tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post3062957191887854878..comments2024-03-19T00:05:22.263-05:00Comments on Althouse: "Obama's speech to Gen44 tonight knocked my socks off.... If you've forgotten why many of you worked your ass off for this guy..."Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-50035464592199517552010-10-03T13:16:00.961-05:002010-10-03T13:16:00.961-05:00Demonstrably false.
First, they were *rate* cuts,...Demonstrably <a href="http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=200" rel="nofollow">false</a>.<br /><br />First, they were *rate* cuts, not<br />*tax* cuts. Second, while reipts<br />did decline following the 2000<br />recession and the post-9/11 disclocations, tax receipts increased after the second round of rate reductions in 2003, and for<br />2008, Bush's last year in office, where about 25% ($500B) higher than<br />Clinton's last year in office.<br /><br />Note wow, and look at those actual and estimated deficits for Obama's first three years. 2009 more than<br />3x worse than Bush's first year.<br /><br />It's not the tax rates, it's the <br />SPENDING.furious_ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11239113391394176670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-90856017450190941222010-10-01T21:17:35.922-05:002010-10-01T21:17:35.922-05:00Gen44. That's adorable.
It's adorable, bu...<i>Gen44. That's adorable.</i><br /><br />It's adorable, but what the heck does it mean?jaedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03328666344764784829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-87377172301679419772010-10-01T20:37:41.045-05:002010-10-01T20:37:41.045-05:00That Andrew Sullivan. Such a metaphornicator!That Andrew Sullivan. Such a metaphornicator!Known Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15029003649395214104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-39724345441369008072010-10-01T20:12:07.629-05:002010-10-01T20:12:07.629-05:00"Hasn't he learned his lesson? Is he goin...<i>"Hasn't he learned his lesson? Is he going to get all excited about Obama again, just to get the rug pulled out from under him again?"</i><br />It will just rekindle the flame. It's long been clear that Sullivan is deeply, senselessly in love with Obama. This is the kind of misdirected crush where your friends try to talk you out of it but they can't make you see the obvious flaws, and every hurtful thing he does only makes you want him more.<br />Pitiable.tjlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06162785796605831050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-83555110637627807902010-10-01T19:06:32.967-05:002010-10-01T19:06:32.967-05:00MM wrote: The Bush tax cuts reduced tax revenue, a...MM wrote: <i>The Bush tax cuts reduced tax revenue, and we had to borrow money to cover the shortfall. A lot of money. For which you blame Barack Obama.</i><br /><br />I see. So the Bush tax cuts "on the richest 1%", to which you referred at 11:56, reduced revenues and created "shortfalls" to a greater extent than the spending of the Democrat Congress elected in 2006 and Obama's policies since his inauguration.<br /><br />What's the word I'm looking for here? "Innumerate." That's it!hombrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12670099074010641958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-77744440974296022262010-10-01T17:42:35.909-05:002010-10-01T17:42:35.909-05:00Hiliarious. Andrew Sullivan is like a retarded Di...Hiliarious. Andrew Sullivan is like a retarded Diogenes, shining his light into dark corners, seeking out another retarded ideology to cling to. Hasn't he learned his lesson? Is he going to get all excited about Obama again, just to get the rug pulled out from under him again?Blue@9https://www.blogger.com/profile/16371286571496793710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-16150251746574996462010-10-01T15:00:29.904-05:002010-10-01T15:00:29.904-05:00MM: Think of this. If capital gains go to 20% fr...MM: Think of this. If capital gains go to 20% from their current 15% rate I will not sell. Capital gains are a voluntary tax, see? If the rate goes to 20% my holdings have to improve 33% before I get even on an after tax basis. So. When tax RATES are low, like now, I sell some holdings and I will pay a substantial amount of tax that I would not pay had I not sold. Even our innumerate president gets this point. On ordinary income I have a similar situation. I can defer some income from year to year, thus avoiding tax in one year. If I reach the point where my efforts are rewarded with a larger piece of each transaction going to the govt I slow down my activities or take deferred compensation.<br />I don't know what kind of business you are involved with but clearly you can see the disincentives of a tax system that is built to punish versus one that is designed to encourage growth.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08258681007386089907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-69092631365051443272010-10-01T14:51:24.902-05:002010-10-01T14:51:24.902-05:00Gen44. That's adorable.Gen44. That's adorable.Chip Ahoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597726289890879627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-18771463840437877222010-10-01T14:51:18.809-05:002010-10-01T14:51:18.809-05:00Don't you mean:
"At the end of the day, ...Don't you mean:<br /><br />"<i><b>At the end of the day</b>, what modern metaphors can replace those outdated ones on Orwell's list?</i>"Kirk Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05921711310191924997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-35331789504552534182010-10-01T14:16:30.897-05:002010-10-01T14:16:30.897-05:00Montagne Montaigne said...
