@gjohnsit

...This has happened because the Dems didn't make clear that this tax cut will be paid out of Medicare and Medicaid.

Bet they get a raise for that success.

link

Americans are warming up to the Republican tax law, according to a new survey, providing Republicans with a potentially significant boost to their 2018 electoral chances.

The survey, from The New York Times and SurveyMonkey, found that 50% of respondents supported the GOP tax law, while 45% did not support it.

That represents a dramatic improvement over the initial popularity of the legislation as it moved through Congress. A poll done from the Times and SurveyMonkey in December found the bill only had 37% approval to 57% disapproval.

While the law is improving in overall popularity, Americans' enthusiasm for the law's changes to their personal finance remains muted. Just 33% of people think they will receive an income tax cut, 14% think they will receive a salary increase, and 8% said they will receive a bonus or increased bonus, according to the survey.

This has happened because the Dems didn't make clear that this tax cut will be paid out of Medicare and Medicaid.

@Pricknick

Who believes we actually have a democracy in this country?
I no longer believe it.

The question our Essayist asked was: "When did the Democrats stop believing in democracy?" (And working for democracy, I might add.)

It's a valid question, and it has a valid answer: when the Democratic Leadership Council was founded in 1985. From the linked article:

The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) was a non-profit 501(c)(4) corporation founded in 1985 that, upon its formation, argued the United States Democratic Party should shift away from the leftward turn it took in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. One of its main purposes was to win back white middle class voters with ideas that addressed their concerns. The DLC hailed President Bill Clinton as proof of the viability of Third Way politicians and as a DLC success story.

The DLC's affiliated think tank is the Progressive Policy Institute. Democrats who adhere to the DLC's philosophy often call themselves New Democrats. This term is also used by other groups who have similar views on where the party should go in the future, like NDN and Third Way.

Prior to this time, the Dems were pro-democracy, pro-labor, and pro-union. Afterwards, they became the "Second Republican Party" we all loathe today.

Who believes we actually have a democracy in this country?
I no longer believe it.

@The Aspie Corner

This is sorta general, a response to the video and the import, but I feel that it needs to be said, even if nobody sees it on what'll be a dead thread by now, other than Constant Reader spy agency people, lol.

We know their methods, we know that Bernie told us not to believe him if he was forced to tell people to vote for Clinton, we know that this is the only way of making Bernie plausibly lose, by losing policy support, and yet it never seems to occur to anyone that he might be forced to publicly self-sabotage by mouthing this crap, which (unless brainwashed, and he does seem to hate doing this) he knows we won't believe?

This is why testimony produced under drugs/duress/torture - such as this lot has routinely used against victims, as when attempting to manufacture some 'plausible' excuse for attacking the next series of countries on their hit list - is not admissible as evidence in court. Anyone can be forced to say anything, using the right 'leverage' - and that's how TPTB work. We know this.

In the cases of the torture-for-'war'/'confession' victims, where the characters, record, actions are known, as with taxi-drivers and others turned in for cash-for-bodies-to-torture, it often became evident that, as became known, TPTB's lackeys simply tortured until the person produced something they thought could be used, and this was an established technique of the Psychopaths That Be, who were presented with pictures and details for their sick enjoyment.

Does anyone really think that this lot of psychopaths might not, for example, threaten Bernie's family (remember the Clinton body-count, apart from endless others related to government/agency corruption?) in order to make him publicly commit political and moral suicide by repeating obvious, warmongering bullcrap propaganda in order to continue reminding the people restricted to corporate media and with an increasingly censored and propagandized internet that they need to act themselves to form government truly of, by and for the people? Do you think that anything, including sacrificing his own integrity, would stop Bernie from trying to save the planet at this last moment in time by attempting to rouse the people to save themselves by forming self-governance?

As long Progressives keep running for public office, supporting each other and getting in, they will rapidly begin to outnumber the psychopaths in office; while in smaller numbers and not yet in influential positions, they can be successfully blocked and muted, but get enough Progs in and this won't work anymore. This could be done within the next two elections, if no suspicious results are 'accepted as a done deal' by the people. If it doesn't, there will evidently not be another chance permitted, even if life still exists, which seems rather unlikely at this point.

But all it takes for evil to succeed in overcoming all of us occurs in that opportunity opened when good people do nothing; ask yourself why not voting at all - 'in protest' - is supposed to have a negative effect on those who do not want them voting against them and where this idea came from, to encourage the discouraged to just give up and let TPTB do as they will to them, unopposed in any way at all? At this point, TPTB still seem to need some pretense of legitimacy - but for long will that last?

