The thing about the deficit is that it will cause the end of the world and is an existential threat to freedom, which is why it is so important to deny entitlements to Poors and Olds. Tax increases for rich people and cuts to the Department of Defense, however — that’s different, THAT’s the kind of deficit that doesn’t matter. See, the deficit can magically tell if the debt is coming from helping Poors, Olds, children, and science (which is the bad kind of debt) or from a bloated military-industrial complex (which is the good kind). Why are we even having to explain this to you at all? Because the Republicans who agreed to a debt deal (to be put off into the Future, which is Now) would like to rewrite it so that the half of the automatic spending cuts that they care about (i.e. high class escorts for all military contractors) miraculously do not go into effect. Because Barack Obama refuses to compromise, obviously.
One year after Congress approved a controversial plan to extend the nation’s debt ceiling, Republicans are stepping up their campaign to repeal a major part of the law. They’re worried about a part of the measure called “sequester,” a requirement that spending for some federal government programs be slashed starting in 2013 once a “supercommittee” of Congress failed to compromise on $1 trillion in deficit reductions last fall. The law requires that more than $100 billion be sequestered — or automatically cut — in January.
GOP officeholders and candidates, however, aren’t worried about all the automatic reductions. They’re concerned that more than $50 billion in cuts will come from the Defense Department, saying that will threaten national security and tens of thousands of defense-related private-sector jobs. They’re pushing to rewrite that part of the law.
The rest of the cuts that would deprive 700,000 young children of nutrition assistance, 100,000 kids of Head Start, and the 25,000 teachers and aides of their jobs — well, we have to make Sacrifices, you guys. And by “we” we mean you, specifically, unless you work for a defense contractor or the highest echelons of the federal government, in which case you’re in good shape.
Remember, being a Republican means never having to live up to your end of the bargain, because compromising is for losers.
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Screw the GOP. They should have to live by their word, like they expect the rest of us to.
You're funny.
"Ha ha" funny, or "infant malnutrition" funny?
Ha Ha (the spike-filled, branch-covered ditch, used to end cavalry charges) funny.
Do as I say, not as I say?
Yes, very good. You may still make it as Republican one of these days.
the mandatory lobotomy is a tough one though…
We really didn't mean that part, we just agreed because *HE* had majorities in both Houses of Congress and we couldn't get a deal done.
Wait… I mean the Senate. And we didn't bother trying.
What a bunch of spineless cocksuckers….nuff said.
Live by the sword,
die by thefucking stab the poors with the sword.Words to live by?
Republicans AREN'T people, too, my friends.
American Jesus approves this message.
Hypocrisy? From Republicans?
I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you!
In other news: Water wet. Fire hot.
I believe it is time to clutch my pearls *clutches pears*
*runs to get smelling salts
*in the meantime I'm bringing in the fainting couch.
And Mitt Romney is still a liar; details at 11:00.
I'm quite certain they never imagined it would come to this.
Why won't Obama reach across the aisle and work on this in good faith?
Why won't Obama reach across the aisle and slap the living fuck out of them (with votes)?
Oh, he (and the Democrats) will. If by good faith, you mean bend over for the republitards, yes, yes he will.
If this is anything like last year's debt ceiling extravaganza, I'll have to restrain myself from driving into a tree* when I hear whatever it is that Eric Cantor did that day on my way home from work.
*I'm not suicidal, that sort of thing just makes me want to wreak havoc and destruction. I've got airbags.
* Tiger Woods, is that you?
LOL. I'm not Blasian enough.
"I've got airbags."
That made me laugh. Thank you, good sir or madam.
Sir, last time I checked :)
Not this time. Maybe I'm a fool, but I think they'll stare down the Republicans on this one if only because they don't have any excuse not for knowing that the polls are on their side.
they were hoping for less reach across and more reach around…
Blackwater is too big to fail!
The party of superior morals and fiscal responsibility is actually capable of taking back the Senate.
Brilliant.
Wow, who could've predicted that?
Hey Rethugs, eight level chess is a bitch.
Their playing checkers and just keep yelling "King me!" and calling that chess.
They just upend the board and make all the pieces fly on the floor when they think they're losing.
