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Following the resignation of Republican Rep. Christopher Lee for trying to get his groove on with a woman who was not his wife over Craigslist and some embarrassing hiccups on the House floor, Republicans are struggling with their upstart conservative ranks.
The New York Times writes:
For the second consecutive day, House Republicans on Wednesday lost a floor vote due to a mini-revolt, this time over a plan to demand a repayment from the United Nations. Earlier in the day, members of the party's conservative bloc used a closed-door party meeting to push the leadership to go well beyond its plans to trim about $40 billion from domestic spending and foreign aid this year, demanding $100 billion or more.
The spending rebellion came after the House on Tuesday rejected what was expected to be a routine temporary extension of anti-terrorism Patriot Act provisions when Democrats and about two dozen conservative Republicans balked at a fast-track procedure. Republicans, still searching for their footing after assuming control in January, were also forced to pull a trade assistance bill from the floor after conservatives raised objections. They found themselves mediating other internal fights as well.
"We have been in the majority four weeks," said House Speaker John Boehner. "We are not going to be perfect every day."
And you aren't going to have peace until some members of your party realize that rhetoric and legislating are two different things. For example, for all the Republican talk about just slashing the budget, I hope they see that is not as easy as it sounds.
Cutting $100 billion in domestic spending sounds good but try accomplishing it without eliminating important programs that affect the people that voted for you. The "cut, cut, cut" mantra of this new crop of ultra-conservative Republicans is just not practical in real life.
Check out the crop of important programs that are already on the chopping block. According to the the New York Times:
Among 60 programs in line for elimination were the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AmeriCorps and a $298 million Clinton-era program for hiring local police officers. Other planned cutbacks included nearly $900 million in energy conservation and efficiency programs; $1.8 billion from the Environmental Protection Agency; and $75 million from legal aid programs. In a swipe at the administration, the bill would eliminate $5 billion in high-speed rail money.
Some of these programs will probably save money in the long run. It doesn't make sense that our national rail system is behind the times and continues to crumble. Improving the rails can provide much-needed jobs as well as help clean the environment by taking more cars off the road. And $900 million in energy conservation and $1.8 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency will certainly have an effect on making sure we take the necessary steps to save the environment.
We should look at things such as our defense budget, tax breaks for the wealthy and Congress' own budget when it comes to paring down our deficit.
And new economic numbers out of Britain are leading many to question whether fiscal austerity helps the economy. Despite Britain's focus on austerity, the economy is 4 percent below pre-recession levels. In times of financial difficulty, the government can serve as a bridge and a stimulator. No one wants the government interfering in every aspect of their lives but it's clear that cutting the government to the bone is also not the answer.
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By: okay... on 2/12/2011 2:24AM
I understand the argument that the government should curb spending, but this is ridiculous. Other countries are advancing light years ahead of the U.S. This country is supposed to be at the forefront of technology, education etc, but we are lagging behind. How in God’s name does China already have a high-speed rail system, China! And we in the U.S. can even decide on whether there should be one here. Folks need to understand that we are in a worldwide economic slump and there is nothing that the U.S. can do alone to jumpstart the economy to where we expect it to be. It's important that the government spends on programs to strengthen our infrastructure; at least those jobs would be long term. It seems as though Republicans are interested in self financial gain. Don't they care about the advancement of this country? America has lost its footing as an innovator. I had the opportunity to work overseas in Asia and more and more students don’t want to come here to study anymore. The tides have shifted and they want to go to China, Brazil, and Australia. We are losing top scientist to China b/c china is willing to invest heavily in technological development, though they are in a much better place financially. If someone like Palin gets in office we might as well just give up, she hates science and we would go back to the dark ages. The United States is looking more and more like the Flintstones while china is getting closer to the jetsons.
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By: ooozzzzz on 2/12/2011 10:51AM
House Republicans in Turmoil? Who's suprised?
These are the same Republicans who fully supported and backed the Bush/Chaney adminstration during his 8 years in office that completely destroyed this country, wasted trillions of dollars annually with two wars not budgeted or paid for, killed the housing market, destroyed investment/personal savings, lost millions of jobs (destroye all the manufacturing jobs) and created this economic recession mess that almost turned into another great depression....and they are in turmoil?...They never left the turmoil train station.
They have always been in turmoil and all they know how to do is two things: Praise their real God & Jesus Mr. Ronald Reagan and cut taxes for the rich to line their pockets and promote the "trickle down economics" ruse in order to create American jobs that never works.
