Am I the only one who doesn’t give a shit about the deliberations of the Super Committee? If I were to gather a group of sociologists, psychologists, carnival barkers and infomercial producers, I’d be hard pressed to create a better distraction for the DC media, and every one of those clowns is guaranteed to file a story or two a week about the pointless deliberations of this almost certainly deadlocked group.
First, there’s the picking of the committee members, which can be hashed over for weeks. Baucus clearly shows that Reid is a sell-out and/or serious about the process. Is Hensarling a big enough bone for the teatards to gnaw on? Then there’s the seating of the committee and first meetings. Look! It’s totally new and all made-up! The opportunity for stories of petty conflict and minor personality quirks abound. Was Patty Murray given proper hearing as the only vagina owner in the bunch? Xavier Becerra sure has a funny name — will he need an interpreter, and are his papers in order?
Finally, there’s the second helping of diarrhea on toast that’s going to dribble out of this group. My guess is that they’ll end up with something rather than nothing, but that something will simply piss off Democrats and teatards. Good news for conservatives — it will probably satisfy the ghost of Ronald Reagan: heavy on cuts, light on “tax reform”.
What really galls me is the faux seriousness of the coverage that accompanies the essential absurdity of the whole enterprise. The leadership can’t make a deal, so they decide to create a pretend mini-Congress and appoint some of their lesser colleagues to make-believe negotiate for a few months. The whole thing deserves a laugh, not months of breathless anticipation.
Maude
Bunch of rich people telling poor people to sacrifice. Why? Shut up, that’s why.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
How do you make Congress do its constitutionally specified job without the media, and 15 months from elections, I’m not sure.
Alwhite
laugh now – we’ll all be crying later
jlow
And in the absence of a deal the agreed to across the board cuts will double ream lots of poor people, also too.
Culture of Truth
None of this would be a problem if Newt Gingrich were dictator!
Marty
Wouldn’t it be about as good to lock the House and Senate leadership into a room with plenty of coffee and no bathrooms until they reach a deal?
Villago Delenda Est
Well, of course the “coverage” of this is precisely the sort of vapid crap you’d expect from the cretinous corporate lickspittles that constitutes the vermin of the Village.
Never mind that 11 years ago we HAD a balanced budget, running surpluses used to pay off the terrible national debt, and that situation was trashed by the hero of the teatards (and the vermin of the Village, I might add.)
NonyNony
@jlow:
Do you have a link to what the “triggers” are going to cut if they don’t come to a deal?
Shockingly, what I consider THE most important question about this mess (i.e. what happens if the SUPERCOMMITTEE fails) is hard to come by. I haven’t seen a detailed report on what’s in those “triggers”.
It would really help to see that. It would help me figure out what I’m supposed to be doing right now. Plus when they eventually maybe “reach a deal” it would help to know if the deal was actually better than what was going to happen anyway if they end up deadlocked or not.
Anyone got a link?
Omnes Omnibus
@Marty: I know a federal judge who has more or less done that on occasion.
JPL
@Maude: You got it..
BTW.. I like to think of it as the Super Duper Committee.
Derf
It was either that or default. Take your pick. This turd sandwich tastes much better than a dead hostage.
Although I do think the Dems caved a bit too quickly on the hostage negotiations.
Derf
@jlow: Please explain how? You clearly have psychic abilities so I bow before you.
RAM
This “commission” is just more bullshit. I read where all the Republicans have signed Grover Norquist’s no-tax pledge, so exactly what kind of “negotiations” or “bipartisanship” will there be? This is an easy one: None. Again, it will be all cuts all the time. And everyone will cheer as the whole damned world goes down in financial flames because at least no rich people will have to pay any more taxes. If doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result each time really is the definition of insanity, the Democratic Party in general and the Obama Administration in particular, have completely lost their minds.
Dennis SGMM
I knew it was a total farce when McConnell appointed John Kyl to the Super Dupers.
Bob
Your first sentence inspired me to skip the rest of the post.
Are thanks in order?
cat48
No Cuts until 2013 if there is a deadlock. It could be litigated during the election so might not happen if we win.
Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac
Agreed. I’d like to have a good link to explain the mechanics of the group. 7/12 votes for something to pass? Can it be vetoed? If vetoed, then what? etc.
cleek
nope!
my prediction: negotiations are going to fail. and then Congress will scramble to pass some last-minute legislation to undo the trigger requirement, but the teatards will hold that bit hostage so that they can get a different $1T/10yr of imaginary cuts.
Captain Haddock
I think there will be some form of revenue increases – but since “class warfare(TM)” is off the table, there will be something that just fucks over the middle class while leaving the Bush tax cuts untouched. That would be something both parties could get behind, sadly.
