in place of the ideologically popular choices that the current administration has employed.WASHINGTON - Automakers gained $25 billion in taxpayer-subsidized loans and oil companies won elimination of a long-standing ban on drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as the Senate passed a sprawling spending bill Saturday.
The 78-12 vote sent the $634 billion measure to President Bush, who was expected to sign it even though it spends more money and contains more pet projects than he would have liked.
The measure is needed to keep the government operating beyond the current budget year, which ends Tuesday. As a result, the legislation is one of the few bills this election year that simply must pass. Bush's signature would mean Congress could avoid a lame-duck session after the Nov. 4 election.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the bill "stands as a reminder of the failure of the Democratic Congress to fund the government in regular order." But, he said, it "puts the United States one step closer to ending our dependence on foreign sources of energy" by lifting the offshore drilling ban and opening up huge reserves of oil shale in the West.
The Pentagon is in line for a record budget. In addition to $70 billion approved this summer for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense Department would receive $488 billion, a 6 percent increase. The spending bill also offers aid to victims of flooding in the Midwest and recent hurricanes across the Gulf Coast.
Such a huge bill usually would dominate the end-of-session agenda on Capitol Hill. But it went below the radar screen because attention focused on the congressional bailout of Wall Street.
. . . .
Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group, discovered 2,322 pet projects totaling $6.6 billion. That included 2,025 in the defense portion alone that cost a total of $4.9 billion. Critics of such "earmarks" promise to scrutinize them in coming weeks and months for links to lobbyists and campaign contributions.
Taxpayers for Common Sense said the senator who sought the most pet projects was Alaska Republican Ted Stevens -- on trial for allegedly failing to disclose more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations. Stevens requested 39 projects totaling $238.5 million, The New York Times reported yesterday.
So she can take out my appendix, not plan the health care economy. Here is what he's 'really planning' according to Bob Herbert of the NYT?Evo said:That's what McCain says. Here is what he's really planning.
Adrenaline had originally posted this, she's a doctor.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16herbert.html?hp
Yes that figure includes: illegal aliens, those that qualify for medicaid but never sign up, twenty somethings that can easily afford coverage but still choose not to buy, and those that that don't qualify for government help but still can't afford insurance (pre-existing/chronic).Astronuc said:I agree with this assessment. When McCain talks about tax credits for health insurance, he doesn't seem to get it that those who can't afford health insurance also don't pay much in the way of taxes - because their incomes are too low.
There are about 47 million Americans without health insurance (I wonder if that includes illegal aliens and migrant workers).
http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.shtml
Yes, heavy PPO family plan w/ dependents. ~$20k/yr, employer pays ~60%.Evo said:mheslep, do you currently have employer healthcare?
Yes. Years ago was self employed, used a small business group plan, and more recently I stay on top of quotes for high deductible HSAs. Same exact plan, same insurer as my PPO above but ~half the cost including the cost of the deductible. Just ran it again: $2870/yr + $7500 deductible = $10370, same exact coverage/insurer. As you can see, the HSA plan is much preferable IF I could get my employer to pay me the benefit directly as salary rather than as health care. This point comes up often in my company as there are many that have prior experience as self-employed.Have you ever had to try to get health care insurance in the private market. I have. What experience do you have with getting private health insurance?
Well I hope your mother gets all the care she needs. If your mother is retired, I assume we're not talking about employer based plans in this case? If so, how is that relevant to McCain's plan and this discussion? Doesn't Medicare help out?Do you have a pre-exisiting health condition that prevents you from getting private health insurance (my mother does) and I have had to deal with that financially.
Yes I know, he's 'insane', 'clueless', etc.I can tell you that McCain's plan is disastrous for the average American
I would be shocked if Obama won by 10%. And if nothing disastrous happens over the next month, I will not believe the numbers if they say Obama won by 20%.Astronuc said:I could see 55% of the popular vote for Obama and 45% for McCain, but I would not be surprised if it went 60/40 Obama/McCain.
Gokul43201 said:I would be shocked if Obama won by 10%. And if nothing disastrous happens over the next month, I will not believe the numbers if they say Obama won by 20%.
What about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - another $500 billion during the next 4 years?The focus right now – and probably for many months to come – is the bailout binge aimed at saving our financial system. All told, the government will likely put more than $1 trillion on the line (with hope the money will be recouped down the road).
Then there are the two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan. The combined cost is fast approaching $1 trillion, too – and both will eat up the time and budgets of the next president.
Then there is also the prescription drug benefit Bush added to Medicare. It carries a projected price tag of nearly $700 billion over ten years and serves as a powerful reminder of how big – untenably big, many experts say – our entitlement programs have grown.
None of that spending was cooked into the federal budget when Bush took office eight years ago, leaving a budgetary hole almost too deep to comprehend. It will tie the hands of President McCain or President Obama in ways neither candidate has reckoned with yet on the campaign trail.
“It’s really a federal fiscal catastrophe in coming years,” says Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute, a libertarian-oriented think tank. “With all this stuff coming up now, it’s massive, big decisions the next president is going to have to make.”
. . .
How can you cut taxes when the government is so deep in the red? The budget deficit is projected to top $400 billion – and that was before the bailout.
How can you expand health care coverage when the country is broke? The federal debt is now expected to top $11 trillion by 2010.
How can you focus on “earmarks” and “waste” when everyone knows they make up a meaningless fraction of the federal budget?
. . . .
SEC. 122. INCREASE IN STATUTORY LIMIT ON THE PUBLIC
4 DEBT.
5 Subsection (b) of section 3101 of title 31, United
6 States Code, is amended by striking out the dollar limita7
tion contained in such subsection and inserting
8 ‘‘$11,315,000,000,000’’.
