Newt outlines his new Contract with America

[uscitizen]

Friday, October 1, 2010Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits
The Associated Press finds some wow-worthy numbers in Newt Gingrich's campaign finance numbers.
His flagship political operation, a tax-exempt conservative group called American Solutions for Winning the Future, has spent at least $2.2 million over the past two years on private jets and executive chauffeur services.

Overall, the group has spent nearly all of the $20 million it has raised over that period on administrative and travel expenses.
POLISING: Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Given our current community-organizer-in-chief, this sentence made me cringe a bit:

Gingrich aspires to reach out to “activist leaders” to help implement and design the program.

Yes, the use of "activist" in an apparently positive context struck me as well. It seems to have a somewhat negative connotation now, particularly among Republicans. However, it seems as though Gingrich at one time did consider it a positive word: It appears in his list of positive governing words in the GOPAC memo: GOPAC memo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

It's also possible that Gingrich was misquoted. I doubt, as the article quotes him, that he really thinks his plans need "flushing out" rather than "fleshing out". I do wonder what his new contract has to do with neuroscience, though. There is a trend in social sciences to study brain response, but I think it's way too early to do something like that in the real world.

Where've YOU been??!!!!

The Adolescent Brain

*

ALCOHOL & The Brain

*

Brain "Fingerprints"

*

Predisposition To Violence

TRY getting a little-more proactive on the subject.​

 

[Intense]

Actually portions of it was what started our decline.

No. Like when navigating your dingy around the harbor, trouble starts when you stop paying attention. Whatever the game plan, you need to be vigilant in course adjustment.

Just curious what you might find offensive about a Balanced Budget? A Society living within It's means is a good thing. A Society prepared for Bad Times be it War, Disaster, or whatever, is a good thing.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Given our current community-organizer-in-chief, this sentence made me cringe a bit:

Yes, the use of "activist" in an apparently positive context struck me as well. It seems to have a somewhat negative connotation now, particularly among Republicans. However, it seems as though Gingrich at one time did consider it a positive word: It appears in his list of positive governing words in the GOPAC memo: GOPAC memo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

It's also possible that Gingrich was misquoted. I doubt, as the article quotes him, that he really thinks his plans need "flushing out" rather than "fleshing out". I do wonder what his new contract has to do with neuroscience, though. There is a trend in social sciences to study brain response, but I think it's way too early to do something like that in the real world.

It made me also think of activist judges.

I'm guessing the use of "activist", in this context, could refer to needing people that are willing to go against the norm; needing to shed the politics-as-usual behavior....make the tough choices, etc....

*shrug*

.....Kinda like....

....helping people of lesser-means....

....even while "conservatives" insist those (same) people are expendable and victims of their own bad-choices (...and, should have made more of an effort to be born White).​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Newt and his contracts with America, we all know what happened last time he did this, it failed

The Rs did exactly what they promised to do, in case you are not aware or get your inormation only from the Lamestream Media. Every item on the Contract was put to an up or down vote in the house. That is exactly what they promised,and that's exactly what they did.

....Except you forgot any-and-all details....or, you'd have mentioned them, right?

 

[Intense]

Friday, October 1, 2010Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits
The Associated Press finds some wow-worthy numbers in Newt Gingrich's campaign finance numbers.
His flagship political operation, a tax-exempt conservative group called American Solutions for Winning the Future, has spent at least $2.2 million over the past two years on private jets and executive chauffeur services.

Overall, the group has spent nearly all of the $20 million it has raised over that period on administrative and travel expenses.
POLISING: Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits

Shit! Another Documented case of Pelosi Syndrome!!!

Stop the Presses!!!

No wait, they paid for their own gas and maintenance.

Not Like the Obama Bus Tour where the Buses were flown around the Country.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Newt and his contracts with America, we all know what happened last time he did this, it failed

Elaborate??

Wasn't he Speaker of the House during all those wonderfully economically robust years of Clinton's?

Yup. And he reminded us more than once during the debates that the budget was BALANCED while he was Speaker.

To be more-specific.....​

"Not only was the entire national deficit eliminated after raising taxes on the wealthy in 1993, but the economy grew so fast for the remainder of the decade that many conservative economists thought that the Fed should raise the prime interest rate in order to slow it down."

