Make no mistake that the economy of the US has been broken, in some sense, for a considerable amount of time. The unprecedented down turn that has transpired over the past few years seems as if it is never going away. I am just wondering if the GOP wants to keep it that way, at least through the 2012 elections, if not permanently.
John Boehner spoke about reducing debt by cutting spending and pleaded for tax cuts. Now, when given a chance to approve a tax cut that could help create jobs, Boehner wags his finger "No". I often wonder if that is the only word some on the far right know, "No". I don't recall Boehner ever mentioning any desire to pass bills to create jobs, just asking where they were. Over and over and over again. So in that respect, you can't say he hasn't kept up his word. He never promised to create jobs, just inquire as to their wherabouts. However, to see a republican refuse tax cuts is something on a parallel with Haley' Comet. Every hundred years or so.
Boehner doesn't want to support a bill that will give tax cuts to businesses for creating jobs because he only sees it as a short term solution. With the unemployment rate being what it is and the economy making no strides currently, any solution, short or long term, should be considered progress. But that isn't what Boehner and the GOP want to see. They don't want progress. They don't want jobs created. They don't the economy to recover. They want it to fail and pin it all on Obama.
Since taking over control of the House, there have been no jobs bills passed. There has been a bill delaying regulation on food and gas prices, but nothing to create jobs. Why would we expect Boehner and his constituents to create jobs? They already have them, funded by the tax payers with nice expense accounts and transportation and 5 star accommodations covered on our dime. I have yet to see any member of the GOP decry such spending as wasteful. That's because they don't really care about government spending as a whole( see Bush Adminsistration 2001-2009 for proof), they care about government spending when it doesn't benefit them and their backers. It's okay for John Q. Public to pay these folks salaries and benefits, but let's see to it they get nothing in return.
And that is where we stand: more elected officials talking a big game, getting a big tax payer subsidized salary and doing nothing in return. Now, if you consider blocking bills that could help stimulate the economy and job growth through obstructionism and child-like defiance a return, then you are getting your money's worth.
Showing posts with label John Boehner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Boehner. Show all posts
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Deal to Extend PATRIOT Act in Place
A deal is supposedly in place between John Boehner in the House and Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell in the Senate to extend the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that allow for roving wiretaps, document seizures, and roaming surveillance of the American Public for another 4 years.
The Obama Administration has continued to ask for extension of the extraordinary powers that the Bush Administration got rammed through congress in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.
Attorney General Eric Holder is actually on record as wanting to see these provisions become permanent: "We believe, I believe, it is absolutely essential that these expiring provisions be reauthorized. We never want to see these acts, these provisions, expire. The fact that they have sunset, period, and requiring us to come back periodically to get them reauthorized, is not helpful to us ... We need certainty. Our prosecutors, our investigators, need certainty in that regard ... So my hope is that these provisions are reauthorized for as long as we possibly can. If they were extended permanently, that is not something we would be opposed to."
If any Tea Party folks are out there reading this, please explain to me why this is overlooked as an acceptable intrusion into Liberty in the name of Security, but the Democratic Healthcare Bill is such a fundamental threat to your Freedom as an American that you need to take such drastic action?
I've read both bills all the way through, I can tell you that 'Obamacare' is not 1/100th times as onerous to me as the PATRIOT Act.
And for you folks on the Left: why was it only an intrusion on your privacy when it was the Bush Administration peeking in on your library records, but Obama gets a near universal pass for refusing to relinquish the same powers of surveillance?
There is almost total silence on this issue from both sides of the political noise factory. Why is this issue not at debate in a time when nearly all else is?
The Obama Administration has continued to ask for extension of the extraordinary powers that the Bush Administration got rammed through congress in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.
