Saturday, July 30, 2011

Mariachis In The Illinois Statehouse: This Is What America Is All About

The American Dream isn't confined solely to people who look like you and me or come from Europe. It embodies the words in the sonnet by Emma Lazarus engraved in a bronze plaque in the Statue of Liberty monument — 
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
— that America is a land of immigrants, built by immigrants, and of opportunity for those who come here seeking a better life. It is fitting that Illinois, land of Lincoln, becomes the first state to enact the DREAM Act, with solid bipartisan support as 11 Republicans joined with 34 Democrats in the Illinois State Senate to vote for its passage. The law will grant access for both documented and undocumented children of immigrants to private college scholarships and state college savings programs. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signs it Monday.

Mariachis In The Illinois Statehouse Celebrate In Music Passage Of The DREAM Act

Friday, July 29, 2011

Quotable: The Reverend AL Sharpton On John Boehner's Scramble

"What you have here is the Republican quarterback call a huddle and be sacked by his own team."

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Ragin' Boehner's Shifting Vote Count ....

As everyone knows, the House vote scheduled for today was suspended sometime after 6 p.m. this evening as John Boehner tries to corral enough Tea Party votes to pass whatever debt limit/balanced budget monstrosity  he's crafting to try and appease them. Louie Gohmert, a weird Texan Teabagger is always good for a florid quote. Said he, upon exiting Speaker Boehner's office: "I'm still a beaten and bloodied NO." Another Teabagger, predictably, headed straight for the House Chapel to "pray for my leadership."

It appears the Speaker is falling a few votes short of 216, and the longer this goes on the more those flipped "NO" votes become hesitant and reluctant about walking the plank for their Speaker, since Democrats astutely served notice the Boehner proposal is DOA in the Senate. In this sense, the failure to pass the measure today is already a Republican FAIL. Even if it passes on Friday, it will have been a Pyrrhic victory amid vast Republican disarray. And when Democrats tear Boehner's proposal to pieces, the GOP humiliation, its utter inability to govern will have been complete in the public's eyes.

Better lay off the sauce, Johnny B. Looks like you have a looooong night/morning ahead.

House Republicans Pass JUMP, CRASH, AND DIE Social Security Bill

The new law will remove restrictions on cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol as well as provide tax incentives for seniors who bungee jump off of cliffs. (Courtesy: Onion.) Said Speaker Boehner: "This bill enables our 'job creators' and corporate citizens to avail themselves of the best and the brightest college grad workforce while at the same time slashing costly healthcare and pension benefits as the longevity of our population steadily declines. It's a 'WIN-WIN' for the 'job creators' and corporations, and ... uh, undertakers. Or, to build upon former Rep. Grayson's statement on the House floor, the Republican entitlements reform policy is, DIE QUICKLY, DIE OFTEN, and DIE EARLY."

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

TEA PARTY Rallies In Washington To Destroy America — President Fiddles

The ignorant know-nothing Teabagger brigades may hold yet another obese, phlegmatic, whitebread rally in our nation's capital to stiffen the spines of the neo-fascists they sent to Congress to bring our nation to its knees. Boehner can't control them; neither can the Chamber of Commerce, aka Dr. Frankenstein. Many of the Teabaggers and their kinfolk rely on the very same programs — Medicare and Social Security — they are now enthusiastically pushing to KILL. They also rely on low interest rates, a tax on everyone when rates rise after default, retirement accounts of various types which will be decimated, and lots of their jobs which will be lost.

The Tea Party rabble represents less than 30 percent of the American people, they can't drive, yet they're driving our America bus to the brink of disaster. Ultimately, this will have been a massive FAIL by President Obama if financial disaster isn't averted. Contrary to the claims of reactionaries in the Idiot Punditocracy, the President's base is abandoning him in droves because we're fed up with all of this "triangulation" between so-called "independents" and the corporations, with nothing but rhetoric concerning the pain felt by the poor, blacks, Latinos, the elderly. How many lines in the sand has President Obama drawn then said, "never mind?" How many times must we to listen to the sickening Fox "News" mantra, "fair" and "balanced?" How many more times must we see the President cave and cave and "compromise" away all of the Democratic Party's cherished values?

