Weekend open thread: Not ready for prime time edition

by desmoinesdem, Sat Apr 17, 2010 at 07:31:00 PM EDT

Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts said this week that he's against the proposed financial reforms because they would be "an extra layer of regulation." As Kevin Drum noted, that's "like saying that you don't want better brakes on your car because 'they're going to slow me down.'" But Brown had more empty talking points to share:

Brown left open the possibility that he could support a compromise.
"I want to see when it's going to come up, how it's going to come up,'' he said. "I'm always open to trying to work something through so it is truly bipartisan.''

Brown, whose vote could be critical as Democrats seek to find a GOP member to avoid a filibuster, assiduously avoided talking about specifics.

When asked what areas he thought should be fixed, he replied: "Well, what areas do you think should be fixed? I mean, you know, tell me. And then I'll get a team and go fix it.''

Give me a break. The guy has no idea what's in the bill or why Republicans are supposed to be against it, but he wants to make sure you know he's all for teamwork and being "bipartisan."

In the comments, let us know who else isn't ready for prime time, or or share anything else that's on your mind this weekend. The two leading Republicans in my home district (IA-03, D+1), aren't making me scared that they will defeat seven-term incumbent Leonard Boswell. More on their recent boneheaded moves at Bleeding Heartland.

If you're interested in the upcoming British elections, you can watch the recent party leaders' debate here.

Tags: Scott Brown, Open Thread (all tags)

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You do realize

That most of those who voted for the health care bill had no idea what was in it? And that they dont realize it uses all kinds of financial trickery to appear to reduce the deficit right?

by BuckeyeBlogger 2010-04-17 08:51PM | 0 recs

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RE: You do realize

Like what?

by vecky 2010-04-18 01:39PM | 1 recs

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I guess

FOX hasn't told Buckeye the answer to that yet.

by ND22 2010-04-18 10:45PM | 1 recs

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LOL

Good one.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-04-20 12:36AM | 0 recs

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RE: Weekend open thread: Not ready for prime time edition

I've always felt that Palin was never, and won't ever, be ready for prime time. However I feel that mentioning her is almost cliche at this point so...

I will definitely agree that pickup truck isn't ready, mainly because he hasn't been thoroughly briefed on GOP protocol just yet (i.e. use the phrases no, shove it down our throats, fiscally irresponsible, un-american, <insert gaffe>+"gate", etc.).

But my nominee definitely goes to Bob McDonnell for "Not Ready For Primetime."

His clean-cut well-kempt appearance is deceptive, as he speaks well before he thinks quite often. The most recent being the already well-known Confederate History month comments. Apparently not recognizing slavery as one of the key issues in the Confederacy. Obviously easy to overlook, not like it was a big issue back then....

Also his proposed "tests" for convicted felons to regain their voting rights has been highly controversial. All of this happening just months into his term.

Runner-Up is McDonnell's AG Ken Cuccinelli

Cuccinelli, or the Cucc (cooch) as he is known around the water-cooler, was a birther indeed. He claimed Obama was born in Kenya, then backtracked in March to say he was born in the United States.

He has most recently challenged Global Warming

Cuccinelli is attempting to get the EPA to undo a decision that it can regulate emissions because they cause global warming, which it ruled is harmful to human health. He believes the EPA's regulation of carbon dioxide will cost Virginia businesses money and cause energy prices to rise.

Source: Washington Post

Honorable Mention to Hayley Barbour for refusing to take back his support for confederate history month

by Chuckie Corra 2010-04-18 05:08AM | 0 recs

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Why Fear A Filibuster

when the news background is going to be full of talk about Goldman Sachs treachery, lawsuits against it by other banks, and possibly more such indictments? Just a damn, damn shame Senate rules do not permit a real, physical filibuster.

by Bob H 2010-04-18 09:45AM | 1 recs

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RE: Why Fear A Filibuster

Can't they be changed at any time? Can't Reid call for an actual, physical filibuster?

by NoFortunateSon 2010-04-20 12:37AM | 0 recs

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Bank Funeral Fund

Not a bailout fund. Why are we so bad at this stuff?

by Judeling 2010-04-18 12:15PM | 0 recs

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RE: Bank Funeral Fund

amen. Not to mention it's funded by the banks themselves. If the banks want to pay to "orderly close" themselves down, why should we the tax-payer stand in the way?

But the truth is the banks don't want to pay for it themselves - so they send out the GOP to do their bidding. And the media goes with it.

by vecky 2010-04-18 11:39PM | 1 recs

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For example

Bu rolling in the student loan program they have used the potential savings int he student loan program and shifted that money to healthcare while double dipping by claiming they are saving money on student loans. They claim the savings in the loan program but than take the money and shift it to healthcare althewhile claiming savings in both....just one example. The savings are based upon projectiosn of what may ro could happen. Of course there has never been a government program that ever cost les or equal to what these crooks claimed it would.

by BuckeyeBlogger 2010-04-18 03:34PM | 0 recs

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RE: For example

What double dipping? The Student loan reforms save additional money from an additional source. Some of that money had to used towards deficit reduction rather than being plowed back into Pell grants because otherwise the GOP would have claimed it violated Budget rules, but from a fiscal conservative stand-point that's a good thing right?