And you short attention span Republican voters allows those same DC Republicans to use your racism, misguided protesting anger and rage for the past two years against President Obama and the Democrats to re-elect them and now that they have power in the House but no Republican President in the Oval Office to fully support them, don't have a clue as to what to do.
They had that with President Bush and VP Chaney and he's no longer there to approve all their actions.
And for many of you, you still can't get over the fact that a Black man is President. Your CEO, your boss....It's time to just let it go and he will be re-elected so stop worrying about it.
And oh by the way....Where are the jobs that they promised you? Are they working on them? No....All they know how to do is cut taxes and eliminate programs...The very same thing they did in order to support and funded two wars...cut much needed programs (the same thing that they are doing now trying to reduce the deficit)and directed those same dollars to Iraq and Afghanstan.
This is their "solution"....Not invest in this country in order to create jobs and improve this country which has fallen way behind other nations in technology, education and innovatios but cut taxes and programs in order to reduce the deficit and as they love to say "not leave massive debt for their grandchildren"....News flash..Your "grandchildren" are going to be paying taxes and have massive debt to pay when they are adults anyway because debt and taxes are a true reality....That's just how life is so that reasoning is and always has been pure political bullsit that they sold you in order for you to re-elect them back to office and y"all fell for the okey doke hook, line and sinker.
And since they have no clue how to create jobs here in America, they are taking the easy road; purposely concentrating on the "deficit" since cutting programs are much easier and in it's execution, they are also causing people to lose thousands of jobs in the process...And they don't even care about that outcome.
And in their planned attempted to get rid of President Obama, reduce the deficit, not help create jobs but blame Prsident Obama for not creatinf jobs when they promised to do so and just before election time, use that ploy to get you dumbass Republicans back to the voting booth in 2012....And you will still be unemployed.....Stop being punked and insulted.
They don't know and never knew what they are doing.
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By: Henry Ballard on 2/12/2011 12:47PM
They fail to look at the past administration, and hurlracial remarks at the current president. they argue that he has reduced this country to a third world nation. They also say that he is not a true American, but a person born in Kenya; they offer no proof. People like this bemoan the fact that he is the president and that is that. We do not care about our children at all. Trickle down economics, catsup is a vegatable, Regan did not tear down the wall, it was being torn down long before he took office.
As long as we redifine the truth or facts we will crash and burn. Think for yourself do not people like Palin, Limbaught, O Riley and others tell you what to belive. They are in it for the money and will say what is appropriate for the moment.
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By: pimpinperry2 on 2/12/2011 1:40PM
Finally someone who has a clear understaning of the current and past events of the republicans tactics. Most americans are so clueless about what happening here in america.
Have anyone asked why do we send billions in foreign aid to countries like Israel, Eypyt, Iraq and others. Shouldn't we cut foreign aid first so that we can get our house in order.
It's gotten to the point where the USD {united state dollar} is losing it purchasing power and status as the world's reserve currency. What does that mean? Well if you haven't felt the impact of rising prices then you must be living in another country. If current trends hold the U.S. is headed toward being a second rate country. China is now the second largest economy in the world and is expected to over take the U.S. in a few years. The balance of power is being shifted from the west {U.S.} to the east {China}. They have the numbers....over 1.5 billion people with a growing middle class versus the U.S. declining middle class.
What will it take? A revolution such as what just took place in Eygpt, Tunisa, Yemen? Or the protests that we seen in France. Wake up america we heading towards disaster and the repulicans are leading the way.
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By: renee on 2/12/2011 12:31PM
they want to cut cut cut.... but not really still saying what they'd cut.. they want to have their cake and eat it to.....
there are things that just cant and shouldnt be cut... if they want to cut something start in their own house.... with all the money they waste... spending our tax dollars on everything from cars to food.... its not my job to pay for them to have cell phones and pay for them and their staff and whoever else to eat and drive around....
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By: Pink on 2/12/2011 5:52PM
Is anyone surprised about this? I know I'm not. People (including peps on the left and right) want 2 complain on the sidelines. Truth is none of us know what's really going on in the political realm unless we are there in the thick of it. I imagine when people get in (especially all the new people on the hill) then they find out the real deal, and realize it's not as easy as it looks (2 run a country that is).
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By: Pink on 2/12/2011 5:53PM
I guess John Boehner will be doing a lot more crying. LOL LOL
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By: starkeishalotto on 2/13/2011 2:19PM
They can't let people starve to death just because we are in the hole. I knew this would happen.
