Green With... Laughter?

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez launches her Intersectional Environmentalism proposal to de-carbonize the US economy and solve every social problem within ten years.

Megan Mcardle, David Harsanyi and Jon Chait wack the pinata. I'll give Megan props for the best headline:

‘We’re nuts!’ isn’t a great pitch for a Green New Deal

But this proposal, and especially the accompanying (and withdrawn) fact sheet isn't merely ludicrously ambitious and devoid of common sense (Eliminate air travel?!? Retrofit "every" building in America?!?). It also reveals a stunning absence of basic knowledge of history and public finance.

One wonders whether Ms. AOC actually has the time and temperament to collaborate with experts and study an issue (yet another reason she is the Trump of the left!). Or did Democratic leadership cut her loose and send the real Washington hands off on other projects? Let her primary herself!

On to specifics. This passage on how the extreme environmental makeover might be financed may have sounded great in a college dorm. A freshman dorm. But this is a frightening level of ignorance about the structure, legal authorities, independence and role of the Federal Reserve when it comes from a Congressperson as part of a legislative package (my emphasis):

How will you pay for it?

The same way we paid for the New Deal, the 2008 bank bailout and extended quantitative easing programs. The same way we paid for World War II and all our current wars. The Federal Reserve can extend credit to power these projects and investments and new public banks can be created to extend credit. There is also space for the government to take an equity stake in projects to get a return on investment. At the end of the day, this is an investment in our economy that should grow our wealth as a nation, so the question isn’t how will we pay for it, but what will we do with our new shared prosperity.

Ah, well, what? The Federal Reserve is an independent entity - it won't be financing this green agenda just because AOC thinks it ought to. As to their legal authority, well, it is widely agreed the Fed can purchase government backed debt. They crept beyond that during the 2008 financial meltdown and used their lending authority to finance parts of the AIG bailout in what was widely perceived as an dire, backs against the wall, emergency meltdown scenario. But it is not at all obvious why an independent Fed would choose to finance these green projects or whether it would be within their legal scope.

Back on the history front, this JFK/Ike/FDR nostalgia is ahistorical nonsense:

Americans love a challenge. This is our moonshot.

When JFK said we’d go to the by the end of the decade, people said impossible.

If Eisenhower wanted to build the interstate highway system today, people would ask how we’d pay for it.

When FDR called on America to build 185,000 planes to fight World War 2, every business leader, CEO, and general laughed at him... At the time, the U.S. had produced 3,000 planes in the last year. By the end of the war, we produced 300,000 planes. That’s what we are capable of if we have real leadership.

One at a time: Kennedy first laid out the man-on-the-moon vision in May 1961. The US was losing the space race to the Soviet Union, which had the first satellite and the first man in space (their legacy rocket program from WWII gave them a head start).

Did people say "impossible"? The relevant Senate Committee unanimously approved funding a few weeks later. Polling was scattered: per Forbes, in 1959 52% thought a man on the moon was doable within 20 years; in early 1961, 65% approved of the attempt. Well, until the price tag was announced: per Wikipedia, 58% opposed the use of funds for that purpose. But "impossible"? Not seeing it.

And Ike? Well, he didn't wait for people to ask how we'd pay for the highway program - he asked Congress to extend the gasoline tax in his original proposal. No, fiscal conservatism wasn't invented last weekend to thwart Green Dreams.

As to FDR, my goodness: his speech calling for a massive rearmament effort was delivered on May 15, 1940, five days after Germany began their invasion of France. The French collapse along the Meuse was well underway, although the public (and possibly Allied military leadership) may not have been fully aware. The Times front page, with the Roosevelt speech in the upper left:

Although AOC is surely hearing laughter today, people were not laughing in May of 1940 (Geez, did she see "Churchill"? "Dunkirk"? How about "Avengers - Infinity War"?). In fact, FDR pressed into service William Knudsen, the head of General Motors, to dial up America's industrial base. Here is how historian Arthur Herman described Knudsen's approach:

“I’m no soldier,” Knudsen told Roosevelt when he got to Washington that May, “But I know if we get into war, the winning of it will be purely a question of material production.” He persuaded FDR that three steps were needed to get America’s businesses and factories ready for getting back to work, and getting ready for war.

The first was to rethink Roosevelt’s own anti-business instincts, and to bring industry leaders into the administration to deal with the production crisis.

