Comments on: Re: House GOP Leadership Elections http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/ A blog about politics. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:45:49 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Elvis Elvisberg http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22409 Elvis Elvisberg Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:17:36 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22409 Thanks for the post. - It's very disappointing to see that Boehner and the GOP aren't retreating from their disproven theology of tax cuts uber alles. That's simply <a href="http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/stimulus-issues/" rel="nofollow">not how you stimulate the economy</a>. Every grown-up knows that. But they resolutely stick their heads in the ground. Thanks for the post.
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It's very disappointing to see that Boehner and the GOP aren't retreating from their disproven theology of tax cuts uber alles. That's simply not how you stimulate the economy. Every grown-up knows that. But they resolutely stick their heads in the ground.

]]> By: mrtoads http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22404 mrtoads Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:14:47 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22404 You know what I still haven't noticed, even after all this time? For years and years, the disciples of Grover Norquist have expressed the goal that the government must be driven into such massive debt that it won't be able to support both military spending (preferably involving a ewar) and the "entitlement" programs. This will inevitably lead to the final end of the viscerally hated New Deal social programs (particularly Social Security). Oddly enough, when they gained power sufficient to get any Republican plans through, with a beaten and submissive Democratic opposition, the country has ended up in 2 wars and horrendously in debt. Strangely, the attempt to crush Social Security still failed, and now all we have is the predictable fallout from this idealogical idiocy. With all that, there has been next to nothing written anywhere that I've seen about Norquist's aims and how they fit into the Bush administration's accomplishments. To quote a famous role, "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!" Am I imagining this? Did Grover Norquist actually exist? Is this all some sort of bizarre coincidence, like deregulation and financial crookery or religious fundamentalism and bizarre rules on human behavior? You know what I still haven't noticed, even after all this time? For years and years, the disciples of Grover Norquist have expressed the goal that the government must be driven into such massive debt that it won't be able to support both military spending (preferably involving a ewar) and the "entitlement" programs. This will inevitably lead to the final end of the viscerally hated New Deal social programs (particularly Social Security). Oddly enough, when they gained power sufficient to get any Republican plans through, with a beaten and submissive Democratic opposition, the country has ended up in 2 wars and horrendously in debt. Strangely, the attempt to crush Social Security still failed, and now all we have is the predictable fallout from this idealogical idiocy. With all that, there has been next to nothing written anywhere that I've seen about Norquist's aims and how they fit into the Bush administration's accomplishments. To quote a famous role, "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!" Am I imagining this? Did Grover Norquist actually exist? Is this all some sort of bizarre coincidence, like deregulation and financial crookery or religious fundamentalism and bizarre rules on human behavior?

]]> By: 53_3 http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22380 53_3 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:00:02 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22380 Well, when you listen to FOX every day... Well, when you listen to FOX every day...

]]> By: Deggjr http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22333 Deggjr Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:31:39 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22333 Boehner: "... whether it was in terms of stopping spending, the expansion of government-run health insurance, ..." . A <a href="http://forum.velonews.com/read.php?f=4&i=38083&t=38083" rel="nofollow">RedState commenter made a great point</a>: the Republicans have never reduced spending overall; they just reduce spending on people they don't care about. They apparently think no one is aware of their philosophies and actions. Boehner ought to consult a geographer about demographic trends. That would be a new idea. . (It appears that the original comment has been deleted from RedState. The link above reproduces the comment. The liberation paragraph at the bottom is from somewhere else.) Boehner: "... whether it was in terms of stopping spending, the expansion of government-run health insurance, ..."
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A RedState commenter made a great point: the Republicans have never reduced spending overall; they just reduce spending on people they don't care about. They apparently think no one is aware of their philosophies and actions. Boehner ought to consult a geographer about demographic trends. That would be a new idea.
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(It appears that the original comment has been deleted from RedState. The link above reproduces the comment. The liberation paragraph at the bottom is from somewhere else.)

]]> By: wvng http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22322 wvng Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:12:52 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22322 "Doing what he thought was right for America, regardless of the political consequences." and here are some of those consequences. Bush at the G20: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Y_ncOVlDw "Doing what he thought was right for America, regardless of the political consequences." and here are some of those consequences. Bush at the G20:

]]> By: Deggjr http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22318 Deggjr Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:02:22 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22318 "I believe that our party believes in a smaller, more accountable government." . ... despite all evidence to the contrary. As a matter of fact the evidence is so compelling that the Republican Party doesn't hold those beliefs, it is the Democratic Party that holds those values by default. . When 'drill baby drill' is held up as a major accomplishment and the claim to have stopped spending is <a href="http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm" rel="nofollow">easily shown to be false</a>, it is clear that Boehner's idea cupboard is empty. (Tangential thought: why not aspire to be the party of good ideas? That thought never crossed Boehner's mind.) . Obama will have no problem making Boehner looks small. We will have to just wait and see about the outcomes after that. "I believe that our party believes in a smaller, more accountable government."
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... despite all evidence to the contrary. As a matter of fact the evidence is so compelling that the Republican Party doesn't hold those beliefs, it is the Democratic Party that holds those values by default.
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When 'drill baby drill' is held up as a major accomplishment and the claim to have stopped spending is easily shown to be false, it is clear that Boehner's idea cupboard is empty. (Tangential thought: why not aspire to be the party of good ideas? That thought never crossed Boehner's mind.)
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Obama will have no problem making Boehner looks small. We will have to just wait and see about the outcomes after that.

]]> By: sgwhiteinfla http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22317 sgwhiteinfla Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:01:41 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22317 TIME: The Blue Dog Democrats are also fiscal conservatives; have you done any outreach to them on banding together on fiscal issues? . Boehner: America is a center right country. . TIME: Still? . Boehner: Yes, no question about it. When you look at all the exit polling, Americans don't want bigger government, they don't want higher taxes. And frankly, I think the Congress is still a center-right Congress. TIME: The Blue Dog Democrats are also fiscal conservatives; have you done any outreach to them on banding together on fiscal issues?
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Boehner: America is a center right country.
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TIME: Still?
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Boehner: Yes, no question about it. When you look at all the exit polling, Americans don't want bigger government, they don't want higher taxes. And frankly, I think the Congress is still a center-right Congress.

]]> By: jarais http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22316 jarais Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:58:53 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22316 <i>In dealing with this economic crisis do you think that tax cuts should be the Republicans' overarching response? Boehner: Absolutely</i> Wow. I can smell the denial from MA. Amazing you didn't pass out from the stench, JNS. In dealing with this economic crisis do you think that tax cuts should be the Republicans' overarching response?
Boehner: Absolutely
Wow. I can smell the denial from MA. Amazing you didn't pass out from the stench, JNS.

]]> By: Jay Newton-Small http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22312 Jay Newton-Small Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:27:58 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22312 ficheye: Congratulations! You know how to google. ficheye: Congratulations! You know how to google.

]]> By: Paul Dirks http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/19/re-house-gop-leadership-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-22311 Paul Dirks Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:27:33 +0000 http://timeswampland.wordpress.com/?p=8396#comment-22311 Here it is: http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/snd/waistdeep.html Here it is:

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/snd/waistdeep.html

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