Who Says You Can’t Repeal an Entitlement?
Some of my conservative friends are more glum than I was last night. Now, to be sure, I’m upset. As I watched House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the vote on the Senate bill she didn’t want to vote on, she reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West, only the latter had better make-up. And her devilish smile looked real.
My conservative friends are glum because they have bought into the conventional wisdom (“wisdom” which surely animated the last-minute push for Obamacare despite the president’s January promise to focus on jobs) that you can’t repeal an entitlement. But, let me remind the purveyors of that piece of “wisdom”: never before has an entitlement been passed in the manner this one has,* with myriad backroom deals, strong popular disapproval and an organized and energetic grassroots opposition. “Never before in American history has a measure of such importance been imposed on the country by the majority party over the unanimous opposition of the minority.”
The long national nightmare begun when Obama, in the face of declining popular support for his overhaul, forced the vote on the American people, has only just begun. Now, we have a week, likely more, of debate in the Senate. And repeal will certainly be the first item on House Speaker John Boehner’s agenda next January.
The “mother of all culture wars . . .[, the] showdown between Americans who want bigger government and those who want smaller government“, Michael Goodwin writes, “won’t be over anytime soon”:
Not only does it encompass and include other wedge issues, such as abortion, taxing and spending, but the war over the size of government goes to the heart of the concept of American exceptionalism. . . .
His health-care obsession, with industry tentacles reaching 17 percent of the economy, reveals his vision. There is little dispute the industry has big flaws, yet Obama passed up a bipartisan chance to fix most of them.
He opted for a sweeping expansion and takeover that would put Washington in charge of every aspect, from levels of care, to cost, to mandates, to jobs and taxes.
Ultimately, no American will be able to escape its centralizing impact, which is why opponents are so ferocious and frightened. While Obama tries to blame Republicans, most of the country, especially independent voters, is running away from his plan even though some components are popular.
It’s the sheer size — the expensive big government grab — that is stoking anti-takeover passion.
And it’s that cost and that grab which has caused this passion to boil over. The opposition won’t fold in the wake of yesterday’s vote. Indeed, if the increase in the number of supporters of Bart Stupak’s opponent since the Democrat decided to support the bill is any indication, the vote yesterday only serves to strengthen our opposition.
As John Hinderaker writes, paraphrasing “a great American, we have not yet begun to fight.” And when we’re done, there will be a lot of fewer Democrats in Washington and a lot less government interfering in our lives.
*UPDATE: (Via Instapundit). Rick Moran writes:
. . . despite the fact that no one believes some of the basic actuarial and fiscal assumptions that under-gird this legislation — no one who isn’t besotted with partisan fervor — it was rammed down the throats of the American people with as much cynicism, trickery, deliberate obfuscation, and budgetary tomfoolery as has ever been seen for a major piece of legislation in the history of the republic.
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Speaking from the other side of this issue, I’ll only say this on what I know must be a tough night: I would welcome the GOP running the midterms on the issue of repeal, especially at the purist level RedState is channeling right now. Take away pre-existing condition reform, take away “kids on the plan until 26″, take away the small business tax credits, take away the help with the Medicare donut hole? I doubt repealing the parts of the bill that take place immediately will be a political winner, now or in 7 months.
Time will tell.
Comment by torrentprime — March 22, 2010 @ 4:12 am - March 22, 2010
Fair points, torrentprime. All polls do indicate that some components of the bill are popular. I don’t know yet if Speaker Boehner will pursue outright repeal, but a lot depends how big his majority will be and on the ideological makeup of his caucus.
Torrent, not just a tough night for us, but a tough night for America, for freedom and for responsible legislation. Your tough night is fewer than eight months away.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — March 22, 2010 @ 4:21 am - March 22, 2010
And the latter could put together sentences without stumbling all over herself. Nothing like marking a “historical” occasion with flecks of spittle.
I’m curious, as great as State-run health care is supposed to be, why would we need a “New, Independent Appeals Process”??? Why would we need offices to “help individuals with the filing of complaints and appeals.”??? What complaints and appeals could one possibly need to file in Utopia?
