Moose49's Blog

The Democrats' Magic Bullet?

2010-09-06T14:48:19Z

There may not be a "magic bullet" for Democrats this fall, but here's an idea that might come close. President Obama has said he wants the Bush tax cuts for people earning over $250,000 to expire as scheduled at the end of this year. But he's getting pushback not only from the Party of the rich and powerful, but even from a few so-called Democrats who claim to be deficit hawks but are proving themselves to be GOP-lite deficit peacocks. Their argument is that you shouldn't "raise" taxes in the midst of a recession on anyone, even the filthy rich.

Here's what the president, Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Reid should propose: Allow the Bush tax cuts to expire as planned, but take the revenue generated and give it to taxpayers earning below a certain amount -- say $100,000 or $75,000 -- as rebates. Do it in 2011 and in subsequent years so long as unemployment is over a threshold amount -- perhaps 6 percent.

This is good economics: Lower- and middle-income families will spend their rebates, bolstering economic activity, while rich folks park most or all of their tax windfall in savings, doing nothing to get us out of this mess. Plus it would be deficit-neutral.

It's also good politics: Every Republican who votes against this plan will hand their Democratic opponent a two-by-four that the Dem can use to bash them over the head with over and over again. The GOPers will prove in explicit terms that they're on the side of millionaires and against working families, and this will allow the Dems to reframe the debate.

I'm no budget expert and have no idea how the numbers would run. If the revenue from closing the tax cuts would be divided among so many taxpayers that it would amount to too little per family to make a significant difference, perhaps you lower the income threshold to the point that it would. Or perhaps you only give rebates to people who have experienced unemployment over the past year. Or instead of rebates, you could use the revenue to cover a payroll tax holiday.

The point is to do something that would actually make a positive difference in the lives of those suffering the most in the economy, while showing voters the values and principles Democrats stand for, and exposing the Republicans as the enemies of working families. It may be late in the game, but why not give it a try?

Just do it!

2010-01-20T17:02:56Z

This is gut-check time -- the time we see what the Democrats are really made of.

When faced with adversity, do Democrats put their tail between their legs and run away? Or do they stand up and fight for what they believe in and for the people who elected them?

Can Democrats show the voters they are actually capable of governing and deliver on their number one campaign promise by enacting health care reform? Or will they show spinelessness and incompetence by letting reform die when it's within inches of enactment?

For me, this is personal. I'm self-employed and at the mercy of the open market to buy health insurance for my family. We're lucky enough to have it now, but we're locked in to our current policy because health issues that have occurred since we first obtained it mean we would be denied coverage due to preexisting conditions. We're at risk of having our policy canceled because our insurer arbitrarily decides we're costing it too much. And we're at risk of bankruptcy should something catastrophic happen, because our policy comes with a $1 million lifetime benefit cap.

Health care reform -- even the Senate bill with all its flaws -- will solve every one of these problems for my family. It will give us a real choice of health insurers and enable us to change policies should we choose. It will give us the security of knowing our policy can't be canceled. It will end the risk of bankruptcy by banning lifetime caps on benefits and imposing limits on out-of-pocket costs. And, should my income from self-employment decline signficantly, the subsidies in the legislation will ensure that we can continue to afford coverage.

Our situation may be somewhat unusual, but I bet there are millions of people like us who will benefit immediately and directly. For Americans without health insurance because they can't afford or obtain coverage, it will be a life-saver. And for those with employer-provided benefits, it will end the threat that a layoff poses to their coverage.

As Josh, Jonathan Cohn and many others have noted, this is up to the Democrats. They have the power to make this the law. They have the power to end an unconscionable status quo. They have the power to show that they can govern, can deliver and have the courage of their convictions.

Personally, I'd prefer they pass the compromise bill in the House and Senate before Brown is seated (Josh makes an outstanding point that since the filibuster itself is undemocratic, acting now is no less democratic) but if that does not happen, the House should pass the Senate bill and make it law -- hopefully, followed swiftly by a reconciliation measure reflecting the House-Senate compromise.

While there would be more than enough blame to go around if health care reform fails, the buck stops at the Democrats' door, because they have the power to prevent this outcome today. Should this happen, I, for one, will cease all contributions to the DCCC, DSCC, DNC and Organizing for America and I will sit on my hands next fall. And electoral disaster will be inevitable, not because of my decision, but because the voters will figure what's the point of electing people who can't deliver on their promises.

