From the office of U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaking today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) warned of the dire consequences a government shutdown would have on the economy, on families, on communities and national safety, and on civil servants.
“I’m against a government shutdown,” Senator Mikulski said. “Shutting down the government breaks faith with federal employees, jeopardizes our economic recovery, threatens the viability of small- and medium-sized businesses that do business with the federal government and even threatens the safety of our families and our economy.”
Senator Mikulski outlined how the shutdown would impact thousands of jobs in the public and private sector, all over the United States, and urged her colleagues to come to an agreement on the budget before the government shuts down.
Audio of the statement is available at http://demradio.senate.gov/actualities/mikulski/040611_MIKULSKI.mp3.
The full text of Senator Mikulski’s statement follows:
I rise to the floor to comment on the terrible situation that we find ourselves in. We’re in a terrible situation. The clock is ticking on a shutdown. I have a couple of principles as we head into the midnight witching hour on Friday.
First of all, my first principle is no shutdown – let’s have a sit-down. Let’s not shut down government and cut off funding for private-sector contractors who do business with the government. Let’s have a congressional sit-down and arrive at an orderly, rational agreement that does create a more frugal government but does not torpedo our economy.
My second principle is, if we shut down the government and federal employees and contractors don’t get paid, Congress shouldn’t get paid. And not only should Congress not get paid, no back-pay, no way. I spoke about the Congressional no-pay position yesterday. Today I want to talk about the consequences of the shutdown.
I’m against a government shutdown. Shutting down the government breaks faith with federal employees, jeopardizes our economic recovery, threatens the viability of small- and medium-sized businesses that do business with the federal government and even threatens the safety of our families and our economy.
That’s why I’m for a Congressional sit-down, not a shutdown of the federal government. Democrats and Republicans should negotiate over spending cuts, but what’s not open for negotiation is whether the federal government is worth keeping open or not. Parties must come together.
You know, there’s a belief that a shutdown will occur only in Washington. That the lights will go out in the Washington Monument. Maybe a museum will be closed here or there. Maybe even a national park will be closed here or there. On the Senate floor, on the House floor and even in the media, it’s followed by kind of a snicker or even a snarl. How foolish. They don’t understand the functioning of the government of the United States of America.
I’m afraid that the lights will go out. I’m afraid that government agencies will be shuttered. I’m concerned that people who work on behalf of the federal government, as contractors – small- and medium-sized contractors, disabled veteran contractors – will not get paid. Now, I’m for cuts. I voted for the Democratic package with more than $51 billion in cuts. In my own appropriations bill, I reduced agency overhead by 10 percent. I cut out conference budgets by 25 percent.
There are other ways of doing it, and I will talk about that more tomorrow, about how we can actually pay for this. But today I want to talk about the consequences of what we’re doing. There’s nobody on the Senate floor talking about it. If nobody’s going to talk about it, I’m going to talk about it. A possible government shutdown creates uncertainty in consumer confidence and further damages the economy.
Mark Zandi, the chief economist of Moody’s, says that it will damage the confidence in the economy and could result in the loss of 700,000 jobs. Well, let me tell you – and everybody says, ‘Oh, well that’s government.’ ‘Oh, well, that’s government.’ I’m going to talk about ‘Oh, well, that’s government’ in a minute. Let’s talk about private sector.
Let’s take that snickering and snarling over national parks. You know, we have 300 million visitors at national parks. Do you know that those national parks generate 270,000 private-sector jobs in camp grounds, restaurants, gas stations, vendors to the national parks? Oh, yeah, you can laugh about closing down Yellowstone, and maybe that’s not the explosive thing. Two-hundred seventy thousand jobs, mostly in the West. I didn’t hear that they have such a low unemployment rate that
they don’t give a darn. Local communities at national parks lose $14 million per day. So that’s the national park argument.
Let me go to the contractors. I represent the state of Maryland, where we have a lot of contractors. Take Goddard Space Agency – 3,000 civil servants who do everything from help run the Hubble Telescope to figuring out how we can fix the satellites through robots in the sky. But there are 6,000 contractors – 6,000 contractors, some of them small business, working their way up. Some of them are women. Many of them are veterans who started small- to medium-sized businesses. These people, if there is a government shutdown, will not get paid.
