The Passage of Times

The more with which time passes, the more one sees how some things always stay the same.

This is something unrealized by youth… I certainly couldn’t see it, though many elderly tried to project their insight into me.. I simply lacked enough background to understand.

But seeing the return of things you fought to vanquish and were once successful, as well as expanding ones knowledge-base across many cultures, times, and distances, one tends to see a larger pattern in effect that probably is conducive to our survival…

Here is how it relates to conservatives and liberals, democracy and our ultimate survival…. .

No matter who you are, when you are, or where you are, if you are comfortable in your position, you tend to lean towards conservatism… Why wouldn’t you?  It’s what enabled you to get and keep what you have… On the other hand, when you have nothing but dreams listed as your assets, you’ll insist on change, or newness, or something better than what you have.. Why shouldn’t you?  Who would want to stay in the same decrepit conditions one finds themselves when they don’t have to?

And so democracy is simply a mechanism that allows for the ebb and flow of fortunes to change policy so parity is maintained for the most part…

When a majority of people are doing better than those who are not, then keeping what is working now is best for that society as a whole.  On the other hand if it it not working, then changing ones course is better for that society.  That makes so much sense, does it not?

So being a liberal in a time of economic well being is, how should we say politely, being “very forward thinking”?… Likewise being a conservative in a time of turmoil, could be rather dangerous, being so outnumbered so… you better hope you are “well liked”….

It is rare that events outside the human experience impact us on a large scale. Most of what affects us drastically (wars, Depressions, power grabs) usually comes from mankind’s own doing:… acts where we consciously chose to go a certain route, and more or less, damned all the torpedoes that got in the way.

Today we are in a bru-ha-ha of our own making…. Most of it directly came from our choosing to go towards giving the top 1% all of our money and keeping less for ourselves… It was a conscious decision on our parts.  We elected enough Republicans to allow them to do what they told us they would do.  It was no secret. We made a bad decision.

The experiment failed.  They kept all the money and none trickled down, at least here within our borders… Our wealth actually built up China, which is great for them, but that hasn’t helped us much.

When one finds out one is losing something important, one hangs onto it harder… Which means someone has to try harder to take it away, right?… This gives insight into the harshness and lack of decorum in politics today… The ugliness we see today in Conservatives, and the hard clenching tenacity we see in Liberals, we’ve seen before in this country.  We had it in the 1820’s between the old guard wealth of the Eastern Seaboard, and the wide individualistic wealth newly available across our national heartland.  We saw it in the 1850’s as slavery hit the hot button and both sides became bitterly entrenched as support for slavery evaporated into a cauldron of gunpowder.  It only took one spark.  We saw it in the 1890’s as the capitalists grabbed up more and more companies, crushed workers rights, and the workers in cities became less and less empowered. Finally Republican Progressivism broke out of the chokehold. Then WWI flipped the scales back to big business and an investment boom followed by a Great Depression again created the necessary environment for another total sweep of old for new.  That “new” lasted 60 years until it succumbed to having been so successful so that so many numbers who had previously benefited from liberal policies switched allegiances to keep their assets to themselves… And that leads to today, where our individualistic efforts to improve ourselves simply were not enough to balance ourselves comfortably against wealth and power and we are again looking at more government interaction…

So rawness and candor have always been part of politics.  Always will be. Some things never change. (Some of us love it, btw.)

So what is happening today is that the post Republican Depression economy has made mockery out of those “traditional” Republican values and the only thing they have to hold on to power right now, is their appeal to the prejudiced.  Against this direct solicitation, Progressives continue to offer a new vision of hope to millennials, or the return to the old vision of what actually worked well for 60 years to those still alive who actually lived it.

The conservatives count the votes and know their time is numbered.  Population trends have pointed this out for many years. Which readily explains why they focus on ways and methods to limit large numbers of those voting, and have vacated all plans to appeal to new members… No surprise here.

In this election conservative policy has been reduced to stem complete annihilation of their party… For whereas they have failed over the past 16 years, Progressives have succeed across that same time. By going hog-wild on bigotry, they are using the only tactic with which they know how to keep some members in their party from flipping…

Bigotry is a “thing” unfortunately… And right now…. it is the only “thing” Republicans have to garner one single vote this November…  Unless of course, it is ….. “wild hair”…

 

Greed 101

One of the denizens over a Kilroy’s decided to jump into an economic argument throwing pies.

In the process of us demolishing his ignorance all of us realized he’d never been taught how corporate profits work. It then occurred to some of us that perhaps some of the reason the really “common-sense” arguments of how to “make America great again” have not resonated, is because perhaps a lot of you out there also don’t know the real shape things are in either….

This is not a screed. This is just a demonstration of where things are… using data and charts that are very easy to find only if you know where to already look (FRED) and very hard to find if you don’t know where they are…

We’ll start with a parable…..

Once upon a time there was a family whose last name was Quintiles… A little larger than average they were nuclear with a father who worked, a mother who also worked and 3 children spaced roughly 3 years apart…

The mother went back to work when her first child reached teenager status. They had unlimited food… All they ate was pie (there is a joke there). As the children were growing up, the mother portioned out the pie for all so all could get enough to eat….

When the mother went back to work she taught her oldest to put the pie in the oven and feed the children while leaving two pieces for the parents when they returned home.

He was to divide the pie into five pieces and give everyone their share… For a while they monitored the portions closely then seeing no issue never looked at it again. ..

Over time the portion being retained by the teenager gradually grew in size. After all he was cutting. The children couldn’t complain. And the parents never knew because he left portions for them that were consistent.

The smallest got it worst.. Being small and weak he lost the largest share of his portion first. After getting used to living on that bigger piece, when desirous of more pie, the oldest then began sliding the knife inward on the middle child’s portion… It got smaller and smaller.

Then he begin trimming Mom and Dad’s. who were really too busy to notice or care. In the end he was eating half the pie, and the other four were sharing the other half….

One day, the littlest one complained. Then the other four noticed they too had smaller portions. They banded together, and re-arranged duties so the first child now carried out the garbage and the other two children got to rotate pie cutting duties…

They all had enough food forever. However the oldest one threw a fit.. “Not fair”, he cried… “You all get more food, and I’m losing it… This is Socialism”. Eventually when his pleas had no listeners, he too shut up and was content with his “never-ending” piece of pi….

The end.

