The American Spectator : Blaming Grover

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Blaming Grover

By Ross Kaminsky on 11.28.12 @ 6:11AM

Cowardice and appeasement won’t save the Republicans or the economy.

(Page 2 of 3)

Imagine someone who earns $1,000,000, pays $50,000 a year in mortgage interest, and gives away $100,000 to charity. If these deductions were capped at $50,000, per Corker and friends, her tax bill would be $35,000 higher than today. However, if the deductions were not capped and the top two marginal income tax rates were raised to the 36 percent and 39.6 percent levels that we saw under Bill Clinton, this taxpayer’s federal income tax bill would rise by $25,386 instead. She’d be almost $10,000 better off with the higher rates. In short, Corker’s bill penalizes not just expensive homes but major philanthropy as well.

Admittedly, this exemplar is not the ordinary person (in terms of income), and certainly not an ordinary Democrat (in terms of charitable impulse). And to be crystal clear, I am not arguing for higher marginal tax rates (more on that in a moment.) Perhaps Republicans feel that this is the best they’ll be able to do in negotiations with a re-elected president and public opinion polls that show some support for soaking the rich despite history suggesting that such a strategy is doomed to failure.

In an interview on CNBC, Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) obligingly offered that a means-tested cap on deductions “say at $50,000 or $30,000…makes more political sense.” Leave it to the GOP to negotiate with themselves, with Democrats smiling at their good fortune and wondering “will these people never learn?”

In the meantime, Senator Dick Durbin (IL), the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, says that Medicare should be given more “solvency” (Democrat-speak for more of your money), that Social Security should not be part of fiscal cliff discussions, and that upper bracket tax rates should rise in addition to imposing caps on deductions. Republicans should take a lesson in negotiation strategy. Instead, they’re hitting the mat before the first punch is even thrown and blaming Grover Norquist for putting them in the ring.

At the risk of awakening the “shoot the messenger” crowd, some words of wisdom from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, perhaps the political corollary to Jon Gruden’s laudatory language on Monday Night Football, bear repeating: “Real leaders don’t follow polls. They change polls.”

Republicans are and have long been truly terrible at explaining “conservative,” which is to say real-world, economics. Grover Norquist is better than most. But if GOP members of Congress don’t get better at this, and in a hurry, their poll-following fears will cause them to sell the nation down the fiscal river in a much more permanent way than even the Republican Congress during the George W. Bush years did.

The lessons are very basic:

From Barack Obama’s former senior economic adviser, Christina Romer: “[T]ax increases are highly contractionary,” with “a large, rapid, and highly statistically significant negative effect on output” and “a large and highly significant rise in the unemployment rate.”
From Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, the most important economist in American history (and a heck of a nice guy who always shredded liberal arguments with a smile on his face): Tax hikes do not reduce the deficit because “in the long run government will spend whatever the tax system will raise, plus as much more as it can get away with.”
“Hauser’s Law” suggests that changing tax rates has a minimal impact on the percentage of national revenue confiscated from the people. Raising rates, if it raises revenue at all, will bring in much less than Keynesian “static” models predict — which is why Democrats insist on using static models rather than realistic ones.

In short, no person who is actually focused on the economic impact, rather than aiming to assuage liberal guilt or further an anti-wealth ideology, would consider raising income taxes — and this means total tax collections, not just tax rates. But then we are facing a rabidly ideological president who wants to raise taxes “for purposes of fairness” regardless of the economic impact.

Political reality may doom economic rationality, as happens more often than not in Washington, D.C. But like the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians, our elected leaders — particularly those Republicans who should know better — must aim first to do no harm.

As for the fiscal cliff itself, the spending side, particularly “sequestration,” is undoubtedly a meat-axe-instead-of-scalpel approach. But when politicians have been unwilling or unable to cut anything of substance for more than a decade, almost any cut is a welcome one. And while the defense cuts are disproportionately — perhaps even dangerously — large (because yet again Republicans got snookered in negotiations with the White House), it is beyond time that politicians in both parties, but especially the GOP, realize that defense spending is not a jobs program, much less an entitlement destined never to decline in the districts of powerful members of Congress.

To put it another way: as politicians play Thelma and Louise politics with our federal budget, it is worth remembering that for many who saw that overrated film, the sight of the two going over the cliff seemed a fitting, even welcome, end to their destructive (of self and others) behavior.

And for those Republicans who are worried about the both the outcome of current negotiations as well as their reputation if they break their no-net-tax-increase pledge, going off the cliff solves both problems and puts the GOP back on a more level playing field for determining what comes next. Perhaps it is the aggressive therapy needed to treat the disease of metastasizing government. Better to suffer the nausea of chemotherapy than to die of national fiscal cancer hastened by complications of Potomac Fever.

The biggest risk of going off the fiscal cliff is not the short-term damage to the economy but the risk that an ignorant electorate, goaded by a leftist media, will respond by calling for more and bigger government, blaming Republicans for economic chemotherapy rather than worrying about the underlying disease. The results of our recent election makes that outcome seem sadly likely.

Republicans who would become, as Newt Gingrich described Bob Dole, “the tax collector for the welfare state” will one day wish that Grover Norquist’s ire was really the worst of their problems. Unfortunately, the worst we can do to these Jello-spined ersatz conservatives is not reelect them; the worst they can do to us is bankrupt our children while furthering the Obama/Alinsky dream of “fundamentally transforming” our nation. Sadly, some of them seem hell-bent on doing just that.

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About the Author

Ross Kaminsky is a self-employed trader and investor and is a senior fellow of the Heartland Institute. He is the host of The Ross Kaminsky Show on Denver’s NewsRadio 850 KOA at 11 AM on most Sundays. You can reach Ross by e-mail at rossputin(at)rossputin(dot)com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (227) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 11.28.12 @ 6:34AM

In the final analysis, a pledge is only as good as the people who make it.

We have a Congress and President who swore to uphold the Constitution, but several Presidents and several Congresses appear hell bent on doing anything within their political realm to destroy it.

In the shadow of that a shadow falls on the Constitution soon to be followed by the ultimate form of a shadow, the end.

The tax pledge consequences pale in comparison to the outright trampling of the Constitution which has been an ongoing work in motion with more to come.

Grover Norquist completed a major feat to get them to sign the tax pledge.

But just like many of their oath bearing responsibilities, including that of upholding the Constitution, the pledge is only as formidable as the person taking and making it.

pogybait| 11.28.12 @ 10:13AM

So as I understand it, Barrack Obama is President, Harry Reid is the majority leader in the Senate. One would think that as members of the majority party they would be providing some leadership and produce a plan or for that matter a budget. I can't recall any plan proposed or written. We still don't know what the Democrats want from the Republicans or even what they want them to agree to and yet there is this discussion about Grover Norquist.....are you kidding me?

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:34PM

You won't hear it on Fox ... here it is.
1)Let the Bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%. 2)Extend the Bush tax cuts for the Middle Class
3)Let the Payroll tax 2% holiday expire for all
4) Continue to Invest in Education
5) Create an Infrastructure Bank for Infrastructure Investment
6) Raise the National Debt Ceiling
7) Implement Obamacare entirely
8) Discuss, negotiate, and determine how best to extend and pay for Medicare for the future (with no cut in benefits to Medicare recipients)
9) Tweak Soc Sec to extend for 75 years (altho not part of deficit reduction)
10) Transform Military from 2 war fighting capabilities to 1 and more special forces missions
11) Invest in Medical and other Science research
12) Cut dependence on oil with new Cafe Standards
13) Negotiate the Sequester automatic cuts in Defense and Domestic spending
And then all the non-budget plans ... another discussion.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:34PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

Hurricane Sandy and Chris Christie was the Lord's way of pressing his thumb on the scale to tilt in the direction of President Obama. It was His punishment of Republicans for their lying and trying to cheat (Voter Suppression) their way to political victory, while espousing faith, freedom and constitutional credentials."

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:45PM

1 & 2: AVERAGE TAX INCREASE FOR MIDDLE CLASS =$2500
4: "invest" in stupidity while test scores decline and teachers union benefits increase
5: Let the innercity infrastructure be their tombstones
6: sure continue to support China because of labor unions
7: sure f*ck the seniors who paid for their medical care, and give it to the snot nosers who don't pay for anything
8: why would/could the government afford to financially suport two seperate and distinct medical care systems?
9: Yeah tweek it by forcing the government/Democrats to repay the $3 trillion it has stolen from the SSA trust fund
12: yeah put windmills on all cars and have the factories, businesses and utilities close down

Typical Gumpisms!!!!!

Occam's Tool| 11.28.12 @ 10:41AM

Grover is an idiot on areas outside his expertise (Foreign Policy, for example), but right on about taxes.

Folks, tax receipts (which is what matters, not RATES, but money gathered) went UP during the Reagan administration from the Carter administration. Therefore, we KNOW that government income will rise if we cut taxes back down to there.

Other than hating their own country, therefore, what drives the Dhimmis behavior?

SUBVET| 11.28.12 @ 11:38AM

Tool.........It's not in their plan for CONTROL

Jack in Wi| 11.28.12 @ 3:38PM

Grover is totally right on foreign policy especially in regards to the Middle East. Tommorow Palistine will become an auxillary memember of the UN. Then it can file charges in the international courts for the war crimes that have been committed by Israel all these years. The USA and Germany have tried to get the Palistinians to say they won't file charges. They have refused. It would nice to see all those people who have led Israel all these years in both the civilian and the military on trial for their crimes. Then perhaps we can get some justice for Palistine. Let there be peace in an integrated Israel Palistinee, where all peoples have equal rights. Shalom.

