Mauimom's Comments (328)

“Nb: the "you're right" refers to the original poster [layman] not teron 678.”

“You're right.

Of course the Obamabots will attack you for speaking the truth.”

“Which do you think is worse:

* "Dems are terrible because they failed to pass health insurance reform;" or

* "Dems are terrible because they passed this bill that mandates coverage, provides no control of premiums, provides no regulation of insurance practices; requires that the IRS pursue people who don't "pay up" to buy crappy insurance . . . [insert long list of horribles here]."

Obama and the Dems have put themselves, the party and the country in a "lose-lose" situation.”

“***For some reason, the progressive community expected Obama to repair the economy, reform the banks, pass gay rights, healthcare reform and end two wars by Christmas.
***

No, we expected him to TRY to address these problems.

Instead he has [working from your list]

* appointed to his cabinet and inner circle the same folks who created the economic mess [Geithner, Paulson, Bernanke and their Goldman Sachs pals];

* made NO effort to reform the bad banking practices that got us here; even got "sent away" from the meeting with bankers who laughed at him; made no mention of reinstating Glass-Steagall;

* made no effort on gay rights;

* allowed "health care reform" to be shaped behind closed doors via his secret meetings with insurers and PhARMA at the beginning of his term; thus it's no surprise that, to keep the promises made in those initial secret meetings, he

* encouraged a bill that gives requires folks to buy insurance, hounds them if they don't, and via the meager "subsidies" provided, funnels taxpayer dollars to the insurance companies; and

* fought efforts to get lower drug prices by allowing "group" bargaining under Medicare and permitting importation from Canada;

* escalated a stupid, pointless war in Afghanistan, further draining our treasury and military.


Too bad you didn't include his wonderful efforts on civil liberties, ending the over-reaching of the Executive Branch, ending government secrecy and prosecuting war crimes.”

“Wrong.

It mandates that folks buy insurance.
It gives a feeble subsidy that, since the insurance companies are free to raise rates [no competition from a public option], will be inadequate to purchase insurance.
It authorizes the IRS to come after ANYONE who doesn't purchase insurance.
It retains yearly "caps" on payments insurance companies have to make on a person [an amendment snuck in in the dead of night]

And many more horrible provisions.

Why do you think the insurance companies are high-fiving each other and shouting "we won," and that insurance company stocks took a huge rise on the stock market as soon as the Lieberman "deal" was announced? Hint: it wasn't because traders were banking on good times for the uninsured.”

“Do you really think that, as a result of this bill, the uninsured are going to get "coverage"?

a) they'll be REQUIRED to purchase insurance;
b) there's no method for cost control of premiums [competition via the public option];
c) the IRS will come after them if they don't purchase;
d) the "subsidy" [$$$ from Treasury -- i.e., your tax dollars] is far too small;
e) the "product" [crappy coverage] will be the same that's available now.

Yes, it's a matter of life and death. But this is NOT the answer. [Why do you think the insurance companies are high-fiving each other and shouting "we won"?]”

“Exactly!!!”

“Kill the bill.

At this point it's only a "vanity item" for Obama [damn, he wants that Rose Garden signing ceremony bad!!]

What help is it to the uninsured to mandate that they buy coverage that they can't afford, that will continue to be as crappy as current "coverage," and that will get the IRS after them if they don't sign up?

Kill it -- or attempt to -- and then watch all the ConservaDems + Republicans band together to pass it. That will convey the really message about this mess.”

“***White House to Reid: Cut a Deal"

American public to WH: "drop dead."”

“I was a young adult during the Vietnam era, so I remember it well.”

“All good ideas.

The inability to get any action on this front just shows the effectiveness of all those years of Republican "no new taxes," "taxes are evil" brainwashing.

Dems need to EDUCATE the public: there are two sides to the budget equation -- expenditures AND INCOME. Taxes = income.

Dems can reassure the middle class: "we're not going to increase YOUR taxes; we're going to tax those who can afford it and who should pay more."

But the mindless bogeyman of "increase taxes" scares them all.”

“You need to get out more.

Read a few blogs; you'll find 'em.

I may not think it's the right thing to do, but there are a HELL of a lot of pissed people out there, and when the "mandated deduction for health insurance" hits their paycheck, they're going to be even madder.

Republicans will be dancing in the streets, reminding voters that the mandated payments for worthless insurance were brought to them by democrats.

Wake up, Dems, and kill this bill! [Heck, all they have to do is NOT water it down more and let those screaming Blue Dogs vote against it. I think, however, that the Repubs realize what a disaster the bill would be, and would sneak just enough votes in to get it to pass and sink the Dems.]”

