F-102 pilot kicks sailors ass

"Lawrence Dillard" wrote

I'm going to keep my campaign right here in America."

Mr Bush had better start soon; he has quite a plateful of overseas issues
to explain away, and possibly as many tough internal issues as well.

The reason Bush won't be re-elected, is he has never vetoed a spending bill.

He did the tax cut to give back the surplus, and then signed bills to spend
the money anyway. Enron was an amateur comparably.

I'm trying to get my representatives to sponsor a constitutional amendment
that says basically, that the budget (as per the CBO) will be balanced two
years out of seven.

On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 18:01:16 -0600, "D. Strang"
wrote:

"Lawrence Dillard" wrote

I'm going to keep my campaign right here in America."

Mr Bush had better start soon; he has quite a plateful of overseas issues
to explain away, and possibly as many tough internal issues as well.

The reason Bush won't be re-elected, is he has never vetoed a spending bill.

You state a fact but grossly over-simplify a conclusion. The Supreme
Court has over-turned the "line-item" veto making it necessary to take
bills in toto rather than excise specific pork items. The trend from
Congress is increasingly to load up popular bills with amendments
bringing home the bacon. Back-scratching between
representatives/senators to guarantee passage of the principal bill
means a load of budget-busters included.

If we start with the essential truism that appropriations bills start
in the house, the conclusion might be that it isn't the President that
is creating budget problems.

He did the tax cut to give back the surplus, and then signed bills to spend
the money anyway. Enron was an amateur comparably.

The Enron statement is a throw-away. A non-sequitur and inflammatory.

The tax cut was not to "give back the surplus" but to stimulate the
economy. The basic difference between conservative and liberal
approaches to the economy is that conservatives tend to believe that
individuals can best spend their own money.

Signing bills is only part of the process. Congress initiates,
debates, amends and then through passage reflects the "will of the
electorate" when they send bills forward to the President. Culpability
does not reside solely with the executive.

I'm trying to get my representatives to sponsor a constitutional amendment
that says basically, that the budget (as per the CBO) will be balanced two
years out of seven.

How very popular! But, impractical. First, the CBO is a suspiciously
political instrument and motivated by other factors than pure
accounting. Second, deficit spending is a necessary practice for both
long term capital investment and to respond to unforeseen
contingencies. Third, the ability to build infrastructure and pay it
off in future year dollars will often mandate defiict spending. (We do
it regularly in our personal budgets when we buy homes or cars.)




Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
...

You state a fact but grossly over-simplify a conclusion. The Supreme
Court has over-turned the "line-item" veto making it necessary to take
bills in toto rather than excise specific pork items. The trend from
Congress is increasingly to load up popular bills with amendments
bringing home the bacon. Back-scratching between
representatives/senators to guarantee passage of the principal bill
means a load of budget-busters included.


Quite right. That vile tactic will continue as long as it is successful.
Presidents need to veto these bills and make it clear why they're being
vetoed.

"Ed Rasimus" wrote
"D. Strang" wrote:

The reason Bush won't be re-elected, is he has never vetoed a spending bill.

You state a fact but grossly over-simplify a conclusion. The Supreme
Court has over-turned the "line-item" veto making it necessary to take
bills in toto rather than excise specific pork items. The trend from
Congress is increasingly to load up popular bills with amendments
bringing home the bacon. Back-scratching between
representatives/senators to guarantee passage of the principal bill
means a load of budget-busters included.

The White House (I'm not even blaming the President, but the whole
Executive) seems to be saying; that, as long as we get our program
through, then we really don't care what it costs.

If we start with the essential truism that appropriations bills start
in the house, the conclusion might be that it isn't the President that
is creating budget problems.

I believe it starts with the budget from the Executive, and snow-balls
from that start.

He did the tax cut to give back the surplus, and then signed bills to spend
the money anyway. Enron was an amateur comparably.

The Enron statement is a throw-away. A non-sequitur and inflammatory.

Enron is synonymous with accounting schemes. Anything but the truth.
We now operate on 10, 20, and 30 year plans. In 30 years we will
balance the budget they say, but then can't even predict six months in
advance on any specific chart leader. To top it off, we don't really know
anything except what the debt is, because banks use computers.

The tax cut was not to "give back the surplus" but to stimulate the
economy. The basic difference between conservative and liberal
approaches to the economy is that conservatives tend to believe that
individuals can best spend their own money.

You are simplifying too much. When the Republicans won the Executive,
the Congress was spending the surplus in small ways. It was a great
temptation. First, they needed to get rid of the surplus, and the debate
about paying down the debt, lost out to giving everyone some money
back. But then the market crashed. Nobody even remembers what they
spent the $300 on, but it was probably imports at Wal-Mart.

I'm trying to get my representatives to sponsor a constitutional amendment
that says basically, that the budget (as per the CBO) will be balanced two
years out of seven.