St. Bill Saves The Day!!!!​

AUGUST 9, 1999​

"Suddenly, it seems everyone in Washington is singing the virtues of retiring the national debt. For two decades, as deficits mounted, it was a nonissue. But the prospect of surpluses has economists and policymakers thinking the unthinkable: erasing the $3.8 trillion pile of federal IOUs held by the public."

Reducing The Federal Debt​

....And, then.....The (as advertised) Adults came to D.C......

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Meh.... Gingrich is still just another inside-the-beltway PNAC/neocon establishmentarian tool.

If those don't leave you hanging over the bowl, retching your guts out over the thought of "President Gingrich", nothing will.

Yeah, but sometimes he does hit one out of the park.

Yeah....ol' Frig Newton always was quite the sports-fan..... ​

"Kip Carter, his former campaign treasurer, was walking Newt's daughters back from a football game one day and cut across a driveway where he saw a car. "As I got to the car, I saw Newt in the passenger seat and one of the guys' wives with her head in his lap going up and down. Newt kind of turned and gave me this little-boy smile. Fortunately, Jackie Sue and Kathy were a lot younger and shorter then."

Mr. Family Values​

 

[Intense]

Meh.... Gingrich is still just another inside-the-beltway PNAC/neocon establishmentarian tool.

If those don't leave you hanging over the bowl, retching your guts out over the thought of "President Gingrich", nothing will.

Yeah, but sometimes he does hit one out of the park.

Yeah....ol' Frig Newton always was quite the sports-fan..... ​

"Kip Carter, his former campaign treasurer, was walking Newt's daughters back from a football game one day and cut across a driveway where he saw a car. "As I got to the car, I saw Newt in the passenger seat and one of the guys' wives with her head in his lap going up and down. Newt kind of turned and gave me this little-boy smile. Fortunately, Jackie Sue and Kathy were a lot younger and shorter then."

Mr. Family Values​

Liking Him and Trusting Him are two different things. Worlds apart.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Newt and his contracts with America, we all know what happened last time he did this, it failed

Actually He did allot of good for the Country, which Clinton capitalized off of very well.

How "odd".....that you "conservatives" consistently make generalized-statements....that (totally) lack any-and-all details.....and, you actually wonder how people know you're full-o'-shit????

​

 

[Intense]

Newt and his contracts with America, we all know what happened last time he did this, it failed

Actually He did allot of good for the Country, which Clinton capitalized off of very well.

How "odd".....that you "conservatives" consistently make generalized-statements....that (totally) lack any-and-all details.....and, you actually wonder how people know you're full-o'-shit????

​

Blanket Statements like You? So if I make a point without a link, there is no credibility? Interesting.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Friday, October 1, 2010Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits
The Associated Press finds some wow-worthy numbers in Newt Gingrich's campaign finance numbers.
His flagship political operation, a tax-exempt conservative group called American Solutions for Winning the Future, has spent at least $2.2 million over the past two years on private jets and executive chauffeur services.

Overall, the group has spent nearly all of the $20 million it has raised over that period on administrative and travel expenses.
POLISING: Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits

Stackin' FI$CAL-"conservatives".....

....like CORDWOOD!!!

 

[Jarhead]

Friday, October 1, 2010Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits
The Associated Press finds some wow-worthy numbers in Newt Gingrich's campaign finance numbers.
His flagship political operation, a tax-exempt conservative group called American Solutions for Winning the Future, has spent at least $2.2 million over the past two years on private jets and executive chauffeur services.

Overall, the group has spent nearly all of the $20 million it has raised over that period on administrative and travel expenses.
POLISING: Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits

They have spent their fund rasised campaign money on campaigning?

Oh, the humanity!

