How would a Democrat majority in Congress rule? My quess: 1. Raise taxes by eliminating the Bush tax cuts. They would probaly make this retroactive like Slick Willy did. 2. Eliminate the mortgage interest deduction. Hell, even the Republicans were entertianing this idea. 3. Along the same lines they would most likely curtail the cap gains tax break we currently have on the sale of primary residence 4. They would also raise FICA taxes to help cover Medicare. 5. Raise taxes on "Big Oil" so that would probably add .10-.15/gal at the pump. 6. Extend the retirement age to 70 and include a means test. So if you are "rich" no SS for you! 7. Raise the cap gains tax rate. 8. Grant amnesty to all illegal immigrants. These are just the obvious ones.
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.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=78231 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/06/ap/politics/mainD8KJ92800.shtml
Thanks for pointing that out dddooo. I wasn't aware that they were actually advertising that. I'm sure they will wait until after the election to spring the rest on us.
I must say this time I agree with doodoo. What an unmitigated DISASTER these twelve years of GOP dominance have wrought! Just look at these numbers from November 1st, 1994 U.S. T-Bond yield: 1994-11-01 8.08 TODAY 4.90 S&P 500 Index 1994-11-01 472.35 TODAY 1350.00 Unemployment 1994-11-01 5.6 TODAY 4.6 Murder's Per 100k 1995 8.2 2005 5.6 Home Ownership 1994 64.2% 2005 68.9% Hourly Wage Avg. 1994 $11.32 Today $16.87 We must reverse these frightening trends!!!!!
They may pass a few of those but hopefully the Senate Republicans will have the backbone to filibuster them, just as the Democrats did virtually anything the Republicans tried to accomplish. Of course, given what craven wimps most of the Senate Republicans are, Bush might actually have to demonstrate some of that backbone he's always claiming to have and get out the veto pen. No doubt one issue that Pelosi will be successful on is giving amnesty to illegal aliens. Bush and a majority of the Senate are all in favor of adding another 15 or 20 million Democrat voters.
LOL, you know better than that Pabst, there were no 12 years, there were 6 years under Clinton and 6 years under Bush: S&P 500 Index 1994-11-01 472.35 2000 1550.00 TODAY 1350.00 Hourly Wage Avg. 1994 $11.32 2001 $14.52 Today $16.87 etc. The stock market was going up during 6 years of clinton adminisitration and at this moment is still below that level, the number of jobs created during the last 6 years is several times lower than the number of jobs created in the preceeding 6 years, let alone the fact that jobs created during the 90s were high paying high tech jobs, Bush's economy created $7hr walmart jobs. And of course you conveniently "forget" skyrocketing twin deficits, growing consumer debt, skyrocketing gas/healthcare/education costs, sharp increase in the number of people living below poverty level, equally large increases in the number of uninsured americans...
Lets' not let this thread get sidetracked. The past is past dddooo, What do you think the Dems will do if they win in Nov?
HooRay! We agree! Almost! While unemployment is somewhat lower, under employment is through the roof, especially with former manufactureing workers. Those still working in manufactureing have seen benefits slashed, pension plans raided and eliminated, and working conditions that ressemble slave labor. The masses of working poor continue to grow. Consumer debt is high because people can't pay their bills with slave wages. This has forced them to take most, or all of the equity out of their homes. That hammer has yet to be dropped and when it does expect a massive increase in BK. Banks and credit lenders lobbyed for and won the elimination of Chapter 7 for the average person. Why? They know what's coming and they don't want to get stuck with the bill. Heathcare I blame on both parties equally. Deficits fall squarely in the lap of President Bush. Public education is a joke and neither party has done a good job with it. Finally the stock market. Former President Clinton gets no credit for the great bull run of the 90's and President Bush gets no blame for the crash, or credit for the rebound. These things happen in spite of what presidents do, not because of them.
Every new committee chairman and womyn will race to start investigations of Bush, 9/11, Iraq, Iran, Foley, Mary Cheney, oil company conspiracies to raise gas prices then lower them right before the election...did I mention Mark Foley? And in case anyone is not aware of this, I heard that Dick Cheney's daughter is a lesbian.
- They will break ties between legislature and lobby...Hahaha, just kidding, of course they won't. - AAA is right, they will launch a number of investigation into Bush's activities and policies during the last 6 years which will hopefully conclude that Bush is innocent but more likely will prove the opposite and lead to his impeachment. You don't have a problem with that, do you, you want the executive branch of our government to be ethical and transparent regardless of what party is in power, right? The investigations will not employ warrantless surveillance or Gitmo style interrogations, they will be conducted in full compliance with our laws and if Bush has done nothing wrong he has nothing to worry about. If on the other side he thought he was above the law all bets are off. - the dems will implement the paygo rule, the urban myth that the budget can be balanced by republicans only has been completely debunked by the last four administrations. - the dems will start working on securing our ports, borders, power plants, chemical, nuclear other strategic facilities which are virtually unprotected. - they will increase the minimum wage, more americans will be prosperous -they will modify the medicare bill to turn it into a bonanza for the seniors, not for the pharmaceutical industry -they will start working on a realistic plan to withdraw from Iraq -they will cancel, signifincanlty modify or at the very least enforce free trade agreements. - they will alocate more funds for stem cell research - they will concentrate on catching Osama and stabilizing Aghanistan. - they will raise taxes (a little) on the top 5% of the counry. - they will start working on a meaningful healthcare reform, hopefully Universal Healthcare, the country is ready for this.