How very popular! But, impractical. First, the CBO is a suspiciously
political instrument and motivated by other factors than pure
accounting. Second, deficit spending is a necessary practice for both
long term capital investment and to respond to unforeseen
contingencies. Third, the ability to build infrastructure and pay it
off in future year dollars will often mandate defiict spending. (We do
it regularly in our personal budgets when we buy homes or cars.)

The only other measure would be "Percent of GDP", which is even more
artistic. CBO is used in all Executive budget computations. Currently we are
paying about 300 Billion a year in interest (300 Billion is the same as 6 million
$50k a year jobs, or almost the same as what we budget for DOD. That's
a lot of F-22's we could have bought.

All of that makes sense until the debt number is written down. There's no
way that 7,000 Billion can be compared with buying a new home or car.

Time to pay off the debt, not spend more.

Ed Rasimus wrote:

On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 18:01:16 -0600, "D. Strang"
wrote:

"Lawrence Dillard" wrote

I'm going to keep my campaign right here in America."

Mr Bush had better start soon; he has quite a plateful of overseas issues
to explain away, and possibly as many tough internal issues as well.

The reason Bush won't be re-elected, is he has never vetoed a spending bill.

You state a fact but grossly over-simplify a conclusion. The Supreme
Court has over-turned the "line-item" veto making it necessary to take
bills in toto rather than excise specific pork items. The trend from
Congress is increasingly to load up popular bills with amendments
bringing home the bacon. Back-scratching between
representatives/senators to guarantee passage of the principal bill
means a load of budget-busters included.

If we start with the essential truism that appropriations bills start
in the house, the conclusion might be that it isn't the President that
is creating budget problems.

He did the tax cut to give back the surplus, and then signed bills to spend
the money anyway. Enron was an amateur comparably.

The Enron statement is a throw-away. A non-sequitur and inflammatory.

The tax cut was not to "give back the surplus" but to stimulate the
economy. The basic difference between conservative and liberal
approaches to the economy is that conservatives tend to believe that
individuals can best spend their own money.

Signing bills is only part of the process. Congress initiates,
debates, amends and then through passage reflects the "will of the
electorate" when they send bills forward to the President. Culpability
does not reside solely with the executive.

I'm trying to get my representatives to sponsor a constitutional amendment
that says basically, that the budget (as per the CBO) will be balanced two
years out of seven.

How very popular! But, impractical. First, the CBO is a suspiciously
political instrument and motivated by other factors than pure
accounting. Second, deficit spending is a necessary practice for both
long term capital investment and to respond to unforeseen
contingencies. Third, the ability to build infrastructure and pay it
off in future year dollars will often mandate defiict spending. (We do
it regularly in our personal budgets when we buy homes or cars.)



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

Well, what about this statement from the Republican Party Platform?

Reducing that debt is both a sound policy goal and a moral imperative. Our
families and most states are required to balance their budgets; it is reasonable
to assume the federal government should do the same. Therefore, we reaffirm our
support for a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget.

Bob McKellar

On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 08:37:01 -0500, Bob McKellar
wrote:

Well, what about this statement from the Republican Party Platform?

Reducing that debt is both a sound policy goal and a moral imperative. Our
families and most states are required to balance their budgets; it is reasonable
to assume the federal government should do the same. Therefore, we reaffirm our
support for a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget.

Bob McKellar

It seems that somewhere about 18 months after that platform statement
there was a little altercation in New York city that blew all economic
predictions out the window (no puns intended.)

To be realistic, platforms are statements of general principles.
You'll also find statements in the Republican platform on
right-to-life, school prayer, vouchers, tax rates, etc. etc. etc.
While they sound good, they tend to be pure populism--an attempt to
appeal to the base while simultaneously offering "something for
everyone." Most importantly, there should be the recognition
(disappointing though it may be) that platforms bind no one.

If we were to be bound by a Constitutional Amendment to balance the
budget every year, we would be left unable to respond to exceptional
circumstances such as 9/11.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

"Lawrence Dillard" wrote in message
...

"D. Strang" wrote in message
news:XW67c.2445$Gg.2318@okepread03...
Bush on JFKerry:

"The other day, here in Florida, he claimed some important endorsements,
He won't tell us the name of the foreign admirers. That's OK. Either
way,
I'm not too worried, because

I'm going to keep my campaign right here in America."

Mr Bush had better start soon; he has quite a plateful of overseas issues
to explain away, and possibly as many tough internal issues as well.

April.

Overseas: IRAQ and WMD, continued existence of Al Quaida, Korea,
alienation
of European friends and Allies, migration of thousands of formerly US jobs
offshore. Climbing US KIA and WIA totals.

Saddam believed he had WMD, al Qaeda's existance is at risk now, Korea is in
negotiation with China and Japan, our European friends have bribery problems
to deal with, there are more payroll jobs today than when Clinton left
office

And last but not least, Billy's military body count ran higher.

At home: Purposefully Deceptive Governing.

I doubt GW could have been more straightforward, but I do not doubt your
angst.

