What Does The Tea Party Really Want – IV

Ken O’Brien

The preceding installments have shown that the stated goals of the Tea Party - a reduction in the U.S. national debt and federal budget deficit by reducing government spending and taxes – have essentially been met.

To go further in that direction would result in cutting into government programs in ways that even the Tea Partiers themselves have shown in public polling that they oppose.

Nevertheless, the Tea Party continues, in various incarnations, to exert a strong attraction for current and prospective Republican candidates. 

What Does The Tea Party Really Want – III

Ken O’Brien

The comparison below from the New York Times helps tell the tale of the alternative budget scenarios. Under President Obama's proposal, tax revenues over the next decade would average 19 percent of GDP a year, compared to 17.5 percent in FY 2014. The president raises $1.55 trillion in additional revenue, much of it from a one-time tax on businesses' foreign income and by capping deductions and exclusions for high earners. While spending—including new investments in universal pre-K education, free community college and expanded infrastructure—would reach 22.1 percent of GDP by 2025, that level would still be less than the Reagan and Obama era highs. The 2025 deficit of 2.7 percent of GDP would be in line with the current 50-year average dating back to 1965. (The People's Budget proposed by Congressional progressives would raise significantly more revenue—21.2 percent of GDP over 10 years—while spending more—22.8 percent—to fund major new infrastructure and jobs initiatives as well as new education programs and expanded Social Security benefits.)

What Does The Tea Party Really Want - II?

Ken O’Brien

The chart below (prepared by the Congressional Budget Office) tells an important part of the story. Since 1965—the year Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programs were signed into law—federal spending has averaged 20.1 percent of America's total economic output. During the same five-decade time frame, Uncle Sam's revenue has averaged 17.4 percent of GDP per year. But across that span, Washington produced a balanced budget in only five years. In 1969, a booming economy and LBJ's Vietnam surtax filled the Treasury's coffers to 19 percent of GDP. Uncle Sam was also in the black from fiscal years 1998 through 2001, as the Clinton expansion and the dotcom boom (with its large capital gains paydays) brought in a tax revenue haul that reached 20 percent in 2000.

What Does The Tea Party Really Want - I?

Ken O’Brien

The Tea Party as a political movement traces its origin back to 2009. It is known for its conservative positions. It demands a reduction in the U.S. national debt and federal budget deficit by reducing government spending and taxes. In many ways it constitutes the conservative core of the contemporary Republican Party.

During a recent floor speech, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) described conservative objectives this way: "A balanced budget approved by Congress will help make the government live within its means and set spending limits for our nation. Hard-working families are fed up with [President Obama's] spend-now, pay-later policies and are closely following our effort [on] a balanced budget." 

Video: Tea Party Holds Comeback Strategy Meeting

Following their defeat on the government shutdown and debt ceiling fight, House and Senate Tea Party caucus members met to reassess their future. Senator John "Bluto" Blutarsky rallied the troops with a rousing speech recalling America's response to Pearl Harbor. He was followed by Representative Eric "Otter" Stratton who crystallized the plans for the group's comeback.

Following is a video of that meeting.

LOCAL WINGNUT POST-ELECTION WHINING

Ken O’Brien

Earlier today The O’Zone ran an article titled “RANDOM WINGNUT POST-ELECTION WHINING”.

The article was derived from another site. It addressed itself to a variety of national forums. But the idiocy espoused by them is nonetheless present locally.

As an addendum, The O’Zone posted a video from the “Morning Joe” program featuring David Frum.

Frum, an avowed conservative, with a long and illustrious record as such, made a point that The O’Zone has advocated for almost as long as this blog has existed.

That's The Teabagger World (Music and Lyrics)

Ken O'Brien

That's the Teabagger World

(To the tune of Louis Armstrong’s  “It’s A Wonderful World”.)

I see teas of green, Red Rose too

Dangling from yokels, shouting at you

And I think to myself, that's the teabagger world.

A Watered Down Tea Party

Ken O’Brien

The Tea Party’s impact is becoming increasingly diluted.

The tea party movement finds itself losing popular support, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll released yesterday. 

The Conscience of a Conservative?

Ken O'Brien

Copyright by Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Back between Christmas and New Year's I engaged in a little bit of reflection.

Having just rebooted The O'Zone at the start of December, I thought about how I might make it more useful to my readers.