Aaron Investigates | 11.30.12 @ 1:54AM

What claptrap, but as it's also off topic I'll confine my remarks to those two words.

Von Mises Jr| 11.28.12 @ 7:05AM

Taxpayer last year spent $1.4B on travel, entertainment, security and staff for the Obama family. The British spent about $58M. http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=41161

Obama has 43 Czars that are unelected and unaccountable to the people alleged to earn about $172K each. Obama has 454 White House Aides with 22 designated to the First Lady. http://latimesblogs.latimes.co.....-soar.html

Valerie Jarrett has five body guards while Ambassador Stevens had one unarmed Aide for communications.

I guess that is what the left means by "fairness?"

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 7:33AM

Von
GWB vacationed at his Texas ranch, and did not golf after the Iraq war. Prince Obama has golfed over 100 times, vacationed in Spain, Hawaii, Martha's Vineyard, dinner dates in Manhattan, constant movie parties with his lib friends, and is a regular on Lenno/Letterman/View.
And three million of our so called Reps stayed home or voted third party to help elect him.

Von Mises Jr| 11.28.12 @ 8:13AM

True, my friend. But you are not consoling in referencing GWB as a model of virtue.
While the Obama regime is evil, Bush was stuck on stupid.

Mike W| 11.28.12 @ 8:53AM

Yes, George Bush was stuck on stupid. Lest we forget, that moron is the reason we have Obama now.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 9:04AM

I disagree. GWB was a good president. The alternative was president Algore or president Jean Kerry.

I do not agree with his spending, nation building in Ira, and his Education Act but there was never a question about his committment to national security. Bush would have done something to help our people in Benghazi. And he would not have referred to Fort Hood as a work place accident.
We got Obama because too many of our so called Reps stayed home or voted third party.

Von Mises Jr| 11.28.12 @ 9:19AM

You are correct that GWB was not as bad as Algore or François Kerry, but part of the reason we have Obama is that both Bushies refused to defend them or conservativism.
Bush Sr. is an Agenda21 Statist. Bush Jr. got his face smashed in the pavement day after day and wimped out. That is what happens with 25 years of "Kinder and Gentler, Compassionate Conservativism." Nobody knows what the hell that means any different than Republican fascism and statism.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:11AM

I do not understand why GWB did not defend himself on the daily attacks by the Dems on Iraq/Afghanistan. His press secretaries were like punching bags, no offense and no defense either. The old man Bush was too much a gentleman and believed the Dems when they promised spending cuts for tax increases. As a result we got Perot as a third party candidate and Bubba and now Mrs
Bubba.
Bush 41 and Dole, both brave patrtiotic decorated war heroes, for some reason backed away from attacking Bubba.

SUBVET| 11.28.12 @ 11:53AM

CJW & Jr...........all this clap trap about defending and being a gentleman......big picture like it or not is about CONTROL.

As you all complain and think one side should be in charge then we vote for the other side because we don't like the direction our country is going I say you have no clue.

We the people play the game and they CONTROL it all.....you see both sides are the same. Say what you want try as you may the train is has left the station long ago.

The only thing for sure is in the end we know who is in CONTROL and HE has been since day 1.....you had better get your house in order.

SUBVET| 11.28.12 @ 11:55AM

I am ready how about you.............

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:35PM

CJ - because Bush is an idiot and doesn't have his puppetmaster, Cheney, telling him what to say.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:34PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:36PM

Yeah, he was apparently without those mobile teleprompters being manipulated by Axelrod, and didn't have to pay Cheney to play golf with him every weekend also, huh?????

vtwin| 11.28.12 @ 11:11AM

“Bush would have done something to help our people in Benghazi.” Sure, like he helped the people in New Orleans after Katrina.

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 1:00PM

That was Nagel's job, you twit. If Bush had acted before Nagel has asked for it, the left would have screamed he was be racist by assuming a black man couldn't do the job.

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:32PM

Bush didn't CAUSE THE DEATHS OF DIPLOMATS in New Orleans!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:25AM

It's called "Rank" and "Target Potential" ... fair has nothing to do with it.

On the other hand, Bush's disasters - 2 wars, Katrina and Great Depression II have cost the country TRILLIONS and thousands of lives.

Your worried about 1.4B in travel and some aides, guards and czars while our country has been kept safe, sound and on the road to recovery from the Bush Years?

Puhlease, get your priorities straight. I thought you were thoughtful?

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 8:31AM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Von Mises Jr| 11.28.12 @ 9:22AM

Hey CJW. Thanks for taking up the slack dealing with Teabag Breath. It was tiresome even insulting someone too stupid to know they are made fools of.
I give you credit for patience even reading his bullshit. I stopped doing that after about three of his dog shit for brains posts.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:30AM

Can't fight, so you quit. The low-intelligence way to surrender. Good. You're done! Next.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:06AM

Von
There is no need to read anything by "purpie."
The only proper response is to mock and insult him/her.

Von Mises Jr| 11.28.12 @ 10:58AM

Reading Perp's bullshit is worse than clearing a clogged toilet.
BTW, Perp is an it. Sort of like Caliban in "The Tempest" as a vile, odious and despicable monster.

But there goes liberal logic again. Perp is a moronic monster who Prospero's daughter is not safe with and not to show it due respect arguing nonsense means Caliban wins the argument. It must be a real charmer in a night club.
That's why prostitution is the oldest profession. Some must pay for it or do it to itself.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:37PM

When you're relegated to insults and name- calling, it says more about you than me. Cool. You lose.

Can't fight, so you quit. The low-intelligence way to surrender. Good. You're done! Next. Hahaha... LOSER

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:35PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:27PM

Opps he cut another smelly one here!!!!

frino| 11.28.12 @ 10:04AM

be some nursin homes shut down I knows bout. 1.4 bill spent for dat be better thang ta do.

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:30PM

"Bush's disasters...Katrina"? And I thought they called them natural disasters or hurricanes or acts of God. Is that what you learned from the Jeremiah School of Stupidity in Chicago??????

Jack in Wi| 11.28.12 @ 7:07AM

Ross did a very good job on this essay. It seems to me that the best that the Republicans can do is to let the sequestration take place and the taxes rise. From the deals he is talking about, it would be worse to do them. I think the tax rates on estates will cost my children and my favorite charities a fortune. Any Republican who touches Social Security and Medicare will destroy his political career and the party. Old people are the party's base. It is time to end foreign aid, get out of the wars, bring home the troops, and slash everything that even smells of corporate welfare. Then maybe we can look at the entitlements. War and Bailouts for the rich were Romney's program. That is why he lost. He said he was for lower taxes, but was talking all the time about ending deductions. Just closing down the Afganistan war would save 50 billion right now. That is enough to save charitable deductions. It is also enough to cover what is cut from the military in the sequestration. It would be hugely popular. It is time for the party to go back to it's roots, low taxes, peace, and prosperity.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 8:02AM

You hear that, Ross?

It would seem you have an Admirer.

If you and your Beautiful Wife (who has to be way too good for you) happen to be passing through Poland, on your way to Benghazi for Vacation? Perhaps you could bring your New Friend with you.

I'm sure that Jack would love to visit some of the Attractions there. You could let him stroll around the Yard at Auschwitz. Let him go up into one of the Guard Towers. Let him pretend that he's Turning on the Gas in the "Showers" or Firing Up one of the Big Furnaces.

Just, don't turn your back on him.

Jack in Wi| 11.28.12 @ 8:33AM

You are a total and complete idiot. We are supposed to cut the entitlements in a depression and keep funding endless wars and endless foreign aid most of which goes to criminals and kleptocrats in Egypt, Pakistan, Israel, Yeman Somalia, etc. I could care less about the people overseas. We need to think of Americans first and formost. We have squandered trillions on foreign aid and foreign wars, for no sane reason. Let the world pay for it's own defense. We are broke.

Occam's Tool| 11.28.12 @ 10:48AM

"its own defense." Jack, Jack, work on your spelling, munchkin.

I don't care about Egypt, Pakistan, or Somalia either except as possible ferrying points for nukes in container ships to Galveston. Israel helps us block those things, as Mossad is fairly good at its job.

I must respectfully disagree with TLP on travelling with Jack. The constant chanting of "Integrate the Jewish State" coupled with Limberger cheese farts would be a tad too much to overcome, even if he kept you entertained with tales of how rich he got selling Wisconsin 3rd rate materials while charging 1st rate prices.

TLP, pal---keep up the good work.

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 3:17PM

Hey, take it easy when talking about "farts" okay? I just had a huge plate of red beans and rice and am loaded to the gills with high octane gas!!!!

Goldwater Girl| 11.28.12 @ 2:24PM

It seems that some of your comments were deleted TLP. Is Ross already cooperating with BHO's new internet comment rule? No disparaging remarks about the One will be tolerated. I hope you're okay, Tim. Don't answer the door if someone knocks.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 5:33PM

I doubt that it had anything to do with Ross.

Even though he's WRONG ON EVERYTHING?

He's a stand up guy, whom I consider a Friend.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 5:35PM

Contest on Friday, Girl.

Be there!

Pecos Pete| 11.28.12 @ 7:32AM

There will be tax increases. There will be NO reduction in fed govt spending. Annual fed deficits will exceed $1 trillion for the foreseeable future. The national debt will continue to grow. Okay?

Now, when do I get my goodies?

JimH| 11.28.12 @ 8:03AM

Pete is correct. Once again the GOP is letting itself be distracted and allowing the Dems, along with the MSM to define the issue. Any additional taxes raised (a questionable assumption in itself) are nothing compared to what is being spent. The focus must be on what is to be cut from the budget.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:29AM

If the Federal Govt stopped all payments to the Red States, the budget would be in surplus. We could start paying down the debt. Then, the Republicans who vote to be a Red State can put their money where their mouth is.