What does that mean you say? Master, please explain…

Ok.. so you may be clear. The family is American society. The earners are the American working class who earn and buy things that fuel the economy. During Conservative rule, the American people elected to let corporations be what run our government and by extension, our lives… They were put in charge of the government and for a while it was nice. Then they started wanting more. With no greater force to stop them, they took more and more and more.

Everyone else got less. They got more. Everyone else’s pie got smaller and smaller though the entire pie stayed the same. Those with smaller pie pieces were given a litany of excuses including saying they had no choice. Hard times were upon us. But no one was looking at what they were getting as they made our lives more miserable.

Finally the bottom class said we can’t live on $7.25 an hour, and the conversation got started. Everyone realized their portions too had decreased, and that all that decrease had accumulated to the pie of the ones who’d been appointed to do the cutting with no supervision or regulation or negatives for doing wrong.

They got together, changed the rules, forced the recalcitrant child to obey, and he screamed “Socialism”… and threw a fit.

The fit was ignored and the tantrum stopped. The child ended up being happy getting enough to live on as was everyone else…

Nice story.. you said something about charts?

This is the chart showing time since we began keeping records.  Notice the gradual increase in the inclines in the Clinton years, steeper in the Bush years, and steeper in the Obama years.

Even looking at this chart can be misleading.  For example in the Clinton years the rising tide did raise all boats.. Corporate profits rose because every level of income also rose, from poorer to richest.  Anyone living during those times of higher federal taxation did better each year than the year before.  But, with the cuts of the Bush era, the benefits only went to top earners, something Obama was not able to change with the Tea Party holding down both houses  and tax increase on the wealthy, during his term…

So a better guide would be the ratio of Corporate Profits (CP) to the total pie (GDP). This would show the how much corporate profits were taking of the finite pie.

The thing to remember when viewing this is that America’s middle class’s greatest times were between 1950 and 2000… The chart shows why.

The numbers on the left stand for percent of the national pie… At Bill Clinton’s swearing in, the national pie was divided 5% to corporations and 95% to the people. Today it is at 11% for corporations versus 89% for the people….

We, The People, under the new rules written by the corporations, for the corporations, and of the corporations, have been squeezed out of 6% ….. (6% which now mostly goes to  the top earning 16,000 people)

Currently our GDP is around $18 trillion dollars a year…. $18,000,000,000,000.

Six percent of that (amount originally ours but now corporate’s) is roughly $1.1 trillion… At a 150 million of us working that averages out to an rough income loss of $7.333 per worker…

Would you be ok with $7,000 more per worker in your family?  $14,000 more PER YEAR in two-income families?

That is what happens when you move $1.1 trillion from Corporate profits over to employee income.

Let them scream Socialism on deaf ears. We know it won’t hurt them, it’s all bluff, because we know they were doing quite well when they had far less profits…

So if you don’t have enough to live well, don’t blame Mexicans.  Don’t blame those on SNAP.  Don’t blame Muslims. Don’t blame inner city inhabitants. Don’t blame Obama. Don’t blame the Supreme Court.  Don’t blame anyone except those who are entrusted with the cutting of the pie you are to get…

Right now, that is Republicans in Congress and those lobbyists handing them laws to be passed…

The only way it changes is for all to gang up and make the change… Only one candidate is unbought and offering to do that.

Wilmington Must Learn From Ferguson’s Mistakes

When riots happen in Wilmington, which i’m sure they will, I hope they will learn from Ferguson Missouri’s mistake.

That mistake is to riot in your own neighborhood… That is just plain silly. Did we attack ourselves when the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor? Or did we wage war with Japan?

Why people would loot and burn in their own neighborhood, is beyond me. I write this now, so when the opportunity to riot does occur, those with above average intelligence will have a plan to move the crowd out of their impoverished neighborhood, and instead riot in neighborhoods where the a) the loot is much better, and b) those responsible for the policy that has kept you down since Clinton left office, are directly affected. If you are going to riot, you should do in on the enemies home turf. Republican Country.

A riot has a purpose. It is to change things. To make things better by creating a situation that is worse than doing nothing, therefore something has to be done. Blacks didn’t protest on the back seat of the bus. They sat in the white section. Black students didn’t do their sit-in at the black counter. They did it at the white. Black students didn’t march into Tuskegee Institute with the National Guard. They marched into the all white University of Alabama. Martin Luther King didn’t do his marches within all black neighborhoods. He marched across the bridge into downtown white Selma….

So battling police in your own neighborhood, looting your own corner store, burning out yours and your neighbor’s houses, kind of double hurts you. Not only are you being oppressed by Republican Policies, but you are also setting those who support you, back even more….

So I’m writing this to tell you where to protest so it will do you some good.

It is called Westover Hills. There aren’t many people living there, but those that do are rich and very old and feeble. They couldn’t stop a crowd breaking into their house if they tried. Plus, when you loot, you could actually get something you could sell. Whose going to buy all the banana flavored Laffy Taffy you stole from the corner market? But you could easily swipe a Bose Stereo, or maybe find a safe with a couple of hundred thousand in it.

And instead of hurting mom and pop, or Uncle Joe and Aunt Alice, you would be hurting those whose money is directly responsible for you not having a good job, a good house, a good future. Those in Westover Hills vote Republican and it is Republicans who have allowed all the money to go to the top 1%… and none to you…

If you remember the Clinton Democratic years, it was different. You, or your mom and dad, did get richer every year and if that had only continued, you would have been doing rather well by now. But you got lazy and enough of you didn’t vote for Democrats in 2000 and now, we are stuck with the rich getting richer, and you and your neighbors, getting poorer…

So take the number 20 bus from 10th and Market side of Rodney Square and in 8 minutes and 15 stops later, you will be just north of the riot zone. Do your peaceful protests there, in the middle of the streets, and shout how Republicans have ruined everyone’s lives but those of themselves… When the riot police arrive with their single tank and tear gas, make them fire it at you so all those rich billionaires have to breath it too. Then when all hell breaks loose, break into the houses and rob yourselves silly. Don’t even worry. Unlike those corner stores, everything you take here is fully insured… Destroying their property, will in days, put all Delaware’s construction workers back to work. These guys are rich. They don’t dilly-dally around.

The main point is this? When you riot in your own neighborhoods which these Republicans never venture into, it only serves to reinforce their notion of you as a sub-human race. “Look at those pathetic people”, they will say over their Maker’s Mark and Hennessey, “they’re tearing up their own neighborhood. Maybe we should keep them doing it so they move and haul their sorry asses elsewhere.”

