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Subscribe to RSSIn an election season when the economy is king, the central debate between President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney comes down to what is enough. Enough growth in the economy. Enough job creation. Enough help for those still struggling to get back on their feet.
Obama travels to two Midwest states at the epicenter of that debate, hard-hit Ohio and Michigan, on Wednesday to highlight his economic policies and place them in pointed contrast to the sharp budget-cutting proposals of House Republicans — and by extension Romney.
In Ohio, Obama will visit a successful job-training program of the type that the White House says would face steep cutbacks in federal financing under the House-passed budget, which Romney supports. And in Michigan, the president will scoop up more campaign cash to help him combat Romney's efforts to frame his presidency as an economic failure.
Beyond job training, the president is making the broader case that while more remains to be done to boost the economy, he's successfully brought the country back from the brink of financial collapse and done what he should to help Americans weather the storm. For Obama, there's no more critical place to make that argument than Ohio, always an electoral battleground, and a general election bellwether since 1980.
Related: Boehner says Obama can't run on economic record
Romney, for his part, never misses an opportunity to blame Obama for what he labels as failed economic policies and bloated government, and to argue that the president's had his chance and now it's time for him to move on. He criticizes a jumble of "federal workforce training programs, 49 reporting to eight different agencies."
On Wednesday, the likely GOP nominee will leap over a few pages on the political calendar and deliver an early "prebuttal" in Charlotte, N.C., to the president's speech to the Democratic National Convention in that town come September. It was sure keep up the drumbeat of criticism of Obama on the economy, jobs and taxes.
In Elyria, Ohio, Obama will meet with unemployed workers-turned-students participating in training programs at Lorain County Community College, where he'll also address students and graduates. The White House said that under the House-passed budget, employment and training programs of that kind would cut back sharply, eliminating services to 425,000 adult workers nationally in 2013 and 1.1 million in 2014. The president has kept up a drumbeat of criticism of the House-passed budget as a sign of what would happen if Republicans were in charge, although the budget plan is sure to die in the Senate.
In Michigan, Obama will attend two fundraisers for his campaign, one of them at the same Henry Ford Museum where Romney in 2007 launched his unsuccessful bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.
The economy has taken a nosedive and turned around again in the five years since then. Romney, too, has fallen and risen again.
And now Obama and Romney are jockeying for the advantage on the economy, and neither has the clear edge.
In a Pew Research Center poll released this week, voters listed the economy and jobs as the top issues as they decide whom to support for president. Those who said the economy and jobs would be very important to their vote divided their support almost evenly between Obama and Romney.
Obama points to steady economic progress on his watch, and suggests his GOP rival would dismiss the needs of struggling Americans to implement policies favoring the wealthy.
Romney's campaign, for its part, on Tuesday mocked the Obama economy as "stuck in neutral" — just as NASCAR champions were visiting the White House.
Each candidate has material to work with in making his economic case: Nationally, the unemployment rate has dropped from 9.1 percent last August to 8.2 percent in March, the lowest since about the time Obama took office. But job growth has been weak, millions of people remain unemployed, and improvements in hiring haven't translated into higher salaries for those who are working.
Ohio's jobless rate was 7.6 percent in February 2012, down from 8.9 percent a year earlier and lower than the national average. In Michigan, unemployment fell to 8.8 percent in February, down from 10.7 percent a year earlier and a peak of 14.2 percent in August 2009. Many in the state are benefiting from the turnaround in the auto industry fostered by Obama, but there is plenty of ongoing economic pain.
Jim Ruvolo, a former Ohio Democratic Party chairman now working as a political consultant, said the recovery of the auto industry has also helped boost the economy in the northern part of his state, giving Obama a strong argument for re-election, but many Ohio voters still feel that while the economy is getting better, "it's not there yet."
"The truth is, if we were still where we were two years ago, Obama wouldn't even be in the race," he added. "The thing would be over."
The improving picture in states like Ohio makes Romney's effort to paint Obama's presidency as an economic failure more challenging.
But Ohio Republican Party spokesman Chris Maloney said his state's Republican governor and legislators are the ones who deserve any credit for economic progress in the state. And he said that with Obama's frequent visits to Ohio — this will be his fourth in four months, and the 20th of his presidency — Ohio voters are starting to see that the president's economic pronouncements are "more style, less substance, and that's why he finds himself in a precarious spot."
From Ohio, Obama travels to the Detroit area for two evening fundraisers, one at the Ford museum and the other at the Bingham Farms home of Denise Ilitch and Jim Scalici. Ilitch is a businesswoman and the daughter of Mike Ilitch, the founder of Little Caesar's Pizza and the owner of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers.
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One major reason we're not in a recession right now is because Obama and CONgress are deficit spending 8% of the economy. Thanks Obama. I'm sure if Romney were president he would change everything by only deficit spending say 5% of the economy. Obama and Romney are really two sides to the same coin. They both think the road to prosperity is paved with debt and deficit spending.
No sh!t right?
If the economy is what he wants to tun on fine...post the number he took office with compared to now and ask, are they better?
I bet even teabaggers would be surprised just how much better they are, especially with a 1,000,000 jobs a MONTH turn around.
Not true, liberals and moderates like Obama would happily pay for their spending by increasing revenue on people who are currently enjoying RECORD LOW taxes and RECORD HIGH cash reserves, its conservatives that want to spend without paying for it.
alan_static
I suspect that while we are not technically in a recession due to the definition, it sure feels like it to a lot of people.
This has been the worst administration of the US government since it's founding. All he wants to do is spend money we don't have (and didn't have before) and expand the entitlement programs all in the name of social justice. Social justice is when everybody works and supports themselves and where we all provide a safety net for those times when people need it. The provision of a safety net is necessary and I am all for it, but people living their whole lives in the net is a bit crazy.
We the corporations?
a 1,000,000 jobs a MONTH turn around? Where did you get this number?
ABO 2012
When people say that they lose ALL credibility. How can Obama's handling be worse than Bush whose last year saw the greatest collapse of an economy in 80 years and was loosing 750,000 jobs a month. The DOW has retiurned, the republican recession over, corporate profits at record highs...ohhh watch out for the socialist and his 3% increase in top brackets to start paying for Bush's wars.
Can you do simple math on a number line? Bush was LOSING 750,000 jobs a month, Obama now creates 250,000 a month... the difference being 1,000,000 jobs a month turnaround. Got it?
Someone once said that even if we tax the wealthiest people 100% we'd only collect something like $100 billion over the next 10 years. That will help but it's not getting at the root of the problem. We are deficit spending $1.3 trillion this year alone.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
Actually that's not true. If the wealthiest people and corporations are taxed more they try to off set the tax burden by hiring more people. More working people will now pay more taxes and and the deficit will become smaller and smaller. It will also create a market for more goods as more people have more disposable income. Also, not paying for 2 wars will help a lot ..
alan: Your are correct that taxing the wealthy will help, but not solve the problem.
We do need to cut the deficit spending. But, as we've been deficit spending since the founding of our country, it can't happen overnight. Additionally, in our current state, cutting programs will hurt the economy.
There are so many other factors facing our economy: technological advances, increased global workforce, etc. And, I can't begin to fathom a solution. But, I know that the solution is not just increased taxes, decreased spending, or a combination of the two.
The Buffett Rule is also poorly written.
If they really wanted to go after wallets of the rich, they'd just tax any capital gains income over say, $250000 a year at like 40%.
Of course that won't happen.
@ninjaCodeman - What are you smoking and where did you go to school? That's some funny @!$%# man! ... "tax the rich more and they will hire more" ROFLMAO
Hey libbies,
Your party ran in 2006 on a platform to "fix" everything that the Republicans were screwing up. We elected your guys in record numbers. You took over Congress in January 2007. We gave you the White House in 2008. You had total control. You FAILED! Get out of the way and let someone else try to fix things.
We the corporations - The Democrats controlled Congress in the last two years of the Bush administration. This country goes the way of Congress. The job losses in the last two years of Bush were the responsibility of both parties but the dems had the most control. As soon as they took over Congress in January 2007 they started spending money. Remember the big deal they made about "pay as you go"? What the hell happened to that? Americans are tired of the BS from the left. In the newest ABC/New York Times poll, Romney and Obama are tied. Romney hasn't even sealed up the nomination yet and he is pulling ahead. The shellacking will continue in 2012.
1/20/2013 - the end of an error
Ruken. #1 that is the best way to shut down completely the investment market in the US and crash the economy. #2, ok, say we tax capital gains PROFITS over 250k at 40%, are you then going to pay pack those same taxes collected BACK to the investor if/when he loses money in the market? Funny how in the libs world they want to take the good but let you deal with the bad on your own. If it wasn't for the risk takers and hard workers there would be NOTHING for America to point to as an accomplishment. Government produces NOTHING, it can only impede and take what survives in spite of government.
Ruken. How about you pay me 10% of any rise in your home valuation and 401k net value over the next 10 years, and if the value drops, well thats just poo-poo for you but I'll be at the casino spending the money you paid me in the good times.
That's what I meant. I apologize for the confusion.
Yea, I'm sure all of Mitt Romney's investments are "risky".
I will actually be paying taxes on my 401k. So will / are you, assuming you have one.
We the corporations?
Looking at the labor statistics for the last 10 years, the only months with more than 750,000 jobs lost were after Obama was elected. There has only been one month with growth over 250k (January, 2012) although this was mostly lost in March.
I guess you have to fish pretty hard to find good economic news created by Obama.
http://social.dol.gov/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Monthly-Private-Emp-Change-03-121.jpg
I think this speaks for itself.
Clearly the 'Recovery Act' (i.e. Stimulus) had no effect whatsoever.
Nope.
None.
Yep, now that Obama according to another ariticle here is coming down on speculators in the commodities market, maybe they are "diverse" enough for him.
//www.fiercefinance.com/story/more-muslims-work-wall-street/2012-04-16
If you tie all aspects of the economy together it's not a good picture. Housing starts are down, manufacturers are letting people go, inflation is going up (think food prices, gas prices, items of daily living going up), your local, state and federal taxes are going up (some estimates say the average fed bill next year will go up by $3,400- thus more money that can't go into the economy productively), your insurances are going up, the baby boomers are about to cross that 67 year old threshold (when people start spending a LOT less in retirement- thus less growth from those with money), etc.
Sure, the job numbers can be manipulated to show seasonal adjustments but the reality is that most people aren't getting more money and they are putting out more money to survive. The economy isn't looking good.
And people say Obama is stupid..I now know what he got his Nobel Peace Prize for: " For stating an issue that even a 5 year old is aware of, we give this Nobel Peace Prize to Captain Obvious Obama". But hey we passed that Healthcare law before anyone read it , didn't that help the economy?
Obama can clearly run on the economy.
http://ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2011083428/three-charts-email-your-right-wing-brother-law
The GDP has grown each and every quarter since Obama came into office. DOW was at 8000 and now is at 13000.
Obama = economic success.
The republican's answer was to let everything fail. We would be in a depression right now.
And now for one of the most politically incorrect statements of the day.
No @!$%# it is about the economy Mr President. It might have been a good idea for you to pull your head out of your arse three years ago.
The largest threat to the US's future is its debt when we borrow 40 cents on the dollar. To fund what? Last year we spent nearly a trillion dollars on welfare and healthcare for welfare.
There were crops rotting in the fields last year because these jobs weren't good enough for slothful Americans. Eliminate welfare altogether and save our national debt in fifteen years without touching any other spending. Those on assistance will either take these jobs and do what it takes to survive, or they will starve to death.
One way, they will become taxpayers, the other reduces a severe drag on our economy. A win-win.
Eric
You're a funny guy. You've been bringing out those stupid charts for a couple of years now. You need to look closely at the spending chart. When did the spending skyrocket? 2007. When did the dems take over Congress? 2007. Who holds the purse strings in this country, the President or Congress? Congress.
Romney needs to do a Clinton:
"It's the economy, stupid" was a phrase in American politics widely used during Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign against George Bush
If Romney focuses on the economy and keeps it simple...he wins
LOL.....
After ALL the attacks on everyone (including their families) who was/is a front runner as a Republican contender, Mr. Obama NOW says it is all about the Economy. Three years and about four months TOO LATE.
I wonder what the Democratic spokes people (Hilary Rosen, Ed Schultz, Bill Mayer, Erico, FLYesity, etc.) are going to say about Mr. Obama's flip flop campaign strategy.
Obama has always known its about the economy, sheesh. That's why the stimulus, that's why the jobs bills.
The problem of why its not better is all the obstruction from the Republicans.
@JH, we've had this discussion dozens of times. Bush, head of the republican party of the time, signed willingly to all the deficit spending because it fit right in with the "starve the beast" policies that they still adhere too, and that caused the financial crisis.
Don't had the keys back to republicans who are all still about "trickle down" economics.
Raise revenues.
