Sunday Morning Miscellany

It's like an open thread but with some lame nod to content.

First...the crazy thing atop the sidebar? Yeah, it's that time. What? Do you think content free posts are cheap or something?

Second...What would Obama do in a 2nd term? Pretty much what you fear.

Everyone from Obama’s closest advisers to the GOP’s top tacticians agrees that the first year of a second term — and perhaps even more than that — would be “fiscal.” That is to say, it would be devoted to budget and tax issues.

At the end of 2012, we’ll face what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke calls “the fiscal cliff”: The Bush tax cuts are set to expire, the $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts initiated when the deficit “supercommittee” failed to reach a deal are set to begin, we’re expected to hit the debt ceiling again, and many other programs and tax credits will come up for renewal.

Around the Hill, they refer to this as “taxmageddon.” And it won’t wait for a second Obama term to officially begin: Most of it will come due in the lame-duck session. But everyone expects that the outgoing Congress will manage to kick the problem to the incoming Congress.

...

Beyond the deficit, Obama’s advisers see two big unfinished pieces of business from the first term: climate change and immigration reform. Of these, it’s easier to imagine the president taking action on immigration, in large part because it’s easier to imagine Republicans coming to the conclusion that they need to support some version of reform.

...

Assuming that the Supreme Court doesn’t totally wipe out the Affordable Care Act, the law will begin covering uninsured Americans in 2014. But there’s an enormous amount of work to do to get ready for that date, and once the law goes into effect, there will be an enormous amount of work needed to iron out the kinks. If the court strikes down the individual mandate — which requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine — but leaves the rest of the legislation intact, that process becomes even more difficult and might require some kind of deal with Congress.

Mmmm....massive tax hikes, climate change, amnesty and more government control of health care! Noticeably absent? The economy.

I'm not the biggest Romney guy (no, it's true) but the idea of another Obama term is pretty bleak. Sorry but if you live in a swing state, you really need to suck it up and vote for Mitt.

Third....the French are voting today in their presidential runoff. Sarkozy is terrible but from an American perspective, he's about the best we can hope for (plus...Carla Bruni). Unfortunately, the French are very likely to go with a wacko Socialist who wants more spending, a lower retirement age and a 75% income tax rate.

Personally, I hope they go full retard. We might as well laugh at them as we all sink into another global recession.

Speaking of going full retard....the Greeks are also voting today. What could go wrong?

And more full retard.....Joe Biden went on Meet the Press today and as expected hilarity ensued. He either totally came out in favor of Same Sex Marriage or didn't say anything new. No one is quite sure because, well, it's Joe "Big F'n Deal" Biden.

As I said on Twitter (where you should follow me for all the free prizes and hookers I give out), this is either Joey being Joey or a brilliant ploy but Team Obama to get everyone to think they agree with them.

Since the media can't make heads or tails of what they are supposed to say, they'll do what they always do, ignore Obama's opposition to same sex marriage and focus on GOP opposition to it.

Ben covered this a bit in yesterday's ONT but it's worth noting....Obama's big election "kick off" (yes, they really pretended that's what it was) wasn't so big. Plenty of good seats still available!

And finally...the tip jar thing in the headlines. Ace gets all the money and he never even knows we're doing this. Consider it an investment in maintaining your sanity over the next six months.

posted by DrewM. at 11:37 AM

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