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[Frenchfry]

Check out the opinion from a moron in Luna Pier:

Needed to save the USA (Luna Pier)
2011-05-15

To save the USA we must:

* Close the borders immediately

* Re-instate slavery or give plane ticket out.

* Exterminate islam

* Re-write the constitution to address modern situations.

* Institute marshal law for 10 years

* mandatory military service for all at age 17yrs

* Remove restraints on Police RE: civil rights, miranda rights etc.

After this is done, perhaps we can undue the damage done by liberal bleeding hearts.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/rnr/2382040444.html

[Frenchfry]

Democracy is a liberal value.  Preserving what works is what used to be a conservative one.  Oligarchic nihilism is a Republican value.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/16/michigan-poll-corporate-tax-cut-labor/

[Frenchfry]

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/2404888640.html

[Frenchfry]

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/rnr/2406894855.html

[Frenchfry]

Republican jobs 'plan': More of the same old voodoo economics nonsense

Yes, the GOP really said its economics plan is for 'job creators'

Note:
Academic books pack about 600 words to a page. Normal books clock in around 400. Large-print books -- you know, the ones for kids or the visually impaired -- fit about 250. The House GOP's jobs plan, however, gets about 200 words to a page. The typeface is fit for giants, and the document's 10 pages are mostly taken up by pictures. It looks like the staffer in charge forgot the assignment was due on Thursday rather than Friday, and so cranked the font up to 24 and began dumping clip art to pad out the plan.

Which is odd, because there's nothing in this plan that hasn't been in a thousand other plans.

There isn't a single new idea in the GOP jobs plan, and its biggest idea of all--cutting taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations--is just an amplified version of the same tax policies that helped get us into our current mess. Perhaps most telling of all, Republicans say their plan is a plan for "jobs creators," as if current economic policy is too heavily focused on job seekers. They fundamentally believe that the only thing that matters is the supply-side and that Keynesian economics is fraud, and nothing, not even the fact that time after time their ideas are debunked by reality, they keep on coming back for more of the same. It never changes.

I can't lie, Republican tears sustain me.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/rnr/2406152120.html

[Frenchfry]

Republican record of failed economic policies

Why did the Tea Party support or produce only Republican/conservative candidates? While trying to say they are a grassroots organization, their very beginning disproves that. If their goals involve U.S. budget deficits and the national debt, there, too, they are amateurish, redundant and superfluous.

First, the beginning of the Tea Party phenomenon.

One Dick Armey provided the impetus and cash to start the movement. That’s the same Republican ex-congressman credited with politicking with President Clinton to deregulate the banks and financial industry. Imagine Republican George Bush starting to bail out the "too big to fail" institutions with the Troubled Asset Recovery Program because of the Republican craze to deregulate this, deregulate that. It was the apex of the Dick Armey success. There’s another agenda going on here.

Dick is not just a Republican operative, he’s also a paid lobbyist. As the old saying goes, it’s easier to lobby successfully with congressmen of your own party — and doubly so if you personally get him elected. So he needed a vehicle to ride in the parade.

The fertilized grassroots Tea Party apparently never heard of or didn’t find appealing the Concord Coalition. Started in 1992 by a Republican senator and a Democratic senator, bipartisanship has been a necessary principle for this basically grassroots operation. Its online site lists many activities. Its major action is to educate the public about the growing deficit/debt albatross hanging around our necks. It’s amazing that this group’s efforts were never mentioned by the Tea Party.

What else did it miss? Where is its wrath pointed? In the wrong direction!

Here’s what was missed: from the U.S. budget and deficit charts, a lengthy view, time-wise, of obvious disturbances from 1968 through 2008. No momentary abnormality lasts that long.

The 12 years of Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter had several major problems. That was the last six years of our involvement in Vietnam and two crippling, economy-changing oil embargoes. Through all this the average yearly deficit was $42 billion. Immediately following was the first of two undeniable screw-ups.

Along comes the Hollywood actor and a new economics. Reaganomics was applied supply-side, unproven, never-before-tried, illogical economics. The results speak for themselves. The 12 years of Reagan and Bush I produced yearly average deficits of $204 billion!