Eric...You just don't get it...How's the kool-Aid by the way. The stimulus was concidered a failure by everyone rep and dem both. The jobs bills were non existant... remember the president stated "I guess the shovel ready jobs weren't so shovel ready as we thought" trust me it is a bi-partisan issue both reps and dems have way overspent for votes for 200 years already that doesn't mean that we should just continue the tradition because you want yours.
Eric, most of the jobs that you credit to Obama are gone...they were only temporary or fake to begin. In many cases jobs that were recorded were merely pay raises.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2009/11/washington-examiner-bogus-stimulus-map/109706
I will take "Trickle Down Economics" any day over Obama's "Trickle Up Poverty"!
We haven't even started to pay for the Stimulus bill, or the Jobs Bill. Get ready, because with your presidents job on the economy we will see slower growth in housing and major purchases across the boards. Expect prime car loans to be 10% to 15%...
President Obama IS campaigning on his economic record - contrary to what the Republicans want. And Obama has a real record to run on.
What are Romney's economic credentials? That he gamed the system through vulture capitalism? Looks like Romney will be running on Obama's record, too - since Romney does not have one of his own.
A Republican NOvember is what Romney wants. So give Romney all the NOs he deserves.
Nerm- A record does not matter to you...if it did, you would never had voted for Obama in the first place! As for Romney's record, why don't you try a Republican method...look up the facts for yourself! You obviously have access to the Internet. I'm sorry to hear that no one has regurgitated Romney's record to you...so in this case it looks like you may have to do something for yourself this time...
@Mark L-464288 -- Ah, the Romney method - have someone else do the actual work. Maybe Romney will tell us if that is 'work with dignity'.
A record did matter when Obama was elected. My vote was influenced by that record. The Republican record was dismal.
Anybody But A Republican.
Another story that has no author taking credit... Who are these people that lie?
No one is even supporting Romney as a real contender... see the link below.
If you were involved in the political process and went to everyones rallies to hear the message, then you would know this for yourselves.
Instead, someone like Adleson is paying someone to write this stuff.. And the people who don't truly vote believe what the phony auther here tells them and citizens seem to follow along likes its truth...
NO ONE that casts a real vote (the delegate)(the people politicaly involved)(the ones who represent)(the ones who must STAND and be counted) .. SUPPORTS ROMNEY... Take a look for yourselves..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BpL6eQyXDs
Correct, Republicans are campaigning on those facts, no more food for the poor, no more public education, no more Social Security (but Republicans ain't even thinking about giving us back our money we paid into Social Security, with interest at the legal rate), and on-and-on.
Oh right, and big tax cuts for mega-millionaires who are not even hiring while they continue to make record profits.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Republicans continuing to repeat their talking points aren't winning over any new voters, but then if Republicans campaign on the "Ryan Plan" which Republicans promise to implement, they're not going to get Republican votes either.
The whole world knows that Republicans intentionally stalled our recovery, because Republicans thought they could convice people that it was anybody's fault but theirs. GOP = Lying bunch of hypocrits.
Let's all Vote a straight Democratic Ticket this November.
Obama / Biden 2012
Say what you want but Democrats are not saying that the stimulus was a failure, but Republicans are.
If the stimulus was a failure how do you explain that the unemployment rate is down, the GDP has grown each and every quarter since Obama was elected, and the DOW increased by 5000 points under Obama.
How do you explain that the automotive industry was reborn from its ashes.
The kool-aid is what Republicans are drinking, and no where near the truth.
Eric-913730
Can you site how any of the Presidents policies have created any of which you state?
It is easy to go up when your at zero.
I agree with most of what you post, but Romney is running on BUSH's record, which Teapublicans want to continue only more "severely." We know it doesn't work (well those of use who get information from credible sources and not FOX Noise and Hate Radio). Why would voters want to do more of the same failed policies?
Throw out the Teapublican obstructionists, and then we will have a chance at real economic improvement.
And that goes for GOP/TP governors ("pee in a cup" Rick Scott of Florida, "attack the working class" Scott Walker of Wisconsin, John Kasich of Ohio, "vaginal probe" Bob McDonnell of Virginia, "autocrat" Rick Snyder of Michigan, "you just have to close your eyes" Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania) and Teapublicans in state legislatures as well.
Get rid of A.L.E.C., get rid of Citizen's United, get rid of lobbyists, get rid of the GOP/TP if you want your vote to count and your voice heard.
Wow, really? More like starting with a deep deficit, not only in regard to the budget, but job creation. President Obama's administration and the Dems in congress have managed to make improvements despite non-stop obstruction from Teapublicans.
True Patriot...there's a lot of truth in your post but let's be very honest that the dems- and especially the Clintons- had a significant part in the crash-NAFTA and Glass-Steagal Repeal were both signed by Clinton. The Repugnican party needs to be deep 6'd and I think it is in the process of that right now. It's dying. But without another challenge from the center or left- and Obama is not a leftist- our problems will linger. We have a lot of very serious problems and one is the 'pugs, but remember William Jefferson? The dems may be better than the 'pugs, but only by a little. Until Obama gets serious about attacking problems, we will flounder. I guess that's better than crashing and burning which is the repugnican alternative, but I don't care for either choice. Firing the Nazi party is a small part of the problem.
American Girl,
Yes, President Obama is such a stand up guy.
Yeah the Republicans intentionally stalled the economy. It had nothing to do with High gas prices or failed stimulus dollars.
If you are going to say that, well the big crash was all the Democrats fault. They did that so a Democrat can be in office, to blame the Republicans for all of our Nations woes. Tell us how up front they are going to be, how there is going to be change, how this administration is going to be the most transparent in the History of the United States.
Yep, if we win we are going to kick the pour out the country entirely. Close all the schools, stop social security, not sure about the interest thing, wait I think I understand, not use the correct interest rate on the money that we are not going to pay you in the first place. Yep it is all part of the plan.
Yeah the evil Ryan plan, it cuts so much out. Did you look at it? It does not go far enough. It saves us a couple of percentage points compared to President Obama's plan.
This is what we stand for:
Instead of feading the pour, put them to work, create jobs that allows them to make it on their own.
Personal responsability, pay for your own birth control devices. (if everyone is covered, than guess what everyone has to pay any ways, please explain how that is free?)
Women should be forced to work, staying home and raising their kids is morally wrong. It is even worse if the father should stay at home and do the same.
Everyone should have free abortions, heck we are only averaging a million a year, it should be at least twice that!
Education, you should pay for what you need. We all know the value of something that is free. Wait it has no value.... Trade schools are just as important as college. Everyone knows that anyone who has a college degree makes millions a year?!
Have a balanced budget, ok both parties need to work on that one.
Reward hard work. Hmm, that seems pretty easy to defend.
Stop spending money on High speed trains to no where. I know having a train going from California to Las Vegas is needed, but come on 6 billion dollars?
Photo ID to vote. Nope would not want to make sure that the person voting is correct or anything. You can totally live without an ID, you do not need one to sign up for anything like, food stamps, cash a check, receive medication, go to the hospital, get a job, drive, buy cigarettes, go to a movie. Heck there is no real reason to have a Photo ID at all.
And of course We would stand proud on a stage with Warren Buffet, who has a huge salary of oh yeah a dollar. Hathaway the company that he runs who pays all those taxes... wait, dang they have not paid taxes since 2002, but wait it is only, 1 billion dollars.
Yep, and we would be very stern with the Secret service agents for what happened. GSA, hmmm yes we would plead the fifth on that as well.
Yep, and the rich would be even richer!!.. ooops, wait that is already happening.
Why we could bomb Lybia, dang that already happened as well.
How about this, We work really closely with the CEO of GE, so we can give them a huge tax break... Dam that is already happening too.
I know we can support some green car companies, make a really expensive hybrid car, that has less interior room than a Toyota Coralla, that can go 20 miles on battery and get 20 miles to the gallon.. sighs, that has been done too.
Oh well how about a tax credit for the wealthy so they will by more electric cars? Yep that has been done too.
We will extend President Bush's tax cuts. Yep you guessed it that has been done as well.
So how we looking. Not so good I would say.
Better have some more of those Million dollar per plate dinners to raise some money..
Pro athletes making for the CEOs. Check
Movies start making 25 million per movie. Check.
Oprah worth 1 billion dollars. Check
People not looking for work. Check
Lottery winner still getting food stamps or assistance. Oops that has been fixed.
I know we will raise the gas prices so big oil can make more money. check
American Girl.
Things are looking good from my seat. You are right lets vote more Democrat's in office. President Obama has been hitting them out of the park!
American Girl, I like your style!!!:)
Eric-913730
Right Eric, it's always been about the economy - that's why Obama and his Progressive Party House and Senate spent all that time working on a Health Care plan that may be found to be unconstitutional.
And the stimulus program and son-on-stimulus produced how many jobs? Remember those shovel ready jobs that the administration had a terrible time counting? What happened, they stopped counting?
I must have been too busy working to pay everyone, but can you tell me where I can find the information about the Obama Jobs Bill legislation? Are you equating the bail-outs as a jobs bill?
I look forward for this information so I can feel better about my share of the $5T that Obama created in his almost four year administration.
subnormal -- Holy crap, you broke my scroll bar, and for what?
Thomas Blue-- We must always keep in mind which Party had a majority at the time, and that until the Tea Party, there was compromise to get things done. We need to reinstate Glass-Steagall, the Fairness Doctrine, and reconsider the dismantling of welfare and the unintended consequences, among other things most notably letting the Bush tax cuts expire and stop the perpetual warmongering.
But nothing can be done with the current pledges to Norquist and threats of being "primaried" from the Right, so we really just need to throw all Teapublicans out and let them wander in the desert for 40 years until all the "Norquist pledgers" and Tea Party caucus has died off.
@ Mark L, re: 1.24, You do realize that "trickle down economics" and "trickle up poverty" both leave YOU impoverished.
President Harry Truman, 1948: “The Republicans … will try to make people believe that everything
the Government has done for the country is socialism. They will go to the people
and say: "Did you see that social security check you received the other day—you
thought that was good for you, didn't you? That's just too bad! That's nothing
in the world but socialism. Did you see that new flood control dam the
Government is building over there for the protection of your property?
Sorry—that's awful socialism! That new hospital that they are building is
socialism. Price supports, more socialism for the farmers! Minimum wage laws?
Socialism for labor! Socialism is bad for you, my friend. Everybody knows that.
And here you are, with your new car, and your home, and better opportunities for
the kids, and a television set—you are just surrounded by socialism! Now the
Republicans say, ‘That's a terrible thing, my friend, and the only way out of
this sinkhole of socialism is to vote for the Republican ticket.’"And that was 64 Years ago!! theRepublicanCrimeCartel is doing the same exploitation of America as they were then then.
Remember, a vote for ANY republican is a vote against YOUR And Your Family's Well Being.
The Democrats are going to do pretty much the same thing as the Republicans if Obama wins this November.
Join the Occupy Movement or some other similar if you really want any hope of positive change.
Democrats conceal post-election austerity plans
19 April 2012
While the Obama reelection campaign claims to support higher taxes on the wealthy and oppose cuts in Medicare and other programs on which working people depend, the White House and congressional Democrats are already making plans for a bipartisan attack on social programs after the election.
These plans are being concealed from the people behind a smokescreen of demagogy about standing up for the “bottom 99 percent” and making the rich pay “their fair share” in taxes. The cynicism of the Obama campaign underscores the phony and undemocratic character of the entire electoral process.
The Obama campaign has focused on political ploys such as the “Buffett Rule,” a proposal to establish a minimum 30 percent income tax rate for all those making $1 million or more a year. This is an effort to make the American people forget three years of bailouts of the banks and the super-rich and a worsening of income inequality. According to a study released March 2, the top one percent of the American population garnered 93 percent of all increased income in 2010, the first year of economic “recovery” according to the White House…
...The real attitude of the Democrats to massive budget cuts was seen in Tuesday’s decision by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, Democrat from North Dakota, to postpone any action on a 2013 budget resolution until after the November election. Conrad announced that his committee would begin drafting a budget resolution based on the deficit-cutting recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles commission, appointed by Obama, but that no actual votes would be taken until after the election—i.e., until it is too late for the American people to react at the polls.
Conrad said he had made the decision to postpone a vote after it became clear that not enough Democrats were prepared to support a comprehensive deficit-reduction plan in advance of the elections. “I don’t think we will be prepared to vote before the election,” Conrad said, indicating action would only be taken in a lame-duck session of Congress.
The Bowles-Simpson plan would slash $5.4 trillion from the deficit over ten years, cutting discretionary domestic spending as a percentage of gross domestic product from 8.4 percent this year to only 4.8 percent by 2022, and raising taxes, mainly on middle-income families, through abolishing tax breaks such as deductions for mortgage interest and employer-paid health benefits. The plan envisions reductions in income tax rates for the wealthy as well as corporate tax rates.
