February 03, 2011

CAP Bill: The Check Is In the Mail
— Ace

I hate this type of proposal as it offers the appearance of a fix while doing nothing to actually fix anything. Everything will supposedly happen in the future; nothing happens now.

That may not be exactly fair because supposedly this proposal does have some teeth in it (in theory, at least), by dictating a smooth reduction in federal spending from the current high of 24.7% of GDP down to 20.6% of GDP in ten years, with mandatory across the board budget reductions by the OMB in any year that Congress violates the guideline.

(1) Put in place a 10-year glide path to cap all spending – discretionary and mandatory – to a declining percentage of the country’s gross domestic product, eventually bringing spending down from the current level, 24.7 percent of GDP, to the 40-year historical level of 20.6 percent, and

(2) If Congress fails to meet the annual cap, authorize the Office of Management and Budget to make evenly distributed, simultaneous cuts throughout the federal budget to bring spending down to the pre-determined level. Only a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress could override the binding cap, and

(3) For the first time, eliminate the deceptive “off-budget” distinction for Social Security – providing a complete and accurate assessment of all federal spending.

But we've seen this gimmick before -- the Gramm-Rudman budget reduction bill was supposed to do this too, but didn't, because they used fake accounting practices (such as pushing back spending into, supposedly, previous years, and previous years can't be modified by rules about current spending) and calling other spending "off-budget."

Spending cuts require real spending cuts. Something like this might be useful, but only in combination with real, current spending cuts. Otherwise this is just putting cuts off into a vague future than never actually comes.

I'm also pretty sure the threat of the OMB cutting Congressional spending is unconstitutional -- I don't believe Congress can delegate to the executive such a huge portion of its core constitutional responsibility and power. Plus, the OMB can always itself fudge the numbers, if the political will exists in DC to just lie in order to keep spending -- which it almost always will.

PAYGO II? I didn't have to reach back to Gramm-Rudman for a similar "law." Supposedly Nancy Pelosi's Congress abided by PAYGO rules, which were supposed to strictly match new spending to either cuts or (more likely) new taxes.

PAYGO was a wonderful success, as you can see from our current $1.4 trillion deficit. They just declared whatever they wanted to spend outside of PAYGO rules.

I don't see how Congress can ever lack that power -- the power to just say "We're voting to do what we want, now, no matter what 'rules' are supposedly in place." Congress actually can do that. And I don't see anything short of an amendment that can stop them. Any Congressional legislation can be overturned or suspended by a later Congress. That's the point of Congress, to change the law and write new law. They can evade any limits they supposedly put on themselves.

There may be some minor salutary effect of Corker's proposal but it's more than outweighed by the fundamental tendency of such fake, hypothetical maybe-someday type "cuts" to always be offered in place of real, tangible, right-now cuts.

Thanks to Vic for pointing that out.

Posted by: Ace at 09:58 AM | Comments (107)
Post contains 576 words, total size 4 kb.

1

More Snickers.

 More Coke.

Posted by: Bill Hicks at February 03, 2011 10:01 AM (jB/TO)

2 Eh. The squishes are scrambling to get out in front of this before they are primaried/shown the door. This is a premier squishy solution: I'll definitely get to it on the next sunny day.

Posted by: joncelli at February 03, 2011 10:03 AM (RD7QR)

3 No bill by Corker or McCaskill will ever result in reducing spending. This is just another version of the BS rule they have now about PAYGO.

It is only used by the Dems to block a tax cut and they use stupid gimmicks to get a favorable ruling from the CBO.

The only thing to cut spending is to actually cut spending. These kinds of offerings are nothing but lies.

And yes, Cokerhead is a RINO.

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:03 AM (M9Ie6)

Posted by: Rocks at February 03, 2011 10:04 AM (Q1lie)

5 Vic, good point with PAYGO.

Posted by: ace at February 03, 2011 10:04 AM (nj1bB)

6

 Otherwise this is just putting cuts off into a vague future than never actually comes.

Together we can hope negotiate a compromise in this 'Vague Future' you speak of.

Posted by: Today's Republican Party at February 03, 2011 10:04 AM (jB/TO)

7

I want to hear Jim DeMint say, "Don't piss down my leg and tell me it's raining."

As long as House Republicans see through this scam, rest assured that either it will be filled with razor-sharp teeth or it will die in committee.

