Today, House Republicans submitted their counterproposal to the Federal budget for FY 2010. It is a whopping 19-pages in length, full of fiscally responsible unicorns and market-driven rainbows, and was apparently created by an intern with a beginner’s experience with using Microsoft Visio. Here’s a handy graph describing the sort of helpful information contained in this proposal:
What do YOU think about the GOP proposal?
UPDATE: Here is the PDF of the “proposal”, for your entertainment
Sometimes, the headlines write themselves.
Gov. Sarah Palin owes more than a half million dollars to an Anchorage law firm that has defended her against ethics complaints, and she may create a legal fund to pay the bill, she said Friday.
Poor Sarah. Being targeted by a “partisan witch hunt” during the Troopergate scandal has set her back a cool half a mil, it seems. Sadly, it seems that capitalism is alive and well at all the most inconvenient times, doesn’t it? Gosh, Sarah, shouldn’t you just buck up to your “personal responsibility”, and knock off this socialism garbage, what with getting other people to pay your legal bills?
Of course, there’s a really good reason for all this- right?
“Now, it seems in order to do this job as Governor, with the political blood sport some are playing today, only the independently wealthy or those willing to spend their income on legal fees to defend their official actions in office … can serve,” Palin said…
OR- and I’m going to go out on a limb here- you could, just, uhh… not do anything to cause yourself to be investigated for ethics violations. Maybe that’s too much to ask for? Anyway, you know the story’s not complete until you see some Republican spin on the situation- blame Johnny Mac/teh eveil libs!
Reading the New York Times this morning, I came across an article on the the crisis facing Massachusetts’ universal health care programs. If you remember, in 2006, then-Governor Mitt Romney and the Democratic-legislature of Massachusetts enacted a state-wide mandate requiring almost every state resident to obtain health insurance. To accomplish this, Massachusetts provides subsidized health care for residents earning up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, and partially subsidized health care those earning up to 300% of the poverty level.
Of course, when it came to footing the bill, both Governor Romney and the Democratic-controlled legislature basically shrugged their shoulders and said, “Eh. Let the next bath of politicos worry about it.” This, of course, is ridiculous behavior, no matter your political affiliation. And, of course, that day of reckoning has arrived already, some three short years later.
Last year, Massachusetts lawmakers, led by Governor Deval Patrick, enacted a series of taxes and fees to help keep the system solvent- which has stabilized things for the time being. But optimistic reports suggest that won’t last more than five years or so, depending on the breadth and depth of the current economic crisis. So, in order to finally address this problem, the Legislature has come up with a good idea. I know- these are rare, coming from our politicians. It’s such a brilliant idea, in fact, that it’s almost certain never to be enacted.
But it sure makes you think.
Which god-hating, immoral liberal pantywait said the above statement?
A) Nancy Pelosi?
B) Harry Reid?
C) Samuel “Joesph” Wurzelbacher?
PS- The answer’s always C.
“Ayn Rand is to libertarianism what Fall Out Boy is to punk rock: It’s what you get into before you grow up and start actually thinking.”
Discuss.
… 90 very politically charged minutes.
Buried in the fracas of the Primary Wars last year was the release of a movie about Senator Clinton, financed by a group of neo-conservatives hell bent on doing whatever they could to keep Senator Clinton from winning the Democratic primary, and out of the White House. They were eventually prevented from releasing it, due to campaign financial restrictions- ie, under McCain/Feingold, it was decreed the movie was essentially a political ad, rather than a “documentary”, as the makers claimed.
And now, the case faces the Supreme Court. Of course, the financing group, “Citizens United”, disagrees their film should be considered under McCain/Feingold. According to the AP:
The group says there is nothing in the movie urging people to vote against Clinton. The group says the film is more of a documentary comparable to critical television news programs such as “Frontline,” “Nova” and “60 Minutes.”
This, of course, is complete and total BS- “Citizens United”, if anyone remembers, is a group that released screed after screed about Fahrenheit 9/11 ads. But, heck, that was political grandstanding, taking only a few things out of context for cinematic effect. Hillary: The Movie is completely different. Right? Gee, I wonder how they’d feel if Obama: The Motion Picture was released in 2012?
I don’t know, though, I’m a little conflicted on this. This isn’t as clear cut a case on free speech as they want to make it out to be- but should it be judged under McCain/Feingold? Maybe not; but there needs to be something out there to prevent people, no matter the political affiliation, from partaking in such unmitigated political grandstanding- especially with no accountability. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what the Supreme Court rules on this.
Dana Lithwick at Slate.com talks about one of my pet peeves; intellectual dishonesty, and hypocrisy.
Senate Republicans roughing up Obama’s pick for his solicitor general, Elena Kagan, this afternoon on the Senate floor as they voted on her confirmation. She was confirmed by a vote of 61-31.
Now, this is in spite of the fact that every solicitor general since 1985- including Ken Starr– vouched for her credentials, and noted they supported her nomination. Sadly, Senate Republicans couldn’t follow that example. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, in particular, just couldn’t stand the fact that Ms. Kagan didn’t provide enough information about her ideological views.
Funny that.
From sister Virginia blog Blue Commonwealth:
Robert Holsworth of Virginia Commonwealth University is an important media voice on things political in Virginia. He is, after Larry Sabato, perhaps the most frequently quoted academic figure on Virginia politics. He also writes a column with his observations. Given all the discussion of the meaning, or lack thereof, of the straw poll at Gerry Connolly’s St. Paddy’s day event, I thought it might be worthwhile to draw people’s attention to the piece. You can of course skip the rest of what I offer and go directly to St. Paddy’s Day in Fairfax: Endorsements and Straw Polls. Or you can follow the link below for some extracts and a bit of great commentary from “Teacherken”, someone who is officially neutral in the race, with a working relationship with all 3 Democratic gubernatorial candidates, and friends committed to each of the three candidates. In any case, at least read what Holsworth has to say at Blue Commonwealth.
… by throwing his daughter under the bus.
Stephanopoulos asked McCain, “What do you think of Meghan’s feud with Coulter and Ingraham?” McCain first said, “I’m proud of my daughter and she has a right to her opinions.” When asked if he agrees with his daughter, McCain did not say, simply stating, “like any family we agree on some things and disagree on others.”
Now, I’m not afraid of admitting I used to be a loud and proud McCain supporter in the 2000 Republican primaries. I never really ever forgave Bush for kneecapping McCain the way he did- even if I did end up supporting the man for far, far, far too long as I watched my party and our country head towards a precipitous cliff. But if there was ever any doubt that McCain 2008 isn’t McCain 2000… if the election season hadn’t removed that doubt from anyone here- viola.
Democratic leaders scrambling to strip AIG executives of bonuses are having a hard time answering a key question: Why didn’t Congress act to prevent the bonuses in the first place?
Hmm. That’s an excellent question. Of course, don’t ask this guy…
He doesn’t have a clue.
This certainly doesn’t remind me of anything in particular. How about you guys?