House Republicans Set to Unveil "The Pledge to America"

[Vendzilla]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/201...-america-.html

With all the BS that's flying about, I thought I would post this.

According to multiple sources, The Pledge includes the following proposals:

- Permanently extend the Bush tax cuts (all of them), or, as Republicans put it, a promise not to raise taxes on January 1, 2011 (the day the Bush tax cuts expire).

- Repeal and replace health care reform

- End the stimulus program

- A cap on discretionary spending

- Phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

- Permanently end the TARP program

- Keep Guantanamo open

- New sanctions on Iran and more money for missile defense

- Require every bill to be available online for three days before it is voted on.

- Require every bill to be certified as constitutional before it is voted on.





wasn't the last two promised by Barry?

But putting an end to the tax cut deal is a good move, then business can know what to expect of the future and plan accordingly and hopefully grow and lower the unemployment rate

[The Demon]

In theory those look good and economically viable. Slutboat incoming.

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by The Demon

In theory those look good and economically viable. Slutboat incoming.

I have some reservations about a couple of them, but tomorrow we should know more about them and others

[Amputate Your Head]

- Keep Guantanamo open

- New sanctions on Iran and more money for missile defense


get rid of these and you've got a good starting point.

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head

- Keep Guantanamo open

- New sanctions on Iran and more money for missile defense


get rid of these and you've got a good starting point.

Those were the ones I had reservations about.

Kitmo, why are those terrorist still alive? they should have gone to a military tribunal and well, executed, it's been 9 years!!!

More missles?, if we're going to do that, lets just drop one on a nice nuke building target and call it an accident?

[suesheboy]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

- Require every bill to be available online for three days before it is voted on.

- Require every bill to be certified as constitutional before it is voted on.

Only things worth doing.

Republicans said: "read my lips no new taxes" and what did they do?

Bush II killed the economy and if you think lowering taxes adds jobs worth more than the tax loss you are delusional.

[The Demon]

Originally Posted by suesheboy

Only things worth doing.

Republicans said: "read my lips no new taxes" and what did they do?

Bush II killed the economy and if you think lowering taxes adds jobs worth more than the tax loss you are delusional.

No, Bush II sent the economy in a downward spiral and Obama I killed what was left of it.

[BFT3K]

Originally Posted by suesheboy

Only things worth doing.

Republicans said: "read my lips no new taxes" and what did they do?

Bush II killed the economy and if you think lowering taxes adds jobs worth more than the tax loss you are delusional.

Who exactly will be deciding what laws are "constitutional" -- and if and when the GOP is back in power, how likely will the 3 day online bill posting thing be?

This is just another list of things that won't happen.

And how does the fiscally conservative GOP even JUSTIFY the unpaid-for tax breaks that are due to expire? Not too transparent that that is point number one!

Sounds more like the "Plundering of America" plan to me.

[Rochard]

So after blowing up the deficit to the highest amount ever, leaving us with a recession, the Republican party now wants to keep the tax cuts for their rich friends and blame the deficit on the next guy.

Brilliant fucking plan.

Not that Obama seems to be doing much better.

[TheDoc]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/201...-america-.html

With all the BS that's flying about, I thought I would post this.

According to multiple sources, The Pledge includes the following proposals:

- Permanently extend the Bush tax cuts (all of them), or, as Republicans put it, a promise not to raise taxes on January 1, 2011 (the day the Bush tax cuts expire).

- Repeal and replace health care reform

- End the stimulus program

- A cap on discretionary spending

- Phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

- Permanently end the TARP program

- Keep Guantanamo open

- New sanctions on Iran and more money for missile defense

- Require every bill to be available online for three days before it is voted on.

- Require every bill to be certified as constitutional before it is voted on.





wasn't the last two promised by Barry?

But putting an end to the tax cut deal is a good move, then business can know what to expect of the future and plan accordingly and hopefully grow and lower the unemployment rate

- Why isn't logical to put the tax rate back to the point when our Country had the strongest economy in history?

- And go against what Americans want.

- Of course after each already spent the pork money they added into it and the last year is the least amount spent.

- If the reps for the first time in history can lower/balance discretionary spending, then sweet.. but not likely. Unless they're going to say it was them that stopped the wars, otherwise it's going to happen when it stops and outside of that, nothing will change.

- 90% of the mortgages in America are backed by FM/FM... Good luck.

- Sweet but with Congress making rules about it, it isn't going to happen.

- No opinion, just don't care enough about Guantanamo.

