Harry Reid, in all his arrogance, wrote a letter to House leaders a few days ago pleading for them to abandon any talk of repealing ObamaCare…and the new speaker did an excellent job in answering it. First the appeal:
“The incoming House Republican majority that you lead has made the repeal of the federal health care law one of its chief goals. We urge you to consider the unintended consequences that the law’s repeal would have on a number of popular consumer protections that help middle class Americans,”
And Boehners response? Awesomeness:
Senators Reid, Durbin, Schumer, Murray and Stabenow:
Thank you for reminding us – and the American people – of the backroom deal that you struck behind closed doors with ‘Big Pharma,’ resulting in bigger profits for the drug companies, and higher prescription drug costs for33 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D, at a cost to the taxpayers of $42.6 billion.
The House is going to pass legislation to repeal that now. You’re welcome.
And then they go and do something like this:
Many people knowledgeable about the federal budget said House Republicans could not keep their campaign promise to cut $100 billion from domestic spending in a single year. Now it appears that Republicans agree.
As they prepare to take power on Wednesday, Republican leaders are scaling back that number by as much as half, aides say, because the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, will be nearly half over before spending cuts could become law.
Now they are calling the 100 billion dollar figure hypothetical.
And Allah points out why even this modest cut will never be possible:
Shouldn’t it be fairly easy to find $100 billion to cut in an annual budget that exceeds $3.5 trillion? Well, yes — except that the GOP’s limiting itself to cutting discretionary spending (Social Security and Medicare are, as ever, completely off-limits)
Until entitlement spending is on the table these kind of cuts won’t happen.
Instead we are treated to an endless barrage of excuses and “don’t waste a crisis” moments. Private businesses too big to fail so throw money at it. Pass the stimulus or unemployment will rise…and rise it still did. Print money or wall street will collapse. Raise the debt ceiling or the borg will take over the planet.
Yadda yadda yadda.
Hell, demolishing the EPA would save us 100 billion. Bam, problem solved, and it took a lowly blogger to figure it out.
More here
See author page
In addition, terminate the Departments of Energy and Education.
That’s $120 billion.
PER YEAR.
It’s a little (but only a “little”) too early to pronounce this lot of GOP congressmen as brain dead. But, they are on thin ice, and once it cracks the GOP will be nothing more than a 3rd party. These people need to learn that they aren’t elected to “lead” but rather to follow the will of the people.
Boehner talks a good fight, but I don’t think he has the stomach for it. Once these guys get the taste of power, principles go by the wayside. It’s going to take a few more elections to weed out the career politicians (most of which are Democrats or RINO’s) that seem to impede the progress and welfare of our country.
Boehner is too busy crying and Mitchie the Kid too busy betraying conservative senators for either to actually take a stand for the nation or the American people. I just hope the incoming class will not allow these professional political limp-wrists to betray the voters.
Consider the source of this story, Jackie Calmes of the NYT. My high-level sources have indicated to me in so many words that Calmes is usually full of sxxt. Let’s not declare the Repubs a failure before they even open their House.
I have contacted my Senator Mitch McConnell and expressed in no uncertain terms that he needs to stand up to the Dems and CUT the spending and roll back Obamacare or he is in jepardy of losing not only his seat but also those who he is currently serving with.
Fight or get out of the way.
I was just listening to the Bloomberg Financial Channel (I have no idea if it is related to the NY politician, but it had other people on) this AM as they were discussing that http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/us/politics/05fiscal.html?_r=1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
quote:
Many people knowledgeable about the federal budget said House Republicans could not keep their campaign promise to cut $100 billion from domestic spending in a single year. Now it appears that Republicans agree.
As they prepare to take power on Wednesday, Republican leaders are scaling back that number by as much as half, aides say, because the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, will be nearly half over before spending cuts could become law.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think Republicans had to know they wouldn’t be taking over IF they won a majority until this fiscal year was 1/2 over.
But still they are using the 1/2 year is over idea as an excuse why they might only cut $50 Billion from the budget instead of $100 Billion.
HMMMMMmmmmmmmm………..
One of the Dems who survived was also on a financial news show this AM saying she was going to hold the Republicans’ feet to the fire over jobs.
