Grover Norquist tries put all blame on Obama for the economic mess. Grade: FAIL. CNN’s Morgan: ‘It’s complete hogwash’
July 15, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media CNN’s Piers Morgan likes to cast himself as an outsider, but he is in many ways a classic Villager, since he shares the Beltway’s relentless fetish with “bipartisanship” and “centrism”. Of course, this has for many years just been a cover for allowing right-wingers to lie, distort, smear and bully relentlessly, all in the name of “bipartisanship”, while demanding that liberals apologize abjectly for any pushback deemed too uncivil. It’s allowed GOP operatives like Grover Norquist to manipulate the media narrative so that anything other than right-wing orthodoxy is derided and dismissed — even when right-wing orthodoxy is just certifiably insane . Thus we had Norquist on Morgan’s CNN show the other day, playing the same game — but this time, it became clear that right-wing insanity on the debt ceiling is becoming too much even for Villagers to handle. This time, Morgan — in a rare display of principle — actually tried to call Norquist out on the right’s ongoing and egregious violations of the Village’s standards for fairness and bipartisanship in this debate, particularly their insistence on blaming Obama and Democrats for an economic mess created by conservative misgovernance. Morgan tried to get Norquist to say just how much responsibility Republicans might have for our current economic miseries, and couldn’t get an honest answer. Instead, Norquist veered into a classic piece of misdirection from the guy who once was quoted saying that “bipartisanship is a form of date rape”: NORQUIST: We need to get away from partisan politics. MORGAN: Why don’t we — let’s put it all in the mix. NORQUIST: And solve the problem. MORGAN: Let’s put it all in the mix. All in the mix, everything taken into account, percentage of the current crisis down to Republican decisions versus Democrat. Give me a percentage. NORQUIST: Well, OK, the Republicans have put forward a budget under Ryan cut $6 trillion out of the Obama budget. Obama has accepted none of that so he’s 100 percent responsible. MORGAN: So President Obama is 100 percent responsible for our current financial crisis. NORQUIST: For the failure — for the failure to get our — get out spending down. MORGAN: Isn’t your answer exactly what the problem is? For you to sit there and just look me straight in the eye down this camera and say President Obama is 100 percent responsible for the financial crisis in America, it’s obviously complete hogwash. And that kind of partisan opinion is what is preventing any kind of sensible deal, a strategy being achieved, isn’t it? All Norquist could answer was to say that, yeah, Bush spent too much, but Obama has just put the pedal to the metal, blah blah blah. Never any acknowledgment that the meltdown occurred on Bush’s watch, and as a result of Bush’s policies, which were in fact broadly supported by conservative Republicans like Norquist throughout his tenure and which were never opposed by any conservative faction with any pull. Policies which, in fact, Republicans now propose as the solution to the same economic disaster they actually created. It was a classic display of right-wing insanity. And it’s only going to get worse.
Continue reading …
With Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warning an unprecedented default can’t be delayed any longer, President Barack Obama and congressional negotiators may finally be moving toward compromise in the standoff over cutting America’s deficit. (July 14)
Continue reading …
NASA released video showing the view of last week’s final space shuttle launch as seen from the solid rocket boosters. The boosters separate from the shuttle two minutes into flight, 24 nautical miles above the earth’s surface. (July 14)
Continue reading …
“Mad Men,” the sharply observed drama of a changing 1960s America, captured 19 Emmy nominations Thursday to lead the series pack, with the melodramatic miniseries “Mildred Pierce” starring Kate Winslet grabbing a top 21 bids. (July 14)
Continue reading …
Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman and Kerry Washington are among the celebrities who gave out ESPY awards to some of America’s best sports stars in Los Angeles. (July 14)
Continue reading …Dick Morris: Bachmann and Palin are an Existential Threat to the Democratic Party
July 14, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media I don’t know what Dick Morris was smoking before he came on Bill O’Reilly’s show this Wednesday, but maybe he should be sharing it. After being asked about some poll numbers for the GOP primary race and Bill-O asking him to conduct one next week where he asks who’s responsible for “the giant debt America has”, as though O’Reilly doens’t already know if was George W. Bush and Republicans that busted our budget after Bill Clinton left surpluses, Morris decides to chime in with some of his infinite wisdom on Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin. MORRIS: They are an existential threat to the Democratic Party, because the Democratic Party is essentially based on women; women and minorities. And therefore when they meet a conservative Republican woman, that threatens them in a way that a man never can. And that’s why they are so vitriolic against both of them. O’REILLY: Yeah, you’ve got the gender politics going on in there. Yeah, that’s the ticket Dick. Palin and Bachmann are about as much of “an existential threat to the Democratic Party” because they are women as Herman Cain is because he’s black. Dick Morris apparently thinks that Democratic female voters have brains the size of peas if they’d vote for either of those know-nothings just because they’re women. Granted you may always get a few outliers out there that would vote for them because they’re women, but if he thinks it would be some kind of serious threat that Democratic women would leave in vast numbers because a couple of women, one of whom is not even a nominee yet, are running (or maybe not) for president, he’s deluding himself, or more likely, just trying to delude the people who watch O’Reilly’s show and take it seriously. And they’re not being treated in a “vitriolic” manner because they’re women. They’re being treated in a “vitriolic” manner because they’re both unqualified to be president. But that won’t stop Dick Morris from playing the victim card for both of them.
