The Peasantville Blog

Fiscal Cliff Launch in T Minus 10-9-8 ....

It's no secret I've been more than pessimistic about any deal to avert our going over the Fiscal Cliff.  Between the continued presence of defeated Tea Party legislators who won't be out of power until after the deadline and those who've entered office promising to drive us over the cliff (e.g., Tom Massie, who's expressly stated he'd vote for driving over the cliff) there's no reason to be anything other than pessimistic.   Boehner's Plan B didn't get enough votes to get out of the House, and that was a proposal to increase taxes at $1 Million income - why would we think there's  enough to get out of the House at $250K or even $500K?  To quote a top Democratic aide, "What I want to know is: if Boehner couldn't get $1 million through the House and now McConnell is caving at $450,000, then how does Boehner deal with this?"  

"It's the same 40 to 50 chuckleheads that have screwed this place up all year," complained retiring Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio. Boehner has “done everything to make nice to them. Bring them along. It hasn't mattered. I don't fault him. He's done his best."   In a last hurrah, Allen West and Joe Walsh with the help of Massie - the Chucklehead Chorus - continue to act as domestic terrorists - the Tealiban- and hold Americans hostage to their small box of crayon economic theories. We can only hope more responsible legislators in the next congress will be able to repair the damage done. 

John Boehner can't control the extremists in his own party, he's as weak as any speaker the nation has every seen. Now, less than 11 hours from the precipice, Mitch McConnell is twisting in the wind 'negotiating' with Joe Biden.  When there's no middle ground to be reached.  Oh, there's talk about supplemental legislation to 'soften' the landing -- but that's not enough. There must be a 'cleaning of house' in Congress.  

What Democrats have here is an opportunity -- an opportunity to expose clearly, once and for all, the know nothing intransigence of the Republicans as run by their extremist fanatic wing, the Tealiban.  Next week there's the opportunity to propose legislation lowering taxes on the 98% -- and see if the Republicans will vote against that.  Next week there can be a vote to extend the payroll tax holiday, to invest in infrastructure, to fund education and grow the economy. Next week -- there's an opportunity to bring sanity back to Washington DC while at the same time crushing the plague of ignorance become a political movement - the Tea Party plague.

Tea Party Down But Not Out - Finish Them Off

The Tea Party - a Republican Problem that is negatively impacting the rest of this nation, a plague that exacerbated and continued the damage done by the Bush Administration and his enablers in Congress. 

Tea Party Dilemma

The Tea Party is a George W. Bush apologist group.  Oh, they've tried to distance themselves from Bush by noting his spending, but they embrace those very policies put in place by Bush that did the damage, particularly the failed fiscal policy of the Bush tax cuts.  Never mind Bush had no energy policy, no banking policy, that deregulation was the hallmark of his administration, that he blundered into two wars, diminished our stature globally -- the list goes on. The Tea Party apologizes but pushes for more Bush.

The major error is to equate 'Tea Party' group think with 'conservatism.'  Nothing could be less accurate.  The Tea Party is a gelatinous mass -- there's not one but many small groups.  If one falters or blunders publicly, the others distance themselves from it.  There's no consistent principle - oh, there are slogans - but the Tea Party is long on slogans, short on principle and as for solutions, they offer none. 

Today the perception is the Tea Party is in ebb, that recent electoral setbacks are a sign of the end.  If only it were so.  However, just look at Congress.  The Fiscal Cliff is directly ahead and this nation is heading at breakneck speed for the precipice. Why? Why would the nation speed over the Cliff to higher taxes, higher unemployment, a 5% drop in GDP, more recession, possible inflation and so much more?  Simple -- it's because, unlike the 1966 T-bird that flew over the Grand Canyon in the movie, in this dysfunctional congressional version of "Thelma and Louise" we're unwilling passengers in a TEA Bird recklessly guided by extremists of the TEA Party who use economic terrorist tactics to hold America hostage to the Tea Party's agenda to maintain Bush era failed fiscal policy.  Policy they equate with conservatism.

