Political Hay
The Democrats’ War on Paul Ryan
It sounds very much like the liberal warnings against welfare reform.
If hysteria and hyperbole could balance the budget, we would be running record surpluses right now. In that parallel universe, the Democratic reaction to Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget proposal would wash away the red ink much faster than Ryan himself.
Consider this brainstorm by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the new head of the Democratic National Committee: “This Republican path to poverty passes like a tornado through seniors’ nursing homes.” Schultz isn’t the only siren screeching out a warning to take refuge in the storm cellar. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is conducting an air raid drill.
“Make no mistake about it, the Ryan budget is a war on seniors,” she said in a press conference organized by the Congressional Task Force on Seniors. “Newt Gingrich has said Medicare should wither on the vine. Well, this Republican budget would chop it down.” The new civility didn’t stop there: “Republicans are literally trying to kill Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Democrats will stand of the way of their war on seniors.”
The ever-excitable Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) was not to be outdone: “They use Medicaid as a piggy bank in order to avoid asking the people at the very top of our economic ladder, the very richest in our society, the highest income earners of millions and dollars or more, to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.”
Finally, there was the president himself. “It’s a vision that says up to 50 million Americans have to lose their health insurance in order for us to reduce the deficit,” Obama intoned during his April 13 speech asking for a post-Ryan do-over on his 2012 budget. Obama continued:
Who are these 50 million Americans? Many are somebody’s grandparents, maybe one of yours, who wouldn’t be able afford nursing home care without Medicaid. Many are poor children. Some are middle-class families who have children with autism or Down’s syndrome. Some are kids with disabilities… so severe that they require 24-hour care. These are the Americans we’d be telling to fend for themselves.
William Kristol rightly compared Obama’s remarks to Ted Kennedy’s infamous “Robert Bork’s America” speech. In 1987, Kennedy accused Bork of wanting to force blacks to eat at segregated lunch counters while censoring artists, banning the teaching of evolution, and subjecting every American to the midnight knock at the door. Maybe Kennedy just had better speechwriters than contemporary Democrats.
But that’s not the only time we’ve been down this apocalyptic road. Before a Republican Congress passed and President Clinton signed welfare reform, Democratic politicians and liberal activists casually tossed around dire predictions of a million additional children being consigned to poverty. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Was.) said the bill would “put 1.5 million to 2.5 million children into poverty” within two years of becoming law.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) warned that welfare reform would leave “children hungry and homeless… begging for money, begging for food, and even at eight and nine years old engaging in prostitution.” Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.) called it an “abomination” and imagined it could lead to children being sold into slavery. Marian Wright Edelman wrote contemptuously of the need to reduce spending: “It is nonsense for congressional leaders to argue that they are protecting children from a future debt children did not create by destroying the vital laws and investments children need to live, learn, and grow today.”
Replace Aid to Families with Dependent Children — welfare as we knew it — with a block grant to the states and Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) said we could expect children to seek warmth by sleeping on sewer grates: “We will say, ‘Why are these children sleeping on grates? Why are they being picked up in the morning frozen? Why are they scrambling? Why are they horrible to each other, a menace to all, most importantly to themselves?’” Moynihan, who should have known better, worried that even his fellow Democrats were “literally arranging flowers on the coffin of the provision for children in the Social Security Act.”
Needless to say, none of this actually happened. Welfare reform was not without its flaws, but after it was enacted caseloads were reduced by 57 percent in ten years and child poverty dropped by 1 percent per year for the first five years. Child poverty rates remain below their pre-1996 levels despite a severe economic downturn and lackluster post-recession job growth.
Just because the most apoplectic liberals were as wrong about welfare reform as they were about the Reagan tax cuts spurring hyperinflation — when it fact they helped whip stagflation — does not necessarily mean that they are wrong about Paul Ryan’s Medicare and Medicaid reforms. But it does give us reason to distrust those who are so confident in government while having so little confidence in ordinary people. The budget cannot be balanced by their fear-mongering and moral outrage.
About the Author
W. James Antle, III, author of the new book Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?, is editor of the Daily Caller News Foundation and a senior editor of The American Spectator. You can follow him on Twitter @jimantle.
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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.25.11 @ 6:34AM
It's not just the Democrats, but their supporters in the MSM who are using phony polls and phony articles in an attempt to convince the public of anything but the truth.
The Republicans need to roll out the band and go over the specifics of the program. even creating a Facebook which explains it in detail. Even the State Department is hooking up with Facebook.
Redstateboy| 4.25.11 @ 8:44AM
Yes.. the Lame Stream Liber-ul media will continue to perform it's disservice to the Nation being the Propaganda arm for the Slave Party but this is Not the early 90's and certainly not the 80's when what they said was taken as Gospel by the masses.. Thank God for FOX and talk radio
USSAlabama| 4.25.11 @ 10:10AM
Bill, you raise a good point here - the Libs showed their superior prowess at exploiting internet society in the last Presidential campaign.
If conservatives don't wise up and hire some savvy coders (and hackers), they will get trampled in every PR issue they face.
Facebook would be only a baby step in the right direction.
SpiralArchitect| 4.25.11 @ 5:40PM
Polls? Really Bill... surely you know polls are nothing more than a tool for those that set them in motion. Ask questions to 650 to 1900 people of a select group. Be sure to gear the questions to elicit the response desired and away you go with supporting info for whatever your claim(s) may be!
rmiddleton| 4.26.11 @ 12:28AM
Ask yourself why the Democrats are only showing those that only have Medicare right now?
The DNNC is focusing on an age group that any new law would not affect.
Why not show healthy people below the age of 55 and what "means testing" means?
While Conservatives have won and contiunue winning the Health insurance Reform BS, we have dropped the ball on Medicare.
Please read the "means-testing" portion of the bill and the voucher points... It is very similar to the Obamacare, however it differentiates by not penalizing the doctors for not accepting payments by a non-elected panel.
The biggest problem in medical, is not insurance, but why medical costs so much, unfortunately, MEDICAID and Medicare are the reasons. While greed exsists we will pay more, however allowing rampant pharmaceutical, medical and insurance run rampant we can never control costs.
wodiej| 4.25.11 @ 7:14AM
It isn't just amazing how these people got elected, it's equally amazing how so many people voted for them.
Mike D.| 4.25.11 @ 7:55AM
Don't be amazed that people vote for this human debris. I have been pounding this home for a long time. Better than 40% of the present population will vote for these Marxist/Socialists because they are voting for receipt of YOUR money and they are not too particular who delivers it to them.
These are the leftist loyalists and they will fight for the government because they want your $$$ far more than they want freedom for everybody. Its an institutionalized group of voters. Its a divide than is not going to go away and if the leftists can push this percentage over 50% then its over for the rest of us. When the leftist states such as California, New York, Illinois, Michigan and the rest go into total failure as they are now doing and the leftists rob the responsible remaining states to pay for the collapse then the was between the states will begin. There is no solution to this divide. They will keep kicking this can down the road until it becomes an oil drum and the day of reconciliation will arrive. The clash will come and it will end up in the streets.
Redstateboy| 4.25.11 @ 8:56AM
well put...! my buddy repeats that This Summer we'll see a lot of riots in the streets - of course they'll mainly be in the Slave Party controlled big cities and the irony.. the rioters won't even have a clue that A.) they're slaves and B.) it's the Slave Party political philosophy and their blind support for that philosophy that put them in their situation in the First Place!
Teaghan| 4.25.11 @ 9:33AM
Slaves.....kind of like the union members shipped into WI to scream, destroy property, and intimidate the sitting governor.
Redstateboy| 4.25.11 @ 11:09AM
I no longer refer to the Democrat Party as such, to me; they were and still are the Party of Slavery. Just like the Slave Masters of the past - they justify their actions as benevolence but examine the results and all you see is dependence, poverty and ignorance.
Mike D.| 4.25.11 @ 11:22AM
And the accumulation of power on their part. A captive class of people is the means to power, wealth, and control for the elite. Get enough captive and dependent voters and in effect you will have one party rule. And when one party rule is established and in control, you then institute a police and military state to keep it one party rule. Its the same old thing in history just repeating itself. Its all benevolent and for are own good. Thats always the smooth, easy, seductive sell during campaign season and teaching in schools.
Its the same thing, a few elite with all the wealth and power controling dependent slaves. Its the softselling of evil.
