tom daschle - Jezebel

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Ulookinatmyjunk, JOC
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
Verse 1:
For three long months
I thought you were the man (Daschle)
But I found out, you're just a link in the chain
You didn't pay your taxes
You ain't nothin' but a fool
You cheated "The Man"
The IRS will always finds you, tool

Chain, chain, chain
Chain, chain, chain
Chain of fools

Verse 2:
Every chain has got a weak link (Killefer)
You wanted to keep your ends (yeahhh)
Now you've got no government friends

Vamp:
(Background: Whoo, Whoo)
So, I had to leave you alone
Put up your finger and screwed the tax code
For Howard Dean you made it easy
And now I have to come down strong
You're added to my….

Chain, chain, chain
Chain, chain, chain
Chain of fools
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ellaesther
02/04/09

@Ulookinatmyjunk: Diary of a Mad Black Blogger: AWESOME!!!

Off I go to email hortense. Oh hortense! COTD up in here!
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ElleL
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I SOOOOOO badly want Howard Dean to replace Daschle!!

PYAH!!!!
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PilgrimSoul
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I love Howard.
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ellaesther
02/04/09

@PilgrimSoul: I have no strong feelings for him either way (other than feeling he was treated really badly surrounding the yelling-really-loudly thing). What do you like about him?
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funnyface
02/04/09

@ellaesther: I love him because he was a kick ass DNC chair and we can thank him for the 50 state strategy that led to Obama's election.
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PilgrimSoul
02/04/09

@ellaesther: 50-state strategy, health care in Vermont, general I-don't-give-a-fuck-I'm-in-this-for-the-... attitude, awesome wife who doesn't show up to political events, etc.
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ellaesther
02/04/09

@PilgrimSoul: Wait! What was the rest of the hyphenated line? (I hate that Jezebel does that, by the way. Half of my informal correspondence is made up of sentences-that-I've-turned-into-words... because that's-the-way-I-roll. I think the system cuts you off at ten).

and @funnyface: @PilgrimSoul: Thank you! I'd forgotten that he was behind the 50-states thing, and I don't think I knew about health care reform in VT. Off to consult Mr. Google.
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PilgrimSoul
02/04/09

@ellaesther: agh, sorry: for-the-principle.
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burningdinner
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
It might just be me, but it was so nice to hear President Obama actually take responsibility for making a mistake. Haven't heard that from the executive branch of government in quite a while.
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ellaesther
02/04/09

@burningdinner: I was too, and yet I also feel like it's really sad that we feel this way. I mean, talk about damning with faint praise! "Yay, the President of the United States of America managed to do what I expect of my 5 and 9 year old children!"

Don't misunderstand, I really, deeply appreciate it. I just think it says something about us that it feels like a revelation to see a person in power take responsibility.
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burningdinner
02/04/09

@ellaesther: Oh good point.

Sigh.
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ellaesther
02/04/09

@burningdinner: Sorry.... Go listen to him sing! It'll make you smile again!
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Lizawithazee
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
Howard Dean isn't exactly known for being able to effect systemic change. Daschle could (possibly) have led an overhauling of our healthcare system precisely BECAUSE he is the ultimate insider. In the case of our monumentally fucked-up healthcare system, my fear is we can't have it both ways. It's the Jimmy Carter Syndrome-- if you're an outsider, you won't be able to strong-arm people into agreeing to change ANYTHING, not matter how good your intentions or how ethical you are.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@Lizawithazee: what failure are you referring to when you say Dean isn't exactly known for being able to effect systemic change?
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Lizawithazee
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: He has no record of working with Congress or federal departments to implement policy change that I'm aware of. He also is known for being a blowhard and a maverick, not someone who forms the kind of coalitions necessary for such a radical, fundamental overhaul. He's not the bridge-building type. He's more of a Party person.

(I personally love his positions and his fierce spirit, just don't think he is the right person to attempt to overhaul healthcare.)
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Saltine
02/04/09

@Lizawithazee: I dunno, even though it was difficult he ultimately wont the fight to overhaul how the Dems funded various state races and that was massively important. I think with this job his fierceness might be important, he's not a senator, he's in a position where we want him to not do the stupid political compromises everyone does unless its completely necessary
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Lizawithazee
02/04/09

@saltine: Let's hope the healthcare system sharks agree or fear him enough to give up on iota of control or money.
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Lizawithazee
02/04/09

@saltine: re: the Dem funding of state races-- don't forget that was in his own party and it seemed like a pretty bloody battle just to accomplish that.

