POLITICAL CRITIC
Senate to Pass Deficit Increase
December 19, 2017
The deficit-funded tax cuts are finally ready to pass as Republicans slowly get in line to vote yes for a bill that will increase the debt by more than $1 trillion. The party that complained daily about deficits will now add to the massive number without any help from the left. The national debt is currently a staggering $20.6 trillion, which is 105% of GDP.
The only thing saving the United States from bankruptcy are low interest rates, which allows for the debt to be serviced at 'reasonable' levels. If interest rates increase by a few percent and hold for any significant length of time and that cost of $277 billion per year would double. That's when it'll start getting ugly. The more interest the U.S. has to pay to cover the debt, the less money they have to run everything else. At current levels, the interest payment alone is more than eight percent of federal tax revenue.
The primary focus of this tax overhaul is the corporate tax cut. The stated corporate rate is 35%, although the effective rate (the rate companies actually pay) has been closer to 25%. The bill would push the stated corporate rate down to 21% without closing a significant amount of loopholes. Therefore, you will see the effective rate drop accordingly.
This is a boon for the corporate world in America and will result in a substantial increase in profits across the board. Paying less taxes will put more money in company coffers. However, the key question will be what these organizations do will all these excess profits. Do they simply pay a higher dividend to shareholders and increase stock buybacks, or do they invest in capital projects that will require hiring more people? They could do nothing and just sit on the cash until such time as they need it.
What we're likely to see are share buybacks and higher dividends This will be a great benefit for investors and we're already seeing the effect in the stock market, but it will do little to help the average American. While we may see some increases in hiring, it is not expected to have a significant impact.
This stimulative tax cut is also being done at a time when the unemployment rate is nearly 4% and economic growth is chugging along smoothly. From an economic point of view, this is exactly the wrong time to initiate a reduction in taxes. There is already a shortage of workers in many industries in the country. If the jobless rate continues declining into the mid-to-low 3's, we would have a problem. Not enough workers to fill jobs will lead to wage inflation and eventually full blown inflation across all goods and services.
No, the best time to introduce a tax cut and/or spending program is when the economy is on a downturn or during a recession (you know, like when Obama came into office and passed a monster spending package). It remains to be seen what effect this version of stimulus will have on the economy, but it's more likely than not that it will overheat and cause a recession down the road.
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Alabama Rejects Child Molester...Barely
December 12, 2017
Only in the State of Alabama would this be a close election, but common sense prevailed tonight as Doug Jones (D) defeated serial abuser and all-around clown Roy Moore (R) to win the United States Senate seat. At last check, it appeared Jones will win by a scant 1.5%, which is fortunately above the recount threshold in the state of one-half of one percent.
Of course, Roy Moore refused to concede during his quick, late night speech, clinging to the belief that military votes and absentee ballots would change the outcome. However, it's highly unlikely the outcome will change. It'd be best if Moore just went away and crawled back into whatever hole he came from. He should also take that joke of a human being, Steve Bannon with him. Bannon made a complete fool of himself during this race and also needs to remove himself from the national political scene.
Doug Jones seems to be a solid Democrat, but he shouldn't get very comfortable. He does not get the standard six-year appointment that more U.S. Senators are afforded. His seat will be up again in 2020 and you can be sure the Republicans will put up a better candidate. In the deep red, conservative, pro-life state of Alabama, the pro-choice Jones will not be representing the people for very long.
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President Inflames Middle East
December 7, 2017
Most politicians have a steadfast rule of letting sleeping dogs lie, but not this American president. The incompetent reality television star decided he would declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel and make steps toward moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. He probably doesn't realize how tense the situation is in Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians.
The decision has sparked outrage in the region, with Palestinians and other Muslim leaders expressing open hostility toward to the United States and President Trump. The militant group Hamas has even called for a 'Day of Rage' to protest. Morons!
Ok, I know this president's an idiot and all, but his declaration doesn't really do anything. He is the temporary leader of a country on the other side of the planet and the embassy switch will take 3-4 years to accomplish. He likely won't even be president when the embassy moves. Please know that the next president can reverse any and every stupid thing this clown does, so whatever nonsense comes out of his mouth is really not worth killing people over.
For those that believe the U.S. can no longer be an impartial peacemaker, please wake up. The United States has never been neutral in regards to Israel versus Palestine and the Middle East. They have always been behind Israel. Hell, they even gave them nuclear weapons, a ridiculous move that created another nuclear power.
