Blackwell: GOP Must Defeat Job-Creating Stimulus Because It Will Ruin GOP’s Election Chances
Blackwell: GOP Must Defeat Job-Creating Stimulus Because It Will Ruin GOP’s Election Chances
In an article published on Townhall today, RNC Chairman candidate and former Ohio governor Secretary of State Ken Blackwell urges congressional conservatives to oppose the reinvestment and recovery stimulus plan promoted by President-elect Obama. Though he offers standard conservative arguments against the plan — including a screed against the growth of “big government” — Blackwell seemed most concerned about the political benefit Democrats might see from successfully boosting the economy.
He warned that the bill, which calls for 80 percent job creation in the private sector, could create 600,000 new federal jobs — a problem because it would make it that much harder for for Republicans to win back Virginia:
While only a few details are known, one overlooked issue is that it could create a major electoral advantage for Democrats at taxpayer expense. That would be unacceptable for what is being touted as a nonpartisan measure, and gives Republicans yet another reason to oppose it if not restructured. [...]
But most federal employees, that are not political appointees, vote Democrat. Since Washington, DC is the seat of government, whenever new federal bureaucrats are created many live in Maryland and Virginia. In 2008, Virginia went Democrat for the first time since 1964, and Mr. Obama won it by 130,000 votes. Creating 600,000 new jobs might help cement Virginia in the Democrat column, making it harder for Republicans to retake the White House.
Blackwell cites House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) as his source for the 600,000 “bureaucrats” figure. In fact, Obama’s council of economic advisers predicts that the plan would create about 240,000 government jobs, compared to, for example, 700,000 in mining and construction. And of course, there’s no reason to assume the bulk of government jobs would be created in the D.C. area, though the District — which has the 6th highest unemployment rate in the nation — could use the new jobs.
The bottom line is that, in an economy that lost 1.2 million jobs last year, Blackwell’s biggest concern is to block the creation of new jobs because those newly-employed Americans might vote Democratic.
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What a turd!
January 16th, 2009 at 7:07 pmhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44901236068
Ohio is screwed up, but we were never dumo enough to elect this guy governor. He was sec of state.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:08 pmIf the purpose of government were to elect Republicans he’d have a point.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:09 pmBlackwell and the GOP to America: “We have NOTHING for you.” All they have left is to take swipes at Obama’s attempts to clean up Bush’s Republican mess.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:09 pmWhat.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:10 pmA.
F uckwit.
The guilty mind, rolled out for the entire world to see. He’s the Ted Kaczynski of the electoral process still out and about.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:18 pmWhat’s worse is that these kinds of ignorant statements will probably get him the RNC Chairmanship. There’s no longer any doubt that these people put party before country.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:20 pmWay to put your party over country and your friends over the people. Let people stay unemployed so a couple of your friends can get elected. Nice.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:23 pmBlackwell chooses Party over the American People every time. What a Patriot! /snark off
January 16th, 2009 at 7:26 pmThis PoS would rather see America suffer than to see a Democratic administration succeed.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:36 pmGo to hell, Blackwell.
Take your party with you — the party that brought us the misery we endure today.
Every damn one should be condemned to burn in eternity.
RNC Chairman candidate and former Ohio governor Ken Blackwell
– - Blackwell was never governor of Ohio. He was Secy’ of State of Ohio.
Geeze.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:44 pmHow typically Republican of this POS. Statements like these need to be headlines. Where’s that “Liberal media” when you need it?
January 16th, 2009 at 7:45 pmHow about we knock the GOP-in-permanent-campaign-mode out of the campaign, period? We really should not see this party at the top of any ballot and featured in any of the major network debates, because the donkey truly has stampeded the elephant.
The GOP has made its bed, and now they must lie on the bunk below any third party.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:45 pm.
… Because the GOP can’t have job growth and stability of the economy, NO?
.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:50 pm.
Is this how Blackwell puts “Country First”?
.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:51 pm.
Hey TP,
FIX THE TYPO…
Blackwell was NOT the former Governor of Ohio, but a GOP candidate. More importantly, Blackwell LOST!
NEVER HAS BEEN GOVERNOR…
… Like FOXPRAVDA’s (D)?
Talk about giving Liberal Media a bad name…
… Geesh!!!
.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:56 pmThat is the same reason they don’t want Universal Health Care. Once that happened in England the opposing party was doomed. If Obama can give us Universal Health Care and jobs, and the selfish repubs can kiss themselves goodbye, because all they have left is fear.
Maybe the populace will wake up to the fact that 911 DID happen on Bush’s watch AFTER being warned, and he DIDN’T keep us safe; in fact the whole world is less safe because of his misadventures.
But back to the point here: Republicans don’t want to make our country better for all its citizens because then they wouldn’t be able to buy $2000 shower curtains.
January 16th, 2009 at 8:02 pmFour more days, four more days, four more days !!!!!