Every time I see Valerie Jarrett on the White House lawn I'm reminded of how so not progressive this President is. Jarrett is the ultimate insider's insider, the corporate schmoozer, the Georgetown party lady, the boardroom dealmaker, the "close family friend" who embodies everything — everything — about fake Democrats-in-name-only, and nothing of the Democratic Party's roots, its heart and soul — the people's party — representing those who do not have a voice or a seat at the table. Historically, "close family friends" who are political neophytes and outsiders make lousy advisers.

I will challenge anyone to tell me WHO, in President Obama's inner circle speaks for ordinary citizens, the poor, Latinos, the disadvantaged, seniors. Who: Elizabeth Warren? She's leaving. She's fed up; she can hardly get the President's ear, it seems, without Valerie Jarrett hovering about like a controlling den mother. The last thing the President needs is to be in more of a "bubble" than he is in already. Then there's Bill Daley, White House Chief of Staff, a Jarrett friend and ally, who is the quintessential smooth corporatist Democrat, a favorite of these obstructionist Republicans. The truth is, there is no one inside this White House who represents the people. The shocking statistics of historical highs in income disparity between white America and African Americans and Latinos only serve to underscore how so very neglectful and passive this President and administration have been to the people's suffering and to core Democratic values.

Every time the President speaks out in Bobby Kennedy language, we think maybe, maybe this is the time he will become the President for the poor, for those who are suffering, for seniors. But it's so much cruel talk, considering how hurtful the policies he is pushing will be to those most vulnerable. And each time President Obama assumes the posture of a "negotiator" it seems he insists, unilaterally, on holding the weakest hand and having to beg for crumbs from Republican extremists.

Paul Krugman said, "At this point, we just have to accept it as a fact of life: Obama doesn’t, and maybe can’t, do outrage — no matter how much the situation calls for it ... It turns out, I’m sorry to say, that he wasn’t the one we were waiting for." Steve Benen delved into the surreal politics of Washington, the farcical White House option of a "trigger" for ending the Bush tax cuts. President Obama has said he does not read his critics, as if it's a badge of honor. Well maybe he should — they're far more frank than his yes-man inner circle or protective family friend Valerie Jarrett can be.

The President's penchant for "negotiating" from a position of weakness and timidity is not a negotiation, it's not rational, and it's not an option. It's time to invoke the 14th Amendment, Mr. President. Even Bill Clinton would do it. Or, as President Obama said, "there's always hope."

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

How The MINISTRY OF TRUTH Covers BIG BROTHER & DEAR LEADER

IT DOESN'T! This is REALITY ORWELL, folks, thanks to our chastened buddy Lawrence; imagine Cal Thomas suddenly vanishing before the RAPTURE ... S'long, maite:

Then BILL MAHER breaks Larry-O's heart. Awww ...

NEW AGE FREAKOUT: 1997 Book Predicts Our Current Debt Crisis

"An impasse over the federal budget reaches a stalemate. The president and Congress both refuse to back down, triggering a near-total government shutdown. The president declares emergency powers. Congress rescinds his authority. Dollar and bond prices plummet. The president threatens to stop Social Security checks. Congress refuses to raise the debt ceiling. Default looms. Wall Street panics."
The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy — What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny: page 273, Ch. 10, by William Strauss.
Here is Amazon's Summary of the book:
Human history moves in cycles. A full cycle lasts from 80-100 years, the length of a long human life. These cycles have what might be considered seasons, or TURNINGS as the authors call them. Each turning has its own characteristics and lasts between 20-25 years.

A first turning is a HIGH a time of building up of institutions. A second turning is an AWAKENING at time of spiritual renewal and the beginning of questioning the instiutitons created or valued in the previous turning. A third turning is a period of UNRAVELING when all those institutions that were valued in the first turning are coming apart slowly but surely as a result of the questioning of them during the second turning. The FOURTH TURNING is a CRISIS period. A time when the old institutions no longer get the job done, and must be replaced by new more effective institutions.

At the core of these seasons of time, are the four generational archetypes the HERO, ARTIST, PROPHET, and the NOMAD. It is the movement of these various generational archetypes through the four stages of life, Childhood, Young Adult, Middle Age, and Elderhood that sets the stage for the FOUR TURNINGS. Each time one of the archetypes moves to a new stage of life, a new turning begins.