Many American presidents have attempted to broker a peace deal in the region for decades and it has always failed. The reality is that the two sides (at least the governments) do not want peace. Violence is par for the course in Israel and Palestine and that's not going to change anytime soon.
The idiot president is not helping matters with his irresponsible declaration, but take it for what it's worth: a mentally unstable man with three years or less in his job. With any luck, Bob Mueller will make sure he's gone before the end of calendar 2018.
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Conyers Resigns in Disgrace
December 5, 2017
John Conyers, the long serving Democrat from Detroit has finally resigned his position in Congress, but not before endorsing his son for the seat. The shady and decrepit Congressman fought hard to keep his job, but relented after intense presssure.
Conyers is yet another example of an unethical politician in Washington. There are so many that it's hard to keep track. They continue to be held to a much lower standard than the rest of society. Conyers has groped and sexually harassed women for decades and is known to walk around naked or in his underwear. Classy! It's amazing he's been able to get away with this ridiculous behavior for so many years, but I guess that's the way it goes with Washington and Hollywood.
Unfortunately, his son will probably win election to his seat. John Conyers III shares the same name as his father and most voters will be unaware and/or will not care. People don't really pay that close attention, so Conyers III will likely win in a landslide. I'm sure the Democratic leadership will get behind the son as well, as it was probably part of the deal to get the old man to quit. They also don't want to spend time or money to defend the seat.
It's a shame they can't even take it outside the family and let other people have a fair shot, but powerful people like Conyers and the ancient Democratic leadership believe they're entitled and could care less about the people. He's also an example of the need for term limits. Congressman should not be able to 'serve' for fifty years. They become complacent, corrupt, and close-minded...or in Conyers' case, a sexual harasser and all-around creep.
Now that Conyers has been shown the door, it's time for Senator Al Franken to get lost as well. At last check, I believe he was up to four different accusers. His allegations do not rise to the level of Conyers or the child molester in Alabama, but the accusers have demonstrated a long pattern of bad behavior.
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Deficit Funded Tax Cut Passes Senate
December 2, 2017
It's official: Republicans only care about the federal debt and deficit when Democrats are in control. Every day for the eight years of the Obama administration we heard about the awful deficit that he created (he didn't) and how it was destroying the country. Now in one fell swoop, the GOP in both the House and Senate voted to increase the debt by a staggering $1 trillion!
It's an unbelievably irresponsible act that shows how pathetic the politicians in Washington are. They simply want to win something, because they haven't passed any significant the entire year. While the overall tax bill needs to go to reconciliation before final passage, this much is clear: all the so-called deficit hawks that ripped the liberals have disappeared.
In point of fact, President Obama did not create the debt or deficit. He inherited a $1.2 trillion annual deficit when he took over from the incompetent Bush administration. When George had taken office, Bill Clinton left him a $237 billion surplus. George Bush had Republican control of Congress for the first six years of his presidency, but promptly blew the entire surplus. By the time Republican President Bush left office, he had created the largest deficit in the history of the United States. In Obama's eight years, he initially spiked the deficit up to $1.4 trillion as he passed a massive, bloated spending bill at the beginning of his first term. However, by the time he reached his last year, the annual deficit had declined to roughly $668 billion. The deficit is about the same today as when President Obama left, but this new tax cut package, created entirely by "conservatives", will ensure a massive increase to that number.
Republicans are supposed to be the fiscally responsible party. It's the Democrats that are tagged as "tax-and-spend" liberals (with good reason). The GOP had the opportunity to completely eliminate the annual deficit if they just practiced what they preach: cut spending. Unfortunately, the dirty little secret in politics is that nobody reduces spending. If a politician cuts spending, it means they're taking money away from somebody and those somebody's are voters that will be none too happy when they get a reduction in services, lose their government job, or need to pay for something that was previously subsidized.
The total debt of the country now stands at $20.5 trillion, which is 106% of GDP. The interest we pay to service that debt load is $275 billion per year, which is money that could otherwise be used to fix our infrastructure, healthcare, etc. That represents nearly ten percent of all federal revenue taken in. The interest payment would be significantly higher if not for the low interest rate environment that currently exists in the markets. If we see a rise in interest rates, that debt burden will increase and it could start a downward spiral. Higher rates leads to larger interest payments, which leades to higher deficits and more debt. It's a shame there's nobody responsible enough in Congress to stop the inevitable crisis.
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About Pocahontas...
