Obama, Romney Agree on LGBT Discrimination
This year's presidential campaigns offer a stark distinction between the two candidates, but it turns out there is one thing they agree on.
Metro Weekly has this one:
Then, later in the day, the story was updated:
I'd say it was bad form for Obama to let Romney get ahead of him on this one, but by the end of the day both candidates had expressed clear and well-appreciated positions against prejudice and discrimination.
Metro Weekly has this one:
Nearly a month after the Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed the organization's ban on out gay members and leaders, Mitt Romney confirmed that he believes the organization should permit gay people to join.This was kind of funny. When the story originally came out it said, "The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment." Turns out the President had not commented on the situation at the Boy Scouts, who do not allow gay leaders or scouts.
At a debate with Kennedy during that race, Romney said that while he supported the right of the BSA to determine their own policies, he personally believes "all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation."
Romney previously served on the Boy Scouts' national executive board.
The confirmation from the Romney campaign comes after video of that debate surfaced on the Internet and as protests against the organization have increased since last month's announcement. Obama, Romney Against Boy Scouts' Gay Ban
Then, later in the day, the story was updated:
UPDATE @ 3P WED: White House spokesman Shin Inouye confirmed that President Obama opposes the Boy Scouts' ban on gay members and leaders. In an email to Metro Weekly, Inouye writes, "The President believes the Boy Scouts is a valuable organization that has helped educate and build character in American boys for more than a century. He also opposes discrimination in all forms, and as such opposes this policy that discriminates on basis of sexual orientation."For the first couple of years of Obama's presidency, there was disappointment in the LGBT community about his unwillingness to follow through on promises he made to them. But it turns out these things go slowly, and during Obama's first term there have been many major breakthroughs in gay and transgender rights. It is now clear where Obama stands on the issue of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, though he had not commented on this particular issue.
I'd say it was bad form for Obama to let Romney get ahead of him on this one, but by the end of the day both candidates had expressed clear and well-appreciated positions against prejudice and discrimination.
posted by JimK at 9:20 AM
82 Comments:
they are both wrong
in the Boy Scouts, individuals of the same gender engage in all kinds of activities together
it is wise to exclude those who have the potential to be sexually attracted to one another
this why there are seperate Boy Scout and Girl Scout organizations
it's especially important to maintain this policy in an age when there have been so many shocking cases of abuse of kids by homosexual leaders in youth organizations
anyone ever heard of Jerry Sandusky?
"these things go slowly, and during Obama's first term there have been many major breakthroughs in gay and transgender rights. It is now clear where Obama stands on the issue of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity"
actually, what's happening is that Obama is trying to turn this into a small and petty Presidential race about issues like Romney's taxes and the sexual activities of youth group volunteers because he knows he'll lose a substantive election about economic issues
the rubber meets the road after Labor Day
Dems aren't looking forward to it
Apparently, Gov. Romney stands by his 1994 statement:
"Romney first voiced support for gay scouts back in 1994 — a position that his campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said remains his position today."
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/president-obama-mitt-romney-agree-gay-boy-scouts-ok/
So Ms. Saul has, in the space of two days, confirmed that her boss believes that the Boy Scouts should not discriminate based on sexual orientation AND that workers who are collateral damage in her boss's "creative destruction" version of capitalism are better off under RomneyCare in Massachusetts.
If I were a hard core social and fiscal conservative, I would be very concerned about my Etch-a-Sketch nominee. (Although, to be fair, I don't think anyone asked Romney about this issue during the primaries.)
Anyone taking bets on how much longer Ms. Saul is employed in the Romney Campaign?
"If I were a hard core social and fiscal conservative, I would be very concerned about my Etch-a-Sketch nominee"
well, much like the Bushes and Cheney, Romney is a moderate Republican
still, there are only two feasible candidates and time is short to save America from disaster
and remember all the liberal position Reagan once held?
personally, I'm more concerned about his religious beliefs than his political consistency
if he picks Ryan, Romney will get the base
the bottom line: Obama is not on America's side and everyone knows it
btw, I don't see why a political conservative who once served in the upper ranks of the Boy Scouts can't hold the opinion he does
I disagree but it's not a governmental issue
Of course, my point is that having run so far to the right to get the nomination, his attempt to tack to the center looks pretty weak.
Santorum had a sound political point when he said, how can the GOP run against the Democrats' health care law, when its godfather was the GOP nominee. Having bashed Obamacare for months, now his spokesperson is admitting that it is a good thing.
hoppin' mad:
If you are a social conservative, why are you concerned with Romney's religious beliefs?
"how can the GOP run against the Democrats' health care law, when its godfather was the GOP nominee"
you couldn't be righter, Sir Fishback
the only way they could make that work is to ignore the issue and hope the residual resentment over the bill carries over without any need to argue
"If you are a social conservative, why are you concerned with Romney's religious beliefs?"
I believe Mormonism is detrimental to those who believe in it and I'm concerned that having a Mormon in the White House will draw pepole to it
TORRANCE, Calif. -- A 30-year-old man has been arrested for investigation of vandalism after police say he scrawled "tastes like hate" on the side of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in a Los Angeles suburb.
Torrance police say Manuel Castro was taken into custody Wednesday night after they found him in West Hollywood. Castro posted $20,000 bail and was released. It wasn't immediately known if he had retained an attorney.
The message, accompanied by a cow, was found last Friday as gay supporters tried to stir up protests against the corporate owner's opposition to same-sex unions.
The gay community was incensed last month when Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy told a religious publication that the company backed "the biblical definition of a family."
Let's be clear. There are lots of conservative businessmen, and LGBT people deal with them, even when they are outspoken. The problem with Chick Fil-A is that the company donates millions of dollars per year to organizations that actively lobby to discriminate against gay people. When a gay person buys a sandwich there they are directly contributing to a campaign against themselves.
The guy can say whatever idiotic thing he wants, I don't think most LGBT people would be shocked by a rich homophobe. This is not about his right to speak freely, it is about Chick Fil-A as a politically active anti-gay company.
Fox News poll: Obama's lead grows as Romney's support slips
"Mitt Romney has had a tough couple of weeks on the campaign trail -- and it shows in the latest Fox News poll. After a barrage of campaign ads, negative news coverage of his overseas trip and ongoing talk about his tax returns, Romney’s favorable rating and standing in the trial ballot have declined. As a result, President Obama has opened his biggest lead since Romney became the presumptive Republican nominee.
The president would take 49 percent of the vote compared to Romney's 40 percent in a head-to-head matchup if the election were held today, the poll found. Last month, Obama had a four percentage-point edge of 45 percent to 41 percent. This marks the second time this year the president has had a lead outside the poll’s margin of sampling error.
Obama’s advantage comes largely from increased support among independents, who now pick him over Romney by 11 percentage points. Some 30 percent of independents are undecided. Last month, Obama had a four-point edge among independents, while Romney had the advantage from April through early June.
There was also an uptick in support for Obama among women, blacks and Democrats.
Four voters in 10 say they are “extremely” interested in the race. Among just those voters, the candidates are tied at 48 percent each...."
Click for full poll results
Obama has consistently lead in the polls over Romney, if things continue as they have (and there's no reason to believe they won't) Obama is going to win. Romney's in the same position Mccain was before he picked his VP running mate, Romney needs a game changer and his pick of a game changing running mate is likely to be as successful as Mccain's was.