The result of such policies will be a devastating decline in the living standards and social conditions of the vast majority of working people, who will be paying the price for the ongoing bailout of the financial system, the increase in wealth of the super-rich, and the escalating costs of American military operations overseas…
…the period after the November 6 election, when the US Treasury again reaches the legal limit on borrowing and the Bush tax cuts expire December 31, as do other stopgap measures adopted over the past two years, including the extension of unemployment benefits and the payroll tax cut for working people and the deadline for $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts….
….These deadlines will be used to create a crisis atmosphere and claim that sweeping austerity measures are unavoidable. The measures that will be brought forward after the election will go far beyond anything proposed publicly by either party.
According to New York Times columnist David Brooks, Obama administration officials have given private assurances of support for major spending cuts after the elections and have already proposed, in the most recent budget, to cut discretionary domestic spending from 4 percent of US gross domestic product to only 2.2 percent, far below the level of the Reagan administration.
The 2012 election is a political fraud, used by the big business politicians of both parties to give the American people the illusion of choice, while behind the scenes the two parties are preparing measures so unpopular that they cannot be discussed openly for fear of a public backlash.
The American two-party system is a political conspiracy against the working class. The two parties defend the interests of corporate America and the super-rich. The people have no say in the policies that are carried out…
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/apr2012/pers-a19.shtml
alan_static, I was thinking the same thing... and what would a McCain presidency or a Romney presidency had looked like? Who knows, but they certainly would have been willing to risk a larger downturn and more pure suffering in the name of balancing the budget and cutting support programs.
I think we need to review what major economists were saying at the end of 2008... at least the economists that seemed to have a handle on things:
They basically told us to stimulate the economy and support state and local governments (deficit spending) until recovery was strong, then use the combination of a recovered tax revenue and a stronger economy to balance the budget and address the debt. That "plan" was to limit how deep the recession (or depression) ran and the only true plan that addressed the debt debacle we were handed.
And THAT is exactly what is happening, although not as strong as envisioned. With the weakest real estate market EVER holding us down... with a 24/7 "make him fail" campaign constantly kicking consumer confidence back into the gutter... with no help at all from the other side of the aisle... the additional worries of the European economies that we can't control and that went straight to austerity... it's a wonder we're recovering at all.
But we are. we're recovering as well as wze could have under the circumstances. THAT is the argument for reelection. Does it hold? Your choice. It does for me.
We The,
First of all it was Clintons who relaxed the process of getting a home loan. So the reason the economy collapsed is because of the housing market, and Clinton is the reason it happened. So you have people that have not put the 20% down as most people save too do, than they buy a home that does not fit their budget, if can get a loan on a $500,000 house but you only make $50,000 a year is that smart on your part. What happens if something happens to you income? http://spectator.org/archives/2009/02/06/the-true-origins-of-this-finan
Next, under Bush unemployment rate was at 5.8% average of for the 8 years with the 2009 job loss totals, Obama's is 9.2% on average for the 2.25 years that the BOLS has so far on the numbers. Since when is 9.2% a good unemployment number, even use the 8.2% it is right now. You may think he is adding 250,000 jobs, but they are only people that had lost their jobs under Obama, these people were working under Bush. The actual NUMBERS in case you were wondering are 150,000 jobs gained a month, BUT JUSST THIS YEAR.http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/obamas-magic-number-150000-jobs-per-month/ as unemployment was between 9% & 10% for the first 2 years. 9 million people lost their jobs due to Democrats policies and you say he is creating jobs I am no Bush fan but he was a far better president than we currently have?
Obama is now running on we will fix the economy! That is what he said 4 years ago and has been a failure at restoring the economy. How you do that is by making policies that stimulate growth, Obama has not done this and you can still see it with businesses that aren't hiring people because of the state the economy is still in. He has passed more regulations that only add to the cost of products, like cap and trade, you know those cost aren't passed to us, thus it becomes a tax to Middle America, not because of the BAD CORPARATIONS, but because OF OBAMA. Obama has given $102.8 Billion of tax money to the green companies that were his top contributers.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57358484/tax-dollars-backing-some-risky-energy-projects/
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000
Here is the debt per link on how much Obama has added. It is much more than Bush about three times what Bush spent in 8 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_public_debt. Also you claim Obama is adding 1,000,000 jobs a month in this post. You are the one that loses credibility all you have to do is look up the facts and you would see that Obama's policies have failed us in every aspect. Obama has an economic record and it is a failed one.
In 2007 we had about $2.7 Trillion in Government Spending and brought in about $2.5 Trillion in tax revenue. Our deficit was just under $200Billion. In 2012 we bring in about $2.3 Trillion in tax revenue but Government is Spending about $3.7 Trillion so the deficit is NOW about $1.4 Trillion. What has changed in the last 5 years? Tax revenue? No, still about the same. Just a little down due to the economy but when it recovers (when we FINALLY get rid of the Community Organizer in Chief that has no idea how an economy works - but I digress.....). So where is the change? The change is NOW the Government spending 37% MORE than we did in 2007. How do we justify a 37% INCREASE in spending? Where did it go? Besides Solyndra and the GSA going to Las Vegas we really don't know. CUT THE SPENDING and we fix both our debt problems AND our economy. Just like a family cannot increase spending 37% if their incomes actually decrease some so does the country.
If Obama makes this election about the economy then his goose is cooked. In order for him to win he will need to continue to create havoc amongst the citizenry. White against black. Men against women, Christian against non-Christian. Employer against employee. Rich against poor. Citizens against illegal immigrants. and so on. Obama CAN'T win based on the economy because there is NOTHING that has improved in the economy since he took office............
Obama running on his economic record is like a blind, one legged man running a 100 meter sprint. Yes he was handicapped at the start, but once the race started, all he's done is hop around with no clear direction on where he's going. Things can only be described as marginally better than they were at the very end of Bush's last month in office, when, as Obama likes to say, the car went into the ditch. Instead of rock solid improvement, this administration tries to redefine the ditch to make people think it is now the road, we're not buying it, not even close. Reagan turned Carters craptacular disaster around in 2 years. Obama has done little to make things better after 3.25 years. He needs to go back to Chicago and do some more organizing.
I keep hearing conservatives and GOP supporters state over and over that Obama "can't run on the economy or his record", but guess again, Obama IS going to run on the economy and his record.
What must really get them boiling is that Obama is doing this because his team is confident that they can WIN by doing it. Remember, that by running on his record, Obama is forcing people to also consider Romney on his record and that's a good strategy for them. Romney's record looks good to the GOP base depending on when you look at it or when cherry picking examples that appeal to the base and omitting the ones that don't. Calling attention to his entire record paints a candidate that flip-flops and changes not only in the longer term, but also in the short term and on some very big items that affect single issue voters. That is clearly not where the GOP wants to go and this put's them on the defensive and spin control going into the debates and up to the election.
Look, STOP The Bullsh!t and Man Up. The terrible gasoline and oil prices, which are stalling the economy, are solely the work of the republicans and their Oil industry ceoSoldiers; this to intimidate We Americans into voting Rommel into the OvalOffice. Rommel, of Bain Corp, is a Vampire to companies, their employees and their employee funds; which now sit in romney's bank accounts. You republican warLords, Stop this CIRCUMLOCUTION and fess up. You guys are using American Crude Oil REFINED to sell on the World's Profitable spot market for huge profit and inflate gas and oil prices at the pump. Romney wants into the ovalOffice with the republicanCrimeCartelSoldiers to Collapse Social Security and pocket the salvaged funds.
You republicanGangsters are despicable with THE BONUS of NO AmericanUniversalHealthCareSystem as Exists in other Countries. And You republicanSoldiers think your going to get off scott free with bulging coffers???? What goes Around - Comes Around.
Mike,
You are so very funny; Obama is a big flip flopper too. You Libs always cherry pick examples that apple to the poor and illegals. Obama said he was against the personal mandate that said all individuals will be required to buy health insurance , Hilary was trying to push this idea in the 2008 primary’s and Obama was against it but now it is part of his the health care reform bill. This bill will still leave millions uninsured and the tax payers to still foot the bill for the rest. Look at my post above there are all kind of FACTS to back up my claims, unlike you.
Romney understand how things like economics work, he has run successful businesses and Obama has not; Obama thinks he can just spend, spend, spend. He is not worried about it at all, you cannot just spend money that you don't have and think it will work out. Obama got our triple A rating reduced to a double A rating for our Nation. He said Bush was unpatriotic in the $4.5 trillion he spent in 8 years but now Obama has spent $5.3 trillion in 3 years and he is trying to spend another $1.6 trillion on this year’s budget. He picks and choses which of Bush’s achievement to try and take credit for, like the end of the Iraq war that were Bush's withdrawal date Obama did nothing, Like will Bin Laden again collected under Bush the seals confirmed this so again Obama did nothing. Or like when Obama had our military kill an American suspected of terrorism, Americans have a right to do process and Obama has taken that from us.
How do you Libs think 47% of Americans can pay to support 53% of Americans, eventually the other people’s money runs out, than what? Obama instead of trying to turn America around, as he said he would on the campaign trail, has only created a bigger divide within Congress, he rush's to judgment on issues trying to make them into racial one's, NO GOOD LEADER DOES THIS. Obama said and I quote "If I can’t get the economy turned around in three years that I don't think I would deserve another term". I am here to tell you the economy has not turned around. Unemployment is still at 8.3%, that is not progress especially since Obama said if we passed the stimulus unemployment would not go above 8% but in fact it has been above 8% since Feb 2009 and it was up over 9% since May 2009 and didn't come back to under 9% until Oct 2011 so as you can see the economy was the furthest thing for Obama's mind. Two years of unemployment above 9% under Bush the unemployment was at around 5.3%, right now if you include the unemployment for 2009 to Bush's unemployment totals it is 5.8%, Obama's is 9.2% this for 2010 to present.
.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57358484/tax-dollars-backing-some-risky-energy-projects/
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_public_debt
.http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/obamas-magic-number-150000-jobs-per-month/
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/02/06/the-true-origins-of-this-finan
http://realetybytes.com/?tag=unemployment
I am really ashamed to even admit that I used to be a Teacher as my 2nd Career after Retiring from the US Military.
1. The CAUSE of the current $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion "Globla Economic Crisis" CONSISTING of the "Mortgage Crisis", "Wall Street Crisis", "Financial Crisis", "Banking Crisis", "Credit Crisis", etc..
The Current Global Economic Crisis
http://david393071.newsvine.com/_news/2011/02/22/6107088-the-current-global-economic-crisis
Since some of you do not know how to add two nickels ($0.05) together and come up with the correct answer of a dime ($0.10).
What has President Obama done to reinstate the Glass Steagall Acts, to once again make ILLEGAL the Causes.
Score:
President Obama = 0
US Economy = negative $60 Trillion to $100 Trillion
US Citizens = 0
Those President Obama Policies, Laws, that directly affected the Current US Economy Directly or Indirectly:
1. 2007 to 2008 Candidate Obama states numerous times (youtube.com) "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share". Historically, just like the Rich Founding Fathers refused to pay the British Stamp Act Taxes, fled, and started the American Revolution. During the Global Great Depression many Nations had their form of "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share", with the Resulting Rich Fleeing those Nations, making it impossible for the Businesses to get loans adding to the "Credit Crisis" of the Great Depression and prolonging the Great Depression. During the Global Great Depression, Hitler used the scapegoats of the Jews, as "The Loyal Germans must take Germany Back from the Rich Jews", "Rich Jews Own Everything", "Rich Jews Must Pay Their Fair Share", etc. and so the confiscations of what the Rich Jews had that did not flee Germany started 1933, after Hitler became Chancellor. After WWII, and everyone forgot what happened during and after the Global Great Depression, decades later the Academic Idealists of the British Labor Union Party started their "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share", causing the Rich Foreign andBritish Business Investors to Flee Britain to Ireland starting the Collaspe of the British Icon Businesses. These British Labor Union Party Academic Idealists with NO Business Experience attempted to save the British Icon Businesses and further Bankrupted them, finally resulting in the British Icon Businesses to be sold to Foreign Corporations, that immediately moved out of Britain further throwing more British Citizens on Unemployment ("On the Dole"). example: British Icon Business, Automaker, Jaguar sold to Tata Motors of India.
After Candidate Obama 2008 stated his "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share", the Rich US and Foreign Business Investors started to make plans to evacuate from the US. The Rich US andForeign Business Investors found out from the Rich Elitists of the US Electoral College that Candidate Obama would be the next President, they then implemented their Plans to Flee the US. This loss of the Rich US and Foreign Business Investors added to the "Credit Crisis", as US Businesses, Financial Insitutions, etc. did not have enough money as Credit. The First US Victums were those US Businesses that were invested in by the Richest Person in the World, as he fled back to Mexico with all the money that he would have invested in at the US. Many of the Rich that were copying his sucesses also fled the US, and stopped investing in US Businesses. This "Credit Crisis" is what the November December 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was supposed to be all about, with the Ulterior motive of Candidate Obama's Buddy "Mr.Corporate America" buying the January 2009 Electoral College Votes for Candidate Obama.