January 16th, 2009 at 8:15 pmThat’s it! Who gives a crap about people, when it’s all about the Repug Party? This is the Party that brought you Homophobia, Abstinence, Religious intorerance and of course, the fine patriots Georgie and Darth Chaney! What a troll!
January 16th, 2009 at 8:30 pmBlackwell, showing himself to be a true RepubliCon Stooge, placing party before country. What a low life.
January 16th, 2009 at 8:39 pmLord knows the jobs of a couple hundred Republican politicians are *way* more important than hundreds of thousands Americans outside the beltway. It’s the Republican credo. I got mine!
January 16th, 2009 at 8:39 pmBlackwell: GOP Must Defeat Job-Creating Stimulus Because It Will Ruin GOP’s Election Chances
Fool, democrats will paint your obstuctionism as anti-working-class americanism. Two can play class warfare, and examples like this make the job so much easier to accomplish.
January 16th, 2009 at 8:42 pmOoh. Wouldn’t it be grand to see the GOP fall in line behind this idiot and march itself right off the cliff he’s heading towards? I hope, I hope, I hope…
January 16th, 2009 at 8:48 pmIs there anyone here willing to admit that Democrats too are aware of the electoral implications of increasing the number of government employees?
But most federal employees, that are not political appointees, vote Democrat. Since Washington, DC is the seat of government, whenever new federal bureaucrats are created many live in Maryland and Virginia.
I mean, that is accurate, right? But the Dems are just too pure in their motivations to ever think of such things?
January 16th, 2009 at 8:54 pm* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
. . . MUST SEE . . .
8 YEARS OF BUSH IN 8 MINUTES
. . KEITH OLBERMAN . .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
January 16th, 2009 at 8:59 pmRemember courses in logic at university?? I swear, Republicans must have majored in “illogic”. Their comments make no sense whatsoever.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:00 pmthat didn’t work… looked good in this box, not out there…
still, find it – watch it.
tonight’s COUNTDOWN, at the half hour mark…
January 16th, 2009 at 9:01 pmWow, awful honest of him to come right out and say it like that. Your GOP: working hard to destroy America since, um, pretty much ever.
Weren’t the cons the ones saying that the economic crash favored Democrats and that Dems were rooting for the market to fail? So if the economy going down favors Dems and the economy going up favors Dems…
January 16th, 2009 at 9:09 pm‘ Though he offers standard conservative arguments against the plan — including a screed against the growth of “big government” ‘
OK I just had to laugh. Big government as in the one bush created.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:16 pmWow, what hypocrisy. Too funny!
ElBruce Says:
Weren’t the cons the ones saying that the economic crash favored Democrats and that Dems were rooting for the market to fail? So if the economy going down favors Dems and the economy going up favors Dems…
Um…Bruce? The Dems are in power now. Whoever is in power hopes the economy does well and vica versa. That Political Law is pretty much like gravity.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:16 pmAs outrageous and infuriating as Blackwell’s comments are, I admit I appreciate his honesty. There are far too many politicians (and, alas, the Democratic Party has their share of them, too) who operate on the exact same set of priorities (party before country! always!) but don’t have the chutzpah to say so.
Of course, Blackwell will NEVER get the GOP chairmanship now — this kind of honesty never did play well in the GOP tent.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:21 pmThey celebrate their own stupidity. The Party of Dumbya. The race to the bottom goes on.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:23 pmMr. Blackwell and the GOP certainly deserve one another.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:30 pmI remember the day after election day 2006 when a truck driver said to me, “Thank God Blackwell didn’t get in there.”
January 16th, 2009 at 9:34 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
Of course, Blackwell will NEVER get the GOP chairmanship now — this kind of honesty never did play well in the GOP tent.
__________
I not sure the GOOP needs a whole big tent anymore, misshusseinmolly.
I’d suspect they can pretty much get by w/ just an airport bathroom stall by now.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:37 pmRepublicans have hated America for longer than I’ve been alive. I see no reason to expect that to change.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:38 pmHow callous can they be ?
January 16th, 2009 at 9:49 pmO.T., but you folks need a little educating:
SOMETHING IS VERY ODD. (or so you folks should be thinking…)
Why is it that the new President will have a classified section in the Army Field Manual that allows HIM ALONE to authorize “enhanced interrogation” methods, hmmmm?
Here, I’ll explain it for you:
Our new President is no fool, he’s a very smart guy. He realizes that he’s already won the election and now will act like a President, not a candidate that has to get elected. He understands that you NEVER take any option off the table when it comes to protecting the citizens of the country you are sworn to protect!
Therefore, all you fools on the left can give up your little crack pipe dreams of having President Bush or any member of his administration prosecuted for using the SAME techniques that the new President will reserve to himself!
I love it!
