There you go, using words as clubs again like a bully. On 10/21/10, dick <[email protected]> wrote: > This posting is so full of lies it is hard to know where to begin. The > truth is not in him tells us all we need to know about the Bob Cesa. > If this is what you truly believe then yu are a true fool. > > On 10/21/2010 10:30 AM, Tommy News wrote: >> The Republican Swindle About 'Obamacare and Stimulus' >> >> -by Bob Cesa >> >> If you happen to be a swing voter who's considering the Republican >> slate next month, you're being tricked. That's not to say you're an >> idiot, but the Republicans are doing an excellent job masking over >> what they really stand for, and millions of Americans seem to be >> falling for it. >> >> The Republican strategy for this midterm election is simple: Treat >> voters like easily manipulated hoopleheads. The GOP and its various >> apparatchiks are spending untold millions of dollars, much of it from >> anonymous donors and, perhaps, even some illegal foreign donors, in >> order to play out this nationwide swindle. They're investing heavily >> on the wager that Americans are so kerfuffled by the slow-growth (but >> growth nevertheless) economy that they're willing to buy any line of >> nonsense as an alternative solution. >> >> Regarding that nonsense, just about every GOP solution and every GOP >> idea reveals either a hilariously obvious contradiction or an utterly >> transparent hypocrisy. Say nothing of unchecked awfulness like >> Southern Strategy race-baiting or bald-faced lies. But it doesn't seem >> to matter much because they've buried most of it under heaping piles >> of inchoate outrage and fear. Just like always. It's not unlike the >> 2000s all over again. They're engaging in the same bumper sticker >> sloganeering and myopic agitprop, but with updated content for 2010. >> >> If you've seen any of the Republican TV spots this cycle, you're >> probably familiar with the focus-group-tested duet of fear: "Obamacare >> and Stimulus." For example, that infamous John Raese commercial >> featuring two not-West-Virginian West Virginians in full "hicky" >> regalia discussing why they're voting Republican. Among the reasons: >> "Obamacare and Stimulus." No specific reasons why those items are >> evil, they're just two scary things the hicky guys are pissed about. >> >> And why aren't there any specific gripes cited along with those two >> items? Because the actual gripes are ridiculous. >> >> Let's start with "Obamacare," then hit "Stimulus" presently. >> >> The Republicans are trying to tell us that the health-care-reform bill >> is a hugely expensive trespass against freedom and liberty. This >> obviously refers to the price tag and the individual mandate. What >> they don't mention is that "Obamacare" will actually achieve several >> very significant goals. >> >> 1) The health-care-reform bill will help working and middle class >> Americans to afford quality health insurance via hundreds of billions >> of dollars in subsidies. For example, families of four earning $54,000 >> will see their insurance premiums reduced by around $10,000 per year. >> That's a lot. Who in their right mind would turn down a government >> check for $10,000? Every year. That's a full semester of state >> university tuition, among other things. >> >> 2) Contrary to the "Obama-is-spending-too-much" meme, the bill does >> not increase the deficit. According to the nonpartisan CBO, the bill >> cuts the deficit by $130 billion over ten years. Put another way, all >> that scaremongering about the cost of the bill is just that: >> scaremongering. The bill pays for itself and then some. >> >> 3) There are no enforcement mechanisms for the super-duper terrifying >> individual mandate. If you choose not to buy insurance when the >> mandate takes effect in 2014, and are consequently fined $695, there >> is no means of actually enforcing the payment of that penalty. No >> liens, levies, no jail, no Obamacare Goons swooping into your house >> like America-hating Kenyan ninjas. Nothing will happen to you. >> Nothing. So, you know, chill out about the mandate. >> >> The question about "Obamacare," then, is very simply: Why are the >> Republicans against reducing the deficit by $130 billion, and why are >> they against more accessible and affordable healthcare? I have no >> idea, other than they're taking the childish opposite position of what >> was passed (despite the deficit reduction and subsidies for the middle >> class, etc.). Oh, and they call it "Obamacare," which is spooky and >> one letter away from being "Osamacare." Scary, but entirely without >> substance. >> >> Oh, and speaking of the deficit, the Republicans are lying to voters >> about the Democratic handling of the deficit as well. It turns out the >> Democrats and the Obama administration cut the deficit this year. Cut >> it. The 2009 Bush-approved budget was $1.416 trillion and the 2010 >> Obama-approved budget was $122 billion less. Meanwhile, the >> Republicans are admitting to increasing the deficit by $4 trillion by >> making the Bush tax cuts permanent. And they won't say what they plan >> to cut from the budget in order to pay for it. Once again, we're back >> in the early Bush years with so-called fiscal conservatives engaged in >> big, irresponsible spending without any way to make up the shortfall. >> >> Actually, the only spending cuts that appear to be on the table are >> the Social Security checks, the Medicare reimbursements and the >> veteran's benefits that will stop when the Republicans gleefully shut >> down the government. (Any senior citizen who votes Republican is >> voting for their Social Security and Medicare checks to stop -- >> indefinitely. Just thought I'd mention that.) >> >> Circling back, it's important to repeat: President Obama and the >> congressional Democrats cut the deficit. Fact: The first Obama budget >> was billions less than the final Bush budget. And, in the process, >> President Obama's policies have pushed the DJIA from 6,000 to 11,000; >> his policies have turned Bush-era job losses into job creation; and >> pulled the nation from the brink of another Great Depression. >> >> Again, why are the Republicans against all of this? >> >> By the same token, why are they against the stimulus? They really >> won't say other than to screech about how expensive it was. But, >> before we go further, read the paragraph about the deficit again. The >> Democrats cut the deficit. And then factor into the mix that $288 >> billion out of the $800 billion cost of the recovery act was composed >> entirely of tax cuts. Tax cuts! As a matter of history and taken as a >> lump sum, this was the largest American middle class tax cut ever. So >> it's not a stretch to suggest that the Republicans are suddenly >> against the largest middle-class tax cut in American history. >> >> Despite the attempt to turn a derivation of the positive word >> "stimulate" into a negative, there's very little about the stimulus >> that actually sucked, other than the fact that it wasn't big enough. >> Beyond that, Republican voters need to ask themselves if the tax cuts >> were bad -- or maybe was it the new roads and infrastructure that >> helped to create jobs, or was it the money that was spent to keep the >> states out of bankruptcy and police, teachers and firemen from losing >> their jobs? What's awful about any of that? >> >> Then they need to ask themselves why Republican politicians like Rep. >> Pete Sessions (R-TX), along with dozens of other Republicans, actually >> petitioned and received from the Obama administration millions in >> stimulus dollars? Some of them even posing with giant novelty stimulus >> checks and literally campaigning on the wads of money they received >> from the stimulus. Pete Sessions, in fact, wrote to Secretary Ray >> LaHood and emphasized that the funds would literally "stimulate the >> economy" in his district. Naturally, Sessions turned around and >> campaigned against the stimulus. He thinks you won't notice. >> >> Elsewhere, Newt Gingrich and others are trying to deceive voters by >> insisting that it's "liberal math" for an investment to earn a return >> -- for, say, a one dollar investment to grow into $1.74. Since when do >> Republicans believe that wise investments are "liberal math?" >> Specifically, Newt was talking about government spending on food >> stamps as a means of stimulating the economy. Based on simple math, >> one dollar in government money spent on food stamps creates $1.74 in >> economic stimulus, according to Moody's. Why? Because food stamps help >> Americans to buy things. Whereas the Bush tax cuts, for example, are a >> poor investment, only earning 32 cents for every dollar spent. Why? >> Because rich people tend to save their tax cuts rather than pumping >> that money into the marketplace. >> >> Back to our refrain: Why are the Republicans against smart investing? >> >> Yeah, Obamacare and the Stimulus. Destroying America from within, right? >> >> It's worth noting here that this same Republican deception runs across >> other issues as well. Republicans are suggesting they'll protect >> individual liberty, while shrinking government small enough to fit >> into your bedroom or your uterus. Or they're running on the >> Constitution, while also having their hired thugs handcuff and detain >> a reporter in a flagrant violation of the First Amendment. Hell, some >> Republicans are running for U.S. Senate while opposing the 17th >> Amendment that established popular elections of senators. Wrap your >> head around that one. >> >> Sure, there are still many things the Democrats have yet to unravel >> after 30 years of Reaganomics. But, despite their obvious faults, >> they're moving in that direction. And they're being as honest as >> politicians can be with their intentions. The Republicans, meanwhile, >> are running on some sort of Mobius Loop of backwards logic and flimsy, >> if not totally destructive, policy positions. >> >> With less than two weeks to go, the sooner voters wise up to this >> Republican flimflam, the better off we'll all be. >> >> More: >> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/the-republican-swindle-ab_b_770692.html >> > > -- > 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.
-- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- 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.