How about that idea for a conservative idea on cutting spending and paying down the debt?

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 8:32AM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

John Navratil| 11.28.12 @ 8:51AM

Purp,

You mean, like Texas? A donor state!

Or like D.C. - the largest tax sucker of the bunch receiving over $6 for every dollar spent.

Now try actually noticing that states don't pay taxes, people do and it is the most populous states which are donors so their citizens can drive on interstates in Nevada.

If, however you would like to split the country into two according to Red/Blue lines, then you and I are, for once, in agreement.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 9:19AM

If you looked at the Map that was on Drudge, not that long ago, showing the States that were looking at Secession?

You would see that the end resulting Map, would look just like the Map of Israel, today.

A Democratic America in the Middle, with Radical Territories on either side of it, that were Hellbent on America's Destruction.

Big Breasts.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:35AM

Not quite - Both Coasts, the Northeast, the Midwest, the Mountain States partially and part of the South will be the United States of America.

The rest will be the Dregs States of America. Maybe they can become part of Mexico?

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:33AM

Yep - you take the Bible Belt and the Old South except for Virginia and Florida (They are blue now)
... Fine by me. We'll keep the smart, industrious and high paid work force in the Water Belt and you can have the lazy good for nothings or the places with 3 people per square mile. Good idea.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:15AM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 11:59AM

News flash Purp. If we keep the areas with 3 people per square mile, that means we keep the farmland. What are you guys going to buy with your food stamps?

If we keep the redstates that also means we get the biggest energy producers. Guess that will help shrink your carbon footprint as well but you will be heating lighting your homes with wood. Guess your footprint wont change much.

Have fun starving in your dark, cold ghetto's.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:39PM

Drunk - enjoy your polluted future. We'll be running on water. Your task to figure out what I already know.

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 4:07PM

Nice pipe dream. Good luck getting that to work.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:35PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:18PM

We all know what you already know......"0"!!!!

Doctor Right| 11.28.12 @ 12:28PM

No you won't.

You'd be left with the slackers, non-hackers, non-productive, obama-phone-lovin,' lazy, non-English speaking, ill-educated, gub'mint cheese eatin', low-life, lazy 437%-ers. In other words - the Obama voters.

The rich and productive Liberals - all of whom manage their own personal finances like Conservatives, with tax shelters, tax loopholes, and untouchable overseas investments - would immediately fold-up their tents and relocate to the newly established UNITED RED STATES of AMERICA because they know full well they'd make more money here than in the shit-hole socialist wonderland you'd like to create, dumbass.

You are so stupid that you don't even know what you don't know. You have a child's understanding of economics, and repeat every slogan that the left puts in your empty head.

And oh, yeah...One other thing: gay marriage would be explicitly and Constitutionally illegal in our country, so if we catch you sneaking over the wire, we'll give you a hot-lunch, a box of condoms, and send you back to your worker's paradise.

And remember...some of us might be looking forward to the coming demise. Who knows what might come next? Ever hear of the Weimar Republic, dummy?

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:43PM

Most good ol' boys are boy lovers, so you got that completely wrong. They just don't let you know, 'cause they's skared of y'all.

When BLUE money isn't going to you, you're going to get RED a**es serving the BLUES for cash.

Unfortunately, you have no way of leaving the United States, so you'll just have to cope.
But it would be oh so much fun to wave good-bye.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:36PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

John Navratil| 11.28.12 @ 7:28PM

Purp,

Of the top ten teat suckers in the U.S., only three are in the Old South. Mississippi, Alabama and your, now blue, Virginia.

Perhaps you think you can leave Maine, Hawaii, Vermont, Maryland, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania. Ohio, Indiana and New Mexico out of your Blue country. Teat-suckers all!

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:20PM

You're obviously never heard of Detroit, Philadelphia, Newark, Cleveland etc, huh?????

frino| 11.28.12 @ 9:51AM

so da red ones gets to keep the tax money dey sends in too, and gets to have their own network teevee bands ands own wall street . good deal you axe me. and yeah dey can dun deport the ones just sucking the teat ? good deal ya axe me.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:44PM

typical retard from Red State America

frino| 11.29.12 @ 9:32AM

Caint handle da. I dun sees dat.

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:23PM

Lets see Blumberg asking for what $62 million for Sandy? Excrement dumbazz, they have more governmental welfare recipients in one square block of Detroit than within the entire southern region!!!!!!!!!!

JmsA| 11.28.12 @ 1:48PM

Concurso grande. There, I fixed it for you.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 7:53AM

“I may be projecting, but is the nation not hungering for leaders who would fit ESPN commentator Jon Gruden's description of Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Andy Reid: ‘He does not feel pressure; he applies it’?”

While I believe I understand the point Mr. Kaminsky is trying to make with this passage, perhaps he should consult current NFL standings. Andy Reid’s stock is very low at the moment, given the terrible performance of the Eagles this season, suggesting that the next pressure that he applies may be on the Exit door as he goes out it.

Ross Kaminsky| 11.28.12 @ 11:48AM

Albert, you would have not done well on a reading comprehension test with this comment. My point is not whether Mr. Reid is doing well at the moment. It is that the description of Reid is one which I wish could accurately apply to more of our Republican "leaders."

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 12:27PM

I understand your comment to mean that we need leaders to apply pressure, not to respond or buckle to it.

I am criticizing your example in selecting Andy Reid, as I believe that presuming that it is an accurate description of him, his lack of current success suggests that his model of leadership is ineffective for the circumstances in which he and his organization currently find themselves.

The inference that I would hope that someone would draw from my remark is that results are more important than technique.

TLP's follow on remarks indicated that he understood that, and went on to suggest that Mr. Reid's family life was similarly flawed.

One might make an analogy that might suggest that I was making the point from an economic conservative model, and he added a concurring social conservative critique.

Said another way, Andy Reid isn't much of a successful leader these days, and I would be wary of using him as a role model.

Perhaps it is not my comprehension that is at issue.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 2:40PM

TLP had "Following Remarks" on Andy Ried?

Really?

Where did you see that?

Cause, I don't see any remarks by TLP about Andy Ried.

I don't see Half of TLP's remarks, that used to be here.

Do you?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 5:58PM

I would have thought Ross Kaminsky was more likely to be a Denver Bronco's fan, rather than an Eagles/ Andy Reid acolyte. Perhaps your characterization of the Eagles head coach as a poor father/ role model offended Mr. Kaminsky.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 6:21PM

Even the early comic gold about cosigning the loan is gone. I've gotta go back to Berlau's article, to see if the whole contest was deleted (The upside is now you know there is an "Edit" button, and you've just got to find out how to get it away from him. I sense a caper coming on).

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 6:59PM

I don't believe it was Ross.

He's one of us.

I believe that.

FRIDAY!

Dave Williams| 11.28.12 @ 12:06PM

...and as a Giants fan, I'll be sorry to see Mr. Reid go. A more reliable maker of bad decisions would be hard to find, except in the White House.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 12:30PM

I hate to jump on a bandwagon to pillory a man who was once a successful coach, but when one considers his record of the last few seasons, it would be difficult to offer a counterargument.

JmsA| 11.28.12 @ 1:58PM

Don't worry, Jerry Jones is still around.

chuck| 11.28.12 @ 8:02AM

Screw it! Let them raise taxes and increase spending even more. The sooner all this collapses from its own rot, the better. The smart ones prepare, the dumbasses will suffer.

They voted for this shit, let them stew in it.

Pecos Pete| 11.28.12 @ 8:12AM

chuck: Well said.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:30AM

Yes, please - let us prove you wrong once again. You didn't learn in the 90's so let's do it again. A roaring economy is in the offing if Conservatives get out of the way.

frino| 11.28.12 @ 10:25AM

you do knows dat contract fo
america deal put the cuffs on tax n'spend Bill ? You do knows this whole computer thing got on fire guys like Jobs and Gates did their thang. And Bill he left a military dat was sucked dry and he ignored terroist trouble went the ACLU way on natnul curity. Well you saw how dat worked. dat boy as a jack off-republicans made 90's good not Billy jackoff. You a fool boy. din witya.

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 12:02PM

Frank,
I liked your other persona better.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 6:05PM

I wasn't getting a Drackman vibe, DS. Frank often makes me laugh. He is Andrew Dice Clay to this troll's Andy Kaufman-light.

Butch| 11.28.12 @ 7:29PM

I actually think it's Allen Brooks trying to channel Frank.

KennesawJack| 11.28.12 @ 9:01PM

If it is Frank (and I think it is), I like 'em both.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:45PM

Retard.

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:14PM

Don't disenfranchise yourself like that!!!!!!!!!!

KennesawJack| 11.28.12 @ 9:02PM

Not a PC comment, Purp. Not at all.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:19AM

Scare tactics again? This is one of the most cynical pieces about Republicans of ever read.

"First, the obvious: For universities, hospitals, and other recipients of very large donations, this plan would instantly dry up a major source of funding." - Is that why Conservatives give to charity, to save on taxes? Many of you tout Conservative generosity - this flies smack into the face of that pronouncement and says that Conservatives are greedy and wouldn't give to charity unless there is a tax break!

"when someone's $3 million home becomes worth only $2.25 million, just wait until your county soon comes to raise your property tax and sales tax rates to make up for that lost revenue" - Have you ever seen county taxes go DOWN when you home lost value? Ain't gonna happen.