January 16th, 2009 at 9:52 pmOK, Kenny, Iam sure you’ll be able to lead the party from your cell just fine.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:54 pmTim Vaculik Says:
O.T., but you folks need a little educating:
SOMETHING IS VERY ODD. (or so you folks should be thinking…)
Why is it that the new President will have a classified section in the Army Field Manual that allows HIM ALONE to authorize “enhanced interrogation” methods, hmmmm?
Where did you learn this from, Mr. Vaculik?
January 16th, 2009 at 9:56 pmForgive me, I forgot to add “And what does it have to do with this thread?”
January 16th, 2009 at 9:57 pmWell, Mr. Blackwell is absolutely dead on. He’s right and here’s why.
The Democrats are going to use the cover of the stimulus package to BUY VOTES, heck entire CONSTITUENCIES with all that money that ISN’T THEIRS.
So basically, my kids will be paying for political paybacks may years to come that they had no say in at all.
Typical of Democrats. The well-being of the nation be damned – they do whatever it takes to achieve power and keep it.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:57 pmWayne,
From an Associated Press story today.
January 16th, 2009 at 9:57 pmWayne,
I gave the usual “off topic” warning…
January 16th, 2009 at 9:58 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
As outrageous and infuriating as Blackwell’s comments are, I admit I appreciate his honesty. There are far too many politicians (and, alas, the Democratic Party has their share of them, too) who operate on the exact same set of priorities (party before country! always!) but don’t have the chutzpah to say so.
And I appreciate your honesty, missmolly. You always step up to the plate instead of ignoring the obvious.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:00 pmpretty impressive… a trooll at TP who seems to know all about a new “classified section in the Army Field Manual”…
you’ve come a long way, ThinkProgress…
hell, we all have…
January 16th, 2009 at 10:00 pmHow about a link, Tim? I somehow have a hard time believing anything you say…
January 16th, 2009 at 10:01 pmI think it’s safe to say Timmeh “Creamed In My Jeans” Vaculik is referring to this article, or one similar to it.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090116/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_interrogations
I’d warn ya not to get too excited, Timmeh, but clearly, it’s too late.
What ever you do folks, DON’T shake hands w/ him.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:02 pmSee, I told you.
The Republicucks are only interested in getting and holding onto power. They like the control and the authority. They l ike their big heads. They really don’t give jack-squat about using power to make anything better for the citizenry at large, except, of course, for themselves and their close friends.
They are fast to call themselves ‘patriots’ and pat themselves on the back for their so-called ‘conservative values.’
Bunk. They are just egomaniac, self righteous, self serving, traitors.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:03 pmTim Vaculik Says:
The Democrats are going to use the cover of the stimulus package to BUY VOTES, heck entire CONSTITUENCIES with all that money that ISN’T THEIRS.
So basically, my kids will be paying for political paybacks may years to come that they had no say in at all.
__________
Did it bother you when Botch ran up such enormous deficits year after year?
Before you wet yourself too hard, take stock of the fact that the 3 biggest debtor presidents in US history were Reagan, Bush, and, uh, Bush,
And I doubt if you’re socially adept enough to actually have REAL kids.
With your personality, what self-respecting woman would ever let you CLOSE enough?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:07 pm“So basically, my kids will be paying for political paybacks may years to come that they had no say in at all.”
Tim, have you been sleeping away the last eight years? They already are.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:10 pmThanks, TRoS,
I found this one, as our good friend here was kind enough to make me do my own searching to confirm his assertions, rather than helpfully saving us some time and pointing us in the right direction.
Contrary to his claims, this is only in the discussion stage, and even Future Attorney General Eric Holder believes we shouldn’t do it.
Only paranoid bedwetters believe we have to be able to torture people to keep us safe, even though the evidence is clear that it doesn’t work, and only results in highly unreliable information. It’s almost as if they want permission to be cruel to another human being. Because it isn’t necessarily only actual terrorists that have subjected to this, but some merely suspected ones. And now they can’t be prosecuted because of it. And they’ll have to be let go. Which doesn’t make us safer.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:11 pmThis is why the Dems should never engage in bipartisanship. When your enemy’s stated goal is to destroy you at any cost, there’s no point in trying to kumbahyah. The Dems should kick the Thugs in the teeth every chance they get (figuratively speaking).
Pass some good legislation, cut the budget, reestablish the rule of law and the primacy of the Constitution, punish all criminality – past and future – regardless of party or rank/status, ridicule the Republicans while doing it.
BTW: I don’t hold out much hope that the Dems will be able to restore our Constitutional Republic (Rome proved that once lost, you don’t get that kind of thing back).
January 16th, 2009 at 10:12 pmTim Vaculik Says:
January 16th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Why do believe that everyone else has the same motivations that you would? I believe psychologists call this form of mental illness “projection”, the tendency to ascribe to others what you dislike about yourself.