Defense employment creates “a lot of jobs,” agreed U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican
You know what else creates a lot of jobs? Education, fixing the nation's decaying infrastructure, and funding first responders, just to mention three.
Asshole.
Also too, after the jobs have been created, with the education, infrastructure and first responding stuff, you have a result that enables more job creation. There's not much job creation enabled by turning a wedding party into a smoking crater and scattered limbs.
Oh, not true! Think of all the jobs that are vacant, now that the job holders are more finely particulated! Job creation!
Aha, now I see why the GOP loves it so: the jerbs are all created overseas!
Hitler.
Oh, wait you said WHAT, not WHO! Nevermind.
The GI Bill certainly helped build the American middle class all through the 1950sand early 1960s. Actually, up until we elected Ronald Reagan President.
Not to mention it was simply the right thing to do.
Not only that, those jobs are far more sustainable than constant warmongering.
And apparently the more they take away from the people, the more those people will clamor for their election! They love that tough GOP love!
But isn't the question we all should be asking: Are our Defense Contractors eating Steak Dinners?
Sword of Damocles, meet John Boehner.
Remember when saying you'd do something and then not doing it was considered a personality flaw? I miss those days.
I think that was around the time that it was inconceivable that a compulsive liar would be a viable candidate for President, wasn't it?
It still is if you're a Democrat or liberal. However, IOKIYAR, or whatever in the hell that acronym is.
U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, a Republican…paused when asked to explain why stimulus spending doesn’t create jobs while defense spending does.
“I wasn’t there when they did the stimulus package,” she said. “I’m just supporting our national defense, making sure these jobs aren’t lost.”
Translation:
"Fucked if I know, I'm just following the Koch's orders…"
$50 billion is probably the cost of those fancy luxury bathrooms in those new aircraft carriers. The ones the female "sailors" need to powder their noses… They could probably save the whole $50 billion by putting some cheap used urinals in.
So, just how many Republican Congressmen are you suggesting we put to sea?
I am not here to state the obvious Katie.
Surely, if the defense of the realm is that important, it can be accomplished with volunteer patriots riding in on their hover-rounds. Government spending just leads to corruption.
Yes! Let them have unfettered access to arms and these patriots will defend our freedoms!
And what's worse is that the above statement could either be snark or a serious comment.
The Wikipedia sayz sequester is Scottish for bankruptcy. Would seem the Rethug haggis is a good bit short on sheep's pluck, and overly salted. Eat yer gruel fools.
I thought it was Scottish for fuck your sister. See what you learn?
I say, fuck 'em. They wanted to play chicken, and Obama should just play them some serious fucking chicken. Let the Bush tax cuts expire, let the Pentagon budget get axed, and let the fucking billionaires piss and moan, as noisily and publicly as possible. The 99% (of voters, suckas!) will love it.
They want to play chicken? We have a rotisserie.
Make soldiers buy their own ammunition. I mean give them guns and stuff, but let them buy the bullets. No more wasted ammunition!
In two World Wars the Russian army went into battle with one rifle for every three or so soldiers.
Let's go back to the days of the well-regulated militia, as the Founding Fathers intended, of course. Why do the Republicans hate the Constitution and specifically the actual Second Amendment (and not the thing that they call the Second Amendment)?
Now my head is spinning… Why would the founders who were anti-regulation want the militia to be regulated at all?
"I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself." —Ronald Reagan
Also: a humble edit of the story's headline:
REPUBLICANS RENEGE ON DEBT DEAL, FOR LOCKHEED MARTIN'S SPARE CHANGE
Just think of how many new jobs will open up for cannon fodder in future foreign wars if we maintain the defense budget and elect a pro-Israel candidate who will bomb bomb bomb Iran! Who needs food stamps when they can eat army rations with half a jaw and no hands?
Cook? Yes. Eat? Probably not so much.
Gee, if they didn't want the bad (for them) result to happen, they shouldn't have let it happen. I know that would've meant compromising with Democrats, which is the same as sending Jews to Auschwitz, but there ya go.
Until these "poors" I keep hearing about and these "olds" get it together to become "powerful" they're going to inherit the earth (as Woody Allen said) "Right in the teeth."
