The Stupidest Idea Ever

[toasty]

I think it was Lewis Black who said:

"A Republican stands up and says, 'I got a really bad idea!' and then a Democrat stands up and says, '...and I can make it shittier!'"

Here we have a prime example of this at work. We have the GOP pressing this ridiculous war in Iraq, but now the democrats, rather than just taking a stand and frontally opposing the war, are suggesting imposing a tax between 2 and 15% to help pay for the war.

Three senior House Democrats are proposing a new tax to pay for the Iraq war, as well as vowing to oppose any funding bill for Iraq that does not include a policy for ending the conflict.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.), Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the Defense subcommittee on House Appropriations, and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), will soon unveil a "surtax" on taxes owed by Americans to help cover the cost of the war, the trio announced this morning.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1007/House_Dems_push_new_tax_to_pay_for_Iraq_war.html

They are 100% right about this part:

The three lawmakers, who have not cleared their proposal with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic lawmakers, hope the surtax, if enacted, will generate additional opposition in the American public against the war.

You fucking dumbasses. The American public is already against the war, and if rather than just getting us out you make us pay to encourage us to put more pressure on you and give you political cover to do what you lack the stones to do, it is you that will suffer the backlash. We're already putting pressure on you to end the war. You just aren't listening.

Sometimes, good policy isn't enough, it needs to be backed up by good politics. The Dems are so bad at politics, it hurts at times. Take a stand, and let politics drive the policy. It isn't "playing politics" if you're following the right policy.

[FM]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

someone's got to pay for this thing...after all the Dollar isn't worth crap these days

but there's always a couple in there who enact and propose the dumbest regulations

[Huggie Smiles]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

isn't starting the war to begin with the stupidest idea ever?
So this would qualify for second place

[tiddles]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

^ why do you hate democracy and freedom

[superdave]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

That really is stupid. The only thing Americans hate more than war is taxes. Most people don't even agree with the war and to make people pay for the unpopular war is really stupid.

What the Democrats should be doing is saying we will not pass a spending bill unless there is a specific time table for withdrawl. We don't care what the Republicans say. We are not going to be bullied by W and his veto threat. Let him veto it and we won't fund his dirty war. We love the troops and America so much that we won't allow any more money to be sunk in that black hole called Iraq.

[Miroslav]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

agree with your assessment, Toasty...this proposal is quite stupid

That really is stupid. The only thing Americans hate more than war is taxes. Most people don't even agree with the war and to make people pay for the unpopular war is really stupid.

What the Democrats should be doing is saying we will not pass a spending bill unless there is a specific time table for withdrawl. We don't care what the Republicans say. We are not going to be bullied by W and his veto threat. Let him veto it and we won't fund his dirty war. We love the troops and America so much that we won't allow any more money to be sunk in that black hole called Iraq.

Devil's advocate: While those troops are there and to the extent that they need a steady stream of supplies equipment, do you really want to be known as the party that "supported" the troops by basically denying them their life saving funds (think: armored vehicles vs. IEDs)?

there are always many ways to spin things

[superdave]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

Good point Miroslav and I think that's what the Democrats are afraid of. However, if I was a Democratic Congressman, I would spin it to say we're the party that will bring the troops home. And we aren't the party that put the troops in harm's way in the first place where they shouldn't even be. There were no WMDs and Al Qaeda in Iraq so let's go after those who attacked us in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It's a high stakes race of chicken and the Democrats are playing it safe before the 2008 Presidential election. They're more concerned about winning next year's election instead of being labeled anti-military.

[Jenks]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

However, if I was a Democratic Congressman, I would spin it to say we're the party that will bring the troops home.

they're all already saying that

And we aren't the party that put the troops in harm's way in the first place where they shouldn't even be.

yes you are, check the voting record.

[toasty]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

Devil's advocate: While those troops are there and to the extent that they need a steady stream of supplies equipment, do you really want to be known as the party that "supported" the troops by basically denying them their life saving funds (think: armored vehicles vs. IEDs)?

there are always many ways to spin things

It seems so simple to me -- send Bush a spending bill that provides funds for what the troops need in the short term, but that sets a timetable, firm benchmarks, or something else to get us the hell out of Iraq. Make sure the funds cover the troops for the amount of time we anticipate them being there (even the most optimistic of estimates has it taking a while to get our troops out, realistically), and let Bush veto it. Then, it is Bush who is denying the troops the funding they need, not Congress. Repeat as needed, and hop up and down like mad every time. Politics 101.

Seems transparent, but it clearly works the other way around. Bush harps on Congress for failing to send him a funding bill because the Dems fold if they have less than 60 votes, and people buy into this idea that that means that they are not supporting the troops. It's lunacy.

[superdave]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

The Democrats tried to set at timetable right after getting power. However, Bush vetoed the bill and the Republicans called the Democrats un-American and not supporting the troops. The Democrats instead backed down and gave Bush the spending bill he wanted. They should have stood their ground and said they wouldn't send a bill that doesn't have some timetable for withdrawl. As usual, the Democrats wimped out.

Approval ratings are sadly even lower for Congress than Bush. I don't think either Bush or Congress have greater than a 20% approval rating. If you perform that poorly in the corporate world, you would be fired.

[Clodius]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

the cost of the war and who's paying for it won't change with or without the new taxes. so yes it is stupid, especially since the backlash would spread not just from the bush cartel and republicans, but also to include the dems as well.

[guntaro]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

they're all already saying that



yes you are, check the voting record.

great point...to see the voting list for the authorization for the use of force against Iraq, go here...it lists Dems. and Rep. alike...

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237

[younga4]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

Jusdum

Cheers
Young

[88Mariner]

Re: The Stupidest Idea Ever

i read soemwhere that this new plan will get rid of the AMT.

now, i may be a bit fuzzy onthis, but i'm pretty sure that's a good thing??