Usa Thread

[kamui]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNntoRgA

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbrI3F7p6-o

 

[Steve]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sandy-goodman/republicans-the-single-gr_b_881444.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=811789,b=facebook

 

Republicans: The Single Greatest Threat to America

 

The single greatest threat to the United States is not joblessness, foreclosures, another recession or skyrocketing debt or health care costs. Nor is it terrorism, China or declining influence abroad. No, the single greatest threat to our country is today's Republican Party.

 

That's because the GOP is relentlessly pursuing a policy of the American public be damned, so that next year Republicans can regain the national political dominance they held from 2001 to 2006. Their sole, selfish aim is to complete the transformation of the U.S. to a government of, by and for the rich and the far-right.

 

Veteran reporter Robert Parry, a retired correspondent for the Associated Press and Newsweek, accurately summed up that policy this way:

 

Modern Republicans have a simple approach to politics when they are not in the White House: Make America as ungovernable as possible by using any means available... Control as much as possible what the population gets to see and hear; create chaos for your opponent's government, economically and politically; blame it for the mess; and establish in the minds of the voters that their only way out is to submit, that the pain will stop once your side is back in power...

 

 

 

Republicans and the Right... are well positioned to roll the U.S. economy off the cliff and blame the catastrophe on Obama. Indeed, that may be their best hope for winning Election 2012.

George W. Bush's presidency, with Congressional Republicans in lockstep behind him, made an excellent start on the destructive transformation of this country: two unpaid-for wars (one based on lies); failure to prevent the worst terrorist attack on the homeland or punish its instigators; waste of tens of thousands of U.S. and foreign lives, and worldwide diplomatic failure.

 

At home, approval of torture, warrantless wiretapping and ineptness and indifference in the face of Hurricane Katrina created a permanent stain. Economically, Republican tax cuts created few jobs and increased the national debt by 75 percent. What the Washington Post dubbed "executive grandeur" made income inequality the worst since the 1930s Depression. Finally, the GOP's failed stewardship of the economy resulted in a crisis that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke testified was even worse than the Depression.

 

When national revulsion against Republican misrule drove Democrats into power in 2008, the GOP resorted to today's strategy. It became evident even before the new Democratic president took office when the Republican Party's de facto leader, Rush Limbaugh, declared: "I hope Obama fails." And since the inauguration, Republicans have done everything in their power to assure that failure, although it's meant misery for millions of Americans.

 

"I wish we had been able to obstruct more," says Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell who succeeded brilliantly in keeping his members in line in opposing every important measure that's good for this country including presidential initiatives for health care, financial regulation, economic stimulus and a dozen executive appointments and even more judicial ones needed to keep government functioning.

 

Given the frightening record of business and financial deception and fraud that led to the economic crisis, who in their right mind could possibly oppose increased regulation of business and enhanced protection for consumers? The answer: almost all Republicans. Elizabeth Warren is too committed to consumer protection to win the votes of Senate Republicans acting for their paymasters at the chambers of commerce.

 

President Obama's new law extending health insurance to 30 million more people is too good for working Americans. Beaten in their attempt to vote it down, Republicans are now suing to kill it. Remember the GOP plan? It proposed health insurance for one-tenth as many people. Is it any wonder that people in all other industrial countries, where health care is a right, laugh at us.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sandy-goodman/republicans-the-single-gr_b_881444.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=811789,b=facebook

Republicans: The Single Greatest Threat to America

American business hates government -- except when it needs government help. Which is just about all the time. And it's just fine with Republicans whenever business goes to the government for help. In fact, GOPers are almost always corporate-friendly, as opposed to people-friendly. And they have a right-wing Supreme Court majority that helps them buy legislation by equating money with speech and corporations with human beings.

 

But heaven forbid the average citizen should try to get a government benefit, or a job or more unemployment insurance or aid in taking back a home seized (often illegally) by the bank, or getting health care for a gravely ill child with a pre-existing condition. Republicans are happy to vote overwhelmingly against him, ignoring the Constitutional command that government "promote the general welfare."

[kamui]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNntoRgA

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbrI3F7p6-o

 

 

The question is, how could such dope become even governor in the USA? How how stupid must parts of the electorate be that his campaign created such a stupid video to gather support?

[cavanami]

Santa Gets a TSA Pat-down

 

http://www.infowars.com/santa-gets-a-tsa-patdown-photo/

 

Could this legendary figure be part of the mythical al Qaeda group?

