Whoever the new president is

Clearly, McConnell expects Obama to lose. I can almost hear him chuckling Mission Accomplished from here. FWIW, I hope McConnell is right. Obama has been an unmitigated disaster.

So, isn’t it time for calling for Obama’s resignation?

Exactly. Our fearless chessmaster has emboldened the terrorists.

A Republican President would simply keep borrowing and call Congress’s bluff. The Thugs like the authoritarian model, and I would expect the financial sector like it, too, as it reduces the pesky uncertainties associated with democracy. I don’t see the debt ceiling as a problem unless another Democrat wins the presidency.

let’s get it done letsgetitdone

total failama

This will be the template for any and all critical legislation. Budgets, Debt ceiling, reauthorizations, national emergencies,etc etc.

Hell they’ll probably even try to use confirmations.

in the end phred, I believe they do not want obama to lose, they cannot possibly accomplish nearly as much if the republican elected actually ran as a republica

I hope I live long enough to see a real Democrat elected president one who uses a flame thrower to get the tea baggers attention.

I have paypal if you care to contribute and I get enough I will run for president!

Barbarians at the Gate. Of course the next ‘Debt Ceiling’ debate will be worse. They have been pining for an all out attack on the last 100 years of our governance. They think one more push and they will finally reach the tipping point where the only thing that will be free is the ‘market’ and the rest of us will be forced to go to a fundie Christian church for a protestant form of Sharia Law.

Welcome to the Capitalist Theocracy. NOT! I’d resort to extremes if that were to happen.

But are you charismatic and good looking? It doesn’t matter what ideas you have.

Obama is doing a bang-up job for the Republicans and the neocon crowd. They’re not serious about beating him, which is why they’re running outliers and idiots. There is no reason to CHANGE.

Yeah! Eric Cantor mouths off to him and he says…..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hsILeDgSTM&feature=player_embedded

When the Republicans progressives took the debt ceiling hostage this time they were in risky uncharted waters. They didn’t know what Obama’s bottom line would be. They didn’t know if he would fold on new revenue. They didn’t know if Obama would be willing to use some innovative solution like the 14th amendment or a trillion dollar coin.

fixed it for you.

now we know, if we didn’t already, obama is NOT on our side.

so next time let’s not take SS, medicare and medicaid hostage. let’s NOT pit what remains of the new deal against the interests of the warmongers, banksters and wanna-be feudal lords. we can be against those things for their own sake.

first, because it’s morally bankrupt. second, because it’s economically pointless. third, because it’s politically stupid — in this political environment pitting the those in need against those who don’t know need is a fight we’re going to lose.

we’ve got to change the political environment. and one way to do that is to tell the truth — first to ourselves and then to each other:

deficit spending is not inherently a bad thing. how we decide to deficit spend is political choice. that’s what makes it progressive or not.

there is NO such thing as progressive deficit reduction. and it’s moronic to put the words “progressive” and deficit reduction” in the same sentence (any one remember iraq and nine eleven?).

The right wing has all the infrastructure in place to insure a stranglehold on power far into the future. They have countless right wing and libertarian think tanks twisting research and logic into a pretzels to justify and confirm their ideology. They have their own television network. They have their religious icons that are worshiped by their followers (Reagan, the “free market”, job creators etc.) and foisted on a naive and easily manipulated public. They have a complicit corporate media that benefits from a corrupt economic and political system. They have low information voters that willingly vote against their own economic and social interests and finally they have a weak opposition party that is nothing more than the “moderate” wing of the Republican Party. This scenario is bleak for those that have a far different vision than the right wing’s dystopia.

They just cut $2.5 trillion and we’re going to hit the debt ceiling in another year?

Constitutional Option Avoided; Constitutional Crisis Coming

A new beast has emerged called alternatively the ‘super committee’ or the ‘Super Congress.’ Under the deal struck between Obama and teabaggers, 12 legislators, six from each House and six from each party, will have to identify deep cuts in federal spending, which cuts must be ratified by each House of Congress and then signed into law by the President. If the 12 legislators fail to agree, then automatic cuts will be painfully endured in both the defense and civilian sectors.

There is nothing in the Constitution suggesting the propriety of such a system for lawmaking …
Article:
Constitutional Option Avoided; Constitutional Crisis Coming

Why wouldn’t we? We basically have the lowest revenues coming in since WWII, and more and more people out of work and needing assistance.

It’s a win-win for the Republicans!