Hello, colleagues? This is not only going to happen in my state. This is going to happen in your state. This was a major article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about what the shutdown means to the private sector. Well, let’s wake up here and let’s move more quickly to this sit-down.
I’m going to talk about essential versus non-essential. In my state, I represent over 130,000 federal employees, three of whom were Nobel Prize winners. Nobel Prize winners who are civil servants. And that’s not even the gang at Hopkins or University of Maryland. That is the three Nobel Prize winners who are actual civil servants. Now, under this shutdown that we’re heading for, they’re going to be told they’re non-essential.
We have a Nobel Prize winner at NIST for the development of new work on laser light. Secretary Chu was his partner. We have a Nobel Prize winner at NIH who won the Nobel Prize for proteins and cellular communication that could lead to a cure for cancer and a Nobel Prize winner at Goddard in physics. What am I going to do midnight on Friday? Am I going to call up these three Nobel Prize winners and say, ‘Hey guys, you’re not essential. We know you could be in the private sector making millions of dollars, but you’re staying here to do research to save lives, save the planet and lead to saving our
economy. But, hey, guys, you’re non-essential.’ In other countries, they carry you around on your shoulders and so on. But here we’re told they’re non-essential.
It’s not only Nobel Prize winners, it’s all the other people who are working. We’re going to turn out the lights at the National Institutes of Health. We’re going to say to a researcher – I know you’re working on that cure for cancer, I know you’re working on that cure for Alzheimer’s or autism or arthritis, but you know what? Washington, the Congress says you’re not essential.
Hey, what about Social Security? I have over 10,000 people work at the Social Security Administration. You say, well, my God, that’s a lot. That’s 24/7 to make sure that all functions properly and efficiently. We have the lowest overhead of any “insurance company” in America. But the windows and doors are going to be shuttered at the Social Security. Not only in Senator Barb’s or Senator Ben Cardin’s state, but it’s also going to be shuttered in all states when people come to apply for benefits they are eligible for, when people who are disabled want to apply for those benefits. They’re going to come to a shuttered Social Security office. And they’re going to be told they’re not essential.
Well, then let’s wait until Monday morning. Aren’t they going to come to work fired up, ready to work for America, ready to help America be great again? We are essential. That goes on at Social Security, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Look at commerce. I represent the great Port of Baltimore. Ships are going to come into the port. Who’s going to inspect their cargo? Traffic coming in to airports, who’s going to inspect their cargo? But no, we’re going to tell them they’re non-essential.
This is not going to be good. But you know what’s not really good? Not only the consequences, but the way we’re functioning here.
I’m telling you, this is a situation of enormous negative consequences, and I think we’re going to rue the day the way we’re functioning here. We need to come to the table, and we need to sit around and act like rational human beings.
Barbara,
For once I agree with you:
“My second principle is, if we shut down the government and federal employees and contractors don’t get paid, Congress shouldn’t get paid. And not only should Congress not get paid, no back-pay, no way. I spoke about the Congressional no-pay position yesterday.” I doubt that we will see it . . . but it was a thought.
As far as a shutdown, I hope it does not occur but if it does, no one will starve. I believe there will be a compromise but the spending has to stop. If we are borrowing forty cents for every dollar the government is spending, some of the frivolous spending has to stop. Bring the military home, stop foreign aid to countries that hate the US, and close the loopholes that allow companies like GE (and individuals) to avoid taxes (to name a few).
Rob, this is not directed at you…
The FedGov shut down approximately 11 days a year, for each year of Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Reagan shut down the .gov under his two terms as well. Clinton the same.
In each of those cases, no one failed to get paid (they just didn’t get paid timely), no one failed to receive their medicare or medicaid, and no one will fail to receive their benefits this time either. Out of the 3 million FedGov employees, only 800k will actually be “shutdown” as they are considered “non-essential” employees. If they are so non-essential as to be idled by a budget battle, I say axe them permanently. (I’m sure that will help the BLS reported unemployment lies, I mean numbers).
Babs is just doing her usually sniveling and snooty dog and pony show.
