Jobless Benefits = Bad, More Money for Rich People = Good

Mark Kirk: Extending Jobless Benefits Is ‘Misguided,’ But Bush Tax Cuts Must Be Extended ‘No Matter What’: "

Unless Congress acts by tomorrow, 2.5 million Americans will lose their extended unemployment benefits, even though unemployment is still above nine percent and there are currently five unemployed workers for every job opening. In the last forty years, the U.S. has never allowed jobless benefits to expire with unemployment so high.

At the same time, Congress is also faced with the December 31st expiration of the Bush tax cuts. Today, in two separate interviews, Sen.-elect Mark Kirk (R-IL) tried to bolster his fiscal conservative credentials by saying that extending unemployment insurance without finding spending cuts to offset the extension would be “misguided” because of its effect on the deficit. However, Kirk also called for extending all of the Bush tax cuts, “no matter what” the effect on the nation’s budget:

KIRK: We should extend the Bush tax cuts and make sure we don’t have a double-dip recession. And I have the honor to be the first of ninety-five new Republicans, fiscal conservatives, to help right our ship of state. [...]

Q: The first thing you’re talking about is deficit reduction and spending. Does that mean that right now, as of today, you’d be against extending the unemployment insurance?

KIRK: That’s right. You could extend it if you found a way to pay for it. And I voted for that in the past. But these proposals to extend unemployment insurance by just adding it to the deficit are misguided.

Watch it:

Kirk actually claimed that extending benefits — which costs $60 billion for one year, or $12.5 billion for a three-month extension — would lead to a Irish-style debt crisis, while glossing over the $4 trillion cost of extending the Bush tax cuts for a decade ($830 billion of which goes to only the richest two percent of Americans). Even MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough saw through Kirk’s double-talk, asking, “if [the tax cuts] are not paid for though, do we not risk going the way, as you said, of Greece and Ireland?”

As the New York Times editorial board wrote, “opponents would have you believe that the nation cannot afford to keep paying unemployment benefits: a yearlong extension would cost about $60 billion. The truth is, we cannot afford not to…Without jobs, there is inadequate spending, and that means ever fewer jobs. A wide range of private and government studies show that unemployment benefits combat that vicious cycle by ensuring that families can buy the basics.” Of course, as The Wonk Room explained, Kirk is no stranger to fraudulent fiscal conservative rhetoric.

"
Okay, I get it, Mark Kirk is another asshat Republican who promised to move heaven and earth to secure those insane tax cuts for the richest Americans while trying to freeze out people who don't have enough money to buy food.

Where in the fuck do these assholes get off with this mentality? Rich people DO NOT NEED ANY FUCKING TAX BREAKS. If a rich asshole has to pay the same rate as I do then that's not going to force them to eat ramen noodles, they will still be rich. But there are millions of Americans who have lost their jobs and now are facing losing their unemployment benefits which means they can't eat, they can't pay their rent, they can't support their families while they try to get another shitty job working long hours for sub-standard pay for a douchebag boss.

It is beyond ridiculous that the Republicans are pushing so hard to permanentize the Bush tax cuts for the richest Americans while they are simultaneously trying to starve a huge segment of the nation by cutting off unemployment benefits. Seriously, these assholes should be forced to spend some time in real poverty to see what its like wondering where the hell your next meal is coming from, where in the hell you'll find clothes to keep your kids warm, where you will live after your house is repossessed.

The "argument" I've seen is that unemployment benefits are being used to support luxurious lifestyles while people don't work. How in the fuck is $1900 a month luxurious? How in the fuck is that paltry sum anything but a subsistence stipend?

Fucking Republican assholery is going to make me lose my fucking mind one of these days. The entire party is sold out to special interests (rich people who NEEEEEEEED more money) and engages in a political philosophy called "Let's just make sure that black guy in the WHITE HOUSE fails no matter what". The Republican party is a bunch of racist obstructionists bent on winning political points while Americans freeze and starve.

But oh yeah, let's add $830 BILLION to the debt so that a bunch of rich assholes can brag about how much money they have. That makes total sense, if you're a fucking crackhead.

Corporations Post Record Profits As Republicans Call For Eliminating The ‘Insidious’ Corporate Income Tax

Corporations Post Record Profits As Republicans Call For Eliminating The ‘Insidious’ Corporate Income Tax: "

Last week, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) – a man ThinkProgress readers are familiar with – took to the House floor to bemoan the “insidious” tax on corporations. “We can compete with anybody,” Gohmert declared, “if you take off that insidious tax” on business. Watch it:

Gohmert’s defense of corporations are not the words of a single rogue congressman. Rather, sticking up for the big guy is an orthodoxy that pervades the Republican Party and the conservative movement. Newly-elected Gov. Scott Walker (R) of Wisconsin has pledged to repeal the state’s corporate income tax. Sen.-elect Marco Rubio (R-FL) wants to slash the federal corporate income tax. And Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) proposes completely eliminating the tax in his radical Roadmap for America.

Conservatives’ attempts to portray corporations as victims in this economy is dubious for two reasons. First, despite right-wing misinformation, American corporations actually already pay far less in taxes than those in other industrialized nations:

Source: OECD

In fact, because of tax havens and other loopholes, many mega-corporations actually pay little to no taxes. The most recent high-profile example is Google, which has used income shifting and other tactics to reduce its effective tax rate to 2.4 percent. General Electric went a step even further. The company not only avoided all corporate income taxes last year, but actually recorded a tax benefit of $1.1 billion.