And didn’t Kennedy already address the “pre-existing condition” kerfuffle back in 1996?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — March 22, 2010 @ 5:21 am - March 22, 2010
And the campaign officially started last night. The GOP’s “Fire Nancy Pelosi” website has crashed from too much traffic.
Comment by American Elephant — March 22, 2010 @ 6:06 am - March 22, 2010
“As I watched House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the vote on the Senate bill she didn’t want to vote on, she reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West, only the latter had better make-up.”
There’s never a scrappy Kansas girl around with a bucket of water when you really need one.
Comment by Sean A — March 22, 2010 @ 7:53 am - March 22, 2010
Bad makeup? Oh yeah! But you forgot to mention the batting eyes and the little giggles that sound something like a horse. She employs these traits just before she opens her mouth to speak a lie or deception. I watched her speech on the House floor last night and sat in absolute amazement that she said what she did with a straight face! Maybe after she is put OUT of office she can take up an actress career in Hollywood. She’d be absolutely perfect for the role of Morticia.
Comment by Rob Lorinov — March 22, 2010 @ 8:52 am - March 22, 2010
once again, Obama and Pelosi, the big winners of the healthcare reform drama, schooled the GOP on how to lead the country.
Obama and Pelosi did the heavy work and are now rewarded with more history-making. No recent president has done more in one year. This man has done more in one year than bushco did in eight.
We dems are hoping Boehner makes the case to repeal this great new law. In no way, shape or form will it help the GOP. The obstructionists, the party of ‘no’ has no ideas and will be rewarded in November with ANOTHER trouncing at the polls.
Congratulations to all Americans! We’re winners for this legislation.
Comment by buckeyenutlover — March 22, 2010 @ 8:59 am - March 22, 2010
Some of my conservative friends are more glum than I was last night. Now, to be sure, I’m upset. As I watched House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the vote on the Senate bill she didn’t want to vote on, she reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West, only the latter had better make-up. And her devilish smile looked real.
Jesus, this is so amateur. You’re just a terrible writer dude, absolutely no good.
Let’s get it straight:
POLITICIANS PASSING HEALTH CARE BILL: Evil incarnate
POLITICIANS MAKING UP REASONS TO INVADE COUNTRIES: No big deal, just a few ‘honest mistakes’
History will look back on us this time and laugh.
Comment by Levi — March 22, 2010 @ 9:00 am - March 22, 2010
Ah repeal. I agree with Torrent – we Dems say – please, bring it on. That is a debate we would LOVE to have – hey lets make this November all about bringing back preexisting-conditions exclusions and reopening the donut hole!
After arguing for the next week or so about how we should keep the Cornhusker Kickback and Louisiana Purchase on the books, y’all should be really well set up for the further debate.
I know what your off-the-top-of-the-head response to this article would be, but you really should take Mr. Frum’s points to heart – :
key graf – “We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat.
There were leaders who knew better, who would have liked to deal. But they were trapped. Conservative talkers on Fox and talk radio had whipped the Republican voting base into such a frenzy that deal-making was rendered impossible. How do you negotiate with somebody who wants to murder your grandmother? Or – more exactly – with somebody whom your voters have been persuaded to believe wants to murder their grandmother?
I’ve been on a soapbox for months now about the harm that our overheated talk is doing to us. Yes it mobilizes supporters – but by mobilizing them with hysterical accusations and pseudo-information, overheated talk has made it impossible for representatives to represent and elected leaders to lead. The real leaders are on TV and radio, and they have very different imperatives from people in government.
…
So today’s defeat for free-market economics and Republican values is a huge win for the conservative entertainment industry. Their listeners and viewers will now be even more enraged, even more frustrated, even more disappointed in everybody except the responsibility-free talkers on television and radio. For them, it’s mission accomplished. For the cause they purport to represent, it’s Waterloo all right: ours.”
That would be….”yours”.
Comment by Tano — March 22, 2010 @ 9:24 am - March 22, 2010
Oh, and just so you guys keep up with the news….
Rasmussen this morning reports Obama’s approval ratings at 47-53. Thats up from 45-54 yesterday, and 43-56 the day before.
At this rate, where are they going to be by November???
