mr_genius

QUOTE (lostfan @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 05:29 PM) I see "Tea Party" and I really just think "Republican" and it's the same product in a new package with sleeker marketing because the old brand got damaged so badly (something which Republican leaders were acutely aware of after the 2008 bloodbath). None of their ideas are anything anyone who follows politics hasn't heard before, they're all part of general conservative ideas. The only exception maybe is the populist anger at Wall Street, the rewarding of failure etc. It's not really any different before. Prior to 2009 you used to have people who called themselves libertarian because for whatever reason they didn't like being called Republican, but have voted Republican in every election for their life. They're the same people now, a lot of people claim to be Tea Partiers (read: libertarian) but are all for Republican policies and dismiss/scoff at the orthodox libertarian policy when there is a traditional Republican policy that overrides it. Example: against gay marriage (libertarian ideology says the state has no business in this). Aggressive foreign policy/advocacy of intervention (libertarianism calls for less of this). And since we're talking about it a lot lately, opposition to the "Ground Zero Mosque" (quotes used since it's not a mosque and not at ground zero, there is nothing libertarian at all about weighing in on someone's right to religious freedom). The GOP went the direction of being a big spending, nation building, endless war starting, trillion dollar bailouts, corrupt, sold out political party. Voters left them. The GOP still isn't very popular, it's just that the current Democrats are so unbelievably terrible at what they have been elected to do.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 05:26 PM) Oh, so you admit that it's a bad thing when billionaires fund media groups now? So, you're willing to toss AFP and Freedomworks off the boat? Because there's basically your Tea Party. Like I said...it's perfectly ok to criticize millions coming from Soros, but the tens of millions coming from Koch Industries? How dare I say that those tens of millions of dollars had anything to do with the tens of millions of dollars spent organizing the tea parties. No, I am mocking you for your acceptance of corporate and hedge fund manager bribes to the Democrats, while you complain about a group of libertarians giving money to the 'tea party'. I thought that was obvious

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 05:17 PM) In just the first section of your link, they talk about the Center for Public Integrity as a 'non-partisan watchdog group.' Go to wikipedia and in the first paragraph you get " The Center is partisan, and advocates for traditionally liberal causes" Ancd it is funded in part by the aforementioned Mr. Soros. "The Center has been criticized for accepting large funds from George Soros, a politically active billionaire and critic of the Bush administration.[25][28][29][30]. The Web site of one of Soros' organizations, the Open Society Institute, discloses four grants to the Center, all made before his entry into the 2004 presidential contest. They are: A $72,400 one-year grant in 2000 supporting "an investigative journalism series on prosecutorial misconduct."[32] A $75,000 one-year grant in 2001 supporting "an examination of wrongful convictions resulting from prosecutorial misconduct."[33] A $100,000 one-year grant in 2002 "to investigate the political spending of the telecommunications industry on the federal, state and local levels."[34] A $1 million three-year grant in 2002 "to support the Global Access Project" hey buddy, you need to realize that billionaire hedge fund manager money and corporate donations that go to Democrats is good and pure. Unlike the evil forces funding the horrible and mean 'tea party'.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 02:39 PM) So would you say the tea party stuff has grown out of the libertarian movement maybe? Kinda? I definitely think it is a big segment of the 'tea party'.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 12:08 PM) I'd agree on the first 2 points but that wasn't my question. Some of her major gaffes have been saying that Social Security and Medicare need to be phased out, that "Second amendment remedies" ought to be used as a check against government tyranny, that the $20 billion BP fund was a "Slush fund" and that the administration had "extorted" it out of BP. Those are, frankly, things we've heard all the bleeping time lately. See I don't hear that type of stuff from the 'tea party' enthusiasts. 1) usually they support the second amendment, but I don't hear anything about an armed mutiny. i see more 'vote everyone out of office' type of things. 2) i don't see any support for BP, and most 'tea party' people believe that the government is corrupt and bought off by corporate interests. they hate corporate bailouts as well.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 11:50 AM) Well...I'm afraid i have to ask...which of Angle's supposed "Gaffes" aren't basically explicit tea party positions? she just isn't a good public speaker or particularly bright. as far as the 'evil tea party' and their positions, i don't think there are any. it's not really an official organization. just people that are abstractly against massive deficits and spending without positive return. you could also throw in government corruption i suppose

