Back From The Cliff

The Politico reports on the emerging deal that will save us from the fiscal cliff. The gist - Republicans agree to tax hikes now and Democrats promise entitlement reform scheduled to kick in ten to twenty years down the road.

I sort of think Boehner should agree to this, just because it would be SOO cool to watch Obama, Pelosi and Reid ride into the signing ceremony on their unicorns. What a great Christmas treat for the kids!

Comments

[Jack is Back! (On his iPad)]

I'll believe it when I see it.

In that photo at the article, Boehner has a darker tan than Obama.

[daddy]

If anyone was wondering if we're still having Global Warming:

In unseasonable cold snap, Fairbanks area records nation's highest particulate air pollution

"Fairbanks has chronic winter air pollution problems from widespread use of wood- and oil-burning stoves. The city has been experiencing unusually cold November weather, with temperatures dropping into the minus-30s overnight."

So yes, we are still having Global Warming, but it's frequently buried beneath Eco-Polution headlines.

[Dave (in MA)]

The orange chain smoker will give the mocha chain smoker everything he wants, and the cause of the ensuing economic disaster will be described in future history books as "Republican obstructionism" or "gridlock".

[Spending cuts first!--jimmyk]

I hope this is a joke. Please?

[James D.]

I will never, ever again vote for or donate to or support in any way any Rep who votes for this, or any Rep who votes for Boehner for Speaker in January if he agrees to this madness.

[daddy]

Okay,

Lets have a prediction on the UN's Vote tonight for Palestinian Statehood.

My guess. Hello new nation of Palestine.

[narciso]

Well it is curious that almost the entire Latin American bloc, voted against Israel's statehood,
back in '48,

I know it's a multiple choice question;

http://www.therightscoop.com/ok-what-the-heck-is-wrong-with-mike-huckabee/

[Spending cuts first!--jimmyk]

This suggests Boehner isn't caving:

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/270101-boehner-no-progress-in-talks-on-debt-deal

[daddy]

Yes: 138
No: 9
Abstain: 41

[Chubby]

...so Susan Rice is the wealthiest person in the executive branch. I would have never guessed.

and h/t Drudge breaking ... she has investments in companies doing business with Iran.

[Spending cuts first!--jimmyk]

Ok, I'm totally new at this twitter thing, but I started a #SpendingCutsFirst hashtag. C'mon JOMers!

[Chubby]

I'm totally ignoring the fiscal cliff kabuki this time 'round. I despise most politicians and the games they play, mostly all having the same primary motive, which is to enrich No. 1 compliments of the taxpayers.

Last night, I watched one of the best vintage westerns 've ever seen, "The Gatling Gun." I didn't realize Dean Stockwell was such a good actor.

[Jane - Mock the Media!]

Okay Jimmy !

And no I'm no suprised Susan Rice has investments in Iran.

[daddy]

Save the Planet--Study Turds!

Ancient poo gives clues to human impact on environment

US scientists say they can track early human movements by analysing molecules in ancient faecal matter.

"We compared it to this tree ring temperature record from the area and it was shocking how well the coprostanol followed the temperature reconstruction."

So maybe the Briffa Tree Ring study wasn't Bull Shit after all---it was simply crap:)

"when we see the peak in human faecal sterols, you see a dramatic increase in the frequency of fires in the area, associated with slash-and-burn type agriculture."

[maryrose]

Chubby:
I loved Dean Stockwell as an actor. I first saw him as a child in "Gunga Din" and then in "The Happy Years. Later on he starred with in a time travel adventure show with a guy whose name I can't remember right now.He only died a few years ago.I also agree not to engage in this game of chicken between Reid, McConnell Bammy and Boehner.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--The gist - Republicans agree to tax hikes now and Democrats promise entitlement reform scheduled to kick in ten to twenty years down the road.--

Well it is football season and the GOP does have Peanuts for brains.

[daddy]

"And no I'm no suprised Susan Rice has investments in Iran."

I thought we were supposed to have been boycotting Iran, as part of the sanctions that this Administration was so certain to make them not build nukes. Now the up and coming Sec of State has investments in the place?

[Jim Eagle]

Remember those embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania?

Evidently, so do our hound-dog Senator Susan Collins and she is not convinced about Susan Rice:)

[Jim Eagle]

Susan Rice is getting investment advice from Val Jarrett evidently.