The second was to scrap many of the New Deal’s anti-business regulations and tax policies, in order to give businesses an incentive to switch to wartime production and hire workers, retool, and expand their plants.

The third was to take control of the war mobilization process away from Washington bureaucrats and give it to America’s most innovative and productive companies.

That sounds sort of the opposite of the AOC plan to put the government in charge of everything.

Well. Other than showing no grasp of common sense, history or public finance I would say AOC is good to go.

Comments

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is going to deeply embarrass the Dem party for years, not because she's not honest, but precisely because she is.
Her entire career will be one long Michael Kinsley gaff; accidentally telling the truth about what the Dems planned end point is.

[JimNorCal]

Second

[Tom R]

jimmyk @ 11:39 from previous thread

IANAL nor a judge so have no technical expertise to determine if Roberts decision is legally justified or not. What I do know is that the "must have hospital admitting privileges" legislation was brought before the courts long before this Louisiana law.

Alabama: https://reason.com/blog/2016/03/28/no-admitting-privileges-for-alabama

Texas: http://reason.com/blog/2016/03/03/hints-that-scotus-may-overturn-the-texas

[Dave (in MA)]

It's on the level of the Monty Python How To Do It sketch and the Animal House "when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor" scene.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Regarding the Frum quote about Bezos and Pecker, CH posted last thread, isn't it marvelous fat tubs of shit like Frum will bridle indignantly at the monumental threat to our precious freedom of the press when Trump tweets "fake news" but let the richest man in the world hire guys to defame and now threaten to bankrupt a paper that merely has in its possession embarrassing photos of the creeps sclong and they're all for it.
The only thing nevertrumpers want to "conserve" is their fat, disgusting snouts plunged deep into the DC trough of corruption.

[henry]

Dave, the big difference is Belushi was coherent.

[Captain Hate]

To respond to Tom's question on the prior thread, I want Roberts to judge things in accordance with an adherence with the clear language of the Constitution, not guided by the dimwitted tyrants who gave us Dred Scott and Koramatsu.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Roberts tried to lecture Trump precisely because he felt the sting of Trump's remarks regarding a biased judiciary.

Roberts in fact is in some ways worse than a simple commie like RBG. She is predictably political wheres he is opportunistically so.

[Captain Hate]

Glad to see JiB sees things like I do on how the pros should treat Pebble Beach. The USGA is very mindful of history and the 100th anniversary of an iconic course is surely what's driving this.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I would just like to have it on the record that if the Enquirer receives and publishes naked pictures of Gerald Nadler, I profoundly hope it is bankrupted.

[Old Lurker]

Iggy "Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is going to deeply embarrass the Dem party for years, not because she's not honest, but precisely because she is."

Agree. And I think the NY & VA Abortion abortions are equally useful.

[Captain Hate]

Roberts in fact is in some ways worse than a simple commie like RBG. She is predictably political wheres he is opportunistically so.

At least RBG is ideologically consistent. Roberts is like the quantum theory Chief Justice.

[Tom R]

P.S. Roberts, with his ObamaCare decision, has not been stellar in his defense of the individual against the power of government.

If Roberts had not ruled that the Obamacare individual mandate was a tax, do you think the GOP Senate would have had the opportunity to repeal parts of it with just a simple majority? I think the only reason McCain got to screw over the country and cause the repeal effort to fail was thanks to Roberts decision. Without that decision I think it would have taken 60 votes to overcome the Democrat filibuster.

[James D.]

One wonders whether Ms. AOC actually has the time and temperament to collaborate with experts and study an issue (yet another reason she is the Trump of the left!)

Oh, FFS, Tom.

[James D.]

I want Roberts to judge things in accordance with an adherence with the clear language of the Constitution, not guided by the dimwitted tyrants who gave us Dred Scott and Koramatsu.

I would like that as well. And it’s not like the Constiturion is all that hard to interpret.

[MissMarple2]

James D.,

I noticed that, too.

I just rolled my eyes.

[Dave (in MA)]

+1 on the Oh, FFS.

[henry]

via AOS, Epic sports announcing (vid at link):

https://twitter.com/i/status/1093498752244039680

[Dave (in MA)]

Typing chimps... https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/321159/

[Marlene]

Good afternoon! Re: the Mass Pike,now that the toll booth is gone,it is a breeze to drive between Sturbridge and 290. Twenty years ago this summer we drove the daughter to DC. Driving back to Maine,we reached the old toll booth on the afternoon of Friday,July 3. The traffic was backed up for miles. The toll booth operators started waving cars thru because it was total chaos.