Attorney General Eric Holder is actually on record as wanting to see these provisions become permanent: "We believe, I believe, it is absolutely essential that these expiring provisions be reauthorized. We never want to see these acts, these provisions, expire. The fact that they have sunset, period, and requiring us to come back periodically to get them reauthorized, is not helpful to us ... We need certainty. Our prosecutors, our investigators, need certainty in that regard ... So my hope is that these provisions are reauthorized for as long as we possibly can. If they were extended permanently, that is not something we would be opposed to."
If any Tea Party folks are out there reading this, please explain to me why this is overlooked as an acceptable intrusion into Liberty in the name of Security, but the Democratic Healthcare Bill is such a fundamental threat to your Freedom as an American that you need to take such drastic action?
I've read both bills all the way through, I can tell you that 'Obamacare' is not 1/100th times as onerous to me as the PATRIOT Act.
And for you folks on the Left: why was it only an intrusion on your privacy when it was the Bush Administration peeking in on your library records, but Obama gets a near universal pass for refusing to relinquish the same powers of surveillance?
There is almost total silence on this issue from both sides of the political noise factory. Why is this issue not at debate in a time when nearly all else is?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Some updates on Bin Laden, Afghan/Pakistan War Effort
* In the wake of the finding and killing of the world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, the biggest question that I see facing the United States going forward is our ongoing foreign relationship with Pakistan. Many expected that Bin Laden would be found in the rugged mountainous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the rule of law is scarce and tribal warlords control the utmost impossible of terrains. Very few expected Bin Laden to be found in the heart of Pakistan, within two Kilometers of what has been called their Country’s equivalent of the West Point Military Academy, and less than 100 Kilometers from the Nation’s Capital. There will be great pressure within Congress to cut foreign aid to Pakistan in response to what will be described as either gross incompetence or implicit cooperation with Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. The truth is that we will never know who knew what and when in Pakistan, but that will not stop the drums of ignorance from continuing their steady crescendo.
To toss such a crucial relationship to the wind would be the apex of foolhardiness. Pakistan is by far the more important strategic interest in the region, not the Country we are actually occupying and propping up in Afghanistan. Pakistan is more populated, developed economically, inter-connected to the global community, and in a more significant location. Did I mention that they also have nuclear weapons? We must continue to do what we can to support stability and continuity in Pakistan. As House Leader John Boehner has suggested, the alternative of letting such a critical Country fall into utter chaos could very well be catastrophic on multiple levels.
This is not to suggest that we should not work to reform and improve our relationship with the Muslim majority State. Pakistan is far from the most reliable ally we have and is nothing close to a pure white dove on many, many issues. They are a country with their own demons to wrestle with, but they are a sovereign Nation that will chart their own course going forward. An unfortunate fact about foreign relations is that you don’t get to choose who the regional power brokers you are working with are. You have to do the best you can with the associations you have.
* A pre-recorded tape of Bin Laden is supposedly in the pipeline and ready to be released posthumously. Please do not be fooled into any screwball conspiracies about him actually still being alive. As for the question of whether pictures of the deceased terror mastermind should be released? For our collective security and the safety of our troops serving overseas, I wish that people would just be satisfied he is dead and gone. Other then satisfying some curiosity and giving people a lasting image of finality, the distribution of such photos will do more strategic harm than good. I fully expect the pressure will build until they are in fact released. And the vocal minority who are denying the official story will continue on in the face of all evidence to the contrary, so it won’t matter to them anyways.
* It does speak to our relationship with Pakistan that we did not even tip them off right before the operation to get Bin Laden began that we would be doing something in the area. I understand that we proceeded with an abundance of caution in taking out such an elusive and important figure, but the total lack of cooperation with the Country we were going after him in tells us that there are multitudes of reasons not to trust them completely. And that is not just Pakistan’s problem. It is ours as well. As I have implied here before, the war in Afghanistan is more about Pakistan than it is about Afghanistan. The US must set a course to find a delicate balance between withdrawing combat forces from the region, while continuing to promote stability and secular rule in the area. The madmen and the violent fundamentalists in the region are many and active. The cooler and more rational heads must prevail and rule effectively, strategically, and humanely or the consequences for the world will be dire indeed. Competence must be the Order of the Day.
