Political Hippo Circle Jerk - America, farg YEAH!

[ATV]

I still contend that saying something like "they have been fighting for thousands of years and will do so forever" is brushing the problem aside.

Absolutely. It's a gradeschool attitude and a sorry excuse for letting injustice and bloodshed go on.

I'm sure there were people who were saying the same thing about The IRA and Northern Ireland - "Aww these people just hate eachother. They've been fighting forever. Let's just let them kill eachother.", or "You play to win. You fight to kill. Grant no quarter, ask no quarter." Blah, blah, blah......

[shorebird]

I wish the US was never involved but since for the past 50 some odd years its been claiming its a mediator when in reality its been just Israel's daddy, responsibility falls on the US to bring about some solution. You can not just up and leave now.

Bullmotherfarging shtein. The hell they couldn't and should. Thats what the new regime should be about.

But noooooooooo. The U.S. needs to have a military presence in Israel/Middle East. I hope Barrack Obama exits Iraq and Israel.

And he just might do it.

[ATV]

>Zero< Super-"Bipartisan" Repubelicans stood up with the new President on passing the budget which helped power the country into a new age of progress and prosperity....

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6D6143BF935A3575BC0A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1l

After all these years, still whiny little game-playing bitches.

[phillymic2000]

>Zero< Super-"Bipartisan" Repubelicans stood up with the new President on passing the budget which helped power the country into a new age of progress and prosperity....

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6D6143BF935A3575BC0A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1l

After all these years, still whiny little game-playing bitches.

IMO this package was pushed too fast, 11 dems voted against the package also. There is a lot of ish in it. And I don't blame anyone for voting against some of the dumb ass stuf in it.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123310466514522309.html

"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before."
So said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in November,

In selling the plan, President Obama has said this bill will make "dramatic investments to revive our flagging economy." Well, you be the judge. Some $30 billion, or less than 5% of the spending in the bill, is for fixing bridges or other highway projects. There's another $40 billion for broadband and electric grid development, airports and clean water projects that are arguably worthwhile priorities.

all I heard was about how we were going to rebuild our infastructure during the election 5% wait a minute he's a 5%ter muslim 

Add the roughly $20 billion for business tax cuts, and by our estimate only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus.

Congress wants to spend $600 million more for the federal government to buy new cars. Uncle Sam already spends $3 billion a year on its fleet of 600,000 vehicles.

Another "stimulus" secret is that some $252 billion is for income-transfer payments -- that is, not investments that arguably help everyone, but cash or benefits to individuals for doing nothing at all.

As for the promise of accountability, some $54 billion will go to federal programs that the Office of Management and Budget or the Government Accountability Office have already criticized as "ineffective" or unable to pass basic financial audits.

Oh, and don't forget education, which would get $66 billion more. That's more than the entire Education Department spent a mere 10 years ago and is on top of the doubling under President Bush. Some $6 billion of this will subsidize university building projects. If you think the intention here is to help kids learn, the House declares on page 257 that "No recipient . . . shall use such funds to provide financial assistance to students to attend private elementary or secondary schools." Horrors: Some money might go to nonunion teachers.

Complete bullshtein

This is supposed to be a new era of bipartisanship, but this bill was written based on the wish list of every living -- or dead -- Democratic interest group. As Speaker Nancy Pelosi put it, "We won the election. We wrote the bill." So they did. Republicans should let them take all of the credit.

All I know if this was the Repube's on the other side you'd blow a load all over the dem's not voting for some of this nonsense. And don't get me wrong there is some good in this, but it looks like it's .12 on the dollar.

[ATV]

Looks like someone's been studying up at their favorite Right Wing blogs.

[phillymic2000]

Looks like someone's been studying up at their favorite Right Wing blogs.

Yeah cause it's all a lie, all these items are a lie, damn those right wing nazis, damn them to hell

[Geowhizzer]

Oh, and don't forget education, which would get $66 billion more. That's more than the entire Education Department spent a mere 10 years ago and is on top of the doubling under President Bush. Some $6 billion of this will subsidize university building projects. If you think the intention here is to help kids learn, the House declares on page 257 that "No recipient . . . shall use such funds to provide financial assistance to students to attend private elementary or secondary schools." Horrors: Some money might go to nonunion teachers.

Complete bullshtein

I must be in the wrong damn teachers union, because I am looking at a pay cut for next year.  Much like many in America.

[rjs246]

This bill has a lot of bullshtein in it and I put 100% of the blame on Pelosi. If seh couldn't get her own party to line up and vote for the pork in this thing how in the bloody farg are they gonna get republicans to do it. Dumb bitch.

Also, the federal government should not be funding PRIVATE SCHOOLS. Why would anyone bitch and moan about the government specifying that their money shouldn't go to private institutions?

[Phanatic]

So basically it comes down to...there have been wars, changes in regimes, empires, religious rule, and endless bloodshed in the Middle East and especially in the "HOLY LAND"....

Isn't that true for the rest of the world? For all history? Of all mankind? Of all religions and races?

