Only 3 House Republicans voted for the Ledbetter bill that would allow women to file pay discrimination for back pay based on when the find out, instead of when the paycheck was issued. I love seeing Republicans complain that they are unfairly portrayed as the party of old white men and then vote against concepts like equal pay that were supposed to be decided 30 years ago. The House GOP now about 95% pure wingnut and it's still not enough for the base.

The sad thing is Senate Dems still want to split the difference with the Senate GOP cranks, instead of splitting off 5 or so Republicans into independents and killing off the beast for all time.

It's pretty clear that wingnuts have become untethered from political reality-- The right-wing attacks on FDR's economic policy make this clear. How did FDR get to be an issue that anyone imagines would be a winner? Hooray for Hoover?

Of course, FDR's unforgiveable sin was the Social Security program-- I'm just sittin' here hoping that Social Security will be the big campaign issue in 2010...

Balanced Budget Amendment again? I miss the Republican call for that in the last 8 years. Why now? Hmmm.... (Worked for RR, let's go back to 1980!)

700 billion dollars divided by 3.5 million jobs is $200,000 per job.

Right, flushing the economy down the old toilet (and millions of more jobs with it) sure is worth it to prove a point. Their constituents will be so proud of them!

Don't worry about RedState, they're gonna be like that. (What is it with these double initial guys -- Eric Erickson, Hugh Hewitt -- does the repetition confer or insure megalomania?) But could you add some documentation in the first paragraph? I don't question the dissatisfaction of some in the progressive wing, but it seems to be scattered. Who's leading the call for a more progressive voice in the new government? The Obama administration might profit from a reminder that it's polite to dance with them what brung ya. How about a separate posting on this?

Ok, it's time to demand that any female congress person who votes against the Paycheck Fairness Act to put their money where their mouth is and take an immediate cut in pay to 59% of what their male counterparts make. That goes for their female staffers too. I'm starting with Judy Biggert IL-13.
Who's with me?

The right wing will not be satisfied with anything short of an overthrow of the Obama administration followed by imprisonment or exile for the Democratic leadership.

CH --do you think that labor is the only cost of an infrastructure investment? And that the wages are the only benefit? By that logic each US military person serving in Iraq is making over $700,000 per month.

700 billion dollars divided by 3.5 million jobs is $200,000 per job.

That's 3.5 million new jobs. The rest of the infusion is capital investment in infrastructure, investment in education. Both of these are necessary to compete in the world and deliver goods and services throughout the country (nearly all goods use the interstate/highway system as at least part of their journey to their respective markets). These investments along with creating 3.5 million new jobs are intended to: provide a backstop against further job loss, keep spending at levels that maintain adequate monetary circulation (supporting the continuation of credit within the supply chain of goods and services), and ensure that the current troubled mortgages that can be re-written are adjusted to terms that benefit both the banks and the borrower-homeowner.

Saying the 700 billion is to be divided into 3.5 million jobs (only part of the whole picture) is just as disingenuous as saying that the UAW workers make $70+ dollars an hour when the total dollars used as the basis for that falsehood includes benefit dollars for all UAW retirees.

Good point, tom in ma. Succinct.

Some of our dear brethren on the distant Right here in America are called RedStaters for a reason: they will never stop their unreasonable partisanship until they see the necessary amount of blood to quench their rabid political thirst! -Kevo

With all their hyperbolic venting these last several years the GOP has painted conservatism into an intellectual and ideological corner.

Like lemmings their only logical next step is over the cliff and into the sea. It appears that some of them have already exercised this option. Their bloated corpses should be washing back in on the next tide.

Who's policies made a recession a depression?
Who's policies didn't work?
FDR.
But schmucks like Steven ignore the evidence and advocate a "New New Deal" which would make the economy worse.
What a dip.

And yet, the wingnuts are furious. Odd.

Anger is all they have.

Hey, Terry, unemployment in March 1933 was at least 25%. By whose twisted definition is that a recession?

Have all the "conservatives" gone insane?

