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July 26, 2011 03:45 PM UTC

Tuesday Open Thread

  • 106 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.”

–Margaret Thatcher

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106 thoughts on “Tuesday Open Thread”

  1. I thought Freedom Works, etc. were getting money from corporations, etc.  However, what I read is that the Chamber of Commerce, Wall Street, etc. all want this resolved and immediately. So if the Tea Party is being bankrolled by these sources, why is the Tea Party so stubborn?

    This is a serious question. I don’t understand what is going on, unless the Koch Bros. are not onboard with the rest of Big Money.

  2. From the Texas Monthly.

    So please, heed this advice. Rick Perry, as you have no doubt already discovered, is not the easiest man to write about. He is secretive and leery of the media (sometimes to the point of hostility), and he has a strategically valuable knack for being underestimated by his critics. I have been writing about him since the eighties, when he began his career in the Texas Legislature. Along the way I have learned a few things, which I have arranged in this handy list of Eight Points to Keep in Mind When Writing About Rick Perry.

    2. just not in God’s plan for Slick Rick to play POTUS

      check ’08 primary results to see Romney in top 3 for most early states, and topped both Shakes McCain & Pastor Huck a number of times.

      Consider that Romney kept his Rolodex, he’s got cash on hand to pay & play, and he’s got a helluva lot more name recog than Perry  — he’s the one to beat.

      Perry has been on gov’t dime now for 27 yrs so where’s his business acumen (not endorsing Mitts – just saying) and that’s gonna muss up his shellac’d coif.

      He’s gonna get a little traction with secession nutters, border Minutemen, Texas egoist, trailer park divorcees, rapturous born agains, and the like but rest of US ain’t gonna be fooled again by another TX ass.    

  3. My husband spent quite a bit of time last night calling D.C.  He couldn’t get through to our two senators offices or Tipton. Did anyone else get through?  

      2. Instead we called local offices here and left messages on voice mail. It was hard to get telephone numbers because they were all on the websites that had crashed.

        This is DeGette:  303 844.4988

        My fear is that the right wing crashed the system.  They have experience calling in…Limbaugh runs them through their paces every once in a while….so who knows who got through.

    2. long before Obama asked people to contact their members of congress and many sites crashed. Both Udall and Bennet’s aides were very sympathetic to the frustration expressed by Dems who are really tired of the GOP, after getting almost everything they want in every deal while we are characterized as difficult lefties because, you know, we’d like to get something more than crumbs and criticism for being unreasonable once in a while, are still stubbornly refusing to take the latest offers that, once again, are completely weighted in their favor just because they want to screw Obama.

      In fact, while they naturally wouldn’t say any such thing I got the feeling that the young aides are as frustrated with the pols they work for as we ordinary Dems, not just lefty fringe, are. While their bosses are insulated they have to listen to all the rage all day long.

      White House lines impossible. Best to  go to contact page and send e-mail.

      1. and Dems are the whipped poodels forced to jump through flaming hoops

        Phone lines & websites were crashed thru the night and hopefully the messages left can force some sanity.  

        I’m sick of hearing NO from GOP when weak spined Dems have offered option after option to get this done.  Boehner accuses Obama of moving goal post when the GOP assmoles are the ones that keep changing the game.  They want a default.

        The GOP wants US to default so they can try to pin it all on Obama & Dem Senate.  They’re burning down the house just to privatize SSA & Medicare.  

        A US stumble will force world market to tumble.  The TeaParty frosh & Norquist loons like to think their grand experimental financial fuck up will make them the heroes but no, sadly it makes them all psychopaths.

           

        1. and all my messages, phone and e-mail, tell Obama, Reid, Udall and Bennet the same thing. We are not some crazy unreasonable lefty fringe.  We are ordinary Dems sick of seeing the Dems we elected give in to the demands of what polls show to be a small minority on the right in every so called deal. It isn’t unreasonable or far left to expect to once in a while get something.

          I tell them that any deal in this phony debt ceiling crisis that involves one single penny in spending cuts while preserving every tax cut and break for the wealthiest and the corporate elite will mean we’re done with them.  

          Why should we work our butts off on campaigns, arranging local party fund raisers, calling, going door to door, writing checks if it doesn’t matter whether we hold the White House and both Houses, part or none of the above since Dems keep caving to Republicans under any and all of those scenarios? Why even bother to vote if we get GOP policy regardless?

          They may find us annoying with our unfortunate habit of expecting our work electing Dems to make some sort of difference. That may strike them as unreasonable professional lefty stuff. They may think we have no choice because the alternative is Rs but what if we decide we really don’t have any choice? That it doesn’t matter if we vote at all since the result is the same either way? That’s what they’re hearing from me as often as I can get through. Grow a pair or we’re done with you.

