"Never before have so few with so much promised to take away so much from so many and then laugh their asses off as the so many with so little vote for the so few with so much." A James Pence Quote
"American Politics, a sport for the rich and enslavement for the rest of us." A James Pence Quote
Mitch McConnell is doing what he does best yet again. He just cannot stand the fact that Democrats have come up with working budgets that call for sacrifice from folks like himself and do not call to balance the budget on the backs of working Americans and the most vulnerable among us. And while the Paul Ryan budget that Republicans preach like gospel creates a $5.7 trillion hole for the middle-class to pay for, McConnell and his Republicans just ignore that fact. Instead he seeks to attack a balanced plan that addresses the jobs crisis and calls for some sacrifice from everyone.
Fresh off their humiliating defeat in the debate about what has really caused the problems that have beset our country Republicans just cannot give up on one thing. Using the debt they ran up with their failed wars, tax cuts for the very rich, deregulation that crashed the economy and three decades of trickle-down economics to convince Americans to allow them to steal the social safety net we try to enjoy. Indeed in their selfish little world they will blame everything but the real problem for our debt and deficits. Their own greed.
Now that the "fiscal cliff" dive has been diverted without Republicans being allowed to pick Medicare and Social Security clean the Senator for Communist China Mitch McConnell is fuming. He was forced to raise taxes on a few folks like himself and lost a huge opportunity to steal from more working and retired Americans. He did not get to raise the Medicare age, the Social Security age and did not even get to gut benefits for current retirees. Yes, all in all it was a very bad deal for Mitch McConnell and the party of greed and idiocy he "leads".
Despite the continuing stalemate some good seems to be coming out of the "fiscal cliff" negotiations. While we appear no closer to a bad deal it appears one thing is finally happening. Democrats are banding together against "compromise" with Republicans. Compromise that included the stealing of Medicare and Social Security from younger generations.
Even with our big election victory Progressives have much to fear. Democrats have long been good at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and managing to capitulate in the name of "bi-partisanship" even when a vast majority of Americans want them to fight for what is right. Sadly, in the fiscal cliff negotiations Progressives must again be very afraid. Will Democrats sacrifice Social Security and Medicare to "compromise" with Republicans??
During the "fiscal cliff" negotiations we have heard all kinds of ridiculous statements from Republicans as they try to absolve themselves from sacrifice and balance the budget on the backs of the working poor, seniors, children and the disabled by stealing away Social Security and Medicare. They believe that if they are to raise the debt ceiling and ask themselves and those they truly represent to sacrifice to the problems they created that they should get something in return. It appears as if redistributing all the America's wealth to themselves in the last thirty years is not quite enough. Now they insist on stealing away social programs that have long kept millions of Americans an inch above poverty.
Today House Republicans saw fit to insult America with their "counter-offer" in the fiscal cliff negotiations. Well, not to be outdone the Senator for Communist China Mitch McConnell had to add his own personal insult to Americans. You see, Republican "leaders" care nothing about the will of the American people or America itself as long as they can keep the good times rolling for themselves.
We are seeing it now. The culmination of decades of Republicans "starving the beast" in order to do one thing. Be able to cry wolf about time-honored government programs causing huge deficits driving up our debt so that they can begin the process of phasing out and eventually eliminating Social Security and Medicare. The worst thing possible Democrats and grassroots Americans can do is let them.
With much fanfare and eventually gnashing of teeth most of the Affordable Care Act was upheld this last week by the Supreme Court of the United States. For me it it was a little of a pleasant surprise. The same Supreme Court that voted to let the wealthy elites and Corporate America buy our elections actually upheld some form of Universal Healthcare. Indeed, the same Chief Justice that was appointed by the worst President ever actually took his power seriously and used it for the better of the country.
Paul Ryan hit the airwaves in the GOP weekly address to argue for his draconian budget. He touts his plan as a way of "saving America from a diminished future", but what this plan really seeks to do is extend the failed policies of the past, only this time on steroids. And while he pays lip service to the future for American children one thing becomes quickly clear. Paul Ryan wants to bribe senior citizens into stealing the social safety net from anyone under 55.
Not only will we send your job to place where people will work for nothing, we'll accuse you of not bathing and call you lazy. Hell, do you really believe we want to pay folks what their worth, provide a safe work place, healthcare and a pension plan like the members of the US congress and do you think we really give a $hit if your skies are blue and unpolluted? It is time for the American worker to grow up, face the facts and realize this is a global labor market and if you don't want to work for nothing that is your problem. Yes the time has come for all you lazy a$$ American workers to get down on your knees and thank God you live in a country where you have the opportunity to work for nothing. Job$, Job$, Job$!
If Congress doesn't act before January 1, 2012 Medicare will cut payments to Physicians 30%. What does that mean? It means get your old ass ready to be thrown under the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate bus.
Medpage Today WASHINGTON -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued its proposed changes to the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including a long anticipated -- and long-feared -- plan to cut Medicare pay to physicians by 30%.
One thing we all feared when this "Super Committee" to cut the federal debt was announced was that one of their main solutions would be to slash the social safety net of millions of Americans. Well sure enough instead of asking the wealthy and the folks that crashed our economy and caused our debt to sacrifice for their own greed reports are that this "Super Committee" will pursue cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Luckily, it appears as if they will not do so without a fight.
With President Obama pledging to veto any bill on debt reduction that does not require the wealthy to pay their fair share one cry from right-wing blowhards is being issued once more. Class warfare. Just mention one word about anyone but the middle-class and the poor sacrificing for our country and you are a "class warrior" in these folks minds. Not that class warfare does not exist. As we have been pointing out here for a long time it does, the upper classes have been warring on us for a long time and they are unfortunately winning.
Kentucky Congressmen Ed Whitfield, Brett Guthrie, Geoff Davis and Hal Rogers were critical of the plan. Congressmen Ben Chandler and John Yarmuth were supportive of the plan.
Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell had this to say about the plan prior to President Obama's speech:
The Washington Post “This isn’t a jobs plan; it’s a reelection plan,” McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican, said Thursday morning in remarks on the Senate floor. “That’s why Republicans will continue to press for policies that empower job creators, not Washington.”
My wife received this from the National Processing Center. The top of the envelope said: IMPORTANT: PROJECTED MEDICARE CHANGES. The bottom of the envelope said, with fainter print: NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY. When my wife opened the envelope it contained a card talking about proposed Medicare cuts. It appears this mail out was intended to fool senior citizens into thinking the mail was coming from the Federal government's National Processing Center and to gather information, including a telephone number. I hope my fellow seniors don't fall for this. Click here to see what we wrote about this in 2010. Photos of the mailing are after the fold.
Republicans have been making one thing clear. No matter what it costs our country and those within they simply are not going to allow themselves and the elites they represent pay their fair share to bring down the debt they ran up or breath life into the economy they crashed. Instead they are going to ask every group but the wealthy to sacrifice. Now, Eric Cantor is telling young Americans to forget ever having Medicare.
We have all seen how Eric Cantor is a crybaby, who throws temper-tantrums on cue for the greediest and least patriotic among us. In trying to wring huge budget cuts he is clearly showing he will sacrifice all Americans and cares nothing about really saving money but merely shifting costs onto those who can least afford it. One need merely look at the cuts his office has proposed to see that not only is he childish, he is just plain uncaring about anyone but the wealthy he represents.
