It is a wise father that knows his own child.
William Shakespeare
The Democrats Have the Republicans
Right Where They Want Them: Right?
The Democrats think they have the GOP in a no-win situation: will the Republicans refuse to extend (even increase) the payroll tax cut extension? Even worse: will they let the Bush tax cuts for the middle class expire? All so they can "protect" the upper class tax cuts? The Democrats think, especially with saturation coverage by the liberal media on the Occupy Wall Street movement, a populist campaign against the upper 1% will return them to the White House and control of Congress.
A few things wrong with that. First, money is fungible. Why is it that that the 75% of "unpaid for" Bush middle class tax cuts don't add to the deficit/debt but the 25% going to the people paying 40% of the income tax revenue do? And how is sustaining the status quo in tax rates over the past 8 years a tax cut? What spending cuts are the Democrats going to make to pay for the 75% of the Bush tax cuts under their "pay as you go" spending?
Let's talk about the temporary a 2-point payroll tax cut? That money was needed to help pay for senior citizen entitlements THIS YEAR? What spending cuts did the Dems make under pay-go to offset that cut? Did they pay for it by cutting transfer payments to seniors or providers?
But Obama wants to up that from a merely unpaid 2 points to an unpaid 3 points, despite the fact Black Friday spending was up 7% year to year. Where does this money come from?
The American people are literate. They've seen what has happened in Greece and elsewhere, that 40% of every federal dollar spent is not paid for. They know the President has yet to make any significant short-term spending cuts; they know that he has failed to endorse and/or build upon the findings of his own bipartisan deficit reduction committee. They know that Senate Democrats unanimously rejected his own budget, and the Senate Democrats haven't passed a budget in 2 years. They know that the Democrats have vastly increased spending and deficits since taking control of the Congress and/or the White House. They know the President has not submitted a plan to close $46T in unfunded entitlement liabilities.
They know the spendthrift Obama and Democratic Congress' tax and spend policies are unsustainable.and when they see unrest in Europe, they know that painful decisions are coming, sooner than later. They know sooner and later the bills are coming due.
Martin Niemöller and "First They Came" Redux
This is a famous poem (there are variations) from a German Protestant minister during the Holocaust. I don't want to compare the ongoing class warfare to the Holocaust, but just food for thought as we see a misleading caricature of the top 1% of earners...
First they came for the communists,First they came for the top 1%
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
And I did not speak out because I wasn't one of those
Then they came for the small businesses
And I could not find a job
Then they came for the middle class
And I did not have enough to pay for them
Then they became poor
Just like the rest of us.
Musical Interlude: Nostalgic/Instrumental Christmas
How The Grinch Stole Christmas: "The Who Song/Welcome Christmas" I love all the classic Christmas cartoons. I saw Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel's tale as an imaginative twist on Dickens' theme of redemption through the Christmas spirit in 'A Christmas Carol'. The Grinch resents Whoville's celebration of Christmas, which he attributes to all material aspects to the Christmas experience--presents, decorations, food, etc. He will stop the Christmas celebration by taking away from the Who all things Christmas. But it turns out the Whos's celebrate Christmas regardless:
