The Consequences of Elections

Well it’s not just those three Senate Republicans. I imagine some conservative Dems (Ben Nelson, Claire McC, Evan Bayh, Joe Lieberman, etc.) balked a bit at the house bill, too.
It’s hard enough to get Republicans, but the Dems have a pretty broad coalition now, so keeping the caucus happy will be a big challenge, too.

The senate by its nature thwarts the will of the American people, with the population of California given the exact same vote as that of Utah. Ultimately, 2010 will likely see the Republicans lose even their filibuster power as the last of the Bush Senators (elected in 2004 on his coattails) have to face the voters. When they do, they will note the obstructionism of the Republicans now, and hopefully contrast it with how the Democratic Senate behaved towards a new President Bush in 2000, when Democrats allowed both the “Bush Tax Cuts” and “No Child Left Behind” to pass out of traditional deference to the will of the people/new administration.

The Senate R’s and “centrists” are not just thwarting the will of the people, they’re thwarting common sense. I’m a local school board member and the state stabilization $ would have been our lifeline to avoiding massive layoffs and/or shortened school years- not just next year but in this current year’s budget. We need help now! As to the “wisdom” of cutting $ for rebuilding schools (we have $270 million in shovel ready in just our district), Head Start, Title 1 aid for low-income children….don’t get me started. The Dems must stand strong to restore the House version. I don’t give a crap about the Republican’s whining about tax cuts. Tax cuts got us into this mess! Massive, targeted govt spending is our only hope to avoid a complete descent into massive economic freefall.

The United States Constitution provided in Article I, Section 9, that No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken. This not only effectively barred any Federal taxes on personal incomes, which whether assessed equally or not, as based on the percentage taken, could never be proportionate to the population at large. It also barred any direct taxation of the public that would have imposed any different burden on the rich than on the poor. And from 1789 until the adoption of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913, this remained the fundamental policy of the United States on the subject of taxation of the individual.
To make the point clear: A capitation tax, based upon the census, would be a tax that impacted each person by the same amount. Thus, as a means of raising the vast sums being expended by Government today, it would admittedly not be an adequate source. Moreover, there are people to whom even a required annual payment of $100 would prove a great burden. Nor was such a tax envisioned as being particularly useful in 1790. Indeed, for a long time, various forms of excise tax–imposts specific to goods and services–seemed preferable. The question of using–or avoiding–taxation for purposes ulterior to those of raising revenues, or protecting local industry, was not then very significant in the history of American political debate–although not unknown–until comparatively recently.
This was our Constitution what the hell happened?

I know many people living off the Government and a couple that want off the system. When they try to get off of the system the system punishes them.
We need more fraud detection in our entitlement programs especially medicare fraud. I know of an illegal immigrant that was driving a 250,000 Bentley in Florida all with Medicare fraud money.
We also need a flat fair TAX in this country somewhere around 21% with no loopholes and exemptions. We can then cut up and shred the 66,000 plus pages of TAX codes that Geithner, Daschle, Richardson and my accountant do not understand.

“Thwarting the will of the people”???
Earth to Jake, this bill is hugely unpopular. Its the Dems who are thwarting the will of the people. The Dems never ran on doing this and have no mandate to do so.

“based upon the census”
Oh, right: the census The Puppet’s now taking away from His Republican pick to head the Commerce Department, and giving to His Chief of Staff … along with doing whatever He IS doing with the NSC, rearranging the deck chairs of bureaucratic centralism.
When it turns out all Americans live in … Philadelphia … don’t be surprised.

Trying to get two or three Republicans has nothing to do with bipartisanship. It has every thing to do with gaining political cover when the stimulus package fails to revive our economy and in fact makes it worse because we have added a trillion dollars to our debt (we will spend 30 billion dollars every year from now to eternity on interest to service this debt).
The Democrats know what they are proposing is crap and they know they will have to face the voters in two years with this failure clearly tied around their necks. I congratulate the Republicans who voted against bailing out their Democratic foes.