"The problem with Chick Fil-A is that the company donates millions of dollars per year to organizations that actively lobby to discriminate against gay people."
only if you consider a all-gender definition of marriage to be discrimination
most people don't
and while I don't think there is really anything wrong with discriminating based on behavioral and character issues, CFA hasn't "lobbied" for it
"When a gay person buys a sandwich there they are directly contributing to a campaign against themselves."
not really
buy a sandwich if you like it
CFA doesn't discriminate, which is why it's not unusual at all for a gay worker at CFA to serve a gay customer at CFA
they even bring water out to gays who protest against them on hot days
"The guy can say whatever idiotic thing he wants, I don't think most LGBT people would be shocked by a rich homophobe."
well, this is a pretty hollow statement when you consider that he's been contributing to pro-family groups for years and homosexuals didn't raise a ruckus until he gave an interview on the subject
"This is not about his right to speak freely, it is about Chick Fil-A as a politically active anti-gay company."
hey stooopid!
political activity is speech
of course, free speech would include the right to boycott those whose speech you disagree with but the scary part of this episode is the liberal elected official trying to block CFA by GOVERNMENTAL ACTION because of the religious views of its owner
also, you need to face facts:
boycott if you will but last Wednesday shows that if gays are going to force everyone to choose, they will reject the gay agenda
in other words, if you want an economic war, you will lose
we tolerate you but we aren't going to endorse you
"Obama has consistently lead in the polls over Romney, if things continue as they have (and there's no reason to believe they won't) Obama is going to win."
hey look, nasty Priya has read the polls and figures it's safe to crawl out from under the rocks
well, Priya, most people have made up their minds about the election but turnout is key
the important events remaining are:
Aug 27-30
the Repub convention where Romney has a chance to turn this into a big ideological election rather than a small petty one
Oct 26
the third quarter economic report is released
Nov 2
the last unemployment report before the election
btw, the consumer confidence index is currently at 72
when G H W Bush lost it was 76
when Reagan, Clinton and George W Bush won it was 97
"Romney's in the same position Mccain was before he picked his VP running mate, Romney needs a game changer and his pick of a game changing running mate is likely to be as successful as Mccain's was."
Romney's not considering any women so the liberal press won't be able to employ the sexism it did against Palin
Romney will be smart if he goes with Ryan
that will focus on ideology and, frankly, Americans hate anti-American socialists like you and Obama
boy, that Priya sure knows how to make a fool of themself
"MISSOURI CITY, Tex. — Look closely and it is there, sandwiched between Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund Partners II and D3 Family Bulldog Fund: the mortgage on Timothy and Betty Stamps’s modest home on Gentle Bend Drive here.
Nearly lost among the blizzard of hedge funds, thoroughbred horses and other gold-plated investments in Mitt Romney’s personal financial disclosures, the interest from the $50,500 mortgage is loose change to Mr. Romney, whose net worth has been estimated at close to a quarter-billion dollars.
Yet for the Stampses, who have been writing $600 monthly checks to “Willard M. Romney” for 15 years, the money they borrowed from him to buy their home in 1997 was life-changing.
The mortgage is the last vestige of a troubled, and previously unreported, investment by Mr. Romney in Texas real estate in 1982, before he struck it rich as the wunderkind of Bain Capital. And the Stampses’ happy ending is a counterpoint to the image, seized upon by political opponents, of Mr. Romney as a cold, calculating financier.
Lured by the prospect of buying five rent-to-own houses in the Houston suburbs without putting up any of his own money, Mr. Romney jumped into a speculative deal geared toward “affluent free enterprise capitalists who desire a quality investment with tax shelter benefits,” according to a prospectus. Based on frothy assumptions of a never-ending real estate boom, it was unlike the data-driven, analytical investments that came to define his later successes at Bain Capital.
The result was a rare Romney flop: The housing market soon collapsed, and he was stuck renting out the houses for years before unloading them, mostly at a loss, in the late 1990s, according to property records. The renters were offered the first chance to buy, but the Stampses could not qualify for a mortgage, recalled Mr. Stamps, who at the time had recently lost his job at an oil company.
“Then I got this phone call, personally, from Mr. Romney, asking if we really wanted to buy the house,” Mr. Stamps, 63, said in an interview the other day at the barbershop he now runs. “I said, yes we did. And he said he would loan us the money. He really helped us when we needed it.”
Amid the campaign furor over Mr. Romney’s wealth and taxes, the relatively tiny real estate investment — the mortgage generates less than $2,500 in annual interest income, according to his disclosures — has gone overlooked.
Mr. Stamps said that he and his wife had received calls in recent months from strangers who “seemed to be looking for negative stuff” about Mr. Romney, but that the couple had nothing to say to them. The Stampses recently refinanced the original 30-year loan; the new mortgage, still with Mr. Romney, was dated June 12 but signed just two weeks ago."
Well it's a good thing the Stumps could help Mittless with his own personal bottom line, but what does Mr. Romney propose to do about 11.5 million Americans who need help with their mortgages?
Nothing:
"– Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, doesn’t intend to offer targeted relief for the 11.5 million American homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, Chen said, suggesting that such actions are temporary fixes insufficient to stabilize the housing market.
– “Governor Romney ... on the housing market specifically, I do think we have to resist the temptation for short-term approaches.”"
http://go.bloomberg.com/political-capital/2012-06-01/china-sets-romney-apart-aide-says/
Romney tells 11.5 million US home owners whose mortgages are under water the same thing he said to the automobile industry: LET THEM GO BANKRUPT.
The word is out!
Romney won't release his income tax forms from prior years because of all the charitable contributions he made to pro-LGBT groups when he campaigned to become the most serenely moderate Senator or Governor (he wasn't fussy about which) of Massachusetts.
Suddenly in 2012, Romney has changed his tune as evidenced by his speech at CPAC this year, when "Romney defended his tenure as governor of Massachusetts, touting his fiscal record and opposition to same-sex marriage and declaring: “I fought against long odds in a deep blue state, but I was a severely conservative Republican governor.”
August 2012
the year gays got their comeuppance
I'm feeling...
glad all over
NORFOLK, Va. -– Mitt Romney will announce Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his running mate on Saturday, according to two sources with knowledge of the decision.
Ryan is a bold pick who will energize the Republican Party, but putting him on the ticket is fraught with risk and instantly puts Ryan's budget plan front and center in the 2012 campaign.
Romney will announce his choice in Norfolk on Saturday morning at the beginning of a four-day bus tour through key battleground states, the campaign said Friday night. The Weekly Standard reported earlier Friday that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has been asked to be ready to make the case for Ryan beginning Saturday.
Romney's alliance with the 42-year old Ryan has become the most dramatic development of the 2012 presidential campaign. Romney had been presumed for much of the last few months to be set on a safe pick, such as Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), or former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
But now, Romney, who is 23 years older than Ryan, will signal that he is willing to roll the dice. President Barack Obama's reelection campaign and Democratic political groups have been eager for Romney to pick Ryan, the architect of plans to slash government spending and overhaul entitlement programs that Democrats believe are political losers.
Video: Reagan - "no loopholes for millionaires"
New Tax Cuts in Ryan Budget Would Give Millionaires $265,000 on Top of Bush Tax Cuts
US News: Study Shows Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan Budget Is Real Class Warfare
"...The Romney-Ryan plan would increase taxes on wage earners who make between $50,000 to $100,000 by $1,300. It would increase taxes on those who make between $100,000 to $200,000 by $2,600. Another great idea for taking us back to the Bush-era, on steroids.
If you make between $500,000 and $1 million, you get another nice check for $35,000—go buy a new car or a big diamond ring. And if you happen to make over a million dollars, the average redistribution of wealth comes to an unbelievable $285,000.
When Romney talks about the middle class needing help, it is not hard to figure out his definition of the middle class—those friends who have Swiss bank accounts and offshore stashes in the Cayman Islands.
His plan, like Bush's, would once again harm the middle class and help the wealthy even more.
The report by the Joint Economic Committee shows one thing about Mitt Romney: The emperor has no clothes."
"If you make between $500,000 and $1 million, you get another nice check for $35,000—go buy a new car or a big diamond ring"
interesting
an imbecile liberal calls taxing someone less giving them a "nice check"
whatever happened to the English language
"And if you happen to make over a million dollars, the average redistribution of wealth comes to an unbelievable $285,000"
taking less money from someone and calling it "redistribution of wealth" is basically a lie
it implies that their money belongs to someone else by natural law
basically, this person agreeing with Marx that property is theft
real redistibution of wealth is when you tax someone and give it to someone else
under the Romney-Ryan plan this will still happen on a massive scale, just less massive than currently
under pressure from Newt Gingrich's contract with America, Bill Clinton reformed welfare to vastly reduce this happening when there is no need and he balanced the budget as a result
Barack Obama is currently rolling back the Clinton reforms
When Romney talks about the middle class needing help, it is not hard to figure out his definition of the middle class—those friends who have Swiss bank accounts and offshore stashes in the Cayman Islands.
His plan, like Bush's, would once again harm the middle class and help the wealthy even more.
The report by the Joint Economic Committee shows one thing about Mitt Romney: The emperor has no clothes."
"The report by the Joint Economic Committee shows one thing about Mitt Romney: The emperor has no clothes."
