Quote of the Day–Nancy Pelosi’s final lie edition
Seriously, this is just a shameless lie. Nancy Pelosi at her final news conference as Speaker of the House summing up the House’s priorities under he leadership:
"Deficit reduction has been a high priority for us. It is our mantra, pay-as-you-go."
No. It hasn’t.
When the Pelosi Democrats took control of Congress on January 4, 2007, the national debt stood at $8,670,596,242,973.04. The last day of the 111th Congress and Pelosi’s Speakership on December 22, 2010 the national debt was $13,858,529,371,601.09 – a roughly $5.2 trillion increase in just four years. Furthermore, the year over year federal deficit has roughly quadrupled during Pelosi’s four years as speaker, from $342 billion in fiscal year 2007 to an estimated $1.6 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2010.
~McQ
Quote of the day–Gene Simmons “Obama is unqualified” edition
Yes, that Gene Simmons – KISS – spills the beans. And I think the sentiment he expresses is much more common – at least on the left and left of center – than previously admitted. This is why an unqualified man sits in the White House today:
"I voted because the man that was running was a moment in history. I–in the back of my mind I wanted to show the world that America, the land of slaves…the land that tortured its black population for hundreds of years is also the place of hope that can give an African American the chance to lead the most powerful place on the face of the planet. However, if you take a look at the resume, you couldn’t find somebody–in retrospect–more unqualified."
In “retrospect”? You mean it wasn’t obvious prior to the election?
Well, it would have been if we hadn’t been playing the “moment in history” game and been more worried about “showing the world” something that a mature person would have known we did decades ago. By striving to “show the world”, people like Simmons actually did more harm than good. They elected an unqualified black man because … he was black. It is the single most immature reason to elect anyone to anything I can think of. And that includes voters out there who elect someone only because he’s white. Or a Democrat/Republican, etc.
The mature adult looks at resume and stances on issues with which they’re concerned before pulling the lever. But more importantly, elections aren’t about “showing the world” or “moments in history”. They’re very serious affairs that effect the lives of all of us. The legions of Gene Simmons out there who foisted this unqualified president upon us didn’t show the world anything except even supposedly mature adults can be caught up in a moment and make some very immature decisions.
~McQ
Quote of the day – Ted Turner, call your shrink edition
Turner, however, does indeed reflect the thinking of various leftist eco extremist groups on population. Interesting though that his solution is so incredibly authoritarian. And, at the last moment he tries to hide that with his selling scheme:
Mr. Turner – a long-time advocate of population control – said the environmental stress on the Earth requires radical solutions, suggesting countries should follow China’s lead in instituting a one-child policy to reduce global population over time. He added that fertility rights could be sold so that poor people could profit from their decision not to reproduce.
Wonderful stuff from a guy who obviously spent a few days too many in the company of Jane Fonda and her ilk. Nice reference to China. Does it bother anyone that more and more on the left (*cough* Tom Freidman *cough*) see China as a ideal to emulate?
~McQ
Quote of the day–Michael Moore edition
When even Michael Moore gets it, perhaps it is time for Democrat politicians to finally let it go. Moore, appearing on “Real Time” with Bill Maher responds to Joe Sestack’s standard Democrat talking point of the last two years about “the damage done under the Bush administration”:
“No one’s forgetting the fact that this frat boy totally destroyed this country economically, our standing around the world– we all get that. But it’s two years later, and you can’t keep blaming the people who created the mess. Yes, we’ll never stop being pissed at Bush for what he did. But right now we’ve got to fix this, and you guys– the Democrats and Obama– have to be the ones that do it. If you do it– if you actually get in there and do it– you’ll have everybody behind you all the way.”
When even members of the radical left say "enough, for goodness sake – you can’t blame the other guy forever", perhaps, just perhaps, the canard has outlived its usefulness, you think? Any bets on how long it actually takes for this meme to finally die? Because, as we’ve all seen, some politicians are among the most tone-deaf people in the world as they constantly remind us by their inapt words and deeds. Moore is like the tire wear indicator on a tire. When he finally says, "that’s enough", you really need to change the tire.
~McQ
Quote of the day–Social Security edition
It comes from Charles Blahous, one of the two private trustees for Social Security and Medicare explaining what has to be done for SS to “save” it in light of the release of the recommendations from the co-chairs:
Bottom line: You’re either for changes to the benefit formula, or you’re for big tax increases on the next generation. If you oppose benefit formula changes on the grounds that they are “cuts,” then you are for big tax increases. Period.
