Almost One Year Ago Today

[Conan71]

I bet many people with find arguments, including other republicans.

Lithping thith morning?

[RecycleMichael]

?

My point is that gaspar when says "initiatives that no one can really argue will launch job growth", I laugh. These are failed policies that have been proven to not work and because his "plan" comes during a primary campaign, other republicans will probably argue with it.

Just because gaspar says "no one can really argue" doesn't make it so.

[Breadburner]

I did not know that Lou Holtz posted here.....

[AquaMan]

It should be called "the Romney Blood-letting Initiative".

What a bunch of non-sense. Its designed to whip up frenzy among the native Tea Partiers isn't it? He can't be serious about things like bullying China for doing stuff that we taught them to do while we killed off our manufacturing in favor of theirs at lower labor and cheap financing. Yeah, Throw Mama From the Train!!

"LAST DAYS" BILLS:

Reduce corporate tax rate to 25%? Immediately? Cause that will just do wonders for our deficit. Corporates have already realized they can make more money with less risk by just holding on to their already handsome profits or setting up more offices in Ireland where its 12%. Genius! Food fight!!

Move retraining to the near bankrupt states that spend most of their time figuring out how to give tax receipts to pet industries? Is that because they are also so good at underfunding education? Yeah, let them do what they do best...nothing.

DRILL BABY DRILL!! You don't think there is already an industry wide understanding of what reserves there are and where they are? You have to partner with the evil gubmint to figure it out? Save some money, just cut to the chase and let them drill in Disneyland if they want to.

Fiscal Sanity? You mean continuuing defense spending while arbitrarily cutting everything else>>>to save a mere twenty billion? Pave paradise to put up a parking lot....

EXECUTIVE ORDERS...Indeed....Translation:

STATES RIGHTS! STATES RIGHTS!

FIGHT SOCIALISM IN ALL ITS OBAMA FORMS!! IGNORE THE LAST 3 YEARS. ENABLE STATES TO REMOVE OBAMA PICS FROM ALL TEXTBOOKS REPLACING THEM WITH THE WORDS "THE TIME OF OUR GREAT SORROW!"

DRILL BABY DRILL! FRACK 'EM--FRACK 'EM ALL!

GET TOUGH WITH CHINA! SHOW EM WHO'S BOSS! WATCH THEM SMILE AND CALL IN DEBT! WOO HOO WE'RE ALL (WELL SOME OF US) GONNA BE RICH!

LABOR BAD! GET RID OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND...PUNISH THOSE WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EVIL UNION MENACE...get rid of overtime and pesky minimum wage requirements. Lower legal working age to 10 in co-operation with states education programs of course. Use Texas school boards to include pictures in their textbooks showing the barbed tails on Union leadership. Enable all states to do same.

TAX POLICY:

Refer to previous 90 years of Republican dogma. Use words "Reform", "Overhaul", "Simplify" and "Reduced Corporate Tax" as much as possible in all discussions of policy. Heck, just cut to the chase again and ELIMINATE ALL TAXATION! Utilize late 1800's business practices as guidelines wherever possible. Enable states to re-educate population by inserting in all textbooks that the phrase "Robber Barons" is a positive label that refers to the overhaul of tax reform efforts to simplify a reduced corporate tax policy. Texas will have no problem leading the way.

read more at www.crazybatsmile.com. Make sure you're stoned.

[Gaspar]

I knew this would be fun.   Nothing like baiting you guys to tear something apart!

Romney's proposal is far to light to make any impact.  It's standard middle-of-the-road Romney stuff.  RM, you are right, this is going to alienate him with much of the conservative base.

Now that everyone has taken a stance, what if many of these same ideas pop up in President Obama's address?

I love how the conservatives find it too light, and the liberals find it draconian.

[Gaspar]

Romney has just handed much of his base over to Rick Perry.

It also sets several traps for President Obama, and keynesian lords like Paul Krugman are ready to pounce.

I think this is the string that will either undo Romney.  He is betting it will deliver him a wealth of moderate, independent, indecisive Americans, but we have become a nation of strong division, and the politically meek are dwindling in numbers.  he will have a hard time building support for this on either side.

[AquaMan]

I knew this would be fun.   Nothing like bating you guys to tear something apart!

Romney's proposal is far to light to make any impact.  It's standard middle-of-the-road Romney stuff.  RM, you are right, this is going to alienate him with much of the conservative base.

Now that everyone has taken a stance, what if many of these same ideas pop up in President Obama's address?

I love how the conservatives find it too light, and the liberals find it draconian.

sp. Baiting.

You are danged right. It is rehashed hash. If we can pick it apart what will real intellects do with it?

I wouldn't be surprised if some of this stuff shows up in every candidates plans. Its like recurring stories of one armed ax wielding cemetery groundskeepers.
Even though I rail at the insipid nature of the solutions being offered, I know that draconian measures are probably due. I just can't help but feel that most of these are driven by envy and hatred for Obama.