That is what should happen. He should go out just like LBJ. The fact is many people have lost confidence in his ability to lead and he should go. He needs someone to whisper in his ear.

there is NO such thing as progressive deficit reduction. and it’s moronic to put the words “progressive” and deficit reduction” in the same sentence

Wow, you even put it in bold. I admire your courage.

Even after all that has gone on, The WH has asked Senate Democrats to cave on Republican demands on the FAA budget bill. Senate Democrats are waking up and told him to go away. Is there anything O understands except retreat even in the face of victory?

Now O goes on a 3 day bus tour in the midwest. I’m sure we will hear great progressive speeches about producing jobs. How does he do this with a straight face when he just signed a bill that will destroy more jobs than he’s going to create with his current idea of compromise?

Obama The Great Enabler is the problem. Not only has he resurrected the Republican Party, he has legitimized the Tea-Party argument and hostage taking tactics. Things are only going to get much worse from here.

It is a terible thing when your president does not really understand economics, then surrounds himself with conservative economists to make it worse and finally, does not have the stones to lead. He is feckless and incompetent. Nice guy, but he cannot lead. He must go to give us a chance to fight what we all know is coming. We need someone to get fucking mad and do what is right for the country and not cave again, and again and again. He must quit.

it will only be much worse if obama is still the president.

look!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you dont understand that this whole deal was obamas doing and if you dont understand obama is not a liberal but a right wing republican then you are totally lost and part of the problem.

That’s about all he can do, halfway well – -give speeches. How many times have you heard him talk about jobs only to forget about it and say we need to compromise with the Thugs and reduce the deficit. I can’t listen to him anymore.

Bingo! And they have Obama acting as their “black mascot”.

So Obama is fighting tooth and nail to ensure that WellPoint receives their annuity via the Individual Mandate, but as far as people being able to afford treatment if they actually get sick he’ll just leave people out to dry so that the insurance payments can be paid but that’s about it. Great priorities.

sorry, Mr President, I can’t forget. I won’t forget.

The U.S. electorate is unarguably the most naive and ignorant of any electorate in the advanced industrialized world. They are told that the U.S. is number 1 and not knowing anything other than what they are told by venal politicians and a corrupt media they believe it. Only 25% of the population carries a passport so they have nothing to compare the U.S. to. Anyone that’s traveled to Western Europe or the Scandinavian countries know there are other options that work better than the ossified economic and political system of the U.S.. That ossified system, however, does benefit a select few. Until the population wakes up the noose will only tighten.

It would be a mistake, imvho, to assume that the playing field will be the same by the time the next hostage situation arrives, which could even be within a month.

This deal that nobody likes was crafted within the framework of ‘principled’ negotiation – which normally carries with it big penalties for ‘unprincipled’ behavior.

So, passion for your constituency is fine, but subversion of the process with threats of mutual destruction crosses a clear, bright line that opens the perpetrator to exposure of debased character.

Since the goopers are ridiculously rigid and prone to repetitious behavior, we should all be expecting them to come back with their same brand of shock-and-awe legislation tactics to bully the Dems, again, with threats of pulling the whole house down on everyone if they don’t get their way.

The next time, however, None of the stone throwers better live in glass houses, because everyone is going to hear about it. If we thought Wu and Weiner were idiots before, just wait till the goopers start hogging that spotlight with graft, corruption, compromised behavior, etc, etc.

One of the elements of principled negotiation is to ‘call out’ the party-fouls of the other side by naming their tactics – Biden did this when he called the Tea Party’s negotiation style like that of ‘terrorists’ making all-or-nothing demands.

Now that ‘hostage-taking’ has been called out as an unprincipled systemic threat, it can be defended against with vigor the next time it’s used.

If deficit spending was inherently bad, then we would never have small businesses.

I think a list of if – then statements on deficit spending would make for good print.

“That ossified system, however, does benefit a select few. ”
___

Well, that IS in fact the entire point from the perspective of Our Betters.

i should have put “fed govt” deficit spending. too late to edit now though :(

much stronger case than small business, etc. because the fed govt is a currency issuer. we’re currency users.

why not?

flame away if you think i’m wrong (but please see @33 for addendum).

You need to reconsider “Obama has been an unmitigated disaster,” and reflect on for whom? Then further reflect on who have been the winners in Obama’s behavior.

It also depends on what scenarios for the US economy Obama is using, and Obama’s personal agenda.

Yup. Look at what he does, not what he says. The list is long.

Once again the Republicans are framing this Medicare debate. O and the Democrats are completely clueless. The debate is about how much Medicare is costing the government and what we have to do is limit that cost. The moronic Dems are buying into this BS as they do with just about everything else.

