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The Senate Republican leadership, all of which backed the Paul Ryan budget plan.
It was "budget bonanza" day in the U.S. Senate yesterday, with the chamber taking up several budget bills with the express purpose of defeating all of them. It was, at a certain level, inane political theater, which Capitol Hill reporters were inclined to ignore.
I'm not unsympathetic to the indifference. Watching senators go through the motions yesterday certainly seemed like a petty "game" in which the parties tried to score cheap points off of one another. We even got another round of press releases about the 1,000+ days since the Senate approved a budget (a talking point that isn't really true).
But before the political world blows off yesterday's developments altogether, there was one vote that actually warrants some attention. As Joan McCarter explained:
[Wednesday], except for a couple of hypocrites worried about reelection, Senate Republicans joined their House brethren and voted to end Medicare as we know it. The only really interesting vote was on Rep. Paul Ryan's budget, the one that the House passed and that Mitt Romney has endorsed. It failed 58-41.
Five Republicans (Scott Brown [MA], Susan Collins [ME], Dean Heller [NV], Rand Paul [KY] and Olympia Snowe [ME]) rejected that bill.
I won't rehash all the minute details of the Ryan agenda again, but let's not forget, this is a budget plan that ends Medicare's guaranteed benefit, takes health care coverage from millions of Americans, radically redistributes wealth in the wrong direction, slashes taxes on the very wealthy, and would "take food from poor children, make it harder for low-income students to get a college degree, and squeeze funding for research, education, and infrastructure."
What's more, the Ryan plan does not reduce the debt, either.
This is less a budget plan and more a right-wing fantasy. And yet, in an election year, 41 Republicans -- about 90% of the caucus -- threw their support to this plan, even though they knew full well it wouldn't pass.
Incidentally, given the institutional abuses that have become the norm in the chamber, 41 senators have the power to stop just about everything -- it's the minimum number needed to maintain a filibuster. How are mainstream policymakers supposed to negotiate with 41 senators who think the Paul Ryan plan is a sensible agenda? I honestly don't know.
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The revival of the Ryan budget gives the White House, Democrats and the president a clean and providential break from the health care brouhaha to pivot and attack Republicans on issues where most swing voters are in agreement with the liberal position. Dismantling Social Security and Medicare are even less popular than "Obamacare" as a whole, so the GOP has made a serious misstep in giving their opponents an avenue to light them up on the safety net question while voters gradually lose interest in health care reform. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
How much frustration do you have that your responses are better than what you see as responses from the President Obama's staff and reelection campaign?
How do you feel about this one? since the Clinton's are the flavor de jour for the American Taliban candidate Romney, how about an Presidential executive order that all contributors to any advocacy group producing material bust show the names of all contributors as individuals, how much money they contribute and the source f the money as a national security issue. this is in response to Taliban accusations going back to the 90's that the PRC contributed to the clintons '96 campaign. I'd love t hear them shot down national security concerns. If they do simply point out you are doing the same verification that the states are using to assure a voter is who he/she says they are.
even though they knew full well it wouldn't pass.
Make that "because they knew...". They weren't looking for a serious budget; just a talking point about being serious deficit hawks.
Hey maddow, where is the democrats plan???? oh that's right they don't have one!!
It's spend as you go, no need for a budget.
Over 10,000 people turning 65 everyday, and that number heads north from there.
SS is in big trouble, same for medicare.
And Obama has a blind eye to these very important issues.
very appropriate screen name.
I'm getting tired of repeating myself, another late bloomer, the budget is mute the deficit is mute, the answer is mute. If you are looking for answers the best place to start is in the mirror then, move over to the right, There you will see a few banks and a Street sign that says Wall. There you will find most of your answers along with the pot of gold you have been looking for. If you keep searching you will get to the bottom of all this, it is really dark down there and quite hot. When you find the answer let us know. Until, then we are getting bored with the bag of tricks. There is no magic in common sense. We are tired of supporting the Rich people in this great nation of ours, they do not support Americans.
Dear Stupid,
I'm sorry to hear of your Fox education. You must remedy that. Start with this:
- Republican ideas, policies, and recent obstruction are the causes of the country's fiscal problems.
- Ignorant citizens like you are probably the country's biggest problem.
- Deficits and debt are not the biggest problems of the country right now.
- Fixes to SS are easy. The CBO has published 35 easy ways to get it done. Use google.
