Oh, they have a NEW contract! This time they call it a PLEDGE. 😉
GOP lawmakers later Thursday will roll out their “Pledge to America” — a 21-page document filled with familiar proposals to slash taxes and spending and cut down on government regulation, as well as repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and end his stimulus program.
(snip)
The plan steers clear of specifics on important issues, such as how it will “put government on a path to a balanced budget.” It omits altogether the question of how to address looming shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare, which account for a huge portion of the nation’s soaring deficit, instead including a vague promise: “We will make the decisions that are necessary to protect our entitlement programs.”
(snip)
“Regarding the policies of the current government, the governed do not consent,” the pledge says. “An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.”
The above bears strong resemblence to the GOP. They talk about themselves and hope people have stopped thinking.
If you’re really into the whole churning stomach thing this morning, the rest of the article is here
I would imagine that in the next 30 years, we’ll see more and more ownership of this country by corporations. Until the populace wakes up, there’s little that can be done. We don’t have the money, which means we don’t have the power. Boy, they played this one perfectly.
No kidding, fnord. And when was the last time the GOP held government had a balanced budget? Let me rephrase that. When was the last time a GOP held government had a BUDGET?
Of the many critiques of the GOP “pledge,” I found several interesting, like this one from Joan McCarter of the liberal blog DailyKos —
“How convenient for Republicans. On the day they release their pledge, they’ll also have an opportunity to vote for the small business bill,” she writes. “So here’s their chance to get an early start on fulfilling their pledge and actually voting for small businesses. They could show voters that the really mean it this time. Except that this bill doesn’t have any tax breaks for rich people or for companies which ship jobs overseas, which in Republican speak is the definition of “small business,” so it doesn’t seem too likely.”
And, Michelle Malkin used “CYA” words when she said she is “cautiously optimistic about the document.” Continuing to cover her ass, she says, “I love it, provided the words jump off the paper and into reality at some point soon,” she wrote. “Sure, signing off on political pledges is a little like ordering X-Ray glasses from a comic book — you just know it’s not going to be nearly as good as advertised — but I like the GOP’s effort so far.” She didn’t, of course, specify what those “efforts” are, but maybe she meant the writing of the 21 pages…
As long as it sounds good and gets them the votes they need to stay in business (and I do mean business), they don’t really care what they say or promise or pledge. While it’s true that the above is true for pretty much all politicians, the GOP has it down to a science.
Most senior citizens stand to benefit from the national health care law passed earlier this year, according to the head of a national Medicare advocates’ group.
Elderly Americans will have more access to preventive medical care and the new law will gradually close the so-called “doughnut hole” in prescription-drug benefits, said Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a New York-based group that advocates for seniors and disabled people on Medicare.
and…
He said seniors were targeted with misinformation about the health law by its opponents when the measure was under debate in Congress — for example, assertions that the bill would reduce Medicare benefits and that “death panels” would decide whether seniors would receive treatment.
Their “Contract ON America” got them the majority in the House for the first time in 40 years. And, they managed to fool the people for 12 years before it was taken away from them again. Wonder how long it will take American voters to see they still have nothing?
Ya know, during those 12 years they didn’t accomplish even one of the items that comprised their contract. So now changing it to the word pledge makes it more convincing?
What was it Rove said about 50% of the population? Something about them being below average intelligence. The GOP seems to have more than their fair share of that lower 50%.
Well, to get an average (arithmetic mean), there will be a group “below” average, and a group “above” average. Has to be, assuming a normal distribution.
I thought it would be entertaining to look back at the Contract With ON America. Here’s what wiki has to say.
Government and Operational Reforms
On the first day of their majority in the House, the Republicans promised to pass eight major reforms:
1. require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
2. select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
3. cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
4. limit the terms of all committee chairs;
5. ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
6. require committee meetings to be open to the public;
7. require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
8. guarantee an honest accounting of the Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.
Major Policy Changes
Thereafter, during the 1st one hundred days of the 104th Congress, the Republicans pledged “to bring to the floor the following [ten] bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available for public inspection.” The text of the proposed bills was included in the Contract, which was released prior to the election. These bills were not governmental operational reforms, as the previous promises were; rather, they represented significant changes to policy. The main included a balanced budget requirement, tax cuts for small businesses, families and seniors, term limits for legislators, social security reform, tort reform, and welfare reform.
Another Dem came to my door last night. I suppose that Flaharty sign in my yard told him it was safe to knock. LOL He was young (22, ’cause he told me) and was almost to the point of being adamant that I sign and give him my advance voter registration card.