Omnes Omnibus
@RAM: If the GOP won’t negotiate, why would the Dems just let the automatic cuts in Defense and Medicare provider payments take effect and then pin it all on the GOP? Every fucking time the GOP wants to cut SS and Medicare benefits, people freak out. Every fucking time, the Democrats man up and refuse to go along. There is no secret plan by Obama and the Dem leadership to cut or eliminate entitlements and I would really appreciate it if everyone could accept that.
Emma
The agreement specifies an incentive for Congress to act. If Congress fails to produce a deficit reduction bill with at least $1.2 trillion in cuts, then Congress can grant a $1.2 trillion increase in the debt ceiling but this would trigger across-the-board cuts (“sequestration”) of spending equally split between security and non-security programs.[3] The across-the-board cuts would apply to mandatory and discretionary spending in the years 2013 to 2021 and be in an amount equal to the difference between $1.2 trillion and the amount of deficit reduction enacted from the joint committee. The sequestration mechanism is the same as the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. There are exemptions—across the board cuts would apply to Medicare providers, but not to Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare beneficiaries, civil and military employee pay, or veterans.
I’m quoting Wikipedia but it looks about right from what I read in the bill, which is here.
Captain Haddock
I meant to ask – are there going to be Blue Ribbons? Unless there are Blue Ribbons its all for naught. Blue Ribbons!!!
mistermix
@Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac: I threw a link to the Wikipedia entry into the post:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Committee
Bob
@cleek: And where does Obama cave?
General Stuck
You about summed it up MM. The only possible value to the republic, is that it can be used by both sides as a real life campaign ad for both parties to demagogue and draw lines of distinction between the core beliefs of each party. I always get a kick out of it when the nutters hump the third rail, because they just can’t help themselves. And with any luck, grandma and gramps will be paying attention.
And the trigger will likely have the firing pin removed in the end, for all concerned.
Waldo
How is it that, in the face of shrinking support for the Teatards, our public policy still ranges from Far Right to Far Right Lite?
Sigh.
aisce
@ nonynony
it mysteriously doesn’t exist. it’s supposed to be half defense related cuts, and then the other half is made up of both medicare provider cuts and unspecified non-defense discretionary cuts. so basically, it could be anything.
very suspicious.
Omnes Omnibus
@Waldo: That is easy. It doesn’t. Economic policy tends toward neo-liberal at best, but that is not all of public policy.
Maude
@Omnes Omnibus:
Could they please wait until I am off that stuff? It’s hard enough now with it and it is a heartburn to me.
Emma
@aisce: There is some idea,as outlined in the wikipedia articles quoted above. The largest programs, Social Security, Medicaid, and the beneficiary side of Medicare, are exempt. I’m trying to find a link that mentioned the farm subsidies are in play too, which will make a lot of people in Congress nutzoid.
chopper
@NonyNony:
even the liberal new york times should have made a nifty flow chart by now.
henrythefifth
A black guy, a white woman, and a Latino walk into a Super Congress Committee…
Very funny post, and so true. The jokes about this tripe just make themselves. And yes, the Villagers will be appropriately breathless in anticipation for months!
cleek
@Bob:
when the teatards find a way to tie their cuts to some critical, must-pass thing.
burnspbesq
@Omnes Omnibus:
Zactly. Given that deadlock is arguably the best possible outcome, I am fairly happy with the makeup of the Big Swinging Committee.
Would have made for better theater if Barney were on it, though.
kindness
Reid sucks. That was apparent last Congress where he used parlimentry procedure to his advantage on one or two occasions but for the most part was a push over for DLC & republicans alike. He tries so hard to appear even, balanced and accomidating that he really ends up being Gumby with no spine.
The opposition is full on crazy and needs to be addressed in terms that show it. Forcefully. That isn’t Reid sadly. Reid should have shit canned the filibuster at the beginning of this Congressional term as the rules allow him to do. He didn’t and now no appointees or judicial nominees will ever come through. How did progressives ever get saddled with this kind of karma?
PeakVT
@Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac: Go with the flow.
Omnes Omnibus
@burnspbesq: Dems don’t necessarily do theater well. They seem to try for policy. Pelosi and her Grabthar’s Hammer gavel is one of the few bits of theater I can recall off the top of me pointy little head.