The thing about demonizing the Tea Party is that House Republicans don't really see the need to please the beltway crowd.  Their constituents have different desires.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 03, 2011 10:07 AM (BvBKY)

8 Fast load and a comment box. Whooee.

Posted by: FlaviusJulius at February 03, 2011 10:08 AM (SJ6/3)

9 Thanks ace.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone in the MFM/MDM would note that they have had PAYGO for years?

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:09 AM (M9Ie6)

10 A Balanced Budget Amendment is the only thing that will work (kinda..see below), and even that is dangerous.

The problem is:  Democrats get in power every few years.  Ideas like capping spending at a certain percentage of GDP only means the Dems are "forced" to cut all the crap Repubs like.. such as defense.

Even a Balanced Budget Amendment can be used to raise taxes to balance, rather than cut spending.

We need to keep responsible "small-government" people in the House.. preferably ones with balls that are not afraid to shut down the government.


Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at February 03, 2011 10:10 AM (f9c2L)

11

Only a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress could override the binding cap, and

I don't believe a congress can pass a law that binds a future congress in such a way.  In other words, a present congress can't pass a law requiring a super-majority vote in a future congress.  If the constitution says laws will be passed using majority vote, then that is what each congress is entitled to.  Today's congress can't simply change the rules for a congress sitting 20 years from now.  Otherwise, why not just enact a law that says "republican votes won't count" or something similar?  It's silly.

In order to accomplish something like this, it would have to be either a constitutional amendment, or be a rule that is voted on at the begining of that congress, like the filibuster rule for the Senate.

Posted by: monkeytoe at February 03, 2011 10:10 AM (sOx93)

12 Wouldn't it be nice if someone in the MFM/MDM would note that they have had PAYGO for years? Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 02:09 PM (M9Ie6) Because they're on the DemonRat team and that would be scoring an own goal.

Posted by: joncelli at February 03, 2011 10:10 AM (RD7QR)

13 Wasn't it mentioned on this very smart economic blog that you can only expect to collect 18 or 19 percent of  GDP in taxes before you run into pervasive tax avoidance?

I'd simply eliminate the usual list of departments: DoE, HHS, EPA, etc., and then top it off with a law that forces congress to spend no more than 15 percent of GDP in any year. The only exception? Military spending in a time of declared war.

Congress is supposed to be capable of making tough decisions. This is the kind of budgeting households and department managers make all the time. Time for congress to put on their big boy pants and do their job.

Posted by: Josef K. at February 03, 2011 10:11 AM (7+pP9)

14

Rangers fans should be able to marry. 

Posted by: Barbara Bush at February 03, 2011 10:12 AM (jB/TO)

15 Too lazy to check, but I think Gramm-Rudman was equipped with all sorts of "exceptions" under which it could be suspended.

Even if the new bill was worth a damn -- which it doesn't appear to be -- I would expect it to include enough loopholes that the Sons and Daughters of Zombies Kennedy and Murtha could drive a gold-plated Escalade through.

House Republicans don't really see the need to please the beltway crowd.  Their constituents have different desires. Posted by: AmishDude at February 03, 2011 02:07 PM

I'd reserve judgment on this until they actually DO something about it and replace the highly-devoted bullshit words with deeds. So far, it's just more bloviation. BTW: No one wants to be proven wrong for thinking this way more than me....

Posted by: MrScribbler© at February 03, 2011 10:13 AM (Ulu3i)

16 The Demonrats passed something that it takes a 2/3 majotity to change. Healthcare I think. Wouldn't that also make the Healthcare bill unconstitutional?

Posted by: FlaviusJulius at February 03, 2011 10:13 AM (SJ6/3)

17 And since Ace updated, I will, too. A constitutional amendment would be better than trying to pass a congressional rule every two years. Best of all, though, would simply be to elect a better class of legislator. The problem being I doubt we ever will.

Posted by: Josef K. at February 03, 2011 10:16 AM (7+pP9)

18 We aren't going to make 10 years.  4 years, tops, before no one buys our bonds.

Posted by: toby928™: Free nickless the still-banned (99.174.64.43) at February 03, 2011 10:16 AM (GTbGH)

19 Look! Over there, a dog with a poofy tail! Here poof! Here poof!

Posted by: GOP on Day Spending Doesn't Decrease at February 03, 2011 10:17 AM (8RfPc)

20 14 Rangers fans should be able to marry. Posted by: Barbara Bush at February 03, 2011 02:12 PM (jB/TO) It's an interesting thought. Let me discuss it with your sister.