A) It was not the best time to come knocking on my door. Not that he or anyone else would know that, but I had 4 grandkids here, 2 just home from school and still a bit out of control. The other 2 had spent the day trashing nearly every room in my house.
B) When I told him the voting cards were on my desk, but I wasn’t going to go dig for them at that moment, he should have nicely ceased asking for them.
C) Next time I’ll be completely honest. Look, I’m up to my eyeballs in deadlines, said desk being proof, and right now neither voting nor those advance cards are a top priority for me.
Yes, I was a bit miffed. I was tired and grouchy and in a rotten mood. Worse than this morning! Heaven help him, right?
I can understand why both parties push for advance voting. They neither one want to take their chances of what might happen between now and Nov. 3rd, they neither one want to bet it won’t have the possibility of changing voters minds.
I don’t have signs in my yard because I don’t want either party to find an easy invitation or any knowledge of me other than my registration (which is Republican) before they approach my door! If they knock at an inconvenient time they both face the same person (who probably isn’t a person they want to speak with). But armed with only my registration info, guess which one might be most surprised if it isn’t an inconvenient time?
Say, are you feeling nostalgic for that wild and wacky year 1994? Stephen Breyer was confirmed to the Supreme Court…Dallas won the Super Bowl…the White House published a single web page…Richard Nixon shuffled off his mortal coil…Forrest Gump feasted on his box of chocolates…and Republicans in Congress signed their awesome Contract On America!
What memories. Seems like it was just…um…16 years ago.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we can’t bring Ol’ Tricky Dick back, but we can do the next best thing! Today the GOP boyz in the Hizzouse are gettin’ back together, baby! Put yer hands together for the Not New…Hardly Improved…Totally Recycled….REPUBLICAN CONTRACT ON AMERICA REUNION TOUR!!!
[Raaaahhhhh!!!]
Oh yeeeah, baby… [Oooh chocka wocka boing boing chocka chocka] …they’re movin’, they’re groovin’, they’re schmoozin’, they’re shakin’ and seducin’ America all over again with their sexy, sultry Greatest Hits. Like…
The stimulus worked, the bailouts worked, the financial and health reforms are beginning to work, we have fewer nuclear weapons, fewer wars, fewer illegal immigrants, more goods going overseas, more freedoms, more respect globally, and somehow all of this is defined as failure and being out of touch. Amazing how fast a fine ability to speak and a towering intellect can alienate all the Billy Bobs.
And my $5, $10, $15 donation, along with the same from ten thousand of my friends, which I don’t have and wasn’t actually mentioned, will keep the Democrats in power!
I have some nice beach property right here in River City at a terrific price, too.
Every job I ever had looked more simple and straight forward before I took it. Once I was the one doing the job I realized there were always choices to how the duties were accomplished, and each choice had an effect down and up the chain of employees who had a hand in the completion of a single task. An order was taken and depending on how it was handled might affect the person who packaged it, the shipping department, the purchasing agent who reordered the inventory, the billing clerk who prepared the invoice, the accountant who kept an eye on the company’s money flow… Yeah, we all had a part so if my job was taking the order from the customer it certainly wasn’t just that simple.
I think sometimes our elected officials don’t look beyond their tiny part and may not even be aware of the effects on ____.
But it could just as easily be that I’m looking at their job from the outside and have no idea of how complicated it is,
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — One week after the Senate passed a $42 billion bill aimed at helping small businesses, the House voted Thursday to send the bill to President Obama’s desk.
The measure, which passed the House in a 237 to 187 vote, is aimed at creating 500,000 jobs, according to a Senate summary of the bill. The Small Business Jobs Act also is intended to make credit more available for Main Street and enacts about $12 billion in tax breaks.
The president will sign the bill into law on Monday.
While often short on specifics, the agenda aims to create jobs, shrink government and cut taxes. House Republican leaders have called for repealing Obama’s tightening of rules on the financial industry but the agenda does not include that.
“The agenda is focused on what the American people want done right now,” an aide said, adding House Republican Leader John Boehner still favors repeal.
Here is a look at the agenda, which Republicans hope will helps them to win control of the House from President Barack Obama’s Democrats in the November 2 election:
* Repeal and replace Obama’s landmark overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system with “common-sense solutions” to lower medical costs, permit Americans to buy insurance across state lines and enact liability reform to curb what critics call frivolous lawsuits against doctors.
