Will Cantor And Republicans Save The US By Destroying It?

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Wed Apr 13, 2011 at 06:24:16 AM MST

There is an apocryphal quote from the Vietnam War "We had to destroy the village to save it". I call it apocryphal because its attribution is murky and it has been distorted from the original quote over time. However it is still a powerful idea that leaders can get so close to their immediate goals that they lose sight of the bigger picture of what they are trying to achieve.

The quote comes from the story of Ben Tre , a provincial capital in the Mekong Delta. The United States Army made the decision to shell and bomb the town, even though there were large numbers of civilians in it, in order to break the Viet Cong hold on the town. They destroyed the town to deny it to the enemy. Not exactly a productive thing to do when you are fighting a counter insurgency.

It sees that this kind of thinking has infected the Congressional Republicans. Yesterday Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Dr. Evil -VA) said that he and his caucus, who control the House of Representatives, will not take up the issue of raising the debt ceiling until after it actually is hit. Right now the Treasury department estimates this will happen no later than May 15th.

Why is the House Majority Leader going to wait? Because he sees political advantage in playing with the nations credit rating. You see even when we a prevented by law from borrowing any more money there are ways that the Treasury department can shift dollars around for a few weeks to keep paying for things. They think they can get us through June and into July before those emergency measures run out.  

On Contradiction, Or, Will Obama Lose An Argument With Himself?

by: fake consultant

Sun Jan 16, 2011 at 12:15:11 PM MST

There are even improbable sports stories: our frequently hapless Seattle Seahawks, the only team to ever make the NFL Playoffs with a losing record, are today preparing to knock the Chicago Bears out of their bid to play in the Super Bowl, having crushed the defending holders of the Lombardi Trophy just last week before the 12th Man in Seattle.

But as improbable as all that is, the one thing I never thought I would see is Barack Obama getting into a political argument with himself over Social Security-and then losing the argument.

Even more improbably, it looks like there's just about a week left for him to come to a decision...and it looks like you're going to have to help him make up his mind.

Senators In Gangland

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Wed Sep 22, 2010 at 06:23:01 AM MST

Not much of value comes from gangs. Oh sure there are some rap artists who started as gang members and I am not going to minimize the art that they have created, but really they are the exception not the rule. Gangs in history and in contemporary America are generally associated with criminal activity.

Given this basic premise it is hard to understand why a long time United States Senator would want to form a gang, but Sen. Lieberman really has a bit of a chubby for them. It was eons ago in blog time, 2005,  but there was a show down between Democrats and Republicans over judicial nominees. The Dems where holding up 11 applet court nominees and the Republicans were talking about the "nuclear option" of ending the filibuster.  

November 2010 - Looking Into The Abyss

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 06:17:07 AM MST

"When we look into the abyss, searching for monsters, the abyss looks into us as well"

Right now we are staring the abyss in the face and there are indeed monsters there. This abyss is the elections this fall. The chance that radical Republicans will take over the House and perhaps the Senate has grown. The affect of constant lies from Fox News and Talk Radio have energized the Republican base. The limp leadership from the White House and from Majority Leader Reid has demoralized the Democratic base.

The passing of many of the Lefts long term wish list items, barely and with tons of ridiculous and galling compromise has created a situation where the Right is fired up and the Left is angry at its own leadership. The conditions are in place for a wave election and the wave is not likely to go the way that we Liberals are going to like in any fashion.  

Unemployment Filibuster- It Is Time For Daily Hearings

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Thu Jul 01, 2010 at 06:22:23 AM MST

As long as this debate is kept in abstract terms it is easy for those Republicans who have a conscience (all three of them) to talk about how we should be burdening our children and grandchildren with debt. It is time to use the very effective method of hearings to bring the real face of the long term unemployed right into the face of the heartless and petty Republican majority.  

"I Need A Freakin Job" astroturfing for Breitbart & Corporate America, cause that's where the $ is

by: MinistryOfTruth

Fri May 14, 2010 at 12:23:02 PM MST

Someone email rachel@msnbc.com, stat.

If you have seen or heard of the "I Need A Freaking Job" billboard in Buffalo, NY that small business man Jeff Baker and his brother put up or the "movement" website they have started, you might have taken it for a grassroots movement.

   And if job creation grows at the rate it is at through the end of the year, More Jobs Might Be Created This Year Than During George W. Bush's Entire Presidency

   So, the "I Need A Freaking Job" thing might seem genuine, even, dare I say, grassroots.

Except it isn't, and Jeff Baker's brother, Scott Baker, works for Andrew Breitbart of Brietbart.tv..

   Houston, we have Corporate astroturf FAIL.

UPDATE: Keith Olbermann chimes in!

Heard that Breitbart? You really, really suck! LMFAO!

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