poor Fred how old are you anyway?
72? I hope to be reading here next winter when you are keeping your heat off during the day because of energy taxes I hope you catch colds and have to eat beans and cat food. And have to drink the rinse water from hand washing your socks Dumb people deserve what is going to happen to them. On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 8:01 PM, Frederick The Moderate < [email protected]> wrote: > > Cigarette taxes? You're hoping for sympathy on cigarette taxes? I > think you're going to have a tough time finding a crowd to feel for > you on that one. > > On Jul 3, 4:07 pm, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > > My cigarette taxes went up to a buck a pack. and I have seen nothing but > > price increases at the grocery store since jan too. > > > > On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 12:44 PM, Frederick The Moderate < > > > > > > > > > > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > What more taxes? The only effect I've seen from his presidency on > > > taxes has been a decrease. Which piece of legislation that > > > specifically raises taxes, did I miss? > > > More government & regulation? Well, I saw a LOT more government under > > > Bush but very little oversight on Corporate America. I know the GOP is > > > for LESS government because they demanded the elimination of funds for > > > the following from the stimulus bill: FTC (because we have no need to > > > worry about dangerous products coming from China), FDA (because we > > > have no need to worry about tainted veggies etc...), SEC (ironic, > > > isn't it?), INS (weren't they the ones concerned about border > > > security?), Homeland Security (do I even need to say it) and more. > > > Personally, I have changed my mind with the times and believe there IS > > > a time for more government & regulation. > > > And what solutions did the GOP offer? Hmmm. "Let's do what's worked so > > > well for the last 8 years!". Yeah, that went over like a lead > > > balloon... > > > > > On Jul 3, 9:50 am, RichardForbes <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Obama has defined change as: > > > > > > More Spending > > > > More Taxes > > > > More Regulation > > > > More Government > > > > > > To me, that is just more of the same, but even MORE. > > > > > > He may be a nice guy, but his solutions suck. > > > > > > On Jul 3, 10:18 am, Frederick The Moderate > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I've come to realize that I have been very critical of our > president > > > > > lately. There are certainly things he is doing that I don't like. > But > > > > > I don't want to become like the armchair quarterbacks who think his > > > > > job is easy or lacking complexity. He was handed about the worst > mess > > > > > I could imagine. The legacy of the single worst president of my > > > > > lifetime was his to inherit. So what has he done with it? > > > > > 1. Open-mindedness and inclusiveness. Regardless of the BS the > > > > > ConservaRepubs try to peddle, Obama has made more efforts at > inclusion > > > > > in a few months than Bush did in 8 years. The same with being open- > > > > > minded. Bush had a very simple formula for anyone disagreeing with > > > > > him: you're fired. Give him intel I he didn't want to hear about > Iraq? > > > > > You're fired. More full generals and director level intelligence > > > > > officers were canned under Bush, than under any president in > American > > > > > history. And so it went. So while the Republicans make sure to > reject > > > > > every offer to work together, Independents and Moderates do notice > > > > > he's tried. And yes, there are things he said he would do that, > > > > > regardless of their childish tantrums, he is going to do. Welcome > to > > > > > the Dems world of a few years ago. > > > > > 2. Transparency. Okay, he isn't as strong on this as anticipated. > But > > > > > we remember the Bush press conferences. First, the disgruntled Ari > > > > > Fleischer whom you could see, was frustrated every time the 3 > minute > > > > > mark was hit and he started the "I can't comment further" routine > and > > > > > refused to answer questions. Then came the disgruntled Scott > McClellan > > > > > who did the same. Tony Snow gave up an honest job for the same > > > > > disaster. The only one who came out of that mess, remaining > faithful, > > > > > was Dana Perino. > > > > > Whereas Robert Gibbs stays and answers question and (often > difficult) > > > > > question. Big difference. And yes, I know the neocon ultra-rights > will > > > > > blast this one but in comparison to Bush, the contract is obvious. > > > > > 3. Iraq. As above, he was open-minded and instead of a hard and > fast > > > > > withdrawl date, has done so on a time-table suggested by those with > > > > > feet ont he ground. In the meantime, we're getting out. And only 6 > > > > > years too late... > > > > > 4. Health Care Reform. Depending on the (non-NY Post, WND or > > > > > UltraNeCon Monthly) poll, between two thirds and three fourths of > the > > > > > country want this. The rest claim that twenty five percent of the > > > > > country is "the majority". He has been open-minded to suggestions > and > > > > > is taking steps to keep his