* End government control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which buy residential mortgages to free up lenders to engage in new deals. Both have been accused of poor decisions that undermined the U.S. housing industry.
* Save an estimated $100 billion by rolling back federal spending to 2008 levels, with exceptions for the elderly, U.S. troops and veterans.
* Impose a net hiring freeze on non-security federal workers. New employees would be hired only to replace those who leave.
* Allow small business owners to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income.
* Extend all Bush-era tax cuts “permanently” for the middle class as well as wealthier Americans. The cuts are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts.
* Cancel all unspent money from Obama’s $814 billion economic stimulus plan. The program fell far short of expectations, even though the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates it boosted real gross domestic product in the second quarter by between 1.7 percent and 4.5 percent and raised employment by 1.4 million to 3.3 million jobs.
* Require congressional approval of any new federal regulations that may add to the budget deficit “or make it harder to create jobs.”
* Bolster border security and require that suspected militants be tried in military rather than civilian courts. In August, Congress approved $600 million in additional funds to improve border security.
* Work with state and local officials to better enforce immigration laws.
* Saying Americans are fed up with federal bailouts of failed businesses, Republicans promise to end the Troubled Asset Relief Program “once and for all,” saving taxpayers about $16 billion. Under current law, TARP ends on October 3, except for efforts to recoup allocated government funds.
I am beginning to think that perhaps there is a show that the White House and the Democratic in Congress is coming to hate more then any on Fox. Oberman is coming out with pointed issue that are spot on and taking those in Government to task.
Tonight it was about how the decision has been made to not vote on the Middle class tax breaks till after the elections. But if the vote was done before the election it would highlight the Republicans filibustering and
fighting the tax cuts for the majority of Americans.
Even if not passed it would damage the Right in the next election and serves no right purpose in the midterms.
To wait to take the vote.
I wished I had watched last night when Oberman did a special on how the what is covered under the term of small business. IN the legislature concerning the loans and tax breaks.
It seem it includes businesses like Koch industries and several others who are not way needing a tax break or loans.
I guess that Pelosi even gave it honorable mention today but the question is if they know that why are they doing it?
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Amen!
Yes! Jimi had it right, didn’t he?
The GOP is scrunching up their foreheads, putting on their most sincere looking faces and saying,
“Trust me.”
I had a boyfriend pull that act once… Actually, I’ve seen it more than once in my lifetime, enough times to recognize it quickly. 😉
They rewrote their failed Contract ON America and begin by bashing the government they’re part of…
Yeah.
Oh, they have a NEW contract! This time they call it a PLEDGE. 😉
GOP lawmakers later Thursday will roll out their “Pledge to America” — a 21-page document filled with familiar proposals to slash taxes and spending and cut down on government regulation, as well as repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and end his stimulus program.
(snip)
The plan steers clear of specifics on important issues, such as how it will “put government on a path to a balanced budget.” It omits altogether the question of how to address looming shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare, which account for a huge portion of the nation’s soaring deficit, instead including a vague promise: “We will make the decisions that are necessary to protect our entitlement programs.”
(snip)
“Regarding the policies of the current government, the governed do not consent,” the pledge says. “An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.”
The above bears strong resemblence to the GOP. They talk about themselves and hope people have stopped thinking.
If you’re really into the whole churning stomach thing this morning, the rest of the article is here
I would imagine that in the next 30 years, we’ll see more and more ownership of this country by corporations. Until the populace wakes up, there’s little that can be done. We don’t have the money, which means we don’t have the power. Boy, they played this one perfectly.
Say what you want about those right-wingers, but they keep their promises.
Tax cuts for the rich? Check.
Endless war? Check.
Destroying worker protections and the environment? Check.
No kidding, fnord. And when was the last time the GOP held government had a balanced budget? Let me rephrase that. When was the last time a GOP held government had a BUDGET?
Of the many critiques of the GOP “pledge,” I found several interesting, like this one from Joan McCarter of the liberal blog DailyKos —
“How convenient for Republicans. On the day they release their pledge, they’ll also have an opportunity to vote for the small business bill,” she writes. “So here’s their chance to get an early start on fulfilling their pledge and actually voting for small businesses. They could show voters that the really mean it this time. Except that this bill doesn’t have any tax breaks for rich people or for companies which ship jobs overseas, which in Republican speak is the definition of “small business,” so it doesn’t seem too likely.”