Time for the Föx pundits to blame this on the "establishment" Republicans. Teabaggers would have never agreed to this insult to the Military-Industrial-Socialist Complex and
tax hikes for the richlack of incentives for the job creators.Obama must apologize for not compromising in undoing the law created by our failure to compromise.
Simple: Have the damn military uniforms made in China and have the military consist entirely of successful Olympians; film their adventures with a bombastic Danny Elfman soundtrack and some shitty CGI, movie-video game tie-in, lunch boxes, happy meals, merchandise = goodbye deficit. Penguins are good too.
Fear not!!!!!!!!!
Superbadass Harry Reid will tell people what other people told him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 22,2012 can't get here soon enough.
Surprise. Surprise. Surprise. I could kick their asses….all around.
Time to make them gag on their Teabag lies and bullshit. No backing down on this one, no quarter. Nada. Voters have your back on this one Barry.
"…saying that will threaten national security and tens of thousands of defense-related private-sector jobs."
But I keep seeing letters to the editor explaining that gummint doesn't create jobs. Surely all those self-made defense contractors will find something else to sell after the cutbacks – they're plucky individualists, after all.
How Soon Is Now?
"Sweetness, I was only joking"
~ GOP officeholders
Corporations are human, and they need to be loved – just like everybody else does.
Back in 2011, Obama got off Air Force One clutching the sequester bill in his hand: "I believe this is deficit reduction in our time," he said, smiling.
Luckily, he seems to have wised up a bit since then.
Murka? We need to talk. Now let me start by saying it isn't you, it's me…
According to conservative pundits and the Republican Congressional leadership, public sector jobs aren't "real jobs", but they still include them when talking about job losses, for some reason.
Why do you think that is? My guess is they don't want anyone to notice their policies are what's wrecking the economy right now, but I could be wrong.
I find myself conflicted. Republicans are acting like the loathsome duplicitous sacks of shit they always are. OTOH, I work on the F135 engine program and I'd rather not be poor and homeless.
No take backs! NO TAKE BACKS!
I wish sequester mean staying in Washington, D.C. at a roach motel, eating Chinese food takeout and no visit from lobbyist/special interest groups until both sides can work together and find a practical solution to the nation real problems.
If I had a nickel for every time the Republicans turned out to be two-faced bastards, I'd be part of the 1%.
Defense spending is a great way to funnel tax money from New York and California commies into nice Republican districts of Texas and Georgia. Cut that gravy train and suddenly a lot of Republican governors and local officials need to balance local budgets by raising taxes or reducing services. That could get fun.
Ugh. That's pretty much the most accurate reading of the situation.
All your (Souther military) bases are belong to us!
In some ways, this is really "it". I imagine a good many of these fuckers were figuring all along that after the Stupor Committee failed, they'd just magic the defense part of the sequester out of existence.
But it does require enacting a law, so they are hanging their collective hat on ousting Bamz, because if he gets re-elected, exactly what motivation would he have not to veto any cheesy, dishonorable, one-sided-agreement-breaking de-sequestration bill?
This election really will be a referendum on how stupid the American electorate is.
Oh God, please don't say that!
This election really will be a referendum on how stupid the American electorate is.
Oh shit.
When you put it like that, I'm simultaneously exicted and horrified.
Break the deal, face the wheel mothertruckers
Dear Lord, this is a horrible scenario! They might have to do something drastic like take work from private contractors and give it back to Federal employees, at approximately half the cost.
America, we are so close. Do. Not. Blow. This. When you vote, this fall, tell the Kock brothers to go blow an elephant.
Yup, these 'publicans sure are good with money, yes siree Bob.
This sounds an awful lot like Socialism.
The Free Market dictates everyone should have their own private army.
Why, I got three guys with one pant leg rolled up in mine….
You all can't see it, but this right here is my shocked face. Because I'm shocked.
Really.
I have it on good authority that Mitch McConnell's health is failing fast. No snark. I wouldn't wish anyone bad luck; but for Mitch, I might make an exception.
It pays to check at least once a day, just to make sure nothing's gone horribly wrong "down there".
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