Whether we cut 30 billion or 66~70 billion, we are talking a pittance of the budget (less than 1%). Not even ONE FREAKING PERCENT! ONLY .02% OF THE TOTAL US GOV BUDGET!!! And that’s using the Repukics numbers (not misspelled).
Further, Paul Ryan’s budget is a joke too. Washington doesn’t understand that as far as saving our country from becoming the next Portugal, Ireland, Greece or Spain is drastic cuts NOW! Budgets are a pipe dream. They aren’t actual numbers. They are just estimates. But, considering 66% of the people are so sucked into the DC Ponzi scheme of social security and medicare / caid, there is no way we will ever reform these programs to relieve our country with the burden that they make in the annual budget (some 60% of the total annual outlays).
Get ready for misery, because whether they shut down the .gov now, pass a FY 2012 budget next week, or raise the debt limit next month, unless these ABSURD outlays of money STOP (and do so quickly), we will quickly overshoot 100% of GDP in public, FEDERAL DEBT ONLY. Factor in the states, or force the US Gov to put the Freddie and Fannie debt on the balance sheet, and we are already over 100% of GDP (that is an IMF estimate and request, not mine). Meaning, if every .gov from Harford Co, to MD, to the US Gov took 100% of yours and everyone’s paycheck every day, week, month, year for the next year it would NOT pay off everything we owe.
Last point…GE, and other benefactors of the tax code. I scoff at anyone who truly believes corporations pay taxes. Yes, they pay taxes, but meh. Historically, from WWII until today, the total tax revenue attributable to corporations and business, has never exceeded 10%. The tax rate has been 35%, it’s been 40%, hell, it could be 10% or 50%, corporations will always find a way to skate on their liabilities and use as much planning to generate deferred taxes and tax benefits from operating loss carry forwards (and backwards). That’s the game our reps have created for us to play in. I’m not saying that businesses, their owners, CEOs, the wealthy 10%, the mega-rich 1% shouldn’t pay their fair share but, that illustration should prove the point that our tax system flat out SUCKS! We don’t need 30,000 pages of Internal Revenue Code, that requires teams of lawyers and accounts to figure out. Further, this illustrates we have not a revenue problem but a spending problem.
“Let the rich pay! Let the companies pay!” How about, make the slackers be responsible for themselves and their lives. How about we stop the .gov from funding another 6 trillion (yes, that number is correct, of which you and I are already on the hook for) in housing guarantees to businesses whom should suffer the success, loss or bankruptcy completely on their own?
Argh, Rob, you got me started this morning…I should have just stayed away. And it’s time that blubber lips Mikulski retire since she has only exasperated the problem (but you know, she’s for the little guy, the workers).
For everyone in this thread…here is your US Government Crash Course in exactly, one chart.
http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4d690245ccd1d5d750110000-619-464/usa-income-statement.jpg
Hey Barb, if a budget was passed LAST YEAR, when the Dems were in control of both houses, this wouldn’t be an issue right now.
If you politicians actually did your jobs and passed a budget when you’re supposed to instead of playing political bullshit games like you usually do we wouldn’t have this problem.
Some of the problems are that each side is beholden to special interests. For the Republicans, it is a number of conservative groups, for example the Tea Party. For the democrats, they are indebted to a number of liberal groups, for example Planned Parenthood, the Hispanic and Black caucuses, and most of all, George Soros (the money man). If only each politician would listen to the majority of their constituents, leaving out the fringe groups and those with big money, we may not be in this mess.
I am thinking that the majority of constituents (for each House member and those in the Senate) want more fiscal responsibility, a reduction of frivolous spending, and less taxes). You can’t spend money that you don’t have unless you borrow it. When you borrow money, it costs; but it also has to be paid back. Who picks up the cost? Working Americans – those who actually pay taxes. Maryland is a lost cause, but Washington has a chance to reel in the spending . . . I hope they do it.
I love how for the Republican side you only mentioned the Tea Party but for the liberal side you mentioned Planned Parenthood (whatever), black and hispanics (you are still a racist) and George Soros (the boogeyman!).
You are a fraud with nothing to add to the conversation except repeated red herrings, Fox News soundbites and nonsense.