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
the real action on the supercommittee is who lines up outside as lobbyists, and how does the money flow? will the payoffs be to family members and college roommates? what about friends or staffers families who are already free riding on the largesse of some of the companies who’s government action might be on the chopping block?
there is a way to make this interesting, the super congress is going to be trick or treating in a rich neighborhood with lots of townhouses, follow that.
the actual cuts, the real revenue enhancements? meh. just look for the programs that have no moneyed beneficiary, or no way of providing re-quid pro quo.
burnspbesq
@aisce:
It only doesn’t exist if one is too lazy to spend the time necessary to parse some fairly opaque statutory language.
themanintheguyfawkesmask
Jim Clyburn is as awesome as Nancy SMASH, maybe even more so.
He’s got our backs, at least.
Just Some Fuckhead
I’m a little concerned about Baucus because he’s in the evil Gang of Six, the SuperCommittee’s arch-nemesis. He’ll prolly wear a hero costume to all the meetings but then at the last minute incapacitate all the SuperCommittee members with a poison pill or some other dastardly trick.
japa21
First of all, even Reagan’s ghost would not be welcome in current “conservative” circles. After all, he raised taxes, protected SS, etc.
Secondly, this was all part of the sense of giving the RW something while really giving them nothing.
Trinity
Shut up, Crime!
(the pic for this post)
The Ancient Randonneur
Waiting for the video on Youtube with vintage footing of a meeting at the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom with Reid, McConnell, Boehner and Pelosi’s voices dubbed in. Seems about right to me.
NonyNony
@burnspbesq:
Okay – throw us a link to the opaque statutory language.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@The Ancient Randonneur: More like drinking potojuice in the Turkey Farm in Yangicol. (I don’t expect anyone to have any idea what that means)!
rb
@Culture of Truth: True, but it is sad that that doofus is one of the few willing to point out what a farce this supercongress thing is.
Bulworth
No.
Eugene Robinson went all shrill in today’s Post about how we have a jobs problem but this awesome super duper committee will yet again be focused only on debt.
liberal
@aisce:
Right. But how is “cut” defined? Ie, from what baseline?
General Stuck
Too many polls saying the same thing for it to be fluke, that dems are on the comeback March, and not just on the surface, but also in the internals of these polls,
Here is what Gallup thinks is why.
Looks like the manufactured crisis of the debt ceiling debacle and how dems played it, has maybe got thru to mush headed voters out there. And If dems use the supercommittee properly, as a message machine to further alienate the tea party from voters, it will also alienate the voters from the GOP.
We ain’t doing bad on the pol side of things. But for actual needed actions to address our real problems with the economy, that will still be held captive by the wingers. The only real possibility, as I see it, will be to take these polling messages and drive even deeper wedges between the shaky marriage of the tea tards and GOP.
Obama needs to put forth his own jobs bill in the meantime, and he will.
Dennis SGMM
@liberal:
It’s simpler than that; the troops will be encouraged to pick up their spent brass for recycling. DoD will project savings of $220 billion over ten years. Now let’s turn our attention to those overpaid teachers and the bums on unemployment.
Citizen_X
@Raven (formerly stuckinred):
Is that some of that “fairly opaque statutory language” Burns was talking about?
patrick II
@liberal:
Not “defense” cuts, but “security” cuts — which includes homeland security. Significant difference.
Southern Beale
I know y’all will be shocked — SHOCKED! — but it seems an Indiana anti-gay Republican state rep got caught answering a Craigslist ad for a teen male prostie. Woopsies.
Nobody could have anticipated …. all of the gay, closeted Republicans.
JPL
This is for the committee.. without additional comment
liberal
@patrick II:
Good point. But does it also include the ratholes that money is poured down known as Afghanistan and Iraq?
TJ
@JPL: Best I’ve heard is The League of Super Zeroes.
Poopyman
@aisce: Well, one side of those triggers is already jockying for position, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t have his boss’s blessing:
Panetta Warns on Across–the–Board cuts
So what does that leave us with, hmmmm?
liberal
@General Stuck:
Hahhahahahahahah…
Suffern ACE
@Dennis SGMM: The Navy appears to be out ahead of the issue. Running ads on TV with the message “As long as there are natural disasters and rumors of war, the country needs a big navy.” I’m thinking its going to be easier for the supmercommittee to come up with a plan that rids the world of natural disasters than to get the navy to give up one on life vest.
liberal
@Poopyman:
Yeah.
They could e.g. gut the NIH, but given that everyone wants to live forever, and that NIH funds all the basic research that Pharma relies on, that ain’t gonna happen.
patrick II
@liberal:
Theoretically, Afghanistan and Iraq are included in defense. Senator Reid tried to include drawdowns in those places as cuts, and it didn’t fly. One of the problems I had with this deal is that we should be expecting some savings in defense from the draw downs in any event, so balancing those inevitable cuts against additional domestic cuts as if they were equal irks me.
