LiveBlog for Thursday, August 4, 2011

Please forward the link or the information mentioned on the air today about how the debt deal was good for the Democrats. I would like to better understand our position going forward as this issue is of importance to me. I was under the impression that it was a bad deal and the GOP won on the issue. However, you mention that both you and Randy Rhodes have a different take and I would like to be informed.

Thanks

Congratulations House of Representives---you were successful in crashing the markets and causing misery. You should be very proud of hurting so many Americans

Bye, y'all!

#20 penelope, I agree.

I know it's politically incorrect to utter the phrase "class warfare", but it's hard to see the attack on social evils such as college students who pay their loans on time as anything else.

That's another thing I've been trying to puzzle out - why attack the middle class, probably the largest share of voters? We have more, and are still richer, than any other country in the world or epoch in history.

The weird answer percolating in my brain is, they're bored, there's really nothing else to do but pull the ladder up and take potshots at anyone trying to climb up behind the rich and uber-rich. No Cold War to focus on, Osama bin Laden's dead and the Iraq and Afghan wars are a bust. Just bored.

Cantor on airlines pocketing ticketing taxes: "I guess that's what business does."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/04/1003055/-...

While Delta bowed to pressure and has reportedly promised to refund taxes to travelers, beware: according to Sam Seder on this week's Ring of Fire radio, Delta is a primary driver behind the pressure to break airline unions.

http://www.ringoffireradio.com/2011/07/29/this-wee...

Tea Partier Republicans are truly evil. The debt deal they forced is losing 350,000 jobs and the FAA legislation they refuse to pass loses over 70,000 jobs. Republicans say they hate government but what they really hate is average Americans.

#18, Klassie, If only Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee would run for president on the Republican ticket - we could have "Moose and Squirrel"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zCnpZmk20E

Squirrel!

8-O my name is Calista.help me.i can't look at him anymore and I can't close my eyes.please help me.

A cogent summary of Krugman, Maddow et al. by Daily Kos diarist "bobswern":

"JPMorgan is now forecasting that this deal '…would result in a 1.5 percent decline in GDP for 2012 -- an especially discouraging estimate given that GDP for 2011 has grown at an annualized rate of just 0.8 percent, according to the most recent Commerce Department figures.'"

"Spin is part of politics. But sometimes you have to know when to stop."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/04/1003001/-...

#7 KAK1958, I agree, it's not even governing by polls anymore, it's governing by headlines.

As to the right's characterization that the deal is terrible, I agree that it's purely strategic, and the inner circle knows it's a win. Rush's job is to keep the base mobilized by keeping up the self-pitying whinypants victimization meme.

This matches perfectly the crappy economic circumstances that the majority of Rush's listeners are finding themselves in and will continue to find themselves in, as the corporations continue to reap record-breaking profits. Total kleptocracy.

love that jingle :lol:

I'm going to the prayer fest for the free gun

oh crap, no snacks

I'm going to the prayer fest for the garlic fries

Bunny costume = Furries. Neighbors and children have good cause to be worried. Or bunny costume = Harvey.

About David Bender's comment to "focus like a laser" on the 12-member SuperCongress: By then it will be too late. If the Dems appoint Blue Dogs to the group, we'll lose. The time for the battle is right now. I've already called my congressman & both my senators to demand progressives be put on this committee. We need to put the pressure on starting today.

Hey Steph!
Just wondering if you saw 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' this week? Your idol JoAnn Worley was on. Love Ya!

2-Juliet. I think both sides know the reality of what happened with the debt deal, but their job as politicians and pundits is to say and do whatever they think will influence their supporters' perception of what just happened.

Now, with Democrats, the spin is understandable ("It's not as bad as it seems"). But with Republicans, people might be more confused by some of the negative reaction since we Democrats all think they won the day.

As was pointed out on several news programs last night, if conservatives just "take the win" as Jon Stewart suggests, that might breed complacency and they'll lose their edge. So Rush and others have to tell them they got screwed, and Bachmann/Palin have to focus on the "they called us terrorists" message so the tea party will stay mad, feel victimized, and keep up the pressure. Rush knows darn well they kicked ass, but happiness and satisfaction don't produce results as well as anger, fear and resentment. Just keep telling them that damn Obama won again and they will start frothing at the mouth even more. Did you hear some even threatened to primary Allen West? Allen West. Even HE'S not pure enough now. That's what I'm talking about.

Not only did the absentee ballot in WI have the wrong date, but it also said Thursday (11th), so their story about it being a typo is ludicrous.

I would suggest that President Obama Democratic neigh sayers watch the documentary "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story". It will make you remember why Mr. Obama was elected and count your lucky stars that he was.

Happy 50th Birthday Mr. President!

Also, former White House Press Corps member Helen Thomas is 91, My Three Sons actress Tina Cole is 68, Law and Order SVU actor Richard Belzer is 67, writer Sapphire is 61, Sling Blade's Billy Bob Thornton is 56, The Sound of Music's Gretl Kym Karath is 53 and actress Lauren Tom is also the big Five-OH. Happy Birthday Leos!

John Cassidy's analysis for the New Yorker dissects the deal and says that it basically kicks the can down the road, but the real damage is no provision for jobs or growth and will likely kick off another recession.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/...

Good morning, Tim and livebloggers at large!

#1 Tim, :lol: Strangely, someone left the cake out in the rain....

I've been trying to puzzle out a) the deal b) Obama's cheery perception of the deal and c) the gaping chasm of reactions among progressives that either he got his arse handed to him, or stop bashing him already.

Economists I respect and who have a track record of being right over the last two years, like Paul Krugman, Robert Reich and John Cassidy at the New Yorker, say it's a bad deal and Obama is a bad negotiator, citing specifics in bill. Yesterday Jim Ward, Carlos Alazraqui and Charlie Pierce all had the same visceral reaction that he got sacked, as did Rachel Maddow and myself (gut reaction + bill specifics).

At the risk of generalizing based on gender, the guys get it, they get what the Republicans took away from last December's tax cut "deal", which is that they won the dominance transaction. While Obama went on record saying he was sure they would be reasonable about the upcoming debt ceiling extension, they were already planning to jerk the leash on him (and us).

What I don't quite get is why Obama repeatedly fails to understand this. Were people really that nice to him his whole life? I can't believe that. Is it willful denial, like the Black Knight in Monty Python getting his arms and legs lopped off and saying, It's only a flesh wound?

I'm starting to think the White House IS that delusional, but in a particular way. Obama's about my age, but a lot of his staff is probably around 5-10 years younger, a generation that was raised not with my knuckle-rapping nuns but rather the self-esteem movement: hug myself and say I'm special, just for being me, I don't have to do anything to merit that. So maybe that's why feeling good about themselves isn't tied to how well they are actually doing their jobs, in terms of actual results.

Happy birthday, President Obama, and welcome to the half-century club. To continue the spirit of bipartisanship, Obama chose the number of layers of the birthday cake, and he let Boehner choose the cake size, shape, flavor, icing, decorative features, and message. While adding candles is usually considered a no-brainer, Boehner insisted those be kept off the table.