  5. “Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem. How far I shall succeed in gratifying this ambition, is yet to be developed.”

    — March 9, 1832 – First Political Announcement

  6. We live in DeGette’s district, so we presume that she will vote to support the PResident.  However, I wonder if calling the other members of the Congressional Delegation would be worthwhile.  Any thoughts?

      1. Because DeGette is always really super responsive to me or other R’s.

        Actually, I take that back.

        She’s unresponsive to everyone, unless they happen to be hosting a cocktail party in Washington.

        2. …you know Rep DeGette, your constituents have stem cells in their bodies. Maybe you should listen to them!

          Nah…never work. No check from Big Med or Big Pharma attached…

          2. She has no reason to care what any of her constituents think. As long as she doesn’t sacrifice any Cub Scouts on the Capitol steps, she’s good to go for as many elections as she wants.

    1. “many women who get pregnant are blasted out of their minds when they have sex, [so] they’re not going to use birth control anyway.”  

      1. but I think I was a pretty typical birth control user.  I don’t have to be blasted to have sex with my husband but we didn’t want to have more children.  Most married Republicans apparently use birth control, too, as families with 8+ children seem pretty rare among my Republican neighbors. I know so many 2 or 3 child Catholic families, it seems like it would be a huge coincidence if it was because they’re all less fertile than folks used to be and even less likely that they all have that much rhythm.  

      1. I think he probably will be impeached by the House if he tries the 14th Amendment thing.

        Of course, if he doesn’t can Holder, he’s going to be impeached anyway over Fast and Furious, so what does he have to lose?

          1. If Obama so even dares as to rescue the creditworthiness of the USA at the last minute, and put the interests of ordinary Americans first, you bet your damn sweet ass we are going to IMPEACH THE FUCK OUT OF HIM !

            1. Their disdain for this president is so petty and personal.  They have made no bones that their sole goal is to get him out of the White House, and they will do whatever they can think of to accomplish that.  Speaking only of the Republican members of Congress, and not of the Polster who raised the issue of impeachment here, I think they cannot stand the thought of this president sullying the White House.  And yes, I am saying what you think I am saying.

      2. fuxsake that’s the making for a Murdoch wet dream (sorry for that thought)

        Obama using 14th Amd will definitely beget violent birthers/tenthers/Teabaggers response.  Guaranteed ugly idiots will be rallying around the 2nd Amd, event though said same idiots have rarely bothered to read the Constitution.

        Birthers/tenthers/Teabaggers seem to want want an armed insurrection fanned by Fox’s Machiavellian machinations and this would tip them over the rational edge.

    2. The GOP is dead in the water.  Dems will almost certainly regain the House AND add more seats in the Senate.  They just won’t be incumbant Democrats, as I expect most House and Senate Democrats to be primaried this time.  

      But we still kick the Tea Party’s ass.  Sorry, ellbee, to ruin your day.

      1. What in the world would make you think something like that?

        Even during the government shutdown in the 90s, Clinton was over 50%.  Obama is foundering – he’s absent, and has tried to fall back on his faux “adult in the room” BS to try to gain a seat at the table that he lost.

        Sheesh – when a lib loses even Politico….

        President Barack Obama elbowed his way back into the debt ceiling debate Monday night, three days after Republicans shoved him out, but he offered no hint of a solution to the escalating political and financial crisis.

            1. he does more than any of your guys do.  I’ll admit, a tad over-optimistic in my estimation but your vision of the near future is, as usual, completely delusional.  Paid much attention to Wisconsin, Ohio or Florida lately?

        1. But I have to agree. I don’t see any big change. The voters in the middle now figure neither party will fight for them. And the Democratic base is unmotivated because the Democratic officeholders are Republican light.

            1. I want to support people that will fight the good fight. They often come up short. They sometimes totally lose. But they’re in there fighting to make the world a better place on the big issues that matter.

              And over time, if we have enough people at the top fighting to effect the fundamental changes that matter, the world becomes a much better place.

              We seem to have lost that at present. But it will return soon. History is on the side of us optimists – long term.

              1. You have frequently advocated for “centrist” Tom Friedman-type solutions and castigated Democrats for going too far to the left. If this is your current opinion, it’s a new one as far as I can tell. The old me would have said you changed it just so you could always find a way to strongly criticize Democrats (formerly from the right, currently from the left). But the old me is not the new me.

                1. I’ve always supported single payer (although I’m open to other approaches that have been proven to work and have more of a free-market component). On the financial meltdown I’ve always supported bringing back Glass-Steagall and limiting the size of the largest banks. And on the economy I’ve always supported pumping money in for infrastructure and education.

