Saturday, March 8, 2014
Newt Gingrich Speaks Out.
"We must stop being the opposition movement, and we must become the alternative movement that will help make the life of every American better so that they understand what we would do that would be right, not just what the left is doing that is wrong. " If we spend the next three years being anti-Hillary, we will virtually guarantee her election,"
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Newt Gingrich is certainly someone who will never be popular with the Dems; he has in fact tried harder than most to damage the Democratic Party and its leadership. Here I believe he has something constructive to say. Although the article is un attributed, the sentiments are surely those which would be supported by any rational and level headed Republican. In my tiny State of Tasmania here in Aussie we go to the Polls next Saturday. We have suffered a Labor (Dem.) government with support from the Greens for 14 long years. Next Sunday we should wake up with a Liberal (Republican) government.
ReplyDeleteFor most of the past 14 years, we have been saying how bad the government is, but we have not provided a viable alternative. I concur Newt has hit the nail on the head and although it is probably too little too late, more needs to be done if you wish to avoid another eight years in Republican hell. There is no way Clinton H would not win a second term if you allow her to win the first one. To add my knowledge base, I would appreciate a response from Rick and William on this please.
Right now king it's Hilary's election to lose, provided she makes the decision to run. I see no one who really could beat her today. Of course the election is still a couple years away and the conservatives will continue to beat the dead horse of the unfortunate situation of Benghazi because that is all they nominally got on her. The one republican who runs closest to Clinton right now is Chris Christie and he is a moderate. He will have to make wild swings ala Mitt Romney to gain the republican nomination and then run in the general election. The future republican clown show reared it's ugly head at the conservative pow wow last week and showed about what was expected. Of course everyone right now is in love with whoever has the loudest dissenting mouth which has been Ted Cruz. A candidate with no experience except a couple years in the senate. But I now learn experience doesn't matter unless you are Democrat and black. So goes American politics my friend.
DeleteThanks Ric
DeleteJust wondering out loud, how easy it is to get into a slinging match between the major parties and the leaders doing the same with negative advertising. It happens here as well and although I have been unable to find examples in the US I am reliable informed it does happen.
Problem does appear to be that candidates and their advisors spend so much time abusing and talking down the opposition, there is no time or energy left to proclaim the wonders of their own policy.
I hear the Republicans, and even in this small site I read criticism of the Obama show but not a lot of alternative policy from the Republicans. With Hilary ready to run, what hope do the Repubs have if they wait until the last minute to make their presence known? Surely at this point in the cycle there should be a front running Repub with a slew of policies out there testing the wind. Four more days and we shall hopefully see a change for the better here in Tasmania. It does appear that after Saturday there will be Conservative (Republican) government in the National parliament and in all the States. Wall to wall good guys if you like. Only problem of course, the newbie’s will have to measure up or the people will shaft them next time around.
Cheers from Aussie
K,
DeleteIt's over 2 years until the Presidential election.
There's more than ample time to find the right candidate. The dem's are perfectly happy to run a 69 years old retread that is a bit of a liar.
For me if she's elected, I'll permanently retire and my job will be to avoid all Federal Income Tax.
Lou
DeleteOf course, everything you say in your post I agree with. Equally, it is what you do not say that worries me. Over two years until the election and the Dems have an ancient retread in the stalls ready to jump. I repeat, surely it is time the Repubs at least brought a horse in from the pasture and started some serous training and grooming. Mrs. C appears to have so many advantages here already that the Repubs will need to noble her to have a chance. Be careful for what you wish; retirement although secure and worry free, does provide too much time for reflection. In my view nothing beats running ones own profitable enterprise and the profit margin is more of an academic argument once we have reached a certain level of security.
Cheers from Aussie
King the mud slinging does happen. Not really name calling but a huge distortion of the facts and policies and both sides do it. We have a law that any advertisement sponsored by the campaign directly has to include an endorsement by the candidate so that has kinda toned it down. But with our Citizen's United ruling, there have formed various PAC's (Political Action Committees), non profits so they say that have the ability raise millions in undocumented donations without limits. The PAC's from both sides get pretty crude with their ads and since they cannot be directly associated (yeah right) with a particular candidate their ads need no endorsements. I understand the principles of Citizen's United, it all goes back to free speech and throwing your money after a specific candidate including money from corporations, but it is going to take our elections away from the people into the hands of the monied interests.
DeleteWhat you didn't say Rick is that Citizens United leveled the playing field with the Unions. For years, unions have contributed millions to campaigns and mysteriously nothing was said by the Democrats as they received the bulk of the money. Now with a level playing field the Democrats scream foul.
