Charting Blame

Aug 22nd, 2012

Calling the aughts the "lost decade of the middle class," PEW has released the results of some recent polling. Their sample was asked to assess "blame" for the general collapse of American upward mobility. The numbers are probably providing Team Obama with some confidence as the public lays responsibility for what ails us at the feet of congress over the President by nearly a two to one margin.

Worth 1,000 Words

Aug 21st, 2011
via

The (un) Official 112th Congressional Republican Theme Song

August 2nd, 2011

Message to Obama - Whatever it is, they're against it!

What? You Mean You Think Congress Should Actually WORK?

July 8th, 2011

Epic legislative failure in graph form (via):

What's The Worst That Could Happen? ctd...

July 7th, 2011

Dave Weigel observes that congressional reaction to the debt crisis is not exactly inspired:

"You'd never know there was a debt crisis. Congress is in session this week because Republicans didn't want a weeklong holiday recess, and Democrats obliged them. "Our country is going bankrupt,"said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., last week, making the ask. "We should not be going on holiday."

It was a deal: no holiday. Congress is on emergency watch with weeks to go, maybe, before an analyst at Moody's or S&P gets cut off in traffic, needs to vent, and decides to downgrade the credit rating of the United States. What does Congress look like on emergency watch? Picture the way Congress looks at any other time. Got it? Now: Slow it down."

Yup. The only reason there was no technical "recess," as it turns out, really was to prevent the appointment of a head to the CFPB.

Shutdown?

March 30th, 2011

A lot of fellow progressives have been telling me they hope for a shutdown. The liklihood increases just about hourly at this point heading towards next week's budget deadline. To be fair, I too have opined of late that we should let it happen. This is not amongst my more prudent recommendations. It is an emotional response to very real frustrations. Although I do remember the Gingrich-led clusterfuck of the mid-nineties generally benefitting the Democratic party, we sure didn't get much in the way of financial reform afterward that would have helped stave off the current crisis. It really only helped secure Clinton's power.

Ezra Klein notes:

"Evidence from the states suggests budget chaos can help the executive even as it harms legislators from both parties, reports Ezra Klein: Political scientists Asger Lau Andersen, David Dreyer Lassen and Lasse Holbøll Westh Nielsen tallied up 167 instances since 1988 alone. But then they went a step further and tried to isolate the fiscal mismanagement they had on the next election. They succeeded. Voters respond to budgetary chaos, and they do so angrily and predictably. The big takeaway is that blame is not shared equally: “Governors are subjected to an electoral penalty only under unified government, while legislatures are always held accountable.”...]W]hen Congress fails to pass a budget on time, voters turn on Congress, not just the minority or majority party. The researchers calculate that a budgetary breakdown under divided government reduces the chances that incumbent legislators from either party will get reelected, though it helps the governor’s party in the gubernatorial elections. That’d suggest that a shutdown would be bad for everyone serving in Congress, but good for Obama."

Crazy Is On The Bus, part 2

Jan 4th, 2011

by F. Grey Parker
Part 1 is available here.

Washington, D.C.

Hey, Washington! Crazy is still on the bus. The Crazy Bus is still on it's way and it is getting awfully gol-darned close. As a matter of fact, it's pulling into town today. This is going to be quite the hoedown.


Never before have I seen so many rabble-rousing yahoos trumpeting their love for the U.S. Constitution while planning a full frontal assault upon it. The good times are rolling in and everyone better hold onto their hats!

Meet The Crazies!

Jan 4th, 2011

Hey kids! Ready to return to the rosy days of "Never Were?" Yeah, well, neither am I. Sleep tight.

Quote Of The Day -- New Year's Day 2011 -- With A Message

Jan 1st, 2011


"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people." -- Howard Zinn

It's your country. What are you prepared to do? We have a scant few days before a deeply fascistic wave in the Republican membership of the 112th Congress is given broader power over our lives. 

Obama's Victories Vs. The Failure Of Dialogue

Dec 23rd, 2010

by F. Grey Parker

It has been a remarkable "lame-duck" session of congress. There is no disputing that. From the repeal of DADT to the ratification of the new START treaty to the 11th hour passage of the 9/11 responders bill, it has been a whirlwind of victories for President Barack Obama. These were also all victories for the American people. How easily we forget that a mere 7 days ago, the people were handed an equally significant defeat when Sen Harry Reid (D-NV) pulled the omnibus spending bill.

In the glow of the aforementioned accomplishments, we have all but ceased discussion of the fact that our government is technically not funded through the current fiscal year. Considering the American people's overwhelming response to these other last minute initiatives, the failure to hold a full floor debate on the omnibus spending bill seems all the more unforgivable. As I argued last week, we didn't have to win that fight. The fight for the bill was more important than it's passage.

The average citizen should have been given the opportunity to witness openly just whom is on their side and what the next round's stakes are. Aside from the most rabidly libertarian and the incredibly uninformed, the politically educated know that earmarks aren't bad; Rather, BAD earmarks are bad. It's as simple as that. 

After thirty years of misguided Reaganomic extremism and radical "free-marketeerism," the earmark has become one of the primary tools to fix infrastructure, secure the stability of utilities in trouble and support research that pays off roughly 10 fold for the health and well being of the country. Most Republicans know this to be true but chose to play cynical little games during the election for short term political capital.

Majority leader Sen. Harry Reid gave up without any of these points being made in front of the people. To be sure, the far-right of the Republican party has been given pause by the last few day's Democratic successes. But Reid's failure to set up the grassroots of the left to start pushing back now against the incoming Republican majority house is an error of epic proportions. The right is not so much licking their wounds as they are rubbing their hands together.

As the 112th congress-of-crazy rolls in, we should be prepared for a full shutdown of the federal government and blistering fights waged by those who piously spout platitudes about America while simultaneously attempting to undermine the last 70 years of progress that define her.

I will concede that we do have a much stronger figure in President Obama than we did even 4 weeks ago. It may be all up to him and the bully pulpit. If I had Obama's ear, I would simply say this:

"Fight like Teddy Roosevelt, man. Because these guys are assholes!"