Archive for the ‘Fiscal Policy’ Category
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
Limerick Ode to A Government Shutdown
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The thought of a government shutdown
Should be quickly, decisively cut down.
But I fear that we’re screwed
Cuz of Washington’s mood:
Boehner’s party has turned into Nut Town.
Tags: Budget Cuts, Budget Limerick, Federal Budget, Federal Jobs, Fiscal Crisis, Government Shutdown, House Republicans, John Boehner, Republicans Humor, Tea Party Members, Washington DC, Wingnuts
Posted in Blame Game, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Government Services, House Satire, John Boehner, Legislation Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Washington, Wingnuts | 11 Comments »
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
I didn’t think I could do it. But I’ve summed up the Republicans’ radical (Paul Ryan-authored) budget plan in a single haiku:
Republican plan:
End entitlements, send wealth
to entitled rich.
*****
UPDATE: Prompted by a poetry site to include this trio of words in a poem (adamant, fabricate, peculiar) I challenged myself to fit them all into a single haiku:
Republican pols —
peculiarly adamant
fabricators.
Tags: Budget Cuts, Economy Satire, Entitlements, Fiscal Crisis, Political Haiku & Senryu, Republican Plan
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Legislation Humor, Paul Ryan, Political Haiku & Senryu, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Wingnuts | 25 Comments »
Saturday, April 2nd, 2011
White House and Congress
bought and managed by donors —
puppet theater.
*****
An epidemic —
political hypocrites —
Today’s GOP.
*****
Unlimited cash
from corporations to pols —
democracy dies.
****
Economic growth
still not translating to jobs —
Republicans shrug.
*****
Republican cuts
to budget sure to kill jobs —
Boehner: “So be it.”
*****
Deliberately
destroying economy
seemed unthinkable.
No longer a silly thought —
GOP election goal.
******
Author’s Note: These haiku and tanka were inspired in part by the following prompts: puppet, epidemic, unlimited, growth, and silly.
Tags: Budget Cuts, Congress Humor, Democracy, Donations, Economy Haiku, Election Humor, Fiscal Crisis, Fund Raising, Jobs, John Boehner, Political Haiku & Senryu, Political Tanka, Republican Hypocrisy
Posted in Congress Humor, Economy Humor, Election Satire, Fiscal Policy, Hypocrisy Humor, John Boehner, Money & Finance Humor, News Haiku & Senryu, Political Haiku & Senryu, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | 28 Comments »
Monday, March 21st, 2011
Republican Priorities
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Shall we immunize children? Heck no!
Supply food to the starving? No go!
Cuz Republicans say
That we’re broke ev’ry day,
As they help out the rich on skid row.
Tags: Budget Cuts, Budget Limerick, Economy, Fiscal Crisis, Political Priorities, Republican Hypocrisy, Republicans Humor
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Government Services, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | 8 Comments »
Thursday, March 17th, 2011
Ezra Klein makes some good points about Republicans and their penny-wise and pound-foolish budget-slashing:
There are three categories of spending in which cuts lead to more, rather than less, spending down the line, says Alice Rivlin, former director of both the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget. Inspection, enforcement and maintenance. The GOP is trying to cut all three.
This is no surprise coming from Republicans who worship at the altar of Ronald Reagan. After all, back in 1989 the GAO had plenty to say about the damage done by Reagan’s short-sighted cutbacks:
Charles Bowsher, head of the General Accounting Office, told Congress yesterday that Reagan-era budget cuts created a climate of lax oversight and mismanagement. He said Reagan’s effort to save some money through budget cuts is likely to cost another $150 billion in the 1990s.
“We have been penny wise and really pound foolish,” Bowsher said.
That leads me to my latest limerick:
Brace For Another Pounding From Pound-Foolish Policies
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Preventative spending is wise —
Lessens risk that disasters arise —
Forestalls flooding and fraud,
Outbreaks, tragedy broad.