[pagar]

Thanks , for the Adobe suggestions. I don't have it. I have a free version of Adobe Acrobat but I don't see any thing on there about PDF filler. The Adobe site that talks about that says $12.99 per month but it also says Not available in your Country. I have a work around site that fakes my location as being in the USA, but it cuts in and out while I am working on things in it (drives me crazy cause I have to go back and start over so much.

[Porchlight]

+2, or maybe it should be 3

[Old Lurker]

4

[Narciso79]

It really has gone to the dogs:

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/272801/shameful-censuring-hallandale-commissioner-joe-kaufman

[clarice]

It's posts like the Nadler one which causes me to republish them on FB under the header "the great Iggy"

[clarice]

I think most of you misinterpret the SCOTUS decision on La. It was only to prevent the injunction from being lifted until the Court could review the underlying case. I don't think it's that unusual nor a clear indication of how the court would rule on the issue when it is fully presented to the court.

[pagar]

+5 !

[MissMarple2]

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/mark-penn-green-new-deal-has-more-in-common-with-maos-cultural-revolution-than-fdrs-new-deal

This guy was one of the Clinton advisers.

I think there is a war in the DNC between the old guard and the young leftists.

[MissMarple2]

If I were Hillary and I wanted to keep taking bribe money from sources based on the expectation of me being elected in 2020, I would start taking out prospective opponents and factions.

Elizabeth Warren is out, even if she doesn't know it. We probably should have a pool on who's next. I think Kamala Harris is going to be the next.

[Dave (in MA)]

It's like that joke,
"Excuse me, are you three ladies from England?"

'It's Wales.'

"Sorry, are you three whales from England?"
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/02/08/new-hampshires-highest-court-to-rule-on-topless-case/

[Dave (in MA)]

now that the toll booth is gone,it is a breeze to drive

Gov't greatest efficiency is in taking your money away.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

pagar I've tried three times now to post a few free programs that will allow you to fill pdfs. Google
'pdf filler' and use either pdfpro or pdfescape.

Let's see if TP let's this through

[Jim Eagle]

+6

Everyone, let's make it unanimous.

I've done some back of the envelop calcs on AOC/Markey New Green Deal, and it doesn't add up. Not just the money but the improvement ratio in reduction of AGW gases. Sending us back to the stone age will do for population control what a 1K nuclear bombs can't do.

To come up with these initiatives takes a lot of self-hate!

[Old Lurker]

Clarice "I don't think it's that unusual nor a clear indication of how the court would rule on the issue when it is fully presented to the court."

Sure, but:

Does that mean RBG is back in her office an voting, or is Roberts reading smoke signals?

And it does mean Roberts voted with one block and against the other so all we are doing is reading tea leaves re Roberts in the future, not worrying about the final outcome of the case...until there is something to worry about.

[Captain Hate]

via AOS, Epic sports announcing (vid at link)

I doubt that I'll see anything that funny the rest of the day.

[Old Lurker]

Anybody interested in owning some General Obligation Bonds from Chicago?

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Some Chicago families could start collecting a $1,000 check every month with no strings attached. That's the new proposal from a task force created by Mayor Emanuel.

The idea is to break the cycle of poverty. The pilot program would give 1,000 struggling Chicagoans $1,000 a month.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.facebook.com/93wibc/videos/2155463604499637/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

This is a video from a local radio guy who is constantly griping about taxes and waste in the Indiana government.

I will bet he runs for governor. Don't know if he could get on the GOP primary ticket, though.

[Captain Hate]

The Horde on AOC and Anti-Biz's wonderful plan:

Why have the Republicans been silent on this garbage?

... why are people taking this moron festival seriously? Good lord, you seem to think this has even the shadow of the slightest sliver of a chance of even reaching a committee, let alone the floor for a vote.

This was just an imbecilic fantasy by these knuckleheads, they're gonna puke dozens of these kind of wet dream bills that are never even going to be debated. Its just wishcasting, throwing red meat to the most rabid extremist idiots in the party. This is all AOC is good for, entertainment pushing outrageously moronic crap. Its not even on her website any longer, that's how stupid it was.

