Republicans have become the best in the world at “Political Houdini”

[rdean]

Watching Ari Fleischer on “Morning Joe”, I was struck at how well he learned from the master. Richard Engle, a reporter who had been living in Iraq for the last 6 years was sitting right across from him. When Ari went on about, “9/11, Iraq, 9/11, Iraq”, Richard finally broke in and said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”. Ari said, “I never said it did”. Richard said, “That’s not what I heard”. Ari was right. Even though he put 9/11 and Iraq in every sentence together, he never ACTUALLY said they were connected. They were only connected because they shared every sentence out of Ari’s mouth.

Then Ari with on a tear with Savannah Guthrie about the fact that Obama never used the word “win”. “Soldier’s don’t want to fight in a war that’s unwinnable. No one wants to spend time in a war that you can’t win. No way can you sell a war to the American people unless you can win it.

Savannah said, “Well, you don’t want to get trapped by saying something like Mission Accomplished”. Then Ari said, “I never said the Obama should use the word “win”. See how “smooth” that was? Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. So clean. So neat. So well done.

It’s like Bush when he gave a conference on Iraq. Going on about how “they” came and killed 3,000 Americans and that was why we are in Iraq. When someone from the audience said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”, Bush said, “No one in this administration ever said they did”. Even today, you have right wingers insisting Iraq agents met with al Qaeda in Romania or some place. But NO ONE from the Bush Administration ever suggested they did. I especially like the part where he said, “Iraq had the capacity too….” And then just stopped.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdlUi8-9TMU]YouTube - Bush admits Iraq/Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11[/ame]

So neat, so clean.

They have used the strategy against this president and the Democrats for the last 19 months and it’s been effective. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. I never said that.

This is “Political Houdini” at its best. Something belonging to the Republicans that they have developed all their own. They should be proud they have found a way of not actually needing policy. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep.

 

[del]

"it's a hard life, kid, and it's even harder when you're stupid."- g. higgins

 

[johnrocks]

"I Wreck" has GOT to go down as one of the biggest mistakes of the past 75 years, neo conservatisms has all but killed the very word "conservative" for me and the GOP would be so much better if they would scurry back to the Democratic Party where their fore fathers came from and take their social con brethren with em!

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Rdean you have yet to tell us why 5.7 trillion in 8 years was horrible but 3 trillion in 2 years is a GOOD thing?

 

[rdean]

Rdean you have yet to tell us why 5.7 trillion in 8 years was horrible but 3 trillion in 2 years is a GOOD thing?

I explained that before but since you asked "again", I'll explain "again". Guess the first couple of times didn't "take".

Bush and the Republicans inherited a "surplus". The economy may have been in a very mild recession. But by time Obama inherited the economy, it's was hemorrhaging jobs at the rate of 750,000 a MONTH. The Dow had dropped from 11,000 when Bush took office to 6,000, that's 4,000 LESS that what it is today.

If the 2.4 trillion dollar tax cuts worked they way they were supposed to, why is our economy such a disaster? That's the most obvious question.

It took 8 years for Republican policies to wreck the economy. You can't turn it around overnight. But Obama is succeeding, even with Republicans attempting to stop him at every turn. So far, the Republicans are winning. But after what they have already done, can America afford their bill?

I hope I helped you to understand the facts. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Rdean you have yet to tell us why 5.7 trillion in 8 years was horrible but 3 trillion in 2 years is a GOOD thing?

I explained that before but since you asked "again", I'll explain "again". Guess the first couple of times didn't "take".

Bush and the Republicans inherited a "surplus". The economy may have been in a very mild recession. But by time Obama inherited the economy, it's was hemorrhaging jobs at the rate of 750,000 a MONTH. The Dow had dropped from 11,000 when Bush took office to 6,000, that's 4,000 LESS that what it is today.

If the 2.4 trillion dollar tax cuts worked they way they were supposed to, why is our economy such a disaster? That's the most obvious question.

