RufRTs Obama Windup

[RufRT]

Stick a fork in this version of "healthcare reform" (ie political theater)

WASHINGTON – Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she lacks the votes to quickly move the Senate's sweeping health overhaul bill through the House, a potentially devastating blow to President Barack Obama's signature issue.

Pelosi, D-Calif., made the comment to reporters after House Democrats held a closed-door meeting at which participants vented frustration with the Senate's massive version of the legislation.

Her concession meant there was little hope for a White House-backed plan to quickly push the Senate-approved health bill through the House, followed by a separate measure making changes sought by House members, such as easing the Senate's tax on higher-cost health plans. Such an approach would be "problematic," she said.

"In its present form without any changes I don't think it's possible to pass the Senate bill in the House," Pelosi said, adding, "I don't see the votes for it at this time."

Pelosi's remarks signaled that advancing health legislation through Congress will likely be a lengthy process — despite Democrats' desire for a quick election-year pivot to address jobs and the economy, which polls show are the public's top concern.

"We're not in a big rush," Pelosi said.


Asked whether he thought Democrats should simply move on from health care, Senator Schumer was coy.


“I don’t think you can answer that question ‘yes’ or ‘no’,” Schumer said. “I think we need to do something on health care. The question is when and how much.”


But Pelosi foreclosed moving the Senate bill through the House absent some attempt to fix it, noting several provisions of the Senate bill that won’t fly in the House.


"There are certain things that members just cannot support," Pelosi said, citing the deal on Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson cut with Senate leaders and the White House to shield his state from future changes in Medicaid.


She added, "There's always been unrest in our caucus about the excise tax on so-called Cadillac benefits." That’s a tax on high-cost insurance policies that are held by many union members.


The White House and congressional leaders cut a deal with top union leaders last week to shield their members from the tax through 2017 — but that deal is not included in the Senate bill.



Read more: Nancy Pelosi: 'I don't see the votes' - Patrick O'Connor and Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com

 

[RufRT]

As I predicted, the defections begin

 

[RufRT]

Obama pivots to Bank Regulation !

This guy is less complex than I thought...two days after seeing the light, Obama is now a populist fighter for the people


WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama stepped up his campaign against Wall Street on Thursday with a far-reaching proposal for tougher regulation of the biggest banks.

"We have to get this done," Obama said at the White House. "If these folks want a fight, it's a fight I'm ready to have."

It was a stern, populist lecture from the president to Wall Street for what he perceives as its abandonment of Main Street. Obama said the government should have the power to limit the size and complexity of large financial institutions as well as their ability to make high-risk trades.

He said it wasn't appropriate that banks have been able to run these trading operations with the protections afforded to regular banking services.

"We have to enact commonsense reforms that will protect American taxpayers and the American economy from future crises," Obama said. "For, while the financial system is far stronger today than it was one year ago, it's still operating under the same rules that led to its near-collapse."

 

[Plechazunga]

To the person that cited Medicare... Reimbursements and services are continually being cut and many docs are opting out simply because it cannot sustain practices. When the Mayo Clinic opts out, you know its hardly a shining example of government efficiency.

The operation in Haiti is a government response that is required to coordinate the military/relief effort. As far as citing the Pentagon as an example of efficiency and well run government, well where do you start with waste in that department...unreal that is even an example.

I've alrady stated my opinion on the efficiency of the pentagon and medicare...they are money pits just like government run healthcare would be.

Your original question was whether any government services could be 'successful', not just efficient with money. The US army is, in general, successful at projecting US power around in the world. The secret services have a good record protecting your citizens. Medicare and Medicaid save many thousands of lives and make many others more comfortable (and are wildly popular in polls). The government fire departments currently working in Haiti were sent there because they're good at what they do. Government bureaucracy has disadvantages when it comes to efficiency, definitely, but there are things it does well, especially in areas where ethical requirements are vastly more important than profit.

In my view, its a country where you can ascend as far as your work ethic and drive will take you.

Not anymore it's not, according to The Economist.

 

[RufRT]

Not anymore it's not, according to The Economist.

Give it some time, it will get back there....once the Messiah is out of office this country will go back to its center right ideals. Besides, quoting an article from 2004 an the height of anti-americanism is hardly fair...especially citing The Economist

 

[RufRT]

Spot on article




Obama has cut the remembering-what-we-don't-like-about-Democrats stage of this process down from two to four years to about 10 months. Folks, I'm convinced that if we all work really hard, we can get it down to three months.

