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[maximum360]

Cut Saturday and / or raise the price of stamps already. A Post Office that doesn't pay for itself is no good to us.

Yeah, they should do both. Also, people should stop comparing the postal service to UPS or FEDEX. They're not the same.

 

[SoulPlaya]

You missed my point. Public employees are very coddled, and are very comfy in their positions even when the economy is crumbling. People need to realize that every dollar a public employee makes is coming directly out of your pocket. It's a war, and people don't seem to realize it. They don't realize "Hey, if this guy gets a raise, or gets a huge pension, then I'M going to have to pay for it". People don't realize that they work for us, we don't work for them.

And thus they usually get it. So they almost always win.

OK, let's fire all the teachers and doctors who work in safety net hospitals. Oh yeah, we've already been doing that.

 

[Byakuya769]

Why is everyone always so quick to suggest stamp price increases? What makes you so sure that the decrease in demand won't outstrip the price increase? There are more options than ever for mailing, and less reason to do it, that doesn't depict an environment where frequent rate increases will help a "business".

 

[Incognito]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...1/12/AR2010111202846.html?sid=ST2010111203190

Opinion | One and done: To be a great president, Obama should not seek reelection in 2012

...Obama owes his election in large measure to the fact that he rejected this approach during his historic campaign. Indeed, we were among those millions of Democrats, Republicans and independents who were genuinely moved by his rhetoric and purpose. Now, the only way he can make real progress is to return to those values and to say that for the good of the country, he will not be a candidate in 2012.

Should the president do that, he - and the country - would face virtually no bad outcomes. The worst-case scenario for Obama? In January 2013, he walks away from the White House having been transformative in two ways: as the first black president, yes, but also as a man who governed in a manner unmatched by any modern leader. He will have reconciled the nation, continued the economic recovery, gained a measure of control over the fiscal problems that threaten our future, and forged critical solutions to our international challenges. He will, at last, be the figure globally he has sought to be, and will almost certainly leave a better regarded president than he is today. History will look upon him kindly - and so will the public.

It is no secret that we have been openly critical of the president in recent days, but we make this proposal with the deepest sincerity and hope for him and for the country.

We have both advised presidents facing great national crises and have seen challenges from inside the Oval Office. We are convinced that if Obama immediately declares his intention not to run for reelection, he will be able to unite the country, provide national and international leadership, escape the hold of the left, isolate the right and achieve results that would be otherwise unachievable.

rest at link :lol :lol :lol

 

[RustyNails]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...1/12/AR2010111202846.html?sid=ST2010111203190




rest at link :lol :lol :lol

How old is that guy? Makes no sense what joke articles these clowns write.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Always nice to read a good old fashioned corruption bust in the morning.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...utive_told_wife_to_hide_cash_in.php?ref=fpblg

 

[SoulPlaya]

Always nice to read a good old fashioned corruption bust in the morning.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...utive_told_wife_to_hide_cash_in.php?ref=fpblg

Another corrupt Black politician? Damn!

 

[RustyNails]

Another corrupt Black politician? Damn!

Greed don't discriminate bro

 

[ViperVisor]

How old is that guy? Makes no sense what joke articles these clowns write.

The 2 are the shitiest Fox News 'democrats'. They go beyond the lameness of Colmes to being straight up turncoats.

 

[soul creator]

Md. County Executive Told Wife To Hide Cash In Bra, Flush Check

this sounds like something I'd hear in a rap song

"got a ride or die chick, that's my honey and my star
when the feds come around she hide the money in her bra"

 

[RustyNails]

The 2 are the shitiest Fox News 'democrats'. They go beyond the lameness of Colmes to being straight up turncoats.

Alan Colmes did more damage to the democratic party/liberal-progressive cause than any Fox News mouth breather could. The image of a spineless, wormy liberal with no counter arguments against Patriotic Republican probably did wonders with their base. Fox News Democrats of Alan Colmes ilk make me more angry than Sarah Palin talking about global warming while standing on a dead baby seal.

 

[sc0la]

You missed my point. Public employees are very coddled, and are very comfy in their positions even when the economy is crumbling.

This is pure bullshit. Local and state governments are laying off hundreds of thousands of employees. Public school teachers are also hit incredibly hard. My wife and I both lost our public sector jobs, mine local and her's teaching, because of budget shortfalls relating to the economic crisis.

The "invincible" public employee is largely a myth.