Mitt Romney currently holds no office so calling him "the emperor" is one more adventure in the English language from the same fantasy conjurers who call homosexuality a safe sex practice
this old story is actually very appropriate for Barack Obama who clearly has no idea what he's doing and all his liberal supporters are simply afraid to say so because of the social ostracism they will face from other nuts
with the selection of Ryan, the election is now over
here's the states Obama will win:
Maine, Mass, RI, Conn, Vermont, NY, PA, NJ, MD, DEL, DC, Florida, Mich, Ill, Minnesota, New Mex, Calif, Oregon, Washington State, Hawaii
the Electoral count:
Romney 272
Obama 266
looks like the emperor has no clothes
who will tell him?
btw, the one thing Obama could do to change his fate is dump Biden and make Hillary VP
but he won't do it
Romney picked Ryan! Allright!!!
This is exactly what I hoped would happen, Romney is a bigger fool than I thought!
Romney has been consistently trailed on the polls but now his loss is assured.
With the Ryan budget putting specifics down on paper Romney can't hide his draconian plans and deflect by saying "We'll decide the specifics after I'm elected.". Now the drastic cuts to programs for senior citizens and the poor are concrete as are the tax hikes on the middle class in order to give huge bonuses to the already super rich.
Romney can't hide from his disasterous plans now, its going to be second Obama term.
The current electoral map has Obama leading Romney 275 to 191:
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/2012/romney-vs-obama-electoral-map
Obama is going to slaughter Romney on election day!
"Romney picked Ryan! Allright!!!
This is exactly what I hoped would happen,"
me too!
looks like we got our wish
I'll be cut and pasting Priya's exclamation again in early November
Romney has now converted the the election into a big election on ideological issues
unless there has been a massive sea change, Americans believe in a safety net and equal opportunity
but they don't believe in guaranteed outcomes, income redistribution, confiscation of wealth, penalizing sucess, egalitarianism, or any of the other nasty manifestations of socialism
a couple of centuries ago, we had a tale of two revolutions
in the first, liberty was the focus and this country became the greatest country in the world
in the second, equality of outcomes was the focus and this country soon descended into terror, blood and guillotines and became the world's doormat
"Romney is a bigger fool than I thought!"
a devastating judgement from someone who slings hash in Saskatchewan for a living
"Romney has been consistently trailed on the polls but now his loss is assured."
actually, the most recent poll of likely voters in RCP has Romney ahead nationally
he's slightly behind in some swing states but I just ran a scenario above giving Obama PA, FL and MI -and Romney still wins
after the the Chik-fil-A affair, you have to wonder what games pollsters are playing anyway
"With the Ryan budget putting specifics down on paper Romney can't hide his draconian plans and deflect by saying "We'll decide the specifics after I'm elected.". Now the drastic cuts to programs for senior citizens"
like what?
social security checks to millionaires
Obamacare cuts Medicare benefits for the elderly and redistributes it to the poor
"and the poor"
they don't vote and this country provides a paradise for its poor compared to other countries anyway
economic growth will help them more than anything and we provide massive aid allowing the poor to get college degrees if they choose
"are concrete as are the tax hikes on the middle class in order to give huge bonuses to the already super rich."
there are no bonuses being proposed for the wealthy
this is flat-out socialist rhetoric
we can talk about appropriate tax burdens but in no case is anyone talking about "giving" anything to the wealthy but instead changing the amount we confiscate from them
"Romney can't hide from his disasterous plans now, its going to be second Obama term."
boy, are you in for surprise!
of course, you handle looking stupid well
like hiding when the going gets bad
HAHAHA!!
"The current electoral map has Obama leading Romney 275 to 191"
you might want to consider if Huffington Post is an objective news source
remember when everyone was making fun of Sarah Palin when she said she reads many newspapers but wouldn't say which ones?
and I asked Aunt Bea the same question and she gave the same answer?
that was so funny
which papers do you read, priyo?
"Obama is going to slaughter Romney on election day!"
I know that is Obama's only chance but, remember, Romney has Secret Service protection now
Americans don't believe in "egalitarianism, or any of the other nasty manifestations of socialism"???
Hee hee, go ahead and place your bet on that, anon.
OK, tee hee, I will
the idea that people don't have the right to enjoy the fruits of their labors and talents but instead should be forced to send them to the government to redistribute to the idle and incompetent is evil
the history of such ideas being adopted by governments shows it leads to massive suffering
Just One Reason to Pick Ryan: Blame the Loss on Conservatives
"There are two ways to think about Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan this morning. The first is how it affects Romney’s prospects for winning in November. The second is how it affects the internal struggle between conservatives and moderates within the GOP.
Regarding the first question, the Ryan pick is, of course, lunacy. Ryan’s claim to fame is a long-term budget blueprint that would massively cut Medicare over the coming decades while essentially zeroing out domestic spending on everything else but defense. It would pair this unprecedented austerity with enormous tax cuts for the wealthy. All of these things are, to varying degrees, wildly unpopular. Which makes it hardly surprising that the only time the Ryan budget actually came before voters—in a 2011 congressional special election in upstate New York—it was a political disaster, handing a safe Republican district to a little-known Democrat.
The argument that Ryan could help Romney in November hinges on the enthusiasm conservatives have for him, and on his personal political dexterity. But, whatever conservative elites may tell.themselves, Romney’s problems are emphatically not with the right, which is already highly motivated thanks to its mania over ousting Obama. As one top Republican operative recently told me, “the base’s hatred of the president is so intense that [Romney] has all kinds of room to maneuver.” Rather, Romney’s problem is his historically dismal standing among undecided voters, which Ryan will only weaken...
...there is a rationale for picking Ryan. It just has little to do with strengthening Romney’s chances this fall. In recent weeks, the presidential race has fundamentally changed. Where the polling once showed Obama with a consistent but easily-surmountable lead, it now shows the race moving out of reach for Romney. As the sober minds at NBC’s political unit put it yesterday:
"[W]hen the Olympics began, we wrote that we were basically at halftime of the general election -- and Obama had a narrow lead. Well, it’s a little bigger than that now. (People may want to quibble, but you can’t dismiss every poll on sampling.) There’s clearly movement toward the president and clearly problems for Romney personally."
Predictably, this development has unnerved conservatives, who correctly view Team Romney as whiffing on a once-in-a-generation chance against an incumbent president (albeit for the wrong reasons). The most recent outburst resulted in a fatwa against Romney’s perfectly anodyne press secretary, who had the temerity to channel Romney’s pride over his Massachusetts health care law, which is undeniable.
So, to review, the key recent development is that Romney is poised to lose a race he should by all rights be winning, and conservatives are poised to blame this loss on his ideological moderation. (He not only gave people health care, he wants credit for it!). Against this backdrop, the rationale for the Ryan pick strikes me as pretty clear: Ryan is the way Romney and his aides escape blame for their now-likely defeat—blame which would have vicious and unrelenting—and pin it in on conservatives instead. With only minor historical revisions, they will be able to tell a story about how Romney was keeping the race close through early August, at which point the party’s conservative darling joined the ticket and sent the poll numbers into steady decline... "
"Regarding the first question, the Ryan pick is, of course, lunacy"
it is a sensational choice
"Ryan’s claim to fame is a long-term budget blueprint that would massively cut Medicare over the coming decades while essentially zeroing out domestic spending on everything else but defense"
actually, defense is what the Federal government is supposed to be for
everything else is more efficiently and effectively handled by local governments, as close as possible to constituents
"It would pair this unprecedented austerity"
unprecendented?
that's how we operated for most of our history
what is unprecedented is the deficits Obama has run for his entire presidency
"with enormous tax cuts for the wealthy"
they use their money to grow the economy and sustain our massive charitable, educational and arts programs, benefitting all citizens
"All of these things are, to varying degrees, wildly unpopular"
the sloppiness of the thought process of this entire post is a bit much
if the unpopularity varies, then it doesn't always do so "wildly"
"whatever conservative elites may tell themselves, Romney’s problems are emphatically not with the right, which is already highly motivated thanks to its mania over ousting Obama"
actually, there is a serious problem with the base that Ryan helps with tremendously
"As one top Republican operative recently told me, “the base’s hatred of the president is so intense that [Romney] has all kinds of room to maneuver.”"
