As late as this afternoon, the Tea-Bagger gang in the House (which includes the smarmy, opportunistic Eric Cantor) still stamped their feet and blubbered that they deserved to get their way.
Fortunately, the President and the nation has had enough of this infantile posturing and brinksmanship. The defeat of several tea-bagger loudmouths in the last election, and the newly-respected polls showing strong national sentiment against the GOP, could not be ignored by all House Republicans.
The fiscal deal, close to what the President desired, is done. It averts the huge "sequesters" of government spending that would depress economic activity and takes the first steps to restoring a reasonable tax system in this nation.
The tea-baggers have been absent or impotent in this discussion. It is apparent that the self-appointed spokespersons for the "real America" are not capable of furthering or completing the most basic requirements of government.
On a political level, one is glad to see that the obstructionists and fundamentalists who hindered national recovery for the past years are made irrelevant by the qualities they cherish -dogmatism, bigotry, and disregard for facts.
On a moral level, one is delighted to see the disempowerment of nativist, know-nothing, racists who reflect the underlying ideology of the Tea-Bagger Gangs.
I don't pretend that tea-bagger ignorance and obfuscation has ended or been healed, but I do rejoice that many of the ill effects of the Congress-determined "fiscal cliff" have been averted for the time being.
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Comments: 58
And, it augurs well for the nation. We can't adopt European "austerity" until the economic recovery is stronger.
I agree that the GOP has been brusied by their association with the simplistic dogmatism of the tea-baggers.
When it comes to faith, I am far more concerned about the deadly effects to evangelicals from whoring for the GOP.
We are beginning to "reap the whirlwind" from putting one's trust in Ceasar to compel moral behavior, from focusing solely on "the sins of my neighbor", and from adopting the convictions of the Pharisees (if it isn't paraded on street corners, it isn't real faith").
even a rat may drown a nation."
~ George Berkeley (1685 - 1753)
seems he thought so too
LOL.
Seems there are some people too dumb to realise all the so called deal had done is kick the can three month down the road.
This story about Obama's favourite billionaires dumping US stocks was interesting.
Wonder what they know that the 'useful idiots' celebrating Obama's triumph in avoiding the fiscal cliff dont? (Actually I know and I suspect you do too.)
Hope is a theological virtue.
I may be unduly influenced by an an excess of eggnog-induced good cheer, but I believe that this less-than-ideal agreement is still a valuable beginning of a conversation that must occur - and that the tea-baggers have shown that they are not ready for responsible conversation.
I think that for America at this point in time, the deal, as imperfect as it is, represents a change of direction.
The GOP played the "fiscal cliff" scare, actually they did it very well, however, "The secret of playing chicken is knowing when to flinch", and they did not know...
I am glad that is over for now, and I am glad there are some rational minds among the GOP.
I agree with Peter, this signals the beginning of overdue conversations!
Perfect way to summarize this mess~Kudos, Crin!
Heh-heh-heh...
Obama goes to sleep one night but wakes up with the Ghost of George Washington standing at the bottom of the bedroom. He says George “how can I help the people of this country. George replies “just be honest with them like I was.
Awhile later he wakes up again and this time it’s Thomas Jefferson, “Tom how can I help the people of this country? Tom says, “Love the constitution like I did.
Once more he wakes up an standing at the bottom of the bed is Abe Lincoln, “Abe how can I help the people of this country?
Abe replies, “go see a play.
Graham...excellent!
One of the delights of reading ill-informed remarks like those of John-Jacob-Jingleheimer is the word-salad of confused metaphors, similes, and analogies.
HI is the cultural equivalent of Ebola virus.
- Pete S. EST 14:14, 18 Dec., 2012
It is only a very small part of my cultural legacy to unite both conservatives and liberals in common animosity against a single foe: myself.
Extrapolating, it is therefore also my cultural legacy to have our nation once again be accurately described as: The United States.
Have it a go at that one, Sir...and in less than the 7 Basic Ballet Movements, if you can!
Go right on ahead...make something up, if you must :)
Got some of the real thing in the refrigerator, for cuisine snobs instead of intellectual ones: Parmigiano Reggiano. Mmmm.
