By Harold Meyerson -- The Washington Post
November 11, 2009
"In 2009, though, 10 months have come and gone, and of the president's major initiatives, only the emergency stimulus package has been enacted. Health care and climate change bills have passed the House but have yet to move in the Senate. Financial reform limps along in both chambers; proponents of labor law reform await a resolution of health care before taking this up again.
Why is 2009 so different from 1933 and 1965? For one thing, the Republicans are different. In 1933 and 1965, there were moderate and even liberal Republicans -- George Norris and Fiorello LaGuardia in 1933, Jacob Javits and Thomas Kuchel in 1965, to name a few -- who voted with the Democrats. Today, there are virtually no moderate Republicans. The GOP base has shrunk to the white South as Republicans have become uniformly conservative, and their elected officials deviate from radical-right orthodoxy at their peril.
The other reason is the decline of the Senate, where no measure of any substance can pass without the 60 votes needed to ensure movement. There are 58 Democrats and two independents who caucus with them. But Democrats have ditherers within their ranks.
At least three Democratic senators -- Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Louisiana's Mary Landrieu and Nebraska's Ben Nelson -- haven't even agreed to vote to permit health-care legislation to come to the floor. They may believe it's in their interest to come across as slowing down the process (which is already flowing with all the speed of molasses on a winter day). But it is surely not in the nation's interest to have one of its two legislative bodies dead set against legislating, which is the absurd reality the three are reinforcing.
Nor is it in the interest of their party. The Democrats and Obama supporters who flocked to the polls one year ago had reasonable expectations that the promise of change embodied in an Obama presidency and large congressional majorities would be real. Republicans understand that if they can keep the Democrats from delivering on that promise, as they did in the first two years of Bill Clinton's presidency, Democratic turnout in next year's midterm elections will collapse, as it did in Virginia and New Jersey last week. Why Democratic members of the Senate want to abet this process is beyond comprehension."
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Done little? Obama has increased unemployment over 10%, currently ruining the car industry, make the country less safe, redistributed wealth and much more. I think his socialist agenda is right on track. He's trying to do more but the conscious of the American people has slowed him down considerably.
Republicans are gaining ground because the failure of the democrats to understand the American people.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/124226/Republicans-Edge-Ahead-Democrats-2010-Vote.aspx
Unemployment would be far higher than 10.2% if not for Obama's Stimulus package. The economy was wrecked when Obama took over and it still would be, if not for the Stimulus package.
If Conservatives would get out of the way and let Obama enact his programs, unemployment would be reduced very quickly.
CJP please tell me how he has helped unemployment. Don't be afraid to use real details.
The American car industry was ruined by Toyota, Honda and Mercedes -- by foreign countries producing cars that ran better, were more fuel-efficient, and lasted longer than the cars Detroit was turning out.
That's why Detroit auto companies were on the verge of going bust and, if Conservatives had their way, America's auto companies would simply have been allowed to go bankrupt the way so many of their suppliers and manufacturers have already done.
"The American car industry was ruined by Toyota, Honda and Mercedes -- by foreign countries producing cars that ran better, were more fuel-efficient, and lasted longer than the cars Detroit was turning out."
Car industry ruined by a democrats best friend: The Unions!! People making $60 an hour to change tires. That and the friendly relationships with democrats ruined the car industry!
Please try another real detail. Try to make it real.
Let me add that Obama could have let them file chapter 11 and renogotiate their contracts but he was more interested in making sure the unions get their money. Why not? Obama will just keep bailing them out insuring that the unions always get there money!
The auto companies had unions for years. They survived and thrived through all those union years.
Only in recent years, with more and better foreign cars entering the US market, have the US auto companies gotten into this kind of trouble. It's the competition from foreign auto companies, not unions, that have cut into US automakers' sales.
$60 an hour to change tires?!?!? As some point you reach the straw that breaks the camels back. American auto insurance companies cannot survive paying that type of union salary for non-skilled work. They will never again be able to compete that way. They will always be at the bottom. Please, your next attempt at a point.
