Son of US Politics

[Shryke]

The thing is Triskele, when you see the polls that say some large percentage of the population doesn't like the proposed Health Care Reform, you need to look at the details more closely. Because in most of the polls, around half or more of those who dislike the proposed reform dislike it because it doesn't go far enough.

Not passing anything will still piss alot of the base off because of this.

[Inigima]

One idea. Make it so that you have to actually debate when you declare a filibuster. Being able to filibuster should require some kind of effort.

Generally you do have to. Harry Reid is the first Senate majority leader I'm aware of who doesn't make potential filibusterers actually filibuster.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Inigima,

Generally you do have to. Harry Reid is the first Senate majority leader I'm aware of who doesn't make potential filibusterers actually filibuster.

Don't we have the illustrious Senator Robert Byrd to thank for the effortless filibuster?

[adamsputnik]

Annelise,

I've run into that particular complaint as well. It is very disheartening. What I also find funny is the leftist "Chavez" complaint that our aid to Haiti is actually poorly veiled imperialism.

He also said that we caused the earthquake using some supersonic weapon. So I think we can safely assume that any words coming out of that ones mouth are the words of a madman.

[The Progressive]

around half or more of those who dislike the proposed reform dislike it because it doesn't go far enough.

A very salient point. Polls after polls show this, and is most likely the primary reason why the Democratic base didn't show up in force on the recent election since Brown got the same votes as McCain did.

[Swordfish]

So I presume the people will also hate further tax cuts as half of the stimulus was wasted on those? How much of the actual stimulus funds have really been used so far?

Should be simple to find out since we've been promised absolute transparency, yes?

[Commodore]

Wow

Berry recounted meetings with White House officials, reminiscent of some during the Clinton days, where he and others urged them not to force Blue Dogs “off into that swamp” of supporting bills that would be unpopular with voters back home.

“I’ve been doing that with this White House, and they just don’t seem to give it any credibility at all,” Berry said. “They just kept telling us how good it was going to be. The president himself, when that was brought up in one group, said, ‘Well, the big difference here and in ’94 was you’ve got me.’ We’re going to see how much difference that makes now.”

[Shryke]

Commodore,

Um .... ok?

Generally you do have to. Harry Reid is the first Senate majority leader I'm aware of who doesn't make potential filibusterers actually filibuster.

Scot is right. This rule has little to nothing to do with Reid and has been around for a few decades now or something like that.

Basically, the Strom Thurmond style "Reading the phonebook cause n****rs should learn their place" filibuster hasn't existed for a LONG time. Nowadays any bill that is filibustered is immediately tabled and business moves on, which makes the filibuster less disruptive (that was the intent of the change) but also really really easy to do with no effort. This is set down in the Senate rules.

[lokisnow]

Well the only other option democrats have is to do absolutely nothing. That would also go over well. US political system is just broken.

This is actually what dems should have done in regard to the first stimulus. They should never have supported it or allowed the Bush Admin to push it through. Let the economy tank as far as it can, like FDR and the dems let the economy tank and tank and tank from November until he took office in March or April.

A shame a shame, we'd have had a spectacular crash and it would all have been on Bush's head for all time he would be as damned as Hoover is damned today. and we wouldn't be trying to bend the downward curve, we'd just have to repoint the broken arrow back upwards, it works a lot better. :)

it's really stunning how eight years of fiscal incompetence have been so thoroughly forgotten, it's a fucking shame, this is still all bush and the congress' of 2000-2006's fault.

[The Progressive]

Is tea the new kool-aid?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-tea-parties25-2010jan25,0,677389,full.story

lol, it's hilarious that teabaggers are fighting and sueing each other to prevent the registration of the Tea Party as a political party.

so much for political liberty.

[lokisnow]

regarding the mandate being unpopular but "required" for universal acceptance by the insurance companies, well, you should take out the mandate and let them 'sell' the need for a mandate, of course they would just oppose health care reform, but that's a much more easier won pr battle. "Big companies want to deny grandma coverage before she's old enough for medicare, for no better reason than she's old and has arthritis, they're telling you health insurance reform would be bad, but they're wrong, grandma deserves insurance just as much as her grandchildren do. Support health care reform, and make sure the Big Insurance can't keep Grandma away from the care she needs, and the care she deserves."

"I got diabetes and lost a foot, I was able to recover, then I lost my job, and lost my insurance. Now I can't get any insurance ever again in my entire life, all because Big Insurance can deny coverage based on preexisting conditions. Big Insurance says in their ads that health care reform is bad, but health care reform means I'll be able to buy insurance again. Stop Big Insurance, vote for Health Care Reform."