Mark Twain said it best "History never repeats itself, at best it sometimes rhymes."

That's exactly what this book is about.

Quotable: Boehner On The BIGGEST Republican LIE

No wonder John Boehner takes his marching orders from the PIGMAN, who makes a millionaire's living out of broadcasting LIES, hurtful to our country, on a daily basis. This is Boehner's BIG LIE:
"The sad truth is that the President wanted a blank check six months ago, and he wants a blank check today. That is just not going to happen."
When was conceding over $4 trillion in cuts, including the Big Three, ever become a "blank check"? And when does a rise in the debt ceiling, which occurred SEVEN times under George W. Bush and 18 times under Ronald Reagan become a "blank check"? Greg Sargent of WaPo explains:
This is a straight-up lie. Not the everyday, casual fudging that politicians do, but a straight up lie. As the Government Accountability Office explains: “The debt limit does not control or limit the ability of the federal government to run deficits or incur obligations. Rather, it is a limit on the ability to pay obligations already incurred.”
George W. Bush along with his party — many Democrats, including then-Senator Obama, opposed going to war and a blank check to pay for them — took us down the road to economic catastrophe (enacting tax cuts for the rich, two wars, and an insurance company Medicare giveaway) by turning a surplus (under Democratic President Clinton) into a $10.626 trillion debt on the day President Obama took office, with the economy in a death spiral. President Obama stopped the bleeding and now the Republicans do not want him, we the people, to succeed, even if it takes destroying our economy.

In the latest poll, 51 percent of Americans blame Republicans for this manufactured crisis and only 30 percent blame the President. The phones are literally ringing off the hook in Congress, and if you try to get through you'll get a busy signal. The Democratic Party is viewed more favorably (49 percent) than the Republican Party (38 percent).

So why aren't Republicans buckling to public pressure? Because our regular two-party system has turned into three parties in addition to divided government. Democrats control the White House, barely control the Senate, while the Tea Party (about 80 or so nominally Republican members) share control of the House and drive its Republican leadership. This is not "divided government" in the usual sense when the "third party," the Tea Party is composed of intransigent, nihilistic anti-government political terrorists.

The only way out is an FDR-style historical realignment which guarantees the Democratic Party the necessary majorities to govern. It's up to the people, the voters. It's up to the millions of natural Democratic constituents who never cared to vote but are finally making the connection when the pain of Republican LIES and anti-government anarchy hits home.

It's up to the voters. EVERY citizen must become engaged.

POISON PILL FACTOID RE: THE REID $2.7 TRILLION PLAN

President Obama praised Senate Majority Harry Reid's plan as an acceptable compromise going forward:
  • Nearly twice as  many cuts as Boehner's plan, taking the debt ceiling off the table until after the 2012 election; Boehner wants to revisit the debt ceiling before the election for political reasons;
  • It includes all the Biden original Gang of Six negotiated cuts, $2.7 trillion with bipartisan agreement;
  • It has no tax or "revenue" increases to mollify Republican ideological extremism;
  • All entitlement so-called "reforms" are off the table ... YAY!
But wait ... (to mix my metaphors deliciously) there's a poison pill in Harry Reid's TROJAN HORSE plan, which is the VENAL "SUPER CONGRESS" intended to ram through the gutting of entitlements ("modest reforms" are TOTALLY in the eye of the beholder) — OOPS.

STAY ALERT PEOPLE, because the Reid "Super Congress" POISON PILL is set to be released in a sneak TROJAN HORSE attack.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Fifty-Second Dueling Post-Speech Analysis: Obama v. Boehner

President Obama is still playing on the Republicans' turf, buying into what former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich calls "the BIG LIE" (we know all about that) by Republicans that cutting spending amid an economic downturn will create jobs. IT WILL CREATE PAIN, AND LOTS OF IT. AND EXCUSE ME, MR. PRESIDENT, BUT THE REPUBLICANS ARE TO BLAME. As Reich pointed out, taking $2.7 trillion out of this weak economy while demanding ZERO sacrifice from the rich will cause tremendous hardship to ordinary Americans and slow economic recovery.

