Didn't anyone watch the Address to Congress?

[ManOSafety]

I'm surprised that there are no pro- or anti-Bush threads here yet. Usually someone on the BB jumps right on these things.

For the most part, I liked what the President had to say.

 

[CelestialBody]

I'm not yet used to calling him the President

 

[ManOSafety]

Hey CB, I'm not sure if CNN has it, I'd assume they do, but I know that MSNBC has video highlights plus the text of the speech at their site.

 

[CreamyLady]

I couldn't do it. I see his mouth move, but I don't get the sense that anything that he, himself, is thinking is coming out of it.

I feel instead that it is the work of that man behind the curtain, the one I'm not supposed to pay any attention to.

No one loves a good illusion as much as I do, but sleight of hand is best played out on the stage, not in government.

Seriously, I'm getting a weird sense of misdirection. I really do hope I'm just paranoid and wrong.

 

[Cheyenne]

I watched. I thought he did well. But you all knew that, didn't you?

 

[Guest]

Bush is paying the way for a greater acceptance of Gore- the Antichrist.

 

[CreamyLady]

I would expect nothing less of you, Cheyenne.

 

[Laurel]

I couldn't do it. I see his mouth move, but I don't get the sense that anything that he, himself, is thinking is coming out of it.

I feel instead that it is the work of that man behind the curtain, the one I'm not supposed to pay any attention to.

No one loves a good illusion as much as I do, but sleight of hand is best played out on the stage, not in government.

Seriously, I'm getting a weird sense of misdirection. I really do hope I'm just paranoid and wrong.

No, I don't think so. He read banalities written by his handlers off a teleprompter.

"I'm going to make sure every child has health care."

*the crowd cheers for a full sixty seconds*

"Every family will get a tax credit."

*the crowd cheers for a full sixty seconds*

If they took out the cheering, and he instead spent that time explaining how he planned on accomplishing these goals, the speech would be the same length but much more useful.

The only thing that caught my attention was when he said something about "freeing us" from "frivolous" lawsuits. Read: He's going to make it hard for individuals to sue HMO's and drug companies. I turned it off shortly after.

Talk's cheap. Let's see what he actually does.

 

[fgarvb1]

yes i watched it.

I liked most of it. Some things worry me.

But when congress gets done with it.....well i don't know.

 

[Laurel]

Bush is paying the way for a greater acceptance of Gore- the Antichrist.

Yeah, Gore's the Anti-Christ. American politics is a Holy War. lol. A hint for you: Rush's show is entertainment. Even he doesn't intend for it to be your only source of news.

 

[CreamyLady]

I'd like to know how it's going to be done, too.

Taking my metaphor as far as it can go, understanding the mechanics of the illusion in no way lessens my appreciation of it. I'm still wondering how tax credits are going to be paid for, since it is my understanding that there is no real surplus until the last outstanding bill is marked paid in full.

 

[willywanker]

well, put me in Cheyenne's camp. I like it, and tho you are right about being short on detail, those were supposed to be sent up the hill today and the total package was to be posted on MSnbc.

I thought the Democratic responce was frightening. The only real difference right now is the size of the tax cut but you wouldn't have gotten that from their attempt to frighten senior and the poor. Give it a rest and give the man a chance.

 

[Rando]

Address

Come on now. You don't think he can do any worse that
any other do you? I like his plan to give me back some
of my MONEY.

 

[Siren]

I just wish ALL of them wouldnt just say what they are going to do...

 

[Madame Pandora]

I'm almost afraid to post here...

First of all, I will make the comment everyone will roll their eyes over. This man is not the president. He was not elected by the people. History may record him as a president, and other people may call him such. I will not. It may be just a gesture of passive-aggressive civil disobedience, but that man is not my president.

I would also like to say that it takes unmitigated balls for this man who was NOT elected by the people - this man who sits in a Mickey Mouse office smoking a cigar of smugness while bouncing on his Daddy’s lap - to announce a "10 year plan" in ANY capacity of his false reign.