And I will keep calling you out on it.
The only thing you’re calling out is your M.O.M. on route 40.
Seriously, you sir, are nothing but a demagogue. I would assume your car is plastered with MDem, HOPE, Obama / Biden, Mikulski stickers, replete with Local 241.
Every debate in here, you immediately attack Rob in Bel Air, and glaze right over those making serious points. Meaning, you love Saul Alinsky and his rules (when you can’t debate them on the point, attack their charter, label them racist, and shout inequality).
Nice try busto, but you’ve been caught! Now…don’t you have a labor rally in Wisconsin to attend to and get paid for being there? I hear that big labor is crying in their Wheaties this morning after they got their collective bargaining behinds handed to them in the WI Supreme Court Elections? Herm…so how’s that socialism’s march working out for yall?
😀
Ms. Mikulski and Ms. Pelosi seem to need a reality check. One says we’re starving seniors and the other says the other says a shut down will stop a cure for cancer. Lets talk about truth in advertising…Both are boldly exaggerating reality.
If the government really did shut down … WOULD ANYBODY EVEN NOTICE?
Probably not, if the budget does shuts down, few will notice. However, liberals will make a crisis (or crises)out of it . . . saying people are dying . . . backed by the liberal media. Only other liberals will appreciate it (believe it).
Aberdeen Proving Ground will be shutdown. Testing of new equipment for our troops will be placed on hold and the employees supporting testing will be told to stay home. Troops will not be paid. You can accuse the liberals all you want for issues relating to the disaster imposed by a government shutdown but in the end we will all be affected.
The resulting affect will be people will not be able to pay for their expenses after savings are exhausted, loans will be defaulted on and businesses will suffer a drop in revenue.
It’s your problem too… only an idiot would make it someone else’ problem.
While I agree that a government shutdown is everybody’s problem, I don’t think the military would be shut down. Would contractors be affected?…probably. But, the military would continue to operate and as such, I would expect that troops would be paid, at least in the short term. If it gets to the point of troops not getting paid, then we’ll be well beyond any hopeful recovery and you best be prepared to fend for yourself.
The simple fact is that we’ve spent more than we should have. Not just this year, or last year, or in the last 10 years…..it goes back beyond that. And just because the last POTUS spent the money on a war, doesn’t make it right for this POTUS to continue that trend and more, by adding exponentially to the debt. Two (or three or four) wrongs don’t make a right. So, now we’re faced with the reality of handling the issue. How would you propose to handle it? There is no easy answer to the problem. It’s going to hurt a lot of people, for maybe a long time. But, what else are we to do?
My Son who is a Marine has already been advised by his command that he will be expected to work with out compensation after Friday if our govt does not pass an extension or a budget. The Military will continue to operate, but only at the expense of our Men and Woman who are fighting for this country and our freedom. Most of them live pay check to paycheck. How will they be able to take care of their families and pay their bills. It is sad that the politicians (with the exeption of a few) will continue to draw a pay check no matter what. That is just wrong no matter how you slice it.
I am truly disappointed to hear that news. It’s disgusting. I would like to thank your son for his service to our country.
I decided to look up the issue of military pay, and it looks like they’re talking about passing something that will fund the military for the rest of the year, but it sounds like there are other “add-ins” that are stopping the bill from passing? Something about the President vetoing the bill if it made it to his desk?
I’m sure BOTH parties are to blame for this mess. However, is it the simple truth is that this wouldn’t be an issue if a budget was passed last year, when it should have been and when one party had majorities in both houses?
Our monthly income is $190, monthly expenses $980, we have $14,000 in debt and $58 in savings. Multiply these numbers by one billion and thats where we are.
We have to stop this insanity or we will look like Greece. Howmuch longer can we sustain our current levels of spending? The short answer is that we cannot.
A 30 billion cut of a 3.7 trillion dollar spending plan is .0085. Put into terms easier to understand, it would be $605.00 cut from a $75,000.00 budget, in other words NOTHING!
I can see that, but that’s OK. But it saids a whole lot about you. When liberals begin losing a debate they get angry and go on the attack (among other things, name calling). You are the type who will jump on anyting to try to turn it into racism. We all know your type. Feel free to attack on, Pal.
