Say What? July 27, 2011 Edition [Reader Post]

Liberals:

President Obama on a Balanced Budget Amendment: “We don’t need a constitutional amendment to do that. What we need to do is do our jobs.”

Senate Leader Harry Reid: “I think this piece of legislation [Cap, Cut and Balance] is about as weak and senseless as anything that has ever come on this Senate floor, and I’m not going to waste the Senate’s time day after day on this piece of legislation which I think is anathema to what our country is all about.  I feel confident that this legislation will be disposed of one way or the other.  The American people should understand that this is a bad piece of legislation, perhaps some of the worst legislation in the history of this country.”  In case you don’t get this, he is telling all of the Democrat Senators to shelve Cut, Cap and Balance without giving it a hearing.

Obama: “If Abraham Lincoln could make some compromises [regarding freedom for some slaves]…then surely we can make some compromises when it comes to handling our budget”

Obama: “[it’s time for] the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations (to) do their part.  This isn’t some wild-eyed socialist position, (and) this isn’t about punishing wealth.”

Obama: “For those of you who’ve studied economic history and the history of the Great Depression, what Tom is referring to is, Roosevelt comes in – FDR comes in, he tries all these things with the New Deal; but FDR, contrary to myth, was pretty fiscally conservative. And so after the initial efforts of the New Deal and it looked like the economy was growing again, FDR then presented a very severe austerity budget. And suddenly, in 1937, the economy started going down again. And, ultimately, what really pulled America out of the Great Depression was World War II.”

Obama “if we don’t solve it [the debt ceiling problem], every American will suffer.”

Obama: “That’s why people in both parties have suggested that the best way to take on our deficit is with a more balanced approach. Yes, we should make serious spending cuts. But we should also ask the wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations to pay their fair share through fundamental tax reform. Before we stop funding clean energy research, we should ask oil companies and corporate jet owners to give up the tax breaks that other companies don’t get. Before we ask college students to pay more, we should ask hedge fund managers to stop paying taxes at a lower rate than their secretaries. Before we ask seniors to pay more for Medicare, we should ask people like me to give up tax breaks they don’t need and never asked for.”

Obama: “What is true is that given the rising number of seniors and given the huge escalation in health care costs, that if we don’t structure those programs so that they are sustainable, then it’s going to be hard for the next generation to enjoy those same kinds of benefits. And so we are going to have to make some modest changes that retain the integrity of the program, but make sure that they’re there for years to come.”  No matter what plan is followed, no one is going to describe budget cuts over the next 2 decades as modest.

Harry Reid: “I will not support any short-term agreement, and neither will President Obama nor Leader Pelosi.”

Then Democrat, Senator John Kerry stood up and added: “Frankly, after what the majority leader has said, I don’t think I need to go on with my speech.”

Democratic Congressman Jim Moran on Cut, Cap and Balance: “That’s just bulls**t.  What this is . . . is exactly what Grover Norquist explained. It’s all about setting up a structure that prevents Democrats from being able to govern as Democrats. In other words. Investing money in equality and opportunity and expanding the middle class in a better life and a more sustainable environment. That’s going to take the money off the table and so the rich will get richer and the middle class will get poorer. That’s all it’s about. It’s a long term ideological strategy. That’s what cut, cap, and balance is all about….Thomas Jefferson would be so embarrassed to be anyway associated with this Thomas Jefferson was a humanist.”

John Kerry: “As I have said in the past, the most compelling argument against this amendment [to require a balanced federal budget] doesn’t come from me or from anyone on the floor. It actually comes from the real experts, the people who framed the Constitution of the United States. If they were here on the Senate floor today, they would against this amendment because it violates the Constitution’s basic tenet which is majority rule”

Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), leader of the House Democratic Caucus: “What the Democratic Caucus has been focused on . . . is balance.  Obviously, balance would include cuts and revenues.”  I.e., there must be tax hikes in the agreement.

President Barack Obama: “I think the vast majority of people understand that this is something that we inherited and that when I came into office we’d already lost 4 million jobs and the few months after I got sworn in we lost another 4 million.”

President Obama to Speaker Boehner at the weekend debt talks: “I think everybody agrees it’s too hot to play golf today.”

