The Democrat Thread

[Jenksismyhero]

This is so completely wrong.

 

If you have to raise taxes on businesses to shore up the debt problem, you're taking that money away from businesses who could potentially hire new workers. If that's the angle he's going with, then that's absolutely true.

[StrangeSox]

"Every dollar being lent to the government is a dollar that is not being invested in our economy" is 100% absolutely wrong, especially right now. There's no 'crowding out,' and debt-financed government spending is not taking money away from "our economy." Moreover, government spending doesn't just vanish into nothingness, it gets spent on things. Or it's used to provide money to people who then spend it on things. It doesn't become magically detached from the economy.

 

During a full, robust economy, yeah, government spending can crowd-out private spending. And the appearance of higher interest rates can make a large debt load a significant issue. But right now? With a huge GDP output gap, high unemployment and being stuck at the zero lower bound for years? No, absolutely not. "The debt" isn't what's causing people to have bad jobs or no jobs.

Edited February 12, 2013 by StrangeSox

[StrangeSox]

here's an excellent example of why Politico (and 'fact-check' articles in general) are terrible

 

http://wonkette.com/501294/politicos-super...me-a-fact-check

[Jake]

here's an excellent example of why Politico (and 'fact-check' articles in general) are terrible

 

http://wonkette.com/501294/politicos-super...me-a-fact-check

 

Using a fact check article to bash fact check articles reminds me of Plato writing prose to dismiss written communication.

[StrangeSox]

lol, the GOP is grilling Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew over Benghazi at the confirmation hearings.

[StrangeSox]

Illinois senate is currently debating a SSM bill (expected to pass)

http://new.livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/1862836

 

It passed!

Edited February 14, 2013 by StrangeSox

[StrangeSox]

US map re-drawn with 50 states of equal population

http://fakeisthenewreal.org/reform/

 

 

thought it was kind of an interesting map, didn't read the accompanying page

[Balta1701]

This goes back a couple topics...the Economist has a piece not only on how poor financial education is...but also discussing how every effort at improving financial education seems to meet with failure.

 

[StrangeSox]

the right-wing media are now making up fake groups to supposedly tarnish Hagel

 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/02/...t_actually.html

[StrangeSox]

Freedomworks believes in the labor theory of value?

 

Among the number of economically disastrous policy prescriptions offered by President Obama during his State of the Union address, a hiking of the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour was one of the saddest. For a President who believes you can spend your way out of debt, the proposal wasn’t surprising. But now many in Congress are reportedly ready to back the measure. If enacted, the minimum wage hike will only make the economy worse. No serious thinker in the 21st century believes a higher minimum wage will help low-skilled workers. In fact, it will have the opposite effect. Wages are not determined by employers- they are paid by much each worker produces. The freedom to choose means the freedom to accept wages offered. By hiking the minimum wage, all Congress will do is outlaw employing those who will work for less than $9 an hour. For young aspiring workers with little experience, this is a senseless policy. Contact your representative in Congress and tell them to oppose any hike of the minimum wage now.

[StrangeSox]

The Social Trends Driving American Gangs and Gun Violence

 

Some interesting stuff there, interview of U of C professor by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

[Fastball Express]

Mother Jones ‏@MotherJones

 

Powerful pro-Obama super-PAC is gearing up to help the Democrats win in 2014 and 2016

 

[Fastball Express]

President Obama's approval rating is at its highest in three years—while the GOP's popularity is at a record low. http://j.mp/ZujsXN

[Fastball Express]

Greg Sargent ‏@ThePlumLineGS

 

Dems mapping out plan to campaign hard on guns & minimum wage in 2014

 

[Balta1701]

Congrats Indiana.

 

Your state legislature is now considering the transvaginal ultrasound abortion-punishment bill.

[Jenksismyhero]

Congrats Indiana.

 

Your state legislature is now considering the transvaginal ultrasound abortion-punishment bill.

 

It says in the article it doesn't actually specify a vaginal ultrasound.

 

Though the bill doesn’t specify that it be a transvaginal ultrasound, in which a several-inch-long probe is inserted in the woman, that’s exactly what Indiana would be requiring, said Dr. John Stuts­man, an Indiana University School of Medicine professor and obstetrician-gynecologist.

 

And then it totally fails to explain why that person thinks it's a requirement, but makes sure to give a nice visual of the invasive "procedure!"

 

Basically this is a - if you're going to have an abortion, you need to get checked out first. The horror! They might show a woman a beating heart and she might change her mind! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Balta1701]

So yeah...this happened.

"My 24-year-old son, Alex, was murdered in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.," Caren Teves said. "These assault rifles allow the shooter to fire many rounds without having to reload. These weapons to do not belong on our streets."

