Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, July 13, 2011


Wicked Felina....

6 comments:

William R. Barker said...

* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=75124207697efe9a19ed9a724&id=a5c22c1925&e=46483ed98d

* BY SENATOR JIM DEMINT

Yesterday, a new "plan" was unveiled in the U.S. Senate [by that scumbag Mitch McConnell] that would effectively give President Obama the ability to automatically raise the debt limit without congressional approval.

* YEP! YOU READ THAT RIGHT! F--K THE CONSTITUTION... F--K ARTICLE ONE... F--K THE SEPARATION OF POWERS... F--K AMERICA! THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT MCCONNELL IS SAYING!

Under the plan, the President would simply notify Congress when he wanted to raise the debt limit and it would automatically go up.

* NO, FOLKS... THIS IS NOT A JOKE... THIS IS NOT A SATIRE... THIS IS NOT FROM "THE ONION" NOR IS IT A SNL SKETCH...

In order to stop an automatic increase, Congress would have to pass a resolution of disapproval, which would of course be vetoed by the President. Then, Congress would have override the veto with two-thirds support in the House and Senate.

* UNCONSTITUTIONAL! UNCONSTITUTIONAL! UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

Given that the President could always count of the support of at least one-third of the members in both houses, this new plan would effectively give the President the power to increase our nation's debt at will.

* UNCONSITUTIONAL! UNCONSTITUTIONAL! UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

I want you to know that I strongly oppose this plan and will do everything I can to defeat it.

I also want you to know that this is not the Republican plan.

Conservatives in the Senate oppose it and will continue to fight for real spending cuts and true budget reforms in this debate.

The conservative leaders you helped elect last year - Senators Pat Toomey (PA), Marco Rubio (FL), Rand Paul (KY), Mike Lee (UT), and Ron Johnson (WI) - are working shoulder-to-shoulder with me in this battler for our nation's future. And I can tell you, we're not backing down.

* I JUST SPOKE WITH A YOUNG LADY AT DEMINT'S WASHINGTON OFFICE. I TOLD HER POINT BLANK THAT IT'S TIME "CIVIL WAR" IS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNING CAUCUS AND BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN. MITCH MCCONNELL IS A DISGRACE. WHATEVER YOUR VIEWS ON POLICY, THE DEBT LIMIT, SPENDING, MITCH MCCONNELL LAST NIGHT PUBLICLY PROPOSED BLATANTLY VIOLATING THE SEPARATION OF POWERS WITHIN THE CONSTITUTION - VIOLATING THE ESSENCE OF AMERICA'S RULE OF LAW COMPACT BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE. THERE IS SIMPLY NO WAY TO OVERSTATE THE LITERAL TREASON INHERENT IN WHAT MCCONNELL HAS PROPOSED! TO SAY MCCONNELL IS CALLING FOR THE OVERTHROW OF ARTICLE ONE OF THE CONSTITUTION IS NO EXAGGERATION.

* To be continued...

William R. Barker said...

* CONTINUING... (Part 2 of 2)

* SENATOR JIM DEMINT CONTINUES...

We believe that the only acceptable trade-off for raising the debt limit is to (1) immediately CUT spending, (2) CAP spending out into the future, and (3) pass a constitutional amendment to force Congress to BALANCE the budget every year. This is the only way to ensure that this is the last time the debt limit will ever be raised again.

Absent the "Cut Cap Balance" reforms, we will do everything we can to stop the debt limit from going up. [I]f the President and his allies in Congress refuse to accept our common sense reforms, then spending will have to be cut immediately to keep our nation's debt from growing.

The President and his Administration have the authority to prioritize our government's spending so our debts are paid, we avoid default, and all essentials functions like Social Security and national defense are uninterrupted.

* FOLKS... THAT'S TRUE...!!! DON'T BELIEVE THE MEDIA! WHAT YOU JUST READ... THE ABOVE SENTENCE... IT'S TRUE...!

