WASHINGTON — President Bush submitted a federal budget of $3.1 trillion on Monday, declaring that the spending plan would keep the United States safe and prosperous and, despite the astronomical numbers, adhere to his principle of letting Americans keep as much of their own money as possible.
What money? You mean these little shards of paper that are devaluing in my wallet as we speak? Oh, that’s right. I’m supposed to giggle with gratitude as you rip what’s left of my retirement out my hands to pay for your Great Folly in the Sands and the new hot tub/bomb shelter at Dick’s Wyoming ranch.
Thanks to Bush’s infantile dependency on Alan Greenspan, his metronomic fellating of the banking industry, the nonexistent oversight of the subprime mortgage racket and its accompanying heat mirage of McMansion ownership, the American economy is cratering like a skydiver without a chute, taking the global economy with it. And THIS is the budget he presents to Congress? I. Can’t. Stop. Laughing.
The Pentagon’s proposed budget, for instance, is $515.4 billion, an increase of 7.5 percent over this year, meaning that military spending would be the highest in inflation-adjusted terms since World War II.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, he spins in his grave. Hold the gyrations, Ike–this is my favorite part of Commander Codpiece’s budget:
Mr. Bush said his budget would slow “the unsustainable growth of entitlement spending” with proposed savings of $208 billion over five years. This includes savings of $178 billion in Medicare, $17 billion in Medicaid and $6 billion in student aid programs. The president proposes to raise $2 billion from new enrollment fees and higher pharmacy co-payments for certain veterans receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
I freely admit I am not an economist. I leave the in-depth number-crunching to the Powder Blue Hub, Bonddad, or Calculated Risk. But even a mathephobe like me can see that freezing out social "entitlements" while increasing the budget for bombs isn’t especially farsighted . . . or amusing.
Seeing your cost of living increase, thanks to the criminal hike in the price of oil? That’s a big ol’ belly laugh right there. At the supermarket I frequent, the price of a dozen eggs has increased 60¢ over the last 4 months, and I’m not on a fixed income. Too funny! But hey, so long as Dick Cheney’s investment portfolio increases another 3000%, then who cares about covering health expenses for the poor and elderly?
George Bush is the leader of the Republican Party, the party that prides itself on its "fiscal responsibility". Well, if "fiscal responsibility" is shorthand for creating a permanent underclass, then sure, Bush is right on the money, if you will.
Anyway, all of this Second Gilded Age crap reminds me of the old Steve Martin routine–you know the one:
"I love money. I love everything about it. I bought some pretty good stuff. Got me a $300 pair of socks … got a fur sink … let’s see … an electric dog-polisher … a gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater … and of course I bought some dumb stuff, too."
"I’m so mad at my mother. She’s 102 years old and she called my up last week … said she wanted to borrow ten dollars for some food. I told her, ‘Hey … I work for a living.’ So I lent her the money – had my secretary bring it down – and yesterday she calls me up and says she can’t pay me back for a while … I said, ‘What is this bullshit?’ … So I worked it out with her … I’m gonna have her carry my bar bells up to the attic."
I’m laughing so hard it hurts.
Related posts:
- Late Night: “Stop it Dad. You’re EMBARRASSING Me!”
- Sorry, Cato: It’s Not Just Republicans That Refuse to Cut Defense Spending
- Late Night: This Week In Obama Killing Your Grandma…
- Cash for Clunkers Ends Monday Night After Triggering 700,000 Sales
- CBO: We Didn’t Really Score the Finance Committee Bill; $44 Billion, Millions of Uninsured Americans Ignored
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WT!
boing boing, reverse one and a half somersaults with two and a half twists, in the free position, no splash, ‘natch
g’evening watertiger
Tigre de Agua!
that pretty much sums up what I just did to get this post up.
What bigger entitlement titty-baby welfare wingnuttery is there than the “defense” industry? The ultimate con.
The free position, Suz, we should all be so lucky.
