U.S. Politics, 23

[Guest Raids]

I have a proposal: Let's pass a bill making all sitting Representatives and Senators ineligible for re-election if a budget deadline is missed. And no, continuing resolutions do not count. That'd give some teeth to the negotiations and get everyone at the table.

And shouldn't we demand that as taxpayers? As a shareholder, I'd toss the whole Board if they stopped production and sent all the employees home without pay because they couldn't come to an agreement.

[Shryke]

Kinda related, but more fun from the Palin clan:

In 2009, Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol joined a teen pregnancy prevention nonprofit called the Candie’s Foundation. Today, the Associated Press reported that the Candie’s Foundation released its 2009 tax information, revealing that Bristol was paid a salary of $262,500.

But a closer examination of the tax form by ThinkProgress shows that the group disbursed only $35,000 in grants to actual teen pregnancy health and counseling clinics: $25,000 to the Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center and $10,000 to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

Thus, the nonprofit paid Bristol over seven times what it paid to teen pregnancy prevention groups. In addition, the Candie’s Foundation spent $165,000 on advertising, including this spot with Bristol and “The Situation” of MTV’s Jersey Shore.

Notably, Bristol’s Candie’s Foundation group is run by Neil Cole, an executive at the teenage clothing company Iconix Brand Group. Many critics have pointed out that the Candie’s Foundation appears to be geared towards improving the public image of Cole’s company rather than reducing teen pregnancy.

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/05/bristol-palin-profiteer-teen-pregnancy/

Interesting....

[TrueMetis]

Kinda related, but more fun from the Palin clan:

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/05/bristol-palin-profiteer-teen-pregnancy/

Interesting....

Isn't shit like that illegal?

[awesome possum]

I have a proposal: Let's pass a bill making all sitting Representatives and Senators ineligible for re-election if a budget deadline is missed. And no, continuing resolutions do not count. That'd give some teeth to the negotiations and get everyone at the table.

And shouldn't we demand that as taxpayers? As a shareholder, I'd toss the whole Board if they stopped production and sent all the employees home without pay because they couldn't come to an agreement.

I'd be down with that.

I also don't see how difficult it is can possibly be for Dems and Republicans to take each others plan, remove the 10 or 20 things they deem most ridiculous, put everything that's left together and boom, budget. Of course, this would only mean both parties would ensure their budget had 60 ridiculous things so that 40/50 are passed. In theory it sounds better than the absolute stupidity that is our current system.

[TrackerNeil]

Isn't shit like that illegal?

The apple never falls far from the tree, does it?

[Piper]

I have a proposal: Let's pass a bill making all sitting Representatives and Senators ineligible for re-election if a budget deadline is missed. And no, continuing resolutions do not count. That'd give some teeth to the negotiations and get everyone at the table.

And shouldn't we demand that as taxpayers? As a shareholder, I'd toss the whole Board if they stopped production and sent all the employees home without pay because they couldn't come to an agreement.

Wouldn't that take a constitutional amendment?

[Kouran]

It exists somewhere since in the House the GOP and the Dems are (suposedly anyway) trying to mesh their 2 plans.

But regardless, even if it didn't, your point is complete shit since not having an alternative does not magically make Ryan's proposal better. It's still unicorn-chasing stupidity.

That commission never released a recommendation. Since no one could agree, the heads of the commission just said "fuck it" and released their own shitty proposal.

The only budget the Democrats have put out for 2011 is the Presidents budget proposal from Feb 2010. That document was DOA with 1.4 trillion in deficit spending.

The debit commision had 11 of 18 committee members endorse it, 61%. This would be sufficent to pass a budget if they were congress so I fail to see how their ideas are not valid.

If Ryan's budget proposal is so fantasy land, then lets see a viable alternative from someone, I dont give a fuck who it is. The god damn garbage man who talks to himself can submit a budget for all I care. As long as SOMEONE does something other than play obstructionist games with our government.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Shryke,

Were you among those who bitched about Republican obstructionism to the ACA for having no alternative plan?

[Shryke]

The only budget the Democrats have put out for 2011 is the Presidents budget proposal from Feb 2010. That document was DOA with 1.4 trillion in deficit spending.

So yes, we agree, there is a plan.

And there's nothing wrong with deficit spending. Certainly not during an economic downturn, so you claiming it's "DOA" is bullshit. It's not DOA, you just don't like it.

