Later folks.
With this pronouncement The Wife and I may disappear from the web…and elsewhere.
Mr. Obama told Pelley “this is not just a matter of Social Security checks. These are veterans checks, these are folks on disability and their checks. There are about 70 million checks that go out.”
Damn us disabled vets and baby boomers anyway. It’s us that suck the life out of the economy. Doesn’t matter what price we might have paid, nor how much we put into “The System”.
Too stunned to find words. Heads up Military Retired. BOHICA!
ETA: Just to get it said… I’m hardly naive enough to not recognize political posturing, whatever the source. Nor am I beyond using hyperbole as a fun reaction to hyperbole.
Category: Pointless blather, Politics
Thank the Tea Party. Boehner tried to get to the table for a deal but Cantor and the Tea Party caucus outflanked him and are refusing to deal unless they get exactly what they want. Legislating requires acting like an adult and the Tea Party crowd is screwing the pooch here.
Zero – seriously: you’re surprised? Obama’s been gunning for your demographic since the November 2010 election. The debt ceiling debate gives him topcover with his base and the Ignoratti to make this maneuver.
Listened to Senator Ron Johnson on Mark Levin’s show a few weeks ago, and he said the President intended to strike at folks with retirement and disability cheques first – and then to begin cutting services (VA, anyone?) – to apply pressure to the Republicans to capitulate.
No Tea Party to blame here – but they are convenient. If you’ve been following the news, you’ll note that the Tea Party is blameless: the POTUS will spend as he wants, and is formulating an argument using the 14th Amendment to force a constitutional crisis – where he has 5 votes on the SCOTUS. Secondly, there’s been no budget passed in 2 years – zero input on the power of the purse from the Tea Party.
NSOM – the blame lies elsewhere.
NSOM,
Republicans have moved…they are willing to raise the debt limit (tea party doesn’t want debt limit raised) You’ll need to ask Dems why they won’t budge…
re #4
That’s wrong. Cantor told Boehner “no” after he found out that Republicans would have to compromise on tax revenue increases in order to make a deal. Cantor and the Tea Party flat out said no compromise.
The Tea Party faction lost me long ago. I am a lifelong conservative Republican and have no intent to change that, but I am decidedly NOT “tea party.” Those people don’t have a fucking clue what will happen if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, and more importantly they do not care. They are ideologues, in the purest sense. They do not care who gets burned in the process – until it hits them. Obama gets to pick the winners and losers if/when we fail to raise the debt ceiling, and those clowns think it’ll be a great opportunity to abolish the Department of Education? They are so stupid it is PAINFUL. And when disabled vets don’t get paid, they’ll take the latest Bachmann/DeMint talking points and repeat them until they turn blue in the face, while everything around them turns to shit.
OTOH, I have faith in Eric Cantor. He and Boehner and the others the teatards disparage as “establishment” are not as stupid as Bachmann and Ron/Rand Paul and Jim DeMint and that crazy freshman congressman from Utah.
Or so I hope.
re $6
You’re channeling my best friend who’s a long time Republican on the nature of most of the Tea Party. He text me this morning after Boehner got hung out to dry: “our useful idiots have become useless”.
Considering that in a recent poll 60% of Americans said no to an increase in the debt ceiling Obama is resorting to scare tactics. Considering how much Obama raised spending since he came in office, a lot can be cut out of the budget without increasing taxes.
BTW have you noticed that trolls always claim to be life long conservatives(Beth) then quickly revert to liberal tripe
There is no need to raise the debt ceiling, but I like Michelle Bachman’s offer. In exchange for raising the debt ceiling repeal Obamacare. Sounds fair to me.
Look guys, this whole budget/debt/deficit argument is like a dog chasing it’s tail or the age old argument of which came first the chicken or the egg. Somewhere the cycle has to be broken and if that means voting not to raise the debt ceiling so be it. For me the real heart of the matter is spending, and the more you let the federal government raise the debt ceiling the more they take it as getting an extended line of credit that they just have to use.
Am I worried about losing my retirement check? Sure, but that is no different then what I worried about since the first days the Dems took power. Do I expect the military as a whole to take it in the shorts? You damn right I do because at the end of the day the 99% of Americans will simply be glad their bennies don’t get cut while expressing mild outrage but secretly whispering sucks to be you. Reality is a bitch, but it is what it is.
Dear Beth,
Indeed, I, a conservative and tea party person(read limited gov’t, Constitution= Law of the land, free market)do know what will happen if the debt ceiling is raised. It means the god-damned government is going to spend more than it takes in!!! What part of “it’s hurting the taxpayer” do you not understand? At what point will you freaks who hate the ideologues like me understand that spending more does not get ou out of debt.