 

[Intense]

Government and Operational Reforms

On the first day of their majority in the House, the Republicans promised to pass eight major reforms:

require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
limit the terms of all committee chairs;
ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
require committee meetings to be open to the public;
require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
guarantee an honest accounting of the Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act

An amendment to the Constitution that would require a balanced budget unless sanctioned by a three-fifths vote in both houses of Congress (H.J.Res.1, passed by the US House Roll Call: 300-132, 1/26/95; rejected by the US Senate Roll Call: 65-35, 3/2/95, two-thirds required), and legislation (not an amendment) provide the president with a line-item veto (H.R.2, passed by the US House Roll Call: 294-134, 2/6/95; conferenced with S. 4 and enacted with substantial changes 4/9/96 [1]). The statute was ruled unconstitutional in Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417, 118 S.Ct. 2091, 141 L.Ed.2d 393 (1998).
[edit] The Taking Back Our Streets Act

An anti-crime package including stronger truth in sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions (H.R.666 Exclusionary Rule Reform Act, passed US House Roll Call 289-142 2/8/95), death penalty provisions (H.R.729 Effective Death Penalty Act, passed US House Roll Call 297-132 2/8/95; similar provisions enacted under S. 735 [2], 4/24/96), funding prison construction (H.R.667 Violent Criminal Incarceration Act, passed US House Roll Call 265-156 2/10/95, rc#117) and additional law enforcement (H.R.728 Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants Act, passed US House Roll Call 238-192 2/14/95).
[edit] The Personal Responsibility Act

An act to discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by reforming and cutting cash welfare and related programs. This would be achieved by prohibiting welfare to mothers under 18 years of age, denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, and enacting a two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. H.R.4, the Family Self-Sufficiency Act, included provisions giving food vouchers to unwed mothers under 18 in lieu of cash AFDC benefits, denying cash AFDC benefits for additional children to people on AFDC, requiring recipients to participate in work programs after 2 years on AFDC, complete termination of AFDC payments after five years, and suspending driver and professional licenses of people who fail to pay child support. H.R.4, passed by the US House 234-199, 3/23/95, and passed by the US Senate 87-12, 9/19/95. The Act was vetoed by President Clinton, but the alternative Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act which offered many of the same policies was enacted 8/22/96.
[edit] The American Dream Restoration Act

An act to create a $500-per-child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle-class tax relief. H.R.1215, passed 246-188, 4/5/95.
[edit] The National Security Restoration Act

An act to prevent U.S. troops from serving under United Nations command unless the president determines it is necessary for the purposes of national security, to cut U.S. payments for UN peacekeeping operations, and to help establish guidelines for the voluntary integration of former Warsaw Pact nations into NATO. H.R.7, passed 241-181, 2/16/95.
[edit] The "Common Sense" Legal Reform Act

An act to institute "Loser pays" laws (H.R.988, passed 232-193, 3/7/95), limits on punitive damages and weakening of product-liability laws to prevent what the bill considered frivolous litigation (H.R.956, passed 265-161, 3/10/95; passed Senate 61-37, 5/11/95, vetoed by President Clinton [3]). Another tort reform bill, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act was enacted in 1995 when Congress overrode a veto by Clinton.
[edit] The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act

A package of measures to act as small-business incentives: capital-gains cuts and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. Although this was listed as a single bill in the Contract, its provisions ultimately made it to the House Floor as four bills:

H.R.5, requiring federal funding for state spending mandated by Congressional action and estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to cost more than $50m per year (for the years of 1996-2002[2]), was passed 360-74, 2/1/95. This bill was conferenced with S. 1 and enacted, 3/22/95 [4].
H.R.450 required a moratorium on the implementation of Federal regulations until June 30, 1995, and was passed 276-146, 2/24/95. Companion Senate bill S. 219 passed by voice vote, 5/17/95, but the two bills never emerged from conference [5].
H.R.925 required Federal compensation to be paid to property owners when Federal Government actions reduced the value of the property by 20% or more, and was passed 277-148, 3/3/95.
H.R.926, passed 415-14 on 3/1/95, required Federal agencies to provide a cost-benefit analysis on any regulation costing $50m or more annually, to be signed off on by the Office of Management and Budget, and permitted small businesses to sue that agency if they believed the aforementioned analysis was performed inadequately or incorrectly.

