2008 Year In Review | JibJab…….
Add comment December 31st, 2008
Posts filed under 'Politics'
Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure | The Rachel Maddow Show…….
Add comment December 30th, 2008
Krugman Discusses the Stimulus Plan | The Rachel Maddow Show…….
Add comment December 30th, 2008
Fifty Herbert Hoovers | Paul Krugman…….
Paul Krugman once again calls out the idiocy of the short sighted fiscal conservatives who worship at the alter of a balanced budget, no matter the true cost to the economy or the social safety net.
No modern American president would repeat the fiscal mistake of 1932, in which the federal government tried to balance its budget in the face of a severe recession. The Obama administration will put deficit concerns on hold while it fights the economic crisis.
But even as Washington tries to rescue the economy, the nation will be reeling from the actions of 50 Herbert Hoovers — state governors who are slashing spending in a time of recession, often at the expense both of their most vulnerable constituents and of the nation’s economic future.
Sadly, Governor Gregoire, after all of her enlightened talk on the campaign trail, has cowardly decided to embrace her inner Herbert Hoover in order to please her political opponents, who, no doubt, will reward her with more smears and personal attacks.
Here are some of the highlights of Gregoire’s atrocious budget from the P-I:
HIGHER EDUCATION: Gov. Chris Gregoire proposes a $300 million reduction in higher education, including a 13 percent reduction for the state’s research and regional institutions. Raises for faculty and staff are suspended.
K-12 EDUCATION: Suspends nearly a quarter of the money from the voter-approved initiative to ensure smaller class sizes, and suspends the entirety of another initiative for cost-of-living raises for teachers.
PUBLIC SAFETY: Gregoire proposes eliminating the requirement to supervise misdemeanor criminals and low-risk felony offenders once they are released from prison, saving nearly $70 million. Sex offenders and violent criminals would still fall under supervision. She also proposes early release for elderly and ill criminals, and deporting noncitizens who have committed property or drug offenses.
HUMAN SERVICES: Gregoire suggests saving $160 million by eliminating grants to people in the General Assistance- Unemployable program. About 21,000 people, as well as 6,500 people in a program for alcoholism and drug addiction, would stop receiving assistance.
HEALTH CARE: Gregoire wants to continue providing access to health care for low-income residents, but is calling for a $252 million reduction in the state basic health plan, a 42 percent reduction. Medical coverage would also be eliminated for those in the General Assistance- Unemployable program, and the state would no longer buy vaccines for children not covered by Medicaid.
PUGET SOUND: Gregoire is seeking more than $284 million for Puget Sound recovery projects, including hatchery production and toxic prevention and cleanup. But she suggests closing 13 state parks.
Add comment December 30th, 2008
Eight Long Years of the Cartman Presidency…….
Add comment December 19th, 2008
Bush Passes The Buck On Iraq Mistakes And Economic Failures | Think Progress…….
George Bush is throwing a “pity party” and everyone is invited! Fabricated intelligence which led to the Iraq War–not his fault. Likewise, the economic meltdown was the result of stupid, rogue investors, certainly not Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy, further financial deregulation, or the economic burden of his two unending wars.
Add comment December 17th, 2008
On Making Mitch McConnell Wet His Pants | FiveThirtyEight…….
The truth hurts. Reid sucks, and everybody know it.
B.R. raises several interesting points, but they ultimately point back to one thing: Harry Reid has been exceptionally ineffective as the Democrats’ majority leader.
The number of cloture votes skyrocketed in the 110th Congress following the Democratic takeover of the Senate and Reid’s assumption of the majority leader position. The Senate voted on 112 cloture motions in the 110th, exactly double the number (56) of cloture votes in the 109th Congress, and two-and-a-half times as many as the average number of cloture votes (44) over the previous nine Congresses. Of these cloture motions, 51 were rejected (meaning that opponents of a bill succeeded in blocking an up-or-down vote) and 61 were passed.
read more | digg story
Add comment December 17th, 2008
Metopia…….
A word to the wise, do not–under any circumstances, try to burst the decider’s bubble, even if the only tool at your disposal happens to be a shoe.
Otherwise, you might wind up with your hands broken, like Muntader Al Zaida.
George, I know you have surrounded yourself with a bunch of half-wits who love your new clothes, but I have to give you some unfiltered advice: torturing your critics is not very Christian, especially during the holiest of seasons.
Take a lesson from Steve Balmer, who gracefully survived an egg attack in Budapest, without having the campus police stomp on the student’s fingers.
Well, as far as we know.
UPDATE: Evidently, insulting King George will also get you an injured eye, broken ribs, and internal bleeding.
Add comment December 15th, 2008
George W. Bush’s Nightmare Before Christmas | Santa Bush…….
Add comment December 15th, 2008