He's got a lot of backing and filling to do over his last November's
somewhat tainted Medicare prescription drug plan, at the time called a
"centerpiece" of his re-election campaign. At a time when the deficit was
already soaring, Mr Bush claimed that its cost would be, oh, some $400
billion over a period of ten years, although government analysts had--some
five months earlier--predicted that the actual cost would be closer to
$550
billion. Alas, correction proved necessary, and one Republican
congressman
accused his own party's leadership of attempted bribery on the floor of
the
House (reportedly now under FBI investigation) as a part of the vigorous
arm-twisting which took place.

No, only the CBO numbers are legal. The rest of what you write is just so
much wishfull bull****.

The actuaries who generated the "true" figure say that Bush admin
appointees
violated ethical standards by ordering the actuaries to conceal their
findings from both Congress (congressmen who specifically inquired about
the
cost estimates were told that none existed) as well as the public at
large,
on pain of losing their jobs.

That kind of Democrat lieing only makes you look foolish, Dillard.

Two months after the critical vote, Mr Bush claimed that he was "shocked"
to
discover that the actual cost had increased to $534 billion; one wonders
whether the bill would have passed had the true numbers been known.

The Democrat's plan would have been $1 trillion, so we are bucks ahead and
grandma can get her drugs and not have to eat cat food.

Furthermore, Almost a month before convincing Congress to vote to commit
the
US to warfare with Iraq in 2002, the Bush administration has admitted, it
learned the N Korea had resumed its nuclear program, a fact which did not
bode well for the US' strategic situation. That is, the possibility of
armed conflict in Korea had risen sharply; one wonders how the Congress
might have voted had it known of this renewed threat in timely fashion.
Would it have been willing to authorize commitment of US troops there?
Congress and the public were kept ignorant of this important fact until
after the Iraq vote was history.

Only the ignorant were ignorant of what North Korea were doing. (ie Carter)

snip of more of the same

Mr Tarver, please do me the enormous favor of placing my posts in your
permanent kill-file. I will be greatly relieved. After all, are you sure you
understand the meaning of the word "angst"? And are you certain you could
recognize a democrat even if one sat on your face? Thanks in advance for
granting me the favor I ask....

"Tarver Engineering" wrote in message
...

"Lawrence Dillard" wrote in message
...

"D. Strang" wrote in message
news:XW67c.2445$Gg.2318@okepread03...
Bush on JFKerry:

"The other day, here in Florida, he claimed some important
endorsements,
He won't tell us the name of the foreign admirers. That's OK. Either
way,
I'm not too worried, because

I'm going to keep my campaign right here in America."

Mr Bush had better start soon; he has quite a plateful of overseas
issues
to explain away, and possibly as many tough internal issues as well.

April.

Overseas: IRAQ and WMD, continued existence of Al Quaida, Korea,
alienation
of European friends and Allies, migration of thousands of formerly US
jobs
offshore. Climbing US KIA and WIA totals.

Saddam believed he had WMD, al Qaeda's existance is at risk now, Korea is
in
negotiation with China and Japan, our European friends have bribery
problems
to deal with, there are more payroll jobs today than when Clinton left
office

And last but not least, Billy's military body count ran higher.

At home: Purposefully Deceptive Governing.

I doubt GW could have been more straightforward, but I do not doubt your
angst.

He's got a lot of backing and filling to do over his last November's
somewhat tainted Medicare prescription drug plan, at the time called a
"centerpiece" of his re-election campaign. At a time when the deficit
was
already soaring, Mr Bush claimed that its cost would be, oh, some $400
billion over a period of ten years, although government analysts
had--some
five months earlier--predicted that the actual cost would be closer to
$550
billion. Alas, correction proved necessary, and one Republican
congressman
accused his own party's leadership of attempted bribery on the floor of
the
House (reportedly now under FBI investigation) as a part of the vigorous
arm-twisting which took place.

No, only the CBO numbers are legal. The rest of what you write is just so
much wishfull bull****.

The actuaries who generated the "true" figure say that Bush admin
appointees
violated ethical standards by ordering the actuaries to conceal their
findings from both Congress (congressmen who specifically inquired about
the
cost estimates were told that none existed) as well as the public at
large,
on pain of losing their jobs.

That kind of Democrat lieing only makes you look foolish, Dillard.

Two months after the critical vote, Mr Bush claimed that he was
"shocked"
to
discover that the actual cost had increased to $534 billion; one wonders
whether the bill would have passed had the true numbers been known.

The Democrat's plan would have been $1 trillion, so we are bucks ahead and
grandma can get her drugs and not have to eat cat food.

Furthermore, Almost a month before convincing Congress to vote to commit
the
US to warfare with Iraq in 2002, the Bush administration has admitted,
it
learned the N Korea had resumed its nuclear program, a fact which did
not
bode well for the US' strategic situation. That is, the possibility of
armed conflict in Korea had risen sharply; one wonders how the Congress
might have voted had it known of this renewed threat in timely fashion.
Would it have been willing to authorize commitment of US troops there?
Congress and the public were kept ignorant of this important fact until
after the Iraq vote was history.

Only the ignorant were ignorant of what North Korea were doing. (ie
Carter)

snip of more of the same