Spintested: 09/25/10

"Mister Smith" Leaves Washington

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Democratic voters have mistakenly believed that Obama&Democrats want what they want. The DLC-controlled DemocraticParty gives lip service to all populist issues (like ending the wars, civil rights protections, restoring habeas corpus, PublicHealthcare, WallStreet reform, environmental & energy issues, etc.).

If the Bush years taught us nothing else, it's that anyone can sell anything to Americans, if you're stolid & relentless in your sales pitch & tactics. It's not that Bush&R0ve were geniuses & knew something that nobody else knew; Bush&R0ve were just more ruthless (clumsy & careless many political graybeards would say) in doing what politicians & the parties had gone to great lengths to hide from Americans.

Obama didn't get to be the first black president, vanquish the Clinton machine (to get the nomination) & the oldest, most experienced politicians in our nation's history (including the Rove machine) by not having mastered these skills. Nor do Democratic politicians (more incumbents than ever, in office longer) not know how to do it. How do you think Democrats managed to keep impeaching Bush&Cheney off the table & have us still reelecting them, not marching on Washington with torches&pitchforks?

Obama&Democrats know how to do it -- They don't want to do it.

The trick for them has been to keep the many different populist groups believing that they really do support our issues, but they're merely inept. And to get us to keep voting for them despite their failure to deliver on any of our alleged shared objectives.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

"Too many false equivalencies"?

This should be interesting.

What like?
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

New Proof Wall Street Knew Its Mortgage Securities Were Subpar: Clayton Execs Testify

Have you ever bought real estate?
About Financial Crisis
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

Because?

"You obviously have a wonderful economy with words. I look forward to your next syllable with great eagerness." -Hobson, Arthur
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

Who committed treason?
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

You mean Liz. But yes, they all are.
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

When did Lynn Cheney lobby for the arrest of critics?
=============================

Post-9/11, in the lead in to the Iraq War.

She was all over the cable channels beating the drum, heavily veiled threats to "liberals" who would dare to question the Bush administration. She spent about 2 to 3 weeks making the rounds of the different programs (not just Fox, but CNN and MSNBC), and as she amped up the rhetoric and got more shrill each day, it had the desired effect of isolating critics of the Bush-Cheney administration. By the time she actually screeched that "leftwing (commies) university professors" should be "arrested for treason", none of the cable news shows were (from their editorial format) challenging the Bush administration's intent to attack Iraq.

http://www.thenation.com/article/tattletales-open-society-0?comment_sort=ASC>
http://www.counterpunch.org/gordon08052006.html
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

Post-9/11, in the lead in to the Iraq War.

She was all over the cable channels beating the drum, heavily veiled threats to "liberals" who would dare to question the Bush administration. She spent about 2 to 3 weeks making the rounds of the different programs (not just Fox, but CNN and MSNBC), and as she amped up the rhetoric and got more shrill each day, it had the desired effect of isolating critics of the Bush-Cheney administration. By the time she actually screeched that "leftwing (commies) university professors" should be "arrested for treason", none of the cable news shows were (from their editorial format) challenging the Bush administration's intent to attack Iraq.

http://www.thenation.com/article/tattletales-open-society-0?comment_sort=ASC>
http://www.counterpunch.org/gordon08052006.html

Where were you?
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

This administration is a continuation of the criminal Bush administration.

Obama is asserting that he has the right to deny Americans their day in court, to murder American citizens with no due process, no oversight whatsoever, and preventive detention?!?!
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/25/assassinations/index.html

Pure Kafka-
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/05/29/kafka/index.html

What makes Obama even worse than Bush-Cheney, IMHO, is that he campaigned on knowing different.

Bush and Cheney make no excuses for what they did and are about. But Obama ran on not being like them, and to see what he's done in office (and when cornered the excuses!) -- HOLY MOTHERING G0D!

To say what he's saying, there can only be one of two reasons:

1. Obama's got no conscience, or,

2. . Cheney's got Michelle's mother in an 'undisclosed location'.