* YOU'RE BEING LIED TO - AND YOU'VE BEEN LIED TO ALL ALONG - BY MOST OF THE "ESTABLISHMENT."

* INCREASING THE DEBT CEILING WITHOUT REAL REFORMS, REAL CUTS, AND A SOLEMN PLEDGE BY ALL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS THAT THIS IS IT... THAT IF THERE'S A "DEAL" MADE NOW THAT'S IT - THAT THE DEBT LIMIT WILL REMAIN IN PLACE NEVER TO BE RAISED AGAIN - WOULD TELL THE WORLD THERE'S NO HOPE WHATSOEVER OF AMERICA REVERSING COURSE AND SAVING OUR ECONOMY AND OUR SOCIETY!

If the President decides to play politics with the debt limit and cuts off essential government functions to place blame on Republicans, it will most certainly backfire.

* WHICH IS TRUE...! THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS - WE'VE JUST GOT TO GET THEM OUT THERE! THIS "DEFAULT" TALK IS NOTHING BUT LIES...!!! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO FRIGG'N EXPLAIN IT VIA NEWSBITES AND BLOG POSTINGS...?!?!

Republicans need to stop worrying about their own political careers and demonstrate the courage our country needs in this critical time.

William R. Barker said...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/13/us-markets-forex-idUSTRE74U02L20110713

The U.S. dollar was on the run in Asia on Thursday...

* FOLKS... (*SIGH*) (*HEADACHE*)

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke had canvassed the idea of further quantitative easing...

(*BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL*)

The U.S. dollar slid to a fresh record low against the Swiss franc...while the euro leaped to $1.4253 having been as low as $1.3984.

The dollar also deflated to 78.83 yen...

* FOLKS... WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE?

President Barack Obama abruptly ended a tense budget meeting on Wednesday by walking out of the room...

* YEAH. AND THAT TEMPER TANTRUM WAS AFTER HE HAD EARLIER THREATENED TO NOT ISSUE SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS EVEN THOUGH EVEN WITHOUT A DEBT LIMIT INCREASE EXISTING INCOMING TAX REVENUES WOULD ALLOW FOR BOTH CONTINUED INTEREST PAYMENTS ON TREASURY DEBTS AND CONTINUED SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS IN FULL.

William R. Barker said...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304911104576443863077227784.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

On Tuesday, President Barak Obama told Scott Pelley of CBS News that "there may simply not be the money in the coffers" to issue Social Security, veterans and disability checks after Aug. 3.

Not so.

The $172 billion in revenues collected over the rest of the month can pay the $29 billion interest charges on the national debt, Social Security benefits ($49 billion), Medicaid and Medicare ($50 billion), active duty military pay ($2.9 billion)...

* BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH; JUST AS I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU FOLKS ALL ALONG.

* ANYONE BOTHER TO DO THE MATH? THAT'S LEAVES OVER $40 BILLION "EXCESS" WITH WHICH TO PAY OTHER BILLS.

* IN A NUTSHELL:

The Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank, projects that the government will receive $172 billion in revenues between Aug. 3 and Aug. 31, but it is on the hook to spend $306 billion, leaving a shortfall of $134 billion.

* AND THERE LIES THE PROBLEM, FOLKS. THE PROBLEM ISN'T THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN'T AFFORD TO SERVICE THE NATIONAL DEBT - OR AT THE MOMENT AT LEAST KEEP ON PAYING OUT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE... OH... AND PAY THE TROOPS - THE PROBLEM IS THAT OBAMA AND THE DEMS WANT TO CONTINUE BORROWING 40-CENTS OUT OF EVERY DOLLAR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPENDS ON AN OUT OF CONTROL BLOATED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!

