.
Congratulations President Obama! It all worked out finally. The painfull election cycle, the terrible name calling, the awful accusations of wrong doing, the total disregard for money in both campaigns, the punitive pundits, the lying and misrepresenting surrogates, the total disregard for the truth, the off hand remarks which showed people for what they are and were, the moments that each voter in this country just wanted to scream……are finally over. In memory, somehow this was the most despicable and awful election in American history. We still can’t get over members of Congress not only mountains out of molehills, but one after the other of folks just being duplicitous beyond any reason.
In the words of Hyman Roth, in Godfather II – “Michael, this is business we have chosen!” There is little doubt that through this process, emotions were tweaked, anger ran high and a few folks ran off the rails. It would be a total understatement to say: “The process is not pretty”…..or that” making sausage might encourage you to throw up!” Many things were on the table…..just not all the ducks in a row….that we needed. No one seemed forthcoming at any level. You could not get a straight answer out of anyone elected person, any pundit and any political analyst. The answers and polls were always couched in some political equation, rather than with an education guess or maybe even a fact or two.
Suddenly, after the election the responses were: “OH!”, “I was muddied!”, “We didn’t take into consideration the demographics!”, “We didn’t have enough old white guys to get the job done!” “It was Hurricane Sandy!” “It was the voting system!”, “It was the Electoral College!”, “It was voter denial..” “It was too many folks voting….that didn’t know anything!” and finally; “You got me!”
In between, our country has faced over three years of disabling refusal of the Congress to do business. There were reasons of course, which no one wanted to admit. For example; how closely the economy of the United States is inter-related with that of the European Community, Russia, Mexico, India, the Middle East, East Asia and China! The failed states of Greece, Portugal, Spain and others have been Hanging Chads above our heads for several years now, due to the recalcitrant actions of the European Community and how they plan on dealing with so much debt and who is going to pay. The “Halley’s Comet” concepts of this election cycle included: $16 Trillion dollar in Obama Debt! Also included was the so-called cost of “Obama Care”. Also included was so-called “Immigrant Amnesty”. Also included was: “High Unemployment”. Also included was: “The Fiscal Cliff!” Also included was…..more and more nonsense which had nothing to do with doubling the cost of Health Care for people in the United States or that relationship to who might be our President in 2013!
Big Pharma, Big Insurance, Big Chemical Companies, Big Oil Companies, Hedge Fund Brokers, Investment Bankers, Medical Providers, Global Banking Interest, Commercial Real Estate, the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac, The Military Industrial Complex and even the Building Industries are all on pins and needles waiting to see what the European Community is going to do before they make their next move. For those that are unaware; If you want a job…there are plenty in places like Mexico and Thailand where the Unemployment rates are less than 5%. Lot’s of jobs….working for peanuts of course!
We also have some problems in the Middle East. Israel refuses to close down their “Settlements” in their Occupied areas of Palestine. In spite of the so-called Arab Spring…which occurs every 50 years or so……..there is little stability anywhere in the Middle East. Syria is tottering and in flames, Libya is the farthest thing from stabilized you can find, Eqypt is a constant morass of push and shove politicians and their politics are in shambles. Iran wants to build “Their Final Solution Weapon”….whether that is really true or not……their politics stink! Lebanon is ….well, “Hamas Maybe!” Lebanon! Iraq….seems to be doing its standard “I am Sunni – hear me roar!” “I am Shite….in charge and poor!”. The Middle East as usual needs some serious “Urban Renewal” and the Saudi’s and the Middle East Banking Affiliate Nations are sitting on their hands….as usual.
So, our needs seems to be to “Prioritize” our plethora of so-called “Immediate Problems”. As they used to say: “Take care of your home….before you run off to the next bar!” We have some simple and fundamental issues which require immediate attention. First issue: Control our Health Care Costs….immediately! The various Insurance Companies are doubling the cost of Company provided healthcare beginning in January of 2013. Why are there no controls? With the excuse that Expanding the Insurance Base is going to “Cost More” to provide services and insurance: The reality is that Insurance companies will soon be doubling the number of folks paying premiums to them. If there is a problem with providing services: Rationing for example? Then the people of the United States should know that. If those Big Insurance Companies make a “Wind Fall Profit” by falsely raising rates at this time – the people that are paying those high rates deserve an immediate rebate after the First Quarter Profit Report in 2013….and a commensurate rate adjustment.