[Jim Eagle]

Iggy et. al.

You do know that this regime practices the fine art of PsyOps don't you? A little disinformation spread by the their friends in the MFM just to piss off everyone here. Don't believe it.

[Extraneus]

I think Ace has the formula.

Why not... give Obama his tax hike on the rich and the small cuts he's willing to agree to -- and then refuse to raise the debt ceiling any further?

Call him out. "You said you could balance things with these measures. So do so."

[maryrose]

Jane:
If you have 4 bottles of vodka I am coming to your house for the holidays. I'll bring the Bloody Mary mix and the tonic water.

[Melinda Romanoff on Kindle]

JiB-

What an interesting picture that paints.

[maryrose]

"
daddy: "
You are so funny!"It was simply crap"

[maryrose]

Do you remember the movie "Bucket List"?
At the end Jack Nicholoson finds out this expensive coffee he's been importing from South America is basically made of monkey droppings. He and Morgan Freeman laugh their heads off about it. I don't agree with Freeman's politics ,but he is one fine actor.

[daddy]

OT,

I am at home and sitting on the couch looking outside at a beautiful clear but very cold 14 degree sunny day. We have hired 2 young men who are outside with huge saws and clippers. They are toping off the tops of our bare trees so that come summer we will recapture our view and not lose it to foliage. They are precariously climbing up these trees and doing all sorts of interesting gyrations hacking this stuff down. Very interesting to watch from the warm and toasty indoors, but the dogs are angry and want them to finish so we can do a walk. Oh well.

HomeOwners Association sez you can't top your trees, but screw them. As a result of our big windstorm last month we lost a few trees, so they are also hauling those out and that is the excuse if anyone comes. I suspect there is going to be an awful lot more scoffing at the rules and regs as this new nation, conceived in crony big brotherism and class warfare, takes the place of what we had.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Don't believe it.--

Don't believe Republicans are stupid?
Sorry, JiB, but it will take someone a lot smarter than Barry to convince me that aint so.

[Danube of Thought on IPad]

I'd give Obama everything he wants. Let him own the whole thing, for keeps. Anything the GOP exreacts will be piddling, but will be portrayed and perceived as the sole cause of the coming debacle.

Susan Rice is certainly being revealed as an extremely unattractive person.

[Jane - Mock the Media!]

Club soda not tonic Maryrose and you are more than welcomed. I just opened one.

[maryrose]

Jane:
Club soda it is!I bet it is beautiful in Massachusetts at Christmas time.
DOT:
When I saw Rice on tv yesterday I just got a bad vibe. She seems too pushy and aggressive to me. And yes her investing advice is straight out of ValJar's playbook.

[daddy]

Interesting how the Brit's spell it "faecal" while we spell it "fecal".

As Churchill almost said, "2 Poops, divided by a common language."

Hurry up tree-cutters, dammit, I'm running out of material [email protected]#$%

[NJ Jan]

Bloody Mary's? I have celery and Tabasco . I know health and fitness was last thread, but this is my idea of healthy living.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

How is any deal the Republicans come up with better than the fiscal cliff?
They will agree to tax increases which will yield next to nothing, a small fraction of even the meager projections, and in turn will get vague promises of illusory cuts and we'll still have a trillion dollar deficit
Increasing the marginal rate on the middle class slightly is going to have limited economic consequences because most of the middle class is not in the entrepreneurial game and consumer demand is not what drives economic growth, no matter how many times people repeat the mindless mantra.
Spending at this point is what matters and sequestration is the only way to get real cuts of any magnitude.

[Spending cuts first!--jimmyk]

Spending at this point is what matters and sequestration is the only way to get real cuts of any magnitude.

I agree, but that article from the Atlantic I linked to yesterday pointed out that sequestration is only cutting $100B in the first year, while taxes go up $380B. So the fiscal cliff is a bad deal, since every dollar of increased taxes is going to translate into permanently higher spending.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/print/2012/11/the-fiscal-cliff-explainer-what-it-is-where-its-from-who-will-pay-and-why-it-matters/264990/

The only solution is #SpendingCutsFirst.

[squaredance]

And you thought the country lost its mind in '06 or '08? Those were mere cases of vapors. Now we have really gone quite over the edge. Now we descend into the abyss.

