U.S. Politics 19

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

I'm certainly impressed he said it out loud.

The thing is that there really isn't any political advantage in doing that if you don't intend to follow through, because it certainly is going to piss off a lot of people. It's easy to promise people more government benefits, because that gets you votes. But promising them less benefits? If you run and win on that platform, then there's no reason not to follow through with the bitter medicine that most rational people know is necessary, but are normally afraid to support because of political risk.

Campaign speeches that don't piss off a significant number of people are generally worthless in terms of substance.

[TerraPrime]

Campaign speeches that don't piss off a significant number of people are generally worthless in terms of substance.

So... we should have elected Palin, after all?

[Commodore]

A nice graph of the budget: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/newsgraphics/2011/0119-budget/index.html?hp

I just noticed yet more nice big cuts to the IRS in the top Right corner.

/headdesk

All of the cuts are relative to 2009/2010 levels, when the budget deficit exploded. They increase funding for some program by 300% in one year, and then a 30% cut the next year looks significant.

It won't work though, you can't disguise the fact that you are taking in far less than you are spending, and the deficit is unsustainably high.

The NYT doesn't control the message like they used to.

The GOP should just pass the 2003 budget. Total deficits: 0.

[Shryke]

What's "unsustainably high" about it?

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

And on a completely different note -- Obama isn't a Christian. At least, not according to Bill Maher.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/video/item/bill-maher-doubts-obama-is-a-christian-on-real-time

Now personally, if I were a betting man, I think Maher is probably right. I've always thought the idea that Obama is Muslim is pretty absurd, but the idea that he's really a secular humanist seems much more plausible to me. And as Maher says in this clip, Obama characterizes himself as a "centrist" and a "Christian" and as "struggling with gay marriage" because those are political necessary positions to take. I don't think this country is yet ready to elect a professed atheist/agnostic.

[TrackerNeil]

And as Maher says in this clip, Obama characterizes himself as a "centrist" and a "Christian" and as "struggling with gay marriage" because those are political necessary positions to take. I don't think this country is yet ready to elect a professed atheist/agnostic.

Heh. You'll notice that Obama is already laying the groundwork for his change of heart about same sex marriage, saying that his views are "evolving." I suspect that "evolution" will become complete approximately March, 2013.

[Galactus]

And on a completely different note -- Obama isn't a Christian. At least, not according to Bill Maher.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/video/item/bill-maher-doubts-obama-is-a-christian-on-real-time

Now personally, if I were a betting man, I think Maher is probably right. I've always thought the idea that Obama is Muslim is pretty absurd, but the idea that he's really a secular humanist seems much more plausible to me. And as Maher says in this clip, Obama characterizes himself as a "centrist" and a "Christian" and as "struggling with gay marriage" because those are political necessary positions to take. I don't think this country is yet ready to elect a professed atheist/agnostic.

Obama always struck me as genuinely christian (far moreso than say, McCain, who if anything always seemed to deify America) nondenominational as far as those things go, not exactly all that into the theological aspects of christianity, but definitely a believer, if certainly no fundie.

Basically, he believes in God, that Jesus was sent with a message of love, and that we generally should be nicer to each other. That's christian enough for this atheist.

[Swordfish]

Everything I said is in the budget itself. You can search for the actual numbers (2.174 or whatever) inside the pdf. I had a link from WSJ, but it won't work off campus so you should find it on the website.

It's a trillion dollars in new revenues over two years, more than any other year on the projected budget. Not sure what math went into that.

It's probably due to the ACA, since that appears to be the great resolution to all of our budget problems.

[Shryke]

The IRS will get 5000 more employees in the new plan.

Apparently to chase "tax cheats".

I guarantee that not one former NY Fed Chief will be indicted by the IRS despite this change.

You say "chase tax cheats" like you are being sarcastic or something.

You do realise the IRS is like crazy underfunded and has neither the manpower, nor the money nor the expertise (because of having no money) to do alot of it's job. Tax cheats slip through all the time beacuse of this.

The thing is, because the IRS is a big boogeyman in America, no one minds gutting it and no one likes funding it.

[Swordfish]

Andrew Sullivan is usually a big defender of Obama, but he does not like the budget. link

of particular interest:

And that's fine if you think we have plenty of time. But in a mere nine years, entitlements will account for 64 percent of all federal spending. And Obama just punted on his promise to cut Medicare payments to doctors, as pledged under Obamacare as a core part of the case that health insurance reform would cut the deficit. So congrats, Megan. We can chalk that up as a cynical diversion (even though Obama pledges to find savings elsewhere in the Medicare budget to make up for this lie - a promise we now have no reason to trust or believe).

Gosh, this sounds eerily familiar for some reason....