The real problem is the out of control medical costs. Out current medical costs run about 16% of GDP. Countries that have “socialized” medicine run about 8%. Medical costs are going up 10%/yr. By 2015 our medical costs could approach 20% of GDP. Medical costs are literally destroying our economy. Medical costs are one of the major reasons for bankruptcy. Did you know that in the bankruptcy reform Republicans did a few years ago there was no exception for medical bankruptcies? Guess why the banksters didn’t want that exception?

Why aren’t the Democrats making the case for “socialized” medicine? The Republicans have the rubes believing that if the government gets out of the healthcare business, prices will go down because consumers will be more prudent and negotiate. I believe in the tooth fairy as well.

You are right. And it was probably the first mistake O and the dems made: we are not living within our means, look at the huge deficit. Almost everyone of the political class seems to believe in that.

Should’ve bought gold 10 years ago when I had the $$, but all my family and friends said “noooooooo”.

You want medical costs to go down? Congress should stop passing “doc fix” laws. Medical costs will go down 30% next year if they don’t pass another “doc fix”.

When the Republicans took the debt ceiling hostage this time they were in risky uncharted waters. They didn’t know what Obama’s bottom line would be.

I will have to call B.S. on that.. The tan man and O did this together…

Keep pretending to be act like it’s new that Obama has sold us out, I really don’t get that and I think a new narrative is desperately needed.

Nationalize the drug companies or significantly cap them.
Universal healthcare
Redistribute subsidies to Monsanto, Exxon etal., and give it to small businesses.
Term limits for critters.
Stop corporate campaign contributions and other percs.
End the wars.
Put Murdoch in jail and free Bradley Manning.

I agree.

However, if you are trying to teach the person on the street to “get” def spending, you may have to start with a logical step like starting a small business and work your way from there.

I was talking with someone yesterday who thought the health story about Stephen Stone who is the President of RenewAmerica was an inspiration. I broke the story down in small parts to discuss the story. When I got to asking where did the money from supporters come from?

I got a blank stare and then a light bulb of, “Oh, some people work.” We worked form there and suddenly got the understanding of def spending.

It took a long time but it was a big baby step.

An interesting list of 25 things we have learned during the debt “crisis” at C&L. Also a handy chart of who holds the debt and when it was acquired.

http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/25-things-we-learned-during-the-debt-crisis

Thanks for the excellent analysis, Walker.

Part of what this suggests is that Obama will be President again in 2012. Also, I suspect that getting more results toward transferring wealth upwards via the terrorist tactic of hostage taking will not require that the Reps need to hold at least one chamber.

“Obama has been an unmitigated disaster.”

For most citizens, yes. But he has been very effective in helping the rich get richer while providing the necessary good-cop cover to get it done. In this respect, he is more useful than a Rep President.

(Oops, sorry perris and eriks. I see you got there already.)

I respectfully disagree. I don’t think McConnell’s choice of words was a slip of the tongue. I think he truly believes that Obama just signed his own Presidential death warrant.

What McConnell understands is that it isn’t just Obama. The debt ceiling bill could only pass with the wholesale support of Dems in Congress. And they gave that support wholeheartedly.

It really doesn’t matter who occupies the WH next. The Republicans will continue to run the table as they have for the past decade. The Republicans have carefully and very effectively rigged the system and in the process they have crippled and humiliated the Democratic Party. Sadly, the Democratic Party refuses to lift a finger to defend themselves or whatever shred of their honor that remains.

McConnell and the Republicans have every reason in the world to rub the Dems nose in it and I believe they will. I suspect they won’t be able to help themselves. It’s in their nature to kick people when they’re down.

Seriously? Did you really not understand my comment?

Whatever.

Anyone who thinks Obama is the lesser of two evils against the thugs in 2012 should think again. He has a history of caving and dragging along enough dems to support him. And he does not need all of them, as we just saw. In 2012 or 2013 he will face another deficit/debt ceiling crisis and the bush tax cuts. And he will cave on those issues. We will arguably lose more in SSMM than if a thug were President, bc Obama will want to be “reasonable” again. Left to their own the dems might block some of it, especially if we were able to retain control of one house of congress. So the “lesser of two evils” idea may, in fact, be the worst of it. That suggests we should work for him to lose but we should retain control of congress. We are in for a bad 5 years ahead.

