Bill Bennett Rolls His Eyes as Donna Brazile Pans Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, War Spending and Drug Company Giveaways
By Heather Monday Aug 03, 2009 2:15pm
Here's another prime example of those wonderful compassionate conservatives for you. Bill Bennett on CNN's State of the Union just can't seem to get himself to endorse extending unemployment benefits right now, not because he doesn't care about the unemployed, of course. That would sound uncaring, now wouldn't it? He's just concerned that "they have already spent so doggone much money". When Donna Brazile points out that you didn't hear these complaints from Republicans when Bush was giving away the bank with tax cuts for the rich, war spending and giveaways to the drug companies, check out the look on Bennett's face. He doesn't have to say a word. That expression says it all.
They end up on a hard break, so we never do get to hear just what Bennett's compassionate conservative reply would have been, but I'm sure sure it would have been more of the same similar to his earlier remarks. I just wonder if Bill Bennett has ever had to want for anything in his entire lifetime? From the condescending look on his face while she was talking, I would guess not.
YELLIN: Let me ask you about that today because there are indications that there could be, at least the Treasury secretary is not ruling out the possibility of middle class tax increase. How would that play, politically, for President Obama, if that had to happen?
BRAZILE: Well as we know, that 95 percent of the tax relief that was offered in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act went to middle class Americans. So I would hope at a time when middle class Americans and others are feeling the squeeze from the state governments and the local governments and now the federal government with the debt, I would hope that this would not be an issue right now. But if he's talking about putting this in the mix in terms of how we pay for health care reform, we need to take a look at it.
YELLIN: Bill, does that make you think, oh, this is going to look good in 2012 for the elections?
BENNETT: I'm really not thinking about that, but the interesting thing is, it's not so much President Obama and the Democrats versus the Republicans at this point. In many ways, it's President Obama and the American people. And the more they're hearing, the more skeptical they're becoming. Thus you see his polls going down. I don't want to be gloomy, I want to be upbeat. It's always morning in America as far as I'm concerned.
But the problem is, when people look at these various proposals, like health care or like cap and trade, what they're getting is, they may have additional burdens on them, additional taxes or additional costs. And that doesn't, A, encourage them, B, it doesn't encourage a long-term recovery.
YELLIN: Let's listen for a moment, though, to Larry Summers. He was speaking this morning. There are 15 million Americans currently unemployed. The unemployment number is expected to jump by the end of the week. Here's what he said the administration is thinking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUMMERS: We'll work with Congress to make sure that unemployment insurance continues to perform its basic function of protecting the unemployed. That was an important element in the Recovery and Reinvestment Program. It's helped people who have become unemployed. It also helped the economy by maintaining spending, and we'll do what's necessary to make appropriate unemployment benefits available.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: Bill, I know you're worried about the deficit and the debt. Do you think that unemployment benefits is worth extending? That's a cost worth incurring?
BENNETT: Yes, actually, by itself, I do. The problem is, they have already spent so doggone much money. That has put them in a bind with this stimulus package. When you start with -- when your down payment is $780 billion, that does not give you a whole lot of room. And if you notice what the American people are saying, their first concern is not any of these things.
Their general first concern is spending and deficits.
BRAZILE: President Obama inherited $1.3 trillion, came into office. The Bush administration doubled the national debt and it did not help the middle class with the basics of their everyday living. So we're all concerned about the deficit, but this is needed investments to ensure that we give Americans who have lost their jobs a lifeline, whether it's providing food stamps, whether it's giving states to continued the Medicaid funding, or giving these American workers the ability to go out there and retrain and retool themselves.
But you know, we spent $1.3 trillion on tax cuts for the wealthy that we could not afford. We spent trillions on a war that we could not afford. We spent trillions on Medicare with the expensive program that give money to the drug companies, and nobody raised a peep about the deficit. He's spending money right now, the president and his administration and Congress to ensure that every American can get a head start and a healthy start in life.
YELLIN: Bill, can it wait until after the break?
BENNETT: Yes.
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As currently labeled above,
>"BRAZILE: I'm really not thinking about that, but the interesting thing is, it's not so much President Obama and the Democrats versus the Republicans at this point. In many ways, it's President Obama and the American people. And the more they're hearing, the more skeptical they're becoming. Thus you see his polls going down. I don't want to be gloomy, I want to be upbeat. It's always morning in America as far as I'm concerned.