When before on our lifetimes have the majority of Americans ever been out there actually rooting for a tax raise? That is were we are now. When before could an president get on national television and so boldly demand one?

Great Depression here we come. The Californication of America--the Detriotification of America--here we come.

In fact it will be worse than the great depression, and the Oligarchical Collectivist tyranny that is coming will make the New Dealers look like a bunch of Sunday School teachers. It is most likely that short of Civii War they will never be tossed out now.

6 years ago one would have never predicted that Democrats could literally move us back 80 years in time. One would not have though that the American people were that gullible.

What a weak and stupid nation we have become. How shameful to be an American now. How disgusting to watch us through away the great legacy of this nation. It will not easily be won back.

What really galls is that they will not fight back with equal rhetoric. They will let the nation go down without a fight. Why? because they got their hair mussed in an election, an election haunted by voter fraud no less?

Why don't they call Obama on this absurd "save the middle class" rhetoric. He is raising taxes on the middle class, for Heaven;s sake. We have departed from the objective reality. We are going to sock it too the middle class. Obama might have well said that the sky is paisley.

Raise that income level from $250k to 3 million, and hike the rates to 50%. The democrats will scream them...those are their constituents.

Why don't they come out and spell out this communist coup for what it is. Why don't they tell the truth about this election? Why are they so intimidated by the democrats this time around? Why do they abandon their own base so blithely and abruptly?

Why can the whole Left Establishment shout out such slander and lies and the Republicans can never fight back? Look how the Democrats got away with obstruction during the Bush years.

It is simple: Either the GOP does not understand that the Democrats are at war with us, or thy do understand but they just want a piece of the action. One thing is clear: they could not care less about the fate of this nation. What irresponsible and cowardly poltroons.

Boner, Rice--the whole corrupt and irresponsible core of our rotted political system is out in the open for all to see. Few seem prepared to see it, and fewer still are outraged by it.

The ultimate legacy of the Obama years will be the evisceration of all faith in our institutions. What will follow will be grim indeed.

We are descending in to madness, chaos and criminal irresponsibility. We are ruled by the vilest sort of human beings. It is as though we have lost a war and are now an occupied country.

One would have never thought that we could be brought so low. One would have never thought that the American people would be so supine and callow. How easily they are manipulated, and what venal and mediocre traitors, crooks and liars they permit to manipulate them. It is like stealing candy from a retarded baby.

[Ranger]

Pretty much as exspected:

Report: Obama’s “fiscal cliff” offer to Republicans calls for $1.6 trillion in new taxes and end of debt ceiling in exchange for … nothing, basically

I'm not sure I agree with this:

sequestration is only cutting $100B in the first year, while taxes go up $380B. So the fiscal cliff is a bad deal, since every dollar of increased taxes is going to translate into permanently higher spending.

Since the majority of the people paying that $380 billion in new taxes are Dem voters from the high cost of living blue hells, I call it a win-win.

[marlene]

Susan Rice's mother,Lois Dickson Rice, grew up on Munjoy Hill in Portland,ME. She has a summer home in Lincolnville (near Camden).
She was a former VP of the College Board and is highly regarded in higher education circles.rse,in your research,did you ever see her name mentioned? She is currently at the Brookings Institute.

[daddy]

Yay!

Treecutters are finished and gone. Great job. Dogs are fed and raring to go. Will leave you with this interesting Quiz.

The brown smudge you see in this photo of Antarctica from Outer Space:

1) Is it Polar Bear droppings
2) Penguin Guano
3) Seal scat

Answer.

[East Bay Jay]

The Popeye comic strip predicted this all long ago with the character Wimpy who's signature line was 'I'll gladly pay you tomorrow for a hamburger today'.

Now we know who is providing the Dems tactical advice.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Trevor:

The voters may have to feel the full weight of statism upon them before being convinced that it should be rejected. Of course, the more heavily statism weighs on its subjects, the more it hurts, but the harder it is to throw off... We live in interesting times...

DOT:

I'd give Obama everything he wants. Let him own the whole thing, for keeps. Anything the GOP exreacts will be piddling, but will be portrayed and perceived as the sole cause of the coming debacle..

I say one follows the other, and today the GOP Congress has no power to stop it. Neither nibbling around the edges, nor extraordinary shows of political theatrics like filibusters do anything for the future of the GOP or conservatism.

