Democrats won control of Congress in 2006 promising a “new direction” on a panoply of issues. As the election season heats up, however, Congress finds itself helping itself in the most old-fashioned ways.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is about to ram through a war spending bill that will (ultimately) not include troop withdrawal conditions. Why? Democrats are using the bill as leverage for billions of dollars in domestic spending priorities, bypassing whatever meager scrutiny might have come from the House Appropriations Committee. ÂÂ
The House has opened debate on housing legislation, as a similar Senate proposal is larded with billions of dollars in tax breaks for automakers, airlines, alternative energy producers and other struggling industries, as well as home builders. The Joint Tax Committee estimates there is $25 billion worth of such tax breaks in the next few years, but just $3 billion to homeowners.
A House-Senate conference committee is producing a farm bill that largely preserves tens of billions in direct payments to giant corporate farms, even as food prices soar, the farm economy thrives and Washington faces large budget deficits. Folks facing tough re-election races, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), are getting a provision making it easier for horse breeders to qualify for the 15% long-term capital gains rate. Urban lawmakers are getting $10 billion in food stamps so that their poor constituents can afford the rising prices driven by other provisions of the bill.
It is far from clear that doling out tax loopholes and corporate welfare will help endangered incumbents any more than the pork-barreling of 2006 did. Indeed, with this cycle shaping up as one of those “change†elections where voters rebel against the so-called “special interests” in Washington, a clever challenger might be able to use it against them.
Update: Insta-lanche!
[…] Karl at Protein Wisdom: Meet the new trough, same as the old trough. […]
A House-Senate conference committee is producing a farm bill that largely preserves tens of billions in direct payments to giant corporate farms, even as food prices soar, the farm economy thrives and Washington faces large budget deficits. Folks facing tough re-election races, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), are getting a provision making it easier for horse breeders to qualify for the 15% long-term capital gains rate. Urban lawmakers are getting $10 billion in food stamps so that their poor constituents can afford the rising prices driven by other provisions of the bill.
Excellent, excellent post. Interesting that they think we are too stupid to miss the circular self-fucking process that generates problems that then need to be addressed by increasing spending. The idea of actually asking Monsanto, ADM, and the rest of the corporate piglets to give up their govt handouts is just too much like right. It makes more sense to keep handouts and increase the poor folks handouts to keep up with the fuckery caused by the corporate handouts. What. The. Fuck.
Lisa – We are going to make you right-headed someday.
If the opposition to the war was the driving factor in San Fran Nan winning the House in ’06, why have the Dem done nothing to end it, and why does that not boomerang back on them?
Corporations shouldn’t be paying any taxes in the first place. Let’s not lose sight of this. Any time a tax is waved for corporate america it’s a good day. Let’s get rid of the Dept’s of energy, HUD, and education. Now that’s serious “reform”.
donald,
You certainly have a point about corporate tax generally, but riddling the tax code with niche exemptions tends to distort economic activity — and in the case of the farm and housing bills, promotes even larger distortions (the ethanol boondoggle, stretching out the correction in the housing market).
#3: Well, to be fair, it does boomerang back on them — within the various forums propped up by the self-imagined kingmakers of the Community-Based Reality.
I don’t have much respect for legislature people. They’re gay and stupid I think. What I mean is I set the bar a lot lower than the sort of expectations implied in this post. Mitch and Blanche can play horsies if they want I think if it keeps them out of trouble. At least Mitch has stopped drooling on himself. Or maybe he just got a new pr guy.
#3: Never!!! ((Dramatic echo))
Yes, she has done NOTHING to end it – what a crank she is. I think she knows – and even most of her snotty white-kids-with-dreadlocks constituents know that now that we are there, we can’t leave until we at least give a convincing appearance of acheiving our objectives. I am totally pissed off that we are over there. Heads should ROLL over the decision to go over there at some point, in my opinion – we need to take a long hard look at how paranoid and jumpy and eager to invade we got after 9/11. But we are way past the point where we can just pick up our Tonka toys and go home. I think that even the nuttiest nutroot nutjobs have come to that realization now. And the surge is working, so the “bring ’em home now” crowd has lost its impetus.