Posted by: joncelli at February 03, 2011 10:17 AM (RD7QR)

21 Ace,

Even an amendment to the Constitution would be problematic. Sure, it could say no spending beyond the previous year's tax receipts, or some other arbitrary limit. But then what about wars? What about natural disasters? They can't be defined by law, and the dead white men who wrote the constitution had that obviously moronic idea that Congress and the executive branch would behave, over the long run, in the best interests of the country. They clearly don't, and I see nothing on the horizon that will change the dynamic of a short-sighted Congress and Executive simply buying votes.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at February 03, 2011 10:18 AM (LH6ir)

22

Until entitlements are eliminated, this means nothing. And like in Europe, we're going to have to pry the entitlements out of people's Molotov cocktail warmed, rioting hands.

The American taxpayer is soon going to be like the California taxpayer: we'll soon be entering the 'deep vigorous thrusting gasping for breath through the chokehold while the government ignores our screaming of the safeword' part of our relationship.

Posted by: Canadian Infidel at February 03, 2011 10:18 AM (GKQDR)

23 These fucking clowns representing our country view it's citizens as a bank with unlimited resources and spend whatever they feel whenever with no ramifications whatsoever.

I curse you fuckers that chose to put Harry Reid back in office for 6 years or whatever because you're succeeding in fucking this country more and more.  We will be Europe in 6 more years.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:20 AM (UK9cE)

24 Rangers fans should be able to marry.
Posted by: Barbara Bush at February 03, 2011 02:12 PM (jB/TO)


Better Rangers fans than you, ya breeder of well meaning RINOs.

Posted by: Josef K. is really tired of all the Bushes at February 03, 2011 10:20 AM (7+pP9)

25 I have a question about the budget cuts for FY 2011:
The press and the Dems say it only equals between $32-$58b instead of $90b (defense + discretionary) because Obama's budget last year was only a proposal and the Rs can't cut from a proposal. So the line is that, while it does cut the budget back to '08 levels, this is basically all a gimmick. Is that correct?

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at February 03, 2011 10:20 AM (sZ+lP)

26

So Glide Path = The Check is in the Mail?

 

Got it.

Posted by: Roadking at February 03, 2011 10:21 AM (3kYoP)

27 The American taxpayer is soon going to be like the California taxpayer: we'll soon be entering the 'deep vigorous thrusting gasping for breath through the chokehold while the government ignores our screaming of the safeword' part of our relationship. Posted by: Canadian Infidel at February 03, 2011 02:18 PM (GKQDR) Cut. Jib. K-Y Jelly.

Posted by: Just call me Andi at February 03, 2011 10:21 AM (RD7QR)

28 O/T:  and we have a flashing red light a la drudge:  "SEC Charges 6 Consultant With Insider Trading"

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 10:22 AM (p302b)

29 The Corker-McCaskill CAP Act is cosponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), and John McCain (R-Ariz.).



Should have called it the "Oh God, Please Don't Primary Me!" act....

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at February 03, 2011 10:22 AM (L8y7Q)

30 I wonder if BOA will let me glide path my mortgage?

Posted by: MJ at February 03, 2011 10:22 AM (BKOsZ)

31

Better Rangers fans than you, ya breeder of well meaning RINOs.

You don't want to sit down at the table and negotiate a comprimise?

 

Posted by: Barbara Bush's Bush at February 03, 2011 10:23 AM (jB/TO)

32 Jeebus-freekin'-Charlie-Crist! Enough of this hand-waving misdirection bullshit! Just start cutting the damn agency budgets already!

Posted by: ya2daup at February 03, 2011 10:24 AM (HmCnI)

33

Compromise - Sorry.  My bush doesn't type well. 

I'd make a 'Hunt and Peck' joke, but I don't want to get banned!

Posted by: Barbara Boosh at February 03, 2011 10:25 AM (jB/TO)

34 And what's with this "glide path" nonsense? Do these clowns think that they're the budgetary equivalent of Sully Sullenberger? Dream on, asshats!

Posted by: ya2daup at February 03, 2011 10:26 AM (HmCnI)

35

I don't see how Congress can ever lack that power -- the power to just say "We're voting to do what we want, now, no matter what 'rules' are supposedly in place." Congress actually can do that.

 

It would be great if America had some kind of ultimate law that even Congress would have to abide by, and couldn't amend.  They could call it, oh, I don't know, maybe a "constitution."

But we don't have that.

