BERGEN: So, when you talk about the news of Osama bin Laden being killed, how does that change in your view as you are looking for the U.S. to get out of Afghanistan? How do you think that changes the debate up here on Capitol Hill?
REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: Well, it should change the debate because we were saying that al Qaeda, bin Laden are responsible for 9/11, which is true. Where we have driven the al Qaeda out of Afghanistan, and now bin Laden, who leaves al Qaeda, he is gone. So, therefore, what are we trying to achieve there? The Taliban have -- the Taliban we supported when they were fighting the Russians.
BOLDUAN: But some of your colleagues, including Speaker Boehner, even, saying just yesterday, they think an accelerated drawdown, an accelerated pullout would be a mistake, would be dangerous at this point. Speaker Boehner even said that this reinforces, this makes our mission in Afghanistan more important, not less.
JONES: I would say to the Speaker, what do you want to accomplish? You want Karzai to be your friend when he tells you half the time that he supports the enemy that's killing our kids?
I mean, my -- in fact, I have been very disappointed in my party, quite frankly, because why are we -- we are up here cutting Medicare, but we are spending $8 billion a month in Afghanistan, borrowing money. But, yet, we're saying to children and senior citizens in America, we can't help you. Well, it's ironic to me that you want to help Karzai remain in power in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Now, the bill that Jones and McGovern will be unveiling Thursday would require that President Obama provide a concrete timeline with specific dates that they will withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and also provide regular updates and reports to Congress about how much the continued fight there is costing and how much they could be saving if they had accelerated the withdrawal.
Now, this is likely to be a tough sell up here, as well as with the White House. When the White House spokesperson was asked just today if the -- if bin Laden's death will impact the withdrawal and plans there, he said flatly no, that the withdrawal of troops will be based on conditions on the ground -- Wolf.
BLITZER: I suspect though this legislation will get some momentum, especially as the congressman points out the enormous cost to U.S. taxpayers of maintaining those troops in Afghanistan.
BOLDUAN: That's what he is hoping.
BLITZER: About $2 billion a week, as he says.
All right. Thanks very much.
Wow. Americans will not know that a war was costing them oodles unless a Republican tells them? So what did they think under Bush? Oh, that's right -- no one was telling us, so we must not have known.
That the deafening roar? No, I don't just mean all the keypads of the bloggers.
That's your own common sense.
Perhaps I am too pessimistic?
Perhaps not. Witness:
partial transcript:
On March 25, 2010, Congress passed sweeping legislation that will fundamentally realign our nation’s health care system. This massive health care overhaul will exacerbate the very problems this reform effort sought to address. It will dramatically alter our deteriorating economic and fiscal conditions for the worse and may irrevocably impair the American identity.
Sky-rocketing health care costs are drowning families, businesses and governments in red ink—leaving millions priced out of the market and without coverage. This legislation—with its maze of mandates, dictates, controls, tax hikes and subsidies—pushes costs further in the wrong direction. It initiates a government takeover of the health care sector (one-sixth of the U.S. economy), intrudes in the doctor- patient relationship, and increases total spending by $2.6 trillion. It raises taxes by more than a half-trillion dollars over the next 10 years—the largest tax increase in American history—and cuts more than a half-trillion dollars from Medicare to finance this new entitlement. All told, this legislation will dramatically add to an already unsustainable rate of government spending that will overwhelm the Federal budget and dramatically change the way Americans get health care.
With the exception of Medicare beneficiaries, the health care bill will have significant and serious consequences on the sustainability of the program and access to medical care. Before the bill’s enactment, the Medicare program was already on an unsustainable path. According to the most recent Medicare Trustee’s report, the Medicare program will be insolvent by 2029 —meaning Medicare will pay out more in benefits than it collects in revenue. Instead of reforming this important program and putting it on a sustainable path so that current beneficiaries will not see a disruption in their services and future generations will be able to plan their retirement around Medicare’s assistance—as I have been advocating for several years—the health care bill treats Medicare like a piggy bank. It double-counts $528 billion in reductions from Medicare—making the false claim of extending Medicare’s solvency while also offsetting costs of the new health care entitlement. For the Medicare Hospital Insurance Fund alone, the CBO has calculated that $398 billion in savings over 10 years is being double-counted. The legislation also includes $202 billion in reductions to the Medicare Advantage Program.
Instead of promoting real competition – which would moderate costs naturally—the legislation nationalizes the regulation of health insurance premiums. This will lead to shortages and rationing and waiting times will replace prices as a means of balancing limited supply and higher demand. Quality will decline as consumers begin facing restricted access to the full range of treatment options. Greater government regulation also will limit incentives for medical innovation.
Too pessimistic?
Insert bombastic voiceover:
"Female Faust.
"Wrong about Republicans,
"wrong about blogs,
"wrong for America."
Insert bombastic voiceover:
"Female Faust.
"Wrong about Republicans,
"wrong about blogs,
"wrong for America."
Nah. Its a talking point, to sucker the seniors. (Note: Be advised that I will be utilizing us-them terminology despite the fact that the 'us' does not connote Democrat.) Sorry to burst our hopes they got a clue: they are the liars they always were:
(scroll down to the main content if needed)
After I watched the firs video I was a little disoriented and apprehensive. No, I did not think "woo hoo!! they got a clue!! the hominids on this planet stand a chance after all!!"
No.
Reminds me of when Kim Jong-Il -- from whom grandiose threats of nuclear annhilation, lavishly adorned with colorful lakes of fire and so forth, were the overly iterated norm to which we had all become eye-rollingly accustomed -- when Kim Jong-il, suddenly quiet one January, after a long silence said, "Wait until Spring."
Be seeing you.
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