Donald: Corporations thrive on a stable infrastructure. The reason the rest of the world loves giving us their money to hold onto is because we have things like the Department of Energy, HUD, and a Department of Education. We are secure, we have a reasonably well educated and well-trained populace from which corporations can select a workforce, and they get to set up shop in an environment where they have a good energy and housing infrastructure. Yeah these agencies are bureaucratic and could stand some serious overhauling, but I shudder to think of the third-world shithole we would be without them.
Great comment, Lisa. Sadly, I see no evidence of this: But we are way past the point where we can just pick up our Tonka toys and go home. I think that even the nuttiest nutroot nutjobs have come to that realization now.
Even the two Democratic candidates are running on the promise that they’ll begin removing the troops from Iraq immediately.
#7: The stupidity is a problem. But one can have a very clever gay person as their congressional representative. I, for one, would love to replace Hoyer with Nathan Lane – who would surely preside over committee meetings in much more fashionable clothing, and perhaps even a dramatic caftan once in a while.
sorta. remember there was one debate where neither could say that there wouldn’t be troops there at the end of their term. also, depending on what day it is, they may leave some troops there. for, um, security or something.
true, mags. But I do think they are both committed to beginning withdrawal. Whatever the rest of their plan is is, as you point out, smoke and mirrors.
Yeah Obama is definitely saying that. But he can’t and everyone knows it. If he becomes the nominee, he will have to “nuance” that to “um, actually we can’t leave…at all…sorry”. I think the Hils is proposing some timeling thingie that will also have to be abandoned. They are both full of shit. This has become our party’s new litmus in the same fashion that Republicans have the to promise to end abortion on demand – they may or may not be able to actually do anything about it, but they have to flap their lips accordingly. Unfortunately, it is a trickier and possibly deadlier game playing lip service to making dramatic changes to a war-in-progress than talking about reproductive rights.
Oh. I agree, Lisa. I think the guy that plays Nancy Pelosi is fabulous. Mitch and Lindsey need to let loose and express I think. Have a little fun with it.
Sorry Lisa, don’t buy it. Completely overhauling our tax system (Flat, fair, I don’t give a shit, but we must eliminate progressive taxation), and eliminating these completely useless (And damaging) federal departments would unleash the true power and glory of this nation (In a good way!). Our problem is waaay too much federal goverment, not tweaking a disastrous buraucracy.
Karl, yes it is corrupt, but hell, I dont’ care. Long live the Corporation! I gotta get me a beret.
Oh. I agree, Lisa. I think the guy that plays Nancy Pelosi is fabulous. Mitch and Lindsey need to let loose and express I think. Have a little fun with it.
So bad (but so funny).
This has become our party’s new litmus in the same fashion that Republicans have the to promise to end abortion on demand – they may or may not be able to actually do anything about it, but they have to flap their lips accordingly.
They have to flap their lips because there are constituents that actually want those things done. There are large numbers of people that *do* want to end abortion on demand. Just as there are large numbers of people that *do* want the troops out of Iraq now.
Saying *everybody knows* Obama can’t do it is simply and completely untrue. If everybody knew it, he wouldn’t have to say it.
CLANG! Symbolic language alert!
Warning! Warning! Thread hijack attempt!
Reproductive rights = right to murder babies that just haven’t breathed yet.
Yes, I know people WANT those things to happen, I am not dismissing the real and significan desires of these people. I am saying that most sentient beings know that the president can’t use their Magical Presidenting Powers to make them happen on January 21st. I think the “get us out of Iraq NOW” folks are starting to realize this, which is why the candidates have started talking about “exit strategies” rather than immediately packing up our shit and coming home. And the most ardent anti-abortion activists know that the fight is all about how the courts are stacked, not whether the president can immediately end abortion on demand. They do, however, need the candidates to commit themselves to the cause by presenting themselves as the warrior who will kick ass and take names.