Tigre, how can you mix the word responsible and Bush in the same sentence? It is like oil and water – don’t mix so good!
I like oxymorons. ;-)
and while I have the maternal instincts of a rabid jackal, i want to kidnap that baby in the video.
dang, i knew i shudda added a few hoops to jump through (laughing)
when I write about money…. I always put in all the zeros…. when you have 1.3 billion or 234 million…. does not have the same effect with all those 00000000000 … its like playing with funny money…
In 2000 the Euro was 98cents to American dollar…. today it is 1.48 to 1.00 US dollar…. that means since GWB has been Prez…. my dollar has lost 50% of its value.
1 Euro = 1.48172 US Dollar
my ijiocy scares even me sometimes.
too too cute, watertiger. t’will be a different story once the little guy starts walking and toddles into dad’s office and plays with the tax receipts.
my ex thought it was so funny having baby girl (as a wee one) help with the demolition of the bathroom when he was remodeling it. unfortunately, she did not think the job was done when he did and continued to toss stuff out the window into the dumpster below.
Like the great Randitta says “what’s the point of being rich if you can’t make the poor suffer.”
Taking money away from what’s suppose to be the “safety net” to pay for a couple of days of a vanity war.
Dog I wish I believed in Karma.
Funny and true post. I like the ’slow “the unsustainable growth of entitlement spending”., that means ’cut benefits to whoever can’t make too much noise’
OT:
Chris Matthews has gone insane. Look at Crooks and Liars.
Matthews declares ’less jobs more war’ Honest John ’The Straight talk is crock’ St McCain to be #1 (Master and Commander) in the HardBall POWER RANKINGS!!. Says Rudy stumping for him will be big plus (WTF!!??) and that Rudy’s ooomph plus the maverick rep has launched the miserable double hypocrite and abject and contemptable liar McCain into the spot for most likely to be next president.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/…..commander/
How soon before Matthews is taken in for observation, and kept beyond the scheduled three days? Just that has happened recently to less messed up celebrity psyches, after all.
Here’s more love from the Pres…
2009 Bush budget a disaster for HIV/AIDS
Statement of HIVMA Executive Director Christine Lubinski
The President’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009, if enacted, would spell disaster for the nation’s health, and by extension, our national effort to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_…..020408.php
My daughter will be “studying abroad” next year in France.
Are you saying that it will be TWICE as expensive (dollars to Euros) as it would have been before boosh?
Hillary had a Town Hall meeting tonight.
Few blogs are covering it from the left side?
He’s taking his cues from Britney Spears?
Baby’s are born happy and laughing. Then someone teaches them fear and hate.
It will be one third more expensive.
not exactly twice as much – every thing that used to cost $0.98 now costs $1.48 so an increase in costs of 50% (not a math type so that may be wrong)
... dammit katymine, you’ve given me a reason to like Bush …
I saved 50% by buying my Plasma TV in the US of A (small drive from Toronto).
Evenin’ all !
That is also correct.
you have it right…. I did my dyslexic thing of switching it… that is why I copied it right out of the currency calculator. Last summer when I was in Greece the Euro was 1 Euro = $1.35 so in six months the dollar has dropped 12 cents.
Well, the French will just have to travel over here if they want to see Americans! George is only making sure we spend our saving at home while he spends our taxes down his blackholes.
gee, canadians can buy plasma (tvs) but american’s have to sell their plasma (blood) to buy food
I’m not a “math type” either, forever stunted by “The New Math” in the sixties.
So it’s 1.5x as expensive instead of 2x.
I’m not stupid, just learned math poorly.
LOLOLOL!
karl rove musta been a math kid from the 60’s like us – he just learned some strange kinda new math that was only in tx
EPU’d from downstairs at the Hillary/Obama economics post:
THE ECONOMIC DISASTER THAT IS MILITARY KEYNESIANISM
Why the US has really gone broke
by Chalmers Johnson
Global confidence in the US economy has reached zero, as was proved by last month’s stock market meltdown. But there is anenormous anomaly in the US economy above and beyond the subprime mortgage crisis, the housing bubble and the prospect of recession: 60 years of misallocation of resources, and borrowings, to the establishment and maintenance of amilitary-industrial complex as the basis of the nation’s economic life.