The President needs to stay on top of this Health Care issue. This was his baby and keeping track and controlling insurance rates and costs are a huge priority. The next Big Thing after that is the so-called “Fiscal Cliff”. This is the “Artificial Emergency” created by both parties. The answer to this problem will require “Three Phone Calls”. The President needs to call the Congressional Leaders to the Oval Office…..to settle all differences…raise the Income Tax rates for the Rich, take a few Entitlement Programs down a peg on their projected growth, keep the “Cost of Living Increases” for Social Security Recipients and the Military, take charge of certain aspects with Tax Increases for Hedge Fund Managers, Companies that move Off-Shore and for Companies and make sure that Entitlements for Energy Companies go the way of the Buggy Whip and the Wisp! Keeping the Bush Middle and Under Class Tax Cuts should not be on the table of any negotiations. Show that Leader Stuff …Mr. President……get this deal done! And don’t ask Donald Trump to help you!
So, our President has been re-elected. We should not be discussing “Fast & Furious” or “Benghazi” or “Donald Trump’s Hair!” The time has come to deal with real issues…..real problems……real things that affect all of our lives. It is time to deal with the hardships of our brothers and sisters in New York and the greater North East. It is time keep our powder dry and a time to work together to fix some things. One thing at a time…..one day at a time….one hour at a time…one minute at a time.
God bless all our electeds so that they may finally understand…..that political capital is what you have left….after you have done something…..not before!!
We just can’t wait for: “The Next Big Thing!”
We should not be discussing “Fast & Furious” or “Benghazi” of course not a democrat is in in office and is guilty of lying to the nation , who else did that , oh yeah I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN .. , if this was bush this site would be all over this . and would have 300 stories on this by now , but since its barry zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Sir., speaking the “old language” of division needs to be over. Talk the talk that will do something positive. In the words of Robert Deniro in his wonderful fight epic: “Is that all you got Ray…..you never got me down…..you never got me down Ray….you never got me down!”
Hey, you guys gave it your best…..and it wasn’t enough. So far you have a grand total of Five people dead……to attempt to bring down a President……heck…we lose that many guys every week in Afghanistan and we don’t hear you crying your eyes out about that. Heck, we even lose that many folks in Military Training every week…..or more!
The point: Get your priorities in order dude! The spots on the dress have dried…….by the way…and even Clinton has made a comeback! Sad but true..but we will still detest his NAFTA deal and bombing Yugoslavia.
You detest ending genocide?
What are you talking about? This site doesn’t focus on issues like that? But there has been LOTS of discussion in the media about those issues. Haven’t you been listening and reading? Lots of Congressional hearings, too. No wrongdoing has been found emanating from the White House. None of it can be laid at Obama’s doorstep. I know that’s an uncomfortable reality for you, but hey, man up and look it straight in the eyes. Or you can just go on in willful ignorance and pretend things like “the polls are all wrong and Romney’s going to win.” You’re particularly adept at that sort of denial.
The one downside to Obama’s re-election…4 more years of reading FAR LEFT LIB VERN SOCIALIST OCCUPOO NOBAMA UNION THUGS NOV 2016 CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH.
*We agree with ANON……no way…..what has happened to planet earth?
Vern or Greg, can you make my comment above a reply to the Grating Juan? Thanks.
Wow, I need more sleep. Can you also edit my second sentence to be a statement instead of a question?
Get some sleep buddy. Too much work, copy-pasting etc. I understood it as a reply to the Grate One.
.
Now I gotta find an image for this Winship post … hm….
Grating Juan, if you want to read about Fast & Furious and Benghazi, go over to Geoff Willis’ blog. He’s tripling down on those stories. You’ll feel safe inside the echo chamber over there.
oh i forgot this is the lonney left blog
I wish that I had written this, as it sums it all up pretty damn well….
Dear Red States:
We’re ticked off at your Neanderthal attitudes and politics, so we’ve decided we’re leaving.
We in New York, Mass and CA intend to form our own country and we’re taking all the other Blue States with us.
In case you aren’t aware that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Vermont, the rest of the Northeast, and DC also.
We believe this split will be beneficial to the entire nation and especially to the people of our new country called “The Enlightened States of America” (E.S.A).
To sum up briefly:
You get Texas, Oklahoma, AZ and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research, the best beaches, and we’ll take all of the creative gay people you don’t want anyway.
