Obama
Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of chatter about the Congressional sequester cuts going through and shock from some that we have reached this point. This astonishment is somewhat warranted given that Congress and the White House reached a deal to avoid going over the so-called fiscal cliff in January, and then voted to raise the debt ceiling for a three month time period. So why has there been no deal or at a minimum a punt? Let’s look back a bit.
In the aftermath of the fiscal cliff deal, both parties began setting the stage for the next parts of these fiscal negotiations: the sequester, the debt ceiling, and the budget. Each party is convinced that they have leverage in this fight and that the other party will be forced to come to them. Of course it is impossible for both sides to be correct. Time will tell who ends up with the upper hand, but with all of these challenges that need to be addressed, it is useful to look at the preferences of the White House, Congressional Republicans, and Senate Democrats.
By comparing the preferences of the various groups, the likely outcomes of the three fiscal issues become readily apparent: Read more
Bleeding Hearts Vs Heartless Beasts
The President's leftward lean in his Address made hardy liberals' hearts beat faster, while Boehner's stony, silent stare made you wonder if his heart beat at all.
Increasing the minimum wage, cap-and-trade, immigration reform, pay equity, gun controlwere all valentines to progressive partners, while Rubio proved more heartless than heart-throb.
Investing in education, infrastructure, science, Obama wrote a love letter to the future. Saying that we're better off on our own, Rand Paul wrote a break-up note with reality.
On this Valentines Day, the direction of our nation may be as simple as following our hearts: we'd rather be called bleeding heart liberals than conservatives without beating hearts at all.
If it's bleeding hearts vs heartless beasts, we know who will be our Valentine.
Your heart needn't bleed alone as there are plenty of like-minded lefties ready to share politics and a drink
at your local progressive social club.
DRINKING LIBERALLY Find - or start - a chapter near you.
It’s Saturday February 9th! Do you know where your podcast is? On this day in history back in 2009, a few loose-screw Americans formed what we ended up calling the Tea Party thanks in large part to the funding and support of right-wing think tanks like FreedomWorks and ideologues like Dick Armey who oversaw the Tea Party’s perplexing (and totally manufactured) rise across the political landscape. Four years later, the Tea Party (having fulfilled its purpose as a punchline of choice to comics the world over) has dissolved into the impotent, irrelevant, waste-o’-space guano bucket we always knew it was. Thus, in honor of what is sure to be the last year of even Tea Party members taking the Tea Party serious, we’re delighted to share with you a letter we sent to Tea Party members back in 2009 in response to their solicitation to join the Tea Party. Enjoy.
"Dear Fellow New Tea Party Members, Read more
With President Barack Obama currently in the process of filling vacancies in his cabinet—already one current United States Senator has gotten the nod—and with the retirement of Senators Rockefeller, Harkin, and Chambliss, there has been a good amount of chatter about the ramifications of opening up a U.S. Senate seat. While every state is a unique case, we started wondering what the actual numerical advantage is when it comes to incumbency.
The answer is 7 or 10, or 9 or 16, depending on the situation. While this is a little less prophetic than the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life (42 for all the non-Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fans out there), there is an interesting pattern that has developed over the past six years or so. Read more
President Obama sparled his second term speaking of pay equity, marriage equality
& ensuring rights for all Americans...a message Conservatives argued was divisive.
He used a day of civic sacredness to preach of promoting pathways to citizenship,
and strengthening voter enfranchisement in a speech Tea Partiers called inappropriate.
As he renewed his role as President, he looked to lead on global challenges
from climate change to world peace...which the Right viewed as un-American.
The Right will argue against Obama's message & the Left may argue the Address was only words but it was an inarguable inaugural of a new era & we hope it augurs change in the years to come.
Inspired or tired, impressed or depressed, share your views while you sip some booze at your local progressive social club.
DRINKING LIBERALLY Find - or start - a chapter near you.
President Obama and Vice President Biden created the next wave of social change this week when they announced sweeping reforms to gun laws using both executive orders and legislation for Congress to pass. Though these are clearly sensible reforms meant to curb systemic violence against innocent people, Pres. Obama’s agenda is being ferociously thrashed by the National Rifle Association and politicians paid for by this organization. I have only one request for those folks who are over-reacting to this development: Think about Grace.
Grace, a beautiful, seven year old girl brutally murdered at Sandy Hook School last month, wanted to be a painter. Pres. Obama told the press her parents gave to him a painting she’d made, and he now keeps it in his study. I relate to this story because I was a little girl like that- in me still is an inner child who likes to paint pictures and give them to loved ones. Grace could have been any of us, or anyone’s daughter, sister, niece, or granddaughter. This shouldn’t have happened to her- to anyone. Read more
Yes
100% (2 votes)
No
0% (0 votes)
I'm not sure
0% (0 votes)
Total votes: 2
About a hundred years ago, our nation was engaged in World War I, and needed to simplify how the government funded its responsibilities. For the Treasury to be able to fund debts incurred from obligations already legislated by Congress without additional votes from Congress every time money was to be released, the debt ceiling was created.
The government website describes the debt ceiling best: “Indeed, the debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments; it simply allows the government to finance existing legal obligations that Congresses and presidents of both parties have approved in the past.” (http://www.treasury.gov/)
The debt ceiling has been raised dozens of times, and typically with no fanfare, until… Read more
Those who poured out in droves to vote for President Obama, who by the way, won a second term in office, deserve to have what they stood in long lines on Election Day for. The Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, is part of that.
It seems that Republican House Speaker John Boehner does not get it; President Obama won and his signature health care law stands. Our health care system is not going to go back to emergency room care for those who cannot afford health insurance, and tens of millions of Americans without decent care. It is time to move forward, with the full implementation of the law taking effect in 2014, just a little over a year away. Read more