I’ve had it w/the Tea Party. These guys started out appearing to be a possible 3rd party with reasonable ideas. Enough BS already. The Tea Party is not the ruling party. Most Americans have always been middle of the road and they do feel spending should be cut by a lot. However, this potential gov’t shutdown is crap. I will now become an Independent! F the Tea Party, I hope all elected officials who participate in this gov’t shutdown, Dems and Repubs are ousted next election cycle. Screw you T Party!
Craig – Beefing Up His Staff to run for Governor at Harford County’s Expense?
Does anyone have any information on C. John Sullivan, III. What does he do? Is he just on Craig’s staff for Craig’s bid to become Governor?
How bout that other political know it all on Craig’s staff – Scott Gibson. Does he do anything other than campaign for Dave Craig?
Watcher, is that you masquerading?
Let us realize who exactly are the ones at fault? Yes, we can blame the Pubbies. We can blame the Donkies. It doesn’t much matter. Since in reality, we could have spent $1,000 a minute since the time that Jesus walked the earth and we would STILL not have spent what Congress has spent in 235 years (but mainly in the last 100 years), and then, mainly in the last decade).
Here’s something to ponder. Congress for the first 100 years of our country, spent roughly 4 billion dollars total! Today, we spend that (and more) in a day.
Tell me this is not fiscal enslavement (either through high taxes or high inflation) of the American people.
The mere fact we are arguing over .02% of the total budget, is not only an abject failure, it is plainly and soundly against any reasonable founding objective this country has ever known. If you were a Tea Party supporter (which isn’t a political party, but a freedom movement) with these understandings, then you still are. To change your mind based upon squabbling in DC over entitlements that continue this enslavement, well, I have to question if you aren’t trying to paint a picture that isn’t so.
Sen. Paul Ryan is the new Joe McCarthy. Lot’s of momentum and friends (or people who feared him) until people came to their senses! What is wrong that Wisconsin keeps producing asshole politicians?
@CANTAFFORDIT Representative (not Senator) Paul Ryan is being praised by both parties for the most courageous budget proposal in history. His 2012 budget is brilliant.
Guys,
Ryan’s budget proposal is not courageous, save that word to describe a heroic act by someone such as a firearm, soldier, etc… Ryan proposed major cuts, something that no other politicians have done in ages. However, forcing a gov’t shutdown to prove a point is immature and counteroductive. Thus, Ryan as others have stated is an ass.
Why haven’t these folks such as Ryan addressed collecting more money from corporations such as Exxon, GE and more? Balancing the budget on the backs of the middle class is not a solution. Making serious cuts in spending is a good start, but common sense must prevail.
Just remember, there are many different points of view on how to spend federal $, many of which are valid even if you don’t like them.
The United States has the penultimate distinction of having the second highest corporate tax rate and after Japan’s lowering of their corporate rate that takes effect this year we will have the ultimate rate.
Taxing corporations forces companies to move all or part of their business to friendlier tax rate countries causing both loss of jobs and tax revenue.
Paul Ryan is courageous for proposing his 2012 budget.
Spoken just like Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc. Almost verbatim.
@Watcher I think calling Ryan’s 2012 budget plan “courageous” is just liberal/progressive Time Magazine Joe Klein writer’s quote that it’s “without question, an act of political courage,”
Stop getting your facts from the blogosphere. Yes, the US has the highest corporate tax rate at 35%, but it also has more loopholes than every other country combined. Due to the latter, the former is a pointless figure (GE not only paid NOTHING in corporate taxes last year, but they also collected a huge tax rebate).
Putting out the tax rate without acknowledging the fact that no corporation in the country actually pays close to that is either an uninformed act or a dishonest one. I’ll let you choose. which is more accurate.
@ Porter – I was referring to this part of your post:
“Taxing corporations forces companies to move all or part of their business to friendlier tax rate countries causing both loss of jobs and tax revenue.”
And I don’t take my cues from Joe Klein. Just so we’re clear.
