The GOP Plan : Cut Social Security to make the Rich Richer

The new plan from Republican Congressman Paul Ryan - his Roadmap to American Prosperity - includes raising the retirement from 65 to 69, permanently cutting taxes on the wealthy from 36 percent to 25 percent, while raising taxes on everyone else (The same way that Ronald Reagan did and put us into a death spiral of deficit spending).

I think it sucks...

"That's not America"

It will be America, if Republicans get control of Congress again, which is why that can't happen.

Vyan

Granholm Crushes Armey on MTP

Wherein Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm systematically destroys the fear-mongering of Tea Party Shill Dick Armey.



Granholm on the issue of the Park 51 Community Center:

Gregory: Governor, a lot people thought this was a hedge, and attempt to walk back (The President's) previous support.

Granholm: Well I think that any time someone stands up for the Constitution, which is exactly what he did, I don't think there's any disagreement. I don' think anyone would disagree with that (Ed: Yes, they would!) The question is whether it's a good decision on their part, right? What's the imam saying. So the question is what is the nature of this particular imam and sect? It's a Sufi Sect, apparently, and that sect is supposed to be one of the most peaceful -- that sect has been under attack by al Qeada.

Michigan has one of the largest Arab-America populations outside of the Middle-East, so I called one of our imams and asked about (Rauf). He said "(This imam) is one of the most bridge building - in the country." We ought to be holding imams like this close - not attacking them with a broad brush, they're being attacked by al Qaeda too.

(I still think the entire idea of the community center might go down better if they were to highlight the 9/11 Memorial Planned for the Building and point out and highlight at that this space is available for Non-Muslims to pray or worship as they see fit within the facility. They should IMO even include altars for Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Sihk and Hindu worship as well as Islamic in this space, since persons of all these faiths were lost in the 9/11 attack. How can this Community Center be an "affront" to 9/11 when it has an Inter-Faith Memorial to 9/11 in it? Moving it is completely nonsensical, it belongs right where it is - where the fences can be mended and bridges re-built.)

Anywho...

The fact is that al Qeada hunts down members of the Sufi and target's them for murder. And now they have to listen to bigoted nutbagger's like Armey, Gingrich and this total fruit-loop Bryan Fischer from the so-called "American Family Association" attacking them too?

As hilariously noted by Stephen Colbert.

Fischer: Permits should not be granted to build even one more mosque in the United States of America, let alone the monstrosity planned for Ground Zero. This is for one simple reason: each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government.

Each one is a potential jihadist recruitment and training center, and determined to implement the “Grand Jihad” of which Andy McCarthy has written.

Because of this subversive ideology, Muslims cannot claim religious freedom protections under the First Amendment. They are currently using First Amendment freedoms to make plans to destroy the First Amendment altogether. There is no such thing as freedom of religion in Islam, and it is sheer and utter folly for Americans to delude themselves into thinking otherwise.

If a mosque was willing to publicly renounce the Koran and its 109 verses that call for the death of infidels, renounce Allah and his messenger Mohammed, publicly condemn Osama bin Laden, Hamas, and Abdelbaset al Megrahi (the Lockerbie bomber), maybe then they could be allowed to build their buildings. But then they wouldn’t be Muslims at that point, now would they?

So the enemy (Sufi) of your enemy (al Qeada) isn't your friend? The idiocy and bigotry of this minds the boggle.

Despite what Rick Lazio says with his biased and distorted recounting of imam Rauf's ability to "bridge build" (which were heavily relied upon by the Bush State Dept) during the Round table their clearly are people calling for a halt to ALL Mosques in the U.S.

Granholm also destroys Armey's entire Tea Party anti-government dogma - pointing out that Government investments and partnerships in Michigan have saved thousands of jobs at GM and begin to create 60,000 Green Collar jobs in battery manufacturing plants (during which Armey laughs at here - LAUGHS at people getting JOBS! Can you say 'WhattafrackinDick Armey?")

Granholm: Just quickly, this argument - and it's a 20th Century argument, not 21st Century - When we are competing in a global economy, the government has to partner with private sector to create jobs. If you just slash spending you slash investments in the things that are going to move our economy forward. Last year the vice President came to Michigan and said we were going to get all of these battery grants - we have 16 companies in Michigan now just in the past year because we partnered with the private sector creating 62,0000 jobs.

On some of the other things that Armey discusses, the Paul Ryan Budget Plan is a fiasco that would cut Social Security, cut Medicare, cut taxes for the rich and Raise them for Everyone Else according to the CBO.

He also talks about this Christian Scientist straw-man situation where someone who wants to collect Social Security doesn't want to also have to pay for (and get) Medicare on religious grounds - but the thing is Medicare is PART of Social Security. They are linked, that's how Medicare was created as an extension of Social Security, if he's wants one he has to have the other.

Armey previous brought up this subject on The Daily Show (during section 3 of the extended interview) where Jon Stewart also managed to Take Him Apart.

Stewart: You just want us to elect Republicans - and they're going to leave office with bigger spending and a bigger deficit because they always do!!.

Yeah, that just about says it.

Vyan

No more "Too Big To Fail"

President Obama earlier today announced his proposed "Volcker Rule," which would limit the reckless risk-taking of big banks by barring them from "from owning, investing, or sponsoring hedge fund or private equity funds and from engaging in proprietary trading."

One Musicians View on the Michael Mess in this Economy

Ok, today will hopefully be the last day of Michael Mania although I think that may be far too much to hope for.