Four years of Jimmy Carter gave us two titanic Reagan landslides, peace and prosperity for eight blessed years -- and even a third term for his feckless vice president, George H.W. Bush.

Two years of Bill Clinton gave us a historic Republican sweep of Congress, which killed the entire Clinton agenda (with the exception of partial-birth abortion and felony obstruction of justice) -- and also gave us two terms for George W. Bush.

And now, merely one year of Obama and a Democratic Congress has given us the first Republican senator from Massachusetts in 31 years.

In other recent news, last November, New Jersey voters, who haven't voted for a Republican for president since 1988, threw out their incumbent Democratic governor, Jon Corzine. In Virginia, which Obama carried by 6 points a year earlier, a religious-right Republican won the governor's office by 17 points.

Sen. Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, won his last election in 2006 by 28 points -- the largest margin for a Democratic Senate candidate in that state in a quarter-century.

Since voting for the Senate health care bill last Christmas, the once-bulletproof Sen. Nelson not only gets booed out of Omaha pizzerias, but he has also seen his job approval rating fall to 42 percent and his disapproval rating soar to 48 percent. (Meanwhile, the junior senator from Nebraska, Mike Johanns, who voted against the bill, has a job approval rating of 63 percent.)

The Democrats have no natural majority because they have no fundamental principles -- at least none that they are willing to state out loud. They are like a drunken vagrant who emerges from the alley to cause havoc every few years. They are the perpetual toothache of American politics.

To be sure, the fact that 52 percent of Massachusetts voters are racist, sexist tea-baggers -- i.e., voted for a Republican -- means only that the Democrats just went from having the largest congressional majority in a generation to the second largest. But this was "Teddy Kennedy's seat." And it was in Massachusetts.

Now, no Democrat is safe.

But the country just got a lot safer.

 

[Plechazunga]

Give it some time, it will get back there....once the Messiah is out of office this country will go back to its center right ideals. Besides, quoting an article from 2004 an the height of anti-americanism is hardly fair

Well responding to it by blaming the incumbent when it came out four years before he was elected is unfairer!

Your centre-right ideals have held sway uninterrupted since Carter's demise, and in that time the gap between rich and poor has increased massively.

40% of families remained stuck in the same income bracket in the 1990s, compared with 37% of families in the 1980s and 36% in the 1970s.

Between '79 and 2000, the real income of the bottom fifth grew by 6.4%, that of the top fifth by 70%.

In 2001 the top 1% of households earned 20% of all income and held 33.4% of all net worth.

That's a hundredth of the households... a third of the wealth. Yes, the American dream's clearly alive and well.

 

[RufRT]

Well responding to it by blaming the incumbent when it came out four years before he was elected is unfairer!

Your centre-right ideals have held sway uninterrupted since Carter's demise, and in that time the gap between rich and poor has increased massively.

40% of families remained stuck in the same income bracket in the 1990s, compared with 37% of families in the 1980s and 36% in the 1970s.

Between '79 and 2000, the real income of the bottom fifth grew by 6.4%, that of the top fifth by 70%.

In 2001 the top 1% of households earned 20% of all income and held 33.4% of all net worth.

That's a hundredth of the households... a third of the wealth. Yes, the American dream's clearly alive and well.

The American Dream won't be realized by placing more people on welfare and increasing the size of government.

Is there such a thing as the "British Dream" ? Maybe explained by too many post war Labour Governments

 

[Plechazunga]

The American Dream won't be realized by placing more people on welfare and increasing the size of government.

Maybe not. But how will it be realised? It's not working under the present centre-right consensus. Are the rest of the country just not working hard enough?

Is there such a thing as the "British Dream"?

No, we punch well above our weight in science and culture, but we don't have your ambition, positivity and drive. Those things are genuinely admirable about American society and how it made itself. But they don't work anymore - your level of social mobility is shit. What do you suggest, other than flag-waving and baiting the other side?

 

[Sultan]

Is there such a thing as the "British Dream" ?

The dream would be not to have our fellow citizens living in shacks and tents!

Check how many people in the USA have no address, no electricity, and have fallen off the radar. Seems like Africa/Asia in places.

 

[mehro]

All I know RufRT is that, from talking to my colleagues in the New York office, my standard of living is significantly higher than theirs for the equivalent role. For a start I get 26 days holiday a year (plus a load of public holidays), whereas I think they get 10-12 days a year. Also, their income is hemorrhaged by health care.

