US POLITICS SPRING 2011: Let's just call off this country.

NJ Dem leaders throw unions under the bus:

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/nj_pension_reform_vote_reveals.html

I have a self-appointed pro-union agitator pal who travels around to various protests (with a random emphasis on Wisconsin), but I'm beginning to view him as a tragic figure, like Quixote. I respect his tilting, though.

yeah, I have a NJ labor organizer friend who linked to that article, and his F'book update was "Destroy the NJ Dem Party and start over"

Don't think focusing on Wisconsin is THAT random...

Ezra Klein in the W. Post has a depressing piece on the debt and deficit negotiations and how the Dems keep giving in, but the Republicans don't.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/the-budget-debate-democrats-wont-say-no-and-republicans-wont-say-yes/2011/05/19/AGRJdLeH_blog.html

I used to know what people were talking about when they called for a “grand bargain” on the deficit: Democrats would give in on spending cuts, and Republicans would give in on tax increases. Today, we’re on the verge of a couple of grand bargains. But whatever the Republicans are giving in on, it isn’t taxes

and the Dem 'rank-and-file' is exerting no pressure on the party to do otherwise. Because it would take direct action, ie, general strikes, massive protests -- I mean tens of millions -- and this simply is not that kind of country, certainly not anymore. We have our toys (for now), just sigh and shrug at everything else.

otm

I am really annoyed by this "Dinner with Barack" fund drive because I'd already decided I wasn't donating money to him this year and I know I wouldn't win anyway, but I really want the chance to win so that I can bring aero and Alfred

(I assume, Morbs, that you would not be interested, or rather that you would spend the entire dinner announcing to everyone repeatedly that you are not interested and possibly refer to him as "President Bush-Palin" a few times)

really want the chance to win so that I can bring aero and Alfred

Let's invite curmudgeon and k3vin k so that we can each chip in for the keg.

I am surprised no one has suggested registering as Republicans so y'all can aid the most fun candidate in the primaries.

I have suggested this multiple times!

is it dinner at the white house or is it "dinner with Barack at a place of your choosing?" I think a pizza party is the way to go here

does wendy's still have the "super bar"?

dinner w/ Barack has been a leftover shit sandwich.

it took a long time to get here but I'm pretty sure strongo just made the greatest post in the history of this thread

morbs I don't think there's usually any leftovers with shit sandwiches. if you like them, you finish 'em, and if you don't, putting what's left in the refrigerator is kind of adding insult to injury

all i'm saying is that bush i's regime probably isnt well regarded by history now but it gave us the super bar

http://www.daysinnfallsviewhotel.com/images/applebees-ext.jpg

Applebees bar!

the shit sandwich was in Japan: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/16/scientist-poop-burger-video_n_878210.html

"let them eat soggy garlic bread and cheese from a heated urn"

putting what's left in the refrigerator is kind of adding insult to injury

this is the MO of Your Democratic Party!

"Wendy's phased out the Superbar Buffet in 1998 for economic reasons."

r.i.p. camelot :'(

hahahaha morbs

Imagine a lunch reception with a group of 42 industry-friendly House lawmakers calling themselves the “New Democrat Coalition"

Ugh. From Washington Monthly

Buried deep within the president’s health care reform law is a secret weapon to slow the rising costs of Medicare and tame the federal budget. It’s called the Independent Payments Advisory Board, and once it’s up and running it will have the power to fast-track a host of cost-cutting reforms that the health care industry has been resisting for years.

Naturally, Republicans want to kill the new board. But they need help from across the aisle. And they just might get it. As Sebastian Jones reports in the upcoming July/August issue of the Washington Monthly, a group of 42 industry-friendly House lawmakers calling themselves the “New Democrat Coalition” is poised to join the GOP in gutting the most important cost-cutting measure in Obamacare.

I'd like to prepare lunch for them

*plop*

1. Wouldn’t it be funny if in this fireside chat, years into a sub-trend growth and massive waste from high unemployment and unused capacity, Roosevelt said something like “someday, 25 years from now, Russia will be able to get a space dog into orbit before us. In order to Win the Future against this space dog, we should immediately forget everything going on right now in order to pivot to preparing for research competition with potential adversaries decades from now. We must immediately start planning for this battle right now, lest we lose the future, so let’s give a bunch of tax holidays and easily captured credit benefits to various rocket manufacturers and other incumbents” as a response? That would be crazy. I’m glad he was really serious about using every pressure point and every lever to get monetary and fiscal policies going instead.

2. Obviously back then the Democratic coalition had a lot of farmers in it, people for whom “the price level” wasn’t a graph they pulled from the St. Louis Fed to put on their blog but a real thing that they dealt with daily. There is a chance that insomuch as hipsters are an influential Democratic coalition group, and hipsters begin to engage in urban farming, “the price level” might become more of a thing that Democrats are responsive of in order to meet the needs of urban hipster gardeners. Until then, it’s up to economic bloggers to carry this message.

does wendy's still have the "super bar"?