They will not be in any hurry to lift one finger… “make them suffer more” will be their outcry. But … if you do it in THEIR neighborhood, they will at least wonder why? In their asking around, what’s the real cause of these people rioting, they will come to the conclusion that they, with all the money, need to invest more, need to hire more, need to pay more, and that if they had previously invested more in our people, this riot would never have happened. That is your key… Getting them to call their out-of-pocket legislators and say, “raise my taxes; we can’t afford any more riots like these, even if we are insured. It’s the third time this year. I’m too tired for another round of tax free shopping!”…

You can even walk there. So forget the bus. Just send the coordinates out on social media, and anyone with a phone app can get there…. It is pointless for you to have to bear the cost and trauma of what THEY caused. It makes such great sense for them to bear that cost, and after doing so, quickly create the changes you need to pull yourselves out of poverty…

So pastors and neighborhood watch leaders. Start talking your kids to riot in Westover Hills, instead of your own street. Isn’t it about time, the real criminals get to feel the heat?

They are the ones who put you there…. Make THEM pay, not those who are poor like you. And pick up something nice for me while you are there… A nice oriental carpet would be cool… blue and white if you find one.

How To Grow An Economy In 5 Easy Steps

1.  Increase Taxes on Top Echelon at a 60/40 split. They keep 60; they pay 40.

2.  Allow capital improvement inside the geographical USA to be written off the year it is expensed.

3. Return Federal Jobs to levels before 2008.

4. Return State jobs to levels before 2008.

5. Return Local jobs to levels before 2008.

————–

The arguments have been long expounded as to how, as to why, and as to the details of when.  I’ll save time by not repeating them. …

Every county in America would get a jump on their own unemployment immediately.

The Tamping Down of Delaware’s Minimum Wage Bill.

The bill entering law this session is very different from that of last session.

Here is the original bill:

This Act would increase the minimum wage to not less than $8.00 per hour effective July 1, 2013, and not less than $8.75 per hour effective July 1, 2014. If the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the Delaware minimum wage, the Delaware minimum wage would increase by $1.00 above the federal minimum wage….

Here is the amended version that passed the Senate last year…… which dropped the rates by a half a dollar, and excluded the possibility that Delaware could be over the Federal Minimum Wage…

“(a) Except as may otherwise be provided under this chapter, every employer shall pay to every employee in any occupation wages of a rate i) not less than $7.75 per hour effective January 1, 2014 and ii) not less than $8.25 per hour effective January 1, 2015. Upon the establishment of a federal minimum wage in excess of the State minimum wage, the minimum wage in this State shall be equal in amount to the federal minimum wage, except as may otherwise be provided under this chapter.

The House Amended it this year, primarily to update the dates by 6 months.

AMEND Senate Bill No. 6, as amended by Senate Amendment No. 2, by deleting on line 3 of Senate Amendment No. 2 the text “January 1, 2014” and substituting in lieu thereof the text “June 1, 2014”. FURTHER AMEND Senate Bill No. 6, as amended by Senate Amendment No. 2, by deleting on line 4 of Senate Amendment No. 2 the text “January 1, 2015” and substituting in lieu thereof the text “June 1, 2015”.

Then came the first Republican torpedo, later stricken…. to poke multiple holes in the minimum wage, thereby making it a minimum seive. Allowing for the payment of $5.81 per hour to the following….

(e) A wage no less than 75-percent of the minimum hourly wage required under § 902(a) of this Title shall be paid to the following:

(1) employees under the age of 18; and

(2) employees during their first 180 consecutive calendar days of employment with the employer; and

(2) employees employed in a seasonal capacity.”

Here is the real Republican torpedo. (Defeated naturally like everything Republican in this wonderful state) to extend implementation by half a year.

“(a) Except as may otherwise be provided under this chapter, every employer shall pay to every employee in any occupation wages of a rate (i) not less than $7.75 per hour effective January 1, 2015; and (ii) not less than $8.25 per hour effective January 1, 2016. Upon the establishment of a federal minimum wage in excess of the State minimum wage, the minimum wage in this State shall be equal in amount to the federal minimum wage, except as may otherwise be provided under this chapter.”

Then the third Republican attempt at poking holes in the minimum wage to allow businesses to exploit child and migrant labor by paying them $5.81 an hour….

e) A wage no less than 75-percent of the minimum hourly wage required under § 902(a) of this Title shall be paid to an employee satisfying any of the following:

(1) is under the age of 18; or

(2) is within the employee’s first 180 consecutive calendar days of employment with the employer; or

(2) is employed in a seasonal capacity.”

As it stands now, the minimum wage will rise to $7.75 per hour on June 1, 2014, and then again one year later.  On June 1, 2015, the minimum wage will be $8.25.. unless the Federal wage is passed at a higher amount:  $10.10….

But the real question is this:  how is it remotely possible that we still have 16 people in the civilized world, much less in our Delaware legislature, who still think it is ok to pay $5.81 for minimum wages therby putting Delaware in a slot between Slovenia and Greece on a chart of international minimum wages….

How is it possible that Blakely, Briggs-King, Dukes, Gray, Deborah Hudson AGAIN!!!!, Q. Johnson, Kenton, MIRO, Outten, Peterman, Ramone, D. Short, Smyk,  Spiegelman, Walker, Wilson, are still living in the 1990’s back when $5.81 was considered the barest acceptable minimum wage?  Roll back time 20 years… Sure, no problem say these 16.

Greece.  These people want us to be Greece…. GET RID OF THEM!  GET RID OF THEM ALL….. 🙂   (it is an election year, you know?)

Why WE, THE PEOPLE, Lack Unemployment Insurance

There is a bill in the Senate to extend benefits to those long term unemployed who suddenly are without money.  Any money.

As local news agencies have oft repeatedly reported, when new jobs get offered there are over 100s, sometimes 1000s of applicants for each position..  With so many unemployed for so few jobs, how does cutting unemployment benefits to these long-termed unemployed help anyone or do anything to help the economy?  They do a lot to hurt however…  For example Delaware will have lost $3.9 million dollars of economic activity by this Saturday coming up…  That missing almost $4 million in 3 weeks means cut hours for those across the state who could be normally be working….but for this cut.

That is just one example.  Inventory restocking gets cut, as $4 million in product which would be normally gone, still sits on Delaware’s grocers’ shelves.  Those delivering and producing also must cut hours back, because from every state they serve, they are getting the same reactions.

