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February 2, 2009
Morning Joe
I've broken out the blood pressure cuff and the Atavan and I'm watching the very liberal MSNBC. At around 7 a.m., Scarborough, Buchanan and even Mika screaming about how the recovery bill "gives tax breaks to people who don't pay taxes."
They're talking about the following, as described in the Washington Post:
The package expands the Earned Income Tax Credit temporarily to raise the pay of the working poor. There also is money to allow low-income workers to qualify for a tax credit of up to $1,000 per child, a break currently denied them. These are good tax policy and good stimulus.
Oh noes! Putting money into the hands of the people who are getting slammed the most in this thing? FAIL! NO! The working poor pay sales taxes and payroll taxes and this eases the burden. Scarborough's analysis of this: "You have the federal government writing checks to people for doing nothing. For doing absolutely nothing. This is as close to unprecedented of a total all out socialist bill as I've ever seen." Well, at least since the banks blackmailed us into giving them free cash with no strings, but okay.
7:45 and they're still going off. Jim Cramer appears and the whole thing is devolving into an "Obama is totally f-cking up everything" segment where the only voice of dissent, amazingly and faintly enough, was Mark Goddamn Halperin. Mika's talking about how this is just like the Bush administration using fear to coerce everyone into supporting the invasion of Iraq and the Patriot Act. Just staggering. The logic of this argument, of course, seems to suggest that the economic collapse isn't as imminent or urgent as is being described.
Finally, Podesta appears and mentions the very real fact that Reagan created the Earned Income Tax Credit. Buchanan and Scarborough crumble. And now Cramer says, "It's true that these people will spend [their tax cut]." So what's the flippin' problem, guys?!
Your liberal cable news network. Why are they in the tank for Obama!?
Adding... You know what hilarious? How Republicans like Pat Buchanan can so quickly turn their backs on blue collar Americans. For two years, all we heard was how Barack Obama wasn't "one of us" -- how he couldn't grasp the needs of working Americans. And now, when many working Americans would get a tax cut, Buchanan came right out and said that Congress should give the $80 billion (his number) to corporate tax cuts.
Filed under: Jim Cramer || Joe Scarborough || Morning Joe || Pat Buchanan || Stimulus
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Posted By Bob Cesca | February 2, 2009 8:02 AM
Comments
Joe pushed me to CNN in the morning. Cannot stand Mika. She is the blond Sarah Palin. Buchanan is a buffoon.
18 billion in bonuses for Wall Street but no money for the working poor. Asshats.
Posted by: eve at February 2, 2009 8:01 AM
I gave up on Morning Joke during the Primaries. I do admit to peeking in once or twice since, but their stupidity always reigns supreme, so I have given up on them for good. In fact, I usually just watch the weather channel now. They seem to be very bipartisan over there. ;)
Posted by: cminri at February 2, 2009 8:09 AM
I have always called him Morning Joke.. he who can't explain the dead woman in his congressional office.. but I watch it so I can make sure my heart is beating every morning and to get my dose of republican...everyone should have a little of that every day.
It just makes you appreciate your true feelings. Knowing how you really are when you see the hypocrisy of them. The dark side...that's why I watch it...if it gets too bad I mute it...lol
Posted by: Annette at February 2, 2009 8:23 AM
im not saying that i want more republican input on the stimulus bill,in fact i really dont want any.thats why we voted them out.however,arent there more progressive ideas which could be inserted in this bill which would clearly stimulate the economy and which wouldnt so easily be mocked.the contraceptives and the environmental stuff-i have absolutely no problem with seperately.it just seems like these are things which could get passed on their own.as a whole,this bill seems pretty irresponsible.i know im gonna get torn to shreds but i cant help it.this seems exactly like something conservatives would do.
Posted by: 24hourjack at February 2, 2009 9:03 AM
24HJ,
Anything that was put in this bill was going to get mocked. That's just the way Republicans work.
The things you mentioned, contraceptives and environmental stuff, are excellent ways to help the economy and move forward at the same time. These are things I think we should support.