Comment by Tano — March 22, 2010 @ 9:43 am - March 22, 2010
Tano, I don’t know if you have a job or don’t; are on the govt payroll or not; have insurance or not; file a tax return or not; have kids or not; have contact with average Americans or not but my friend, it sounds like you really don’t have your finger on the pulse of the average person. Mr. Obama and Ms. Pelosi have awaken a spirit that has been lying dormant in most of us because we felt that we’ve got our own lives to contend with and that life in this country is fine, nothing too drastic, we are fine. But my friend, folks who never and I mean never have followed politics have been awaken by these egregious actions that have taken place over the past year. I would point to my own state of Nebraska where Ben Nelson was re-elected time and again without much thought because “he’s ok”. But this process has him now as the state’s biggest pariah. He is done politically in this state and all because of Obama and Pelosi and the horrendous actions going-on in Washington.
So live on in your dream world my friend because while you are dreaming, the American people are energized and what happened in Massachusetts with Scott Brown will seem like the rule not the exception on Nov. 2nd.
Comment by NebraskaPatriot — March 22, 2010 @ 10:21 am - March 22, 2010
Tano,
You have have consistently failed to address the reality of unfunded entitlement liabilities. The European Union is likely to shatter into continent wide economic chaos because of unfunded entitlement liabilities. The Soviet Union crashed and burned because it could not fund itself. Venezuela is the most third-world like country in South America. (Even Paraguay is more economically stabile.) Cuba has retreated to the edge of the nineteenth century.
So, how do we clean up the Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment and now Obamacare unfunded liabilities which have driven us to yearly trillion dollar deficits for as far as we can see?
Comment by heliotrope — March 22, 2010 @ 10:28 am - March 22, 2010
Tano, You quote Frum:
1.) Do you agree that Obamacare is a defeat for free-market economics.
2.) If, you do not agree, why do you think Frum is wrong?
3.) Do you favor defeats for free-market economics?
4.) If you favor defeats for free-market economics, how do you create an economy that will provide the funding for socialist entitlements?
You have the habit of avoiding specifics. Is there nothing out there in the talking points that will address these simple questions? Maybe a poll or two.
Comment by heliotrope — March 22, 2010 @ 10:57 am - March 22, 2010
##12-13: helio, I’m also interested in hearing Tano’s solution for how we are going to pay for the trillions in unfunded liabilities that will still be on the books no matter how many NEW trillion-dollar entitlement programs Obama and crew ram through Congress. So, how about it, Tano? How the fu*k are we going to pay for all of this?
I’ll give you a little hint. Although the story was ignored by the mainstream media, Obama recently said he is now “agnostic” about raising taxes on households making under $250,000 a year to help cut budget deficits.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/02/10/2010-02-10_prez_agnostic_on_tax_hikes_for_many.html
Hmmmmmm. Any thoughts, Tano?
Comment by Sean A — March 22, 2010 @ 11:09 am - March 22, 2010
I’m one of those glum ones. He has just hooked up more Americans to the government teat. They will vote forever more to keep their ‘rights’. And when the country goes into bankruptcy they like the Greeks will riot and smash and destroy property. Since like the little children this government is forcing us to be, all they know is a temper tantrum – never personal responsibility and hard work.
Comment by Leah — March 22, 2010 @ 11:27 am - March 22, 2010
And that’s exactly the core of this, Sean and heliotrope.
Tano, torrentprime, and buckeyenutlover can see no pathway to repeal for one simple reason — they are the pure beneficiaries of this bill. Since they don’t pay taxes of any kind, they won’t see the increased costs on income, Medicare payroll tax, and capital gains tax. Since they don’t currently buy insurance, they won’t see the massive premium increases. Since they don’t own a business or work for one, they won’t see the massive cost and expense impacts of these new mandates. All they see is their welfare check getting fatter.
But the reality is this. The overwhelming majority of Americans HAVE insurance and will be seeing massive premium increases. The overwhelming majority of Americans have jobs and will be seeing the impact of this immense increase in business cost and expense. And a good chunk of Americans pay taxes — and will be paying significantly MORE in taxes — due to this bill.
All without getting a single benefit from it.