Well then they must be seriously ill. I have no problem paying NY taxes. The city has a lot of benefits attached to it. If NY had the same taxes as say Houston, everyone would move here.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Well then they must be seriously ill. I have no problem paying NY taxes. The city has a lot of benefits attached to it. If NY had the same taxes as say Houson, everyone would move here.

mehro is the American dream. Arrived one day as a poor, former Miss India at Texas A&M and now lives the high life in the city that never sleeps with a Master's degree to boot!

 

[RufRT]

The dream would be not to have our fellow citizens living in shacks and tents!

Check how many people in the USA have no address, no electricity, and have fallen off the radar. Seems like Africa/Asia in places.

Sort of like that british women with no heat or food, pregnant right ?

Every country has their destitute unfortunate homeless...that is non a unique situation to the US

 

[mehro]

mehro is the American dream. Arrived one day as a poor, former Miss India at Texas A&M and now lives the high life in the city that never sleeps with a Master's degree to boot!

 

[Sultan]

Sort of like that british women with no heat or food, pregnant right ?

Every country has their destitute unfortunate homeless...that is non a unique situation to the US

Actually getting pregnant is likely the easiest way to get social benefits.

The disparity amongst US citizens is alarming.

 

[Sultan]

mehro is the American dream. Arrived one day as a poor, former Miss India at Texas A&M and now lives the high life in the city that never sleeps with a Master's degree to boot!

 

[Grinner]

The American Dream...utter nonsense.

This is as much a stratified society as Britain ever was.

 

[RufRT]

Maybe not. But how will it be realised? It's not working under the present centre-right consensus. Are the rest of the country just not working hard enough?



No, we punch well above our weight in science and culture, but we don't have your ambition, positivity and drive. Those things are genuinely admirable about American society and how it made itself. But they don't work anymore - your level of social mobility is shit. What do you suggest, other than flag-waving and baiting the other side?

Save the breathless hyperbole mate.... Are you suggesting that Britons have a better chance at upward social mobility ? That doesn't jive with the UK I left in the late 70's but ok. Somehow I don't see a public student from Essex having an opportunity to land at Eton. I do however see kids from projects and single parent guys like BHO making it to Harvard and reaching the WH over here.

Low taxation, freedom of individuals, free market economy and less government is the key to recapturing the american spirit of innovation end entrepeneurship. Can I be more clear ? and not a waving flag in sight.

back to you old boy

 

[RufRT]

The American Dream...utter nonsense.

This is as much a stratified society as Britain ever was.

How would you describe your Messiah ?

checkmate

 

[RufRT]

You knobs love to cast disparaging looks across the Atlantic when the very same criticisms could be levelled at your own society...stop peering down your noses and take a look around instead.

 

[Alex]

You knobs love to cast disparaging looks across the Atlantic when the very same criticisms could be levelled at your own society...stop peering down your noses and take a look around instead.

Well said, it's amusing how threads about American politics gets hundreds of posts where as threads about British politics are largely ignored in most cases. My thought is some have an inferiority complex on here.

 

[Alex]

The American Dream...utter nonsense.

This is as much a stratified society as Britain ever was.

I disagree, if you make wise choices and work hard all your life you will undoubtedly end up in higher social class than what you were born into. The problem is that there are a lot of lazy idiots in this country who want a great life for nothing.

 

[Plechazunga]

Save the breathless hyperbole mate....

that's a rubbish description of my post, but breathless hyperbole would be considerably better that than your line in sad playground bragging and taunting. You're literally like a twelve-year-old.

Are you suggesting that Britons have a better chance at upward social mobility ? That doesn't jive with the UK I left in the late 70's but ok. Somehow I don't see a public student from Essex having an opportunity to land at Eton. I do however see kids from projects and single parent guys like BHO making it to Harvard and reaching the WH over here.

No, like yours, our social mobility is shit, and getting worse. And like you, we've had centre-right governments since the late seventies.

Low taxation, freedom of individuals, free market economy and less government is the key to recapturing the american spirit of innovation end entrepeneurship. Can I be more clear ? and not a waving flag in sight.

You've had low taxation, freedom and a free market economy all this time, it's not working... you have no answers, only name-calling, just like your nihilist party.

 

[Alex]

The dream would be not to have our fellow citizens living in shacks and tents!