“The Democrats know what they are proposing is crap and they know they will have to face the voters in two years with this failure clearly tied around their necks.”
The former “Democrats”, under The Puppet’s hysterical direction, have finally crapped out sooo bad that the Republicans look GOOD. (I have never EVER thought this before now.)
What the “Obama” organization had BETTER do is scrap that world-domination deal, and scrap the “stimulus” in favor of National Health.
Call Dr. Dean back from Europe. Dean put The Puppet in office, and ONLY Dean — as the new HHS Secretary who will deliver National Health within 72 hours of his appointment, while the guys and gals at the Congressional beanery work out the details — could get The Puppet back into the people’s good graces.
National Health — especially with half the population ALREADY under “hard times”, and suffering from cumulative years of no health care and dicey nutrition — is waaay more promising than having the already-hated Congress completely disgrace itself over this “stimulus” scam.

WE HAVE HAD 8 YEARS LISTENING TO THE REPUBLICANS—-NOW THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO GET US STRAIGHTENED OUT, THE REPUBLICANS ARE IN AN UPROAR!! I SAY -GO, OBAMA!!!—IF THIS FAILS, THEN IT IS ON YOUR SHOULDERS—I CANNOT BELIEVE THE REPUBLICANS ARE ACTING LIKE A BUNCH OF HIGH SCHOOL BULLIES–IF THE COUNTRY WANTED ANOTHER 8 YEARS LIKE THE PREVIOUS THEN WE WOULD HAVE ELECTED JOHN MCCAIN!

The power of the filibuster is what keeps the balance of power in Washington swinging back and forth like a pendulum. The minority party can wield it to make the majority party and their leader look weak and ineffectual. The only way that Obama will be successful, if he is truly a wise and just man, is to obtain a filibuster-proof majority for at least one election cycle. It may already be too late for him, though. If it is, it may be too late for all of us.

“It may already be too late for him, though.”
Yes, if He doesn’t scrap this “stimulus” crap — and lose that bitchy hysteria — it IS too late for him.
I’m tellin’ ya: Dr. Dean and National Health is His ONLY hope: not only would this be elation-making, especially among medical people and the un-rich, it’d stimulate the economy, and allow a way to educate and train a lot of young folks who are otherwise going to be out doing survival crimes to keep the heat on for granny, and all that …

Thankfully someone is keeping this democrat Theft machine in line..how do you spell democrat?…T A X F R A U D

If you are enjoying Universal Housing you’ll love Universal Health.
Then you can get to pay for the neo-natal care for those octuplets born to an unmarried woman with no means of supporting those kids, let alone educating them.
And that example will become the norm. IVF for everyone!

Obama wanted 80 votes in the Senate. He said that was his goal. Yet he didn’t make sure a bill was written that could get those votes. To be complaining now about having to write a bill to get 3 Republicans on board seems quite a come-down.
He either didn’t understand what it would take to get 80 votes, or he was unwilling to expend his political capital to get it.

Belle’s got her point about Dean being ignored. Back to Obama capitulating to three Senate Repubs and loosing billions off the package – that won’t guarantee a filibuster vote. Why must he be so ingratiating towards a party that continues to undermine his administration? He’s creating some obstructionism himself by kowtowing to the GOP.

AS a Liberal voter this is the MOST frustrating THING going on.. and it doesn’t motivate me in the least to stand in line for even 30 mins to vote in the NEXT general election.
Before President Obama straight talk on friday reminded the voted out fringe party who the people voted for,
All this hands out to the other side and concession is driving me and many millions who voted for President Obama CRAZY.
Some house Dems along with the President needs to cut it out , The people in this country give you the KEYS to the car , Now be the DRIVER and get things done and lead .
I cant believe there are considering giving up concession in unemployment , education, healthcare among other pressing needs in this country.
like i said non of this inspire many voters in going out next time to vote.

i hear you thats why 3rd parties do so well despite they dont stand a chance.

If Pelosi and Reid cannot together get this passed in the next day. We need new leadership. This is rediculous.

“Vice President Joe Biden warned Saturday [2/7] that the U.S. stands ready to take pre-emptive action against Iran if it does not abandon nuclear ambitions and its support for terrorism.”
Has Crazy Joe slipped his muzzle again? Somebody’s better fix that.

