Republican Presidental Debate Iowa

[Plow]

Yeah, I mean as much as I'd like to say "ok, I can understand why you'd respect and appreciate his attitude, I'm just bewildered that you'd actually vote so entirely against your own beliefs..."

I can't. He's completely full of shit. He's also a downright cruel racist dick that holds the "right" to be exorbitantly rich at the expense of innumerable other people above all else.

[Day]

lol

[RKenshin]

Oh believe me, I'm not supporting voting for him. I just about never would, even despite the state of things right now.

And those that feel differently, we might as well just agree to disagree.

But, I do at least respect him for being more upfront and honest in what his personal views and beliefs are than most.

[Milkster]

[Atreides]

he looks like emperor palpatine hunched over that podium lol

[Zoolander]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14553127

On a campaign stop in the US state of Iowa on Monday, Mr Perry said of Federal Reserve chief Mr Bernanke: "If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I don't know what y'all will do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas.

"Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous, treasonous in my opinion."

White House spokesman Jay Carney - who is also in Iowa, with President Obama on a campaign-style bus tour - said: "I certainly think threatening the Fed chairman is not a good idea.

"When you are president or running for president, you have to think about your words. The Fed's independence is important."

Karl Rove, the former chief strategist for Mr Bush, said of Mr Perry's comments that it was "not a presidential statement".

"You don't accuse the chairman of the Federal Reserve of being a traitor to his country," Mr Rove told Fox News.

Previous examples of Mr Perry's blunt talking have included his suggestion in 2009 that Texans were so fed up with federal tax policies that they might consider secession from the United States.

Last year, the Texas governor described the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as "an act of God".

Its amusing when even Karl Rove is telling these guys to chill the fuck out. I've seen him publicly facepalm a couple of times. I absolutely despise him as a person, but the asshole knows how elections are won and lost.

No idea how a guy like this can win over moderates. Hes gunna have to REALLY sell that jobs record, and its not nearly as impressive upon any sort of critical analysis. He might honestly be good for Obama. I really thought Romney could beat him, but these super far right candidates...I just don't see it.

[Milkster]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14553127





Its amusing when even Karl Rove is telling these guys to chill the fuck out. I've seen him publicly facepalm a couple of times. I absolutely despise him as a person, but the asshole knows how elections are won and lost.

No idea how a guy like this can win over moderates. Hes gunna have to REALLY sell that jobs record, and its not nearly as impressive upon any sort of critical analysis. He might honestly be good for Obama. I really thought Romney could beat him, but these super far right candidates...I just don't see it.

But I wonder if the GOP/Republicans and Teabaggers actually think they'll win over independent and undecided voters with all these antics.

[kuronosan]

Enough about Perry. Get some recordings of Palin if you can.

[Milkster]

What someone just told me in an argument on Facebook.

Social security, medicare, medicaid, welfare, food stamps, stimulus spending, universal healthcare: all liberal socialist programs that are bankrupting this country. Who writes the tax code for this country? Congress. Who complains that the rich dont pay their "fair share"? Democrats in congress. What kind of tax system do we have? Progressive tax system developed by democrats. Now if warren buffett doesnt feel like hes paying his fair share, he has every right to write a check to the IRS. What you dont understand is if we increase taxes on the "millionaires and billionaires" who make over $250,000 a year, (btw if you make $250,000 a year you are not a millionaire) jobs will be lost and prices will increase. Businesses will add on the cost of the new taxes to their product ultimately making you, the consumer, pay more. Now i have been taught by my parents not to rely on others for my wellbeing, it is not the job of the government to take care of me. No where in the Constitution does it say the government must provide me with all my needs. It is no ones fault but the senior citizens who did not plan for their retirement correctly. Also who said 62 was retirement for everyone? My grandpa is 80 and still works a couple days a week, not because he needs to but because he enjoys it. If someone retires at 62 hen runa out of money by 80 that is no ones fault but their own. This whole nanny state mentality needs to end, that is what is destroying this country not capitalism or the rich. I suggest you pick up a copy of the US Constitution and also take a business or economics class as what I am telling you will make more sense.

[kuronosan]

So the tl;dr is pretty much "I'm a fucking retard conspiracy theorist who doesn't know how greed works".

There's nothing saying that if businesses raise prices that we as consumers have to pay. The real problem in this case is consumerism. People want to have stuff and will pay whatever the company tells them to, even if it's grossly overpriced (looking at you, Monster Electronics). They don't seem to get that if they just stop paying stupid fucking high prices for all this garbage (hi2u apple) that companies may pack up and leave but new, cheaper alternatives will take their place and will often be better.