 

Obviously, TSA officials are concerned. Here’s an actual photo taken yesterday, December 12, at approximately 11 am via iPhone from one of our listeners of a man dressed as Santa Claus receiving a pat-down at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the very airport also in the news today after considering a total ban of radiating body scanners. Note the red Santa coat in the bin behind him.

 

http://static.infowars.com/2011/12/i/article-images/INFOWARS_Santa_Claus_TSA_patdown.jpg

[robaus]

cav,

 

>> Troops STILL in Iraq!

.... Nitpicking.. they’ll be out by 31 December and so they should be. It’s only Dick Cheney and his Halliburton cronies who will be sad about that.

 

>> he sent MORE TROOPS to Afghanistan!!!

.... the war in Afghanistan is justified. Terrorists murdered 3,000 on 9/11, and the Taliban government wouldn’t surrender the perps. Then Bush and Rumsfeld stuffed things up by poor planning and wasting huge resources in Iraq instead of focusing on the real war on terror in Afghanistan. Obama ordered a surge on the advice of the military.

 

I’m curious as to the Republican spin here.. do you believe in fighting back against terrorists who attack you or not? What’s the GOP/Tea Party/Fox Noise position on Afghanistan?

 

Even when Obama authorized taking out Bin Liner, Fox Noise spun it as “What took Obama so long?†.. even though on Bush’s 8 year watch Bin Liner had been allowed to operate and then escape from the Tora Bora mountains through incompetence.

http://thecentristword.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/fox-news-spin-campaign-over-osama-in-full-swing/

 

>> Free healthcare, bullshit! my insurance immediately went up 30%

.... so you would have health benefits for the poor cut to “subsidize†YOUR health insurance....that sounds like “socialism†* to me... ... I’m going to dob you pinko libtard commies in to Rush Limbaugh.

 

 

* I love the way you Americans utter "socialism" as though it were a profanity. Caring for the underprivileged is the norm in most democracies.

 

It always made me laugh when I had to fill in an immigration form to the US "Have you ever been a member of the communist party?" Often tempted to write "Yes, Lenin was my grandad", but I know the jobsworths wouldn't have appreciated my humour.

[Steve]

Frankly that Rick Perry ad is chillingly scary. This is coming from a guy who is a Christian. Okay, a whoremongering one but I believe in all the things that the bible says that Rick Perry believes. All the things you guys find crazy and I can't blame you one iota for thinking that. I'm objective enough to know it all sounds nutty from the outside in. Same as how I find the Nation of Islam's version of Islam, Scientologists and the Mormon version of events nutty as hell so I get it.

 

Anyway, I believe in the constitutution and I believe in rights and I want religion as far as away from politics as possible. Anytime those two institutions have met its been disastrous. The bible, specifically the New Testament, seems to agree. The early Christians stayed out of politics and Jesus did as well.

 

The ad though was scary beyond belief to me. I read a blog once from a guy who was teaching in Saudi Arabia and the one thing he said left with that he didn't prior was the unwavering belief that that religion and politics are the two worst two things to mix and I thoroughly agree. It almost always defers to the least common denominator and the fringe. Some have fought it off after learning from their history (Turkey). Some have not (Iran, Saudi Arabia).

 

I believe that life begins where the bible says it does but I'm not gonna ram it down your throat and make a law that legalizes my relgious viewpoint which, after you strip all the dialogue away, is basically what pro life people want to do. The medical evidence goes against what I believe is where life begins. Gay marriage is a religious issue. Its not framed as such but at its core it is. Strip away all of it and it is. Two gay christians marrying should be illegal to fundamentalists but a Christian marrying a moslem shouldn't be? The idiocy of that thinking is beyond belief.

 

I recall fundmentalist republican christians talk about supporting a Christian in the white house when it was Bush and putting their faith above who the best man is because afterall, a Christian by definition is the better choice. However, they hypocritically will now support Romney, a Mormon over a self confessed born again Christian that Obama is. Its hypocritical beyond belief. Its one of the myriad of reasons I have not only grown to dislike the Republican party but at times detest it.

 

I'm not saying the Dems are great. They aren't there's tons I have problems with but for me its a choice of bad and much worse. I'd gladly take a 3rd party as better than either but given a choice between the two its not even a consideration to me.

[Flashermac]

Dem lawmaker blasts ‘Professor Obama’ as arrogant, alienating

 

By Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.)

 

After observing President Obama for the last three years, it has become obvious to me that the president might prefer to be a university professor rather than do the job he holds today. While he might not realize that he feels this way, the evidence is very clear to those who work with or watch him closely.