DeleteA prime example was the recall election of Scott Walker where money flooded into the state by the unions. It was matched by millions from business. Without citizens united, the election would have been skewed by the union money. Not right but at least the scales are balanced.
Hillary? What value does she bring? Female?
ReplyDelete“In terms of stereotypes, various psychological studies show that men gravitate to the hard power of command,” Joseph Nye wrote in 2012, “while women are collaborative and intuitively understand the soft power of attraction and persuasion.” He adds, “Recent leadership studies show increased success for what was once considered a ‘feminine style.’” Collaborative, intuitive, soft, attractive, persuasive — these attributes of the “feminine style” are perfect descriptors of Barack Obama’s relation to the world, or at least to those parts of the world that are not Republican or Israeli.
Nye describes the path women must travel to reach power: “Women are generally not well integrated into male networks that dominate organizations,” he writes, “and gender stereotypes still hamper women who try to overcome such barriers.” What he writes about women could also be written about Obama, who disdains glad-handing and networking, who “doesn’t really like people,” who in domestic politics has given up entirely negotiations with the “male networks that dominate organizations” such as the House of Representatives, who every day is hampered by the stereotype that he is brilliant, logical, debonair, pragmatic, witty, world-changing, deeply read, hip.
Yet Obama has overcome such barriers. He is one of a kind. Knowing their struggles, sharing their opinions, committed to abortion whenever and to contraception for all, supportive of equal pay for equal work, practicing the soft-power diplomacy of defense cuts, of negotiations, of needling, of chiding, delivering geopolitical statements from pre-school classrooms, snapping selfies with the girls at state funerals, displaying almost every trope of womanhood outlined by the theoretician of soft power himself, Barack Obama has as much of a claim as the next girl to being the first woman president. Do not “other” him. Love him. Celebrate him. Open your mind, as I have. And Hillary: Take note. We already have a woman in the White House.
Newt is right. The republicans and conservatives stand and moan and groan and obstruct, but they really haven't presented any feasible new ideas for our problems.
ReplyDeleteNor have the Democrats, Tax and spend hasn't worked in the last 5 years, it won't for for 3 more years. But the job will be complete we will be 20 trillion in debt, no way to get out of it and yes Rick, you can claim it's all Bush's fault.
DeleteThis is Obama land. A place where people like Rick can stand back point fingers at others blame others for the disaster while they to drive the country into a debt the real disaster awaiting this once great nation.
Tax and spend is a worn out cliché. Budget deficits have fallen the last couple of years since the economy has improved. Oh wait you don't believe that either as you have personally chosen to close your business. Yes we over spent during the recession but hell that's better then the depression that was looming and would still be going on without government action. Please look at the EU who chose austerity instead of stimulus.
ReplyDelete2007 the us spent 2.7 trillion dollars.
Delete2015 budget request is for 3.9 trillion dollars. That's spending you can believe in.
Taxes were raised with the ACA. Over 21 new taxes. Sorry middle class tax payers a little lie.
Taxes were raised on the wealthy in 2013.
156 percent increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco. Sorry middle class, poor, you shouldn't be smoking anyway. A little lie.
That's taxation you can believe in.
You don't get to 3.9 trillion in spending with a worn out cliche.
We have yet to see austerity in the US and we see what that has brought us, 17.4 trillion in debt and no plan to even get close to balancing the budget, forget paying down the debt.
The economy is so great millions remain unemployed, food assistance is not 1 in 6 Americans. The number of disabled has exceeded the double in the last 5 years. More are retiring early at 62.5 as they are out of options. The market is great. The economy sucks.
I closed my business as I no longer want to support this corrupt administration. Seems to be working for me as I reduced my Federal income taxes from 6 digits to 4 digits. I have a nifty new health plan that costs me 2400 more than my old plan with higher deductibles and best of all the insurance is outside the ACA. Hopefully if more buy their insurance outside the ACA, they will be force to raise the cost of insurance for those in the plan and we can hasten the end of this travesty. Another great democrat plan.
