Whatever they may say, Republicans don’t really want to phase out Medicare. They just want to increase cost-sharing for seniors.

There really is no choice for this election. Romney, Pawlenty (LOL), and Huntsman are all slight variations of Obama.

Paul Ryan is a weaselly accountant-type. He’s not presidential material.

That photo makes Ryan look like Percy Weasley. Come to think of it……….

Count House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) as one top Republican who’d like to see Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) jump into the presidential race.

When was the last time a member of the House won the WH?

As far as showing real leadership leadership implies getting people to follow you.
What Ryan and the GOP 30%ers are doing is jumping off a bridge and no we are not jumping in after them. Ryan is leading the same hardcore Bush supporters who the Republicans always had.
Ryan is not leading a majority, and has not persuaded anyone new to join his jump off the bridge party.

Why do I think of Germany 1936 when I see that little pricks picture.

The Republicans don’t need a candidate – they already have the incumbent.

All this is just theater to push the Overton window even further right.

However, the lure of the Presidency is pretty unmistakable. And Republicans are seemingly dissatisfied with their choices in the 2012 race, which at this point come down to Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman, with various other hangers-on and longshots in the mix. And Ryan’s name is one that keeps coming up as a late entry. While he denied running in 2012 on MTP, he left the door open for down the road. And where there’s smoke, there can be fire.

How sad is it that billions in cash can’t buy any GOPer enough love in the polls to beat Obama when unemployment is around 10% and gas is over $4 a gallon.
How sad is it that up until last year a no name from the House pushing his own budget *cough* ( GOP think tank policy plans that have been sitting around for years) is being set up to replace the entire GOP field of candidates running for President because they suck that bad?

And an incompetent accountant at that. Or he really believes that shifting costs will reduce the deficit, despite what numbers clearly show.

Fascism is when corporations and government work together Ryan is just doing a shock doctrine to get us workers to give up all our rights. Its a Nazi plan.

I don’t think too much of those historical questions like when’s the last time someone from the House was elected president. I used to think that meant something but I’ve really moved to the idea that given the conditions of the media and public discourse, so driven by corporate money and simple ideas, the difficulties like a House Pres candidate faces don’t really apply anymore.

For example, there’s the media turning Sarah Palin into Sarah Palin. And Obama was elected out of the Senate. How long has it been since that happened? It’s only happened twice before. Kennedy and Harding.

I really believe that in a lot of ways we are in a new era, and a lot of political and economic precedent doesn’t apply anymore. The whole “congress people rarely get elected president” is probably one of them.

BRING IT

the 2 girlymen of Congress

I used to think tax cuts for the rich was a point of great difference beteween the parties, but the President disabused me of that notion. Until some semblance of a Democratic Party in the Senate and the House declare themselves the new loyal opposition, I have no faith that any Republican plan for ripping off the rest of us won’t suddenly become a bipartisan new way forward.

Why not have a great debate on it, with the leaders of each party’s view at the top?

This assumes a fact not in evidence: that Obama would have a POV opposite that of Ryan.

True enough. The chatter at DKos is all about how the Republican govs are making Dem candidates look good. You know it’s pathetic when you have to put your guys alongside absolute schmucks, criminals, to get a favorable comparison: Hey, at least s/he’s not Jack the Ripper over there. Boy, really makes you ready to sprint to the polls to vote, doesn’t it. Even voters who aren’t policial junkies, present company included, of course, must be gagging at the prospects. Ping pong voting: vote each party alternately in and out and hope that every once in a while, somebody decent gets into office. What a miserable lottery.

Psychotic assholes. What are they, 12? They don’t get their way with killing grandma so they run for PRESIDENT? Loony tunes.

Are you the mc.murphy of this mc.murphy site? Just asking…

Add Pantload to the list of arithmetic-challenged pundits with stars in their eyes for Ryan.

Fixed it for you Eric:

“Sure,” Cantor said. “Paul’s a bout real lead ership. anchor.

As you will discover when you lose NY 26 Wednesday.

I agree with you. Do any of you know what obama’s Medicare plan is? I don’t and I don’t think any you know either.

Dude Dayen be careful what we wish for.

Incidentally, this SHOULD be the choice before the American people in 2012. This seems to be the point of greatest difference between the parties, whether or not to phase out Medicare. Why not have a great debate on it, with the leaders of each party’s view at the top? At least we’d then know where everyone stands.

I’m pretty sure we proggies know what the Dim Party stands for.

