Displaying 2,761 To 2,790 Of 19,504 Comments WATCH & CHAT LIVE: President Obama’s 2014 State of the Union Address – 6:00pm PST Kes, he is a walking insult to Kansas. You’re right, the Tea Party crowd are pretty much mindless Chatty Cathys whose strings are pulled by the propagandists. I think Dr. Seuss could combine a hornswaggler with a bamboozler and create a noisemaker that’s a substitute for a Republican. » Posted By AdLib On January 29, 2014 @ 8:16 pm Nirek, you can’t take anything this lunatic says as an honest belief, he is just a raging racist who is mentally disturbed by a black man sitting in the WH and just grasps for any attack or insult he can use to voice his racism. Of course there is no connection between bringing soldiers home and being “anti-soldier”, it’s absurd and of course pro-soldier to remove them from harm’s way and reunite them with their families. Too bad we can’t draft people into the army by popular vote because this chickenhawk would be at the top of my list. » Posted By AdLib On January 29, 2014 @ 7:35 pm Murph, the exit polls from 2010 tell a very different story. Dems did turn out, that was not the reason they lost. Indies broke hugely for Repubs. Check out the link I posted in my reply to CL above. What undermined America was the small minded ignorance of indie voters who foolishly bought The Emperor’s New Clothes from the Repubs. » Posted By AdLib On January 29, 2014 @ 10:26 am CL – The story that Dem turnout was low or apathetic in 2010 is actually an urban legend. Here’s an article from ABC News after the 2010 election that, using exit polls, showed that Dems did vote solidly in that election: That dissatisfaction pushed voters into the Republican column in a big way. Nearly two of three voters picked the economy as the single most important issue in their vote – and they voted 53-44 percent for Republicans for House. It is the first time, in exit poll since 1992, that economy voters have favored Republicans. It was independents that screwed the country because many of them think so short term and are not clever enough to recognize when they are being manipulated by dishonest Republicans. And that’s a shame, that the rest of Americans’ fates should be in the hands of the foolish. » Posted By AdLib On January 29, 2014 @ 10:23 am agrippa, I do agree. If so many had not been so short-sighted and easily deceived by being told what they wanted to hear, times would be much better today. » Posted By AdLib On January 29, 2014 @ 10:14 am agrippa, this is the problem with any system, political, social, religious, etc.. However altruistic they may start out at inception to help the people, there is a gravity that pulls at them to instead make their top priority protecting and feeding the system itself. DC is such blatant evidence of that. So many in politics and the media in DC live in a bubble where the game itself is what they mostly concern themselves with, not the end goal. So we have pols and pudnuts (tm Bito) that have built and sustain the natural swamp that is DC because that’s where slimy things prefer to live. There are good pols out there and Obama is one of them. He has navigated his Presidency through some of the most difficult and hostile territories, as only someone who’s brilliant and strategic could. Last night’s speech was just more evidence of that. One can only imagine where we would be had any of the clueless Repubs running for President in 2008 and 2012 won. But due to their lunacy, I don’t think the Repubs will see the inside of the White House for quite a long time. » Posted By AdLib On January 29, 2014 @ 10:12 am Murph and I were the last ones remaining on the live chat last night when we saw what had to be the most humorous episode of the evening, Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Moronica, KS drowning in his own idiocy and flop sweat in an interview with Rachel Maddow. How can a somewhat self-respecting constituent of this doofus not feel completely embarrassed by having such a blathering dimwit representing them? » Posted By AdLib On January 29, 2014 @ 9:49 am Beatlex, the root blame does go to the independent voters in 2010 who were so short-sighted, they bought into the Repubs BS about how Obama and Dems were failures for not turning around the Great Crash overnight and how they would wave their magic wand over the deficit and the ACA and make Americans all wealthy again by making those two things disappear. Due to that, Repubs gained control in many more states than they should have and have been able to gerrymander their control of The House despite the fact that a majority of Americans voted for Dems in the House. Now we’re stuck with a non-representational House thanks to a corruption of our democracy and Obama has to struggle with addressing critical issues while clowns and freaks are in a position and committed to blocking anything positive he can do. It is messed up but many Americans (and I only blame those indies who voted Repub in 2010) have responsibility for this on their own shoulders. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 4:13 pm What Will Be The Focus of President Obama’s SOTU Speech Tomorrow? Fergie1, now I understand, it’s Australia that is taxing you on your SS. So what is the law there when it comes to retirement income from Age Pension? Is that taxed? If not, why would they tax SS which is the identical retirement income but just from another country? I do hope you work with your local Rep to fight this, it is grossly unfair! » Posted By AdLib On January 31, 2014 @ 10:44 am CL – Well, the enemy isn’t us but portrays themselves as us. Those kneejerk (emphasis on the “jerk”) Dems and Emoprogs who blindly wail at anything that goes against their absolutist litmus tests are just Tea Baggers in better clothes. Changes can always be made to any program to reduce expense and enhance fairness and that will reduce spending. But just as Obama outsmarted the Repubs in the past, this deal would seem to do that once again. The Repubs pat each other on the back for cutting SNAP but meanwhile, benefits aren’t reduced except for those getting more than others and no one is kicked off the program. How is that a betrayal? Especially when real cuts to subsidies to corporate farming were gotten in return? I ignore the whiners, they have little power and influence and only cast a bad light on Progressives. They are the enemy of progress along with the GOP, they can all sink in their leaky boat together. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 4:05 pm Thanks for this update, Kalima! It does set the table for tonight’s speech. This change will be gradual since it only applies to subsequent contracts but as contracts cycle through over time, it will make a difference in the lives of many Americans. Two hours to go! Looking forward to it! » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 3:53 pm Fergie1 – I don’t understand. I know that additional income can be taxed but SS benefits are taxed? Why is this withheld and why can’t you apply for a refund? If it’s taken out as income tax then when you file a tax return, you should be able to receive a refund since 25.5% is very high for SS income. Really surprised to hear this. Wonder when the outsourcing of SS payments overseas from The Philippines was instituted? Under Obama? Bush? Before then? Do you know? I am curious. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 3:51 pm Fergie1, listening to those on the side of the greedy trying to justify their position is like listening to bad liars…or bad lawyers trying to use their slimy, snake-like ways of weaving around the truth. It’s all a childish and cynical game, to try and argue that there is a rational justification for such naked greed. No need to play this game. There is not a twisting of words that will accurately justify the economic inequity in this nation, no “job creator” BS that will ever justify the wealthy getting wealthier and 99% of the nation struggling to avoid slipping behind further and having to concede that their children will not have a better standard of living than they used to have. Let them howl that they are the Jews on the eve of Kristallnacht, that they are the new oppressed minority, that fighting back against this corrupt economic system and those who have pushed it upon us is “class warfare”. Let them whine all they want, it’s time to take back our economy from them and make it more just. They’ve gone way too far and crying that they are the victims instead of the millions they continue to oppress should only energize more citizens to stand up against them. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 3:47 pm CL – Our live chat begins at 5:30pm PST tonight, the SOTU begins at 6:00pm PST. Look forward to seeing you then! » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 12:25 pm So true, Fergie1, we need immediate action by the DoJ to squash these discriminatory Voter ID laws and really work hard at GOTV (and get people registered!). The motivation should be imagining what Obama could do in the next three years with a Dem Congress. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 12:13 pm I do think that the issue of government failing its citizens is very much at the top of the list and I do hope he aggressively addresses it. He doesn’t have to say the word “Republican” but he can say that if your representatives are pursuing a policy of gridlock instead of bipartisanship and negotiation, vote them out because we have urgent issues to address. We’ll see… » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 12:10 pm I understand that Ted Cruz will be making his own speech in a desperate bid to raise his polling numbers above Sen. Flesh-Eating-Bacteria. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 12:08 pm Thanks Funk! I agree with all of your points, he can’t come out too blatantly partisan but he can attack what Gallup says is the number one concern of Americans, the dysfunction of government. And with all that’s been leaking out before the speech, it seems clear that he will be hammering the populist agenda, leading with raising the minimum wage and that is definitely the way for Dems to go this year…as Repubs focus once again on repealing the ACA. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 12:04 pm KT, I agree that the Repubs will go Full Mental Jackass this year with regards to immigration and that the 2016 GOP Presidential candidate will make hollow gestures to Latinos in the GE after pandering to the racist base in the GOP primaries, promising reform and all kinds of things he’d never actually support if elected. But it will do them no good, it would take years of proven action by Repubs to support immigration reform to turn around Latinos who have witnessed the racism and hatred of the GOP towards them…and witnessed how they’ve killed the immigration bill that passed in The Senate. Too little (and too dishonest) too late. » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 11:57 am CL – I wholly agree that the best approach is to get rid of the cap on SS tax, a very Progressive approach. My thought though is that until or unless we do as you urge and elect a Dem House that will agree with a Dem Senate in doing just that, the only big deal we could make to get rid of loopholes for the wealthy and subsidies for billion dollar corporations, is to give a little on the COLA increases. It is a sensitive issue, even though it is just $3/mo less only on raises and the Repubs would blow up such a compromise as robbing seniors of their SS so that’s why I proposed a phase in only after taxes are lowered on the 99%…so the reductions are actually reimbursed many times over to future retirees ahead of time. Then, add a repeal of the cap on SS contributions when there’s a Dem Congress and SS will be looking great! » Posted By AdLib On January 28, 2014 @ 11:52 am KT, that is a huge issue I didn’t include and should have! Immigration is very big and is very connected to economic inequality, SS, Medicare, etc. The big question is, will the Repubs reposition themselves out of fear that they will badly lose in 2016 if they don’t work towards immigration reform or be more motivated by their fear of upsetting their prejudiced base by supporting immigration? My bet is that they will pander to the bigots that are in their party. What do you think? » Posted By AdLib On January 27, 2014 @ 4:52 pm Thanks so much exfanofariana! Look forward to seeing you tomorrow night for our live chat during Pres. Obama’s SOTU. » Posted By AdLib On January 27, 2014 @ 4:22 pm Hey Kes, very cool that you got to offer your POV to Gallup’s poll! The NYT piece on wealth addiction really makes a lot of sense. The psychological behavior is hardly different from any other addicts. Certainly, drug addictions distort the minds of those addicts but the same maniacal obsession with that central thing in their lives, defying all sense and reason, is identical. Can a human being really spend a billion dollars on themselves and their families to provide more meaningful happiness than $100 million could buy them? Or $50 million? Most of the spending these types do is to glorify being wealthy, showing that they can throw away huge sums of money on unnecessary things to prove how wealthy they are. Though it might make some happier to believe otherwise, wealth can make people feel more satisfied in their lives but those who are addicted to increasing wealth can only enjoy it to a point. Hand $10 million dollars to any other American and they would feel like they had more money than they would ever need to make themselves and their families happy for the rest of their lives. But for these types, it’s all about “More!” so the most destructive thing we can do is allow them the freedom to chart the course of our society into a direction that is solely about them getting more…and where do they get “More!” from except from the income and savings of the other 99% in this country? I do support an Eisenhower era type maximum income tax on all incomes above $10 million (not net worth which could be billions but annual income), a 90% tax on such individuals and any entity they direct that income towards because there is no moral or logical explanation as to why an individual or family would be burdened in paying such a tax and why they are not be morally obligated to give back greatly to the nation that has given them the opportunity to profit so hugely. The wealthy paid such taxes in the ’50’s and we saw a booming economy, increased wealth and workers climbing the income ladder into the Middle Class so any howls about how it “punishes success” and would harm the economy are historically proven to be false. I don’t know that in an election year, The Repubs could sustain opposition to raising the Minimum Wage. Of course they will be unwilling to raise taxes on the wealthy but maybe we could at least get Minimum Wage done this year…then if Dems can take back The House, we could move onto the rest in 2015. » Posted By AdLib On January 27, 2014 @ 4:21 pm Nirek, very principled of you, Nirek and I know you mean it. But my proposition is that the reduction in COLA for SS shouldn’t apply to current recipients but be phased in for new recipients who have benefitted from reduced income taxes and thus, have been able to save enough to more than compensate for any reduced increases. How can there be rational opposition from the Left and independents to a package that does that and makes the wealthy and corporations pay a far fairer portion of their enormous wealth back to the society that they got it from? » Posted By AdLib On January 27, 2014 @ 3:49 pm The Weekend Music Thread-Places A doubleheader: Kokomo – The Beach Boys Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett » Posted By AdLib On January 25, 2014 @ 1:29 pm California Dreamin’ – Mamas & The Papas » Posted By AdLib On January 25, 2014 @ 1:18 pm Back in the USSR – Beatles » Posted By AdLib On January 25, 2014 @ 1:16 pm Thanks pal! Great theme! » Posted By AdLib On January 25, 2014 @ 1:15 pm Ohio – CSNY » Posted By AdLib On January 25, 2014 @ 1:14 pm London Calling – The Clash » Posted By AdLib On January 25, 2014 @ 1:11 pmComments Posted By AdLib
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5_AD9wXuY
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