not really
this old-time thinking
the Tea Party has been clear that it finds long-run consistency more important than short-term election victories with compromised candidates
this was obvious just last week when the Tea Party candidates defeated favored establishment Repubs in several states
Dems were all crowing that they won a great advantage but the Tea Party is in it for the long haul
"Rather, Romney’s problem is his historically dismal standing among undecided voters, which Ryan will only weaken..."
historically dismal?
here's a clip from the article you linked:
"Obama’s numbers aren’t much better"
"In recent weeks, the presidential race has fundamentally changed. Where the polling once showed Obama with a consistent but easily-surmountable lead, it now shows the race moving out of reach for Romney."
not in the Ramussen poll of likely voters
unlikely voters bolster Obama's numbers in "registered voter" polls
"People may want to quibble, but you can’t dismiss every poll on sampling."
they always underestimate the Repub's numbers
it's an historic fact
"Predictably, this development has unnerved conservatives, who correctly view Team Romney as whiffing on a once-in-a-generation chance against an incumbent president"
unnerved?
don't see it
once-in-a-generation?
hardly
"The most recent outburst resulted in a fatwa against Romney’s perfectly anodyne press secretary, who had the temerity to channel Romney’s pride over his Massachusetts health care law, which is undeniable"
this where the hype goes from laughable to insane
outburst-fatwa-temerity
you are simply having a fantasy
I saw more stories about how liberals think conservatives will be upset than actual conservatives being upset
"So, to review, the key recent development is that Romney is poised to lose a race"
poised to lose?
the election is three months away and it's not exactly a blow-out at this point
"he should by all rights be winning,"
funny?
even this liberal admits that Obama's record is so bad he should "by all rights" be losing
"and conservatives are poised to blame this loss on his ideological moderation"
well, it is true that McCain lost because he was moderate and the same things happened in 2010
lot of Dems are now saying they are delighted by Romney's VP, but the truth is they are scared out of their freaking minds
here's why:
1. if Ryan is so extremist, why has he won election in a Democratic district seven times?
and he usually gets two-thirds of the vote there
2. he has Reaganesque qualities
he has a sunny disposition and looks like a choirboy; he projects a blend of compassion and committed leadership
he's likable, people
and Romney seems to get on well with him, softening his image
3. his ideas aren't that scary
his Medicare proposal, being demonized by Dems, was first proposed by a panel appointed by Bill Clinton and has been endorsed by a Democratic Senator from Oregon
4. Ryan makes Wisconsin a swing state
polls have shown Obama ahead of Romney by 7 points but the Obama-Biden team polls to a dead heat with the Romney-Ryan team
5. Ryan has great candidate skills
in televised exchanges with Obama during the health debate, he was judged to have won
and, remember, Biden debated to a draw with Sarah Palin last time out
it will be entertaining
look for some "there you go again" comments
6. Ryan will bring a tsunami of donations from overjoyed conservatives and tea-partiers
think that would have happened with Pawlenty or Portman?
Dems will try to turn Paul Ryan into a younger version of the devil they’ve tried to paint Mitt Romney as
but they will lose if they fight a campaign on fundamental issues in a weak economy
that’s how Jimmy Carter, the last Democratic president to run for reelection during in a bad economy, lost so bad
and not only that but, after that, Democrat became a dirty word for years
if you are really into socialism, you might want to considering moving to another country
someplace dismal, like Saskatchewan
Catholic bishops criticize Ryan budget cuts to food stamps
"The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is criticizing the House Republican budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan for cutting food stamps and other assistance programs for the poor.
In a letter sent to the House Agriculture Committee on Monday, the bishops say the budget fails to meet certain “moral criteria” by disproportionately cutting programs that “serve poor and vulnerable people.”
A second letter sent Tuesday to the Ways and Means Committee criticizes a provision that makes it more difficult for illegal immigrants to claim child tax credits. The bishops called the credit “one of the most effective antipoverty programs in our nation.”..."
According to Paul Ryan's inspiration Ayn Rand, the poor are useless parasites. According to Paul Ryan's professed faith, Catholicism, the poor are vulnerable people who we should care for moral and human reasons.
Paul Ryan, unless he implodes, is the next generation of conservative leader. The problem he has for electability is that, like all legislators, he has a documented record.
"According to Paul Ryan's inspiration Ayn Rand,"
In an April interview with the National Review, Ryan said that the reports linking him to Rand were essentially “an urban legend.”
“I reject her philosophy,” Ryan told the National Review. “It’s an atheist philosophy. It reduces human interactions down to mere contracts and it is antithetical to my worldview.” He added that he had merely “enjoyed a couple of her novels,”
"the poor are useless parasites"
let us know when you find a quote from Ryan like this
"According to Paul Ryan's professed faith, Catholicism, the poor are vulnerable people who we should care for moral and human reasons"
grammatical error alert
one thing that Catholics and liberals have in common is a failure to distinguish between the state and the church
the biblical command is to be generous with the less fortunate
liberal theology is that they can do more for the poor by supporting governmental confiscation of the wealth of all succcessful people for redistribution to unsuccessful people
can you see how warped this is?
all elements of human interaction like genuine compassion and gratitude are replaced with confiscation, redistribution and entitlement
Ryan supports a safety net and equal opportunity
he doesn't support egalitarianism
neither does America
"Paul Ryan, unless he implodes, is the next generation of conservative leader"
Robo, unless he implodes, is the current national buffoon
see how the implosion remark could work for anyone, Robo?
now, don't you feel embarassed?
"The problem he has for electability is that, like all legislators, he has a documented record"
dude, it's nothing like the problem obama has
Ryan has been re-elcted to his current post seven times but has no record performing VP or P duites
but Sir Barry, we know pretty darn well how he'll do as President
disaster!
"liberal theology is that they can do more for the poor by supporting governmental confiscation of the wealth of all succcessful people for redistribution to unsuccessful people"
good point
liberals don't want to give to the poor
they want the government to force someone else to
surveys have shown that Repubs contribute significantly more to charity than Dems do
and, oh, this Robo the Hobo is a real moron
Y'all don't think Ryan is the up-and-coming conservative leader?
It's funny when anonymous people make fun of my name.
rrjr
when you're the topic, Chobo, all kinds of things are funny!!
It's nice to be so loved.
that's what Paul Ryan and Chik-fil-A have been saying
"It's funny when anonymous people make fun of my name"
he cackles as he beats his head against the wall in the rubber room and strains to his arms out of his strait jacket sleeves
"up-and-coming"
no comment
Have you had your weekly Sunday afternoon/Monday morning fix of verbally abusing a gay man now, Anon? Will that hold you for a few hours or days?
What a jerk.
oh, me and Rubo are old insult sparrers,
it's all in fun
we're just letting you guys watch
btw, the first poll of likely voters covering the time since Romney made his stupendous VP selection is out
Ramussen says Romney is up by 3
I thought that was gonna happen!!
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan — the freshly minted Republican vice presidential candidate — got an immediate ratings boost in the wake of his selection as Mitt Romney’s running-mate, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Little known nationally before Saturday’s announcement, favorable impressions of Ryan jumped 15 percentage points among the overall electorate with positive views soaring from 55 to 70 percent.
Ramussen [sic ] says Romney is up by 3
Uh huh. And the RCP average of polls for 081312, including this Rasmussen outlier, is Obama 47.7% to Romney 43.7%, a 4 point margin, outside the margin of error for every poll included.
So what else is new?
Oh yeah
This is new
Video: Pawlenty: I provided "several years" of tax returns to Romney campaign
"Uh huh. And the RCP average of polls for 081312, including this Rasmussen outlier, is Obama 47.7% to Romney 43.7%, a 4 point margin, outside the margin of error for every poll included.
So what else is new?"
this comments is a blatant attempt to deceive
the only poll RCP lists of likely voters SINCE ROMNEY MADE HIS STUPENDOUS VP SELECTION is Ramussen, which shows Romney ahead by 3
there is also another poll covering this period, but it is of all registered voters but even that shows a tie
alot of new folks registered after being deceived by Obama last time
they had never voted before and won't this time
hope that helps with the TTF reading comprehension deficit!!
the only poll RCP lists of likely voters SINCE ROMNEY MADE HIS STUPID VP SELECTION is Ramussen [sic], which shows Romney ahead by 3
And what is Rasmussen's margin of error for that very same poll?
