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Once again, per Darleen's post, below

I’ve been having an email exchange with a representative from a group called Freedom Action, who sent out a press release supporting the Boehner plan (unconfirmed reports are beginning to trickle in that Boehner has the votes to get this thing passed).

Here’s the text of the original press release:

Washington, D.C., August 1, 2011 – Freedom Action supports enactment of the bi-partisan debt ceiling deal reached over the weekend.

“The bi-partisan debt ceiling compromise is a modest first step in what will be a long struggle to restore solvency and put the American economy back on a track of robust long-term growth,” said Myron Ebell, Director of Freedom Action. “Speaker John Boehner and House Republicans can take credit for achieving much larger spending cuts against the determined opposition of President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Reid than seemed possible even a few days ago.”

“The next step that the Congress must take to restart our economy is regulatory relief and reform. The Obama Administration is doing everything it can by using existing legal authority to regulate investment and jobs out of the economy,” Ebell said. “The Congress must put a stop to the Obama Administration’s job-killing regulatory spree.”

Freedom Action will include House and Senate votes on the debt ceiling deal in its congressional scorecard of key votes.

I wrote back asking the rep to take me off her list. I further noted, “there is nothing about this deal that in any way promotes ‘freedom action.’ It just gives further cover to the problem.”

When the rep wrote me back asking me how so, I explained it this way:

We’re institutionalizing a false notion of what a “cut” is. We’ve ceded ground on what “revenues” and “tax expenditures” mean. If we simply froze this current budget going forward, the CBO would report that as a $9 Trillion cut to government. No new spending = a $9 Trillion cut. Yup.

It’s all a joke. And pretending that we’ve won anything — or cut anything other than a rounding error on future baseline increases — is playing on the left’s linguistic turf.

I won’t be part of it any more.

I won’t.

Deal with it. This deal will pass in a “bi-partisan” way, with the conservatives in the House likely voting against it.

Meaning once again, the politicians have ignored the American people. And no organization with “freedom” in its name should accept that — particularly when they should be pushing CCB or, even better, this.

123 Replies to “Once again, per Darleen's post, below”

  1. serr8d says:

    This Balrog should not pass.

  2. bh says:

    Couple related items (1 and 2) via Cafe Hayek.

  3. bh says:

    Ooops, wrong link on the first.

    Here.

  4. Jeff G. says:

    Incidentally, this is one of the reasons I get shunned. And I guess I can’t blame some of them.

    I bring it on myself. Being an extremist has its costs.

  5. bh says:

    Well, this and a nickel won’t even get you a phone call anymore but I do appreciate that you don’t lie to us.

  6. sdferr says:

    I’ve derided Connie a time or two before, but he’s been so straight on this one I’m afeared he’s going to start taking my e-mails as love letters.

  7. newrouter says:

    “The next step that the Congress must take to restart our economy is regulatory relief and reform”

    i’m sure harry reid will jump right on that.

  8. Silver Whistle says:

    Seems to me that Steyn and Levin are good company to keep. Keep on being extreme.

  9. bh says:

    Yay, Boehner is a hero!

    We might be wise to pay attention to the calls for new leadership (or lack thereof) rather than the roll call.

  10. bh says:

    Is that too cynical?

    I’m honestly not sure anymore.

  11. sdferr says:

    I getting the sense that the “leadership’s” involving folks like Ryan and West in this pile of trash has gotten to be akin to the mobster’s coercively involving his neighbor in a petty crime, the better to blackmail the poor sap later on.

  12. DarthLevin says:

    I’m not shunning you, I’ve been really really busy.

    Listen for clinks in the tip jar, and keep fighting.

  13. bh says:

    Listening to Ryan on local radio now.

    Says it’ll probably be voted on in about an hour.

  14. bh says:

    He’s stating the party line. Represents a culture change. Not a single conservative principle violated. Perfect is enemy of good.

    (He’s pissing me off a bit to be honest.)

  15. bh says:

    Is saying that they’ll keep taxes from being raised by a)putting the right people on the committee and b)the current law dealio.

  16. sdferr says:

    bh, I was reacting mostly to what I saw at Leadership’s news conference from about two hours ago. Boehner, Cantor, McCarthy, Hensarling, Rodgers and last Ryan stood up to defend the bill. Ryan looked none too comfortable.

