One candidate calls himself a businessman who has lived in the real business world. He understands the economy because of this and will be a better choice for president because he’s a decider. Can some one please inform this candidate that he doesn’t understand how Government works? There are a group of elected officials called the congress who decide on financing the government not the economy. They call this a budget, which comes out of a budget committee then voted on by a majority of congress in both houses. Only if a majority in both houses passes this budget bill will you get the opportunity to decide by signing it into law or veto it and send it back for revisions. Capitalist don’t fear the president and his policies they fear the Congress and Senate for their lack of legislation. The problem any President has and will always have begun in the 1975 rules changes made by the senate. Any legislature to pass after a filibuster requires a three fifths vote of the senate or 60 votes out of 100 also know as a supermajority.
The Lame Duck Is Miserable
The dust has settled on a devastating defeat on November 2, 2010. The anti acids are soothing but the reality still plagues us mentally. Billions were spent on campaigns for change from either party yet the rhetoric remains the same. In January Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives and have a good size minority in the Senate with two Independents. Over the last two years the Democratic control of both houses looked for compromise and bipartisan participation to accomplish a sustained growth in the economy, the beginnings of a health care reformation, and a constitutional idea to protect the common good of the nation by once again including the middle class. On all fronts current statistics are indicating progress in all of these areas. The economy is growing, initial unemployment claims are down, and more people are getting health care.
Now the winning party has begun to once again attack the accomplishments of the past two years with the same rhetoric and demand bi partisanship one day and look to repeal everything that has provided a path to success the next. They believe that they have a mandate from the people because of the election results. NOT, they are being challenged to continue what needs
to be fixed. Fiscal responsibility has been their campaign by those who put us in this mess in the first place from 2001 to 2008. The deficits need to be attacked. Not by going back to the Bush tax cuts for the rich and add an additional 700 billion to the deficit. The so called bipartisan committee formed by president Obama is attacking Pentagon spending, proposed? 100 billion cut, Social Security, Medicare, entitlements and tax cuts to the middle class, does this sound familiar? The people who bear the burden currently the middle class and who have suffered the most by the Bush induced misery are being asked
to sacrifice again for the sake of the country and of course to fill the coffers of the top 2%. Here’s the new misery index the percent of Republicans in the House of Representatives (55.6%) and Senate (47%) added to the percent unemployed (9.6%) equals 112.2% now that’s a fever that needs medication.
If anything gets done over the next two years it will certainly be a miracle. I hope President Obama has his VETO pen ready.
To the best of Geithner’s and Paulson’s recollection
Treasury Secretary Geithner and former Secretary Paulson’s testimony today at the AIG House oversight committee hearing has disclosed nothing new. Geithner continues to dodge questions related to his knowledge and his assistants’ knowledge related to AIG counterparty relationships and their associations with Government Officials such as Henry Paulson and his assistants who previously worked for Goldman Sachs. Specific questions related to counterparty settlements of 2.5 billion of U.S. Taxpayer Dollars to Goldman Sachs, and 16.5 Billion Taxpayer Dollars to a Foreign National Bank the top two recipients. The web of financial transaction connected many of the financial institution who received billion of T.A.R.P. tax dollars was the reason for rescuing AIG. Geithner’s rationale behind their decision was to prevent a financial catastrophe or meltdown of the US financial systems. Paulson’s rationale similar to Geithner’s was First AIG was too big to fail. That’s sounds familiar. Second, AIG was seriously unregulated. The wolves were guarding the Hen House. Third, AIG could not go into bankruptcy successfully. This was because its failure would affect other financial institutions. The bottom line was the U.S. Taxpayer had to make Goldman and other institutions both domestic and international whole by paying off AIG liabilities to those institutions that had political leverage through our government officials. Of course Paulson denies any role in the decisions being made to help make Goldman whole. The continued excuse is that the future of our economy was at risk. Not really knowing what the results would have been if AIG failed. The scare tactics used over and over again during the Bush/Chaney years to justify two wars carried over into this debacle used by Paulson, Geithner and Bernake. We wonder why the public doesn’t trust Government.
Republicans should be angered by their lack of representation
Hernando County Republicans should begin to support their Democratic counterparts. It has become apparent that republican politicians don’t care about you. The Stimulus package was passed by 246 Democrats and ZERO out of 183 Republicans in the Congress, you must be proud of your Rep Ginny Brown Waite who voted against creating jobs locally for the construction industry, or educational support to keep teachers in their jobs, increased unemployment compensation, and a 65% subsidy for Cobra Health Insurance, and the beginning of the long awaited energy independence to support alternative energy sources which are part of this bill. Please don’t confuse Brown Waite’s political rhetoric utilizing the term pork, hopefully not referring to her Republican constituents who will be the recipients of this bills intent and who re- elected her, as pork. In the Senate 57 Democrat’s and 3 wise Republicans, 2 from Maine and one from Pennsylvania rose to this bi-partisan occasion without political agendas for the 2010 election year. There were 36 Senate Republicans who voted against this bill including John McCain. Here is a message to registered Republican’s who are currently receiving unemployment, you should not have a short memory in 2010, remember it was Democrats who were looking out for your interest in 2009.