Some of last nights coverage from the CBS Evening News.


Watch CBS Videos Online

I have a connection to this which is not the usual one as a Musician. For example my Wife (also a Musician) used to take Drum Lessons from Joe Porcaro at Musicians Institute in L.A. Through that connection and others she eventually ran the Official Fan Club for the band his kids put together with their friends from Grant Hight, otherwise known as Toto.

Most of the members of Toto played on Michael Jackson's Thriller LP, in fact Steve Porcaro actually wrote "Human Nature" and his dad Joe used to Joke around about his "Son the Millionare" based on the Royalties that song generated. The funny thing is that Toto only gave that song to Michael because they were expecting to play Stadiums after the success of Toto IV, and didn't think that soft song would work in that setting.

Then Micheal went and played it in Stadiums. Figures.

On a personal level I find a lot of this spectacle really disgusting and crass. My day job is doing graphics for Websites and one of my primary clients is with a Silkscreen Company - in "Jimmy Jam" (as shown in the CBS Report) is one of my primay clients - and I've been really torn about doing graphics on the job. I was even on site during the segment taping, but I preferred not to be on camera consider my ambivilence about it all.

Yes, it's a paycheck. Yes, it has clearly created a mini-boom in the Local Los Angeles Economy that is in desperate need for a boost.

But as a Musician, as a person who in my own case spent Four Years in a Trademark Dispute with another band, fighting against a former member of Dream Theater who actually DARED to provide a falsified affidavit and phony flier to try and prove his band had been in place before my Band - I know the value of Copyrights and Trademarks in a way that most people don't.

During the time that the Original MP3.com existed, my old group (the Original) Planet X made some real money purely from listeners streaming our songs, but after Napster and other sharing services shut that site down, that revenue stream dried up. Why should advertisers pay for something that everyone can simply Take?

From my perspective a lot of these Michael Chotchke's are RIPPING Michael and his Family off. I've heard the arguement that - "Oh, he's got MILLIONS - why shouldn't I get some" - I've heard "Well, the FANS want it" and oh, the "Family isn't doing it = why shouldn't we"? and I find all of this completely unconvincing.

I don't think once the dust settles that Michael's Attorney's are going to find it very convincing either. That kind of Raw Naked Greed is frankly the same thing that drove the selfishness behind predatory lending, the sub-prime mortgage crisis the relentless pumping up of stock prices and exportation of American Jobs overseas to the determine of the American Worker and Economy.

It's high time we turned away from that as a people, society and country and once again began to embrace - well - Values.

You can't really fault fans for wanting a momento, but from my perspective - head down in the midst of the grind to get all this stuff made. It's a Crazed Feeding Frenzy. One of our guys says that one woman bought the shirt Off His Back on Hollywood Blvd.

And still I have mixed feelings about it all.

I saw this same kind of Frenzy to make Obama T-Shirts during the Campaign, and even though as my day job I was actually helping make designs - i didn't even KEEP one of those shirts for myself. I felt then, and still feel that the proper thing to do was to make a donation to the campaign and get an OFficial Shirt, not a bootleg. We actually did make Official Shirts for the McCain/Palin Campaign when they made their local swing through at Cal State Dominguez, and it was so funny to think all those people shouting Neo-Racist Slurs while wearing "McCain/Palin '08" on their shirts imported from Haiti and printed by a bunch of Black Guys and Mexicans in South Central.

That was kinda hilarious.

But this Michael thing to me is still kinda sad. All the drama is just so pathetic and ridiculous with his kids and the drugs and his own personal history with the law, his own personal quirks with plastic surgery and body modification. Ugh! To me, and this remains to be determined, he died much like Elvis. Drained of all functional cash reserves, he essentially Had to go on Tour or else begin liquidating his catalogue to pay his $500 Billion in Debts. To my mind, depending on the final autopsy results, it's is very likely that he Worked Himself To Death - trying to prevent that from happening.

And now people are doing everything they can to make a buck off his image and name - and we all supposed to just smile and nod and go "Well, it's good for the economy..."

Yeah... ok.

The services is starting as I type this, and the thought of thousands of hucksters around Staples trying to Hawk all this stuff - just doesn't feel right.

They even asked me at work if I wanted to make a few bucks out there - and even though my personal finances suck, I'm two or three days from having my Cable/Phone and Internet Shutoff I said "FUCK NO!"

I can't do it. I can't disrespect Michael that way. The thought make me sick.

He was far - FAR from my favorite Artist. I would say I like Prince much more, but I knew his career going all the way back to ABC. I watched as he grew up - as he was just 5 years older than me. I learned the Jackson 5 dance moves as a kid. I remember when they left Motown and Jermaine had to go solo because he was married to Barry Gordy's daughter and decided to stay with their original label. I remember the Triumph and Destiny albums long before Michael would explode with the Thriller Album into both a phenomenon and and many ways a "Freak".

Today he will be laid to rest, and hopefully he can rest in peace.

Vyan

Open Letter to Terrible Ted: Lessons in EPIC FAIL

Last Sunday Terrible Ted Nugent - the Yosemite Sam of Rock-n-Roll - wrote an Op-ed for the Waco-Tribune Herald, in which he threw in full bore with Rush Limbaugh and against President Obama.

Ted Nugent: Praying for Obama to fail

Observe how the Obama media machine and soulless liberal media jumped on Rush Limbaugh’s comments that he “wanted Obama to fail.”