I have to say though that the remaining people who still think we should leave Iraq today will give Obama much more crap than Hillary. They already hate her ass for voting for the war in the first place.
What happened to the Republican congress of 1994? Who are these “(R)” pretnders that now are as bent on sucking this country dry as the Dems are? Or maybe even moreso? I just can’t get my mind around it. Usually, when you get a haymaker straight in the face (2006 elections), you stop and think about the “why” of it. Not these assholes. By acting like they do, I can only come to the conclusion that they are hell bent on driving this country into Socialism. The stupidity of our “lawmakers” (of all stripes) is mind boggling. But maybe I would feel differently if I had a pair of those “lawmaker pants” that have a built in cash Hoover in every pocket.
The founding fathers tried, but no one even pays attention to the Constitution anymore. Youn know. It’s a “living, breathing” document. Which translates to: “Fuck you. I do whatever I feel like doing”. Well, I think the motto of our congress should be:
“Fuck you, fuck me, fuck everybody”.
Ha! The Constitution? How quaint!
Kriiist! The right is getting slaughtered in elections because these idiots have shown themselves to be bigger pigs than any Democrat could hope to be. These greedy fucks are throwing this country under the bus so that they can go home every night and masturbate to visions of themselves in Rolls-Royce limos when they have flushed enough money down the toilet, and get out of congress.
Corporate taxes and ridiculous regulations are losing more jobs for this country than any free trade agreement could ever dream of doing. How stupid is the populace to not know that higher corporate taxes come out of their own illiterate pockets? Subsidies are just a euphemism for “blow jobs for thew rich and famous”.
Hillary wants the oil companies to pay the gas tax? You’ve got to be kidding me! Back in the eighties, Connecticut passed a new tax on the oil companies, with the caveat that it could not be passed on to the consumer. Within about three months, gas prices had jumped about twenty five cents a gallon. If Hillary got her tax scheme passed, gas prices would double – that is, IF there was any gas to be found. Carter’s nightmare would look like the teddy bear’s picnic.
These legislators are fucking morons, and their main instinct is to play to ignorance, and to make sure that anyone who is “oppressed”, “Goddamn stays that way”. Most of them are greedy morons themselves, in that they don’t care about what happens to you and I, but care only what kind of pandering will keep them in office.
Uh-oh. Looks like another bad day for the Dog. Sometimes I think that the top of my head is going to fly off like a Frisbee when I realize just how fucked this country really is. Thank you, oh esteemed government representatives and fuckhead bureaucrats.
I guess we are all getting wet in tumescent anticipation of government health care… I know I just can’t wait.
I think I need to go back to bed, and start all over again today. Sometimes I just can’t believe what has happened to my country in my lifetime.
When the Growing get trough, the trough gets growing.
/or something like that
I am saying that most sentient beings know that the president can’t use their Magical Presidenting Powers to make them happen on January 21st. I think the “get us out of Iraq NOW†folks are starting to realize this, which is why the candidates have started talking about “exit strategies†rather than immediately packing up our shit and coming home.
Oh, I agree that it can’t happen on January 21st and most people know that. As far as what they all think about “exit strategies” and whatnot, I’ve no idea.
The difference between the magic Presidenting powers in the abortion debate and the Iraq debate is that as CinC, the Pres really does have the highest power in the land over military decisions. He can’t declare war by himself, but there is absolutely nobody that can stop him if he wants to end war (or not go to war). He does not have similar power to outlaw abortion.
I have to say though that the remaining people who still think we should leave Iraq today will give Obama much more crap than Hillary. They already hate her ass for voting for the war in the first place.
agree.
