Democrats versus Republicans

[PBzeer]

More shennigans from Obama supporters:
UMass chaplain fails in effort to boost Barack Obama’s chances - BostonHerald.com

[erps]

More shennigans from Obama supporters:
UMass chaplain fails in effort to boost Barack Obama’s chances - BostonHerald.com

Geez, why don't they just pay money for the votes and save all those kids the time of having to sit in that crook's classroom.

BTW, I was under the impression that entities granted the privilege of using public air waves for broad casting were obligated to give equal time to candidates. Anyone know if that's the case?

[PBzeer]

Ray - you're thinking of te Fairness Doctrine. This was suspended back in he 80's, though it still remains on the books, and will most likely be re-instated if Obama wins, as that is the only way they can silence talk radio.

The principle behind it is that when there were far fewer radio and tv stations brodcasting, that stations should provide time for rebuttals to political content. With deregulation of the communications industry, and the rapid expansion of tv and radio stations, the lack of available venues was no longer an issue.

[erps]

Thanks John,

I listen to NPR almost every week day. I've been hearing fluff pieces on Obama and I keep missing the ones on McCain. They must schedule those around 3:00 AM.

[PBzeer]

I like listening at 3 am cause it's nothing but music

[PBzeer]

After taking last month off, even though the appropriation bills necessary to keep the government running were unpassed, we are now down to 3 days left to conclude the necessary legislation .... as well as the bailout .... before they take the next 3 months off.

Even if brought up today, that leaves only two days to review, debate, and understand what they are voting on (except for the small cabal of Dems who are writing the legislation).

Sadly, this is not the exception, but the rule for both parties. It's a prescription for not just unexamined legislation, but also the pathway to pork and other legislation that could never pass on it's own merits. This is how spending gets out of control. In the Defense appropriations there is $5 billion of earmarks that will never see the scrutiny of the public before they are passed.

While Congress is busy passing new regulations on the economic sector, perhaps they need to be doing the same on their own activities.

[chucklesR]

This is worth posting here and in the market crash thread:
Obama may break bent economy - BostonHerald.com

Whatever is left of the economy after the current round of crisis interventions by the Fed could go down the drain if Barack Obama is elected and carries out his plans for sharp increases in taxation. Even if Obama does not understand the linkage, most Americans do and will turn sharply against Obama’s tax plans if John McCain hammers away at the risk they pose for us all.

During the Great Depression, Congress raised taxes sharply in the Revenue Act of 1932. The top rate went from 25 percent to 63 percent. As a result, the real Gross Domestic Product dropped by 13.3 percent and unemployment rose from 15.9 percent to 23.6 percent.

In 1990, the first President Bush famously broke his “read my lips, no new taxes” pledge of 1988 and raised the federal gasoline tax and federal excise taxes, and imposed a 10-percent surtax on the top income bracket, raising its taxes to 31 percent. The recession that followed in 1991-1992 cost him re-election.

It is obvious that increasing capital gains taxes by a minimum of one-third and possibly doubling them, both of which Obama has proposed, would send a signal to investors to keep their money under the mattress. Who would buy stock knowing that the tax on any profits he or she will make is going to go up sharply if Obama becomes president?

Look at what happened just last year in Michigan. Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm raised taxes on almost everything. Income taxes shot up 11.5 percent, and the state’s 6 percent sales tax was expanded to dozens of new services, like investment advice, janitorial services, landscaping, ski lifts and carpet cleaning.

The $1.75 billion tax package shook the economy to its foundations. Michigan became the only one of the 50 states with a shrinking gross domestic product. The value of all goods and services produced in the state fell by 0.5 percent, while the national GDP rose by 3.4 percent. The state fell from 23rd in GDP to 35th. Taxes caused a disaster.

In a strong economy, Obama’s proposed tax increases would raise questions. In a weak economy, they portend a catastrophe. It would be like bleeding a sick patient, the medicine of 200 years ago, depriving him of blood even as he needs more, not less, circulating through his arteries.

McCain’s populist rhetoric, including his pledge to fire Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox is important for a Republican candidate. But his focus should shift to the tax issue. With firms suffering, withering and dying for a lack of capital, tax increases on those who invest would be a horrible mistake.

Americans will realize this obvious fact, and McCain should use it to gain the advantage in discussing the economy.

There is no reason for the economy to work to Obama’s advantage when he is committed to a doctrinaire program of tax increases and spending hikes. McCain can use the issue to run rings around him.

[primerate84]

This was one of comments that followed the article about the chaplain buying votes through student credit hours at UMass. It puts the democratic platform in basic terms:

"Let me give you an analogy of our upcoming brain trust coming out of college: Father/Daughter Talk: A young woman was about to finish her first year of college Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth..She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, 'How is your friend Audrey doing?' She replied, 'Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.' Her wise father asked his daughter, 'Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.' The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, 'That's a crazy idea, and how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!' The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, 'Welcome to the Republican party'. THIS explains politics in simple terms that even a Democrat can understand."

[chucklesR]

Ah Shucks PrimeRate84, you made it so simple you shut them up, now we have no one to play with.

[erps]

'Welcome to the Republican party'. THIS explains politics in simple terms that even a Democrat can understand."

Priceless.