Christina Romer - the woman who actually said unemployment would not go above 8% (the President never did say that) you use quotes from her brilliance to make a point?
Milton Friedman - Nobel prize winner who recanted his theories on supply-side economics as Voodoo economics before he died at 94 - you use him as another quotation?

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:33PM

Purp, I feel dumber than you when I reply to you, knowing that you will not read, will not comprehend, and will repeat the same debunked lies tomorrow. Still...

Friedman recanted belief in federal management of money markets, not belief in free markets.

As for charity, charity is desire to give plus means to give. You undercut means, then imply that desire must have waned. What cruel sabotage.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:51PM

It would be interesting to see how REAL conservatives self-vaunted generosity is when there's nothing in it for them, except Christian charity of the heart.
Wanna take any bets they give nothing? Wouldn't be cost effective with no immediate benefit, huh?
BTW - I respond to what I feel like responding to.
Friedman - okay, you may be right. But David Stockman, Reagan's own Budget Director does today say supply side economics was and is Voodoo economics. That is a FACT.
Moreover the Congressional Research Service debunked the "raising taxes kills jobs" red herring.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....ou-to-see/

I know you won't read the truth of a 50 year study, but there it is from a non-partisan point of view. Shows that Republican support of tax cuts to create jobs is completely wrong and bullshit.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:20AM

Cont'd :
"But then we are facing a rabidly ideological president who wants to raise taxes "for purposes of fairness" regardless of the economic impact." - you have no idea what your talking about - this fallacy of raising taxes hurting the economy has been thoroughly DEBUNKED by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service 65 year study - see below:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....ou-to-see/

"some of us wonder from where will come the next Barry Goldwater, whose many fundamentally American pronouncements include this:
I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. " - Exactly why he lost. Ideology first, rational, logical, factual behavior be damned. The height of cynicism, or maybe it's hypocrisy in search of power.

"But given the likelihood that Republicans will indeed cave in to media-magnified pressure to make a deal" - Media magnified? You mean an ELECTION is not enough? Are you kidding?

"God put the Republican Party on earth to cut taxes. If they don't do that, they have no useful function." - If I were a Republican, I would take that comment as highly insulting and narrow-minded. I would say I had so much more value to America than that. How small can you be?

As I said, what a very, very cynical piece about Conservatism. Of course you blame the media and promote fear of the Left, the Boogeyman. Sad article.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 8:32AM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Ross Kaminsky| 11.28.12 @ 12:00PM

http://taxprof.typepad.com/tax.....study.html

http://www.cato.org/publicatio.....-wont-work

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:52PM

OH, Ross is that the lazy way to respond to criticism? By Koch Bros paid lackeys?

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:36PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

JD| 11.28.12 @ 5:12PM

The moron bases his entire point on an easily-debunked, dishonest article, then complains that far more insightful articles are used to counter?

In all things, he proves incapable not of debunking criticism, but rather of even attempting to address criticism!

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:13PM

As opposed to Trumpka's paid thugs??????

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:11PM

Purp, your intellectual dishonesty is simply appalling.

No matter how many times I and others point out that citing marginal tax rates is grossly misleading, because what a person actually pays has little to do with marginal rates under a deduction-littered tax code, you keep citing "data" that displays only marginal rates. You seem to know quite well how dangerous the truth is to your ideals, since you fight tooth and nail to avoid addressing actual taxation.

As you can see from records that we started keeping under Reagan, effective taxation does not bear much resemblance to marginal rates:

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org.....?Docid=456

The clear trend is that the tax code is becoming increasingly "progressive". Another unfortunate "trend" is that Democrats have learned to counter this truth by recasting redistribution as "refundable tax credits" instead of welfare spending, in order to make both taxation and spending look lower. Yet even by these dishonest measures, nominal federal revenue is up 40% over the past 12 years - well beyond inflation. Unfortunately, spending has doubled in the same span.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:23PM

A second chart shows federal revenue as a percentage of GDP. Again, recent numbers are skewed by recent recasting of redistributive handouts as "negative taxation". Still, the data goes back to 1934, which means it shows us things that the first chart cannot.

First, we see how much FDR transformed America for the worse. But that's another discussion. More recently, we see how revenue as a percentage of GDP increased from the 50s and 60s to the 90s.

How can that be? I thought the rich paid 90% tax rates in the 50s, and only 35% in the 90s! Shouldn't federal revenue as a percentage of GDP be way down?

Of course not. The reality is that the rich pay more as a percentage of their income in recent history than in the ancient era of huge marginal rates - and huger deductions. The reality is the opposite of your lie. Another reality is that the poor always paid nontrivial taxes before 1979. The recent zero or negative "rates" are unprecedented. That federal revenue as a percentage of GDP held up in the face of plummeting taxes from the lower half of society speaks to how the richest have picked up the slack.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:28PM

Of course you'll counter that increasing income disparity is what allows the rich to pay a larger slice of GDP in spite of lower rates.

In addition to being mathematically false, that claim does nothing to prove you right. It still remains false that higher taxation helps the economy and true that lower taxation helps the economy. Both have been proven by history. It still remains true that citing marginal tax rates is deceptive and dishonest. It still remains true that taxation of the lower half has fallen steadily since WWII.

And regarding income disparity, the only way you blame the Right for that is if taxing less enables more income. In such a case, the poor should be gaining faster than the rich! No, income disparity increases because the lower half is stifled by Democratic disincentive and hostility to business, and because increasing complexity in the tax code begets complexity in all aspects of life, which benefits the smartest at the expense of the rest. In a web-enabled society where extreme brain power already enables transcendent impact and earning potential, Democratic policies exacerbate the gap between standouts and the unexceptional.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:28PM

Forgot to link the second chart:

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org.....?Docid=205

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:59PM

Completely wrong.
We are paying the lowest tax amounts in over 50 years. Regardless of rates. Revenue to GDP is at 15%, lowest in decades. FACT. Not sustainable.
The deficit has declined during the President's term from 1.4 Trillion to 1.1 Trillion - FACT.

Google it, you'll find it all by yourself.

All the rest of your diatribe is spin.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:36PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:41PM

You WILL NOT get rid of me ... so keep copy/pasting ... it's so childish.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 5:50PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 5:50PM

Please stay Purpie.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 5:10PM

Had you actually read my posts, you would not have responded as you did, because you would have realized that your response makes you look ridiculous. You made claims that I debunked before you made them. You failed to in any way counter my pre-debunkings. You just posted your half-truths anyway.

As I said, your party has converted redistributive spending into "refundable tax credits", distorting revenue and spending numbers downward. If you remove "negative taxpayers" (who could not exist until recently), you get back to 18%, which was also the official number when Bush left office. Do you think the decline in official numbers since then came because Obama created new tax cuts for the rich? Of course not.

And who do you think you're fooling by posting 1.4 and 1.1 trillion? Is there a person alive who doesn't know what the numbers were before Obama?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 8:29AM

"If I were a Republican, I would take that comment as highly insulting and narrow-minded. I would say I had so much more value to America than that. How small can you be?"

In other words, Purp, it seems that you are suggesting that Mr. Kaminsky's remarks in the preceding line resemble everything you have ever posted here.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:31AM

If I thought you were stupid, I would take issue with you ... but I realize you're just being your usual snark, with no value to your comment.

In other words, you agree with me, but had to make a sarcastic comment to hide your shame.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 8:32AM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 8:46AM

Purpie a/k/a Ralphie Novy has doubled down on his stupidity and is moving into defamation of an American war hero:

"Ralph Novy| 11.28.12 @ 1:26AM

Got news for you, pal: McCain did NOT serve his country "bravely" in the military.

Check out his record. Couple of crashed planes. Plenty of slack cut for him because he was an admiral's son.

Moreover ... check into how me managed to survive -- so well -- the North Vietnamese prison camp he was in. Ask some hard questions about how many broadcasts he made for North Vietnamese radio and what special considerations he got in return."

That McCain sure had a vacation in the Hanoi Hilton, almost as pleasant as Obama's vacations in Hawaii, Spain, Martha's Vineyard, Manhattan, etc.....
McCain must have broken his arms and shoulders playing golf in Hanoi, as Obama has played over 100 times.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:16AM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 9:59AM

He thinks he's a Girl.

Why would you be surprised that he thinks he's this other Homo - Ralph Novy?

Cat Shot| 11.28.12 @ 9:07AM

Purp, you do realize of course that, when your Obamadreams come true, you'll be taking it in the a$$ right beside the rest of...oh, wait...never mind.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:36AM

That's why you lose ... you lie.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 11:20AM

I only agree with the part that you are small, Purp (not in the way that might excite or disappoint you, but exactly how it is intended).

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:00PM

Penis-envy, is that what that is?

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:37PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 6:02PM

Again, Purp, I used your words, deliberately tried to steer away from any entendre of this nature, and you went straight there, like a child who had to touch something after being told not to touch it. Thank you for demonstrating my recurring point about you.

Derek Leaberry| 11.28.12 @ 9:06AM

Grover Norquist has several flaws. He is naive with regards to open immigration. He is too worshipful of absolute free trade. He wears blinders with regards to Islamic Jihad. But he is correct on taxing and spending. One of America's greatest problems is that the country spends much more than it should. Norquist is right to put the Republican Party's feet to the fire as it has collectively failed on cutting government miserably.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:37AM

Perhaps they should cut government by revoking his lobbyist license - hmmmm wonder who he'd feel then?

