Today's edition of quick hits:
* Janet Napolitano, the Department of Homeland Security secretary, highlighted some of the many consequences of the sequester policy, assuming that congressional Republicans continue to refuse to compromise.
* Italy: "Italian voters delivered a rousing anti-austerity message and a strong rebuke to the existing political order in national elections on Monday that threatened to plunge the country into political paralysis after early results failed to produce a clear winner."
* Afghanistan: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai has given U.S. special forces two weeks to leave a key battleground province after some U.S. soldiers there were found to have tortured or even killed innocent people, the president's spokesman said on Sunday."
* An attempt at North Korean diplomacy: "A White House official made two secret visits to North Korea last year in an unsuccessful effort to improve relations after new ruler Kim Jong Un assumed power, according to former U.S. officials familiar with the trips."
* As efforts to craft a bipartisan proposal on firearm background checks come together, there will be hiccups. Greg Sargent has the latest.
* DOMA: "The Obama administration urged the Supreme Court on Friday to throw out a section of a 1996 federal law that prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage."
* That prosecutor deserves more scorn: "Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor upbraided a federal prosecutor Monday for asking racially-charged questions in court. The justices almost never elaborate on cases they decline to hear, but Sotomayor took the unusual step of issuing a statement condemning the prosecutor, whom she did not name."
* He keeps adding insult to injury: "A prominent Brooklyn assemblyman defended himself on Monday after attracting attention for wearing blackface to a party he hosted this weekend to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim."
* Good move: "The White House moved Friday to make nearly all federally funded research freely available to the public, the latest advance in a long-running battle over access to research that exploded into view last month after the suicide of free-information activist Aaron Swartz."
* I have to admit, I find Michael Goldfarb's self-described "sense of humor" to be extremely difficult to understand. Maybe far-right comedy is just too droll for me.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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The sequester will hurt everyone in some way
Unless you are considered wealthy.
If you are on unemployment, you will receive approximately $400 less between March and September. Unemployment Benefit checks are being pared by 9.4%.
Food prices will increase because of beef and chicken, and there may even be shortages. That is because the number of federal food inspectors will be cut. Meat and poultry plants could be forced to shut down for as many as 15 days.
Funding for “Meals on Wheels” will be cut. Some seniors who are shut-ins will not receive free meals because 36,000 fewer meals will be delivered.
400 million dollars will be cut from the Head Start program. That means that children of low income families will not be able to enroll in the pre-school program. The cut will affect some 70,000 children.
National Parks will open later and close earlier. Same may not open at all. The 110 million dollar cut will affect 250,000 yearly visitors.
There will be longer lines at airport security. TSA agents will be furloughed, increasing the time to move passengers along. International travelers may have to wait up to 4 hours to clear customs.
Three billion dollars will be cut from a supplemental bill to aid victims of hurricane Sandy. Some repairs to homes and small businesses may not be completed.
The total for these concerns is about half of the dollar amount of the mandatory cuts caused by the sequester. The remainder will come from cuts in defense spending.
The majority of the money will be saved by furloughing defense related employees or reducing their hours. I would be in favor of the defense department receiving less money if the military acted in a proper manner. Instead of examining billions of dollars in Department of Defense waste every year, they’ll choose to continue throwing away tax payer money, and layoff or reduce the pay of working men and women.
Since WWII the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines have been lobbying for as much money as possible, whether they need it or not. This small cut in military spending should just be the beginning, provided it forced the “brass” to closely scrutinize every program and act responsibly.
So, why are the Republicans refusing to compromise with the President’s plan. It comes down to the same old story, the people they actually work for, special interest groups.
The President wants additional revenue, not spending cuts only. He wants to close tax loopholes for Hedge Fund Directors, end tax breaks for the oil companies, and stop other undeserved, unnecessary deductions by those with the nation’s highest income levels.
President Obama can’t lose this battle. His superior intellect has led him to take his fight to the people who will be affected by the sequester, the working class. President Obama has said it will cost the nation 700,000 jobs. John Boehner’s response was that he “doesn’t care about the loss of jobs, government is spending too much money”. Sounds a bit like he is bowing to the tired old refrain of the TEA Party.
The President can’t lose if everything happens on March 1st. A recent poll shows his approval rating at 55%, the highest since September 2009. Politico reports. Another 40 percent disapprove. Meanwhile, 55 percent say they have an unfavorable view of the Republican Party, while 35 percent approve.
Both political parties on the right side of the aisle, the GOP and the TEA Party, choose to close their eyes and not look at the facts. They will be blamed by the American public for these unnecessary cuts that affect their daily lives. Maybe they don’t care about the mid-term elections. Good news for us.
http://guardianlv.com/2013/02/the-sequester-will-hurt-everyone-in-some-way/
was it his superior intellect that led to his creating the whole concept in the first place?
