Nothing says “desperate loser seeking seal of approval from right-wingers” than proposing yet another tax cut for the wealthy in a last minute Hail Mary:

Team Romney tells me there will be a bolder tax-cut plan released either at the debate tomorrow night (if Mitt gets it in) or more formally at his Detroit Economic Club speech on Friday. I’m embargoed from releasing details until tomorrow. But I can say that the new plan will be across-the-board with supply-side incentives from rate reduction, and that it will help small-business owners as well as everyone else.

What a creative idea! No Republican has ever done anything like this before, right? I mean, I can hardly wait to find out how low Mitt Romney thinks his taxes should go!

Daily Kos

Step 1

The very first requirement in a case where the document has gone missing is to report the incident to relevant authorities. If the document was taken while in the United States, you are advised to contact the Department of Services in the United States for passports to invalidate the item. Individuals who are out of the country must seek the services of the Embassy or Consulate.

DS-64

The item must be reported as missing which requires the completion of the DS-64 form. The application will require details surrounding the event in which the item was taken from you. When phoning the relevant authorities to complete a report, the travel document will be categorized as invalid and will no longer be able to be used for travel purposes.

Invalid

If the legal document has gone missing and is invalidated, it cannot be re-validated. Those who have become a victim of theft and are in another country should visit the nearest U. S. Consulate or Embassy as soon as possible. Remember that one must first notify the State Department of your loss by completing the DS-64 form and mailing it to the designated address.

Accuracy

Always proofread all items that have been filled out and correct any misspelled information as this will prevent delays and denial in processing the application. Often, a police report also has to be completed and submitted together with application for a replacement booklet when submitting the necessary paperwork. This report is necessary for proof of the theft and details the events surrounding its disappearance.

Loss of a Valid Passport

In most cases, the DS-64 and DS-11 forms are required to be submitted but one should always consult with an agent in determining the procedure that best applies to your situation. The document that is missing is invalid and a replacement will be required. This is the reason for completion of DS-11 submitted together with all relevant documentation.

Identification

These documents include presentation of a certified birth certificate or Certificate of Naturalization. For proof of identification one may include copies of driver license and government or state issued identification card including 2 passport size pictures. Charges apply to the application for a new document and if the travel item is needed in a short period of time, extra fees apply to expedited damaged U.S. passport services.

The European Union has lower government debt levels than America. Gross government debt in the 27 nations of the EU was 80% of the region’s GDP at the end of 2010; in America gross federal debt at the end of 2010 was 94% of GDP. Furthermore, government debt is growing more slowly as a percentage of GDP in the EU than in America, because pretty much every nation in the EU is implementing austerity measures. The general government deficit in the EU-27 in 2010 was 6.6% of GDP. In America the federal deficit in 2010 was 9% of GDP.

Mr Ryan clearly thinks Europe is an economic basket case. Obviously, there is a grave economic crisis underway in the euro zone, and many European countries’ economies contracted in the fourth quarter of 2011 while America’s grew solidly. But it makes no sense to attribute the EU’s poor relative economic performance to higher debt levels or higher deficits, because the EU has lower debt levels and lower deficits. The euro-zone crisis is in fact largely due to persistent current-account imbalances between member economies caused by differences in competitiveness, and the unwillingness of the more competitive countries to subsidise the less competitive countries, as would happen between states in America. But regardless of what you think the cause of the euro-zone crisis is, it doesn’t make sense to attribute it to phenomena that don’t exist, or to warn that America is in danger of becoming Europe if it keeps running such high deficits when in fact the way for America to become Europe would be to immediately and drastically cut its deficits.

Moreover, as my colleague explains, the reason the Obama administration’s budget shows projected debt levels curving inexorably upwards after 2023 is pretty much entirely because of health-care expenses on Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare and Medicaid expenses will start to blow out the US government’s budget from 2023 due to the impact of baby-boom retirees and the explosive growth in medical costs in America. Will this make America more like Europe? No. European countries do not spend more on government-provided health care than America does. They spend less. In 2009, according to OECD data, the US government spent ,800 per citizen on health care. The German government spent ,242. The French government spent ,100. The British government spent ,935. America is richer and should be able to afford more, but even as a percentage of GDP, US government spending on health care is comparable: 8.3% in America to 8.9% in Germany, 9.2% in France and 8.2% in Britain. And what of those wastrel Italians? They spent…7.2% of GDP. (In America, unlike Europe, government spending amounts to less than half of total spending on health care; when you add in private spending, America spent 17.2% of GDP on health care in 2009, while rich European countries were in the 11-12% range. And unlike rich European countries, we don’t cover anywhere near all of our citizens. But that’s a different subject.)

