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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
10 Things Legalized Gay Marriage Could Pay For
Barring same-sex couples from marrying actually costs the government money — an estimated $10 billion over a 10-year period.
Here are a few things that cash could buy.
via Anna North of BuzzFeed.com
“Out of Work” Mail Box moonlights as R2-D2 to make ends meet.
I’ve been thinking about the U.S. Postal Service lately.
How many millions of people are employed by the USPS? How many of them will lose their jobs if we go completely digital?
What would happen if each of us sends out one or two extra pieces of mail a month? That’s less than $1 per month.
*Just a thought.
image source: http://www.weatherpattern.com/2007/08/day-3/
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Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein came to Capitol Hill this week to call for cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. As Congress and the White House are negotiating a year-end deficit deal, Blankfein sought to “lower people’s expectations” about their retirement and health care. He spoke with all the sympathy for someone struggling to get by on $14,000-a-year retirement that you’d expect from a Wall Street banker paid $16 million last year. “Think about the arrogance of these guys on Wall Street who were bailed out by the middle class of this country when their greed and recklessness nearly destroyed the financial system and now they come to Capitol Hill to lecture Congress and the American people about the need to cut programs for working families,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a Senate floor speech.
source: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/media/view/?id=55a0f9e5-5c9e-42ad-b451-dc037215e022
After Meet the Press host David Gregory asks House Majority Eric Cantor about Mitt Romney’s dishonest ad where he claims that Jeep is planning on sending American jobs over to China, when Romney himself believes it’s a good business model “to outsource in order to make companies competitive,” Cantor initially tries to hedge and claims Romney would be the one who would care about plants opening here in America. He also cites an endorsement by Lee Iacocca as some sort of proof that he cares about these things and wants to get the economy back on track.
When Gregory tries to pin him down and asks him if the ad is deceptive, Cantor pulls the “I havent’ seen the ad” dodge and tells Gregory it’s not running in Virginia. He then goes on to attack President Obama as not being willing to work across the aisle, because we all know Mr. 800-Plus Vetoes Romney would be much more willing to reach across the aisle if he’s elected.
And naturally we got no follow up or push back from David Gregory on any of that. If it’s Sunday, it’s meet the Republicans and their unfettered talking points. I’m wondering, if Cantor was telling the truth about not seeing the ad, why is he being sent out there as a surrogate for Mitt Romney? I don’t believe for one minute he hasn’t either seen it, or read about what’s in it though. Yeah, he has no idea what’s in it, but he knows it hasn’t aired in his state yet.
source: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/eric-cantor-feigns-ignorance-when-asked-ab
“If it’s ‘just a scratch,’ it seems a little odd, though not outside the realm of possibility, for her to be using her middle finger. But pretending to scratch your nose, while giving someone the finger is a move that every school child knows from experience. And it certainly fits the in with the growing perception that the Romneys just aren’t used to, and don’t know how to react to anyone openly disagreeing with them.
“From Tagg’s macho bluster, to Mitt’s inability to follow simple rules of debate, the Romney boys behave as though they’re still in boarding school, where nobody dares cross them. And Ann herself doesn’t react very well, when members of the lower castes try to call the Mormon Monarchy into account. But you can decide for yourself: Was she picking, or flipping?”
source:http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/10/19/did-ann-romney-flip-off-the-president-after-the-debate-video/
Conservatives say they don’t want Tax Dollars to pay for Safety Nets for the poor; Specifically, Food Stamps, Child Care, WIC, and Welfare
Conservatives also don’t want Tax Dollar funded Contraception; Specifically, Women’s Contraception.
Using the Conservative model of thinking, where everything is reduced to Dollars and Cents, their logic is flawed. Doesn’t it make fiscal sense to pay for contraception? Contraception is cheap, compared to eighteen plus years of food, clothing, housing and healthcare for mother and child.
Education would be cheaper still, but conservatives don’t like to admit that sex exists. For centuries there has been this failed battle to force morality on the populace. Even at the height of the AIDS crisis, when people were dying at an alarming rate, conservatives pushed ‘Abstinence-Only’ education. In the face of a deadly disease, Conservatives refuse to consider Sex Education and the proper use of Condoms.
