2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

For the first time he did this a few days ago when he issued waivers to NCLB because Congress won't get off their arse to fix a law everybody agrees needs revision.

This statement cracks me up. The law wouldn't have needed fixing if it didn't exist in the first place. That law had no business being passed.

 

[Rover]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

They aren't going into recess anymore. The House goes into "Adjournment" and two members meet once a week to sustain the status. House leaders know that if they go into recess Obam will do all kinds of nasty things - like appoint people to agencies where they might actually get things done.

Are they meeting on Christmas? Or every minute of the day? As I said, with a little finesse he ought to be able to get things through, much like if Harry Reid had a brain he'd bring back the filibuster where you had to talk all night in order to sustain it (such as Thurmond's 24 hour filibuster trying to stop the Civil Rights Act). Hell, if we were still operating under those rules that act never would have passed.

 

[Rover]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

This statement cracks me up. The law wouldn't have needed fixing if it didn't exist in the first place. That law had no business being passed.

Scoobs that's not relevant. The law IS passed. Obama now has to deal with it whether he wants to or not. If Congress won't act one way or the other (adjusting it, repealing it, etc) he should do whatever he can legally to make it more to his liking.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Are they meeting on Christmas? Or every minute of the day? As I said, with a little finesse he ought to be able to get things through, much like if Harry Reid had a brain he'd bring back the filibuster where you had to talk all night in order to sustain it (such as Thurmond's 24 hour filibuster trying to stop the Civil Rights Act). Hell, if we were still operating under those rules that act never would have passed.

In order to be in recess they have to be away for a full week (or declare themselves in recess). To get around the rule, if they are going to be away for more than a week (like in August) they have two members "meet" and bring the session back from adjournment, then readjourn. This gets them through another week. It's all parliamentary procedure.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Scoobs that's not relevant. The law IS passed. Obama now has to deal with it whether he wants to or not. If Congress won't act one way or the other (adjusting it, repealing it, etc) he should do whatever he can legally to make it more to his liking.

He's not even doing that. From what I can see he's handing out waivers. A straight out repeal makes more sense. Or, do like he did with DOMA and just tell Congress that if they won't fix it he's not going to enforce it.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

One candidate gets it.

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R) didn’t like what he heard when he was finally allowed to join a Republican presidential debate last week, saying audience members’ boos of a gay service member were “very wrong.” Speaking with MSNBC host Al Sharpton Friday, Johnson said he had a hard time resisting the urge to “pound” his fist in anger at the jeers, but held back because he was afraid he wouldn’t be asked back:

JOHNSON: I was champing at the bit to be able to respond to that [the boos]. And, you know, in retrospect, I regret maybe not putting my fist down and pounding it, but I’ve been excluded from these debates and I’m feeling a bit like I’m walking on eggshells.

I shouldn’t have done that. If I have one regret from last evening, it’s that I didn’t stand up and say, you know, you’re booing a U.S. serviceman who is denied being able to express his sexual preference? That’s not right. That’s not right, and there’s something very, very wrong with that.

Johnson added that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell should have been repealed “a long time ago” and went on to condemn the other instances of morbid applause at the GOP debates. Johnson said he was taken back by cheering for Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) oversight of more than 230 executions, saying, “I don’t think there’s any question that we put innocent people to death.” He added:

JOHNSON: And talking about health care and “Let him die!” no, that’s not this country. We’re a country of compassion. These are the people that we want to help. I’m in the camp that really believes that government perhaps is the only entity that`s available for those that are truly in need.

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In another year those statements would be applauded. The sad reality is that he just probably ended his candidacy and blew any chance of becoming a commentator at Fox.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Chris Christie (who's not running) is getting more press tonight than anyone else. Apparently Perry/Romney is not exciting the base.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Chris Christie (who's not running) is getting more press tonight than anyone else. Apparently Perry/Romney is not exciting the base.

According to Roger Ailes, the current crop of GOP candidates are just trying out for commentator positions at Fox and he is "culling" the field. I love that he thinks a)Mittens et al want positions at FNC and b) that he controls who does and doesn't run for president.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

According to Roger Ailes, the current crop of GOP candidates are just trying out for commentator positions at Fox and he is "culling" the field. I love that he thinks a)Mittens et al want positions at FNC and b) that he controls who does and doesn't run for president.

As Sir Joseph Porter said: "Proper self respect, nothing more."

 

[Old Pio]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

One candidate gets it.



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In another year those statements would be applauded. The sad reality is that he just probably ended his candidacy and blew any chance of becoming a commentator at Fox.

Did Johnson offer any comments on the Tawana Brawley hoax? Or Crown Heights? Or was he too busy fellating Sharpton?

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Republican presidential candidate said Monday that it would be “foolish” to normalize trade with Cuba because Hezbollah could soon have “missile sites” there.

