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just passing thru
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 3, 2009 - 01:25pm PT
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CPAC 2009 was a HUGE success. Biggest turnout ever (8,500) - next year will be at a new venue because of increasing numbers.
The mood was extremely positive and the message is unified.
Straw poll results put smaller/less intrusive government at the top priority (74%)
The Religious Right was kicked to the curb (only 7% liked Huckabee for 2012)
For those of you who are educated by the mainstream media, let me clarify:
Rush is the Conservative spokesman, he is not the leader.
It was the GOP/RNC that thought they could marginalize Conservatives and become more “moderate” to attract independent voters. McCain demonstrated how well that worked.
The Conservatives have taken control of the party – Mr RNC, Michael Steele yesterday attacked Rush, before closing bell he apologized and kissed El Rushbo’s ring.
The Conservatives want you to succeed, we want the country to succeed and we intend to fight the implementation of European socialism into America to whatever degree is necessary.
And for what Rush has been saying - let me put in the PC terms that liberals can understand: We support the president, but not his mission.
Side note for the knee-jerk Joe the Plumber haters. I had the chance to meet Joe and talk with him. I was curious as to what his driving political ambitions were – Joe wants to use his new found fame to go after the IRS, so many of you might want to back off, he is fighting for what you believe…
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Good
Maybe the IRS will now start going after the tax cheats that
have all their money stashed in swiss bank accounts and
the phoney offshore corporations so they don't have to
pay taxes like the rest of us stiffs.
That'd go a long way in helping our budget crises.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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What's the matter with European socialism? I get taxed to death and get nuthin in return. At least in places like Sweden the roads are in good shape and you can see a doctor.
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KuntryKlimber
Mountain climber
Rock Hill, SC
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Rasmussen says
"The highest unfavorables are earned by Rush Limbaugh (62%) and Larry King (46%). Couric (42%) and O’Reilly (41%) are the only other reporters to top the 40% mark in unfavorables."
62% of Americans find Rush Limbaugh unfavorable. The GOP would do well to insult him more often. Maybe they are trying to get a head start on losing the next one(s).
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jstan
climber
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For many years we heard about "Healthy Forests" - meaning stumps. And about weapons of mass destruction that turned into killing people so we could spread democracy.
You folks have a real and persistent credibility problem. It will not go away for a long time. When you say "ownership society" I know you intend to own me. When you say you are working to go UP, I know you are working to go DOWN.
When you are constantly threatening to filibuster and are posing obdurate resistance to all attempts to solve problems created during your time in power I know absolutely nothing has changed.
You value having power in your hands as the only thing of importance. The welfare of the country as a whole is unimportant.
Once you have all the money you want I guess you plan to go live in Dubai.
The US has no extradition treaty with Dubai. Must be a nice place. The CEO of Halliburton lives there now.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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What's the matter with European socialism?
It destroys the entrepeneurial spirit. It stifles creativity and innovation.
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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"We support the president, but not his mission."
So you WANT the economy to fail? Just to try to prove your point? That's like when the liberals wanted the Iraq war to fail, but it's ok to want failure when it supports your ideas right?
What if the mission is successful and the expansion of govt. spending helps us, will you admit you were wrong or cling to your ideology in the face of evidence to the contrary? I'm guessing the latter.
Republicans are all freaked out about spending a trillion on infrastructure, education, tax cuts, etc. but were ok when it was a trillion for an unneeded war or bailing out irresponsible companies...
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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SteveW, it's not the IRS that needs to go after them. What they are doing is completely legal and backed by the law.
It's also bullsh#t. If a company wants to play in our sandbox, they need to pay.We need to close the loopholes.
Unfortunately we also have one of the the highest corporate tax rates in the world. A good portion of that is because "we the people" decided that corporations should pay for health insurance and retirement benefits. The other "euro-socialist" free up corporations from those burdens by taxing the people through sales taxes or VAT. That dreaded "consumption" tax needs to be re-visited. It seems to work pretty well where it's in place. Again, that's not a perfect solution but my point is that we need, desperately, to put a new set of eyeballs on the way this country works.
All ideas welcome.
Mal
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KlimbIn
climber
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WHY do you use Conservative to mean Republican?
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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There is lots of creativity and innovation in Europe.
The problem with conservatism is that it's really just a theory. It may sound good on paper, but it just does not work in reality. On the other end, communisim is the same way. Nice idea, but hopelessly unrealistic.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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If you're defining socialism at least in part as willingness to have progressive taxes and soak the rich more, than the US was far more socialist in the 50's, when we had much higher marginal tax rates (and CEOs made alot less relative to average employees). Yet I don't see any conservatives thinking that the US was a far less innovative place in the 50s?
As for GOP leaders, what do those of you who consider yourselves GOP/conservative think of Jon Huntsman, the current UT gov? He has foreign policy experience and is moderate on social and enviromental issues. Think Schwarznegger without Hollywood and budget problems.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Do tell....
Apple, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, GE, Westinghouse, Intel, AMD, Altera, Fairchild, etc..to name some of the tech giants that would have been 'different' under socialism.
Lockheed, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Loral for competition in the defense sector.
And on and on...
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Mal
You're correct, of course. Yes, we need to have nationalized
health care which will take that burden from the corporations.
But we also need to change the laws so corporations and the wealthy cannot hide all of their money with scams such as that.
They need to pay their fair share of taxes, just like we do.
I don't think being taxed to pay for the errors of the bankers
is correct, though. Those huge banks should fail, if we buy the assets, we should run them, and those bankers that caused the problems should be jailed for malfeasance and their fortunes should be taken back and used to pay for the failures they caused. AIG should go out of business, as should CITI, and others.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Blue, it's funny that you listed some of the biggest recipients of federal money as companies that would be different under socialism.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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SteveW, you're right and your plan would have worked EXCEPT that the Clinton/Bush dynasty allowed the consolidation of our financial sector into a handful HUGE conglomerates with little or no oversight. If any of the remaining "banks" collapse, a lot, if not all, commerce will grind to a halt and the government will have to step in. I think what's happening is the government is stepping in before that happens.
I don't like it one bit but I look at it like a schoolyard fight. Generally the kids are better off if left alone, but once in a while a gang-fight breaks out and the adults have to step in. When thing calm down the adults step back and let the kids figure it out again... hopefully. We're all going to have to watch carefully to make sure that the government does step out of it when it's done what it can.
Did you see that Time magazine a few weeks ago that had the list of the 25 people responsible for the collapse? They should all be in jail.
Mal
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Have you ever even been to Europe?
Yeah, I lived in Italy for 4 1/2 years. Also travelled extensively while there.
And I was against bailing out most companies. Especially, gov't stakes in those companies.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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I'd say it has a lot to do with OUR bad mortgages and the trading/buying of them. But I'm no expert here.
Our stock market continually going down isn't helping either. The markets need confidence in the future and they obviously aren't seeing it...on the present course.
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