- No more missile defense, stop the war shit, leave Iran alone, stop being the police and burning a trillion a year in useless bullshit.

- Most are... not all will be and never will be no mater who is in power. It's a fun talking point though.

- Wouldn't that slow doing anything and everything down?



Tax cuts for personal do not make companies grow... tax cuts for companies makes companies grow.

[Gouge]

Other than New sanctions on Iran and more money for missile defense it looks good to me

[Slutboat]

VENDZILLA
TURN OFF
FOX NEWS
YOU'VE BEEN HAD




De-Program!

[Amputate Your Head]

Originally Posted by Slutboat

I'VE BEEN HAD TOO




De-Program me!

(8char)


.

[kane]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/201...-america-.html

With all the BS that's flying about, I thought I would post this.

According to multiple sources, The Pledge includes the following proposals:

- Permanently extend the Bush tax cuts (all of them), or, as Republicans put it, a promise not to raise taxes on January 1, 2011 (the day the Bush tax cuts expire).

Tax cuts are always good, but this will only help if they actually cut spending. Trickle down economics doesn't really work so we can't really look to this as a way to rebuild the economy, but fair taxes for everyone no matter how much you make is a good idea.

- Repeal and replace health care reform

Won't happen for at least another 2 years and probably not then. The odds are the the republicans will get the house back by a small margin, but not the senate. Without owning both they can do nothing and Obama would veto any anti-healthcare bill. This will only work if they can take both houses and win the white house in 2012 and even then it will be very difficult.

- End the stimulus program

At the very least get rid of the stuff that is not really creating/saving jobs which seems to be most of it.

- A cap on discretionary spending

The republicans always say they will spend less and never do, let's see if they actually would follow through this time.

- Phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Not a bad idea

Permanently end the TARP program

Not bad ideas.

- Keep Guantanamo open

I'm a little hesitant about this one. At some point we have to do something with the people who are being held there. Someone needs to make a decision about these guys. We can't just keep a place where we hold people forever and never put them on trial.

- New sanctions on Iran and more money for missile defense

I'm kind of neutral on this wan

- Require every bill to be available online for three days before it is voted on.

Won't happen. This could put an end to those last minute middle of the night votes that both sides love. some stuff will end up online, some won't.

- Require every bill to be certified as constitutional before it is voted on.

They will try, until they try to pass something that that is controversial then they won't follow through. For example, if they try to pass a bill that involves gay rights or marriage or porn or speech of any kind it could be a precedent setting case, they won't deal with that up front, they will just pass the bill and let the courts deal with it later if people object.

[epitome]

We've had record deficits and record spending since those tax cuts were enacted.

The tax cuts need to expire and we need to bring down spending across the board (including defense spending) and then we can talk about tax cuts again. Let's get back to a surplus and then talk lower taxes.

Both parties have their hands in the reckless spending; they just choose to spend the money on different things.

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by Slutboat

VENDZILLA
TURN OFF
FOX NEWS
YOU'VE BEEN HAD




De-Program!

Hey "shit for brains", got it off ABC NEWS

[_Richard_]

'repeal and replace' health care?

what exactly does that mean?

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

'repeal and replace' health care?

what exactly does that mean?

Complete rewrite, maybe even get something that might work?

[kane]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

'repeal and replace' health care?

what exactly does that mean?

I think they mean they want to repeal the existing healthcare bill and replace it with one of their own. That will never happen. The republicans have no interest in healthcare reform. The only reason they were involved in it in the first place is because the democrats forced their hand.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Complete rewrite, maybe even get something that might work?

ok this is the part that confused me, why would they waste time with a rewrite? i thought the republican position was everything goes back to where it was?

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by kane

I think they mean they want to repeal the existing healthcare bill and replace it with one of their own. That will never happen. The republicans have no interest in healthcare reform. The only reason they were involved in it in the first place is because the democrats forced their hand.

yea this is what i thought happened. I also was pretty sure the reason the current bill is so mutilated is republican and lobbyists attempts to block it

[_Richard_]

double post

[cykoe6]

They are all fine ideas but I was expecting more.

[SuzzyQ]

Originally Posted by slutboat

vendzilla
turn off
fox news
you've been had




de-program!

SLUTBOAT,
TURN OFF MSNBC
YOU HAVE BEEN HAD IN ALL YOUR THREADS.

Rachel Maddow is NOT going to fuck you...