JPL
@Southern Beale: HAHAHA
Now it’s time to think about the family
General Stuck
@liberal:
Dude, your commentary here is completely useless. Even the winger trolls bring more to the discussion than your fatalistic swill. You aren’t the worst for that sort of thing on this blog, but you are getting there.
Pure genius
Villago Delenda Est
@kindness:
Reid’s error was, first and foremost, failure to force the Rethugs to OWN their filibuster threats, by forcing them to actually get into the well of the Senate and talk for endless hours, so that on CSPAN2, in front of everyone, they own their conniption fits. Make these bawling babies bawl in public where everyone can see them bawl.
But Reid is too spineless to do even that.
Dennis SGMM
@Suffern ACE:
We need a big Navy, and a big Army and a big Air Force just in case
the Russiansthe Chinesethe Belgians all of a sudden jump bad. And what if we need to blow the surface crust off of the earth more than once? What then?Villago Delenda Est
@Dennis SGMM:
Actually, we need them to be the “consumers” of the only Keynsian spending we’re allowed under Teatard rules: shiny tanks, planes, and ships. All utterly useless as engines of further economic activity, but then again, not one Teatard has ever bothered to crack open The Wealth of Nations to learn about fundamental economic principles.
Southern Beale
THIS is why I love Jon Stewart. This smackdown of Megyn Kelly is just … perfect.
Loneoak
While we’re at it, I highly highly recommend the film Super!, to which the above picture of Rainn Wilson refers. I friggin loved it: perfect blend of weirdo love story, hopeless schlub fighting the baddies, comic book gore, and dark comedy. It comes out on DVD this week.
Shut up, Crime!
Corner Stone
@Dennis SGMM:
You know those anarchists haven’t had a government in over a year? They could decide to jump the Danube and invade us at any moment!
Crazy mayo fries waffle eatin humps.
liberal
@General Stuck:
Merely pointing out that the Dems don’t have a coherent message. Of course, you’re so blinded by the light of your Messiah that you’re incapable of seeing that.
liberal
@Villago Delenda Est:
I thought it’s old news that that’s not really at issue.
Fulcanelli
@kindness:
By failing to relentlessly ridicule, persecute or even forcibly euthanize anyone who was fucking DUMB enough to believe that supply-side, trickle down economics actually works over 30 years ago when we had the chance.
The myth is institutionalized now, and every time somebody points out to it’s proponents that it’s a failure and it has never worked in 30 years, the fuckers double down, put their fingers in their ears and go LA-LA-LA and concoct a new and improved political or economic purity test with conditions that could never be met in the real world to explain away the glaring failure.
History (Reagan) repeats itself, first as tragedy (Dubya) then as farce (The Teabaggers)…
liberal
@Corner Stone:
Which is kind of funny in its own right—IIRC a big source of their government troubles is ethnic tensions—and I’m not talking about those induced by immigration of Muslim guys with browner skins.
liberal
@Villago Delenda Est:
I was going to say that Smith didn’t know about the paradox of thrift, because that notion comes from Keynes, but Wikipedia claims it actually dates prior to Smith. Huh.
General Stuck
@liberal:
No you aren’t. You want it all to burn down, just like the nihilistic assholes of the Tea Party. And apparently you can’t read, or didn’t read my link, that is one more sign you are wrong. The dems seemingly do have a coherent message, as much as can be expected as engaged with insane right wingers of the oppo party. Your type can never be satisfied, because you are a lost soul in your own country.
But you have my sympathy, as it must be a living hell being a citizen of a country whose system of government, you can’t identify with, nor accept in any meaningful way. So it’s all smug cynicism, all the time to cover up the overwhelming sense of loneliness. Amirite?
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: The Danube?
@NonyNony: The link was given above.
Suffern ACE
@Dennis SGMM:
So you’re arguing that the marines have no part to play going forward?
Omnes Omnibus
@Suffern ACE: Fucking Air Force is redundant. Split it up and give the pieces to the Army and Navy/Marines.
j low
@Derf: Across the board cuts. So, no I’m not psychic. I just read about this deal when it was approved so I could get a sense whether or not my job serving low income elderly/disabled was going to disappear.
Firebaggers R Kool
Didn’t Obama appoint The Super Size Congress (Cat Food Commission 2), and thus is okay with its right wing cast? Ergo, doesn’t that make him supportive of right wing austerity?
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus:
Isn’t that what all invading hordes have to cross to invade other peoples?
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: Either that or violating Belgian neutrality. Violating Belgian neutrality seems to precipitate really big conflicts. I am sure the Belgian could figure out a way to violate their own neutrality; maybe Poirot could figure it out.
