Now that the apology is out of the way, let's get back to business. My last post was about the recently passed health care reform bill. It's now law and it has gotten increasingly unpopular since Mr. Obama claimed to all of us, "Health care reform is the law of the land, all across America!" Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was truly correct when she told us, "We have to pass the bill to find out what is in it." She just failed to mention that it would be all crap.
Since last March, there have been several lawsuits against the government regarding the unconstitutionality of forcing a citizen to purchase something, and the administration cannot agree if they are well within their rights because they are laying a new tax (which the president said he wouldn't do) or because of what is said in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Needless to say, this will end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.
More recently we have learned that Obamacare will potentially unload 24.7 million additional people into Medicaid. Specifically couples entering early retirement that make $64,000 would qualify for benefits. What?? I realize that income level is no where near wealthy but a couple making that much money certainly doesn't need benefits from a program that was created to provide health benefits to impoverished individuals. Medicaid is already broke- why are we expanding it?
Did I miss something? Our country already owes a little over $61 trillion in unfunded liabilities. That's trillion with a "T!" When you start throwing that number around (and our friends in government do that regularly as if it means nothing) our minds go numb. I don't even know that number means. You can win a million dollars, the worlds richest people are billionaires, but a trillion doesn't mean that much to us because there is no mainstream application for it. Think about it this way: one trillion seconds ago, it was 29,700 B.C. How about this: it would take you anywhere from 31,000 to 542,241 years (depend how long it takes) to count to a trillion. And that's just one. Allow me to sum this up- our country cannot afford Obamacare, we always knew that. Now, it's just about impossible.
This was the president's so-called "greatest achievement," but it will be an economy killer. In other words, there is no way he can run for reelection on this thing. Just look at his record: Obamacare, is a mess no matter how you look at it; a new START treaty, which forces the U.S. to reduce its nuclear arsenal by a third without modernization while allowing Russia to increase its arsenal; an overbearing expansion of government in the way of a financial reform bill (think permanent TARP); a failed Stimus; increased deficit spending and debt; and 9% unemployment.
This guy is getting desperate. In his mind the most important thing is to be reelected. He goes around the country for fundraiser after fundraiser (in between rounds of golf, of course), touts false claims about job creation and economic growth, and tries so hard to convince everyone that he's doing a great job. Truth is, if he really was doing a good job and the economy really was growing, we all would know about it and he wouldn't have to say anything.
There is no way that this guy can get reelected. A chimpanzee, my cat Luke, or any single-cell organism would do a better job as president. The problem is, the Republicans can screw this up. There are a couple of good candidates, but for the most part, the field of nominees are unimpressive and I fear that the Republican party will nominate a stooge, and Obama will stroll to victory. I suppose next time I'll share my thoughts on the current Republican field, but for now I'll just criticize the current president. It's just too easy.
Anyway, don't mind me, I'm just rambling.
4 comments:
Apology accepted.
[From our president? Well yes, but where would I start? No, my friends, the apology must come from me to my readers. You see, I haven't written a new blog post since March 10, 2010. So for the last year and three months, I haven't commented on the president, Congress, or anything remotely related. Trust me, I've had a comment or two on just about everything that's happened- I just haven't written them down. Shame on me, I am truly sorry. ]
It’s okay. You have a day job. We understand.
[Now that the apology is out of the way, let's get back to business. My last post was about the recently passed health care reform bill. It's now law and it has gotten increasingly unpopular since Mr. Obama claimed to all of us, "Health care reform is the law of the land, all across America!" Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was truly correct when she told us, "We have to pass the bill to find out what is in it." ]
How many republican congressmen admitted to not reading the Patriot Act or Patriot Act II? Those represent a far deeper impingement on personal liberty than Health Care.
[She just failed to mention that it would be all crap. ]
Not to lump you in with all the conservatives on TV, but which is it? Are you unhappy with Universal Health Care on principle, or this attempt at it?
[Since last March, there have been several lawsuits against the government regarding the unconstitutionality of forcing a citizen to purchase something, and the administration cannot agree if they are well within their rights because they are laying a new tax (which the president said he wouldn't do) or because of what is said in the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Needless to say, this will end up in the U.S. Supreme Court. ]
Most divisive issues do. See: Roe v. Wade. But take heart, the new Supreme Court is (usually, sadly) as partisan as the rest of the nation is right now, which means a 5-4 vote in favor of “conservative values” on all (even potentially) politically-charged cases.
[More recently we have learned that Obamacare]
Don’t call it that. The final bill is weighed down will tons of concessions the lawmakers on the right just as anxious to gang-bang the political process. This is just NewsCorp Newspeak to implant the idea that Obama dreamt this all up and wrote every word with his own feather pen. It’s irresponsible buzzword-itry.
[…will potentially unload 24.7 million additional people into Medicaid. Specifically couples entering early retirement that make $64,000 would qualify for benefits. What?? I realize that income level is no where near wealthy but a couple making that much money certainly doesn't need benefits from a program that was created to provide health benefits to impoverished individuals. Medicaid is already broke- why are we expanding it? ]
First of all, “potentially.” Second: Again, are you unhappy with Universal Health Care on principle, or this attempt at it? That service comes from Medicaid seems irrelevant, more of an accounting issue than a question of ethics. Third: Two people, getting ready to retire, who make $32k a year each probably have little to no savings. These people aren’t bums. They’re veterans and school teachers. Certainly, with today’s medical costs, they wouldn’t have the funds to simultaneously pay for medical treatment while living in comfort.
[Did I miss something? Our country already owes a little over $61 trillion in unfunded liabilities. That's trillion with a "T!" ]
Most of our “debt” is owed to American citizens, and most of that is in the form of Social Security. Cutting paid-for social services to old people because you owe those same old people money is… insane.
