Video: Obama, "Trickle-Down Hasn't Worked, Never Worked"

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Cuts But No Revenue. Was Obama Ever Not a Sell-Out?

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Why can't they just get a clean one-page debt ceiling hike like they did seven times during the deficit-spending Bush era?

Voice of America Excerpt:
He said that panel will consider all options, including tax increases and cuts to social welfare programs like Medicare. [...] The president called the proposal a compromise that lets the country avoid default while making a serious down payment on deficit reduction.

Yeah right. In December, Obama called extending the Bush tax cuts in exchange for unemployment compensation, both deficit generators, a necessary compromise. Now he's throwing Social Security and Medicare under a bus as another necessary compromise for the nation to avoid default? I'm not buying it anymore. And they're going to consider tax increases later? Who are they trying to kid?

Republicans Already Plotting To Bind The Debt Reduction Committee

Even so, it appears Boehner is already pushing the goal posts. A bipartisan debt reduction committee established by the proposal is charged with looking for ways to reduce the deficit by either cutting spending or increasing revenue. But Boehner put out a statement tonight titled, “Two Step Approach To Hold President Obama Accountable,” saying Republicans intend to bind the commitee with accounting rules to “effectively mak[e] it impossible for Joint Committee to increase taxes.” Obama said in his address that he would push for a “balanced approach” on the committee.

Progressive Co-Chair Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, "This deal is a cure as bad as the disease. I reject it, and the American people reject it." Read More Here.

Fire Dog Lake - On Grijalva Statement Opposing the Bill He Voted For Yesterday When it was Reid's

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman calls the deal a "catastrophe on multiple levels."

The White House, on the other hand, calls it "A Win for the Economy and Budget Discipline."

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich argues "the radical right has now won a huge tactical and strategic victory."

Debt madness was always about killing Social security

Ryan Demogogue: Don't "Misdescribe" My Health Insurance Voucher As a Voucher

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Politico Excerpt:
Rep. Paul Ryan scolds President Barack Obama for calling his Medicare plan a “voucher.”

Much has been written about Rep. Paul Ryan's toxic mentality and use of demagoguery, so when I read that 100 House republicans went to the White House to whine about their Medicare proposal being called a "voucher," I thought it was a joke.

These whining stumble bums, particularly the likes of Ryan, Boehner, Bachmann, King and Cantor have a lot of nerve to go to the very person whose agenda they've labeled as fascist liberal (Ryan himself) and name-called as a communist, Black Muslim Kenyan Marxist and a Big Government Socialist and whose health care reform they disrespectfully refer to as ObamaCare, and "commie care" and having death panels, to turn around and belly-ache over the president referring to Ryan's proposal to destroy Medicare as a "voucher" system? If they only knew how good they have it.

But it's a testament to the President's poise and class that he continues to deal with their petty grandstanding in such a dignified manner. Obama is the only adult in the room.

Beyond that, there's really nothing to come out of this story except for the confirmation that republicans are a bunch of unashamed crybabies and hypocrites. But we already knew that.

Another View: The Paul Ryan Watch - What did Ryan tell Obama? Not much, it turns out

Mission Accomplished - 8 years Later

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Osama Bin Laden Declared Dead - Sources: Body in U.S. Custody

Exactly eight years to the day President George W. Bush stood on the aircraft carrier and declared an end to major combat in Iraq comes the report that the man considered the mastermind of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 was shot in the head and killed in Afghanistan.

First Thoughts On SOTU

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Obama's speech was visionary, uplifting and dare I say "progressive." What am I saying? It was absolutely outstanding! Kinda' confirmed my feelings about where Wisconsin is headed - backwards. I also liked the way he touched on education and school teachers. School teachers are nation builders in other countries, here they're treated like welfare scum if they expect a paycheck comparable to the work they do. Or that we should at least be celebrating the winners of science fairs and other booksmart competitions just like we celebrate Super Bowl champions. Yeah, like that'll go over well with republicans. He proposed some cuts to discretionary spending and said he won't sign a bill containing even one earmark. Both "cutting" remarks seemed to have drawn a scowling silence from the congressional caucus. We'll see how that works. I also liked his view of our democratic process and how long and sometimes heated and intense debate is the hallmark of our democracy. I wouldn't want it any other way either.

In his rebuttal, Paul Ryan made the usual tired and uninspiring remarks buried within a series of false and assuming statements not any different than from your average Fox News contributor. Very partisan and authoritarian with just the right dose of fearmongering. Instead of moving forward together, he brings up what he sees as the failed stimulus and policies of Obama and democrats over the past two years and how it will double the size of the federal government within a generation. Although I recognize that these guys have won the election, I've never seen such a successful bunch of losers like this in my life. But it was fun watching Ryan restrain his usual stiff-necked smirky bobbling head and cheesy fast-talking car salesmen-like demeanor. It must have been the worst ten minutes of his life. Two words can best describe the content of Ryan's speech - cheap plastic.

