Was anyone else discusted by Bush\'s State of the Union Address Last Night?

[tyzack]

has anyone gone to/seen any of the tea party protests going on today? there are hundreds of people outside of the congressional office that i intern at right now.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/15/tea.parties/index.html

Well...they are represented. They are just in the minority. It\'s democracy, get used to it. They were elated for the last 8 years when they were in the majority. If nothing else it is political theatre, which is entertainiment like all the rest.

Also, these bailouts were proposed and authorized by the previous administration, so keep that in mind too.

I heard an interesting discussion on the news over the weekend with two key points:
1.) Banks are doing fine; more people invested money in banks in the 4th quarter than any time in history, so they are not running out of money.
2.) A percentage in the high 90s of the mortages in this country are being paid on time and are collecting interest. No mater how large a percentage isn\'t, more are, so that argument is a wash.

3.) [this is a conspircacy] Recently (07 and 08) banks had to start reporting their assets differently than previously. You can thank the post-Enron (Sarbanse-Oxly) legislation for this. The most important change is that assets had to be reported at the current value, not at the projected, average, or logical market value of the asset.

If I had an asset that normally would be worth $100,000 dollars, but because of current economic situations, I have to list it at the current market price of, say, $10,000; a net loss in of $90,000 even though the asset is still worth $100,000 (or more), just not today.

Enron kind of took advantage of that loop hole and reported that same asset for $10,000,000, which caused that legislation.

...this is why markets should be free. They are like wars. Regulators are like generals; always getting ready for the last crisis.

[tyzack]

Texas governor says secession possible
Posted: 11:56 AM ET

From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

(CNN) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry isn\'t ruling out the possibility his state may one day secede from the nation.

Speaking to an energetic and angry tea party crowd in Austin Wednesday evening, the Lone Star State governor suggested secession may happen in the future should the federal government not change its fiscal polices.

"There\'s a lot of different scenarios," Perry said. "We\'ve got a great union. There\'s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we\'re a pretty independent lot to boot." (Video below: Tea party fires up debate)

Perry, who is beginning to gear up for what could be a challenging re-election race, rejected more than $500 million in federal stimulus funds earlier this year and has been highly critical of President Obama\'s stimulus package.  (Related: Joe "The Plumber" speaks at Michigan tea party)

His comments come a week after endorsing a resolution in the Texas state House reasserting state sovereignty over federal mandates.

Specifically it states that "all compulsory federal legislation that directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or that requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed."

Texas, America\'s second biggest state in area and population, was its own nation for 10 years before joining the United States in 1845.

Should Texas one day secede, one man may already be vying to be its president. Actor Chuck Norris said last month he may be interested in the post.

“I may run for president of Texas,” Norris wrote in a column posted at WorldNetDaily. “That need may be a reality sooner than we think. If not me, someone someday may again be running for president of the Lone Star state, if the state of the union continues to turn into the enemy of the state.”

Good luck.

Please see: Civil War.

[kindm's]

has anyone gone to/seen any of the tea party protests going on today? there are hundreds of people outside of the congressional office that i intern at right now.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/15/tea.parties/index.html

Well...they are represented. They are just in the minority. It\'s democracy, get used to it. They were elated for the last 8 years when they were in the majority. If nothing else it is political theatre, which is entertainiment like all the rest.

Also, these bailouts were proposed and authorized by the previous administration, so keep that in mind too.

I heard an interesting discussion on the news over the weekend with two key points:
1.) Banks are doing fine; more people invested money in banks in the 4th quarter than any time in history, so they are not running out of money.
2.) A percentage in the high 90s of the mortages in this country are being paid on time and are collecting interest. No mater how large a percentage isn\'t, more are, so that argument is a wash.

3.) [this is a conspircacy] Recently (07 and 08) banks had to start reporting their assets differently than previously. You can thank the post-Enron (Sarbanse-Oxly) legislation for this. The most important change is that assets had to be reported at the current value, not at the projected, average, or logical market value of the asset.