This stupid crap isn't a threat to Democracy, its not even a threat to her job. Its just like MikeyG said above, the scribblings in a diary about a tween girl's fantasy house with the unicorn stable and the chocolate fountain.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at February 08, 2019 01:22 PM (39g3+)

[MissMarple2]

https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11853

EXCLUSIVE: Jordan Peterson, dozens of academics attacks alleged Ivy League anti-male bias

[Captain Hate]

Anybody interested in owning some General Obligation Bonds from Chicago?

I prefer much softer toilet paper.

[Neo]

Perhaps, while we are rebuilding every house, apartment, and factory in the country as part of the Green New Deal, we could make them all resistant to a 20MT thermonuclear device. The ultimate in safe spaces.

[henry]

does the green leap forward allow us to have toilet paper?

[clarice]

henry, with people freezing to death, starving and unable to move around very far, they'll be starving so little need for toilet paper. Problem solved.

[Old Lurker]

Not needed, Henry.

Just be sure to eat only with your right hand. Worked for thousands of years.

[Old Lurker]

Good place to repeat the old joke:

Family huddling before the fire with grandfather reading a book by candle light. Grandchild asks gramps "Gramps, way back when you were a child, how could you read before candles were invented?"

Gramps "We had electricity and light bulbs".

[Buckeye]

Pagar

From an Adobe ad:

"Only with Adobe Acrobat Reader you can view, sign, comment on, and share PDFs for free. And when you want to do more, subscribe to Acrobat Pro DC."

The ability to "fill-in-th-blanks" with Reader is also a function of how the .pdf was initially created.

A good example are the IRS forms. Most were created to allow Reader to perform the "fill-in-the-blanks" action.

[Jim Eagle]

now that the toll booth is gone,it is a breeze to drive
Gov't greatest efficiency is in taking your money away.

Dave,

Without those tolls, how do think Fred Salvucci would pay us for the Big Dig?

[Ralph L]

The toll booth operators started waving cars thru because it was total chaos.

Before EZPass, Delaware sometimes closed the booths on I95 on Thanksgiving Wed. I can't remember about the Bridge to NJ.

[Tom Bowler]

If Roberts had not ruled that the Obamacare individual mandate was a tax, do you think the GOP Senate would have had the opportunity to repeal parts of it with just a simple majority?

Maybe I'm confused on this Tom R., but if Roberts had not ruled that the Obamacare individual mandate was a tax, and therefore constitutional, would it have been necessary for the GOP Senate repeal it?

[Buckeye]

does the green leap forward allow us to have toilet paper?

Only if you have accumulated enough tree planting "credits":)

[clarice]

Rasmussen: Trump now at 50% approval..(But just wait till voters read the Green Dream.)

[Porchlight]

Green Leap Forward - I am stealing that, henry.

[henry]

porch, it was someone else I saw on twitter.

[Jim Eagle]

I'll bet Larry David's wife is jumping with joy over AOC and Markey's proposals especially in regard to toliet paper:)

[Narciso79]

And Sheryl crow (whatever happened to her?)

[Old Lurker]

TomB "if Roberts had not ruled that the Obamacare individual mandate was a tax, and therefore constitutional, would it have been necessary for the GOP Senate repeal it?"

Had Roberts not called it a tax, then it could not have been passed the way it was passed, therefore it would not have remained law on its face, requiring it go back and start over following normal procedures for passing a law as opposed to erasing all the words on a bill properly in the cue and replacing it with ACA words that had skipped all the otherwise required steps in the legislative process.

Isn't that correct?

[clarice]

That is correct,OL

[Captain Hate]

Nobody should excuse Roberts cowardly cave job on ObamaCare, which violated just about every legislative good practice in being passed. That craven prick is not about following the Constitution. Fuck him today, tomorrow and every subsequent day.

[Jane]

First of all I think it's quite rude that you all didn't stop and visit me while going thru Sturbridge. I am officially declining the invitation.

"Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is going to deeply embarrass the Dem party for years.."

She is not alone. Every person interviewing Whitaker will also make the list. Now he refused to answer some questions of the republicans too, but the democrats are making fools of themselves. The democrats are also very very out of line. This is not in the scope of what the they requested. Big shock.

I'm also shocked at how pathetically stupid the dems on the panel are. Perhaps every democrat on Congress fits that description.

[Tom Bowler]

Thanks OL & Clarice. Failing to call it a tax would have negated the "deem and pass" gimmick, correct?

I thought Roberts, in that decision, was protecting the right of congress to pass whatever it wanted and to hell with the individual.