Here's what the dems would like you to believe.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/11/11/stimulus_fund_job_benefits_exaggerated_review_finds/
Why don't you talk about these fake numbers CJP? Add some facts to your bias!
Although this Boston Globe article said that the number of new jobs created by the Stimulus program in Massachusetts has been exaggerated, even this "expose" article cited the following clear benefits of the stimulus package to Massachusetts:
"To be sure, the legislation has accomplished an important goal: funding public services facing the ax after the recession created gaping shortfalls in state and local government budgets. So Worcester and Lynn, for example, were able to keep police officers targeted for layoffs, schools across the state lost far fewer teachers, and community agencies preserved staff in the face of mounting demands for social services."
"mounting demands for social services."
The democrat plan of destroying the economy.
Hey hispanicontheright, you NEED to QUIT SMOKING THAT CRACK or at least start using a different dealer then Rush Limpballs, Glen Beck & the rest of Faux "news" cause that is some WHACK CRACK! You'll just have to learn the hard way how the republicunts treat the non whites in their party, especially the Hispanics man! You need to use google a find out what they do to Hispanic G No P "members" when they finally get sick of selling out, refuse to sell out, bring criticism from Rush Limpballs or any of the sellout Faux News "people" or criticism from within the party or from the public: they just kick you out and "ask" you to resign if you hold any position & if you refuse to resign they will spread rumors & do everything possible to make sure that the public will demand u resign & they will make sure to kill ur "career", reputation, tear your family apart etc.... there is NOTHING that they will not do!!!
You are either rich or ignorant(live in the south) because the repukes DO NOT CARE about ANYONE except themselves, SUPER RICH "people", corporations & their rich donors! They could care less about the middle & lower classes! Remember how many time McSame & Failin said "MIDDLE CLASS" during their ENTIRE(2 YEARS+) campaign??? LESS THEN 30 & THAT'S BEING GENEROUS!!! WAKE UP!!! HAVE U EVER NOTICED THE AREAS WITH LOW IQs & LESS/BAD EDUCATION THE MORE PEOPLE ARE & VOTE REPUBLICUNTS! WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE REPUKES LOVE TO CUT SCHOOL FUNDING WHENEVER THEY GET A CHANCE? BECAUSE ALL EDUCATION DOES IS CREATE "SOCIALIST ELITIST LIBERALS" & YOU KNOW WHY, MOST PEOPLE WITH AN EDUCATION & AN IQ ABOVE 50 WILL NOT FALL FOR THE REPUKES SCARE TACTICS & SEE THEM FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE, GREEDY, POWER HUNGRY, RACISTS, BOTTOM FEEDING SCUMBAGS!!! SO PRETTY MUCH THEY ARE JUST LIKE JEWS MINUS THE RELIGION! MAN YOU ARE ONE IGNORANT TWIT! I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE @$$*%&@#! YOU ARE BETRAYING YOUR "ROOTS" YOU NATIONALITY, "YOUR HISPANIC BROTHERS & SISTERS!!!"
Adam, how did the "Jews" creep into your discussion? I thought the vast majority of Jews were with the Democratic Party, supporting Obama and his policies.
How did you manage to line the Jews up with your "Repukes" and your "Republicunts"?
"HAVE U EVER NOTICED THE AREAS WITH LOW IQs & LESS/BAD EDUCATION THE MORE PEOPLE ARE & VOTE REPUBLICUNTS!"
Are you that stupid or are you just acting!! It's the democrats who contstantly ruin minorities education by giving them social promotion!! I moved from the Bronx because I wanted my kids to pass in school because they were prepared. NOT SOCIALLY PROMOTED!! DEMOCRATS ARE RUINING MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS EDUCATION THEREBY RUINING THEIR CHANCES TO COMPETE IN THE JOB MARKET!!
"How did you manage to line the Jews up with your "Repukes" and your "Republicunts"?"
CJP, this is what happens when you let ASSHOLES talk long enough!! They show their true colors!! mAdam IS A RACIST, RACIST LITTLE MAN!! A JEW HATER!!!! mAdam, are you burning any crosses today??