Obama, Pelosi and Reid make it clear that they want their way or the highway. If they get their way, most of us think that it will result in a statist economy like the floundering EU. Let 'em have their way, but with a Churchillian warning to the American people: These policies will be disastrous to our economy and our liberty.

[MarkO]

Susan Rice is just the sort of manly, black woman Obama needs. She walks like a linebacker.
Boehner certainly appears to me to be a moderately functioning alcoholic.
Let the Obama compromise become the law of the land. Let his legacy be one of complete failure.
Two words and they are not Happy Birthday.

But, the reason we are losing this is because our folks are simply spineless and stupid.

[NJ Jan]

Suggestions for next SoS by Michael Tomasky , a truly insane lib. Do not read while eating. Hint -- his first choice is Al Gore.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/29/six-nominees-to-succeed-hillary-clinton-as-secretary-of-state.html

[henry]

Not all the people affected by Obama's tax rise are blue state... quite a few employers will get hit with this tax, plus the Ocare tax. Expect a massive contraction and increase in unemployment whether this "compromise" passes or the cliff occurs. It is a liquidity cliff for employers either way.

[Jim Eagle]

daddy,

No polar bears in antartica. That eliminates them. But plenty of Penguins.

I go with Penguin guano. Did not look at answer.

Move the Capital to Salina, Kansas and all this shit goes away in one week.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Dean Stockwell is still alive, Quantum Leap with Scott Bakula (and he was also on the new Battlestar Galactica) and Daddy, that's too bad because Alan really was a great guy and one of the great poets in America even if he did try to get into my pants once.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

So there.

[narciso]

Would that be Ginsburg, Charlie, somewhat presciently one of Stockwell's first roles was of a White House staffer that became a werewolf

[jimmyk]

the majority of the people paying that $380 billion in new taxes are Dem voters from the high cost of living blue hells

How is that? It's pretty much across-the-board, plus a big increase in the estate tax. Maybe the AMT disproportionately affects blue hells, but a lot of this is going to hit red states too.

[narciso]

She's been of this mindset before, from that fulsome Power column of 2001, re Rwanda;

At an interagency teleconference in late April, Susan Rice, a rising star on the NSC who worked under Richard Clarke, stunned a few of the officials present when she asked, “If we use the word ‘genocide’ and are seen as doing nothing, what will be the effect on the November [congressional] election?” Lieutenant Colonel Tony Marley remembers the incredulity of his

[Jane - Mock the Media!]

Actually it is in exchange for more stimulus spending Ranger.

Investments in Iran are illegal. I'm sure Susan Rice had no idea turbo tax was investing her money.

[Ranger]

How is that? It's pretty much across-the-board

In two ways. First, since people who work in high cost of living areas such as New York and LA earn more, they pay higher taxes. Second, the Alternative Minimum Tax "fix" expires, which also affects mostly people who live in the higher cost of living areas.

The Republicans should offer to eliminate certain deductions, such as the one for local and state taxes as well. Make the Dems who live in the blue hells pay for the government they love so dearly.

[Ranger]

Actually it is in exchange for more stimulus spending Ranger.

Only of the debt limit is increased. If there is no debt limit increase, the tax increas doesn't come close to covering the shortfall in revinue.

[Spending cuts first!--jimmyk]

At the end Jack Nicholoson finds out this expensive coffee he's been importing from South America is basically made of monkey droppings.

Must have been the poopacino Dave Barry wrote about.

[Rick Ballard]

"such as the one for local and state taxes as well"

Put a low cap on the mortgage interest deduction as well. We really need to find out what the net effect of significant tax increases entails wrt economic growth.

[narciso]

' no blood for Iranian oil, or something,

http://ppsimmons.blogspot.com/2012/11/exposed-susan-rice-has-investments-in.html

[Spending cuts first!--jimmyk]

First, since people who work in high cost of living areas such as New York and LA earn more, they pay higher taxes.

Except for the AMT (your second point), taxes will go up more or less proportionally for everyone. More in absolute terms for high earners, but I don't see that as a big win, any more than I thought the original Bush cuts favored high earners.

Second, the Alternative Minimum Tax "fix" expires, which also affects mostly people who live in the higher cost of living areas.

Yes, but that will be the first thing that will be re-fixed by Congress.