The recently deceased lefty intellectual - and Honorary President of The American Humanist Association - Gore Vidal, noted that we secular humanists tend to be great snobs. With the word snob often just an accusatory tool abused to rationalize wallowing in pride of homogeneity and ingorunce.
Actually, I like Pete, despite his put-downs and petty persiflage. I fancy that, in Life, he's an amusing sort of Chap, in an amusing sort of way...
Fiiiiiiinally - Mark-John leaves the heavy dogma largely off to the side for a few moments. Never thought I'd live to see the day.
Please - don't Mark-John: just let me savour these few precious moments.....
...we could use YOU in The White House! (actually, I'm a personable young Man...so I've been told..;]
O.K....holding my breath, and biting my tongue...
..savour while you can!
Mark-John made me laugh!
Sorry Graham, but that was bad, way bad! @ MJK, it wasn't funny!!!
I wonder also if The Green Party has similar - left - relativity to The Democratic Party?
An issue I almost always find missing - even when I largely agree with such post(ulation)s as this - is insufficient personal responsibility and introspection on the part of the electorate. Continually rewarding bad party behaviours, then blaming others for the results.
The crisis for the GOP, however, is that the "fringe" overtook the party.
The recent Presidential campaign revealed quite clearly that the GOP appeals to the most hateful and dishonest elements of the electorate.
One should discern between the fringe elements, e.g., those with extreme liberal or extreme conservative views, and those who are lunatic, i.e., delusional, bigoted, and otherwise divorced from reality.
These are two very different things. The tea party represents the bigoted, delusional wing with a propensity for creating false "realities" to hide their hypocrisy, bigotry, and/or hatred. The tea party does not represent conservatism by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, they defile the concept of conservatism.
The crisis for the GOP, however, is that the "fringe" overtook the party.
Indeed. Those with extreme (some would argue "pure") views offer constructive, if not practical, views. Their views may be incorporated or may inform the outcome, but they cannot be the final outcome, mostly because they simply are not achievable.
The former GOP, however, has let itself become defined by the tea party, which as noted above is not simply a fringe, it is defined by its bigotry and delusion. All one has to do is look back at the serial "frontrunner" syndrome evidenced in the Republican primary battle this last election. The tea party leaped into support first one, then another, then another candidate...and each and every time it was after that candidate expressed some bigoted or otherwise extreme view or hatred of their fellow man and woman. That fact alone illustrates the bigotry and delusion that drives the tea party.
And yet the GOP leadership, rather than disdaining bigotry, embraced it. In doing so they shamed their party and shame all Americans.
The recent Presidential campaign revealed quite clearly that the GOP appeals to the most hateful and dishonest elements of the electorate.
Exactly. Mitt Romney's "47% comment" and his embracing of Donald Trump's bigotry, as well as his desire that one of the fastest growing demographics in this country "self-deport," is direct confirmation of how the former GOP has devolved into the last century (and perhaps into the century before that).
A last-ditch effort to slow down the diminishing of white America~I have no doubt there's more to come...
Their first action, repeated more than thirty times, was to vote to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act.
The Congress ended with ten loudmouth tea-baggers retired by the voters, the states rushing to set up Health Exchanges, and the Republican House voting 600 Billion in new revenue.
These are the facts, despite what the small-minded tea-baggers of Gather imagine the world to be.
Great stuff, Peter. Unfortunately, many of the smallest-minded of Gather's teabaggers will likely never acknowledge it. Their grasp of reality seems extraordinarily limited.
From what I can tell, most of them are content participating in their "friends only" circle jerks, spreading conspiracy theories, ranting about how much they hate Pres. Obama, and waiting for the "end times" that they seem to believe are imminent.
Thus, one has to proceed with unusual directness and simplicity:
The 112th Congress ended with ten loudmouth tea-baggers retired by the voters, the states rushing to set up Health Exchanges, and the Republican House voting 600 Billion in new revenue.
Clearly, you have never followed debates in the House of Lords.
When you recall how grandly tea-baggers pronounced the end to federal taxing authority, the elimination of federal regulation of Commerce, etc - one realizes just how mcuh the bitter, small-minded whiners who tie-up the GOP have become a net benefit to the Democrats.
Any post that generates this much raving, braying, and illogical nonsense from the tea-baggers must contain some truth.