Next, a complete reversal of economic performance. Starting from a $203 billion deficit the Clinton presidency went forward to post surpluses for four consecutive years. Incredibly, the eight-year average comes out as a $7 billion surplus! Read the federal abstracts all the way back to 1790 and name the terms with such an impressive turnabout. The president’s message that came with the 2001 budget proposal had growing surpluses through 2006. And even more remarkable, the publicly held national debt actually went down during this presidency. "As the night follows the day."

A year later, remember the "tax giveback" because we were being overtaxed? Along came the first of several tax policy changes. We went back to the unproven supply-side economics. Eight years later we are in a record-setting recession: G.W. Bush started The Troubled Asset Recovery Program to save the financial institutions one Dick Armey succeeded in deregulating. They were front and center in the public trough. In total, this two-term presidency produced average yearly deficits of $403 billion. His last budget was minus-$1.413 trillion. What happened?

While reading the federal budget abstracts I recommend copying the makeup of Congress for each of the above 40 years. That way you can avoid being further duped, duped and re-duped by the power mongers.

One more minor point. When asked about class warfare, Warren Buffet, a classic example of American success, replied, "Yes there is class warfare and we’re winning." What could that mean?

In 1960 the top 3 percent of incomes paid 40 percent in income taxes. In the early ’80s the top 3 percent paid 30 percent in income taxes. By 2007 the top 3 percent paid just 16.5 percent — less than the majority of workers and those with earned incomes. The wealth is rising to the top as never before.

During this time while taxes plunged for the top incomes, the number of new jobs did not improve one iota. In fact, that time period saw the U.S. lose tens of millions of good-paying jobs with decent benefits. But places overseas saw humongous growth.

The next time some raving conservative tells you cutting taxes on the wealthy produces job, ask them where.
http://www.newsherald.com/articles/party-90270-tea-republican.html

[Frenchfry]

Debt Statistics: Why Do Republican Policies Always Create A Total Economic Disaster?
http://debtask.com/2671/republican-policies-create-total-economic-disaster/

[Frenchfry]

Buy A Gun (Police Force Laid Off)
The mayor in Alto Texas suggested citizens purchase guns to defend themselves in light of that fact that the town was forced to lay off the entire police force due to budget problems.

TX Mayor: Buy A Gun (Police Force Laid Off)

Great example of what happens when spending is reduced.

[Frenchfry]

Sluggish fundraising may signal enthusiasm gap for GOP
July 10, 2011

After taking the House last November in a wave of conservative opposition to President Obama, Republicans now appear to be struggling to match the financial muscle of Democrats heading into the 2012 elections.

The six GOP presidential candidates who have announced results raised a combined $35 million through June 30, including about $18 million by presumed front-runner Mitt Romney. In 2007, Republican candidates had raised more than $118 million by the same stage of the race, according to a new analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics.

The sluggish pace complicates Republican efforts to unseat Obama, and it suggests GOP donors simply might be less enthusiastic than their Democratic rivals. The Obama campaign is expected to report raising at least $60 million -- and perhaps as much as $80 million -- in conjunction with the national party.

Republican strategists and donors attribute the pace to a combination of factors, including a weak economy. But many GOP advisers also acknowledge that the numbers show a remarkable lack of excitement for the current Republican field.

Many wealthy GOP donors have remained on the sidelines waiting to see whether another candidate such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry might enter the fray.

"Everyone is looking for Superman," said Brian Ballard, who was a national finance co-chairman for Sen. John McCain's 2008 run and has not committed to a 2012 candidate. "I don't think there is any other candidate who is going to come in and change the ultimate result, although Governor Perry could raise money."

It is early in the election cycle, and things could change. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is expected to report strong fundraising totals later this month based on her appeal among tea party voters. And a pro-Romney "super PAC" has raised $12 million in unlimited donations - money that will provide a de facto boost to his campaign.

Nonetheless, the disappointing GOP numbers come as welcome news for Democrats, who are bracing for an extremely difficult election amid persistently high unemployment and slow economic growth.

