Senate The 2nd Term of the Obama Administration: Facts, Opinions, and Discussions

It monitors foreign communications that are 51% proven to be foreign. The rest goes into an archive somewhere. I'm not sure I like their batting average. A 60 you could excuse, but 51% is just terrible. And they don't dump the information that's proven not to be foreign. Not sure I like these KGB style tactics that are really ineffective. The fact that the Boston bombing even occurred proves how reliable this system is. Or at least it does for me. But no, "TAKE MY RIGHTS! Just take 'em! I'm not using them. Free speech? What is that? Unreasonable search and seizures? Hell...you can have my computer and return it to me with all the info deleted. My guns? Well...you can't touch them because Jesus."

Here's Lindsey Graham's take on it: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/lindsey-graham-thought-censoring-mail-necessary-suggest-182932835.html]Link[/url]

Clearly terrorists are everywhere. This comes from the mind of a man who sees danger wherever he goes and enemies in everything he does. This is why I hate conservatives, right here, because it's this infantile, "Protect me I can't help myself!" Mentality. No, these turds have no problem with Big Gubmit when it's spying on everyone. Actually, put like that...I can see why they have a vested interest in what goes on in people's bedrooms: that way they know you're not having any of that scandalous terrorist-y sex that's all the rage. You know, you strap a bomb vest to your lover and see if you can finish before the timer goes off. I hear it's excellent cardio.

 

Yeah, I thought this was supposed to be the "small government" crowd. It seems our great news media won't even bother pointing that out, probably because they're scared ****less too, or maybe because it's such obvious bull**** at this point that no one even takes it seriously.

 

The use of simple intelligence gathering never ceases to amaze me, how could the British fail to anticipate old Bennie Franklin bringing in the French, Well I suppose they didn't really miscalculate as supporting colonial America with troops funds and arms in the end rewarded Louis with the French national razor.

There might be a message in there about keeping ones own house in order before meddling with others.

I wonder if the US uses agents in the same way?

 

Maybe a new view towards terrorist attacks is needed. And we can tackle gun control at the same time!

Toddlers killed more Americans than terrorists this year

 

That's why we search 'em at airports people!

 

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-dr...rovides-new-history-nsa-surveillance-programs

For those of us who read about that when it happened (the hospital showdown, that is), this comes as no surprise. I basically assumed that this was what it was, which I hope goes some way toward explaining why the recent "news" was anything but for me.

 

So, in this week alone, we'll have

* the Senate voting on the Immigration bill
* the President enacting Climate Change reform through executive actions
* the Supreme Court Decisions on Gay Marriage
* the Supreme Court Decision on the Voting Rights Act
* the Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action in Colleges (released earlier today, actually)
* the Edward Snowden drama and his potential escape, with help from Russia, China, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Cuba, and the diplomatic fallout


This could be the definitive week of Obama's second term (or at least one of them, when Immigration makes it before the House could top it).

 

How do the Supreme Court decisions reflect in any way on the Obama Administration? None of them have anything to do with a piece of legislation passed under his leadership.

 

But it will define his second term (if SCOTUS does nothing, then the Obama administration will need to act or propose legislation). And his administration did refuse to defend DOMA, and argue against Prop 8 before the court.

 

Which John Boehner subsequently stuck a $3 Million bill on Taxpayers by deciding that Congress would defend DOMA instead, of you know, doing the sensible thing and repealing it.

Funny how FOX news harps on the President's recent diplomatic trip to China 'on taxpayers' hard earned money' but fail to disclose or even remotely call out that Congress' defense of DOMA probably cost a lot more than the President's trip.

 

Generally, what would you still like to happen in Obama's 2nd term, and why? (Besides preventing GOP-led cuts, shutdowns, defaults, repeals, etc.)?

Even if you're a Republican, you probably still would like him to do some things, like balance the budget and probably some things on foreign policy.