I love how people throw out the names of Hannity and Limbaugh and what they talk about. Everytime it’s the same thing, accuseng of talking points, racist comments. All of these really never have any merit to them. The one thing no one ever does is prove how what either one of them say was wrong. Usually they don’t even attempt to show how they were wrong, for just one reason. THEY AREN’T WRONG! I find myself laughing at their lack of knowledge all the time.
Really, Really? Sounds like you are drinking a giant glass of Limbaugh-Aide. Yum!
@Watcher are you trying to prove REALLY?’s point? And your inane attacks make you seem small.
Thanks for checking in, Porter. Shouldn’t you be getting back to your job as the village idiot?
@WATCHER Is that the best retort you could come up with or are you outsourcing your insult development to some third world country?
I’m actually outsourcing it to Tom Myers.
@WATCHER, so you respond to my post with an absolutely pointless post? That’s your great comeback, a “KOOL-AID” remark? All that does is prove just what I was saying! Thank you WATCHER for proving my post is 100% true! Your responses are now officially as bad as a Tom Myers response. It was too funny, just like his responses, but we aren’t laughing with you two, we are laughing at you two! (big difference)
Let me help you so you don’t embarrass yourself any more. When you respond to someone elses post that you don’t agree with, DON’T PROVE THEM RIGHT WITH YOUR RESPONSE!!! No one is going to take you seriously after that!
Really? – thanks very much for the tips. I’m amazed that I have managed to survive this long without your guidance.
Um…you do realize, that the fact that we are arguing about the remainder of Fiscal year 2011 and not Ryan’s proposed 2012 budget (that goes beyond 2012 and on to 2022) right?
Didn’t think so…and exactly the reason we are in the mess we are in. So many people know what isn’t so.
non-essential doesn’t mean they are not needed, just that emergency, health and safety are considered essential. the basic and bare minimum needed to maintain control, operate commerce and keep the govt on life support are considered essential employees, which i would probably call “critical” employees, not that everyone else work doesn’t affect someone, but no one will die or suffer if their services are not available for sometime. Once people don’t get their tax refunds, the IRS employee will have more importance if your check is late or just not processed due to furloughs.
Babs Mikulski and dire consequences mentioned in the same story…perfect! I’d say the whacko, pinko, commie libs have positioned this country in the dire consequences category. You keep those welfare kings and queens on the dole in return for their votes so stop talking already. I saw one of your flunkies in a convenience store in Havre de Grace the other night whip out his “Independence” card while he was talking on his CELLPHONE! Nice, real nice.
@Otto, That “welfare king or queen” you saw fit to look down your nose at may well have had a job. Independence cars can be used to supplement a family working and receiving what used to be called food stamps. Thay also are used by those determined disabled.
The “”welfare king and queen lobby is a very small one. I assure you the motivation of Democrats is not to garner their approval and votes. I will also remind you that the funds accessed by those cards is focused on taking care of the children of the card holders. Even you would not advocate allowing a child to go hungry and cold, be it because his parent has lost a job and is actively looking for one, or is a dead beat.
That is one of the many reasons I am very proud to be an American. We look out for each other. And if I am taxed for that to happen, it’s OK with me. Now, sending troops to never ending wars of personal agenda motivations is another issue entirely. Our defense budget is sucking us dry at warp speed. Why is that not something you, Otto, are outraged about?
Good idea, but GE is hands off. The CEO is Obama’s buddy.
Yikes, the “Watcher” has awakened and reared his (or her) liberal head. Beware, if you are in anyway conservative, expect the hate to be spewed . . . characteristic of liberals who know they are losing ground. The numbers of Obama cool-aid drinkers are diminishing and it does not look good for liberals (except here in Maryland where the disease has infested and found a home).
Sticks and stones, Rob. Sticks and stones. No hate here. Only shaking my head at how clueless you seem to be. I have not seen one coherent post or thought from you on here. Just accusing me of ‘hate’ (and trying desperately to deflect from your own posts that are thin on facts and truth) when you are the one who referred to our President as ‘boy’ among other choice gems.
Have a lovely weekend. What time is your cross burning?
Watcher,
As stated before, when liberals are losing a debate they go on the attack. I haven’t seen one viable solution from you, yet you criticize others who voice their opinion and offer what they think is something of a solution to the budget woes in this country. Those of us here who work and pay our taxes would like to see some fiscal responsibility.