Regardless of what the Democrats may be “plotting”, Republicans have made no secret of the fact that they want to get into power for the sake of getting into power. They do not want to govern, they simply want to rule. And that is why they should be stopped.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:15 pmfletc3her Says:
Lord knows the jobs of a couple hundred Republican politicians are *way* more important than hundreds of thousands Americans outside the beltway. It’s the Republican credo. I got mine!
You left out a section, my friend: “I got mine! And I’m gonna get YOURS while I’m at it!”
January 16th, 2009 at 10:16 pmPresident Bush’s deficits will PALE in comparison to those of our new President and his Democratic allies in Congress.
This is simply a fact that is already evident.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:16 pmWayne says: Regardless of what the Democrats may be “plotting”, Republicans have made no secret of the fact that they want to get into power for the sake of getting into power. They do not want to govern, they simply want to rule. And that is why they should be stopped.</ With a couple of tense changes, this becomes a truly fitting epitaph: “They did not want to govern; they simply wanted to rule. And that was why they were stopped. We elected Barack Obama, who wanted to LEAD the country, rather than prey upon it.”
January 16th, 2009 at 10:19 pmWayne,
You don’t seriously think our new President WON’T keep every option open do you?
Why do you think this story came out in the first place, hmmmm?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:22 pmWell, Mr. Vaculik, the deficits (and, thus, the accumulated debt Bush built up that nobody on the right likes to talk about) would not be so huge if not for the illegal, unnecessary war in Iraq that Bush started for no justifiable reason. None whatsoever.
Try to understand this, Mr. Vaculik: Every reason they gave to invade Iraq that was a justification for war was not true, and every reason they gave to invade Iraq that was true was not a justification for war. And it was illegal, both by US law and International Law. You do understand that we are constitutionally bound to follow the treaties we signed?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:23 pmMarcus,
The reason the Democrats won’t be able to “restore” our republic is due to the fact they are too busy tearing it down to be bothered.
I realize both Democrats, Republicans AND all of us share some of the blame, but I believe it is the Democrats who want to rule unfettered.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:27 pmMr. Vaculik. I do not believe you are sufficently grounded in reality for me to wish to continue. Good night, and good luck in your fantasy world. Maybe you’ll come across Tracy in his.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:30 pmWayne,
Oh, you mean the war that was authorized by numerous U.N. resolutions, right? You mean the war that our REpresentatives and Senators voted for, right?
You seem to suffer from selective amnesia if you are thinking that somehow this war was “illegal” or unjustified.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:32 pmTim Vaculik Says:
I realize both Democrats, Republicans AND all of us share some of the blame, but I believe it is the Democrats who want to rule unfettered.
__________
Well… THAT would certainly explain Karl Rove’s claim about building a “permanent Republican majority”, huh?
January 16th, 2009 at 10:32 pmWayne, that was one fine smackdown.
My hat would be off to you, if I were wearing a hat…
January 16th, 2009 at 10:34 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
Only paranoid bedwetters believe we have to be able to torture people to keep us safe, even though the evidence is clear that it doesn’t work, and only results in highly unreliable information…
____________
Wayne, I believe I’ve already offered Timmeh here as Exhibit B for my “Raging Chubby” Torture Hypothesis. I am confident that I have MORE than made my case.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:34 pm“Raging Chubby?”
Oh barf…
January 16th, 2009 at 10:36 pmMr. Vaculik,
I’m sure the illegality of the War in Iraq has been explained to you on numerous previous occasions. Why do you make us go through that all over again? Bush did not go back to the UN Security Council for a final vote, and reports have said that he bugged their phones and learned he was going to lose.
Also there is the matter that he deliberately LIED to make Americans believe the threat from Iraq was far mroe serious than it actually was, and they knew it!
Like it or not, George W. Bush can (and I feel should) be prosecuted for murder once he leaves office, by any state Attorney General whose state lost even one soldier in Iraq. That would be all of them.
The war in Iraq was illegal. Period.
He also illegally diverted funds that Congress specified be used to fight in Afghanistan in order to start planning the invasion of Iraq. This was more than a year before the invasion. He told Blair in January ‘03 that we were going in no matter what, but publicly, he lied to everyone and said he hadn’t made up his mind.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:37 pmBecause creating jobs is a bad thing.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:38 pmZooey Says:
“Raging Chubby?”
________
Hey… I call ‘em as I see ‘em.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:38 pmThanks, Zooey. :)
Heard any good rock opera parodies lately. ;)
January 16th, 2009 at 10:40 pmThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
Zooey Says:
“Raging Chubby?”
________
Hey… I call ‘em as I see ‘em.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
YOU CAN SEE IT!!??
January 16th, 2009 at 10:42 pmLOL, Zooey! I am concerned, too. Please, no pictures.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:44 pmWhy yes, Wayne.
There’s an EXCELLENT rock opera parody over at TheZoo, and it’s called “Georgie,” in honor of the much anticipated departure of the Worst President EVER.
:-)
January 16th, 2009 at 10:44 pmZooey Says:
YOU CAN SEE IT!!??