Original text in English
ROAR!
WaterTiger!
I’da been here sooner, but I had to do some DIGG-ing.
That, and he thought 1984 was a manual, not a warning.
The link for that article didn’t travel:
http://MondeDiplo.com/2008/02/05military
thanks, busted, for opening the digg
Ratings must be way down. Matthews looks desperate and frightened. How long ago did he turn his talkie into a political Roller Derby freak show?
I’ve never understod this dowdy, loagy Washington DC political celebrity sexy-power-influence trip. It is truly weird to me. Like watching two old crippled animals trying to have sex – I want to turn away. Actually I can understand an old mutt humping somebodies leg or whatever. The US political talk/freak show circuit -I can’t understand why people watch. Except of course for the brave lefty bloggers who have to in order to document the atrocities and warn the public.
hey watertiger…
My first on your thread…
Pffft … that’s what you always say … *g*
hey biodun
So does anyone think Congress has the huevos to cut up Bushes credit card with this joke of a budget?
The Bush Administration is a criminal enterprise. Yes, they are stupid too, but that doesn’t matter they will continue to steal and trash the government until they are stopped. The only means to do this is impeachment which Nancy Pelosi has taken off the table. I say Pelosi is soft on crime.
no
Y’know, I am already just about outta my gourd,well thats besides the point I guess, but this maniac has got more balls than a herd of elephants and has fucked this country for decades to come.
What kills me, is these gutless wimps just sit back and watch him fling shit on the walls like a cracked out spider monkey while we have to try and survive.
The best is yet to come, you mark my words. That little bastard is going to sneak some outrageous shit by these fools and we are REALLY going to be wishing 1984 was just a book after all.
no.
and hi katymine!
Talking about saving/redistributing money, this is well worth another read.
‘What if the U.S. just packed up and left Iraq and Afghanistan, and brought the troops all home, shut down the 750-odd overseas bases we operate around the globe, and slashed our military budget by 75 percent? That would be an instant savings of roughly $365 billion per year.
Now, the first thing we need to do is address the criticism that such an action would be abandoning the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, whose countries we have been systematically destroying for the last 4-6 years.’
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/lindorff/046
Ok… does anyone know if the Congressional health plan pays for spine transplants?
This has been another installment…
Wonderful post, tigre aquatique.
Suzanne, see your FB messages, please!
I hear that’s still experimental.
Hey, man! Good to see you!
Hi back…. hows it looking in your neck of the woods?
Good. ‘cept when I enter that booth tomorrow morning :)
Evening all. How’s life in the Lake? A bit chilly and snowy here in the northern Rockies.
… aren’t you goin’ in alone ?!! *g*
Hiya Dick. How was your birthday?
How you feel these days?
Only my hairdresser knows for sure.
LOL !!!
Quiet, which at my age is the way I like it.
So… if you had a vote here, how would you advise the torn and frayed?
Feeling ok…. trying not to catch a cold but pretty much healed from surgery (still not doing situps)….. no plan for chemo and back to my walking…
It cold on the Colorado Plateau too. Have a friend who just headed up to Polson on Flathead Lake so no doubt she will very cold as opposed to just cold.
Is there any Congressional equivalent to the signing statements?
As in, we don’t recognize your right to pick what parts of a law are really the law.
I suppose this would this require 60 votes in the Senate. Anything that’s contrary to the unitary exec seems to.
What vehicle can Congress use that can’t be vetoed?
Will this require the Judicial branch to settle?
When do we start?
happy dance – no chemo
One quibble — they’re not “fiscally responsible,” they’re “fiscally conservative.” That means looting the Treasury for their friends. Democrats should never describe themselves as “fiscally conservative”; we should grab “fiscally responsible” for ourselves, and hang “fiscally conservative” around their necks along with every other aspect of their bankrupt ideology.
