narrative
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

"Stimulus Failure?" Ad Campaign

Right now one of the things that drives me crazy is the elected Democrats' aversion to the word "stimulus". In the last 18 months...scratch that, in the last 2 decades Democrats have ceded all the high ground on most issues simply because their messaging sucked and the Republicans were always able to demonize the things they accomplished with clever word play. So even when Democrats do things that actually help people, like the stimulus, they can't take any credit for it because they live in fear of even uttering the word. The other day Robert Gibbs REFUSED to say the Administration would seek a second stimulus, not because they won't be seeking one but because he was afraid to use the word.

Well here's a novel idea on how to win that word back AND allow Democrats to actually run on something that worked.

The DNC, DSCC, and DCCC and individual candidates (as well as any Dem friendly PACs) should put together an ad campaign entitled something close to "Stimulus Failure?" And hit every major market in the country with it for at least two weeks. The ad would go something like this. Start off with Republican leaders voices decrying the stimulus bill. After a few different voices have been heard start showing pictures of those VERY SAME REPUBLICANS showing up to stimulus projects taking credit for them with words on the screen highlighting how the stimulus paid for the project and how many people were employed because of it. But as the pictures are shown continue with angry GOP voices denouncing the stimulus. Then at the end have a voice over person say something like "Boy, Republicans SURE like taking credit for failures don't they? And fade to black.

This will accomplish two things. First it will show the hypocrisy of the GOP which people are used to by now but its always good to keep driving home the point. And second and maybe most important it will show that not only was the stimulus not a failure, but it was so successful that the assholes that voted en masse against it can't wait to take credit for the project it funds.

The stimulus worked, period. Should it have been bigger? Absolutely. But we got our money's worth for the amount we did spend and it continues even to this day to help put people back to work. Its time for us to start winning the messaging wars so WE can start taking some credit for the accomplishments that have come since President Obama took office. A nationwide ad campaign meant to showcase the stimulus would go a long way towards allowing Democrats to run on it in a couple of months. It won't change everyone's mind of course but maybe it will change just enough people's minds to keep control of both houses of Congress. If nothing else I think it will be much more effective than just President Obama or VP Biden touting the stimulus because when your enemies try to take credit for something they say is "bad" I don't think there is anything more powerful.

Its going to suck to run as a Democrat this year, we all get that. But at the least Democrats should be able to run on Democrat successes of which the stimulus is definitely one.

Just a thought.

Oh and if you need footage, Rachel Maddow has PLENTY!

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Jon Stewart On Reaction To Obama's Labor Day Speech

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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All The Populism Money Can Buy

Rachel Maddow once again takes on the Koch brothers. Notice that the Ohio newspaper basically acted as a stenographer and wrote a story without ever doing any research to see where the "hundreds" who showed up for the fake rally came from.

"They Want To Take Away Your Right To Vote"

That is EXACTLY how I would frame the Tea Party Candidates who are running on a platform that calls for the repeal of the 17th amendment. You want to see people get riled up? Tell them someone is trying to take something away from them. And this is one of those situations where there are NO easy talking points. There is no way these folks can sell the repeal of the 17th amendment to anybody other than their own idiotic membership. And for that matter any Republicans NOT running as Tea Baggers should have to answer whether or not they agree with them on repealing the 17th amendment so wee can get an even bigger schism in the GOP base.

Guys, this is what you call a no brainer so lets get with it.

Kendrick Meek's First TV Spot

I actually saw this today on TV and thought it was very very good. Hopefully the voters here feel the same.

I Guess We Have Our Answer

WASHINGTON – President Obama will rule out on Wednesday any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package that is otherwise designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies.


Mr. Obama’s opposition to allowing the high-end tax cuts to remain in place for even another year or two would be the signal many Congressional Democrats have been awaiting as they prepare for a showdown with Republicans on the issue and ends speculation that the White House might be open to an extension. Democrats say only the president can rally wavering lawmakers who, amid the party’s weakened poll numbers, feel increasingly vulnerable to Republican attacks if they let the top rates lapse at the end of this year as scheduled.

NYTimes

Some days it really is good to be an Obama Democrat

President Obamn On Labor Day

The guy can certainly still give a good speech!

And Right On Cue...

..here's Peter Orszag moving the middle to the right yet again. I know he no longer works for the Obama administration but here's my prediction. The media will give him MORE credibility now that he is both a) out of the administration and b) is going against the administration.

So even though most credible economists think we should discontinue ALL of the Bush tax cuts, not even keeping the ones for the middle class, Orszag wants us to continue them ALL for another two years. So now instead of the administration arguing for discontinuing all of them or at least the ones for the upper 1% of the nation, and then negotiating from there with Republicans who argue for keeping them permanently, now the argument will quickly go to whether to extend ALL of them for another 2 years or permanently.

Listen, I don't know if the administration put Orszag up to this or not but either way you can bank on the conversation going that way. And if they are smart and they DIDN'T put him up to it they will smack that shit down like Mutumbo. If they handle it with kid gloves...well then you have your answer.

Where Is The Middle?