________
Hmmm…
***tap… tap…***
It’s a figure of speech from baseball… refers to umpires.
IMHO, the fvered degree to which GOOPers support torture as necessary would indicate they somehow get off on the mere idea.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:44 pmZooey Says:
My hat would be off to you, if I were wearing a hat…
And I’ll just take that to mean that the hat was last and it came off a long time ago. No, no. Don’t speak.
January 16th, 2009 at 10:45 pmMy apologies for the SNARK, TRoS.
Kinda…sorta… :-D
January 16th, 2009 at 10:46 pmHee hee…
January 16th, 2009 at 10:47 pmSo, we were supposed to be talking about Kenneth Blackwell, and how he believes that to be a true, patriotic American, you must put your loyalty to your political party over the best interestas of the of your fellow citizens as a whole, before we were rudely interrupted by some fool who actually believes the war in Iraq was both legal and necessary.
Despite all the evidence that the policies of the Republican Party serve to divide us, to the benefit of the wealthy over the rest of us not smart enough to be born into a rich family, why do they continue to believe that they should be allowed to rule? Their philosophy both sucks and is totally wrong.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:14 pmMore proof that Repukes hate ‘Not Super Rich’ Americans, anyone who votes Repuke is a self loathing moron.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:20 pmAh, you can`t get much more un-American than a GOOPER that wants to keep our country in a recession that the GOOPERS created just like the crash of “29″…..All goopers are triators and should be treared as such.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:44 pmAny individual who puts party above country needs to have a rude awakening. Nothing life threatening of course just something to get them to think of what is best for America and their fellow countrymen and motivate them to diligent action.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:44 pmWe’ve been through this before. It was called the Great Depression.
Ken Blackwell, and Republicans in general don’t give a rat’s ass about the welfare of our country. Their only concern is how much can the wealthy rape us until we wake up and put a stop to the crime.
Now, they are freaking out, because they realize we are finally on to them, again. Another New Deal is in the making.
Thanks to incompetence by Republicans, Socialism is on the march.
January 16th, 2009 at 11:55 pmKeltoi at Night Says:
The Dems are in power now. Whoever is in power hopes the economy does well and vica versa. That Political Law is pretty much like gravity.
Funny, for the last eight years I was hoping that people would be doing OK. I guess that makes me a better person than you.
.
Tim Vaculik Says:
Why is it that the new President will have a classified section in the Army Field Manual that allows HIM ALONE to authorize “enhanced interrogation” methods, hmmmm?
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 purports to allow the President of the U.S.A. to define what is or is not, torture. That’s why.
.
Tim Vaculik Says:
The Democrats are going to use the cover of the stimulus package to BUY VOTES, heck entire CONSTITUENCIES with all that money that ISN’T THEIRS.
So they’re going to use revenue from taxation fo improve the economy to help all Americans do better, in the hopes that good performance will be rewarded in the next election? Oh, the horror!
.
Wayne A. Schneider Says:
They do not want to govern, they simply want to rule.
Wayne has used this phrase before, but I believe it needs to be repeated as often as possible.
.
Tim Vaculik Says:
President Bush’s deficits will PALE in comparison to those of our new President and his Democratic allies in Congress.
They’ll probably be about the same. If Bush hadn’t run up massive deficits while trashing the economy at the same time, that wouldn’t be necessary. Unfortunately, now it is.
.
Tim Vaculik Says:
I believe it is the Democrats who want to rule unfettered.
Tim Vaculik, meet Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. I don’t believe you are familiar with who they are.
.
Tim Vaculik Says:
Wayne,
Oh, you mean the war that was authorized by numerous U.N. resolutions, right? You mean the war that our REpresentatives and Senators voted for, right?
You seem to suffer from selective amnesia if you are thinking that somehow this war was “illegal” or unjustified.
The war was not authorized by the U.N.
The Congress authorized use of force by the President on the grounds that Saddam had WMD’s (evidence not disclosed), Saddam was cooperating with Al Qaeda (evidence not disclosed) and the President needed the authorization to negotiate “from a position of strength.” Within a week after the authorization was passed, we walked away from negotiations, saying “diplomacy has failed,” and then began to mobilize forces.
Q: What grounds did Bush 41 use to get U.N. authorization to attack Iraq?
A: That Iraq invaded another country without sufficient reason, according to U.N. guidelines.
Q: Did the United States have sufficient reason according to U.N. guidelines to attack Iraq in 2003?
A: No.
Q: Doesn’t that mean that under international law, the U.S. did the exact same bad thing in 2003 that Iraq did in 1990?
A: Shut up. What are you, a terrorist sympathizer?
.
Wayne A. Schneider Says:
No, no. Don’t speak.
Zooey Says:
Hee hee…
Get a room, you two. ;)
January 17th, 2009 at 12:35 amthinkprogress is on the decline like all of the countries newspapers.