How many departments does the federal government really need? State, Treasury, War, maybe Interior and roll legitimate federal domestic responsibilities under that one. Get rid of the rest.
Tax breaks for everybody – cut Federal spending.
I cannot be bought with my own money.
#15: I would prefer a flat tax to the shitty mess we have now. Though I would endanger the livelihoods of more than a few CPA’s in the family.
I hesitate to shitcan federal agencies until we examine WHY we decided to have the agency in the first place and who would fill the vacuum left by the departure of said agency. I have done too much corporate planning to overlook the disaster that can follow the hasty abolition of a seemingly pointless department.
That’s prudent, but outside of the original four or five departments we had in 1789, I’d say it’s pretty safe to assume no vacuum would be left.
There’s no legitimate service provided by the Department of Education, for example. State education departments and the various associations were
destroyingmanaging the public school systems quite well without Elmer Fed’s help. All Elmer contributes is a way for Congress to tell all the people who actually do education, “Ur doin it rong!!!1!!”#26: Ur doin it rong!!!!!†LMAO! That is classic. Sad, but true.
In my fair city, the function would be “Hey teacher, why did you annoy that kid so much that he had to beat your ass and try to rape you while his classmates cheered happily?”
I would consider the WHY as less important than whether or not it fulfills a legitimate purpose of the federal government.
This is, of course, the actual answer to “campaign finance reform” as well. Take the money out of the back end and you reduce the money on the front end. If I’m ADM and I can donate $10 million to make a few billion, of course I’m going to do that. But if the feds aren’t spraying me with subsidy money, why would I spend $10 million on an election?
Holy crap, Lisa, where do you live? I hope that’s hyperbole.
The Department of Education was signed into being by Jimmy Carter just a few days before terrorists stormed our embassy in Tehran and took the hostages.
I don’t know why that seems pertinent to me, but it does.
Slimy and weak politicians decided to create more agencies, so that they could create another avenue for buying votes and increasing a loyal voting base of beaurocrts (I cannot spell today). This is not rocket science Lisa, let me suggest a solid reading of the constitution and federalist papers. Then follow that up with a good reading of Atlas Shrugged to see what this overwheening federal government is producing. Then watch The Fountainhead for Patricia Neal’s 1940’s ultra hotness.
Jim I live in Baltimore. Right now we are experiencing an epidemic of teacher beatings and a recent attempted rape of an instructor by a 13 year old. Sheer madness.
I am quite familiar with the United States Constitution as well as the Federalist Papers. I am even familiar with Ayn Rand’s >caugh
Hey! What happened to my post? Whatever. I was just being snarky anyway. When someone invokes Rand and the Constitution in the same argument, one enters the realm of Teh Absurd.
I spelled cough, wrong up there. Damn.
You’re right, that’s some pretty crazy shit. Friend of mine from high school lives in Baltimore, guess I should send her an e-mail encouraging her to stick with Nestle and not look at becoming a teacher.
What in the hell is wrong with you people? You want to abolish education?! First you conduct a war on science with Expelled and Stein and /spit Goldberg and now you want to strike at the backbone of our society. The depths of your depravity knows no bounds. Fucking racist sexist bastards.
Lisa – Having attended a football game in Baltimore where my Colts beeyotch slapped the Ravens in the playoffs, your epidemic is not the least bit surprising, sadly.
It gets worse, JD. We want to abolish health, too.
That’s it. I am done. Now you want to abolish health?! What’s next? Hookers, strippers, fake tits, pron, Baywatch, and football? You disgust me.
/spit
But his last sentence redeemed it, I think.
McGeehe, she was incredibly hot.
Rand, like so many foreigners understood the greatness of this country in a way that small minded government fans could never fathom. Your defense of slabs of this government which produce nothing but destruction to this beautifuly country tells me you didn’t get squat out of any of it. In other words, I find your argument for keeping these mult-trillion dollars black holes in buisness…abusurd.
