Posted on 10/22/2014 8:57:13 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
With the midterm elections approaching, Texas senator Ted Cruz penned an editorial in USA Today this week detailing what he’d like a potential Republican-controlled Congress to prioritize in 2015. As you might expect, the list is full of Tea Party staples: repealing Obamacare, cutting taxes, and slashing funding for federal programs. What makes Cruz’s list of Congressional priorities interesting is that it essentially previews what a Cruz 2016 presidential campaign agenda might look like–and it’s not pretty.
As Ted Cruz’s multiple trips to Iowa have suggested, Texas’ junior senator is all-but-confirmed to be running for president in 2016. Though his latest editorial is seemingly a guide for the next Congress, it reads as a list of Cruz’s own personal ambitions. He even references what he believes a newly elected Republican president will do in 2017.
Cruz’s list hits all the talking points he’s perfected over the last two years he’s spent in the Senate running his pre-presidential campaign. He’s big on cutting taxes, arguing for a regressive flat tax to replace all existing taxes. Cruz also wants to abolish the IRS, instead wanting to make taxes “so simple that they could be filled out on a postcard.” If you’re worried about how the government will be able to fund programs that help millions of Americans under a Cruz tax system, don’t be–he also wants to slash government funding for everything, so there won’t be any programs left to fund.
A Cruz presidency would also leave the environment in total disrepair. Cruz’s big suggestion for revitalizing the job market is to get rid of all environmental regulations and open up more jobs in fossil fuel for everyone. He is in favor of building the Keystone XL pipeline, and wants to open up even more protected land for oil exploration. Additionally, Cruz is a proponent of fracking, which he calls “innovative energy technology,” and he wants to stop fracking from being “handcuffed by the federal government.” And of course, he also wants to get rid of regulations on coal production, too.
The item Cruz spends the most time on is, unsurprisingly, Obamacare by any means necessary. Cruz suggests that Congress should continue to waste time and money voting on bills to repeal the Affordable Care Act, because 40+ failed votes and millions of dollars spent apparently isn’t enough for him. Cruz even acknowledges that President Obama will likely veto all the ACA repeal bills, but argues that Republican electoral success in 2014 will leave Democrats feeling threatened enough to vote in favor of repealing Obamacare.
Cruz’s discussion of Obamacare is also where he hints most directly at what he’d do as president, writing, “In 2017, I believe a Republican president will repeal Obamacare in its entirety. It’s obvious that the Republican president Cruz is referring to is himself, and that his first priority will be leaving millions of Americans without healthcare.
For those who stand in the way of this extreme right-wing agenda, Cruz has strong words:
"We will either pass a serious agenda to address the real priorities of the American people — protecting our constitutional rights and pulling us back from the fiscal and economic cliff — or the Democrats will filibuster or veto these bills. And, if they do so, we will have transparency and accountability for the very next election."
As Rebecca Nelson at the National Journal translated:
"In other words, the GOP is ready to paint its opponents as unwilling to compromise or get things done. And that strategy should give Cruz a solid foundation for a presidential campaign."
Cruz’s strategy for his 2016 campaign is becoming apparent, and Democrats should take note. It’s clear that he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his presidential ambitions, embracing all kinds of extremism in his attempts to woo the Republican base. But whether that strategy will actually get him elected remains to be seen, and for everyone’s sake, let’s hope it doesn’t.
The question here isn't what's currently legal/illegal, but about what ought to be: the philosophy underlying jurisprudence.
I notice you don't answer the question: does the serving of a sentence pay one's debt to society or not?
This is a general question, not a specific one — Reiterating: If a sentence does not pay one's debt to society
, then what is its purpose?
I loathe withholding -- I can't see how it's not either outright theft, or forcing the employer to commit fraud.
(The taking of the money occurs before it is in the hand
of the employee, so either it has been stolen "in transit" between employer and employee, OR the employer pays less than the agreed/proper amount to the employee.)
To which I would, purge the voter rolls, and start all over again, requiring each potential voter to prove residency, citizenship, and the mental capacity to be a competent voter, as well as the ability to read, write, and speak English. And let’s raise the voting age back up to 21 (personally I would prefer 51.)
> Cruz sounds like a reasonable man, a breath of fresh air after breathing Obama’s toxic pollution. I can’t imagine why the snot-nosed author of this whine is complaining.
Because she is a young, indoctrinated Obamabot who “loves” him because she was told he was the next best thing next to Crisco and because he’s black which makes him “diverse” and a rock star. His lack of experience, questionable background, lies and deception, and horrendous track record will have absolutely no affect on a brainless Obamabot. There is no reasoning with them. All of their decisions are based on emotion and not logic or reason; a weakness that makes them easy to manipulate and exploit.
Liberals simply cannot abide the notion that Americans might control America.
“Can I add. End Social Security. “
Just as soon as they pay me back all the money that has been placed in my account for the last 50 years.
But Katie’s bio says she’s for ‘public health,’ whatever that is.
Perhaps she checks rest stop toilets for cleanliness?
She looks as crazy as she sounds.
More people have lost their insurance than have signed up for obamneycare. And even those who did did not get "healthcare". They got a premium payment with a high deductible and few if any doctors who will accept them. Millions LOST healthcare because of obamneycare.
Let’s go back to the original intent of eligible voters - people who have skin in the game: property owners.
Another article from a delusional idiot
I am confused. Is this a campaign ad FOR Cruz?
Katie? You mean Gummie!
Cruz should have this hysterical harridan write all his campaign materials ...
All the more reason to write him in if the GOP goes RINO Squish on us.
Cruz/Allen West... or Walker/Cruz... or Cruz/Walker...
I’m there.
It’s even more beautiful than first thought.
“The stars... oh my God... the stars”
Seriously.
1) arguing for a regressive flat tax to replace all existing taxes.
Great idea! That way EVERYONE can pay their “fair share”. And it’s FAIR. Imagine that!
2) leave the environment in total disrepair.
How? By getting out of the way of energy companies, and fostering energy independence for the country? It’s not in an oil companies interest to allow an oil spill from a broken pipeline to contaminate the water, ground, etc. That’s dollars lost. And that’s exactly opposite of what the companies stockholders want.
3) repeal the Affordable Care Act, because 40+ failed votes and millions of dollars spent apparently isn’t enough
Yup. Because Billions (with a B) wasted setting up “exchanges” that don’t work, raising the costs for everyone, and passing bills into law that no one has signed is good enough?
4) GOP is ready to paint its opponents as unwilling to compromise or get things done. And that strategy should give Cruz a solid foundation for a presidential campaign
Because the Democrats ARE unwilling to compromise on anything. Just as they are intolerant of anyone who disagrees with them (Christians, mainly).
Frankly, I am hopeful Sen. Cruz gets elected. *IF* he does, we have a fighting change to make this country great again. If he doesn’t, it’s not looking good.
The lampstand will be removed. That shining city on a hill will go dark. And the last, best hope on the planet (Jesus is THE last, best, and only hope, after all), will be extinguished.
I’m ok with early voting. In fact, I plan to do just that next week - vote early. Why? Makes it quicker, and easier for me, and my neighbors, to get in, vote, and get to work to support the leeches in our society.
Leni
Well the bad news is you don't have an account. They spent your money and everyone else's buying votes.
The way to end it is to end it for people that are just starting to work. Slowly increasing the percentage of their money that actually does go directly into a personal account and phasing out SS payments to the government.
No matter how it's done, it has to happen. Social security and other taxes is the REASON people can't accumulate enough wealth to quit working.
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