MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry on Saturday defended President Barack Obama’s “laughable” opening “fiscal cliff” offer to Republicans, proving once again that she is light on honest political analysis and heavy on the talking points.
“It’s December 1, just one month until the deadline for the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ and the drama is building,” she began.
She paused for a moment to play a clip of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) referring to the president’s offer as not being a “serious proposal.”
“Mr. Boehner, you’ve got it all wrong,” the MSNBC host said. “It is a serious proposal, really serious, ‘Godfather’ serious.”
She continued:
Watching the DC drama this week convinced those of us in Nerdland that President Obama must be a fan of the Francis Ford-Coppola masterpiece because he seems to be channeling “The Godfather.”
No, I’m not suggesting that Speaker Boehner is about to wake up next to a severed horse’s head, but remove the lethal components and there are valuable negotiating lessons that the president seems to be picking up on.
The president, she argues, is “keeping his friends close, but his enemies closer.”
“Well, President Obama has definitely been keeping his enemies close at hand: Lunch with Mitt Romney, a mid-week summit with business leaders who supported Romney, including millionaire Republican backers, the CEOs of Marriott, AT&T and Statefarm and of course, meeting after meeting after meeting with speaker John Boeher and Republican leaders,” said Harris-Perry.
Bottom Line: By offering a “fiscal cliff” deal favorable only to himself, the president is a lot like Don Corleone. And this is a good thing:
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RELATED;
- Charles Krauthammer on Obama’s ‘Insulting’ Fiscal Cliff Offer: ‘Republicans Ought to Simply Walk Away’
- GOP Leadership Responds to Obama’s ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Offer: No Thanks
- Boehner: I’m Not Sure Dems are Taking This ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Thing Very Seriously
(H/T: Mediaite). Front page image courtesy Getty Images.
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Comments (136)
OBUMAURMAMA
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:40pmSo how do the media types really feel if this is their example of civility.
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ICRedifURBlue
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:52pm………maybe if Washington won’t finally cut entitlements ……….WE can start cutting recipients….it’s not that bad yet is it?
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turkey13
Dec. 1, 2012 at 10:21pmThe news media still doen’t get it.They need to talk to the unemployed reporters under Hugo Chavez.When Obama goes to state TV, News Papers and State internet.you willonly need about5 people for each form of media.MSNBC is the least watched so none of the folks there will even be interviewed.
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johnpaulkuchtajr
Dec. 2, 2012 at 2:00amIt really doesn’t matter what Boehner has to say, as far as most of my conservative friends are concerned. Stick a fork in the Republicrats, they’re done. Boehner should have shut down the government over Fast and Furious, Benghazi, no budget, Keystone et al.
Maybe if Alan West runs as an independent, we’ll elect a man with some stones to run the country according to the Constitution. It’s him or Rand Paul. And either one could pick Louie Gohmert as their VP / Attack Dog. Gohmert is up Obama’s shorts EVERY DAY. I like Louie’s style and he’s from Texas, which earns him points right away with most conservatives.
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GETLIFE
Dec. 2, 2012 at 7:03amJOHNPAUL: No conservative media, no conservative President.
That means a media not afraid to nastily harp on voter fraud.
That means a media not afraid to nastily harp on this joke of a budget game being played on Obama’s turf. How about calling this administration out for the racist / sexists they are–incessantly, and with stories and language that zombies can understand. Conservative media is a closed circuit– understandable to those who ALREADY know what’s going on.
The WH’s ridicule of the common man’s intelligence is unacceptable.
The right needs to get their talking points together. They need to be absolutely RUTHLESS about saving our free-market economy– which is the basis for our freedom, period.
The left is out talking to food stamp recipients.
The right is talking political shop-talk with the press.
They should be more outrageous–and more outraged at what the WH is doing to the middle class.
Honestly, they don’t seem all that concerned. Obama does.
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db321
Dec. 2, 2012 at 7:34amTurkey, so what you are saying is that the Media in not only helping Obama destroy America from within, they are helping to destroy their own Carers. Well I’ll take it a step further by saying that Obama Voters are destroying their promise of life in eternity, by voting for Obama and spitting in the face of God.
