“I guess I’m known as a RINO now, which means a Republican in name only, because... of social views, perhaps, or common sense, which seems to escape members of our party. For heaven’s sake, you have Grover Norquist wandering the earth in his white robes saying that if you raise taxes one penny, he’ll defeat you. He can’t murder you. He can’t burn your house. The only thing he can do to you, as an elected official, is defeat you for reelection. And if that means more to you than your country when we need patriots to come out in a situation when we’re in extremity, you shouldn’t even be in Congress... If you want to be a purist, go somewhere on a mountaintop and praise the east or something... But if you want to be in politics, you learn to compromise. And you learn to compromise on the issue without compromising yourself. Show me a guy who won’t compromise and I’ll show you a guy with rock for brains.”
—former Senator Alan Simpson, on Sunday's Fareed Zakaria GPS, commenting on the GOP's refusal to consider compromise on new tax revenues
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This is what is truly amazing. It wasn't that long ago that these guys, Alan Simpson, Ronald Reagan, Joe Scarborough and so many more were hard core, uncompromising, right wingers. But now they are considered RINO's, traitors. The extremists, those at Fox and the Limbaughs of the party now control everything. At least Simpson and Scarborough were students of history, government, economics and could spell. They were wrong, but I didn't feel like there were morons sitting in the houses of our government (most of the time). They may have been petty, petulant, children who allowed this current atmosphere to grow to its current state of being and that's where they are to blame but never-the less they did have some sign of intelligence. This new Republican Party is a disaster.
True. Things in America are not wrong because of some global influence or even Obama, but because of the hotheads in the pinnacle of GOP.
A the song goes: "Everybody would like to rule the world..." Just a few nobodys may decide the wrong turn (again!) for the US. Pitty.
I Agree with Alan Simpson - sounds pretty cut and dry - Simple and Correct !!! norquist and All that have signed his Paper and are supporting it - Are Domestic Terrorists and need to Tried for such Crimes !!
I think the people that need to be tried are the people that still from our kids to fund stuff like Solyndra, and the list goes on and on and on.
Capital hill has forgotten that they work for us, the American People, the have a responsibility to make certain that the money we pay in taxes is used in an honest way. Neither side of the isle is doing that. The only difference between the Dems and the Repubs is who they give our money too.
Rome was an amazing empire and at its biggest, most oppressive time, it took 10% from its people. How much money is enough from our government? Our government is not working in reality. If you borrowed $0.40 for every dollar you spent how long could you last. Capital hill thinks they have unlimited resources, but what they don't realize is that the people they are taking it from don't. If the Government took ever thing that the 1% had, not just taxed them at 100%, but took all of their assets it wouldn't even cover the spending of our government does in 8 months. Do the math for yourself Simpson.
I'm guessing that if someone can do math that Simson believes they have rocks in their head?
Chemdmd: Solyndra? Lets see, we spent roughly $500 million on solar power because that's all the Republican Congress would allow while China invested $30 Billion at the same time. So tell me who do you think is now way ahead in solar technology? We beat the rest of the world in nuclear, aerospace, chemical and numerous other technologies because we outspent them using government R & D idiot. That's what made us great in the past.
Additionally comparing taxes now to an empire that existed 2000 years ago before electricity was in use and when the worlds population was roughly 1/4 of what is now is ridiculous but thanks for playing. Perhaps you'd like to get an education. There are many good schools still available in this country if you qualify.
Alan Simpson acting reasonably, and parts excellent advice to other repub club members, who would think?
Alan Simpson has seen the writing on the wall. He knows what is ahead for all the working Americans.
He knows what the GOP has been doing and why.
His problem is that he has known for a long time...And now that it looks like the GOP is going to actually buy this election and destroy the US Constitution he has a Guilty Conscious.
Put since 2009 he has been riding his camel through his own prosperity and protecting his own profit margins. Simpson is as totally un-American as is the rest of the GOP.
So much of reality is lost from the get-go when introduced into the illusion of the political world where our dis-associated (which is inherently non-responsible), feckless elected political leaders are in a bully-coward two party relationship where Republicans are pathologically oppositional to the extreme to anything Democrat, or democratic, and instead espouse a solution of running government for the purpose of greater public support of private enterprise through tax and regulation that favors large corporations and those in the top 1% of income. These points are antithetical to the art (something that makes you think differently) of politics, being compromise, and to the foundation of American society and our economy, being the creation and maintenance of a middle class supported by a favorable government that allowed land ownership and representation with very liberal criteria. We are on the precipice of mega-corporations and the very wealthy becoming and exclusive, unaccountable 4th branch of government. To me, the establishment of fact to support a claim and agreement on terms and definition is necessary to have enough mutual understanding that constitutes communication for purposes of governing ourselves and having meaningful, impactful, public debate. What I see on talk shows is, in a purely political context, creating a persuasive illusion, often involving fear and at least confusion, that become the only choices the public has to establish their perception of reality. As a media, we cannot get to the facts of the matter to even have a rational debate because the media enable any political guest to avoid a direct answer by allowing self-serving statements without answer, ad infinitum, then moving to the next guest or subject dictated by an agenda to get to the commercials for which the media exists. Why would you have and thus enable someone on your show that refuses to acknowledge or state fact time after time? The only purpose then being served is that of the politician. We are all hooked up to this state of illusion.
"Blue..." you are so right about cable news media (However, I think HARDBALL makes a strong effort to rein in the Pols and "specialist". It ain't easy to rein in career professionals): The beast of cable news is eating its own success. Profit does this to an industry.
The good news is you have to have the pols on the airwaves, because they have all the answers; the bad news is pols have all the answers, and you have to have them on the airwaves!
As long as the talk shows always put matter in political context, we lose the greatest meaning of anything because all matters in politics are explained in an illusory world. Anything of substance is painted to appear as the artist believes the buyer wishes it to be. Therefor, from the very beginning, we are not getting truth and already have to see through the makeup on the pig. It is such a pathology that presenters will cover a solid gold pig with gold-color paint so as to make it appear acceptable to the public.
If democrats what to jump up and down in praise for what Simpson said then you should be really fired up that Obama took the Simpson Bowles Plan and put it on a shelf to collect dust.
BREAKING NEWS ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS: Triumphe64 has pointed out Mitt Romney's father was born in Mexico. (See it )
You are so right! The evidence is clear now!
Donald (Mr. Red Herring) Trump is exposed, EXPOSED!! He has brought Massachusetts Governor Mitt (Mr. ReDirect) into his hypocritcal and deceitful racist rants.
The singular difference between President Obama's and Mitt Romney's fathers is not that they were born in other countries; it is skin color.
Mitt R., knew where his father was born and should have seen the hypocrisy of standing beside Trump on the day he shares his birth certificate with the world.
Shame on you Mitt Romney. The focus is on you for standing NEXT to Trump.