The Atheist Communist Caliphate Made Flesh, Spread the Clusterfuck Around Thread

[ChuckD]

Teh Paul - sexual magnetism + political activism = MikeC

Pretty sure teh aPul had teh political activism too.  He's just on the other side of the spectrum.

Teh Paul - sexual magnetism + |political activism| = MikeC

[RV]

The annual SS/Medicare Trustees report is out today.

Bad:

Social Security's annual surpluses of tax income over expenditures are expected to fall sharply this year and to stay about constant in 2010 because of the economic recession, and to rise only briefly before declining and turning to cash flow deficits beginning in 2016 that grow as the baby boom generation retires. The deficits will be made up by redeeming trust fund assets until reserves are exhausted in 2037, at which point tax income would be sufficient to pay about three fourths of scheduled benefits through 2083.

Way worse:

The Medicare Report shows that the HI Trust Fund could be brought into actuarial balance over the next 75 years by changes equivalent to an immediate 134 percent increase in the payroll tax (from a rate of 2.9 percent to 6.78 percent), or an immediate 53 percent reduction in program outlays, or some combination of the two.

[morpheus]

I had written something really dumb here.

[Quality Start Machine]

I had written something really dumb here.

DRLP

[morpheus]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22444.html

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation's health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years...

...Still, it's easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

[Quality Start Machine]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22444.html

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation's health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years...

...Still, it's easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

You have a bacon vending machine and you've been holding out?

Fucking prick.

[Chuck to Chuck]

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

You need to find out how Lieberman voted on this one.

[Quality Start Machine]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22444.html

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation's health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years...

...Still, it's easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

What a shock that a guy from Iowa thinks taxing soda is a bad idea. The state probably makes a helluva lot more on HFCS than they ever will on Ethanol.

[Philberto]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22444.html

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation's health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years...

...Still, it's easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

What a shock that a guy from Iowa thinks taxing soda is a bad idea. The state probably makes a helluva lot more on HFCS than they ever will on Ethanol.

It is a bad idea. Give me (normal tax rate) soda, or give me death

[BH]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22444.html

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation's health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years...

...Still, it's easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

What a shock that a guy from Iowa thinks taxing soda is a bad idea. The state probably makes a helluva lot more on HFCS than they ever will on Ethanol.

It is a bad idea. Give me (normal tax rate) soda, or give me death

I hope you're drinking diet.

[Brownie]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22444.html

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation's health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years...

...Still, it's easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

What a shock that a guy from Iowa thinks taxing soda is a bad idea. The state probably makes a helluva lot more on HFCS than they ever will on Ethanol.

It is a bad idea. Give me (normal tax rate) soda, or give me death

This. I'm not a big fan of sin taxes.

[Quality Start Machine]

I know "The Party Of No" is just a Democratic talking point, but this doesn't help matters any.

[morpheus]

I know "The Party Of No" is just a Democratic talking point, but this doesn't help matters any.

Yes, it doesn't.  I totally disagree with the idea of not confirming a specific appointee because of a general Administration policy (seriously).  However... what's the current count in the Senate?  59 Dem?

Also,

She says Bennett is blocking Hayes because the Department of Interior "has not provided any information he requested regarding the Secretary's unilateral decision to cancel the oil and gas leases."

Would it be that difficult to provide information on a decision that (apparently) was made by the nominee in question?  Just sayin' - if the decision is a big enough deal that RINOs like Snowe or Collins couldn't be convinced...

[Tank]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22444.html

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation's health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years...

...Still, it's easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

They can have my bacon when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

What a shock that a guy from Iowa thinks taxing soda is a bad idea. The state probably makes a helluva lot more on HFCS than they ever will on Ethanol.

It is a bad idea. Give me (normal tax rate) soda, or give me death

This. I'm not a big fan of sin taxes.

I haven't really read about the specific proposals, and I avoided yesterday's SBox "soda tax" argument like the plague, but my less-than-totally-informed opinion is that sin taxes are generally bad policy and worse politics.

[morpheus]

Still more on Chrysler.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124217356836613091.html

By stepping over the bright line between the rule of law and the arbitrary behavior of men, President Obama may have created a thousand new failing businesses. That is, businesses that might have received financing before but that now will not, since lenders face the potential of future government confiscation. In other words, Mr. Obama may have helped save the jobs of thousands of union workers whose dues, in part, engineered his election. But what about the untold number of job losses in the future caused by trampling the sanctity of contracts today?

The value of the rule of law is not merely a matter of economic efficiency. It also provides a bulwark against arbitrary governmental action taken at the behest of politically influential interests at the expense of the politically unpopular. The government's threats and bare-knuckle tactics set an ominous precedent for the treatment of those considered insufficiently responsive to its desires. Certainly, holdout Chrysler creditors report that they felt little confidence that the White House would stop at informal strong-arming.

There's all kinds of wrong about this deal.