Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

[FreshFish]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

the Congressional Budget Office weighs in on the deficit:

The CBO's long-term budget outlook notes that federal debt held by the public—the kind we have to pay back—will surge to 70% of the economy by the end of this year. That's the highest share of GDP in U.S. history except World War II, as the nearby chart indicates, higher than during the Civil War or World War I. It's also way up from 40% in 2008 and from the 40-year average of 38%.

And it's rising fast. CBO says that on present trend the national debt will hit 90% of GDP by 2022. It then balloons to 109% by 2026—that would be the all-time WWII peak—and approaches almost 200% of GDP by 2037.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...7448483262804106.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

 

[joecct]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

the Congressional Budget Office weighs in on the deficit:



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...7448483262804106.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

It's all Bush 43's fault?

 

[Priceless]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

And yet whenever the chance comes to address the issue, House Republicans choose to take their ball and go home.

 

[joecct]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

And yet whenever the chance comes to address the issue, House Republicans choose to take their ball and go home.

The Senate Majority Leader is not exactly blameless, either.

 

[amherstblackbear]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

It's all Bush 43's fault?

Stuff like this makes me really uneasy. It reminds me of the old saying "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."

Democrats, and Obama in particular, have gotten a lot of use out of "It's Bush's fault." And yet, Bush 43 remains the worst (or at least most irresponsible) combination of fiscal and monetary policies in my lifetime. Easily.

I know you have a point. It's just hard to laugh.

 

[bronconick]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Well, one group took a look at that "everyone takes it up the poopshoot" deal they made last year to slash entitlements and the military, and immediately went to work passing bills exempting the military from being slashed.

I blame them more because the Senate Majority Leader doesn't actually know how to do his job. Is there some reason the Dems pick a weak ineffectual leader from a red or purple state every time they're running the Senate? Last 4 Republican leaders> Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. Dems should be countering with Northeastern and west coast senators that can say what they want and don't have to fear losing their seat.

 

[geezer]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

I found Barack Obama's twin brother, separated at birth! Possibly also born in Kenya, or an undisclosed location at sea. He's going under the name Ubaldo Jimenez.

 

[joecct]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Well, one group took a look at that "everyone takes it up the poopshoot" deal they made last year to slash entitlements and the military, and immediately went to work passing bills exempting the military from being slashed.

I blame them more because the Senate Majority Leader doesn't actually know how to do his job. Is there some reason the Dems pick a weak ineffectual leader from a red or purple state every time they're running the Senate? Last 4 Republican leaders> Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. Dems should be countering with Northeastern and west coast senators that can say what they want and don't have to fear losing their seat.

Can you name one who won't cause your teeth to itch like when you hear nails on a chalkboard??

 

[bronconick]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Can you name one who won't cause your teeth to itch like when you hear nails on a chalkboard??

They're going to be standing next to a turtle anyway, so they should be jumpy like a hare.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Can you name one who won't cause your teeth to itch like when you hear nails on a chalkboard??

Sheldon Whitehouse, Ron Wyden, Patty Murray

 

[bronconick]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Which is the dude from Oregon that keeps pocket vetoing all the anti-internet privacy stuff? I like him.

 

[Bakunin]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

And yet, Bush 43 remains the worst (or at least most irresponsible) combination of fiscal and monetary policies in my lifetime.

You can't blame a president for monetary policy unless you are prepared to make an argument that the president can control the Fed.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Which is the dude from Oregon that keeps pocket vetoing all the anti-internet privacy stuff? I like him.

Wyden

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

You can't blame a president for monetary policy unless you are prepared to make an argument that the president can control the Fed.

You can and you can't. Since the president appoints the Chairman of the Fed to four year terms there can be blamed placed, but that chairman may already be in place by the time a president is in office. If that president then renominates said chairman, then both he and the previous president would have to share in that blame. Blame could even be placed even more so upon the second president for renominating that chairman because by that time there's not so much doubt as to what that chairman will do, it's a matter of whether or not he's receiving an approval of executing his job.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

You can and you can't. Since the president appoints the Chairman of the Fed to four year terms there can be blamed placed, but that chairman may already be in place by the time a president is in office. If that president then renominates said chairman, then both he and the previous president would have to share in that blame. Blame could even be placed even more so upon the second president for renominating that chairman because by that time there's not so much doubt as to what that chairman will do, it's a matter of whether or not he's receiving an approval of executing his job.

That's true up to a point. POTUS does not make monetary policy, and the Fed can do whatever it wants in that regard, regardless of what assurances a nominee for chairman (or a reappointed chairman) may have made.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Saw a bit of the recall last night. Ari Fleisher suggested that Wisconsin is a swing state even though there was an 11% point gap between those who would said they would vote for Obama vs. Romney. His position was because having Walker win by 9% points the 'exit polls were way off' when he was ahead by about 16% pts. I don't know if Fleisher caught that only 1% of votes were in when he made that statement...and last check now, Walker is ahead by just 7% points.

 

[bronconick]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

I wouldn't take anything out of the exit polls and extrapolate to November, as they were clearly inaccurate.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

I wouldn't take anything out of the exit polls and extrapolate to November, as they were clearly inaccurate.

Right. The final number they came up with after recalculation was Obama 51-44. He's winning Wisconsin, I'm willing to stipulate that up front. But Obama +7 in WI is a 7 point drop from his '08 margin. That happens nationwide and ruh-roh.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Just as significant as WI last night:

San Jose voters Tuesday handed Mayor Chuck Reed a crucial victory with his nationally watched pension reform measure passing by a decisive margin.

It was a big night for pension reform, with a San Diego measure also winning by a wide margin. City employee unions who argued the measures are illegal were expected to challenge both in court.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Elections 2012: You must choose the lesser of two weevils

Right. The final number they came up with after recalculation was Obama 51-44. He's winning Wisconsin, I'm willing to stipulate that up front. But Obama +7 in WI is a 7 point drop from his '08 margin. That happens nationwide and ruh-roh.

To look at it another way. Obama's 7 pt gap is right on the nose for how state polls have had him over the last few weeks. If swing state polls are either as accurate or at least not bias towards either candidate and hold, Obama wins by 100 EV. So yes, a ruh-roh could well be in order.