Geithner proposes taxes and more stimulus spending

It appears that Democrats believe they have all the cards. Pelosi and crew are saying they've cut all the spending they're going to cut, while just about every Democrat is saying entitlements are off the table. Geithner's bogus tax-and-spend proposal was a slap in the face. It might be time to bring the collapse to a head -- Republicans should walk away, while the libertarian faction plans for a limited government to be implemented in the rubble of the failed statist system.

The battle has just begun

For those who see sweetness and light among the congress and the president misread Nancy Pelosi and the mostly smooth transition of power in the House. Nancy Pelosi's performance in handing over the gavel should be used by psychologists going forward as a case study in passive-aggressive behavior. Pelosi has a lot of pent up rage, yet she is suppressing that rage right now -- I thought she might unravel, and that they would have to escort her from the podium. In her speech, she basically said the American people have made a mistake and she is not finished.

Once the Republicans begin sending spending cut bills to the floor each week, there's going to be a war, especially when they attempt to repeal healthcare. Democrats have to be careful right now, but if they see power slipping away, they'll take off the gloves, and the rules of conduct will go out the window.

Blue Dog Democrats might resist the Democrat fight to maintain the status quo -- there's a good chance, especially in light of Gov. Cuomo's free market actions in NY, that Blue Dogs will cut their ties altogether with progressives and side with the Republicans. It's going to be interesting. 

Democrats looking old and petulant

The Republicans coming into congress today have a lot to prove. The history has been that Republicans talk a big game about limited government and a free market, then when in power they cave to the statist movement left. But this time it might be different.

The wind is at the back of Republicans to cut government spending and roll back power-grabs. On Morning Joe this morning, Claire McKaskill and Howard Dean were on and they looked like yesterday -- Dean even said Republicans want to take SS from little old ladies -- I swear. They showed a clip of Nancy Pelosi saying that her House did everything right and fought only for the American people -- I swear.

They also showed a clip of Obama at some factory talking about jobsjobsjobs and warning the Republicans that there is plenty of time to campaign for 2012, but now is the time to work with him and focus on josjobsjobs -- I swear. Then later they had Chuck Todd on and he said that the administration knows there will be little legislaton this year, so they are shaking up their team to concentrate on messaging and winning in 2012.

In contrast, they had Paul Ryan on and he talked about cutting government spending, even military spending, Medicare and SS. Joe "Back In '95 When I Was In Congress" Scarborough agreed a little bit with everybody, and said that the parties must work together -- I swear. 

Those Amazing Democrats

Nancy Pelosi must have a long list of buried bodies. It appears she will be the leader. Clyburn will obviously be bought off and Hoyer will just have to wait.

Not only have the Democrats not learned anything from the midterm elections, they are arrogantly disregarding it. How will this play out?

The base is still supportive, I'm sure, but how big is the base? It appears that progressives are few in number although they are active politically. Now that the public has been aroused, in 2012 voter turnout migt be historically high. If so, this will be bad news for Democrats seen as captive to progressives.

Democrats are expected to go down with the agenda, I suppose.

How could Obama be surprised over the political cost of healthcare?

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He was told over and over in poll after poll, yet now he's surprised? I don't trust this president to end his statist quest and roll back any of the sweeping changes he's made, and not only because his base won't allow it -- the claim that Obama is a centrist is a political lie to mask his progressivism and shift blame to Reid and Pelosi. Obama said before he was elected that his preference is for single payer healthcare -- in other words, he supports socialized medicine. He also said that he knew it couldn't be done in one big deal, that there would be backlash, and it would have to be done in stages. He anticipated a political cost before he was elected -- he didn't care -- he only wanted to get it done.

The public hasn't forgotten what he said in the past about healthcare and sharing the wealth. Obama is a progressive, and his congressional record shows it. This is why he's getting pushback -- the majority do not like his political ideas. These games of deception being played now that his ass is in a jam are only going to make things worse. Obama should be brave and claim his ideology. The left will leave him, too, because they also expect integrity. The era of propaganda, spin, double-dealing and manipulation is over -- no one has told Obama.