House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is thinking 100 hours. Time enough, she says, to begin to "drain the swamp" after more than a decade of Republican rule. As in the first 100 hours the House meets after Democrats _ in her fondest wish _ win control in the Nov. 7 midterm elections and Pelosi takes the gavel as the first Madam Speaker in history. Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation." Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients. Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds _ "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday. All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority. To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era. Details will have to be worked out, she emphasized. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/06/ap/politics/mainD8KJ92800.shtml
this fucking idiot thinks he is doing the Lord's work ... If ever I live amongst people more interested in PENALIZING SUCCESS, than AVOIDING FAILURE, I'll personallly take dddooo out to the woodshed and SKIN-HIM-ALIVE
Too vague to be of any use. Every single Senator and Congressman, including Pelosi, takes campaign contributions from lobbyists. Which recommendations are currently not enacted? Just because a commission gives you a list, that doesn't mean everything on the list is actually a good idea. This increases the government's (citizens') expenditures. This increases the government's (citizens') expenditures. When she says "negotiate", does she mean strong arm? If the government is telling you how to set prices, that's communism. If the government is actually going to offer something valuable in exchange for lower prices, then it's going to increase the government's (citizens') expenditures. I like the idea of this. But it should be done by reducing expenditures, not increasing taxes. Pelosi is trying very hard to look just like a stereotypical "tax and spend" Democrat, it would seem. Ah... "rolling back" tax cuts. That's how she says "raise taxes" without having to use those words. Raising our taxes wouldn't be required if they would stop raising our expenditures. -Raystonn
Too vague to be of any use. Every single Senator and Congressman, including Pelosi, takes campaign contributions from lobbyists. And this will be banned (hopefully) Which recommendations are currently not enacted? Just because a commission gives you a list, that doesn't mean everything on the list is actually a good idea. Securing our borders, ports...Yeah, you heard me right, our borders and our ports, not Iraqi borders and ports (that we have failed to secure as well).Securing power plants, nuclear and chemical facilities, water treatment plants, and the food supplies... Not a good idea, huh? This increases the government's (citizens') expenditures. Since when the income growth of working americans is a bad thing? Oh, how could I forget, since republicans came to power of course, silly me. When she says "negotiate", does she mean strong arm? Of course, and that's better than drug companies strong-arming the government, isn't it?. You were just so concerned about student loans, I guess the government overpaying for student loans is a bad thing, the government paying absurdly high prices for drugs is a good thing, right? Anyway, the drug companies are doing just fine, thank you very much, if they don't find government prices attractive enough they won't have to sell. My guess though is they will still be able to make a nice profit without ripping off the rest of the country and specifically the seniors. (The government negotiates with military, construction and other private companies and contractors and no one seems to be complaining, the negotiating situation with the pharmaceutical industry is the exception, not the rule). Raising our taxes wouldn't be required if they would stop raising our expenditures. Absolutely. And lowering taxes the way Bush and republicans did without lowering our expenditures is not a tax-cut, it's a fiction, too bad too many gullible people bought it.
the republicans have been talking about cutting spending for years. they have all branches of the government now. can you name one thing they have cut? could democrats run up the debt any faster? (CNSNews.com) - President Bush and the current administration have borrowed more money from foreign governments and banks than the previous 42 presidents combined, a group of conservative to moderate Democrats said Friday. Blue Dog Coalition, which describes itself as a group "focused on fiscal responsibility," called the administration's borrowing practices "astounding." According to the Treasury Department, from 1776-2000, the first 224 years of U.S. history, 42 U.S. presidents borrowed a combined $1.01 trillion from foreign governments and financial institutions, but in the past four years alone, the Bush administration borrowed $1.05 trillion.
If the Republicans want to have any chance of winning the elections, they need to spend every cent they have and run ads of Pelosi promising to raise taxes. Maybe mix in video of her marching in SF gay rights parade behind a NAMBLA supporter. Time to rally behind the Party's implicit motto: "We may be morons but they're worse."
LOL, in other words in order to win the elections they should appeal to republican greed and hatred of gays, right? What else is new, it sure works like a charm every time they need to energize the party base.
Losing elections for a couple of years will prove to be the best thing to reform the Republican Party. I don't know which party is more corrupt right now. Go Dems! Go Hillary! Get ready to rumble!