I think this is an unjustifiably bleak assessment. If we have another debt ceiling hostage crisis in Obama’s possible second term, we can’t know he won’t have learned a lesson. He’s seen the poor reception this latest capitulation has gotten and he certainly must know he’s been savaged for his past capitulations. Maybe he’ll change enough to know he shouldn’t negotiate with terrorists.

What a naughty boy. Maybe someday he will learn.

If we have another debt ceiling hostage crisis in Obama’s possible second term, we can’t know he won’t have learned a lesson

Obama has no lesson to learn. He did was he intended to do. If there’s another debt ceiling hostage crisis, hopefully you and the Obama supporters will learn the lesson that these aren’t “reasonable” people on either side of the debate. They are the ruling class, and they’ve come to get you.

He’s oblivious. Interested in buying a bridge?

Ha! Indeed. Dots are not to be connected. Rational thinking and figuring out cause and effect relationships is not part of the process. Amnesia and crisis is the formula. There is no how or why, only the “reality” that what is going on at any present moment has always been the case.

Evidence of the fiction, of the racket: “Whoever the new president is, is probably going to be asking us to raise the debt ceiling again. Then we will go through the process again and see what we can continue to achieve in connection with these debt ceiling requests of presidents to get our financial house in order.”

To suggest there is a “ruling class” makes Americans very uncomfortable because it begins to suggest a class consciousness. The last thing most Americans have is any sense of class consciousness. They want to believe in the myth and not the reality.

The Republicans have carefully and very effectively rigged the system and in the process they have crippled and humiliated the Democratic Party.

Other than packing the judiciary with ideologues and being bold enough to use the inherent weakness of American government, e.g. threatening filibusters and poisoning legislation, how have they rigged the system?

They elected Obama??

Both halves of the Rep-Dem Siamese twin shadow puppet worked together to make this all happen.

I’m not an Obama supporter beyond knowing the Democrats have no one else and the Republicans are far worse than Obama. Abandoning Obama now would be a mistake. Progressives’ only real hope is making him understand our displeasure.

If only we could call for Obama’ s resignation. I wish every day that we had recall on the federal level like we do here in California. Or that our cowardly Congress would impeach him for the many violations of our laws Obama is doing with impunity, just like Bush. But they didn’t impeach Bush and they won’t impeach Obama.

The past two years have shown that Obama, for all his good intentions,has not learned how to BE president. One thing you have to give the CHENEY/BUSH white house credit for is that they found ways to “get around” pesky laws. Wiretap is illegal? Redefine it. Wiretap is still illegal? Pass FISA. Kidnapping foreign nationals is illegal? Have the AG re-classify them as “undeclared combatants”. You got NO reason to go to war? Change the inteligence reports. Gotta admit, that dick Cheney was pretty bright and W was too, letting Cheney and KBR/Halliburton run the government. His biggest personal chores; 1)not choking on Doritos while watching football games, 2)finding his way out of locked room.

Obama has indeed painted himself into a corner not just for debt ceiling negotiations, but for everything. The FAA fiasco is another example of just how the repubtilians will control the govenment unless and until Obama can find a way to solve these crises FROM HIS OFFICE. He acts like a guy in a gunfight with no buillets. Go FIND you some ammo, Mr. President or you WILL be moving back toi Illinois in January 2013.

The only way that would work is if we vote him out of office. He’s fixated on the stats that show we don’t matter. He’s bought into the delusion that the middle is right, when I think it’s moderately left. And he’s not a progressive at all, he’s further right than Cheney. Maybe as far right as Hitler. Why do I say that? Hitler pretended to be a progressive and actually did more progressive things when he took office than Obama has done, which is zero.
Then he showed his true colors, Hitler that is, and began an insane effort to conquer Europe and murder his citizens. What is Obama doing? He’s making war all over the world for imperial conquest on behalf of our corporations, murdering civilians abroad and pursuing policies that will amount to genocide here at home. Genocide of the working and middle classes, particularly effective against blacks (50% unemployment) and Hispanics (more deportations than any other president). Obama desperately wants to be among the rich, white elites and he has spent his life pandering to them and their agenda. The rich white elites in this country are neonazis in their attitudes and policy if not in name. They want a country that nurtures their culture and provides them with unlimited wealth and a vast army of slaves. The rest of us they can do without and are working hard to achieve that goal. With Obama’s enthusiastic help.

You is “on target” today my friend. Sorry I was late today.

You got a bridge? I’ve got a swamp. Lets’ talk.