Bernie and the Progs have long been subjected to attacks from the 'Left' on an internet crammed with propagandists, even before Bernie was apparently forced to start spitting 'Russiagate' talking points - something utterly out of character for him. And he still scares the crap out of the Psychopaths That Be, as can be seen by their propaganda attacks.

Bernie was the only hope for a sane, sustainable and united country, the only politician who could obviously get enough of the people united in supporting his policies and integrity to finally have a US President and Party of, by and for the people, working for the public interest - and this was the only way TPTB could nobble him, break up the unity of those seeking democracy and civilization in getting the psychopaths out of public office and policy, and attempt to cause the surrender through inactivity of the people believing in democracy and a decent life for all, rather than an enforced global corporate/military micromanaged 'austerity-for-them' existence on a rapidly dying planet, overall now being termed Progressives - and as TPTB always do, they manipulate these into fractured and impotent groups therefore easily dismissed.

And some of us are letting it work on our very last chance, as we see people turn to 'boycotting' voting, exactly as desired, saving TPTB having to fake electoral results; fascists in either of the corporate Two-Party Trade-Offs benefit from low turn-out and discouraged activists, as Clinton showed. Whereas we need to do what they do not want us to do, not make it easy for, and encourage, them.

We're no longer falling for these recycled propaganda attempts, such as the warmed-up ancient Cold War propaganda - why are we falling for this endlessly recycled tactic when we already have the information available to see what they're doing to us because it's been done so often in the US already?

They always accuse others of doing what they do themselves and their big accusation against Russia is based on purported efforts to create division and subvert democracy within America, that being what we can see them doing themselves.

Of course, Bernie stepped in where others feared to tread as a last-minute miracle who'd never happened before and never will again, even if there is any 'ever' left, so they had to adapt their tactics, but using the same propaganda, threats and manipulations as always.

But this looks like the last chance, and the last battle...

So, fine, don't support Bernie for President - but for all of our sakes, support the Progs.

As Bernie's always said, this is not about him; this is about the American people taking back their government to legitimately be of, by and for the people, with equal rights, treatment and opportunity for all.

And if it isn't done now, I very much doubt there will be another chance or anything left to save. Apart from all else, it appears that nuclear obliteration of planetary life could happen at any moment, with the only concession to life's survival being that more of TPRB's nuclear weapons aimed at multiple other people's countries are to be now planned to be exploded above ground so as to throw less debris high enough to completely block the sunlight level required for life for however many decades...

They who do not believe in science/reality and believe that they can create their own and make it 'real' apparently do not believe in radiation's affects, at least where their exceptional selves and delusions are concerned.

They have their luxury bunkers; since increased threats from the notoriously-civilian-attacking US PTB in recent years - who, going by quotes I've read on or linked to this site, apparently already think in terms of politically hurting Putin by killing others among the Russian people 'to hurt his popularity' (murder for fun and profit and to make targets look bad! Surrendering the world to these then utterly unrestrained psychopaths would be insane; better to go down swinging) - the Russian people have been having nuclear drills and refurbished Cold War bunkers organized by their Ebil Russian government, which cut back on their military spending, with hostiles massing on their borders, in part to ensure that Russians got their pensions. And of course they get health-care.

Quite the reverse from the US PTB for their people, of course. Exactly the reverse, actually, since the already-impoverished American Poors are expected to 'sacrifice' further for the MIC profiteers and the continuation of US PTB murderous global takeover plans as they now more rapidly expand.

Gee, I wonder what comes in the 'good old US of A' after even more of the increasing homelessness and starvation and laws against feeding the hungry being already inflicted upon the population - the previous attempt at corporate/military global takeover of US industrialists in supporting Hitler in Germany involved the 'pragmatic' and 'incrementally implemented 'euthanization of 'Good Germans' who were useless to the industrial/military machine forming the State, which also was only stopped when the world finally massed against them - after Russia decimated Nazi forces invading them and made this possible. Will history repeat itself, if the American people do not unite and succeed in saving themselves and the world?

Of course, in that case, who knows what replaces TPTB, then facing war crime charges in an international court over which they may have no control, when the American people have not brought in their own legitimate government of, by and for the people?

Often it's best to do it yourself, if you want a result you'll really like and can live with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzuJXqgsiSM

Split Enz - History Never Repeats

TPTB tell themselves before they go to sleep...