 

"I can tell you right now you need some straight talk. That assault weapons ban will not pass the Congress of the United States," McCain responded. The video, posted Thursday by Phoenix's KTVK, showed the line drawing applause and cheers from the crowd.

 

"Now I have to -- I owe it to to you, I owe it to give you my opinion. Because a majority of members of Congress don't support it," McCain added.

 

"My son was murdered" ->

"You need some straight talk". - >

"Crowd cheers".

 

Well, I'm glad someone was there to give her that lecture. Otherwise she might still feel bad about her son being murdered.

[StrangeSox]

It says in the article it doesn't actually specify a vaginal ultrasound.

 

 

 

And then it totally fails to explain why that person thinks it's a requirement, but makes sure to give a nice visual of the invasive "procedure!"

 

Basically this is a - if you're going to have an abortion, you need to get checked out first. The horror! They might show a woman a beating heart and she might change her mind! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yeah, it's pretty horrible to force women to undergo an invasive and unnecessary medical procedure under the paternalistic and misogynistic assumption that the woman hasn't already thought this over. You don't need a wand shoved up your crotch in order to take a pill.

 

Basically, this is a - if you want an abortion, we're going to make it as invasive and humiliating as possible, oh, and more expensive, too!

 

edit: it's a transvaginal because that's the only method of performing what the bill would require at that stage of pregnancy.

Edited February 21, 2013 by StrangeSox

[GoSox05]

Ultrasound Bill in Indiana actually requires double ultrasound. Once before and then after.

 

Double Ultrasound Bill In Indiana Passes Out Of Senate Committee

[StrangeSox]

Grassley believes that Native Americans are incapable of fairly trying a non-Indian:

 

GRASSLEY: One provision that non-Native Americans can be tried in tribal court. And why is that a big thing? Because of the constitutionality of it, for two reasons. One, you know how the law is, that if you have a jury, the jury is supposed to be a reflection of society. [...] So you get non-Indians, let me say to make it easy, you get non-Indians going into a reservation and violating a woman. They need to be prosecuted. They aren’t prosecuted. So the idea behind [VAWA] is we’ll try them in tribal court. But under the laws of our land, you got to have a jury that is a reflection of society as a whole, and on an Indian reservation, it’s going to be made up of Indians, right? So the non-Indian doesn’t get a fair trial.

 

so should we throw out all minority convictions if the jury is all-white?

[Balta1701]

Yeah, it's pretty horrible to force women to undergo an invasive and unnecessary medical procedure under the paternalistic and misogynistic assumption that the woman hasn't already thought this over. You don't need a wand shoved up your crotch in order to take a pill.

 

Basically, this is a - if you want an abortion, we're going to make it as invasive and humiliating as possible, oh, and more expensive, too!

 

edit: it's a transvaginal because that's the only method of performing what the bill would require at that stage of pregnancy.

They've just gotten slightly more creative after realizing how bad it sounded to mandate the specific procedure.

[Jenksismyhero]

Ultrasound Bill in Indiana actually requires double ultrasound. Once before and then after.

 

Double Ultrasound Bill In Indiana Passes Out Of Senate Committee

 

Hi, welcome to the conversation. Try to keep up.

 

The 2nd ultrasound isn't enforceable, the woman doesn't have to show up.

 

And the vaginal ultrasound isn't normally used in the early weeks of pregnancy, so no, it wouldn't be a requisite. That's going to be a doctor's determination only if for some reason a normal ultrasound doesn't work. Which guess what, they'd probably do that anyway before they hand out prescriptions. Yes, they could take blood or urine tests, but those are more expensive (and time consuming) than a simple ultrasound at the time you're visiting your doctor to get the abortion pill anyway.

 

Here's an idea: if you don't want a barrier to an abortion, close your legs!

Edited February 22, 2013 by Jenksismybitch

[StrangeSox]

1) you've got that backwards, regular ultrasounds don't work early on. neither are in any way medically necessary for what they're being required for.

 

2) f*** off with your "Close your legs!" bulls***. Here's an idea: stop trying to control female sexuality.

[Jenksismyhero]

1) you've got that backwards, regular ultrasounds don't work early on. neither are in any way medically necessary for what they're being required for.

 

2) f*** off with your "Close your legs!" bulls***. Here's an idea: stop trying to control female sexuality.

 

Oh f*** that, the truth hurts. 99.9% of abortions are the result of choice. I see no good reason why I have a thousand barriers in my way that the government puts up for bulls*** reasons, and a woman can't go through one or two before making a difficult decision. You're going to make me go through a thousand extra steps to own a gun, what's the difference? Both infringe on a right.

 

And yes, spare me with that bulls*** about women having already decided. Many do and many don't. When you make an abortion simply taking a pill you're taking the thought process out of the equation.

[BigSqwert]

We need more poor women having babies they can't afford. I'm sure everyone will be glad to chip in to help raise them.