U.S. Politics - We meet again, my nemesis!

[Sci-2]

While I almost never agree with him, I do enjoy reading Cryptile's posts as well, because I don't get pure fox news talking points.

And ya, the food stamp thing had me spitting mad when I read it yesterday. Cutting off the nose to spite the face and all that.

Ah, I've been out of these threads for so long I don't know much about the new posters.

Yeah, I'm sort of amazed at the Food Stamp thing. I shouldn't be, but it does come across as petty.

[Merentha]

This is the Republican party of 2013 we're talking about. They are so gobstoppingly fucking stupid, ignorant, and insane it actually causes flashes of pain behind my left eye when I try to fully contemplate just how stupid, ignorant and crazy they have become.

See, I get most of their points of view, or at least see where they're coming from, even if I don't like or agree with many of their conclusions or premises. But I at least can see how someone else could possibly believe that or get to that point of view. I understand the misguided fellation of the upper class. I understand being terrified of change to what you see as "your" society. I understand being terrified of other cultures or people that look different from you. I understand really, really liking guns. I understand being scared of states encroaching on your rights. I understand wanting to ban abortions. I even understand not wanting someone to take my hard-earned money and giving it to other people, even if they are starving children. What I don't understand is not wanting to someone to take my hard-earned money and spend it on feeding children in a way that directly benefits me financially. I especially don't understand it when the people insist that we should lower taxes, because that will also benefit me directly in the exact same way, but in a much, much less efficient manner.

Fuck. Cutting off the nose to spite the face indeed. Or a complete denial of reality. Or both.

[TerraPrime]

You Lefties have brought education so far down we are close to 3rd-world status in that Dept. already.

Yes, I know, it is the lefties who champion such lofty goals as denying climate changes.

[TerraPrime]

Fully repeal the Affordable Care Act

Which means repealing the ban on recisssion, the upper limit on profit margins for health insurance companies, as well as allowing young adults to continue to be covered by their parents' insurance.

Really? You want to see insurance companies go back to the practice withdrawing coverage from their patients in the middle of the patients' treatment? This is what considered a "good" thing by some people? Really?

Allow individuals to purchase health insurance outside of their state

I never got what is so magical about being able to purchase insurance from across state lines.

Reform malpractice laws

Tort reform accounts for less than 2% of the health care cost, at the highest estimate. Other estimates put it as less than 1%. It is the reddest of all red herrings.

Prohibit federal subsidies to abortion providers

Hmm... I wonder if this bill had come from the Democrats or the Republicans?

Expand access to Health Savings Accounts

That's funny. Yes, you now have a larger allowance in the HSA so you can save more of the money you don't have in it to prepare for medical emergencies. Yup.

And none of the steps proposed do anything to control rising cost. The tort reform is a joke, accounting for such a miniscule portion of the cost issue.

That bill is a waste of taxpayer's money. If it's even real, it was written as a campaign piece, not a real effort at governing.

[TrackerNeil]

I never got what is so magical about being able to purchase insurance from across state lines.

It's magic that enables insurance companies to force all the states to play by the rules of the least restrictive states. I thought conservatives were usually all rah-rah states, but...

[awesome possum]

In today's "Are you sure this isn't The Onion" story, the big banks are in the midst of a political blitz to get rid of the tax exemption credit unions enjoy as a result of their not-for-profit status. They have the gall to complain that credit unions are unfairly getting big breaks from the government.

"It's just fairness for the banking community and the taxpayers to stop the exemption," he said.

The ABA has been pushing to end the tax exemption for years, but in the past few weeks, with tax reform talks on Capitol Hill, it has stepped up its efforts with lawmakers to include a media blitz of radio and print ads in the Washington, D.C., area.

The credit unions aren't taking it lying down, with the president of the association of credit unions delivering this killer line:

"If we lost the exemption, we'd be just like the banks," Berger said. "We don't want to be like them."

And further along the article you finally get to the reason why the banks are trying to mount a full assault now:

Though their numbers have been historically small, credit union membership has seen dramatic growth. It surged to 95.7 million by March of this year, an increase of 2.7 million from the start of 2012. That growth over five financial quarters was more than the previous 11 quarters, according to SNL Financial.

People don't trust the banks anymore (wonder why?) and are turning to credit unions. But even with that uptick in union members, credit unions only hold about 6% of all financial assets in the country, compared to 93% for the banks.

This guy sums it up pretty well:

"Banks are trying to have it all and drive credit unions out of business with this push to end the tax exemption," said Tony Cherin, a professor of finance at San Diego State University and a board member of the USE Credit Union in San Diego.