Cut such spending? Huge costs in disguise.
Tags: Alic Rivlin, Budget Cuts, Budget Limerick, CBO, Economy, Ezra Klein, Fiscal Crisis, OMB, Pound Foolish, Prevention Spending, Republicans Humor, Ronald Reagan
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Government Services, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | 6 Comments »
Monday, March 14th, 2011
Steve Benen has some great comments about Republicans and their hypocritical “we’re broke” weaponry:
In December, when Republicans wanted an $858 billion tax-cut package, we weren’t broke. How much of that package did the GOP suggest we pay for? None of it. Not one penny. The costs were simply added to the deficit, and are the driving force behind the rising deficit estimates for this year, which have sent the right into such hysteria.
But now we’re so broke, we’re told, that we have no choice but to make brutal cuts to education, medical research, infrastructure, job training, and national security, all of which is projected to cost the economy hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Broken Priorities (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Republicans claim that we’re broke,
But you know that they’re just blowing smoke.
Help Big Oil and the rich?
Then they pull a big switch,
And our budget’s no longer a yoke.
Tags: Deficit Hawks, Economy Satire, Fiscal Crisis, Republican Hypocrisy, Republicans Humor, Steve Benen, Tax Cuts
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
Styrofoam is back.
“Green the Capitol” is gone.
Job, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs?
*****
Rotund Rush Limbaugh
says Michelle Obama’s fat—
that’s hard to swallow.
*****
Freedom from taxes
demanded by those who crave
what taxes give them.
*****
The mental midget
mentioned an affinity
with Rush — no surprise.
*****
Showing up to vote—
a yearly exercise in
unrequited hope.
*****
(More political haiku here. And more Rush Limbaugh humor here.)
Tags: Childhood Obesity, Ecology Haiku, Economy Haiku, Employment, Environment, Environmental Haiku, Green The Capitol, Michelle Obama, Political Haiku & Senryu, Rush Limbaugh, Styrofoam, Taxes
Posted in Economy Humor, Environment Satire, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, House Satire, Michelle Obama, Money & Finance Humor, News Haiku & Senryu, Political Haiku & Senryu, Republicans Humor, Rush Limbaugh | 5 Comments »
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
No doubt you’ve heard about John Boehner’s “so be it” nonchalant reaction to the loss of federal jobs. It seems Boehner’s finished feigning compassion.
This calls for a limerick, don’t you think?
Limerick Ode To John “So Be It” Boehner
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Boehner’s known for his grief-stricken sobs,
For emoting through loose tear duct knobs.
Yet his eyes remain dry,
He refuses to cry
For Americans losing their jobs.
Tags: Budget Cuts, Economy, Empathy, Employment, Federal Jobs, Jobs, John Boehner, Republicans Humor
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Government Services, John Boehner, Money & Finance Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 4 Comments »
Friday, December 10th, 2010
As you know, most of my limericks mock politicians or the media. But today’s verse is in honor of the great Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) The stand he took today in his Senate filibuster of Obama’s tax deal with the Republicans was wonderful to behold:
Limerick Ode To Bernie Sanders
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Bravo for our hero, dear Bernie.
He’s engaged in a praise-worthy tourney.
He honors the floor—
Shows he’s great to his core.
Wish more Democrats joined in his journey.
(Thanks also to the two Democratic senators who joined him: Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.)
Tags: Bernie Sanders, Bush Tax Cut Extension, Filibuster, Fiscal Crisis, Louisiana, Mary Landrieu, Ohio, Sherrod Brown, Taxes, U.S. Senate
Posted in Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Filibuster Humor, Fiscal Policy, Legislation Humor, Political Limericks, Tax & Budget Humor, White House | 3 Comments »
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
Unlike many of my fellow progressives, I never thought Obama was a liberal. But now I’m beginning to wonder if he’s even a Democrat. In any event, he certainly isn’t a leader.