President Obama has conceded this BOGUS ARGUMENT, THIS LIE to the Republicans, he framed the argument in a Republican way as the astute Joan Walsh remarked, nailing that RATBASTARD John Boehner: "I want to comment about the utter MENDACITY of John Boehner, this is BAD FAITH, going full-tilt TEA PARTY CRAZY!" Joan noted that the President and Boehner had come to within $400 billion in a $4 trillion package before Boehner caved to the Tea Party and walked out on the talks.

 But I must say, the disrespect that was shown to the President, to the office, the trappings of the presidency by the Republican Speaker of the House was utterly appalling. Not only did Boehner LIE and LIE and LIE, but he did it with such contempt for the TRUTH, literally pulling a Rush Limbaugh, whom he called before his speech to get his marching orders. Boehner has this really disgusting habit of mimicking/mocking his opponents' EXACT LANGUAGE and throwing it back in their face. It's JUVENILE AND CLASSLESS.

A real political leader and master of rhetoric would have used his own words to neutralize his or her opponent and take them down. Last Friday, when the President had his outburst of frustration, he outlined all the TERRIBLE CONCESSIONS (I'M SORRY, BUT HE'S TOO FUCKING TRIGGER HAPPY) he made to the Republicans. President Obama said in one of his more memorable rhetorical flourishes, that Republicans had left him standing "at the altar" TWICE, and can't "take YES for an answer."

Tonight, in his despicable LIE-infested attack on the President, that tobacco-smoking DRUNK behaved like a petulant child: "no you can't, no you can't, no you can't, no you can't ..." when he used the President's EXACT words to throw them back at him — "The President can't take YES for an answer" — then proceeded to LIE and LIE and LIE and LIE:
LIE — The DRACONIAN "Cut, Cap and Balance" Bill passed the House of Representatives last week, not as Boehner claimed on a "bipartisan" basis but on a party-line vote with only FIVE Democratic votes;

LIE — "There is no stalemate in Congress." Even his Tea Party freshman caucus member Joe Walsh contradicted that;

LIE — "If the President signs [the new Boehner plan] the crisis atmosphere he has created will simply disappear." THE CRISIS "ATMOSPHERE" was created by EXTREMIST REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE WHO REFUSED TO ACCEPT HISTORIC AND, LET'S FACE IT, FROM A LIBERAL'S PERSPECTIVE (WHICH IS NOT OUR TRIANGULATING CLINTONIAN PRESIDENT'S), DESPICABLE CUTS;

LIE — Harry Reid's alternative is unacceptable because it contains "phony accounting and Washington gimmicks" — THE SAME ACCOUNTING GIMMICKS EMPLOYED BY THE RYAN BUDGET WHICH BOEHNER PROMOTED.
And so it went. As Joan said, the MENDACITY of John Boehner was beyond belief; his disrespect for the President and the presidency, simply jaw-dropping.

The President of the United States asked the PEOPLE to let their representatives in Congress know they want this impasse ended and the issue resolved. The people CRASHED the Congressional websites and servers, including John Boehner's.

Go easy on the booze, you RATBASTARD.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The American people should not be collateral damage to the political warfare in Washington." ~ President Obama.

Idiot Punditocracy Watch: Chris Cilliza Makes The Grade

Don't get me wrong. Chris Cilliza, of WaPo, is a good guy. So while I seldom paid much attention to what he had to say, he wasn't one to venture into Idiot Pundit territory. Mostly he's always seemed competent, with no hidden agendas other than earning an honest living to keep his family fed. Like the rest of us.

I like Chris. But on Friday, commenting on President Obama's EPIC eruption, Chris likened OBAMA to AL GORE (!)... It was one of those (WHAT?) moments with the embarrassing pregnant pause followed by the awkward (silent) 'movin' right along now'... No one had any idea in what context this was said, only that Chris may have taken temporary leave of his senses. I mean, Al Gore has HIMSELF poked fun in SNL skits at his undying reputation as the ultimate STIFF politician, variously compared to a log, a statue, or a potted plant.