[Vendzilla]

I think they will have to come up with something, but it will be someone we can afford. At least I hope so, healthcare was even thought about by Reagan

[kane]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

yea this is what i thought happened. I also was pretty sure the reason the current bill is so mutilated is republican and lobbyists attempts to block it

While I have no idea what effect the republicans had on the current bill, I fully agree that lobbyist got their fingers deep into the bill. If you remember when they first started talking about the bill the insurance companies were panicked. They were against it and even saw a slight drop in stock prices. As the bill got written, an rewritten they actually started endorsing it and saw their stock prices go up. The bill will force them to take on some patients who will lose them money, but it is also going to hand about 30-45 million new paying customers to them and they love that.

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by kane

I think they mean they want to repeal the existing healthcare bill and replace it with one of their own. That will never happen. The republicans have no interest in healthcare reform. The only reason they were involved in it in the first place is because the democrats forced their hand.

Some good may happen from this

Originally Posted by _Richard_

ok this is the part that confused me, why would they waste time with a rewrite? i thought the republican position was everything goes back to where it was?

Last group of GOP, that was the case, but now they have the Tea Party to contend with, so we'll see if that makes a difference

Originally Posted by _Richard_

yea this is what i thought happened. I also was pretty sure the reason the current bill is so mutilated is republican and lobbyists attempts to block it

Lobbist wrote it

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

I think they will have to come up with something, but it will be someone we can afford. At least I hope so, healthcare was even thought about by Reagan

ok this is the other thing i don't get

you can't afford what you have set up now, and you STILL have millions of uninsured people and millions other going bankrupt for what they do have

the bill that was just BARELY put through this time doesn't address a LOT of the concerns you should have as a citizen, but what's going to happen is all that time and money is going to be wasted, in order for these guys to put things just they way things were

and your medical costs will DOUBLE within how many years? Do you know?

how about this for a "PLEDGE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

- i will not give all the banks blank cheques with no oversight and destroy the liquidity of my economic system.

this has somehow been forgotten?

[Amputate Your Head]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

ok this is the other thing i don't get

you can't afford what you have set up now, and you STILL have millions of uninsured people and millions other going bankrupt for what they do have

the bill that was just BARELY put through this time doesn't address a LOT of the concerns you should have as a citizen, but what's going to happen is all that time and money is going to be wasted, in order for these guys to put things just they way things were

and your medical costs will DOUBLE within how many years? Do you know?

how about this for a "PLEDGE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

- i will not give all the banks blank cheques with no oversight and destroy the liquidity of my economic system.

this has somehow been forgotten?

not forgotten.


designed.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by kane

While I have no idea what effect the republicans had on the current bill, I fully agree that lobbyist got their fingers deep into the bill. If you remember when they first started talking about the bill the insurance companies were panicked. They were against it and even saw a slight drop in stock prices. As the bill got written, an rewritten they actually started endorsing it and saw their stock prices go up. The bill will force them to take on some patients who will lose them money, but it is also going to hand about 30-45 million new paying customers to them and they love that.

ie, the reason there is no public option

crazy how you have business judging whats best for your country, and their bottom line

[kane]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

ie, the reason there is no public option

crazy how you have business judging whats best for your country, and their bottom line

Sadly that is the case. Our senate is bought and paid for and they often vote based on what their very rich friends tell them to do.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Some good may happen from this



Last group of GOP, that was the case, but now they have the Tea Party to contend with, so we'll see if that makes a difference

i seriously hope so.

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

Lobbist wrote it

lobbyists write the bills that get presented to congress?

[_Richard_]

i love all you crazy americans, but you guys should be embarrassed canadians help more people for less, rather than your helping less for more.

[Vendzilla]

Originally Posted by kane

Sadly that is the case. Our senate is bought and paid for and they often vote based on what their very rich friends tell them to do.

thats the case, they didn't write or even understand the bill, no one did, remember the quote from Pelosi, "we'll know whats in it after we pass it"

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

thats the case, they didn't write or even understand the bill, no one did, remember the quite from Pelosi, "we'll know whats in it after we pass it"

for the last time

your country has a massive 'best by' date on it, and there is still arguments on who's going to be leading the charge

FIX YOUR ECONOMY

FIX YOUR EDUCATION SYSTEM

then weed out obviously very bad seeds you got in government

[marketsmart]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/201...-america-.html

With all the BS that's flying about, I thought I would post this.

According to multiple sources, The Pledge includes the following proposals:

- Permanently extend the Bush tax cuts (all of them), or, as Republicans put it, a promise not to raise taxes on January 1, 2011 (the day the Bush tax cuts expire).