It took 8 years for Republican policies to wreck the economy. You can't turn it around overnight. But Obama is succeeding, even with Republicans attempting to stop him at every turn. So far, the Republicans are winning. But after what they have already done, can America afford their bill?

I hope I helped you to understand the facts. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

You did not explain how 3 trilion in debt in 2 years is a good thing, in fact you just said Obama's policies were not working cause the evil Republicans were winning. Go figure.

 

[bodecea]

Watching Ari Fleischer on “Morning Joe”, I was struck at how well he learned from the master. Richard Engle, a reporter who had been living in Iraq for the last 6 years was sitting right across from him. When Ari went on about, “9/11, Iraq, 9/11, Iraq”, Richard finally broke in and said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”. Ari said, “I never said it did”. Richard said, “That’s not what I heard”. Ari was right. Even though he put 9/11 and Iraq in every sentence together, he never ACTUALLY said they were connected. They were only connected because they shared every sentence out of Ari’s mouth.

Then Ari with on a tear with Savannah Guthrie about the fact that Obama never used the word “win”. “Soldier’s don’t want to fight in a war that’s unwinnable. No one wants to spend time in a war that you can’t win. No way can you sell a war to the American people unless you can win it.

Savannah said, “Well, you don’t want to get trapped by saying something like Mission Accomplished”. Then Ari said, “I never said the Obama should use the word “win”. See how “smooth” that was? Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. So clean. So neat. So well done.

It’s like Bush when he gave a conference on Iraq. Going on about how “they” came and killed 3,000 Americans and that was why we are in Iraq. When someone from the audience said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”, Bush said, “No one in this administration ever said they did”. Even today, you have right wingers insisting Iraq agents met with al Qaeda in Romania or some place. But NO ONE from the Bush Administration ever suggested they did. I especially like the part where he said, “Iraq had the capacity too….” And then just stopped.

YouTube - Bush admits Iraq/Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11

So neat, so clean.

They have used the strategy against this president and the Democrats for the last 19 months and it’s been effective. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. I never said that.

This is “Political Houdini” at its best. Something belonging to the Republicans that they have developed all their own. They should be proud they have found a way of not actually needing policy. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep.

Wait! Was Bush using a teleprompter there?

 

[rdean]

Rdean you have yet to tell us why 5.7 trillion in 8 years was horrible but 3 trillion in 2 years is a GOOD thing?

I explained that before but since you asked "again", I'll explain "again". Guess the first couple of times didn't "take".

Bush and the Republicans inherited a "surplus". The economy may have been in a very mild recession. But by time Obama inherited the economy, it's was hemorrhaging jobs at the rate of 750,000 a MONTH. The Dow had dropped from 11,000 when Bush took office to 6,000, that's 4,000 LESS that what it is today.

If the 2.4 trillion dollar tax cuts worked they way they were supposed to, why is our economy such a disaster? That's the most obvious question.

It took 8 years for Republican policies to wreck the economy. You can't turn it around overnight. But Obama is succeeding, even with Republicans attempting to stop him at every turn. So far, the Republicans are winning. But after what they have already done, can America afford their bill?

I hope I helped you to understand the facts. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

You did not explain how 3 trilion in debt in 2 years is a good thing, in fact you just said Obama's policies were not working cause the evil Republicans were winning. Go figure.

That's just it. No one ever said it was a good thing. You keep making the suggestion that someone said that, but if I ask, "Who said that?", you will sidestep and say, "I never suggested anyone did".

You see? Hit, hit, hit, sidestep.

More Republican "Houdini". Your masters have been teaching you. You are learning well the lessons of the "Dark Side".

 

[rdean]

Watching Ari Fleischer on “Morning Joe”, I was struck at how well he learned from the master. Richard Engle, a reporter who had been living in Iraq for the last 6 years was sitting right across from him. When Ari went on about, “9/11, Iraq, 9/11, Iraq”, Richard finally broke in and said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”. Ari said, “I never said it did”. Richard said, “That’s not what I heard”. Ari was right. Even though he put 9/11 and Iraq in every sentence together, he never ACTUALLY said they were connected. They were only connected because they shared every sentence out of Ari’s mouth.