And just a few weeks ago…
Glad for you
judicial is stacked in georgie’s favor with roberts and the scalito twins.
congress don’t have the gumption to even wipe their own butts without georgie saying its ok.
Obama !!!
Hard to tell who’s more of a joke bush or Congress. It’s a mighty close race.
Yep. Should be a nice breeze coming in off the lake. That (wind) is something we really do not have much of here in Missoula (I think the average wind speed is 0), nor humidity either. It is actually so dry here in the winter that the snow actually evaporates (this is when it does not get above freezing).
100 percent?
Excerpt frm good post on Brad DeLong’s economics blog on the bush bugdet clown show
Roger Runningen and Brian Faler of Bloomberg report on the Bushies’ proposed budget for fiscal 2009:
” Bloomberg.com.S.: President George W. Bush sent Congress a $3.1 trillion federal budget that trims Medicare and health care programs, boosts military spending and projects the deficit this year and next will hit near-record levels. The spending blueprint for fiscal 2009… would slow the rate of growth in spending for entitlement programs such as Medicare for savings of $208 billion over five years. Pentagon spending would rise 7.5 percent to $515 billion, the 11th consecutive year of increases….
Bush’s spending plan stands little chance of being adopted. Criticism came today from Republicans as well as Democrats. “There’s a lot of games, smoke, mirrors, incomplete numbers, basically there’s not much realism” in the budget, Senator Judd Gregg, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, said in an interview. “They’re playing the usual games.”… The budget deficit is projected to reach $410 billion this year. That is up from $162 billion in 2007, reflecting a slower economy generating fewer corporate tax receipts, the cost of a $146 billion economic stimulus measure and spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The deficit is forecast at $407 billion in 2009… 2.9 percent of the $13.2 trillion U.S. economy….
…..
” Bush, after meeting with his Cabinet this morning at the White House, called it a “good, solid budget” that puts a priority on national security and keeps spending in check. “Congress needs to pass it,” he said. Lawmakers took a different view. House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, a South Carolina Democrat, said it “bears all the hallmarks of the Bush legacy — it leads to more deficits, more debt, more tax cuts, more cutbacks in critical services”… “
From DeLong’s comments on the Bloomberg story:
Their reference to “near-record levels” of the deficit doesn’t give a full and fair account of the magnitude of what can only be called a clown show. The headline deficit number ought to be $738 billion–we have a $331 billion Social Security surplus for 2009, and an honest and honorable administration would be using that surplus to pay down the government debt in order to get ready for the challenges that our aging population will pose for the federal budget over the next two generations. The headline number shouldn’t be 2.7% of GDP; it should be 4.8% of GDP. That is how far Bush fiscal policy is from what a prudent and responsible fiscal policy should be.
http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/…..udget.html
at the URL above, you can watch DeLong deliver if all professor like from his office
Fred Hiatt’s newest lackey, Michael Gerson, posted this crap a couple of days ago.
But there is nothing to prevent me from waxing nostalgic. Watching the speech, I recalled meeting Gov. Bush of Texas in the spring of 1999, before he was a declared candidate. He talked with rushed intensity about being a “different kind of Republican,” dedicated to racial healing and helping the poor and determined to provide moral leadership as a contrast and corrective to the Clinton years. Because I believed him, I left journalism and joined his campaign.
In the same edition of the NYT aquatigre references above:
Today’s Justice Department seems to have nothing but contempt for those principles. The Bush White House has seemingly never heard of them. Thousands of petitioners for clemency have been waiting for years for a ruling, some since before Bill Clinton left office. Thousands of others have been rejected out of hand, largely because preparing a fair report of what might be said in their favor would take too much time and cost too much money.
What have we learned?
P.S. The links don’t seem to be working in preview. Seems there are too many //// and 22%?