You can choose to believe whichever one makes you feel better about your ability to assess character.

But you can't pick #2 unless you ignore everything else known about him to date.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

All that Obama is is Bush with a more palatable personality. It's the same script, recast with a different actor.

Obama's "most ardent supporters" are their own (and all of our) worst enemy. As long as they keep Obama's numbers up, he has absolutely no reason to live up to the reasons Democratic voters put him and Democrats into power, which seems to be that he wasn't John McCain or Sarah Palin). He can take Democratic voters for granted, & never lose his 'most ardent admirers' votes. Should they waiver at any time in their resolve to support Obama, he or a surrogate mutters, "John McCain" (or Sarah Palin), and the supporters are back in line, on board with anything Obama does.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

There's nothing in Obama's record to indicate he's anything but a DLC Democrat, a DINO, a Republican -in-Democrats'-clothing.

His flip-flop on FISA in June 2008 was a pretty good indicator of his politics and character.

Obama's most ardent supporters excused that betrayal, insisting that he was a closet liberal who had to vote that way in order to trick centrists & independents into voting for him in the general election.

It's Obama's most ardent followers who were tricked, & are still in denial, for they refuse to acknowledge that Obama has been continuing just about all of Bush's policies, going Bush-Cheney one better on asserting unitary executive powers for himself (preventive detention, murdering Americans without due process or oversight, etc.).
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

Among the rights that Obama is asserting that the president has is the right to assassinate American citizens without due process or any oversight of any kind.

There are those who may trust Obama with that kind of power (I'm a liberal Democrat, and I don't), but how would you feel about another Bush administration (Jeb BUSH & Liz CHENEY?) having that kind of power? Do you recall when Lynn Cheney lobbied for the arrest and imprisonment of critics of the Bush administration for treason?

How much longer before criticism of an administration gets an American citizen a ticket to some dungeon off the grid in the far east?

How do you know it isn't happening already? Because you think nothing bad or wrong can happen under Obama? Under Obama, we have an out-of-control military murdering Afghan & Pakistani civilians. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11252987 ;
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

What else is Obama asserting he, as president, can do?

K!ll American citizens without any due process, without any oversight from the other branches of government.

If you're someone who believes, or are at least willing to acquiesce to the claim, that the U.S. President has the power to target your fellow citizens for assassination without a whiff of due process, what unchecked presidential powers wouldn't you support or acquiesce to? I'd really like to hear an answer to that.

That's the question Al Gore asked about George Bush in a 2006 speech condemning Bush's claimed powers merely to eavesdrop on and imprison American citizens without charges, let alone assassinate them:

"If the answer is yes, then under the theory by which these acts are committed, are there any acts that can on their face be prohibited? . . . If the president has th[is] inherent authority. . . . then what can't he do?"

Can anyone defending this Obama policy answer that question?

http://www .salon.com /news/opin ion/glenn_ greenwald/ 2010/06/25 /assassina tions/inde x.html
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

Do you remember when Obama insisted Joe Lieberman be allowed to caucus with the Democrats, in spite of his treachery, in spite of not only endorsing McCain, but campaigning for him?

What did Obama get from Lieberman for letting him chair the Governmental Affairs & Homeland Security Committee (the committee that buried the investigation of Bush's non-, mis- and malfeasance in Hurricane Katrina)?

Certainly no agreement not to join Republicans in filibustering Democratic legislation.

Of the few known services Lieberman has performed for Obama (but not widely -- It came out on another 'Trash-Friday') is this:

After Obama flip-flopped (one of many) on an issue he campaigned on (transparency and releasing the thousands of t0rture photos of detainees), he used Lieberman to slip it into legislation that gave the SoD the power to gut FOIA and bury the evidence forever.

http://www.truthout.org/1022095

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/143322/outrage:_house_sneakily_passes_bill_banning_release_of_photos_showing_detainee%20_abuse
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Invokes 'State Secrets' Claim To Dismiss Lawsuit Against Targeting Of U.S. Citizen

Obama, in his own words:

Transparency Will Be Touchstone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72g7qmeP1dE

"On transparency", "About inviting the people back into their government again", and "Part of the job of the next American president is making Americans believe that our government is working for them, because right now they don't feel like it's working for them. They feel like it's working for special interests and it's working for corporations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K97hvOOdy_I

"We need a president who sees the government not as a tool to enrich well connected friends and high-priced lobbyists, but as a defender of fairness and opportunity for every single American. That's what this country's been about and that's the kind of president I intend to be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEMxfme7OQI

"Meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public, no more secrecy.....No more secrecy.....":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQbQTrm_pSA

"Clintons did health care the wrong way, behind closed doors":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvyharXBI0Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU0m6Rxm9vU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBtIKgGHYPQ

"The American people are the answer":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2cvru2TH-s

Obama's Transparency Problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IODbwOhZYEM
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

August New Home Sales Were The Second-Worst Month On Record

We have legal systems for retiring debt, it's called bankruptcy.
===========================================

Yes, and which were savagely "reformed" just a couple of years ago, long after the bulk of Americans' debt was accrued, to make it almost impossible for the average American to ever get out of crushing debt.

You must be very new to the political scene and aren't aware of how Republicans and DLC-Democrats have been gaming our system for the past 4 decades, to bilk Americans.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/6/63144/06015
About Real Estate
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

August New Home Sales Were The Second-Worst Month On Record

As far as retiring the national debt, that will be disastrous for our country, but that's probably where we are heading ... that or hyper-inflation.

=========================================

Why don't you actually read the articles being linked to before offering comments about them (comments that demonstrate that you obviously haven't read them)?
About Real Estate
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

There is a fight in the deficit commission

==============================

If you think that's true, the next question is, "Where are you getting your information?":

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/09/04/simpson
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

The truth about Obama (and the DLC's intentions) is, as usual, in his lawyer-speak and in his behavior.

Obama Packs Debt Commission with Social Security Looters:

Obama has filled his new 'debt commission' with Wall Street insiders determined to gut Social Security

http://www.alternet.org/story/146183/obama_pack s_debt_com mission_wi th_social_ security_l ooters?page=entire

Obama Packs Debt Commission With Social Security Privatization & Benefit Cut Supporters
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/05/10/obama-packs-debt-committee-with-supportes-of-social-security-benefit-cuts-and-privatization/

http://www.truth-out.org/obama-catfood-commissioner-threatens-small-town-with-nuclear-annihilation62852gt;

You don't put Social Security on the table at all before a 'Deficit Commission' (it's not in danger of going broke, to begin with) or put people like this on your commission if you weren't signaling that you're open to doing it.

And Chris Van Hollen made an interesting parsing slip on CNN about that very point (he never was the brightest color in the box -- Democratic voters are d00med if this is the future leadership of the party). Go hunt: http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1008/15/sotu.01.html
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

" In an interview last week, Rep. ChrisVanHoellen, the chairman of the Democratic Congressio nalCampaig nCommittee, persistently refused to take cuts to SocialSecurity off the table. He said that Obama's DeficitCommission would make its report after the election and that the Democratic leadership couldn't say before seeing it that a plan that includes cuts to SocialSecurity was unacceptable."

He was not saying that-Social Security Won't Go Away!.

===========================================

That's quite the 'strawman argument' you put forth there.

Nobody made your claim, that he said "Social Security would go away".

This was (one of) the claim(s):

DCCC’s Chair Van Hollen Won’t Commit to Protecting Social Security from Cuts/Higher Retirement Age
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/65637

And the fact that Obama has put Social Security on the table at all of his 'Debt Commission', which runs a surplus. With a group, all of whom support privatizing Social Security.

But why would anybody be surprised by that. It is the SOP for the deceitful Obama & DLC-controlled Democratic Party (DINOs).

Just like early in the healthcare legislation process, Obama declaring that he wouldn't sign any legislation that didn't include a public option (and then k!lling the move to slip it at the last minute -- Few even know about that), Obama will preside over the gutting & privatization of Social Security before his term is over.

