Leading Republicans are renewing their opposition to tax increases

But don’t they believe in shared sacrifice?

No more boner for Boehner.

Well now, that is really a surprise. Republicans will not support any kind of a tax increase on their millionaire friends and the Pentagon does not want any cuts to budget their toy bin. I am shocked, I tell you, just shocked!

It is reassuring that the president has renewed his commitment to ending the trillion-dollar giveaway to millionaires that is the Bush tax cuts. But will Obama have backbone? He’s “compromised”m on this issue once. If Republicans will not budge and threaten another government shutdown or won;t raise the debt ceiling, etc., odds are that this gets tossed aside again.

Right. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. This is a center-right proposal against Ryan’s far-right proposal and we’re likely to wind up to the right of the midpoint.

Washington (CNN) — A reduction in defense spending desired by the president will only come with cuts to force levels and military capability, the Pentagon’s spokesman said Wednesday.

Breaking: That has got to be the stupidest sentence I’ve read in a long time. Fucking duh.

Morning Joe has its ass up in the air about Obama calling Ryan “un-American.”

The problem here is that Obama is still tinkering out the edges. If he was actually serious, he would announce that the “War on Terror” is over, acknowledge that we never stepped back fully from our Cold War footing and we will take aggressive efforts to reshape our military and INTELLIGENCE posture over the years to come.

We will acknowledge the recommendations that Eisenhower in his “Cross of Iron” speech and dismantle our empire and live within our means.

Eisenhower’s Cross of Iron Speech…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGQ-wgPGTp8

Not if the “budget deal” is any indicator. We’ll wind up to the right of Ryan’s proposal.

I’m surprised it didn’t say that it would endanger the troops on the front line.

That’s right! I forgot, we give the Rs more than they initially ask for. My bad.

Yet, oddly, Morning Joe never whines about Obama being called un-American like 27 times a day, every day.

I think we’re likely to pass a bill MUCH closer to Ryan than to anything ObamaLLP suggested. He’s halfway there and he hasn’t even started negociating surrendering yet.

Boxturtle (Can we vote for his dead ferret without voting for Trump as well?)

Imho, he had to make that “speech” yesterday. His base is crumbling and he knows it. He is trying to come back from the depths with his rhetoric, but those of us who voted for him, now know the score and where he puts his support and it is not progressive ideas like we were led to believe.

I’m surprised it didn’t say that it would endanger the troops on the front line.

No, teh gays do that.

That’s because Obama was born in Kenya. So calling him un-American is simply stating facts.

Boxturtle (Mmmm…Arizona KoolAid)

Mornin’, BT, pups

“Given the violent assault on all forms of labour organization and labour rights and heavy reliance upon massive but largely disorganized labour reserves in countries such as China, Indonesia, India, Mexico, and Bangladesh, it would seem that labour control and maintenance of a high rate of labour exploitation have been central to neoliberalism all along. The restoration of class power occurs, as always, at the expense of labour.”

A Brief History of Neoliberalism, David Harvey, pg 76

Emphasis mine.

Class power. The making of an American aristocracy.

Poor Wittle Wyan got his feelings hurt.

Ah, so.

Grijalva is on democracynow talking about progressives’ budget. What an ineffective jerk.

Yeah I saw that. Maybe he should put his big boy pants on before he makes stupid fucking proposals that will push tens of millions into poverty. WTF did he expect? Praise from Obama? That’s not in the script.

Morning Joe, aside from being a screaming partisan shill, is truly an asshole. Oh, and his professional scold side kick, that he treats like shit, is not any better.

Good morning Miss Peg.

Good morning pups and thanks for the post, BT.

This is a center-right proposal against Ryan’s far-right proposal and we’re likely to wind up to the right of the midpoint.

See: Window, Overton.

Not to mention being “astonishingly shallow” according to Mika’s own father.
Morning back. :)

See: We’re fucked, Again.

Yes, really a sick relationship. Reminds me of “All in the Family.”
Only it’s not a comedy.

Thomas Frank, guest on dn, still hasn’t figured out that O is to the right of Attila the Hun. He is ‘disappointed’ with O but heartened by O’s speech yesterday.

Mark Z. Barabak and Christi Parsons are both making some stupid assumptions

“With no serious challenges for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2012, the president can target the independent voters crucial to victory, while his Republican rivals must move right to win their party’s nomination.”

Seems like they believe that Liberals will just “fall in line” again. That worked out soooooo well in 2010, right?

WH still cool to re-opening PO. This shows us where we really stand with this fraud.

AZ making a play for wingnuttiest state.

These people need to put down the pipe and get a grip.

So you’re trying to tell us that Repuglicans are against tax hikes and Goldman might have misled investors? Is this one of those “internet hoaxes” I hear people talking about? It can’t possibly be true.

Morning BT & Pups of Fire.

Matt Lauer is such a douchebag.

I think ObamaLLP has come to the conclusion that money from the insurance companies will be more important to his re-election than progressive votes. And it’ll be easier to get.

Boxturtle (‘Cause right now, I’d consider Trump the lesser of evils between him and Obama)

The MSM has picked up the talking point.

Morning Joe is an awful show. Generally speaking, it covers the political alphabet from S to Z. In some ways it is a worse show than Fox and Fiends. At least that show makes no pretense of being anything but what it is – morning propoganda for the GOP. Plus it is often the source of unintentional humor.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201104110009

Mika is essentially a better looking Alan Colmes.

That has been obvious for a long time.

it covers the political alphabet from S to Z.

I always thought it covered the political alphabet from A to B. I was mistaken and stand corrected.

Mika is essentially a better looking Alan Colmes.

She’d probably look even better without that stick up her ass…

Mika is essentially a better looking Alan Colmes.

