Month: March 2011

Verbatim

Buck Banks

Silly, sexist me. Yesterday, I associated military action against Libya with testosterone. As the New York Times reports today, the pressure for action came from Hillary Clinton, UN Ambassador Susan Rice and the NSC human rights expert Samantha Power — with the macho boys over at the Pentagon opposed. This may be a first in American history, a welcome one I might add — although I remain extremely skeptical about military action and heartened that the President seems intent on letting other countries take the lead.

— Time magazine columnist Joe Klein, on the wind-up to bombing Libya.

Verbatim

Buck Banks

I believe that force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, as it was in the Balkans, or in other places that have been scarred by war. Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later. That is why all responsible nations must embrace the role that militaries with a clear mandate can play to keep the peace.

— President Obama, in a speech accepting his Nobel Peace Prize.

Republicans Continue to Justify Cuts in Programs They Hate — By Lying

Trish

To justify ending Florida’s Prepaid College program — the largest in the country — Republican state Sen. Evelyn Lynn claimed the popular plan is, “a huge liability — far larger than pension, far larger than most anything we have.”

Nationwide, Republicans and tea party members echo the cry that because tax revenues are down, programs they have long targeted must be cut. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R/Tea) is using the message to cut education funding and gut environmental and consumer protection laws.

But in this case, and so many others, Republicans are simply making stuff up to bolster their flimsy logic.

  • The Florida Prepaid Tuition program has $10 billion in assets and $9.5 billion in liabilities
  • For those able to do math, this means the program is running with a $500 million surplus
  • Two years ago, Sen. Lynn herself floated the idea of raiding the Florida Prepaid plan to fund other initiatives

Gov. Brown Offers To Send His Dog to Debate Grover Norquist on Proposed Statewide Vote on Tax Hike Extension

Jon Ponder

Sutter, with Jerry and Anne Brown
Sutter, with Gov. Brown and his wife Anne
Should a set of tax hikes in California be allowed to expire, or should they be extended in order to help pay down state’s Texas-size deficit?

In his campaign for governor last year, Gov. Jerry Brown promised to put that question on a ballot measure so that California voters could make the decision. Brown won in November with a 13 point margin.

Voters like the idea. A Field Poll released last week found that 61 percent of registered voters favor putting the measure on the ballot.

And, really, who would oppose such a small-d democratic move?

[…]

Verbatim

Buck Banks

I’m glad he’s out playing golf. I happen to be a golfer. I think presidents deserve down time. And believe me, he is in constant communication with what’s going on … I mean, what do you want him to do, stay in his house and be on the phone with the ambassador to Japan all the time?

— Former Vice President Dan Quayle, on criticism of President Obama for playing golf with crises in Japan and Libya under way.