tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post5851485383495576504..comments2024-03-27T03:19:11.216-04:00Comments on Assistant Village Idiot: A Simple MetricAssistant Village Idiothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-87185640233764182252009-04-27T16:45:00.000-04:002009-04-27T16:45:00.000-04:00But hey, at least Paul Begala's proud that you wer...But hey, at least Paul Begala's proud that you were listening. Try for a post that we executed Japanese soldiers after WWII for the same techniques that the CIA used, and really round out the talking points.GraniteDadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04851407860883846133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-23186726638952378812009-04-27T16:43:00.000-04:002009-04-27T16:43:00.000-04:00Copithorne, you might want to pick different peopl...Copithorne, you might want to pick different people to trot out that old canard. It works with congressional Republicans, not with conservatives. <br /> <br />National Review did lots of editorials about this over the past 8 years, and I'd say they're a good barometer of conservative opinion on the matter.<br /><br />Unless you truly think that conservatives were pushing GWB for 50% higher funding of education, a massive farm subsidy, and a prescription drug program? All 3 supported by liberals in Congress.... who are now claiming that the stimulus money for those very programs is a good idea.GraniteDadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04851407860883846133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-39209917557352996892009-04-27T13:57:00.000-04:002009-04-27T13:57:00.000-04:00The puzzlement is that this concern does not seem ...The puzzlement is that this concern does not seem rooted in any consistent evaluation of public policy but in a tribal identification.<br /><br />The Republicans had complete control when they took a $250 billion surplus under Bill Clinton to leave trillions of dollars of additional debt. I did not see any complaints about deficit spending at that time.<br /><br />So the mystery is only, how can people function with so little self awareness about the consequences of their own choices.<br /><br />Fear not, over the next eight years Barack Obama will reduce the deficit he inherited as Bill Clinton reduced the deficit he inherited. Things are under control.<br /><br />The most helpful thing you can do is to investigate why your concern with deficits is so episodic and why you have been unable to bring that concern to reflections on your own political choices. That would be the most helpful thing politically as well as people won’t trust the Republican party to do a better job managing a deficit in the future until they can communicate a coherent understanding of why they have failed so catastrophically on that score in the last 30 years.copithornenoreply@blogger.com