Friday Open Thread [12.28.12]

Filed in Open Thread by on December 28, 2012

Fox anchor Gregg Jarrett tries his best to spew RNC talking points, but Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen is just too smart for it, and proceeds to destroy Jarrett and the Republican Party. Of course, as whenever the Republican Party Talking Points are successfully revealed to be lies on their own air, the interview was ended quickly.

Teabagging Sheriff Jeff Christopher sure is a whining little child.

Politico: “For many Republicans, a cliff dive means blaming President Barack Obama for a big tax hike in the short term and then voting to cut taxes for most Americans next month… For Democrats, the cliff is better than setting a rich man’s cutoff in the million-dollar range — or worse yet, extending the Bush tax cuts for all earners — and slashing Medicare and Social Security to appease Republicans. They, too, see an advantage in negotiating with Republicans who will feel freed from their promise not to vote to raise taxes once the rates have already gone up.”

Steve Kornacki: “It’s unclear whether today’s eleventh hour fiscal cliff summit at the White House represents a good faith effort to broker a deal or if it’s just for a show… The reality, though, is that it’s probably in both parties’ interest for no deal to emerge from today’s session.”

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  1. puck says:

    Come on Mr. President, three and a half days to go without signing tax cuts for the rich. You can do it! You brought us all this way, now hang in there!

  2. anonymous says:

    Hello Governor

    Shale, fracking and vertical drilling, is not only productive, but it can lower the price of fossil fuels. This is not a good thing, because even if it weren’t used here, cheap fossil fuels will be sold elsewhere, which equals more CO2 pollution in the Earth’s atmosphere. We are within years of a tipping point of no return. If we tap into the cheap fossil fuels that shale, fracking and vertical drilling would produce and continue ‘business as usual,’ it’s game over for the planet as we knew it and most life. If we don’t reduce CO2, we can’t reduce methane from free releasing from melting polar regions, shallow oceans, etc. Impossible. WARNING: Free releasing of methane, a more powerful greenhouse gas, has already started. There is no ‘denying’ that it is necessary to reduce carbon burning/greenhouse gas releasing, plus we need a plan that will keep fossil fuels in the ground, if life on earth is to continue. (Consider the energy needs of growing populations and industrializing nations.) Americans need to be leaders, instead of hoping some other countries will lead the way to clean energy. Or worse, no one will.

    There is such a plan devised by our own outstanding climatologist, Dr. James Hansen. Our atmosphere isn’t something that should be a free for all for polluters to pollute for profits, but of course, fossil fuel interests, industrialists, etc. like to think the air is theirs to pollute. As it now stands, the fossil fuel industries can pump out fuels for great profits, dumping their pollutants into our air. Life needs normal atmospheric conditions in order to survive, with the upper CO2 limit of below 350 ppm; pre-industrial CO2 was 280 ppm; we are now at 392.92 and rising. By taxing fossil fuels with a rising rate, (with the tax money going equally and directly to debit cards of legal residents,) the tax money isn’t given to the government, just handled. The people will be able to add clean energy to their mix, (solar, wind, thermal, electric car, energy conservation, etc) to lower their usage of fossil fuels, or they can use their debit card payments, to pay their fossil fuel bill, if that’s what they want to do.(Their debit card funds would make up for the rising cost of fossil fuels.) Or they could purchase solar panels or a windmill and further reduce their energy bill, win,win. Such a CO2 tax could put $3,000 a year into a person’s debit card. It can be arranged that that credit, is spent on energy and conservation measures only. (Need an energy efficient AC for the changing climate – use your debit card.)

    Fossil fuels are necessary and would still be available and in use, especially where another type of energy wouldn’t work. Households would be reducing their own carbon usage. Business and government buildings could be reducing their usage of fossil fuels with a similar plan. New energy businesses could compete with the cost of energy. Manufacturing and conservation businesses would prosper, (insulation, panels, building materials, appliances, etc) Good for the economy. More fossil fuels would stay in the ground. Good for everyone. The fossil fuel companies could be switching to cleaner, less costly energies, – and children would have a future.

    We should not be the last generations to enjoy the planet. Our brains are designed to deal with our environment, not ignore it. There needs to be a plan, if there is to be a future.

    Dr Hansen has been trying to get our legislators interested in leaving a livable planet for future generations. He is even interested in talking to state government officials about his plan. Delaware should not be the first state to sink and fail because it’s head is buried in renurishment sand. Governor Markell should be the first governor to give Dr. James Hansen a call.

  3. puck says:

    Obama to deliver remarks on negotiations at 5:45 today, live-streamed on CSPAN. I guess it’s on the TV too. Is this the last address by the President this year on this topic?

  4. Roland D. Lebay says:

    DelDem-

    It’s refreshing to see a Democrat w/ a set of balls. It’s also hilarious that the Fox News douchenozzle was suddenly “out of time” when he had no scripted response to Van Hollen’s points.

    I don’t watch Fox News, but I find it hilarious how much the Talking Head guy resembles a thin-lipped, cheap knock-off of Sean Hannity.

    The nearly deaf, near-sighted geezers who watch Fox probably think he IS Hannity.

  5. anonymous says:

    (Part 1 of 2)

    Become a Republican

    The tea party is not the party of lawn chair protesting, carbon exhaling mouth breathers, 40 year old virgin lovers, flag draped bashers, ‘praying’ sinners, drilling frackers. The tea party is not, the party of dysfunctional family braggarts, science doubters, bigoted haters, unregulated gun promoters, history repudiators. The tea party is not the party of the ‘no tax’ entitlement collectors, closeted partners, liars, health care loathing, obliging, denying hoaxers. These are just small minded issues that put the vote challenged obstructionists in office to serve at the pleasures of the one percent – who are the multi millionaire, billionaire tea party leaders.

    The average poor tea person will tell you, the tea party is all about people’s Rights and getting their country back. (Wave that merkin birth certificate honey) Although, the pleasures of the 1% richest include, a military to protect oil interests, more guns so ‘the people’ can easily shoot each other, mind wasting schools for low pay workers, great tax rates and shelters for those making millions plus per year; job opportunities for offshore $1 workers, billion dollar real estate builders of ‘Sand Plans’ that will wash out to sea, so the ‘people’ can pay billions to pump the sand back again, pump the sand back again, pump the sand back again. If you happen to be a dredger or work for the Corps of Engineers… wwhhheeeee.

    Yes, the average tea party voter has been taught by Rush, Beck, Fox et al. to mock and belittle the President of the United States of America, their own President, for being their best hope for political change. Who needs political change, when the 1%er’s lawmakers will bring you the grandest and deadliest shyster Plans known to mankind.

    Yes republicans ‘own’ climate change, but you will pay for it, because fossil fuel’s special interest politicians are ‘good’ folks.

    http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=336&articleid=20120807_16_a1_cutlin75661

    (Comment continued)

  6. anonymous says:

    (Part 2 of 2)

    Become a Republican

    Republican Sen Jim Inhofe asks that “balanced media coverage” be presented, but offers this:

    http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/james-inhofe-says-bible-refutes-climate-change

    Sorry senator, scientists don’t offer peer reviewed ‘ climate hoax material’ that’s piad for by the fossil fuel industry.

    http://www.world.org/weo/climate

    And don’t forget to tell the kids, the can be republicans too because they don’t need better educations, truth, health care, science, opportunities, jobs, fair taxation, equality, peace, public safety, an America of,by,for the people.. or a livable planet..

  7. anonymous says:

    .