Secondly, despite the myths that corporate taxes are “strangling” business, and that President Obama is “anti-business,” a report released today from the Commerce Department shows that American companies actually brought in record profits during the last quarter. With an annual profit rate of $1.66 trillion, the third quarter of this year produced “the highest figure recorded since the government began keeping track over 60 years ago.”

Still record profits are likely not enough to convince conservatives that corporations have it just fine in the U.S.. Even apologizing to mega-corporations that just dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico isn’t enough. Right-wingers like Gohmert and Ryan will not be satisfied until we give tax-free status to all corporations."

More backwards thinking douchery from the Republicans, what else is new?

Pity on the Pitiless

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Perry’s ‘Favorite Paper’ Slams His Refusal To Debate In An Above-The-Fold, Above-The-Nameplate Editorial

Perry’s ‘Favorite Paper’ Slams His Refusal To Debate In An Above-The-Fold, Above-The-Nameplate Editorial: "

Picking up the GOP’s new strategy, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has refused to debate his Democratic opponent Bill White because White would not release his personal income tax returns for three years in the 1990s. Despite the fact that White paid no personal income taxes in 1995 and did release some tax returns, Perry still refused unless White released additional returns by September 15. Because of this impasse, Texas may not see a general election gubernatorial debate “for the first time since 1990.”

To the consternation of newspapers across the state, Perry has also refused to meet with newspaper editorial boards, where political candidates answer questions from Texas editorial writers and editors in an effort to win the newspaper’s endorsement and inform voters of their positions. Yesterday, Texas newspaper Tyler Morning Telegraph — the paper he once described as his “favorite” in the state and “the most conservative” — lambasted Perry for his “unacceptable and undeserved” position of “silence.” In an unprecedented above-the-fold, above-the-nameplate editorial with an all caps headline, “TIME FOR RESPECT –GOVERNOR PERRY SHOULD END SILENCE,” the paper called on the Texas governor to meet with its board and debate White:

Your position to not visit with the editorial boards of Texas newspapers may be astute politically, but it demonstrates a disregard for newspaper readers and voters across the state, who deserve to hear substance rather than silence.

It is therefore with the greatest concern that we offer not only an editorial board meeting with us, but also an opportunity for a face-to-face debate between you and your opponent, former Houston Mayor Bill White, for the purposes of illustrating to Texas voters your positions on key issues.[...]

We are facing what’s rumored to be the largest budget deficit and crisis in the history of our state – informed estimates of the budget shortfall range from $18 billion to $20 billion. Newspaper readers, whether Republicans, Democrats or Independents – deserve to hear your solutions to the staggering problems we will be facing as the legislative session begins.

Instead, we’re confronted with an unacceptable and undeserved silence.



This newspaper, which you have repeatedly called “your favorite paper in the state,” has given you support in previous elections in the form of endorsements.[...]

You also have characterized this as one of the most conservative newspapers in the state. We guarantee a level playing field.

As the Texas paper Austin American-Statesman’s Jason Embry noted this morning, it is “very rare to see a newspaper put an editorial on the front page. (I can’t remember any paper I’ve worked for in my 12 years doing that.) Even more rare to put it above the fold. But above the paper’s nameplate?”

Trying to shift blame, Perry insisted in an August press release that it was White who was refusing to debate. But, as the White campaign pointed out, White had accepted five televised debates (six now) and called on the governor to join him in those debates, which Perry has refused to do. Perry’s debate defense was not only false, but made such a “ridiculous claim” that it earned Perry the “pants-on-fire” ruling from nonpartisan fact-checking organization Politifact.

The San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle, along with three other newspapers, have said they will host a debate on October 19 “even if White is the only one who shows up.” (HT: Burnt Orange)

"
That the Republican's new ideology appears to be one of silence or just saying No is kind of pathetic. Like someone replaced the entire RNC with a bunch of pissy 5th graders who were just told they weren't going on the end of the school year field trip to Six Flags. Grow up, you jackasses.

'Tis Nobler to be a Moron Than a Republican Apologist

Conservative Pundits Rush To Defend Barton, Praise Him As Courageous

Yes, because someone's got to come to the rescue of a multi-billion dollar company doing almost nothing to put a stop to the environmental catastrophe they created by blindly checking off safety inspections.

How anyone can defend BP without massive financial incentives is incredible to me. Of course, most of these "representatives" are being compensated by Big Oil. Or they are total asshats. Or both.

If the people who elected these jackasses cannot clearly see that their reps don't give a fig about them by their words then there really is little hope for those sheeple.

How anyone can pay attention to the shit Newt Gingrich continually spews without pointing at him and laughing is beyond me. The guy wouldn't know an honest opinion if it started banging his daughter on the dining room table during Christmas dinner.

The entire Republican defense of BP is like a huge flashing neon sign demonstrating so clearly how little the GOP gives a damn about its base. They care about the big money from Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Lumber, Big Insurance and any other industry with deep pockets they can reach into and donate massive amounts of cash to get their people elected to shill for them.

America: The best false Democracy lobbying money can buy. Disgusting.