Anyone with a half a brain knows Rush wants only this: for America to succeed and for anti-American policies to fail.

To leave no doubt where I, your humble Motor City guitarslinger, stands, let me report without ambiguity, that I get down on bended knee daily and pray to God that he does what he can to ensure President Obama fails.

Being a fellow Rock Musician, and yes a fan (of some of his music) I've felt for the last few days that a open-letter to Theodore was needed in response, one which shows the appropriate tone and respect. To wit.

Dear Ted, you ignorant pedaphiliac slut.

When you say that the current duly-elected President of the United states is "Anti-American" - exactly what the fuck does that mean? What is he Canadian? French?

Trust me, I have more than half a brain, and when Rush Limbaugh said he wanted "Obama to Fail" he seems to be under to sad delusion that their is any possible way that Obama might fail, and the rest of the country won't go down too. We are facing challenges to the economy, challenges overseas diplomatically and strategically that are enormous. Let me tell you something Theodore - FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!

Ok, to be fair - I'm gonna let you answer my question above for yourself, being slightly more than half-brained as I am.



Like Rush, I wouldn’t want Obama to fail if his agenda weren’t built on feeding the gluttonous, unaccountable Fedzilla beast, so clearly the enemy of the free market, of real jobs and proven economic growth.

Since that is Obama’s agenda, however, those of us who believe in a limited federal government and the wondrous wealth-and-job-creating free market should hope, pray and work to ensure Obama’s anti-free market policies fall flat on their face.



So let me get this shit straight, "Obama is feeding the FEDZILLA!"? Ok, he's doing this how? By putting money in the hands of the States with the Stimulus bill? If the FEDZILA was growing under Obama, how exactly are Palin, Jindal and other governors able to even make any arguement that they don't WANT the money? (Even though all of them are taking the money!) Obama wants to put funds in the hands of the people, not into a huge federal byzantine bureacracy that will dictate and control everything. That kind of thing was someone elses gig...

Wasn't it President Bush who instituted the largest growth in Federal Power and Employees of the past 40 years with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security? Why, yes it was. Wasn't it Al Gore, during the Clinton administration who reduced the size of all departments of the Federal Government by a an average of 10% in order to produce the first federal surplus in the last half century? Didn't Bush BLOW THROUGH THAT Surplus like a drunken sailor?

Yep, he did.

The guy who implemented a limited government was Clinton, Bush's government simply didn't work - period. The result wasn't a "wondrous wealth-and-job-creating free market" - it was a complete and total meltdown. How's Your 401-K doing Ted? Most people saw their incomes rise under Clinton, then saw them fall under Bush by an average of $2000. We had enforcement of the laws in order to keep criminal corporations for running rampant under Clinton - under Bush we had poison in our food, poison in our rivers, streams and fish, and a bunch of greedy drunken fucking pirates running our corporations like Enron, Global Crossing, Adelphia, Bear-Sterns, Lehman Brothers and AIG deep into the ground.

But then you aren't comparing Obama to Clinton are you - you have another hated Democrat in mind.


A wise man once stated that those who fail to remember the lessons of the past are destined to repeat them. If we can compare President Obama’s economic carnage agenda to anyone in the recent past, it unquestionably would be Jimmy Carter.

Carter’s deranged economic policies in the late 1970s ruined the economy and put America in the worst fiscal shape since the Great Depression.

Remember gas rationing, double-digit interest rates, stagflation?


Ok, let's get serious. Exactly WHAT policies did Carter implement that caused that? What did he do the CREATE inflation? Maybe it wasn't him, maybe it was something else?

How about Vietnam?

You remember the Vietnam War don't you Ted? That was the War that you avoided by spending weeks CRAPPING IN YOUR PANTS (or so you claimed), so you could duck out of the draft. I guess,it's tough for people who don't have few lucky anal cysts handy.

A lot of Carter's problems had to do with the post-Vietnam downturn that usually follows in the wake of a massive ramp-down in defense spending after a war. (The same thing happened in the early 90's as the cold-war ended, and would've happened after WWII if not for the massive domestic investments implemented by Truman and Eisenhower) Don't think so? Ok, look at this chart.



See that first spike of inflation in 1970, and the second in 1973? Who was President then? If you said "Carter" - you Fail!

Think seriously Theodore, the tendency for inflation was already in place. The match was already lit, what happened to Carter was the addition of a few thousand barrell's of gasoline - or rather - Oil. How much of the gas rationing of the 70's had to do with the OPEC Oil embargo of 1973-1974? I think just about all of it. The rise in inflation in the late 70's (under Carter) was clearly related to other factors including the Iran Hostage Crisis, which no one could have anticipated. Even the students who stormed our Embassy didn't know what the hell they were doing at the time, or what would happen as a result. Carter, I think to his credit, avoided letting that situation lead us into a war - but he did so at the cost of his Presidency.

The point here is many of these situations were created by the actions of Nixon, Ford, and U.S. policy going back for decades. Carter inherited all of that inflation mess from those who came before him. In fairness, I would agree that Carter didn't handle things well, but it's not because he implemented policies that created or exacerbated the situation - certainly not by raising taxes which he DIDN'T DO - it because of the opposite. The simple fact is, Carter didn't do enough. He sat on his hands, he was slow in responding - that's what he deserves to be criticized for, not "creating" that situation.

But what-oh-what Teddy, since you were so thoughtful as to dredge all this ancient history up - is it that Obama should do instead of the stagnating "policies" of Carter?