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redfish52
Dec. 2, 2012 at 8:26am@blazy335….if its such a great deal why haven’t you quit your job to do it…..yep…that’s what I thought.
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TAXEVERYONE
Dec. 2, 2012 at 9:37amHas anyone heard anything recently about all the examples of Voter Fraud that were coming out right after the election???
It is almost like both R and D are together in this.
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oneshiner
Dec. 2, 2012 at 11:50amThis Melissa Perry has already proven she’s DUMB as DIRT. Who’d believe anything from her face?
As a low income conservative, I’d rather go off the cliff and let the chips fall where they may, then it would hurt ALL us us equally instead of letting obama and his dishonest crew add TRILLIONS more to our National Debt, that we’ll never be able to pay off in our lifetime and really HURT ALL of us.
He wants to be RULER of this once great Nation, and if we give him the ability to spend Trillions more, believe me, he sets himself up, because we’d never believe this could happen to the United States of America, but just wait and see, if you have the guts. I don’t, and want him stopped now, and any cost. The alternative will be worse in the end.
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MIBUGNU2
Dec. 2, 2012 at 11:56amKEEP GIVING OUT THE “FREE SHI*” and THEY will keep coming,
and the ones that are here will NEVER have to WORK for a living..
LIBERALS and/or DEMOCRATS are F’N IDIOTS.. This is the
“BOY KINGS” plan…REDISTRIBUTE..Damn It, if you want a “Bama
Fo” you should have to work for it…I have to work to pay for mine..
But I guess if you are the in 47%, YOU don’t have to do your “FAIR
SHARE” HUH ???
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oneshiner
Dec. 2, 2012 at 12:39pmMIBUGNU2, You got it. the 47-49% who elected obama only want their freebees. To heck with the rest of us who pay for their very existence. In our entire lifetimes, we pay through the nose while these suckers (fishes) get free money, food, phones, medical, everything, and the rest of us pay for it. I call it integrity on our part. You see and hear about these purps almost daily. (exception are those disabled)
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Mulder1
Dec. 2, 2012 at 5:00pmShe’s right. Obama’s main goal is to destroy the GOP. He promised a balanced approach to bringing down the deficit, and there was actually spending increases in his proposal. He wants the GOP to block a bill so that taxes will go up on everybody and the GOP will get the blame. He may succeed. It is clear that Obama is not serious about cutting spending anywhere but in the defense department.
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neidermeyer
Dec. 2, 2012 at 7:04pm@Turkey13
Sure the on-air talent pool will be cut dramatically ,, but look at how many people will gain employment “correcting” historical footage and print articles.
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2B
Dec. 2, 2012 at 7:31pmHow in the world can ANYONE educated in the United States call this news? Oh my gosh. That is the problem. Thank God some of us were still able to escape able to think on our own. Yea, we have a multitude of brothers and sisters who are blind and deaf. I have given up on mine.
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Silvertruth
Dec. 2, 2012 at 8:03pmIf the GOP really wants to end the suffering of the American public, it will let them have exactly what they voted for. First, the GOP needs to stand up and say “This is what will happen under President Obama’s plan”, and lay out the points, clearly and concisely. Then say “If we try to stop this now, he will blame us for all those things and for going over the ‘fiscal cliff’. The only thing we are going to require to ‘get out of the way’ is to keep the only bargaining tool we have to keep this President and the Senate in check, no unlimited raise to the debt ceiling. We are going to vote ‘present’ on everything else until the nation has no wealthy, no middle class and these massive policies have failed so badly that there is nobody left willing to vote for a Democrat. They are myopic and foolish with power drunk stupidity. Our advice is, if you make over $100,000 a year, leave now before they get everything you own and give it to someone that doesn’t do anything but vote for them to earn it.”
The GOP will say “Do what you want, but no more debt- Period”. They will go back to the failed policies of taxing wealth, and with no ability to increase the debt, they will become the snake eating it’s own tail. They will gut the military, gut business, cripple the entire country and lay waste to entire cities, just like Greece. They will blame the GOP for not allowing more debt, but it will ring completely hollow against the damage they’ve done.