Posted by: Cicero at February 03, 2011 10:27 AM (QKKT0)

36 Posted by: toby928™: at February 03, 2011 02:16 PM (GTbGH)

Oh, they'll keep buying our bonds. But at fat interest rates that will make the current payment on the debt service look like pocket change. At 20%, our bonds will have plenty of takers.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo (NJConservative) at February 03, 2011 10:28 AM (LH6ir)

37

I don't see how Congress can ever lack that power -- the power to just say "We're voting to do what we want, now, no matter what 'rules' are supposedly in place." Congress actually can do that.


It can't ever lack the power.  Each legislature's power is lplenary--unlimited---over everything not forbidden it by the constitution.  Nothing can limit congress, not even an earlier law.

Congress can declare green is red, and we'd all be looking at "red" trees.

Posted by: s'moron at February 03, 2011 10:29 AM (UaxA0)

38 22
The American taxpayer is soon going to be like the California taxpayer: we'll soon be entering the 'deep vigorous thrusting gasping for breath through the chokehold while the government ignores our screaming of the safeword' part of our relationship.
Posted by: Canadian Infidel at February 03, 2011 02:18 PM (GKQDR)

So PALOMINO's past its expiration date, then?

Posted by: ya2daup at February 03, 2011 10:29 AM (HmCnI)

39

Posted by: Cicero at February 03, 2011 02:27 PM (QKKT0)

Antiquated thoughts from an Antiquated Mind.

Posted by: Ezra Klein at February 03, 2011 10:29 AM (jB/TO)

40 Yep.  The only cuts that can be called true cuts are current year budget cuts.

Still, it matters not.  Reality will intervene.

Posted by: Guy Fawkes at February 03, 2011 10:29 AM (xdHzq)

41

The check is in the mail.

You're beautiful.

Don't ever change.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 10:36 AM (A+6fk)

42 Constitution?  Never heard of it.  That's probably something for the cables.....

Posted by: Charlie Gibson at February 03, 2011 10:36 AM (UK9cE)

43

I think it works like this:

Spending increases are binding on future Congresses

Spending cuts are not binding on future Congresses

Posted by: Ned Ryerson. I used to bone your sister at February 03, 2011 10:36 AM (V6CZ8)

44 Congress has passed a law stating that those pants does NOT make your wife's butt look big.

Posted by: nickless the still-banned (99.174.64.43) at February 03, 2011 10:38 AM (qdtoY)

45 Does, do, whatever.

Posted by: nickless the still-banned (99.174.64.43) at February 03, 2011 10:39 AM (qdtoY)

46 O/T:  I don't know if anyone's mentioned it, but the Super Bowl being in Dallas/Ft. Worth is sucking for the locals mainly because of the latest bout of Global Warming© has lots of roads frozen and all the sand trucks are at the stadium.  It STILL took me 45 minutes to go 12 miles this morning.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:39 AM (UK9cE)

47 28 O/T:  and we have a flashing red light a la drudge:  "SEC Charges 6 Consultant With Insider Trading"

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 02:22 PM (p302b)

--Damn, you gotta be corrupt as hell for the Southeast Conference to call you out.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 10:41 AM (A+6fk)

48 I don't believe a congress can pass a law that binds a future congress in such a way.  In other words, a present congress can't pass a law requiring a super-majority vote in a future congress.

They already have some like that that are passed as "rules". SCOTUS will generally not interfere with these kinds of laws because they consider them to be within the scope of the political process.

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:41 AM (M9Ie6)

49 46 O/T:  I don't know if anyone's mentioned it, but the Super Bowl being in Dallas/Ft. Worth is sucking for the locals mainly because of the latest bout of Global Warming© has lots of roads frozen and all the sand trucks are at the stadium.  It STILL took me 45 minutes to go 12 miles this morning.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 02:39 PM (UK9cE)

--Yeah, I wonder when the last time schools were closed three days in a row for school was.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 10:41 AM (A+6fk)

50 We aren't going to make 10 years.  4 years, tops, before no one buys our bonds.

Nobody is buying them now but the fed.

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:43 AM (M9Ie6)

51

--Yeah, I wonder when the last time schools were closed three days in a row for school was.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 02:41 PM (A+6fk)



I've been here since the early 80's and have never seen it.  I'm betting they're closed tomorrow too.  The roads have gotten NO better and there is so little sand on the roads around here, it's like someone in a pickup truck drove around and shoveled a couple times and that's it.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:44 AM (UK9cE)

52 nickless, how long have you been banned?  I just got it this week, so I'm wondering how long I have to wait. . . .

