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- In October 2007, some 27 million Americans were on food stamps.
- A year later, October 2008, the number had reached nearly 31 million.
- By October 2009, the number was approaching more than 37 million.
- Last October saw the program increase to 43 million.
- By the end of May, 45,753,078 Americans were dependent on food stamps.
BLITZER
How could they afford to pay income tax? They can't even afford food.
It's common for many American (sheeple) to not know this.Quote:
Originally Posted by S Landreth
AMERICAblog News: All the way back to Truman, it’s the R presidents who added the most debtQuote:
Originally Posted by Boon Mee
and from the same site,.................
if you prefer to add up the raw numbers, from Truman to Obama, Democratic presidents added $3.43 trillion to the debt, while the Republicans added $9.83 trillion.
And what it reinforces, is that the entire government - including the citizens - are responsible for the state of the USA today.
The next several years will be quite interesting.
^Yes, the buildup to,……December 31, 2012 will be interesting.
Daily Kos: Getting rid of Bush tax cuts ... won't
GOP’s fault,……..
A Standard & Poor’s director said for the first time Thursday that one reason the United States lost its triple-A credit rating was that several lawmakers expressed skepticism about the serious consequences of a credit default — a position put forth by some Republicans.
Without specifically mentioning Republicans, S&P senior director Joydeep Mukherji said the stability and effectiveness of American political institutions were undermined by the fact that “people in the political arena were even talking about a potential default,” Mukherji said.
“That a country even has such voices, albeit a minority, is something notable,” he added. “This kind of rhetoric is not common amongst AAA sovereigns.”
Read more: S&P: Debt default skeptics fueled ratings downgrade - Josh Boak - POLITICO.com
Another Thug inadvertently drags himself kicking and screaming out of the closet:
Anti-Gay Marriage State Rep. Accused Of Offering Young Male Money 'For A Really Good Time' | TPMMuckraker
The young man told The Star that they met, but that he tried to leave after the man told him he was a state lawmaker. He said the lawmaker at first told him he could not leave, grabbed him in the rear, exposed himself to the young man and then later gave him an iPad, BlackBerry cellphone and $100 cash to keep quiet.
My pop-ups are blocked.Quote:
Originally Posted by robuzo
Name and state, please. Name and state.
^pop ups blocked :)
An Indiana state Representative, who recently voted for a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, has been accused of using Craigslist to offer an 18-year old male $80 for "a couple hours of your time tonight" plus a tip "for a really good time."
The Indianapolis Star obtained e-mails sent from Rep. Phillip Hinkle's (R) publicly listed personal address, responding to a Craigslist posting by Kameryn Gibson that said "I need a sugga daddy." Gibson told the Star that the post was in the "Casual Encounters" section under m4m, or men for men. He used his sister Megan's e-mail address -- and she later sent the e-mails to the Star.
"Cannot be a long time sugar daddy," says the e-mail response from what is allegedly Hinkle's address, "but can for tonight. Would you be interested in keeping me company for a while tonight?"
"I am an in shape married professional, 5'8", fit 170 lbs, and love getting and staying naked," the e-mail says.
Very strange people, Republicans.
Psssssst! Hey, You! You There, Reading Slog at Work on Monday Morning! Wanna See an Anti-Gay Republican Senator's Butthole? Sure Ya Do... | Slog
Puerto Rican GOP territorial Sen. Roberto Arango voted to ban same-sex marriage, worked on George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, and once called another lawmaker a fag on floor of Puerto Rico's senate. You know what happens next, right?
Arango's excuse for posting pics of himself on gay/bi hookup phone ap Grindr—including one of him bent over, cheeks spread, senatorial asshole winking at the camera—isn't as catchy as "hiking the Appalachian Trail" or "lifting your luggage." Those two were pure poetry. But Arango's excuse is delightful in its own way: Arango wasn't looking to hookup with dudes, he was just documenting his weight loss regimen. ("Why, Senator Arango! Your asshole is looking so slim these days! You simply must share your workout routine with me!")
Maybe some in the GOP will be out of a job soon,.but not soon enough,……..