We get Barack and Michelle, Bill & Hillary, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren, and Dianne Feinstein. You get Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry and Todd
Akin.
We get the Statue of Liberty. You get OpryLand.
We get Apple, Intel, Microsoft and all the smart technology. You get WorldCom, the Koch Bros, and all the coal/oil pollution.
We get Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Michigan, UC, Stanford and Princeton. You get Ole’ Miss.
We get Silicon Valley, NYC, San Fran, Seattle and 85 percent of America’s venture capital and best entrepreneurs.
You get Alabama and Arkansas.
We get two-thirds of all the tax revenue. You get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition states, so we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of angry single moms and deadbeat dads.
With the Blue States in hand we will have firm control of 80% of the country’s fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation’s fresh fruit, 95% of America’s quality wines (you can serve Ripple at your state dinners), 90% of the best cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the US low sulfur coal, all the living redwoods, solar power, the Sequoias and condors, all the Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Michigan, Stanford, UC, UCLA, Cal Tech and MIT.
With the Red States you will have to cope with 88% of all the obese Americans and their projected healthcare costs, 92% of all US mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all the Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, plus Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.
We also get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you very much. You get Appalachia.
You get the 38% of those in the Red states who believe that the world was created in 7 days and that Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, the 62% who are pro-life for fetuses but not for the kids who are actually born or their Moms, those who believe life is sacred unless we’re discussing the death penalty or gun laws, the 44% who know that evolution is only a theory, the 53% who still believe that Saddam was part of 9/11 and had weapons of mass destruction, that Obama was born in Kenya, and the 61% of those crazy bastards who even believe they have higher morals then we do.
We’re taking all the good weed too. You can have that crap they grow in Mexico.
Sincerely,
A Citizen of the Enlightened States of
America
I wonder how the above would change if one were looking at counties instead of states, although a lot of the beaches would still be in the ESA as well as the “good weed” from Humboldt county. As I look at a election result map by county, there is a lot of blood…electoral college should go away- 1 person should equal 1 counted vote for the POTUS.
I’m with you there on the electoral college situation.
What about the assessment that the blue states are carrying water for the red states?
Financially and intellectually.
*You guys leave that Electoral College alone. Can you just imagine when the elections are close…..Florida for example….having millions of people running down there to vote to make sure the Popular Vote is won by “whomever”? You could get Delaware to cast 10 Million Votes…..hee.hee.
As far as chances of creating a New Civil War are concerned, having served in the Armed Forces of the United States….we can say with impunity…….there just aren’t enough VMI – Navy recruits…..to challenge the US Military Academy System. So, you guys are screwed! The people are safe and travel for white people to New Orleans….is not exactly safe…just yet.
Demo- Can’t really argue with the figures if you are measuring by taxes contributed to the gov’t (i.e. likely the same states with the highest income earned overall) by the state as a whole and also by where the above cited colleges are located although the education system is quite judgmental. I believe that there is a lot more to intellect than going to a top 10 college and then going onto another top 10 college for a master’s or doctorate.
I am not sure how the financial analysis would come out if one were to break it down further to the components in terms of per capita or even a better breakdown would be determining whether the red taxpayers carry the blue taxpayers in the blue states…financially and intellectually to keep it based on your original criteria.
BTW, I did like reading all of the stats, albeit it skewed to prove a point in a satirical manner…especially the beach part. Even at the county level most of the counties that touch ocean are blue with the major exceptions being southern Oregon, the Gulf Coast, and the Southern East Coast.
… and Orange County, California!
Way to encourage the spirit of bipartisan cooperation.
Helpful. Very helpful.
Oh, puh leez.
In the spirit of bipartisanship, I thought that it would be good to promote a Republican idea like secession.
Or I could go back to being a socialist, Muslim, anti-colonialist, and pretend that my “friends” aren’t angling for an impeachment of the POTUS.
Well, you can take a 4th grade understanding of United States’ History off your list.
“I thought it would be good to promote a Republican idea like secession.”
Go to the library and open a book.
For the record, I, nor any of my friends, would label a liberal in the fashion you’ve done above. We are also not looking to impeach the President.
We are; however, getting really sick of people like you who aren’t doing anything to understand what the other side of the isle has to contribute to the future of the country.