But as an Idiot Punditocracy takedown of President Obama, it was almost too clever to make the grade. Almost. Chris would later redeem himself by noting, rather cynically, that it was an entirely political outburst by the President. It cuts both ways, but this was an objective enough comment to pass journalistic muster, allowing other exculpatory evidence. So, Chris Cilliza made the junior rankings grade of the Beltway Idiot Punditocracy. Still, Chris has loads of promise, and I really think that he can pull himself out of such an ignominious hole. C'mon, Chris. You're better than that!

CONSPIRACY CORNER: McConnell-Reid-Boehner TRIUMVIRATE Propose Unconstitutional "SUPER CONGRESS"

RENDER UNTO CAESAR ...

Across the INTERNETS ideological spectrum, left to right and inbetween are abuzz with chatter about an alarming report in the Huffington Post by crack reporter (with the perfect surname) Ryan Grim:
"Debt ceiling negotiators think they've hit on a solution to address the debt ceiling impasse and the public's unwillingness to let go of benefits such as Medicare and Social Security that have been earned over a lifetime of work: Create a new Congress.

This "Super Congress," composed of members of both chambers and both parties, isn't mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, but would be granted extraordinary new powers. Under a plan put forth by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his counterpart Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), legislation to lift the debt ceiling would be accompanied by the creation of a 12-member panel made up of 12 lawmakers -- six from each chamber and six from each party.

Legislation approved by the Super Congress — which some on Capitol Hill are calling the "super committee" — would then be fast-tracked through both chambers, where it couldn't be amended by simple, regular lawmakers, who'd have the ability only to cast an up or down vote. With the weight of both leaderships behind it, a product originated by the Super Congress would have a strong chance of moving through the little Congress and quickly becoming law. A Super Congress would be less accountable than the system that exists today, and would find it easier to strip the public of popular benefits. Negotiators are currently considering cutting the mortgage deduction and tax credits for retirement savings, for instance, extremely popular policies that would be difficult to slice up using the traditional legislative process.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made a Super Congress a central part of his last-minute proposal, multiple news reports and people familiar with his plan say...Obama has shown himself to be a fan of the commission approach to cutting social programs and entitlements."
Most bloggers (myself included) agree this "chilling" scheme is most likely unconstitutional. One called it a Soviet-style "politburo" while the Daily Kos properly termed it "diabolical." I call it a CONSPIRACY FARCE: When two people scheme together (McConnell and Reid) it's a CONSPIRACY; when a third joins in (Boehner) it's a FARCE.

LIFE IMITATING ART: NO, THIS IS NOT ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD SEQUEL
But here's the interesting thing (with a nod to the conspiracists) about this cunning, unconstitutional plan DIABOLIQUE: (1) There is historical precedent: When Julius Caesar around 60 BC wanted to abolish the Roman republic, "he set up the First Triumvirate, an extra-legal arrangement that those with foresight within the Roman Senate and the Optimates opposed as best they could." I wonder what the Paulist libertarians think of all this? (2) Back to the present: Where have I RECENTLY heard of a SUPER CONGRESS, maybe not in name but in CONCEPT? AH-HA! Scroll down, kiddies, to the post covering the interview by BRITISH EXPATRIATE Piers Morgan with SAUDI PRINCE (and 26th richest man IN THE WORLD) ALWALEED BIN TALAL. Keep in mind, Prince Bin Talal OWNS a great chunk of Rupert Murdoch's RIGHT WING PROPAGANDA MACHINE, NEWS CORP., AND WILLINGLY SPEAKS FOR THE RULING CLASS, TRANSNATIONAL PLUTOCRATS, CORPORATIONS, AND WALL STREET. HE SAID THIS regarding the parameters of a DEBT "AGREEMENT:"
"So it's very important for the U.S. Congress, represented by the Senate and the House of Representatives, and by President Obama, to come close together and to finish it — to finish an agreement as soon as possible. And frankly speaking, the so-called Gang of Six should be expanded to represent all the — both the — all the House's members and the Senate's members and reach a conclusion as quickly as possible."
EMPHASIS MINE. The Prince DID NOT HAVE TO MENTION A "SUPER CONGRESS." IT'S ALL THERE: "the so-called Gang of Six should be expanded to represent all the — both the — all the House's members and the Senate's members and reach a conclusion as quickly as possible."

