The Manifesto Is Coming!

[ClydeR]

Boehner said the long-awaited Republican manifesto, detailing the policies the GOP would pursue if they win back control of the House or Senate (if not both), would be released shortly after lawmakers return to Washington.

"We don't get back to Washington until Sept. 14, and I would think that not too long after that, you're likely to see it," he told conservative radio host Sean Hannity during an appearance on Hannity's show.

Republicans have been under pressure from some within their own party as well as some Democrats to lay out how they would govern if they were to win back a majority in one or both houses of Congress.

More... (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/116471-boehner-gop-election-document-coming-shortly-after-recess)

The manifesto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto#Electoral_manifestos) should include a healthy dose of good old fashioned social conservatism.

[sst]

The manifesto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto#Electoral_manifestos) should include a healthy dose of good old fashioned social conservatism.

I don't give a shit about "social conservatism" the only thing that matters is "financial conservatism"

[Cephalopod]

Social conservatism (http://www.theonion.com/articles/desire-to-ejaculate-motivates-local-christian-to-w,798/).

[ClydeR]

I don't give a shit about "social conservatism" the only thing that matters is "financial conservatism"

If you're pining for Bill Clinton, I think I speak for everyone here in saying that we've had enough of his immoral ways.

[ClydeR]

It's still coming! Thursday is the day (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/119717-gop-will-unveil-new-contract-on-thursday-in-va).

[Rocktar]

If they get too much on the "Social Conservatism" bent, then they will be bending themselves over a barrel for the DNC to ride them hard.

If they are smart, they will focus on clear election winners, fiscal conservatism, job creation, debt reduction and either fighting to win or coming home from Afghanistan.

[Cephalopod]

I wonder if Boehner will clarify the economic plans. His outline a few weeks ago was shown to increase deficits and debt by roughly $3.781 trillion (http://ndn.org/blog/2010/08/ndn-analysis-fiscal-impact-new-boehner-economic-plan) over ten years, which doesn't seem like he's sticking to that fiscal conservatism very well...

[Rocktar]

I wonder if Boehner will clarify the economic plans. His outline a few weeks ago was shown to increase deficits and debt by roughly $3.781 trillion (http://ndn.org/blog/2010/08/ndn-analysis-fiscal-impact-new-boehner-economic-plan) over ten years, which doesn't seem like he's sticking to that fiscal conservatism very well...

Are those estimates from the same people that said healthcare was debt neutral? And next to the measuring stick of Obama, that is a very small increase over 10 years, Obama has met that in a little over 2 or so.

[Back]

I am genuinely embarrassed for 98% of the people who vote for what they are told is the republican party. I wish there was some way I could make them see what their so called leaders are really up to.

[Rocktar]

If it were possible for people to know what all leaders were up to, likely all of them would be lynched. Of course, you have to actually get the people to give a fuck about it in the first place and Liberal run schooling has taught them well that they are helpless and hopeless and sucking the government tit is the only way to survive.

[Warriorbird]

If it were possible for people to know what all leaders were up to, likely all of them would be lynched. Of course, you have to actually get the people to give a fuck about it in the first place and Liberal run schooling has taught them well that they are helpless and hopeless and sucking the government tit is the only way to survive.

Curiously enough, the current dominant educational paradigm was created by dear old Bush 2. Obama just continued it.

[Back]

Saying that institutions of higher learning breed ignorance is like saying the fire department is guilty of arson.

[Parkbandit]

Saying that institutions of higher learning breed ignorance is like saying the fire department is guilty of arson.

Did you ever go to college?

[Back]

Did you ever go to college?

Yes I have. I can’t wait for this groundbreaking response...

[Paradii]

Wilderness fires are often started by firefighters looking for triple overtime and hazard pay.

[Back]

Wilderness fires are often started by firefighters looking for triple overtime and hazard pay.

That is a heavy accusation against the people who keep us safe.

[Rocktar]

Curiously enough, the current dominant educational paradigm was created by dear old Bush 2. Obama just continued it.