"It feels like they haven't quite found a horse in this race," said Jamal Simmons, a veteran aide to several Democratic presidential campaigns. "Romney is far ahead of his opponents, but he's going to be lapped by all accounts by Obama."

Obama advisers had vowed earlier to raise at least $60 million in combined fundraising with the Democratic National Committee in the second quarter, and the total is likely to go well beyond that amount. The campaign says it took in more than 480,000 contributions overall, more than twice the number four years ago.

Richard L. Hasen, a campaign-finance expert at the University of California at Irvine, said economics can't fully account for the GOP woes. "If Obama's numbers are good, that would tend to suggest the downturn explanation is less important than an enthusiasm gap," he said.

Top Republicans insist that party activists are excited about the prospect of defeating Obama. And one Romney campaign aide said "we are very pleased with the total" raised.

Other Republicans also note the contest has developed far more slowly than in 2007, when several candidates were running full-blown campaigns by March.

"We are probably at least six months behind where we were in 2007,"said Saul Anuzis, the former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. "Our nominating process is very conservative and not just in the political sense. We are methodical and slow-moving in that respect."

Longtime GOP donor Fred Malek, who is sitting on the sidelines in the presidential race to raise money for the Republican Governors Association, agreed: "A lot of people are waiting to see a complete field and I think that's completely understandable."

Both Romney and Pawlenty have long been meeting potential bundlers in anticipation of White House runs. Romney has been courting the party's major donors now for more than half a decade. By this time in 2007, he had raised nearly $38 million from donors, more than twice his current figure.

Some strategists said the new super PACs - which provide a vehicle for wealthy donors to spend an unlimited amount of money - might also be siphoning off support from traditional campaigns.

"A lot of typically big-dollar GOP funders, rather than donating to a candidate, are giving money to the new super PACs where they can give big dollars ... and not get burned by being with the wrong candidate," said Mark McKinnon, a GOP strategist and former McCain adviser. "Later they can give to the nominee once there is one."
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/elections/article_a379dc0f-b1d1-51af-89e5-4ebc7021eb7d.html

[Frenchfry]

Newts new first lady
Love at first sight.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/rnr/2823529632.html

[Frenchfry]

[Frenchfry]

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3036088973.html

[Frenchfry]

The Score So Far
Since 1900, Democratic presidents have produced a 12.3 percent annual return on the S&P 500, Republicans only 8 percent. GDP growth since 1930 is 5.4 percent for Democratic presidents and 1.6 percent for Republicans.

Sorry, no cartoon. Just facts.
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3124337445.html


They're in a blind trust
There are still more questions than answers, but these occur to me:

* Did Mitt Romney have any of these offshore investments before he put his holdings into a blind trust? If so, that would expose his statement today as a clear effort at misleading the public.

* Will Mitt Romney release records proving that he didn't have any offshore accounts or investments prior to the establishment of his trust?

* If Mitt Romney is telling the truth and even he doesn't know about his own investments, isn't that all the more reason he should lift the veil of secrecy?

* Mitt Romney may call it a blind trust, but does that mean that he has no involvement in it? The trust is run by one of his closest friends and colleagues and has invested millions in his family's businesses.


And of course there remains the big question: What is Mitt Romney hiding and why is he hiding it?
He's going to need to release these documents sooner or later. The longer it takes him to do so, the harder it will be to analyze them before the election. Then again, maybe that's the whole point.
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3129458012.html


So Much Deeper
"If the company was sold off in the US the profits are taxable in the US. If YOU know all about it so does the IRS."

There's a quote from someone who is clearly not in the 1%. Dear heavens, that's not how things are done in the deep end of the pool. That's just how honest, aboveboard companies operate, you know, like in "It's a wonderful Life".

Bain Capital operated through shell companies and "blocker" corporations located in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and other No-tell Mo-tel countries around the world to buy, sell and invest in companies. Investors funneled money through these phony companies which then made the investments on their behalf, thereby avoiding taxes. In Bermuda, Romney was President and sole shareholder for four years of Sankaty High Yield Asset Investors Ltd. It funneled money into Bain Capital's Sankaty family of hedge funds, which invest in bonds and other debt issued by corporations, as well as bank loans. Like thousands of similar financial entities, Sankaty maintains no office or staff in Bermuda. Its only presence consists of a nameplate at a lawyer's office in downtown Hamilton, capital of the British island territory.