Not only that, US government health-care spending is rising faster than European government health-care spending. It’s rising faster even measured as a percentage of GDP. From 2001-2009, US government health-care spending went from 6.3% to 8.3%. In Germany it went from 8.3% to 8.9%, in France 8.1% to 9.2%, in Italy 6.1% to 7.2%. Only in Britain, where New Labour launched a deliberate campaign to grow the National Health Service to levels more comparable to other wealthy economies, did spending rise faster than in America, from 5.8% to 8.2%. Again, because America’s long-term debt problems are driven by government health-care spending, we would be in better shape if we looked more like Europe, not less.

I don’t expect Paul Ryan to conclude from all this that the reason why Europe is in a recession is that they’re not doing enough deficit spending and loose monetary policy to stimulate their economy, and that it’s a good thing America has run massive deficits for the past three years or we might not be seeing the cautious recovery we’re seeing. It would be nice if he did conclude this, because it’s true, but I don’t expect him to. But I do think he ought to stop waving at a fantastic vision of a Europe that doesn’t exist when he needs a bogeyman for whatever point he’s trying to score in an argument.

Democracy in America

Are You Addicted

You may think that if you are holding down your job, your excess drinking is not something for you to worry about. As it turns out, you may be a person who has a career that is demanding and successful, yet you can still lose track of your alcohol consumption and be unable to stop after one drink. You might find that friends and family fade away, hoping that you will reconsider your drinking as the alcohol becomes more important to you.

Signs

You might find yourself frequenting bars after work or going at different times in the day. As you begin to lose touch with friends and family, you might decide to sit at home alone and drink for an extended period. It can be easy to lose count of how many drinks you have had at the bar or at home, which is another reason you may want to seek treatment.

Why You Drink

Drinking may give you feelings of courage or peace at the beginning of an evening. You may think you need it to steady your nerves before a night out. This can lead to either not going to the event if you drink too much or you might become drunk and pass out from drinking at the event, unable to remember what happened when you awaken.

The Toll

You may decide to undergo treatment if you experience depression and changes in your mood as you increase the amount you drink each day. For example, you might find yourself holding grudges against others or suffer feelings of guilt about past relationships. You can feel anxious about an inability to stop or control how many drinks you have each day.

Increased Need

Another warning sign for problem drinking is cravings for alcohol at different times of the day or experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you go without drinking. These conditions can lead to the compulsion for you to have a constant supply to drink at home. You may guard your liquor stash from others or be mystified when someone does not ask for as many drinks as you do. These may be signs you need to seek help to get your drinking under control.

Family and Friends

As your drinking progresses, many friends and family members may begin to avoid you. They may be uncertain as to how you will act around them or be unsure as to whether you will become a danger to yourself or others in an outburst or while driving intoxicated. You might experience an intervention or confrontation from those close to you as a way to show you what is happening in your life. Get to a residential treatment program.

Historic Landmarks

One of Ireland’s most well-known travel destinations is the Blarney Castle. This celebrated landmark is prominently known for its famous Blarney Stone. There is a tradition in Ireland that if an individual kisses the Blarney Stone they will be bestowed “the gift of gab”. This is a delightful experience for anyone who travels to Ireland to experience. It also makes for a memorable photo opportunity.

Kilkenny

Another great attraction to see in Ireland is the medieval capital of Kilkenny. It is home to some of the most stunning, ancient architectural structures in the country. This location also plays host to a number of interesting festivals that take place throughout the year. Kilkenny is only about an hour and a half trip from Dublin, making it an easy spot to visit on any vacation to Ireland.

The Famous Cliffs Of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher is probably the most famous tourist destination in all of Ireland. It is a must see for any traveler visiting the emerald isle. The scenery offered by these massive cliffs is simply spectacular and gives tourists an incredible place to look out upon the vast Atlantic Ocean. Ever year more than a million tourists descend upon this destination. The Cliffs of Moher also hosted part of the production for the Hollywood hit “The Princess Bride”.

Golf

Golf is very popular in the country of Ireland and the country boasts some of the more noteworthy courses in the world. Everyone in Ireland is passionate about the sport as the country is known as one of the game’s birth places. Some people travel to Ireland just for the golfing experience. Ireland is also home to a number of famous golfers worldwide, many of which have gone on to win major championships including the British Open. Make sure your United States passport services are in order.