Fast-forward just a few months after American voters fired Carter for his gross incompetence on all levels. America was on the road to a 25-year economic expansion, possibly the longest in our nation’s history.

Recognizing that unfair, punitive high taxes were the road to economic destruction, Ronald Reagan cut taxes and the economy lifted off. Interest rates fell. Inflation was curtailed. Americans went back to work in droves.


It seems to me that taxes were pretty high in the 50s, and in the 60's and the economy was doing just fine. As a matter of fact they were - see the bottom chart number 2, which shows that the top marginal tax rate during that time actually peaked at 92% during the 50's. Somehow, life (and American prosperity) went on...




Yes, Reagan cut taxes for the wealthiest from about 80% all the way down to the low 30's (as the bottom part of the chart shows), but that not really what made the economy take off. He also dramatically increased spending - particularly defense spending.

During the 80's I worked for a defense contractor, and I can tell you from first hand experience - it was a major economy booster, at least until 91' when the cold war ended. People had jobs, with paychecks and they spent their money. On food, on cars, on homes, on travel and vacations. They spent quite a bit, and that defense spending put money in the pockets of lots of people who had nothing to do with the industry.

But it was nowhere near the utopia you paint.

One year after implementing what was then the largest tax cut in history, Reagan immediately implemented the largest tax INCREASE in history (at that time) after his first cut exploded the deficit (Y'know - the FEDZILLA beast you're so a-scared of...? That's Reagan's Beast, not Obama's.)

Oh and don't even play that "It was the Democratic Congress" that wouldn't cut spending game - every budget that Congress approved during Reagan's Presidency SPENT LESS than what he asked for.

The end result of Reaganomics was a massive shift of the tax burden away from those who for decades had easily been able to shoulder the burden onto the backs of those who couldn't. Inflation went down, but then unemployment went up. Some people got rich, other people - particularly Veterans, which obviously doesn't include YOU Teddy - went homeless and untreated for PTSD and other disorders. Reagan talked a great game, really he did, but he ignored those who needed help the most. He demonized them, and hobbled the government from being able to do it's job. He ignored the Vets, he ignored the sick - particularly those suffering from AIDS and drug addition until both became epidemics raging out of control. Nice job Ronnie.

When we were attacked in Beirut - he CUT AND RAN LIKE A SCARED RABBIT!!!!

He not only "Pal'd around with terrorists" he gave them weapons!! And when he got caught, he LIED about it. Whatta Role Model he was.

You wanna talk about the "Free Market"? Hey, don't you remember "JUNK BONDS"? Corporate Raiders whose entire reason to exist was to buy a company only to dismantle it and ship the jobs overseas? Remember Black Friday and the Savings and Loan Crash? Remember Gordon Gekko?



"Greed is Good!" Right Ted? "So what if a few million Americans get trampled in the process, they shouldn't have been laying on the road in the way. Lazy FUCKS!!! They probably need and F-150 up their ass to give 'em some motivation!"

All of that shit either occurred directly on Reagan's watch or as a direct result of his ROB THE POOR AND GIVE TO THE RICH policies, which were repeated and eventually led us to GRAND EPIC FAILURE of the Bush Administration.

And so, that's what you think we need to go back to?

I don't think so.



Remember your history and pray for President Obama to fail. I fear for America if we allow him to succeed.



America will succeed, but it's going to do with Despite You and your feeble self-defeating Prayers Teddy. We can't go back down the road we've been own after decades of Republican leadership. Only under President Clinton have we truly seen some of these massive fuck-ups straightened out, and even he didn't go far enough in ensuring that *everyone* has a decent and fair chance at properity, not just the connected, the lucky and the already rich.

You can pray for what you want - but I'm praying for YOU and Rush and Glenn and all your wingnut syncophats to massively fail - yet again - as your buddy Bush was too clueless and arrogant to pay attention to Bin Laden and failed to stop 9/11, failed to find ANY weapons in Iraq, failed to secure that country after they wrongfully invading it, failed to respond to the Insurgency, failed to understand that a person who trusts you will tell you truth while someone who fears you will tell you anything they think you want to hear, failed to keep the Congress safe from an Anthrax attack, failed after Katrina to rescue the desperate, failed to find, capture or kill Bin Laden, failed to provide us with vaccines to minimize preventable diseased, failed to realize Terry Schiavo was blind and brain-dead, failed to keep the American people safe from anti-freeze in our toothpaste, failed to protect us from poison in our medicine and a insane predatory lending/credit default-swap system of monitized mortgages that nearly brought the entire world economy crashing down around your ears!

Why the FUCK should we listen to you people now!!?

Republicans have done nothing but FAIL for years now. None of us have been praying for it - only praying for it TO BE OVER! Now it finally is. Show some class and eat your failure pie quietly in the corner like a good doddering old irrelevant Rocker. And take Up-Chuck Norris with ya.

If Obama had failed today - the Somali Pirates who had been holding a U.S. Captain hostage for the last several days would have succeeded. But they didn't, Obama succeeded while you were Praying. Against. Him! Good job, but you failed again.

Bottom line: You guys should already know a lot about MASSIVE TOTAL ABJECT FAILURE - it's all you're good at. Obama isn't Carter, and he's isn't Clinton either - he's his own person and the sooner you Wingnut Friedmanomic Luddites recognize that the better off we'll all be.

You're Real Rock friend, sincerely.