Commonly enough you would be wrong. Outcome based education started in the 70s, descended from the "Great Society".

[Warriorbird]

Commonly enough you would be wrong. Outcome based education started in the 70s, descended from the "Great Society".

Way to attempt to minimize forty years of trends to and from and neglect programs. Nice job! If you want to attempt to be super technical...

ESEA started in 1965. It specifically prohibited any notion of a national curriculum however.

The last Great Society program was passed in 1969, the last meaningful one in 1966.

GTFO if you're going to attempt to 'get me' on incorrect history facts.

[Paradii]

That is a heavy accusation against the people who keep us safe.

Straight from the firefighters drunken mouths. My definition of often is at least one a year, however.

[Rocktar]

Way to attempt to minimize forty years of trends to and from and neglect programs. Nice job! If you want to attempt to be super technical...

ESEA started in 1965. It specifically prohibited any notion of a national curriculum however.

The last Great Society program was passed in 1969, the last meaningful one in 1966.

GTFO if you're going to attempt to 'get me' on incorrect history facts.

Uh huh.

Wrong is wrong and you are wrong on trying to pass it off as yet another "Bush did it" parrot phrase. The ideas and basis of our modern school system and it's root cause to failure are based from outcome based standards and notions, all coming out of the Socialist 60s and the Great Society concept of everyone gets taken care of by the government. We have had a national curriculum since about the time the education was Federalized and it has simply been a case of dumbing down ever since to get the watered down poor results of today.

[Cephalopod]

I'm curious as to when Rocktar believes the 'golden age' of US public schooling was...

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Most countries with better education statistics than the US have national curriculum. The issue comes more with how we dole out funding, how we as a nation/people view teachers (in places like Sweden you have to graduate top of your class if you want to be a teacher.. we take the dregs, statistically speaking, in the US) and the profession of teaching, and how we measure progress of both teachers and students.

Our education system as a whole is currently an enormous clusterfuck and it's pretty retarded to blame it on one political side or the other. At this point no one has stepped up on either side to champion shit that would actually make it better. It's at its current clusterfuck state due to a gross combination of shitty decisions/stupid inaction of both republicans and democrats. Trying to place blame squarely on one or the other party is fucking dumb. HURR DURR LETS POINT FINGERS AND NOT ACTUALLY DO SHIT, HURR.

[Warriorbird]

I'm not the one who put the Great Society in the wrong decade, Rocktar....or attempted to liken ESEA to a national curriculum when it had none.

The first pushes towards 'standards' were a result of Sputnik shock. I don't think that they're an entirely a bad thing... NCLB/Race to the Top are both misguided though in their reliance on high stakes non qualitative tests.

A large part of the issue is administrative sprawl and non teacher based sprawl. No politician wants to admit that, though.

The whole notion that states somehow know exactly what to do is retarded too. Does Mississippi really know how to educate their students?

[Rocktar]

I'm not the one who put the Great Society in the wrong decade, Rocktar....or attempted to liken ESEA to a national curriculum when it had none.

Where did I put something in the wrong decade? No where dumb fuck, I said it was descended from, please for the love of all that is useful, learn to fucking read. This is why I and others doubt your "education" and why I say someone overpaid for something they didn't get.


The first pushes towards 'standards' were a result of Sputnik shock. I don't think that they're an entirely a bad thing... NCLB/Race to the Top are both misguided though in their reliance on high stakes non qualitative tests.

Standards are not the issue, LOWERING standards so that everyone can pass and not get their little feelings hurt IS. Outcome based education, or outcome based anything is a lovely sounding Socialist ideal and fails at every application. The very moment that you can't and don't fail/exclude/provide effective disincentive for someone not meeting standards in the face of poor performance and instead alter the system to meet them, you have destroyed any potential for improvement. You lower standards because WB can't read so that he can pass and feel ok with himself and everyone else suffers as a result. Welcome to the dumbing down of America.


A large part of the issue is administrative sprawl and non teacher based sprawl. No politician wants to admit that, though.

Agreed, but thanks to mountains of Federal bureaucracy, it is almost necessary in order to support the paperwork needed to maintain funding.