President Pelosi
VP–Harry Reid
Obama–puppet and figurehead

I, personally, have lost all faith in all members of Congress. Never have so few Americans screwed so many and had no remorse for doing so and tried blaming everybody but themselves. What is really troubling is that the American public, in large part, are just accepting of this rubbish called a stimulus package. Having read as much of the package as is available on the web news, I have found so little in it that would actually create long term jobs and help the economy, that it needs to be scrapped completely. I think that the three items that immediately come to mind that shows just how much pork there is in the package are monies for NPR, Hollywood, and a new fleet of vehicles for federal employees. Then of course there are the monies for building more federal buildings..try using some of the empty buildings through out this country (like old WalMart stores). How about letting the privately owned internet companies foot their own bill for expanding services to rural areas, or moderate-home owners paying for their own home insulation (it comes in rolls and can be purchased a roll or two at a time and put in).
No monies should go toward increasing the salary of anyone. Monies for education should be limited to purchases of supplies, renovations of school buildings, food, equipment for students..remember it is the students that are being educated and their progress and well-being are what counts. Do I think teachers deserve good salaries? Yes, but I also believe that if they don’t produce results, they need to be replaced. Nor should a teacher have to buy out of their own pocket any supplies. Also, I believe that there are police and firemen/women who probably deserve salary increases more than teachers at this point. But that should be a State concern…I know the states are having a hard time too. In my State they have cut the amount going for Senior Adult care…like the Council on Aging which covers Senior Centers and the transportation to those centers. There are a lot of families who have to use these facilities and need the transportation to get family members to and from the Center. Now the State is cutting funding to these Centers.
Most of the Senate cuts I have read about are for appeasement only…no real substance. No one wants to have to admit this whole package is a foolish and pointless…but then, it takes an adult with intestinal fortitude to admit mistakes and start over. It’s time for Congress and all their minions to get off their childish butts and do what’s correct and right, and try doing it without input from any lobbyist. Supposedly each member of Congress has a brain that is somewhere besides where they sit, so try using that brain before you screw us tax payers even more than you already have.

This is the most powerful Presidential Administrations in a long time due to the control of the 3 branches of gov. mentioned…. Obama’s not the kind of guy to “pull rank” on the less powerful (Republicans)…. He has stated he will have inclusiveness and thats what hes doing…. By the time he gets done, the Dems and Repubs will be “combined” under one title MORE THAN EVER !!! And that title will be “OBAMA NATION”…. No seriously…. it will be AMERICAN !!

“a house bill that had too many tax cuts in it anyway.”
Letting the Bush tax cuts on the very rich stand has only made the Republicans — among others! — hold Obama and the “Democrats” in contempt, and rightly so.
Then, on top of THAT, endless billions to the BANKS, on the assumption that what will fix the financial collapse is “credit” for the dispossessed.
It’s ludicrous. It’s embarrassing.
The Democrats should scrap the “stimulus”, bring in Dean and National Health to stimulate the economy and pacify the people — including the un-rich RIGHT-wing hordes who really CAN reduce all this bipartisanship blabla to cinders in a flash.
Let Obama fly around Europe and the mideast schmoozing “hope” and “change” until 2012.
Then … assuming National Health will have transformed the relationship between the rulers and the ruled, and brought about ACTUAL bipartisanship among those outside the government … elect Dean.

COME ON YOU PEOPLE… GIVE THE MAN (OBAMA) “1″ MONTH IN OFFICE FIRST !!!!!!
IF HE RUNS HIS PRESIDENTCY LIKE HE DID HIS ELECTION,,, HE WILL SOON EVENTUALLY PREFORM “ABOVE AND BEYOND” ANY PRESIDENT THAT HAS COME BEFORE !!!!! COME ON,,,, HE JUST GOT STARTED 2 1/2 WEEKS AGO !!!!!
GOOD GRIEF…….

HE WILL SOON EVENTUALLY PERFORM “ABOVE AND BEYOND” ANY PRESIDENTCY BEFORE !!!
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He’s already performed above and beyond Bush in his last eight years.

“IF HE WILL RUN HIS PRESIDENTCY ANYTHING LIKE HE DID HIS ELECTION… ”
Ah, but He IS: passing out billions to the boss class, surrounding Himself with hacks, and talking nonsense.