A new survey sponsored by a Democratic super PAC reveals that several Republican-held House seats could be competitive next year as Democrats look to gain 25 seats to take back the House of Representatives.
The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling on behalf of the Democratic super PAC, "House Majority PAC," shows 12 Republican incumbents in a vulnerable position heading into their reelection campaigns: fewer than 50 percent of voters in their districts would vote to reelect them.
"These polls illustrate that Republican incumbents running in swing districts across the country are in serious trouble and Republican control of the House is in serious jeopardy," House Majority PAC Executive Director Alixandria Lapp said in a press release.
The poll comes as Democrats have retaken the lead on the generic House ballot question, which answers whether voters want to support a Democratic or Republican candidate in their district. An Oct. 10 Reuters poll showed Democrats ahead 48 percent to 40 percent over the Republicans, and an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll also on Oct. 10 found the Democrats with a 45 percent to 41 percent lead.
Link: US Politics | AMERICAblog News: GOP House majority vulnerable in 2012
Well, a unified theory of left-wing causes. rather explains it all don't you think?
"...no matter what the current global crisis is, according to leftists, the solution is always the same: a benevolent world dictatorship of the enlightened elite, and mass transfer of wealth from rich nations to poor nations.”
If we let the tax & spend Democrats have their way, look out Greece, here we come!
The overfed sleazeball leader of the Republican Party rails against underfed kids:
Limbaugh Calls Poor Children Receiving Free School Meals "Wanton Little Waifs And Serfs Dependent On The State" | Media Matters for America
repubs cant get it together for shit. O by a nose given the economy.
As opposed to the borrow and spend GOP?Quote:
Originally Posted by Boon Mee
It's a shame we can't forget about the tawdry GOP circus for a while, and focus on the Democrats. The Obama administration has 'achieved'-
The lowest rate of taxation in living history on corporations and the already rich
Corporate profits at record levels, ever
Corporations are sitting on record amount of cash, ever
Financial reform watered down, to please the Banks
HC reform watered down, to please big Pharma and Health insurers
Yep, it's a Boom out there I tell ya. For some. Meanwhile-
Unemployment stays uncomfortably high
Wealth disparity in the US is at third world levels
Poverty is off the Richter scale, for an advanced economy
US government debt is at record levels, and deteriorating
The wages and conditions of the US middle class are continually being eroded
US government services are under threat
Obama has been the perfect Republican President. Damn Socialist. :rolleyes:
Heh...Obama caved...
Democrats drop demand for new tax on millionaires in payroll tax standoff
Democrats backed away from their demand for higher taxes on millionaires as part of legislation to extend Social Security tax cuts for most Americans on Wednesday as Congress struggled to clear critical year-end bills without triggering a partial government shutdown…
Republicans minimized the significance of the move. “They’re not giving up a whole lot. The tax they wanted to implement on business owners was something that couldn’t pass the House and couldn’t pass the Senate,” McConnell said in a CNBC interview.
Jettisoning the tax could also require Democrats to agree to politically painful savings elsewhere in the budget to replace the estimated $140 billion the tax would have raised over a decade.
In its most recent form, the surtax would have slapped a 1.9 percent tax on income in excess of $1 million, with the proceeds helping pay for the extension of tax cuts for 160 million workers. Senate Democrats have twice forced votes on the proposal in what officials have described as a political maneuver designed to force GOP lawmakers to choose between protecting the wealthy on the one hand and extending tax cuts for millions on the other.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...print.htmlther.
CNN calls it a “major concession,”
Thats news?Quote:
Originally Posted by Boon Mee
There are only two ways for the US presidential circus to become interesting. One is for a credible candidate to come forward who runs as an independent. The other is to turf Obuma, and get a decent Democrat candidate. Neither will happen, Obuma will get a second term, the smart republicans will quietly grin, and the US people will continue their march out of the league of developed nations. But the rich will be just fine, and they will all have money stashed offshore and other residencies organised for when the shit hits the fan. Israel in particular will be happy about the influx of cash, and will quite probably have found a new sugar daddy (well, they had better hope so).