I get so amused when people say "Don't you think he did well?" Do you know why they say this? Because the little monkey seems so inclined to trip over his own tail. Expectations placed upon him are JUST THAT LOW.

He read the lines he was supposed to read. He paused where he was supposed to pause. I’m sure they gave him a cookie on his way back to the White House.

Bottom line - like most politicians he said very little and promised a lot.

I was not impressed that he made sure representatives of the Democratic party were mentioned. I was not impressed that a few minorities got pointed out in his speech. I most other presidents may have used the same stupid window dressing, however, so I don’t fault him for the phoniness of his class.

Here's my top two concerns:

1. He wants to get rid of estate taxes. Gee...why didn't I see that coming...? Thank God none of the candy-ass Democrats folded and clapped at that one. He said the same money cannot get taxed twice. ALL MONEY is the same money. If I work for 10 hours and make $100, they take out taxes. If I use the $81.90 left over to buy a Playstation game, they TAX that. When Best Buy uses my $76.50 to pay the clerk who sold me the game, they'll take out taxes and SO ON. Basically, the money gets taxed when it CHANGES HANDS. One for you...one for me...and a little for the pot. That's how it WORKS. But, by all means, let's effort into some legislation that says when Donald Trump dies his kids won't have to pay any taxes on ALL THAT MONEY changing hands. Wouldn't want to risk it going for something other than a new yacht.

2. About this "ear marked" money which could be used for "any need which arises???" Who gets to decide about that? I get concerned whenever a politician calls to set aside money for "emergencies." Who decides the emergencies? Where is the money being “held?”

I didn't like what he had to say, but I was surprised that the little hand puppet got through most of his lines without too many fingers flying out of his mouth.

And, Rando, sweetie, this not nothing personal toward, you but if you think the major Republican politicians want to give you back some of YOUR money, you are loop-the-loop. They are just trying to keep MORE of theirs to make LESS available for you. Sure...sure...keep a few extra bucks out of your paycheck...they know they’ll get it back in the end...

Hell, they've got it "ear marked" for Christ's sake.


MP

 

[Ambrosious]

Sooo...what you're saying is...boortz again

UNDENIABLE TRUTHS ABOUT THE BUSH TAX CUT PROPOSAL
Under your standard tax cut proposal, nobody gets any money back. It is not a refund. The government does not return one single penny of taxes to taxpayers. The tax cut simply means that the government will take less out of our paychecks in the future. A promise to take less out of future checks is not a promise to give back what has already been seized.

The poor get a larger percentage tax cut than the rich. In some cases lower-income Americans will get a 100% tax cut. Those in the highest income brackets will, at best, see a 14% tax cut. Yeah, this is really weighted toward the evil rich, isn’t it.?

Reagan’s tax cuts did not create budget deficits. Any imbecile can look at the Treasury Department records and verify that income tax revenues to the Imperial Federal Government increased every single year after Reagan’s tax cut. So, if tax revenues went UP, just how did they cause a budget deficit? The fact is that the huge deficits of the 1980’s were caused by a Democratic controlled congress that passed a budget in excess of that sought by Reagan every single year except one! If tax revenues are increasing, the ONLY thing that can cause additional deficits is if spending increases faster than revenues. Thanks to the Democratic controlled congress, that’s exactly what happened.

Those making $25,000 a year won’t get an income tax cut because they don’t pay any income taxes. This is something you won’t hear on CNN, ABC, NBC or CBS. This is why I watch the Fox News Channel.

Democrats oppose tax cuts because Democrats want to keep the money and use it to buy votes. They fully intend to take control of the Congress in the 2002 elections. Once they get that control back they will do everything in their power to make sure that they never lose that control again. To do this they will do what Democrats do best. They will take money from people who aren’t likely to vote for them and use that money to buy votes from middle and lower income families. They need every cent they can get their hands on. Thus --- no tax cut unless it targets the people they rely on for votes.

Democrats will lie or tell half-truths about the tax cut to undermine public support. Take, for instance, Senate Minority Leader Tom Dashle’s assertion that the wealthiest 1% of Americans would get 43% of the tax cut. They know that when they throw this figure out there about 99% of Americans think they’re talking about the income tax cut. They’re not. To get to that 43% figure the Democrats had to include the elimination of the death tax and other measures.