Needless to say, I’m furious about the Bush tax cut extension deal Obama made with Republicans, and I’m glad that Speaker Pelosi is taking a strong stand against it.
Here’s a pair of limericks about Obama’s abject surrender to the GOP:
A Pair Of Limericks For A Pairless President
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Obama, you’re being a heel
By making this terrible deal.
You’re acting the fool
With this “compromise” gruel
Which will damage our land’s commonweal.
Obama’s demeanor is frayed
He seems ornery, angry, dismayed.
Will he finally fight
The Republican right?
No, he’s mad at the Dems he betrayed.
Tags: Barack Obama, Bush Tax Cut Extension, Economy Satire, Financial Verse, Fiscal Crisis, Nancy Pelosi, Republicans Humor, Taxes
Posted in 44 Humor, Barack Obama, Democrats Humor, Democrats Satire, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Leadership Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Pelosi Verse, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor, Washington, White House | 3 Comments »
Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Steve Benen reminds us of a forgotten detail: Bush’s tax policy was a failure. And that’s a handy thing to remember in the battle over the soon-to-expire tax cuts.
While we’re busily recalling important facts, here’s another: These tax cuts were set to end automatically by the very Republicans who are now complaining about their expiration.
And now, my latest three-verse limerick:
Tax Cut Tomfoolery
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Bush’s tax cuts are due to expire.
Their effects were quite bad — even dire.
The deficit climbed,
The economy slimed.
So why are the Dems under fire?
These cuts were a GOP plan
By the millionaire’s tax-cutting clan.
They promised a boost,
But the tax cuts produced
A big mess. Why should Dems be a fan?
Yet Republicans push and cajole —
More cuts for the rich is their goal.
They make stale, hollow claims
To bolster their aims —
No remorse for the good times they stole.
Tags: Deficit Hawks, Economy Satire, Fiscal Crisis, George Bush Satire, Republicans Humor, Steve Benen, Tax Cuts, Tax Policy
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
President Obama is hoping Americans won’t have “selective memory” and blame him for problems he inherited from Bush. Unfortunately they do, as this poll illustrates:
Only about a third of Americans (34%) know that the government’s bailout of banks and financial institutions was enacted under the Bush administration. Nearly half (47%) incorrectly say that the Troubled Asset Relief Program – widely known as TARP – was signed into law by President Obama.
And you can bet that the bailout misinformation percentage is a lot higher for the virulently anti-bailout crowd. It sure would be nice if they knew the truth about the bailout:
For the record, the financial industry bailout passed in October 2008. It was requested by a conservative Republican administration (George W. Bush and Dick Cheney). It was enthusiastically endorsed by the House Republican leadership (John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Roy Blunt), the Senate Republican leadership (Mitch McConnell and Jon Kyl), both members of the Republican presidential ticket (John McCain and Sarah Palin), and assorted, high-profile conservative voices (Mitt Romney and Glenn Beck).
That leads me to my latest limerick:
Selective Memories Bail Out Bush
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Disliking Obama is fine,
But please be correct when you whine.
Don’t like bailouts of banks?
It’s to Bush you owe “thanks.”
Was it signed by Obama? No! Nein!
Tags: Bank Bailout, Barack Obama, Economy Satire, Financial Bailout, Financial Verse, George W. Bush, Selective Memory, TARP
Posted in Barack Obama, Business Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, George Bush Satire, Money & Finance Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Polls, TARP Humor, Tax & Budget Humor, White House | Comments Off on Selective Memories Bail Out Bush
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
Republicans have a cute little “deficit hawk” scam going: They “block extended aid to the unemployed, while simultaneously pushing for massive tax cuts for the wealthy.”
How do they justify this? According to Republican leaders like Mike Pence and Jon Kyl, the former has to be offset by spending cuts, but the latter, due to some mysterious mix of magic and voodoo, doesn’t.
It’s time for a new limerick:
The GOP’s Honesty Deficit
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Though the GOP deficit hawks
Are famed for “must pay for it” squawks,
They nix plugging the hole
Caused by tax cuts. How droll!