Vyan

P.S. If you haven't had enough from this whupping, I'll be happy to Whup your ass on Lead Guitar too, particularly since you haven't learned a new lick in 35 years. Hell, Tommy Shaw from you last credible band Damn Yankees could play circles around you Ted, what were you even there for - Comedy Relief? Haw!

Some may wonder why I bother spending so much time on a irrelevant dim-bulb like Nugent? It's because he's making noise about running for Governor of Michigan in 2010 - that's why! Yes, REALLY! One thing this nation doesn't need is another Palinite Blowhard NitWit Governor, Bow-hunting Deer from a Helicopter...while destroying our collective common sense.

Enough is enough.

Time for new Progressive Meme: Social-Capitalism

Ok, we've been hearing it since the election and the first appearance of Sammy-Joe the (Un)Plumber: What Obama (and by extension his supporters) want to "Change" about America is to make it "Socialist".

The ridiculousness of this claim is so extreme that hardly anyway has responded to it anything besides snorting up their sleeve, but it's well past time we Progressives and Liberals rather started to define ourselves rather than allow ourselves and what we desire to be defined by people who don't know or care what we really stand for.

To that end I suggest we consider a completely new meme to describe that strategy we support for tackling America's problems. No it's not communism, or socialism, both of these are dusty 20th Century terms best applied to the Soviets or Red Chinese of by-gone years.

No, I think what we want is a Fair Market with Social-Capitalism.

The idea came to me based on a couple of interesting Tweet exchanges. The first with California Rep. Maxine Waters.

@maxinewaters: Barney nails it. http://is.gd/oKb5 This is exactly what I've been saying in all my tweets: $$ doesn't belong in private hands. Capital=evil.

Vyan1: I wouldn't say "Capital=Evil" - more like Unlimited Greed = Evil Capitol is a tool, it's a matter of what you do with it!

maxinewaters: The Capitol is not a tool! Or did u mean capital? No, capital=private ownership=evil. Only govt. can be trusted w/ $$ all else unfair

Vyan1: i meant money=tool for doing things. Unlimited Greed is the problem. (am constituent btw) Monopolies are a problem too!

maxinewaters A DM: "Only 1 source of jobs: companies/people who want to make $!" No, that's the problem w/ USA. We SHOULD work for justice, not $$. #TCOT

@maxinewaters: We need Michael Moore to do documentary how Bush set up the financial system via $GS & Paulson to fail to make Dems & #Obama look bad. #TCOT

Vyan1: Lots of footage of Grover Norquist on that MM film. This is the final result of the 30 year "Starving the Beast" strategy

Vyan1: the plan was loot the treasury and drive the deficit so high all entitlment programs would *HAVE* to be cut to the bone.

maxinewaters: That's why we're cutting deficit

I still disagree with Rep Waters premise that "Private Ownership=Evil" or that only the government can be trust with our money - I frankly don't trust either one of them but in our country we still need both private enterprise and government - the trick is making sure both of them keep each other in check.

However the comment that caught my eye is this one :"We SHOULD work for Justice, not $$"

Why can't we do both? Why shouldn't we do both?

If you disconnect the goal of becoming rich, what we so are often told is "The American Dream", from engaging fairly with your common man and from trying to install some for of social justie in the world - you wind up with what we've seen over the past 8 years. Unbridled Enron-inomics.

Time and time again, bankers and business have used the leverage that money gives them to cut corners, overhype and inflate prices, and use legalistic fine-print to squeeze more and more dollars out of their customers, and out of their employees to place in thier stock value.

It's become one big game of "Whose got the biggest Stock Gain this Quarter!?"

That's what drove Enron, Aldephia, Global Crossing and now Bear-Sterns, Lehmann Brothers and AIG over a cliff.

Raw, unrestricted, unlimited, Naked Greed.

As a result the government has been forced to step into the picture - which leads me to my next Tweet exchange, this time with MSNBC's Contessa Brewer

contessabrewer Why can't gov't budget be more like a wise family's. Live within your means, save for the unexpected, use debt only 4 true investments.

Vyan1 @contessabrewer Most American Families live off their credit cards and their home equity - just like the government.

contessabrewer @Vyan1 Well, that's why I said WISE families.

Vyan1 @contessabrewer Hard to be that "Wise" when wages have remained stagnant (for those that still have wages) for 10 years while prices rise.

Rather than "Supply-Side" economics, maybe it's time we began to consider the "Demand-Side" of things. Businesses can thrive when consumers have buying power - the problem has been in the ever more dramatic drive to cram down prices, we've also crammed down wages and salaries. Price inflation has still continued (Remember $4 per gallon gas!), but wage inflation hasn't. What you could buy for a dollar last year, only gets you 80 cents this year - so how did people fill that gap?

With their credit cards.

Or by borrowing against their mortgage.

Here's a little audio on this from Thom Hartmann on the Mortgage Crisis.

Hartmann: (From the Wall Street Journal) As middle-class incomes are being wiped-out, manufacturing incomes are being wiped-out, people can't pay their mortgages. And the Financial Times points out that Banks are starting to lose money are the result of this.

What we've seen over the last 26 years is a dismantling of the core of the United States, and it's been done for a specific purpose. To dis-empower the Middle class.

When the credit golden goose ran out of eggs we landed right where we are now. It wasn't simply a case of the Wall Street incompetence and Main Street over-reach. Yet again, It was both!