Three percentage points.
So per Rasmussen, Romney's "lead" IS the margin of error.
It's obvious who has the scientific method comprehension deficit!
But by all mean, keep pinning all your hopes on Rasmussen's findings just like you did in 2008, when Rasmussen said McCain was going to win throughout most of the race, but instead Obama won by a landslide.
"And what is Rasmussen's margin of error for that very same poll?
Three percentage points."
so what?
every poll has a margin of error
"So per Rasmussen, Romney's "lead" IS the margin of error."
well, granted, polls are pretty much deadlocked
so why does the liberal press act like Obama is cakewalking to victory and Romney's campaign is collapsing?
"It's obvious who has the scientific method comprehension deficit!"
that would be you
again, the Ramussen poll is of LIKELY voters and taken since ROMNEY MADE HIS STUPENDOUS SELECTION FOR VP
all the other polls in the RCP average are dated and most are taken of either all Americans or registered voters, not likely voters
"But by all mean, keep pinning all your hopes on Rasmussen's findings just like you did in 2008, when Rasmussen said McCain was going to win throughout most of the race, but instead Obama won by a landslide."
I don't pin my hopes on that
I pin my hopes on the fact that Americans has always opposed socialism and believed in individual freedom
Obama's election was an aberration
the Reagan era still holds as seen clearly in the 2010 election
Today's Rasmussen Presidential Tracking Poll is unchanged from yesterday's.
Today Rasmussen reports:
"This is the first daily update based entirely upon interviews conducted after Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan was introduced as Mitt Romney’s running mate on Saturday. The announcement so far has had little impact on the numbers."
Romney picked Ryan because even in August, he still needed to secure GOP base voters. To win the general election in November, however, Romney should have picked a VP who would bring in women, minority, and independent voters, groups he is losing badly to Obama.
"There aren’t a whole lot of similarities between Paul Ryan and Sarah Palin. Unlike Palin, Ryan is bright and is considered a policy wonk. But there’s one clear similarity between the two: Both were picked to be on the ticket out of desperation.
Nate Silver had it exactly right when he Tweeted:
I think Ryan pick (if rumors true) indicates bearish view from Romney campaign. Not a pick you make if you think you’re ahead.
Ben Smith of Politico likewise tweeted that this pick was “the first real surprise move in Romney’s political career.” And David Frum said that with this pick Romney had “converted what ought to be an easy win for the out party into the biggest gamble since 1964.” Why? Social Security and Medicare. Romney has played it coy on whether he supports the Ryan plan to privatize those programs, trying to prevent that plan from being hung around his neck, but he has now hung that albatross on himself. The Ryan plan is now his plan and it is wildly unpopular with middle class and older voters, both usually firm members of the Republican coalition.
This is a hail mary pass, made as the campaign has begun to clearly turn in Obama’s favor in the swing state polls. Will it work better than McCain’s desperation move of picking Palin in 2008? It won’t be that disastrous. Ryan will not look unpresidential and will not scare people at the thought of him having to take over for Romney for some reason; no sane person could see Palin try to answer simple questions and have confidence that she could run the country. But the Obama campaign is already cuing up their ads on the Ryan plan and those ads are likely to be very effective. David Frum knows exactly what those ads will look like:
A woman’s voice over. “You’ve worked hard all your life. You’ve paid Medicare taxes for almost 30 years. But under the Republican plan, Medicare won’t be there for you. Instead of Medicare as it exists now, under the Republican plan you’ll get a voucher that will pay as little as half your Medicare costs when you turn 65—and as little as a quarter in your 80s. And all so that millionaires and billionaires can have a huge tax cut.”
That ad will draw blood and will—as Henry Kissinger used to say—have the additional merit of being true.
Conservative bloggers and pundits will love it; independent voters and the elderly, who vote in high numbers, will not."
http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/08/13/paul-ryan-sarah-palin/
No Immediate Lift For Romney From Picking Ryan
"WASHINGTON | Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:28am EDT
(Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney received no immediate boost to his White House bid by naming U.S. Representative Paul Ryan as vice presidential running mate, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday.
Some 51 percent of those surveyed said the decision did not change their opinion of Romney, a former private-equity executive and Massachusetts governor who will face President Barack Obama in the November 6 election.
Another 26 percent in the online poll said they viewed Romney more favorably after he added the 42-year-old Wisconsin congressman to the ticket on Saturday, while 23 percent said they viewed him less favorably.
The survey of 508 registered voters was conducted for Reuters from August 11 to August 13.
Ryan is a polarizing figure in Washington, where he has led his party's push to cut domestic spending, lower taxes and scale back the size of the federal government as chairman of the House of Representatives Budget Committee.
A hero to conservatives, Ryan has given Romney a jolt of energy on the campaign trail after several difficult weeks marked by gaffes and continued questions about his personal finances. The two men basked in the cheers of thousands of supporters at campaign stops in North Carolina on Sunday.
But Ryan remains largely unknown to the wider public.
While 80 percent of those surveyed said they had at least heard of Ryan, only 35 percent said they were familiar with him.
Some 42 percent said they did not know whether he was qualified or not to be president - a higher percentage than the 33 percent who said he was not qualified and the 26 percent who said he was.
One warning sign for the Romney campaign: by a margin of 44 percent to 29 percent, voters said the incumbent vice president, Joe Biden, was more qualified than Ryan to serve as president if the need arose...."
...Ryan's signature proposal would change the popular Medicare health plan for the elderly into a voucher program that would give future retirees a fixed amount of money to buy traditional Medicare insurance or competing private plans.
Ryan says that approach would rein in spiraling medical costs that threaten the program's solvency in coming decades. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that one version of Ryan's plan, passed by the House last year, would increase retiree's out-of-pocket medical costs by about $6,400 annually....
GOP pros fret over Paul Ryan
"You’ve heard them on television and read them on POLITICO — cheerful, defiant statements from Republican political professionals about Mitt Romney’s bold masterstroke in tapping Paul Ryan as his running mate, and turning the 2012 presidential race into a serious, far-reaching debate about budgets and the nation’s future.
Don’t buy it.
Away from the cameras, and with all the usual assurances that people aren’t being quoted by name, there is an unmistakable consensus among Republican operatives in Washington: Romney has taken a risk with Ryan that has only a modest chance of going right — and a huge chance of going horribly wrong.
In more than three dozen interviews with Republican strategists and campaign operatives — old hands and rising next-generation conservatives alike — the most common reactions to Ryan ranged from gnawing apprehension to hair-on-fire anger that Romney has practically ceded the election.
It is not that the public professions of excitement about the Ryan selection are totally insincere. It is that many of the most optimistic Republican operatives will privately acknowledge that their views are being shaped more by fingers-crossed hope than by a hard-headed appraisal of what’s most likely to happen.
And the more pessimistic strategists don’t even feign good cheer: They think the Ryan pick is a disaster for the GOP. Many of these people don’t care that much about Romney — they always felt he faced an improbable path to victory — but are worried that Ryan’s vocal views about overhauling Medicare will be a millstone for other GOP candidates in critical House and Senate races."...
this is funny:
"Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) made an abrupt announcement on Tuesday, saying that he would be stepping down immediately from his Central California congressional seat.
"In light of the fact that nothing is going to happen for the rest of the year, this seemed the right time to make this move," Cardoza said in an interview published Tuesday by the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert.
First elected to serve the 18th Congressional District in 2002, Cardoza would have faced the prospect of a bruising election in order to prolong his political career. In announcing his resignation plans, he blasted the Obama administration for its "failure to understand and effectively address the current housing foreclosure crisis."
Cardoza's seat will be vacated effective midnight on Wednesday, but no special election will be held due to the timing of his resignation."
btw, further evidence that Ryan has enhanced the Romney candidacy:
Ramussen today reported that polls of likely voters show a dead heat in Ohio, a vital swing state where Obama had been leading.
this ain't goin' well for Dems at all!!
"Ramussen today reported that polls of likely voters show a dead heat in Ohio,"
Today at RCP, the average of polls in Ohio show Obama ahead by four points, including the ever present Rasmussen outlier. Today, while Rasmussen is showing a tie in Ohio, four other most recent Ohio polls show Obama up by 3-8 percentage points.
On August 11, 2012, Romney picked Congressman Ryan for his running mate.