So why, is it that something so simple cannot be passed by Congress?…. You will probably hear from America’s media that alas, it is gridlock and it is both party’s fault.  No doubt on some networks you will hear that the majority party will stubbornly not allow any amendments to this bill and for that, it is the Democrat’s fault if the bill does not have support of the minority.  Or then again, you may hear what is really happening.

The Republican minority is loading up the unemployment bill with junk amendments which it wants Democrats to have a record of voting upon when they compete in the Congressional elections in 2014, ten months away.…

That is why, attached to the Long-Term Unemployment Compensation Bill, are all these amendments which……

1. S.AMDT.2603 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Ayotte, Kelly [NH] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (14)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

2. S.AMDT.2604 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

3. S.AMDT.2605 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

4. S.AMDT.2606 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Coburn, Tom [OK] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (9)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

5. S.AMDT.2607 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor:  Sen Coburn, Tom [OK] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (4)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

6. S.AMDT.2608 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Blumenthal, Richard [CT] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

7. S.AMDT.2609 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.
Sponsor: Sen Coats, Daniel [IN] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

8. S.AMDT.2610 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Coats, Daniel [IN] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

9. S.AMDT.2611 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Coats, Daniel [IN] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

10. S.AMDT.2612 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :Sponsor: Sen Moran, Jerry [KS] (introduced 1/7/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2014 Senate amendment submitted

11. S.AMDT.2613 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :Sponsor: Sen Portman, Rob [OH] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (4)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

12. S.AMDT.2614 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :Sponsor: Sen Paul, Rand [KY] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

13. S.AMDT.2615 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.:  Sponsor: Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (4)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

14. S.AMDT.2616 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Portman, Rob [OH] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

15. S.AMDT.2617 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Coats, Daniel [IN] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

16. S.AMDT.2618 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (12)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

17. S.AMDT.2619 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Portman, Rob [OH] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

18. S.AMDT.2620 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Toomey, Pat [PA] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

19. S.AMDT.2621 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.:   Sponsor: Sen Portman, Rob [OH] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

20. S.AMDT.2622 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Thune, John [SD] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

21. S.AMDT.2623 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.   Sponsor: Sen McConnell, Mitch [KY] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

22. S.AMDT.2624 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen McConnell, Mitch [KY] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

23. S.AMDT.2625 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen McConnell, Mitch [KY] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

24. S.AMDT.2626 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Sessions, Jeff [AL] (introduced 1/8/2014) Cosponsors (3)
Latest Major Action: 1/8/2014 Senate amendment submitted

25. S.AMDT.2627 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.:  Sponsor: Sen Scott, Tim [SC] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment submitted

26. S.AMDT.2628 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.:  Sponsor: Sen Portman, Rob [OH] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment submitted

27. S.AMDT.2629 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text.:  Sponsor: Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment submitted

28. S.AMDT.2630 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Flake, Jeff [AZ] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment submitted

29. S.AMDT.2631 to S.1845 Relating to extension and modification of emergency unemployment compensation program. :  Sponsor: Sen Reed, Jack [RI] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment proposed (on the floor)

30. S.AMDT.2632 to S.1845  To change the enactment date. :  Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment proposed (on the floor)

31. S.AMDT.2633 to S.1845 To change the enactment date. :  Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment proposed (on the floor)

32. S.AMDT.2634 to S.1845 Of a perfecting nature. :  Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment proposed (on the floor)

33. S.AMDT.2635 to S.1845 Of a perfecting nature. :  Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment proposed (on the floor)

34. S.AMDT.2636 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Pryor, Mark L. [AR] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment submitted

35. S.AMDT.2637 to S.1845 Purpose will be available when the amendment is proposed for consideration. See Congressional Record for text. :  Sponsor: Sen Scott, Tim [SC] (introduced 1/9/2014) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: 1/9/2014 Senate amendment submitted

So when you happen to hear from someone who is not accurately attuned to factual reality, still stating that both sides own part of the problem, politely inform them that if they want to report on the news accurately, they should properly state that 28/35ths of the delay is Republican orieneted…. (I’m being generous;  if you back out Reid’s strictly procedural amendments, the problem is even more onesided as being 28/32ths the Republican’s fault….)

Some of these amendments, especially from Republicans,  cover a wide range of topics…. Here are a few…..

REPEAL OF ALL  REDUCTIONS MADE BY BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT
OF 2013.  Ayote’s Amendment #1

TRANSPARENCY OF CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER’S AFFORDABLE CARE ACT COVERAGE of every House and Senate Office member as well as the representatives themselves.  Vitter’s #2 Amendment.

STATE CONTROL OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION ON
ALL AVAILABLE FEDERAL LAND. .  Inhoffe’s #3 Amendment.

ENDING UNEMPLOYMENT PAYMENTS TO JOBLESS MILLIONAIRES
AND BILLIONAIRES. ( just the visual of Bill Gates standing in line in a Washington State’s Unemployment Office for his weekly check of $224 dollars, was worth all the time writing this article…)  Coburn #4 Amendment.

PROHIBITION ON PAYMENT OF BENEFITS BASED ON RECEIPT
OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION which cuts future Social Security Benefits by the amount dispensed through unemployment compensation.  Coburn #5 Amendment.

CREATE PATHWAYS BACK TO WORK FUND OF $12 BILLION.  Gives Secretary of Labor discretion to spend $12 billion to give to states who create state jobs for unemployed.  Blumenthal (D)  #6 Amendment.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER REQUIRED TO CLAIM THE  REFUNDABLE PORTION OF THE CHILD TAX CREDIT.  Coats #7 Amendment.

DISQUALIFICATION ON RECEIPT OF DISABILITY INSURANCE  BENEFITS IN A MONTH FOR WHICH UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION IS RECEIVED. Coats #8 Amendment.