The debit commision had 11 of 18 committee members endorse it, 61%. This would be sufficent to pass a budget if they were congress so I fail to see how their ideas are not valid.

Except not because the rules and the composition of the committee were set up such that it doesn't count. The commission never agreed on shit and never officially recommended anything. This is a fact.

If Ryan's budget proposal is so fantasy land, then lets see a viable alternative from someone, I dont give a fuck who it is. The god damn garbage man who talks to himself can submit a budget for all I care. As long as SOMEONE does something other than play obstructionist games with our government.

You've already seen a viable alternative. You just don't like it.

And again, the existence or non-existence of an alternative doesn't make Ryan's plan any less crazy.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Nay-Cayuti,

Yes, that would require a Constitutional Amendment, unless, it was a rule change in the House and Senate refusing to seat members after re-election if they missed such a deadline. If too many did it would create an interesting Constitutional crisis.

[Piper]

Nay-Cayuti,

Yes, that would require a Constitutional Amendment, unless, it was a rule change in the House and Senate refusing to seat members after re-election if they missed such a deadline. If too many did it would create an interesting Constitutional crisis.

Scott, I don't think just changing internal rules would do it (Powell v. McCormack, each house can judge if it's members have met the constitutionally defined criteria of age, residence, and citizenship, but cannot refuse to seat a member for any other reason). I think only an amendment would do t.

[TrackerNeil]

Yes, its of no effect and pure postering on both ends. Neither party has a monopoly on that kind of crap.

It's funny, but we never had this problem when Bush was in the White House and the Dems were in charge of Congress. We wonders, precious, we wonders...

[Shryke]

Shryke,

Were you among those who bitched about Republican obstructionism to the ACA for having no alternative plan?

Not quite Scot. What people were slamming them for wasn't having no alternative plan, it's that their alternative plan was "do nothing". That's because health care was a problem that was occurring regardless of whether a bill was passed or not. When the US health care system is slowly coming to eat your economic future, do nothing is a pretty stupid option.

This doesn't make sense for the budget. You can't just chose to "Do Nothing". The budget doesn't magically pass some 3rd incredibly shitty default option if neither side agrees. (Well, except according to the House GOP :P). If no budget is passed, the US government "shuts down" till one eventually is. And one eventually will be.

If no form of Health Care reform was passed, the US health care system doesn't shut down, it just continues trundling onward towards it's apocalyptic destination. People criticized the GOP for fighting health care reform tooth and nail while while pretending like everything is gonna be fine and nothing needs to be changed. (Although now apparently not since Medicare is a huge problem or something....)

And again, the Democrats have an alternative proposal, so it's all moot.

[Swordfish]

It's funny, but we never had this problem when Bush was in the White House and the Dems were in charge of Congress. We wonders, precious, we wonders...

So you're blaming it on Obama?

[ThinkerX]

About dang time the government shuit down....the trick, of couirse, is to make sure it stays shut down.

Then again....I'm old enough to remember the last couple times we went through this farce.

[lokisnow]

then you should also remember, thinker, that it costs more to have the government shut down than it costs to keep it running.

[Lord O' Bones]

then you should also remember, thinker, that it costs more to have the government shut down than it costs to keep it running.

I was in the Navy the last time. It wasn't cool not getting paid. I guess I wasn't doing anything very useful though...

[awesome possum]

So as Frum said, "you can't negotiate with Hitler." That's Boehner's problem. At least half of his party thinks that the President is some great evil. Sure, plenty of liberals hated the Bush administration and saw Cheney as evil, but it was of a different sort and it still wasn't the sort of thing to make a budget shutdown

And with Cheney, there were at least clear cut reasons to believe he was evil. What reasons exactly do tea baggers have to believe Obama is evil? Even before he took office and he was pretty much all flowing rhetoric and beautiful speeches, some people considered him evil or the antichrist or any of a dozen hated words and phrases. So what is it about him? I mean, besides the color of his skin?

I know not everyone who hates Obama is a racist, so what is it?

[Lord O' Bones]

he was pretty much all flowing rhetoric and beautiful speeches,

The part of this that has proven true.

ETA: That was generous. The real reason is possibly idiocy or more likely ignorance of what is/has been actually happening.

[Lord O' Bones]

Watch your mouth, sir. If burning your forehead with a flaming drink is deemed not to be useful, then we really have no hope as a species.

See, that wasn't me. It was my shipmate. I'm the one that later in the year burned a Joker's Smile onto my face, and therefore useless.