In the sense that he's looking weaker and weaker (if that's possible) to run on his 'record' or whatever he think might pull the rabbit out of the hat...Quote:
Originally Posted by sabang
The real brains behind the GOP don't even really want a GOP President, I suspect. They've got Obuma and the divided Dem's to take the heat.
In Opposition, they can continue being reckless vandals and trashing the whole US political process for their own ends, with little accountability because most of the US people (like our own) are too ignorant to see what is really going on. They only need hang on to one of the Houses of Congress, and they'll do their best to make sure of that- heck, they put 'Citizens United' in place to make sure of it. If they had their own stooge as the titular overseer of this process, they would probably be held accountable- like Bush and his clowns. Potus doesn't have much power really, particularly not a white mans shoeshine boy like Obuma. Just keep calling him a damn commie, or a damn muzzie, and keep trashing the US political process. I mean, it's everywhere- judicial appointments, other government appointments, budget allocations, you name it. It seems the US doesn't have a referendum mechanism to go straight to the people- or if it does, Obuma is too gormless to use it.
The real game here? My 'educated' guess is that the real brains know that a massive default is coming- it is now unavoidable they believe, ie just a matter of time, and they are selfishly preparing themselves for it. It will encompass the whole world (because a lot of China's money goes with it), and what it will actually precipitate is anyones guess- but having a heap of money stashed offshore and a choice of residencies ain't a bad start. It seems the real GOP leadership (forget the Tea party) has given up on America, and they are probably right. As a combined entity, Europe is in equally bad or worse shape. Every man for himself.
Today's GOP :)
gets good 19 seconds into the video
Steven J. Ross, author of "Hollywood Left and Right," contrasts the messages of the conservative and liberal traditions in US political culture as "Fear and Reassurance" vs. "Hope and Guilt." He notes that Reagan played the former better than anyone, as exemplified by "Morning in America." "Fear and Reassurance" is an interesting juxtaposition of a negative emotion with an optimistic worldview (this may be more or less unique to the American version of conservatism, in that it attempts to reject Hobbes and take a more rosy view of progress than Burke). I think the Republican Party has strayed from this theme thanks to influences such as Fox News and talk radio, with "Fear and Resentment" being more a more accurate description of what the Republicans are about now. The right-wing noise machine spends a lot of time railing about what conservatives are against, while the only thing they seem to be for is "whatever hurts Obama." I think politicians like Romney and Gingrich are struggling with the extreme negativity and nastiness of the right-wing propaganda machine. They aren't able to pull off the "Daddy is not pleased with what you've been up to but don't worry he'll make things right again" message that Reagan conveyed so well.
Americans have a fair bit to be fearful of frankly, with an extreme and self serving Right wing ideology having taken over the GOP, and with enough leverage within the Dem's to keep them impotent. It's gonna end in tears, and I think the already wealthy are feathering their nest in anticipation. The current GOP's incessant beating of the Patriotism drum is fairly sickening, but predictable I suppose because it always works on a segment of society.
GOP ‘family values’ mayor admits he’s gay
Receipts from embattled Southaven Mayor Greg Davis reveal that he had the city pay for wide-ranging expenses including thousands of dollars worth of liquor, expensive dinners at a local restaurant and a visit to an adult store catering to gay men while on a recruitment trip to Canada.
As details emerged Thursday from the receipts, provided by state auditors to Southaven aldermen and subsequently obtained by The Commercial Appeal, Davis conceded publicly for the first time in an interview with The CA that he is gay and has struggled to keep the issue from affecting his public life as mayor of Mississippi's third-largest city.
"At this point in my life and in my career, while I have tried to maintain separation between my personal and public life, it is obvious that this can no longer remain the case," Davis said Thursday afternoon at his Southaven home. "While I have performed my job as mayor, in my opinion, as a very conservative, progressive individual -- and still continue to be a very conservative individual -- I think that it is important that I discuss the struggles I have had over the last few years when I came to the realization that I am gay." :)
As for the receipts, Davis, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2008 on a conservative, family-values platform, said he couldn't discuss specifics on the advice of his attorney.
"Because of the ongoing civil and criminal investigation ... my attorney told me not to discuss the receipts or anything about the receipts," he said.
