 Ahrenl join:2004-10-26 North Andover, MA | reply to ColorBASIC
Re: My opinion? People (especially those with large amount of staffers) can do more than one (or several) thing(s) at a time.
Congress's approval ratings are at record lows because they were largely elected to stop a war, that they have no power to stop (short of a double impeachment, that would be completed just before the two clowns leave office anyway). Also the majority parties have a smaller margin than ever, so anything remotely partisan (like reversing anything done in the last decade) will be deadlocked.
War? - Executive power Spending? - Deadlocked Taxes? - Lowest they've been during war time EVER. so umm. Security? - Deadlocked Iran? - Executive power Immigration? - Deadlocked Jobs? - 6% used to be considered min unemployment, we're at 4.5% Energy? - Deadlocked Terrorism? - See war and security Education? - Well, they're going to make it more expensive to get a loan through the FFELP program soon. Inflation? - Except for Food & Energy, at all time lows. Housing? - Actually things have now been tightened down pretty well thanks to congressional hearing with the federal agencies that had the regulatory power already. That's not going to save all the people that didn't read what they were getting, lied about their income, or where duped by a mortgage broker (who aren't regulated, on a state by state basis); nor should it. Otherwise they'll be rewarding excessive risk taking. Crime? - National average are still pretty darn low. Healthcare? - No good solution, yet. Tort Reform? - Yikes.. |
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 | said by Ahrenl:People (especially those with large amount of staffers) can do more than one (or several) thing(s) at a time. Congress's approval ratings are at record lows because they were largely elected to stop a war, that they have no power to stop (short of a double impeachment, that would be completed just before the two clowns leave office anyway). Also the majority parties have a smaller margin than ever, so anything remotely partisan (like reversing anything done in the last decade) will be deadlocked. War? - Executive power Spending? - Deadlocked Taxes? - Lowest they've been during war time EVER. so umm. Security? - Deadlocked Iran? - Executive power Immigration? - Deadlocked Jobs? - 6% used to be considered min unemployment, we're at 4.5% Energy? - Deadlocked Terrorism? - See war and security Education? - Well, they're going to make it more expensive to get a loan through the FFELP program soon. Inflation? - Except for Food & Energy, at all time lows. Housing? - Actually things have now been tightened down pretty well thanks to congressional hearing with the federal agencies that had the regulatory power already. That's not going to save all the people that didn't read what they were getting, lied about their income, or where duped by a mortgage broker (who aren't regulated, on a state by state basis); nor should it. Otherwise they'll be rewarding excessive risk taking. Crime? - National average are still pretty darn low. Healthcare? - No good solution, yet. Tort Reform? - Yikes.. To be more specific, the reason immigration is deadlocked is because the general public raised holy you know what over the immigration bill once it was obvious what was in it. All the Democrats need to do to pass that bill is vote as a party in the House and Senate and it passes (Bush said he would sign bill). But the Democrats can't even do that, because they were threatened to be voted out of office (so were Republicans who wanted to vote for it).
This is the first time I can remember ever seeing the public uproar in such masses that senators and congressman/woman backed down, knowing there would be you know what to pay election time. |
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 Ahrenl join:2004-10-26 North Andover, MA | IT seems to me it was raised by the vocal minority, as usual.
The only thing I heard was some politico speak about amnesty, which refuses to come to grips with the fact that there's no possible way to deport 12,000,000 people, especially when you don't even know where they are. If you can't deport them, you can either criminalize them, or legalize them, those are your only two choices. I believe there are ~2,000,000 institutional criminals in the U.S. as of the last census, so that would be increasing that number by 6 TIMES. Considering we can't even issue a passport to a regular citizen within a 3 month window, I think they're here to stay.
The best solution I've heard is to create something like the French Foreign Legion, where you can serve in the army for X number of years (with other immigrants) to gain your citizenship. We have 160,000 troops in Iraq. Imagine if we could send a couple million Legionaries over.. Two problems solved. They'd come back hero's and citizens, with a citizenship they'd have earned. |
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 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium join:2002-05-02 Mount Airy, MD | said by Ahrenl:The only thing I heard was some politico speak about amnesty, which refuses to come to grips with the fact that there's no possible way to deport 12,000,000 people, especially when you don't even know where they are. LOL funny. If this was any other criminal problem, say rampant murder or child abuse, politicians would be having a group orgy to figure out how to solve it. The pols who throw out the "we can't deport them all" tripe are simply saying they are for amnesty without using so many words.
12 million people cannot be deported overnight, but they can be still be deported. -- Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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 ColorBASIC8-bit FunPremium join:2006-12-29 Corona, CA | It's easy to deport them. You simply put in prison any employer who hires them, any gov't worker who helps them, any officer of a corporation extending them credit and any landlord who rents to them. All non-emergency aid to an illegal should be a felony.