Citizen_X
@Corner Stone: Was it over when the Walloons crossed the Danube?
Corner Stone
Just scanned this at Atrios’
“Downing Street sources said they were considering the “moral and technical” questions of how to grant new powers blocking all mobile communications to prevent rioters organising through websites such as Twitter and the BlackBerry Messenger service.”
Seems like kindofa big deal
Suffern ACE
@Omnes Omnibus: The begians have been begging for that by not forming a government. France, Germany and the Netherlands simply have no balls any longer. Two hundred years ago if Belgium was sitting there with no one ruling it, one of its neighbors would have had the man juice to scoop the place up and provide that government. Now? Nothing? The Belgians are just mocking French weakness at this point.
liberal
@General Stuck:
Please provide evidence that I want to burn it all down.
It’s just like your assertion, once upon a time, that because of some intemperate criticism of Obama, I must be a PUMA. That, despite the fact that I voted for Obama in both the primary and general, and gave him $2K. (And gave Hillary $0.)
ISTM you’re both a liar and not very intelligent.
Yutsano
@Suffern ACE: While technically the Marines are under the Department of the Navy, they will also be the first to tell you they pre-dated the American Navy by several decades. They still go to Annapolis to become officers. Watch the Army/Navy game: all the players have Marine patches on their unis. Dennis TECHNICALLY didn’t leave them out, but I don’t recommend not calling them a second branch.
No lurve for the Coast Guard though. Probably because they don’t really do big shiny toys much.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suffern ACE: Look, mate, it’s been the Germans for the past 100 years. The French haven’t really fucked with Belgium since Waterloo.
Last summer, when I was in Belgium, I was trying to communicate with some people in a nontouristy area of Flanders, just across the Dutch border from Maastricht, and I found that English did not work, so I tried French. Big mistake. Is it really my fault that I don’t speak Flemish (or Dutch which might have helped)?
burnspbesq
@NonyNony:
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2011/08/legislation.html
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: “parlez vous francais?”
:: BAM ::
(OO gets to use sociallized health care)
NonyNony
@Omnes Omnibus:
Okay, great. What I’ve learned from reading through this over my lunch break:
1. I have no frame of reference at all for how much is being “cut” because everything is given in terms of “new budgetary authority”. Since I don’t know what the budgets were projected to be for the next decade before this came out, I can’t tell how much it’s going to cut or where.
2. It doesn’t matter anyway because the damn thing is too vague to matter. As far as I can tell (unless this is buried in that “opaque language”) the cuts are not targeted at specific programs, nor does it require the cuts to be “across the board”. Instead there’s just a cap on the amount that can be spent in each category. Each very broad category. Discretionary spending limits are broken out into “non-security” and “security” for the first 2 years, and that’s as specific as it gets. I’m also not seeing where Defense spending is broken out and limited – I only see the discretionary spending category here – but that’s probably my fault and if someone wants to point the language out in the bill that shows the Defense caps I’d appreciate it.
So this just looks like the can has been kicked down the road for a different budget to deal with.
Poopyman
@Suffern ACE: Now would be the perfect time for the Dutch to resume their empire. First half of the march south would be a cake walk, too.
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: Rusty, but once upon a time I was quite fluent. Also too, I am looking into using my WI GI Bill Benefits to get in to this program. I will need to get Rosetta Stone to brush up, but I think it would be wicked cool if I can swing it.
Yutsano
@Poopyman: LIECHTENSTEIN UBER ALLES!!
@Omnes Omnibus: The big debate in my head is whether to get really super duper awesome at the three I’m familiar with already (German, Japanese, French) or go out and totally pick up a new one randomly. Well semi-random: it turns out Finnish immigration requirements are surprisingly lax. Basically no criminal record = Welcome to Finland!
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Yutsano: Wrong
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: I had lunch there once. Trout fresh from a mountain stream and a rather good local white wine.
Suffern ACE
@Poopyman: They would be greeted as liberators.
Dennis SGMM
@Suffern ACE:
The Marines, as far as I know, are less interested in expanding the size of the Corps.
JPL
What are the odds that lobbyists have already circled around the Committee. In fact how many donations and freebies have they already received. Maybe they should be called the super w.h.o.r.e.s.
Maude was correct in her assessment in the first comment.
Villago Delenda Est
@Poopyman:
They tried that after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Didn’t work out so well…the Phlegms didn’t like being ruled by from Amsterdam.
Omnes Omnibus
@Raven (formerly stuckinred): Obligatory “Go Army! Beat Navy!” inserted here.
Poopyman
@Yutsano: Ah yes, the mouse that roared.
But what if they held an invasion and nobody came?