The receipts were provided to state auditors in hopes of decreasing the approximately $170,000 (he should be in jail)they have demanded Davis repay the city for improper charges to both his city-issued and personal credit cards. Auditors asked city aldermen, who approved the expenses, to review the receipts before making a decision on accepting them to reduce Davis' payments. Davis has paid $96,000 so far.
After aldermen got the receipts, The CA obtained them under a Freedom of Information request.
Aldermen haven't yet commented on their review of the receipts, which are expected to be discussed Tuesday at the next scheduled meeting of the seven-member board. Alderman Greg Guy said Thursday that he is still reviewing the 500-plus pages of receipts.
However, a review by The CA shows that Davis spent thousands of dollars at the Mesquite Chop House in Southaven and thousands more at local liquor stores. Also included in the receipts is a charge for $67 at Priape, a store in Toronto that is described by its website as "Canada's premiere gay lifestyle store and sex shop."
Davis said he didn't remember what he bought at the store, which he visited on a recruitment trip with Mid-South warehouse developers.
Despite Thursday's swirl of events, Davis said it's too early to talk about a criminal investigation involving the disputed expenses or the possibility of him stepping down from his role as mayor.
"At this point, my goal is to ensure that for the next year and a half that the city continues to grow," he said. "I will evaluate whether I will run again as mayor at a later time."(what do you think the chances of him running in Mississippi as a gay and winning will be)
He added that he plans to take time off through the holidays starting today to spend time with his family.
"I had already planned to take off and spend time with my family over the holidays," Davis said. "Hopefully, we will wrap up the civil aspect of the state auditor's report real soon, and we have a couple of big projects we have to work on ... some of them are time crucial, and we don't want this to interfere with that.
"The only apology I would make to my supporters if they are upset is the fact that I was not honest enough with myself to be honest with them. But I have lived my life in public service for 20-plus years, and in order for me to remain sane and move on, I have got to start being honest about who I am."
R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a national organization for gay and lesbian conservatives, said he hoped Davis would still be seen as the same person.
"What would be helpful to the mayor is if the community recognizes that he is still the same person," Cooper said. "This is a part of who he is that people just didn't know."
link: Southaven Mayor Greg Davis' expense receipts prompt frank revelation
"R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a national organization for gay and lesbian conservatives, said he hoped Davis would still be seen as the same person." Good luck with that. This "Republican family values scold turns out to be gay after being busted" theme is sounding like a broken record.
Hope these numbers turn into votes for the Dems (or sending the Rethugs looking for a different occupation),………
The new Pew poll found that this is one of the most disliked Congresses in modern history, but it seems most of the blame for Congress’s dysfunction is being placed on the Republican Party. On a whole host of questions about which party is better at different things, the American people have turned sharply against the GOP since the midterm election. The trend, in just a year, according to Pew polling is incredible.
In the two important categories of which party is most honest and which party is better at governing, the net move towards Democrats has been in the double digits.
Link to Pew Research Center: Section 1: Congress, The Parties, and the Anti-Incumbent Mood | Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
From the looks of things, the GOP is stomping the Democrats at every turn, heh.:)
Victory II: Democrats Cave on Keystone in Payroll Tax Cut Deal
Round one of this fight went to Obama. Round two, to the GOP. Round three? A TKO decision for Republicans. A senior GOP source tells me that Democrats have agreed to a two-month extension of the temporary payroll tax cuts -- plus unemployment benefits and the "doc fix" -- with some extra Christmas goodies for conservatives. Quote: "Two-month extension, PLUS Keystone. Fully paid for; no tax hikes. Hallelujah." Rumors are flying that the president is preparing to retreat from his ill-advised veto threat over Keystone, as conservatives, Democrats, and labor unions have rallied around it:
White House spokesman Jay Carney declined several opportunities to say that President Barack Obama would veto the tax cut if it contained language aimed at expediting the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline project. Obama last week said he would reject efforts to tie the pipeline to the payroll tax…Carney told reporters he would not comment on what language regarding the pipeline would be acceptable to the president.Apparently The One's environmental fanaticism does take a back seat to something: His electoral fate.
Source