promise. Good. > > > > > 5. Economy. He inherited a mess. Only the most brainwashed > extremist > > > > > could believe that Obama caused all the problems we have BEFORE he > got > > > > > into office. THE CMBS caused mortgage crisis, the Iraq debacle, > > > > > unemployment etc... were all in place before he was elected. So > badly, > > > > > the GOP candidate had suspend his campaign to help save the > country! > > > > > What did that candidate offer to fix all this? "The economy will > fix > > > > > itself". Okey dokey. That's why Bush sent everyone $600 (can you > say > > > > > really stupid!?!?). I was skeptical of Obama's plan at first but > guess > > > > > what? Within 6 weeks, that extra $50 - $150 in month in people's > > > > > paychecks, started to get spent. The Dow had 28 straight days of > gains > > > > > (I love that GOPers use the dow for blame when it's down and > discount > > > > > it as meaningless when up) and housing sales have now gone up two > > > > > months in a row. NOTHING was going to make everything all better > > > > > within a few months and obviously, certain sectors were going to > > > > > remain weak but regardless of what people say, there are definite > > > > > signs of "moderate improvement". And that's all he promised. > Frankly, > > > > > I'm surprised it happened this quickly. > > > > > 6. Taxes. For all their cute little tea parties, we Moderates have > > > > > noticed something: There ARE no tax increases. The ONLY thing Obama > > > > > has done with taxes is lower them. Well, at least they get to > gather > > > > > and have group hugs or whatever. > > > > > 7. Oversight. I used to believe that ONLY "less government" was a > good > > > > > thing. Then I moved to Houston. Enron. Hard-working, middle-class > > > > > Republicans were screwed out of everything they'd ever saved for > their > > > > > retirement. These weren't Madoff victims. Bush wanted Paulson to > not > > > > > only have supreme power over the hundred of billions of bailouts he > > > > > approved, he wanted Paulson to be immune to oversight from Congress > or > > > > > the Supreme Court! Unreal. Obama has approved bailouts (which I > don't > > > > > like) but he hasn't done a Bush and just handed the money over > without > > > > > conditions. Is this telling the private sector what to do? Well, > > > > > before Conservs whine, they might want to consider that these > > > > > companies don't HAVE to take the money! Frankly, I don't think they > > > > > should get it but I'm glad that Obama is not just "Bushing" this > and > > > > > handing it over without so much as a "Hey, wouldja mind making a > loan > > > > > or two?". > > > > > 8. International Relations. I was so tired of having a blithering > > > > > idiot represent our country to the world! Remember the massage of > > > > > Merkel?!?!? Every country in the world took a negative view of us > > > > > because of our choice of leaders. American businesses suffered for > it. > > > > > Diplomacy consisted of two things: Threaten or Sanction. Not > exactly > > > > > Dale Carnegie. Within a few months of Obama taking office, > Americans > > > > > are already safer. I'm not talking about those who hide in the > little > > > > > hovels and never go anywhere. I'm talking about those of us who > > > > > actually get out of the house and the country, once in a while. > We're > > > > > no longer hated. > > > > > 9. Security. I was in the intelligence service. When your country > is > > > > > viewed as evil, it is almost impossible to develop a reliable > network > > > > > of assets. No one wants to help the bad guys and worse, everyone > wants > > > > > to assist in hurting them. Bush / Cheney turned us into "the bad > guys" > > > > > in the eyes of everyone on the planet except maybe Sarah Palin and > > > > > those who actually believe she didn't take the money. They made it > > > > > easy to recruit against us and impossible for our agencies to > recruit > > > > > for us. With a few visits, a speech in Cairo and the end of > > > > > (ineffective) torture at Git-mo, Obama has reveresed that. > > > > > Impressive. > > > > > > > So okay, I don't like that the bailouts were ever allowed by Bush > and > > > > > I don't like that Obama continued them. I don't like the Cap & > Trade > > > > > bill. I'm disappointed that he won't do something about "Don't ask, > > > > > don't tell". I don't like the idea that Congress won't commit to > give > > > > > a week to review the Healthcare bill. I don't like that he won't > allow > > > > > drilling in ANWAR or off our coast. I think Afghanistan is a > mistake > > > > > (but at least it's where the Taliban is). I could go on but the > point > > > > > is, I'm not some sheeple that blindly believes everything the guy > does > > > > > is gospel. Just like I'm not some sheeple who thinks everything > Rush > > > > > Limbaugh says, either. But considering the absolute disaster he > > > > > inherited, I think Obama is doing about as well as could be > expected > > > > > so far. And the GOP has no solution and nothing to offer but > > > > > criticism. They are not going to gain Moderates & Indies with > that.- > > > Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > -- > > *~@):~{>- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