What this bill says to the American people is that it will raise taxes on the responsible and productive to give unlimited freebies to the irresponsible and unproductive. Pelosi made it clear that this bill is to reward people who don’t want to work and don’t want to pay for their own health insurance.
The silly trolls keep trying to link this to Social Security and Medicare, but there’s one key difference. EVERYONE pays Social Security and Medicare tax at the same rate. For ObamaCare, people who don’t work and aren’t productive will receive free health insurance, while those who do work and are productive will have punitive taxes imposed on them to pay for the lazy and unproductive like Tano and torrentprime and buckeyenutlover.
How is that in the least American?
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — March 22, 2010 @ 11:49 am - March 22, 2010
I think I have saved enough to be able to use the upper tier medical system. Here is what I mean. I think we will have DMV style national health care and a classy private health care system that does not take any federal dollars. I suspect that there will be private, real insurance for that system and you will always be able to pay cash.
It is small town America that will suffer the greatest. They will not be able support a classy system. Wal-Mart will love Obamacare, because this is a number cruncher’s game. When you figure profit margins in fractions of a percent, paying fines as opposed to health insurance is easy to calculate. Either way, everybody’s prices go up so there is no penalty. The only downside is that people will have less to spend, but that is Wal-Mart’s niche.
The free market economy reaction to this 800 pound gorilla that is sitting in the middle of Wall Street will be interesting to watch.
Comment by heliotrope — March 22, 2010 @ 11:53 am - March 22, 2010
The coolest part about ND30′s latest feverish, based-in-fantasy post is that I knew it was him by the time I was three lines into it.
He needs to represent his opponents as non-working, non-tax-paying welfare queens because that’s the only way they fit into the neat boxes in his head. The fact that I have a job, need my mortgage extension to avoid an even larger tax bill than the one I pay, and am blessed with the ability to (and do) buy my employer-offered insurance isn’t relevant to his analysis: anything based in reality isn’t relevant to his analysis/ He’s just got the name-calling as the one weapon in his arsenal. And just like the Tea Partiers, just like the GOP: he’s got f-all to show for it.
Comment by torrentprime — March 22, 2010 @ 12:10 pm - March 22, 2010
Interesting that only left-wingers are quoting Frum. He knows his audience. He seems, like Tucker Carlson, to get a charge in criticizing the party to which he claims to swear fealty.
Oh, and, Tano, about those numbers, given all the media cheerleading for Obama and Obamacare this weekend, of course, he’ll get a momentary boost. But, I’d be willing to bet that by the end of the week, his numbers will be back where they were, if not worse.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — March 22, 2010 @ 12:21 pm - March 22, 2010
How do we save the good parts and remove the bad ones? There are so much bad that repeal is the answer; however, a replacement is needed. With no health care refore, Liberals will TRY again. Gut out the mandates, the bureaucracy, the taxes, and the IRS involvement. Replace with market reforms. Do a reset.
The people need to be educated on the tax increases and the decrease in medical services. Or maybe they will get it soon enough.
Comment by anon2273892 — March 22, 2010 @ 12:42 pm - March 22, 2010
1.) TP has a job.
2.) TP apparently borrowed against his house to pay his taxes.
3.) TP buys his employer-offered insurance.
TP is in the same vulnerable spot, it appears, that a welfare recipient finds himself when his giving up Section 8, Medicaid, food stamps, etc. is not worth the risk of taking a job. That is the perniciousness of welfare.
TP’s taxes are going up, dramatically. Prices are going up. Employment opportunities are growing scarcer. TP’s dollar is being devalued. TP’s equity has been leveraged, so that boat has sailed. TP is at the edge of reaching out for health care welfare and his employer is measuring productivity against increased taxation costs. TP is a liability and he had best be way too valuable in comparison to the other employees at his work.
Not a great resume. However, if TP is an SEIU covered government worker, then he is a snug little tick in the government crotch.
Comment by heliotrope — March 22, 2010 @ 12:54 pm - March 22, 2010
That’s what is really funny about this, heliotrope; torrentprime can’t make the connection between his precarious financial situation and the actions of his Obama Party.