I hope the Democrats show they've got fire in their belly and fight in their bones. If they do, I will work as hard in 2010 as I did in 2006 and 2008 to elect them. And the voters will understand much more clearly why they are better off with the Democrats in power and the extremist, unhinged nutcases that make up today's Republican Party in the minority.

Mandate for this

2008-10-30T14:41:32Z

Responding to David Kurtz' post this morning:

A mandate is what you make of it. The extent to which Obama has a mandate will be shaped not only by the size of his (knock on wood) victory but also by his actions and decisions during the transition and immediately upon taking office. As well as by the speed with which he converts his campaign volunteers, donors and supporters into a grassroots force for legislative action.

Based upon everything we've seen of his campaign and his consistent adherence to the big picture view, I have every confidence he will maximize the opportunities before him and ensure that there is a full mandate for action.

With regard to the question of a mandate for what:

Obama has been crystal clear about where he stands and what his priorities are. He has already created a road map for governing. Obviously the economic meltdown becomes priority #1 but many of his proposals already fit within that prism.

So at the top of the agenda is likely to be a mix of his middle-class tax cuts, another economic stimulus (unless Congress does this in a lame duck session), major investments in infrastructure, and his Apollo-style green energy investment initiative. You should also expect to see changes in how the Treasury Department's bailout is implemented with stronger quid pro quos on businesses receiving assistance and more of an emphasis on helping struggling homeowners.

Along with this should be swift passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (if we can muster 60 Senate votes) as a key element in empowering workers to raise their living standards after eight years of falling behind in good times and bad.

Health care reform will have to be on a longer timeline (hopefully within 6-12 months), but this is as much a part of Obama's mandate as anything.

On a slightly longer timeline perhaps, but also critical, will be enactment of a cap-and-trade regime to fight global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil in the process.

While all this is going on, the timeline for withdrawal from Iraq should be cemented and the troop drawdown should be underway.

Above all, I think we'll see Obama restoring Americans' confidence not only in the presidency but in the power of government to improve their lives. We'll see him adopting a mantle of reassuring, inspirational leadership comparable to what FDR did in 1933. And we'll see a style of governing that treats the American people as intelligent adults, not mindless, malleable, fearful children. That's part of Obama's mandate, too, and one I am quite sure he will seize.

John McShame's $5,500 make-up job

2008-09-24T17:33:42Z

So who's the celebrity now?

And why has this been buried?

Let's face it -- this puts John Edwards' $400 haircut to shame!

From the Reliable Source in today's Washington Post:

Sprucing Up the GOP Ticket

Think John McCain is looking more handsome these days? Thank Tifanie White, Beverly Hills makeup artist to the stars -- and the McCain campaign, which paid her $5,583.43 in August. US Weekly found White's name in the Federal Election Commission filing of itemized disbursements; she's better known for her work on "American Idol," "So You Think You Can Dance" and, yes, Cindy McCain. The campaign had no comment.

Yet another example of the shameless hypocrisy of these bozos.

And didn't McShame tell Cindy her use of make-up made her look like a "trollop?"

IOKIYAR

2008-09-15T18:08:03Z

I didn't write this, but it's so on-point, I felt I had to post it.

Apologies if someone else already beat me to the punch.

If you're a minority and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a 'token hire.'
If you're a conservative and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a 'game changer.'

Black teen pregnancies? A 'crisis' in black America.
White teen pregnancies? A 'blessed event.'

Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you're 'unpatriotic.'
Name your kid Track, you're 'colorful.'

If you're a black single mother of 4 who waits for 22 hours after her water breaks to seek medical attention, you're an irresponsible parent, endangering the life of your unborn child.
But if you're a white married mother who waits 22 hours, you're spunky.

If you're a 13-year-old Chelsea Clinton, the right-wing press calls you 'First dog.'
If you're a 17-year old pregnant unwed daughter of a Republican, the right-wing press calls you 'beautiful' and 'courageous.'

If you teach abstinence only in sex education, you get teen parents.
If you teach responsible age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

If you kill an endangered species, you're an excellent hunter.
If you have an abortion you're not a Christian, you're a murderer (forget about if it happens while being date raped.)

If you grow up in Hawaii you're 'exotic.'
Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you're the quintessential 'American story.'

If you're a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fully vetting the individual you're 'reckless.'
A Republican who doesn't fully vet is a 'maverick.'

