Archive for the ‘economy’ Category

This is the best deal I could get and it’s not my fault

Posted: December 7, 2010 by datechguy in business, economy, politics
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When I left this morning the MSM media was groaning and complaining about the president’s compromise of taxes but Wall Street was delighted and stock shares were going up.

By the time I got home, unbelievably the president managed to groan and complain about the deal he himself had cut to the point where he managed to reverse the optimism that the deal managed to achieve.

Pundit and Pundette notes the shock of people who saw the press conference, but it is her own quote that is worth repeating:

His fifth-rate temperament was on full display today.

Nice Deb points out the 180 that he had done here, but it is her link to Ace of Spades who pulls comments from Huffpo that is really something.

Talking points memo declares Obama a Pragmatist.

Today, he very clearly and loudly said: that savior persona is not me. I am the pragmatist. And you know what, I don’t have a whole lot of patience for the idealists. I share their ideals, but I don’t share their approach and I’m not going to get bogged down in recriminations over not living up to some abstract ideal.

Meanwhile in an e-mail sent out by Move On that a friend was kind enough to forward to me they had this to say:

The “deal” he’s proposing is an “absolute disaster,” as Senator Bernie Sanders said.

But it’s not a done deal. Leading Democrat Chris Van Hollen said yesterday that “House Democrats have not signed off on any deal,” and last night Senator Sanders vowed to “do whatever I can to see that 60 votes are not acquired to pass this piece of legislation.”

Senator Sanders and other progressives in the Senate are our best hope to stop this terrible deal. But Bernie can’t do it alone.

So moveon’s hero is the one avowed socialist in the congress yet nowhere do they point out what York pointed out nor do they have a word about the AMT that has still not been addressed . Update: I stand corrected, Rachel Maddow reports they DID address this Yet here comes the new filibuster calls:

The clock’s ticking. Can you sign a petition today to leading progressives in the Senate—Sens. Feingold, Franken, Brown (OH), Boxer, Merkley, Whitehouse, Durbin, Harkin, and Schumer—urging them to stand up and use the filibuster to block this awful “deal”?

But William Jacobson says that no matter how angry progressives get they aren’t going anywhere, Stacy McCain agrees.

Now as Byron York reports; for all the screaming of the left on this deal apparently it was congress that put him in this spot in terms of blame:

To pass a measure by reconciliation, the Senate must pass a budget that contains what are called reconciliation instructions. But this year, as they faced an angry electorate and grim prospects in the midterm elections, the Democratic leadership made the specific decision not to pass a budget. Revealing their spending priorities to voters already unhappy with out-of-control federal expenditures was just too risky, so Sen. Harry Reid and party leaders punted, even though passing a budget is one of Congress’ core constitutional responsibilities.emphasis mine

A lot of people on the right were shocked the not passing of a budget (including me), but the MSM didn’t think it was newsworthy for some reason. Perhaps we on the right wouldn’t have been as upset if we knew the consequences, to wit:

With no budget, there could be no reconciliation. And no possibility of using reconciliation to extend the Bush tax cuts — which were originally passed with bipartisan support — on the Democrats’ terms. Shirking your constitutional responsibilities can have consequences.

Thus the dems were hoisted on their own petard. They held off on the budget to avoid huge losses, well that worked out didn’t it.

You might recall two years ago, when republicans met with the president objections were answered with two words “I won”.

Right back at ya.

The next two years are certainly not going to be boring.

Sooner or later you have to join the side you’re on

Posted: December 7, 2010 by datechguy in economy, media, tea parties
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I was born during the Administration of JFK and raised in a Very Catholic Democratic house. My Father was a WW 2 navy vet. We were democrats and that was it.

As I got older I was fascinated by the past and started collecting history books figuring the best way to understand the past is to hear what the people who actually lived there thought. I’d pick the brains of anyone older than me about how life actually was. By 23 I owned small Hobby shop and got a crash course in the realities of business.

By 1992 my business had failed and a presidential election was coming up. I found Paul Tsongas an honest fellow who was unwilling to pander and I found Bill Clinton someone fun, but considered him a BS artist. (It was not until I saw him speak in person this year that I saw just how convincing he can be when simply shoveling nonsense).

When the party went with Clinton I became “unenrolled” (we don’t have independents in Mass because there was an “independent” party). I voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 as I was very worried about Ross Perot.

By 1996 I had more than enough of Clinton and happily voted for Dole, but with the help once again of Ross Perot Clinton became the only president to win two elections without ever winning the majority of the popular vote. UPDATE: Actually Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson also share this distinction, good catch in comments.

In 2000 I desperately wanted George W. Bush and thought the attempts by democrats to steal the election AND disenfranchise Military votes were horrifying. Combined with Democrats deciding that believing Catholics were sexist, bigots, homophobes for opposing abortion and Gay Marriage I had enough.

By 2002 I was a registered republican, when asked why I answered: “I decided it was time to join the side I’m on.”

Which brings me to Joe Scarborough.