On August 14, 2012, Gallup reported: Congress Approval Ties All-Time Low at 10%
"Americans' approval of Congress has been below 20% since June 2011"
June 2011 was six months after the Grand Old Tea Party picked up the majority of seats in the House of Representatives.
June 2011 was the summer the House Grand Old Tea Party decided to stage a United States' debt ceiling fight (Debt ceiling fight is here) causing our US credit rating to be lowered for the first time ever (S&P downgrades U.S. credit rating for first time).
Read all about the "Tea Party Movement's Magical Thinking" at RCP today.
In an interview with NBC set to air Thursday, Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said her husband's campaign will not release any additional tax returns to the public ahead of the election.
"We have been very transparent to what's legally required of us," Romney told reporter Natalie Morales, according to excerpts from NBC News. "There's going to be no more tax releases given."
The Romney campaign has released his 2010 tax return and he has said he will release the 2011 return, which is on extension, when complete. Politicians and pundits from both sides of the aisle have been pressuring Romney for weeks to disclose more of his tax history, culminating with a claim from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) two weeks ago that he'd heard from an early investor in Bain Capital that Romney didn’t pay any taxes for a decade. Romney has denied that claim.
There are no legal requirements that a Presidential candidate release any tax returns and the confidentiality of returns filed with the IRS is protected by law.
Ann Romney said that releasing more details on the family's taxes would merely give the Obama campaign "more ammunition." The Romneys' wealth is rumored to be as much as $250 million, and since much of Mitt Romney's earnings come from investments, he would pay a lower effective tax rate than many lesser-off Americans. But as for whether the campaign is trying to withhold embarrassing information, Ann Romney told NBC "there's nothing we're hiding."
Elsewhere in the interview, Ann Romney said she believes her husband can "save" America during a time of economic hardship.
"We have a reason why we're running and it's because I believe in my heart that Mitt is going to save America, that economically we are in such difficult times and that he is the person that’s going to pull us through this," she said."
"WASHINGTON — Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney charged Wednesday that President Barack Obama is running a campaign "of enmity and jealousy and anger" and called on him to lift the tone of political discourse.
Romney went on national television to say he thinks Obama is "running just to hang onto power, and I think he would do anything in his power" to remain in office.
"I think unhinged would have to characterize what we've seen from the president's campaign," he said.
"These personal attacks, I think, are just demeaning to the office of the White House," he added."
yes, Mitt, but he has to do that to take the focus off his dismal record
Joe Biden has said something stupid. Yeah, like, who saw that coming?
Joseph Biden was addressing a rally crowd in Danville, Va., on Tuesday that included hundreds of black people. He said Romney wants to get rid of new Wall Street regulations Obama signed into law after the financial collapse of 2008.
Then Biden said: "They're going to put y'all back in chains."
Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said Biden's comments are, quote, "not acceptable in our political discourse" and a, quote, "new low."
As hard as it is to believe, she may be right. A new low.
When will they hit the bottom of the rotten barrel?
On this date in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. On its 77th birthday, we hail Social Security as an American classic! Why?
Social Security has brought Americans together across generations. Working together, we've built a system that provides income and security for workers and their families when they need it — when income is lost due to retirement, disability, or death.
For three-quarters of a century, through wars, recessions, natural disasters — and stock market crashes — Social Security has made every payment, on time and in full.
Social Security is the foundation of retirement security for most Americans — especially women. Without income from Social Security, half of women 65 and older would be poor.
Social Security is a family insurance plan that protects young workers, their spouses, and their children. More than 3.2 million children rely on Social Security.
And Social Security is still going strong! Even with no changes, it can pay 100 percent of promised benefits for the next 20 years, and 75 percent of promised benefits after that. Yes, there's a long-term shortfall. But to put it in perspective: eliminating the entire 75-year shortfall costs about as much as extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the richest two percent.
"Romney went on national television to say he thinks Obama is "running just to hang onto power, and I think he would do anything in his power" to remain in office."
I think Romney is running for President to cut his income tax rate to nearly zero percent, like he paid in 2009 and before.
Mittless continues to refuse to release 12 years of tax forms like his father George Romney did, because, he said, "one year could be a fluke, perhaps done for show."
And now we know why Mittless picked Ryan to be his running mate:
Mitt Romney Would Pay 0.82 Percent in Taxes Under Paul Ryan's Plan
Rep. John Mica has fended off a tea party challenge in his Florida Republican primary, the AP reports.
Sarah-Palin-backed Rep. Sandy Adams failed to muster the votes to win in Florida’s new 7th district, which encompassed much of her current territory in the 112th Congress.
Palin, who endorsed Adams in July, was delivered her second primary-pick loss in as many weeks; Sarah Steelman’s loss in the Missouri GOP Senate primary last Tuesday broke Palin’s unbeaten streak in Senate-primary picks.
Driven by House redistricting, the race brought two conservative lawmakers into a heated clash, as Adams sought to paint Mica as a big spender for decades of Congressional earmarking.
Adams entered the House as part of the tea party class of 2010 and drew some attention by sponsoring a bill to prevent foreign law from being used in U.S. Courts. Mica, who is serving his 10th consecutive House term, won election in 1992 and is the younger brother of former Democratic Rep. Dan Mica, who became a prominent trade-association lawyer in Washington after his exit from Congress.
Was it wise, or just revealing, for Romney to choose someone who is much more explicit in terms of his economic policies than Romney himself?
"There aren’t a whole lot of similarities between Paul Ryan and Sarah Palin. Unlike Palin, Ryan is bright and is considered a policy wonk. But there’s one clear similarity between the two: Both were picked to be on the ticket out of desperation."
why would Romney be desperate?
the polls were about a dead heat and he was raising more money for the fall than Obama
"Nate Silver had it exactly right when he Tweeted:
I think Ryan pick indicates bearish view from Romney campaign. Not a pick you make if you think you’re ahead."
nice. assertion without any explanation equals magical thinking.
he said what I hope is true so he got it EXACTLY RIGHT!!
ho-ho-ho, Priya sits in front of the fireplace all night long waiting for something to come down the chimney
"Ben Smith of Politico likewise tweeted that this pick was “the first real surprise move in Romney’s political career.”"
likewise?
I mean that sounds nothing like the last tweet and isn't even necessarily negative
maybe Priya dug up a time capsule and gulped a handful of qualuudes
"And David Frum said that with this pick Romney had “converted what ought to be an easy win for the out party into the biggest gamble since 1964.” Why? Social Security and Medicare. Romney has played it coy on whether he supports the Ryan plan to privatize those programs, trying to prevent that plan from being hung around his neck, but he has now hung that albatross on himself."
everyone knows that both those prorams will have to be reformed to survive
they will soon also be reminded that Obama had to cut 800 billion from Medicare to get his Obamacare program to work
you know Obamacare, the national health program that will leave 30million Americans uninsured
"The Ryan plan is now his plan and it is wildly unpopular with middle class and older voters"
the hype machine is back on
wildly?
polls show most voters are unaware of it although if you have a Democrat pollster describe it to them, they will be opposed
I was at the county fair yesterday and stopped by the Democratic Party booth
they flatly told me that Ryan will cancel all social programs
the double R ticket are up against shameless liars in this election
"This is a hail mary pass, made as the campaign has begun to clearly turn in Obama’s favor in the swing state polls. Will it work better than McCain’s desperation move of picking Palin in 2008? It won’t be that disastrous. Ryan will not look unpresidential and will not scare people at the thought of him having to take over for Romney for some reason;"
interesting, because the Dems are trying hard to argue that Ryan is a mistake because he will scare everyone
"no sane person could see Palin try to answer simple questions and have confidence that she could run the country."
she answered simple questions fine and was subject to sexist attacks from the media
most commenters on both side agree that she, at a minimum, took a draw under debate questioning against Joe Biden
I watched it and, personally, thought she won
she was also shackled by the inept McCain campaign
going rogue after the election, she was a founder of the Tea Party and had a decisive role in the next mid-term election
you may remember one of the Houses of Congress turned Republican as a result
"But the Obama campaign is already cuing up their ads on the Ryan plan and those ads are likely to be very effective. David Frum knows exactly what those ads will look like:
A woman’s voice over. “You’ve worked hard all your life. You’ve paid Medicare taxes for almost 30 years. But under the Republican plan, Medicare won’t be there for you. Instead of Medicare as it exists now, under the Republican plan you’ll get a voucher that will pay as little as half your Medicare costs when you turn 65—and as little as a quarter in your 80s. And all so that millionaires and billionaires can have a huge tax cut.”