* I am meeting the instantaneous claims that torture of Al Qaeda operatives held at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp lead directly to finding Bin Laden with extreme skepticism. I think it is a blatant attempt by some on the Right to reclaim some moral and national security high ground in the wake of these momentous events. It can never be totally disproven, but I have my logical doubts over the oft-repeated and vehement claims of such convenient chain of intel that has been professed directly and in totality in the immediate aftermath of Bin Laden’s demise. If these guys were so smart and well clued in on the terror mastermind’s whereabouts, why did they not get him years ago? It seems to be a tactic I have noticed before where you float out such an opportune premise immediately as the story breaks and everyone is paying attention. As such, your spin becomes lodged into everyone’s conscious as established, legitimate, and historical. I guarantee you that no matter how Bin Laden met his end, it would have been tied back to Guantanamo and Torture, as an ex post facto justification for such.
To toss such a crucial relationship to the wind would be the apex of foolhardiness. Pakistan is by far the more important strategic interest in the region, not the Country we are actually occupying and propping up in Afghanistan. Pakistan is more populated, developed economically, inter-connected to the global community, and in a more significant location. Did I mention that they also have nuclear weapons? We must continue to do what we can to support stability and continuity in Pakistan. As House Leader John Boehner has suggested, the alternative of letting such a critical Country fall into utter chaos could very well be catastrophic on multiple levels.
This is not to suggest that we should not work to reform and improve our relationship with the Muslim majority State. Pakistan is far from the most reliable ally we have and is nothing close to a pure white dove on many, many issues. They are a country with their own demons to wrestle with, but they are a sovereign Nation that will chart their own course going forward. An unfortunate fact about foreign relations is that you don’t get to choose who the regional power brokers you are working with are. You have to do the best you can with the associations you have.
* A pre-recorded tape of Bin Laden is supposedly in the pipeline and ready to be released posthumously. Please do not be fooled into any screwball conspiracies about him actually still being alive. As for the question of whether pictures of the deceased terror mastermind should be released? For our collective security and the safety of our troops serving overseas, I wish that people would just be satisfied he is dead and gone. Other then satisfying some curiosity and giving people a lasting image of finality, the distribution of such photos will do more strategic harm than good. I fully expect the pressure will build until they are in fact released. And the vocal minority who are denying the official story will continue on in the face of all evidence to the contrary, so it won’t matter to them anyways.
* It does speak to our relationship with Pakistan that we did not even tip them off right before the operation to get Bin Laden began that we would be doing something in the area. I understand that we proceeded with an abundance of caution in taking out such an elusive and important figure, but the total lack of cooperation with the Country we were going after him in tells us that there are multitudes of reasons not to trust them completely. And that is not just Pakistan’s problem. It is ours as well. As I have implied here before, the war in Afghanistan is more about Pakistan than it is about Afghanistan. The US must set a course to find a delicate balance between withdrawing combat forces from the region, while continuing to promote stability and secular rule in the area. The madmen and the violent fundamentalists in the region are many and active. The cooler and more rational heads must prevail and rule effectively, strategically, and humanely or the consequences for the world will be dire indeed. Competence must be the Order of the Day.
* I am meeting the instantaneous claims that torture of Al Qaeda operatives held at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp lead directly to finding Bin Laden with extreme skepticism. I think it is a blatant attempt by some on the Right to reclaim some moral and national security high ground in the wake of these momentous events. It can never be totally disproven, but I have my logical doubts over the oft-repeated and vehement claims of such convenient chain of intel that has been professed directly and in totality in the immediate aftermath of Bin Laden’s demise. If these guys were so smart and well clued in on the terror mastermind’s whereabouts, why did they not get him years ago? It seems to be a tactic I have noticed before where you float out such an opportune premise immediately as the story breaks and everyone is paying attention. As such, your spin becomes lodged into everyone’s conscious as established, legitimate, and historical. I guarantee you that no matter how Bin Laden met his end, it would have been tied back to Guantanamo and Torture, as an ex post facto justification for such.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Quick Hits on Budget Battles; Clinton in Eygpt
*Hardline conservatives break with Speaker Boehner on bill to continue funding the government. Middle of the road Democrats come in to save the bill. What does this mean for the budget and GOP control of the House going forward?
* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a compelling speech yesterday in Eygpt, then announced today she wouldn't seek a 2nd term as Secretary, nor would she run for President in 2012. Her speech is worth going to CSPAN and listening to, it is a perfect blend of pragmatism in approach, while holding up the best of American ideals and values for the rest of the world to live up to and for people seeking freedom anywhere tyrants rule to strive for. Poweful stuff from someone whose role in this administrations foreign policy efforts has been massively under reported.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday Morning Notebook (03.07.V1-4)
*On the international scene, Libya remains the global hotspot that everyone is watching, but nobody is doing much of anything about. Muammar Gaddafi, the long standing tyrant, remains in security control of Tripoli, with his blue shirted thugs enacting violent repression against protesters. Those in revolt from his regime remain in power in Benghazi and the Eastern side of the Country, and the two forces are conflicting in the lightly populated, but oil rich, middle sections of Libya. There is little doubt that Gaddafi has initiated violent assaults upon his own people using terrible weapons of mass warfare to quell internal discord. The international community has done little to stop him from doing so, outside of sending much needed humanitarian aide to the Eastern border of the Country where streams of refuges are fleeing the violence. This inaction by the rest of the world may be a course of prudent wisdom from an international affairs standpoint, but it certainly leaves those seeking a more free and fair society in Libya at the diabolical whims of a violent madman who will stop at nothing to retain power. The situation has reached a point where it is already functioning as a low level civil war, and if we have learned anything from misadventures in Iraq, it is that these sectarian styled conflicts are not often resolved quickly or peacefully, and outside intervention may do more harm than good at this point.
*Ryan Callahan had the game of his life on Sunday afternoon as the New York Rangers whitewashed the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia Flyers, who all of a sudden seem eminently beatable after dominating the first five months of the season. Goalies in Philadelphia tend to thaw out as the birds return and the flowers bloom, and April, May, and June are the harshest months for Orange and Black clad netminders. Henrik Lundqvist meanwhile remains a rock solid rubber stopper for the Blueshirts and hasn’t let up more than 3 goals since January 25th, the thinking here is that he may be able to vault the Rangers into darkhorse Cup contenders this Spring.
*The US Senate will take up two proposed bills to provide funding for the rest of the federal government's fiscal year, the GOP passed House Bill, and the New Democrat compromise plan. Both cut billions from President Obama's budget, but neither is predicted to bridge the 60 vote threshold needed to get out of the Senate. They are however expected to lay out the groundwork for future debate and compromise.
*The New Jersey Devils continue their most unlikely of quests for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East, which if they could claw their way into, would be one of the most incredible in-season turn around stories in the history of professional sports. I still believe they will burn out from playing each and every game as if it is the 7th of the Stanley Cup finals, and the law of averages states that they inevitably will start losing some of these 1 goal decisions. The authoritative statistical probability website, Sports Club Stats, still only has them listed as being a 1.8% chance to make it into the playoffs this season, but if they can complete this absolutely astronomical turnaround, the Devil will be a very scary matchup for one of the top 4 seeds in the East.
*Speaker of the House John Boehner is putting together his legal options to challenge Obama's plans to not enforce DOMA laws. This little culture war salvo is a bit unexpected given the current focus on fiscal issues and the laser-like focus on job creation promised by GOP leadership.
