My opinion about this field will always be that they all are crazy in their own way. And I have seen more than enough to bring to this conclusion about these people running for the nomination.

Newt was against child labor before he was for it.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2011-12-11/gingrich-child-labor/51818250/1

I get the feeling that with all the brutal backlash from the Republicans, there might something quite foul about Newt that will be released soon to the press.

This is one of the strangest stories I've heard.

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/12/alabama_politician_caught_in_s.html

Newt seems to be sinking.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/lowered-expectations-gingrich-says-he-just-needs-to-hold-on-till-south-carolina.php?ref=fpa

A prime example of the "fair and balanced" media - AKA, if Republicans made a mistake, then Democrats must have too.

http://www.washingto...2011/worst.html

Funding the government is the most fundamental act of the government. But history suggested that passing legislation this spring to do just that could be contentious. Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich had played this game of chicken in the mid-1990s, and when neither man blinked, the government did shut down on two occasions. The result was a clear victory for Clinton — thank you, bully pulpit! — that kick-started the incumbent toward an easy reelection in 1996.

House Republicans, with their newly minted majority this year, were well aware of that bit of history, and leaders such as Speaker John Boehner of Ohio were committed to not repeating it.

But Boehner wasn't the only actor in this drama; dozens of tea-party-aligned Republicans, who had helped secure the GOP's House majority, wanted deep cuts to federal agencies as a sign of their willingness to shake up the status quo.

And Democrats were far from blameless in the protracted negotiations. As the clock ticked down toward a shutdown in early April, they worked to score points with their own base — not to mention socially liberal independent voters — by bashing Republicans for their insistence that federal funding for Planned Parenthood be removed in any final agreement.

It's just so hilariously random, as if they were panicking at not being "Democrats are bad too" enough, so they had to throw in there that people who wanted to help stop deep cuts in Planned Parenthood were "scoring points."

Not a big shock from beltway Washington Post.

Edited December 17, 201113 yr by CarlD2

An interesting article on the newfound conservative hostility towards the working poor:

http://www.tnr.com/blog/timothy-noah/98718/reforming-unemployment-insurance

Meanwhile, the economy is again being kicked by Tea Party people in Congress, and what does the media tell us? More of the classic "both sides do it!" tap dance.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/stop-political-funding-and-end-the-stalemate/2011/12/14/gIQAyn6G1O_story.html

That's actually very true, there is no yardstick in the United States because Americans have the unfortunate habit of relating their views only within the context of the United States. Ignorance to world affairs, social norms etc is extremely common in the United States and personal biases rule above rational thought.

You know, I went to school in the UK. I have friends from ALL over the world. I had conversations just like this, and for as dense as you think American's are, the rest of you aren't nearly as worldly as you like to believe. In fact, I'd say it's people in glass houses trying to throw stones. For every question I missed about something in Europe, the all so brilliant and mighty Europeans did as well. People see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.

Oh and this stupid (or getting dumber and dumber) American child (I was educated in our system) went to England and got marks as high or higher than Britions and other foreigners. So throw the stones all you like, but watch out for them when they come back to hit you (and that's general) in the face.

For what it's worth, and I don't have time at the moment, I have both a BA in American Public Law (Political Science) and Master Degree in International Politics, with a concentration in Global Justice and Ethics. And I assure you, I can hold my ground and own international politics with the best of anyone. I'll gladly go a few rounds with you if you'd like.

Edited December 20, 201113 yr by Kylie

Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to post this before I forget (don't have time): I know a lot of people have given up on America/the world, I had for awhile, but that changed last year.

When I was at school in England, there was a girl there from China. She'd never met an American, and naturally she'd only ever heard bad things about us. She and another Chinese girl mentioned to one of our module leaders that they understood the American accident better than the English one...he thought it would be nice if myself and the two other American's in the class worked with them. Slowly, as we worked with them, the girl who went from wanting to run from us, said hello to us in the halls, who sat by us at the Politics get togethers. And who last year, at graduation ran over and gave me a huge hug. It didn't matter anymore that she'd grown up hating American's. We were just friends, you know?

I like to believe that's how this world is going to change. One person at a time. She probably went home to China and heard all the things she'd heard growing up, but at least she knows that at the end of the day, we're all the same and that we can all work together.

I like to believe that's how this world is going to change. One person at a time. She probably went home to China and heard all the things she'd heard growing up, but at least she knows that at the end of the day, we're all the same and that we can all work together.

Hi Kylie... I haven't been posting here much lately, but have followed some of the conversation and just wanted to say that this is the best post I have seen here in a very long time. It puts things into perspective more than anything else I've read lately and I thank you for it... A nice read to start out my day! Thanks!

An interesting article on the newfound conservative hostility towards the working poor:

http://www.tnr.com/b...yment-insurance

Meanwhile, the economy is again being kicked by Tea Party people in Congress, and what does the media tell us? More of the classic "both sides do it!" tap dance.

http://www.washingto...6G1O_story.html

I just saw some guy at 10am central on MSNBC do the very same thing. He puts as as more the Senate Dems fault more than any other group.

Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to post this before I forget (don't have time): I know a lot of people have given up on America/the world, I had for awhile, but that changed last year.

When I was at school in England, there was a girl there from China. She'd never met an American, and naturally she'd only ever heard bad things about us. She and another Chinese girl mentioned to one of our module leaders that they understood the American accident better than the English one...he thought it would be nice if myself and the two other American's in the class worked with them. Slowly, as we worked with them, the girl who went from wanting to run from us, said hello to us in the halls, who sat by us at the Politics get togethers. And who last year, at graduation ran over and gave me a huge hug. It didn't matter anymore that she'd grown up hating American's. We were just friends, you know?

I like to believe that's how this world is going to change. One person at a time. She probably went home to China and heard all the things she'd heard growing up, but at least she knows that at the end of the day, we're all the same and that we can all work together.

That is how it will change. People looking past old hatreds and dislikes to grasp the future. Thank you for your post.

Ron Paul's newsletter from 20 years ago is now coming to light more, containing racist, homophobic, and anti-semitic columns:

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/the-racist-newsletters-return-to-haunt-ron-paul.php

Some of these comments are amazing.......

“Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks.”

He's denied writing them, and says he didn't know who did.... in his OWN newsletter bearing his name? I don't believe that for a minute.

Senator Ben Nelson of NE just announced that he will not seek re-election. This really is no surprise, since his approval plunged the moment he provided the decisive vote for ObamaCare. (It is funny that many liberals hate Nelson, given that there indeed would be no ObamaCare if it wasn't for him.)

Whether Nelson ran for re-election or not, NE is going to flip from Democratic to Republican in 2012. So will ND, where Kent Conrad opted not to run for another term. At this moment in time, only one Senate seat is very likely to turn from Republican to Democratic: in heavily liberal MA, incumbent Scott Brown will almost surely lose to Elizabeth Warren.

It'll be interesting to see who turns out to be the GOP nomination. I suppose it could be Romney. In any case, the whole affair seems to be unraveling fast and with Obama's approval numbers on the rise again I will say it'll be a long election year or go by fast. Romney is a bit of an odd candidate as he isn't too well liked by some conservatives and unlike John McCain I don't see him backtracking on a number of issues.

Then there is this:

http://www.realclear...12480-full.html

In the mean time the once Tea Party favorite Nikki Haley isn't doing so well in SC. She's lost her Tea Party support I've read after several fiascos and it seems recently her approval numbers were only at 35% as she's now embroiled in an e-mail scandal.

Edited December 29, 201113 yr by soapfan770