(Wish I could remember her name….long gold, curly hair, from FLA)
Nothing was to happen unless it was fully paid for and gained lots of jobs, according to her self-made standard for how Republicans could do things.
Well, news for ya, honey, you don’t get to set the agenda or the atandards for Republicans any more than they got to while your side reigned.
We are STILL not even at the beginning of the Republican takeover of the House (Senate, Executive still firmly Dem) yet we are already inundated with horror stories about how bad the Republicans are.
I think we ought to give it a bit of time.
Before Obama came into office we could only wonder how bad he’d be.
It took a couple of years to fully appreciate his socialistic badness.
Let’s see what these Republicans can do with the House.
Get vetoed a lot is my guess.
@drjohn:
How many union workers would be put out of work? I like the idea on it’s face but what would be the impact on unemployment? I know, keeping people employed with taxpayer money to do nothing but “regulate” is stupid. Just wondering how many people will be put out of work.
My vote would be to give this some time. Even $50B would be a good first step, assuming it is well thought out and really attacks the waste, fraud and stupidity of the past spending.
And speaking of a new Republican lacking backbone, it broke my heart to hear Allen West is joining hands with Lindsay Graham INRE raising the debt ceiling.
So far, with the end of the year compromise spending for the tax extensions, and dodging the big spending issues like the big entitlement programs, I’m still unimpressed. The death by a thousand cuts with the GOP isn’t much more inviting than the wrist slashing with Democrat/lib/prog leadership. Just takes longer to bleed to death.
@MataHarley: I will call LTC West. He has my Support but I met the guy and will give him my 2 cents worth, not as a constituent but as a guy that has shook paws with him.
Cantor promises spending cuts, but stays mum on whether GOP will wait for Obama to go first
http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/04/cantor-promises-spending-cuts-but-is-mum-on-whether-gop-will-wait-for-obama-to-go-first/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=The+DC+Morning&utm_campaign=Daily+Email&utm_term=1__29+Your+grandmother+drives+faster+than+the+new+Republican+majority+
(NOPE! NOT WHAT WE VOTED FOR)
“The new House Republican leader said Tuesday that the GOP will be a “cut and grow majority” and will restrain the growth of government by enacting significant spending reductions.
But maybe not until President Obama goes first.
“Once we get to the State of the Union I expect this president to put some action behind the words he’s been about,” said Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican.
Cantor said he was looking to see “some significant spending cuts” proposed by Obama when he speaks on Jan. 25 to a joint session of Congress. He met with reporters in his new offices for a robust 27-minute press availability one day before officially becoming House Majority Leader.
Cantor appeared at first to promise major action in the next three weeks, before Obama’s speech. He laid out a timeline for the rest of January, indicating that the House GOP will move from repealing Obama’s health-care bill – a symbolic act since the Senate will not pass such a bill and Obama would never sign it if they did – to laying out spending cuts to then targeting regulations.
“You’ll see the cut and grow playbook begin to take hold over next three weeks,” he said. “We’re going to be about cutting spending and cutting the job killing regulations that this administration has been about over the last two years.”
However, when pressed numerous times for whether there will be specific spending cuts proposed and regulations put under the axe prior to the State of the Union, Cantor mentioned only an already announced five percent reduction to congressional office budgets that will save $35 million.
Cantor aides, asked several times whether the GOP would lay out more specific cuts than the one cut to congressional offices before SOTU, indicated there might be but would not give a definitive answer.
A Republican Senate staffer pointed out that the five percent cut is not even half of the 15 percent cuts to congressional staff offices recommended by Obama’s own bipartisan fiscal commission.
And the congressional staff cuts – while unquestionably a step by lawmakers to absorb some cutbacks themselves first – are still only a drop in the bucket compared to the $100 billion in spending that the GOP has promised to eliminate.
Such cuts are no doubt coming. Few question the GOP’s seriousness about reaching their $100 billion goal, though many in the Tea Party that delivered them the majority want much deeper cuts.
But Cantor’s comments Tuesday were an indication that the GOP may wait and see what Obama proposes before offering their own recipe for pain, in an attempt to minimize their vulnerability to political attacks.
