Propagandists First

If everyone in Wonkland knew that ‘‘you can keep your own medical plan’’ wasn’t true, why didn’t ‘‘anyone in Wonkland’’ challenge it?

Goldberg:

...What does it say about the liberal wonks that they either never said so when the legislation was being debated or said so very quietly under their breaths?

Maybe that they’re a pack of partisan liars?

Related:
MORE (131031, 17:32): *Now* They Tell Us  Dept

Posted by: Old Grouch in The Press at 21:51:39 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Booooo!

Instapundit spots a headline:

The performance of the Republican leadership has eliminated the party as a serious threat to anything, excepting liberty and taxpayers’ pocketbooks.

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 17:07:28 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Remember, remember, ‘‘the End of November’’

...when they’ll tell us they need another extension.

On Friday... the man the president brought in to rescue his health insurance program acknowledged the painfully obvious: that the problems have been far worse than we were told.  Jeffrey Zeints said they’ll take weeks — if not longer — to fix.  Plus, he’s shaking up the team overseeing the repair.
...
‘‘And by the end of November, healthcare.gov will work smoothly for the vast majority of users.’’

(Via:  Insty.)

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 17:11:19 GMT | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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We’ve come a long way...

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 16:25:19 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Clipfile - October 23, 2013

Posted by: Old Grouch in Clipfile at 18:27:44 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Send Roberta warm thoughts...

...or maybe a hot plumber!

Looks like she’s gonna need it...

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 12:59:05 GMT | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Liars’ Figures

Bill Quick:

First we go nearly five months with no increase in the debt at all, (according to official government reports) and then we get a one-day jump of a third of a trillion dollars.

And you think government statistics about anything are accurate?  What are you?  A moron?

Related:

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 23:57:26 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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32 Years of GOP Excuses

With all the ‘‘first you’ve got to win elections’’ talk on the heels of the shutdown, this comment (at PJMedia, by ‘‘HerbN’’), deserves more exposure:

GOP Excuses:

• 1981-1986: We can’t reduce government because we only have the White House and the Senate but the Dems have the House.
• 1987-1992: We can’t reduce government because we only have the White House but the Dems have Congress.
• 1993-1994: We can’t reduce government because we control nothing.
• 1995-2000: We can’t reduce government because we only have Congress but the Dems have the White House.
• 2001: We can’t reduce government because we only have the White House, The House, and half the Senate with a tie-breaking VP.  Because we only have half the Senate we have to be nice.
• 2001-2002: We can’t reduce government because we only have the White House and the House but the Dems have the Senate.
• 2003-2006: We can’t reduce government because we only have the White House, the House, and Senate while the Dems have nothing.
• 2007-2008: We can’t reduce government because we only have the White House but the Dems have Congress.
• 2009-2010: We can’t reduce government because we control nothing.
• 2011-Now: We can’t reduce government because we only have the House but the Dems have the Senate and the White House.

There are eight combinations possible with two parties and three institutions.  The only one we haven't tried is a GOP Senate with Democratic House and White House.

None of the seven combinations tried have reduced government.

Why should I believe winning elections, at least the GOP winning elections, will change anything?

The obvious conclusion: The Republicans are not about reducing government, only about talking about it in order to get elected.

Tell me I’m wrong.

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 23:13:46 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Because: Hacks. Also stupid.

Glenn Reynolds asks the musical question:

...why the House and Senate GOP are offering ‘‘competing’’ plans and putting Obama in the position of decider?

...and Bill Quick sings the chorus:

The Gentry GOP believes that by leaving Obamacare in place and then running endlessly against it, they can achieve great victories and a restoration of their powers.

I think that by pursuing this strategy they will bring the utter destruction of their party and their powers.

We’ll see who is right, though, won’t we?

Elsewhere:

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 17:36:47 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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More useless posturing

The Daily Caller:

The disclosures about the National Security Agency’s unchecked phone and Internet surveillance programs are hurting the U.S. economy, warned Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden on Wednesday.
...
‘‘American companies that are believed to have been the subject of government surveillance orders are taking a major hit internationally and here at home,’’ said Wyden.
...
According to a recent report by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, the NSA’s Internet surveillance programs could cost the U.S. cloud computing industry up to $35 billion over the next three years due to the companies’ damaged reputations abroad...

...and also because foreigners aren’t particularly desirous of the NSA reading all their data.  But we knew that...

‘‘Let me tell you, if a foreign enemy was doing this much damage to our economy, people would be in the streets with pitchforks,’’ said Wyden.

So, Senator, do you guys in Congress plan to do anything about it?

Didn’t think so...

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 16:29:41 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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