Obama Announces Deal To Raise Debt Limit, Cut Spending

[Jingthing]

The vast majority of democrats.

You're simply wrong. This is mainstream news now. Most want more than cuts. Tea party, only cuts.

[Ulysses G.]

The American people want want to reduce the debt and most realize that the amount of cuts offered by the democrats is just plain silly.

[Jingthing]

The tea party is even sillier to imagine, holding a small minority in the house, they are going to get both other republicans and democrats to agree to massive cuts ONLY, gutting all social programs, with no compromise including revenue reform and programs offering unemployment relief, job growth in a horrible recession. I think we are finished UG, you are as inflexible as the tea party. Like most Americans, I favor reasonable compromise.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Jingthing

[BuckarooBanzai]

The following graphic shows how the left needs to balance with the right or there will be instability in the way we move forward. It also demonstrates that there are excesses on both the left and the right. No one side more or less than the other. And no one side is less or more important than the other. Our projections need to be handled bi-laterally.

[venturalaw]

They told us how much to cut and we did not do it and it was the democrats who refused.

The only path was COMPROMISE and there were big plans on the table, initiated by Obama, but the tea party jammed it.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. No plan submitted by BHO other than the following:

"It seems that the Obama's are planning another vacation to Martha's Vineyard this summer.

Jay Carney, the White House Press Secretary has had to defend the upcoming trip. Carney was asked why the President is taking a vacation when he constantly says he "will not rest" until the jobs issue is resolved."

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-650019

Of course the answer is obvious; other than campaigning, vacationing is what BHO does best.

[flying]

The American people want want to reduce the debt and most realize that the amount of cuts offered by the democrats is just plain silly.

Standard Operating Procedure

Even now after once again driving further into the ditch all the usual suspects can talk about

is how, as always it is not their fault but, never once considering why we are even having these discussions now.

They continue to drive the car further into the ditch & in fact would like to accelerate. Yet anyone who tries to turn the wheel even the slightest in the right direction to get it back on the road are deemed terrorist.

Classic

[Jingthing]

They told us how much to cut and we did not do it and it was the democrats who refused.

The only path was COMPROMISE and there were big plans on the table, initiated by Obama, but the tea party jammed it.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. No plan submitted by BHO other than the following:

"It seems that the Obama's are planning another vacation to Martha's Vineyard this summer.

Jay Carney, the White House Press Secretary has had to defend the upcoming trip. Carney was asked why the President is taking a vacation when he constantly says he "will not rest" until the jobs issue is resolved."

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-650019

Of course the answer is obvious; other than campaigning, vacationing is what BHO does best.

No, right right right.

Obama and Boehner were very close to agreeing a BIG DEAL, hugely more significant than the ugly end game that actually happened. I am sure the SP downgrade would have been avoided if this BIG DEAL BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE had happened. But no, who stopped it? The nihilist tea party stopped it because without some of their votes, a large BIPARTISAN deal that actually would have accomplished something was made impossible.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-sen-boehner-talking-debt-ceiling-deal/story?id=14093505

The standoff between Republicans and Democrats is led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and a group of other Republicans on Capitol Hill who refuse to consider tax increases as part of the deal.

It's not as easy to revise history for your own propaganda purposes as it used to be, snookums.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Jingthing

[ronz28]

Meredith Whitney says TEA Party is predominately a bunch of unemployed angry white men whose 99 months of unemployment benefits are about to run out. I guess they are a bunch of Illuminati wannabes being brainwashed and used by Austrian Rupert Murdoch, etc. via Fox News, Wall Street Journal and hundreds of local radio stations and other media throughout the U.S. to provide a low or no tax rate for Rupert and his group through tax loop holes. When they have bankrupted the US, they will move on to some other country with their propaganda media to influence its leaders to implement tax laws with low taxes to again shield them from their homeland's taxes.

[flying]

When they have bankrupted the US, they will move on to some other country with their propaganda media to influence its leaders to implement tax laws with low taxes to again shield them from their homeland's taxes.

Without getting into the which party to blame game.....I would just like to point out the US has been bankrupt for quite some time now.

