Why the Super Committee failed?

Here’s the truth about the Super Committee: It was destined to fail!
by Charlie Leck

Do you want the unvarnished story – the real deal – about why the Super Committee failed as we expected it would? If so, then read this exceptional story in the NY Times. It very clearly explains the reasons for the failure. Then – understanding that – you can go ahead and blame whoever you want to blame.

Don’t accept a lot of political hocus-pocus about all of this! The reason the Committee failed is simple. Republicans didn’t want to increase taxes on the wealthy and Democrats did.

Most economists in the nation agree that this is no time for government to cut spending. Doing so will only increase the desperateness of these economic bad times. This is the time to pour money into the economic engine in order to get it chugging away – but not borrowed money. Get people to work! That is the crucial requirement. The Republican plan won’t do that.

Democrats were not going to put their seal of approval on a plan that would cut, cut, cut and drive the economy into deeper recession.

Now the battle lines will be exceedingly clear in the 2012 presidential election campaign. Democrats will argue that the Republicans would not increase revenues in order to stimulate job growth and the Republicans will argue that Democrats have failed to manage the economy and stimulate job growth.

The simple question will be this: Who believes who?

The Republicans will have a pot of money to spend on the campaign. Remember? Corporations may now freely give unlimited funds to political candidates. Corporation executives are part of the wealthy elite. Most of them (though not all) do not want their taxes increased.

President Obama may break all the records in existence for campaign fund raising. He’s already stocking it up. Millions and millions of little guys will give him all they can afford.

In November, I think it will be close. However, if Obama wins the race but the House remains under Republican control, nothing will change.

If you’re a progressive and want to make a difference, contribute to Democrats who are running for election to the House of Representatives. If we get a strong House and a strong Senate, the Bush tax cuts will not be extended in January of 2013.

Do not forget for a second where and when this financial crisis began! It was during the Bush administration that the ugly housing crisis began. It was then that the banks ran into trouble and had to be bailed out to avoid a total crash.

I hope Republicans are made to pay for their total inaction over the last four years. They have virtually allowed the economy to fall into ruins in order to bring down the President of the United States. These have been ugly political times – by far, the ugliest of my life time.

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Gingrich leads in latest polls!
by Charlie Leck

You’ve seen it. You’re probably as surprised as I am. Newt Gingrich actually leads in the current polling on the Republican race. Amazing! At least he’s a bright guy – a little whacky, but bright. Have you heard his latest? He wants to put school children to work doing the janitorial work and other work around the schools. He says it would be cheaper than paying union janitors. Actually, I don’t think it would – not by the time you organize such a program and provide the supervision that the children would need. He wants to instill in poor, young people an ethic of work. There is some merit in what he’s saying, but the whole concept needs serious thought. We don’t want to lapse back into the era that preceded our child labor laws.

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Michele Bachmann
Bachmann is falling out of sight in those polls. Her only prayer is a big win in the Iowa caucus procedure; however, the other candidates are now getting themselves organized in Iowa and I think it spells the collapse of the Bachmann effort.

You're aware, aren't you, that Michele Bachmann has a book out. I don't recommend it (I'll bet that comes as a surprise to you). It's called Core of Conviction. Mother Jones Magazine, is fact checking it. They begin by saying, "There's enough to dispute in the first 13 pages that by the time she announces, on page 14, that she was born in Waterloo, Iowa, you want to ask for a birth certificate." My only advice is that you not get the book. You don't want to waste either your time or your money.

Plain and simple, Bachmann is fiction. Don't think of her as a true story. She's something she has dreamed up in her own simple mind.

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Golf Down Under
by Charlie Leck

It was a wonderful golf course (Royal Melbourne Golf Club) that the American and International professional golf teams played on down in Australia. I’ve never been down there. I’d love to travel there someday, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.

The golf event was wonderful. Team golf is terribly interesting and compelling. Such sportsmanship and camaraderie. It makes golf special in my mind. I wish it was possible to make it a more common sport among children in all economic classes. There are some programs (The First Tee) that try to do this, but they just don’t get deeply enough into the areas they need to reach.

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