#37: I denounce you for that.
#39: LMAO!! (but denounces fake tits)
I freegin’ love this place.
#40: LOL.
Lisa – you might consider pre-emptively denouncing yourself. Just in case. Because I am quite sure that having nothing but love for hookers, strippers, and football makes you a sexist, and a traitor to womynhood.
Donald, I don’t think you are wrong. You might be right. But one needs to exercise caution when getting on the bandwagon to abolish agencies and privatize everything. Some things actually do belong in the public sector.
#44: Hmmm, I think you are right. I do, however, support hookers, strippers, and football players of all races, religions, creeds, genders and sexual preferences.
What else are you folks against? Air. Water. steak. Jaegermeister. Plasma. Projection. Nishits. /spit
Once again, I refer you to the constitution and federalist papers. You can leave Ayn out of it if you prefer. Education, energy, and housing are the responsibility of each individual state. The federal role of goverment is to keep us from being killed by crazy people. And that about sums up their role. I would also give anything for there to be a bandwagon for this. Sorry if I sound mean, I’m just a patriot. And I love my country. Just like Miami Steve.
An energy infrastructure overseen by 51 different states? Hmmmm. I would have to think about that one. Housing, you could make an excellent argument for leaving that to the states. Education….it is really, really, really fucked up. I, as a devoted liberal and supporter of public education, cannot even mount a spirited defense of the Department of Ed. It is really bad. But I firmly believe that an educated populace is much more beneficial to a free market than a bunch of dolts. I just don’t know how to effectively go about doing it. Leaving it to the states is a reasonable idea, but it makes me nervous. States can come up with some really crazy shit…like segregation or creationism in lieu of science, etc.
I think that the federal government is onerous and sloppy as hell a lot of the time. But I am not sure that this country would be better off with the states just interpreting the constitution to suit whatever bug flew up their ass for the moment. I think the feds sometimes have to remind us that “the will of the people” is sometimes unconstitutional and violates the hell out of someone’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I doubt anyone’s arguing to abolish federal courts.
Not here, anyway.
I’m walking over to Nacho Mama’s to think deeply about our national energy policy over beer and taquitos.
It is always lovely conversing with you gentlemen.
Not that I’m religious at all, but Darwinism is not proven science. It’s what’s called a theory. So you know, creationism’s got that going for it.
Oh by the way, It’s Little Steven who’s a Patriot and loves his country. I confuse his personas sometimes.
“Not that I’m religious at all, but Darwinism is not proven science. It’s what’s called a theory. So you know, creationism’s got that going for it.”
You know, it always bothered me why the whole evolution vs. creationism fight is even relevant. I mean, it makes for a great argument and all, but consider: let’s say the DoE is dismantled tomorrow.
State A banishes all mention of evolution from its school curriculum and teaches 100% creationism. State B keeps with the current program, teaching only evolution.
Students from A and B go to college together 20 years later in state C. Outside of courses centered on anthropology and geology (and closely related fields), how is either set of students at a disadvantage?
That people get so exercised about either point of view on a subject with so little real-life impact leads me to conclude that both sides are pretty much religious.
Full disclosure: I am that rarest of breeds who happens to believe that God’s creation was accomplished through the vehicle of evolution. So it’s probably not surprising that I don’t get the reason for the fight, since I don’t see how they conflict, unless you either subscribe to a very literal reading of Genesis or believe that all Christians do.
Dan, you ain’t the lone ranger on that. You’d probably be surprised how many people have your thoughts on that. There’s a third less publicized theory, it’s called Cataclysmic change. Basically changes to the earth and life forms were brought about by meteors, fire, weather, whatever…who knows. The bottom line is, nobody does when you get right down to it.
[…] of the GOP coalition. In addition, the country’s war weariness was beginning to show. Blog Protein Wisdom has a look at a number of the “changes” that are being pushed through by the Democrat […]