[edit] The Citizen Legislature Act

An amendment to the Constitution that would have imposed 12-year term limits on members of the US Congress (i.e. six terms for Representatives, two terms for Senators). H.J.Res.73[6] rejected by the U.S. House 227-204 (a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority, not a simple majority), 3/29/95; RC #277.
[edit] Other sections of the Contract

Other sections of the Contract include a proposed Family Reinforcement Act (tax incentives for adoption, strengthening the powers of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws, and elderly dependent care tax credit) and the Senior Citizens Fairness Act (raise the Social Security earnings limit, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance).
[edit] Non-implementation of the Contract

A November 13, 2000 article by Edward H. Crane, president of the libertarian Cato Institute, stated, "... the combined budgets of the 95 major programs that the Contract with America promised to eliminate have increased by 13%."[3] However, since the Contract only promised to "bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny",[4] the Contract did accomplish its promises, even if some bills failed in votes or fell to presidential vetoes.
[edit] Effects of the Contract

Some observers cite the Contract with America as having helped secure a decisive victory for the Republicans in the 1994 elections; others dispute this role, noting its late introduction into the campaign. Whatever the role of the Contract, Republicans were elected to a majority of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1953, and several parts of the Contract were enacted. Some elements did not pass in Congress, while others were vetoed by, or substantially altered in negotiations with President Bill Clinton, who would later sarcastically refer to it as the "Contract on America."[5][6]

As a blueprint for the policy of the new Congressional majority, Micklethwait & Wooldridge argue in The Right Nation that the Contract placed the Congress firmly back in the driver's seat of domestic government policy for most of the 104th Congress, and placed the Clinton White House firmly on the defensive.

Contract with America - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Margo]

Hey, people, let's not get offensive, we all love our country and none of us want it to become dependent on the government. That's why there ARE Conservatives.........

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Yeah, but sometimes he does hit one out of the park.

Yeah....ol' Frig Newton always was quite the sports-fan..... ​

"Kip Carter, his former campaign treasurer, was walking Newt's daughters back from a football game one day and cut across a driveway where he saw a car. "As I got to the car, I saw Newt in the passenger seat and one of the guys' wives with her head in his lap going up and down. Newt kind of turned and gave me this little-boy smile. Fortunately, Jackie Sue and Kathy were a lot younger and shorter then."

Mr. Family Values​

Liking Him and Trusting Him are two different things. Worlds apart.

wow.....how profound.

Now, you've (merely) gotta find some situation where your little quote is applicable.

​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Actually He did allot of good for the Country, which Clinton capitalized off of very well.

How "odd".....that you "conservatives" consistently make generalized-statements....that (totally) lack any-and-all details.....and, you actually wonder how people know you're full-o'-shit????

​

So if I make a point without a link, there is no credibility?

Making a point......or, stating something as fact....are two, different things.

Anyone with a completed High School education would know that.​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Friday, October 1, 2010Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits
The Associated Press finds some wow-worthy numbers in Newt Gingrich's campaign finance numbers.
His flagship political operation, a tax-exempt conservative group called American Solutions for Winning the Future, has spent at least $2.2 million over the past two years on private jets and executive chauffeur services.

Overall, the group has spent nearly all of the $20 million it has raised over that period on administrative and travel expenses.
POLISING: Newt Gingrich's Spending Habits

They have spent their fund rasised campaign money on campaigning?

Oh, the humanity!

C'mon....c'mon.....he's got Tiffany-expenses, as well.

It's not easy (or, cheap) being a Teabagger's Super Star!!!!

$

Callista's Tiffany Trove

(....And, she could have had a new nose.)​

​

 

[Intense]

Yeah....ol' Frig Newton always was quite the sports-fan..... ​

Liking Him and Trusting Him are two different things. Worlds apart.

wow.....how profound.

Now, you've (merely) gotta find some situation where your little quote is applicable.

​

Like I said I like Newt. I am not however a supporter of The New World Order, which has effected both sides of the Aisle. I like Pit Bulls too. I like Strong leashes where they apply. Just being honest.

 

[DaGoose]

Hey, people, let's not get offensive, we all love our country and none of us want it to become dependent on the government. That's why there ARE Conservatives.........

And none of us want the government to tell us how to run our personal lives and involve itself in our private decisions. We're opposed to laws banning abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage to name just a few.

That's why there ARE Liberals, Progressives and Libertarians.

.