SpiralArchitect| 4.25.11 @ 5:38PM
Lobbyist & unions need be minimalised if not banned from politics all together.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 5:48PM
wodiej, it is a perfect example of why some people should be educated before they are allowed to vote.
martin j smith| 4.25.11 @ 7:35AM
This old news--and will be old news. The only new news is when Republicans have New Leaders who tell these Socialists to stick up their you know what and talk directly to the American people about the true nature of our economic situation and what has to be done. Speak truthfully for the truth will set us all free.
Nunya| 4.25.11 @ 2:52PM
Martin, I'm afraid it will never happen. Unfortunately I may be cynical, but the reality here is there are more RINO's and "moderate conservatives" (aka liberals) than there are TRUE conservatives in Washington. All those "get along to go along" traitors will never stand up for We the People, they'll sacrifice us at the altar of "reaching across the aisle". There aren't enough true conservatives who won't step down or step aside, who will fight for PRINCICPLES and not for votes, to stop this economic train from derailing. I hope I'm wrong, but I haven't seen anything from our new Republican leadership but COMPROMISE and CONCILIATION to the idiot in chief. No spine, no character, no honor. Lapdogs, one and all.
benny havens| 4.25.11 @ 7:50AM
These are the same democrats who complained “Where is the Republican plan for entitlements?” Ryan submits a plan and then they distort it. They lie, cheat and connive every day of the year. The United States economy will not get better until all of these progressive socialists are voted out of office.
coal carrier| 4.25.11 @ 7:53AM
And what is their plan? To continue to tax and spend.
tallMel| 4.25.11 @ 11:40PM
I think that is "spend and tax"
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 5:51PM
Wasserman-Schultz and her ilk remind me of a bunch of whiney children who just read Chicken Little and are running around yelling The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling! they need to take their Socialism and shove it!
jothepro| 4.25.11 @ 8:31AM
Tax the rich till there are no rich no more
Tax the rich till there are no country no more
Teaghan| 4.25.11 @ 9:34AM
And Atlas Shrugged.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 5:53PM
I hope all of our wealthly take their money and leave our country as we will need them once it collapses and we take our country back and throw out the Socialist Trash!
Louis Jenkins| 4.25.11 @ 8:57AM
It has to be admitted that Kennedy was a cowardly lion when it came to his claims. And there are plenty more were he came from. Starving children, placing grandma out in the cold, or the have nots having less. This plays well to the newsmedia, but remember, the socialist love to spend someone elses money, and one day they will run out. Then who will they blame? Ryan is doing his best to see that it will not happen. I cannot help but remember Obama saying "There comes a time when Grandma needs to have triple by-pass, but its better to tell her just to take a pill." Now who is really throwing her to the wolves?
JimH| 4.25.11 @ 8:58AM
Is Paul Ryan a major concern to the Dems as a candidate or are they clever enough to just want us to believe that?
hardcard| 4.25.11 @ 9:00AM
wasserman-schultz, waxman, schakowsky, mc dermot, lautenberg, mosley-braun; these socialists are hell bent on destroying this nation. wasserface is smearing Col. Alan West with radio ads throughout the State of Florida. Fight back !!!
Al Adab| 4.25.11 @ 12:03PM
Just imagine if Weiner married Wassman-Schultz. That should give us nightmares even though the two deserve each other.
irish19| 4.25.11 @ 7:41PM
You really didn't need to do that! For my revenge, I ask you to think of what the kids would look and be like.
EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!! I didn't need to do that. Now where did I put that brain bleach.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 5:56PM
I would vote for Col. West if he were to run for President, he is an awesome Patriot and Wasserman-Schultz is a Socialist jerk!
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George S| 4.25.11 @ 9:30AM
And did you expect Democrats to just sit still and allow themselves be marginalized by a capable representative? Democrats do two things very well: destroy freedom and demonize those who have solutions to problems. That's their nature; the fact that we are surprised by this indicates we haven't learned the requisite political warfare skills. That will be our undoing.
Al Adab| 4.25.11 @ 12:13PM
You are right on target. One of the main tactics of The Left is to denegrate and ridicule the effective opposition. They learned it from Alinsky and they do it well. Every effective Conservative spokesman will be attacked and their families are not off limits. Witness Palin for example. Conservatives suffer under the misaprehension that our opposition is playing by the same rules and mean well, even if misguided. That is wrong. The Left is interested solely in their own power and agrandizment. Conservatives need to develop a strategy and execute it well. The stakes are too high to do any less.
John OB| 4.25.11 @ 2:43PM
Ah, to "denigrate and ridicule". A Weiner-Wasserman marriage seems much too cruel when you consider that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is actually Goldilocks with Alan Grayson's brain. I think what she meant to say was this: Paul Ryan wants seniors to "die quickly".
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 5:59PM
Conservatives need to get back in the Socialists faces and tell them to shutup & sit down the same way they have done to conservatives. The Conservatives must grow a backbone.
BillCC| 4.25.11 @ 10:01AM
The democrats have a point: there will be real pain associated with entitlement cutbacks. But they omit the cause: we the people have allowed ourselves to become dependent on these programs.
We boomers, in anticipation of Social Security and Medicare:
1. saved less
2. had fewer children (tomorrow's taxpayers)
3. chose to take advantage of medical advances to live longer
This produces the worst possible outcome: the old-age programs become unsustainable just as so many of us have become dependent on them.
Our children are ambivalent. On the one hand, they resent paying taxes into old-age programs from which they do not expect to benefit. On the other, they fear that if the programs are reduced, they will be called upon to give greater support to their own parents.
And they aren't doing so great either. We somehow failed to incorporate a value system into our children, such that 40+% of our grandchildren are born out of wedlock and many more will face the divorce of their parents, placing many young households in the status of dependency as well.
Which leaves almost nobody left standing who can pay for these entitlements.
The majority of households in the US receive more from government programs than they pay in taxes. One word: unsustainable.
coal carrier| 4.25.11 @ 12:32PM
And all that we will hear from the younger generation, living under this “status of dependency”, will be their screaming about “Social Justice”.
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 3:29PM
Isn’t denying Social Security and Medicare benefits to those who made contributions during their past working careers to pay for deficit reduction now, not retroactively increasing taxes on those who made the contributions? If so then the question is whose tax increase do you support?
The Republican Plan of retroactively increasing taxes on the elderly or the President’s Plan of taxing those making over $250,000/year going forward.
George S| 4.25.11 @ 4:55PM
I am totally confused. Those who make over 250k are... what, able to afford a tax increase? Yet at the same time they cannot do without their social security? Social security and medicare go to all, even the 250k "billionaires". Again, why not deny their benefits to pay for the poor (you know, the ones who have cars, an air conditioned abode, cable TV, and whose starving kids are so obese their inner thighs start fires).
So what's wrong with retroactive taxes rather than income taxes on the 250k crowd?
Johnny| 4.26.11 @ 6:45AM
Yes, lets tax all those greedy rich folks...but wait, what effect will it have... Those greedy folks will raise the prices of their goods or services to keep from sustaining the loss or cut payroll. They didn't get to be the rich and greedy by just giving up money to the govt. or anybody else... USE YOUR BRAIN.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:07PM
I don't believe that Social Security would be in trouble if LBJ had not taken it out of the Private Trust and put it into the General Fund and the government has been using it as their own slush fund since. We were forced to pay into Social Security. They should continue to cover those of us who were forced to pay into it all of our working careers, but for the young they should do away with it totally. The should do away with Medicare, Medicaid and Welfare. People need to work. No where in the Constitution does it state that the workers should support those who won't work.
Michael L. Hauschild| 4.25.11 @ 10:03AM
Paul Ryan and the Republicans are approaching the problem exactly the same way the government created it. Abrupt, absolute, irreversible change is not the answer; it creates inequity and “entitlement” envy of the class envy exhibited so effectively by the progressives.
No one can be sure of the extent or impact of the economic turmoil that is about to occur. Of all the aspects of the uncertainty retirement “net” is the proverbial “third rail.” The only viable way to alter the Social Security and Medicare entitlement programs is incrementally, and when I say incrementally it must be open ended.
If, right now (this year) tell everyone approaching retirement that they will have to work only two months longer the transition would be slow, the deficit burden would be manageable, and the disruption of a drastic change would be avoided. This additional two months, next year - four months, would continue until that lockbox (I am aware of the factuality of that term, but it simply provides a descriptive handle) is back in balance.