The savings are based upon projections of what may ro could happen

Welcome Einstein. What would prefer they be based on? Fairies? Leprechauns? Have you ever worked for a business which had to make projections? The CBO was infact extremely conservative in their projections.

by vecky 2010-04-18 11:45PM | 1 recs

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Listen Up

Listen up Einstein, they claim that HC reform will provide savings at the same time they claim Stuident loan reform provides savings. The fact is all they are doing is using money from the student loan reform to shift to to claim overall savings. They claim they are savings money when in fact all they are doing is shifting from one pocket to another.

Any yes I work for business that does projections. However those projections are based upon real world accounting and not accounting which uses all sorts of trickery to make things look pretty. If you havent figure out that government projections are horribly inaccurate than your just blind

by BuckeyeBlogger 2010-04-19 09:58AM | 0 recs

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RE: Listen Up

Both HC Reform and Student Loan reform provide savings (see original Senate HCR score). Initially all the student loan reform monies were going to be plowed back into Pell Grants, but the GOP said this would violate Budget rules and filibustered, so the Dems had to take some of the SLR money and put it towards deficit reduction. It's really that simple.

However those projections are based upon real world accounting and not accounting which uses all sorts of trickery to make things look pretty.

Other than veering overly on the conservative side, what is wrong with the CBO accounting?

Any yes I work for business that does projections.

It's not showing. All that comes across now is your inability to read simple documents and reach your own conclusions rather than parroting the latest right-wing talking-point.

by vecky 2010-04-19 08:46PM | 1 recs

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RE: Listen Up

No; you're missing the real reason why a "Student Loan" measure, which by the way has nothing to do with healthcare reform wound up in the Healthcare Reform bill.

And the answer is that it's just another one of the gimmicks the they used to make it seem like this healthcare reform saves money. You see, the CBO scoring actually says this saves the government $68 Billion dollars over the 10 year "Healthcare Plan", so they put it in the healthcare bill to make the numbers on "Healthcare Reform" look better than they actually are.

It's that simple.

It's also completely disingenuous and intentionally deceptive. But Obamacare is so financially destructive to America that they needed 1000 different financial accounting tricks, lies, gimmicks, and deceptions in this bill to game the CBO scoring so that they could then have the liberal media tell Dancing With the Stars watching Americans that Obamacare will "lower the deficit" over time. Only a fool who knows nothing about this bill could believe that, but sadly, there are plenty of dumb and/or apathetic Americans that do in fact, know nothing about what's in this bill.

by BuckeyeBlogger 2010-04-19 09:51PM | 0 recs

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RE: Listen Up

SLR did not end up in the Health Care Bill, Health Care passed independently. Following it's passage the democrats made some changes to the Health Care reform and reformed Student Loans at same time, using reconciliation because Republicans wanted to block both the changes and the loan reforms.

That's the simple truth. The only gimmickery here seems to be your arguement, or lack therof.

But Obamacare is so financially destructive to America that they needed 1000 different financial accounting tricks, lies, gimmicks, and deceptions in this bill to game the CBO scoring so that they could then have the liberal media tell Dancing With the Stars watching Americans that Obamacare will "lower the deficit" over time.

Please put up. Your student loan argument has already been shot down, so where are these thousands of different financial tricks? The CBO scores and all the accounting are online, please show me the line and page number of these "tricks".

For example the student loan reform score is here:

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11343/03-15-Student_Loan_Letter.pdf

The accounting is shown on Pg.6, with the current law and President Obama's proposals compared. Read up a little.

Only a fool who knows nothing about this bill could believe that

So far that seems only to apply to you. You haven't even bothered to take the time to examine the facts, you simply spout talking points.

by vecky 2010-04-20 12:03AM | 1 recs

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RE: Listen Up

The Final CBO score for the entire process is here:

http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=546
CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting both pieces of legislation—H.R. 3590 and the reconciliation proposal—would produce a net reduction in federal deficits of $143 billion over the 2010–2019 period as result of changes in direct spending and revenues. That figure comprises $124 billion in net reductions deriving from the health care and revenue provisions and $19 billion in net reductions deriving from the education provisions.

So as you can see the CBO scored both provisions separately, there was no taking from one to make the other "look better", both are pretty impressive on their own. Now which one of your right-wing talking point boozoos pointed you to the actual data. Now that you have egg on your face, which you could have avoided had you spent 5 minutes and shown some independent cognitive ability, will you try to learn something about the legislation?

by vecky 2010-04-20 12:13AM | 1 recs

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Hmmm.... The CBO or Buckeye.... Who to trust....?

I'll stick with the CBO.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-04-20 12:43AM | 0 recs

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Much schadenfreude

The comments on the Herald post are hilarious. It would be funny if that rag hadn't promoted this guy to fame in the first place just to stick the Kennedy legacy int he eye.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-04-20 12:42AM | 0 recs