I hope the government does not shut down, but if it does, no one will starve, no planes will crash, the military will get their pay and the border will be protected (as best they can – and that’s debatable).
Continue with your name calling as it saids a great deal about you and the type of person you are. Based on some of the posts I have read here, most have you figured out. Liberals tend to be very unhappy people and I think you fall into that category. I’ll pray for you and wish you luck.
Oh yes, Rob. Please ‘pray’ for me. And for someone who is apparently a Christian, you seem pretty intolerant of other people and their beliefs. But that’s typical of the right side. You invoke God’s name and try to cram your views down everyone’s throat. And when we question or disagree, you start pointing fingers and deflecting. I’ve seen it so many times on these boards and others.
I think I shall pray for you and your myopic, intolerant view of people and how you feel about our black President.
Godspeed!
Watcher,
It has nothing to do with the race of the man (again, you trying to turn this into a race issue). For me, it has much to do with his inexperience, the people he has surrounded himself with, his friends (i.e. William Ayers, Jones) and the fact that he is a weak leader. Isn’t it time for him to leave town again?
I would love to see Connie Rice get back into the picture and run for someting (she could run circles around Obama and play piano at the same time). Colonel West from Florida would be an excellent candidate (much more than Obama). I could go on and name a number of other Black individuals and some Hispanic politicians that I like to see in the White House but most will tell you they need more experience before tackling that job. Obama, on the other hand, felt he was entitled to the office and went after it at all costs. With the help of the liberal media, he dazzeled 53 million people with a message of hope and change, yet he has not delievered. I don’t think it will fly a second time around.
I respect the fact that he is your candidate, but don’t call me a racist because he is not my candidate. The media used that strategy, his campaign people used it, and you are using. It’s worn out . . . it’s done.
I only called you a racist because you called him ‘boy.’ Nothing more. The fact that you grasp at a handful of other black public figures and cite some “Hispanic politicians” that you like only serves to prove my point. You are the worst kind of person. At least stand up for your narrow views. You say things recklessly and then scramble to apologize and try to hide from them.
And the Ayers and Jones references are so beyond tired. Why not bring up ACORN, too? Or Soros? You’re hitting all the right wing points like you’re reading from a script.
And just so we’re clear, even though you are having trouble grasping simple concepts, I’ve never once said he was ‘my’ candidate. He is, however, OUR President whether you like it (you don’t) or not. Just like I disagreed with many Bush policies, I supported the office and the man in it.
It’s sad that you can’t see past the end of your nose and have so much animosity built up over President Obama. I hope you enjoy his next term.
Watcher, I don’t understand you at all.
If I said “There goes your boy Obama again,” you would say I’m a racist, but if you said “Too bad your boy W couldn’t run again so you could waste your vote,” you’re not one? Wouldn’t that make YOU the racist for treating Obama differently simply because of… his race?
And you say that Rob’s “Ayers and Jones references are so beyond tired. Why not bring up ACORN, too? Or Soros?” but earlier in the day you mention “Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity”? Tired references, no?
Wouldn’t you agree that both of these are nothing but hypocritical? Or does pointing this out make me a right-wing homophobic tea bagger who is worse than Hitler?
If you think you’re worse than Hitler, that;s your problem. I would suggest heavy (heavier?) doses of medication and therapy.
After reading your posts on here over the last few months, I would expect you to understand the point I was trying to make or the distinction between calling President Bush ‘boy’ versus using the same term to address President Obama. I don’t think this message board will allow me the room to explain the civil rights issues that minorities have been facing in this country, specifically African-Americans (or whatever YOU would call them. I shudder to think). The fact is that whether we like it or not, the word ‘boy’ used in that context is, at best, questionable and and worst a slur. I don’t make the rules. I simply acknowledge them. Sorry if you don’t like it or agree but I suspect that we couldn’t agree on the color of the sky this morning (it’s gray) much less anything more serious than that.