The number of people contributing and the number of people withdrawing out would be balanced. At that point you would no longer “raise” the retirement age. You would leave the mechanism in place so that better economic times would “lower” the date by two months” and tougher economic conditions would return to the “raise” phase.
The rational to accept this plan is twofold; it would be slow, manageable and fair for all, second, contributing to the economy would be rewarded by earlier retirement.
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 11:45AM
Ryan has offered a platform for a mature discussion to reslove the entitlement nightmare that Democrats and the CBO (with its cooked numbers) created. Obama and all the Democrats have made clear they reject even to talk reasonably about this subject. I fear the only way they'll accept reform is collapse of the system and then it will be too late.
Con Chef (NB) | 4.25.11 @ 10:17AM
Mr. Antle is correct. The level of hyperbole that comes from these infants on the left is hillarious. They sound like middle school kids. And it just solidifies, even more, that liberalism is perpetual childhood. And haints like Debbie Wasserman (isn't that the name of a syphillus test) Schitz & Jan Crackkowski are the very culprits behind the bankrupcty of the programs to help their "beloved seniors."
PS. I wonder how many of these liberals who're so concerned about the care that the elderly are gonna get were also the ones who drew up the death pannels in MaoBama Care? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
USSAlabama| 4.25.11 @ 11:27AM
Well they are clearly the supporters of the death panels they have written in to *their* HC law.
Look, you get their votes by promising 'entitlements' and then you don't have to pay out once you kill them off.
Con Chef (NB) | 4.25.11 @ 12:24PM
Good point. How else does one promise everything to everyone & still make the whole charade look like its working?
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 11:46AM
Amen!
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:17PM
They aren't concerned about Seniors only their Socialist Comrades.
MarkR| 4.25.11 @ 10:39AM
This will never stop as its the only argument leftists have in their arsenal. They appeal to raw emotion- devoid of reason. And its funny but sad and true that this appeal frequently works and has over the decades as the dumbing down of our culture has made this work.
Sam Levi| 4.26.11 @ 3:40PM
Idiocracy is here
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:21PM
If you happened to catch Jay Leno Tuesday evening you would realize how it has worked over the years as not one of the kids that Jay asked what year the United States gained it's independence from Great Britian could answer the question. Enough said. Go Home Schools!
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 10:59AM
The invectives being hurled at Paul Ryan are the opening salvo in a bid to save the welfare state and gloated Federal bureaucracy and it seems to be working. In a recent Marist poll 70% of self-identified Tea Party members opposed Ryan's reforms for Medicare and Medicaid and embraced the Obama agenda of doing nothing more than raising taxes on small businesses and middle class couples making $250,000.00 (i.e., saving the status quo).
While the Tea Party is a populist movement and composed of people from all political persuasions (based on its public statements and some polling) it is mystifying that a group that espoused opposition to Obama’s out of control spending now seemingly embraces the Obama agenda.
How can this apparent schizophrenic behavior be explained? Is it merely a bad or rigged poll? Is the Tea Party dedicated to defending the status quo/welfare state against “magical thinking” Obama/Democrat spending and reform minded Republicans? Is it merely disgruntled Baby Boomers who despite “worries” about the future are out to get their piece of the pie come hell or high water? Are they simply gullible to MSM propaganda? Could ignorance of the Federal budget and how the money is spent have caused this radical change of mind? Is the Tea Party just disgruntled people who like to make inane statements like carpe diem, but don’t have the stomach for the hard business of governing? Are they folks who sense something is wrong, but don’t grasp reforming the system and saving the country might be painful? Have the Democrats won the big arguments and is this reversal in the Tea Party just a reflection of an entitlement mindset that means shortly the US will be Greece? Have conservatives overestimated the Tea Party and been hoodwinked by a populist movement that lacks principle and merely craves power for powers sake? Is it a product of the TV generation that wants slick packaging, fast talking and simple solutions for complicated problems?
It is incumbent upon conservatives and the GOP to determine what is or isn’t going on in the Tea Party. It is clear conservatives and the GOP must educate a majority of the Tea Party movement (who are not conservatives, but right of center moderates) and independents that reforming Medicare and Medicaid without burdensome tax increases is essential for America and its future. That or they can be like Democrats undercut Obama's war in Libya, scream Obama death panels are going to kill seniors (factual) and talk the American economy into a recession while leaking false reports about bank instability to the media in hopes that it will create a crisis while gas and food prices are high. Preferably we'll choose the former no matter how tough, because acting like the Democrats is to disgusting imagine.
Kurt| 4.25.11 @ 11:43AM
Michael,
Your thoughts on the tea party, from what I see are "very accurate" but also very painful to see what I thought it stood for initially be changed into a conservative light type agenda of the same ole government dependence that has brought us to the brink of the total collapse of the last great free society on the planet!
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 11:53AM
Kurt, I've worried about the Tea Party (after the Angle and O'Donnell debacles), but I still have hope for the majority of these decent Americans. I'm hoping this is a flawed poll, people are just ignorant of what reform really means or fear of substantive change that reside deep the hearts of people.
It is up to conservatives and Republicans to educate on how reform will save the system and country. Hopefully, Antle who seems to be a right of center populist and swallowed the Blue Dog myth, has begun the process of educating the Tea Party. Now the GOP need to get onboard. That's why Paul Ryan needs to run in 2012 or even better Mike Pence.
Margie| 4.25.11 @ 2:19PM
Michael,
Some in the TEA Party, or actually I think it's a lot~ are these Libertarian Paul-bots. They are anti-war and basically just plain anti Republican, period.
They seem to despise Republicans more than they do Obama, and indeed end up being on the side of Oabama in their foreign policy stance.
As to Antle~ have you read his blog today? He's a Rand Paul backer, not a Ryan backer.
W. James Antle III | 4.25.11 @ 2:49PM
"As to Antle~ have you read his blog today? He's a Rand Paul backer, not a Ryan backer."
Please do read the blog post itself, as this is not an entirely accurate characterization of my views.
Margie| 4.25.11 @ 3:06PM
Oh, Mr. Antle III, I did read it. And I know you're a die-hard Paul backer, either one.
When it comes down to it, wouldn't you always go with the Pauls?
Every single time? :^)~
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 11:21PM
Margie Antle may be a Paul backer, but I appreciate his defense of Paul Ryan. Whether one agrees 100% with Paul Ryan isn't necessary to want to reform the system. The worry is that many people will knee jerk defend the status quo and pull the whole system down.
Margie| 4.25.11 @ 11:52PM
Michael I didn't say anything about anyone having to back Ryan 100%.
And I actually don't trust Rand Paul one iota. He's criticizing Ryan's plan~ for what? I think he's a schmuck.
And let Antle supposedly defend Ryan, but my point was, he's a dyed in the wool Toddard.
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 1:10PM
My parents, may god rest their souls in peace, meant in Germany during WWII while BOTH were serving in the Army, at retirement, a men with two heart attacks and a treble bypass, a women who at had had both breasts removed, under the Republican plan would have had to find a private healthcare insurer.
I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said; you can fool some of the people…
Welcome back to reality my Tea Party brothers!
Negro X| 4.25.11 @ 6:31PM
vscam, cry me a river with you bogus "oh woe is me" nonsense.
Redstateboy| 4.25.11 @ 2:20PM
That "poll" has obviously got to be bogus.
Tsunami2010| 4.25.11 @ 4:57PM
The poll questions were either/or.......not "would you raise taxes and cut spending in order to reduce the deficit?"
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:23PM
My local Tea Party supports Ryan's plan.
martin j smith| 4.25.11 @ 11:44AM
Bill CC: The Democrat Party are no longer the "Democrat ( ic ? ) Party but have morphed into a Marxist-Communist Socialist Mode similar to Europe or South America. The Republican main Line leadership are deal makers and will deal with anyone-they do not care. Any attempt to try to improve our economic plight will by definition mean that the Spenders will lose. Spending also means money for the Socialist-Marxist Party.
Michael Hauschild: I do not agree with you on this issue of this problem being created " suddenly" it was created over many decades from Herbert Hoover onward. But Obama just we we were in a very sensitive situation put the nail in the coffin by HISS ENORMOUS AND SUDDEN SPENDING SPREE. WHICH THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS DID NOT APPROVE OF. So now we do need to take some action ? Sudden: Well do you ignore the warning of S&P like Obama and the Marxists ? This country will make it or break it depending on the confidence felt by the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS not the 20percent of the die hard Socialists
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 11:54AM
They are now accurately the Social Democrat party like in Europe.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:29PM
The majority of Dems belong to the Socialist Democrats of America, I saw the list before they removed it from their website.