But the real problem is as I said that every dollar of increased taxes translates into permanently higher spending, and eventually it's going to be the productive people who pay for it.

[Janet]

Why should any American have to send more money to the wasteful, addicts in DC? It is maddening that they should demand MORE of our money.
That estate tax is gonna kill land owners...families that invested in land to grow their agricultural businesses.
They're gonna have to sell their property to pay the taxes. We are like Zimbabwe. Instead of pickups full of thugs with machetes...we send the IRS. Either way the government is stealing. This is shameful.

Did the Kennedys pay 55% of their inheritance in taxes?

[Jane - Mock the Media!]

It just seems stupid to even pretend to be serious about these budget talks. The obama plan is a joke. Obama is a joke. It's pathetic.

[Danube of Thought on IPad]

"our folks are simply spineless and stupid."

And the ones who aren't are hopelessly outnumbered.

[bunkerbuster]

Cough up, wingnuts:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/28/3117444/george-zimmerman-to-sell-autographs.html
LMAO...

[maryrose]

The dems, flush with election victory perceived power don't want to give anything. At heart they are all Takers of other peoples's money. This will not end well. The voices of reason are being ignored. Reid really needs to retire. This is a young man's game. He is out of his league. Ditto Pelosi. How are these people still representing us?
Ryan Corker, people with plans are ignored. Obama prances around and mugs for the camera. He is USELESS. If Romney had won, this would be resolved already.

[maryrose]

It must be so frustrating to continue to work with idiots as your leaders.I think Boehner is genuinely flabbergasted at the lack of seriousness on the part of Obama and the dems. It is really true that they are too busy taking victory laps to get anything at all accomplished. It is absolutely appalling that some solution cannot be found for this debacle.

[narciso]

No, maryrose, he was never any good at anytime, at least as long as he's been in public life anyways, most notably he was Senator Harrison in Casino, the two faced weasel played by the more serious Smothers bros,

[rse]

http://www.pellinstitute.org/downloads/sfarn_2011-Mundel_Evidence_Draft_060311.pdf

is a paper Lois was involved. Was not familiar with her but guessed there would be a Lumina connection. There was. For those keeping score Lumina Foundation has come out with the Diploma Qualifications Profile to change the nature of college to gain Equity in Credentialing and change the focus to grads having desired attributes.

Interesting CV. She was with College Board early back when Ralph Tyler was influential there. Remember it was founded with Carnegie funding.

CB has always been far more involved with changing ed than you would guess.

I found her decade at control data as an exec interesting as well as that year as a program director at the Model T foundation.

Love how she lists her honorary doctorates under education.

[Pops]

Boehner has the power in his hands. A quick 2 trillion dollar budget cut...simply don't pass an increase in the debt limit. Poof, 2 trillion saved.

Boehner shouldn't have even met with Geithner. He should have left him cooling his heels in the outer office with a National debt clock staring him in the face the whole time.

Then he should have had his Executive tell Geithner that the speaker has a policy against dealing with tax cheats..he tends not to trust a word they say. Have a nice day and see him out.

[maryrose]

narciso:
Who wasn't any good?

[narciso]

Harry Reid, I thought the Casino reference would have made it clear. But he's not quantitatively different then tax dodging Daschle, or more professorial George Mitchell, who was replaced by Olympia Snowe, great improvement.

[maryrose]

Pops:
You are absolutely correct.I wouldn't let Geithner anywhere near the talks. He's just Odummy's flunky. If it all goes belly-up Obama's hands are clean. Just the way he likes it. It worked with Benghazi. We still to this day do not know who gave the stand down order or refused to send help there.

[Ranger]

McConnell 'Burst Into Laughter' as Geithner Outlined Obama's Plan

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, says he “burst into laughter” Thursday when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner outlined the administration proposal for averting the fiscal cliff. He wasn’t trying to embarrass Geithner, McConnell says, only responding candidly to his one-sided plan, explicit on tax increases, vague on spending cuts.

I wish I could have seen the look on Timmy's face. I'm sure he was doing his best "I'm totally serious."

[maryrose]

narciso:
I missed the very good Casino reference. Yes you are right about Reid. I was so hoping he wouldn't get re-elected but the fix was in on that one.

[pagar]

"Now the up and coming Sec of State has investments in the place?"

It would not surprise me to find that every member of the Obama Admin does.