They just don’t want to get the blame of we the people thrown at them when they privatize Social Security and Medicare to benefit their corporate overlords. So they let the right go batshit crazy and pull the whole issue(s) so far right that ANY Dim Capitulation looks better than the crazed one’s.

I simple Ponzi Scheme that’s been played upon we the people for a long, long time now by the corporate fascist oligarchy and our erected offals.

Let’s NEVER at FDL, lose sight that this is what it’s all about, the Ponzi Scheme aforementioned.

Never. Ever. Lose sight of this scam.

The Dims are as bad as the ReThugs, n the elites own them all, lock, stock and barrel.

And by that ownership, the elites own each and every one of us, regardless of how proggy we are.

As of Reagan’s Rule, we completely lost ANY possible impact for change to benefit the masses.

Now, only violent upheaval remains a viable change agent, which I personally do not advocate.

However, having said that, I also believe that a huge collapse of all that is this country is inevitable as the present system is unsustainable on all fronts (energy, climate, all resources, foods, etc.).

And that will be a violent upheaval as it gathers momentum. Mob like.

LeSigh.

Now to read comments n see how far off the grid I wandered.

Pretty much, thanks for making it simpler n I said it.

;-)

Fascist, not Nazi. You had the fascism relationship correct to a T.

They own all our erected offals, and us, too, by default.

reminds me of this guy

http://www.bunkermuseum.de/bunkerbau/speer_albert.jpg

Agree completely, as the fascist corporate oligarchy and elites own and control the entire judiciary, presidency, congressional houses, military, MIC, and by default, each and every one of we the people.

Things have changed a lot as you suggest.

They own it all. There ARE no real rules anymore.

Only the proven failure of systems like this thru out history remains to play out.

Shelter, water, food, climate . . . all are poised to bring it down, hard. N the elites will not be spared, no matter how much they stock up or hoard.

Uh huh.

Include the entire Dim Party.

Yeah, you got it.get it.

Always have, too.

*G*

This seems to be the point of greatest difference between the parties, whether or not to phase out Medicare. Why not have a great debate on it, with the leaders of each party’s view at the top?

Excellent idea! I think Nancy Pelosi would make a great President.

Heh, clicked open, read thru n went to save it only to find, I already had bookmarked it at one time.

I just haven’t hit it for a long time . . . thanks for the reminder.

;-)

*facepalm*

Your right its Fascist, not Nazi. Thanks

Nah, you had it . . . spot on all the way, a slip of a word, I shoulda let it pass by . . . you been prolific at times lately, and I find myself agreeing with you a lot . . . . one of us has changed . . .

LOL

;-)

Keep it comin.

Incidentally, this SHOULD be the choice before the American people in 2012. This seems to be the point of greatest difference between the parties, whether or not to phase out Medicare. Why not have a great debate on it, with the leaders of each party’s view at the top? At least we’d then know where everyone stands.

Would you actually believe anything Obama said?

Don’t blame Paul Ryan on accounting. I’m an accountant and I find Paul Ryan as offensive as anyone else does.

Paul Ryan’s problem isn’t accounting. It’s philosophy. He’s a grown-up rich kid who’s never had to work for anything and he’s using his sweet deal as the basis for his outlook on the world. He needs a dose of reality, one which a real world accountant might be able to provide him.

A friend of mine recently remarked that she had finally figured out who Paul Ryan reminded her of: Eddie Munster! Of course, Paul has less personality.

I had lunch and dinner with an “elite” family last week. I’ve known these folks for 50+ yrs. They’re extremely smart IQ wise however all of them are gluttons, without their brains they’d be trailer trash of the worst variety. Their family is as emotionally stunted and dysfunctional as any I’ve ever seen. They’re arrogant and wealthy and so smug you have to bite your tongue listening and watching them. The husband is a dean at MIT having gone through the revolving door from a big job for 25 yrs. at Defense in DC the wife a genius Dr. went through the door from John Hopkins and then as the head of funding for med. research at the Institute for Disease Control to a big VP job at a major Drug company ( that she dealt with daily while in Gov’t.) The kids, one a new Dr. and the other a math genius ( specialty in code breaking) getting his Dr. @ the U of Chicago ( already been recruited by Google and the NSA.) They treat everyone except people like themselves or immediate family with a measured contempt. The son is so arrogant he has effected the demeanor of an English lord already. 3 of them weighed in in excess of 300 pounds. This is what rules us today for the most part. In another generation these little lords and ladies will have effected the mannerisms of the English, French and Russian aristocracy of the 18th century. Where oh where is Madame Defarge when we so desperately need her now?

Actually he was raised on a Social Security entitlement.