 

Let me be clear — I’m not trying to disparage professors. But anyone who wonders why the president is not crushing the weak Republican field only needs to examine how President Obama has behaved more like Professor Obama:

 

‘IDEA DISEASE’

In the president’s first year in office, his administration suffered from what I call “idea disease.†Every week, and sometimes almost every day, the administration rolled out a new program for the country. There was no obvious prioritization and, after the rollout, very little effort to actually pass the latest idea/imperative/plan/edict. Instead, the new programs just kept coming, with the new proposals constantly stepping on the previous day’s message. This rampant “idea disease†squandered the tremendous goodwill generated by the Obama campaign’s message of “hope,†tainting the president’s personal appeal. As Democrats in Congress, we often felt like we were drinking water out of a fire hose, trying to simultaneously deal with past failures of the Bush administration and the avalanche of new initiatives from Obama. This lack of focus also made it easy for congressional Republicans to stall and foil many of President Obama’s best initiatives — which they did with relish!

 

‘I’M RIGHT, YOU’RE WRONG’

 

Early in his administration, President/Professor Obama repeatedly referred to “teaching moments.†He would admonish staff, members of Congress and the public, in speeches and in private, about what they could learn from him. Rather than the ideological or corrupt “I’m above the law†attitudes of some past administrations, President Obama projected an arrogant “I’m right, you’re wrong†demeanor that alienated many potential allies. Furthermore, the president concentrated power within the White House, leaving Cabinet members with no other option but to dutifully carry out policies with which they had limited input in crafting and might very well disagree. From my experience, this was especially true in the environmental, resources, housing and employment areas. Not by coincidence, these areas have also been responsible for much of the president’s harshest critiques.

 

LECTURES vs. LISTENING

 

One former administration official told me directly that the people in the White House “NEVER TALK TO REAL PEOPLE.†Another former Obama staffer confided to me that it was clear to him that the president didn’t mind giving speeches (lectures), but really avoided personal contact with members of Congress and folks outside the Beltway. “He doesn’t seem to derive energy from spending time with regular people the way Clinton did. He rallies to give speeches for the big crowds, but avoids individual contact,†the former staffer recalled. This “arms-length†attitude extends to top decision-makers in the president’s administration. A senior housing official recently told me that, despite the fact that he was responsible for crafting policies to stem the foreclosure crisis, he had personally never met with a homeowner who had been foreclosed on.

 

The president’s disinterest in input from those outside his inner circle is costing him many wasted opportunities. Recently, a senator told me Obama went to his/her state, but issued an invitation for the senator to attend the event only the day before. “I represent a must-win state and lead the president in approval ratings by nearly 20 points. He was totally off-message for what my people wanted to hear. Doesn’t the White House get it? I don’t need him, he needs ME!â€

 

Many on the Democratic side wish Hillary Clinton, Gov. Jerry Brown (Calif.), Gov. Martin O’Malley (Md.) or Gov. Andrew Cuomo (N.Y.) were running instead, but the president still has time to learn a thing or two from these skilled politicians. I’ll still take Professor Obama over the “goat rodeo clowns†the Republican field offers, but I fear the overall student body — American voters — will give him a failing grade next November if he doesn’t improve his performance

 

 

My link

[Bangkoktraveler]

Newt is being called a socialist by Conservatives.

[cavanami]

>> he sent MORE TROOPS to Afghanistan!!!

.... the war in Afghanistan is justified. Terrorists murdered 3,000 on 9/11...

 

55555555555555555555555555555555555555

 

Justified based on the "terrorist" attack?

 

The "terrorist" attack was carried out or at least sanctioned by the US gov, IMO.

 

Just remember Bldg. 7...fell down on its own...never hit by a plane...Google the many sources on the internet, like Truth about 9/11, architects and engineers 9/11, etc.

[robaus]

>> he sent MORE TROOPS to Afghanistan!!!

.... the war in Afghanistan is justified. Terrorists murdered 3,000 on 9/11...

 

55555555555555555555555555555555555555

 

Justified based on the "terrorist" attack?

 

The "terrorist" attack was carried out or at least sanctioned by the US gov, IMO.

 

Just remember Bldg. 7...fell down on its own...never hit by a plane...Google the many sources on the internet, like Truth about 9/11, architects and engineers 9/11, etc.

 

Crikey, you're not a "birther" by any chance too?

 

There are even more sources that convincingly refute those fantasies.

 

I don't think Bush was bright enough for starters.

 

I can now understand why you think Gingrich would make a better President than Obama.