Republicans So now that the Republicans were VOTED in control of congress

I do not like Ted Cruz ONE SINGLE BIT. He is as extreme right as you can get while still being an American. He is a career politician and he is calculating, ruthless, and extremely ambitious. He does not make mistakes and his opponents don't have anything on him other than his Tea Party political views. He will pull the Republicans far right. There is no room for Republican moderation in his view. Those of you who like Rand Paul...he will destroy him. Cruz will take this election as a Tea Party mandate and likely leave the Republican Senate is tatters as he accepts the party's nomination for president.

 

no greater truth than this

 

The voters were confused too. That's because all these fabulous indicators that you mention are not being felt. In exit polling, less than 30% of voters said they are doing better financially.

• Fake growth: The US economy is growing moderately. That’s pretty much certain — but it’s not growing as fast as the government would have you believe. The Commerce Department recently pegged third-quarter growth at a 3.5 percent annual rate — but earlier this week, some real numbers came out. Our exports declined in the third quarter and construction spending was weak. So that 3.5 percent guess will probably be revised down to a 2.9 percent annual rate on those numbers alone. But Singer is probably also referring to the artificially low inflation number that Commerce uses in its GDP calculations. If inflation were measured correctly, GDP growth for all years might be 30 percent lower than reported.
• Fake money: Singer is referring to the $4 trillion in dough the Federal Reserve printed under quantitative easing that has resulted in millions of regular folks not getting much interest income and, therefore, they’re cutting back spending. That’s why the economy is weak.
• Fake jobs: The Labor Department adds hundreds of thousands of jobs a year to its count for positions it thinks, but can’t prove, are being created by new companies. This practice, which has gone on for decades, needs to be investigated. On Friday, Labor is expected to report job growth of 230,000 for October. That figure will be boosted by another heaping serving of job guesstimates.
• Fake financial stability: The artificially low interest rates are not only propping up banks and Wall Street profits but also making the US government’s financial position look better than reality. If Washington had to pay market rates for the money it borrows, the US budget deficit and debt levels — already excessive — would be worse.
• Fake inflation numbers: Commerce doesn’t only play tricks with the inflation number used to calculate the GDP. It also tamps down the consumer price index — and cheats Social Security recipients and others — through academically approved methods like geometric weighting and hedonics.

http://nypost.com/2014/11/06/us-economic-growth-is-all-an-illusion/

 

In essence I agree with your comments. As for the idea that there has been any shift in opinion based on the referendums, not so much. Pot laws were voted in by Oregon, DC, and Alaska. Hardly shocking. Oregon is one of the pot smoking-est states in the Union. Gun control....Washington just saw another school shooting just one week prior to the election so that outcome is not a surprise just as Alabama affirmed their God-given right to bear arms.

As for criminal justice reform....I don't know what to say. I have seen no data that proves a reduction in crime by filing misdemeanor charges as opposed to felony for "minor" crimes. In fact, in 2011 CA passed AB109 to address criminal reform and crime in LA is up 9% since that time period.

 

I share the same sentiment.

But I do think the GOP needs to get out ahead on immigration reform. It is a real issue and one that Obama will attack with executive orders. Bush tried to throw them a bone before he left office. For them to just say "enforce the laws that are on the books" is naive. There is a myriad of reasons why they aren't enforced in the first place. Something needs to be done FOR the people who are here now and something needs to be done to enforce what it means to immigrate to this country and become a citizen.

The GOP will absolutely go after Obamacare. That was a major issue in their campaigns. It is a waste of time unless they have their own reform solution, which they don't. I think it is awesome that someone who doesn't work for a major corporation can get health insurance but I don't know what the cost/benefit has become. We will see in a year or two when data comes in.

Pro-life is such a large block in their foundation. However, if they go at that then it will be the block that makes them crumble.

I like the change but it may be only for change's sake alone.

 

I like how its on republicans to get things signed while disregarding the president. As if he is immune from compromise.

 

So lead by example or "hey I can be an asshole too?"

Sounds like a good leader.


You have to to be shitting me Red. That is something a teenager does.


Further, it also makes you a hypocrite to call out republicans for doing it but give the president a pass.