I still contend that saying something like "they have been fighting for thousands of years and will do so forever" is brushing the problem aside. Jews and Christians have been fighting forever also, up until 1948 in fact. I wish the US was never involved but since for the past 50 some odd years its been claiming its a mediator when in reality its been just Israel's daddy, responsibility falls on the US to bring about some solution. You can not just up and leave now.

Couple things here. It is true for the rest of the world but not nearly as focused as that part of the world. There was once a city so devastated by war it is now associated with the worst disaster possible. That city was in the region of Israel Lebanon and it was named Armageddon.

Second I am pointing out the longevity of the situation to merely state that both sides have their hands dirty. They've been at it one way or another for a thousand years. One launches home made rockets these days and the other over reacts with the best weapons money can buy. There is no black or white and neither side is without fault. I guarantee if the shoe was on the other foot the "Palestinians" would wipe Israel off of the map. Hamas isn't even supported by other Arab nations in the region because they are so in the fight they can not see the forest through the trees and everyone knows it. They mortgage the lives of their sons and daughters to blow up a security check point. Bankrupting the potential future of their society and people. Hamas is the worst thing in the world for the Palestinians. Israel is not clean in any of this either. They have based their country on the zionist movement from the late 1800's that says that there must be a Jewish nation before the Mesiah can return. Granted not all Israelies subscribe to this. Just like in the US there are many people with many different views but sometimes majority rule gets you Bush in the white house for 8 years. Sometimes it gets you Obama. Looking at it from far away I can see no answer to the current conflict. They're never going to agree.

[Diomedes]

What compromise did Republicans make on the house bill?  Any?

I know the Dems gave up the contraceptive funding.

[phillymic2000]

What compromise did Republicans make on the house bill?  Any?

I know the Dems gave up the contraceptive funding.

This is supposed to be a new era of bipartisanship, but this bill was written based on the wish list of every living -- or dead -- Democratic interest group. As Speaker Nancy Pelosi put it, "We won the election. We wrote the bill." So they did. Republicans should let them take all of the credit.

What could they compromise? they didn't have anything to do with it. Obama reaching out to them was complete horseshtein, he wasn't listening to them he wanted them to vote for it so if it fails they are tied to it.

[phillymic2000]

Also, the federal government should not be funding PRIVATE SCHOOLS. Why would anyone bitch and moan about the government specifying that their money shouldn't go to private institutions?

This was directly tied to the teachers unions support of the democratic party. How many private companies are being "bailed out" how many private organizations will be receiving money for programs, yet this bill directly shuts the door on charter/private schools. Its bullshtein, and its only because the democratic party is trying to appease the teachers union.

[Diomedes]

What could they compromise? they didn't have anything to do with it.

They didn't have anything to do with it, exactly.  The Republicans are behaving like whining losers.  They aren't in power, so they won't play ball.  The dems wrote the bill--of course they wrote the bill, that's how it works--and they have demonstrated at least some willingness to compromise, but the Republicans are giving nothing and listening not at all.

In addition to withdrawing the contraceptive item, Dems also dropped funding for the restoration of the Jefferson Memorial, which Republicans objected to.  And house Dems have further indicated that they will be open to adopting a provision in the Senate version to adjust the alternate minimum tax to keep taxes on middle earners low...in other words, they will adopt further tax cuts, which is what Republicans are crying about.

Two Republican proposals were voted down on almost straight party lines.  Both proposals were disingenuine and obviously intended to fail, so they could say "the administration isn't listening."  The first was a plan to fund the entire economic recovery by cutting taxes.  I don't need to explain why that won't work.  The second redacted several points from the bill that President Obama himself promised during his campaign and would not sign the bill without. 

It's clear to me what's going on here.  Republicans are pitching a temper tantrum.

[phillymic2000]

Two Republican proposals were voted down on almost straight party lines.  Both proposals were disingenuine and obviously intended to fail, so they could say "the administration isn't listening."  The first was a plan to fund the entire economic recovery by cutting taxes.  I don't need to explain why that won't work.  The second redacted several points from the bill that President Obama himself promised during his campaign and would not sign the bill without. 

And the fargin same thing would have happened if it was the other way around. You don't think Obama's meeting was disingenuine? Bottom line is there are even democrats who aren't buying some of horseshtein in this bill. This bill is supposed to boost our economy and get us out of trouble, apparently Obama does not have enough clout to stop some of this nonsense, but then again it wasn't pelosi who said "Change is coming" she is in favor of his other quote "yes we can".
Also the republicans are not blocking anything, the democrats have enough votes to pass this thing, so why do the republicans have to get on board with what they feel is a bad bill? bitchy or not don't they have a right to vote no?

[rjs246]

Also, the federal government should not be funding PRIVATE SCHOOLS. Why would anyone bitch and moan about the government specifying that their money shouldn't go to private institutions?

This was directly tied to the teachers unions support of the democratic party. How many private companies are being "bailed out" how many private organizations will be receiving money for programs, yet this bill directly shuts the door on charter/private schools. Its bullshtein, and its only because the democratic party is trying to appease the teachers union.

So Republicans are against bailing out private industry and giving away people's hard earned tax dollars unles it helps them to make a point in favor of spiting teachers' unions. Got it.