November 28, 2017
While the mainstream media is in a tizzy over the president's crack about Senator EIizabeth Warren (D-MA), they once again miss the broader point. The white-as-rice Warren has lied about her heritage throughout her entire career in order to get ahead. She often claimed to be Native American, which gave her minority status and a much better shot at academic jobs.
Since we know colleges and universities LOVE hiring minorities, Senator Warren had many doors open for her as a result of fabricating her ancestry. When questioned about it a few years back during her Senate race against, she claimed she was Native American based on what her grandfather once mentioned to her. She offered no proof of course, because she knew it was all BS. Sadly, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, voters blindly vote for the Democrat so she was able to win the election, albeit by a fairly slim margin.
The mainstream media never mentioned her lies again except when bluntly reminded of them by the Donald calling her Pocahontes. Whether it's a racial slur or not, the conservative base loves, loves, loves it when the president goes after the lying liberal Warren.
Elizabeth Warren is just another fraud in Washington. Our nation's capital is littered with scum on both sides of the aisle and she is yet another example. Perhaps voters will come to their sense and remove people like Warren and Al Franken, and prevent Roy Moore from taking office, but reality tells us otherwise. Warren will continue to get re-elected in the liberal bastion of Massachusetts and nobody will ever speak of her fake heritage that helped get her where she is today.
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Roy Moore Could Still Win
November 27, 2017
The child molester candidate in the Alabama special election for the U.S. Senate could easily still be victorious when people go to the polls when the calendar turns to December 12th. The latest figures from RCP shows a virtual tie between the Republican Moore and Jones, the Democrat. While Jones closed the gap after the sex abuse revelations, he's barely ahead.
|
Poll |
Date |
Sample |
MoE |
Jones (D) |
Moore (R) |
Spread |
|
RCP Average |
11/9 - 11/20 |
-- |
-- |
46.8 |
46.0 |
Jones +0.8 |
|
11/20 - 11/20 |
3000 LV |
2.0 |
45 |
47 |
Moore +2 |
|
|
11/14 - 11/15 |
628 LV |
3.5 |
47 |
42 |
Jones +5 |
|
|
11/13 - 11/15 |
649 LV |
3.5 |
50 |
42 |
Jones +8 |
|
|
11/9 - 11/11 |
600 LV |
3.9 |
45 |
55 |
Moore +10 |
|
|
11/9 - 11/11 |
575 LV |
4.1 |
48 |
44 |
Jones +4 |
|
|
11/9 - 11/9 |
515 LV |
4.3 |
46 |
46 |
Tie |
Current Republicans in the Senate have threatened to expel Moore if and when he is elected, but I would be surprised if they really go through with it. The President himself had more than a dozen women accusing him of sexual misconduct and nearly every Republican backs him publicly. The only conservatives with the "guts" to stand against him are ones that are retiring or dying (Flake, Corker, McCain).
This will also be the case if Moore gets elected. He is a standard conservative vote on nearly all pieces of legislation and with Republicans holding the smallest of margins in the Senate with a 52-48 edge, they need all the votes they can get. Politicians are famous for looking the other way when someone on their team gets in trouble and this will be no different.
With the Thanksgiving holiday, there hasn't been a poll conducted in Alabama in a week, so the next set of numbers could show more erosion for the molester, but they just as easily show a bounce back to where he was before. With two weeks to go before the election, he has plenty of time to change the subject and move on. Trump's Access Hollywood tape was a good three weeks before the Presidential election and his support started coming back in the last days of the campaign. I suspect we'll see the same with Moore. I just can't see the State of Alabama electing a Democrat right now.
This might actually be a good thing for the Democrats. They can hang a noose around the entire Republican party if they choose to let a child molester into the Senate. Democrats will bury the Republicans in the mid-term elections if that's the situation.
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Black Friday Becoming Cyber Friday
November 25, 2017
The online shopping spree is not supposed to start until Monday, but consumers had other ideas on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, as they spent billions without ever leaving their house to battle traffic and crowds. Shoppers dropped a record $2.9 billion on Turkey Day and followed with more than $3.5 billion on Friday as of 8pm Eastern time.
While brick and mortar stores were not totally empty, there was a noticable decline in the number of people coming out to the malls and elsewhere. Online sales increased by more than 15% versus last year, a staggering increase that signals a change in the way consumers shop. Whether they're buying televisions, toys, calendars, or clothes, most are choosing to do it from the comfort of their own home. Further, many are now making their purchases directly from their smartphones, ignoring the desktop and laptop computers for added convenience. This consumer trend shows the growing influence of millenials on society as they are virtually do everything on their phones.
