Big Bird Endorses Paccione, Or Something

Not sure that Public Broadcasting is...

the best battle for Angie to be picking.  I doubt that PBS is very popular in her district--at least no popular enough to build a campaign around.  She'd have been better off to highlight the student aid cuts---perhaps sending scholars from CSU or UNC to Musgrave's HQ to highlight the differences between them.

"I've learned a lot of lessons being involved in politics. I also believe that when you are attacked, you have to deck your opponents." -- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

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by: Coloradem1 @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 16:38:37 PM CDT

Good On Marilyn...

for voting to cut Corporation for Public Television. Waste of taxpayer money, especially since it's tv for rich liberals.

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by: Love & a .45 @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 17:01:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sorry

Rich liberals can afford Cable.  We don't need PBS.

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by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 17:19:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yup....

I'll take A&E and The History Channel over PBS any day...

"I've learned a lot of lessons being involved in politics. I also believe that when you are attacked, you have to deck your opponents." -- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

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by: Coloradem1 @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 17:28:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

See?

"I've learned a lot of lessons being involved in politics. I also believe that when you are attacked, you have to deck your opponents." -- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

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by: Coloradem1 @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 17:27:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Rich liberals?"

Where do you get shit like that?  You mean like my kids who were decidedly lower middle to middle class growing up watching Sesame Street?  You mean like one of my kids who is now very much right wing?

PBS is one of the only sources with in-depth news and documentaries. They only get 15% of their budget from taxes, which without even looking it up, must be about 9 minutes of Iraq.

Everytime I read one of your posts I react with, "Sicko,"  and I'm not referring to Michael Moore. Your handle could match that of the guy with his gun in the recent debate, calling it his "baby."  You guys are sick, sick, sick.  I've nothing against guns per se, but stuff like what you and that psychotic demonstrate is that there are nut cases protected by the second amendment.

"Love and a .45."  Unless I'm missing some subtle or other not obvious meaning, that is creepy.  At the least.

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 17:33:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Google Fu

You suck at the internets.

"He is a very shallow critic who cannot see an eternal rebel in the heart of a conservative." -GKC

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by: Yokel @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 19:54:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Statistically false:

Surveys show that working class people watch PBS just as much as rich liberals, though one argument is that in these self-report surveys, people over report their viewing of PBS because they think it reflects well on them. If so, all the more reason to continue to give it public support. So, according to these surveys, working class people approve of PBS either by watching it, or, if they are falsely reporting on that, then by implying through their false reporting that they think they should be watching it.

"I, I, I, I do say there Mr. Oscar. That uh, that uh, that uh we are living in a ree-PUB-Lick not in a uh, in a uh Deh-mock-ra-cy." -Foghorn

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by: Ockham's Razor @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 20:52:06 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Besides, the seriously rich...

the worth as much as a small country rich, the fraction of the top one percent who compose the ultra-rich, ultra-powerful corporate elite that controls most of the media, along with most of everything else in this country, are overwhelmingly Republican.  The rich liberal elite is another spin zone fantasy.  Sure there are quite a few garden variety upper middle class affluent types who are liberal and some rich liberal celebrities  but  the real power and wealth elite is overwhelmingly rightie with only a tiny percentage of them in the somewhat leftie column.  Latte drinking, quiche eating liberals?  What do they think all those Republican CEOs are having? Miller Lite and Lays potato chips?  Give me a break! Big money is big R. 

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by: f.sage @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 00:10:58 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Public TV and NPR

Ordinarily, I'm a strong advocate that government should not be funding private sector enterprises, like public TV or National Public Radio, but ...

I've come to believe that commercial broadcast markets have utterly failed to provide any sort of intelligent programming on commercial TV or radio, and government regulation -- the FCC -- has done nada la squada in the way of promoting programming that informs or is remotely intelligent.

The commercial broadcast market seems to produce raft of look-alike reality shows, religious programming, infomercials, stupid sitcoms, shock jocks, and just plain crap.

I can't stand to listen to commercial radio and am bummed whenever I can't tun in NPR.  I suspect I'm not the only one who feels that way.