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love the kids
Dec. 2, 2012 at 8:40pmThe Dems keep saying that all they want to do is raise the tax rates on the wealthy back to what they were under Clinton. Well, if things were so great then, weren’t the taxes on the middle class higher. you know, the amount that they will go up to when the tax cuts expire.? It seems to me that you need to do everything he did if you expected the same result.
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Maidoff101
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:38pmWas the MSLSD Host name Luca Bratzzi ?
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RJJinGadsden
Dec. 2, 2012 at 6:54amLuca Brasi. I still remember that from reading the book in ’71. I was looking forward to the release of the movie which was just in the following year.
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Kinnison
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:38pm“An offer Republicans cannot refuse”? No…
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antiprogressive
Dec. 2, 2012 at 3:23amHis arrogance astounds us all.
Talk to people like they are children and the stupid will do what you say.
But if you think for yourself, you are willing to call his bluff.
Even cut off your nose to spit in his face.
Hmmm, wonder if that explains the recent election…
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Iamnotanumber
Dec. 3, 2012 at 5:23pmOh and don’t forget…
get put on the terror watch list
get put on the no fly list
get put on a list so your fellow federal employees can rat you out as a traitor.
How 1950 Soviet Russia!!!!
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pushinginto
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:37pmWho watches that channel? I completely lost interest mid-way through.
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SimpleTruths
Dec. 2, 2012 at 8:03pmIn the 25 – 54 age group, MSNBC consistently beats or ties FOX for viewers.
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Iamnotanumber
Dec. 3, 2012 at 5:28pmLie, just because you say it does not make it true.
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/12/03/cable-news-ratings-for-friday-november-30-2012/160119/
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TxSon
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:30pmI have a question about this so-called fiscal cliff. If this “cliff” is so bad, why did both houses of congress agree to it in the first place? Do our congressmen and senators care so little about the US and its people that they would intentionally put a plan in place that would be a disaster if executed?
If so, have they not committed treason and all need to be hung and replaced?
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antiprogressive
Dec. 2, 2012 at 3:06amI think the reasoning was that much like the threat of an all out nuclear war between the US and Russia, no one will willing to send the first nuke.
Make the “cliff” so dangerous that even the largest stampede will see it from a mile away and stop heading towards it, much less go over it.
Personally, I’m tired of the stupidity in Washington and all across the country, the lack of personal responsibility and the shameless acceptance of handouts, fatherless children and lack of respect for anyone other than one’s own self.
I say bring it on, We are only delaying the ultimate demise of this country if we DON’T jump off the cliff.
Republicans need to vote “present” and let the other elected officials be responsible.
If we don’t jump, we become European modeled Socialists.
If we DO jump, it will soon be followed by an all out revolution and we start over…
Either way, let the Liberals make the decision.
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Baerlin
Dec. 2, 2012 at 8:44amFiscal cliff. Debt ceiling. Funny how, regardless of the direction here, the result seems to be the same. And their solution? Just give us more money………….I argued against raising the debt ceiling and am now arguing for jumping off of the cliff. And I swore to never bundgie……………
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retiredfire
Dec. 2, 2012 at 2:00pmThe problem with the voting “present” stuff is that Oblamo and Ben Bernanke will just keep printing money to keep his adoring supporters going for long enough for the whole economy to collapse, taking we conservatives along with it. Then he will impose truly dictatorial edicts from which we can’t recover. You don’t think he has this whole thing planned out?
Conservatives will be like the pedestrian who will have “I had the right of way” inscribed on his headstone.
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sbenard
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:30pmI couldn’t help noticing that she referred to Obama as the Godfather! Yeah! That’s just about right! He’s the THUGfather!
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sbenard
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:17pmAnother case of the left referring to their fellow Americans as “enemies”. They ally themselves with Islamic radicals, but consider conservatives to be “enemies”. Their real enemies are freedom and God!
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TrUe.AmEriCaN
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:13pmJust goes to show ya, anything and everything at the liberal MSNBC is total whack jobs! Actually that was being nice to them………… Oh and this to the Blaze, The entire “SPEAK YOUR MIND, BUT ADDHERE TO THE COMMENT POLICY is so totally Republican and so yesterday! ….