Maybe if you get inside the ACA you could save money. But your choice I guess. Yes taxes on the wealthy increased and they still get a break. You dwell too much on nominal tax rates and not enough on effective tax rates, effective rates lowered by loopholes available to the wealthy but not the average middle class earner. So a Mitt Romney pays 11% on his income while Rick pays 19%. Sin taxes are easy to avoid. Don't smoke drink etc and that tax never touches you. ACA taxes again buy insurance live healthy and most of those taxes never touch you. if they do it might be a one time deal. I don't get this whole insurance deal. My premium increased this year from 115 a pay to 124 a pay, with a slight increase in deductible. And we were notified exactly what the increase was for. I could have actually lowered my premium slightly had I gone in August and gotten a checkup. Why didn't I the cost benefit was not that great like 400 a year and I feel they were fishing for things to increase the premium. So I declined. And if I am dying of some rare disease I don't want to know. As I stated we chose stimulus over the European plan of Austerity and we are much farther ahead in recovery then that continent. I will all work out Lou. I do admit that we have not gotten the jobs we needed during the recovery but they are coming. Also remember the Markets are forward looking so with that in mind one would think that the recovery will continue.
ReplyDeleteWhy no jobs> Increase in productivity. Companies had to do more with less during the recession, found ways to do it and are loathe to over hire as in the past. So in other words our economy is leaner and meaner. You ought to like that with your belief in social and economic Darwinsim. Budget and spending have been and continue to be a bi-partisan problem. As I have said in the past tax and spend is not good but it beats the hell out the conservative method of don't tax and still spend which did a great deal to get this country where it is at. Everything is on the books now. No more off the record major purchases like two wars, one un-necessary, and unfunded republican passed programs. I know lou you are fond of the belief, that was then this is now. But that 8 years added a lot to the deficit and a lot of interest expense. We need to return to the welfare programs instituted by Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton. It reduced the rolls and it is time to move again in that direction. Unfortunately we can't stop spending and we can't reduce our government overnight as you would like.
Insurance outside the ACA was a bit less expensive. I would have paid more to not support the program. My choice which many are now doing.
DeleteWhere do you get the ACA taxes don't touch you if you live healthy? Live in a bubble?
I'll list some of them that hit everyone, wealthy to middle class. As to your insurance, you have employer based insurance which is largely paid for by the employer. You cannot for a moment compare a private, ACA plan to yours as you really have no idea what it costs.
Percentages are BS and the only reason you use them is to make a weak point. How can you possibly compare someone who paid 4 million in taxes and donated 4 million to charity to someone paying 5-8 thousand dollars. Not to worry as soon you and all the people below you will soon have the pleasure of paying income taxes or increased taxes compliments of an over spending government.
It's not about halting spending. It's about effective, smaller government. You don't need over 100 government housing programs, you don't need over 70 food assistance programs, you don't need Radio free Europe and we certainly don't kneed to know the mating habits of snails. You work from the premise of all government spending is good, I have experienced government spending in the military and private sector and it is incredibly wasteful.
Example: In 1999, I received a call from military bases in the western US inquiring about Y2K upgrades. Their quotes were for 2 million dollars average. I engineered a new solution to completely replace their equipment with a 1 year warranty for 750K. The bids were turned down as the government funded upgrades only not equipment change outs. That is your lean, mean, bloated fat government at work. Not their money and they do not care.
Employer Mandate Tax:
DeleteIf an employer does not offer health coverage, and at least one employee qualifies for a health tax credit, the employer must pay an additional non-deductible tax of $2000 for all full-time employees. This provision applies to all employers with 50 or more employees. If any employee actually receives coverage through the exchange, the penalty on the employer for that employee rises to $3000. If the employer requires a waiting period to enroll in coverage of 30-60 days, there is a $400 tax per employee ($600 if the period is 60 days or longer).
Individual Mandate Excise Tax:
Starting in 2014, anyone not buying “qualifying” health insurance must pay an income surtax.
Surtax on Investment Income: This increase involves the creation of a new, 3.8 percent surtax on investment income.
Excise Tax on Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans:
Starting in 2018, new 40 percent excise tax on “Cadillac” health insurance plans ($10,200 single/$27,500 family). For early retirees and high-risk professions exists a higher threshold ($11,500 single/$29,450 family). CPI +1 percentage point indexed.
Hike in Medicare Payroll Tax.
Medicine Cabinet Tax:
Americans no longer able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin)
HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike:
Increases additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.
Flexible Spending Account Cap – aka“Special Needs Kids Tax”: Imposes cap of $2500 (Indexed to inflation after 2013) on FSAs (now unlimited). . There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education.
Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers:
Medical device manufacturers employ 360,000 people in 6000 plants across the country. This law imposes a new 2.3% excise tax. Exemptions include items retailing for less than $100.
Raise "Haircut" for Medical Itemized Deduction from 7.5% to 10% of AGI:
Currently, those facing high medical expenses are allowed a deduction for medical expenses to the extent that those expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI).
