Time to Evict Congress

Again the blame for a lack of legislation on the stimulus goes to the U.S. Senate and that dipshit Mitch McConnell.  Even if there is a deal reached on the stimulus bill today or the next few days, some 20 to 30 GOP assholes supposedly will not back it no matter what.  They don't give a shit at all about people.

Meanwhile, millions and millions of people are not just facing financial ruin, they are facing homelessness.  Members of Congress, however, have more pressing concerns like making sure their vacation plans can be fulfilled on time.  Total idiots.

Up to 40 million Americans could be evicted by the end of this year, according to a new report published Friday by the Aspen Institute.

The report warns that the United States may be facing the most severe housing crisis in history if conditions do not change, with up to 43% of renter households facing eviction this year.

"As the data demonstrates, the gravity of this situation cannot be overstressed," said Emily Benfer, law professor at Wake Forest University School of Law and a co-author of the report. "Unless the federal government invests in eviction prevention, we are not only risking widespread eviction and homelessness, we are guaranteeing negative health outcomes, greater unemployment, educational decline, and long-term harm for renters, property owners and communities."

Congress doesn't care, though. They don't even care enough to put through the aspects of the stimulus bill they agree on as stand-alone legislation. No, they have to fuck it up every single time.

Now they might shock me and actually come to an agreement today, but I am not holding my breath.

Update:  Negotiations have come completely apart.

I Hope the Carpet Is Comfortable

I couldn't even imagine doing this, but at least Democrats in Congress are standing, er sitting, for something:



Live link is here.

Naive Woman

to believe that Congress would do a goddamned thing to help ANYBODY who isn't in the Wall Street-billionaire-neoliberal class, no matter how commonsense the proposal is.

What these corrupt individuals making up the U.S. Congress do is come up with some popular proposal, like this one about protections for pregnant women or like the repeal of WEP/GPO, write up a bill, and then have it bottled up in committee so the bill never, ever sees a vote.

If a bill helps the 99.999-percent of the American people or a substantial portion of that population, it will never be put into law.

People should get wise to the game this worthless Congress is pulling.

Then, after "working" for two years, with about 90 weeks of that two years being spent on vacations at taxpayer expense, the Tea Party types especially can campaign on the issue that government "doesn't work" for the citizens. This way they can get the frustrated and angry voters to vote for them AGAIN so they won't do a damned thing for another two years or six years all the while collecting bribes--er, contributions--from the rich bastards who own them and collecting salaries and pensions courtesy of the taxpayers.

They've Got Us Over a Barrel

It's pure genius, let me tell you. One of the big "arguments" of neoliberals, wingnuts, and what-have-you is that government is "inefficient," it doesn't "work," and it is the "problem." Then their preferred officials get in there and don't do a goddamned thing or do only things that help the economic elite and screw over the rest of us as "proof" "government doesn't work."

It's win-win for them, lose-lose for the rest of us.

These useless bastards in Washington, D.C., meaning Congress, and that's probably 90 percent and counting, "work" for a few days before Easter recess, and I use that term "work" liberally, and then they take off for weeks on end. Then they return back to "work" for three or four days for a couple or three weeks, then take off another month for a three-day-weekend "recess" for Memorial Day. Then they return back for another three days or four days a week for two or three weeks and take off again for a month or six weeks in July or August for the Fourth of July "recess." Then it's back for three or four days for two or three weeks before they take off in September so these dirtbags can campaign for re-election.

Nice work if you can get it.

Note Congress has only 55 days not to do jack shit before election day. The rest is vacation time and time "campaigning" on behalf of the billionaires/hedge fund crooks/policymakers who own them and con the rest of us to turn over the purse strings to our "betters."

Remember, most of these good-for-nothings already have big bank accounts, so the "work" they do in Washington is merely a hobby for them.

Class Warfare

With Obama signing food stamp cuts, an absolutely unconscionable act when he could veto the goddamned thing, he has proven what a complete and total FRAUD he is, and that there is no substantial difference between the two political parties anymore, other than the fringe, absolutely irrelevant issues.

Ditto for Democrats refusing to do away with "cloture," therefore giving them an excuse not to do a goddamned thing about the CRISIS in unemployment.

The Democratic Party needs to be completely overhauled, or a third party NOT hijacked by billionaire/Wall Street interests needs to be formed.

Fat Chance They Will Do One Damned Thing About It

I am of course referring to that goddamned theft of public employees in states not covered by Social Security, also known as the "windfall elimination provision" and the "government pension offset." These bullshit penalties were put in by Congress in around 1978, ostensibly to discourage high-paid military personnel from "double-dipping" in both military and private sector work. Of course, it was the civilian public sector labor force in 14 states and other jurisdictions around the country who got fucked over, since Congress assumed all public employees work their entire careers in public employment and get such "generous" pensions. It's debatable what constitutes a "generous" pension. Congress probably assumes pensions are "generous" like yours truly gets of just 300 a month (and may go up a few bucks this month since I am now in my fourth year of collecting PERS) and got into public employment while in my forties. Additionally, I have no spouse as a safety net. Oh, I appreciate getting a pension of some kind, unlike most workers, but face it, workers in the private sector don't get fucked over on Social Security because they have pensions or they have 401(k)s. Public employees in states that pay into Social Security also don't get fucked over.

