All-Purpose NuILX thread for American Politics

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/04/381510/upton-cant-explain-tax-cuts-jobs/

lol

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/an_absurd_choice_for_a_health033923.php

Why is Politico giving such awards in the first place, and really --Paul Ryan for “Health Care Policymaker of the Year”

Did y'all read that Obama called Pakistan's President to offer condolences for those recent mistaken killings/deaths, but I read that he did not offer the apology in a public setting as the White House was afraid that Republicans would use the footage to further their stupid message that Obama is not proud of "American exceptionalism"

the White House was afraid
the White House was afraid
the White House was afraid
the White House was afraid

It's all about politics

that's all "it" is ever about

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/an_absurd_choice_for_a_health033923.php

Why is Politico giving such awards in the first place, and really --Paul Ryan for “Health Care Policymaker of the Year”

Politico is hackery congealed and in print form?

Hmm.. so Obama gave a 55-minute speech on economic themes today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-obamas-economic-speech-in-osawatomie-kans/2011/12/06/gIQAVhe6ZO_story.html

yeah good speech, albeit composed entirely of empty posturing

"empty posturing" is the best kind of posturing.

really, why waste substance on posturing?

under President Newt our empty posturing will be fuller & more vital, worthy of the greatest nation on earth

god-emperor newt, thank you very much.

FUNDAMENTALLY fuller and more vital

yeah good speech, albeit composed entirely of empty posturing

I'm not sure what would constitute non-posturing. He can't exactly say "I promise to do this" without 60 votes in the Senate.

lol

have you not noticed how this rhetoric is completely different from the rhetoric he was using just 12 months ago. I mean, it's ALL rhetoric whenever a President makes a speech, but in terms of legislative priorities this stuff is basically meaningless. Non-posturing would involve staking out a specific legislative goal and then following through on it.

I mean it's pretty hilarious for him to cite regulators falling down on the job or whatever when you consider how he's handled the SEC

for example

or letting the Bush tax cuts get extended as part of a lopsided deal with the GOP (I dunno about you but tax cuts expiring >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> gays in the military)

The president's getting frisky because he thinks he can adeptly manipulate public opinion for the first time in ages.

^^^

there's also some sort of election coming up

In terms of specifics, there's the current proposal for extending the payroll tax cut for the middle class and paying for it with a tax surcharge on incomes over $1 million. But that's not going anywhere without Republican support. There are also things that have already been passed but are still in the implementation stage, such as Dodd-Frank. I guess we'll have to wait and see if further specific policies come out of this, but in general I think Obama tends to lay out the philosophy in broad-strokes first and then work out the specifics.

he is, as Z S reminds us, in election mode now, so he makes like Moses lifting his staff and rallying Dems behind him.

The president's getting frisky because he thinks he can adeptly manipulate public opinion for the first time in ages.

he's feeling frisky? how cute.

let it out shakey!

?

hi k3vin!

you just seemed righteously unhinged and i was genuinely enjoying it! xp

well I want Obama to win, given the alternatives. And I am not quite as cynical as some in regards to his overall goals and ideological bent - but dude is a centrist and a pragmatist at his core, and that handicaps his legislative priorities and tactics, the results of which are not always things I agree with. The payroll tax cut thing currently going on is small potatoes and the GOP will cave so I'm not really worried about it. Dodd-Frank bill is allright, but the SEC is totally falling down on its job and has for years. Federal climate change/energy policy legislation is dead in the water (even tho this is exactly the kind of thing that could restructure the economy, create jobs, and have vast long-term benefits). Bush tax cuts are still in place. Troops are still in Afghanistan. etc.

i agree with all that post, well said

I expect Obama to make a big show of drawing down troops in Afghanistan within the next 12 months but imho Bin Laden's dead time to cut our losses

but imho Bin Laden's dead

my opinion too

i need to see an official death-certificate or i don't believe it.

this doesn't seem to matter to most people. it matters to me. not to most.

I agree with the spirit of Shakey's remarks but at this point still won't vote for the man, mostly because his foreign policy consists of extending most of the Bush era's most heinous positions and his arrogance in assuming he could coast on his empyrean cool last winter. Renewing those Bush tax cuts was the kind of catastrophe that a man with his acumen should have seen; how could it not have led to this summer's impasse?

oh I probably won't vote for him either

"his foreign policy consists of extending most of the Bush era's most heinous positions"

69 with Condi?

save it for the ILX slash fic thread

if you want Obama (or a Republican) to win, you still don't get it

yeah as i've said i won't vote for obama and face absolutely no moral quandary in not doing so, thanks electoral college!

if you think there are currently other viable options...

xp

I want Obama to win, & I think I do "get it", & as I've said before, it's as much about identity politics for me as it is about economics & foreign policy.

how do we define "identity politics" in 2011? No snark -- I'm curious!

I mean that he is biracial, & that we can elect such a person president, twice! reaffirms my hope in America. of course there are lots of axes of hope for this "land of opportunity", & this is just one, but I'll take it, since I gather we're all on the same page that on other axes, he's not made much progress over Little Bush.

Fair enough, but we are reducing him to a symbol -- a brand, if you will.

and maybe that's all he'll be remembered for. We'll know in fifteen years.

we already know that America's not really run by the president, & indeed that's what "the founders" wanted. the president's a symbol & that's fine, that's all that person needs to be in a republic like ours. I think maybe that's where I differ from a lot of you, esp. Morbius, who expect more out of the Great Leader: I want a Great Government, but the presidency is just a small part of that.

yay, a biracial man can be Imperial War Criminal. He's proven it!

I expect shit out of the Great Leader, and more out of us.

I expect Obama to make a big show of drawing down troops in Afghanistan within the next 12 months but imho Bin Laden's dead time to cut our losses

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 22:49 (Yesterday) Bookmark Permalink

this terrible pedantic post is going to be awesome because i get to step into john mccain let's listen to our generals on the ground shoes for a lil minute, but: afghanistan is so complicated, & there are a p diverse range of pro- and anti- opinions re: continuing US involvement from people in afghanistan (or there were around a year ago, idk how things have changed), those being the people who we should be at the service of & considering our decisions based on, having already got so involved in fucking w/their country without a great plan, etc etc etc. i'm not even saying that we should or shouldn't pull out, but framing the decision wrt 'our losses' is nagl i think. like if the best thing - as in safest, I guess, rather than 'thing that inches us closest to something we can put a flag in & call victory' - was to be there in a five hundred year long agonising drawdown then that would be the thing to do.