I decided that one thing that I could do was to provide links to other blogs in the area that might provide viewpoints and information that would be both useful and enlightening.

While my primary focus is political, I decided that I would not limit myself to that genre alone. I also decided that I would welcome opposing points of view.

In looking for local blogs I came across one for the Sturbridge Tea Party.

A Video PostScript

Ken O’Brien

The day after Christmas I published an article titled GRIDBLOCK.

In it I put forward the argument that the lack of progress in Washington in addressing America’s economic and jobs crisis was founded in Republican intransigence in the Congress based on entirely political motives.



The S&P Sucker Punch

Kenneth M. O’Brien

If ever there was a situation that called for widely publicized hearings by the U. S. Senate it is the action by Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the debt of the United States.

To assume that S&P is some kind of independent, wholly objective watchdog is absolutely naïve and foolish.

Months before as well as within days of the announcement of the action by S&P to downgrade the debt of the United States from AAA to AA+, conservative media outlets began putting forward arguments that the action was not politically motivated. Forbes Magazine and Fox News’ Huckabee program were in the forefront of such arguments.

“Gangster Government” Requires The “Constitutional Option”

Kenneth M. O’Brien

There’s a very old, and rather crude joke among campers who share a tent regarding the sudden nocturnal presence of unpleasant aromas. It begins with the observation, “He who say it….”.

The joke contains, however, as all jokes do, a fundamental truth about human behavior. In this case it demonstrates the presence of guilt and the immediate effort to escape such guilt and place the blame on others.

Smart ALEC

Kenneth M. O’Brien

America’s (genuine) cowboy humorist, Will Rogers, famously remarked,” I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Democrat.”

That observation is as true today as it was when it was made over seventy years ago. Herding cats is easier than getting Democrats to fall in line.

On the other hand, Republicans are notorious for conformity. I am not going to debate this. It is common knowledge and those who wish to dispute it overlook the various mechanisms that the Republican cult has created to excommunicate the unfaithful. As things stand today, even Ronald (on your knees, may his name be praised) Reagan would be declared anathema (after all he raised taxes 11 times and the debt ceiling 17 times during his eight years in office).

Tea Bugged

Kenneth M. O’Brien

I have recently been the subject of criticism for permitting the use of the term “teabaggers” on this site.

Now, I have made it clear that I will not allow the use of libelous speech.

I have similarly indicated that I will not condone indulgence in the use of language that is not acceptable in polite company.

This particular term, however, has caused some reflection.

A number of the bravest souls have voiced their objections in anonymous comments.

Strategic Arson: Republicans Are Demonic Keynesians

Kenneth M. O’Brien

“We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”

This famous observation, perhaps the most oxymoronic of all time, is the strategy that the Republican cult and its demonic stepchild, the Tea Party, have chosen to adopt.

Never forget that Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, stated quite clearly that his Party’s number one priority was to guarantee that Barack Obama was a one-term President.

As a result we have witnessed a conscious program that has sought to stymie every effort designed to improve the economy.

Tea Party Dilemma – Constitution or Debt Ceiling?

Kenneth M. O’Brien

The Tea Party ignorati are confronted with a new dilemma.

We all know that they are devoted to a strict interpretation of, and adherence to, the Constitution of the United States,

We also know that they are dead-set against any increase in the current debt ceiling. Never mind that the increase in the debt ceiling is to pay for debts already incurred.

These two virtually religious convictions are turning out to be directly contradictory.

Southbridge, MA, here we go again!

By Dennis Martinek

Vote Tuesday, June 28, 2011

8 AM to 8PM

If you need a ride to the polls, call

774-230-7626

or

774-230-1489

It has not been an easy year for Southbridge, MA.
The town has been the subject of a Tea Party group from out of town getting involved in a district race for State Representative that resulted in what many call a racist billboard being placed in the heart of town, a heavily Hispanic area of town to boot.
Southbridge has a large population that comes from Puerto Rico, and the two groups involved in "encouraging" voters to show an ID to vote (despite being illegal to ask for an ID, they didn't seem to get the fact that a) in Southbridge, outsiders are not welcome in Southbridge's political process, and b) Puerto Ricans are American citizens, and have been, since 1917.
So, like Sarah Palin before them, the Tea Party Group appears to be growing less significant every time they speak, as they target the wrong people.
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