*It seems like Mario Lemieux was once again right, and the NHL and pompous Canadian media blowhards were wrong in regards to a situation with the League. After Mario blasted the league for not throwing the book at Trevor Gillies and the New York Islanders in the wake of an absolute travesty of a contest on February 11th which saw Gillies concuss young forward Eric Tangradi with a blindside elbow to the head, continue to pound on him as Tangradi lay helpless on the ice, and mock him from the runway as the training staff attended to the injured skater. Tangradi has yet to return to action, but after the league mandated 9 game suspension, Gillies was back at it again on Wednesday night. He saw less then 4 shifts and 2 minutes of ice time before he once again took a blindside flying elbow to the head of Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck, who is now out with aconcussion “upper body injury.” What did the league determine was just reprieve for a thug who obviously didn’t learn his lesson the first time around? 10 games measly games this time was what they saw fit to lay at his doorstep for his grevious misdeeds. He should have been gone for the year, and possibly all of next season as well. There is totally no place for him in this league. For those who claim the game of hockey is nothing but a circus freakshow on skates, all they have to do is point to Trevor Gillies being back out there on March 26th against the Philadelphia Flyers and I will have absolutely no rebuttal.
*Both sides in the debate over the State budget and the future of public sector unions remain entrenched in their hardline positions. Governer Scott Walker continues to insist upon stripping the unions of their collective bargaining powers and forcing them to recertify every year. Democratic State senators stay in self imposed exile so that legislation remains at a standstill in Madison.
*Ryan Callahan had the game of his life on Sunday afternoon as the New York Rangers whitewashed the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia Flyers, who all of a sudden seem eminently beatable after dominating the first five months of the season. Goalies in Philadelphia tend to thaw out as the birds return and the flowers bloom, and April, May, and June are the harshest months for Orange and Black clad netminders. Henrik Lundqvist meanwhile remains a rock solid rubber stopper for the Blueshirts and hasn’t let up more than 3 goals since January 25th, the thinking here is that he may be able to vault the Rangers into darkhorse Cup contenders this Spring.
*The US Senate will take up two proposed bills to provide funding for the rest of the federal government's fiscal year, the GOP passed House Bill, and the New Democrat compromise plan. Both cut billions from President Obama's budget, but neither is predicted to bridge the 60 vote threshold needed to get out of the Senate. They are however expected to lay out the groundwork for future debate and compromise.
*The New Jersey Devils continue their most unlikely of quests for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East, which if they could claw their way into, would be one of the most incredible in-season turn around stories in the history of professional sports. I still believe they will burn out from playing each and every game as if it is the 7th of the Stanley Cup finals, and the law of averages states that they inevitably will start losing some of these 1 goal decisions. The authoritative statistical probability website, Sports Club Stats, still only has them listed as being a 1.8% chance to make it into the playoffs this season, but if they can complete this absolutely astronomical turnaround, the Devil will be a very scary matchup for one of the top 4 seeds in the East.
*Speaker of the House John Boehner is putting together his legal options to challenge Obama's plans to not enforce DOMA laws. This little culture war salvo is a bit unexpected given the current focus on fiscal issues and the laser-like focus on job creation promised by GOP leadership.
*It seems like Mario Lemieux was once again right, and the NHL and pompous Canadian media blowhards were wrong in regards to a situation with the League. After Mario blasted the league for not throwing the book at Trevor Gillies and the New York Islanders in the wake of an absolute travesty of a contest on February 11th which saw Gillies concuss young forward Eric Tangradi with a blindside elbow to the head, continue to pound on him as Tangradi lay helpless on the ice, and mock him from the runway as the training staff attended to the injured skater. Tangradi has yet to return to action, but after the league mandated 9 game suspension, Gillies was back at it again on Wednesday night. He saw less then 4 shifts and 2 minutes of ice time before he once again took a blindside flying elbow to the head of Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck, who is now out with a
*Both sides in the debate over the State budget and the future of public sector unions remain entrenched in their hardline positions. Governer Scott Walker continues to insist upon stripping the unions of their collective bargaining powers and forcing them to recertify every year. Democratic State senators stay in self imposed exile so that legislation remains at a standstill in Madison.
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