DELAY IN APPLICATION OF INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE  MANDATE.  Coats #9 Amendment

CONDITIONAL PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR ALIENS  WITH AN ADVANCED DEGREE IN A STEM FIELD.  Moran #10 Amendment

DISQUALIFICATION ON RECEIPT OF DISABILITY INSURANCE  BENEFITS IN A MONTH FOR WHICH UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION IS RECEIVED.  Portman #11 Amendment

PROHIBITION AGAINST A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BAILOUT OF A STATE,  CITY, OR MUNICIPALITY  Rand Paul #12 Amendment

ANALYSIS OF EMPLOYMENT EFFECTS UNDER THE CLEAN AIR  ACT.  Inhoffe #13 Amendment

AUTHORITY TO USE ANY DISCRETIONARY APPROPRIATIONS  AVAILABLE TO THE SECRETARY OF LABOR TO CONDUCT IN-PERSON REEMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT  INSURANCE ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENTS FOR  UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFICIARIES..  Portman #14 Amendment

REQUIREMENT THAT INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING EMERGENCY  UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN A SYSTEMATIC AND SUSTAINED EFFORT TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT.  Coats #15 Amendment

TREATMENT OF FOREIGN CORPORATIONS MANAGED AND  CONTROLLED IN THE UNITED STATES AS DOMESTIC CORPORATIONS.  Shaheen (D) Amendment #16

READJUSTMENT OF AMENDMENT #14 ABOVE:  Portman #17 Amendment

EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF THE EMERGENCY  UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM.  Combines most Republican amendments into one amendment. Tooney #18 Amendment

UNFUNDED MANDATES ACCOUNTABILITY.  Portman #19 Amendment

EXEMPTION FROM AFFORDABLE CARE ACT MANDATE FOR LONG-TERM
UNEMPLOYED.  LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS NOT TAKEN INTO
ACCOUNT FOR EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE COVERAGE  MANDATE:  Thune #20 Amendment

REPEAL OF  REDUCTIONS MADE BY BIPARISAN  BUDGET ACT OF 2013. McConnell #21 Amendment

DELAY IN APPLICATION OF INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE MANDATE  McConnell #22 Amendment

REPEAL OF NONREDUCTION RULE UNDER THE EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT ACT.  McConnell #23 Amendment

ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH ELECTRONIC VERIFICATION. Sessions #24 Amendment

MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE FROM 30 HOUR/WEEK TO 40 HOURS/WEEK. Scott #25 Amendment

STEERING FEDERAL TRAINING DOLLARS TOWARD SKILLS NEEDED BY INDUSTRY. Portman #26 Amendment

DEFINITION OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE Collins #27 Amendment

REDUCTION IN SHARE OF CROP INSURANCE PREMIUM PAID BY FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION. Flake #28 Amendment

REQUIREMENT FOR PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC SERVICE AS A CONDITION FOR RECEIPT OF EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS  Reed #29 Amendment

LAW ENACTED ON  DAY AFTER SIGNING   Reid #30 Amendment

AMENDMENT TO PREVIOUS AMENDMENT  Reid #31 Amendment

AMENDMENT TO PREVIOUS AMENDMENT  Reid #32 Amendment

AMENDMENT TO PREVIOUS AMENDMENT. Reid #33 Amendment

REQUIREMENT FOR PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC SERVICE AS A
CONDITION FOR RECEIPT OF EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS.  Pryor #34 Amendment

SUPPORTING KNOWLEDGE AND INVESTING IN LIFELONG SKILLS  Scott #35 Amendment

And that is one half of the reason we do not have extended Unemployment benefits.  The other half lies in the House.

2013: America’s Wasted 365 Days

I am borrowing heavily from Hunter here, who through an amazing amount of work did what I would have liked to, but never would have found the time…  He slogged through each month in separate installments.  I wanted to have one single visual representation of the year as a whole.

America has cancer.  It is our conservatives.

January.

January 3, 2013: Election of Speaker. Incumbent Speaker John Boehner was re-elected with the largest number of defections in the vote for speaker since at least 1991…

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal tells GOP: ‘Stop being the stupid party’. “It’s time for a new Republican Party that talks like adults,”

Republican Stephan King introduces the Repeal of Birthright Citizenship.

Republicans closed party ranks against doing anything at all to prevent another Sandy Hook mass killing.

Republican state legislatures initiated laws to disregard any federal laws on gun legislation that do happen to pass.

The constitutional Sheriffs said putting armed civilian posse’s in schools would be the answer.  Some noted that Sheriff’s Arapao’s own posse was composed of criminal elements.

Republicans threatened to veto Obama’s appointment of conservative Republican Chuck Hagel because he was neither Republican or Conservative enough.

Sequester Legislation gets signed as part of budget deal, and Obama goes on a olive branch dining tour with Congressional Republicans.  He was received well ( they all brought their wives to meet him.)

The government did not shut down, Mitch and Joe made a deal that sailed passed the House, in which the leadership and moderate Republicans all thumbed their noses at the Tea Party contingent who voted it down.  The lesson was short lived.

GOP had a retreat to determine why nobody like them, and discovered it was because they were conservative.  While there they decided they could do nothing without their prime funders, who were all demented Conservatives, and so they chose to remain conservative anyway.

And Glenn Beck announced a Glenn Beck theme park was forthcoming.

February

John Boehner informs America that the Republican House is going to initiate a top secret Immigration Reform Club, that will blow both the Senate and America away with the scope and integrity of their quality legislation.

Disclosure is made that the NRA has a secret enemies list…  topped by Mary Lou Retton. (Not snark; seriously)

The NRA head Wayne “LaKook” LaPierre, felt compelled to give his own rebuttal to Obama’s State of the Union address.

Led by a former Vice President who shot his lawyer in the face, a group of likewise gifted riflemen led a movement stating that having any discussion about gun safety was bad for America.

Mississippi Republicans pondered to ban animal-human hybrids. Oklahoma Republicans debated whether students should get marked wrong for stating that climate change or evolution DID NOT EXIST. Missouri Republicans responded with a bill to make it a FELONY for anyone to propose gun legislation laws….

Senator Cruz questions whether Secretary Defense Chuck Hagel is secretly getting money from North Korea or other of America’s enemies.

The Republican’s gentleman’s agreement not to block nominees with a filibuster lasted 15 working days.  Chuck Hagel’s vote did not reach cloture.

March

The Daily Caller was punked by a hoax involving two Dominican Republican prostitutes who after being paid a year’s worth of tricks by a wealthy Republican benefactor, then went and made charges against Bob Menendez.  Although quick to be proven a hoax, the Daily Caller to this date, still insists it was a true story, and the entire world is lying and currently is out to get them…..

After cowing to public pressure to install Chuck Hagel afterall, Senate Republicans next vow to hold up confirmation on the CIA director until Lindsey Graham and John McCain get the answers they want on Benghazi.

Senator Paul Rand of Kentucky stages a filibuster against the CIA confirmation chief’s vote, to protest drone use by America.  After receiving much good press and lots of contributions, he quietly said he really didn’t have a problem with drones being used to kill people at all.