That guy should not apologize for dressing up for a holiday that says you can dress up.
People that are offended by things like this are the ones that should apologize. Its gotten so bad that anybody can say they're offended at something "just because" and demand an apology.
I wonder how far it could go if I hired an attorney and sued the world? I would ask that I get the lowest form of currency for your country per person. So 360 million Americans give me 360 million pennies.
It would be a ridiculous lawsuit but it will get people to open their eyes and realize how crazy we have become.
FuturePrez
Yes you're suppose to dress up for a holiday like Purim. But it shows a lack of tact to put on black face. Think about Prince Harry and the Nazi uniform?
The issue/controversy is not over his 'dressing up', but over the 'costume' that he selected. Are you from 'Jew' York City? Maybe the 'comedian' was correct that the movie industry is controlled by Jews. I'll accept your right to be offended by these if you will accept my right to be offended by this politician's blackface. On the other hand, maybe you should apologize if you are offended by my 'offensive' comments.
Janet's port is the only one that is hurting. Anyone believing the President is an idiot. If what he says will happen as a result of the sequestration actually happens, it is because he and the democrats are so fiscally incompetent it is disgusting. What he is suggesting would go like this in the Obama household. "Well Michelle, we got to cut our food budget and not feed the girls; but I fully support you buying the dress you don't need with the money we would have used for the food." Any lamebrain should know there are priorities in any budget....you don't eliminate essentials like he is proposing...get rid of the pork!! I didn't get a raise this year and I have to eat the 2% tax increase and higher gas prices and he says he can't cut 3% out of his budget which has increased this year. What a nerd.
I'm officially sick of the whole thing. Democrats are up against a wall of people who refuse to compromise. It's up to Obama, Reid and Pelosi, to figure this out. Maybe next time they won't agree to a deal that they think no one will possibly want. It's very depressing because aside from the near term impact, long term we are watching the GOP push income redistribution, which will be a disaster. But try to get THAT point across right now.
I keep thinking it's depressing that we can't focus on other things. But really, our government needs to agree on a budget. If they can't solve it this month, we will continue to watch the lurching about.
And you know the GOP doesn't CARE what happens to the recession. They just want spending cut, and tax breaks for the rich. Therefore Obama is making speeches to the converted, only. The GOP is not listening.
congressional Republicans continue to refuse to compromise.
Back in December Congress kicked this sequester can down the road 2 months - it was originally set to kick in Jan 1st - and part of that "kick" was the Republicans compromising on $600 Billion in tax increases on the wealthy. I believe that they agreed to this with the promise from the Democrats to agree to cuts later - which is now. I do not understand you comment Steve on the Republicans refusing to compromise. Last year the Republicans vowed "no new taxes", yet we got them for the upper 2%. Obviously they did give in to a tax increase (revenue). The President and the Democrats got some revenue and it seems they want more. If I am wrong on this, please someone let me know.
Re: #5
You seem to be confused. That was the financial cliff. Separate crisis.
That's funny, maphi. You're in jest, right? No one has that skewed of a memory...
Rusty,
The deal put forward at the end of the year (and previously) was to cut spending while raising revenues as part of a grand bargain.
Since your buddies in the House cannot be bothered to achieve a grand bargain, because compromise makes them froth at the mouth, what we got at the end of the year was resolution of the expiring Bush Tax Cuts.
Every time your buddies in the House trump up a crisis they will be asked to raise revenue as part of the solution. This is to get them to stop trumping up crisis after crisis.
I say we call it the 'Bad puppy! *WHACK*' method of attitude adjustment.
John- thanks for the irrelevant post. Maphi said something incorrect, and that was what I was addressing.
Rusty,
When the opening statement (5.0) is whining about increases in revenues, it is relevant to note that every manufactured crisis will be accompanied by another attempt to close loopholes and otherwise enact the 'Buffet Rule'.
The fact that some, including yourself, are upset that the administration has turned the House GOP's own tactics against them is the irrelevant part.
John,
I was not whining. Actually I was trying to counter the whining (by Steve's post) that the Republicans "refusing to compromise". I was just pointing out that they obviously compromised a couple of months ago with the tax increase (which they were against for a very long time). I was all for those revenues by the way, but to have Steve post that they have not given in to anything is just silly. And, will any cuts come out of any new compromise? I do not think anything meaningful.....which basically puts back to square one, with the Republicans leaning towards cuts mostly and the Democrats leaning on new revenues mostly.
John- you're mistaken to think I am upset about anything. Maphi clearly stated that the sequestor wasn't in the end of the year negotiations- and countered an above point that they got through the year end fiscal cliff by moving the date out. He was clearly wrong. Not for sure why you seem so intent on defending / deflecting a wrong statement. Get past the point that he is a lefty- you don't need to defend wrong.