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 10:44 AM (A+6fk)

53 Nobody is buying them now but the fed.

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 02:43 PM (M9Ie6)



Isn't that the brilliance of quantitative easing?

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:44 AM (UK9cE)

54 I've been here since the early 80's and have never seen it.  I'm betting they're closed tomorrow too.  The roads have gotten NO better and there is so little sand on the roads around here, it's like someone in a pickup truck drove around and shoveled a couple times and that's it.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 02:44 PM (UK9cE

--Yeah, and they're doing a Super Bowl in New friggin' York in a couple years.  Joy.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 10:45 AM (A+6fk)

55 Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 02:41 PM (M9Ie6)

Vic, excuse me if this is a royally stupid question.  But is this the way they are going to make the healthcare bill fixed for eternity and have SCOTUS not be able to touch it, by paring it with something like this?

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 10:45 AM (p302b)

56 This won't really do anything.  The only real way to get spending under control is with a constitutional amendment.  And that requires a constitutional convention.

Posted by: chemjeff at February 03, 2011 10:45 AM (czcue)

57 weaksauce -- this is what happens when you have a group of people who don't care about the deficit trying to cut spending. They simply do not care. And they're incompetent boobs.

Posted by: soothsayer deeds done dirt cheap at February 03, 2011 10:46 AM (uFokq)

58

--Yeah, and they're doing a Super Bowl in New friggin' York in a couple years.  Joy.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 02:45 PM (A+6fk)



I can't WAIT for that one.  I'm just loving the fact that they bought into GW so much that they figured it'd never snow again!!!  It will be Ice Bowl II with temps below 10 degrees with the wind chills at -20.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:46 AM (UK9cE)

59 They can't be defined by law, and the dead white men who wrote the constitution had that obviously moronic idea that Congress and the executive branch would behave, over the long run, in the best interests of the country.

Actually they wrote some strong safeguards into the Constitution that would have assured that congress continued to play by the rules.

Unfortunately since the war of 1861 we have steadily either nullified those rules or amended them remove the safeguards.

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:46 AM (M9Ie6)

Posted by: FORGER - Racist Czar at February 03, 2011 10:47 AM (zeR5Z)

61 for fuck's sake, you assholes in Washignton, start acting like we're in a fucking crisis

Posted by: soothsayer deeds done dirt cheap at February 03, 2011 10:47 AM (uFokq)

62 p.s. - Video appx. 12 min long

Posted by: FORGER - Racist Czar at February 03, 2011 10:48 AM (zeR5Z)

63 What is this bullcrap? We want CUTS! SELECTIVE DEEP CUTS! Not this squishy BS. The road maps have been published -- the RSGs cuts and Rand Paul's cuts. They don't even have the nads to make the easy ones like NPR/CPB. This is outrageous

Posted by: DaMav at February 03, 2011 10:48 AM (QNU76)

64 Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 02:46 PM (UK9cE)

seriously?  So how are people going to get to the Super Bowl?

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 10:48 AM (p302b)

65 But is this the way they are going to make the healthcare bill fixed for eternity and have SCOTUS not be able to touch it, by paring it with something like this?

The health care bill is not a rule to control congress. SCOTUS will jump on that kind of bill if Kennedy is not pissed at Scalia on that day.

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:50 AM (M9Ie6)

66 64 Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 02:46 PM (UK9cE)

seriously?  So how are people going to get to the Super Bowl?

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 02:48 PM (p302b)

--I feel really sorry for the suckers who paid $200 each to watch it outside the stadium.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 10:50 AM (A+6fk)

67 seriously?  So how are people going to get to the Super Bowl?

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 02:48 PM (p302b)


In New York, I don't care.

Here in Dallas/Ft.Worth, they've hijacked every sand/salt spreader and plow from 3 states to make sure the roads to and from the stadium from Dallas and Ft. Worth are clear.  Local citizens in the surrounding areas are on their own.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:51 AM (UK9cE)

68 The only real way to get spending under control is with a constitutional amendment.  And that requires a constitutional convention.

Posted by: chemjeff at February 03, 2011 02:45 PM (czcue)

No we could try something different. Something like electing real conservatives. We haven't had a 60 vote Republican Senate since the late 1800s and we haven't had more than 40 real conservatives in forever.

