Al Franken, One Line at a Time

Al Franken, the unabashed progressive senator from Minnesota, delivered the keynote at Netroots Nation 2010 in Las Vegas. Senator Franken has converted his satirist's passion to become an effective voice in the Senate. His roots in comedy can't be hidden. This is a selection of some of his one-liners in his speech.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• netroots nation
• al franken
• las vegas
• minnesota senator

[CmdrTobs]

@FrankieJGP The thing is those tax cuts were never budgeted, it was assumed by Bushes economic team that America would grow out the lost tax revenue more than it had to increase public spending to support it. Those tax cuts thus left a large structural deficit and the side which want to renew them are not offing any cuts to offset it. So I would rather they expire than keep accruing debt, it's hard to call them an increase when they are temporary and were passed by reconciliation.

[CmdrTobs]

@FrankieJGP is the "war on poverty" a special program? You are right about private production, I don't disagree. I am just saying counter cyclical public spending is on projects can and does create wealth. An example is the hover dam, since 1986 it has surpassed its operating costs and since then it has provided electricity essentially at 0 cost.

Just the sort of project the private sector can't undertake but makes us wealthy.

[FrankieJGP]

@CmdrTobs I never once said there should be no govt spending...the obvious goes without saying.Should money go for roads?...etc. I think the answer is obvious. It should be remebered that private production is the only support of the things you mentioned.In this economy we need to encourage more investment.Over-taxation will discourage people from this.It seems to me that you think i've been pawned because you believe govt has all the answers. Things like the war on poverty really worked.

[FrankieJGP]

@GretchenDawntreader Govt spending is useful within the proper role of govt.Everytime someone says "stimulus spending" I always think "kids and grandkids" spending.You've brought good points, but why is it that whenever there is a deficit there are those who always want to raise taxes without looking at spending.When it can be said that there is no waste in govt, then I could understand the increases.But there is too much waste.How much is enough?I also said b4,govt can't create wealth.

[CmdrTobs]

@GretchenDawntreader Christ you have handed that guy some serious pwn. 

[CmdrTobs]

@FrankieJGP Not quite, public spending provides items that add to the value of any private product produced. A Ferrari is a nice thing in America with smooth tarred roads. Electricity without air pollution is nice too. Sure government spending was a minimum level of service is provided generally tend not improve general satisfaction, but it enables greater satisfaction from private production. We should do well to remember this.

[GretchenDawntreader]

@FrankieJGP some spending is useful. Stimulus dollars are driving some new clean energy industry in Ohio, where I live. I'd be happy for campaign finance reform (which no one in office wants to pass, so it will never pass,) kicking lobbyists out of the corridors of power, and serious cutting of pork. We wouldn't have so much spending on the military (more than the rest of the world combined) if every part was made in a different state on purpose.

[FrankieJGP]

@GretchenDawntreader Is the GOP perfect in their policy? haha. Are the Dems? far from it. My ideological belief is that the feds need to be reigned in. Under this and past administrations it is so overreaching. BTW over 1m census jobs. 80k NEW IRS jobs.Govt doesnt create wealth,it takes it.True economic growth is from private sector. Govt can't create it. I hope you and I agree that this spending needs to stop and now!! I almost feel as if I know you.I appreciate this friendly talk!

[GretchenDawntreader]

@FrankieJGP again, Dems aren't letting anything expire. The LAW the GOP passed in reconciliation (which they blast Dems for using!) says they SHALL expire.

It is completely bogus to say the Dems are "letting" anything expire. Dems would have to pass another tax cut to extend them. And to say that Dems are "raising taxes" is flat out lying.

"Rock-solid" is a good way of describing the GOP role now in the Congress. A rock has no ideas, proposes no plans and offers no alternatives.

[GretchenDawntreader]

@FrankieJGP Saying the turnaround in jobs since the election is all due to the Census is also absurd. Exactly how many census workers do you think there are...

Also, on that graph, the recovery is about equal to the loss preceding it. If you are going to dismiss the recovery as unimportant, than the mirror-image loss has to also be unimportant. Yet they are painted as STAGGERING! Can't have it both ways. Both are significant, or both aren't. Jobs are jobs.