Wayne | 4.25.11 @ 11:49AM
This gives Ryan credibility.
Oldefarte| 4.25.11 @ 11:54AM
Wow, geewiz, gadzooks, shazam......THE POLITICAL EXCREMENT OF DEMOCRATS AND LIBERALS! What a joke, or more appropriately......BS! Sadly, the stupidity of the average American soaks same in mentally and believes this propaganda put forth by not only Democrats and liberals, but their MSM facilitators CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, NYT, WaPo, Chicago Tribune, SF Chronicle, and each/every newspaper that you all receive or newcast that daily. And you people are complaining about REPUBLICANS???????????????????????????????????????????????????
martin j smith| 4.25.11 @ 12:10PM
Michael Tomlinson lets hope you are wrong about your dire predictions. And on that score exactly what value is there to them to you or to us ? I am getting a bit suspicious at people who are woe is us more than one and a half years before an election and where the conditions as of today are very negative for the Marxists. Can any of you on the woe is us crowd name ONE THING POSITIVE that the Marxists have done that the majority of Americans actually support ? Name one !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is the problem: Either you have your head in the sand and ignore the economic warning signs or you don't We can disagree on what the best method would be to get us out of our mess but one exception: MORE OF THE SAME WILL NOT WORK. Let me spell it out: " ENTITLEMENTS" will have to undergo some form of modification. When the Marxists scream that Granny bill be murdered by Republicans that shows me that they are not only irresposible bunch of idiots but even worse they want Granny to be murdered--yes--THEY WANT IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look at the Death panels in wonderfull popular Obama Care. And, the entire Health Care system we have will collapse--you woe is us going to be happy then ? And our brilliant leader's energy policy ? And our brillian Leader's foreign policy ?
My anger is more at the Leadership of the Republican Party because they have ample ammunition to counter attack Obama and his Marxist--Woe is us should be worried about them and get on the phone and tell them to do their jobs !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:34PM
Absolutely right. The Repubs can override all his executive orders and yet they just sit there like bumps on a log.
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 12:35PM
Paul Ryan and all but four Republicans want to pay for a 10% income tax rate reduction for ONLY the wealthiest Americans, those with incomes over $250,000/year, and a $5 billion increase in an already bloated pentagon budget by denying the elderly medical benefits they have already paid for through a payroll tax during their working years.
You’re goddamn right we're “hysteria!”
Pigletrios| 4.25.11 @ 1:10PM
And here we are again talking about taxing the rich to pay for a bloated government! Our government is spending too much money on too many things they shouldn't spend money on. It could not be simpler than that - what is it that the American people really want their government to "do for them", once we identify that I would bet we would cut out absolutely billions - trillions of money raised from taxes to support government spending. This is not about rich or poor - its about nonsensical spending and the need to get back to basics - pure and simple.
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 1:22PM
Medicare, as is Social Security is running a surplus. So, if “Our government is spending too much money,” is the cause of the $14 trillion nation debt it was spending somewhere else. Maybe, tax cuts or the Pentagon?
Drunken Sailor| 4.25.11 @ 3:45PM
A Social Security Surplus? Really? I don't think so.
CBO reports that the Social Security surplus, originally expected to be $80-90 billion this year and next will shrink to $16 billion this year and just $3 billion next year (essentially a rounding error) as a result of the recession and rising unemployment. And those estimates may be far too optimistic
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:39PM
AMEN!
idalily| 4.25.11 @ 3:23PM
Where are the jobs?
Poor people don't hire people. Rich, prosperous people do. They buy goods. They invest. They create new companies with joint venture capital. They do LESS of this when there are higher taxes. Why can't you liberals EVER bother to figure out how jobs are created?
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 3:47PM
According to the census bureau there are more millionaires in the United States than at any other time in our history.
So, " where are the jobs?"
Drunken Sailor| 4.25.11 @ 4:03PM
Overseas to avoid the high corporate tax rates. But what the hell, lets tax them some more.
You do realize that even if you took 100% of all the millinairs and billionairs money we would still be in trouble don't you?
idalily| 4.26.11 @ 4:10PM
What does the number of millionaires have to do with anything? Inflation eats that sort of statistic for lunch. And you didn't answer my question. How do YOU think jobs are created? By the Job Fairy?
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:43PM
When did we start punishing people for working hard and being successful? The libroids think that they know what is best for the rest of us and that they are the only ones entitled to be rich and they got that way by stealing from the rest of us. If we had term limits there would be no need for campaigning to raise funds, special interest groups, lobbiests, or anyone else as when your term was up you could not run again ever.
Oldefarte| 4.25.11 @ 5:57PM
As a 65 year old, Ryan is MOSTLY [not entirely] correct. The military does need to be cut, but not the $800 billion that the domestic terrorists Democrats want to cut by their budget proposal. As to those RICH folks, they pay for 40% of all tax revenue that the government receives and wastes on welfare to their indigent constituents. Amazing that you moronic liberals can't seem to suggest that the %trillions that are paid for food stamps, affordable homes, rent subsidies, aid to dependent illigitimates, etc should be subject to budget cuts instead of your continual financial raping of those who actually work for a living, pay taxes and support themselves??????????
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:48PM
You have to remember that our domestic terrorists Dems. are cowards when it comes to war. They would rather sit around and sing cum by yah as everyone wants to be our friend. Obama said it best, Americans are tough, if we get hit again we can absorb it just like we did on 9/11. If Mr. Obama would do his job and beef up our military we wouldn't have to worry about another attack!
Christopher Kelleher| 4.25.11 @ 12:56PM
Representative Schakowky deserves credit for employing illiterates, rather than letting them starve. Her abuse of the defenseless adverb "literally" is matched by her website's misspelling of "unveiled." No doubt, in the interest of saving her constituents some money, she has banned the purchase of dictionaries for her staff. Come to think of it, maybe dictionaries work like Kryptonite on liberals.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:49PM
Let's send them some to see if it works. LOL!
martin j smith| 4.25.11 @ 1:01PM
vtwin--you lie and as your Marxist Party does. Get the heck out of here. And who the hell are you to tell anyone who is rich ? And btw - what makes 250,00 so holy what about 150,000 what about 95,000 ?
We have enough idiots in DC --get lost get out go back to Mars where you seem be be from
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 1:48PM
Sorry, but the truth is neither Medicare nor Social Security is responsible for a dime of our present $14 trillion debt. And, the plan that Republicans pushed through the House without a single Democratic vote will not lower our nation debt without depriving the elderly and/or poor of healthcare. And, because of the tax cuts for the wealthiest and the increase in Pentagon spending in the bill would in fact only increase that debt.
Storage Steve| 4.25.11 @ 3:15PM
It is my understanding that the tax rate decreases are the ones proposed by Obama's deficit commission (first one) and that they would also remove taxable decuctions to offset the tax rate reductions so the revenue stream would be neutral (per Obama's deficit commission). The medicare and social security changes would not effect anyone 55 or older that the changes would be phased in for those younger with a voucher for insurance payments. Before you start saying that this is just to enrich the insuracne industry remember that Obama has given numerous exceptions to his health care bill to those friends who thought it was to costly which means insurance companies get to keep those contracts. There is no lockbox of funds as our representatives (both Repub and Dem) have seen fit to raid that and put in IOU's . Which with tthe current devaluing of the dollar by buying treasuries with printed money is the same as stealing the payments we workers have made to the programs. This type of gov't cannot continue!!!
Drunken Sailor| 4.25.11 @ 3:47PM
Steve,
Great job but your never going to convince Vtwin with facts. His mind is made up of DNC talking points, facts be damned.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:58PM
Dems know they can't win on facts so they just keep making stuff up.
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 3:50PM
So, where is the deficit reduction?
Drunken Sailor| 4.25.11 @ 4:01PM
Ask the party that just keeps spending. Here is one answer for you.
Indeed, the new welfare system created by the stimulus bill is actually worse than the old AFDC program because it rewards the states more heavily to increase their caseloads. Under the stimulus bill, the federal government will pay 80 percent of the cost for each new family that a state enrolls in welfare - a matching rate far higher than in the old AFDC program. The stimulus bill eliminates the reform goal of reducing dependence.
Gotta keep passing out the freebies and buying the votes huh?