- Repeal and replace health care reform

- End the stimulus program

- A cap on discretionary spending

- Phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

- Permanently end the TARP program

- Keep Guantanamo open

- New sanctions on Iran and more money for missile defense

- Require every bill to be available online for three days before it is voted on.

- Require every bill to be certified as constitutional before it is voted on.

thats all they could come up with....

no wonder this country is so fucked...

i could come up with at least 100 things that are more important than those..

they want to get rid of tarp and fm/fm, but how about some tougher regs for wall street and the banking industry...

end tarp? great... what will you call it the next time the banks fail? farp (fucked asset relief program)

sanctions on iran are good, but missile defense? how about missile offense on iran..

repeal health care? so what, we can have a more fucked up system in place.. how about we put some regulation in for pharm and insurance companies..

if you people dont see through this is just another bullshit attempt to try to lobby some support for the november elections, then i dont know about the level of intelligence here..

if i were the republicans i would have come out with a book sized agenda and baffled people with bullshit...



Dear Mr. Ahmadinejad,

When you produce your first nuclear warhead, will you please point it
towards Washington D.C.

Also, please make sure that Congress is in session.

Love,

Marketsmart






.

[suesheboy]

Originally Posted by The Demon

No, Bush II sent the economy in a downward spiral and Obama I killed what was left of it.

Best joke of the year.

[suesheboy]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

I think they will have to come up with something, but it will be someone we can afford. At least I hope so, healthcare was even thought about by Reagan

The first president who wanted it was Nixon. So did Carter.

Since Nixon every president also claimed to what energy independence from foreign oil. Regan had the solar panels Carter had installed on the white house removed. Yeah - Regan was brilliant,

[PornMD]

Originally Posted by marketsmart

thats all they could come up with....

no wonder this country is so fucked...

i could come up with at least 100 things that are more important than those..

they want to get rid of tarp and fm/fm, but how about some tougher regs for wall street and the banking industry...

end tarp? great... what will you call it the next time the banks fail? farp (fucked asset relief program)

sanctions on iran are good, but missile defense? how about missile offense on iran..

repeal health care? so what, we can have a more fucked up system in place.. how about we put some regulation in for pharm and insurance companies..

if you people dont see through this is just another bullshit attempt to try to lobby some support for the november elections, then i dont know about the level of intelligence here..

if i were the republicans i would have come out with a book sized agenda and baffled people with bullshit....

Indeed...seems like no matter what each party says they side with, it's almost always large corporations and not small biz and people. Not that getting rid of fm/fm would be a bad thing, but at this point it's too late anyways...the damage has been done, the money has been blown. Actually putting policies into place to prevent these huge corps from getting out of hand with shit in the first place and fucking the economy would be the thing to do, but oh gosh no, then these politicians wouldn't get the gobs of money they get.

[suesheboy]

Originally Posted by Vendzilla

thats the case, they didn't write or even understand the bill, no one did, remember the quote from Pelosi, "we'll know whats in it after we pass it"

Same as the patriot act which took away constitutional rights.

[Minte]

Originally Posted by kane

Sadly that is the case. Our senate is bought and paid for and they often vote based on what their very rich friends tell them to do.

Better they take that advice from people that have a proven track record of succcess rather than the entitlement group. What everyone seems to forget is that the rich successful people are the ones that cover the payrolls and actually pay for the largest percentage of the infrastructure that the other side uses for free.

[Bill8]

this is supposedly the draft of the actual document.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...e_09222010.pdf

they spend a lot of time talking about the scheduled bush tax increase - does anyone know why they designed the tax to go up in the first place?

[TheDoc]

Originally Posted by Minte

Better they take that advice from people that have a proven track record of succcess rather than the entitlement group. What everyone seems to forget is that the rich successful people are the ones that cover the payrolls and actually pay for the largest percentage of the infrastructure that the other side uses for free.

True, up until you do it off of percentage of income.

[TheDoc]

Originally Posted by Bill8

this is supposedly the draft of the actual document.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...e_09222010.pdf

they spend a lot of time talking about the scheduled bush tax increase - does anyone know why they designed the tax to go up in the first place?

Oh my that is funny... They have the average spending under Bush lower than Clinton & Obama up to 2020... haha. Not sure if I want to read the rest now.

[Minte]

Originally Posted by TheDoc

True, up until you do it off of percentage of income.

I don't have an issue with social programs. There is a small percentage of the population that truly needs help.