But the problem is, when people look at these various proposals, like health care or like cap and trade, what they're getting is, they may have additional burdens on them, additional taxes or additional costs. And that doesn't, A, encourage them, B, it doesn't encourage a long-term recovery."<
THIS PARTICULAR WASTE OF OXYGEN WAS SPEWED BY "BLACK JACK" BILL BENNETT, NOT MS. BRAZILE...
[Thanks for letting us know. I dropped Heather an email-Sitemonitor]
CNN transcript error and I missed it. Always appreciate the heads up when something like that happens.
Where were persons like Bill Bennett when Bush/Cheney sold our a.. out to this Global Empire , the top 10% of our country and to foreign countries!!
As soon as Brazile mentions that this mess was created by Bush and his policies , Bennett does a face roll while twisting his fingers around.
The reason these extreme right wing republicans can afford to shout their BS ,Lies and miss-quoted truth is because of republicans like the blue dogs and centrists have been voted into office on the democrat's ticket..
Saying American are getting nervous about the amount of spending that this would cost , but they are the ones spreading this BS to Americans with deception and lies. They have problem with the stimulus packages which helps the "Americans citizens" (which is our money) ,,, but they have no problem or hesitation about given (OUR MONEY) to the corrupted banking empire (which are the ones responsible for most of this economical disaster) or tax breaks to the criminally wealthy rule Kings in this country or given them tax breaks for their outsourcing manufacturing plants and jobs overseas..
This is one of the thorns in my side about Obama which stated he would re-negotiate the free trade (which has outsourced multi million American jobs) and after he was elected says he will not...
Until after he is dead. Jesus what a bunch of hypocrites, liars and punks!
republicanism is a mental illness!
Right-wing populism, rooted in the religion, culture and aspirations of the lower middle class, is often caricatured as insane by its critics. That judgment is unfair. But it is true that such movements often encourage a political style of exhibitionism, disregard for the facts as understood by the mainstream media, and exaltation of the values of people who feel themselves marginalized by the political system. Not all forms of protest, however, are healthy, even if the protesters have legitimate grievances. Right-wing populism is centered on a theory of media conspiracy, a "my country right or wrong" chauvinism, a fascination with an armed citizenry, an intolerance of dissent and a willingness to declare political opponents mere terrorists. It is cavalier in its disregard of elementary facts and arrogant about the self-evident rightness of its religious and political doctrines. It therefore holds dangers both for the country in which it grows up and for the international community. Palin is polling well at the moment against other Republican front-runners such as Mitt Romney, and so, astonishingly, is a plausible future president. At least Iranians only got Ahmadinejad because of rigged elections, and they had the decency to mount massive protests against the result.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/08/...
http://www.pnhp.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2...
Speaks volumes.
Great chart and info
the bottom 90% earned $72 more in 1980 then they did in 2006.
I think the current state of the economy is a direct result of the Trickle Down bullshit the repubs like to preach. Tricle Down doesn't work and the only way to do it would be in reverse or Trickle Up. Your stats sort of prove what I've said along. To avoid the type of problems we are having you must put money in the lower classes to have any effect.
for the graphic, I'm printing for show & tell..
"It's always morning in America as far as I'm concerned."
Now there's an archetypal adolescent in adult's clothing for you. Hide under the covers and all the bad things will go away. Pundit?? Shheeesh . ..
Is anyone else having trouble playing back Quicktime videos? Everytime I try the page asks me to install the Quicktime plugin even though I already have it. I've tried it with Quicktime plugin and Quicktime Alternative plugin. It used to work a few months ago I don't know why it doesn't work now. I'm using FF 3.0.12 and Quicktime Alternative.
was rolling his eyes because he couldn't think of a good response to Brazille's facts.
was rolling his eyes because he couldn't find a craps table.
He was trying to become a human slot machine.
a channel that wide?
He could've been making a silent plea to the show's producer: "I'm not really going to have to argue using actual facts again, am I??"
yep. Actually it's a little condescension and denial ritual Bennet does when faced with the truth.
He is not worthy to speak for, nor make decisions for us, or anyone else to tell the truth. Condescension and denial are poor qualities in a public representative or advisor.
TV is not your friend.
Republicanism is an illness.