 

[PhoenixDark]

this sounds like something I'd hear in a rap song

"got a ride or die chick, that's my honey and my star
when the feds come around she hide the money in her bra"

Should have had his honey on the Amtrack with the crack of her ass, two pounds of hash in the stash

 

[CharlieDigital]

This is pure bullshit. Local and state governments are laying off hundreds of thousands of employees. Public school teachers are also hit incredibly hard. My wife and I both lost our public sector jobs, mine local and her's teaching, because of budget shortfalls relating to the economic crisis.

The "invincible" public employee is largely a myth.

THIS.

14 teachers were laid off and 2 administrators as well at my wife's school after this years cuts.

Complete and utter myth entirely divorced from reality.

 

[soul creator]

Should have had his honey on the Amtrack with the crack of her ass, two pounds of hash in the stash

Reports have been released saying that she also had half a brick of yay, in the bra where her titties at. The guy was living that, whole life, he pushed weight. So dude was probably like, fuck the state penn, fuck hoes in penn state

lol

 

[Escape Goat]

Probably way old news but here is Taiwan's animated version of Bush's "Decision Points"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23apATPCzMs&feature=player_embedded

 

[Chichikov]

Richard D. Wolff with a great write-up on the deficit reduction commission.

But of course, no one will pay attention to him since he's ZOMG MARXIST.

 

[jamesinclair]

blah blah blah.

Wow, this is productive.

 

[adamsappel]

Didn't see this posted yet:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/14/david-axelrod-leaving-whi_1_n_783228.html

David Axelrod's leaving the White House in early 2011 (but just to start up Obama's re-election campaign).

 

[segarr]

This is pure bullshit. Local and state governments are laying off hundreds of thousands of employees. Public school teachers are also hit incredibly hard. My wife and I both lost our public sector jobs, mine local and her's teaching, because of budget shortfalls relating to the economic crisis.

The "invincible" public employee is largely a myth.

Of course it's bullshit. FOX News, Limbaugh-esque talking points. They're anti public employee ffs. Honest, hard working people just because they're employed by the government. The fuck is wrong with them?

 

[manipulate]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but from a CBS post-election poll:

So like... yeah.

 

[RustyNails]

Didn't see this posted yet:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/14/david-axelrod-leaving-whi_1_n_783228.html

David Axelrod's leaving the White House in early 2011 (but just to start up Obama's re-election campaign).

Which is something Mr. Axelrod is somewhat good at.

 

[Particle Physicist]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but from a CBS post-election poll:

http://www.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/deficit_ignore.PNG

So like... yeah.

Some of the results in that poll are quite interesting. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Puddles]

How does one get started as a political strategist?

I'm about 99% certain that I'd be better at it than anyone the Democrats have right now. Who can I talk to about scheduling an interview?

 

[Cyan]

How does one get started as a political strategist?

I'm about 99% certain that I'd be better at it than anyone the Democrats have right now. Who can I talk to about scheduling an interview?

Pretty sure a good political strategist would be able to figure this out.

 

[manipulate]

If you have any hope of being remotely effective you might want to start by moving to a country where a great proportion of the population isn't hugely selfish and myopic

.. that is if such a Promised Land exists

 

[Puddles]

Pretty sure a good political strategist would be able to figure this out.

You're probably right.

 

[CharlieDigital]

Bush says some NATO allies let U.S. down in Afghanistan

(CNN) -- Former President George W. Bush defended his administration's handling of the war in Afghanistan on Sunday, telling CNN that some NATO allies who contributed troops to the conflict "turned out not to be willing to fight."

In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley, Bush strongly refuted criticism that his administration took its "eye off the ball" in Afghanistan when he ordered troops to invade Iraq. He said he ordered American forces to overthrow Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with the assumption that allied forces would help make up the difference in Afghanistan.

"What happened in Afghanistan was that our NATO allies, some of them, turned out not to be willing to fight," Bush said. "Therefore, our assumption that we had ample troops -- U.S. and NATO troops -- turned out to be a not-true assumption. So we adjusted."​

:lol

He does seem far more cogent now. The stupid smirk on his face though...

I find it somewhat amusing how taking down Saddam only seemed to have empowered and emboldened Iran.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

So gas is about to break $3/gallon in most places. I was filling up today and the clerk told me it was going up to $4/gallon by New Years. I'm expecting $5+ for a gallon of gas in 2011, but I didn't think it would hit this fast. Shits about to get nasty again.

 

[Evlar]

I very much doubt the clerk has any special foreknowledge of gas futures.