That ad will draw blood and will—as Henry Kissinger used to say—have the additional merit of being true."
actually, it's a lie
we've already discussed the SS and Medicare
additonally, the tax rates will be cut at all levels but loopholes will eliminated and the wealthy will pay about the same they do now, which is practically highway robbery
"Was it wise, or just revealing, for Romney to choose someone who is much more explicit in terms of his economic policies than Romney himself?"
bert, it was exremely shrewd
he knows that the election will be about the economy, stupid
and the media will have a hard time painting the double R ticket as incompetent when the media is already committed to portraying Ryan as brilliant
Romney the successful businessman has applied business theory successfully, Ryan adds the conceptual element
practice and theory in one package
and the White House is in a tizzy
because, let's face it: the media, and anyone lese for that matter, will have a very hard time painting the Obama-Biden team as competent
we've got three months to go and a lot to go over
how much you wanna bet that Biden looks like a damn fool after the VP debate?
Romney also got a lot of debating practice this Spring and beat back some tough competition
Obama should plan a lot of free overseas trips for his family for the Christmas break so he can stick us with the bill while he still can
a number of polls out today have very bad news for Obamiacs
-Ramussen poll of likely voters puts Romney ahead by 4
-Gallup poll of registered voters has Romney ahead by 2
-the renowned Purple Strategies poll which focuses on likely voters in swing states now puts Romney ahead in Ohio, Florida and Virginia
if those three states hold, it's over for Obama
tell me again how much the Ryan pick has hurt Romney
the coverage of the Ryan Pick has now established that the mainstream media has become as biased as Chris Matthews and MSNBC
sorry press, your heydey is over
the American public has your number
I GUESS THAT SHUT 'EM UP!!
Seems as if the GOP is once again whimsically ignoring our great nation's laws to do whatever it wants to do, and shooting itself in the foot in the process. Without any regard for copyright or intellectual property laws, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has, without permission, begun to use Silversun Pickups' 2009 smash "Panic Switch" at campaign stops across the country. Neither the band nor its representatives were contacted to gain permission for the use of the song and the band has no intention of endorsing the Romney campaign. The band's attorney issued a cease and desist today.
"We don't like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don't like the Romney campaign. We're nice, approachable people. We won't bite. Unless you're Mitt Romney! We were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that 'Panic Switch' really sends the message he intends."
Purple Strategies poll which focuses on likely voters in swing states now puts Romney ahead in Ohio, Florida and Virginia
if those three states hold, it's over for Obama
Tell that to RCP.
Today RCP Averages show:
Ohio has Obama up by 3 points
Florida has Obama up by 1.7 points
Virginia has Obama up by 2.2 points
And Colorado has Obama up by 1 point
As Americans learn about Ryan's preference for the morality of a radical, religion-eschewing Russian atheist, Ayn Rand and her cult of selfishness, over Jesus' teaching on how we should treat the poor, the race will continue to move toward Obama.
"Seems as if the GOP is once again whimsically ignoring our great nation's laws to do whatever it wants to do, and shooting itself in the foot in the process. Without any regard for copyright or intellectual property laws, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has, without permission, begun to use Silversun Pickups' 2009 smash "Panic Switch" at campaign stops across the country. Neither the band nor its representatives were contacted to gain permission for the use of the song and the band has no intention of endorsing the Romney campaign. The band's attorney issued a cease and desist today."
great way for an obscure band to get some publicity
actually, the Romney campaign has every right to use the song as it has paid for a blanket license to BMI and ASCAP, which compensates "artists" like the Silverspun whatevers
the Romney campaign had it play, with a number of other songs, during set-up at an event in NC long before Romney had arrived
the song isn't that great and the Romney campaign has happily agreed to stop giving it free publicity
"Tell that to RCP."
I don't need to. they told me. the Purple Strategies polls were highlighted on their sidebar last night because of the signifigance of the Romney resurgence in the swing states
"Today RCP Averages show:
Ohio has Obama up by 3 points
Florida has Obama up by 1.7 points
Virginia has Obama up by 2.2 points
And Colorado has Obama up by 1 point"
sad
you know as well as I do, because I've explained it to you, that the RCP averages includes polls that are dated and most of which are of all registered voters, not likely voters
"As Americans learn about Ryan's preference for the morality of a radical, religion-eschewing Russian atheist, Ayn Rand and her cult of selfishness, over Jesus' teaching on how we should treat the poor, the race will continue to move toward Obama."
Ryan has stated that he liked a couple of her novels years ago but that he does not endorse objectivism
one current absurdity of the modern liberal is that they feel like they are being unselfish if they force other people to give up their money
liberals, who as a whole don't give much money to charity, don't want their taxes raised but feel they are being compassionate if they work to have other people's taxes raised
huh?
charity belongs at a level closer to the recipient
society should have safety nets but the Federal government is the least efficient and effective way to deliver them
it's the economy, stupid
"WASHINGTON — The recession that ended three years ago this summer has been followed by the feeblest economic recovery since the Great Depression.
Since World War II, 10 U.S. recessions have been followed by a recovery that lasted at least three years. An Associated Press analysis shows that by just about any measure, the one that began in June 2009 is the weakest.
The ugliness goes well beyond unemployment, which at 8.3 percent is the highest this long after a recession ended.
Economic growth has never been weaker in a postwar recovery. Consumer spending has never been so slack. Only once has job growth been slower.
More than in any other post-World War II recovery, people who have jobs are hurting, too: Their paychecks have fallen behind inflation."
Former Rep. Artur Davis, who co-chaired President Obama's campaign in 2008, will be campaigning for Mitt Romney on Wednesday in Virginia.
Davis seconded Obama’s nomination at the 2008 Democratic Convention.
The former four-term Democrat will be working the Romney campaign in Arlington, Va. He'll be meeting with GOP Victory Chairman Pete Snyder."
Obamacare is Romneycare 'with three more zeroes' says architect of both
Perhaps President Obama’s greatest legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act, was made possible by an unlikely person: Gov. Mitt Romney.
“The Affordable Care Act is a Massachusetts bill with three more zeros,” MIT professor John Gruber, one of the architects of the Massachusetts bill quipped on The Ed Show Wednesday. “It really is a similar approach.”
Gruber and his Harvard colleague John McDonough, who was also instrumental in the writing the Massachusetts bill, were often consulted in the crafting of Obamacare, Gruber said, and the plans have a lot in common.
“John and I were constantly shuttling back and forth being asked ‘how did you do it in Massachusetts?’”
But it was Romneycare's overwhelming success in Massachusetts that really helped to pave the way for the ACA.
“The success we had in Massachusets was instrumental in making politicans feel more comfortable in what they were about to do [with ACA]," Gruber said. "Romneycare had two goals: They wanted to cover the uninsured, we’ve covered nearly all our uninsured, and they wanted to fix the broken non-group market. Premiums in our non-group market have fallen by more than 50 percent.”
Of course, you wouldn't know it from Romney's rhetoric on the issue. He says he wants to repeal Obamacare, while rarely talking about his own law.
August 15, 2012
Mitt Romney: Ryan will fall in line on Medicare
"(CBS News) In his solo first interview since tapping Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney on Wednesday attempted to create daylight between his plan for Medicare and his running mate's controversial budget proposal, telling CBS News that Ryan had joined his campaign - not vice versa.
"Congressman Ryan has joined my campaign, and his campaign is my campaign now," the presumptive Republican presidential candidate told CBS This Morning.
Ryan's budget has become a lightning-rod for debate in the days since he joined the GOP ticket, particularly in light of his controversial budget plan, which includes an overhaul of the Medicare system. The Romney campaign has gone on the offensive on Medicare, attempting to own the conversation by hitting President Obama for allegedly trying to "rob" Medicare of $716 billion to pay for his health care plan. Ryan's budget incorporates the $700 billion in savings achieved under Obamacare.
Asked about the Ryan budget's proposed Medicare cuts, Romney on Wednesday suggested that the Wisconsin Republican would fall into line to support a plan that excluded such reductions.