They'll go home tomorrow when they have no job, no free money, and no place to live. -- Macintosh Users Group Serving the Inland Empire |
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 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium join:2002-05-02 Mount Airy, MD | AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! |
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 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium join:2002-05-02 Mount Airy, MD | reply to Ahrenl said by Ahrenl:Congress's approval ratings are at record lows because they were largely elected to stop a war, that they have no power to stop (short of a double impeachment, that would be completed just before the two clowns leave office anyway). The Democrat party only won Congress because many idiot "conservatives" decided to stay home during the last election. On the other hand, Democrats always come out to vote in droves because they need all the money the government provides to them.
Congress could stop the war tomorrow if it wanted to. All it needs to do is defund the war. While this might be hard in the Senate, it would be trivially easy to do in the House. If Congress is supposed to end the war, why hasn't the House at least cut off funding for it? -- Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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 KoolMoeAw ManPremium join:2001-02-14 Annapolis, MD | You know very well why - because the Republicans fire-up their excellent PR machine - which the 'liberally-biased' news media parrots - that Democrats are chickening-out, retreating, helping the terrorists, and don't support our troops.
So, yeah, it's ultimately the Democrats lack of cohones for bowing under such political pressure, but it's not like it's as simple as 'just cut off funding' when the opposition effectively demonizes the move politically. KM -- Don't Lie - Be Kind - Realize your Potential |
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 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium join:2002-05-02 Mount Airy, MD | said by KoolMoe:You know very well why - because the Republicans fire-up their excellent PR machine ... Are you serious? We have one of the best economies ever and actual progress is being made in Iraq, yet we keep hearing we are practically in a depression and Americans are being killed on the streets of Baghdad by the millions.
said by KoolMoe:So, yeah, it's ultimately the Democrats lack of cohones for bowing under such political pressure ... Sure it is. HRH Pelosi keeps reminding us that Congress represents the "will of the people." Surely if so many people want the war de-funded, Congress would have been able to do it, with a veto-proof majority no less. -- Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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 KoolMoeAw ManPremium join:2001-02-14 Annapolis, MD | "Best economies ever" completely depends on how you look at it, as you know. Sure, some things look pretty good - record stock market highs, less-than-expected inflation (in some sectors) - on the surface. But you KNOW that the debt we're incurring is not anything close to a 'best economy ever'. And maybe you're making great money, but I know quite a few struggling folks (and not because they buy Big TVs).
As far as Iraq, I know it's pointless to be realistic with a cheerleader, but it's almost impossible NOT to show some sort of progress in Iraq considering the depths to which our progress has sunk. Heck, I got an 'D' in high school physics my first semester. But when I got a 'D+' the next semester, I was making actual progress!
I'm sure there are positive things happening in Iraq but I think it's pretty evident and plain, despite blind hope, that our efforts there have been horribly managed and are much closer to 'failure' than 'success'.
Republicans, before their majority was tossed-out (why?), said Americans wanted Social Security reform...but they couldn't get it done. Why not?
Democrats do not have a veto-proof majority, just as the Republicans did not...and again, you know this.
I'm not quite sure why people think there is still any sort of majority support for this administration and it's handling of Iraq. How badly do things have to get before their pure incompetence is understood? *Regardless* of whether it was right or wrong to 'liberate' in the first place, this administration has to be the worst bunch of managers ever.
I agree, Congress should be able to 'de-fund' the war. The President should face reality and work with them before it even comes to that. But politics again trumps actual reason and support of our country and its people. Rather shameful...just like the posturing and postings in this forums, like yours, that mislead and misconstrue the true issues. KM -- Don't Lie - Be Kind - Realize your Potential |
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 Ahrenl join:2004-10-26 North Andover, MA | reply to ColorBASIC Wouldn't it just be easier to throw them in jail? Now you've taken 12m and multiplied it by everyone who deals with them. So that's 60m new prisoners. Maybe Mexico will let us build prisons there. |
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 ColorBASIC8-bit FunPremium join:2006-12-29 Corona, CA | Costs too much. And it's not about putting employers in jail...the threat alone will have employers (and others) not wanting to risk it. -- Macintosh Users Group Serving the Inland Empire |
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 ChivalryPremium join:2005-02-10 Chula Vista, CA | reply to KoolMoe Well said, KM. I have to admit that I've never been so ashamed of my government in my entire life.
Eventually, things will look up. We'll be able to put food on our families, human beings and fish kind will be able to coexist peacefully, and we'll finally solve the nation's energy problems by enacting an energy bill that encourages consumption. |
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