Well according to Thom Hartman, our President has finally gotten good at "messaging". The people in the Mc Laughlin group give this tax bill a probability of about a nine of passing, and I'd say the odds now approach metaphysical certitude. I mean, if Pat Buchannon is for the bill, what else needs to be said? The President was able to bump Bernie Sanders off the front page with his nine hour filibuster on Friday when the President like ex president Clinton be "president for a half hour" when he took over the interview position on Friday answering questions for reporters with the white house logo behind him. President Clinton said "If growth was five percent and unemployment were at five & a half percent, we could afford to have a Mexican stand-off in congress". Clinton further said that were the economy in this bad of shape when he was President, he never would have gone for a tax raise, which by the way he got. He said "back in 1994 the interest rates were higher and I found it necessary to reduce the debt which was mounting, as my most important goal". Of course after he passed his tax hike bill, the economy took off. On Sunday Mayer Bloomberg said he would not run for President under any circumstances, to challenge this President. And he went on to say that this tax compromise is a good deal. OK, the president finally has the concept of "messaging" down, even if it's for the wrong thing. President Obama will be the hero for getting a bill passed that everyone can agree with.
However we need to look at the down side. This bill kind of reminds me of the story of the little girl who played on the jungle jim in a dress and someone said to her, "You can't do that; someone might see your underwear". And the little girl responded "Oh that isn't a problem, because I'm not wearing any". Just one week ago with all that talk about the deficit comission, people were all uptight about the deficet being allowed to rise and how the Republicans protested that if you have a spending bill you're going to have to pay for it. Well not only did Obama give the republicans their 140 billion sloppy kiss- - of granting the rich people their tax cut, but those on the left brag that most of the 900 billion deficit is not this tax cut but is other things. This is a 900 billion dollar deficet bill that almost overnight doubles the 1.4 or whatever deficet we now have. It not only contains every Christmas tree goody but also cuts at the heart of social security with that two percent FICA payroll cut there. This cut was a republican idea, and it's goal is to hasten the day when social security will be insolvent and we'll have to make it volentary or something. The only area where I would take issue with Bernie Sanders is on the idea that the estate tax should be 55% like it was under Clinton. This seems a little conthiscatory to me and bites into a man's substance. But for all his compromise, Obama still didn't get either the START treaty, or an end to "Don't ask; don't tell". This congress has managed to squander a month and a half since the election and they only have another week or so to get everything done and frankly, I don't think they're going to make it. This bill will stimulate the economy and that's what the President and the Republicans are both counting on. So the whole idea was to get Berock elected again, and Katie bar the door after that! Because we are going to have another economic bubble that is going to burst, just like Thom Hartman talks about all the time. And whoever is President in 2013 will have an even bigger mess on his hands because even then no Republican will want to raise any taxes.
In the news they inform us that US trade exports are up. I'm glad. There has been a major winter storm in the midwest making its way east, which covers an impressive land mass area. Snow in Miniapolis collapsed the metrodome roof, and we all have seen the snow cascading through. They will be playing that game in Detroit. In other news you had that "show boat" that ran aground on an island on a lake near Branson because the wind blew the ship off course. They say the ship was undamaged. The photos for the royal couple have been released, one formal and one casual of William and Kate. You had the emotionally wrought Boner on Sixty Minutes. So he cries at the drop of a hat? Does that disqualify a person to be third in line for president? Elizabeth Edwards had her funeral a couple of days ago. Everyone who knew her said what a dynamic, warm, compassionate woman she was.
On the personal front Christmas came early last weekend for me. We had a really warm Indian summer day yesterday for a Sunday that approached perfection, with another one scheduled just like it for today. Sunday was 82 in Los Angeles with higher temperatures at selected locations in the Basin. We here at Shady Rest Institute had our Christmas party on Friday night. The roast beef was overdone as usual. We had the usual instant mashed potatoes and a mish mash of canned peas, ect for vegetables. The two slices of pumpkin pie were the only good part of this meal. But I received a gift of a Chargers football jersey of number 21, Tomlinson, that is way too big for me. Also my brother bought raffle tickets. Give and it will be given unto you. He got some bath oils and bubble bath for his wife, and in a later raffle prize, I gave him the big glass serving tray shaped like a leaf. I had staked out some nice seats but we "had to move to the back of the bus" in the farthest back corner because those seats had been reserved. I had trouble seeing the video because the lights in our part of the room wern't dimmed and there were dangeling Christmas lights and a post in the way, and the screen was too far away for my bad vision. On Saturday night Dr. Levy had his dinner, and I finally got to meet his wife. The meal was much better. We had lazagna and ham, and some kind of exotic fish, and pizza, with three kinds of desert, pumpkin pie, apple pie, which was outstanding, and strawberry cheese cake. Next week I am expecting to receiving a better digital camera from my family when we gather this coming Saturday. It will be an early Christmas.
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