I'm less worried about the fiscal cliff than most. Its not ideal, but going over it won't likely hurt as much as people expect -- especially because I'm pretty confident some parts of it will be pared back, either before the New Years or After.
My biggest hope for the new year is for some resolution to the debt ceiling, which I consider much more dangerous to the fiscal health of the nation (and the world)
Yeah, as much as conservatives have been nuts for a couple decades now, you really wish they would start being nuts in ways that don't damage *everyone in the country*, the way the debt ceiling standoffs do.
Not quite sure how optimistic it makes me that my biggest hope for the year is we don't blow ourselves up. But yeah the whole debt ceiling thing is really shameful
Well, I suppose realistic means we can't crush our enemies, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentation of their women (with grief counselors on hand and job retraining for those put out of work, of course).
So I will take either a) decent filibuster reform, so that we can get things done for a change, or b) expanding the infrastructure built by the Obama campaign to really try and take the House in 2014, for the same reasons.
I heard that because of gerrymandering the House will be next to impossible to seize in 2014, but with Republicans reeling who knows? Then the real Obama could please stand up.
A strong immigration reform bill that both goes far beyond the DREAM act in various ways to bring undocumented immigrants to citizenship and significantly both lets in more immigrants (high-skilled and otherwise) and makes the whole system more fair and easy to navigate.
I wonder whether Lester would have any interest in public office. Daniels, if it weren't for his past indiscretions, would of course been an obvious future candidate. If his wife had been more charismatic, you could see her getting elected to the House with him as useful surrogate.
Who was slated to become Mayor after Carcetti went to Annapolis?
I don't remember the character's name, but the guy who was slated to take over as mayor when Carcetti left was his right hand man, a white guy, who wasn't in the show until he was in the mayor's office. He does all his dirty dealings and always swayed Carcetti to the amoral but politically savvy route. He tells Nareese that he will be mayor next in order to keep her in line when the homeless serial killer debacle blows up.
I hope the new OMC at the Fed is willing to consider a change in policy from the "tight money/inflation will surly kill us all" model they've been embracing. I'd also say that now that the election is over some of the austerity people in the economics profession can finally change their tune. I think some of them didn't want to admit they were wrong because they though it might help Obama, but there's no point to that now.
There's not much reason for optimism on any of the big political/public policy things I'd like to see in 2013, so I'll say a Falcons Super Bowl championship and Braves World Series title are my big hopes.
My hope is that 2013 is a watershed year for gun control and dealing with the causes and effects of the climate crisis, though realistically the best I can hope for (even if it is such a year) is that the future has a little less pain in it.
I'm less worried about the fiscal cliff than most. Its not ideal, but going over it won't likely hurt as much as people expect -- especially because I'm pretty confident some parts of it will be pared back, either before the New Years or After.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest hope for the new year is for some resolution to the debt ceiling, which I consider much more dangerous to the fiscal health of the nation (and the world)
Yeah, as much as conservatives have been nuts for a couple decades now, you really wish they would start being nuts in ways that don't damage *everyone in the country*, the way the debt ceiling standoffs do.
DeleteNot quite sure how optimistic it makes me that my biggest hope for the year is we don't blow ourselves up. But yeah the whole debt ceiling thing is really shameful
DeleteWell, I suppose realistic means we can't crush our enemies, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentation of their women (with grief counselors on hand and job retraining for those put out of work, of course).
ReplyDeleteSo I will take either a) decent filibuster reform, so that we can get things done for a change, or b) expanding the infrastructure built by the Obama campaign to really try and take the House in 2014, for the same reasons.
I heard that because of gerrymandering the House will be next to impossible to seize in 2014, but with Republicans reeling who knows? Then the real Obama could please stand up.
DeleteObama, free of 2012 and reelection worries, grows a pair.
ReplyDeleteA strong immigration reform bill that both goes far beyond the DREAM act in various ways to bring undocumented immigrants to citizenship and significantly both lets in more immigrants (high-skilled and otherwise) and makes the whole system more fair and easy to navigate.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePOTUS finally gets off his duff on federal court nominations.
ReplyDeleteMcAuliffe and Markey win; The Cooch and Brown lose.
Notre Dame over Alabama.
ReplyDeleteI'm running for local office. I'd like to win.
ReplyDeleteLet us know how it goes!
DeleteIf you can of course, as I'm guessing your real life name isn't identical to one of my favorite characters from The Wire.
DeleteI wonder whether Lester would have any interest in public office. Daniels, if it weren't for his past indiscretions, would of course been an obvious future candidate. If his wife had been more charismatic, you could see her getting elected to the House with him as useful surrogate.
DeleteWho was slated to become Mayor after Carcetti went to Annapolis?
Actually, can't remember off the top of my head who became Mayor when Carcetti got elected Guv.
DeleteLester was way too much of a hep cat to want to run for City Council or State Senate, I fear.
I don't remember the character's name, but the guy who was slated to take over as mayor when Carcetti left was his right hand man, a white guy, who wasn't in the show until he was in the mayor's office. He does all his dirty dealings and always swayed Carcetti to the amoral but politically savvy route. He tells Nareese that he will be mayor next in order to keep her in line when the homeless serial killer debacle blows up.
DeleteI hope the new OMC at the Fed is willing to consider a change in policy from the "tight money/inflation will surly kill us all" model they've been embracing. I'd also say that now that the election is over some of the austerity people in the economics profession can finally change their tune. I think some of them didn't want to admit they were wrong because they though it might help Obama, but there's no point to that now.
ReplyDeleteFilibuster reform that's not just talk.
ReplyDeleteA new, youngish Supreme Court justice in the Kagan mold.
ReplyDeleteYes to more judges.
DeleteAn all-out push on the regulatory front to do something about carbon emissions.
ReplyDeleteThere's not much reason for optimism on any of the big political/public policy things I'd like to see in 2013, so I'll say a Falcons Super Bowl championship and Braves World Series title are my big hopes.
ReplyDeleteMy hope is that 2013 is a watershed year for gun control and dealing with the causes and effects of the climate crisis, though realistically the best I can hope for (even if it is such a year) is that the future has a little less pain in it.
ReplyDelete