 

[Siren]

Ambrosious....

 

[Jake2001]

In the short period of time GW has been in office, he has not back-peddled an inch in carrying out his promises. He has, perhaps, played the politics of placating the democrats but only to meet the agenda he started with.

He made a great Governor for the state of Texas (despite many misrepresented comments to the contrary) and I think he will make his place in history as one of the great presidents. Time will tell.

Personally, I think his speech kicked ass!

 

[Beebeeblue]

Man-o-Safety:

You keep letting that baby hear boring stuff like that in the outside world, and s/he will never come out!!!!!!!

 

[Siren]

hahaha that was funny Beebeeblue

 

[Guest]

Plagiarism is a crime

UNDENIABLE TRUTHS ABOUT THE BUSH TAX CUT PROPOSAL
Under your standard tax cut proposal, nobody gets any money back. It is not a refund. The government does not return one single penny of taxes to taxpayers. The tax cut simply means that the government will take less out of our paychecks in the future. A promise to take less out of future checks is not a promise to give back what has already been seized.

The poor get a larger percentage tax cut than the rich. In some cases lower-income Americans will get a 100% tax cut. Those in the highest income brackets will, at best, see a 14% tax cut. Yeah, this is really weighted toward the evil rich, isn’t it.?

Reagan’s tax cuts did not create budget deficits. Any imbecile can look at the Treasury Department records and verify that income tax revenues to the Imperial Federal Government increased every single year after Reagan’s tax cut. So, if tax revenues went UP, just how did they cause a budget deficit? The fact is that the huge deficits of the 1980’s were caused by a Democratic controlled congress that passed a budget in excess of that sought by Reagan every single year except one! If tax revenues are increasing, the ONLY thing that can cause additional deficits is if spending increases faster than revenues. Thanks to the Democratic controlled congress, that’s exactly what happened.

Those making $25,000 a year won’t get an income tax cut because they don’t pay any income taxes. This is something you won’t hear on CNN, ABC, NBC or CBS. This is why I watch the Fox News Channel.

Democrats oppose tax cuts because Democrats want to keep the money and use it to buy votes. They fully intend to take control of the Congress in the 2002 elections. Once they get that control back they will do everything in their power to make sure that they never lose that control again. To do this they will do what Democrats do best. They will take money from people who aren’t likely to vote for them and use that money to buy votes from middle and lower income families. They need every cent they can get their hands on. Thus --- no tax cut unless it targets the people they rely on for votes.

Democrats will lie or tell half-truths about the tax cut to undermine public support. Take, for instance, Senate Minority Leader Tom Dashle’s assertion that the wealthiest 1% of Americans would get 43% of the tax cut. They know that when they throw this figure out there about 99% of Americans think they’re talking about the income tax cut. They’re not. To get to that 43% figure the Democrats had to include the elimination of the death tax and other measures.

 

[Ambrosious]

Hey gutless fuck Watchdog

Read the subject line, willya?


Geeeesh! Here's your sign...

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Sooo...what you're saying is...boortz again

Those making $25,000 a year won’t get an income tax cut because they don’t pay any income taxes. This is something you won’t hear on CNN, ABC, NBC or CBS.

You won't hear this on any news channel, because it's not true!

My income for 2000 was $17,750 and I paid $1279 in taxes.

The tax table in the 1040A booklet starts at $5-$15 dollars of taxable income with taxes of $2! (Effectively about $8000 Gross income.)

If this is the quality of Boortz' facts, I'm NOT impressed.

 

[Laurel]

Harold, I was thinking exactly the same thing. For most of my life, I made less than $25,000/year, and I paid plenty of taxes. In fact, isn't that considered "middle class", and doesn't the middle class pay most of the taxes in this country?

 

[WriterDom]

according to the offical bush tax calculator site a single person making 24,000 a year under his plan pays 2242 dollars in federal income tax. A savings of 301 dollars.
Enough for her pack of camel lights for 3 months.