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 7:04PM
Vtwin, you would do well to remember that the government that gives you everything can take everything.
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:56PM
Right on!
Oldefarte| 4.25.11 @ 6:00PM
Let the so called ' poor' get a job and support themselves instead of forcing taxpayers to do so. Why don't you moron-liberals suggest to them to try birth control [if they can figure out how to use same] and that will solve the welfare problem!!!
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 6:54PM
Vtwin, keep drinking that liberal Koolaid!
Jeff Perren | 4.25.11 @ 1:34PM
"to avoid paying their fair share of taxes."
Ignore for a moment that the top 10% pay almost all the income tax revenues. The fact remains that there is NO such thing as a fair share of taxes, as they are presently arranged, beyond zero.
There are legitimate functions we should pay for. But income tax, payroll taxes, Social Security tax, capital gains taxes, and all the rest are not the way to do it. Anyone who pays a dollar of any of those is paying more than his fair share.
It's time to argue against the Progressive's underlying moral code of altruism, collectivism, and statism.
idalily| 4.26.11 @ 4:15PM
I want a liberal, any liberal to define the term "fair share" for me. How is it "fair" for a person who has worked hard, taken risks, and been successful to be punished for that success by having a higher percentage of his earnings taken (stolen) from him than someone who has not worked? How is that fair? Liberals, please explain.
And while you're at it, liberals, define "social justice" for me, too. That's another puzzler.
BillCC| 4.25.11 @ 1:41PM
Sorry, vtwin, but neither elderly medical benefits nor social security have "already been paid for" by payroll taxes. Medicare was always pay-as-you-go; social security has essentially been converted to pay-as-you-go by plundering of the trust fund ($2.5 trillion in IOU's from the same government that is severely in debt and looking at trillion dollar deficits as far as can be seen).
There is no contractual obligation for future medicare or social security payments (Flemming v Nestor 1960 re SS, Harris v McRae 1980 re federal payments for medical care).
Future payouts of these are always at the discretion of the federal government, which is in debt as mentioned above, and an increasingly agitated electorate.
How reckless of us boomers to have allowed ourselves to be placed in such an unpredictable situation, our future stability in the hands of a feckless federal government and a voting public that contradicts itself every few years.
martin j smith| 4.25.11 @ 1:46PM
A comment: There are destructive pessimists and there are trolls who are being paid to instigate negative thoughts and pessimism. Be careful about such posts. We are about one and a half years before an election and there is NO ONE POOSITIVE ISGN THAT OBAMA'S AND THE SOCIALIST AGENDA IS WORKING. AND THERE IS NO ONE POSTER WHO CAN NAME ON DAMN THING THAT OBAMA HAS DONE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT--NOT ONE.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Every area of our life in economy, national security, etc not one area has Obama done ANYTHING THAT IS POPULAR. OR, THAT THE AMERICAN VOTER IS HAPPY ABOUT.
So to those posters who come here to instigate-come on in--we know who you are and--I think that these posters should be used as example as to how the Marxists are so desperate--they have no arguments--all they have are smears and innuendo and destruction of people . But for this country--they are morally bankrupt.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
vtwin| 4.25.11 @ 2:08PM
I’m here to inform not instigate and I do so without monetary compensation. And, if I must stand with the “SOCIALIST and Marxists” to defend the dignity of my fellow American in their twilight years, those whom have protected and preserved our nation freedom, from greedy and powerful interests, then so be it.
skip| 4.25.11 @ 2:49PM
vtwin vtwin vtwin
You left out:
'..., then so be it. And if I have to ignore all intelligence, all honesty, even all morality, then so be it, even if that means completely ignoring both the Constitution and the Bible. Sometimes you just have to make a stand.'
Drunken Sailor| 4.25.11 @ 3:52PM
Guilty conscience much?
Oldefarte| 4.25.11 @ 6:03PM
I'm in those twilight years and I don't want nor need your GD help, and neither does most seniors. We worked all of our lives and are self supporting [SS/Medicare were paid for by our payroll deductions] . Tell the truth, what you're protecting is Medicaid which is WELFARE!!!!!!!
Texas Granny| 4.28.11 @ 7:14PM
This Oldfarte is right up there with you! The scariest words in the world are, We're your government and we're here to help - Run America Run!
John Hastings| 4.25.11 @ 6:40PM
You can always identify a progressive/liberal by the degree of intelligence that is apparent in their writing. vtwin is the only reasonable person on this wall. You need look no further than our top universities. The inhabitants of Tier One schools are filled with progressives and lightly peppered with conservatives (legacy admits?). Liberty University, Bob Jones University and the like are filled with "intellectuals" who espouse similar viewpoints; however, none of those "intellectuals" or students are fit carry water for the real megabrains of the U.S.
Martin J Smith, you have convinced all that you know where the "caps lock" and exclamation point keys are, but how about some proof reading. It is difficult to have a conversation with anyone who cannot clearly articulate a position. It is silly to say we "have no arguments" and then to conclude a post with the meaninglessly vague claim that we are "morally bankrupt." What in world does that even mean? Just a warning: moral philosophy is traditionally developed in universities, and we all know those are havens for golly darned liberals. Maybe you ought to drop the "morals" argument, lest you actually have to rely on liberal's arguments in your silly attempt to combat progressive political positions.
You claim that Obama has not done a single popular thing since taking office, but I am certainly willing to wager that he will knock the socks off of any of your current straw poll candidates. I would love to see Paul Ryan win a Republican primary, we would deal with him the same way that we dealt with Angle and O'Donnell. (By the way, do you think they are included in the current unemployment statistics?)
I agree with vtwin, I wish that I could be paid to monitor all of you goobers and respond to your silly little comments. I am sure that most of you are not well off, and reading and responding to crap like this is your way of feeling like you matter.
skip| 4.26.11 @ 12:35PM
John Hastings: Idiot At Large
Like any true liberal you offer a plethora of words none of which are of any substance.
Decade after decade the lowest performing academic discipline is education. Education majors are consistently the bottom rung. Guess where all the professors come from at all your havens of liberal 'supremacy'?
The idiot liar in chief is the epitome of what 'tier one' schools produce. He does not have the qualifications or experience to run a convenience store, even after two years as 'president'.
The idiot liar in chief will not beat whoever runs against him. Even John McCain would win.
What will truly be enjoyable will be watching the idiot liar in chief become completely unhinged on full public display as he trails by fifteen points during the summer of 2012.
Liberalism is wholly lacking in intelligence and wholly lacking in honesty, has never produced a policy of benefit to the nation, only policies that have harmed the nation.
Every discussion between a liberal and a conservative always boils down to the liberal arguing based on emotion and the conservative arguing based on logic.
On politics and on economics, or any other topic, if you bother to put up, your delusional self-esteem will be decimated with ease by any number of posters here at AmSpec.
Put up or shut up. Silly little comments from an insignificant idiot aren't tolerated here.
John Hastings| 4.28.11 @ 9:00AM
Skip, if "silly little comments from an insignificant idiot" really were not tolerated here this site would not exist.
I will address your points, one by one, so that you may be able to keep up (Vegas odds are against you, but maybe you're the next Cinderella).
(1). I never said anything about education majors, and you failed to address my proposition concerning the lack of conservatives in elite schools. It's all because affirmative action bars them out, right? I know nothing about the academic discipline of education. I don't think that my school even offered any such curriculum. I, like the vast majority of graduates, have never taken a college class taught by someone with any level of degree in the field of education. The only professors with degrees in education are those who teach in education departments. However, I do know that the Head Mistress of my high school earned an Ed.D. and we are all doing pretty well. Please address my original proposition and provide a citation for your claim regarding the performance of education departments.
(2). Using juvenile titles such as "idiot in chief" destroys that minuscule degree of credibility that you might have had. I am quite certain that the vastly overwhelming majority of convenience stores in the U.S. would consider anyone qualified for a management position who: earned a BA from Columbia, earned a JD from Harvard Law (especially since he was EIC of the Harvard Law Review), taught at Chicago Law, and was elected to the Senate and the Presidency.
(3). You state: "Every discussion between a liberal and a conservative always boils down to the liberal arguing based on emotion and the conservative arguing based on logic." Please explain how the a statement such as "Liberalism is wholly lacking in intelligence and wholly lacking in honesty, has never produced a policy of benefit to the nation, only policies that have harmed the nation" is based in logic. My BA is in philosophy, I did especially well in formal logic, and yet I see no traces of it in your post. Hell, I don't see much of it in any post on this site for that matter.