2. President Obama's January 21, 2009 Patriot Acts (plural) that also extended the President Bush Patriot Act (singular). Legalized the Monitoring and Censorship of All US Communications, no more Internet Neutrality. Restrictions on Internet Commerce. Preemptive Detentions of US Citizens. Inclusion of the defeated as Unconstitutional US Senate S.1959 and US House of Representatives H.R.1955 as the George Orwell 1984 "Thought Crimes Laws", the stated written or verbal thought is also the crime (criminal act). No Material Support to Terrorist Organizations (including Humanitarian Assistance, Medical Supplies, Funding, etc.).
This type of fear of the US Government Chased Businesses out of the US.
3. February 2009, President Obama starts to push his NOT Budgeted for $1.7 Trillion to $2.1 Trillion Health Care Reform. The Demoncrap Party Controlled US Congress Refuses to work on the US Budget and Refuses to inform the US Public what the impacts of the $1.7 Trillion to $2.1 Trillion will have on the US Budget Deficit. US Government Agencies start to work off of Continuing Resolutions (CRs) Appropriations (CRAs) money, instead of closing; by using previous Budgets and not including other New Eexpenditures, like President Obama's $1.7 Trillion Health Care Reform Act, this adds to the US Economic Problems.
4. March 2009 President Obama states his Improved Relations with Iran Policy, the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran is allowed to do anything without US Interventions. And the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran DOES: a. Negotiates with their friends the Fundamentalist Islamic (Shia) Government of Iraq, no more negotiations with the US to stay at Iraq., b. The Iraqis Oil Field Contracts will NOT be awarded to the US nor US Allies, but to the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran's Allies, the Chinese and Russian Federation., c. The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran starts increased support to the Main Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadist Training Camp next door at the Autonomous Kurdistanis Region (Southern Turkey, Border of Syria, Northwestern Iran, Northern 1/3rd of Iraq)., d. The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran using their Oil Wealth and the Oil Wealth of Iraq start increased buying of 21st Century Weapons and Technology from the Chinese and Russian Federation to increase their Strategic Sphere of Influence to Overthrow the Government of US Allies at the Middle East, Africa, Asia, South and Central Americas by using the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists Worldwide., e. Further Plans of The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran to close off the Strait of Hormuz and possibly the Suez Canal, since it was a US Politician Failure to sign the Treaty to make the Strait of Hormuz an International Waterway after Iran lost the Iran Iraq Wars, so the Straits of Hormuz without the Treaty are actually the Territorial Waters of Oman and The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran, and unlike the US not learning from the Iran Iraq Wars, the The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran has made correction to the mistakes they made during the Iran Iraq Wars., f. Since The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran is no longer surrounded by US Allies they can concentrate on US Allies, and Nations occupied by US Military Forces one at a time (a known direction of their enemy)., g. Increased pressure on the US Allies Governments of Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, etc. to either get the US out or the Fundamentalist Islamic "People" of those Nations, and the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists fully supported by The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran will Overthrow their Governments., h. Testing, Deployment, Protection, of ICBMs, IRBMs, ABMs, negotiations with South American Nations for the Deployment of IRBMs as 21st Century Technology purchased from their Allies the Chinese and Russian Federation (North Korea does not have the money, so they cannot buy, so they keep failing)., i. The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran starts negotiations with North Korea for Technological Transfer of 21st Century Technology in exchange for North Korean Nuclear Weapons information., j. etc..
Iran 2009 to 2012, Strait of Hormuz
http://david393071.newsvine.com/_news/2012/01/03/9928679-iran-2009-to-2012-strait-of-hormuz
5. April 2009 President Obama as Commander In Chief Demands US Military Defense Budget Cuts. Primarily of the USAF F-22 and USN one USN Aircraft Carrier Strike Group. This throws 95,000 US Civilians that manufacturer the F-22 on Unemployment. The US Labor Unions that maintain the USN Aircraft Carrier Strike Group threaten to drive down from Virginia and Strike on the Steps of the Whitehouse, the USN Enterprise Aircraft Carrier will be cut anyway, last mission 2012. President Obama in his 2012 State of the Union Address states that he will not cut the numbers of USN Aircraft Carrier Strike Groups (without telling the entire truth, that once the USN Enterprise completes her final mission, will not be replaced until much later by CVN-80, so the USN still loses one USN Aircraft Carrier Strike Group).
Many at US Congress startscrambling to protect their Pet US Military Projects/Programs Manufactured at their own States (US Civilian Jobs, their State's Economies) after President Obama's Cut of the USAF F-22. Previously Budgeted Funds are removed from the US Military Fighting Two Wars (plus 4 President Obama's Secret Wars). The US Military loses Sustainment Funds (Ammunition, Food, Water, Sanitation, Fuel); Training Funds (Weapons Qualification, Force Protection Training, etc.); Aircraft, Vehicle, Ships (and Submarines), Facilities, Weapons Systems Maintenenace Funds; etc.. US Military Families on Food Stamps, WIC, Public Assistance are sending their US Military Service Members canned Food, M-16/M-4 ammunition magazines, carbon boron strike plates for their Interceptor Body Armor, new Combat uniforms to replace their worn out ones, new boots, etc. while the US Military Service Members paid below minimum wages cannot afford to buy these for themselves. The pissed off US Military Service Members stop renewing their Enlistments, US Military Retentions Drop, the US Military becomes 1% of US Citizens with 92% of US Citizens that have NEVER Served refusing to do their Civic Duty ("US Military Service is a Civic Duty" - Candidate Obama during the Presidential Debates).
Many Nations that were scheduled to buy US Military Equipment as Foreign Military Sales (FMS) start to have second thoughts. This increases the US Foreign Trade Deficits in the hundreds of Billions USDs. And instead of buying the USAF F-22 start considering the Russian Federation PAK-FA a deal worth hundreds of Billions USDs for Decades, also providing many well paid Jobs, immediate Economic gains, advances in manufacturing, technological increases, etc. for Decades to the Russian Federation.
President Obama as Commander in Chief delays the USAF 5th Generation Stealth Fighter F-35 and completely stops the altenative jet engine. The hundred Billion USDs Foreign Military Sales of F-35s to Oil Rich US Ally Saudi Arabia and US Ally Israel, etc. stops. The US F-35 manufacturer considers more US Civilian layoffs.
6. President Obama as Commander In Chief demands the Reduction In Forces (RIF) of the US Military of 80,000 US Military Personnel + 27,000 US Military Personnel Returning from the Wars + 10,000 US Military Personnel from the Closed US Military Installations at Germany + 5 (Five) more Brigades all thrown on Unemployment. US Army: www.armytimes.com , USAF: www.airforcetimes.com, USMC: www.marinecorpstimes.com, USN: www.navytimes.com. This means the remaining US Military Personnel will suffer more deployments and longer deployments.
With the other result being the xxx,xxx US Civilians that provided support to the RIF'ed US Military also no longer needed and thrown on Unemployment, www.federaltimes.com. Secretary of Defense Gates states this to US Military during his last visit to Afghanistan. President Obama requests Secretary of Defense Gates remain as Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Defense Gates tenders his Letter of Resignation.
7. Due to President Obama'sprevious March 2009 Improved Relations With Iran Policy andthe Resulting loss of the Iraqis Oil that would have paid for the US Military Liberation of Iraq withDecades of Iraqis Oil. Withthis loss becoming the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran's gain, with their negotitating the Iraqis Oil Contracts to go to their Allies the Chinese and Russian Federation. This decreases the World Oil available to the US and US Allies to process into Fuel and sell internationally, so the US Gasoline Prices increased. The Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran knew, unlike the US Public, that the World's Oil Corporations were Oil Laundrying Iraqis Oil even before the Sanctions and Embargoes prior to the First Gulf War; as Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc. were buying Iraqis Oil and selling Iraqis Oil as their own for huge profits to the US. The truth that I had been saying since the 1980s becomes US Public knowledge after the Canadian Oil Keystone Pipeline 2012. The loss of the Iraqis Oil to the Allies of the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran, the Chinese and Russian Federation, makes Libyan Oil of Strategic Importance to the US European Allies.
Iraq
http://david393071.newsvine.com/_news/2011/10/17/8369272-iraq
All of you uninformed Bush Bashers go get an Education. Including on who controls the money to pay for the Wars.
Speaking about the ignorant that scream more money to the Failed Broken US Education System, the US spends the most on Education and still produces Defective Non Competitive Internationally Products as the US Education System is NOT Performance Based. Andunlike before with Teachers being idealistic ("change the world") the US Teachers have become "a secure Job" as protected by Collective Bargaining of Teacher's Unions (Buy the whole bag of apples including the rotten ones or you cannot buy any).
Which leads into matters pertaining to the misperceptions and not giving credit where credit is due. It was NOT the US Labor Unions that started everything they claim. The 1929-1939 Great Depression wiped out the US Labor Unions of the Henry Ford Era as well as all previous Labor Union gains. It was President FDR's copying what worked years before for Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito by: Nationalizing all US Businesses and US Industry as the start of the current US Military Defense Industrial Complex., Suspension of all US Labor Union Activities., The Sales of "War Materials" manufactured by his US Military Defense Industrial Complex., Implementation of his Universal Health Care for All US Citizens to put more spending money into the pockets of US Citizens and NOT the funding of Mussolini Sympatheitzers of the Italian Organized Crime that owned the Insurance Corporations andUS Labor Unions., Implementation Nationwide at his Nationalized US Businesses and US Industry of the Recommendations of the US War Department Study to stop the Catastrophic Accidents at US Munitions Plants being Workplace Safety, minimum hours of sleep, maximum hours of work, skills for pay, limits to child labor (except family farms), days off for Religious Worship (Saturday for the Jews, Sunday for the Christians), and all those things the US Labor Unions claimed to have done after the President FDR Suspension of US Labor Union Activities were lifted.
The US Middle Class was formed by those at the US working at President FDR's Nationalized US Businesses and US Industry aka US Military Defense Industrial Complex, while the US Labor Unions could do NOTHING as their Activities were Suspended (Illegal) by President FDR. The previous US Middle Class was all but wiped out prior to World War II by the 1929-1939 Great Depression.
During the 1929-1939 Great Depression after the Failures of the President FDR New Deal To the American People (US Government spending money it did not have to create US Jobs), President FDR as stated in his later Presidential Papers realized that US Consumerism would NEVER get the US out of the Great Depression; but, the Sales of "War Materials" would and did 1939, before US Entry ihto World War II, 1941. These Millions (today's Billions) USDs Sales of "War Materials" to the enemies of Germany made Chancellor Hitler consider Declaring War Against the US; but, instead started the sinking of US Merchant Marine (USN Reserves) and US Ships Full of War Materials going to England and France with German U-Boats.
US Consumerism versus US Sales of War Materials: How many Made In China iPads would you have to sell to equal just one Made in US F-15 sold to US Ally Saudi Arabia (also include future upgrades to the F-15, decades of manufacturing of F-15 repair parts, US Training, etc..).
Face the Fact, unless you are now a US Citizen after coming from another Nation, YOU benefitted directly or indirectly from the US Military Defense Industrial Complex that employs almost a hundred million overpaid expensive US Civilians, as the US Military Personnel get paid below minimum wages.
And for the REALLY uninformed, you don't get rid of something until you have the replacement in hand. Try walking to the Department Store Naked to buy clothes. So until you replace President FDR's US Military Defense Industrial Complex with something that brings in that much money thru Foreign Military Sales (Sales of War Materials) you are and have been sucking off the US Military Defense Industrial Complex's Tits since 1938.
With all the Losses of Resources for the US created by President Obama's Policies all of you need to start learning to live like the average Third World Afghans (not the Afghans in the Cities) or the Fourth World of Somalia. And no one believes that the Chinese and Russian Federation will even consider giving back all those Resources. That is why after the loss of the High Tech Mineral Rights of Afghanistan to the Chinese, the First thing the Chinese did was place Embargoes, Sanctions, Chinese Laws against the Exports of these High Tech Minerals out of China, translation for those lacking cognitive skills, anything High Tech must be Made In China.