If I had an asset that normally would be worth $100,000 dollars, but because of current economic situations, I have to list it at the current market price of, say, $10,000; a net loss in of $90,000 even though the asset is still worth $100,000 (or more), just not today.

Enron kind of took advantage of that loop hole and reported that same asset for $10,000,000, which caused that legislation.

...this is why markets should be free. They are like wars. Regulators are like generals; always getting ready for the last crisis.

The unregulated markets are what git us in to this mess to begin with. So more regulation is needed not less. All of these bailouts could have been avoided if the folks who were tasked with this duty were allowed to do their jobs. lets have a quick look at history

Savings and Loan scandal in the 80\'s. First bailout like the current one although small in comparison but at the time the largest ever. OK So what do we know about that. Ignoring who the major players were (ie. McCain etc) the government investigators KNEW about the shady land deals but because of political pressure and continued interference with the investigators that shady business was allowed to continue until it blew up and cost us billions..

Similar sceanrio occurred in the current crisis. There were laws that were in place to prevent a good amount of this BS from happening so what happened. Well the investigators were gutted so there weren\'t enough, when the Attorneys general fro all 50 states saw what was happening they were stone walled by the bush admin, and they used a law from 1800\'s to block them from regulating or investigating the mortgage companies etc.

So you say markets should be free. How free? Are you OK with allowing companies like AIG, Chase, Wachovia etc etc to become so large that their ultimate failure then becomes a national security problem ? Where do you draw the line ? If no lines are drawn then how do purpose to protect people, who is going to make sure these companies keep enough reserves on hand to cover their bets ? People love to say "Markets Should be free" but it is WAY more complex than that.

I agree that these companies should have been allowed to fail. However they should have never been allowed to become the behemoths that they are which then becomes IMHO a security issue when it threatens OUR economy as a whole

[SkyePrizm]

Maybe its the nutty family i was raised in, but i kind of like the spirit of yesterday\'s tea parties.  Made me want to go find a colonial flag and raise it....

[skalnbyc]

WSJ editorial on the "ridic" beer tax Oregon is hoping to impose:

This Tax Is for You
A levy on Joe Six Pack.

Today is the dreaded April 15, but at least in Oregon it\'s even going to cost you more to drown in your tax sorrows. In their sober unwisdom, the state\'s pols plan to raise taxes by 1,900% on . . . beer. The tax would catapult to $52.21 from $2.60 a barrel. The money is intended to reduce Oregon\'s $3 billion budget deficit and, ostensibly, to pay for drug treatment.

If it passes, Oregon will overnight become the most taxing state for suds, one-third higher than the next highest beer tax state, Alaska. The state may do this even though Oregon is the second largest microbrewery producer in the U.S. The beer industry and its 96 breweries contribute 5,000 jobs and $2.25 billion to state GDP. Kurt Widmer of Widmer Brewing Co. says the tax would "devastate our company and small breweries throughout the state." Adds Joe Henchman, director of state projects at the Tax Foundation, "This microbrewery industry has gravitated to Oregon in part due to low beer taxes."

For Oregon to enact punitive taxes on its homegrown beer industry makes as much sense as Idaho slapping an excise tax on potatoes or for New York to tax stock trading. Even without the tax increase, taxes are the single most expensive ingredient in a glass of beer, according to the Oregon Brewers Guild.

But facists who run the legislature are desperate for the revenues to help pay for Oregon\'s 27.9% increase in the general fund budget last year. If they have their way, every time a worker steps up to the bar and orders a cold one, his tab will rise by an extra $1.25 to $1.50 a pint. Half of these taxes will be paid by Oregonians with an income below $45,000 a year. Voters might want to remember this the next time facists in Salem profess to be the party of Joe Six Pack.

[inthewhitelodge]

The whole issue I have are NEO-conservatives creating a drastically false image for the facist party. A true conservative/facist believes that states, not the feds, should be able to decide and make their own laws. So basically states should individually decide how to tax, how to frame "drug laws", and how to define marriage, etc.

