After six grueling weeks of playing Government Shutdown Chicken, President Obama, Harry Reid, and John Boehner all blinked, then went to their respective corners to celebrate. Boehner, holding up $38.5 billion in spending cuts -- and a provision banning the use of government funds to pay for abortions in the nation's capital -- was cheered by the GOP caucus. Reid, having kept the Republican axe from falling on Planned Parenthood and environmental regulations, deemed the deal "historic." And Obama wrapped the agreement in the mantle of all-American cooperation: "Americans of different beliefs came together again." Meanwhile, non-Beltway-locked Americans looked on with incredulity at the irrelevance of a budget battle that won't create jobs, won't improve the economy, and will barely move the needle on delivering a balanced budget. Memo to the president: You show leadership by producing a good economy, not hailing a compromise that will actually hobble the economy.
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The goals of the Republicans since 1980 have been to increase the income of the über rich and dismantle the federal government.
Republicans destroyed the economy by lax financial regulation coupled with tax cuts for the wealthy which forced great deficits upon the country. The proportion of income going to the upper 1% in American income has increased from 10% to 25% since 1980. Now they want to give that 5% of the populations which owns 85% of the country's wealth even more money
Reagan started the gutting of the federal rules protecting the workers and the poor so gigantic corporations could exploit those who have to work. Incomes since then have stagnated and in some cases like those for auto workers have even gone backwards.
I would be mortified to wear a $5,000 pair of shoes when 25% of Arizona kids live in poverty. America was more prosperous when taxes on the rich were at their highest and the wealthy paid their fair share. Tax the rich, I say, and use the money to repair our infrastructure creating good jobs for good wages for good people while protecting those least fortunate.
were on Mr. Obama's team. Hopefully, he's reading your posts.
He is not. He campaigned on oratorial skills but he is an empty suite and ill suited for the bold leadership needed in these times. memo to Arianna, use your considerable power and either try to get another democrat to run against Obama or help facilitate a third party.. Actually the Democrats need something like a tea party in their camp that will threaten and scare the leadership if they don't start defending and fighting for the middle class.
I think most of us will be able to live with this deal, even though we aren't happy with it. Personally, I'd like to see a lot more spending on things to help prop up the economy, but that's not going to happen. But what's really too bad that the TeaBag babies aren't mature enough to work with others on this. Perhaps a repeat of Kindergarten might be a good thing. Sharing and cooperation are a large part of the Kinder Curriculum.