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 08:07 AM) Which tells me, if the NV GOP had put up a candidate who wasn't nuts, they probably take Reid's seat with ease. Using Angle though, her verbal gaffes will only be amplified as time goes on, and Reid will probably win that seat again. Maybe, but I think a lot of voters are against the typical GOP candidate. I don't think they can win if they just take "I'm not a Democrat, vote for me" approach. But that doesn't mean having a gaffe machine like Angle in the general election is an advantage. There needs to be balance.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 26, 2010 -> 08:18 AM) There are probably more than 5 races where you can say the exact same thing; the Dem shouldn't have a shot, but the Republicans went with the tea party candidate rather than the more mainstream candidate. Alaska's Senate Race may suddenly be on that list. I think what's going to happen is a bunch of 'tea party' candidates get elected to office. We need a predictions thread for the Nov elections. See who can get the most right.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 25, 2010 -> 08:09 AM) Wasn't sure where to put this, but it seems like there were more interesting GOP primaries than Dem ones yesterday... Looks like the newbie candidates won out more often than not in the hot races. Seems to me that's good and bad. Its good to get some new blood in there, and certainly good to get some candidates in there who understand fiscal restraint. Problem is, look at what is happening in Nevada. You have a novice going against Harry Reid, and the novice is managing to take defeat from the jaws of victory. Will these newcomer candidates have the same sorts of issues, and be more easily beaten in the general elections against experienced opponents? It's really amazing that it's even as close as it is considering how bad of a candidate Angle (IMO) is. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/20..._reid-1517.html

Mariotti is an alpha douche

Jay Mariotti used to do that.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 21, 2010 -> 02:20 PM) Thankfully, Tax cuts never have to be paid for and wars don't count. when does the Afghan war end Balta? how about right now. it's up to your lord and savior Obamacus Maximus.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 21, 2010 -> 05:25 PM) Which is exactly why when something is privatized that the private companies are able to make a profit doing it... a lot of these government employees are going to find out what the real world is like pretty soon. i don't think they can compete to be honest with you. all those 'Mc Jobs' they have looked down on for years will likely be their only lifeline.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 21, 2010 -> 02:20 PM) Frankly, on average, yes, government workers are better educated than private sector employees, by a significant amount. They're also typically older, because the government doesn't hire many part-time 19 year olds. dude, i've worked with government employees. they all had degrees from low quality programs. A lot of 'for profit' degrees. Senior level technical employees that couldn't understand simple recursion. making $150,000 a year when a new grad from a good program is actually much more competent. so spare the 'vastly more educated' government employee lecture.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 19, 2010 -> 11:58 AM) Private sector job additions have been anemic. Its been enough to stave off a 2nd dip, so far, and probably still will be, but its not enough to get the economy going with some real steam. jobless claims have been steadily rising. Just to get back the 8 million jobs lost and to cover new entrants into the labor market would require a spectacular turn around. A turnaround that would make the gains in the 90's look meager. I just don't see that happening.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Aug 17, 2010 -> 04:45 PM) Haha There is a reason why drug agents wait for the sale to actually happen instead of busting them when they are merely talking about it. yep. should have waited to bust him.

so now Barack Hussein Obama wants to build a mosque on ground zero in New York huh disgraceful.

AW s***

0-2 again

wow

ALRIGHT

time to score some runs

ouch

$600 million for additional border security. one of the few bipartisan acts we've seen in a while. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...N9vEIgD9HI5JJ81

YES! i knew that was going to happen