Huntsman. Literate, deliberate, able to cross lines and with a background most American's can identify with. Thank goodness the republicans can't figure this one out.

[we vs us]

Romney has just handed much of his base over to Rick Perry.

It also sets several traps for President Obama, and keynesian lords like Paul Krugman are ready to pounce.

I think this is the string that will either undo Romney.  He is betting it will deliver him a wealth of moderate, independent, indecisive Americans, but we have become a nation of strong division, and the politically meek are dwindling in numbers.  he will have a hard time building support for this on either side.

I agree with you on this.  Romney isn't swimming, he's drowning -- but doesn't know it yet and just doesn't possess the tools to right himself.  That doesn't mean he loses the GOP nom, but it means he'll constantly be playing to the hardliners (rather than to the moderates) and will always do it with a bit of a tin ear.  It won't feel particularly genuine and he will always have to look over his right shoulder for someone more angry and more Tea Party-affiliated.

The sad part about this election season -- and maybe every other election season for the foreseeable future:  the field consists of no one able to generate national consensus.  I don't know whether that has to do with the candidates or the fact that consensus is impossible.  But I don't see anything improving this situation at all any time soon.

[Gaspar]

sp. Baiting.

You are danged right. It is rehashed hash. If we can pick it apart what will real intellects do with it?

I wouldn't be surprised if some of this stuff shows up in every candidates plans. Its like recurring stories of one armed ax wielding cemetery groundskeepers.
Even though I rail at the insipid nature of the solutions being offered, I know that draconian measures are probably due. I just can't help but feel that most of these are driven by envy and hatred for Obama.

Huntsman. Literate, deliberate, able to cross lines and with a background most American's can identify with. Thank goodness the republicans can't figure this one out.

I can't believe he put it out right before the debate.  I don't know how well Perry is at debating, but he now has plenty of ammo, and Cain is going to tear him apart on this.  If I were the moderator, I would simply use every bullet point as the basis of my questions.

Depending on how Perry does tonight (he has a lot of momentum), I think we may see Cain gain some traction, and I would love that.

[Townsend]

The "party agin' the science" debate will be cringe worthy.

"We all hate the guy from TX almost as much as we hate the guy in the white house now."

"Here's our three talking points repeated over and over no matter what the question is."

(under their breath) "Why isn't he in his own state looking after it while it burns?"

From Perry's point of view:  "No federal assistance for anyone unless we can cut spending elsewhere."...(under his breath) "Why isn't FEMA helping my state?"

[Gaspar]

The "party agin' the science" debate will be cringe worthy.

"We all hate the guy from TX almost as much as we hate the guy in the white house now."

"Here's our three talking points repeated over and over no matter what the question is."

(under their breath) "Why isn't he in his own state looking after it while it burns?"

From Perry's point of view:  "No federal assistance for anyone unless we can cut spending elsewhere."...(under his breath) "Why isn't FEMA helping my state?"

I think the debate may be an opportunity for someone else to shine.  The election is a long ways off.

[Townsend]

I think the debate may be an opportunity for someone else to shine.  The election is a long ways off.

Opportunity? Yes.

Opportunity taken?  Doubts abound.

If anyone speaks off the main talking points they'll be crucified.  "That's crazy talk."  "He's too liberal for Oklahoma."  etc.

[Gaspar]

What would happen if President Obama's Jobs Initiative included $187 billion in new tax cuts to the wealthy?

How would his base react after years of demanding that tax cuts don't create jobs?

Why on earth would he propose any tax cuts?  Isn't that just throwing money out the window?

[Conan71]

Romney has just handed much of his base over to Rick Perry.

It also sets several traps for President Obama, and keynesian lords like Paul Krugman are ready to pounce.

I think this is the string that will either undo Romney.  He is betting it will deliver him a wealth of moderate, independent, indecisive Americans, but we have become a nation of strong division, and the politically meek are dwindling in numbers.  he will have a hard time building support for this on either side.

You and I have completely different reads on this.  It sounds more like something Sarah Palin would have cobbled together.  Other than FTA's with Colombia, Panama, and SK what did he say?

Cut taxes!
Cut non-military discretionary spending!
Drill baby, drill!
Kill Obamacare!
Cut regulation!
Face down the unions!

That's not really moderate talk.  It's more like the bullet list of Tea Party talking points to try and attract potential Perry supporters.  I suspect he's worried about the large gap Perry is opening on him.  With less than six months to the first primaries, all serious candidates are in at this point so it's time for the front runners to start building consensus.  Romney is rightfully worried about Perry and he's come up with a bullet list designed to attract the more conservative of the lot.

[Townsend]

  It's more like the bullet list of Tea Party talking points to try and attract potential Perry supporters.  I suspect he's worried about the large gap Perry is opening on him.  With less than six months to the first primaries, all serious candidates are in at this point so it's time for the front runners to start building consensus.  Romney is rightfully worried about Perry and he's come up with a bullet list designed to attract the more conservative of the lot.

...and so will go the debate.