If you are a Democratic male candidate who is popular with millions of people you are an 'arrogant celebrity'.
If you are a popular Republican female candidate you are 'energizing the base'.

If you are a younger male candidate who thinks for himself and makes his own decisions you are 'presumptuous'.
If you are an older male candidate who makes last minute decisions you refuse to explain, you are a 'shoot from the hip' maverick.

If you are a candidate with a Harvard law degree you are 'an elitist-out of touch' with the real America.
If you are a legacy (dad and granddad were admirals) graduate of Annapolis, with multiple disciplinary infractions you are a hero.

If you strategize and manage a multi-million dollar nationwide campaign defeating more tenured politicians, you are an 'empty suit'.
If you were a part time mayor of a town of 7000 people, you are an 'experienced executive'.

If you go to a largely African American south side Chicago church, your beliefs are 'extremist'.
If you believe in creationism, don't believe global warming is affected by human activity, and see the Iraq invasion as 'a mission from God', you are 'strongly principled'.

If you left your disfigured wife after cheating on her with a rich heiress, whom you married the next month, you're a Christian.
If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years and raised 2 beautiful daughters, you're 'risky'.

If you spend 3 years as a community organizer growing your organization from a staff of 1 to 13 and your budget from $70,000 to $400,000, then become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new African American voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, then spend nearly 8 more years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, becoming chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, then spend nearly 3 years in the United States Senate representing a state of almost 13 million people, sponsoring 129 bills and cosponsoring 545 bills, and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you are 'inexperienced'.

If you spend 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, then spend 20 months as the governor of a state with 650,000 people, then you've got the most executive experience of anyone on either ticket, have traveled to 3 foreign countries, are the Commander in Chief of the Alaska National Guard of 4,000 members, you are well qualified to lead the nation should you be called upon to do so because your state is the closest state to Russia.

Sarah Palin: Lunatic fringe extremist -- and what it reveals about McCain

2008-09-03T21:00:00Z

It's self-evident that Sarah Palin is not qualified to serve a 72-year-old man's heartbeat away from the presidency.

It's also evident that she's a liar and a hypocrite -- between claiming she's against the bridge to nowhere when she was for it, her stonewalling on Troopergate and her slashing funds for teenage mothers.

But in many respects, I find her extremism is the scariest part about her. She's even farther out in right field than Bush and Cheney.

Consider just a few of the things we already know about her:

She believes in teaching creationism.

She does not believe global warming is man-made.

She opposes stem-cell research.

She is against abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

She believes that God wants our government to fund a new pipeline in the state.

She believes that U.S. soldiers in Iraq are on a task from God.

She belonged to a political party advocating Alaska's secession from the U.S.

She supported Pat Buchanan for president.

She attended her church when the founder of Jews for Jesus spoke.

And when she first for mayor of Wasilla against an opponent whose last name was Stein, she claimed that she would be the town's "first Christian mayor."

This is John McCain's "soulmate?"

That speaks volumes about the black hole that is John McCain's soul.

It also reveals McCain to be a wimp, not a tough guy. He kowtowed to the American Taliban in his party, nominating one of their own, rather than taking them on by nominating a pro-choice candidate.

What every American Jew should know about Sarah Palin

2008-09-03T14:03:12Z

As a Jew who has strongly and enthusiastically supported Barack Obama since he first announced his candidacy, the notion that he has a problem with Jewish voters drives me batshit crazy. There's no substantive reason for this and I believe the mainstream media has vastly overstated the question.

But any Jews who still have issues with him, for whatever reason, should know this about the woman John McCain wants to put a heartbeat away from the presidency, courtesy of today's New York Times:

When Sarah Palin first ran for mayor of Wasilla, she defeated a three-term incumbent named John Stein.

Stein isn't Jewish -- he was raised a Lutheran -- but that didn't stop Palin from Jew-baiting. According to the Times:

“Sarah comes in with all this ideological stuff, and I was like, ‘Whoa,’ ” said Mr. Stein, who lost the election. “But that got her elected: abortion, gun rights, term limits and the religious born-again thing. I’m not a churchgoing guy, and that was another issue: ‘We will have our first Christian mayor.’ ”

“I thought: ‘Holy cow, what’s happening here? Does that mean she thinks I’m Jewish or Islamic?’ ” recalled Mr. Stein . . .

(Emphasis added.)

Don't let appearances deceive. Besides being woefully unprepared for the job, this woman is a dangerous, intolerant extremist.