John Podesta: “We’re in a recession, but the Bush tax cuts have contributed substantially to that, particularly for the high end. What are the Republicans proposing? Go even further than that. Now we’re in a hostage-taking situation on the debt limit that will be catastrophic if we actually do go over that August 2 deadline. I actually think this is the craziest hostage-taking that we’ve seen since Al Pacino and John Cazale were in “Dog Day Afternoon.””

Radical leftist Cornel West: “Poor people and working people have not been a fundamental focus of the Obama administration. That for me is not just a disappointment but a kind of betrayal.”

The Obama Press:

CBS‘s Bob Schaeffer: “[The Cap, Cut and Balance bill] a total waste of time…part of this little Kabuki dance that we go through.”

CBS correspondent Whit Johnson: “They want immediate cuts, an aggressive cap on future spending, and constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. Senate Democrats say the proposal has no chance.”

CBS’s Bill Plante said of CC&B: “It would revert spending back to 2008 levels and cap the budget at eighteen percent of gross domestic product. It also calls for a balanced budget amendment, a provision Democrats say is dead on arrival.”  No mention was made of any public support.

CBS’s Nancy Cordes: “Conservatives call the bill they’re voting on tonight Cut, Cap and Balance because it cuts spending this year and then caps it at 2005 levels. Democrats call it a one-sided approach that wastes time at the 11th hour.”

NBC’s Ann Curry to Kelly O’Donnell: “The president has already said that he’s going to veto it. Do we really have time for a plan that is really just show, Kelly?”

Do you notice how they all seem to be singing from the same hymnal?
MSNBC‘s Thomas Roberts to Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, a gay conservative organization opposing Obama’s reelection: “But you will replace [Obama] with a person who would extinguish you.”

Cenk Uygur, about leaving MSNBC: “I didn’t want to work in a place that wouldn’t let me do my kind of show, that wasn’t interested in my kind of show, that didn’t want to challenge power.”  MSNBC is not liberal enough for Cenk?

Bloomberg News: “Sales of previously owned U.S. homes unexpectedly declined in June to a seven-month low as the industry struggled to overcome rising unemployment and foreclosures.”  Just who exactly is expecting these sales to turn around and for what reason?

Liberals from the past:

Senator Obama in 2006 about raising the debt ceiling: “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. . Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that `the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”

Harry Reid, in 2006, opposing the raising of the debt ceiling: “How can the Republican majority in this Congress explain to their constituents that trillions of dollars in new debt is good for our economy? How can they explain that they think it’s fair to force our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren to finance this debt through higher taxes? That’s what it will have to be. Why is it right to increase our nation’s dependence on foreign creditors?  They should explain this. Maybe they can convince the public they’re right. I doubt it. Because most Americans know that increasing debt is the last thing we should be doing. After all, I repeat, the Baby Boomers are about to retire. Under the circumstances, any credible economist would tell you we should be reducing debt, not increasing it. Democrats won’t be making argument to supper this legalization, which will weaken our country.” Reid was concerned here about a $248 billion deficit.  Ah, the good old days.
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

Harold Ickes, FDR’s interior secretary and one of the most important architects of the New Deal: “[Roosevelt himself privately acknowledged that] what we were doing in this country were some of the things that were being done in Russia and even some of the things that were being done under Hitler in Germany. But we were doing them in an orderly way.”

Liberals being civil:

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa): “The sad reality is that America no longer has a two party system. One of our two parties has morphed into a kind of a cult driven by a singular fixation and obsession – preserving and expanding tax breaks for the wealthy at all costs. This so-called balanced budget amendment would make it all but impossible to raise revenues in the future.”

Debbie Wasserman Schultz:    “Well, I have to tell you I was unfazed by his [Congressman Allen West’s] e-mail. It’s not surprising that given the pressure that the Republicans are facing.  I mean, they’re defending ending Medicare as we know it. Congressman West represents thousands of senior citizens, which is what I was pointing out, and they would face significant increased costs due to the Republicans’ Medicare plan and the Cut, Cap and Balance Bill.  So it’s not really surprising that he would crack under the pressure of having to defend that.”  Weasel Zippers points out that, Congressman West spent 4 years in combat duty, so that it is possible that Schultz’s remarks are not enough to make him crack under pressure.