Tax on Indoor Tanning Services:
DeleteNew 10 percent excise tax on Americans using indoor tanning salons
Elimination of tax deduction for employer-provided retirement Rx drug coverage in coordination with Medicare Part D.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tax Hike:
The special tax deduction in current law for Blue Cross/Blue Shield companies would only be allowed if 85 percent or more of premium revenues are spent on clinical services
Excise Tax on Charitable Hospitals:
$50,000 per hospital if they fail to meet new "community health assessment needs," "financial assistance," and "billing and collection" rules set by HHS
Tax on Innovator Drug Companies:
$2.3 billion annual tax on the industry imposed relative to share of sales made that year.
Tax on Health Insurers:
Annual tax on the industry imposed relative to health insurance premiums collected that year. The stipulation phases in gradually until 2018, and is fully-imposed on firms with $50 million in profits.
$500,000 Annual Executive Compensation Limit for Health Insurance Executives
Right Rick, the middle class is exempt, ROTFLMAO!!!
Employer Reporting of Insurance on W-2(Min$/Jan 2011): Preamble to taxing health benefits on individual tax returns.
Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting($17.1 bil/Jan 2012): Requires businesses to send 1099-MISC information tax forms to corporations (currently limited to individuals), a huge compliance burden for small employers
“Black liquor” tax hike(Tax hike of $23.6 billion). This is a tax increase on a type of bio-fuel.
Codification of the “economic substance doctrine”(Tax hike of $4.5 billion). This provision allows the IRS to disallow completely-legal tax deductions and other legal tax-minimizing plans just because the IRS deems that the action lacks “substance” and is merely intended to reduce taxes owed.
Not one of these taxes affects me as long as I have insurance and live healthy just as I said before. You know I have spent the morning researching and buying insurance, cars and home. I have had conversations with many insurance agents this morning. This is why I am changing. My present company has presented me with a letter that they are raising my rates to 4.8% above the state mandated maximum level, to recoup the costs of doing business in NC. Read between the lines and because people choose to build there home on stilts in the ocean my insurance company now demands that I sign this consent or face cancellation. Subsidizing the rich right there don't you think. Any way back to the story and to the point. I am going with Amica. They have the comparable coverage at a lower price and although my car will be higher first cycle (Accident in 2011) next go around it will fall to about what I am paying now. Best deal for me in the long term. Your health insurance why would you pay $2000 extra, Just to prove a point. Do you think that hurts Obama? Do you think the government cares? You are only hurting yourself, but it's your choice.
DeleteYour last point codification of economic substance, all I can say is it's about time to begin to close some of these bullshit loopholes.
500,000 compensation limit on Healthcare executives, again I say it is about time. We have argued before about Blue Cross. BCBS NC voted for premium increases in 2012. In 2013 they gave all their executives an excessive bonus based on increased income. That would be like me voting myself a bonus for raising menu prices. Your argument at the time (I think it was you maybe not) that the bonuses could have been based also on profits, but my friend BCBS is a non profit organization so why would you bonus anyone on profits? The CEO of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston makes twice the salary of the Chancellor of it's owner the University of Texas Education System, and you sir I guess see no irony in that. IT"S ABOUT TIME!
By the way percentages are not a bullshit way of supporting a weak point. What it shows is based on the effective rates, what actually gets paid the wealthy get to keep about 85 % of what they made in a year. The average joe gets to keep 80% Explain how that you see justification in that please. And average joe worked a lot harder. He didn't spend time on the beach watching his stilted house wash away and then expect someone else to help pick up the tab. See we all have our battles don't we?
DeleteWhen the taxes get to be more than you want to pay, like me you quit.
DeleteThat's a shame as I employed 7 people and now none. All paying far more than you pay your people. 5 people 6 figures, 1 90"s the office manager 70. When the heavy hand of government descends on you and your paying massive taxes, the full ride on SS, you call it quits when you see what the government is doing with the dollars you give them.
FSA's are used for co-pay's, pharma's for people that do not have a high deductible insurance plan. HSA's are for people that have high deductible.
This is why the FSA worked so well however when you run out it's out of your pocket. A serious hit to those with special needs children Flexible Spending Account Cap – aka“Special Needs Kids Tax”: Imposes cap of $2500 (Indexed to inflation after 2013) on FSAs (now unlimited). . There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education. .
But as long as your golden Rick you can continue to carry the torch for obama.
yep lou right now I'm good.
DeleteWell lou I employ 55 at 25,000 to 35,000 a year. That's more jobs, more people working and more money flowing into the economy. Shit I win!
DeleteYes,you win with 55 people against my 7. Of course the 7 had a far better standard of living than any of your employees but that's a different issue. You do win as you get to provide healthcare for your workers.