Yes, that’s how hypocrisy talks.
Tags: Deficit Hawks, Economy Satire, Financial Verse, Jon Kyl, Mike Pence, Republican Hypocrisy, Republicans Humor, Tax Cuts, Unemployment Benefits, Voodoo Economics
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Mike Pence, Money & Finance Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 10 Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
It’s getting hard to keep track of all the Republican “trash and cash” Recovery Act hypocrisy. But Steve Benen has a stimulus hypocrisy update, and I have a limerick:
Ode To GOP Stimulus Hypocrisy
By Madeleine Begun Kane
“The stim bill was bad. Voted no,
Cuz it won’t the economy grow.”
That’s the GOP rant
As they privately chant,
“Now give me more stimulus dough.”
Tags: Economy Satire, GOP Humor, Recovery Act, Republican Hypocrisy, Stimulus Bill, Trash and Cash
Posted in Congress Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Legislation Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Responding to his political crisis, President Obama is doing precisely the wrong thing. As Paul Krugman said,
A spending freeze? That’s the brilliant response of the Obama team to their first serious political setback?
It’s appalling on every level.
Something tells me that Obama’s State of the Union address is going to be jam-packed with pandering double talk.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Ode To Barack Hussein Hoover
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Prez Obama, once shaker and mover,
Is reduced to a pand’ring maneuver.
Dealt a setback, his plan
Is a spending freeze? Man!
We’ve elected a latter-day Hoover.
********
Congratulations to my good friend Don Davis of Satirical Political for taking top prize in this year’s HumorFeed contest and being named The Best Satire of the Year. Don won for his hilarious A Real War On Christmas: Outrage Grows Over Excessive Bonuses To Santa’s Elves. Congrats, again Don. Well deserved!
(Full disclosure: I was a member of the four judge panel. However, the contest submissions were anonymous, so there was no need to disqualify myself.)
Tags: Economy Satire, Herbert Hoover, Obama poem, Pandering, Paul Krugman, Political Setbacks, Recession, SOTU, Spending Freeze
Posted in Barack Obama, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Tax & Budget Humor, White House | 5 Comments »
Sunday, June 28th, 2009
I’ve heard some twisted rationalizations over the years. But Rush Limbaugh’s attempt at blaming Obama for Mark Sanford’s failings really takes the cake.
A double limerick, just for Rush Limbaugh:
De-Moralized?
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Rush claims that Obama’s to blame
For Sanford’s disgrace and his shame:
The stimulus bill
Destroyed Sanford’s will.
Wow, even for Limbaugh, that’s lame.
When a Democrat strays — no excuse!
Just right-wing attacks and abuse.
But conservative sins
Are spinned — turned to wins.
Try to reason with Rush? It’s no use!
Tags: Democrats, Hypocrisy, Limbaugh, Mark Sanford, Media, Obama, Philanderers, Radio, Republicans Humor, Scandals, Sins, Stimulus, Talk Shows, Womanizers
Posted in Barack Obama, Blame Game, Family Values Humor, Fiscal Policy, Governors Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Mark Sanford, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Radio Humor, Republicans Humor, Rush Limbaugh | 3 Comments »
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Republicans have no shortage of things to fulminate about. One of their favorites? The General Motors bankruptcy:
Bankrupt Values (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
An auto co known as GM
In the past was considered a gem.
It’s in bankruptcy now.
Will that hurt? Yes, and how!
But the GOP’s goal? Blame the Dem!
(You can find my lighter car humor columns and limericks here.)
Tags: Automobiles, Bankruptcy, Blame, Cars, Democrats, Economy, Finance, General Motors, GM, GOP, Law Satire, Money, Obama, Republicans Humor, Values
Posted in Automobiles Satire, Barack Obama, Blame Game, Business Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Law Satire, Legal Limericks, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | Comments Off on Bankrupt Values
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
On Thursday, Obama sent the filibuster-happy Republicans a message: Their zero-vote obstructionism has consequences. More specifically, Obama plans to use the budget reconciliation process to enact health care reform and student loan legislation if the GOP fails to mend its obstructionist ways.