  17. bh says:

    c) if committee agrees to tax increase, it still would need to pass House on a straight up or down vote.

  18. bh says:

    Painting a picture of Obama as a hard-left moron. Saying the public rhetoric had absolutely nothing in common with what was said behind closed doors. Basically says that Obama had no part in this agreement.

  19. sdferr says:

    Here’s another redfaced culprit, Buck McKeon, supporting while hemming and hawing.

  20. Jeff G. says:

    I just heard Gohmert say that he doesnt think Boehner will put any Tea Party people on this super committee.

    Also, if Obama is re-elected, he has no reason not to push for tax increases. And because nothing was done about Obamacare — off the table during the big win! — taxes will be raised through that, as well.

  21. bh says:

    Hasn’t mentioned anything whatsoever about defense cuts. As he seems to be going through the talking points step by step, I’m taking the omission as possibly troubling.

  22. alppuccino says:

    They haven’t see extreme yet.

  23. sdferr says:

    The hour of debate on the House floor has begun alpp, Sheila Jackson Lee is going to give it her best shot.

  24. bh says:

    Spoke too soon, he just mentioned defense.

    Seemed to basically admit that, yeah, it could take a hit.

    Finished by saying that it gets two thirds of the reductions they wanted out of agencies and one third of what they wanted overall.

  25. cranky-d says:

    I’ll have to add my name to the list of people who would get shunned in “polite GOP company,” because I have had it with this half-assed crap. The only compromise, after rolling back spending to some earlier budget level and freezing it, should be on which programs to eliminate entirely and which ones to just cut down to the bone.

    One cannot let the progressives set the terms of debate, because they are lying liars who will say or do anything to get what they want. One must treat them as very dangerous children and keep them away from sharp knives and money. The GOP establishment that continues the go along to get along method of politics needs to be removed and replaced.

  26. bh says:

    Very first caller afterwards is calling bullshit. (How do I know any cuts beyond year one are real? If entitlements are out, how can this actually achieve anything?)

    Second caller is also calling bullshit. (Smoke and mirrors.)

    Can’t say that I disagree with either caller. Okay, end of radio reporting.

  27. sdferr says:

    Steny Hoyer is playing the default/hostagetakers/ideological monsters card over and over. I thought the old saw was never threaten a hostage you aren’t willing to execute? Steny maybe ought to think twice about painting that picture.

  28. sdferr says:

    Oh, nice, some of the Republican members are playing it too, against themselves!

  29. McGehee says:

    These days my idea of “polite company” is people who won’t ass-rape me, steal my wallet, and then tell me I should be grateful for the experience.

  30. bh says:

    This is really interesting. Conservatives really love Ryan around here and, so far, 5 out of 6 callers have taken a strong position against him.

  31. happyfeet says:

    Mr. Ryan is awesome he my favorite one of all of them!

  32. JHoward says:

    this is one of the reasons I get shunned.

    And yet it passes two critical tests: It’s true and pertinent and you have the cred and pulpit to make it stick. So I say let fly, JG, loud and proud as they say.

    In fact, as true as a decade’s worth of intentionalist thought has been, and as visionary as this place has been in predicting just what’s going on today, I say formulate it and publish it as text book tactic, strategy, and procedure for dealing with The Lie.

    A national blog isn’t such a bad thing when you know what way a foul wind’s blowing and who’s doing the blowing.

    I say they’re all mental misfits and leftism is a destination for dysfunctionals and not a valid expression by responsible adults in this very asymmetrical domain called life that liars and thieves stunk up for millions of normals and ever shall.

    So me, I yet wait for thor’s leftist manifesto. And pine for that magical day when all shall be made clear and serial dishonesty and legalized theft finally make sense.

  33. bh says:

    7 out of 8, now. Normally, after he gives an interview, the callers run 10 to 1 for whatever he just said.

  34. sdferr says:

    Many people do seem to grasp that despite the advertizing this is in fact the Budget Out of Control Act. It’s too early to take heart in that seeming grasp though.

  35. Jeff G. says:

    They were so busy trying to angle to avoid blame that they’re going to get blamed by their own side.