* FOLKS... LET ME MAKE IT SIMPLE: OBAMA AND THE DEMS WANT TO ADD EVEN MORE DEBT THAN THEY'VE ALREADY DONE SINCE PELOSI AND REID TOOK OVER THE HOUSE AND SENATE IN JANUARY OF 2007 AND OBAMA TOOK OVER THE PRESIDENCY IN JANUARY OF 2009.

* FOLKS... HOW DOES ADDING MORE DEBT TO ALREADY EXISTING UNSUSTAINABLE DEBT CREATE PROSPERITY...??? HOW DOES REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE SPENDING ADDICTION OF WASHINGTON AND KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD YET AGAIN PORTRAY A MORE RESPONSIBLE AMERICA THAN BITING THE BULLET AND FACING OUR PROBLEMS HEAD ON - NO MORE BORROWING.... NO MORE ADDING TO THE DEBT?

The president wants a $2.4 trillion debt-ceiling increase to get him past next year's election - and the deal he's proposing is based on promised future cuts paired with substantial tax increases...

* "FUTURE CUTS." RIGHT. HAS HE OR HAS HE NOT BEEN PRESIDENT SINCE JANUARY 2009?

* FOLKS... IN CASE ANY OF YOU ARE UNAWARE... THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE HAS NOT PASSED A FULL-YEAR "NEW, FROM SCRATCH" BUDGET IN OVER 800 DAYS... (IN CASE ANYONE NEEDS A REFRESHER, THERE ARE 365 DAYS IN A NORMAL YEAR...)

The president has made a bipartisan agreement even more difficult by declaring certain spending off-limits to cuts. Mr. Obama's "untouchable" list includes his $1 trillion health-care reform, $128 billion in unspent stimulus funds, education and training outlays, his $53 billion high-speed rail proposal, spending on "green" jobs and student loans, and virtually any structural changes to entitlements except further squeezing payments to doctors, hospitals and health-care professionals.

* FOLKS... REMEMBER THE CANDIDATE OBAMA WHO PROMISED THAT IF ELECTED HE'D GO THROUGH THE FEDERAL BUDGET LINE BY LINE? (*SNORT*) WELL GUESS WHAT? (READ ON...)

[T]he $4 trillion in deficit reduction that Mr. Obama talks about is shy on details. No one who's attended his frequent negotiating sessions knows what his proposal really is.

* IF MEMORY SERVES, THE LAST TIME THE PRESIDENT PROPOSED A SPENDING BLUEPRINT (BUDGET) IT WAS REJECTED IN THE SENATE 93-0. FOLKS... DEMS CONTROL THE SENATE...!!! (*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)

Mr. Obama has offered no evidence since becoming president that he wants to restrain the upward trajectory of government spending. He does want higher taxes to pay for significantly higher federal spending. But he wants Republicans to deliver the tax increases, since Democrats couldn't pass them last year despite controlling both chambers of Congress.

William R. Barker said...

* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304911104576443543371072976.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

After sending up a budget in February that would only add to government spending and deficits, President Obama has now come around to the view that "it is a moral imperative to tackle our debt and deficits in a serious way."

(*SNORT*)

Both sides have to make sacrifices, he says.

* UM-HMM...

But the absence of any written budgetary documents and the closed-door nature of the negotiating sessions make it impossible to tell which side is being "serious" and which side is being intransigent.

Instead of specific proposals, scored by the CBO and open to examination by press and public, we get vague generalities about "trillions" of dollars in supposed savings based on who-knows-what changes in policy.

[T]his budgetary game of chicken is contrary to law.

* AND YET HERE WE ARE... (*SIGH*)

In 1974, Congress enacted the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act, which sets specific deadlines and procedures for raising revenue, setting spending priorities, and adjusting the debt limit - all in the sunshine of public scrutiny, with objective evaluation of all plans by the CBO. The president must submit a proposed budget "on or before" the first Monday in February. The CBO then has until Feb. 15 to score the proposal in accordance with criteria set by the statute.

President Obama met the deadline, but his proposed budget was so out of touch with economic and political realities that the Senate rejected it by a vote of 97-0.