“Why would you normalize trade with a country that sponsors terror?” the candidate asked a crowd of supporters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “There is reports that have come out that Cuba has been working with another terrorist organization called Hezbollah. And Hezbollah is looking at wanting to be part of missile sites in Iran and, of course, when you are 90 miles offshore from Florida, you don’t want to entertain the prospect of hosting bases or sites where Hezbollah could have training camps or perhaps have missile sites or weapons sites in Cuba.”

She also said she appreciated President Nixon's leadership during the first Cuban Missile Crisis and was looking forward to speaking with him about this new threat.

 

[duper]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

This statement cracks me up. The law wouldn't have needed fixing if it didn't exist in the first place. That law had no business being passed.

I would disagree with this. The law in question has been in place long enough that I'll bet the majority of us on this board grew up with it. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (of 1965) was reauthorized with (I believe) not too much fanfare in 1994. I think it is an important law, and for all the negative publicity that Title I gets, I for one believe in it strongly. It was the law's 2001 reauthorization that got all the furor. I disagree strongly with the way the law read after it's 2001 reauthorization, but when we say NCLB never should have passed, we are ,strictly speaking, saying that Title I should have been allowed to die in 2001. Granted, I'm sure quite a few people do feel this way, but I am not am ong them.

That said, the new provisions were bunk.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

She also said she appreciated President Nixon's leadership during the first Cuban Missile Crisis and was looking forward to speaking with him about this new threat.

Nixon: tanned, rested and ready to run.

 

[duper]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Nixon: tanned, rested and ready to run.

Seems like he's got more life in 'im than some of these other guys, too.

 

[Kepler]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Seems like he's got more life in 'im than some of these other guys, too.

Harold Stassen has more life in him that some of these guys.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Harold Stassen has more life in him that some of these guys.

Definitely a better rug.

 

[Kepler]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Obama is three things:

He's a moderate
He's a consensus builder
He's struggled with his message

The result is the far left is not excited...and the far right is too agenda laden to have an objective opinion.

All true, but Obama's Achilles heel has been Belt Way inexperience in certain areas. He economics team knows what to do (I'm not sure we're the better for this as a country), and he's done a great job with foreign policy by using Reagan's formula: make the guys who accept the broad outlines but will debate you on the way to get there your advisers. The thing he lacks is the ability to talk effectively to Congress. That's partly his own fault with his "no lobbyists" rules, it's partly Biden's fault... you remember Biden, right? Old guy? Bad sweaters? Anyway, it was supposed to be Biden: Obama :: Johnson : Kennedy. But that hasn't worked, partly because Biden is always wrong footed, but also because the game's changed and not even the GOP can keep their fringe in order.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

Nixon: tanned, rested and ready to run.

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NNNNNNIXON'S BACK!!!!

 

[Old Pio]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

All true, but Obama's Achilles heel has been Belt Way inexperience in certain areas. He economics team knows what to do (I'm not sure we're the better for this as a country), and he's done a great job with foreign policy by using Reagan's formula: make the guys who accept the broad outlines but will debate you on the way to get there your advisers. The thing he lacks is the ability to talk effectively to Congress. That's partly his own fault with his "no lobbyists" rules, it's partly Biden's fault... you remember Biden, right? Old guy? Bad sweaters? Anyway, it was supposed to be Biden: Obama :: Johnson : Kennedy. But that hasn't worked, partly because Biden is always wrong footed, but also because the game's changed and not even the GOP can keep their fringe in order.

I agree he "struggles with his message," in approximately the same way Porky Pig struggled to say: "that's all folks." But a "moderate," and a "consensus builder?" Pull somebody else's leg.

 

[Rover]

Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel

All true, but Obama's Achilles heel has been Belt Way inexperience in certain areas. He economics team knows what to do (I'm not sure we're the better for this as a country), and he's done a great job with foreign policy by using Reagan's formula: make the guys who accept the broad outlines but will debate you on the way to get there your advisers. The thing he lacks is the ability to talk effectively to Congress. That's partly his own fault with his "no lobbyists" rules, it's partly Biden's fault... you remember Biden, right? Old guy? Bad sweaters? Anyway, it was supposed to be Biden: Obama :: Johnson : Kennedy. But that hasn't worked, partly because Biden is always wrong footed, but also because the game's changed and not even the GOP can keep their fringe in order.

That's the part I don't get. Biden last year was whining about how the GOP has invoked cloture more than anytime in history. As someone who was in the Senate for 30 years, couldn't he see this coming? And if he can't convince his old collegues to allow votes, shouldn't he know how to get around this sort of obstruction (for example linking to budgetary matters that only need 51 votes - the same way they finally got health care passed when they had no other options)? Obama served in the Senate. He knows the rules too. I can see a governor, a guy like Clinton for example, having trouble figuring out Washington's games since he never served in Congress. There's no excuses for these two to have so much trouble getting their agenda enacted while they sat on overwhelming majorities. People may agree with Obama that the GOP is acting like juvenile a-holes. But as the Economist put it best a few weeks ago, Americans like their Presidents to be winners, not victims.