What I do have a big issue with is the abuse in social programs. People that are able to work,but just don't want to. People that have money for cars,tv's,ipods,drugs but can't feed their children. The entitlement mentality is completely out of control in America. And it's getting worse.The same people that gave us politcal correctness now run the country.

[kane]

Originally Posted by Minte

Better they take that advice from people that have a proven track record of succcess rather than the entitlement group. What everyone seems to forget is that the rich successful people are the ones that cover the payrolls and actually pay for the largest percentage of the infrastructure that the other side uses for free.

That is all fine and good until they take this advice to write a bill that benefits these people/companies and ends up costing me more money. For example, there is a decent chance the healthcare bill will end up costing me more than I pay now (but maybe not). If the laws/bill somehow give money to these people you know the government is incapable of actually cutting spending so they will make it up somewhere and that somewhere will most likely be in the form of a tax or fee that I end up paying.

[Minte]

Originally Posted by kane

That is all fine and good until they take this advice to write a bill that benefits these people/companies and ends up costing me more money. For example, there is a decent chance the healthcare bill will end up costing me more than I pay now (but maybe not). If the laws/bill somehow give money to these people you know the government is incapable of actually cutting spending so they will make it up somewhere and that somewhere will most likely be in the form of a tax or fee that I end up paying.

All we can do is hope the dems lose the house and the senate and the bill gets repealed. Then optimistically,they put together a bill that addresses the real problems in healthcare.

[kane]

Originally Posted by Minte

All we can do is hope the dems lose the house and the senate and the bill gets repealed. Then optimistically,they put together a bill that addresses the real problems in healthcare.

Here is how I see it playing out.

The Republicans win back the house but not the senate. O'Donnell's win in Deleware pretty much sealed the deal that they can't win the senate back unless she pulls off a miracle. But lets say she does just that and they do take them both back. They vote to repeal. The dems block with filibuster and it is over because the republicans won't have enough of a majority to break the filibuster.

So maybe they pull of some kind of political tactic and get the bill passed regardless. There is no way Obama will sign it. The dems have worked for 30+ years to get this, they won't give it up without a major fight.

The best chance the republicans have of repealing is if they can get larger majorities in the house and senate in 2012 and win the white house. If they do manage that and then repeal it I think there is only a very tiny chance that they would put forth any kind of actual healthcare bill that is worth a damn. They have no interest in healthcare reform unless it is forced upon them like it was 2 years ago. Maybe that they repealed an existing bill would force them to put together their own package, but then they will have to deal with the tea party people and chances are they will vote no on anything that increases the deficit.

The best hope we have, IMO, is that as the healthcare bill unfolds we have the wisdom to see what is wrong with it and fix the problems as we go along.

But I don't hold out much hope for that either. Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I think we are pretty much fucked no matter who is in charge.

[Minte]

Originally Posted by kane

Here is how I see it playing out.

The Republicans win back the house but not the senate. O'Donnell's win in Deleware pretty much sealed the deal that they can't win the senate back unless she pulls off a miracle. But lets say she does just that and they do take them both back. They vote to repeal. The dems block with filibuster and it is over because the republicans won't have enough of a majority to break the filibuster.

So maybe they pull of some kind of political tactic and get the bill passed regardless. There is no way Obama will sign it. The dems have worked for 30+ years to get this, they won't give it up without a major fight.

The best chance the republicans have of repealing is if they can get larger majorities in the house and senate in 2012 and win the white house. If they do manage that and then repeal it I think there is only a very tiny chance that they would put forth any kind of actual healthcare bill that is worth a damn. They have no interest in healthcare reform unless it is forced upon them like it was 2 years ago. Maybe that they repealed an existing bill would force them to put together their own package, but then they will have to deal with the tea party people and chances are they will vote no on anything that increases the deficit.

The best hope we have, IMO, is that as the healthcare bill unfolds we have the wisdom to see what is wrong with it and fix the problems as we go along.

But I don't hold out much hope for that either. Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I think we are pretty much fucked no matter who is in charge.

I have to agree with what you've said here. Common sense in politics clearly isn't too common. I also think you are more of a realist than a pessimist.

[Joshua G]

Nothing in the pledge about reducing entitlement spending. A cap on discretionary spending? LOL. What a fucking joke of a party. If they want to keep tax cuts, fine. where do they cut the spending.

As far as im concerned, the disaster that is our 2 party system is half the reason the american spirit keeps on sinking. we're fucked as long as we can only choose between 2 corrupt repugnant parties.