I thought I’d celebrate Obama’s filibuster-proofing plans with a double limerick:
They Only Have Themselves To Blame
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Bipartisanship had a chance.
But the GOP zero-vote stance
Was very instructive.
Their actions obstructive
Derailed any two-party dance.
They’ve clearly expressed their intent,
So as much as they scream and they vent,
We should screw the minority.
Let the majority
Govern how money is spent.
Tags: Bipartisanship, Budget, Budget Reconciliation, Congress Humor, Filibuster, GOP, Health Care, Majority, Minority, Obstructionism, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire, Student Loans
Posted in Barack Obama, Congress Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, House Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire, Tax & Budget Humor | Comments Off on They Only Have Themselves To Blame
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the House Republicans’ number-free budget. And I’m looking forward to the expanded version they’ve promised for next week — the one that won’t have any letters in it either.
Republican Road To Remedial Math (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The purported Republican budget
Has no numbers, so how can we judge it?
There’s no dollars or sense
In this PR offense.
It appears they decided to fudge it.
Tags: Budget, GOP, PR, Remedial Math, Republicans Humor
Posted in Congress Humor, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 1 Comment »
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
I practiced law for over a dozen years and negotiated lots of contracts. And, unlike the Bush administration, I always kept my poker face. Why? Because if you want the best possible deal, you must make the other party think that he needs you more than you need him.
So, for example, when you tell banks that they’re too big to fail, you disincentivize them from cooperating, or even telling you the truth. That’s why I’m not surprised that 13 of the “top 23 private recipients of taxpayer-funded bailouts under the $700 billion program” enacted by the Bush administration “owed more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes” and that they lied about it on their TARP contracts.
Why bother being honest? After all, it’s not as if Bush’s Treasury Department made them back up their statements with actual tax records. Of course not — they were too big to fail.
This brings me to my latest limerick:
Tough Negotiators, Those Bushies!
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear bank, we can not let you fail.
You’re too big. Pay no mind if we wail
That you owe us back tax.
Do not worry. Relax!
Cuz that huge bailout check’s in the mail.
Tags: Bailout Humor, Banks, Bush, Contracts, Law Satire, Legal Humor, Lies, Negotiating, Paulson, TARP, Taxes, Taxpayers, Treasury
Posted in Banking Humor, Ben Bernanke, Business Humor, Corruption Humor, Crime, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, George Bush Satire, Henry Paulson, Law Satire, Paulson Plan, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, TARP Humor, Tax & Budget Humor, Tim Geithner | 4 Comments »
Tax Cut Tomfoolery
Saturday, September 18th, 2010Steve Benen reminds us of a forgotten detail: Bush’s tax policy was a failure. And that’s a handy thing to remember in the battle over the soon-to-expire tax cuts.
While we’re busily recalling important facts, here’s another: These tax cuts were set to end automatically by the very Republicans who are now complaining about their expiration.
And now, my latest three-verse limerick:
Tax Cut Tomfoolery
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Bush’s tax cuts are due to expire.
Their effects were quite bad — even dire.
The deficit climbed,
The economy slimed.
So why are the Dems under fire?
These cuts were a GOP plan
By the millionaire’s tax-cutting clan.
They promised a boost,
But the tax cuts produced
A big mess. Why should Dems be a fan?
Yet Republicans push and cajole —
More cuts for the rich is their goal.
They make stale, hollow claims
To bolster their aims —
No remorse for the good times they stole.
Tags: Deficit Hawks, Economy Satire, Fiscal Crisis, George Bush Satire, Republicans Humor, Steve Benen, Tax Cuts, Tax Policy
Posted in Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, GOP Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tax & Budget Humor | 2 Comments »