And the Dept. of Education should be cut. Get the effing government out of the schools and leave it to the states to spend their own tax dollars cause Uncle ain’t been very efficient now, has he? What has the DOE done to improve anything of late…besides making others believe that spending more per pupil will make us all equally smart?
Beth you are as left minded as they come and know nothing about a tea party person and what they may have sacrificed already, you only think you do. I have given up plenty because I see what is coming and you don’t.
Buck up, sister. Cause if that debt ceiling is raised and the entitlements are not cut, just remember that the “one time” stimulus will have become permanent as will the 1.4 trillion of debt added per year under Obama and that is WITHOUT a budget being passed in two effing years.
Do YOU get out of debt by spending more? If you do, please write a book and I can guarantee you millionaire status in a week upon release. Other wise, you need an econ 101 refresher.
JAG-
I worry about your benefits being cut and I would ask Congress to cut their own effing paychecks to make yours. That is what real leaders do. And you are right. It is all about the spending.
Defend: Throw the Dept of Energy on the pile too. It was formed to reduce dependence on foreign energy supplies and all it done is cut down on domestic production. Also I think Beth is holding on to the hope that Obama gives her that money pooting unicorn he promised.
DaveO #2. Surprised? Not one iota.
We here won’t go homeless or starve even if he does this shit.
Others may well. Thus The BOHICA.
Aside: And NOT a TAH issue(yet). Ruling by edict and Executive Order may well be a turning point. YMMV
Even further aside: I don’t feed the trolls. Really… A simple disagreement is a good thing. However, I feel little obligation to do more under my posts.
Oohhhhh… No disabled veteran checks… booga booga!
There is no need to raise the debt ceiling. God forbid the government makes a budget, balance it and stick to it. It’s only what every family in this country does on a day to day basis.
Why is it imperative to raise the debt ceiling? Just say no. Every expenditure would then be prioritized. Interest and debt servicing first. Essential services (defense etc.). Welfare programs by priority. Non essential services last. Why is that so difficult?
It’s just easier for all the cry babies to blame republicans and the tea party, I guess.
I’m frankly shocked anyone believes this. He’s setting it up so he can be the hero. Seriously, how exactly would he get a cut in veterans benefits through Congress? Really guys?
But I thought Social Security was like a trust fund that we have contributed to? And our money is safe, not like on Wall Street or in a 401(k) which is far too risky because of those greedy privateers.
That’s what the SSA brochure said.
How can there be no Social Security money?
Gee. Life sure will be hard for Rebecca and I here at Sunnybrook Farms.
By the way, since this is such a “crisis”, has Obama cancelled his multi-million dollar vacation to Martha’s Vineyard yet?
Benefits being cut? Say it ain’t so! My retirement check has dropped twice in 2 years now so that’s not a surprise to me at all.
TSO #16: I can only offer the CBS quote as rebuttal.
It wasn’t one of my frequent hallucinations.
Our CINC seems ready to play fast and loose with a variety of issues. Does Kinetic Military Action ring a bell?
Sorry dude, I see little reason to be optimistic… if that cite stands.
BLUF: the only way for the Social Security and other cheques to NOT go out is for the POTUS to order the Treasury to shut the whole system down. Not Congress, or any party therein. Not the Supremes. The money is there.
Only the POTUS can direct the Treasury to shut down. This is political theater meant to punish specific demographics (Older veterans and women make up the majority of the Tea Parties) and force Speaker Boehner to repeat his last compromise.
The great thing about this debate is that it reveals two things: words/terms should be defined, and the numbers must be real. There’s Geithner’s “Debt Ceiling” of August 2d – which is neither the legal nor practical debt ceilings. The numbers (saving 10 trillion over 10 years, but with a 20 trillion increase in spending) really doesn’t tell us what ground truth is. We also know we can’t trust the CBO with the numbers.
“Kinetic Military Operation” is conducted under the auspices of Commander in Chief.
Veterans Benefits are dictated by a budget passed by Congress, or a continuing resolution, and are statutorily guaranteed.
TSO #22: Not gonna rebut you here.
I suspect that EO’s will be in play, and I’ve already admitted elsewhere to paranoia.
We’ll see what happens. If my check shows up next month, and subsequently intact I’ll apologize.