The real issue at hand is not the saving of our citizens. The government has a responsibility to care for its citizens. The issue is the saving of corporations. In the past, if a business didn't evolve, it failed and went by the wayside (Edsel comes to mind). Now-a-days, businesses are either bailed out or sue competition into bankruptcy because of stupid fucking patents like "Patent on wheel that spins on an automobile".

[archibaldcrane]

I think it's hilarious to think that a upcoming senior citizen who worked and paid SS taxes their entire life shouldn't expect to receive social security when they retire, and if they failed to save for the full cost of their retirement and not count on SS at all it's "noone's fault but their own".

[Mazmaz]

So Colbert had on the director of americanselect.org last week and it sounded kinda interesting. Like a way to elect nominees directly and avoid the primaries? He said whoever is nominated will be presented on the ballots in all 50 states. Any thoughts on this? Maybe you guys can get Ron Paul in this way?!

[Dantrag]

The thing that pisses me off the most about Obama is the supposed ending of the wars. Which is still no where in site. We spend countless of billions of dollars on these fucking retarded ass wars that we have NO fucking chance of winning. Look at history. So many countries have lost their ass fighting in Afghanistan. And we're pretty much next. That shit is sucking us dry.

3 things that would help the economy immensely:

1) End Bush era tax cuts - Again, if you look at history, every time there has been tax cuts for the top tier, our economy slumps. Look at Regan and Bush years.
2) End the wars - Billions upon billions of dollars wasted here. And even worse, the lives that have been lost and taken on both sides.
3) Close down foreign bases - We do not need bases around the world anymore. It's a waste of money.

[Acturus]

So Colbert had on the director of americanselect.org last week and it sounded kinda interesting. Like a way to elect nominees directly and avoid the primaries? He said whoever is nominated will be presented on the ballots in all 50 states. Any thoughts on this? Maybe you guys can get Ron Paul in this way?!

That's a question for campaign finance discussions. Primaries exist so that the respective party organizations can find the one candidate to throw all of their money at. It'd be interesting to have all nominees on the ballott, but doing so would reinforce the use of SuperPACs and diminish party-based conventions and funding.

With our current campaign financing system, it just seems that doing this would get really ugly.

[Plow]

The thing that pisses me off the most about Obama is the supposed ending of the wars. Which is still no where in site. We spend countless of billions of dollars on these fucking retarded ass wars that we have NO fucking chance of winning. Look at history. So many countries have lost their ass fighting in Afghanistan. And we're pretty much next. That shit is sucking us dry.

Uh, the most recent recommendations by the generals are to have basically all the troops out in a little over 3 years... Obama's plan is to have them out within the next year to year and a half.

The real problem we have is that there's hardly any actual "war" going on at this point, just strategic bombing by us and statement bombing by what's left of Taliban support.

We basically just made a huge mess that's way, way more expensive to clean up than we're willing to admit, which leads us to a mini-Vietnam where we've got the wrong people doing the wrong shit and we're just struggling like mad to keep shit from completely blowing up in our faces.

[Correction]

Candidates are running away from Town Halls, presumably because Congress's approval rating is in the toilet and such meetings no longer produce people only angry at Democrats. Oops.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61554.html

More House 'pay-per-view' events

By REID J. EPSTEIN | 8/17/11 9:42 AM EDT

Two more members of Congress are refusing to hold free, open town hall meetings for constituents during the August recess and instead appearing only at paid events, POLITICO has learned.

Neither Reps. Lou Barletta (R-Penn.) nor Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) held or have scheduled town halls, but Barletta appeared last week at a $30-per-plate “CEO to CEO” forum and Ellmers is scheduled to speak at a federal employees’ forum that is charging a $13 admission fee.

Barletta and Ellmers join Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), who POLITICO reported Tuesday are all appearing at pay-per-view functions while eschewing town hall meetings open to all.

Another tactic for avoiding crowds of angry voters is being employed by members like Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), who held two town hall events — but in far-flung, relatively unpopulated parts of his northeastern Minnesota district, while doing only paid events in Duluth, the district’s population and media hub.

Neither Ryan nor Quayle were available for comment, their spokesmen said. Cravaack’s spokesman said the congressman’s “primary focus is to create more jobs for the 8th District; he looks forward to continuing this conversation with his constituents.”