[When you start throwing that number around (and our friends in government do that regularly as if it means nothing) our minds go numb. I don't even know that number means. You can win a million dollars, the worlds richest people are billionaires, but a trillion doesn't mean that much to us because there is no mainstream application for it. Think about it this way: one trillion seconds ago, it was 29,700 B.C. How about this: it would take you anywhere from 31,000 to 542,241 years (depend how long it takes) to count to a trillion. ]
The irony here is that you’re trying to clarify an abstraction with a greater degree of abstraction.
[And that's just one. Allow me to sum this up- our country cannot afford Obamacare, ]
Again with the “Obamacare.”
[…we always knew that. Now, it's just about impossible. ]
Just grammatically, I’m not sure what “it’s” means in this last sentence, so I’m going to leave it alone.
[This was the president's so-called "greatest achievement," but it will be an economy killer. In other words, there is no way he can run for reelection on this thing. ]
He won’t. He’ll run on four points: 1.) Killing Bin Laden – which is cheap, I know, but what can you do? 2.) The GOP can’t find anyone who actually wants to be president, because the odds in favor of reelection are too high; it’s a waste of their money, unless they’re delusional (See: Michele Bachman, Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, etc.). 3.) He’s done a fair job of mitigating the economic and political damage done by the worst Republican president since Taft. 4.) None of the GOP candidates can debate him; his oratorical ability and style appeal more to centrist voters; GOP candidates are too dialed into Fox/Mainstream talking points to have tenable, non-superficial ideas about issues that matter.
{Incidentally, please don’t accept Sarah Palin’s “lame-stream media” b.s.—polls consistently show that the largest plurality of Americans watch Fox affiliates, making them the de facto “mainstream media” outlet.}
[Just look at his record: Obamacare, is a mess no matter how you look at it; a new START treaty, which forces the U.S. to reduce its nuclear arsenal by a third without modernization while allowing Russia to increase its arsenal; ]
…Um, you know that both sides have thousands, right? And that if either side launches a single tactical nuke, it’s the end of the world?
[an overbearing expansion of government in the way of a financial reform bill (think permanent TARP); a failed Stimus; increased deficit spending and debt; and 9% unemployment. ]
I like how the latest stimulus is months old and so it’s “failed,” yet an economy that started withering before Bush even left office is somehow on Obama’s shoulders (…while he has a Republican House.)
[This guy is getting desperate. ]
Can you blame him? The tea party’s default mode is “No,” when our country (and democracy, and capitalism) was built upon negotiation and concessions.
[In his mind the most important thing is to be reelected. He goes around the country for fundraiser after fundraiser]
And this is different from every other politician for every other office… how? All these right wingers looked to Fox’s coverage of the tea party to cue them on how to get re/elected by saying ‘No’ to process, and now process has ground to a halt. The fact that you’ve bought into Fox n’ Friends hanging this on Obama would be absurd if it wasn’t also so very sad.
[ (in between rounds of golf, of course), ]
It was a bipartisan golf trip. His partner was Boehner. Obama used the event to negotiate. Boehner refused to negotiate.
[…touts false claims about job creation]
Those numbers of new jobs are verified by independent sources, the same people who provide the unemployment data your criticism is based on in the first place.
[…and economic growth, and tries so hard to convince everyone that he's doing a great job. Truth is, if he really was doing a good job and the economy really was growing, we all would know about it and he wouldn't have to say anything.]
This ignores the situational aspect of economics, as well as the fundamental nature of American politicking.
[There is no way that this guy can get reelected. A chimpanzee, my cat Luke, or any single-cell organism would do a better job as president. ]
Where were all the complainers when it was demonstrably proven that we invaded Iraq on false premises? When we had a president who didn’t bother remembering the difference between Slovakia and Slovenia? Secondly, if a single-celled organism would do a better job, is that why Bachman’s leading Romney? Or, you could run. You have lots of cells. I’ve seen them.
[The problem is, the Republicans can screw this up]
And they will, trust me.
[There are a couple of good candidates, ]
Who? McCain was an un-self-aware schmuck, but he was twice as electable as anyone in this year’s crop.
[…but for the most part, the field of nominees are unimpressive]
Good God, we agree.
[…and I fear that the Republican party will nominate a stooge, ]
Unavoidable at this point. Except that a “stooge” is in service to something or someone, and the GOP is a ship without a rudder.
[…and Obama will stroll to victory. ]
Hallelujah.
[I suppose next time I'll share my thoughts on the current Republican field, ]
Please. Constructive insight would be so much more interesting than pot shots from the peanut gallery.
[…but for now I'll just criticize the current president. It's just too easy. ]
Doing things because they’re easy is what Repub—oh, right.
[Anyway, don't mind me, I'm just rambling. ]
I can’t help but see this tag line as a cop-out. You put forth an ideal, and ideas, but then close with “Anyway, don’t mind me, I’m just rambling.” Yes, I know it’s a facetious construction, but if you’re going to take the time to put forth all this, you may as well not self-dismiss, even facetiously. Take responsibility. It’s like getting up on a soapbox, taking up people’s time to impart your opinion, then saying, “Forget what I said. I’m just a guy on a soapbox.” Uh… yeah, we know blogs work. ‘Rambling’ is the default setting.
What’s most frustrating about this tag line is that, temporally, it suggests that you only mean what you’re saying while you’re saying it. As soon as we get to the end, you tell us to forget it. You’re just a dude rambling.
…But then I guess if you leave room to let your values mean one thing one day, and a different thing the next, maybe you would make a decent Republican candidate.
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