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By: Watcher Watchmen on 2/13/2011 11:49PM
*Republicans + Repugnance = REPUGNICANS* .
*Democrats + Rats = DEMORATS* .
Although the republicans and democrats are both for and by the people, there are those within each group who are the Repugnance and the Rats, respectively.
Ironically, each of those “Bad Apples” within either party are from the same “Batch” of psychos, who have the academically qualified access to all the right places for all the wrong reasons.
It was predictable that a bastardized-republic-agenda would fail, primarily because their train was riding ON and FOR all the wrong reasons.
Hate filled rhetoric and the old, "let's get that black man out of office by any means necessary" antics, was the theme that drove their cause which was paralleled alongside their Tea-Party cohorts whose demonstrations and rallies was filled with the kinds of “straws that broke the camel’s back” leading to the attack on a congresswomen that resulted in her having severe brain injury, along with the deaths and injuries of many others during that shooting spree.
Those hate-filled whites that positioned themselves as “Republicans”, wasn’t in it for the economy, it was about Getting at that “Black Man” in the white house.
It wasn't about creating jobs, it was about Getting at that “Black Man” in the white house.
It wasn't about curbing government spending, it was about Getting at that “Black Man” in the white house and more.
These were nothing but sellable excuses used to “MASK” their personal hate-filled agendas behind and furthermore about pacifying a bunch of panic-stricken whites, raging in fear-filled hatred, (Take the country Back!, Remember this?!) induced by racial ignorance for a sense of feeling in control and being in charge.
Which was a spoiled “white” piece of mind that became shattered at the moment “a black man” entered the white house as “President”
From that point forwards, much of those whites spent their time running from their own devilish and psychotically racist conscience.
But what do these white psychotically racist imbeciles think they’ve lost to be taken back? As far as we can see, they’re not lost anything worth their fuss.
The President of the united (so-Called) states of America is for ALL PEOPLE!
Just because he’s black doesn’t mean he’s just for the black people.
That is completely INCORRECT!
But for those whites that think a black president is just for the black people, are you unwittingly testifying what was hidden in the hearts of the former white presidencies?
PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA IS THE PRESIDENT FOR “ALL” PEOPLE!
Indiscriminant of ethnicity and has made that quite clear!
But white vultures stands hunkered for whatever they can find available to “PECK” at.
And because they know themselves and their ilk, they know what can be said to stir “their kind” up! Leading to them attacking practically everything President Obama has done and/or said to make things right, to appear wrong and using all the select-choice of wording to hit the right spot where it counts the most for their own cause.
They said President Obama has increased the deficit, which then was later bastardized by them to imply that President Obama created the deficit.
All while ignoring the fact that President Obama inherited the deficit “FROM THEM”, along with an “Active War” left Opened, “BY THEM”.
President Obama didn’t start it, but got stuck with it, to deal with it and more.
These white psychotically racist xenophobic imbeciles have the audacity to abandoned America in turmoil, then only “AFTER” President Obama managed to stabilize the economical disaster, they now come waltzing back onto the scene as “Knights in Shining Armor” with all the answers (they didn’t have before) and to now overthrow the “black” president” and take full credit for “HIS” repairs which has resulted in the current economical recovery.
Remember, President Barrack Obama also had to come out of the Whitehouse, (away from his desk) and go into other countries “HIM-SELF” to strategize an open trade market for the US as an added means of furthering economical stabilizations and growth.
Was he not able to get the help he needed from the whites within the USA that are in position to do so?.
Perhaps that’s expected from those who “WANTS HIM TO FAIL”
(They said that against President Obama, *Remember This?!…..Pathetic!)
Not only should President Obama get a 2nd term, but he DESERVES IT!
He EARNS IT!
He has a well thought out plan that was/is so strong, that even with all the political monkey-wrenches whites racists have thrown into it, it still yet progressed ahead!
And his unfinished business plan of ultimate progress can be successfully completed if and when those racist Vultures stop derailing and harassing everything he does.
He may then rightfully bathe in the fruits of HIS OWN labor, rather than those who’re seeking excuses to get rid of him and be rewarded by the fruits of “President Obama’s Labor” for having done what was necessary (spending and all) to save an economy he inherited in dire straits and proceeded to successfully get it as far as it is to date.
Because as sure as all hell, it could have been a lot worse and this political nonsense these white racists are regurgitating wouldn’t be worth its stench.
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By: hilroy on 2/15/2011 11:39AM
This repugnant republican is one of the most racist people you can find. There is no surprise that he dislikes the President with fervor
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