March 21, 2017
October 16, 2013
Government Shutdown: The Ridiculous Republican Spectacle Is Over, For Now, We Hope
Of course, until the House votes on it, you really can’t say anything is over. But it appears the ridiculous Republican spectacle, which shut down the government and brought the United States within hours of default, will finally end tonight. The Senate is voting right now, the House is supposed to vote later this evening. And what did Republicans get for shutting down the government? Nothing. Well, other than a ding to their poll numbers.
October 6, 2013
Government Shutdown: Republicans Make For A Disingenuous Negotiating ‘Partner’
The Senate passed a comprehensive budget plan back in the spring that would have ended the sequester cuts. It’s no surprise the Senate budget was dead on arrival in the House. Republicans refused to negotiate until a last minute offer by Speaker John Boehner to appoint a conference committee the night before the government would shut down. It was literally minutes before midnight. This was something they could have done for the past six months, but instead Republicans now blame Democrats and President Obama for failing to negotiate over the budget.
September 28, 2013
Reckless Anti-Government Tea Party Republicans: Give Us What We Want Or America Gets It
To understand our current predicament you must first examine how we got here. And while there are potentially endless influences that contributed to the current impasse in Washington, I do think there are a few big general influences that are largely to blame for the gridlock and obstruction that passes for governance in America.
September 14, 2013
Federal Budget Deficit At Five Year Low, But Republicans Still Plan To Take Country Hostage
Republican lawmakers in Washington plan to take the country hostage this fall until their demands are met. Never mind that the federal budget deficit for 2013 is on track to hit a five year low.
July 12, 2013
Don’t Exaggerate The June Budget Surplus To Make Your Point
This post is partly aimed at Rachel Maddow and is a response to last night’s Rachel Maddow Show when she intimated that because the government is running a surplus, Republicans have lost their arguing position.
June 14, 2013
Obama To Arm Syrian Rebels: Does Anyone Remember The Sequester?
Never mind whether it’s a good idea to go along with old-man John “get off my lawn” McCain and arm the Syrian “rebels,” I ask, can we afford it? I mean, remember “the sequester” cuts? It was the across-the-board cuts to all kinds of government programs including defense. This was what we got instead of a sensible budget deal. It’s also what we got instead of tax increases above the rather minimal tax increase for top income earners that happened at the beginning of the year. Because why raise taxes on those who can afford to pay more taxes when you can just fuck the poor instead.
April 14, 2013
Obama’s Proposed Social Security Cuts Are Wrong
Last week, The White House released a summary of President Obama’s budget. The proposal aims for a 3 to 1 spending cuts to tax increase ratio to reduce the deficit over the next 10 years. But the biggest headline from Obama’s budget plan is the $230 billion he wants to cut from Social Security.
January 5, 2013
Does Social Security Add To The Federal Budget Deficit?
Every time we have a national debate about the deficit, Republicans start talking about cuts to Social Security while Democrats, at least some of them, say that Social Security does not contribute to the deficit. So who is correct?
November 16, 2012
What Happens When You Propose Sensible Ideas To Solve The Deficit?
Raising the top tax rate 4.6 points to 39.6% is a radical idea that will mean the end of capitalism and will fundamentally change America forever.