The only way people like me can keep full Social Security benefits is if we work in "substantial employment" covered by Social Security for at least thirty years. Well, I have "only" 24-25 years in, and I don't believe there is a chance in HELL I will EVER work full-time, let alone part-time, ever again.

There should have been a class action lawsuit filed years ago against this rotten legislation, and our elected officials in D.C., for all of their talk about repealing these shitty laws, won't do one fucking thing about it.

Hell, why should they when most are owned by the likes of Peter J. Peterson, who wants to destroy Social Security and fuck EVERYBODY over so they can have more?

Social Security Fairness wants to pressure Obama, but he has more pressing matters to worry about, like trying to save his marriage or working with Michelle on a post-presidency divorce settlement, if the tabloids can be believed.

The Useless Congress

Congress proves once again it is as worthless as tits on a boar.

They passed 52 bills, and you can bet they are for innocuous little bills like naming a public building or something. These people whose salaries are way too high for what little they do are even worse than previous do-nothing Congresses.

All by design, of course. These dirtbags deliberately hamstring any progress so they can toe the "government doesn't work" line.

By comparison, the 112th Congress passed 284 bills, according to the Library of Congress bill tracker.

And the last time the government shutdown, in '95-'96, legislators managed to pass 334 bills.

Cartoons of the Day

A few of them about our stupid Congress and the unconstitutional supercommittee:

Our Crooked Congress

The law is for thee but not for me. Unbelievable how corrupt both political parties are:



So much for the OWS groups. They might just as well be pissing in the wind. Congress isn't listening to anybody but their cronies.

Etc.

The so-called "super committee" is completely unconstitutional, but it is giving cover to what Obama really wants, and that is to fuck over Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

If he carries out what they want he should be voted out of office regardless of whom the GOP nominates.

_____

Why did the Sandusky case take so long?

_____

Paying the Piper: Ronald Reagan wasn't all that in the sack.

News, Etc.

The Feds are still using "our" money to bail out Wall Street crooks.
______

The Obama Administration continues to support right-wing propaganda disguised as "talk radio" or television "news" by gutting the Fairness Doctrine.

It is hardly "outdated" but is no use to the plutocrats who wish to brainwash people further.
_____

It appears would-be students are finally waking up to the scam that is for-profit colleges and universities.

Enrollment is plummeting.
_____

As long as he thinks teachers and their unions have nowhere to go, he couldn't give a shit less whether or not they like his neoliberal, privatization policies destroying education in this country.

We need a different candidate--a Democrat.
_____

If you want to know why Congress just doesn't give a shit about people, take a look at the "top 50" richest members.

It takes a net worth of six million dollars to make the list.
_____

Obituary of note: Famed rock 'n' roll lyricists Jerry Leiber, who with partner Mike Stoller penned some of Elvis Presley's biggest hits as well as many for other artists, has died at the age of 78.

The cause was cardio-pulmonary failure.

From the obit:

The team of Leiber and Stoller was formed in 1950, when Mr. Leiber was still a student at Fairfax High in Los Angeles and Mr. Stoller, a fellow rhythm-and-blues fanatic, was a freshman at Los Angeles City College. With Mr. Leiber contributing catchy, street-savvy lyrics and Mr. Stoller, a pianist, composing infectious, bluesy tunes, they set about writing songs with black singers and groups in mind.

In 1952, they wrote “Hound Dog” for the blues singer Big Mama Thornton. The song became an enormous hit for Elvis Presley in 1956 and made Leiber and Stoller the hottest songwriting team in rock ’n’ roll. They later wrote “Jailhouse Rock,” “Loving You,” “Don’t,” “Treat Me Nice,” “King Creole” and other songs for Presley, despite their loathing for his interpretation of “Hound Dog.”

While Those of Us Who are Jobless or Underemployed

try to make do with what little we have, but Congressional millionaires are doing better than ever.

No wonder they hate us.

News, Etc.

The rally at D.C. Saturday gets a predictably poor review from WSWS.
______

If you want to know why Congress doesn't seem to give a damn about you, it's because they are accountable to those who have bought and paid for their votes.
_____

Companies are taking out loans, but what are they doing with the money?  Hint:  They aren't creating jobs with it.
_____

A teary-eyed Bill Clinton was grateful to General Hugh Shelton when Clinton screwed up so badly.
_____

It has been 100 years since blues great Chester Burnett, also known as "Howlin' Wolf," was born.

Robert Scheer Calls B.S.

on all the outrage leveled at Senator Bunning, who deserves a lot of criticism for his delaying tactics, but Scheer thinks it simply obscures the fact Congress HAS the money to extend unemployment insurance because, after all, it bailed out Wall Street without batting an eyelash.

While the REAL problem is with Wall Street, nobody in our Senate wants to deal with the 800-ton gorilla in the 5x5 outhouse. After all, both parties are on the take from these "banksters."