Such tactics are a double-edged sword. They are often pragmatically effective in shrinking the target for Democratic operatives and advocacy groups. But the grassroots conservative movement – which the GOP must keep engaged and energized if it has any hope of taking back the White House in 2012 – will have little sympathy for anything other than a clear frontal attack on Obama’s policies and on government spending.
****************************************************************************
Ok, So Nothing’s Changed!
NOT What WE Voted For!
Lindsay Graham????
(SPIT!)
Yup, OT. Lindsay Graham. Not exactly the first bedfellow I expected West to take up with before being sworn in, and especially on the spending ceiling. From a Scott Brown, I would expect this. But never from West. It was a real exorcist moment for me when I heard about this…
Looks like those snail mail letters that are waiting to be printed from my computer will be going out – when I voted on November 2, 2010 I didn’t vote for bipartisanship – I voted all Republican for the first time in my voting life (and that has been many, many years) because I believed that they had listened to the Tea Party voters and were going to follow thru with the promises made to us……………
Was it all lies? Are they really all liars? Where the hell is Diogenes?
@susiepuma: Diogenes, and guys like Me are still keeping the light on and waiting for Honest Men to come out of the Darkness of Politics…it may be a long wait…Bi-Partisanship has been proven to be a suicide pact for the Republic.
Thanks Old Trooper2 – I don’t think I will live long enough to see it happen……………..
I loathe that fraud with absolutely every fiber of my being……………..Snail mail will ensure that the letters get read – email is deleted – of course, phone calls could take down the phone system again – I cannot tell you how much I despise liars….and for what…… that circus that was paraded before us this morning? Good thing we are not a monarchy if this is how a republic acts – who the hell do these people think they are? Instead of standing up there heaping praise upon themselves, how about giving praise to us – their bosses – who voted to put them into office…………………….
This just makes me so frustrated – political correctness has run amuck, the thugs from Chicago politics have overtaken the White House, our military men and women are being deployed over and over and over with no appreciation (Nancy Pelosli made me want to slap her this am when she was suppposedly praising our military – give them a raise then – give them more money than what you are stealing from the taxpayer )
Sorry for venting – but this crap just makes me crazy………………….
This is why any tax cuts should be paid for with spending cuts, and any spending increases should be paid for with tax increases.
When politicians are allowed to separate cause from effect, or promise to pay next Tuesday for a hamburger today, this is always what we’ll get.
Two more years until we can toss them out.
In the meantime they make everyone who voted for them look like chumps, which the Big Left will frankly self-gratify themselves with for the whole time and continue to muddy the waters.
Here’s a bit of a different take on the same story:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/cantor-pledges-no-retreat-on-spending-cuts-20110105?print=true
Thanks for finding that, Missy!
From your link:
It is clear, however, that House Republicans will not meet the target of $100 billion in first-year spending cuts contained in the Pledge. That $100 billion figure was the difference between President Obama’s 2011 spending request and the 2008 non-defense discretionary spending approved under President Bush. Since the Democratically controlled 111th Congress never passed a budget or any of its appropriations bills, the ’11 Obama request never became law. Congress is now operating under a continuing resolution that sets spending at 2010 levels until March 4th.
House Republicans will cut from the ’10 baseline, which is at least $20 billion lower than Obama’s 2011 request. Republicans also say that reducing spending from the ’10 levels with only seven months of the fiscal year remaining (it ends Sept. 31), the spending cut total will be far less than $100 billion and might be only half that amount. This has prompted Democrats to accuse the House GOP of abandoning its fiscal austerity pledges even before taking power.
“I would say they are inaccurate,” Cantor said of the accusations of GOP back-sliding. “We are well into the fiscal year at this point, which means we are going to have to work to reduce the spending levels now, which are at the ’10 levels back to ’08. And we’ve got this sort of gap period that we’re operating in now to take care of the next fiscal year. So it is just sort of a formulaic challenge because you are dwelling on the continuing resolution rather than the new fiscal year.”
I understand that Boehner had another crying jag in front of the cameras today.
What is wrong with the leaders we have these days?
Isn’t it strange?
Men can be openly swishy in the military…..because of the actions of liberals.
Women can be openly butch in the military….because of the actions of liberals.