"They've seen the growth of membership as a result of the recession, and they're crying in their beer," he said. "They don't like the idea that credit unions can offer lower rates."

[DanteGabriel]

My wife and I are moving our funds to a credit union, partially because of enormous frustration with the way multiple different banks have handled us, and our families, in the last couple of years. Any bank executive whining about "fairness" should have firm pressure applied to his windpipe until he stops leaking air.

[Fragile Bird]

Best line heard on tv this morning: the kabucki theatre in Washington continues.

[Fez]

There is exactly one sane member left in the House GOP:

Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA), the lone House Republican to vote against a government spending bill that would defund Obamacare, explained that he opposed the bill because it kept sequestration in place.

“This CR fails to address the sequester that is negatively impacting those who wear our nation’s uniform and is the result of Congress’ inability to pass the 12 appropriations bills necessary to properly fund the government on time," Rigell, who represents a district that President Obama carried in 2012, said in a statement. "What is needed is a comprehensive solution to our nation’s fiscal challenges, including a replacement for sequestration."

He must get lonely. Although he can't get too much credit since he did vote to slash food stamps last night.

[Commodore]

There is exactly one sane member left in the House GOP

we really should put a moratorium on the "people who disagree with me are insane/evil/corrupt/stupid" posts

they're becoming redundant at this point

[Fez]

we really should put a moratorium on the "people who disagree with me are insane/evil/corrupt/stupid" posts

they're becoming redundant at this point

Its not just a question of them disagreeing with me. House Republicans are literally fitting the definition of insanity.

This was their 42nd vote to repeal the ACA.

[Shryke]

we really should put a moratorium on the "people who disagree with me are insane/evil/corrupt/stupid" posts

they're becoming redundant at this point

Well yes, we can usually just assume it based on which party is being talked about.

[TheSmilingKnight11]

Why do we want a socialist health care system. What's wrong with ours now? Seriously I want to hear your opinions on it.

[Commodore]

Its not just a question of them disagreeing with me. House Republicans are literally fitting the definition of insanity.

This was their 42nd vote to repeal the ACA.

no this was a defunding measure

it compels Hagan/Begich/Pryor//Landrieu (all senators up in 2014 in red states) to go on record with a vote for or against ACA funding

[Fragile Bird]

Why do we want a socialist health care system. What's wrong with ours now? Seriously I want to hear your opinions on it.

Uh, do you know what a socialist is? Do you know what a socialist health care system is?

[Fez]

no this was a defunding measure

it compels Hagan/Begich/Pryor//Landrieu (all senators up in 2014 in red states) to go on record with a vote for or against ACA funding

And your as delusional as House Republicans if you think any of them are going to defund the ACA in exchange for 75 days of government funding (that's right folks, this CR would only even last until December 15). This is just as symbolic a vote as the last 41; only its happening right before a shutdown.

[Lord Mord]

Fez,

I think what commodore is saying is that it's an explicit, undeniable record of where those reps sit in re: principles of government, i.e. it should not be in healthcare. Litmus testing, with our financial wellbeing theoretically in the balance.

[awesome possum]

we really should put a moratorium on the "people who disagree with me are insane/evil/corrupt/stupid" posts

Just because someone disagrees with an insane/evil/corrupt/stupid action does not negate that action being insane/evil/corrupt/stupid.

[DanteGabriel]

Fez,

I think what commodore is saying is that it's an explicit, undeniable record of where those reps sit in re: principles of government, i.e. it should not be in healthcare. Litmus testing, with our financial wellbeing theoretically in the balance.

All these fuckers ever do is litmus test each other. They're constantly sniffing each other's asses for the least sign of Not Like Us. Now the worm is turning on Ted Cruz, ostensibly one of the biggest Tea Party darlings of the Senate, but now up for having his Tea Party Credentials questioned by John Boehner.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/boehner-to-cruz-time-to-put-up-or-shut-up-on-defunding-obamacare

It's like the latter days of the French Revolution, where the guys who were pulling the lever on the guillotine yesterday are the ones on the block today. It'd be delicious schadenfreude to watch the party of stupid, fuck-you-it's-mine selfishness and cultivated irrationality go all Lord of the Flies on each other, except they actually run part of the government.

[Merentha]

we really should put a moratorium on the "people who disagree with me are insane/evil/corrupt/stupid" posts

they're becoming redundant at this point

Give me one good reason that someone can be for cutting taxes on the wealthy and against foodstamps simultaneously that isn't either "they're corrupt, they're evil, or they have no concept of numbers."