Hence the creating $$$ at a rapid pace out of thin air

Being the Worlds Reserve Currency has masked the fact & if one is looking for a classic example of bankruptcy of course they may not see it.

But if anything like pricing oil in USD or the world reserve status itself is removed

(albeit no other country at this time would want or qualify for the task either )

Then quickly the emperor would in fact be seen to not be wearing any clothes at all.

Edited August 11, 2011 by flying

[Jingthing]

Proof of my assertion about majority support (including REPUBLICANS) for compromise (in other words, more than CUTS only) in addressing the economy/debt/budget situation. As expected the tea party are the outliers, blockers to a solution.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/148919/Americans-New-Debt-Supercommittee-Compromise.aspx

[Ulysses G.]

Someone seems out to demonize the Tea Party. Aren't they the only reason that anything even got done about reducing the debt in the first place?

[Ulysses G.]

I think we are finished UG, you are as inflexible as the tea party. Like most Americans, I favor reasonable compromise.

"Reasonable compromise". All the constant radical, far-left rhetoric for all of these years has proved that.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[Ulysses G.]

Meredith Whitney says TEA Party is predominately a bunch of unemployed angry white men whose 99 months of unemployment benefits are about to run out.

Well,she is wrong.

If Whitney read at all, she would know that not only was the Tea Party started with the help of female bloggers and activists but the face of the Tea Party is female:

Many of the tea party’s most influential grass-roots and national leaders are women, and a new poll released this week by Quinnipiac University suggests that women might make up a majority of the movement as well.

I wonder what Whitney’s agenda is for calling the Tea Party a bunch of “freaked out white men?” Even if men are involved, why the hate?

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/08/10/does-meredith-whitney-read/

[venturalaw]

The only path was COMPROMISE and there were big plans on the table, initiated by Obama, but the tea party jammed it.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. No plan submitted by BHO other than the following:

"It seems that the Obama's are planning another vacation to Martha's Vineyard this summer.

Jay Carney, the White House Press Secretary has had to defend the upcoming trip. Carney was asked why the President is taking a vacation when he constantly says he "will not rest" until the jobs issue is resolved."

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-650019

Of course the answer is obvious; other than campaigning, vacationing is what BHO does best.

No, right right right.

Obama and Boehner were very close to agreeing a BIG DEAL, hugely more significant than the ugly end game that actually happened.

As I said - NO PLAN (other than where to vacation). Your argument that BHO 'initiated' "big plans" is plain wrong. NO PLANS. Not one, not many. NONE. For your edification, opposing the Republicans' plans is NOT a plan. However, BHO has many "Big" vacation plans.

Edited August 12, 2011 by venturalaw

[chuckd]

As I said in an earlier post...

The Democratic led Senate has not produced a budget in nearly 900 days.

The White House (that's where Obama lives) presented a budget for 2012 that was defeated in the Senate by a vote of 97-0.

The White House (that's where Obama lives) has NOT presented a written plan on the budget discussion or the debt increase. No plan, only criticism of plans that were submitted.

The Democrats in the House,Senate and White House have NOT presented a written plan of any sort. Perhaps they are going to continue to govern by osmosis rather than presenting a plan to be voted on. Perhaps they were waiting for Christmas Eve to vote on a plan. It's worked before.

The House of Representatives passed a budget for the current year which was defeated by the Democratic controlled Senate in a party line vote. Rather than being obstructionists, as some would claim, the Tea Party Movement seems to be the only ones that are not afraid to govern.

PS: The first known use of the word "nihilists" when discussing the Tea Party Movement was by one ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY), later followed up by that paragon of femininity Maureen Dowd, (D-NYT), party hack and editorial writer. It seems we might have a copycat on board.

[venturalaw]

As I said in an earlier post...

The Democratic led Senate has not produced a budget in nearly 900 days.

The White House (that's where Obama lives) presented a budget for 2012 that was defeated in the Senate by a vote of 97-0.

The White House (that's where Obama lives) has NOT presented a written plan on the budget discussion or the debt increase. No plan, only criticism of plans that were submitted.

