Posted on 01/16/2012 9:00:16 PM PST by TBBT
Newt Gingrich was as tough as nails, and deserved extra praise for not taking Juan Williams’s race-baiting. “No, I don’t see that.” Every person who believes in a color-blind society, especially tonight, ought to thank Newt for that. He then went on to show (again) he will be able to challenge President Barack Obama on nearly every fact and anecdote that could come up should they ever debate. The standing ovation he received was more than well deserved. To paraphrase a little: When he is right, he is great. The ongoing problem is when he is wrong. But tonight he was right — about a lot, and said it better than anyone.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
“... then what has he said or written that he will cut baseline, year to year, Federal spending?”
What does it matter what he said?
That’s the whole point about Romney and his hacks. They will figure out what you want to hear and then they will say it! And they will do this to each key group so that there will be a variety of answers leaving Romney with an image of being all things to all people.
Every Perry gaff would be magnified mercilessly by the press. He's a good man but he cannot fully articulate without stumbling over himself. Once you have "gaffer" tattooed on your forehead that is all they are going to focus on. They did it to Bush and they would do it worse to Perry. Sorry, we need someone that can deliver a knock out punch.
Those four years of so-called balanced budget were on the backs of adding federal payroll tax revenues (Social Security, Medicare etc.) to the general budget.
As much as I have liked Newt for his ability to belt the ball out of the political park, and as much as I have come to pray that Newt takes down Romney, Newt is shrewd enough in politics to take credit for a mirage the same as Romney.
The fact is that while the GOP Congress of Newt’s tenure was ‘balancing’ the budget, the telltale sign of a mirage was in watching the National Debt increase.
Other factors that led to balanced budgets were Clinton’s reckless refinancing of the 30 year debt to the lower interest 5 year debt and the internet revolution spurring the stock market to new heights adding considerable capital gain tax revenues to the federal coffers.
So although you may be off in praising Newt on balancing a budget, you have done a yeoman’s job at bringing to light the true nature of Bain Capital and their standard bearer Romney.
The way I would characterize Romney’s bellowing his accomplishment at Bain Capital is to say that it is no different than a ‘vulture standing tall with belly full”.
Capitalism is a good thing for people but Vulturism is not one of its prime attributes. In fact Newt would do well to educate (and he is a superb educator) that Capitalism is distinct from its evil twin of Vulturism, and that Bain Capital should change its name to what it truly represents, Bain Vulturism.
However this election cycle turns out, we have to address the serious problem of open primaries that allow Democrats to choose Rino candidates for us. One grassroots solution in the states with initiative power is to gather enough signatures to get it on the ballot, FORCING state Republican leaders to set stricter rules forbidding crossover votes.
Another fatal problem is our tendency to run multiple conservatives who divide the vote, leaving the liberal to win with a fraction of the total vote.
Frankly, I am steamed at the Republican party for getting us into this mess.
Newt, the Gotcha King got off a few tonight and everyone bows down. Not a quality on my short list of presidential requirements.
Us old time FRs don’t have short lists, but very long lists.
Maybe we could use your short list to reduce the size of our longs lists.
I notice you have not been around here very long and you might have some good ideas that we can smear Newt with too.
/Sarc
If that spoonfed company raider with the racist church (er, I mean Romney, not Obama!) wins the nomination, Team Obama will scorch his earth.
We need to cut the RNC completely off until these primaries are closed. It is up to the states, but the RNC can make them squeal like pigs until they straighten up their act. No more ‘open primaries’.
Exactly, and I would suggest that it’s time for Perry’s supporters to reach the same conclusion.
Excellent news about Newt Gingrich’s debate win. Mr. Gingrich is our last, best hope to defeat Mitt Romney.
” - - - Where have you been? “
I have been watching the Total National Debt get larger EVERY year including the six F 111 accounting change that “balanced” LBJ’s only balanced budget, and Zipper-Boy’s “balanced” budget years.
Unless year-to-year, Baseline Spending is reduced, the National Debt Clock will keep on showing our Total National Debt increasing.
If I am in error on any of the above, then prove me wrong with the facts.
At lelast one media outlet got it right.
” - - - What does it matter what he said?”
If a politician does not say, or does not write that he will cut Baseline Federal Spending, then I assume that he not only has NO plans to do so, but that he is not even AWARE that it is a problem to even think about.
Pre-FDR, the word “Liberal” meant someone who is generous. FDR was a Socialist, so he could not call his “New Deal” a Socialist movement, so he used the term “Liberal” instead, thus changing the meaning of a perfectly good word into the disastrous term that it is today.
The “Liberal” solution from FDR to now is to “keep throwing money at the problem until it goes away.” Now, 15 TRILLION dollars in debt, the Liberals are scraping their fecal Federal fingers bloody at the bottom of the Federal Empty Reserve barrel. Their solution? Easy, just keep on making the barrel bigger by increasing the National Debt Ceiling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only by reducing the size and spending of the US Federal Government will America be able to heal itself from the death grip of the Fecal Federal Touch.
My hypothesis is that politicians who do not recognize that America has a problem caused by limitless Federal spending are “Liberals” in the FDR sense of the word. Romney, to me, appears to be a Liberal.