[Captain Hate]

Justice Ginsburg is not in the office today, again.

Justice Ginsburg is very disturbed about a conspiracy theory going around that she is physically incapacitated (or even dead!) and that she is therefore unable to handle the normal workload of a Supreme Court Justice.

She believes this may be the work of the same conspiracy theorist who floated claims that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kept her emails on a 'secret server' and destroyed evidence; that former President Obama's birth certificate was digitally fabricated; that Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are socialists; and that Hillary Clinton has health problems, among many other absurd claims.

She thinks it is even possible that the work of this conspiracy theorist goes back as far as claims that President Clinton cheated on Hillary and that Vince Foster did not kill himself in Fort Marcy Park.

Justice Ginsburg received a tip that the conspiracy theorist may be the same person as the real killer of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and therefore she decided to team up with O.J. Simpson to find this person.

They agreed that the most promising place to begin their search is on America's finest golf courses.

Today their search continued, this time on the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells. Justice Ginsburg said she has been outdriving O.J. all day, and made the green in two on the famously scenic 14th hole, which set her up nicely for a two-putt birdie.

Unfortunately, they have seen no sign of the suspect so far.

Justice Ginsburg assured me that she will be able to keep up with Court business during down time, such as when waiting for O.J. to tee off or at the '19th hole.' She said she brought one of her clerks with her to serve as her caddy who will pass along her rulings to me.
Posted by: Justice Kagan at February 08, 2019 11:50 AM (DuAZ5)

[Old Lurker]

Thx Clarice.

Second every word of Capn's 2:11.

And I add that is so doing, he signalled to Emperor Obama that none of the pesky constitutional requirements would be applied to his actions and opened the door to eight years of corruption.

[Old Lurker]

Jane "Perhaps every democrat on Congress fits that description."

Please replace "democrat on" with "member of" and I will sign on.

[Old Lurker]

Seriously, Jane. There are 535 members of Congress. I doubt that not many more than say, 25 in both parties, could keep up with the discussions of the issues at JOM. OK. Maybe 50 but no more.

[henry]

what OL just posted.

[Extraneus]

So Whitaker held his own against Nadler & Co.?

[Old Lurker]

And if we were counting, how many sitting judges do you think could pass the current DC Bar exam?

[henry]

shalewa sharpe @silkyjumbo
2d

when we said more black faces in government, we should have been specific.

https://twitter.com/silkyjumbo/status/1093201364644179978

[PDinDetroit]

From last thread...

As an aside, it is my opinion that any mistress who asks for such pictures isn't doing it because she just wants to have a picture of some guy's so-attractive member. It's a red flag that blackmail will be involve. These guys should wise up!

Thinking with the wrong head, AGAIN...

[Captain Hate]

Which is the most true statement?

A) Die Hard is a Christmas movie

B) Hot dogs are sandwiches

C) The Green New Deal is about environmentalism.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Tyrannosaur Wrangler at February 08, 2019 12:17 PM (+y/Ru)

[PDinDetroit]

Psychology paper claims that seeing meat-eating as normal comes near to having a personality disorder.

Everyone kills to eat. True story...

[PDinDetroit]

John Dingall was the longest serving member of Congress (57 years) after he inherited the seat from his father and then bequeathed it to his wife (27 years his junior).

If this is not an argument for Term Limits, nothing is.

Just another case of the Political Ruling Class in all it's disgrace and dishonor. I tuned off the local news last night due to the endless fawning over this "loss"...

I don’t care if it’s what the voters want. And I don’t care if we’d just end up with someone equally bad with a different last name. This country is not supposed to be a goddam heridetary monarchy!

Problem is, we actually get someone WORSE. AOC is an example of this. Does anyone really think that elections mean much anymore? Just more bread and circuses..

[MissMarple2]

Steve Herman
‏Verified account @W7VOA
11m11 minutes ago

US flags ordered by @POTUS to fly at half-staff through sunset Saturday to honor @JohnDingell.

[clarice]

Stephanie Kelton
‏
Verified account
@StephanieKelton
Follow Follow @StephanieKelton
More
Q: Can we afford a #GreenNewDeal?
A: Yes. The federal government can afford to buy whatever is for sale in its own currency.
David Burge
‏
@iowahawkblog
Follow Follow @iowahawkblog
More
David Burge Retweeted Stephanie Kelton
How about free government Sharpies so we can write extra zeroes on our money

[Jane]

I cannot believe these democrats. They are rude, stupid, nasty and idiots.