Blogger Amanda Marcotte: “The most famous political force in the country right now, the Tea Party, has embraced a conservatism that is defined by being angry, bigoted, ignorant, and proud of it. It’s less about coherent politics and more a club for people who have a chip on their shoulders because they confuse getting the stink-eye for saying nutty, mean-spirited things with actual oppression. ”

Bill Maher on Sarah Palin, upon hearing that one of her sons is about to father a child: “What is it with this family and pregnancies? Do they not have condoms up there in Alaska? When they say don’t retreat, reload’ they are not f___g around.  I think they think abstinence is Latin for no anal,”

Crazy Muslims:

Dr. Salih bin Fawzan, a prominent cleric and member of Saudi Arabia’s highest religious council, just issued a fatwa asserting that there is no minimum age for marriage, and that girls can be married “even if they are in the cradle.”

Liberals making sense:

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D.-Md.): “In order to pay our bills, Republicans would require us to pass a Constitutional amendment that would permanently enshrine their partisan budget priorities in law and make it virtually impossible to raise revenue.”  I think that Mr. Hoyer understands the situation quite well.

Joe Biden (from 1984): “I must express my protest against continually increasing the debt without taking positive steps to slow its growth. Therefore, I am voting against any further increase in the national debt.”

President Obama: “I’m probably going to win or lose [in 2012] depending on their assessment of my stewardship.”

Joy Behar to Casey Anthony’s attorney: “Would you let her babysit your children?”

Moderates:

The Barclays Interest Rates Research team wrote: “The date on which the Treasury will run out of cash to pay its obligations might not be August 2; it might be around August 10 instead.”

New York magazine’s John Heilemann : “The core difference between 2008 and 2012 is going to be the politics of hope, which we saw in 2008, versus the politics of fear in 2012. They won’t call it that, but so much of this campaign in terms of driving turnout among all these groups, is going to be about making the Republican alternative totally unacceptable.”  [I don’t know Heilemann’s politics]

Juan Williams, when asked about a generic Republican beating Obama in a poll: “That’s like Harry Potter running against Luke Skywalker.”

Crosstalk:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, after Allen West had left the room: “The gentleman from Florida, who represents thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, as do I, is supportive of this plan that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries. Unbelievable from a member from south Florida.”  She added: “[the legislation that West supports] slashes Medicaid and critical investments essential to winning the future in favor of protecting tax breaks for Big Oil, millionaires, and companies who ship American jobs overseas.”

Allen West email to Debbie Wasserman Schultz: “Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. You are the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives.  If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up…you are not a Lady.”

It was not too long ago when Wasserman Schultz warned: “Republicans want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws.”

Anyway, this email was made public and a Democratic fundraising letter followed:

Friend –

Last night, Republican Rep. Allen West sent a disgraceful e-mail outburst to one of our most accomplished colleagues in the House, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, telling her to “shut the heck up” for daring to challenge the GOP plan to gut Medicare and Social Security to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

I wish I could say I was surprised.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the sort of partisan tantrum we’re used to from House Republicans as they push our economy to the brink of disaster while pandering to their Tea Party base.

We can’t let this shameful display go unanswered.

Contribute $3 or more right now to help us defeat disgraceful Republicans like Allen West in 2012. My Democratic colleagues are so appalled that they’ve agreed to match all gifts today dollar-for-dollar up to our $100,000 goal.

This kind of appalling behavior is all too familiar from Congressman West, who has riled up his extremist right-wing base by attacking progressive women for “neutering American men,” calling supporters of President Obama, “a threat to the gene pool” and writing for a misogynist magazine that denigrated women with words I’d be ashamed to even repeat.

Blogger Amanda Marcotte: “Allen West hates everyone. That doesn’t spare him from being a sexist, however, since his hatred for women has an ugly, gendered tone to it, as evidenced by his strange war on Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose main sin seems to be a willingness to disagree with West while in possession of a vagina, causing West to claim she’s “not a Lady.” This, in turn, has caused a lot of speaking from feminist-minded women who are sick to the teeth of grown women being addressed in exactly the same terms that my grandmother used for me when I displayed bad manners … and I was five years old. ”
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Joan Walsh, Salon: Well, right. Well, Reagan was very much a conservative, and I didn’t agree with him on much, but he was a pragmatist and a compromiser. And the fact of the matter is, Chris, I heard my friend Michael talk about the Constitution and the Tea Party likes to talk about the Constitution and the Founders, but the fact is the Founders didn’t agree on very much at all.

Michael Steele: Right.

Walsh: The Founders argued about a lot of things, and they created a system in which we had to talk to one another and had to compromise. This President, President Obama, who I don’t always agree with either, is actually the Reagan figure here.