The Tea Party, it has been said (and I agree) is a movement based upon ignorance and represents the Snookism of American politics.  I would equate it with all the cultural value of the '70s Gong Show.  Americans must stand UP to the lunacy of the extremists - because they are dangerous, dangerous to themselves and others. They represent a group mental disorder, a plague of paranoia and schizoid behavior.

What the Tea Party is NOT is a positive force in American politics, discourse or progress.  From Rand Paul's toilet problems to Michele Bachman's submission to her husband, Marcus, and her desire for a New McCarthyism, the Tea Party is a Republican problem and represents symptoms of America's problems, not solutions. 

Finally, the Tea Party may be down, but it's not out.  There's work left to be done to cure the Tea fever.

The Coming Tea Party Depression

Let it be known, I am pessimistic about any deal that will prevent the nation from driving 'Dukes of Hazzard Style" full speed off the imminent Fiscal Cliff.  Certainly the few sane Republicans, Democrats, finance figures, the President and even John Boehner know that when we do disaster will strike in the form of Recession, high unemployment, a hit to the stock market, more foreclosures, less revenue for government to decrease the deficit and debt, higher taxes on the middle class, greater burden on the social safety net that will be diminished by automatic cuts, less funding for the military resulting in even more unemployment --- but, hey, gas prices will likely drop to $1.75 per gallon when business demand dries up.  The American Action Network, described as 'center right,' has produced an ad in which " ... former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin warn(s) of dire economic consequences if Congress fails to reach an agreement to avoid going over the fiscal cliff.  "This isn't a media creation — this is a real threat to the American economy. Going over the cliff means a decline in GDP of nearly 5 percent. That's something that's agreed upon by business leaders, economists and even the Congressional Budget Office," he says in the web ad. "If we go over the fiscal cliff we have a recession and we will not get America's debt problems under control.""

But odds are we're going over anyway.  Why? Because Tea Party simpletons and their simplistic economic theory applied to government will likely not have it any other way.  We've seen it before -- remember the Tea Party Downgrade?  Tea Party intransigence coupled with their 'theory' resulted in a credit rating drop by S&P as well as higher credit costs, economic uncertainty, a threat to national and global stability -- such intransigence reduces the Tea Party extremists to no more than economic terrorists holding Americans hostage to their agenda, an agenda that will only do more damage and nothing to repair any damage done over the last decade by other reckless leaders in our own government. The Tea Party and extremist Republicans will hold middle class, working Americans hostage in their efforts to alter Medicare, destroy Obamacare, diminish Social Security -- and call it 'freedom.'  That payroll tax holiday? Gone.  Bush tax cuts? Instead of simply raising taxes slightly on the 1% there'll be a raise in taxes across the board for everyone.  Why? Because 'Job creation trickle down,' proven failure that it is, is sacrosanct for the extremists. 

To know the future all one has to do is examine the past --- and all one has to do is look back at 2011's debt ceiling fight to foresee the future.  Joe Walsh and Allen West are still in congress in the House of Representatives, most of the incumbent and incoming senators and congressmen signed Grover Norquist's idiotic pledge  - and even though some Republicans in the Senate are distancing themselves from that pledge, Walsh, West and Thomas Massie embrace it (Massie has pledged to vote to drive off the cliff). 

There will be a compromise in the Senate, and that gives some slight hope the House will do 'something' -- but it's very slight.  Mitch McConnell will not be able to prevent, should he choose to try, some Republicans from voting with Democrats in the Senate to reach compromise. Conversely, John Boehner, who would compromise to avoid the Cliff, will not be able to bring his Republicans to the table.  He's cornered. The Tea Party, Norquist's shreds, unwillingness to deal, pet agendas -- Boehner's effort will be like herding cats -- but more difficult.

Hang on - it's going to be a bumpy ride over that Cliff and at the bottom we'll find the Tea Party Depression. 

Unfinished Business

The War in Iraq was the Blunder to End All Blunders (one would hope).  It's the inappropriate gift given to your toddler by some crazy aunt and you try to be polite as you accept it then try to hide it.  From Day One in March 2003 this nation skidded into an abyss, into a condition that can be likened to mental illness - 'bi-polarization' if you will.  Attempts to rationalize away the error, promote it as an asset or as progress or even as a "Good War" of liberation were used as bludgeons against those who didn't 'support the troops.' Those attempts are symptoms of that illness.