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:39AM

*how he'd feel

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:01PM

"Lobbyist license" - a license to speak. How Orwellian.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:00PM

Go look up what it really means ... you should learn something.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:13AM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:11PM

"he'd feel then" the same as if they cut government by hiding ya boy's golf clubs or his stolen credit card that he wines and dines Moochel and Ma Robinson in Paris, Hawaii and Italy with on the taxpayers' dime or that he uses to ferry his tee-partner Joey back and forth from Delaware to a DC golf course on weekends!!!!!!!!!!

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:00PM

I don't think he's as wrong as Derek says. The simple fact is that in a truly free society, people sink or swim on merits. It will be easier to swim on merits without government obstacles, which makes free societies inviting, but nonetheless, such a society will only be inviting to those who can swim. Open immigration will not lead to the import of leeches if our government does not enable leeching. We'd only get desirable immigrants if our society was free; undesirables would abandon us in favor of states that enable undesirable behavior.

Immigration restriction is only necessary because of Leftism.

"Absolute" free trade is similar. Those who see "flaws" in "free trade" believe lies about the causes of problems in our society - lies that blame "free trade" for events caused by trade that is not free. The American Left loves to coat its manipulations in the veneer of "free trade" by claiming that after its manipulations are complete, the market will be "free" to act on its slanted battlefield. This lie needs to be exposed, not embraced.

Derek Leaberry| 11.28.12 @ 12:06PM

We are never going back to Jeffersonian America, at least until the country tanks like a drunk sleeping it off on the street corner.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 1:36PM

That may well play out.

Derek Leaberry| 11.28.12 @ 2:25PM

Yes, it may. Some say it certainly will.

And a question. Did the average Roman nobleman born in 420 AD think it would end in 476 at the twilight of his life?

JD| 11.28.12 @ 2:42PM

Few ever truly anticipate decline. Even we who see it for America cling to the belief that we personally will be the exception to the rule.

Louis Jenkins| 11.28.12 @ 10:24AM

Go ahead, let Obama lead. He is leading isn't he? Or is he pounding sand waiting on the Republicans to come up with cuts, tax increases, or other finagiling? Seems Obama was president the last time I looked. And the fools in Congress, otherwise known as Republican leaders, are the ones doing the funky chicken. Strange, that Obama is using the soft shoe routine, as I expect the leader of the free world to set the example. Go ahead-over the cliff-Thelma and Louise are second class acts compared to the Feds. Norquist had a principle, and sought out the people asking them to sign on the dotted line-unlike the leaders of congress who have signed and are now back tracking.

frino| 11.28.12 @ 10:28AM

Now give Bama a chance, at least study his budget.

JmsA| 11.28.12 @ 1:51PM

You mean, the budget both the House and Senate roundly rejected?

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 7:02PM

As in ZERO VOTES FOR.

Anthony| 11.28.12 @ 10:35AM

It's a full court press now to completely destroy the conservative movement by the deranged left.
The Alinsky tactic of pick a target, focus, and destroy, is in full swing against talk radio and conservatives like Norquist. The left smell blood in the water.
The left is out to completely obliterate any conservative ideology that deals with our basic founding principles. The gates of hell are wide open.
The R gutless wonders in Washington are only concerned about their political longevity and the hell with the country. They hope to be in hiding when the music stops.
When the civil war ends, and the left and the Washington establishement are beaten into the ground, we can rebuild by starting with term limits for all federal office holders and limiting congress to 60 days in session.

JmsA| 11.28.12 @ 1:54PM

An ever increasing percentage of the country has been voting for decades for what others have only been subjected to at the point of a gun: Socialism. The ultimately goal is absolute power, and that means outlawing any and all political opposition.

Jacob McCandles| 11.28.12 @ 10:41AM

Putting revenue on the table. What am I missing here? Boehner is referring to taxes as revenue again. He has let the left dicatate the language yet again.

Goldwater Girl| 11.28.12 @ 10:42AM

right on Anthony! Eliminate all benefits for legislators. No insurance or pensions. That would end senators serving until they are wheeled out. I don't want all the government I'm paying for.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 10:48AM

Your headline title is correct. You are correct on most of your points.
Really, is this all really a big surprise, actually it is very predictable. Why would they not collapse and cave in? The proverbial you and many conservatives, libertarians, and the RINO's have been caving in for a century on everything.

It all starts with the idea that were helpless to the rantings and ravings of Leftist on everything, our culture, our religious beliefs, our second amendment rights, our education system, our institutions, our business sectors with ever more regulation, our "free" press. The only thing you have left is your positions on taxes. That is not a party nor a political movement. I am beginning to understand more fully what Bush Junior said when asked about the conservative movement, "What movement?"
Just look at most of the comments lately on this site. Defeatism, cynicism, resignation, negativity, defensiveness, refusal to confront and even recognize the massive fraud in this past election, blame, insistence on failed approaches, impotence, confusion, doubling down on same horse manure, and on and on.

Who Knows?| 11.28.12 @ 10:59AM

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind---

In the 50’s, when I was a comin’ of age, we’d all fight for the comics in the Sunday paper. One of the best was a one panel shot at government, called “There Ought’a Be a Law”, which gave an example of some old and stupid law that was still on the books.

Oh, it sure was fun to laugh and marvel at the foolishness of our “sausage-making” lawyers. And, here we are, NOW, after more than half a CENTURY, and there are so many laws that the American economic system is approaching shut-down.

It’s no accident.

Who sang “Take it to the limit, one more time”? Well, every new generation is driven to break the records of their withering progenitors, so one by one, each Narcissistic American tries to be unique, and if they can’t be the BEST, why, hey---they CAN screw the best, and get their share, by hook or crook.

“You can get it if you really try!”---sing it, Jimmy Cliff!

“You only go round once in life, so go for the gusto!”—buy our beer: and guzzle lots of it!

Even ugly people can exploit their body’s senses---a fellow draftee found a dildo in the room of this fat woman who ran the service club for enlisted men at Camp Roberts, Ca. We had a good laugh.

She’s NOW in charge.

And, voting.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:03AM

Kaminsky, you have the useful idiots leftist taking over Bohner's office with the press laughing and supporting their indecent and insulting protest.
This little incident says it all in a nutshell.
What exactly have we done about it?
One could use this example and write an entire book based on it describing an illustrating every detail and aspect of what is not only wrong with this nation but what is wrong with conservatives, The GOP, and all those left in this nation who do not want to go along with the ride and slide.

You, yourself have participate in shoveling dirt on the grave of traditional, political, and economic conservatism.
Look at your refusal to see that this culture war and attack on religious liberty is the basis and fundamental strategy of the Left to move the nation to socialism. Has it ever occurred to you that their social and sexual revolutions are creating the very circumstances and types of people who not only think of themselves as victims but hold all the necessary world views, immoral values, and life circumstances that make them the perfect dependent democratic voters?

Ross Kaminsky| 11.28.12 @ 11:11AM

"Simon",

Many things occur to me.

No doubt that certain social "revolutions" have corresponded with weakening of the appreciation for limited government and fiscal conservatism.

This does not, however, mean that they are causally related.

I would suggest they are symptoms of something more than one causing the other.

In other words, I don't think social conservatism is required for fiscal conservatism, though I certainly admit that in today's USA, they tend to go hand in hand.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:22AM

Well, it really does not matter what you think...there is reality. That reality and causal relationship can be found in the actual writings and objectives of our mutual opposition which openly admits to themselves that this is exactly what was and is intended.
You need to set some time aside and actual read the writings of Marx, Lenin, Hegel, and all the other hundreds of post modern radical activist and radicals. You need to go back and read exactly what was being proposed in the sixties by that generation and why and to what end. They were not writing about tax policies and fiscal budgeting.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:30AM

While you are at it go back and actually read the writings of our founders and there views on what exactly is necessary in the areas of morality and social structure to insure a viable Republic. Then look at the writings and actions of twentieth century radicals relative to those founders beliefs and values and what they say is required to realize a socialist society and what needs to be destroyed in order to achieve it. When you do that, we can talk and have an intelligent conversation on the subject.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:33AM

In fact, read Breitbart's last book and he will explain it to you in detail.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:39AM

Our rights to free speech, our rights to bear arms, and our rights to freely express our religious beliefs are the basis of a free Republic and have everything to do with free markets and a free and prosperous economy. All of these are social and not fiscal concerns. Without them, you are a slave and have essentially no power. Why is this so hard for you to grasp?

JD| 11.28.12 @ 11:51AM

I used to think Ross's way, but now I know better. The fact is that an appreciation for conservative Truth has a causal relationship with certain social mores, and the absence of the latter leads to the absence of the former.

That does not mean that I, or anyone else here, proposes government enforcement of social mores. This would be a contradiction - leftist methods for achieving "conservatism". What the Left deliberately misinterprets as a desire for government to run our social lives is nothing of the sort - enforcing the right to life for all and keeping the government out of controversial social arrangements should be the position of every informed libertarian.

But when you don't have the nuclear family, you don't appreciate or truly understand rights, responsibilities, and consequences. When you try to raise and support children without two parents, you experience futility that leads you to desire shortcuts at the expense of fairness. And when you don't recognize any moral authority beyond the will of the majority, you come to believe that a great many wrongs can be right if the mob can be incited to vote for them.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 12:21PM

You stated that perfectly and thank you for your comments.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:04PM

Doesn't represent the morality, thoughts or positions of most people, let alone on the Left.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 11:54AM

The Leftist belief that "money" is not a mere medium of exchange, but rather some special, independent thing that leads to unique conditions and moralities, can be seen in the belief that fiscal and social issues can be separated.