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:51 AM (M9Ie6)

69 That and the temps are supposed to be back up in the 50's by Sunday.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:52 AM (UK9cE)

70 nickless, how long have you been banned? I just got it this week, so I'm wondering how long I have to wait. . . .

Last week, I guess. I can proxy, but it's a PITA.

Posted by: nickless the still-banned (99.174.64.43) at February 03, 2011 10:52 AM (qdtoY)

71 Posted by: Ned Ryerson. I used to bone your sister

I used to bone Nancy Drew.

Posted by: Ned Nickerson at February 03, 2011 10:52 AM (3YYhR)

72 I don't understand the absence of a sense of emergency. The fucking alarms and sirens are going off and nobody can hear them in Washington?

Posted by: soothsayer deeds done dirt cheap at February 03, 2011 10:52 AM (uFokq)

73 --I feel really sorry for the suckers who paid $200 each to watch it outside the stadium.

I don't.  Pay $200, plus the $100 or so it will cost to park anywhere near there, just to watch it on TV's outside?  You deserve what you get......hehehe.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:53 AM (UK9cE)

74 I don't.  Pay $200, plus the $100 or so it will cost to park anywhere near there, just to watch it on TV's outside?  You deserve what you get......hehehe.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 02:53 PM (UK9cE)

--True, but if they're that big as suckers, the tab Sunday is probably the least of their worries.  That money buys a lot of beer and chips sitting on the couch at home.

Posted by: logprof (not banned at work . . . yet) at February 03, 2011 10:54 AM (A+6fk)

75
The fucking alarms and sirens are going off and nobody can hear them in Washington?

The alarms are going off for the peasants.  Those in Washington are simply 'never letting a crisis go to waste'......

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:54 AM (UK9cE)

76 So how are people going to get to the Super Bowl?

You have to win your conference championship.

Posted by: Guy Fawkes at February 03, 2011 10:54 AM (xdHzq)

77 --True, but if they're that big as suckers, the tab Sunday is probably the least of their worries.  That money buys a lot of beer and chips sitting on the couch at home.

Yessir.....I'm picking up my keg after work today (braving the shitty icy roads to get to a liquor store.....priorities!!!) and will be snug at home on Sunday.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 10:56 AM (UK9cE)

78 I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

Posted by: Wimpy at February 03, 2011 10:56 AM (yQWNf)

79 Posted by: soothsayer deeds done dirt cheap at February 03, 2011 02:52 PM (uFokq)

I sometimes feel like they don't trust the numbers and that they feel they don't know what to do.   Lately I'm thinking that no matter what the American people say or what the tea party suggests, they will behave as though they are one entity and will continue with business as usual.  I'm really starting to think they all have some kind of "we are in charge, and we know things you people don't know and therefore, no matter how much you shout, we've decided to ignore you for your own good" mode.

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 10:56 AM (p302b)

80 Rick Santelli knows how simple this is: "Stop spending! Stop spending! Stop spending!"

Posted by: soothsayer deeds done dirt cheap at February 03, 2011 10:58 AM (uFokq)

81

Utah's brand new Republican representative in the House, Mike Lee, is good. I mean, that guy is really, really good.

Yesterday, at a Congressional hearing on the constitutionality of the health care law, he ate the Democrats' lunch, baiting a know-it-all law professor whom the Democrats got to testify, drawing him in and then slamming the trap shut on him, making that law professor and other Democrats look like dufuses.

A footnote to which is that while Democrat Al Franken was so far out of his depth on that panel that he made a complete fool out of himself, too, Republicans like Mike Lee, Orin Hatch and John Cornyn performed superbly, showing that they were loaded for bear, that they really knew what they were talking about, that Democrats were just bullshit artists, and that Republicans definitely intend to systematically dismantle Obamacare for the good of this entire nation. 

Kudos to Lee, Hatch and Cornyn especially. They're sharp and three of our finest.

Posted by: Brian at February 03, 2011 10:59 AM (sYrWB)

82 Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 02:44 PM

I've only been here eight months, but Dallas seems worse than my former abode -- L.A. -- when it comes to dealing with bad weather.

There's no appreciable snow except what has been laying around since earlier in the week, and that wasn't much. Even so, haven't had mail delivery for three days, and the roads are still a freekin' mess.

Is this the first time in history that Dallas has had sub-freezing temps?