War is also NOT something conservatives want to mess with, especially because our involvement in war costs precious lives and impedes our national sovereignty. Bush-y facists are big spenders, war mingling, and look out for the top guns (bankers in washington). What?! This is exactly what the Obama administration is doing. There is already an influx of troops in Afghanistan (sad because the dems who voted for peace are not being rightfully represented now), and a trillion dollar deficit. Yep, a trillion dollars that the Feds will slice out of each paycheck, and penalize those who work hard for their success.

The regulation should be aimed at reviewing and auditing the Federal Reserve, or outright banishing it, they who keep fucking up our economy by printing money and inflating the system.

[Gfunk]

I keep hearing my conservative friends saying Obama will be a 1 term pres, but the facist candidates so far are pretty hilarious. Can you imagine The Donald and The Palin in a debate?! Throw Michelle Bachman, Rudy Guilliani, and Mitt Romney in the mix and they almost have one legit candidate lulz

[skalnbyc]

I do think Obama is a shitty president but I have a hard time seeing any opposition that is appealing.  Obama won some key historically red states that he\'s likely to lose the second time around so the race will probably be much closer regardless of who the challenger is.

[Igziabeher]

I don\'t think Obama is so much of a bad president, just congress is full of retards and it doesn\'t allow him to get anything done.

[Wolfman]

I keep hearing my conservative friends saying Obama will be a 1 term pres, but the facist candidates so far are pretty hilarious.

I agree that the candidates are hilarious, but I disagree with the implication that hilarious=not viable.  This country elected W.  Twice.  Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor of the biggest state in the country.  A former WWF wrestler recently was governor of Minnesota.  These candidates could all have been labeled "hilarious" as well, yet they all won.  I would even go so far to say that the traits that you and I consider to make a candidate "hilarious" - or wildly impractical - are the very same traits that give the candidates their appeal to a large number of people.  I think that Palin and Trump are terrible candidates and I also think that either is completely capable of winning.  In fact, as more and more people say that candidates like Palin cannot win, this actually increases the chances of that candidate winning because it leads to complacency amongst voters who would oppose that candidate.  This phenomenon got Scott Brown elected and could do the same for someone like Palin.  I do not think she would be a good president at all, but I think she is a totally viable candidate.

[Igziabeher]

Jesse Ventura was a former Navy Seal, at least give him that respect.  The Governator on the other hand, well, Californeeya isn\'t as bright as they make themselves out to be.

[kindm's]

I don\'t think Obama is so much of a bad president, just congress is full of retards and it doesn\'t allow him to get anything done.

This is a lie that gets played in the press whenever Obama does something that progressives don\'t like.

He gets plenty of stuff done, the problem is that almost all of it is in direct contradiction to his campaign promises. He gets the outcomes he sets out to get. health care was exactly what he wanted (they negotiated it behind closed doors), he kept saying he didn\'t have support for single payer except 61% of the country was for it, he said that the facists were blocking it and they didn\'t have the 60 votes, then when they went to reconciliation where they only needed 50 all of a sudden they couldn\'t do it again.

Gitmo
indefinite detentions
assassinations of US citizens
Kinetic Humanitarian actions
Whistle blower prosecutions
Telecom Immunity

I never would have thought that he would pull 1/2 this shit. I voted for him and it sucks that he took the easy road. He has killed any semblance of hope I had that Washington could be changed for the better. He has made mega-cynics of those of us who never trusted the fed gov at all. He makes decisions not based on what is right or wrong but on what gains the most political capitol.

[bdfreetuna]

new boss, similar to the old boss

[phish4breakfast]

Anyone we put in there isn\'t gonna do much improving in thir 4-8 year span. We\'re in a shithole we have so many problems that need to be fixed its gonna happen over time if it happens at all

[Igziabeher]

exactly.  every presidential candidate has their ideals, but once they get behind the desk, unfortunately they have to set those aside and play ball.  its a tricky nefarious world that i\'m happy to not pay too much attention to.