....AND Black Lives Matter as Russian Trolls. Whelp...he's already lost in 2020 then.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mibDHueAPs]

such a tool. And a toady.
@WoodsDweller
I always thought Tweety couldn't possibly be so dumb.
That simply 35 years of Beltway osmosis should give one a clue.
But, nope.

or do these sort of articles never consider the possibility that the "tiny space to the left" could be closed if the candidate moved to the left? That the reason candidates crop up in that space (which isn't tiny, BTW) is because the candidate is too far right? And that maybe the solution isn't for the lefty to summarily surrender?

@Nastarana

He basically has no issues page or the equivalent,

Nothing -- not even open skulduggery -- gains my contempt faster. As the old Evangelical saying goes, "if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything!"

And that goes double for politicians, who tend to "fall for anything" anyway.....

Tell me what you stand for and then stand for it! Or utterly lose my respect!

From Hartson's website:

Our goal should be peace, security, and self-determination worldwide. This will not happen if we continue to arm the very terrorists we claim to be fighting. This will not happen if we have a commander in chief who is more concerned about retweets and personal popularity than he is about reading. We need to repeal the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that gives the president a blank check to enter into war without Congressional approval. We need to close unnecessary military bases and redirect funds home and fully invest in education, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Our nation is one that was founded on the ideals of imperialism, so it is time for a cultural attitude adjustment. We still think that strength and courage comes from flexing our mighty muscles at the world. It is time for us to recognize the strength in diplomacy and leading by example. We are not the world’s police. Our interventionist wars do not help us to defeat extremist groups. They exacerbate them. They contribute to them.

The American people support truth over fear mongering. We must be truthful with our international community and also with ourselves. We must be firm with our democratic values, whether at home or abroad. We must take the moral path as we strive to promote world peace over world domination.

Unfortunately that message is buried in her Priorities page. It needs to be right out in front on page one of her website.

Deleon has NOTHING to say about foreign policy or war and peace, or at least I couldn't find it. And he is running for the U.S. Senate?? He basically has no issues page or the equivalent, just a list of accomplishments in the legislature. Jeff Merkley, who was Speaker of the Oregon House, and knows how to move legislation, this guy ain't.

As of right now, I suspect this race in Deleon's to lose, but he sure does not seem to be catching fire. The large Hispanic population would like to see "one of us" in the Senate. Add that to the fact that Hartson has no political experience. There are still voters who might think let her get some local experience and find out how politics works.

If Feinstein looses, that would be a major defeat for the Israel lobby. I would guess that she might be persuaded to retire if it begins to look like she might be in trouble.

@Nastarana

Only, where did Hartson get the idea that: '...Our nation is one that was founded on the ideals of imperialism ...' when it was the exact opposite, with, apart from all else, no standing army to be maintained, and to make do with well-regulated volunteer militia to avoid the hazards of any standing army?

From Hartson's website:

Our goal should be peace, security, and self-determination worldwide. This will not happen if we continue to arm the very terrorists we claim to be fighting. This will not happen if we have a commander in chief who is more concerned about retweets and personal popularity than he is about reading. We need to repeal the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that gives the president a blank check to enter into war without Congressional approval. We need to close unnecessary military bases and redirect funds home and fully invest in education, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Our nation is one that was founded on the ideals of imperialism, so it is time for a cultural attitude adjustment. We still think that strength and courage comes from flexing our mighty muscles at the world. It is time for us to recognize the strength in diplomacy and leading by example. We are not the world’s police. Our interventionist wars do not help us to defeat extremist groups. They exacerbate them. They contribute to them.

The American people support truth over fear mongering. We must be truthful with our international community and also with ourselves. We must be firm with our democratic values, whether at home or abroad. We must take the moral path as we strive to promote world peace over world domination.

Unfortunately that message is buried in her Priorities page. It needs to be right out in front on page one of her website.

Deleon has NOTHING to say about foreign policy or war and peace, or at least I couldn't find it. And he is running for the U.S. Senate?? He basically has no issues page or the equivalent, just a list of accomplishments in the legislature. Jeff Merkley, who was Speaker of the Oregon House, and knows how to move legislation, this guy ain't.

As of right now, I suspect this race in Deleon's to lose, but he sure does not seem to be catching fire. The large Hispanic population would like to see "one of us" in the Senate. Add that to the fact that Hartson has no political experience. There are still voters who might think let her get some local experience and find out how politics works.

If Feinstein looses, that would be a major defeat for the Israel lobby. I would guess that she might be persuaded to retire if it begins to look like she might be in trouble.