                  On the flip side I’m in favor of evaluating teachers (and all public employees). I think many unions are fighting the wrong battles. I believe in free trade (that’s evenly balanced). And I think the government should impact business as lightly and efficiently as possible.

                  So it’s not that I bounce back and forth – it’s that some of my views are left-wing and some are right-wing. Or to put it another way, I think for myself rather than just blindly follow one side.

            2. I want to support people that will fight the good fight. They often come up short. They sometimes totally lose. But they’re in there fighting to make the world a better place on the big issues that matter.

              And over time, if we have enough people at the top fighting to effect the fundamental changes that matter, the world becomes a much better place.

              We seem to have lost that at present. But it will return soon. History is on the side of us optimists – long term.

      3. Watch this briefing.  Please.  THis is getting ridiculous.  Freaking Chuck Todd is giving Carney the business.  What’s next?  Locusts?  Earthquakes?

        The whole WH Press Corps (pronounced “Corpse” over there sometimes) is laughing Carney out of his own briefing.

        1. You engage in wishful delusion. No matter how much the public may be unhappy with Obama, every poll shows they really think the Rs suck.  This is the Dems’ to blow but, in any case, 2012 will NOT look like 2010. As for Chuck, first he thought Hillary would win the nomination, then he thought McCain would win the election so, there you go. He’s the type easily swayed by the common wisdom of the moment.

          1. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 24% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -19 (see trends).

            Things look like there lining up with Rassy versus you.


            Republicans continue to lead Democrats on the Generic Congressional Ballot. Today, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, Rasmussen Reports will provide our weekly update on how the president is faring against a Generic Republican.

            Ok you ladies and germs know the source http://www.RassmusseReports.com

              1. Rasmussen!  Brilliant!  Ever check out any other polls? And about that generic guy?  Too bad he’s not running because your actual candidates aren’t doing nearly as well.

  9. The average net worth for US Households:

    White: $113,149

    Hispanic: $6,325

    Black: $5,677

    Biggest diisparity seen since tracking began 25-years ago.  Experts say a larger percentage of minority net worth is from housing equity.

  12. http://www.thestreet.com/story…

    “We wish to express our gratitude to those who chose to invest their capital with Soros Fund Management LLC over the last nearly 40 years,” the letter to investors reads, according to the Bloomberg report. “We trust that you have felt well rewarded for your decision over time.”

    Initial media reports trumpeted the end of Soros’ 40-year career as a hedge-fund manager, although the billionaire investor’s firm is far from being done. Soros will return less than $1 billion to external investors, a drop in the bucket compared to the firm’s total assets of more than $25 billion.

    The reason? Under new requirements from the Dodd Frank act, hedge funds are required to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission by March 2012 if the fund continues to manage more than $150 million in assets for outside investors. The new requirements would call for funds to report information about the assets they manage, potential conflicts of interest, and information on investors and employees. The act allows an exemption for what the Commission considers “family office” advisers.

  13. The Democrats do NOT have the power to force anything……..they do not have the votes.  It is not a kabuki dance of threats and counter threats…….the Democrats lost BIG TIME last November.  Remember how unsuccessfully I tried to start a discussion of WHY the dems lost?

    Obama is doing the only thing he can do and that is to appeal to his base, such as it is, to pressure Congress..but he can’t even protect the means to communicate with Congress….I am betting that the calls and emails are running in favor of the republicans…why?  They control a vast army of right wingers who are experts at calling Washington.

    Obama has NO power.  Not because he is a wimp or caving….he does NOT have the power because he does NOT have the votes.

    Now boys and girls, get down on your hands and knees and pray that the god damm terrorists don’t figure out how weak we are and how god damm vulnerable we have made ourselves.

    1. Just as there is a reason the GOP has managed to retain power whether in the minority or the majority or in any combination of split government.

      There’s a reason they, until now, have always been able to scare up the votes when they need them while Dems can’t or just won’t. The Tea Partyish may be changing that dynamic for the first time in decades creating an exellent opportunity for change in a long set status quo if Dems have the guts to go for it.

      Sorry about that tiptoeing thing and I promise I won’t respond if PRS would like to have the last word(s).

      2. But I keep thinking you see this power thing comparable to using sex as a weapon….if the dems would just “hold out”..they could get their own way.

        I am not sure other than that, what it is you think the dems can do?

        1. of GOP right as the default power since Reagan to you. It’s got nothing to  do with withholding anything.  Now please let PRS have the last word. He’ll explode if he doesn’t .

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