With the exception of Governor Christie who fortunately as a Republican, is completely removed from the antics inside the capitol dome, all the other 2016 Presidential contenders came out against any post-Sandy Hook common sense legislation…. Sens. Marco Rubio, Jim Inhofe, Ted Cruz, and Mike Lee…..

The Republican Sequester begins to go into effect, causing Republicans to push legislation to fund all those parts of their sequester which make them look bad.  Long lines at the airports,  White House tours,  immigrants sneaking across the border were all erroneously blamed on Obama.  Like cutting $85 billion overnight wouldn’t affect anyone?…  Duh.

Remember the Acorn scandal of years ago?  It was settled and the full story came out after the trial.  The film was edited by Breitbart to make it look like a prostitution ring was being run out of ACORN, but in fact, the ACORN perpetrators had been suspicious and called the police on the film crew, thinking that they were the ones misusing women for financial gains.  Trusting anything said by a conservative is dangerous.  That organization which re-enfranchised many poor Americans was shut down over a lie.  Can we now have that class action lawsuit against Breitbart and the film’s producer?

Woot!  Woot!  Paul Ryan had a Medicare plan!  Awwww.  The Senate voted it down 96-3.

Sequester kicks cut deeply into Head Start, cancer research, and Meals on Wheels.  Republicans complain loudly about the quality of towels in the heated Congressional swimming pool.  Apparently they weren’t getting cleaned well or fast enough.

April

Republican nominee for Virginia’s governorship advocates for the re-installment of Virginia’s anti-sodomy laws.  (Yeah, seriously!  In 2013!)

Sen. James Inhofe, dismisses the Sandy Hook families who showed up in Congress to witness the vote, by saying the tragedy of Sandy Hook didn’t have anything to do about them. “I think it’s so unfair of the administration to hurt these families, to make them think this has something to do with them when, in fact, it doesn’t.” –Inhofe

After gun control gets defeated, Inhofe in search of another publicity run, makes himself the head of investigating those rumors of whether the federal government is buying up all the ammo so gun owners can’t use any to shoot at rifle ranges.

The new conservative media darling Ben Carson disappears after stating that gay marriage leads to bestiality…

Multiple conservative groups took to the airwaves and blamed the Boston Marathon bombing on the Pill, sexual liberalism and abortion. Obviously they are ignorant of real world terms like backpacks and explosives.

Rep. Louie Gohmert made the claim that the Obama administration was “chock full of Muslim Brotherhood” members…  Because it is?  That was the full extent of evidence behind his outrageous claim.

House issues its report on Benghazi.  It apparently did not know, or listen to any of its witnesses subpoenaed to it’s hearings,  that [By tradition], every cable from an embassy bears the “signature” of the ambassador — and every cable from Washington bears the “signature” of the secretary of state.”   The entire premise of their report, was instantly and publicly deemed invalid.

May

House Republicans admit their own ineptitude at being able to pass any legislation.  Revealing Quote:  “we couldn’t even get agreement to call 911 if House Speaker John Boehner were on fire.” 

Heritage Foundation weighed in on Immigration stating that it would cost trillions of dollars.  When broken down that came to half a million per immigrant, something that laughed Heritage Foundation past the monsters and over the edge of even their square world of reality.  it didn’t help Heritage, that the author of that report, was a known white supremest in charge of his own collection of kooks.

The NRA elects a new president who in video, express his continued anger that the northern states ran off with all of his great-grandfather’s black help…. More alarming was his advocacy for ” “weapons to fight tyranny”  forever dooming the next poor government worker who chooses to knock on the wrong door….

Republicans foundering in a froth over that Obama had the Tea Party scrutinized by the IRS, had a hard time dealing with the fact that democratic leaning groups got the same treatment as well. Could it be policy, that political groups requesting tax exempt status actually get looked at to ensure they were deserving of such before granting it? Completely out-played, Rand Paul stands up to protest, well, that he should even be forced into the position of having to protest anything at all…..

Michelle Bachmann announced she would not run again  and that the cause for which she was bowing out, absolutely had nothing to do with the two separate probes over her criminal misdoings…

It’s now been three months since the Republican National Committee issued its 100-page autopsy report about what went wrong in 2012 and promised to reach out to more non-white voters.

June

Just hours after the Supreme Court nullified parts of the Voting Right’s Act,  Republican state legislatures rush through legislation to purge voter rolls of Blacks and Hispanics.

Remember the IRS scandal?  In June through testimony it was revealed that twice as many conservative groups were approved than were progressive groups…  Remember Darrell Issa’s  charges that Obama was using the IRS to stymie Conservative groups only?   I guess the Congressional Committee actually did what it was supposed to do and got down to the truth of the matter.  Way to go, Darrell….

Snowden erupts… The press goes through a public mitosis.   We get to watch which reporters and organizations are the “real” fourth estate, and which are the self-appointed protectors of the DC bureaucratic elite.

Ultra Conservative foundation Heritage, was originally “for” a bill that eliminated public financing of campaigns, until they discovered the money would go to fund research for sick children… Better to waste it on Republican candidates than sick children they said (in a roundabout way), and switched their support to one of not…

And we heard again that rape does not result in pregnancy, so keeping abortions facilities around to prevent raped impregnations is absolutely unnecessary, and… we need to ban abortion immediately because, heaven forbid, fetuses are masturbating in the uterus!  Apparently this trend seems to occur mostly with Republican ones.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake had to apologize for his 15-year-old son’s unsavory remarks on Twitter.

July

July 16, 2013: The Senate reached a deal to allow some presidential nominations to come to a vote, avoiding the “Nuclear option” for filibuster reform…

Republicans in Missouri wanted their state Supreme Court to hasten forward their convict’s execution days, since access to acquire the drug to be used, was running out.

Conservative plans to put guns in schools hit a major hurdle as private insurance companies say if so, they’ll pull their insurance coverage away.

Republican Governor Rick Scott wonders why his national guard is not prepared for a hurricane, and discovers the sequester was the culprit….  Their funds were cut by his own Tea Party in Congress.

People whom no one takes seriously, on a network no one takes seriously, wasted a lot of air time blaming Obama for making us into a bi-racial nation, after he gave a few remarks about Trayvon Martin.

Congress takes a recess having passed 15 bills by it’s half year mark. A record low.

August

Arizona Senators who had voted against giving FEMA aid to New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, demand FEMA do more to help their state, beset by a few fires.

Liz Cheney gets busted for lying that she was a Wyoming resident.