A better question- let's move forward. I can find the exact quote if you demand (or better yet- you can find it)- but Obama states he is on record as willing to cut programs that aren't working and to get rid of unneccesary programs. Do you agree with him on this? I assume everyone does. But... What an idiot!!!! He is admitting that in year 5 of his administration- he is still allowing bad programs to live. He has been accepting costs all along for things that aren't working? As Jay Leno said- when he went golfing with Tiger Woods- they discovered his handicap was he didn't understand economics and management.
Pro Publica has an interview that just came out a few hours ago with Dr. Mark Rosenberg, who was a researcher on gun risks in the 90s before this research was blocked by the NRA.
TRMS Blog readers may be interested in checking it out.
Here's the article link
http://www.propublica.org/article/what-researchers-learned-about-gun-violence-before-congress-killed-funding
Thanks Helen!
Ok I know I am most likely behind the power curve on this but....FOX News Latino?!? WTF when did that happen? Did I miss another meeting?
http://latino.foxnews.com/index.html?google_editors_picks=true
Indiana is 'moving forward' and showing that 'compromise' is possible. The repukes who 'own' the state government have changed their anti-abortion bill to now only require 1 transvaginal ultrasound instead of the original 2 required. Ain't it grand that compromise to repukes means that women only have to pay once to get medically raped.
If we had a sane majority in SCOTUS, a lot of these crazy, misogynistic bills wouldn't fly. But the opus dei injustices would uphold these unconstitutional laws if they were challenged in the courts and it got to SCOTUS.
Here's a good one; Section 255 of the Budget Control Act includes “Compensation for the President” as one of those exemptions. The president is exempt from being affected by the sequester. Also, is J. Nap saying terrorist will now attack because we cut less than 2% from out budget....what a lot of bull. Oh my god I won't be able to fly, airports will be shut down. News flas, the economy made it impossible for many people to fly anyway.
Yeah, I think some of the comments coming out DC are scare tactics. There has to be some trimming of budgets departmentally sooner or later at this fiscal pace and I would rather take a 2% now then some larger hit down the road (if nothing is really done now).
Maddow, she is one of the best dresses men on TV...
Damn sure wish I could win a local radio station contest, I could have my own TV show..
Spending your evenings drunk web trolling is no way to go through life...seek professional help
Soon
I haven't figured out why cow hasn't been banned. Number one rule is you don't insult the host. Cow hasn't made a comment that hasn't insulted and slandered Ms. Maddow. It does show how shallow cow is and how little it wants to duscuss any ideas. Cow just wants to inslult, call names and spread it's hate. And yes cow, insults are NOTHING but hate.
The Afghan headline and link are a bit misleading. Torture by American troops is only an allegation. Tribal leaders in the area say they have heard no such reports. As we know, such accusations are rife in Afghanistan for all sorts of reasons, of centuries-old rivalries etc., that have little basis in fact.
I have heard differing reports (I believe from the BBC world service).
What I heard was that Afghan troops under the direction of US Special Forces were the ones accused of torture.
(Which, historically, rings more true.)
Those pesky Computers in Wisconsin: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/federal-panel-opens-gop-computers-in-wisconsin-redistricting-case-mv8u03q-193105171.html?page=1
I think that any corporation - before they can receive tax breaks or subsidies - needs to submit to a very intrusive trans-national financial probe with a time limit that is difficult or impossible to meet. Perhaps even a before and after probe.
That sounds like something Gov. Ultrasound could support.
Why is there no-one in the national media speaking about the dorm shooting in Tulsa, Ok last week?
It's like it didn't happen...
This story?
A Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology student was killed and three others were injured in a shooting at an apartment complex Thursday night.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20130221_11_0_Fourpe993591
I tried googling and came up with nothing. This would have found national but also local news - as long as it was on-line, I think.
Please provide additional information.
Can't expect national media to cover something that local news doesn't cover.
Followup
Police and the surviving victims don't know what triggered a shooting that left one Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology student dead and three others wounded Thursday evening, police said.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20130223_11_A12_CUTLIN188448
The shooter used a .25 caliber handgun. That weapon isn't on the list of guns to be banned. Therefore, not really a news story.
Anti-Austerity may have won in Italy (Cinque Stelle), but Berlusconi is still second in the Chamber, first in the senate and has effectively blocked all possible compromise for a future coalition government. The possible exit solution will be this one: simplify the electoral process (not the voting, the allocation of seats in the Senate), dissolve the parliament AND go back to the polls in 60 days. Just wait 'till the Euro drops, interest rates on Italian bonds rise and a Greek-like political scenario ensures. And some say Spain is the sick man of Europe...
All that is needed is a lot of financing for Greece, Italy, Spain and maybe France. I would suggest that everyone on these blogs who is angry at Germany for refusing to continue funding these governments, and demanding austerity, should buy as many government bonds as possible from these entities. If enough people would buy their bonds, they would have plenty of money to continue without having to worry about austerity.
