LGP Political Discussion Thread

[Corvidae]

Oh yea?

Yeah.

Really?

[shafnutz05]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12 ... latestnews

Our president, in his 60 Minutes interview last night (which I couldn't bear to watch), gave himself a "good, solid B-plus grade" for his performance thus far in office. Fascinating. Another interesting poll result I picked up today:

Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That’s the lowest level yet measured for this president. Previously, his overall approval rating had fallen to 45% twice, once in early September and once in late November.

Fifty-five percent (55%) now disapprove.

Seventy-two percent (72%) of Democrats now offer their approval while 80% of Republicans disapprove. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, just 36% approve.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of liberals approve while 76% of conservatives disapprove. The bad news for the President is that there are a lot more conservatives in the country than liberals. However, he gets a bit of a boost because 57% of moderate voters still offer their approval.

The President earns approval from 37% of White voters and 98% of African-American voters.

That last part, I will admit, scares me a bit. 98%? I can completely understand the initial wave of good feeling and pride over electing our first black president. However, we are now almost a year into his presidency, and his approval still remains almost unanimous among the African-American community. Quite frankly, it makes me wonder what our president would have to do to make this number go down. If he started ordering the jailing of dissidents and the forced silence of alternative media, would this number significantly fall? Sadly, I doubt it.

[shafnutz05]

Any time you have an aura of almost cult-like worship of any public figure...especially one as powerful as the president, it has to be cause for concern.

[shafnutz05]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091214/ap_ ... hite_house

Every single Democrat in Senate summoned to the White House today....this is it. Between the public option, the vast Medicare expansion, and the lack of a provision barring taxpayer subsidies for abortion-on-demand, Harry Reid cannot seem to rustle up 60 votes. They desperately want to shove this thing through before the holiday, but I don't think it's going to happen. If this spills over into 2010, look out. The president already sees his administration crumbling....the same independent/moderate voters that elected him because he ran as a moderate unifier are fleeing in droves now that the "real" Barack Obama has shown up. I am not going to get my hopes up too far, but I am hopeful that this abomination of a bill will be buried 6 feet under.

BTW, the president reminded us yesterday (for the 547th time) that he inherited the most "difficult presidency since Franklin Delano Roosevelt". Jesus.....does this guy ever stop moaning?

[thehockeyguru]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091214/ap_ ... hite_house

Every single Democrat in Senate summoned to the White House today....this is it. Between the public option, the vast Medicare expansion, and the lack of a provision barring taxpayer subsidies for abortion-on-demand, Harry Reid cannot seem to rustle up 60 votes. They desperately want to shove this thing through before the holiday, but I don't think it's going to happen. If this spills over into 2010, look out. The president already sees his administration crumbling....the same independent/moderate voters that elected him because he ran as a moderate unifier are fleeing in droves now that the "real" Barack Obama has shown up. I am not going to get my hopes up too far, but I am hopeful that this abomination of a bill will be buried 6 feet under.

BTW, the president reminded us yesterday (for the 547th time) that he inherited the most "difficult presidency since Franklin Delano Roosevelt". Jesus.....does this guy ever stop moaning?

Yeah he stopped moaning to give himself a B+.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... FTGjdC1XRw

[shafnutz05]

I think it is downright hilarious he gave himself a B+, and suggested that if "I pass healthcare" he would be in the A range. He scared the American people into supporting a trillion dollar stimulus package, and the unemployment rose over two percentage points higher than he said it would be if we WOULDN'T have passed it. Approximately two-thirds of Americans do not want this healthcare bill passed, yet he is still framing it as something the majority of this country wants. You mark my words, if he would have cut taxes when he took office (primarily corporate and employer taxes), we would be mostly out of the recession by now. His completely sophomoric and nonexistent understanding of economics is going to extend this recession well into 2010. His presidency has been marked by broken promises, outright lies, and double standards. I found it amazing, listening to the interview from 60 minutes online, how many times he used the word "I" speaking with the interviewer. This man has the largest sense of hubris and self-worship I have ever seen.

If the Dems pass the healthcare bill with all the frills, look out. Americans have wisened up to Obama's ideology, and they are sick and tired of it. He envisions an America where you don't vote for your values; instead, you vote for the party that puts food on your table. That is the ultimate form of slavery.