[henry]

Hmmm:

Nigel Farage @Nigel_Farage
2h

The Electoral Commission have officially recognised The Brexit Party.

It will fight the European elections if Article 50 is extended.

I sincerely hope that this prospect is recognised by both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party as a threat.

https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1093923638225584129

[henry]

CNBC @CNBC
1m

Purdue introduces first income-sharing agreement in the US so students aren't laden with debt via @CNBCMakeIt cnb.cx/2E02lq3

[Marlene]

Jane @ 2:14...hubby woke me from a nap because he was yelling at the TV. The Democrats are bleeping idiots!

[Buford Gooch]

+ several on the Oh FFS.

[Extraneus]

All in.

Cory Booker Compares the Green New Deal to Fighting Nazis, Moon Landing, Marshall Plan

Booker said, “We have to deal with this. Our planet is in peril, and we need to be bold. It’s one of the reasons I signed on to the resolution. I co-sponsored the resolution for the Green New Deal. There’s a lot of people blowing back on the Green New Deal. They’re going, ‘Oh, it’s impractical, oh it’s too expensive, oh it’s all of this.’ If we used to govern our dreams that way, we would have never gone to the moon.”

He added, “We need to be bold again in America. We need to have dreams that other people say are impossible. We need to push the bounds of human potential. Because that is our history. When the planet has been in peril in the past, who came forward to save the earth from the scourge of Nazi and totalitarian regimes? We came forward. Who came forward to save the planet or continents from financial ruin? We came forward with the Marshall Plan.”

Translation: "I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part!"

[Tom R]

Maybe I'm confused on this Tom R., but if Roberts had not ruled that the Obamacare individual mandate was a tax, and therefore constitutional, would it have been necessary for the GOP Senate repeal it?

Roberts could have done that but then he would have been guilty of ignoring the Constitution and basing his ruling on partisan politics.

I remember back when Obamacare was passed the Democrats celebrating in glee that it was unrepealable. They envisioned a future where the possibility of the GOP controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress with a filibuster proof majority in the Senate pretty close to zero.

Fast forward to the Obamacare ruling and Democrats cheered again when Roberts "saved" by declaring the individial mandate a tax and therefore Constitutional since Congress has the authority to levy taxes. While conservatives were seething in anger over Roberts perceived betrayal, I remember reading an oped in an anti-Obamacare media organization like the WSJ, National Review etc that said everyone was completely misinterpreting the real impact of Roberts ruling. Roberts wasn't saving Obamacare. What Roberts actually did was set the stage for the repeal of the "unrepealable" Obamacare with just a simple majority instead of 60 votes.

What Roberts ruling also established was that elections have consequences and it is not the role of the SCOTUS to render decisions to fix bad legislation. Their only job was to rule on whether it is Constitutional or not. Obamacare was passed because enough Americans were dumb enough to give filibuster proof power to the Democrats. They then passed bad legislation to make all their idiot constituents happy and ensure they continued to vote for Democrats. Because elections have consequences the Democrats got destroyed in the 2010 and 2014 midterms and Trump wins in 2016 with the GOP controlling both chambgers of Congress. Thanks to Roberts declaring the individual mandate a tax the GOP had everything they needed to repeal the worst parts of Obamacare. McCain then proceeds to go full traitor and here we are in the present.

which violated just about every legislative good practice in being passed.

Congress has complete authority to establish the parliamentary rules that govern how legislation is passed. The fact that the Democrats broke their own parliamentary rules to pass Obamacare does not fall under the jurisdiction of the SCOTUS to weigh in on. The punishment for the Democrats breaking their own parliamentary rules was dished out by American voters in the 2010 and 2014 midterms.

[Neo]

Albert Finney, Dr. Albert Hirsch in Bourne, dies at 82

[PDinDetroit]

Just one BIG VOLCANIC ERUPTION will turn the Green Energy Fiasco into a huge FACEPLANT.

[henry]

PD, the SJWs would sacrifice some virgins incels to Gaia and go on a tofu bing. That is a feature to them.

[Jane]

"

"Please replace "democrat on" with "member of" and I will sign on."

Okay but not in this hearing. It's a room full of Hank Johnsons - and he actually there. I just can't believe the stupidity. They spent hours trying to nail Trump with no evidence whatsoever. Over and over and over. And with few exceptions they have been dumber than dirt.

