Republican bill passes, opening path to debt deal

[Phelonious Ponk]

This has been for the last week, CYA.

Yep, it's been about a bunch of experienced, mainstream congresscritters scared of having their re-elections challenged by a freshman lunatic fringe who wouldn't know governance if you shoved it up their...noses. The old dogs are just trying to make a good show, pin any and all compromise (you know...the thing that actually gets things done?) on the opposition, and get a deal done before the grenade goes off in their pants.

It's a very, very dangerous, self-serving game -- on the part of the veterans. I suspect the newly-elected radicals actually believe in what they're doing. Their crime is ignorance. Ours is electing them. A more informed electorate would rise up and sweep them out en masse at the next opportunity, but we are a largely uninformed electorate with a very short memory.

Tim

 

[Steve Bruzonsky]

As we post a class action lawsuit on behalf of all investors is being readied to be filed first thing Aug 2 against President Obama, all Senators and all Congressmen!
Should be interesting.

Oh, mainland China interests are paying the class action attorneys because they have invested so much $$ in the U.S.

 

[RogerD]

Oh, mainland China interests are paying the class action attorneys because they have invested so much $$ in the U.S.

Who has who by the balls?

 

[FrantzM]

Hi


Two related aspects of this crisis (it is a crisis) are to me very troublesome:

1) The playing out of the thinly veiled promise of making sure that this President fails.
2) That's the boisterousness of a few can drown the voice of a majority.

I could add a third .. How shortsighted people become when their only guides are greed and radicalism

 

[mauidan]

Hi


Two related aspects of this crisis (it is a crisis) are to me very troublesome:

1) The playing out of the thinly veiled promise of making sure that this President fails.
2) That's the boisterousness of a few can drown the voice of a majority.

I could add a third .. How shortsighted people become when their only guides are greed and radicalism

"Saturday, July 30, 2011-The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll forSaturday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way thatBarack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-four percent (44%)Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21

Strong Disapproval of the president is now at the highestlevel since November 9, 2010. Additionally, 50% give the president poor marksfor his handling of the economy."

 

[jazdoc]

As a physician, I often wonder how public officials would act if they had legal liability similar to my profession. Perhaps they might even 'read the bills to find out what's in them' before voting!

I too long for the halcyon days during the last Administration, when the party out of power put aside political differences and worked in harmony with the President because they wanted him to succeed. Yet in those rosy days, when "dissent was the highest form of patriotism*", a young US Senator had the courage to 'speak truth to power' declaring:

"The fact that we're here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means 'The buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit."**

*Although this quote is often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, no reference can be found in his letters or speeches. The earliest printed reference of this quote is from 1969

**The brave Senator? Barack Obama (Speech on Senate Floor, March 20, 2006)

 

[Steve Williams]

As a physician, I often wonder how public officials would act if they had legal liability similar to my profession. Perhaps they might even 'read the bills to find out what's in them' before voting!

How true. Thank heaven I'm retired.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

As a physician, I often wonder how public officials would act if they had legal liability similar to my profession. Perhaps they might even 'read the bills to find out what's in them' before voting!

Either that or they'd buy really good insurance.

Tim

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

"Saturday, July 30, 2011-The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll forSaturday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way thatBarack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-four percent (44%)Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21

Strong Disapproval of the president is now at the highestlevel since November 9, 2010. Additionally, 50% give the president poor marksfor his handling of the economy."

So it's working.

Tim

 

[Steve Bruzonsky]

Did you guys believe my joke about a class action lawsuit?

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Did you guys believe my joke about a class action lawsuit?

Yep. These days any lawsuit could be serious and many are a joke.

Tim

 

[Steve Williams]

Obama, Congress reach a debt deal

From the AP.....

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ending a perilous stalemate, President Barack Obama announced agreement Sunday night with Republican congressional leaders on a compromise to avoid the nation's first-ever financial default. The deal would cut more than $2 trillion from federal spending over a decade......

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-congress-reach-debt-deal-003853348.html

 

[jadis]

What a relief to hear this news. We over here, though 5000 miles away, are keenly following this episode though we not not fully grasp all the politics involved but I imagine most people around the world do not wish to hear nor see that the U.S. has defaulted.

 

[Whatmore]

Still has to pass a vote doesn't it?

 

[Steve Williams]

Still has to pass a vote doesn't it?

yes......

http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-close-deal-avoid-default-004006145.html

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Not likely they'd be doing the victory dance, though, if they didn't have the votes. Does anyone know if this one gets us past this year?

I was almost looking forward to a constitutional stand-off. If ever a Congress deserved to lose power over that for which they had refused to take their express responsibility, this is the issue, this is the Congress.

Tim

 

[Steve Williams]

Tim. I thought it gets us to the 2012 elections

 

[jazdoc]

I was almost looking forward to a constitutional stand-off. If ever a Congress deserved to lose power over that for which they had refused to take their express responsibility, this is the issue, this is the Congress.

Tim

Tim, I could not agree with you more

For over two years, the Senate has been in violation of the law (The Congressional Budget Act of 1974) and the rules of the Senate by refusing to produce a draft budget.

The Senate has rejected all of the budget proposals which the passed the House of Representatives this year.

The Senate rejected the Administration's budget proposal 97-0 earlier in the year.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Tim. I thought it gets us to the 2012 elections

I hope so. Given the mess we've just gone through, I wish it got us through the next administration.

Tim

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

The Senate has rejected all of the budget proposals which the passed the House of Representatives this year.

When they send one worth passing and the Senate turns it down, I'll be concerned. Their last one was a good example. The body that constitutionally incurred the debt (the House spends the money) refused to pay its bills unless they got a constitutional amendment they know no one will ever give them. It wasn't a serious bill. None of them have been. All they've done on this issue this year is come up with one wild scheme after another to try to pass their responsibility off on the Senate and the White House. They are cowards and children. I'll let you figure out which are which.

Tim