IT'S ALL THERE: FROM A "SO-CALLED GANG OF SIX" TO, EFFECTIVELY, A GANG OF TWELVE REPRESENTING BOTH CHAMBERS, ANSWERABLE NOT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BUT TO THE TRIUMVIRATE OF McCONNELL-REID-BOEHNER, TO RAM THROUGH THE GUTTING OF ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS THAT PRINCE ALWALEED DECREED "ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN," WITH A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE.

Buh-Bye AMERICAN DEMOCRACY; Buh-Bye REPUBLIC; Buh-Bye CONSTITUTION ... WE HARDLY KNEW YE ...

OH.MY.GAWD.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Idiot Punditocracy Watch: Milquestoast Chuck Todd Slams Liberals With Misinformation

As they say, "there are lies, damn lies, and statistics."

Chuck Todd, MSNBC's mascot and member in excellent standing of the Idiot Punditocracy, is an expert at manipulating polls and statistics to make specious points that support the Beltway elites' preferences. Necessarily, Chuckie must keep marginalizing the minority liberal view within the Beltway which, according to supercilious colleague Jonathan Capehart, is at best "amusing." With a surprising turn of imagination, the typically bland Chuckie has lately turned feral toward liberals. First, he offered the theory of a liberal cabal inhabiting the general geographic perimeter between Washington and New York City. This so-called "liberal elite" as Chuckie describes it no doubt includes everyone he despises in his political milieu — ah, let me guess: Chris Hayes (he might get his own prime time show b/c for one he's twice as smart as Chuckie) and The Nation crowd (a backstop to Chuckie's pals at POLITICO), columnists E.J. Dionne and Princeton egghead Paul Krugman, Keith, Big Eddie, the New York Times, and of course, Rachel.

To my knowledge, Chuckie's floated this "liberal elite" nonsense twice now in so many weeks, the second while dismissing any notion that the President is losing support with his base, noting that only the "liberal elite" in the D.C.-NY corridor is unhappy (I forget what disparaging term he used) while the "basers" as Big Eddie calls them are staunchly behind the President. Chuckie pulled out some poll or another to make his specious point. It's a HOOT to see Chuckie 'milquetoast' Todd get so upset about liberals, "amusing" indeed. But the point is, NOTHING Chuckie says should be taken at face value. EVERYTHING must be verified, if it's even worth the trouble. This story in Talking Points Memo completely flips and contradicts Chuckie's claim about the President's support being strong in his liberal base:
After weeks of prolonged negotiations with Republicans, proposed dealmaking around the federal debt and attempts to reign in future deficits, and in the wake of the strong push back from Congressional Democrats against a 'grand bargain' between the President and the House GOP leadership, a new CNN poll shows that support from the political left flank is starting to leave Obama.

President Obama registered an approval rating in line with other current polls, with 45% of the populace approving of his performance and 54% disapproving, slightly outside the TPM Poll Average of 45.0% approval and 50.1% disapproval.

But the troubling news for the President was within that approval number, where there is a growing number among his base who are disappointed: his rating among self-described liberals in the poll was only 71%, along with 80% self-IDed Democrats in the approval column.

From the CNN report:

"...drill down into that number and you'll see signs of a stirring discontent on the left," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Thirty-eight percent say they disapprove because President Obama has been too liberal, but 13 percent say they disapprove of Obama because he has not been liberal enough — nearly double what it was in May, when the question was last asked, and the first time that number has hit double digits in Obama's presidency."

It should also be noted that complaints of the President not being liberal enough were not just relegated to liberals themselves. 14% of self-described moderates who disapproved of Obama cited the same reason, and even 9% of conservatives.

Quotable: Saudi Prince ALWALEED Dictates Terms Of OUR Debt Agreement

 Here's Piers Morgan introducing Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal on his July 22 show: "TIME Magazine calls Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal the Arabian Warren Buffett. He owned big chunks of Apple, Citigroup and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. And when he talks, the business world listens." It's simply amazing; the ARROGANT SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT from this transnational plutocrat who is the world's 26th richest man, according to FORBES, over OUR CULTURE, WAY OF LIFE, AND RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR GOVERNMENT.

