Brad Sallows said:
Do you think the current deficit is really going to fall much when the temporary tax cuts expire?
Moot point considering that the 9% (or greater depending on how you look at the numbers) unemployment rate will dampen the revenue generated by an increase in tax rates.
Brad Sallows said:
Bilge. Go ahead: find the statements of TP principles which avow to promote and protect crony capitalism and post them here.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2010/0915/What-is-the-tea-party-and-how-is-it-shaking-up-American-politics/(page)/2
Tea Party Patriots says it has more than 1,000 community-based tea party groups around the country. The group’s mission is to “attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility,
Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets,” according to its website.
And http://www.thecontract.org/support/
Particularly the following items:
Reject emissions trading: Stop the "cap and trade" administrative approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants.
(Point of Note: I do not agree with the concept of cap and trade either, but not for the same reasons as put forth by most)
Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy: Authorize the exploration of additional energy reserves to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation.
(A convenient argument to give more access to the oil companies)
Reduce Taxes: Permanently repeal all recent tax increases, and extend permanently the George W. Bush temporary reductions in income tax, capital gains tax and estate taxes, currently scheduled to end in 2011.
(Ask Warren Buffet why he wants to pay more, then ask TP memebrs why they want to keep cutting revenue and tax rates when they are both at historic lows, this benefits corporations and "job creators" more than anyone else)
Repeal the health care legislation passed on March 23, 2010: Defund, repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
(Benefits the health insurance industry by allowing them to go back to double digit annual increases in premiums and limiting payouts for bogus reasoning)
Audit federal government agencies for constitutionality: Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in an audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities.
(A veiled threat to move on more deregulation in favor of corpations, although I agree there are areas of duplication and unnecessary oversight that need to be addressed. This replaced the "LIMITED GOVERNMENT" policy, but this is how they will go about getting it)
Brad Sallows said:
He may be one of the stupidest people alive to rise to office at his level. How frigging dumb do you have to be to ignore the crisis facing your nation - which has been in evidence for months, and is evident to all and discussed widely - and swan off to cherry pick your favourite to-do items off your ideological wish list? Selection and maintenance of the aim: critical failure. Identification of vital ground: critical failure. Main effort: critical failure. General strategic acumen: critical failure. Obama is a man who wants to be seen as the president but doesn't want to do the actual job. He's the equivalent of the guy who shows up at Remembrance Day with a uniform and medals he bought second-hand and a collection of war stories cultivated in his own mind.
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Brad Sallows said:
Failure to unseat Obama in 2012 will portend badly for the US; it makes perfect sense to hamstring him as much as possible now and work toward his defeat.
Well, the GOP will need to find a better candidate than what is on the plate now.