But the one constant in war is casualties, and casualties as a result of a Blunder like Iraq are seen (and should be) as a higher cost, one too high to pay.  That's why this story  about Sgt. Jacob Butler is offensive.  It's a step beyond accusing those who opposed the War in Iraq on various grounds, some because they are pacifists, others, like me, who recognized the mistake that Iraq is/was, of not 'supporting the troops' as a way to quiet the discussion.  It's a betrayal of those who served by those who lead them into that abyss.  It's using someone like Butler as a pawn and a prop to promote the lie. 

From Propublica:

"The day after Jim Butler learned his son had died in Iraq in 2003, a U.S. Army casualty officer showed up at the family's small ranch to explain what happened....

Part One

Lost to History: Missing War Records Complicate Benefit Claims by Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans

by Peter Sleeth, Special to ProPublica, and Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times, Nov. 9

So Butler made a simple request to the Army — for Jake's casualty report. Rules require one when soldiers are killed in a war zone. Unit commanders are supposed to create and maintain them, along with numerous other field records.

"They said, 'We'll have to see,'" Butler recalled, "because one should have been made."

Nine years later, Butler is still waiting for a report he may never get."

Gnewt's Serial Hypocrisy - brought to you by Ron Paul

 

Tea Party Downgrade has spread to the GOP.

The Tea Party is poison to everything it touches - and now the Tea Party Downgrade has spread to the GOP. 

From the FrumForum by David Frum:  "Republican favorability has dropped 7 points with the general public since September 2010, with the steepest portion of the drop occuring during the debt-ceiling debate last summer.

But in congressional districts where the tea party is strong, Republican support has dropped further, by 10 points.

And while overall GOP numbers are stronger in those tea party districts, even there, the unfavorables are higher than the favorables, 48 unfavorable to 41 favorable."

 

Tea Party Smacked Down for Breaking Congressional Rules.

FreedomWorks with the help of a Republican senator tried to put on a passion play about the national debt. FreedomWorks - tried to take advantage of the Koch Brothers Congressional Timeshare apparently - putting on a b.s. version of a debt committee and promoted it as a "Joint House Senate Hearing" when it was ony a Koch Brothers production by FreedomWorks.  Appropriately humiliated Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) protested for naught about his "Tea Party Debt Commission" being booted out on their well padded asses. 

Newt Gets Newtered!!!

Newt Gingrich and his group received $37 million from healthcare industry entities over a 8 year period.  Almost $5 million per year.  What does Newt offer in return?  Whatever he might offer, let us hope he doesn't get the chance to sell it from the Oval Office.   And those entities are the very entities the Republicans have fought tooth and nail to maintain their status.

From the Washington Post:  "A think tank founded by GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich collected at least $37 million over the past eight years from major health-care companies and industry groups, offering special access to the former House speaker and other perks, according to records and interviews."

Back to the Future -Democrats Come Back from 2010 to Stop the Tea Party's March to Decline

Democrats are filing to run in the 2012 Congressional Elections in droves -- and they plan to win!  More than a dozen Democrats who lost by thin margins in 2010 are looking for a rematch.  They know that 2010 was lightning in a bottle for the Tea Party and the Republicans - and they will never repeat that again.  The Tea Party failure, the Republican impotence, has been on display for a year. Too, Americans are beginning to recognize that the Republicans are intentionally destroying the economy with one goal in mind - the destruction of the Obama Presidency. And there's a whole year ahead of the 2012 election - plenty of time to WAKE UP, AMERICA!!

The Tea Party Downgrade Spreads to Mainstream America

The Great Recession cum Great Depression II a/k/a the George W. Bush Effect. Americans continue to suffer, income is down, deprivation and poverty are up.  Yet there remain some who might vote Republican this year and next?  The decline of the Roman Empire was somewhat attributed to lead tainted drinking cups.  The decline of America can be largely attributed to the stupid who think tea means something.