"The annual State of the Union pageant is a hideous, dispiriting, ugly, monotonous, un-American, un-republican, anti-democratic, dreary, backward, monarchical, retch-inducing, depressing, shameful, crypto-imperial display of official self-aggrandizement and piteous toadying, a black Mass during which every unholy order of teacup totalitarian and cringing courtier gathers under the towering dome of a faux-Roman temple to listen to a speech with no content given by a man with no content, to rise and to be seated as is called for by the order of worship — it is a wonder they have not started genuflecting — with one wretched representative of their number squirreled away in some well-upholstered Washington hidey-hole in order to preserve the illusion that those gathered constitute a special class of humanity without whom we could not live."
He claims it's wore than the Oscars.
As you might have guessed, local Congressmen Charlie Dent and Matt Cartwright offer less entertaining, but more substantive opinions of President Barack Obama's address last night.
Cartwright praised the President for his Executive order increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 for federally contracted workers. "July will mark five years since the federal minimum wage was last raised, that’s why I support legislation introduced by Senator Tom Harkin and Representative George Miller that would raise the minimum wage of $10.10 by 2016. This policy would directly provide higher wages for close to 17 million workers by 2016," noted Cartwright.
But while agreeing with Obama about an increasing income equality, Dent complained that "the more the President talks about income inequality the more income inequality we seem to get. Unemployment remains high and the economic recovery remains unacceptably slow. Meanwhile, Washington has never been more divided."
Dent is unhappy with Obama's use of executive orders to accomplish what he can't do by legislation. "The President should not look for creative ways to subvert Congress to address these challenges," he noted. "He should reach out and work constructively with those of us who put forward solutions and are willing to work with anyone, regardless of party affiliation, to solve problems and advance our great nation."
What would Dent do?
"We can encourage domestic energy production to create jobs, reform and repeal provisions of the President's health care law that are destroying jobs, make the tax code simpler and fairer, and focus on improving the education of our children to make them better prepared for the 21st century job market."
A NBC News poll indicates that 68% of Americans think the country is stagnant or worse than it was when Obama first took office.
Mr. Dent should study history and check which president issued the most executive orders and then get back to us.
ReplyDelete1:57 -
ReplyDeleteWhat a hideous reply on your part!
So it's ok when Obama uses Executive orders because someone else might have used more?
That attitude really solves the problem.
Hey Col,. Please take Private Hannity with you on your next trip. He is in search of a new home that accepts whinny little girls.
ReplyDeleteComrade Limbaugh
"That attitude really solves the problem."
ReplyDeleteI have watched Fox and the republicans and learned form the best!
Anon157am, FDR issued 3,522, the most in history. Your point is what exactly?
ReplyDeletethe highlight is the raising of the minimum wage....now, in your own life, when the price of something suddenly increases by 40%, do you buy more, less, or the same.....
ReplyDeletelabor is no different ...
Barak Obama, the chronic unemployment president
Chronic unemployment is right. He told us the economy was strong and bragged about his management of it. Then, he explained how we needed a FIFTH year of emergency unemployment benefit extensions.
ReplyDeleteRs don't have the numbers to fight anything currently and should let Ds have their way - especially on minimum wage and unemployment extensions. Both of these initiatives will stunt employment numbers, drag on the economy and strengthen Rs' chances in November.
Income inequality is real and needs to be addressed!
ReplyDeleteThe government is taking too much of our incomes, resulting in government's income being too high!
Dent: "the more the President talks about income inequality the more income inequality we seem to get. Unemployment remains high and the economic recovery remains unacceptably slow."
ReplyDeleteThanks to the "best" efforts of his political party.
Obama should have apologized to the millions of Americans who he lied to for 5 years saying, "If you like your Health Care Plan, you can keep your health care plan"
ReplyDeleteInstead he chose to mock members of Congress for wanting to repeal a law that was a complete lie from its beginning.
11:39 The President did not, and is not about to, apologize for a law which is already helping many get health insurance, some for the first time. Neither am I.
ReplyDeleteThose whose plans were cancelled because they did not meet ACA standards can get better plans, often at lower cost.
I noticed that no Republicans applauded when Obama said that people with pre-existing conditions are now covered. Such a bunch of mean people.
4:16, you write "plans were cancelled because they did not meet ACA standards". If I like my plan, and the provider is happy with the price I'm paying, WTF business of yours, or Obama's, is it?
ReplyDeletePrices are NOT lower, and there are presently fewer people with coverage
I agree with anon5:00. If I want to have a rat and snake farm on my property what business is it f the local government and my neighbors. WTF business is it of theirs or yours!
ReplyDeleteThe various chromosome challenged Republican responses to the speech was the real entertainment last night.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans tried to repeal AHC act 50s and still counting.ordinarily that's a sign of insanity. What happened to the promise that every bill was going to start with the word jobs jobs jobs. They got sidetracked protecting their precious 2nd amendment while stifling every creative effort to stimulate the economy and create a worthwhile jobs. oh yes and throw in the invasion of the vaginal regions of women with those wonderful transvaginal responders and the fictional need for voter ID laws which were clearly intended to suppress a fundamental constitutional right. The size of the federal government is smaller than its been in a long time. The proportionate size of the deficit is shrinking as well. Meanwhile let's focus on taking food stamps away from the downtrodden while protecting the corporate Agrifarmers and their precious millions of dollars of governmental subsidies which of course are ignored when they attend their tea party gatherings. You hardcore right wing wackadoodle critics are tools of the plutocrats why go on. Its pointless.like evolution and global warming it's all a left wing conspiracy being perpetrated by the cause of all harm the vast liberal media.
