Politics: Where we struggle to kneel in the muck.

[SlaveNoMore]

Sidd Finch
Where do you see the word "mandatory" in there? It's not even implied, and references to "helping young people serve their country in return for college" and the setting of a "goal" of one million demonstrate that Kerry is not even suggesting it be mandatory.

Reading is Fundamental, as the saying goes:

As President, John Kerry will ensure that every high school student in America performs community service as a requirement for graduation....

[Gattigap]

The folks who brought you This Land is Your Land have another short, Good to Be in DC, sung to the tune of "Dixie."

Despite the improbable melody, it's not bad.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Gattigap
Slave's favorite pundit Sullivan muses:



I think this election needs to be either a decisive win or at least a clear electoral one, for either candidate. We read that both sides are preparing for a post-election fight that will make Florida 2000 look like a bake sale. Beyond the problem that a contested election will produce a crippled winner, I'm so sick of hearing about this stuff that I can't imagine us refighting these battles for another 4 years.

My stomach dropped when I read the following in Atrios this morning:

I want to add that the sad thing is both sides (or at least, I hope both sides) are of course gearing up to fight the post-election battle, both the legal one and the publicc relations battle. No matter what happens, if the election is anything approaching "close," both sides are going to cast a cloud of illegitimacy over the other person's victory. Whether or not any side can try to use the legal system to yank back a victory is one question, but the noise machine will be cranked up high. The Right will scream "voter fraud" everytime a Hispanic person votes, and the Left will be screaming about voter intimidation and voting machines. Aside from the individual merits of any of those claims, both sides will inevitably be making them in order to control the post-election day spin.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by dtb
Why did it have no credibility when Hank was trumpeting it?

jewess

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
My stomach dropped when I read the following in Atrios this morning:

I've been contacted to serve as one such legal-eagle poll-watcher by the party. (I said no.) Four of my Dem friends are already signed up on their side. And this is Minnesota. I'm guessing that, in Florida, the biggest problem for voters is going to be threading their way to the voting booth past all of the watchers already filling the rooms.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by The Larry Davis Experience
As dirty as "the dems want to ban your bible"? I'm just trying to set up my dirty fucking shit continuum here.

Or as dirty as "that judge is a pedophile" (when directed to someone running for supreme court justice against one of Karl Rove's clients in Alabama)?

Great article on Rove in this month's Atlantic -- sadly, only the introduction is available on-line. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200411/green

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
jewess

Mmmmm. Jewess!

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
My stomach dropped when I read the following in Atrios this morning:

I like how the author ties the Right's potential protests to racial identity. That is fucking bullshit, and the author should be beaten just for trying to inject that sort of bullshit race-paranoia into an otherwise straight analysis.

Funny how the two ethnic groups most strongly opposed to gay marriage are supposedly black and hispanic (if "hispanic" were properly considered a single ethicity). Is this an attempt to knock somebody back in line? Sorta like how the Democrats are telling blacks in the South that the Republicans don't want you to vote?

Fuck him and fuck the horse he rode in on. Fucking fuckety fuck racists.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I like how the author ties the Right's potential protests to racial identity. That is fucking bullshit, and the author should be beaten just for trying to inject that sort of bullshit race-paranoia into an otherwise straight analysis.

Relax. He meant the right, not your Right.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by bilmore
Anyone here who knows tax (really knows, I mean, not knows, like me, merely how to spell the word) if this is nonsensical or realistic?

==========================

"Hooray for the AMT? Taxpayers have to either pay their regular income tax or the "Alternative Minimum Tax" (AMT)--whichever is higher. The AMT was designed to catch rich people who use loopholes and deductions to escape taxation. But because the AMT isn't indexed for inflation, more and more middle class taxpayers will have to pay it. Conventional wisdom holds that Congress will have to step in and correct this situation before middle class taxpayers revolt. Indeed, the need to do something about the horrible AMT is considered the driving political engine behind proposals for overhauling the regular tax code, according to the NYT's Edmund Andrews. ... But why isn't the unindexed AMT a feature rather than a bug? That is, why isn't it a good vehicle for gradually introducing tax reform and simplification? How? Keep all the deductions and credits in the tax code, but simplify the AMT so it's the tax code reformers really want. And keep it unindexed. Then, as the AMT hits further and further down the income scale, more and more taxpayers will have to shift to the reformed AMT system--until most Americans don't even bother with their old regular tax calculations. They just pay the simplified tax, which is maybe a little bit higher than the old complicated tax. (You want simplicity, you pay a bit more!) Presto--the old tax code has been gradually put out of its misery like the proverbial frog in slowly heated water. ...Don't fight the AMT--surrender to it!"

I many ways, the AMT calculation is more complex than the regular tax. In addition, the way the law is now written, you have to calculate your regular tax before you can pay the AMT (i.e., you cannot pay the AMT unless your regular tax as determined on the 1040 is lower). There are many other idiosyncrasies that make this a real pain in the ass. In addition, there is no way that anyone will ever convince me that two tax systems operating in parallel but with different rates and rules, is simpler.

But, my main objection to it is this: I want Congress to have some balls. If they want to change the Code, then do it. Lower taxes, raise taxes, whatever. But do it in the sunshine, where the voters can see what they're doing, and grade, that is, vote, accordingly.

[dtb]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
jewess

Uh -- that's a capital "J" sheigitz.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
Any comment on the current rumor in blogistan that this photograph from the debate shows Bush with some kind of communication device strapped to his back, so he could get prompting from afar?



Even Drudge seems to be pushing it now.

He couldn't have done as badly as he did if he had any help from the sidelines.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Reading is Fundamental, as the saying goes:

Ah. Comment withdrawn. I avoid clicking links on the boards, because this is a big enough time-drain anyway.

Mandatory public service -- bad idea.

Besides, we'll need all those people available to be drafted.

[dtb]

Originally posted by taxwonk
He couldn't have done as badly as he did if he had any help from the sidelines.

That's what I thought originally; however (and, surprisingly, more charitably), I now think that it may partially explain why he looked so utterly nonplussed -- circuit overload.

Then again, if he was going to cheat -- you'd think he'd have rehearsed the "talking in the earpiece, then spewing out what you tell me" schtick. Apparently, this Cyrano act is not unprecedented for this president.

It is curious that they didn't want any camera angles shot from behind the candidates -- it seems like an odd request.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Ah. Comment withdrawn. I avoid clicking links on the boards, because this is a big enough time-drain anyway.

Mandatory public service -- bad idea.

Besides, we'll need all those people available to be drafted.

it was my fault. I wasn't careful in ensuring I copied all I should have, or it was a right wing set-up (hi Ty)