In any case:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02…..8;emc=eta1
~
sigh, I know you’re right, but I was looking for SOME hope…
probably need to increase my dose of soma.
Maybe any new laws passed should have a pre-emptive clause in them. Like, “this law cannot be interpreted any other way than as stated, and we mean you George Bush”.
My tipping point has been HRC trying to go against the DNC rules to seat the delegates from MI & FL. The last three months I was hip deep in the Edwards campaign here….. afraid that HRC actions against the rules might undo all of Howard Deans work in building the 50 state strategy…
Ha Hah!
Links don’t work in preview, but they do when posted. Take that, Sadly, No!
~
Mac user, I presume?
It’s our cross to bear for now.
preview does not work for links on PC either :(
its not a glitch – its a feature
I haven’t made up my mind whether I will vote for HRC or Obama (yeah, I was an Edwards person…). I noticed this piece, which I guess should be filed under “Can You Spot the Frontrunners?” Looks like the GOP Money Mafia has decided the hedge their bets -maybe soon throw over the Mittster altogether (anyone know?)
Clinton Gets Most Lobbyist Money, McCain Most Help Jonathan D. Salant
Mon Feb 4, 1:29 PM ET
Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) — Democrat Hillary Clinton has raised more money from lobbyists than any other presidential candidate while Republican John McCain has more of them assisting his campaign.
Clinton took in $823,087 from registered lobbyists and members of their firms in 2007 and the second-biggest recipient was McCain, who took in $416,321, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based group which tracks political giving
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomb…..npwl7xnjik
Yup !!!
Initially, I didn’t like either of them, my 1st choice(Gore) nevvuh showed and Edwards got pushed aside by the MSM.
One of them had to seize the mantle to be inspiring to the masses and the one who did was Obama. I can’t believe all the people who are going to see him and they’re really enthusiastic about the process again. Public involvement is the only thing that can turn around the transgressions of the last 7 years and Obama is getting people involved in change.
Inspirational Leadership !
That’s exactly what I always presumed of the laws. They are written by lawyers. They mean what they say.
When did this become open to very strange interpretation?
And why has it not been challenged?
Just got an email from Gnome de Plume, any Pups coming to Austin for SXSW? The Central Texas Firepups Brigade would love to plan a meetup!
It’s done, then.
(sigh) romney gets his bubble filled in on my ballot. i figure it does the most harm here in callyfornia.
Spine implants are still experimental?
Evening all.
snack food
Good on ya.
You are hereby nominated to be a subversive, foul mouthed,DFH, femblogging Dem on a covert mission behind enemy lines.
HA!
wise guy.
… drat, I was playin’ reverse psychology … *g*
… just kidding, me and Bill Maher really like him … *g*
And why has it not been challenged?
Spine implants are still experimental?
reply
And the only procedure not covered by the Congressional health care plan.
yes yes yes yes yes we would!
Bill Maher on Larry …
Share pictures, please.
dood, how cool! i accept :)
Two passings. I used to read Gordo all the time growing up.
Adios
and from E&P
lawd, is it time for SXSW already?!
i must get up early to stagger in to the polling station tomorrow, so I bid you lovelies all a good night.
and go VOTE!
leftovers i see
OK guys, got a job interview in the morning.
Listen to the music.
G’nite.
sleep well, watertiger
g’nite wangdang – fingers and toes crossed for the job interview
Actually Newt, I really wanna see Obama knockout McCain during the debates.
Hasty Visas!
P.S. I don’t has a vote until Ohio primary, but this Edwards supporter is now leaning Obama.
~
RIP .
WWD!!! Best on your interview tomorrow. Hold on to your confidence. You know more than anyone there, and don’t forget it!
If I believed he would/could do it, I’d be more “on-board.”
Night WT & Wangdang. I also need to head out. Take care and enjoy the company.
g’nite dr (pause) dick
Gnite Tiger, good to see ya again.