Typically, most heads of state and diplomats will rightfully say it's not their place to comment on internal American affairs, even though that's exactly what WE, the world's PRESUMED superpower, have been doing to other developing countries for so many generations. President Obama said at one point during this hostage-taking manufactured crisis, that we're "not a banana republic." Really? Perhaps the President would like to revise and extend his remarks in light of Prince Alwaleed's statements.

Here's Prince Alwaleed LECTURING Americans while talking to A BRIT:
"As for the U.S. economy, as we all know, that the 2nd of August is nearing very fast, and it's very important for the members of Congress and the president of the United States, Obama, to reach a conclusion as swiftly as possible because the budget deficit in the United States and the cumulative debt and the raising of the debt ceiling, it does not only impact the United States economy but also impacts the whole world economies."
Lecturing CONGRESS and THE PRESIDENT:
"So it's very important for the U.S. Congress, represented by the Senate and the House of Representatives, and by President Obama, to come close together and to finish it — to finish an agreement as soon as possible."
DICTATING TERMS TO THE GANG OF SIX:
"And frankly speaking, the so-called Gang of Six should be expanded to represent all the — both the — all the House's members and the Senate's members and reach a conclusion as quickly as possible."
AND THE MOST AMAZING, AND REVEALING, PART OF THE INTERVIEW IS THE SAUDI PRINCE DICTATING TO OUR CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT EXACTLY WHICH STRUCTURAL CHANGES ARE ACCEPTABLE TO THEM (PLUTOCRATS AND WALL STREET MOGULS) AND WHICH ARE NOT:
MORGAN: When you have a debt approaching $13 trillion and rising all the time and calls now for that debt ceiling to be risen again, surely it is now the time for the American administration to implement higher taxation, isn't it? I mean, you have to get more revenue back into the system.

BIN TALAL: It is very clear that the Republicans do not want to raise taxes. And clearly, President Obama and the Democrats would like to have an element of taxing — of taxes to be raised. Clearly, cutting spending is very important. Clearly, attaching entitlement, whether it's Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, are going to have to happen.
TRANSLATION: Why are we at an IMPASSE in Washington with this manufactured crisis? Why can't the President, Republicans and Democrats simply accede to the American people's EXPRESSED WISHES AND REACH AN AGREEMENT WHICH DOES NOT TOUCH ENTITLEMENTS — SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE AND MEDICAID — RAISES TAXES ON THE RICH, AND MAKES TARGETED CUTS IN DEFENSE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH WOULD NOT HURT THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE POOR? WHY?

SAUDI PRINCE ALWALEED BIN TALAL TO AMERICAN PEOPLE: "I OWN YOU."


BECAUSE a multibillionaire Saudi Prince, who owns a large portion of Fox "News" has dictated to Congress and the President terms THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE TO TRANSNATIONAL PLUTOCRATS, WALL STREET, AND THE CORPORATE ELITES. PRINCE BIN TALAL REPRESENTS FEWER THAN 1,000 POWERFUL INDIVIDUALS WORLDWIDE WHO FEEL ENTITLED TO DISMISS WHAT 80 PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT AND DICTATE TO OUR GOVERNMENT THE TERMS OF ANY DEBT "AGREEMENT."

HERE'S SAUDI PRINCE ALWALEED BIN TALAL, WALL STREET'S SPOKESMAN: " CLEARLY, ATTACHING ENTITLEMENT, WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, OR MEDICAID, ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN."

"... ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN."... "It is very clear that the Republicans do not want to raise taxes" AND "Clearly, cutting spending is very important." BUT CUTTING ENTITLEMENTS — SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, AND MEDICAID — "ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN." WHAT A FUCKING ASSWIPE.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY? SINCE WHEN DO THE PEOPLE RULE? ANSWER: SINCE BEFORE THE CITIZENS UNITED DECISION CAME DOWN. MEMO TO THE TEABAGGERS: HERE'S YOUR NEW MANTRA; REPEAT IT WITH YOUR PRAYERS: "I'M AN IGNORANT SAUDI BIG OIL CORPORATE TOOL."