* AH...! THAT WAS IT - 97-0... NOT 93-0... SORRY FOR CITING THE WRONG FIGURE IN THE PREVIOUS NEWSBITE.

In April, the president changed course and made a speech in which he proposed a new "plan" he claimed would decrease the deficit. The terms were so vague that CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf told Congress he could not score it.

* FOLKS... I KEEP TELLING YOU... I COULDN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP IF I TRIED!

* To be continued...

William R. Barker said...

* CONTINUING... (Part 2 of 2)

The Budget Act requires the Budget Committees of both the House and the Senate to hold hearings on the proposal, allowing testimony on the budget from the administration, "national organizations" and the "general public." This guarantees transparency and democratic accountability, which have been sorely lacking in the recent closed-door negotiating sessions.

By April 1, according to the Budget Act, the House and the Senate must either adopt the president's budget or put forward an alternative. The House and Senate reports must detail any differences from the president's budget and explain the "economic assumptions" underlying them. By April 15, Congress must adopt a concurrent resolution embodying a congressional budget. Appropriations bills must stay within this budget or be subject to a point of order.

The [Republican controlled] House of Representatives complied with the law, passing a budget that would reduce spending by an estimated $5.8 trillion over 10 years according to the CBO.

The [Democrat controlled] Senate has not passed a budget.

In fact, the [Democrat controlled] Senate has not passed a budget since 2009.

* ...AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED.

This defiance of the Budget Act is responsible for the current blamefest in Washington.

* SO LET'S THROW ALL THE SENATE DEMOCRATS IN JAIL! (*RUEFUL CHUCKLE*) OH... SORRY... I FORGOT; A LAW IS ONLY "A LAW" IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT IF THE LAWBREAKER IS A COMMON CITIZEN. IF YOU'RE HARRY REID AND COMPANY... (*SIGH*)... LAWS DON'T APPLY TO YOU.

The law was intended to bring transparency and timeliness to debates over taxing and spending. All proposals are public, and all are scored by the CBO according to the same metric. This makes it difficult for politicians to shift blame. This year, without a genuine presidential budget, or any Senate budget, the negotiations are shrouded in fog. The president may tell press conferences that he proposed $3 trillion in spending reductions, but there is no way to know what that means without a budget.

* FOLKS... ARE YOU FOLLOWING? (NOTE: THANKS TO THE CORRUPT MEDIA AND EDUCRATS, NOT MANY AMERICANS KNOW ANY OF THIS.)

To give some pertinent examples: We have no way of knowing whether the president's claimed reduction in deficit spending is based on current spending or on projected spending. The difference is probably about $1.8 trillion over 10 years.

(*HEADACHE*)

Likewise, we have no way of knowing whether the proposed spending cuts are real. All too often in past budget deals, the "spending cuts" were based on gimmicks, or on promises of future cuts that never actually were made. For example, Congress has promised to pay doctors, hospitals and drug companies less for performing the same [Medicare/Medicaid] services. This never really happens.

(*NOD*) (*SHRUG*)

The House budget contains a specific proposal for reducing the future cost of Medicare. The administration prefers an expert commission that will supposedly find hundreds of billions of dollars in painless savings from undisclosed changes. A real budget would specify the changes so that the public could compare the two alternatives.

If the president would put his plan into budgetary language, as the House already has done, and make it available to the CBO, the public could readily see who is being serious in the negotiations. We would know whether we have been offered a bracing helping of peas, or a misleading mess of pottage. As it is, the president has put a covered dish on the table and, thanks to noncompliance with the Budget Act, we do not know what it contains.

* AND, FOLKS... (*SIGH*)... IT'S ALL DELIBERATE. OBAMA AND SENATE DEMS ARE PLAYING US... AND THANKS TO THE CORRUPT MEDIA AND EDUCRATS... TO A LARGE EXTENT HE'S GETTING AWAY WITH IT.