“I agree, Sibenstein.”

“Don't discount their excellent accomplishment of pissing off their "base" -- at least the legions of folks who contributed, manned phone banks, worked on GOTV, bugged their friends to support Obama.

There's a HUGE army of these folks [myself included] who are "done" with Obama. In addition, on January 20, 2010, we'll be doing a mass "unsubscribe" to the pleading e-mails from the DNC, OFA, DSCC, DCCC and other DemSpammers.

Happy Anniversary, Mr. One Term President.”

“I've got a great way to make the health care bill "budget-neutral," as Obama so foolishly requires:

Add an amendment that prohibits the "surge" in Afghanistan and brings current troops home. For the amount saved, we can have the quality health care Congress and the President enjoy, and we can ALL be covered.

BTW: does anyone every ask Claire McCaskill and these other budget hawks about the cost of Afghanistan?”

“This kid just made the strongest case possible for re-instituting the draft.

We've got two wars, unemployment, no health care, and his big concern is legalizing pot?

I think his priorities would change if he knew he'd be drafted upon graduation and sent to Afghanistan. Such "realities" in the 60's were what caused folks to revolt against Vietnam.”

“***it really makes the white house look bad***

Um, she's just accurately reflecting the White House's unwillingness to deal with this issue.

If the WH "looks bad," it's deservedly so.”

“Amen.”

“***But, mindful of growing anxiety about federal deficits, Obama also tempered his upbeat talk with an acknowledgment that government resources could only go so far and that it is primarily up to the private sector to create large numbers of new jobs.

He said while he's "open to every demonstrably good idea ... we also though have to face the fact that our resources are limited."***

Gee, do you think NOT sending all those troops to Afghanistan would have made any budgetary difference?

What a crock this "jobs summit" is. How stupid do you think we are, Obama?”

“What a bunch of babies!!!

I also love this:

***POLITICO joined in 2007, the same year of its launch***

because, Lord knows, those Politico folks are such intrepid reporters.

Admit it: the Politico fools were the same fools who were living during the prior year under a different tent [the Washington Post], so in that sense, they were "vetted" and could be allowed into the Club.

Put some folks from FireDogLake into the press pool, and watch the fireworks.”

“A horrible decision, and a flat, disjointed speech to announce it.

Look at the young kids in the "audience" for the speech. Obama is condemning them to death, destruction and mental health issues and burdening them with the debt to pay for this useless war.

Obama clearly "made his decision" by attempting to inoculate himself against criticism from the Right.

The "reasons" were the same tired platitudes that Bush fed us for 8 years. Hey, health care and jobs are a hell of a lot more "vital to our security" than chasing some 100 Al Qaida members.

Especially vile was Obama's attempt at the end of the speech to pretend he cares about the economy and the situation at home. What dishonesty!! The vast amounts poured down the stupid rathole in Afghanistan -- both destroying things and occasionally building a school, library or catfish farm -- could be so much better used here at home. The gigantic debt being rolled up by this foolishness sucks the life out of our economy, takes funds away from desperately needed work here, and dooms us to an escalating debt. [BTW, where oh where are those "deficit hawks" and their objections to THIS huge expenditure????]

As strongly as I supported Obama, I now vehemently oppose his actions, his "thinking" [assuming any "thinking" beyond political expediency went into this], and his total lack of moral compass.

My fondest wish is that Congress blocks funding for this mess. Welcome to Obama's Vietnam.”

“Horrible, horrible decision. Crappy, stupid speech.

Our "national security" is not aided by pouring money down the Afghanistan rathole, either via military action OR by building libraries, hospitals and catfish farms there, rather than schools, hospitals, jobs here.

Obama's feeble "assurances" about the effect of these huge expenses on our situation here at home were worthless.

Any shred of respect I had for Obama just went out the window. Shameful.”

“***"the weekly political chatfests, which, . . ., occupy the time of pundits and newspeople who would inevitably be off doing something dangerous to us or to one another."***

Jason, what ARE the ratings of this rag-tag bunch of time-wasters?

I can't believe that anyone with half a brain watches them, other than the "guests" and their families, which may or may not fall outside that group.

BTW, watching Rachel Maddow on Friday, with her guests Elliot Spitzer & Nate Silver [forget Ana Marie Cox] was a glimpse of what Meet the Press SHOULD look like.”

“How immoral is this: billions spent to DESTROY Iraq; additional billions spent on "reconstruction."

But money spent here in the US would "increase the deficit."”

“Reid's action just rewards bad behavior by creeps like Landreau.

Get ready for all the other Dems to line up with their hands out.”