Have you forgotten how Rick Perry (the one time Republican front runner for POTUS) got all wound at a Tea Party rally and the crowd was chanting “secede, secede.” When asked about it he said that it was a possibility. That’s just one recent example. Do you need more? You’re being selective in your recollection of history, or you can’t remember anything after the fourth grade.
As for Republicans not labeling liberals….that’s ignorant and stupid.
Impeachment is being talked about by people who have such a deep seated hatred for Obama, that they don’t even care on what grounds they would bring charges. Same as Clinton.
Now if you want bipartisanship, call your Congress Person and tell them to quit worrying about making Obama a “one term president” and do something more meaningful than rename a Post Office.
What I do remember is a bunch of Democrats throwing a fit in 1860, starting the darkest 5 year period in this country’s history and culminating in what many historians argue was the biggest waste of life in the New World continent since the Conquistadors. I wouldn’t exactly call that a selective recollection of history. I’d call it accurate.
So while you’re welcome to throw Rick Perry’s name and ideas around, let’s not pretend that it’s a legitimate comparison to who actually owns the record on succession-ism.
For the moment, I’m happy with calling you out as my contribution to bipartisanship for the day. This will be the end of my addition to the hijack of this thread: Bipartisanship starts with you. Don’t issue me orders in the same thread that you contribute to fracturing the country’s electorate into the real world equivalent of the Sneetches.
*Having lived in Mississippi for a time…..we can tell you. In this day and age……black people have firearms too! During those halcyon days of Slavery……no weapons for Black folk. Not too worry…Mississippi and Alabama and even Georgia are not going anywhere soon. EVER! .
I would call Mr Cantor’s recollection of history to be incomplete, seeing as how the article here is about the election that took place three days ago. The article is about current political events, not events from the 1860’s.
But if you want to put on your three cornered hat and act all aggrieved, feel free.
And your last paragraph:
“Bipartisanship starts with you. Don’t issue me orders in the same thread that you contribute to fracturing the country’s electorate into the real world equivalent of the Sneetches.”
So with you it’s “do as I say not as I do” ? Way to ignore your own advice in one paragraph or less.
To Mr Cantor,
You say that you’re not looking to impeach the President, but the evidence contradicts that :
“Jeff Steinberg: Benghazi 9/11 · Obama’s Impeachable Crimes” is on the LaRouche website. Don’t think that we are blind to the aspirations of Obama’s enemies.
It would only be honest of you to acknowledge this mindset.
Demo, Ryan’s not a LaRouchie. You must have him mixed up with Robert Lauten, the OC blosphere’s resident LaRouchie. And those guys are a freakish offshoot of the Drmocratic Party.
Hey Vern, I understand Ryan not to be a LaRouche bag, but rather an enemy of Obama. He and LaRouche have that in common.
We’ve all seen/argued with the guys out in front of Mother’s, sitting at the card table adorned with pictures of Obama with the Hitler mustache drawn in with a Sharpie. Enemies of Obama, as is Ryan.
We all know that is a big wet dream of their’s, an impeachment of the president, and it really doesn’t matter what the charge is.
Not to recant my promise to end my thread hijack . . .
I have leveled my fair share of F-bombs at a-holes in front of the San Dimas BofA holding placards of Obama with a Hitler ‘stache. If I see one in Fullerton or Brea, I’ll gladly park my car and do the same here.
Just because I brand myself a Conservative doesn’t make me an enemy of an elected official of the opposing party. I think perhaps you’re directing some frustration with Rush Limbaugh in a misguided way.
My mistake… I thought that Limbaugh was/has been the leader of the party.
I am glad to see that you are a conservative that is willing to express views that are different from the party platform.
Ryan is good people, D. (I may regret saying that at some moment, but it’s actually true.) Like Boutwell, like Cynthia, like Matt M., like the ‘Ships, he’s not a total ideologue. Republicans can bring a useful “green eyeshades” perspective to the political discussion — and I’m glad to have it here (and elsewhere.)
Thanks for the heads up on RC. I do appreciate a real conservative’s perspective. I don’t always agree with them, but…… I think they are different from mainstream Republicans (hopefully).
One more thing to Ryan.
As far as hijacking the thread… We’ve all done that, even Vern himself. Off into the weeds, right down the rabbit hole, and back up through the Winships cocktail shaker. It’s easy to do.
Just saw this on Huff Po….
The movement to impeach President Barack Obama has been launched, just days after he won a second term in the White House.