Barack Obama is responsible for raising your taxes, torrentprime. Barack Obama is responsible for the devaluation of your house. And now Barack Obama is responsible for the cost of your employer-provided health insurance going up, as well as the financial straits in which your employer may soon find themselves thanks to the vastly-increased cost of health insurance and the new taxes Barack Obama is imposing on them.
This is obvious to anyone with an ounce of common sense. So the mistake in my assumption was that you were a rational person, instead of an irrational ideologue whose racist devotion to Obama is to the point where you’ll willingly destroy yourself and whatever family you have financially for his socialist fantasies.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — March 22, 2010 @ 1:23 pm - March 22, 2010
So much mind-reading from those who so misjudged this debate.
I won’t correct the host of mind-reading and errors in judgment in helio and ND’s posts. They know they made it all up, so no actual facts are needed for them. But I love how my “devotion” to Obama is racist. Tell me, ND, which of my parents’ races am I betraying by approving of Obama? The white side or the Mexican side?
Also: my taxes haven’t gone up, Barack Obama did not cause the housing crash of 08, and there are no such premium increases as a result of HCR, although the rate increases this year without HCR are well-known.
Wish you all the best.
Comment by torrentprime — March 22, 2010 @ 1:48 pm - March 22, 2010
But I love how my “devotion” to Obama is racist. Tell me, ND, which of my parents’ races am I betraying by approving of Obama? The white side or the Mexican side?
Actually, you just demonstrated the point.
You are claiming that, because your parents are of different races, that you yourself cannot be racist. In short, you are saying that your beliefs and statements are always right due to your racial status. That makes you a racist.
In reference to Barack Obama, it is the fact that you insist that any and all criticism of him is due to racism. You are making it clear that any criticism of a black person is racist. That makes you in and of itself a racist.
Also: my taxes haven’t gone up
Yes, they have. And they’re going to go up even more at the end of the year when the Bush tax cuts expire.
Barack Obama did not cause the housing crash of 08
Yes, he did. He demanded that banks be forced to make loans to individuals based on skin color rather than on capability to pay them back, and demanded that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “roll the dice” by guaranteeing subprime and other such high-risk loans as good paper.
and there are no such premium increases as a result of HCR, although the rate increases this year without HCR are well-known.
Given the example of Massachusetts, which now has the highest premiums in the nation, your delusion shouldn’t last too long.
And torrentprime, you and yours promised there would be NO premium increases this year as a result of health care reform. Want to repeat that?
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — March 22, 2010 @ 2:16 pm - March 22, 2010
“I don’t know if you….have contact with average Americans or not but my friend, it sounds like you really don’t have your finger on the pulse of the average person. ”
Its so amazing how you people convince yourselves of such fantasies. Need I remind you that Obama and Clinton ran for two years with their number one issue discussed being how they were going to win universal coverage. That Obama and the Dems ran on that platform and won.
Now, Obama’s approval ratings, per RealClearPolitics – a Republican site that aggregates poll data – is pretty much an even split. Most all of the provisions of the bill are strongly popular.
And yet you manage to convince yourself somehow that the half, at best of the country that agrees with you are “real Americans” or “average Americans” and the other half are….what?
Its not like you have 60, 70, 80% of the people with you. You are part of an obnoxiously loud and rude minority. If, instead of saying Obama is doing the wrong thing, you say Obama = Stalin, that doesnt mean you get to be counted twice in the polling. Just because you turn up at a demonstration and act like a nut job, does not mean you represent anyone but yourselves.
Take it from me. I have been, in my long life, at demonstrations that were larger, on one day, than the sum total of every tea party rally thats ever been held, all combined. And we got nothing for our trouble. We sure as hell represented a big chunk of America, but sadly, there was an even bigger chunk sitting at home, disagreeing with us.
So don’t kid yourself that because you are very upset, and your “movement’ can turn out a few tens of thousands of very upset people, that you are anything other than a blip on the radar.
Comment by Tano — March 22, 2010 @ 2:25 pm - March 22, 2010
‘I’d be willing to bet that by the end of the week, his numbers will be back where they were, if not worse.”
Really Dan, thats all you can gin up? Back to where they were? I thought this was gonna be his armegeddon. I thought you were going to be able to write “plummeting polls” a few dozen more times. I thought we were going to be launched on the greasy slope to an 80 seat pickup in the House and control of the Senate.