“Or are those strikes OK because Obama ordered them and not Bush?”
Kind of like tax cuts for the very rich and billions of dollars in “bailout” money for the banks …

Americans are not stupid, every time a Republican is on T.V talking about spending, the first reaction is who the heck got us into this mess. No one wants to take responsibility for that. They have absolutely no credibility.
Bailouts under a President with an apporoval rating of under 30%, where the markets tank everytime he speaks, is different than a bailout under a President that has the confidence of the American people where people are engaged in lawmaking and that the markets respect. The outcome will inevitably be different.
Supporters of Obama must remember that he faces the same rhetoric when he decided to run for office….he has no experience…the clinton machine then the GOP machine etc and he won. So I like how the Repubs are firing up their base and alienating the middle, because that’s how I know they are still out of touch!
If you listen carefully there is party for the people and the party for self interets. The right call was made in Nov and even with this bill, the right call will be made in Feb.
I can’t wait to see their faces when the economy starts to turn. His supporters stand behind him 100% and we will not allow him to fail, neither will we allow him to forget to bring the change we voted for.

Gibbs and Dean have such bad blood between them that they are incapable of having a working relationship. Dean can join the administration only after Gibbs is gone.

I am so tired of whining republicans with no real plan of their own except to cry about the Democrats solution. They are just waiting around hoping the Democrat plan fails so they can say it wasn’t their idea. They have no other solution and they forget they are the ones who got us into this mess in the first place.

Jake.. another good article..keep up the good work you are the only reason I frequent ABC you give them credibility
just a note the new york times has no credibility as an objective voice

“the first reaction is who the heck got us into this mess.”
Oh, horse-puckey: the Democrats could have stopped the neo-cons ANY time … on Iraq, on tax cuts, on ANY of it.
For that matter, the Democrats could have impeached Cheney and Bush.
The Democrats could have fought in … 2000. But noo … Al Gore listened to John Kerry. It’s always Kerry, every bad thing that’s happened to the Democrats — THREE botched presidential elections — for many, many years.
Kerry’s NOT really a Democrat, is the problem … except in the same way he’s “Catholic”. Though he IS in the “leadership”.

I’ve was mystified by the talk of Republicans being obstructionists and thwarting the will of the people because, as far as I knew, they were highly critical of the bill (and rightly so—it’s a disaster), but they hadn’t been threatening a filibuster. But then I read somewhere that the bill requires 60 votes because it increases the federal deficit. Don’t know if that’s true, but it explains a lot about the behavior of the Democrats.

“I keep hearing this “we won, we rule” talk.”
At the same time, the former “Democrats” bleat about “bipartisanship”, by which they mean that the Republicans (and the principled Democrats … there ARE some) should roll over for the Democrats as the Democrats roll over for the Republicans.
THIS bunch of supposed “Democrats” lacks … er backbone. That’s why they need Dr. Dean — the one with the b___ — at HHS. Among OTHER things the “Democrats” need.
Most of the “Democrats” haven’t been worth shooting since the assassination of JFK.

from AP:
“Still, Obama aides claimed they were satisfied with the results … In a matter of weeks, we moved through both houses of Congress a very complex piece of legislation,” Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said Saturday in an interview. “I don’t know if there is a parallel in history.”
They’re delusional: apparently, Axelrod’s still running “Obama” for “Most Popular”.
The next bank bailout — the “fail-out” — ought to take care of THAT …

This is planet earth…everyone makes mistakes. There’s no time limits, and I loved that he did it. Life goes on& America didn’t come to an end because of his admission.Hillary and Pres Bush may have had different outcomes if they had done that.
Just killing the time, before I go back to studying, hopefully I can finish this Masters before the republicans decide that the electorate has changed and people are really tired of the I am now an expert mentality.
I personally believe that Pres Bush did what he thought was right and he was given 8 years without impeachment to do it. Time’s up and we are going in a new direction, and we are going to do well because we are all awake now.
The bill is not great and the process is to make it better, but just like the pilot who had to land the plane in the Hudson. We don’t always have the luxury of time in a crisis, and the leader who is confident and calm will set the tone for the reaction and tone for the people he leads. Repubs are good people, Dems are good people. We all sink or swim together, I am choosing to swim with Pres Obama, because he is my Commander and Chief. All hands on deck and I am reporting for duty. Later it has been fun.