The truth is that money is not unique or special; it is a stand-in for any and every other form of value. That means greed, fraud, laziness, and corruption are factors in the social economy just the same as they are in the financial one. Issues in one arena exist in the other, and not because there are two parallel arenas, but because the arenas are one and the same.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:18PM

What kind of crap logic is that? What has that to do with left or right?

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:37PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 11:55AM

It all has to do with CULTURE, young Skywalker.

Conservatism has as much chance of thriving in this Kardashian/Jersey Shore/American Idol/Soul Train Awards/Gangstas/Hoes and B*tches Culture that we find ourselves in, today, as a Triple Decker Meatloaf Grinder, and 3 Side orders of Cheese Fries/Extra Gravy does, in a Booth with Chris Christie, at the Diner in the Vince Lombardi Rest Stop on the Jersey Turnpike.

None.

Remember the words of John Adams: No try. Do. Or do not.

I mean - Yoda.

Same thing.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 12:24PM

You need to start your own web site....you have have a very active and rich imagination and way with words.
You are like our conservative version of the Real Politically incorrect.

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 12:34PM

...if not a website, maybe a contest to start...

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 2:28PM

A Contest?

Please.

Like anyone would ever got to something like that.

That has to be the Stupiest thing I ever heard.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 3:52PM

"Like anyone would GOT to something like that."

I meant to do that.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 2:24PM

Ya think so?

Because I just had some Punk@ss take down half of my Posts, because he's a PUNK who's afraid of the Truth.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 3:50PM

Did I say: Punk@ss?

I meant: Some Wonderful person took down my awful Posts, as he should have.

I got what I deserved, and I thank that Wonderful Person for doing the right thing.

Everyone who writes Columns on this site is way better than me.

Especially, Ben Stein.

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 3:53PM

Obviously, someone has Carjacked my name.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:14AM

Has it ever occurred to you that the constant attacks on every aspect of our nations culture from its history to traditional family values, patriotism, what food is correct to eat, its military, etc. might have something to do with destroying the basic foundations for a classical liberal society that our founders envisioned?
So, have any ideas about how we can reverse this destruction? So, now that tax policies are the only thing left that we all agree on as our 'movement' is so diluted, corrupted, confused, impotent, self destructive, filled with circular firing squads, and incapable of developing a unified political front, got any ideas on how we can stand firm on the last conservative ideal?

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:41AM

So, have any ideas about how we can reverse this destruction? So, now that tax policies are the only thing left that we all agree on as our 'movement' is so diluted, corrupted, confused, impotent, self destructive, filled with circular firing squads, and incapable of developing a unified political front on anything else, got any ideas on how we can stand firm on the last conservative ideal?

This was not a rhetorical but an actual question.

Ross Kaminsky| 11.28.12 @ 11:56AM

1) I have read much of what you suggested I read, including Marx and some Hegel and of course the writings of our Founders, including the Federalist Papers.

2) I agree that there are people who want to destroy both social conservatism and limited government. But I believe that the majority of young adults in America are not completely brainwashed yet and do retain some sympathy for our Founding principles. But they are turned off by the GOP's aggressive stance on social issues.

I don't think that tax policy is "all we agree on" and I'm not even sure we agree on that.

To the extent that there is a movement, like the Tea Party, it is about a broader principle of liberty and limited government, of which tax policy is one part.

When you put free speech and the 2nd Amendment in the category of "social issues", you are using that term differently than I mean it, and differently than almost anybody else means it.

Free speech is not just a constitutional right. The Founders would have perceived it as a natural right. Furthermore, note that our foundational rights are things the government can not do to us, not things the government must do to or for us.

This is quite different from certain social issue legislation, such as drugs or even abortion (though I admit that for those who perceive all abortion as murder, it is not inconsistent to call for a government role. However, even in that situation, I submit it is not a FEDERAL role.)

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 12:11PM

No they are not quite different from social issue legislation, they are part of the whole and they are social issues and treated the same way by the Left. The Left could care less if its written in a constitution or not, it is not even brought up. They attack these as social issues as they know that they fundamentally are in reality. Political correctness is an attempt through social interaction, social expectations, and social beliefs to limit free speech and freedom of thought. They could give rats as what the founders thought about it being a natural right. They know that all that can be changed in an instant and these natural rights taken away. Benghazi wring a bell for you?

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 12:20PM

Yes, it is not a federal role and this is exactly why Roe vs. Wade needs to be struck down. It should have never been put in place in the first place. And every other federal interference, edict, and legislation that the LEFT has put in place to infringe and limit religious liberty, our second amendment rights, free expression, and our cultural institutions and force the Left's agenda on all of the rest of us.

As far as the young adults, we lost them, they were the largest group, that overwhelming put the Fraud back into power. These vast majority of young adults do not have a clue about our founding fathers, they are nothing but a bunch of old white guys that are irrelevant as they have been taught. You need to wake up.

Ross Kaminsky| 11.28.12 @ 12:46PM

1) I am against Roe v Wade

2) The youth are lost because our educational system has been taken over by leftists and union hacks. This may not have to be a permanent situation though it is surely hard to see light at the end of the tunnel at the moment.

In the meantime, they won't listen to the economic arguments of people they perceive as bigots.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 1:02PM

Yes, they will not listen to people they perceive as bigots. However, we should not combat perceptions of bigotry by betraying morals. We should combat them with truth.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 4:53PM

So your answer is to go along with anything they cook up as being bigoted and allow them to keep reframing every conservative value this nation or any nation as ever had as bigoted to avoid being called a bigot and somehow convince them that Milton Friedman economics is the best way to go!
Got news for ya, your fiscal conservatism and free market ideas are now on the liberal chopping block as well, moron. Your cheap shot calling me a bigot was not lost.

GFY. I think you can figure out what that stands for, genius.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 5:49PM

I don't want to be hostile to Ross. Conversation with him (in addition to opportunity to comment on Sowell articles) is what brings me here. Ross is a sincere, intelligent representative of the third rail that calls itself "fiscal conservative, social liberal." This rail is responsible for division on the Right and for reinforcing lies of the Left by undermining aspects of the Right. We need to reconcile this group as a first step towards larger progress.

I don't think Ross called you a bigot. He stated (correctly) that the Left calls us bigots and ignores us as a result.

Where I disagree with Ross is in his belief that you can discard aspects of the platform without undermining the rest. He doesn't see what he discards as a part of the platform at all. I understand his belief, but disagree.

What I don't agree with is his statement: "I admit that for those who perceive all abortion as murder, it is not inconsistent to call for a government role. However, even in that situation, I submit it is not a FEDERAL role." I don't at all like the suggestion that one who considers abortion to be murder should not think the federal government should prosecute it. Of all the things the federal government does, but shouldn't do, protecting the greatest right of all IS its role.

Ross reaches too far in an effort to appear "reasonable" to the Left with that statement.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 5:52PM

Yeesh - the writing in the above post is the result of composing it one sentence at a time over 20 minutes. Not my best work.

Point is, if you sacrifice Truth to get your foot in the Left's door, you'll find that having your foot there does no good. The smartest of them will debate you into a contradictory position where your Truth contradicts the statement you made to get in their doorway, and then they'll dismiss you.

Simon Templar| 11.29.12 @ 12:20PM

I have tumbled with Ross on many occasions and have confronted him on using the exact same language that liberals do when criticizing conservatives, especially in the areas of traditional christian values. He HAS made a number of statements that are clearly accusing conservatives as bigots and he shares many of the same views of separation of church and state as liberals define it. He has made it very clear he is NOT a conservative. I am not the only one who has picked up on this and has confronted him. He is not above throwing down names and using the same tactics liberals do when discussing these issues.

Simon Templar| 11.29.12 @ 12:21PM

This is where you and I disagree. you will never reconcile with them and they, THEY, not liberals will be our undoing. As a former radical Leftist, we used these people to advance our causes and knew they were the linch pin, the key to bringing down the system and dividing the conservatives and traditionalist. This is why the Left in America shifted focus in 1962 from traditional political strategies ( the Old left) with the beginning of SDS (the New Left) and its new strategy to deconstruct the CULTURE and develop SOCIAL movements to undermine AMERICAN VALUES and MORALITY. This why they talked about SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS and "raising people consciousness", you are probably too young to know this.
It is much more than his attempts to be "reasonable."

My advice to you is to realize that this struggle with the Left has been going on for a long time and to accurately understand it one must know the history of these political movements. When I was your age I was reading Saul Alinsky and SDS's internal writings and the writing of radicals in the generations before me.

Simon Templar| 11.29.12 @ 12:31PM

He is a product of that effort and either does not have a clue about it or is being insincere. The time for nice, proper, and gentile conversations with these people and their liberal progressive cousins is over. In fact, the brutal truth is the only element at this point in saving this Republic. For too long, conservatives and Republicans have tried to be nice, be inclusive, be compromising, and not be too harsh but gentile.
I will let you all in on a secret. We laughed our asses off at this and took advantage of it every chance we got, just like Purp and the other troll idiots you tangled with on these blogs. As I told DRED, I was you DRED, you can not hide, I know exactly what you are doing and why.

Simon Templar| 11.29.12 @ 12:36PM

By the way, ever wondered why the media loves to parade McCain's daughter around every chance they get. Think about it.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:53PM

Again I agree with Simon.

As a member of "today's young adults", I can speak to the brainwashing. It's amazing what untruths are true and what good things are bad in the minds of many today. The GOP will not win them by embracing abortion and gay marriage - they'll just become cheap imitation Democrats, which will lose to real Democrats. Moreover, these will serve to continue to degrade the nuclear family and personal responsibility, which will further degrade belief in conservatism.