August 16, 2012
Mitt Romney: Paul Ryan Medicare Plan And Mine Are The Same, 'If Not Identical'
"WASHINGTON -- Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney said Wednesday his Medicare plan was "close to identical" to that of his vice-presidential choice, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), marking a full public embrace of the proposal from which his campaign initially sought to distance itself.
"Actually, Paul Ryan and my plan for Medicare, I think, is the same, if not identical -- it's probably close to identical," he told Green Bay station WBAY. Ryan, as a House member, in 2011 proposed shifting Medicare entirely to a voucher-like system, then tweaked the proposal in 2012 to offer traditional Medicare alongside private plans.
"Our plan is, for people 55 years of age and older, there's no change. The only change I'd mention for 55 or older is we'd restore the $817 billion President Obama took out of the Medicare trust fund," said Romney.
Romney initially misstated the Congressional Budget Office's estimate of the cost increase -- $716 billion -- that a repeal of the Obama health care law would entail for Medicare over 10 years. That reduction doesn't come from patient care, but changes in hospital payments and Medicare Advantage payments to private insurers.
Romney did not answer why he did not object to the $716 billion cut when it was included among the savings in Ryan's proposal."
news flash to the moron who thinks Medicare is a slam dunk issue for Obama:
Obamacare will force millions of seniors off Medicare Advantage plan they currently enjoy
Ryancare will make absolutely no changes for ten years and in ten years seniors will be able to choose to stay with their current plan or switch to private insurance with a voucher
I think after the deceptive advertising by Obama has been vetted by the elderly population, which has time on their hands to do such analysis, they'll rightly conclude that Ryan has the better option for them
Putting aside political views and inevitable legislative challenges still to come, seniors are big winners in the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision supporting Obamacare. The court upheld just about the entire law, including its most controversial feature—the individual mandate that will by 2014 require nearly every American to have health insurance or pay a penalty to the IRS....
Among the provisions that have already taken effect are two measures that are currently helping Medicare beneficiaries:
Medicare drug prices. This is one of the biggest direct Medicare benefits under health reform. Over several years, the law is set to reduce the amount of money that Medicare drug plans (Part D of Medicare) can charge for drugs when their coverage lapses in what's known as the "doughnut hole." Price reductions that have already taken effect have saved Medicare consumers billions of dollars in drug costs, the government estimates.
Preventive health services. Health reform greatly expanded the menu of free preventive services to Medicare consumers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said more than 14 million Medicare users get at least one free preventive health service during the first five months of 2012.
In addition, the law includes potentially far-reaching changes that would make it easier for seniors to receive medical services in their homes instead of institutional settings like nursing homes.
Senior rights groups were uniformly upbeat about the ruling. "You will get more and you will pay less for it," said Max Richtman, head of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare. Seniors already have saved billions in drug prices, he noted. "The average Medicare beneficiary will continue to save about $650 a year," he added. "That's real money, especially to seniors."
It's also real money to taxpayers.
The fine print:
• No-cost preventive services: Medicare Advantage plans don’t have to offer this new benefit, but many of them already do.
• Medicare Advantage changes: The extra Medicare payments that private Medicare Advantage plans have been getting will phase out over the next several years, starting in 2011. That may change your benefits or out-of-pocket costs if you are in one of these plans. But 76% of Medicare recipients won’t be paying these extra costs, and Advantage plans that provide high-quality care will get bonus payments.
New poll finds Medicare more important to voters than healthcare reform law
"Medicare ranks first in voters' minds and considerably above President Obama's healthcare overhaul as Americans decide who they will support for president, according to a new poll.
The Affordable Care Act came in fifth on a list of healthcare issues polled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, with about six in 10 calling the divisive 2010 law important to their vote.
Medicare received top billing, meanwhile, with 73 percent saying it is either "extremely" or "very" important as they make their choice for president.
The finding comes as Medicare takes center stage in the race for the White House, eclipsing previous debates over the Affordable Care Act.
Mitt Romney's choice of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as a running mate means Ryan's proposals to partially privatize the major health entitlement are in the spotlight. The two parties have been picking fights on the issue since Ryan's vice-presidential debut.
According to the new Kaiser poll, 58 percent of voters say the 2010 healthcare law is important to their vote.
The issue ranked behind four other healthcare issues, the poll found: Medicare, Medicaid, the cost of health insurance and the need to provide coverage for the uninsured.
A slight majority (51 percent) also told Kaiser they do not understand Romney's proposals on healthcare, compared with 72 percent who say they grasp Obama's.
Medicare's significance to voters could spell trouble for the Romney-Ryan ticket in light of another recent polling figure.
According to a survey from Kaiser and The Washington Post, a strong majority of voters (58 percent) want Medicare to remain the way it is rather than see it partially privatized.
The figure comprised majorities in all political affiliations, including the GOP — 68 percent of Democrats, 53 percent of independents and 55 percent of Republicans said Medicare should stay the same, not change according to the premium-support model advocated by Ryan. "
polls show that seniors are one of the groups most opposed to Obamacare
it's not that they are unaware of anything
it's been discussed ad infinatrem for three years
right now, Obama is trying to convince them that Ryan wants to cancel Medicare when he is actually proposing no changes for over a decade and, even then, the changes are voluntary and anyone who wants can stick with the current plan
both the Washington Post editorial page and Michael Gerson's column today voice denunciations of the defamatory Obama ad campaign
there are even rumors that the Washington Post may endorse Romney over this issue alone
so sad when Americans believed Obama four years ago when he said he would change the tone of political discourse in this country
he has
but no one thought he meant for the worse
Had Obama not changed course, this country would have hurdled over the precipice Bush left looming with GOP policies of cutting income while increasing outflow and job growth under Obama would not have exceeded job growth during Bush's entire 8 years.
Rasmussen reports on the latest views of likely voters
Friday, August 17, 2012
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows President Obama attracting support from 46% of voters nationwide, while Mitt Romney earns the vote from 45%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and six percent (6%) are undecided.
I'm afraid you're wrong
Obama is now saying that the recession at the very end of Bush's presidency was so bad that it will take years to recover
but, if so, then the Keynesian approach was completely misguided as it is a short-term solution
if Obama is right and things won't return to normal for a decade, we should be working on long-term structural reforms, such as Ryan is proposing
now more than ever, it's obvious Bush has no idea what he's doing
now more than ever, it's obvious Bush has no idea what he's doing
You've got that partially right.
"Now more than ever, it's obvious Romney, Ryan and Bush have no idea what they're doing"
dude, unemployment during most if Bush's term was non-existent
during Obama's term, it's the new default
his only economic plan is to raise taxes a couple of points on the upper 2 percent of taxpayers
you know what? we tried that. that's what got us into the mess we were in in 1979.
Obama has taken us back to days of Jimmy Carter and expects to be re-elected for it
his only economic plan is to raise taxes a couple of points on the upper 2 percent of taxpayers
you know what? we tried that. that's what got us into the mess we were in in 1979.
Under Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, top tax rates were reduced in 1921, 1924, 1926, and 1928. Mellon argued that lower rates would spur economic growth. By 1928, the top rate was scaled down to 24% and the income threshold for paying this rate fell to $100,000 ($1 million 2007 dollars).
And we all know what happened in October of 1929, don't we?
In 1944, there was a 94 percent tax bracket on income above $200,000. The top tax rate dropped to a low in 1988 of 28 percent on income above $29,750 a year. The top bracket then rose to 39.6 percent between 1993 and 2000, [and led to the Clinton surplus] before the Bush tax cuts helped reduce it to today's level of 35 percent.
What we tried before was cutting taxes a lot at the top and waiting for economic growth and jobs to trickle down. All we got for believing *wink-wink* GOP "promises" in the early 2000s is the Great Bush Recession.
Mellon sold us on an idea and in 7 years, those ideas lead this nation into the great depression. Bush with Cheney's tie-breaker 51st vote in the Senate sold us on some similar ideas, and in less than 10 years, those ideas led us to the great recession.
And here come RomneyRyan, trying to sell the same pile of crap again which will surely send us back into another great depression/recession.
btw, the first poll of likely voters covering the time since Romney made his stupendous VP selection is out
Ramussen says Romney is up by 3
Romney chose Ryan for his running mate and a couple of days later, Rasmussen found Romney was up by three. A couple more days after that, Rasmussen now shows a change -- Obama leads Romney.
Not much of a Ryan bounce.
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