Not one topic on this board is interesting. Just a bunch of whining unemployed college grads with sociology degrees that live in their parents basements.
What the heck will you complain about when Bush is gone? You certainly don’t have the courage to complain about anything that obama does regardless of how much it hurts the country. Your leftist leaders like soros will give you the politically correct smack down for any harsh word against the chosen one.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:45 amTim43 Says:
What the heck will you complain about when Bush is gone?
Dude, you totally misunderestimate us when it comes to bickering and infighting. Have you ever met a Democrat?
January 17th, 2009 at 12:48 amKenneth Blackwell: compassionate conservatism at its best (or worst, if you don’t like sarcasm).
January 17th, 2009 at 1:43 amTim43 Says:
…like all of the countries newspapers.
Tim, singlular possessive is “country’s”. “Countries” is plural and not possessive. You haven’t read very much in your life, have you?
Think Progress, am I the only one who knows that there was a loss of 2.6 million jobs in 2008? The link you give is dated Nov. 7th and therefore cannot include the losses from Nov and Dec. Dec losses were 524,000.
Can someone give us the number for Dubya’s eight years? I believe it was said in Dec 2007 that 5 million had been created. That would mean about 2.4 million by the end of 2008—and maybe 2 million if the losses from his 20 days in January are included. That would be the worst since the Great Depression and pretty bad compared to Bill Clinton’s 22 million.
About 12 million new jobs are needed every eight years just to keep up with population growth. Bush was bragging about his job creation in his farewell address.
January 17th, 2009 at 3:27 amspread the word….throw your shoes at the whitehouse on georges last day in office: http://shoebush.org/
January 17th, 2009 at 3:41 amThe humming sound you hear is the sound of every Republican in America praying for another great depression, praying for another big terror attack.
“Please God, let us get hit hard,” they’re saying. I don’t care how many people get killed, just so long as it hurts the Democrats.”
That’s how much the Right love America.
January 17th, 2009 at 5:43 amTim43 Says:
thinkprogress is on the decline like all of the countries newspapers.
ThinkProgress is not a newspaper. That’s very much an apples-and-oranges comparison. Besides, TP was never created to make money so, again, your analogy is silly.
Not one topic on this board is interesting.
Then why do you show up here and complain? Why don’t you just skip it and go to another blog more suited to your interests, like RedState?
Just a bunch of whining unemployed college grads with sociology degrees that live in their parents basements.
I would be extremely surprised if any of that were anywhere near the truth.
What the heck will you complain about when Bush is gone?
Well, if you’ve been paying attention to the news, Bush has admitted that he is a war criminal. So even after he’s gone, we’ll still complain if he’s alloweed to walk around free.
You certainly don’t have the courage to complain about anything that obama does regardless of how much it hurts the country.
From your limited viewpoint, anything that Liberals do “hurts the country”, so your statement is meaningless. BTW, a lot of people have already been complaining to the incoming administration about the fact that it hasn’t made it clear to us that they will prosecute the war criminals in the Bush Adminstration, up to and including Bush and Cheney themselves.
Your leftist leaders like soros will give you the politically correct smack down for any harsh word against the chosen one.
I have been critical of Democrats and their policies (including urging Senator Clinton not to run for president), and I have never once been “smacked down” by George Soros. This is an example of “projection”. Righties secretly hate themselves because they know they cannot function unless their leader tells them what to do. Lefties aren’t like that. We might take advice, but we pick our own topics to rail against.
What you and your fellow conservatives fail to understand is that we on the Left expect our government to operate in the best interests of the American people, while you on the right think that the rich deserve to keep more of their ill-gotten money and that corporations should pay no taxes. You have jerks like Norquist out there complaining about the 35% corporate tax rate even though the vast majority of the larger ones pay nowhere near that rate. And Congressman like John Boehner complain whenever the estate tax is brought up, which truly only affects very wealthy families, but which conservatives complain about all the time.
No, we expect our government to work for us, not against us. The Bush Administration has been the enemy of the working class from the beginning.
January 17th, 2009 at 7:02 amLike his fellow morally bankrupt Republican Katherine Harris, Ken Blackwell is the perfect examplwe of why the person who oversees presidential elections should not be actively working for any candidate other than themselves. (So, they shouldn’t be “honorary chairman” of their party’s presidential election campaign.) They are supposed to ensure that elections are fair for everyone</em in their state, but the Republican ones do everything they can to suppress the votes of people likely to vote Democratic. Republicans do not believe in Democracy, which is why they have been trying to fix the votes with their electronic voting machines. In short, they are lying scum.
January 17th, 2009 at 7:13 amFANTASTIC !!!
What a perfect replacement for “Bawlin” John Boehner! The selection of Blackwell to head the RNC is great – FOR DEMS!