 

[CharlieDigital]

So gas is about to break $3/gallon in most places. I was filling up today and the clerk told me it was going up to $4/gallon by New Years. I'm expecting $5+ for a gallon of gas in 2011, but I didn't think it would hit this fast. Shits about to get nasty again.

Kind of like how real estate agents in the boom days told you how house prices were going to keep rising and it didn't matter if you didn't have any downpayment, these fancy 0-down interest only loans would pay off!

 

[Jackson50]

Bush says some NATO allies let U.S. down in Afghanistan

He does seem far more cogent now. The stupid smirk on his face though...

I find it somewhat amusing how taking down Saddam only seemed to have empowered and emboldened Iran.

Aside from the smug, contemptible nature of his remarks, this corroborates his obtuseness. Why would he assume that nations also invading Iraq would make up the difference in Afghanistan? Or he assumed that nations opposed to invading Iraq would buttress the war in Afghanistan thereby covertly supporting the invasion of Iraq. Unbelievable.

 

[ToxicAdam]

The headline on Drudge is hilarious:

"The terrorists have won."

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Kind of like how real estate agents in the boom days told you how house prices were going to keep rising and it didn't matter if you didn't have any downpayment, these fancy 0-down interest only loans would pay off!

If only I had listened. I bought at the peak! I think this is a little different though. There are a lot of economists saying the price of oil/gas will go up.

 

[CharlieDigital]

There are a lot of economists saying the price of oil/gas will go up.

I have no doubt this is true. But I'm not basing my conclusion based on the consultation of a gas station attendant.

Funny because my brother-in-law just bought himself a V-8 Dodge RAM pickup with a Hemi getting 12MPG. He was all excited when he got it a few weeks ago and came over and showed me the remote starter and the V8 and everything. He works a white-collar job at an insurance company in NYC and doesn't need to haul anything as far as I can tell (he's borrowed my truck maybe once in the four years that I've had it). I think he's going to regret that...:lol

 

[Chichikov]

There are a lot of economists saying the price of oil/gas will go up.

A lot of economists say a lot of things.
But unlike real scientists, the fact that your predictions are wrong are in no shape of form reflect badly on you or the economic theory you subscribe to.

The whole hypothesis, prediction and experiment crap is for nerds.

 

[speculawyer]

A lot of economists say a lot of things.
But unlike real scientists, the fact that your predictions are wrong are in no shape of form reflect badly on you or the economic theory you subscribe to.

The whole hypothesis, prediction and experiment crap is for nerds.

The scientists are also saying oil prices will go up.

So gas is about to break $3/gallon in most places. I was filling up today and the clerk told me it was going up to $4/gallon by New Years. I'm expecting $5+ for a gallon of gas in 2011, but I didn't think it would hit this fast. Shits about to get nasty again.

Nah. It won't go up that fast. We will climb just a little higher in the next 2 years. But after that, things may start getting ugly.

 

[GhaleonEB]

From this morning's Wonkbook:

Junior Democrats in the Senate are pushing ahead with filibuster reform, reports J. Taylor Rushing: "Sen. Tom Udall said he will force a motion on the first day of the next Congress to have Vice President Joe Biden adopt new rules for the two-year session. Then, Udall said, he will seek consensus among senators from both parties to lower the 60-vote threshold for procedural motions. Only a simple majority of 51 votes would be necessary for such a move, and Udall said he expects support from some Republicans...Tom Udall is correct there will be some GOP support for the effort. Sen.-elect Dan Coats (Indiana), who knows the Senate well from his 10-year tenure from 1989 to 1999, said in a Fox News interview this month that he endorses filibuster reform."​

One of the benfits of actually forcing a vote is that we'll see who exactly is holding things back. That's what was so frustrating at the implosion of the public option and the energy bill without a vote: the people obstructing them were protected. I like how it's the ability of one Senator to force a vote like is that is partly what needs to be reformed. Using the system to reform the system.

I don't think much will be done, but I'm hoping for some, small change. Because that will actually start the process of changing the rules before each Congress, rather than running with the status quo.

 

[gcubed]

The headline on Drudge is hilarious:

"The terrorists have won."

thats fantastic. thanks for posting so i dont have to sully myself by typing in that address

 

[PhoenixDark]

Nothing will happen. 60 votes and no reconciliation in 2011. I'm already depressed enough for being a Detroit Lions fan, don't need to be getting my hopes up for an even shittier team.