(ETA: “… and nobody cared?” might have better expressed my question.)
Yutsano
@Dennis SGMM:
Yeah, that tends to happen when you don’t take just any idiot off the street. Plus Marine Corps policy has been “Do more with less” for as long as I can recall. But they’re running somewhere just over 100K right now.
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: You know Finland is Northern Wisconsin/Minnesota or Canadian in the winters they provide, right?
Davis X. Machina
@Omnes Omnibus: Latitude-driven length-of-day issues too. Sunrise at 9, sunset at 3.
General Stuck
@liberal:
LOL, “intemperate criticism” of Obama. Of course, your commentary has been nothing but fair and balanced regarding both Obama and dems in general. And I am the Pope. rolls eyes.
And then offered more fair and balanced with a brilliant comment of “hahahahahahhhah” on actual data showing that dems are getting some traction against the teatards and republicans. Spare me your ‘just being an honest critic here” bullshit. That one is so stale, it’s all moldy tripe.
I pretty much put everybody in the leftist nihilism camp that thought Obama caved and should have let us default, rather than pass a bill that is mostly a joke for long term deficit cuts, with the wingers handing over the debt ceiling hostage to Obama to raise it himself until after the election, for the price of a clown committee with a trigger that both barrels of defense cuts and medicare provider cuts, are aimed at things dems would support no matter.
All this could have been averted, though, if you had brought some actual evidence to rebut my original comment, rather than the smart ass empty headed “hahahahahhah”
Violet
@Suffern ACE:
I kind of wish the French would invade Belgium. A good old fashioned war in Europe might wake everyone up.
Okay, no, just kidding. War sucks and I don’t dislike the French or Belgians, so don’t want them stuck in a war. But imagine if France did invade Belgium. Would Fox News blame the Muslims? Would we have to go back to calling fries “freedom fries”? Would we get a slew of new Three Musketeers movies?
Dragon-King Wangchuck, firebagger (apparently)
For nonynony @ 91, a frame of reference for how much is being cut. Also too, the first two pages of the article are a pretty good read as well.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Omnes Omnibus: Screw all that academy bullshit. The West Point Protective Association is alive and well.
trollhattan
@mistermix
I’m pretty sure crazy nasty-ass honey badger also don’t give a shit, too.
I don’t understand why Baucus is on this thing. That there’s a white flag to the Republican juggernaut, unless one believes Jon Kyl also, also, too don’t give a shit and will burn his bridges by being “reasonable.” Yeah, right.
Violet
John seems to have abandoned us for Twitter where he reports that Rosie had to go to the vet :
Poor Rosie. I’m glad she had John to take care of her and glad she’s better.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Suffern ACE: The constitution only requires a Navy, and only allows for the Army in times of War. All the others could just be folded into those two anyway. (Former sailor starting a flame war.)
KG
I kept flipping over to the debate last night, getting pissed and then flipping back to meaningless football between two teams I don’t much care for… all while sober. But at one point, I did see Gingrich make a decent point about the Super Committee, basically that it’s bullshit and Congress should just do it’s damn job and legislate. Stopped clock, blind squirrel and all that
Villago Delenda Est
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
The thing is, the Air Farce, due to the “Key West Agreement”, controls fixed wing close air support for the Army, and if they had their way, wouldn’t provide it at all, because they’re far too busy with gigantic flying elephants called B2 bombers and “Peacekeeper” missiles and, most importantly, fast shiny fighter jets that zip around at high speeds and give all the Jeebozoomies tremendous hard ons because they bring them closer, at those high speeds, to JetjockeybabyJeebus.
tinkletoes
Directv bent me over. They’re still doing it.
Maude
@Violet:
All I can say about it is: Eeeeeeeew
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Villago Delenda Est: Even though I was enlisted, all I have to say about Air Force pilots is that they are wusses until they land on a carrier.
Villago Delenda Est
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
When I was in Honduras, you could not hear the roar of the engines over the whining of Air Force pilots complaining that they didn’t have air conditioned quarters.
Omnes Omnibus
@Villago Delenda Est: An A-10 providing CAS is a beautiful thing; the way they almost seem to stop in the air when the chain gun fires… Give that kind of CAS capability directly to the Army; the Marines have it.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Villago Delenda Est: And every swingin dick was getting TDY pay I bet!
Omnes Omnibus
@Raven (formerly stuckinred): Well, duh, it is the AF.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Omnes Omnibus: Cookie pushes as the old man used to say.
susan
The New Bottom line sounds terrific to me.
