Hello:

In a couple of ongoing threads, I've made the distinction between the legislators who want to GOVERN, and those who want to POLITIC...

Yet, it's CRUCIAL to win these debates, and NOT because it's good governance... It's because the WINNER will most likely WIN the Oval Office in 2012. And, the NEXT presidential election will BE the MOST IMPORTANT election we'll EVER engage in.

At stake, are probably 4 and maybe 5 Supreme Court seats. Whomever appoints them, will shape the nation for a CENTURY.

excon

I am sure that if the Republicans win they will continue to wheel in to the chamber Kennedy ,Breyer,and Ginsberg... stinking of embalming fluid. Why don't the retire now with a Dem President and Senate ? Do they think that even if the President is reelected that they will have a fillibuster proof Senate again ?

Speaking about fillibusters ;good governance v politics... why are the Senate Dems fillibustering their leader Harry Reid's debt ceiling bill with a so called deadline looming ?

Hello again, tom:

Welcome to Empire America.

excon

Hope you enjoy your kangaroo court Ex

The whole issue would go away with term limits

Hello, again,

Obama got annihilated.. He won't be re-elected. Let's hope it's NOT Michelle Bachmann.

excon

I don't see how he lost no matter how hard he tried to lose.
The President gets an immediate extra $2 trillion to spend.All cuts are pegged for the future ;subject to future Congressional revisions (as is the pattern with these type of deals the Repubics think are victories ) .Bush tax rates expire so the President gets his tax increase.
And Congress voted away it's Article One authority on the budget to a super committee. BRILLIANT!

He still thinks it's about the rich paying their fair share... now his rhetoric has shifted to tax reform.. bully for him ,but he still gets it wrong.
It's tax reform in the context of an effort to rationalize the role of government in the economy. Taxes are but one aspect that also includes regulatory reform and reducing the impact of government across the board .
This was never a battle about the debt ceiling exclusively . If it were ,it would've been a simple matter of raising the limit and spend away status quo ante... ever expanding government .

What should the court's role in this be ? Nada . That is why I break ranks with the TP and Repubics who think the BBA is a good idea. Do we really want the Courts deciding budgetary issues as they dictate remedies ? That's exactly what will happen if you open the door for them to put their foot in.

I see no Republic victory here. The President can demagogue all he wants ;but he has had his way since being sworn in.
They even made sure the debt ceiling doesn't become an election year issue.

The President gets an immediate extra $2 trillion to spend.Hello again, tom:

That's how it's portrayed by your side, isn't it? A BLANK check for Obama.. But, I think it's more like he can borrow enough to pay our bills for some time in the future... If he COULD spend a couple $ trillion now, I think it would keep us out of the DUMPER where we surly are headed...

But, there'll be NO stimulus. Not in this climate.. What?? You don't consider paying the FAA workers who were laid off last week, EXCESSIVE SPENDING, do you?? Well, maybe you do.

I agree with you, if you're saying that the supposed Republican victory is really a net loss for the American people. There'll be no cuts. At BEST there'll be a slowdown in the GROWTH, and they'll CALL it a cut.

Nope, it's business as usual in Washington.

What do I think would be the result of a strong right wing court?? I shudder to think. Certainly, all the gains of the 20th Century will be reversed, and corporations will rule - even more than they do already...

excon

PS> Buy gold.

What?? You don't consider paying the FAA workers who were laid off last week, EXCESSIVE SPENDING, do you?? Well, maybe you do.


I don't think the furlough of some FAA workers is related at all to the debt ceiling,and your ire at the House is unfounded .The House has passed a continuing resolution for FAA funding .It is the Senate that is blocking further movement on the FAA.

The Senate doesn't like the House bill... so they created the situation where 4,000 FAA workers and other construction workers aren't working today.

As you know ;there are 2 real issue in the standoff .One is the attempt to force Delta Airline to unionize. The other is small subsidies to small airports that the House would eliminate.

Previously if a Delta worker didn't want to unionize all they had to do was ignore the union attempts. Anyone who didn't votes was considered a no vote.

New rules dictated by the Obama National Mediation Board says that only registered votes are counted. As you know ,unionization campaigns can get quite aggressive. Workers who do not want unions are targeted and pressured to vote in favor . The new rules forces the workers to indicate their preference.

Delta voted under the new rules and still voted down unionizing. The impass is that the House puts the kabash on the new rules. That is why the Reid Senate has refused to pass the continuing resolution funding the FAA. It is the Senate that is responsible for the furloughs.

BTW ; since July 23 planes still take off and land across the land. Air traffic controllers and essential maintenance personel are on the job. Hmmm


There'll be no cuts. At BEST there'll be a slowdown in the GROWTH, and they'll CALL it a cut.

The cuts won't pay the interest on the debt.

The new borrowing took total public debt to $14.58 trillion, over end-2010 GDP of $14.53 trillion, and putting it in a league with highly indebted countries like Italy and Belgium.
http://news.yahoo.com/us-aaa-rating-still-under-threat-204040123.html