Blackwell should be in prison for his crimes against America (ns) during the 2004 presidential election. My hope is that he will fall prey to peripheral investigations that might be forthcoming from the Obama administration in the form of a blue ribbon panel to investigate wrong-doing during the Cheney/Bush administration.
Blackwell is a pig.
January 17th, 2009 at 8:14 amKeltoi at Night Says:
Um…Bruce? The Dems are in power now. Whoever is in power hopes the economy does well and vica versa. That Political Law is pretty much like gravity.
A rather simplistic viewpoint, given the fact that so many voters have 401k’s. A working class voter’s retirement is predicated upon a strong economic environment, and one would have to be truly hyper-partisan to wish a party’s defeat, at the possible cost of their own retirement accounts. I never wished for bad economic times all through the Bush years, knowing how it would affect me, and others like me. Having lost over five grand from my 401k during that time, I don’t feel it a fair trade for democratic political ascendancy.
January 17th, 2009 at 8:19 amI see the neocons are mixing their Koolaids together. Are you spiking it too with vodka? Must be if you think the Democrats are to blame for our current financial circumstance.
January 17th, 2009 at 8:43 amThe slimy truth about GOP obstructionism comes out. Not that the Dems are thinking of anything but ideology and elections, but for Blackwell to actually say this publicly is boldly arrogant – and stupid.
Blackwell and Steele are merely conservative pawns, created as political icons for the sole purpose of GOP image damage control (they’re both black, of course).
http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog/
January 17th, 2009 at 8:49 amSmall correction: I believe Blsckwell only ran for gov (and lost) – he was actually SOS
January 17th, 2009 at 9:05 amFrom Huffpo:
David Gregory appeared on “The Colbert Report” Thursday night to discuss George Bush’s presidency — his relationship with the media, in particular, and whether the press will treat President Obama the same way they treated President Bush.
After coming out with a display of his French language skills, Gregory defended the press’ handling of the Bush administration.
“I actually do think that the right questions were asked,” he said. “I think that people view our job through their own ideological prism and they’ve made some judgments along those lines.”
Gregory also said that the press will keep Obama on his toes.
“I think the press will do a good job, I think the press will ask the right questions,” he said. “I think you will see this press corps — I certainly will ask the same kinds of questions to this administration that I asked to the last. I think I asked tough questions of the last administration and I will do the same.”
Actually, the press corps will be less a factor, now that Big News has to reduce their investigative staffs, due to economic constraints. This will put an even greater emphasis on reporting from the Net, and increasingly, Big Media will be playing a losing game of catch-up.
Gregory defended the press’ handling of the Bush administration.
“I actually do think that the right questions were asked,” he said.
The “aluminum tubes” scandal, “Curveball,” and a host of other thinly-sourced stories were propagated by the Bushies, and uncritically passed on, by Gregory, Russert, Kit Seelye, and everybody’s favorite, Judy Miller.
Gregory’s credibility as a journalist died the night he jokingly introduced “Rappin’ Rove.”
January 17th, 2009 at 9:18 amKaty, I saw Olberman’s 8 years in 8 minutes yesterday and I am awaiting the transcript so I can save it.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:33 amWell, citizens of Ohio, how do you like your traitor now?
January 17th, 2009 at 9:43 amAmong his many accomplishments as secretary of state, there was the release of 1.2 million Social Security numbers and a big controversy involving Diebold and the election.
Astounding how brazen these people can be. Of course they can admit to anything–putting party over people, torture, treason–and there
are no consequences.
This piece should be given the widest possible distribution and kept ready for heavy use during elections.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:46 amHe’s right.
There is NO advantage to the Pukes if Obama/Dims can show success in ANY of the thousand and one clusterphuques the Busheviks have left behind.
The only hope for the Pukes is if, in three years or so, the average Murkin DOES NOT feel better off than today.
Which is why Mr. O’s fairytale about ‘post-partisanship’ is doomed to have an unhappy ending…
January 17th, 2009 at 10:10 amThe Republicans clearly do not understand the rule of holes (when you’re in one, stop digging).
January 17th, 2009 at 10:54 amLOL I posted yesterday that Blackwell is ‘pond scum’. I give you Exhibit A, this article.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:58 amSo much for putting the interests of America first.
Oh wait, in their warped minds The GOP is the same as America.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:00 pmBlackwell, as stated by others above, was not the former governor of Ohio.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:06 pmKaty, I saw Olberman’s 8 years in 8 minutes yesterday and I am awaiting the transcript so I can save it.
Run time: 09:27
January 17th, 2009 at 12:30 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtnE4C9Gv5U
Blackwell reveals the entire current Republican mindset. The GOP cares only about retaining their own privilege and power. The GOP cares no one whit for the average American or the country as a whole.
Blackwell and his ilk are a disgrace to Lincoln, Eisenhower and the previous Republicans who actually had courage and integrity.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:42 pmIt is very sad that all the Republican party and it’s members are concerned with is their incessant lust for power. They could care less about us or this country. Rather than working to cure the ills of this country, they are now intent on obstructing everything the Obama Administration attempts to do, just to score points. They think the more points they score the better things will be for the party. Unfortunately for them, the opposite is true.