Here’s the thing…
It’s a matter of National Security. When poverty and disease spread, the economy and health of the country fails.
For a while in 2008, I was stretching my food budget by purchasing some of my groceries at a 99¢ store.
Thankfully, I don’t need to do that anymore.
I know things haven’t returned to normal yet, but we were in deep doo doo.
I thought we all understood that it was going to take more than four years to repair the damage. I’m a realist. I didn’t expect miracles.
I was under the impression that our elected officials would work together with the President to rebuild this great country.
How was I to know that some of them would oppose President Obama’s Healthcare Reform so vehemently, that they would hold our economic recovery hostage in order to defeat him? Was I really that naive?
Yet in spite of all this obstruction, America is rebuilding. In spite of an effort to destroy this President and everything he stands for, things are improving. It’s a painfully slow recovery, but it’s still a recovery.
Can you imagine how further along we would be, had John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, and other House Republicans worked with the President?
Remember that, when you Vote on November Sixth.
Remember this… The GOP’s TOP Priority, above the Budget, the Economy, and Jobs. Above Foreign Policy, National Debt, or getting ANYTHING done, Republicans have made it clear that their TOP PRIORITY is to ensure that President Obama is a One Term President. Please remember this as you head to the polls on November 6th.
I’m about to get all sorts of political. If you don’t like it, this is not the blog you’re looking for. Move along.
Four years ago, I voted for a man who promised to bring change to our country. This year, I am planning on making the exact same vote. Plenty of people have many negative things to say about Barack Obama. Out of everything that has been said throughout not just this election year, but throughout the last four years, there is one simple statement that I absolutely cannot stand…
“Obama hasn’t done anything the entire time he’s been in office.”
(well, that and the whole, “OBAMA IS A MUSLIM TERRORIST” because believe it or not, there are still some idiots out there that truly believe this…)
Here I have for you, ladies and gentlemen, is a list of 108 things Obama has accomplishedduring his presidency so far.
1. Saved the collapse of the American automotive industry by making GM restructure before bailing them out, and putting incentive money to help the industry
2. Shifted the focus of the war from Iraq to Afghanistan, and putting the emphasis on reducing terrorism where it should have been all along
3. Relaxed Anti-American tensions throughout the world
4. Signed order to close the prisoner “torture camp” at Guantanamo Bay
5. Has made the environment a national priority, and a primary source for job creation
6. Has made education a national priority by putting emphasis and money behind new ideas like charter schools, but speaking directly to school children in telling them they have to do their part.
7. Won the Nobel Peace Prize
8. $789 billion economic stimulus plan
9. Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court
10. Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles
11. Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans
12. Renewed dialogue with NATO and other allies and partners on strategic issues.
13. Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force… this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.
14. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
15. “Cash for clunkers” program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulates auto sales
16. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan
17. Closed offshore tax safe havens
18. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan
19. Ended media “blackout” on war casualties; reporting full information
20. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts
21. . Ended media blackout on war casualties and the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB.
22. Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules
23. Ended previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings
24. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports
25. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created 2.1 million jobs (as of 12/31/09).
26. Ended previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions
27. Ended previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back
28. Ended previous policy on torture; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards
29. . Launched Recovery.gov to track spending from the Recovery Act, an unprecedented step to provide transparency and accountability through technology.
30. Ended previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry’s predatory practices
31. Ended previous “stop-loss” policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
32. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources
33. Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient
34. Established a new cyber security office
35. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children
36. Expanding vaccination programs
37. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses
38. . Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America’s Veterans.
39. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
40. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
41. Responded with compassion and leadership to the earthquake in Haiti
42. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters
43. . Launched Business.gov – enabling conversation and online collaboration between small business owners, government representatives and industry experts in discussion forums relevant to starting and managing a business. Great for the economy.