Hi, y’all. I’m sitting here feeling semi-disenfranchised. It’s hard to believe that there will still be something to vote on on April 22. How many of you get to vote tomorrow?
Oh he will, we saw glimpses of that during the last debate … and with the growing list of endorsements (Gary Hart’s column today on HuffPo is an excellent read) he is riding the wave …
hey tj – i think there should be a national primary and two months later, the general election.
that way, everyone’s vote would count.
i’m voting tomorrow in ca
Trying to keep my head out of the “wave’ argument, as it’s a factor driven largely by popularity in a beauty contest, and pushed by momentum.
This point, I’m not for the “Big Mo.”
No.
This has been another edition of simple answers….
A few hundred $? = WELFARE!
A few hundred billion $ ? = An incentive
Learned that from Rush. He’s sooooooo brilliant. (The talent’s on loan from God, dontcha know.)
One thing that really pisses people on the Left Coast is when the Bastard MSM basically declares a winner before our polls are even closed.
I call bullshit on that, but it happens all too often.
hiya double-you-tee! Great post!
Money doesn’t go nearly as far at the grocery store anymore, whether one’s on a fixed income or not. Whose income goes up as fast as groceries have, anyway? No one I know.
Hey, TJ. Here in California, I already voted absentee. I voted for Hillary, and hopes she wins, because she is so gutsy and smart. I’m sure going to work for Obama if he wins, but not with the same intensity that I’ll work for Hillary.
My great fear is that the MSM machine will ruin Obama if he wins the democratic primary. Best to send our toughest fighter into the ring.
TJ I am march 4
no shit! totally gets me blood boiling when they do that. i think it should be criminal for the ‘news media’ to disenfranchise voters that way.
Exactly right, but this time Obama is the one creating the wave, drawing thousands of first time voters to the polls.
I’m a firm believer in the Will of the People, getting more and younger people back into shaping politics can only be good for the country
Bush is a nightmare.
Congress is a betrayal.
Neither is a a joke.
There you go again – loyalty, clarity, friendliness, sincerity.
Good luck, Loo Hoo!
That’s my $.02 … back to work now …
Good night and Good Luck (esp. H & O)
Your vote counts as much as mine (tomorrow in Illinois.)
Haven’t you heard? Signs pointing to a brokered convention.
How well do you know your super delegates?
But for repubs, if you’re not happy with McCain I would STRONGLY suggest a third party movement.
Pick you favorite whacko and support them to death!
g’nite petro
On T with the voting thing :)
The US Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing yesterday in Washington, DC, on older Americans and the significant barriers they face in exercising their right to vote. Jason Karlawish, MD, associate professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, testified before the Committee, citing results and recommendations from a series of his studies examining voting rights for the elderly.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_…..020108.php
nite petro
Hugs, newtonusr! Are you going to Netroots?
And the WaPo, with a couple of exceptions, has become a cesspool.
G’nite TSF, and keep giving Fred Hiatt and company hell.
It’s what they deserve.
~
I’m really curious about the brokered convention thing. Who wields the power?
Me too, in Ohio.
Still mulling, but leaning towards going.
And I know you’re all set!
http://firedoglake.com/2008/02…..onvention/
some good links in the comments too.
I don’t think it’s gonna be a brokered convention. It’s gonna be a people-powered convention. The superdelegates won’t vote against the districts they represent in Congress if the race is close; they’ll stick close to their own constituents, especially if those opinions have been expressed at the ballot box well after the super-d endorsed a candidate.
In other words, there’s lots of room for a wave to continue to crest after tomorrow; the six contests after S-Tuesday favor Obama. Hill’ll be hard-pressed to overcome that kind of momentum, I think.
And why aren’t my fellow Edwards fans voting for him tomorrow? He’s only suspended his campaign; he’ll be on your ballots; he has slates of delegates chosen. Why not vote for the candidate you favor? I did, two weeks ago, and I don’t feel like I wasted mine.
Besides, I’m undecided between the two “remaining” candidates. So a people-powered convention with more than one ballot is fine by me. A great civics lesson for America, right in the middle of summer vacation.
Can’t miss it, can you? Our candidate will be there. We may see (finally) hope for our country!
Thanks, foxman. I’m way behind on comment reading.
Actually, Atrios was writing today that the way the race is shaping up, it still may be undecided by April 22. The idea that I’m actually going to have a hand in the outcome next week is still pretty unusual.
There is that.
I suppose I’ll see you at breakfast!
I was told by the state party that they suspended the Edwards delegates because he is no longer running. (lots of my friends are delegates)
I was told by the Edwards campaign that the reason the used the phrase suspended was to collect the matching funds to pay off debts…
In Illinois I know Obama will win tomorrow. I like him better than the Clintons, but Edwards has always been my first choice. So you think voting for Edwards still counts in the long run? I’ll do it (even though they never sent the yard sign and bumper sticker I bought.)
I’ve considered it, and I agree it wouldn’t be a waste. I’m probably gonna vote for Obama because I’m going to run for national convention delegate, and there’s no way Edwards is going to make the 15% cut here. And I’ve always liked Obama, just not as much as Edwards.
Banking on Becoming President
Except for Ron Paul and Huckabee, the Republicans are more than broke, they are hugely in debt! Romney has a little over $2 million on hand and is $35 million in debt. McCain has $4.5 million worth of debt and $3 million on hand. How can they wage a campaign? What are these guys going to do???
The interesting point is that Ron Paul has more cash on hand than all of the other Repug candidates….
Bless your heart!
Thats the best news I’ve seen all day!
According to the delegate training session I went to a couple of weeks ago, candidates that are not “viable” can get delegates at the state level, but they’re required to caucus with one of the “viable” candidates at the state convention and become delegates for that candidate at the national convention. That’s here in VA; don’t know if it’s the same everywhere.
In ‘04 we had one Dean delegate who went to the state convention, even though he’d dropped out before our primary.
Thanks TSF, for educating this Edwards person. I will vote for Edwards then. That takes a load off my mind. I could not decide which brand of weak tea I was going to vote for tomorrow.
And thanks for your post on the convention. We need some rabble rousing for this convention. I hope it is a grass roots convention powered by ferocious and irresistable grassroots congressional campaigns. Or as close as can be arranged, given political details I don’t understand.
Fact is, whether the president is McCain (OOMIGOD NO PLEASE!), or HRC, or Obama, change back to democracy will require serious kicking of presidential butt by active aggressive and more progressive congress.
Despite the H and O partisans, neither HRC nor Obama show much promise on the change front (and I mean real change rather than just talking about it). Obama is supposed to have been a community organizer, but apparently that is long past. It is true that many of Obama’s economic proposals are less progressive, less feasible economically, than HRC’s. Some say this is strategy, but if that is true then Obama is a lousy strategist since many of Obama’s talking points and arguments will hinder improving his proposals in a more progressive direction. That is, Obama’s talking points are shooting himself in the foot, if he really is progressive.
I am kinda pissed because I think Krugman is slanted against Obama and he should be more neutral, but that doesn’t change the fact that many of Krugman’s comments on Obama’s proposals are correct, in my opinion. Obama may be an idealist, and may want some kind of big change, but in some ways it is less progressive economic change that that advocated by HRC -and that is true faint praise (’cause I am and Edwards person).
The other interesting thing is that McCain is on Federal matching funds and the FEC is not fully staffed & pretty much suspended operations so he he isn’t going to get money from them any time soon…. AND somehow I don’t he is smart enough to do what Edwards did which is to use the promised FEC matching funds to secure a loan.
Aw, shoot. Are you sure? I hope that Teddy San Fran is correct. I would love to vote for Edwards if he can take delegates to the convention.
Anyone know for sure?
I fervently agree with your comment. (New Math: DIE!)
Let’s see, The Republican party is coming apart at it’s rotten seams.