Another Republican suit flogging a dead Milton Friedman.
The "free market" will fix everything! Trickle down!
They don't come right out and say it anymore but that is what they mean.
The cable news channels are agog at the prospect of Obama "breaking" his no new taxes for families earning less than $250K. Whatever Obama promised, it seems to me that the whole discussion reduces the issue to the kind of stupidity that has brought California to its knees.
Why is there no attempt to look at the whole picture and to look at taxes in context? For example, if I'm pay something in the neighborhood of $20,000 a year for health insurance, why would I object to paying a little bit more in taxes if my out of pocket cost for health care could be reduced?
My point is the one word fits all ("taxes") does not take into account the different kinds of taxes that could be imposed and the effect of that tax on my overall financial sitution (even if the new tax might technically violate the $250,000 principle that was laid down during the campaign).If my actual cost of living is roughly the same or somewhat less, does it matter whether I pay the money in taxes to the government or to a health insurance company that may, or may not, provide me coverage if I get sick?
If we lower the cost of healthcare insurance and lower the other costs related to healthcare, the consumer will have more disposable income.
Your argument certainly makes it sound simple. Plus, consider that people engaging in the "public option" (please, please make that single-payer like Medicare), they will no longer face the threat of bankruptcy/ OR /foreclosure of their home, due to the rapacious fiduciary appetite of those following the Hippocracy
Oath.
Face it. There is a far larger "food chain" that preys upon the uninsured and the under-insured than just the Medical-Industrial-Complex. Bankers, credit card companies, bankruptcy lawyers, mortgage-holders, and even the Wall Street investment bankers that re-sell improperly over-rated mortgage bundles ARE ALL predators against the ever-shrinking Middle Class. All of them are taking a slice of each poorly-served health-care patient.
And it all starts with doctors and health care providers that treat those that come through their doors as "customers" (whose bank accounts and/or credit rating) needs to be evaluated BEFORE treating them as patients in need of care -- Hippocracy Oath, indeed.
Please tell me, Mr President B.H. Obama why we actually need a private for-profit health insurance insulating layer between patients and their "healthcare providers".
SINGLE-PAYER
However, two things bothered me about your statements, David 762. Firstly, lawyers cannot gouge those clients who choose bankruptcy, as the Bankruptcy Court (a federal court) will not allow it. That is why most bankruptcy lawyers do nothing but this work, as they must file many bankruptcy cases to make any money. The Court strictly investigates the petitions of those who file, especially after the Bush "reforms." Those lawyers are not screwing anyone. They are providing a service. Secondly, doctors, as a group, honor their Hippocratic Oath and put their patients first. I am not talking about some of those AMA doctors who only lobby instead of practicing medicine. If you go to some web sites that MD's use, you will see that the vast majority of practicing physicians favor the single payer option. However, as the politicians were immediately bought off by the insurance companies before this debate even started, and the single option is not offered at all, the doctors must now favor the public option. I think about 95% of them. Other than those two points, you are right on the money.
Inflamme that cracka's gas-bag indigestion to the point of blow- You are remarkable, and I regret (yet curiously cherish) the fact you hail from the same environs as one "Peeyush" Jindal. Go Gurl!!
nuff said
He was wondering why he had to sit his big faat ass into such a small chair.
Back when Ronnie Raygun was president, wasn't it fatboy Bennett, who as "Drug Czar", declared that "The war on drugs is over and we have won." Odds are 5-2 he was wrong. Again.
As long as this discredited racist slob walks this earth breathing through his fat clogged jawls he will never have jackshit to say I'm interested in listening to.
Ah, the rich are finally starting to squeal. This whole under $250k smokescreen is trying to hide what they are really afraid, raising taxes on *their* precious OVER $250k incomes.
What is truly farcical is the whole dog 'n' pony show about limiting Wall Street compensation. There's a REAL simple way of limiting executive compensation - increasing the income tax percentage as income rises from $250k, stopping at 80% at $5 million (gotta leave room for state taxes...). THAT will limit executive compensation.
Eat the Rich. Arm the Homeless.
And napkins.
to pay for all this lavish spending that both the Dems and Reps have been doing the last 8 years. Think it's going to be those rich people, that give millions upon millions to political careers? HA!