44. Improved housing for military personnel
45. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals
46. Changed failing war strategy in Afghanistan.
47. Improving benefits for veterans
48. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants…) after years of neglect
49. Donated his $1.4 million Nobel Prize to nonprofits.
50. Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program
51. Provided tax credits to first-time home buyers through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 to revitalize the U.S. housing market.
52. Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel
53. Increasing student loans
54. Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return “home” to visit loved ones
55. Cracked down on companies that deny sick pay, vacation and health insurance to workers by abusing the employee classification of independent contractor. Such companies also avoid paying Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance taxes for those workers.
56. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000
57. Limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House
58. Protected 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors through the Recovery Act that would have otherwise been lost.
59. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration
60. Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act on February 4, 2009, provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured.
61. Lower drug costs for seniors
62. Making more loans available to small businesses
63. Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration
64. . Signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis
65. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans
66. Announced creation of a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record for members of the U.S. Armed Forces to improve quality of medical care.
67. New federal funding for science and research labs
68. New funds for school construction
69. Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending
70. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices
71. . Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals.
72. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
73. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions
74. Provided tax credit to workers thus cutting taxes for 95% of America’s working families.
75. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
76. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
77. . Helped reverse a downward spiral of the stock market. On January 19, 2009, the last day of President Bush’s presidency, the Dow closed at 8,218.22. In February 2010, the Dow closed at 10,309.24
78. Renewed loan guarantees for Israel
79. Restarted the nuclear non-proliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
80. Provided attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles.
81. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters
82. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy
83. Unveiled a program on Earth Day 2009 to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable, for the first time ever, the nation to tap into our ocean’s vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner.
84. Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program
85. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards
86. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced
87. Successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job
88. The FDA is now regulating tobacco
89. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date.
90. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
91. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying
92. The “secret detention” facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed
93. US financial and banking rescue plan
94. US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast
95. . Signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and wasteful spending in the defense procurement and contracting system.
96. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office
97. Improved relations with Iran
98. Improved U.S. policy on climate change
99. Set timetable for exiting Iraq (already started removing troops)
100. Improved relations with Russia
101. Improved relations with the Islamic World
102. Made progress towards greater cooperation on limiting nuclear proliferation
103. Economic stimulus plan has created jobs. (Unemployment rate decreasing)
104. Drastically slowed down the recession
105. Saved Wall Street
106. Passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act (equal work for equal pay)107. HEALTHCARE REFORM
108. Ordered the military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden
On top of all of this, Barack Obama has just become the first president to endorse gay marriage.
Yup, here we have just described a man who has clearly done nothing but sit around the oval office and twiddle his thumbs the last four years. Obviously, voting for someone who is for universal equality and bettering not just this country, but the entire world, is the wrong way to go. -___-
I am so sad that I cannot vote or else Obama would be getting my vote!
Love, love, LOVE this Blog Post!
It’s sad how many of these I forgot about. Well done.
(Source: totescas)
The Magicians’ Alliance is going to be pissed.Seems pretty obvious no?
Did Mitt Romney cheat in Wednesday’s debate? This slowed-down closeup posted to YouTube makes it appear as though he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a paper and places it on his lectern, in violation of rules that stated:
No props, notes, charts, diagrams, or other writings or other tangible things may be brought into the debate by any candidate.
(Attention gif makers.)
I’m not one for conspiracy theories or excuses, but it’s pretty obvious that A.) He brought notes with him and B.) He was certainly doing his best to hide it.
In fairness, it’s tough to keep track of all those lies in his head alone.
Mitthead.
wow can this please get SO MUCH attention? can everyone please just look at this asshole and his inability to sell his own campaign for an HOUR OF TALKING? I want this to be on CNN and the Daily Show and every newspaper in the country.
ADignorantium says: I’m having trouble verifying the “No Notes” rule. Romney is clearly trying to hide his notes, but I’ve had no success finding debate rules for Election 2012
I’m reblogging this anyway, because he’s being sneaky.
If anyone has a link to the rules, please post it, or message me.
…of course, those could be his Tax Forms. :\