ReplyDeleteanon 5:27: a person's private health insurance choice = a rat and snake farm.... ?
ReplyDeleteF'n brilliant. It's this kind of brain power that is actually running the federal government
5:00 If people are able to buy crappy insurance policies, and they get an expensive illness which the policies won't cover, then they will be treated, but the hospital has to eat the costs. Then the hospital needs to raise rates for the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteIt's like car insurance. Any insurance sold must meet minimum standards so that if you have an accident, your insurance company can pay expensive liabilities.
As far as the cost of policies, most are less expensive after subsidies are taken into account. The statement that less people are insured now is simply untrue. Quite the opposite, and just try taking insurance away from the newly insured.
This weekend I saw an insurance notice for a close friend. For $168/mo, no prescription, no mental health coverage, limited ER, limited family physician. The same provider listed all these benefits are covered in their plan under healthcare reform for ~$220/mo. Same provider, more bang for buck and when you factor in cost of prescription drugs, the new plan is a no brainer.
ReplyDeleteWhen you actually do a cost benefit analysis, this person was paying $168 for a junk plan that offered little coverage.
This must have been the letter health insures were required to provide as a result of an executive order. This person is pleased with his new plan from the same provider.
What m,o9st o0f the right-wing talking heads do is ignore the fact that people can apply for premium relief form the fed So depending on your income. If you are charged a higher premium for a new policy that actually is real as opposed to the old cheap junk policies, you may end up paying less with the federal rebate.
ReplyDeleteI know of many people on fixed incomes and moderate income who on the surface appear to be paying more but after the federal rebate will end up paying less for more.
I think that at the very least the US in the 21st century can help folks get decent health care. Christ people, you spend more time worrying about the job creators that haven't created jobs though two presidencies, than your fellow citizens getting decent health care.
"premium relief form the fed "
ReplyDeleteand not a word of thanks to the Saps/taxpayers/The "fed"
@1045 here. As 2:10 noted, certain people/families do qualify for a rebate. The preson I reference will pay more upfront for healthcare, but he is close to the poverty income and will get a rebate, bringing his out-of-pocket expense back down to or below what he was paying for the JUNK insurance plan.
ReplyDeleteThat's the part what Conservatives don't want you to know.
Would you rather have a plan that protects you in the event of serious illness for a slightly hight premium.....or.....would you want a Junk plan that provides minimal coverage at a high cost and sends you into bankruptcy when you really get sick?
As an owner of a small business.... How am I to pay my employee's $10.10? I will tell you I am not. So easily enough I will not have any new hires this summer and lay half my staff off to be able to try and stay in business I will work all those extra hours as my payroll at an additional 3 bucks an hour will bankrupt us. This morning I told my closest staff of upcoming changes in the event the wage goes to $10.10 and that they should start looking for work elsewhere so that they are not blindsided. We will not hire any summer staff... after all let O'Bama come up with a check for them to stay home and not work.... This doesn't get America moving but stops any new jobs for college and high school kids to earn over the summer months. To the small business its gonna cripple them..... REMEMBER ITS SMALL BUSINESS THATS MAKES THIS COUNTRY WORK!
ReplyDeleteDude, that increased minimum wage only applies to federally contracted workers.
DeleteUm, that increase only applies to federally contracted workers.
DeleteWas too busy watching Mein Kampf the musical that night.
ReplyDeleteohhhhh... only federally contracted workers!
ReplyDeletethanks for clarifying that! Those guys can absorb a 40% price increase easy!
thanks for clarifying
So far bernie so far
ReplyDeleteThat $10.10 is a baseline to which wages in the contracts of the "federal contracted" union workers are tied. That $10.10 doesn't mean shit to anyone except those are already well above it. Minimum wage arguments are presented presented as noble efforts to give something to the working poor, and the sheep never notice the labor vote-buying scheme it really is.
ReplyDeleteI finally got to watch the teleprompter reading.
He's a liar's liar, so full of shit his breath stinks.
-Clem
I'm OK with an increase in the minimum wage, but am realistic enough to understand this WILL result in a slight increase on most every consumer item purchased
ReplyDeleteOur burgers WILL go up at least 10 cents each, for example. I can afford that. I also understand this is a back door tax increase, too. A small, but yes, increase in taxes to the state and federal government.
Fred Windish
Once again let us try to be real. The so-called "entry level" jobs are now just regular jobs. Check out the fast food and service industry, students and the young are just a part of the overall staff. The America of the 50-and 60's with great jobs (and much higher tax rates) is gone. All the pissing and moaning will not bring it back.
ReplyDeleteWe now have much lower taxes on high income and shit jobs.
So yes I also think that paying a few cents more for items is OK if it means that we start to realize the reality of America in the 21st century.