FogBelter's Comments (7640)

“Collusion.”

“lol ... moral hazard? We're talking about America here.”

“You don't understand the psychology of the Republicans.

Republicans are like the Town Fathers of Salem Mass in 1692. They may have frequented the local prostitute, but once she was accused of being a witch, they would have been among the first to call for her hanging.”

“I look at the merits of the accusations made by Hamsher/Norquist et al, and whether or not it there is evidence to back it up. I'm not going to dismiss a possible crime out of hand because I have a bias against those who uncovered it.”

“Well I know the good people at AHIP are enjoying their Christmas. Their industry is now guaranteed that hundreds of millions of Americans will be forced to buy their product, at the price they set, under penalty of law. I dismiss Karen Ignagni's crocodile tears. The 600 plus million dollars invested by her Industry paid off for her and they got everything they wanted. And the pesky regulations included in the bill they can whittle away over time as is the norm where legislation inhibits commerce.

But at least the Senate Democrats have a reason to celebrate an "Historic Day" ... whatever that means.”

“I don't think that's even relevant. I'm sure there were Republicans at Freddie Mac as well that benefited from this scam. Typical American "Honor Among Thieves" model.”

“A lot of ad hominem attacks on Jane going on here ... and I sense a bit of the old "good offense is the best defense" strategy at play.

Check out the FDL website, read the letter and the supporting documentation presented, and decide on the merits of the research ... the personal attacks strike me as an act of desperation, if not, as I mentioned above, a strategy.”

“They should impanel a Grand Jury and let them sort through it.”

“How do you define corruption? I read the post, it's about corruption that Emanuel was allegedly a beneficiary of, and the desire of the Administration to delay investigation into the matter until after the statue of limitation related to Emanuel's involvement expires. That's pretty straight forward corruption to me ... among other things.

If there is anything to this and the President lets it slide ... it's Watergate time.”

“Nobody cares about corruption?”

“No, she brought attention to a problem the Administration may have.”

“Did you go to her site and read the entire letter and the supporting documentation? You should, unless you are just on the smear crew.”

“The way people are attacking Jane here it's like she told them there wasn't a Santa Claus ...”

“It's pretty clear at this point to anyone with an ounce of gray matter in their brain pan that Obama is a Christian not a Muslim, and not that it really makes any difference either way. Since when is being a Muslim a crime? Norton not correcting the the misstatement, or, heavens to betsy, saying that religion isn't irrelevant to the discussion to begin with, says more about her level of intelligence, honesty and morality than anything else.”

“Taylor, I agree. Let me add that I think the Administration is playing with some stale game plans. Wall Street is doing well. for instance, but how much of that is due to the 100 trillion dollars added to the derivative fraud cloud of $750 trillion dollars since last year? Every other area of the economy is in the crapper and will likely be there a very long time. The Presidency during a crisis must be run boldly as well as pragmatically, but not based solely on ideology. Obama has surrounded himself with Clintonistas and is continuing with the downwardly mobile DLC agenda. Being Liberal or Conservative isn't as important as being astute. When FDR was confronted with the crisis of the 1930's he did what was needed to be done ... often to the consternation of his own social class. Until Obama finds a way to rise above seeing the Nation's problems through a "New Democrat" ideological prism his Presidency and the Nation will be on a downward path.”

“Our economy is dead. The only thing powering the current Wall Street recovery is the $750 trillion dollar derivative fraud cloud. "Progressive" policies over the last 30 years may have sustained the US economy, but instead we went with the Conservative fraud approach and the die is cast.

Remember, Reagan started the Nation on the path to economic disaster by tripling the National debt paying for BS Conservative fantasies.”

“Quite a Government we have where members of the Senate are praying for each other to die. The caller didn't sound like he was joking to me.”

“You deride me below for lack of substance, okay, I don't see any substance attached to your points above.

1) If you want to substitute "Free Market" for Corporate Oligarchy then we are in agreement.