- The private health care system is completely broken. It needs dismantling and overhauling. If you don't know that, you're a complete ignoramus. Medicare and the only socialized health care we have -- Veterans -- is more efficient than the private health care system. It is the PRIVATE health care system that needs fixing. Fix health care and the country has no debt problems.
Please read these carefully:
Here's all you need to know about this statement:
- http://www.offthechartsblog.org/what%E2%80%99s-driving-projected-debt/
- http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3490
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/opinion/sunday/24sun4.html
- http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/04/478368/478368/
I don't have time or patience to help you any more than this.
Now, apologize to all those close to you for your extreme ignorance. Then educate your fellow wingnuts and help pull them out of the Fox knowledge abyss.
The "plan" is the one both sides agreed to which is to let the Bush Era tax cuts expire and the scheduled sequesters kick in during January or did you not notice this?
The President proposes a budget shortly after the State of the Union address but only the House can introduce a budget resolution. What parts of the Constitution do our trolls not understand? All of it appears to be the answer.
To be fair, Olympia Snowe isn't running for reelection, she is retiring from the Senate. Maybe she actually voted her conscience and/or her common sense?
Scott Brown otoh casts a lot of meaningless votes like this one, and I fear they may be enough to save him.
I wish that picture could be edited to put Bozo the clown right in the middle of them. They look like they could use some cheering up. Nice choice of ties. Mostly red surprisingly McDonald who had a farm and sold it to the oil companies, tie is sapphire and gold. What do those two colors make? Green, so he is green with envy. The rest of them have blood on their hands.
41 remains the magic number because the democrats tolerate the republican abuse of this hoary rule that could be changed easily. the democrats also cling to the delusion that should the republicans take a majority, they'd return the favor. don't bet on it. the only benefits i see from that event is that 1. they'd f... up the country so badly that even the dimwits would open their eyes, and 2. they'd do away with the rule in a new york minute.
If the Republicans take the White House and the Senate, and hold the House, they'll kill the filibuster rule so fast the Dems won't know what hit them.
Hey Republicans - got kids in college? I do! The Ryan Plan doubles student loan rates! Congressional Republicans are making me so tired. Their Frank Luntz inspired intellect is embarrassing to the institution, our nation, and to any loyal household pet in America!
A vote for the Republican brand in November 2012 is a poor choice for all who claim to be free and liberty-minded Americans.
A vote for Republicans is a vote to use government against its people, not for its people! -Kevo
Poor kids can't vote, and their parents don't. Republicans know this.
And, Kevo, Republicans don't borrow money- they lend it.
As for health care, the human body is a self regulating/repairing entity, despite the abuses heaped upon it. People can go for years without seeing a doctor/dentist. The emergency room is "free", and dead folks can't (mostly!) vote.
Republican politicians are well aware of all the above.
What democrats need to do is hammer home these FACTS:
1) In 2010 the GOP swept the House on a JOBS agenda - where are the JOBS they created?
2) The GOP refusal to compromise left this nation with a lowered credit rating!
3) Let's count how many pieces of legislation that passed the House were efforts to disenfranchise American women?
4) Where are those JOBS the GOP created? Oh that's right they didn't!
5) Even after they made a deal on automatic cuts - the GOP is backing out of it and trying to pretend as though the deal was never made.
GOP SO WRONG FOR AMERICA AND WORKING AMERICANS.....
Off with their heads.
Disgusted- I agree that health care is broken- and I don't know what the answer is- given the amount that my health premiums went up this year and projected the same for next year- doesn't appear that the Affordable Care Act is working. Likely S. Ct. will at least remove the mandate. That said, and contrary to my basic conservative views, likely a single payer system is the only true fix.
You suggest the Republican policies and/or obstruction are/were the cause of the fiscal problems. You see that claim often on this blog. But that really is a talking point without any specifics. The causes of the recession in 2008 were multiple, collapse of the housing market, high gas prices, weak dollar, slowing global growth etc. The federal governement can only do so much to either hurt economic growth or encourage it. Reality is rescission not caused by any "government policy" nor is the recovery (as slow as it has been) enhanced or dragged by any government policy. Although likely the feds lowering of interest rates in 2008 without coordination with the European central banks accelerated the high oil prices. The Fed can soften things by lowering interest rates which it did and can go no lower. Fiscal policy (spending) was done but it has only limited results and more likely again softens the downturn (i.e. by spending reducing the number of jobs that would have been lost).