About Economy
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Shepard Fairey, Artist Behind Iconic Obama Portrait, Expresses Disappointment With The President

Yes, signed, limited edition, run of 10,000. Early in the run, too.

Interested?
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Christine O'Donnell: 'Evolution Is A Myth. Why Aren't Monkeys Still Evolving Into Humans?' (VIDEO)

Species evolve to better adapt to their environment. It's an opportunistic thing.

If there's no new niche available, species may not continue to evolve until a new one becomes available.

In any case, the evolution takes thousands of generations so you won't see any perceptible changes in your lifetime (unless you live to be at least 50,000 years old).
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

What's loony?

You haven't actually read the link, have you?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

Of course, there's no reason for the US government to default on its debt. The country is having no difficulty whatsoever issuing borrowing at the moment, with investors willing to make long-term loans at interest rates below 3.0 percent.

Furthermore, the FederalReserveBoard can freely buy up more debt if investors did become more reluctant to hold government bonds at some point in the future. In ordinary times, this could create a problem with inflation, however, with the vast amounts of idle capacity and huge reservoir of unemployed workers, inflation is clearly not going to be a problem in the foreseeable future.

Given the ease with which the country can borrow, & the relatively minor burden posed by interest payments, there's no reason for the UnitedStates to default on its debt. But, of course, there's also no reason for it to cut SocialSecurity payments, which would amount to a defacto default on its debt to the SocialSecurity trust fund. Near retirees have already paid for their SocialSecurity with their SocialSecurity taxes. These taxes were used to buy the US government bonds held by the trust fund. If the government substantially reduces scheduled benefits, this is effectively defaulting on these bonds.
If Van Hoellen feels comfortable ruling out a default on the government debt more generally, then he should have no problem ruling out cuts to SocialSecurity. Of course, if we do see cuts to SocialSecurity on the table, then the public should insist that default on the debt is also on the table.

This is nut-ball economics, but if the Democrats in Congress insist on practicing it, then voters should insist that it is not just working people who get hurt. The WallStreet boy should know that they're risk, too.

The reality is that we can get back to full employment quickly, but we lack the political will to do it. The reality is that the budget deficit is not a problem in the short-term because of the vast amount of unemployment - the deficit is supporting the economy and preventing unemployment from rising higher.
And, the budget deficit is not a problem in the long-term - the problem is a broken US healthcare system that threatens to send costs through the roof in both the private & public sector. If we fix our healthcare system, then we have no deficit problem.

If SocialSecurity is on the table it's because people in the ObamaAdministration & the DemocraticParty leadership want to cut SocialSecurity. It really is very simple.

http://www.truth-out.org/is-defaulting-national-debt-table63023
About Economy
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

SocialSecurity is a hugely popular and successful program. The vast majority of retirees depend on SocialSecurity for the bulk of their income. This dependence is almost certain to grow in the next two decades due to the country's incompetent economic management. The huge cohort of baby boomers is approaching retirement with almost nothing other than their SocialSecurity to support them. This is the result of the fact that Greenspan-Bernanke crew, as well the Clinton-Bush gang, thought that asset bubbles were fun.

The collapse of the housing bubble has eliminated much of the wealth that baby boomers were able to accumulate during their working lifetime. With their retirement rapidly approaching & a continuing failure of economic policy to produce normal levels of employment, BabyBoomers will have little opportunity to make up for their lost wealth.

In an interview last week, Rep. ChrisVanHoellen, the chairman of the DemocraticCongressionalCampaignCommittee, persistently refused to take cuts to SocialSecurity off the table. He said that Obama's DeficitCommission would make its report after the election and that the Democratic leadership couldn't say before seeing it that a plan that includes cuts to SocialSecurity was unacceptable.

If there is some principle at stake here, it's not one that the vast majority of the America people share.
So, why can't the DemocraticParty leadership say that cuts to SocialSecurity are off the table? What part of this is so hard for VanHoellen to understand?