Mitch McConnell just switched positions on earmarks, and will support legislation to ban them. I wish the left had a base that actually influenced politicians

 

[TestOfTide]

If only I had listened. I bought at the peak! I think this is a little different though. There are a lot of economists saying the price of oil/gas will go up.

And can you explain to us why your idea is anything more than a Strawman?

 

[gcubed]

Nothing will happen. 60 votes and no reconciliation in 2011. I'm already depressed enough for being a Detroit Lions fan, don't need to be getting my hopes up for an even shittier team.

Mitch McConnell just switched positions on earmarks, and will support legislation to ban them. I wish the left had a base that actually influenced politicians

well there is a difference between doing something stupid because your base said so, and doing anything because your base says so. The only reason the dems are successful at #1 is because they fail at #2

 

[SlipperySlope]

Woohoo, we finally might get earmarks banned.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/15/5470206-mcconnell-joins-earmark-ban

 

[RustyNails]

The headline on Drudge is hilarious:

"The terrorists have won."

Slow news day.

 

[Chichikov]

The scientists are also saying oil prices will go up.

I was not trying to argue that oil will not run out, I was just saying that while economists love to make predictions, they're just not all that good at that.

 

[scorcho]

Woohoo, we finally might get earmarks banned.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/15/5470206-mcconnell-joins-earmark-ban

i, too, get excited when i save a penny on every dollar i spend.

 

[turnbuckle]

From this morning's Wonkbook:

Junior Democrats in the Senate are pushing ahead with filibuster reform, reports J. Taylor Rushing: "Sen. Tom Udall said he will force a motion on the first day of the next Congress to have Vice President Joe Biden adopt new rules for the two-year session. Then, Udall said, he will seek consensus among senators from both parties to lower the 60-vote threshold for procedural motions. Only a simple majority of 51 votes would be necessary for such a move, and Udall said he expects support from some Republicans...Tom Udall is correct there will be some GOP support for the effort. Sen.-elect Dan Coats (Indiana), who knows the Senate well from his 10-year tenure from 1989 to 1999, said in a Fox News interview this month that he endorses filibuster reform."​

One of the benfits of actually forcing a vote is that we'll see who exactly is holding things back. That's what was so frustrating at the implosion of the public option and the energy bill without a vote: the people obstructing them were protected. I like how it's the ability of one Senator to force a vote like is that is partly what needs to be reformed. Using the system to reform the system.

I don't think much will be done, but I'm hoping for some, small change. Because that will actually start the process of changing the rules before each Congress, rather than running with the status quo.

The slight optimism reading this gave me and the near instant anger, skepticism, and eventual dismissal of hope that anything will change is pretty much everything that's been wrong with the last 2 years. I mean, it's always been an "I'll believe it when I see it" when it comes to politics but the bar for expectations has moved so low that simply having the possibility of talking about changes in Senate rules gives me mild enthusiasm.

The article says one of the benefits of this motion is that it'd show exactly who's obstructing...yet I'm not convinced that's a benefit to anyone other than for transparencies sake. Saying hell no to filibuster reform will probably be heralded by far right conservatives and chickenshit liberals who are afraid of what will happen when Republicans have the Senate again. The last 2 years have shown what can't happen even with a 19 vote lead and I'm throughly disgusted by it. The default is heavily skewed conservative and it needs to change.

 

[Chichikov]

i, too, get excited when i save a penny on every dollar i spend.

It might not move the needle on the deficit all that much, but it's still a very good thing.
That is if it's actually happen; I'll believe it when I see it signed into law.

Also, maybe now McCain will shut the fuck up about his magic veto pen that make people famous.

 

[scorcho]

It might not move the needle on the deficit all that much, but it's still a very good thing.
That is if it's actually happen; I'll believe it when I see it signed into law.

Also, maybe now McCain will shut the fuck up about his magic veto pen that make people famous.

the furor behind earmarks always struck me as daft. there's an almost universal disdain for the concept of earmarks, but in the same breath people love federal funding going towards projects in their local districts.

i'll be more excited when i see a serious - well, any at this point - effort to curb defense spending.

 

[GhaleonEB]

the furor behind earmarks always struck me as daft. there's an almost universal disdain for the concept of earmarks, but in the same breath people love federal funding going towards projects in their local districts.

i'll be more excited when i see a serious - well, any at this point - effort to curb defense spending.

Yup.

Earmarks are the GOP/Tea Party's way of pretending to be fiscal conservatives without actually cutting much of anything. While I don't like how they're handled in congress, earmarks can do local communities a lot of good. Just banning them is stupid policy. It's governance by talking point.