Over at Hot Air is a very informal and unscientific poll which racks and stacks 14 possible candidates, with Governor Mitch Daniels, my choice, holding up the column. The top tier is (the other eight are in double digits):
| ORDER | NAME | HIGHEST JOB | VOTES |
| 1 | Jindal, Bobby | Gov | 594 |
| 2 | Rubio, Marco | Sen | 509 |
| 3 | West, Allan | Rep | 300 |
| 4 | Ryan, Paul | Rep | 249 |
| 5 | Rice, Condoleezza | SecState | 124 |
| 6 | Pawlenty, Tim | Gov | 101 |
Four of the top five are "minorities". The fourth, Representative Paul Ryan, has made his name bringing forth a proposed budget that starts to wrestle with the budget deficit and Federal debt. Two successful Governors. Two from Florida. One female.
In picking a Vice President we should keep in mind the office is NOT a Deputy President, but rather a President in Waiting, as well as being the President of the Senate. A Vice President too closely identified with a President and his policies and methods would also need to go if the President himself was Impeached and Convicted. One thinks of Vice President Spiro T Agnew.
Regards — Cliff
".. Representative Paul Ryan, has made his name bringing forth a proposed budget that starts to wrestle with the budget deficit and Federal debt."
ReplyDeleteI wonder, if Ryan's "proposal" was not phased in such a way as to shield the current "over 60 crowd" from the austerity it promises, would you and your peers be so kind in your assesments?
Ryan's plan is believed by my progressive friends to be a gutting of the 'safety net,' as we recognize it.
Ryan uses euphemisms:
This is not a voucher program but rather a premium-support model. A Medicare premium-support payment would be paid, by Medicare, to the plan chosen by the beneficiary, subsidizing its cost.
You may be correct. It may be that those of us who are "ancients" might not like it as much if it was structured in a different manner, although maybe those of us who are older just live in fear of an economy that looks more Greece than Germany.
ReplyDeleteSo, in the interest of balance, I am prepared to do a tear and compare with the version from the US Senate. This year's, last year's or maybe the year before's.
A budget is the articulation of one's strategy for "matching objectives, threats and opportunities in a resource constrained environment."
Regards — Cliff
"... an economy that looks more Greece than Germany."
ReplyDeleteReally?
If we set these two nations on a linear scale with Germany at "0" and Greece at "100," how far down that scale do you think we would find the US? Your rhetoric places the US, for sure past "50," if not hovering around "75."
I think that is a crock!
If we are to believe the Wiki, I'd venture to say you would shit, if we went closer to the German Model. Which, if I read it correctly, relies on strict regulations and close collaboration between Unions and management.
The Germans may require more producivity, than do the Greeks. But, that productivity is in a highly structured economic ecosystem.
I'd say, on my freshly minted scale, the US lands aroung the "40" mark.
I am not talking about concerns about the rules, but how they are executed; the underground economy and the comparison between the culture of the Germans and the culture of the Greeks. I saw one estimate for 25% of the Greek economy being underground and thus tax avoidance is very high. Not so much in Germany. It is one thing to have a lot of rules and regulations and it is another for the People to live by them. Notwithstanding our "wild west" way of life here in the US, we are much closer to the Germans than the Greeks in that regard. I would make us a 10 or 20.
ReplyDeleteAnd, please be careful with the use of le mot de Cambronne. :-)
Regards — Cliff
Stay still when we discuss, please. Yoy are moving all over the place.
ReplyDeleteNormally, when conservatives throw "Greece" into the mix, the point is about "socialism." Or, more tersely, how they subsidize freeloaders.
Now, you are saying Greece suffers from to much tax avoidance. Mr. Norquist would shriek, if he heard you!
But, yes, the social safety net that Greece suspends would be more viable, if the gov't was collecting all due revenues in full.
How did you come to support allowing the Bush Tax Cuts to lapse? Closet Socialist?
You are on the DOD dole. I'm not surprised. ;v)
Jack
ReplyDeleteIt is bigger than DoD. There are the Coasties and the other two Uniformed Services. I bet the National Park Service gets a retirement. In my case I was subject to recall up until 60 or 65, either to fill gaps in the ranks or to be Court Martialed, if they had stumbled across anything nefarious in my history. And, as I recall, in the old days, back when Eisenhower wouldn't give Second Lieutenants pay raises, the retirement pay was promised to balancee out the meager pay—$222.30 a month, plus BAS and Housing. Thus, $100 a month in Flight Pay was a big deal.
On the other hand, I wonder if the retired pay for Commonwealth emplyees is more or less generous?
"Mr. Norquist would shriek." Let Grover shriek. As for the Bush tax cuts, where is the money going? I would be for a tax increase if I thought it would (1) not result in new Federal spending, (2) not adversely impact the economy and (3) be used to help pay down the debt. Otherwise, what is the point?
Regards — Cliff
"(1) not result in new Federal spending, (2) not adversely impact the economy and (3) be used to help pay down the debt."
ReplyDeleteIf (1) was a "Manhattan Project" type thing, propelling us into a frontier, wouldn't (2) & (3) resolve themselves?
I have noticed, since we started looking into renewable energy more seriously, the "peak oil" can has been kicked down the road, quite a bit. Do you think once the "green" movement has stop being subsidized, the oil will dry up, again?"
Anyways, when you say "new Federal spending" are you even meaning ones that would have a decent ROI?
Seems "Red States" are very keen on ROI.