Are Republicans still a National Party?

[xelnix]

Originally Posted by Arbiter

I admit I don't fully know all the issues happening in the houses.

That pretty much sums up your whole post. You could have just left out the rest...

[GrobbeeTrull2.0]

The demo's have done nothing with the republicans together since obama took office and they took back power.

You're right, they haven't done any compromise with the Republicans at all on the Health Care bill. Nope, they're just shoving it down our throats!

What else has Obama done since he got into office? Here's a website: PolitiFact | The Obameter: Tracking Barack Obama's Campaign Promises

Let's review what Socialist Agendas he's shoved down our throats:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

15. Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners

Create a $10 billion fund to help homeowners refinance or sell their homes. "The Fund will not help speculators, people who bought vacation homes or people who falsely represented their incomes." (Money from TARP)

33. [b]Establish a Credit Card "Bill of Rights"

The credit card bill of rights would "ban unilateral changes ... apply interest rate increases only to future debt ... prohibit interest on fees ... prohibit 'universal defaults' (whereby a credit card raises its rates because the consumer was late paying a different creditor ... require prompt and fair crediting of cardholder payments."

36. Expand Loan Programs to Small Businesses

Expand "the Small Business Administration's loan and micro-loan programs which provide start-up and long-term financing that small firms cannot receive through normal channels."

40. Extend and Index the Alternative Minimum Tax patch

During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain promised they would extend and index for inflation a "patch" to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax. Obama has done so.

No 58. Expand eligibility for State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP)

Back in 2007, President Bush twice vetoed legislation expanding SCHIP, a health insurance program for low-income children. Democrats vowed it would be one of the first things they addressed under a new administration. On Feb. 4, 2009, President Obama signed a new SCHIP law.

No. 76: Expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners

"Expand funding—including loan repayment, adequate reimbursement, grants for training curricula, and infrastructure support to improve working conditions— to ensure a strong workforce that will champion prevention and public health activities."

No. 77: Increase funding to expand community based prevention programs

"Increase funding to expand community based preventive interventions to help Americans make better choices to improve their health."

No. 88: Sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

No. 125: Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq

No. 134: Send two additional brigades to Afghanistan

No. 222: Grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba

No. 224: Restore funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program

No. 225: Establish an Energy Partnership for the Americas

No. 239: Release presidential records


No. 241: Require new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions.

No. 278: Remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires

No. 290: Push for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factors

No. 307: Create a White House Office on Urban Policy

No. 327: Support increased funding for the NEA

No. 346: Appoint an assistant to the president for science and technology policy

No. 371: Fund a major expansion of AmeriCorps

No. 391: Appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer

No. 411: Work to overturn Ledbetter vs. Goodyear

No. 421: Appoint an American Indian policy adviser

No. 427: Ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees

No. 452: Weatherize 1 million homes per year

No. 458: Invest in all types of alternative energy

No. 459: Enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars

No. 480: Support high-speed rail

No. 498: Provide grants to encourage energy-efficient building codes

No. 503: Appoint at least one Republican to the cabinet

While that still left Obama technically one Republican short in his Cabinet, he put the issue to rest on Dec. 19 when he nominated Ray LaHood, a former congressman from Illinois, to serve as his secretary of transportation.

In a Dec. 1, 2008, news conference to announce his national security team, Obama said he asked Robert Gates to continue as secretary of defense. Gates has served under several Republican administrations, including as national security adviser and then director of central intelligence under the first President George Bush.

On Feb. 3, President Barack Obama nominated Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire to be commerce secretary.

No. 507: Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits

No. 513: Reverse restrictions on stem cell research

That's just what's he's done according to what he had said he'd try to do. Care to point out any mistakes or injustices, Arbiter? No? Didn't think so. It's just your opinion, man.

[BoldW]

Well, You're kind of proving to the right how he is shoving his socialist agenda down our throats.
Socialism is state (or communal) ownership of means of production and distribution of capital, land, etc (let's call it wealth).

In that list, did you notice all those expand funding, and increase funding things? That's what the right is worried about. Just about anytime the administration increases spending, especially when it means increasing taxes, and redistributes it, the right is going to cry. Anytime a new government agency is created, or expanded, or control of a previously private company/industry is taken, or a new czar is appointed, they're going to cry also. Why? Because the feel a socialist agenda is being rammed down their throats. All those accomplishments in less than a year seems a bit like rushing things, and I can see how they think things are being rammed down their throats, especially with the administration's policy of trying to push things through as fast as possible.

More entitlement, more spending, higher taxes, government taking control of private companies and increasing an already pretty big stake in many industries such as automaking, banking, and healthcare - Do you not see how people who are afraid of socialism are kind of running scared right now?

[Sharmai]

Originally Posted by BoldW

More entitlement, more spending, higher taxes, government taking control of private companies and increasing an already pretty big stake in many industries such as automaking, banking, and healthcare - Do you not see how people who are afraid of socialism are kind of running scared right now?

Did you read what was done at all? What I see is how people are being mislead our outright lied to by the right. Just like them your shouting Republican catch phrases like "more spending, higher taxes, and big business" but you aren't pointing out to what it is that was actually done that was bad.


It's just like republicans running around screaming about death panels.

[Screamfeeder]

Originally Posted by BoldW

Anytime a new government agency is created, or expanded, or control of a previously private company/industry is taken, or a new czar is appointed, they're going to cry also. Why? Because the feel a socialist agenda is being rammed down their throats.

Horseshit. Where was the outcry when the government was helping corporate farmers? Where the fuck was all the outrage over the creation of the Department of Homeland Security? Frankly, what they feel dosent really fucking matter if it's misplaced or wrong. It's the job of those that actually understand how it works to sit them down and explain why they should stop feeling a certain way just because and start reading goddamn books.