DeleteObviously your special.
ReplyDeleteNo you don't have to worry about the extra 2.5% that you need to spend if your kids sick before you can write it off.
No you don't have to worry if you don't have a FSA.
Rich people don't go to a tanning salon.
Stay in your little bubble and keep believing nothing here touches the middle class.
One thing I can say is your consistent in nothing in the ACA is bad, all of it's good. America Rejoice, Rick has spoken.
Kids are all grown and on their own except the one in college and he's close. Never had an FSA. I don't go to the tanning salon. Never have why would I? I have a pool, and enough Indian ancestry (1/12th) that I don't get bright white even in the winter. I'm not in a bubble my friend just stating that these things don't affect me or very little. Some people it may my situation nope.
DeleteA Paul/Carson ticket is very attractive. Look for the left to attack Dr. Ben, and the pubs to tear down Rand.
ReplyDelete"McConnell: We're Going to 'Crush' Tea Party Candidates in GOP Primaries This Year"
"House Speaker John Boehner is not sorry about his criticism of outside conservative groups.
“Yesterday, when the criticism was coming, frankly I thought it was my job and my obligation to stand up for conservatives here in the Congress who want more deficit reduction, to stand up for the work that Chairman Ryan did,” he told reporters Thursday at a press conference dominated by questions about his dismissal of outside organizations like the Heritage Foundation and the Club for Growth.
"Frankly, I just think that they have lost all credibility,” he added.
Asked if he is effectively asking these organizations to stand down, Boehner offered this flat response: “I don’t care what they do.”
William
ReplyDeleteHave become more and more interested recently concerning the aims and ideals of the Tea Party Movement. This has led to a conversation with another contributor here. I must now ask a question, the answer to which will enhance my understanding. How do you rate, on a scale of 1 to 10 the chances/popularity of Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Here in Australia I would hazard a guess, there would not be more than one in a thousand who have heard of either. I get a lot from this thread but I do have to be careful not to be swayed by the rhetoric from any particular side.
I was lucky enough to receive an excerpt from Rand Paul’s speech at the CPAC conference. The eloquence was not up to the standard of Patrick Henry (give me liberty........) but it was a fair enough effort. As a total outsider, I get the best seat in the house to watch these momentous events unfold.
My thanks in anticipation
Cheers from Aussie
Oh god king your going over Niagara Falls on this one.
DeleteKing, I'll let rick give you the skinny on the Tea Party being that he knows everything about everything.
DeleteWell, here's my opinion. Rand Paul may be carrying his father's baggage, as a leader of the Libertarian movement. There are, of course, differences between the two, but I think that baggage will hurt his chances. Ted Cruz is the maverick, he is an individualist who says what he means and means what he says. I respect him for that, however there is a question of whether his message appeals to the centrists in his party. For the most part I think the answer is no. So, as it appears now, the party elite are leaning toward a more moderate candidate, which may be a very bad idea for their future chances. I would give Rand Paul a 4 out of ten and Ted Cruz a 6 out of 10 chance of winning the nomination. But, as I said, that's just my two cents.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteKingstonMarch 12, 2014 at 1:49 PM
DeleteMick. My sincere thanks, I wanted a comparison and you have provided it.” The sins of the fathers" and all that. A pity we can not draw a line under each generation as did John Adams so long ago, one son became the 6th President and the other was disinherited by his father.
William, your effort a little disappointing this time. An enquiring mind is a rich source for planting seeds and I would have valued your opinion. Ric thanks but I can swim and look how Mick has jumped in with valuable comment. If there is any interest I would be quite happy to provide a short article explaining the Australian Federal election system. I would not be able to do justice to the Tasmanian act as we use a thing called the Hare Clark system which requires the use of preference exclusion and it tends to be complicated even for us.
Mick,
DeleteWhat baggage would that be? I hear a lot of conversation about 'libertarians' but it is relatively short on detail and most often misrepresent the facts.
Ron Paul quit the Republican Party to run as a Libertarian Candidate. Many party "regulars" hold that against him, like he is some kind of turncoat. His proposals to do away with many government programs which are bountiful sources of pork didn't add any to his popularity. Although many Republicans are opposed to such programs, when it comes to money for their state they usually belly up to the table.
DeleteI was a Libertarian myself when younger. Now that I have gotten older I realize that many Libertarian stands are impractical in the real world. In an ideal society everyone would be honest and trustworthy, caring and generous and respectful of the rights of others. In such a world Libertarianism would be the doctrine of choice. We don't live there, not anywhere near.
Delete