Another corporation that heavily used these kind of shell corporations to hide money transfers was Enron.

Information for this story was gleaned from the L.A. Times
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3123070635.html


Re: So Much Deeper
All these shell corporations, routing money exchanges through blocker corporations to hide tax liability offshore are legal. That's not necessarily the question though. I would submit that the question is whether we want a person who does business this way to be president. Certainly the people we think of as honest upstanding businessmen don't operate that way. George Bailey wouldn't have done it.

The other question is whether we want the person who participated in predatory business practices that resulted in lots of people being fired, having their pensions stripped, factories closed down, not for the purposes of creating a better business, but just to siphon off profit and leave the plundered company to burn.

There are questions about Mr. Romney's financial situation because he refused to reveal his finances the way other candidates have done. George Romney, Mitt's dad, revealed something like 12 years of tax returns when he was running for president, he said "well one year might have been a fluke".

Mitt finally revealed one year, but it brought up more questions than it answered because there were so many offshore accounts that were "amount not disclosed". Not surprisingly, some reporters saw that as a challenge to research, thus leading to the present controversy.
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3123583356.html


Say NO! To Mitt Bush
We do not want to go back to the Bush policies that led to the worst recession in 80 years. Two wars that weren't paid for, 8 million jobs lost and countless lives ruined right here in the good ole USA. Republicans don't care about Americans. They purposely wreck the economy i e Reaganomics, Bush I, Bush jr. All rang up huge debts and passed it on to their Democrat counterparts. By the time it was all fixed, the Republitards convinced half of this brain dead country that it took too long! Rich are getting richer, folks. Everyone wants smaller government, but they are the same people on unemployment checks, food cards, medicaid and social security! If you are a Republitard please send those benefit dollars back, now. After all you are against Socialialism, right? HYPOCITES!! Every social benifit we have is because of the hard working Democrats that fight for the average American. There is no middle class without them, no American Dream and no dignity for the old, sick and poor.
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3123230012.html


Bain-erred
For those who expressed doubts, there is an article in Vanity Fair detailing all the offshore accounts and the web of secrecy surrounding them.
Information about the offshore accounts was also published by the Associated Press. Google and ye shall find.

Basically, there are only two reasons to have an offshore account, either you're doing something illegal or you're evading taxes.

I don't have one, most Americans don't

There was also a step by step account of a successful company, Dade International - a medical diagnostics company that Bain took over. They drastically cut R&D investment, closed factories, laid off employees and raided the pension fund.

Then they took the money from the pension fund and used it to leverage more debt for the company, leaving the company $870 million in debt, while the Bain fellas and their investor partners siphoned off $365 million in dividends.

Dade International ended up having to go bankrupt. Bain exited stage right with all the cash.

This is only one of many stories like this.

The goal of a company like Bain is not to provide jobs, a chicken in every pot and sunshine every day. It is to suck the value out of companies, fire everybody in sight, and abandon the smoking shell, then put all the money in offshore accounts to hide the obscene profits from the American public, who would surely be getting out their torches and pitchforks if they knew what was really going on.

Well, the former employees of Dade International know the score.
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3122720432.html


Still Voting For 'Mitt Romney'?
Video shows just how un-sure 'Mitt Romney' is about almost everything in the world, See for yourself.
Still Voting For 'Mitt Romney'?
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3122044388.html



http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3121726642.html

[Frenchfry]

Sorry Mitt Romney, Good Businessmen Rarely Make Good Presidents
Businessmen like Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, and the Bushes went on to be some of the worst presidents.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/02/17/sorry-mitt-romney-good-businessmen-rarely-make-good-presidents


http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3122107725.html



http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3121277816.html


If GOP wins...
You can say: Hello, United Corporate States America and goodbye to... "The American Dream."


http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3121155928.html


http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3120605257.html

If Tea Party and Cong Rs can pull Mitt's chain, and get him to do a 180 on the mandate he championed, imagine what they'd do with him in WH!

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3120387524.html

[Frenchfry]

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/3119063933.html