I'm not saying Daschle was justified in his fat cat ways, far from it. I just think he was the perfect person to push healthcare system reform because he knows where the bodies are buried and is (or shall I say WAS) trusted and respected by the major players. He could have possibly (with a lot of help from the amazing staffers, lawmakers, corporations, associations, NGO people, etc.) made some reform happen.

Now I'd venture full-on reform is probably off the table for the first term because of all the other priorities, even though its inextricably linked to the health of the economy.

Pissed. Me. Off. Way to go, Daschle. This wasn't some petty overlooking of paying your nanny's social security. This was major.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@Lizawithazee: I see your point but I guess to me I am more concerned with someone like Daschle, who might have been "effective" at working with big business but was a little too close for my comfort. I don't usually buy into the whole "insiders are more effective changemakers" idea. I want someone who is going to fight for my interests.
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morninggloria
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
Taxes are optional for VIPs, and so too, it appears, is death. It is a well known fact that 60% of congressmen are zombies and cannot be killed.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I have a better idea than a compensation cap. Let's pay executives only in stocks in their own shitty broken companies!!!
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NefariousNewt
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: Oh, now you're just being cruel!!!!!
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@NefariousNewt: it's a very cathartic moment for me. I always suspected I would have secretly enjoyed living in a Depression.
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gangey
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: I LOLed, because I sometimes think the same thing!

In crappy economic times like this, it is actually a comfort that I have absolutely nothing to lose, financially, and that my husband has a super-stable, if very low-paying, job as an elementary teacher.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@gangey: totally. having no assets is freedom! This is the first time in my life I'm thrilled I have no 401K.
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rosasparks
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: I've never had a lot, believe me, but I take out a decent amount of money, every paycheck and put it into my 401k. I have a kid, and I need to at least pretend to plan for my family's future.

Last August, I received my quarterly statement from Fidelity. I have a modest fund, as I don't put that much in and thankfully, my org. matches.

Guess what? All that money is GONE. All of it. I have pennies left in my account. It was the biggest punch in the stomach, as I could have USED those extra $ I put into it; every cent, actually.

It is horrifying to think that my money just evaporated. While it's nice to not have assets, there's some point where I have to try to get ahead, and yet I can't.

That is far worse than never having it at all. It's crushing, actually.
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la.donna.pietra
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: That sounds like a dandy idea until you realize that compensating people in stock is what got us Enron and Worldcom. Not that I think they'll be able to pull that off again anytime soon, but it's a bad idea to compensate people with stock they have the power to manipulate.
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formergr
02/04/09

@rosasparks: But even though the money is gone right now, you still own shares, right? So conceivably, in the very long term, if things recover you will still have some assets there. I don't know, I'm trying to think positively here, and the one thing about a 401(k) is that it's supposed to be thought of in the long term only. Though I would guess (not having one myself) that having a child makes this all about 100 times more terrifying.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@rosasparks: it is horrible and I'm sorry if my flip attitude toward my own relative poverty seemed to indicate that I don't think retirement saving is important and lifesaving for families! I totally get it. I was mainly just poking fun at myself for being so assetless that the recession doesn't affect me directly (yet, though no doubt it will when i lose my job).
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gangey
02/04/09

@rosasparks: See, my husband and I were feeling guilty for the past few years because we were putting the minimum in the 401K while we tried to pay off graduate school debt. Then, the statement came and we realized that if we had been contributing more, it would have all been gone anyway. His coworkers who were contributing more are in the same boat as you. We are SO glad that we decided to work on the debt first.

Best of luck to you! I'm not totally clear on how these funds work, but you still have the shares right? Hopefully you'll get something back when the market recovers.
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rosasparks
02/04/09

@formergr: Oh yes, EVENTUALLY, I will get monies back. It's just that I need every damn penny, and would've gladly scaled back and kept the money in my pocket, instead of putting it into my vanishing 401k.
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rosasparks
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: Oh, I didn't think you were flip, NOT AT ALL!

It's more like, I am mostly asset-less, as well, and yet this one thing, which made me feel like an adult for the first time, and something that I thought very little about, was taken away and it was really awful, and my response was quite surprising.
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ellaesther
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I want President Obama to do more singing.

I don't have the head for anything else right now....
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shewar
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I'm cackling at this 500k cap. Wah! First the Madoff mess, now this. Hard times for rich folks.