Posted by: MrScribbler©, yelling "Free Nickless!!!!" at February 03, 2011 10:59 AM (Ulu3i)

Posted by: Vic at February 03, 2011 10:59 AM (M9Ie6)

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 11:00 AM (p302b)

85

Fox News' Greg Palkot got put in the hospital by Egyptian protesters.

Posted by: Ed Anger at February 03, 2011 11:01 AM (7+pP9)

86 I'm really starting to think they all have some kind of "we are in charge, and we know things you people don't know and therefore, no matter how much you shout, we've decided to ignore you for your own good" mode.

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 02:56 PM (p302b)



Welcome to the party!!  They're ignoring the fact that the peasants are finally waking up to what they've been doing for years and speaking up about it.  The faction that is the loudest currently is merely labeled as racist and dismissed.  As that faction grows, they'll need to respond, but as of right now.....the MBM will continue to hold the wool over the unsuspecting eyes and they'll continue along current paths.  It will take a revolution, at some point.......but it will be a non violent one with the masses taking to the polls to vote out the scum  that have been robbing us blind for decades.


one can hope, anyway.

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 11:02 AM (UK9cE)

87 Marlon Brando was hot...

Posted by: Barack Obama at February 03, 2011 11:03 AM (jB/TO)

88

Kudos to Lee, Hatch and Cornyn especially. They're sharp and three of our finest.

Posted by: Brian at February 03, 2011 02:59 PM (sYrWB)

It's in the last 2 years of his term, Hatch is acting like a Republican.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 03, 2011 11:03 AM (BvBKY)

89 40 Yep.  The only cuts that can be called true cuts are current year budget cuts.

Still, it matters not.  Reality will intervene.


So they ask for a total of $74 billion less than what Obama wanted, with cuts of $58 billion in non-security discretionary spending. However, when looking at spending already done this year it only equals $32-$35bil.

Weak sauce.

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at February 03, 2011 11:03 AM (sZ+lP)

90 OT - More signs Mubarak is digging in his heels:

Mubarak tells ABC News: 'If I resign today there will be chaos.' http://abcn.ws/fUpJ7p

/There will be chaos anyway, in the end. 

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at February 03, 2011 11:03 AM (9hSKh)

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 11:04 AM (p302b)

92

Holy Shit. Christiana Carmelmouth tells Mubarack that "President Obama doesn't understand Egyptian culture and that he personally didn't tell him to step down. He didn't know that stepping down would cause chaos".

So now the lib media are official US ambassadors explaining to foreign heads of state what our president (spit) knows or means?

Unfuckingbelieveable.

ABC new radio

Posted by: dagny at February 03, 2011 11:04 AM (K7E8H)

93 Is this the first time in history that Dallas has had sub-freezing temps?

Posted by: MrScribbler©, yelling "Free Nickless!!!!" at February 03, 2011 02:59 PM (Ulu3i)


Sadly, no.  It's not like this every time.  It's because of JerryWorld over there having all available resources catering to his needs instead of those that pay for that damn thing.  Usually, there are trucks sanding the required areas and resanding shortly thereafter. 

Posted by: Sponge © at February 03, 2011 11:04 AM (UK9cE)

94 /There will be chaos anyway, in the end. 

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at February 03, 2011 03:03 PM

Time to head to Petra.

Posted by: The Israelis at February 03, 2011 11:05 AM (yQWNf)

95 Why was the CBS reporter arrested?

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 11:05 AM (p302b)

96

Why was the CBS reporter arrested?

I was Dancing.

Posted by: Katie Kouric at February 03, 2011 11:08 AM (jB/TO)

97 Posted by: dagny at February 03, 2011 03:04 PM (K7E8H) Do you have a link?

Posted by: USA at February 03, 2011 11:09 AM (YZISw)

98 The way to crush the middle class is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation. - Lenin

Posted by: Guy Fawkes at February 03, 2011 11:09 AM (xdHzq)

99 18 We aren't going to make 10 years.  4 years, tops, before no one buys our bonds.

Posted by: toby928™: Free nickless the still-banned (99.174.64.43) at February 03, 2011 02:16 PM (GTbGH)

Today, we'd like to announce Quantitative Easing #83... and the release of the new ELEVENTY Billion Dollar bill, as a replacment for the old $1.00 bill.

Because of the high price of Copper, old physical Cent pieces are now worth 1/100 of the New ELEVENTY Billion Dollar bill.

This concludes our press conference.