The failure Bush years has opened up a window. It's becoming more and more common to hear "Too Big to Fail - is Too Big to EXIST!" from not just people on the fringe, but mainstream Economists and even Members of Congress. (Such as Senator Bernie Sanders, the only "Socialist" in Congress)

Sanders: We need to have the United States Government play a role in protecting the people against the greed of multi-national corporations. If a company is too big to fail, it's too big to exist!

We are not headed into a system where government owns and operates our entire economy. We are not headed into Communism, Socialism or Marxism - however we certainly can not maintain a system where corporations run completely Amok! If consumers and employees are passenger cars on our economic highways, attempting to navigate on a road filled with Super-Giant Corporate Semi-Trailers, we need to have some Rules of the Road to prevent the smaller cars from getting run into a ditch by the trucks. We need to have some guidelines, to keep traffic flowing, and some speed limits to prevent those massive trucks from Jack-knifing and creating a Million Car Pileup.

Again.

Therefore, maybe we do need to embrace a new form a capitalism. One that doesn't simply serve the selfish self-interest of investors and share-holders but also includes the idea of being a good neighbor and a responsible co-habitant in our society.

Maybe we need to move from the Dog-eat-Dog Demolition Derby model of capitalism to a cooperative one - to Social-Capitalism.

Maybe we should work and toil not just from financial reward, but also - for Social and Economic Justice.

Certainly there are time when "Justice" doesn't really pay well. And those may be the time where, for the sake of justice and the sake of our national well-being, Government has to step it with subsidies or not-for-profit options.

Maybe we need to realize that the "Free Market" alone, CAN NOT solve everyones problem in that what we really should strive for is a "FAIR Market" that allows everyone a chance to compete, even the little guys, without being crushed into powder by well entrenched interests.

Maybe it's time we starting defining ourselves, rather than letting other hurl their epithets our way.

Maybe that time is Now.

What say you?

Follow My Tweets

Vyan

Santelli = Shithead

Ok, I get the whole populist "Don't take my hard earned money and give it the lazy fracking Losers!" - Vibe. Sure, who doesn't get that? Odd that we never heard this during all the months that various execs we're planning to party at the Wynn and let's just ignore the fact that "People who bought a HOT TUB and can't make their mortgage" are NOT the primary problem in the housing crisis - but I digress. CNBC's Rick Santelli has actually manage to up the ante on Teh Stupid &trade with his latest attack on the Obama White House.

SANTELLI: He started that press conference saying, “I don’t know where he lives, I don’t know where his house is.” This is the Press Secretary of the White House. Is that the kind of thing we want? Is that —

LIDDY: It’s a veiled threat.

SANTELLI: It really is. [...] I don’t really want to be a spokesman, but I really am very proud of a) the response I’m getting, which is overwhelmingly positive, and b) discourse, that is debate. That if the pressure and the heat I’m taking from the White House – the fact my kids are nervous to go to school – I can take that, okay.

Excuse me, but What the Frell!?

Nobody likes to be ripped off. Nobody likes the idea of spending a generation or more paying for someone elses selfishness, so when Santelli went off his his extremely fact challenged rant the other day on CNBC - I was wiling to let it slide.

Everyone makes an honest mistake, everyone needs a chance to blow off some steam.

But it's now clear that the problem here isn't the Obama plan, it's Santelli's blatant failure to comprehend.

Not only does he not get it now, he didn't get it back in September when he - like John McCain - said the "Economy IS healthy".



Ok, enough of his blather - let's contrast that with a little bit of the truth from Bill Maher! Everyone should watch this in it's entirety - Key Points: A) Nuremberg for the Bankers! b) Nobody ever turned down a chance at the "American Dream" of owning your own home, even when it's dripping in snake oil and c) Just where were the regulators life-guards keeping the preditory lending sharks from feasting on all those fresh home-dazed swimmers in the pool?



Anyway, let's look again at what White House Press Secratary Gibb's really did say to Santelli.

GIBBS: I’ve watched Mr. Santelli on cable the past 24 hours or so. I’m not entirely sure where Mr. Santelli lives or in what house he lives but the American people are struggling every day to meet their mortgages, stay in their jobs, pay their bills, send their kids to school.

Far from being any "threat" or attack - all of us with a half-a-brain-cell functioning know that Gibb's invited Santeli to the President's Home to actually READ the plan and have some coffee - DECAF!

On what planet is that some kind of attack?

It's at this point you have to realize that Santelli and his ilk (Alan Marvin-the-Martian Keys and Senator Obama's a Fo-REE-NUR Shelby) couldn't find their own asses with a GPS and Google Maps.

If there's any reason for Santelli's kids to be afraid, it's the fact that this FATUOUS BLOWHOLE is their DAD!

Vyan

Crazy so thick, you can cut it with a dull butter knife

This tour-de-force of the stupid-train brought to you by Michelle (We-Should-have-an-Anti-American-Test-For-Congress) Bachmann as she claims that the Stimulus package will allow Obama to redistrict the nation at will, give $4 billion to Acorn, ration healthcare, and naturally steal truckloads of money from republicans and give it to democrats. (The Deep, Dark Liberal Ultimate Plan!)

Olbermann: Is she a) dumb, b) crazy or c) politically brilliant?

Hayes: This sounds like someone who gets the entirety of their politics for Rush Limbaugh and Townhall.com. (She is) one of these people who exists solely in this really intense, ideologically extreme, fervent, sheltered, inbred, sub-culture of real hard right-wingery!
...