Considering prior Black Friday's where we saw customers getting trampled to death in Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target with fights breaking out over some trivial toy or TV, a transition toward online and less drama is a welcome site. Stampedes are now referenced as things that occurred well in the past.
Analysts expect the online versus in-person trend to continue for the whole holiday season and be even more pronounced into the future. The Amazon effect is real and so is the future death of the department stores. We will witness a changing landscape over the next few years as massive department stores begin to disappear and are replaced with smaller spaces and a robust online offering. If they can't keep up with Jeff Bezos in their respective industry, bankruptcy looms around the corner.
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Why Was Rand Paul Attacked?
November 22, 2017
A couple weeks ago, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was allegedly tackled from behind by his neighbor while mowing his lawn. What was first described as a landscaping/property argument between Paul and his well-to-do neighbor, a retired doctor named Rene Boucher, is now being refuted. The attorney for Boucher has labeled the incident an 'ongoing disagreement', but Rand Paul's wife Kelley has said that is definitely not the case.
Something does not smell right here. The charges against Boucher are fairly minimial; a 4th degree misdemeanor assault and a $7,500 bail, which he posted. It does not remotely imply a serious assault against a sitting United States Senator. However, Senator Paul reportedly has six fractured ribs and damage to his lungs. Paul descibes the attack as 'violent' and further adds that he has not had any conversation with Boucher in ten years, friendly or otherwise.
So the question is why? Why did Rene Boucher, an otherwise mild-mannered old man and neighbor of seventeen years in an affluent community, commit this assault? His attorney claims it has nothing to do with politics, but I'm beginning to doubt that statement. I was too quick to assume the media's assessment that this was about a landscaping or lawncare issue and dismissed it as a minor issue. That's what it appeared to be on the surface, especially considering the minimal charges, but there seems to be much more to this bizarre story.
After hearing more details of this incident, it wouldn't surprise me if Senator Paul really was attacked simply because of his conservative politics. It's a sad world we live in if that's the case, but we know that are a lot of nutbags out there. You can't even mow your own lawn without getting jumped by a crazed lunatic, even one that has lived next to you and your family for nearly two decades and showed no previous signs of mental instability.
Considering the Paul's dispute any other rationale, it must be politics. In that case, the charges against Rene Boucher need to be greatly increased. As much as I hate politicians, they need to be protected from the wackos. The police need to get to the bottom of this incident and make sure it doesn't happen again.
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Franken Now Has 2 Accusers
November 19, 2017
Another day, another woman bravely stepping forward to accuse Senator Al Franken (D-MN) of molesting her. Lindsay Menz, a now 33-year old woman, was groped by Franken back in 2010 when he posed to take a picture with her at a state fair.
Franken had already been a Senator for two years at the time and was not only blatant enough to grab her ass in public, but also with her husband standing right in front of him taking the picture.
We now have a pattern of disturbing behavior from the Minnesota Senator and we know this is probably the tip of the iceberg. The very nature of how and where he pulled this stunt demonstrates that he'd done it before and had absolutely no fear in his actions. To grab someone's ass is brazen enough by itself, but with the husband just a few feet away takes it to another level.
We again call on Al Franken to resign his position as Senator immediately. He is a filthy pig who has disgraced his seat and abused his power on multiple occassions. We should expect more from our members of Congress, not less. Sadly, if they're on our "team", Democrats or Republicans, we look the other way and defend their abysmal behavior.
Of course, we know that a resignation will never come, not from a politician who has years left on his term. The United States Senate is notorious for never holding their members accountable for misdeeds. The best we can hope for is that Franken gets stripped of committee assignments and that he chooses not to run for re-election.
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Senator Franken's Turn
November 16, 2017
We all knew the disgusting pigs were not exclusive to Hollywood producers and directors. The scumbag male politicians in Washington surely have their hands dirty when it comes to sexual harassment and abuse. First we heard about Roy Moore, although technically he's not in D.C. yet, and now we hear about the slimy Democratic Senator from Minnesota, Al Franken.
Back when the calendar was 2006 and Al was merely a famous comedian, he participated in USO tour with the stunning Playboy, FHM, and lingerie model turned sports reporter Leeann Tweeden. The Franken decided to draw from his Saturday Night Live days and write a skit that he and Tweeden would act out for the troops. Of course, the shady Franken wrote in a kissing scene in order to push himself upon Tweeden and then proceeded to tell her they needed to 'practice' the scene. When she finally relented to his badgering, he forcibly stuck his tongue down her throat. She was clearly disturbed by his behavior and rightfully avoided him the remainder of the trip. In retribution, the future Senator mocked her, using fingers above his head as horns. As his final predator-style act, he groped her chest as she slept on the plane ride home and had someone take a picture.