And it's definitely true that no one pays taxes anymore. Insolvency, it's the perfect crime!
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Mama Penguino
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
Megan's right. I was a stupid little thing fresh out of law school and writing laws left and right. I got a huge kick out of telling Mr. Penguino that a law I'd written had been passed and now he had to follow it. It drove him bonkers!
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@Mama Penguino: you writing laws, I'm ok with. Most of these preppy, inexperienced, privileged little Middlebury grads? Go file papers until you learn something. Why can't elected officials hire the best and the brightest and most experienced to be their staffers? I so don't get it.
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Mama Penguino
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: Thanks for your support! In my defense, it's 15 years later and I'm still writing laws and have an extremely close and wonderful relationship with the Revisor's Office.
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LittleLolly
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: B/c the pay sucks.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@LittleLolly: they should pay reps less and their staffers more...
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LaFemme
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: @LittleLolly: I was going to say, because some ofthe hot Hill jobs pay about 15k a year. That's right, 15,000 dollars. Basically, a full time internship. You can't live in Washington DC on 15k without a trust fund.
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Saltine
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: Hmm well hopefuly there will be at least one Jezzie collegiate intern stapling paper together this summer for Sen. Durbin ::finger crossed::. I will make it my duty to fight to somehow make the utterance of the person will shall thus be referred to as She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named made illegal. Also ice cream for everyone.
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bureaucrette
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: The members don't get paid much, either. Relatively speaking.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@bureaucrette: What, with that automatic pay raise they get every year? I think they are doing ok at 155,000.
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victoriasauce
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I love all the criticism of Obama. It's as if everyone forgot what a colossal fuck up Bush was.

Yeah, so, tax problems and all, this administration has yet to make decisions that get people killed. We're still cool.
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ellaesther
02/04/09

@victoriaandrahmsittinginatree: Politico had a headline yesterday about "Obama's toughest week yet" -- out of, you may recall, two. Weeks. Two weeks.

And some Republican on NPR yesterday (it may have been DeMint, but I'm not sure) said something along the lines of "the President made promises to bring change to Washington and he hasn't delivered." Words fail me.
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NefariousNewt
02/04/09

@ellaesther: Yes, because President Obama has magic pixie powers, and with a wave of his blinky wand, he can melt the heart of even the most glacial Republican Congressman!!!
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victoriasauce
02/04/09

@ellaesther: I've seen a "Worst Day Yet" headline. And the day was not THAT bad. Crap. Pretty soon we're going to break down his "terrible letdown moments" into seconds.

Did you see 2:05? No change there.

What a disappointment.
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EkaterinaBallerina
02/04/09

@ellaesther: You know I'd like all them to go back to Bush's campaign promises and see if he lived up to any of them.

Abortion's still legal and the federal government was vastly expanded instead of reduced so I'm guessing nope.
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Ms. Crankypants
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
Between Bill Frist, cat torturer & Joe the Plumber political adviser, I'm pretty sure I just had a massive aneurysm.
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rosasparks
02/04/09

@Ms. Crankypants: I think I just threw up all my insides. Hopefully, HHS Sec. Dean will help me put all my stuff back inside.
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megnificent
02/04/09

@Ms. Crankypants: Well, I hope you had a living will in place, otherwise Frist may wind up trying to diagnose YOU via videotape.
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EkaterinaBallerina
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I really appreciate that Obama apologized and admitted he made a mistake.

I'm still waiting for Dubya's apology for sending troops to Iraq based on faulty intelligence.

However, being a realist, I know that waiting for that apology is like waiting for a field of dreams to spring up over my septic tank.
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hortense
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
I'd like to see Dean take it, though part of me wonders if Dean is holding out for Leahy to retire in 2010 so he can run for his VT Senate seat, probably against Douglas (god help us all).
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hortense
02/04/09

@hortense: And by "Leahy retire" I mean "Leahy be appointed to the Supreme Court by Obama." Maybe. Possibly. You know.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@hortense: I don't know, I have no inside info but I see Dean as more of an executive guy.
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@hortense: omg could it be??? could it? have you heard something? dear lord I love leahy.
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hortense
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: The issue up here is that we can't seem to put anyone up to knock off Douglas, who is ridiculously Republican and could probably win the Senate seat unless someone like Dean runs against him. And to go from Leahy/Sanders to Douglas/Sanders is a terrifying thought. I could easily see Dean take a shot at the seat.
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Majrhoulihan
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: I agree. Also, he needs to remain in Vermont to keep it awesome.
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hortense
02/04/09

@J.D.Regent: No, I haven't heard anything, sadly, but I'm hoping!
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J.D.Regent
02/04/09

@hortense: interesting! well I'd love to see him keep Vermont socialist too, as long as we get somebody halfway decent up in HHS.
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NefariousNewt
02/04/09

@hortense: Douglas is a cyborg... he'll never let Dean win. Frankly I wouldn't mind Howard Dean in Health and Human Services.
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bluewine
02/04/09

In reply to Obama's Departures, Arrivals And Chains Of Fools
Howard Dean?? Yes, please!
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