[maryrose]

pagar:
We do know from the debates that Obama has investments in China. Romney forced him to admit it on live television.

[maryrose]

This is my last comment on Rice- She will not be the next SOS.

[maryrose]

Geithner totally blew up the Lehman Bros. debacle in 2008. Why is he involved in this ?
Why won't these people go away. They say they are leaving but they all still hang around. Holder, Geithner,Clinton. It is like a bad Saturday Night Live skit.

[narciso]

That's the sign, that it's a scam, as NY Fed chair, he had all the authority to prevent the meltdown, when he worked at the World Bank, if a single high profile magnate in Argentina, refused to pay tax, the whole country was proscribed from receiving any new loans,

[pagar]

The quickest way for the US to have more funds
would be to never give another penny to the UN or any country that works against the US.

[Sue]

Janet

I doubt the Kennedys have ever paid much in estate taxes. They have tax attorneys figuring out how to avoid them.

[Melinda Romanoff]

FYI-

The AMT "fix" expired in 2011. What exists now is a one year patch. If left undone, the AMT will impact 2012 taxes, first. We already went over the cliff, now it's just a matter of glide characteristics.

And they are using default as their gun to Boehner's head, not the cliff.

And they would rather default than negotiate.

[bgates]

At least Kentucky is losing a ball game, even if it is to Notre Dame.

Still November, and already I've seen at least parts of KY-ND, OSU-Duke, IU-GTown, IU-GA, and IU-UNC. I'm wasting so much time sitting around watching college basketball you'd think I'd been elected President.

[Sue]

I wish you had been elected president bgates

[Melinda Romanoff]

maryrose-

JP Morgan blew up Lehman. Collateral theft and frozen rehypothecation. Anton Valukas wrote the report. Pithy reading.

[narciso]

I don't get it, bgates,was Notre Dame always that bad, as for Duke-OSU, or IU Georgetown, also plausible in some 'bearded spock' universe, but highly improbable,

[narciso]

It's like one of those Michael Thomas potboiler, what ever did happen to him?

[narciso]

Oh, he wrote this silly thing, last year, for the Daily Basilish;

http://dangerousminds.net/tag/Michael-Thomas

[Extraneus]

I still like "We'll give the Democrats everything they want, but we're not raising the debt limit. They can decide whether to focus on tax increases or spending cuts, and we'll go along, but we need to live within our means, just like every other American does."

[bgates]

was Notre Dame always that bad

They're not terrible. Just knocked off 8th ranked Kentucky; apparently the Irish home court is impregnable (no home losses since 1998 or something incredible).

[Manuel Transmission]

Normally, I wouldn't think of posting an online joke, but this should help make your day:

A Tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco. While looking around at the exotic merchandise, he noticed a very lifelike, life-sized, bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag, but was so incredibly striking the tourist decided he must have it. He took it to the old shop owner and asked, "How much for the bronze rat?" "Ahhh, you have chosen wisely! It is $12 for the rat and $100 for the story," said the wise old Chinaman. The tourist quickly pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you can keep the story." As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, the tourist noticed that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and sewers and had begun following him down the street. This was a bit disconcerting so he began walking faster. A couple blocks later he looked behind him and saw to his horror the herd of rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began squealing. Sweating now, the tourist began to trot toward San Francisco Bay.

Again, after a couple blocks, he looked around only to discover that the rats now numbered in the MILLIONS, and were squealing and coming toward him faster and faster. Terrified, he ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat as far as he could into the Bay. Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after the bronze rat and were all drowned. The man walked back to the curio shop in Chinatown. "Ahhh," said the owner, "You come back for story?" "No sir," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a bronze Democrat!"

[Clarice]

The Kennedys live off a tax free estate the old man set up in Tahiti.
I guessed the right answer, daddy. Does that make me a photo analyst?

I'm still catching up from my week away. But have you guys seen this?http://www.redstate.com/2012/11/28/the-incestuous-bleeding-of-the-republican-party/
How much money was wasted by these guys on useless ads for which they got millions in commissions?

[Manuel Transmission]

BTW, that post took me several days of screwing around to get it to post. I recall JMH grumbling about editing C&P text and getting it to post. Not only that but I have never had to do a captcha before this.

It has to be hidden characters that typhuspad sees. My limited effort included C&P back and forth to Mac Textedit, Windoze Notepad and Wordpad.