Then Ari with on a tear with Savannah Guthrie about the fact that Obama never used the word “win”. “Soldier’s don’t want to fight in a war that’s unwinnable. No one wants to spend time in a war that you can’t win. No way can you sell a war to the American people unless you can win it.

Savannah said, “Well, you don’t want to get trapped by saying something like Mission Accomplished”. Then Ari said, “I never said the Obama should use the word “win”. See how “smooth” that was? Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. So clean. So neat. So well done.

It’s like Bush when he gave a conference on Iraq. Going on about how “they” came and killed 3,000 Americans and that was why we are in Iraq. When someone from the audience said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”, Bush said, “No one in this administration ever said they did”. Even today, you have right wingers insisting Iraq agents met with al Qaeda in Romania or some place. But NO ONE from the Bush Administration ever suggested they did. I especially like the part where he said, “Iraq had the capacity too….” And then just stopped.

YouTube - Bush admits Iraq/Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11

So neat, so clean.

They have used the strategy against this president and the Democrats for the last 19 months and it’s been effective. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. I never said that.

This is “Political Houdini” at its best. Something belonging to the Republicans that they have developed all their own. They should be proud they have found a way of not actually needing policy. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep.

Wait! Was Bush using a teleprompter there?

You only need a teleprompter when you stick to the facts. You don't want to accidentally tell something not true.

 

[rdean]

"I Wreck" has GOT to go down as one of the biggest mistakes of the past 75 years, neo conservatisms has all but killed the very word "conservative" for me and the GOP would be so much better if they would scurry back to the Democratic Party where their fore fathers came from and take their social con brethren with em!

Personally, I never understood the word "conservative". The US has been a "science and technology" driven country and a world leader, always forward thinking. Republicans want to take us into a dark past. Not sure why?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Rdean, Obama said Iraq cost only $1 trillion, he's calling you a liar

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

"I Wreck" has GOT to go down as one of the biggest mistakes of the past 75 years, neo conservatisms has all but killed the very word "conservative" for me and the GOP would be so much better if they would scurry back to the Democratic Party where their fore fathers came from and take their social con brethren with em!

Personally, I never understood the word "conservative". The US has been a "science and technology" driven country and a world leader, always forward thinking. Republicans want to take us into a dark past. Not sure why?

The fact that you see personal responsibility, low taxes and limited government as a "dark past" says a lot.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Obama looked last night as though someone were under his chair twisting a pineapple in his bottom. I think this guy's getting ready to lose it.

 

[California Girl]

Rdean, Obama said Iraq cost only $1 trillion, he's calling you a liar

What a dilemma! Who to believe?

I think we need a poll!

 

[Claudette]

Watching Ari Fleischer on “Morning Joe”, I was struck at how well he learned from the master. Richard Engle, a reporter who had been living in Iraq for the last 6 years was sitting right across from him. When Ari went on about, “9/11, Iraq, 9/11, Iraq”, Richard finally broke in and said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”. Ari said, “I never said it did”. Richard said, “That’s not what I heard”. Ari was right. Even though he put 9/11 and Iraq in every sentence together, he never ACTUALLY said they were connected. They were only connected because they shared every sentence out of Ari’s mouth.

Then Ari with on a tear with Savannah Guthrie about the fact that Obama never used the word “win”. “Soldier’s don’t want to fight in a war that’s unwinnable. No one wants to spend time in a war that you can’t win. No way can you sell a war to the American people unless you can win it.

Savannah said, “Well, you don’t want to get trapped by saying something like Mission Accomplished”. Then Ari said, “I never said the Obama should use the word “win”. See how “smooth” that was? Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. So clean. So neat. So well done.