Teenage girls can legally murder their own unborn baby with or without the father’s knowledge/permission….because of the actions of liberals.
Teenage girls can legally murder their own unborn baby with or without their own parent’s knowledge/permission…..because of the actions of liberals.
But one man cannot cry.
Funny how liberals love to define what other people can or cannot do.
@Nan G: I think that Ivan needs a good cry. But I wish that he would not do it here so often.
@susiepuma: I bought a fax machine just so I could fax my politicians. It only cost about $30. The regular mail has to go to a place and be checked for anthrax and other stuff before being sent on to Washington DC. The fax goes right to them. I have even sent Obama his PINK SLIP by fax.
@Smorgasbord #25
Great idea sending a fax, too bad you mentioned this after we gave ours away, actually knew how to work that thing. We can fax with our printer but I haven’t figured out how to do it yet, will have to get granddaughter to help me.
I called Congressman Paul Ryan’s Janesville office yesterday about the omnibus and was pleasantly surprised how helpful they were, they asked for my ph#, e-mail and address and will be following up on our conversation even though he’s not my Rep. Then I called my Congressman’s office, they were equally as helpful, answered my question and joked a bit with me. Far different experience than my past calls to Durbin and Burriss.
Get rid of the 30% federal subsidy for wind turbines. They do not work as stated. Here in Maine, they are blowing up mountains and clear-cutting forest for turbines that are working at roughly 10% efficiency. All so that some former Governor and his asswipe friends can pocket millions in federal cash.
The Department of Energy is paying out huge piles of cash to fund these farms because most bankers with common sense understand wind farms are the next Enron style fraud.
@CML in Maine: This has been found out to be one reason for the “Global Warming” fraud. GE is a major manufacturer of wind turbines and owns NBC, so they could control the information being given out about the fraud. As usual, follow the money and you will usually find out who started what.
Cut and then eliminate these departments to start:
Energy
Education
Agriculture
The UN
Obamacare
The dept of Energy produces no energy and does the opposite. Education is a union bust with no educational benefits. Agriculture is completely corrupt, with subsidies galore ( ethanol) (Pigford). The UN is corrupt and is completely anti American. Obamacare will be a sinkhole or millstone (your choice).
Too many bureaucracies to count.
I vent these ideas on Canadian websites and pressure Harper (my rep in Calgary). Corporate taxes in Canada are now 16 %. Yeehaw.
@Ivan: If Boehner were a liberal, the networks and the wing nuts would not even comment on it. It’s all related to the ‘wussification’ of the male of the species. Anyone remember the 70’s when Alan Alda was held up by women as what a man should be…sensitive and caring? The ultimate beta-male.
If Boehner were a liberal, the networks and the wing nuts would not even comment on it. It’s all related to the ‘wussification’ of the male of the species. Anyone remember the 70′s when Alan Alda was held up by women as what a man should be…sensitive and caring? The ultimate beta-male.
If you can’t see his mental instability for all the world to see, then I’m sorry for you and you’ve bought into the 2000’s “sensative” male stereotype.
Speaker Boehner needs to control the tears. It is too early to pass judgment. It would be great to dump the CEC. It will take another election cycle for these idiots to really understand we mean business!
@Ivan:
So, now you’re saying that if a man gets emotional and sheds tears he’s mentally instable?
Is that right?
Ivan…you’re an idiot.
Ivan…you’re an idiot.
Yep. But Some of US already arrived at that conclusion.
So, now you’re saying that if a man gets emotional and sheds tears he’s mentally instable?
Is that right?
Ivan…you’re an idiot.
1. The personal insult is the last act of the desparate mind.
2. There is a difference between crying when someone close to you dies, and crying all the TIME like some hen. He is like some hausfrau who sits around watching soaps all day crying at the latest development on General Hospital.
3. You being a woman though like it when men ball their eyes out.
4. Most men, real men that is, can spot this guy’s instability a mile away.
@Ivan: You are pretty Desperate for Negative Attention as You come back and ask for more with insipid comments that quite simply astound me.
You ask for that treatment here and should expect just that. Insulting People that You don’t even know like the New House Speaker is very stupid. What is Your Level of Achievement besides finding the FA Wall to scribble on?