"my son got cancer and had years of treatment, including chemo. I quit my job to help care for my little boy. We HAD health insurance, then my husband's company fired him because the Big Health Insurance company told his HR department that they would raise everyone's premiums by hundreds of dollars a month so long as my husband was on the company payroll. He lost his job. We lost our health insurance. And now we can never get our little boy insured ever again, because Big Insurance will deny him coverage because of Pre-existing conditions. My son might die now that health insurance has stopped covering him. we've almost used up all the second mortgage we took out to pay for his care without insurance. That's not right. Big Insurance shouldn't have the right to get people fired just so they can stop paying for people's medical treatment. Stop Big Insurance. Stop the Bottom Line insanity. And please, stop banning people from getting health insurance based on pre-existing conditions. Do it for the millions of uninsured, like my son. Support Health Care Reform."

"I live in New York State. I had good health insurance. Then it was canceled, along with everyone else in New York insured by that company. the entire state lost their insurance--canceled because they didn't want to pay for the treatment of one person who needed some expensive emergency care. We need to stop Big Insurance companies from doing something like that. They can't just take our premiums for years and then cancel the policies of everyone because they don't want to follow through on their part of the contract. Support Reform. Stop the insanity of Big Insurance."

or more generic, "Don't support the heartless bottom line of Big Insurance; support instead doing the right thing. Make sure anyone can be insured. Stop the discrimination against preexisting conditions; stop the bottom line insanity of Big Insurance. Support Health Care Reform."

[The Progressive]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24Footballs-t.html?pagewanted=all

A few years ago, the website "Little Green Footballs" was one, if not the most eminent, rightwing blog on the net, with several posters here linking to at the height of "Rathergate". It is now a pariah among the rightwing as the result of a spectacular flamewar, and perhaps an indication of a growing rift within similar to the teabaggers movement.

[mcbigski]

http://www.nytimes.c...?pagewanted=all

A few years ago, the website "Little Green Footballs" was one, if not the most eminent, rightwing blog on the net, with several posters here linking to at the height of "Rathergate". It is now a pariah among the rightwing as the result of a spectacular flamewar, and perhaps an indication of a growing rift within similar to the teabaggers movement.

Exactly. The people who want the US government to be less than totally involved in economic decisions are a tiny strife filled minority, and they'll just self destruct on their own. Once Obama has a bigger majority in Congress after the people get tired of do nothing opposition, the Republic will be all fine and dandy.

[mcbigski]

Does Bill Gates know anything about what is good for America?

Gates said even when the economy does improve the government will have to institute systemic changes in order for any real rebound to take root. "The budget's very, very out of balance and even as the economy comes back, without changes in tax and entitlement policies, it won't get back into balance. And at some point, financial markets will look at that and it will cause problems," Gates told Good Morning America.

Gates is not exactly a neo con, right? Am I just biased, or is he calling for smaller government, less 'spreading it around', and some measure of spending that is in line with revenue. I'm constantly amused by the lefties who decried W's spending but when it comes to Obama's record setting deficits have nothing to see. Especially when it actually is a clear difference of degree (not that prior deficits were defensible.)

[The Progressive]

Does Bill Gates know anything about what is good for America?

Gates is not exactly a neo con, right? Am I just biased, or is he calling for smaller government, less 'spreading it around', and some measure of spending that is in line with revenue. I'm constantly amused by the lefties who decried W's spending but when it comes to Obama's record setting deficits have nothing to see. Especially when it actually is a clear difference of degree (not that prior deficits were defensible.)

Bill Gates Sr. want to raise income tax, while Bill Gates himself agreed with Buffet that the estate tax should be increased.

I'm glad that you agree with them.

[mcbigski]

Apologizing for the triple post, but I have my drink on tonight.

If the Democrat's vision of health care reform is so popular, please explain why Beau Biden is declining to run for the Biden Seat?

[The Progressive]

Apologizing for the triple post, but I have my drink on tonight.

If the Democrat's vision of health care reform is so popular, please explain why Beau Biden is declining to run for the Biden Seat?

What make you think A (support for healthcare reform) lead to B (Beau Biden not running for the Senate seat)?

[Trebla]

Does Bill Gates know anything about what is good for America?

Gates is not exactly a neo con, right? Am I just biased, or is he calling for smaller government, less 'spreading it around', and some measure of spending that is in line with revenue. I'm constantly amused by the lefties who decried W's spending but when it comes to Obama's record setting deficits have nothing to see. Especially when it actually is a clear difference of degree (not that prior deficits were defensible.)

you gonna rally going to use Gates, the creator Microsoft the Destroyer of other Companies, as an example? He wants less government so his company can do what ever the Hell they want.

[TrueMetis]

you gonna rally going to use Gates, the creator Microsoft the Destroyer of other Companies, as an example? He wants less government so his company can do what ever the Hell they want.

So what? That's known as capitalism. He also funds a huge charity are you going to fault him on that to?

[Shryke]

So what? That's known as capitalism. He also funds a huge charity are you going to fault him on that to?

Yes, it's a part of pure capitalism we (attempt) to regulate the shit out of because it's bad for the economy as a whole.

Or are you just not familiar with Anti-Competitive and Anti-Trust legislation?