The whole notion that states somehow know exactly what to do is retarded too. Does Mississippi really know how to educate their students?

I can assure you that the PhD in Education types that they have running the show at state level are equally prepared and knowledgeable in how to educate and what standards are needed as the PhD types fucking things up in Washington. While 60 years ago such arguments might have been valid due to the speed that information was disseminated, they no longer apply.

Using 60+ year old thinking with regards to outcome based education, methods and techniques has not worked. Some of the older methods of education can and do work much better in some areas, in some areas, new developments can far surpass old ways. What hasn't and doesn't work is lowering standards and teaching to meet a testing standard that is woefully inadequate while assuaging the feelings of Johnny and Jane the spoiled little brats with idiot parents who might get upset that they fail and are told they need to buck it up to meet a reasonable standard.

And then Johnny and Jane enter the job market thinking they are special and people give a fuck about their feelings only to get them crushed when they are told that they have to work and perform in order to get paid. So, they turn around, able to vote, and vote for whoever promises to give them the most from the government tit after all, school told them they are special and deserve life handed to them.

[Methais]

I am genuinely embarrassed for 98% of the people who vote for what they are told is the republican party. I wish there was some way I could make them see what their so called leaders are really up to.

The exact same thing applies to people like you and voting democrat.

Both parties are full of fail, don't you agree?

[Methais]

That is a heavy accusation against the people who keep us safe.

It happened like 5 or so years ago when they had those huge wildfires that went on forever in I think Arizona. It was somewhere out that way anyway.

I didn't even pay attention to news at the time and I still knew that. What's your excuse?

:)

[Warriorbird]

Standards are not the issue, LOWERING standards so that everyone can pass and not get their little feelings hurt IS

Most recently done by, guess who, the states!

[ClydeR]

Four people have emailed me asking me to post my opinion about the leaked draft of the Republican manifesto.

Well, my opinion is that it's just a "draft," and I'm waiting until the final version comes out tomorrow to comment.

[Parkbandit]

Jobs:

- Stop job-killing tax hikes

- Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income

- Require congressional approval for any new federal regulation that would add to the deficit

- Repeal small business mandates in the new health care law.


Cutting Spending:

- Repeal and Replace health care

- Roll back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels before TARP and stimulus (will save $100 billion in first year alone)

- Establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending going forward

- Cancel all future TARP payments and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac


Reforming Congress:

- Will require that every bill have a citation of constitutional authority

- Give members at least 3 days to read bills before a vote


Defense:


- Provide resources to troops

- Fund missile defense

- Enforce sanctions in Iran

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20017335-503544.html

[Warriorbird]

I like how they've already voted against small business tax cuts.

[Cephalopod]

Most of this is just the GOP and Tea Party sloganeering from the last year, so I'm going to go ahead and accept the previous numbers on Boehner's plan that showed continuing increases in deficits and debt, especially given no mention of changes to the old entitlement programs or defense spending.



- Will require that every bill have a citation of constitutional authority


Who is going to validate this citation?



- Give members at least 3 days to read bills before a vote


I can't understand why this never gets done.

[Parkbandit]

I like how they've already voted against small business tax cuts.

Which tax cut?

And what else was in the bill they voted against?

[Warriorbird]

Here are some of the relatively unencumbered ones. A few were in bills they Repubraged about.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR4213:/
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=11306
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR4849:/
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:H.R.2847:

[ClydeR]

I'm disappointed. The thing (http://pledge.gop.gov/) is 48 pages long and 135 MB big, which means it's got lots of pictures. The original Contract with America was short and specific. This is long and nonspecific.

Of all the opinions I've read about it, Erick Erickson is the one I agree with most (http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/09/22/the-republicans-pledge-is-perhaps-the-most-ridiculous-thing-to-come-out-of-washington-since-george-mcclellan/).

That is all.

[Cephalopod]

Daily Show - Postcards From the Pledge (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-23-2010/postcards-from-the-pledge)

The Boehner '98 vs. Boehner '10 is awesome.