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spfoam1
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:01pmShe hit the nail on the head when she used the word ENEMIES. Half the population IS Obamas enemy, and he is doing everything he can to ruin them.
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MIBUGNU2
Dec. 2, 2012 at 12:29pmYou must be referring to the Working Class he’s trying
to add to his 47%, He figures if we need welfare we
will in turn, “Turn To The Dark Side” and DEMAND
our “Bama Fo’s”….
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sacwoodpusher
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:01pmAs I have said before……let’s take the cliff first. This is our only chance for cuts in government spending. It will be child’s play to cut taxes for the middle class. whether we get them for the rest is unknown. We put you republicans in the house to do this, so grow a pair and do it.
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sbenard
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:24pmI’ve been leaning toward the same opinion all this week. But I feel torn!
The reason is that by LAW, entitlements are classified by Congress as MANDATORY and non-negotiable spending. Everything else, including the MILITARY, is classified as DISCRETIONARY spending! Hard to believe that our elected representatives consider our military to be DISCRETIONARY and therefore on the table for cuts, but all entitlements are MANDATORY!
Even if we see a resolution to this so-called “fiscal cliff”, the real fiscal nightmare is just around the corner. Expert like John Mauldin say that within a year or two we will run into a debt brick wall in which our debt — and with it, our dollar — will become worthless and we won’t be able to sell any more.
There are NO easy answers. Perhaps the best one is that we hit that debt brick wall sooner rather than later.
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Advection
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:54pmThe “deal” was designed by Obama/Reid/Pelosi to massively increase taxes and massively cut defense spending, and the kicker was that Democrats pretended it was so “bad” that they would never let it happen. This truth is, it’s their DREAM deal, and Republicans were fools to agree to it.
Also notice that Obama is now demanding Congress hand it’s constitutional budget powers over to him! Reid already nullified the Senate by refusing to pass budgets, and now all Obama needs to complete his constitutional coupe d’état is for congress to grant him unfettered money printing.
If the House doesn’t grant the demand now, it will be added to a list of “temporary emergency powers” which Obama will present to the *people*, after creating financial collapse and chaos. If and when Congress hand their powers to Obama, it will be the moment historians say the Republic fell.
We are this || close to a dictatorship, and its shocking the free press don’t even see it.
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DiamondDog
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:59pmLean FORWARD and sooner or later you will fall on your face
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dndcrazy
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:56pmLEAN FORWARD—–Guess which finger I’m holding up.
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OldSurfRat
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:46pmLets get this party started.
Sound like we are gonna have us some fun over the next 4 years and to be honest I welcome it. Waiting for a fight is way wores than the fight it self.
Are you ready? Are you ready? Ok LETS GET IT ON!
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E.Souchak
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:56pmIt is all a charade
Chicagogate: Cover-up Exposed
http://illinoispaytoplay.com/2012/11/30/chicagogate-cover-up-exposed/
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SendTheMeteors
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:23pmBush’s two tax cut did absolutely nothing to improve the economy in terms of jobs or GNP, and government revenues were substantially reduced. Bush tried it, it didn’t work. Those tax cuts simply blew out the deficit to a degree unseen since the Reagan administration’s tax cuts. And we all know what happened to the economy after seven years of Bushenomics. The second worst contraction of the economy in American history.
Since the Bush tax cuts did nothing for the economy, and ballooned the deficit, why not let them expire? Why beat a dead horse?
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The-Monk
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:37pm@SendTheTurdeors
“Bush’s two tax cut did absolutely nothing to improve the economy….”
Then why was Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi for extending the Bush tax cuts and successful in doing so with a Democrat majority in the House and Senate?
You losers can’t get any facts correct…..
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UNALIEN
Dec. 1, 2012 at 9:54pm@SENDTHEMETEORS
because it is a myth,,,
raising taxes does not increase government revenue, cutting spending does
Coolidge cut taxes, revenue went up
JFK cut taxes, revenue went up
Reagan cut taxes, revenue went up (he was conned into raising later by the false promise of spending cuts from the Dems)
it wasn’t the bush tax cuts that were the problem, it was the increased spending promoted by both parties..