It astounds me that ANYONE still believes Bill Bennett has ANY opinions (fact or fiction) that bear any merit on any subject! He has been discredited to the point of being a punctuation mark (barely) on the dribble of his segments....
When Donna Brazile suggests that the America "didn't hear these complaints from Republicans when Bush was giving away the bank with tax cuts for the rich, war spending and giveaways to the drug companies"...Bennett's drugs must have kicked in because he clearly went off sideways..After this exchange he reverts to his incoherent self...idle mode...
Give him a break
It's a condition
From throwing too many dice.
Why is it ok if either party spends like teenagers at a frat party? That makes it ok?
"Oh, well, your party spent x amount of dollars so why can't we?"
Doesn't matter which party is feeding the debt machine. Just because the Reps spent wildly on the M.I.C. doesn't make it right when the Dems do. Besides, EVERYTHING Bush wasted money on, was supported by Dems in Congress, sometimes a majority of them.
Why does the media keep playing this opposing party crap, when in the end, both parties have their part in every last nickel of debtload. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
Debt is debt. I'm sure if you borrow $250,000 from a Republican bank, they aren't going to care if you are a Dem or Republican. They'll want the money back plus interest. Same goes for foreign debt. In the end, it's the taxpayer that gets screwed, as the same old political hacks get re-elected over and over and over, just switching places back and forth, from party in power to opposition party status.
... had all the beer you could drink for about $3.
Second, there's a big difference in spending to benefit a tiny percentage of already very wealthy people and fiscal stimulus by the spender of last resort to end a recession that would otherwise cost much more in terms of lost opportunity and societal misery.
Thirdly, definitely right about those capitulating/collaborating Dems.
And finally, is there anywhere I can find one of those $3 specials nowadays? I'm thirsty.
one third of the "stimulus" bill tax cuts? Now sure, it wasn't tax cuts for the wealthy, but it is tax cuts nonetheless.
$3 beer? Hmmmm...haven't seen that in years! Now you need a loan to buy a 12 pack!
. . . no, it doesn't matter what party spends the US deeper into the hole.
But the party that has called itself 'fiscally conservative' for decades needs to be kicked in the head for its hypocrisy.
Reagan tripled the national debt during an economic boom. The US became the world's biggest debtor nation during his term. Bush41 increased it more.
Clinton, the supposed 'tax & spend Liberal', ran surpluses and reduced the debt.
Bush43, the supposed Reaganite and enemy of big government, doubled the debt with the help of a complicit Republican congress. He vetoed fewer spending bills than any president in 150 years and created the biggest new entitlement program (the seniors' drug benefit) in 40 years. Accountability went out the window.
Since 1989, the US has pretended to be the world's sole superpower - even as it borrowed $Billions every single day from China and Russia, its military and economic rivals. This is illogical. What kind of empire do you have, if you have to sell treasury bonds every day to your enemies to maintain it?
The debt disaster is the result of 30 years of bogus, dishonest, failed supply-side economics. Neocon fiscal policies achieved the exact opposite of their intended goals - with one exception, that the rich got richer.
Bennett and the rest of the conservative hypocritarchy are smearing Obama as the chief villain of the debt bomb. They'll get away with it, if they aren't called on their bullshit as often as possible.
no matter who he is, does not spend money. Congress does. Are Republicans hypocrites for calling themselves fiscally conservative? Probably. Are the Dems hypocrites for using the actions of Republicans as justification for the greatest debtload ever? Yes. Dems voted, alot of times in lockstep with Rethugs, on many of these spending sprees. To say one is more guilty than the other, is a false analogy.
Bush "created the biggest new entitlement program (the seniors' drug benefit) in 40 years." Medicare Part D is an entitlement program only for Big Pharma. Seniors got royally screwed. Research the rules. It's an unfunny joke.
...with skillful seasoning and slow-cooking, Bill Bennett
could feed a lot of people.
When discussing serious issues republicans and conservatives often make fun of, laugh at, frown, and belittle opposition ideas. They have no ideas other than tax cuts for the wealthy and deregulation. the only means to accomplish that agenda is to bully.
Republicanism is an illness. Like other forms of brainwashing. They cannot get past their brainwashing to the truth. When confronted with reality they simply turn red, then blue, until reality fades away again.