BTW, you and I are probably on the same page on what a politician is: “A politician is anyone whose word cannot be trusted.” Remember GHWB? “Read my lips, no new taxes.”
” - - - The fact is that while the GOP Congress of Newt’s tenure was ‘balancing’ the budget, the telltale sign of a mirage was in watching the National Debt increase.”
Well said.
The ONLY way to watch the Total National Debt decrease is to cut year-to-year, Baseline Federal spending.
Another reason Romney holds off, he is paying taxes at only 15% rate same as the hedge fund guys. This rate is for carried interest. No proof but lots of speculation that Romney is paying that rate. Would be conformed (or proved false) if Romney releases tax returns. More ammunition for Axelrod and the ignoramuses at occupy Wall Street crowd.... and for people who hate banksters in general.
“If a politician does not say, or does not write that he will cut Baseline Federal Spending, then I assume that he not only has NO plans to do so, but that he is not even AWARE that it is a problem to even think about.”
You didn’t get it.
OF COURSE Romney said that he will cut federal spending because it is what you wanted to hear.
But it does not matter what he says because he is all things to all people.
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Excellent post (post 44)!
Can Santorum beat this monster?
NO. He cannot.
We need a brave, strong man with the intellect, experience and debating skills to bring down the Marxist/Muslim.
Newt has proven he is that man.
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For me, the big story was how disappointing Rick Santorum came off. “Means testing” social security? That’s a loser. And his answers about some of his votes, especially “right to work”, were lame.
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Santorum needs to get out.
Santorum:
Voted AGAINST increasing the number of immigration investigators:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00201
VOTED AGAINST HIRING AN ADDITIONAL 1,000 BORDER PATROL AGENTS, paid for by reductions in state grants.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00179
VOTED TO GIVE SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=105&session=1&vote=00058
Voted to allow illegal immigrants to receive the earned income credit before becoming citizens.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00154
SANTORUM: Trim Social Security now- even if painful.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j7O34Bpp42k-IlMMNiOLBkYF2zNw?docId=b1cff9ecefe24ca6ae1764a09761e361
VOTED AGAINST FOOD STAMP REFORM
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00353
VOTED AGAINST MEDICAID REFORM
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00352
Voted to increase the social services block grant from $1 BILLION to $2 BILLION
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=1&vote=00302
VOTED TO RAID SOCIAL SECURITY instead of using surpluses to pay down the debt.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=2&vote=00056
Voted to impose a uniform federal tax mandate on states to force them to allow convicted , rapists, arsonists drug kingpins and all other ex-convicts to vote in federal elections.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00031
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The vest projects a mama’s boy who likes to avoid playing softball with the neighbor kids and stay in the kitchen with his mother, so he can lick the frosting from her cooking bowl.
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“The ONLY way to watch the Total National Debt decrease is to cut year-to-year, Baseline Federal spending.”
Not true.
If federal tax revenue is used to pay down the National Debt, then of course the National Debt decreases, as long as new debt is not added.
National Debt in the form of treasury bills, bonds and all other federal instruments of debt will stay steady as long as the interest on it is paid and no new debt is added for example, no new treasury bond sales.
If the federal government were to cut a federal program and use all the savings or reallocate all to paying off federal debt, there would be no net reduction in federal spending.
The only way to see National Debt decrease while at the same time observe a reduction in overall federal spending is to pay off some national debt with SOME savings from cutting overall federal spending.
Consumer example: Joe spends all of his paycheck every payday. Joe has a balance of $1000 of debt on his credit card because of excessive spending over the holidays. Joe decides to return to his pre-holiday spending level so he decides to spend only his paycheck and not use his credit card but he wants to pay down his credit card by $200. Joe must find $200 in normal spending patterns to allocate for paying down his debt.
Has Joe reduced his spending? No, he is spending the same paycheck but part of his spending is being used to pay down his debt.
Government example: Program X costs 300 billion per year. Government decides to pay down 50 billion in bonds that were originally sold to fund Program X. Government decides to cut Program X by 50 billion to pay for the reduction in its debt.
Government spends 250 billion + 50 billion
250 billion for Program X and
50 billion for retiring debt from Program X.
But government is STILL SPENDING 300 billion in relation to Program X.
The way government cuts both spending AND debt is to cut further Program Z and not use any of the savings towards anything else.
At Pre-Obama spending levels, it would take possibly 30 years to paydown half the debt upon reallocating about 20% of federal spending to retiring debt.
Now here’s a question for you: what percentages of debt must be retired in order to keep federal government functioning adequately? This is a rhetorical question of sorts because it is too difficult for most of us to answer accurately without data and time to make the accounting.
Because the thing to keep in mind is that a fair percentage now of federal spending is allocated to interest on the national debt and you cannot cut this interest expense to use to pay down debt. The cuts have to be found elsewhere.
But once debt is cut there should be reductions in interest expense and so there is a snowball effect there that is possible.
Tough nut to crack, hence my tagline.
The absolute best way to get the ball rolling on this discussion is to get behind a movement to repeal the 16th Amendment and enact H.R. 25. To this end please read and study the following:
http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_faq
Did you see this?
See post 34
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