Historically, the average tax revenue has been around 18% of DGP, no matter the tax rate. It is NOT a tax problem it is a spending problem by both parties and Obamas balanced approach now increases taxes AND spending… Spending always increases with these Statists, raising tax rates will only encourage that.
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RJJinGadsden
Dec. 2, 2012 at 7:01amSENDTHEMETEORS, Lets call this what it actually is. Bush merely rolled back Clinton’s tax increase. So, this is actually just that, the Clinton Tax Increase. Clinton did this at the end of the Reagan, Bush terms when the economy was booming, and about the time that the Dot Com Bubble was getting started. If taxes are to ever be raised on any class, that was the time. But, not now.
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UNALIEN
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:45pmWell yes, Obama is a Saul Alinsky trained “organizer” and Alinsky ingratiated himself with the mob to learn their “organizing crime tactics” which were really just a form of Marxist Gangsterism. You know, steal from the “wealthy and middle” and buy off your supporters to gain power. Obama learned that too… but eventually another gangster Marxist comes along and wants your power, wants your stuff and takes it…
The problem with marxist gangsterism is that eventually the people you buy off want more than you can steal..
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Stelex
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:41pmChris Mathews should no better than to do “black face” in drag no less. I’m offended at his attitude and disrespect of our president. I call on the NAACP, ACLU, NAMBLA and PETA to boycott Chris Mathews pretending to be an angry black chick. There are plenty of angry black chicks to go around, seen Jessie Jacksons daughter lately, the hair is so tight her lips done ever meet. Freaky
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dosdelgados
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:30pmGodfather serious?
It does feel a bit like mob rule.
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mercenary4freedom
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:57pmThis hack would’ve made a good propagandist for Josef Goebels & the Nazi’s.
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paperpushermj
Dec. 1, 2012 at 10:56pmShe would say thank you she has working very hard at it.
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paperpushermj
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:30pmRants from my favorite nutcase Racist talking head at MSNBC
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Gary_K
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:23pmCheck out this site for layoff news. http://www.dailyjobcuts.com/
It aint pretty but is going to get worse very soon whith the bozos that are in power.
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dosdelgados
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:32pmWow.
Thanks for the link,
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rickc34
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:42pmHi Gary- saw that San Diego Hospice is laying off 180 nurses, and that trend will continue for healthcare. Thanks to Obamacare. San diego Hospice is or was the largest Hospice in San Diego county . Bad sign..
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Gary_K
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:43pmDid you see the list of business closings on the right side?
Scarry !!!
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Nerzhul
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:20pmHnnnnngggg my heart cant take this much stupidity and biased point of view.
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paperpushermj
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:32pmThat seems to be the majority opinion.
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TRONINTHEMORNING
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:19pmA dim bulb, that chick. Kinda homely too.
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progressiveslayer
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:15pmGodfather serious? Well he is running a criminal enterprise so the OBAMAZOMBIE stumbled on the truth with that Freudian slip. The Marxist POS’s enemies are anyone contributing to the private sector and anyone in the parasitical public sector has the seal of approval from the collectivist pig. Barry doesn’t want to make a deal he wants taxmageddon because there’s nothing like confiscatory taxes to send a Marxist POS who never had a job in the private sector in his life nor ever will into an orgasm.
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gyro
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:14pmWhat a nice lady !!!
and so smart !!!
and she can read !!!
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Gregb
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:13pmit is a serious offer to seriously destroy the United States economy…
Republicans need to stand their ground. they are in the majority and have the support of the American public. The House of Representatives does not need to be bullied by the child in chief!
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eramthgin
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:12pm‘she is light on honest political analysis and heavy on the talking points’ no its not that at all. She is light on knowledge and believes the talking points. Most of the media is in a self induced delusional reality where the laws of nature are reversed! Only when that happens can they speak this ignorant and irrational statements.
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AmericanStrega
Dec. 1, 2012 at 8:08pmI don’t think she got the memo: Obama won. He can do whatever he wants. She can stop the azz kissing.
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