“…By now the political world has heard about Mitt Romney’s statement to a group of hecklers at the Iowa State Fair yesterday. Explaining why he didn’t want to tax corporations to lower the deficit and pay for social insurance programs, Romney stated that “corporations are people, my friends.” This received the requisite amount of attention from partisans. But who initiated the exchange?
It turns out that the hecklers were a group of about a dozen members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI). They are a grassroots community organization that is part of a broader coalition called The New Bottom Line, which seeks to challenge big bank interests on behalf of everyday communities. And they have a message for members of both parties who visit Iowa during caucus season. I spoke with Dave Goodner, an Iowa CCI organizer who was part of the exchange yesterday…” firedoglake
New Bottom Line
Fighting for an economy that works for all of us:
http://www.newbottomline.com/about_the_new_bottom_line
http://www.iowacci.org
Villago Delenda Est
@Omnes Omnibus:
A friend of mine used to work for Dynamix, which put out an A-10 simulator, and they went up to McChord AFB to talk with the pilots as they were designing the software. They wanted to name the game “A-10 Tank Spanker Deluxe”, and the pilots loved it, but the USAF brass put the kibosh on that idea.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
Cookie PUSHERS
Dennis SGMM
@Villago Delenda Est:
Just an anecdote. While patrolling the waterways of the Mekong Delta we had three choices for close air support should we get into serious trouble;
The Army: Huey gunships and Cobras
The Navy: Fixed wing prop job attack birds and Huey gunships
The Air Force: F100 and whatevers
We would never, under any circumstances, call in the Air Force for CAS. At that time the AF pilots were more than a bit skittish about ground fire and they tended to deliver their ordnance at high speed and low accuracy. We usually called in the Navy and the Army would be there to back them up. More than once we called in perimeter strikes within the kill radius of the weapons being delivered. They saved our asses.
One more thing, as long as I’m reminiscing. The Air Force’s helicopter-borne Rescue people were absolutely heroic way beyond the call of duty. Bless each and every one of them.
aisce
@ dragon-king wangchuck
thank you. hadn’t seen that one yet. the picture starts getting clearer.
i knew those defense cuts had to be partially fraudulent. figures that the state department and the ppaca implementation would have to take the hit instead. i don’t see how hospital groups lobby hard enough to keep the trigger from getting pulled. i guess the sole democratic policy victory is that entitlements get spared? bummer. we need to flip the house back asap.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Villago Delenda Est: Ah McChord. When I rotated from McChord they reassigned me to Ft Lewis so I only got about 10 miles of travel pay. Had to pay my own way to Chicago and back for leave. Swines!
Chris
@General Stuck:
I’d like it if the message was able to fucking STICK. We’ve had rebounds before when Republicans overreached (Clinton being elected after twelve years of Reaganomics drove the economy off a cliff, backlash against Gingrich and his congress after 1995, backlash against Bush in 2006 and 2008, more recently the union stuff in the Rust Belt). But somehow those rebounds never last, and one or two election cycles later, they run like sheep back to the GOP because oh, THIS time they won’t destroy our economy and screw us out of the little we have… THIS time it’ll all be different!
It’d be nice of the message was actually able to stick for once and we didn’t have to refight the same battle over and over and over as we have for the last thirty years. Sorry. Venting moment over.
Chris
@Omnes Omnibus:
As I learned from this blog a few months back, the Air Force establishment really doesn’t like the Warthog. Ergo, giving it to the Army might make sense as they would appreciate it for its true worth instead of lamenting that it’s not streamlined or supersonic enough.
Alex S.
I really like the inclusion of Patty Murray, even as commitee vice-chair. She will be able, with Kerry, to overrule Baucus if necessary.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Chris: The last thing they want is to be close and slow enough to see what they are killing.
Villago Delenda Est
@Dennis SGMM:
It’s amazing that they’re in the same branch as the queens of the skies. They have brass balls that have to create weight problems for their helos.
kindness
@Chris: Well, wrt whether the debt ceiling ‘crisis’ got through to the voters is one thing. I’m still not sure it ever got through to the wankers in the media though.
Villago Delenda Est
@kindness:
The wankers in the media are paid very well not to get it.
dollared
@Chris: The message will stick when somebody goes out and attacks the Republicans by name. The Liberal Consensus of 1930-1980 was no accident. People named names and destroyed the brand of the Republican party of Calvin Coolidge and Warren Harding.
I agree with Stuck that Obama has done a good job of laying the groundwork for exactly that. But somebody has to jump in and do the hard work in a sustained and vigorous way.
Honestly, I don’t see it happening. Obama is clearly interested in doing enough to win the election, and no more. There is no significant institutional support supporting the Dems. There is so much money on the R’s side, that even worker advocacy groups can’t afford to demonize the rich.