I'm so glad that I'm open minded enough to know that 99% of libs don't think this way. CJP, RayGun and others are really good people. We just have a difference in opinions. mAdam ON THE OTHER HAND IS A TOTALLY RACIST PIECE OF SHIT!!!
"HAVE U EVER NOTICED THE AREAS WITH LOW IQs & LESS/BAD EDUCATION THE MORE PEOPLE ARE & VOTE REPUBLICUNTS!"
Hey mAdam, you stupid fucking racist piece of shit!! Stick this up your ass and digest it for a while!! This is a perfect example of what democrat education policy does for there constituents!! Then they blame republicans when they can't compete for a job with more intelligent people!! This is exactly what I DON'T WANT FOR MY KIDS!! Read it slow ASSHOLE!!
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/11/12/2009-11-12_cunys_got_math_problem_many_freshmen_from_city_hs_fail_at_basic_algebra.html
Holy crap! No he's bringing in the Jews? Always the Jews, right? Scary, very scary!
If he knew what he was talking about he would know that the areas with the worst schools and the highest poverty levels are traditionally Democratic areas. That is the truth. The wonderful programs keep everyone equal: equally poor and stupid! It is a progressive agenda!
And yes HOTR---I see incomes in my profession everyday. There were riviters making $70,000 per year at GM. The Unions did tremoundous damage to GM and as a resident of Michigan, I know that to be a fact!!!
"If he knew what he was talking about he would know that the areas with the worst schools and the highest poverty levels are traditionally Democratic areas. That is the truth. The wonderful programs keep everyone equal: equally poor and stupid! It is a progressive agenda!" Casey
Democrat policies have always killed ambition and motivation in minorities. Why work hard if the government will give you a handout? Schools get the most funding and still have the highest dropout rates. Great job the teachers union is doing. They pass these kids who can't read at correct levels. They in turn become adults that can't get good jobs so they need to turn to social programs that the dems are happy to give. Then the dems tell them how much they do for them. Sadly minorities don't pay attention and keep voting the dems in so they can get the social programs because they feel they can't make it on their own.
Minorities have made enormous progress over the past few decades, HOTR, with the assistance of government programs.
All you have to do is visit Harlem and see the difference between where it is now compared to 30 years ago. Property values there have sky-rocketed.
More and more blacks have entered the middle class, are living in better housing, and are far better off economically than they were 20 or 30 years ago. This progress would not have been possible without government programs to help move people up the economic ladder.
Whoa. I wouldn't say that the government did that. That is the result of many factors. The same government programs have been offered in cities like Detroit, and Baltimore, yet look at those cities. (Not in person, because the crime rate is so high it isn't safe!) You can't sight 1 city and then say that the government is responsible for the sucess of that city therefore, the government must be sucessful in all areas! That arguement just doesn't hold up
I have to add that Detroit and Baltimore are Dem supporting cities and have been for many decades
CJP said...
Minorities have made enormous progress over the past few decades, HOTR, with the assistance of government programs.
Again, this is the mentality. How did minorities that didn't take part in any social program make it?
Right. The immigrants that came to this country throughout the past century faced more discrimination, poverty and had NO government programs, yet they generally made it. How did they do that?
So, CJP, what went wrong with the government programs in Detroit and Baltimore? Why are they such pits of dispair?
Casey, I doubt if any immigrants who came to this country ever "faced more discrimination" than blacks who were dragged over here from Africa to be slaves.
Also, most immigrants who came here did have help from immigrant aid societies and other organizations which were set up to help them get started here.
Federal and state laws providing for minimum wages, maximum hours, decent working conditions, and unions, also helped immigrants get good jobs with which to support their families.
I don't know about Detroit or Baltimore. But I do know about New York -- and about Harlem -- and that's a huge success story.
Bill Clinton now has his office on 125th Street in the heart of Harlem -- almost across the street from the Apollo Theater.
However, Harlem had already come way up economically during the 1990's -- long before Clinton placed his office there -- with considerable help from policies Clinton put in place while he was president.