Main domestic policy objectives:
1. Immigration reform: the system is broken, we need to encourage educated foreign students to stay here, and need a pathway to citizenship for illegals already here (especially those who came here as children)
2. Infrastructure investment: is in urgent need of repair and modernization for safety and efficiency reasons, would create jobs and give a short-term boost to the economy, as well as create a better environment for other jobs in the long-run too, and it wouldn't be an annual expense on the budget
3. Tax reform: there are many deductions and credits that are unfair, especially the subsidies for Big Oil and tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, cap the mortgage interest deduction and limit to one residency, end subsidies for unhealthy foods, as well as ending other loopholes in the tax code, perhaps creating a 1% financial transaction tax, perhaps minimum effective rate for millionaires,... and doing just a little of this would also generate more revenue for the budget
4. Entitlement savings: Medicare and Medicaid are in trouble, and Social Security to an extent too though not as much, and while healthcare reform has extended Medicare's life there's still more work to be done... perhaps by lifting the SS payroll tax cap, allowing imported drugs from Canada, allowing Medicare to bargain on drug prices, preventing Big Pharma from using gimmicks to block generic drugs, and perhaps medical malpractice reform
5. Anti-discrimination for gays/lesbians: on employment, housing, medical services, and adoption... same protections that exist for race, sex, religion, etc.

I would also like to see...
6. Cover mental health, dental health, and optical health, under the new healthcare law's universal insurance too
7. Expand background checks and mental health checks for gun purchases
8. Don't interfere with states that legalize marijuana, or lower the drinking age
9. More transparency on the secret surveillance courts and other national security matters, close Guantanamo
10. Expand AmeriCorps so they can hire more members
11. Increase Minimum Wage and index to inflation, and perhaps mandate paid vacation time, medical leave, family leave, and childcare services
12. Paycheck Fairness Act passes so people can more easily learn if they're being discriminated against in their wages

Some general government reform I'd like to see:
13. DISCLOSE Act passes for campaign transparency
14. Nonpartisan Congressional Redistricting
15. Senate Filibuster Reform
16. Automatic voter registration/updating
17. Mandate early voting and vote-by-mail

Foreign policy objectives I'd like to see:
18. End the war in Afghanistan
19. Prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, perhaps opening dialogue with them
20. See to it that the civil war ends in Syria, with neither the Assad regime or Al Qaeda affiliates being in power or having a safe haven there
21. Israeli-Arab peace
22. Reducing violence in Mexico
23. Restoring ties with Cuba

 

Why in the hell is this on a Star Wars forum?

 

Because, O youngling, this is the Senate subforum, where we discuss learned things such as whether or not the President is actually a Muslim terrorist with flesh-eating reptile alien bodyguards.

 

lol@n00bs. That was hilarious.

Boba, that bodyguard was merely reptilian, not flesh-eating. Please get it right.

 

As most reptiles are carnivores, I don't see why the President's bodyguards would not be, especially as their bipedal stance consumes calories at a higher rate than a loose-legged sprawl.

 

I thought he had zombie bodyguards.

 

I mentioned this in the Syria thread, but it's more appropriate here:

If Congress shoots the president down, should he resign? His domestic and international power will be pretty much destroyed, and only successfully navigating another crisis will bring it back.

To use an analogy, right now, his presidency is the One Ring, and it's dangling over the Cracks of Doom.

Peace,

V-03

 

I really think we should intervene in Syria, but how is his presidency at stake, and how would resigning even remotely be on the table nevermind a solution to anything??

 

He should not resign, but he should not have been reelected either. This guy is in way, way over his head. He does not know how to swim with the sharks.

 

The resignation comment comes from the fact that he will be severely weakened if the vote fails, and probably completely ineffective for the rest of his term, not to mention likely to help the GOP win back the Senate and White House.

 

You're not explaining that.

How will he be weakened if the vote fails? Why would it make him ineffective for the rest of his term? Why would it help the GOP win the Senate and WH?

Like said, if anything, Obama is bringing this Congress so he has cover, no matter how Congress votes. If he really wanted something done, he wouldn't have gone to Congress.

 

I had a fancy reply all typed up, and then I read the news that Boehner has publicly agreed to back the president.

At this point, the risk to Obama is now greatly diluted unless an attack on Syria results in a wider war. If the House votes him down, it will harm the GOP politically more than the president for going to Congress (and he can still act).

So, rather than my launching into a diatribe on perceptions, media-hype, and electoral cycles, let's just say things have probably evened out quite a bit politically with this morning's news.

Peace,

V-03

 

We still have the debt ceiling fiasco (again) coming up soon, so that should give the GOP ample opportunity to throw whatever political capital they have out the window. "Defund Obamacare or we'll destroy the credit markets" isn't exactly a winning message.