Given all the pointless things our government does spend beaucoups tax dollars on (e.g., a fence along the Mexican border) I'm more than happy with the amounts spent on public broadcasting.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.  Thomas Jefferson

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by: bpilgram @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 19:26:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I would suspect

That most people would view "big bird" following her around as that Musgrave is kid-friendly.  Unless some idiot Musgrave support were to punch big bird or something like that

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by: Haners @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 16:59:19 PM CDT

Big Bird Hates you!

Unless it's an evil big bird. Did you ever see the "East Bunny Hates you!" clip on you tube?

That would probably backfire on PBS with little kids having nightmares of Big Bird.

"Suddenly, it may be cool to be American again" - William J. Kole

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by: Go Blue @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 18:01:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

We need a picture

Perhaps Big Bird has an explanatory sign?

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by: Emma Anne @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 19:20:57 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Great Sense of Humor

This is funny stuff.  Finally someone calls Musgrave out on all of "please call me a Hillary progressive" crap she's trying to pull.

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by: bobt @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 17:20:51 PM CDT

I like stuff like this too

Call me juvenile.  :-)  But politics is too boring most of the time.  People in costumes, and funny signs, and group chants and such cheer things up.

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by: Emma Anne @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 19:23:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Maybe not that crazy of an idea

I seem to recall that the so called "soccer moms" were among the swing votes that the Repubs went after following the Clinton moral failings.  Big Bird (PBS) and other high end children-oriented issues may have more play in CD-4 than one would think -- esp the suburban areas of Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley.  And, by the way, speaking from experience elsewhere, you can indeed rent those costumes -- but kids will flock towards you and you have to be careful to not step on them.

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by: Ranger77 @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 20:31:16 PM CDT

Or...

Put a MM shirt on the bird and go stomp on the kids. That could work :)

Amazon tax? Bad Idea!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 21:29:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

My Standard AP post

When do we get AP's "full & complete" explanation of her financial troubles?

Amazon tax? Bad Idea!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Wed Jul 25, 2007 at 21:31:38 PM CDT

Funding work-study

I am sorry, but I would much rather fund work-study than straight-up financial aid. I have seen too many freeloaders and slackers waste the state's money as well as community organization's scholarship money during a 1-2 year party stint at a state school before dropping out.

What is wrong with our nation that we now believe everyone should be given a free ride all the way through college? The best option, IMO, is to create a "tiered" support system which increases and rewards students who prove they are in college to work and not just party. It could even be retro-active in the sense that it wipes out a lot of your loans if you actually graduate and don't drop out.

I support anyone who votes to make financial aid something that is earned and not given away as a handout doing more harm than good. I guess I'd call myself "progressive" on this issue, I don't think financial aid the way we have done it in the past has worked and we need change on both the state and federal levels.

To whom much is given much is expected.

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by: cctiger @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 01:15:04 AM CDT

Yeah, I don't understand Musgrave's vote here.

Not one bit.

The $65 million funding that she voted to cut is primarily work study programs for needy students.

What does she have against folks that are actually working for their education?

I just don't get it.

--From a "real dick."
by: JO

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by: Middle of the Road @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 08:36:11 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think it's totally illogical

That we pay 100% of grade 12 and in most cases little to nothing for grade 13 (1st year of college).

Amazon tax? Bad Idea!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 08:45:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Agreed

Most other western countries provide at least a couple years of college to their citizens.

Those who stand for nothing fall for anything. --Alexander Hamilton

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by: President Pro Tempore @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 09:18:44 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Education is true investment

It's been a lot of years since I read the following, so I can't supply a source.  For every dollar that the government gave GI's after WWII for edcuation, they got back "many times" that in increased tax revenues.  Men who were destined to be brick layers (not that there is anything wrong with manual labor) became teachers and engineers.  They earned much more and the coffers of the government filled up over the next forty years.

And that doesn't even touch on making our country more, or should I say, stay, competitive. 

If you are Chinese and apply yourself, your education is assured, all the way to PhD if you want it. There are many Chinese students in America because our universities are still top notch.  They are paid full tuition and a living stipend by the Chinese governmnet.

Here, excluding grants and scholarships, that might cost you $50-100K.  Hell of a burden to start work life with. 

Maybe the Chinese know something we don't?  Oh, maybe they don't have a huge, corrupt student loan business underpaid by the taxpayer. 

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 09:57:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Exactly,

They should be applying themselves. It seems to me financial aid has become just another handout to anyone who gets accepted by a state school, which is not hard to do. Some of these kids would be better off in a cheaper community college or trade school.