Well, that’s one thing we agree on, OG — except Colmes in drag might give her a run for her money.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

US KIA Afghanistan: 1,532

US KIA Irak: 4,447

Iraki, Afghan and Pakistani casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M

US MBS 2011: 12,772 and counting

Where’s Ben Black Elk Today

“…land of the free, but not for you or me”

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things

Namaste

No war but class war

Never. Give. Up.

Yep. Right off the bat he says,
“Does he seem like a guy who looking for cooperation to solve this nation’s debt problems or a guy looking for confrontation”?
Awww! Poor wittle Wepubliscums got their feewings hurt! That’s not very bipartisan. I never watch this idiot but I’d be willing to bet real money that he never scolded Ryan’s stupid fucking plan like that.

Sorry for the delay. (Part change. Never a quick operation when there is a crane involved.)

While not particularly funny, Joe and Mika do make me shake my head in wonder during the 90 seconds or so that I have it on. (Yes, that is about all I can handle.)

That’s Scarborough’s hand. She’s just a meat puppet.

I don’t see a ray of light in any of this yet, from either side.

I’m temped to think it’s all for show for the time being, for the bases, and deals have been struck on the sly for later. That would be awfully hard to keep quiet.

If that’s not the case then one could presume there will not be a debt ceiling increase (at least not timely), let alone a new budget for next FY. We are, after all, in a new election cycle a bit early. It’s time for balls, dick, and no forehead. Points simply have to be made, no?

Enjoy.

Never a quick operation when there is a crane involved.

Stay focused, OnS.

“She runs the gamut of emotions from A to B.”

I thought Dorothy Parker had said it. I didn’t know she was referring to Katherine Hepburn.

Gee who would have seen it coming that the repugs would be against tax hikes for the wealthiest in the nation…shawwwwcked!!!

Yeah, it would be great if he had Ryan on right after and said, “Well, Paulie, how did that bitch slap sit with you? Huh? Huh?

Sorry, meant for Peg.

They’ve got nothing to worry about. Obama made sure to give away his power to increase taxes before he started his tax-the-rich populism. That train left the station the instant he extended the Bush tax cuts.

Obama isn’t a fool. He knows exactly what he is doing and is getting exactly what he wants. See http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/04/13/obama/index.html

I’ve been saying that for a long time. So have many others at FDL.

If that’s not the case then one could presume there will not be a debt ceiling increase (at least not timely)

Wall Street, the banksters and other monied PTB have made clear that they want the debt ceiling raised so raised it will be. On time and at any cost, (to the rest of us).

Where’s the “like” button?!!

Yep. I’ve been one of them. But I figure that it bears repeating, when I read stuff like this headline at HuffPo:

Obama’s Fiscal Plan Appeases House Liberals, Sours Republicans

Any “liberal” who was appeased by yesterday’s speech is a damn fool.

Any “liberal” who was appeased by yesterday’s speech is a damn fool.

These days, according to the traditional media, “Liberal” applies to people like Paul Begala, Lanny Davis, Mark Penn and Steve Israel. Actual Liberals are now the “fringe left” and are treated on the same level as but much worse than your standard teabag wearer.

Those guys are merely left-hand sock puppets for the 1%.

Before the speech yesterday, Andrea Greenspan said on MSNBC (not direct quote, but close) – ‘In order to win back his base, the Liberals, Obama has to throw them a bone but appear rational at the same time.’

I’m hep. hence my 53.

Case in point. Implying that one couldn’t possibly be “rational” and “liberal” simultaneously.

Obama yesterday on tax cuts for the rich is just having his cake AND eating it too!

Now he says he won’t give tax cuts to the rich.

He ALREADY gave the tax cuts to the rich.

Except Obama doesn’t seem to realize it’s way too late for that ~ it will only make it worse! More of his followers will wake up in the face of this new kabuki. Especially when he caves.

Of course he realizes it. He wouldn’t be talking about taxing the rich, if he wasn’t sure that it’s too late for that.

Eric Cantor tells CBS’s “The Early Show” that “most people understand that Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem.”
Talk about framing the debate. The government has both a spending and revenue problem. The revenue problem is the product of GWB’s tax cuts and the Presidents continuation of those cuts. The spending problem is an overblown military budget. Two ongoing unfunded illegal invasions and occupations, corporate subsidies (TARP, energy, agriculture as an example), and a tax system designed by the wealthy for the wealthy (where the corporate tax rate is set at 35% yet with loopholes and dodges is effectively less than 7% overall).

As we see “initial” unemployment claims jump to 412,000 claims, and forget about jobs, jobs. jobs, our commentators say nothing about the Obama Medicare Savings in his new budget – why??

Obama’s solution to the health care cost crisis is the existing Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), changing the rule that the existing board steps in at medical inflation greater than GDP plus 1% to a new rule of GDP plus 0.5%.

Got to like the IPAB – it can’t make recommendations that would ration health-care procedures, increase taxes, change Medicare benefits, or make the program more expensive for beneficiaries, but whatever it recommends becomes law if Congress approves and the presidents signs the bill, and if Congress does not act they become law, and in a new twist of separation of powers, they become law if Congress votes the recommendations down, but the president vetoes what Congress did, and Congress cannot override the veto.

Despite what the IPAB can not recommend, the IPAB says it can change the things Medicare pays for, what it pays to providers, and the program’s structure, and whatever else their creative minds can come up with. Somehow these are not rationing care! They are just not paying health service providers what was billed – so doctors, hospitals, and other providers – the medical establishment – want to toss the existing IPAB. Doubt the medical folks will want to have it kick in sooner with a 0.5% plus GDP trigger.

Should be interesting.