    The calls to Hannity’s show are running nearly fully against. Levin’s show should be a pleasure today.

  36. sdferr says:

    Ryan and Van Hollen are taking control of the floor debate.

  37. cranky-d says:

    They are doing their best to rush it through before their constituents tell them what a shit deal it is.

  38. cranky-d says:

    I should say, before their constituents tell them that the constituents KNOW it’s a shit deal.

  39. sdferr says:

    Van Hollen is charging Reps with scaring the troops with non-payment of their wages and threatening old folks, the infirm in hospitals for the purpose of . . . using the moment to threaten the economy, to slash Medicaid and Medicare, to slash education . . . but no! the Democrats have saved the day with this plan!

  40. sdferr says:

    Gwen Moore of Wisco wants spending spending spending! She wants jobs! Invention! Safety nets! And heat for the unheated!

  41. sdferr says:

    Barbara Lee says the bill stinks on ice because it’s unbalanced! She wants taxes! And no cuts! Spend more money! Crisis! Spend money on investments! Outrage!

  42. bh says:

    Gwen Moore is actually too stupid to hate. It just feels wrong somehow.

  43. cranky-d says:

    Good. Let the Democrats kill it. Then pass CCB again and go home.

  44. sdferr says:

    Rob Andrews (my old D Jersey rep.) says we need jobs! Government can make them good with this bill. Investments! Jobs! Private sector benefits! Freedom to the appropriators for jobs jobs jobs! Vote yes!

  45. bh says:

    I wonder, do we have any chance of the Dems killing this for us?

  46. sdferr says:

    Van Hollen with the threatening threats again, great evils walk the halls of Congress, but they have been foiled by the noble Democrats who will talk about jobs and the economy. And yields to Pelosi.

  47. sdferr says:

    Pelosi asks the existential question “Why are we here?”

    No. Really.

  48. happyfeet says:

    they need to just vote already and if it passes then it passes and if it doesn’t pass well nobody’s gonna be too terribly upset I don’t think and plus I’m curious what would happen next

  49. Pablo says:

    I love this twat just talking about what she wants for her grandchildren: WIC, Heating assistance, etc…

    So, you want them to be losers, incapable of taking care of themselves. Lovely.

  50. Pablo says:

    Gwen Moore is actually too stupid to hate.

    It stands to reason that her progeny is similarly disabled. She may have a point.

  51. sdferr says:

    Gwen Moore can’t have anything on Nancy Pelosi when it comes to utter imbecility. No way.

  52. Silver Whistle says:

    Gwen Moore can’t have anything on Nancy Pelosi when it comes to utter imbecility. No way.

    You should really give John Judis a chance to claim that title.

  53. newrouter says:

    baracky hoover

    Hendrik Hertzberg of The New Yorker predicts economic calamity to come from the debt deal, because it will be restraining federal spending in a time of economic weakness, which by Keynesian lights is exactly the wrong thing to do. And, just to show how up-to-date he is, he takes the conventional–and entirely erroneous–liberal swipe at “Herbert Hoover economics,” as opposed to New-Deal pump priming. (Just for the record, federal government expenditures in 1929 were $3.1 billion. In 1932 they were $4.6 billion, a whopping 48 percent increase, despite swiftly falling federal revenues, which were down 50 percent in that same period. Obama is borrowing 40 cents out of every federal dollar spent in 2011. Herbert Hoover in 1932 was borrowing 58 cents out of every dollar spent.)

    link

  54. Pablo says:

    Pelosi isn’t stupid, she thinks you are. She’s a craven liar with a God delusion.

  55. dicentra says:

    Incidentally, this is one of the reasons I get shunned.

    That’s OK. You can be the Big Chieftan of the new tribe of John Galts that coalesces around your neck of the woods. That’ll show ’em.

  56. sdferr says:

    Pablo, listening to her extemporaneous remarks (they had to be, right?) I haz my doubts she isn’t stupid. The woman is as incoherent a speaker — particularly given the weight of the occasion — as is conceivable, short of her being a psychotic raver on a street-corner instructing the passing widgets which way to turn or not turn as her personal lights may guide her. She hates the bill, but everyone must vote for it. She loves the bill, but wouldn’t vote for it if her life depended on it. Why was she there? She doesn’t know.