The Democrats in the House,Senate and White House have NOT presented a written plan of any sort. Perhaps they are going to continue to govern by osmosis rather than presenting a plan to be voted on. Perhaps they were waiting for Christmas Eve to vote on a plan. It's worked before.

The House of Representatives passed a budget for the current year which was defeated by the Democratic controlled Senate in a party line vote. Rather than being obstructionists, as some would claim, the Tea Party Movement seems to be the only ones that are not afraid to govern.

PS: The first known use of the word "nihilists" when discussing the Tea Party Movement was by one ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY), later followed up by that paragon of femininity Maureen Dowd, (D-NYT), party hack and editorial writer. It seems we might have a copycat on board.

So that we are perfectly clear, the following statement is completely, and without any doubt whatsoever, WRONG:

The only path was COMPROMISE and there were big plans on the table, initiated by Obama,

Next.

Edited August 12, 2011 by venturalaw

[Steely Dan]

Perhaps the big plans on the table are to buy a new sand wedge, on credit of course.

[BuckarooBanzai]

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

February 2, 1998

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON SUBMISSION OF 1999 BUDGET

East Room

10:44 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much for that warm welcome. Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Bowles, members of our economic team, members of the Cabinet and administration. And I thank the large number of members of Congress who have come here today, and others, all of you here for the submission of the first balanced budget in 30 years, one that will truly strengthen our nation for the 21st century.

This budget marks the end of an era, an end to decades of deficits that have shackled our economy, paralyzed our politics, and held our people back. It can mark the beginning of a new era of opportunity for a new American Century.

Consider what has been achieved in so short a time. In the 12 years before I took office, trickle-down economics led to an explosion in the federal deficit which quadrupled our national debt in only 12 years. Government deficits soaked up trillions of dollars in capital that should have been used for productive investment. Massive deficits led to high interest rates that slowed growth. And massive deficits also paralyzed the Congress in their attempts to invest in our future, as we spent more and more and more of the taxpayers' dollars just to pay interest on the debt we had run up.

The new economy was being held back by old political ideas and arrangements. The deficit was more than an economic reality; it was a powerful symbol that government had simply failed to meet its most basic obligations. And doing something about the deficit was one of the reasons I ran for President in 1992.

http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/html/19980202-14467.html

This of course was President Clinton.

This was right before GW took office. Just a short time ago but a lifetime away.

The above shows how historically we got where we are. I do not think that Republicans, except those that know nothing about history, can seriously blame the Democrats for our current state of affairs. The Democrats have certainly contributed their share to the debt but as an independent I get tired of the pot calling the kettle black. Some of the arguments on this thread are the same sort of meaningless chatter that is wasting so much time in Congress preventing any real work from getting done. Divisionists, people who thrive on unjustified confrontation, in either party have no right to be called patriots.

[maccaroni man]

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

February 2, 1998

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON SUBMISSION OF 1999 BUDGET

East Room

10:44 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much for that warm welcome. Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Bowles, members of our economic team, members of the Cabinet and administration. And I thank the large number of members of Congress who have come here today, and others, all of you here for the submission of the first balanced budget in 30 years, one that will truly strengthen our nation for the 21st century.

This budget marks the end of an era, an end to decades of deficits that have shackled our economy, paralyzed our politics, and held our people back. It can mark the beginning of a new era of opportunity for a new American Century.

Consider what has been achieved in so short a time. In the 12 years before I took office, trickle-down economics led to an explosion in the federal deficit which quadrupled our national debt in only 12 years. Government deficits soaked up trillions of dollars in capital that should have been used for productive investment. Massive deficits led to high interest rates that slowed growth. And massive deficits also paralyzed the Congress in their attempts to invest in our future, as we spent more and more and more of the taxpayers' dollars just to pay interest on the debt we had run up.

The new economy was being held back by old political ideas and arrangements. The deficit was more than an economic reality; it was a powerful symbol that government had simply failed to meet its most basic obligations. And doing something about the deficit was one of the reasons I ran for President in 1992.

http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/html/19980202-14467.html

This of course was President Clinton.

This was right before GW took office. Just a short time ago but a lifetime away.

