Republicans are desperate. They can’t attack Obama on jobs because the jobs picture is improving.
Their attack on the Administration’s rule requiring insurers to cover contraception has backfired, raising hackles even among many Republican women.
Their attack on Obama for raising gas prices has elicited scorn from economists of all persuasions who know oil prices are set in global markets and that demand in the United States has actually fallen.
Their presidential ambitions are being trampled in a furious fraternal war among Republican candidates.
Their Tea Party wing wants to reopen the budget deal forged with Democrats after Republicans got bloodied by threatening to block an increase in the debt limit.
So what are Republicans to do now? What they always do when they have nothing else to say.
Call for a tax cut, of course.
It doesn’t matter that their new “tax reform” plan (leaked to the Wall Street Journal late Monday, to be released Tuesday morning) has as much chance of being enacted as Herman Cain has of being elected president.
It doesn’t matter than the plan doesn’t detail how they plan to pay for the tax cuts. Or whether an even bigger whack would have to be taken out of Medicare than Paul Ryan’s original voucher plan – which would drowned many elderly under rising medical costs.
It doesn’t even matter that the plan would probably raise taxes on many lower-income Americans,
All that matters is the headlines.
“House Republican Budget to Propose Lower Income Tax Rates,” says Bloomberg Businessweek. “Republican Budget Plan Seeks to Play Up Tax Reform,” says Reuters. “GOP’s Budget Targets Taxes,” blares the Wall Street Journal.
Presto. Republicans have gotten what they wanted on the basis of saying absolutely nothing.
By Robert Reich
Let’s see, if they did not propose the deficit reduction plan, then one could say that they (the Republicans) are a do-nothing party.
So, in other words, no matter which way you turn, your butt is still behind you.
Or, would you rather have the Republicans in congress go along with the Democrat’s plan? Oh, that is right, they do not have any plans.
What I said still stands. There is only one long term budget plan in the body that is responsible for the USA Federal Government budget - the Ryan plan.
Democrats have no plan. Their plan is no plan. Somehow the media did not pick up on this nor did they pick up on the fact that just a year ago congressional Republicans were referred to as "do nothing Republicans" and “obstructionists”.
Strange.
Let me think for a moment.
R has a plan, D doesn’t.
R wants to talk about it, D doesn’t.
The day following his inaguration, Carter issued a pardon to all those considered to be "draft dodgers" during the Vietnam War.
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1979 Rising oil prices set off the nation's first energy riot when truckers staged a blockade of freeway exits in Levittown, Pennsylvania, which resulted in two days of violence, 100 people injured, and 170 arrested. Interest rates floated at historic levels, which contributed to a savings and loan crisis. Unemployment was high. Stagnant economic growth combined with high inflation inspired the term "stagflation."
- - -
Carter suffered from bad decisions and failure to lead. In September, Nicaraguan Daniel Ortega, leader of the Sandinista rebels who had just overthrown the dictatorship of Anastasio Somosa, came to the White House for aid. Carter agreed on $118 million. Ortega subsequently turned his organization into a leftist regime.
- - -
In October, Carter allowed the Shah into the U.S. for medical treatment. That was an affront to militant "students" in Iran, who, on November 4, seized 66 hostages after overrunning the U.S. Embassy — igniting a 444-day hostage crisis.
- - -
...
The day following his inaguration, Carter issued a pardon to all those considered to be "draft dodgers" during the Vietnam War.
- - -
1979 Rising oil prices set off the nation's first energy riot when truckers staged a blockade of freeway exits in Levittown, Pennsylvania, which resulted in two days of violence, 100 people injured, and 170 arrested. Interest rates floated at historic levels, which contributed to a savings and loan crisis. Unemployment was high. Stagnant economic growth combined with high inflation inspired the term "stagflation."
- - -
Carter suffered from bad decisions and failure to lead. In September, Nicaraguan Daniel Ortega, leader of the Sandinista rebels who had just overthrown the dictatorship of Anastasio Somosa, came to the White House for aid. Carter agreed on $118 million. Ortega subsequently turned his organization into a leftist regime.
- - -
In October, Carter allowed the Shah into the U.S. for medical treatment. That was an affront to militant "students" in Iran, who, on November 4, seized 66 hostages after overrunning the U.S. Embassy — igniting a 444-day hostage crisis.
- - -
On Christmas Day, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, provoking the tabling of the SALT II Treaty and leading to a proclamation of the "Carter Doctrine," a warning to the Soviets that, if they invaded the Middle East, it would be taken as a "direct threat to U.S. national security."
- - -
In late April 1980, Carter opted for a rescue mission of the hostages. The operation, dubbed "Desert One," was a mortifying debacle as two helicopters failed and a third crashed into a plane on takeoff. Altogether, eight men lost their lives, and eight aircraft went down.
- - -
all was quiet on the home front until early August 1980, when the "Billygate" controversy exploded.
The president's brother, Billy, entangled himself in a bit of international intrigue when he and a group of Georgia businessmen and political figures went to Libya to try to establish trade relations. Libya was known to support terrorists, so the meeting was frowned upon by the White House.
Jimmy Carter explained to the American public that "I have no control over what my brother says, and my brother has no control over me."