  57. Pablo says:

    Actually, I didn’t get that out of her, sdferr. I that got she’s going to vote for it, but can’t blame anyone who doesn’t, unless they’re a Republican.

  58. Pablo says:

    “It’s too bad, because Central Falls has always been a progressive city,” …he says, while still failing to identify the problem.

  59. zino3 says:

    “Jeff G. posted on8/1 @ 2:33 pm

    Incidentally, this is one of the reasons I get shunned. And I guess I can’t blame some of them.

    I bring it on myself. Being an extremist has its costs.”

    Yup. These BRAVE men have found a way to cut SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS this year out of TWO POINT FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS. That’s somewhere in the neighborhood of me reducing my budget by 40 cents a year!

    Hooray!!! WE ARE SAVED!!!! SAVED, I TELL YOU!!!!!!

    I hope there are enough of us to stick in their butts the equivalent of what they have just shoved up our asses….

  60. geoffb says:

    Re: #56

    If anyone is interested in the record of what spending, revenue and GDP were for all the years back to 1789 but especially the 20th century, here-pdf.

  61. Pablo says:

    And here we go…

  62. Pablo says:

    Dems aren’t in any hurry to get on the record.

  63. happyfeet says:

    I know it’s terrible but I hope it doesn’t pass

  64. Pablo says:

    R’s can’t pass it with 46 nay’s. What say you, proggies?

  65. Gabby Giffords showed up to vote… make of that what you will.

  66. happyfeet says:

    that’s creepy

  67. fnc panel was creepin me out. They’re all, OOOOOOH, chills. good grief.

  68. newrouter says:

    looking for a “no” surge

  69. happyfeet says:

    it’s the feel-good vote of the summer!

  70. cranky-d says:

    Crap, it passed.

  71. cranky-d says:

    I was hoping for a last-minute failure. Well, here’s hoping the Senate Republicans shoot it down.

  72. newrouter says:

    and the ruling class is happy

  73. happyfeet says:

    more Ds voted against than Rs

    that’s shameful

  74. sdferr says:

    I just now looked in to see much clapping? It’s for the brain wounded colleague I take it?

  75. happyfeet says:

    yes it was very inspiring Mr. sdferr

  76. geoffb says:

    Any sign of this:”House Democrats don’t want to carry Republicans’ water, though. Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., said every Democrat who votes for the bill takes a Republican off the hook — he urged colleagues to wait until Republicans put at least 200 votes on the board “before we give them cover.”

  77. happyfeet says:

    you can’t let head wounds prevent you from ass-raping your little country with debt

  78. geoffb says:

    Too late.

  79. newrouter says:

    mr. orangeman looks happy too

  80. happyfeet says:

    sorry.

    you can’t let head wounds prevent you from ass-raping your parasitic little country with debt

  81. sdferr says:

    They worked to up the Dem numbers to an equal number for as against. I still doubt that the Dems would have been embarrassed to have had more against than for, despite their love of spending.

  82. Pablo says:

    I guess there’s one good thing you can say about this. It’s good to see her on her feet.

  83. geoffb says:

    more Ds voted against than Rs

    It helps their meme that this is a big Republican win in this bill. That the Tea party got everything they wanted.

  84. Pablo says:

    Any sign of this:”House Democrats don’t want to carry Republicans’ water, though. Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., said every Democrat who votes for the bill takes a Republican off the hook — he urged colleagues to wait until Republicans put at least 200 votes on the board “before we give them cover.”

    Yup. That failed.

  85. newrouter says:

    the cspan is glowing with bipartisanship

  86. happyfeet says:

    next on deck is the jobs numbers I wonder if it’s possible we could get a negative number on Friday?

  87. Pablo says:

    It helps their meme that this is a big Republican win in this bill. That the Tea party got everything they wanted.

    Yeah, but without having seen the roll, I’m guessing the Tea Party didn’t vote for it.

  88. sdferr says:

    Pelosi takes the opportunity of Gifford’s presence urge to spend more government funds on healthcares. Must be nice to be a prop.

