Fifth Grade Civics
Politicians are able to fool the public because people don’t take the time to educate themselves on the issues. For example, raising the debt ceiling does not mean Obama is going to suddenly be able to create all this new spending. It only means the US will be able to pay for spending that was already approved by Congress. And let’s not forget basic fifth grade civics, the Congress makes the law and the President executes the laws. So any new spending Obama wanted would have to be passed by Congress. That’s why Boehner’s line last night that Obama wanted a blank check sounds good and people believe it, but it’s a flat-out lie.
The Cause of the Crisis
Even former George W. Bush speechwriter, David Frum, thinks the Republicans are crazy:
But in the argy-bargy, keep this in mind: the debt problem has become a debt crisis for one reason only: because Republicans put the threat of debt default on the table.
That never needed to happen.
House Republicans could have kept the debt ceiling issue wholly separate from the budget cut issue.
(Via John Gruber)
‘It is More Important That Innocence Be Protected Than it is That Guilt Be Punished’
Timely quote from our 2nd President, John Adams:
It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world that they cannot all be punished. But if innocence itself is brought to the bar and condemned, perhaps to die, then the citizen will say, “whether I do good or whether I do evil is immaterial, for innocence itself is no protection,” and if such an idea as that were to take hold in the mind of the citizen that would be the end of security whatsoever.
(Via Andy Ihnatko)
Not a Normal Party
David Brooks sums up my view of today’s Republican Party perfectly:
That’s because the Republican Party may no longer be a normal party. Over the past few years, it has been infected by a faction that is more of a psychological protest than a practical, governing alternative. The members of this movement do not accept the logic of compromise, no matter how sweet the terms. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch in order to cut government by a foot, they will say no. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch to cut government by a yard, they will still say no. The members of this movement do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities. A thousand impartial experts may tell them that a default on the debt would have calamitous effects, far worse than raising tax revenues a bit. But the members of this movement refuse to believe it.
…
If the debt ceiling talks fail, independents voters will see that Democrats were willing to compromise but Republicans were not. If responsible Republicans don’t take control, independents will conclude that Republican fanaticism caused this default. They will conclude that Republicans are not fit to govern.
And they will be right.
Keyboard Maestro
One great tool I’ve recently begun using on my Mac is Keyboard Maestro. Keyboard Maestro is a macro program that allows you to create all sorts of keyboard shortcuts. It has really helped automate a lot of the things that I do everyday on my Mac, such as move files, create new email messages, and open and close programs. It is definitely a “geeks” tool, but well worth it if you find yourself doing many of the same things everyday on your Mac.
Do Nothing!
Interesting tidbit from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office – if Congress does nothing and follows the laws currently on the books, meaning Bush tax cuts expire when scheduled and Obamacare is fully implemented, our country’s long-term debt problem stabilizes. If the GOP gets its way and the Bush tax cuts are extended and Obamacare is repealed, the debt explodes.
This was in the CBO’s long-term budget outlook.