You are pretty Desperate for Negative Attention as You come back and ask for more with insipid comments that quite simply astound me.
Of course they “astound” you. You’ve given into the new order which says,”it’s okay for a man to act like a hausfrau watching a soap in public.”
I reject the new order which says men can and should act like women.
My late dad was a 20-year Navy man.
His language was as salty as any rapper today.
But there were certain things that caused him to realize he’d ”gotten something in my eye.”
I remember when my husband asked him for my hand.
But even a few movies did that to him.
LOL!
If he were alive today he’d be in his late 90’s, but he’d still kick anybody’s butt who dared call him unstable for having something in his eyes.
@Ivan While a REAL Man like you insults people that you have never met?
Ivan, You are the Idiot here. You won the Title Hands Down. You Manly Guy!
“…and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:32
@oil guy from Alberta: You are encouraging Immigration to Calgary here. Not a bad idea at all!
@Ivan: Ok. Get Free. Now Scripture from the Idiot.
How about the one about casting the FIRST STONE?
Or is that Your Sermon next week?
Just take it somewhere else. Hypocrisy does not Flatter you.
Boehner had a pretty fiesty press conference today, look forward to more of the same. I guess since he’s getting down to business……no tears.
I watched the whole thing yesterday, he started shaking hands on his way in, no tears until he came to the children in the chamber. I’ll give him a pass, my hubby tears up everytime a new grandchild is ushered in our door, barely able to hold it in. By the time those babies get placed in his lap I doubt he can see what they look like, hubby is no wuss, trust me. For over 2o years this has been something the kids look forward to when they bring our liitle ones home to papa. They would be devastated if the tears didn’t roll.
@Ivan:
Really?
Man…you must be really, really desparate [sic] then:
Now…what were you saying again?
You’re going to have to speak up so we can hear you over your hypocrisy.
You really are a misogynist. Of course, we already knew that was part of your repetoire.
I’m sure glad that all of the sexist things that you’re posting ’round the interwebz are preserved for posterity.
I’ll bet your wife would just love to see the way you speak of women in general. Perhaps I should send her some links.
Hmmm….I’m a woman now?
Really?
That’s gonna be news to my wife and three children.
Once again, you speak out on a topic of which you lack even the most basic knowledge.
Well Ivan, do please regale us all with the educational background and curriculum vitae that you possess which allows you to determine that Boehner is “instable” simply because he gets emotional.
Outside of that, my original assertion stands….you’re an idiot.
By the way…I am 6’2″, 240lbs and I get emotional at times. Next time you’re in Georgia, why don’t you stop by and tell me to my face that I’m “instable” mmkay?
I think that would make for an interesting, though very brief, conversation.
An expression of Genuine emotion beats Pelosi’s “Cat that Ate The Canary” grin any day.
Missy, my Father that Jumped into Normandy on D-Day, Fought it out at Bastogne and had broken more Wild Horses before he was old enough to vote than I did teared up when held my Daughter for the first time. I never viewed Him as weak by any sense of the term. If He were alive today it would bring a tear to my Eyes to see him come to the table for dinner,
“…and you shall know the truth…”
John 8:32
“Jesus wept” – John 11:35
I somehow doubt that you would enjoy telling Him that He’s “instable” either.
I’m amazed at the time any of you spend on Ivan, group. Are we bored in the new year? LOL
@Aye: We got a New Winner here. Ivan met the qualifications for FA Village Idiot.
Hail to the Idiot…but I’m not one lick Humbled by his Presence. I feel kinda nauseous reading his postings.
but He should be kept around for a laugh.
It’s just so much fun Mata.
Besides…I’ve already trimmed my toenails and Ivan is below that on my list.
@MataHarley: Maybe…but he just is so needy for attention… and Deserving too!
A group of House Republicans introduced a bill to eliminate presidential ‘czars’
The bill defines a czar as “a head of any task force, council, policy office within the Executive Office of the President, or similar office established by or at the direction of the President” who is appointed to a position that would otherwise require Senate confirmation.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/136487-republicans-introduce-bill-to-eliminate-presidential-czars
Now, some czars have never required Senate confirmation, so I guess Obama will be left with a few of them.
Wink.