Sadly, I think not. This is why we need to get America back to how it used to be!

re the NJ bill: it still hasn't been voted on in the Assembly for what it's worth. OTOH, the damage has been done.

i gave up on the NJ Dems after i moved to Hudson County and saw them in action. and the folks who tried to "reform" them. there's a reason why the "rank and file" aren't doing anything (NJ Democratic Party is an unappetizing mix of old-timey political bosses [in Hudson, Essex and Camden Cos] and Gabbneb-style "New Democrats" [hello, Bergen and Union Counties]).

well, the rank and file could start a new party like my friend suggested, then.

that always turns out well

i assume the first line here describes the whole of the relationship:

Joe Biden to me
show details 10:20 (0 minutes ago)
Theon --

The President and I have a routine -- we get lunch together almost every Friday.

But all I get is lunch. You could be one of four supporters to have dinner with him soon.

4. Prizes. Four (4) winners will each receive the following prize package (the "Trip"):

* One round-trip coach-class airplane ticket from the major airport closest to the winner's address within the continental United States to a destination within the continental United States to be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsor ("Destination"), including ground transportation to and from the airport at the Destination. (approximate retail value $700.00)
* One night's stay for winner at a hotel at the Destination on a date to be determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion in a single-occupancy room or room of equivalent value (approximate retail value $275.00);
* Dinner with President Barack Obama at the Destination, on a date to be determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion (approximate retail value $100.00);

Approximate retail value of the entire Trip package: $1,075.00.

Sponsor will choose, in its sole discretion, the airline, hotel, flight dates, flight times, departure city and airport and other Trip logistics and details. Dates of travel are subject to availability. If winner's address is within 100 miles of the Destination, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, provide ground transportation to the Trip hotel or event in lieu of an airplane ticket. Except as expressly set forth in the description of the Trip above, each winner is responsible for his/her ground transportation to and from the airports and hotel, all meals and all other expenses that such winner incurs in connection with the Trip.

oh boo, I wouldn't get to bring anyone with me

There is a chance that insomuch as hipsters are an influential Democratic coalition group, and hipsters begin to engage in urban farming, “the price level” might become more of a thing that Democrats are responsive of in order to meet the needs of urban hipster gardeners.

heh

is urban hipster the new soccer mom

Bruce Bartlett has been terrific of late:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZNa3JcuTK0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/why-wont-obama-draw-hard-lines/2011/03/03/AGwM4peH_blog.html

well, the rank and file could start a new party like my friend suggested, then.

that always turns out well

So you expect the Democrats to get religion someday, or fucking what? They're gone and they ain't coming back.

(Also, Friedman wants a third party in his column today, but it's still our only hope)

Third parties do not work under our legislative system imho. Not sure who you're gonna get to run on this purist liberal ticket and where-- you would need a whole slate to have any influence in Congress. Its fantasy--like the Mets winning the World Series this year.

You gotta start somewhere.

To reiterate for the thousandth time, I believe this country is over. I'm interested in a way for the good people to go down fighting.

there are plenty of countries with improving legal and political and physical institutions, instead of deteriorating ones like ours. plus economies growing in the 5% range instead of a tenth of that. maybe some "reverse immigration" is in order?

x-post to the Post article Goole posted-So Obama won't draw lines because he as the outsider throughout his life he always want to be the compromising bipartisan one, but where does that leave the rest of us?

Morbs with his third party and me foolishly looking at my e-mail from boldprogressives.com urging me to call the White House to urge Obama to make E. Warren a recess appointment (the e-mail notes that they have already gathered "over 350,000 people signing in support of a recess appointment so she can lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On top of that, 89 members of the House and Senators like Al Franken joined have the cause".) Will Obama listen? Doesn't seem likely so far.

he as the outsider throughout his life always wanted to be the compromising bipartisan one

Another public interest group fighting for Warren, but will Obama listen and take on the Republicans:

On Tuesday, Public Citizen sent a letter (PDF) to President Obama revealing that congressional Republicans do NOT have the authority to block a recess appointment. I’ve copied part of that letter for you here.

Contrary to press reports, the House of Representatives cannot hold the Senate open to block a recess appointment. When the House and Senate cannot agree on the timing of adjournment, the Constitution explicitly provides the President the power to adjourn the Congress:

“... he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper ...” [U.S. Const. Art. II, § 3]

The use of this “adjournment power” would be particularly appropriate if the House prevents Senate adjournment in a bid to interfere with the appointment of certain public officials, a matter that the Constitution explicitly assigns to the President and the Senate.

Public Citizen was instrumental in the development of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the passage of the law that created it.

Public Citizen has been a steadfast and leading voice calling for the president to put Elizabeth Warren in charge of the bureau.

And now Public Citizen is dispelling a Republican misinterpretation of the Constitution and showing the president how he is well within his rights and responsibilities to recess appoint the most qualified person to this critical position.

Isn't the GOP threatening to prevent Congress going into recess to stop Obama appointing anybody? (until 2012, I'd heard)

Bruce Bartlett has been terrific of late

dude is a hero.

p confused as to why the LAMESTREAM media isn't harping more on his, D. Stockman's and even Greenspan's GOP/ tax cut apostasy as of late.

or why they're not more keen on calling out demonstrable tax falsehoods being perpetrated by the GOP.

Yeah why would huge corporations be all for spreading lies about the awesomeness of tax cuts?

I don't see him making a recess appointment. Recess appointments are for Republicans to make so Democrats can cite them as reasons to vote Democrat in the next election, that is the parliamentary function of recess appointments