Barletta, according to the Times-Tribune of Scranton, Penn., spoke at a $30-per-plate Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry “CEO to CEO” forum last week. Would-be protesters were not allowed to buy tickets and reporters were barred, the paper wrote, “because [they] are not chamber members or CEOs.”

Barletta’s move comes after he came under intense fire from constituents at April town hall events in his district.

Barletta spokesman Shawn Kelly said Barletta is not holding any free town hall events, and did not make the congressman available for an interview to explain his decision. Barletta told the Times-Tribune he was “just a guest” at the chamber function, which was also closed to reporters.

Ellmers is due to appear before a National Active and Retired Federal Employees meeting at a local Holiday Inn Aug. 24. The entry fee is $13, the Fayetteville Observer wrote.

Ellmers spokesman Tom Doheny said the fee is to cover a meal the group is providing. “The problem with this is somebody needs to fit the bill for the lunch, its not a random midday event,” he said.

Doheny added Ellmers, a freshman, has held several tele-town halls during the recess, which he argued reach more constituents than in-person events. “Even if we had five or 10 town halls a week, we’re not going to be able to reach nearly as many people as we can during these tele-town halls,” he said.

POLITICO was unable to find any Democrats engaging in a similar practice.

Liberal blogs and Democratic groups expressed outrage at the revelation that Ryan and other House Republicans will appear at public meetings of constituents only where a fee is charged.

An Obama administration official told POLITICO the story is evidence that House Republicans are willfully out of touch with the public.

“Any Republican who is not charging to enter their town halls is seeing just how fed up their constituents are with the deficit ceiling debate,” the unnamed official said.

The pay-per-view practice drew stinging criticism from left-leaning bloggers.

Media Matters’s Political Correction blog highlighted Ryan’s 2009 statements in defense of aggressive questions for Democrats at their town hall meetings during the health care debate.

“This is the same Paul Ryan who held 17 ‘health care listening sessions’ during the 2009 August recess. Way back then, Ryan latched onto town hall anger in press releases, claiming to ‘welcome the debate,’ and even bragged on TV that ‘I shattered the attendance record at my town halls’ and ‘my town halls ran about 9- or 8-to-1 against the health care bill,’” wrote Alan Pyke. “Now the shoe is on the other foot, so Ryan is avoiding open ‘listening sessions’ with voters who reject his budget ideas.”

Firedoglake’s David Dayden wrote that while the paid-only function isn’t unconstitutional, it skirts an ethical line.

“Americans have a constitutional right to petition their government for a redress of grievances,” he blogged. “That doesn’t only apply to lobbyists, and it doesn’t come with an cost attached to invoke that right.”

At Balloon Juice, Big Baby DougJ proposed liberals buy a block of the $15 tickets to the Ryan event at a local rotary club and raise havoc.

“If I were in Paul Ryan’s district,” he wrote, “I’d be tempted to get together with a few friends and pay 15 bucks a pop to show up and ask Paul Ryan some tough questions, then hopefully get bum-rushed by rent-a-cops, or at least jeered by Ryan’s crazy cultists. Film the whole thing with a cellphone, put it on YouTube, and you’ve got a PR headache for ol’ blue eyes.”

And Jed Lewison at Daily Kos cheekily wrote that members of Congress like Ryan should be expected to skip town halls.

“It’s hard to blame them,” he wrote. “If you’d just spent the last seven months trying to end Medicare, causing the first debt downgrade in American history, and failing to pass a single piece of jobs legislation, would you want to face the public?”

[Dantrag]

It's still an extremely large operation that is costing us a fuck load of money in deployment alone. Not just the infrastructure rebuilding but the actual deployment of troops and keeping them there. It cost something like 1.4 million PER troop to be deployed to theater at this point. Not to mention we are still giving away money to places like Pakistan. Shit should have been over with "Mission Accomplished".

[Dantrag]

http://stickerish.com/wp-content/upl...hanBlackSS.png

Isn't that the whole point of regulation? To stop businesses from doing shady shit like that? Oh hey, we just made 87 billion dollars in profits, lets cut our employees benefits.

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

1) End Bush era tax cuts - Again, if you look at history, every time there has been tax cuts for the top tier, our economy slumps. Look at Regan and Bush years.

Uhhh

[aru]

Isn't that the whole point of regulation? To stop businesses from doing shady shit like that? Oh hey, we just made 87 billion dollars in profits, lets cut our employees benefits.

Well how else do you expect these companies to show record profits to their shareholders every quarter?

BTW, did I hear somebody mention lowering capital gains taxes to 0%? What the hell?