[Shryke]

Obama’s Six Principles for Social Security:

1. Any reform should strengthen Social Security for future generations and restore long-term solvency.

2. The Administration will oppose any measures that privatize or weaken the Social Security system.

3. While all measures to strengthen solvency should be on the table, the Administration will not accept an approach that slashes benefits for future generations.

4. No current beneficiaries should see their basic benefits reduced.

5. Reform should strengthen retirement security for the most vulnerable, including low-income seniors.

6. Reform should maintain robust disability and survivors’ benefits.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20110214/pl_dailycaller/obamaoutlinesprinciplesforfutureofsocialsecurityinbudgetsuretosparkcontentionwithhillrepublicans

[Shryke]

Andrew Sullivan is usually a big defender of Obama, but he does not like the budget. link

Reactionary bullshit and "boogah boogah" entitlements.

/yawn

Also, Sullivan is usually a big reactionary more then anything.

I mean seriously "People under 30 are screwed! The US will default!!!"??? :lol: It's just standard fucking deficit scare bullshit and heat of the moment over-reaction.

[Shryke]

/plays a sad violin tune for the IRS

Kind of hard to take the IRS seriously when the Treasury is run by one of the aforementioned tax cheats.

Yes, this is exactly the attitude I'm talking about.

Those tax cheats you bitch about have a way easier time getting away with it beacuse you have this shitty attitude about the IRS.

The fact that you can simultaneously, in the same post, mock the IRS and then bitch about tax cheats is just hilarious.

The deficit is a serious fucking problem, and needs to be fixed. We won't default - we'll just get a raw deal from the IMF. Debt is fundamentally an unfinished transaction.

It's really not. It's not even that big as a percentage compared to other times. And the US is not in any risk of getting raw deals on much of anything.

It could certainly stand to be lower, but it's not a huge concern in a shitty economy.

[Shryke]

No, the tax cheats have an easier time getting away with it because the head of the organization whose job it is to find tax cheats is a tax cheat.

No Coco. The head of the IRS is not cackling while he changes the rules so more tax cheats can get away with it cause they are his brother's in arms man!

He cheats on his taxes cause he can get away with it and doesn't give a shit about anyone else.

His tax cheating has nothing to do with the IRS being politically and monetarily hamstrung.

Not in any risk, hmmm? Sounds a lot like the time you told me I was "too pessimistic about Afghanistan".

This is just too stupid to even bother with.

[alguien]

No, the tax cheats have an easier time getting away with it because the head of the organization whose job it is to find tax cheats is a tax cheat.

I don't know, one could argue that it would make them more effective at catching those who try to get out of paying taxes.

In any event, I know quite a few people who view tax time as trying to game the system. Its odd.

I went out with a girl who was really mad at the IRS audited her and they told her she couldn't claim her computer in her apartment as a home office deduction. I asked her, "Well do you do any business and or work there?"

To which she responded, "No, but that's not the point! The government should try to look into my affairs."

I was dumbfounded.

[Shryke]

He's also pushing the Deficit Commisions heads (not the commission itself mind you, just the head 2 guys) plan which is pretty shit.

He's got caught up in the DC Deficit Hawk bullshit.

[Fez]

It's probably due to the ACA, since that appears to be the great resolution to all of our budget problems.

Maybe he's finally going to introduce the long-awaited VAT? Though I suspect that's one of those things on the Jan. 2013 to-do list.

[Shryke]

So is there anything in the budget that actually suggests that Obama is already punting on the ACA part of Medicare cuts? Or is Sullivan completely pulling that argument from the Doc Fix? Because if it's the latter that's pretty bad on Sullivan's part, but if it's the former then I would need to seriously re-assess what I think of the ACA (but I'm 90% sure it's the latter).

Judging from the rest of it, I'd say it's pure Doc Fix bullshit.

[Commodore]

Sullivan likes to jump out ahead of the curve and take whatever side will be popular in the near future, he's usually one of the first rats off the sinking ship. I would be worried were I an Obama supporter.

And yes, the POTUS is a punting coward. Instead of tax hikes or spending cuts that will make a difference, he proposes insignificant amounts of both that just piss everyone off. He truly believes in his own power to shape perception irrespective of quantitative reality. I guess we'll see.

Before the line was, "the GOP will never offer specific cuts". Now it's "deficits don't really matter".

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

I think this is a caclulated political move. When Clinton got clobbered in the 1994 midterms, he made the conscious decision to weaken the GOP opposition by moving to the right himself. Apparently, Obama has decided on the opposite approach. Instead of stealing the GOP's midterm thunder by pretending to be a deficit hawk, he's decided to hold his position -- or perhaps even move to the left with more "investments", and so try to portray the GOP in 2012 as the grinches trying to steal Christmas. And he's doubled down by essentially blocking any cuts to Social Security as well.