The Chinese Economy Rising while the US and US Allies Crash and Burn. Why, don't say trade Deficit or Loans. They started to increase their numbers of Employed by turning on their Chinese Military Defense Industry into the maximum position to crank out 21st Century Technology Deep Water Chinese Navy (PLAN) to protect the Resource that they gained and the US and US Allies lost. And to the REALLY ignorant that say "we spend more"; the Chinese still take people out and summarily execute them so the Chinese get more work more of everything at a higher quality for every Chinese Yuan spent. To even get close to the Chinese you would have to pay only a $1 per hour to the almost hundred million US Civilians of the US Military Defense Industrial Complex, and if you did not like the quality of their work, then they are removed thrown to the curb, no arguements from US Labor Unions, no wrongful termination Lawsuits, and then you yell out "Next Person" to fill the job vacancy.
I skipped over many of the others (numbers) Finally, US Misery Index (the higher the number the more Miserable US Citizens are):
President Obama: 10.85
President Bush: 7.39
http://www.miseryindex.us/indexbyPresident.aspx
US Unemployment does NOT count those whose Unemployment Insurance Ran Out, those that are Underemployed, nor those who still cannot find Jobs and stopped looking.
Really? This from the administration that seems to be intent on destroying the economy. Perhaps this is part of the President's inaugural promise to "fundamentally transform" America. My only question is, to what do you plan to transform us into?
An apologetic excuse of a third-world nation instead of the shining light upon the hill that America should be?
Sorry, Mr. President...I've had enough of your transformational ideology.
When Obama took office we were losing 750,000 jobs a MONTH, now we create 250,000...yeah he is destroying it.
Took office DOW was like 7000, now 13,000...oh yeah he hates economic success
Took office involved in 2 wars, now 1...
Silly teabaggers can't even see that Obama is right of Reagan and has been a decent steward of this republican recession and has kept our economy alive.
Solyndra - $528 million, now bankrupt.
Other failed "green energy" companies - > $1 billion.
Gas prices near or over $4/gallon ($1.61 when the President took office).
Spending, spending and more spending all the while borrowing our children and grand-children into poverty.
I never knew that Emperor Obama controlled the stock market. Thanks for enlightening me.
Silly socialist/progressive/liberal...put down the Obama flavored Kool-Aid.
Yea, because a POTUS controls the global oil price.
Got it.
Has he done anything substantive to help increase production in the US as a way to decrease America's reliance on foreign oil producers? No, he hasn't.
And how has that helped? How many new refining plants have been built? Zero.
How many will be built on his watch? Zero. He'd rather throw more money into solar and wind power.
Thanks for your concise lesson and argument, Ruken. I appreciate your input.
Oil prices are set on a global scale. The USA doesn't have enough oil (even if we drilled like mad) to make even a minor dent in global oil prices.
If you want prices of oil to go down here at home, the only choice is to nationalize our oil supply. Of course the oil companies will fight this tooth and nail.
From politifact:
First we compiled the numbers for Bush's last three months. Between October and November, 597,000 jobs were lost; between November and December, 681,000 were lost; and between December and January, 741,000 were lost.
From Analytics:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported this morning that employment rose by 227,000 jobs in February. ... payrolls have grown by over 200,000 for three months in a row.
Now tell me: which administration seems intent on destroying the economy?
So, let me see if I understand what you're saying here, EEngineer. We lost over 2 million jobs in the last three months of Bush, but in February we gained 227,000 jobs.
Oh, goody...a positive number for one month! All hail Obama! What has he been doing during the other 23 months that he's been at the helm? Oh, yeah...that's right...spending us into poverty, that's what he's been doing.
Try 25 months.
http://social.dol.gov/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Monthly-Private-Emp-Change-03-121.jpg
Look at the GDP graph. Obama isn't trying to destroy the economy. He is healing it.
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdp_glance.htm
The willingness of the right to overlook actual facts and focus on nonsense and misleading tid-bits is mind boggling. You folks complain that Solyndra was a failed investment but completely ignore the staggering $1.4 BILLION PER DAY war costs of Iraq (for 8 years), and that's just the beginning of that disaster. The economy has been growing for 25 straight months after near catostrophic failures of the housing market, the financial markets, the auto industry, etc (all under Bush) and you blame Obama for not cleaning up the mess fast enough while getting absolutely zero help in the matter from the folks who caused it. Give me a break. If half of what wooden Mitt said about Obama was true, he would walk into the oval office without even campaigning. As it is, he will lose because Obama's policies are working. It must drive you people nuts.
Ruken....."If you want prices of oil to go down here at home, the only choice is to nationalize our oil supply."
Oh, "Nationalize our oil supply" ? I wonder where that came from ? Oh yeah.....Argentina is Nationalizing their oil supply along with everything else....just like Chavez.
Argentina is going after their natural resources and just recently their oil supply to control their natural resources. I wonder why they "re-nationalized" an aircraft manufacturer operated by Lockheed Martin and all the other private companies (search Argentina Nationalization of private companies) ?
Yep, Nationalize Oil and that will lead to everything else being Nationalized. What a great concept in the Liberal World.
Erico....Waiting on your comments that Mr. Obama saved the World from a Great Depression and his Stimulus saved or created 3,000,000 jobs (mainly overseas) as Mr. Obama laughs and Mr. Biden says the Stimulus did NOT WORK.
Then stop b*tching about high oil prices. Because there's nothing else we can do about it.
We live in a global economy. The financial crisis was a global problem. Oil supply is a global problem.
It's not a socialist issue.
And as long as global demand is increasing (Brazil, India, China) oil prices will keep going up.
Nationalizing our own oil would effectively remove the global part of the equation (for us).
And for those who are like "ZOMG SOCIALISM FOR OIL WHAJTAWHTKAWJTK" think about this: our entire economy is based on oil. You really want corporations and speculators controlling the very substance that makes this economy? I don't.
We the corporations.
Check out this link. It was under President Clinton's administration that the Glass-Steagall act was repealed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_Act
The stock market is based on future, not necessarily what is happening now. Basically they are speculating that things will be better. Since that day is not hear yet, the stock market can just as easily go down.
Also you seem to think that President Bush only thought of the rich. The "Rich" lost money just like the rest of us on the stock market crash.
Saying that there is a million person swing on the employment numbers is certainly a stretch, but what ever.
How does that compare to past recoveries?
http://americancenturyblog.com/2010/08/comparing-our-path-to-recovery-with-past-recessions-and-recoveries/
Please check out the chart.
President Obama is doing a bang up job.
but enough about that. What I want from him is for President Obama to start taking ownership. He seems to blame everyone else. The GSA, and the Secret Service incidents are perfect examples. Instead of addressing either issue, he goes after the Oil Companies again.
Unless the oil companies are buying futures to take oil of the market, I do not see the point. There are many businesses that buy futures so they can even out their fuel costs. Some examples are the Trucking industry, the farm industry, bus companies and of course the airline industry.
There are three things specifically that President Obama has done that I am more than happy to give him credit for.
1) pulling out of Iraq
2) killing our number one buddy Bin Laden
3) inside trading by the congress and the house.
Things are better, just picture how much better it would have been if he would had left things alone. Our economy is cyclical. It always will be and if he would have left things alone the economy would have come back by itself. People and corporations can only put off purchasing needed materials, equipment upgrades for so long.
Upset,
President Bush is no longer in office. Did I agree about going to Iraq and Afghanistan, NO. You have to remember at the time there was a huge push to do something. President Bush did do something, was it the right thing, well other the taking care of Bin Laden, probably not. Yes that happened under President Obama, but if we never went in, I really doubt that he would be able to take credit for that today.
President Obama's policies are working. Ok I will bite, the economy is growing by spending 10 years or more of income and spending it in 2. That is how his jobs bill worked. You know the one that got voted down?
His other stimulus programs worked in similar ways. Funding 1 year of salary, then putting the states on the hook for another 5. Why do you think all of the states are having such funding issues?
Once again we are in a situation where someone has to do something. Well that did not work out so well last time. So you can blame President Bush all you want. But to me it sounds like President Obama is doing the same thing. So that is going to lead to better results how?
Right now we are at 16 trillion dollars in debt, with a forecast of adding at least another 10 trillion over the next 10-12 years. What does that sound like to you? How about another bubble?
Both Obama and Biden say the stimulus worked, despite your claim, the economy and unemployment is better.
Remember, it was Boehner that walked away from the 4 trillion dollar budget reduction deal, as they wanted to stay true to their "starve the beast" policies and not raise revenues.
Eric,
Well Golly if both President Obama and Vice President Biden say it, it must be true.
Ok well we will see how quickly they get a job after november.
They are both so in touch with the lives of every day people. Take personal jets all over the country. Have personal drivers, an assitant to keep them on schedule.
Saying in touch when talking about any politician is so far fetched that it is not worth more words.
Starve the Beast, really, spending 1-1.4 trillion dollars more than what is coming in is hardly what I would call starving the Beast. Where the heck did that come from any ways. Think about it. The beast is the Federal Government. I think it could use about 20 years of fasting.
Yep they had a deal, and then it was changed. That has already been proven.
Eric
Unemployment is better because people have stopped looking for work. There is at least 2 million fewer jobs now then when this started. We add about 120,000 new people to the work force every month.
Yep and it is one of the few things that I will give Boehner credit for.
Ric, I hope you're on medication and disobeying your doctor's orders to stay off the computer and not just really convinced of these horse droppings you're spreading.
Our dependence on foreign oil is at it's lowest point in decades. Our production is up, consumption down, EPA mileage requirements up, everything is good on our end but prices. And this is due to 1)China, 2)India, 3) Goldman-Sachs, 4)Iran.
Iran,btw, may be starting to acquiesce. The biggest culprit is Goldman-Sachs, those saints doing "God's work" by fleecing us with "oil futures".(Thank you sir, maY I PLEASE HAVE ANOTHER?) You really should do a little reading or research before you make yourself look so silly. Another btw...gas was almost $5/gal where I live under bush, so don't tell me it was $1.61....what total nonsense. Maybe it was $1.61 in Iran. But not here. Considering the constant attacks from the 'pugs, Obama has acquitted himself well. It's just too bad that the jackasses from the far,far,far,far right have been so vociferous in their attacks that they have actually made Mr. Obama look good to people like me who don't claim either party.
@ ruken, uh the corporations and speculators ARE the ones controlling the supply and price of oil and oil products.
Subnormal - please stop pretending to be ignorant or people will begin to believe it.
Yes, because the current POTUS and VP have to follow the same rules for travel that every president has to follow - they don't have a choice. Yeah, bust on the President as 'out of touch' because he has a staff to assist him in his job of *running the country*. Romney probably has two full-time assistants just to keep his ears clean.
Don't be dense. Tax revenue is 'food' for the government. The 'starve the beast' argument is simple: Reduce tax revenues and the government will be forced to trim down (regardless of the potential downsides, especially during a recession) or borrow money (deficit spending). The house holds the purse strings of the county, and the current majority will happily flush it down the toilet while stamping their collectively petulant feet.
As a person that will definitely feel the sting if the Bush Tax cuts expire (not quite a 1%er, more like a 2-3%er), I say: let them expire. We all need to do what's necessary to get back on track, both by increasing revenue and reducing spending.
1) pulling out of Iraq. Nope Forced out of Iraq with No more Negotiations for the US to stay, by the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran ever since President Obama's March 2009 Improved Relations with Iran Policy. The Iraqis Oil that could have paid for the US Military Liberation of Iraq lost to the Allies of Fundamentalist Islamic Iran, the Chinese and Russian Federation.
2) killing our number one buddy Bin Laden. Wait about 20 years and under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) obtain the Mission Cam (videos) the Video Conferences between the C4I helicopter (Pakistan), Afghanistan (General Petraeus and Bagram AFB), Pentagon, CIA (Leon Penetta), SOC, JSOC (Admiral McRaven), Whitehouse. Listen to the conversations during the 23 minute communications Blackout at the Whitehouse. As to actually who ordered the Termination of Osama Bin Laden (Hint: was not at the Whitehouse during the communications Blackout). Also go read the Harvard International Law article about President Bush 2006 Amending the US No Assassination Policy, titled "US No Assassination Policy On The Offensive", that if not amended, President Obama would not nor could not terminate Osama Bin Laden, just like President Clinton after the 1993 First World Trade Center Bombing.
3) inside trading by the congress and the house. Minor compared to not fixing the overall US Economic Crisis:
The Current Global Economic Crisis
http://david393071.newsvine.com/_news/2011/02/22/6107088-the-current-global-economic-crisis
And still does not stop US Congress from doing a Nancy Pelosi like her pushing US Laws (North Atlantic Fishing Restrictions, that do not restrict the real cause the North Atlantic Fishing Fleets of Europe) to put her competition's Businesses out of Business on the East Coast while also pushing special appropriations for her Special Interests like StarKist of California, including her US Taxpayer special appropriations to Samoa, Starkist being the main business and employer at Samoa.
subnormal,
Don't even attempt to explain the Glass Steagall Acts to them, it is like trying to put out a Raging California Forest Fire by pissing on it. They are failed products of the Broken Failed US Education System and lack cognitive skills to even be able to look for themselves at all the Closed Malls, Foreclosed Homes, Homelessness, etc.. Academic Idealists hate the Real World Life or Death School of Hard Knocks as to why they like throwing numbers all over the place without realizing those numbers do NOT put food on the table, create jobs, etc..