Is this idiot serious, the only reason Obama is dropping (at all) in the polls is because peole don't think he is standing up to the Repugs strong enough. What was Bush's poll numbers 6 months into his disastrous presidency? From what I remember he was about at 50% and dropping, then suddenly shot up after the Sept 11th attack (that he was on vacation for, but still gets credit for preventing,even though he didn't prevent it)
BB is just a bag of hot air, will someone please stick a pin in him so we can watch him fly around the room?
yep.
I'd pay to see that, Dahgrostabph-r-i!
Is it me or is there a greater percentage of morbidly obese pundits than the general population?
would forego using Puke frames for issues.
Like "tax relief."
taxation is not something from which relief is necessary, but something for which representation is required...
And I wish they'd stop trotting out these failed campaign experts. Has Brazille EVER been on the winning team? She's not one of Obama's "people," she's DNC, right?
I am so sick and tired of hearing that "Morning in America" Reagan era feel good bull shit. For the thousands of American families who lost loved ones under St. Ronnie's AIDSgate it was "Mourning in America".
Where was Bill Bennett when Reagan and Bush 41 handed Bill Clinton a record deficit and when Bush 43 handed Obama a record deficit?
...when Brazile opens her mouth.
And I throw up when Bennett opens his.
She's the female Alan Colmes. A milquetoast.
Poor Bill won't have as much Money to throw around at the Casino.
What a Fat Ass Liar.
Truly the Oliver Hardy of the pundit class.
(sorry, but it was worth repeating)
I nearly puked when I saw this on TV. This is the same clown that agrees with torture but is totally offended by dirty language. I have watched him leave out facts or outright lying dozens of times and have thought several times about writing to CNN because when he's on I skip the segment anymore. They have enough trouble even coming close to bi-partisan political news without liars like him. Bad enough that losers like 'Boner the treasonist' are always making noise on TV. The loud no-sayers are constantly on TV screaming NO to the world. It would be nice to hear ideas get equal time for a change.
"I don't want to be gloomy, I want to be upbeat. It's always morning in America as far as I'm concerned."
Yeah well sure thing Bill I just know you wanna give the Prez some strokes but you know how it is it's a real drag havin' to be all gloomy and shit and like I really,really feel for ya Fat man.
This is not worth a C&L post. Surely there are more important things to cover.
Glenn Beck hasn't went nuts in a day or two and they ran out of Lou Dobbs shit for now . Give it time.
Maybe there are. So why don't you start your OWN blog and cover them?
What's sad is that in the US something as minor as an eye-roll can cause people to shy away from talking about important issues like the environment, poverty, homelessness, US militarism, etc. Nothing works as well with a shallow people as being thought boring or unfashionable. Remember during the 80s when suddenly all these issues that had animated society for two decades - the environment, civil rights, peace, poverty, etc - were suddenly dismissed as boring and out of step with the times? All it took was Americans seeing public figures respond to those issues as Bennett does here and then they all picked up the attitude. Hopefully, it's not as bad now, but my guess is it's still pretty strong.
u asshat dinosaur.
F**$%# Willie Bennett, he's such a hypocrite and a whore.
I'm going to dance on his grave and pray it was painful.
OK, now I feel a little better!
Bill Bennett is probably one of the most repugnant, sanctimonious, hypocritical P'sOS I have ever seen! Why is this loser even asked for his opinions?
Liberal:
"Man look at this mess we were just handed over! Unemployment at a record high. The economy collapsing all around. Billions in bailouts for the banks. Health care costs bankrupting families. What in the world are we going to do?! Any ideas?"
Neocon:
"I have an idea! Let's give the richest people more tax cuts!"
Liberal:
"..."
Neocon:
"You wanted an idea, you didn't say you wanted a good idea."
Here's one of the biggest crooks of our time: a smelly drunk who was put in charge of telling me I can't smoke pot.
Why do we even bother listening anymore?
-Jay Randall, http://www.econocataclysm.com
The fact that he was drug czar for Raygun speaks volumes. Hes been indoctrinated into believing (or pretending to believe) pot is evil but gambling,whores and corporate greed is great. Conservatards
Seriously, in a previous life I worked in pharmaceuticals (Booo! I know, I know, keep your rotten fruit to yourself please.) The fact that pharma companies are allowed to do this is ridiculous.
His eyes are rolling from being so excited while stroking his Dick under the table.
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