Over the last two years we have seen him move farther and farther to the left, suggesting that conservatives give up the fight on social issues, advising us to change in order to win in New England and NY, attacking the war in Afghanistan, Sarah Palin and dismissing the tea party while boosting stuff like the Jon Stewart Rally.

Now this week it has been just every day “Why is Obama caving” “Tax Cuts for the rich” blah blah blah. Not a word about the fact the democrats have not fixed the Alternate Minimum tax that will hit Americans who make $60,000 a year in January (in fairness to Joe the only show that mentioned this subject that I’ve heard was mine).

Now he is writing for Politico. Last week it was hitting Palin, this week it was hitting Obama for keeping the tax rates.

After all, the White House is convinced that the toxic combination of the Republican landslide and another grim jobs report has left Obama in an impossible position to negotiate. emphasis mine

Yup there is nothing more toxic than a republican landslide (oddly on the show it was all about republican failure) and yet four paragraphs later:

Americans don’t favor the Republican position on tax cuts.

Yup who needs an election to judge what people think when we have a CBS poll to tell us people don’t support republicans.

So we have Republican Joe Scarborough in two columns attacking Sarah Palin for fighting the democratic agenda and attacking Obama for not fighting republicans.

Bill Bennett today on Morning Joe mentioned how liberal he has gotten, on twitter on wag quipped:

It’s like working in a bakery, ya come home smelling of donuts even if ya didn’t eat any.

Bottom line is the Tea Party limited government wing of the party is taking over and Joe is apparently firmly in the Washington Beltway get along go along wing.

My advice: Joe, take a step back and think about what you actually believe. Sooner or later you have to join the side you are on.

Instalanche: Nothing like an Instalanche in your sleep. Welcome all. If you’ve missed my NEW radio show the Da Archive is to the left. Our guest this week will be Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs and special guest Bob Belvedere of Camp of the Saints. Join us at our special time 5 p.m (due to UMass Basketball) on AM 830 WCRN 50,000 watts of true talk. (live stream at link) Oh and if you are a fan of Glenn you might want to keep the evening of Saturday January 15th open. And if you are interested in advertising and/or reserving space for February when we add a 2nd hour click here for rates

Update: Boy Kcom had a point in comments. Re-read the post and made minor corrections, I need to read these aloud before I hit post otherwise I tend to see what I’m thinking other than what I’ve actually written.

The Lonely Conservative explains why Morning Joe didn’t quote Bob Scheiffer

Posted: December 6, 2010 by datechguy in economy, opinion/news
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Via this tweet the Lonely Conservative shows why Morning Joe didn’t have any clips of Bob Scheiffer this morning

It looks to me that this is a conversation really doesn’t help advance their template today so I guess Scheiffer is off the table, we’ll leave it to Breitbart TV.

The Tax Cut Trap for the Democrats

Posted: December 4, 2010 by datechguy in Blame Bush, business, economy
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When the initial Bush tax cuts were proposed the making of the tax cuts temporary was a compromise that democrats and liberal republicans managed to forge to keep their constituents happy. If they could not stop the Bush Tax Cuts they could at least make them expire thus giving some consolation to their progressive followers.

Although Bush over and over suggested the Tax cuts be made permanent he could not manage to find the votes.

Now we come to 2010. The economy is bad and unemployment is rampant and now Democrats who were so proud to keep the Bush tax rates from becoming permanent find themselves trapped once again!

Once again the left is screaming “tax cuts for the rich” and their supporters are screaming for them not to cave in figuring that even after the republicans take control in a month they will not have the votes to get it passed.

Meanwhile Republicans are pushing to make the Bush rates permanent.

And so the white house and their advisers are leaning toward compromise, another extension, maybe two years of the Bush Tax Cuts. And thus the trap is set again.

The smart thing for the administration would be to pass the cuts NOW and make them permanent for several reasons.

1.  This will take the issue off the table, every time they simply extend the “Bush tax cuts” it sets up democrats in an election years to defend increasing taxes on business. (You know the folks who actually hire people.)

2.   As long as they are not permanent they remain the “Bush Tax Cuts”. Once they are permanent then they just become the US tax rates. Keeping them temporary keeps them associated with republicans and George W. Bush.

3.   If a democratic congress passes the tax cuts, then they not the republicans will get (and actually deserve) credit for the positive economic results. If it is passed once republicans are in power, republicans will get (and deserve) the credit for the results.

4.  If they are not passed and the economy gets worse (as the result of the tax hike) Republicans can directly blame democrats. Great issue for 2012.

5.   And finally if this is done NOW, then democrats have two years to placate their base. It will be over and done with.

Making the tax rates permanent would be not only the right thing but also the smart thing. That’s why I’m positive the democrats will fall right into the trap and simply vote for an extension at best. Given the chance to do the right or smart thing, the Democrats can be counted on to miss the boat.

I wonder if George W. saw all of this coming years ago and actually intended to set this trap for the left?

Update: Crooks and Liars thinks the democrats have the GOP right where they want them. I’m telling you it’s just too easy. How do we ever lose elections to those guys?

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