Continue reading …
Paraguay 3 – Venezuela 3- Resumen del encuentro por la Copa América 2011 – América Televisión.flv LA VINOTINTO SIGUE INVICTA EN ARGENTINA Mike Fedor GOLAZO pone el 2-3 Venezuela vs Paraguay minuto 90 Copa America 2011.AVI Easteruy92 says: invicta http://t.co/84KI9Vl Why are Invicta watches always on sale? !
Continue reading …
City experts warned that the lack of progress in Washington in recent days over the debt ceiling was fanning fears that the world’s biggest economy might default on some of its debt America’s debt crisis reached a critical stage on Thursday as lawmakers remained deadlocked over whether raise the US debt ceiling, and Moody’s threatened to downgrade the country’s credit rating. The dollar lost ground against most major currencies after Moody’s and Chinese ratings agency Dagong both put the US on negative watch. Reports, later denied, that President Obama had walked out of debt negotiations with top Republicans added to the drama. World stock markets suffered another bout of heavy losses when trading began on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 falling 57 points within the opening minutes to 5879. City experts warned that the lack of progress in Washington in recent days was fanning fears that the world’s biggest economy might default on some of its debts. Michael Hewson of CMC Markets called the threat of a Moody’s downgrade a “cruise missile across the bows of US politicians”. “One thing is certain it won’t take long for Fitch and S&P to follow suit if the politicians don’t come to their senses,” Hewson added. Moody’s said on Wednesday night that there was a greater risk that the US government would not agree to increase its debt ceiling above the legal limit of $14.3 trillion (£8.86tn), hit in May . Dagong swiftly followed suit, saying slow economic growth and rising debts meant the federal government’s ability to repay its debts was deteriorating. Despite mounting concern in the financial markets, America’s political leaders remain some distance apart over the issue of the debt ceiling. Little progress appeared to be made on Wednesday. Republican House majority leader Eric Cantor claimed that Obama had shoved back the table and walked out of White House talks, after Cantor refused to discuss the president’s proposal to raise taxes on wealthier Americans. “The president told me, ‘Eric, don’t call my bluff. I’m going to take this to the American people,’” Cantor said after the meeting. Democrats, though, disputed whether Obama had quit the meeting prematurely. “Left abruptly is perfectly fair,” one official told the LA Times . “But the meeting was over — in no sense did he walk out on it.” Officials have warned that, as things stand, America will run out of money to pay its bills on 2 August. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that without agreement, the US would continue to service its debts and stop benefits like Social Security payments instead. Republicans are demanding hefty spending cuts, worth around $2.4tn over the next ten years, in return for voting to raise the debt ceiling. Obama is pushing for a $4tn deficit reduction plan over the same period, with a hefty slice of increased tax revenue. Europe’s own debt crisis will be under the spotlight on Thursday as Italy holds an auction of government debt. A sale earlier this week saw the country pay its highest interest rate since the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Plans for a new austerity package, which the Italian parliament will start to approve on Thursday, may bring some calm. US economy Economics Global economy Obama administration United States Ratings agencies Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Socialist Senator: Obama’s Wrong – Social Security Checks Will Go Out If Debt Ceiling Isn’t Raised
July 13, 2011 No Comment
America's only admittedly socialist member of Congress said Wednesday that he disagreed with President Obama's comments concerning Social Security checks possibly not going out on August 3rd if the debt ceiling isn't raised. When Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he felt checks to seniors and disabled vets would be issued no matter what, the host of MSNBC's “The Ed Show” responded, “So you would take issue with the President on that statement, that he may have been fear-mongering in essence?” (video follows with transcript and commentary): ED SCHULTZ, HOST: And Senator, what was your response to the President when he told a, an anchor in an interview he couldn’t guarantee that the checks would be there on April 3rd [sic], that he couldn’t guarantee that the Social Security checks would, would hit people’s bank accounts if we don’t take action? What’s your response to that? True or false? SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VERMONT): Well, there are differences of opinion about that. There are some who would argue, and I tend to agree, that given the fact that Social Security has a $2.6 trillion surplus, then you can figure out a way you must make sure that seniors and disabled vets get their checks. SCHULTZ: So you would take issue with the President