[Captain Hate]

Thanks to Roberts declaring the individual mandate a tax the GOP had everything they needed to repeal the worst parts of Obamacare. McCain then proceeds to go full traitor and here we are in the present.

The GOP wing of the Uniparty never had any intention of repealing JEFCare; some did but most of them used it as a campaign slogan to get elected just like repealing Roe v Wade. Ryan was happy to pass a fake repeal knowing Zippy would veto it but when a President who would sign it was in place then sat on his dead ass before passing a terrible bill in the eleventh hour, allowing McStain his final act of treachery with no fallback position.

We were sold out by the establishment which definitely includes Roberts.

[Extraneus]

‘I Am Just Another Soldier’: Maduro Trains to Fight U.S. Troops in Venezuela

(Click to open pic.)

[Marlene]

Albert Finney,Daddy Warbucks in Annie. The daughter played the Annie album on a continuous loop on her little Fisher-Price record player. To this day,when she complains about something,I tell her "its a hard knock life."

[Tom R]

CH @ 2:59

I agree with you about the GOP Establishment selling out conservatives but it doesn't change the fact that Roberts correctly ruled that the individual mandate was a tax.

[Captain Hate]

The Children of the Cornhole taking the extra step to complete obtuseness:

https://newrepublic.com/article/153090/media-blowing-coverage-warrens-native-american-claim

[Captain Hate]

We'll have to disagree on the rightness of Roberts rewriting the legislation in direct contradiction of what its alleged author (LOL) claimed, Tom.

[Jim Eagle]

jane,

The Dems are using the rumor around the world gambit knowing that their propaganda arm will pick up all their innuendo and publish it as fact. Trump says he didn't know Whitaker but from is performance, someone must have told DJT, that "he is your kind of guy".

[Captain Hate]

Albert Finney was good in the otherwise horrible pack of propaganda lies known as Erin Brockovich.

[Neo]

Amazon is reportedly reconsidering its plan to open a second headquarters in NYC

Protesters and local lawmakers have opposed the deal since it was announced last November.

[James D.]

I wish Arlington would protest it, too. It’s a shitty deal with a massive handout to the richest person on earth so we can import 50k scooter riding hipster tech bros who will jack up the already outrageous housing costs here and increase the already awful congestion.

[Jim Eagle]

You know what the Amazon HQ2 dispute is all about, right?

25,000 jobs that no one wants because it will interfere with their free shit status in NYC. Who wants to work in AOC's district when they can make more on the dole.

[Tom R]

CH @ 3:09

The tactic of the Obamacare authors (and Solicitor General who argued the case)was to avoid referring to the individual mandate as a tax because they knew that would open the door to allowing it to be repealed.

Let me use an analogy. While the individual mandate may look like a duck, walk like a duck, and quack like a duck, the Democrats insisted it wasn't really a duck. Roberts essentially told the Democrats it's obviously a duck and I'm not going to allow you to get away with quibbling over semantics.

[Old Lurker]

Capn "We'll have to disagree on the rightness of Roberts rewriting the legislation in direct contradiction of what its alleged author (LOL) claimed"

And of course, the government lawyers never claimed it was a tax, in fact I thought they argued it was not, and four SCOTUS justices thought it was not a tax. Not to mention the almost unanimous opinions of posters at JOM, lawyers and non lawyers alike. So I guess you have so pretty good company in your position, Cap'n. Don't lose any sleep if somebody thinks you were wrong about it.

[Old Lurker]

Oh.

I see who you are arguing with.

Nevermind, you are on your own, Cap'n.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--I agree with you about the GOP Establishment selling out conservatives but it doesn't change the fact that Roberts correctly ruled that the individual mandate was a tax.--

He was not correct in that ruling. To believe he was is to believe his logical reasoning over Scalia and Thomas. The government itself argued it was a penalty.
Even Anthony frickin Kennedy was ready to scrap the whole crazy unconstitutional mess.
If that conglomeration of intrusive, usurping overreach was a legitimate use of Congress's taxing power then there is no practical limit on Federal power because "constitutional conservatives" like Roberts will always be able to pay lip service to constitutionalism by throwing a bone to the sane by acknowledging, in this instance, the commerce clause did not convey the power to the Feds while always finding some penumbra or emanation hiding in the shadows that allows whatever it is they want to do.