  89. newrouter says:

    “to spend more government funds on healthcares.”

    barackycare wasn’t enough? she’s a clown

  90. newrouter says:

    “Gifford’s presence urge to spend more government funds on healthcares”

    yea the gov’t is spending more money on gifford’s health care

  91. alppuccino says:

    The Giffords vote ensures that this bill will begin The Next Great Depression.

    “Look, Gabby Giffords is voting. That’s so historic.” = Fail.

    “Look, Obama is black. That’s so historic” = Fail.

  92. alppuccino says:

    “Ooh, Gabby Giffors is voting. I just got chills.”

    “Well let’s put another one of our children on the fire and warm up.”

  93. newrouter says:

    allan ackbar the terrorists have been defeated

  94. happyfeet says:

    you know who’s giddy is Asian Markets I bet

  95. sdferr says:

    Francis Poulenc could be giddy sometimes, after he’d spent a short while pacing about puzzling on things.

  96. newrouter says:

    sanfrannan was giddy about gabby as a prop

  97. bh says:

    The Asian markets are going to have to decide which gap they’ll cover.

  98. sdferr says:

    Five trombones put to good use.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24K48MNhWg8

  99. bh says:

    Almost has that lower gap covered. Yay!

  100. bh says:

    It’s at times like these that I think these financial reporters are sorta full of shit.

    I know, I know, that’s crazy talk.

  101. happyfeet says:

    this was a relief rally, what we had today, is my understanding

  102. bh says:

    Random walk/EMH with just enough true signals to keep it interesting… is my understanding.

  103. bh says:

    Completely unrelated but I use Twitter to keep an eye out for news events and it’s just hilarious to do it sometimes when you can’t read Japanese.

  104. bh says:

    They covered at 9:12, btw. Just snuck under 9833.

  105. happyfeet says:

    is rand walking emh like when the air is slowly leaking out of a balloon and you feel kinda sad cause it was a jolly balloon and big big fun… really quite grand in its day, but now it’s just sort of deflatey and pretty soon your big balloon concern is making sure you don’t put somewhere the dog might eat it cause remember what happened last time

  106. bh says:

    Sorta more like just before you release the balloon you don’t pretend you know which way it will go beforehand just because it seemed sorta obvious later.

  107. happyfeet says:

    balloons are lil scamps that’s why we love them

  108. sdferr says:

    Pretty sure those rw’s are against A. Chigur’s religion anyhow. someone’s got to pay

  109. geoffb says:

    someone’s got to pay

    In pounds… no doubt.

  110. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Obama is borrowing 40 cents out of every federal dollar spent in 2011. Herbert Hoover in 1932 was borrowing 58 cents out of every dollar spent.

    There you go. Proof of the Krugman Thesis. The stimulus is about half the size it should be!

  111. Ernst Schreiber says:

    sterling or flesh, geoff?

  112. geoffb says:

    Sterling, flesh is too racist and inexact.

  113. newrouter says:

    classic hairplugs:

    Vice President Joe Biden, with a big smile on his face, walked to the House floor and said, “I came to see Gabby, that’s why I’m here.”

    …When Biden was asked about what he spoke with Giffords about, he joked, “She’s now a member of the cracked head club like me.”

    link

  114. Slartibartfast says:

    Being an extremist has its costs.

    It’s not the extremist thing that has you marginalized so much as your eagerness to ass-rape the sick and the elderly with the fiery member of Baal.

  115. John Bradley says:

    …and, presumably, the fiery balls of Baal.

    It’s a package deal.

  116. Darleen says:

    Being an extremist a Cassandra has its costs.

    FTFY

  117. […] Once again, per Darleen’s post, below We’re institutionalizing a false notion of what a “cut” is. We’ve ceded ground on what “revenues” and “tax expenditures” mean. If we simply froze this current budget going forward, the CBO would report that as a $9 Trillion cut to government. No new spending = a $9 Trillion cut. Yup. […]

  118. […] Nine trillian dollar increases are the new “cuts.” Words mean nothing.  And consequently, what is there to say?  We can’t just blame the Democrats. The GOP are fully enabling their hoarding. And every day we move closer to the inevitable notice from the city that the home is condemned. Related Posts:Win The Future!It’s all your fault, old people.Red InkNY Times Gets the Facts Wrong AgainFederal bailout expands to include student and car loans Filed Under: Politics […]

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