[Troy Loney]

He envisions an America where you don't vote for your values; instead, you vote for the party that puts food on your table. That is the ultimate form of slavery.

Lulz...where do you get this stuff from?

[slappybrown]

He envisions an America where you don't vote for your values; instead, you vote for the party that puts food on your table. That is the ultimate form of slavery.

Lulz...where do you get this stuff from?

This thread is like to the millionth degree. Everything is TO THE EXTREME MAXIMUM RHETORIC.

[SoupOrSam]

My useless 2cents of the day: Until Obama I think I heard the word rhetoric maybe three times in my entire life. I hear/see it at least 3 times a day now.

[shafnutz05]

He envisions an America where you don't vote for your values; instead, you vote for the party that puts food on your table. That is the ultimate form of slavery.

Lulz...where do you get this stuff from?

haha, I knew everyone would zero in on the last part of that.

I know it seems ridiculous. Can we agree that the federal government is in the business of acquiring as much power as possible? It's in their blood...you have to have a thirst for power to survive in Washington. The more people that are dependent on the government for basic necessities.....i.e. food, shelter, clothing, etc, the less people that would ask tough questions about the people in charge. Do I fear that in the near future? Not at all. We need programs that can help people get over tough periods in life (i.e. being unemployed for a year in a bad economy, or having a major surgery and not being able to work (workman's comp). Obama has made his disdain of the successful and well-off understood. Unfortunately, these are the same people that provide the jobs that let people like me live comfortable lives. By making them all out to be evil, corporate demons, Obama is attacking the #1 source of jobs and wealth in this country.

[SoupOrSam]

By making them all out to be evil, corporate demons, Obama is attacking the #1 source of jobs and wealth in this country.

Dude, the #1 source is the Obama $ta$h. Come on now. Print it, give it, and deal with the Chinese 2 billion people later.

[Hockeynut!]

Obama has made his disdain of the successful and well-off understood.

But isn't Obama an elitist? How can he show visible disdain for the elite, successful and well off and be an elitist who hates the working man at the same time?

[shafnutz05]

Obama has made his disdain of the successful and well-off understood.

But isn't Obama an elitist? How can he show visible disdain for the elite, successful and well off and be an elitist who hates the working man at the same time?

Ha....and that is the paradox we seem to find ourselves in. There are two different types of elites, from what I can see:

1) The TRUE rich "fat cats" that make blatantly immoral and unethical business decisions, without any regard for their shareholders or employees. There are not as many out there like that as is made out to be.

2) The relatively wealthy people that, whether through education, affiliations, associations, or political experiences, have grown to have a disdain for others who are as or more successful than them (or even less, in some instances). Many times, these tend to be politicians (usually liberal), who have no qualms about enacting tough tax measures on business owners, corporations, and executives, while failing to address their own stockpile of millions of bucks sitting in their own bank account (read: Nancy Pelosi). They grant themselves the delusion that while they might have received their wealth honestly, most of the other successful people in the United States must have used some type of unethical or unfair method of attaining that success/wealth. Thus, they have no qualms about punishing them while continuing to live their own "fat cat" lifestyle.

[thehockeyguru]

Boy, 8, Sent Home From School for Jesus Drawing

"The man told the Taunton Daily Gazette for a story Tuesday his second-grader made the drawing Dec. 2 after his teacher asked children to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas.

The father, Chester Johnson, said on WBZ-TV that the teacher became upset when his son said he drew himself on the cross. Johnson says school officials overreacted."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580 ... latestnews

That's a little over the top.

[eddysnake]

DC City Council votes to legalize gay marriage
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091215/ap_ ... y_marriage

slowly coming around, although it's ridiculous its soon going to be 2010 and this is such a big deal. whats wrong with equal rights?

[DropEmJayBird]

I guess you could say they do have equal rights, all men have equal rights to marry a woman, and all women have equal rights to marry a man. In all seriousness, Id rather see the govt get out of the benefits/tax breaks/etc field involved with marriage, then this doesnt become a problem. Just another unintended consequence of govt involvement with everything that somehow involves our money.

[Hockeynut!]

I guess you could say they do have equal rights, all men have equal rights to marry a woman, and all women have equal rights to marry a man. In all seriousness, Id rather see the govt get out of the benefits/tax breaks/etc field involved with marriage, then this doesnt become a problem. Just another unintended consequence of govt involvement with everything that somehow involves our money.

it's about more than taxes. It's about child custody. It's about making health care decisions as a spouse would. It's about insurance. There are other issues too, but the "marriage credit" you get for income tax is one of the smallest reasons gay couples want the right to be married.