And, Michelle Malkin used “CYA” words when she said she is “cautiously optimistic about the document.” Continuing to cover her ass, she says, “I love it, provided the words jump off the paper and into reality at some point soon,” she wrote. “Sure, signing off on political pledges is a little like ordering X-Ray glasses from a comic book — you just know it’s not going to be nearly as good as advertised — but I like the GOP’s effort so far.” She didn’t, of course, specify what those “efforts” are, but maybe she meant the writing of the 21 pages…
As long as it sounds good and gets them the votes they need to stay in business (and I do mean business), they don’t really care what they say or promise or pledge. While it’s true that the above is true for pretty much all politicians, the GOP has it down to a science.
Warning: I’m on several rants this a.m.
Most senior citizens stand to benefit from the national health care law passed earlier this year, according to the head of a national Medicare advocates’ group.
Elderly Americans will have more access to preventive medical care and the new law will gradually close the so-called “doughnut hole” in prescription-drug benefits, said Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a New York-based group that advocates for seniors and disabled people on Medicare.
and…
He said seniors were targeted with misinformation about the health law by its opponents when the measure was under debate in Congress — for example, assertions that the bill would reduce Medicare benefits and that “death panels” would decide whether seniors would receive treatment.
No shit, Sherlock?
http://www.kansas.com/2010/09/23/1506819/advocate-medicare-changes-benefit.html
Their “Contract ON America” got them the majority in the House for the first time in 40 years. And, they managed to fool the people for 12 years before it was taken away from them again. Wonder how long it will take American voters to see they still have nothing?
Answer: When American voters realize that America and its people have nothing.
Yes. Oh, how sad.
Ya know, during those 12 years they didn’t accomplish even one of the items that comprised their contract. So now changing it to the word pledge makes it more convincing?
What was it Rove said about 50% of the population? Something about them being below average intelligence. The GOP seems to have more than their fair share of that lower 50%.
Well, to get an average (arithmetic mean), there will be a group “below” average, and a group “above” average. Has to be, assuming a normal distribution.
And then there’s the average… 😉
When you got nothin’ you have to make people afraid. That’s one area where we can always count on the GOP!
I thought it would be entertaining to look back at the Contract
WithON America. Here’s what wiki has to say.Here’s a link to the actual “Contract.”
http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/CONTRACT.html
Another Dem came to my door last night. I suppose that Flaharty sign in my yard told him it was safe to knock. LOL He was young (22, ’cause he told me) and was almost to the point of being adamant that I sign and give him my advance voter registration card.
A) It was not the best time to come knocking on my door. Not that he or anyone else would know that, but I had 4 grandkids here, 2 just home from school and still a bit out of control. The other 2 had spent the day trashing nearly every room in my house.
B) When I told him the voting cards were on my desk, but I wasn’t going to go dig for them at that moment, he should have nicely ceased asking for them.
C) Next time I’ll be completely honest. Look, I’m up to my eyeballs in deadlines, said desk being proof, and right now neither voting nor those advance cards are a top priority for me.
Yes, I was a bit miffed. I was tired and grouchy and in a rotten mood. Worse than this morning! Heaven help him, right?
I can understand why both parties push for advance voting. They neither one want to take their chances of what might happen between now and Nov. 3rd, they neither one want to bet it won’t have the possibility of changing voters minds.
I don’t have signs in my yard because I don’t want either party to find an easy invitation or any knowledge of me other than my registration (which is Republican) before they approach my door! If they knock at an inconvenient time they both face the same person (who probably isn’t a person they want to speak with). But armed with only my registration info, guess which one might be most surprised if it isn’t an inconvenient time?
(Knock..Knock Knock) Good morning my daughter, I am the devil my child and accordingly to your registration you are one of my children!
Have you yet roasted a child? tripped an elderly person?
I am in your neighborhood today requesting that my children vote for my chosen servant Mike Pompeo.
He among my other chosen servants will fulfill my wishes to bring Hell on Earth!
The little children will be made to suffer and the weak and old will be used to fuel the bond fires that my children shall dance around….
You did receive my latest dance video don’t you, “Dance with the Devil to the oldies while the useless burn!”. It was mentioned on MTV!
continue reading —
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/23/904398/-Cheers-and-Jeers:-Thursday
When you get to DailyKos, be sure you scroll down far enough to read:
“Your Thursday Molly Ivins Moment.”
You can’t ever have too much of Molly!
The stimulus worked, the bailouts worked, the financial and health reforms are beginning to work, we have fewer nuclear weapons, fewer wars, fewer illegal immigrants, more goods going overseas, more freedoms, more respect globally, and somehow all of this is defined as failure and being out of touch. Amazing how fast a fine ability to speak and a towering intellect can alienate all the Billy Bobs.