There it is. While all this “outrage” and declarations of the panel’s recommendation being “unacceptable” circulate and build, the “bottom line” doesn’t change. Blahous provides all the facts necessary to understand his statement.
Also keep in mind, as you see this discussed, that when the word “cuts” is used, it refers to not spending as much as projected, not necessarily actually cutting current spending.
While it is obvious that spending in defense and other discretionary spending is necessary, it is also just as obvious that the the major area of cuts has to come on the non-discretionary side. The reluctance of politicians to address that notwithstanding, there isn’t a more perfect time than now (and one that may not come again in a generation) to actually do something.
There is no “middle ground” concerning Social Security. Either benefits are changed to accommodate revenue or incoming revenue has to be drastically increased. That decision isn’t one which can’t be ignored. At some point one of those two things must happen. Why we won’t face that point head on and do what is necessary remains the most asked question.
The answer, of course, is political will. And the bottom line there is our politicians have none when it comes to making hard and unpopular decisions.
~McQ
Quote of the day – Bob Herbert Tea Party edition
The "Rodney Dangerfield" of movements gets ignored by liberal Bob Herbert. After he says both sides are clueless in DC, and leadership is "AWOL", he says this:
What this election tells me is that real leadership will have to come from elsewhere, from outside of Washington, perhaps from elected officials in statehouses or municipal buildings that are closer to the people, from foundations and grass-roots organizations, from the labor movement and houses of worship and community centers.
The civil rights pioneers did not wait for presidential or Congressional leadership, nor did the leaders of the women’s movement. They plunged ahead with their crucial work against the longest odds and in the face of seemingly implacable hostility.
Sounds like a perfect description of the Tea Parties and what they’ve faced from the left – to include Bob Herbert.
Irony – something about which the left remains clueless.
~McQ
Quote of the day – Halloween edition
It comes from a tweet by Scott Ott (Scrappleface):
Halloween relies on voluntary participation of non-beneficiaries. If trick-or-treaters had guns, holiday would be called "Government".
And there you have it in a nutshell.
~McQ
Quote of the day – stupid voters edition
You have to wonder about the arrogance of liberals when you read some of the stuff they’re writing these days. The arrogance found in their apparent belief that anyone who doesn’t agree with their ideology is, well, "stupid". It’s a bit whiny as well.
Here, Michael J. W. Stickings takes on the obvious shift of independents away from the "progressive" extremism of the past 2 years with the usual claim:
This, of course, would not be the first time that voters turned stupid. But while we can expect Republicans to embrace the most partisan and most ideologically extreme of their kind, independents are supposed to know better, are they not? Well, no. Some may suppose that they do, but they don’t.
I actually have a little bit of sympathy for the premise. After all, look whose in the Oval Office and the majority in Congress. I just choose to believe that independents have finally realized their mistake and are rectifying it.
More power to ‘em.
~McQ
Quote of the day– Lisa Murkowski unconstitutional edition
I’m sure we’ll be told that this was just “badly phrased”:
"That somehow or other these are unconstitutional because they’re not enumerated within the powers of the constitution, that somehow or other we should just be eliminating these, I think that is out of the mainstream," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said on MSNBC.
Got that folks? It is out of the mainstream to think that something not enumerated within the powers granted by the Constitution is … unconstitutional.
Lord save us all from our “leaders”.
~McQ
Quote of the day – Bill Clinton gap edition
You’ve gotta love Bubba – when he’s not losing nuclear launch codes, or entertaining interns, he’s engaged in some pretty hilarious rationalization:
“This election is about whether you want to reverse all the things that we’ve done,” Clinton said. “Because there’s always a time lag between when you do the right thing and you feel better. We’re in the gap here. This election is occurring in the gap."
Yeah, because given time we’ll absolutely be delighted with spending 3 trillion dollars we don’t have in 2 years with trillions more to come over the next 10 years. We’ll thrive on jacked up health insurance bills. And the anti-business atmosphere – a wonderful thing which is definitely settling the markets and getting businesses to commit their money toward recovery. “Lean forward” and you’ll just get more of the same.
The only “gap” evident to me is that between the ears of anyone who buys into Clinton’s nonsense. But hey, it’s Bubba – a man never much acquainted with the truth.
~McQ