Now you are saying that passing this bill will have no real effect on his popularity at all? Gee, good thing for him that he passed this bill….at no political cost at all!
Comment by Tano — March 22, 2010 @ 2:29 pm - March 22, 2010
Um, Tano, do you read even the words you quote? I didn’t say where they’d be a month down the line, but a week from now.
Politicians tend to get a momentary bump when their initiatives pass amidst much media cheerleading. But, when the hullabaloo passes, so does that bump.
Blip on the radar? Hardly, Tano. Just take a look at the opinion polls in which you hold so much stock. We’re not part of a minority. You are. Your man Obama won by appealing to those independents and Republicans disgruntled with spendthrift Republicans, then he outdid the Republicans on spending. Can you point to a single poll showing a majority of Americans wants bigger government?
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — March 22, 2010 @ 2:40 pm - March 22, 2010
Need I remind you that Obama and Clinton ran for two years with their number one issue discussed being how they were going to win universal coverage.
And Clinton failed, and Barack Obama lied.
Do you remember this, Tano?
So now Token has to go out on the road and explain why the mandates and subsidies that he screamed and whined were wrong and unaffordable when Hilary was proposing them are now suddenly the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Bait and switch. And Token is exposed as being a complete and total liar.
Moreover, remember the Massachusetts Senate election, Tano? Token Barack Obama shrieked that electing Brown was a vote against universal healthcare and made anyone who supported it a racist misogynist teabagger.
Brown won in a landslide.
And that’s what you still don’t get, silly boy. People are on to your lies, which is why your Nancy Pelosi had to offer outright bribes and financial kickbacks to get votes and STILL could barely muster a fractional majority. You Obama puppets are still under the delusion that your stuffing the ballot box means that people actually support you.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — March 22, 2010 @ 3:45 pm - March 22, 2010
And here’s another one, Tano; want to see candidate Barack Obama stating that taxing benefits was a bad idea and would hurt people?
So let’s see; Barack Obama shrieked and screamed and whined as a candidate that mandates and taxing health care benefits were awful and evil and would hurt people.
And now he’s going out on the trail to say that they’re wonderful and awesome and will cause no harm at all.
Reconcile that, Tano. Because from now until November, every single Republican, every single advertisement, will be pointing out that Obama just flat-out lied to the American public.
You can’t see that because your racist beliefs and your Obama Party’s inherent racism prevent you from criticizing people with black skin. But to real Americans who judge by character and not skin color, Barack Obama is now a proven and gigantic liar.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — March 22, 2010 @ 3:53 pm - March 22, 2010
Tano, why won’t you answer heliotrope’s questions at ##12-13? We are all very familiar with your narcolepsy-inducing interpretations of the polls–Obama is crazy popular and the whole world loves him–we get it. Now tell us how we are going to pay for all of these entitlements. If the bill that was passed yesterday is good for our nation, surely you can tell us why, can’t you? We believe that the bill is just another step down the road to catastrophic financial ruin. I presume you disagree, but if you can’t or won’t answer helio’s questions then what good are these purportedly positive polling numbers for Obama today?
Comment by Sean A — March 22, 2010 @ 4:52 pm - March 22, 2010
Tano fires this clusterbomb:
Wow, oh wow, oh golly gee.
Now what, perchance would that demonstration be? I am but 68 and I threw in with MLK, but I can not think of anything in the USA that fits your claim. Are you thinking ahead to your attendance at the Glenn Beck August 28 Lincoln Memorial event? If so, look me up, I would be glad to meet you and have the chance to take your measure.
While others might doubt your claim, I just stand in awe of you. I have never attempted to pee with tall dogs, but I understand that some tall dogs look up to dachshunds.
(Oops! Maybe you were with the Pope on one of his tours.)
Comment by heliotrope — March 22, 2010 @ 7:25 pm - March 22, 2010
wow dan, thanks for that daily dose of misogyny.
Comment by Chad — March 22, 2010 @ 7:45 pm - March 22, 2010
Misogyny? How has Dan a misogynist, Chad?