Deficit Deal Passes House - On Way To President Betrayedus

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Tax Deal Not a Stimulus Package
...insisted that the tax-cut deal between Republicans and the White House isn't a second stimulus and that the agreement would promote growth despite adding to the deficit.

Can you guess who the above statement is attributed to?
Hint: It belongs to a congressman who also insists tax cuts grows federal revenue. Click here to find out.

Once you understand that stimulus applies only to the working poor and middle-class, it'll be easier to realize that the growth he is referring to is for the wealth of rich people. But ...if tax cuts counter-intuitively grow federal revenue, how could the deal add to the deficit?
Hypocrisy squared to the power of ten.

Politco Excerpt:
In the end, the House vote wasn't close, with 139 Democrats joining 138 Republicans to approve the bill. The Senate passed the bill comfortably as well Wednesday, 81 to 19. The bill represented a major shift for Obama, as he abandoned an oft-repeated campaign promise that he would end the policy of cutting taxes for the wealthy.

Will Paul Ryan Face A Republican Challenger?

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This may have come across only as a tongue-in-cheek remark by President Obama during the Republican caucus conference, but perhaps there is more than meets the eye when he said... “And by the way, in case he’s going to get a Republican challenge, I didn’t mean it,” the president joked. Turning to Ryan, he said, “I don’t want to — don’t want to hurt you, man.”

No question, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Redundant) is considered the GOP's brainy "golden boy." But who could argue that the Freedom Working Ryan doesn't fit the Tea Party platform of arbitrarily cutting taxes across the board, blind opposition to any economic stimulus and deficit reduction at any costs excluding war spending? So, who could blame Obama for thinking that Ryan could possibly be challenged by a genuine Republican.

Republican Senator Describes An Ideologue

On Faux News Sunday, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was asked if Obama is an ideologue. His answer actually described Rep. Paul Ryan and all of his rigidly detailed and rehashed schemes and "America's Future" novels to a tee.

"I think he doesn't think he's an ideologue, but I think he approaches things in a way a professor would in terms of big comprehensive schemes," Alexander continued. "When, in fact, the way the big complicated country we have works best (is) when we solve problems step-by-step." -- Senator Lamar Alexander

In fact, it is Obama that is attempting to solve our problems with step-by-step trades-offs and compromises, a concept that is not working too well with either side of aisle. He's trying to please the center and nobody in Congress belongs to that party.

Republicans Vote "NO" - even on proposal they co-sponsored!

Video - Obama Meets With Republicans

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Story Excerpt:
Americans "don't want us to focus on our job security," Obama said. "They want us to focus on their job security."

Rep. Paul Ryan was permitted to ask a couple of questions and even attempted to walk Obama through the wrongheaded line-item veto legislation. The President had the courtesy to give Ryan the chance to engage, something that Ryan himself won't extend to his own constituents.

"What happens is that you guys don't have a lot of room to negotiate with me," Obama said. "The fact of the matter is, many of you, if you voted with the administration on something, are politically vulnerable with your own base, with your own party, because what you've been telling your constituents is, 'This guy's doing all kinds of crazy stuff that's going to destroy America.'

As far as Obama is concerned, Paul Ryan should be radioactive.

Additional Racine Post story on event.

More: Obama Dominates meeting.

Right Wingnuts: Selfless Duty To Country Is Dangerous

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I don't know how many years I've waited to hear a democratically elected leader (not a representative, there's a difference) to bluntly say he (or she) is not concerned about their re-election chances. After hearing the following comments from two of the Right's biggest blowhards and career opportunists - I'm convinced Barack Obama has to be the first.

During Wednesday's 24/7 Fox News campaign against the president, Glenn Beck wondered where is the plan for the economy - what is the long term plan? Beck continued on saying Obama quadrupled our debt (not Bush), and we won't get the benefits of health care reform until after 2013 and on, and on, and on... Beck then says, "How do you get re-elected?" So what is the long range plan here. Beck repeats, "How do you get re-elected?" And "It doesn't look like a winning strategy here." Seriously. And he's complaining!! Beck seemed genuinely worried that Obama's agenda, media campaign or whatever you want to call it is not centered on re-election. What a radical concept, huh? Damn Socialist! This coming from a hyper-partisan wanker who regularly tells his viewers to vote out useless clock-milking career politicians.

Near the end of his show, Beck mocks the President of the United States for asking folks to participate in the "remaking" of America, while the non-elected Glenn Beck begins his circus act under the banner "Refounding America."

During an interview on the 700 Club, Rep. Michele Bachmann said when President Obama met with House Republicans under the Capitol in a private closed door meeting he said, "I'd prefer to be a one-term president and achieve my agenda than being a two-term president and not achieving my agenda."

He said that? I love it!

