Tax Rates and the GOP Ideology
Can we believe House Speaker Boehner's claims that the president's fiscal plan will slow the economy?
(The Root) -- You have to just love how Republicans negotiate. In a few weeks, America will be going over the proverbial fiscal cliff, meaning that taxes will go up while severe spending cuts will be implemented across government in ways neither Democrats nor Republicans want. And yet in another standoff, conservatives are refusing to truly work with the White House and Democrats to help balance the budget while not sacrificing the middle class and poor on the Grover Norquist altar.
Check out the following video (at around the 5:40 mark), in which Fox News host Chris Wallace interviews House Speaker John Boehner.
Wallace: You talked about the fact that the president won and you came out with a concession the day after the election. They point out that the president campaigned on raising tax rates, you know, and it was the big issue between him and Romney. And they say, just as he had to cave, after your victory in the 2010 midterms, now it's your turn to cave on tax rates.
Boehner: Listen, what's the difference where the money comes from? [Bold added.] We put $800 billion worth of revenue, which is what he's asking for, out of eliminating the top two tax rates. But here's the problem, Chris: When you go and increase tax rates, you make it more difficult for our economy to grow. Half of that income is small-business income. It's going to get taxed at a higher rate, and as a result we're gonna see slower economic growth. We're not going to be able to cut our way out of this problem; nor can we just grow our way out of the problem. We have to have a balanced approach, but what the president wants to do will slow our economy at a time when he says he wants the economy to grow and create jobs.
Yeah! What does it matter where the money comes from? Sure, it could come from the top-earning 2 percent, or it could come from the other 98 percent of American society that makes less than $250,000. I mean, revenue is revenue, right? Why should it matter if you make $10 million or $50,000 or $10,000? What's the difference?!
Besides the fact that it should totally matter ...
I can't even continue to type this sarcasm. This is how Boehner and the Republicans think. The crux of this whole fight is that Obama doesn't want to raise revenue from the middle class and the poor. Boehner doesn't care where it comes from long, as long as he doesn't have to mess with the wealthy.
Remember, Boehner is the face of the conservative negotiations. As the media cover this fiasco, keep this particular comment from Boehner in mind. Remember that this is what's in the Republicans' heads as the country's economy hangs in the balance. If there's no difference where the money comes from, Speaker Boehner ...
Why not allow new revenue from the wealthy?
Treating Fox News Like Fox News
Check out Tom Ricks challenging the network's "fair and balanced" claims.
(The Root) -- Fox News has a slight news problem -- the problem being that Fox News isn't exactly news.
This isn't some new concept. Fox News is often laughed at by progressives and Democrats because of its often blatant attempts to smear anything that has the faintest hint of a nonconservative idea on it. Hell, even when it's covered in conservative ideas (like President Obama's Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare"), they'll attack it. While it remains a highly rated cable news station, Fox News has shown itself to often be the voice of the Republican Party -- not the "fair and balanced" space it claims to be.
On occasion a Fox News guest will pull back the curtain to show that the great wizard is just some old white guy. This is exactly what happened recently when a national-security journalist by the name of Tom Ricks appeared on the network. Pushing their continued hype machine about the Benghazi, Libya, situation, they apparently thought that this would be co-signed by Mr. Ricks. Let's just say that he had something else in mind. Take a look.
I'll admit it. I literally clapped and yelled at my computer screen when I saw this clip. This is how Fox News should be handled -- like the yellow journalism that it is. Ricks never yelled or became combative. His matter-of-fact tone was what makes this sting so magical. There was no reason to become enraged or spit at the camera. Facts are facts. Fox News is a wing of the Republican Party. They can claim the high moral ground all they want, but we know the truth.
Excuse me while I rewatch this clip and laugh hysterically.
A Black Republican Explains 'Black Anger'
Let us all take a journey into the bitter African-American mind, shall we?
(The Root) -- Thank Zeus there are Negroes out there who can break down how the Negro mind works for white people so that they can understand why we be so mad. Mychal Massie, a conservative writer and member of a black conservative think tank, recently decided to explain to white America why "many blacks are bitter and angry at society in general and conservatives specifically."
This is real life.
It's hard to have a reasonable discussion about anything else the article contains because of how ridiculous this premise is. That could just be my anger and bitterness blocking my communication capabilities. Massie gives an example of a basketball player from a troubled background calling another successful basketball player from an affluent background an Uncle Tom to show how the bitter black mind works.
The player, who himself went on to achieve stardom, fame and fortune, hated Grant Hill in part because of the success and public stature of his parents and because, as he saw it, Hill wasn't black enough.
The player was angry and bitter because his own father had abandoned him, his mother had to work hard and he had had a difficult life growing up. He was bitter because he was the beneficiary of bad decisions others had made that ultimately affected him.
That's why many blacks are angry and bitter?
First off -- I reject this premise. Are there angry and bitter black people? Sure. There are also angry and bitter white people who desperately want their country back. But the article, despite the usage of the phrase "many blacks," implies that this is the majority of blacks, and that's why President Obama enjoys such a high rate of support within the group.
Many blacks are still engaged in a struggle that ended decades ago. They are still fighting to overcome. This explains their attachment to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. It explains how a Neanderthal hate-group like the New Black Panther Party can arise. It also explains why they embrace the Obamas and scorn Justice Thomas and Rep. Allen West.
See? That explains it. We're still trying to overcome, when obviously everything is awesome and magical! You silly blacks keep acting as if you still have to fight for justice and equality. Why don't you like Allen West, but you like Barack Obama? So what that West referred to us as being slaves on the Democratic plantation? So what that West traffics in idiocy and sensational ignorance? Why would blacks like Obama more than they do him?