Rush Limbaugh’s ‘roids are on fire, Anne C. is threatening to back Hillary,
The Fundies are pissed off at the Mormon’s, The Mormon’s are having a field day, The Squirrel eater has got about two thirds of ‘em all on the fainting couch. Ghouliani and The Creature are out and McCain has got most of ‘em so stirred up they don’t know which way is up.
Throw that back stabbin’ bastard Lieberman in the Cuisinart and we are lookin’ pretty.
It is a state by state decision. You need to call your state party to find out how they are handling this.
Where did everyone go?
Yes. The “Permanent Republican Majority” coalition was always a hard stretch, an unsustainable fantasy at best. The stark reality of W has indeed now pulled it apart. ACtually I suggest you work “Big Tent” into your tearing-rotten-seams imagery… makes for nice sort of nightmare decaying circus/carnival theme…
Suz – freezing up there?
forking cold, newton already 35.4 and dropping fast – clear skies tho. today was the first day that it has not rained in 15 days.
bathroom break?
As far as I know, McCain hasn’t said he’s taking matching funds. He’s hoping either to rake in enough lobbyist money that he doesn’t have to abide by the spending limits, or win the nomination soon enough that he won’t need to spend that much and he can pretend he still has some integrity on campaign finance. He’ll probably give up and go with the money men, because if he goes with matching funds he’ll go from now until the convention getting outspent something like ten-to-one by either HRC or Obama.
I like it.
I’m reading the brokered convention thread. I still don’t understand what would happen.
I think everyone is just beat and watching and waiting. Tomorrow will be a BIG day. Just imagine, the first woman or Black as our candidate!!! Finally.
Either is so exciting and fresh after these last seven years. NEWNESS!!
And all their vicious psychopath goofball plans are blowing up, throwing up, going up in flames, right in their faces.
I think this will be a nasty slowdown, very heavy on job losses up front, with added stress of possibly really nasty, perhaps worst post-WWII, recession looming for next several months, at least.
So, I do really hope that Bush/Cheney and/or the vicious little thug congressional goopers decide to think about, just maybe, giving some fiscal stimulus to poeple who might need it, and who might actually use it to good macroeconomic effect.
But, I don’t think they will. And that will be saluatory lesson and instructive public display right before a general election.
we had lots of internet probs here.
also, we hit 80 degrees today!
i don’t think it is going to be settled tomorrow, loohoo. it may go right up to the convention.
no forking way – 80 degrees? dayam
Thank you Katymine, I will try to find out. If I can’t find out, I will trust Teddy San Fran and vote for Edwards anyway.
We had about 30 or so people at our organizing meeting for tomorrow afternoon-evening’s Matanuska-Susitna Borough Democratic Party Caucus. In 2004, 35 people showed up for the caucus itself. This year we’re planning for between 200 and 300.
Zero F and blowing 6 knots out of the north.
Unreal.
Saturday it was 42 degrees and snowing here.
McCain, Edwards face extra cash hurdle
McCain -the maverick, the straight talker, Mr. Integrity, Joe Courage! Whoah dude, he sure does mean it, dont’ he? Mr Straight Talk Express himself in person! Roaring to Mendacity Junction as fast as it can go.
I like the tag ‘The Straight Talk is Crock’ -maybe because I made it up myself.
But another commenter suggested ‘Bullshit Local’ which is also good.
But, best all round tag is the ‘less jobs more war’ McCain.
Water Tiger:
The whole Gross National Products is less than $4 trillion!!!
“A federal budget deficit in the trillions of dollars is beyond the reach of fiscal control,” Williams answered. “Even if the federal government raised individual and corporate income taxes to 100 percent, simply confiscating every penny every business and person in the U.S. made, we would still have a federal deficit.”
He is spending everything Americans earn and produce. Check out World Net Daily.
The next question is whether we have enough trees to create all the paper we’ll need to print all the “money” we’ll need to keep the worldwide ponzi scheme going. And buy stock in green ink.