My Mother, the deadbeat!

Mitt's comments on the 47% of the population who are moochers that pay no income tax really hit home.  At first I thought of my mom who is 90 years old and lives primarily off social security and savings and pays no income tax.  Slackart!
And I have a sister with MS that gets social security disability and who pays little or no federal income tax.  Deadbeat!
And I have a brother-in-law, a retired colonel from the Army who just reminded me he's in that 47%.  Moocher!
I'm not aware that any of them consider themselves "victims," but if the Mittster says so, that's good enough for me.
It is hard for me to not see this as fermenting class warfare, but Republicans hate class warfare so it can't be that.
All this comes from a guy who makes millions, has overseas bank accounts and pays a rate of about 13%.  One of the columnists from the Washington Post wrote today that, although Mitt would be a disaster as president, what fun it would be to see this out of touch gaffe-machine elected!  The detachment between his brain and his mouth would generate so much interesting news it might be worth it.  And after all, he's unemployed, too.

Will someone please call Pat Robertson?

I'm curious as to why God is sending that hurricane to Tampa to disrupt the Republican convention.

good god, why isn't Herman Cain the nominee?

 More pain should be inflicted on the poor and middle class so that Romney can be elected. So wrong on so many different levels... http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/07/herman-cain-not-wrong-to-hope-gas-prices-rise-to-hurt-obama/
 and while I'm venting, let me add that venture capitalism is as much about job creation as rape is about child creation. you may end up with that result, but its entirely a unintended consequence of a wholly unrelated primary goal.

well Mitt's my first name, too! or not, whatever....

I was reading an interesting article on Mitt Romney and gun control and was reminded what a prolific liar he is. He's been a hunter "pretty much all his life" although there are only 2 documented hunts, rabbit when he was 15 and a quail hunt in 2006? one of the comments listed some of his flips: Mitt Romney’s FlipFlops Flip 1: “Roe v. Wade has gone too far.” Flop 1: “I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it.” Flip 2: “I respect and will protect a woman’s right to choose.” Flop 2: “I never really called myself pro-choice.” Flip 3: “I’ve been a hunter pretty much all my life.” Flop 3: “Any description of my being a hunter is an overstatement of capability.” Flip 4: “It was not my desire to go off and serve in Vietnam.” Flop 4: “I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and be representing our country there.” Flip 5: “I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.” Flop 5: “Ronald Reagan is… my hero.” Flip 6: “I will work and fight for stem cell research.” Flop 6: “In the end, I became persuaded that the stem-cell debate was grounded in a false premise.” Flip 7: “I think the minimum wage ought to keep pace with inflation.” Flop 7: “There’s no question raising the minimum wage excessively causes a loss of jobs.” Flip 8: “I like mandates. The mandates work.” Flop 8: “I think it’s unconstitutional on the 10th Amendment front.” Flip 9: “I saw my father march with Martin Luther King.” Flop 9: “I did not see it with my own eyes.” Flip 10: “This is a completely airtight kennel mounted on the top of our car.” Flop 10: “They’re not happy that my dog loves fresh air.” Flip 11: “It’s not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.” Flop 11: “He’s going to pay, and he will die.” Flip 12: “Those… paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process toward application for citizenship.” Flop 12: “Amnesty only led to more people coming into the country.” Flip 13: “I’m not in favor of privatizing Social Security or making cuts.” Flop 13: “Social Security’s the easiest and that’s because you can give people a personal account.” Flip 14: “Based on the numbers of American Muslims… I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified.” Flop 14: “A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.” Flip 15: “I’m a strong believer in stating your position and not wavering.” Flop 15: “I changed my position.” Flip 16: “I would like to have campaign spending limits.” Flop 16: “The American people should be free to advocate for their candidates and their positions without burdensome limitations.” Flip 17: “I supported the assault weapon ban.” Flop 17: “I don’t support any gun control legislation.” Flip 18: “The TARP program… was nevertheless necessary to keep banks from collapsing in a cascade of failures.” Flop 18: “When government is… bailing out banks… we have every good reason to be alarmed.” Flip 19: “I’m going to take burdens off the back of the auto industry.” Flop 19: “Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.” Flip 20: “When I first heard of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, I thought it sounded awfully silly.” Flop 20: “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has worked well.” Flip 21: “I believe the tax on capital gains should be zero.” Flop 21: “It’s a tax cut for fat cats.” Flip 22: “These carbon emission limits will provide real and immediate progress.” Flop 22: “Republicans should never abandon pro-growth conservative principles in an effort to embrace the ideas of Al Gore.” Flip 23: “Relative to the leading candidates, some people see me as being more conservative.” Flop 23: “I’m not the most conservative candidate.” Flip 24: “It does take a village.” Flop 24: “It takes a family.” Flip 25: “I don’t line up with the NRA.” Flop 25: “I’m a member of the NRA.” Flip 26: “The all-Democrat stimulus that was passed in early 2009 will accelerate the timing of the start of the recovery…” Flop 26: “The all-Democrat stimulus passed in early 2009 has been a failure.” Flip 27: “…the costs of health care will be reduced.” Flop 27: “We were unable to deal with… health care costs in Massachusetts.” Flip 28: “If Massachusetts succeeds in implementing it, then that will be a model for the nation.” Flop 28: “What works in one state may not be the answer for another.” Latest Flip 29: "As president I will stand for a path to legal status for anyone who is willing to stand up and defend this great nation through military service." . Flop: "For those that are here as the children of those that came here illegally, I want to make sure they have a permanent answer to what their status will be. And I've indicated in my view that those who serve in the military and have advanced degrees would certainly qualify for that kind of permanence."

Aurora, Colorado

It's tragic when some nut arms himself and sets out to kill a bunch of innocents. I can't help but believe that at least a part of the reason its done is to gain some kind of infamy, to satisfy the need for fame, no matter what the cost. And the news networks are only to happy to satisfy that need. When a nut goes off, the network news rushes in. Experts are called in to determine what was the "motive," as if there was one. Then we'll have the interviews with victims families and witnesses. And if the interviewer can cause a good cry to break out, all the better. And what about grief counseling? We need to line up some of those experts. Post traumatic stress disorder? Covered. Anything learned from it all? Nope. Mr. Holmes will take his place among those who suffer from feelings of inadequacy and did something about it. And the networks will bemoan the terribleness of it all, willfully silent and purportedly ignorant of their role in it all.

ACA, nothing like Mittcare, gets past gang of 9

The affordable health care act passed constitutional muster today and Dana Milbank of the Washington Post had the best pun of the day: "In his confirmation hearing seven years ago, Roberts famously described himself as an umpire calling balls and strikes, employing humility and confronting “every case with an open mind.” Since then, many on the left have come to view Roberts as just a more affable version of Scalia, Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito. But in the case that counted most, the umpire struck back. "

musings on Bain Capital

Haven't posted in a long while, but this is a short one on the blow-back from Obama's Bain Capital ads. Hullaballoo (sp?) reminds us of some of those comments from those socialist Republican candidates: Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry: “The idea that you’ve got private equity companies that come in and take companies apart so they can make profits and have people lose their jobs, that’s not what the Republican Party’s about.” Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: “The Bain model is to go in at a very low price, borrow an immense amount of money, pay Bain an immense amount of money and leave. I’ll let you decide if that’s really good capitalism. I think that’s exploitation.” Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry: “It’s all about how much money can we make, how quick can we make it, and then get out of town and find the next carcass to feed upon” Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: “We find it pretty hard to justify rich people figuring out clever legal ways to loot a company, leaving behind 1,700 families without a job.” Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry: “Now, I have no doubt Mitt Romney was worried about pink slips — whether he was going to have enough of them to hand out because his company, Bain Capital, of all the jobs that they killed” Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: “He claims he created 100,000 jobs. The Washington Post, two days ago, reported in their fact check column that he gets three Pinocchios. Now, a Pinocchio is what you get from The Post if you’re not telling the truth.” Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry: “There is something inherently wrong when getting rich off failure and sticking it to someone else is how you do your business, and I happen to think that’s indefensible” Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: “If Governor Romney would like to give back all the money he’s earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years, then I would be glad to then listen to him” Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry: “If you’re a victim of Bain Capital’s downsizing, it’s the ultimate insult for Mitt Romney to come to South Carolina and tell you he feels your pain, because he caused it.” Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: “I think there are things you can legitimately look at in Bain Capital. I think there are things you can legitimately look at in anybody’s record including Mitt Romney’s record. Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry: “They’re vultures that sitting out there on the tree limb waiting for the company to get sick and then they swoop in, they eat the carcass. They leave with that and they leave the skeleton” I knew this stuff would be helpful someday.