Check how many people in the USA have no address, no electricity, and have fallen off the radar. Seems like Africa/Asia in places.

Interestingly enough, over a quarter of these people are schizophrenic (many other drug addicts) and would not be taken care of adequetely under any provision that Obama has put forward, even his most grandiose health care scheme. Although a lot of the problem with the proper treatment or lack there of people schizophrenia is down to Reagan

 

[Raoul]

For me, the great thing about the U.S. of A is that it is largely a meritocracy where with hard work and and an intense desire to succeed, you can rise to any level and be whatever you want to be.

 

[Plechazunga]

Except that in fact you mostly can't.

 

[Alex]

Except that in fact you mostly can't.

How would you know?

What Raoul says is true, the thing is that people these days think working 40 hours a week and getting some poor excuse for a degree is going to guarantee you riches.

 

[RufRT]

For me, the great thing about the U.S. of A is that it is largely a meritocracy where with hard work and and an intense desire to succeed, you can rise to any level and be whatever you want to be.

spot on

 

[RufRT]

Except that in fact you mostly can't.

keep telling yourself that if it makes your Lordship feel better.

 

[Plechazunga]

How would you know?

I know because I've seen the maths, social mobility has been declining for decades, the rich give their money to their children which, with a modicum of effort, guarantees them success, the poor can't get a look in.

There will always be exceptions, and in a country as big as yours there'll be lots of them, but the general trends are clear.

 

[RufRT]

I know because I've seen the maths, social mobility has been declining for decades, the rich give their money to their children which, with a modicum of effort, guarantees them success, the poor can't get a look in.

There will always be exceptions, and in a country as big as yours there'll be lots of them, but the general trends are clear.

I think we'll be ok, thanks for your concern...no really, thank you

 

[Sultan]

For me, the great thing about the U.S. of A is that it is largely a meritocracy where with hard work and and an intense desire to succeed, you can rise to any level and be whatever you want to be.

I'd say that goes for most developed countries. Britain has it's fair share of very successful people despite coming from villages in India and Pakistan with little or no education.

Rufrt: We have MP's from worse social backgrounds than Obama.

 

[Raoul]

I'd say that goes for most developed countries. Britain has it's fair share of very successful people despite coming from villages in India and Pakistan with little or no education.

Rufrt: We have MP's from worse social backgrounds than Obama.

I'm going to have to disagree there Sults. I just don't get that deregulated freedom feeling in Canada or Europe.

 

[Avatar]

Well said, it's amusing how threads about American politics gets hundreds of posts where as threads about British politics are largely ignored in most cases. My thought is some have an inferiority complex on here.

Thats because the American thread is the one were we're discussing everything in the current American Politics. On the other hand, if you check the CE forum , usually we have more threads in number about Britain. And in case you didn't notice, it was an exceptional year or 2 in America. And in case you didn't notice, America is the main actor in most -if not all- of the global hot events: Afghanistan, terrorism, Economy, Iraq.

You're literally like a twelve-year-old.

You should have noticed that earlier .....with all the smilies.

 

[Plechazunga]

Also, British politics is really boring.

 

[Avatar]

By the way, some people act here as if the Democrats were in power for a decade or something. It's as if all the troubles were caused by them. Someone needs to remind them that their beloved messiah was in power just 1 year ago and their beloved GOPshit controlled the congress just 3 years ago when they were responsible for the disastrous Iraq war and shit handling of the economy that culminated in that recession

 

[Red Dreams]

you would think the GOP won the Presidency, a 59 seat majority and the biggest majority in the house for decades...with how excited ruf is

oh wait a minute....

 

[Red Dreams]

btw Reagen had defecit budgets which Clinton balanced.

and we all know what teh Rethugs did in 8 years...brought the country to its knees and made it a laughing stock.

 

[Grinner]

What's even funnier is that this guy Brown is hardly what I'd call a conservative. The righties love to call Reagan their messiah but he did exactly what they accuse libs of doing to earn their scorn.

 

[Raoul]

you would think the GOP won the Presidency, a 59 seat majority and the biggest majority in the house for decades...with how excited ruf is

oh wait a minute....

I've been advocating a reality check in this thread to no avail. The Democrats control the White House and the Congress by sizable margins. Two days ago they lost one seat in the U.S. Senate and by reading Ruf's posts you'd think a revolution took place. Obama still has majority numbers most Presidents could only dream of.