And my $5, $10, $15 donation, along with the same from ten thousand of my friends, which I don’t have and wasn’t actually mentioned, will keep the Democrats in power!
I have some nice beach property right here in River City at a terrific price, too.
At this point, I’m not sure I want the current crop of dems in there, either.
Every job I ever had looked more simple and straight forward before I took it. Once I was the one doing the job I realized there were always choices to how the duties were accomplished, and each choice had an effect down and up the chain of employees who had a hand in the completion of a single task. An order was taken and depending on how it was handled might affect the person who packaged it, the shipping department, the purchasing agent who reordered the inventory, the billing clerk who prepared the invoice, the accountant who kept an eye on the company’s money flow… Yeah, we all had a part so if my job was taking the order from the customer it certainly wasn’t just that simple.
I think sometimes our elected officials don’t look beyond their tiny part and may not even be aware of the effects on ____.
But it could just as easily be that I’m looking at their job from the outside and have no idea of how complicated it is,
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — One week after the Senate passed a $42 billion bill aimed at helping small businesses, the House voted Thursday to send the bill to President Obama’s desk.
The measure, which passed the House in a 237 to 187 vote, is aimed at creating 500,000 jobs, according to a Senate summary of the bill. The Small Business Jobs Act also is intended to make credit more available for Main Street and enacts about $12 billion in tax breaks.
The president will sign the bill into law on Monday.
From Reuters:
While often short on specifics, the agenda aims to create jobs, shrink government and cut taxes. House Republican leaders have called for repealing Obama’s tightening of rules on the financial industry but the agenda does not include that.
“The agenda is focused on what the American people want done right now,” an aide said, adding House Republican Leader John Boehner still favors repeal.
Here is a look at the agenda, which Republicans hope will helps them to win control of the House from President Barack Obama’s Democrats in the November 2 election:
* Repeal and replace Obama’s landmark overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system with “common-sense solutions” to lower medical costs, permit Americans to buy insurance across state lines and enact liability reform to curb what critics call frivolous lawsuits against doctors.
* End government control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which buy residential mortgages to free up lenders to engage in new deals. Both have been accused of poor decisions that undermined the U.S. housing industry.
* Save an estimated $100 billion by rolling back federal spending to 2008 levels, with exceptions for the elderly, U.S. troops and veterans.
* Impose a net hiring freeze on non-security federal workers. New employees would be hired only to replace those who leave.
* Allow small business owners to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income.
* Extend all Bush-era tax cuts “permanently” for the middle class as well as wealthier Americans. The cuts are set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress acts.
* Cancel all unspent money from Obama’s $814 billion economic stimulus plan. The program fell far short of expectations, even though the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates it boosted real gross domestic product in the second quarter by between 1.7 percent and 4.5 percent and raised employment by 1.4 million to 3.3 million jobs.
* Require congressional approval of any new federal regulations that may add to the budget deficit “or make it harder to create jobs.”
* Bolster border security and require that suspected militants be tried in military rather than civilian courts. In August, Congress approved $600 million in additional funds to improve border security.
* Work with state and local officials to better enforce immigration laws.
* Saying Americans are fed up with federal bailouts of failed businesses, Republicans promise to end the Troubled Asset Relief Program “once and for all,” saving taxpayers about $16 billion. Under current law, TARP ends on October 3, except for efforts to recoup allocated government funds.
So they want to “replace” health care reform with what is already law.
They want to end a program that ends Oct. 3rd, a full month before the mid-term election.
And, a bunch of other dribble.
Are you all laughing yet?
I am beginning to think that perhaps there is a show that the White House and the Democratic in Congress is coming to hate more then any on Fox. Oberman is coming out with pointed issue that are spot on and taking those in Government to task.
Tonight it was about how the decision has been made to not vote on the Middle class tax breaks till after the elections. But if the vote was done before the election it would highlight the Republicans filibustering and
fighting the tax cuts for the majority of Americans.
Even if not passed it would damage the Right in the next election and serves no right purpose in the midterms.
To wait to take the vote.
I wished I had watched last night when Oberman did a special on how the what is covered under the term of small business. IN the legislature concerning the loans and tax breaks.
It seem it includes businesses like Koch industries and several others who are not way needing a tax break or loans.
I guess that Pelosi even gave it honorable mention today but the question is if they know that why are they doing it?