on that statement, that he may have been fear-mongering in essence? SANDERS: What he is saying is, look, there’s not enough money here to pay our debts. That’s true. I think, in fact, we can pay Social Security. Interesting when possibly the most liberal member of Congress goes on national television contradicting a Democrat president. That'll teach Schultz never to ask a question he doesn't know the answer to. Of course, on this rare occasion, Sanders was correct. The Bipartisan Policy Center published some very compelling numbers about this matter that jive nicely with what NewsBusters has been sharing for over a week. As reported by the Weekly Standard Friday: The BPC study found that the United States is likely to hit the debt limit sometime between August 2 and August 9. “It’s a 44 percent overnight cut in federal spending” if Congress hits the debt limit, [Jay Powell of the Bipartisan Policy Center]said. The BPC study projects there will be $172 billion in federal revenues in August and $307 billion in authorized expenditures. That means there's enough money to pay for, say, interest on the debt ($29 billion), Social Security ($49.2 billion), Medicare and Medicaid ($50 billion), active duty troop pay ($2.9 billion), veterans affairs programs ($2.9 billion). That leaves about $39 billion to fund other things. As such, whether or not the President specifically said Social Security checks are in jeopardy if the debt ceiling isn't raised, the mere suggestion is indeed fear-mongering, and the American people deserve a more factual representation of what would happen in a few weeks if Congress doesn't reach an agreement on this issue. As it's become crystal clear that's not going to come from the White House or their media minions, it sure was surprising to see a grain of truth on MSNBC, especially coming from Sanders.
Continue reading …Socialist Senator: Obama Was Wrong – Social Security Checks Will Go Out If Debt Ceiling Isn’t Raised
July 13, 2011 No Comment
America's only admittedly socialist member of Congress said Wednesday that he disagreed with President Obama's comments concerning Social Security checks possibly not going out on August 3rd if the debt ceiling isn't raised. When Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he felt checks to seniors and disabled vets would be cut no matter what, the host of MSNBC's “The Ed Show” responded, “So you would take issue with the President on that statement, that he may have been fear-mongering in essence?” (video follows with transcript and commentary): ED SCHULTZ, HOST: And Senator, what was your response to the President when he told a, an anchor in an interview he couldn’t guarantee that the checks would be there on April 3rd, that he couldn’t guarantee that the Social Security checks would, would hit people’s bank accounts if we don’t take action. What’s your response to that? True or false? SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VERMONT): Well, there are differences of opinion about that. There are some who would argue, and I tend to agree, that given the fact that Social Security has a $2.6 trillion surplus, then you can figure out a way you must make sure that seniors and disabled vets get their checks. SCHULTZ: So you would take issue with the President on that statement, that he may have been fear-mongering in essence? SANDERS: What he is saying is, look, there’s not enough money here to pay our debts. That’s true. I think, in fact, we can pay Social Security. Interesting when possibly the most liberal member of Congress goes on national television contradicting a Democrat president. That'll teach Schultz never to ask a question he doesn't know the answer to. Of course, on this rare occasion, Sanders was correct. The Bipartisan Policy Center published some very compelling numbers about this matter that jive nicely with what NewsBusters has been sharing for over a week. As reported by the Weekly Standard Friday: The BPC study found that the United States is likely to hit the debt limit sometime between August 2 and August 9. “It’s a 44 percent overnight cut in federal spending” if Congress hits the debt limit, [Jay Powell of the Bipartisan Policy Center]said. The BPC study projects there will be $172 billion in federal revenues in August and $307 billion in authorized expenditures. That means there's enough money to pay for, say, interest on the debt ($29 billion), Social Security ($49.2 billion), Medicare and Medicaid ($50 billion), active duty troop pay ($2.9 billion), veterans affairs programs ($2.9 billion). That leaves about $39 billion to fund other things. As such, whether or not the President specifically said Social Security checks are in jeopardy if the debt ceiling isn't raised, the mere suggestion is indeed fear-mongering, and the American people deserve a more factual representation of what would happen in a few weeks if Congress doesn't reach an agreement on this issue. As it's become crystal clear that's not going to come from the White House or their media minions, it sure was surprising to see a grain of truth on MSNBC, especially coming from Sanders.
Continue reading …