(4). You failed to address whether or not the current unemployment statistics include O'Donnell and Angle. Please address this.
(5). Obama trailing by 15 points? Please specify which clown from the field of probable Republican candidates will accomplish this.
Tell everyone else in the trailer park that I said howdy and to be careful during their "militia training" exercises. I assume that you, like I, would sure hate for the government to have to pay for an injury sustained by one of those old fatties.
martin j smith| 4.25.11 @ 2:21PM
vtwin--you are a liar and you spew the lies of the Socialists and Marxists--In my oppinion all you are doing is to perpetuate the lies and myths which in view will lead to our destruction. YOUR PRESIDENT OBAMA spent more money evidently than ALL OUR OTHER PRESIDENTS
AND BY THE WAY6 WHO IS GREEDY--How about GOVERNMENT ITSELF --This government is no different from any large corperation and they spend money that does not even exist--thus--our dear bernanke moneterizes the debt creating lower dollar value and helps to contribute to inflation. Then we have dear salazar who refuses to allow drilling ON OUR OWN SOIL-YET, OUR DEAR LEADER OBAMA SUPPORTS OUR MONEY FOR DRILLING IN BRAZIL. WHAT THE HELL IS OBAMA DOING WITH OUR MONEY SPENDING ON BRAZIL--I DO NOT BELIEVE IF AMERICANS WERE ASKED IF THIS WAS FINE YOU WOULD HAVE OUTRAGE. So you talk about greed--LOOK TO OBAMA AND HIS ADMINISTRATION SPEAKING OF GREED. Then you have SEIU the CRONY CAPITALIST UNION WHO WANT THEIR UNION DUES TO GIVE TO THE MARXIST PARTY BUT DO NOT GIVE ONE DAMN ABOUT THE TEACHERS OR THE CHILDREN OR ANYTHING--THEY ARE FULL OF CRAP--AND THAT IS VERY MILD FOR ME.
AND ONE MORE THING --YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN ME ONE DAMN THING THAT OBAMA HAS ACTUALLY DONE WHERE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CROSSING PARTY LINES AND IDEOLOGICAL LINES SUPPORT BIG TIME--BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING !!!!!!!!!!
John Hastings| 4.28.11 @ 9:20AM
Martin, it is this type of commentary that distinguishes between intellectual conservative and goober "conservatives." There have been some great intellectual conservatives such as George H.W. Bush, Antonin Scalia, etc. However, they are unfortunately pushed into your crowd by the under-informed. On behalf of Scalia, please stop dragging him down to your level.
BillCC| 4.25.11 @ 2:26PM
Gosh, Martin J. Smith, I can see that you are UPSET, but I fail to see anything in the preceding postings that demonstrate anything other than an objective awareness of our nation's current dire financial situation. Yes, Mr. Obama has gone out of his way to make it worse, but he did inherit what was already a toxic mix of debt and unfunded liabilities.
The use of Social Security surpluses emanating from the 1983 FICA increases to mask the size of the deficit began (and it pains me to say this) in the Reagan years. We have been consistently lied to for almost 30 years.
At least President GW Bush was able to state in 2005, “Every dime that goes in from payroll taxes is spent. It’s spent on retirees, and if there’s excess, it’s spent on government programs. The only thing that Social Security has is a pile of IOUs from one part of government to the next.”
and “There is no trust fund, just IOUs that I saw firsthand that future generations will pay—will pay for either in higher taxes, or reduced benefits, or cuts to other critical government programs.”
Too bad we didn't listen well enough to begin to change our behavior.
Our current predicament comes from both a deceitful government buying our votes with our own (and our childrens') money and our willingness to allow ourselves to be corrupted by the bait of free money or too-good-to-be-true promises.
Shame on our government, and shame on us.
blackwatch| 4.25.11 @ 6:06PM
Repudiation of the debt is the only means for the debtor...there is no scheme to cut expenses or raise revenues that one Congress after another will not tinker with or undo. Carving out favors for the Ruling Class at our expense.
...therefore inflation will be released by design and the wealth of millions will be eroded so that the few may remain in positions of power a while longer. this way the budget line will be held on transfer payments and we all will have to do the same with less don't you know.
there is no escape for this government's folly, save one scheme so horrible it can only be whispered about: a government induced pandemic.
with a pandemic (call it the Spanish/Swine/Bird flu of 2012) the twin drivers of our debt/deficit--entitlement spending for the poor & elderly & medical advances creating a longer life span will be extinguished for a generation. take out a large percentage of the poor using medicaid, seniors depending on medicare, and seniors depending on social security and the federal government's budget would be in balance almost immediately...
don't be surprised if a plague that takes the weak and elderly disproportionately appears almost on cue. It's been a long time since we had a pandemic--experts have been warning for years that its only a matter of time before the world experiences another one--SARS, Aids, Avian Flue, Swine flue--name your poison...
Dr. Bombay| 4.25.11 @ 2:27PM
Oh, NOW he's concerned about seniors. Maybe Dr. Obama would be better off taking a pill.
Osamas Pajamas| 4.25.11 @ 3:24PM
Nothing new here. Lies are the heart and soul and the sword and shield of the Democrat party. But do professional Republicans have the balls to call them out and slam them publicly as "liars?"
martin j smith| 4.25.11 @ 3:33PM
BillCC you are full of crap. Obama is either the President or not--if he is--then he takes responsibility ( which he never does btw) And speak of objective, as bad as GWB was--Obama beats him by thousands of miles. At least Bush did not use class warfare nor did he engage in vitriol against his opponents ( which frankly he should have ) And while it is absolutely true that our problems began with Herbert Hoover and all of them from then on, Obama has gone out his way not only to make our economic situation worse--for example moneterizing the debt, for example preventing oil drilling on our shores,for example encouraging class warfare and violence in politics ( yea he is the great model of moderation yes sir )So, I will say to you--Objectively Obama's policies suck and are destructive and he takes no responsibility and people like yourself well what can I say ? Still waiting for ONE THING THAT OBAMA HAS DONE THAT HAS RECEIVED WIDESPREAD SUPPORT ACROSS PARTY AND IDEOLOGICAL
LINES.
STILL WAITING !!!!!!!!!!!!
BillCC| 4.25.11 @ 3:52PM
Gosh, Martin J. Smith, you're not the first person to suggest that I may be FOC. But then you spend the rest of your post essentially agreeing with me!
Giving Obama his due: he named Francis S. Collins, former director of the human genome project, as director of the National Institutes of Health. People throughout the political spectrum have praised Dr. Collins for his scientific objectivity, humanity and effectiveness as an administrator. Dr. Collins has written a book describing his attachment to Christianity and how it informs his scientific work.
Okay, so this is one bright star in an otherwise dark, dark night, but you did only ask for ONE THING. (!!!!!!!!!)
Harry| 4.25.11 @ 4:02PM
Typical whining and crying from the left. The economy is down, and crashing further, and, it will get worse if budget isn't addressed. Fiscal responsibility is foreign to democrats, so I can understand their apprehension.
Flee| 4.25.11 @ 4:10PM
I can only wish someone would have a calm and principled debate with Obama and his minions about the real difference between their methods: Obama wants the Feds to run all these programs whereas Republicans and conservatives would rather it all be left to the states if anywhere. The Liberals all spout about shared pain and success but they refuse to allow those that earn their success to retain more of it. I have never seen such wealth envy from supposed adults. I thought Obama had asked for a more civil debate of the problems with our country. I guess when it's not going his way he prefers to throw civility out the window. He should be careful because it might hit some of his contituents hanging around outside awaiting their next handout.
mikeg| 4.25.11 @ 4:20PM
Yes, this is exactly like welfare reform.
Lets put those lazy shiftless senior citizens back to work to pay for their medicine.