Posted by: Fed Res Bank at February 03, 2011 11:10 AM (AdK6a)

Posted by: curious at February 03, 2011 11:10 AM (p302b)

101 The only time Gramm-Rudman had any teeth was 1990. Congress had to cut spending or persuade Bush 41 to break his no new taxes pledge. We know how that turned out. And Coker, you dumbass, why should we wait for 10 years to reduce Federal spending 4% when it only took it 2 years to raise it 4%?

Posted by: Dr. Heinz Doofensmirtz at February 03, 2011 11:13 AM (bT0ZC)

102 67 ...Here in Dallas/Ft.Worth, they've hijacked every sand/salt spreader and plow from 3 states to make sure the roads to and from the stadium from Dallas and Ft. Worth are clear.  Local citizens in the surrounding areas are on their own.

How many times have you lost power? We haven't been experiencing brownouts here (not under ERCOT), but it is going to snow tonight and tomorrow, which means the power will likely go out for awhile.

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at February 03, 2011 11:17 AM (sZ+lP)

103 So conservatives seriously wouldn't object to the unelected officials of the OMB making budget cuts if Congress can't meet targets? What if OMB decides that the military budget should be cut 20 or 30%?

Posted by: JEA at February 03, 2011 11:26 AM (WujO7)

104 So conservatives seriously wouldn't object to the unelected officials of the OMB making budget cuts if Congress can't meet targets? What if OMB decides that the military budget should be cut 20 or 30%?


The weak proposal is for even across the board cuts.  OMB just does the numbers.  Even so, I object.  

Want to save money and improve education?  Kill the DoE.  Kill it now.  Zero budget.

Posted by: toby928™: Free nickless the still-banned (99.174.64.43) at February 03, 2011 11:39 AM (GTbGH)

105

Re: #81, also,, a related issue is that Senator Orin Hatch has asked recently appointed SCOTUS Justice Kagan to recuse herself if a test of the constitutionality of the health care law goes to the SCOTUS, because before Kagan was appointed to the SCOTUS by that putz, Obama, Kagan was one of the attorneys who wrote the health care law, and, therefore, to cover her ass and to save face, she would be too biased to fairly evaluate the constitutionality of that law.

But there's more to it than that. What was revealed yesterday, also, was that, of all people, Kagan was the very attorney who made the sloppy and careless blunders while writing that law which are making it unconstitutional. Now that is a hoot ..., and yet that incompetent fuck-up, Obama, appointed that incompetent puts, Kagan, to the SCOTUS. God help us..

Obama, Holder, Clinton and Pelosi have to be the sleaziest and the most incompetent fuck-ups in government in the history of this country.

Geezez, but it's so great to see adults taking charge of our government again.

Posted by: Brian at February 03, 2011 11:58 AM (sYrWB)

106 Ref #17   by: Josef K. at February 03, 2011 02:16 PM

"... A constitutional amendment would be better than trying to pass a congressional rule every two years. Best of all, though, would simply be to elect a better class of legislator. The problem being I doubt we ever will..."

==========================

That's where the constitutional amendment comes in:  Make it a capital crime to pull some of the sh!t the 111th Congress did.  As in, pass a bill without reading it - firing squad.  Fudge the numbers on a bill you support, in order to pretend it will lower the deficit - firing squad.  Bribe another Senator or Representative with taxpayer money to get him/her to vote for your precious bill - firing squad.

I know it sounds quite harsh, BUT:  it would only take the demise of two or three Congressmen before the "Aha!" moment would strike all the rest of them, leading to a wondrous change in attitude and behavior.  As in, "Aha!  I'm supposed to be working FOR MY CONSTITUENTS and FOR THE GOOD OF THE NATION AS A WHOLE.  I'm not here in Washington to play crony politics, or to live the swell life at the public's expense until I retire with a guaranteed pension!  I'm supposed to Serve My Country!!  Golly gee, who'd'a thunkit??!!"

With the possibility of capital punishment hanging over their heads for deliberate and willful wrongdoing, I believe any new candidates for Congress would be a much more sober and serious group of people.  A refreshing change, don't you think?

Posted by: A_Nonny_Mouse at February 04, 2011 01:59 PM (hq0VE)

Posted by: amy at February 09, 2011 11:30 AM (wjTOH)

Hide Comments | Add Comment | Refresh | Top

Comments are disabled. Post is locked.
130kb generated in CPU 0.1742, elapsed 0.3424 seconds.
64 queries taking 0.2811 seconds, 235 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.