It would seems that The Villagers have taken their cue from Time magazine airhead Michael Scherer that they should now ascrbe any losses by Democrats this fall not to the economy and high unemployment but to "librul overreach" by President Obama. Nowyou hear asshats like Tom Friedman repeating this lunacy on the Sunday shows and I'm sure pretty soon it will be conventional wisdom. And we all know that Republicans have been hollering ridiculously that Democrats need to "come back to the middle" even though there is no compromise that they are willing to say yes to. None whatsoever.

So along with a littany of other arguments, one argument the Democrats are going to need to engage in and successfully win is what constitutes "the middle" when it comes to today's politics. And they need to learn how to do it without alienating their own base.

Where President Obama fucked up royalty is when in the bigger fights like for health care reform he put legitimate policy concerns of people who knew what they were talking about on the left on the same level as the thoughts of rigid ideologues on the right who couldn't care less about postive outcomes. It did absolutely nothing to help with the passage of the bill, with the people of America's acceptance of the bill or with the perception of the party by voters. All it did was to give the impression that those lefty libruls were just as crazy as those wingnuts, even though those lefty libruls were right on policy grounds. Most people understand that you can't always get everything you want when you are fighting for legislation, but to make it seem like the things the left were asking for were illegitimate or unreasonable basically allowed Republicans to push and push to make the health care reform bill look more and more Republican.

And it is. But guess what, because President Obama started off trying to stand in the middle then the perception of the middle moved further left. And again that's where he fucked up.

So this time around what Democrats who are running for Congress should be focusing on are the actual contrasts between what would have made some of these bills good like a bigger stimulus and why citing experts like Paul Krugman and then talk about what the GOP was offering up as an alternative. Which for the most part was nothing. And yet Democrats still moved the bill to the middle on their own and to the detriment of the country.

Wait, scratch that. Got a little caught up in emotion for a second.

Back to what I was saying. It is important for Democrats to redraw the lines of where they were versus where the GOP was so that people understand that all of the legislation that has been passed in the last almost two years has indeed been centrist no matter how the vote count came down. And its important to show that Republicans never, not once offered an alternative from which there could be any negotiations anyway. Their version of the middle is "do everything we say or we won't participate". Basically theirs is the governance style of a five year old. And it should be pointed out over and over again.

Also its worth remembering, and pointing out, that everything that has been done so far save the stimulus bill was something President Obama actually campaigned on. So here is one time where a guy is fulfilling his campaign promises and The Village has decided to define that as a librul over reach or some kind of misreading of his mandate. Now would be a good time to point out that John McCain ALSO campaigned on a lot of the same issues and while his proposed legislation would have undoubtedly looked different he did pledge legislation to fix health care reform.

Now the media will still try to portray most races as left wing versus right wing, that's just how our shitty media sees their job nowadays. But Democratic candidates had better find a way to get their message through that they are willing and have been willing to compromise but Republicans have been acting like petulant children who want everything to go their way or else we really will have a a huge wave of loses in a couple of months. If the media and Republicans are basically able to define Democrats then we are screwed, plain and simple.

Ron Wyden Is Smarter Than You

Check out Dave Weigel's explanation of how Ron Wyden is about to try to get universal health care for his state of Oregon using a provision in the Affordable Care Act he himself put in the bill.

If only we had more Dems like him...

Jan Brewer's Awful Very Bad Day

Jan Brewer had a pretty shitty day yesterday.

She couldn't remember her own opening statement during a debate.



And Rachel Maddow exposed her "papers please" law as something of a money making scheme for some for profit prison owners who just so happen to be big time campaign contributors of hers.

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Yep, looks like another conservative rock star has had their bubble burst lol

Romer Speaks The Truth On The Way Out The Door

As she leaves the White House, Romer says that the country really needs (but is not likely to get) more fiscal stimulus from Congress.


"The only surefire ways for policymakers to substantially increase aggregate demand in the short run are for the government to spend more and tax less," Romer insisted. "I desperately hope that policymakers on both sides of the aisle will find a way to finish the job of economic recovery."


As bad as things are, Romer suggested they could have been worse -- that senior members of the Obama administration would have been content with an even smaller stimulus. In the days before Obama took office, she and other members of the economic team "sent a memo to Rahm Emanuel... laying the groundwork for a larger stimulus package."


"Whereas most analysts and Congressional policymakers had been contemplating a stimulus of $500 billion or less, we urged that it grow substantially because of the severity of the downturn," she said.

TPM

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had Christina Romer or anybody else on President Obama's economic team had gone public with the concerns that the stimulus wasn't big enough. Sure maybe they would have gotten fired, but wouldn't it have been worth it?

Staring at 9.5% unemployment I would have to say yes...

Know What Would Help Dem Enthusiasm Going Into The Midterms?

A great big old fight over Elizabeth Warren's confirmation to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

If the GOP were smart they would just let her sail through so it would be a non issue. But we both know they aren't. So lets have this fight but this time going on the offensive portraying Republicans, rightly, as being puppets of the robber barons on Wall Street. Every time they speak against her portray it as them proclaiming their allegiance to Wall Street and that they are making a statement that they don't want the American people to be protected.

If that doesn't get Democratic voters to the polls nothing will.

But if there is no fight then we can probably kiss the House goodbye. That's just the truth of the situation.