kathy: “What do you mean two strikes?”
Not that the actual number of strikes is the relevant point, but here…
“Two missile attacks launched from remotely piloted American aircraft killed at least 15 people in western Pakistan on Friday. The strikes suggested that the use of drones to kill militants within Pakistan’s borders would continue under President Obama.”
- New York Times, January 23, 2009
Google “Strikes in Pakistan Underscore Obama’s Options”
Two strikes on a sovereign country. Lots of civilians dead including children. Both strikes ordered by Obama, who is apparently continuing Bush’s policies.
Do you support Obama’s actions?

It used to be that major newspapers would present opposing analyses from experts regarding an important issue like this.
Instead, the media is hyping it to the public as a Republican vs. Democrat struggle.
How many have read the study from the non-partisan CBO (Congressional Budget Office)?
Shouldn’t we be concerned that this stimulus package will in the long run hurt the economy more than if Obama were to do nothing?
This bill will help in the short run but result in so much government debt that within a few years it would crowd out private investment, leading to a lower GDP.
CBO projected it would produce 1.4-4.1 pct. higher growth in 2009 than if there was NO action. By 2011 the effects would be miniscule.
Maybe I just missed it, but has anyone else seen this report on ABC news?

Justin- I had to read back through the postings. Clearly, Biden was not saber rattling at the European summit yesterday as you claimed in a previous posting. He made it clear that the Bush style of unilateralism was over.
The two missile strikes occurred within one day with a a death of about twenty people. From the original wording, I gathered that in addition to feigning outrage, you were attempting to claim that the attacks were carried out separately on different days. Look, your tactics are clear. You’re not concerned about Obama taking unilateral action on a sovereign nation, as you put it, or about the Pakistani deaths. You’re attempting to use arguments and ideology perceived to be of the left against those you like to see as being leftists. You apparently have never read or heard anything by non-interventionist conservatives like Pat Buchanan.
Obama’s decision is something I reserve judgement on because I have limited information of the circumstances, and for that matter, limited understanding of the Pakistan situation. What’s clear is that the drone attacks weren’t planned by the Obama administration on Jan.21 or Jan. 22; he gave approval on a pre-planned attack based on the intelligence he received.
First, you misrepresent Biden’s communications to Western leaders in Europe, then feign concern over Obama being unilateral and the deaths, and then you confront me on the drone attacks. That’s just a politely worded recapitulation. Again, your tactics are like crystal.

Interestingly, the Pakistani government asked nicely, on 21 January, NOT to be bombed. On 23 January, they WERE bombed.
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I would think they received no warnings like the previous 35 hits since August. In July of ’08, Bush signed an executive order that permission was no longer needed from the Pakistani government for further attacks, either ground based or drone. There was a subsequent ground invasion in August with the ante upped significantly on drone attacks. BTW, the January 23rd attack was on high level Al Qaeda targets, making it all the more unlikely that there was any prior notification.

I don’t condone the drone attacks of Jan. 23rd. But at least there haven’t been any more since then, which would have been the case if Bush’s frequency of attacks were being followed. And so far, I think Obama’s foreign policy, despite some choices, is still far more preferable to the Bush administration’s.

The fact of the matter is, the Centrists hold the balance of power in the senate. And if you want to overcome a procedural step, then you’ll need 60 votes. That’s just the reality of it. I think both the left and the right are pretty frustrated.

The Democrats – Obama in particular – are wasting their time chasing “bipartisanship” for its own sake. They need to focus on the end result. The GOP steamrolled them at every opportunity in their many years in power. The Dems need to give as good as they got.
And like isaac said, the media needs to stop saying the Senate Dems need 60 votes to “overcome a procedural step.” The DEMS NEED 60 VOTES TO OVERCOME A REPUBLICAN FILIBUSTER. Where is all the handwringing over giving the issue an “up or down vote” that accompanied any Democratic attempts at filibusters when they were in the minority. Once again, the media’s rules of “it’s ok if a Republican does it” are in full effect.