Our ideals as a country have become such that we expect every single student -- both the driven and unmotivated -- to attend college and somehow it is the government's job to make sure that happens. How do the Chinese make sure their students are "applying themselves"? I am truly curious, because I know a lot of them are stuck being the cheap labor for the US right now. I feel like we can measure the student's motivation by grades somewhat, but this could also drive them to cheat. And some perform well on standardized tests while others do not...I am pretty sure, for example, in Europe they have to test into the higher up schools. Not as much of a rubber stamp as the US.

To whom much is given much is expected.

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by: cctiger @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 12:45:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think you are conflating

Pell grants with loans.  As you can see at http://en.wikipedia.... the grants are worth a whopping $4050.  "Hole me back, Nelly, looky them gummint handouts!"  Not. Also, only the poorest of the poor get them, and since the help is so niggardly, I don't think they go to CU or Harvard.  Yes, community colleges.

Loans are just that.  Besides putting things like living expenses on their Visas, students are easily getting a BA with $10K or more in debt, triple that for masters, and double THAT for a complete education to a PhD or JD. And more! (Those figures are from many conversation with family and friends, my own experience, and having sat on my grad school's Admissions and Financial Aid Committee.)

However they do, other countries are doing it. It?  Tapping the inherent brain power in their citizens.  No loans to pay back (and no health care to pay for as they get their education.)

HIgh quality educations used to be free or very low cost until Reagan started dismantling arguable the finest public education system in America then, California's.

People bitch about "high" taxes, yet not only is America very low compared to most other advanced nations, we pay far more for education and health care through our private channels than if we paid those services in taxes.

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 14:23:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Colleges give out need-based aid

So revamping this system isn't just the govt.s job and I realize that.

And explain to me economically how education is cheapened as opposed to the costs being hidden when education is made a public good? Somebody is paying for it, making college education free for everyone doesn't actually make it free. It is simple economics.

Frankly, instead of less money on the front-end and lower taxes, other countries are paying higher taxes once they are in the work force but less for their initial education.

Lastly, I would argue poorer students generally do go to more expensive schools than they need to, but I only have anecdotal stories not hard facts.

To whom much is given much is expected.

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by: cctiger @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 14:55:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thank you PR

I was aout to bring the smackdown.  The cost of higher ed is out of control and you explained the problem well.

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by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 16:11:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

We pay

based on "need" not drive. Which is why you have kids getting full rides who just go and party it up and fail some classes or drop out and certainly don't work as hard as some of their counterparts. Granted some receiving "need-based" aid are highly motivated, there are a lot of horror stories.

To whom much is given much is expected.

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by: cctiger @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 13:24:56 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's working elsewhere.

Why not here?


"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd." -Bertrand Russell

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by: parsingreality @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 09:58:04 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Angry Angie misses the mark again.

She launches a campaign stunt meant to gig Marilyn on her PBS vote and tie her to Pinion Canyon and what does she get here among so many of her biggest supporters???

Several posts about the supposed injustices of the American system of Higher Ed.(LOL!)

Well done Angie. What's next? The oh, so popular "Vote for me or I'll kick your ass" TV ad again?

By the way, doesn't Angie teach Phiz Ed at CSU or something like that?

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by: Iron_Mike @ Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 21:48:08 PM CDT

Hey Mikey...

Come on, baby, come on. I know you've been in the cereal commercial for 40 years now but in real life, shouldn't you be a tad more mature?

Grow up, dude. Your pretty girl, MM, is a right wing nutcase and she's all yours. Embrace her, love her, shill for her and try doing it without taking pointless cheap shots.

Can you do that? Can you?

--From a "real dick."
by: JO

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by: Middle of the Road @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 09:13:20 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Dems are sooo mature as well

Mike has a point - this is a strange, silly stunt for Angie. I'm not defending Musgrave's votes, but what is up with the Pinon Canyon sign. Last I heard MM was opposed to the expansion.

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by: Car 31 @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 09:34:53 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Got to agree on this one

Doesn't make sense

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by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 10:35:23 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Ghetto big bird

is gonna stomp your ass !

"Good judgement comes from experience.  Experience comes from bad judgement" - Jim Horning

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by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Fri Jul 27, 2007 at 10:44:47 AM CDT

[ Parent ]