The above shows how historically we got where we are. I do not think that Republicans, except those that know nothing about history, can seriously blame the Democrats for our current state of affairs. The Democrats have certainly contributed their share to the debt but as an independent I get tired of the pot calling the kettle black. Some of the arguments on this thread are the same sort of meaningless chatter that is wasting so much time in Congress preventing any real work from getting done. Divisionists, people who thrive on unjustified confrontation, in either party have no right to be called patriots.

clinto held the office the republicans held the senate hence leave the business of doing good business to the repubs and the glory to the dems and all will be happy.

[BuckarooBanzai]

I think you will find that many do not give credit to either Clinton or the Congress of the period. Many point at Reagan for having ended the cold war and the drop in the military spending. But I give them all credit as per the record they all worked extremely hard to end up with the results that Clinton was able to speak about. I remember Clinton being a major component in the balanced budget debates with the Congress of the era so certainly cannot point at one over the other as being most deserving of credit. People need to see in shades of grey instead of just black and white.

[chuckd]

Here is yet another reason our economy is in the tank. Get the bureaucrats out of the government and get the government out of the lives of the citizens.

______________________________________________________

Proposed rule on farms called ‘absurd’

WRITTEN BY SONNY RIDDLE

12:00 AM 08/12/11

A new rule being proposed by the federal Department of Transportation would require farmers to get commercial drivers licenses.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is a part of DOT, wants to adopt standards that would reclassify all farm vehicles and implements as Commercial Motor Vehicles, officials said. Likewise, the proposal, if adopted, would require all farmers and everyone on the farm who operates any of the equipment to obtain a CDL, they added.

The proposed rule change would mean that anyone who drives a tractor or operates any piece of motorized farming equipment would be required to pass the same tests and complete the same detailed forms and logs required of semi-tractor trailer drivers.

Drivers would keep logs of information including hours worked and miles traveled. Vehicles would be required to display DOT numbers. A CDL in Virginia costs $64 for eight years, or $8 per year, not including the cost of an instructional class and the written test.

Read more of the insanity here: http://www.gazettevirginian.com/index.php/news/34-news/3739-proposed-rule-on-farms-called-absurd

[Scott]

Your example is not a particularly good one. I lived on a farm and in a rural area. The movement of large farm equipment is a major problem, especially on public highways. Over the past years, some of this equipment has gotten really large.

You do not need a license to use the equipment. You need it to take it on public roads.

[koheesti]

]http://clinton4.nara...0202-14467.html

This of course was President Clinton.

This was right before GW took office. Just a short time ago but a lifetime away.

The above shows how historically we got where we are. I do not think that Republicans, except those that know nothing about history, can seriously blame the Democrats for our current state of affairs. The Democrats have certainly contributed their share to the debt but as an independent I get tired of the pot calling the kettle black. Some of the arguments on this thread are the same sort of meaningless chatter that is wasting so much time in Congress preventing any real work from getting done. Divisionists, people who thrive on unjustified confrontation, in either party have no right to be called patriots.

That graph would be more telling if it showed which party was in the House and Senate since they are the ones controlling the purse strings and not the President.

Edited August 12, 2011 by koheesti

[chuckd]

Your example is not a particularly good one. I lived on a farm and in a rural area. The movement of large farm equipment is a major problem, especially on public highways. Over the past years, some of this equipment has gotten really large.

You do not need a license to use the equipment. You need it to take it on public roads.

The article states this...

"The proposed rule change would mean that anyone who drives a tractor or operates any piece of motorized farming equipment would be required to pass the same tests and complete the same detailed forms and logs required of semi-tractor trailer drivers."

The proposed rules apply to anyone that... 'drives a tractor or operates any piece of motorized farming equipment...'

Nowhere does it state the ruling is not applicable to those using the equipment in the field. One has always needed a license to take it on the public roads.

[TAWP]

So now the Tea Party are all right-wing Christians? And you guys are equating them to terrorists like the Taliban? Wow, you guys are amazing.