It’s like Bush when he gave a conference on Iraq. Going on about how “they” came and killed 3,000 Americans and that was why we are in Iraq. When someone from the audience said, “Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11”, Bush said, “No one in this administration ever said they did”. Even today, you have right wingers insisting Iraq agents met with al Qaeda in Romania or some place. But NO ONE from the Bush Administration ever suggested they did. I especially like the part where he said, “Iraq had the capacity too….” And then just stopped.

YouTube - Bush admits Iraq/Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11

So neat, so clean.

They have used the strategy against this president and the Democrats for the last 19 months and it’s been effective. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep. I never said that.

This is “Political Houdini” at its best. Something belonging to the Republicans that they have developed all their own. They should be proud they have found a way of not actually needing policy. Hit, hit, hit, sidestep.

Gotta laugh.

I watched Ari Fleisher wipe the floor with Mathews on Hardball one night. Believe me. It was a joy to behold. LMAO.

Don't think Mathews will ever, ever invite Ari on as a guest again. LOL

 

[rdean]

Rdean, Obama said Iraq cost only $1 trillion, he's calling you a liar

He's right and I'm right.

Up to now, looking at only the cost to the country in terms of what we have actually paid in Iraq, it IS a trillion. And that includes the 9 billion that completely disappeared and the 10 billion that was mismanaged into nothing.

But start adding in the cost of rebuilding our military, of supplying 50 thousand troops indefinitely in Iraq, of rebuilding parts of Iraq which we have agreed to rebuild.

Then include the ENORMOUS cost of taking care of more than 30,000 Americans who have suffered brain damage, spinal injury, blindness, lost limbs and all the other injuries that they have received by being tricked into going into Iraq. These people will need treatment for decades.

Then include the cost of treating hundreds of thousands of troops suffering from depression and now have mental health issues from this bogus "war". I don't know how I would feel if I thought I was going after the guys who killed thousands of American, but instead, went to Iraq. I suspect knowing your country and the Republicans could do that to you could really fuck up your mind.

THEN include the cost of Afghanistan.

Republicans are such small thinkers. They don't bother with the "big picture" or "unintended consequences". Those things simply don't occur to them.

 

[Leweman]

The war in Iraq was completely fraudulent and uncessary at the time as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if It would have become necessary eventually ... It very may well have, but we should have waited until then. Now we have a situation where we have no definition for success. We should have invested that money into protecting our boarders at home.

 

[rdean]

The war in Iraq was completely fraudulent and uncessary at the time as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if It would have become necessary eventually ... It very may well have, but we should have waited until then. Now we have a situation where we have no definition for success. We should have invested that money into protecting our boarders at home.

I'm not sure it would have mattered. Republicans would have given it to the rich as a 5 trillion dollar tax cut. Or they might have just found a way to give it to them, period. I wish I could figure out their fascination with rich people.

Oh, you have a billion dollars? That's not enough. Take two.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Rdean you have yet to tell us why 5.7 trillion in 8 years was horrible but 3 trillion in 2 years is a GOOD thing?

I explained that before but since you asked "again", I'll explain "again". Guess the first couple of times didn't "take".

Bush and the Republicans inherited a "surplus". The economy may have been in a very mild recession. But by time Obama inherited the economy, it's was hemorrhaging jobs at the rate of 750,000 a MONTH. The Dow had dropped from 11,000 when Bush took office to 6,000, that's 4,000 LESS that what it is today.

If the 2.4 trillion dollar tax cuts worked they way they were supposed to, why is our economy such a disaster? That's the most obvious question.

It took 8 years for Republican policies to wreck the economy. You can't turn it around overnight. But Obama is succeeding, even with Republicans attempting to stop him at every turn. So far, the Republicans are winning. But after what they have already done, can America afford their bill?

I hope I helped you to understand the facts. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

I love it when rdean attempts to explain why Democrats are smarter then Republicans just days after senior administration officials admit that they don't understand what they did wrong.