Another debt ceiling vote will take place in late 2012 or early 2013. Assuming President Obama is re-elected and Republicans hold at least one chamber of Congress or even a large minority in the Senate, we are being told very clearly will we have this same basic fight again. Yet this next time it should end much worse for liberals

Yes,and that means that Americans have about ONE year to get their act together to line up real representation to vote for and make sure their votes are counted by removing black box apparatus!

We have to take out the paperless, hackable, easily stolen vote machines!

I just want to go “on record” as saying I was s Biden supporter up to the mement Obama got the nod.

I’m not saying he would have been a better president. But, certainly a more interesting and entertaining president.

Along with the classic racist fantasy narrative of the altruistic self-sacrifice of the Black man for the benefit of the White Better One. Could we expect to have a Black President outside the exploitation of these dominant myths? Could we have gotten Ving Rhames in “Dawn of the Dead” instead of Sidney Poitier in “Edge of the City”?

Infinite campaign cash.

The Dems have to go crawling to the BIG donors to get the kind of cash they need to keep up with the Republican Jones’. This is what motivates Billion Dollar Obama and his Democratic Congressional handmaidens. Obama needs Wall Street and big corporate donors every bit as much as they need him, no matter how much they trash talk the guy.

Now in a perfect world, the electorate wouldn’t fall for what these clowns are selling (both Reps and Dems), but we treat political parties as if they were sports teams — our guys do or die. And so, we allow ourselves to be held hostage by a profoundly corrupt and utterly broken system.

This is aided and abetted by the other way that the Republicans have rigged the system: corporate media. The message matters and those that control the message wield enormous influence over public opinion.

At this point there is precious little reason for Congress to even exist. But they will carry on, if for no other reason than to continue their rapacious transfer of wealth from the majority of the public to the oligarchs.

I love what you said.
But,m could you “dumb it down” for me. I haven’t seen either of those movies. :-)

Defaulting would have been the best thing to do- weakening the dollar is the best way to create jobs. Too bad the bankers own everyone in Washington.

“They just cut $2.5 trillion and we’re going to hit the debt ceiling in another year?”

Well, sure. For one thing, you know, the $2.5T cuts are mostly a fantasy; the actual cuts for this year are about as much as the government spends in a few hours. The rest is window dressing in the out-years that will never happen. So we’re going to blow through the increased credit limit very fast.

But I do think the original post is correct in saying that the days of automatic debt-ceiling hikes are over. From now on the spenders will have to fight for them, in full view of a hostile public.

and galbraith warned progressives not to fall into that trap in jan 2010 (maybe earlier, but that’s the first i warning i remember seeing): Why Progressives Shouldn’t Fall For the Deficit Reduction Trap

we didn’t just fall, we jumped.

if we make the same mistake twice we should spend the next few years laying off the conservatives and only talk about what morans WE are.

agree about breaking it down, but i don’t dare use the false household (business, state/loc govt) budget analogy. it’s already too “intuitive.”

Word!

I didn’t fall for it. I went crazy trying to get the message out about tying up tax policy and budget items into the debt increase. They should have done it honestly and the right way through Congress and not the hostage/crisis crap. We had already seen that episode with the repugs twice already!

The one thing no one is taking into consideration is the anger people are feeling. I don’t kmnow what effect that is going to have.

The only reason things are going to get much worse is because the dems are going to roll over and allow it.

Point taken absolutely.

It is difficult to help individuals who do not “get” economics to begin to understand def spending on the fed level. I made a huge step with this one individual who will be meeting with me to grow her understanding on the fed level. I at least got her to admit that she did not understand and that maybe backing off her soapbox and listening may help her grow her understanding.

Your being kind, I was gonna go with FR

I don’t see a problem unless Obama is re-elected. Not even any other Democratic President would have put up with this. Only Obama.

The last thing most Americans have is any sense of class consciousness. They want to believe in the myth and not the reality.

And that is a tremendous obstacle for Progressives to overcome. Until Americans wake-up to the existence and hostility of the plutocracy, they will continue to believe in the American Dream. As George Carlin said, they call it a dream because you have to be asleep to believe it. Progressives’ job should be awakening America not attacking Obama.

Either Obama is a Republican or he’s in so far over his head that he’s drowning. I suspect the former. But, in either case, you’d have to work hard to convince me we’d be worse off with a Rethug at President. Obama is THAT BAD. And the fact that he has a “D” after his name is destroying the Democratic brand for generations.

‘Super Congress.’

Can’t objections be made to this idea based on the split? Why would it be legal to have one half repugs and one half vichydems if that is not the percentages held by the “elected” officials?

I have been wondering about this the whole time.

