Palin 2012

[Freecare Spiritwise]

When John McCain's 44-year-old running mate returned to Alaska on Wednesday night after he lost the presidential election, she was greeted at the Anchorage airport by chants of "2012! 2012!" Asked by reporters if she might run for president, Palin said, "We'll see what happens then."

The Mayan calendar ends in 2012.

[Tarfang_Trubasher]

Ugh, to even talk about the next election makes me a bit nauseous. Let's just see if we make it through the next four years without wanting to soak our heads in battery acid.

No, that's not a slam against Obama et al -- more of just a world observation. The next 4 years are likely to contain major economic shifts, the ending of at least one war, and major social impact on daily lives (universal health care, energy, etc.).

-TF

[Klast Brell]

Just try to remember. The credit crisis. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.mind blowing deficits. It took us many years to get here. Don't blame the Democratic party if it takes us years to get back out of this pit.

[Rsak]

It pretty vain to think that one person could cause that much strife to end the world in 2012.

Just try to remember. The credit crisis. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.mind blowing deficits. It took us many years to get here. Don't blame the Democratic party if it takes us years to get back out of this pit.

I will agree that it will take years, but it is also fair to acknowledge that the timer started 2 years ago not today. Congress has to salvage their approval rating themselves, rather then hope Obama will do it for them.

[Klast Brell]

The timer on what? The wars? 2002 and 2003. The deregulation that lead to the mortgage crisis and the credit crunch? The deficit spending so bad it embarrassed all the old guard conservatives? Sorry man. The roots go way deeper than 2 years.

[Rsak]

To get out of the pit as you phrased it. The Democrats have had control of congress for 2 years now and done very little. The boogie man of Bush and his rarely used veto will be gone.

[Tarfang_Trubasher]

Let's just hope people can focus on how to FIX the problem, but not so much who caused it. Though, come Congressional election years, that point will become debatable. I'm almost so worn out, I don't care who "did it," but who/how is it going to be turned around.

Course, the best drama for media is the lynch mob finding the guilty party and stringing them up by the toenails.

-TF

[Harlowe]

Two years isn't enough time to undo 8 years of Bush/Cheney. The list of things to fix or halt is astronomical. Not to mention the shit he is trying to rush through right now.

[Alluveal]

Plz kill me now.

[Lurker]

Don't forget that the Senate Republicans, with an assist from Reid, have been blocking almost all the Democratic initiatives before they ever get to Bush. That'll end in January.

[Klast Brell]

Sorry Rsak. 2 years of being blocked by presidential vetoes and stonewalling federal agencies. Perhaps you would like to review any of the testimony agency heads gave before congress or the written replies they gave to requests for information. Perhaps you would like to read up on the Bush/Chaney philosophy of the Unitary Executive?

Sorry man. The bush administration is still in power right now. Right now they are still enacting agency rules that will fuck up the Democrat's plans for years to come. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/55441.html

In the next few weeks, the Bush administration is expected to relax environmental-protection rules on power plants near national parks, uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and more mountaintop-removal coal mining in Appalachia.

[Rsak]

Two years isn't enough time to undo 8 years of Bush/Cheney.

Personally I would agree that two years is not long enough, then again regardless of your politics I think no government action has that fast of a response. Shame Pelosi disagreed and made promises in 2006 about their 100 day plan.

Don't forget that the Senate Republicans, with an assist from Reid, have been blocking almost all the Democratic initiatives before they ever get to Bush. That'll end in January.

Honestly Reid gets more blame on that then Bush. If Reid had any brains he would have gotten the bills passed and score the political points of Bush vetoing laws passed by the duly elected representatives.

Klast,

The simple truth is that the Democratic controlled House and Senate very rarely stepped up and had Bush Veto anything. Had congress followed through on their 100 day plan and been shot down by vetoes then I could foresee them having an even larger gain in seats this election cycle, potentially even veto proof.

And I am all for return of more power to Congress. I think it is the best place for the American citizen to find representation.

[Embar Angylwrath]

Klast -

Bush didn't use his veto power very often. Maybe a dozen times tops in his 8 years there.

[Lurker]

Why do you think that is, Embar? The Republicans in Congress did everything bush asked for six years. After the Democrats took over the Republicans in the Senate successfully blocked legislation, breaking records for number of cloture votes.

[Embar Angylwrath]

I dont think that's accurate Lurker. Considering that about 25% of Bush's vetos were over ridden. That would take Republican help.

[Lurker]

Bush's vetoes are irrelevant.

He had none during the six years of Republican control. Zero.

After the Democrats took over the Senate Republicans successfully blocked legislation through the use of cloture votes; fillibusters. Suddenly it required 60 votes to get anything through the Senate because Reid allowed Republicans to fillibuster without actually having to fillibuster. Anything that would have been embarrasing or damaging for Bush to veto was blocked, even bills that had enough support from Republicans to pass.

So, looking at how many vetoes Bush had is completely useless. The bills were blocked before they ever reached him.

[Rsak]

Which is entirely Reid's fault.

While i disagree with the tactics, the Democrats didn't have a problem standing up for their convictions during judge nominations. Why they would avoid making the republicans look bad by letting them filibuster is beyond me.

[Harlowe]

I think every interview I see this woman do, is sooooo incredibly gay (Greta Van Susterens). Jaaaysus she sucks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpvPizuq4-Y

[Lurker]

I didn't think it possible for someone to make me sympathetic to Todd Palin. Wow.

And for making me watch that, and this, I demand you watch this Pelosi interview. Twice.

[Harlowe]

Fuck no, I can't stand that woman. I couldn't get past the first 10 seconds of that. I think I'd rather go watch Greta say "First Dude" two fucking hundred times in one interview again.