2) The combination of the trust funds being raided and the revenue not being fairly allocated to the programs across all sectors of the economy has brought the programs to the state they are in currently. Address those issue and we are back on the track of solvency for both of them. And yes that means taxing the Rich for the opportunity the Nation affords them to be Rich.

3)To reiterate, had the trust funds been left unmolested and the full value of the trust funds been invested in long term bonds then the system would be working as designed ... or do you have a problem with the concept of compound interest? Furthermore, the only ponzi scheme I am concerned with currently is the $750 trillion dollar unregulated derivative fraud cloud that allows Wall Street to simulate recovery ... $100 trillion added to the fraud cloud since the financial collapse last year.

4) Your subject being an accountant with a background in a political position, I don't rank his information very high because I don't know his motivation for saying it. Accountants make their living playing with numbers ... or have you forgotten ENRON?

Goodbye? Where are you going?”

“I'm sorry, these programs have served the nation well for decades, BUT they spit in the eye of the Corporate Class ... that is why they are framed as "Fatally flawed". I never forget that human beings are apex predators and allowing the weak to die is an acceptable outcome for those on top because it enhances their delusions of superiority. Furthermore, anyone familiar with the nature of Accounting should never take the words of an accountant at face value no matter their former political position.”

“Fix Medicare is right ... do you think that the program is having a solvency problem by accident? There has been a concerted effort by politicians of both parties to undermine this program even as they heap praises on it publicly. Why? Medicare is an anathema to Free Marketeers ... it fall inder the heading of "The Threat of the Good Example". With minor tweaking of the tax code ... like eliminating the ceiling on contribution and having individuals pay in at a level commiserate with their income it would return to solvency. But that isn't happening because Medicare isn't ALLOWED to succeed. It fouls the Free market narrative, don't you know?”

“Mr. Mitchell, there will be no tweaking of this bill once it is passed. None. I have have a very simple reason to believe this. This bill mandates the American people purchase a private sector product under penalty of law. Once the Health Insurance companies have these new customers it will be impossible for Congress to institute a change that in anyway tampers with the Health Insurance business. Not just due to the increased clout of the Health Insurance Industry, but because Government Programs traditionally come into being to cover Americans who are excluded from the Private Sector Umbrella. Social Security came into being in order to provide a safety net for the elderly or handicapped who would otherwise have no access to income. Same for Medicare and Medicaid, they provided Health Care access to the poor and and elderly who otherwise couldn't afford it. We pass this corporate program, that all Americans will be responsible to be in, then any change instituted by Congress will be interference with Commerce. There will be no Single Payer, there will be no Public Option. And I am also confident that once instituted, Medicare will be eliminated in favor of this For Profit monstrosity, We are dealing with corporate America here ... a subset of humanity which operates soley from the reptilian brain.

This bill is not reform and there will be no reform in the future once it passes.”

“"The door is finally going to be open."

Open to what? All this bill does, as Lemeritus pointed out, is mandate the American people buy a private sector product without price control under penalty of law.

What exactly will you be celebrating?

Medicare was the camel's nose into the tent for Universal Health Care ... why reinvent the wheel in order to empower the Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industries?”

“The truth hurts ... all the Cold War ever was was a money making endeavor. Lenin and Trotsky were the Leftists, and that's why Stalin got rid of them.”

“The Conservatives of America CREATED Stalin ... for the record.”

“I can see what Lawrence is getting at from the perception angle as it relates to Liberalism ... for Obama, Like Clinton, was marketed as a Progressive/Liberal when he never actually was one ... but in practical terms blaming Progressives and Liberals for this DLC Corporate Bailout Bill is like blaming the Chinese for Pearl Harbor.

The Corporate strategy in play is easy to recognize, for the same ploy was used on Keynes by this Administration ... Bailing out insolvent banks was never the goal of Keynes economic philosophy, but you wouldn't know that the way the Administration has approached the economy. What the Corporate Interests did was formulate a "best of both worlds" strategy where the Corporations got to raid the treasury and the hated Keynes gets the blame for it.”