Like a stew, the Republican party is being boiled off, and reduced, and reduced...(She's) like the demiglas of wing-nuttia!

I think Hayes may have more than a bit of a point.

After decades of the rational republicans being essentially run out of the party on rail - with the exception of the Maine delegation and Arlen Specter - all the we have left are the super-wingnuts like Bachmann, Palin, Michael (Government Never Made a Job) Steele, Ted (It's a Series of Tube!) Stevens, and Eric Cantors left.

This isn't just a mere matter of a honest difference of opinion. It's worse than flat-out willful ignorance and disinformation - some of these people are completely off their nut.

And after getting whomped in two elections in a row - they're just getting worse, not better.

You've got Rick (Man-on-Dog) Santorum saying that the Qu'ran is written in "Islamic" instead of Arabic. That's like saying the King James Bible is written in Anglican, rather than the King's English.

Or this example from Hardball with J.D. Hayworth (via The Young Turks) arguing that the economic meltdown is all the fault of Chuck Schumer and Goerge Soros!

Matthews: Would you like 8 more years of the same policies?

Hayworth: I'd like lower taxes and a strong economy, yes.

Matthews: But that's not what we had. We have a mess.

Hayworth: Well, that's the fault of Chuck Schumer...(incoherrent) George Soros manipulating the currency...(incoherrent babble)... Indy mack...(blah blah blah)

Matthews: You can talk fast, but I don't know what you're talking about... George Soros?

Ford: This is why Barack Obama won.

Uyger: That clip was critical, because he can't answer the question. It's like you're so dense you can't understand simple evidence and facts. (Indy Mac amd Schumer) was a pimple on the elephants ass. Your Elephant's Ass. This republican party is absolutely, positively intellectually bankrupt. They got nothing left in the tank. They're like an old witch Doctor - every answer is "leaches". Got a problem - get a leach. We'll suck those tax cuts right out of you.

The Republican Party is circling the drain, and all they seem to be able to do - turn into the spin and go down faster

But what we have to realize is that these people are all just a slice of a portion of America that is slowly losing it's collective mind. Their embracing of Joe the-Unlicenced-tax-dodging-incurious Plumber/Pundit is not an aberration - it's their destiny because they see themselves reflected in Joe's dull dead-behind the frontal-lobe eyes. Bachmann stays in Office because, if she's anything, she is Joe Duh Plumber in a pantsuit.

It's not just the elected leaders, the entire party has become hijacked by nothing but the Dittoheads and Palinites who still believe - despite all fact and common sense that Obama is a "Socialist Muslim" who Palled Around with Terrorists, or it's people who believe and agree with the rants of the Knoxville Liberal-Are-Evil Gunman - like this recent post I received from a alleged "Paster" on my own personal blog after I brought up Domestic Terrorist Eric Rudolph the Olympic Park Bomber.

Don't tell me about Eric Rudolph. At least he stopped the babykilling abortionist from murdering any more children. What have you done to stopped these babies from being murdered?

How many straight children have been molested and murdered by homosexuals like you? A lot. How many Christians have been assaulted by homosexuals like you because you didn't like the way they voted? A lot. How many Christian churches have been burned down by homosexuals like you because you disagree with the Holy Bible? A lot. Matthew Shepard is in eternal hell fire now and will never get out.

Whatever you think, you will not be able to change God's Word and will one day have to pay the price for not believing what God has written.

Scary no? These guys are deep and serious denial and delusion. It's not a debate, or open exchange of contrasting ideas - this is a dangerous, contagious, pathological social disorder. You can't argue people out of this, they have to slowly, painfully come back to reality on their own. Some never will. The sooner we come to realize that, the better.

In the meantime, at this rate and direction the Republican Party is doomed.

Couldn't happen to a better bunch of nutballs.

Vyan


You think you have every answer ready
You hear the news, but you just refuse to believe
What it means

You'll never see it
'till your World Comes Tumbling Down
You'll never know it
'till your Nose is shoved right to the ground
You'll never hear it

From the Song "Tumbling Down" by Me!

Lansing Mayor Takes Faux News to School!

Why is it the working people, the people who actually make things, always have to take it in the shorts - what about Wall Street? Why isn't there some Reciprocity?

In response to The Faux Reporter tries to argue that UAW autoworkers earn almost 2.5 times what other worker make, but that is a frankly, a load of Crap - it's not a $70/hr to $27/hr ratio - it's more like $30 to $27 (Between Chrysler and Toyota workers). The New York Post (which is owned by Rupert Murdoch likeh Fox News)gets the $70 is by including all of the Health Care Costs for the Retirees, not the currently active workforce. If you want to take away the Healthcare for all the guys who worked their entire LIFE to earn it - you'd finally reach the "Enough" point for these vultures.

Also, If we had Universal Healthcare, that burden on top of the Big 3 would be GONE!!

Vyan

House GOP Dances and Fiddles while the Economy Burns

This just from Eric Cantor Useless Tool House Republican Whip.



Yes, they're serious.

Seriously deluded.

The House Bill was not "written in Secret" it went through the Rule Committe as detailed recently by Rep. Louise Slaughter.

The bill, as it came to the Rules Committee, the last stop before the floor vote, already incorporated 12 Republican amendments. The Rules Committee then added the 11 amendments: 6 Democratic and 5 Republican, in addition to a complete Republican substitute, and a motion to recommit. They were unable to muster the votes necessary and lost on bipartisan votes. House Republicans may have come together to vote against the final bill, but they split on their own amendments with 40 to 60 Republicans voting with Democrats. Some Republicans even voted against their party’s alternative bill, and it failed on the floor.