Part II of the scandal was brought to light when it was discovered Billy had received a $220,000 "loan" from the Libyan government for "oil sales he was supposed to facilitate."
- - -
In November, the Iranian government announced that the hostages would not be released prior to the election, which sealed the president's fate. Carter lost to Reagan in a landslide.
_____________________________...
I guess you weren't paying attention or alive when Carter was President. The overall feeling in America was not good. The phrase "malaise" was coined to describe his effect on our economy and our community spirit. There were long lines at the gas stations and Carter installed Paul Volcker in the Federal reserve. Volcker went on to create the worst recession since the Great Depression (where have we heard that recently?) by cutting the money supply so much that it hurt employment and caused very high inflation. His action were so mismanaged that it took several years to undo and get the millions of jobs lost back. Thank God Reagan came along and turned it around!
Look, up until Obama, I was certain there could be no worse President than Carter. But Obama has clearly surpassed Carter in failure and will be remembered as the worst President to date. After his ObamaCare is rejected by the Supreme Court, Obama will be a complete failure. But til then, Carter and Obama will be the TOP 2 in the Worst Evah debate.
Regarding the tax cuts for the rich, they find that:
“Overall, the increase in taxable income translates into higher revenues that offset about 39 percent of the static revenue loss associated with the reduction in the top two tax rates.”
So basically the tax cuts create more revenue to the government than if you just kept right on taxing away. Its simple economices, but for some reason the Left can't get it through their thick skulls. By giving businesses more of thier money, you create jobs. More jobs means more tax payers. More tax payers means more revenue. And so on and so on. Think about it.
You need to do some research. You will find that during the tax cuts of Reagan and Bush, the revenues to the governement were increased. At times in record amounts. Why can't Liberals understand? That is the overall goal afterall.
The Left seems to only want to take from those who have. The fact that it doesn't solve any problem is irrelevent.
The Bush Tax Cuts: How have they affected tax revenue?
The Bush tax cuts contributed, along with underlying economic conditions, to a historic decline in federal tax revenue. In 2000 total federal tax revenue was as high in proportion to the U.S. economy as it had ever been. By 2004 federal tax revenue in proportion to the economy had fallen to its lowest level in almost fifty years.
In recent decades the federal tax take has generally fluctuated between 17 and 19 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). By 2000, however, total federal tax receipts had reached 20.9 percent of GDP, their highest level since 1970 and matched only in 1944, when the federal government collected 20.9 percent of GDP in taxes at the height of fighting World War II. By 2004, however, federal tax receipts had fallen to 16.3 percent of GDP, which is not only the lowest level since 1970, but the lowest since 1959.
Most of the decline in the ratio of federal tax revenue to GDP can be traced to the individual income tax. From 1970 to 2000 these taxes were typically in the range of 8 to 9 percent of GDP. In 2000 individual income taxes were 10.3 percent of GDP, their highest level ever. By 2004 individual income taxes had dropped to 7.0 percent of GDP, their lowest level since 1951. Total federa...
The Bush Tax Cuts: How have they affected tax revenue?
The Bush tax cuts contributed, along with underlying economic conditions, to a historic decline in federal tax revenue. In 2000 total federal tax revenue was as high in proportion to the U.S. economy as it had ever been. By 2004 federal tax revenue in proportion to the economy had fallen to its lowest level in almost fifty years.
In recent decades the federal tax take has generally fluctuated between 17 and 19 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). By 2000, however, total federal tax receipts had reached 20.9 percent of GDP, their highest level since 1970 and matched only in 1944, when the federal government collected 20.9 percent of GDP in taxes at the height of fighting World War II. By 2004, however, federal tax receipts had fallen to 16.3 percent of GDP, which is not only the lowest level since 1970, but the lowest since 1959.
Most of the decline in the ratio of federal tax revenue to GDP can be traced to the individual income tax. From 1970 to 2000 these taxes were typically in the range of 8 to 9 percent of GDP. In 2000 individual income taxes were 10.3 percent of GDP, their highest level ever. By 2004 individual income taxes had dropped to 7.0 percent of GDP, their lowest level since 1951. Total federal tax revenue declined by 4.6 percent of GDP from 2000 to 2004; of that total, 3.3 percentage points, or almost three-quarters, was due to the decline in individual income tax revenue.
Most of the remaining decline in the revenue-to-GDP ratio resulted from a drop in the share in total revenue coming from corporate income taxes, which fell by 0.5 percent of GDP from 2000 to 2004, and a drop in the share coming from the payroll taxes that finance Social Security and Medicare, which declined by 0.4 percent of GDP over that period.
The theory that lower taxes creates jobs is what Reagan touted back in the 80's. It didn't work then and it didn't work during Bush II's administration. Historically, the lowest levels of unemployment (i.e. more taxpayers) occurred when taxes were higher.
Look deep into all of it and you'll see what it really is, lies.
FYI. James Buchanan is considered the worst closely followed by Warren G. Harding, the former a Democrat and the latter a Republican.
You may KNOW George Bush was the worst, but you are wrong....and I am no fan of former President George Bush.
By the way, a Panda is so stupid an animal that it is one of the few that resides in its own excrement and has the propensity to roll over on its own young and suffocate them.
I suggest that you change your avatar. It might lend you more credibility, especially if you have the motivation to look up facts from credible sources.