The Republican National Committee demands that CNN and NBC not show their prime-time programs on Hillary Clinton, or else they will ban those networks from showing their convention in 2016….  Turns out it was only going to be those two network’s Spanish channels who would be banned….

Republicans who castigated Clinton and Obama for not having sufficiently protected embassies across the world, called the unprecedented closing of 22 embassies over a credible intelligence threat, an act of cowardice….  Darn. There went their plan for Congressional hearings all the way up to 2014 elections….

Republicans complained that the re-enactment of Martin Luther King’s Washington speech had no conservative speakers.  It was subsequently revealed that all those Conservatives who were invited, had declined.

September

Buildup to the Shutdown. Republicans do nothing to stop it.

Ted Cruz gives a pre-shutdown standing “non”–filibuster. Topic, Obamacare.  It was just (yawn) a speech, since it delays no vote…

The month of September was preluded by Republican entreaties that the government shutdown would NOT be the Republican’s fault, since neither Obama nor the Democratic Senate was not accepting their unreasonable demands to repeal Obamacare. The entreaties obviously didn’t work.

John McCain continues his push to arm Syrian’s rebels. Creates inter-party confusion, since, aren’t those rebels Al Qaeda? John says arm them nevertheless… (until Israel tells him otherwise).

Lindsey Graham says not bombing Syria immediately, will cause an all-out Israeli-Syrian War by March 2014….

Florida’s Governor Rick Scott, reschedules an execution since it fell on his Attorney General’s re-election campaign fundraiser date.

As more and more Republicans express hope that shutting down the government and defaulting on our debts are preferable to allowing poor people access to insurance coverage, a shut-down appears more and more likely.

October

The United States federal government was shut down as most routine operations were curtailed after Congress failed to enact legislation appropriating funds for fiscal year 2014, or a continuing resolution for the interim authorization of appropriations for fiscal year 2014…

When asked if Republicans gained anything by forcing the closure on many government functions, Republican Senator Ayotte replied “I think the answer is no.”

GOP Congressman Stutzman explains the very coherent clear objective for the stop-payment on 700,000 people’s paychecks by shutting down government.  “We have to get something out of this; and I don’t even know what that IS.”

Rep. Randy Neugebauer  berates a Park Ranger for closing a war monument that Rep. Randy Neugebauer himself voted to close. The best part of the exchange? Multiple bystanders coming to the ranger’s defense.

Republicans found they could get TV time on networks by falsely appearing  outraged over the closing of War Memorials for which they voted.  Unfortunately no TV time was allotted to children awaiting cancer treatments,  people eating unchecked contaminated food,  mothers whose work depended on Head Start classes teaching their children certain hours every day…. Even the Federal employees who had no income for 17 days, were barely mentioned.  Proving to all that there is nothing fair or balanced with any American news organization.

Republican Party head Reince Priebus states the RNC itself will provide funds to keep the war memorials open.  Two things not mentioned.  They would not be closed in the first place but only for Republican’s irrational enthusiasm for shutting down all government; and that more necessary programs  towards the well-being of this nation,  both economic and defense, would of course not be getting any assistance and would continue to do severe harm. Those two omissions making it clear to all observers  that Republicans are not only stupid, but dangerous to have anywhere near real power.

A rolling right wing extremist truckers brigade was planning on shutting down Washington for an entire weekend by choking the Capitol City’s roads and freeways.   5 trucks showed up.  But that didn’t stop Fox News from showing year’s old footage of trucks stranded on a Georgia Interstate due to a traffic mishap, in its selling of the live and current story…

In his ongoing  effort to prove who is the most irrational Republican Rep Gohmert tells an audience that John McCain, due to his criticism of the Republican shutdown, is secretly employed and on the payroll of Al Qaeda..  And to think, if not for Obama in 2008, he (Al Qaeda)  would have been president!  It has a nice ring to it though… John (Al Qaeda) McCain….

And in case you couldn’t tell… Michelle Bachmann held a press moment to declare, we are now in the ….. “End Times”…  (So that’s why the Eagles are champs of the NFC East.)

Even Norquist condemns the Republican Party…. “I think if you make a mistake as big as what they did, you owe your fellow senators and congressmen a big apology — and your constituents, as well, because nothing they did advanced the cause of repealing or dismantling Obamacare.”

Republican North Carolinian precinct captain,  essentially says the Republican’s party’s prime role, is to make non-whites second class citizens again…  He was pushed out after the interview aired, but not before criticizing his own party for not being KKK enough…

Republicans say defaulting on our debt, which means the government not paying at least some of our bills, is no big deal.   Meanwhile, the actual price the government paid to borrow money for a month rose to its highest level since 2008, more than doubling from just a day earlier.

The shutdown cost the Federal Government $4.8 billion. It lost the economy $24 billion. It shaved 0.6% growth off our GDP.

The Republicans caved just in time.  Newsweek revealed the S & P was minutes away from changing our already lowered AA+ to its lowest category, Selective Default.  the lowest of all 20 of S&P’s grades of non-trustworthiness.

‘Tea Party’ Republican Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, insisted “this was worth having the fight,” even as they were conceding absolute defeat.

To a Republican Party which pretends to be concerned about fiscal conservatism — even as these numbers and many others show they clearly are not — any “victory” found amidst this shutstorm will have to do.

Republicans sum up the month by declaring there is a war on Christmas and only they are the last lines of defense in keeping it from being overcome.  Really.  Would that “war on Christmas” spending have anything to do with a self imposed  $24 billion hit to the economy?

Oh, and on the very day the government shut down to deny all funding for Obamacare,  the website for Obamacare opened… and received considerable amounts of traffic.  Perhaps a little too much traffic. But when one is concerned with focusing all September’s efforts on keeping the entire government from shutting down, are the problems of a tiny single untested website going to get that much pre-scrutiny?

November

November 21, 2013: Nuclear option for filibuster reform was enacted.  The new rule will allow just a simple majority vote for all nominees except for the Supreme Court.  Tipping point was the Republicans filibustering of 3 DC Circuit appointments for spite,  finally pissing off 3 cool-to-the-idea Senators and giving him the majority he needed to make it happen.

Rand Paul plagiarizes on a scale that makes Biden’s remarks 25 years ago just a slip of the tongue.  Biden was kicked out for that?  And Paul is still in?  Oh… I see…  two different parties; two different morales…

Boehner comes clean:  “Frankly, I’ll make clear, we have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate (Immigration) bill,”  Note: There are enough favorable bipartisan votes to pass the Senate Immigration Bill in the House of Representatives if it ever came up for a vote.