Originally Posted by BoldW

Do you not see how people who are afraid of socialism are kind of running scared right now?

No frankly I don't. What I see are a bunch of completely uneducated assholes who don't have the first clue how the federal government works getting bombastic about shit they couldn't explain to their 3 year old kids in a meaningful way.

[Heylel Teomim]

Originally Posted by Screamfeeder

No frankly I don't. What I see are a bunch of completely uneducated assholes who don't have the first clue how the federal government works getting bombastic about shit they couldn't explain to their 3 year old kids in a meaningful way.

This. A thousand, thousand times this.

We have a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy specifically because most people are fucking retards. Our elected representatives should be able to do their job without some idiot waving a gun in their face.

[AladainAF]

Where was the outcry when the government was helping corporate farmers?

Wow, there was a time where the government DIDNT help corporate farmers? Musta been before my time.

[Screamfeeder]

Originally Posted by AladainAF

Wow, there was a time where the government DIDNT help corporate farmers? Musta been before my time.

That's exactly my point. We have been a country that has adopted "socialized" programs for...well pretty sure since about July 5th 1776. But, because people are so fucking stupid, they get all riled up about it.

[BoldW]

Originally Posted by Screamfeeder

That's exactly my point. We have been a country that has adopted "socialized" programs for...well pretty sure since about July 5th 1776. But, because people are so fucking stupid, they get all riled up about it.

Only stupid people would think that there is a difference between a socialized program that benefits society as a whole and one whose only purpose is to redistribute wealth from one class of the population to anothe? Or that a social program that creates incentives could be different from one that entitles?

No frankly I don't. What I see are a bunch of completely uneducated assholes who don't have the first clue how the federal government works

You have truly shown to me your awesome understanding of how government works with your well thought out concepts and examples! Surely if someone is against any possible socialistic program of Obama, they obviously are either against ALL socialistic policies, in which case they're idiots, or they're just idiots to begin with. Your excellent arguments of how more government is better, how healthcare is "free", and how we're not dgging ourselves a grave with the largest deficits in history (and even if we were, who cares) really has helped turn my mind around about how republicans might think the president's policies are turning the country more towards socialism and could be bad for the country. Bravo, sir. Bravo.

[Heylel Teomim]

Originally Posted by BoldW

Only stupid people would think that there is a difference between a socialized program that benefits society as a whole and one whose only purpose is to redistribute wealth from one class of the population to another. Or that a social program wthat creates incentives could be different from one that entitles.
.

Reread your statement there big guy, otherwise thanks for agreeing with us.

[BoldW]

Only stupid people would think that there is a difference between a socialized program that benefits society as a whole and one whose only purpose is to redistribute wealth from one class of the population to another. Or that a social program wthat creates incentives could be different from one that entitles.

Originally Posted by Heylel Teomim

Reread your statement there big guy, otherwise thanks for agreeing with us.

My sarcasm would have been more evident had I put a ? at the end of the statement. Sorry about that. I'll go fix it. So what you're saying is that you do not see a difference? Really?!? And you say the republicans don't understand government? Okay then, lady.

[Draegan]

The Democrats have a big tent. They are many different types of Democrats and they don't vote as a block.

Republicans have a smaller tent, and usually vote with one voice, and when one descents they are called RINO's and get kicked out by the base.

Anyway, the Democrats havn't had a fullibuster proof Senate at all. Kennedy has been ill since Franken has been sworn in and that 60 includes Leibermann and an Independent. However if you still want to count it as 60 votes, they havn't had "60" for a very long time, not even 2 months. One of which Congress has been out of session. What would you expect them to do?

[Lleauaric~EW]

Originally Posted by brekk

I can guarantee that sleazeball Liebermann is out for good in '10. Between the flip-flopping between the Dems and Repubs, being Bush's butt buddy, and the shitty way he stole the last senate election he's toast.

Not a good guarantee... he isnt up for relection until 2012 =( I wish though...

Originally Posted by BoldW

Socialism is state (or communal) ownership of means of production and distribution of capital, land, etc (let's call it wealth).

Medicare and Social Security are two purely socialist programs. Countless things in our SOCIETY are socialist in nature or have socialist tendencies. Public roads, Parks, disaster relief, unemployment or disability, Anything under "Public Works" like water or sewage, public schools... all socialist in nature.

[Heylel Teomim]

Originally Posted by BoldW

My sarcasm would have been more evident had I put a ? at the end of the statement. Sorry about that. I'll go fix it. So what you're saying is that you do not see a difference? Really?!? And you say the republicans don't understand government? Okay then, lady.

In the strictest sense? No, there's not. Virtually any activity the government undertakes using funding raised by taxes can be considered a redistribution of wealth. It's why the whole concept is pretty much moot. Incentives and entitlements are much different conceptually, but social programs and wealth redistribution go hand in hand from a certain perspective.

Also, the ? doesn't help. It still doesn't sound like sarcasm. I'd like to hear why you feel good health needs an incentive, rather than being a simple necessity. Seems to me like a perfectly valid thing for people to feel entitled to.

[Heylel Teomim]

Originally Posted by Draegan

However if you still want to count it as 60 votes, they havn't had "60" for a very long time, not even 2 months. One of which Congress has been out of session. What would you expect them to do?

Well, if Republicans had 60 seats for a solid month a few years back, I expect we would have had the Ten Commandments back in school, oil wells in every national park, and BJs as an official duties of congressional pages within the first week.

(BoldW, that's how you do sarcasm. Go for broke. If it isn't silly, people might take you seriously.)