The way we deal with the Republicans is with honesty. They are attempting to overthrow the Government of the United States as well as the U.S. Constitution (aka Treason). After all, Article I, section 8 requires that Congress Tax and Spend to promote for the General Welfare. Instead, the Republicans appear to be trying to create a neo-Confederacy where the 13th Amendment (prohibiting Slavery) does not exist. So many of these laws and action by the GOP strongly favor the .1%; and purposefully discriminate against the 99.9% of We the People. No, We the People do not want to lead the Republicans back to neo-slavery with the self-promoting discriminating .1% (led by Karl Rove) are our neo-slave-masters.
I am calling an aide to my Republican Congressperson, Dave Reichert, and I suggest you all do the same, and I noting that we are creating a new fourth branch of Federal, State, and Municipal Government (as well as private companies) called "We the People". I am informing Dave Reichert (and hopefully the message will spread to all Republicans and Democrats) that We the People are the bosses of Congress, the Executive, and the Judiciary. No person, inconsistent legislation, or organization (including Congress or the NRA) is above the Constitution. When We the People see ANY public figure purposefully playing games to purposefully make the playing field un-level to favor the discriminatory .1% uberklasse, then that that is pure and simple discrimination or slavery.
I am informing Representative Reichert that any vote against We the People (such as for Sequester) will be viewed as treason, and I will bring trial for Congresspersons Reichert and Boehner in Federal Court for treason (perhaps we can get all the Republican Senators and Congresspersons tried out here in Seattle Federal District Court, just to make in inconvenient for them). They should not expect Nixon's defense that the President or any one else is above the law to help them, no one is above treason and no one is above the Constitution. Even if some of the Republicans do avert the trial, there would be so much bad publicity that the Republicans in Congress are attempting to re-create slavery that we would have months of interesting topics to cover on the Rachel Maddow Show, the Ed Show, and many other shows.
For those who are interested in seeing how the Constitution can be used to fight blatant class-based, racial-based, and so-called .1% discrimination (aka new age slave discrimination) based on the 13th amendment, etc., my Webpage ConstitutionalChallenge.org is demonstrating great promise with interesting reactions.
It also appears that any Republican (or Democratic) politician who is placing party loyalty or support of the discriminating .1% above their Constitutional oath to We the People could be disbarred and/or removed from political office for life for violation of their Constitutional Oath. We the People might see some very modified Republican behavior in the near future if such .1% discriminatory acts are being called out as treason and as some very "un-American activity".
We have a very real possibility of splintering the Republican Party with this Sequester Vote, based on whether they support We the People of America or the .1% of the politically corrupting Tea Party/ Fox News more. We can say that since Rupert Murdock and Roger Ailes of Fox News have been so identified with Nixon in his attempts to overthrow Democracy and deliver America to the corrupting anti-American .1%, that each Republican Politician who votes for the sequester can be conspiring with FOX News in attempting to overthrow the Constitution, the Federal Government, and the General Welfare of We the People. In other words, any Republican U.S. Senator vote or Republican U.S. Representative vote for the sequester could be tied into conspiring with Fox News (and Jefferson Davis) in attempting to overthrow America, overthrow Democracy, overthrow Mom's Apple Pie, and in actuality perform a grossly un-American activity in the sequester.
Now, Republicans in Congress have to show their political courage. Are they going to courageously oppose the corrupting .1% discriminators and FOX News and risk the possibility of being replaced by the tea party in the next primaries; or are they going to courageously oppose We the People and risk charges of treason, professional and personal ridicule, and even a possibility of life in Federal prison or even the death penalty (for treasonous overthrow of the Constitution and the Federal Government, as well as our way of life). Keep tuned, I can hardly wait to see what the anti-American Constitutional Republicans will do during their next manufactured crisis.
Neocon, Goldfarb, worked as a shill for the Koch bros. I wouldn't be surprised if he were still a Koch employee.
As long as president Obama does not send Joe Biden to negotiate with Mitch McConnell once again, and F**K the middle class with steep cuts to Medicare and the Chained C.P.I. that president obama is looking to insert NOT ONLY in the entitlement programs.(Funny how a program you are mandatorily taxed into , i.e. Social Security, is called an entitlement). But ALSO in the tax code, there by assuring an annual increase in tax revenue and benefit cuts in Social Security that will screw the middle class in the later years.
John Boehner and the republican house will CAVE in the end !...
We shall see what happens in these next few days before ONCE AGAIN we face an artificial Doomsday scenario !...
But make no mistake progressives, Obama and Senate democrats will eventually make Chained C.P.I. not only part of Social Security but ALSO the Tax Code . it's not a matter of if, but WHEN...