The Conservative Majority Fund, a conservative group known primarily for its birther conspiracy spreading, has launched a robocall campaign to gin up support for the president’s impeachment.
The call, emailed to The Huffington Post by Shaun Dakin of StopPoliticalCalls.org, reads in part as follows:
Our only recourse now is to move forward with the full impeachment of President Obama. We suspect that Obama is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and that there may be grounds for impeachment as is laid out in the constitution. Further, he may not even be a U.S. citizen because nobody, I mean no one, has seen an actual physical copy of his birth certificate. Impeachment is our only option. And Republicans are already considering Obama investigations. As the nation’s most effective conservative group we are launching the official impeach Obama campaign.
People like this give conservatives a bad name.
No, they give stupid people a bad name. Conservatives embrace the Constitution. I have no freakin clue what truths these people hold to be self evident . . . but rationality and democracy aren’t among them.
No, it’s actually conservatives that they give a bad name. That’s what they call themselves. Go ahead…ask one of them if they embrace the Constitution!
If you pine for the days of Goldwater conservatism, these people need to be purged from the conservative movement.
I agree with Ryan. They can call themselves whatever they want but they’re rightwing radicals not conservatives.
And I’m sure they’d SAY they respect the Constitution because they’ve jerked themselves into a crazy interpretation of it. These are birthers, dude. They’re not even representative of most Republicans.
Short of a torch and pitchfork, disavowing their existence is the best I can do.
Right. I understand that’s what you, Vern, informed person believes. But that’s not the perception “on the street.” Or in the media, for that matter. Those perceptions strongly associate your “radicals” with conservatism and the Republican Party.
On the one hand, there’s a degree of truth in this.
On the other hand, I’m kinda with Mr. Cantor on this. Gosh, can’t imagine why they think we’re a bunch of elitist, snobby, self-righteous assholes.
They can think what they want, anon–after all, after looking at the backlash the last few days, many of the Republicans apparently think we’re a bunch of French speaking commie drug addicts who love murdering little babies, and don’t get that this is the greatest f’king country in the entire history of the world that has never, ever done anything suspect and somehow elected a socialist Muslim foreign born negro.
Yeah, I get that there are the crazies. But there are also some fairly rational people who look at what the “Enlightened Citizen” wrote and see elitism and an out-of-proportion superiority complex.
I think that you’re missing the satirical nature of the Enlightened Citizen’s letter.
Boutwell got it.
Satire? Really?
You know as well as I do that these attitudes are real.
Don’t you remember when Rick Perry and his merry band of Tea Partiers were talking about seceding? That’s what the letter is satirizing. Nobody of the liberal persuasion is serious about seceding, but they were.
If that’s all you see in that letter, then that’s all you see and we’ll have to agree that we have different takes on it.
What makes the satire here sting is the exaggeration of the concept of secession.
Of course no state is going to secede, but the reasons given why the liberals would want to, has to be based in truth. So while the reasons given are true statements for the most part, it’s not enough to actually start stringing up barb wire and posting guards.
I can see why people might be offended by this, for a variety of reasons.
Maybe the Republicans are still mournful, and it’s just too soon.
Call me a provocateur if you wish, but what’s especially wrong with the secession of states who hate, by and large, what’s just happened? Look, I know it’s not going to happen, but really, wouldn’t we be better off without Texas? I’d miss Austin of course, but otherwise look at the fools they elect and who are then thrust upon us. They empowered a creationist to alter scientific facts about evolution in textbooks (a state issue, yes, but come on.) They elect Rick Perry–a genuine dolt–over and over again.
If there’s anything incorrect in the secession statement above, please point it out. Calling it “elitist” is just so much bullshit.
*ugh*
How’s that part go before “Liberty and Justice for All”?
The statement constructs contrasts that may contain a kernel of observational truth, but they are also cartoonish to another degree.
Example?
It contrasts ivy league universities with “Ole Miss.” But I can assure you that the Wall Street titans that wrecked our economy didn’t come, by and large, from Ole Miss.
Granted, but remember we were discussing “elitist” as a perjorative. The wailing from the right is just as “elitist” as any accusations put forth here, so I say we drop the term and turn to he thought, philosophically speaking, of the fact that we may all be better off by living in separate houses, so to speak.
I prefer the Lincolnian vision of the Union.
So do I, anon, but I tire of the toxicity.