Since we are providing the capital how come we don't end up owning the means of production? Even in the case of infrastructure I hear talk of using the federal money to rebuild our roads and bridges so that local government can get a better price when they privatize them.

Yes, imagine how "pleased" I was to see "my" Republican congressman (for whom I've never voted) on CSPAN the other day, joining the pointless discussion about the fairness doctrine, rather than addressing the huge and real problems facing the people in his district. Time to make some phone calls...

Why link to Michelle M's website? Do normal people want to click on it and read her psychotic rants?

Since we are providing the capital how come we don't end up owning the means of production?

What the hell are you talking about?

Even in the case of infrastructure I hear talk of using the federal money to rebuild our roads and bridges so that local government can get a better price when they privatize them.

Quit listening to Rush and the rest of the Wingers and you won't hear so much hysteria incitement.

btw, CH - that last comment of yours was a perfect example of Wingnut apoplexy. You have got be a parody. -- gosh you had me going for a minute.

I don't know if Steve is being cute or being blind.

"There's plenty of grumbling among progressives about some of Barack Obama's early decisions."

"Apparently, the base won't be truly pleased unless congressional Republicans, in the face of a drastic economic crisis, opposes any government effort to stimulate the economy at all. "

There's plenty of grumbling amoung conservatives about some of Barack Obama's early decisions.

Apparently, the left wing blogs won't be truly pleased unless congressional Democrats, in the face of a drastic economic crisis, opposes any government effort to stimulate the economy with any tax custs at all.

It isn't a perfect analogy but I will bet dollars to doughnuts that everyone reading this won't see any similarity at all.

$70+ dollars an hour when the total dollars used as the basis for that falsehood includes benefit dollars for all UAW retirees.

Again, canard about teh canard.

The average employee including retirees is $70/hour.
You admit that.

The non-union plants get paid an average of $50 including retirees.

I don't really care WHY the costs are higher and neither does the invisible hand of econocs. GM is doomed without a plan to address whatever makes their costs unsustainable; whether it's CEO compensation, retiree benefits, or too many jelly donuts in the break room really doesn't matter and as long as my fellow liberals keep making irrelevant arguments, union plants will be going DOWN and the conservatives will have liberal stubbornness and stupidity to blame successfully.

Fix it. Whether it's via national "socialized" healthcare, benefit cuts, subsidies, or some other plan, good or bad... change the numbers or the big 3 die.

And liberals claim to be "reality based"?

I used to BE a liberal until you crazy people showed up. I'd like the label back when you're done with it.

weary:

Perhaps you have misinterpreted my comment. The 70+ an hour 'wage' being bandied about was deemed to be a falsehood based on a starting pool of money that included non-wage items. Even your non-union average cited above includes non-wage related items.

This is, reality.

Nothing in my post was was judgmental about the big 3, or unions at all for that matter.

You have inferred my taking a position in a comment where there is no basis for it. If you think there is, then maybe...just maybe...you might ask a follow up question.

Whatever.

Apropos of Eric Holder, this morning's WaPo says that in his confirmation hearings, "Holder must demonstrate his independence from Obama to a vocal chorus of GOP lawmakers."

These would presumably be the same GOP lawmakers who were unrestrained in their outrage when Alberto Gonzales turned out to be nothing more than a Bush lapdog.

WTF Terry @12:49 Your history doesn't fit! End of my interest in your thoughts! Get an education! -Kevo

A lot of hot air to mask the fact that they are complicit in the meltdown.
All you need to do to counter it is ask where they've been for the past 8 years.

Steve Benen wrote: "And yet, the wingnuts are furious. Odd."

Of course it's not odd at all.

The fake, phony, scripted, trumped-up, corporate-sponsored pseudo-ideology known as "conservatism" in America today is nothing but a cult of hate. It has no real content but hatred of "liberals", just as the pseudo-ideology of mid-1930s German brownshirts had no real content except hatred of "Jews".

The role of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and their various corporate-owned clones is to feed and stoke the hatred of their weak-minded, ignorant, gullible dittohead followers -- the "wingnuts".