Now that he's been outed as a vile human, Al Franken initally offered a lame and weak apology. After being vilified across the globe, he quickly changed his tune, gave a stronger apology and is open to an ethics investigation from the Senate.
I find it hard to believe this is the only time where the Senator behaved inappropriately. He forced himself on someone who was clearly not remotely interested, then acted vindictively when rebuffed. Of course, Franken was married at the time.
As much as I want to like Franken for turning into a serious and mature politician after his juvenile comedy routines, his actions are disturbing and inexcusable. Although he never will do this voluntarily, he needs to resign his position in the United States Senate. We need people in Washington we can look up to, not ones we're ashamed of.
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Joe Biden Does the Rounds
November 13, 2017
Former Vice President and U.S. Senator Joe Biden is doing the talk show circuit this morning as he promotes his new book Promise Me, Dad, which talks about his son Beau's battle with cancer and how his family coped with the tragedy. It reminds us that despite his fame, Joe Biden and his family have had a tough life.
As many know, Joe Biden lost his first wife and his one-year old daughter Naomi in a car accident in December, 1972, only weeks after Biden was elected to be the Senator from Delaware. He took his oath of office in the hospital while caring for his son Beau, who had survived the accident. While Beaue survived the accident, he succumbed to a brain tumor in 2015 at the age of 46.
Joe Biden contemplated running for President during this past cycle, but declined, as he was still mourning his son's passing. Personally, I believe Hillary and her thugs made damn sure the he didn't run against her as she knows she'd have lost. As fate would have it, Hillary lost anyway, which opens up the possibility that Biden could run in 2020.
Biden would be 77 years old at the time of the election and 78 if he were to be inaugurated when the calendar turns to January, which would make him the oldest President to take office. However, there are more than half a dozen Senators right now that are over eighty years old, so Joe wouldn't be nearly the oldest politician in Washington.
The Democratic machine, which rigged the last primary and pushed aside any possible contender to Clinton, is not too hot on Biden running for President again. They're angling for younger candidates like Senators Cory Booker (NJ) or Kalama Harris (CA). While those would be strong candidates, they don't have nearly the experience or foreign policy chops that Biden does.
Sadly, it shouldn't even matter what the Democratic 'leadership' wants. It should be decided by the voters, but we're not that naive. With superdelagates in the Democratic primary, the process is still rigged. The superdelagates are basically party insiders that inexplicably count for about 15% of the vote. Once they come together and get behind a candidate, the rest of the people in the field don't stand a chance. Fifteen percent may not sound like a lot, but it's a huge margin in elections; not to mention that once the insiders are supporting one person, all the money gets behind them, they send out all the surrogates to prop up their guy/girl, and they bash the contenders. Just ask Bernie Sanders. Had the superdelegates not existed and the DNC offered a fair fight with a normal debate schedule, real questions, money, etc., Bernie would've been the Democratic candidate and likely President.
Hopefully they stay out of the way this time and let the people decide. I believe they'll choose Joe Biden if given the opportunity. I also believe just about any Democrat will beat President Little Hands. He already lost by 3 million votes to the worst candidate the Democrats could put up and only won the election due to the Electoral College. With shifting demographics (i.e. less white folk), a lower approval rating for this idiot prez, and a stronger candidate, the liberals will win handily.
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Dems Win Two Races...Now Think They Dominate
November 7, 2017
Ah, the liberal mainstream media is being ridiculous again. After the Democrats won the gubanatorial races tonight in Virginia and New Jersey, CNN and others claim the victories are a "Blow to Trump". In reality, the Democrats were.....more
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Alt-Right Goes Nuts for Senator Paul
November 5, 2017
Neighbors argue all the time and the folks in suburbia often fight over property lines, maintenance of shrubs, trees, lawn, etc. So it shouldn't be all that surprising that Rand Paul has had an ongoing dispute with his next-door neighbor.....more
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Tax Cuts Explained with Beer
November 2, 2017
I'm not a big fan of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, but she made a hilarious analogy about reporters drinking beer, how they pay for the bill, and how that equates to tax reform. The uptight, mainstream media roundly criticized the story, saying.....more
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