If VanHoellen is saying that everything is on the table, then he's almost certainly not telling the truth. It's highly unlikely that the DeficitCommission would consider a partial default on the national debt as an option. Furthermore, it's certain that if the commission did produce a set of recommendations that included a partial default on the national debt that it would almost certainly be rejected out of hand by the both the Democratic leadership in Congress and the ObamaAdministration.

KEEP READING
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

The number of things that you offer an opinion on without first having read is astonishing.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

Retire the American People's debt.

I proposed the idea back when HenryPaulson was scaring Congress into thumb-sucking fetal positions about the imminent collapse of the economic system, and lobbying Congress for unlimited powers & money (TARP).

I continued proposing the idea when Obama was handing out the 2nd half of TARP, & bailing out GM, & paying cash for clunkers (abzurd program, helping the rich yet again, foreign car makers, while hurting working class & used car dealers), & passing FinanceRef ormLegisla tion that doesn't prevent another meltdown.

I kept at it while millions have been losing their jobs, their homes, losing their health insurance (& still not having any, despite Obama's great big corporate giveaway to BigInsurance & PhRma), & the economy continues to spiral down.

Now, after WeThePeople are picking up the tab for another unwinnable war so that theDickCheney&Bushes can get transnational gas & oil company dividends from their stock portfolios, the only way that this economy is going to turn around is if the People have money to spend.

Businesses aren't hiring because nobody's buying. Nobody's buying because only the rich have money, & they already buy all that they want & need. That is, by definition, what 'rich' means. Banks got bailed out, they're sitting on the money, & they've giving themselves bonuses.

Retiring the People's debt -- Why should that be such a radical idea?

The People who actually labored & made the money & the great economy we had, who haven't been properly compensated for decades (but ripped off by corrupt politicians of what little they were able to put away for retirement, their children's college, & unforeseen emergencies), getting a lifeline that would keep the US from becoming a third world nation.

Not retiring all debt every 7 years is even 'biblically proscribed', for all of the Jude0-Chr!st!ans who ins!st on scripture as the basis of US laws.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Shepard Fairey, Artist Behind Iconic Obama Portrait, Expresses Disappointment With The President

Yes, I have one.

Want to buy it?

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=shepard+fairey+obama&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bush Tax Cuts Reduced Total Income By $2.7 Trillion

Why isn't Is Defaulting on the National Debt on the Table?

http://www.truth-out.org/is-defaulting-national-debt-table63023
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

August New Home Sales Were The Second-Worst Month On Record

Well, the Y2K melt down didn't get you, so it might as well be the sixth great extinction.
================================

Now you're sounding like Christine O'Donnell on evolution.

Unlike past Great Extinctions, we have the power and the ability to do something about this one. Or at the very least, to slow it down. Because it's We, the People (all over the world) causing it.

The subject is morality. About billions of people suffering, living in poverty, dy!ng from natural catastrophes and other events which are the result of human activity. Mass migrations. Wars over fundamental resources necessary for humans to live, like water.

Let's see our choices? Spreading the wealth, sharing the resources, making the changes necessary so that the coming mass d!e-off has a softer landing and a possible good outcome (in spite of the cataclysmic suffering that's coming), or, sticking your head in the sand on a beach with a margarita.

Yes, that does seem to be your speed.
About Real Estate
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

August New Home Sales Were The Second-Worst Month On Record

Nothing like living in fear,
==========================

This is actually funny coming from someone who is touting the DLC-Democrats' campaign slogan, "Be very afraid if the Republicans get control again of Congress". [We have Obama and Democrats to thank for the resurrection of Republicans. The GOP & Bush were down for the count after the 2008, and Obama gave them all pardon.]

The DLC-controlled Democrats' slogan for the 2010 election: "The other guys are worse." (not really)
About Real Estate
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

August New Home Sales Were The Second-Worst Month On Record

And how exactly is retiring consumers' debt undermining the rule of law?

Why isn't Is Defaulting on the National Debt on the Table?

http://www.truth-out.org/is-defaulting-national-debt-table63023
About Real Estate
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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