Too bad. The Rich are Bad for America meme could sell a lot of newspapers and air time.
dollared
@Alex S.: How? Doesn’t Baucus voting to fuck the middle give the R’s a majority?
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Dennis SGMM: Agreed, we were between Dong Tam and Vihn Long when a vehicle hit a mine (after the ARVN supposedly swept the road) and were stuck in a ditch. The F-100’s hit the tree line and di-di’d and then the gunships came in close and really did the job. Zoomie’s did look good I must say.
A Mom Anon
@Maude: It’s really a good idea to have those things checked and expressed(I know,eww) whenever you take the doggie in for shots,the annual checkup,to the groomers,etc. I never knew there even was such a thing til one of Abby’s got clogged up. It’s not pretty. There are two of them,one on either side of the anus. They’re scent glands basically,that should empty out when your dog poops,but I guess it’s fairly common that they don’t. I cannot cut Abby’s nails without help,so I have hers done at the vet when I get her nails clipped. Around 4 times a year.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@A Mom Anon: Painkillers to express the anal glands. They are taking this dude to the cleaners!
eta maybe they were for him!
Corner Stone
@Alex S.:
How will they do that?
Alex S.
@dollared:
It’s a possibility but I hope that the Dems vote on a strategy before it begins. Also, Baucus is the token moderate. He can lend his ‘seriousness’ to the democratic proposals.
Quiddity
The Supercommittee is part of the deal that Obama was looking for so everybody here has got to be enthusiastic about it. Got to, because they prefer this unfolding sequence of events to alternatives that Oabma could have pursued as far back as last year.
Also, I see that Obama has been lashing out against “Congress” and “Washington” this week. I guess he can’t mention “Republicans” because you need 60 votes in the Senate, or something like that.
Chris
@Raven (formerly stuckinred):
I read a blogger’s analysis of John McCain back in 2008 which pointed out that the big difference between him and someone like John Kerry or Rich Armitage is that McCain did all his killing from the air and was completely insulated from seeing the effects of his bombing – “the Vietnam War is primarily an experience in his own victimology,” the guy concluded.
Ergo, it was easy for him to maintain the belief that bad things were only done by the enemy and that the U.S. never killed civilians, and all the other bullshit beliefs of the right side of the aisle. I thought it an interesting and often overlooked point.
NR
The Super Committee is no joke. Its recommendations will be fast-tracked through Congress and cannot be amended or filibustered.
Isn’t it funny that, for the longest time, we were told that no progressive legislation could make it through Congress because of the magical power of the filibuster, which could not ever be overcome, but now that they want to come after Social Security and Medicare, all of a sudden there’s no filibuster on this one thing?
The Democratic leadership really has nothing but contempt for its base. What’s amazing is that there are still people out there who don’t see that.
Emma
@dollared: The Rich are Bad for America meme could sell a lot of newspapers and air time.
Yes, of diatribes against the person who used it. Why do we always forget that American papers are corporate entities and the majority of the Villagers who write for them are “the rich”?
I keep saying this, again, again, and again. We won’t get out of this until we find ways of reaching the everyday I’m-not-spending-most-of-my-free-time-on-the-web-talking-about-politics American without needing the press. Why do you think the Villagers are whining about the President’s bus tour? Because he’ll be talking to Middle America without their interpretin’for the rubes.
Like the man said: Villago Delenda Est.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Chris: Ding.
jl
The fact that the committee is working on a problem that does not exist, and will not exist for certainly another five years, and probably another twenty five is also interesting.
So they will come up with a plan that will hurt a lot of the lesser people to solve a problem that does not exist.
It adds a certain amount of black comedy and absurd farce.
I never was fond of the theatre of cruelty, but probably because you had to sit through two hours of the stuff. This, you can peek in on once in awhile, get a grim chuckle, and then forget about, at least until whatever bad and pointless plan they hatch is implemented.
Mr Furious
Where’s the deadlock? On matters of deficit reduction, Baucus = Republican.
dollared
@Emma: I know that. I’m pointing out that there is a market that is not being served, except part time by a GE subsidiary called MSNBC.
In my town, until it died, the union newspaper was a Hearst paper. The free market knows that there is a market for the truth.
Emma
@dollared: Unfortunately, the free market has been stomped into submission by the corporate interests. Starting a newspaper, a paper paper, is expensive these days. Unless you can find a nice donor to put up enough money to carry it through a few years of unprofitability…
Derf
@j low: You read it where? Huffington Poo?
Omnes Omnibus
@Mr Furious: On matters like SS and Medicare, he is solid. Now what?
bob h
I guess it all comes down to whether Portman will supply the one vote for a balanced approach.