It's a fact that they are MOSTLY right wing Christians. I wouldn't call most of them like the Taliban (because then the Christian equivalent of that would be Christians who favor murdering gay people, etc. and most of the tea people aren't quite as bad as that), but you can find many commentaries in the non-radical recent media comparing them to terrorists. Not in the violence sense, in the taking hostages/blackmail sense.

The misinformed Jingthing returns in his quest to paint the Tea Party as a rascist war-mongering groups of anti-war protesters (...) because they think the government shouldn't spend money they don't have nor control peoples lives as long as they leave in peace.

It really explains what Jingthing would prefer; the total opposite.

[TAWP]

The crisis NOW is jobs, jobs, jobs, and the truth is the original stimulus spending wasn't nearly BIG ENOUGH (thanks to the republicans),

The truth is that only those that have no basic understanding of economics or prefers socialism think that a stimulus package is a good idea. For you the case might be both, as I am sure that for the US to head drastically left is your long-term goal.

[TAWP]

And the Tea Party movement had NOTHING to do with it.

Indeed, with both parties being pro 'Big Government' (and merely disagree what they should waste the money on), and both parties having a long record of starting wars on foreign land, The Libertarian Party (partly overlapped by some Tea Party stand-points) is the only party that truly call for a sane economical policy, moderate spending and a halt to foreign military interventions.

Make no mistake, Jingthing might hate Bush's wars but he has no problems with Osama's wars.

[BuckarooBanzai]

]http://clinton4.nara...0202-14467.html

This of course was President Clinton.

This was right before GW took office. Just a short time ago but a lifetime away.

The above shows how historically we got where we are. I do not think that Republicans, except those that know nothing about history, can seriously blame the Democrats for our current state of affairs. The Democrats have certainly contributed their share to the debt but as an independent I get tired of the pot calling the kettle black. Some of the arguments on this thread are the same sort of meaningless chatter that is wasting so much time in Congress preventing any real work from getting done. Divisionists, people who thrive on unjustified confrontation, in either party have no right to be called patriots.

That graph would be more telling if it showed which party was in the House and Senate since they are the ones controlling the purse strings and not the President.

Responded to that in post 500. The Clinton speech was simply to show how short a time has passed since things were under control. I have repeatedly implicated both parties for their equally prevalent short sightedness and partisanship.

Totally agree with the purse strings as I have said the same in a prior post, but I can find no graphs that include congressional breakdowns with the debt curve. Apparently only presidents get those graphing services. But even so there are disagreements within parties - so - to follow the true trail of our debt you would have to break it down to individual votes in congress which only the most energetic of us would pursue.

Edited August 12, 2011 by BuckarooBanzai

[TAWP]

It's not that the minority view tea party shouldn't have full rights, it's about dictating to the majority. If they win the majority, they legitimately get to run the show. But what they recently did in threatening to blow up the global economy and totally destroy the credibility of the US government to pay debts, was indeed economic TERRORISM. Again, patriots they are not. More like very dangerous fundamentalists (hypocritical ones as well, but that's typical of fundamentalists of all kinds).

So the Tea Party is trying to destroy the "credibility of the US government to pay debts"? Are you being serious? That credibility is soon becoming a fairy tale and we have Congress (controllers of the purse strings) to blame.

You don't get it. The tea party FORCED their rigid ideology of no new revenue sources or they would have let the US default for the first time in history. That's what made the US a great power in the first place. Go back to history of Alexander Hamilton if you want to understand.

The Tea Party doesn't occopy the President seat nor any large number of seats in congress nor the senate.

Are you proposing that their voice encouraged some people in congress to do the right thing? Imagine that...the population being represented, we cannot have that now can we, comrade?

[TAWP]

Bachmann isn't just some tea party Joanna Blow. She may be your tea party president, and a big thing with her are her extremist far right views on social issues. You can't run from this reality much as you'd like to.

Bachmann isn't a Tea Party anything, she has the support by many of their supporters on some key issues and is being pushed as some Neo-con and Dem groups as a head-person, for opposite reasons, but to me she is just a nutter.

Don't pick a candidate and then propose anyone in a protest-movement without a ideological base therefor must be anything extreme you think you can label a few of them to be.