There was more discrimination against more ethnic groups than what we have now. The Irish were discriminated against, the Jews, the Italians, the Poles, Hungarians and Asians, as well as African Americans. When I said more discrimination, I was talking about more of a wide spread discrimination. The programs were few and the help was minimal--if at all. Living conditions were pathetic. Many were locked out of jobs.
The immigrant aid societies were NOT government run programs, they were, in fact private, charitible run organizations.
The government in most cities have given us the wonderful example of housing projects, welfare and substandard schools. The government handouts have kept people equally poor. Harlem is not the typical example.
Yes, the regulations for labor have helped all people. Unions were good, but became too powerful and demanding.
Oh and:
Didn't Clinton reform welfare?
Clinton reformed welfare to workfare because of a republican senate. He vetoed it twice before. The result was people on welfare all of the sudden found jobs. The result was some self respect and satisfaction for these people who found out they didn't need the government to take care of them (democrats really hate that)and stopped generations from feeding off the system. So what does Obama do? He gives incentives to states to expand the welfare rolls again. Democrats can't exist without people who are not motivated. They can only exist with people who are not informed, who don't want to work and who's only goal is to wait for the mailman on the first of the month. Obama is starting people to be on generation after generation of welfare all over again. Nice job.
JEWS: PROVING HITLER RIGHT SINCE 1945!
Those ARE NOT my words, they are in the Urban Dictionary! You'll see how truly EVIL the Jews have become in Israel! They have separate schools in Israel for Jews & Arabs, they are commiting GENOCIDE against the Palestinian people and are ethnic cleansing all of the Arab citizens of Israel and beyond. Pretty much they have become their own sick version of Hitler! THEY BREAK INTERNATIONAL LAWS & COMMIT WAR CRIMES AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS & THEIR OTHER ARAB NEIGHBORS WHILE AMERICA STANDS BY AND DOES NOTHING TO HELP THE PALESTINIANS! The HEAD OF THE UN is even SICK & TIRED OF THEM & WANTS TO KICK THEM OUT OF THE UN SINCE THEY ARE NOT AND OFFICIAL MEMBER & HAVE NOT LIVED UP TO THE PROMISES THEY MADE WHEN THEY WERE ADMITTED TO THE UN AFTER WW2! THE UN WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO "PUNISH" ISRAEL IN ANY WAY BECAUSE GOOD OLD AMERICA WILL VETO ANYTHING THAT WILL "HURT" ISRAEL EVEN IF THEY DESERVE IT!!! Before you judge me why don't you go to this site: http://electronicintifada.net/
maybe this will change your mind about what I said!
That is total nonsense and lying propaganda, Adam. The Jews in Israel have made peace with those Arab neighbors that want to live in peace.
Israel has been living at peace with Egypt and Jordan for many years, with no problems. Israel has also lived peacefully most of the time with Lebanon, except when Syria and its surrogates took over that country and instigated conflicts.
Arabs in Israel have the highest standard of living of any Arabs in the Middle East, and the vast majority of Israeli Arabs are loyal citizens of Israel.
Israel has never committed genocide against the Palestinians. When Israel was attacked by Hamas, which placed its mortars in the middle of Arab civilian population centers, Israeli counter-attacks to destroy those weapons did indeed kill innocent civilians.
Blame Hamas for placing its weapons in mosques, apartment buildings, and other civilian areas, instead of on a military battlefield. Hamas is using civilians, including children, as human shields.
Israel even dropped leaflets to warn Arab civilians to leave those areas before it launched retaliatory strikes. Israel has always tried to minimize the loss of innocent lives -- on both sides. This talk of
Israeli genocide against the Palestinians is total baloney.
If you believe that Hitler was right, then you have no business living in this country. The United States lost hundreds of thousands of troops during World War II to destroy Nazism and everything it stood for. Don't try to revive any of that Nazi garbage today.
You sound like a sick deranged Anti-Semite, Adam, and you are absolutely not welcome on this site.
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