The irony of Massie's explanation about why blacks aren't exactly pro-Republican is staggering. It's this type of argument that is a prime example of why many furrow their brows and shake their heads. There are justifiable critiques of the Republican Party from the black community -- that doesn't make us bitter. It makes us observant.
Massie has more:
White people are ignorant of the code language that permeates the black psyche and that portrays itself in various anti-social behavioral patterns. Blacks attach their support to other blacks who example a behavior that this code-speak gives off like animal pheromones. Blacks persuaded of this mindset have become masters of exercising this to their advantage.
It is also why they so viciously attack and insult those who do not portray this code-speak. This is why no one should be surprised nor believe it a matter of voter fraud that there were precincts in Philadelphia that voted 100 percent for Obama.
Code-speak? Well, you got us. We have code-speak that we've been hiding from white folks forever, and now Massie has done gone and told on us. When black people say, "Will you please pass the salt?" it actually means, "Cracker-ass crackers be acting like crackers, and we need to kill those crackers."
I assume Massie is referring to code switching. This isn't something that is unique to black people, and the fact that white America isn't aware of code switching in the black community isn't due to some sort of nefarious plot by the Negro. It's that many whites don't know a lot about the culture of blacks in America, and they don't have to -- whereas blacks are very aware of many quirks and ticks of the white community.
Massie's supposed explanation of black bitterness and anger was idiotic, insulting and yet another horrendous blight on the record of black Republicans. I often find myself defending black Republicans from being black-checked and being called sellouts. As a former black Republican myself, I feel like I often see where they are coming from, even if I now completely disagree with them. I'd even defend Massie from attacks on his blackness now.
But man, I understand them.
Republicans Willing to Compromise? Yeah, Right
Republicans want to compromise -- and by "compromise" they mean repeal Obamacare.
(The Root) -- Remember when President Obama won re-election? Apparently Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), speaker of the House, doesn't. He recently wrote a column outlining his plans to get rid of Obamacare. From Thinkprogress:
President Obama has won re-election, but his health care law is still driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire workers. As was the case before the election, Obamacare has to go.
The tactics of our repeal efforts will have to change. But the strategic imperative remains the same. If we’re serious about getting our economy moving again, solving our debt and restoring prosperity for American families, we need to repeal Obamacare and enact common-sense, step-by-step reforms that start with lowering the cost of health care.
Wait, I'm sorry. It looked like Boehner, the voice of the new compromising Republican Party, is trying to repeal something that was shown to be constitutional by the highest court of the land and then co-signed by the American people when they re-elected Barack Obama. I understand that Republicans believe that negotiating means they get what they want and Democrats shut up, but that's not how this is supposed to work.
I apologize for previously thinking that Republicans weren't serious about compromise. What was I thinking?
Romney: Obama Gave Voters 'Gifts'
Mitt thinks the president won because he gave minorities, women and young people free stuff.
(The Root) -- The Republican excuse train is apparently being produced by a late-1990s version of Sean "Diddy" Combs ... because it can't stop, won't stop.
As reported by the New York Times:
In a conference call with fund-raisers and donors to his campaign, Mr. Romney said Wednesday afternoon that the president had followed the "old playbook" of using targeted initiatives to woo specific interest groups -- "especially the African-American community, the Hispanic community and young people."
"In each case, they were very generous in what they gave to those groups," Mr. Romney said, contrasting Mr. Obama's strategy to his own of "talking about big issues for the whole country: military strategy, foreign policy, a strong economy, creating jobs and so forth."
"With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest was a big gift," Mr. Romney said. "Free contraceptives were very big with young, college-aged women. And then, finally, Obamacare also made a difference for them, because as you know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their parents' plan, and that was a big gift to young people. They turned out in large numbers, a larger share in this election even than in 2008."
Take that, take that ...
Why, yes, Mitt Romney is saying that President Obama gave minorities and women "free stuff," and that's why he won the election. Why, yes, that is the same thing Romney said when after got booed at the NAACP. Why, yes, Romney is an out-of-touch sore loser.
Do Romney and the Republican Party understand how insulting this line of commentary is? These groups didn't vote for Obama because they disagreed with Republican policies or anything. These groups didn't vote for Obama because Romney's budget plan was mathematically impossible and would most likely raise taxes on the middle class and lower. These groups didn't vote for Obama because the dog-whistle commentary coming from the GOP was more like a dancehall-reggae air siren.
Everyone just wanted free stuff! I'm wearing my brand-new platinum chain that says, "Government handouts, bitchez" in diamonds that Obama sent me right this very moment.
But it gets better. Check out this magical line:
"You can imagine for somebody making $25,000 or $30,000 or $35,000 a year, being told you're now going to get free health care, particularly if you don't have it, getting free health care worth, what, $10,000 per family, in perpetuity -- I mean, this is huge," Mr. Romney said.
So ... that's free stuff? Having the capability of getting sick and not having your entire life destroyed? Getting free stuff is having preventive care so that you don't end up broke and sick, leaving the taxpayers to pick up the tab? So Romney thinks that Obama gave away free stuff because he implemented policies that the majority of Americans liked?
Oh, and just a quick question: What were these initiatives that targeted black folks? What did we get specifically that doesn't help all Americans? Did the Electric Slide get its own holiday that only black folks can take off and get paid for?
Irrelevant rich white guy who lost is still irrelevant.

