In Colorado, five hard-right counties voted in November to secede from the state…

Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Jim Wright, was almost denied his voting rights under Texas’ newly passed Voter ID law.  Being in a nursing home, he could not get his drivers license renewed in time to vote.  Not to mention, untold numbers of married women were turned away because their married names had not yet been updated on their ID’s.

December

Congress will close 2013 with 58 bills enacted into law. It’s the lowest one-year output since 1947. 6366 bills were introduced by lawmakers.

“You know, you look around the Congress and there are a lot more females in the Democratic caucus than in the Republican caucus, and some of our members just aren’t as sensitive as they ought to be.” John Boehner, Dec 5, 2013.

House Republicans decide we needed a budget after all…  The Paul Ryan deal with Patty Murray sails through with 60 Tea Partiers thinking it was too liberal, and 30 Progressives thinking it was too Conservative but still making it through with a 3-1 margin, showing the entire world, that the House of Representatives can function very well whenever the Republican Hastert rule is  ignored.

We find out from Fox News that Jesus is white, and so is Santa.   Both apparently look like this.

Realizing Obamacare will doom the Republican Party… California Republicans create a spoof site that mimics California’s healthcare website and mails every constituent a pamphlet directing them to that spoofed site, instead of to the actual one.  Much of California’s clamor over the website problems came from trusting people actually steered towards the wrong website by none other than their elected representatives.

Women must now get rape insurance in Michigan. Purchased separately in advanced.  Otherwise, they were asking for it when they got nailed.

Conservatives who praised Mandela were vilified.  How dare you praise anyone of color.  If you were already of color and shook hands with someone also of color, you were again vilified.  You can’t be “our” president they said, because you don’t hate people enough….

Duck Dynasty proved in Conservative America,  you do not have the right to fire someone for speaking hate and bile,  but you do have the right to fire someone who is in love with anyone you don’t approve.

Republicans piled on the US closing the Vatican’s embassy as a war on religion, even though it was reported it was being simply being upgraded to a new location because of logistics…   (They’ve since scrubbed their website.)  Apparently they’ve never heard of Google, which come to think of it, is probably why their embarrassingly overwhelming loss in 2012 was such a surprise….

Finally, now at the end of the year, the Wall Street journal reports that the  Chamber of Commerce is putting up $50 million in combination with Republican power brokers, to weed out the Tea Party crazies throughout the primaries…  Just as a reality check this is a lot of money;  an average Senator’s campaign war chest usually tops out at close to $1 million.

If you need them, all the sources are here…  You can look them up if you wish.  You should visit him and give him a rec for service well done.  Personally I just wanted a reminder for those times when I get tired, see how little has changed,  and wonder what’s the ‘effin’ point… why is it worth anything that I should keep pounding away at them anymore?….

At such points, I can then come back and  look at this post….

Why This Recession Is So Slow Rebounding

It isn’t the Democrats fault. It’s the Tea Party… Just look at how Republican patriarch Ronald Reagan got us out of his recession….

Were we to have that same growth coupled with the private sector growth Obama has orchestrated for us, we’d be banging out paychecks……

But we only have the private sector. Remember this chart the next time someone utters the phrase: The government doesn’t create jobs; only the private sector does….

We could fix this in a year, but we need your help. Only support those who will grow government, not insist on its cutting back…

This chart proves John Carney is following the wrong path. This chart proves Tom Carper is following the wrong path. I believe Chris Coons is on board with the right path, as is ironically, Tom Gordon….

You Know Your Country Is Messed Up When……

You have to take a drug test to get food stamps because your employers at two jobs aren’t giving you enough hours……

But you don’t to pocket $174,000 of taxpayer money because you …. are a Congressman….

And your boss, lets you keep your job because: “Hell, Cocaine?  That’s no big deal”–John Boehner.

Take-Aways From The Rescue Of America: Government Reopens

America survived a crises that will be in our grand children’s history books.   I’m sure they will wonder about us, just as we often wondered what America was thinking during the Republican Era of the 20’s, when they actually outlawed alcoholic beverages.

Here is a  potpourri of takeaways…

Extremism should be shunned, not idolized.  There is no place in a civilized world for extremism.  We’re adults now, We’ve grown past that. Whether the Tea Party, Al Qaeda, or the Koch Brothers, the world was a safer place when we kept people like that locked up.

We are a pluralistic society. We really do have districts that believe and support what the Tea Party stands for.  We have the same for Democrats, and for moderate Republicans.  Our political system needs to represent reality, by evolving to 3 parties.   No one objects to Bernie Sanders being neither a Democrat or Republican. In fact he is revered for speaking his mind.  Really.  Were he forced to toe the line of any party, we’d all be poorer for it.   The Republicans need to shove off the teas, and look towards the BlueDogs to augment their numbers. Suddenly we’d have clarity.

It’s time to work with people.  Stop going it “my way or the highway”  …  That is posturing.  It gets nothing done.

A lot of people lost a lot of money, for something that we all knew would pan out just this way a long time ago…  We could have handled it differently.  It is time to change the House and Senate rules that make us worship obstruction and damn cooperation.

Shutting the government down and risking economic default, is very similar to extending a huddle while the clock is running and the other team has control of the ball.  Our huddle is a bubble; not the real world.  We now have to come from behind vis a vis China.  They scored a couple of touchdowns during our intra-team argument.

Things get done in the Senate, not the House.  I would venture  it is because  Senators, as are governors, are elected by their entire state. They can’t be too extreme because they have to represent everyone.  House members in gerrymandered districts, don’t have to represent anyone.  That makes them ideal pawns to used by larger forces to wreak havoc upon the normal governmental process.  One could say (with a wink and a nod) that this compromise was forged in great degree, by the influence of Mitch McConnell’s challenger.

If someone is dead wrong, and you don’t flinch, they will.  The American people are the ultimate judge and they usually get it right.

I heard more honest reporting in the American media on this episode, than I have ever heard in my life.  Real facts. The truth. Things one usually does not find in the American media.  I heard spin too, but the media cleaned itself up pretty well, making it obvious those doing the spin  were spinning, and all those doing the spinning turned out to be pretty pathetic jokes.  Seriously, jokes.  Kind of puts new meaning into the phrase:  “Does anyone know what (the) Fox says?”

We do this entire thing, all over again in thirteen weeks…  Starting from scratch… Again.   Go figure.