I also agree that rights are rights. They are not provided, but rather protected. That is a very, very important distinction between Left and Right. And freedoms overlap. The freedom to protect oneself is part of the freedom to speak. The freedom to live is intertwined with all other freedoms. The freedom to engage in commerce is as well.

You can't have the free financial or property rights without having the free right to live or speak, or vice versa. It's a package deal, unless, as I wrote in another post above, you engage in the Leftist tactic of defining money as some separate, special construct with unique morality, instead of recognizing money as a mere medium of exchange and placeholder of value.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:55PM

And again, I used to be much more like Ross. I've just come to see how social "liberalism" inevitably leads to Leftist leanings on all issues. The myth of the "independent" or "third party" or "middle" is just that - a myth. You can't have a hodgepodge of part-Left part-Right without self-contradicting.

Teflon93 | 11.28.12 @ 11:28AM

Barack Obama won only 26 states in 2012. On a % of states basis, in the 57 elections between 1789 and 2012 Obama's performance comes in a dismal 49th.

How does that equate to a mandate?

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:31AM

It does not, but if we act like it does and cut and run, it is.

Goldwater Girl| 11.28.12 @ 11:49AM

because our elite superiors tell us that it doesn't matter what the rubes living in Jesusland think. We know what's best for the country, so keep your mouths shut, and let us get the car out of the ditch. Just look at the nanny-states they are creating. No salt, trans-fats, soft drinks over 16 oz, wear your f-ing seat belt, and don't drink or text and drive, you idiots!

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 2:09PM

I was going to salute you but I'm driving and dropped my phone in the floor thanks to my greasy fingers from my salty french fries cooked in peanut oil. Had to sit my big-gulp down before I ran my gas guzzline Prius crusher into the ditch. I would have caught it but the damn seat belt latched and I couldn't lean forward fast enough.

Goldwater Girl| 11.28.12 @ 2:26PM

hopefully, your children were properly strapped into their US approved child safety seats during this calamity!

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 4:11PM

Normally yes, but this time I had both the dog and a cooler of beer with me so both child seats were taken. Kids were riding in the back throwing pennies the smart cars we were passing.

Conrad Spiracy| 11.28.12 @ 9:59PM

DS & GG absolutele RULE!!,

JD| 11.28.12 @ 11:41AM

According to Leftists, Republicans will always be to blame for problems because they are not Leftist. If congressional inaction is blamed for a problem, inaction will be solely due to the inflexibility of the Right; never the Left.

The key to selling this lie is to ignore or hide the fact that this country has been moving steadily leftward in every meaningful way for generations, in order to suggest that it is the Right, not the Left, making new, unreasonable "demands", and holding the rest of us hostage.

The truth is that what today's "Right" demands is left of many historical norms.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 11:58AM

No one ever suggested it was Right, whatever that means, some have suggested it was center to right. Yes, you are correct that many of the nations people have acquired Left wing values, world views, and political leanings but most of them do not even know what the word socialism means. No doubt the Left has been successful in corrupting every aspect of the nations culture. Kaminsky is an example. Much of this has happened in the last century. The reality is the other half of the nation is still holding onto for the most part what we call conservative values and world views. Yes, in a generation, you will be correct and we will be a minority as they have purposely taken over the educational system to ENCULTURATE, Kaminsky are you listening, the young to prepare them to be good liberals and government dependents. As they ascend and grow into their 4o's and older generations pass away, the final stage will be set. Now is our last chance and it will require the will to fight and push back hard. We still have considerable political and economic power as conservatives. We do not have to be hostages or victims.
Unless we start adopting their attitude of not giving up and being relentless and looking at the long run fight, we will surely lose the war both Culturally AND Economically.

Mike in N.C.| 11.28.12 @ 12:11PM

"deprive the private sector of much needed capital."

Apparently Ross is unaware of how much cash corporations have at their disposal.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:36PM

Apparently you are unaware, since you think that such amounts are economically significant. And more so, since you think that they could employ these amounts constructively in today's climate, when people far more knowledgeable than you have decided otherwise.

A business will not invest a billion dollars if it thinks it will end up with less than a billion as a result. That is the reason for today's "sitting on cash."

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:01PM

Apparently you are not aware of why these corporations have such excess cash, and that is because they are afraid to spend same on new employees/plant/equipment because of the impending taxiation and regulations from BHO!!!!

Goldwater Girl| 11.28.12 @ 12:15PM

Simon,
I agree with your views on the culture, and I've thought for a long time, that the left's ultimate goal was to eliminate any form of judgement, unless it's their idea. They don't want us to exceed the 16 0z limit on soft drinks, but feel free to abort your baby at any time. I take such wickid satisfaction in pointing out the inconsistentcy in being anti-death penalty and pro-abortion at the same time. Of course, they don't see it that way. And now, we will have gay marriage jammed down our collective throats, as we can't judge that either.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 12:41PM

The Left respects no higher authority and in fact has strong disdain for any proposed higher authority and for those that respect it. They double down on this disdain by disrespecting any judgment outside their own, but fail to recognize hypocrisy. Their algorithm for getting their way remains as follows:

1. If it's current law, then it cannot be questioned. The Law is the Law, unless...
2. If it's not current law, but the majority wills it, then it must become law. No bounds, such as the Constitution, should restrict the Will of the Majority, which is the ultimate authority, unless...
3. If the majority is against the Left, then the Left declares whatever it wants to be a Basic Human Right, and decries the oppressive violation of its right by the majority. What authority designates it as a right is never specified, for it does not exist.

Number 3 in particular is hypocritical given the first two.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:48PM

Are you sure you aren't describing the Right? Sure sounds like it.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 5:02PM

I should stop pretending you're sincere. But I have integrity, and I tend to presume that others do as well. Perhaps that is why we on the Right lose elections - bad assumptions.

The Right does not invent phony rights, because the Right knows what a right is and strictly adheres to the definition. The Right does not defend right and wrong based on votes or momentary sentiments - it uses logic and facts. You only ever pretend to do these things, believing that a "fact" is anything you can put to paper.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 1:00PM

Ross wrote an entire article complaining about Norquist being #8 on Nutting's list, but completely ignored the far more ludicrous entry - Art Laffer at #1!

Nutting's entry on Laffer:

"Laffer was the economist who proved the existence of the free lunch. His Laffer Curve showed, in theory, that cutting tax rates would actually increase tax revenue. He gave intellectual cover to those conservatives who wanted to cut taxes, but who didn’t want to be seen as contributing to a big deficit. He gave them a guilt-free way to cut revenue.

There’s only one problem: Laffer’s ideas didn’t pan out in practice: Tax cuts don’t pay for themselves. Tax cuts are a major cause of our $16 trillion national debt."

What can I even say about the incredible wrongness that is that text? Every significant tax cut in history has been followed by sizeably more revenue than previously projected!

And what fool truly suggests that the Laffer Curve isn't real? Will some idiot truly claim that 100% tax rates will raise twice as much revenue as 50% tax rates?

Purp, don't answer that.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:50PM

Yes, I will - with the Congressional Research Service 50 year study that debunks tax cuts lead to prosperity. Argue with them, not me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....ou-to-see/

JD| 11.28.12 @ 4:55PM

You mind-numbingly despicable troll. I have debunked your ridiculous argument many, many times on this site over time. I wrote another lengthy debunking again under this very article, above.

You simply refuse to understand the difference between marginal tax brackets and taxes actually paid. No matter how many times people tell you, you pretend to never have heard. You have never once said a word to acknowledge even hearing our point, let alone countering it (how could you...).

JD| 11.28.12 @ 1:35PM

A word about "compromise":

Compromise is when you want Mexican and your wife wants Thai, so you do Thai today and Mexican tomorrow.

Compromise is NOT the following:

A mugger steals your wallet, but a nearby cop stops him, then orders you and the mugger to split the contents of your wallet.

Someone offers to buy your car for $10000, so you counter with a $1 million price, then demand to split the difference at $505,000.

You want to move to New York, and your wife wants to move to California, so you move halfway between - Nebraska.

An athlete suffers an injury and can't decide whether to wear a brace and play out the season or have surgery and miss the rest of the season, so he decides to not have surgery, but also not play anymore. Or have surgery and try to play a day later. Either one.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:53PM

Compromise means both sides get something, but no one gets everything they want ...How you view the something is up to you.

But when you lose an election, you lose more than you win during negotiations regarding a compromise - or you will continue to lose elections as your base shrinks to hard-liners.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 4:58PM

My point flew over your head completely.