January 17th, 2009 at 1:33 pmTim43 has no credibility…about like tracy5 so I am not even going to engage with the childisness but Keltoi tries to frame the debate as the dems are just like the reps….basically pushing thier own agenda at all costs but at the same time having the well being of the country at heart.
Well, as usual after a republican has been in office, this kind of argument is hard to defend.
The think keltoy adeptly avoids is who the constituants of the respective parties are.
Obviously, the American people at large are not the people that the repulicans are interested in helping. The rest of America can and will suffer for the benifit of the few under republicans….happens every time.
It may seem like a fine distintion but it gets to the bottom of why things happen the way they do.
January 17th, 2009 at 1:35 pmThis is further proof that the GOP doesn’t give a damn about we the people or our country and only care about themselves. The same could be said about all the republican trolls as they are too stupid to realize what hurts us also hurts them.
January 17th, 2009 at 1:39 pmpartisan advantage ALWAYS supersedes national interest…
which ‘party’ is irrelevant…
January 17th, 2009 at 1:52 pmOh I think it’s plenty relevant. It just depends on who you are.
January 17th, 2009 at 2:01 pmBlackwell: GOP Must Defeat Job-Creating Stimulus Because It Will Ruin GOP’s Election Chances»
That statement is a keeper. How much clearer can it get… that these goppers would risk losing our country over their own party?
Unbelievable how one of these hate America evil doers would actually come out and admit this. Thom Hartmann will have fun with this.
January 17th, 2009 at 3:00 pmThese people are like Tolkien villians, I sweartaGawd.
.
Wayne A. Schneider Says:
Republicans do not believe in Democracy, which is why they have been trying to fix the votes with their electronic voting machines. In short, they are lying scum.
The only Republican state SoS who I’ve ever seen actually do his job fairly is Sam Reed of Washington. The rest of ‘em are pretty much traitors to America.
January 17th, 2009 at 3:21 pmThe man is speaking the truth..
January 17th, 2009 at 5:55 pmBut sadly his truth reveled is elitist, only the few (and he needs them to be conservative) have the wealth, the rest are just people/Americans…and let them eat cake….what good are they anyway? They just want more money, education, etc…this takes money away from the few…this can’t happen!!
let their jobs disappear, let them not have health insurance, let them not have
nutritional food
If you follow this free market logic… eventually the poor will rise up and take the wealth away from the rich by force….Blackwater / Military or not…
Republicans are like a cancer when not kept in check…
They have the right to believe what they want…but the past 30 years of pratical application has exposed them ( and B. Clinton) for what they are…
Neo -Facists (Republicans) and neo-communists (socialists), the democrats..
Only interested n power and money..
Where did the Americans go?
Thank you, ElBruce. I stand corrected, and I regret that I included some Republicans in my remark who are actually decent people. They’re so damn rare!
January 17th, 2009 at 5:56 pmI don’t think Blackwell was ever Governor….Secty of State…
January 17th, 2009 at 5:56 pmHow exactly does the GOP blocking job creation for millions of Americans win back the voters to the GOP? What stupidity by Blackwell.
January 17th, 2009 at 6:17 pmWe have names for this kind of creep within our community. This urchin has obviously sold his soul to the red guy with the horns and the lying tongue waiting insidiously to trap hapless people into eternal damnation for some temporary gains. Why are we even listening to this self-hating clown, we should instead be encouraging him on his descent into hell, where he belongs? Where’s a righteous police killing of a black man when you need one?
January 18th, 2009 at 12:03 amIts really an unintelligent move though. This administration is just getting started. There’s 4 years to find reasons to not re-elect him. This is not one of them. Repugnicans would do better to allow these kinds of stimulus packages to go through as they tend to get elected when the middle class is doing well, and lose when they are not.
January 18th, 2009 at 8:16 pmAs people make more money, they tend to vote more Republican, in the hopes of seeing less taxes. When the republicans drive the economy into the ground, which is their very nature, more people suffer, and those once Reagan Democrats have nothing to show for their vote, and return to the fold.
More jobs will create more Republicans, the loss of jobs will create more Democrats. The more successful Democrats are in their policies, the more likely that it is in a person’s own interest to vote Republican.
He sounds just like Reid and Pelosi. He’ll be just as successful. Where have all the leaders gone?
January 19th, 2009 at 11:37 amI have nothing but contempt for black republican shills like Joe Watkins, Ken Blackwell, Condi Rice etc. Don’t they know their Civil Rights history? Do they know anything about the civil rights act of 1964? Ken Blackwell’s actions in disenfranchising black democratic voters an helping the republicans steal the election in Ohio in during the 2004 presidential elections is an abomination.
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