As for Ayers, Jones, etc. The difference is that those things have been proven over and over to have been nothing more than the right’s red herrings and desperate grasps to try and undermine and discredit Obama’s campaign and candidacy. Limbaugh, Hannity and the others (and there are some on Fox that I really like. Love me some Joe Scarborough and Shephard Smith) have proven time and again, at least to my satisfaction, to be inflammatory, hate spewing (Beck wants to kill Michael Moore, anbyone?) snake oil salesmen (buy your seed pods! hoard your gold!).
Ugh. I just threw up in my mouth a little typing this and thinking of them before breakfast.
OK, I got it. You’re saying the exact same word can be used the exact same way to two different people and one usage is racist and the other is not.
How can get throught each day with so much white guilt? (Assuming you’re white. Otherwise, you’re just a racist).
No white guilt here. How do you get through the day being so ignorant?
Oops, you’re right, I forgot ACORN (recently indicted and convicted), and the infamous George Soros (the money man – just follow the money). Oh, I get it; the word “boy” cannot be used in the same sentence with Obama. Ok, I’m glad we cleared that up. I remember stating that GE’s CEO was Obama’s boy “ . . . or was it the other way around.” Thus, calling Obama a boy was being racist. Funny, I didn’t take it that. Again, it speaks volumes about you, who you are, and what you are all about. OK, I’ll make the announcement:
We will now add the word “boy” to the list of politically incorrect speech when making any comments about any person, including the President of the United States. Once Obama is no longer president (hopefully in less than two years) we can once again use the word boy.
By the way, did you also condemn the words used against President Bush while he was in office? I’m talking about the speeches made by despicable democrats, and the disrespectful comments made by late night talk show hosts and not-so-funny comedians. He was called every name in the book and not once did he shoot back; he certainly had resolve. Yet, you are calling me a racist because I used the word “boy.” That is very sad and I feel sorry for you. If you can’t get past the race thing (one word) you will likely continue to have a troubled life. Again, I pray for you . . . you definitely need it.
Rob,
Someone has to say it, you are a DICK. Face it, other people’s viewpoints mean nothing to you. You have to be right, even though you spew Rush Limbough’s rhetoric. He’s nothing more than a Yuppie druggie who is fortunate to have the $ to dispose of his problem. Anyway, lighten up and accept other people may not be as fortunate as you or I. Some folks have no job due to circumstances beyond their control. Have a heart and do your best to help fix the f’ed up situation that our elected officials created.
Oh, SNAP!
@Superfly – now someone is going to call you a ‘tax and spend’ liberal who resorts to name calling.
Actually, you said the GE Ceo was Obama’s “buddy.” You called Obama someone else’s “boy” the same way it was used in the deep south. Run and hide from it all you want. You can’t escape it. You have to live with it, not me.
And yes, please please please pray for me.
You are about as Christian as my pet dog. Which is to say, not at all (in case you didn’t understand).
@Superfly No we are going to say you and Watcher are failed liberal/progressive ideologues.
Porter and Crew,
Thank goodness the Tea Party is losing relevance and both major political parties came to their senses last night. FYI, I am a registered Republican, just fed up completely with my party and their failure to represent the middle class.
Massive spending cuts are needed, no question. But no one political party has the right to demand things are done only their way. Compromise is the key. Its time to stop favoring “special interests” and giving massive tax breaks to friends in high places. Both parties suck and are guilty of this.
Maybe now our elected officials will do their jobs. Either way, its time to toss every f’in incumbent out @ the next election.
the big bad republican wolf huffed and puffed but couldn’t blow the house down…Boehner probably needs a drink now, but he always looks like he’s had a few drinks and has something stuck up his a$$. That folks is your summary of today’s events in D.C.
As far as the county budget, the county can afford to pay raises to teachers and county employees. the CE has chosen to propose a property tax rate lower than what state law allows, for the FIRST TIME in county history? If the tax payer can afford to fill up their SUV’s at higher and higher rates daily, they surely can afford to pay a few more dollars per month on their property taxes. While everyone is crying about the “high” tax bill, the reality is that today’s homeowner is paying way less in property taxes than a few years ago and if you look at Harford Mall, the restaurants are always full and waiting lines out the door. People will pay extra for a nice bam bam shrimp, but will cry poor over a $6.00 increase in their monthly tax bill.