Most of us that did previous Research into the Cause of the Pearl Harbor Attack, realized what the situation was at the US from the 1929-1939 Great Depression and those measures taken and or Enacted to stop the Causes. As you MUST change or stop the Causes not treat the Symptoms (Effects) to get different Results as Cause + Effects = Results.
Ruken, Eric-913730,
Stop making excuses for President Obama's Failures that resulted in the current high Oil prices.
go read post #1.48. especially paragraph #7.
And that is NOT from reading some book or information written by non participants (with their lives NOT on the line), that is from my being involved with the Middle East, Africa, Asia since the 1980s as starting with the US Military Training Teams attached to the President's Own Executive Intelligence Agency, CIA SAD/SOG. as one of the Team Leaders (US Military Officer) to US Ally Iraq during the Iran Iraq Wars, rotated to Pakistan during Operation Cyclone, and everything since those times till now (Somalia, Operation Redacted, Sudan, Redacted, South and Central Americas, Operation Redacted, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia before the First Gulf War, Redacted Liberation of Kuwait, First Gulf War, Operations at Iraq to Overthrow President Hussein IAW US Law H.R.4655, 1998 Operation Desert Fox, Redacted, Afghanistan weeks after the 9/11 2001 attacks, 2002-2003 Operation Hotel California, South Ossetia, Redacted, Libya, Operation Redacted, etc..). And what that means is years of consecutive tours living with the Locals and NOT on some secure Green Zone, FOB, COB, USAF Airbase, USN Ship or Boat (Submarine), etc..
So basically, I wasted from the 1980s till now (going back on EARNED Retirement as "Too Old" to ever be Recalled to Active Duty again in the Special Category) because you elected a President based on Popularity and Not Substance (Experience) that refused to listen to the Expert Experienced Advise of General McKiernan, General McChrystal, General Petraeus, Secretary of Defense Gates, Director of his Executive Intelligence Agency (CIA), etc. and instead had to make deals with them behind the US Public's backs.
Us US Military "Middle East" (aka Islam) Qualified fighting and dying directly or indirectly against the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran. And President Obama destroyed all those years of our hard earned (earned by deaths) with his March 2009 Improved Relations with Iran Policy.
The American people signal to Hussein Zero, that in 2012 it's All About Throwing his Sorry Failed _ss Out of OUR White House. Start Packing Loser and Good Riddance!
As much as I'd like to see Obama leave, he's not going anywhere in six months.
I agree. I am certainly no fan of Obama, but Romney scares the hell out of me. I predict that Obama will win in a landslide and plunge the country into 4 more years of dysfunction. Fortunately, I have a years supply of food water, guns, and ammunition for when the it hits the fan.
+1 For This.
Obama isn't perfect, but there is no viable (or remotely close) alternative at this point.
In 2008 it was anybody but Bush. In 2012 it will be anybody but the "community organizer in chief". Bye...don't forget to write...
Maybe Obama isn't perfect but he beats the hell out of this:
From politifact:
First we compiled the numbers for Bush's last three months. Between October and November, 597,000 jobs were lost; between November and December, 681,000 were lost; and between December and January, 741,000 were lost.
Romney is just Bush continued...
Uh...Bush was at the end of his second term; you couldn't elect Bush if you wanted to. So technically it was anyone but Bush, for either party.
But Alan he didn't fail. He succeeded.
GDP graph: http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/gdp_glance.htm
You silly liberals freaking crack me up! To have the audacity to say that this current potus is anything but an abject failure astounds me to no end. All you glibby libs think bho is the savior of the American way, and will singlehandedly "solve" all of our fiscal problems. Idiocy like this was the reason this fool stumbled his way into the w.h. in the first place, and brought a lot of his Chicago cronies with him. I'm sure that bho is thinking, "I will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents EVER!". Well, I do believe he will find his place in history as; 1.) Spending more of America's money than all of our previous presidents COMBINED, 2.) Suggesting that we prosecute known terrorists on American soil, instead of a military tribunal at Gitmo, along with his ridiculous buddy holder..., 3.) Sacking a true American hero because his aides can't stand Joe "Bite me" Biden, but then again, who can?, 4.) Making damn good and sure that women know their "place" in his administration (must have got that from his biological father...), 5.) The BLATENT disrespect he shows anyone who disagrees, or questions him (watch the video of him kicking the door in at the w.h. press conference when he finds out Cantor is going to shoot his budget down, he acts like a punk @$$ biotch). The only success he has found is in dividing our country along racial lines which hasn't been seen prior to the Civil War. This condensending result of affirmative action can't go soon enough!
Anyone but bho 2012!
We got into this mess from the "starve the beast" policies of the Republican party.
Cut taxes (revenue) and go to war twice (deficit spending) and voila, a financial crisis to justify cutting entitlements.
Obama has kept us out of a depression and saved the auto industry. The DOW was 8000 when he took over and now its 13000. The GDP has grown each and every quarter since he's been in office.
The ones dividing the US are the Republicans, and their continued disrespect of this first black American President.
Eric,
Really you can do better.
President Obama, extended the tax cuts and added a new one.
He did pull out of Iraq, using the exact same time line as President Bush had set up.
He has shown no respect for anyone else's opinion or input. Remember "they can ride in the back of the bus"? We won so we are going to do it how we want?
When is he going to "Man up" and take responsibility?
How many billions has he pumped into the supposed "Green Industries" and had them fail?
He has divided us along racial lines, financial lines and along gender.
Name one thing that the President has done to bring us together? ( should clarify, in a positive way)
In no other point in our history has the Rich gotten Richer faster. I guess that is something to be proud of. Instead of going after the Rich how about bringing the pour up? I know it is a lot more work to build something up, than to tear it down.
He has shown more disrespect to the GOP than they have shown to him because of his Race. The disrespect that I have for him is all of his broken promises. He talked about change, well it seems to be the same ole same ole to me. Maybe it has been taken up a notch.
We did need to save the auto industry, so that is the fourth thing that I will give him credit for.
He didn't kill OBL... that was years in the making with good intel.
Frank,
Well yes, but it was during his Presidency, I am trying to be positive.... LOL
Yes, to help the economy along, NOT to drive it into the ground like Bush did.
We shouldn't have gone into Iraq in the first place, AND we should have paid for it by raising taxes. Once a war is started you can't just stop it on a dime. So I suppose you think, that we should still be in Iraq?
The input from the Republican party has been to obstruct anything that Obama wanted. He tried reaching across the aisle, and Republicans walked away all the time. "You lie" was respectful. Republicans (and the Tea Party) have been more disrespectful to this President than any other in history.
He has. He stated that the results have not been good enough, but they are results none the less. When have Republicans taken responsibility for their obstruction to Obama's policies?
The "oil only" strategy of the Republicans is not the way to energy independence and Americans in polls agree that an "everything" strategy is needed. Incentive for green energy are needed as the Chinese are outspending us at every turn. Do you want the US to be manufacturing green energy or China?
No, Republicans have been divisive along racial lines because he is a black President. Republicans want the have's to have more and the "have not's to have less". It's the Republican party that has been waging a war against women, and that why Romney has lost their vote.
Killing Bin Laden, and Gabrielle Giffords to name two. What have Republicans done to bring us together?
Yes, this has been what the "starve the beast" policies of the Republican party have been about. American's have had it with the 1%. American's won't stand with the middle class paying for the financial crisis while the rich get tax cuts.
Yes, I agree, Republicans have been disrespectful in many ways to Obama. To date, Obama has kept 177 promises and compromised on 55 more. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/
I agree
Eric,
President Bush did it for the same reason, the last year or so of President Clinton's term, there was a slow down, that is why there was a tax break for most everyone.
No I do not think we should be in Iraq or Afghanistan. My oldest son just got back from a year long tour. He has not told me everything but enough to know that while there may be some short term good, the long term is not so good.
Everything he wants, well I hate to tell you this but nobody gets everything he wants. "You lie", well while that was not respectful, and not the place I can understand it. When you are standing in front of your peers, giving a speach, and you actually stand there and lie, you shoudl be called on it. Have you ever watched how the Brits do it? While I am not a big fan, ok I hate it when someone says that Europe is doing it so we should. You should really watch it though, talk about being put on the spot. They have to answer every question cold, no prep work, no written speach prepared. It is awsome to watch.
President Obama's solutions have constantly been deals were there is 4-10 years of money being applied to a 1-2 year time frame of spending. His last jobs bill was exactly that. So if you think that paying for something is taking 8 years of income to spend it in two. Answer me this, what are you going to do for the other 6? That is why it was voted down, and that is why it was the right thing to do. The truth is we are going to have to raise taxes back to pre President Bush levels, plus another 10% to pay for what we have done. If you do not think that will effect our economy... the next recession will make the one we have look like childs play. We have not fully recovered, I fully expect that it will take another 5-10 years to get out of it and then we have to start paying down the debt. If we have another down turn, it is going to hurt us bad. That is what I see, or what i worry about.
First off it is not an Oil only. We want to use coal, natural gas and oil. Stop the the ethanel crap, President Bush did that one. Now they are talking about going to 15% instead of 10%. That is totally insane. We can build cleaner coal plants, we can update existing ones. Solar and wind power will alway be niche power sources. Picket spent 1 billion dollars building a wind farm in Texas. Here is the link.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-04/pickens-reviving-plans-for-texas-wind-projects-at-smaller-scale.htmlHe
He had to downsize due to power line issues. You cannot grow an industry faster than there is a market to support it. I do not care what China does, or the rest of the world. Saying that they are doing something so we should is not the answer. We need to do what is right for us. We have huge untapped resources available. I am not saying we should have an oil well on every corner. I agree it should be balanced, but what he has been doing has not been balanced at all. We have an energy storage problem, not an energy creation issue. Due to my job I have direct contact with a large wind farm, as well as a local refinery. There is some new solar windows that look promising. From the reading I have done on Solar farms, while interesting, have to be out in the middle of no where to be large enough to be worth persuing on a large scale. Have you read anything about the different types? They take up a lot of room, require a huge amount of daily maintenance, and will be obsolete by the time they are built.
You can say that after all the flack about the shooting? The expressions that he uses? There is I am sure people that judge him on his race. I judge him on the results. The promises that he has made and never delivered on. The constant lines in the sand that he creates. President Obama's policies has lead directly to the " have not's have less". The high cost of energy, the higher cost of food. the dollar being worth less. He has catered to the Rich as much if not more than any other president. Where do you think he got all the money from when he was running? If the Rich liberals want to help the poor, they can do that at any time. The war on woman, that was a media thing. Saying that women and their partners should pay for their own birth control is not a war on women. Quite the contrary, it is them taking control of their lives and their bodies. If we pay for everyone, than why do we not just pay for it ourselves? It would be a lot cheaper. About the attack on Ann Romney, a educated stay at home mom? Did you read the interview from 1994 from their college days?
Killing Bin Laden, and Gabrielle Giffords to name two. What have Republicans done to bring us together?
Not sure what you are talking about with Giffords? Well I do not have a good answer for that one.
Yes, this has been what the "starve the beast" policies of the Republican party have been about. American's have had it with the 1%. American's won't stand with the middle class paying for the financial crisis while the rich get tax cuts.
Yes, I agree, Republicans have been disrespectful in many ways to Obama. To date, Obama has kept 177 promises and compromised on 55 more. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/
I agree
Kept 177 promises. Well I will take your number on faith. He did not keep the important ones to me. President Obama has been disrespectful as well. He has done nothing to stand above it. What about the Black panther bounty? Did I miss him denouncing that?
How can it be that every time that some one disagrees with President Obama it is about race? How is that not racist?
I am tired of hearing about the Rich. We need the Rich. As we use more and more technology we will need them even more. What do you consider poor? Do a quick search on lottery winners. I do not want to be Rich, it is a huge pain in the ass.
I do not have a problem helping someone when they are down as long as they are working to pick themselves back up. What I have a problem with is helping some one to such a level that they have no need or desire to help themselves. Or they decide that it is easier instead of getting a job, or going back to school.
I told you stop giving President Obama Credit for that. Talking around matters, President Obama Politically Distanced himself from that and Objected for a fear of the Mission Failing destroying his Political Career, requiring the US Military and US Intelligence Agencies to apply Pressure to him to get Presidential Approval; same thing happened previously the Rescue of Captain Phillips. The Entire Blame as Scapegoats would have been Director of the CIA, Leon Penetta;General Petraeus Commander Afghanistan as the OSC (On Scene Commander);Admiral McRaven, Mission Commanding Officer Redacted Redacted on the C4I Helicopter (Pakistan) if the Mission Failed as "Exceeding Authority".