Nah, hombre, I get it....Montagne Montaigne said...<br /><br /><i>Nah, hombre, I get it. You think that by reducing tax rates, the economy improves and tax revenue increases.<br /><br />There's just one problem. That's called supply-side economics, and it doesn't work. <br /><br />The Bush tax cuts reduced tax revenue, and we had to borrow money to cover the shortfall. A lot of money. For which you blame Barack Obama.</i><br /><br />History is replete with examples of tax revenue rising after tax cuts. It's after tax increases that revenue falls. Call the IRS. They have stats out the wazoo.<br /><br />Dubya spending (signing off on earmarks (one of the kings of which was The Zero) so he would have support for the campaign in Iraq) is what spiked the debt.<br /><br />Take 10% out of SSA admin, for starters and maybe close down Departments of Education, Energy, Transport, and Veterans Affairs (I'll defer to TheDrillSgt or someone else knowledgeable, but I believe the old VA was supposed to have worked better). Montagne wants budget cuts? Go for it.edutcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15589958656028023357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-1456301355485136732010-10-01T13:52:16.133-05:002010-10-01T13:52:16.133-05:00Nah, hombre, I get it. You think that by reducing ...Nah, hombre, I get it. You think that by reducing tax rates, the economy improves and tax revenue increases.<br /><br />There's just one problem. That's called supply-side economics, and <i> it doesn't work</i>. <br /><br />The Bush tax cuts reduced tax revenue, and we had to borrow money to cover the shortfall. A lot of money. For which you blame Barack Obama.LouisAntoinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04456639148681106648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-86054889320802782882010-10-01T13:38:58.717-05:002010-10-01T13:38:58.717-05:00Jane,
I saw that right after I finished my post. ...Jane,<br /><br />I saw that right after I finished my post. Too funny. They can't both be right, but they can both be wrong. It looks to me like the GOP will take the House, but the Senate will be just out of reach. Doesn't matter, though. With the way minority parties abuse Senate rules, you don't need 51 or even 60 to get a majority.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11231967366240081323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-26263312177670319542010-10-01T13:36:27.289-05:002010-10-01T13:36:27.289-05:00MM wrote: Salamandyr, it's simple. You cut a b...MM wrote: <i>Salamandyr, it's simple. You cut a bunch of taxes on the richest 1%.<br /><br />You don't make corresponding cuts to government spending.<br /><br />You create debt. Is that clear enough?</i><br /><br />Well, it's clear if you don't know the difference between cutting tax <i>rates</i> and reducing tax <i>revenue</i>. If you know the difference, it's not so clear.hombrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12670099074010641958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-4645720238544824642010-10-01T13:30:07.795-05:002010-10-01T13:30:07.795-05:00What modern metaphors can replace those outdated o...<i>What modern metaphors can replace those outdated ones on Orwell's list?</i><br /><br />1. level playing field<br />2. hit it out of the park<br />3. between a rock and a hard place (not sure this one is really modern)<br />4. tow the line (this one is ever popular on the internets, always used by someone who has absolutely no idea what they just said and probably no idea what they mean, either)prairie windhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13602315347389233974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-82809682682597780402010-10-01T13:29:33.841-05:002010-10-01T13:29:33.841-05:00Smoke enough dope on Federal land and anything wil...Smoke enough dope on Federal land and anything will knock your socks off.<br /><br />Scofflaw.Uncle Pinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04912039455688733052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-35244262165241297372010-10-01T13:28:12.177-05:002010-10-01T13:28:12.177-05:00Jim,
Shrum just predicted that the Dems. would ke...Jim,<br /><br />Shrum just predicted that the Dems. would keep the House and the Senate.jayne_cobbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05872094348471192444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-92110945755652888852010-10-01T13:03:29.289-05:002010-10-01T13:03:29.289-05:00"Dick Morris has said the 2010 elections are ..."Dick Morris has said the 2010 elections are a done deal."<br /><br /><br />Dick Morris also said:<br /><br />"Well before they open their caucuses or polling places, this nomination, in each party, will have been decided by the national media coverage during 2007...Right now, neither Rudy nor Hillary has a front-runner’s lock, but they are clearly the man and woman to beat in their respective parties. If they hold their leads through Labor Day, my bet is that it will be all over." <br /><br />He also predicted that not adding Hillary to the ticket would prove fatal for Obama's election chances. <br /><br />He also predicted that the economic meltdown would end up helping McCain and ruining Obama's chances.<br /><br />He also predicted that Sarah Palin would tip the women's vote (and thus the election) to McCain.