In a perfect world, all candidates campaign on their principles and plan. The best candidate wins the election. Good presidents lay out their agenda and attempt to sway congress. The public is already convinced - we elected him. Successful presidents accomplish those plans. That is what great presidents do. If there was ever a candidate elected with a truckload of mandates to accomplish, Barack Obama is it. It's that simple. Okay, it's not that simple. But Bachmann went on to call this kind of selfless duty and career sacrifice to accomplish goals as "radical." Pat Robertson agreed saying that kind of mindset is "dangerous."

Watch Bachmann interview here.

The video below contains only about half of Beck's Wednesday circus act. They cut the part where he explained Obama is in 24/7 campaign mode - thereby contradicting everything he said during the first half of the show.

Peace Prize Should Have Gone To Voters

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Not to take anything away from President Obama, but if the absence of Bush and his war-mongering party affiliates from leadership positions has changed the global atmosphere and outlook for the better, shouldn’t the Nobel Peace prize have gone to the voters of the United States of America?

Chicago Tribune Excerpt:
“I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but a recognition of the role of American leadership” in the world, Obama said. “To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures. I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st Century.”

Obama Asks Super-Rich For Used Toyota

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As to be expected, the Republicans have viciously railed against President Obama’s stimulus plan and proposed tax schedule. Who could blame them when just seven years ago they rubber stamped the Bush tax cut for their wealthy base, giving a brand new Lexus to every millionaire. In exchange for years of rolling up deficits and a growing disparity in wealth, Obama's plan translates into asking the millionaires for a used Toyota in return.

Chicago Tribune Excerpt:
Clint Stretch, senior principal for tax policy at Deloitte Tax, said an individual with no children and with $500,000 in income would pay an additional $19,200 in taxes. Taxes for a married couple with the same income and two children under 17 would go up by $11,300.

In addition, the capital gains tax on small businesses would be eliminated.

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Before any stimulus funds are sent to Wisconsin communities, Rep. Paul Ryan and his legion of supporters need to stand up in the 1st CD and be counted. They need to show themselves as the true conservatives they claim to be and publicly refuse to accept any stimulus money on behalf of themselves, their communities, their businesses or “economic development” organizations.

A Symbolic Gesture To Obama

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In a symbolic gesture to Barack Obama’s election and inauguration as the 44th president of our country, I’ve “unclenched the fist” of one of the blue characters in the my header animation to a more amicable greeting.

Congressional District An Example Of Ryan's Work

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After listening to President-elect Barack Obama's speech Thursday morning on his plan for an economic recovery and pledging to "put the American Dream within reach of the American people," I was struck by his comments requesting that Congress should make an effort to keep earmarks out of the stimulus bill and what impact that may have on South-Eastern Wisconsin.

Chicago tribune Excerpt:
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama is again vowing to keep "earmarks and pet projects" out of an economic recovery plan.

My guess here is that Obama is assuming that all congressional districts have been reaping some form of economic stimulus from the GOP-led pork spending spree of the past 12 years. Such is not the case for the 1st Congressional District of Wisconsin. If Congress passes an economic stimulus bill without earmarks, residents here won’t notice a thing. You see, Congressman Paul Ryan has been keeping his district earmark lean when it comes to economic stimulus, and I’m not talking about pork spending here.

Now, please don’t mistake those statements as a backward compliment for Ryan’s so-called fiscal conservatism. While Ryan’s district has been hemorrhaging jobs and manufacturing long before it became a national trend, he vowed to bring home even less in federal stimulus earmarks. On top of it, he’s been rubber stamping GOP-legislation, executive branch interests and budget deficits during his first eight years in Congress, among them the War On Iraq and the Wall street Bail-Out. Those two debacles alone have been responsible for $1.5 trillion and counting.

I know what you’re thinking – you’re saying “Hey hypocritical dude, the Democrats voted for the same things.” But there is a huge difference. Only since the Democrats took the House, has Ryan been blaming Congress for all our problems and grandstanding his "way" every chance he gets with the new majority. His local media enablers only promote the fiscal conservatism he wages against his own district and completely ignore his job-purging policies and national deficit growing economic liberalism. His record speaks for itself, Ryan has voted with the GOP over 90% of the time. Not one democrat can match that feat.

Unless someone else has been calling the shots in Wisconsin's 1st CD, it should be indisputable that the residents here have been experiencing Ryan’s roadmap firsthand for the past decade. We are his “pet project.” From Kenosha to Janesville, the district's unemployment trends and the general downward condition is a direct reflection of his handiwork and a bird's eye view of what the rest of the country can expect from the future plans of this "rising star."

So it is that if Obama can help it, his economic recovery plan and national stimulus package will be devoid of earmarks and although his campaign theme has been about change, the 1st CD of Wisconsin ironically, will get just more of the same.

Obama thought this district was important enough to stop here a few times during his presidential campaign run. The district responded – it flipped for him. Certainly that's not enough reason to expect him to make our district his pet project, but it sure would be nice if he could pay some extra attention to our district and change its direction.....because no one else will. It would serve as a great example for his recovery plan for the rest of the nation.