Christina Romer, chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, was giving what was billed as her "valedictory" before she returns to teach at Berkeley, and she used the swan song to establish four points, each more unnerving than the last: She had no idea how bad the economic collapse would be. She still doesn't understand exactly why it was so bad. The response to the collapse was inadequate. And she doesn't have much of an idea about how to fix things.
What she did have was a binder full of scary descriptions and warnings, offered with a perma-smile and singsong delivery: "Terrible recession. . . . Incredibly searing. . . . Dramatically below trend. . . . Suffering terribly. . . . Risk of making high unemployment permanent. . . . Economic nightmare."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106148.html

Please explain it to me again rdean, while remembering this little detail.

Romer had predicted that Obama's stimulus package would keep the unemployment rate at 8 percent or less; it is now 9.5 percent. One of her bosses, Vice President Biden, told Democrats in January that "you're going to see, come the spring, net increase in jobs every month." The economy lost 350,000 jobs in June and July.

They have not got a single prediction right about anything, cannot explain what they did wrong, and are flabbergasted that previous recessions cleared up quicker than this one, despite the fact that government did not intervene in those recessions.

What is the solution?

"The only sure-fire ways for policymakers to substantially increase aggregate demand in the short run are for the government to spend more and tax less,"

Spend more, and tax less. Isn't that exactly what Bush did, as you so often point out, and isn't that exactly what got us into this mess?

 

[rdean]

Rdean you have yet to tell us why 5.7 trillion in 8 years was horrible but 3 trillion in 2 years is a GOOD thing?

I explained that before but since you asked "again", I'll explain "again". Guess the first couple of times didn't "take".

Bush and the Republicans inherited a "surplus". The economy may have been in a very mild recession. But by time Obama inherited the economy, it's was hemorrhaging jobs at the rate of 750,000 a MONTH. The Dow had dropped from 11,000 when Bush took office to 6,000, that's 4,000 LESS that what it is today.

If the 2.4 trillion dollar tax cuts worked they way they were supposed to, why is our economy such a disaster? That's the most obvious question.

It took 8 years for Republican policies to wreck the economy. You can't turn it around overnight. But Obama is succeeding, even with Republicans attempting to stop him at every turn. So far, the Republicans are winning. But after what they have already done, can America afford their bill?

I hope I helped you to understand the facts. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

I love it when rdean attempts to explain why Democrats are smarter then Republicans just days after senior administration officials admit that they don't understand what they did wrong.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106148.html

Please explain it to me again rdean, while remembering this little detail.

Romer had predicted that Obama's stimulus package would keep the unemployment rate at 8 percent or less; it is now 9.5 percent. One of her bosses, Vice President Biden, told Democrats in January that "you're going to see, come the spring, net increase in jobs every month." The economy lost 350,000 jobs in June and July.

They have not got a single prediction right about anything, cannot explain what they did wrong, and are flabbergasted that previous recessions cleared up quicker than this one, despite the fact that government did not intervene in those recessions.

What is the solution?

"The only sure-fire ways for policymakers to substantially increase aggregate demand in the short run are for the government to spend more and tax less,"

Spend more, and tax less. Isn't that exactly what Bush did, as you so often point out, and isn't that exactly what got us into this mess?

Umm, actually, jobs have been added to the economy every month for the last 8 months.

Do you understand the meaning of the word "prediction"? Back it 2007, it was predicted that the jobless rate could hit 10% regardless of what we did.

Jobs were hemorrhaging from the economy at the rate of 750,000 a MONTH when Bush left office and the DOW was 4,000 points less than the 10,000 it is now and 5,000 less than when Bush took office.

As far as Democrats controlling congress, the Senate was 49 to 49 and with the presidential veto, not a single piece of significant legislation was passed during the last two years Bush was in office. Everything that happened to the economy came from Republican policies. No way around that one. It was simply too recent to forget or rewrite the history.