Just like the Rescue of Captain Phillips, President Obama froze up as the window of opportunity to terminate the Somalis Pirates was closing. These Missions, you cannot hesitate, argue, and say "Let's Discuss this". So the Commanding Officer of the USS Bainbridge as the OSC and the USNSWDG Team Commander ordered the USNSWDG Snipers with M110s to terminate the Somalis Pirates as "Imminent Danger". ANYTIME you hear the term, "Imminent Danger", that is what we have been using forever to bypass the indecisions of the US Politicians that might give approval hours, days, weeks, years later AFTER the window of opportunity already closed. If this mission would have Failed then the Commanding Officer of the USS Bainbridge and the USNSWDG Team Commander would be permanent residents of the nearest Federal Penitentiary, Fort Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks, or Brig for "Exceeding Authority resulting in death(s)". Because of President Obama freezing up during the Rescue of Captain Phillips someone with Delegated Presidential Authority placed an informant in the Whitehouse Situation Room, so that if President Obama froze up again, Politically objected, hesitated, etc. that informant would inform someone with Delegated Presidential Authority to order what is needed.
Look carefully at this picture (identify each person's job, that will by process of elimination tell you who the informant was), notice who is also missing (Redacted) ask yourself why:
http://socialmediaseo.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/white-house-osama-bin-laden.jpg
Hmmm, seems to me this President is all about taxing, deficit spending, gov't regulation, wealth redistribution, and class envy... I haven't seen anything that makes me think he has a clue about how capitalism works, much less the leadership ability to grow the economy. Liberals don't understand the fundamental concept of creating wealth... they just know how to confiscate it.
True, what has Obama really done for the economy except spend a lot of money? Why is Obama even in charge of the economy? What part of the constitution says that?
Why is Obama even in charge of the economy?
Here's why:
From politifact:
First we compiled the numbers for Bush's last three months. Between October and November, 597,000 jobs were lost; between November and December, 681,000 were lost; and between December and January, 741,000 were lost.
EEngineer
Here's why he shouldn't be:
From the Federal Government Printing Office:
Federal spending in Bush's last budget year: $2.98 Trillion, deficit of $0.4 Trillion
2011 Federal Spending: $3.60 Trillion, deficit of $1.3 Trillion
More lies! Bush's last budget was the one for 2009. Governement budget years run from October to October. The budget that was signed by Bush in Oct, 2008 ran to Oct, 2009.
From Politifact:
On Jan. 7, 2009, two weeks before Obama took office, the CBO reported the deficit was projected to be $1.2 trillion.
So Bush's last budget, as projected by the CBO before Obama ever took office, had a deficit of $1.2T. Due to the worsening economy (also Bush's fault) the actual deficit that year was about $1.9T!!!! Do not, repeat NOT, glorify Bush as a fiscally responsible president!
Bush never counted the wars in his budget Obama did. Honesty people
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!
Perhaps I fail to understand some complexity of economics, but I have a few simple questions.
1. Please explain how increasing taxes on anyone, rich, poor or more likely in between is going to increase economic development.
2. Do people assume that government is going to 'create jobs?' If so doing what?
3. Why is taking away more of the rewards, on a percentage basis, going to encourage business or people to work harder? That sounds regressive, not progressive.
For all the lip service offered, by either political party the math is pretty simple. I am self employed, and the facts speak for themselves:
- Federal Income Tax Conservatively 20% (Federal tax rate varies based on success)
- State Income Tax (5% of gross Massachusetts)
- Self Employment Tax 15.5% of gross (SS equivalent that I never expect to see)
Taken another way I work two (2) of the five (5) work days on government spending.
That's effectively 40% of gross. I haven't even included local sales tax at 6.25%, property tax, vehicle excise tax, etc.
Enough already! Our government is the single greediest entity in our country.
Democrats and Republicans alike, CUT THE SPENDING.
Total tax for EVERYONE is a lot higher than anyone really thinks about
Regardless of how own spends it, guns or butter, there is one commonality, cost.
All you Libs out there seem to want to tax the rich.....How silly While that would be perfectly fine it will do nothing for the ecopnomy of the debt/deficit. Just ask yourself this question. Where is the REAL money in this country. Usa Population currently approx. 330 million Working population approximately 240 million. If you tax the rich we will see approx. 47 B over ten years. Out of the working stiffs iin this country half do not pay taxes. leaving approx.mately 125 Million middle class working stiffs to actually pay the bills there are not that many millionaires in the USAwhen the bush/Obama tax breaks expire and they will... the Dems have already said they will block any attempt to renew them, then the majority of the working stiffs appro. 110 million of us will have our taxes rise about 1700 per person. thats approximately 1.7 trillion . Again where is the real money in this country?
I still do not understand why so many people want to see this so called trickle down economy .I do see that most of the one % ers wish to turn the clocks back to before the mid twentieth century,but the majority of us are workers.I am as good as anyone else and I object to be expected to crouch under the table of the rich Whilst they throw me their scraps.I have always earned my living and never had to depend on being given my earned income.I have no problem with social security.All decent societies look after the unfortunate and I consider it repulsive that some of the comments are to starve the unemployed ,physically impaired and even those who have no skills, nor enough mental capabilities. Those persons should be thanking their fates that they do have better paying work. The T/P and their toadies of the Republican party are willing to destroy this country in their quest for power.The working people should be encouraged that we have a President that has had experience helping the unfortunates of this the U.S The people that the Republican s are offering as an alternative are among the worst that they have asked us to vote into Political Power in many a year, so you Reps. who have to work for your living ,should think clearly about what you are hoping for in 2012,I doubt that you will like it if we get what you hope for.
This kills me. Like Lols for reals.
Here's eeengineer:
"More lies! Bush's last budget was the one for 2009. Governement budget years run from October to October. The budget that was signed by Bush in Oct, 2008 ran to Oct, 2009."
See, what's so funny is that his statement where he calls somebody else a liar is in fact UNTRUE.
And, I'm not 100% on this......but I think eeeengineer already knows that.
See, Bush's budget the Fake liberals here are so fond of referencing.....
Well, it never passed.
The Democrats decided to wait for Obama to be inaugurated, so they passed a continuing resolution to fund the government thru march 2009.
The Democrats did. NOT Bush.
They thought that they and Obama could craft a budget together. They and we are still waiting. The only two votes on any of Obama's pathetic attempts have gone down in flames, 97-0 in The Senate, and 414-0 in The House.
By the way, the budget cannot be filibustured, it is a straight up vote. And not one democrat wanted to be on record voting for Obama's budgetary nonsense.
Here is the link to the Continuing Resolution funding the govt thru march 2009:
http://www.opencongress.org/wiki/Consolidated_Security,_Disaster_Assistance,_and_Continuing_Appropriations_Act_of_2008
Ron Paul said he would cut $1 trillion from the deficit in his first year in office. He would eliminate several government agencies.
Ron Paul 2012!
alan: Don't most candidates for POTUS say that? Governor Romney has made similar promises.
Additionally, as you indicated in your initial post, Congress is responsible for spending, as well.
I don't think Romney has said he would cut 1$ trillion in spending his first year.
alan: I said he made similar statements. He has promised to cut the deficit and to eliminate and/or combine government agencies.
Don't all candidates for POTUS make similar promises? Does it ever happen? President Reagan made similar promises, and he did the opposite.
I'll believe these promises when I actually see evidence of them begin kept. I doubt that it will happen in my lifetime.
Didn't he list the FDA as one of them?
Along with the Departments of Energy and Education, Paul also proposes eliminating the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, and Interior.
Which is stupid.
The FDA is necessary, to say the least. As a doctor you'd like to think Paul would know this.
Why can't Romney cut $1 Trillion? Obama increased spending by $1 Trillion so far in his term.
I have no doubts that he can.
The only question is the possible disastrous consequences of such a drastic cut in an unstable economy.
a Balanced budget is coming....Not because either political party wants to impose it but because the math at the rate we are going is totally unsustainable. The GAO did a study that if the Debt reaches approx. 22.7 T then we will be done as a country as all the revenues raised by the government will only go to pay the interest on the debt. Question? then what
People fail to see the obvious. When the economy picks up, so will revenue. House prices will rise again as they have always, property taxes will begin to ease the budgets of their cities, just as it always has. People will feel more empowered and spend more - generating more sales taxes collected.
People act as if this current recession is forever - it isn't. We have gone through many recessions - sure this one was really bad - but this too will pass. So the take away. We do need to tackle the budget, but not at the expense of growth, because only growth will save us.
The US economy is HUGE, a few good years will make a big difference in our paying down our debt.
Who cares-Ron paul can't even win a Republican Caucus. Racists can vote for Mitt.
It is all about the economy, and we have a leader that has zero ideas/experience, or a budget for that matter, as to what to do. He just wants to spend our way to a recovery. I guess we could count his experience as a community organizer, I am sure there was a budget involved somewhere in that circus? Obama Geithner 2012!
yeah, and Republicans did sooo much better...
From politifact:
First we compiled the numbers for Bush's last three months. Between October and November, 597,000 jobs were lost; between November and December, 681,000 were lost; and between December and January, 741,000 were lost.
EEngineer why do you keep posting the same crap? The economy tanked globally, it started in late 2006 and went down from there. We had overvalued real estate and you could get a mortgage if you could fog a mirror. For years our government has spent more money than it took in. This pattern is unsustainable. We know if the government increases revenue (higher taxes) they will simply spend more money. If we eliminated waste (see government agencies that do nothing but waste money) we could easily get by on the current revenue.
We see as an example from Greece you cannot keep spending more money than you take in. We always hear politicians from both parties spouting off about a balanced budget amendment. It's funny how they never seem to get around to passing one.
The only way our country is going to get out of this mess will come from painful cuts. I know several people who work for the federal government. They have an annual budget and if they don't use all of the money allocated to them they lose it the following year. So they spend every cent, even if they don't have to. How is this a smart policy? Why not reward agencies that spend the money wisely?
I realize the government isn't a business, but the current pattern is unsustainable no matter who is in power.
So why are so many of you acting like morons? There's no need to bash the person running against your party. The two parties need to get together and put together a plan that will work for America.
EEngineer why do you keep posting the same crap?
Because Republicans keep spouting the same crap! According to them, they are the only ones who can handle the economy. Fact is, they mis-handled the economy for 8 years and brought this whole mess upon us. Read on.
We had overvalued real estate and you could get a mortgage if you could fog a mirror.
And why was that? From the moment Bush took office he pushed for more home ownership. From a radio address to the nation in June, 2001, just six months after Bush took office: For instance, while the rate of homeownership amongst all Americans is nearly 68 percent, the rate among African-American and Hispanic families is under 50 percent. One particular program, the American Dream Downpayment Fund, will provide $200 million in downpayment assistance to help 130,000 low-income families buy homes.
All legislation is documented on government websites. Look this one up; it is quite interesting:
American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) - signed into law on Dec 16, 2003.
Sponsor: Sen. Wayne Allard [R-CO]
Co-sponsors: Samuel Brownback [R-KS]; Conrad Burns [R-MT]; Ben Campbell [R-CO]; Michael Crapo [R-ID]; Michael Enzi [R-WY]; Charles Hagel [R-NE]; Lisa Murkowski [R-AK]; Richard Santorum [R-PA]; Jefferson Sessions [R-AL]
Note that there was not one Democrat co-sponsoring this bill. The bill was sponsored by a Republican, co-sponsored only by other Republicans, passed by a Republican majority in the House and Senate and signed into law by a Republican president. It reduced the minimum downpayment for GSE loans to 3%.
At the same time Bush directed GSE's to pump $440B into the secondary mortgage market. You remember the secondary mortgage market, right? This is a simple case of supply and demand; with the huge influx of more money into the secondary mortgage market, prices rose precipitously, leading to a bubble that would eventually pop and help devastate the US economy. The reason the rest of the world followed was because they were heavily invested in the US housing market. When we fell, they all fell too. I lay the blame for this entire economic meltdown squarely on Republicans.
We know if the government increases revenue (higher taxes) they will simply spend more money.
And now we come to the crux of the matter: George W. Bush, aided and abetted by Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, decreased government revenue (in the form of massive tax cuts) and increased spending more than any president ever! That pattern is unsustainable. And yet, what do we hear from every Republican economic plan? Lower taxes, increase Defense spending and eliminate entitlements to pay for it. If Republicans do manage to take power again, we will see lowered taxes and increased Defense spending and that is all.
The two parties need to get together and put together a plan that will work for America.
Democrats are willing. There was a plan on the table last year to trim $4T in spending over the next 10 years. It included cuts in spending and increases in revenue, something 2/3 of all American voters said they supported. But Republicans, ignoring the will of the people, walked away from the table. With that one act they showed exactly how much interest they have in reducing government spending: none!