<br /><br />He also predicted that undecideds would break for McCain.<br /><br />None of that actually happened. The man has a track record that rivals Bob Shrum when it comes to electoral predictive failure.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11231967366240081323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-60461491679768195672010-10-01T12:53:42.702-05:002010-10-01T12:53:42.702-05:00Salamandyr, it's simple. You cut a bunch of ta...<i>Salamandyr, it's simple. You cut a bunch of taxes on the richest 1%.</i><br /><br />MM, are you still peddling the canard that the Bush tax cuts were only for "the rich". If that were the case, my middle class ass wouldn't be dreading January, and the return of the marriage penalty, the reduction in child tax credit (just when I was gonna get to use it!), the increase in every tax category, right down to the elimination of the 10% bracket.<br /><br />The Democrats fought tooth and nail to keep the poorest American workers from receiving a 33% tax cut. The party you support said "Fuck the poor!". Own that. When Obama lies about it, it's one thing. His job security depends on lying about Republicans. But yours doesn't. You're just a guy commenting on a blog. You ought to be able to accept the truth.Salamandyrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11583377305614434681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40077175552482150682010-10-01T12:41:46.897-05:002010-10-01T12:41:46.897-05:00Perfect for wearing those assless chaps that have ...Perfect for wearing those assless chaps that have been gathering dust in the back of the closet.jimspicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16316014985662331998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-26617734886684000022010-10-01T12:39:08.933-05:002010-10-01T12:39:08.933-05:00Sydney: Butts and socks, apparently.Sydney: Butts and socks, apparently.Moosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10611979723230966040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-10390750371821223592010-10-01T12:15:30.161-05:002010-10-01T12:15:30.161-05:00"Achilles heel" unfailingly makes me thi..."Achilles heel" unfailingly makes me think of the Ray Harryhausen movie Jason and the Argonauts, which was my introduction to the Achilles heel. (Although the creature is named Talos.)<br /><br />Here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlOKowpMP7M" rel="nofollow">the You Tube clip</a>, and here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yFvFtJeMZU&feature=related" rel="nofollow">the same clip but with the added benefit of a groovy lo-fi Euro-disco industrial dance remix</a>.chuck b.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00882763861745236443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-51956149690070341832010-10-01T12:15:03.076-05:002010-10-01T12:15:03.076-05:00Back when I used to regularly read Andrew Sullivan...Back when I used to regularly read Andrew Sullivan, he often bragged about how much he supported Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1980's - even though it was not the cool position to take among the elite in those days. His overtop enthusiastic embrace of Obama and his agenda makes me think the man has no principles.<br /><br />I would think he just grew and changed his position over the years, but I remember when his position shifted dramatically. He was just as enthusiastic about George W. Bush until he refused to support gay marriage during the 2004 election. Sullivan turned on a dime - on every position he had held up until that time that wasn't related to gay marriage. Whatever was a conservative issue, he hated and campaigned against. <br /><br />Does he believe in anything other than himself?Sydneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17038514318463662024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-32599860826630099232010-10-01T12:13:17.073-05:002010-10-01T12:13:17.073-05:00And Furthermore ... Anybody describing the Preside...And Furthermore ... Anybody describing the Presidency as a "bully pulpit", referring to troops being "in harm's way", or calling an earthquake a "temblor" should be smeared with honey and staked out on an anthill (after their posters and underpants are confiscated).Lucienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308128768031294392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-77918971522135033762010-10-01T11:59:25.760-05:002010-10-01T11:59:25.760-05:00Dick Morris has said the 2010 elections are a done...Dick Morris has said the 2010 elections are a done deal. The GOP is taking over the House and Senate.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11205752419540502278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-84282276763144226192010-10-01T11:56:33.002-05:002010-10-01T11:56:33.002-05:00Salamandyr, it's simple. You cut a bunch of ta...Salamandyr, it's simple. You cut a bunch of taxes on the richest 1%.<br /><br />You don't make corresponding cuts to government spending.<br /><br />You create debt. Is that clear enough? <br /><br />p.s. the Bush years are characterized by stagnant wage growth among the middle class followed by a massive economic collapse. That's starting from budget surplus in 2000. So, forgive me if I don't feel confident about Republican governance.LouisAntoinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04456639148681106648noreply@blogger.com