Watch it while you can: Open Thread

This is good. (0.00 / 0)

Somehow I don't think good old Uncle Walt would approve...

Republicans believe government is bad - then they get into office and prove it.

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by: GreyMike @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 10:35:51 AM CDT

The Only Thing Republicans Have To Say... (4.00 / 2)

...is fear itself.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 11:25:08 AM CDT

To be a reminder and a 'scold' to fellow Liberals (0.00 / 0)

To get the word out about a few things:

That as long as Democrats are pouting while Republicans are voting, we'll lose -- and deserve to lose;

That because there are almost no winnable Republican seats coming up in 2012 -- and a lot of vulnerable Democratic incumbents to defend -- we don't get a 'do-over.' We don't win back seats we lose this time;

That even the abysmal Blanche Lincoln is still to the left of any Republican Senate candidate.  In fact, quoting Steve Benen, "the American mainstream doesn't fully appreciate just how far to the right the Republican Party really is in 2010. I also suspect the electorate might be surprised if there's a GOP congressional majority next year, and voters get to see just how conservative this bunch really is";

That this is the group that will be 'vetting' any SCOTUS nominees, so if we fail this time, we may live with our failure for decades.

That we -- barely -- escaped Great Depression 2.0 but that Republican policies -- or necessary compromises -- will guarantee GD 2.1.

That we've always been 'protected' by Republican hypocrisy, supporting ideas like repealing Roe, balanced budget amendments, etc that they knew wouldn't pass and -- probably -- didn't want to pass, just to gain votes.  But most of the New Republicans are True Believers that might hold the others to their promises.

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by: Prup aka Jim Benton @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 12:18:45 PM CDT

scolding (4.00 / 1)

before an election is getting tedious, Prup. I have to wonder if you and your fellow scolds are serious, or setting up a way to blame the left for the failures of the spineless Democratic Party.


sanctimonious purist/professional lefty

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by: susanthe @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 12:22:57 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That We Can Do Better As Democrats... (0.00 / 0)

...is obvious.  And that any of us as Democrats keep saying that is a way to remind ourselves of our idealism, while still supporting our candidates.  

Can the Democratic leadership -- nationally and statewide -- have done better during the past two or four years?  Yes.  Does that mean we stay home on November 2nd?  Of course not.  

Those of us who have pointed to mistakes of the past few years and the opportunities lost still rejoice in our successes.  We're still in Afghanistan, and Iraq for that matter.  We don't have Ted Kennedy's dream of Medicare For All.  We haven't discussed the importance of tax reform in New Hampshire.  BUT Democrats have done many good things.  

So I agree with Susan.  We don't need more lectures from the President or Vice President telling us that those disinchanted with the White House or some of our candidates should "...buck up."  We'll be there on November 2nd.  But we can, should, and do expect more from those who we put into office.  A lot of promises from 2006 and 2008 by people who we worked our hearts out for have yet to be met.  But that just means we have to work all the harder.    

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 13:10:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The Best Loopholes Money Can Buy (4.00 / 1)

So, has Rolling Stone been eating its Wheaties, or what?  
(bold mine)

..While the entire nation argues over nonsense like the WTC Mosque, Rick Sanchez, and, yes, blue-red culture war stuff like the Tea Party, congress yesterday quietly took a knee on the "carried interest" tax question. In doing so they decided not to take a vote on changes already approved by both houses that would scale back perhaps the most preposterous tax break in the entire federal code, one that leaves hedge-fund gazillionaires like Stevie Cohen and John Paulson paying less than half the top tax rate paid by most middle and upper-middle class Americans.

The carried interest tax break is a classic example of how in America constituencies with the means and the bureaucratic endurance to get what they want slowly hack away at the government over time, carving out exemptions to their civic responsibilities while ordinary people suck the proverbial egg. A 100% or 200% tax break for hedge fund and private equity billionaires is not the sort of thing that one passes instantly, by standing up in front of big campaign crowds and urging on a mob; it takes a long time and a lot of behind-the-scenes baby steps.
-snip

So there you have it. One of the very stupidest laws on our books, one a new president initially elected with a sweeping mandate promised to overturn, will not in the end be changed. It will appear that many people tried to change it, and there will be a lot of Democrats in particular who will be able to say that they voted to end the tax break for hedge fund assholes. But in the end, quietly, nothing got done. ..

The corporatists are fighting, empowered by Citizens United, to stem the tide of reform.

This is how they win.

Whack-a-mole, anyone?

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 13:07:03 PM CDT

Yes, well, the President proposes and the Congress disposes. (0.00 / 0)

The denizens of our public corporations share a common interest with private corporations to have a place to hide secrets.  That's still the private corporate board room, which has replaced the Senate cloak room since the passage of sunshine laws and FOIA.  At the same time, while our representatives are beholden to their corporate friends for advancement and donations, the private corporations perceive their creators as a threat.  Because, charters that are granted can be revoked. Ideally, private corporations would survive during good behavior, but we forgot to make that a stipulation.  It's an oversight we can correct.

There is much to be done, but we need a solidly committed Senate.

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by: hannah @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 16:46:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

uncle walt (0.00 / 0)

Actually uncle walt would approve of this because he was a key speaker at the anti communist hearings that helped contribute to the hollywood black list.

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by: lidlvr5 @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 17:48:14 PM CDT

Nashua Telegraph Catches On (4.00 / 1)

One of the major fears raised by critics of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling earlier this year was that it would ignite a torrent of spending by political interests groups with little or no disclosure of who was behind it.

As it turns out - much to no one's surprise, we suspect - those fears proved to be well grounded.
-snip

One group that formed to take full advantage of the new political landscape is American Crossroads, which was the creation of Karl Rove, a senior adviser to former President George W. Bush, and Ed Gillespie, a onetime chairman of the Republican national Committee. Both serve as informal advisers to the group.

American Crossroads has since spun off a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization called Crossroads GPS, which does not have to disclose its donors under current law, and has pledged to raise $52 million prior to the Nov. 2 election.

So far, American Crossroads has reported spending $5.6 million this year, all of it aimed at supporting Republican candidates. That sum includes $658,330 in attack ads against Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes, who is running for the New Hampshire Senate seat now held by the retiring Judd Gregg.

Whack-a-mole, anyone?

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 21:57:51 PM CDT