Posted by: MatthewN at February 2, 2009 9:16 AM
Pat Buchanan reminds me so much of my Republican grandfather (except, my grandfather is less racist)....remember the period in the primaries where he was practically wearing an "I heart Hillary" shirt? I remember someone saying on Morning Joe that Pat told them that women were walking up to him in airports and saying "Thank you for speaking for us when it comes to Hillary"(seriously), and he couldn't keep a straight face, because he obviously didn't believe half the shit he was saying in support of Hillary.
I also remember when he said "She's just not.....ready to be commander in chief"(in regards to Sarah Palin, when she was first announced). My, that took about what, 7 hours to turn into "She's....SENSATIONAL!"
Posted by: Erin at February 2, 2009 9:30 AM
Actually...to be accurate (in my previous post), Pat saying "She's just not...ready to be commander in chief" came during the morning OF the Palin pick, when it was just a rumor and not confirmed. And Scarborough said "Yeah, sure. Just get any woman in there, it doesn't matter who it is." And then they piped down when it was confirmed.
Posted by: Erin at February 2, 2009 9:33 AM
Thank God for Atavan.
Posted by: idreamofskiba at February 2, 2009 10:02 AM
Her's a suggestion for Obama and the Senate Democrats:
Strip the bill of any Republican bullshit that the spineless House Democratss added in their unsuccessful effort to appease.
Send Rahm Emanuel to the Hill to explain to the Senators, and the Representatives, that the President has immense power to fuck up their lives.
Explain to them that same organization (and I'm not talking about the DNC) that put Obama in office can yank these bastards out of office. The President, through his national network of millions of Americans, should make clear it to the voters that if it fails, it was THEIR Senator who killed the economic stimulus. Using that network, give each of them a little nudge from back home to remind them that voters are watching.
Bring the bill to a floor vote. If the Republicans want to filibuster, tell them to knock themselves out. Make sure they'r aware that C-Span will cover it all, and suggest they get a few cases of Depends.
Then, the Democrats order pizza, put their feet up, and relax.
Posted by: Packy at February 2, 2009 10:48 AM
Joe/Pat/Mika
Please explain to me why its ok that 66 percent of US Corporations dont PAY ANY TAXES yet we are to give them 80 Billion dollars in additonal tax breaks.
target="_blank">66% of US Corps pay NO TAXES
Why is that perfectly ok but its not ok to take care of those Blue collar workers who need the stimulus the most.
Posted by: lib4 at February 2, 2009 11:15 AM
There's a lot of things that bug me about this, most notably that the Dems have had a GREAT chance to finally, REALLY, grab the mantle of fiscal responsibility and they are blowing it. This bill should be MUCH cleaner and its just stupid to put the pork that normally should be in the appropriations bills in the stimulus package.
I really fear, and I think the polls are showing it, that the right is winning on this issue, they are winning the sound bite wars with condoms and all that. Sorry, its foolish to think in this sound-bite world, where the media still capitulates to the GOP, that you can effectively make the argument that family planning creates jobs.
Its like Pelosi and company couldn't help themselves. And while Obama said no earmarks, I feel he could be doing a bit more to keep the Dems disclipined.
The stimulus should be all about:
*infrastructure spending
*reduction in payroll taxes
*small deduction in corporate taxes (hard to believe but most Eurpoean countries have lower corporate tax rates)
*extension of unemployment benefits
*Medicare/Medicaid direct aid to states
*increase in the EITC (Scarborough is indeed and ass bag)
*Major investments in green energy
A lot of this is already in there. But there's got to be some fiscal discipline at the same time. No arts funding, no family planning, etc. Save that for the appropriations bills, we've got the votes to win there!
The fact the Dems have to argue about condoms and the like makes me fear that the arguement is lost! We should be asking if people are happy with their roads and bridges!
Posted by: Steve at February 2, 2009 3:58 PM
It was fun to watch the show last week when Joe wasn't there. My blood pressure shot back up Monday morning. Mika is spineless. She is afraid of Joe. He hates to say "President Obama". It's Obama to him. When watching the show, look at that red streak on his neck..
Posted by: buggey at February 3, 2009 11:33 AM
It was fun to watch the show last week when Joe wasn't there. My blood pressure shot back up Monday morning. Mika is spineless. She is afraid of Joe. He hates to say "President Obama". It's Obama to him. When watching the show, look at that red streak on his neck..
Posted by: buggey at February 3, 2009 11:33 AM