[Corvidae]

I guess you could say they do have equal rights, all men have equal rights to marry a woman, and all women have equal rights to marry a man. In all seriousness, Id rather see the govt get out of the benefits/tax breaks/etc field involved with marriage, then this doesnt become a problem. Just another unintended consequence of govt involvement with everything that somehow involves our money.

I agree with that first line very very much. I understand people supporting gay marriage, though I personally don't care either way, but stop calling it "gay rights." If you don't hire someone because they're gay, that's discrimination. If you don't let someone vote because they're gay, that's also an infringement on rights. But stop talking about equal rights because straights and gays have the exact same rights in every way. I'm straight and I'm not allowed to marry a dude either. It sounds like a crude joke but it's true. No one is actually getting discriminated against so people need to stop pretending there's a grand oppression going on to push their cause. You want real discrimination? Be black in the 50s.

I'm just tired of this issue getting jammed down my throat from both sides. I have real things to worry about.

[shafnutz05]

I'm just tired of this issue getting jammed down my throat from both sides. I have real things to worry about.

LIKE HOLIDAY WARZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111

[Corvidae]

I'm just tired of this issue getting jammed down my throat from both sides. I have real things to worry about.

LIKE HOLIDAY WARZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111

Holiday Warz is srs bsns. I demand equal rights for unwrapped people.

[Geezer]

Durbin & Dem governor on TV tonight crowing about 3,000 new jobs & 1 billion in spending in Iliinois for bringing 100 terrorists from Gitmo to Thompson Prison. Typical liberal ecnomics; 30 employees per prisoner with 10 million bucks per prisoner.

[Geezer]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580 ... latestnews" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The feds are on the verge of controlling medical treatment in the U.S. The cluster flub that is their handling of swine flu shows the shape of things to come. Our congress isn't capable of developing an efficient treatment for splinter removal let alone heath care.

[shafnutz05]

Remember when the media spent days covering Cheney's cursing at Senator Leahy, or President Bush making an offhand remark about Clymer? Chuck Schumer calls a flight attendant a "b***h" because she made him hang up his phone as the flight was about to take off. Something tells me the media won't be quite as interested in this story.

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/0 ... rget_.html

[shafnutz05]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580 ... latestnews
The feds are on the verge of controlling medical treatment in the U.S. The cluster flub that is their handling of swine flu shows the shape of things to come. Our congress isn't capable of developing an efficient treatment for splinter removal let alone heath care.

I shudder at the thought of this bill being passed. The Republicans in Congress, for once, have it right. How dare Obama, who has become quite the used car salesman over the last couple years, have the gall to tell us it will be "deficit neutral"? The only reason he can even try and make that claim is because taxes and premiums are going to be astronomically higher than what we are paying now. And hey Barack....stop talking about this bill like it is something we have all been waiting for. Two-thirds of the citizens in this country do not want this steaming dog turd to ever make its way to your desk.

I have said it before, I'll say it again, and I will continue saying it....anyone with half a brain can see this bill is not going to improve the cost or quality of healthcare. THIS BILL IS NOT ABOUT HEALTHCARE....IT NEVER WAS. It is about the federal government taking control of arguably the most important investment in each of our lives. By controlling your healthcare, the government can control many other facets of your life. If you think Barack, Nancy, and Harry are simply being altruistic and charitable, you are out of your mind.

$500 billion slashed from Medicare, $500 billion more in taxes, being forced to pay taxes for this monstrosity for THREE WHOLE YEARS before it even takes effect, anonymous government bureaucrats having full and complete access to your own medical and personal history...and the list goes on. Cap and trade legislation is next....as the government moves to gobble up the energy sector, after they are finished with healthcare. I think it is high time that the government be put in its rightful place....as the EMPLOYEES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!

[eddysnake]

Hey Shafty, relax, the government has finally done something useful only good things from here on out!

http://blog.taragana.com/business/2009/ ... als-11873/

WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday voted to level off the abrupt spikes in volume felt by television viewers during commercial breaks.

The bill — approved by a voice vote — is aimed at stopping TV ads from playing noticeably louder than programs.