Comment by Sean A — March 22, 2010 @ 8:19 pm - March 22, 2010
the entire opening paragraph is a hateful attack on pelosi because of her gender and appearance. that’s misogynist. if you can’t attack her policies and methods without calling her a witch or mocking her makeup, then you shouldn’t say anything at all.
Comment by Chad — March 22, 2010 @ 9:54 pm - March 22, 2010
#34: “the entire opening paragraph is a hateful attack on pelosi because of her gender and appearance. that’s misogynist.”
The fu*k it is. Misogyny is the hatred of women. Nothing Dan posted suggests a hatred of women. His comment only refers to Pelosi, who unquestionably deserves the entire nation’s unmitigated, seething contempt. In fact, since you were so eager to self-appoint yourself to a political correctness task force, why don’t you come up with a word that means “the hatred of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi”? It’s so wide-spread that it definitely needs it’s own word. And by the way, come back and lecture us about misogyny AFTER the Democratic Party has put a couple of decades between itself and the candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin.
“if you can’t attack her policies and methods without calling her a witch or mocking her makeup, then you shouldn’t say anything at all.”
What is it about liberals and their acute form of narcissism that causes them to believe that their job in life is to tell other people what they can and can’t say? Seriously, Chad, who told you that you’re the one in charge of policing what other people say and type on political blogs? How about this: you can type whatever you want, and we can do the same? I know that sounds crazy to a committed thought-cop like yourself, but you’re going to have to live with it.
And you really are overreacting to Dan’s comment about Pelosi’s makeup being worse than that worn by the Wicked Witch of the West. He was actually being, I think, unnecessarily kind and polite regarding the Speaker’s physical appearance. After all, EVERYONE knows that Pelosi’s face is a complete train-wreck because of all of the cheap, Tijuana-grade facework she’s had done, but Dan’s too much of a gentleman to mention it.
Comment by Sean A — March 22, 2010 @ 10:17 pm - March 22, 2010
sean, you’re a douchebag.
Comment by Chad — March 22, 2010 @ 10:40 pm - March 22, 2010
Pawning off your work on others is doing the “heavy work”? That’s leadership?
You’re right about that. Unemployment up from 5-ish%, up to 10% and back to 9.7%, which we’re being told is the new norm. Millions unemployed, millions losing their homes, foreclosures starting back up again, deficits quadrupled, massive debt, pissing on Israel, giving Iran a pass, pissed of foreign dignitaries with crappy gifts or returned gifts from our closest ally, multiple “America Sucks Ass!!!” tours, siphons capital from the private sector to fund his Neo-Comm aspirations, took over TWO private companies and is taking over the health care industry, has American companies too terrified to hire anyone, dictates pay at private companies, has dispatched SEIU thugs to intimidate and assault anyone who dares oppose him, has divided and conquered the American people, is transforming the middle class into a dependent class etc. etc. etc.
Yeah he’s done a lot and not a DAMN thing I would be proud of.
Soooo….he supported more regulation of Fan/Fred and never demanded loan companies lend to people who couldn’t afford to pay it back? Never? Really?
And AGAIN I ask, if ObamaCareless is so damn great, why the need for appeals processes???
Comment by ThatGayConservative — March 22, 2010 @ 10:51 pm - March 22, 2010
Not only hasn’t he done a damn thing I would be proud of, he hasn’t done a DAMN thing to help the American people.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — March 22, 2010 @ 10:52 pm - March 22, 2010
#36: “sean, you’re a douchebag.”
Ummm, Chad, you just tried to insult me by calling me a name that is actually an apparatus used by women to clean their nether regions. By using the term “douchebag” in the pejorative sense, you are implying that women are somehow “unclean.” This marginalizes women and objectifies their anatomy to be used as an instrument of ridicule against others.
Now who’s the misogynist, Chad?
(Isn’t political correctness FUN!)
Comment by Sean A — March 22, 2010 @ 11:07 pm - March 22, 2010
you’re still a douchebag, sean. and i bet you also have a micropenis, based on your overly aggressive online persona.
Comment by Chad — March 23, 2010 @ 12:38 am - March 23, 2010
#40: Representative Massa? Is that you?
Comment by Sean A — March 23, 2010 @ 1:37 am - March 23, 2010