So that's where they snuck that in. I guess that covers the $700 billion and another $400+ billion deficit for FY2009.Alfi said:wow. Pretty soon it adds up to real money.
Evo said:Interesting, almost everyone (except the young Earth creationist) in my office is voting for Obama, and these people are from Missouri and Kansas. Even my boss, who is Hispanic, is voting for Obama. He even has a personally autographed photo of Obama in his office. All of these people are highly religious, they grab you and start praying over you in the office, one is a minister. They *LOVE* Obama. Doesn't this go against the grain of who is supposed to be pro-Obama? Maybe there is more support for Obama than is reflected in the polls. In my office alone there are over 100 people, so I would say that it is a pretty good sampling.
It's funnier that these people think Palin is crazy. They are the people she is supposed to attract.LowlyPion said:It's not that surprising really. Obama is a religious man after all. Though he does not wear it on his sleeves or take policy positions that pander to the far right faith agendas. It's not exactly like he is a heathen that Catholics or Baptists can't relate to.
Evo said:It's funnier that these people think Palin is crazy.
AGGREGATES OF CURRENT POLLS | PROJECTIONS
|
Date RCP1 RCP2 CNN Elec-Vote USAtlas-A Pollster | Elec-Proj USAtlas-P
06/21 238/163 289/249 211/194 317/194 271/191 | 349/189 298/240
06/26 238/163 317/221 211/194 317/194 288/180 | 338/200 298/240
07/01 238/163 304/234 231/194 317/221 268/180 | 338/200 293/245
07/06 238/163 304/234 231/194 320/218 268/177 | 338/200 293/245
07/11 238/163 304/234 231/194 320/215 268/188 | 306/232 293/245
07/16 255/163 304/234 231/194 320/204 268/177 | 311/227 293/245
07/21 255/163 322/216 231/194 312/199 268/172 293/214 | 298/240 293/245
07/26 238/163 322/216 221/189 292/195 264/175 284/147 | 338/200 298/240
08/11 238/163 322/216 221/189 289/236 264/202 284/157 | 298/240 293/245
08/21 228/174 264/274 221/189 264/261 264/210 260/191 | 264/274 293/245
08/26 228/174 273/265 221/189 273/252 259/210 260/176 | 273/265 293/245
09/06 238/174 273/265 243/189 301/224 259/194 260/179 | 278/260 293/245
09/16 207/227 286/252 233/189 247/257 216/246 243/219 | 273/265 273/265
09/26 228/163 286/252 240/200 286/252 264/185 229/174 | 273/265 273/265
10/01 249/163 348/190 250/189 286/190 264/185 250/174 | 273/265 273/265That's not just any "small town". That was Scranton, PA - home to Hillary and Biden.Defennder said:Apparently a Fox reporter decided to poll some customers in a small town PA diner to see who they'll vote for:
Defennder said:I just saw this. It's a clip of how a Faux News reporter can't even spin the results of a live poll properly. Apparently a Fox reporter decided to poll some customers in a small town PA diner to see who they'll vote for:
KTkqosRiyYo[/youtube] Hilarious....voters and viewers they apparently appeal to.
INTRADE IOWA ELECTRONIC MARKET
Obama McCain Dem Rep
June 26 $64.1 $32.4 0.622 0.378
July 11 $65.0 $31.2 0.643 0.358
July 26 $63.2 $32.2 0.688 0.355
Aug 11 $59.2 $37.2 0.621 0.377
Oct 01 $64.8 $34.6 0.651 0.322If I recall correctly, Fox preferred Giuliani in the GOP primaries. Don't think they had a good opinion of McCain then.LowlyPion said:Well all the Fox people behind the camera were raising their hands.
I think to work at Fox you have to be certified as dummie. Even Hannity's token liberal foil Coombs, is a dummie because Hannity can't compete with anything warmer than a corpse.
This is apparently why they like McCain (at the bottom of the Naval Academy class), and Palin a shallow thinker par excellance that just reads what's put in front of her. These are the kinds of voters and viewers they apparently appeal to.
Updated upon request - the bump you are looking for is visible in the Sep 11 numbers.Defennder said:Your market update doesn't include the period for early September when McCain got his post convention bump. I'd like to know what the numbers were then.
INTRADE IOWA ELECTRONIC MARKET
Obama McCain Dem Rep
Jun 26 $64.1 $32.4 0.622 0.378
Jul 11 $65.0 $31.2 0.643 0.358
Jul 26 $63.2 $32.2 0.688 0.355
Aug 11 $59.9 $37.2 0.621 0.377
Aug 21 $59.0 $38.7 0.607 0.394
Sep 01 $61.1 $39.2 0.602 0.395
Sep 11 $49.0 $49.9 0.540 0.462
Sep 21 $51.3 $47.7 0.601 0.392
Oct 01 $64.8 $34.6 0.651 0.322LowlyPion said:Des Moines Straight Talk Express:
lisab said:The guy looks like he's seething...he looks like he's ready to blow up! No way McCain has the temperment needed to be President. No way, no how...
That's not true. McCain held a higher favorability rating than Obama only for a brief period of a week or two following the Palin announcement. Before that (since at least as long ago as June), as well as over this last week, Obama has had McCain beat, in terms of favorability.Ivan Seeking said:Finally, he now has a higher favorability rating than McCain, which is a first.
The age thing is pretty big.Ivan Seeking said:Woohoo! CNN shows Obama leading in both Ohio and Florida. Yipppeeee!
They also show Obama gaining ground with women, and in particular married women. He is also leading in Florida with people over 50 year of age. THAT is huge! Finally, he now has a higher favorability rating than McCain, which is a first.
Positive.Ivan Seeking said:Hmmm, are you sure?