What the "wingnuts" are looking for from Republican politicians is more of the same. They don't care about policy. They don't really care about so-called "conservative principles". They don't really care about Obama's appointees or proposals, or Republican opposition or counter-proposals.

What they care about -- what they actually value -- is hate.

They want Republican politicians to feed their hate -- like Rush does. And when the Republican politicians don't feed their hate, the "wingnuts" are disappointed and pissed off.

On the contrary, SecularAnimist, the opposition to the stimulus package is perfectly rational, for the same reason that Republican opposition to the Clinton health care plan was rational: it might work, and that would make the middle class solidly Democratic for years to come.

Maybe if they just hold their breath until they turn blue and pass out?

Or lie on their backs on the floor and kick their legs and wave their arms around and scream?

It's hard work to think of ways they could behave even more like spoiled children. It really is hard, hard work.

"What is it with these double initial guys..."

And don't forget the gals -- Michelle Malkin!

"Have all the "conservatives" gone insane?"

JD, I think you haven't been paying attention. They went economically insane in the administration of St. Ronnie when they adopted voodoo.

What is it that's been trickling down all this time? I think it's what's left over after they got through pissing on everyone below them on the economic ladder.

Erickson @ Redstate also said:...

... that right-wing blogs will soon begin directing readers to call members of Congress to pull them off the Obama pile.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to offset those Wingnut calls with some progressive calls within those Republican congressmen's districts.

If they here about 50% in favor from their own constituents, they may be less apt to suck up to the crazies in their district.

We can always hope, and certainly worth a try.

Any readers who live in a wingnut district? Please start praising your wingnut congressman how great it is that he supports Obama on the stimulus package.

"The average employee including retirees is $70/hour. You admit that."

It would be rather foolish to "admit that," given that it's false, at least the way you are phrasing it. Moreover, it was even more false in the context in which the figure was usually cited: that *current* GM employees were being paid the equivalent of $70/hour and should take a considerable salary cut as a result.

Funny how the salaries of the GM executives never made it into the picture. I wonder why?

"I used to BE a liberal until you crazy people showed up. I'd like the label back when you're done with it."

ROFL.... Sure, whatever. Funny how you cannot seem to find any examples of "crazy" people here or post any examples of your own "liberal" beliefs.

Honestly, linking to that travesty at Yglesias's site is a disgrace. It presents the numbers in such a misleading way that it has to be seen as a flat-out lie.

It presents the numbers in such a misleading way that it has to be seen as a flat-out lie.

Do enlighten us as to how, and please show your work.

I'm a war-protesting leftie, but I don't care one whiff about an economic stimulus package.

I think it's pandering, and ridiculous. Don't bail out the banks, don't bail out the homeowners, don't bail out the automakers, just leave it alone. Why is everyone becoming hysterical about a downturn in the economy? They go up, they go down.

Aha! Now I get it. This is the plan from Obama. This is why he's being so cooperative with some the right. He's trying to break them. Marginalize the wingnuts and separate them from the party. He's trying to fracture the Republican base. Make them fight even more within their own party. Good tactic. Oh man, Obama's smart.

"The average employee including retirees is $70/hour.
You admit that.

The non-union plants get paid an average of $50 including retirees.

I don't really care WHY the costs are higher and neither does the invisible hand of econocs."

There is nothing invisible about comparing GM's retiree costs to nonunion plants like Toyota's when in 2006 Toyota had all of 250 retired employees in the entire USA figured into their costs.

You wingnut conservatives in the republican party have talking points that are well beyond the average everyday stupid. Thanks for proving it.

JD asks: "Have all the "conservatives" gone insane?"

Answer: Yes.

There are still some conservatives and libertarians out there that deserve respect, but the breed that calls themselves "conservatives" are insane.

This has been another edition of SATSQ (Short answers to simple questions)*

"700 billion dollars divided by 3.5 million jobs is $200,000 per job."

And $700 billion divided by five investment banks is $140 billion per bank, OH, but we CANNOT be told where that money went..it's just disappeared never to be seen again.

I don't know about you, but we'd be gold plated fools to keep giving money to the banks, OH, but you ARE a gold plated fool! Good for YOU!