Republicans are the problem, not the solution. Putting another Re[publican in the WH and/or stuffing both houses of Congress with Republicans will only put us back on the same path that George W. Bush trod and ruin this country even further
The policies of our former President put us into so much debt ,with the lack of true controls and by not stopping the C.E.O.'s and their lackeys from outsourcing work that we have borowed money from the far east.Every one knows,or should know,that borrowing money is not the cheapest way to go.It doesn't matter whom we elect .It will take many years of stringent economy to get us out of this mess that the heads of the companies that have outsourced our work, placed us into.
Of course Mitt did his part in torpedoing the American economy by destroying American companies and laying off American workers. The ripple effects of Bain Capital's work included more lost jobs and companies. You can't be deluded enough to vote for this draft dodger and serial tax dodger. He is un-American and thinks you're too stupid to look at his record. In your case he appears to be right.
The middle East oil cartel has made a fortune on Obama and his EPA minion's energy policies. Starting this summer, the Cartel will temporarily, drastically lower prices in order to re-elect Obama. The operative word is "temporarily." (The oil Cartel increased the price of oil in the summer of 2008 to elect him.)
lolololololololololol Wow lolololololololololol Is that why the oil companies is putting out ads against President Obama lolololololol What color is your sky in your world?
I'm not sure I buy that one completely, either...but only slightly off-topic, I pose the following...
The United States spent billions to keep Kuwait from becoming a southern suburb of Baghdad and becoming ruled by Saddam Hussein.
Then (whether you agree with the war, or not) we spent billions of dollars, and more importantly the lives of thousands of American soldiers to liberate the Iraqi people.
Why don't we have super-tankers pulling up to the refineries with the thanks of grateful nations?
Just askin'
riccastagna, that is a great question, where are those low gas prices and the shining democracy for the middle east to use as an example, because I recall those being two major talking points for GWB's war in iraq.
The Liar-in-Chief pisses away more tax payer money on fuel for Watermellon One.
Yes and Oil is paying for what war? or are our kids paying for it?
What lie did Obama tell? I can remember a whopper of a lie George W Bush told the entire country and the world during a State of the Union speech, I recall being told that Iraq was seeking nuclear materials from Africa (yellowcake uranium in Niger to be exact). That lie along with mobile wmd production labs led us to war that cost the limbs of 40,000 US servicemembers, the lives of 4,000 more and billions of dollars of treasure. And "watermelon one" your attempt to be funny falls short, besides the racist overtones you spelled the word wrong, so uh your ignorance is showing, again.
Dr Bob-your post is crude and ignorant. Is that how people describe you?
No comment...ALL POLITICIANS SUCK....sucking us down the abiss and ODUMBA is leading the way....next election. plan on wearing scarfs on your head and a new caste system will begin immediatley upon Obamas election....
You mean a "new caste system" to replace the one in which only male WASPs have any opportunities in this country. I, and millions like me, welcome such a "caste system" and society. Guess what buddy this America is ALL OF OURS, that "good ol US of A" of your granddaddy is gone, Women can and will work, vote, speak their minds, hispanics will do more than cut your grass and pick your fruit and Blacks aignt gonna lower their gaze and call you "sir" as you pass by. Each and every group of people have contributed to making this the best nation the world has ever seen.
AlexD-I know you long for a caste system that would put you in the top tier and deal withe those uppity women and minorities. Even in that system you would be a rat chaser or sanitary worker. Sorry, the facts are the facts.
This also just in from Obama
Also, Obama proclaims
Obama speaks at colleges not executive forums, he resonates with the inexperienced, not the hardworking experienced Americans who understand what it takes to make money and save for ONE vacation a year. Who actually have cars and need to fill them up with gas at $4.00 a gallon, and understand that all of the algae in the world isn't going to get them to the grocery store where they are now (thanks to Obama;s energy policy). Big and small businesses that want to grow will not do so while he is in the White House. As Steve Winn said and I paraphrase "Obama is the biggest wet blanket on business we have ever seen". Oh, that's right Mr. Obama you never once, even when you had Democratic control of the House and the Senate, passed a working budget. Maybe the college kids need to "share" their grades in the classroom so everyone passes.
Mark - That is one of the best summaries I have heard regarding Obama's general demographic support, outside of his typical race and class separation issues. If he tried to speak at executive or business forums, he would be dumbfounded by the discussion since he has ZERO business experience to discuss matters of real economic relevance. Saturday Night Live should do a skit on that. It would be hilarious!
oboma says it is all about the economy. as he waste our tax payers dollars he brings that up. wow. what an as-. he spends more money than the last 10 presidents all put together.
he is a very very bad leader. very sad.
RJ-if you can read and understand complex writings-google W. and the 2 wars on the credit card and the senior citizen drug benefit on the credit card. Your post indicates you are in a depression. If a Republican is returned to the office the majority of the country will join you as the ryan Budget throws Grandma under the bus and tries to force all non-millionaires to step and fetch it. Be careful what you wish for.
So it is "The Economy, Stupid", that will determine the next POTUS??? Not the ludicrous spending and unproductive attempts by Obummer to spend us into prosperity, coupled with "shovel ready jobs" that were "not so ready shovel ready jobs", as pointed out by the Annointer Imposter with a giggle. Not his commitment to the Russian messenger boy for Putin to "take care of" the European Missile Defense issue once he is re-elected???? NOT his failure to accept responsibility for any of the total lack of leadership on any front by either him or his administration for ANYTHING??? The voters in the USA will insure that it is NOT JUST THE ECONOMY when they send this idiot back to WHEREVER he was born in November.
BK-It's just stupid in your case.
Obama only fights for one job....his own.
When he told Joe the Plumber that, "I just want to spread it around," that was, in reality, Obamanation's entire economic platform.
You do realize that "Joe the plumber" was not a real plumber nor was he even named "Joe", he was a republican plant who fell on his face since it was proven and presented to him that Obama's economic policies would benefit him more than McCain's. His name is Sam Wurzulbacher ( or some similar spelling) who is running for a seat in congress from Ohio this election cycle, lets see how that goes.
Here's a help for Mr. Obama he should fire Eric Holder and replace him with Spike Lee who could just tweet the addresses of all criminals so they could be taking care of by Mr. Lee's methods.
Here's a suggestion for Mr. Obama. He should fire Mr. Holder and replace them with Spike Lee. Mr. Lee could just tweet the addresses of all criminals and they will be taking care of with his methods.
no, it's not all about the economy. it's all about blame bush, blame the middle east, blame bush, blame fox news, blame the speculators, blame bush, blame anything and everybody but o b a m a.
I absolutely blame Bush. He put exactly where we were with the great recession and the Repubs would put us right back there if they had their way. Luckily, they won't.
Weemee,
You have to be more specific about what time frame you are talking about? We have still not come out of the recession completely. That is judged by any growth in the GDP. You do remember that a couple of things came up during President Bush's stay in the White House? 9/11, and then the hurricanes?
My fear is that 2008 will look pretty good compared to the last three months of President Obama's stay in office. Especially if he wins a second term. How are we going to pay for 22 trillion dollars of debt?
I want a plan, were I can start paying down my 48k right now. At least maybe I can have that paid off by the time I retire!
weemee- TYPICAL ignorant response!! You liberals are spineless, stupid, sheep! As long as you get your Obamabucks!
Fuzzy-typical uninformed paranoid post. The vast majority of progressives who post are successfully employed and probably better compensated than you. Doesn't that just tick you off?
After more than three years it has become clear that Obama will say anything and do anything for a vote. It has also become very clear he will do nothing to improve the situation in America. Sick and tired of the BS being spun from this administration.
As Mitt Romney says, "Start packing, Barry."
John-Mitt really knows about packing. He has mansions in many states and had to pack constantly to travel to his estates. He also sent thousands of American workers packing after he raided and destroyed their companies while leading Bain Capital.
Great article...
This really shows how DUMB Obama and MSNBC really are!!!!
It's all about the economy... Really No kidding.
ROMNEY 2012!!!!!!!!!! ALL THE WAY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Huh?
Got the feeling you've heard this bs before? Remember 'I think about this every day!'?
Ain't politics refreshing? Especially if you have a lousy memory, or lack critical thinking ability.
You mean like the liberals! The economy, unemployment, housing industry, etc. EVERYTHING was considerably better under Bush. Unemployment was approximately 6.3%. The deficit was around $9 trillion dollars. People had homes, money in the bank, etc. Congress was Democratic controlled in 2006-2010 and when Obama stole the presidency, then the bottom fell out. The deficit is over $16 trillion dollars in less than 4 years, unemployment actual figures are over 22%. Millions of people have lost there jobs and homes. Welfare has been increased CONSIDERABLY along with Food Stamps and other free programs. The liberals still have their head in the ground and can not refute the results as listed. So bring it on with your unsubstantiated BS. Obama has no budget and doesn't care about the economy since he has the nation where he wants it. Under his control and power. The more people on public assistance the more control he has!
Fuzzy, in psychology there is a term called "projection" it's when you project your own problems and failings onto others in order to deflect attention to those failings in yourself. Republicans are doing a lot of that. How did Obama "steal the election" now I recall a US Supreme Court case of Bush v Gore, many people educated in politics and law make a fairly cogent and compelling argument that Bush stole the 2000 election. And what money in the bank under GWB, most people treated their homes as ATMs using inflated values to take money that they had niether earned or saved and when the "bottom fell out" it was September 2008 and GWB was the president not Obama, and that my friend is not opinion or spin it is a FACT.
I love it! When Unemployment is high, its the Democrats and Obama's fault. When unemployment starts falling, it is the Republican Governors that get the credit! Come on people, it is one or the other!
Unemployment has not fallen. There are more people out of work now than during the Great Depression. The government is paying out less benefits since new applications are fewer. There has been zero growth in manufacturing and other industry. Health care industry has been laying off. The monies that are not being paid out in unemployment are being spent by Obama on his communist brothers, vacations, government agency parties and bonuses, etc. Show and prove where America is better today than 4 years ago?!
Some of those governors were just elected in 2010, so it is conceivable that the governors' policies are having an impact.
Go-One governor's policy just signed will have a negative effect-Walker in Wisconsin just took equal pay away from women. Gov. Scott Walker must go-his election is first and he is the worst. GOV SCOTT WALKER MUST GO. By the way, check out the approval ratings of Gov. Kasich in Ohio and Gov. Scott in Florida-the lowest ever recorded. Their policies are having an impact-they will assure Democrat governors in both states in 2014.
The 2008 election was unprecedented in the following regard: never before has NBC/MSNBC been so blatantly and unapologetically in the pocket of Obama. I suspect the policy will continue once again this time around. Maybe some of their on air personalities will get another thrill up their leg again who knows.
Mark-MSNBC is definitely pro Obama. Fox News, Wall Street Journal, ect are an actual propaganda wing of the conservatives. I did not say the Republicans-they don't allow moderate or reasonable opinions to be heard. What can be done?
Don't confuse the Republicans and tea party with facts on what the President has actually done to help the economy... I remind you that what he has gotten done was without the help of the Congress...to the contrary it was in spite of the republican/tea party obstructive congress. We all know, and we will not forget that the republican controlled congress played games with the economy in an effort to win back the Presidency after "W" and republican policies created the economic disaster. They actually are preaching the exact same economic policies that ran the country into the ground... They continue to protect the wealthy corporate elite and a banking system that cheated each and every American out of our hard earned dollars. The republicans/tea party need to be voted out...period. Only then will we see the true strength of an American economic recovery. They are doing every thing in their power to delay it, hurting millions of American citizens in the name of greed and political gain..... throw the bastards out.
Is the president CEO of the economy?
Tim -
If you are referring to housing bubble/bank-loan fraud that screwed millions of Americans, it was not Bush really, but rather Barney Frank that was in charge of monitoring Fannie and Freddie. The banks were in cahoots with F and F by giving bad loans to gullible, greedy Americans which signed the contracts on their own volition thinking they could live a dream life without saving up enough to properly pay for it ...and Barney Frank was either completely clueless, or turned a blind eye to the whole mess. It was his responsibility to stop it.
On a final note, socialism (which is the type economy Democrats are pushing for) is not a historically American trait and has never led any country in history to long term prosperity. Be careful what you wish for....
"I remind you that what he has gotten done was without the help of the Congress...", hmmm, like appointing numerous "czars" who answer to no one but bho? Or maybe agreeing to shut down gitmo, and transfer all of the prisoners to American soil? Or maybe to cowtow to Putin's lackey concerning the missile shield in Europe? Or was it the firing of a (once) private companies CEO? @ Tim1912664, you honestly sound like your completely in love with this guy...
NPCDan-and getting Osama Bin Laden, getting us out of Iraq, adding 250,000 jobs per month (versus losing 750,000)-honestly you seem to be in love with only conservative ideas-that means Mitt is not your candidate.