And a great way to drive down medical costs as well, my 85 year old mother negotiating with the health insurance company, after she gets off work.
hmrhonda| 4.25.11 @ 4:29PM
You are an example of our totally irrational citizens. First of all, if you mother worked and her insurance was not tied to her job she could keep the insurance she had, or would make the decisions at age 60 or sooner (or is early dementia as evidenced by your post run in your family?) Secondly, if you mother is 85, have you been living under a rock??????? She will not be affected by this legislation. You however better get a power of attorney for someone to take care of you because you are already not thinking clearly.
hmrhonda| 4.25.11 @ 4:26PM
Cowards. All of them. The only courageous person is Paul Ryan. He knew he would be criticized but it had to be said. I would go one step further--Medicare was a bad idea when it was conceived. That is why it is costing so much. To give an equally extreme example: Why does Warren Buffet need medicare?? AND if it costs so much and is bankrupting us WHY did Clinton make getting your social security check dependednt on being forced into Medicare. Maybe wealthy seniors would choose to buy their own medical care if the two were not connected but the equality police would say a) then they don't need the social security "pension" they believed in and payed into b) they may get better quality medical care and that wouldn't be FAIR.
The dems make me sick.
Rev Trask| 4.25.11 @ 8:35PM
So why didn`t Paul Ryan put means-testing into his Medicare-shredding plan if he`s so brave?
Michael Tomlinson| 4.26.11 @ 12:11AM
Paul Ryan unlike Democrats who don't give a tinker's damn for seniors or the nation are out for whatever they and their cronies can steal from the country. Look at the lazy and useless Obama worrying about "cool phones" in the White House and more afraid of missing a golf game than winning the war in Afghanistan. Talk about a lack of moral courage and leadership -- he has it in spades.
Pat| 4.25.11 @ 4:27PM
Like that scary psycho in the “Halloween” horror movie series who always dies but always returns, welfare never stays “reformed” for very long. At $1.8 trillion in giveaways per year, we have the greatest welfare system on the planet. And when registered Democrats were asked by a Democratic Party pollster recently if they thought Americans spent enough on welfare, 59% of responders said we don’t spend enough, 11% said we spend barely enough and the remaining 61% reportedly said it’s Bush’s fault we are even talking about welfare reform and that an individual’s skill with mathematics is no substitute for compassion. Now a large part of that annual $1.8 trillion is due to Social Security and Medicare payments which, whenever mentioned within the teleprompters of both Democrat and Republican politicians, are never referred to as “welfare”.
Are Social Security and Medicare payments funded from current taxes just like food stamps and aid to dependent families – yes, but it’s not welfare in the technical sense as several prominent Democrats have carefully explained to their media friends. And why – because there isn’t a “means test” – anyone who has spent their entire working life paying into the system will receive a very small return on their accumulated investment when they’re old and gumming their food - and regardless of whether they need the money or not. But since all payments are made from current tax revenues or Treasury borrowings, there is no actual “investment” earmarked for these toothless oldsters and consequently there is also no “return” – a minor technical point sometimes made by naïve, freshmen Democrats and which always results in much shushing from Party bigwigs.
So, whatever happened to that “investment” these hard working folks thought they were building over all those years? Well, our government spent the money as fast as it came in. And spent it on what? Why, on welfare, of course.
Does that sound like a Ponzi scheme to you? Perhaps it does but, in his autobiography, Mr. Ponzi emphasized the one singularly important rule about running a pyramid scheme. You have to know when to fold up your tent and book that one way ticket to Rio or to a non-extradition country of your choice. And, as Mr. Ponzi carefully explained to his readers, the good times won't last forever, so therefore you must be sensitive to changing conditions and look for those subtle signs the balloon is about to pop. And running out of “fresh” money to pay current recipients is one of those subtle signs we should be on the lookout for, or so Ponzi repeatedly emphasized. Fortunately, our government claims no such problem currently exists and, like welfare reform, there is no need for Ponzi scheme reform in the near future. Now, is that a comforting thought or what?
FastJohnny| 4.25.11 @ 5:10PM
What's the matter with these people, don't they see that we can not afford to keep paying out all this cash? I guess it is true, that the people who already have money don't care about the rest of us unwashed masses.
Michael Tomlinson| 4.26.11 @ 12:09AM
Democrats believe if you tell a lie long enough people will believe it. Their philosophy has been since Wilson and the usless FDR "you can fool enough of the people all the time to get away with whatever you want."
KG| 4.25.11 @ 5:12PM
This was started by the repubs/conservatives. Recall the 'debate'/shouting over health care reform??? This is from YOUR playbook of marginalizing debate!
Charles Stevens| 4.25.11 @ 5:15PM
The left wants to scare grandma into thinking that only government can take care of her, but government is not a person, it is a mindless bureaucratic juggernaut that doles out limited largess to one set of faceless statistics forcibly stolen from another set of faceless statistics, and whenever it decides there's not enough to go around, it relies on a handy death panel to relieve grandma of her suffering.
In the final analysis progressives don't really give a damn whether grandma lives or dies... all they care about is whether government makes the decision. If I were grandma, I'd be very afraid of government taking care of me. Government will take care of her alright, as they serve her up on the state sacrificial altar of 'fairness”.
Equality is theft... fairness is death.
Rene of mandeville| 4.25.11 @ 5:40PM
okay see cato institute on budget cuts-not Ryans pie in the sky(78 billion in defense cuts what a gdm joke) also see poll on how to cut the deficit(not by 2037-come on Ryan)
Ron| 4.25.11 @ 7:22PM
Wazzi Shultz does not have the intelligence to get anywhere near Ryan. Little loudmouth is perfect for her ne w position. I would love to see Ryan run for president, he would eat President Zero alive in presidential debates
Cry Me A River| 4.25.11 @ 7:23PM
The squeaking wheel gets the grease.
And, in today's America, where OUTRAGEOUS is the norm, what are you going to do to break through the already-insane-nonsense that passes for NEWS?
The Spiritual Master was wandering around India, and came upon a repulsive man with leprosy, and told his traveling companion---HE LOVES IT!
Yes, every person, IN THE MOMENT, has worked very hard to create themselves, EXACTLY AS THEY ARE, and don't you forget it!
So, I wouldn't expect to be able to make ANY dents in the solid world views held by so many people with words, nice ones or inciteful ones.
I quit eating sugar when the body rebelled into weakness and sickness, AND I understood I WAS doing it to myself. Unless and until people reach this RIPE state, expect more of the same.
Outrage and obfuscation---self defining characteristics of closed minded fools.
Example---while soaking in a hot tub at the YMCA on "family" Saturday, a 200 pound boy of about 10 and his also fat mother wallowed in and made the water rise.
I couldn't help but ask a friendly question---"What's your favorite soft drink?" Mind, the kid was exuding unhappiness, since he BODILY knew how fat and ugly he was!
His mother answered, sweetly, "Why, he loves Coke, and chocolate milk, of course."
I told him to keep it up, and he'd keep on getting "bigger"---I wasn't brave enough to use the word, FAT.
Porky mom instantly assumed the defensive attitude, saying he mostly drinks---WATER!
As Bill Cosby used to say---"Right".
Yes, don't expect much from the already FAT and SICK masses of Americans.
Obama may LOOK slim, but he has the FATTEST HEAD of all, AND he thinks he's the smartest of all.
A deadly combination of traits that were PERFECT to con the mass of fat and dumb Americans.
Try to forget that the putatively smart David Brooks bought Obama's con, and extrapolate his foolishness from elementary child to old goat and crone.
red| 4.25.11 @ 8:04PM
Silly to write this article only about D reactions. Death panels anyone? Problem is fear-mongering, not just from one side or the other.
Rev Trask| 4.25.11 @ 8:33PM
Here`s what Donald Trump (NOT a Democrat) said about Ryan`s Medicare proposal:
"I'm very concerned about doing anything that's going to tinker too much with Medicare. I protect the senior citizens," Trump said. "I think Paul Ryan is too far out front with this issue."
Other Republican analysts, like David Stockman, Bruce Bartlett and David Frum have said "no, thanks" to the Ryan budget plan too.
loulou| 4.25.11 @ 9:52PM
Are Bruce Bartlett and David Frum Republicans? Not really.
Rev Trask| 4.26.11 @ 7:51AM
Yes they are. Both worked in the 2nd Bush admin, Frum in fact wrote the "Axis Of Evil" speech that neocons like Bill Kristol loved so much.
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 11:59PM
Trump may or may not be a Republican we have only his word on the matter, but he's funded a lot of Democrats, Stockman is a soldout to Democrats in the 80's, Bartlett is an Obamacon and former Hillary supporter and David Frum is another sellout to the Democrats. So much for your "Republican" analysts. All Quisling losers.
Rev Trask| 4.26.11 @ 7:54AM
Stockman was Reagan`s budget director in the 80's, helped implement the first round of supply-side economics and witnessed first-hand that supply-side economics is really a farce. Bartlett and Frum worked for the 2nd Bush.