Infinite campaign cash.

That certainly is a weakness of the system. Maybe a fatal weakness. It makes public policy little more than what floats to the top of a river of money.

Oh, wait. did McConnell really say, “This President or another one?”

You mean, he would do what the pundits said he wouldn’t do? That the debt ceiling deal had nothing to do with Obama himself or a Democratic President? That he actually cared about reducing the deficit rather than just wanting to get Obama? That he would even demand such from a Republican President??

Unbelievable.

The debt ceiling deal is going to be worse next time for a very good reason, we’ll have $17 trillion in debt then and being asked to raise to $20 trillion.

there is NO such thing as progressive deficit reduction. and it’s moronic to put the words “progressive” and “deficit reduction” in the same sentence…

That’s just not so.

Progressives live in the real world and can’t ignore the reality of arithmetic; revenues less expenditures is either a surplus or deficit. While we can tolerate small deficits indefinitely, we have to address the big ones. That means either cutting spending or raising taxes and that’s a political problem which can be solved.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, Sidney Poitier often played a noble character who selflessly sacrificed himself for the benefit of a white character (“The Defiant Ones” is another example). Think about how many cop or monster movies, for example, involve a secondary Black character catching a bullet or otherwise taking one for the team. Part of what is suggested by such movies is that the proper role for Blacks is to support the goals and survival of their white counterparts. Blacks are accorded no self-actualization beyond their sacrificial function. For comparison, the female equivalent is her often long-suffering role as the happy helpmate to the male main character.

It’s a well-worn plot device that provides the semblance of racial equality and minority representation while actually reinforcing dominant, stereotypical and objectifying ideas about race. This representation, while superficial, makes some white folks feel better about the racial inequities in the US. For this reason, it is sometimes criticized as a liberal fantasy.

In contrast, Ving Rhames in 2004’s “Dawn of the Dead” presents a very different character. Instead of playing a sacrificial role, he is a strong, caring, heroic protagonist who leads a group of lone human survivors in their escape from zombie hoards. In one of the final scenes, the survivors (what’s left of America after the apocalypse) are on a boat leaving the zombie-infested shores of Wisconsin. There is a shot (a low-angle, I think) of powerful Ving Rhames at the helm with an American flag flapping in the background.

It is not possible to become President unless one looks good on television. As soon as this essential criterion is satisfied, the next logical step is figuring out in which popular narrative will he play the heroic protagonist. As far as I can tell, in the age of television this is the primary function of the President. If Reagan and George W. were John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart (cowboy Mr. Smith goes to Washington to set things right for the common folk), Obama is Sidney Poitier, not Ving Rhames. Or that’s my take, anyway

There are so many permutations of this all of it is hard to imagine. It’s like trying to compute the odds of intelligent life in the universe — there’s a rational formula with several factors, and those are mostly guesswork.

In Obama’s case, suppose he has, say, a 50% chance of keeping the WH in 2012; there could be a 30% chance the Repubs lose the House by a handful of votes; there could be a 60% chance the Repubs take the Senate by a handful of votes. Any odds can be played, and some results are liklier than others. They all mean nothing for now, this early.

The most interesting scenario will have both parties holding on by the barest skin of their teeth, and leveraging stuff in new ways. There could be novels written about the nastiness that will follow, which one might expect will exceed the recent past.

Excellent explanation and thanks!!!!

I agree. I’m actually a pretty smart guy, Just didn’t see the movies.

So, in a “zombie apocolypse” we should avoid Wisconsin?????

Low budget horror movies often give you special insight into a culture, and they are able to get away with pushing the envelope in ways that mainstream films can’t. Zombie movies, for example, reflected labor anxieties when they first came out in the 1930s and fear of disease coupled with the Alien Other today. Plus, you can always count on George Romero to provide progressive allegories. His treatment of race and politics in “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) makes “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967) seem like it was directed by D. W. Griffith. In “Land of the Dead” (2005), Romero criticizes the rapaciousness of Capitalism at the expense of the unwashed masses.

Yes, Wisconsin should be avoided in such an eventuality. However, if zombie movies are any indication, the one place to avoid at all costs is the Mall of America next door in Minnesota.

While we can tolerate small deficits indefinitely, we have to address the big ones.

why?

do you think we’ll go broke?

how do you define too big a deficit?

maybe a fallacy of composition. is tripping you up?

from the comments of yours i’ve read over the years i have no doubt that you are extremely persuasive. ;)

Yeah I understand the GOP are hostage takers, but why does Obama have to be Patty Hearst?