[fdcol63]

America ...... the Once Great Nation.

It's horrible to see what's happening.

[narciso]

Well I'm a little down on Erickson, because some of his childish tantrums last year and into the spring, but this little detail is telling;

To understand the problems, we need to go back in time. Michael Beach is a co-founder of Targeted Victory, LLC, as is Zac Moffatt. Before that, he was the National Victory Director for the Republican Party during the 2008 campaign.

'those words you are using, don't mean what you think they do;

[centralcal]

Cute story, MT - if only it were that easy to rid ourselves of the pestilence.

Yes, Clarice, I read it - earlier today. Sadly my disgust meter became so overloaded with today's news (cliff hangers and UN failures), that it short-circuited.

Another read (no link, too tired) was Jeff Lord at AmSpec about Schmidt and Murphy - The Quslings - as he called them. Every now and then, I am afraid, I too, hop on the DOOM train.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

I was more concerned to see Adlai Stassen at the WH today. He's a very big chicken and still has plenty of feathers for the consultants to pluck. I hope he decides to stay home and play the Goldilocks Optimum home version rather than try and inflict himself upon the electorate in 2016.

[fdcol63]

What we're seeing now is the culmination of Antonio Gramsci's and the Left's strategy of the "long march through the culture", where they've undermined all the major institutions in American and Western society to sap people's confidence in them so chaos and anarchy will spread.

From this, they will present themselves as the only alternative to restore order and peace.

But there will be a cost: freedom and liberty.

[Clarice]

CC, I'd be astonished if the RNC will have enough money to ever do this again unless they sever all ties with these people and no candidate in his right mind would give them a cent,

[pagar]

America ends!

http://weaselzippers.us/2012/11/29/north-carolina-school-orders-6-year-old-girl-to-remove-word-god-from-poem-she-wrote-for-veterans-day/

Words fail!

[narciso]

It's like an assortment from whizzo chocolates,
everyone a surprise;

http://www.examiner.com/article/college-students-learn-of-obama-s-secret-pell-grant-cuts

[centralcal]

...and no candidate in his right mind would give them a cent,

Well, I am done. done. done. done. Last penny I am ever giving to anything that begins with RN__ (fill in the blanks).

The winning votes for Obama hadn't even been tallied, and my phone started ringing. Every day now - 2 and 3 times a day (had a lot of days off during holiday) from the RNCC. Blech. No way Jose! I am going to invest instead in Rosetta Stone and perfect my Spanish, change a few vowels and add some diacritical marks in my last name, and sign up for all the "free" Obama stuff being given to "minorities," etc. etc.

I am just about rock bottom with the whole GOP bullshit.

[Clarice]

HEH, cc. I think you should do what I do, hand it over directly to candidates I like and skip the idiot middle men.
Speaking of candidates I like, I went to a reception tonight for Allen West, I'm so sorry he lost but rest assured, you've not heard the last of him yet. He's very upbeat. His staff says there was considerable cheating but it was done when and where they were not allowed to observe it so proof was hard to establish.

[Threadkiller]

"Transparency: Walk the Walk, Mr. President

For fiscal-cliff talks, the GOP must insist that Obama deliver on his promise of openness

By John Fund @ National Review Online

Conservatives are worried that the negotiations that will begin this week to avoid the “fiscal cliff” will end in disaster. Tax increases that will weaken the economy could be combined with spending cuts that never materialize in an agreement that will leave many Republicans — especially those who have signed the “no net new taxes” pledge promoted by Americans for Tax Reform — vulnerable to public outrage, and indeed to primary challenges in the midterm elections.

The way to avoid that outcome may be for conservatives to insist on the transparency and openness that Barack Obama has spent much of his career promoting but has almost never delivered in practice. The White House has asserted false claims of executive privilege to avoid questions on the Justice Department’s Fast and Furious gun-running scandal. The Washington Post reported last year that a large number of requests for public records elicited no material at all from the administration. The same Barack Obama who as a 2008 candidate promised that health-care negotiations would be shown on C-SPAN instead cobbled together the abomination of Obamacare behind closed doors."

http://obamareleaseyourrecords.blogspot.com/2012/11/nro-gop-should-ask-obama-for-transparency.html

Alert Mark Steyn!! NRO does care about the rinky-dink!

Too late...