The Republican alternative didn’t have a final price tag, consisted entirely of tax cuts, and would actually raise taxes for 26 million American families. In two years, the Democratic bill would create 3.6 million jobs. The Republican substitute: 1.2 million – a third as many as the Democratic bill that passed the House.

There is no money for ACORN.

MSNBC's Shuster to GOP strategist: "There was no money for ACORN [in the stimulus bill], Doug. You guys know better than that."

The money to replenish the Federal Auto Fleet is to replace them with Fuel Efficient Cars, which will help with reducing our dependance on foreign oil, while creating an immediate demand and market for these cars with auto manufacturers - which in turn will help bring the price of these cars down for consumers. It's a three-way WIN!



Repubs claim the bill is "Pork Barrel", and say it should have more "Shovel-ready" projects - but then when you ask for specifics they actually support those projects because they involve building infrastructure. Someone should tell them - The Reason their weren't as many Infrastructure Projects - is BECAUSE THEY INCLUDED SO MANY TAX CUTS - which the Republicans claim to like also. It's fracking nuts!

I have a better Aerosmith Song for Cantor and all the corporate and Oil Lobbyists who are holding his leash.

EAT THE RICH - cuz they plump when you cook 'em.

Vyan

The Lie-Publicans are gonna Cock-Block the Stimulus

Like a jealous ex-girlfriend that you just dumped who won't go away, the Senate Republicans are lining up to make sure our initial date with the Obama Administration goes down in flames, by hook or by crook - and the economy and country be damned.

I mean, I can understand a reasonable difference of opinion, and balancing divergent ideas - but when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel says that the Obama Plan is too expensive at $816 Billion and that the Repubs have a cheaper more effective plan, they either stupid or lying, and I don't think they're stupid.

McConnel: A trillion dollars is a LOT of money!

No Shit! It's amazing how Money Conscious Republicans have become after blowing the Clinton Surplus with six years of record deficits, isn't it?

Hey Mitch, Y'know what else cost us a Trillion Dollars?

The Iraq War.

Barney Frank: There are pub needs that we have in this society that can not be accomplished by a tax cut. No tax cuts builds a road, no tax cut puts a cop on the street, No tax cut educates a child.

Dmint: This is the largest spending bill in history and we're trying to call it a stimulus...

Frank: Spending can be a stimulus... and the largest spending bill in history is going to be the Iraq War... I don't understand (the view) from my conservative friends that building a road, building a school, helping someone get healthcare is "wasteful" spending - when will have spent Over a $Trillion In Iraq

Another thing, the tax-cut plan McConnel endorses (pdf) as an alternative really isn't cheaper than the current House/Obama plan according to an analysis by the center for American Progress, it's 3.5 Times as Expensive



Then you've got Ex-Gringrichian Congress-Critter Joe Scarborough ranting that Obama is giving tax cuts to people who don't pay taxes, except that according to the CBO they do pay sales, payroll and social security taxes.

SCARBOROUGH: You’re not going to get Republicans to line up and support tax cuts for people who don’t pay taxes. That’s taking you to a position now where you have the federal government — and this is very dangerous — just writing checks to people for doing nothing. It’s not even welfare. ... If you want pure straight socialism, if you want to buy off people, do that.

Buy Off? Is that what the Republican s are doing whenever they suggest a tax cut for their buddies on Wall Street? Obama's cut for the working class will put money in people hands, money that people can pay their bills with, that they can pay off their credit cards and loans with, money they can buy things with - y'know all the stuff that keeps those Wall Streeters in business?

Oh, and buy the way - Obama's refundable tax credit gets far more bang for the buck according to economists.



A $1 reduction in refundable tax credit creates a $1.26 increase in GDP by stimulating the economy, whereas the same cut to corporate taxes only stimulates the GDP by 30 cents.

Last week House Republicans, after lying about a CBO report on Obama's plan that didn't exist, claimed that their plan would create 6.2 Million Jobs (twice as much as Obama's) except that Christine Romer, the person that wrote the report they were quoting, says They're Full Of IT!

Question: The House claims that based on the research of CEA Chair Christy Romer, their plan would create 6.2 million jobs. Isn’t that a more effective way of jumpstarting the economy?

Answer: The Republican House analysis is flat wrong in its claim that the House Republican stimulus is more effective. No matter what your analytical assumptions, as long as they are consistent the plan the President supports would result in substantially greater job creation than the House Republican plan.

The bottom line is this, Republicans can't afford for Obama's plan to pass - or for it to work, because if it does it will completely invalidate all the rhetoric they've been using to justify Reagan/Bush-Onomics which we've been suffering under for the past 30 years and have so hollowed out the working class that we're losing jobs the way that Niagra Falls loses water, bringing our entire country is on the edge of financial collapse.

Certainly, there are things that you can criticize about the current plan, not enough infrustructure spending on shovel-ready projects, nothing to address the problem of so many people losing their homes with either a credit amnesty or ability to renegotiate your primary residence payment as an alternative to foreclosure - but the Repubs aren't being honest brokers here.

They've already sunk their party, now they're trying to sink the rest of the country with yet another 60-vote ghost filibuster simply to be a bunch of - well - Dick Heads.

I have a strong feeling Obama is NOT gonna let that happen. We can't afford to let him.

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Vyan