And no Zero, I know it wasn’t you. Seems people all over FB are freaked out too. I’m just not buying it, because to do so would necessitate recognizing him later as the guy who saved it all later. He’s full of crap. They won’t cut the budget, none of them have the willpower, and I don’t know that I blame them, because voters are too damn stupid to accept that everyone would have to make sacrifices, not just everyone else. Not earned ones like Veterans Benefits, but shit like Unemployment for 2 years, Welfare etc.
My entire income, at the moment, consists of a VA Disability heck, and a SS Disability check. I have paid all of my bills through the end of this month, and am working to sell enough personal possessions so as to not default on my own obligations, should POTUS decide to shut us off.
I am assuming that he will. If it happens, so be it. Somehow, or someway, I will keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and the lights and water running. If I have to sell everything but the clothes on our backs, then I will do that. It’s what we Americans do.
At least, it’s what the real Americans do. When we take a hit, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and step back into the ring. We don’t whine and blame, we take stock of the situation and our options and choose a course of action.
It really is that simple.
The TEA Party is not to blame for these actions, in any way shape or form. If any blame is to be affixed, it is to be found elsewhere.
God Bless us all, and especially these United States.
AS TSO said in #22, Vets benefits are supposed to be guaranteed, as is SS. It will require an affirmative action on 0’s part to stop those payments. He’ll have to issue an executive order to stop payment, or they’ll go out. So, actually, the ball is in his court. He can suck his thumb, eat his peas and do nothing, which he is exceptionally well qualified to do, or he can issue an EO and deal with those consequences.
Oh, and Beth, go on back to OFA or wherever the DNC is handing out the checks to the seminar trolls, you’ve qualified.
This is text book political rhetoric. SS AND diability checks will keep coming in. o is just trying to push the blame spotlight away from himself.
Boehner just said he thinks it is crap too. Up at FoxNews.
#5 NSOM
I said not raising the debt limit was tea party and the Republicans are willing to compromise on that but not on taxes…what exactly have the Dems said they would move on? Obama himself said you should never raise taxes in a recession, is Obama tea party?
First off, this “huge deal” the Reps passed on was crap, plain and simple. It was Obama saying, “You give me trillions in tax hikes, agree to most of my budget proposal (which was unanimously voted down), and I’ll toss you a couple billion in spending cuts that will disappear next year.” That’s not “acting like an adult” in the bargaining room. That’s demanding your way and more of your way, then blaming the other side for walking out of your bad faith negotiations.
Second, this whole “That’s a nice pension/SS/disability you got there; shame if something were to happen to it” routine Obama is pulling? Also crap. If those checks stop, it will be because someone decided to stop them for political gain. There’s plenty of money coming in to handle them so long as other things aren’t prioritized first.
A few months ago, we had this same conversation – but the pot o’ gold was the paycheques of service members. Same actors playing the same roles – in the world of politics and here on TAH.
Lather, rinse, repeat. The same. exact. conversation.
And given the outcome of that so-called compromise, is it any wonder conservatives want Boehner and McConnell to hold the line?
Via AoSHQ:
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And also meanwhile: Treasury’s books show they have plenty of money every month to pay for debt interest, all SS and Medicare payments, all military salaries and veterans benefits, etc.
So yes, default would be on Obama.
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Via the link above:
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However, according to the Daily Treasury Statements published by the U.S. Treasury Department, the ongoing flow of federal tax revenue since the Treasury declared that it had hit the debt limit on May 16 has been more than sufficient to cover the combined costs of federal spending on interest payments, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the Veterans Affairs department and federal workers wages and insurance benefits (including wages and insurance benefits for military personnel).
Specifically, according to the Daily Treasury Statements, as of the close of business on May 16, the federal government had taken in $1.333454 trillion in tax revenues since the beginning of fiscal 2011. By the close of business on July 7, tax revenues for fiscal 2011 had grown to $1.629630 trillion. Therefore, between May 16 and July 7, the federal government took in a total of $296.176 billion in new tax revenue.
In that same time period, total interest payments on the national debt equaled $14.632 billion.
Thus, the new tax revenue of $296.176 billion the federal government took in between May 16 and July 7 was enough to pay the federal government’s $14.632 billion in interest obligations during that period 20 times over.
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read the rest
This is vindication for those have been insisting that the debt ceiling does not need to be raised at all, as Michele Bachmann did last night on Bill O’Reilly.
Obama’s case continues to look weaker and weaker. Republicans in the House need to stand strong. The wind is at their back.
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“Thank the Tea Party. Boehner tried to get to the table for a deal but Cantor and the Tea Party caucus outflanked him and are refusing to deal unless they get exactly what they want. Legislating requires acting like an adult and the Tea Party crowd is screwing the pooch here.”