Volare| 4.26.11 @ 8:14AM
Uh-huh. I suppose Tea Party Queen Michele Bachmann is a "sellout" now that she is satisfied that Obama is indeed born in the USA, and is abandoning birtherism.
Rev Trask| 4.25.11 @ 8:53PM
"Now a large part of that annual $1.8 trillion is due to Social Security and Medicare payments which, whenever mentioned within the teleprompters of both Democrat and Republican politicians, are never referred to as “welfare”.
Because every working stiff in America pays into SS and Medicare. Check your payroll stub next time. And the working stiffs pay a much higher percentage of their income into this than the wealthy. Is your salary more than $106,000? Everything above that is exempt from SS withholding.
Michael Tomlinson| 4.26.11 @ 12:01AM
Democrat set up these systems to screw working stiffs (a common Democrat pejorative to hardworking Americans).
karl| 4.25.11 @ 9:39PM
I note that the author doesn't try to defend the current proposals. Consider what would have happened with Medicaid if we had gone to this system before the recent downturn. Demand would have gone up and the states would not have had the money to pay the higher bills. Some kind of rationing system would have to be implemented as many people would be denied health care. And the states would have to make many more cuts in other areas than they did. We would have had a deeper recession.
Failing to account for economic downturns seems to be a problem with Representative Ryan's proposals. His guaranteed private accounts in his Social Security proposal are similarly a ticking fiscal time bomb that will blow up in an economic downturn. There are valid reasons to criticize Rep. Ryan's proposals.
Most of the quoted attacks were attacks on policies. None were personal attacks on Rep. Ryan. I hope both sides can remember to keep the debate on policies, not personalities.
Michael Tomlinson| 4.25.11 @ 11:27PM
Karl the system is bankrupt and destroying the financial stability of the United States. Had Democrats not blocked President Bush's reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac we wouldn't have had this economic downturn, but Medicaid and Medicare would have continued to undermine our country's economic health.
You obviously missed the vicious Obama rant at Georgetown it was extremely personal. In fact, all the baseless Democrat charges were attacks on Republicans humanity and compassion. Where were you when your party was calling President Bush a liar and defending movies with the theme of assassinating him?
Democrats smear and throw mud and then demand everybody play fair. Why don't they come up with real and substantive alternatives?
Chris Pedersen| 4.25.11 @ 10:50PM
Here are the continious Goobley Goop lies by the Dems, which are clearly proven to be just that by this author, yet the "Cream Puff Politicians" of the Repubs/Consevatives never debunk them with the published facts right at their fingertips as this author has pointed out in this article. They always allow the dems to spew their BS, and wonder why their Big Tent never fills up with the Patriots of the independants who are sideline voters that never stick to the consevative message for very long.
If the consevatives believe in a strong military to defend this Nation, then they should believe as strongly in defending themselves, their message, and all those who support their cause instead of being the Jello under the Cool Whip of the Crispy Cream GOP Politicians, of all Puff and no flavor. Get your damn message out, and call a liar a liar and a fraud a fraud backed by the unrefutable evidence that prves your point and disproves the Dems pile of Mule manure!
Nite| 4.25.11 @ 11:26PM
Obama and the Democrats have something far worse planned by Seniors than Paul Ryan and the Republicans. The IMAB will consist of 15 unconfirmed so called experts all of which firmly believe in "rationing" and limited care for Seniors and the disabled. They will report to Obama and were appointed by him. They will not report to Congress, and if Congress wants to stop something is group is doing, it will take a majority of both houses of Congress. There will be sharp rationing and denial of care. Death Panels are in full bloom. The Democrats are scaring the old people now to focus on Republicans in the hopes that Seniors will not focus on what Obama and the Dems are actually doing.
Dee See| 4.25.11 @ 11:44PM
Rockefeller Sideshow Distraction ALERT!
The ONLY issue facing us is apprehending,
opening, auditing, examining, capital crimes
prosecuting ----and destroying the TAX-FREE
capstone 'benny violent' EUGENICS driving,
Globalist capstone 'chair-IT-Abel' foundations.
American is about to learn AGAIN just WHY
the 'Doctine of Works' was condemned by the Bible (SEE the works of John Calvin).
THIS DOCTRINE IS KEY------------------------------
Linked to Social Darwinisn and EUGENICS---------
IT IS POISON...
Rev Trask| 4.26.11 @ 7:55AM
Supply-side fantasy--an idea whose time has come and gone.
Matt in DC| 4.26.11 @ 9:42AM
Sir:
A few points. First, and with all due respect, if your major concern is, while we're in the midst of this major ideological struggle to define the aim and scope of Government moving into the next century, that Democrats aren't being nice enough to Paul Ryan and his ilk, then you've missed the point in a big way.
If you think that Democrats in Congress and their allies wouldn't take this unprecedented opportunity to sink their teeth into Rep. Ryan and vigorously shake their heads until he ceases to live, you're quite silly. Rep. Ryan has proposed a drastic about-face in the terms of the social contract as it's existed in America for much of the last century. Regardless of your feelings about Ryan's budget proposal proper, this is a major opening for Democrats to define their opponents moving into an election year, and they're taking it, as they should.
Second, hysteria and hyperbole (however loosely you define it here) are not the sole property of the Democratic party. Remember Hissyfit Summer '09? Death Panels? Killing Grandma? Obama's "shakedown" of BP? Joe "You Lie!" Wilson? What a short memory you have!
If you need further proof of that, please look at your own comments section. Dear Kettle, You Are Black.
Well argued piece, I enjoyed reading it. Have a great day,
Matt
Volare| 4.26.11 @ 8:37PM
Paul Ryan`s "budget" = The End of American Exceptionalism and the dawn of a new, spartan Inglorious Era.
Bring back Eisenhower! The last Republican president who truly understood and accepted the importance of a healthy middle-class.
Claire Solt| 4.27.11 @ 9:38AM
As a retired teacher, I really resent these demogogues trying to use me as a human shield. they have blown the senior vote by scaring and picking on us for 2 years. Just as not all seniors are poor so also teachers take the flack for hoardes of parasite "experts" that bloat education and contribute nothing more than red tape.
Chris Pedersen| 4.27.11 @ 7:30PM
They, at the DNC need a new set of flash cards.
DNC=[D]estroying[N]ation's[C]ommunity in TOTO!
Intentional Community Disorganizing!
JACK PADGETT| 4.28.11 @ 5:55PM
The Democratic party has created a group of voters by pouring tax payer money into the down trodden folks and buying favor and votes from them. As for children seeking warmth of grates etc the propaganda is sickening that it is now the responsibility of the government(Democrats) to take care of the poor children of our country. Not only to take care of them but to encourage by checks, welfare, food stamps, etc for the poor to add additional children to the government teat. Responsible, hard working people, men and women, are sick and tired of taking care of other peoples mistakes. The responsible plan their families and try to prepare to take care of them. They do not have children at will and have no idea how to take care of them. Seniors have paid in to Social Security and Medicare and , I think, should expect that the money and promise made to them will be honored. We all know this is a problem because our government "borrowed" all this money that was promised to seniors. This should be solved by government and earned benefits should be payed. Unearned benefits might need to be cut. The Social Security program was never intended to be a welfare system and should not be changed to one now. If you pay in, you draw out. If you are a millionaire you must pay in, so you should be able to draw out. If you don't need the money and want to give it back to the government to waste, then you can do that or maybe you could donate to worthy cause like a church, orphanage, Red Cross, Salvation Army etc. but that would be your choice. Your money would not be confiscated by force to support people or programs without your permission.
Mustang| 4.29.11 @ 12:10AM
You democrats are the most despicable human beings that have ever crossed the line of decency. I do believe that you are all mentally ill and in the positions that you hold merely for the power you suppose you have over the common folk. We, the common folk, will have the last laugh and you folks, at least some of you, will be in jail before you pass on for derelection to duty you havc all practiced
John Hastings| 5.3.11 @ 2:36AM
Mustang, under what criminal code can a sitting congressman/senator/president be convicted of "derelection to duty?" What are the elements of that crime? Is there a mens rea required? Now, I might be crazy, but do you suppose that any such statute would run into problems with that darn constitution of ours?
Please inform. K, thx.
Creative Recreation | 8.10.11 @ 9:49PM
is good
wholesale | 9.16.11 @ 5:49AM
a good post