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 3:30PM

Ross, I know it's the popular thing to do in jumping on the critical bandwagon of critisizing Republicans, RINOS, Romney, McCain, Graham,etc; but please let's put the horse before the cart. Granted all Republicans are politicians, but they never were and hopefully never will be DEMOCRATS. As I have said since I was born [practically], IT'S THE DEMOCRATS, STUPIDS! Ignoring the R's for a second, if the DUMBAZZS of America would have done the semi-intelligent thing on 11/4/08 and 11/6/12, we probably would not be talking about much of these things. But oh no, we had to follow the philosophy of Forrest Gump concerning STUPIDITY, and now we're whining, pee-peeing, moaning and groaning over same. Shazam....four more years! R's didn't elect this POTUS, the American electorate did so. Give credit where credit is due. Although it's true that %%%%%IF IFS AND NUTS WERE CHERRY AND BUTS, WE'D ALL HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS%%%%, but if we had elected Romney, we'd possibly be now talking about what governmental agencies/departments etc would be best eliminated, thus decreasing governmental expenses, thus reducing governmental the defecit/debt, and thus not having to discuss increasing taxes etc. Cheers everyone and oh, enjoy watching your USA dissolve before your very eyes after 1/1/13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:55PM

Yep, you LOST Bigtime... no one believes your scare tactics - at least the WINNERs don't.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 5:52PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 7:49PM

"WINNERS"? You poor misguided ignoramous! It was opined today by a longtime senator that when the economy goes off the fiscal cliff, the taxes [not including the increases on those MILLIONAIRES & BILLIONAIRES] on the middle class alone [because of the AMT, increased tax rates etc] will be hit with a $2500 yearly increase in income tax due payment. Throw in the hidden taxiation inside ya boy's WELFARECARE or his quadrupling of governmental regulations, the tanking of the stock/bond markets worldwide, the bankruptcies of small businesses, the losses of millions of jobs, the inflation of everything from groceries to gas/fuel, etc.......nah it ain't "scare tactics" moron....BUT IT IS THE TRUTH! Of course you'll still have your autographed copy of BHO puttin a big old smackaroo on Moochel [while sitting on the toilet with a Camel dangling out of his grand canyoned mouth and getting his ars wiped by Valerie and David] when it all occurs, so WTF right???????????

nathan| 11.28.12 @ 3:43PM

Mr. Kaminsky: I don't disagree with you here, but again it's the legacy New Deal/Great Society programs that are going to kill us are already killing us. And if Reagan with his stature wasn't prepared to try and eliminate even one of those programs, tell me why we should think the next republican president will. The last one expanded Medicare not attacked it. And Ryan helped him voting for Plan D.

We're arguing details here when the real problem are those entitlement programs that no republican president since Eisenhower has been willing to go after. And we can nibble around the edges here all we want but it won't get at the main problem.

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 4:58PM

Let's all by more Chinese products, so the economy will continue to grow - China's!

If we all bought American, America would grow and we'd all have more money. When you have plenty of money, you don't have to worry about paying the bills, do you?
Only when it hurts do the whiners start their whining - while they still buy Chinese.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 5:18PM

I am glad you vomited that one up. It illustrates just how much of a useful idiot and mouthpiece you are.
It has been the progressives that have pushed for nearly a century of appeasement with communist China and have called for doing business with them. It is your messiah that is in love with them and can not say enough good things about them, their system, their infrastructures, their socialism.
He has people in his administration that publicly say that their government is so efficient and a good model and love Mao. It was the other guy that talked about stopping the Chinese and there unfair trading practices, currency manipulation, and intellectual property theft, not your idiot.
You are nothing but an idiot who has nothing better to do than troll.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 5:52PM

Purp the Village Idiot posted the following after the elections:

"Purp| 11.8.12 @ 10:35AM

"The Lord rules, not Obama." - CORRECT!

The Lord works in mysterious ways... and this is something for the faithful to contemplate in the way the see the world:

So purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born. (What does this mean?)

Purpie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in conversation

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 7:56PM

Hey dummie, know why we China's products? Course you don't cause you're stupid! Well it's because of what is known as LABOR UNIONS and their above market pricing/costs, making Chinese goods much cheaper [since they are produced with union labor]. Then the Walmarts buy them to resell, and give you a job in the process, capish???????????

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 7:57PM

Correction: NOT PRODUCED with union labor!

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 5:07PM

We are losing this for one and only one GD reason.
We have no voice and have no media to convey who we are and what we believe. They control the media and the education system. They frame and decide everything, the debate, the ideas, who is bigoted, what is being said, if it is being said at all, and what gets out there. BENGHAZI!
Bring these down and gain control of them and you will start winning again.
What the hell is it going to take for you to grasp that? It had to take an actor and a media person to run for President before anything began to remotely even slow this down. They used to call him the great communicator because he knew how to get around the media cabal and knew how to use it to his advantage.
Breitbart knew exactly what I am trying to say and did it better. This is why they were ecstatic when he died and could not contain themselves.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 5:15PM

Just read the posts by Purp here. He simply proves incapable of even comprehending what is said to him, and repeats the same points, no matter how clearly they are debunked. Drivel like his is written by mainstream media and bought by millions, who even learn to repeat it.

Simon Templar| 11.28.12 @ 5:21PM

Keep posting here and ignore him. Your writing abilities, intellect, and ability to think and think logically is truly amazing and rare. I sincerely mean that and I do not say it lightly.
Keep the faith....

JD| 11.28.12 @ 5:24PM

I would rather post somewhere where it would make a difference. I don't know where that is. CNN keeps banning my logins, and there's too much noise there anyway. My real life tends to limit the time and effort, too.

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 5:54PM

JD
You are wasting your time with purpie. He is the skunk at the picnic, and a complete idiot. Nobody takes he/she seriously.

JD| 11.28.12 @ 6:09PM

At this point, I know that he will not attempt to engage in dialogue with me. However, I post what I post in the hope that other like-minded people will engage on the issue, and that we might learn from each other. Purp is just here to get the ball rolling.

Kingofthenet| 11.28.12 @ 6:34PM

ANY Politician who signs a pledge to ANYONE except to do right by his Constituents is doing them a disservice.

Teflon93 | 11.28.12 @ 7:40PM

You do realize they pledge upon assuming office to support and defend The Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that the latter may well obligate them to occasionally tell their constituents to piss off, right?

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 8:09PM

His majesty doesn't understand that the oath of office to support and defend the Constitution that you cite is the only pledge that is required in most of our offices, as apparently he believes only in loyalty to the crown.

same| 11.28.12 @ 7:45PM

So tell us, what is ol' Hermie Cain up to these days? Grover is another winner for sure, getting slowly and inexorably crushed under the wheels of history as a mistake that should never have happened in the first place.

When was Norquist elected to office? Any office? Could he be elected to any office? Seems doubtful, and yet people duly elected feel beholden to him. Is he supposed to be like some sort of Gandhi? You know, where people ask him what he wants instead of asking the electorate what THEY want?

Are you aware that no religious test is required for office? You sure know how to pick them.

Rick_CA| 11.29.12 @ 12:08PM

I like your article and certainly will not support anything that provides the federal government another penny to waste. When it comes to government support of anything outside of its enumerated powers and duties I think of James Madison saying:

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on the objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

I know that it is also well intentioned to have charitable deductions but how do I justify subsidizing George Soros, George Kaiser, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, etc. by making it less expensive for them to donate to the causes of THEIR choice?

To paraphrase what Warren Buffet said when asked why he did not just write the government a check since he believed he was taxed too little: I would except I think I can do a better job figuring out how to get the most out of that money.

(continued)

Rick_CA| 11.29.12 @ 12:09PM

(continued)

I wholeheartedly concur with that, but why are all other taxpayers asked to subsidize his good (or bad) preferences? The generosity of people who insist that the government must help those who cannot help themselves by spending other people's money is ephemeral at best. Generosity is first and foremost a personal value, and society ultimately reflects the personal values of individuals.

I'm not debating the relative merits of any particular form of taxation or the amount, simply pointing out that all aspects of the tax code (including deductions) are forms of wealth transfer and can be a slippery slope, no matter how well intentioned or motivated they are. The question is, is that the government's role or is it best left to the private sector?

Caroline| 11.29.12 @ 1:20PM

Do the Republicans understand they are signing their political death warrant, if they agree to this?

Jimbobogie| 11.29.12 @ 10:47PM

Why hasn't Grover run for public office?

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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 11.28.12 @ 6:34AM

pogybait| 11.28.12 @ 10:13AM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:34PM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:34PM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:45PM

Occam's Tool| 11.28.12 @ 10:41AM

SUBVET| 11.28.12 @ 11:38AM

Jack in Wi| 11.28.12 @ 3:38PM

Aaron Investigates | 11.30.12 @ 1:54AM

Von Mises Jr| 11.28.12 @ 7:05AM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 7:33AM

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CJW| 11.28.12 @ 9:04AM

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CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:11AM

SUBVET| 11.28.12 @ 11:53AM

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Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:35PM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:34PM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:36PM

vtwin| 11.28.12 @ 11:11AM

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 1:00PM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:32PM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:25AM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 8:31AM

Von Mises Jr| 11.28.12 @ 9:22AM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:30AM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:06AM

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Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:37PM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:35PM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:27PM

frino| 11.28.12 @ 10:04AM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:30PM

Jack in Wi| 11.28.12 @ 7:07AM

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 8:02AM

Jack in Wi| 11.28.12 @ 8:33AM

Occam's Tool| 11.28.12 @ 10:48AM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 3:17PM

Goldwater Girl| 11.28.12 @ 2:24PM

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 5:33PM

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Pecos Pete| 11.28.12 @ 7:32AM

JimH| 11.28.12 @ 8:03AM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 8:29AM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 8:32AM

John Navratil| 11.28.12 @ 8:51AM

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 9:19AM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:35AM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 9:33AM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 10:15AM

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 11:59AM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:39PM

Drunken Sailor| 11.28.12 @ 4:07PM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:35PM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:18PM

Doctor Right| 11.28.12 @ 12:28PM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:43PM

CJW| 11.28.12 @ 4:36PM

John Navratil| 11.28.12 @ 7:28PM

Oldefarte| 11.28.12 @ 8:20PM

frino| 11.28.12 @ 9:51AM

Purp| 11.28.12 @ 3:44PM

frino| 11.29.12 @ 9:32AM

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JmsA| 11.28.12 @ 1:48PM

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 7:53AM

Ross Kaminsky| 11.28.12 @ 11:48AM

Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 12:27PM

TLP| 11.28.12 @ 2:40PM

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Albert Constantine Jr.| 11.28.12 @ 6:21PM

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Dave Williams| 11.28.12 @ 12:06PM