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And this is why Obama and the Democrats get away with their lies and bullshit. Because of ridiculous ignorance of the situation perfectly spewed right here in this statement. Brilliant.
Yeah, he’ll take money, if he wants to, just to prove his point that he “won”.
That’s a nice pension/SS/disability you got there; shame if something were to happen to it” routine Obama is pulling? It’s Chicago politics, on the national stage, that’s all.
Three guesses who said this:
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We are voting on the budget today. It’s a sad state of affairs, we just voted to increase the debt limit. The U.S. total debt at this point exceeds eight trillion dollars. That’s eight trillion with a “t”. So we’ve got to get our fiscal house in order here in Washington. I’m not sure it’s going to happen under the current leadership in Congress. But we’re going to see what kind of difference we can make. To make sure that veterans programs, student loan programs, low income housing assistance programs, homeland security dollars, are receiving the highest priority, not just tax cuts for the wealthiest .1% of the population.
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UpNorth Says: It’s Chicago politics, on the national stage, that’s all.
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That’s racist! How dare you accuse Obama of being anything but hopenchangey, messianic rainbow perfection!
On a serious note, the reason Obama is doing this is because it works. Just look to the first comment in this thread — and the troll at #6 — for an example of an ignoramus who falls for the bullshit hook, line and sinker.
Instead of looking at the facts and putting the blame where it belongs, these ignorant sheep fall for Obama’s lies and play the Alinsky game of blaming irrelevant entities like the TEA Party. Obama and the Democrats depend on this intellectual laziness and utter gullibility in order to keep their power and keep pushing their nation-destroying policies.
Wow. I just checked out the first 100+ comments in the “Useful Reminder” thread. I thought NSOM and troll-chick’s ignorance was bad until I started reading Sammy boy’s BS… oy…
Michael: Yup…. that’s exactly how Obama got elected. It’s the same way that Lenin, Mussolini and that Austrian paper-hanger got “elected” too. FDR, as well.
@ #1-NSOM Thank the Tea Party. Boehner tried to get to the table for a deal but Cantor and the Tea Party caucus outflanked him and are refusing to deal unless they get exactly what they want. Legislating requires acting like an adult and the Tea Party crowd is screwing the pooch here.
Ok, look here sonny boy. I am TEA Party and very adult thank you very much! Boehner’s “McCain we get along” way with his brethren RINO travelers will toss all of us under the damn bus, make no mistake about it. Any factions within the TEA Party that are for him making an agreement are mostly those damn Pauluan bots.
Canter on the other hand, has TEA Party breathing down his neck and we’re going to stay that way. Soldier pay and veteran benefits are vital, period. Yea, I am a vet, conservative and you may clear that with Jonn, Zero, TSO or 1stCavRVN. And so you know, Alan West is TEA Party backed or does that chap your hide as well?
2010 elections were just the start. 2012 and on are going to be for the political fight of this country’s life. There is no such thing as a perfect candidate…If there was we wouldn’t be having elections and happily chasing skittle shitting unicorns in some fruiting utopia.
Any demonrat POTUS since LBJ has used this meme of “cutting SS, Medi-care/aid and veterans benefits” pay won’t be issued, ect to scare voters like you and win over fence sitters…Which are you? I don’t buy this shut down crap for one god damn New Yawk second. If you do, you sir are a bigger fool than me.
street out!
I’d love to see federal civilian 6 figure pay cut to the levels of less than what our troops are paid. And get the civilians out of the military entirely….
Like Streetsweeper, I, too, am a TEA Party supporter. I will do whatever I legally am able to to drive those folks out of our government who do not understand the limits the Constitution puts on the Federal Government.
Michael in #38, yup, neon bright, flashing ignorance, on display in that thread, and in #6 here.
This whole charade is textbook for the Teleprompter Messiah, lifted right out of Statism 101. Anyone who pays a minute’s worth of attention to local/state governance in liberal areas sees it time and time again.
The formula is simple:
1)Propose tax increases when the coffers get low after the latest spending binge,
2)Threaten life and limb in the form of emergency services funding(cops, firefighters, etc.),
3)Tug at the heart strings by threatening the end of the world to education and/or services that help seniors or disabled folks
4)Pretend that useless and redundant bureaucracy doesn’t exist, and refuse to entertain the idea of cutting sinecure positions and/or jobs like the “Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Deputy Assistant Superintendent of XYZ”
5) Mix, stir, rinse and repeat ad infinitum…
Barry’s just taking what works in states like MA, OR, IL and CA and shoveling it on the entire country.