Steele: [Laughs]

Walsh: He is the person saying.

Chris Matthews, Host: Why are you laughing?

Walsh: .you know what, I’m going to disappoint some folks.

Steele: Okay. [Continues laughing]

Walsh: Please don’t laugh at me, Michael. I didn’t laugh at you.

Matthews: Why are you laughing, Michael?

Steele: When you say something funny, I’m going to laugh.

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Girl at Town Hall: “I have two questions. One is, is there anything — like, obviously you’ve had a successful presidency. But is there anything …”

President Obama: “Well that’s not obvious to everyone. But I appreciate. I appreciate you thinking it’s obvious.”

Conservatives:

Florida Senator Marco Rubio: “OK, so where’s the plan? Where’s the president’s plan? I’ve never seen a piece of paper with the president’s name on it that’s his plan to solve this crisis. I’ve seen press conferences. I’ve seen lectures that he’s given to the Congress. I’ve seen these press avails where the camera comes in and takes a bunch of pictures. I haven’t seen a plan. Where is the president’s plan?”

Jeb Bush on Obama: “He’s a smart guy…I think he is capable of learning these things, but he doesn’t have people around him who have any practical [economic] experience—none.”

Speaker of the House John Boehner, to the President, when Boehner had decided to work with Congressional leaders: “As I read the Constitution, the Congress writes the laws and you get to decide what you want to sign.”

Speaker John Boehner: “I want to be entirely clear, no one wants default on the full faith and credit of the United States government, and I’m convinced that we will not.”

Las Vegas businessman Steve Wynn: “Everybody’s afraid of the government and there’s no need soft peddling it, it’s the truth. It is the truth. And that’s true of Democratic businessman and Republican businessman, and I am a Democratic businessman and I support Harry Reid. I support Democrats and Republicans. And I’m telling you that the business community in this company is frightened to death of the weird political philosophy of the President of the United States.  And until he’s gone, everybody’s going to be sitting on their thumbs.”  The latter is a reference to why businesses are not hiring and investors are not investing.

Jim DeMint (because President Obama has not offered up a real plan yet for the debt and deficit: “We can’t vote on a speech.”

WSJ commentator Kimberly Strassel, reacting to Obama finally appointing someone to his cabinet with some real business background: “Actions speak louder than appointments.”

Art Laffer: “[Obama is] just a wonderful person, but he’s wrong on every issue.”

Art Laffer: “I think that the TEA party has had a major positive impact on the Republican party and on America.”

Okay, some conservatives can get a little catty.  Michelle Malkin said of Debbie Wasserman Schultz: “She’s nothing more than Allen Greyson in heels.”

Allen West, in a column: “I must confess, when I see anyone with an Obama 2012 bumper sticker, I recognize them as a threat to the gene pool.”

Rush Limbaugh: “We live in a center-right country, so any time center-left poll results are advanced by the State-Controlled Media, beware.  Skewed polls are used to make news and then to shape opinion.  They are used to confuse issues, not to bring clarity.”

Rush Limbaugh: “One other important point about internal polls:  They’re true.  A candidate needs the truth.  A campaign needs to know the exact lay of the land.  Internal polls, privately commissioned polls by candidates are dead-on accurate, as accurate as polling can be, as distinguished from public polls.  Never forget that.”

Rich Lowrey on the Murdoch scandal: “Government should police crime, not the media.”  (Quoted from memory)

Rush: “Ronald Reagan called them tax-and-spend liberals, and that’s what they are. That’s what they’ll always be: Tax and spend. You don’t have to call them Marxists, communists, statists, socialists or doofuses. They are all that, but they’re tax and spend — and if that’s what you’re for, they are your people.”

Rush: “The liberal leaders have to lie in order to get elected.  They know they’re governing against the will of the people.  Obama knows it, he just doesn’t care, at all.  I know it’s hard to understand when you’re talking about the president, but it’s true.”

Rush: “In my role as head of the Republican Party, I am ordering the president to present his spending cuts, not just to the Republicans in a meeting, but to the American people, in toto, by tomorrow, while I’m playing golf, by the way.  Finally somebody in our party’s gonna be playing golf while he’s working, and it’s gonna be me.”

Rush: “Government is god. Government comes first. Government never must do without. All money is government’s. Obama believes that.”

From Conservative Review #188  (HTML)  (PDF)