Scheer:

He is right to point out that enormous sums always seem to exist to aid Wall Street but that assistance to average Americans has consistently been only an afterthought. And he does have a point in noting that if the latest spending extension was felt to be so important, why wasn’t it funded in a timely manner or in an orderly procedure by his congressional colleagues from both parties who are now trouncing him?

The money is always there when they want it, as we have witnessed throughout the banking bailout when enormous sums have suddenly been made available to those who least need it. The Treasury Department managed to find $200 billion last week to deposit with the Fed to increase the purchase of toxic mortgages to $1.25 trillion to make the bankers whole.

But the level of vituperation unleashed against this senator is so disproportionate to his role in the economic catastrophe as to raise questions of motive. The overreaction to Bunning’s protest was never anything more than a ploy for Democratic and Republican leaders to profess great sorrow for the folks on Main Street while they continue to coddle Wall Street.

I really can't disagree. Both parties play a stinking parliamentary and rhetorical game while people continue to hurt.

I like this comment following the piece:

By Thomas Dooley, March 3 at 3:45 pm #

“Don’t blame Bunning?”

I understand that Bunning is making a symbolic gesture, but surprise, surprise, he’s making it at the expense of the unemployed. Why did he choose them rather than the wealthy and powerful? Gee, I wonder why.

Besides, there is a special tax already levied to pay for unemployment benefits. Employers figure this tax into the total compensation package for each employee. Company accountants treat it as wages as though the employee had received the funds. The assumption is that if the unemployment tax did not exist the employee’s take home pay would increase by that amount. This is money that has been earned by the employee and has been set aside as a form of forced savings on the Social Security model.

Like Social Security the unemployment fund has been running in surplus taking in more than it paid out. If brave boy Bunning wanted to go after someone’s store of wealth to make a point why not go after the wealthy’s store of wealth rather than the unemployment surplus? Isn’t he a brave maverick? I guess not that brave or mavericky.

The only way to not blame Bunning is to blame the Senate and here we can make a good case.

The Senate is anti-democratic. In a democracy no one, not Bunning nor anyone else should be able to invalidated public policy after candidates have been selected, elections held, legislative battles fought and won, and the policy passed into law. Doing so is a disgrace to anyone’s notion of democratic ideals. This insult is due to our tolerating the existence of the profoundly anti-democratic Senate. It should be abolished and Bunning gives a crystal clear, unmistakable example why it should.

Bunning isn’t the only example. Look at how our health care policy is being handled, mangled and strangled in the Senate. There plenty of other examples. The House of Representatives has passed many good bills in the past few years only to see them buried in the Senate at times on the whim of a single Senator.

So sure, don’t blame Bunning, but if you don’t want this sort of thing to happen then we must advance a constitutional amendment to abolish the Senate.

That would require the Senate to have a 2/3rds vote for abolishing itself. Fat chance it would happen. Not that it shouldn't. The Senate is as much use as tits on a boar.

Since Congress

has very little to show for all of their "hard" work during this year, plans are for our legislators to do even LESS work next year to get anything done.

They are still going to work "hard" and put in a grand total of a mere 17 days in January and February.

The biggest reason for this downshift is because these people want to spend time trying to get re-elected.

Our Incongruous Congress

Yes, it is true many members of "our" Congress are rich, some of them absolutely filthy rich.

There are 237 millionaires residing in the chambers you and I pay for, or 44 percent of the entire body.

Here is a snip showing who the richest of these people are:

CRP says California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is the richest lawmaker on Capitol Hill, with a net worth estimated at about $251 million. Next in line: Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), worth about $244.7 million; Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), worth about $214.5 million; Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), worth about $209.7 million; and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), worth about $208.8 million.

It's no wonder they can drag their asses on extended unemployment compensation, for example.

All but two of the top ten richest are Democrats, believe it or not.

More

The Lazy Shits We Call Members of Congress

are going to drag their asses back to work tomorrow so they can sweat for another 2 1/2 days before they go on another "extended" weekend. They plan to tackle EUI, among other things, but of course living in the Beltway like they do, they don't have a clue how bad it is out here.

The Health Care Mess

will continue because Obama has decided to put the issue in the hands of Congress, a body tainted to the eyeballs with bribery from special interests.

As long as corporate bribery and lobbying is allowed to exist, there will be NO meaningful health care reform.

Obama

Just as I predicted, Obama is having problems with members of his own party, especially those on the "left."

This is just politicians. One should scour the message boards and blogs and read how disappointed many supporters of his presidency are, just because they believed the media hype and didn't bother to look at the record.

Obama had better not push that neoliberal shit; it doesn't work. The "reaching across the aisle" shit doesn't work, either, not with that bunch of GOP fascists who aren't interested in compromise, for if they were interested, they would soon find themselves out of a job with more and more voters supporting Obama's successful policies.

The biggest question mark about Obama is whether he acts like a Democrat or if he is going to try this bullshit of trying to be a semi-Republican.

Once Again

it's all the Democrats' fault.