"Will you look into the Mirror?"
"What will I see?"
"Even the wisest cannot tell, for the Mirror shows many things: things that are, things that were, and some things that have not yet come to pass."
2011
7/15/11 -- President Obama and Speaker Boehner announce a 'grand compromise' budget deal, with no tax rate increases, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, and an increase in the Social Security retirement age. Congressional Democrats vow to defeat the deal.
You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.
8/01/11 -- Congressional Democrats cave under threat that the full faith and credit of the United States will be otherwise forfeited. Budget deal passes both Houses of Congress and is signed into law.
Seriously, is there anyone, anyone at all, out there who thinks Democrats will not cave?
8/09/11 -- Wisconsin recall campaign fails to wrest control of Wisconsin Senate. Activists blame stunning blow of budget deal in lowering Democratic turnout.
9/13/11 -- Republicans win special Congressional election in Nevada. With the budget deal, Democrat Kate Marshall's ads attacking her Republican opponent over Medicare fall flat.
It's over, Commander. The rebels have been routed and they're fleeing into the woods.
11/04/11 -- With the unemployment rate still at 9%, there are rumblings of a primary challenger to President Obama.
Even if job growth were to average 150,000 new jobs per month, more than has been achieved on average for all of 2011, that's only enough to break even given population increases. There seems to be no obvious prospect of the unemployment rate going down in the forseeable future.
2012
1/10/12 -- No one steps forward to challenge President Obama for the Democratic nomination.
4/10/12 -- The Republican nominee for President becomes apparent.
4/11/12 The unemployment rate still at 9%. President Obama calls for Congress to pass a massive jobs bill.
4/12/12 -- Congress yawns.
"Jobs? What are these 'jobs' you speak of? I get everything I need from my Wall Street friends." -- 535 members of Congress, in unison.
9/10/12 -- The unemployment rate is still at 9%. Large corporations report record profits and corporate executives take home record compensation. With Democrats psychologicaly defeated and lacking any enthusiasm, polls show Obama losing to his Republican challenger 46%-49%. Nate Silver says there is an 80% chance of a Republican victory in November.
Luke... Luke... do not... do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor or suffer your father's fate you will.
11/06/12 -- The Republican nominee is elected President, carrying Florida, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. John Boehner remains Speaker of the House with a 15 seat cushion. Mitch McConnell becomes Senate Majority Leader with 51 Republican seats.
Current (7/08/11) Intrade chances for Obama's re-election: 58%
11/10/12 -- Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced her retirement, effective immediately.
11/15/12 -- President Obama nominates her successor.
12/20/12 -- Senate Republicans successfully filibuster his nominee.
Justice Ginsberg originally wished to retire after the 2013 Court session. But in an effort to avoid her successor being appointed by a Republican President, she agrees to step down immediately. Republicans, sensing blood, refuse to allow the nomination of a new Justice to proceed. Democrats, unsurprisingly, refuse to invoke the 'nuclear option' and a cloture vote is defeated easily.
2013
01/07/12 -- New Senate votes to remove all cloture and filibuster clauses from the Senate rules. All decisions will now, as with the House, be decided by majority vote.
We told you it would happen once the Republicans wrested control again. You didn't listen.
As you can see, my young apprentice, your friends have failed. Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station!
01/22/13 -- Republican President is inaugurated.
01/22/13 -- President issues executive order banning stem cell research with federal monies.
01/23/13 -- House and Senate (51-49) vote to repeal the health care law.
01/24/13 -- President signs the 'Health Care Freedom for Americans' bill.
01/29/13 -- House and Senate (51-49) vote to re-institute Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
01/30/13 -- President signs into law the 'Military Integrity Act' of 2013.
02/10/13 -- President announces a Supreme Court appointment to replace Justice Ginsburg.
02/15/13 -- House and Senate (53-47) vote to reinstate Bush tax cuts, technically expired Jan 1.
02/16/13 -- President signs into law the 'Tax Americans Less' Act of 2013.
02/23/13 -- House and Senate (98-2) pass large debt limit increase.
02/24/13 -- President signs debt increase and calls for further tax cuts.
03/10/13 -- House and Senate (51-49) vote to repeal Wall Street regulation law. Consumer Protection Agency eliminated.
03/11/13 -- President signs the "Financial Freedom Act" of 2013 into law.
03/15/13 -- President's Supreme Court appointment confirmed (51-49).
04/19/13 -- House and Senate (54-46) vote to allow and to subsidize massive offshore drilling, ANWAR drilling, and other fossil fuel extraction projects in the United States.
04/20/13 -- President signs the 'American Energy Forever Act' of 2013.
05/01/13 -- The 'First 100 Days' end. More legislation has been passed and signed than in any previous Congress. Main Stream Media hails 'Can Do' President and Congress.
Come, boy, see for yourself. From here, you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of your insignificant rebellion.
05/04/13 -- New job report shows unemployment still at 9%. No newspaper reports the story on its front page.
10/10/13 -- Oral arguments in DOMA cases heard before Supreme Court.
10/20/13 -- Oral arguments in Proposition 8 case heard before Supreme Court.
10/23/13 -- Oral arguments in consolated campaign financing cases heard before Supreme Court.
10/25/13 -- Oral arguments in consolidated abortion ban cases brought by several states argued before Supreme Court.
2014
01/07/14 -- Unemployment is still 9%.
There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching you die.
05/18/14 -- DOMA declared constitutional by Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote, with Justice Kennedy dissenting.
05/20/14 -- Supreme Court declares, by a 5-4 vote, that there is no fundamental right to marry a person of the same sex, with Justice Kennedy dissenting.
05/22/14 -- Supreme Court declares that any limit on campaign contributions by any domestic entity is unconstitutional.
05/23/14 -- In an interview, former President Obama admits that he "made mistakes" in his negotiations with Republicans on health care, taxes, the budget, and entitlements, leading to his defeat in the 2012 election.
05/23/14 -- Supreme Court declares, by a 5-4 vote, that Roe v Wade was wrongly decided and that there is no constitutional right to abortion.
06/01/14 -- House and Senate (52-48) pass a law outlawing abortion. Citing the 2012 decision of the Supreme Court that the 2010 health care law was constitutional -- thereby expanding the meaning of the Constitution's Commerce clause -- they assert that not bringing a fetus to term affects interstate commerce.
06/02/14 -- President signs "Respect For Life Act" of 2014.
07/04/14 -- Unemployment is still 9%.
"I wish none of this had happened."
"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."